Christmas was near a season that we took seriously in our house. But a week or so before the 25th, my father would give each of his children $ 20. This was the 1970s, and $ 20 was quite a bit of money.
But I saw it ___. My father trusted me to have the ________ to spend money wisely. Even better, he gave me the ____ to get it. On a very basic level ,my father was giving me a shopping spree（狂欢）every year. But he was also giving me charge over my own fun, trusting my ability to ____ money and making me feel like a/an _______. He didn't buy me Sherlock Holmes, but he gave me the means to walk into the bookstore and choose it for myself, so it felt like a gift from him.
My mother had a/an____for giving me what I needed, usually____at the moment I needed it most. This was when I was 25, I _____at being an adult on my very first try. I had quitted my ___job but had no new one. But when my mother____me a visit, I____a good show, telling her I had started my own company.
My mother knew that I was trying hard and failing at that time. It wasn't until____she left that I noticed at the foot of my bed an envelope thick with _________. She knew how _______ I needed it. She knew that had she just shown up with groceries, or____to pay my rent, she would have made me feel much __________ . The cold, hard cash meant she was helping me. And, funnily enough, the____with which she gave the gift felt like she was giving me space to ___my life and preserve my dignity. My mother and father both did the same thing. One was giving me the means to take my own ____ ,and the other was giving me a second ____ when those decisions had cost me dearly.
1.A.positively B.differently C.naturally D.originally
2.A.intelligence B.passion C.power D.potential
3.A.courage B.suggestions C.discipline D.means
4.A.spend B.carry C.manage D.use
5.A.grown-up B.teenager C.adventurer D.pioneer
6.A.habit B.gift C.approach D.tradition
7.A.approximately B.about C.right D.slightly
8.A.failed B.fooled C.dropped D.fell
9.A.important B.creative C.challenging D.previous
10.A.brought B.suggested C.paid D.gave
11.A.put on B.put away C.put off D.put forward
12.A.before B.after C.when D.as
13.A.credit B.loans C.receipts D.cash
14.A.desperately B.hardly C.eventually D.accurately
15.A.attempted B.offered C.promised D.refused
16.A.better B.more C.less D.worse
17.A.decoration B.love C.distance D.method
18.A.defend B.equip C.fix D.develop
19.A.actions B.opportunities C.risks D.decisions
20.A.solution B.chance C.visit D.assistance
A 2018 report found that food waste would increase by a third to 2. 1billion tons by 2030. Beyond the cost of the waste itself，thrown-away food generates a gas that contributes to climate change.
Home delivery meal kits(盒)can reduce food waste by more than two-thirds，but suppliers need to switch to reusable packaging to make them environmentally friendly.
Tailor-made meal kits cut waste by providing people with precise amounts of fresh ingredients(烹饪原料)for chosen recipes，meaning leftovers are minimized. But while the delivery services score well on reducing food waste，buying the same food ingredients from the supermarket almost always saves energy overall simply because meal kits use so much single-use packaging. The good news is that if people have meals that are tailored for consumption，they won’t overbuy and have less food waste. They fine-tune the amount of food to what they will actually eat.
Meal kits can reduce transport emissions(排放)if people go to the supermarket less frequently. If people only go and buy such goods as soap and toilet paper，they may only have to visit once every couple of months. A delivery truck can carry meals for a lot of people in the neighborhood. So dozens of car trips might be replaced with one truck trip.
However，study found that even if delivery meal kits reduced food waste to zero，they would still use up more energy overall than buying the same food from the supermarket unless the energy used for the meal kit packaging was cut by a fifth. The packaging is a killer if it’s single-use and thrown away，which can make all the environmental benefits lost. But if the packaging can be reused，if it’s glass bottles，like in the old days，we can get some benefits.
1.What can we learn about home delivery meal kits?
A.They can cut down on daily expenses.
B.They will totally solve the problem of food waste.
C.They can keep energy consumption to a minimum.
D.They will benefit the environment with reusable packaging.
2.What does the underlined word“fine-tune”in paragraph 3 mean?
A.Attach. B.Adjust.
C.Raise. D.Compare.
3.The author suggests carrying meals with a delivery truck to__________.
A.reduce transport emissions B.save more food
C.shop only in the supermarket D.shorten car trip distances
4.What’s the author’s attitude to meal kits?
A.Supportive. B.Unfavorable.
C.Objective. D.Indifferent.
For top students from low-income families，the challenge of applying to colleges is particularly difficult. 1 in 4 deal with all of that—the writing，the studying，the researching and applying—completely on their own. One approach to make this whole process easier? Pair students up with an adviser.
That’s the idea behind CollegePoint，an initiative to help gifted students go to schools that match their intellectual(智力的)ability. When a high school student takes a standardized test—the PSAT，SAT or ACT——and they score in the 90th percentile，and their families make less than$80，000 a year，they get an email from the program offering them a free adviser. The advisers listen，guide and answer students’questions.
Connor Rechtzigel，an adviser in Minnesota，sees the importance of his role，for research shows that low-income students are far more likely to undermatch because they don’t think they have what it takes to get in and because many don’t even know what schools are out there. He helped high school senior Justice Benjamin，the first in his family to apply to college，think about what his ideal learning experience was. Finally，Justice narrowed in on smaller schools where he could study environmental science and made his final choice：Skidmore College in New York. He felt empowered by the process.
Figuring out how to pay for college is a major part of what，CollegePoint advisers do. Nakhle，an adviser in North Carolina，is working with Hensley，an Ohio high school senior who can’t get extra financial help from her family. They spent a lot of time comparing and analyzing her financial-aid award letters，which made her decision much clearer. Finally，the Ohio State University offered an option where she would pay nothing. Staying in-state wasn’t her first choice，but it was the best option for her.
1.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.How CollegePoint works. B.The goal of CollegePoint.
C.Ways to apply for a free adviser. D.The challenge of choosing colleges.
2.What prevents low-income students from attending proper colleges?
A.Overestimating their abilities. B.Knowing little about colleges.
C.Lack of enough learning experience. D.Failure to get support from their families.
3.Why did Hensley finally choose the Ohio State University?
A.She didn’t want to stay far from home.
B.Her favorite major was provided there.
C.She would show her talents to the full.
D.The university met her financial needs.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.How to Be a Financial Adviser
B.Steps for Top Students to Select Ideal Colleges
C.Advisers Help Poor Students Apply to Suitable Colleges
D.CollegePoint—a Program Helping Students Score High
In India，one of the most significant festivals is Diwali，which falls between October and November. It’s a five-day celebration that includes good food，fireworks，colored sand，and special candles and lamps.
In honor of Lakshmi，the Hindu goddess of wealth，people make special prayers on the first day to obtain blessings for welfare，succcss，and well-being. People welcome the goddess into their homes by decorating entrances with colorful lanterns and traditional designs. In addition，many people treat themselves to fine jewelry，praying for good fortune. Those who cannot afford so much，seek out cheaper items such as clothes or household goods.
The second day of the festival is called Kali Chaudas. For some，the day provides an opportunity to drive away misfortune from homes and businesses. They decorate their homes with clay lamps and create design patterns called rangoli on the floor using colored powder or sand.
The third day is when the biggest celebrations occur，which begin early in the morning with a visit to a temple to seek the blessings of the goddess. As the sun sets，festival observers light up their homes with small lamps and enjoy delicious traditional foods with their loved ones.
The festival’s fourth day is celebrated in many different ways. Friends and relatives visit with gifts，sweets and best wishes for the season.
And the final day of the festival is called Bhai Oooj. It honors the close bond between brothers and sisters and is observed with traditional ceremonies and more delicious food.
For children in India，Diwali is similar to Christmas. They get all entire week off from school and are treated to gifts，new clothes，amazing food，and，in the past at least，a large number of fireworks. It is no wonder that the festival ranks high among the country’s favorite celebrations.
1.People celebrate the first day of Diwali mainly for______.
A.good fortune. B.colorful lanterns
C.expensive jewelry D.traditional designs
2.What’s the probable purpose of creating“rangoli”on the floor?
A.To design traditional patterns. B.To produce colored powder or sand.
C.To help get rid of bad luck. D.To produce an opportunity in business.
3.What is a man likely to do on the last day of the festival?
A.Exchange gifts and best wishes with his loved ones.
B.Be busy decorating his home during the day.
C.Get together with his sisters and brothers.
D.Light up his home with small lamps.
4.Which of the following may not be a reason for children’s love of Diwali?
A.Having a week off. B.Getting Christmas gifts.
C.Enjoying amazing food. D.Setting off fireworks.
Uncover secrets of the world’s oldest civilizations and see natural wonders that will take your breath away. Through our tours you’11 encounter wild animals，see unbelievable landmarks and experience the local traditions of native tribes(部落).
Grand Morocco
From $2599 13 days
Uniting North African culture and French flavor in harmony，Morocco attracts tourists with its old-world traditions and splendid landscapes. Our Morocco tour from the U. S. contains must-see destinations. And，if you like，a noble camel will take you on an unforgettable ride during a full-day Sahara Desert trip. You’ll also have time to experience the country’s delightful customs.
Deluxe Dubai＆Abu Dhabi
From $2299 9 days
If you appreciate big and striking，consider this Dubai and Abu Dhabi tour package from the U. S. Thanks to enormous wealth due to its oil reserves，the UAE’s largest emirate(酋长国) has transformed into an impressive destination you have to see to believe. Dramatic Dubai is developing rapidly too. It’s become a truly global，open society where visitors are absorbed in exciting possibilities. Experience all of the must-sees，as your guide provides context，dining ideas and personalized tips on maximizing your free time.
Cape Town & Safari Express
From $1 999 9 days
If South Africa is one of the many destinations on your wish list，our Cape Town and Safari package from New York City is a very smart choice. The tour includes three full days in this port city，where you can book extraordinary optional tours that show south Africa’s incredible diversity. Discover the long-lasting legacy(遗产)of Nelson Mandela，explore the scenic Winelands or even go shark cage diving.. if you dare!
1.What will you do on Grand Morocco tour?
A.Have delicious French food. B.Experience mixed cultures.
C.Walk across Sahara Desert. D.Enjoy the modern civilization.
2.Why is Abu Dhabi so wealthy?
A.For the amount of oil. B.For its special location.
C.For the tourist destinations. D.For its personalized services.
3.On which tour can you experience all adventurous activity?
A.Sahara Desert. B.Grand Morocco.
C.Deluxe Dubai & Abu Dhabi. D.Cape Town & Safari Express.
Some of the world’s most significant problems never hit headlines. One example comes from agriculture. Food unrest and hunger make news. But the trend lying behind these matters is rarely talked about. This is the decline in the growth in production of some of the world’s major crops. A new study by the University of Minnesota and McGill University in Montreal looks at where, and how far, this decline is occurring.
The authors study the four most important crops: rice, wheat, corn and soybeans. They find that the improvement in yields that took place before the 1980s slowed down in the 1990s and 2000s.
There are two worrying features of the slowdown. One is that it has been particularly sharp in the world’s most populous (人口多的) countries, India and China. Their ability to feed themselves has been an important source of relative stability both within the countries and on world food markets. That self-sufficiency cannot be taken for granted if yields continue to slow down.
Second, production growth has been lower in wheat and rice than in corn and soybeans. This is problematic because wheat and rice are more important as foods, accounting for around half of all calories consumed. Corn and soybeans are more important as feed grains. The authors note that “We have preferentially focused our crop improvement efforts on feeding animals and cars rather than on crops that feed people and are the basis of food security in much of the world.”
The report qualifies the more optimistic findings of another new paper which suggests that the world will not have to dig up a lot more land for farming in order to feed 9 billion people in 2050, as the Food and Agriculture Organisation has argued.
Instead, it says, thanks to slowing population growth, land currently ploughed up for crops might be able to revert (回返) to forest or wilderness. This could happen. The trouble is that the forecast assumes continued improvements in production, which may not actually happen.
1.What does the author try to draw attention to?
A.Food riots and hunger in the world.
B.News headlines in the leading media.
C.The decline of the grain production growth.
D.The food supply in populous countries.
2.Why does the author mention India and China in particular?
A.Their self-sufficiency is vital to the stability of world food markets.
B.Their food yields have begun to decrease sharply in recent years.
C.Their big populations are causing worldwide concerns.
D.Their food self-sufficiency has been taken for granted.
3.What does the Food and Agriculture Organization say about world food production in the coming decades?
A.The growing population will greatly increase the pressure on world food supplies.
B.The optimistic prediction about food production should be viewed with caution.
C.The slowdown of the growth in yields of major food crops will be reversed.
D.The world will be able to feed its population without increasing farmland.
4.How does the author view the argument of the Food and Agriculture Organisation?
A.It is built on the findings of a new study.
B.It is based on a doubtful assumption.
C.It is backed by strong evidence.
D.It is open to further discussion.
