Venice, one of Europe’s most historical, romantic, and unique cities, is in danger of drowning — not in one of its famed canals but under the weight of people. Since 1980, there have been more tourists than residents in Venice and right at present the number
Venice is not alone. Croatian favourite Dubrovnik, with history and cultural excellence, is suffering the same fate. There were 5,000 residents in 1991, but in 2017 only 1,157 people were living in the Old Town
Many popular locations have started to apply strategies
He
Parents expect their children to have
This famous artist’s paintings were
8 . Keeping a bit of the outdoors inside is nothing new, but houseplant collections have become a popular social media trend — which means that more people than ever are discovering the comfort and beauty that caring for plants brings.
“One study showed that patients at a hospital who had plants in their room reported less pain, lower blood pressure, less fatigue and less anxiety than patients without plants in their rooms,” says Jenny Seham, a New York-based psychologist. She explains: “Cortisol, the stress hormone, has been shown to lower with plant interaction, reducing fatigue, irritability (易怒) and blood pressure.”
Research has also shown that having plants and gardening increase productivity and levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for lifting our mood.
Before you fill your space with greenery, consider how you’ll interact with your plants.
If you have a small space or aren’t sure how much time you’re willing to invest in “plant parenting.” Start slow. “
| A．For instance, is there enough space for plants in areas where you spend a lot of time? |
| B．Half the fun of gardening is that you never know exactly what’s going to come up. |
| C．It’s a feel-good hobby that’s supported by science. |
| D．While indoor gardening can boost your feelings of wellbeing, help reduce stress and promote relaxation, it’s not, of course, a substitute for a trained mental health professional. |
| E．The theory is that plant care helps us focus on the present moment and provides a feeling of accomplishment. |
| F．Just one plant can make a difference. |
9 . If you’ve ever seen a river rushing down a mountain or played in breaking waves at the beach, you’ll know that moving water contains a lot of energy. A river can push you and your boat downstream, sometimes quickly, and waves crashing into you at the beach can knock you back, or even knock you over.
This energy of moving water originates from the water cycle, where water evaporates or is released from plants, rises to higher sea level, cools, and changes into liquid, forming clouds. Rain or snow that falls from these clouds flows downhill due to gravity, forming rivers or melting into existing water paths.
Hydropower (水电) uses this energy from flowing water. It uses turbines, which are turned by moving water. These turbines turn around a rotor inside a device called generator, turning the motion into electricity with the help of magnets.
There are two primary types of hydropower facilities (设施). The first is called the run-of-the-river facilities, which channel river water through turbines. The electricity production follows the timing of the river flow. When a river is running full with lots of spring rain or meltwater, the turbine can produce more electricity. Later in the summer, when the river flow decreases, so does the turbine’s output. These types of power stations are typically small and easy to build, but there is limited ability to control the amount of electricity they produce.
The second type is the dam (大坝)-based facilities. These use a solid dam to hold back the flow of a river and create an artificial lake behind it. The dam operator releases water from his lake, which flows through pipes inside the dam. Turbines within the dam generate electricity as the water passes through them, and then the water flows out the other side. These facilities are usually large and can affect river habitats, but they can also produce a lot of electricity in a controllable manner.
Hydropower depends on the availability of water in flowing rivers. As climate change affects the water cycle, some regions may have less rainfall and therefore less hydropower generation. Since hydropower is a form of renewable electricity, it can play a role in limiting climate change. Hydropower facilities can also help avoid any imbalance in electricity production from wind farms and solar power plants.
1. The underlined word “evaporate” in paragraph 2 can be replaced by “________”| A．form a circle | B．turn into a gas |
| C．fall to the ground | D．change into liquid |
| A．turbine | B．magnet | C．pipe | D．rotor |
| A．Only dam-based facilities use water to generate electricity and they are easy to construct. |
| B．Electricity production by the run-of-the-river facilities doesn’t vary with river flow. |
| C．Dam-based facilities provide a more considerable and adjustable electricity supply. |
| D．Run-of-the-river facilities have a larger impact on river habitats than dam-based facilities. |
| A．Optimistic | B．Critical | C．Doubtful | D．Indifferent |
10 . Robot Pets
In July, Unitree, a Chinese company, launched Go2, its second-generation robotic dog. Priced from $1,270, this robot pet can walk, perform handstands, and take photographs. Equipped with a smart speaker, it responds to voice commands. Go2 joins the market as the latest in a series of attempts by scientists to create machines that can do everything a real animal does — and leave a lot less mess to
The first robot dog available to buy was Sony’s AIBO. Released in 1999, AIBO was a(n)
With cameras for eyes, AIBO
Electronic pets are
As technology develops, robot pets will become
| A．clean up | B．get into | C．sort out | D．centre around |
| A．delayed | B．instant | C．gradual | D．tricky |
| A．renew | B．reunion | C．combination | D．representation |
| A．strength | B．intelligence | C．responsibility | D．appreciation |
| A．detects | B．signals | C．overcomes | D．processes |
| A．For instance | B．By contrast | C．What’s more | D．After all |
| A．varies | B．fades | C．adjusts | D．matures |
| A．more than | B．nothing but | C．no more than | D．less than |
| A．participation | B．attempts | C．design | D．companions |
| A．literally | B．increasingly | C．ironically | D．relevantly |
