Meagan and her close friend Samantha, both school teachers, lived together in an apartment in Denver. On mornings when Samantha had class, Meagan would help to watch her 2-year-old daughter, Hannah. Also part of the household was Meagan’s pet, Willie, a particularly intelligent and chatty parrot.
Willie was indeed funny and a good talker. In addition to some vocabulary learned from Meagan, he became a great mimic (会模仿的动物) of cats, dogs, and chickens. Plus, he could sing along to the radio. The bird was a nice playmate for the little girl, and he always knew how to lift her spirits. The bird was more than just a pet; he was a member of the family.
One day, with Samantha at school, Hannah had comfortably positioned herself in front of morning cartoons while Meagan was busy cooking in the kitchen, preparing the little girl her favorite breakfast treat, an apple pie. When Meagan was done baking the apple pie, she placed it at the center of the kitchen table to cool. She looked at Hannah and, confident the child was fully engaged with the TV, walked out of the kitchen quickly to use the bathroom.
Meagan was gone maybe 30 seconds. And suddenly, she heard the bird going crazy, screaming loudly. She heard two very distinct words from the parrot’s mouth. “Mama! Baby!” Repeated over and over again. “Mama! Baby! Mama! Baby!”
Meagan ran out of the bathroom to find Hannah in the kitchen, holding the partly eaten apple pie, fighting for breath, her face and lips a terrifying shade of blue. And Willie was still screaming loudly.Hannah had climbed up on a chair, gotten the apple pie from the kitchen table and was clearly choking on it.
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With a pounding heart, Meagan grabbed Hannah immediately.
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . A new project in the Caribbean is setting out to save coral reefs(珊瑚礁)- and the world. The Ocean-Shot Project, spearheaded by climate scientist Dr. Deborah Brosnan, launched in 2021 to develop a “massive, first-of-its-kind” coral reef restoration initiative in the Caribbean country Antigua and Barbuda.
“We lose more coral reefs in a day that we can restore in a decade,”Brosnan said. “Our progress towards protecting coral reefs——which ultimately protect us——is too slow. So Ocean- Shot Project is about literally rebuilding the reefs, the architecture of the reefs, for the future. ”
What sets this project apart from other coral reef restoration projects is its focus——the architecture of the reef itself. While many initiatives prioritize saving the corals, Ocean-Shot Project tacks on the additional focus of developing the base for those corals to grow and thrive.
“Coral secretes(分泌) calcium carbonate, creating a sort-of concrete around itself that becomes the structure for the reef. But that process can take hundreds and thousands of years,”Brosnan said. And with coral bleaching(白化) events only predicted to become more intense in the coming decades as global and ocean temperatures warm, this can be a problem for reefs that need to be able to recover.
“What we’re doing is we’re saying, ‘let’s learn from the corals, let’s learn from nature,’”Brosnan said. “And let’s make this happen quickly.”
To make that happen, her team is creating reef structures in a lab and then planting them in the ocean, a process that Brosnan likened to“gardening”. The team is also planting“resilient corals”among the structures that have already survived several bleaching events. Previously, her team deployed their first set of these structures, called modules, into the ocean around Antigua and Barbuda. And it’s already seeing significant success.
“We saw a whole ecosystem start to recognize these reefs as home and just move right on in. So what it told us is that if we provide the living structure, the ecosystem will respond in return,”Brosnan said.
1. What is the purpose of Ocean-Shot Project?| A．To restore coral reefs. | B．To build home for corals. |
| C．To prevent coral bleaching. | D．To develop a new coral reef. |
| A．The whole ecosystem is in great danger. |
| B．Coral reefs are easy to lose and tough to restore. |
| C．Our progress in protecting nature is too slow. |
| D．The focus of the Ocean-Shot Project is to save corals. |
| A．Its aim. | B．Its duration. |
| C．Its focus. | D．Its influence. |
| A．Controllable. | B．Controversial. |
| C．Adventurous. | D．Significant. |
3 . Certain stem cells have a unique ability to move between growth compartments(隔间) in hair follicles(毛囊), but get stuck as people age and so lose their ability to mature and maintain hair color, a new study shows.
Led by researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the new work focused on cells in the skin of mice and also found in humans called melanocyte stem cells, or McSCs. Hair color is controlled by whether nonfunctional but continually multiplying pools of McSCs within hair follicles get the signal to become mature cells that make the protein pigment(色素) responsible for color.
The new study showed that McSCs are remarkably plastic. This means that during normal hair growth, such cells continually move back and forth between maturity and immaturity as they move between compartments of the developing hair follicle. It is inside these compartments that McSCs are exposed to different levels of maturity-influencing protein signals.
The researchers found that as hair ages, comes off, and then repeatedly grows back, increasing numbers of McSCs get stuck in the stem cell compartment. They remain there, do not mature into the transit-amplifying state, and do not travel back to their original location in the germ compartment, where they regenerate into pigment cells.
Specifically, the research team found that McSCs transform between their most primitive stem cell state and the next stage of their maturation, depending on their location.
“Our study adds to our basic understanding of how McSCs work to color hair,”said study lead investigator Qi Sun, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at NYU Langone Health. “The newfound mechanisms raise the possibility that the same fixed-positioning of McSCs may exist in humans. If so, it presents a potential pathway for changing over or preventing the graying of human hair by helping jammed cells to move again between developing hair follicle compartments.”
1. What is the function of mature McSCs?| A．Receiving maturity signal. | B．Making protein pigments. |
| C．Stopping hair from being colored. | D．Sending maturity-influencing protein signals. |
| A．Their quantity. | B．Their growing time. |
| C．Their size. | D．Their position. |
| A．Hair will stop growing as it ages. | B．Gray hair will no longer mature. |
| C．Stuck McSCs cause hair to turn gray. | D．Gray hair can eventually grow normal. |
| A．The potential application of the finding. |
| B．The principle behind the result of the study. |
| C．The basic understanding of McSCs. |
| D．The possibility of developing hair follicle compartments. |
A lot of people look forward to retirement after decades of working. But on the other hand, there are others who are still so passionate about their field——it’s difficult for them to hang up their hats.
Depending on the career, it could be possible to continue working if one really wants to. That is unless health issues arise and leave the person no choice but to walk away.
Sadly, this is what happened to a man named Harold. Unfortunately, he found himself no longer able to work as a crane (起重机) operator because of his health. He felt lonely because his children didn’t visit him much.
Thanks to the kindness of a stranger, Harold was able to relive his days of working on the job site.
It all started when crane operator Shawn Beveridge of Ohio kept noticing a man in a wheelchair sitting outside of a nursing home. Day after day, the man would sit there watching the job site and the cranes move about for hours.
Shawn was confused why the elderly gentleman showed up every day, and finally became curious enough to introduce himself.
“Since day one when I arrived on this job site, I’ve noticed him sitting there every morning from 7 am, he takes lunch when we do and doesn’t leave until I shut the crane down and head out.” Shawn wrote in his blog. “I originally had thought to myself, ‘He’s just a curious old man and wanting to enjoy his days outside VS being cooped up in his room.’Well after a couple of days. I myself got curious, so I walked over and introduced myself to him.”
Shawn learned that the man’s name was Harold and the two ended up conversing for about two and a half hours.
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。
Another thing he found out was that Harold was previously a crane operator, but had to quit due to his health.
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So, he decided that he would make a deal with Harold.
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1. On which day is Line One arranged?
| A．October 1st. | B．October 2nd. | C．October 3rd. |
| A．At least 2.5 hours. | B．At least 3 hours. | C．At least 3.5 hours. |
| A．Badaling. | B．Juyongguan. | C．Mutianyu. |
| A．All will last for one day. | B．All will offer three meals. | C．All will pass the Sacred Way. |
There was once a troubled family. The parents spoiled their children. The son, John, loved to play video games all day long when summer vacation was around and he did not like to study. The daughter, Emily, on the other hand, loved studying without play. To her, video games were for foolish people who were unable to achieve anything useful. Life went on with parents complaining and not changing anything.
One day two new neighbors arrived in their neighborhood. One lived on the right side of John’s house while the other lived on the left side of John’s house. These two people were twins. They did not communicate with anyone other than themselves. John and his family felt uncomfortable living right between them. Strange sounds came from their houses every midnight until the afternoon. People heard and saw thunder and lightning coming from the house. After a couple of weeks of lightning flashing, machines roaring, this disturbed every household. Everyone could not help but wonder what their new neighbors were doing. It was whispered that they were inventing a time machine in secret.
People were beginning to dislike them. Every moment they heard these noises, they felt like something was going to explode soon. To deal with this problem John and Emily’s parents walked to both houses to speak with the owners. But on each door hung a sign that said, “DO NOT DISTURB!” They tried knocking the door and no one responded or came out from the house. The machine noise kept going but once in a while it did stop for a small break before it continued. They tried nearly every day to get the attention of their new neighbors. But in the end they gave up. They decided to send their kids to get their attention instead. So they made a plan and the kids successfully entered the neighbor’s houses.
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。
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Unexpectedly, the kids both experienced a journey to their own future there.
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After returning from the neighbor’s houses, the two kids changed totally.
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7 . A serious car crash leads one woman to rediscover her faith in human kindness.
In March last year, the car I was driving was
Over the next eight hours, I was transported to hospital, dragged up, X-rayed and diagnosed with a broken neck. Knowing that I’d
Only after I’d convinced the last friend to
I found myself telling her everything: about the shock of the
Even now, the
In times of crisis, faith can sustain us: for me, my faith in human nature, reawakened by the
| A．caught | B．trapped | C．involved | D．lost |
| A．found | B．imagined | C．devoted | D．dreamed |
| A．push | B．force | C．get | D．turn |
| A．into | B．onto | C．off | D．on |
| A．beat | B．met | C．survived | D．feared |
| A．advised | B．forced | C．ordered | D．helped |
| A．assist | B．leave | C．participate | D．come |
| A．patient | B．cheerful | C．gentle | D．polite |
| A．make | B．offer | C．drink | D．take |
| A．ensure | B．consult | C．conclude | D．check |
| A．accident | B．incident | C．event | D．occasion |
| A．puzzled | B．doubted | C．stopped | D．listened |
| A．power | B．belief | C．knowledge | D．privilege |
| A．happier | B．unexpected | C．strange | D．extreme |
| A．sympathy | B．strength | C．donation | D．kindness |
“SAI BABA! Sai Baba! Sai Baba! Hahahaha!”
“Today is Shimla’s big day! We have a celebrity visiting our city! Hahahaha!” Rani’s cheekcs burned with embarrassment and tears stung her eyes as she elbowed her way to the exit through the crowd of teasing boys in the packed school bus. It wasn’t the first time she’d been called Sai Baba, after the famous Hindu holy man (印度圣人) she’d seen on TV with his trademark afro (爆炸式卷发) towering over his head.
But this time had to be the worst. Rani jumped off the school bus, angry thoughts hovering inside Rani’s head as she marched home in the drizzling rain. Why did her hair have to curl like a giant cotton candy balloon just when she wanted it to behave? Why, why. why, fumed Rani as she turned the back door key.
“Rani, is that you?” Mama called from the family room. Suddenly Rani’s cousins, Amit and Sumit, came charging toward her. “How many eggs does Rani have in that nest on her head?” screamed Amit. “Let me get that wig (假发) off Rani’s head!” shouted Sumit. Before she could think, Rani had fled out the door and went back up the road she’d walked down minutes before. Halfway up, she slid unseen behind a green curtain of bamboo. Tearing through the wild growth, she made her way down a narrow mud path into a clearing (空地). She threw her schoolbag on the ground and breathed hard.
“I hate my hair!” she cried. Collapsing on her schoolbag, she bitterly remembered the time she’d spent trying to smooth her hair in vain. Before long, she fell into a fitful sleep.
“RANI! RAA-AANI!”
Rani woke up to Mama’s calls. She sounded anxious. “I’ll never go home,” she promised herself darkly. Mama let Amit and Sumit make fun of me. Papa would never have done that. He would listen to me and stand by my side. The minutes wore on. Alone in her secret hideout, Rani watched the shadow of Mamna get longer and begin to disappear as dusk fell.
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。
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Suddenly, leaves rustling, someone or something was making its way into the clearing.
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The next moment Papa was sitting beside her.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Bitcoin is a digital currency that is bought, sold and transferred between fellow
The following shows how the bitcoin works. You install a wallet on your computer or phone. You receive your new IP address. Then you begin accumulating bitcoins through purchase or transactions. All transactions on the payment network are stored in a Block Chain, which is nothing more than a
Jenny was 18 and she thought she would be strong enough to face going away to college2,000 miles away from home. But by the second day, she was crying on the phone, telling her mom she wanted to come home. It could be because she was the baby of a family of six and the only girl, or her family was particularly close and loving.
Unfortunately, her roommate, Zara, heard her crying. As soon as Jenny hung up the call, Zara started making fun of her. “Oh my! Does baby miss her mommy in Phoenix?” Jenny wiped her tears and asked whether she missed her parents and longed to go home. Zara replied coldly that she had put away such childish things and warned that she shouldn’t behave like a cry baby. Soon everyone in the dorm was calling Jenny “Cry Baby”. The idea of quitting college and running home constantly occurred to Jenny. But somehow, she made it through.
One day, her dad called and asked her to come home for a long weekend. In the end, her father added that she could bring her roommate Zara home and he would soon send two return tickets. Jenny had never told her parents that Zara was far from friendly or supportive. She’d been too ashamed and eager to hide her complete misery(痛苦) from her family.
That evening, Jenny told Zara about her family’s invitation. Zara stared at Jenny, her mouth open. “A ticket for me? Why?” she asked. “I told them you were nice to me…So they wanted to be nice to you...” Jenny explained awkwardly. After a while, Zara said, “I’m coming!”
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。
Two weeks later, Jenny and Zara landed in Phoenix.
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Feeling the family’s warmth, Zara began to sob.
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