1 . Chen Yuzhu, a 29-year-old young man, opened his first Chinese beef rice noodles restaurant in 2014 in the neighborhood of New York City’s Queens borough. He then took the flavor of his childhood memory to three other states in the US, building a recognized brand.
Actually, he started his own catering (餐饮) business after he lost his job and found noway out. It was at that time that beef rice noodles of his home village flashed in his mind.
However, the early days of setting up his business were not that easy. He frequently worked 18 hours a day, transported food at 2 am and promoted (推销) the restaurant near the New York City subway entrance by yelling, “Special noodles from my hometown, Guizhou!” But it didn’t work well. During the first two weeks. daily sales were only $200 at most, which wasn’t enough to pay the rent. He felt so anxious that he tried every possible means. Two months later, his Chinese beef rice noodles finally gained great popularity. His store has become hot spots for vloggers (视频博主) and he has made himself famous among locals as the“Rice Noodle Prince”.
“At first, running restaurants was for survival, but then I felt a sense of achievements. I became more open, inclusive and made a lot of friends. And the process to learn, make efforts and get inspired was really cool.” Chen said.
1. For what purpose did Chen Yuzhu plan to open the restaurant at first?| A．To make a living. | B．To promote special Chinese food. |
| C．To become very wealthy. | D．To gain popularity. |
| A．Shy. | B．Cautious. | C．Generous. | D．Determined. |
| A．Chen Yuzhu sold noodles at the New York City subway entrance. |
| B．The noodles were rather welcome during the first two weeks. |
| C．Chen Yuzhu met with a lot of difficulties when he started his business. |
| D．The noodles Chen Yuzhu sold were delivered from Guizhou. |
| A．Chen Yuzhu has made a lot of Chinese friends. |
| B．Making a lot of money is due to his family’s support. |
| C．Chen Yuzhu has really benefited a lot from his business. |
| D．Chen Yuzhu wants to open more restaurants in the future. |
2 . India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday developed a series of new high-producing rice species, including herbicide-tolerant（耐除草剂的）rice that can be directly planted into the soil, cutting the huge expenses on water and farm workers.
In India, the world's biggest rice exporter, the traditional method of rice growing requires farmers to grow seeds in nurseries, and then wait for 20 to 30 days before transplanting the small plants by hand into the fields that are ankle-deep in water.
With the new seed species, developed by the state-run Indian Agricultural Research Institute, farmers only need to water the field once to moisten（使湿润）the soil before planting the rice. Besides, the traditional method also uses a lot of water to control weeds as herbicides are costly and often do not distinguish between the rice and the unwanted weeds.
Government scientists said the new rice species contains a gene that would allow farmers to use a common, inexpensive herbicide without worrying about any side effects. “Our focus is very high on new seeds that can be adapted to new conditions, especially in changing climates,” Modi said.
Water conservation is likely to be the main attraction of the new rice species in India, where farmers rely heavily on monsoon（季风）rains. “The traditional method uses 3,000 to 5,000 liters（升）of water to produce 1 kg of rice. The new species could cut water use by at least 50% to 60%,” farmers and government officials say. "For farmers like us, the main concern was the management of water, and the new species takes care of that concern," said Ravindra Kajal, who grows rice on his 9-acre farmland in the northern state of Haryana.
1. What is the advantage of the new rice species?| A．It can remove all the weeds. | B．It can be planted in any field. |
| C．It needs less water to grow. | D．It needs less soil to grow. |
| A．Because the new crop species contains herbicide itself. |
| B．Because the new crop species resists a common herbicide. |
| C．Because the common herbicide is relatively cheaper. |
| D．Because the common herbicide can moisten the soil. |
| A．Its climate. |
| B．Its plentiful funds. |
| C．Its tradition. |
| D．Its lack of herbicide. |
| A．India has completely changed its rice species. |
| B．The farmers prefer planting new rice species. |
| C．India is trying to promote its new rice species. |
| D．The new rice species produces the most rice in India. |
3 . I'd shared my home with scorpions（非洲蝎子）in Africa before. But when we moved to Costa Rica which was an insect center, there were scorpions under the fridge, a stick insect and a tarantula（狼蛛）, the size of a dinner plate, wandering around the courtyard.
To begin with, I was scared to death, and got away from them as quickly as possible. But slowly things changed. With no TV, no radio and often staying at our house for days in this rainforest, I started to get used to these uninvited visitors. It was for a long time that I was gradually used to them. Then I kept an eye out for them and finally was delighted to see them no matter what they were.
Soon when a creature came to visit, I'd call the kids over, take photos and even pose with them. We'd try to work out what these creatures were doing, see where they were going and pick them up if they seemed safe. Not all the wildlife was traditionally frightening. We gently held panic-stricken hummingbirds that were trapped in the house and set them back in the wild. We listened out for the woodpeckers（啄木鸟）that decorated our garden. We practiced shouting like howling monkeys. Those feathered and furry creatures were easy to love, and we also grew to love the seemingly unlovable when traveling in Costa Rica.
Sweeping away the terror from this fresh new love, I started emailing photos of my new insect friends to human friends and family overseas. I was as proud as any new mother with my latest discoveries. Then when their replies came back saying “Disgusting!", “Ewww” or “Nasty”, I was saddened, and I could hardly remember that not so long ago I would also have been disgusted by the sight of a ten-inch cricket（蟋蟀）on my dining table.
Travel changes you in ways you never expect, and changes things you never want to change. You may not imagine you could find beauty in an insect, if you look closely at it there. You may not think you could love the unlovable. And if you take time to wonder and open your heart to the possibility, love can spread in anywhere.
1. What do we know about the author when she arrived in Costa Rica?| A．She missed TV and radio very much. | B．She quickly got used to the life there. |
| C．She enjoyed sharing her home with insects. | D．She was afraid of the insects at first. |
| A．Because the insects looked really disgusting. |
| B．Because she was not so good at taking photos. |
| C．Because her love to insects was not understood. |
| D．Because she missed her friends and family overseas. |
| A．The insects are not poisonous as imagined. | B．Travel changes our views about the world. |
| C．Not all lives should be equally treated. | D．Travel helps us change nature as we like. |
| A．How did I fall in love with insects? | B．Welcome to the insects centre! |
| C．Search for fun in Costa Rica! | D．How did I start my travel? |
