1 . A curtain-making couple, Liao Peisheng, 41, and Liu Xiaohui, 39, from Linyi, Shandong province recently caught many viewers’ attention. They
Liu likes the works of Su Shi. Liao,
One of the couple’s longtime dreams was taking part in the Chinese Poetry Competition, a(n)
On stage, Liu introduced herself to the
After earning herself a participation medal, they returned to their
A.entered | B.competed | C.participated | D.presented |
A.love | B.pursue | C.stimulate | D.seize |
A.Although | B.When | C.Whether | D.Because |
A.awareness | B.problem | C.sense | D.interest |
A.thus | B.otherwise | C.however | D.therefore |
A.reflection | B.resolution | C.recognition | D.reputation |
A.weaved | B.absorbed | C.composed | D.revolved |
A.assignment | B.detail | C.campaign | D.enterprise |
A.realistic | B.visual | C.influential | D.annual |
A.turning | B.guaranteeing | C.making | D.sustaining |
A.continuously | B.frequently | C.particularly | D.precisely |
A.amateur | B.level | C.contest | D.round |
A.candidates | B.participants | C.representatives | D.listeners |
A.careful | B.sad | C.concerned | D.clear |
A.formal | B.normal | C.primitive | D.real |
2 . It’s no secret that sleep is important to your overall health, but a lack of sleep could have great effects on your heart, a new study shows. The researchers said people with insomnia(失眠症)are more likely to have a heart attack.
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in the US, the researchers wrote in their report, noting that 10% to 15% of people in the US struggle with it. The meta-analysis of previously published research suggests that the potential association between insomnia and heart attack risk is strongest in women.
Dr. Martha Gulati, director of prevention at the Cedars-Sinai Smidt Heart Institute, said that most of her patients are women and that insomnia is a noted risk factor for women who have had any form of ischemic heart disease. “We see it probably in 1 in 10 patients in the United States,” said Gulati, who was not involved in the new research. “It is my impression that almost everyone experiences insomnia at some point in their life. The estimate is that 1 in 2 adults experience it at some point in their life, maybe in the short term because of stressful moments.”
For their analysis, the researchers defined insomnia as a sleep disorder with three main symptoms(症状): Difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep and waking early and being unable to fall back asleep.
The study also found an association between increased heart attack risk and how long a participant slept each night. Those who slept five hours or less had the highest association with heart attack risk and were 1.56 times more likely to have a heart attack than people who slept seven or eight hours. Longer sleep duration wasn’t always more protective. The study found that people who slept six hours a night had a lower risk of a heart attack than those who slept nine hours or more. “A lot of studies have pointed somewhere between seven and eight hours of sleep being the magic number for us,” another researcher said. “There is obviously variability for everyone, but too much sleep is rarely the issue.”
1. What’s the function of the first paragraph?A.To list a fact. | B.To warn the readers. |
C.To introduce the topic. | D.To draw the readers’ interest. |
A.Insomnia is unavoidable in the short term. |
B.Insomnia is a common phenomenon in life. |
C.Heart attack often happens during insomnia. |
D.Women are less experienced in dealing with insomnia. |
A.Put quality before quantity. | B.Too much is as bad as too little. |
C.Bite off more than one can chew. | D.Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. |
A.Pessimistic. | B.Indifferent. | C.Objective. | D.Positive. |
3 . A solar tree is a structure like a tree that generates solar energy using photovoltaic panels (太阳能光伏板). It helps solve an urgent global challenge: Replacing greenhouse gas-emitting energy sources like oil and gas with renewable energy. But the power generation potential of solar trees is relatively limited, and their primary purpose is to raise public awareness about renewable energy by getting people to notice and interact with solar energy in new ways.
Solar trees generally have a firm metal, plastic, or stone base that extends up and out into “branches” on which solar panels are mounted. Beyond this basic structure, there is great diversity in the design of solar tree units. The solar tree’s photovoltaic “leaves” absorb sunlight, converting it into electricity that is conducted down through the trunk-like central pillar of the structure to an inside battery. Many designs feature rotating (旋转的) panels that can move throughout the day in order to obtain the greatest amount of sunlight.
Solar trees help power homes, businesses, and public services. They can create shade to help reduce the urban heat island effect and provide shelter in severe weather such as rainstorms and heatwaves, creating greater urban adapting ability in the face of climate change. They also enhance public spaces, providing charging stations, and powering streetlights.
In comparison to other kinds of ground-mounted solar panel devices, solar trees don’t require much land. They make solar energy generation possible in areas with little land that can’t support vast solar arrays, as well as places that lack sufficient rooftop space for panels. However, solar panels are much cheaper than solar trees at present and have far greater energy generation capacity. Therefore, present solar tree designs often serve as a extra source rather than as a primary energy source.
At present, solar trees aren’t designed as large-scale solar projects, which limits their ability to contribute to the low-carbon energy transition. Still, their varied designs are appealing. This makes solar trees effective at displaying and thereby educating people about solar energy, and promoting a business or organization’s commitment to renewable energy.
1. What is the main purpose of building solar trees?A.To beautify the urban environment. | B.To draw public attention to solar energy. |
C.To replace non-renewable energy resources. | D.To provide charging services in emergencies. |
A.It stores energy in its own battery. |
B.It can adjust its height automatically. |
C.It is made of environmentally friendly materials. |
D.It transforms sunlight into electricity by its metal base. |
A.The design features of solar trees. | B.The ways of saving energy in cities. |
C.The benefits of solar trees to humans. | D.The difficulties of promoting solar trees. |
A.They occupy much less land. | B.They are cheaper to manufacture. |
C.They are more effective in generating energy. | D.They can work in various weather conditions. |
4 . A new form of real estate(不动产)is appearing along the beaches of South Africa and on the dry islands off its coast-tiny white beach huts. With good ventilation and a sea view, they are just big enough to fit a family of African penguins. Their unique selling point: a safe and cool place for penguins to breed.
African penguins, unlike their relatives that live in snow and ice, live well in the cold currents of the South Atlantic Ocean. But when they come to land, their thick black coat absorbs the heat, and they desperately look for cover-both for themselves and their fragile eggs.
Historically, the penguins dug burrows in layers of guano-accumulated seabird and bat feces- that lined Africa’s penguin colonies, but in the 19th century, traders started selling guano(鸟粪)as fertilizer, leaving the penguins and their eggs increasingly exposed to predators and the baking sun. This, combined with other threats such as egg poaching, overfishing and climate change, has caused African penguin populations to plummet. In 2019, they were thought to be less than 20,000 breeding pairs, down from an estimated 1.5 to 3 million birds in 1900.For more than a decade, the species has been listed as endangered by the IUCN.
To date, the African Penguin Nest Project has installed more than 1,500 nests across five of South Africa’s penguin colonies, and plans to expand into Namibia next year, the only other country with breeding populations of the species.
“This is still just a drop in the bucket,” says Graham, who anticipates they will need to deploy at least 4,500 more ceramic homes to protect penguins currently nesting in exposed areas. “The goal is that every penguin that needs a nest will get one.”
1. What is the reason for building the beach huts?A.To beautify the beach. | B.To conduct research. |
C.To house the penguins. | D.To balance the ecology. |
A.Four. | B.Five. | C.Six. | D.Seven. |
A.Innovate. | B.Increase. | C.Swing. | D.Decline. |
A.Culture. | B.Environment. | C.Technology. | D.Art. |
5 . Researchers at the University of Arizona have been studying the effects of green light therapy on those suffering from migraine (偏头痛). In September, they completed their first clinical study and the results are very encouraging. They found that green light therapy is extremely beneficial to those who suffer from headaches. It not only reduces the intensity of the pain, but it also decreases its frequency by 60 percent, significantly improving patients’ quality of life.
According to the Migraine Research Foundation, migraine is the third most common illness in the world, affecting one billion worldwide, including men, women, and children. Additionally, it is the sixth most disabling illness in the world and more than 90 percent of the sufferers are unable to carry on with their normal activities during their sufferings. And when it is actually treated, medication overuse can lead to episodic (偶尔发生的) migraine turning chronic (慢性的).
According to Science Daily, the recent clinical study included 29 patients who suffer from episodic or chronic migraine. They have tried but failed in several traditional therapies including Botox injections and oral medications. In the study, participants spent two hours at home each day staring at a green-light LED. They did this for ten weeks, reporting the number and intensity of headaches they had.
Dr. Patwardhan, co-author of the study, said that the green light discharged by the LED greatly helps those who do not want to take medicine as well as those who do not respond to medications. “The beauty of this approach is the lack of associated side effects,” Patwardhan explained. But that’s not all. The participants also reported significant improvements in sleep quality and in the ability to perform everyday normal activities such as exercise and work. And none of them reported any side effects.
As the study reveals, green light treatment might be an unprecedented (前所未有的) alternative for migraine sufferers.
1. What can we learn from the research?A.Migraine sufferers unable to live a normal life makes up about 60%. |
B.Episodic migraine can be treated more easily than chronic migraine. |
C.Headaches can be relieved by green light. |
D.Migraine most frequently happens to adults. |
A.Take some traditional medicine daily for ten weeks. |
B.Use a green-light LED the whole night at home for ten days. |
C.Receive an injection each day for two months. |
D.Look at the green light for two hours per day for 70 days. |
A.lit up | B.put out | C.taken in | D.sent out |
A.He thought it had side effects. |
B.He agreed it was of great benefit. |
C.He worried it might affect sleep. |
D.He wondered if it hurt eyes. |
6 . To American ears, hearing the words “Black Grace” used together makes them feel a kind of quiet strength in times of hardship or perhaps a positive cultural stereotype (刻板印象). To choreographer Neil Ieremia, the words represent the joining of two ideas born from personal and cultural conflict.
In New Zealand, where Ieremia grew up in what he describes as “a fairly tough town” northeast of Wellington, black was used to describe brave, daring behavior. In Ieremia’s youth, brave people were called “black”, linking them to the neighborhood’ s heroes, New Zealand’ s great All Blacks, the national rugby (橄榄球) team.
Ieremia was born in New Zealand to Samoan immigrants who arrived in the country during the 1960s. Illnesses kept him from actively participating in the country’s widespread sports culture. This was difficult for a Pacific Island boy living in a neighborhood where boys were expected to be sporty and tough. In this world, he developed a passion for music.
At the age of 19, Ieremia decided to attend dance school. At his first ballet class, the instructor told him he lacked grace. Ieremia wasn’t discouraged. When he started his own dance company in 1995, he looked to his own experiences for a name that would also reflect his ambitions for dance grace and storytelling. Thus Black Grace was born. Since then, he has changed the face of modern dance in New Zealand and turned Black Grace into one of the most recognizable and successful cultural brands.
In the early years of Black Grace, Ieremia struggled with the conflict between Samoan and New Zealand cultures. Questions of how and where one belongs were at the forefront of his work. Ieremia draws inspiration from his Samoan and New Zealand roots to create innovative dance works that reach across social, cultural and generational barriers. The work itself is highly physical, rich in the storytelling traditions of the South Pacific, and expressed with unique beauty and power.
1. What is Neil Ieremia’s occupation?A.a sports figure | B.a dancer | C.a psychologist | D.a great writer |
A.Stay calm and positive when facing difficulties |
B.The quality of being courageous and elegant |
C.A kind of stereotype from cultural conflict |
D.The expectation of being sporty and tough |
A.Ieremia immigrated from New Zealand to Samoan. |
B.Ieremia played a key role in mainstream sports culture. |
C.Ieremia had a talent for dance at an early age. |
D.Ieremia made Black Grace become a successful cultural brand. |
A.Bridging cultures through dance | B.A conflict between two cultures |
C.Breaking cultural stereotype | D.Neil Iremia—a successful choreographer |
Traveling by train in China is a cost-effective, comfortable, and safe mode of transportation. The train cabins are well-maintained and
Trains leave and arrive on schedule, and there are seldom any delays,
Chinese train is not only a convenient transportation when
8 . You have a story to tell and pass on — Start today! Your memories and legacy will inspire and enrich others. LifeStories.com guides you in writing your life story. Our goal is to help you build a bridge from you to future generations and transform the lives at both ends. This easy, creative, comprehensive and a fun website allows you to:
ComposeCapture your memories and write your life story using questions. We provide over 1,000 questions to help you! These questions help stimulate your memory and cover your different life stages. You can answer all of them or just a partial list.
Collaborate (合作)Invite others to read your story AND they can add content to your story. It’s easy and fun to do. After all life is about those experiences and events with others. So invite them to enrich your story.
ContributeYour journey is something beautiful to share with your family and friends. Really… is there anything more important to pass on to generations that follow? Your Life and Your Story will be honored and treasured for generations to come.
Tell Others!Nothing is more important then the legacy of your spiritual life story. Spread the good news to your friends and family and help them get started telling their story. Click here to get started.
Don’t Have An Account?Creating an account is easy. Start writing your story today by signing up for an account here.
Register now, it’s FREE!This registration is free and you will see your life story book in your library, the chapters of your book, and over 1,000 questions. If you wish to answer these questions, and share your answer with family and friends, you will need to pay a small annual fee of $100.00. So, check it out! We hope you join our ever-expanding list of satisfied customers who are writing their stories and sharing it with those they love.
1. What is the advertisement for?A.Teaching learners to build websites. |
B.Selling the famous writers’ story books. |
C.Assisting readers to write life stories. |
D.Providing students with reading materials. |
A.Three. | B.Four. | C.Five. | D.Seven. |
A.Registering to become learners. |
B.Going over the guiding questions. |
C.Seeing the chapters of your book. |
D.Sharing your answers with others. |
9 . Guilin City Daily Bus Tour
Departure Date: Daily Tour Time: Around 8:00 a.m.—Around 5:30 p.m. Pick-up & Drop-off Service: Your hotel in the downtown Vehicle Model: Air-conditioned tour coach Tour Guide Service: English-speaking tour guide Type of Tour: Bus Day Tours Tour Highlights: Reed Flute Cave, The Elephant Trunk Hill, The Fubo Hill, The Seven Star Park Tour Code: TBGTS-GLBT02 | |
Itinerary (路线): 1. Pick up service by your tour guide and driver in the morning. 2. Visit Reed Flute Cave. Reed Flute Cave is the largest and the most spectacular of the karst caverns in Guilin. Its name derives from the reed that grows near the entrance of the cave and makes excellent flutes. 3. Visit the Elephant Trunk Hill. Elephant Trunk Peak, also known as Elephant Hill, a huge rock formation of an elephant by the confluence of the Yang and Li rivers, looks as if its trunk is dipping into the water. 4. Visit the Fubo Hill. Fubo Hill towers solitarily in the northeast of the city, with half of it in the Li River. 5. Visit the Seven Star Park. Located on the east bank of the Li River, the Seven-Star Park is about 1.5 kilometers away from the city proper. 6. There are two typical featured shopping stores included during today’s tour. 7. Drop-off service at your hotel at around 9:30PM. | Quotation (价格) Adult: USD66/pp (RMB400/pp) Child(Age:4-12):USD33/PP (RMB200/pp) Infant (Age:0-3): Free Cost Includes: 1. Service for Picking up and dropping off at the hotel. 2. Air-conditioned tour coach. 3. Professional English-speaking tour guide service. 4. Cost of main entrance tickets of mentioned attractions in the itinerary listed above. 5. Typical Chinese lunch. Cost Excludes: 1. All additional fees not listed as include in tour price will be the responsibility of the guest. 2. Tips to the guide and driver as your wish. (Based on the well-done job of the guide and driver). |
How to book the tour: 1. Please use our online booking or book the tour by email to info@tour-china-guide.com. 2. Our real trip advisors will have your booking confirmed within one working day. We even take last minute booking if time is pressing. When your booking is confirmed, you will get a confirmation email from us, which includes the confirmed detailed itinerary with prices. 3. In your reply, please inform us of your hotel in Xi’an and date for the tour. Usually our tour guide will call you in the evening to confirm the departure time from your hotel. | Payment: 1. You don’t need to pay any deposit to book this tour. 2. Our tour guide will collect the money on the spot when you board the coach. 3. Both RMB and US Dollar are acceptable. Travel with Tour-china-guide Travel Service. Enjoy your pleasant and unforgettable trip in China. You just can’t afford to miss it! |
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Payment should be made in advance. |
B.English-speaking tour guide service is offered. |
C.Shopping stores are not included in the tour. |
D.Tips to the guide and driver are included in the quotation. |
A.online booking is available | B.emailing is not recommended |
C.it can be made by telephone | D.confirmation is made one working day later |
A.a report | B.a journal | C.an advertisement | D.an introduction |
Many years ago, I went sightseeing in London. While there, I visited the Underground. Like most tourists, I was very interested in it as it is the