I'd done it before, and so I had no reason to believe that this time would be any different. I was sure that when I returned home from my mission trip, as always, I'd bring back nothing more than some mud on my boots, a hole or two in my jeans and, of course, a lot of great memories.
The summer before my high school graduation, I went to West Virginia with others as volunteers to repair the homes of those in need. Arriving at our destination, my group was assigned the task of rebuilding sections of a home that had been damaged by fire. No sooner had we parked on the home's dirt driveway than we saw an excited little girl, no more than six years old, standing in the doorway of the family's temporary home. Shoeless and wearing dirty clothes and the biggest smile I'd ever seen, she yelled, "Ma, Ma, they really came! " I didn't know it then, but her name was Dakota, and four more days would pass before she’d say another word near me.
Behind Dakota was a woman in a wheelchair—her grandmother, we'd soon learn. I also discovered that my job that week would be to help change a fire—damaged dining room into a bedroom for this little girl. Grabbing our tools, we went to work. Over the following days, I noticed Dakota peeking at us every now and then as we worked. A few times. I tried talking with her, but she remained shy and distant, always flying around us like a tiny butterfly but keeping to herself.
By our fifth and final day, however, this was about to change.
Before I went to work on her home on that last morning, I spoke for a moment or two with the grandmother. I was especially pleased when she told me how much Dakota loved her new room so much, in fact, that she'd begged to sleep in it the previous night, even though it wasn't quite ready. As we talked, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before—Dakota was hiding behind her grandmother. Cautiously, she stepped into view, and I could see that just like her clothes, her face was still dirty. But no amount of soil could hide those bright blue eyes and big smile. She was simply adorable. I wanted so much to hug her, but respecting her shyness, I kept my distance.
Slowly, she began walking toward me. It wasn't until she was just inches away that I noticed the folded piece of paper in her tiny hand. Silently, she reached up and handed it to me. Once unfolded, I looked at the drawing she'd made with her broken crayons on the back of an old coloring book cover. It was of two girls—one much taller than the other—and they were holding hands. She told me it was supposed to be me and her and on the bottom of the paper were three little words that instantly broke my heart. Now almost in tears, I couldn't control myself anymore—I bent down and hugged her. She hugged me, too. And for the longest time, neither one of us could let go.
By early afternoon, we finished Dakota's bedroom, and so I gladly used the rare free time to get to know my newest friend. Sitting under a tree away from the others, we shared a few apples while she told me about her life. As I listened to her stories about the struggles she and her family went through daily, I began to realize how boring various aspects of my own life were.
I left for home early the next morning. I was returning with muddy boots and holes in my jeans. But because of Dakota, I brought back something else, too—a greater appreciation for all of the blessing of my life. I’ll never forget that barefoot little butterfly with the big smile and dirty face. I pray that she’ll never forget me either.
1. From the appearance description of the little girl, we know _______.| A．she formed a bad living habit |
| B．she hoped for a better education |
| C．she was an innocent and lovely child |
| D．she was strong and calm in the inner world |
| A．Enjoy your help. |
| B．Please don’t leave. |
| C．Help me, please. |
| D．Hug me close. |
| A．She worried about the little girl’s future. |
| B．She decided to keep helping the little girl. |
| C．She felt a greater affection for the little girl. |
| D．She got surprised at the little girl’s worthless gift. |
| A．One must learn to share life experiences. |
| B．One often wants to lead a meaningful life. |
| C．One occasionally benefits from the poverty. |
| D．One should be more grateful for the gift of life. |
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【推荐1】“In the past, there’d be ringing of the church bells during a national emergency. They should be ringing now.” says Hamish McKenzie－a bell-ringer, boat-builder, extreme recycler and climate change activist. “Climate change is the greatest danger we face. In 100 years’ time, maybe less, it will be unlikely for people to live there because of rising water levels and the likelihood of hurricanes.” he tells Amanda Jones, the reporter from New York Times, gesturing over to the bank just feet from his boat.
Hamish McKenzie lives with his wife on his floating houseboat in Shorehame-on-Sea. Now 63, he’s turned recycling into an art and has created lots of houseboats out of old vehicles and things from junkyards and farms. He and his wife live on Verda－a mixture of and old coach and a 1928 Portsmouth-Gosport ship, which Hamish rescued from the muddy seabed. He lists another houseboat, named Dodge, on Airbnb to fund his lifestyle. His idea of walking lightly on the planet extends into every area of life. Apart from his laptop and piano, almost everything seems to have been recycled－from the microwave letterbox to tractor tire windows. “I buy my clothes from charity shops and regard meat as a treat. We’re living off vast amounts of seasonal local vegetables from small shops.”
“Sadly, there are no groceries left in Shoreham. They have been ruined by cars and out-of-town supermarkets. I hate the scenery of 30,000 cars at the end of my road. An average car weighs around 1.2 tons, but how much does a passenger weigh? Petrol engines are only 30% efficient.”
Hamish gets around by bicycle and often says, “Many people feel powerless about what is happening all over the world and even stop watching the news. But we have to think about what we can do for the community. Everyone can take action and do their bit.”
1. Why is Hamish called a bell-ringer?| A．He recalls the ringing of church bells during an emergency. |
| B．He draws attention to the danger of climate emergency. |
| C．He extends recycling into every area of his life. |
| D．He knows people feel powerless about what’s happening. |
| A．Hamish has become an artist in designing boats. |
| B．Hamish recycles all the things on his houseboat. |
| C．Hamish intends his simple lifestyle to do less harm to the earth. |
| D．Hamish has some meat as a treat regularly. |
| A．They drive groceries out of town. |
| B．They have become a local scenery. |
| C．They shouldn’t be designed that heavy. |
| D．They are a such waste of energy. |
| A．Concerned and responsible. | B．Fearful and powerless. |
| C．Sensitive and optimistic. | D．Satisfied and hopeful. |
In the animal kingdom, weakness can bring about aggression in other animal. This sometimes happens with humans also. But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people. I see it every day when people hold doors for me, pour cream into my coffee, or help me to put on my coat. And I have discovered that it makes them happy.
From my wheelchair experience, I see the best in people, but sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily. They don’t get to see this soft side of others. Often, we try every way possible to avoid showing our weakness, which includes a lot of pretending. But only when we stop pretending we’ re brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that’ s in them.
Last month, when I was driving home on a busy highway, I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual. People behind me began to get impatient and angry, with some speeding up alongside me, horning (按喇叭) or even shouting at me. At that moment，I decided to do something I had never done in twenty-four years of driving. I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed.
No more angry shouts and no more horns!
When I put on my flashlights, I was saying to the other drivers, “I have a problem here. I am weak and doing the best I can.” And everyone understood. Several times, I saw drivers who wanted to pass. They couldn’t get around me because of the stream of passing traffic. But instead of getting impatient and angry, they waited, knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak.
Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don’t feel that way. But those are few and far between. More often, it would be better if we don’t pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared.
1. When will people feel happy as the author has discovered? (No more than 7 words)2. Why does the author feel sad sometimes in Paragraph 2? (No more than 12 words)
3. What did the other drivers do when they saw the flashlights (No more than 4 words)t?
4. What does the underlined the sentence in Paragraph 6 probably mean? (No more than 5 words)
5. What can we learn from the author’s experience? (No more than 20 words).
【推荐3】The other day a big, ugly, black bat found its way to the bathroom of my house and hung upside down, over the toilet bowl. As “the man of the house”, I was asked to rid the house of the awful creature. I grabbed a pillow and held the broom. I quickly opened the bathroom door and threw the pillow at the bat. It didn’t move. Then that old feeling started to come over me. It was the same feeling I experienced when I was sent down the stairs in the middle of the night to see what made a noise. The feeling can be summed up in one word—trapped.
All men, I think, sometimes have had that feeling of being trapped in some male role. It may be something as simple as having to carve the chicken before it is served, or having to pretend that you know something about car engines when the car won’t start. However，women nowadays seem to have the freedom to be themselves. They can repair cars or be firefighters. Yet men appear to be more afraid to do something different. It's as if being a man is not what you are, but what you do and the way you do it.
As I came towards the fierce and frightening bat, I wondered what would happen if I had simply told my wife that I won’t do it—that she could get it out，or else call someone in the morning. But I couldn’t do that! I am the man! I slowly opened the window and closed the toilet bowl cover. I then, carefully, lifted the broom over my head and swept the bat out the window. Just like that, it was gone.
My wife was so pleased and in the morning, my son thought I was a hero. They asked me how I had got rid of the bat. I started to tell them——but then stopped. A man doesn’t talk of such things.
1. Why does the author mention the old feeling in Paragraph 1?| A．To recall the old days. | B．To show his fear of darkness. |
| C．To predict his fight with the bat. | D．To highlight the situation of being trapped. |
| A．Men are forced to bear household burdens. |
| B．Men have to live up to social expectations. |
| C．Women are free to choose their jobs. |
| D．Women are equal to men in workplaces. |
| A．believes silence is gold | B．feels proud of himself |
| C．will do what he has to do | D．will be what he wants to be |
【推荐1】It was decades ago now, but it’s still one of the most memorable conversations of my life. On a long, slow train heading north, with nothing to do but watch the rain, the man sitting opposite began trying to talk to me. Like most young women who have learned the hard way to be careful of strangers, I was unfriendly. But curiosity took over when he said that he was just bored, and liked talking.
So that’s what we did for hours and hours as the man turned out to be quite talkative. When the train finally pulled in, we didn’t change numbers. However, I still think about it sometimes on long, boring journeys, before getting a phone out and scrolling silently like everyone else. It’s a rare person who can cheerfully break the social rule about not talking to strangers without any ill intention, but life would be more interesting if more of us knew how to do it.
And that’s why I can’t be as cynical as I probably should be about “Tube Chat” campaign launched to encourage Britons to talk to each other. All anyone is being asked to do is to start a conversation they wouldn’t otherwise have had — maybe with a friend from whom they’ve been apart or a neighbor they don’t know.
Obviously, it takes more than a bit of small talk over garden fences to unite strangers together. More people live alone than did so a generation ago, and the rise in freelancing (自由职业) means more of us work alone too. We socialize increasingly through screens, sending texts instead of bothering to call.
It’s true that the “Tube Chat” campaign of a few years back failed in its attempts to make Londoners talk to each other on public transport. But even city people who would normally die rather than make eye contact with strangers still happily gather in large numbers by the Thames for the New Year’s Eve fireworks. They would get a far better view at home on television — it’s not really about the fireworks, but about being part of something communal (公共的).
There’s no guarantee (保证) that this latest campaign to reconnect will succeed wherever others have failed. But if there ever a moment to stop social disbelief it may start a fire to warm a world that sometimes feels cold. Wherever my train friend is now, I hope he’s still talking.
1. The author introduced her train friend to .| A．share her most memorable but boring journey |
| B．express her deep regret for losing touch with him |
| C．show that talking to strangers can add interest to life |
| D．explain why people are becoming indifferent |
| A．doubtful | B．supportive | C．confused | D．disappointed |
| A．“Tube Chat”, failed in its attempts to unite strangers together |
| B．it’s hard to break the social rule about not talking to strangers |
| C．people have a wish to be socially connected by nature |
| D．“Tube Chat” made some difference to reconnecting people |
| A．Keep our desire to connect. | B．Avoid talking to strangers. |
| C．Show respect for social disbelief | D．Socialize with our friends. |
【推荐2】You are given many opportunities in life to choose to be a victim or creator. When you choose to be a victim, the world is a cold and difficult place. “They” did things to you which caused all of your pain and suffering. “They” are wrong and bad, and life is terrible as long as “they” are around. Or you may blame yourself for all your problems, thus internalizing(内化)your victimization. The truth is, your life is likely to stay that way as long as you feel a need to blame yourself or others.
Those who choose to be creators look at life quite differently. They know there are people who might like to control their lives, but they don’t let this get in the way. They know they have their weaknesses, yet they don’t blame themselves when they fail. Whatever happens, they have choice in the matter. They believe their dance with each moment of life is a gift and that storms are a natural part of life which can bring the rain needed for their growth.
Victims and creators live in the same physical world and deal with many of the same physical realities, yet their experience of life is worlds apart. Victims relish(沉溺)in anger, guilt, and other emotions that cause others——and even themselves——to feel like victims, too. Creators willingly choose love, inspiration, and other qualities which inspire not only themselves, but all around them. Both victims and creators always have choice to determine the direction of their lives.
In reality, all of us play the victim or the creator at various points in our lives. One person, on losing a job or a special relationship, may feel as if it is the end of the world and sink into terrible suffering for months, years, or even a lifetime. Another with the same experience may choose to first experience the sadness, then accept the loss and soon move on to be a powerful creative force in his life.
In every moment and every situation, you can choose to have fuller, richer life by setting a clear goal to change the victim within, and by inviting into your life the powerful creator that you are.
1. What does the word “they” in Paragraph1 probably refer to?| A．People and things around you. | B．Opportunities and problems. |
| C．Creators and their choices. | D．Victims and their sufferings. |
| A．seem willing to experience failures in life |
| B．own the ability to predict future life |
| C．deal with ups and downs of life wisely |
| D．have the ability to create something new |
| A．strong connection to sufferings in life pulls people into victims. |
| B．people need family support to deal with challengers in life. |
| C．it takes creators quite a long time to get rid of their pains. |
| D．one’s experiences determine his attitude toward life. |
| A．To make the readers know what victims and creators are. |
| B．To explain the relationship between victims and creators. |
| C．To suggest the change from victims to creators. |
| D．To measure victims against creators. |
【推荐3】Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy—they’re given after all. Choice can be hard.
I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago. I came across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2300 percent per year. I’d never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast, and the idea of building all online bookstore with millions of titles was very exciting to me. I had just turned 30 years old, and I’d been married for a year. I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to quit my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn’t work since most start-ups don’t and I wasn’t sure what to expect. MacKenzie told me I should go for it. As a young boy, I’d been a garage inventor. I’d always wanted to be all inventor, and she wanted me to follow my passion.
I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired. I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet. He took me on a long walk in Central Park, listened carefully to me, and finally said, “That sounds like a really good idea, but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn’t already have a good job. ”That 1ogic made some sense to me, and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision. Seen in that light, it really was a difficult choice, but finally, I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn’t think I’d regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all.
After much consideration , I took the less safe path to follow my passion , and I’m proud of that choice. For all of us, in the end, we are our choice.
1. What inspired the author with the idea of building an online bookstore?| A．His dream of being an inventor. |
| B．The support of his wife. |
| C．The greatly increasing usage of the Internet. |
| D．Millions of exciting titles, |
| A．The idea of not trying would keep coming to his mind and disturb him. |
| B．He would be very excited if he tried it out. |
| C．Be would be always having a doubt if he didn’t try. |
| D．The decision to not try the online bookstore would terrify him. |
| A．Cleverness and Kindness | B．The Starting of Amazon |
| C．Following My Passion | D．We Are What We Choose |
| A．the boss thought the idea was suitable for the author |
| B．the author wanted someone else to try the idea |
| C．the author might not regret if he failed the idea |
| D．the author might go back to his boss if he failed |
【推荐1】Arthur Dubois isn't your typical grandfather. That's because at 72 years old, the Chicago resident is a newly discovered hip-hop artist.
This week, Dubois walked into Haven Studios, a music program on the South Side of Chicago that supports young ambitious artists. The owner of Haven Studios, Andre "Add-2" Daniels, said Dubois claimed he was "young at heart." So, Daniels decided to listen to Dubois' music. He was completely floored. Daniels quickly took videos showcasing Dubois' talents and posted them to Twitter. His tweet went viral, receiving thousands of reactions within a matter of days. Now, Dubois' talents have even caught the attention of some famous hip-hop producers.
"It's not what you would expect, right?" Daniels says in one of the videos. Dubois music is playing in the background, giving a steady beat that easily invites listeners to dance.
Dubois said his style was entirely self-taught. He first started teaching himself to produce hip-hop beats about six years ago, after he retired. "I found something to do," he told NPR's Scott Simon. "I had to learn how to do the computer and music at the same time." Dubois taught himself by using the audio editing software. Now he's learning another new skill-social media. Dubois' newfound social media fame has been a little overwhelming for him. "I was shocked," he said. "I broke down and cried because I didn't know that many people liked me." Daniels has helped Dubois set up accounts on Twitter and Instagram for his fans to follow, "I'd never used Instargram, Twitter and all that other stuff," Dubois said. "Because I didn't believe in that stuff myself. But now I've got lo have it." The attention doesn't seem to have gone to Dubois' head though-he doesn't really care about getting famous or making money. "I just want to put it out there and let other people hear my music."
1. What does the underlined word "floored" in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Astonished. | B．Scared. |
| C．Nervous. | D．Hurt. |
| A．Daniels. | B．He himself. |
| C．NPR's Scott Simon. | D．Hip-hop producers. |
| A．Daniels set up accounts for Dubois. |
| B．Daniels didn't enjoy Dubois' music at first. |
| C．Dubois seeks for personal fame and wealth. |
| D．Dubois didn't expect his popularity on the Internet. |
| A．Well begun in half done. |
| B．It's never too late to learn. |
| C．Lost time in never found again. |
| D．One good turn deserves another. |
【推荐2】In Washington, DC, only 69 percent of public school students graduate from high school on time. Many factors influence that low rate. One of the most important ones is whether the people around the students expect them to succeed.
So, for the past 40 years, a DC organisation has stepped in to give around 10,000 students the support and positive environment they need to thrive (茁壮成长). This organisation, called Higher Achievement, provides students with a welcoming space, help with class work, and caring teachers. More than 95 percent of students who complete Higher Achievement graduate from high school on time.
Katherine Roboff is the group’s executive director in the DC area. She gives several reasons for the group’s success. One is timing. Higher Achievement does not work with students who are already in high school. It works with students in middle school. They start High Achievement at fifth or sixth grade—in the US, that is usually age 11 or 12.
Roboff says research shows that if students are doing well academically in eighth grade—around age 13—they will have a greater chance of graduating from high school and going to college. In other words, what happens in middle school has a huge impact. The years between ages 10 and 13 may affect a student’s future more than anything that happens academically in high school.
Roboff explains that students participate in Higher Achievement after school and during the summer, when public schools take a break of about two months. High Achievement students do homework, have community meetings, and work one-on-one with a mentor (导师).
“The purpose of the programme is to help them use those after school and summer hours to become better prepared academically and to develop their leadership skills and confidence so that by the time they get into eighth grade they are ready to get into some of the top high school.”
1. A little more than 30% of public school students in the US ______.| A．drop out of school |
| B．work hard at their lessons |
| C．can’t finish school on time |
| D．are expected to graduate from high school |
| A．Higher Achievement is a great success. |
| B．Higher Achievement works with college students. |
| C．Many students have doubts about the organisation. |
| D．Higher Achievement has spread throughout the US. |
| A．they are certain to go to college |
| B．they are to succeed when they grow up |
| C．they don’t need any help in their studies |
| D．they are more likely to finish high school on time |
| A．To offer students advice. |
| B．To help student get into top schools. |
| C．To teach students how to behave at school. |
| D．To provide students with different activities. |
【推荐3】A little before nine o'clock on Tuesday night, Antonio Gutierrez found himself facing a welcome dilemma. Might he, a waitress asked, have room for a second helping of pudding?
By day, the Robin Hood restaurant, which sits on a side street near the centre of Madrid, is a typical Spanish bar. But at night, it transforms itself into a pioneering place where homeless people, such as Antonio Gutiérrez, can dine, free of charge, at tables set with flowers and proper glasses.
The restaurant is the latest plan from the charity Mensajeros de la Paz, meaning messengers of peace, which was founded 54 years ago by Father Angel(安吉神父)García Rodriguez. “The inspiration came from Pope (教皇)Francis, who’s spoken again and again about the importance of giving people dignity, whether it’s through bread or through work,” said Father Angel. “So we thought, why not open a restaurant? People with nothing can come and eat here and get the same treatment as everyone else.”
Like many Spanish charities, Mensajeros de la Paz is still dealing with the human consequences of the country’s financial crisis, which has left the overall unemployment rate close to 20% and youth unemployment among Europe’s highest at 42%.
Each day, Father Angel’s nearby church provides 200 homeless people with breakfast and lunch. In the evening, the new restaurant feeds 100 homeless people. If the restaurant proves successful, the charity plans to extend the scheme and hopes it will attract famous chefs who will come to cook in the kitchen occasionally.
“The food here is tasty,” said Gutiérrez. “I’d give it lots of stars and I’ll be back tomorrow.” Gutiérrez had not eaten in such a restaurant for five years, except when Father Angel had taken him out.
1. Which of the following can best describe Father Angel?| A．Old and successful |
| B．Kind and respectable |
| C．Creative and gifted |
| D．Brave and determined |
| A．It was set up by Father Angel |
| B．It is in the center of Madrid |
| C．Its dishes are mainly cooked by famous chefs |
| D．It provides 100 homeless people with dinners every day |
| A．Disgusting | B．Cheap |
| C．Delicious | D．Smelly |
| A．A homeless person’s special experience |
| B．A pioneering Robin Hood restaurant for the homeless |
| C．A plan to reduce unemployment rate |
| D．Father Angel and his charity |
【推荐1】Nowadays, we depend on advanced technology too much. However, a the saying goes, a coin has two sides. The tool bringing you convenience may also put you in trouble. Here is a modern-day horror story:
A young mother was employed in doing her writing when her son, aged 2, burst into tears somehow. She did all she could to ease her son. But in vain. She had no way to comfort him. Meanwhile, her iPhone rang aloud, which attracted his son's attention. He stopped crying temporarily. It occurred to her that the iPhone might help. Thus, she handed her iPhone to her son: What happened next? The child entered an incorrect passcode on his mother's phone so many times that the device became locked for 251 14984 minutes, about 47 years, making it absolutely useless to its formerly digitally connected owner. That's the scene now facing a Shanghai mother, identified only as Ms Lu by Chinese news reports, whose kid played with her phone and unfortunately began the process of disabling the device for, basically, forever. According to a news report, Ms Lu waited two months to see if the situation would improve, but the iPhone remained locked. “I couldn't really wait 47 years and tell my grandchild it was his father's mistake, ”she reportedly said. The alternative mode of accessing the phone is to wipe it with a factory reset. This is why you should always backup ( 备份) all your data.
iPhone can become locked with six failed attempts at entering a passcode on the locked screen, and the amount of time for which the phone is locked can compound (增加) with ongoing attempts to break in. So, for all the parents out there: see to it that you don't let your kid loose on your phone, assuming you want to still use it when he's done, of course.
1. Why did the young mother hand her phone to her son?| A．To focus on her housework. | B．To comfort her crying kid. |
| C．To let him answer the phone. | D．To play the phone with him. |
| A．The system of her iPhone broke down. |
| B．She couldn't use her iPhone back then. |
| C．Her iPhone was locked for two months. |
| D．She forgot the passcode of her iPhone. |
| A．backup all the data immediately |
| B．wipe the iPhone with a factory reset |
| C．enter the correct passcode for six, times |
| D．set a new passcode to unlock the iPhone |
| A．Don't hand your own phone to your young kid. |
| B．Let your kid feel loose when using your phone. |
| C．Make sure to set a passcode to lock your phone. |
| D．Be careful when your kid plays with your phone. |
【推荐2】Unlike any other art form, movies require hundreds of people and piles of money. With such financial risks, studios (电影公司) want to attract as many people as possible and make a big profit（利润）. I often complain that chasing profits ruins movies. Imagine if Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) had to satisfy investors for The Last Supper.
In May, Paramount released（发行） its trailer (预告片) for a live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Everyone was excited – me too! I love this character, in part because he’s ridiculous（荒谬的）. Hedgehogs (刺猬) aren’t fast, nor are they blue. Had the game’s designers ever actually seen a hedgehog? Who cares? Sonic has always looked cool. Nobody would play a video game featuring a realistic hedgehog character.
When I saw the movie trailer, though, I worried. Sonic’s eyes were too far apart and his big teeth looked like they would eat my fingers. His body looked like a child wearing pajamas 睡衣）. Sonic didn’t look cool. He looked like the half-human result of a failed genetic (基因的) experiment.
You know the internet. People there will fight you for saying the sky is blue. This time, however, the internet stood together: Sonic looked TERRIBLE. People joked about it all over social media. Paramount couldn’t ignore this online outrage（愤怒） and quickly announced a redesign, at great cost to the company.
At first, I thought it was awesome. Back when I was a kid, there was no social media. We would have been stuck with creepy, crappy (怪异且蹩脚的) Sonic and his terrifying teeth. After the redesign, Sonic looks cooler than ever. I’m glad the studio broke its budget to get Sonic right.
But I’m a little worried, too. What if this starts a trend(趋势)? What if directors keep going to Sina Weibo or Twitter to make people happy? One thing I’ve learned in life is that if you try to make everybody happy, nobody will be happy.
If an art form only exists to make money by giving audiences what they expect, can we really call it “art” anymore? Some of my favorite movies are ones that nobody liked at first. Usually, what makes them good is the same thing that made them unpopular. Studios might end up with lots of money but we would end up with a lot of bad movies.
1. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the text?| A．To describe his love of the hedgehog, Sonic. |
| B．To promote the movie Sonic the Hedgehog. |
| C．To complain about how bad Sonic looked in an earlier film trailer. |
| D．To express his concern over studios’ attempts to please audiences. |
| A．Sonic looked awful in the movie. | B．The story for the movie was boring. |
| C．They chose the wrong actor to play Sonic. | D．Sonic looked like a realistic hedgehog. |
| A．Making an effort to make profits. |
| B．Posting movie trailers on social media. |
| C．Making adjustments based on the audience’s preferences. |
| D．Creating good-looking images for movie characters. |
| A．Great works of art are always disfavored at first. |
| B．A good movie could be unpopular at first. |
| C．A great movie is one that reflects its audience’s tastes. |
| D．The best movies will end up with great profits. |
【推荐3】Sound may offer a creative way to take the ocean's temperature. Climate change is steadily warming the seas, which have absorbed about 90 percent of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases. This warming contributes to sea-level rise, endangers species and influences weather patterns.
But tracking the warming is tricky. Ship-based observations capture only snapshots in time over a tiny portion of the water. Satellite observations cannot enter very deep below the surface. The most detailed picture of ocean heat comes from Argo, which can drop down to around 6,500feet. But there are only about 4,000 such floats, and they cannot sample deeper parts of the oceans.
In Science, researchers at the California Institute of Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences compared the travel speeds of sounds produced by undersea earthquakes to detect ocean warming over wider areas. Because sound travels faster in warmer water, differences in speed can reveal changing temperatures. "They're opening up a whole new area of study," says Princeton University geophysicist Frederik Simons, who was not involved in the research.
Inspired by those early efforts to measure ocean heat with sound, Caltech researcher Wenbo Wu thought to monitor low-frequency sound waves sent out by earthquakes below the seafloor. “I know these earthquakes are very powerful sources, "Wu says, "So why not try to use the earthquakes?"”
He and his team tested the idea near Indonesia’s island of Nias, where the IndoAustralian Plate is bumping under the Sunda Plate. The researchers gathered sound data from 4,272 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or greater from 2004 to 2016, and they compared sound wave speeds from quakes that originated in the same spot over the years. By modeling the differences, often just fractions of a second, they found that the ocean near Nias was warming by about 0.08 degree Fahrenheit per decade—more than the 0.047 degree F suggested by Argo’s data. Less than one degree F does not sound large, but it takes considerable heat to warm the entire eastern Indian Ocean.
The new method is promising, says University of Hawaii oceanographer Bruce Howe, who was not involved in the work. Meanwhile Simons and his colleagues are exploring an alternative technique, employing dozens of underwater microphones called hydrophones to catch more earthquake sounds. He notes that finding out the floats’ precise locations will be challenging, however. Overcoming such challenges would fill in important gaps, Wu says, “We really need different methods of gathering the data as much as possible.”
1. What do people do to take ocean’s temperature?| A．Ships sail across all the oceans to take photos. |
| B．Satellites are used to provide data on ocean heat. |
| C．Argo enters the deepest seas for detailed pictures. |
| D．The numbers of floats hit a record high for samples. |
| A．Because its speed varies with the temperature of water. |
| B．Because it accompanies earthquakes below the seafloor. |
| C．Because it is approved by Chinese and US researchers. |
| D．Because its value has been proved by previous efforts. |
| A．They use hydrophones as floats. |
| B．They exchange their data with Argo. |
| C．They meet the same trouble at work. |
| D．They employ new research methods. |
| A．Undersea earthquakes | B．Climate and seas |
| C．Sound and ocean heat | D．New method found |
