Love to laugh out loud? Then you may be the perfect candidate for laugh, a global project to create the first piece of art in outer space using the International Space Station's (ISS) newly acquired 3D printer. While transforming an emotion into art may seem a little far-fetched, Eyal Gever is known for his gift for combining art and technology to make 3D sculptures from life-like digital simulations based on moments in time.
He was offered the project by Made In Space Inc. that specializes in manufacturing 3D printers for use in microgravity. Realizing the enormous responsibility of being the first artist whose work is created in space, Gever wanted to choose a subject with universal appeal - something that would be appreciated by everyone regardless of country or culture. After considering several ideas, he settled on creating a 3D human laughter, an emotion that is loved and treasured by all of humanity.
People wishing to send their giggles to space have to download the laugh app and record their best laughter. The app turns the sound file into a 3D model that resembles a burst of light or a "laugh star" which can be shared on social media and also rated by other app users. The laughter that receives the maximum number of likes and tweets by December 31, will be declared the winner.
The artist will then transmit the design file of the winning laugh to NASA's Operations Support Center in Alabama, where it will be uploaded via a satellite link to the ISS. The astronauts will print the 3D sculpture of the "laugh star" and release it into orbit (轨道) where it will float among real stars for ever, or at least until discovered by aliens!
Though this is the first time Gever is creating art for space, he is no stranger to unusual projects. His "Water Dancer" , a projection of light on a water wall, features a dancer whose body disperses(伸展) as she moves. The recently sculpted "Piece of Ocean" , created from a realistic computer simulation(模试验) of ocean waves, bears an impressive resemblance to the real thing.
1.What task was Gever given?
A.To change human emotion into laughter.
B.To select human laughter in the world.
C.To create the first piece of space art.
D.To make 3D sculptures from digital simulations.
2.Why did Gever choose human laughter?
A.It is hard to change sound into a 3D model.
B.It is easily transported in the air.
C.It will cost him little money.
D.It is enjoyed around the world.
3.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.Gever is good at making unusual arts.
B.Gever likes to bring others a lot of joy.
C.Gever uses water a lot in his art.
D.Gever copied masterpieces with a computer.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The first piece of art in outer space.
B.3D printed giggles will be launched into space.
C.A 3D human laughter will be sent to ISS.
D.The 3D sculpture of the "laugh star" orbits the earth.
It is 6:00 am on the first day of the school year. In Cherrybrook Technology High School, mathematics teacher Eddie Woo is already at work.
One of the first things before the first bell rings is to set up his tripod(三脚架) and iPad in the middle of the classroom. This technology is Mr. Woo's core tool of the trade. "I'm Mr. Woo. I record my lessons. I record all of them. In fact, I'm about to record this one," he explains to his new maths class.
The unique approach to teaching mathematics has not gone unnoticed. Mr. Woo is arguably the most famous teacher in Australia - a maths teacher by day and an internet sensation(轰动) by night.
He started posting videos online in 2012 for a student who was sick with cancer and missing a lot of school. Other students in the class then wanted to watch Mr. Woo's videos on his free YouTube channel and website, so he started sharing them across the country and beyond. Wootube now boasts more than 38,000 subscribersc用户 ) and has attracted almost 4 million views worldwide.
Cherrybrook Technology High School principal Gary Johnson said Mr. Woo was helping address a standing shortage of maths teachers in Australia, and making maths popular again. “ He has an ability to simplify mathematics to a level where kids can really understand it," Mr. Johnson said.
12-year-old student Emily Shakespear said Mr. Woo's teaching style made maths irresistible. "I don't want to say it, but he sucked me into maths," she said. Owen Potter, who attends high school in Cobar, agreed. "It's difficult to understand how someone in Sydney can influence thousands of people across the whole country," he said.
Mr. Woo won the 2017 University of Sydney Young Alumni Award for Outstanding Achievement, and he was one of 12 Australian teachers honored at the Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards.
1.Eddie Woo set up an iPad in the middle of the classroom with the purpose of
A.listening to music B.playing a video
C.recording his class D.showing pictures
2.What can we infer from the statistics in the fourth paragraph?
A.Mr. Woo's teaching videos online are very popular.
B.Mr. Woo had made a lot of money by selling videos.
C.Mr. Woo posted videos online helping many adults.
D.Mr. Woo created his Wootube in 2012 in Sydney.
3.According to Gary Johnson, Mr. Woo's maths lessons are
A.difficult to follow B.easy to understand
C.simple to handle D.challenging to learn
4.What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A.Mr. Woo is the most well-known maths teacher in Australia.
B.Mr. Woo graduated from the University of Sydney with honors.
C.Mr. Woo won the Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards.
D.Mr. Woo's contributions to teaching have been recognized.
The Amazon Clipper
Join the Amazon Clipper for an exciting journey through the world's most plentiful river and largest typical jungle. The river is surely an excellent way to get to know the complex secrets of the Amazon rainforest.
Day 01 Wednesday: Departure
The boat departs from the Tropical Experience Hotel at 11:30 am. Once on board, you'll be introduced to the staff and to your room.The hotel will be ready to serve some delicious food for lunch. You'll then navigate towards the Pagodao River.
Day 02 Thursday: Amazon
In the morning you'll have a hike in the forest with a specialist guide. You'll have the chance to know the local vegetation(植物) ,as well as spend some time with a native family. You'll see how they prepare manioc (树薯) flour, very typical of the Amazon dietary culture. You'll then sail through Anavilhanas, the largest fresh water archipelago (群岛)in the world.
Day 03 Friday: Amazon
Today you'll sail to Praia Grande or another white sand beach. Hopefully there will be some time to swim！ Then, you'll take a canoe trip on Lake Acajatuba, to observe the typical vegetation. Then, you'll stop at Paricatuba to see some abandoned buildings from the rubber growing age.
1.When will you learn about the local food culture?
A.On Wednesday. B.On Thursday. C.On Friday. D.On Saturday.
2.What is Anavilhanas famous for?
A.Fresh water. B.Typical plants.
C.White sand beach. D.Traditional culture.
3.What can you do at Lake Acajatuba?
A.Have a bird watching. B.See some rare animals.
C.Learn about specific plants. D.Get a chance to swim.
I needed to pay my internet and television providers bills and normally, I use my cellphone to pay them or I'd also get on my bicycle and ride up to their office to pay them. But on this day, I'd walk there to have lunch with my mom.
On my return route,¨ Miles, it's Trevor, "a rider called. He was a teammate I had played floor hockey with a few years back. He told me he was just out testing motorcycle, as later that day he was going to take a trip down to Salt Lake City by“. Trevor was going to a conference about a rare disease. This rare disease had taken his own six-year-old daughter and he needed to learn more, to advocate, and to help others here in Canada.
We hugged and then went on our separate ways. As l was shaking up my drink of health, I ran into Grant - another one of my floor hockey team mates. He was out for his daily six-mile run on his lunch break.
“Man, you are Miles !”he replied. He hadn't seen me in a few months and my shoulders, arms, and chest were larger and far more detailed, thanks to the help of my personal trainer. And now they matched my biking legs. I was also eight pounds lighter at 170 pounds.
After a visit there I returned home. And I was lost in thought. It is easy to pay a bill online but I would have missed so much, including my beautiful moment with Trevor. Take the step. Go the extra mile in your life. You'll never know what is waiting for you along the way, or what you will discover of yourself, of others.
1.On that day the writer paid the bills ______
A.by bicycle B.on a bus
C.by cellphone D.on foot
2.Why was Trevor testing his motor?
A.He was ready to raise money for his sick daughter.
B.He practised riding a motorcycle to cure his disease.
C.He was to attend a meeting in Slat Lake City.
D.He intended to travel around America.
3.What surprised Grant at the sight of the writer?
A.The writer's well-shaped body.
B.The writer's slow walking pace.
C.The writer's personal training.
D.The writer's loss of weight.
4.By telling his walking experience, the writer expects people to
A.make life easier by using technology
B.go out to experience their life
C.meet teammates more often in life
D.return home to visit their parents
调查显示，中国长江江豚（finless porpoise）受人类活动影响而濒临灭绝，目前总数不足1000只。假设你是李华，请用英文给WWF(世界自然保护基金组织）写一封信，请他们关注这一状况并提供帮助。内容应包括：
1.说明写信目的；
2.简述江豚现状；
3.希望WWF如何帮助（比如：资助江豚保护项目等）;
4.表示感谢并期待回复。
注意：1.词数不少于80;
2.书信格式及开头均已给出（不计入总词数）。
Dear Sir or Madam,
I'm a student from China.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请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：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）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。
Good morning, everyone,
I’m Li Hua from Xing Guan Middle school. The topic of my speech is “Let’s ride bicycles.”
As known to all, with the improvement of people’s living standards, cars have become a popular means of transport, bring great convenience to our life. But, they have also caused some problem such as air pollution or traffic jams.
How can we solve the problems then? As far as I am concern, ride bicycles is a good solution. For first thing, bicycles don’t need any petrol and they are energy –saving. For another , bicycles are environmental friendly because they won’t give off waste gas .What’s more , it is a good way for us to exercise and it is beneficial to our healthy .
Therefore, let’s take on the responsibility to build up a low-carbon city by riding bicycles. Come on and join us!
Thank you!
