1. When will Emma perform?
A.In late August. | B.In mid-July. | C.In early June. |
A.In Chicago. | B.In Texas. | C.In California. |
A.Raise money for orphans. |
B.Have a vacation week. |
C.Organize a music concert. |
Zong Qinghou,
Zong, ranked as the richest person in China by Forbes in 2010, 2012, and 2013,
Wang De, who is a blacksmith by trade and an inheritor of the 500-year-old art of dashuhua that
Wang and his assistants put
Dashuhua is a traditional form of fireworks performance that takes place during certain festivals.
But the high-risk tradition is still only reserved for
There are only four people
The art of dashuhua requires extraordinary courage, skill and
4 . For the 70 percent of the world’s population without any chance of using electric washing machines, keeping up with laundry takes up a lot of time. And it is often a painful physical task. The task falls unreasonably to women and girls, who can spend 20 hours a week washing clothes, often without electricity or running water. London engineer Navjot Sawhney, however, has come up with an idea: a portable and lightweight washing machine that is similar to a plastic drum. It also does double duty as a dryer, and costs around $60.
31-year-old Sawhney calls it the Divya, after the woman who inspired the project — his former next-door neighbour in South India, where he spent a year volunteering after leaving his job as an engineer at high-end vacuum (真空吸尘器) maker Dyson. “When I got to know Divya, I was so sad about all the unpaid work she needed to do — cleaning clothes,” says Sawhney. In 2018, he returned to the United Kingdom to found “The Washing Machine Project”, which is developing a washing solution that will be affordable, portable and accessible for everyone, everywhere. After a few months of developing a model, he received some money from Oxfam’s Iraq Response Innovation Lab.
Since March 2019, more than 150 Divyas have been given out to refugees (难民) in Iraq through non-profit partners. “The response was great,” Sawhney says. His goal is to deliver 8,000 machines in 10 countries over the next three years. By saving 75 percent of the time and 50 percent of the water required to wash clothes, he says, women and girls will be freer to accept education.
Aside from the Divya, Sawhney has also worked on making fuel-efficient cookstoves, and plans to develop refrigerators, conditioners, and lighting. Sawhney sees the world’s growing refugee crisis as a call for innovation: “There is a huge need for appliances that make life better for people.”
1. What did Navjot Sawhney do to help the women in India?A.He provided them with free access to education. |
B.He volunteered to wash clothes for them. |
C.He worked out a solution by inventing a washing machine. |
D.He called on people in his community to donate clothes. |
A.His previous work in Dyson. | B.His neighbour’s experience. |
C.The request of refugees in Iraq. | D.The support of a science lab. |
A.It focuses on education. | B.It is highly praised. |
C.It has earned a lot of money. | D.It has created many jobs. |
A.Helpful and serious. | B.Selfless and honest. |
C.Thoughtful and strict. | D.Caring and creative. |
5 . You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (1860—1935)
Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907-1964)
If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator (参议员) and, in 1981, the first woman to join the U. S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks (1913—2005)
On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott (抵制). It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.
1. What is Jane Addams noted for in history?A.Her social work. | B.Her lack of proper training in law. |
C.Her efforts to win a prize. | D.Her community background. |
A.Jane Addams. | B.Rachel Carson. |
C.Sandra Day O’Connor. | D.Rosa Parks. |
A.They are highly educated. | B.They are truly creative. |
C.They are pioneers. | D.They are peace-lovers. |
Chinese comedienne and actress Jia Ling, known for her bubbly persona and her bright smile,
Jia Ling has lost 100 kilograms for her new movie YOLO (You Only Live Once) . From the exposed photos, Jia Ling looks like a
This version of Jia Ling is both familiar and unfamiliar. She still has that familiar dimple smile, but now she possesses strength and resilience that she has never had before. Her defined abdominal muscles are clear and beautiful, making
She shows us through her actions that regardless of the circumstances, as long as you have determination and perseverance, you can definitely achieve
To write his own medical text, Li Shizhen referenced over 800 medical texts, countless books on history and geography, and works of literature. He even studied the complete works of many ancient poets, from
After over a decade of field research, Li
Since its first publication in 1596, the book
Today, there are a
8 . Read Yuan Longping’s information and answer the questions.
Name | Yuan Longping | Nationality | Chinese |
Occupation | Scientist | Birthdate | Sept.7, 1930 |
education | Graduated from southwest agricultural college in 1953 | ||
Life goal | Finding ways to produce more rice | ||
Dream | To export his hybrid rice (杂交水稻) so that it can be grown around the globe | ||
Achievement | In 1973, he developed hybrid rice which produced 20% more than normal rice | ||
Hobbies | Listening to violin music, playing mahjiong, swimming and reading |
1. Which of the following is Yuan Longping’s favourite music?
A.Pop music. | B.Country music . | C.Violin music. | D.Piano music. |
A.His name. | B.His nationality. | C.His birthplace. | D.His occupation. |
A.Yuan Longping developed hybrid rice in 1972. |
B.Yuan Longping graduated from Southwest College in 1953. |
C.Yuan Longping was born in 1930. |
D.Yuan Longping dreamt to win a big prize. |
A.Yuan Longping was an expert in agriculture. |
B.Yuan Longping hoped his hybrid rice could be grown only in China. |
C.Yuan Longping graduated from college when he was 23 years old. |
D.Yuan Longping’s life goal was to find ways to grow more rice. |
Asia’s first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) world champion Weili Zhang knocked out Poland’s Joann a Jedrzejczyk to win the chance
The fight
Zhang’s fighting dream began young. Her childhood hero, Bruce Lee,
However, she still dreamed of being
As a pioneer bullet train (动车) driver, Li Dongxiao, 52, is part of the history of China’s high-speed railway network. In 2008, he drove China’s first high-speed train,
However, all those
China’s high-speed rail network