1 . “Farm to table” is the name of a movement that encourages people to eat locally grown food. The farm­to­table idea has become more popular in recent years. But there is also a movement that brings “table to farm”. Its purpose is to connect people to the land and to honor local farmers by creating a sort of restaurant without walls.

Its founder, Jim Denevan, got the idea for this kind of “culinary adventure (美食探险)”, as he called it, ten years ago. He recently prepared tables for more than a hundred people at Briars Farm in Virginia. He and his eight­member team arrived the night before. Chefs (厨师) from a local restaurant prepared the dinner.

Jim Denevan’s brother is a farmer and he himself is a chef. He thought that the idea of a meal served right on the farm made sense, though not everyone agreed.

“But I wanted to make the idea work, so I decided to cross the country,” said Denevan. “I went all the way across the United States and set the table on farms, ranches (大牧场) and beaches, and all the places where food came from.”

“This kind of event connects us with a lot of enthusiastic people, people that we can form relationships with,” said Matt Szechenyi, who operates Briars Farm.

The tour of the farm ends at the dinner table. The meats in the meal come from Matt Szechenyi’s farm. The vegetables come from nearby farms. Guests and local farmers sit together.

Annoica Ingram came with a friend. “The food is wonderful. I appreciate their hard work. I see everything they have to do to take care of the animals and make sure they are well­cared­for. Without them, I think, we’ll have big problems,” she said.

3 . We would like to take a look at cashew nuts. If you have been lucky enough to taste one, you will know just how delicious they are. Once you begin eating cashews, it’s very difficult to stop.

Here’s something you may not have known about cashew nuts until now. The cashew nut that you eat is not a nut at all. It’s the seed that grows inside a single nut found beneath a cashew apple from the cashew tree. The red or yellow cashew fruit does not contain any seeds. Technically, that means they are not actually a fruit——even though they look like one. They taste a little like mango with a bit of grapefruit. It is unlikely that you will ever see one outside of Brazil because its skin is very thin. They do not travel well. In Brazil, they are eaten raw, drunk as a juice or turned into a delicious jam (果酱).

The nut is very hard. You have to be very careful if you open it. It contains a poison that can badly burn your skin if you come into contact with it. To remove this, the nut has to be roasted at a high temperature for 20 minutes before it is opened. Once roasted, the nut is ready and the cashew is taken out. It has a thin skin around it. This is peeled off (剥掉) carefully to make sure the cashew is not broken. The cashew is then roasted once more in coconut oil for 5 minutes. Then it’s ready to eat. What has just been described is a long process. This is why cashews are expensive.

Cashews are eaten all over the world. They are also popular ingredients in different styles of cooking, especially in Southeast Asia. Cashews can be found in nut butter, ice cream, cashew milk and also cheese spread! We are thankful to the Portuguese who discovered the cashew tree in Brazil. If it had not been for them, the Brazilians may have kept cashews all to themselves.

4 . Every year I’d read over 2,000 college applications from students all over the world. It is quite _______ to choose whom to admit. _______, in the chaos of SAT scores and recommendations, one _______ is always irresistible in a candidate: kindness.

The most surprising _______ of kindness I’ve ever _______ came from a student who had excellent scores and a supportive recommendation from his college counselor (顾问). Even with these qualifications, he might not have _______. But one letter of recommendation caught my eye. It was from a school security _______. Letters of recommendation are typically written by people like former presidents, celebrities, and Olympic athletes.

The security guard wrote that he supported this student’s admission because of his _______. This young man was the only person in the school who knew the names of every member of the guard staff. He turned off lights in empty rooms, consistently _______ the hallway monitor each morning and tidied up the classroom after his peers left school ________ nobody was watching. This student, the security guard wrote, had a(n) ________ respect for every person at the school, regardless of position, popularity or power.

It gave us a ________ onto a student’s life in the moments when nothing “counted”. That student was admitted by unanimous (一致的) vote of the admissions committee.

Next year there might be a flood of security guard recommendations ________ this essay. But if it means students will start paying as much ________ to the people who clean their classrooms as they do to their principals and teachers, I’m happy to help start that ________.

5 . Derek Rabelo was born in Brazil in 1992. His father called him Derek after a famous _________ star, Derek Ho. Derek’s father wanted Derek to become a surfer, too, but there was a _________: unfortunately, Derek was born _________. His father’s dream to see his son surf seemed _________!

When Derek was 17, his father told him about his _________. From that moment on, Derek tried his best to become a surfer. He went to the _________ every day and started taking surfing _________ with a coach. Derek kept trying and _________, he learned to surf.

Derek explains that _________ he can’t see, he understands the noises that the waves make and can __________ them when they are coming. He says every part of a wave makes a different noise, __________ he knows which direction to surf in.

In 2012, he flew to Hawaii to surf one of the most challenging and dangerous __________ in the world. Local surfers were very __________ to see the confident young man surf the huge wave with no problem __________.

A film producer decided to make a film about him. Beyond Sight tells Derek’s inspirational story and teaches us that nothing is impossible if you ________ yourself!

6 . The sales advertisements tempt (诱惑): Blue-light-blocking glasses are supposed to protect eyes from the effects of short-wave length light emitting from our smartphones, computer screens and LED lights. Given how much time we spend on our devices, this sounds like a smart investment, right? After all, eye strain (疲劳) is a real issue and can lead to poor sleep and even eye diseases. The glasses can cost $15 all the way up to several hundred dollars. But do they work?

Elizabeth Esparaz, an ophthalmologist (眼科专家) based in Cleveland, Ohio, says the science that manufacturers share as they promote these glasses can be confusing. For starters, blue light is not just about tech devices, and it’s not always bad. “The sun emits a much higher intensity of blue light than human-made devices, which helps our mood, alertness and sleep-wake cycle,” says Dr. Esparaz.

The problem is blue light at night: It contains the release of melatonin. “Melatonin helps regulate our circadian rhythms (生理节奏) and makes us sleepy,” says Dr. Esparaz.

So, in theory, wearing blue-light-blocking glasses should help people who watch movies in bed or read from a tablet at night avoid sleeplessness. A review study from the University of Oklahoma that looked al 24 previous studies found that people affected by sleep disorders, jet lag and shift work fell asleep faster after using these glasses.

As for eye strain, a 2021 Australian study showed that those wearing the glasses did not experience less eye strain than those using clear glasses. And a 2018 review study, also by Australian researchers found insufficient evidence that they prevent certain eye diseases.

“These glasses aren’t going to be harmful,” says Dr. Esparaz, But, she adds, a lack of standardization in the industry means there’s no way to know if one pair is better than another. A more reliable solution: Turn on the blue-light-filtering function on your devices and limit screen time before bed. To help with eye strain, Dr. Esparaz suggests taking breaks and using lubricating eye drops.

7 . A teenager needs to have a sense of independence in their life to feel secure (安全的). To some teenagers independence means a lot to them, and I think that some parents don’t allow their teenagers enough independence.

Independence has something to do with freedom. Some kids are not allowed to go anywhere alone, and the only thing their schedule includes is going to school, coming home, going to sleep, and repeating the process the next day. Parents tend to be afraid that their kids can get hurt if they go outside into the world. But if parents control their kids too much, they may never learn to live on their own. The best way for a teenager to learn lesson is through experience. I think it is beneficial for teenagers to have freedom.

Teenagers’ lack of freedom can also stop them from having good friendship at school. Some might say this is a good thing, because it helps them focus more on their school work. I argue that this can only discourage them not to do their school work. Some parents do not allow their children to be around their friends outside the school, thinking that this will get them into trouble. But I don’t think so. Instead, isn’t this a good reason for parents to get their children a cellphone? Cellphones allow teenagers to stay in touch with their parents, and communicate with friends.

Privacy is another issue between parents and their teenagers. Teenagers tend to enjoy relaxation by themselves in their own room. This also gives them a sense of independence. It often annoys teenagers when their parents enter their room when they are not home. I know that my mom always goes in my room when I’m not home, and this has brought me to the point where I have asked many times to get a lock on my door.

8 . At 91 years old and with Alzheimer’s (阿尔茨海默病) disease, Gene McGehee was finding his golden years to be his loneliest. That all ________ one day when he heard the clear ________ of children’s laughter right outside his home.

When Gene ________ outside, he couldn’t believe his good fortune (运气) to discover a group of lively young kids playing. The children, from the daycare centre across the street, were more than ________ to include Gene in their fun. They nicknamed him Big Gene, and a special, long-lasting friendship was ________ between Gene, the kids and Megan Nunez, the daycare teacher.

Gene’s ________ Alzheimer’s disease means he now has only short-term memory. For the last three years, Gene has been ________ Megan and the kids every day for what he thinks is the first time. “Every day, I cross the street, and we stay together,” explained Megan. “I always tell the kids that his ________ is kind of sick, but his heart remembers us.”

Gene’s daughter, Cathy, said he suffered from (遭受) ________ until the kids came into his life and ________ his days. He now gets to just go outside and make new friends on a daily basis. “They have been such a blessing to Daddy, and he lights up,” Cathy ________ shared.

Gene and the kids enjoy their one-hour “playdate” every afternoon. They ________ jokes, stories, laughs and hugs. He sometimes even ________ their games. Even though the day’s cherished memories disappear as the sun sets, something remains in the depths of Gene’s mind. It is that ________ feeling that makes him go outside as soon as he hears the children’s ________ once again.

9 . In most museums, there is no shouting or running, and you must not touch anything. But the Science Museum in London is different. It is noisy! People talk about what they see and do here, and there are some very noisy machines as well.

You learn about communications and environment as well as maths, physics and chemistry on the second and third floors. For example, you can find out how people dig coal from the ground and use it to create energy. They even explain how X-rays let you see inside your body.

The Launchpad on the third floor is the most popular room. There are lots of physics experiments. For example, if you want to fill a bag with sand, you control a truck on wheels and move it into the correct place. You can also find out how people travel into space and back again.

On the fourth and fifth floors, you can learn about what medicine was like in the past. If you compare (比较) the medicine of the past with the medicine of today, you will feel lucky next time you visit a doctor!

The Science Museum is interesting for people of all ages. You can always find something new and have a wonderful time there. The museum is free to enter, so you can go in for a few minutes or stay all day. It is open daily from 10 a. m. to 6 p. m.