My grandson Jason was no where to be seen-normal behavior for a ten-year-old. I sat down on a chair and noticed the ladder(梯子)lying on the ground under the big tree beside the driveway. It didn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out Jason was up in that tree and had accidentally kicked the ladder away. He wasn't about to come down, and he wouldn't let me know he was trapped. I could put up the ladder and rescue him, but then I recalled an event in my youth that I now, more than 50 years later, suddenly understood.
Raymond Cutting was a white haired gentleman, who entered my life when I was Jason's age. My parents said I was free to wander around the village except for the abandoned quarry(采石场)at the foot of a local mountain, but it was an interesting place: full of milky green water and rusty machinery hiding in the bushes. One afternoon I went there with some older boys, who later abandoned me when the sun was low. I tried for an hour to find my way, climbing over fallen trees but got caught in the bushes. Panicked, I cried.
Stopping to catch my breath, I heard someone whistle(吹口哨). "Hello,"said Cutting. "Out for a walk?" I nodded, "I've just been out exploring the old quarry, but I've got to get home now." "If you'd wait a minute, I'll walk back to town with you after I finish this willow whistle."
So we walked back down the path together, and the willow whistle was mine, sounding loud and clear. It suddenly dawned on me what an unusual act of kindness that was-Mr. Cutting had heard me crying, but he didn't play the role of a rescuer. Instead, he whistled so that I could find him.
I got up from the chair and drove my truck right under the big tree, where Jason was. I picked up the ladder and carried it around to the back of the house. When I returned, Jason was sitting in my chair.
"Where have you been?" I asked.
"Exploring, "Jason said. "I am a Cub Scout, you know.”
"Yes, "I smiled and said, "I know.”
1. What do we know about the ten-year-old author and Jason?| A．Neither of them admitted being trapped. | B．Neither of them were fond of exploring. |
| C．They both got stuck in the woods. | D．They both cried out for help. |
| A．He offered to walk the author home. |
| B．He helped the author without hurting his pride. |
| C．He punished the boys who left the author behind. |
| D．He gave the author his handmade willow whistle. |
| A．He placed his chair by the tree. | B．He parked the truck under the tree. |
| C．He put the ladder up against the tree. | D．He climbed onto the tree to catch him. |
| A．Like father, like son. |
| B．Once bitten, twice shy. |
| C．God helps those who help themselves. |
| D．Have considerations for others while offering help. |
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【推荐1】When Allison Winn was eight and her family adopted a dog named Coco, they had no idea how much the little creature would change her life. "Coco helped me feel better," says Allison, who was recovering from 14 months of treatment for a brain cancer at the time. “She would cuddle （偎依）with me when I didn't want to play." Allison loved Coco so much that she told her parents she wanted to help other sick kids find the same kind of comfort.
She started small, raising money by selling lemonade and homemade dog biscuits in front of her house. Her first customer was the mailman. By the end of that summer, she had raised nearly $1,000, enough to adopt and train two dogs and give them to children with cancer. Now, a little more than two years later, some groups gather to make dog treats for Allison's cause.
Her organization, the Stink Bug Project, named after a picture she drew in memory of the end of her treatment, is run and managed in partnership with the Morgan Adams Foundation. Stink Bug helps families adopt pets from the Trained K9 Companion Program, where the rescued dogs are taught commands. Allison's mother, Dianna Litvak, who helps run Stink Bug, hopes to extend the pet-adoption program statewide and continue donating some of the money to help fund children's cancer research.
"Allison has figured out how to help — in a way that no one else has," Litvak says. "We involve her younger sister, Emily, her friends, the adopting families, and some others. It took the love of a little girl to wrap all that together into one amazing package."
Go to stinkbugproject, org to donate or to buy Allison's dog biscuits.
1. At the beginning, Allison's family _____.| A．didn't expect a dog could change her so much |
| B．didn't know the sufferings of fighting a cancer |
| C．thought a dog's company would harm her health |
| D．wanted other sick children to get the same comfort |
| A．She helped advertise lemonade and homemade dog biscuits. |
| B．A mailman donated some money to her. |
| C．She earned some money by doing small business. |
| D．Some groups gave her a hand. |
| A．one of her drawings | B．her dog |
| C．her homemade biscuits | D．her friend |
| A．calm | B．proud |
| C．embarrassed | D．worried |
| A．Helping to make dog treats. | B．Adopting a dog for your child. |
| C．Giving dogs and love to kids with cancer. | D．Raising money to train pets. |
【推荐2】Sometimes when it feels like things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place. This is exactly the case for Holly Smith, 34, from Surrey, when she lost her job two years ago.
At the beginning of 2020, Holly was working as a general manager for a small independent bakery business in Surrey. She had been there six years and couldn’t believe it when they told her she had to pack up her bags and leave. Being made redundant came as a huge shock for her and she panicked about struggling to pay the bills and finding another job during such a difficult time.
Holly didn’t know where to turn initially, but she was determined to find a silver lining, so she picked up a paintbrush and began to paint. Holly painted a portrait of her parent’s dog, a Spinone Italiano named Bailey, and shared the image online. Straight after, a few friends requested their own pet paintings and soon her career took off.
Holly named her business Holly & Murphy, after her special five-year-old cocker spaniel, Murphy. She is often at her most creative when she’s floating on water, together with her furry companion in her boat. She combines watercolour paints and pencils to bring dogs’ faces to life. A small painting usually takes two to three days to complete. Customers love how she captures their pet’s personality in great detail. Some of the most memorable paintings she has been asked to do are of dogs that have passed away. Her dog portraits start at £295 and can cost up to £595.
“When it first happened, it felt like the end of the world,” Holly, a current full-time painter and business owner, told The Mirror, “but it was the best thing that ever happened to me. And I’m so grateful to have a job that I love.”
1. What does the underlined word “redundant” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Responsible. | B．Retired. | C．Unimportant. | D．Unemployed. |
| A．The netizens. | B．Holly’s parents. |
| C．Holly’s friends. | D．Customers losing their pets. |
| A．They speak highly of her paintings. |
| B．They don’t like her pet paintings. |
| C．They think her paintings need to be improved. |
| D．They think her paintings should include more details. |
| A．Interest is the best teacher. |
| B．Every cloud has a silver lining. |
| C．He who laughs last laughs best. |
| D．Failure is the mother of success. |
【推荐3】My daughter Alisa was born blind in her right eye and was bullied (欺侮）pretty severely in school. So I quitted my job as a babysitter and then schooled my daughter heart and soul at home.
A year ago a boy of 14 befriended my daughter on Facebook after reading something Alisa wrote about bullying. Today he messaged her and asked if she would like six tickets to a Colorado Rockies baseball game. They have never met in person but she said, “Sure! That would be great.”
Then I received a call from his mother explaining why her son had chosen my daughter. She said he thought my daughter deserved them because of all the good she does in the community. Her son, she explained, had experienced a similar situation and was also home schooled.
What she said is true. Now my daughter Alisa continues to teach groups of girls in trouble in our community how to look within themselves for the positive and how to be their own person.
Everything taken into consideration, we decided to meet the mother and the boy at a local bike shop. After meeting, the boy approached my car and my daughter gave him a hug and thanked him for his generosity. She told him that she had never been to a baseball game and that she was going to take her entire family, including myself, her dad, little sister, her cousin and an aunt who has brain cancer.
We all thanked one another, got in our car, and went our way. As we drove home my daughter opened the envelope. Inside it were the tickets and ＄100 each to buy hot dogs, pay for parking and not have any worries but a great time.
My daughter has always been the giver and now she and our family are the receivers and I can not tell you how incredibly honored we feel to be on the other end. What an incredible young man to have such a kind idea.
1. How did the boy get to know Alisa?| A．They got in touch via the Internet. |
| B．They became familiar when talking face to face. |
| C．They met when buying tickets to a baseball game. |
| D．They went to the same school and met each other. |
| A．Because Alisa is a disabled girl. |
| B．Because he has a lot of money to share. |
| C．Because Alisa often helps those in trouble. |
| D．Because he has a similar situation with Alisa. |
| A．He is afraid of meeting strangers. |
| B．He always bullies smaller children. |
| C．He is addicted to the Internet. |
| D．He receives education at home. |
【推荐1】Parents everywhere are praising one Florida mom after she showed her daughter true love earlier this month in a lesson about being grateful. Haley Hassel was shopping for back-to-school supplies. She wanted to surprise her daughter Presleigh with a pencil case, which she knew her daughter would be happy about. Hassel was surprised, however, when her little girl threw the case in the garbage and stormed into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
“She yelled, ‘That’s stupid. Everyone in my class has that...I don’t want it anymore!’” Hassel explained in a Facebook post. Hassel said she didn’t immediately react because she wanted to deal with the anger properly.
“So by the time there was probably smoke coming out of my ears, I was trying really hard not to completely lose it with this kid whom I have worked so hard to completely take care of on my own,” she wrote. “I thought I had always taught her to be grateful and know how lucky she was, but she needed a small wake up call!”
Hassel grabbed a plastic sandwich bag, wrote Presleigh’s name on it and handed it to her.
“I told her to get the pencil case out of the trash and that we would give it to one whose mommy and daddy don’t have money for any school supplies or someone who may not even have a mommy or daddy.”
She continued, “I explained to her she’s not entitled to (享有) anything special and she is taking for granted how lucky she is. So for now she will be using a bag and will personally be delivering the nice box to a child that could benefit from it.”
1. What did Hassel’s daughter do after she received the pencil case?| A．Put it into her bag happily. | B．Threw the case in the garbage. |
| C．Sent Hassel a gift in return. | D．Hugged and kissed Hassel. |
| A．Presleigh was a stupid. |
| B．Presleigh hoped for something special. |
| C．Presleigh hated her mother so much. |
| D．Presleigh refused to accept any gift that her mother bought her. |
| A．But she needed to buy her something special. |
| B．But she needed to call her daughter to wake up everyday. |
| C．But she needed a timely remind for her daughter to be grateful. |
| D．But she needed to buy her an alarm clock to wake her up everyday. |
| A．Patient and calm. | B．Out-going and active. |
| C．Funny and brave. | D．Hardworking and determined. |
【推荐2】Rural Patagonia is famous for its wonderful nature. A Google search for “bicycle tour Patagonia” led my friend Rachel and me to the Carretera Austral: a 770-mile stretch of mostly unpaved highway. We packed our bikes into hoxes and flew to Puerto Montt, a port city some 650 miles south of Santiago. From there, we continued south for several days and set foot on the Carretera.
It took about two weeks to cycle the route through wild forests, windswept plains, and snow-capped mountains. On our last full day along the Carretera-and three days into a constant rainstorm-we found ourselves at a loss for where to sleep. We were cold and wet.
We were still 30 miles from Villa O’Higgins, which marked the end of the Carretera and the promise of a hot shower. From there, we’d ride about 600 miles further along somewhat better roads to Ushuaia.
There was no way we were going to make O’Higgins by nightfall. We hadn’t passed a nice campsite in hours. We’d just stopped beside a small stream when we spotted a cowboy-looking man walking out of the trees. And we saw that the stream led to a small house. The man came to the road. “Do you know a dry place to camp?” Rachel asked.
The man invited us into his home. We shared hot chocolate and conversation in his warm, rough kitchen. He brought out an old copy of Patagon Journal, and we were amazed to see a photo of our host, Erasmo Betancourt, on the cover. It turns out that our new friend was a well-known cowboy-turned-activist who had been an outspoken opponent of the damming(筑坝)of Patagonia＇s rivers. In recent decades, local farmers, fishermen, and conservationists have fiercely resisted the construction of hydroelectric(使用水力发电的)dams on the region＇s mighty rivers. Our adventure wouldn’t have been possible if not for their fierce love of this beautiful land and devotion to its protection.
The next morning, we thanked our host and hit the road. Is there anywhere on Earth so remote that one cannot encounter humanity?
1. Where were the author and Rachel headed the next day?| A．Ushuaia. | B．Santiago. |
| C．Puerto Montt. | D．Villa O’Higgins. |
| A．Where to find a dry campsite. |
| B．How to satisfy their hunger. |
| C．How to find their way in the forest. |
| D．Where to get some drinking water. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Disapproving. |
| C．Tolerant. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．Dams on mighty rivers ruined our adventure. |
| B．A bicycle tour of Patagonia revealed nature to us. |
| C．A cowboy-turned-activist saved Patagonia’s rivers. |
| D．We encountered kindness in one of the wildest places on Earth. |
【推荐3】We walked in so quietly that the nurse at the desk didn’t even lift her eyes from the book.Mum pointed at a big chair by the door and I knew she wanted me to sit down.While I watched mouth open in surprise, Mum took off her hat and coat and gave them to me to hold.She walked quietly to the small room by the lift and took out a wet mop.She pushed the mop past the desk and as the nurse looked up,Mum nodded and said, “ Very dirty floors.”
“Yes, I’m glad they’ve finally decided to clean them,” the nurse answered.She looked at Mum strangely and said,“but aren’t you working late?”
Mum just pushed harder, each swipe(拖一下) of the mop taking her farther and farther down the hall.I watched until she was out of sight and the nurse had turned back to writing in the big book.
After a long time Mum came back.Her eyes were shining.She quickly put the mop back and took my hand.As we turned to go out of the door,Mum bowed politely to the nurse and said,” Thank you.”
Outside,Mum told me,“ Dagmar is fine.No fever.”
“You saw her, Mum?”
“ Of course.I told her about the hospital rules, and she will not expect us until tomorrow. Dad will stop worrying as well. It’s a fine hospital.But such floors! A mop is no good.You need a brush.”
1. When she took a mop from the small room what Mum really wanted to do was________.| A．to clean the floor | B．to please the nurse |
| C．to see a patient | D．to surprise the storyteller |
| A．It is a children’s hospital. | B．It has strict rules about visiting hours |
| C．the storyteller’s classmate | D．Dad’sworking |
| A．the storyteller’s sister | B．Mum’s friend |
| C．the storyteller’s classmate | D．Dad’sworking |
| A．strange | B．warmhearted |
| C．clever | D．hardworking |
【推荐1】I remember the thrill of first seeing you at law school orientation. You looked happy in a sea of dour, nervous faces. And you swept me off my feet immediately and I was eager to know everything about you. It quickly became clear that you were kind, down-to-earth, engaging and loyal to family and friends. By graduation, we were inseparable. We took the bar exam and were married. The future looked bright-two freshly minted lawyers with supportive families and a dream of starting a family of our own some day.
I started my career with the exhausting hours and high stress that are traditionally visited on young lawyers. You were unexpectedly ambivalent (矛盾情绪的） about finding a good job-or any job. After gentle pressure from me, and more from the student loan payments, you puttered around in some non-legal positions more suited for someone with half your education and intelligence, which offered low pay.
Pregnancy-something we both wanted-gave you the most important job in the world. After a few years, we were blessed with a second child. You have never returned to work, although both kids have been at school full-time for years, and our firstborn is heading to college soon.
I've climbed the professional ladder reasonably well. We have the trappings of middle-class success-a nice house in a safe, quiet neighborhood; annual holidays; happy, healthy children; money saved for their college years. But it has come at enormous personal cost to me. My stress level has increased dramatically with added responsibilities at work and my health has become worse. People who haven't seen me for years flinch (退缩） when we meet again and I've attended more than one event at which I have overheard someone remarking on how much I've aged.
I don't think I can do this for another 25 years. I often dream of leaving my firm for a less demanding position, with you making up any financial deficit with a job-even a modest one-of your own. I've asked, and sometimes pleaded, for years with you to get a job, any job. Many of my free hours are spent helping with the housework and the kids, and I recognize that traditional gender roles are often oppressive, but that cuts both ways. I would feel less used and alone if you pitched in financially, even a little. That's not going to happen. It has become clear that you are OK with my working myself to death at a high-stress career that I increasingly hate, as long as you don't have to return to the workforce.
You keep busy volunteering, exercising and pursuing a variety of hobbies. You socialize with similarly situated women who also choose to remain outside the paid workforce. You always say you are not satisfied with the family income, but never once consider that you could relieve the stress on both our budgets and your burnt-out husband by earning some money yourself.
Our family is grateful for all that we enjoy and we know that we're far more fortunate than millions who work far harder than I ever have, or will. And I know all too well that work can be unpleasant. But I don't want you to work so I can buy a Jaguar or a holiday home. I want you to work so I can get a different position and we can still maintain a similar standard of living.
I want you to get a job so I don't wake up in the middle of the night worrying that my career is the only one between us and financial ruin. I want you to work so our marriage can feel more like a partnership and I can feel less like your financial beast of burden. I want our daughter to see you in the workforce and I want her to pursue a career so she is never as dependent on a man as you are on me, no matter how much he loves her(and he will).But mostly I want you to get a job because I want to feel loved.
1. What can we know about the author?| A．He has a family of five. |
| B．He got married before graduation. |
| C．He dreams of being a successful lawyer. |
| D．He fell for his wife at first sight. |
| A．Choosing a like-minded life partner. |
| B．The mother's having a baby inside her body. |
| C．The woman's being able to support her family. |
| D．Applying for a high-paid job once again. |
| A．The author is not so good at socializing. |
| B．The author is a person of wealth and power. |
| C．Great responsibility comes with great power. |
| D．The heavy work pressure has aged the author. |
| A．The author's wife won't take high-pressure jobs. |
| B．The author's wife is not satisfied with his work. |
| C．The author's wife will not go to work. |
| D．The author's wife can't keep the work-life balance. |
| A．complains about financial pressure |
| B．usually volunteers with nearby women |
| C．always thinks of her husband's feelings |
| D．determines to earn some money herself |
| A．To raise their standard of living. |
| B．To improve her ability to be independent. |
| C．To assist him in buying a nice holiday home. |
| D．To set a good example to their daughter. |
Today I was at the shopping mall and I spent a lot of time reading the Father's Day cards．They all had a special message that in some way or another reflected how I feel about you．Yet as I selected and read，it occurred to me that not a single card said what I really want to say to you．
You'll soon be 84 years old，Dad，and you and I will have had 55 Father's Days together．I haven't always been with you on Father's Day but I've always been with you in my heart．
You know，Dad，there was a time when we were separated by the generation gap．You stood on one side of the Great Divide and I on the other．
The Father Daughter Duel shifted into high gear ( 档位) when you taught me to drive the old Dodge and I decided I would drive the '54 Chevy whether you liked it or not．The police officer who sent me home，after you reported the Chevy stolen，didn't have much tolerance for a stub¬born 16 year old，while you were so tolerant about it，Dad，and I think that was probably what made it the worst night of my life．
Our relationship greatly improved when I married a man you liked，and things really turned around when we began making babies right and left．Somewhere along the line，the generation gap disappeared． I suppose I saw us and our relationship as aging together，rather like a fine wine．
But the strangest thing happened last week．I was at a stop sign and I watched as you turned the corner in your car．It didn't immediately occur to me that it was you because the man driving looked so elderly and fragile behind the wheel of that huge car．It was rather like a slap in the face delivered from out of nowhere．Perhaps I saw your age for the first time that day．
I guess what I'm trying to say，Dad，is what every son and daughter wants to say to their Dad today．Honoring a father on Father's Day is about respect and sharing and acceptance and tolerance and giving and taking．It's about loving someone more than words can say，and it's wishing that never had to end．
I love you，Dad．
Love,
Jenny
1. How did Jenny probably feel on the night she was sent home by the police？
| A．Disappointed |
| B．Nervous |
| C．Guilty |
| D．Frightened |
| A．kept in touch by writing each other |
| B．are separated due to the generation gap |
| C．have been getting along very well |
| D．had a hard time understanding each other |
| A．She seldom saw him driving that huge car． |
| B．She had never realized his being old and weak． |
| C．She didn't expect to meet with him there． |
| D．She had never seen him driving so slowly before． |
| A．tell him about their conflicts |
| B．say sorry for her being stubborn |
| C．express her gratitude to him |
| D．remind him of the early incident |
【推荐3】The real problem of wildfires is the strength of the blazes（火焰）.In 2015, for the first time, fires burned more than 10 million acres nationwide. It happened again in 2017. In California, eight of the state's 20 worst wildfires have happened in the past 10 years. The 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 lives in Northern California, was the deadliest in the century.
The world's worst wildfire in terms of lives lost was the 1871 Peshtigo Fire in Wisconsin, in which at least 1,200 people died. Never heard of it? Perhaps that's because people's attention was drawn by another terrible blaze that happened the same night: the Great Chicago Fire.
Humans still cause more than 4 out of 5 wildfires through carelessly dropped cigarettes, poorly put-out campfires. Another major sparker of wildfires is lightning. According to the Natural History Museum of Utah, lightning strikes the earth more than100,000 times a day. Anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of these strikes causes fires.
One of the many challenges dealing with wildfires is that they can overtake even a very fast human. According to National Geographic, the fires can travel up to 14 miles per hour, or about one mile every four minutes.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．Lightning. | B．Wildfires. |
| C．Cigarettes. | D．Campfires. |
| A．The California Fire. |
| B．The Great Chicago Fire. |
| C．The 1871 Peshtigo Fire. |
| D．The 2018 Camp Fire. |
| A．Their speed. | B．Their strength. |
| C．Their blaze. | D．Their causes. |
【推荐1】On August 28th, at a presentation over the Internet, Mr. Musk showed off the progress of his firm, Neuralink. The highlight was the appearance of Gertrude, a pig with a chip implanted (植入) into her brain.
Reading the brain’s electrical signals, a technique called electroencephalography (EEG), started over 100 years ago and is now routine. It generally involves placing non-invasive electrodes (非侵入式电极) on the scalp (头皮), though it sometimes requires the invasive insertion of wires into the scalp or the brain. Non-invasive EEG provides useful information, and can even be used to do things like playing computer games. Invasive EEG offers more accurate readings from the nerve cells in the brain, though at greater risk because of the surgery involved. The device Gertrude carries, known technically as a brain-computer interface (接口), carries invasiveness one stage further by making the EEG recorder a potentially permanent implant.
Along with this improved interface, Neuralink has built a robot that will implant it. To do so, the robot first takes a high-resolution scan of the recipient’s brain. Using this, it is able to sew the electrode threads into place with a precision that avoids any blood tubes in the area, which reduces the risk of damage during surgery. The robot can put the interface in place in less than an hour. General anesthesia (麻醉) is not needed for the procedure.
One challenge the firm wants to tackle is sending electrical signals into the brain. Mr. Musk says this will require a range of inputs including delicate stimulation and large amounts of currents. The point of doing so will be to establish two-way communications. This could allow entirely new areas of treatment to be explored. Besides epilepsy (癫痫) prevention, such brain stimulation might also work to treat depression. More important in the long run, it is also essential to Musk’s vision of widespread engagement between people and machines. This, he hopes, will result in a future where memories can be downloaded and stored elsewhere, and humans can form a relationship with AI that is mutually dependent and beneficial.
Not everyone is impressed. Critics worry that Neuralink is too secretive, and that Mr. Musk’s vision promises more than he can deliver. He does, though, have a record of doing what he says he is going to, despite the fact that sometimes not as rapidly as he says he will. He more or less single-handedly introduced battery-electric cars to the market and he built a successful space-rocket business out of nothing. Brains are a lot more complicated than cars, and even than rocket science. But do not bet against the coming into being at some point of the Musk vision of brains and computers working together directly.
1. What can we learn about EEG?| A．EEG requires the insertion of electrodes. |
| B．Non-invasive EEG is superior in safety and speed. |
| C．Invasive EEG functions better in reading nerve cells. |
| D．EEG can be updated by using the brain-computer interface. |
| A．the advantages of using the robot |
| B．the simplicity of the procedure |
| C．the improvement of the interface |
| D．the possible risks of the surgery |
| A．Musk achieves more in brain study than in rocket science |
| B．brain stimulation is crucial for people-machine interaction |
| C．new methods of treatment have been researched and created |
| D．the firm has difficulty finding the right kind of input for brains |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Neutral. |
【推荐2】In Europe, many people make friends between their countries through town twinning. Town or city twinning means two towns in different countries agree and decide to become “twins” with a sister city relationship.
The people find pen friends in the twin town. They exchange newspapers and stamps. The school teachers discuss teaching methods with the teachers in the twin town.Officials visit the twin town for celebrations.Ordinary people travel to the twin town,too,but not very often if it is far away.
Sometimes,schools even exchange their classes for two or three weeks! For example, German middle school students study for a while at the school in their twin town in Britain, staying with British families. A few months later, their British friends come to study in Germany.
Many British towns are so pleased with the results of the twinning that they set out to find more than one twin town!
Tonbridge, a small town in Kent, for example, has twin towns in both Germany and France. Richmond near London has relationships with Germany, France and even a town in a Balkan country!
Town twinning can help make friends. It helps students improve their language skills,and also helps people to understand the differences between nations.
1. Twin towns develop .| A．between European countries and China | B．in the English-speaking countries only |
| C．in the same country | D．between different countries |
| A．4. | B．5. | C．6. | D．7. |
| A．to earn more money | B．to set up schools |
| C．to improve students’ language skills | D．to develop industry and agriculture |
| A．Town Twinning | B．Friendly Towns |
| C．Exchanging Teachers and Students | D．Peace and Understanding |
【推荐3】The world's first hydrogen-powered trains have begun running in Germany. They began carrying passengers Monday in Germany's northern Lower Saxony state. The new train will run 100-kilometer trips and can travel up to 140 kilometers an hour.
A French railroad company called Alstom built the two trains. Team in Germany and France cooperated on the project, which was supported by the German government. The new train model ,called the Coradia ilint, signals the beginning of efforts in Germany and other nations to move away from pollution-producing diesel(柴油) trains.
The Coradia iLint is designed to run on non-electrified train lines with low levels of noise.
It uses a process that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electrical power. If the system produces more energy than the train needs at that time, it can store the extra energy in batteries. The only emissions (排放物) are water and steam.
A single tank of hydrogen can run a Coradia iLint train for about 1,000 kilometers. This is very similar to the distance a diesel-powered train can run on with a single tank.
Hydrogen-powered trains cost more than diesel trains to build. But Alstom officials say the operating costs are much lower. The company plans to provide another 14 Coradia iLint trains to Lower Saxony by 2021.
The head of railroad operations in the area, Carmen Schwab, praised replacing diesel trains with hydrogen. She said the move was an important first step in using clean-burning technologies to reach climate protection goals.
Officials say the area's many wind turbines (涡轮机)will produce part of the energy to create the hydrogen to power the trains.
Alstom says several other European countries have also expressed interest in developing hydrogen train systems. France has already said it wants its first hydrogen train to be operating by 2022.
1. Why did Germany build the new trains?| A．To replace diesel trains. |
| B．To carry more passengers. |
| C．To make traveling much easier. |
| D．To develop friendship with France. |
| A．It runs without making any noise. |
| B．It doesn't use electrical power. |
| C．It costs much less to run. |
| D．It is cheaper to make it. |
| A．are widely used |
| B．are environmentally friendly |
| C．can stop air pollution |
| D．can produce water and oxygen |
| A．Saving Natural Resources |
| B．Efforts to Reduce Emissions |
| C．World's First Hydrogen Trains |
| D．A New Way to Make Electricity |
