Are people happier in nature with blue skies overhead and fresh green grass underfoot? Could noisy streets, crowded with cars and people, make us unhappy?
The possible mental health problems of city living affect a lot of people. The World Health Organization estimates(估计)that 56 percent of the world's population lived in urban areas in 2019. The WHO adds that that amount will increase to 66 percent by 2050. People often move to cities for better jobs and more cultural activities. But are they putting themselves at risk? Maybe. Experts at the American Psychiatry Association say that “natural environments or green spaces” do much good to our mental health.
Many studies have shown that nature can calm us and make us feel happy. Nature, experts say, can also help us learn better. And experiencing nature helps people recover from the mental tiredness that comes from day-to-day work. On the other hand, mental health experts say some research suggests that city living might hurt our mental health. But they cannot say exactly why.
What are the specific aspects of the urban environment which causes some people to develop mental illness? Andrea Mechelli, a doctor at Kings College, London, states, “There have been studies where people were literally taken out of an urban environment into a rural (乡村的) environment and their symptoms would improve. And we also see that the greater the city is, the greater the risk is.” Mechelli say that someone who lives in a city is three times more likely to develop psychological problem than someone living in the country.
Kings College researchers, along with city planners, land and building designers and others wanted to learn more about city living and mental illness. So, they created a smartphone app called Urban Mind. They say they wanted to understand how different parts of the urban environment affect mental wellbeing(健康).
The researchers found that being outdoors, seeing trees, hearing birdsong, seeing the sky, and feeling in contact with nature were associated with higher levels of mental well-being. They also found that these seeming effects of nature were especially strong in those individuals at greater risk of mental health problems. The Urban Mind Project team says it hopes “the results will inform future urban planning and social policy aimed at improving design and health.”
1.Why is the question raised in the first paragraph?
A.To introduce the topic of the text.
B.To show the background of the text.
C.To ask the readers to learn the study.
D.To raise the readers' interest in happiness.
2.What does Mechelli find during his study?
A.People are attracted by the blue skies and green grass.
B.People are more content with their city life.
C.More and more people are interested in taking risks in cities,
D.City people are more likely to develop mental problems than country people.
3.What is expected of the Urban Mind research result?
A.More people will choose to live in the countryside.
B.It will bring more concern about people s mental health.
C.It will contribute to future urban planning and social policies.
D.People will be helped to improve their mental illness.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A.Urban Mind measures the level of mental wellbeing.
B.City living may be harmful to people’s mental health.
C.Living in the countryside is better than in the city.
D.Different scientists hold different opinions on the effects of city living.
The Notre Dame (巴黎圣母院) fire has been put out, but its wooden roof have been largely damaged. The terrible accident causes a sudden sharp pain to people around the world, “What a pity that we cannot see the damaged parts of the wonder anymore.”
But the good news is that there is at least one way of seeing them, namely via a video game called Assassin's Creed: Unity. In this game, the player can travel to one city after another and enter the buildings exactly like what they are in reality, and see Notre Dame as it was before the fire. In addition, with VR technology, which is already quite mature, one can even look around the undamaged Notre Dame as if it is still there. Maybe digital technology could help to better protect architectural cultural heritage.
The idea of digitizing ancient buildings, making digital models of them so their data can be saved, dates back to the 1990s and the necessary technology has continued to advance since then. By scanning the ancient buildings with lasers, building 3D models with hundreds of images, as well as measuring everything precisely, engineers can make a copy as “same” as the real one.
As computers and smartphones are hugely popular，the digital replica or digital copy has great pratical value. First, it allows tourists to feel the cultural relics without touching them, which helps protect them. The virtual tour of Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu Province is a good example of this as tourists can view the paintings without standing near them. Furthermore, it can make the digitized cultural relics more famous by spreading awareness about them via the Internet. In 2000, a virtual tour of the Great Wall became very popular at the Hannover World Expo, which increased the number of foreign tourists visiting it in the following years. Above all, it preserves all the information of the cultural relics. Even if the original ones are damaged one day, people can still know what they were like and can build a replica if desired.
Time is the biggest problem to architectural heritage. Maybe we will have better technologies in the future，but the digital technology offers a practical way to preserve architectural cultural heritage at the moment.
1.Which of the following statement is true?
A.The big fire has damaged the whole Notre Dame.
B.Only people in Paris felt pain for losing Notre Dame.
C.The damaged parts of Notre Dame have already been repaired.
D.A video game can help people see the original look of Notre Dame.
2.What will engineers do to create a digital replica of the ancient buildings?
A.Scan the photos of the buildings B.Build 3D models of full size.
C.Improve the technology needed. D.Measure all the parts exactly.
3.How does the author prove the digital copy has vital practical importance?
A.By comparison. B.By listing data.
C.By giving examples. D.By classification.
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A.The Damage of Notre Dame
B.The Value of Digital Replica
C.VR Technology Helps Repair the Cultural Relics
D.Digital Technology Helps Protect Ancient Buildings
The annual marathon in my town occurred as scheduled. My job was to follow behind the runners in an ambulance in case any of them needed medical attention. As the athletes began to pace themselves, the front runners started to disappear. It was then that my eyes were drawn to the woman in blue running shorts and a baggy white T-shirt.
I knew we were already watching our “last runner”. Her feet were turned in, yet her left knee was turned out. Her legs were so crippled and bent that it seemed impossible for her to walk, let alone run a marathon.
The driver and I watched in silence as she slowly moved forward. We would move forward a little bit, then stop and wait for her to gain some distance. Then we’d slowly move forward a little bit more. As I watched her struggle to put one foot in front of the other, I found myself breathing for her and urging her forward. I wanted her to stop, and at the same time, I prayed that she wouldn’t.
Finally, she was the only runner left in sight. I sat on the edge of my seat and watched with respect and amazement as she pushed forward with sheer determination through the last miles. When the finish line came into sight, the cheering crowds had long gone home. Yet, standing straight and proud waited a man. He was holding one end of a ribbon tied to a post. She slowly crossed through, leaving both ends of the ribbon fluttering (飘动) behind her.
I don’t know this woman’s name, but that day she became a part of my life — a part I often depend on. For her, it wasn’t about beating the other runners or winning a prize. It was about finishing what she had set out to do. When I think things are too difficult or I get those “I-just-can’t-do-it,” I think of the last runner. Then I realize how easy the task before me really is.
1.What words can best describe the woman?
A.Proud and determined. B.Strong-willed and honorable.
C.Modest and courageous. D.Diligent and considerate.
2.What does the underlined word “crippled” in paragraph 2 mean?
A.Disabled. B.Healthy. C.Perfect. D.Strong.
3.What has the author learnt from the woman?
A.Don’t depend on others when facing hardships.
B.Nothing is too tough to accomplish if one is brave enough.
C.The disabled can also run a marathon despite their walking difficulty.
D.It’s not winning but finishing the thing we start that really matters.
4.What could be the best title for the text?
A.A Humorous Stranger. B.An Unforgettable Job.
C.The Last Runner. D.The Annual Marathon.
Low-cost Gifts for Mother’s Day
Gift No. 1
Offer to be your mother’s health friend. Promise to be there for all doctor’s visits whether she has a disease or needs a regular medical check-up. Most mothers always say there is no need, but another set if eyes and ears is always a good idea at a doctor’s visit. The best part? This one is free.
Gift No. 2
Help your mother organize all of her medical records, which include the test results and medical information. Put them all in one place. Be sure to make a list of all of her medicines and what time she takes them. “Having all this information in one place could end up saving your mother’s life,” Dr. Marie Savard said.
Gift No. 3
Enough sleep is connected with general health conditions. “Buy your mother cotton sheets and comfortable pillows to encourage better sleep,” Savard said. “We know that good sleep is very important to our health.”
Gift No. 4
Some gift companies such as Presents for Purpose allow you to pay it forward this Mother’s Day by picking gifts, 10 percent of whose price you pay goes to a charity (慈善机构). Gift givers can choose from a wide variety of useful but inexpensive things — many of which are “green” — and then choose a meaningful charity from a list. When your mother gets the gift she will be told that she has helped the chosen charity.
1.What are you advised to do for your mother at doctor’s visits?
A.To take notes. B.To be with her.
C.To buy medicines. D.To give her gifts.
2.Where can you find an idea for gifts to improve your mother’s sleep?
A.In Gift No. 1. B.In Gift No. 2.
C.In Gift No. 3. D.In Gift No. 4.
3.Buying gifts from Presents for Purpose allows mothers to ______.
A.enjoy good sleep B.be well-organized
C.get extra support D.give other help
请根据下面的写作要点和要求写一篇作文。
（写作要点）
1.如今广告无处不在。主要有两大类广告，商业广告和公益广告。
2.商业广告是为了推销某种产品或服务而花钱做的广告，而公益广告是免费的，目的是服务公众，旨在教育我们并帮助我们过上更好的生活。3.你对广告的态度。
（写作要求）
1.词数100左右;2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯;3.不必写标题。
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《苏州市生活垃圾分类管理条例》于6月1日正式实施。请你就垃圾分类写一封倡议书。
（写作内容）
1.垃圾分类的原因；2.垃圾分类的方法；3.呼吁市民进行垃圾分类。
（写作要求）
1.词数 80-100；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；3.开头已给出，不计入总数；
4.作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。 参考词汇：垃圾分类waste sorting；厨余垃圾leftovers；废旧电池used batteries
Dear fellow citizens,
Suzhou Municipal Government has recently established a regulation that all citizens shall sort wastes in a proper way.
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