1 . Imagine a plate holding two strawberries, identical in appearance. One came out of a supermarket box, meaning it was probably harvested when it was still unripe. By the time it reached the plate it may have been off the vine for two weeks. The other strawberry was picked from a garden minutes before being eaten.
Supermarket strawberries are not entirely without advantages: they are convenient and still available even in winter months. But the two berries differ from each other in the same way that hearing music in a concert hall differs from listening to it on an old CD player. The home-grown fruit is an eatable case for making a home garden.
Your columnist, who long considered gardening a complete waste of time, advances this argument with great enthusiasm. Planting cool-weather greens, as gardeners across the north-east of America are now doing, can seem nonsense, since convenient, continuously well-stocked supermarket shelves are available all week. But the same could be said of cooking: there are many cheap and decent restaurants around, so why bother to make your own meals?
That attitude misconstrues the ultimate appeal of gardening: it mistakes the product for the purpose. It is true that a garden can produce tomatoes and carrots of incomparable sweetness, and celtuce and herbs that taste like themselves rather than the plastic they are usually packaged in. While finding, let’s say, celtuce in the shops can take some time, effort, and expense, growing your own vegetables ensures a reliable supply.
On the other hand, a garden, especially in the early years, can produce little but frustration. Green hands may plant the wrong crops for their soil. And even expert gardeners can lose a season’s harvest to uncooperative weather.
No matter. The real joy of gardening is the time spent doing it. The deepest pleasure-as with cooking. Writing or almost anything worthwhile — is in the work itself. To garden is to patiently, lovingly and diligently help life become strong and healthy, in the ground and above it.
1. What can we know about the supermarket strawberries?| A．They look distinct from home-grown ones. | B．They give out pleasant and fresh smell. |
| C．They are picked days before fully grown. | D．They are planted typically in winter. |
| A．Misinterprets. | B．Transforms. | C．Mistrusts. | D．Highlights. |
| A．To warn readers not to take up gardening easily. |
| B．To advise readers to work in harmony with nature. |
| C．To make readers reflect on the methods of gardening. |
| D．To help readers have a whole picture of gardening. |
| A．It’s a difficult and time-consuming process. | B．Products of gardening make it worthwhile. |
| C．The time and efforts invested make it a delight. | D．It reduces the cost of purchasing vegetables. |
2 . One snowy night, a pair of beagles（比格犬）was struggling on a rural highway. The father-to-be looked around anxiously, trying to seek
As
The beagles made no effort to
“I already gave them away,” the man responded coldly.
Obviously, these beagles were
It’s a simple story, but it speaks to the best of our nature: Kindness and love can keep cruelty and cold at
| A．shelter | B．shade | C．instructions | D．routes |
| A．patiently | B．helplessly | C．fondly | D．proudly |
| A．waited | B．prepared | C．cheered | D．longed |
| A．trouble | B．opportunity | C．time | D．turn |
| A．life | B．luck | C．history | D．news |
| A．pulled over | B．turned up | C．headed off | D．sped up |
| A．submit | B．bark | C．struggle | D．escape |
| A．tore | B．adjusted | C．untied | D．read |
| A．colored | B．misted | C．dusted | D．damaged |
| A．dried | B．charged | C．examined | D．grabbed |
| A．persuasive | B．defensive | C．curious | D．grateful |
| A．discovered | B．licensed | C．identified | D．abandoned |
| A．racing | B．sinking | C．aching | D．beating |
| A．blue | B．question | C．way | D．world |
| A．bay | B．hand | C．ease | D．peace |
3 . In the endless sky, the unaided human eye should be able to perceive several thousand stars on a clear, dark night. Unfortunately, growing light pollution has disabled people from the nightly view.
New citizen-science-based research throws alarming light on the problem of “sky glow” — the diffuse illumination (漫射照明) of the night sky that is a form of light pollution. The data came from crowd-sourced observations collected from around the world as part of Globe at Night, a program developed by astronomer Connie Walker.
Light pollution has harmful effects on the practice of astronomy but also on human health and wildlife, since it disturbs the cycle from sunlight to starlight that biological systems have evolved alongside. Furthermore, the loss of visible stars is a great loss of human cultural heritage. Until relatively recently, humans throughout history had an impressive view of the starry night sky, and the effect of this nightly spectacle (壮观) is evident in ancient cultures.
Globe at Night has been gathering data on star visibility since 2006. Anyone can submit observations through the Globe at Night web application. Participants record which one best matches what they can see in the sky without any telescopes or other instruments.
Researchers find that the loss of visible stars indicates an increase in sky brightness of 9.6% per year while roughly 2% is measured by satellites. Existing satellites are not well suited to measuring sky glow as it appears to humans, because they can not detect wavelengths shorter than 500 nanometers (纳米). White LEDs, with shorter wavelengths under 500 nanometers, now are increasingly commonly used in outdoor lighting. But human eyes are more sensitive to these shorter wavelengths at nighttime. Space-based instruments do not measure light from windows, either. But these sources are significant contributors to sky glow us seen from the ground.
“The increase in sky glow over the past decade underlines the importance of redoubling our efforts and developing new strategies to protect dark skies,” said Walker. “The Globe at Night dataset is necessary in our ongoing evaluation of changes in sky glow, and we encourage whoever can to get involved to help protect the starry night sky.”
1. What is a purpose of Globe at Night?| A．To develop new light sources. | B．To collect data on star visibility. |
| C．To help astronomers explore space. | D．To popularize science among citizens. |
| A．Poorer human health. | B．Fewer wildlife species. |
| C．More delicate biological systems. | D．Less nightly culture elements of the sky. |
| A．Satellites play a vital role. | B．White LEDs are widely used. |
| C．Crowd-sourced data are invaluable. | D．Shorter wavelengths are hard to detect. |
| A．Their consistent efforts pay off. | B．The dataset needs to be updated. |
| C．More participants are expected to join in. | D．The sky glow has been over-emphasized. |
4 . According to a study done by University of Michigan, shopping to reduce stress was 40 times more effective at giving people a sense of control and shoppers were three times less sad than those only looking at items.
More than half of the 1,000 consumers surveyed by Credit Karma, head researcher of the study, said they have shopped to deal with feelings of stress or depression. About 48 percent of men and 31 percent of women who have stress shopping said they had purchased alcohol when stressed. About 82 percent of women spend on clothing compared to 52 percent of men. Women also lead shopping for jewellery, 42 percent, compared to 22 percent for men.
In some sense, stress shopping can actually help you live a healthier life by making sure that your blood pressure is lowered. The survey found 82 percent had only positive feelings about their purchases and that the positive mood was long-lasting. However, stress shopping, for many, could grow into a drive that uses up money, causes conflict, and therefore adds great stress to life.
Despite the in-time joy from purchases, stress shopping never proves a long-lasting cure to stress or depression. Actually it needs to be avoided anyhow. Whether you’re purchasing Christmas presents or buying groceries having the items you need written down will provide you with brightness while shopping. Reward yourself for sticking to your list and you’ll be more likely to commit to it.
In addition always think about what you struggle with most financially. Do you spend too much money at the mall? Eating out? Vacations? Make a list of where your money is going and take necessary steps to resist your desire. For example, if you spend too much money on dining out on weekends, stuff your cupboard with food on Friday. So you’ll be more likely to stay in and cook. And you need to give up the need to keep up with others. Everyone’s financial situation is different and comparison may lead to debt and dissatisfaction with what you already have.
1. Why does the author mention those numbers in Paragraph 2?| A．To support an idea. | B．To attract readers. |
| C．To call for actions. | D．To introduce a topic. |
| A．Stimulating desires. | B．Recording spendings. |
| C．Turning to medicines. | D．Comparing with others. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Doubtful. | C．Objective. | D．Negative. |
| A．Does shopping benefit us? | B．More stressed, women or men? |
| C．Should we compare with others? | D．Can stress shopping reduce stress? |
5 . The AIDA model is the foundation of modern marketing and advertising practice. It outlines the four basic steps used to persuade potentials to make a purchase. The first three steps lie in creating attention (A), decorating interest (I), and building desire (D) for the product, before the fourth step — the “call to action” (A) — tells them exactly how and where to buy. AIDA can channel the customer’s feelings through each stage toward reaching a sale.
Attracting the customer’s attention is the first challenge and this may be achieved by using an attracting phrase or picture. Once someone’s attention has been clutched, it must be turned into real interest. This is best done by providing a brief description of the product’s benefits to the consumer rather than simply listing the product’s main features or problem-solving claims.
Now, it is time to transform that interest into a desire for a product or service. This is where consumers need to believe their lives could be better by possessing the product. It could be a vital step towards turning a potential into a real customer.
“Call-to-action” is where all of the initial hard work pays off and leads to the action from a potential customer. For example, they might pick up the phone to discuss the idea of a trial of the services or, alternatively, they may just buy that product or service that has been promoted to them all along.
And AIDA is used to great effect in the movie industry. Movie studios begin their marketing campaigns months in advance. The campaigns develop by offering attractive flashes of the movie without giving too much away. Desire is inspired by the release of the full preview which is fully designed to show the exciting moments of the movie, from special effects to humorous lines of dialogue on the opening weekend. Advertisements in newspapers and on television focus on the movie’s release, inviting the consumer to go and buy a ticket.
1. What is the purpose of practising AIDA?| A．To create jobs. | B．To increase sales. |
| C．To research markets. | D．To introduce products. |
| A．Seized. | B．Freed. | C．Cheated. | D．Affected. |
| A．Action. | B．Interest. | C．Desire. | D．Attention. |
| A．To design an AIDA model. | B．To display how AIDA works. |
| C．To show how to make a movie. | D．To advertise the movie industry. |
6 . If you always sit indoors for too long, putting on weight may become a trouble. Tired of all that fat? If so, these sports can help you burn the most calories.
Running
“Running is one of the best calorie burners out there,” qualified personal trainer Daniel Saltos says. An average person can burn anywhere from 500 to 1000 calories in one hour of running. “Speed, pace, and tolerance are all factors that can impact this range. But running uses every muscle group in the body, allowing you to burn more calories.”
Swimming
“Swimming is a workout that produces the lowest impact on body while it still can burn 500 to 600 calories in just 30 minutes,” Saltos says. Swimming also improves heart health and increases strength—all great reasons for playing in the water.
Boxing
Not only is boxing a great way to release energy, but it also helps improve balance, builds up tolerance and strengthens the upper body and core. “Boxing helps you get a good calorie burn, too, with the average person burning up 400 to 800 calories in an hour session,” Saltos says.
Rowing
The pushing and pulling motion of rowing machines targets multiple muscle groups including the arms, core, and back, helping you to burn more calories. “An hour of rowing will burn 400 to 600 calories on average,” Saltos says.
1. Which sport can burn the most calories per hour?| A．Boxing. | B．Running. |
| C．Swimming. | D．Rowing. |
| A．It enhances balance. | B．It improves tolerance. |
| C．It produces low impact. | D．It builds muscle groups. |
| A．Great athletes. | B．Fitness experts. |
| C．Sports reporters. | D．Overweight persons. |
7 . Your emotion helps you make sense of the world. At the core of an emotion is a subjective experience of the valence of it — what emotion scientists call “affect” (情感). Generally speaking, affect is what we are most focused on. Do you have chocolate cake in front of you? That’s good! Do you see a spider on the table! That’s bad!
Your affective reactions tell you which experiences are desirable, and which aren’t, but the total emotional experience includes all you do and think. You can learn a lot by observing and describing them. You can also learn a lot by appreciating their secret life.
The problem is: the affective features of emotions tend to dominate. Our subjective valence of emotion is almost all we can see. When emotions are only about what is pleasant or unpleasant in subjective experience right now, the more important features of emotion disappear.
If you can slow down and expand; if you stop running or clinging (沉浸其中) and adopt a sense of curiosity, emotions become more subtle and different. When fear comes up, don’t walk away so that fear dissipates. Instead, stay. Allow yourself to feel the nervousness, the sweating, and everything else that comes along with it. It is one of the hardest things to do in life, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. If you run, you are telling basic parts of your brain, “I guess this threat really was real. I better stay away from it.” You are training yourself to fear, regardless of that situation. If you cling, you are saying, “Escape from this emotion is a threat”, and since it is not a happy experience, happiness slips through your hands like sand.
Note that you can not fool yourself. Just allow the full emotion. You will never enter into their secret life until you stop running or clinging. To control your life, you need to actively train your emotions to be your ally (同盟). Observe. Describe. Appreciate. Do that and you may find you have allies for healthy living that were there all along.
1. Why does the author mention “chocolate cake” and “spider” in paragraph 1?| A．To explain the complex response of emotions. |
| B．To show the subjective experience of emotions. |
| C．To indicate the goodness and badness of the world. |
| D．To emphasize the significance of emotions in life. |
| A．The present feelings are less obvious. |
| B．The subjective emotions are less powerful. |
| C．The overall picture of emotions is easier to ignore. |
| D．The observation and description of emotions are easier. |
| A．Deepens. | B．Spreads. | C．Disappears. | D．Sticks. |
| A．The secret of emotions. | B．The subjective experience. |
| C．The importance of allies in life. | D．Magical functions of emotions. |
8 . I pulled over and one of the boys standing by the road asked for some water.
My heart
In my first lesson with Year Six I made a
A real
Now, three years later,I’m
| A．sank | B．beat | C．melted | D．raced |
| A．checking | B．searching | C．mending | D．parking |
| A．fast | B．soon | C．long | D．far |
| A．decision | B．motto | C．change | D．plan |
| A．reminder | B．symbol | C．gift | D．picture |
| A．experience | B．capacity | C．confidence | D．signal |
| A．bonded | B．behaved | C．reacted | D．operated |
| A．restricted | B．maintained | C．drafted | D．extended |
| A．chance | B．highlight | C．love | D．routine |
| A．added | B．led | C．kept | D．saw |
| A．expected | B．employed | C．guided | D．troubled |
| A．gradually | B．subsequently | C．frequently | D．temporarily |
| A．recognition | B．impression | C．expression | D．appointment |
| A．already | B．again | C．still | D．also |
| A．timely | B．typical | C．correct | D．heartfelt |
9 . The Atlantic salmon (鲑鱼) of Scotland are hardy and determined animals. Each spring and summer, they return from the North Atlantic Ocean to lay eggs in Scotland’s shallow rivers,leaping up waterfalls and over barriers, pushing themselves upstream in enormous efforts. Some fail, and others succeed, but today they face yet another challenge.
During the mid-1980s, there were between eight and ten million salmon swimming around Scotland’s Atlantic coast; that number has now dropped sharply. There’s evidence of reducing the availability of the salmon’s prey (猎物) as climate change warms and acidifies oceans. New research suggests climate change is also bearing down on rivers, which is bad news for salmon.Adapted to life in cold water, salmon experience slow growth and population changes at high temperatures. Heat influences their health and reduces their resistance to disease.
“Now salmon are struggling to deal with the rising temperatures. There are recent records of 27°C in the upper reaches of the Dee catchment,” says Peter Cairns, director of an environmental charity. In 2018, Scotland recorded the lowest pole catch for salmon since records began. Evidence suggests that the degraded quality of river worsens the impact of our changing climate. “Atlantic salmon evolved using river systems in Scotland that were once way more forested and therefore shaded.” Yet Scotland is today one of the least wooded countries in Europe, with just 3 percent of its native woodland undamaged. Scientists have found that just 35percent of rivers in Scotland have enough tree cover for salmon survival.
A movement to get trees back on riverbanks is gathering pace. “Broad-leaf trees close tothe bank can reduce the light that enters the water,” explains fisheries scientist Anthony Hawkins. A new initiative called Riverwoods — led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and supported by Scottish Water and several other government and regulatory bodies — aims to create a network of woodlands along Scotland’s riverbanks, and has already received a number of large funds.“Money is not the pressing business. River health is complex, but tree planting is one of the most basic things we can get started with right away,”says Cairns.
1. Why do Atlantic salmon make great journeys back to the rivers?| A．They search for foods. |
| B．They reproduce themselves. |
| C．The rivers are relatively cool. |
| D．The seas are increasingly warm. |
| A．They grow more quickly. |
| B．They are more heat-resistant. |
| C．They are less active in water. |
| D．They are more likely to get diseases. |
| A．There is a shortage of food. |
| B．There is much fish catching. |
| C．The ecology environment has changed. |
| D．The river systems are unsuitable for the forest growth. |
| A．It is urgent to plant riverbank trees. |
| B．It is too hard to restore the river health. |
| C．There is enough money for the project. |
| D．There are too many vital things to deal with. |
10 . Nurses are required in all areas of the medical field from hospitals and nursing homes to schools and the armed forces, heading to a great need of certified nurses. Here are some best universities for a degree in nursing.
Simmons College
Simmons College is a private women’s college founded in Boston in 1899. Nursing is the top major at the school as well as the most popular. The nursing graduates from Simmons make about $ 58, 000 every year.
Villanova University
Villanova University is a research university located in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania. Named after Saint Thomas of Villanova, the school is the oldest Catholic university in Pennsylvania. Nursing is a popular major and is offered as an online degree as well. The nursing graduates from Villanova make about $ 63,000 every year.
University of California, Los Angeles
The UCLA School of Nursing is known for its excellent education provided by a group of leaders in the medical field. The four-year program allows students to be qualified nurses through classroom learning and clinical training. A nursing degree from UCLA leads to positions in many hospitals and clinics, with a yearly income of about $ 84,000.
New York University
New York University attaches great importance to real-world experience. Along with taking classes in school, students mainly work in the health care environment receiving technical training Additionally, Nursing students of NYU College have the chance to study in Abu Dhabi, China and other countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. The education from NYU will prepare students to help doctors treat patients, earning a yearly income of about $ 86, 000.
1. If Nora has to look after her children at home, which university or college can she choose to get a nursing degree?| A．Simmons College. | B．Villanova University. |
| C．University of California, Los Angeles | D．New York University. |
| A．Its high-quality teaching. | B．Its four-year program. |
| C．The clinical training it offers. | D．The yearly income of graduates. |
| A．future income | B．Learning environment |
| C．Practical training | D．chance to study better |
