How to take exercise properly and safely
At a comedy night at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, members of the school's comedy(喜剧) club bring lots of laughter to their classmates with funny speeches and humorous body movements. These college student comedian’s humour entertains busy, young people and eases their stress.
Yet the club member Ariella Shua says comedy is serious work. Every comedy starts as an individual project-- each member writes their own material. Then they try it out in weekly club meetings where all club members read the material, going joke by joke and seeing what works and what doesnt. Nothing unsatisfactory will be compromised(妥协). In this way comes a satisfying comedy.
Ariella joined the club last year. Now she does not go anywhere without bringing something on which she can take notes. ''Whenever I just have a thought in my head or when I see something or overhear someone saying something in the library, I just put it down, '' Ariella explained. ''when I'm trying to write my own set, I go through that…to see if there is anything in there that I can use. ''
Club president Nicholas Scandura finds writing one of the many skills he has developed since joining the club. ''Writing jokes takes a lot of critical thinking.'' he said. The club gives its members a sense of community. When they meet, they share funny experiences. tell jokes and laugh.
Harry Kuperstein discovered the club was a natural fit. Noticing the funny qualities of different situations improved his way of looking at the world. Becoming an active member also helped him work on the future skills he'll need as a medical doctor. ''Having jokes ready to go might help smooth these interactions and make you a better public speaker, '' he said.
1.What can a successful comedy be described as?A.A group effort | B.A personal project |
C.A satisfying task | D.A compromised result |
A.Creating her own style. |
B.Going to the library regularly |
C.Taking notes in class |
D.Becoming a good observer |
A.By easing his stress of being a doctor |
B.By preparing the ground for his career. |
C.By changing his way of communication |
D.By developing his interest in public speaking |
A.Laughter Is Serious Work |
B.Humor Is an Edge in Jobs |
C.Comedy Comes with Learning |
D.Clubs Influence One's World View |
Rachel Carson was concerned about what was happenig to the environment. So in her book Silent Spring, she warned that some chemicals were poisoning the air, the water, the earth, and all its creatures. She imagined a time when spring would not bring the rebirth of flowers, trees, and the songs of birds. The book became a bestseller, and Ms. Carson was in great demand as a speaker. People lisened to her because what she said made sense, and because she was a scientist who knew her facts.
Rachel Carson was primarily interested in the world of sea and shore, so she became a marine biologst for the government. She studied and recorded facts about the sea' s plant and animal life, their special characteristics, and the nature of their environments. In 1951, she wrote The Sea Around Us, which brought her honors, fame, and respect around the world.
Ms. Carson then devoted herself full-time to research and writing. One thing much on her mind was the effect of modern technology on the natural environment. One day, a distressed friend wrote her to say that a plane spraying(喷洒) DDT had flown over her yard, and the next day several birds lay dead. Carson decided to act.
For four years she studied the use of pesticides(杀虫剂) in the United States, and then she wrote Silent Spring.
In her book Ms. Carson said that these pesticides would harm much more than insects. She explained that these poisons would pollute the environment. “Even if their effects are not immediately observable, they remain for years in the water and the soil, and they become part of the food eaten by animals and humans.
Besides, after a time, insects develop immunity to pesticides,” she said.
Recent studies have shown that pesticides can affect human brainwave activity and cause loss of memory and inability to concentrate. We should still remember Rachel Carson’s words, “I think we are challenged as we have never been challenged before to prove our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves.”
1.Silent Spring is a book that__________A.aims to raise people’s environmental awareness |
B.stresses the importance of the cycle of nature |
C.describes the author' s childhood experiences |
D.asks people to enjoy the beauty of spring |
A.curious | B.humorous | C.excited | D.worried |
A.became world-famous due to Silent Spring |
B.warned against the use of chemicals to kill insects |
C.had a good knowledge of the planets in the universe |
D.created a system for improving human brainwave activity |
A.we should prove ourselves to be the ruler of this world |
B.it's a chance for us to prove our mastery of nature |
C.it's time for us to think about what we have done |
D.settling on the earth is a challenge for humans |
About three decades ago, China was known as the "Bicycle Kingdom". But later on, bikes were replaced by their fuel-powered competitors.
But recent months have seen a recovery of the humble bike across China, with an increasing number of people choosing cycling instead of driving to schools, to workplaces or to do sightseeing. The introduction of bike-sharing schemes, pioneered by start-ups like Ofo and Mobike, has brought the trend to a new level.
People can unlock the shared bikes by simply using their smartphone. The bikes are equipped with GPS and can be left anywhere in public for the next user. They're popular among many Chinese people as they provide an effective solution to the "last mile" problem,which refers to the final leg of a person's journey.
" In places where the subway doesn't extend, where it's difficult to change from one kind of transport to another, it's so easy to get where you want to go with Mobike," Hu Hong,29,told AFP. She pedals(骑车)to her Shanghai real-estate job.
However, the schemes have also led to problems such as illegal parking, vandalism(故意毁坏) and theft. Last month,two nurses in Beijing were placed under administrative punishment for five days for putting locks on two shared bikes. And in December, a man who stole a shared bike was sentenced to a 3-month detention(拘留),and fined 1 ,000 yuan by the Shanghai Minhang People's Court.
" Bike-sharing is a greener method of transportation and provides a user-friendly experience,"said Liu Xiaoming,vice-minister of transport.
" But it's a combination of online and offline business. Operators are usually strong in online services, but lack offline business experience, which causes problems."
Now, Chinese service operators are trying to solve the problems. For example, a bike- sharing company called Mobike sets a 100-point credit score for each user, with points taken in the case of bad behavior. Once a score drops below 80,bike rental is increased to 100 yuan per 30 minutes, up from 0.5 - 1 yuan.
1.Which of the following belongs to the "last mile" problem?A.Missing the business plane for the traffic jam. |
B.To get to somewhere the subway can reach. |
C.Having troubles in changing from bus to taxi. |
D.To remove the last rock in the way. |
A.Some people make damage to the bikes on purpose. |
B.Operators lack offline business experience. |
C.The bike-sharing business is too complicated to run. |
D.There are no relative laws on this business. |
A.They are very effective. | B.They can be picked up anywhere. |
C.They are equipped with GPS. | D.They help solve the last mile problem. |
A.Bickes Pedaling Back Into Styles |
B.A New Way of Transportations |
C.Riding a Mobicycle for Free |
D.Bicycle Kingdom Became Famous Again |
If anyone had told me three years ago that I would be spending most of my weekends camping, I would have laughed heartily. Campers, in my eyes, were people who enjoyed insect bites, ill-cooked meals, and uncomfortable sleeping bags. They had nothing in common with me.
The friends who introduced me to camping thought that it meant to be a pioneer.
I was, nevertheless, talked into going on another fun-filled holiday in the wilderness.
A.This time there was no tent. |
B.Things are going to be improved. |
C.The trip they took me on was a rough one. |
D.I was to learn a lot about camping since then, however. |
E.I must say that I have certainly come to enjoy camping. |
F.After the trip, my family became quite interested in camping. |
G.There was no shade as the trees were no more than 3 feet tall. |
A.They had their own characteristic in culture. |
B.Their genes had much in common with their neighbors. |
C.They seemed to isolate themselves from other groups. |
D.They developed faster than others. |
A.was stolen | B.have been stolen | C.had stolen | D.had been stolen |
A.leaving | B.left | C.to leave | D.being left |
A.was being held | B.was holding | C.is being held | D.had been hold |