Imagine you go into a coffee shop, have a cup, and when it comes to paying your bill they tell you it’s already been paid for. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Well, that’s _________ what’s happening at the Corner Perk Cafe in Bluffton, South Carolina. It all started in 2010 with a _________ act of kindness.
The Corner Perk was just a(n) _________ coffee place until one day, when a _________ left a $100 bill with the owner, Josh Cooke. _________ she just wanted the money to be used to pay for the drinks of all the people who came in after, until it _________. According to Cooke it was “just to let them know, you know, that somebody was wanting them to have a great day.” _________, customers who came in all afternoon were puzzled when they found they didn’t have to _________ for their coffee.
This wasn’t the _____________ time the mysterious coffee-donor paid the Corner Perk a visit. Actually she’s been there ______________ eight times in the past two years. When Josh ______________ her most recent visit on the coffee shop’s Facebook page, the word spread quickly. More ____________ came forward to continue the ____________. Cooke says the ____________ lady who started the trend had a kind heart and wanted ______________ to spread in the area. Her efforts did not go ____________. Lots of people who heard about the tradition at Corner Perk Cafe simply walked into the shop and left money, ____________ even ordering anything for themselves. A jar now stands on the counter with dollar bills to pay for people’s coffee.
Josh says “We just want people to continue to show kindness is anyway — ____________ that’s helping somebody with their electric bill or ______________ somebody’s car with gas. I say this just to show that humanity isn’t dead ________________.”
1.A.accidentally B.exactly C.occasionally D.possibly
2.A.deliberate B.serious C.random D.formal
3.A.crowded B.deserted C.interesting D.ordinary
4.A.customer B.hostess C.businesswoman D.traveller
5.A.Aimlessly B.Apparently C.Awkwardly D.Amusingly
6.A.disappears B.dies away C.runs out D.decreases
7.A.Needless to say B.On the contrary C.In other words D.What's more
8.A.wait B.pay C.answer D.apply
9.A.high B.last C.very D.best
10.A.another B.other C.any D.best
11.A.posted B.published C.painted D.printed
12.A.consumers B.donors C.passers-by D.visitor
13.A.trade B.visit C.trend D.payment
14.A.wealthy B.famous C.ambitious D.unknown
15.A.donation B.goodness C.happiness D.puzzlement
16.A.unbelievable B.undesirable C.unnecessary D.unrewarded
17.A.except B.besides C.without D.before
18.A.whether B.because C.since D.while
19.A.charging B.drawing in C.filling up D.starting
20.A.in all B.after all C.above all D.of all
How to deal with negativity
It can sometimes feel like we’re surrounded by negative people and opinions. Whether it is on social media the people we meet or in political discourse, things can often seem overwhelming and depressing. 1..
But is there a more constructive, compassionate way of dealing with these kinds of people? Here are a few suggestions.
Don’t be a receiver, and always be honest. First, when it comes to dealing with negative people, it’s essential that you make it very clear what you are prepared to put up with. 2. No one has the right to force themselves on your life to that extent, so make sure they understand that. 3.. It’s always important to be honest with people when their negativity is unfounded or seems habitual.
4. Why is the negative person you’re dealing with so negative? It’s almost certain that whatever it is they are feeling, you will have also felt it yourself too, at one time or another. Compassion should be a practice, in the sense of something done regularly. But I know it’s not always easy either — being compassionate with difficult people is also a skill that needs to be practiced for us to get better at it.
Open your heart to them. When we approach other people from a position of love or caring interest, it is surprising how often they then respond to us in the same way. Someone who is going through a hard time, or who has become habitually negative in their outlook, still has the capacity to show love and care for others. 5. It is always the best foundation to build a more positive relationship on, if you can.
A. Practice sympathy.
B. Don’t be judgmental.
C. So make sure that this is the ground you meet them on.
D. And we all know that dealing with negativity can be exhausting too.
E. Equally don’t just try to cover them with positivity either.
F. So ignore them and move on with our lives despite them.
G. Never allow yourself to simply take everything in.
Described as the world’s most environmentally friendly protein, Solein is made by applying electricity to water to release bubbles of carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Living microbes(微生物) are then added to the liquid to feed on the carbon dioxide and hydrogen bubbles and produce the Solein, which is then dried to make the powder. It’s a natural fermentation(发酵) process similar to beer brewing. The dried Solein has a protein content of 50 percent and looks and tastes just like wheat flour.
“It is a completely new kind of food, a new kind of protein, different to all the food on the market todav in how it is produced as it does not need agriculture.” Dr Pasi Vinikka, the chief executive of Solar Foods told The Guardian. The process used to produce Solein — converting hydrogen and carbon dioxide to calories — is amazing, as the wonder food can be produced anywhere in the world. It’s also 10 times more energy-efficient per hectare than photosynthesis (光合作用), and 10 to 100 times more environment and climate-friendly in water use than animal or plant based food production.
“Solein also contains all the essential amino acids(氨基酸), but because it is produced using carbon dioxide and electricity, it does not require large amounts of land to produce,” the Solar Foods website explains. “Another unique characteristic of Solein is that it is able to take carbon directly from carbon dioxide without needing a source of sugar.”
While Solar Foods does not expect Solein to challenge conventional protein production methods in the next two decades, it does expect it to become a “new harvest” for humanity, which is significant considering so far we have only relied on plants and animals for sustenance. The Helsinki-based company plans to open its first Solein factory at the end of 2021 and scale up production to two billion meals per year by 2022.
1.Which of the following statements best describe the features of Solein?
A.It is a new kind of food containing all the nutrition.
B.It is made from water and carbon dioxide by applying electricity.
C.It is produced without consuming much land and energy.
D.It is a kind of man-made wheat flour.
2.What does the underlined word “converting” mean?
A.relating B.changing
C.contributing D.adapting
3.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A.The company thinks Solein would have a rewarding future.
B.Solein is supposed to challenge traditional protein production.
C.There is still a long way for Solein to be put into production.
D.Humans can completely rely on Solein to survive.
4.What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A.To promote a new kind of technology.
B.To introduce a new kind of food.
C.To make an ad for a new kind of protein.
D.To call on people to protect the environment.
Sixteen brave runners recently gathered in the Russian village of Oymyakon, also known as the world’s pole of cold, to compete in the coldest official race in history.
Oymyakon is the coldest permanently inhabited place on Earth, with temperatures constantly dropping to under -50 degrees Celsius in winter time. This place is so cold that a person’s unprotected face can suffer frostbite(冻伤) in a matter of second. Oymyakon can barely be called livable, let alone suitable for a marathon, and yet at the beginning of this year, 16 runners gathered here to take part in a series of extreme races.
On January 5, the brave runners — aged 21 to 71 and very well-trained — competed in bone-chilling marathons for 5, 10, 20, 30 and 42 kilometers across the frozen taiga(泰加森林) of central Yakutia. At the start of the run, the air temperature was an almost unbearable -52 degrees Celsius, and by the time the first and only runner reached the 39km mark, it had increased to -48 degrees Celsius.
“We could see entire amazement in the eyes of tourists who traveled here from Australia, Taiwan, Japan and India to watch the world’s coldest race,” runner Sargylana Neustroyeva told The Siberian Times. “This was our first try at organizing the extremely cold marathon. Next year we are definitely doing another race, and all athletes from around the world are welcome!”
“We wanted to make running in -450C and colder more popular, and to show that athletes can adapt to extremely low temperatures” champion runner Yegor Abramov added.
The world’s coldest race was organized by Alexander Krylov, head of Turuu Tour agency. He plans to do it again next year, hopefully with more brave runners able to endure the extreme winter temperatures of Oymyakon.
1.What can we learn about Oymyakon?
A.It’s a Russian village with people living there normally.
B.It’s a Russian village often for runners to try cold marathon.
C.There are no plants growing around the village.
D.Many tourists from around the world come here to spend winter.
2.Why did the sixteen runners hold the coldest race?
A.To make a new record for the running races.
B.To challenge their body limit in the cold climate.
C.To make running in low temperature popular.
D.To help promote the tourism in Oymyakon.
3.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.The World Pole of Cold B.Sixteen Brave Runners
C.An Icy Journey D.The World’s Coldest Race
A Facebook user uploaded photos of a dog, Leo, sharing that he had seen the animal sitting in the same spot every day, as if waiting for someone. They originally thought the dog had been abandoned, but then realized that he looked well-fed. It turned out that the dog had indeed been spending most of his around that intersection, but a woman had been coming around regularly to bring him food and water.
The 45-year-old woman, named Saowalak, said that when she first found him in that very same spot, several years ago, Leo was all skin and bones and plagued by skin disease, so she took him home and nursed him back to health. However, Leo returned to the same place she first saw him, making her assume that he was waiting there for his owner. She just came and brought him food and water every few days.
After learning about the story, the Facebook user decided to share it on social media, documenting with photos of the dog and the kind-hearted woman who looked after him. The post soon went viral and the photos of Leo got shared hundreds of times online.
Nang Noi Sittisam, a 64-year-old woman, almost had a heart-attack when her daughter showed her a photo of a dog that looked a lot like BonBon, the beloved dog she had lost during a car trip. Learning that he had been waiting for her in the same spot for the last four years, her heart melted.
Auntie Noi told her daughter to drive her to where the dog was waiting instantly she saw the photo and heard the story. When she got there and called his name, “Bon Bon”, the poor dog started wiggling his tail and came to her, but when she tried to take him home with her, he was reluctant to follow. She then understood that her BonBon had become attached to Saowalak, the woman who had nursed him back to health.
1.What can we learn about the dog, Leo?
A.He was abandoned by his former owner because of his disease.
B.He stayed at the same spot hoping to wait for a good owner.
C.He was lost but finally reunited with his master.
D.He waited at the same place because he didn’t like to stay with Saowalak.
2.Why did the Facebook user upload the photos of Leo and a woman?
A.To make an ad for Facebook.
B.To share a moving story.
C.To honor the woman for her kindness.
D.To help Leo find his former owner.
3.Which of the following words best describe the dog?
A.Stubborn but attached.
B.Considerate but discouraged.
C.Optimistic and cute.
D.Loyal and faithful.
假设你叫李华，是你班上的英语课代表。为了弘扬中国传统文化，你校艺术俱乐部准备举办一次关于“国画(Chinese painting)”的讲座。你班外籍教师Peter对国画很感兴趣，给你发来邮件询问本次讲座的情况。请给Peter回复一封邀请信，内容包括：
1）讲座目的；
2）讲座内容；
3）讲座时间和地点；
4）邀请Peter参加。
注意：1）词数80左右(信的开头与结束语已为你写好，但不计入总词数)；
2）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：弘扬 promote;
Dear Peter,
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