Debra, a five-year-old cousin of mine, often annoyed me. She wished me to stay with her, talk to her and teach her dancing. I hated it and never taught her to dance. That hot July afternoon, Debra annoyed me again.
Our big family all gathered together at a friend’s outdoor wedding. The children were running around and playing games. The afternoon couldn’t have been better. My friends and I gathered together and excitedly talked about our up-and-coming freshman year. Debra desired to join us, but what could a five-year-old kid contribute to our conversations?
I left the table where we were sitting, leaving behind my mother, my grandmother and Debra. I walked inside the house and greeted everyone inside before making my way to the bathroom. As I was washing my hands, there was a big knock and the bathroom door burst open. It was an older cousin of mine, Sylvia. With a look of fear, anxiety and shock, she rushed to find towels. I figured one of the kids was injured while playing. “There has been a bad accident outside,” she told me and rushed out.
What kind of accident? Was anyone hurt? I left the bathroom. A woman approached and told me that a guest who was leaving the party had lost control of his car. Then I heard a voice calling my name. It was my mother. She told me, “Debra has been badly hurt. Come and help rescue her!” My heart dropped to my feet. I was struck by the sudden thought that I might lose her.
I hurried outside. Tables and chairs were overturned everywhere by the runaway car. I was in shock. My mother quickly drove our car around and laid down the backseat. But where was Debra? I saw her parents running from a room with a piece of board, perfectly Debra’s size. I didn’t see my tiny cousin until she was put onto the board and laid in the car, crying. Her new white dress had blood, and on her left shoe was a tire (轮胎) mark.
Together, we hurried to drive towards the hospital.
“She’ll walk again as long as you take good care of her,” the doctor told us.
Sincerely,
Li Hua
From ancient times all the way to today, human beings
The contribution of Dujiangyan usually refers to the rich and populous Chengdu,
Dutchman Bart Schultz is
When Julia came upon a number of sketches (草图) her grandmother had made decades ago, they took her breath away. She already had a very
In the 1940s, Julia’s grandmother had been admitted to a
Decades later, though, the granddaughter also developed a
She didn’t let that
Julia is not sure where the project will take her, but her main
| A．close | B．strange | C．steady | D．poor |
| A．transform | B．train | C．motivate | D．raise |
| A．law | B．language | C．fashion | D．drama |
| A．take off | B．settle down | C．start over | D．drop out |
| A．lifelong | B．romantic | C．impossible | D．unfinished |
| A．passion | B．request | C．schedule | D．platform |
| A．barrier | B．bond | C．division | D．distinction |
| A．life | B．career | C．school | D．office |
| A．upset | B．slow | C．distract | D．stop |
| A．how | B．what | C．why | D．where |
| A．journey | B．evidence | C．method | D．vision |
| A．Luckily | B．Naturally | C．Gradually | D．Instantly |
| A．role | B．problem | C．reason | D．focus |
| A．sparing | B．killing | C．enjoying | D．saving |
| A．shared | B．particular | C．delightful | D．keen |
It’s a great feeling when someone gives you a compliment (赞美), isn’t it?
When someone does an activity or a task particularly well, let him/her know about it by saying “You did a great job!”
When you’ve bought something new, it feels great when other people are excited about it. For example, if you take out your new mobile phone and a colleague says, “What a cool phone!”, it makes you feel like you made the right decision to buy it.
Compliment someone on their personalities and you'll make a new friend. For example, if you like how happy a coworker is, you can tell him/her, “You are always so happy. It makes my day better.”
| A．It’s a useful way to start a conversation, too. |
| B．Everyone likes compliments about their appearance. |
| C．Be careful with compliments about appearance, though. |
| D．So, try giving someone a compliment and see their reaction. |
| E．Return the favor by complimenting others on nice things they own. |
| F．To make the compliment more meaningful, make it more specific. |
| G．Use compliments like this for any quality that you appreciate in a person. |
Washing machines are one of the greatest inventions of the last few centuries.They have made life easier. Unfortunately, washing machines also contribute to the environmental issues of energy use and micro-plastics flowing into the oceans. That is why the washing machine manufacturer(制造商), Samsung, and the outdoor-wear company, Patagonia, are working together to make a change.
For Patagonia, the issue of micro-plastics has been on its mind for years—its woolen jackets release many microfibers. As for Samsung, new requirements throughout the world have forced many producers to start thinking about ways to help reduce the number of micro-plastics. There are currently more than 14 million tons of micro-plastics floating in the oceans. Though people previously think of things such as plastic bottles and fishing lines when it comes to plastics in the ocean, thousands of micro-plastics are released into seas with every wash.
The issue is a sort of catch-22. In order to reduce energy costs, manufacturers try to make their machines more efficient. These machines use hotter water and are designed to create more friction(摩擦) between the clothing in the machine. However, both of these things lead to the release of more micro-plastics. So, using Patagonia clothes as test cases, Samsung came up with a two-fold solution: One is a technology called Eco-bubbles, which creates more bubbles to make the detergent(洗涤剂) more powerful, and the other is a water purifier that can filter(过滤) out more micro-plastics.
The cooperation between the two companies is proof of how complicated protecting the environment can be. On the one hand, clothing that is well-constructed and durable is a weapon in the fight against fast fashion. On the other hand, the material used to make those clothes and the way they are washed can also add pollutants to the environment.The same goes for washing machines. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The fight against climate change requires creative thinking and learning how to attack a problem from many angles. This will certainly lead to even more strange and fruitful cooperation between the environmentally conscious companies.
1．What is Samsung’s purpose in partnering the outdoor clothing company?| A．To limit the use of micro-plastics. |
| B．To solve the issue of energy waste. |
| C．To find a solution to micro-plastic pollution. |
| D．To produce high-efficiency washing machines. |
| A．A tricky situation. | B．A questionable fact. |
| C．A possible dream. | D．A practical method. |
| A．Using hotter water. |
| B．Creating more friction. |
| C．Using powerful detergents. |
| D．Adding a water purifier to washing machines. |
| A．The difficulty in fighting against fast fashion. |
| B．The complexity of environment conservation. |
| C．The influence of humans’ active action. |
| D．The importance of creative thinking. |
Having a personal trainer is one of the best ways to stay on track with your workouts, push your limits and try new things. But it often costs more than $100 a class, and getting to and from the gym can take up a lot of time.
Over the past ten years, fitness apps have been trying to copy the personal training experience exactly, and in recent years many have included artificial intelligence (AI) to create workouts. A growing number of products offer personalized works that match your abilities, goals and equipment you have, which usually cost around $100 a year.
However, some experts warn that while AI fitness apps are useful for many exercisers, they’re not the right fit for everyone.
AI fitness apps create personalized training programs using information from personal users and the experiences of other users.
In the future, these apps could collect even more information to give ever more personalized feedback (反馈), said futurist David Brin. But, he added, more information doesn’t always lead to better advice. “What you need to consider is whether the advice will actually be good for you, in the long run,” he said.
Furthermore, computers can learn a lot about different workout routines, but they can’t yet create the social interactions that make the training successful, said Nikola Banovic, professor of computer science and engineering at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the University of Michigan.
The AI fitness apps we have now can’t offer encouragement or provide comfort on a bad day. “As humans, we need more than just the workouts that will get us to our goals,” Dr Banovic said. “We need to be encouraged — that’s something only a real trainer can do right now. It will be some time before AI training does this well.”
1．What is the main advantage of AI fitness apps over personal trainers?| A．Requiring less exercise equipment. |
| B．Offering coaching services at a lower price, |
| C．Creating more personalized training plans. |
| D．Providing a better personal training experience. |
| A．Users should work harder to protect their personal information. |
| B．AI fitness apps should find more tools for collecting information. |
| C．Users should be careful with the advice offered by AI fitness apps. |
| D．AI fitness apps should be improved to meet the needs of every user. |
| A．Setting achievable goals. |
| B．Adding live chat services. |
| C．Learning new workout routines. |
| D．Developing useful interactions. |
| A．How do AI fitness apps change the way you exercise? |
| B．Would an AI trainer be better than a real trainer? |
| C．Can AI trainers take the place of the real one? |
| D．How do experts feel about an AI trainer? |
Being a writer in the 21st century can keep you in front of a screen for so long that it feels like the room is sideways. Being a human with the Internet can mean hours spent on social media, scrolling and posting for so long that your sense of reality
I grew up in the city, not hiking or camping, so I knew nothing about the outdoors. I have three kids with endless energy, so I figured I could solve two questions at once. I would get a breather from my job and the kids would play with insects and realize there is nothing better than nature.
We drove to Great Falls, Virginia, where hundreds of people on any given day spent hours meandering through the hillside and forest. The blue water pulsed, turning white and crashing powerfully hundreds of feet beneath us. The kids held their breath as if they had seen magics. But it’s just nature, just the outside, and that had been there all along. Since then, we’ve been fascinated.
Last summer I felt my home’s walls closing in, so I decided to go camping. I built my first fire. My kids watched my every move, asking every ten minutes to help get more branches and roast meat. About a month, my craving to take a break from the city grew again. We camped two more times before the cold came, each time seeing a bit more of what nature had to offer city folks.
1．Why did the author decide to go outside three years ago?| A．Because he was interested in nature. | B．Because he hoped to reduce anxiety. |
| C．Because he fell in love with camping. | D．Because he was eager for the outdoors. |
| A．Enjoy the beauty of nature. | B．Stay away from social media. |
| C．Learn to protect themselves. | D．Choose to do what they are fond of. |
| A．Tired. | B．Scared. | C．Bored. | D．Excited. |
| A．Memory. | B．Chance. | C．Desire. | D．Ability. |
Four YouTube channels you need to watch
Driven by the motto (格言) “Seek Discomfort”, Yes Theory aims to spread a message of fearlessness through carrying out projects that help people step outside their comfort zones. There is no doubt that many of us may feel too scared to work towards challenging goals, which is why Yes Theory takes on some adventures to show people that discomfort helps achieve a great life.
Being a graduate from Harvard, Nuseir Yassin makes an effort to provide a YouTube channel that highlights the most incredible humans on Earth. His videos often feature individuals who are creating changes in the world, and he also covers some of the most important topics of discussion like climate change.
TED-Ed is one of the most famous YouTube channels when it comes to learning and inspiration. The channel has no specific video producer as it features presentations from people all around the world. These videos feature a wide variety of topics, and there is no specific subject that the channel focuses on. Instead, it provides insight into anything that can benefit the viewers.
Be Inspired is a YouTube channel that provides videos to help people improve their overall well-being. These videos include a wide variety of topics such as sleep, stress, jobs, and creating plans. The channel also includes short and inspirational videos that help people realize the mistakes they are making and ways to solve them.
1．Which channel is the most popular?| A．Yes Theory. | B．Nas Daily. | C．TED-Ed. | D．Be Inspired. |
| A．Learning the latest news. |
| B．Meeting incredible humans. |
| C．Having access to job opportunities. |
| D．Improving general health and happiness. |
| A．They are inspirational. |
| B．They are favored by students. |
| C．They encourage viewers to challenge themselves. |
| D．They have one specific video producer. |
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