A widow with a fish to fry
A YOUNG WOMAN WALKS INTO THE BATHROOM of her Beijing apartment. She plans to ask her husband about their coming vacation, but notices he's facedown in their bathtub. Jokingly, she asks him if he's trying to wash his hair. No answer. He's dead.
These first pages of An Yu's novel, Braised Pork, sound like a domestic thriller. The dead husband . A fancy apartment. And a wife who shows that even if she's shocked by the unexpected death, she wasn't happy with her marriage to begin with. Yu writes, “He had betrayed（背叛）and deserted her."
But then, as she waits for the ambulance, Jia Jia discovers a picture of a strange fish-man left near her bathtub. She remembers her husband describing the creature on a trip to Tibet—it had shown up in a dream. Jia Jia doesn't know it yet, but the drawing will take her miles from home, changing what she knows to be true about herself. It's this experience that changes Braised Pork into an original narrative（叙事）one that doesn't fit into any genre（体裁）.
As JiaJia picks up the pieces of her life, she wonders how much of herself she suppressed （压 抑）to please her husband. She was once an artist, but her husband discouraged her from running after her dream. Now she can explore those desires alone, though .
ANOTHER AUTHOR might have chosen to follow a young widow on a journey of finding love after loss. But 28-year-old Yu smartly decides not to. Instead, she uses Jia Jia as a way to explore the anxiety of contemporary womanhood. Jia Jia does want to find love again, which is only a small part of the story. Yu leaves room for her to begin a more material search: uncovering the meaning behind the picture beside her husband's dead body.
There are some images that make us so uncomfortable. It's impossible to look away from them. For JiaJia, it's the fish-man at first, and then more memories of the past, which interrupt her present. In Braised Pork, Yu raises questions about why we keep an eye on those moments-and how they might relate to the company we wish for.
1.What's the genre of the novel Braised Pork?
A.Mystery. B.Narrative.
C.Domestic thriller. D.None of the above.
2.What kind of person would you say Jia Jia is before her husband's death?
A.lonely and suppressed. B.innocent but unlucky.
C.humorous and independent. D.talented and passionate.
3.From the last two paragraphs, we know ________.
A.Jia Jia and Yu both wish for company
B.Jia Jia would rather live in the past than in the future
C.Yu uses Jia Jia to explore the anxiety of contemporary womanhood
D.The novel is mainly about a young widow finding her true love after loss
4.Which of the following is NOT right according to the text?
A.Yu uses uncomfortable images to catch reader's attention.
B.The picture of a strange fish-man will take Jia Jia away from home .
C.Jia Jia can take up art again after her husband's unexpected death.
D.Jia Jia isn't satisfied with her marriage due to her husband's betrayal.
How Plants Branch Out to Access Water
New research has discovered how plant roots sense the availability of water in soil and then adapt (适应)their shape to acquire water. The discovery could enable crops to be raised which are more adaptive to changes in climate conditions, such as the absence of water, and help ensure food safety in the future.
These findings, published in the journal Science, describe a new mechanism(机制) discovered by cooperating teams at the universities of Nottingham and Durham.
Roots are very important for plants to acquire water and nutrients(营养)from the soil. Water is necessary to plant growth , yet changing climatic conditions makes acquiring water from soil even more challenging. Plants are able to adapt to different soil moisture(湿润)conditions by changing their roots.
The researchers discovered that plant roots lacking a branching master gene were no longer able to branch out. They found that when roots have access to moisture, the certain gene remains active and promotes root branching, but when put in air, the gene is in activated, preventing root branching. The research has identified the certain protein which can inactivate root branching.
Professor Sadanandom explained: "This is hugely exciting as it opens up the possibility for us to help develop plants that could continue to branch roots even in challenging conditions such as the absence of water.''
Professor Bennett concluded: "Water is the key to plant growth, development and their survival. By studying how plant roots change their branching in response(回应)to water availability, we have uncovered a new mechanism. This opens the way to develop new crops better adapted to climate change and to help deliver global food safety."
It is absolutely imperative to ensure food safety worldwide. Crop production must double by 2050 to keep pace with global population growth. This target is even more challenging considering the effect of climate change on water availability. In this case, developing crops with better ability to acquire water would provide a solution.
1.The findings of the research may have a positive effect on several global issues EXCEPT
A.ensuring food safety B.preserving the agriculture
C.solving the absence of water D.increasing crop production
2.With the help of the findings, plants may be able to ________.
A.take in more nutrients B.change inactivated roots
C.grow in challenging conditions D.branch out without a special gene.
3.Which of the following best explains “imperative" in the last paragraph?
A.effective. B.hopeful.
C.impractical. D.urgent.
4.What is the new mechanism mentioned by Professor Bennett?
A.How a branching master gene responds to a particular nutrient.
B.How plant roots change their shape according to the soil moisture.
C.Why plants have different abilities to adapt to soil moisture conditions.
D.How the certain protein in activates root branching when accessible to water.
The origin of coffee? I never really thought about it. When I was a kid, coffee was always around. My parents drank coffee, my grandparents drank coffee, and all the adults I knew drank coffee. I thought I would drink it too when I was older, and of course. I did.
But there must have been a time before coffee. I don't remember coffee making an appearance in any of the Bible(圣经)stories I learned. Jesus changed water into wine, not coffee. Maybe if coffee had been around, he would have changed some of the water into coffee. Maybe that's what “B. C." in those timelines meant: "before coffee."
According to popular legend, the origin of coffee can be traced to a thousand years ago, when an Abyssinian(Ethiopian)goatherd(牧羊人)named Kaidi observed his goats dancing and jumping. When Kaidi investigated, he saw that the goats were happily eating the red berries（浆果)of an unfamiliar tree. Kaidi decided to try some, and when he did he joined the dancing goats and became “the happiest herder in happy Arabia''.
Some time later, a passing monk(和尚)observed Kaidi and the goats. When Kaidi told him about the berries, the monk thought they might be the answer to his prayers(祈祷). It seems that the monk was always falling asleep in the middle of prayers. When he ate the berries, he stayed awake. The unnamed monk came up with the idea of drying and boiling the berries. It came into the world. His fellow monks loved the new drink because it encouraged them to pray and it tasted good too.
So now that I know about Kaidi and his goats, if someday-in the far, far future, of course someone calls me an "old goat", I'll just smile, take another sip of coffee, and maybe do a little dance.
1.Why didn't Jesus change water into coffee?
A.Because Jesus didn't like coffee.
B.Because coffee didn't appear at that time.
C.Because it was not the right time to have coffee.
D.Because Jesus was better at changing water into wine.
2.What is the tone of the author when writing the text?
A.Serious. B.Objective.
C.Scientific. D.Humorous.
3.The underlined word “it" in paragraph 4 refers to ________.
A.a kind of new drink
B.a kind of food made by monks
C.a kind of soup needed to be boiled
D.a kind of drug encouraging people to keep awake
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.The Origin of Coffee.
B.The Development of Coffee.
C.The Popularity of Coffee in the World.
D.The Coffee-drinking Tradition in My Family.
Marvel at These Freaks of Nature
The world is filled with unique, breathtaking sites-from boiling craters to caves full of lightning bugs. While a global disease or natural disasters shock our soul, we might not appreciate nature. In fact, enjoying the wonder of nature can provide some breaks from too much time indoors. These sites are great for you when looking for hope in some of Mother Nature's greatest offerings.
01 Fly Geyser （Washoe County, Nevada）
This geyser in northern Nevada, found surrounded by fields of grass was created by accident when a geothermal power company drilled a test well（井)）where the geyser now sits in 1964. The combination of calcium carbonate deposits （碳酸钙沉淀物）and extremely hot water resulted in three nearly 6-foot-high, brightly colored red an« green hills that shoot hot water into the air.
02 The Marble Caves （Aysen, Chile）
These caves --accessible only by boat - sit in the heart of Patagonia and wen formed over 6.000 years as water continued to splash against the solid rock formations to create these unique blue marble formations.
03 Lake Sorvagsvatn （Vagar, The Faroe Islands）
This freshwater lake is famous for its appearance of " floating above the ocean. Though it's actually not even 100 feet above sea level, from various camera angles, the lake looks like it is hundreds of feet above the ocean because of its juxtaposition（并列） with a dramatic waterfall and the cliff to its side.
04 Krka National Park （Sibenik-knin, Croatia）
This national park in southern Croatia is famous for having not one, but seven, gorgeous waterfalls streaming with greenish-blue waters, including the attractive Skradinskibuk waterfall. The clear water in its basin is often filled with visitors taking a dip.
1.According to the text, the following are all false except that ________.
A.these sites all have something to do with waterfalls
B.you may see lightning bugs in the Marble Caves by boat
C.Lake Sorvagsvatn are floating hundreds of feet above the ocean
D.the Flyer Geyser has 6 colorful hills shooting hot water into air
2.If visitors want to have a swim, they should go to ________.
A.the Flyer Geyser B.Lake Sorvagsvatn
C.Krka National Park D.the Marble Caves
3.What is the main purpose of the text?
A.To give basic facts about these freaks of nature.
B.To explain the reasons why these sites are great.
C.To call on people to appreciate these freaks of nature
D.To offer advice on how to visit these wonders of nature.
假定你是李华，为迎接5月31日“世界无烟日”（World No Tobacco Day），你校学生会将办英语演讲比赛。请你根据以下要求写一则英文通知，内容包括：
1. 比赛的时间和地点；
2. 演讲内容（吸烟的害处，摆脱烟瘾的建议……）
3. 演讲时长报名方式及截止日期。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Notice
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，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：在缺同处加一个漏字符号（^），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的同用斜线（/）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。
I had a wonderful summer holiday. Before the holiday, I have spent a lot of effort and time prepare for the College Entrance Examination. However, a good rest needed after the hard study of three years. I did many kinds of relaxed activities, such as going to the park, riding a likes, playing sports, etc. Besides, I took a boat trip along the Three Gorges Dam, that had been dreaming about for in a long time. And I read variety books about college life in our local library to get much knowledge. I also took part in some social activities active and found a part-time job so that I could learn more about society. What meaningful the holiday was!
