LEGO (乐高) recently announced that they will start producing pieces from sustainable (可持续的) sugar cane. The toys, which will be closely similar to classic ones, will also feature “botanical elements” like leaves, bushes, and trees.
The pieces will be included in LEGO’S box sets from this year onwards. The move is part of the Danish company’s campaign to use sustainable materials in its products by 2030.
However, Tim Brooks, the firm’s vice-president, said, “We want to make a positive influence on the world around us, and are working hard to make great play products for children using sustainable materials. This is a great first step in our goal to make all LEGO pieces using sustainable materials.”
The new line of production has reportedly already started with pieces being produced from polyethylene, which is a soft and durable plastic (耐用的塑料). LEGO says that we needn’t worry about the quality of the new products, as they’ve tested the plant-based plastic to ensure that it meets the high standards for quality and safety that consumers (消费者) expect from the company.
“LEGO products have always been about providing high quality play experiences and giving every child the chance to shape their own world through inventive play. Children and parents will not notice any difference in the quality or appearance of the new pieces, because plant-based polyethylene has the same qualities as traditional polyethylene,” said Tim Brooks.
“It is important that companies in each industry find ways to help ensure a future where people, nature, and the economy grow healthily,” said Alix Grabowski, an officer at WWF. “The LEGO Group’s decision to use sustainable plastics represents a great opportunity to reduce dependence on finite (有限的) resources, and their work with the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance will allow them to connect with other companies to continue to think creatively about sustainability.”
1.What do we know about LEGO company?
A. They have designed many new products.
B. They are worried about the quality of the new products.
C. They go green with sugar cane-based plastic.
D. They failed to make great play products for children.
2.What can we infer from Tim Brooks’ words?
A. Plant-based materials are of high qualities as traditional materials.
B. Consumers expect high standards for quality and safety from LEGO.
C. LEGO wants to make more products.
D. LEGO needn’t test the new products.
3.What does Alix Grabowski think of LEGO Group’s decision?
A. It is of no significance to our future.
B. It makes other companies more competitive.
C. It sets a good example for other companies.
D. It is mainly dependent on finite resources.
4.How can we comment on Lego’s new products?
A. Environmentally friendly and safe. B. Creative and safe.
C. Fashionable and popular. D. Sustainable and popular.
In the fall of 1988, I visited many Buddhist temples, but after a while they all began to fade from my memories. However, there was one temple that left a great impression in my heart.
It is called the Temple of the Golden Buddha. After walking around it and taking some photos, I walked over to a glass case, next to which was a typewritten page describing the history of this magnificent piece of art.
Back in 1957 a group of monks from a monastery(修道院) had to relocate a clay Buddha from their temple to a new location. The monastery was to be relocated to make room for the development of a highway. When the crane(吊车)began to lift it, the weight of was so large that it began to crack. What’s more, rain began to fall, The head monk decided to lower the statue back to the ground and cover it with a large oilcloth to protect it from the rain.
Later that evening the head monk went to check on the Buddha. He shined his flash- light under the oilcloth to see if the Buddha was staying dry. As the light reached the crack, he noticed a little beam shining back and thought it strange. As he took a closer look at this beam of light, he wondered if there might be something underneath the clay. He went to fetch a chisel and hammer from the monastery and began to chip away at the clay. As he knocked off pieces of clay, the little beam grew brighter and bigger. Many hours of labor went by before the monk stood face to face with the extraordinary solid-gold Buddha.
Historians believe that several hundred years before the head monk’s discovery, the army was about to invade the country. The monks, realizing that their country would soon be attacked, covered their precious golden Buddha with an outer covering of clay in order to keep their treasure from being robbed by the enemy.
Unfortunately, it appears that the enemy killed all the monks, and the well-kept secret of the golden Buddha remained uncovered until the day in 1957.
As I flew home I began to think to myself, “We are all like the clay Buddha covered with a shell of hardness created out of fear, and yet underneath each of us is a ‘golden Buddha’, agolden Christ, or a ‘golden spirit,’ which is our real self. Somewhere along the way, between the ages of two and nine, we begin to cover up our’ golden spirit,’ our natural self. Much like the monk with the hammer and the chisel, our task now is to discover our true spirit once again.”
1.What made the monks cover the Buddha with a large oilcloth?
A.Hiding it from being stolen.
B.Protecting it from the rain.
C.Protecting it from being damaged.
D.Avoiding being seen.
2.Why was the author greatly impressed by the golden Buddha?
A.Because he likes it very much.
B.Because it differs from others.
C.Because of its history.
D.Because of the protection of the monk.
3.What might be the best title of the passage?
A.Visiting Buddhist Temples
B.The Golden Buddha
C.Protecting Their Country
D.Relocating the Buddha
4.What advice is given to us according to the passage?
A.Covering up ourselves.
B.Finding the truth.
C.Discovering our true spirit.
D.Building up our belief.
Summer Camps in Season!
STEM Camp
90% of the jobs in the future will require STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) education. We find ways to make learning fun and exciting for students to help ensure their futures. Campers take part in interesting STEM activities!
Time: July 10 to August 14
Cost: $ 180
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Kandalore
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Time: June 15 to 28
Cost: $ 2,340
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ESL Summer Camp
Pickering College has an exciting ESL summer camp for students aged 12-18 who want to learn English and experience the wonders of summer at our 42-acre campus; students enjoy the excellent dormitory, dining, academic, and social facilities of one of Canada’s oldest independent schools.
Time: June 25 to July 21
Cost: $ 5,500
Register: www.pickeringcollege.ca or Call: 905-175-8900.
DEEP Summer Academy
We provide high school students from across the world with the opportunity for advanced study in a variety of engineering, technology, business and science subjects. Organized by University of Toronto, DEEP is one of the most diverse pre-university engineering programs all over the world with scholarships (奖学金).
Time: August 16 to 26
Cost: $ 465
Register: www. outreachengineering.ca or Call: 416-946-0816.
1.Which number should you call if you want to improve your English?
A. 416-322-9735. B. 416-946-0816.
C. 905-175-8900. D. 519-475-6600.
2.When will the shortest camp start?
A. On August 16. B. On June 15.
C. On June 25. D. On July 10.
3.How similar are STEM Camp and DEEP Summer Academy?
A. They both offer scholarships for students.
B. They provide the exact same courses for students.
C. They both prepare students for their development.
D. They are both designed for international students.
假定你是身在英国的交换生李华,学习之余你想在周末到当地一家咖啡馆兼职。请根据下面招聘广告写一封应聘信。
Work for COFFEE BEANS
Every cafe at COFFEE BEANS has the same aims: to create family-like teams and to give excellent customer service. Join us as a Team Member, Assistant Manager or Cafe Manager, depending on your skills and experience.
—choose the hours you work
—get management experience
—share your love of coffee
Email us at jobs@coffeebeans. co. uk
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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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（A）,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：在错的词下画一横线，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只限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I was exciting and nervous to start a new adventure abroad. Therefore, the excitement started to fade after small number of weeks. Homesickness started to be set in, But I started to change after meeting some new friends and have a good time with them. We shared our view on many things, ate together and visited new places as a group. I suppose we should never forgot how important it is to have good people in their life. They can make such a different. To travel and visit other places is one of the best things you can do in life. My advice from my experience are to travel and try new things whenever you get the opportunity.
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入１个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Hannah, 14, had a science fair project last year 1.detailed mathematical analyses of musical tones were performed. The project qualified her to become a finalist in 2. ninth annual Broadcom MASTERS competition. Hannah's project was 3. (impress). After all, it allowed the girl 4. (make) it through a screening process that knocked out at least 2,200 other applicants.
Hannah 5. (play) the violin since she was eight. For her project, she asked a simple question: Does a high-cost violin produce 6. (good) music than an inexpensive one? To answer that, she turned to math, which she used to compare the tones 7. (produce) by different instruments.
The teen recorded the same notes on her smart phone as she played on different violins. Computer software then switched those recorded 8. ( sound) into graphs. This is the same sort of software that scientists use to analyze the songs of birds and whales. Hannah used these graphs to assess each violin's overall sound quality.
9.average, each of the eight most expensive violins that Hannah tested cost more than $8,000. The cheapest 16 averaged just a bit more than $ 1,250 each. Maybe it's no surprise, but the costliest instruments tended to produce better tones, Hannah found. Yet some low cost instruments sounded 10.(near) as good as the pricey violins.
