【推荐1】When we see a person in deep sorrow， our immediate reaction is to lend a hand． Not to do so would be a moral failure． But what if we see an animal in deep sorrow， does the same logic apply？

This question was raised following the "rescue" of a group of penguins from an icy gully in Antarctica． It was filmed for the BBC wildlife series Dynasties．

The film crew was alarmed when they saw that a group of penguins had fallen into a gully and been trapped with their young． The crew dug a shallow ramp so that a few of the penguins could save themselves．

The case has taken the international media by storm． Viewers watching this episode let out a sigh of relief on social media． "I'm so glad． I understand not getting directly involved， but a helping hand isn't intervening right？" viewer Kathryn Shaw tweeted．

However， others think that human intervention is unnatural． It's an unwritten rule among documentary filmmakers that they are there to observe， not to intervene， according to CBS News． For example， in another episode of Dynasties， David the chimpanzee， was left to die after he was filmed being beaten up by other chimps．

"Tragedy is a part of life． You can't have sunshine throughout your life． To have done anything else would only make matters worse and distort （扭曲）the truth，" said the show's creator David Attenborough，according to The Times．

In this case， however， Mike Gunton， the executive producer of the series， said that this was a one-off situation． "There were no animals going to suffer by intervening． It wasn't dangerous． You weren't touching the animals and it was just felt by doing this…they had the opportunity to not have to keep slipping down the slope，" he told the BBC．

Such cases are familiar to Paul Nicklen， wildlife photographer for National Geographic．

"I have a practical view when it comes to the natural rhythm （节律）of life，" he told Metro． "If it's ever a dangerous situation， no matter how gut-wrenching， you stay out of the way． Even when you are watching a male polar bear eat the young．"

But he said that he would help animals if he saw no real gain or disruption （扰乱） to the ecosystem．

Indeed， there will always be two sides to the coin， and human beings will forever be conflicted in such circumstances． "There's no rule book in those situations． You can only respond to the facts that are right there in front of you，" Will Lawson， the show's director， told Daily Mail．

1. The case has taken the international media by storm because ______ ．

A．people all over the world prefer documentaries of Antarctica

B．people were very curious about how the penguins died

C．what the film crew did upset people all over the world

D．it has caused a heated discussion on human intervention in wildlife

2. The underlined word "gut-wrenching" in Paragraph 9 probably means ______ ．

A．highly embarrassing	B．slightly worrying
C．very comforting	D．extremely upsetting

3. From this essay， we can learn that human intervention ______ ．

A．is a topic rarely mentioned by international media

B．once resulted in chimpanzee's death directly

C．is usually not expected in making documentary films

D．surely breaks the natural rhythm of life

【推荐3】Along the coast of Cornwall, the UK, by the white beaches near St Austell, a superhero stands tall. What is this superheroes weapon of choice? She has two, actually: in one hand, a large recycling bag, and in the other, a heavy-duty litter picker.

Meet Pat Smith, the 71-year-old eco-warrior (环境卫士) also known as “Action Granny”. Pat set herself a task to clear the plastic from 52 beaches in Cornwall and Devon. The former teacher jumped into action after watching a film called A Plastic Ocean, which described the range of plastic pollution damaging the world's oceans and killing sea life.

“It was really life-changing for me,” says Pat. “Until that point, I hadn’t realized there was a problem with plastic in the ocean. I went home from the theater and was really bothered. We have been consuming so much plastic that we are causing an ocean crisis. I said to myself ‘I’ve got to do something about it.’”

From January 1 until December 31, 2018, Pat cleaned one beach every week. Yet even with the year over and her task completed, she hasn’t stopped. Pat is also picking up litter — and so are her children in the playground, “My daughter-in-law said last week that she had organize a lifter-picking activity in the playground with other children. That just shows you that when people are exposed to what you do, they are very likely to follow in your footsteps.”

Joining Pat today is Marta, a research fellow at the Basque Center for climate Change, who has travelled from Spain to Cornwall to show support for Pat's action. She also explained her intention of cooperation to Pat. As an environmentalist herself Marta knows how important it is to work hand in hand, and she would like to show her sincerity.

1. How does the author start the text?

A．By raising a question.	B．By giving a definition.
C．By describing a situation.	D．By introducing a familiar film.

2. What made Pat decide to clean beach plastic?

A．Her title as a superhero.	B．Her using too much plastic.
C．Her previous job as a teacher.	D．Her watching A Plastic Ocean.

3. What do we know about Pat’s litter-picking action?

A．It need urgent support.	B．It has its own limitations.
C．It’s a time-consuming thing.	D．It is influential among her kids.

4. Why did Marta go to Cornwall?

A．To ask for support from Pat.

B．To advocate Pat and work together with her.

C．To raise people’s awareness of climate change.

D．To show the importance of protecting the environment.

5. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A retired teacher’s war on plastic waste.

B．The cooperation between Pat and Marta.

C．A considerate granny and national superhero.

D．AN elderly granny’s study on climate change.

【推荐3】National Zoo in Australia

OPEN TIME

9: 30 am-5: 00 pm every day of the year, except Christmas Day.

TICKET PRICES

Children: 3-15 years $26

Students: 16 years or above with student card $40

Seniors Card/ Aged Pension(退休金) Card Holders:$40

Adults: $47

Family: 2 adults and up to 3 children: $130

CARERS FOR SPECIAL VISITORS

Carers for visitors with disabilities are admitted free of charge. Carers ID is required upon entry.

COMPANION CARD holders receive free entry, as well as their carers.

Please note, we aren’t a government funded zoo and don’t receive a subsidy (补贴) to accept many of the government concession (减价票).

GROUP RATES

If you are visiting the zoo in a group of 10 or more, you may qualify for our Special Group rates on General Entry prices.

DAILY ACTIVITIES & KEEPER TALKS

Make the most of your zoo visit and check out our daily keeper activities. There are great opportunities to see animals in action. Watch them enjoy a treat and interact with their keepers as they receive a feed.

On weekends and during school holidays, additional Keeper Talks are added to the schedule and visitors have the chance to meet or even feed some of our wonderful animals!

WALK ON THE WILDSIDE

Become a zoo keeper for a day with the ultimate all day wildlife experience.

ZOOVENTURE TOUR

Hand feed a tiger, and pat a rhino, which may be your most unforgettable experience.

GETTING HERE

BY CAR

We are located on Lady Denman Drive, next to Scrivener Dam. Find us on Google Maps.

BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Unfortunately, there are no bus services running to the zoo at present.

1. How much will a 17-year-old student pay with a student card?

A．$ 40.	B．$ 47.
C．$ 26.	D．$ 130.

2. Which of the following may be the most unforgettable experience?

A．Being a zoo keeper.	B．Feeding the tiger.
C．Talking with the keepers.	D．Watching animals in action.

3. What can be learned from the text?

A．People can take a free bus to the zoo.

B．Keeper Talks are available everyday.

C．People caring for disabled people can visit for free.

D．Senior people have a free visit.

【推荐1】It is practically inevitable: sometime around the age of 40 people start to need reading glasses. Try as they might, there’s no avoiding it. One mobile app creator claims that practicing with their technology can train your eyes to see better.though some eye doctors are not sure.

The reason why many people eventually need reading glasses is that the lens (晶状体) of the eye loses   flexibility with age, and has trouble focusing on nearby objects. The condition is called presbyopia (老花眼), which is just a natural side effect of aging.

The first app claiming to work out the solution is called GlassesOff. First you take a test given by the app, and then follow its customized training course. Three days a week, for 12-15 minutes, you’ll go through a series of visual exercises, such as recognizing small gray letters on a gray screen. After two or three months, it claims that you can kiss your reading glasses goodbye.

“We wanted to develop an application that can help people improve their reading ability by improving the way that the brain processes information.” says GlassesOff CEO Nimrod Madar. Until recently it wasn’t possible because scientists did not understand how the image processing capability of the brain actually works. “GlassesOff comes up with the idea of neuroplasticity (神经可塑性). Studies have shown that through training new connections can be made in the brain So that it can continue adapting to the world around us. In terms of vision, this means that through training, the brain may be able to form new connections that allow it to clearly process text even when the text is blurred by aging eyes.

In a 30-person study published in Scientific Reports in February, some participants were able to read letters 1.6 times smaller after using the app. Adults aged 40 to 60 years old had the most success. The study also found that the users’ eye health improved by an average of 8.6 years.

Sounds too good to be true? Well, it probably is. “Human vision quality is determined by the physical eye and the way he brain reads the information that the eye captures,” says Rhee, a doctor from Harvard University. “To think that we can reverse (逆转) presbyopia only by neuroplasticity is just not accurate.” It might not make a huge difference in terms of fighting presbyopia, but brain training could make a difference for younger people whose eyes are still more flexible.

1. Which of the following is NOT true about presbyopia?

A．It is actually a natural phenomenon of aging of human eyes.

B．People tend to suffer form it when they reach the age of 40.

C．It can be prevented by means of proper eye muscle exercising.

D．It occurs when eyes fail to focus on nearby objects well.

2. GlassesOff may improve people’s reading ability by________.

A．helping people stay away from presbyopia

B．reducing the negative effects of aging on eyes

C．making the text that people read larger than normal

D．training the brain to process visual information better

3. The fourth paragraph mainly tell us_______.

A．the principle on which GlassesOff works

B．why researchers came up with Glassesoff

C．how training makes new connections in our brain

D．now our brain processes the information that our eyes take in

4. What is Rhee’s attitude towards GlassesOff?

A．Optimistic.

B．Negative.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unconcerned.

【推荐2】Grand Opening

Bentwood Truck Museum Saturday, November 8, at 10:00 A.M.

After eighteen months of hard work by more than 100 volunteers, the Bentwood Truck Museum is ready to open. The old factory on the corner of Palmer Street and Norman Drive had been scheduled to be destroyed. When Roger Haygood heard about the plans to tear down the building, he bought it so that he could store his collection of old trucks there. Then he had the idea of turning the building into a truck museum.

During the past year and a half, the old building has been transformed into a treasure chest of memories. Instead of a dark and dull house, the building has become a cheery, bright home for all kinds of trucks from the past.

The museum now houses 68 trucks, and we hope to have even more soon. There is a 1959 school bus, a 1942 bakery truck, and a 1937 fire engine. Our oldest vehicle is a 1919 milk truck. Our newest vehicle is a 1966 tow truck.

You can take a ride on a fire truck, a mail truck, or an ice-cream truck. Rides are $2.00, but you can get a ticket for a free ride at any grocery store in Bentwood.

Help us celebrate our grand opening by bringing your family and friends! There is something to interest everyone who attends. The Bentwood Truck Museum is a special piece of our history.

* To get to Bentwood Truck Museum, take Route 29 (Kingston Highway) to Palmer Street.

* Go south on Palmer Street for one block and take a left onto Norman Drive.

* You will see the museum building and the amusement park on your left.

* Parking is available across the street, on your right.

1. In which of the following can visitors take a ride?

A．A school bus.	B．A bakery truck.
C．A milk truck.	D．A mail truck.

2. Where is Bentwood Truck Museum?

A．On Kingston Highway.	B．On Robert Street.
C．On Norman Drive.	D．On Elliott Street.

3. What is special about this museum?

A．It exhibits trucks dating back to 200 years ago.

B．It is not possible for you to drive to the museum.

C．It is transformed from an old factory by volunteers.

D．It is built because an old factory has been destroyed.

【推荐3】For some years，my mother worked for a charity as President and Secretary.Selling raffle tickets(兑奖券) was her main means of bringing in the charity’s much­needed funds.We girls would accompany her，selling tickets with great success.My father made and donated beautiful wooden toys，jewellery boxes and other lovely items as prizes.

Now my sister was always coming up with “good ideas”，most of which didn’t work out to plan.But that didn’t deter her.She had many just waiting to be tested.When she was eight and I was just five，we had a wonderful idea for a business adventure.We decided we would sell raffle tickets for charity，and that charity was us!

So one afternoon，we told our mother we were going to play in the park with our cousins as we did most days after school.But instead，we walked around the streets armed with a raffle book，a pen and a large cloth bag to carry the money.

We’d accompanied our mother many times when she sold tickets，so people were familiar with us when we appeared at their doors.Despite the blank looks they received when asking about the prizes on offer，they were very generous.Although there were no actual prizes，our mother’s previous track record enabled us to sell nearly the whole book of raffle tickets.

Like a little pair of lottery(彩票) winners，we walked home and proudly showed off our takings.But our enjoyment of this sudden wealth was short­lived，and our plans for spending it quickly failed.Our angry mother took us back to every ticket buyer，making us apologise and give the money back.Thankfully，our sweet neighbours didn’t make a big deal of our “clever” misbehavior and thus my mother’s

fundraising career could continue safely.We were taught a good lesson by our mother that day.Also I remember my sister’s entrepreneurial(企业家的) spirit dried up a bit after that.
1. What did the author’s father do?

A．He got prizes ready.	B．He sold hand­made items.
C．He was in charge of a charity.	D．He helped design raffle tickets.

2. What does the underlined word “deter” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Embarrass.	B．Shock.
C．Discourage.	D．Mislead.

3. What can be learned about the author and her sister while selling raffle tickets?

A．They ran into their mother.

B．They met some generous strangers.

C．They got lost while walking around the streets.

D．They took advantage of people’s trust in their mother.

4. What lesson did the author and her sister learn?

A．Honesty is the best policy.	B．What’s done can’t be undone.
C．Misfortune never comes alone.	D．Good advice is beyond all price.

【推荐1】During the COVID-19 crisis, even the simple act of buying groceries has been completely transformed. For seniors this task is even more challenging. Concordia University's ACT project team has joined with community partners in the neighbourhood to fill this gap. They've rapidly created a new program-COVID-19 Grocery Response NDG.

The program uses a model that pairs volunteers with seniors, based on availability and language. Those volunteers are trained by ACT's team via video conferencing and then given a list of older adults. The volunteer calls the individuals and takes their order, working with grocer offerings of a Provigo store in the area. When the call is over, the order gets sent to Provigo, which gathers and delivers the order to the senior. It won't take the place of the work of the food bank; seniors are paying for their groceries.

There is also an important social element to the call, which doubles as a friendly check -in. The volunteer chats a bit with the senior, who may be very lonely and anxious. One volunteer says it has also been a rewarding experience and gives her the opportunity to help others while staying at home, which they are all being encouraged to do.

The program is a response to a number of factors, including the fact that many older adults are on a fixed income and may not have the internet access needed to order groceries online. It is targeting seniors who aren't able to access New Hope's usual meals on wheels service.

So far the project is a success, with a growing number of volunteers and seniors. As for what's next, Concordia is optimistic but acknowledges that the team will need to be nimble to accommodate the changing realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are at a critical time and we need to do everything we can, together, to help out.

1. What do the volunteers do to help the seniors?

A．Help them pay the bill.	B．Send their order to the store.
C．Write a shopping list for them.	D．Deliver their groceries lo the door.

2. What can we infer about the programme from paragraph 3?

A．It benefits both sides.	B．It helps the store survive.
C．It goes beyond expectation.	D．It encourages people to purchase online.

3. Who might be the potential client of the program?

A．Daisy aged 45 with a heavy debt.	B．David who enjoys meals on wheels service.
C．Alexander aged 75 with a retirement pension.	D．Elspeth who knows noting about online shopping.

4. What does the underlined word “nimble” probably mean?

A．Flexible.	B．Beneficial.
C．Accessible.	D．Qualified.

【推荐2】If you read the news about honeybee survival, it's all very confusing.

The Hoover Institution's Dr. Henry Miller notes “The reality is that honeybee populations are not declining. According to U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) statistics,the world's honeybee population rose to 80 million colonies(群落) in 2011 from 50 million in1960.”Meanwhile Jennifer Sass of the Natural Resources Defense Council points out “The number of managed honeybee colonies in the U. S. has dropped from four million hives(蜂群) in 1970 to 2.5 million today.”

Surprisingly, both of these claims are correct. Miller points to the “global” commercial honeybee-hive count, which has grown considerably. Sass points to domestic colony numbers only, which have in fact declined.

Far more bees are farmed for making honey than for pollination(传粉) services. Since more honey is now made overseas than it was in the past, more hives are kept overseas, and fewer in the United States and Europe. And the global number of commercial hives and honey they produce has grown to meet the demands of an expanding world population. Such shifts offer no evidence of a honeybee hive crisis. They simply represent the market forces of supply and demand.

The FAO data also clarify that national or even regional declines in the size of the managed honeybee population cannot prove claims of a global pollinator decline or a pollination crisis. However, it emphasizes that solutions to those problems must be motivated locally, rather than globally.

Solutions will follow only if we take a non-subjective look at the issues, so we can address them appropriately rather than have a crisis mentality. As I highlight in a recent post for The Hill,a big part of the solution lies at the very local level: with the beekeepers, farmers, and communities that surround them.

1. What makes the news confusing?

A．Various species.	B．Different affects.
C．Complicated statistics.	D．Contradictory conclusions.

2. What contributes to the growth of commercial hives?

A．The claims of the FAO.

B．The shift of honey export.

C．The increasing demands of honey.

D．The more services of pollination.

3. What's the author's attitude to the honeybee population issue?

A．Supportive.	B．Objective.
C．Confused.	D．Doubtful.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Honeybee Crisis Solved or Not?

B．Honeybee Population Declining or Not?

C．Honeybee Market Global or Local?

D．Honeybee Research Global or Local?

【推荐3】On a sunny, spring day, a group of children, four to seven years old, sit on their bicycles. They wear helmets to protect their heads and gloves to protect their hands. Their mothers, standing nearby, watch them closely. The children are ready to learn how to ride. Rachel Varn still remembers how she felt riding a bicycle for the first time. She says, “It is probably the biggest confidence booster (提升). It gives kids such a sense of independence and self-guidance.” Now, her job is helping children experience that moment.

Rachel Varn left her job of selling bicycles to become a trainer for bicycle riding last year. She founded Pedal Power Kids to teach bicycle education. Before starting a ride, she teaches the children how to make sure the bicycles are in good condition for safe use. She calls it “ the ABC quick check.” “A” is for air. she explains, “We have to check out tires before we ride. “B” is for brakes. We want to make sure our brakes work before we find ourselves at the top of a hill about to go down. And “ C ” is for chain.” She says the chain must be clean.

The rest of the training is more fun. The children learn riding skills, from balance and pedaling to turning, starting and stopping. And they learn to keep their eyes up and look ahead while riding. Varn says many children struggle to do this. They look down at the pedals insteađ. She adds, “ Obviously that doesn’t allow them to see what’s going on around them, and it doesn ’t allow them to turn properly either.” Varn says watching where you are going helps you turn easier.

Learning to ride a bicycle can open a whole new world to children. It gives them a sense of accomplishment and freedom. They become more sensitive to their surroundings and better able to make safe, smart decisions going from one place to another. Varn’s goal is to get more children on two wheels. She says, “ That’s really a great way for kids to be active and develop healthy habits. It helps reduce pollution and just keep families and communities connected. ”

1. Racher Varn’s Current job is ______.

A．Looking after preschool children	B．selling bicycles on the Internet
C．teaching children how to ride bicycles	D．providing consulting service of riding bicycles

2. What does “ the ABC quick check ’’ refer to?

A．Basic skills of driving a vehicle.	B．Exams to take after the bicycle course.
C．Some useful tips before riding a bicycle.	D．Things to check before buying a bicycle.

3. Looking down at the pedals while riding a bicycle ______.

A．makes the rider forget to brake	B．makes turning more challenging
C．helps increase the speed of riding	D．helps the rider be aware of the ground condition

4. From the last paragraph, we can learn about ______.

A．what Varn ’s goal is

B．what being a trainer means to Varn

C．what the benefits of learning at an early stage are

D．what learning to ride a bicycle means to children

5. Which can best describe Rachel Varn?

A．She is very strict about teaching.

B．She is enthusiastic about what she is doing.

C．She doesn’t care about her income.

D．She wants to become a successful business woman.