Shrieking Toad and Dancing Ant
Kids got nicknames at a summer camp, and mine is Shrieking Toad (尖叫的蛤蟆). I guess it was my fault that I couldn't get a cool one.
A bunch of us campers were on our first nature walk. When we broke for lunch, we sat down on logs. I was on my nuts when a tree frog dropped onto my shirt from the branches above. I shrieked. It was totally unconscious and I didn't even know I could make a sound like that. Most kids forgot about it except Stan. Whenever I walked by, he'd shout, “Shrieking Toad, show us how you can hop!” I corrected him that it had been an eastern gray tree frog, not a toad, but that just made things worse.
Three days later, Counselor Matt announced we would be paired for a treasure hunt. Excited whispers spread through the camp. But when he read “Jay and Stan” as a team, my nerves got completely fried. Stan shouted, “Great! Shrieking Toad!” Then he called to the group, and I went red at what came out of his mouth. “Guys, if mosquitoes are bugging you, ask Shrieking Toad to eat them. Toads love bugs!” Kids roared with laughter.
After all the teams wandered off, Stan and I were alone. Then I had a great idea, surprising myself that I hadn't thought of it earlier. I suggested we split up so as to have a better chance of finding treasures. “Yeah, I'd better do what I'm toad (told).” Stan laughed and set off.
Ten minutes later, I heard something that reminded me of myself a few days ago. I ran toward the sound. I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Stan was jumping around near a mud pool like a monkey, shrieking and yelling something that sounded like “Dance! Dance!” Seeing him scratching at his body and hitting at his clothes made me realize what he was really saying: “Ants! Ants!”
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。
I rushed towards Stan and tried to help him.
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That night, we all routinely sat around the campfire and I saw Stan's worry as clear as daylight.
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Letter 1 Your article (November) mentioned a doctor's visit for “heat and compression” treatment. I bought an inexpensive microwavable moist-heat eye compress online and use it for several minutes at bedtime to help open the oil glands. Plus, the warmth and ritual help me relax and fall asleep. No more messy washcloth compresses for me! —Julie Evans Minneapolis, Minnesota | Letter 2 The Quality Inn in Kodak, Tennessee, turning into a shelter during a historic winter storm showed so much kindness that I read the story twice (November). For Sean Patel to open his hotel to locals in need during the storm and power outage, at Christmastime and for just $25 (the lowest price the corporate regulations would allow), was priceless. The town is a better place because of Patel and his staff. —Annette Wolfe Shelton, Connecticut |
Letter 3 You suggested using toothpicks to raise a pot lid and prevent the pot from boiling over (October). I prevent boilovers by just laying a wooden spoon over the open pot. The spoon will pop most of the bubbles on contact — hasn't failed me yet! —Pam Snellgrove LaGrange, Georgia | Letter 4 The story about a snorkeler, Carter Viss, who lost his arm after getting hit by a speedboat (October) — and then forgiving the driver — was among the most compelling I've ever read. Here was a story of health and loss, sea and shore, healing and the hope to endure out of the darkness into the light. Simply marvelous! —Leander Jones Northport, Alabama |
| A．We Found a Fix. | B．Dealing with Dry Eye. |
| C．Run Over by a Speedboat. | D．So Nice You Have to Read It Twice. |
| A．Annette Wolfe. | B．Pam Snellgrove. |
| C．Carter Viss. | D．Leander Jones. |
| A．They are notes on past issues. | B．They give advice on how to read. |
| C．They are remarks on human virtues. | D．They offer information about health. |
Many excellent warship crews have been trained on aircraft carrier the Liaoning of the People's Liberation Army Navy. As the only female deck operation officer on it, Remila Dabul of Kazak ethnicity (哈萨克族), whose story
Before working on the deck, Remila was a radar and telephone
During her work, Remila wears a blue helmet, goggles, and blue suits. After a J-15 lands,
This year, Remila spent her
4 . Time zones were created by railroad officials to deal with a major headache. It was becoming impossible to know what time it was. At that time each town or city in the US kept its own solar time. “Fifty-six standards of time are now employed by the various railroads in preparing their schedules of running time,” reported The New York Times on April 19, 1883.
In 1883, railroad representatives attended the General Railroad Time Convention. On April 11, railroad officials agreed to create five time zones in North America. And the new standard took effect on November 18, 1883.
Though the new time standard was not sanctioned by the federal government, the Naval Observatory in Washington offered to send, by telegraph, a new time signal so people could synchronize (同步) their watches. Most people had no objection to the new time standard. An article in The New York Times on November 16, 1883 noted, “The passenger from Chicago to New Orleans, can make the entire run without changing his watch.”
As the time change was instituted by the railroads, and voluntarily accepted by many towns and cities, some incidents of confusion appeared. A report in The Philadelphia Inquirer on November 21, 1883, described an incident where a debtor had been ordered to report to a Boston courtroom before 10:00. He appeared at 9:48, standard time, but was ruled that it was after 10:00.
Incidents like that demonstrated the need for everyone to adopt the new standard time. However, there were objections. An item in The New York Times on June 28, 1884, detailed how the city of Louisville had given up on standard time. Louisville set all its clocks ahead 18 minutes to return to solar time.
By the 1890s, standard time and time zones were accepted as ordinary. The successful adoption in the US in 1883 set an example of how time zones could spread across the globe. The following year, a conference in Paris created the time zones worldwide and eventually they came into use.
1. What was the headache of the railroad officers?| A．Various railroads. | B．Different solar times. |
| C．Endless conferences. | D．Frequent press coverage. |
| A．Approved. | B．Replaced. |
| C．Tested. | D．Raised. |
| A．The New York Times (April 19, 1883) |
| B．The New York Times (November 16, 1883) |
| C．The Philadelphia Inquirer (November 21, 1883) |
| D．The New York Times (June 28, 1884) |
| A．The US simplified time zones. | B．Paris created its time zone. |
| C．Time zones went worldwide. | D．Time zones proved effective. |
5 . Compared to metal, ceramics (陶瓷) can better resist high temperatures and certain severe environments, but they are fragile. This potentially causes problems for innovators trying to create lightweight versions of these materials, explaining why ceramic materials are not typically used as structural components.
Facing the challenging task of developing lightweight, high-strength ceramic materials, Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Ling Li has turned to the knobby sea star from the tropical Indo-Pacific for design inspiration.
Sea star skeletons (骨骼) are made of an easily broken material. However, the body of the sea star demonstrates high strength and flexibility. Uncovering the principles of this structure may help solve the challenges of making stronger ceramics.
What the team found was unexpected. The skeleton of the knobby star consists of many millimeter-sized skeletal elements. Li and his team discovered that each is constructed of a microlattice (微晶) structure so uniform that it can be described mathematically. Even more interesting, the team found the uniform structure of the microlattice is essentially a single crystal structure at atomic level.
Based on the finding, Li and his collaborators used 3D printing to model and generate large-scale versions of these complex lattice structures, a useful approach in understanding the complexity of these unique geometries. While the 3D-printed models created by Li's team were indeed visually inspiring, the technology needed to bring new, stronger ceramic micro-architectures to market still lay in the future. Currently, 3D printers produce structures at the micrometer level, but printing ceramics still requires firing the final product, which possibly introduces many uncontrolled tiny holes and cracks. These make the structures extremely fragile.
Li hopes that continued advances in the field of 3D printing and further understanding of the formation mechanisms of biological structures like sea star skeletons eventually offer a solution.
1. What does Li's team mainly focus on to improve ceramics?| A．Their strength. | B．Their flexibility. |
| C．Their heat-resistance. | D．Their main component. |
| A．Function. | B．Material. | C．Structure. | D．Size. |
| A．The inability to print tiny structures. |
| B．The failure to produce a larger sea star model. |
| C．Inadequate technology in heating products. |
| D．Misunderstanding in the nature of ceramics. |
| A．The Secret in Fragile Skeletons |
| B．3D Printing for Sea Star Models |
| C．Ceramics as Perfect Structural Components |
| D．A Star in the World of Ceramic Engineering |
6 . Research shows that we spend one-third to one-half of our waking life not living in the present.
This allows for introspection (内省) — the space to imagine, remember, reflect and then use these fantasies to solve problems, innovate and create. But introspection can sometimes lead to more harm than good.
The fact that introspection is both a helpful tool and destructive force is a great contradiction of the human mind. Fortunately, science has begun to explain why this happens, and how to control it.
Introspection is central to the makeup of the human mind. The challenge is to minimize the negative aspects while achieving its potential.
| A．But it can be wonderful to live in the past. |
| B．We naturally separate from the here and now. |
| C．It might contribute to anxiety and depression. |
| D．Another way to gain insight is to talk to others. |
| E．Regulating negative emotions also helps to reason wisely. |
| F．Negative thought cycles occur when we zoom in too close on our problems. |
| G．Being aware of how our minds work can help us make the best of introspection. |
7 . Mandy and Joe have been married for five years and they both love travelling to new countries. But while this shared hobby brings them together, it is also a source of contention. “I do all the planning and book,” says Mandy. “Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy it, but if Joe paid a bit more attention, he wouldn’t have turned up for a flight to Grenada packed for a winter city break. ‘Jumpers and boots?!’ I cried. ‘You’re supposed to have packed shorts and T-shirts—it’s 30℃ in the Caribbean!’ Then I realized he thought we were going to Granada, in Spain.”
How Joe and Mandy each approach their travel plans is just one example of the many ways in which men and women differ. Yet, is what goes on inside our minds and bodies really so different? Furthermore, are we born that way?
On this issue, scientists are divided. The majority of scientists believed that patterns of behaviour thought to be more male or female are learnt firstly from our parents, then from our peers(同龄人)and, ultimately, from the societies in which we live. As Simone de Beauvoir famously said, “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.”
On the other side of the fence sat those who believed that male and female brains are actually wired differently. In one study in which 34 monkeys were required to interact with different types of toys, the males showed a strong preference for toys with wheels rather than soft toys, whereas the females were noticeably drawn to soft toys. These preferences were clearly not the result of parental influence.
Whatever the truth behind the differences between men and women, we can safely conclude that although the social impact on how we think and behave is undeniable, there exists a biological contribution. The question that now needs answering is to what extent biology affects the choices we make and the way other people treat us.
1. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Disagreement. | B．Satisfaction. | C．Inspiration. | D．Information. |
| A．Whether men and women are different. | B．Why minds and bodies are so different. |
| C．What causes the sex difference. | D．How different males and females are. |
| A．Monkeys have their own preferences. | B．Parents indeed have strong impacts. |
| C．Men and women are born different. | D．Females and males behave differently. |
| A．Biology contributes to the difference. | B．Biology mostly affects our choices. |
| C．Social influence can be ignored. | D．Peers have more impact than parents. |
8 . Few items make more of a fashion statement than wearing feathers. In Europe, the trend first came to prominence(引人注目) during the 16th century Renaissance (文艺复兴) period, symbolizing wealth and power. Similarly, nowadays, the feather industry is seen as an expensive decoration for designer items, including handbags and boots.
However, the Native American culture falls on the opposite end, viewing feathers as sacred parts of their civilization.
Native American is the blanket item for a member of any of the local people of North, Central and South America, many of whom were wiped out by diseases brought over by European colonists. Today, their traditional culture survives to an extent in specific Native American Reserves around the US and Canada, aiming to protect the remaining tribes.
Though each tribe has its own culture, feathers are widely seen as a symbol of bravery and are often integrated into the iconic headdress or warbonnet(战冠) designs worm by the most influential and powerful members of a tribe.
As a key symbol for a tribe, a warbonnet should reflect a tribe's home. As such, they are usually made up of feathers mainly from the local area, which results in widely differing designs around the US.
Of these feathers, an eagle feather is the most highly valued. Within the Native American culture, eagles are regarded for their strength and bravery, meaning anyone who possesses or wears its feathers should also demonstrate these qualities.
Despite this spiritual significance, many not associated with the culture continue to wear headdresses with artificial feathers at music festivals and sporting events. Dennis Zotigh, Cultural Specialist, National Museum of the American Indian, said: “This is analogous to casually wearing a purple heart (a US military medal for bravery) that was not earned.”
Indeed, the feather is such a meaningful and spiritual part of Native American culture. So maybe the next time we find ourselves buying a shirt with a feather design or colorful feather earrings, we can appreciate the feather's symbolic history.
1. Why does the author mention the trend of feathers at the beginning of the text?| A．To introduce the origin of the feather industry. |
| B．To contrast the importance of feathers in different cultures. |
| C．To inform readers of the latest fashion trend. |
| D．To discuss the development of the fashion industry. |
| A．Most of them still live in South America. |
| B．Many of them died from diseases from Europe. |
| C．Headdresses are worn by most members of a tribe. |
| D．Different tribes use the same design for headdresses. |
| A．Eagles represent wealth and status. |
| B．Eagles remind people of cool fashion. |
| C．Eagles are associated with freedom. |
| D．Eagles stand for strength and courage. |
| A．The development of the feather industry. |
| B．The meaning of feathers in the Native American culture. |
| C．The spiritual significance of feathers in Renaissance. |
| D．The function of feathers in fashion. |
When it comes to being fit and healthy, we’ re often reminded
However, recent research from Harvard Medical School has shown that,
If you think sitting at the desk all day is bad and
A few years ago, I was unemployed after just getting back on my feet from illness. Although upset, I decided to blow my savings and go to Australia on my own for six months, which turned into two years!
Travelling alone, on the other side of the world, was scary and I faced so many challenges that let me see the kindness in humanity (人性). The most notable for me was just after I had been granted my second year visa, having only $20 left to my name.
I applied for a job through an agency, was offered the job but told to return for a second interview with the office manager, suit required. I pieced together a suit from a charity shop with my last dollars. I had arranged a bank transfer from home but a bank holiday had severely delayed the speed of the transfer, so I was left with no money for food.
At the second interview, my stomach betrayed my hunger and I tried to joke about my financial difficulties. The manager offered to give me money there and then, despite not officially offering me the job. I stubbornly refused, but promised if my money was delayed further I would accept his kind gesture. I got the job!
After this, I found an apartment and used my money from home to cover rent and a deposit, knowing I have a job and a wage to come. I thought things were looking up until I moved into the apartment and discovered my housemate was a completely crazy person.
Two weeks later, I realized I couldn’t stay there and gave notice to leave after I found another apartment around the corner. Again I thought I had dodged a bullet (逃过一劫) and things were OK. I was four days into my new job and arranging to move into the new apartment when I got a text from my new landlord the day before I was due to move in, apologizing and saying the room wasn’t available.
Para1: I honestly didn’t know what to do.
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Para2: Everyone in the office was so lovely to me that day.
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