Maybe it's because it was our first purchase as homeowners. The salesman must have spotted just how green we were, so he began persuading. And soon he led us to a classic leather chair. All these years later, I remember he used words like rich and handsome, the thing every living room needed.
We believed him. So we bought that chair — just less than $100, a great deal in the 1970s for a young couple!
How we loved that chair! It always occupied a place of honor in our various living rooms, moving with us from our first tiny house to our beloved new house.
Somehow, conversations were better on that chair, and life was more fun around it. Three daughters spilled their secrets on it. Old friends seemed to be attracted by it on those wonderful occasions. Crazy as it sounds, that leather chair seemed to have — well, powers. All for good.
At first, we didn't really care that the leather was showing signs of wear or that it had lost its sheen (光泽). But in our most recent move, when the chair was moved in our new living room, it suddenly looked terribly lonely sitting close to newly painted walls and a couple of shiny new tables.
My husband and I tried but still we couldn't ignore the rough spots. Our chair had a skin disease. Even our adult kids raised eyebrows, urging us to at least remove the chair to some dark comer of the room. Neither of us could imagine such a retirement for it.
So we had an inspired idea. We'd call in an upholsterer (修理工) to give our old chair a whole new life. Our friend Joe studied the chair and then took out a simple leather conditioner. He explained that although it wouldn't work miracles, it would definitely get our weary chair looking younger again. It certainly doesn't look new, but its seat and back are shining, and some of its deeper wrinkles have lightened.
Best of all, it's back in the living room, looking like a wise old friend to the furniture around it. And, yes, there it will stay.
Because some things, like some people, just deserve a happy old age.
1.How did the salesman persuade the author into buying the chair?
A.By thinking highly of the author.
B.By saying that the author was green.
C.By describing how great the chair was.
D.By comparing the chair with others.
2.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?
A.Sweet memories with the chair.
B.Various functions of the chair.
C.People's comments on the chair.
D.Family activities and parties of friends.
3.Why did the author finally decide to repair the chair?
A.Because he was persuaded by Joe.
B.Because he didn't have enough money.
C.Because it showed signs of hardness.
D.Because it couldn't match his new house.
4.What can we learn from the text?
A.East or west, home is best. B.From saving comes having.
C.It is never too late to mend. D.Old friends and wine are best.
A population of the world's most aggressive mosquito species was almost completely wiped out by an experiment on two islands in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, according to a study published.
The experiment successfully reduced the female Asian Tiger Mosquito population — the main source of bites and disease spread — by up to 94%, reducing the number of reported human bites by 97%.
One of the Chinese study's researchers, Xi Zhiyong, a professor at Michigan State University, has been a longtime pioneer in this field of study. Running a mosquito factory in southern China, he previously attempted to use sterilized male mosquitoes to mate with unaltered females which developed normally. In the new study, published by the International Journal of Science, Xi and his colleagues attempted to cut mosquito numbers even further by limiting both males and females' ability to reproduce. The results were so successful that they nearly killed the entire female mosquito population on the two islands.
It isn't the first attempt by researchers to reduce mosquito populations across the world. In 2018, scientists from the Imperial College of London used gene-editing tools to make female mosquitoes sterile, while males developed normally and continued spreading the genetic mutation (突变).Experts said the Asian Tiger Mosquitoes are particularly hard to kill using traditional population control methods, such as pesticides (杀虫剂) and removing stagnant (不流动的) water where the insects lay their eggs.
Mosquitoes create grave threats to human health beyond just bites. The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the insects as "one of the deadliest animals in the world," due to their ability to rapidly spread deadly diseases such as dengue fever and malaria. There is currently no effective vaccine or treatment for most mosquito-spread diseases, leaving controlling the insects' populations one of the most effective control methods, according to the International Journal of Science. “A new tool like what's being described in this paper is very much needed” said Stephen Dobson, a professor of medical insectology at University of Kentucky.
1.What does the underlined word "unaltered" in paragraph 3 refer to?
A.Unchanged. B.Undivided.
C.Unadopted. D.Unfinished.
2.Why do mosquito populations have to be controlled?
A.Mosquitoes cause genetic changes in humans.
B.Mosquitoes spread some deadliest diseases.
C.Mosquitoes limit people's ability to reproduce.
D.Mosquitoes make traditional vaccines ineffective.
3.What has been the most successful way of reducing mosquito numbers?
A.Editing genes in female mosquitoes.
B.Sterilizing male mosquitoes before mating.
C.Limiting both genders' reproduction ability.
D.Using pesticides and removing stagnant water.
4.What can we learn from Stephen Dobson's words?
A.The things described in this paper are not practical.
B.A better way of mosquito control is yet to be found.
C.Xi Zhiyong' s method has proven to be very effective.
D.A new tool is needed in order to improve Xi's research.
Runners never forget crossing the finishing line at their first marathon, and that will be especially true for Mike Kohler. When Kohler crossed the starting line in Fargo last Saturday, he thought he was going to run 13.1 miles, his first half marathon. Six hours later, he had "mistakenly” completed his first full marathon, 26.2 miles.
Kohler, a 26-year-old plumber (水管工) who now lives in West Fargo, had lined up for the half marathon that he hoped to complete in 150 minutes. He didn't realize he was in a starting fence with the full marathoners. Several miles later, Kohler began to realize he was on the course for the full marathon. "The 8-mile mark was when I figured out that I had made a mistake," he said. "Between then and 13.1, I debated with myself about what I should do.”
At some point — he doesn't remember when — he doubled down on the distance. "After I decided I was going to keep going, the thought of quitting didn't come back. Run, walk, or crawl, I wanted to finish," he said.
Until Saturday, Kohler's longest race was a 10-kilometer run, just over 6 miles. Even the most casual marathoners do a training run of 18 miles before the race. From his experience, he said he learned one thing: sometimes people can do more than they think they can.
After his long race, he went right back to work, put in a 10-hour day and then boarded a flight to Scotland for a vacation. "I was pretty sore, but I found the more I kept moving, the less sore I was, so I tried my best to go about life normally — minus running,” Kohler said from Glasgow. "I needed a break from that for a bit."
Not for too long, though. He's already considering the Bemidji Blue Ox Marathon in October.
1.When did Kohler realize that he made a mistake?
A.Before starting the race.
B.After running 8 miles.
C.When being with the full marathoners.
D.While lining up for the half marathon.
2.Which of the following best describes Kohler?
A.Determined. B.Cooperative.
C.Open-minded. D.Well-prepared.
3.What can we infer from the text?
A.He went to Scotland to get a break from work.
B.He had never trained for the full marathon before.
C.He decided to complete the race at the 8-mile mark.
D.He was debating with himself when he finished the race.
4.What might be the best title for the text?
A.Life Lies in Movement
B.Life Means Never Quitting
C.One Can Always Do More Than He Can
D.One Mistakenly Runs Full Marathon Not a Half
Coolest Bookstores in the World
Where did you buy your last book? Chances are that you bought it on the Internet. But if you did, you missed the remarkable experience of browsing in a real bookstore. These days bookstores offer lots of great books and plenty more.
Eslite Dunnan Store
Time magazine once named Eslite Dunnan Store in Taiwan province, China "Asia's best bookstore". One visit to the store tells you why. The store, spread across five floors, offers a combination of restaurants, music and over 200,000 books. With its comfortable reading spots, visitors sometimes say it's like a library. Others have called it the "7-Eleven of bookstores" because it's open 24 hours a day.
Book Garden
The world's biggest bookstore is Tehran, Iran's Book Garden with 700,000 square feet of space. In addition to restaurants and a theater, the Book Garden features a park on the roof. Visitors can pick up one of 1,000 free books to read while enjoying the fresh air and sunshine from the Book Garden's rooftop park.
Saraiva Bookstore
Rio de Janeiro's Saraiva Bookstore might be the world's most colorful bookstore. The visible upper level is lined with books arranged by their colors. This rainbow effect provides a color welcoming for shoppers as they arrive. A rainbow path also leads young readers into the children's section.
Liberia Acqua Alta
Venice, Italy, is a city surrounded with water. Its books are displayed in all things related to water such as boats, bathtubs to protect them when the shop floods during high tide. It overlooks one of Venice's many canals, and the smell of old books fills the air.
1.Which bookstore provides a special reading place on the roof?
A.Eslite Dunnan Store. B.Book Garden.
C.Saraiva Bookstore. D.Liberia Acqua Alta.
2.What do we know about Saraiva Bookstore?
A.It is open twenty-four hours a day.
B.Shoppers can paint books with color.
C.It greets people with colorful books.
D.Shoppers can find a rainbow there .
3.Why are the books in Liberia Acqua Alta kept in boats?
A.Because the store is known for floods.
B.Because they match canals in Venice.
C.Because the store is surrounded with water.
D.Because they can be preserved from water.
假定你是李华，作为交换生在国外某学校学习，得知该校即将举办国际服装文化节(International Costume Day),你有意向参加服装展示环节，请你写一封邮件咨询相关信息，内容包括:
1.写信目的:
2.咨询信息(如服饰要求，展示形式等)
3.表达期待
注意:1. 词数100左右:
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯.
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号（ˆ）, 并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意: 1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Last week, I planned to pay a visit my grandparents. They were so exciting to hear the news because we have not seen each other for a long time. But my best friend invited I to take part in his birthday party and share his happinesses. When I thought of a promise that I had made it, I found it hard to make a decision. Eventually I chose to refusing my friend's invitation. Seeing my grandparents smile and the deliciously food they cooked for me, I knew 1 did something correct. We must keep our promise, and we will lose trust from others.
