Most people nowadays own a device that features artificial intelligence, with the links of Siri always there to greet us with a friendly voice. But the Microsoft's XiaoIce is different. Launched in 2014 for the Chinese market, “she” has a creative edge over her competitors.
While most AI assistants simply read out information they get online, such as movie listings or weather forecasts, XiaoIce has realness that the others lack. Indeed, if you asked nicely, she could read you a poem from her new weekly column in West China City Daily. The newspaper has been printing XiaoIce 's self-penned poetry each week since Aug 19, taken from her own book of poems. The Sunlight that Lost the Class Window.
To turn XiaoIce into a master of poetry, Microsoft scientists “fed” her the works of over 500 influential modern poets, including those of Hu Shi, Lin Huiyin, Xu Zhimo, and Wen Yiduo, reported China Daily. This led to her figuring out a writing style of her own and creating over 70,000 original poems, with 137 used to produce the book.
Most of the poems are indistinguishable from those written by humans, and XiaoIce's book even got good feedback from experts. “XiaoIce's work carries a strange taste. The more you chew on it, the more interesting it becomes, Zhang Zonggang, a literature professor at the Nanjing University of Science and Technology, told the South China Morning Post. But it seems not everyone is a fan.
“The poems disgusted me with their slippery and rhythm. The sentences were aimless and superficial, lacking the inner logic for emotional expression,” Yuan-based poet Yu Jian told China Youth Daily.
This isn’t the first AI is to attempt poetry. Last year, Google’s Parsey McParseface made some poems of its own, although they were branded “miserable” and “mournful” by reviewers.
While it seems like AI is becoming more“intelligent” and less “artificial” all the time, when it comes to creativity, perhaps this is one job that software should leave to us humans.
1. What has made the Microsoft's XinoIce different from most AI assistants?| A．Artificial intelligence | B．Emotional expression. |
| C．Tone and thythm | D．Creativity and realness |
| A．XinoIce imitates modern poets to write poems. |
| B．All her poems are exactly like those written by humans. |
| C．Everyone does not enjoy XiaoIce's works. |
| D．XiaoIce is the first AI to write poems. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Doubtful |
| C．Concerned. | D．Ambiguous |
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【推荐1】While reducing plastic waste is something most consumers wish to do, it is not an easy goal to achieve. That’s because the cheap and durable material is found in almost every household item – from dinnerware to drink bottles to even food wrappers. Now, an Indonesian-based company has come up with a delicious and nutritious solution to help reduce our dependence on this environmental hazard. Since single-use packaging is a large contributor to the problem, the creators decided to settle that problem first.
After researching on various material options, the company settled on seaweed. Unlike corn, commonly used for biodegradable（可生物降解的）containers, seaweed does not require resources like water, fertilizers, or large amounts of space. According to Evoware, as much as 40 tons of seaweed can be grown in an area the size of a baseball field. The marine algae（海藻类植物）also helps reduce ocean acidity by absorbing harmful green house gases like carbon dioxide. Since Indonesian farmers already harvest more seaweed than they can sell, it is not difficult for the company to find the material.
Evoware says the seaweed packaging contains no chemicals and is safe to consume. In addition to wrapping fast food items like burgers, it can also be used to house things like instant noodles seasoning and single-serve instant coffee. Consumers simply drop the entire packaging into the hot water and watch the odorless（没有气味的）, tasteless packet disappear, leaving behind no trace of its existence.
While replacing plastic with the seaweed products may seem like a no-brainer to most of us, it is a hard-sell in Indonesia. According to Christian, “The awareness, understanding, and sense of urgency to minimize the use of single-use plastic is still very low. This makes our bioplastic seem irrelevant（不相干的）and unnecessary.” Also a factor is the cost, which is higher the using plastic. However, Evoware believes they can reduce the price greatly once the company moves to full-scale production. Hopefully, Evoware will succeed in convincing Indonesians, and people worldwide, that their products will be beneficial to the protection of our beautiful planet.
1. What does the underlined word “hazard” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Protection. | B．Power. |
| C．Danger. | D．Contribution. |
| A．It is easy to acquire. |
| B．It can be planted in baseball field. |
| C．It is commonly used for containers. |
| D．It is popular with Indonesian farmers. |
| A．Things able to be wrapped in seaweed containers. |
| B．Components contained in seaweed containers. |
| C．Ways of using the seaweed packaging. |
| D．Advantages of the seaweed packaging. |
| A．They will bring in huge profits. |
| B．They remain a big challenge. |
| C．They will be accepted finally. |
| D．They will replace plastics completely. |
【推荐2】Heat, cold and touch are crucial for experiencing the world around us and for our own survival. But how our bodies actually do it had been one of the great mysteries (神秘) of biology. Scientists who discovered how our bodies feel the warmth of the sun or the hug of a loved one have won the Nobel Prize.
David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian, from the US, share the 2021 prize in Medicine or Physiology for their work on sensing touch and temperature. They explored how our bodies convert physical sensations into electrical messages in the nervous system. Their findings could lead to new ways of treating pain.
Thomas Perlman, from the Nobel Prize Committee, said: “It was a very important and profound discovery.” Prof David Julius’s breakthrough, at the University of Calfornia, San Francisco, came from investigating the burning pain we feel from eating a hot chilli pepper (辣椒) . He experimented with the source of a chilli’s heat and discovered the specific type of receptor (感觉器官) that responded to it. Further tests showed the receptor was responding to heat and kicked in at “painful“ temperatures. This is what happens, for example，if you you’re your hand on a cup of coffee.
This led to a senses of other temperature sensors being discovered. Prof Julius and Prof Ardem Palapoutian found one that could detect cold. Meanwhile, Prof Patapoutian, working at the Scrips Research institute, was also analyzing cells in a dish. Those experiments led to the discovery of a different type of receptor that a was activated (激活)in response to mechanical force or touch. When you walk along a beach and feel the sand under your feet-it is these receptors that are sending signals to the brain.
The first heat sensor is also involved’ in lasting pain and how our body regulates its core temperature. The touch receptor has multiple roles, from urinating to blood pressure. The Prize Committee said their work had “allowed us to understand how heat, cold and mechanical force can initiate the nerve impulses (刺激) that allow us to perceive and adapt to the world around us.
1. What made David and Ardem win the Nobel Prize?| A．Mysterious experiences | B．Biological discoveries. |
| C．Exploration of sun heat. | D．Survival in high temperature. |
| A．Translate. | B．Persuade. |
| C．Change. | D．Lead. |
| A．Burning hands on a coffee cup. | B．The chilli pepper experiment. |
| C．Raising painful temperatures. | D．The analysis of cells in a dish. |
| A．Testing blood pressure. | B．Promoting beach tourism. |
| C．Perceiving coffee color. | D．Treating some diseases. |
【推荐3】There are more than 57 million amputees (截肢者) worldwide and only about 5 percent of them have access to prosthetic (假肢) care and technology. Those who do have access to prosthetics are often burdened with an inconvenient fitting and training process, high price tags of up to $80,000. and long wait times of more than a year.
Despite the cumbersome (繁琐的) user experience present in the current prosthetics industry, there has been little structural change in the market for more than 50 years, expert say. The global prosthetics industry was valued at $6.1 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow to $ 8.6 billion by 2028.
But a small prosthetics company called Unlimited Tomorrow in Rhinebeck, N.Y., is shaking up the situation.
Unlimited Tomorrow was founded in 2014 by robotics genius Easton LaChappelle. When LaChappelle was 14 years old, he created a control glove operated bionic (仿生) hand and entered it into the Colorado State Science Fair. LaChappelle’s project caught the eye of a 7-year-old amputee who was wearing a bionic prosthetic. LaChappelle learned that her prosthetic, which wasn’t much more difficult than the science project he created in his bedroom, cost $80,000. He spent the next few years researching how he could improve the current state of the prosthetics industry. When LaChappelle was 18, with the help of Tony Robbins, author and philanthropist (慈善家), who was interested in investing in LaChappelle’s idea, Unlimited Tomorrow was established.
Unlimited Tomorrow’s star product is called TrueLimb, a super cool 3D printed robotic arm! “Basically, it’s like a robot hand.” says LaChappelle. What’s awesome is that TrueLimb isn’t one-size fits all—each one is made special for each person.
Unlimited Tomorrow sends a special 3D scanner to their customers. People can use it at home to scan their arm. Once they get that scan, the smart engineers at Unlimited Tomorrow make a perfect socket filled with special sensors for the individual amputee. Then, they use a 3D printer to make the personalized TrueLimb. Hundreds of people are already using these amazing TrueLimbs every day!
1. Which is the disadvantage of traditional prosthetics?| A．Low cost. | B．Short life. |
| C．Lack of convenience. | D．Limited color options |
| A．Significantly changing. | B．Narrowly losing. |
| C．Unexpectedly controlling. | D．Confidently improving. |
| A．When Unlimited Tomorrow was set up. |
| B．Who lent a helping hand to LaChappelle. |
| C．How LaChappelle invented a unique prosthetic. |
| D．What inspired LaChappelle to found Unlimited Tomorrow. |
| A．The Strengths and Weaknesses of Traditional Prosthetics |
| B．The comments on the Latest Prosthetic Product TrueLimb |
| C．Unlimited Tomorrow: Benefiting the Disabled with TrueLimb |
| D．A Teenager’s Company: Transforming the Prosthetics Industry |
【推荐1】Going to work on a couple of eggs might be the way forward if you want to lose weight. According to research from the Rochester Centre for Obesity in America, eating eggs for breakfast can help to limit your calorie intake throughout the rest of the day, by more than 400 calories.
In the study, 30 overweight women were asked to eat an egg-based breakfast (2 eggs) and 30 overweight women were asked to eat a bread-based breakfast. Two kinds of breakfast contain the same amount of calories and almost the same levels of protein (蛋白质). The researchers recorded the women’s eating habits and found that just before lunch, the women who had eaten eggs for breakfast felt less hungry and ate a smaller lunch as a result.
Researchers pointed out that certain foods lead to a greater sense of being full. An egg is an example of such food that has a 50% greater satiety index (指数) compared to white bread or ready-to-eat breakfast porridge. This study suggests that eating eggs for breakfast makes you feel fuller for longer so that you eat less at your next few meals. Therefore, if you’re trying to lose weight as it means, you may find it easier to cut calories without feeling hungry.
Eggs are packed with all kinds of nutrients (营养) but contain just 85 calories each. Old advice to limit eggs to just a few each week has also been given up. According to the Food Standards Agency, there’s now no limit to the number of eggs you can eat in a week as part of a healthy balanced diet. If you feel like starting the day with eggs, we suggest you avoid frying them and eat them with wholemeal toast and a small glass of vitamin C-rich unsweetened orange juice, which will help the body make the best use of the iron in the eggs.
1. What breakfast can lead to eating less for lunch?| A．Bread. | B．Eggs. | C．Juice. | D．Porridge |
| A．A taste of food. | B．A feeling of pride. |
| C．A state of hunger. | D．A sense of being full. |
| A．Avoid eating fried eggs. |
| B．Take in as much protein as possible. |
| C．Drink sweetened orange juice each day. |
| D．Eat nothing between breakfast and lunch. |
| A．Mind Your Calorie Intake | B．Have a Big Breakfast |
| C．Eat Eggs for Weight Loss | D．Keep a Balanced Diet |
【推荐2】The "30 by 30" campaign to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030, supported by more than 70 nations, is known mostly for ambition and few achievements so far. Just 7% of the seas are protected and only 2.7% are highly protected.
Setting aside nearly a third of the oceans, the fishers say, is an idea developing nations in South America and elsewhere can hardly afford. That argument against a large expansion of sea protected areas is heard around the world, and the gap between conservationists and fishers has grown wider as fish population declines and the appetite for seafood grows along with the global population.
Research published recently aims to dramatically change that situation. The study suggests that protecting 30% of the oceans not only could restore biodiversity to ocean habitats, it could also increase the annual global catch by eight million tons about 10% of the catch today. After all, the only way to get more food from the ocean is to protect more. And, as a bonus, it would provide a "cheap, natural solution" to climate change by reducing the amount of seafloor carbon emitted （排放）into the seas by fishing trawlers （拖网渔船）.
In the study, an international team of 26 scientists analyzed the world's unprotected ocean waters to calculate which are threatened by overfishing, habitat destruction, and release of carbon. The team then mapped locations globally where protections would provide the greatest benefits to fish resources, biodiversity and climate.
The findings can be used by nations to address the three related aspects separately or in combination. Fully addressing all three will require that at least 30% of the oceans be protected, but nations can still realize significant protections by focusing on key areas, and global cooperation to strategically locate protected areas can be nearly twice as effective as individual nations working alone.
1. What are the first two paragraphs mainly about?| A．The wide support for the campaign. |
| B．The challenges of protecting the oceans. |
| C．The worldwide efforts to resist illegal fishing. |
| D．The achievements in reducing ocean pollution. |
| A．It keeps sea species stable. |
| B．It improves the global climate. |
| C．It helps to increase fish population. |
| D．It removes carbon from the seafloor. |
| A．To discuss the methods of fishing sustainably. |
| B．To stress the importance of biological balance. |
| C．To appeal for building ocean protected areas globally. |
| D．To introduce the background of the "30 by 30" campaign. |
| A．Environment. | B．Geography. | C．Travel. | D．Economy. |
Anyone can write a baby poem, and everyone enjoys reading them, young and old. Baby shower(婴儿洗礼) poems can have rhythm and rhyme, but they certainly don't have to. Poems can be either long or short, but short is probably best for your typical baby shower needs. You can add a little humor as well!
The people who are most often touched by baby shower poems are those who have had children themselves. Sweet poems can remind them of the time when their little ones were still young. No one will appreciate them more than the family members themselves. If you are a creative writer or have a special talent for putting words together in a special way, then you should try writing your own baby shower poems. This would make a great gift idea as well.
If you decide to write your own baby poems, even common things can inspire you. Inspiration can be found anywhere. Look to your own memories from the past. What was special about your childhood? What special object have you treasured over the years? What words of wisdom(智慧) of advice could you pass on to the next generation? Look around the house and imagine a baby being there. What do you see, hear, or feel? Let those thoughts be the source of your best baby poems.
When writing a baby poem, you do not have to write like Shakespeare, you just have to be sincere. Years later when the baby has grown，think of how special they will feel knowing the words were just for them.
If you are not the creative type — don't worry! There are lots of places online where you can look for poems saying just the things you want to say. Poems have been written on all subjects throughout the ages, and baby poems and baby shower poems are no exception. A quick search online doesn't have to take any time at all.
1. In the author's opinion，baby shower poems ______.
| A．all have a little humor in them |
| B．are not suitable for adults to enjoy |
| C．don't have to have rhythm or rhyme |
| D．must be short enough to meet babies' needs |
| A．Advice from famous poets on writing poems. |
| B．Words that can be used in baby poems. |
| C．Different ways of writing baby poems. |
| D．Inspiration for writing baby poems. |
| A．encouraging |
| B．sincere |
| C．beautiful |
| D．interesting |
| A．Write baby poems to say what's on your heart. |
| B．The most beautiful poems in the world. |
| C．How babies read poems. |
| D．How poems inspire babies. |
【推荐1】From unique means of transportation, good accommodation options and incomparable adventures, national parks across the USA offer visitors more than just hiking paths and points of interests. Park guests can now get to know their beautiful landscapes and rich histories in a whole new way with these adventure ideas.
·Golfing in Death Valley National Park
You've played the world's best golf courses, but have you played the world's lowest? Put the ball at the Furnace Creek Golf Course located in California's remote Death Valley National Park. In addition to golf, the course also sets the stage for a horse-drawn carriage sightseeing offered through the resort's Furnace Creek Stables.
·Luxury Camping in Yellowstone National Park
Want to experience sleeping under the stars? Far and Away Adventures serves up luxury-camping trips into Yellowstone National Park, covering States of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, complete with comfortable bedding and tents, delicious meals, and backcountry adventures. Guests are guided to a remote campsite along Yellowstone Lake by boat, and spend several days boating along its shores, fishing, and hiking among some of the park's most original landscapes.
·Dog Sledge in Denali National Park
Bring out your inner musher with a dog sledge trip through one of the last wild frontiers, Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. A team of dogs and experienced guides from Earth Song Lodge lead guests into the remote and tranquil wilderness of inside Alaska. Although day trips are available, multi-day sledge travels allow visitors to learn the art of dog dragging, not to mention enjoying grand views of Mt. McKinley.
·Canyon Vistas Mule Ride in Grand Canyon National Park
Take in the Grand Canyon, located in State of Arizona, by four-footed mule for breathtaking views along the edge and into its depths. Mule rides have been offered at the Grand Canyon since1887, and are a rich part of the canyon's history. A new four-mile tour along the edge, the Canyon Mule Ride, takes approximately three hours to complete. Along the path, riders speak to the geologic formations and human history of the area.
1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?| A．The four national parks are located in different states of the USA. |
| B．In Death Valley National Park, guests can play the world's best golf courses. |
| C．Of the four national parks, Yellowstone National Park covers the largest area. |
| D．Park visitors have recently been offered mule rides in Grand Canyon National Park. |
| A．Death Valley National Park | B．Yellowstone National Park |
| C．Denali National Park | D．Grand Canyon National Park |
| A．a science fiction | B．a guidebook |
| C．a health magazine | D．a commercial brochure |
【推荐2】My family and I never talked about school as the ticket to a future. I was in the classroom, but I wasn’t there to learn to write, read or even speak. When it was my turn to read, I wanted to hide. I was 13 years old, but I already hated being who I was.
I had an English teacher, Mr. Creech, who knew I couldn’t read. In one of my first lessons the teacher said that anyone who had a reading age below six had to stand up. I felt so embarrassed. But at the same time, it made me realize that I needed to change the situation. I was determined it wouldn’t happen again. Later that day, Mr. Creech encouraged me and promised he would try his best to help me learn to read. From then on, I never gave up practicing reading.
Then when I was 41 years old, one day, I planned to fly back to Texas to visit my friends and family. On my way from the airport, I saw Mr. Creech buying himself a drink. I rushed over and reached into my pocket to pay for him. “Do I know you?” he asked. “Yes, sir, you do know me,” I answered excitedly. “My name is Anthony Hamilton. You taught me English.” The look on his face told me that he remembered the boy he’d once encouraged.
“I’m so glad I had a chance to see you,” I said. “And Mr. Creech, I have great news to share.” I told him I had learned to read. But that wasn’t all. I had become a published author and an active speaker. “The next time you get another Anthony Hamilton in your classroom, please encourage him to read as well,” I added.
The experts say what once worried me has a name: dyslexia (诵读困难). But I can tell you it was a lack of desire for education.
1. Why did the author want to hide?| A．Because he felt sorry for himself. | B．Because he hated being laughed at. |
| C．Because he couldn’t read at all. | D．Because he didn’t have a ticket. |
| A．Considerate and dutiful. | B．Demanding and enthusiastic. |
| C．Emotional and dedicated. | D．Friendly and ambitious. |
| A．Because his reading age was not long enough. |
| B．Because his parents didn’t teach him how to read. |
| C．Because he was afraid of reading before the class. |
| D．Because he didn’t have inner driving force to learn to read. |
| A．The author was grateful to Mr. Creech. |
| B．Dyslexia made the author unable to read. |
| C．The author had become an active speaker. |
| D．Mr. Creech taught two Anthony Hamiltons. |
【推荐3】On the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chinese scientist Tu Youyou, winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize for the discovery of artemisinin, has been awarded China's Medal of the Republic. The medal is the country's highest honor for outstanding figures that have made great contributions to the construction and the development of the P.R.C.
Tu Youyou, born in 1930, has become the first Chinese woman to win a Nobel Prize, for her work in helping to create an anti-malaria medicine. The 84-year-old’s route to the honor has been anything but traditional. In China, she is being called the “three nos” winner: no medical degree, no doctorate, and she’s never worked overseas. In 1967, malaria, a then deadly disease, spread by mosquitoes was decimating Chinese soldiers fighting Americans in the jungles of northern Vietnam. A secret research unit “Mission 523” was formed to find a cure for the illness. Two years later, Tu Youyou was instructed to become the new head of “Mission 523”.
“Mission 523” read ancient books carefully for a long time to find historical methods of fighting malaria. When she started her search for an anti-malaria drug, more than 240,000 compounds(化合物)around the world had already been tested, without any success. Finally, the team found a brief reference to one substance, sweet wormwood(青蒿), which had been used to treat malaria in China around 400 A.D. The team took out one active compound in wormwood, and then tested it. But nothing was effective until Tu Youyou returned to the original ancient text. After another careful reading, she changed the drug recipe one final time, heating the compound without allowing it to reach boiling point.
After the drug showed promising results in mice and monkeys, Tu Youyou volunteered to be the first human recipient of the new drug. “In any case, Tu Youyou is consistently praised for her drive and passion”. One former colleague, Lianda Li, says Ms. Tu is “unsociable and quite straightforward”, adding that “if she disagrees with something, she will say it.”
Another colleague, Fuming Liao, who has worked with Tu Youyou for more than 40 years, describes her as a “tough and stubborn woman”. Stubborn enough to spend decades piecing together ancient texts, she applies them to modern scientific practices. The result has saved millions of lives.
1. According to Paragraph 2, we can learn that .| A．Tu is the first woman to win a Nobel Prize |
| B．Tu has a medical degree |
| C．Tu’s road to success is not traditional |
| D．Tu discovered a cure for malaria |
| A．encouraging | B．killing |
| C．annoying | D．benefiting |
| A．Tu first invented the idea of using sweet wormwood as a cure. |
| B．Tu was inspired by medical textbooks published in northern Vietnam. |
| C．The compound needs to be heated to the boiling point to be effective. |
| D．Over 240,000 compounds were proved ineffective before Tu’s search. |
| A．devoted and stubborn | B．straightforward and mean |
| C．considerate and tough | D．sociable and generous |
【推荐1】Are you the type of person who always says “yes”? I’ve come to learn that it is very important to learn to say “no”. It’s okay. People are still going to like you. They may even respect you more because they know you are honest.
I’m not saying to say “no” to someone who really needs your help. I’m talking about turning down that meeting that you really do not want to attend or that birthday party that you don’t want to be a guest at.
Think for a moment how you feel when you say “yes” to something that you really don’t want to do. If you’re like I once was, you can’t sleep at night and you think about it too much. It weighs on your mind. You try to find ways out. Whatever you’re saying to yourself, if you really wanted to go, you wouldn’t have all of these thoughts.
So, why not just say “no” from the beginning？Maybe you feel like if you don’t show up at the meeting (by the way, it is not one you must attend), your boss isn’t going to like you or your coworkers won’t respect you. Maybe you feel as if your mom, dad or sisters won’t love you as much if you don’t do everything for them what they ask every occasion.
If these people are your true friends, family members, or a good boss, they will like or love you the same no matter what. People treat you the way you teach them to, and if you’re someone who always says “yes”, then that’s what they’re expecting.
You need to do what is right for you. Of course we do have real obligations in life to fulfill, but we do not have to do everything others want us to do.
1. Which of the following statements would the writer agree with?| A．We should try to do what our friends ask us to do. |
| B．We should help others in need. |
| C．Always saying “yes” means you are dishonest. |
| D．Always saying “no” means you are brave. |
| A．have a bad habit | B．have a kind heart |
| C．have much concern | D．have obligations |
| A．have the same relationship with them as before | B．have a loose relationship with them |
| C．disappoint them | D．upset them |
| A．Learn to Make a Right Choice | B．To Be Yourself |
| C．Do What You Want to Do | D．Learn to Say “No” |
【推荐2】When Rachel Ratelle saw a news video of a burned koala trying to climb a tree to safety in fire-ravaged (火灾肆虐的) Australia, she decided to do something about it.
She looked up wildlife rescue and relief agencies in Australia to find out what they needed most. Besides donations, many organizations asked for hand-sewn (手缝的) and knitted pouches (袋子) and wraps for koalas and other animals that were burned or had lost their homes and parents in the fires.
This idea attracted Ratelle, but there was just one problem.
“I’d never sewn in my life,” said Ratelle, 17, a senior at Rancho Buena Vista High School in Vista, US. “Giving money seemed like something too simple. But I wanted to directly help these animals by doing something myself, so I decided to learn how to sew.”
Over the next few months, Ratelle bought her own sewing machine and taught herself how to sew via videos online. Then she purchased 18 yards of fabric and sewed 25 pouches of different sizes and shipped them off to For Australian Wildlife Needing Aid (FAWNA), one of several relief organizations that have rushed to rescue koalas, kangaroos and other species suffering from burns.
A week later, she received a photo from FAWNA with a young joey (幼兽) in one of her larger pouches. “It made me feel like I contributed to the world and it showed how a simple act of kindness can go a long way,” said Ratelle, who hopes to study biology for a future career as a nurse practitioner.
“I plan to use my new sewing skills to help animals and people devastated (蹂躏) by natural disasters,” she said.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, it estimated that 1.2 billion animals have died, as a result of the bushfires, which have burned more than 26 million acres in Australia.
Several craft guild (手工业行会) websites around the world have mobilized (动员) for Australian relief by making the animal pouches. Karen Newberry and her two daughters Madison, 12 and Rochelle, 8, from San Diego also offered their help in such a way. For Newberry, “it was a big push that made we crafters, sewers to realize there’s something more we can do than just make things for ourselves,” she said.
1. What do the first two paragraphs mainly talk about?| A．What inspired Ratelle to learn to sew. |
| B．What is needed to save koalas and other species. |
| C．The poor living conditions of wild animals in Australia. |
| D．Different ways to help koalas and other animals in Australia. |
| A．Proud. | B．Calm. |
| C．Surprised. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．how frequent the bushfires are in Australia |
| B．how harmful the bushfires are in Australia |
| C．the great varieties of wild animals in Australia |
| D．the difficulties facing relief organizations in Australia |
| A．People should stay united through difficult times. |
| B．Life is not easy for crafters and sewers in Australia. |
| C．It is challenging for crafters and sewers to do relief work. |
| D．Crafters and sewers can do more to help animals. |
【推荐3】I'm not much of a gardener. I love having beautiful flowers-but I don't have a good track record when it comes to making them grow.
A few months after our son left for the Middle East, my friend gifted me a box of tulip bulbs (郁金香球茎). She explained that these bulbs were put into the ground in the fall and lay sleeping all winter. They had all the nutrients they needed inside the bulb and would come out in the spring. ''When you see the leaves of the tiny flowers pushing toward the sun, you'll know that it's almost time for your son to come home. They'll give you what you need most.'' She walked me through the process of planting them. I thanked her — trying to show my gratitude for her gift.
It was a long winter — cold and dark. I endured both the weather and the loneliness and fear I felt with my son away. Dead leaves, frost and finally a heavy snow covered the area where I'd planted those flowers, and I soon forgot they were there.
Finally the weather began to warm. One day, as I walked down my front steps, I noticed an area of green. I bent down to inspect the situation more clearly and saw that those tulips had begun to grow, their tiny leaves forcing their way to the sun.
Day after day I noted the flowers' progress. And day after day, the time approached when my son would finally be home. Now with spring just around the corner, nothing could keep either of us from marching toward the light. Almost all of those bulbs bloomed. And with each brightly colored flower, I marked off one day closer to getting to hold my son in my arms again.
1. What can we know about the author?| A．She is a professional gardener. |
| B．She is not good at growing flowers. |
| C．She never plants flowers at home. |
| D．She often sends friends flowers as gifts. |
| A．The bitter winter reminded her of her son far away. |
| B．She was discouraged from making another attempt. |
| C．They failed to live through the cold and long winter. |
| D．She had no hope for beautiful flowers indeed. |
| A．A physical representation of the hope. |
| B．Things deep inside her heart and soul. |
| C．A lesson she will never forget completely. |
| D．The trouble she had in making them come out. |
| A．A dark winter with hope. | B．Planting hope in winter. |
| C．An area of green in spring. | D．Living a changeable life. |
