Lucy Hughes, a 24-year-oId English inventor, has used skin and scales (鳞)from fish to create a new kind of plastic that will break down in about six weeks. Her invention won this year's James Dyson Award.
Ms. Hughes was very aware of how wasteful many products are. Plastic items (物品)，for example, are often made from new plastic, used once for a short time, and then thrown away. She decided to challenge herself to make something out of waste instead.
Fishing is a big business in England, and the University of Sussex where Ms. Hughes studied wasn't far from the coast. She spent some time studying the fishing business, and the things that were thrown away. She was amazed by the amount of waste from fish that gets thrown away.
After some tests, Ms. Hughes decided that the fish skin and scales seemed like the most likely parts for her product. But then she needed something to bind (hold the material together) with. She found that red algae (红藻)was the best binder.
Ms. Hughes called her finished product “MarinaTex”, which is clear and feels like plastic, but stronger than regular plastic of the same thickness. MarinaTex is also cheap to make since it's made from fish waste. Ms. Hughes says that the waste from one Atlantic cod (a fish) could make 1,400 bags. The process of making MarinaTex also doesn't use much energy. Most importantly, MarinaTex doesn't take hundreds of years to break down.
Ms. Hughes thinks that one of the best uses for MarinaTex will be in some kinds of food packaging where plastic is currently being used. Ms. Hughes is looking forward to moving ahead with her idea. She wants to try to make her recipe for making her plastic even better. She hopes the award money will help her with the process of getting MarinaTex into use as quickly as possible.
1.Why did Lucy Hughes invent MarinaTex?
A.To turn waste into treasure.
B.To win James Dyson Award.
C.To gain people's wide attention.
D.To help the local fishing business.
2.What is MarinaTex's greatest advantage over traditional plastic?
A.It is of higher quality.
B.It is more convenient to use.
C.Its production cost is fairly low.
D.It can break down in a short time.
3.What can we know from the last paragraph?
A.MarinaTex has been put to practical use.
B.Lucy Hughes hopes for more fund support.
C.Lucy Hughes intends to improve her invention.
D.MarinaTex will replace regular plastic in food packaging.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.Red Algae: the Best Binder to Hold Materials
B.Young Inventor Creates Plastic from Fish Skin
C.Fish Waste Has Affected the Environment Seriously
D.Lucy Hughes: an English Inventor Won James Dyson Award
Going on vacation can be challenging for people with physical disabilities. Hotels aren't always clear about how accessible (可进入)they are and the adaptive equipment needed to participate in certain activities can be expensive or difficult to obtain.
This is where the online travel marketplace Wheel the World comes in. The website connects physically disabled people with special tour packages, depending on the person's needs.
Today Wheel the World offers over 30 accessible destinations in the U.S. and abroad. They've served almost 900 disabled people, their family, and friends. Travelers can sign up for trips to destinations such as New York, Hawaii, Paris, London, and Kruger National Park in South Africa. Trip packages can include adaptive equipment such as wheelchairs, which can be used on the beach and in the ocean, and kayaks (皮艇)，which can help those disabled to kayak. The team also checks the accessibility of destinations themselves, evaluating things such as door widths, bed heights, bathrooms' accessibility and if lifts are functioning.
Silberstein, the company's founder, says there are some trips that are suitable for blind people, though Wheel the World focuses on people with mobility issues. And in the future, they plan to include trips for people with hearing loss, and people with emotional disabilities. “One of the biggest barriers for travelers with physical disabilities is finding information about accessible trips, which is a gap Wheel the World aims to close,” says Silberstein.
Wheel the World is working to enlarge tours in Europe-currently their website lists London and Paris as the only destinations on the continent, but their eventual goal is much higher. “We want to allow millions of disabled people to travel to thousands of destinations,” Silberstein says.
1.What is the function of the first paragraph?
A.To show the great success Wheel the World has gained.
B.To tell us the difficulties the disabled face in life.
C.To introduce the background of Wheel the World.
D.To remind us of the problems with hotel service.
2.What does Wheel the World focus on?
A.Collecting travel information for tourists.
B.Increasing the online sales of wheelchairs.
C.Extending travel business to the whole world.
D.Providing proper travel services for the disabled.
3.What does the text mainly tell us?
A.Silberstein has made significant contributions to global tourism.
B.Wheel the World helps people with disabilities enjoy their vacations.
C.Advanced equipment is enabling the disabled to travel around the world.
D.Tour packages intended for blind and deaf tourists have won wide recognition.
4.Which of the following can best describe Silberstein?
A.Thoughtful and full-hearted. B.Determined and humorous.
C.Flexible but aimless. D.Creative but hesitant.
Three weeks ago, we were living paycheck to paycheck. We survived on my husband’s low-paid job and my disability. We have kids. Also, I was experiencing a terrible tumor (肿瘤)on my neck, leaving me staying in bed in extreme pain, but the operation was to be $8,000, out of pocket, because Medicare only covers 80%.
To take me to the hospital, my husband took a day off work. At 7 am, his boss called. He was being placed on paid leaving, waiting for an investigation into a mistake he had made at work.
We both panicked. Having slowly worked our way out of poverty (贫穷) for 8 years, we were so close to being OK and it was ail falling away. As my husband was a great worker, we decided to stay positive and hope for the best. However, two days later he received the official phone call-he was fired.
Having no savings to pay bills, we cried hopelessly. We went to the welfare office only to be told that he couldn’t collect unemployment for 8 weeks, meaning he had the possibility of having $0 income for two months. It was terrifying.
With only enough food to last for about a week, we applied for food stamps and Medicaid. Then we worked together- diving into job applications. After sending out resumes (简历)to everywhere in the field, he came across some promising companies. We kept our fingers crossed. Hopefully, we could get out of trouble as early as possible.
Soon I got a phone call-my neck operation was going to be free now that we were poor again. And my husband got an email invitation for a video interview and it went great. He would be paid $3 more an hour than his last job. What a roller coaster ride!
1.What was the family like before the husband got fired?
A.They showed little concern for each other.
B.They lived in an extremely poor area.
C.They could hardly make ends meet.
D.They led a rich and comfortable life.
2.Why did the boss call the husband?
A.To ask him about the truth. B.To tell him about a decision.
C.To persuade him to quit his job. D.To warn him to mind his work attitude.
3.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 most probably mean?
A.We were uncertain about our future. B.We waited hopelessly.
C.We felt more and more nervous. D.We wished ourselves good luck
4.What life lesson has the author learned from her experience?
A.Many hands make light work.
B.Actions speak louder than words.
C.When one door shuts, another opens.
D.One false step makes a great difference.
If you really want to enjoy what Bermuda has to offer, cruising (乘船游览) there is the way to go. Not only is it fun, it is also affordable. It’s advisable to come in summer (Mid May- August).
BOOKING YOUR CRUISE
Most tourists prefer small cruise lines that dock in downtown Hamilton. It’s an ideal destination since it’s right on Front Street, from where you can easily get to Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda, and other parts of the island. Large cruise lines dock at Royal Navy Dockyard, which is inconveniently situated at the far western end of the Island.
TRANSPORTATION
Getting off a small cruise, you can easily go to Hamilton and other places by bus. From Royal Navy Dockyard, you can take a bus, a taxi or a boat. The most saving way of travelling around is by buying a day’s pass. You will enjoy unlimited transportation services using any public means.
ATTRACTIONS
The Bermuda Caves (洞穴)
This is a popular attraction that you have to tour. Anyone who loves to explore caves will definitely enjoy this place. You’d better wear sports shoes as some caves are a bit wet and slippery.
Beaches of Bermuda
Your trip to Bermuda is surely incomplete without spending some time at the amazing pink-sand beaches. Try Tobacco Bay and Horseshoe Bay, which are suitable for family visits. Bermuda is the world’s most famous shipwreck (沉船) site. If you’re a good diver, there are too many shipwrecks waiting to be discovered.
Sea Glass
If you want to pass time doing something for fun, head straight to the Alexander battery beach to collect lots of sea glass.
1.When is the best time to cruise Bermuda?
A.April. B.July. C.October. D.November.
2.What does the author suggest a tourist do?
A.Buy a day’s pass to travel around the island.
B.Book a small ship at Royal Navy Dockyard.
C.Keep away from the crowded beaches.
D.Collect sea glass at Horseshoe Bay.
3.What is most likely to be an adventurer’s dream about Bermuda?
A.Exploring the far eastern end of the island.
B.Taking a bus to visit the capital city.
C.Diving to discover sunken ships.
D.Walking in the Bermuda Caves.
听下面一段较独白，回答以下小题。
1.How can you pay in the TWU Cafeteria?
A.By signing your name.
B.By using your mobile phone.
C.By using your ID cards.
2.Where can you cook?
A.In the Globe. B.In the TWU Cafeteria. C.In the Douglas Hall.
3.What do we know about the Wellness Center?
A.It is open on workdays.
B.It offers service free of charge.
C.It only gives advice on mental health.
4.When can the students take the TWU Express?
A.At 7 a.m. on Sundays. B.At noon on Thursdays. C.At 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why can't the woman stand the man living upstairs?
A.He often knocks on her door.
B.He plays the piano too late into the night.
C.He always borrows things from her.
2.Who is Susan?
A.The woman's sister.
B.The woman's neighbor.
C.Jennifer's former roommate.
3.What does the woman say about Susan?
A.She is a nice girl.
B.She does well in exams.
C.She sleeps well every night.
4.What will the woman probably do next?
A.Call Susan for help.
B.Move into a new apartment.
C.Prepare for her exams.
