The day was Thankful Thursday, our “chosen day” of service. It’s a weekly tradition that my two little girls and I began years ago. Thursday has become our day to go out in the world and make a positive contribution, however small it is. On this particular Thursday, we had no idea exactly what we were going to do, but we knew that something would present itself.
Driving along a busy Houston road, I prayed for guidance in our quest to fulfill our weekly Act of Kindness. Around the noon hour, my two little ones wasted no time in letting me know their hunger, chanting, “McDonald’s, McDonald’s, McDonald’s” as we drove along. And I began searching earnestly for the nearest McDonald’s. Suddenly I realized that almost every crossroad I passed through was occupied by a beggar. And then it hit me!
If my two little ones were hungry, then all these beggars must be hungry, too. Perfect! Our Act of Kindness had presented itself. We were going to buy lunch for the beggars. After finding a McDonald’s and ordering two Happy Meals for my girls, I ordered an additional 15 lunches and we set out to deliver them. It was exciting. We would pull alongside a beggar, make a contribution, and tell him or her that we hoped things would get better. Then we’d say, “Oh, by the way, here’s lunch.” And then we would head to the next crossroad.
It was the best way to give. There wasn’t enough time for us to introduce ourselves or explain what we were going to do, nor was there time for them to say anything back to us. The Act of Kindness was anonymous and empowering for each of us, and we loved what we saw in the rearview mirror: a surprised and delighted person holding up his lunch bag and just looking at us as we drove off. It was wonderful!
注意:
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Then at a crossroad stood a small woman, asking for change.
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She looked at me and added, “You know what, this is my daughter’s favorite.”
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2 . While still in its early stages, welfare reform has already been judged a great success in many states —at least in getting people off welfare. It’s estimated that more than 2 million people have left the rolls(名单) since 1994.
In the past four years, welfare rolls in Athens County have been cut in half. But 70 percent of the people who left in the past two years took jobs that paid less than $6 an hour. The result: The Athens County poverty rate still remains at more than 30 percent - twice the national average. For advocates for the poor, that’s an indication that much more needs to be done.
“More people are getting jobs, but it’s not making their lives any better,” says Kathy Lairn, a policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington.
A center analysis of US Census data nationwide found that last year, a greater percentage of single, female-headed households were earning money on their own, but that average income for these households actually went down.
But for many, the fact that poor people are able to support themselves almost as well without government aid as they did with it is in itself a huge victory.
“Welfare was a poison. It was a toxin that was poisoning the family,” says Robert Rector, a welfare-reform policy analyst. “The reform is changing the moral climate in low-income communities. It’s beginning to rebuild the work ethic, which is much more important.”
Mr. Rector and others argued that once “the habit of dependency is cracked,” then the country can make other policy changes aimed at improving living standards.
1. Why don’t people enjoy their lives better when they get jobs?A.Because they are used to relying on welfare to make livings. |
B.Because the cost of living is higher than before. |
C.Because many families are not satisfied with their income. |
D.Because their wages are very low. |
A.government aids | B.work ethic |
C.welfare funds | D.moral awareness |
A.To improve their living standards. | B.To help them be employed. |
C.To get them off welfare. | D.To increase their wage. |
A.He is completely certain about the success of welfare reform. |
B.He thinks that welfare reform has done little good for the poor. |
C.He considers welfare reform successful in general. |
D.He insists welfare reform has increased the government’s burden. |
3 . At the age of 13, Giorgia began to suffer a severe skin disorder, which started out on her arms and face and continued to
But for Giorgia, the most pain was
That seems not
Fortunately, Giorgia had a strong and beautiful spirit inside. She realized she had a(n)
“We might have
A.collapse | B.spread | C.bother | D.decline |
A.why | B.whether | C.when | D.how |
A.emotional | B.greedy | C.ugly | D.humble |
A.closing | B.wasting | C.leading | D.ruining |
A.rewarding | B.stressful | C.appropriate | D.fantastic |
A.sections | B.parts | C.pieces | D.blocks |
A.bear | B.admit | C.mind | D.risk |
A.alternative | B.session | C.duty | D.promise |
A.courage | B.priority | C.support | D.criterion |
A.controlled | B.disinfected | C.examined | D.accepted |
A.break down | B.get under | C.cope with | D.cover up |
A.regrettably | B.bravely | C.seriously | D.shyly |
A.strength | B.knowledge | C.sympathy | D.experience |
A.assumptions | B.affairs | C.conditions | D.qualities |
A.interaction | B.attitude | C.integrity | D.generosity |
1.中国茶文化历史悠久;
2.茶在中国人生活中的重要性;
3.希望有更多的人喜欢中国茶,了解中国文化。
注意∶1.写作词数应为80左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear David,
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Yours,
Li Hua
5 . It is that time of the year, when a handful of world’s leading scholars, social activists and researchers are rewarded with what is often cited as the most prestigious acknowledgement of human effort-the Nobel Prize. Here’s a look at who has won the prize and for what.
Physiology or Medicine
Swedish geneticist Svante Peabo won the first Nobel of the year, for starting the field of ancient DNA studies. He is well-known for extracting, sequencing, and analyzing ancient DNA from Neanderthal bones.
Physics
Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger’s work in quantum (量子) technology landed them the second Nobel Prize announced in 2022. Although Aspect is from France, Clauser from the U.S, and Zeilinger from Austria, the three separately performed “groundbreaking experiments” as one team. “Their results have cleared the way for new technology,” the committee stated.
Chemistry
The Nobel Prize for chemistry went to another trio, Carolyn R. Bertozzi from the U.S., Morten Meldal from Denmark and K. Barry Sharpless from the U.S. “for the development of click chemistry and biorthogonal chemistry,” the committee stated. Dr. Bertozzi is the eighth woman chemist to be awarded the prize, while Dr. Sharpless is the fifth scientist to be awarded two Nobel Prizes.
Economics
The Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded to three American economists, Ben S. Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond and Philip H. Dybvig “for research on banks and financial crises,” the Nobel Prize committee announced on Monday. By studying the history of American economics, particularly the Great Depression of the 1930s,they improved how we understand the role of banks during times of hardship and the bank’s impact on societal functions.
1. What prize is related to the research with bones?A.Physiology. | B.Chemistry. | C.Physics. | D.Economics. |
A.About societal functions. | B.About the history of America. |
C.About banks and financial crises. | D.About the Great Depression of the 1930s. |
A.Their winners are from different countries. | B.They have three winners. |
C.They improve new technology. | D.They help people understand hardship. |
6 . This week, Parisians have been treated to the sight of ecotaxis, transporting people up and down the river Seine. They are called SeaBubbles and are being tested ahead of the decision to introduce them into the Parisian transport network. The SeaBubble is still in its early testing period, using technological know-how from several industries. The boat sits in the water as the passengers get on and off but once the door is closed the boat starts moving at 12 kmh (7.5 mph) along the surface. It is 100% electric.
The foils(箔) they use are not new technology. They date back to 1898 and an Italian engineer called Enrico Forlanini. The Germans tested foil boats in the 1940s, the first hydrofoil ferry(水翼渡船) was used between Switzerland and Italy in the 1950s and by 1965, a hydrofoil boat was good enough for the James Bond baddie in Thunderball. What has changed, however, is the technology, which has improved to the point where it can now succeed in dealing with some of the shortcomings which prevented their widespread use.
The company has big goals; it wants to use the world’s waterways—and not roads—to transport people from A to B, and it wants to do so with “zero wave, zero emission(排放), zero noise.” The SeaBubbles would travel at the same speed as cars and the goal is to provide these at the same cost as a taxi, with customers ordering them through an app as they would an Uber.
Anders Bringdal, SeaBubbles CEO, told Associated Press that he hopes to change the way people move about cities. SeaBubbles are one more example of how shared public transport can change the mobility of large cities, much like shared bikes are now doing. People are increasingly looking to rivers as a means of moving around large cities to compete with the subway or buses—in London, travel cards are now accepted on river boats.
1. What do we know about the SeaBubble?A.It has been used in Paris. | B.It moves as fast as a car. |
C.It is under water when it moves. | D.It uses knowledge from other industries. |
A.To give special importance to the breakthrough of foils. |
B.To explain the reasons for creating the SeaBubble. |
C.To point out the disadvantages of foils. |
D.To show how the SeaBubble works. |
A.To put traditional taxis out of business. |
B.To work with Uber to transport more people. |
C.To transport people on waterways worldwide. |
D.To make environment-friendly inventions at low prices. |
A.It may have an important place in public transport. |
B.It has been widely accepted by many countries. |
C.It will make the company world-famous. |
D.It still needs more tests. |
I’m so glad to read about the changes talking place in your city. It’s really good news that you can travel by subway in Xi’an, though there’s only one line there. Here in London we have twelve lines. By the way, we don’t use the word “subway” here. It’s American English. We call it “the Underground”, instead.
The London Underground is very famous. It’s famous for several reasons. First of all, part of the underground railway today is the oldest in the world, which opened in 1863. Secondly, the London Underground is also the first line to have electric trains, in 1890. Thirdly but not the last, the London Underground is the second largest metro system in the world, after the Shanghai Metro. There are 270 stations in the Underground and it has 402 kilometres of tracks (轨道). What’s more, the city of London itself helps make the transportation system famous! I’ve got a few photos to help you build a clear picture of the Underground in my city. They are together with this mail.
In your email, you also said workers were building more lines. I’m sure your city is developing fast. Maybe you can send me a few photos of your city today. I really want to see the changes taking place there. I’m happy for you to live there in an ancient city with such a new look!
So much for now. I’ll write soon again. Best wishes!
1. Where is the writer from?A.From Xi’an. | B.From Shanghai. | C.From London. | D.From New York. |
A.when the first subway was opened in the world |
B.when the London Underground first used electric trains |
C.why the London Underground is the oldest subway in the world |
D.why the London Underground is famous in the world |
A.almost the same thing | B.two different things |
C.three different things | D.nothing like each other |
A.To buy a good book about Xi’an for him. |
B.To post him some postcards of Xi’an. |
C.To tell him more about Xi’an subway. |
D.To send him a few photos of Xi’an. |
8 . There is a special kind of hotel in Quebec, Canada. It has a bar, a church, a shop and a small theater. These things are not unusual. But this hotel is only open from January till March every year. Why? Because it is made of ice and snow! When the weather gets warm, the hotel melts (融化) and closes. Every winter, the hotel owners build the hotel again.
Everything in the Ice Hotel is made of ice and snow. All the furniture, such as the tables and chairs, is made of ice. Even the beds are made of ice! So people use special sleeping bags on the ice beds. Inside the ice hotel, the temperature is about 27°F (-3°C)
When people sleep, the sleeping bags keep them warm. In the morning, they can have a hot breakfast. After breakfast, people can enjoy winter activities. They can go skiing or ice fishing. Or they can go skating in the dining room. At the end of the day, people can relax at the bar. They can have drinks in glasses made of ice.
Many people enjoy the Ice Hotel every year. But they can only enjoy it for a short time before it melts again.
1. Every year, this hotel is only open for ________.A.four weeks | B.about three months | C.two seasons | D.about a year |
A.skiing. | B.skating . | C.fishing | D.swimming |
A.An Unusual Hotel | B.A Warm Hotel | C.A Common Hotel | D.An Old Hotel |
Once there lived a rich man
In the centre of the main road into the town, he placed
“Who put this stone in the centre of the road?” said the old man, but he did not try to remove the stone. Instead, with some difficulty he passed around the stone and continued on his way. Another man came along and did the same thing; then another came, and another. All of
Then he began to move the stone. He pushed and pulled with all his
10 . Industrial agriculture is often held up as the solution to feeding the world’s growing population. But small farms of about 25 acres or less produce over 70 percent of the world’s food. To raise awareness of the contribution of these farmers, a global photo exhibition, We Feed the World, is to open on October 12 in London.
“Industrial agriculture, which mainly focuses on a few types of crops, is not the only answer,” says art director Francesca Price. “We want these images to empower people to support their local food system.”
By growing traditional and non-commercial varieties, small farms support biodiversity and increase food security. With only 12 plants and five animal species making up 75 percent of what the world eats, food systems will be easily hurt by natural disasters and disease outbreaks. However, traditional farming communities are working to preserve their ancient seed diversity.
Keeping variety alive is very important in the face of climate change. In the future, researchers might need to get particular genes from one variety to help another to adapt to warmer, stormier, or drier weather, or to save a prized variety from disease.
Contrary to the false impression held by the public, small farms that practise traditional agriculture can be highly productive. Studies show that the output of crops rises when there’s a wider diversity of crops being grown on a farm, and money is saved since the need for harmful fertilizer and other chemicals is reduced.
“The photographs of family farmers may tell just a few local stories, but the message is universal,” says photographer Cheryl Newman. “I hope that the images will leave viewers thinking deeply about where their food comes from and the impact it has on the world around us.”
1. What is the purpose of the photo exhibition?A.To help small farmers to sell their produce. |
B.To show the challenges faced by small farmers. |
C.To draw attention to small farmers’ contribution. |
D.To help farmers to fight against industrial agriculture. |
A.It produces more food than small farms in total. |
B.It harms biodiversity and decreases food security. |
C.It has been competing unfairly with small farms. |
D.It is the only way to feed the world’s population. |
A.Their genes are much better. |
B.Their output is much higher. |
C.They may help improve the other crops. |
D.They don’t need chemical fertilizers at all. |
A.The importance of traditional small farms. |
B.The problems with the industrial agriculture. |
C.The consequences of fast-growing population. |
D.The impact of climate change on agriculture. |