In recent years, shared vegetable plots
Yang Hui is one of them. He has rented a 20-square-meter vegetable plot for 1600 yuan per year. The family tends radishes (白萝卜), lettuces and other vegetables they have planted. When they aren’t around during the week,
This farm has about 200 members, some of
Those who wish to
2 . Traveling with family members can not only enhance the parent-child relationship, but also broaden the horizons and share happiness and memories. Take a trip with your family to one of the destinations below!
Yellowstone National Park
Kids will love watching Old Faithful, one of nearly 500 geysers (间歇喷泉) in Yellowstone, erupt, and there’s nothing like a hike for family bonding. Keep an eye out for wild animals, or visit the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center to guarantee some animal interactions. Hotels are expensive, so consider taking advantage of the park’s well-equipped campsites.
Orlando
Appealing, thrilling and fun, Walt Disney World Resort (度假村) is engineered specifically for families. Orlando also has a handful of other theme parks, including Universal Orlando Resort, where you’ll find The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Discovery Cove, an all-inclusive day resort, where you can swim and dive around the park’s coral reef.
Destin
Big Kahuna’s Water & Adventure Park(open seasonally)features waterslides and a lazy river, while the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is home to animals kids love, including dolphins and penguins. And if you’re looking for an adventure on the water, consider booking a boat tour at Henderson Beach State Park or Crystal Beach Park. Just don’t forget to pack your beach hat.
Anaheim
Anaheim, California has been home to Disneyland Resort since 1955. After catching up with Mickey and friends, visit Anaheim’s Adventure City Amusement Park or Knott’s Berry Farm Theme Park—another top amusement park in the U.S. And if you’ re in town during baseball season, you can catch a game at Angel Stadium.
1. What can visitors do in Yellowstone National Park?A.Check into a discounted hotel. | B.Take photos with film characters. |
C.Watch an ancient volcano erupt. | D.Stay at well-equipped campsites. |
A.Crystal Beach Park. | B.Henderson Beach State Park. |
C.Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park. | D.Big Kahuna’s Water & Adventure Park. |
A.They include lazy rivers. | B.They provide some animal interactions. |
C.They have Disney-themed resorts. | D.They host professional baseball games. |
Climate protection strategy is fascinating the globe during the 19th Asian Games, not just athletic talent .
Avoiding fireworks during the opening ceremony promotes environmental awareness. Traditional fireworks displays are fun
The Games Village gave residents a “Low Carbon Account” as part of the green measures. Carbon points
4 . Called ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), the idea is to use surface water warmed by the sun to heat a fluid such as ammonia or water, which then runs a heat engine to produce energy, just like a power plant driven by steam. Cold water from deeper layers of the ocean would then be piped up to cool the fluid and repeat the cycle. Theoretically, oceans could provide vast amounts of electricity like this. Researchers have estimated that there is enough ocean heat to supply 7,000 gigawatt s a year without affecting ocean circulation, enough to supply the world’s electricity demand— if we can access it.
The idea was first put forward in 1881, but went largely unexplored until the 1970s oil. crisis drove a search for new sources of energy. In the years since, demonstration projects have been built, but progress has been “disappointing”, says AI Binger at SIDS DOCK, an organisation that promotes clean energy development in small island countries. In recent years, a fresh urgency to transition away from fossil fuels has brought a suggestion of an OTEC return. “It’s the most promising it’s been in many decades,” says Andrea Copping at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington state.
Tropical (热带的) islands are good candidates for OTEC because of their high energy costs— diesel (柴油) generators are common there—and the presence of deep cold water not far from shore, says James Van Zwieten at Florida Atlantic University. Islands also have less space for other types of renewables. A barrier for past projects was the cost of fixing kilometres of large pipes to reach deep water. Global OTEC aims to avoid that by extending a shorter pipe from a platform floating in deep water 10 kilometres offshore, then transmitting electricity back via a cable (电缆), and making use of advances made in offshore wind technology.
“OTEC will be part of providing a reasonable energy transition so these places aren’t depending on diesel imports from the richest petrol states in the world,” says Dan Grech, Global OTEC’s CEO.
1. What can we learn about OTEC technology from paragraph 1?A.It mainly uses offshore wind to generate electricity. |
B.It has been widely applied to the oceans all over the world. |
C.It can clean the water in the deeper layers of the ocean. |
D.It depends strongly on the temperature difference in the ocean. |
A.The advantages of OTEC. | B.The development of OTEC. |
C.Successful projects of OTEC. | D.Different opinions on OTEC. |
A.Lacking technology for generating electricity. |
B.Being far away from the shore. |
C.Enormous investment in the pipe equipment. |
D.Great demand for the space. |
A.Opposed. | B.Supportive. | C.Doubtful. | D.Uncaring. |
5 . Four Useful Ways to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
•Don’t compare your life to everyone else’s highlight reel (高光时刻). Are you ready for my most shocking observation yet?
•
•Have boundaries around how much time you spend on social media. Don’t follow any accounts that tend to make you feel bad about yourself. Set a timer and allow yourself to scroll (滚屏) for 30 minutes.
•Learn to compete with yourself instead of others. Instead of focusing on where you are compared to others, focus on your own goals. Where are you compared to where you were at this time last year? In the past year, you’ve learned, stretched, improved, accomplished and created.
A.Make them personal |
B.Focus on your strengths |
C.Love your imperfections |
D.Social media doesn’t always reflect reality |
E.When time is up, step away from social media |
F.It has been suggested to restrict it to only one hour a day |
G.Think about how much of that you’ve done in your lifetime |
6 . For the past 17 years, Raquel Radford Baker has been a school bus driver for the Dallas Independent School District. Last month, Baker saved the life of a 7-year-old boy who had a
The
Initially, Baker thought Preston was sick, but
Thanks to her
A.merry | B.honorable | C.guilty | D.scary |
A.incident | B.journey | C.attack | D.conflict |
A.deciding | B.imagining | C.realizing | D.explaining |
A.thrown off | B.turned into | C.torn off | D.slipped into |
A.leave | B.change | C.help | D.comfort |
A.eventually | B.temporarily | C.constantly | D.secretly |
A.panic | B.action | C.fame | D.doubt |
A.assessing | B.seeking | C.teaching | D.performing |
A.invented | B.learned | C.missed | D.forgotten |
A.Recalling | B.Ignoring | C.Recognizing | D.Repeating |
A.memory | B.challenge | C.thought | D.courage |
A.curiosity | B.effort | C.fortune | D.guidance |
A.deaf | B.weak | C.mad | D.impatient |
A.stand | B.move | C.listen | D.breathe |
A.relief | B.responsibility | C.respect | D.motivation |
7 . Vishwanath Mallabadi Davangere has a unique talent for turning abandoned items into amazing works of art. From metal and plastic to old devices and circuit boards, Vishwanath selects only the finest “good stuff” with potential for transformation.
Vishwanath’s father was a well-known sculptor and painter, but he had hopes of his son becoming a doctor. But Vishwanath had other ideas. He was fascinated with upcycling second-hand objects from a young age, and decided to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Applied Art. Even as a high-level administrator at Wipro, working in Talent Transformation, Vishwanath wouldn’t shake his passion for eco-art. In his free time and on the weekends, he devoted himself to experimenting with e-waste and creating one-of-a-kind masterpieces before retiring two years ago.
With India facing a growing e-waste crisis, producing 10.1 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 with only 22.7% recycled, Vishwanath’s passion for recycling is more important than ever. As he learned more about the harm e-waste was causing to the environment, he took his art to the next level creating paintings and sculptures that spread awareness about this urgent issue.
From computer keyboard keys to data cards and even wristwatch parts, Vishwanath has transformed over 500 pieces of e-waste into amazing pieces of art! He has created a six-foot-tall sculpture, eco-jewellery and even wearable art for a fashion show. One of his masterpieces—an awesome landscape—was inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night.
In just a few short minutes, he can turn pieces of e-waste into great pieces of jewellery. When it comes to sculptures, the process might take weeks or even months. But it’s all worth it because sustainable initiatives and upcycled art are fashionable these days. Companies everywhere are looking to adopt a more sustainable culture, and Vishwanath’s art is the perfect addition to any eco-friendly office or home.
1. What was Vishwanath’s occupation before retirement?A.A doctor. | B.A famous sculptor. |
C.A conservation scientist. | D.A senior manager of a firm. |
A.The features of Vishwanath’s works. | B.The seriousness of e-waste in India. |
C.The motivation for Vishwanath’s creations. | D.The achievements of Vishwanath. |
A.The Starry Night. | B.The eco-jewellery. |
C.An impressive landscape. | D.A six-foot-tall sculpture. |
A.It’s promising. | B.It’s unpredictable. |
C.It will lose its appeal. | D.It won’t be accepted by companies. |
8 . Australia Post is celebrating the 10th anniversary of BirdLife Australia’s Aussie Bird Count with three of our most commonly seen birds set to be flying across the globe on a commemorative stamp issue launch today.
Rainbow Lorikeet: Known for its kaleidoscopic colors, the Rainbow Lorikeet has been the number one most seen bird every year of the Aussi e Bird Count. These social and energetic birds are often spotted in urban areas, parks, and gardens, feeding on flowering native plants and spreading joy with their playful calls, though in cities to which they have been introduced such as Perth and Hobart their presence is not so welcome as they out-compete local parrot species.
Noisy Miner: As the name suggests, the Noisy Miners are highly vocal birds with a complex range of calls. They are skilled communicators, using a variety of sounds to defend their home and communicate with their group. These fascinating honeyeaters are essential pollinators, but the number of these bold birds has increased so much that they have started to drive away many of our smaller bush birds.
Australian Magpie: The iconic Australian Magpie, with its distinctive black and white feathers, holds a special place in the hearts of many Australians. Known for their beautiful, melodious song, magpies are highly intelligent and form strong social bonds. They are also famous for their swooping (俯冲) behaviour during the nesting season, as their protective instincts kick in to safeguard their weak chicks in the nest.
The stamp issue includes various products, such as the Aussie Bird Count First Day Cover (Gummed Stamps), the Aussi e Bird Count First Day Cover (Minisheet), and a set of three Maxicards, which can be used as postcards and posted worldwide. Starting today, the stamps are available for purchase through Australia Post’s official website: https://auspost.com.au//stamps.
1. What can we learn about the Aussie Bird Count?A.It takes charge of BirdLife Australia. | B.It has existed for about ten years. |
C.It has branches across the world. | D.It mainly focuses on three species. |
A.Rainbow Lorikeet. | B.Noisy Miner. |
C.Bush Magpie. | D.Australian Magpie. |
A.To call on people to protect local birds. |
B.To persuade people to count the number of local birds. |
C.To encourage people to buy stamps about local birds. |
D.To inform people of the situation of the endangered birds. |
9 . During the 2020-2021 school year, due to a special event, I was one of two fully remote fourth-grade teachers in my school. We each taught the required disciplines: English language arts, math, social studies, and science. Given the reduced distribution time on camera with students, the flexibility of focusing on additional topics was almost impossible. Yet, while I was virtually teaching a life sciences unit, a “teachable moment” on news literacy came up.
The skill being taught was supposed to be to compare and contrast, a requirement in fiction and nonfiction texts — a lesson that all literacy educators are familiar with and have tools in their toolboxes to address. My students were intrigued by a sidebar (侧边栏) that said the crabs have a plant-based diet, eating such items as leaves, fruits, and flowers. One of the kids — an experienced social media user — then said something wild: crabs eat their babies.
They all perked up (活跃起来). Suddenly it seemed everyone was interested in the lesson. I hadn’t planned on teaching news literacy skills, but it became clear that we needed to take that detour (绕道而行). It was almost time for a break, so I asked my students to see if they could figure out what red crabs eat.
When we returned, we started a list of what we’d found. The first few students said it was true: red crabs do eat their babies. One especially thoughtful student found a video with over 600,000 views that seemed to corroborate the notion that crabs eat their babies. During the break, however, I found a website disagreeing with the exact video my student had shared. Like so much misinformation, there was some truth to the video, but it was highly misleading.
Rather than teach another lesson on comparing and contrasting, I engaged my students in a discussion about sourcing and how to know what to trust. We focused on famous news organizations and how to spot signs of bias. We engaged in “lateral reading”: a method of going to other sites to learn about those sources that we weren’t sure about.
1. How did the special event have an effect on the author’s teaching?A.He was the only one to teach disciplines online in the school. |
B.The length of an online course was reduced. |
C.He was not allowed to talk about additional topics. |
D.The disciplines he taught became fewer. |
A.Interesting and open. | B.Relaxing and noisy. |
C.Serious and quiet. | D.Lively and competitive. |
A.Oppose. | B.Doubt. | C.Ignore. | D.Prove. |
A.The ability to compare and contrast is valuable. |
B.A teacher should be knowledgeable enough to answer questions from students. |
C.Gather more information when we have no idea of what to trust. |
D.Critical thinking and the courage to question are key to finding the truth. |
10 . A recent report from a higher education advising organization says nearly 40 percent of American employers avoid offering jobs to recent college graduates.
They said members of Generation Z, or “Gen Z”, the group of Americans born between 1997 and 2012, make a lot of mistakes in job interviews. They say they would rather employ older workers who work harder and are dependable.
The report came out in December and noted that, of 800 directors, managers and executives asked questions, 38 percent said they favor older workers. About 20 percent of employers said young people brought a parent with them to a job interview. Almost 60 percent of those surveyed said recent college graduates are unprepared for work and about half said they had to dismiss, or fire, a recent college graduate. Others said the young workers do not take criticism well.
Because of bad experiences with younger workers, more than half of the business leaders said they are putting policies in place that older workers want. For example, they are offering benefits that are important to older workers, paying higher salaries and permitting older workers to work from home.
One respondent gave an example of a Gen Z job seeker who refused to turn on their camera during a video interview. Michael Connors is a recruiter in the Washington, D. C. area. He said he has not had a job candidate saying they will not use their camera for interviews. However, he has had some candidates choosing noisy places for calls.
Adam Capozzi is the career services director at Syracuse University in New York State. He said while many students are very good about online communication, and data management and have experience with spreadsheets, they need help with the “soft skills”. “You could be in an elevator at a specific office building or at a different establishment and bump into someone and strike up a 30-second conversation and not know who they are associated with and a positive first impression can lead to further conversation.”
1. Which of the following about some American employers’ opinions on Gen Z members is NOT true?A.They don’t work as diligently as older employees. |
B.They are less reliable than older employees. |
C.They are not fully prepared in job interviews. |
D.They make many errors in the workplace. |
A.Of 496 directors, managers and executives are in favor of younger workers. |
B.More than half of the business leaders are implementing policies older workers want. |
C.Strange behavior of Gen Z job candidates in the interview s has dissatisfied recruiters. |
D.Michael Connors doesn’t mind whether job seekers turn on their cameras. |
A.Because there are many occasions where we need to use the skills. |
B.Because the skills can help workers get promoted quickly. |
C.Because the skills can establish a good relationship between you and others. |
D.Because the skills can improve the workers’ experience in the workplace. |
A.US Businesses Are Concerned about Hiring Young, “Gen Z” Workers. |
B.“Gen Z” Workers’ Different Personalities in the Workplace. |
C.Why Old Workers Are More Welcomed than “Gen Z” Workers? |
D.American “Gen Z” Members Are Facing Unemployment Nowadays. |