Apples are packed with amazing health benefits: weight loss, heart protection, lowering your risk of illnesses, and many more. Not only are they good for you, but they taste delicious too! The only problem is that the pieces we pack for lunch are always an unpleasant brown by the time we dig them out of the fridge. That’s because polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in the fruit experiences a chemical change with oxygen (氧气) in the air.
Luckily, there is an apple you can pick up at the store that won’t turn brown for a while―the Opal apple. Opal apples are naturally low in PPO, which means they’ll stay fresh and white long after you cut them. It has been tested that after sitting out unpacked for more than six hours, the apple had hardly any browning.
You may be wondering if genetic modification (转基因) plays a role in avoiding the fruit’s browning. In fact, you may even ask if Opal apples are safe to eat because they can do something most apples can’t. But according to the Opal website, they’re the first apples to be checked by the Non-GMO Project, the gold standard for certification (证明). “We understand that some people are concerned about genetically modified organism (GMO) products and felt it was important to make it clear that the natural nonbrowning characteristic is just that―natural,” said Keith Mathews, CEO of First Fruits Marketing.
The Opal apple is actually a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Topaz apple, and it has a sweet flavor. Plus, it still has all the health benefits every other apple has. Although FirstFruits Marketing does not show nutrition (营养) facts for the Opal apples, their nutrition value should be similar, if not the same, to every other apple. If you don’t like eating brown apples, you can consider going to the supermarket for some Opal apples.
1.How is the Opal apple different from other apples?
A.It has less PPO.
B.It helps lose weight.
C.It has the attractive smell.
D.It has few spots on its skin.
2.Why is the Non-GMO Project mentioned?
A.To show the popularity of Opal apples.
B.To show Opal apples meet the safety standard.
C.To show Opal apples have a special characteristic.
D.To show the concern for GMO foods.
3.What is the author’s attitude to the Opal apple?
A.Doubtful. B.Uncaring. C.Positive. D.Careful.
4.What is the best title of the text?
A.Opal Apples―with More Nutrition?
B.Opal Apples―on the Way to Be Popular?
C.Opal Apples―A New GMO Food?
D.Opal Apples Never Brown―But Are They Safe to Eat?
One of the most popular street food found in China is no doubt the barbecue. A new program, called Chinese Barbecue, tells the story of this popular food cooked over hot coals on just about every street corner in cities and towns across the country. Barbecued meat is an important part of people’s nightlife.
Shown on June 20, the program has had more than 25 million clicks on the video site bilibili.com. To find the most popular barbecue stalls (摊位), the production team travelled to more than 500 locations in 30 cities across the country. Some viewers compare Chinese Barbecue to Midnight Diner, a Japanese TV program telling stories from late night informal Japanese bars.
“I’m happy to hear this comparison because Midnight Diner is a good program, and we share the same topic― night food,” Chinese Barbecue’s director Chen Yingjie said. “However, they are quite different.” He said that Midnight Diner focused more on food itself, though there was some conversation while people were eating. However, the night food scene of Chinese people means joy and a more lively atmosphere. People eating these barbecue snacks develop a feeling of connection, which can be a cure for loneliness.
The barbecue, regarded as the most ordinary and common night street snack, is different from home-made food by mothers as that is a symbol of family and kinship. The barbecue is where you go to become connected to people in society. And unlike official business lunches, during which people are rather polite, the barbecue lets people relax with old friends and new friends, leaving a lasting impression of friendship.
The world, as a whole, holds deep-rooted good feelings toward the barbecue, either for the taste or the warmth produced by fire. “What we should do is to present the Chinese barbecue just the way it is because with its special ingredients(食材)，ways of cooking and more importantly, the special environment and people, the world will recognize it and might fall in love with it just as we do.” said Chen.
1.What do we know about Chinese Barbecue?
A.It has been becoming very popular on the Internet.
B.It is thought highly of by most of the foreign tourists.
C.It mainly talks about the most famous Chinese food.
D.It shows the colorful nightlife in large cities of China.
2.In which way was Chinese Barbecue different from Midnight Diner?
A.It showed more kinds of food. B.It focused more on the diners.
C.It showed the eating habits. D.It was less popular than Midnight Diner.
3.What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?
A.The importance of the barbecue to family. B.The influence of the barbecue on people’s manners.
C.The influence of the barbecue on people’s lifestyle. D.The role of the barbecue in people’s relationship.
4.Why did Chen Yingjie choose the barbecue as the topic of the series?
A.To show the feature of Chinese food. B.To research a special way of cooking.
C.To help the world understand China. D.To introduce the history of the barbecue.
Why do most of us live our life always caring what people might say or think? Some of the decisions we make are just to please the outside world around us. I have always lived life pleasing the ever over-demanding society. This had a great effect on my search for authenticity (真实性). I only felt good enough when people paid attention to me. So I would frequently do things to catch people’s eye instead of placing emphasis on what really matters to me.
A recent experience changed my view. I had been looking for a tailor to mend some of my clothes. With the help of a few friends, I found one, who just so happened to go to the same gym as me. As we chatted, he shared his story and his use of drugs for muscle development with me. In his words, he weighed over 240 pounds and was the envy of a lot of people. So many people wanted to be like him and have a body like his, which made him use more drugs.
But within two years something happened. He began to have problems with his liver. The doctor advised him to stop using drugs and give up lifting heavy weights for a while. This was a hard decision because he had got so used to the attention from people. He didn’t want to give that up; who would? Right? That was it. He made me understand how he lived his life for people. He lost sight of what was best for him.
He told me not to live life thinking about too much what people think, feel, or say. Instead, live life with meaning. His story really has an effect on me. I have to look at my life to see what I do. I am not saying we shouldn’t take the advice of others into consideration, but we must work hard for continuous self-awareness (自我认识). If we can know what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, we can realize just how important that thing is to us.
1.What does the underlined phrase“placing emphasis on”mean?
A.Looking forward to. B.Paying attention to.
C.Getting familiar with. D.Taking pride in.
2.Why did the tailor use drugs?
A.To lose weight. B.To keep healthy.
C.To treat his liver disease. D.To improve his muscle and weight.
3.Why was the tailor unwilling to accept the doctor’s suggestion?
A.He was afraid of losing others’admiration.
B.He didn’t have any trouble with his health.
C.He wanted to live a simple and easy life.
D.He wasn’t able to lose sight of himself.
4.What lesson does the story tell us?
A.We should live life to the fullest.
B.Being open to others’advice is important.
C.We should have a good understanding of ourselves.
D.Nothing is more important than good health in our life.
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项
A visit to a zoo can be an amazing experience for people of all ages. If you want to get close to wildlife, why not visit one of the following zoos in the UK?
Longleat Safari(游猎) & Adventure Park
Wiltshire’s Longleat Safari & Adventure Park is the UK’s oldest safari park. Opened in 1966, it was the first safari park opened outside Africa. It was just a 100-acre lion reserve in the beginning, but it has grown fast over the years. Now you can see parrots and other creatures here, although lions are still popular with many people.
Open from mid-February to early November, a day ticket costs￡26 for adults. Admission(门票) for 3- to 14-year-old is￡18.50 and￡21 for the over-60s.
Located just off the A36 between Bath and Salisbury, it can be reached by taking the A362.
Bristol Zoo
Bristol Zoo is one of the UK’s oldest zoos. It will celebrate its 180th anniversary(周年) in 2016. Here, you’ll find over 400 different species of creatures. It also has nine animal houses, so even if the weather isn’t at its best, there are still lots of amazing creatures to look at, including the endangered red panda. Perhaps one of the most popular places is Bug World, where you can see all kinds of scary insects.
Admission for adults is￡14 and￡8.50 for 3- to 14-year-olds.
Located in the Clifton region of Bristol, you can reach the zoo by taking either the No. 8 or 9 bus. Clifton Down train station is also close by, and if you are taking public transport, you can buy a discounted entry ticket to the zoo.
1.What do we know about Wiltshire’s Longleat Safari & Adventure Park?
A.It’s the first safari park in the UK.
B.It covers an area of 100 acres in total.
C.It has a longer history than Bristol Zoo.
D.It’s famous mostly for its parrots and lions.
2.How much should a 61-year-old couple with their 4-year-old grandson pay to visit the first zoo?
A.￡42. B.￡52. C.￡60.5 D.￡70.5
3.Bristol Zoo was opened probably in __________.
A.1826 B.1766 C.1936 D.1836
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。
Jessica Eaves from Guthrie, Oklahoma, who works as a volunteer helping to provide daily meals for those who have difficulty purchasing enough food to avoid hunger, recently had her wallet stolen by a man while she was grocery shopping. Most people in that situation would immediately get the authorities involved, but Jessica found another way to solve her problem, which made the man, the father of three who had lost his job, deeply moved.
“I saw this gentleman down the aisle(通道)from me,” Jessica tells us. “He was walking behind me, looking a little nervous, and when I got a couple of aisles over, I realized that my wallet was gone.”
“I spotted the man in a crowded aisle and approached him,” she continues.” I said to him, 'I think you have something of mine. I'm going to give you a choice. You can either give my wallet back to me and I'll forgive you right now, and I even promise to take you to the front and pay for your groceries.”
The alternative? Jessica would report him to the police.
“He reached into his pocket, took out my wallet and gave it back to me,” she recalls, adding that the money in the wallet had not been touched.
Paragraph 1:
Jessica kept her promise.
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Paragraph 2:
Jessica's story has spread quickly and people have different opinions about it.
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假定你是李华，Michael是你的留学生朋友，你打算邀请他本周星期六去参观当地的一个民俗村(the folk customs village).请给他写封邮件，内容包括：
1.你的邀请；
2.在民俗村可进行的一些活动。
注意：1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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