It’s called the Bank of Happiness, but it has nothing to do with money. Founded a year ago in Estonia’s capital Tallinn, it’s a forum in which more than 2,000 members from Estonia and other countries connect to offer or receive services free of charge.
The site carries more than 500 ads in English, German and Estonian from people offering or seeking all kinds of things, including teaching and tips on cooking. The website is also translated into French and Spanish.
Founder Airi Kivi says the goal is to make people think and act with their hearts. “After the worldwide outbreak of the pandemic, I thought, ‘Wow, our bank is perfect for the crisis and a lot of people are unemployed and they can use it to harvest what they need.’”
So how does it work? It’s simple: You sign up using your real name and post what you are offering or what your need is, as long as it doesn’t involve money or products.
Masseuse Terge Reintem says she signed up when she was unemployed because she needed to improve her skills by learning from others. But she stayed on even after finding a new job because she says it feels good to volunteer. “If I discover a new technique, I want my bank customers to first experience it,” Reintem says, adding they are often nicer than the paying ones.
Member Veronika Davel says she infringed the rules with her first request when she asked for a product: a computer. But she did it unknowingly. Later, she began offering services of her own on the bank’s website. “The main thing I really could offer was English,” Davel explains. “There was a young girl who needed to have better English for her job and I gave her a hand.”
The site has many more offers of help than requests for it. That’s as it should be, Kivi says, adding that the bigger reward comes from giving.
1. How can the Bank of Happiness benefit its members?A.They can help each other at no cost. | B.They can place ads for their products. |
C.They can travel to many countries for free. | D.They can read much news about happiness. |
A.Obeyed. | B.Broke. | C.Made. | D.Bent. |
A.To improve her skills. | B.To win more customers. |
C.To enjoy the helpfulness. | D.To learn new techniques. |
A.By using specific data. | B.By giving examples. |
C.By referring to common knowledge. | D.By using comparison and contrast. |
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With existing medical knowledge and skills, two-thirds of the world’s 42 million blind should not have to suffer. Unfortunately, rich countries possess most of this knowledge, while developing countries do not.
ORBIS is an international non-profit organization which operates the world’s only flying teaching eye hospital. ORBIS intends to help fight blindness worldwide. Inside a DC-8 aircraft, there is a fully-equipped teaching hospital with television studio and classroom. Doctors are taught the latest techniques of bringing sight back to people there. Project ORBIS also aims at promoting peaceful cooperation (合作) among countries.
ORBIS tries to help developing countries by providing training during three-week medical programs. ORBIS has taught sight-saving techniques to over 35,000 doctors and nurses, who continue to cure tens of thousands of blind people every year. ORBIS has conducted 17 plane programs is China so far. For the seven to ten million blind in China ORBIS is planning to do more for them. At the moment an ORBIS is working on a long-term plan to develop a training center and to provide eye care service to Shanxi Province. ORBIS needs your help to continue their work and free people from blindness.
For just US$38, you can help one person see; for $380 you can bring sight to 10 people; $1,300 helps teach a doctor new skills; and for $13,000 you can provide a training program for a group of doctors who can make thousands of blind people see again. Your money can open their eyes to the world. Please help ORBIS improve the quality of life for so many people less fortunate than ourselves.
1. The first paragraph is intended to ______.A.introduce a new way of reading |
B.advise the public to lead a simple life |
C.direct the public’s attention to the blind |
D.encourage the public to use imagination |
A.They are adequate. |
B.They have not been updated. |
C.They are not equally distributed. |
D.They have benefited most of the blind. |
A.teaching medical students |
B.training doctors and nurses |
C.running flying hospitals globally |
D.setting up non-profit organization |
A.Appeal for donations. | B.Make an advertisement. |
C.Promote training programs. | D.Show sympathy for the blind. |
A.ORBIS in China | B.Fighting Blindness |
C.ORBIS Flying Hospital | D.Sight-saving Techniques |
【推荐2】Voluntourism — a new trend (趋势) of volunteer tourism
Have you ever thought about going abroad to volunteer? Nowadays there’s a trend that more and more people are interested in volunteer tourism.
Making a difference in a country less lucky than your own is seen by most as a really good thing to do. More and more volunteers are seeking meaning and a sense of purpose in life. “They use their skills to help on projects abroad, such as building hospitals, teaching English in schools, looking after children in orphanages (孤儿院), etc.”
However, some people are against this so-called “voluntourism”. Volunteers take away jobs from locals who would have otherwise done that work. Yes, sometimes volunteers have specific knowledge which can benefit communities, such as IT skills or speaking English as a native language. But sometimes they are put to work on construction sites (建筑工地), for example, depriving (使失去) locals of a job on project.
Besides, many young travelers are untrained for the role. This could become a health and safety problem on construction sites or when caring for children. I volunteered myself last year in a library and school in Ghana. I helped to reshelve books, talked to the librarian about the running of the library and played games with the children. However, I’m not an experienced teacher or librarian, and I felt like the locals were far too trusting of my opinions and decisions, just because I come from a more developed country.
Furthermore, volunteer tourism is seen by some as just that-an industry, a way for companies to make money. About $2 billion was spent by volunteers in 2015.Surely it would be better if this money were directly given to places where it is needed the most. Instead, most of the money is going to tourism companies, while local communities only see a very small amount of it. I met some Danish girls who had paid €7,000 each to a company to volunteer at an orphanage, but very little was spent on the orphanage itself.
I think volunteering abroad helps us develop as a person, and is a shining addition to a CV. Volunteer projects are usually very valuable for communities, but often good for those who take part in voluntary work just as much, if not more, as those they are helping.
1. What do we learn about volunteers working abroad?A.They have no safety problems. |
B.They may cause the locals out of job. |
C.They become less willing to be volunteers. |
D.They would like to work in richer countries. |
A.Volunteer tourism has become an industry. |
B.Volunteers spend lots of money helping with the charity work. |
C.Some volunteer travelers are very experienced and suitable for the role. |
D.Volunteer tourism provides locals with more and more job opportunities. |
A.Voluntourism offers volunteers good jobs. |
B.Volunteering gives a lot to poor countries. |
C.Voluntourism brings volunteers advantages. |
D.The quality of volunteering needs improving. |
I:Introduction P:Point Sp:Sub-point (次要点) c:Conclusion
A. | B. | C. | D. |
【推荐3】Banker Chip Paillex had never planted so much until he moved to the countryside in Pittstown, New Jersey, seven years ago. Surrounded by working farms, he quickly became interested in the grow-it-yourself idea and rented a piece of 30-by-30-foot land. He planted tomatoes, eggplants and other vegetable—enough to feed his family of four for the summer. He ended up with so much produce; he couldn't give it away. He found a local food factory and donated 120 pounds of fresh vegetables.
The following year, with a handful of volunteers and a memorable name—America's Grow-a-Row, Paillex harvested 1, 500 pounds of fresh vegetables, all of which he donated to area food banks--places that give food to poor people. Soon Paillex had a hundred volunteers and needed more land. He visited Meredith and Jeremy Compton, who farm Peaceful Valley Orchards in Pittstown. Could he work their land?
“I guess we were feeling honored, " says Meredith. Not only do the Comptons welcome Grow-a-Row volunteers, they also work on the land.
What began with a few empty fields has turned into a large local farm. This year, Grow-a-Row will deliver about 250, 000 pounds of fresh produce to food banks. Their secret for getting all of this done? Family power. " Each week, a couple of families ‘own' the garden, " says Paillex." They water, pick, and deliver, and then hand it off on Sunday night to the next group of families."
Paillex also welcomed local school kids. On a Friday morning in May, some kids worked on a field. "We' re growing food, " one fifth grader said proudly.
"The program shows kids that there are people in need, " says Paillex. “When these kids become tomorrow's leaders, they'll be much more likely to encourage their co-workers or employees to get involved in something like this. “
"Chip makes people want to help, " says Colleen Duerr, a mother of two. "And families love this. Chip has given us a way to raise our kids with a giving heart. "
1. Why did Chip start growing vegetables in Pittstown?A.He was deeply attracted by planting. |
B.Farmers there encouraged him to do so. |
C.He wanted to offer food to the local food factory. |
D.There were very few fresh vegetables on the market. |
A.set up more food banks sin the area |
B.persuaded many people to help him on the land |
C.won great support from more people |
D.helped save many people from being poor |
A.School children play the most active part. |
B.Schools and families divide the work equally. |
C.The work is divided into separate small tasks. |
D.Families take turns to look after the garden. |
A.American Farms |
B.Paillex—The Producers |
C.Way of Planting |
D.Chip's Country Life |
【推荐1】Chinese scientists have identified a new protein that restricts HIV infection, a discovery that could pave the way for the development of new drugs against the virus. The protein, P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL-1), which exists in human cells, can inhibit (抑制) the process by which HIV reproduces, according to research published in the science journal Nature Microbiology this month.
However, the study also showed that PSGL-1 can be negatively affected by Vpu-an accessory (附属) protein of HIV-which can neutralize the ability of PSGL-1 to resist HIV. Further research is under way to develop a drug that can inhibit the HIV protein so that PASGL-1 can restrict HIV, according to Tan Xu, a researcher at Tsinghua University's School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, a leading author of the study.
Several other proteins in human cells that could resist HIV have been discovered over the past 10 years, but the virus can also evade (避开) them. PSGL-1 shows particular promise in that it can inhibit the HIV in multiple ways-especially by blocking the infectiousness of virus offspring, Tan said.
“We are starting to research into small molecule (分子) compounds in the hope of finding one that can restore PSGL-1’s anti-HIV function. In this way we can develop a very effective antiviral drug for people with HIV/AIDS,” he said. Tan said it will require at least three to five years for the research to reach the preclinical stage, and more time after that before a clinical trial is possible. The research was conducted by researchers at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Fudan University in Shanghai and George Mason University in the United States.
Existing treatment methods for people with HIV/AIDS, which mostly rely on a combination of different drugs, can prevent the disease from progressing but cannot cure it, and long-term use of drugs can result in drug resistance.
An estimated 37 million people in the world live with HIV, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. The study provides new leads to developing antiviral drugs, Tsinghua University said in a statement.
1. What can we learn about PSGL-1 from the passage?A.Both the protein PSGL-1 and the protein Vpu are HIV proteins. |
B.PSGL-1 can restrict the function of the protein Vpu. |
C.PSGL-1’s molecule compounds have been identified. |
D.The protein PSGL-1 functions better than others in resisting HIV. |
A.The existing treatment for HIV are far from perfect. |
B.It will be a decade before the antiviral drugs is put on the market. |
C.American scientists played a leading role in the research. |
D.HIV/AIDS will no longer be a deadly disease owing to the new discovery. |
A.There is a long way to go before curing HIV. |
B.More people are faced with the threat of HIV. |
C.Chinese scientists are leading the way in curing HIV. |
D.A new protein to resist HIV was confirmed by scientists. |
A.A journal | B.A fiction | C.A magazine | D.A brochure |
【推荐2】Imagine you are on a cold mountain with steep rocks around. As you climb higher, the air gets thinner and the sun’s rays stronger. Just before you reach the snowline, you find what you came for—a small white flower, the edelweiss, which only grows in alpine areas.
Plants face many challenges living in alpine areas, and only 200 kinds of plants can grow there. Plants rely on oxygen, water, and sunlight to make their own food through the process of photosynthesis. The alpine means less CO2, which makes the process more difficult. It also brings plants closer to the sun. The sunlight is so strong that it can burn a plant’s leaves. There is little water here, so the soil is dry and rocky. You also won’t find high trees because the cold wind would blow them over!
Alpine plants have advantages that help them survive the bad conditions. Like all alpine plants, the edelweiss stays close to the ground to avoid the wind. The cold water is deep underground, so the edelweiss grows very deep roots. Its leaves have a thick covering, which protects the plant from the wind and the sun’s bright rays. All these special characteristics help it grow, but very slowly.
The edelweiss can live in the conditions, but humans can’t. Climbing in the high and cold mountains is dangerous and difficult. This is why the edelweiss became such a special flower. Long ago, a young man would pick an edelweiss flower to prove his love to a girl, although it was risky. Many men died while trying. Getting the flower proved that the man was physically strong, brave, and devoted.
Alpine plants can’t spread seeds, so it’s difficult for new plants to grow. Once all the edelweiss flowers are gone in an area, they will not regroup. Governments help protect the edelweiss because it is considered an endangered plant.
1. The first two paragraphs mainly describe ________ .A.the process of photosynthesis | B.the appearance of the edelweiss |
C.the growing environment of the edelweiss | D.the challenge of mountain climbing |
A.it grows high and strong | B.it can get more sunlight |
C.its leaves’ covering is thin | D.its deep roots can get water |
A.It is planted in large quantities. | B.It is a symbol of bravery. |
C.It is a shade loving plant. | D.It spreads its seeds by wind. |
A.To introduce a special flower. | B.To compare different alpine plants. |
C.To warn people not to pick flowers. | D.To encourage people to protect plants. |
【推荐3】
Despite being located in a bustling urban part of Huanggang in Hubei, Xiao Yaqin’s apartment block stands out because of its green appearance resulting from being wrapped in green plants. “ It makes me feel very comfortable. When you open the window, fresh air keeps rolling in, ” the 65-year-old said excitedly.
He was one of the first group of residents that recently moved into China’s first “ vertical (垂直的) forest ” residential project, consisting of two 80-meter-tall, 25-story buildings.
The project is the result of cooperation between Easyhome and Italian architect Stefano Boering, often called “ the father of the vertical forest ” . There are 404 trees and 4,620 shrubs (灌木丛) in the vertical forest, which is classified as the “ fourth generation ” of housing. Grasses, flowers and climbing plants cover 2,408m2 of the floor area. The plants are estimated to be capable of absorbing 22 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere per year, while generating 11 tons of oxygen.
However, its development hasn’t been met without doubt. For example, mosquito infestations (感染) are one of the reasons why people are reluctant to move in. The irrigation system required to ensure the survival of the plants in the vertical forest and the need to have gardeners cut the branches mean much higher maintenance costs than in regular buildings.
It is not yet known what the future of fourth-generation housing will be in China, but it has at least brought urban residents a new life experience. Xiao, the retiree, said his new apartment has met his expectations for better quality of life. “ You feel you are close to nature, even if you don’t open the window, ” he said.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?A.By presenting Xiao Yaqin’s example. | B.By describing features of the apartment. |
C.By imagining Xiao Yaqin’s life. | D.By showing the apartment’s popularity. |
A.Easyhome designed and built the project. |
B.Its plants produce 22 metric tons of oxygen. |
C.It faces problems of mosquitoes and high costs. |
D.The residents have to look after the plants. |
A.Critical. | B.Concerned. | C.Supportive. | D.Unclear. |
A.To predict the future way of living. | B.To introduce a new type of housing. |
C.To discuss problems facing residents. | D.To advertise the vertical forest project. |