Thinking of my good friends, I sense that my attitudes are totally different towards men and women.
My earliest childhood friend is Donald. In the street was a (an) _______ old German truck. No wheels. No doors. Each day, _______ we were flying over the Atlantic in that truck our “airplane” ,there came that wonderful moment: “Engine _______!” I'd shout, “We'll have to jump out.” Glancing at me, he'd say, “I can't _______!” 'Tear not! I'll drag you to the _______.
And when we swam _______ the dust, Donald cried “Sharks!” But I always _______ him. The next day, changing _______, Donald would do the same to me. We saved each other hundreds of times, but when my family really did leave for America, we could do _______. We just cried silently as the train ________.
These days, Jessica is one of my best friends. Recently we were swimming at a beach in the Atlantic, the ________one I had “flown” over in my German truck with Donald. We were far from shore when we both thought we ________a shark! We began swimming ________ toward the shore. Although in ________,I fell back to protect her. In the end, the “shark” proved ________. but not my deep emotional feeling for my friend. We looked into each other's eyes and said, “I love you!”
You see with women I could be ________, emotionally honest and transparent. With male friends, it seemed impossible to ________ caring feelings however deep the friendship was. “Am I normal?” I thought to myself. Much to my ________, researches show that men and women have very different ________ and rational (理性的)processes. I do love all my friends - only the means of expression ________.
1.A.advanced B.decorated C.abandoned D.updated
2.A.before B.while C.after D.until
3.A.loss B.death C.failure D.pressure
4.A.jump B.swim C.die D.run
5.A.dust B.river C.truck D.shore
6.A.over B.through C.across D.beyond
7.A.left B.fetched C.rescued D.defeated
8.A.roles B.manners C.images D.forms
9.A.something B.nothing C.anything D.everything
10.A.broke down B.moved in C.pulled away D.blew up
11.A.last B.very C.first D.only
12.A.spotted B.attacked C.annoyed D.killed
13.A.eagerly B.casually C.hardly D.crazily
14.A.panic B.hesitation C.doubt D.silence
15.A.fierce B.friendly C.true D.imaginary
16.A.cool B.shy C.passive D.open
17.A.express B.hide C.admit D.control
18.A.embarrassment B.disappointment C.relief D.surprise
19.A.emotional B.physical C.mental D.moral
20.A.changes B.develops C.matters D.differs
Social media, magazines and shop windows bombard people daily with things to buy, and British consumers are buying more clothes and shoes than ever before. In Britain, the average person spends more than £1,000 on new clothes a year, which is around four percent of their income.1.But it hides two far more worrying trends for society and for the environment. First, a lot of that consumer spending is via credit cards. British people currently owe approximately £670 per adult to credit card companies. That's 66 percent of the average wardrobe budget. Also, not only are people spending money they don't have, they're using it to buy things they don't need.2..
People might not realize they are part of the disposable clothing problem because they donate their unwanted clothes to charities.3.Huge quantities end up being thrown away, and a lot of clothes that charities can't sell are sent abroad, causing even more economic and environmental problems.
4.The idea originated in Canada in the early 1990s and then moved to the US, where it became a rejection of the overspending and overconsumption of Black Friday and Cyber Monday during Thanksgiving weekend.5.Throughout the year, Buy Nothing groups organize the exchange and repair of items they already own. They send a clear message to companies that people are no longer willing to accept the environmental and human cost of overconsumption.
A.Fast fashion' goes out of fashion as quickly as it came in and is often too poor quality to recycle;
B.Britain throws away 300,000 tons of clothing a year, most of which goes into landfill sites.
C.The British people are deeply shocked by the unexpected statistics.
D.On Buy Nothing Day people organize various types of protests and cut up their credit cards.
E.However, a 'buy nothing' trend is springing up in opposition to consumerism.
F.That might not sound like much.
G.But charity shops can't sell all those unwanted clothes.
Schools are under constant pressure to make budget cuts, and music programs are often first on the chopping block. However, a recent study from the University of British Columbia in Canada has shown that students who took music lessons in high school performed better in subjects such as English, science, and math.
The researchers collected data from over 100,000 students at public high schools across the province of British Columbia. Some of them took music lessons during high school while others never attended them. Checking the test scores of students who took music classes with those of their peers, the study found that the musicians got higher grades in a range of different school subjects.
Research like this has been done before, but as for the number of respondents, this study is much larger, and it took into account other factors that may have affected the results. For example, perhaps students who took music classes were encouraged to do so because they already had good grades. This UBC study rules out a number of other factors that could explain why music students performed better academically, and the researchers still find a clear effect of music lessons on academic performance.
Not only did music students perform better than non-musicians, but students who played an instrument did even better than those who sang. “Learning to play a musical instrument and playing in an ensemble(乐团) is very rewarding,” says Martin Guhn, one of the researchers, “A student can learn to read music notes, achieve eye-hand-mind coordination, develop keen listening skills and establish interpersonal relationships.”
What this study doesn't tell us, though, is why music makes these students perform better academically, but the research paper mentions a few possible explanations. Music practice is linked with neurological(神经系统的) changes that improves certain brain functions, affecting memory and planning skills. Besides, there is a possible motivational factor. Students who take music lessons see a tangible result from practice—they get better—and they might apply that to their other work. And the non-competitive team aspect of making music together could strengthen students' social development, which would also help them in other alias.
1.How did the researchers find the result of the research?
A.By conducting tests. B.By analyzing causes.
C.By making comparisons. D.By building models.
2.How is the recent study different from previous ones?
A.It covered more school subjects.
B.It allowed for students who sang.
C.It was carried out nationwide.
D.It produced a more convincing result.
3.Why did the author mention Martin Guhn's words in Paragraph 4?
A.To speak highly of music students.
B.To explain why music helps students perform better.
C.To present the benefits of playing instruments.
D.To encourage students to join an ensemble.
4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A.Music practice can make an overall improvement in students’ brain.
B.Progress made in music may motivate students to work harder in math.
C.Singing can't make any difference in improving students' memory.
D.Playing in an orchestra could make students less competitive in other fields.
The latest data from Nature's Calendar shows that the butterflies, newts and nest-building blackbirds have been spotted months before they would normally appear. An analysis of the conditions in 2019 found that all but one of the 50 spring events the scheme (计划)tracks were early last year, as a result of warmer winter temperatures. The Woodland Trust, which runs the Nature's Calendar scheme, warns that many species are losing their seasonal cues (提示)as winters warm and seasons shift.
Increasingly unstable weather could tempt some animals out of hibernation (冬眠)too soon, only to be hit by sharply dropping temperatures. And some birds appeared to be breeding too late to make the most of vital food sources that appear earlier than normal, the Trust said.
Lorienne Whittle, at the Woodland Trust, said, “It seems that last year we almost lost winter as a season — it was much milder and our data shows wildlife is responding, potentially putting many at risk.”
And she said, “It appears that some species are able to adapt to the advancing spring better than others. Oak trees respond by producing their first leaves earlier and caterpillars seem to be keeping pace. But blue tits, great tits and pied flycatchers are struggling to react in time for their chicks to take advantage of the peak amount of caterpillars— the food source on which they depend.”
Active newts were recorded in late December in Cheshire and a blackbird was spotted building a nest at the beginning of January. Accordingly, a report for The Wildlife Trust suggested that hedgerows (树篱)be protected from being cut during the nesting season.
1.What does the underlined word “tempt” in paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.help. B.attract. C.guide. D.threaten.
2.Why are oak trees mentioned in the text?
A.To explain why plants respond to the climate change.
B.To prove some species fit in with the climate change better.
C.To show how caterpillars react to the changing environment.
D.To suggest plants adapt to warmer winters better than animals.
3.How is the text mainly developed?
A.By listing environmental damages. B.By offering practical suggestions.
C.By making striking comparisons. D.By presenting tracking results.
4.What can be the best title of the passage?
A.Warmer winters: Wildlife under threat B.A practical scheme: Protection under way
C.A big danger: Birds' dying out D.A hard journey: Plants' struggling to survive
Katie always knew she wanted to be a performer. She was fond of Disney movies from an early age and would often sing along with her mom, Karen.
When Katie was nine years old, her happy childhood took a turn when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. When the doctor informed the Whetsell family that Keren's disease was terminal, they made a decision. Disney World had been a longtime dream vacation for Karen. So in November 1997, the family packed up and headed to Disney World. Katie says she'll never forget the moment that changed her life on that trip: After a long day at the parks, the Whetsells decided to see one of Disney World's many nightly light shows. While watching, a Disney cast member performing in the parade came up to her mom and rested her hand on Karen's shoulder. They exchanged smiles and, to this day, Katie remembered how at peace her mom looked. The whole family was touched and moved to tears. This was the day Katie decided she wanted to work for Disney.
After graduating from college, Katie went on to pursue performing for a living. She struggled for years, working as a waitress and trying to make it as an actor. Her hard work and passion finally paid off when she was hired to work on Disney Cruise Lines in 2009. Katie's favorite friend in the Disney World is Dory in “Finding Nemo the Musical”. She says that Dory has taught her the value of living in the present moment and to “just keep swimming.”
Katie has never lost sight of the fact that she and others who work for the company bring joy to the lives of many every day. “Everything we do at the parks makes a difference to many families. It's a way for us to help them forget. It's amazing to be able to comfort others.” When asked what her mother would think of her working at Disney World, she takes a deep breath and allows the tears to flow. “I just feel like she'd be so proud. I can feel her presence often and I feel her having a part in what I do. It's perfect.”
1.Why did the Whetsell family decide to go to Disney World in November 1997?
A.The Disney World has always been a good place for vacation.
B.Karen was seriously ill and Disney World was what she had dreamed for.
C.The Whetsell family were all fond of Disney characters.
D.Katie always wanted to go to the Disney World to be a performer.
2.What happened during the Disney trip that changed Katie's life?
A.A performer in the Disney parade brought comfort to her mom.
B.The whole family enjoyed themselves in the nightly light shows.
C.Katie took part in the parade performance and realized her dream.
D.Karen was invited to perform with cast members and she felt satisfied.
3.What's the purpose to mention Katie's favorite friend Dory?
A.To inform us more of Katie's struggling life.
B.To introduce another Disney character named Dory.
C.To imply Katie's understanding of life.
D.To tell us the importance to keep going.
4.Which of the following can best describe Katie's personality?
A.Intelligent and honest. B.Hard-working and dependent.
C.Selfless and sympathetic. D.Persistent and positive.
Make 2020 your most adventurous year yet by signing up for one of these trips of a lifetime. Sail to Aldabra Atoll for a fascinating journey, hike along the frontiers of Georgia, explore different habitats of human and animals: These journeys are unlike any trip you've ever taken before.
Exodus Travels
This once -in-a- lifetime journey visits Aldabra Atoll, one of the most remote UNESCO World Heritage sites on the planet. Hidden away from the impact of humans, Aldabra has managed to sustain a population of 152,000 giant tortoises. This is the trip for wild life enthusiasts: The clear waters of the Seychelles are home to 850 species of brilliantly colored fish that you'll visit on snorkel and dive excursions （旅行）.
Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel
Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel's Georgia Walking Tour showcases the country's wild side, with plenty of hikes in the Svaneti Mountains mixed with cultural experiences like a visit to the remote village of Adishi, home to just 12 families.
Natural Habitat Adventures
A nine-day adventure centered around Natural Habitat's unique luxury base camp near the edge of the Greenland ice sheet. You'll be in one of the world's most remote locations （with a maximum of only 11 other travelers in your group）, but still have access to hot showers and well-prepared meals. You'll spend your days exploring the surrounding water, meeting the local Inuit villagers, kayaking （独木舟）,and more.
Mountain Travel Sobek
Accompanied with expert guides, you'll track gorillas through Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, getting a rare chance to see these majestic creatures up close. You'll also focus your search on another rare creature—the golden monkey.
1.Who will be most likely to choose Aldabra Atoll as a perfect destination?
A.A UNESCO officer. B.An experienced hiker.
C.A passionate animal lover. D.An active environmentalist.
2.What can we learn about the Natural Habitat Adventures?
A.Travelers don't have to prepare a folding tent. B.Travelers have to make dinners alone.
C.Travelers enjoy a cold bath. D.Travelers will meet local Indian villagers.
3.Where is the passage most probably taken from?
A.A culture report. B.A reference book.
C.A tourism magazine. D.A geography textbook.
