Fruit farmers in Okayama, Japan, have managed to make peeling (去皮) a banana optional by developing a special variety with eatable skin. The peel of their “Mongee bananas” isn’t particularly tasty, but it’s much thinner and far less bitter than that of regular bananas, making it 100% eatable.
Scientists at D&T Farm in the country’s Okayama Prefecture released the social media-ready news following months of experimenting with a freezing-and-thawing (解冻) method, which keeps the banana tree at extremely cold temperatures followed by a dramatic heat increase. The result is soft and thin skin that hasn’t fully developed. They froze young banana trees to -60 degrees Celsius, planting them again as they began to thaw. This apparently activated an ancient part of their DNA, which not only allows the plant to grow in Japan’s cool climate, but also speeds up its development. While tropical varieties of bananas require two years to grow large enough for consumption (消费), the Mongee banana needs just four months.
The first bunch of Mongee bananas hit department stores’ shelves in the November of last year, but getting your hand on one of these incredible fruits remains a huge challenge. D&T Farm only produces 10 bananas per week, and they only deliver them to the Fruit Corner of Tenmanya Okayama, a local department store. But even if you happen to find one available, you’d probably be a bit put off by the price – 648 yen ($5.70) per fruit.
Banana peel is an excellent ingredient that can contain vitamin B6 and magnesium related to the production of serotonin (血清素). At the same time, it has a positive effect on both brain and sleep. Research results that ripe fruit peels have a good effect on treating prostatic hypertrophy (前列腺肥大) have also been published.
John Guterman, a botanist, says, “And what about shipping? For most of the fruit’s history, the peel has provided protection, allowing it to travel long distances. A softer, more bruise-prone banana would be a step back from hardy banana varieties that travel thousands of miles. In this sense, the day we all stop peeling bananas and instead bite straight through their skin may still be a long way away.
1. Compared with regular bananas, Mongee bananas ________.| A．are far easier to peel | B．have much sweeter flesh |
| C．are much more thin-skinned | D．have a longer growth period |
| A．It isn’t affordable at all. | B．It hasn’t come into the market yet. |
| C．It is made for certain people. | D．Its production ability is still limited. |
| A．The medical value of banana peel. |
| B．The nutrition (营养) of banana peel. |
| C．The way of making banana peel sweeter. |
| D．The studies about how to make banana peel eatable. |
| A．It should not be widely grown. |
| B．It won’t be spread widely soon. |
| C．It indicates the future of fruits with skin. |
| D．It has no advantage over regular bananas. |
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【推荐1】For all of human history, eating meat has meant killing animals. But scientists behind lab-grown meat say that's no longer necessary. They produce meat by growing cells obtained from an animal's body.
Lab-grown meat, also called “cell-cultivated” or “cultured” meat, is made by feeding a mix of nutrients (营养物) to animal cells in steel tanks in labs. The idea is to create an alternative to agriculturally raised meat. And unlike other meat substitutes which are made from plant proteins and other ingredients, lab-grown meat is real meat. When ready, the meat is formed into shapes such as sausages or nuggets, and looks, smells and tastes like any other grocery store version.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has given two companies approval to sell lab-grown chicken. The approval launches a new era of meat production aimed at eliminating harm to animals, and reducing the environmental impacts of grazing (放牧) and growing feed for animals. Scientists warn that the typical way meat is produced now, in concentrated animal feeding operations, is a risk factor for the emergence of diseases. Lab-grown meat is more sustainable and can be produced without antibiotics, and without producing greenhouse gas emissions linked to animal agriculture.
“Everything we know about how meat can be made is going to change. But don't expect to see cultivated meat in grocery stores just yet,” said Uma Valeti, CEO of UPSIDE Foods. Lab-grown chicken is much more expensive, because it cannot yet be produced on the scale of traditional meat.
“To make cultivated meat, energy use needs are high,” said Bruce Friedrich, president and founder of the Good Food Institute, a nonprofit group that promotes alternative proteins. However, those high energy needs will be offset by the reduction in land and water use and other benefits. If cultivated meat is produced on a large scale, it could also offer a solution to feeding the world's growing population.
1. What do we know about lab-grown meat?| A．It is abundant in plant proteins. |
| B．It is cultivated from animals' cells. |
| C．It can be purchased in grocery stores. |
| D．It tastes more delicious than traditional meat. |
| A．It is hard to produce lab-grown meat on a large scale. |
| B．The USDA doesn't approve the sale of lab-grown meat. |
| C．Many people raise doubts about the safety of lab-grown meat. |
| D．Lab-grown meat can disrupt competition in the meat industry. |
| A．It will be affordable for the average family. |
| B．It will raise the efficiency of meat production. |
| C．It will promote the rapid growth of green agriculture. |
| D．It will be more friendly to the environment and animals. |
| A．Balanced. | B．Satisfied. | C．Increased. | D．Maintained. |
【推荐2】Sugarcane（甘蔗）was first used around 8000 BC. In the early 19th century，factories began to produce sweets in large numbers. They were able to do this because sugar had become less expensive. Before long，machines helped with the production. Sweets no longer had to be made by hand.
In 1823，a sweet shop opened in a small town in the north of England. It was called The Oldest Sweet Shop in England. In 2013，Guinness World Records confirmed（证实）that it is the longest running sweet shop in the world. And it continues to sell many kinds of sweets that our parents，grandparents and even our great grandparents enjoyed when they were small.
Some of the sweets are still made within the shop and heated in 100–year–old pans. The shop also looks as if it came directly from an old storybook. Some large old bottles filled with all kinds of sweets are in the show box. Old-fashioned scales（老式的秤）are on the table. When it's time to pay，a till（放钱的抽屉）as old as the shop is still used.
The shop is owned by Keith and Gloria Tordoff，who bought it in 1993. Keith says he always likes to try all the sweets. He tells everyone that he does this to examine if the sweets are good. Perhaps he just has the best job in the world. Keith says，“To me，sweets are all about remembering. You remember sweets from your childhood，just like you remember a song. You remember the sweets your grandparents gave you，or the sweets you gave to your favorite girl. ”
1. What does the underlined word “They” in Paragraph 1 refer to？| A．Sweets. | B．Numbers. | C．Factories. | D．Machines. |
| A．Fashionable. | B．Traditional. | C．Ugly. | D．Crowded. |
| A．enjoy the happy time | B．advertise the sweets |
| C．check if the sweets are good | D．remember his favorite girl |
| A．It has a history of nearly 200 years. |
| B．It came directly from an old storybook. |
| C．It was opened in 1993. |
| D．It only sells sweets to children. |
【推荐3】Have you ever been really hungry, but there wasn’t much to eat in your kitchen? Did you throw together a bunch of stuff you had on hand and were pleasantly surprised when it tasted good? You aren’t alone. Some of our favorite foods were created by accident. Here’s a sample menu of two familiar foods that would never have happened if someone hadn’t created them by mistake.
POTATO CHIPS
One of the world’s favorite snacks is the result of a complaint. In 1853, a man was eating dinner at Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York. He ordered fried potatoes, a popular side dish. But when they came out of the kitchen, he didn’t think they were crispy enough. He sent them hack to the kitchen, where Chef George Crum was so angry at having his cooking criticized that he sliced(切成薄片)the potatoes really thin, put lots of salt on them, and fried them. Not only did the diner love them, but everyone else did, too. They soon became a specialty of the restaurant.
TOFU
Tofu or bean curd is made by curdling (使凝结的) fresh soya milk, pressing it into a solid block and then cooling it. Tofu was accidentally invented in China 2, 000 years ago, when a cook added seaweed to soya milk, which made it curdle. This is the same process that is used for making cheese. Like cheese, tofu is a great example of how really messing up(搞砸) a recipe can create something unexpectedly good.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?| A．The company that invented cheese got its inspiration from Tofu. |
| B．Chef George Crum didn’t like to criticize others’ cooking. |
| C．Potato chips are only popular among Americans. |
| D．Tofu dates back 2, 000 years in China. |
| A．They are the results of complaints. | B．They were not created on purpose. |
| C．They weren’t originally made for people. | D．They are both created in China. |
| A．To compare the features of some foods. | B．To inform readers of some foods. |
| C．To introduce the origins of some foods. | D．To recommend some foods. |
【推荐1】The peak of Mount Everest is the highest point in the world, which extends 29,029 feet (8,840 meters) above sea level. On Earth, mountains can’t grow much higher than Mount Everest. So what stops our planet’s mountains from growing forever?
“There are two major reasons for that,” said Nadine McQuarrie, a professor in the department of geology at the University of Pittsburgh.
The first reason is gravity. Many mountains form because of movements in Earth’s surface layer known as plate tectonics (板块构造论). This theory describes the Earth’s crust (壳) as mobile and dynamic, divided into large pieces that move around with time. When two plates crash, the impact forces materials on their touching edges to move upward. This is how the Himalayas mountain range, which includes Mount Everest, formed.
“The plates keep pushing together and the mountain keeps growing, until it becomes too hard to do that work against gravity,” McQuarrie told Live Science. At some point the mountain becomes too heavy, and its own weight stops the upward growth caused by the crash of those two plates.
But mountains can also form in other ways. Volcanic mountains, like those on the Hawaiian Islands, for example, form from boiling rock that erupts through the planet’s crust and begins piling up. “But no matter how mountains are formed, they eventually become too heavy and succumb to gravity,” McQuarrie said.
In other words, if Earth had less gravity, its mountains would grow higher. That is indeed what happened on Mars. Mars’ Olympus Mons, the tallest known volcano in the solar system, extends 82,020 feet (25,000 meters) high, nearly three times taller than Mount Everest.
The second reason relates to rivers. At first, rivers make mountains appear taller — they carve into the edge of the mountains and create deep cracks near a mountain’s base. But as rivers gradually destroy materials, their channels may become too steep. This can cause landslides (滑坡) that carry materials away from the mountain and limit its growth.
1. What can we learn about Mount Everest?| A．It continues growing slowly. |
| B．It is formed by a volcanic eruption. |
| C．Its heavy weight stops its further growth. |
| D．Its peak is the highest point in the solar system. |
| A．Break away from. | B．Give in to. |
| C．Come up with. | D．Get close to. |
| A．Mountains near rivers grow higher. |
| B．Landslides occur frequently on high mountains. |
| C．Rivers can also limit mountain growth. |
| D．Rivers don’t limit mountain growth as much as gravity. |
| A．To explain why mountains can’t grow forever. |
| B．To describe how mountains form. |
| C．To list different kinds of mountains. |
| D．To compare mountains on different planets. |
【推荐2】Scientists have been studying how people use money for long. Now they’re finding some theories may apply to one group of monkeys.
Researchers recently taught six monkeys hos to use money. They gave the monkeys small metal disks (圆片) that could be used like cash and showed them some yummy apple pieces. The monkeys soon figured out that if tyey gave one of the disks to a scientist, they’d receive a piece of apple in return.
If you think that is all the monkeys can figure out, you are wrong. Two researchers, Jake and Allison, acted as apple sellers in the experiments. The monkeys were tested one at a time and had 12 disks to spend in each experiment. Jake always showed the monkeys on apple piece, while Allison always showed two pieces. But that’s not necessarily what they gave the monkeys. The number of apple pieces given for a disk was determined at random.
Experiment One: Allison showed two pieces of apples but gave both piece only half the time. The other half, she took one piece away and gave the monkey just the remaining piece. Jake, on the other hand, always gave exactly what he showed: one piece for each disk. The monkeys chose to trade more with Allison.
Experiment Two: Allison continued to sometimes gave two pieces and sometimes one piece. But now, half the time, Jake gave the one apple piece he was showing, and half the time he added a bonus. Guess what? The monkeys chose to trade more with Jake.
In the first experiment, the monkeys correctly figured out that if they traded with Allison, they’d end up with more treats. In the second one, when a monkey received two pieces from Jake, it seemed like a gain. When Allison gave the monkey only one piece instead of the two she showed, it seemed like a loss. The monkeys preferred trading with Jake because they’d rather take a chance of seeming to win than seeming to lose.
We also sometimes make silly business decisions just to avoid the feeling that we’re getting less, even when we’re not. Would you have made the same choices?
1. What conclusion might experts draw from the first experiment?| A．People are smarter in terms of finance. |
| B．It’s easy to teach monkeys how to trade. |
| C．Business theories can apply to all monkeys. |
| D．The monkeys show certain business sense. |
| A．A coin. | B．A chance. |
| C．A metal disk. | D．An apple piece. |
| A．Because they didn’t like the feeling of losing. |
| B．Because they get more apple pieces from Jake. |
| C．Because Jake always gave them two apple pieces. |
| D．Because the apple pieces from Jake were yummy. |
| A．Disk for Apple: Who to Trade with? |
| B．Shopping for Bargain: Same of different? |
| C．Moneky’s Business Sense: Smart or Silly? |
| D．People’s Business Decision: Lose or Gain? |
【推荐3】In recent years,stressed-out people living in cities have been seeking protection in green spaces for the proven positive impacts on physical and mental health,but the benefits of"blue space"-the sea and coastline,but also rivers,lakes,canals,waterfalls,even fountains-are less well advertised, yet the science has been consistent for at least a decade:being by water is good for body and mind.
＂Many of the processes are exactly the same as with green space-with some added benefits," says Dr Mathew White,a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter.
White says there are three established pathways by which the presence of water is positively related to health and happiness.First,there are the beneficial environmental factors,such as less polluted air and more sunlight.Second,people who live by water tend to be more physically active. Third-and this is where blue space seems to have an advantage over other natural environments-water has a psychological recovery effect.When you are sailing,surfing or swimming,says White,＂you're really in step with natural forces there."
Catherine Kelly is a wellness practitioner who teaches classes in"mindfulness by the sea”.She says the sea has a quality that can make people thoughtful.
＂To go to the sea means letting go,"says Kelly."It could be lying on a beach or somebody handing you a cocktail.For somebody else,it could be a wild,empty coast.But there is this really human sense of:'Oh, look,there's the sea-and the shoulders drop."
1. Why are blue spaces less popular than green spaces?| A．Because green spaces are good to people's health. |
| B．Because little research has been done on blue spaces. |
| C．Because green spaces have more benefits than blue spaces. |
| D．Because the benefits of green spaces are better advertised. |
| A．Where there's water,there's fresh air. |
| B．People living near water are healthier. |
| C．Water can help people restore mental health. |
| D．The sea can make people lost in deep thought. |
| A．The sea will bring you loneliness. |
| B．The sea will hurt your shoulder. |
| C．The sea will put you at ease. |
| D．The sea will make you feel down. |
| A．People in cities prefer green spaces. |
| B．Blue spaces help both physically and mentally. |
| C．Green spaces have been out of date. |
| D．Ways to keep us healthy. |
【推荐1】When kids enjoy an activity, they want to do more of it. Practicing a skill improves their abilities and helps them feel confident, especially when the effort is noticed and praised. Toddlers and preschoolers should play actively several times a day. Children from 6 to 17 years of age should do 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily. This can include free play at home and P.E. at school.
Preschoolers need play and exercise that help them continue to develop important motor skills — kicking or throwing a ball, playing tag or riding a bike with training wheels. Although some sports leagues may be open to kids as young as 4, organized team sports are not recommended until they’re a little older. Preschoolers can’t understand complex rules and often lack the attention span and skills needed to play sports. Instead of playing on a team, they can work on fundamental skills.
With school-age kids spending more time in front of screens, the challenge for parents is to get them to find physical activity they enjoy. This can range from traditional sports like baseball and basketball to biking, hiking, and playing outside. As kids get older, differences in ability and personality become more apparent. That is why it’s important to find an activity that’s right for your children.
Teens have many choices when it comes to being active — from school sports to after-school interests. It’s a good idea to have an exercise plan. Do what you can to make it easy for your teens to exercise by providing transportation and the necessary equipment (including workout clothes). In some cases, the right clothes and shoes might help a shy teen feel comfortable biking or going to the gym.
In addition to a child’s age, it’s important to consider his or her fitness personality. Meanwhile, be active yourself and support your kids’ interests. If you start this early enough, they’ll come to regard the activity as a normal and fun part of your family’s everyday routine.
1. What does the underlined word “This” refer to?| A．Free play. | B．Play time. | C．Physical activity. | D．Children’s confidence. |
| A．What appropriate sports preschoolers should take. |
| B．How to develop kids’ motor skills before school. |
| C．Why organized team sports are dangerous to kids. |
| D．When preschoolers should start to do sports. |
| A．Not all the kids are fit for the same sports. | B．Teens are particular about sports activities. |
| C．School-age kids are more active than teens. | D．Some parents ignore what their kids like. |
【推荐2】China is regarded as a miracle economy, and is well on its way to affecting the world in its way. Apart from the four ancient inventions and the four new technical inventions, which have been making people’s lives more and more convenient, the Belt and Road Initiative is changing the world. If we fail to swim with the tide (潮流) of history, we will be left behind. This is the central idea of the “Belt and Road” section in a Japan’s documentary China: the Great Dragon.
The documentary states its central idea by showing the vast farmlands of Kazakhstan, the classic small goods markets in Poland and an advanced robotics production center in Germany. They are now linked within a huge economic circle by “the B&R” Initiative. The cameras captured images of tall buildings and large skyscrapers in the Astana — the capital of Kazakhstan that were constructed with building materials produced in China-funded brickyards. They also captured scenes of merchants from Eastern European countries who drove thousands of miles to buy goods at the China Mall in Warsaw, Poland. Annually, more than 1,000 trains from China arrive at Durisburg, Germany. In 2016, China became Germany’s biggest trade partner, and bilateral (双边的) economic and trade relations are only expected to grow from here.
The documentary featured the Eurasian continental railway, which relies on China’s investment and operation. Shipping between China and European countries on the railway takes one-third the time of sea transportation, and goods can be delivered at only one-fifth the cost of air transportation.
It also shows many ordinary Chinese farmers cultivating farmland in Central Asia as well as Chinese merchants involved in the Eastern European markets and those who find opportunities in the mass ecommerce (电子商务) world. By getting involved in “B&R” construction, they enriched themselves and realized their dreams.
This Japanese documentary gives a vivid description that China’s steady advance and contribution to the development of the world has made it the second largest economy in the world.
1. What did the “Belt and Road” section tell the audiences?| A．China has changed the world. |
| B．Most Chinese are changing the tide of history. |
| C．Four new inventions are advancing the tide of history. |
| D．Following the tide of history, China is making progress. |
| A．By showing the different data. | B．By recording some actual events. |
| C．By connecting with some relative things. | D．By comparing the lives in China and Germany. |
| A．It belongs to China only. | B．It offers better transportation. |
| C．It replaces the sea transportation. | D．It contributes much to the airline. |
| A．Show the tide of Chinese history. |
| B．Describe the great development of modern China. |
| C．Compare the ancient and modern inventions in China. |
| D．Introduce the “Belt and Road” Initiative and its impacts. |
【推荐3】New York is an overwhelming city to visit with children. Went follows is carefully collected advice from New Yorkers on how to cover the city right.
Tenement Museum
The Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side offers a fantastic glimpse into urban family life. Guided tours reveal the daily routines of generations of Irish, Jewish and Italian immigrants who made their mark then quickly moved up and out. Pick up a copy of “All-of-a-Kind Family” or a vintage toy in the museum shop, one of the city’s best.
MoMa Museum
MoMa Museum does an excellent job making modern and contemporary art accessible to children as young as 4. On weekend mornings, guided tours are divided into age-appropriate groups in which children can observe a number of works and draw; later they gain free admittance to the entire museum. The cafeteria is both grown-up and child-friendly, and there’s an art laboratory with hands-on activities and even an audio guide for young people.
Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum
The most significant in the museum is the Space Shuttle Pavilion, which is scheduled to reopen in July, showcasing the Enterprise, NASA’s first space shuttle, which arrived last year. The U.S.S Intrepid, a World War II-era aircraft carrier, is worthwhile in itself. While the complex suffered damage during Hurricane Sandy, most of its facilities are once again shipshape. Families may want to consider Operation Slumber, which allows for overnight visits with special activities for children 6 and older.
Children’s Museum of the Arts
All the artwork here is made by children, and visitors can make their own (bonus: you don’t have to clean up). An area for younger children includes sand, Play-Doh and guided music activities. Children go berserk for the Ball Pond, a closed-in area of oversize balls. Is it experiential art? An installation? Children need not bother with such imponderables.
1. Which of the following museums offer free admission?| A．Tenement Museum. | B．MoMa Museum. |
| C．Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. | D．Children’s Museum of Arts. |
| A．It provides activities for children of different ages. | B．It exhibits a lot of artwork. |
| C．Its artwork is all created by children. | D．It used to be damaged in the Hurrican Sandy. |
| A．They are all children-friendly. |
| B．They all show visitors contemporary artwork. |
| C．They can offer visitors activities to take part in. |
| D．They are all suitable for children over 4 years old. |
【推荐1】Have you ever seen rows of different cars parked on a big playground, with their boots(汽车后备箱) open? The boots are packed with things like books, pictures, kid’s toys. This is a car boot sale. It is popular in the UK.
If you have lots of things and have nowhere to put them, and don’t want to throw them away, why not try a car boot sale? Go to a car boot sale and you may be excited about what you find.
You can find almost anything at a car boot sale, from beds, tables to necklaces and ring….
Most of the things are second-hand, so they are usually low-priced. I like to hunt for books. I was petty proud when I bought four books from the Harry Potter. Series and they cost me just over ¥2.
Here is a little tip that not everybody knows; When it’s nearly the end of the sale(they usually finish in the early afternoon), many sellers cut the prices because they want to throw away things. Quite often you’ll find “all for 10p”, “Buy one and get one free” and “Take it away!”It’s clear that they just want to throw those things away.
However, there may not be much good stuff(物品)left in the end—the things people really want are sole quickly. So, as they say, the early bird catches the worm!
1. Why are most things at such a low price at a car boot sale?| A．Because they are terrible. | B．Because they are useless. |
| C．Because they are small things. | D．Because they are second-hand. |
| A．Food and drinks | B．books and pictures |
| C．Beds and tables | D．Necklaces and rings |
| A．Terrible | B．Excited |
| C．Proud | D．Nervous |
| A．at the beginning of the sale | B．nearly at the end of the sale |
| C．in the early morning | D．when there is bad weather |
| A．A car boot sale in the UK. | B．A car show in the UK. |
| C．What a car boot sale. | D．A good way to save money |
【推荐2】Mark is always engaged in his work. But this time he felt that it was time for him to take part in his community, so he went to the neighborhood meeting after work. The area city council woman was leading a discussion about how the quality of life was on the decline. The neighborhood faced many problems. Mark looked at the charts taped to the walls. There were charts for parking problems, crime, and for problems in empty buildings. Mark read from the charts, “Police patrols cut back, illegal parking up 20%”. People were supposed to suggest solutions to the council woman. It was too much for Mark. “The problems are too big”, he thought. He turned to the man next to him and said, “I think this is a waste of my time. Nothing I can do would make a difference here.”
As he neared the bus stop on his way home, Mark saw a woman carrying a grocery bag, and a baby. As Mark got closer, her other child, a little boy, suddenly ran into the street. The woman tried to reach for him, but as she moved, her bag shifted, and groceries started to fall out. Mark ran to take the boy’s arm and led him back to his mother. “You gotta stay with mom,” he said. Then he picked up the stray groceries while and the woman smiled in relief. “Thanks,” she said, “You’ve got great timing.” “Just being neighborly,” Mark said. As he rode home, he glanced at the walls of bus. On one of them was “Small acts of kindness add up.” Mark smiled and thought, “Maybe that’s a good place to start.”
1. What was being discussed when Mark arrived at the neighborhood meeting?| A．The high price of grocery. |
| B．The education problem of children. |
| C．The worsening of quality of life. |
| D．The housing conditions in the community. |
| A．People could solve the problems by themselves. |
| B．He didn’t have the ability to solve such problems. |
| C．He didn’t have enough time to solve the problems. |
| D．People were too selfish to help others solve the problems. |
| A．All small acts will add up to kindness. |
| B．Everyone should try his best to do good deeds. |
| C．All small kind acts can make people grow up quickly. |
| D．Everyone can play his own part to make things better. |
| A．Mark always played an active part in community activities. |
| B．Visual aids were used to display the seriousness of problems. |
| C．Many people were discouraged by the problems facing them. |
| D．The city council woman was responsible for the falling of life quality. |
【推荐3】
UPS (联合包裹) driver Ryan Arens was making his rounds near a pond in Bozeman, Montana, when he heard an unearthly sound. “Like a cry for help,” he told the Dodo. It was December 2019, and about 15 feet from the frozen banks was the source of that cry — a half-submerged brown-and-white wirehaired hound (猎犬), struggling to hold to a thin layer of ice. How she got there no one knows, but an elderly man was already on the scene. He’d entered the pond in a rowboat and was knocked at the ice with a rock to create a path to the dog. It was slow going, and Arens, 44, thought he stood a better chance.
“Animals are my weakness,” he told the Great Falls Tribune, explaining why he stripped (拆开) down to his boxers and socks, even though the temperature was freezing cold, and commandeered the rowboat.
His heart thumping, Arens slid closer to the dog and used the other man’s rock to smash away at the ice. He gave one strong knock and slipped off the boat, crashing into 16 feet of freezing water.
He resurfaced in time to see the dog going under. Using nervous energy to keep warm, he swam about five feet toward her, grabbed hold of her collar, and pulled her to the ice. He then boosted the dog into the boat and slid it back to the shore, where anxious bystanders carried the dog to the home of the rowboat owner, a retired veterinarian. Once in the house himself, Arens jumped into a warm shower with the dog until they both defrosted (解冻). A few more minutes in the pond, the vet told Arens, the dog would have likely suffered cardiac arrest (心脏骤停).
The next day, Arens was back working the same neighborhood when the dog’s owner came over to thank him for saving Sadie. “Would you like to meet her?” he asked.
He opened the door to his pickup (皮卡), and Sadie rushed out. She made a beeline for Arens, leaping on him and bathing him in wet kisses. That special delivery, says Arens, “was the highlight of my UPS career.”
1. The underlined word “unearthly” most probably means ________.| A．terrifying | B．strange | C．interesting | D．pleasant |
| A．He was skating on the ice. |
| B．He was rowing in the pond. |
| C．He was trying to save the dog. |
| D．He was walking on the path. |
| A．Why Arens fell into the water. |
| B．How Arens rescued the dog. |
| C．How dangerous it was in freezing water. |
| D．Who the dog belonged to. |
| A．She jumped on him. |
| B．She kissed him. |
| C．She ran directly to Arens. |
| D．She remained still. |
