J. Palacio bases Wonder on August or “Auggie” Pullman, a ten-year-old boy born with a deformed (残缺的) face that made him usually discriminated (歧视) against. Due to the twenty-seven
2 . If you’re looking to pick up an exercise bike on sale, our guide to the amazing exercise bike deals available right now will help you.
Bowflex C7 Bike — was S1,499.99, now S899.99 at Best Buy Save a huge $600 on this high-quality Bowflex bike in this excellent deal from Best Buy in the run-up to Black Friday. With this bike, you can access daily custom workouts and cycle through virtual scenic destinations, all for less than $900. Grab it now before it sells out. | |
NordicTrack GX 2.7U — was $799.99, now $349.99 at Best Buy Featuring a 5" multicolor display, an interia-enhanced flywheel and 20 resistance levels, this exercise bike is currently discounted by $450 at Best Buy. It even has 20 onboard workouts already built in as well! | |
Costway Exercise Bike — was $399.99, now $195.99 at Target With a multifunctional display and phone holder, adjustable resistance and a silent steel flywheel, this exercise bike is designed to offer you exceptionally good value for your money — and at this discount, who could turn their nose up at it! | |
Geemax Bike — was $239.99, now $159.99 at Walmart This exercise bike from Geemax features a maximum load weight of 264.55 lbs, an 8kg balanced bidirectional (双向的) steel flywheel, stepless resistance adjustment and an LCD monitor to keep track of your workouts. Plus, the 245 user reviews look pretty promising! |
1. Which provides virtual scenery while you are riding it?
A.A Bowflex C7 Bike. | B.A NordicTrack GX 2.7 U. |
C.A Costway Exercise Bike. | D.A Geemax Bike. |
A.$595.98. | B.$450. |
C.$204. | D.$195.99. |
A.A multifunctional display. | B.A phone holder. |
C.A bidirectional steel flywheel. | D.An LCD monitor. |
Japan is experiencing record heat. Last week, the temperature in eastern Japan
Japan’s heat wave is set to continue. The weather agency said that the country’s
4 . With more people concerned about the environment, you can expect to see many more electric vehicles( EVs电动汽车) on the road in future.
Since they’re powered by electricity, EVs also apply full power as soon as the driver hits the accelerator (加速器).
Of course, there are also disadvantages. Most EVs can drive over 200 miles on one full charge.
A.There are many benefits of owning an EV. |
B.At that point, though, they need to be recharged. |
C.Many drivers also report that EVs feel more secure. |
D.This may help them speed up faster than gas-powered cars. |
E.As the name suggests, electric vehicles rely on electricity alone. |
F.Many people prefer EVs because they can reduce their stress. |
G.So what is it like to drive an electric vehicle instead of a gas-powered car? |
5 . Counting stars is pretty difficult in areas with lots of light, like major cities. A study says even in the clearest skies, you’re still seeing turbulence (涡流) in the atmosphere that makes stars twinkle. Want a truly perfect view of outer space? An international research team has found the spot, but you’ll need to wrap up warm. It’s in Antarctica!
According to the University of New South Wales, turbulence causes light coming from stars to bend as it reaches the Earth’s surface. That instability( 不稳定) in the air makes stars twinkle.
The location in Antarctica, however, has so little turbulence that it hardly interferes (干扰) with the light from stars, making the view extraordinarily clear. The Chinese-led research team built a system of telescopes on the top of a plateau(高原), named Dome A, which sits 4,000 feet above sea level.
“Dome A is the highest point in the central plateau of Antarctica, and the atmosphere is extremely stable here, much more so than anywhere else on Earth,” says UNSW Professor Michael Ashley. “The result is that the twinkling of the stars is greatly reduced, and the star images are much sharper and brighter. In fact, this special place even has advantages over the famous Hubble Space Telescope.”
“Satellites are a lot more expensive,” the astronomer explains. “But another advantage of making Earth-based observations is that you can always add the latest technology to your telescope on the ground. In space, everything is delayed (延迟). So you end up with technology in space lagging that on the ground by 10 years or more.”
One of the biggest advantages Dome A’s location has is that winter nights in Antarctica are very long. In fact, scientists will be able to track stars continuously since some nights in midwinter last for almost 24 hours.
1. Why is the view of stars extraordinarily clear in Antarctica?A.Because stars appear bigger there. |
B.Because turbulence hardly exists there. |
C.Because there is little air pollution there. |
D.Because more light coming from stars arrives there. |
A.Based on. | B.Linked to. |
C.Competing with. | D.Falling behind. |
A.It sits 4,000 feet above sea level. |
B.It has very long winter nights there. |
C.The famous Hubble Space Telescope is there. |
D.Telescopes there are equipped with the latest technology. |
A.Business. | B.Environment. |
C.Science. | D.Tourism. |
6 . Borrowing Rules of Some Public Libraries
General Borrowing Rules
Borrowing Periods
*3 weeks for books and magazines
*2 weeks for new books
*1 week for entertainment DVDs
*1 week for documentary DVDs
*3 days for new DVDs(with stickers)
Renewals (续借)
All items except DVDs, Interlibrary Loan items, and new books may be renewed once if no one is waiting for them. Renewals may be made by calling 794-4244 ext. 4721.
Limits on Borrowing Rules
Adults(18 and over)may borrow
*30 items total from any of the Vineland, Bridgeton, and Millville libraries
*5 books from Vineland Public Library on any one topic for 3 weeks
*4 entertainment DVDs for 1 week
*4 documentary DVDs for 1 week
*6 magazines for 3 weeks
First-time borrowers are limited to 2 items.
Children(17 and under)may borrow
*30 items total
*3 books on one topic
*4 videos or DVDs
*6 magazines
Fines
*15 cents per day for adult books, magazines and music CDs
*35 cents a day for new books(14-day loan from the New Book shelves)
*$2.00 per day for overdue videos and DVDs
*10 cents per day on children’s materials and Audio Books
*10 cents per day on all other library materials
Borrowers are responsible for the replacement cost of any damaged or lost items. A $3 processing fee will also be charged.
1. How long may a borrower keep a new DVD?A.Three days. | B.One week. |
C.Two weeks. | D.Three weeks. |
A.Adults. | B.Children. |
C.New borrowers. | D.Ones damaging items. |
A.15 cents. | B.30 cents. |
C.35 cents. | D.70 cents. |
It was the day before Thanksgiving. Gray clouds covered the sky. The air was biting. The temperature was below freezing. And I was on the way home.
This is my driver Jacob, a tall, strong and middle-aged man. Jacob was sent to pick me up and take me three hours on a drive inland in Mexico. Like most drivers, he is very talkative. As we were driving, he started to tell me his story. Out of the habit shaped by my career, I like to chat and I like to get to know people and their stories.
He shared with me that since the pandemic, he had to change jobs and was currently spending six days a week away from his family in a town that had more work. This life certainly can seem full of pains at times. It is up to us, though, to make each one a blessing in disguise (伪装,掩饰).
He mentioned the name of his hometown ‘Nah Bok’ and shared that he had to spend five hours on his only day off on the three different buses to get there and back to spend one day with them. His mother, his wife and his kids are there, waiting for him. The weekly trips are tiring but worthwhile for those short moments of happiness and joy. Then they parted ways, wishing well thoughts for the week ahead.
I do understand such experience. Admittedly, I was one of those kids like his. My father had worked away when I was young, sometimes away for weeks and months at a time. I remember us kids waiting for our turn to have just a couple of minutes on the phone with him back before we had Skype (一种即时通讯软件).
注意:
1.所续写的短文词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
After two hours into our drive, I saw a sign saying ‘Nah Bok’.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
That’s a little moment of JOY I brought to the man.
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8 . Officials in New York City are using technology to cut down on noise on city streets. Some of the strongest rules have been released to limit noise on city streets. Cameras equipped with radar sound collectors identify loud vehicles in an effort to catch drivers violating noise rules.
The new devices record the vehicle numbers of offenders, who then receive a violation notice in the mail. Owners face fines of $800 for a first noise offense. Some could be required to pay up to $2,625 if they have three violations and ignore court hearings.
Evidence is clear that noise affects not only hearing but mood and mental health, not to mention possible links to heart disease and blood pressure. “You listen to the noise out there, it is nonstop — the horns, the trucks, the sirens,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently blamed an expressway for noise and illness. “Noise pollution makes it hard to sleep and increases the risk of chronic (慢性的) disease.”
However, some people in the city say the government efforts to quiet loud vehicles have gone too far. Phillip Franklin, a 30-year-old car lover from the Bronx area of New York, launched an online effort to protest noise rules. “The majority of us live here in New York City, where noise is a part of our daily lives. Quiet vehicles can also present dangers to inattentive individuals walking around New York City,” said Franklin. He also noted that fixing potholes (路面坑洼) is a lot more important than going after noisy cars.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said loud noise can cause immediate harm to one’s ears. Even with sound barriers, close-fitting windows and noise-reducing materials, there is only so much that can be done to reduce sound levels in the city. Many New York residents have simply learned to live with the noise. The local authority now has plans to expand the use of technology to strengthen noise rules. So far, at least 71 people have received fines for operating cars or trucks that make too much noise.
1. What can we learn about noise from paragraph 3?A.Noise has no influence on mental health. |
B.Noise is harmful to human beings. |
C.Noise must lead to blood pressure. |
D.Noise is difficult to be found. |
A.Favorable. | B.Tolerant. | C.Indifferent. | D.Disapproving. |
A.Fix potholes to improve road safety. |
B.Apply the new technology on a larger scale. |
C.Raise the allowable noise standard for vehicles. |
D.Encourage residents to use noise-reducing equipment. |
A.Entertainment. | B.Health. | C.Education. | D.Science. |
9 . Last week my four-year-old son Basti and I went for a walk in a park.
That evening, I came across a community post from a (n)
The next morning, I had to break the
The lovely toy was returned. Feeling unhappy, yet I thought we had made a good
A.Climbing | B.Crashing | C.Noticing | D.Approaching |
A.found | B.bought | C.mentioned | D.recognized |
A.brief | B.shallow | C.amazing | D.familiar |
A.bed | B.dining-room | C.workshop | D.kitchen |
A.awkward | B.anxious | C.energetic | D.frightened |
A.damaged | B.lost | C.rented | D.stolen |
A.happy | B.angry | C.excited | D.concerned |
A.calmed | B.invited | C.contacted | D.comforted |
A.news | B.effect | C.cup | D.letter |
A.contributing | B.holding | C.painting | D.washing |
A.borrowed | B.hid | C.loved | D.needed |
A.accept | B.recover | C.return | D.keep |
A.plan | B.contribution | C.promise | D.decision |
A.quickly | B.slightly | C.fortunately | D.actually |
A.pulled up | B.cheered up | C.responded to | D.belonged to |
National Handwriting Day
The Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA)
Handwriting is more like an art rather than