My twin sister, Dawn, born with cerebral palsy (脑瘫), has to wear braces (吊带) on her legs and walk with the help of a stick, often causing people to _______and point.
As Dawn was the only “different” child in our neighborhood, we were constantly picked on. We never had any friends because of her condition. I began to _______Dawn and was embarrassed to be seen with her. So I did everything to get her into trouble to _______her being born mentally and physically disabled.
When I turned twelve, my mother was so displeased with my behavior. She figured I was _______enough to know better. One day she threw me in my bedroom and gave me a thick yellow book. What I saw in that book _______the way I viewed my disabled sister.
There were many baby _______of Dawn and me dressed alike, the only _______ : I looked small and peaceful while Dawn was hooked up to tubes and needles and machines. If you looked closely, you could see the _______in her eyes though she was always smiling. One picture stood out: we were _______each other. The words below read, “I’m so happy to have a twin sister, Netti. The doctors make me cry. She makes me ________.” Looking back, I realized how ________I had been! I had never put myself in Dawn’s shoes! Feeling ________ , I cried myself to sleep.
Later, Dawn came to wake me up for dinner. I kissed her and hugged her ________ like in the picture.
From then on, I was Dawn’s ________ . No one was going to hurt her for any reason. We were ________ . I am her the other half and she is my world.
1.A.complain B.wander C.stare D.envy
2.A.hate B.pity C.disturb D.warn
3.A.put up with B.make use of C.keep track of D.get back at
4.A.patient B.old C.clever D.confident
5.A.formed B.changed C.explained D.confirmed
6.A.pictures B.clothes C.toys D.stories
7.A.problem B.spotlight C.similarity D.difference
8.A.courage B.disappointment C.pain D.concern
9.A.hugging B.supporting C.comforting D.praising
10.A.improve B.think C.laugh D.survive
11.A.rude B.selfish C.responsible D.innocent
12.A.helpless B.unhappy C.desperate D.ashamed
13.A.politely B.seriously C.tightly D.purposely
14.A.protector B.assistant C.educator D.consultant
15.A.irreplaceable B.undefeatable C.unimaginable D.inseparable
The Slow Food Movement started in Rome, Italy in 1986. When a new McDonalds was opening near a beautiful historic place, some people stood outside the restaurant and shouted, “We do not want fast food, we want slow food!”
1. One day Carlo Petrini went to a restaurant to eat a traditional meal. But the food didn’t taste the same as he remembered. He learned that the peppers were shipped from abroad because the prices were low. This deeply concerned Carlo.
Carlo wanted people to care about where their foods came from and how their foods made their culture special. So he started a group to encourage this idea. It soon became the Slow Food Movement. 2.
First, what is good food? Good food is fresh. The vegetables are eaten close to the place where they are grown. The fish hasn’t been sitting for days before it is eaten. Good food is seasonable. 3.
Good food satisfies the senses. It should look good, smell good and taste good. And finally, good food is cultural food. Each country has special foods that make it different.
Second, food should be clean. Today, there are great concerns about the way people grow and produce food. Farmers use chemicals to kill insects and feed plants. But the chemicals can also harm the natural environment around farms. 4.Clean food means food that does not harm our bodies or the environment.
And third, food should be fair. 5.All people should be able to purchase healthy food. The people who grow and make food should be paid fairly for their work. They should work in safe, healthy conditions.
A.Food should not cost too much money.
B.Its goal is to have good, clean, fair food for all people.
C.Over time, they can cause health problems in people too.
D.That was how the Slow Food Movement came into being.
E.It should be grown at the best time of the year for that food.
F.Today the Slow Food Movement has already expanded out of Italy.
G.This event wasn’t the only thing that started the Slow Food Movement.
If you’ve ever been on a fishing boat, you’ve probably seen crowds of birds following it, hoping to catch a snack. Now scientists use those birds’ behavior to track illegal fishing boats.
Researchers attached data loggers to the backs of 169 albatrosses (信天翁) in Indian oceans. Weighing only 42 grams, the devices included a GPS, which enabled them to detect the presence and intensity of radar signals emitting from boats. That information was then sent by satellite, so the researchers could track the location of the birds—and thus the radar-emitting boats—in real time.
The scientists then cross-checked that data against the known locations of boats, collected from a system boats use to declare themselves, called the Automatic Identification System (AIS). And noticeable differences appeared frequently.
More than a third of the times the birds “loggers” detected radar signals, and therefore a boat, but no such boat appeared in the official log—meaning that the vehicles had likely switched off their AIS—something that probably happens in illegal fishing operations.
The work suggests birds could be an effective boat-monitoring tool as long as illegal fishing operations don’t target the birds.
Fortunately, such a task would be difficult. Around fishing boats, you can find hundreds of birds at any one time that are flying around. And the birds with loggers are not marked in any way. So it’s not really possible for fishermen to pick out a specific bird.
But what concerns researchers is that albatrosses often get caught by some fishing boats. Though regulations have been established to protect against that happening—with success—illegal boats don’t necessarily obey. So scientists might be underestimating the risk posed to albatross populations.
1.What characteristic of albatrosses do scientists take advantage of in their research?
A.Their feeding patterns.
B.Their sense of direction.
C.Their greedy behaviors.
D.Their habit of following fishing boats.
2.For what purpose does a boat shut off its AIS?
A.To seek more fishes.
B.To have it mistaken for another.
C.To avoid being detected.
D.To save the trouble of declaring itself.
3.What does “such a task” in Paragraph 6 refer to?
A.Identifying birds with loggers.
B.Monitoring illegal boats.
C.Tracking radar signals automatically.
D.Fishing illegally.
4.What could be the best title for the text?
A.AIS: an Effective System to Locate Boats
B.Humans Are Good at Discovering Birds’ Nature
C.Data Loggers Help Fishermen Get a Good Harvest
D.Scientists Use Birds to Track Illegal Fishing Operations
Every year, the brightest young scientists from around the globe come together to participate in the world’s largest pre-college science competition, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). They demonstrate their knowledge of science and engineering to improve the way we work and live.
One of 2019’s winners, Katie Lu, found a method for removing oil from water. This concept can also be applied to the removal of microplastics from our oceans as well.
Here is what Katie told reporters:
My experience at Intel ISEF was amazing! I remember on judging day, walking the exhibit hall and looking at the people gathered outside waiting to get in. My teacher turned to me and said, “That’s the future right there.” It was so amazing to spend time with all of these participants who are going to do amazing things in the future.
My scientific career has taught me not to fear failure and not to be afraid to ask for help. It’s really easy to be overwhelmed (挫败) and wonder if what you’re doing is going to work out, but even if it doesn’t, it’s OK! Always look on the positive side! A failure now doesn’t mean you’re a failure forever. Failure makes success feel earned when it comes. Also, asking for help is good when you’re struggling. You learn how to do things a lot faster and more efficiently.
I’m shocked that some people are still skeptical about climate change. It is real, it is dangerous and it is one of the most important issues of our generation. Reducing carbon emissions isn’t a “should”, it is a “must” to continue living on the planet. Additionally, people aren’t really worried about their personal impact on the earth in terms of littering, overusing plastic or wasting resources. If we don’t curb harmful human activity before it’s too late, it will be a problem that affects all humans, not just those that contribute.
1.What seems to concern Katie most?
A.Ocean exploration.
B.The overpopulation on the earth.
C.Environmental problems.
D.The shortage of natural energy.
2.What can we learn from what Katie’s teacher said?
A.No Intel ISEF, no future.
B.All the talents are at the Intel ISEF.
C.The participants will make the future amazing.
D.Katie should try to do better than the other participants.
3.What does Paragraph 5 mainly tell us？
A.The setbacks Katie experienced in her science.
B.The relationship between failure and success.
C.Seeking help is a shortcut to doing things well.
D.What Katie has gained from her scientific career.
4.What does the underlined word “curb” in the last paragraph most probably mean?
A.Punish. B.Control.
C.Deny. D.Measure.
With golden sunshine and a gentle breeze（微风）, autumn is the most beautiful seasons in the year. This is a great time to go outside and have fun. Go to a valley to see red maple trees,go and pick fruit in an orchard or find an open field to fly your kite in.
However, for many high school students, these great activities may be just a dream. With plenty of work to do, they spend all their hours indoors, struggling for a high mark in their exams. Of course, study is one of the most important things for teenagers. But life is definitely much more than that.
Sometimes we spend so much time studying that we forget how to make life wonderful. In doing so, we lose the real purpose of life —to be a valuable and happy person. To enjoy just how great it is to be alive, we have to put down our books and pens and look around us. Students, take some exercise to improve your health, talk with your parents and friends for understanding and walk around outside to refresh（振作）our body and mind.
Going out and enjoying the beautiful countryside often helps our creativity in our work. Chinese craftsman, Lu Ban created a saw to help woodworkers. But if he hadn’t walked outside, he would not have been inspired by a kind of toothed（锯齿状的）grass. We could also suppose if Newton hadn’t rested under that apple tree, then he wouldn’t have been hit by an apple, and his classic（经典的）theories would not have come out.
Going out is not only a break from hard work, but a chance to add to life experience. So come on, give your brain a good rest. Step out of the books and get your bag ready for an autumn outing. We are sure you will get much more than knowledge from the exciting journey.
1.In which paragraph does the writer make a summary about his opinion?
A.Paragraph 1. B.Paragraph 2.
C.Paragraph 4. D.Paragraph 5.
2.Why is going out a dream for many high school students?
A.They are unhappy to do so.
B.They have too much work to do for getting high marks in the exams.
C.Their parents don’t allow them to do so.
D.They think study is the most important thing for them.
3.The passage is developed mainly by______________.
A.describing the beautiful scenery in Autumn
B.pointing out the present situation of high school students
C.making predictions
D.reasoning and giving examples
4.What message can you learn from the passage?
A.Going out can make high school students get more.
B.Nature is power.
C.All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
D.The author isn’t happy with our education at all.
Our favorite tech gifts of 2019
When it comes time for the holiday shopping season, we’re extra choosy about the countless technology products that we will buy and give to friends and family. Here’s what impressed editors, reporters and producers the most in 2019.
Lumos Matrix
I recently bought a Lumos Matrix helmet (头盔) ($229) with built-in lights to make riding my bike at night a lot safer and less stressful. It’s a regular pain point for bikers like me to make sure absent-minded drivers see you, especially when it’s dark. This definitely helps.
— Matt mcfarland, Writer
Goodreads app
Although this isn’t a gift, the free Goodreads app is a gamechanger. At the beginning of 2019, I promised myself I’d read at least one new book every month. I set a goal of 12 books on Goodreads and used it to track my progress, keep a list of books I’m interested in and check out what friends and others on the app were recommending. I read 35 books this year! (That’s up from five books last year.) Goodreads feels like one of the rare feel-good social networks.
— Kaya Yurieff, Tech Reporter
Ember coffee cup
I drink my coffee slowly so it has routinely cooled by the time I get halfway through it. For my birthday, my mum bought me a cup ($99), which keeps my coffee warm until I finish it without trips to the microwave for reheating. I can also set the specific temperature I want. It makes my mornings so much easier.
— Millie Dent, Intern
1.What is the main advantage of Lumos Matrix helmet?
A.Helping drivers concentrate. B.Managing the bad weather.
C.Making night riding safer. D.Making bikers less painful.
2.What does the writer mean by referring to the Goodreads app as “a gamechanger”?
A.It changes some readers’ reading rules.
B.It provides readers with free internet games.
C.It limits the number of books a reader can read.
D.It inspires readers to read more through interactions.
3.Which of the following can best describe Ember coffee cup?
A.Eco-friendly. B.Convenient.
C.Expensive. D.Simple.
