We all know what it means when a nice envelope lands in your mailbox: Someone’s getting married, and they’re hoping that you can be there for the big day. While saying yes to the invitation is a relatively straightforward process, things can get a bit awkward if you’re not so sure about attending. 1.. To help you get out of these formal engagements without feeling awkward, we’ve consulted Katie Balmer, a leading wedding expert in Scotland.
Follow the format
The level of formality should be informed by the way that the invitation was sent.2., you should decline via post. If the message came in an email, a simple email expressing your regrets will do.
Don’t put off your response
If you already know that you can’t make it for whatever reason, don’t hesitate to let the happy couple know why. “It is very important to respond in. good time.3.,” says Balmer.
4.
While it’s a nice gesture to offer a reason for your refusal, there’s no need to be extreme. A simple response will do, and it’s an especially bad idea to emphasize your reason if it’s cost-related. It will establish nothing beyond making the couple feel bad.
Don’t change your decision
5., it is important to stick to that decision. “Going back and forth only adds to the inconvenience for the soon-to-be newlyweds,” says Balmer. “As long as you are honest and timely, the bride and groom should understand.”
A. Make it up to the couple
B. Be brief in your explanation
C. If the offer was sent to you by mail
D. Do not leave it until the last possible moment
E. Once the decision not to attend the wedding has been decided
F. Otherwise, you risk adding to the couplers last-minute wedding stress
G. Turning down a wedding is a situation where you can feel very personal
Consumers who value their privacy (隐私) can limit what they post on Facebook and adjust settings on sites such as Instagram. But Internet service providers (ISPs) have the best advantage point on what consumers do online, and there’s much less you can do about it. After all, your ISP is the conduit (中转机构) for everything you read, view, or shop for while you’re accessing the web at home.
New rules governing the way ISPs can use consumers’ data were adopted in 2016 and scheduled to go into effect this December. But they were rejected by Congress this spring That leaves the future of broadband (宽带) privacy practices unsettled. Consumers say they want more, not less, regulation of broadband privacy. In a nationally representative survey of 1,008 Americans conducted in early May for the Consumer Reports National Research Center, 80 Percent of respondents told us that ISPs should need to get permission before sharing consumers’ data. Six out of 10 didn’t think ISPs should be allowed to sell or share this information at all. Eighty-five percent of respondents said the data rightfully belongs to them.
Under the recently defeated rules，broadband providers would have faced a new login requirement, forcing them to get permission before using data such as web browsing histories. Opponents of the rules said it was unfair to hold ISPs to stricter standards than Internet companies such as Amazon, Google, and Facebook, which are regulated more loosely.
Going forward, state laws could pick up some of the conflict. By the end of May, more than a dozen states had proposed some laws mentioning the issue. Privacy protection bills were also being discussed in Washington, D. C. But privacy experts don’t expect much from the bills. After all, this is the same Congress that voted to roll back the existing privacy protections.
1.What do the new rules focus on?
A. Keeping the Internet steady.
B. Settling broadband practices.
C. Forbidding ISPs to use consumers’ data.
D. Protecting Internet consumers’ privacy.
2.What is the third paragraph mainly about?
A. Regulations on ISPs using consumers’ data.
B. A survey of privacy conducted by Congress.
C. Consumers, opinions about broadband privacy.
D. The argument about who owns consumers’ data.
3.What does the underlined part “Opponents of the rules” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Broadband providers. B. Internet companies.
C. Internet consumers. D. Survey representatives.
4.What can we learn from the text?
A. The future of broadband privacy will be clear.
B. Internet companies rejected the rules together with ISPs.
C. Privacy experts have a negative attitude to the privacy protection bills.
D. Consumers will go on arguing with Congress about the Internet privacy.
From fast food cooks to doormen at restaurants and hotels, robots are slowly entering the workforce in nearly every industry. Most recently, the world welcomed its first operational robot policeman.
“Robocop”, the newest member of the Dubai police force, made the first public appearance on Sunday at the Fourth Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference, where it greeted guests. At about 70 inches tall and weighing nearly 220 pounds, Robocop seeks to engage with residents and tourists. Featuring an “emotion detector (探测器)”, the robot can recognize a person’s gestures and body language from about 5 feet away.
Robocop’s skills don’t stop there—the emotionally intelligent bot can detect if a person is happy, sad and even angry by studying his or her facial expression. And just like your human friends would do, if Robocop sees you’re unhappy, it will try to lift your spirits. More importantly, when it comes to fighting crime, the robot uses the Internet, artificial intelligence and other smart technologies to spot offenders using facial recognition. Its navigation (导航) skills grant it the ability to map out areas and travel on its own. Equipped with a built-in tablet, Robocop can communicate with people, speak six languages, respond to public inquiries, shake hands and even make military salutes.
“With the aim to assist people on the streets,” said Brigadier-General Khalid Nasser A1 Razzouqi, director-general of smart services at Dubai Police, “the Robocop is the latest smart addition to the force and has been designed to help us fight crime recently, keep the city safe and improve happiness levels.”
1.According to the text, Robocop can .
A. use body language B. make people happy
C. cook fast food D. ask questions in public
2.What is the key part when Robocop makes a traveling route?
A. Its navigation skills. B. Its built-in tablet.
C. Its emotion detector. D. Its own ability to travel.
3.Robocop is designed with the original intention of .
A. fighting crime B. acting as a doorman
C. helping people on the streets D. communicating with people
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. Robocop has drawn great public attention
B. Robocop is playing the role as a policeman
C. Robocop will help you anytime and anywhere
D. Robocop is on the way to replacing the police official
The Oklahoma teen’s eyes were covered by two blindfolds (眼罩) for the big surprise: being reunited with her father, James, after 12-year separation.
“I had actually discussed with her the night before at a restaurant and talked over the details of where we would go and how we would pull it off,” said Amanda, Rory Beth’s mother.
A video shows Amanda led her blindfolded daughter out of their car and guided her across the parking lot of Broken Arrow Lanes in Broken Arrow.
Little did she know, her father was on the sidewalk holding a birthday cake that read, “Happy Birthday Rory Beth, Love Dad.” When the teen slowly pulled down her blindfolds, she was dumbfounded. Both the father and daughter stood silently looking at each other until James finally walked over and hugged her. James only broke their embrace to look at his daughter and hold her face. “There were definitely lots of tears from myself, her brothers, and even a few bystanders,” said Amanda.
James was a truck driver who spent a lot of time on the road, and Amanda split with him when Rory Beth was a baby. “It was hard to figure out how to make it work,” Amanda said. Amanda felt Rory Beth was now old enough to understand and to ask any questions she may have, so the reunion happened.
The birthday surprise was on June 4, and the father and daughter had seen each other again since, even celebrating Father’s Day together. Amanda said her daughter and James were both delighted to be reunited “She’s already calling him ‘daddy’ and tells him that she loves him,” Amanda said. “They’re both very committed.”
1.What caused Rory Beth to be separated from her father for 12 years?
A. Her parents’ divorce.
B. Her father’s working as a taxi driver.
C. The misunderstanding between them.
D. Her preference for living with her mother.
2.Why did Rory Beth reunite with her father?
A. Her father was eager to see her.
B. She had many questions to ask her father.
C. She was old enough to recognize her father.
D. Her mother thought it was time for her to see her father.
3.What does the underlined word “dumbfounded” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A. Tired. B. Scared.
C. Shocked. D. Confused.
4.What do we know from the text?
A. The video about the reunion was shot by James himself.
B. Rory Beth’s brothers accompanied her to see her father.
C. Rory Beth called James “daddy” on her 12th birthday.
D. Amanda had a conversation with Rory Beth on June 3.
Some Music Festivals
Pitchfork Music Festival
Anyone who adores indie (独立的) music and up-and-coming artists will have an amazing time at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago’s Union Park. This is a wonderful festival that explores more underground and less-known bands than the other big Chicago summer festival, Lollapalooza.
Date: July 14〜16
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Music Type: Indie
Price: $ 75〜$ 365
Essence Music Festival
No matter what time of the year it is, New Orleans is an incredible place to be if you love live music. The Essence Music Festival is a celebration of great artists like Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, and Mary J. Blige.
Date: June 29〜July 2
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Music Type: R&B, soul
Price: $ 126〜$ 2,700
Sziget Festival
Budapest knows how to organize a party, and Sziget is one of the biggest celebrations of music and culture in all of Europe. You can expect to watch favorite artists like Bad Religion and Mac DeMarco appearing on the stages here during this seven-day festival.
Date: August 9〜15
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Music Type: Eclectic, indie, rock
Price: $ 70〜$ 96
Flow Festival
The Flow Festival is a great excuse to explore the city of Helsinki. Artists including Lana Del Rey and The XX will be playing, among many others. Come to this festival to enjoy a relaxing atmosphere with an earth-friendly attitude.
Date: August 11〜13
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Music Type: Rock, soul, jazz
Price: $ 106〜$ 199
1.Where can you enjoy a music festival lasting a week?
A. In Chicago. B. In Budapest
C. In Helsinki. D. In New Orleans.
2.Which music festival will be held in Finland?
A. Flow Festival. B. Sziget Festival.
C. Essence Music Festival. D. Pitchfork Music Festival
3.What is special about Pitchfork Music Festival?
A. It is more independent. B. It is held underground.
C. It focuses on unknown bands. D. It is more famous than other festivals.
假如你是李华。你在一份英文报纸上看到某动物保护组织发起的“Give Homeless Dogs A Home”的活动，你很想收养其中名为Lucky的小狗。请用英文给此组织负责人John写份申请，内容主要包括：
1.你的优势；
2.你准备怎样爱护Lucky；
3.期望能够得到这个机会。
注意：1.词数100左右；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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