It's thought that around 5 trillion pieces of plastic are currently floating in our oceans.
Both mammals and fish benefit from clean oceans. It is reported that more than 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year, and nearly half of the plastic we produce is single-use only.
This shoe brand, however, is riding the wave of change and is on a mission to help clean up our waters and rid the sea of plastic bottles that can take up to 400 years to break down. Vivobarefoot's newest footwear uses recycled plastic materials and has created an education program that spreads awareness about how harmful plastic is for sea life.
Every pair of shoes is made up of 17 plastic water bottles taken from the ocean and turned into a sustainable, comfortable pair of shoes, which are also healthy for your feet. And while not everyone can take part in ocean cleanups, choosing little ways we can give back to our planet goes a long way.
Vivobarefoot's new products include a variety of high-performance styles such as casual sneakers, running shoes, and hiking boots. The brand hopes that its latest initiative（首创精神）will help lessen the indifference to pollution and how harmful it is for all living beings.
In the future, Vivobarefoot hopes to increase their production of shoes created from sustainable materials, and thankfully, they are now one of many brands that aim to increase environmentalism and educate communities on how global warming affects everyone.
This year, they'll add more recyclable and traceable materials into more than half of their production line, and they have plenty of creative developments in the works as well.
The shoes also have a health benefit. Based on the concept that wider, minimally designed shoes enable our foot to function at maximum potential, wearers also experience better balance and sensory input.
1.How does the author make his point convincing?
A. By listing figures. B. By telling a story.
C. By giving examples. D. By making comparisons.
2.What is Vivobarefoot doing to help with the marine creatures?
A. Donating money to buy food for them.
B. Keeping the oceans free from plastic bottles.
C. Producing more shoes from sustainable materials.
D. Raising public awareness of recycling and reuse.
3.What is probably Vivobarefoot's operation philosophy?
A. Customer-focused. B. Service-oriented
C. Money-saving. D. Environmentally-friendly.
4.Which of the following is True according to the text?
A. Vivobarefoot's new products haven't been released.
B. Vivobarefoot is the most popular shoe brand in the world.
C. Vivobarefoot cares about not only its business but also public services.
D. Vivobarefoot is the first company to find the new function of waste materials.
When I was three years old, I couldn’t speak. It was a strange reality that none of the doctors I visited could understand.
One day, I was shadowing（跟随）my mother. She found herself looking in a mirror, and through it our eyes met. She began to speak to me through the reflection, and I slowly began to mimic（模仿）her mouth’s movements until I formed a word.
It turned out I’m deaf in my left ear, and have a slight problem in my right. Being hard of hearing has been difficult, but I’ve never lived in a state of self-hating sorrow.
Imagine being able to shut out all sound as you lay your head down to sleep by simply rolling over onto one side. That’s my reality when I sleep on my “good ear”, and it makes me feel like a superhero sometimes.
People call my deaf side my “bad ear”, but when I wear my hearing aid, I have access to a range of features that some other deaf people don’t. In cinemas, for example, with one click of a button I can enjoy a whole film as though it were whispered to me from the mouths of the actors.
Owning a hearing aid hasn’t always felt good, however. On the first day I got my aid, when I was eight, I took it to school for show-and-tell. As I explained how it worked to my classmates, a boy yelled out, “Aren’t those for old men?” At that moment, I felt different. It took me a long time to get over that sense of being so unlike my peers.
But it’s not just school kids who can make us deaf and hard-of-hearing people feel like burdens. Every video on social media that lacks subtitles（字幕）, for example, means an entire community of deaf people is unable to enjoy it. Completely deaf people are excluded from enjoying many movies too, as subtitles in cinemas are almost impossible to find.
And with hearing aids costing around $2,500 each, it can be hard for many people to afford to be able to listen to the things that others take for granted. As for me, I can listen to music, enjoy films, and catch conversations – I’m lucky. I’m deaf, but I can still hear everything. I’ve been blessed with wonderful life experiences, and I am human. And when it comes to sleeping, I’m even superhuman.
1.How does the author view his hearing difficulty?
A. It’s a disaster and causes him a lot of trouble.
B. It gave him a chance to experience something special.
C. It made him feel embarrassed in front of his classmates.
D. It helped him to live in his own world without being interrupted.
2.What can be inferred from the passage about the author?
A. He was born deaf.
B. He is optimistic and helpful.
C. The hearing aid brings convenience to his daily life.
D. His family and classmates have supported him a lot.
3.What is the author’s attitude toward his life？
A. Excited.
B. Anxious.
C. Grateful.
D. Disappointed.
4.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article?
A. To give advice on life to disabled people.
B. To show how difficult life is for disabled people.
C. To show the convenience a hearing aid could bring.
D. To share his experience of treating a disadvantage with gratitude.
The cost of living in countries like the U.S., Britain, Australia or France has skyrocketed in recent years. However, if you're willing to leave your country and explore life in other areas, there are many countries boasting an extremely cheap and low cost of living. Check out the following countries when planning your next move.
Ecuador
Ecuador is similar to the United States in many ways, and as a result has become a popular American getaway. They even use the U.S. Dollar for their currency. In this country, it's cheaper to eat out every day than cook for yourself on a budget in the U.S. You can even buy a property for around $50000 and hire someone to tend to it while you're away
Mexico
Although the country is known for its poverty ridden streets, there are many wealthier areas that provide every facility you might need. You can live off a mere $700 to $800 a month in Mexico, and this includes rent for a nice place, facilities, food, and any sightseeing.
Argentina
Argentina has been a popular tourist destination for many years. It has great restaurants, a rich history, and many places to explore. Not to mention, it's not very expensive to live here. A decent sized home can cost around $139000, which is relatively cheap in relation to homes in the United States.
Vietnam
Vietnam has also become a popular tourist destination in recent years. There are many million dollar luxury homes by the beach, but you can find a modest fiat or small home for around $25000 to $50000 if you search in the right areas.
1.How much does it take at least to live in Mexico for a year?
A.About $7000 B.About $8000
C.About $8400 D.About $9800
2.What does Argentina and Vietnam have in common?
A.They both have great restaurants.
B.The cost of living in them is both expensive.
C.The middle-sized homes both cost around $ 139000.
D.People are all fond of travelling to the two countries.
3.In which country did the purchaser probably pay extra money after he left?
A.Ecuador B.Mexico
C.Argentina D.Vietnam
阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
Bees are important to the production of food we eat. Bees make honey, but they also pollinate (授粉)large areas of crops, such as straw berries, apples and onions. About a third of the food we eat is a result of pollination of the bees. Unfortunately, bees have been disappearing at an alarming rate.
In 2010, bee keepers started reporting about something called Colony Collapse Disaster (CCD).The main sign of CCD is the loss of adult honey bees from a hive(蜂巢). In October of 2010, some beekeepers reported that they had lost between 30 and 90 percent of their hives.
There were many theories for the disappearance of the bees. But the most convincing one has to do with pesticides and lifestyles of bees today. Nowadays, beekeepers get most of their income not from producing honey but from renting bees to pollinate plants. This means that the life of the typical bee now consists of travelling all around the country to pollinate crops as the seasons change. That means a lot of traveling on trucks, which is very stressful to bees. It is not unusual for up to 30% of the hive to die during transport due to stress. In addition, bees that spend most of their time locked up on trucks are not exposed to what they usually live on. Instead, they live on a sweet liquid from corn, usually polluted with pesticides.
The exact reason for the disappearance of bees is not sure, but losing bees is very costly to the economy. The bee pollination services are worth over $8 billion a year. With no bees, pollination will have to be done by hand, which would have effects on the quality of food and increased food priced. We hear a lot about big environmental disasters almost every day. But one of the biggest may just be the less of that tiny flying insect.
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书面表达
假定你是李华，与留学生朋友Bob约好一起去书店，因故不能赴约。请给他写封邮件，内容包括：
1.表示歉意；
2.说明原因；
3.另约时间。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
The university of Birmingham, UK, announces that it will accept the Gaokao exam for high-flying Chinese students 1.(wish) to join its undergraduate courses in 2019. High school students 2. complete the National Higher Education Entrance Examination, or Gaokao, with top grades can apply for direct entry into Birmingham degree programmes 3. first completing a foundation year.
Gaokao, which 4.(hold) across China in early June, is 5.(increase) accepted by universities in Australia, the USA, Canada and mainland Europe Birmingham will only be considering high quality students who achieve a minimum 80% Gaokao score and meet additional academic and English language 6.(require).
Professor Jon Frampton, Director of the University of Birmingham’s China Institute said, “I am 7.(delight) that the University is now accepting the Gaokao. This gives the 8.(bright) and best Chinese students. 9. opportunity to move straight into the first year of our undergraduate programmes and experience the benefits of studying at a 10.(globe) Top 100 university.
