1 . Ciro Ortiz, an 11-year-old kid, has recently set up shop in a New York subway station. He offers five-minute “
Every Sunday, Ciro Ortiz spends about two hours at the Bedford
Ciro’s dad doesn’t make much money. One night Ciro was just inspired to try an idea of
Ciro was surprisingly
Plus, Ciro is
A.physical | B.emotional | C.mental | D.legal |
A.subway | B.service | C.railway | D.comfort |
A.writes | B.announces | C.reads | D.shows |
A.stand by | B.stop by | C.pass by | D.get by |
A.significance | B.interest | C.value | D.wisdom |
A.sorts | B.costs | C.means | D.directions |
A.happiest | B.most | C.best | D.worst |
A.when | B.what | C.why | D.how |
A.approved of | B.appealed to | C.complained of | D.stuck to |
A.base | B.stand | C.branch | D.goal |
A.familiar | B.content | C.popular | D.careful |
A.then | B.there | C.before | D.since |
A.demand | B.earn | C.collect | D.withdraw |
A.attracts | B.serves | C.overcomes | D.motivates |
A.channel | B.admire | C.recover | D.suit |
A.other than | B.more than | C.less than | D.rather than |
A.apparently | B.voluntarily | C.personally | D.fortunately |
A.thinking | B.seeking | C.feeling | D.hunting |
A.unaware | B.uncertain | C.independent | D.innocent |
A.take up | B.turn to | C.end up | D.admit to |
2 . Over 48,000 orange trees spread all corners of Seville, Spain. They not only fill the city's air with the
The program is
In the first period of a(n)
This project will help to reach the
A.pleasant | B.natural | C.familiar | D.strange |
A.attract | B.distribute | C.bear | D.collect |
A.moment | B.pride | C.state | D.dream |
A.protected | B.sold | C.picked | D.consumed |
A.go back to | B.break away from | C.end up in | D.give in to |
A.problem | B.relief | C.bid | D.strength |
A.traditionally | B.creatively | C.briefly | D.slightly |
A.conducted | B.abandoned | C.measured | D.recorded |
A.purified | B.sought | C.obtained | D.discovered |
A.fix | B.drive | C.wash | D.design |
A.spending | B.earning | C.counting | D.saving |
A.urgently | B.occasionally | C.extremely | D.actually |
A.experiment | B.experience | C.competition | D.performance |
A.expand | B.satisfy | C.survey | D.remove |
A.complex | B.flexible | C.successful | D.simple |
A.displayed | B.ordered | C.eaten | D.recycled |
A.standards | B.targets | C.conclusions | D.agreements |
A.effort | B.proof | C.invention | D.style |
A.oppose | B.limit | C.interrupt | D.achieve |
A.repeated | B.readapted | C.renewable | D.reserved |
3 . How to Show Maturity
Sometimes it's fun to be a kid, but other times you want to show that you can be mature. Maturity can be a signpost of moving from childhood to adulthood.
●Live by your values. Maturity includes making decisions based on your values and morals, instead of what feels good at the moment.
●
●Treat people with respect. Respect builds trust and support in a relationship. Make sure you treat others with the same respect, whether it is your parents, friends or romantic partner.
●Admit your disadvantages.
A.Keep your commitments. |
B.This is a very mature action. |
C.Reflect on what makes you active. |
D.Allow your values to guide your life. |
E.Respect others with both your actions and your words. |
F.A good way to learn respect is to first respect yourself. |
G.It can include intellectual, emotional and even spiritual aspects. |
4 . China has just officially opened its FAST radio telescope to international scientists. Scientists across the world can submit proposals for astronomical observations using the telescope.
FAST is short for Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (球面射电望远镜) and it is also believed to be the world's largest radio telescope and the most sensitive single-dish radio telescope. The receiving surface area of FAST is 250,000 square meters, about the size of 30 standard football fields. Its construction was completed in September 2016 and it officially began operating in January 2020.
The major scientific task of the telescope is the observation of pulsars (脉冲星) – the rotating neutron stars. The study of pulsars can help to confirm the existence of gravitational radiation and black holes, and help solve many other major questions in physics. Another scientific goal of FAST is to search for outer space civilization.
The telescope is located in a naturally deep and round karst depression in southwest China's Guizhou Province. The first advantage of the selected site is the altitude. The average altitude of Guizhou is about 1,100 meters, which maximizes the effectiveness of the observation equipment. Secondly, the radio telescope needs to have a “big pan” to receive better signal. The huge natural depression could reduce the amount of excavation (挖掘) and difficulty of construction. Moreover, the selected site in Guizhou is far away from cities, and has a small population, which reduces the interference (干扰) caused by wireless devices such as TVs, mobile phones and radios from human activities.
FAST has identified over 300 pulsars. Experts predict that the number could reach 1,000 in five years and that the telescope could locate and identify the first pulsar outside the galaxy. With the opening-up to international scientists, China's FAST is expected to make more contribution to astronomical research in the future.
1. What do we know about FAST?A.It is opened to global scientists. | B.It is a project under construction. |
C.It has provided service since 2016. | D.It has found a pulsar outside the galaxy. |
A.To study black holes. | B.To observe the pulsars. |
C.To explore the sun. | D.To seek space civilization. |
A.It's close to urban areas. | B.It reduces engineering amount. |
C.It possesses a shallow depression. | D.It's at the highest altitude in China. |
A.Major Scientific Tasks of FAST | B.Ways to Select the Site for FAST |
C.Contributions FAST Has Made | D.Facts about FAST Radio Telescope |
5 . I'd never heard of the yangqin - an 18th century Chinese stringed instrument — until this past Sunday, when I had the pleasure of hearing Eastman graduate and music performer Zhang Wenzhuo perform on it in a virtual concert.
Wenzhuo, a Chinese native, began her training on the yangqin at age five. When she was only 13, Wenzhuo was awarded a scholarship to the Arts School of Hebei Province; the highly competitive program only accepted a single yangqin student every two years. After graduation, she placed first in nationwide competitions and was admitted into the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing, where she was awarded her bachelor's in yangqin performance in 2005. She obtained her doctorate from Boston University in music education in 2015 and studied ethnomusicology at Eastman from 2017 to 2019. Wenzhuo has performed with countless orchestras and groups of musicians and won countless awards for her performances.
Before Wenzhuo performed on her yangqin, she presented a brief historical background of the instrument's origin, and discussed its continued usage up to the present day. Determined by musicologists to be based on the similarly-structured English hammered dulcimer (大扬琴), the yangqin was first used in Chinese folk music performance and operas. As time went on, performances began to be sponsored by the country, and yangqin performers were given a path to higher levels of social mobility.
Wenzhuo performed four pieces, three tracing their origins to centuries' old Chinese composers, and one from the modern era. Needless to say, Wenzhuo's performances sounded fantastic. The yangqin is a unique and beautiful instrument and its sound, coupled with Wenzhuo's musical ability, allowed the four greatly differing pieces to stand together as a wonderful introduction to the instrument.
It was fascinating to learn about the yangqin and a joy to watch Wenzhuo perform on it.
1. What can we learn about Zhang Wenzhuo?A.She has been trained for 13 years. | B.She topped many competitions. |
C.She studied ethnomusicology in Boston. | D.She became a bachelor at Eastman. |
A.Wenzhuo's personalities. | B.Wenzhuo's nationality. | C.Wenzhuo's contributions. | D.Wenzhuo's schooling. |
A.Her high level of social mobility. | B.Her knowledge of the instrument. |
C.Her gift and the charm of the yangqin. | D.Her understanding of different cultures. |
A.Favorable. | B.Curious. | C.Strange. | D.Cold. |
The Nobel Prize is the most famous honor in the world. The prizes were first awarded on December 10, 1901. That was five years after the death of Alfred Nobel, the
Marie Curie was the first woman
The prize committees are made up
7 . Bangladesh's floating gardens, built to grow food during flood seasons, could offer a continuous solution for parts of the world which are likely to suffer from flooding because of climate change, a new study has found.
Bangladesh's floating gardens began hundreds of years ago. The gardens are made from native plants that float in the rivers and operate almost like rafts (筏), rising and filling with the waters. Historically, they were used to continue growing food during rainy seasons when rivers were filled with water.
The farmers layer the plants about three feet deep, creating a version of raised-bed gardens that float in the water. Then, they plant vegetables inside those rafts. As the raft-plants rot away, they release nutrients, which help feed the vegetable plants.
But as climate change affected the volume of water in those rivers, the researchers wanted to understand whether Bangladesh's floating gardens could be a continuous farming practice. They interviewed farming families and found strong evidence that floating gardens provide stability, both in the amount of food available to feed rural populations and in a farming family's income.
They found that farmers typically use hybrid (杂交) seeds, which must be repurchased each year, to grow a diverse range of vegetables in the floating gardens. The gardens are also sensitive to pests, so farmers end up spending some money on both pesticides and fertilizers. But even with those expenses, they found, benefits outweighed costs. One farmer told the research team that he earns up to four times as much money from the gardens as from traditional rice fields.
However, before gaining profits, farmers often take out high-interest loans (贷款) to cover the investment costs of filling the beds and stocking them with plants. Luckily; there are also lower-interest loans from responsible government or non-governmental organizations, which could ease that burden.
1. How do vegetable plants grow according to the text?A.By absorbing nutrition from raft-plants. | B.By taking shelter from climate change. |
C.By living together with hybrid seeds. | D.By moving up and down with raised beds. |
A.“Our life becomes tough when rivers flood.” | B.“Fewer vegetables are planted when water rises.” |
C.“We harvest much more food during rainy seasons.” | D.“Climate change has little influence on our income.” |
A.Affected. | B.Brought. | C.Beat. | D.Equaled. |
A.A solution to climate problem has been found. | B.The gardens are built with rotted native plants. |
C.Farmers earn more from traditional rice fields. | D.Low-interest loans lighten the stress of farmers. |
8 . Sugar has been linked to serious diseases like heart disease, diabetes and even cancer, which is why it's vital to cut down on foods and drinks that are high in sugar. Take a look at the drinks that contain a surprising amount of hidden sugars and what you should be eating instead.
Fruit juices
While fruit juices can contain some important vitamins and minerals, they are typically full of sugar. Unfortunately, the fiber that fruit naturally contains and that helps the body keep blood sugar stable has also been removed. To keep blood sugar levels from rising sharply, choose to eat whole fruits whenever a juice desire comes along.
Sports drinks
Sports drinks might seem like the perfect choice for hydration while exercising, but they contain a high amount of added sugars as they were designed for athletes during fierce and long periods of activity. The only people who actually benefit from sports drinks are professional athletes or marathoners. Unless that's you, just stick to plain water.
Flavored coffees
Flavored coffees are delicious, but they contain hidden sugars as they often rely on artificial syrups (糖浆) for flavoring. A large flavored coffee at some coffee chains has up to 25 teaspoons of sugar. You can still enjoy your morning cup of coffee. Just stick to unflavored and unsweetened versions and avoid creamers high in sugar.
Iced teas
Iced teas can be extremely refreshing on a hot day, but they're typically over-sweetened with sugar or syrups. Some brands of iced tea actually contain a surprising 33 grams of sugar in a 355-milliliter serving. So, look for iced teas without any added sugar or make your own at home so you can save money and control what goes into it.
1. How do fruit juices benefit people?A.They provide necessary minerals. | B.They refuel people during sports. |
C.They energize people in the morning. | D.They refresh people on hot days. |
A.Fruit juices. | B.Flavored coffees. | C.Natural water. | D.Iced teas. |
A.To introduce four nutritious drinks. | B.To discuss the advantages of drinks. |
C.To share ways to make drinks at home. | D.To warm readers against high-sugar drinks. |