Tricia Hurt, her husband Brian, and their son Brady were out enjoying a fishing adventure on Marsh -Miller Lake in Wisconsin when they found a baby bear in huge suffering. According to locals in the area , the little bear had been running on land with a plastic tub on his head for three to four days, but he somehow got into the water, worsening his condition.
The bear could be seen swimming in fear and shifting away from the family as they edged the boat closer. He was terrified, but the tub was quickly filling with water and he was in danger of drowning.
“Go a little faster, Brady. Get in front of him,” Tricia instructed her son to navigate the boat closer to the animal. Brian got close to the bear and tried to pull the tub out, but it had become too slippery. Brian lost his control, but he wasn't discouraged because the bear's ear had managed to come loose. That meant the plastic wasn’t impossibly stuck and he just had to get closer.
The rescue lasted about five minutes and they made several attempts before the tub finally came off. Brady circled the boat around to the bear and his father gave one last try that set the animal free. Once it came off, the bear was able to swim easily to the shore and catch a much-needed break.
The family was extremely relieved as Tricia called out to the sailing animal, “Swim happy.”
“We were so excited! We did our good deed lor the day. We will never ever do this again, and it felt good to help the poor bear. You don't like to see animals struggle." Tricia later said in an interview.
When the Hurts returned to their resort, everyone offered their gratitude. Tracy, a local, said, "no one else had been able to help the bear for several days as it struggled with the deadly tub over its head. We need more people like the Hurts!"
1. What happened to the bear?A.He was drowned on the lake. | B.He was hurt by hunters. |
C.He got a tub on the head. | D.He got trapped by the locals« |
A.Tracy. | B.Tricia. | C.Brian. | D.Brady. |
A.A curious mind. | B.The gratitude for animals. |
C.The reward by locals. | D.A sympathetic heart. |
A.Family Outing-Timely Rescue | B.Tubs Banned-Animals Saved |
C.Never Too Late to Save Animals | D.An Exciting Family Adventure |
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【推荐1】Everyone deserves to love where he or she live. That’s why Tash Frootko, a property developer in Gloucester, England, began the Rainbow Street project in her quiet town four years ago.
Frootko brought a new life to her properties by brightening the outside of each home, transforming her neighborhood into a colorful place. Now, she is partnering with local street artists to take her project a step further and turn Gloucester’s city center into a Rainbow Square.
“We didn’t get recognition from local people at first. But later, an unexpected outcome happened, ”said Frootko.
“It has brought the community together really well, “Michelle, a local citizen said. “If it wasn’t for Frootko, then none of us would have come out and spoken to each other. ”
“I actively seek out areas that can’t receive enough attention and turn them into huge attractive colors for everyone to enjoy and add a much-needed cultural boost for the city, ” Frootko said.
The new Rainbow Square includes an even more special design. Frootko convinced two street artists to get on board and contribute large murals to two buildings on the Square. Power, a street artist and printmaker, has worked on community art projects across the UK. She said, “This was truly a labour of love. With a uniquely designed typeface, shadows and gold leaf, I hope that this mural becomes a much-loved landmark of the city and makes the city attractive.”
The final result of the project was a huge hit, turning a once sleepy collection of streets into a place that celebrates joy and culture. Every local citizen and visitor who walks by is sure to have their day brightened by the art of the Rainbow Square. And all of this is related to Frootko’s strong willpower.
1. Why did Frootko set up the Rainbow Street project?A.To find talented street artists. | B.To brighten everyone’s day. |
C.To beautify where she lived. | D.To make a profit for her company. |
A.Supportive. | B.Suspicious. | C.Cautious. | D.Tolerant. |
A.It helps improve her skills. | B.It is fit to promote culture. |
C.It shows her talent for art. | D.It adds to Gloucester’s charm. |
A.Determined. | B.Courageous. | C.Humorous. | D.Generous. |
【推荐2】As a child, I had a library phobia. I associated going to the library with doing research for a school project or a book report. I defined reading as work, and books came from the library, so going to the library for fun was out of the range of my thinking. As hard as they tried, my parents could not get me interested in reading. They purchased a few of the Hardy Boys series.
The books collected dust. The closest I came to wanting to read was The Big Green Book by Robert Graves, with illustrations by Maurice Sendak, a gift from my aunt. Its lead character, a boy of about 8, my age, discovered a book of magic spells. I was fascinated spells were not in the book, but I drew an imaginary magic circle with a long stick in my bedroom, stood inside the circle, took three deep breaths and made up my own spell. I never became invisible, which was my goal. This was my favorite book. I read it again and again. Certainly no need to go to the library.
Eventually, I started reading novels in my 20s. To avoid going to the library, which was only seven blocks from my Brooklyn home, I joined various book clubs. I didn’t mind having to buy a book a month as long as I didn’t have to go to the library.
My library phobia was cured 23 years ago when my family moved to Long Island. The East Meadow Public Library, a two-block walk from our home, became a regular destination for me and my family. My children were introduced to books through the children’s section with free programs that even my wife and I enjoyed. My children made friends, and my wife and I made friends with the parents.
My library card is faded, the edges are ragged and I renew my membership time and time again. I have given up mail-order books, and when I go to a store that sells books, I snap pictures of the book jackets that enthral me and put the book on reserve at the library.
1. What can we learn about the book The Big Green Book?A.It inspired the author with some ideas. | B.It appealed to the author’s parents. |
C.It contained some magic spells. | D.It is a gift from the author’s uncle. |
A.To go to book clubs. | B.To read novels. |
C.To start a school. | D.To purchase books on his own. |
A.He formed a new family. | B.He moved to a new place. |
C.He wanted to meet targeted people. | D.He came to know more about his family. |
A.Puzzle. | B.Frighten. | C.Attract. | D.Escape. |
【推荐3】Jiang Shumei learned her first Chinese character at the age of 60. Now, the 87-year-old grandmother is the proud author of six books.
She learned her first character in 1996, after her husband died in a devastating car accident, when her daughter Zhang Ailing suggested that she learn to read to take her mind off the loneliness and sorrow.
The elderly woman had her own way of learning. She composed lyrics for songs, and asked children to write them down, so that she could read each character as she sang the songs again and again. Whenever she came across characters she didn’t know on pamphlets, bus stops, or shop signs, she found someone to ask.
“It sounds unbelievable, and my brother used to laugh at my daydreams.” the grandmother says. She first put pen to paper in 2012, at the age of 75. It was not easy. Sometimes, completing a single sentence could take a day. As a college teacher and a writer herself, Zhang gave her mother a lot of encouragement and help.
The first book, Time of Trouble, Time of Poverty, was published later that year, and proved to be a success. Some critics even hailed it as the “lived history of a nation plagued by war, death and hunger”.
So far, the elderly woman has published six books, totaling more than 600,000 characters in length. In her spare time, she is also learning painting and calligraphy. “I would like to be a writer, a painter and a calligrapher,” she says, adding that her dream now is to have her own art exhibition when she is 90. “If I could live as long as 130, would you still say that it is too late for me to start after 60?” she asks, jokingly.
1. Why did Jiang Shumei start to learn characters?A.The suggestion of her husband. | B.Her daughter’s car accident. |
C.To get rid of sadness. | D.To learn something more. |
A.How she learned characters. | B.How she wrote down characters. |
C.How she met new characters. | D.How she learnt to sing the songs. |
A.He spoke highly of it. | B.He thought she was daydreaming. |
C.He worried about her. | D.He didn’t care about it. |
A.No pains, no gains. | B.Don’t judge a book by its cover. |
C.Reading enriches the mind. | D.It’s never too late to learn. |
【推荐1】Contribute to a better world for animals!
Here at FOUR PAWS, we rely on donations from kind supporters in order to finance our projects focused on animal rescue and welfare. We have various projects and campaigns such as:
※ FOUR PAWS Sanctuaries and support for local shelters that take care of rescued animals.
※ Emergency Disaster Relief campaigns, such as our recent campaign for the lions in Sudan.
※ Campaigns for animal rights &. welfare issues, such as our campaign against the Dog and Cat Meat Trade.
※ Vaccination programs such as our project in Silk Island for the well-being of missing animals.
Additionally, we have many other active projects such as undercover investigations. campaigns against fur and the tiger trade industry. All our campaigns have one thing in common, which is following our 3 important values: reveal, rescue &. protect. Please have a look at our campaign page for our projects at present.
It is your donation that enables us to actively keep campaigning for animals in need and improving animal welfare standards worldwide. Specifically, you can see how your donation contributes to the betterment and welfare of animals below;
※€ 10 provides appropriate nutrition for a rescued bear for a day.
※€ 35 provides for proper medical care and vaccination of a lost animal
※€ 90 contributes to one week of special milk formula for lion babies.
※A generous donation of € 150 finances all monthly costs of caring for an orphaned orangutan (猩猩)
On behalf of the animals, the FOUR PAWS team would like to thank you for making a difference!
1. Which campaigns are specially aimed at helping lost animals?A.FOUR PAWS Sanctuaries. | B.Vaccination programs. |
C.Emergency Disaster Relief campaigns. | D.Campaigns for animal rights &. welfare issues. |
A.€ 10. | B.€ 35. | C.€ 90. | D.€ 150. |
A.To look for some part-time workers. | B.To introduce the function of FOUR PAWS. |
C.To call on people to support FOUR PAWS. | D.To show the difficult situation of many animals. |
【推荐2】In 2018, Pakistan promised to plant ten billion trees in an effort to slow climate change and to save a land that has been destroyed.
That program, whose name is 10 Billion Trees Tsunami, has been taking effect slowly for the past two years, but it recently has received unexpected help from the coronavirus(新冠病毒). Many Pakistanis are suddenly unemployed, so the government has given them jobs as tree-planters. Unemployed day laborers have been turned into "jungle workers", planting trees for 500 rupees a day($3). It's not much, but it can help the unemployed get by.
As the coronavirus struck Pakistan, the 10 Billion Trees campaign was halted as part of social distancing orders put in place to slow the spread of the virus. But earlier this month, the government allowed the forestry agency to restart the program and create more than 63, 600 jobs.
The program is employing three times the number of planters as it normally does, and the planting season has been extended from May(its usual end)throughout June, in order to keep workers employed. All workers are being told to wear masks and keep two meters of distance from others.
Shahid Rashid Awan, project director for Punjab province, said the project hopes to reach 50 million trees this year. “We can absorb all the unemployed laborers and workers who have fled the cities and returned to their villages in the past few weeks.”
A study declared tree planting to be an effective way to store carbon, and if planted in large quantities around the globe, a powerful solution to climate change. While it won’t fix every climate-related problem we have, it can go a long way if done widely, which is exactly what Pakistan is trying to do with such impressive determination.
And the workers will benefit greatly, too. Not only are they able to earn money and support their families at a difficult time, but they’re outside in the fresh air, away from the potential health risks from more tightly-packed urban environments. It’s a brilliant idea that all country leaders should consider copying.
1. How does the coronavirus influence Pakistan?A.A lot of animals are starving. | B.Many people are out of work. |
C.Much land is left unmanaged. | D.The government has lost power. |
A.Agreed. | B.Discussed. | C.Stopped. | D.Doubted. |
A.It has helped with employment. |
B.It has persuaded people to plant trees in big cities. |
C.Many laborers produce much less carbon dioxide. |
D.It can contribute to fighting against climate change. |
A.It serves as a good example. | B.It is not fit for other countries. |
C.It is a waste of time and money. | D.It brings many economic benefits. |
【推荐3】Australia recently declared the koala an endangered species in Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, and New South Wales (NSW) because of its obvious population decline. In the state of NSW, koala conservation has become a key topic of discussion in the lead-up to the 25 March state election. However, the debate has focused on the expansion of protected areas and ignored the importance of koala conservation on private lands.
The major cause of the koala’s decline—in addition to climate change, wildfires, disease, and encounters with vehicles and dogs—is the loss and degradation(退化)of suitable habitat. In response, the NSW Government has expanded publicly protected areas in the state. Over the past 20 years—about three koala generations—NSW has officially confirmed an additional 1.5 million hectares(公顷)of protected land, some of which is high-quality koala habitat.
However, across Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory and NSW, 77% of the koala’s range is located on land that is owned or rented by private citizens or businesses, where degradation continues. Between 2003 and 2020, agriculture, forestry and infrastructure(基础设施)development have led to the act of cutting down or burning the trees within 760,500 hectare in NSW, including in regions such as the Cumberland Plain and Liverpool Plains, where koalas are known to live. Such development has reduced the gains made through new protected areas.
The current NSW Koala Strategy adopts a free approach without any restrictions, which leaves private landowners, renters and industry have the power to decide what should be done in much of koala habitat conservation.
An effective koala conservation strategy must include conservation measures in private protected areas, such as payments for ecosystem services, in addition to publicly protected areas. In other words, post-election agendas must strengthen protection of koala habitats on private lands.
1. What did the discussion before the state election fail to notice?A.The voice of local citizens. | B.The expansion of protected areas. |
C.The decrease of koala population. | D.The koala conservation on private lands. |
A.the attack of diseases | B.the spreading wildfires |
C.the worsening of living environment | D.the constant threats from climate change |
A.Add some background information. | B.Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
C.Introduce a new topic for discussion. | D.Offer some advice for the government. |
A.Supportive. | B.Disapproving. |
C.Tolerant. | D.Unclear. |
【推荐1】It was rush hour on the morning of June1. Heather Santellano, 36, was driving her car on Houston Harte Frontage Road with her nine-year-old daughter and ten-year-old son in the back. Suddenly, a red pickup truck cut them off. Santellano turned the wheel hard to the right, sending the car running off the road and down an embankment (路堤) that ended in a drop-off after about 50 feet. If the car didn’t stop, it would go up into the air and slide onto the road some 20 feet below. Then came a bit of luck. As the car raced towards the edge, its undercarriage got stuck on the embankment, stopping it cold. The occupants, however, were far from safe. The car had come to rest on top of a retaining wall, literally teetering on the edge of disaster. One sudden move by anyone inside could send it over.
Jacob Rodriguez, a veteran, watched the scene unfold from the company where he works. Then, he and four other men ran to the car. They leaped onto the trunk to balance the weight as the terrified kids in the back seat watched.
Meanwhile, Julio Vasquez and his nephew, Marco Vasquez, were driving to their jobs at nearby Premier Automotive. Julio jumped out of the car to help while Marco went to the shop, grabbed a heavy-duty strap and returned to the dangling car. He tied the car to and F-350 truck that had been driven over by one of the other rescuers. With the car secured the group carefully opened the back doors and helped the children out.
But their departure shifted the car’s weight, causing it to lean forward. The men, still on the trunk, implored Santellano to jump into the back seat to re-balance the weight. She did and then inched out from the back door. Finally, the men carefully got off the trunk Everyone was safe. “Another foot,” Rodriguez told the media, “and this would be different story.”
1. What happened to Santellano’ scar after a red pickup truck cut it off?A.It ran into the truck and was holed. |
B.It rushed to the roadside and was broken. |
C.It went into the air and fell sharply onto the road. |
D.It slipped off the road and down an embankment. |
A.Because everyone got off the car. |
B.Because Santellano jumped into the back seat. |
C.Because the helpers ran to the car and leaped onto the trunk. |
D.Because the weight of the car was unbalanced when the children left. |
A.Generous and outgoing. | B.Friendly and humble. |
C.Helpful and professional. | D.Ambitious and optimistic. |
【推荐2】This summer, I was part of something that I have carried with me every day since. That was an experience that changed my life. The Kentucky YMCA has a program called Y-Corps, which are service trips of around 20 students. This summer, two trips were made across Kentucky, one down south and another trip up north.
I was on the Y-Corps service to the North in the Indianapolis, Indiana, and our trip began at the end of July. I had butterflies flying around me as my parents drove me to Louisville, where the Service to the North team would set off on a nine-day journey in a school bus. I knew some of the team members from previous Y-Conferences, but there were many that I had never met, and I had never participated in a service trip like this before. Thought I was nervous, I was also ready to try something completely out of my comfort zone. Once we loaded the bus with our lightly packed suitcases and sleeping bags, we said our goodbyes to our parents and departed for an adventure that changed all of our lives.
With the Kentucky Y’s motto: “Participate, don’t anticipate, we had no idea where we headed. Road signs were our only clue of where we would be stopping. We did service work at a Middle Way House in Indiana, a Detroit Market Garden, a Pennsylvania YMCA for an invasive species clean-up, the Upper Main Line Y in Pennsylvania to spend time with children at a summer camp, a Hurricane Sandy clean-up in Jersey Shore and the National Mall in Washington D.C. We slept on floors of local YMCAs that would take us in for a night, and some nights we didn’t have the opportunity to shower. We had late nights on the road driving from city to city, and early mornings to start the day journaling and reflecting on the day before.
Though we were physically exhausted from the hard work, we still enjoyed the time to experience the culture of the areas we were in.
1. For the author the Service Trip to the North is .A.meaningful | B.expensive | C.valueless | D.fruitless |
A.Kentucky | B.Indiana | C.Louisville | D.Indianapolis |
A.The team members carried a lot of luggage on the trip. |
B.The members in the team were all familiar to the author. |
C.The author had taken part in such kind of service before this one. |
D.The author was nervous but willing to face something uncomfortable. |
A.they were physically exhausted and didn’t enjoy the hard work |
B.they didn’t know where to go without road signs |
C.their trip was packed with hard work and cultural experiences |
D.they didn’t have enough water for a bath at night |
【推荐3】I recently went to my first ever music festival. We Love Green was held over a weekend in a park in Paris. Like most music festivals, it had wonderful singers and music. However, there was something special about this one. You see this was a green festival!
Everything was as environmentally friendly as possible. The festival was powered by the solar energy. There were specially labelled bins so that the waste could be recycled properly after the festival. Fresh water was free to everyone so that guests didn’t need to buy drinks in plastic bottles which would create a lot of waste.
I found the experience really interesting. Having never been to a music festival before, I was unsure of what to expect. However, I was happy to find myself sitting in a chair eating a healthy, home-made fruit cake while drinking tasty juice. There were many stalls (摊位) for everyone, from small children to the elderly! This seems like such a great idea, to make something very fun and not cause great pollution to the environment.
I really hope that there will be more events like We Love Green. These environmentally friendly practices tell people being green does not mean being boring. It can be quite fun. As a result, more people may be encouraged to consider the influence they have on the environment.
1. What did the writer do recently in Paris?A.He ran a food stall. | B.He helped clean a park. |
C.He went to a music festival. | D.He travelled across the city. |
A.To help reduce plastic waste. | B.To help people save money. |
C.To encourage healthy eating. | D.To show the importance of water. |
A.Noisy and boring. |
B.Interesting but noisy. |
C.Environmentally friendly but boring. |
D.Interesting and environmentally friendly. |
A.A Special Park in Paris. | B.A Great Green Experience. |
C.Advice on How to Be Green. | D.Environmental Protection Practices. |
【推荐1】Almost everyone has heard the expression, “the calm before the storm”. It is usually used to describe a peaceful period just before a very stressful situation or a tense argument.
British sailors coined the phrase in the late 1600s; they noted that before certain storms the seas would seem to become static and the winds would drop.
But why is it often so calm before a storm?
Science has given us the answer. According to US infotainment (资讯娱乐) website HowStuffWorks, a calm period occurs because many storms, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, draw in all the warm and humid air from the surrounding area. As this air rises into the storm clouds, it cools and acts as “fuel for the storm, like petrol in a car”.
Once the storm has taken all the energy it can from the air, it is pushed out from the top of the storm clouds and falls back down to ground level. As the air descends (下降), it becomes warm and dry. Warm, dry air is stable, so once it covers an area, it causes a calm period before the storm.
This same process also causes the “eye of the storm” in hurricanes and tornadoes. In these conditions, the calm occurs in the center of the storm because of the strong rotating (旋转的) winds.
The Weather Network has a tip for working out how far away a storm is. First, count how many seconds there are between a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. Roughly three seconds equal one kilometer. So, for example, if you count nine seconds, the storm is about 3 kilometers away. A good gauge (评估) is that if your count is below 30 seconds, you should seek shelter straight away.
However, due to the complexity of storm system, not all storms are preceded by calm. Given the right conditions, some storms announce themselves with heavy rain and chilling (寒冷的) winds. So, your best bet is to keep yourself updated with weather reports for any predictions regarding a coming storm in your area. That’s the most reliable and sensible way to predict the next display of nature’s temper (脾气).
1. What is the main idea of Paragraphs 4 and 5?A.To explain how a storm comes into being. |
B.To support previous research on storm clouds. |
C.To explain why a peaceful period occurs before a storm. |
D.To show how dangerous a storm can be in certain situations. |
A.Three kilometers. | B.Four kilometers. |
C.Five kilometers. | D.Six kilometers. |
A.It is not always quiet before a storm. |
B.Storms have a big influence on life. |
C.Heavy storms don’t usually last for a long time. |
D.Weather reports may fail to predict a storm. |
【推荐2】Public transport is declining in the rich world. To those who have to squeeze onto the number 25 bus in London, or the A train in New York, the change might not be noticeable. But public transport is becoming less busy in those places, and passenger numbers are flat or falling in almost every American city despite healthy growth in urban populations and employment.
Although transport agencies blame their unpopularity on things like roadworks and broken signals, it seems more likely that they are being outcompeted. App-based taxi services like Uber and Lyft are more comfortable and convenient than trains or buses. Cycling is nicer than it was, and rental bikes are more widely available. Cars are cheap to buy, thanks to cut-rate loans, and ever cheaper to run. Online shopping, home working and office-sharing mean more people can avoid travelling altogether.
The competition is only likely to grow. More than one laboratory is developing new transport technologies and applications. Silicon Valley invented Uber and, more recently, apps that let people rent electric scooters(滑板车) and then abandon them on the pavement. China created sharing-bicycles and battery-powered "e-bikes", both of which are spreading.
Transport agencies should accept the upstarts(新兴方式), and copy them. Cities tend either to ignore app-based services or to try to push them off the streets. That is understandable, given the rules-are-for-losers attitude of firms like Uber. But it is an error.
It is doubtful that most people make hard distinctions between public and private transport. They just want to get somewhere, and there is a cost in time, money and comfort. An ideal system would let them move across a city for a single payment, transferring from trains to taxis to bicycles as needed. Building a platform to allow that is hard, and requires much effort of traditional networks as well as technology firms. It is probably the secret to keeping cities moving.
1. What is the change in public transport in big cities?A.It is becoming busier. |
B.It is getting less popular. |
C.There are fewer traffic delays. |
D.There is more new transport. |
A.there are roadworks and broken signals. |
B.people are becoming healthier and employed. |
C.cars and bikes are more and more available. |
D.transport agencies are seemingly less competitive. |
A.By giving examples |
B.By providing research results |
C.By stating arguments |
D.By comparing different approaches |
A.to develop an ideal system that satisfies everyone. |
B.to provide people with more means of transportation. |
C.to build a good platform that appeals to transport agencies. |
D.to make traditional networks and technology firms cooperate. |
【推荐3】On Thursday, scientists in Indonesia announced the discovery of a rare frog that has no lungs and takes breath through its skin. Researchers believe that the little animal could provide some information about how environment can cause some animals to change so greatly over time.
The frog was found in a faraway part of Indonesia during a scientific research last summer. The unusual animal is the world’s first know lungless frog species. Only a few amphibians have been found lungless.
David Bickford is a biologist at the National University of Singapore. He led the research team that discovered the rare frog. Its living environment has been polluted by chemicals from agriculture. “These are about the most ancient and bizarre frog you can get on the earth,” he says.
Bickford says it’s possible that the frog may have changed in order to adapt to the cold, fast moving and oxygen-rich rivers in which it lives. The biologist adds that his “extreme change” was probably necessary to reduce the frog’s ability to float. That way, it could keep itself from being swept down the mountain rivers.
Scientists say that the new discovery has made it more important to protect the frog’s river living environment. In the last few years, illegal tree cutting and gold mining have caused the once-clean waters to turn brown with pollution.
“The gold mining is completely illegal and small size,” Bickford says. “But when there are thousand of them on the river, it really has a huge effect. Very soon the frog will be out of the river.”
1. The frog is unusual because .A.it has no lungs at all |
B.it doesn’t use its lungs to take breath |
C.it’s the world’s first lungless species |
D.it can take breath either through its lungs or its skin |
A.Cheap. | B.Expensive. |
C.Unusual. | D.Ordinary. |
A.Illegal tree cutting. | B.Its living conditions. |
C.The gold mining. | D.Changes of the climate. |
A.The frog will have to live on land. |
B.The frog must develop its ability to float. |
C.Industrial waste is the main cause of water pollution. |
D.It’s high time to protect the frog’s living environment. |