On the pristine coast of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a small fishing village called Mahabalipuram is home to Mumu Surf School, one of the most popular surfing schools in India. It is run by Mukesh Panjanathan, also known as Mumu, who lives two minutes from the school on the beach.
Every morning, he watches the sunlight sparkle on the seawater, and palm leaves sway with the breeze. Along the shore are kattumarams, which he used to sneak into the sea as a child to ride the waves. But as beautiful as it looks, the beach town has a dark side.
Mumu was only 12–the youngest of six siblings–when his father, who suffered from alcoholism-related health problems, died by suicide.
“Alcohol addiction is an immense challenge for fishing communities.” Vincent Jain, the deputy chief of the South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies, told VICE. “Most of them start drinking when they reach their teens and start earning some money.”
It is common for fishermen to drink up to three times a day, and paying for their addiction uses up much of the money they make. As things stand, their income has been decreasing because of large-scale commercial fishing activities and the climate crisis.
Mumu, now 36, said fishermen use alcohol as a “painkiller” because of the exhausting nature of their jobs. They paddle(用桨划)their boats into the sea as early as three in the morning, sometimes in very harsh conditions, and return with a batch of fish at sunrise. That is, if they’re in luck, the rest of the day leaves them with nothing to do.
“Drinking makes them feel better. Slowly, it becomes a habit,” he said. “But things are changing.”
Over the last 15 years, the rise of surf culture in Mahabalipuram has not only transformed it into one of India’s top water sports destinations, but also opened doors for the young to pursue alternative careers. “The coming generations have much more freedom to choose what they want to do, instead of sitting around and getting drunk.” said Mumu, who is among the first surfers to emerge from the local fishing community.
1. According to paragraph 2, the underline word “kattumaarams” probably refers to .A.the alternative for the word “wave” in Mahabalipuram |
B.a kind of boat used in Mahabalipuram |
C.the animals living along the shore |
D.the friends of Mumu with whom he went to the sea |
A.The drinking culture here causes a lot of trouble. |
B.Many people died young in this place. |
C.The people here are too addicted to surfing. |
D.The night here is longer than other places. |
A.They have nothing to do after finishing their job. |
B.Drinking reduces their physical pain caused by their job. |
C.They are so used to drinking that they can’t quit it. |
D.Drinking relieves them of the tiredness caused by their job. |
A.how Mumu became a surfer in the village and started Mumu Surf School |
B.the new alternative careers the young can choose in the village |
C.how surfing culture helps fishermen in the village get rid of drinking |
D.other water sports destinations in India |
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【推荐1】Managers across nearly every industry believe distraction soars as the temperature rises.
Absences naturally impact productivity
Sure, people travel and do other fun activities year-round, but many people have more going on between May and September than they do any other period.
During these months, you’re far more likely to stay up later, meaning you feel sleepy when it’s time to clock in. It’s not too different than the decline in productivity that follows the Super Bowl or St. Patrick’s Day.
A.Here are the real reasons |
B.Temperature is part of the reason |
C.Here are some tips on how to deal with it |
D.Your sleep (or lack of sleep) can be a factor |
E.More vacation time means less progress |
F.This is really why you’re less product vein the summer |
G.But in summer, it could be a more frequent occurrence |
【推荐2】Most of us spend our lives surrounded by screens, which offer us convenience as well as connection and an ocean of information. But since it’s easy to feel pressured to keep up with every notification, technology may feel more like a burden than a blessing. Thus, the idea of “digital detox” is becoming increasingly inviting.
The phrase “digital detox” describes getting rid of TV, phones, computers and other forms of technology that control our lives for a period of time. Some experts advocate completely avoiding unnecessary screen time for 30 years. Others suggest using an app that will limit the amount of time one can spend on certain websites. A third option is logging out in evenings or on weekends. Others simply turn their phones off at scheduled times. Some even pay high prices to take vacations in places where they can unplug from their digital routine.
Why might you want to take a digital detox? Perhaps you find that you are spending longer than you intend on certain apps or that they distract you from more important things. Perhaps social media is depressing because you compare yourself to others or you fear missing out on things that other people are enjoying. Constant negative news can also give rise to a lot of stress.
Technology can also have physical effects. Many people experience back or neck pain as a result of bending over screens. The blue light coming from most screens can also affect people’s sleep by preventing production of melatonin(褪黑素).
Giving up all screens may not be realistic, but strategic breaks from technology may be good for your body, mind, emotions and relationships. It is high time that you picked a time to turn off your devices and focus on really important things.
1. Why does the author say “technology may feel more like a burden than a blessing” in paragraph 1?A.To confirm a concept. |
B.To present a problem. |
C.To explain a rule. |
D.To make a prediction. |
A.Recover. | B.Benefit. | C.preventing | D.Suffer. |
A.Apps selection difficulty. |
B.Fear of missing important things. |
C.Exposure to false news. |
D.Pressure from social comparison. |
A.To recommend healthy lifestyles. |
B.To call for reducing the use of digital devices. |
C.To give instructions on starting digital detox. |
D.To present different attitudes to digital products. |
【推荐3】Some of the world’s most significant problems never hit headlines. One example comes from agriculture. Food riots and hunger make news. But the trend lying behind these matters is rarely talked about. This is the decline in the growth in yields of some of the world’s major crops. A new study by the University of Minnesota and McGill University in Montreal looks at where, and how far, this decline is occurring.
The authors take a vast number of data points for the four most important crops: rice, wheat corn and soybeans. They find that on between 24% and 39% of all harvested areas, the improvement in yields that took place before the 1980s slowed down in the 1990s and 2000s.
There are two worrying features of the slowdown. One is that it has been particularly sharp in the world’s most populous countries, India and China. Their ability to feed themselves has been an important source of relative stability both within the countries and on world food markets. That self-sufficiency cannot be taken for granted if yields continue to slow down or reverse.
Second, yield growth has been lower in wheat and rice than in corn and soya beans. This is problematic because wheat and rice are more important as foods, accounting for around half of all calories consumed. Corn and soybeans are more important as feed grains. The authors note that “we have preferentially focused our crop improvement efforts on feeding animals and cars rather than on crops that feed people and are the basis of food security in much of the world.”
The report qualifies the more optimistic findings of another new paper which suggests that the world will not have to dig up a lot more land for farming in order to feed 9 billion people in 2050, as the Food and Agriculture Organization has argued.
Instead, it says, thanks to slowing population growth, land currently ploughed up for crops might be able to revert to forest or wilderness. This could happen. The trouble is that the forecast assumes continued improvements in yields, which may not actually happen.
1. What does the author try to draw attention to?A.Food riots and hunger in the world. | B.News headlines in the leading media. |
C.The decline of the grain yield growth. | D.The food supply in populous countries. |
A.Their self-sufficiency is vital to the stability of world food markets. |
B.Their food yields have begun to decrease sharply in recent years. |
C.Their big populations are causing worldwide concerns. |
D.Their food self-sufficiency has been taken for granted. |
A.They fail to produce the same remarkable results as before the 1980s. |
B.They contribute a lot to the improvement of human food production. |
C.They play a major role in guaranteeing the food security of the world. |
D.They focus more on the increase of animal feed than human food grains. |
A.The growing population will greatly increase the pressure on world food supplies. |
B.The optimistic prediction about food production should be viewed with caution. |
C.The slowdown of the growth in yields of major food crops will be reversed. |
D.The world will be able to feed its population without increasing farmland. |
【推荐1】Since the very year I was born, South Jersey has been a part of me. Since both of my grandparents have lived in the area for many decades, my family has visited South Jersey yearly since 2014. Its warm and lively feel is very appealing to many families that are looking for an easy and fun getaway.
Every summer we pile into the car and drive four hours away to the Seaview Hotel and Club, a wonderful place which is located in Galloway, 20 minutes from the beach and boardwalk (木板人行道). The Seaview is enticing and quite inexpensive as well, which is perfect for any family. The rooms are neat, and the breakfasts are a real attraction, even to adults. I have always loved going down to their lovely outdoor swimming pool in the mornings and then ordering a lunch from The Coastal Grille, the hotel’s main restaurant. The Seaview is really great,and somewhere else is even more exciting.
At the end of every day in South Jersey, my family always makes it an important goal to drive to the local beach and boardwalk, Ocean City. Ocean City is wonderful with great swimming, lots of pizza places, ice cream stands, and excellent rides and games.
After dinner, we always check out “Gillian’s Pier,” the impressive and exciting, yet small amusement area located on the boardwalk. It is lots of fun to ride on bumper car (碰碰车) and rollercoaster and to taste soft serve ice creams and cotton candy. Next door, there is even a video arcade (游戏厅), so overall South Jersey is your classic family summer vacation. I would definitely recommend visiting, even just for a weekend, someday.
1. Why has the author visited South Jersey every year since 2014?A.Because it is by the sea. |
B.Because he was born there. |
C.Because it has beautiful scenery. |
D.Because it is his grandparents’ hometown. |
A.Crowded. |
B.Attractive. |
C.Remote. |
D.Developed. |
A.To show the attraction of South Jersey. |
B.To show his living conditions. |
C.To show it’s convenient to go to South Jersey. |
D.To show his preference for tourism. |
A.Fun in South Jersey |
B.My traveling life |
C.A famous tourism spot |
D.My hometown, South Jersey |
【推荐2】The Mackenzie River is the second largest river in North America after the Mississippi River and is the largest river system in Canada. It runs from southeast to northwest, from Great Slave Lake into the Arctic Ocean. The break-up of ice begins in late April, early May. The river is free of ice by early June and stays open until November. After flowing past Norman Wells, the river then continues to channels full of wild grasses, until its path is divided by plenty of islands, making the Mackenzie River Delta (三角洲) in Arctic Ocean.
The Mackenzie River Delta is the shape of a vast fan of low-lying islands. The delta is covered with black spruce (云杉), which is a type of tree that is large enough to be used for building and is widely used for cooking food or warming.
The Mackenzie River Delta, with many islands and wet land, provides a perfect environment for birds. Birds, including snow geese and swans, visit the river and delta every year and spend the summer months in the delta. In the spring, the delta is also a breeding (繁殖) ground for fish and whales. 44 species of fish are found in the river, many of which move in groups among the Mackenzie River and its branches (分支). Those which move from the sea to fresh water in order to lay eggs travel some of the farthest distances. The fish in Arctic Ocean, for example, travels from the delta up the Mackenzie River and into the Liard River.
However, climate changes and pollutants become the greatest concerns to the health of plants, animals, fish in and along the Mackenzie River and people there. Dangerous results from climate changes are already found along the Mackenzie River, including unusual floods and thinner ice roads. There are concerns that waste from oil and gas will pollute local environments. Levels of pollutants in fish, an important food source for local people, have greatly increased since the mid-1980s.
1. What do we know about the Mackenzie River?A.It begins in the Arctic Ocean. |
B.It is larger than Mississippi River. |
C.It is the second largest river in Canada. |
D.It stays free of ice for about half a year. . |
A.To look for more food. | B.To avoid being killed. |
C.To give birth to its young. | D.To search for their groups. |
A.The fish in the Mackenzie River is less than before. |
B.The ice of the Mackenzie River is thinner and thinner. |
C.The Mackenzie River is facing environmental problems. |
D.The Mackenzie River causes more floods to local people. |
A.Environment. | B.Culture. |
C.Education. | D.Technology. |
【推荐3】We are often so attracted by the promises of modern digital life that we fail to notice its danger. It’s that feeling of losing control that we get a dozen times a day, from when we get distracted with our phones in a discussion to when we can’t appreciate a private moment without sharing it with virtual audience.
In my first attempt to get control over my technology use, I set my phone to vibrate rather than ring. Soon after, another problem appeared. The act of continually checking the phone became a habit. I knew then that using only tips to permanently reform digital life is difficult. We should go past the notification settings on our devices or apps and consider the more essential topic of why we use so many apps in the first place. What all of us who are struggling with these challenges need is a technology usage philosophy, something that explains from the ground up which digital tools we allow into our lives, why, and under what conditions.
Cal Newport, a professor of computer science defines Digital Minimalism as a“philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected activities that strongly support the things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else”.
To do so, however, we cannot passively allow the tools and apps provided by the Internet age to control how we spend our time or how we feel. Instead, we must take steps to draw the positive aspects of these technologies while sidestepping the negative aspects.
1. What does “its danger” in the first paragraph refer to?A.Feeling depressed. | B.Getting distracted in a discussion. |
C.Losing control of your digital life. | D.Giving up private moments. |
A.To bring in a better solution. | B.To explain a phenomenon. |
C.To make a comparison. | D.To clarify misunderstandings. |
A.Ignoring the side effect of digital tools. |
B.Getting away from entertainment apps. |
C.Spending more time selecting information. |
D.Devoting your screen time to valuable things. |
A.Reforms in life. | B.Technology usage philosophy. |
C.Apps and social media sites. | D.Technology challenges. |