Vegetarianism is growing in popularity in a lot of countries. And now, South Africa is one of them. Today, more and more South Africans are experimenting with the vegetarian （素食者）way of life by cutting meat out of their diet.
Some others are exploring veganism. Vegans （纯素者）are similar to vegetarians but they avoid all animal-based products, including milk and eggs. Some vegans even do not eat honey. There is no official count of how many vegans there are in South Africa. But the interest has led to the birth of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Johannesburg, the nation's economic center. And this year, Africa's first big vegan and plant-based festival was held in Cape Town. The Vegan &. Plant Powered Show took place at the end of May.
But veganism can be a lonely road for many South Africans. The country is Africa's top consumer of meat from cows, pigs and sheep, based on information from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Many South Africans express shock at the thought of giving up meat, which is central to celebrations and spirituality.
This is an issue for many African vegans, including Anesu Mbizvo. "In African traditional culture, a big part of a family's worth is their livestock （家畜）,which decide the wealth of a family. And so when an African kills an animal at a gathering, it's thought that he would give away his wealth. " But she adds, "Offering home-grown vegetables would not be considered to be valuable. I think that thought mainly prevents some people of African cultures from being vegans."
Some South Africans are finding their path somewhere in the middle. Thirty-one-year-old Thandiwe Ngubeni is a communications specialist. She still eats meat一-but less and less of it as time goes by. "I feel more energetic when I eat a vegan meal. It actually gives me more energy.
1.What can we learn about vegans?
A.They can drink milk.
B.They eat some animal meat.
C.They enjoy opening vegan restaurants.
D.They refuse any product based on animals.
2.What mainly stops some Africans being vegans according to Anesu Mbizvo?
A.Too many animals in the wild. B.Traditional views of livestock.
C.The influence from other countries. D.Not enough vegetables in the restaurant.
3.What do we know about Thandiwe Ngubeni?
A.She is a vegan.
B.She is an animal specialist.
C.She looks forward to eating much more meat.
D.She has a limit on the amount of meat she eats.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.Vegans' Behaviors Are Too Extreme
B.Vegetarians Are Not Popular Any Longer
C.Many South Africans Welcome a Vegan Lifestyle
D.Meat in South Africa Will Become Less Delicious
Many Americans are busy preparing lists of what to give friends or loved ones. This season, people will be able to buy a cargo-carrying (载货) robot that follows them around like a dog. But it is unclear if the robot will be a popular gift.
Large companies like Amazon, FedEx and Ford have already been experimenting with sending delivery robots to homes across the United States. Now an Italian company is offering robots directly to consumers (顾客). The new robot, called “the Gita”, weighs about 23 kilograms and costs $ 3,250.
The robot's creators had short trips in mind when they designed it. “The Gita” is a “hands-free carrier" that can hold fruits, vegetables and other things as it follows its owner down the street. “The Gita” does not. require use of a telephone; it also does not use GPS technology or facial recognition.
Whether the robot will be a success is not yet clear. Tech experts say “the Gita” may fail. They hope the company finds more purposes of using it to contribute to its success. Examples include carrying tools around hospitals, factory floors or places where products are stored. The robots can carry up to 9 kilograms, So far, the best places to find the company' s six wheeled robot are US colleges: The University of Houston and the University of Wisconsin Madison.
Sadie Garcia is a student at the University of Houston. “I love them. I think they're so cute," she said, as one of the machines arrived carrying a sandwich for her in the dining hall. Garcia said she was so cold that she did not want to leave her room. Starship co-founder Ahti Heinla said his company once thought about selling the machines directly to consumers. But the business dropped the idea after discovering it would have to sell them for more than $ 3,000 each.
1.What is"the Gita"designed to do?
A.Fight with other robots. B.Buy things for its owner.
C.Carry things for its owner. D.Help college students do homework.
2.What do tech experts expect the company to do for“the Gita”?
A.Find more uses for it. B.Keep advertising it.
C.Improve its reaction rate. D.Encourage hospitals to use it.
3.What stops“the Gita”from being sold directly to consumers?
A.The low quality. B.The high price.
C.The limited number. D.The poor performance.
4.Where is this text most likely from?
A.A science magazine. B.A detective story.
C.A travel guide. D.A life diary.
I have been receiving so much kindness. It was difficult for an independent girl like me to accept it at first. At times, my financial situation is not the best. But with that comes a great lesson in appreciation, budgeting, and deciding what is and what isn't important.
A few times I've had to put off or even give up things. Because of my scarcity on money, I had to give up a keep-fit exercise, which is something I like to treat myself regularly. When my coach Lisa heard about this, she offered me training at a highly discounted price. At first this made me very uncomfortable. I feared that she would wrongly think that I was going to bargain and of course I wasn't. Instead, I was just being honest about my situation— being short of money. I finally accepted her offer, remembering that I deserve kindness, too.
Another time, I noticed a friend of mine selling his old exercise bike, which was perfect for me, as I was looking to replace my broken one. I told him that I would take it when I had the money, but then life got in the way. When I finally got the time to pick it up, I realized my financial shortcomings again. I asked him if he could hold onto it for one more week, as then I'd have the funds again. He was happy to do this, but instead he insisted on offering me the bike as a gift. Another opportunity presents itself to teach me how to receive with dignity.
I continue to slowly learn how to accept the kindness from others. In fact, the relationship between giving and receiving is closely linked. When you accept the kindness from others with joy, they will feel happy, too.
1.How did the author feel at first when she received kindness from others?
A.Happy. B.Unfair. C.Proud. D.Unacceptable.
2.What does the underlined word "scarcity" in paragraph 2 mean?
A.Scare. B.Independence. C.Lack. D.Principle.
3.What was the author afraid of when Lisa did her a favor?
A.Being punished. B.Being misunderstood.
C.Accepting her coach's strict training. D.Giving away the secret of her being short of money.
4.How did the author get the second-hand exercise bike?
A.She got it for free. B.She paid much money for it.
C.She bought it from her coach. D.She borrowed it from her friend.
Use our website to improve your English
Study at the right time each day
The first step in getting better in English is to study at the right time each day. Do you wake up early and study when the house is quiet? Or do you like to stay up late and study before you go to sleep? Choose the proper time to study English every week. Make a study plan for each week. Here is an example of using our website in the morning to improve your listening and speaking skills:
Monday: Watch Let's Learn English ; practice the conversation with a friend
Tuesday: Watch English in a Minute; teach the new expressions to family or friends
Wednesday: Watch English at the Movies; write a note to a friend about the expressions Thursday: Watch News Words; write a sentence using the words
Friday: Read or listen to Ask a Teacher or Everyday Grammar ; write three sentences
Find a friend to study together
A good way to learn is to study with a friend or a family member. You can study together at home or on the phone. Some families speak English only at dinner time or watch English videos together.
Set goals
One of the most important steps to learn English is to set goals. Make it something you know you can do in a short time. Here are some examples:
♦I will practice speaking with my friends three times a week.
♦I will write sentences with five new English words every week.
♦I will learn four new idioms in the next month and use them with friends.
1.Which advice is given on learning English?
A.Learning from others. B.Practicing once a week.
C.Turning to parents for help. D.Scheduling proper study time.
2.When can you learn English on the website according to the example?
A.On weekends. B.Every day.
C.On weekdays. D.Every Monday afternoon.
3.What are listed at the end of the text?
A.Some aims for learning English.
B.Some examples of practising English with friends.
C.Three important periods of time for learning English.
D.The most important steps in improving independent learning.
阅读下面短文， 根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
When I was 17, I read a magazine article about a museum called the McNay Art Museum, once the home of a watercolorist named Marian McNay. She had requested the community to turn it into a museum upon her death. On a sunny Saturday, Sally and I drove over to the museum.
“Do you have the address?” Sally asked while we were on the way.
“No, but I will recognize it. There was a picture in the magazine” I answered confidently.
“Oh. There it is.” I pulled my car slowly over a house which seemed like a house with heavy smell of life rather than a former residence(故居).
Surprisingly, nobody was at the gate and admission was free. We opened the door and entered, excited. A group of people sitting around a table stopped chatting and started at us.
A sweet girl in her teens locked her eyes on us and welcomed us with a sweet smile, “Hello, but who are you looking for?”
A man stood up and said almost at the same time “May I help you?”
“No,” I said. “We’re fine.”
Tour guides got on my nervous. What if they talked a long time about a painting you were not that interested in? Sally had gone upstairs. The people in the hall seemed very confused, keeping their eyes on me with curiosity. What was their problem? Some nice sculptures were well placed along the staircases(楼梯) and some paintings from Van Gogh or Picasso were hanging on walls and I appreciated them and highly praised the most beautiful house. Suddenly a picture of a man surrounded by a warm family caught my eyes and I also spotted the sweet girl among them.
“This is the most beautiful house I have visited.” said I, turning sharply, almost scaring the girl standing behind me.
“The most beautiful house ? The most beautiful house!”She murmured.
“Am I at the McNay Art Museum?” asked I .
注意：
1. 所续写的短文的词数应为150 左右；
2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后,请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
She smiled, shaking her head.
Paragraph 2:
Years later, after a public speech, a woman approached and thanked me, asking whether I once entered a house , thinking it was the McNay Art Museum.
假如你是李华，12月要去英国参加“Protection of world cultural heritage”演讲比赛，你的英国朋友Tom来信询问赴英相关事宜,请你给他写一封邮件，内容包括：
1.比赛时间和地点；
2.本次活动的意义；
3.英国比赛期间的个人计划。
注意：1. 词数80词左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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