By the end of the year, editors of New York Times have picked the 4 best books of 2019, including fiction and non-fiction. Let’s see which one will take your fancy.
Disappearing Earth
By Julia Phillips
In the first chapter of this novel, two young girls vanish, sending shock waves through a town on the edge of the remote and mysterious Kamchatka Peninsula. What follows is a novel of overlapping short stories about the different women who have been affected by their disappearance. Each tale pushes the narrative forward another month and exposes the ways in which the women of Kamchatka have been destroyed — personally, culturally and emotionally — by the crime.
No Visible Bruises
By Rachel Louise Snyder
Snyder’s thoroughly reported book covers what the World Health Organization has called “a global health problem”. In America alone, more than half of all murdered women are killed by a current or former life partner; domestic violence cuts across lines of class, religion and race. Snyder reveals pervasive myths (restraining orders are the answer, abusers never change) and writes movingly about the lives (and deaths) of people on both sides of the equation. She doesn’t give easy answers but presents a wealth of information that is its own form of hope.
Midnight in Chernobyl
By Adam Higginbotham
Higginbotham’s superb account of the April 1986 explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is one of those rare books about science and technology that read like a tension-filled thriller. Filled with vivid detail and sharply etched personalities, this narrative of astonishing incompetence moves from mistake to mistake, miscalculation to miscalculation, as it builds to the inevitable, history-changing disaster.
Exhalation
By Ted Chiang
Many of the nine deeply beautiful stories in this collection explore the material consequences of time travel. Reading them feels like sitting at dinner with a friend who explains scientific theory to you with no airs and graces. Each thoughtful, elegantly crafted story poses a philosophical question; Chiang arranges all nine into a conversation that comes full circle, after having travelled through remarkable areas.
1.Which of the following tells about the violence from a husband to a wife in a family?
A.Disappearing Earth B.No Visible Bruises
C.Midnight in Chernobyl D.Exhalation
2.How may readers feel when reading the book Midnight in Chernobyl?
A.Delighted. B.Awkward.
C.Tense. D.Calm.
3.What kind of book is Exhalation?
A.A folk tale. B.A biography.
C.A love story. D.A sci-fi story.
Picture a lecture session at a business school and your probably imagine students gazing at screens filled with equations（方程式）.What you might not expect is students attempting to sing “O clap your Hands”. But Bartleby was treated to this delight on a visit to Saïd Business School in Oxford earlier this year.
There was a catch. Some of the students had to try conducting the chorus. The first to take the challenge was a rather self-confident young man. It didn’t take long for him to go wrong. His most obvious mistake was to start conducting without asking the singers how they would like to be directed, though they had the expertise and he was a complete beginner.
The session, organized by Pegram Harrison, a senior fellow in entrepreneurship（企业家精神）, cleverly allowed the students to absorb some important leadership lessons. For example, leaders should listen to their teams, especially when their colleagues have specialist knowledge.
Other business schools have also realized that their students can learn from the arts. At Carnegie Mellon University , Leanne Meyer has introduced a leadership-training programme that includes poetry and a book club. She believed that involvement in such pursuits can help develop empathy（同理心） in future leaders and that the programme benefits students in terms of how they promote themselves to recruiters（招聘人员）.
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) has trained many great dramatists. It also offers training courses for managers. “Acting about finding the truth in the character and in yourself.” says Walker-Wise, one of RADA'S tutors. Being a manager involves a lot more than just setting targets. It requires empathy and a knowledge of human nature. An education in the arts might help develop those qualities. Above all, the students on Harrison's Course were experiencing something Bartleby never expected to see in those attending an MBA lecture they were having fun.
1.What does “this delight" in paragraph 1 refer to?
A.Singing in a business class. B.Visiting Said Business School
C.Picturing a lecture session. D.Gazing a screens full of equations.
2.Which of the fallowing best describes the session by Pegram Harrison?
A.Common and influential. B.Educational and effortless.
C.Challenging and instructive. D.Controversial and practical.
3.What should a leader do based on the conducting experience?
A.Offer promotion opportunities. B.Value team members’ opinion.
C.Set specific targets. D.Control every step.
4.How does acting contribute to being a manager?
A.It provides entertainment. B.It develops goal-setting skills.
C.It exposes the truth in business. D.It helps understand human nature.
In the old days, when you had to drive to a movie theater of to to a video store to get some entertainment, it was easy to see how your actions could have an impact om the environment.You were hopping into your war, driving across town and coughing out emissions（排放）and using gas all the way.
But now that we’re used to staying at home and streaming movies, we might get a little cocky. After all ,we’re just picking up our phones or maybe turning on the TV. You’re welcome.Mother Nature.
Not so fast, says a recent report from the French-based Shit Project. Watching a half-hour show would lead to 3.5 pounds of CO2 emissions. That’s like driving 3.9 miles. According to "Climate Crisis: The Unsustainable Use of Online Video," digital technologies are responsible for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions, and that energy use is increasing by 9% a year. Stored in data centers, videos are transferred to our terminals such as computers, smart phones, etc. via networks: all these processes require electricity whose production consumes resources and usually involves CO2 emissions.
In the European Union, the Eureca project lead scientist, Rabih Bashroush, calculated that 5 billion downloads and streams of the song "Despacito" consumed as much electricity as the countries of Chad, Guinea-Bissau, Somalia, Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic used in a single year.
Streaming is only expected to increase as we become more attached to our devices. Online video use is expected to account for 80%of all internet traffic by 2022 according to CISCO. By then, about 60% of the world's population will be online.
You're probably not going to give up your streaming services, but there are things you con do to help lessen the impact of your online use.
Here are some tips:
※Disable autoplay for video on social media.
※Stream over Wi-Fi, not mobile networks.
※Watch on the smallest screen you can.
※Don’t use high-definition（高清）video on devices.
1.It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that people think .
A.they should welcome Mother Nature
B.watching movies at home is more fun
C.it is inconvenient to drive to a movie theater
D.streaming at home avoids possible emissions
2.We may learn from the text that .
A.3.9 miles may produce 3.5 pounds of CO2
B.digital technologies account for 4% of electricity use
C.Online video use makes up 80% of all internet traffic
D.60% of the world’s population watch videos online
3.Why are the five countries mentioned in paragraph 4?
A.To praise their energy-efficient practice.
B.To prove the poverty of the five countries
C.To stress the popularity of the song “Despacito”
D.To show the high energy use of downloads and streams
4.How can people help to save energy when streaming?
A.Use high-definition videos. B.Turn off video autoplay
C.Stream over mobile networks. D.Watch movies on bigger screens.
In the trailer (拖车式房屋)，Sischo was refreshing the snails ‘(锅牛）accommodations--an ongoing routine that takes days of careful work. He had found a dozen of Achatinella bulimoides--a third of the world's population of the species. Once every individual was accounted for, he cleaned the cage and packed in new leaves. The work took much trouble, but the responsibility, he said, was like “a heavy weight sitting on you.”
The trailer is very vulnerable. It’s designed to keep away would-be thieved, and to resist hurricanes. But a fire could easily destroy it, or a disease could sweep through it. Last September , a mystery pathogon（病原体）appeared to have entered the trailer on leaves fed to the snails, killing almost an entire species. As sad as the event was, there’s no good way to insure against future catastrophe. The snails can’t simply be spread among zoos or other facilities: they need special equipment, experienced handlers, and a diet of native Hawaiian plants.
Consequently, it can be hard for the snails' minders to relax, even when they are outside the trailer. “How do you switch off when your decisions mean existence or extinction?" Sischo said. While action lightens the burden, yet with animals whose natural history is largely unknown, that action can be dangerous. "If you do it wrong, the snails die.”
Snails are neither intelligent nor beloved. Sischo's friends sometimes tease him about being "the strange snail guy' ; strangers ask why he cares. It's hard to convince people, but he insists that if he can just get them in the trailer, they will understand why the Achatinella bulimoides are worth saving. "People melt," he said“When you show them that the entire population is in this chamber, it hits them."
1.What is the trailer used for?
A.Accommodating guests B.Sheltering snails
C.Planting vegetables. D.Alarming thieves.
2.What does the underlined word “vulnerable" mean in paragraph?
A.Quite. B.Safe.
C.Easily affected. D.Well protected.
3.What is the snail minders' attitude towards their job?
A.Relaxed. B.Confident.
C.Cautious D.Disapproving
4.Which of the following could be the best title for the text?
A.The Last of Its Kind B.The Worst of Times
C.Mourn Its Loss D.Resist Possible Dangerous
Bull Run Regional Park
Thus family- friendly park is around 30 miles from the District. Bull Run is a history fan's delight：It provides access to the nearly 20-mile Occoquan Trail, which was used during the war. The trail is one of many hiking options on the 1,500-acre grounds. Each cabin($85 to $95 per night) accommodates six people and offers such luxuries（奢华）as electricity, heat and swing.
Savage River Lodge
Savage River Lodge-about three hour drive from the District-- specializes in a solid roof and a side of luxury. Savage River is surrounded by more than 700 acres of thick forest, and popular activities include fly-fishing. biking, hiking and cross -country skiing. Cabins start at $250 per night.
Cherry Hill Park
Given its proximity (邻近) to the District, this family-owned campground is particularly appealing to visitors who are traveling to the area via recreational vehicle. It also offers buses to the subway and organizes sightseeing tours as well as daily educational sessions. Guests can play mini golf, go fishing, or hit the basketball court. Cabins start at $99 per night.
Maple Tree Campground
Maple Tree Campground is about a 90-minute drive from the District. Come to this campground for nature's evening show: It always has really pretty sunsets. While there's no electricity, guests can use a wood stove for heat and cooking. Field tent sites start at $8 per night and tree cottages $65 per night
1.What's the minimum cost for a group of 10 to stay at Bull Run Regional Park for one night?
A.$85. B.$95
C.$170 D.$850
2.Which tour spot is suitable for people traveling by public transport?
A.Cherry Hill Park. B.Savage River Lodge.
C.Bull Run Regional Park. D.Maple Tree Campground.
3.The passage most probably appeals to those who are .
A.planning a business trip B.seeking a weekend getaway
C.fond of online shopping D.interested in geography study
Microplastics are everywhere in our environment. It's hardly surprising that the tiny fragments have also been found in humans. A new study shows that Americans are consuming as many as 121,000 particles each year.
Measuring 50 to 500 microns in length, microplastics come from a variety of sources, including large plastics that break down into smaller and smaller pieces. Therefore, much remains unknown about the common existence of these materials within the human body, as well as their impact on human health.
Hoping to fill in some of these gaps, a research team led by Kieran Cox, a PhD candidate at the University of Victoria, looked at 26 papers assessing the amount of microplastics in commonly consumed food items, among which are seafood, sugars, salts, honey, alcohol and water. The team also evaluated the potential consumption of microplastics through inhalation （吸入）using previously reported data on microplastic concentrations in the air and the Environmental Protection Agency's reported respiration rates. Based on these data, the researchers calculated that our annual consumption of microplastics via food and drink ranges from 39,000 to 52,000 particles. When microplastics taken in through inhalation are taken into account, the range jumps to between 74,000 and 121,000 particles per year.
The authors of the study found that people who drink exclusively from plastic water bottles absorb an additional 90,000 microplastics each year, compared to 4,000 among those who only consume tap water. "This shows that small decisions, over the course of a year, really matter and have an impact." Cox says. The new study, according to its authors, was the first to investigate "the accumulative human exposure" to microplastics. But in all likelihood, the research tells only a small part of the entire story. Collectively, the food and drink that the researchers analyzed represent 15 percent of Americans' caloric intake. The team could not account for food groups like fruits, vegetables and grains because there simply is not enough data on their microplastic content.
For those worried about microplastic consumption, cutting down bottled water is a good place to start. But to the heart of the problem, we have to stop producing and using so much plastic.
1.What makes it difficult to know microplastics commonly exist in the human body?
A.The quality. B.The quantity.
C.The shape. D.The size.
2.How did Kieran Cox's team calculate the potential consumption of microplastics?
A.By studying papers. B.By comparing the impacts.
C.By analyzing the data. D.By conducting experiments.
3.Which of the following is true according to the text?
A.Drinking less plastic bottled water helps to take in fewer microplastics.
B.The study is among the earliest to investigate human exposure to microplastics.
C.Cox's team gained comprehensive information of microplastics taken in by humans.
D.People consume 74,000 to 121,000 particles of microplastics per year from food and drink.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.The Potential Problems of Microplastics
B.Microplastics Coming From Various Sources
C.Microplastics Found Within Human Bodies
D.The Impact of Microplastics on Human Health
