Microplastics are everywhere in our environment. It’s hardly surprising that the tiny fragments have also been found in the human body. A new study shows that Americans are consuming as many as 121,000 particles each year.
Measuring 50 to 500 microns in length, microplastics come from a variety of sources, including large plastics that break down into smaller and smaller pieces. Therefore, much remains unknown about the common existence of these materials within the human body, as well as the impact on human health.
Hoping to fill in some of these gaps, a research team, led by Kieran Cox, a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Victoria, looked at 26 papers assessing the number of microplastics in commonly consumed food items, among which are seafood, sugar, salt, honey, alcohol and water. The team also evaluated the potential consumption of microplastics through inhalation (吸入) using previously reported data on microplastic concentrations in the air and the Environmental Protection Agency’s data on respiration rates. Based on these data, the researchers calculated that our annual consumption of microplastics via foods and drinks ranges from 39,000 to 52,000 particles. When microplastics taken in through inhalation are taken into account, the range jumps to between 74,000 and 121,000 particles per year.
The authors of the study found that people who drink exclusively from plastic water bottles absorb additional 90,000 microplastics each year, compared with 4,000 among those who only consume tap water. “This shows that small decisions, over the course of a year, really matter and have an impact.” Cox says. The new study, according to its authors, was the first to investigate “the accumulative human exposure to microplastics”. But in all likelihood, the research tells only a small part of the entire story. Collectively, the foods and drinks that the researchers analyzed represent 15 percent of Americans’ caloric intake. The team could not account for food groups like fruits, vegetables and grain because there simply is not enough data on their microplastic content.
For those who worried about microplastic consumption, cutting down bottled water is a good place to start. But for the heart of the problem, we have to stop producing and using so many plastics.
1. What makes it difficult to know microplastics commonly exist in the human body?| A．The quality of microplastics. |
| B．The quantity of microplastics. |
| C．The size of microplastics. |
| D．The shape of microplastics. |
| A．By analyzing existing data. |
| B．By comparing the impact. |
| C．By studying papers. |
| D．By conducting experiments. |
| A．The study is among the earliest ones to investigate human exposure to microplastics. |
| B．Drinking less plastic bottle water helps to take in fewer microplastics. |
| C．Cox’s team gained comprehensive information of microplastics taken in by humans. |
| D．People consume 74,000 to 121,000 particles of microplastics per year from foods and drinks. |
| A．The Potential Problems of Microplastics |
| B．Microplastics Found Within Human Bodies |
| C．Microplastics Coming From Various Sources |
| D．The Impact of Microplastes on Human Health |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Recorded lectures have become a part of course instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, and college students often try to watch these recordings at double their normal speed or even faster. But does comprehension (理解) suffer as a result?
Surprisingly, no-up to a point. A new UCLA study has found learning and knowledge memory is not negatively affected when students watch recorded lectures at faster playback speeds. However, comprehension was found to suffer when playback reached 2.5 times normal speed.
The study divided 231 students into four different playback speed groups (normal speed, 1.5X, 2X and 2.5X). Each group watched a pair of short lecture videos and then immediately completed a 40-question comprehension test.
Little difference was found between the normal playback speed group and the 1.5 times or double speed groups. They all performed similarly on the tests, but the group watching videos at 2.5 times normal speed didn’t do as well. A second test a week later saw similar results, suggesting neither short- or long-term comprehension was negatively affected by watching videos at faster playback speeds.
“Surprisingly, video speed had little effect on both immediate and delayed comprehension until learners go beyond twice the normal speed,” explains lead author Dillon Murphy.
Murphy says students should be careful about how they use faster playback in terms of finding optimal study strategies. If students choose to speed up lecture playback, Murphy says, they should use the time saved for additional learning.
“While our study didn’t show obvious negative results to watching lecture videos at up to double the normal speed, we are against using this strategy to simply save time,” Murphy says. “Students can deepen learning if they spend the time saved on things like reviewing flashcards or taking practice tests.”
1. Why does the author mention the question in paragraph 1?| A．To express his doubts. | B．To introduce the topic for discussion. |
| C．To describe recorded lectures. | D．To compare different ideas. |
| A．By using earlier studies. | B．By building models. |
| C．By comparing experiment data. | D．By interviewing teachers. |
| A．best | B．simplified | C．complex | D．acceptable |
| A．To check the speed of understanding. |
| B．To prove how important taking notes is. |
| C．To find the most appropriate learning approach. |
| D．To see how viewing speeds affect learning effects. |
【推荐2】Recently, the artificial intelligence app ChatGPT has been making headlines in the higher education media and beyond. Some have taken an alarmist approach, such as a recent Atlantic piece titled “The College Essay Is Dead.” Others have been more optimistic, examining the limitations of the app as well as offering suggestions for how it can inform student learning and writing. Below is an FAQ about ChatGPT.
Q: How can I design assignments to discourage use of ChatGPT?
A: One important strategy for preventing use of ChatGPT or other similar technologies is to create assignments that require students to show stages of their work (outlines, rough drafts, etc.).
Ask students to refer to course materials and discussions, which would be impossible for ChatGPT to access and would also promote valuable integration skills.
Ask students to engage in and submit a reflection about what they have learned from completing the assignment. Sample tips include: a) Discuss the most challenging and most rewarding aspects of your project. b) What was the most surprising thing you learned in the course of this project? c) If you had the chance to do it again, what one thing would you have done differently on this project?
Teach citation skills and research skills, including expression of original thought.
It is worth considering why you assign writing in your classes and discussing that clearly with students. For most professors, writing represents a form of thinking. But for some students, writing is simply a product, a collection of words repeated back to the teacher. According to John Warner, a blogger and author of two books on writing, “If you can create an atmosphere where students are invested in learning, they are not going to copy, and they are not going to dodge the work. But the work has to be worth doing on some level, beyond getting the grade.”
Q: How can I use ChatGPT in the writing process?
A: These types of apps are not going away and will no doubt rise sharply in the future, so encouraging students to use them productively could be seen as an important contribution to information competence.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．College essay is dead because of ChatGPT. |
| B．ChatGPT offers suggestions only for students. |
| C．There is no limitations to this app. |
| D．ChatGPT is a hot issue in certain fields. |
| A．Write an essay by referring to course materials. |
| B．Write an essay about group discussion. |
| C．Hand in homework with specific steps. |
| D．Attach your paper with citations. |
| A．Making sure students are actively engaged. |
| B．Creating a happy atmosphere for students. |
| C．Teaching students how to think wisely. |
| D．Making learning an investment for students. |
| A．ChatGPT: A Smart Artificial Intelligence App |
| B．ChatGPT: A Useful Tool for Student Learning and Writing |
| C．ChatGPT: Assignments Created for Students |
| D．ChatGPT: A Double-edged Sword for Teaching and Learning |
【推荐3】From ancient myths(神话) to modern research, left-handed people have been labeled by society—for good and bad. Nowadays, “lefties” are generally believed to be more talented—Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso and Michelangelo Buonarroti were all left-handed.
However, nobody has been quite sure what determines a person’s dominant(占主导地位的) hand. In a new study, scientists have pinpointed for the first time the part of our DNA that relates to left-handedness.
According to a report in the Guardian, the authors found these DNA regions(区域) after analyzing the genomes(基因组) of around 400,000 people in the UK, including about 38,332 who were left-handed.
The researchers looked for differences in the DNA between left- and right- handed participants. They found that four genetic(基因的) markers that related strongly to left-handedness, with three located in genes that influence making proteins(蛋白质) for brain development.
The researchers also linked these regions to language-related features in the brain. Using detailed brain scans(扫描) of about 9, 000 of the participants whose DNA had been analyzed, they found that the left and right sides of the brain that deal with language work in a better way in lefties.
However, the researchers also pointed out that genes aren’t everything when it comes to being left- or right- handed. According to the BBC, researchers believe that “handedness” is about 25 percent genetic, meaning that the other 75 percent may be determined by a person’s environment.
“Here, we have shown that left-handedness is a result of the developmental biology of the brain, in part driven by the complex interplay(相互作用) of many genes,” said Dominic Furnissa, a professor at the University of Oxford.
“It is part of the rich tapestry(织锦) of what makes us human, ”he adds.
1. The underlined word “pinpointed” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to “________”.| A．Identified | B．Explained |
| C．Connected | D．Considered |
| A．Left-handedness is determined by four genetic markers. |
| B．Left-handedness is a result of more protein in the brain. |
| C．Lefties carry out language-related work better than righties. |
| D．The regions dealing with language in the brain work better in lefties. |
| A．Genes are the main reason for left-handedness. |
| B．Left-handedness could help one’s brain develop better. |
| C．Left-handedness is caused by a variety of factors that include genes. |
| D．A person’s living environment contributes little to their left-handedness. |
【推荐1】A landfill(废物填埋地) of 42 million tires in the sands of Kuwait is finally being cleaned up and recycled. This news in itself would be a major relief to locals who have to suffer from the clouds of black smoke arising during fires. But the government isn’t stopping there. They are aiming to create a green city of 25,000 homes in line with a post-oil Persian Gulf, with a focus on sustainability and tourism.
The first step is to clear the ground. The Salmiya area, nicknamed “Rubber Mountain”, consists of hundreds of small piles of spent tires—a reaction(回应) from the one million cars which were added to Kuwait’s roads over the decade.
EPSCO Global General Trading has opened a recycling facility for the tires, where they’ve been collected, cut up, and pressed into other materials like tiling(铺地砖) and playground flooring. The plant opened in January of 2021, and exported the recycled material out to nearby gulf neighbors. In their place will be South Saad Al-Abdullah City, a green city characterizing a new era in the Middle-Eastern country.
“We have moved from a difficult stage that was characterized by great environmental risk,” says Oil Minister Mohammed al-Fares. “Today the area is clean and all tires have been removed to begin the launch of the project of Saad Al-Abdullah city.”
Expected to cos t €3.3 billion and require 30 years to complete, the city hopes to feature green technology, probably like the kind one can see in other cities on the Persian Gulf, both existing and not. Saudi Arabia is planning to build a zero-emissions, car-less future city that’s centered around access to big data rather than water or crops.
1. Why is the Salmiya area called “Rubber Mountain”?| A．It is rich in rubber. | B．It has too many waste tires. |
| C．It possesses more cars. | D．It has been a tradition. |
| A．Collect and bury them. | B．Cut up and burn abroad. |
| C．Make bricks and sell locally. | D．Process and move them away. |
| A．To express his joy. | B．To show his anxiety. |
| C．To stress the urgency. | D．To analyze the causes. |
| A．The Transformation of a Huge Landfill | B．Spent Tires, a Big Threat to the Environment |
| C．Kuwait Tire Mountain to Be into a Green City | D．The Salmiya Area’s Measures to Kick Pollution |
【推荐2】As Covid-19 spread through the United States in the spring of 2020, previously busy cities fell silent. A new study shows that the dip in noise in the early months of the pandemic (大流行病) led to an increased abundance of birds in cities.
The flock to cities ranged “from birds like hawks and eagles all the way down to small songbirds and even hummingbirds” says Michael Schrimpf, study co-author and postdoctoral flow at the University of Manitoba's Natural Resources Institute
To see if and how birds were using now-quiet cities differently, the team of researchers analyzed more than 4.3 million bird observations of more than 80 bird species recorded on the community science app eBird. They looked at more than three years of observations taken by experienced birders before and through the first few months of the pandemic.
Scientists found significant changes in birds' migration patterns and use of urban habitats (栖息地)，like bravely getting closer to usually-noisy areas like roads and airports. It was also revealed that white-crowned sparrows adapted their tune when San Francisco streets fell quiet. Bird abundance increased in cities overall, especially during spring and fall migration.
North America has lost almost a third of its birds in recent decades due to a combination of factors, including climate change, predation (捕食) by stray cats, and habitat loss, so any information scientists can obtain about how to make urban environments more bird-friendly is significant. The study's authors note that one of the most remarkable findings is that many different birds benefited from a reduction in noise, which doesn't have to be limited to pandemic lockdowns.
“There is an opportunity to adjust how we live, to slow down,” says Schrimpf. “We hope that it might be a lesson for us that we can take away in a post-pandemic world.”
1. What does the underlined word “dip” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Decrease. | B．Increase. | C．Effect. | D．Change. |
| A．By observing varieties of birds in nature. |
| B．By doing an experiment on different kinds of birds. |
| C．By analyzing bird observations recorded by birders. |
| D．By studying past researches on bird behavior. |
| A．All birds benefited from the reduction in noise. |
| B．Some birds sang differently in a quieter environment. |
| C．Birds would often go to noisy areas like roads and airports. |
| D．The overall bird population increased worldwide during the pandemic |
| A．People should slow down to appreciate birds in nature. |
| B．People should be banned from any activities harmful to nature |
| C．People should adjust their lifestyle to stay safe during the pandemic. |
| D．People should reduce noise to create a better environment for birds. |
【推荐3】If you’ve experienced the care of a kind hardworking doctor, one way to thank your doctor is writing a thoughtful thank-you note. Finding the right words isn’t always easy. To help you create a meaningful message for the doctor, you can learn from the thank-you notes below.
The first example: Post-surgery (术后) thank-you note
Thank you so much for your excellent work during my foot surgery. I experienced the least pain during the recovery. I feel much better now, and I am confident that I’ll be returning to my favorite sport soon. Your kindness and devotion to patients really shine bright in everything you do. Thank you again.
The second example: Post-delivery (产后) thank-you note
Dear Pam Smith, thank you for delivering my baby. All of your care and concern leading up to the delivery made me feel confident in going into the delivery room. The baby class you recommended was a lifesaver, and I can’t thank you more for your help through this entire process.
The third example: Say thanks for taking care of your loved one
Thank you for your kindness with my mother, Susan Meyer. The entire family was concerned when she fell sick last month, and you really helped us a lot. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know how I would have handled everything as an office lady. My mother is better now. We all send our love and thanks!
The fourth example: Say thanks to your family doctor
I appreciate your reliable care year after year. Your guidance during my annual physical keeps me in my best shape, and I owe much of my success to you. Best wishes from a dedicated patient.
1. What can we learn from the first example?| A．Its writer might have cut off his feet. | B．Its writer is fond of sports. |
| C．The doctor is good at curing mental illness. | D．The doctor caused much pain during the operation. |
| A．She supported her in having another baby. |
| B．She helped her in the baby class |
| C．She gave her a lot of confidence. |
| D．She saved her baby’s life. |
| A．The third example. | B．The second example. |
| C．The first example. | D．The fourth example. |
【推荐1】Two Russian cosmonauts(宇航员)aboard the International Space Station (ISS) played chess against an Earth-bound grandmaster on Tuesday, in celebration of the first such game half a century ago.
Equipped with an electronic chessboard,cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vaguer played in zero gravity against 30-year-old Russian former child prodigy(神童)Sergei Karyakin. The game was broadcast live and ended in a draw after about 15 minutes.
It was organised by the space agency Roscosmos and the Russian Chess Federation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Space-Earth game of chess played on June 9, 1970. "It's a huge honor for us not to lose to a grandmaster," Ivanishin said, while Vaguer added that US astronauts on the ISS watched the game and gave tips.
Karyakin, who played from Moscow's Museum of Cosmonautics, said he was jittery during the game and could not fall asleep until 4 a. m. on the night before the match.
"They played well," he said. "I can say that the human brain functions very well in space, and I have seen this today." At the age of 12 years and seven months, Karyakin became the world's youngest ever grandmaster.
Ivanishin, Vagner and US astronaut Chris Cassidy arrived on the ISS in April. On May 31, they were joined by US astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on the first manned private (light to the ISS. SpaceX made history by becoming the world's first commercial company to send humans to the ISS, leading Russia to lose its long-held monopoly(垄断)on space travel.
1. Why did the two Russian astronauts play chess on the ISS?| A．To offer a live show from the ISS. |
| B．To prove their success in boarding the ISS. |
| C．To test the human brain functions in zero gravity. |
| D．To celebrate the first Space-Earth chess game 50 years ago. |
| A．Bored. | B．Disappointed. | C．Anxious. | D．Frightened. |
| A．A Space-Earth Chess Game | B．A Former Child Chess Prodigy |
| C．A Chess Game Played on the ISS | D．A Celebration of Human Space History |
【推荐2】Emilia Dobek traces her interest in space and the universe back to third grade when she and her father watched a blood moon — a total lunar eclipse (月食)---on the roof of their house.
Now a seven-grader at East Prairie Elementary School, Dobek recently won the national Discovery Education Beyond Challenge by designing a space station for traveling to Mars. She says that night watching the lunar eclipse launched a passion in her that has yet to run out of fuel.
So, when her teacher, Andrea Smeeton, received information about the national challenge, Smeeton said she immediately had one student in mind. “I knew she would love the challenge and that she would go way beyond in her research,” Smeeton said. “She immediately started researching bone density of astronauts and how to have sustenance on Mars.”
“My design will ensure the safety of the astronauts but also make sure their comfort is out of this world,” said Dobek. Dobck’s design calls for building the MSS or Mars Storage Station to accommodate the need for abundant supplies. She explains how her spacecraft—the Adventurer—will get into a space station before flying to the MSS to get supplies. Her design includes the SGF or SelfGrowing Farm, and she details how it would work with the elements on Mars.
Then there is physical and leisure activity for the astronauts under Dobck’s design. A. simulator (模拟器) allows astronauts to choose their exercise machine and virtual reality environment. Rooms have circular ceilings, she says, so astronauts will be able to watch downloaded shows and even see places on Earth, such as their homes. Chief among her immediate goals, she said, is to inspire with this project. want to tell other kids to follow their passions,” Dobek said. “Whatever they want to do, they should kind of just push for it. They should always try their best.”
1. What launched Dobek’s passion for space and the universe?| A．Winning the national challenge. |
| B．Observing the lunar eclipse with her father. |
| C．Studying with her teacher Andrea Smeeton. |
| D．Designing a space station for traveling to Mars. |
| A．By exercising in outer space. | B．By playing virtual reality games. |
| C．By appreciating places on Earth. | D．By enjoying shows of their homes. |
| A．To realize her immediate goals. |
| B．To create a leisure design for astronauts. |
| C．To get inspired by the national challenge. |
| D．To encourage others to pursue their interest. |
| A．New Space Station Design |
| B．Leisure Activities for Astronauts |
| C．7th-grader Won National Prize |
| D．Patient Teacher Motivated Innovation. |
【推荐3】At one time, about 300 native languages were spoken on the Australian continent. Only about 90 of them are still spoken today.
European settlers arrived in Australia in the late 1700s. Experts say that colonization had a harmful effect on native languages. Now, only about 60 of them are considered “alive” and in daily use. As older members of tribes die, other languages are likely to pass away.
In the central Australian desert, only 20 people are fluent in Pertame, a language native to the area. But now, children are being taught its ancient words in hope that it won't die out.
Bradshaw and Swan are among the native elders working to keep Pertame alive. Swan has published language books on Pertame. She is one of the last remaining fluent speakers of the language and founder of the Pertame School, opened two years ago.
Bradshaw is a teacher at the school. Children at the school not only learn the language, they also cook traditional food and learn history. “Our old people have all passed away. There are only a few of us left to teach our kids how our old people used to live. ” said Bradshaw.
According to community leaders, for many years, they were forbidden to speak their native language. Bradshaw recalls one of her experiences as a child, “The teacher walked past saying, ‘Don’t speak that language at school.’ We promised ourselves we would talk it in secret to keep it going. People don’t understand how important it is for Aboriginal (土著人的) people.”
In some schools in northern Australia, students learn in both English and an Aboriginal language. Many communities speak what is called “Aboriginal English”. It keeps some structures of Standard English and includes words from Aboriginal languages.
1. How many native languages are used in Australia nowadays?| A．20. | B．60. |
| C．90. | D．300. |
| A．They disappeared in 1700s. |
| B．They are being saved by elders. |
| C．They have bad effects on the young. |
| D．They are of little importance for the locals. |
| A．To respect the old people. |
| B．To teach children to cook. |
| C．To keep the language Pertame alive. |
| D．To combine Standard English with Pertame. |
| A．It is becoming more and more popular. |
| B．It is being spread throughout Australia. |
| C．It has replaced English in northern Australia. |
| D．It includes some words of the native language. |
【推荐1】A new exhibit at a California museum provides visitors with a modern version of the ancient Chinese art style, literally “shan shui hua”. The show is at the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles. It is called Lightscapes. The works show scenes of mountains, rivers and sometimes waterfalls. Chinese artists have been creating the brush and ink works for more than 1,000 years.
Artists Nick Dong and Chi-Tsung Wu found ways to connect the new, digital generation to this traditional form of art. Their works get the essence (本质) of the style in a new way. The exhibit forces the viewers to slow down and experience a different world. That was also one of the goals of shan shui hua artists from long ago.
Dong said, “Actually, all these artists want to create a world where they can hide themselves. And the world can help them avoid or escape from the reality. So, they create a mountain and imagine they could live there.”
One of the works involves a slowly moving light directed at clear plastic boxes on a wall. The piece, created by Wu, is called Crystal City. Wu said, “If we see this through the light, from a different perspective, we could see there’s another world behind that.” That other world Wu noted is the shadows that look more solid than the plastic boxes. Wu said Crystal City is the representative of the modern digital age.
To view Dong’s representation of Heaven, one has to step into a room filled with mirrors from floor to ceiling. There is a small round seat in the middle of the room. Dong said, “Once you’ve entered the installation (装置), at first you’ll see a lot of your reflections. But once you sit down, you touch off the mechanism (机关) of the room. The mirrors actually start to reflect, and you yourself will disappear within the space.”
1. What’s the main characteristic of the new exhibit?| A．It shows the beauty of nature. |
| B．It puts ancient Chinese art works on show. |
| C．It enjoys advantages in terms of technology. |
| D．It’s a good combination of the new and the old. |
| A．Their concern about nature. |
| B．Their curiosity about future life. |
| C．Their longing for a different world. |
| D．Their satisfaction with the reality. |
| A．It is Wu’s most famous work. |
| B．Light and shadows are parts of it. |
| C．It shows the complexity of plastic boxes. |
| D．Advanced tools are needed to appreciate it. |
| A．Artists have modernized shan shui hua. |
| B．Lots of artists are attracted by shan shui hua. |
| C．Traditional paintings face lots of challenges. |
| D．Traditional paintings should keep pace with times. |
【推荐2】Several Chinese companies are temporarily hiring-or ''sharing"-employees from businesses that haven't resumed operations or are only partially operating due to concerns over the novel coronavirus epidemic （传染病).The so-called shared employees, known as gongxiangyuangong in Chinese, are being hired by supermarkets, e-commerce platforms' retail stores, and other companies or factories to ease the lack of workforce.
According to domestic media outlet National Business Daily, more than 3, 000 new employees had joined Hema by Feb 19, while over 4, 000 people had signed up for the “talent-sharing” plan under Suning by Feb 21. The American supermarket chain Walmart has also joined in the trend, hiring more than 3, 000 temporary workers from other sectors to work at its branches in cities like Beijing, Fuzhou, and Shenzhen.
Bike-sharing company Hello bike has opened 8, 000 positions nationwide for bicycle maintenance, according to Xinhua News Agency. In Hefei, capital of the eastern Anhui province, Hello bike is seeking 300 temporary workers, while 40 employees from a local hotel have started working at an industrial park on one-month contracts.
Yao Junchang, a lawyer with Beijing Weiheng Law Firm, told Workers’ Daily that companies hiring temporary workers should guarantee detailed provisions (规定，条款)in their agreements, including the time of employment, salary and policy for work-related injury compensation.
“At the same time, the companies lending the employees should sign a complete secondment arrangement, pay employees in full, and pay social security on time, ” he said. “Employees should pay more attention to safety measures and require a tripartite (三方)agreement or labor agreement to be signed during the temporary employment period and keep records as evidence.”
1. During the novel coronavirus epidemic, what’s the reason for sharing employees?| A．These employees are free. |
| B．These employees are more capable. |
| C．These employees are badly in need. |
| D．These employees hope to earn more money. |
| A．By making comparison. | B．By providing examples. |
| C．By following the time order. | D．By doing analysis. |
| A．Investment. | B．Payment. | C．Reward. | D．Interest. |
| A．Objective. | B．Subjective. | C．Indifferent. | D．Opposed. |
【推荐3】This was the first real task I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. As I searched the name, I found that there were two famous people having the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts（花生）, while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice; let the coin decide. I flipped(掷) a coin and Ah! Tails (背面)! My report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.
Weeks later, I stood in front of the classroom and proudly read my homework. But things started to get strange. I looked around the room, only to find my classmates with big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes and my stone-faced teacher. I was completely lost. “What could be causing everyone to act this way?”
Oh well, I dropped the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, “My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American War of Independence.” The whole world became quiet! How could I know that my teacher meant that George Washington?
Of course, my subject result was awful. Sad but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to the headmaster Miss Lancelot, but she said firmly: No re-dos; no new score. I felt that it was not fair, and I believed I deserved a second chance. So I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, I sat in the headmaster’s office again, but this time a completely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the terrible moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster told me I was good enough to skip(跳过) the 6th grade and started the 7th grade next term.
1. The task I received was to find information about ________.| A．uses for peanuts |
| B．American War of Independence |
| C．George Washington |
| D．my headmaster Miss Lancelot |
| A．The Internet | B．My classmates |
| C．My grandpa | D．A coin |
| A．I was too proud of my homework |
| B．I mistook what the homework was about |
| C．the whole world suddenly became quiet |
| D．the teacher’s face turned to a stone |
| A．worked harder to prove my ability |
| B．started to study from the 7th grade |
| C．was so frightened at the awful result |
| D．was given a second chance to redo the work |
| A．the headmaster didn’t like the writer at all |
| B．the writer’s classmates felt sad at his mistake |
| C．the writer knew little about American history |
| D．the writer’s grandpa was a very wise man |
| A．Seeing is believing. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．One is never too old to learn. |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
