Easy Ways to Give Yourself a Fresh Start
It doesn't need to be complicated or challenging to turn a fresh page on each new day.
Whenever we mark a new year — by turning the calendar, returning to school or celebrating a holiday — we are looking for a fresh start. 1. But how? Here are some easy ways to connect with that feeling of starting fresh, whether it’s a new year or simply a new day in our life.
2. This means you have realized what serves your life now and what can stay in your past. Or invest in a new pen and a new notebook. Having fresh supplies can stimulate even the common task of creating your to-do list.
Moreover, you can learn something new by opening a book you've been expecting to read, searching a question that's been on your mind, enrolling in a class that motivates your interest. Of course you can simply ask a friend for a fresh idea about an issue. 3.
Take a break from technology — for an hour, a day, or a week. 4. You should be able to put some space between yourself and digital routines.
One reason we sometimes struggle to start fresh is that you get stuck reflecting on worrisome thoughts about the past, the future or even the present. 5. Allow these thoughts into your day only at a brief (30 minutes or less), specific time. The rest of the time, focus on what you are doing that's new and positive.
How do you give yourself that “fresh start” feeling?
A.Electronic Products might not be serving you best.
B.Newness or the freshness can guide us on a positive path.
C.Limit your daily “worry time” and make an appointment with yourself.
D.All of us enjoy newness, but what is it that leads to a sense of freshness?
E.Realizing your past mistakes, you should move forward with enthusiasm.
F.Increasing your knowledge on any topic means taking your mind into a fresh area.
G.First, even letting go of a single box or bag of items can give you a refreshing sense.
Researchers discovered a hidden continent on Earth, but it's not Atlantis. They found it while reconstructing the evolution of Mediterranean region's complex geology, which rises with mountain ranges and dips with seas from Spain to Iran.
The continent is called Greater Adria. It's the size of Greenland and it broke off from North Africa, only to be buried under Southern Europe about 140 million years ago. And chances are you've been there without even knowing it. “Forget Atlantis,” said Douwe, study author and professor at Utrecht University. “Without realizing it, vast numbers of tourists spend their holiday each year on the lost continent of Greater Adria.” This area is called Adria by geologists, so the researchers for this study refer to the previously undiscovered continent as Greater Adria.
Most of Greater Adria was underwater, covered by shallow seas, coral reefs and sediments (沉淀物). The sediments formed rocks and those rocks became mountain ranges in these areas： the Alps, the Apennines, the Balkans, Greece and Turkey. The researchers found that Greater Adria started to become its own continent about 240 million years ago.
This isn't the first time a lost continent has been found. In January 2017, researchers announced the discovery of a lost continent left over from the supercontinent Gondwana, which began breaking apart 200 million years ago. The leftover piece, which was covered in lava (岩 浆), is now under Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean. And in September 2017, a different research team found the lost continent of Zealandia through ocean drilling in the South Pacific. It’s two-thirds of a mile beneath the sea.
Greater Adria isn’t the first lost continent to be found. But if research in past years shows anything, it likely won’t be the last discovery.
1.How did the researchers find Greater Adria?
A.They found it accidentally.
B.They got inspired by the tales of Atlantis.
C.They discovered it after years of seaching.
D.They followed the steps of exploring mountain ranges.
2.What do we know about Greater Adria?
A.It is hidden under the sea level.
B.It is much smaller than Greenland.
C.It has existed for about 240 million years.
D.It has been known to many tourists before.
3.Why are the discoveries mentioned in Paragraph 4?
A.To describe how the researchers explored continents.
B.To show some other lost continents have been found.
C.To prove they are closely related to Greater Adria.
D.To explain the reason why Greater Adria got buried.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Atlantis Discovered Finally
B.Undersea World Explored
C.A Hidden Mountain Undiscovered
D.A Lost Continent Found Under Europe
Erik Kobayashi-Solomon spent a day with Dr. Paul Gauthier, a plant physiologist specializing in vertical farming research and came away with several important ideas about vertical farming.
Humans have 12,000 years of experience growing food, but only a generation or so worth of experience growing crops indoors. We are still progressing up the technology learning curve (学习曲线). What's more, traditional farming techniques are based on conditions that are not applicable to vertical farming. Therefore, without taking time to understand the science, vertical farming is not likely to be able to live up to its implied promises.
The cost of powering LED grow lights is one of the biggest problems a vertical farm must overcome. Dr. Louis Albright at Cornell has characterized vertical farms as " pie-in-the-sky" businesses. He famously calculates, for instance, that the cost of a loaf of bread would be $ 24 if farmed indoors — the cost is too high. Gauthier acknowledges that energy prices are high but points out that scientific work has shown that only about 6% of available sunlight is used in crop photosynthesis (光合作用), so there may be ways of growing the same plants with less light.
Gauthier also points out that while energy costs are a bit high, vertical farming does create high efficiencies in other areas. Water usage may be significantly reduced because the same water can be recycled time and again. Fertilizer use can be greatly reduced and pesticides for pest control are unnecessary. It's clear that vertical farming offers real value to society.
The future is probably mixed. In some environments — the Middle East, for instance — a move to vertical farming is a no-brainer. An indoor farm in Saudi Arabia, for instance, can use solar energy to power LEDs at low cost without shading out other farmland. In other geographies, though, the expense of establishing a facility places a high bar on growth and profitability. A large vertical fanning and equipment operation only started generating a small profit eight years into its nine-year life.
1.What can we infer about vertical farming in Paragraph 2?
A.It will replace traditional farming one day.
B.It relies on research of more basic science.
C.It can be applicable on different conditions.
D.It actually came into being 12,000 years ago.
2.What does Dr. Albright think of vertical farms?
A.They use less light than traditional ones.
B.They may seem very unlikely to succeed.
C.They can overcome many problems in farming.
D.They do not need any natural sunlight any longer.
3.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?
A.The ways of reducing costs of vertical fanning.
B.The secrets of developing vertical farming.
C.The recent trend of vertical farming.
D.The benefits of vertical farming.
4.Why is the example of “an indoor farm in Saudi Arabia” mentioned?
A.To show vertical fanning can work well in some places.
B.To prove solar energy is vital for farming in Saudi Arabia.
C.To confirm the expense of setting up a vertical farm is high.
D.To argue vegetables do not need to be imported any longer.
Adventure-seeker Emma broke her ankle when she fell awkwardly while climbing a rock and spent a week in hospital waiting for an operation on her foot. When she was sent home to recover under strict instructions not to bear any weight, she became so fearful of crutches (拐杖) that she didn't move for three weeks. “I tried crutches but I kept falling over and injuring myself. So I literally just stayed on the sofa all day, ” says Emma.
She was gutted at the thought of missing the Wolf Run — a quarterly event that she hasn't missed since 2014. “If you complete four Wolf Runs in a year, one in each season, you get Alpha Wolf status,” explains Emma. “This year was going to be my fifth in a row as an Alpha Wolf and I was really upset that I'd lose my status.” So she was willing to try anything to get through the course — even with her injured ankle.
“I was telling my friend that I was going to cancel, and he persuaded me to give it a go. Having something to aim for really kept me going." Emma completed the run wearing an iWALK2.0, which is a medically-approved device and it basically functions like a hi-tech artificial leg, allowing users to walk freely. I decided to get one and it completely changed my recovery. I could move around the house and start getting out and about again, which had a real impact on my mental well-being.”
On the day of the race, Emma was nervous but the sound of people cheering her on kept her motivated. Emma made it over the finish line in just under six hours and clocked up her 23rd Wolf Run in five years. “It was an incredible day and my determination to finish combined with the support I received along the way kept me going,” says Emma.
1.Why was Emma frightened to use a crutch?
A.She was afraid of recovering slowly.
B.She was warned not to move around.
C.She just had an operation on her foot.
D.She often got injured when using one.
2.What does the underlined word “gutted” mean in Paragraph 2?
A.Extremely sad. B.A bit relieved.
C.Very surprised. D.Pretty cheerful.
3.What actually made Emma take part in the race?
A.Her new hi-tech artificial leg.
B.Her fear of letting her friend down.
C.Her strong desire to achieve her ambition.
D.Her complete recovery from the operation.
4.Which of the following best describes Emma?
A.Strong-willed. B.Supportive.
C.Creative. D.Humorous.
The following 4 famous paintings — from Jan van Eyck's portrait to Pablo Picasso's masterpiece — have stood the test of time.
The Amolfini Portrait
Jan van Eyck’s Amolfini Portrait, an oil painting on wood produced in 1434, in which a man and a woman hold hands with a window behind him and a bed behind her, is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces in the National Gallery, London. This painting is as visually interesting as it is famed. It is also an informative document on fifteenth-century society, through van Eyck's heavy use of symbolism — while husbands went out to engage in business, wives concerned themselves with domestic duties.
The Starry Night
Vincent van Gogh painted The Starry Night, oil on canvas (帆布), a moderately abstract landscape painting of an expressive night sky over a small hillside village, during his 12-month stay at the mental hospital near Saint–Remy-de-Provence, France between 1889 and 1890. When the Museum of Modem Art in New York City purchased the painting from a private collector in 1941, it was not well known, but it has since become one of van Gogh's most famous works.
The Harvesters
The Harvesters is an oil painting on wood completed by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in 1565. It depicts the harvest time which most commonly occurred within the months of August and September. Nicolaes Jonghelinck, a merchant banker and art collector from Antwerp, commissioned this painting. The painting has been at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City since 1919.
Guernica
Guernica, a large black-and-white oil painting, was painted by the Cubist Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso in 1937. The title 'Guernica' refers to the city that was bombed by Nazi planes during the Spanish Civil War. The painting depicts the horrors of war and as a result, has come to be an anti-war symbol and a reminder of the tragedies of war. Today, the painting is housed at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid.
1.Which of the following paintings was produced earliest?
A.Guernica. B.The Harvesters.
C.The Starry Night. D.The Amolfini Portrait.
2.Who created the painting describing the harvest seasons?
A.Pieter Bruegel the Elder. B.Vincent van Gogh.
C.Jan van Eyck. D.Pablo Picasso.
3.What do we know about the painting The Starry Night?
A.It was painted on wood in oils.
B.It described the painter's life in hospital.
C.It wasn't widely recognized before 1941.
D.It was given away to the museum by a collector.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
Jim slumped on the couch. Mother’s Day was coming up, and he didn’t have a present. “How can I buy a present without any money?” he thought.
Jim picked up the newspaper that was lying on the couch. He noticed a large advertisement on the front page. The local department store was sponsoring a contest. “Tell us why your mom is special and win a shopping spree (购物狂欢) for her,” said the ad.
“This is perfect!” thought Jim. He ran to his room with the newspaper. Taking a pencil and a blank piece of paper from his desk, he started to write.
“My mom is the best mother in the world. She always makes a lunch for me to take to school, and she never forgets my dessert. She reads as many books to me before bed as I want. She always remembers to check under the bed for monsters. And she gives the best hugs, but never in front of my friends, who would laugh at me for hugging my mom.”
Jim liked what he had written. He copied it neatly and got an envelope and a stamp from his dad. He ran to the mailbox with his entry (参赛作品). “Mom will love having a shopping spree,” he thought.
Jim checked the mailbox every day for his prize. Days passed by, and then weeks. Soon it was the day before Mother’s Day. Jim still hadn’t heard anything about the contest.
“What am I going to do now?” he wondered. He didn’t have a present, and he didn’t have a shopping spree. And he still didn’t have any money. He had to think of something. Jim closed his eyes and curled his toes and thought so hard that his ears hurt.
注意: 1.所续写短文的词数应为 150 左右；
2.应使用 5 个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Suddenly, he has an idea.
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Paragraph 2:
The next morning Jim handed his present to his mom.
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