A North Allegheny senior brings together voices from around the world as part of an online magazine that gives people a chance to share their cultural experiences. Eleanor Park, 16, of McCandless set up The Diversity Story a year ago. People can apply to be staff writers, be interviewed to have an article written about them, or submit (提交) writing, artwork, and photography.
Ms. Park, who plans to study psychology (心理学) in college, said she came up with the idea for the project after talking with a friend from China. “We had been exchanging English lessons for computer science classes last summer,” she said. “While we taught each other, we often talked about our daily lives. Since I grew up among a lot of Chinese cultures that my parents had passed down, I thought I was really familiar with its ins and outs. But it turned out that there was so much I did not fully understand.”
North Allegheny elementary principal (校长) Amanda Mathieson, Ph.D., said Ms. Park showed great leadership and compassion (同情) for other students. She was a judge in The Diversity Story writing competition. “Eleanor’s work and goals over the years have focused on helping English as a Second Language students and encouraging culture sharing in the community. She is a great young person, and I am so lucky to have been part of her educational journey.”
Peyton Klein, founder and director of Global Minds Initiative, which she formed in 2016 as an Allderdice student, said: “Her growing thoughtful project and clear ability to encourage young people are the things we hope to inspire.”
Ms. Park said the most difficult part of the project was taking care of little things, like making timely replies to emails, scheduling interview times for new staff writers or making changes to the website. “Those things add up,” she said. “I’ve found myself often unexpectedly spending hours just emailing people or adding a new website page.”
1. Why did Ms. Park set up The Diversity Story?A.To look for some talented senior writers. |
B.To face the challenges of different cultures. |
C.To spread different kinds of stories to seniors. |
D.To invite people to share their cultural experiences. |
A.There were huge cultural differences between her and her friend. |
B.There weren’t many chances for her to know another culture. |
C.She forgot the Chinese culture her parents had taught her. |
D.She didn’t understand Chinese culture much. |
A.Full honesty. |
B.Amazing creativity. |
C.Excellent leadership. |
D.Strong sense of fairness. |
A.It is challenging. | B.It is unnecessary. |
C.It is satisfying. | D.It is relaxing. |
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【推荐1】Phillip Island is a small island and nature reserve off the coast of south Australia, about 140 km from Melbourne. On the island you can see koalas, kangaroos and the main attraction, the penguin (企 鹅 ) parade on Summerland Beach.
As dusk was coming nearer, we made our way down to the beach,as did everyone else. As it got darker,people talked less, keeping an eye out on the beach to see the arrival of that first penguin.
Suddenly there was movement at the edge of the surf and all heads turned as one. There, standing by the edge of the water was the smallest penguin we had ever seen. He looked left, then right ,as if he was considering crossing a busy road and then he ran quickly across to the sand dunes (沙丘) and the penguin burrows (地洞).
He must have been the scout (侦查员),because after him,there came groups of penguins,some consisted of two or three penguins,some had about ten or fifteen,but they all made that same mad dash across the sand into the burrows. Finally no more penguins emerged from the sea.
You could see the penguins here every evening and morning,but they weren’t in cages or in small pools. The sea was their playground and it is a sight we would definitely recommend to anyone.
You weren’t allowed to take flash photographs as it scared them. After the penguins had gone to their burrows,you could walk along boardwalks and see them there. That’s got to be worth a look.
1. What does the text mainly talk about?A.The main attraction on Phillip Island. |
B.The penguin parade on Summerland Beach. |
C.The beautiful scenery on Phillip Island. |
D.How to protect the penguins on Phillip Island. |
A.teachers | B.parents |
C.kids | D.travellers |
A.The best time to see penguins is noon. |
B.You could take photos at any time. |
C.You could see penguins at dawn. |
D.You could play with the penguins. |
【推荐2】Bees are a big part of the life cycle of plants, carrying pollen from one flower to another and allowing plants to produce their frequently yummy output. But with bee populations on the decline, what can take their place? How about soap bubbles(肥皂泡)?
It may sound fantastical. But Eijiro Miyako and his colleague at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have used battery—powered bubble makers to pollinate(授粉)a pear orchard. The details of their magical approach to agriculture are in the journal Science.
A few years back, Miyako and his team tried to copy the pollinating of honeybees by adopting a two—inch-long toy drone with brushes made of horsehair. But the tiny flyer was tough to control. And its hairy little brushes ended up damaging the delicate targets.
After spending some time blowing bubbles with his son, Miyako started thinking more seriously about these soapy little wonders. He figured bubbles would be sticky enough to carry and deliver a pollen load but soft and flexible, so they shouldn’t hurt a blossom when they land. The researchers chemically bettered their soapy solution to make bubbles that were mechanically stable and actually enhanced the pollination process. Out in the orchard, they aimed their soap bubbles at row after row of pear trees. And they found the bubble system worked just as well as the more labor—intensive pollination by hand: pear trees pollinated by bubble eventually yielded fruit—a sweet sign of success. Miyako has also upgraded the drone—this time using a larger model—equipped with a machine that lets out a huge number of bubbles in a short time. And it has a big advantage over the hand—held model. Because it’s fully autonomously controllable by GPS with Google Map. So the drones can make a beeline to where farmers need them, you know, to be.
1. Why do people try other ways to help pollinate plants?A.Because raising bees needs much labor. |
B.Because the number of bees is decreasing. |
C.Because bees work inefficiently. |
D.Because bees produce less honey now. |
A.It was hard to operate. | B.It couldn’t work from a distance. |
C.It produced few bubbles. | D.It needed to be recharged often. |
A.It is a hand—held model. | B.It is much more efficient. |
C.It hurts blossoms sometimes. | D.It is too large to be controllable. |
A.Pear trees bear less fruit recently | B.The population of bees is decreasing |
C.Drones benefit modern agriculture | D.Soap bubbles help pollinate plants |
【推荐3】Living on the Florida Emerald Coast, people view a hurricane (飓风) ‘as a common thing. So it is not unusual for a family to have several full gas cans and bottled water stored in their houses all summer.
Though unwilling to evacuate (撤离) from a hurricane, on September 15, my family was forced to leave our home for my grandfather’s house several miles away. We spent the early part of that evening watching the hurricane draw closer on the Weather Channel. Around nine o’clock, a loud sound shook the house, turned over the roof and carried it off. Soon came an indoor rainstorm.
Realizing the damage, my grandfather began to be afraid. The storm had started, but he still ran out into the heavy rain and wind to see how much of the roof was left. We got him back inside. I had never seen him so scared. Mom finally asked him to lie down in his room.
The leak (渗漏) had progressed rapidly. It soon became a race against time to protect what to be saved. Some people may think it necessary to save material things, but I hoped to save those items with emotional value, such as the photos. I still feared the storm, but I more feared the influence it brought.
The next morning, it started to clear up. Thankfully, my family came safely through the storm, though the same could not be said for the house. Only the wooden beams (梁) remained, but inside many of the things were safe. My mom and I had worked tirelessly through the night.
It was late, but we were still unwilling to go to bed. We discussed the rebuilding of the house. Under the beautiful sky, we suggested looking after my grandfather more often in the future. After this disaster, I realized the truth that the hurricane itself was not so terrible if we loved each other.
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?A.Many residents living near the coast tend to leave the place. |
B.Many residents are unwilling to prepare for hurricanes. |
C.Hurricanes often strike the Florida Emerald Coast. |
D.Hurricanes seldom hit the Florida Emerald Coast. |
A.To protect something outside. | B.To see the condition of the roof. |
C.To avoid the danger in the house. | D.To know how serious the rain was. |
A.Why the author feared the storm. | B.How the storm influenced the house. |
C.How people helped each other in the storm. | D.What the author was ready to save from the storm. |
A.The house contained many valuable things. | B.The house was destroyed in the disaster. |
C.The house could be easy to repair. | D.The house survived the hurricane. |
【推荐1】One of the greatest contributions to the first Oxford English Dictionary was also one of its most unusual. In 1879, Oxford University in England asked Prof.James Murray to serve as editor for what was to be the most ambitious dictionary in the history of the English language. It would include every English word possible and would give not only the definition but also the history of the word and quotations (引文) showing how it was used.
This was a huge task, so Murrary had to find volunteers from Britain, the United States, and the British colonies to search every newspaper, magazine, and book ever written in English. Hundreds of volunteers responded, including William Chester Minor. Dr. Minor was an American surgeon who had served in the Civil War and was now living in England. He gave his address as "Broadmoor, Crowthorne, Berkshire," 50 miles from Oxford.
Minor joined the army of volunteers sending words and quotations to Murray. Over the next 17 years, he became one of the staff's most valued contributors.
But he was also a mystery. In spite of many invitations, he would always decline to visit Oxford. So in 1897, Murray finally decided to travel to Crowthorne himself. When he arrived, he found Minor locked in a book-lined cell at the Broadmoor Asylum (精神病院) for the Criminally Insane.
Murray and Minor became friends, sharing their love of words. Minor continued contributing to the dictionary, sending in more than 10,000 submissions in 20 years. Murray continued to visit Minor regularly, sometimes taking walks with him around the asylum grounds.
In 1910, Minor left Broadmoor for an asylum in his native America. Murray was at the port to wave goodbye to his remarkable friend.
Minor died in 1920, seven years before the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was completed. The 12 volumes defined 414 825 words, and thousands of them were contributions from a very scholarly and devoted asylum patient.
1. How did Dr.Minor contribute to the dictionary?A.He helped Murray to find hundreds of volunteers. |
B.He sent newspapers, magazines and books to Murray. |
C.He provided a great number of words and quotations. |
D.he went to England to work with Murray. |
A.Brave and determined. | B.Cautious and friendly. |
C.Considerate and optimistic. | D.Unusual and scholarly. |
A.The history of the English language. |
B.The friendship between Murray and Minor. |
C.Minor and the first Oxford English Dictionary. |
D.Broadmoor Asylum and its patients. |
Friday 8 September
Finally, it’s Friday! I can’t believe the first week is coming to an end. Things are going well, but there is always something new just around the corner.
At junior high, I took lots of notes during class. So in physics class on Monday, I did the same, but the teacher spoke so fast that I couldn’t take everything down. The teacher found I was struggling with note-taking and told me to stop and just listen. “Thinking is a more important ability than note-taking and memorising,” he said.
After class on Wednesday, I hurried to the school skateboarding club. I was running out of the classroom when I bumped into a girl literally. I said sorry to her and she smiled at me. At the club, I had my first fly at skateboarding and fell off the board a lot. Suddenly, a girl bumped into me—the same girl from the corridor! This time, both of us laughed. Her name is Sarah. We started to practise together and soon became friends.
I’m going to watch a film with Sarah tomorrow evening. I’m looking forward to it!
1. What’s the passage about?
2. What happened in her physics class?
3. What did she do after class?
【推荐3】I noticed some young students standing by the road. I could see they were sweating, which wasn’t surprising because of the 40-degree heat.
“Miss, do you have any water?” one boy asked.
“We don’t have any boxed water at home,” another explained.
My heart sank hearing this.
In Wilcannia, where I accepted a six-month contract as a primary school teacher, it hadn’t rain for a long time. A health warning had been issued, meaning you couldn’t drink the town water, which was filled with so much chlorine (氯) that you could feel dry from having a shower. What’s worse, not everyone could afford to buy supplies, so the local radio station distributed boxed water to the community.
“Let me check,” I told them.
Quickly searching my car, I pulled out a full bottle and gave it to the children before saying goodbye. It was moments like this that reminded me just how far I’d come from my old life as a teacher in Sydney.
The nearest shops were two hours away and the thought of not being able to feel quite warm at night was disturbing. But living in a small, two-bedroom house without the Internet or a phone connection also had its rewards. I enjoyed the silence and looked forward to each working day.
I taught Year Six, which consisted of just 10 students — a lot smaller than the classes of 30 I was used to. I also taught singing to the wider school community. Setting up my classroom with spaces — a bright-coloured tent with cushions for them to feel safe, sleep or have time away from conflict, I made a motto for our class: Mistakes are expected, respected, inspected and corrected.
The students and I bonded so well that I extended my contract to a full year!
1. Why did some young students stand by the road?A.To welcome their teachers. | B.To get away from the heat. |
C.To ask for some boxed water. | D.To take a lift to the nearby shop. |
A.The damp weather. | B.No supplies to buy. |
C.The long drought. | D.The shortage of town water. |
A.By living in a two-bedroom house without the Internet. |
B.By offering them personal space in the classroom. |
C.By reducing the number of students in his class. |
D.By teaching them to sing in the community. |
A.The care of local community. | B.The desire to learn the locals. |
C.His great interest in the country. | D.His deep love for the students. |