For years, life went something like this: We'd grow up in one place, head off to college, and then find a city to live in for a few years at time to pursue a job or higher education. The end goal was to find somewhere to settle down, buy a house, start a family, and begin the whole cycle all over again.
But a new model for living is emerging: More and more people are moving from city to city throughout their entire lives, sometimes as frequently as every month. Just ask Alex Chatzielefteriou, who has had a front-row seat watching this evolution unfold.
Six years ago, he launched a startup called Blueground that rents out beautifully designed, fully furnished apartments for a month at a time, at rates that are cheaper than hotels. Today, the company has 3,000 properties in six U.S. cities, along with Dubai, Istanbul, London, Paris, and Chatzielefteriou's native Athens, and a staff of 400. The company just invested $78 million to continue its rapid expansion and make each one feel unique and cosy, rather than standardized, like what you might find in a traditional hotel.
Chatzielefteriou first came up with the idea for Blueground while he was working as a management consultant for McKinsey. “The accommodation of choice for consultants is the hotel,” he says. “I had to spend five years in a hotel room, living in 12 different cities. I loved seeing the world, but I didn't love feeling like I didn't have a home.” As he spoke to his friends and coworkers, he realized that many people were frustrated with this restless lifestyle. And what's more, hotels aren't a particularly cost-effective solution for companies either. In Chatzielefteriou's case, McKinsey sometimes paid S10,000 or more for him to stay in a major city for a month, which was far more expensive than local rents.
1.What's the main purpose of the first paragraph?
A.To tell the end goal of our life.
B.To introduce the topic of the text.
C.To stress the importance of buying a house.
D.To explain the reason for people's flooding into cities.
2.What motivated Chatzielefteriou to set up a company?
A.His urge to have a home.
B.His desire to make money.
C.His friends' encouragement.
D.His experience in living in hotel.
3.Why is Blueground a success?
A.It has obvious price superiority.
B.It has good geographical location.
C.It has beautifully designed apartments.
D.It has unique and comfortable environment.
4.What does the text mainly talk about?
A.The fall of traditional hotels.
B.The rise of a new living model.
C.The advantages of Blueground.
D.The disadvantages of traditional hotels.
Surprise! High School Student Discovers New Planet Three Days Into NASA.
When 17-year-old Wolf Cukier accepted an internship (实习) at NASA, he expected to be challenged and gain insights into pursuing a career in astrophysics (天体物理学) . Instead, he attained worldwide fame for an achievement finding a new planet!
The teenager came across the distant world while examining images of the variations in star brightness captured by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and uploaded to Planet Hunters TESS by amateur citizen astronomers. “I was looking through the data for everything the volunteers had marked,” Cukier said. “About three days into my internship, I saw a signal from a system called TOI 1338. At first, I thought it was a stellar eclipse (日食) but the timing was wrong. It turned out to be a planet.” Further research revealed that TOI 1338 b, as it is now called, is a rare circumbinary planet (环双星行星) — a world orbiting two stars. Even more exciting, TOI 1338 b is the first circumbinary world discovered by the TESS mission.
The researchers believe that TOI 1338 b is about 6.9 times larger than Earth. The experts claim that TOI 1338 b's two stars vary in size. It is also the only planet in the TOI 1338 system, which lies 1,300 light-years away from Earth.
Not surprisingly, the High School senior is looking to pursue a career in physics and astrophysics. When asked of his plans to seek out a job at NASA, the youngster said, “I've no idea about NASA's hiring practices but it can't hurt!” He added, “A career in space research is appealing.”
1.What kind of writing does the text belong to?
A.A biography. B.A novel.
C.A diary. D.A news report.
2.What can we know about TOI 1338 b?
A.It is a rare planet with only one star.
B.It is about 6.9 times smaller than Earth.
C.It lies 1,300 light-years away from Earth.
D.It is the first cirumbinary planet discovered by human.
3.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.Cukier is very proud of himself.
B.NASA is very strict on hiring practices.
C.Cukier has great interest in working at NASA.
D.Cukier knows nothing about NASA'S hiring practices.
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.A New Planet. B.NASA's Tess Mission.
C.A World-famous Teenager. D.The Discovery of a New Planet.
Contrary to popular belief, cultivating honey for human consumption isn’t just a matter of letting bees “do what they do” and reaping the benefits. Although the creation of honey is a natural process, humans extract far more honey from bees than they would otherwise create naturally. As a result, bees can suffer during all stages of industrialized honey production.
Honey is created when bees suck the nectar out of a flower, regurgitate it, and process it with other bees back at the hive. In their natural states, they use this honey as a food source during winter. But on honey farms, beekeepers take that honey and replace it with a cheap sugar substitute — one that’s insufficient to meet honeybees’ nutritional needs. As a result, honeybees die of over-exhaustion attempting to reproduce the honey that they require; others die of starvation or malnutrition, while others develop weakened immune systems and contract diseases.
Moreover, the negative consequences of industrial honey production extend far beyond the bees themselves. The honey industry also intensifies an existing problem, a rather catastrophic one that has the potential to wreak havoc not only on bees, but on humanity itself. As environmentalists often note, worldwide bee populations are in decline. Because of the crucial ecological role that bees play in food production, this decline is nothing short of an existential threat to human beings’ long-term food supply. It would be natural to assume that honey farming en masse, by cultivating and maintaining constant populations of honeybees, is part of the solution. But it’s not. In fact, it’s part of the problem. So, it's really time for us to see the world anew!
1.How many causes are mentioned about the death of honeybees?
A.2. B.3.
C.4. D.5.
2.What does the underlined word “intensifies” in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.Causes. B.Solves.
C.Worsens. D.Avoids.
3.What is the author's attitude towards industrial honey production?
A.Disapproving. B.Uncaring.
C.Positive. D.Doubtful.
4.Why did the author write the article?
A.To introduce a popular belief.
B.To explain the creation process of honey.
C.To raise people's awareness of protecting honeybees.
D.To show the conflicts between beekeepers and honeybees.
International Performers
World-class performers from across the globe bring years of training in blood, sweat, and smiles to amaze audiences of all ages in Ottawa's beautiful Sparks Street .
Australia — ZAP Circus
During the day, catch the Purple People show full of high energy acrobatics (杂技) and feats of danger. At night, be amazed at an incredible and dazzling fire performance at street level. Don't miss the chance to catch the greatest show.
Time: 2:00 pm-2:45 pm/ 9:00 pm-9:45 pm, Monday
Place: Ontario Stage
Argentina — Katay Santos
After intensive training in the circus school of Cuba and Wuqiao (China) , together with two years of sharing the streets of Caracas with some of its biggest artists, “Santos” bring you an amazing act filled with breathtaking performances with Chinese pots.
Time: 7:00 pm-7:45 pm, Friday
Place: Canada Stage
Canada — Chris Pilsworth
At Chris' show, you'll witness his super powers: to induce laughter, make jaws drop, and make audiences feel fantastic! See why Chris and his Rubber Duck of Danger have been a hit with audiences across North America and Asia.
Time: 8:00 pm-8:45 pm, Saturday
Place: Hot 89.9 Stage
New Zealand — Viny1 Burns
Vinyl Burns is a man of good looks and charm. A DJ, musician and comedian who holds court like Jordan and jumps across it. He enjoys passing on his genius to the ladies, and sometimes the men are Close enough to catch some of it as well. Most importantly... he likes to ROCK!
Time: 12:00 pm-12:45 pm, Sunday
Place: The Art Department Stage
1.When can you enjoy fire performance?
A.2:00 pm-2:45 pm, Monday. B.9:00 pm-9:45 pm, Monday.
C.7:00 pm-7:45 pm, Friday. D.8:00 pm-8:45 pm, Saturday.
2.Why did Santos go to Wuqiao, China?
A.To learn circus. B.To give performance.
C.To meet some artists. D.To buy Chinese pots.
3.Where should you go if you are a music and comedy lover?
A.Ontario Stage. B.Canada Stage.
C.Hot 89.9 Stage. D.The Art Department Stage.
假定你是中学生李华，美国一个中学代表团即将访问你校并出席英语周的一项活动。请根据写作要点和写作要求写一篇欢迎辞。
写作要点：
1.表示对客人的欢迎；
2.介绍此项活动（如活动目的、内容等）；
3.表达对客人的祝愿。
写作要求：
1.词数不少于80；
2.不能使用真实姓名和学校名称。
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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。
The event that stands out in Tom’s memory happened one morning when Tom was only ten years old. He was at home with his elder sister Jane. Tom was doing his homework when he heard raised voices. At first he thought nothing of it since customers in the motorcycle shop directly below their flat often became loud, but he soon realized this time it was different.
“Quick! Quick! Remove the motorcycles from the shop.” someone yelled.
Then a thick burning smell filled the air. When Tom opened the front door of their flat to investigate, a thick cloud of smoke greeted him. The motorcycle shop had caught fire and people were running and crying.
Jane, who had been playing the violin in her room, hurried to the living room. They rushed out of the door and along the corridor（走廊）through the smoke.
They were heading towards the stairway at the far end of the corridor when Jane stopped in her track. She turned around and headed back the way they came. Tom had no idea what she was doing, but he followed suit.
Jane had suddenly remembered the lady in her 70s who lived next door to them, who they called Makcik, Malay for auntie. Jane began banging on Makcik’s door, but got no answer. As the smoke thickened around them, Tom could see many of their neighbors—some still in their pyjamas—running for safety. The thought of fear crossed his mind.
“She would have run for safety like everyone else!” Tom cried. However, Jane refused to give up. “I know Makcik’s still inside.” She said she was familiar with Makcik’s daily routine and was certain she would still be sleeping. She pounded the door. “Go downstairs. Go now! Go!”
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。
Paragraph1:
Tom noticed the flame was reaching up.
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Paragraph 2:
Luckily, some neighbors passing by stopped and offered help.
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