Last week, I was having breakfast at Chick-fil-A and as I was sitting in my truck eating, I noticed a homeless guy sitting on the curb (路边) behind the building with his dog.
He was holding a sign asking for money or food donations to help feed him and his dog. I observed him the entire time I ate my breakfast. He mostly just sat there scratching his dog and holding the sign while people drove past ignoring them. When I finished my breakfast, I decided to make another run through the drive-through and ordered a large chicken biscuit combo. As I was leaving, I pulled up alongside him and handed him the bag of breakfast and a small bag of dog food I had in my truck for my dog.
The bag of Chick-fil-A put a huge smile on his face, but when I handed him the bag of dog food, the guy literally lost it and started bawling (放声痛哭) right there on the side of my truck. After regaining his composure, he exclaimed that it had been so long since somebody had treated him like a human being. I asked him if he would be willing to work hard for a decent day’s pay and he immediately straightened up and exclaimed that he could be the hardest worker I had ever seen. I gave him my business card and a fiver and told him to meet me at that spot the next morning and I would put him to work.
The next day I stopped in and sure enough he was waiting there for me. I took him and his dog to the jobsite. He wasn’t kidding about being a hard worker; this guy carried wood around and fetched tools out of my truck for me all day without complaining once. His dog just followed him the entire time. During the day I learned about his misfortune.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 开头已给出。
Paragraph 1:
At the end of the day I took him to my bank and withdrew his day’s pay which amounted to $80.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
When I left him last night, he looked like a different person from the man I saw hanging his head in shame behind Chick-fil-A.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
More Chinese, especially young people, are choosing light meals with fewer carbohydrates (碳水化合物) and more vegetables. This trend shows the fact
Jokingly
Lighter food
A report predicts that the market volume for light meals in China will reach around 120 billion yuan in 2024. “It’s an industry with strong
KFC opened
3 . In Molly Pollak’s second-floor Manhattan apartment, the spare bedroom is filled with decades of classroom memories.
“Those are all my high school yearbooks,” Pollak says,
But after 40 years teaching English to middle and high school students, there’s one book Pollak will never
As news of her
She received 75
When Pollak and her husband first sat down to read this book, she
So Pollak did what English teachers do: She
It’s essentially this: “Molly
| A．referring | B．pointing | C．waving | D．adding |
| A．throw away | B．pick up | C．give away | D．sell out |
| A．wrote | B．submitted | C．received | D．published |
| A．start | B．end | C．symbol | D．bottom |
| A．appointment | B．arrival | C．retirement | D．promotion |
| A．forced | B．followed | C．allowed | D．invited |
| A．books | B．letters | C．emails | D．gifts |
| A．changed | B．saved | C．gave | D．dominated |
| A．shaped | B．destroyed | C．accepted | D．created |
| A．recalled | B．attracted | C．noticed | D．admitted |
| A．responses | B．comments | C．efforts | D．decisions |
| A．familiar | B．similar | C．different | D．tough |
| A．looked down | B．looked out | C．looked up | D．looked across |
| A．remember | B．think | C．appreciate | D．cherish |
| A．taught | B．impressed | C．treated | D．contacted |
4 . Thinking hard for several hours can leave us feeling mentally tired — and now we may know why. Prolonged concentration leads to the build-up of a compound called glutamate (谷氨酸盐) in regions at the front of the brain. This may provide an explanation as to why we avoid difficult tasks when mentally exhausted: the glutamate overload makes further mental work difficult.
Too much glutamate is potentially harmful, says Antonius Wiehler at the Paris Brain Institute in France, who led the research. “The brain wants to avoid this, so it is trying to reduce activity.”
To learn more, Wiehler and his team used a technique called magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), which measures levels of various chemicals in living tissue harmlessly. They focused on a region towards the front and sides of the brain called the lateral prefrontal cortex (侧前额叶皮层), which much previous work has shown is involved in difficult mental tasks.
The team asked 40 people to do memory tasks while lying in an MRS scanner. These included watching sequences of numbers appear on a screen and stating if the current number was the same as a previous one. Twenty-six of the participants did a harder version of this task, while the other 14 were given an easier one.
Levels of eight different brain chemicals were measured, including glutamate. After completing the memory tasks for six hours, those doing the harder version had raised levels of glutamate in their lateral prefrontal cortex compared with the start of the experiment. In those doing the easier task, levels stayed about the same. Across all participants, there was no rise in the other seven brain chemicals that were measured.
Among the participants doing the harder tasks, their glutamate level rise corresponded with dilation (扩大) of the pupils (瞳孔) in their eyes, another broad measure of exhaust. Those doing the simpler task reported feeling tired, but had no glutamate rise or pupil dilation.
“Measuring brain glutamate could be used to reveal how hard a region of the brain has been working,” says Reto Huber at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. “We never had a good measure for that on the molecular (分子的) or neurotransmitter (神经传递素) level. This looks really promising. It could potentially be used by doctors to assess people with conditions that can make concentrating difficult.”
1. Why does the brain reduce activity when it feels mentally tired according to the text?| A．To stop causing damage to memories. | B．To prevent glutamate from harming us. |
| C．To complete more difficult work. | D．To make quick decisions. |
| A．By monitoring pupils’ glutamate levels. |
| B．By monitoring the participants’ responses to different tasks. |
| C．By comparing the changes of participants’ chemical levels after tasks. |
| D．By analyzing different people’s glutamate levels. |
| A．We will have a good measure for brain glutamate in the future. |
| B．Measuring brain glutamate can show which brain area is working. |
| C．We have a new direction in studying the brain glutamate. |
| D．Measuring brain glutamate may be adopted in medicine. |
| A．How to relax your brain after thinking hard for several hours. |
| B．Why thinking hard for several hours can make you mentally tired. |
| C．What can you do to help your brain make right decisions. |
| D．What makes you tired after working for a long time. |
5 . Electric vehicles (EVs) have long been advertised as environmentally friendly vehicles. This is true, to some extent. EVs do not emit any carbon dioxide into the environment, unlike conventional cars.
But scientists foresee a new problem. Cars run on batteries, and electric cars are no different. So once the battery reaches the end of its useful life, what will be done with it?
As the number of electric vehicles in use increases greatly, scientists must discover an effective recycling method for EV batteries.
While electric cars and gas-powered cars essentially function in the same way, a major difference between the two is their batteries.
Electric vehicles use lithium-ion (锂离子) batteries, which are larger and heavier than a non-EV car’s lead-acid (铅酸) batteries. Instead of fuel, EVs rely directly on their batteries for a source of energy.
When charging, electricity triggers (引起) chemical changes within the battery. On the road, the chemical changes are converted into electricity, thus powering the car. The continuous charge-discharge process reduces the charge (电荷) the battery can hold. Thus, the distance and time between the car’s next charging session decreases.
The battery’s average lifespan ranges from five to eight years to 10-20 at most, so drivers will need to replace EV batteries many times in the car’s life.
A major issue with EV batteries is the inconvenience they pose during dismantling (拆卸). EV batteries are made up of several hundred lithium-ion cells. Each cell contains risky materials and must be dismantled individually. If not dismantled correctly, the battery cells may even explode.
Additionally, recycling methods that do exist for these batteries are energy- and cost-intensive. In fact, in the European Union and the US, lithium-ion battery recycling rates are only 5%.
Companies are trying to find solutions. Nissan, a car company, is reusing their electric car batteries in automated guided vehicles in their factories. These vehicles deliver car parts to workers. Volkswagen also uses its batteries like Nissan, but also recently opened its first recycling plant.
1. What can we learn from the sixth paragraph?| A．The chemical changes within the battery can power the car directly. |
| B．The charge process can prolong the life of the battery. |
| C．The battery’s lifespan may be affected by the continuous use of the car. |
| D．Chemical changes have no effect on the battery. |
| A．The complexity and danger when dismantling EV batteries. |
| B．Battery charging is very complex. |
| C．A lack of charging equipment for EVs. |
| D．Battery recycling performance is poor. |
| A．Some companies are improving the battery’s lifespan. |
| B．Some companies are establishing EV plants. |
| C．EVs are becoming more and more popular these days. |
| D．Recycling methods help solve the EVs’ battery problem. |
Peru is a country on the Pacific coast of South America In the 1400s and 1500s, Peru was the centre of the
A short flight from Cusco will take you into the Amazon rainforest. You can spend three days
A four-day walking tour will take you on amazing
Stones
7 . A study from the University of Montreal and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, published in Frontiers in Medicine, found that regular virtual visits to museums could help seniors stay mentally active and come with a host of additional health benefits. That’s because these digital connections can make retirees feel less lonely and isolated (孤立的).
Social isolation has been associated with the risks for heart disease and the decline of recognition abilities in seniors and the pandemic (疫情) increased the risks due to the need for seniors to stay home and isolate, according to a press release from the university.
The researchers investigated the potential benefits of weekly virtual visits for a three-month period. The participants were people aged 65 and older who lived in Montreal. Half of the participants took part in online visits and a discussion afterwards, while the control group did not participate in any cultural events at all. The group who participated in the virtual visits showed improvements in their quality of life. “Our study showed that art-based activities may be an effective intervention,” lead author Dr. Olivier Beauchet, a professor at the University of Montreal, said in the press release. “On a global scale, this participatory art-based activity could become a model that could be offered in museums and arts institutions worldwide to promote active and healthy aging.”
The initiative reflects approaches recommended by the World Health Organization to manage certain diseases, according to Beauchet. For instance, the WHO launched the Aging and Health Program in 2015 that included using community-based organizations to promote culture as a key component of improving health. Traditionally, these sorts of preventive health activities have taken place in schools, community centers, and workplaces. “While these are suitable locations that reach a great number of people, there are additional organizations and sectors that could become partners in public health research and practice development,” Beauchet said. “Museums are among such potential partners. They are aware of the needs of their communities and are consequently expanding the types of activities they offer.”
1. How do seniors benefit from regular virtual visits to museums?| A．They get survival skills. | B．They raise interest in art. |
| C．They improve quality of life. | D．They connect more with family. |
| A．Participants come from the whole world. | B．The museum needs better cultural events. |
| C．Face-to-face discussion is a useful intervention. | D．Seniors should attend more art-based activities. |
| A．To advocate. | B．To entertain. | C．To advertise. | D．To warn. |
| A．The Aged Form a Community to Reduce Loneliness |
| B．Virtual Art-based Activities Bring People Together |
| C．Online Museum Trips Improve Seniors’ Well being |
| D．Retired Individuals Pay More Visits to Museums |
8 . Birthdays often involve surprises. But this year’s surprise on the birthday of the great British playwright William Shakespeare is surely one of the most dramatic.
On April 22, one day before his 441st birthday anniversary, experts discovered that one of the most recognizable portraits of William Shakespeare is a fake. This means that we no longer have a good idea of what Shakespeare looked like. “It’s very possible that many pictures of Shakespeare might be unreliable because many of them are copies of this one,” said an expert from Britain’s National Portrait Gallery.
The discovery comes after four months of testing using X rays, ultraviolet light, microphotography and paint samples. The experts from the gallery say the image commonly known as the “Flower portrait”—was actually painted in the 1800s, about two centuries after Shakespeare’s death. The art experts who work at the gallery say they also used modern chemistry technology to check the paint on the picture. These checks found traces of paint dating from about 1814. Shakespeare died in 1616, and the date that appears on the portrait is 1609.
“We now think the portrait dates back to around 1818 to 1840. This was when there was a renewed interest in Shakespeare’s plays,” Tarnya Cooper, the gallery’s curator (馆长), told the Associated President.
The fake picture has often been used as a cover for collections of his plays. It is called the Flower portrait because one of its owners, Desmond Flower, gave it to the Royal Shakespeare S Company.
“There have always been questions about the painting,” said David Howells, curator for the Royal Shakespeare Company. “Now we know the truth, we can put the image in its proper place in the history of Shakespearean portraiture.”
Two other images of Shakespeare, are also being studied as part of the investigation and the results will come out later this month. .
1. What makes the birthday of Shakespeare dramatic this year?| A．It was found that he painted a portrait in 1814 instead of in 1609. |
| B．The Flower portrait has been found to be a fake. |
| C．Three portraits of Shakespeare are being tested to identify a real one. |
| D．It was found that there was a renewed interest in Shakespeare’s plays around 1818 to 1840. |
| A．Not mentioned. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．At least four. |
| A．Soon we’ll know which portrait is reliable. |
| B．Maybe we cannot find a real portrait of Shakespeare. |
| C．If the two portraits are found to be false, they will test more. |
| D．For now what Shakespeare really looked like will remain a mystery. |
| A．the surprise on the 441st bithday of Shakespeare | B．birthdays often involve surprises |
| C．one portrait of Shakespeare is a fake | D．how can we know Shakespeare’s appearance |
9 . One evening in 2014, feeling bored, Paul O’Sullivan from Baltimore went to Face book to find out just how many others on the social network shared his name. Moments later, Paul O’Sullivan had many name twins from around the world filling his screen. He decided to send friend requests (请求) to them all.
Many Paul O’Sullivans paid little attention to him, but a few took up his invitation. “My first thought was ‘Who is this guy and what does he want from me?’” says Paul O’Sullivan from Rotterdam, the Netherlands — now known as Rotterdam Paul.
Baltimore Paul noticed something four of them had in common: They were all musicians. He had an idea. Wouldn’t it be funny if they formed a band (乐队) called The Paul O’Sullivans? They all agreed.
Starting a band across several time zones means a lot of problems, like shaky Wi-Fi and other technical difficulties. To fix this, they came up with a special idea. Baltimore Paul and Rotterdam Paul record a basic track (音轨), then e-mail it to Manchester Paul. Once Manchester Paul records a bass track, he e-mails it buck to Baltimore Paul, who then builds it into the main song. Later, Pennsylvania Paul adds the drumbeat. Round and round the track goes until they achieve the sound they want.
The Paul O’Sullivan Band released (发布) its first song, “Namesake,” in March 2016. It’s a cheerful song about long-distance friendships:
But just months after the song’s release, Baltimore Paul began experiencing health problems that forced him to stop making music. The other Pauls decided to take a break too — from the band.
But they didn’t stop their friendship. The other Pauls made sure Baltimore Paul never felt alone. They often shared family pictures and talked online.
Four years later, Baltimore Paul was well enough to start making music again. But now their international connection took on new meaning. “Writing a song with someone across the world makes you feel less trapped (困住) and less unhappy because of COVID-19,” says Baltimore Paul.
1. How did Rotterdam Paul feel about Baltimore Paul’s request at first?| A．Curious. | B．Excited. | C．Nervous. | D．Annoyed. |
| A．By recording their song at the same time online. |
| B．By getting together and recording a small part each time. |
| C．By making a piece of music and adding their tracks separately. |
| D．By inventing new technology allowing them to record together. |
| A．One of them was ill. | B．One of them was too busy. |
| C．They wanted to change their style. | D．They found it hard to work online. |
| A．Wealth. | B．Comfort. | C．Many concerts. | D．More friendships. |
1.锻炼的意义；2. 推荐运动项目并给出理由。
Dear fellow students,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
the Student Union
