To deal with a changing world, we have to change as well. Transforming land into farms removes forests and worsens climate change. But we need to grow more food to support a growing global population. What can we do?
Scientists have discovered that plants grow best under a certain type of light, which can be provided by red and blue LEDs. The combination of these lights at the right level makes a space look pink. Since “pinkhouses” supply their own light, they don't need to have fragile glass walls and ceilings. And they can be set up anywhere, including places that don't get the amount of light greenhouses need.
Since pinkhouses can pack food in huge columns, one of these farms doesn't need a lot of land. Farmers can set up pinkhouses in cities. They completely control temperature and light, which can help some plants grow twice as well in pinkhouses as they do in traditional farming. Pinkhouses can allow for many more harvests per year since farming doesn't have to stop in the winter.
Even though pinkhouses are a great way to grow crops, lighting and heating an indoor space is very expensive. It doesn't make sense to grow foods that take up a lot of space or that we need to grow lots of, like wheat, rice, and corm, in a pinkhouse. We will still need to grow those crops in fields. We can start farming smarter.
Farmers will use satellite imagery to figure out exactly where to plant each crop. Think of a mixture of just the right crops, rather than a rectangle(长方形) of one type of plant.Sensors in the fields will measure the soil's water level,temperature, and chemical content. They will even be able to detect insects and send out notifications to a smartphone app.Irrigation systems will be tied to weather forecasting programs, allowing very precise watering and care, all calculated to get the best plant growth and yield.
1.From the text, we know that the pinkhouse
A.covers lots of space B.needs enough sunlight
C.is made of glass or plastic D.can make plants grow larger
2.What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 4?
A.Summarize the previous paragraphs.
B.Emphasize the advantage of pinkhouses.
C.Introduce a new topic of the discussion.
D.Add some background information.
3.What is the result of the smart farming?
A.Farmers will have a better harvest.
B.Farmers can grow different plants.
C.Farmers needn't care about the weather.
D.Plants can protect themselves against insects.
4.What's the best title for the text?
A.Building Pinkhouses B.Feeding the Future
C.Changing the World D.Getting Outdoor Farming Smart
It has been a year since 1 first saw UBTech's Walker robot at CES 2019. I was blown away by its ability to perform many tasks.
A year later, it had come a long way, gaining much better motor skills and the ability to maintain balance. During a CES 2020 demo(演示), UBTech showed how far Walker had come.The robot walked over to a table, picked up a bottle opener and used it to remove the cap from a bottle of soda. It picked up the bottle and a glass and poured the liquid in, without spilling.During the demo, Walker also performed a number of serious Yoga( 瑜伽) poses, including standing on one foot and leaning back.
UBTech said that the ability to pour drinks required visual servo( 伺服系统) technology using its cameras to judge the position of objects. The same methods allowed Walker to uncap a marker and draw a picture of a flower on a piece of paper at another point in the demo.
All of the betterment was made via software as UBTech hasn't made any physical adjustments t0o the robot since we saw it last year. On the inside, the robot uses a combination of a few different operating systems on these internal PCs, including Ubuntu, ROS and Android. Its battery promises up to 2 hours battery life after a 2-hour charge time,
UBTech continues development on this pioneering robot, but doesn't have public launch date. The company is targeting Walker toward the home, with an emphasis on helping seniors or. just doing house cleaning. To make it stable enough to adapt to all these different conditions is a huge challenge. However, if development of Walker continues, this robot could eventually be a game-changer.
1.How did the author feel when first seeing the robot?
A.Amazed. B.Proud.
C.Awkward. D.Disappointed.
2.What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?
A.The demos of CES 2019. B.The improvements of the robot.
C.The robot's motor ability. D.The robot's ability to remain steady.
3.What enables the robot to draw pictures?
A.The cap of the marker. B.The ability to pour drinks.
C.The using of more cameras. D.The system of position judging.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.The robot is stable enough to help the old.
B.The robot has been available to the public.
C.Our life could be greatly influenced by the robot.
D.The basic concept of robot making will be changed.
Every two or three months, Thyago Ohana goes out on the busy streets of Vienna with a sign saying "Free Hugs". The handsome 32-year-old Brazilian, who works in international trade at India's Vienna embassy, chooses a popular site, like the historic shopping street, Kaerntner Strasse. There he opens his arms to anyone who wants a hearty embrace(拥抱).
He does it because back in 2012, when he was feeling very stressed and anxious during a visit to Paris, a stranger gave him a free hug. He's never forgotten how it filled him with unexpected calm and joy.
For those who take up his offer, the hug makes them laugh and smile. But sometimes it does more, as when an elderly woman in a tour group stopped and watched him. The group moved on, but she remained and asked, "Can I have a hug?" "Of course you can!" said Thyago who wrapped his arms round her. When they broke their embrace, she kept holding onto his shoulders and looked into his eyes. "Thank you," she said. "I can't remember the last time I was hugged this way."
It's a memory that still makes Thyago emotional. "It was a really powerful moment of human connection. It's why 1 keep doing it."
Of our five senses, our sense of touch is the one that is most easily taken for granted. "A child can be born blind or deaf and they will grow up just fine," says David J Linden, author of Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart, and Mind. "Yet if a baby is lacking in loving social touch for the first two years of life, then all sorts of disasters unfold." That's one reason why when babies are born, they are now usually placed on their mother's skin.
Linden says however you do it, "maximizing touch in your life is a good thing"- whether holding hands, petting a dog, going to the hairdresser, hugging our kids, our partners or even a
stranger.
1.Why did Thyago Ohana offer free hugs to strangers?
A.He longed for calm and joy.
B.He felt stressed and upset.
C.He wanted others to feel connected and cared.
D.He hoped to help others cure their diseases.
2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 suggest?
A.Our sense of touch isn't so important.
B.Our sense of touch is undervalued.
C.Our sense of touch does no good to us.
D.Our sense of touch is thought highly of.
3.What does David J Linden think of social touch?
A.The way of offering social touch counts.
B.Offering hugs is the best way to get social touch.
C.Blind kids will be cured as long as they get enough social touch.
D.Many problems can be tracked back to babyhood short of social touch.
4.Where is this text most likely from?
A.A health magazine. B.A research paper.
C.A guide book. D.A biology textbook.
Towner Art Gallery, the contemporary art museum, presents a unique programme of major exhibitions of contemporary and historic visual art. Towner's new home in the heart of the Cultural Quarter has repositioned its exhibitions and activities where they can be enjoyed by all. Wheelchairs can be provided for visitors with mobility difficulties. Assistance dogs are welcome.
Opening: From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Prices: One paying exhibition per year; all other exhibitions are free
Location: 10-minute walk from Eastbourne Railway Station
Here is something you're likely to enjoy at Towner Art Gallery.
Towner Tours
Enjoy a tour of the exhibitions with the help of your guide. You may also book a group tour for 10 or more people at a time convenient for you, for £2 per person.
Opening: Daily except weekends
Towner Cafe Bar
Urban Ground is the perfect spot to enjoy a delicious Direct Trade coffee made from Union Hand Roasted beans. Treat yourself to one of their freshly prepared light lunches.
Opening: Daily except Saturdays and Sundays
Coastal Culture Trail
The De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, Jerwood Gallery, and Towner- -three of the most exciting visual art galleries in the UK- share a 20-mile stretch of East Sussex coastline, which- -less than 90 minutes from London- is the perfect destination for a weekend getaway. You can start from the Jerwood Gallery in Hastings and follow it to Towner Art Gallery or in reverse(相反).
Opening: Daily
Tiny Towner Drop-in
This is a welcoming space for under-5s and their parents and caregivers to play and explore together.
Opening: Every Tuesday
1.Where is Towner Art Gallery?
A.In Bexhill. B.In Hastings.
C.In London. D.In Eastbourne.
2.Which will be a wonderful choice for a weekend tour?
A.Towner Tours. B.Coastal Culture Trail.
C.Tiny Towner Drop-in. D.Towner Cafe Bar.
3.What do we know about Towner Art Gallery?
A.Its exhibitions are all charged. B.It is open every day.
C.It favors the disabled. D.It offers free group service.
假定你是李华,是你校学生会主席。新冠疫情后国家经济面临一些困难,为保就业,繁荣经济,国家重启地摊经济。对此,你校打算举办“论地摊经济利弊”的辩论活动。请用英语写份通知,内容包括:
1. 举办辩论活动的目的;
2. 辩论的内容:地摊经济的利与弊;
3. 活动时间地点,和报名的方式。
注意:
1. 词数100左右;
2. 可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
地摊经济:the stall economy 小摊主:a vendor
路边摊:roadside booths 在人行路上:on some pedestrian streets
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
假定英语课上老师要求同学们交换修改作文,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。错误仅涉及一个的词的增加、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。
注童:1.毎处错误及修改均仅限一词;
2.只允许修改10处.多者(从第11处起)不计分。
On August 21,I was working on my homework, a composition titling “My Hero/Heroine”. I stuck at the very beginning, trying to figure out what would be my hero/heroine.
Attracted by the cheers from the living room, I opened the door only to find my parents were watching the volleyball matches of women's final. Then I decided to take the break and joined in them. The sense of nervousness was overwhelming as the score was quite closely between China and its opponent.
To our delight, China won in the end. We couldn't help feel proud as Chinese! The volleyball players had trained so hard before and fight till the last minute. Without doubt, they were not only my heroines, and the heroines of China! I started to write my composition.