阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Sandstorms are strong, dry winds that carry sand. They are often 1. thick that you cannot see the sun and the wind sometimes has such 2.(strong) to move sand dunes. A typical example of sandstorms is the Dust Bowl of the 1930s in the United States. It was the 3.(bad) sandstorm disaster in the history of the United States. For nearly ten years dust blew on the southern plains of America, 4.caused serious results. People couldn’t breathe when they went outside and 5.(child) wore dust masks to school. The sky 6.(be) often dark for days. Over five million acres of land became desert during the Dust Bowl, 7.(force) 200,000 people to leave their homes.
The disaster 8.(cause) by bad farming methods and several years 9. very little rainfall made things worse. The land dried up and the wind blew the soil away. 10.took over thirty years to reverse the process and replant the land.
Regardless of the weather or the distance, Paul Wilson will make sure low-income students in his neighbourhood arrive at their college classes on time.
A retired engineer, 76-year-old Wilson has been _______ free rides to college students for the past eight years. Since he first started _______ his car to the young people. Wilson has _______ an astonishing 64, 000 miles, and has had countless pleasant and often humorous _______ with the students he transports to and from school. The students who he’s _______ have gone on to become physicians, teachers and engineers, but what they’ve also got out of their time in school is finding a role model and a friend in Wilson. Some students _______ call him “Grandpa”.
Tina Stern _______ rides from Wilson for all her four years in college, and the trips meant much more to her than just free _______. “It’s not just a ride; you’re not just sitting there in _______ silence or with your headphones on.” Stern said. “He asks you questions and actually ________ the answers, so the next time you ride with him, he’ll ________ those things.”
Wilson first worked as a driver through a student-support programme of the non-profit organisation. On Point for College. Although the ________ asks the members only to drive students to and from their classes, Wilson often goes ________ to ensure the welfare and safety of the students. If they have problems with registration, Wilson is there to ________ them. If they run out of certain daily necessities, Wilson will drive to the nearest store and purchase what’s needed. If a student gets hungry on the long drives to and from school, Wilson never ________ to buy them a meal.
For many students, Wilson’s help is not only appreciated, it’s also entirely ________ for them to be able to complete their college education. Some students don’t have a reliable car, while others have to ________ vehicles with parents who work six days a week. For them, riding with Wilson has ________ them to complete their education — but according to Wilson, he benefits just as much from the ________. “I just love driving and I love these kids, ” Wilson said. “It’s such a(n) ________ to be a part of these kids’ lives, even just for a few hours, getting to know them and hearing their stories.”
1.A. linking B. sending C. offering D. distributing
2.A. donating B. lending C. delivering D. volunteering
3.A. paved B. covered C. measured D. wandered
4.A. arguments B. interviews C. negotiations D. conversations
5.A. met B. driven C. addressed D. greeted
6.A. even B. ever C. once D. already
7.A. earned B. received C. assessed D. demanded
8.A. transportation B. style C. time D. communication
9.A. forced B. awkward C. ridiculous D. suspicious
10.A. selects B. recites C. guesses D. remembers
11.A. act on B. settle on C. check on D. agree on
12.A. club B. league C. college D. programme
13.A. far B. around C. beyond D. forwards
14.A. assist B. watch C. urge D. warn
15.A. expects B. attempts C. manages D. hesitates
16.A. extra B. unusual C. necessary D. adequate
17.A. share B. fuel C. repair D. exchange
18.A. required B. allowed C. reminded D. convinced
19.A. experience B. arrangement C. appreciation D. employment
20.A. effort B. ambition C. privilege D. convenience
Being a teenager can be challenging, but it can also be exciting. 1. You are also learning to take risks and solve problems better.
Changes are happening throughout your body, even in your brain. 2. Imagine the structure of your brain is like a big road map. Lots of roads lead to different destinations. When you were a child as you learnt new things, your brain created more and more roads to different destinations. 3. Now your brain makes that map more efficient.
As a result, your experiences as a teenager actually influence the way that your brain develops. If you spend hours playing video games, what skills do you use? 4. As you develop those skills, your brain is making sure that the roads leading to them are especially fast and efficient.
This is a great time for you to practice new skills and discover what you are good at and what you love most. 5. Remember that with everything you do, you’re shaping your brain for the future.
A.The changes in your brain are influencing how you develop into an adult.
B.Playing cards with your mind can make your memory better.
C.You’re becoming more and more independent and making decisions for yourself.
D.So try different activities, and stick to them if you think they’re useful.
E.By the time you become a teenager, many different roads lead to the most important places on the map.
F.You learn to see something with your eyes and respond to it with your hands.
G.Different people have different change in the body.
WHAT are scientists? They are often described as gray-haired white-coated dull scholars.
But the world has changed. Young scientists are making their voices heard and releasing their powers on the world stage.
This is also true in China. Rising stars include new materials expert Gong Yongji, university professor Liu Mingzhen, and biologist Wang Ruixue. At the age of 28 in 2018, Wan Ruixue received the 2018 Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists. This is a global prize to reward outstanding scientists at an early stage of their careers.
She focuses mainly on biomedicine(生物医学)and artificial intelligence(人工智能). "Both are cutting-edge(前沿)technologies at an early stage of development," she said.
"So, I think they have great potential to be developed. I think in the study of cutting-edge technologies, China and other leading countries in the world are standing on the same starting line. And in the study of structural biology, China is likely to become the leader."
She felt it was her fate to become a biologist. "I grew interested in the natural world, when I was very young," she said. In 2009, she entered Sun Yat-sen University.
In her third year at the university, she realized that she wanted to do something related to biomedicine. So she emailed China's top biologist Shi Yigong, hoping to join his lab at Tsinghua University.
Shi recognized her talent and welcomed her. Years of efforts at the lab have paid off. Her research on the high-definition 3D structure of spliceosome led to a scientific breakthrough.
Unlike-many of other young scientists who choose to pursue further study abroad, Wan currently has no plan to go overseas.
"The whole ecosystem for scientific research is continually improving in China," she said, adding the country has great science facilities.
1.What does the underlined word "releasing" in Paragraph 2 mean?
A.Giving out. B.Getting over.
C.Finding out. D.Taking over.
2.What does Wan Ruixue feel about the study of cutting-edge technologies in China?
A.Anxious. B.Confident.
C.Disappointed. D.Satisfied.
3.What can we learn about Wang Ruixue's journey of becoming a biologist?
A.Her teacher led her into the field. B.She finds it's easier than she thought.
C.Her contribution has been recognized. D.She thinks it's boring but worth trying.
4.Which can be the best title of the text?
A.China's Breakthrough in Science B.Rising Young Scientists in China
C.Wan Ruixue: A Successful Young Scientist D.New Image of Chinese Scientists
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.
