NANCHANG - In the Chinese Lunar Year of the Pig, pigs have attracted a large amount of attention as there has been a huge rise in the price of pork, China’s major meat, resulting in high living costs. China’s pig herd(群) has shrunk considerably due to multiple factors including an outbreak of African swine fever(非洲猪瘟) and the bad effect of the last market cycle when low pork prices drove many out of business.
Xiong Lijiao, a resident in Nanchang, a major pig-breeding region, said her family eats less pork now. “Prices of pork have doubled, making it much more expensive.” said Xiong. The weekly average price of a carcass-weight hog(胭体瘦肉型生猪) in 16 provincial-level regions was 37. 57 yuan($5. 3) per kg in mid-September, up 94. 1 percent year-on-year, according to the information center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. It is not only pork prices that are being affected, demand for soybeans, used as food for hogs, as well as other kinds of meat prices are also being affected.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said favorable government policies and market conditions have boosted some farmers’ confidence in restoring production. China has rolled out 17 measures to support hog production since the end of August, and most of them have been carried out. To meet the market gap, China is increasing imports and releasing frozen pork from its central reserves. But eyeing a long-term solution, China is encouraging large-scale pig farming. The industry concentration will further increase with many small and medium-sized breeding companies leaving the business. Despite the current challenges, China’s pig breeding industry is heading toward a more intensive, environmental-friendly and risk-resistant growth model.
1.Which is NOT a cause of the rise of the price of pork?
A.The spread of African swine fever.
B.A supply shortage of pork.
C.The high living cost in recent years.
D.Marketable hogs on the decline.
2.What kind of phenomenon is described in paragraph 2?
A.Butterfly effect—small change leads to great variation.
B.Buckets effect—the weakest influences the whole.
C.Pygmalion effect—expectation influences performance.
D.Anchoring effect—first information affects later decisions.
3.Which of the following measures can get to the root of the problem?
A.Releasing frozen pork from the stock.
B.Importing pork from overseas markets.
C.Establishing industrial-scale pig farms.
D.Encouraging small breeding companies.
4.In which section of the newspaper can you read this article?
A.Editorial & Opinion. B.Health & Wellbeing.
C.Home & International News. D.Celebrities & Social.
I’d been trying for weeks to come up with an idea for my next book. And then suddenly the idea came: Why not write about a celebrity reporter signing up as a hospital volunteer so she could gain access to a movie star who was a patient of the hospital? The heroine would be motivated totally by her career until she learned that in helping others, we help ourselves.
Sounded like a romantic comedy with uplifting message, but first, there was the matter of research. I’d have to observe hospital volunteers. I headed over to my nearby hospital and asked the director of volunteers if I might hang around for a day or two just to research my story. Her answer, “No. If you really want to see what it’s like to be a volunteer, you should become one.”
Become a volunteer? I was not wild about being in close to people with germs (细菌). I would just skip the research, I thought, then reminded myself that I did need to spend quality time at the hospital if I wanted to write credibly about my heroine’s journey. So I signed up, was given my uniform and ID badge (徽章), and reported for duty. My “job” was to wheel a magazine cart throughout the large facility and, in the process, be a shoulder to lean on.
At the beginning, my focus was on my novel. And then a funny thing happened: I stopped researching and started realizing that I might actually be making a difference in people’s lives. A woman who’d just been diagnosed with lung cancer thanked me for brushing her hair and applying her lipstick. A man who was wasting away from AIDS called me his “angel”, simply because I took twenty minutes to note down the letter he dictated to his mother.
Now long after finishing my book, I continued to volunteer. Friends would ask, “Isn’t it depressing at that place?” “On the contrary,” I’d say and mean it.
1.Why did the author want to observe hospital volunteers?
A.She intended to write stories about them.
B.She was preparing for her volunteering jobs.
C.She hoped to gain access to a movie star.
D.She wanted to make her heroine’s story realistic.
2.What can we infer from paragraphs 3&4?
A.The author was determined to become a volunteer in the beginning.
B.The author was meant to shoulder the responsibility of the patients.
C.The patients the author met and the appreciation she received changed her.
D.The patients relied on the author to help them survive in the hospital.
3.In what way is the author similar to the heroine of her book?
A.Motivated by their career, they succeed.
B.By lifting other’s spirits, they lift their own.
C.Being volunteers, they spread uplifting messages.
D.By providing support to others, they are appreciated.
4.What can be a suitable title of the passage?
A.My Turn: Life as a Hospital Volunteer.
B.My Discovery: I Can Make a Difference.
C.My Investigation: Celebrities in Hospital.
D.My Identity: a Volunteer in a Hospital.
There are so many breathtaking famous castles in the world and it’s very hard to make a list. Here are some director’s picks. You’re welcome to add a comment with your favorite castles.
Castle Howard, Yorkshire
C. Howard, Yorkshire is one of the grandest and most famous castles as well as the private residence in Britain. This beautiful palace of Europe has been home to the Howard family for over 300 years. It is 15 miles north of York. Today, it is part of the Treasure Houses group of heritage houses.
Location: Castle Howard, York Y060 7DA, UK
Timing: The Garden is open daily from loam－4pm
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
This castle is one of the most famous castles in the world. This Castle was built by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a personal refuge. After he died in 1886, Neuschwanstein opens to the paying public and has over 60 million visitors in a year. Neuschwanstein is a 120-year-old luxury Castle, which has a remarkable view of two lakes, two castles, towns, and localities.
Tickets can be reserved online or you can buy at the Ticket center in the village of Hohenschwangau below the castle.
Location: Neuschwansteinstra Be 20, 87645 Schwangau, Germany
Timing: Sunday to Saturday 8am-5pm
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
This castle is a historic fortress (城堡) which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh. In this castle, different parts of the castle were constructed in different centuries, from the 12th to the 20th century. It is the most famous landmark and one of the most famous castles in the world. The castle is still in use today for ceremonial and military purposes and also rented for wedding receptions.
Location: Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NG, UK
Timing: Sunday to Saturday 9:30am-5pm
1.Which of the following demand(s) admission fees?
A.Castle Howard, Yorkshire. B.Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany.
C.Edinburgh Castle, Scotland. D.All of them.
2.What do we know about Castle Howard?
A.It boasts lake view. B.It is the landmark of the UK.
C.It once served as a private house. D.It has the longest opening hours.
3.Which is NOT available in Edinburgh Castle?
A.Having a good view of Edinburgh.
B.Holding a wedding ceremony there.
C.Appreciating ancient art and architecture.
D.Honoring the nation’s military tradition.
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。 续写的词数应为150左右。
When Jayce Crowder was in kindergarten, he began noticing that he looked different from his classmates. They had two hands. But he had only one.
It started when one boy teased him. Jayce was in a bad mood. He'd return home in Des Moines, Iowa, with questions: Why am I different? Why me? Why? “He actually told us that he was mad at looking so different from others，" said his mother, Cortney Lewis. “That really hurt him."
Lewis admitted she didn't know what to do at that point. How could she provide answers to her son's questions when she had never found those answers herself?
A few weeks later, Lewis came home from her job and turned on the TV to a news story about Trashaun Willis, an eighth grader from Washington, Iowa. The boy, then 14, had become an Internet star after posting videos of his slam clunks（扣篮）,and, like Jayce, he was missing most of his left arm. Lewis called Jayce in. He was shocked, staring at one dunk after another.
At the time, it seemed that watching Trashaun would simply be an inspiring moment for Jayce---he'd see a shining role model with a seemingly similar born disability. And had it stayed just that, Lewis would have been happy. But little did she know that a family friend had already reached out to the Des Moines Register, asking the newspaper to help set up a meeting with Trashaun to build Jayce‘s confidence.
“It reassured me，" said Lewis. “I know in my heart that everything's going to be OK. Trashaun has grown up to be a wonderful kid. And I know Jayce is too."
Trashaun did get serious with Jayce. Finally, the boys met at Washington Middle School on a Saturday afternoon a couple of months later, in April 2017, and they instantly bonded.
假定你是李华，你的英国朋友Frnank及想学习太极。最近恰巧你校在网上直播太极课程。请给他写一封电子邮件，内容包括：
1.发出邀请；
2.介绍课程（上课方式、时间及授课人等）；
3.期待相见。
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Battling coronavirus is an experience that will forever stay in my mind. I had what's considered a mild case, but even in its weakest form, this virus is 1. (violence) and cruel.
My husband, Louis, and I have been trying to figure out where we first came into contact2. the virus, and we think it was the Friday night when we went out 3. (celebrate) his sister's birthday in early March. We went to a Mexican restaurant, 4. we shared lots of laughs and food. We didn't think anything of it at the time. 5. (look) back now, we think that must have been the start of it all. Sharing food and drinks 6.(be) one of the everyday habits that should change forever after coronavirus.
Louis began showing symptoms on Monday, but we assumed it was 7. typical cold. It didn't seem a cause for concern. Then it took 8.(I) down. The doctor was certain I would test positive for coronavirus, but gave me the option to test 9. I wanted to know for sure. I opted to be tested.
Now that I 10. (recover) , I'm sharing my story because I want people to take this situation seriously. We have to fight this battle together and we have to win.
