I live in a landscape surrounded by shopping malls. So it’s quite ______ to feel connected to the land. I wanted ______ for my children: soil, Mother Earth and ecology. I’m a classic suburban mom. But I grew up ______ summers at my grandparents’ farm. I used to pick wild blackberries, catch fishes, and run between the tows of tall corm plants. I knew what wild garlic looked like. I ______ picked flowers from the honeysuckle (金银花) and sucked the nectar (花蜜) out. I’ve ______ my kids to do the same. “It’s so sweet, Mom,” they told me.
____, instead of teaching my kids about the landscape, I decided to teach them a love of the land they live in. I was determined to ______ PBL-place-based learning. So we went to the ______ parking lot near the dead mall and ______ dandelion (蒲公英) greens, which make delicious spring salad. We dug with sticks in the wheel ruts (车辙印) along the road while going home. My ten-year old found a special rock which ______ him to start a rock collection. In the fall. I took my kids to stands of chestnut trees and ______ them how to get the eatable nuts from the branches. I had taught them some big ______ about the earth, the ______ of which they should have appreciation for.
It has been revolutionary to be outside. We have ______ simply walking, observing, feeling the dirt under our feet, and happily bringing home something we ______ with our own hands.
1.A.challenging B.wonderful C.relaxing D.disappointing
2.A.admiration B.gratitude C.connection D.amusement
3.A.learning B.spending C.expecting D.witnessing
4.A.voluntarily B.instantly C.delicately D.carelessly
5.A.forbidden B.required C.ordered D.taught
6.A.However B.In conclusion C.As a result D.Similarly
7.A.investigate B.practice C.test D.discover
8.A.abandoned B.scary C.new D.collapsed
9.A.touched B.smelt C.viewed D.sought
10.A.urged B.inspired C.forced D.needed
11.A.informed B.watched C.asked D.showed
12.A.classes B.courses C.lessons D.lectures
13.A.scenery B.beauty C.future D.custom
14.A.imagined B.considered C.enjoyed D.insisted
15.A.harvested B.planted C.made D.shared
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.
Forget about the “post-1995 generation”. Young people born in 1995 or later have another name in English — Generation Z. They are entering adulthood and will soon shape our future, which is why policy makers, as well as employers and marketers, are trying their best to understand these young people. So, how should we pin down the Gen Z-ers?
Most people will agree that the single biggest difference between Gen-Z and other generations is how connected they are. This is a group of people who were hooked up to social media as soon as they were born. Social media has changed the way Gen Z-ers interact with each other and how they get and process information. They read news from Twitter, watch videos from Vine, share experiences in Instagram and post recipes in Pinterest.
“We are the first true digital natives. I can almost simultaneously create a document, edit it, post a photo on Instagram and talk on the phone, all from the user-friendly iPhone,” said Hannah Payne, an 18-year-old UCLA student.
It is noted that young people in the UK are becoming more active in Politics. Young people regard voting as one option among many to show their political engagement that can potentially influence policies. Instead of party politics, they focus more on single-topic issues such as feminism (女权主义) or climate change. And “much of the engagement and organizing they do takes place on social media rather than through traditional political structures,” according to the Guardians.
Gen Z-ers are also culture creators. Growing up with the Internet has freed this generation from traditional cultural expression. They are no longer willing to let their creativity be limited by their parents or traditional rules.
“We decide what kind of content we want to experience and choose how we experience it,” wrote Masback, a Huffington Post blogger and a Gen Z-er herself.
1.What does the underlined phrase “pin down” mean in Paragraph 1?
A.Cooperate with. B.Firmly convince.
C.Clearly understand. D.Communicate with.
2.What is special about the Gen Z-ers’ engagement in politics?
A.It’s topic-specific. B.It stresses social response.
C.It’s party-based. D.It has an immediate effect.
3.What can be inferred about the Gen Z-ers from the last two paragraphs?
A.They enjoy great freedom to express themselves. B.They are unwilling to obey their parents.
C.They are rooted in traditional culture. D.They are addicted to social media.
4.What is the author’s attitude towards Gen Z-ers?
A.Worried. B.Critical. C.Objective. D.Appreciative
Most of the new diseases we humans have faced in the past several decades have come from animals. The more we come into contact with wild animals, the more we risk a so-called disease “spillover” from animals to humans.
“As people move and wildlife move in response to a changing environment, humans and wildlife and animals will come in contact more regularly,” said Jeanne Fair from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Fair argues that by shifting animal habitats, climate change will also make the opportunities for disease spillover more frequent. “Everything is sort of shifting and will shift into the future as the environment changes through climate change,” Fair said.
Scientists, including climatologists and epidemiologists (流行病学家) on Fair’s team at Los Alamos, are beginning to model how changes to the climate will impact the spread of infectious diseases. It’s early days for this kind of research, but previous studies suggest that extreme weather has already played a role in at least one outbreak. Scientists say drought and deforestation have combined to force bats out of rain forests and into orchards (果园) in Malaysia to find food. Those bats, a common disease reservoir, then passed the Nipah virus through pigs to humans for the first time in the late 1990s.
“We’re going by the past data to really predict what’s going to happen in the future,” Fair said, “And so, anytime you increase that wildlife-human interface, that’s sort of an emerging disease hot spot. And so, that’s just increasing as we go forward.”
Jeffrey Shaman, head of the climate and health program at Columbia University’s public health school, argues we don’t yet know whether climate change will cause a net increase in infectious disease rates globally. For example, mosquitoes carry disease that affects millions of people across the world every year. As their habitats expand in some parts of the world, they might contract diseases elsewhere. Shaman says what we know for certain about climate change is that it will make it harder to predict where disease outbreaks will pop up.
1.How does climate change affect the spread of disease according to Fair?
A.By breaking animals’habits. B.By increasing animals’varieties.
C.By promoting animals’breeding. D.By changing animals’living environment.
2.What is the example of bats for in paragraph 3?
A.Explaining the influence of Nipah virus.
B.Proving the harm of bats to human beings.
C.Showing the effects of climate change on disease.
D.Presenting scientists’early study about the cause of disease.
3.What can we infer from Fair’s words in paragraph 4?
A.Humans should give up studying animals.
B.Frequent contact with animals can cause disease outbreaks.
C.Disease hot spots will disappear if animals die out.
D.Past data can solve the problems in the future.
4.What could be the best title for the text?
A.Climate Change and Disease Spillover
B.Animals’Interaction with Humans
C.Early Studies about Extreme Weather
D.Scientists’Prediction for Disease Outbreaks
My violin is like a soul mate that whispers words of wisdom to me. Together, we’ve gone through both tears and happiness.
About 12 years ago, I made acquaintance with it following an order from my mom. Many hours of boredom were spent practicing it. And to make things worse, the disappointment in my teacher’s eyes as I played the wrong notes was like an invisible hammer, striking on my heart. One day, I finally decided: I hate it!
By chance, things changed when I was seven. I was at home lying on the sofa, wondering how those famous violinists dealt with this terrible dilemma. I searched online for the E-minor Concerto, a well-known violin work by German composer Felix Mendelssohn, and listened to it.
A beautiful and mysterious sound came from the violin as the bow moved across it. It was like the music slid over the flowers, rose up, and started to fill the air. The violin’s voice woke up the sun, made the trees green, and freshened the air. As the music changed, the sky turned back to gray. A gloomy shade covered the grass as all the sunshine disappeared. I could hear children crying and men shouting. It was like an invisible claw had grabbed my heart tightly, making it unable to beat.
That glorious day set off my passion and interest in violin — I grabbed mine and never let it go. Before the memories faded, I stared at my instrument. Without hesitating, I picked it up, rosined (用松香擦) the bow, and began to play. Peace filled my heart.
My violin has been by my side for 12 years. When I feel happy, an energetic tune makes it even better; when I’m deep in sorrow, a peaceful tune washes it away, when I’m walking on air, feeling especially pleased with my achievements, solemn (庄严的) tunes calm me down. Gradually, it has become a part of my life.
My violin, shall I compare you to a summer’s day?
1.What further contributed to the author’s dislike of violin-playing?
A.Orders from mum. B.Disappointment in the teacher’s eyes.
C.Loss of passion for violin. D.Boredom of practice.
2.What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
A.The author’s feeling was continuously influenced by the music.
B.The weather actually changed because of the tune.
C.The sudden change made the author’s heart unable to beat.
D.The scenery outside the room was quite attractive.
3.Why did the author pick up the violin again?
A.The invisible hammer and claw are gone. B.The beautiful imagination changed his attitude.
C.A famous tune aroused his interest and passion. D.He was crazy about Felix Mendelssohn’s works.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.Deep love for music B.My dislike and like of violin
C.An inspiring violin D.Musical soul mate—violin
European architecture in Tianjin is a window showing China’s historical changes. In a one-day tour, you can see some old western-style private residences, former Imperial Gardens and enjoy Tianjin snacks, like a time traveler.
The Garden of Jingyuan
The Garden of Jingyuan was constructed in 1921. It’s now an excellent example of an old private residence in Tianjin, which is now well-preserved. The last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Puyi, once lived here after his abdication(退位), from July 1929 to November 1931. He changed the name to Jingyuan, which references his desire to strengthen and ennoble his spirit by living in a peaceful environment.
Address: 70 Anshan Road, Heping District
Transport: Anshan Road (Subway Line 1)
Tickets & Opening Hours: Closed Monday; Tuesday to Sunday, 8:30-5:00p.m. RMB ¥20 per person
Zhangyuan Garden
This grand mansion was built in 1915 by Zhang Biao, a former high-ranking official in the Qing Court. In 1924, Dr. Sun Yat-sen and his wife Soong Ching Ling stayed in it for several months. In 1925, Puyi, the last emperor of China, had a brief stay here after his abdication from Beijing. It is certainly a strange coincidence that the founder of the Republic of China and the last emperor chose exactly the same place to live, though at different times.
The mansion is visible from the street, but the buildings and gardens are not open to the public at present.
Italianate Street
Nearly 200 European-style buildings have been conserved in the old Italian Concession(租借地)and form the modern --Italian-style Street on the north bank of the Haihe River. The street has been developed as a shopping center and entertainment district. A square named after Marco Polois surrounded by numerous Italianate large buildings. Pictures of their former residences will be a highlight of your photo albums.
Address: The Cross Between Shengli Road and Ziyou Road, Hebei District
Transport: Jianguo Road (Subway Line 2)
Tickets & Opening Hours: Access all day for nothing
If you want to feel old-people’s lives and taste snacks in Tianjin, you can tour to Confucian Temple near the Ancient Culture Street . Most snacks in Tianjin are made of flour. Some are deepfried or baked while some are made into sticky sweets. Goubuli steamed stuffed baozi, ear-hole fried cake and Guifaxiang fried dough twists are the top three local snacks.
1.What can we know from Puyi’s renaming the place to Jingyuan?
A.He wanted to feel old-people’s lives and taste snacks.
B.He desired to strengthen and ennoble his imperial palace.
C.He was determined to well preserve this Chinese-style residence.
D.He would like to lead a quiet and calm life after his abdication.
2.Which of the following tourist attractions is not open to the visitors?
A.The Garden of Jingyuan B.Italianate Street
C.Zhangyuan Garden D.Confucian Temple
3.What’s the best thing you can do in Italianate Street?
A.Buying Italian clothes for your family.
B.Taking pictures with Italian friends.
C.Enjoying European-style buildings.
D.Walking around the Marco Polo Square.
