When Denis wants to relax at work, he steps into a quiet room, sits in a chair, slips on a virtual-reality headset, and escapes to the beach. For Denis, those minutes are a tool he relies on regularly to both relieve and prevent stress.
He's not the only one at his company to use the room, where workers can also use a headset to watch a moon walk, take a virtual roller-coaster ride or access a meditation (冥想) app.
Research shows VR can help reduce pain and anxiety. But it's not yet clear why it works. Experts believe it's related to the technology's power to distract.
''Whatever their problems are, whatever their stresses are, they can literally neglect them and have a different emotional pulse, '' Denis said.
Virtual-reality headsets haven't taken off with consumers, but they're now powerful and inexpensive enough for companies to consider investing in them to help make workers and customers happier.
The headsets may help people take a virtual break from their surroundings, but there are challenges to consider. Ramon Llamas, a tech market researcher, noted that there could be challenges in handing out headsets. Some people get sick or dizzy while using virtual reality, and the headsets may get dirty or broken. There's also the task of quickly familiarizing people with using the headsets, especially since VR adoption has been so limited and the ways they are controlled can vary.
For now, Llamas said, he's concerned about privacy and security. What if, for instance, someone manages to back into a headset and insert some content into what you're watching?
Another potential issue is the managing of the headsets and software that goes along with them. This is likely not a complication for an office like Umber Realty's, where people can simply take a headset off if they feel something wrong. But it could be more of a problem if you're stuck in a dentist's chair. ''The last thing you want is that in the middle of extracting a tooth something goes wrong.'' Llamas said.
1. What does Denis's company use Virtual Reality for?A.Improving the customers' experience. |
B.Displaying the schedule of his company. |
C.Relieving the staff's work pressure. |
D.Saving the trouble of transportation. |
A.Ignoring reality for the moment. | B.Improving their thinking. |
C.Designing work for the company. | D.Investing in a new industry. |
A.The potential problems with VR. |
B.The privacy policy available for VR. |
C.The management of these devices in the market. |
D.The standards the VR technology is to follow. |
A.VR, a promising business in future! | B.Is VR always making us relax? |
C.The adoption of VR needs investments. | D.Are we saying ''goodbye'' to VR? |
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【推荐1】There is a new type of animal that has been walking on the beaches since the 1990s. They are called Strandbeast, which is Dutch language for beach beast. But these beasts are mainly made of plastic tubes and wood. They are creations of a Dutchman Theo Jansen, who designs kinetic sculptures (雕塑). Jansen's creations look alive when they do a steady and smooth motion on the hard sand. They can push themselves forward using nothing more than the power of the wind. The beauty of these creations is that they have no electronic parts, and yet they have a basic logic system that helps them walk in their habitat.
Jansen's kinetic sculptures use an revolutionary design to change simple motions into amazing works of art. The Strandbeasts have a mechanical linkage (连杆) that creates a walking motion using triangles. The fascinating combination of thin tubes and fine fin—like (鱼鳍般的) sails which flap in the wind create a striking image. Jansen has even created a way for his beasts to “eat” the air, and store its power by pressurizing bottles (增压瓶). This stored power also allows for sculptures to recognize when they have entered water and change their direction.
These sculptures are large but have a fine appearance. Besides, Jansen's designs also work with heavier structures. He created a beast, named Animaris Rhinoceros Lignatus, which was made out of wood and weighed 250 kilograms. Every year, he improves his designs. His hope is that one day he will create herds of beasts that can "live" on the beaches and survive without the help of humans.
Kinetic art isn't just about making large sculptures move. There are many artists that use motion to create amazing visual effects. Some are large pieces, but many can sit on a desk or hang on a wall. However, they all have one thing in common: you can't appreciate their artistry until you see them move. Jansen also sells mini versions of some of his beasts. They come in kits (成套零件) that you can fit them together without any special tools. You, too, can try your hand at creating kinetic art!
1. What does the animal mentioned in paragraph1 refer to?A.A movable sculpture. | B.A plastic sculpture. |
C.A creation of wind. | D.A forest animal. |
A.The beautiful appearance. | B.The designer. |
C.The design principle. | D.The stored power. |
A.They are some sort of life form. |
B.Ordinary people can create them. |
C.They have large but soft structures. |
D.Their motion gives people a pleasure for their eyes. |
A.He is a stubborn designer. |
B.He loves doing woodwork. |
C.He's a successful salesman. |
D.He's an imaginary and ambitious artist. |
【推荐2】Plenty of people hate needles simply because they do not want the discomfort of injection. A new invention could help — for those who are needle-shy, how about taking a pill instead?
Two of the most successful covid-19 vaccines, from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, need to be administered via injections because their active ingredients are fragile molecules of mRNA, which would be quickly destroyed by acids in the stomach if administered orally.
Aware of these challenges, Robert Langer and Giovanni Traverso, engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), wondered if it might be possible instead to send mRNA into the stomach inside a protective capsule that is engineered to inject patients from the inside, where they would feel nothing.
The device they invented is the size of a large pill, encased in gelatin (明胶) and shaped like the shell of a tortoise. It carries a needle that is engineered to stick into the lining of the stomach only when the device’s flat section sits level to it. And the needle can then inject its payload painlessly into the stomach wall.
The researchers knew, however, that this trick alone would not be enough for safe passage of the delicate molecules into cells. Naked mRNA is not readily taken up by cells, but needs to be encased inside a protective envelope to gain entry. So, to investigate further, the engineers worked with colleagues at MIT and found three polymers (聚合物) that could carry the mRNA payloads successfully and also support a transfer into living cells.
The engineers loaded these polymer-encased mRNA molecules into their turtle-shell pills, which were then swallowed by six mice. As expected, they subsequently found evidence that the mRNA had transferred successfully into the stomach tissue of all the mice. The researchers then went on to test their technology on pigs, which have stomachs that are very similar to those found in humans. They introduced their turtle-shell pills into three animal sand studied their stomachs a day later. Two showed clear evidence of the mRNA having entered their cells. One did not.
The device shows the potential to get mRNA into the body without the need for an uncomfortable injection in the arm. More work is needed to understand why one trial in the pigs failed to yield results.
1. What are the first two paragraphs mainly about?A.The protest of the injection. | B.The reasons for the research. |
C.The application of the research. | D.The qualities of the vaccines. |
A.The delivery of mRNA. | B.The protection of cells. |
C.The classification of polymers. | D.The transformation of molecules. |
A.Those needle-shy will have injection without fear. |
B.The device will definitely have a promising future. |
C.Further research needs to be conducted on the idea. |
D.The turtle-shell pills can guarantee molecule activity. |
A.A new way to deliver delicate drugs | B.Pills to relieve symptoms of covid-19 |
C.The administration of covid-19 vaccine | D.Researches on molecules of mRNA |
【推荐3】Nothing draws attention to your new product like using it to send fast food into space. In June, Arizona-based World View demonstrated the potential of its pioneering stratollite--a sort of mini satellite that uses a balloon to take goods into the stratosphere (平流层)--by partnering with
KFC to ferry a 5-ounce piece of fried chicken 77,000 feet into the desert sky. “We took a chicken sandwich, launched it into space for 17 hours, and when it came back, it was perfect,” says World View CEO Jane Poynter.
Poynter’s final goal is to send tourists to the edge of space, tied to the company’s balloons, and to make the final frontier more accessible for research. Stratollites are inexpensive, compact, and easy to operate, ideal for monitoring weather patterns and providing military reconnaissance (侦察) or emergency communications during natural disasters. They can also do what traditional satellites can’t: spend months above a specific location without moving.
Though Poynter did not formally train as an engineer, she has spent her career in leading space research. The British native trained her skills as a technical manager while part of Biosphere 2, an Arizona research facility built to test a self-enclosed, self-sufficient ecosystem. Its creators hoped it could one day be adapted for use in space. She spent two years in the early 1990s sealed inside with seven others, experiencing everything from oxygen failures to colleagues’ emotional breakdowns.
Poynter met her future husband, Taber MacCallum, on the project, and afterward, the couple formed Paragon Space Development. They began devising biospheres that could support plant and animal life in orbit (太空轨道).
“We showed it’s possible for animals to live in an environment they are not used to: microgravity,” Poynter says.
In 2014, Poynter and Maccallum achieved another first. They led the engineering team that helped former Google exec Alan Eustace skydive from the edge of the stratosphere. That’s when it hit them: The balloon-parachute system they designed for Eustace could be modified for tourism and research. So they formed World View, with MacCallum serving as chief technical officer.
The company has a contract with NASA to determine if the system could someday be used to gather data on Mars. “Taking stratollites and flying them on other planets,” Poynter says, “that’s definitely a part of the big dream.”
1. Stratollites are different from traditional satellites in that they can _______.A.stay motionless in space |
B.move about in a bigger area |
C.provide emergency communications |
D.survive better in a situation without gravity |
A.It was adapted from a spaceship that used to work in space. |
B.It was intended to become an ideal place for space research. |
C.The participants all experienced some kind of emotional breakdown. |
D.The participants were isolated from the outside world for some time. |
A.Poynter and Maccallum have helped Alan Eustace to skydive. |
B.Maccallum will serve as a chief technical officer in World View. |
C.The system designed for Eustace can be used for more purposes. |
D.Poynter and Maccallum hope to achieve more firsts in their career. |
A.Partnering with NASA to do research on other planets. |
B.Using balloons to send tourists or researchers into space. |
C.Giving people more opportunities to try extreme sports in space. |
D.Working with food companies to send food to astronauts in space. |
【推荐1】Digital technologies have profoundly changed childhood and adolescence. The Internet and the means to access it, such as tablets and smartphones, along with social media platforms and messaging apps, have become integral to the lives of youth around the world. They have transformed their education and learning, the way they make and maintain friendships, how they spend their leisure time, and their engagement with wider society. UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2017: Children in a Digital World report reveals that one in three Internet users is younger than 18 years and 71% of 15-24-year-olds are online, making them the most connected age group worldwide. However, the so-called digital divide is substantial: 346 million youth are not online, with African adolescents the most affected(60% are not connected compared with 4% in Europe). Young people who lack digital skills, live in remote regions, or speak a minority language are also being left behind in exploiting the opportunities that digital technologies can provide. These benefits include access to education, training, and jobs, which can help break intergenerational cycles of poverty, and access to news and information sources that can help protect their health, safety, and rights.
Along with the substantial opportunities the digital age brings, come a diverse range of risks and harms. Digital advances have meant that bullying is no longer left at the school gates; cyberbullying is a new method for bullies to hurt and humiliate their victims with the click of a button. Words and images posted online that are designed to cause harm are also difficult to delete, increasing the risk of re-victimisation. Concerns have also been raised about the time children spend using digital technology and its effect on their physical activity and mental health. Evidence suggests moderate use of digital technology can be beneficial to children’s mental wellbeing, whereas excessive use can be detrimental. Children’s social relationships seem to be enhanced by digital technology, especially since most of their social circle is now online. Evidence on physical activity is mixed, and better research is needed in this area. The effect of the content children encounter online should be a focus of future studies. Some websites and apps present a risk to the health of vulnerable youth, such as those that promote self-harm and suicide. Others support underage activities, such as gambling.
Despite these issues, the popularity and use of digital technologies will continue to grow. Teachers and parents need training to teach digital skills and online safety to children. They are also crucial to helping young people assess reliable news and information sources and navigate the pressures on social media.
Children and adolescents have the most to gain and are most at risk from digital technologies. They must be at the forefront of national and global digital policies, not only to protect them from online harm but also to allow technology to help them fulfil their full potential.
1. According to the first paragraph, what makes the author concerned?A.The increasing number of people affected by the digital technology. |
B.The widening gap between the rich and the poor caused by technology. |
C.The lack of attention to the young with little access to opportunities. |
D.The negative effect of technology on children physically and mentally. |
A.There is no safe place for children being bullied in digital world. |
B.Digital technology benefits children’s physical and mental health. |
C.It’s necessary to teach children to tell right from wrong. |
D.People should be taught about safe digital behaviours. |
A.profound | B.addicted |
C.harmful | D.stressful |
A.Neither Too Little nor Too Much | B.A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body |
C.Technology Changes Our Lives | D.Digital Technology Is Here to Stay |
【推荐2】Early fifth-century philosopher St.Augustine famously wrote that he knew what time was unless someone asked him.Albert Einstein added another wrinkle when he theorized that time varies depending on where you measure it.Today's state-of-the-art atomic(原子的) clocks have proven Einstein right.Even advanced physics can't decisively tell us what time is, because the answer depends on the question you're asking.
Forget about time as an absolute.What if,instead of considering time in terms of astronomy,we related time to ecology?What if we allowed environmental conditions to set the tempo(节奏) of human life?We're increasingly aware of the fact that we can't control Earth systems with engineering alone,and realizing that we need to moderate(调节)our actions if we hope to live in balance.What if our definition of time reflected that?
Recently,I conceptualized a new approach to timekeeping that's connected to circumstances on our planet,conditions that might change as a result of global warming.We're now building a clock at the Anchorage Museum that reflects the total flow of several major Alaskan rivers,which are sensitive to local and global environmental changes.We've programmed it to match an atomic clock if the waterways continue to flow at their present rate.If the rivers run faster in the future on average,the clock will get ahead of standard time.If they run slower,you'll see the opposite effect.
The clock registers both short-term irregularities and long-term trends in river dynamics.It's a sort of observatory that reveals how the rivers are behaving from their own temporal frame(时间框架),and allows us to witness those changes on our smartwatches or phones.Anyone who opts to go on Alaska Mean River Time will live in harmony with the planet.Anyone who considers river time in relation to atomic time will encounter a major imbalance and may be motivated to counteract it by consuming less fuel or supporting greener policies.
Even if this method of timekeeping is novel in its particulars,early agricultural societies also connected time to natural phenomena.In pre-Classical Greece,for instance,people“corrected”official calendars by shifting dates forward or backward to reflect the change of season.Temporal connection to the environment was vital to their survival.Likewise,river time and other timekeeping systems we're developing may encourage environmental awareness.
When St.Augustine admitted his inability to define time, he highlighted one of time 's most noticeable qualities:Time becomes meaningful only in a defined context.Any timekeeping system is valid,and each is as praiseworthy as its purpose.
1. What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?A.Timekeeping is increasingly related to nature. |
B.Everyone can define time on their own terms. |
C.The qualities of time vary with how you measure it. |
D.Time is a major concern of philosophers and scientists. |
A.present an assumption | B.evaluate an argument |
C.highlight an experiment | D.introduce an approach |
A.Those who do not go on river time will live an imbalanced life. |
B.New ways of measuring time can help to control Earth systems. |
C.Atomic time will get ahead of river time if the rivers run slower. |
D.Modern technology may help to shape the rivers’ temporal frame. |
A.It is crucial to improve the definition of time. |
B.A fixed frame will make time meaningless. |
C.We should live in harmony with nature. |
D.History is a mirror reflecting reality. |
【推荐3】What do Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, and Frodo all have in common with the heroes of ancient myths? Joseph Campbell studied myths from all over the world and published a book called “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”, retelling dozens of stories and explaining how each represents the mono-myth, or Hero’s Journey. So, what is the “hero’s journey”?
He thinks of it as a cycle in his book. The journey begins with the hero receiving a mysterious message, an invitation, or a challenge. After crossing the threshold from his safe home to adventure, with some help probably from someone older, wiser, our hero solves a riddle, slays a monster, escapes from a trap. The hero’s darkest hour then comes, when he faces death and possibly even dies, only to be reborn. As a result, the hero claims some treasure, special recognition, or power, which can vary between stories. After all that adventure, the hero returns to his ordinary world, but upgrades to a new level. Nothing is quite the same once you are a hero.
The Hero’s Journey myth exists in all human cultures and keeps getting updated, because we humans reflect on our world through symbolic stories of our own lives. You leave your comfort zone, have an experience that transforms you? and then you recover and do it again. You don’t literally slay dragons or fight Voldemort, but you face problems just as scary. Joseph Campbell said, “In the cave you fear to enter lies the treasure you seek.”
What is the symbolic cave then you fear to enter? Auditions for the school play? Baseball tryouts? The paper due?
Watch for this formula in books, movies, and TV shows you come across. You will certainly see it again. Also be sensitive to it in your own life. Listen for your call to adventure. Accept the challenge. Conquer your fear and claim the treasure you seek. And then, do it all over again.
1. What is the correct order of the following stages of the “Hero’s journey”?①Return to the ordinary world but outgrow his old life.
②Receive the call to adventure and assistance from a wiser.
③Set out on the adventure and go through a series of tough trials.
④Face the life-or-death crisis and be reborn with some special power.
A.①②③④ | B.②④①③ | C.②③④① | D.③②④① |
A.Because it’s a way to reflect on our world. |
B.Because it’s a way to learn about the past. |
C.Because these stories are always being updated. |
D.Because these stories are part of human culture. |
A.We all need a “cave” to hide in face of danger. |
B.Our comfort zone will hinder our development. |
C.Difficulties we face tend to be treasures in life. |
D.We should overcome our fears faced with danger. |
A.The Hero with a Thousand Faces. | B.The Hero’s Journey. |
C.How to Conquer Your Fear. | D.Be Your Own Hero. |
【推荐1】“You’ll get square eyes!” my mother used to say as I sat for hour after hour glued to the TV. I ignored her, of course. Past-forward a few decades and now I’m the parent. My 5-year-old lives in a world where screens aren’t fixed pieces of furniture. You can’t even avoid them by going outside. Screens are not only in our pockets; they’re everywhere.
The concerns have grown with the screens. In the past decade, we have heard that they will damage our mental health. Many of us feel more distracted by them, feeling guiltier and more tired as a result.
The apps and websites we can access on our phones have also sparked widespread concern. Big tech companies are also good at making use of our need for social recognition, hooking us on likes, retweets and follower counts. Social media has created a culture of mass narcissism (自恋), which has led many to worry about the emotional stresses on teenagers. A quick online search brings up dozens of papers linking screen use or social media with harmful effects on mental health, including depression and suicide.
Such statements are alarming. They are also widely believed, thanks to popular books like iGen by Jean Twenge, which claims that digital technology has ruined a generation. Yet, Amy Orben at the University of Oxford, who studies the impact of digital technology and social media in particular on mental health, holds different views. She claims that the underlying data can be used to tell different stories. She also spotted shortcomings in several large studies that claimed to show correlations (相关性) between the use of devices with screens and depression in users.
Twenge stands by her own finding, pointing in turn to what she considers flaws in Orben’s research methods. For David Max, at Royal College of Child Health in London, the effect of screen time and social media use on mental health remains speculative. “We cannot regard social media overall as good or bad,” says Davie. “We don’t know whether in individual cases social media is not responsible,” he says.
The explosion of mobile phone use has revolutionized our lives. I can download movies, write articles, communicate with my family and broadcast to the world all at the push of a button. Rather than impose constraints (限制), we should take a look at our use of screens and ask how they fit with the activities and lifestyle.
Every new technology with widespread impact has given rise to new fears. So the best bet may simply be to ask yourself what level of screen use makes you and those around you happy and try to stick to it. If you find yourself over addictive, don’t panic—and certainly don’t feel guilty. Nobody knows anything worth getting scared about.
1. According to the passage, people give likes, retweet or count followers to __________.A.share one’s lifestyles | B.show respect for others |
C.seek social recognition | D.relieve emotional stresses |
A.doubtful | B.specific |
C.important | D.abstract |
A.Teenagers are more affected by screen use both physically and mentally. |
B.Orben claims it is far too early to blame screen use for ruining a generation. |
C.Big tech companies help to produce many research papers on mental health. |
D.Twenge mainly introduces the overall benefits of digital technology in her books. |
A.encourage readers to reduce the time of screen use |
B.share different opinions on the effects of screen use |
C.explain why screen use may have negative effects on people |
D.relieve people’s concerns and worries about the use of screens |
【推荐2】Outside, it's a cold winter's day. Inside a large shopping center, people are hanging around. But then, without warning, a pop song starts to play loudly. A teenager boy walks lazily to the center of the open space, and dances crazily to the music. He's joined by two of his friends, then some of the old people. Within the space of a few seconds, more than sixty people are dancing to the music - all in time and all in step. At first, onlookers are baffled, then they start smiling and clapping. They now know what they're seeing: a flash mob (快闪).
According to Wikipedia, the term "flash mob" was created by Bill Wasik, an editor at Harper's Magazine, in 2003. Within a year, the phrase had entered the Concise Oxford English Dictionary. Since then, hundreds - possibly thousands - of flash mobs have been carried out around the world, in almost every kind of public space imaginable!
Each flash mob has its own style, but most flash mobs follow a similar formula (方案). Often, the organizers search for willing participants using social media. Instructions and dance moves are given through email or video download. There are usually several rehearsals (排练) before the big day.
While it's happening, a few lucky passers-by watch it live. Most people who watch it, however, will see it later online. Some of the most popular flash mobs on YouTube have been watched more than 10million times. A famous example is MP3Experiment Eight, a flash mob that took place in New York City in July 2011 with over 3,500 participants. This event differed from normal flash mobs in that much of it was completely silent - and there were no rehearsals.
Flash mobs provide the participants, onlookers and online viewers with a lot of enjoyment and pleasure. For this reason alone, they're a modern, popular art form that should be celebrated.
1. What does the underlined word "baffled" in Paragraph 1 mean? ______A.Excited. | B.Puzzled. |
C.Satisfied. | D.Disappointed. |
A.To argue against Bill Wasik. |
B.To compare it with Wikipedia. |
C.To explain the meaning of "flash mob". |
D.To show the rapid development of flash mobs. |
A.It was played online. |
B.It was the earliest flash mob. |
C.It was played with no sound. |
D.It was most accepted by the audience. |
A.Supportive. | B.Hopeless. |
C.Uncaring. | D.Doubtful. |
【推荐3】Animals are natural resources that people have wasted all through our history. Animals have been killed for their fur and feathers, for food, for sport, and simply because they were in the way. Thousands of kinds of animals have disappeared from the world forever. Hundreds more are on the danger list today. About 170 kinds in the United States alone are considered in danger.
Why should people care? Because we need animals. And because once they are gone, there will never be any more.
Animals are more than just beautiful and interesting. They are more than just a source of food. Every animal has its place in the balance of nature. Destroying one kind of animal can create many problems.
For example, when farmers killed large numbers of hawks(老鹰), the farmers stores of corn and grain were destroyed by rats and mice. Why? Because hawks eat rats and mice. With no hawks to keep down their numbers, the rats and mice multiplied quickly.
Luckily, some people are working to help save the animals. Some groups raise money to let people know about the problem. And they try to get the governments to pass laws protecting animals in danger.
Quite a few countries have passed laws. These laws forbid(禁止)the killing of any animals or plants on the danger list. Slowly, the number of some animals in danger is growing.
1. What is the best title for the passage?A.Save the Animals | B.Useful Animals |
C.Laws for Animals | D.Animals in Danger |
A.they give us a source of food | B.they are beautiful and lovely |
C.they give us a lot of pleasure | D.they keep the balance of nature |
A.Became more | B.Became less |
C.Turned black | D.Ate food |
A.people have known the importance of animal protection a long time ago |
B.the number of hawks is on the decrease |
C.animals play an important role in people’s life |
D.many countries passed laws forbidding the killing of any animal |
【推荐1】Henderson Island in the South Pacific Ocean has always been known for its remarkable biological diversity and untouched ecology. Now, the remote UNESCO World Heritage site that lies 3,100 miles from the closest human settlement can also lay claim to being one of the most polluted places on Earth.
Jennifer Lavers, a researcher from the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies who has been studying the island for a few years, says the tiny island is home to over 38 million pieces of waste.
The amount of waste is surprising given that the island, the largest of the group of four Pitcairn volcanic islands, has no residents and is visited by scientists only once or twice every decade. However, as it turns out, humans do not need to be physically present to pollute an area. In this case, the waste is brought in by the South Pacific Gyre, an ocean current that sends garbage moving through the sea to Henderson.
What’s even worse is that the unsightly rubbish scattered (分散)across the island’s sandy beaches is just the tip of the iceberg. According to the researchers, over 68% of the waste is buried under the sand. This means their estimates, based on the waste found up to 10 centimeters below the sand, may be underestimating the full extent of the pollution.
Besides being aesthetically(审美地) unpleasing, the waste is also harmful to the island’s wildlife. Lavers and study co-author Alexander Bond discovered sea turtles that come to the island to lay eggs caught inside fishing lines. The waste is also harmful to seabirds and fish that mistake the colorful plastic pieces for food.
Environmentalists like Boyan Slat, who founded The Ocean Cleanup in 2011 after discovering “more bags than fish” while diving in Greece, are trying to clean up the mess. However, their efforts will only make a difference if we all join them by avoiding plastic altogether or reusing and recycling.
Unless we find ways to change the situation, this ever increasing pollution will cause a serious risk to the health of our planet and all its residents, including humans.
1. What do we know about Henderson Island?A.There are no animals on it. |
B.There are no people living on it. |
C.It’s known for its various resources. |
D.It’s the largest island in the South Pacific Ocean. |
A.Humans presence caused most of the pollution on the island. |
B.The volcanic eruption and the closest human settlement lead to the pollution. |
C.Most of the rubbish is scattered across the island’s’ beaches. |
D.An ocean current has carried the garbage to the island. |
A.The impact of sea waste. |
B.The level of sea pollution. |
C.How to deal with ocean trash. |
D.How to protect the island’s wildlife. |
A.To introduce famous volcanic island. |
B.To praise environmentalists for their efforts. |
C.To call on people to take action on pollution. |
D.To explain the consequences of the South Pacific Gyre. |
【推荐2】In 2016, a young British father was trampled(踩踏)to death by an elephant on the island of Koh Samui in ThaiJand. The tragedy once again raised questions over whether it is ethical to use elephants as entertainment.
For many visitors, the chance to interact with elephants is at the top of their holiday wish list. There's no shortage of opportunities to do so, from taking photos of baby elephants to riding them through the jungle, to watching them dance.
But what most visitors don't realize is elephants are involved in extremely cruel methods to make them behave. They are often kept in terrible conditions. This includes being chained up when not performing, without interaction with other elephants, a poor diet, etc. They are also subjected to training practices including beatings. Away from their natural habitat and forced to repeat the same routines day in day out, which continues throughout their dramatically-shortened lives.
Unfortunately, riding elephants is still one of the most popular tourist activities in Asia. The World Animal Protection investigated 3,000 elephants at tourist sites across Southern Asia in 2017. The study found that 77% of them were living in "severely cruel" conditions. It also found that there had been a 30% rise in the number of elephants at tourism venues in Thailand since 2010.
Many parks advertise themselves as sanctuaries (庇护所)but they aren’t. Real sanctuaries will limit contact with the elephants and visitors can only observe them from a distance most of the time.
The government needs to play a much bigger role in putting an end to elephant tourism. As travelers, please avoid any place offering riding or allowing interacting sessions with elephants. When you see abuse happening, do your bit by leaving your review on review sites and social media to warn other tourists. Many parks are now becoming ride-free as a result of pressure from tourists, the industry and the media.
1. What does the underlined word “ethical” most probably mean?A.Safe | B.Welcome | C.Moral | D.Available |
A.The cause of elephant tourism. | B.The way of interacting with elephants. |
C.The opportunities tourist can get. | D.The worse condition elephants are in. |
A.By making different comparisons | B.By following the order of time and places. |
C.By analyzing cause and effect. | D.By giving examples and listing numbers. |
A.The media and internet worked greater. |
B.Riding elephants is free with tourists’ efforts. |
C.Ending elephant tourism is necessary but hard. |
D.Governments and tourists solved the problem together. |
【推荐3】Teachers and students at Herbert Slater Middle School in Santa Rosa, California are used to seeing 7th grader Raquel Zuniga holding a stuffed Kermit the Frog doll as she goes about her school day.
Raquel, aged 12, attends classes for students with mild to serious disabilities. Having her favorite frog doll Kermit by her side makes school life much easier for her, yet there are still times when Kermit’s cheery presence isn’t enough to help her through her anxiety.
One day Raquel was having a hard time changing halfway from inside the classroom to outside. Several teachers approached Raquel as she held Kermit tight and walked back and forth in the hallway, yet none could get through to the child. After nearly an hour, school resource officer Chris Morrison happened to wander by to see if she could help.
Chris herself was a teacher for high-risk students in Los Angeles for twelve years before joining the Santa Rosa Police. She’s now been on the job as a cop for eighteen years, but those teaching wisdoms still run deeply through her mind.
Without hesitation Chris approached the student and bean to speak to her in a comforting voice. Chris did something simple yet extraordinary: she began to sing. Not only does music have a calming effect on its own but also the song she selected was especially meaningful: “Rainbow Connection”, the 1997 song made famous by Kermit the Frog himself.
Raquel’s face lights up in a beautiful smile as she turns to her teacher as if to say, “She’s singing my song!”
“The three of us were standing there in awe,” said Assistant Principal Jessica Romero, adding that she wasn’t the least bit surprised that this kind act came from Officer Morrison. “She’s a very special soul,” Jessica explained. “She comes to everything she does with heart, with empathy, and is able to build close relationship with students.”
1. Why does Raquel always hold the Kermit frog doll in her school days?A.Because she is mentally disabled. | B.Because students are used to seeing it. |
C.Because it gives her a sense of safety. | D.Because the teachers there encourage it. |
A.She has been a teacher for high-risk students in Los Angeles for 12 years. |
B.She is working both as a teacher at the middle school and a policewomen. |
C.She is understanding and knows what to do to comfort the children in anxiety. |
D.She is warm-hearted and always surprises the teachers around with her wisdom. |
A.it is a song meaningful to Raquel |
B.it is a song popular among children |
C.it is a song familiar to Chris |
D.it is a song to calm children |
A.The satisfying ending of the warm story. | B.Teacher’s impression about Chris Morrison. |
C.Teachers’ reaction to Chris Morrison’s method. | D.The unique method to get through to a child. |