1 . In February 1970, a group of activists gathered in Vancouver, Canada to discuss a planned nuclear test on the Alaskan island of Amchitka. They eventually agreed to sail to the test site and
Over the last 50 years, the
The human species, which emerged in the green forests and grasslands of Africa about 300, 000 years ago, has a special
With the rise of farming, we started to use green as a(n)
The ancient Egyptians, who were farming the banks of the Nile from about 8000 B.C.,
A.bump | B.protest | C.compete | D.insure |
A.objected | B.announced | C.responded | D.highlighted |
A.curious about | B.familiar with | C.shocked at | D.fascinated by |
A.environmental | B.revolutionary | C.multicultural | D.deliberate |
A.results | B.origins | C.extremes | D.streams |
A.identified | B.recognized | C.combined | D.illustrated |
A.physical | B.artificial | C.biological | D.physiological |
A.engaged | B.evolved | C.dominated | D.exchanged |
A.pioneers | B.seniors | C.ancestors | D.inspectors |
A.sensitive | B.available | C.equivalent | D.appropriate |
A.approach | B.symbol | C.alternative | D.signal |
A.crossing over | B.counting for | C.according to | D.dating back |
A.described | B.reflected | C.interpreted | D.resembled |
A.eventually | B.similarly | C.consequently | D.definitely |
A.agriculture | B.vegetation | C.cultivation | D.generation |
A. structured B. treasures C. revolution D. accessible E. professions F. responsive G. promises H. formalized I. popularized J. declared K. creation |
How the Victorians Invented the “ Staycation ”
Holidays feel like an important refreshment after such a tough year. While international travel is possible, it’s not exactly easy, so many are choosing to stay closer to home, taking a “staycation ”. This year holidaymakers are discovering the
Domestic tourism as we know it began in the 19th century when the idea of the holiday was just becoming
This gave way to the
The great summer holiday as we know it was designed by the Victorians. The 19th century saw the industrial
There was more
In 1871 the Bank Holidays Act was passed. This appointed certain days as holidays on which banks closed, though, over the years, more businesses began observing these days off work. Before 1830, banks closed only on the 40 saints’ days of the year, though by 1834 this was just four days, including Christmas day. From 1871, any day could be
3 . Otters, are cute, this no one can deny. They have big eyes, short and flat noses and claws (爪子) like tiny hands. They look even cuter when they wear hats and throw food balls into their mouths as if they were bar snacks, like Takechiyo, a pet otter in Japan. Documenting Takechiyo’s funny behavior has earned his owner nearly 230,000 followers on Instagram, a photo-sharing app.
Takechiyo’s fame reflects a craze across east and South-East Asia for keeping the cute creatures as pets. Enthusiasts in Japan visit cafés where they pay to hug them; Indonesian owners parade their pets around on leads or go swimming with them, then share their pictures online. But these enjoyable photos mask a trade that is doing a lot of damage. Even before they became fashionable companions for humans, Asia’s wild otters faced plenty of threats. Their habitats are disappearing. They have long been hunted for their coats, or killed by farmers who wish to prevent them consuming fishes. The pet trade, which began picking up in the early 2000s but appeared to speed up a few years ago, has made things worse. The numbers of wild Asian small-clawed otters and smooth-coated otters, two species that are in highest demand, have declined by at least 30% in the three decades to 2019.
The international agreement that governs trade in wildlife, known as CITES, now prohibits cross-border trade in these species. But laws banning ownership are often poorly implemented, as in Thailand, or full of holes, as in Indonesia. And the otter-keeping craze has been dramatically improved by the internet, says Vincent Nijman of Oxford Brookes University. In 2017 TRAFFIC, a British charity that monitors the wildlife trade, spent nearly five months looking at Facebook and other social-media sites in five South-East Asian countries. During that time, it found around 1,000 otters advertised for sale online.
In any case, otters do not even make particularly good pets. Every year the Jakarta Animal Aid Network, a charity in Indonesia’s capital, receives some ten otters from people who have struggled to look after them. Faizul Duha, the founder of an Indonesian otter-owners’ group, admits that his two animals emit a “very specific” (read: fishy) smell. They bite humans and chew on furniture. Their scream can be heard blocks away. And their cages need cleaning every two-to-three hours. That is how often they empty their bowels (肠道).
1. The function of the first paragraph is to ________.A.present the main idea | B.introduce the main topic |
C.set readers thinking | D.illustrate the writer’s point |
A.The demand for pet otters. | B.The disappearance of otters’ habitats. |
C.The popularity of otter coats. | D.The decrease of fishes. |
A.the laws that prohibit cross-border trade are strict in Asia |
B.social media plays a significant role in the online otter trade |
C.people usually give up otters because they are endangered |
D.otters are suitable pets because they are friendly to humans |
A.advertise for a photo-sharing app |
B.introduce the popularity of pet otters |
C.discourage the illegal otter pet trade |
D.describe the characteristics of otters |
A.The impact of animal studies. |
B.The growing population. |
C.The loss of natural habitats. |
D.The birds’ changing behaviour. |
A.It can contribute to the better conservation of birds. |
B.It is aimed at solving mysteries about nature. |
C.It is funded jointly by four nature organizations. |
D.It has spotted at least 10 birds not seen for a long time. |
A.The benefits of bird conservation. |
B.The search for lost birds. |
C.The reasons for bird extinction. |
D.The organizations of bird protection. |
Hanks, wining the Golden Globe Cecil B. deMille Award which is for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment”, shared a story of when he worked in his first professional job as an intern at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. Hanks said he and his fellow interns showed up to rehearsals after doing a little too much partying the previous night. The director wasn’t having it.
“He screamed at us,” said Hanks. “You know what your job is?” the director asked. “You have got to show up on time, and you have to know the text, and you have to have a head full of ideas. Otherwise I can’t do my job.”
And there it is, a simple, brilliant, three-step formula for success:
Show up on time, know the text and have a head full of ideas.
Show up on time
“Showing up on time is one of the greatest liberating acts you can give yourself in a movie. You have the freedom of being there early enough to settle down - because when the time comes, you have to hit the marks,” explains Hanks.
Know the text
“Knowing your text - it’s not just your lines, it’s the whole thing,” Hanks continued. “You might not be right in the opinion you bring to it. But you’ve got to come at it with some direction.”
In a word, Hanks is speaking here about preparation. Generally speaking, the more prepared you are, the more successful you’ll be.
Think about it - professional athletes, creatives even analysts, it’s not the smartest or most talented person in the room who’s the most successful.
It’s the one who comes most prepared.
Have a head full of ideas
Speaking to this final point, Hanks said the following:
“Bring anything. Try anything. They might not use it. If it is not fit, they won’t use it.”
The best companies are successful because their employees are constantly seeking to try new things to grow and improve.
Routines and processes are helpful, but growth doesn’t happen when you always do things the exact same way. Growth is a result of being willing to take risks, to break out of your comfort zone and to embrace failure when it happens.
Because out of failure comes learning. And out of learning comes growth.
A.how | B.that | C.when | D.which |