1 . The European Towns and Cities That Are Magical at Christmas
Hallstatt, AustriaThe town of Hallstatt and its beautiful landscape enjoy UNESCO protection. The old townhouses, tiny lanes and snow make this the ultimate destination forgetting into the festive mood. Hallstatt’s Christmas market is the stuff of legend. Picture a brightly lit tree and stalls selling decorations and handicrafts and you’re halfway to imagining just how special this spot is.
Valkenburg, NetherlandsValkenburg has much of the usual European Christmas charms to attract visitors. However, what makes it special is the fact that they can all be found underground. The town’s Christmas Caves have become internationally renowned, with a wide range of stalls selling festive gifts and decorations. The larger Municipality Cave is home to one of the largest indoor Christmas markets in Europe.
Wroclaw, PolandWroclaw is regarded as one of Poland’s most beautiful cities, but it takes things to another level at Christmas. The city’s Christmas market is home to over 250 stalls and a superb fair. The architecture here captures the Christmas feeling too, with Gothic structures meaning everyone can tap into the special feeling that only comes round at this time of year.
Gothenburg, SwedenGothenburg is full of festive surprises for those willing to risk traveling north and brave the Scandinavian chill. And chief among them is the Liseberg Christmas Market. Set in an amusement park celebrating its100th anniversary in 2023, visitors can enjoy rides here and taste delicacies (佳肴) from across the country, including pickled herring, reindeer and spiced wine.
1. Which of the following places has underground Christmas charms?A.Hallstatt. | B.Valkenburg. | C.Wroclaw. | D.Gothenburg. |
A.They have amusement parks. | B.They feature Gothic buildings. |
C.They provide Christmas markets. | D.They enjoy UNESCO protection. |
A.News. | B.Business. | C.Nature. | D.Travel. |
When something that’s important to you disappears, don’t be hopeless. It may miraculously (奇迹般地) come back sooner or later. I learned it on one winter day.
It was one of those busy days. Especially, I had lots of clothes to wash. and Karen, my four-year-old kid, kept following me, pulling my shirt and crying for attention. I was annoyed. To stop her troubling me and make her quiet, I searched the drawers in the bedroom and found-a bag of forgotten balloons. “Yellow,” she said with joy.
The balloons were the gifts for her that her uncle had bought abroad. These balloons were of good quality and very unique, unable to be found at least in our small town. Among the balloons, the yellow one was Karen’s favorite. And there was only one yellow balloon. She viewed it as her best friend and even signed her name on its surface.
After I blew the balloon up, she cheerfully took it with tiny fingers, touching it and telling it her secrets. Immediately. her attention was attracted.
After lunch. we prepared to go to the local public clothes-washing shop. Before long. I was ready. Carrying her yellow balloon. Karen followed me into oat car. On the way, she was singing and had fun with the balloon. She kept beating the balloon against the back of the car seat. As I turned the corner, trying to keep my attention on my driving, I felt a sudden, big wind blow across my feet. I called out at once, “Karen! Close the window. It’s cold out!”
And then I heard her frightened scream. In a hurry, I looked over my shoulder, expecting to see some terrible insects that led to her being frightened. But there wasn’t one. Karen was looking out of the window. both arms reaching out, as if to get something. And she cried, “Balloon, balloon. Come back! Come back!” Then. she turned to me, calling out, “Mom, please stop the car! My balloon has escaped.”
注意:1. 续写词数应为150左右;
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“Alright, “I said and slowly pulled over.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________While walking in the park, we suddenly found a yellow balloon flying over a tree.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . Caring for plants is a fantastic skill for kids to have. There are so many benefits of gardening for kids, yet the importance of gardening in early childhood is often undervalued. Here are some reasons why to teach your kids to garden.
Gardening makes kids stronger.
Gardening is good for kids’ well-being. Studies find that kids who garden have reduced large amounts of anxiety, stress and tend to be in a better mood.
Gardening is beneficial for picky eaters.
Gardening strengthens connection. Through gardening activities, kids grow closer to their parents and make many new friends.
A.Gardening helps build teamwork skills. |
B.Gardening activates kids’ sensory skills. |
C.It is the perfect activity for growing bodies. |
D.Learning to garden can be very tiring for children. |
E.Spending time outdoors in nature can bring a sense of well-being. |
F.Kids are more likely to eat the vegetables and fruit they’ve helped grow. |
G.They also develop a connection to the earth and a need to care for our planet. |
4 . In 2019, Tomas Quinones undertook a 7-day bike trip, covering some remote desert in Oregon. His trip was
On the last day of his trip, he was riding down a dusty track when he met a man lying unconscious in the desert.
It’s likely that if you’ve spent any time in the wild, you’ll have
What is it about being outside in nature that makes people want to help others?One opinion is that in the wild, there may not be any other
When we risk going into the wild, we become weak. And being in that position usually makes us
A.flooded | B.marked | C.covered | D.connected |
A.unbelievable | B.unusual | C.unsafe | D.uncertain |
A.kindness | B.appreciation | C.belief | D.comfort |
A.Unexpectedly | B.Unfortunately | C.Obviously | D.Shortly |
A.confidence | B.success | C.survival | D.relief |
A.rescued | B.accompanied | C.knew | D.admired |
A.decision | B.sense | C.doubt | D.surprise |
A.got it back | B.paid it forward | C.carried it through | D.did it over |
A.made | B.understood | C.remembered | D.experienced |
A.simple | B.natural | C.dramatic | D.slight |
A.help | B.choice | C.luck | D.sign |
A.bringing | B.promoting | C.keeping | D.providing |
A.adapt to | B.focus on | C.travel around | D.look at |
A.pleased | B.disappointed | C.relaxed | D.worried |
A.recovered | B.loosened | C.strengthened | D.broken |
Researchers and wetland protectors in Wuhan, Hubei Province, are stepping up efforts to allow more wildlife to survive and thrive in their natural habitat.
In 2012, Baer’s pochard, the blue-headed duck,
In 2019, the Wuhan Bird Watching Society started researching and rescuing the breeding habitats of the duck. They found that the ducks feed on submerged
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2. 个人感悟;
3. 期待评论。
注意:
1. 词数80左右;
2. 可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
An Unforgettable Tech Exploration Tour
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . It could happen anywhere at any time. It’s often unexpected, but almost never unappreciated. Most people have been on the receiving a random act of kindness—the moment when a complete stranger stops to offer aid, generosity or compassion. In a sometimes cold world where people can be so focused on what they’re doing, a random act of kindness can make all the difference.
They can be relatively insignificant. Hannah Bailey from London, for example, told the Metro newspaper about how she was given her fruit and vegetable shopping for free. The seller did her a kindness when it emerged she didn’t have any change to pay. She was happy about it all day.
The city of Naples has long had a tradition called “caffe sospeso”. When buying coffee, a person who has recently been lucky would purchase two cups but only drink one, leaving the second one out of the goodness of their heart, for a poor person to claim for free. This tradition is now more common worldwide.
However, in some cases, these little acts can be a matter of life and death. Take, for example, the unnamed commuter, who in June 2018 fell off a station platform onto an electric railway track in Toronto, Canada. A quick-thinking, but even now unknown, bystander selflessly leapt down to pull him to safety.
Or Jonny Benjamin, who in London in 2008 was persuaded not to commit suicide by a passer-by. He had been considering jumping from a bridge. He later found the Good Samaritan and thanked him. He may one day find a way to pay him back in kind—though that’s not the point.
So, why do it? Often, the acts aren’t paid back. The people never meet again. According to UK charity The Mental Health Foundation, acts like these can “give our lives new purpose, show us other perspectives on our own problems and even make us feel euphoric. ”
So give it a try. Hold open a door for someone, deliver a compliment even give up your seat on a bus. Help someone who is in need. It takes all kinds. It needn’t be anything huge. One day, whether you need it or not, someone might help you in your hour of need.
1. How did Hannah Bailey feel after she received a random act of kindness?A.She was pleased about it for the rest of the day. | B.She was shamed about it all day. |
C.She wanted to pay back the money. | D.She thought it insignificant. |
A.It is wasted after the man left. | B.It is left at the cafe to be donated to a poor person. |
C.It is for the commuter only. | D.It can only be drunk at the cafe shop. |
A.They help us earn more money. |
B.They can add up some good reputation to us. |
C.They give our lives new purpose and a feeling of pleasure. |
D.They make problems for us. |
A.Ambitious. | B.Sorrowful. | C.Awkward. | D.Delighted. |
8 . Poaching (偷猎) and habitat loss have threatened Africa’s two species of elephants, taking them closer toward the edge of disappearance, according to a new report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) .
Before this update, Africa’s elephants were grouped together and were evaluated as vulnerable (易受伤害的) by the IUCN. This is the first time the two species have been sorted separately. In the past, elephants were mostly considered as either Asian elephants or African elephants. Forest and savanna elephants (稀树草原象) were typically classified as subspecies of African elephants.
The African forest elephant is now listed as critically endangered and the African savanna elephant as endangered. The number of African forest elephants fell by more than 86% over a 31-year assessment period. The population of African savanna elephants dropped by at least 60% over the last 50 years, according to the IUCN, which tracks the assessment risk of the world’s animals. Africa currently has an estimated 415, 000 elephants, counting the two species together.
Both elephant species experienced significant population decreases because of poaching. Although it peaked in 2011, illegal hunting still happens and continues to threaten elephant populations. African elephants also face continued habitat loss as their land is transformed for agriculture or other uses.
There is some good conservation news, the IUCN points out. Anti-poaching measures, combined with better land use planning to support better human-wildlife relationships, have helped conservation efforts. Some forest elephant population figures have stabilized in well-managed areas in Gabon and the Republic of Congo and savanna population figures have remained stable or have been growing, particularly in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area in southern Africa.
But with constant demand for ivory and increasing human pressures on Africa’s wild lands concern for Africa’s elephants is high, and the need to creatively conserve and wisely manage these animals and their habitats is more severe than ever.
1. What can be inferred from the new report about African elephants?A.They are dying out. | B.They are divided into three kinds. |
C.Their threat is only from poaching. | D.Their population has grown in Africa. |
A.The detailed number of African elephants. | B.The similarities of African elephants. |
C.The different types of African elephants. | D.The present situation of African elephants. |
A.Hopeless. | B.Optimistic. | C.Worried. | D.Uncertain. |
A.a general nature text | B.a chemistry textbook |
C.a travel journal | D.a book review |
9 . Whom should you marry? Where should you live? How should you spend your time? For centuries, people have relied on their gut instincts (直觉) to figure out the answers to these life-changing questions. Now, though, there is a better way. We are living through a data explosion, as vast amounts of information about all aspects of human behavior have become more and more accessible. We can use this big data to help determine the best course to chart.
There has long been overwhelming—and often surprising—evidence that algorithms (算法) can be much better than people at making difficult decisions. Researchers have collected data on various kinds of choices people make, the information they base those choices on, and how things turn out. They have found, for example, that a simple data-driven algorithm would have been better than judges at deciding whether a defendant should stay in prison or be released; better than doctors at deciding whether a patient should undergo surgery; and better than school principals at deciding which teachers should be promoted.
The power of data analysis has been proved in the sports and business worlds, too. As made famous by the book and movie Moneyball, baseball teams found that algorithms were better than scouts (星探) at picking players, and better than managers at picking strategies. In finance, the hedge fund Renaissance Technologies dramatically defeated competitors by seeking out patterns in stock market data and using them to inform its investment strategy. Tech firms in Silicon Valley have found that data from experiments provides better insights into how to design their websites than designers could.
These are the early days of the data revolution in decision-making. I am not claiming that we can completely count on algorithms to make our lifestyle choices, though we might get to that point in the future. I am claiming instead that we can all dramatically improve our decision-making by consulting evidence mined from thousands or millions of people who faced dilemmas similar to ours. And we can do that now.
1. What’s the main idea of the passage?A.Big data is a double-edged sword. |
B.Data revolution will change people’s life. |
C.Big data is helpful in making important decisions. |
D.Algorithms behaves better than people in many fields. |
A.court rulings | B.job promotions |
C.operative estimation | D.teaching practices |
A.To provide further evidence. | B.To show potential applications. |
C.To encourage the use of big data. | D.To explain how to use algorithms. |
A.Algorithms offer perfect advice now. |
B.Big data will certainly cause a revolution. |
C.Big data can make up for our lack of experience. |
D.Algorithms are bound to be fully trusted in the future. |
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注意:1.写作词数应为80左右;2.可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
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