The American dream is the faith held by many people in the United States of America that through hard work, courage, creativity and determination, they can achieve a better life for themselves. More specifically, they agree on how to get ahead in America: get a college education, find a reliable job, and buy their own house. But do Americans still believe in that path, and if they do, is it attainable?
The most recent National Journal poll(民意测验，投票) asked participants about the American dream, what it takes to achieve their goal, and whether or not they felt the control over their ability to be successful. Obviously, the results show that today, the idea of the American dream and what it takes to achieve it looks quite different from it did in the late 20th century. By the large, people felt that their actions and hard work — not outside forces — were the deciding factors in how their lives turned out. But the participants had definitely mixed feelings about what actions make for a better life in the current economy.
In the last seven years, Americans have grown more pessimistic about the power of education to lead to success. Even though they see going to college as a fairly achievable goal, a majority 52 percent think that young people do not need a 4-year college education in order to be successful.
Miguel Maeda, 42, who has a master’s degree and works in public health, was the first in his family to go to college, which has allowed him to achieve a sense of financial stability(稳定) his parents and grandparents never did. While some, like Maeda, emphasized the value of a degree rather than the education itself, others still see college as a way to gain new viewpoints and life experiences. Sixty-year-old Will Fendley, who had a successful career in the military and never earned a college degree, think “personal drive” is far more important than just go to college. To Fendley, a sense of drive and purpose, as well as an effective high-school education, and basic life skills, like balancing a checkbook(支票簿), are the necessary elements for a successful life in America.
1. It was commonly acknowledged that to succeed in America, one had to have ________.| A．a sense of drive and purpose | B．an advanced academic degree |
| C．a firm belief in their dream | D．an ambition to get ahead |
| A．More and more Americans are finding it hard to realize. |
| B．It remains alive among the majority of American people. |
| C．An increasing number of young Americans are abandoning it. |
| D．Americans’ idea of it has changed over the past few decades. |
| A．It helps broaden their minds. | B．It needs to be strengthened. |
| C．It widens cultural diversity. | D．It promotes gender (性别) equality. |
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【推荐1】Food waste across the globe continues to fuel climate change, nature loss and pollution while hurting the global economy according to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024, which says it is important for countries to connect the fight against hunger and the three global crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
The report, whose findings revealed that the total food loss on the global economy is estimated at roughly $1 trillion, emphasized that reducing food waste is an opportunity to reduce costs and tackle some of the biggest environmental and social issues of our time: climate change and food insecurity.
While making opening remarks at the conference that launched the report, Dechen Tsering, acting director of the climate change division at the UNEP, said government polices, such as tax rebates (退税) and waste collection fees, could be used to stimulate changes in business practices and consumer behavior. In addition, better data on the cost of food waste and the environmental, economic, and social benefits of limiting food waste could help influence investors and consumers.
According to the report, as of 2022, only 21 countries had included food loss and waste reduction in their national climate plans, including China, Namibia, Sierra Leone, etc. Meanwhile, the number of people who are food insecure and in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in the Greater Horn of Africa rose to 74 million at the end of February, according to another report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other agencies.
The international agencies said that the 2023 El Nino rains contributed to the rise in the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in the region. With wetter-than-normal conditions forecast in most parts of African countries during the 2024 March-May rainfall season, the situation may not improve.
1. What does the Report 2024 indicate?| A．Food loss is the biggest problem to tackle. |
| B．Serious pollution can cause food insecurity. |
| C．Food waste worsens the environmental situation. |
| D．Many countries are cooperating to fight against hunger. |
| A．Effective measures should be taken by government. |
| B．Unnecessary costs in climate lead to development problems. |
| C．Data make no sense to consumer behavior and investors’ decision. |
| D．Avoiding waste collection fees is beneficial to limiting food waste. |
| A．Humanitarian assistance is the only way to help African people. |
| B．Food insecurity is still a big challenge to many African countries. |
| C．The situation of food waste in Africa becomes more and more severe. |
| D．The number of people needing help is increasing mainly due to bad weather. |
| A．To reveal the urgent financial situation in Africa. |
| B．To stress the necessity of food waste prevention. |
| C．To call for the joint efforts of governments in climate. |
| D．To raise the awareness of environmental conservation. |
【推荐2】As dawn breaks over the Rockies, the streets of Colorado awaken, walkers and cyclists moving through the city’s streets. But beneath this lies a growing concern: the safety of these road users is increasingly under threat.
Recent statistics reveal a reality, with fatalities (死亡) rising, casting a shadow over Colorado’s busy streets. Among these fatalities is the story of Nick Cordova, a cyclist whose life was cut short, becoming a catalyst for change and a symbol of the urgent need for safer streets.
In the wake of these accidents, the community has found a discomforting way to remember and advocate: the “ghost (幽灵) bike”. Painted white and chained near the site of fatal accidents, these bikes are used to remind people of the lives lost and the critical need for change. The recent rescheduling of a “ghost ride” memorial for Nick Cordova emphasizes the community’s resolve.
Janice Jim, vice president of CycleWR, emphasizes that while some cities have excellent bicycle infrastructure (基础设施), the battle is far from over. Areas like Victoria St in Kitchener, known for accidents, are in great need of attention and improvement. Jim’s words mirror a view shared by the majority: the infrastructure can and must be better, for the sake of all who share the road.
The concept of Vision Zero, an initiative aimed at getting rid of all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, fair mobility for all, has found a foothold in Colorado. However, the journey towards this ambitious goal is faced with challenges. Funding and policy changes are the foundations upon which this vision rests.
Advocates argue that investment in cyclist safety isn’t just a matter of public health; it’s an investment in the very fabric of the community, an acknowledgment that every life is precious and deserving of protection. As Colorado stands at this crossroads, the push for more funding and policy changes continues, fueled by stories like Cordova’s and the unyielding spirit of those left to carry the torch.
1. Which word can best replace the underlined word “catalyst” in paragraph 2?| A．Barrier. | B．Fuel. | C．Fear. | D．Link. |
| A．To serve as a reminder. | B．To mark dangerous areas. |
| C．To add to shared bikes. | D．To prove the government’s action. |
| A．It is put forward by Cordova. |
| B．Its realization needs policy support. |
| C．Its aim is to get rid of all traffic accidents. |
| D．It has been achieved in Colorado. |
| A．The Story of Cordova | B．The Concept of Vision Zero |
| C．Colorado’s Ghost Bikes | D．Colorado’s Call for Street Safety |
【推荐3】Last year, 138,000 San Francisco residents used Airbnb, a popular app designed to connect home renters and travelers. It’s a striking number for a city with a population of about 850,000, and it was enough for Airbnb to win a major victory in local elections, as San Francisco voters struck down a debatable rule that would have placed time restrictions and other regulations on short-term rental services.
The company fiercely opposed the measure, Proposition F, with a nearly $10 million advertising campaign. It also contacted its San Franciscan users with messages urging them to vote against Proposition F.
Most people think of Airbnb as a kind of couch-surfing app. The service works for one-night stays on road trips and longer stays in cities, and it often has more competitive pricing than hotels. It’s a textbook example of the “sharing economy”, but not everyone is a fan.
The app has had unintended consequences in San Francisco. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported last year, a significant amount of renting on Airbnb is not in line with the company’s image: middle-class families putting up a spare room to help make ends meet. Some users have taken advantage of the service, using it to turn their multiple properties into vacation rentals or even full-time rentals. Backers of Proposition F argued that this trend takes spaces off the conventional, better-regulated housing market and contributes to rising costs.
“The fact is, widespread abuse of short-term rentals is taking much needed housing off the market and harming our neighborhoods,” said ShareBetter SF, a group that supported Proposition F. Hotel unions have protested the company’s practices in San Francisco and other cities, saying that it creates an illegal hotel system.
San Francisco is in the middle of a long-term, deeply rooted housing crisis that has seen the cost of living explode. Actually, explode is a generous term. The average monthly rent for an apartment is around $4, 000. Located on a narrow outcropping of land overlooking the bay, San Francisco simply doesn’t have enough space to accommodate the massive inflow of young, high-salaried tech employees flocking to Silicon Valley.
As the Los Angeles Times reported some San Francisco residents supported the measure simply because it seemed like a way to check a big corporation. Opponents of Proposition F countered that the housing crisis runs much deeper, and that passing the rule would have discouraged a popular service while doing little to solve the city’s existing problems.
1. What is the intention of Proposition F?| A．To place time limits in local election. | B．To set limits on short-term rental. |
| C．To strike down a controversial rule. | D．To urge users to vote against Airbnb. |
| A．It shrinks the living space of middle-class families. |
| B．Users are taken advantage of by the service financially. |
| C．It makes the house market more competitive. |
| D．It indirectly leads to high house rental price. |
| A．To show its sharp population increase. | B．To show its geographic characteristics. |
| C．To support high-salaried tech employees. | D．To explain its worsening housing crisis. |
| A．Objective. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Negative. | D．Uncaring. |
【推荐1】Vast lands of America are dominated by corn, nearly 100macres of it, stretching from Ohio to the Dakotas. What once was forest today produces the corn that feeds people, cattle and, when made into ethanol (乙醇), cars.
Now, the nation’s airlines want to power their planes with corn, too. United Airlines signed a deal with a Nebraska ethanol company to buy enough sustainable fuel, to power 50,000 flights a year. The government could decide on its tax incentives (税收激励) for the industry as soon as December. “Mark my words, the next 20 years, corn farmers are going to provide 95% of all the sustainable airline fuel,” President Biden said in July.
The airlines’ ambitious goal would likely require nearly doubling ethanol production, which airlines say, with great expectation, would decrease their greenhouse gas emissions. If they succeed, it could transform America’s Corn Belt, stimulating farmers and ethanol producers, but potentially further damaging one of the nation’s most important resources: groundwater.
Corn requires a lot of water to grow and it can take hundreds of gallons to produce a single gallon of ethanol. But as airlines take the idea of ethanol, the vital groundwater faces serious risks. “We’re on track to massively increase water usage without any real sense of how sensitive our groundwater is,” said Jeffrey Broberg, who is concerned about groundwater in Minnesota, a major corn state.
The Department of Energy said in a statement that “water use is a critical part of the conversation surrounding bio-energy sustainability”. It pointed to a 2022 department study that concluded that the United States could significantly reduce pressure on groundwater by shifting fuel production away from water-intensive crops like corn, instead growing more crops that don’t require irrigation (灌溉), like various types of straw, grasses and trees. Hopefully, a better approach will be soon studied and adopted.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．Farmers will increase 95% of their ethanol production. |
| B．The sustainable fuel will not be popular in the future. |
| C．Corn will be an influential source in the fuel industry. |
| D．The government stops the new fuel for the groundwater. |
| A．Preventing. | B．Motivating. | C．Destroying. | D．Impressing. |
| A．The shortage of corn production. |
| B．The increase in global warming. |
| C．A rise in clean-energy tax credits. |
| D．Higher stress on the groundwater. |
| A．Expand the corn planting area. |
| B．Use some alternative materials. |
| C．Cut down the daily water usage. |
| D．Turn to the government for help. |
【推荐2】These days we can often see students doing morning group exercises at school to stay healthy. Most of you probably do the same kind of exercises. But some school exercises have grown popular online due to their local and special designs. Let’s check them out
Students at a middle school in Mianyang, Sichuan Province, combine Sichuan Opera with their exercise. Shen Junhua is in charge of organising the school’s exercises between classes. “Sichuan Opera is a local opera, but now it is facing a problem because few young people want to learn it. So we invited some local artists to create a simple and easy-to-learn Sichuan Opera exercise,” Shen Junhua said.
According to Shen, this new type of exercise has been practiced since 2017 and is popular among students. When new students enter the school, they spend several weeks practicing it. At present, almost all of the students and teachers do it well.
Some students have also joined the school’s Sichuan Opera club because of their own interest, although they had hardly heard of Sichuan Opera before teachers taught them how to do the Sichuan Opera exercise. They found it very different from normal exercises. After practicing it, they found it very beautiful and became interested in it. Now, most students look forward to their daily exercise and are excited to do the Sichuan Opera exercise.
By combining opera with daily exercise, the activity allows students to take part in the development of Sichuan Opera’s culture. After years of continuous effort to spread the seeds of traditional culture, the younger generation is finally catching on.
1. The Sichuan Opera exercise can be described as ________.| A．creative |
| B．challenging |
| C．common |
| D．strange |
| A．To attract local artists. |
| B．To enrich teachers’ spare time. |
| C．To help students value the local opera. |
| D．To let new students get to know others well. |
| A．They don’t care about it. |
| B．They think it’s too difficult. |
| C．They show great interest in it. |
| D．They think it improves their study. |
| A．The school has to organize more class activities. |
| B．It takes time and effort to spread traditional culture. |
| C．It’s young people’s duty to relive their own traditions. |
| D．The Sichuan Opera exercise is popular across the country. |
【推荐3】Aviation is a big polluter. Cutting the sector’s impact on global warming is high on the agenda. Although many governments are regulating emissions from cars and trucks, air transportation is technologically rooted in old patterns.
Facing the reality that the sector will keep emitting a lot, ICAO has established an international carbon-trading plan—Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, or CORSIA. This encourages wide use of offsets (抵消) : aviation companies can buy emissions credits or invest in sectors that store carbon, such as forestry, to allow them to carry on as normal. CORSIA aims to keep CO2 emissions at 2019 levels through such purchases for emissions over that year’s baseline. ICAO predicts that increasing demand might reach 1. 7 billion tons by 2035, potentially making aviation the largest offset market in the world.
Yet offsetting faces a fundamental challenge: the size of the offset requires estimating flows of warming pollution that would have occurred if the carbon-removal project hadn’t existed, and comparing them against flows with the project in place. The former — a baseline that is unobservable — is a hotbed for shady accounting.
The vast majority of offsets today and in the expected future come from forest-protection and regrowth projects. The track record of reliable accounting in these industries is poor, because they lack convincing baselines. Even with oversight, forest projects are often troubled by wild assumptions, for example that trees would disappear completely from these areas in the absence of those projects, even when there are other forest protections in place. Such assumptions drive up baselines and flood the market with huge volumes of offsets. They make it easier for accountants to claim a net reduction in emissions even though the atmosphere sees little or no benefit. These problems are essentially unfixable. Evidence is mounting that offsetting as a strategy for reaching net zero is a dead end.
In our view, this approach could prove dangerously narrow. Removing aviation’s impact on global warming means upending the industry. The longer that reality is overlooked, the harder it will be to find effective solutions.
1. What does aviation refer to in the passage?| A．A project which needs revising. | B．A resource which needs trading. |
| C．A market which needs expanding. | D．An industry which needs reforming. |
| A．To support the development of forestry. | B．To earn the largest profit in offset market. |
| C．To keep the levels of emission unchanged. | D．To make up for emissions over the baseline. |
| A．Too many offsets are filling the market now. |
| B．Some projects may cheat to create more offsets. |
| C．Offsetting contributes a lot to reducing emissions. |
| D．Trees would totally disappear without the projects. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Confused. | C．Favorable. | D．Unconcerned. |
【推荐1】The Z Hotel is in the heart of London’s West End and has comfortable accommodation in a contemporary design.
All rooms include handcrafted beds, 48-inch Samsung HD TVs with free Sky Sports and Movie channels, and free Wi-Fi. Each room also has under-bed storage for an overnight bag, and wall-mounted hanging space for clothing. The Z Hotel also offers wheelchair accessible rooms.
Continental breakfast is served in The Z Café every morning, including smoked salmon, fresh bread, fresh fruit salad and bacon rolls. A selection of salads, sandwiches and hot dishes are on offer throughout the day.
The hotel is a 5-minute walk from Prince of Wales Theatre and Chinatown London, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square. Heathrow Airport can be reached directly from Piccadilly Circus Underground Station.
This is our guests’ favorite part of London, according to independent reviews. This area is also great for shopping, with popular brands nearby: Apple, H&M, Zara, Burberry and Chanel.
The Z Hotel is rated for the best value in London! Guests are getting more for their money when compared to other hotels in this city. Come and stay with us!
Most popular facilities:
◆luggage storage ◆Heating ◆Free Wi-Fi ◆Air conditioning
◆24-hour front desk ◆Daily maid service ◆Parking ◆Lift
Prices:
| Room type | Prices | Options |
| Double room--non-smoking | ￡179 | ·Non-refundable(不退款) ·Good Breakfast￡9.50 |
| Twin Room--non-smoking | ￡185 | ·Non-refundable ·Good Breakfast￡9.50 |
| Queen Room --disability access | ￡219 | ·Pay at the hotel (no prepayment needed) ·Good Breakfast included |
1. When staying in this hotel, you will enjoy all of the following EXCEPT________.
| A．free Wi-Fi | B．a TV with some free channels |
| C．airport pick-up service | D．under-bed storage space |
| A．￡438 | B．￡404 |
| C．￡358 | D．￡370 |
| A．the hotel is close to Heathrow Airport |
| B．the hotel serves Chinese-style breakfast |
| C．the hotel is good value for guests’ money |
| D．there is a shop with popular brands in the hotel |
【推荐2】The STAR Eco Station is an environmental science museum, a wildlife rescue center, and a shelter for endangered animals. It carries out the mission “Preservation through Education” by educating visitors about the preservation of the environment and the inter-dependence of all living things.
Field trips
STAR Eco Station hosts field trips for schools and camps throughout Southern California. Each field trip lasts two hours, consisting of a one-hour gathering and a one-hour tour of the facility, with lessons associated with California State Science Standards.
Throughout the field trip, students learn about the latest developments in environmental protection and the ways in which wildlife interacts with various ecosystems. The students also receive an up-close and hands-on experience with our rescued foreign wildlife. The tour includes different environmental exhibits that showcase the ways students can help protect animals in the wild.
Public tours
Guided tours of the STAR Eco Station introduce visitors to over two hundred rescued foreign wildlife. The guided tour lasts approximately 45-60 minutes. Visitors are served on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations are required. However, tours may sell out. We suggest larger groups schedule a private tour.
Note:
Our regular public tours times are subject to change without notice. Please call in advance for the most up-to-date information.
1. What is the STAR Eco Station aimed at?
| A．Helping research wildlife abroad. | B．Collecting money for animal shelters. |
| C．Raising awareness of wildlife protection. | D．Providing a knowledge of unusual animals. |
| A．Make a speech on the environment. | B．Take part in foreign wildlife rescue. |
| C．Get to know why species get endangered. | D．Learn how living things affect each other. |
| A．Large groups are served first. | B．It is available on weekdays. |
| C．Its time can change. | D．Booking is needed. |
【推荐3】Natural selection is the process by which one type of animal within a species thrives because of certain characteristics that make it more likely to live than others in its group. The history of the peppered moth（灰蛾）is an example of the natural selection process.
In 19th century England, certain types of peppered moths were able to better blend（融合）into their surroundings. During that time period, great changes were happening in Great Britain. The Industrial Revolution was part of this change, and with it came air pollution. Natural selection often takes hundred or even thousands of years to occur. For the peppered moth, this process occurred comparatively quickly.
At the beginning of the Industrial Age, most peppered moths in England were light-colored and covered with black markings, although a few moths had dark-colored wings. Because the light-colored moths blended into the light-colored bark on the trees, they could not be easily seen by birds that would eat them. As the air grew more polluted, however, tree trunks became covered with soot（烟煤）and became darker. The light-colored moths became easy for birds to see against the dark tree trunks. Since the dark-colored moths now had the advantage, their numbers grew. Within 50 years, the peppered moth went from being mostly light-colored to being mostly dark-colored.
In the 20th century, the air cleared up, and the peppered moth population changed again. As tree trunks lighted due to less soot in the air, light-colored moths once again had an advantage. Their numbers increased as soot levels declined. Depending on their environment, the coloration of the moths helped them to be “naturally selected” to survive.
1. In 19th century, what was one of the causes of great changes in Great Britain?| A．The surroundings. | B．The Industrial Revolution. |
| C．The natural selection. | D．The peppered moth. |
| A．The length of time was unusual. |
| B．The soot levels in England did not affect it. |
| C．The color of peppered moths changed at random. |
| D．It was a good example of environmental protection. |
| A．Dark-colored moths were originally easy to see on trees. |
| B．Both kinds of moths preferred the dark-colored trees. |
| C．Birds failed to see light-colored moths. |
| D．The color of moths was unimportant. |
| A．Birds would eat fewer moths. |
| B．Moths would not be able to stay alive. |
| C．Light-colored moths would disturb people’s life. |
| D．The population of dark-colored moths would increase. |
【推荐1】A poem is defined as a composition written in verse. Poems rely heavily on imagery, precise word choice, and metaphor(隐喻), and may take either the form of measures consisting of patterns of stresses or of patterns of different-length syllables. But they don’t necessarily make use of rhyme. Poetry appears earlier than other forms of literature;however one cannot readily tell the characteristics of early poetry. Typically, as a form of literature, poetry makes great use of the forms of the words it uses. That is to say, it focuses on the features of the written or spoken word, rather than on their meaning.
The play, or drama, is another classical literary form that has continued to develop over the years. It generally consists chiefly of a dialogue between characters and is usually for theatrical performances rather than for reading. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, opera developed as a combination of poetry, drama, and music.
An essay consists of a discussion of a topic from an author’s personal point of view. The word “essay” in English is from the French word meaning “attempt”. In this sense, it could be said to mean the author’s attempt to make others accept their view.
Prose consists of writing that does not stick to any particular formal structures. Prose writing can take beautiful forms, but not because of the forms of words it uses.
A novel consists simply of a long story written in prose, yet this form has only developed comparatively recently. Early novels in Europe did not, at the time, count as significant literature, perhaps because “mere” prose writing seemed easy and unimportant. It has become clear, however, that prose writing can provide pleasure to those readers even though it doesn’t stick to poetic forms.
1. What does the passage mainly deal with?| A．The writing of poems. |
| B．Different forms of literature. |
| C．Combination of poetry, drama, and music. |
| D．Differences between novels and poems. |
| A．Poetry. | B．The opera. |
| C．Prose. | D．The novel. |
| A．provide imagery and precise word choice |
| B．provide theatrical performance rather than reading purpose |
| C．express the author’s personal point of view |
| D．distinguish itself from factual writing |
| A．develops as a combination of poetry, drama, and music |
| B．takes beautiful forms but not because of the forms of the words it uses |
| C．was not regarded as significant literature in early Europe |
| D．consists of patterns of stresses or of patterns of different-length syllables |
【推荐2】Scientists have found a potentially habitable(可居住的)planet and its star outside our Solar System are more similar to the Earth and our Sun than any other known planet-star pair. For now, the planet candidate(候选)is known as KOI-456.04. If its existence is confirmed by other telescopes, the planet would join a group of about 4,000 known planets outside our Solar System.
“It's the combination of its size less — than — double that of the Earth and its solar-type host star that makes it so special and familiar” Ren6 Heller, the lead author of the new study, said in a press release. That means it could potentially host life.
To be considered habitable, planets must orbit a stable star that keeps a temperature suitable for liquid water. The vast majority of identified Earth-like planets don't meet the conditions required for life to exist. They give off either too weak light or high-energy flames that can fry the planets around them. The star that KOI-456.04 orbits is about 1.1 times the size of the Sun, with a surface temperature of only 300 degrees Celsius less than the Sun. The star also sends out visible light, like our Sun does. Plus, KOI-456.04 is less — than — double the size of the Earth, which could mean its atmospheric conditions are similar to ours. If KOI-456.04 s atmosphere is like the Earths — meaning it has a mild greenhouse effect, then its average surface temperature would be about 5 degrees Celsius, compared to the Earth's average of 15 degrees Celsius, according to the Max Planck Institute .
The system is just over 3,000 light-years away from our Solar System. Future space telescopes could study the planet candidate further. NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency plan to launch(发射)the James Webb space telescope in 2021. The European Space Agency's PLATO space telescope, scheduled to launch in 2026, will focus on finding Earth-like planets orbiting Sun-like stars.
1. What makes the newly-found planet special?| A．Its strange name. | B．Its extremely large size. |
| C．Its potential to host life. | D．Its relationship with the Sun. |
| A．Move around. | B．Stick to. |
| C．Knock into. | D．Depend on. |
| A．What kind of energy its host star provides. |
| B．Whether its atmosphere is similar to the Earth's. |
| C．How many agencies are willing to join in the study. |
| D．Why its surface temperature is lower than the Earth's. |
For example, snowmen were a phenomenon in the Middle Ages, built with great skill and thought. At a time of limited means of expression, snow was like free art supplies dropped from the sky. It was a popular activity for couples to leisurely walk through town to view the temporary works of chilly art. Some were created by famous artists, including a 19-year-old Michelangelo, who in 1494 was appointed by the ruler of Florence, Italy, to build a snowman in his mansion’s courtyard.
The Miracle of 1511 took place during six freezing works called the Winter of Death. The city of Brussels was covered in snowmen—an impressive scene that told stories on every street corner. Some were political in nature, criticizing the church and government. Some were a reflection of people’s imagination. For the people of Brussels, this was a defining moment of defining freedom. At least until spring arrived, by which time they were dealing with damaging floods.
If you fear the heyday of the snowman has passed, don’t worry: I’ve learned that some explosive snowman history is still being made today. Every year since 1818, the people of Zurich, Switzerland, celebrate the beginning of spring by blowing up a snowman. On the third Monday of April, the holiday Sechselauten is kicked off when a cotton snowman called the Boogg is stuffed with explosive and paraded through town by bakers and other tradesmen who throw bread to the crowds. The parade ends with the Boogg being placed on a 40-foot pile of firewood. After the bells of the Church of St. Peter have rung six times, representing the passing of winter, the pile is lit. When the snowman explodes, winter is considered officially over—the quicker it is burnt down, the longer summer is said to be.
1. According to the passage, why did snowmen become a phenomenon in the Middle Ages?
| A．People thought of snow as holy art supplies. |
| B．People longed to see masterpieces of snow. |
| C．Building snowmen was a way for people to express themselves. |
| D．Building snowmen helped people develop their skill and thought. |
| A．snowmen were made mainly by artists |
| B．snowmen enjoyed great popularity |
| C．snowmen were politically criticized |
| D．snowmen caused damaging floods |
| A．the start of the parade |
| B．the coming of a longer summer |
| C．the passing of the winter |
| D．the success of tradesmen |
| A．They were appreciated in history |
| B．They have lost their value |
| C．They were related to movies |
| D．They vary in shape and size |
