Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, the attitudes to dirt are always changing.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, and washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. The king of England did something similar in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. France’s Henry IV was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief above was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbour ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War II. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea; clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist(免疫学家) , encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . It is hard for modern people to imagine the life one hundred years ago. No television, no plastic, no ATMs, no DVDs. Illnesses like tuberculosis, diphtheria, pneumonia meant only death. Of course, cloning appeared only in science fiction. Not to mention, computer and the Internet.
Today, our workplaces are equipped with assembly lines, fax machines, computers. Our daily life is cushioned by air conditioners, cell phones. Antibiotics helped created a long list of miracle drugs. The by-pass operation saved millions. The discovery of DNA has revolutionized the way scientists think about new therapies. Man finally stepped on the magical and mysterious Moon. With the rapid changes we have been experiencing, the anticipation for the future is higher than ever.
A revolutionary manufacturing process made it possible for anyone to own a car. Henry Ford is the man who put the world on wheels.
When it comes to singling out those who have made a difference in all our lives, you cannot overlook Henry Ford. A historian a century from now might well conclude that it was Henry Ford who most influenced all manufacturing everywhere, even to this day, by introducing a new way to make cars—one, strange to say, that originated in slaughter houses(屠宰场).
Back in the early 1900s, slaughter houses used what could have been called a “disassembly line.” That is, the carcass(尸体) of a pig was moved past various meat-cutters, each of whom cut off only a certain portion. Ford reversed this process to see if it would speed up production of a part of an automobile engine called a magneto. Rather than have each worker completely assemble a magneto, one of its elements was placed on a conveyer, and each worker, as it passed, added another component to it, the same one each time. Professor David Hounshell, of The University of Delaware, an expert on industrial development tells what happened: “The previous day, workers carrying out the entire process had averaged one magneto every 20 minutes. But on that day, on the line, the assembly team averaged one every 13 minutes and 10 seconds per person.”
Within a year, the time had been reduced to five minutes. In 1913, Ford went all the way. Hooked together by ropes, partially assembled vehicles were towed past workers who completed them one piece at a time. It wasn’t long before Ford was turning out several hundred thousand cars a year, a remarkable achievement then. And so efficient and economical was this new system that he cut the price of his cars in half, to $260, putting them within reach of all those who, up until that time, could not afford them. Soon, auto makers over the world copied him. In fact, he encouraged them to do so by writing a book about all of his innovations, entitled Today and Tomorrow. The Age of the Automobile had arrived. Today, aided by robots and other forms of automation, everything from toasters to perfumes is made on assembly lines.
Edsel Ford, Henry’s great-grandson, and a Ford vice president: “I think that my great-grandfather would just be amazed at how far technology has come.”
Many of today’s innovations come from Japan. Norman Bodek, who publishes books about manufacturing processes, finds this ironic. On a recent trip to Japan, he talked to two of the top officials of Toyota. “When I asked them where these secrets came from, where their ideas came from to manufacture in a totally different way, they laughed, and they said, ‘Well. We just read it in Henry Ford’s book from 1926: Today and Tomorrow.’”
1. By calling Henry Ford “the man who put the world on wheels”, the author means ________.| A．he made quality wheels famous to the whole world |
| B．he produced cars for free for people all over the world |
| C．his innovation made it possible for anyone to own a car |
| D．his innovation provided everyone in the world with a car |
| A．The revolutionary scientific changes lead people to be indifferent to what will happen. |
| B．By reversing the working process, Henry Ford increased the meat-cutters’ efficiency. |
| C．After the assembly line was introduced, a Ford’s car cost $260, unaffordable to common people. |
| D．Henry Ford wrote a book about his innovations, promoting the system of assembly lines. |
| A．Today and Tomorrow provides technological solutions for manufacturers |
| B．Today and Tomorrow has influenced and inspired many Japanese innovators |
| C．Today and Tomorrow is more popular among the Japanese than the Americans |
| D．Today and Tomorrow is the encyclopedia for Japanese manufacturing workers |
| A．The Power of Innovation | B．Henry Ford and Assembly Line |
| C．An Accidental Discovery | D．Analysis of the Origin of Innovation |
6 . How to Travel to Machu Picchu
Mysterious. Brilliant. Powerful. These words describe the Inca (印加). Every year, visitors rush to the Incan citadel (堡垒) of Machu Picchu (meaning “the ancient peak”) in search of the lost civilization. But getting to this UNESCO World Heritage site isn’t cheap and easy. Here’s how to expertly navigate your way to Peru’s most famous destination.
Hiking to Machu Picchu
* The most famous way to hike to Machu Picchu is along a section of one of the Incan roads built as the empire expanded. Dozens of tour operators offer Inca Trail hikes with varying durations and levels of comfort (though all require camping).
* For those who would like a less crowded experience, there are a number of diverse hiking alternatives, one of which is around Salkantay Mountain, one of the most imposing peaks in the Peruvian Andes. Several tour companies offer the treks, but Apus Peru offers an express Salkantay trek, which shaves a day off the normal itinerary for those eager to push their physical limits on their way to Machu Picchu.
* Travelers interested in archaeology should consider the Choquequirao Trek with a Machu Picchu extension. This itinerary includes spectacular hiking in the less-traveled steep Apurimac Canyon and exploration of the Choquequirao archaeological site before heading for Machu Picchu. Note that the trail is closed in December every year for regular maintenance.
Tips for Visiting
* Getting Acclimated (适应水土): Where you`re coming from is probably much lower than Machu Picchu. We highly recommend you go to Aguas Calientes first, and spend a night getting used to it before exploring Machu Picchu. Meanwhile, avoid alcohol and physical exertion to help your body slowly adjust to the thinner air.
* Entrance tickets: If you’re traveling independently, you can buy individual entrance tickets, though you should note that you’ll be required to hire a local guide before entering the site. If you book a tour package through a travel agency, all services should be included. Moreover, all entry tickets are timed, allowing entrance on the hour, and you’re allowed to stay at the site for up to four hours.
*Bring: Water and a rain jacket, even if it looks like a beautiful sunny day. And speaking of sun, remember that the ozone layer (臭氧层) over Peru is compromised. That, combined with the elevation, makes the sun extremely strong, so wear a hat and use high SPF sunscreen.
* Don’t bring: Drones, walking sticks, trekking poles or umbrellas since they’re all prohibited at Machu Picchu. Travelers who require sticks for mobility can bring them in but only with protective rubber tips over the ends.
1. Andy is a college student majoring in archaeology. He is also a keen lover of extreme sports and a seasoned hiker eager to explore the unbeaten track. Now he is considering hiking to Machu Picchu this Christmas. Which of the following routes is he most likely to choose?| A．The Inca Trail. | B．The Apus Peru Trek. |
| C．The express Salkantay Trek. | D．The Choquequrao Trek. |
| A．Vigorous exercise isn’t recommended during the hike for fear of altitude sickness. |
| B．Visitors should bring rain jackets or umbrellas due to the changeable weather there. |
| C．Visitors can enter the site anytime during the opening hours and stay for four hours. |
| D．Tour guide services are necessary for individual and group visitors to enter the site. |
| A．harmed | B．strengthened |
| C．detected | D．lowered |
7 . When we visit museums, we see cultural artifacts—from everyday household items to precious carvings and statues, which give us glimpses into the diverse cultures and communities from around the world.
On Wednesday, October 7, 2020, the Dutch advisory committee officially released a national report
Let’s look at the issue and the two sides of the
Stolen Artifacts
By the 18th and 19th centuries, European countries had colonized many African and Asian countries. During their
In 2017, the Government of Benin in West Africa negotiated with the British Museum in London to return their renowned Benin Bronzes, a collection of thousands of metal sculptures and plaques, which were
The debate regarding this issue
In France, twenty-seven artifacts had been identified for restoration, but only one—a traditional sword belonging to Senegal, has been
The Debate
Those who propose returning these objects to their original homes
Those against the restoration claim that culture is a
| A．Therefore | B．Moreover | C．Otherwise | D．However |
| A．contributing | B．agreeing | C．looking | D．objecting |
| A．restricts | B．advocates | C．demonstrates | D．earns |
| A．debate | B．conclusion | C．myth | D．assumption |
| A．profile | B．rule | C．reform | D．closure |
| A．cautiously | B．secretly | C．officially | D．previously |
| A．took a turn | B．made a stir | C．had a trick | D．missed a point |
| A．applaud | B．reconsider | C．submit | D．publicize |
| A．spotted | B．damaged | C．sharpened | D．returned |
| A．postponing | B．prohibiting | C． promising | D．demanding |
| A．argue | B．object | C．doubt | D．challenges |
| A．Furthermore | B．Contrarily | C．Indeed | D．Thus |
| A．hidden | B．shared | C．lost | D．cherished |
| A．justified | B．wrong | C．lawful | D．involuntary |
| A．safe from | B．accessible to | C．absent from | D．subject to |
| A. authorized B. colonization C. engineering D. eventually E. fleeing F. flown G. founded H. initiative I. pursuing J. rapidly K. strategy |
SpaceX’s Future Depends on a Gigantic Rocket and 42,000 Internet Satellites
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company with its headquarters in Hawthorne, California, USA. It was
It has developed the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 launch vehicles, both of which were designed from conception to
SpaceX wants to use its Starship rocket for the kind of voyages to Mars and beyond that Elon Musk has long dreamed of
Starship also forms an important foundation of the future business
SpaceX faces steep challenges in
Starship stands 160 feet tall and has a diameter of 30 feet, creating room to send hundreds of Starlink satellites to orbit at once, more than the several dozen it is able to deploy (部署) right now on one of its Falcon 9 rockets.
The company plans to
Why more young Americans are cyber-bullying themselves
On a Friday night in 2016, Natalie Natividad, a 15-year-old in Hebbronville, took an overdose of pills after enduring months of cyber-bullying. Most of the alleged taunts(所谓的嘲弄)—that she was ugly, that she should kill herself—came on After School, an app
There were no bullies to find. The inquiry revealed that Natalie
Ana, a 20-year-old from Alabama, says she wanted to see
However, much about digital self-harm is still poorly understood. Even the reason for its recent increase has puzzled researchers. Mr Hinduja guesses that the rise is related to increasing emotional instability among adolescents. That
As a technological matter, identifying digital self-harm is relatively easy. Usually this involves finding the computer or account that created the harmful material. The harder part is
假如你是明启中学的李明。为鼓励学生践行雷锋精神，帮助他人，最近学校打算举行一次学雷锋日活动，现在向师生征集活动建议。请你写一封邮件给活动组织者，内容须包含：
1. 为学雷锋日提出2-3条合理的活动建议；
2. 给出你的理由。
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