From the loss of wildlife to rising sea levels, we’re all well aware of the problems that climate change could cause.
But while it may seem like such issues won’t affect most of us directly, it looks like future generations could grow up without something that many of us now take for granted: chocolate.
According to an essay published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, changes to the climate in the regions that produce cacao – the plant from which chocolate is produced – may mean that it will soon become extinct.
Most of the world’s cacao grows in countries close to the equator(赤道), with over half of it growing in the African nations of Ghana and Ivory Coast.
It’s predicted that by 2050, climate change will have accelerated the rate at which temperatures in these countries rise, making it extremely difficult for cacao to grow there.
The problem doesn’t lie in increased heat, however, but in lower humidity (湿度), as it’s believed that rainfall will stay at the same level if the temperature rises.
“In other words, as higher temperatures squeeze more water out of soil and plants, it’s unlikely that rainfall will increase enough to offset the moisture(水分) loss,” Michon Scott, the essay’s author, wrote.
To help fight this problem, researchers from Berkeley University in the US are working on changing the DNA of cacao plants to allow them to survive in dryer conditions by using geneediting technology, according to US News.
In the meantime, US company Mars, one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of chocolate products, announced in January that it would spend $1 billion (6.33 billion yuan) to help reduce the effects of climate change.
“This is a world issue, and it requires everyone to work together,” Mars spokesperson Barry Parkin told Business Insider.
The message here is that if we all do our part, we may be able to prevent some of the worst impacts of climate change. Or if we’re unlucky, chocolate will become a thing of the past.
1.What could make it hard for cacao to grow around the equator in the future?
A.the higher temperatures there
B.the higher humidity there
C.the increase in rainfall there
D.the moisture loss in the soil there
2.What did Barry Parkin suggest?
A.No man is an island.
B.Every little bit counts.
C.United we stand; divided we fall.
D.Wish for the best; prepare for the worst.
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A.UC Berkeley is trying to find a substitute for cacao.
B.Cacao can only be found in most African countries.
C.Climate changes can be controlled if we are lucky.
D.Mars will financially support the fight against climate changes.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The origin of chocolate.
B.The future of chocolate.
C.The history of chocolate.
D.The ingredients of chocolate.
Porridge doesn't have a very tasty name, does it? It doesn't have a very tasty reputation, either. I'm here to try and convince you that porridge isn’t boring and tasteless, that it can be a delicious, convenient and very healthy way to start the day.
If you’ve never eaten it (although you probably have), porridge is a type of food served for breakfast. It is usually a type of grain, like rice or oat (燕麦), mixed with either milk or water, and often heated up. It is often thicker than liquid, but not solid and is very easy to digest, so it's a better option for people who are ill, and it provides long-lasting energy for the day.
Porridge preparation--the amount of ingredients (配料) and cooking time—depends on what you choose to use as your porridge base. If I'm cooking for myself, I put a very big handful of ‘rolled’ oats in a saucepan, add a little bit of water and about 200ml of milk, and let the mixture boil. I stir the porridge constantly, and it takes about five to ten minutes to cook.
Once it's cooked, the fun part is adding the flavors. Porridge alone doesn't have a very strong flavour. Although some people think this makes porridge boring, I think this is what makes porridge exciting! It is like a blank piece of paper—you can add almost anything you want to the porridge base. Greens, nuts and dried fruits are very healthy options to add and can give you energy for the day. But if you don't like these, or you're allergic, then honey and chocolate are also very tasty options. (Just don’t add to much!)
One of the best things about porridge? You can make it almost anywhere in the world. Either oats or rice or both are “staple foods (主食)” for many people across the world. You can usually buy big bags of either, then add local ingredients to make your porridge interesting—whatever is cheap and convenient to find, wherever you are. I am currently in Mexico, and I love to heat my oats up with milk, then mix in peanuts and pumpkin seeds and cacao nibs, and I put a layer of sugar over the top to make my porridge sweeter.
Porridge? Hopefully it sounds a lot tastier now!
1.What is the purpose of the text?
A.To give brief introduction to various porridge.
B.To show how to prepare porridge for the patient.
C.To warn us not to have porridge for breakfast.
D.To introduce the benefits of porridge.
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Porridge is often thicker, liquid and solid.
B.Porridge alone has a very strong flavor.
C.Porridge is to many people's liking.
D.Porridge is only served for breakfast.
3.According to the author, what is the best thing about porridge?
A.It provides long-lasting energy for the day.
B.It is cheap and convenient to make.
C.It's a better option for people.
D.It is never boring and tasteless.
4.What's the author's favourite flavor?
A.Porridge with Sugar. B.Porridge with oats.
C.Porridge with fruit. D.Porridge with milk.
My friend, Monty Roberts owns a horse ranch (养马场). The last time I was there he introduced me a story like this: There was a young man who was the son of a horse trainer, who would go from stable (马厩) to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch to ranch, training horses. So the boy's school career was continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.
That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. He also drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch. He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, “See me after class.”
The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked why he received an F. The teacher said, "This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land. There's no way you could ever do it... If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.”
The boy went home and thought about it long and haul. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, "Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.” Finally, after a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, “You can keep the F and I'll keep my dream."
Monty then turned to me and said, "I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4, 000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.” He added, "The best part of the story is that two years ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week. When the teacher was leaving, he said, “Look, Monty, when I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids’ dreams. Fortunately you had enough ambition not to give up on yours.”
1.Why was Monty’s schooling continually interrupted?
A.Because he didn’t like his teacher.
B.Because he had to do much housework.
C.Because he refused to go to school sometimes.
D.Because his father always changed his working place.
2.How did the father deal with his son’s problem?
A.He did not pay attention to it.
B.He punished his son for the large red F.
C.He encouraged his son to make his own decision.
D.He scolded his son for the ridiculous plan.
3.What can we infer from the teacher's remarks in the last paragraph?
A.Skill comes by exercise.
B.Everybody's good at something.
C.It's great to have dreams.
D.Where there is a will, there is a way.
4.What's the best title for the text?
A.A boy having no changes B.A boy following his heart
C.A boy holding on to his dream D.A boy owning a horse ranch
Want a book? Head to a Rocket Ship in Boulder, Colorado, United States, a cottage (小屋) near Ghen, Belgium, or a tree in Coeurd’ Alene, Idaho, United States. These are just three of the more than 80,000 Little Free Libraries in more than 90 countries. Unlike traditional libraries, these small structures aren't buildings where people check out books from a librarian.
“A Little Free Library is a box full of books from which, when you find one, you can take a book home with you,” explains Margret Aldrich, Little Free Library spokes-woman. “Or if you have a book to share, you can leave it for someone else to read.”
Little Free Libraries are everywhere: outside homes or beside coffee shops.
The first was set on a post in front of Todd Bol’s home in Hudson, Wisconsin, United States. The little schoolhouse Bol built held free books anyone could enjoy.
It became a local hit.
A year after setting up his library, Bol and Rick Brooks, a friend and business partner, launched Little Free Library as a nonprofit organization in 2012. Their goal was to make books more widely available while building connections within communities.
They inspired a book-sharing revolution.
Little Free Libraries began to spread all over the place-from Salvador, Brazil, to Grand Marais, Minnesota, United States.
Today, those who want to build one can get free instructions from the Little Free Library website.
“There weren't many public places like libraries where I live” says 10-year-old Umayr Ansari, who put a Little Free Library outside his home in Doha, Qatar. “I had a lot of extra books, and I wanted to share them so people who didn't have their own books could have a chance to read.”
“I liked to build the libraries and get the feeling of, ‘Wow I helped make that,’” says 11-year-old Ava Jelliek, “That gave me confidence.”
1.Where was the first Little Free Library set up?
A.In Wisconsin, United States. B.In Salvador, Brazil.
C.In Ghen, Belgium. D.In Doha,Qatar.
2.What does the underlined word “it” refer to?
A.The first free library. B.Todd Bol's home.
C.A nearby coffee shop. D.A cottage near Ghen.
3.What can we learn about Umayr Ansari and Ava Jelliek's opinion?
A.They are happy to have their own libraries.
B.It’s good to make money by building a Little Free Library.
C.They are eager to build connections with friends.
D.It's a pleasure to help people read books easily.
在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
There were many great philosophers in ancient China.
Confucius, 1.was born in 551BC and died in 479 BC, was the 2.( great ) philosopher of all time in the history of China. He stressed the 3.(important) of kindness, duty and order in society. His ideas affected Chinese society for over 20000 years.
Mencius, born in 372 BC, was a student of Confucius’s ideas. So, his teachings were similar to4.of Confucius. He believed man was born with good and5.people were more important than rulers. He wrote a book in his last years6.( call ) The Book of Mencius.
Mozi, who was born in 476 BC and died in 390 BC, was also7.influential philosopher. In some ways, his ideas were similar to those of Confucius. 8.example, he9.( think ) government was the most important thing. Mozi believed all men were10.( equally ). His idea of love differed from the Confucian idea of kindness, Mozi founded the philosophy called Mohism.
I’m glad I got sick
Twenty-seven years ago I got sick. The reason I can remember the date so well is that being sick is What___________ me to choose my future wife. She was just a good friend, but because she _______to my apartment, brought me medicine, and made me breakfast, I thought for the first time “what a super wife she will _______for someone”
I took her out to eat for helping me get _______the flu. After that we became even better friends, but still_______thought of marriage. A few months later I was going to_______a new job in the Atlanta area, so Cathy helped me_______up boxes to get ready to leave. We_______great time that day and had lunch together. Near the end of that day I_______a few tears in Cathy’s eyes, so I asked what was ________
She said, “ I don’t know if I can live________you. You are my best friend.” I said. “ I know. I’ve been thinking of the ________thing.” That day we decided to get married and we have been married ever since. We have had our ________times, as many others have had, but we are still best friends!
________I get to the family unit in my Health class and we talk about ________. I always tell this story. My students seem to love it because they learn that ________, sharing and caring about others is all that really ________
in life, and that looks, money and other things are not important.
________the way, my wife is 12 years younger than me, and she is beautiful. We have two beautiful children, but we still have dates ________weekend.
Cathy is the greatest thing that has ever ________to me! She is a fantastic mother, and the best wife a coach could ever have. Thank God I got sick 27 years ago!
1.A.brought B.resulted C.followed D.caused
2.A.came over B.came out C.came up with D.came back
3.A.develop B.get C.become D.prove
4.A.up B.over C.off D.away
5.A.much B.more C.less D.no
6.A.take B.give C.hand D.continue
7.A.pick B.take C.pack D.look
8.A.spent B.had C.took D.cost
9.A.noticed B.observed C.looked D.watched
10.A.right B.terrible C.wrong D.awful
11.A.with B.without C.by D.on
12.A.different B.difficult C.similar D.same
13.A.hard B.happy C.wonderful D.common
14.A.Unless B.Until C.When D.Though
15.A.health B.marriage C.exercise D.hobby
16.A.taking B.supporting C.gaining D.giving
17.A.matters B.works C.helps D.needs
18.A.In B.By C.On D.Off
19.A.any B.some C.all D.every
20.A.contributed B.spoken C.happened D.led
