Holi is a spring festival also 1. (know)as the festival of colors or the festival of love.It is 2. ancient Hindu religious festival which has become popular with non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia.The Holi Festival 3. (take)place on the day after the full moon in March each year.At the Hindu-Festival people 4.(happy)celebrate the victory of the good over the bad and the beginning of the spring.
Holi celebrations start on the night before Holi where people gather,sing and dance.next morning is a free-for all carnival(狂欢）of colors, 5. participants play,chase and color each other with dry powder and colored water for 6. (they)water fight.Anyone and everyone is fair,frieng or stranger,rich or poor,man or woman,children and elders.The joy and fight with colors occurs in the open streets,open park and 7. (building),Groups carry drums and musical instruments,singing 8.dancing.In the evening,people dress up to visit friends and family.
Holi festival has other cultural 9.(significant)significance.It is the festive day to end and rid oneself of past errors,end conflicts by 10.(meet) others and repair broken relationships.
I am a time traveller.At the moment, I am talking to you from the Dark Ages, where ___ and technology has been forgotten.
Well...not ___ .But I do feel so !
About two and a half months ago, my computer ____ and I have been living without one at home. The man in the repair shop said it would be more expensive to ____ my computer than to buy a new one!
Now, I can admit that I am ___ to the Internet. I spend hours of my _____ time online. When I was told my computer couldn’t be fixed, I was _____ ! I don’t have enough money to _____ a new one at the moment and I will have to wait _____ December.
I have been trying to________thing to do without a computer, but it is a lot more ______than I was expecting! I got my first ____ when I was six old and I have ______ technology ever since.
This experience has made me ______ just how useful computers really are. I use the Internet for schoolwork,shopping, and all my banking is done ______. Without the Internet, it feels like you’re ______ out on something. However, it’s not all _______.I am sleeping a lot better now and I have been baking a lot , which I love _____never used to find enough ______ to do.
Living without a computer may not be as I thought it was going to be, but I am ready to_______ the Dark Ages and return to the 21st century!
1.A. science B. reputation C. communication D. information
2.A. curiously B. exactly C. violently D. angrily
3.A. exploded B. lost C. broke D. sank
4.A. arrange B. solve C. combine D. fix
5.A. accustomed B. contributed C. addicted D. devoted
6.A. simple B. free C. limited D. flexible
7.A. sad B. amazed C. puzzled D. nervous
8.A. rent B. buy C. use D. build
9.A. since B. after C. until D. in
10.A. learn from B. hear from C. speak of D. think of
11.A. complex B. interesting C. difficult D. surprising
12.A. present B. computer C. sweater D. watch
13.A. loved B. invented C. discovered D. changed
14.A. realize B. possess C. believe D. remember
15.A. outside B. online C. behind D. upstairs
16.A. missing B. taking C. putting D. holding
17.A. dusty B. careless C. popular D. bad
18.A. so B. or C. and D. but
19.A. belief B. courage C. energy D. time
20.A. create B. forget C. leave D. prevent
Many aspects of modern life can change your body’s natural production of melatonin(褪黑素) and your circadian rhythm(生理节律),Bright lights at night-- especially from exposue to LED Lights and TV and computer screens-- can make your body think that it’s time to wake up. 1.
Say no to late-night television.
Many people use the television to calm down at the end of the day, but this can produce an unexpected result. 2.If your favorite TV show is on late at night, record it for viewing earlier in the day.
3.
Not all e-readers are created equal.Devices such as the iPad, are more disruptive(破坏性的) than those that are lighted from the front, such as the Kindle Paperwhite.Other smart choices include e-ink readers that don’t have their own light source and good old-fashioned books.
When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark.
4. Use heavy curtains or shades to block light from windows, or try s sleep mask to cover your eyes. Also consider covering up or moving any electronics that give out light. Even the red numbers on a digital clock can disrupt sleep.
Keep the lights down if you get up during the night.
If you need to get up during the night, avoid turning on the lights if possible, If you need some light to move around safely,try fixing a dim nightlight in the hall or bathroom or using a small flashlight. 5.
A.Say no to all e-reading.
B.Be smart about night makes you reading.
C.Waking up early makes you tired.
D.The darker it is, the better you’ll sleep.
E.Try listening to music or audio books instead.
F.This will make it easier for you to fall back to sleep.
G.Here’s what you can do to keep you sleep-wake cycle better.
AC/DC have postponed their US, tour after singer Brian Johnson was warned by doctors that he was at risk of“ total hearing loss". This is unsurprising that the Australian band has been pumping out the hard rock decibel(分贝). But deafness isn't only a concern for rock musicians. Anyone around music a lot has reason to be equally worried.
When you are exposed to music, risk to hearing arises from a combination of how loud the sound is and how long you' re exposed to it for. If you visit a nightclub with music at 100 dB, then after only 10~15 minutes the exposure is potentially damaging. In a quieter part of the club, but where the music is still loud enough that you have to shout at your friends, them you could be there for a couple of hours before having to worry about your hearing. Of course music frequently exceeds (超过) 80~85 dB, but what counts most in assessing the risk to hearing is the average exposure.
Exposure to high noise levels often causes temporary deafness-something many people have experienced after going to a nightclub. While hearing usually recovers , repeated loud exposure leads to permanent hearing damage. Initially, this damage is unlikely to be noticed by the listener. Problems only become significant in middle age when the noise-caused hearing loss combines with the natural loss of hearing due to ageing.
Often orchestras employ screens or “musicians ear plugs” to block sound from the loudest instruments. These decrease sound without completely blocking everything out and are very useful in rehearsal（训练),but get in the way of balancing the sound in a concert. Professional orchestras also look at how they schedule music to ensure that musicians are exposed to a mixture of quiet and loud pieces. Given how loud their instruments are, drummers are particularly at risk, but using era plugs can go some way to reducing potential hearing loss. For rock and pop musicians, using in-ear monitors has the potential to reduce noise exposure.
Improved technology means the number of musicians having to give up performing could decrease, But student musicians need to be educated about the dangers of noise-caused hearing loss. The increasing use of headphones will also work against this. Unless people are careful with the volume level on their portable music players, hearing loss caused by music will increase.
1.What does the author mainly want to show by mentioning Brian Johnson?
A. Hearing loss are very common nowadays.
B. Music and hearing loss are closely related.
C. Being with music isn't always beneficial.
D. Deafness has become musicians' major concern.
2.What matters most in evaluating the risk of hearing loss according to the text ?
A. The rhythm of music.
B. The average exposure of time.
C. The playing environment of music.
D. The listener's sensitivity to sound.
3.What dose Paragraph 4 mainly talk about ? .
A. How the sound in a concert is balanced.
B. How professional orchestras schedule music .
C. How musicians can decrease their risk of hearing loss.
D. How different musicians work together in an orchestra.
4.Which of the following best reflects the author's opinion?
A. Improved technology can prevent hearing damage.
B. Student musicians are main sufferers of hearing loss.
C. Using headphones helps reduce hearing loss to a degree.
D. We can never be too careful with the volume level of music.
How many times have you seen a "lost dog" poster hanging up on a street corner? John Polimeno was at a coffee shop when he spotted one of those posters. He thought about his own experience looking for a lost pet, with crying children in the backseat, and knew there must be a better way. After seeing several of the coffee shop customers glued to their smartphones, Polimeno had an idea.
It's a smartphone app called Finding Rover, and it uses facial recognition technology to reunite lost dogs with their owners. Polimeno is the founder and CEO of Finding Rover. Launched in the Apple Store in late 2013, followed by Android and Web versions, the app uses software developed by Polimeno and a team at the University of Utah. They studied facial recognition technologies for pets, locating all of their unique facial features.
It works like this: Pet owners upload a picture of their dog. Shelters and other Finding Rover users upload pictures of found dogs. Once a dog is reported found, its picture is scanned through all of the "lost" pictures. A found dog and lost dog are then matched based on the technology, and the worried owner is notified.
Laura Steveson of Chula Vista, Calif., was one of those owners. She describes her 5-year-old Brussels Griffon, Monchichi, as "her everything." They have been through a lot together: divorce, remarriage, moving, and everything in between. When Steveson and her husband traveled to City of Hope Cancer Center for his illness, Monchichi went missing. Steveson says she "fell to pieces" and her husband, near the end of his week-long treatment, started searching for ways to find their pet. He happened upon Finding Rover, and Steveson uploaded a picture of Monchichi. Minutes later, Steveson received an email that her dog was safe and found at the San Diego County Department of Animal Services. She was glad to receive piece of mind so quickly in such a stressful situation.
Currently, Finding Rover only helps find lost dogs, but next month cats will be added to the app.
1.When did John Polimeno get the idea of inventing a new smartphone app?
A. He lost Children many times. B. He saw the dogs street corners.
C. He found posts at a coffee shop. D. He ashed many shop customers.
2.What was the Finding Rover based on?
A. Facial recognition technology. B. Apples Store.
C. Animals’ unique emotion. D. The interest s of dogs’
3.What should pet owners do first if the want to use Finding Rover?
A. They should get in touch with other shelters.
B. They should scan through the lost pictures.
C. They should take a photo of their own dogs.
D. They should upload the pictures of lost dogs.
4.What does the underlined word “notified”in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. stopped B. informed
C. treated D. rescued
I have many things in common with my dad, like music taste and sense of humor, but sadly reading isn’t one of them. I can happily spend a whole day with a book, but my dad can’t read a book for longer than about 5 minutes. He reads emails, websites and documents for work, but not books. I think that siting down to read for just 15minutes a day is a good way to relax,So I introduce him to reading.Giving yourself a goal or challenge is a good way to change a habit or achieve something,so why not try to create a new habit of reading?
My dad is by no means the only person who avoids books. I know lots of people would rather relax on their computers or in front of the TV. Everyone is different and has their own interests, but I think there are lots of benefits to reading, which screen-based activities don’t offer.
Firstly, it’s better for your eyes. Looking at screens can be very stressful for you eye muscles, and clearly you should avoid looking at screens for an hour before bed, to get a good night’s sleep.
One thing I personally love about reading, is being transported to another world—I often forget the time or things that are going on around me! Reading is a great way to switch off before you go to bed, because you think more about the world of the book, rather than the real world and the problems you have during the day, and you can truly relax. While watching a film,I often talk to my flatmates,send texts,or cut my nails,A book,on the other hand,commands your full attention.
So give it a go! Take 15 minutes to read every day,If you read a lot ,why not try 15 minutes at an English book, or pass the challenge on to someone else?
1.What is the real challenge for the author?
A. To read a book for 15minutes every day.
B. To read others how to read every day.
C. To read on what the best book is.
D. To get rid of his poor habit in a short time.
2.What can be concluded from the first paragraph about the author’s father?
A. He is often occupied with in his work.
B. He is a man with less education.
C. He is just for the sake of a comfort life.
D. He is too cowardly to face a challenge.
3.What can we know about the author from Paragraph4?
A. He usually treated his flatmates badly.
B. He had a special love for with books.
C. He wished to travel around the world.
D. He almost know nothing except books.
4.When it comes to reading books,_______.
A. only a few really knows the pleasure from books.
B. many devote their time to other things but books.
C. many people don’t think it is a thing worth doing.
D. some people read books far more than 15minutes.
