Sometimes a certain day has a special meaning. Fridays meant a trip to a senior nursing home downtown for me. It seemed as if this nursing home needed help, but_______did I know it would help me, too.
During my first visit I was asked to_______some of the female residents' nails. I carefully_________the old color on their nails. As I applied new color, one woman_______to tell me about her hidden pains, from her husband’s death to the one_______she wanted most: a camera. I listened carefully. She smiled_______, with some of her past pains taken off her mind. I left the nursing home that day, _______ by the fact that I had actually helped somebody.
I realized that my_______ actions, just listening, for example, could make a(n)_______to others' lives. One woman, who happily commented that we________the same first name, confided (吐露) her opinions to me. Another________showed me a birthday card her children had sent her. Of course, not all of the conversations were ________. When one elderly woman talked to me about ________ her 13-year-old daughter would be graduating from middle school this year, I didn’t know what to do but nod and listen, ________that her daughter must have graduated decades ago.
Although I could not________more years to the lives of these elderly residents, I could give them something simple that's often________in our society. Through our conversations, I gave them the________ that in this fast-paced world, they were not forgotten—that members of younger generations still cared about them.
Every moment I spend________is an opportunity to reduce their pain. ______, that moment also shapes me. I not only learn about life and experiences outside of school but also receive the gift of being part of this________—the connection between humans. Those moments of sharing and listening are magical for both the giver and the receiver.
1.A.still B.little C.already D.indeed
2.A.polish B.wash C.cut D.check
3.A.took away B.rubbed off C.showed off D.gave up
4.A.continued B.expected C.agreed D.started
5.A.collection B.product C.award D.item
6.A.at least B.more or less C.in relief D.in vain
7.A.inspired B.reminded C.moved D.puzzled
8.A.unique B.polite C.casual D.simple
9.A.chance B.impression C.difference D.decision
10.A.remembered B.shared C.contained D.carried
11.A.cautiously B.accidentally C.proudly D.finally
12.A.pleasant B.serious C.formal D.interesting
13.A.when B.why C.what D.that
14.A.convincing B.knowing C.indicating D.persuading
15.A.add B.connect C.supply D.compare
16.A.valued B.loved C.blamed D.overlooked
17.A.memory B.possibility C.assurance D.assumption
18.A.chatting B.waiting C.acting D.watching
19.A.Above all B.In other words C.In turn D.In a word
20.A.tradition B.process C.habit D.trip
Many of us choose to live in smaller spaces, especially in big cities, than we’d like owing to the high housing price1.
They’re cheaper to decorate. It can take thousands of dollars worth of decoration simply to make a large space look inviting. Small spaces, however, make decorating more simple and affordable. Instead of many pieces of large, expensive furniture, you only need a few to make your style sing. You’ll have plenty of money left for other things.
They’re easier to clean.2.The bigger the space, the longer it takes to organize and tidy up.No one wants to spend hours just cleaning. That’s why small spaces are welcomed by those who like being surrounded by order and cleanliness and don’t want to spend a ton of time and energy in keeping them that way.
3.It takes a lot to pay for heating, cooling and electricity, which can also cost much energy. When you compare the electricity bill of someone living in 500 square feet with that of someone living in 3,000 square feet, the difference can be great. 4. So it also does good to our beloved Mother Nature. They’re easier to personalize. Ever have you walked into a large home that feels more like a museum than the small home of someone you know? It’s usually not the most familiar or welcoming atmosphere. Actually, you want your home to show your personal style. 5.
A.They are more expensive to live in.
B.They’re more economical and greener to maintain.
C.Living in small homes makes your life more convenient.
D.That must be one of your favorite things in such a busy life.
E.Less energy is used and less waste is produced in small spaces.
F.It is not that bad, however, considering their advantages.
G.It is much easier to decorate a small home in your own style.
Record fires sweeping across the Amazon recently have been making the headlines as scientists and environmental groups are worried that they will worsen climate change crisis and endanger biodiversity(生物多样性）。
As the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon is often called"the lungs of the world”. It is also home to about 3 million species of plants and animals, and 1 million local people. The vast area of rainforest plays an important role in the world's ecosystem because it absorbs heat instead of reflecting heat back into the atmosphere. It also stores carbon dioxide and produces oxygen, ensuring that less carbon is released, reducing the effects of climate change.
＂Any forest destroyed is a danger to biodiversity and the people who use that biodiversity," Thomas Lovejoy, an ecologist at George Mason University told National Geographic."The great danger is that a lot of carbon goes into the atmosphere,"he stressed."In the midst of the global climate crisis, we cannot afford more damage to a major source of oxygen and biodiversity.The Amazon must be protected,"UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.
Data from the National Institute for Space Research(INPE)show that the number of forest fires in Brazil quickly increased by 82 percent from January to August a year ago.A total of 71,497 forest fires were registered in the country in the first 8 months of 2019,up from 39,194 in the same period in 2018,INPE said.＂We estimate that the forest areas in the Brazilian Amazon have decreased something between 20 and 30 percent compared to the last 12 months," Carlos Nobre, a researcher at the University of Sao Paulo, told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
Brazil owns about 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest,whose degradation(恶化）could have severe consequences for global climate and rainfall.The extent of the area ruined by fires has yet to be determined, but the emergency has gone beyond Brazil's borders.
1.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The great role of the Amazon rainforest.
B.The effects of consistent climate change.
C.The causes of the decreasing biodiversity.
D.The results of the Amazon rainforest fires.
2.Why does the author mention the figures in the fourth paragraph?
A.To explain the process of the research.
B.To present the bad influence of forest fires.
C.To prove the great importance of the rainforest.
D.To show the emergency of protecting the rainforest.
3.What does the author want to tell us in the passage?
A.The dry weather leads to the rainforest fires.
B.The biodiversity makes the rainforest unique.
C.The rainforest fires result in serious consequences.
D.The global climate crisis brings more rainforest fires.
4.Which section of a magazine might this passage probably be taken from?
A.Climate and life.
B.Nature and geography.
C.Humankind and society.
D.Science and technology.
Try this: For an entire day, forget about the clock. Eat when you’re hungry and sleep when you’re tired. What do you think will happen?
You may be surprised to find that your day is much like most other days. You’ll probably get hungry when you normally eat and tired when you normally sleep. Even though you don’t know what time it is, your body does. These patterns of daily life are called circadian rhythms(生理节奏), and they are more than just habits. Inside our bodies are several clocklike systems that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle. Throughout the day and night, our inner clocks direct changes in temperature, body chemicals, hunger, sleepiness and more.
Everyone’s rhythms are different, which is why you might like to stay up late while your sister always wants to go to bed early. But on the whole, everyone is programmed to feel tired at night and energetic during the day. Learning about our body clocks may help scientists understand why problems arise when we act out of step with our circadian rhythms. For example, traveling across time zones can make people wake up in the middle of the night. Regularly staying up late can make kids do worse in tests.
“There is a growing sense that when we eat and when we sleep are important parts of how healthy we are,” says Steven Shea, director of the Sleep Disorders Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
One way to learn about how our body clocks tick is to mess them up and see what happens. That’s what neurologist(神经病学家)Frank Scheer and his workmates did in a recent study. Staying up night after night, their studies suggest, could make kids extra hungry and more likely to gain weight. And regularly sleeping too little, Scheer says, may be one cause of the recent increase in childhood obesity.
1.What will happen if you forget about the clock according to the passage?
A.You will feel upset.
B.You will behave normally.
C.Your body will not know what time it is.
D.You will probably get hungry more easily.
2.Mike feels energetic at 12 midnight while Tom feels sleepy. What advice would be given by the writer?
A.Both should see a doctor. B.Tom should see a doctor.
C.Both should take it easy. D.Mike should have a watch.
3.How do Frank Scheer and his workmates study body clocks?
A.By seeing what happens when they are messed up.
B.By asking questions and collecting answers.
C.By studying people traveling across time zones.
D.By programming people with man-made clocks.
4.What will the writer most probably talk about next?
A.Other examples of what people will do when their body clocks go wrong.
B.Some effective medicines that can keep people from putting on weight.
C.The importance of eating healthy food.
D.What circadian rhythms are and how they work.
One year, a newspaper of the United States published an announcement-the Horticultural (园艺) Institute offered a reward at a high price for the pure white marigold (金盏花). The high reward attracted so many people, but in nature besides golden, the marigold is brown；it is not easy to create the white one. So after they were excited for a time, many people forgot that announcement.
One normal day after 20 years, the Horticultural Institute accidentally received a letter and 100 seeds of pure white marigold. On that day the news spread like wildfire. It turned out to be an old woman of over 70 years old. The institute had always been hesitating over the fact that the letter stated with certainty that the seeds could bloom(开花) pure white marigold.
Those seeds finally took root in the earth. The wonder appeared after one year: large fields of pure white marigold swung in the light wind. As a result, the old woman became a new focus.
Originally, the old woman was just a flower-lover. When she happened to read the announcement 20 years ago, her heart kept beating wildly. But her eight children all opposed her decision. After all, a woman who never knew the seed genetics(遗传学) couldn't complete what the experts could never accomplish! Still, the old woman didn't change her mind and went on working without hesitation. She spread some of the most common seeds and took good care of them. A year later, when the marigold bloomed, she chose one faintest (暗淡) from those golden and brown flowers and made it wither (凋谢) naturally in order to get the best seed. The next year, she again grew them and chose the faintest from these flowers to plant Year after year, through many cycles of spring sowing and autumn harvest, the old woman's husband died; her children flew far and high; a lot of things happened in her life but only the desire to grow the pure white marigold took root in her heart. Finally, after 20 years on the day we all know, in the garden, she saw a marigold, which was not nearly white but as white as silver or snow.
Such a difficult problem as even experts couldn't cope with was readily solved by an old woman who didn't understand genetics. Was it a wonder? Take root in the heart and even the most common seed can grow into a wonder!
1.Why was a great reward offered by the Institute?
A.White flowers could be sold at a higher price
B.Pure white marigold was more beautiful in nature
C.It was very difficult to develop pure white marigold
D.Scientists wanted to know how marigold grew in nature
2.What can we know about the old woman from the passage?
A.She was 70 when she first read the announcement.
B.She sent pure white marigold flowers to the institute.
C.She got professional support from scientists.
D.She kept trying for years before she succeeded.
3.The underlined word “readily” in the last paragraph probably means .
A.easily B.quickly
C.honestly D.luckily
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Seeds Take Root in the Heart B.White Marigold is Never Alone
C.Marigolds Grow from Bravery D.White Flowers Bring Success
The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Minor Snow, the 20th solar term of the year, begins this year on Nov.22 and ends on Dec.6.
Here are five things you should know about Minor Snow.
Light snow
An ancient Chinese book about plants explains that “in Minor Snow, the weather is cold and it is going to snow, but the snow is light and the earth is not frozen enough.”
Drinking soup
During Minor Snow, indoor heating begins to work, making most people might find their noses and mouths feel a bit dry. The solution is to drink more hot soup, such as cabbage and bean curd soup, mutton and radish (小萝卜) soup and so on.
Eating glutinous (粘的) rice cakes
People have glutinous rice cakes around Minor Snow, which in ancient times, were a traditional festival offering to the bull god.
Making preserved pork
After Minor Snow, the temperature declines sharply and the air becomes dry. It is the best time to start making preserved pork to eat in the bitter winter, especially in the Spring Festival. In the past, when storage conditions were poor, people developed many ways to store food and preserved pork is one such example. Some even say preserved pork tastes more delicious than fresh meat.
Avoiding spicy food
On cold days, people may be greedy for some hot and spicy food to keep warm.Experts say it’s wise not to eat overly spicy food since that will increase your inner heat.
1.Which of the following is true about Minor Snow?
A.It will certainly snow in this term.
B.It has the coldest days of the year.
C.It is a term used in China’s northern areas.
D.It is a term concerned with weather in China.
2.Which food is recommended to eat in Minor Snow?
A.Cabbage and bean curd soup. B.Preserved pork.
C.Cakes. D.Spicy food.
3.Why did people make preserved pork in the past?
A.Because people found it hard to store meat in cold winter.
B.Because it was more delicious to eat than fresh meat.
C.Because people couldn’t afford to buy fresh pork.
D.Because nowhere could people buy fresh pork in winter.
