Step into Moving to Mars, an exhibition of Mars mission and colony design at London’s Design Museum, and immediately you have good reasons not to move there.
Frightening glowing wall-texts announce that Mars wasn’t made for you; that there is no life and precious little water: that, dressed in a spacesuit, you will never touch, taste or smell the planet you now call “home”. As Lisa Grossman wrote for New Scientist a couple of years ago, “What’s different about Mars is that there is nothing to do there except try not to die”.
It is an odd beginning for such a celebratory exhibition, but it provides a valuable, dark background against which the rest of the show can sparkle (闪耀)—a show that is ,as its chief manager Justin remarks,“not about Mars ; this is an exhibition about people”.
Moving along, there is a quick yet clear flash through what the science-fiction writer Robinson calls “the history of Mars in the human mind”. A Babylonian clay tablet and a Greek vase speak to early ideas about the planet. A poster for the original Total Recall film reminds us of Mars’s psychological threat.
The main part of the show is our current plans for the Red Planet. There are real spacesuits and models of 3D-printed Martian settlements and suitable clothing and furniture. Mission architectures and engineering sketches line the walls. Real hammers meant for the International Space Station are wall-mounted beside a low-gravity table that has yet to leave, and may indeed never leave, Earth.
This, of course, is the great strength of approaching science through design: reality and assumption can be given equal visual weight, drawing us into an informed conversation about what it is that we actually want from a future on Mars.
1.What is the text mainly about?
A.How to move to Mars. B.How to survive on Mars.
C.What preparations we made for Mars. D.What the exhibition of Mars truly tells us.
2.What can we learn from Lisa Grossman?
A.It’s impossible to live on Mars. B.It’s no good settling on Mars.
C.You have nothing to do living on Mars. D.You can live on Mars in spacesuit.
3.What does the exhibition focus on?
A.The current plans for Mars. B.The advantages of living on Mars.
C.The early ideas about Mars. D.The history of Mars in the human mind.
4.What does the author want to tell us in the last paragraph?
A.An experience. B.An opinion. C.A fantasy. D.A solution.
Mosquitos can infect you with Malaria, yellow fever, and dengue. All can kill you. So we spray large areas with pesticides (杀虫剂) .But this negatively affects the whole ecosystem and your health. Now there’s a new device, which claims to keep you and your loved one’s mosquito free.
The device was designed by two German engineers who were fed up with being bitten while camping. They found solutions containing ‘DEET’ — a damaging chemical which could be both harmful to us and the environment — worked best, but still only for 45 minutes maximum and that the traditional anti-pest devices didn’t work well! So, they designed the brand new type of bug killer, Moskinator.
Instead of trying to keep the mosquitos away, it actually attracts them, then catches and kills them! It lures (引诱) the flies and mosquitos near using a safe, completely harmless LED light. The flying pests (害虫) can’t resist the UV-PT light! Next to the LED light is a powerful, yet efficient reverse fan that sucks (吸) the insects through a one-way trapdoor. Once trapped in the drying basket they are dried to death by the fan a matter of 2 minutes. You can simply empty the dead bugs into the trash, without even touching them.
Does Moskinator really work in real life? We had some of our customers try it out in their homes. The results speak for themselves:
“My wife would complain she had a headache in the mornings whenever we used chemical pesticides. Now we use our Moskinator, and we wake up bite and headache free!”— Shane Maguire
“This Moskinator really works and you don’t have to worry about breathing any harmful chemicals.”— Jake Shearer
1.What is the name of the new device?
A.DEET. B.Moskinator C.Malaria. D.UV-PT.
2.What is the function of the LED light?
A.It gives off natural light. B.It attracts flying pests.
C.It sucks pests inside. D.It dries pests to death.
3.Which of the following best describes the new device?
A.Innovative and effective. B.Traditional and cheap.
C.Power-saving and portable. D.Chemical free and soundless.
4.What is the purpose of writing the text?
A.To educate the readers. B.To entertain the readers.
C.To introduce a new device. D.To evaluate a new device.
I was excited to take my rescue Beagle (比格犬) to the river the other day, as it’s within walking distance of our new home. Having spent her first six years in a cage, Georgie had never seen a body of water, and I wanted to get there before sunset to watch her experience it.
I was growing increasingly impatient about all the stops her little Beagle nose required. She inspected the grass, dirt, and trees, and licked (舔) whatever was stuck to the road. These were all new discoveries for her, and she took her time studying them.
When I accepted that it was fruitless to hurry her along, I whipped out my cell phone and began texting. I thought that I needed something to do while Georgie was slowing us down. Then, for some reason, I heard the cicadas (蝉) ,and I remembered that the sound of cicadas is my favorite sound in the world. That awakened something buried within me that longed for the simple pleasures that had been replaced by technology.
I made a conscious decision to be present, and to enjoy the journey to the river Just like Georgie. Now, I admired the flowers and the winding ivy on our path. I smelled the grass and the flowers, and the dirt and the air. I treasured each one equally, as if discovering them for the first time.
As we neared our destination,1 realized something even more important: It didn’t matter if we even reached the river. Why must there always be a destination? Georgie had no idea that we had a destination. She was present for the journey, and she savored every bit of that sweet experience. There was no race and no finish line.
Now I’m not sure who rescued whom.
1.Why did the author take out the cellphone?
A.To kill time. B.To awaken the simple pleasures.
C.To hurry the dog along. D.To record the sound of cicadas.
2.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?
A.How I enjoyed the journey. B.What I saw on the way.
C.Why I traveled to the river. D.Whether I reached my destination.
3.What does the underlined word “savored” in the fifth paragraph mean?
A.Smelt. B.Expected. C.Enjoyed. D.Deserved.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Say Goodbye to Cell Phones B.Think like a Dog
C.Learn to Get along with Pets D.Travel toward Destinations
Got 48 hours to relax yourself? You’ll maximize your time and fun at "these amazing destinations.
Alabama: Gulf Shores
For relaxing weekend getaways in Alabama, head south to the white-sand beaches of Gulf Shores. Get on the water for some deep-sea fishing. History lovers can get a lesson in the Civil War along a 90-mile path with more than a dozen historic sites.
Alaska: Homer
How does fresh seafood sound? You’ll find it in Homer, located in south-central Alaska, which is either a short flight or a great four-hour scenic drive on the Seward Highway from Anchorage. Get your fill of fishing in Kachemak Bay, explore local trails and enjoy exceptional birding in this remote natural setting.
Arizona: Sedona
Adventurous types can get their fill in the magical red rocks of Sedona, which is said to be the location of healing centers of energy. People flood to the area to meditate, practice yoga and more. Sedona also offers fantastic hiking, off-roading, biking, and even climbing.
Arkansas: Hot Springs
Relax and renew in Arkansas, hot waters in Hot Springs, an art community with Art Deco architecture that is also the home of Hot Springs National Park. Make time for a visit to Bathhouse Row, a National Historic Landmark of eight bathhouses, and Superior Bathhouse Brewery, which produces beer made of the hot spring water inside the National Park. Don’t miss these National Parks that are off the beaten path.
1.Which activity can be found in both Gulf Shores and Homer?
A.Going fishing. B.Taking a flight.
C.Enjoying beautiful birds. D.Visiting historic sites.
2.Which destination is popular with hikers?
A.Gulf Shores. B.Homer. C.Sedona. D.Hot Springs.
3.What is Superior Bathhouse Brewery known for?
A.Its self-made beer. B.Its architecture.
C.Its bathhouses. D.Its paths.
4.Where is this text most likely from?
A.A diary. B.A survey. C.A novel. D.A magazine.
假定你是李华,你和你的同学们将在下周末举办一次活动,针对“低头族”这一问题, 提醒过往的人们不要在行走时看手机,尽量抬起头来,注意安全与健康。请给你的英国朋 友Henry写封邮件,邀请他一起参加。开头和结尾已经给出,不计入总词数。
注意:1.行文连贯流畅;2.参考词汇:低头族:phubber 3.词数100词左右 Dear Henry,
How's everything going?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误,每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧),并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。
2.只允许修改10处,多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Ten years ago, my hometown is a small and poor city with few factories.And the citizens had few choice on transportation.However, nowadays my hometown has taken on brand new look with rapid development of culture and economy. The citizens' living conditions have been greatly improve and their lifestyles are different from in the past.Shop online has become popular.When they comes to transportation,private cars have become a common way of traveling beside public transportation.The best change is which all the people are living a hopeful life with confident.