— ________. I have been practicing writing for ten years.
| A．Not at all | B．Oh, so-so | C．Thank you | D．It's ugly |
| A．Even though | B．Since | C．In case | D．As if |
3 . Many of us have entertained the idea of learning a foreign language. Here are a few examples, ranked in order of the number of hours it takes the average English speakers to master them from lowest to highest:
●Easiest（about 600 hours of study）
Want to have no trouble fitting in on the streets of Paris? You will make it after just 600 hours of study. The popular Latin languages —Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese —require about 600 hours of study to achieve “general professional proficiency” in speaking and reading. They share many words with English, but differ significantly in meanings.
●German（750 hours）
Interested in reading Karl May’s “Wild West” series in its original language? You’ll need to spend750 hours mastering German first. With nouns that are masculine, feminine and neutral, verbs that are given various different forms and an extremely strict sentence arrangement, German may appear impossible to start with. But pronunciation and spelling is straightforward and once you learn the —admittedly many —rules, that’s it. German teachers used to joke that it takes you a year to say, “I’m travelling on the bus,” but once you’re on that bus,it’s plain sailing.
●Greek（1,100 hours）
Modern Greek is maybe the easiest language to learn that uses a different alphabet. Because Greek is also a language that’s contributed numerous words to English. Indeed, in 1957,Xenophon Zolotas, the then governor of the Bank of Greece, gave two speeches to the IMF that contained just Greek loanwords apart from the unavoidable basic English.
●Arabic（2,200 hours）
There’s an interesting story about a pharmaceutical（制药）company that advertised painkiller with three pictures. The left picture depicted a woman with a headache. The middle one showed hers wallowing the pill and the right one had her smiling after the pain had disappeared. It worked everywhere except in the Arab world, which read it from right to left.
It takes the average native English speaker a whopping 2,200 hours to become proficient in Arabic. But who can resist a language with eleven words for love, five degrees of swearing and close to 100words describing a camel?
1. Who is this passage intended for?| A．German speakers. | B．Greek speakers. | C．English speakers. | D．Arabic speakers |
| A．Greek. | B．German | C．Spanish. | D．French. |
| A．The way it advertises. | B．The habit of reading. |
| C．The time to master it. | D．The expressions to say love. |
| A．She will prepare the food. |
| B．She dislikes going on a picnic. |
| C．She is worried about the weather. |
5 . Come and join the fantastic team at the Wyoming State Library! The WSL has an opening for a Resource Sharing Librarian, who will support statewide resource-sharing projects for the 105 member libraries. The position may assist library staff using the Integrated Library Systems(ILS) in other areas as needed.
This position is perfect for the candidate who:·Has experience using the ILS and Library Services Platforms.
·Can apply the ILS-related technologies such as interlibrary loan software and collection analysis tools.
·Can creatively solve problems and handle stressful situations in a positive manner.
·Is comfortable providing training using a variety of methods for users.
The person in this position will be responsible for:·Providing support and training for library staff throughout Wyoming.
·Using reporting tools to collect and analyze data related to shared lending, and share findings with library staff throughout Wyoming.
·Participating in resource-sharing communities and taking part in education al events and conferences related to resource-sharing.
·Maintaining awareness of interlibrary loan software developments.
Preference will be given to applicants with:·A Master's in Library Science or equivalent from an ALA-accredited institution.
·At least two years of post-MLS professional-level work in a library, including experience with interlibrary loan platforms.
·Effective communication, organization, analytical skills and problem-solving skills.
If you have a question about this article, please contact us at statelibrary@wyo.gov .
1. Who is suitable to work as a Resource Sharing Librarian?| A．One who can use the computer. | B．One who is devoted to his work. |
| C．One who has ILS & Library Platform Skills. | D．One who has working experience in the library. |
| A．Study the usage of the interlibrary loan software. |
| B．Organize some educational events and conferences. |
| C．Offer assistance and training to Wyoming librarians. |
| D．Work with other library staff to collect and analyze data. |
| A．A book review. | B．An official website. |
| C．A news report. | D．An academic article. |
6 . Late one evening, I noticed that Lazarus, my beloved German Shepherd, was not acting like himself. He began walking around and just couldn’t
Examinations were taken, and he appeared to be
Luckily, Lazarus stood up and recovered! No one, especially the doctor, expected him to make such a(n)
| A．put down | B．settle down | C．watch over | D．get over |
| A．trip | B．call | C．pill | D．test |
| A．stable | B．serious | C．sleepy | D．thrilled |
| A．attack | B．discomfort | C．damage | D．surgery |
| A．reused | B．overcome | C．acknowledged | D．needed |
| A．forced | B．ordered | C．recommended | D．requested |
| A．clinic | B．yard | C．shelter | D．box |
| A．most dangerous | B．strangest | C．longest | D．most expensive |
| A．abuse | B．strike | C．cry | D．pray |
| A．hardly | B．willingly | C．relatively | D．absolutely |
| A．pull through | B．take care | C．come along | D．break out |
| A．hurt | B．sank | C．recovered | D．melted |
| A．responses | B．values | C．chances | D．desires |
| A．raised | B．trembled | C．changed | D．broke |
| A．deal | B．wish | C．improvement | D．difference |
7 . Fly on a lamp on a summer evening and, within minutes, insects will begin to gather near the lamp. This behavior has given rise to a popular simile (比喻) that describes attraction: “like a moth (蛾) to a flame.” Though insects have been “drawn” toward bright light sources for a long time, scientists never truly understood why. Now, they may finally have an answer.
Insects aren’t attracted to artificial lights, according to a new paper published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications. Rather, the glow (光) might be interfering with their natural sense of direction. The insects you see circling street lights, in other words, are likely lost.
The new finding depends on a theory about navigation. When insects fly, they can experience whole body acceleration up to five times greater than the acceleration caused by gravity. As such, it can be difficult for them to know which way is up and which way is down as they fly through the air.
The study authors suspect insects rely on the glow coming from stars, planets and the moon to reorient (定方向) themselves. For most of Earth’s history, the sky was the brightest source of light at night, so flying insects turned their bodies to make their backs face skyward. But then, artificial light entered the picture.
To reach these conclusions, scientists used high-resolution cameras to film insects flying around artificial lights in Costa Rica. They also attached tiny sensors to dragonflies and moths, then filmed motion-capture videos of them in flight. Together, these methods allowed researchers to slow down the insects’ normally fast pace and study their movements in greater detail. The footage showed insects turning their backs toward sources of artificial light — even at the price of crashing.
If the light’s above them, they might start orbiting it. When they fly directly over a light, they fly themselves upside down and that can lead to crashes. It really suggests that the moth is confused as to which way is up. After running some experiments, researchers determined that light shining straight down provided the least disruption to insects’ flight. Lights that pointed straight up, on the other hand, caused the most difficulties.
1. What does the underlined word “interfering” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?| A．Disturbing. | B．Boosting. | C．Restoring. | D．Balancing. |
| A．Body acceleration weakens for them in flight. |
| B．Light from stars is harmful to their navigation. |
| C．They often fly at a very slow speed. |
| D．They fly with their backs facing light. |
| A．Light pointing upward. | B．Light pointing backward. |
| C．Light shining downward. | D．Light shining forward. |
| A．Is It Good to Be Like a Moth to a Flame? |
| B．Why do Flying Insects Gather near Light? |
| C．How Fast Can Insects Fly at Night? |
| D．How does Insect Flight Evolve? |
8 . Every year, about 15 billion trees are cut down to make way for agriculture, mining, logging. and urban expansion. Such mass deforestation has accelerated global warming and endangered the survival of millions of species. Though many nations, organizations, and even individuals have tried, no one could plant enough trees to make up for that loss — but some innovative entrepreneurs are working on a high-tech solution.
BioCarbon Engineering (BCE), a U.K.-based start-up, has developed a technique that could plant one billion trees per year. The method? Drones (无人机). Current tree-planting programs "are just not fast enough," said Irina Fedorenko, a co-founder of the company. "But our technology is automated, so we can scale up quite realistically and quite quickly."
First, a drone scans the land and develops a 3-D map of the area. Then, using the data from this "smart map", the team develops an algorithm (算法) for a unique planting pattern. A drone uses the algorithm to carry out the planting strategy. The drone flies about six feet above the ground, firing growing seeds at a speed that will get them under the soil. The species planted by drone has a better survival rate than helicopter spreading that's more commonly used. Some species even have survival rates nearly identical to hand planting.
With GPS and imaging technologies, experts agree that drones have become useful for accurately mapping large areas of land and measuring tree growth. But some scientists are more skeptical about their success as a planting technology to tackle deforestation on a large scale. After all, they only have so much range and battery life.
"Drones are good for measuring secondary growth and looking at where the forest is coming back, but you fight deforestation at a socioeconomic level," says Arturo Sanchez, director of the University of Alberta's Center for Earth Observation and Sciences. "The issue of climate change is not forest restoration, the issue is energy. It is controlling coal plants, power plants, automobile emissions. Planting trees is very important, but when you look at the distribution of CO₂ emissions, deforestation accounts for 10 to 15 percent. The rest is energy. That's what needs to be controlled."
1. What is the author's purpose in mentioning many trees are cut down?| A．To appeal to us to stop cutting down trees. |
| B．To demonstrate the widespread use of trees. |
| C．To show the urgency of planting sufficient trees. |
| D．To illustrate the effect of economic development on forests. |
| A．Drones can't grow trees faster than current programs. |
| B．Drones accurately map the land prior to planting. |
| C．Drones grow seeds six feet beneath the ground. |
| D．Drones make seeds survive better than hand planting. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Optimistic. | C．Carefree. | D．Intolerant. |
| A．Restoring forest is key to tackling climate change. |
| B．More coal plants are needed to generate abundant energy. |
| C．A major part of CO₂ emissions results from deforestation. |
| D．Coal plants and cars emissions should be restricted. |
9 . In a heartwarming display of community spirit, six student lacrosse (长曲棍球) players from Roslyn High School in New York have come together to make sports more accessible for people with disabilities. The initiative, dubbed" Lacrosse My Heart," was started by a group of teenagers who were inspired to create a more inclusive environment for their peers with disabilities.
The program focuses on adapting lacrosse, a popular sport in the area, to meet the needs of individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities. The students have designed specialized equipment and rules to ensure that everyone can participate, regardless of their abilities. For example, they have created larger goals and lighter balls to make scoring easier, and have implemented modifications such as allowing players to use their hands to catch and throw the ball. These adaptations have made the sport more accessible and enjoyable for all participants.
The program has gained significant support from the local community, with many schools and organizations donating resources and volunteering their time. The students have also received guidance from experts in adapted physical education, ensuring that the program is safe and enjoyable for all participants. This collaboration has helped to create a program that is both inclusive and beneficial for everyone involved.
One of the key aspects of Lacrosse My Heart is its emphasis on building relationships between able-bodied students and those with disabilities. The founders wanted to create an environment where kids with disabilities could feel included and build friendships with their peers. This approach has been successful, with participants reporting increased confidence and social skills.
Lacrosse My Heart is not only providing opportunities for individuals with disabilities to participate in sports but also promoting understanding and acceptance among young people. By creating a welcoming environment and adapting sports to meet individual needs, these high school students are breaking down barriers and fostering a sense of community that goes beyond the playing field. Their efforts are not only changing lives but also inspiring others to create more inclusive spaces for individuals with disabilities.
1. What is the mission of Lacrosse My Heart?| A．Making sports inclusive for the disabled. |
| B．Promoting a type of sport in the community. |
| C．Raising funds to support people with disabilities. |
| D．Building accesses to public areas for the disabled. |
| A．By getting rid of rules. |
| B．By reducing the weight of balls. |
| C．By making it tough to score. |
| D．By prohibiting the use of hands. |
| A．Engaging disabled people in supporting the community. |
| B．Donating resources to many schools and organizations. |
| C．Designing safe programs for experts in physical education. |
| D．Building bonds between disabled students and non-disabled peers. |
| A．Ambitious and persevering. |
| B．Confident and adventurous. |
| C．Caring and socially responsible. |
| D．Independent and courageous. |
10 . CitySprouts is a non-profit school garden program that works with public schools to build capacity to integrate the school garden into teaching curriculum and the school culture. CitySprouts Summer Program is based in Cambridge and provides 100 youth (ages 11-14) with hands-on learning through growing, harvesting, preparing and eating healthy food in an urban garden. With an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), the summer program fosters a strong connection to their natural urban environment through working and learning in the garden.
CitySprouts is seeking energetic, diverse, and outgoing college students to provide essential support to the Summer Program. We expect to accept 8-10 students as CitySprouts Summer Fellows for nine weeks during the summer. CitySprouts Summer Fellows can expect a significant learning opportunity as well as opportunities for career exploration.
Summer Fellow Responsibilities:
·Participate in weekly staff meetings
·Maintain safety during youth meal preparation
·Complete special garden maintenance and construction projects with garden crew
·Engage in daily lesson and activity planning in STEM-SL curriculum, gardening skills and cooking
·Assist the Garden Coordinator in teaching a team of summer middle school interns about growing food, garden care, healthy cooking, science of the garden, and the natural environment
Important Notes:
Fellows are central to our summer staffing and the success of our summer youth program, so we ask for a commitment to the full-nine week time period. The CitySprouts Summer Fellowship is an unpaid position. We ask all Fellows to either secure funding through their schools service learning & career center or receive internship credits from their college or university.
Please click here to include two references that can speak to your work or school experience. Please send one page application resumetomiddleschoolprogram@citysprouts.org .
1. What can we know about CitySprouts Summer Program?| A．It makes students learn gardening merely from textbooks. |
| B．It takes students to rural areas to learn gardening in summer. |
| C．It helps students develop a bond with natural urban environment. |
| D．It teaches 8 to 10 middle school students skills linked to gardening. |
| A．Ensure security during youth meal preparation. |
| B．Accomplish garden maintenance by themselves. |
| C．Design relevant events and courses once a week. |
| D．Teach the garden coordinator gardening skills. |
| A．To encourage schools to add gardening to curriculum. |
| B．To illustrate the significance of learning STEM courses. |
| C．To persuade schools to provide funds for a program. |
| D．To recruit university students to assist with a program. |
