1 . The debate over washing dishes by hand vs.using a dishwasher has been on TreeHugger since it faced the world.In the earliest article I could find from 2005, the dishwasher came out the clear winner, with researchers from the University of Bonn saying it uses only half the energy and one-sixth the water.
Fifteen years later, we're still talking about it, and a new study published in the journal Environment Research Communications shows not much has changed.Dishwashers still take the prize for efficiency（效率）, both in terms of energy and water used.The findings are interesting because kitchen cleanup is something we do every day, so why not learn the best way?
Forty participants were required first to load and run a dishwasher and then to wash dishes by hand the way they would at home.They answered survey questions afterwards about their dish washing behaviors.Three other participants were then required to load a dishwasher and wash dishes by hand following best practices.This meant not pre-rinsing（预冲洗）dishes before loading them in the dishwasher and using the recommended normal cycle with heated dry, rinse-aid, and high-quality cleaner.For washing dishes by hand, this meant using the two-basin method "where dishes are soaked（浸泡）in hot water, rinsed in cold water, and are air-dried."
These "best practices" differ from typical dish washing behaviors.Most people pre-rinse their dishes before loading them into a dishwasher.They also run the tap while washing by hand, which wastes large amounts of water, and rinse with hot water.The researcher found that these typical practices produce "5,620 and 2,090 kg of greenhouse gas emissions（排放）based on washing 4 loads a week for 10 years."So the dishwasher was less than half as bad as hand-washing, even when improper techniques were used.
When it comes to water usage, the benefits of dishwashers continue.Over the course of ten years, a dishwasher will use 16,300 gallons of water, 99.8 percent of which comes from daily use; whereas, washing the same number of dishes by hand for ten years will use 34,200 gallons.
1. What did people think of the dishwasher fifteen years ago?| A．It was expensive. | B．It was effective. |
| C．It was of little use. | D．It was harmful. |
| A．To wash dishes as they usually do. |
| B．To wash all the dishes without soaking. |
| C．To use the two-basin method for a week. |
| D．To ask questions about doing housework. |
| A．Tuning of the water tap during the process. |
| B．Soaking the dishes in hot water first. |
| C．Washing dishes four times a week. |
| D．Rinsing the dishes before loading them. |
| A．About 5,500 gallons. | B．About 16,000 gallons. |
| C．About 18,000 gallons. | D．About 34,000 gallons. |
2 . A few years ago, my husband, Mike, and I would dine out on weekdays.One Wednesday afternoon, I was ever suggesting places to which he could take me for lunch when he interrupted（打断）me."Rose" he said, "have you ever thought of taking me out to lunch? I would like to be wined and dined, too, and it would be nice if, for once, you picked up the check." I smiled at his words and said, "OK, but I'll choose the restaurant."
I drove us to Miller's Ale House, a family-style restaurant with good food and an affordable menu that we attend only during the daytime.As Mike and I walked in, I jokingly warmed Mike to look for the menu specials and to avoid ordering expensive drinks.The warm Ale house atmosphere, together with the hot meals, was a welcome compared to the cold February weather.What was not welcome, though, was the seating arrangement.And the man seated at the bar stool closest to us was carrying on a conversation in a very loud voice with two friends, often dropping an expletive（脏话）.Mike and I finally gave up trying to hold a conversation and ate silently, making a mental note that in the future, we would be more careful with the seating we accepted.
Mike completed his meal and stepped away from the table.I waited for my check.While I waited, the man opposite me continued to talk loudly.This time, he looked around and saw me seated behind him.Facing me, he said, "I apologize for my language." I smiled and in a friendly voice said, "You have used that word many times since I sat down, and it was impossible not to hear you." We both laughed.The man apologized again, adding that his hearing is damaged so he speaks loudly.He said, "I'm paying for your lunch," I smiled, telling him it was not necessary, but he insisted.I said thank you and left the table.
I waited for my husband by the entrance.When Mike found me, I told him about the man's kindness.Mike stared at me and said, "It was the one time you were going to pay, and I lost out again."
1. What can be inferred about Mike from paragraph 1?| A．He got tired of the lifestyle. |
| B．He disliked the restaurant his wife chose. |
| C．He was always the one who paid for their meals. |
| D．He was unhappy with the way his wife spoke. |
| A．The prices of dishes. | B．The taste of meals. |
| C．The freezing temperature. | D．The noisy environment. |
| A．He was quarrelling with his friends. |
| B．He had serious hearing problems. |
| C．He was angry about the service there. |
| D．He thought he was the only one eating there. |
| A．Stressed. | B．Excited. | C．Disappointed. | D．Confused. |
| Harvard University online courses found below can be free or students can choose to reeve a verified certificate for a small fee. Select a course to learn more. | |
| Principles of Biochemistry Length: 15 Weeks Effort: 5 hours per week Price: FREE(Add a Verified Certificate for CN ¥1,287) What you'll learn: The structure and function of the chemical building blocks of life; The central role of enzymes in catalyzing the reactions of life; The primary metabolic pathways that power cells. Meet your instructor: Rachelle Gaudet, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology | Masterpieces of World Literature Length: 12 Weeks Effort: 7 hours per week Price: FREE(Add a Verified Certificate for CN ¥1,260) What you'll learn: The history of World Literature; How literary works and books are transformed by cultural transmission; The significance of major technological advances in writing. Meet your instructor: David Damrosch, Professor of Literature |
| Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science(chemistry) Length: 18 Weeks Effort: 3 hours per week Price: FREE(Add a Verified Certificate for CN ¥ 1,093) What you'll learn: How to apply principles of physics, engineering, and chemistry to cooking; How to become an experimental scientist in your own kitchen; How to think like a chef AND a scientist. Meet your instructor: Michael Brenner, Professor of Applied Mathematics and Applied Physics | Child Protection: Children' s Rights in Theory and Practice Length: 16 Weeks Effort: 5 hours per week Price: FREE(Add a Verified Certificate for CN ¥ 640) What you'll learn: The origins of child protection in international human rights law; How to assess and strengthen a child protection system. Meet your instructor :Jacqueline Bhabha, Professor of the Practice of Health and Human Rights Harvard T.H.Chan School of social sciences |
1. How much should a student pay for a verified certificate about child protection?
| A．¥1,287. | B．¥1,260. | C．¥1,093. | D．¥640. |
| A．How to protect children globally. |
| B．How to make excellent Chinese dishes. |
| C．How to apply principles of chemistry to cooking. |
| D．How to fully appreciate the masterpieces of famous writers. |
| A．Principles of Biochemistry. |
| B．Masterpieces of World Literature. |
| C．Child Protection: Children's Rights in Theory and Practice. |
| D．Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science(chemistry) |
4 . With a quick movement, the little creature vanishes in the air like it never existed and somehow appears dramatically-this is a part of the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. But in reality, “disappeared” fantastic creatures can also reappear.
The Global Wildlife Conservation(GWC) announced on Oct 30 they have rediscovered the Voeltzkow's chameleon(变色龙)in Madagascar. The last time that the animal was seen was in 1913.
This discovery excited the researeh team, but the finding was not easy. The GWC organized an expedition as part of its Seareh for Lost Species program, an attempt to rediscover species that have not been observed by scientists for at least a decade. They headed into the forests of northwestern Madagascar in April 2018. But they didn't have much luck for a long time. Just days before the trip was to end. the tour guides spotted one of the chameleons. Ultimately, the team discovered three males and 13 females.
Male Voeltzkow's chameleons are up to 164 millimeters long and are light green with dark stripes, which get darker when they are angry or stressed. Females are smaller than males, growing to about 150 millimeters long. They can change their skin to a pattern of red dots and a stripe of purple against a background of black and white.
“The Voeltzkow's chameleon adds color and beauty to the planet, and reminds us that even when all seems lost, a great adventure can reawaken hope." said Don Church, president of the GWC. "Now we have so much to learn about this extraordinary reptile(爬行动物)・including how we can best save it from extinction.”
This isn't the only time a species thought to be extinct has been rediscovered. In fact, this year scientists discovered a frog that has been missing for more than 50 years in a Brazilian jungle. Another example is the Albany adder snake, which was rediscovered in 2016. The species had disappeared for over a decade and was generally believed to be extinct.
So how are these "lost" species able to make a comeback? If the environment changes in favor of certain species that have been considered extinct, the population size of those species may recover again. As they reach greater numbers, the chance of humans discovering them increases.
1. Why is the part of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them mentioned?| A．To lead to a discussion about animal extinction. |
| B．To warn of the difference between reality and fiction. |
| C．To demonstrate that magic can be found in real life. |
| D．To further discuss the reappearance of creatures. |
| A．How luck determined the fate of a lost species. |
| B．How the GWC rediscovered the Voeltzkow's chameleon. |
| C．An introduction to the Seareh for Lost Species program. |
| D．The solutions to make “lost" species come back. |
| A．They can change their colors to green and yellow. |
| B．Female chameleons are much longer than male ones. |
| C．The color of the males' skin can reflect their mood. |
| D．Male chameleons outnumber female ones by a lot. |
| A．The rediscoveries may be due to environmental changes. |
| B．The habitats of frogs and snakes are quite similar. |
| C．Human beings are to blame for species extinction. |
| D．Extinct reptiles would be the first group to be rediscovered. |
5 . The Bureau of Labor Statistics recommends some high-paying jobs.
Construction and Building Inspector
Construction and building inspectors inspect construction sites and buildings to make sure that the structures meet all requirements. Many construction and building inspectors have a certificate from a local or community college, although others have a two-year associate's degree instead.
Salary: about $ 70,710 per year
Web Developer
Web developers design and develop websites. They create the look of the site and handle the website's performance, speed, and capacity. Web developers might work for computer system design companies, or for marketing firms or departments, or be self-employed. While some web developers have an associate's degree in web design, others have a certificate in web development instead.
Salary: about $ 63,760 per year
Architectural and Civil Drafter
An architectural and civil drafter creates drawings of the structural features of buildings, or creates maps of civil engineering projects. Most drafters have training in computer-aided design and drafting (CADD), engineering, mechanical drawing, and other design and engineering skills. This training can be from a certificate program, a two-year program, or even a four-year program.
Salary: about $ 56,830 per year
Sheet Metal Worker
A sheet metal worker constructs and/or installs products made of thin sheet metal. This work might involve measuring and marking dimensions on sheets, drilling holes in sheets, carrying large sheets, and so on. Sheet metal workers learn their work through a certificate program from a technical school.
Salary: about $ 50,400 per year
1. Which job provides the highest income according to the text?| A．Construction and Building Inspector. | B．Web Developer. |
| C．Architectural and Civil Drafter. | D．Sheet Metal Worker. |
| A．They inspect websites. | B．They are good at marketing. |
| C．They can be self-employed. | D．They need CADD training. |
| A．Engineering skills. |
| B．Computer knowledge. |
| C．A certificate or a degree. |
| D．Technical school experience. |
