Dutch officials toasted on Tuesday the opening of what is being called the world’s first 3D-printed concrete bridge, which is meant to be used by cyclists. There was applause as officials wearing hard hats and workmen’s jackets rode over the bridge on their bikes at the opening ceremony in the southeastern town of Gemert.
“The bridge is not very big, but it was rolled out by a printer which makes it unique,” Theo Salet, from the Eindhoven University of Technology, told Dutch broadcaster NOS. Work on printing the bridge, which has some 800 layers, took about three months after starting in June and it is made of pre-stressed concrete, according to the university. “One of the advantages of printing a bridge is that much less concrete is needed than in the conventional technique in which a mould (泥浆) is filled,” it said on its website, adding “a printer deposits the concrete only where it is needed.”
The eight-metre (26-foot) bridge crosses a water-filled channel to connect two roads, and it was tested for safety to bear loads of up to two metric tons in cooperation with the BAM Infra Construction company. Although designed for bikes, it could take up to 40 trucks, the designers said “We are looking to the future,” said the head of BAM, Marinus Schimmel. “3D printing meant fewer rare resources were needed and there was significantly less waste,” he added.
The Netherlands is among countries, with the United States and China, taking a lead in the cutting-edge technology of 3D printing, using computers and robotics to construct objects and structures from scratch without using much traditional manpower. Last year a Dutch architect unveiled (提示) a unique 3D printer with which he hopes to construct an “endless loop” building. And a Dutch start-up called MX3D has begun printing a stainless-steel bridge, of which a third is already completed. The aim is to finish printing by March and lay the bridge over an Amsterdam canal in the future.
1.According to the text what makes the bridge unique?
A. It adopts 3D printing
B. It opens only to cyclists.
C. It is made of new material.
D. It uses much less concrete.
2.According to Marinus Schimmel. the bridge ________.
A. fails to bear heavy loads more safely
B. needs no concrete and mould
C. is designed for bikes and trucks
D. is cost-efficient and eco-friendly
3.According to the last paragraph, which of the following statement is true?
A. The 3D-printed bridges are all designed for bikes.
B. 3D-printed construction saves much human labor.
C. United States and China develop slowly in 3D printing.
D. The stainless-steel bridge by MX3D has been put into use.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. The Value of the 3D Printing Technology
B. The Netherlands Leads the Way in 3D Printing
C. World’s First 3D-printed Bridge Opens to Cyclists
D. 3D Printing is Widely Used in Building Bridges
Breathing dirty air comes at a high price. Air pollution lowers the average life spans (寿命) by a year worldwide and in more polluted parts of Asia and Africa, dirty air shortens lives up to twice that much. Scientists shared their new findings in Environmental Science & Technology Letters. The study used data gathered in 2016 as part of a project known as the Global Burden of Disease and was the first major country-by-country look at the connection between the length of life and what’s known as fine PM.
Air pollution has been linked to many health problems. Most earlier studies had looked at how tiny air pollutants affected rates of illness or death. Joshua Apte is an environmental scientist at the University of Texas at Austin. By looking at life expectancy (预期寿命), his team had hoped to make the threat easier to understand. PM2.5 is what scientists call tiny particles (颗粒) of pollution in the air. Higher levels of PM2.5 can cause health problems and cut months, if not years, from the average length of life. This analysis shows how pollution affects life expectancy in different parts of the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting PM2.5 to 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air. Apte’s group calculated how holding pollution to this low level would help people. In countries with very dirty air, meeting this standard would lengthen people’s lives. However, in countries whose air already meets this standard, the study shows no gain in life expectancy. In other words, meeting the WHO standard won’t reduce health costs resulting from dirty air because even below 10 micrograms per cubic meter, pollution still causes serious risks. Meanwhile, the scientists compared how other threats including smoking and cancer shorten the length of life across the globe.
1.What is special about the study?
A.It won recognition from a professional journal.
B.It discussed health problems caused by air pollution.
C.It gathered lots of data for the Global Burden of Disease.
D.It analyzed the link between life spans and PM by country.
2.What is Joshua Apte’s team trying to do?
A.Help people better understand air pollution.
B.Study life expectancy in different countries.
C.Know how small air pollutants affect health.
D.Deal with different kinds of health problems.
3.What will happen if a country limits PM2.5 to 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air?
A.People’s life spans will surely increase. B.It will get strong support from the WHO.
C.People’s health may not be much improved. D.It will guarantee people clean air.
4.What might be discussed in the following paragraphs?
A.How cleaning up the air can lengthen lives.
B.How air pollution shortens lives by country.
C.How other threats shorten life expectancy.
D.How all the countries deal with severe pollution.
William Lindesay has been interested in the Great Wall of China since seeing it in a school atlas（地图册）as a child in England. I vividly recall seeing in the " Oxford School Atlas" the Great Wall with its battlement symbol. From that moment, I had in my mind that when I grew up I'd go to China and walk along the Great Wall from end to end.
Lindesay's about 3 ,000-km solo run along the Great Wall began in 1987. Running the length of the wall was a brave expedition, venturing into sparsely populated regions where there was little chance of help if the runner had an accident. During another trip, Lindesay and his team ventured deep into the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. The explorers almost died from dehydration(脱水） . In total, Lindesay estimates in an interview that he has spent about 1,600 days of his life, or four full years, on the Great Wall in all seasons.
Lindesay and his wife, Wu Qi, whom he got to know and fell in love with during his trips in China, had a farmhouse at the foot of the wall. During his exploration, he noticed some sections of the wall were badly damaged and covered with litter. Modernization and development were making the situation even worse. "Some people say it will take generations to change; I say we don't have generations of time. It's got to be much quicker, " he said. Lindesay always carries a garbage bag with him in the wilderness, picking litter along the way. Lindesay uses a garbage bag as his calling card. The cloth bag bears a set of nine simple guidelines in Chinese, which calls on people to observe while traveling or camping outdoors : "Take your own garbage home" "Pick up? litter left by othersDon't damage plants or flowers, or pick fruit" and lots more.
1.What sparked William Lindesay's dream of exploring the Great Wall?
A.Seeing a movie about the Great Wall.
B.Experiencing a war for the Great Wall.
C.Surfing a website about the Great Wall.
D.Admiring the Great Wall in the school atlas.
2.What does the underlined word "sparsely" mean?
A.Remotely. B.Rarely.
C.Frequently. D.Largely.
3.What worsened the situation of the Great Wall?
A.The destroyed ecosystems. B.Waste caused by farms.
C.The increasing tourists. D.Modernization and development.
4.What sort of man was William Lindesay?
A.Strong - willed and selfless. B.Determined and grateful.
C.Warmhearted and impolite. D.Considerate and optimistic.
We have many trips for you to explore the world your way. Our travel ideas are as diverse as the world itself and are designed to let you experience it. Please start with the following four trips.
Athens and Crete Explorer
Visit Greek’s famous capital, Athens, and its largest island, Crete, on this Greece vacation. In Athens, tour the iconic Acropolis and head to nearby Delphi to see the home of the ancient Oracle, before flying to the island of Crete where you can explore its capital, Heraklion, and enjoy its world-famous diet of seafood and cheese.
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Trip Type: Romance & Honeymoon, Tailor-made Travel Ideas
London for Families
Designed to thrill people of all ages, this family London vacation explores the sights, history and magic of this great city. Visit the world of Harry Potter, the original Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, and take the Original London Sightseeing Tour.
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Trip Type: Family Vacations, Stopovers/City Breaks, Tailor-made Travel Ideas
Australia & New Zealand
Explore the two most popular cities of Australia and New Zealand on this air-land tour. Start in Sydney, where you’ll tour the Sydney Opera House, sail across the famous harbour, and see koalas and kangaroos at Taronga Zoo. Then head on to Auckland where you’ll explore the twin harbours, learn about Maori traditions, and enjoy unbeatable views of the landscape.
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Trip Type: Vacation Packages with Airfare
Classic Egypt
This tour is a true classic designed to give the traveler with limited time a superb introduction to the civilization of Ancient Egypt, focusing on the Nile and its importance to the people. The ancient land of Egypt inspires the imagination like no other. Unlock the land of the Pharaohs on this 9 day journey along the Nile.
Duration: 9 Days Prices From: US$ 1,495
Trip Type: Classics (Bestsellers), Tailor-made Travel Ideas
1.Which trip is more likely taken by a newly-married couple?
A.London for Families. B.Australia & New Zealand.
C.Classic Egypt. D.Athens and Crete Explorer.
2.From the text, it can be learnt that all the four trips ________.
A.have the same trip type B.take more than one week
C.take more than US$ 1000 D.enjoy their famous diet
3.Where is the text probably taken from?
A.A travel brochure. B.A science fiction.
C.A storybook. D.A textbook.
Translation
1.说到故宫新开的火锅餐厅， 许多网民指责其过度商业化。 （ accuse）
2.在二十世纪五十年代，尽管他对古典音乐心怀热情，但他不得不向现实低头。 (despite)
3.学术造假如此致命，一个小事就可以毁了一个好不容易建立的名声。 （So）
4.一个有远见的领导能让其员工客服软肋，发挥潜能， 齐心协力，从而打造一支高效的团队。 （thus ）
Summary Writing
We Girls Can Do Anything-Right , Barbie!
Barbie, the 11,5 inch fashion doll from Mattel Toys, Inc., is one of the most popular toys in history. The success and longevity, practically unheard of in the toy industry, makes Barbie one of the hottest American popular items of the twentieth century. The product’s endurance is due to its inner play value. With imagination, as well as hands, a child can use the doll in many ways; it becomes whatever she wants.
Affordability of the fashion has also been a factor in Barbie’s popularity. The Live Action dolls of 1971, dressed in rock and roll outfits, were among the first in which the appeal could be obtained only by purchasing the doll.
Early on, critics alleged that Barbie over-emphasized beauty, fashionable dress, and the acquisition of material things. In 1964 the National stated, “She is a social climber and a tedious self-lover.” Two years later a critic attacked Barbie’s obsession with fashion in Women’s Wear Daily.
The company claimed that Barbie was never intended to be a role model for girls. But like all dolls, Barbie replicates the human body and therefore human characteristics are projected onto it. Girls playing with the doll were unaware that their collections of Barbie’s dresses were of haute couture(高级时装) in nature, but they recognized similar styles in their mother’s closets. Girls also understood low neck dress and skintight pants like Barbie herself, represented the world of grown-ups, a world they were preparing to enter.
The doll is many things to many people. Barbie’s negative aspects cannot be denied, but she can be a vehicle for growth.
