Many jewelry designers are each donating a piece of jewelry for an online raffle (网上抽奖) to aid relief efforts in Beirut following the explosion in its port on Aug. 4, 2020, which has caused at least 200 deaths, 7, 000 injuries, and severe damage to much of the city facilities in Lebanon’s capital city. They are all part of the online jewelry website called the Auverture, founded by Dutch jewelry designer, Bibi van der Velden. Some of the jewels being donated and their descriptions are as follows:
“I Have a Dream”
It is a ring by Gaelle Khouri in 18k yellow gold, bronze and white diamonds. It is an artistic representation of Lebanon’s endless crises through the last four decades, from the 1975 civil war to the latest tragic explosion on Aug. 4. Thanks to their strong desire for the beauty of life, Lebanon is today on its way to a revolution.
“Beirut Earrings”
These earrings are one of the masterpieces of Selim Mouzannar in 18k rose gold, diamonds and sapphires (蓝宝石). It’s part of Selim Mouzannar’s Beirut collection that is very dear to him. “These earrings are a strong reminder that Beirut has been destroyed physically but it will never die.”
“Spider Ring”
As a most outstanding artwork of Daniela Villegas, “Spider Ring” is in 18k gold, sapphires and Saturn chalcedony (玉髓). “The spider is a figure of feminine energy and creativity in the animal kingdom. The spider symbolizes the spirit of creation. In several cultures, she’s the symbol of the mother. The power of this animal encourages us to count on our ability to view things from multiple angles and weave mental and intuitive (直觉的）flexibility into your daily thinking.”
Within the Auverture family there are several incredible jewelry designers from Beirut, and the surrounding Middle East countries. Therefore, it felt right to launch the Auverture Raffle to raise funds to help Lebanese friends.
1. Who is the designer of the jewel for people’s sufferings in the past 40 years?| A．Bibi van der Velden. | B．Gaelle Khouri. |
| C．Selim Mouzannar. | D．Daniela Villegas. |
| A．Being creative. | B．Facing sufferings bravely. |
| C．Dealing with daily life in a woman’s way. | D．Learning to be flexible in thinking. |
| A．To earn respect from the people in Lebanon. |
| B．To memorize people’s life in Lebanon. |
| C．To help people in Lebanon face difficulty. |
| D．To rebuild the jewelry industry in the world. |
相似题推荐
Mr. Johnson’s car had finished up in a ditch (沟渠) at Romney Marsin, Kent after skidding on ice and hitting a bank. “Fortunately, the water began to come in only slowly,” Mr. Johnson said, “I couldn’t force the doors because they were jammed against the walls of the ditch and dared not open the windows because I knew water would come flooding in.”
Mr. Johnson, a sweet salesman of Sitting Home, Kent, first tried to attract the attention of other motorists by sounding the horn and hammering on the roof and boot (汽车行李箱). Then he began his struggle to escape.
Later he said, “It was really a half penny that saved my life. It was the only coin I had in my pocket and I used it to unscrew(拧开…的螺丝) the back seat to get into the boot. I hammered desperately with a hammer trying to make someone hear, but no help came.”
It took ten minutes to unscrew the seat, and a further five minutes to clear the sweet samples from the boot. Then Mr. Johnson found a wrench(扳钳) and began to work on the boot lock. Fifteen minutes passed by. “It was the only chance I had.
His hands and arms were cut and bruised (擦伤). Mr. Johnson got to Beckett Farm nearby, where he was looked after by the farmer’s wife, Mrs. Lucy Bates. Huddled in a blanket, he said, “The thirty minutes seemed like hours.” Only the tips of the car wheels were visible(can be seen), police said last night. The vehicle had sunk into two feet of mud at the bottom of the ditch.
1. What is the best title for this newspaper article?
| A．The Story of Mr. Johnson, A Sweet Salesman |
| B．Car Boot Serve As The Best Escape Route |
| C．Driver Escaped Through Car Boot |
| D．The Driver Survived A Terrible Car Accident |
| A．The hammer. | B．The coin. |
| C．The screw. | D．The horn. |
| A．luckily the door was torn away in the end |
| B．at last the wrench went broken |
| C．the lock came open after all his efforts |
| D．the chance was lost at the last minute |
| A．the ditch was along a quiet country road |
| B．the accident happened on a rainy cold day |
| C．Mr. Johnson’s car stood on its boot as it fell down |
| D．the police helped Mr. Johnson get out of the ditch |
【推荐2】On a foggy day, I was listening to the radio on my drive when suddenly something caught my eye out the driver’s side window. I turned to look but it wasn’t clear because of the thick fog. Then I didn’t know how long I was knocked out.
It didn’t take me long to realize I couldn’t move either arm and my face was bleeding heavily. Over the next few days in the hospital, I began to get a clearer picture of what had happened. A local high school student, rushing to class, had crossed the center line and hit me head-on. I heard through friends of mine who knew his family that he was very, very upset by what had happened. I felt bad that he had such a burden to bear at such a young age.
Fourteen months after the accident. I was grocery shopping when a woman I didn’t know approached me and asked if I was Suzanne. She introduced herself, and I realized it was the young man’s mother. I appreciated learning how he was doing. He avoided severe injury but needed advice to help with the emotional trauma (创伤) of causing the accident. I could certainly understand the difficulty of getting back behind the wheel of a car. Secretly, I wished I could talk to him myself.
Seven months later, it was time for my daughter’s Christmas band concert at the high school. The first adult I recognized upon entering the auditorium was the mother who approached me in the grocery store. I wondered why she was there. One young man in a white hoodie and ball cap ran up. Suddenly, I realized that it was him, the driver, as he resembled that mother.
I edged my way through the crowd. “Hi, I’m Suzanne,” I greeted. “I just wanted to say that I’m okay, and I was never mad at you. I know this was hard on you.” He apparently knew who I was. “You do?” came a slightly muffled (模糊不清的) answer. “I’m really okay,” I added, patting him on the shoulder and feeling like I was the only person who could let him forgive himself. I was the only person who could give him that gift if he could see me and hear from me that all was well.
1. What might cause the author’s accident?| A．Her temporary blindness. | B．Her physical burden. |
| C．The boy’s distraction. | D．The boy’s violating the traffic rule. |
| A．wanted to ease the boy’s mind | B．wanted the boy to make up for the loss |
| C．wanted the boy to make an apology | D．wanted the boy to bear a heavy burden |
| A．He was terribly injured physically. | B．He didn’t feel guilty at all. |
| C．He needed psychological advice. | D．He rejected the author’s kindness. |
| A．Generous and relieved. | B．Forgiving and straightforward. |
| C．Sympathetic and caring. | D．Light-hearted and supportive. |
【推荐3】200,000 miles from Earth, the crew (机组成员) of the third manned mission (飞行任务) to the Moon faced an astronaut’s worst nightmare: an explosion on the spacecraft. It’s what happened in the Oscar-winning film Apollo 13, but it’s also a true story.
The lift-off of Apollo 13 took place on 11th April 1970. Two days into the mission, the three-man crew were in big trouble. They had been carrying out routine checks when there was a loud bang. Warning lights were starting to flash. Looking out into space, they could see a trail of gas — the spacecraft was leaking (漏) oxygen. They sent out a short message to the scientists back on Earth: “Houston, we’ve had a problem here.” At first, they thought that a meteor (流星) had hit them, but they later found out that a short circuit (短路) had caused an oxygen container to explode. Whatever the cause, they knew there was no time to lose. Their electricity supply in the command module (指令舱) depended on that oxygen and pretty soon they would run out of both.
The only solution was to move into the lunar module — the section of the spacecraft that would have landed on the Moon. Now though, they were using it as a kind of lifeboat. With its own power supply, oxygen and water, the three men could survive in the lunar module and return to Earth. There was another problem though. In an enclosed space like a lunar module, the carbon dioxide the crew was breathing out was dangerous. The equipment to clear the air of carbon dioxide was only built for two people. Now it had to deal with three. Amazingly, the crew managed to build an adapter out of materials onboard to reduce the carbon dioxide to a safe level.
There was one final obstacle. The lunar module wasn’t strong enough to reenter Earth’s atmosphere so the crew had to go back into the damaged command module. To everyone’s relief, the crew of Apollo 13 arrived safely in the South Pacific Ocean on April 17th. Although the crew didn’t land on the Moon, NASA still considered the mission a success.
1. What was the astronauts’ first reaction to the explosion?| A．They went out to land on the Moon. |
| B．They informed scientists on Earth. |
| C．They moved into the lunar module. |
| D．They looked into the cause of the explosion. |
| A．By moving back to the command module. |
| B．By lowering the carbon dioxide level. |
| C．By creating a new oxygen supply. |
| D．By limiting the oxygen use. |
| A．Step. | B．Choice. | C．Problem. | D．Solution. |
| A．A successful mission | B．An amazing adventure |
| C．Deep space exploration | D．Life and death drama in space |
【推荐1】From train tickets to doctor’s appointments, there’s a growing expectation that consumers should include technology in everyday life. We take it for granted that technology brings us closer and improve our access to essential products and services. But people who can’t or don’t want to engage with the latest technology are being left behind.
Technology should not be allowed to drive people to the side of their own lives, as many facts suggest is increasingly the case. For example, there have been reports that some elderly people no longer drive to their local park, because they cannot download the parking app required. Evidently, age is one big predictor of digital exclusion (排斥). Only 47% of those aged 75 and over use the Internet regularly. Out of the four million who have never used the Internet in the UK, only 300,000 people are under 55. But older people aren’t the only ones feeling shut out.
Concerns about privacy can stop people using technology as well. A survey into consumers’ trust in business showed no industry reached a trust rating of 50% for data protection. Some people view “forced” digitalization as a symbol of consumer culture and limit their contact with it; also, many people take a “less is more” approach to technology simply because they feel it offers a more meaningful existence. They all belong to a population group that often slips people’s mind in related discussions. No one could discount, however, one factor－poverty. Some regions, particularly rural ones, even struggle for phone signals. The UK phone network’s plans for a digital switchover could cut off people who rely on their landlines.
The solution is not simply to give devices to those without smart technology. While there’s a need to provide affordable Internet access and technology, we need to recognize diversity in society. Services should provide non-digital selections that reflect equality. Local councils, healthcare providers and businesses should understand more about the diversity of consumers and develop services that meet the needs of all people. After all, access to and inclusion in society is a human right.
1. Why is the example of the elderly mentioned in Paragraph 2?| A．To provide a proof. | B．To introduce a concept. |
| C．To make a comparison. | D．To confirm a prediction. |
| A．Age. | B．Privacy. | C．Gender. | D．Attitude. |
| A．Inquiring opinions from diverse consumers. |
| B．Slowing the pace of the technological shift. |
| C．Offering services with online and offline options. |
| D．Bettering access to the Internet and technology. |
| A．Life sees two-edged effect from digitalization |
| B．Technology is excluding a significant minority |
| C．Social barriers result from technological shifts |
| D．Digital divide is becoming increasingly serious |
【推荐2】When you hear "I have a dream...", one of the most famous speeches in human history, you'll never have the idea how the audience on the scene were fueled by emotional intelligence. When Martin Luther King. Jr. presented his dream, he chose language that would stir the hearts of his audience. Delivering this electrifying(震撼性的) message required emotional intelligence- the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions .
Emotional intelligence has been highly recommended by leaders, policymakers, and educators as the solution to a wide range of social problems. Emotional intelligence is important, but the uncontrolled enthusiasm has obscured (掩盖)a dark side. New evidence shows that when people sharpen their emotional skills, they become better at controlling others. When you're good at controlling your out emotions, you can hide your true feelings. When you know what others are feeling, you can motivate them to act against their own best interests.
Social scientists have begun to document this dark side of emotional intelligence. In a research led by University of T or onto professor Jochen Menges, when a leader gave an inspiring speech filled with emotion, the audience was less likely to scrutinize (细察) the message and remembered the content. Ironically(讽刺的是), audience members were so moved by the speech that they claimed to recall more of it.
The authors call this the awestruck effect, but it might just as easily be described as the dumbstruck effect. One observer reflected that Hitler's persuasive impact came from his ability to strategically express emotions- -he would" tear open his heart"- and these emotions affected his followers to the point that they would "stop thinking critically and just emote.
Leaders who master emotions can rob us of our abilities to reason. If their values are out of step with our out, the results can be destructive. New evidence suggests that when people have self-serving motives, emotional intelligence becomes a weapon for controlling others.
Throwing light on this dark side of emotional intelligence is one mission of a research teamed by University College London professor Martin Kilduff. According to these experts, emotional intelligence helps people disguise (伪装) one set of emotions while expressing another for personal gain. Professor Kilduff's team writes,“ The strategic disguise of one's own emotions and the controlling of others' emotions for strategic ends are behaviors evident not only on Shakespeare's stage but also in the offices and corridors where power and influence are traded."
Of course, people aren't always using emotional intelligence for nefarious ends. More often than not, high EQ is helpful in most aspects of our life. Emotional intelligence- -like any skill- can be used for good or evil. So whether it is a gift or a curse lies in your hand.
1. Why does the author mention Martin Luther King, Jr?| A．To honor the great leader for his courage. |
| B．To recommend his speech to other leaders. |
| C．T o introduce the major topic to readers. |
| D．To advocate a society with fewer problems. |
| A．Developing the capability to control one's own emotion. |
| B．Influencing people to do what brings disadvantages to them. |
| C．Appealing to the audience to concentrate and remember more. |
| D．Encouraging the moved audience to learn more of the speech. |
| A．His followers would tear open their hearts to him. |
| B．His followers would express emotions start epically. |
| C．His followers would lose the ability to reason properly. |
| D．His followers would develop the self-serving motives. |
| A．They disguise their true emotions and show another one. |
| B．They help their colleagues to build up confidence. |
| C．They present their strategic behaviors on the stage. |
| D．They lower their own dignity to gain popularity. . |
【推荐3】For Western designers, China and its rich culture have long been an inspiration for Western creators (创造者).
“It’s no secret that China has always been a source (来源) of inspiration for designers,” says Amanda Hill, chief creative officer at A+E Networks, a global media company and home to some of the biggest fashion (时尚) shows.
Earlier this year the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China-inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art , with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics (美学) on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries. The exhibition had record attendance, showing that there is huge interest in Chinese influences.
“China is impossible to overlook,” says Hill. “Chinese models are the faces of beauty and fashion campaigns that sell dreams to women all over the world, which means Chinese women are not just consumers of fashion —they are central to its movement.” Of course, only are today’s top Western designers being influenced by China — some of the best designers of contemporary fashion are themselves Chinese. “Vera Wang, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu are taking on Galiano, Albaz, Marc Jacobs—and beating them hands down in design and sales,” adds Hill.
For Hill, it is impossible not to talk about China as the leading player when discussing fashion. “The most famous designers are Chinese, so are the models, and so are the consumers,” she says. “China is no longer just another market; in many senses it has become the market. If you talk about fashion today, you are talking about China —its influences, its direction, its breathtaking clothes, and how young designers and models are finally acknowledging that in many ways.
1. Which one is true according to the passage?| A．Many inspirations of western creators have come from China and its rich culture. |
| B．It’s a secret that China has always been a source(来源)of inspiration for designers. |
| C．Earlier this year the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition happened in Beijing. |
| D．China is possible to overlook for Western creators. |
| A．It promoted the sales of artworks. | B．It attracted a large number of visitors. |
| C．It showed ancient Chinese clothes. | D．It aimed to introduce Chinese models. |
| A．They are setting the fashion. | B．They start many fashion campaigns. |
| C．They admire super models. | D．They do business all over the world. |
| A．Young Models Selling Dreams to the World |
| B．A Chinese Art Exhibition Held in New York |
| C．Differences Between Eastern and Western Aesthetics |
| D．Chinese Culture Fueling International Fashion Trends |
【推荐1】McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, Jack in the Box... These fast food companies have something in common. Can you spot it?
Besides all being fast food chains, they’re all red. And it’s not a coincidence. Color is one of the many strategies companies use to connect with customers. And if swearing off fast food wasn’t hard enough, those colorful red logos might make it even harder to ignore.
Fast food companies all use the color red heavily in their logos. Why? The answer goes back thousands of years. The average human can see ten million colors, but red is special. It’s one of the first colors our ancient ancestors thought important enough to name. In early human languages, there were words for “black!” and “white” and “red” but not much else. In fact, blue didn’t show up until thousands of years later in 200 A. D.
As a result, we have a deeper connection to red than any other color on the spectrum and we react to it in certain ways that actually play to fast food companies’ advantage. For starters, researchers have found that red can bring a sense of urgency into our minds. In addition to that, it also has a born ability to whet our appetites. And when you pair those two together you’ve got the perfect recipe to attract hungry customers who want food, fast So that red logo isn’t just a welcoming sign, it’s a sly attraction to your brain.
In fact, red is one of the few colors today that cultures all over the world view positively. And it’s no wonder companies dedicate so much thought to their logos. After all, we’re a visual creature. Despite having five senses, 80% of the information our brains process on a daily basis comes from our eyes. Colors are what give brands that impressive stamp of recognition.
1. Why do fast food companies prefer the color red?| A．To highlight the importance of red in human history. |
| B．To help customers out in case of emergency. |
| C．To welcome and fascinate customers. |
| D．To stand out among various brands. |
| A．lose | B．affect |
| C．increase | D．exchange |
| A．Positive. | B．Uncertain. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Negative. |
| A．Color Psychology: a Fun Study |
| B．Why Are So Many Fast Food Logos Red? |
| C．Food Culture: a Healthy Trend |
| D．Why Are Fast Food Companies So Popular? |
【推荐2】Welcome to South Pole
Is it cold?
Yes! Be very careful out in the open air! The temperature is between -21℃ in the summer and -78℃ in the winter, and you can become numb with cold without realizing. There’s heavy frost even on the warmest summer days, and if it’s quiet you can hear your breath freeze. So if you leave the station, dress warmly and carry dry clothing and a portable radio.
Is there anything good about the weather?
The air is very pure, and it doesn’t snow very much — only about four millimetres a year. There’s very little wind and the sky is usually clear. It’s possibly the calmest place on Earth.
Is it safe?
Because the South Pole is a high altitude site, the glare of the sunlight here is very terrible. It’s also reflected by the snow, so if you go outside, remember to wear sunglasses and use suncream. If you don’t, there’s a severe risk that you’ll damage your eyesight or get badly sunburnt.
What’s it like to live here?
Life is quite abnormal. Sunrise and sunset come once every six months, and in the winter the total absence of daylight can be tiresome, and for some, depressing. We’re totally isolated except for radio and electronic communications, as no aircraft can fly here for about eight months. Usual equipment doesn’t always work as it should do. If you use an electric drill, the power cord will snap. Photography is tricky too, as film is fragile and the camera battery doesn’t work in the cold.
1. Which word best describes the South Pole most of the time？| A．Cool. | B．Freezing. | C．Cloudy. | D．Windy. |
| A．Raincoats. | B．Sunglasses. | C．Dry clothes. | D．Electronic communications. |
| A．To send an invitation. | B．To make a research. |
| C．To give some advice. | D．To introduce the South Pole. |
【推荐3】Humans and elephants don’t always get along. In Africa and Asia, elephants damage infrastructure (基础设施), farmers’ crops, and natural habitat critical for other species. If an elephant becomes a problem, humans may kill it. So local people and conservationists are trying to find better ways to keep elephants away from sensitive places. Now, researchers think they have a good tool to stop elephants: honeybee pheromones (信息素).
“Elephants hate being stung (刺) in the trunk, so it’s an extremely sensitive organ. Imagine being stung in your nose by a bee, and multiply that a few thousand times.” said Mark Wright, a professor of entomology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Kenyan farmers have long known that if they hang live beehives around their farms, they will repel elephants. “The problem is logistical, how do you manage hundreds of thousands of hives, if you have a huge area to protect? And then the idea came up to look at the alarm pheromones, which are chemicals that the bee release to launch an attack on something that’s damaging the hive.” Because elephants have a highly developed sense of smell, Wright and his team thought they might be able to use the bees’ alarm signal to affect elephant behavior.
So the researchers tested out a synthetic blend (合成混合物) of chemicals that imitates honeybees’ alarm pheromones. In Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa, the team hung white socks treated with the synthetic mixture as well as untreated control socks around an elephant watering hole, and then observed the animals’ behavior. “Elephants are really curious organisms, they’ll walk along and see something like a sock hanging on a branch in the environment, and they’ll inspect it. And if it’s not treated with the alarm pheromones, they’ll pick it up, throw it around, try to taste it, things like that. And in the case of the treated ones, we found that they would show immediate signs of unease or uncertainty, and they’d eventually back off from them. Very seldom would they go to pick them up and play with them.” The study is in the journal Current Biology.
1. What will the researchers do to prevent elephants from damaging human’s habitat?| A．Kill them. | B．Scare them away. |
| C．Apply honeybee pheromones. | D．Rebuild a new ecosystem. |
| A．Scientific. | B．Flexible. | C．Awesome. | D．Impractical. |
| A．To confirm what they thought. |
| B．To attract the elephants’ attention. |
| C．To preserve the elephants’ habitat. |
| D．To test out honeybee’s alarm pheromones. |
| A．Elephants and humans don’t get along well. |
| B．Honeybee pheromones can keep elephants away. |
| C．Elephants have a highly developed sense of smell. |
| D．Honeybees release pheromones to launch attacks. |
