If you thought pilots dimmed（调暗）the lights before takeoff to give you some shuteye, think again. Believe it or not, the dim lighting could actually help save your life in case of a plane emergency.
The dimmed lights before taking off the runway and landing are a flight precaution used to help passengers’ eyes adjust quicker during an emergency escape. “Going from a brightly lit environment to one that’s completely dark would require some time for our eyes to focus and see the escape slide,” Alice Theriault, service director for Air Canada wrote in a press statement. “Since we need to have all the seconds on our side in the event of an emergency, dimming the lights is one of many steps we take to ensure the safety of our customers.”
The phenomenon that your eyes see those strange speckles (小斑点) as your sight adjusts to a dark place after being in a light place is called dark adaptation. It normally takes our eyes about 20 to 30 seconds to see best in a dark room. The brighter the lights, the longer it takes for our eyes to adjust, which is why dimming the plane lights could shorten your “dark adaptation” time since you haven’t been sitting under fluorescent bulbs (荧光灯) all flight.
Not only does dimming lights add valuable time to the escape process, but it reduces the tension on your eyes if you need to look outside, or see the emergency lighting along the passage. “It helps keep you in the right direction.” Patrick Smith, an airline pilot and author of Cockpit Confidential told The Telegraph. “It also makes it easier for flight attendants to assess any outside risks, such as fire or debris, that might affect an escape.” So next time a pilot dims the lights, just know it’s for your safety, even though it creates a gentle atmosphere for your takeoff into the sky.
1.The lights are turned down before takeoff to help passengers_______.
A. escape in time of emergency
B. take a short break
C. create a comfortable atmosphere
D. enjoy themselves
2.Which of the following is True according to Paragragh 2 and 3?
A. Dimming lights is required when accidents happen.
B. Our eyes need some time to adapt to the change of light.
C. Speckles are caused by the use of dimmed lights.
D. It is required for pilots to turn off lights during the flight.
3.What is the function of shortening “dark adaptation” time?
A. Slowing down the landing.
B. Adjusting the plane lights.
C. Keeping passengers calm.
D. Helping the crew judge outside risks.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. A tip to make air travel safer.
B. An emergency event happening on a plane.
C. An explanation of an airline safety measure.
D. A warning message from the pilot.
While we all try to find happiness, sometimes we still end up feeling low. While most people can control this feeling, low moods can stay with some, leading to depression. About 322 million people suffered from depression in 2015, according to a report by the World Health Organization in February. This is more than 4 percent of the world’s population.
Depression is described by the WHO as a mental disorder. It has several symptoms including sadness, loss of interest and feelings of low self-worth. In severe cases, depression may even lead to suicide.
The number of people living with depression is increasing. The WHO reported a rise of 18.4 percent between 2005 and 2015. Young people are a group known to suffer with depression. “The pressures on today’s youth are like no other generation, perhaps,” Dan Chisholm, an official of WHO, told Reuters.
In China, depression among young people is on the rise, Zhu Zhuohong, a psychology professor with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua News Agency. Competition to outperform others, especially in education, can cause a lot of pressure for Chinese youth.
Almost 1.2 million Chinese people aged 15 to 24 suffer from depression, according to a report released by British science journal The Lancet in May.
Luckily, more and more efforts are being made to deal with this problem. This year’s World Health Day, held on April 7, will focus on depression. The day will highlight (强调) the “Depression: let’s talk” campaign. The campaign aims to make sure that people with depression both seek and get help.
1.According to the passage, what was the population of the world in 2015?
A. About 322 million. B. About 128.8 million.
C. About 8050 million. D. About 18.4million.
2.Which symptom is the worst among several symptoms?
A. Suicide. B. Loss of interest.
C. Sadness. D. Feelings of low self-worth.
3.What does the 3rd paragraph tell us?
A. The pressures on today’s youth are the same as other generations.
B. The pressures on today’s youth are not the same as other generations.
C. The pressures on today’s youth are bigger than other generations.
D. The pressures on today’s youth are not bigger than other generations.
4.What cause a lot of pressure for Chinese youth?
A. Competition between young generations.
B. Competition to outperform others.
C. Competition to perform better than others in education.
D. Education to avoid disorders.
It took multiple weddings for Christine Law to realize what she needed to do. In the summer of 2014, her schedule was packed with friends, marriage celebrations—flowers --- filled occasions that got her thinking, “Where do all the flowers go after the party?” More often than not, they were thrown out. Law, then 27, was confident she could find a better use for them.
By August, she had a plan: convince couples and companies hosting events to donate their flowers, which she would pick up and deliver within 48 hours to seniors across the city. She wanted to bring beauty into the lives of the elderly. She drew on her experience volunteering with non-profits in order to set up her own organization, which she called Floranthropie. Not having enough bouquets (花束) for all 150 people of a health center, Law asked the staff to provide a list of patients who needed cheering up most, “The first woman I approached thought it was a mistake, and that the flowers couldn’t possibly be for her,” says Law. “I said they were a gift, and we talked for a half hour.”
In addition to health centers, Floranthropie focuses on community groups devoted to the elderly. Theleme is a volunteer for Les Petits Fieres, an organization that aims to help the elderly who don’t have a support system. The group receives a dozen or so bouquets from Floranthropie monthly, and then redistributes them. “Our motto is ‘flowers before bread,” says Theleme. “We don’t focus on primary care, but rather on nourishing (滋养) the spirit. Floranthropie helps that. It’s amazing what a big difference a small bouquet can make.”
In the beginning, most of Floranthropie’s donations came through word of mouth. These days, Law receives messages from strangers via her organization’s Facebook page and has connected with corporations and flower wholesalers. Law hopes to expand Floranthropie nationally, but at this point is happy to be able to oversee each delivery personally.
1.What made Christine Law set up Floranthropie?
A. The Waste of flowers. B. The loneliness of seniors.
C. The persuasion of other friends. D. The warm atmosphere of weddings.
2.What was the woman’s first reaction to Christine Law’s flowers?
A. She was moved. B. She was excited.
C. She was worried. D. She was surprised.
3.What can we infer about Floranthropie from Laetitia Theleme’s words?
A. It should focus on primary care.
B. It is benefiting more than the elderly.
C. It is doing something of great importance.
D. It should cooperate with more non-profits.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. Volunteer Your Time B. Don’t Throw Them Out
C. Special Delivery Makes Your Day D. Brighten Seniors’ Lives With Flowers
To help you travel well in Argentina, we’ve put together some exciting activities, courses and tours that you can add to your schedule. These are not only designed to be fun, but also to enable you to learn and expand your personal and professional development.
Walking Tour of La Boca
The 5-hour tour, moderate（适度的）walking, departs at 11 am in Monserrat and finishes at 4:30 pm, Tuesdays and Fridays.
Price: £15 per person
Tour the beautiful cobble stone（鹅卵石）streets of Le Boca, the heart of Buenos Aires and the birth place of Tango. This fascinating walking tour is a must if you want to explore the rich history of Buenos Aires.
Photography Courses
6 hours of lessons per week
Price: £295 for two weeks
Study photography with an experienced private tutor who will tailor your lessons to your individual needs. Classes include practical teaching, analysis of your work, theory and history and regular opportunities to explore the city by yourself to photograph landscapes of the city.
Graffiti Tour of Buenos Aires
The 3-hour tour departs at 3 pm in Colegiales and finishes at 6 pm in Palermo, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays.
Price: £35 per person
Experience the world of urban art through this wonderful tour of Buenos Aires. You can travel both on foot and by air-conditioned minibus. The tour finishes in Post Bar in Palermo, home to the unique street art gallery Hollywood and Cambodia.
Spanish Courses
1-Week Intensive Course with private lessons, before starting your Main Project
Price: £590 per week
Weekly Lessons: 10 hours of lessons per week running concurrent with your Main Project
Price: £195 per week ,
Use your time in Argentina to learn Spanish. You can either do a 1 -week intensive course or take lessons at the same time as doing your main project.
1.Which activity or course will enable you to learn the history of Buenos Aires?
A. Photography Courses. B. Graffiti Tour of Buenos Aires.
C. Spanish Courses. D. Walking Tour of La Boca.
2.What can you do in Palermo?
A. Explore the rich history of Argentina. B. Do a 1-week intensive course.
C. Enjoy the unique street art. D. Photograph landscapes.
3.Which of the following words can’t be used to describe the courses and activities?
A. Adventurous. B. Educational.
C. Fun. D. Exciting.
（题文）假期中你外出旅游时发现许多不文明行为，如随地吐痰、乱涂乱画、乱丢垃圾等，请你给Beautiful China编辑部写一封信，呼吁人们提高素质、文明出行。
内容要点：1. 你所看到的不文明行为及危害；
2. 为建设美丽中国，提出你的倡议（至少两点）；
3. 开头和结尾己为你写好，不计入总词数；
4. 不得出现真实姓名。
注意：1.词数100〜120；
参考词汇：吐痰spit；刻画scratch；不文明行为immoral behaviors
Dear editor,
I am writing to tell you about what I saw while traveling during this winter vacation.
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Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。
文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（
删除：把多余的词用斜线（
）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear Michael,
How is it going? I’m writing to invite you to participate a voluntary activity hold by our English club, which can surely improve ourselves. Since I will also join in it, why not going with me to enjoy this activity?
Here are some information as follows. An activity will be held at Xihu Park, which is closely to your home. And the time is about from 9:00 to 11:00 pm on Sunday. Aiming to develop the aware of protecting the environment, the volunteer will do something valuable to the environment, such as picking up the rubbish, watering trees and flowers. Besides, please remember which you need to mind the grass and be careful about yourself.
Please keep me informed it if you are willing to accept my invitation.
Best wishes.
Yours,
Li Hua
