A Love of Gardening
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” These words come from the author of the book The Secret Garden, first published in 1911. At that time, only the very rich in Britain had gardens. Very soon after this, homes with gardens began to be built. This is what started the British love of gardening！Today, millions of Brits like to say that they have “green fingers”, with around half the population spending their free time gardening.
For many people in the UK, their garden is their own private world. Each spring, children plant sunflowers and wait to see which one is the tallest. Expert gardeners know just the right corner for roses, and others spend hours trying to grow perfect vegetables to enter into competitions. And while many Brits like nothing better than spending their Sunday cutting the grass, some are happy just to sit under the branches of the trees and enjoy the beauty of the world around them.
But in cities, limited space has led to people looking for new solutions. Those without outside space can rent small pieces of land on which to grow things. Today, there are over 4,000 people in London waiting for such pieces of land. One recent idea has been to turn rooftops and walls into private gardens. These gardens have helped make the cities greener and improve air quality.
As well as being good for the environment, gardening is also good for the soul. What other free-time activity allows you to be at one with nature and create more beautiful living things? And if you’re in any doubt about this, take a moment to reflect on this line from The Secret Garden: “Where you tend a rose... A thistle cannot grow.”
1. What inspires a lot of Brits to create their own private gardens?| A．Their hobby for gardens. |
| B．Publishing of The Secret Garden. |
| C．The call of the government. |
| D．Release of working pressure. |
| A．They would like to enjoy their own private life. |
| B．They would like to enjoy their own flowers and perfect vegetables. |
| C．They all want to protect the environment. |
| D．They would like to share their happy time with others. |
| A．They are very competitive. |
| B．They want to have their own private space. |
| C．Gardening can provide a quiet environment for people. |
| D．Greening in Britain is already on the rise. |
| A．Great changes in London. |
| B．A love of gardening. |
| C．The importance of gardening. |
| D．The use of spare time. |
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【推荐1】We Brits love the idea of a real Christmas tree but not so many of us like the realities of dragging (拖拽) a 7ft Norway Spruce through the house and leaving needles all over the place.
If you count yourself among the reluctant group, then it may be time to go fake (假的) . After all, buying an artificial Christmas tree needn’t mean accepting defeat. There’s a huge range of choices and sizes, including pre-lit trees, which will save you the frustration of trying to string your own lights.
Another big advantage of choosing an artificial Christmas tree is cost: artificial trees can last for decades, so they work out cheaper than paying for a real tree every year. Like now retailers (零售商) are offering great deals at the moment: at Tesco, there’s 25 percent off artificial Christmas trees. Meanwhile, you can take advantage of the current 3 for 2 offer at Argos to fill your house with not one, not two, but three. You may perhaps partner up with friends who are also looking to invest.
Of course, keep your tree for years and years and it will start to pay you back in terms of carbon footprint; however, a “ real” one will always have to be transported, used and dealt with every year.
Are there any downsides? Yes. You might think you’re saving the planet, but a fake tree is actually not an environmentally friendly option. Most are made in factories in Asia, resulting in some serious air miles to reach the UK. They’re made from metal and plastic, and many end their lives in landfill (垃圾填埋).
Another problem with a fake tree is that they don’t look very natural and of course you won’t get that lovely pine smell either. You’ll also need to find space for storage.
1. What does the underlined word “reluctant” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Inactive. | B．Related. | C．Unwilling. | D．Supportive. |
| A．Enough choices. | B．The lovely pine smell. |
| C．Cheaper than a real one. | D．Free for transportation. |
| A．Fake Christmas trees are environmentally friendly. |
| B．British people like to drag a real Christmas tree home. |
| C．People need to find space to store a fake Christmas tree. |
| D．People may get 3 more if they buy two fake Christmas trees. |
| A．Different reasons for choosing fake Christmas trees. |
| B．Valuable suggestions on choosing fake Christmas trees. |
| C．Efficient ways of saving money on choosing Christmas trees. |
| D．Advantages and disadvantages of choosing fake Christmas trees. |
【推荐2】Carnival: One Day in Rio
Last year I went to the Rio de Janeiro Carnival, and it blew my mind. It had been my dream to attend the famous carnival for many years, so I was excited. However, the moment I arrived, I was a little bit nervous because there were so many people on the streets. They say that five or six million people come to Rio during carnival time and about two million of them are on the streets on any given day. Luckily, I had a local guide, my sister’s friend Ronnie. He said he would take care of me and show me all the highlights. He did not let me down.
Well, the carnival is most definitely all about the samba. It’s a style of music and dance which has its roots in Africa. Lots of Africans were used as slave labor by the Portuguese when Brazil was being colonized, so this mixed culture of African, Latin and European styles is really strong here. Samba music is usually fast and exciting with a lot of drums and harmonic vocals. It’s the kind of music that you can’t help dancing to, and I was learning that as I followed Ronnie through the crowd, my hips and shoulders were swinging almost involuntarily.
Ronnie had got us tickets for the samba parade, the icon of Brazilian culture, inside the Sambadrome where the top samba schools compete for the championship title, but we still had a long way to go through the street parties. He said most people enjoy the carnival by making their own parties in the street. About the samba parade, twelve main teams compete for the championship, and if they win, their performance will be talked about for years to come. So, you must be wondering how it was. Well, I’m afraid I can’t tell you. Ronnie and I never made into the Sambadrome. We spent the day moving from one street party to another. There were more snacks, more drinks and lots of dancing. Do I regret missing the main parade? Not at all. I experienced the carnival like the locals, and it was truly amazing.
1. What was the main cause for the author’s tension in the beginning?| A．The doubts about the visit. | B．The nervousness over the crowd. |
| C．The inability to find a local guide. | D．The anxiety about visiting a new country. |
| A．Samba has its roots in America. |
| B．Samba is not the taste of the writer. |
| C．Samba has a long and mixed culture. |
| D．Samba music is usually slow and soft. |
| A．she met some amazing local people |
| B．she didn’t have the tickets for the parade |
| C．she celebrated the festival in a local way |
| D．she enjoyed the carnival by making her own parties |
| A．Modest and determined. | B．Humorous and ambitious. |
| C．Creative and sympathetic | D．Reliable and considerate. |
【推荐3】India has many festivals, with some celebrations that last for weeks. However, none of them come even close to Holi, India’s most colorful and fun festival. Celebrated on the day following the full moon, this year’s festival happens to be on March 29th.
As with most Indian festivals, this one also has many different folk origins. Most of them center around the success of good over evil. The most popular one is about a cruel king, who hates his respected and kind son Prahlada for loving the creator of the Universe—Lord Vishnu. When every attempt to stop Prahlada fails, his aunt, Holika believed to be immune to fire, joins in the effort by inviting the young boy to sit with her inside a huge fire. Helped by the power of Lord Vishnu, Prahlada escapes safely, while the evil Holika is burned to death. To remember this event, huge outdoor fires are lit in the night before Holi in order to clean the air of evil spirits and to celebrate the death of the evil.
So what’s so great about this day? While there are some fun parades and folk songs and dance performances, the biggest fun of all is walking to the streets and splashing people with water guns and dry colors and even covering them with entire buckets of colored water. On this day, everybody is fair game, no matter how old or how young.
At about midday, the splashing comes to an end and people living close to oceans or rivers usually take a bath in the water to clean themselves before going home to a delicious home-made big dinner and a well-deserved short sleep, following this full day of fun and activities.
1. Why does the king dislike his son Prahlada?| A．Because Prahlada doesn’t love him. | B．Because Prahlada is rude to Holika. |
| C．Because Prahlada loves Lord Vishnu. | D．Because Prahlada concentrates on his own success. |
| A．By his good luck. | B．Using his amazing talent. |
| C．By beating his aunt Holika. | D．With the help of Lord Vishnu. |
| A．Enjoying splashing game in the fair. | B．Fighting against others fairly. |
| C．Playing a trick on others. | D．Having access to the game. |
| A．Because going home with colored water means bad luck. |
| B．Because they believe clean water will bring good luck. |
| C．Because taking a bath shows their true faith in Lord Vishnu. |
| D．Because they have got dirty with dry colors and colored water. |
By A. A. Milne
Winnie-the-Pooh has been introduced and reintroduced to generation after generation as a model of a child’s best friend. However, not everyone has found Pooh is lovely. This classic has been banned in a variety of countries at one point. So why would anyone ever want to keep children from the joy of Milne’s classic? In the case of Russia, Winnie-the-Pooh was banned in 2009 because of alleged Nazi (纳粹党的) ties.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
By Frank Baum
Originally published in the year 1900, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is one of the foundations of the fairytale genre. Who, then, would seek to ban a book that has become so important to the American experience?
America is that who. The Detroit Library banned The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1957 for having no value for children.
Charlotte’s Web
By E. B. White
White’s tale of the relationship between two unexpected creatures, a spider and a pig, has been drawing children in for over half a century. Published in 1952, this classic has been readily available on most library shelves for children to read. However, some people would like to make this book never see the light of day.
In one extreme case, a school in England banned Charlotte’s Web for fear that the pig Wilbur might be offensive (冒犯的) to Muslim students. Fortunately, the Muslim Council of Britain saw the foolishness of this ban, so the book was quickly restored to its right place on the shelves.
Where the Wild Things Are
By Maurice Sendak
Though its first copy was published fifty years ago, this book hasn’t always been readily available in libraries and in stores. After its release, Where the Wild Things Are was banned in libraries all across the U.S. for its dark tone and unruly leading characters. Nowadays, you’ll find far fewer libraries that still hold this ban.
1. The books which were once banned in the same country are ______.
| A．Charlotte’s Web and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz |
| B．Where the Wild Things Are and Winnie-the-Pooh |
| C．Where the Wild Things Are and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz |
| D．Winnie-the-Pooh and Charlotte’s Web |
| A．Charlotte’s Web. |
| B．The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. |
| C．Winnie-the-Pooh. |
| D．Where the Wild Things Are. |
| A．Parents. | B．Children. | C．Teachers. | D．Critics. |
【推荐2】In the past 60 or so years. American parents’ approach to naming their kids has undergone a profound shift. Today, many parents seek out less popular names to help their kids stand out. But in the past, parents typically picked common names, consciously or not, so that their kids would fit in.
“We are deep in an era of naming individuality where parents assume that having a name which sounds distinctive and unique is a virtue,” Laura Wattenberg, the founder of the naming-trends site Namerology, said, “how parents are thinking about naming kids is more like how companies think about naming products, which is a kind of competitive marketplace where you need to be able to get attention to succeed.”
There were signs that people were tired of names that were too popular. Cleveland Evans, a professor emeritus of psychology at Bellevue University and an expert on names, said that there was a 1953 song titled John, John, John, which included the lines “Every Tom, Dick, and Harry’s called John. Can’t we give this little guy a break and call him something new?”
This tune signaled the coming turn toward novelty and distinctiveness that took hold in the 1960s. It was driven by a number of broader shifts in daily life. As family sizes shrunk and kids stopped doing labor, Americans “started to fixate on the uniqueness of each child,” as the sociologist Philip Cohen has written, and “individuality emerged as a project—starting with naming -of creating an identity.”
Another crucial change is that in the 1960s parents started gaining access to data on baby-naming trends, according to Evans. Books informed parents which names were popular—and, by extension, which overexposed names they might want to avoid of this has brought us to an era of exceptionally varied names, which, in a way, represents its own kind of conformity: trying not to be like everyone else makes you just like everyone else.
1. What does the underlined word “virtue” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．A good quality. | B．A moral standard. |
| C．An attractive habit. | D．An obvious advantage. |
| A．To show that the song was widely spread. |
| B．To show that John was a child everyone liked. |
| C．To show that the name John was too overexposed. |
| D．To show that the name John was something quite new. |
| A．The larger family sizes and less labor for children. |
| B．Parents’ concerns about the novelty and distinctiveness. |
| C．Some books showing which names are appropriate for children. |
| D．The changes in daily life and the access to the naming trend. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Optimistic. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Indifferent. |
【推荐3】Teenagers who start the school day really early are likely to weigh slightly more than those who start later. That's the finding of a new study of nearly 30,000 Canadians between the ages of 10 and 18.
Getting too little sleep can put kids at risk for a number of problems. Sleepy teens are more likely to be overweight, to have trouble concentrating and to struggle in school. Genevieve Gariepy, who works at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, wanted to know how earlier school start times night be connected with weight.
"Overweight in teenagers is a big problem in North America," she says. The number of overweight kids has grown over the past 30 years. About one in three American and Canadian teens are now overweight. Kids who don't sleep enough may be at higher risk. So Gariepy decided to focus on the impact of school start times.
Her team collected start times for 362 Canadian schools. Then they asked students at those schools to give their height and weight. In all, they collected data from nearly 30,000 10-to 18-year-olds. Among 6th-to 10th-graders, those who started school earlier were likely to be slightly heavier for their height. Every 10-minute delay in school start time was connected, on average, with a slightly lower weight among students who were the same sex, age and height. However, the difference is slight. Healthy eating and getting enough exercise will play a bigger role in keeping a healthy weight.
Because the study compared kids who already started school at different times of day, it's not clear that changing school start time would help heavier kids lose weight. To know for sure, researchers would want to compare the same kids before and after changing to a later school start time.
Still, the study is a good start, says Cora Collette Bruener, a doctor at Seattle Children's Hospital in Washington. The findings add to a growing pile of evidence that later school start times might be better for teen health, she says.
1. What is the finding of the new study?| A．More and more teens are growing overweight. |
| B．Healthy diets and enough exercise help reduce weight. |
| C．Teens who start school earlier are a little overweight. |
| D．Teens who start school earlier do not perform well. |
| A．much sleep | B．earlier school start time |
| C．less sleep | D．a balanced diet and enough exercise |
| A．By recording the teens' weight. |
| B．By checking the teens' physical health. |
| C．By comparing different sets of data. |
| D．By measuring the teens' height. |
| A．It has inspiring value. | B．It lacks further support. |
| C．It needs improving | D．It is well designed. |
