阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Bushfires are disasters that occur each year in many parts of the world. The worst bushfires usually involve eucalypt trees, 1. leaves burn easily. A eucalypt tree can explode in 2. ball of fire. Therefore, eucalypt forest fires can be extremely violent.
The most severe bushfire in the world is burning in south-eastern Australia and its 3. (surround) areas in this dry season. The current summer 4. (present) the perfect storm for wildfire so far. Climate change is making Australian wildfires more powerful 5. (large) due to its effects on dryness and fire weather. Australia’s climate has warmed by more than one degree Celsius over the past century. The ongoing climate change originating from human activities is virtually certain 6. (increase). This assessment of the science evidence has been repeated in countless 7. (report), including the IPCC’s report, 8. (publish) in August 2019.
Apart from being more severe, the fire seasons are becoming longer. October used to be recognized 9. the start of the fire season. But with the season starting in August, we are now facing a new 10. (real) and should pay special attention.
I once had an experience which helped me learn the real meaning of “put yourself in others’ shoes”. One day, while I was waiting in line at a coffee shop earlier, a woman _________ alongside the queue in a mobility scooter (电动代步车). There was only a _________ space between the line of people and the table, which she attempted to drive along. She drove over my foot but didn’t look back to say anything.
I got _________ and expected she would have apologized, but then I just decided to _________ it and got down to selecting which pastry (点心) to go with my coffee. The lady and I _________ sitting at adjacent (邻近的) tables. She was on the end of a row so that she could _________ her scooter. After about half an hour, when she had _________ her coffee, she got up and back onto her scooter. It wouldn’t start. She tried to turn the key several times _________ she telephoned the place she purchased it from. Sweat was _________ on her forehead, caused in part by anxiety, but __________ from embarrassment.
The place must have been local. An __________ turned up within 5 minutes. I couldn’t help overhearing their conversation, and it turned out she had only just __________ the scooter that morning. She’d come to the coffee shop for a stress-rest, which was her very first __________ in it. I heard that she felt really __________ about driving it. She certainly wasn’t used to its speed, nor its __________, and this combination made it quite __________ to drive it through narrow gaps.
__________, I felt sympathy for the lady. It really didn’t __________ me at all that she’d driven over my foot. __________, I had made an assumption that a person doing that should apologize.
Next time you’re about to __________ someone, pause for a second and remind yourself that people have made a judgment about you without knowing what was going on in your mind or your life.
1.A.paced B.struggled C.marched D.walked
2.A.wide B.narrow C.public D.private
3.A.annoyed B.amused C.worried D.amazed
4.A.discussed B.made C.deserve D.dismissed
5.A.followed up B.took up C.ended up D.picked up
6.A.drive B.take C.park D.hold
7.A.made B.finished C.ordered D.poured
8.A.after B.until C.unless D.before
9.A.covering B.forming C.moving D.disappearing
10.A.mostly B.nearly C.fairly D.rarely
11.A.waiter B.policeman C.engineer D.customer
12.A.collected B.stolen C.fixed D.abandoned
13.A.voyage B.tour C.exploration D.outing
14.A.concerned B.excited C.confident D.nervous
15.A.width B.length C.weight D.height
16.A.cool B.convenient C.stressful D.strange
17.A.Suddenly B.Obviously C.Hopefully D.Previously
18.A.strike B.bother C.satisfy D.confuse
19.A.Otherwise B.Therefore C.Still D.Besides
20.A.challenge B.hug C.persuade D.judge
Team Building
Almost no one can get away from “teams” that are supposed to be able to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts. There are five measures that need to be taken before you can get the most out of a team:
1.
There must be a clear reason for the team to exist. And all the members should realize the value and significance of their functions. What they are hoping to achieve should be something achievable but at the same time tough and inspiring enough to attract the members and keep their motivation alive.
Open Communication
2. For example, they may discuss a sensitive topic. Should they keep their conclusion within the team or share it with other employees? In the case, any individual voice is by no means a sure thing. So an honest discussion is expected to make sure all the members agree on.
Respect to All Team Members
It is easy to think that a junior team member may have less to contribute than more experienced ones. 3. People that have nothing to contribute should not have been selected for the team in the first place. Since they have become members of your team, you need to make sure that each of them has an opportunity to add his or her thoughts to discussions.
Conflict Solving
Disagreements are natural and, in fact, heated debate should be encouraged. 4. Consequently, there should be rules on how lengthy disagreements should be handled. For example, team meetings may not be the most appropriate place for a dispute that involves only two people, so “under-the-table” method may be effective.
Leadership
5. A good organizer should be able to play to individuals’ strengths and help them overcome their weaknesses. He must be skilled in motivating people, sharing responsibility and providing constructive feedback on how the tasks went. Successful team working is marked by how confidently each of its members completes his or her assigned tasks with a sense of achievement and pride.
A.Measuring Progress against Goals.
B.Common Goals with Challenging Target.
C.Most high-performing teams are well organized.
D.This is not only discouraging, it also makes no sense.
E.A team made up only of “yes men” can make disastrous decisions.
F.Choose a role on the team that is best suited to your particular strengths.
G.Team members must be able to express their opinions freely without fear of being criticized.
Six supporters of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), including one inside a cat costume and another dressed as a pig, marched on the sidewalk outside High School District 113 in Highland Park, Illinois, US. Their goal was to get the district to end animal dissection in science classes.
Animal dissection has always divided people: Is it right to dissect frogs, pigs or other animals in school science classes, particularly when computers can show detailed images of the parts of animals?
“Especially with all the violence in the US, it is important we teach children compassion for all living beings, said Mysti Lee, assistant campaign manager for PETA.
The American Anti-Vivisection Society reports that 18 states, including Illinois, have laws allowing students to choose alternatives to dissection. And in recent years, biology classes have moved toward the study of cells, molecules and genetics. “Dissection is horrific and unnecessary,” protester Victor Przysiezny said.
However, most biology teachers believe that dissection is an important part of education when done right. “It’s one thing to see it on a computer screen,” said Jaclyn Reeves. “Its another to see the size and scale. Science is about getting your hands dirty.” She added that dissection can inspire students to take up a career in biology or put them off.
At its recent protest in Highland Park, PET A singled out Bio Corp., a company that provides frogs, pigs, turtles, rabbits, cats and other animals and their parts for educational purposes. Following the charges of animal cruelty, Bill Wadd, co-owner of Bio Corp., invited city officials to tour Bio Corp. He said that more than 98 percent of the animals Bio Corp received last year were already dead. “We just take what people would throw away,” Wadd said. “Instead of throwing it in the trash, why not have students learn from it?”
District 113 spokeswoman Christine Gonzales said that district officials would think about using computer images in class instead. “We are always looking for new and innovative methods, because we do want to ensure our kids get the best instruction and are kind to all creatures,” she said.
1.Who opposes animal dissection?
A.Illinois’ local residents. B.Victor Przysiezny.
C.Jaclyn Reeves. D.Bill Wadd.
2.What does the underlined phrase in Pharaoh 5 mean?
A.Getting personally involved in a task. B.Becoming involved with something illegal.
C.Observing an operation on a computer screen. D.Making your hands unclean by hard work.
3.What do we know about Bio Corp.?
A.It gets rid of dead animals as trash. B.It is a member company of PETA.
C.It gets along very well with local officials. D.It offers mostly dead animals for research.
4.What is the attitude of District 113 to ending animal dissection?
A.Supportive. B.Cautious.
C.Disapproving. D.Doubtful.
Many research groups are testing “ink” made from silk proteins to print human tissues, even organs. The process is a less costly alternative to conventional 3-D printing with collagen, a key protein mainly existing in the mammal’s (哺乳动物) cells. Researchers in Assam, a state in India, are investigating using local silkworm species for the task—they recently submitted a patent for bioinks using a combination of proteins obtained from local silkworms. The scientists have woven them into tissue structures ranging from ears to heart.
Silk is a natural substance which is strong and completely biodegradable (可生物降解的), well suited for applications in tissue engineering. For instance, to bio-print an ear, researchers dissolve silk fibers. They carefully mix the sticky liquid with a patient’s stem cells, then build structures layer by layer with a 3-D printer. Finally, the cells grow and replace the silken proteins and finally change into a natural substance in human body.
Compared with common—used chemicals as adhesive (黏合剂), wild silk is also perfect to cross-link silky tissues, which helps to maintain a 3-D structure. Also, the wild silk has spots that cells naturally attach to, which allows cells to stick to the silk structure rapidly. “These silks are ideal candidates for bioinks because they can be combined to build strong human tissues” says Mandal, the lab’s lead investigator. “This is important, for example, when making bones,” he add.
“Obtaining and purifying collagen from animal remains is complex and expensive.” says David Kaplan, an expert in biomedical engineering, when asked about the advantages. Compared with collagen, silks have an immense advantage in terms of supply and processing. Local sourcing is also a clear plus in their use in India.”
Mandal and his colleagues have already created original structures, including bone and soft tissues of the heart and liver. Reconstructing a human knee complex tissue at the ends of a bone will be next.
1.What does the underlined word “bioinks” refer to?
A.Silk proteins. B.Collagens.
C.Certain chemical. D.Tissues.
2.What will a patient eventually get after an ear-bioprinting?
A.An artificial ear. B.A silken ear.
C.A real ear. D.An original ear.
3.What are the advantages of silk proteins over collagen according to David Kaplan?
A.They are biodegradable and strong.
B.They are inexpensive and uncomplicated.
C.They are harmless and attachable.
D.They are pure and available.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Final Solution—Wild Worms for Medical Treatment.
B.Silky Tissue—Worm Proteins Ready for 3-D Bioprinting.
C.Bioink—Cheap Alternative for Conventional Operations.
D.Protein—Key to Repairing Human Organs.
For an entire decade, the award for Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year was quite predictable: It either went to Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo or Argentina’s Lionel Messi. After all, they are the “legends” of soccer.
This year’s recipient, however, came as a surprise: Croatian player Luka Modric.
For those who aren’t soccer fans, Modric’s name is probably unfamiliar, mostly due to the fact that he rarely appears in TV commercials, and that he’s not a striker—things that apply to both Ronaldo and Messi—but a midfielder.
But Modric, 33, has certainly had a fruitful year. As a key member of Real Madrid, Modric helped the Spanish club win their third straight Champions League title in May. And as the captain of his national team of Croatia, Modric led the team to its first ever World Cup final in July.
And Modric’s hard childhood makes his achievements even more remarkable.
He grew up during the war following the break-up of Yugoslavia and the independence of Croatia. When he was 6, his grandfather was shot dead and his family had to live as refugees in a warzone. When playing soccer was an after-school hobby for kids of his age in other countries, it was an escape for Modric—he played soccer as a way to take his mind off the hardship his family was facing.
But it was this experience that gave Modric the mental toughness to push forward on his path to becoming one of the top soccer players in the world.
“The war made me stronger,” Modric told CNN. “We are not easy people to break. And there is a determination to show that, to show that we can succeed.”
It may be true that Modric wasn’t seen as a legend before. But by winning the Best Men’s Player award on Sept 24, he joined Ronaldo and Messi at the top of the list of the world’s best soccer players. And what could be more legendary than that? So, the man who defeated legends must be something even bigger.
1.Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi are mentioned in the passage to ________.
A.distinguish their differences B.show their contribution to soccer
C.highlight Modric’s achievements D.arouse the readers interest in soccer
2.Why did Modric start playing soccer?
A.Playing soccer was his hobby. B.He wanted to help his family out of trouble.
C.Playing soccer was required by his school. D.He expected to forget his family’s tough situation.
3.What can we learn about Modric from the passage?
A.He is captain of Real Madrid.
B.He often works as an advertising spokesperson.
C.He plays the same position as Cristiano Ronaldo.
D.He has made history for Croatia on the soccer field.
4.What does the passage intend to tell us?
A.Where there is life, there is hope.
B.Hardship makes a determined person stronger.
C.Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well.
D.A contented mind is the greatest blessing a man can enjoy in this world.
