【推荐1】After weeks of lockdown, the French are more eager than ever to get away from the breathless cities. But the busy traffic will also serve as a reminder of another annual summer trend here. The French have the unfortunate distinction of being the European champions for abandoning pets that have become too cumbersome for their summer trips. Animal shelters up and down the country are evidence of this unique and sad tradition.

Betty Loizeau has run a shelter just north of Toulouse for more than 20 years. “Owners call up to say where their pets can be found, or drop them off in boxes outside the shelter under the cover of darkness. The excuses they typically give are that they’re going on holiday, having a baby, moving house, or they have a new partner with allergies, ...”

For shelters like this one, it is the busiest time of the year. Between 100,000 and 200,000 pets are abandoned in France each year, with 60% of these incidents occurring over the summer. The figure is close to 16,000 in the UK.

“Pets are increasingly seen as an impulsive(冲动的) buy,” says Marina Chailland, a doctor who has studied the social relationship between the French and their pets.

“A certain breed(品种) of cat or dog is fashionable and owners want one, just like a new smartphone,” she says. “Of course, when it goes out of fashion they desert it for an upgrade a couple of years later, when a new breed is considered fashionable.” She also points to the issue of pets being given as gifts as a reason why so many are abandoned. “Often parents will get pets for their children and when they grow up and lose interest in them, out goes the pet.”

Over the summer, owners discover that hotels charge extra for animals or even ban them completely. This explains why you will often see frightened, lost, dogs wandering near freeway service stations or beach resorts.

1. What does the underlined the word “cumbersome” in para. 1 refer to?

A．Disturbing.	B．Enjoyable.
C．Disappointing.	D．Impressive.

2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．In fact, the French don’t like pets at all.

B．There are various excuses for people abandoning pets.

C．Between 100,000 and 200,000 pets are abandoned in the UK each year.

D．Pets are admitted into the hotel for free in summer.

3. When is the busiest time for a pet shelter in France?

A．In spring.	B．In summer.
C．In fall.	D．In winter.

4. Why does the author mention the smartphone in paragraph 5?

A．To explain why the French abandon the pets.

B．To explain how the French like a smartphone.

C．To explain why the French dislike pets.

D．To explain how costly a smartphone is in France.

【推荐2】Most polar bears could disappear by the end of the century, scientists say. Global warming is to blame. According to a study published this month in Nature Climate Change, most polar bear populations will be in serious decline by 2080. The cause is melting sea ice.       

Polar bears hunt seals on the ice. Without ice, the bears must wander on the shore, where they are spending more and more time away from their main food source. That means the animals could starve.

“There’s not enough food on land to sustain a polar bear population,” Péter K. Molnár told the New York Times. He is the study’s lead author.

Lack of food leads to another problem: Mother bears may not be fat enough to produce milk for their cubs. Some bear populations could stop having babies, leading to a rapid decline in numbers.

Arctic sea ice usually melts in the spring and summer, then grows in the winter. But now, the ice is taking longer to grow back. Weather statistics say the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet. Ice in the region has declined 13% every 10 years since the 1970s.

The Arctic is home to roughly 25,000 polar bears. Scientists have long known that the animals are in danger. This study, which looked at 13 of the world’s 19 polar bear populations, is the first to identify when they could disappear.

But the study also notes that it is still possible to slow Arctic melting. The world can reduce the burning of fossil fuels and lower the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. It would have to be a drastic reduction. Bringing emissions to only a moderate level will still mean the loss of some polar bears.

Saving the bears is up to us, Holland says. “I believe that there is hope,” she says. “But humans need to act quickly to turn that hope into a reality.”

1. Why are polar bears in danger of disappearing?

A．Lack of seals.	B．Global warming.
C．Less milk for cubs.	D．The loss of home.

2. What does the underlined word “ sustain” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Reduce.

B．Suffer.

C．Support.

D．Increase.

3. What is Holland’s attitude toward saving the polar bears?

A．Doubtful.

B．Neutral.

C．Negative.

D．Positive.

【推荐3】Bees may soon need to add protein shakes to their diet. Pollen (花粉) normally provides their protein (蛋白质). But rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the air have reduced the protein in pollen. That’s what a new study finds.

Scientists compared recently collected flowers from Canada goldenrod. Then they compared pollen in them to pollen in goldenrod reserved at a museum in Washington, DC. They found today's plants have less protein. Protein levels in pollen from the older flowers were 18 percent. Today's goldenrod pollen has only about 12 percent protein. That's about one-third less than 172 years ago. Over that same period, CO₂ levels have gone up by more than one-third. Back more than 170 years ago, they were about 280 parts per million in air. Today they are about 398 ppm.

To test whether CO₂ changes had played a role in the falling protein levels, the researchers did some tests. They grew goldenrod for two years at CO₂ levels of up to 500 ppm. More CO₂ in the air led to lower levels of protein in the flowers’ pollen.

Joan Edwards, one of the researchers, says that this drop in pollen protein could affect a bee’s diet and health. It would be like eating junk food, tasting good but offering less nutrition (营养).

Honeybees need to eat lots of protein. They use it to feed their young. They also need it to keep their immune systems healthy, says Cédric Alaux, a bee biologist at the French agricultural research agency.

Bee populations have been decreasing worldwide in recent years. A drop in their food quality might play a role, Edwards says. And that drop might affect crops too. “The health of the bee population is not just for the flowers and the bees and biodiversity.” She worries it also could play a role in “human health and well-being.”

1. The second paragraph is mainly developed by __________.

A．giving examples	B．following the time order
C．explaining reasons	D．providing numbers

2. According to the text, Joan Edwards might agree that ____________.

A．the drop of protein in pollen has a good influence on bees

B．today’s flowers can provide bees with enough nutrition

C．the drop of protein in pollen leads to a smaller population of bees

D．the smaller population of bees has nothing to do with the human race

3. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Today’s flowers contain more protein.

B．Protein levels in pollen connect with CO2 levels.

C．Drop of protein in pollen affects bees.

D．Bee population is becoming smaller recently.

【推荐1】There is a wonderful story about a young girl who had no family and no one to love her.

One day, feeling very sad and lonely, she was walking through a grassland when she noticed a small butterfly caught in a thorn (荆棘) bush. The young girl carefully released the butterfly. Instead of flying away, the little butterfly changed into a beautiful fairy. The young girl rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

“For your wonderful kindness, ” the good fairy said to the girl，“I will give you any wish you would like.” The little girl thought for a moment and then replied, “I want to be happy.”       The fairy leaned toward her and whispered in her ear. Then the fairy disappeared.

As the little girl grew up，there was no one in the land as happy as she. Everyone asked her secret of happiness . She would only smile and answer，“The secret of my happiness is that I listened to a good fairy when I was a little girl.”

When she was very old and on her deathbed, the neighbors all gathered around her, and       feared that her unbelievable secret of happiness would die with her. “ tell us，please, ” they begged，“ tell us what the good fairy said. ” The lovely old woman simply smiled and said，“ She told me that everyone，no matter how safe they seemed，no matter how old or young，how rich or poor, had need of me.”

1. ________the girl felt sad and lonely.

A．There were many friends but	B．There was nobody to love her so
C．There was nothing to do	D．Seeing the butterfly was caught

2. Noticing the butterfly was caught by the thorn, the orphan girl ________.

A．helped the butterfly escaped from the thorn

B．felt sorrow，but she didn’t go up to help it

C．fell down on it too

D．failed to help it release from the thorn

3. The butterfly ________after was saved by the little girl.

A．flied away	B．still died
C．changed into a fairy	D．was more beautiful than before

4. The only thing that the little girl wanted was ________.

A．to be rich	B．to have her own parents
C．to have a lot of friends	D．happiness

【推荐3】When she was ten years old, Isadora Duncan dropped out of school to teach people dance. If that job was left to any other ten-year-old, it would have turned out frustrating, difficult, and a little discouraging.

But Duncan was different. Not only was she already talented enough to earn money even at that age, but she also had a rare kind of confidence that helped her treat troubles as fuel —something to strengthen the fire that is already burning inside of her.

It’s no surprise, then, that when she moved to New York to join a theatre company, she found herself limited. The existing dancing style, their way of operating—all of this seemed to her the work of a misguided past. Duncan was very direct about what she wanted, confidently telling people she had a different vision of dance that she was going to spread in the world. This, naturally, led to laughs early on, but as she built up her work, these instances became less frequent. Today, she is remembered as “The Mother of Dance”, with much of the modern art owing its expressive style to her influence. Inspired by the ancient Greeks, she brought the style to life.

In her autobiography (自传), one of the things Duncan frequently regards as the basis of her expressive spirit is the fact that she had a childhood where she wasn’t constantly watched. The expectations of her mother were open-ended. It was the freedom of this lifestyle that drove her to see what she could do.

Growing up, before she left school, she was told one of two things: that she was either completely useless or that she was a genius. There was nothing in between. Even when she started working, people either bowed to her or they basically ignored her. But Duncan never doubted her own genius.

There is an old quotation “if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” And it captures an important truth. At school, Isadora Duncan was a failure. In the dance hall, she gave form to brilliance.

1. What does the underlined phrase “treat troubles as fuel” mean?

A．Duncan used troubles to push her forward towards her dream.

B．Duncan was good at burning away everyday troubles.

C．Troubles turned Duncan into a confident girl.

D．Troubles lit the fire of dancing in Duncan.

2. Which of the following is TRUE about Duncan?

A．Her experience in New York was the foundation of her career.

B．Her teaching job when she was little ruined her confidence.

C．Her dancing style was not very well received at the beginning.

D．Her mother set higher expectation on her than she could bear.

3. What does the author try to tell the readers in the last paragraph?

A．It is useless climbing a tree to catch fish.

B．Everybody is a genius in his own way.

C．Sadness come from human stupidity.

D．Teachers can affect students greatly.

4. What is this passage mainly about?

A．Isadora Duncan’s childhood and her achievements today.

B．Duncan’s career development and other dancers’ opinions of her.

C．Isadora Duncan’s early experiences and the reasons for her success.

D．Duncan’s high status in the dancing world and her unique expressive style.

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1. Gravity sensors help the drones

A．fly safely

B．move smoothly

C．land slowly

D．turn quickly

2. What do we learn about Drone X Pro?

A．It is heavy.

B．It can’t be seen.

C．It is portable.

D．It can carry people.

3. Who does Drone X Pro mostly appeal to?

A．Engineers.

B．Doctors

C．Photographers.

D．Cyclists.

【推荐2】Space Hotel Promises Guests A Truly Out-Of-This-World Vacation

Looking for a true out-of-this-world vacation? Then you are in luck! On Thursday, Aprils, Texas-based start-up Orion Span announced they were taking reservations for Aurora （极光）Station, the world's first luxury hotel in space, which is expected to launch in 2021 and begin welcoming visitors by 2022.

The pill-shaped space station, which begins construction in 2019, will measure 43.5 feet long and 14.1 feet wide-about the size of a large private jet’s cabin-when completed. It will accommodate four guests in two private suites and two crew members, most likely former astronauts. Hovering about 200 miles above Earth, Aurora Station will circle the planet once every 90 minutes, enabling guests to enjoy 16 spectacular sunrises and sunsets daily, as well as scores of the breathtaking northern and southern auroras that the hotel is named after.

While admiring the beauty of our planet, tourists can eat non-astronaut food and drinks or entertain themselves with playing cards. Those hoping to do something more worthwhile will be able to engage in astronaut-like experiments such as growing food in a special environment. The Wi-Fi enabled spacecraft will make it easy for guests to share their experiences with friends and family members on Earth. At the end of the week and half-long vacation, returning guests will be treated to a special "hero's welcome", similar to the one experienced by astronauts returning from a real mission.

Before the once-in-a-lifetime trip, guests will have to undergo the three-month-long special training learning how to move in a weightless environment, along with the basics of spaceflight and orbital mechanics. Also, before you start packing your bags, you will have to pay $9.5 million for the 12-day round-trip vacation.

While several companies are planning to build hotels in space, Orion Span hopes to transform sections of used rockets floating in space into hotel rooms, instead of crowding the already messy skies with additional man-made objects.

1. What can be learnt about Aurora Station?

A．People can visit it now.

B．It’s construction will last for about 5 years.

C．It can only hold four people in this station.

D．It looks like a pill with the size of a small plane.

2. Why is the station named Aurora Station?

A．Because guests can enjoy spectacular auroras of the Earth.

B．Because the station will give off auroras while travelling.

C．Because the station will run around the auroras of the Earth.

D．Because the hotel is lit up by the auroras of the Earth.

3. What can guests do in a space hotel?

A．Stay there as long as they like.	B．Cook meals like they are at home.
C．Communicate with their family.	D．Receive welcome as a real hero.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．There is little room for people to live on the earth.

B．Too many space crafts have aroused people's concern.

C．Space hotels will be necessary in the near future.

D．Used rockets floating in space are easy to be recycled.

【推荐3】August is one of the most popular months to travel for Chinese. Choosing the perfect destination for an August vacation isn't easy. We looked at airfare trends, climate data, and cultural calendars to select 4 vacation spots that are some of the best places to visit this August.

Mackinac Island, Michigan

Visitors can enjoy the sunny weather while boating, fishing, and sailing. On land, you can hop between historic sites like Fort Mackinac and Fort Holmes, both key sites in the War of 1812.

And sweet teeth will have something to celebrate too: the Fudge（软糖） Festival, which takes place every August and allows the many fudge shops on the island to show off their best work.

Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Martha's Vineyard is praised as one of the most classic summer getaways in the United States.

The charming island south of Cape Cod is dotted with simple and elegant New England homes, relaxing sandy beaches. The sunny summer weather in August sets the perfect stage for a boat outing or a shopping trip to the town's shops of all kinds.

Krakow, Poland

Krakow, Poland, is the perfect mixture of history and nightlife.

Tourist favorites in Krakow include Wawel Cathedral, St. Mary's Basilica, and the Schindler's Factory museum, each of which gives a glance into Poland's religious and political history. After the sun sets, enjoy Krakow's world——famous bar and restaurant scene, and don't forget to pop into a cafe for a late-night snack.

Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Every year, one of the grandest wonders in nature is performed here—the Great Migration.

The annual migration sees more than 2 million wildebeest(羚羊), zebras make the dangerous journey across the Serengeti in search of greener fields. Along the way, predators(食肉动物) such as lions and crocodiles lie in wait for the incoming foods, providing tense scene for brave sightseers and nature lovers.

1. What do you enjoy when you go to Krakow?

A．Boating.	B．Bars and restaurants.
C．The Fudge Festival.	D．The Great Migration.

2. If you are a nature lover, which place do you prefer to travel?

A．Mackinac Island.	B．Martha's Vineyard.
C．Krakow.	D．Maasai Mara National Reserve.

3. What do these four tourist destinations have in common?

A．They are some of the best places to visit this August for Chinese.

B．The total cost of going to these places is roughly the same.

C．They all have historical scenes to visit.

D．They are all the favorite seaside of tourists.

【推荐1】It used to be that Christmas, with a little help from Blue Peter, was about adding the personal touch. We'd sit there for hours making cards and gifts for family and friends, knowing that the thought put into them would be properly appreciated.

Nowadays, time is against us, but there is still one easy way for you to make someone's Christmas this year — a personalised card from M＆S’ new website. To celebrate their new site, M＆S is offering Times readers two-for-one on all cards. Simply choose one of the 300 exclusive Christmas designs — starting from￡1.99, personalise it by changing the name and writing a message or uploading a photo. Then, add the receiver’s address and the card will be sent for you. Order by 2pm and it will be posted the same day.

In all, there are l,500 card designs to choose from, covering all kinds of special occasions. So if you want to get ahead of yourself for 2010, you know where to visit. You can even choose to be reminded of those important dates every year.

To claim your two-for-one on M＆S personalized cards, simply visit marksandspencer-personalised.com. Remember to enter the code ‘TIMESFRI’ on the payment page. This code is available for two days.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: M＆S PERSONALISED CARDS

1. The product given for free must be of equal or lower value.

2. Payment of postage is required.

3. Marks＆Spencer reserves the right to take back this offer without prior notice.

1. What does the underlined part “two-for-one” in Paragraph 2 mean in the ad?

A．Two paid cards and one free card.	B．One paid card and two free cards.
C．Your name and a message on one card.	D．Your photo and the receiver’s on one card.

2. From the ad we can know that M＆S is most probably          .

A．a website selling Christmas cards only	B．an agency of the newspaper Times
C．a company promoting the sales of cards	D．an advertising agency of card producers

3. To order the product for your friends now, you should           .

A．enter a code on the payment page of M＆S’ website

B．always order it before two o'clock in the afternoon

C．put into the card your own date of birth and address

D．spend time making cards with the help of Blue Peter

4. According to the ad, if you order the Christmas cards,          .

A．they can be delivered free of charge

B．you can enjoy the special offer all the year round

C．their value may be lower than that of a free card

D．you can get a favor of at least ￡1. 99

【推荐2】Guests arriving at the Aloft Hotel in Manhattan or one in Silicon Valley will soon be able to do something hotels have dreamed about offering for years: walk past the check-in desk and enter their rooms by using a smartphone as a room key. The boutique hotel brand from Starwood to Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. plans to offer this feature at two hotels before the end of the quarter.

Starwood officials are hoping this will be one of the biggest technological changes in the industry since free Wi-Fi. “We believe this will become the new standard for how people will want to enter a hotel.” says Frits van Passchen, Starwood’s CEO.

Not everyone is so sure. Past attempts to use technology to streamline the check-in process have had mixed results. Robert Habeeb, president of the First Hospitality Group, says he pulled out check-in desks at two of his Holiday Inn hotels after finding that most guests ignored them. He found that many travelers will talk with a staff member and ensure their room has the right view or location, or to try for an upgrade. Other guests may still want to be greeted when they arrive.

Hotels have never been known for being in the forefront of technology, partly because many hotels are owned and managed by small companies. Many hotel operators, though, have been searching for ways to remove the bottlenecks (瓶颈) at a hotel’s front desk. “Everybody has to check in, but we are all doing it pretty much the same way we were 100 years ago,” says Christopher Nassetta, CEO for Hilton Worldwide holdings Inc. “It’s something we are seriously addressing.”

Yet it is still not clear that virtual keys will do better than previous attempts to beat traditional check-ins. An effort several years ago to allow guests to enter rooms with the magnetic strip (磁条) on their credit cards never became popular. Guests worried about security and were unwilling to give their kids credit cards instead of room keys.

1. According to the first two paragraphs, which of the following is NOT true?

A．The new room key may become a new standard of choosing a hotel.

B．Hotel officials hope the new room key will be a great change in hotel industry.

C．Aloft of Hotel in Manhattan will allow guests to use a smartphone as a room key.

D．All Starwood Hotels plan to offer the new room key before the end of the quarter.

2. The underlined word “streamline” in Para. 3 is closest in meaning to _____________.

A．unify

B．identify

C．simplify

D．beautify

3. Christopher Nassetta would most likely agree that _____________.

A．it’s a good idea to cancel check-in

B．the way of check-in needs to be changed

C．the management of hotel needs to be improved

D．it depends on the hotel operators to update technology

4. From the text we can see that the writer thinks the future of the new room key is __________.

A．secure

B．negative

C．bright

D．uncertain

【推荐3】It’s common for children to grow up being told to minimize daydreaming, and instead to focus on lessons and class work. Historically, daydreaming students who go off on their own thoughts, rather than focusing on the teachers, the blackboard, or their class work, are often encouraged to stop allowing their attention to wander and to bring themselves back into the present moment. They’re described as uninterested in school work and their future. Traditionally, daydreaming is seen as a practice that results in bad consequences.

But recent studies are beginning to renounce those common beliefs by pointing out the potential benefits that daydreaming may provide. PsychCentral reports that Mary Smith, a psychological scientist and researcher, recently examined scientific writings and studies to gain a better understanding of the role of a reflective brain. These studies have shown that the brain has a network that is active when a person is daydreaming and that brain network can help memory and learning.

Though paying attention in school is important, these results suggest that there should be time for students to daydream, too. Giving them the chance to reflect and daydream can help improve learning and development. Research also indicates that when students are permitted to daydream, they experience less anxiety and become more motivated. On the other hand, if students are warned against daydreaming, their knowledge of themselves and the world around them may suffer.

As a result, educators are encouraged to promote a balance between outward and inward attention. A little bit of daydreaming to break up the hard focus on school activities can be beneficial, and it may help students become better, active learners.

As for students, the lesson here is not to be afraid of doing some daydreaming. Sure, you want to pay attention to the vital information conveyed to you during your classes, but don’t get discouraged if your mind wanders. A little bit of daydreaming is healthy.

1. What do people usually think of daydreaming students?

A．They live in the future instead of in the moment.

B．They pay too much attention to their own thoughts.

C．They care about neither their studies nor their future.

D．They go off on their own thoughts to avoid bad results.

2. What does the underlined word “renounce” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?

A．Disapprove.

B．Encourage.

C．Promote.

D．Inspire.

3. What can we infer from the text?

A．The more we daydream, the better.

B．Students should stay fully focused in class.

C．Daydreaming reduces students’ motivation.

D．We shouldn’t always say no to mind-wandering.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Causes of Daydreaming

B．Benefits of Daydreaming

C．Ways to Reduce Daydreaming

D．Attitudes towards Daydreaming