“Hey, I’m Courtney. What’s your favorite book? Elephant and Piggy? Yeah, I got it.”
If you thought you’d walked into a(n)_______with a greeting like that, you wouldn’t be too _______. However, the truth is that you’ve_______ the workplace of Courtney Holmes, or the Storybook Barber.
Two years ago, Dubuque emailed on its citizens to offer _______ families free resources in the community. Holmes agreed to _______. He was holding down two jobs at the time — one as an insurance agent, the other as a _______ Saturday was his busiest day, but he chose to donate his _______ and give free haircuts to underprivileged kids so they’d look _______ on that first day of classes. But then he had a lightbulb moment: “The kids should _______ their free haircut by having to __________ a book to me,” Holmes said. The idea was so popular that he__________ it the first Tuesday of every month for the next two years.
Five-to-ten-year-old boys would grab a favorite book, __________ into the barber chair, and read aloud while Holmes was working. If they __________ over a word, Holmes was there to help. After the haircut, they’d __________ the book, from the language to the characters and to the __________— just like in school, more fun,__________.
Holmes and his family have recently__________ from Dubuque to a Chicago suburb. When they get settled, he plans to continue his __________ as the Story-book Barber. “With guns and __________ in the world today,” he says, “I want to create a safe __________ for the kids to come to and read in.”
1.A.office B.supermarket C.zoo D.library
2.A.serious B.far off C.at home D.considerate
3.A.entered B.mentioned C.missed D.imagined
4.A.wealthy B.needy C.fortunate D.broken
5.A.present B.compete C.participate D.dominate
6.A.barber B.teacher C.librarian D.coach
7.A.money B.time C.books D.properties
8.A.short B.pretty C.unique D.sharp
9.A.earn B.produce C.design D.polish
10.A.lend B.write C.give D.read
11.A.improved B.promoted C.continued D.celebrated
12.A.settle B.dive C.slip D.jump
13.A.argued B.shewed C.tripped D.checked
14.A.recite B.repeat C.revise D.review
15.A.heroes B.themes C.assignments D.phrases
16.A.otherwise B.too C.though D.either
17.A.moved B.flown C.risen D.travelled
18.A.opportunity B.ambition C.faith D.role
19.A.glories B.violence C.revolution D.poverty
20.A.country B.school C.harbor D.workplace
Many diseases and medical conditions are caused by things out of our control. Doctors urge us to eat healthy foods, get exercise, stop smoking and limit our alcohol intake. 1. And it is free and easy. Smile!
When we smile, the brain wiring gets altered. The chemicals that are released are more positive. Smiling is a first step in fighting physical and emotional stress and its sometimes harmful effects on human health.
The main cause of heart attacks and strokes are blockages in blood vessels (血管).2.The most common reason for these blockages is a build-up of fatty deposits on the inner walls of the arteries (大动脉). When we feel stressed or under pressure, our body releases many natural hormones (荷尔家) including adrenaline and cortisol. When we are stressed for a long period, these stress hormones are ever-present in our bodies. And that, medical researchers warn, may lead to health problems.
3. However, they claim that when people are stressed for long periods of time, they may not make the best decisions about what to eat. They may overeat, smoke or drink too much alcohol. They may not get enough exercise or sleep. And all of these can lead to health problems.
Dr. Choctkalingam says a smile may be one way to help. He tells his patients to smile 20 times an hour. To some, that might seem like a lot of smiling. Or some might even feel foolish . . . smiling for seemingly no reason. 4. It is not invasive (侵入的) like a surgical operation. It is free and it has no bad side effects.
“Once we smile, we are relaxed. This relaxation directly lowers blood pressure, improves sugar levels in the blood. 5. .”
And it just may provide a little extra protection to everyone^ heart health.
A.But a smile does not involve drugs.
B.But there is something else we can do.
C.Experts say we can control and even prevent them.
D.These prevent blood from flowing to the heart or the brain.
E.And they are the number one cause of death around the world.
F.If we are smiling, we are breaking that link between stress and health.
G.Researchers say the link between stress and heart disease is still unclear.
China’s war on garbage is as digital as the country itself. Think QR codes attached to trash bags that allow the government to trace exactly where its trash comes from.
On July 1, Shanghai began a compulsory garbage sorting program. Households and companies must classify their wastes into four categories and dump them in appointed places at certain times. The strict program became a headache for some residents. Not even the most environmentally conscious person can get all the answers right. Like, which bin does the newspaper you just used to pick up dog poop (粪便)belong to?
Gratefully, China’s tech startups are here to help. For instance, China’s biggest internet companies responded with new search features that help people identify what wastes are “wet”, “dry”, “toxic”, or “recyclable”. Simply pull up a mini app on WeChat, Baidu or Alipay and enter the keyword. The tech firms will give you the answer and why.
Alipay, Alibaba’s electronics payment company, claims its garbage sorting mini app added one million users under just three days. The mini app has so far indexed (编索引) more than 4,000 types of rubbish. Its database is still growing, and soon it will save people from typing by using image recognition to classify trash when they snap a photo of it. If people are too busy or lazy to hit the collection schedule, well, startups are offering trash service at the doorstep. A third-party developer helped Alipay build a recycling mini app and is now collecting garbage from 8,000 apartment complexes across 11 cities. To date, two million people have sold recyclable materials through its platform.
Besides helping households out, companies are also building software to make property managers, life easier. Some residential complexes in Shanghai began using QR codes to trace the origin of garbage. This way, regulators in the region know exactly which family has produced the trash and fine violators.
1.What are some residents confused about?
A.Environmental knowledge. B.Bin for dog poop.
C.Some waste classification. D.Time for dumping.
2.What is the advantage of trash service at the doorstep?
A.It provides time flexibility. B.It reduces household waste.
C.It saves people from typing. D.It classifies rubbish properly.
3.Who will probably most welcome the use of QR codes?
A.Third-party developers. B.Company managers.
C.Community administrators. D.Rubbish collectors.
4.What is the main idea of this article?
A.People need recycling apps badly.
B.People should classify their rubbish.
C.How regulators benefit from the tech.
D.How China uses tech to sort waste.
Getting stuck with gifts we do not want is no small problem. In a survey across 14 countries in Europe, meanwhile, 1 in 7 said they were unhappy with what they received for Christmas, yet more than half simply kept the gifts.
Why can’t more gifts be passed along to people who appreciate them? People in a study published in the Journal of Consumer Behaviour, for instance, used such words as guilty, lazy, thoughtless and disrespectful in describing their feelings about regifting. Popular culture casts it as taboo (禁忌), as well.
However, our research with Francis J. Flynn, a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, suggests the shame associated with regifting is largely unwarranted. Indeed, our research consistently tells us that people overestimate the negative consequences.
We asked people to imagine themselves as a “giver,” who gives someone a gift card and later learned it had been regifted. The general attitude of the original givers was: “It’s your gift, do what you want with it.” Next, we asked givers to compare regifting a supposed wristwatch with throwing it in the trash. For the original givers, regifting the watch was a much less offensive act than trashing it.
Finally, we invited to our lab at Stanford people who had recently received presents, and divided the people into two groups. When we gave the first group an opportunity to regift that present, 9% did so. When we gave the second group the same opportunity, we added that it was “National Regifting Day”. It wasn't really National Regifting Day, but the group didn’t know that: 30% of them agreed to regift.
Everyone has received unwanted gifts in their lives, and generally we will receive more in the future. Our research offers a simple solution to that problem. This holiday season, consider regifting, and encourage receivers of your gifts to do the same if what you gave them isn't quite what they hoped for.
1.Why does the author mention the study in Journal of Consumer Behaviour?
A.To highlight the importance of regifting.
B.To show people’s attitudes to regifting.
C.To challenge the rightness of regifting.
D.To express his concern for regifting.
2.What is the meaning of the underlined word “unwarranted”?
A.Unnecessary. B.Uncertain.
C.Unimportant. D.Unconscious.
3.What do we know about the research?
A.9% simply kept unwanted gifts.
B.30% didn’t know National Regifting Day.
C.Givers generally didn’t mind regifting.
D.Receivers tended to trash unwanted gifts.
4.What can we conclude from the text?
A.Regifting is offensive. B.Regifting is forbidden.
C.Regifting is popular. D.Regifting is acceptable.
Geese live to be around 25 years old, are very loyal, and never forget their first home. Even so, it came as a total shock to me when, in 2019, an aging adult wild goose made his way back to my family home. Geese love houses with large, green grassland to eat on; the flat area also makes it easy for them to watch out for predators (捕食者). So, at first, I assumed it was just another goose.
And yet, something about the lone male seemed oddly familiar to me. After two weeks of the goose coming back repeatedly, it became clear to me that this wasn’t a random goose. He did all of the same things Peeper used to, like trying to come in through the front door and sleeping in our enclosed pool area. In addition to following Peeper’s old ways, this goose also responded to the name Peeper. Much to my amazement, my old best friend had returned, 20 years later.
Why did Peeper return? It’s hard to say. Perhaps his mate died, leaving him lonely. If s also possible that he is approaching his twilight (薄脣) years and knows it, making him long for his early home. This behavior is typical of geese. Whatever the reason, Peeper continues to live with me. It’s a good thing that I stayed in my childhood home.
He doesn’t come home every single night the way he did as a baby. Some nights he may seek out the comfort of his own kind at the lake nearby. Geese in the wild typically sleep on water. But he’s here a lot, making his presence known and giving me joy. Many years later, the goose still remembers the true meaning of family. So do his people.
1.What was the author’s feeling at first?
A.Joyful. B.Natural.
C.Shocked. D.Strange.
2.Which best suggests that the goose was Peeper?
A.The goose kept coming back.
B.The goose reacted to the name.
C.The goose fed on the grassland.
D.The goose slept at the front door.
3.What can we infer from paragraph 3?
A.Peepers mate had made him return.
B.Peeper was too old to live in the wild.
C.The writer knew why Peeper returned.
D.The writer felt lucky to have Peeper back.
4.What does the author think of Peeper’s frequent presence?
A.He takes it as a sign of family bond.
B.He considers it as typical of geese.
C.He thinks Peeper is seeking comfort.
D.He supposes it to be a past habit.
Hawaii is full of attractions, beach parks and gathering places. Looking for something new and lesser-known? Check out these public parks throughout the islands.
Kapiolani Park (Oahu)
Located in the shadow of Diamond Head close to Waikiki Beach, there's a lot to love about Kapiolani Park. It was the first public space in Hawaii, (treated in 1877 by the last king of Hawaii, David Kalakaua, who named it after his wife, Queen Kapiolani. Ifs a nice place to get a glimpse of local life in Waikiki.
Opening time: Sunday to Saturday.
Waihee Beach Park (Maui)
Located off the main tourist trail, on the lesser - visited northeast coast of Maui, is Waihee Beach Park. The beach is small but scenic, with views looking north at the mountains and plenty of shade. Though narrow, the beach is long, making it perfect for a morning or evening walk.
Opening time: Except Tuesday.
Prince Kuhio Park (Kauai)
Prince Kuhio Park on Kauai is a monument to Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole. Close to Poipu Beach, the park has a nice view of the ocean. To the naked eye, that’s about it. But this Park serves as an opportunity to learn more about the lesser-known Kalanianaole, who is so respected in Hawaii that his birthday, March 26th, is a state holiday. Read up on his contributions to Hawaii and have a peaceful afternoon.
Opening time: Weekends.
Liliuokalani Park (Big Island)
Most visitors to Hilo are so focused on Hawaii Volcanoes National Park that they don’t take time to experience the town itself. It is in and around the waterfront park, Liliuokalani Park, that you can get the best glimpse of local life. Hilo has a strong waterfront presence. Liliuokalani Park at sunset is especially nice, thanks to its ocean views.
Opening time: Tuesday to Sunday.
1.On what day can one visit Prince Kuhio Park?
A.Monday. B.Wednesday.
C.Friday. D.Sunday.
2.Which park is an ideal place for evening walk?
A.Kapiolani Park. B.Waihee Beach Park.
C.Prince Kuhio Park. D.Liliuokalani Park.
3.Which of the following best describes the four parks?
A.Underrated. B.Romantic.
C.Historic. D.Well-known.
