China has developed a technology that is able to transform desert lands into available soil. The technology 1. (develop) several years ago by researchers at Chongqing Jiaotong University. They invented a paste(黏合剂)2. (make) of a material found in plant cell walls that, when mixed 3. sand, is able to keep water, nutrients, and air.
According to CGTN, Chinese scientists have achieved success in growing crops in areas with bad conditions caused by lack of rain and 4. (extreme) hot temperatures. One particular area is in a desert in North China’s Inner Mongolia. Over 70 kinds of crops are growing there. Many are not planted by humans but they just grow 5. (they) . And the costs of artificial materials and machines for transforming sand into soil is much 6. (low) compared with regular methods. Now, nearly 500 acres of sand is being turned into farms producing corn, 7. (tomato) and sunflowers. A reforestation(重造森林)project is also currently in progress, 8. is set to reforest 50% of desert land in three years.
Researchers are looking into expanding their project this fall, with 9. plan to transform another 500 acres of desert. In the next few years, the scientists are 10. (confidence) that they can turn over 30,000 acres more into rich ground.
A few years ago, I was working in a small office. I decided to improve office ______ and make people encouraged, but I wanted to do it ______. So one evening, I wrote up a few quotes that had ______ me over the years. The next morning, I went to work a bit ______ and quickly posted them up by the sinks and ______ in the office restrooms. Maybe someone else would ______ the quotes as much as I had, and perhaps they might just ______ their day, I thought.
For the next few months, some of the quotes got ______, but I noticed that a couple remained and felt a sense of ______. Perhaps others liked them, too. Eventually, I finished out my contract(合同)with that organization and ______ working in the office building.
Several months ago, I was invited to a(n) ______ with my colleagues to ______ how the project I had worked on was going. Towards the end of the event, I went to the ______, and the quote that I had written three years earlier was ______ up in the same spot by the mirror! It ______: "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but seeing with new eyes."
Maybe the quote simply blended(融入)into the background for the ______ employees, or perhaps it still stood out as a ______ reminder each time someone went to the restroom. Whatever the ______, it was a sweet moment and reminder. We never know how long a seed planted will take to ______ and give fruit, but keep sowing seeds of ______ from the heart.
1.A. rules B. hours C. culture D. tradition
2.A. naturally B. namelessly C. aimlessly D. calmly
3.A. puzzled B. shocked C. inspired D. amused
4.A. hard B. carefully C. late D. early
5.A. mirrors B. walls C. doors D. handles
6.A. enjoy B. admire C. post D. tolerate
7.A. save B. spare C. freshen D. take
8.A. passed on B. got round C. put up D. taken down
9.A. satisfaction B. disappointment C. embarrassment D. sympathy
10.A. continued B. quit C. missed D. delayed
11.A. interview B. reunion C. quarrel D. competition
12.A. design B. prove C. question D. hear
13.A. restroom B. building hall C. workshop D. meeting room
14.A. even B. still C. yet D. again
15.A. spoke B. told C. read D. wrote
16.A. new B. forgetful C. difficult D. creative
17.A. shining B. missing C. movable D. avoidable
18.A. choice B. case C. direction D. excuse
19.A. ripen B. expand C. flower D. grow
20.A. courage B. patience C. trust D. kindness
Culture shock is the emotional and mental reaction to being in a completely new cultural environment. 1. it generally consists of several stages of feelings.
The “honeymoon stage” is usually, the first stage that people go through when surrounded by different cultural values and lifestyles. During this stage, people have positive images of their new cultural surroundings. They tend to view these in an idealistic way and ignore problems. 2. This stage is usually quite short and quickly replaced by the second stage called “the frustration stage”.
During the “frustration stage”, newcomers begin to act negatively. 3. Visitors tend to exaggerate (夸大) problems in the new culture. They may feel isolated (孤立) during this stage. Depending on one’s situation, this stage can last days, months, or even years.
With the frustration stage ending, the adjustment stage begins. This marks the time when newcomers try their best to accept the differences of the new culture and the challenges of everyday life.
4. Some newcomers enter the “mastery stage” and are completely accustomed to the values and beliefs of the new culture. They are able to handle the new culture like a native while keeping some of their own original cultural values. Some choose the “rejection stage” and decide against fitting in with the new culture. 5. _ Other newcomers completely adopt the identity of the new culture and give up the values and beliefs of their home culture.
A. Meeting new people is seen as fascinating.
B. The new cultural surroundings are no longer novel.
C. They regain their sense of balance and become confident.
D. This process opens the door to three possible outcomes.
E. For many people this is often a very difficult experience.
F. A person experiencing culture shock may display many symptoms.
G. They usually permanently withdraw from the culture through isolation or returning home.
The city of Heracleion was buried underwater 1500 years ago. This grand city had been mentioned by the Greek writer Herodotus, the 5th-century BC historian. He had told a wonderful tale of Helen of Troy, who traveled to Heracleion, then a port of great wealth, with her Trojan lover, Paris.
When French underwater researcher Franck Goddio happened to discover some cultural treasures, it led them to one of the greatest finds of the 21st century, a city underwater. The discovery took place when Goddio had been in search of Napoleon’s warships from the 1798 Battle of the Nile, when he had been defeated by Nelson in these very waters, but to his surprise, he made this important discovery.
The discoveries include the huge statues of the Egyptian goddess Isis, the god Hapi, and an unidentified Egyptian pharaoh(法老), all preserved in excellent condition by their muddy burial coverings. Hapi, the god of the flooding of the Nile especially stands out for its size. Along with these 16-foot statues there are hundreds of smaller statues of Egyptian gods, among which are the figures that guarded the temple where Cleopatra took office as Queen of the Nile. Dozens of sarcophagi(石棺)have also been found, containing the bodies of mummified animals sacrificed to Amun-Gereb, the super god of the Egyptians.
Evidence shows that Heracleion slipped into the water sometime in the 6th or 7th century AD. The discovery of Heracleion will now add depth and detail to our knowledge of the ancient world, because among the discoveries, there are perfectly preserved stones carved in both ancient Greek and ancient Egyptian.
1.Why does the author cite(引用)the description of the Greek writer Herodotus?
A. To tell a wonderful love story. B. To have respect for the writer.
C. To draw readers’ interest in history. D. To show the glory days of Heracleion.
2.What can we learn about the city of Heracleion?
A. It was discovered unexpectedly. B. Napoleon defeated Nelson there.
C. Napoleon’s warships were found there. D. It was once occupied by Napoleon.
3.Which is the biggest statue found underwater?
A. The god Hapi. B. The goddess Isis.
C. The queen Cleopatra. D. The Egyptian pharaoh.
4.What does the author intend to tell us in the last paragraph?
A. The artistic style of the statues. B. The time when the city was built.
C. The significance of the discovery. D. The language used in ancient Egypt.
We already know that exercise is good for our bodies. Daily exercise fights the loss of muscle tone and flexibility that tends to increase slowly with age. And it turns out that it has the same fountain-of-youth effects on our brains.
Studies show that over time our minds also become less flexible and nimble. We lose the ability to process new information or switch between mental tasks quickly — and now we know why.
A recent study examined nearly 100 individual studies on exercise and brain function and discovered exercising an average of 52 hours over six months is "associated with improved cognitive(认知的)performance in older adults with and without cognitive damage." The type of exercises that are beneficial include aerobic, strength-training and mind-body.
In previous studies, researchers from Japan's University of Tsukuba wanted to explore this idea by looking at the effect of exercise on this weakening of the brain. They tested the oxygen ability of 60 Japanese men between the ages of 64 and 75 who did not show any signs of dementia or other mental symptoms. Next, they looked at the brain activity of each man as he completed a mental task. They found that the fitter a participant was, the less brain activity he used to complete the tasks when compared with his out-of-shape peers(同龄人).
Although much research is focused on how exercise may benefit an aging brain, exercise offers brain health benefits at almost any age, and this includes children. A review of 14 studies showed that more physically active schoolchildren do better academically. Exercise actually causes your brain to grow in size. So get moving and keep moving for best results.
1.Which of the following best explains “nimble” underlined in Paragraph 2?
A. Intelligent. B. Dull. C. Unique. D. Simple.
2.What can we infer about the participants’ less-active peers?
A. They had significant brain advantages. B. Their brains were younger than their age.
C. They didn’t have to attend health classes. D. Their cognitive performance would decline.
3.How does the author support his idea?
A. By making comparisons. B. By analyzing study results.
C. By describing the processes. D. By telling his own experiences.
4.What’s the main idea of the text?
A. Exercise is beneficial for your bodies.
B. Exercise is especially good for the old.
C. Exercise can benefit your brain health.
D. Exercise may lower your risk of mental problems.
Many experts say that Billy Wilder changed the history of American movies. He is often called the best movie maker Hollywood has ever had. He was known for making movies that offered sharp social comment. Wilder was one of the first directors to do this.
Billy Wilder was born in 1906 in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Billy Wilder started law school in Vienna, Austria. However, he began reporting for a Vienna newspaper after graduation. By the 1920s, he was writing movies in Germany. However, the Nazis had risen to power in the nation. Wider was Jewish, and he recognized that he had no future in Nazi Germany. In 1933, he went to Paris. There he directed a movie for the first time. It was called “The Bad Seed”. Then he received word that producers in the United States had accepted one of his scripts. Billy Wilder left Europe for America.
In America he formed a writing team with Charles Brackett. The two writers created many films together. Wilder and Brackett wrote several successful movies. One was the nineteen thirty-nine movie, “Ninotchka”, starring Greta Garbo. Ernst Lubitsch directed the film. Wilder always praised this man as a friend and teacher whose humor and expert direction greatly influenced his works.
In 1954, Billy Wilder became an independent producer. The next year, Wilder’s first movie as an independent filmmaker was a huge success. It was “The Seven Year Itch”. In 1959, Wilder made a funny movie that was very popular. I.A.L. Diamond joined Wilder in writing “Some Like It Hot”.
By the 1980s, Wilder no longer was considered the most unusual, creative movie-maker in Hollywood. In recent years, however, Billy Wilder received many more awards and honors. Critics praised his gifts to movie making. In 1987, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave him the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. It is the highest award a producer can receive.
1.Which is Wilder’s first successful movie as an independent filmmaker?
A. Ninotchka
B. The Bad Seed
C. Some Like It Hot
D. The Seven Year Itch
2.What can we know about Wilder according to the text?
A. He intended to be a lawyer at first.
B. He starred a movie for the first time in Paris.
C. He is the first director to make realistic movies.
D. He has been accepted as the most creative movie-maker.
3.Why did Wilder leave Germany?
A. He was Jewish and couldn’t develop there.
B. The Nazis were searching for him everywhere.
C. He was invited to produce his script in America.
D. He expected to go to Paris to form a writing team.
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A. The Maker of History of American Movies
B. Billy Wilder — a Best Movie Maker
C. An Autobiography of a Director
D. The Best Director and Producer
