The Qingming Festival is celebrated with a three-day national holiday, whose name originates from the saying "Plants start to revive and prosper at Qingming in a clean and bright way. Thus, the festival is called Qingming, "which means clean and bright.1.Tomb sweeping aims to commemorate family ancestors while going on a spring outing allows everyone the chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery and enjoy the season.
Traditional customs
Tomb sweeping.2.On this day, the whole family gathers in front of their ancestral tombs. They offer fruit and wine to their ancestors and clean the weeds from around the tomb. Finally, they kowtow and pray, hoping for their ancestors’ blessing for the rest of the year.
Spring outing. The time around the Qingming Festival is one of the most suitable seasons for a spring outing, as plants are thriving and flowers are blooming. People can have a great time outdoors with their friends and family. 3.
Traditional food
Qingtuan, a green rice ball tiny enough to fit into your hand, is also called Qingmingguo or Aiguo.4.It is a mixture of sticky rice powder and green vegetable juice, stuffed with sweetened bean paste, Qingtuan tastes sweet with the fresh fragrance of Aicao, a green spring vegetable, In celebration of Qingming, people from Shaanxi make steamed buns, known as Huamo, made into different shapes.5.Some are for peaceful family life while others represent the wish for health.
A.With each distinct look comes a good blessing
B.Playing football and flying kites are popular activities.
C.It is popular in the southern regions of the Yangtze River.
D.Family members gather together to celebrate and taste the food.
E.The tradition of tomb sweeping originates from the Qin Dynasty.
F.Many traditional customs are practiced to show respect for our ancestors.
G.The two main activities over the festival include tomb sweeping and going on a spring outing.
If humans ever settle on Mars, they will need water. There is just one problem---there seems to be only huge sheets of ice. Luckily, we know how to drill(钻孔） ice for water. Such methods are already used in Antarctica, and researchers now think they could get them to work on the Red Planet, too. The atmosphere of Mars is too dry to make extracting water vapour from it possible. So ice seems the best bet. But the obvious ice sheets are in the unlivable polar ice caps and would be difficult to reach for drilling.
However, in 2018, at the edge of the cliffs, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spotted relatively accessible water ice that is probably at least 130metres thick and covered in just a few metres of rock and dust. These may be the best place to get the water needed for future exploration of the planet.
The drilling techniques needed have already been developed for cold areas on Earth where we need to melt buried ice for water. In the early 1960s the US Army used a type of subsurface reservoir(水库)called Rod Well, in army camps in Greenland. The method works by drilling through the ground into the ice, melting the ice to create a pool, and then pumping water up. By supplying heat continuously, they create a reservoir and a steady water supply. It has been used in remote areas such as the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station Stephen Hoffman at the Aerospace Corporation in Texas and his colleagues simulated(模拟)how a Rod Well would do on Mars. They found that with the power of 9 kilowatts (千瓦)to melt ice, it could in theory produce about 380 litres of water each day and maintain a reservoir of constant size at the bottom of a borehole(钻孔). That is close to the average daily water use each person in the US, but about 10 times what each astronaut on the International Space Station uses daily.
1.Which of the following can replace the underlined word "extracting" in the first paragraph ?
A.obtaining B.protecting
C.Preventing D.choosing
2.Why does the author mention the Rod Well in Paragraph 3?
A.To explain how water ice is drilled on Mars.
B.To tell about the history of water ice drilling techniques.
C.To prove the importance of water ice drilling techniques
D.To show techniques for drilling water wells in Martian ice exist.
3.On average, how much water does an astronaut on the International Space Station use daily?
A.10 litres B.38 litres
C.160 litres D.380 litres
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A.Preparing to settle on the Red Planet one day.
B.Finding water on the Red Planet for survival.
C.Using some ways to create a livable environment on Mars.
D.Drilling water wells in Martian ice to survive on Mars.
Cats may have “attachment (依恋) styles” that are similar to those of people. Contrary to cats' original reputation, most cats form deep, close relationships with their owners, researchers say.
A team of researchers studied the relationship between the owners and their kittens by a type of psychology experiment. They set up a room, which is bare except for a few toys. The team instructed each owner to sit in a circle outlined on the floor in the middle of the room and ignore his or her kitten for two minutes, not making eye contact or speaking unless the cat stepped inside the circle. Owners were allowed to interact (互动) with their pet if the cat entered the circle. Then, the owner left the cat alone in the room for two minutes, before re-entering and again sitting inside the circle.
The researchers tested 79 kittens and their owners and recorded each pair’s interactions on camera. Based on how the cat reacted to their owner’s return, the researchers believed 70 of the participants have attachment styles. The findings indicate that the attachment is probably a biological characteristic that may have evolved (进化) to improve survival.
To see if a particular kitten’s attachment could change with training, 39 of the kittens were arranged to join a special class and 31 weren’t. For six weeks of classes, the kittens that attended a special class socialized with other cats and unfamiliar adults, and learned how to sit or walk on leash (皮带). But when all of the kittens repeated the original experiment, very few switched attachment styles. It proves that the relationship formed between a human and a cat is stable over time, which means those first interactions are important, the researchers say.
The team hopes that understanding how cats bond with humans could help more stray (无主的) cats be adopted.
1.What is the original impression that cats make on people according to the text?
A.Indifferent. B.Close.
C.Kind. D.Lazy.
2.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The process of the experiment.
B.The type of the experiment.
C.The achievements of the team.
D.The effect of the research.
3.What does the training classes suggest about a cat’s attachment to humans?
A.It changes easily.
B.It forms in six weeks.
C.It lasts for a long time.
D.It only shows to its owner.
4.From which is the text probably taken?
A.A biology textbook.
B.A research paper.
C.A health magazine.
D.A travel brochure
My teacher，Mr.August J.Bachmann，was the most influential teacher I ever had.
I had gotten into trouble in his class:Another student had pushed me for fun，and I became angry and began to hit him.Mr.Bachmann stopped the fight，but instead of sending me to the office，he sat me down and asked a simple question，“Penna，why are you wasting your life？Why aren't you going to college？”
I didn't know anything about colleges or scholarships.No one had ever considered that a fatherless boy from the poorest neighborhood had a future.That day，instead of rushing off for lunch，he stayed and explained possible education options to me.At the end of our talk，he sent me to see a secretary who had a child at a state college.This was in 1962 at Emerson High School in Union City，New Jersey.
Well，55 years have passed，and what have I done with the knowledge he gave me？I gained a PhD from Fordham University when I was only 29.I taught English and social studies and then moved up the chain of command from teacher to principal(校长).
I've sat on the board for Magnet Schools of America and represented that organization at the United Nations.I've won a number of great educational awards.But where would I be if a truly caring teacher had not taken the time out of his lunch period to speak to me？It was without question only his confidence in me that helped me forward.
I have repaid his kindness hundreds of times by encouraging misguided youngsters to aim higher.If I have saved any children，it is because of him.If I have been a successful educator，it is because I had a great role model in Mr.Bachmann.
1.The writer ________ before Mr.Bachmann talked to him.
A.was an active boy
B.was an aimless boy
C.liked making troubles in class
D.would get punished by his teachers
2.Which of the following best describes Mr.Bachmann?
A.Fair. B.Confident. C.Inspiring. D.Humorous.
3.How did Mr.Bachmann influence the writer?
A.He set the writer on the right path.
B.He was strict with the writer.
C.He helped the writer with his study.
D.He tried to set a good example to the writer.
4.What does the writer think of his achievement?
A.He is very proud of himself.
B.He feels his effort gets paid off at last.
C.He owes his achievement to Mr.Bachmann.
D.He thinks it an honor to be a successful educator.
Going out guide
R&B: Melanie Fiona
Known for such songs as “It Kills Me” and “This Time,” R&B singer Melanie Fiona made her first musical album(唱片) in 2009 with “The Bridge” and followed it up with “The MF Life” in 2012. A new album, “Next Train, ” is planned to drop this year.
8 pm, Feb. 13. Howard Theatre. 202-803-2899. $ 30—$ 59. 99.
Ballet: John Cranko's “Romeo & Juliet”
Celebrated South African choreographer (编舞者) John Cranko created the dance inspired by Shakespeare’s lovers with a score by Sergei Prokofiev. The production was first performed in the United States in 1969 and returns to the Kennedy Center under the artistic direction of Julie Kent.
Feb. 14 — 18. Kennedy Genter. 202-467-4600. $ 25— $ 160.
Exhibit(展览): “Brand New: Art and Commodity (商品) in the 1980s”
This exhibit shows the commodification of art in the 1980s, when trade, art and entertainment became unclear. The exhibit shows works by 68 artists, including Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger and Julia Wachtel.
Feb. 14 through May 13. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. 202-633-1000. Free
R&B: Valentine's Love Jam
R&E artists are known for some of our most beloved(喜爱的) love songs, and the performers lined up for this show are no exception. Singer-songwriters Tyrese (“Sweet Lady”) and Joe (“I Wanna Know”) join forces with SWV (“Weak”) ,Dru Hill (“Beauty”) and Next (“Wifey”) for this show.
8 p. m., Feb. 17. EagleBank Arena. 703-493-4000. $ 59—$ 99.
1.Which number should you call if you are interested in dance?
A.703-493-4000. B.02-633-1000. C.202-467-4600. D.202-803-2899.
2.Where can people enjoy a free show?
A.Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. B.Kennedy Center.
C.EagleBank Arena. D.Howard Theatre.
3.When can you attend a love song concert?
A.Feb. 18. B.Feb. 17. C.Feb . 14. D.Feb. 13.
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。
Not many years ago a man rented a store in a street named Market Street. While very busy getting boxes and other things inside the store, he happened to see a boy of eleven years standing by. So the merchant （商人）called to the boy, "See here, boy, if you help me today, I'll pay you well. " The boy looked at him but made no answer. The merchant asked "Don't you want to work?" The boy made some sorts of gestures, but remained silent. “Oh! you're some lazy, I guess. Well, if you don't want to work or even speak, just pass along about your business. " The merchant thought the boy's lazy attitude and silence meant disrespect and defiance （蔑视），and soon began to feel angry about it. "A young thief, I guess, watching his chance to steal something and run," thought the merchant. Soon he approached the boy with a threatening look. To his amazement, The boy stood back, making strange gestures and expressions.
"I'll teach you how to make faces and laugh at me. You've been doing this long enough." And without further delay the merchant raised his hand. But the boy, instead of running off, fell down on the pavement. Several people hurried to the spot and inquired what was the matter. "Why! That lazy boy refused to work when I offered him pay and hung around even when I ordered him away, and finally made faces and disrespectful gestures at me. So I was going to scare him and he dropped like that. He was not hurt enough to even cry about it. " One looker-on said, "Sir, that is poor Danny, he is deaf and dumb, perfectly inoffensive when you know him. We all humor him and let him stay around as long as he pleases, for his eyes are the chief blessings he possesses, and they can't injure anything."
When they lifted Danny, they found a wound upon his forehead, and tears were slowly creeping down his cheeks. Danny was carried into a store, and one of his friends who understood how to communicate with him, explained the merchant's mistake.
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