Something’s happening at the lowest point on our planet,some 1,388 feet below sea level.The Dead Sea,a salt lake close to Israel,Jordan and the West Bank,is shrinking at an alarming rate—about 3.3 feet per year,according to the environmentalist group EcoPeace Middle East.
“It’s not just like one country is punishing the Dead Sea;it’s more like the whole region,”said photographer Moritz Küstner,who visited the area in February to work on his series “The Dying Dead Sea”.
The Dead Sea needs water from the other natural sources surrounding it,such as the Jordan River basin.But around the 1960s, the courses of some water sources it relied upon were diverted. Israel, for instance, built a pipeline during that time so it could supply water throughout the country.
Mineral extraction(提取)industries are another main reason why the water levels are declining,experts say.The Dead Sea’s minerals have been popular for their medical power and can often be found in cosmetics(化妆品)and other consumer products.
And then,of course,there’s the Middle East’s hot,dry climate,which makes it difficult for the lake to refill itself.Last year,Israel and Jordan signed a $ 900 million deal in an effort to stabilize the Dead Sea’s water levels.It involves building a canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea which would be able to not only supply water to Israel and Jordan but also to pump much needed water—some 300 million cubic meters annually—into the Dead Sea.
“This is the most important and significant agreement since the peace treaty with Jordan (in 1994),”said Silvan Shalom,Israel’s energy and water resources minister at the time.Whether the canal—estimated to take three years to complete—will work out positively and as planned remains to be seen.
For now, Küstner shows us that the Dead Sea remains very much a place of interest, with people from all over the world going there to swim in its salty waters.
1.How many reasons for the Dead Sea’s shrinking does the author mention in the passage?
A. One. B. Two.
C. Three. D. Four.
2.What does the underlined word “diverted” in paragraph 3 mean?
A. Switch. B. Improve.
C. Accomplish. D. Repair.
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The Dead Sea is drying out causing water shortage to humans.
B. Küstner visited the Dead Sea to shoot TV series about people’s life.
C. The Dead Sea’s minerals have been used in some products.
D. The Dead Sea’s water levels have been stabilized by building a canal.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. How the Dead Sea’s water levels’ decline influences human beings.
B. How important the Dead Sea is in Israel,Jordan and the West Bank.
C. What we should do to save the Dead Sea from being destroyed.
D. Why the Dead Sea is dying and the measure taken to save it.
When most people think of the word, “brand”, they think of the Nike Swoosh, Ford “blue oval,” McDonalds Golden Arches, or the “State Farm is There” jingle. They know what theywill get with a wellbranded product or service as promised. Think of Volvo, for instance, and your first thoughts are probably something like “well built, comfortable, Swedish” and, most of all, “safety”.
So a brand is a lot more than a logo, icon, or slogan. Catchy as it may sound, it isn’t the “brand” in the true sense—and it certainly isn’t what makes the brand valuable.A company’s brand is a promise. It’s a description of the company’s character. To some extent, it’s a mission; it’s how the company creates and delivers value. Also, it’s the feeling the company conveys to its stakeholders. Successful brands meet various challenges and consistently deliver on their promises, which is how they create brand value.To illustrate it, here are some brand promises from three highly successful, world-wide brands:The NFL: “To be the premier sports and entertainment brand that brings people together, connecting them socially and emotionally like no other.”Coca-Cola: “To inspire moments of optimism and uplift.”VirginAtlantic: “To be genuine, fun, contemporary, and different in everything we do at a reasonable price.”
Interesting. In none of the above cases does the brand promise describe what these companies do or provide. The NFL’s brand promise says nothing about football. Coca-Cola doesn’t talk about providing the best soft drinks in the world. And Virgin Atlantic’s promise goes a lot farther than seating passengers in its aircrafts.
Of course, a promise is nowhere near enough. The promise along with look, personality, time, money, and hard work combined can eventually help to build and maintain great brands and acquire a special patina(光泽) of what I call “me” appeal, showing my personal appetite. Apple has that patina. All of this can lead to sub-brands, like iPhone and iPad which acquire the glory of the parent brand.
Sometimes a brand is memorable because of little things. TD Bank has a special place in their branches for you to deposit all those coins you collect in jars. It is called the Penny Arcade that turns depositing your coins into a fun game in which you can even win prizes. Years ago, Dime Savings Bank in New York had a small dime(十分硬币) carrier. It was given to kids and then they’d fill up its 50 slots (投币口) with a dime in each one and bring it to exchange for a $5 bill.
1.What can we know from the first 2 paragraphs?
A. People tend to believe in top brands because they deliverwhat is promised.
B. Well branded Swedish products are of good quality but more costly than others.
C. Well branded products are faced with great challenges of quality currently.
D. A company shouldn’t care about logos because they can’t make the brand valuable.
2.In the author’s opinion, a brand promise is ___________.
A. thecontract between a company and the people who interact with it
B. the only way to build and maintain a great brand’s value
C. a description of what a company actually does for its consumers
D. an important factor contributing to the success of a brand
3.According to the passage, what isprobably “Virgin Atlantic”?
A. A financial company. B. A high-tech software product.
C. An airline company. D. An entertainment product.
4.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Buying a certain brand says nothing about the person who buys it.
B. Little things can mean a lot and make a brand memorable.
C. Sub-brands are relatively easy to build and generate huge profits.
D. Dime Savings Bank’s dime carriers are difficult for kids to operate.
I was attending a party onenight given in Sir Ross’s honor; and during the dinner, the man sitting next to me told ahumorous story based on the quotation(引语): “There’s a divinity that shapes ourends, rough-hew them how we will.”
The storyteller mentioned that the quotation was from the Bible. He was wrong. I knewthat, and I knew it positively. There couldn’t be the slightest doubt about it. And so, to get afeeling of importance and display my superiority, I appointed myself as an unwelcome committee of one to correct him. He stuck to his guns. “What? FromShakespeare? Impossible! Absurd! That quotation was from the Bible.” And he knew it.
The storyteller was sitting on my right; and Frank Gammond, an old friend of mine,was seated on my left. Mr. Gammond had devoted years to the study of Shakespeare. Sothe storyteller and I agreed to submit the question to Mr. Gammond. Mr. Gammondlistened, kicked me under the table, and then said: “Dale, you are wrong. Thegentleman is right. It is from the Bible.”
On our way home that night, I said to Mr. Gammond: “Frank, you knew that quotation was from Shakespeare.” “Yes, of course,” he replied, “Hamlet, Act Five, Scene Two. But we were guests at a happy time, my dear Dale. Why prove to a man he is wrong? Is that going to make him like you? Why not let him save his face? He didn’t ask for your advice. He didn’t want it. Why argue with him? Always avoid your sharp angle.” The man who said that taught me a lesson I’ll never forget. I not only had made the storyteller uncomfortable, but also had put my friend in an embarrassing situation. How much better it would have been had I not become argumentative.
Nine times out of ten, an argument ends with each of the contestants more firmly convinced than ever that he is absolutely right.You can’t win an argument. You can’t because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it.
1.What did the author do to get a feeling of importance at the party?
A. Tell a humorous story. B. Show off his rich knowledge.
C. Teach the storyteller a lesson. D. Correct the storyteller’s mistake.
2.Why did Frank Gammond kick the author under the table?
A. Because he was humorous and played tricks on the author.
B. Because he was thoughtful and wanted to stop the author.
C. Because he didn’t know much about the Bible.
D. Because he thought the author was really wrong.
3.How did the author feel about the event that happened at the party?
A. Regretful. B. Thankful.
C. Satisfied. D. Confused.
4.What can be the suitable title for the passage?
A. You Can’t Win an Argument B. You Can’t Make Mistakes in Public
C. Do Have an Open Mind D. Mind Your Manners at a Party
Family Fun in Canadian Museum of Nature
Bring the whole family to rediscover our fully redecorated museum.
* WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Check out What’s On for all the events, educational activities and HD movies happening during your visit.Care for birds, dive down into the depths at the helm (舵柄) of a research submersible(潜水器) or explore a cave… on the first floor. Don’t miss our gallery play areas on the third floor when visiting with kids. By visiting here, your children will learn more about nature. Check out Our Exhibitions which presents our special exhibitions and our galleries.Be sure to stop at our Nature Boutique on the second floor for a vast selection of games, books and nature-related souvenirs from 9:30 am until the museum closes for the day.
* HOURS, ADMISSION, SERVICES AND MORE
Opening hours: Regular Hours (September 4 -May 31) 9 am-5pm except Monday and Thursday Summer Hours (June 1-September 2) 9 am-6 pm(Saturday-Wednesday) 9 am-8 pm(Thursday and Friday) | General Admission: Free for members. Adult: $14.50 Senior (65+): $12.50 Student (18+): $12.50 Student (13+): $12.50 Child (3–12): $10.50 Tiny Tot (0–2): Free A general admission ticket is required—even when the price is free, as it is for members and Tiny Tots—if you want to see a movie or a special exhibition. Buy a combo that includes both tickets already. Ticket combo includes general admission and a 3D movie. Adult: $18.50 Senior (65+): $16.50 Student (18+): $16.50 Student (13+): $16.50 Child (3–12): $14.50 Tiny Tot (0–2): Free Member: $3 |
Parking: Paid parking is available on the Canadian Museum of Nature grounds. Rates: $3 per half hour maximum of $14 per day (until 4:30 am) evening flat rate: $5 (4:30 pm -4:30 am) Charges accumulate (evening and next day) for vehicles that are parked overnight. |
The Canadian Museum of Nature provides a host of information, images and videos on our websites about nature, such as http://www.nature.ca/en/family-fun and http://www.expeditionarctic.ca/. The museum also participates in several social networks. Follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.
1.In Canadian Museum of Nature, visitors can _____________.
A. exhibit their own nature-related works
B. raise their general awareness of nature
C. be trained to drive submersibles professionally
D. buy souvenirs on the second floor as soon as it opens
2.As a member of the museum, you take your wife and two children (13 and 9) driving to pay a whole-day visit to the museum and children enjoy a 3D movie, how much should you pay at least?
A. $ 52.5 B. $ 74
C. $ 45.5 D. $ 59.5
3.What is the purpose of the last part of the text?
A. To talk about the museum’s reputation.
B. To encourage participation in developing the museum.
C. To provide some contact details of the museum.
D. To advertise upcoming events for the museum.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.When did the speaker have the strange experience yesterday?
A. In the morning. B. At noon. C. In the evening.
2.What do we know about the old man?
A. He had the light with him.
B. He talked with the speaker.
C. He looked kind and friendly.
3.How did the old man help the speaker?
A. He gave him some food.
B. He showed him the way down.
C. He provided him with accommodation.
4.What happened at the end of the story?
A. The old man was gone.
B. The speaker thanked the old man.
C. The speaker was frightened to death.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How does the man’s apartment always look?
A. Empty. B. Untidy. C. Comfortable.
2.What does the man remember locking?
A. The door. B. The drawers. C. The windows.
3.What did the burglar steal from the man’s apartment?
A. The refrigerator. B. The computer. C. All of his CDs.
4.What will the detectives do?
A. Fill out a report. B. Check for fingerprints. C. Ask the man some questions.
