Urban Wildlife
Cities are diverse ecosystems. In addition to visitors from the wild, a large number of species share our urban areas. As our cities spread, we need to think about what it is like for other species to have human neighbors.
Cities are built for humans. 1.For example, most city parks are kept neat and tidy so that humans will find them beautiful. But when we cut grass or plant flowers, we destroy natural habitats.
2.When a bridge in Austin, Texas was repaired, engineers added small gaps running along the length of its bottom. This made a good home for bats, and soon the bridge was the home of
thousands of bats. 3. Now, they have come to value their winged neighbors. The bats are a tourist attraction, and they eat lots of bugs every night.
There are also structures built with the aim of bringing wildlife into the city. The Beijing Olympic Forest Park is a good example. The park used native plants and created open, natural spaces for wildlife. The result is a zone in Beijing with over 160 species of birds. In many ways, the park is the opposite of a zoo. 4.
If we learn to share our space, we can become better neighbors to the wildlife around us. 5. Our own future will be endangered too.
A.They are built to protect birds.
B.Our actions sometimes help other species.
C.If we do not, more species will become extinct.
D.They do not always provide suitable habitats for wildlife.
E.Instead of being kept in cages, wildlife can move about freely.
F.At first, people were afraid of the bats and tried to get rid of them.
G.They would sit on it and their droppings would fall into the water.
People have been told to stay separated — at least six feet apart— and to practice what state and local officials call “social distancing”. Some have been asked to work at home. But as people try to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus（ 新型冠状病毒）, the resulting chaos and fear are bringing both large and small communities closer.
Simple acts of kindness are sprouting up online and in public, as neighbors, students, teachers, and others begin to connect those who can pass this long and isolating time smoothly, and the people who may not have the means to get through.
For Jesse Farren-James, helping out has taken the form of organizing trips to the
supermarkets for supplies, and use of her membership card if anyone needs to buy large quantities. She posted the offer in a Facebook group for the community residents, and some people came and turned to her. “I just feel so lucky that I have so many people in my life to rely on and so sad that not everyone has that,” she wrote in the group. In another interview, Farren-James said the “community is coming together" and “there are so many good and amazing people” offering to help where they can.
Also, parents in Dorchester have gathered together online. In a Facebook group called DotParents, parents have been raising money to buy food and supplies for students and families in the community. Lisa Graustein has been organizing this activity. On Thursday, she used the more than $2,000 raised by neighbors to purchase food in a restaurant supply company. A group of volunteers packed the food and planned to distribute to schools for those who may need it.
“Food shortage is real in our city and this crisis is going to be severe.” Graustein said. “But here's something we can do that deal better with the hard time”. This idea is spreading. She said friends in four other states had being running similar campaigns. Next, she wants to find a way to get landlords to temporarily abandon rent for residents in financial difficulties because of the outbreak.
1.The underlined phrase in paragraph 2 “sprouting up” can be best replaced by .
A.Disappearing B.Growing
C.Connecting D.Helping
2.What do we know about Jesse Farren-James?
A.She is a shopping assistant working for a supermarket.
B.She is wealthy and always ready to help others.
C.She lent her membership card to the people in need.
D.She felt sad that not everyone has enough food.
3.What did parents in Dorchester do to offer help?
A.They bought food from the supermarket for community children.
B.They set up a restaurant supply company to provide food.
C.They raised money to deal with food shortage.
D.They distributed money to community residents.
4.Which is the best title for this passage?
A.Acts of kindness in coronavirus outbreak
B.Effects of social media in coronavirus outbreak
C.Social distancing in the online community
D.Helping each other in financial difficulties
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) recently tested an oven they used to bake five chocolate chip cookies. We now know the results of that experiment: the cookies took a lot longer to bake in space than on Earth. The cookies that came out best required two hours of baking time inside the International Space Station. The baking time for cookies on Earth is generally only about 20 minutes.
The cookies returned to Earth earlier this month aboard a SpaceX-built spacecraft that splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. The cookies are the first food baked in space from raw food materials. They remain frozen in a laboratory in Houston, Texas. The American company Nanoracks designed and built the cookie oven. Hilton DoubleTree hotels supplied the cookie dough.
The makers of the oven did expect some difference in the baking time in space, but they were surprised that that difference was so large. "There's still a lot to look into to figure out really what's driving that difference, but definitely a cool result," said Mary Murphy. She is with the company Nanoracks, which is based in Texas. Murphy said the baking results will continue to be examined in order to better understand why space baking took so much longer. In addition, researchers will study the effectiveness of the baking tray, which was designed to work in microgravity conditions.
The five chocolate chip cookies were frozen when they were sent to space. Each had to be baked separately in the oven. Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano took charge of the baking experiment in December. He reported that the first cookie stayed in the oven for 25 minutes at 149 degrees Celsius. When it came out of the oven, it was seriously under-baked. For the next two cookies, Parmitano more than doubled the baking time. Those cookies came out better, but were still under-baked. The fourth cookie stayed in the oven for two hours, after which Parmitano was able to report success. "I can't tell you whether it's cooked all the way or not, but it certainly doesn't look like cookie dough anymore," he reported to controllers back on Earth. For the fifth cookie, Parmitano turned the oven temperature up to 163 degrees Celsius and baked it for 130 minutes. This time, he reported the best baking results.
No one has tasted the space-traveling cookies just yet. Organizers of the experiment say additional testing will need be carried out to determine whether they are safe to eat.
1.How long do it takes to bake cookies in ISS?
A.About 20 minutes. B.25 minutes.
C.About an hour. D.2 hours.
2.What is the oven maker's attitude towards the large difference?
A.Critical. B.Amazed.
C.Indifferent D.Worried
3.What can we infer from the fourth paragraph?
A.The baking experiments ended up in a success.
B.Each of the five cookies was cooked in different time.
C.The more time, the better baking results.
D.The five cookies were frozen after baking.
4.What can be concluded in the passage?
A.The space-traveling cookies are safe for astronauts to eat.
B.Cookies on Earth are the same as the space-traveling cookies.
C.More tests will be taken for the space-traveling cookies.
D.The five cookies ended up in the Pacific Ocean.
A decade ago, colored lights danced around the living room on New Year's Eve and happy music was played. Upstairs, the children were asleep. But I wasn't feeling happy. In mid-December, my husband and I had been informed that he had cancer and that he was going to die. He had less than a year left, the doctors said.
In the years since that painful season, I have come to look back upon New Year's Eve as an ending and a beginning. New Year's Eve brings a halt to the endless commitments that fill our daily lives and a chance to reflect.
New Year's Eve is full of possibility and anticipation. What will be the surprising experiences and delightful successes in the coming year? But also, what disappointments are waiting for us in the next twelve months?
In many ways, New Year's Eve and the days that surround it are a line between past and future. That line is made up of a series of moments of transition that take us out of the old and into the new. Transition can be challenging for many of us. It's about letting go of the familiar and diving headlong （迅猛地） into the unfamiliar.
Just as, back then, I had to face letting go of the life I had led with my beloved husband and stepping into a new world as a widowed （丧偶的） mom. I find that each year I have to step out of the version of me that suited the year that is ending and ease into the version of me who will rise to the goals I am holding for myself for the year ahead.
Last year at this time, I sat in a chair in southern France and drank in the stillness and beauty of the countryside around me. The three children and I had brought into this world talked and laughed around the table beside me as we enjoyed a lunch of bread and cheese.
I was filled with a sense of joy and I had a glowing heart that was full of hope. It was another ending and another beginning. May we all transition into the best of what lies ahead. May we all find happiness this holiday season.
1.What does the underlined word “halt” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A.Stop. B.Beginning.
C.Meaning. D.Tradition.
2.What does the author think people should do at new year?
A.Set challenging goals for the next year.
B.Break with daily routines and form a new habit.
C.Spend more time with family members.
D.Think about the past and get ready for the future.
3.What is the author's attitude toward the future?
A.Calm. B.Indifferent.
C.Doubtful. D.Expectant.
4.What is the main purpose of the article?
A.To memorialize her husband.
B.To show how she got through a hard time.
C.To share her view of New Year's Eve.
D.To remind us that uncertainty is part of life.
Kinder Camp
This is a week-long camp, Monday through Friday, for children from three years old to those entering first grade in the fall. Early childhood educators guide your child through activities including songs, games, stories and walks in the woods. Daily themes include dirt, furry animals, insects and more! Parents sign up to bring a snack(小吃). Choose from either morning or afternoon sessions, from June 9 to July 1, 2020.
Kids Camp
Children explore all day in the natural world. Art, music, cooperative games and hikes through the woods are some of the activities in this fun-filled week. Each grade level has its own camp program especially designed with the campers’ interests in mind.
Camp takes place Monday through Friday, 9 am to 3 pm. Level 1 (completed 1st grade): July 28 to August 1, 2020.
Level 2 (completed 2nd grade): August 4 to 8, 2020.
Level 3 (completed 3rd grade): August 11 to 15, 2020. Please note: children must bring their own lunches.
Outdoor Expeditions
Send your child on a traveling adventure. Teenagers will investigate the natural, cultural and historical facts that make their hometown a great city. Activities will include unique field trips and tours.
Outdoor Expedition: from 9 am to 3 pm, August 11 to 15, 2020. Please note: children must bring their own lunches.
Rainbow Camp
Campers enjoy all kinds of activities including arts and crafts, music and singing, drama, active games, cooking and a host of special events that go with our theme weeks! Special guests are invited to the camp every week to entertain our campers and may include storytellers, musicians and magicians.
Week-long camp, June 14 to 18.
Campers must be at least 4 years old to take part.
For more information, call Frick Environmental Center at (412) 422—6538.
1.According to the passage, we can infer that Kinder Camp is probably organized to ____.
A.help children learn about nature while playing
B.get children prepared for primary school
C.offer parents a chance to play with their children
D.develop children’s language skills
2.Jack, aged 13, interested in nature and is free in August, would probably take ____ .
A.Rainbow Camp B.Kids Camp
C.Kinder Camp D.Outdoor Expeditions
3.Of the four camps, the common thing is that ____ .
A.they are all whole-day camps for children
B.they all last five days for each group
C.they all require campers to bring their own lunches
D.they are all for children over five years old
假如你是李华，你的英国朋友 Peter 生日降将至，他喜欢中国文化，生肖马，为此你绘制一幅国画“马”寄给他。请你写一封邮件给 Peter，内容如下：
1.表达生日祝福；
2.说明礼物含义；
3.告知快递信息。
注意：1. 词数 100 词左右。
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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