When I was little, my classmate and neighbor Paul would take wonderful Santa face cookies to school every year as his birthday ________. In those days, I would always follow him when he shared the cookies with other classmates, just in case someone had been ________ and as a result he had an extra ________ or two. Somehow, one cookie ________ long enough for me to show it to my mother. She got the ________ from Paul’s mother and bought the special cookie cutter at Morley Brothers, our local hardware shop.
Over the years, my mother and I would ________ to make these cookies. After I got married, I bought my own cookie cutter and the cookies remained a ________ for the Christmas time. Later, my mother gave me her cutter. I ________ both of the Santa face cookie cutters because Morley Brothers had ________ years before and we never saw anything that even ________ these wonderful Santa faces.
One year, after I made the cookies, the two cutters were waiting to be hand washed and ________ for another year. Well, my oldest daughter decided to help out by ________ the dishwasher. You guessed it. ________, the two treasured plastic cutters, came out distorted and totally ________. I knew if I couldn’t ________ them, a long-standing tradition would come to a ________.
After making several telephone ________, I learned a woman named Pat Kimbrel had ________ the hardware business from her grandmother. I was excited! Immediately, I called and managed to talk with Pat about the happy memories connected with her grandmother’s cookie cutters. Eventually, through Pat I got four Santa face cookie cutters.
Now the family tradition is ________ in both our and our daughters’ houses. So, Paul, thanks to you and your grandmother. I’ll bet you never know how many lives you affect or for how many years the ________ will be felt.
1.A.benefit B.wish C.treat D.game
2.A.curious B.absent C.free D.cautious
3.A.gift B.class C.cookie D.cutter
4.A.appeared B.expanded C.sold D.survived
5.A.recipe B.response C.award D.comment
6.A.manage B.continue C.expect D.struggle
7.A.program B.challenge C.must D.memory
8.A.equipped B.accepted C.spared D.guarded
9.A.closed B.enlarged C.existed D.opened
10.A.combined B.resembled C.represented D.suited
11.A.put away B.saved on C.set down D.brought up
12.A.loading B.handling C.covering D.fixing
13.A.Obviously B.Surprisingly C.hopefully D.Unfortunately
14.A.invalid B.invaluable C.unusable D.unavailable
15.A.copy B.replace C.identify D.share
16.A.fall B.head C.deal D.stop
17.A.businesses B.services C.lines D.enquiries
18.A.taken over B.taken up C.taken down D.taken to
19.A.inspired B.observed C.learnt D.taught
20.A.appreciation B.pleasure C.influence D.motivation
By 2025, water shortage will be a big problem for about 1.8 billion people. In a world where water resource is increasingly short, nations cannot afford to waste it. 1. After we use water in our homes and businesses, it is washed away, and takes many valuable resources with it.
Waste water is rich in carbon and nutrients. 2. A number of nations and major cities have already built waste water treatment plants. They can effectively recover nutrients and bio-energy, and produce “new water” that can be reused. But more than 80% of all waste water still currently flows into natural ecosystems, polluting the environment and taking valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials with it.
3. This is still better than the situation in smaller cities. In Latin American countries, those living in small and medium-sized cities at most treat it in the form of septic tanks(化粪池) that lack regular and proper maintenance.
Imagine that outside one of these small cities lies a lovely piece of land: on the surface it is aesthetically (美学地) built and provides habitats for local wildlife. Beneath the surface is wetland that treats waste water and produces energy.
The energy produced saved families from having to use firewood collected in the wild. This is not a dream project. 4. A team of scientists have been looking into the potential of the constructed wetland environments. Having analyzed 800 examples of biomass in more than 200 countries, they found that, depending on climate and the type of plant used in the construction of this type of wetland, up to 45 hectares of land could be irrigated with waste water. 5.
A.This can provide ready access to clean water.
B.But that is exactly what we do.
C.A constructed wetland environment is already in practice on a small scale.
D.There is no longer any good reason to waste any type of water.
E.If collected and treated properly, it could provide “new water”, fertilizer, and energy.
F.This would reduce the need for fresh water for irrigation and energy for pumping.
G.Although waste water systems in large cities are effective, the whole procedure usually costs much.
Role models are powerful. No matter what stage of life you’re at, it’s good to have someone who encourages you to be the best version of yourself. Recent winners of national commendations mean we have a wider range of possible role models.
As part of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), President Xi Jinping signed a presidential decree (主席令) on Sept 17 to award 42 people the Medal of the Republic, the Friendship Medal and national honorary titles, China Daily reported. Recipients come from various backgrounds, including scientists, lawmakers, educators, artists, model workers and six non-Chinese individuals. All have made big contributions to the nation’s construction and development.
Chinese scientist Tu Youyou is one of the eight who were awarded the Medal of the Republic. Tu, who won the 2015 Nobel Prize for her discovery of the malaria drug artemisinin (抗疟药物青蒿素), is the first Chinese citizen to win a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She has saved millions of lives worldwide. She has also made important scientific innovation in traditional Chinese medicine.
“It is my dream that Chinese medicine will help us conquer life-threatening diseases worldwide and that people across the globe will enjoy its benefits,” Tu once wrote in the science journal Nature Medicine.
Tu is not the only one who has given her life to the country’s development. Nan Rendong, before his death in 2017, led the research and development of China’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, the world’s largest radio telescope. He worked on the project for more than 20 years. The facility he designed helps humans search for extraterrestrial civilizations (外星文明) and marked a Chinese technological milestone. His contributions to Chinese astronomy earned him the title, “the people’s Scientist.”
Also receiving awards are six foreign friends who have lent their hands to assist with China’s prosperity. Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, an honoree of the Friendship Medal, is an advocate of the Belt and Road Initiative. Having worked to strengthen the friendship between French and Chinese people in the past decades, he told Xinhua that he is “sincerely pleased” with the honor. “To work for this friendship is to work for peace,” Raffarin said.
Thanks to the great efforts made by these heroic figures, we can live in a prosperous and peaceful country. Hopefully these role models can also light the way for future nation buildings.
1.What’s the main purpose of the article?
A.To express thanks to national heroes.
B.To tell readers what makes a good role model.
C.To describe the national honorary titles awarded recently.
D.To introduce some of the people who won national awards.
2.What do we know about Tu Youyou?
A.She is the only woman to be awarded the Medal of the Republic.
B.She won a Nobel Prize for her discovery of artemisinin 2017.
C.She has helped millions of people around the world defeat malaria.
D.She has helped traditional Chinese medicine gain popularity worldwide.
3.Nan Rendong was awarded for his contributions in the field of________.
A.Medicine B.agriculture
C.astronomy D.education
4.Why did Jean-Pierre Raffarin receive an award?
A.He introduced Chinese education To France.
B.He has helped improve China-France relations.
C.He has organized many cultural activities in China.
D.He has devoted himself to China’s economic development.
Studying the DNA of 300 mice has flagged up genes which have been linked to hereditary (遗传的) sight loss for the first time. Researchers say because mice’s genes are so similar to humans’, their findings could lead to the treatment of more genetic diseases.
Scientists at the University of California, Davis studied information from a data bank of mice’s genetic material. They found 347 genes linked to eye problems, with just 86 of them having been studied in the past.
Only around 50 to 75 percent of hereditary eye diseases in human can be explained with present science. The researchers believe these hundreds of new genes found in mice could be a key to explaining-and therefore being able to treat the other 25-50 percent.
“This is extremely valuable for people with hereditary eye disease,” said researcher Professor Ala Moshiri. “All researchers are going to start using these data. In the past, we knew the problem was there but we didn’t know where to look. Now eye centers can call back patients and screen them for these new genes. We expected that more and more of these genetic diseases will be treatable.” Also, the fact is that more than 60 percent of eye problems at birth are ones resulting from the baby’s parents!
Thanks to data from the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC), which is trying to work out what every single gene in a mouse is responsible for, with the aim of translating it to humans, scientists are moving closer to figuring out all genetic causes of blindness. To do this, scientists separate a single gene from other ones at a time and then observe what effect it has on the mouse for a long time. This has so far been done more than 7,000 times and has achieved great success. Researchers are now working alongside eye care centers in Texas and Iowa in order to compare the mice’s genes to those of patients.
1.How many hereditary-sight-loss-related genes were newly found?
A.86. B.261.
C.300. D.347.
2.Why is the percentage of genetic eye problems mentioned in paragraph 3?
A.To show the significance of studying mice’s genes.
B.To prove mice’s genes are similar to humans’.
C.To warn the high risk level of suffering them.
D.To explain how common they are among people.
3.What should scientists do first to unlock secrets of genetic blindness?
A.Compare humans’ genes with mice’s.
B.Recognize each gene’s role of humans.
C.Set apart a gene of a mouse each time.
D.Figure out each gene’s function of a mouse.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.New Ways to Cure Sight Loss
B.Genes Found Behind Eye Problems
C.Genetic Diseases Discovered in Mice
D.Humans Genes Causing Eye Diseases
Reading books and looking at pictures is great, but nothing facilitates learning like travel, especially for teenagers. Not only do they get to see a world beyond their neighborhood, they also get to experience it — feel it, taste it, hear it, and better understand the world around them.
After nearly four decades in the classroom and traveling the world, Phyllis Duvall Bailey knew this perhaps better than anyone else. Becoming involved with the work in AKA Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. In US, she worked to educate children about the United Nations. There was no doubt in Bailey’s mind that the lesson would mean so much if the students could see things for themselves.
Starting in 2015, Bailey, 82, set out to take her students to the UN Headquarters in New York City to give them a “Window Seat to the World”, and thus transform them into global citizens. Indeed, it is a great opportunity to give students national and international exposure. Since Bailey saw the students as future leaders, she was desperate to expose them to the UN, its mission, its agendas and its supporting organizations. She decided to give $ 10,000 (70,720 yuan) of her own money to pay for the late June trip, enough to take 10 students ages 14-17 on a four-night stay in New York. There, they had guided tours of the UN Headquarters and the New York City harbor.
It was Quenyaun Payne’s first trip to the city and Taylor Sappington’s second. Payne, 17, is a senior at McEachern High School in the state of Georgia, US. Sappington, 15, is a junior at Therrell High School in Atlanta, Georgia, US. Both said their visit to the UN was inspiring.
“I liked how countries are not only working together, but also they’re focused on common goals like global warming and keeping the peace.” Sappington said.
Payne commented, “The trip was amazing. I’m so thankful Mrs. Bailey made it possible.”
Actually, there are a lot of people grateful for the retired teacher’s effort. The United Nations Association of Atlanta recently gave Bailey its Humanitarian Award, and the United Nations Association of the US awarded her with the National Education Award. But Bailey didn’t looking for recognition or even gratitude. Over those four days in New York, we’d already felt it, seen it in the eyes of those IQ teenagers. Payne and Sappinton felt grateful to him, who made the trip.
Bailey said, “It was a real joy to get to see and watch their reaction to new experiences.”
1.What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.The benefit of traveling.
B.The good reading habit.
C.The new teaching method.
D.The thing teenagers like.
2.How did Bailey help students?
A.She paid for trips that helped students see the world.
B.She offered students volunteer opportunities at the UN.
C.She taught students life-long learning skills.
D.She paid for them to go to school.
3.What can we know from Sappington’s words?
A.He wants to visit New York City again.
B.He found the trip to the UN beneficial.
C.He would like to contribute to global affairs.
D.He is determined to work for the UN in the future.
4.What would Bailey probably agree with?
A.Winning an award motivates her to work hard.
B.Classroom teaching is better for students’ development.
C.Students today are not willing to sock new experiences.
D.Students’ gains are more important than the recognition of her efforts.
In no particular order, here are some songs on the Music app of my phone:
On a Sunday Afternoon by Lighter Shade of Brown—A student of mine introduced this rap song lo me all the way back in the early 1990s, when 1 was teaching Spanish at a local university. The story in the song takes place not too far from where I live in Los Angeles. It’s a good “driving” song, nothing complicated or “deep”.
Say Something by A Great Big World—A more recent song about a couple losing contact with each other. The piano part is very little playing but beautiful.
American Pie by Don McLean—Another song from my youth in the 80s, very popular with almost every American of my generation. It retells some of the key events of the middle 20th century, a song of happy memories of the past and wanting to return to those better times.
The Weight by The Band—Another old song, originally made public in 1968, but one I didn’t hear until I was in high school more than 10 years later. I don’t understand the words to the song completely, but the feeling of the song is very comforting to me.
Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers—This Los Angeles group wrote a song that 1 used to listen to when I first moved to LA more than 25 years ago. I didn’t know anyone here when I first arrived. When I got bored, I used to drive up and down the major streets that cross the city from east to west, listening to this song about the “city of angel” being as “lonely as I am. (Don t worry! I have plenty of friends now.)
1.What does the underlined word “deep” probably mean?
A.with skill B.with comfort
C.with a normal meaning D.with a significant meaning
2.When did the author probably hear the Weight by The Band?
A.In 1968. B.In 1970.
C.in the 1980s. D.in the 1990s.
3.When the author first moved to LA, the first song he heard was .
A.Say Something B.American Pie
C.The Weight D.Under the Bridge
