外刊阅读练习—你的钱包有多鼓

23年高考英语外刊阅读理解训练——如何在家锻炼身体——改编自How to Exercise at Home During the global lockdown, many people are unable to attend the gym and have turned to exercising at home. The importance of keeping the body active and fit is paramount in these times, as a sedentary lifestyle and weight gain can lead to health issues. However, it is not necessary to pump iron or have expensive equipment like rowing and cycling machines to stay fit.Not only is exercising vital for physical health, but it also has positive benefits on mental health. According to a study by Dr. Andrea Dunn at the Cooper Research Institute in Dallas, Texas, patients who walked daily for 35 minutes saw a 47% reduction in depression levels.Cardiovascular exercise, also known as cardio, is used to keep the heart rate up, strengthening the heart and improving general fitness. Many people are turning to activities such as skipping with an old rope, or following online exercise videosproduced by various fitness experts.Walking is another great aerobic activity that increases blood circulation. Affordable pedometers can be utilized to track steps, heart rates, sleeping patterns, and even blood oxygenation levels. Even without stepping outside, people are power walking or jogging around their homes, whether it be the garden or hallway.Practicing yoga or Tai Chi can maintain body suppleness, reducing joint pain and preventing injury. Finally, strength and resistance training can be done at home using bags of rice or boxes instead of heavy gym weights.These online exercise routines can be continued beyond lockdowns since they benefit physical and mental health. With just ten minutes a day of simple exercises, using a rope or bag of rice, individuals can enhance both health aspects while overcoming the challenge of busy lifestyles hindering gym attendance.【重点词汇】1. lockdown ['lɒkdəʊn] n. 封锁，禁闭2. gym [dʒɪm] n. 健身房3. exercising ['eksəsaɪzɪŋ] v. 锻炼4. sedentary ['sedntərɪ] adj. 久坐的，静坐的5. weight gain 工n. weight 变胖，增重6. paramount ['pærəmaʊnt] adj. 极为重要的7. cardio [ˈkɑːdioʊ] n. 心血管运动8. heart rate n. 心率9. strengthening ['streŋθ(ə)nɪŋ] v. 加强，增强10. fitness ['fɪtnəs] n. 健康，健身11. skipping ['skɪpɪŋ] n. 跳绳12. online ['ɒnlaɪn] adj./adv. 在线的，联机的13. aerobic [eəˈroʊbɪk] adj. 有氧的14. blood circulation n. 血液循环15. pedometer [pə'dɒmɪtə(r)] n. 计步器16. track [træk] v. 追踪，跟踪17. heart rate n. 心率18. sleeping patterns n. 睡眠模式19. blood oxygenation levels n. 血氧水平20. power walking n. 快走21. jogging ['dʒɒɡɪŋ] n. 慢跑22. hallway ['hɔːlweɪ] n. 门厅23. yoga [ˈjəʊɡə] n. 瑜伽24. T ai Chi n. 太极25. body suppleness n. 身体柔韧性26. joint pain 工n. joint 疼痛27. preventing v. 防止，预防28. injury ['ɪndʒəri] n. 伤害，损伤29. strength n. 力量30. resistance n. 抵抗力31. bags of rice n. 米袋32. gym weights n. 健身房器材33. continued adj. 持续的，连续的34. physical health n. 身体健康35. mental health n. 心理健康36. enhance [ɪn'hæns] v. 增强，提高37. aspects n. 方面，方向38. busy lifestyles n. 繁忙的生活方式39. hindering adj. 阻碍的，妨碍的40. attendance n. 出席，参加41. affordable adj. 经济实惠的42. depression [dɪ'preʃ(ə)n] n. 抑郁症43. general fitness n. 总体健康状况44. blood [blʌd] n. 血液45. oxygenation ['ɒksɪdʒə(ʊ)neɪʃ(ə)n] n. 氧合，含氧化46. patients ['peɪʃənts] n. 病人47. Dallas ['dæləs] n. 达拉斯（美国城市）48. rope [rəʊp] n. 绳子49. weightlifting ['weɪtlɪftɪŋ] n. 举重50. equipment [ɪkwɪpmənt] n. 设备，装备【阅读理解练习题】1. What is the main topic of the article?A) The importance of mental health during lockdownB) Exercise equipment for home useC) Benefits of staying active during lockdownD) Ways to lose weight without going to the gym答案：C解析：文章中提到了全球范围内的锁定期间，许多人无法前往健身房，开始在家锻炼。

备战2021高考英语外刊精读与练习Cutting the cost of cooking在家做饭的省钱妙招语篇导读与其下馆子或叫外卖，不少人更愿意自己下厨，他们认为做饭这件事既有乐趣，又能节省开支。

怎样才能吃好又花钱不多？去超市买东西的时候，应如何巧用各种促销活动？本集《随身英语》介绍几个控制日常饮食开销的省钱妙招。

Step 1 Vocabulary:词汇表3save the pennies 省点钱set you back 花掉（不少钱）a small fortune 一大笔钱make financial sense 从钱的方面讲是合理的，合算savvy 有头脑的keep in check 限制（开销）come at a price 价格不菲的feel the pinch 感到手头拮据make the money go further 让钱花得更值on a budget 预算很紧，节省费用bulk out 使…量足tight 手头紧stock up 大量储备、囤积BOGOF 买一送一break the bank 花太多钱cash flow 现金流转cut back on 削减…（花费）finances 财力，资金Step 2 Reading and understandingAre you planning to eat out tonight or are you going to stay in to save the pennies? A meal out at a good restaurant or even a pizza parlour can set you back a small fortune, so cooking for yourself makes financial sense. But with the rise in food prices, it's important to be a savvy shopper to keep your food bill in check.These days our supermarket shelves are packed with a tempting array of food items: from the daily staples, like bread and milk, to the exotic, like mangoes and saffron. There's also the option of buying ready meals –convenient food that comes at a price. However, if you're feeling the pinch, there are things you can do to make the money you spend on food go further.According to the BBC Food website, it's all about changing your habits. It claims that cooking filling and tasty meals on a budget is easy. It suggests a number of 'tricks' such as using cheaper cuts of meat, "bulk out small amounts of meat with less expensive proteins" and "transform small amounts of leftovers into a filling meal".A favourite pastime of mine to help when money is tight is to stock up on items that are on special offer –such as BOGOF deals (Buy one, get one free). However, this is more of a problem when it comes to perishable items like fresh fruit and vegetables. In the UK, about 39% of household food waste is fruit and veg. So it's a good idea not to stock upon too much of these things. Store them carefully and make the most of them in all your recipes.Food waste is a big problem generally so shopping carefully can also reduce the amount we throw away. And in Edinburgh in Scotland, it's possible to reduce waste and not break the bank by visiting a recycled food shop, which has been set up to prevent surplus food from shops ending up in the bin. The Food Sharing Hub allows people to pay as much as they want for the rescued food, which is past its 'best before date'.Of course, the biggest thing you can do to help your cash flow is to cut back on take-away coffees and lunches. Making your own is usually healthier for you and your finances!Step 3 测验与练习Task 1 阅读课文并回答问题。

翻译练习-外刊中英文对照翻译赏析3Over to you, China看你的了，中国America has dampened a currency row with China. Now Beijing must let the yuan rise美国在同中国的汇率争论中变得低调。

现在北京当局必须要促使人民币升值了IT DID not win him friends in Congress, but Tim Geithner, America’s treasury secretary, was right to postpone a decision, due by April 15th, on whether or not to declare China a currency manipulator. By putting off the release of a semi-annual report on China’s exchange rate he defused, at least temporarily, Sino-American tension over the value of the yuan, which has been pegged tightly to the dollar since July 2008. Even better, he did so in a way that maximises the odds of a resolution of the currency problem.美国财政部长盖特纳推迟了本应该在4月15号公布的是否将中国定义为汇率操纵国的决议，这一决定虽然没有得到国会的支持但其正确性毋庸置疑。

通过搁置关于中国汇率的半年度报告，盖特纳至少暂时缓和了中美双方在人民币币值上的紧张情绪，人民币对美元价在2008年7月后就一直持稳。

此举更妙的地方在于，盖特纳用了一种最有可能解决币值问题的方法来处理这个问题。

高考英语外刊阅读天天练：七选五专题模拟训练十三①Until recently, no one had heard of this game with the crazy name. If you haven’t played it yourself, you’ve probably at least heard of pickleball. Here’s how the game is played.____1____ It’s played on a badminton-sized court with a slightly lowered tennis net, using square paddles and a small perforated plastic ball that’s similar in size to a tennis ball, but much lighter. ____2____Unlike tennis, you can score only when it’s your turn to serve. ___3____ Be sure to hit with enough force or you’ll end up with a falafel—pickleball slang for a shot that falls short of the net. Matches can be played in doubles or singles, and games are played to 11points. Lose with a score of 11-0 and you’ve been “pickled”!Whether you play regularly—and consider yourself a “pickler”—or only once in a while, it’s a very social game and a perfect way to make new friends.____4____Part of the appeal is that pickleball is easy to learn and you don’t have to be super athletic to pick it up.Playing the game can improve your hand-eye coordination and increase reaction time. __5_____ It’s a great aerobic work-out, and because it’s a low-impact sport, it’s easy on your joints.【Reader’s Digest USA(October, 2023)】A. It’s a sport that’s bringing folks together.B.You don’t need to join a league or have a pickleball court to get in on the action.C.Pickleball takes components from tennis, badminton and table tennis.D.And because you can vary the intensity, pickleball suits serious athletes and weekend warriors alike.E.Since the lighter ball doesn’t bounce as much, it’s easier to get a rally going.F.Fans range from kids to seniors, with those ages 18to34 making up the fastest-growing player group.G.The goal is to keep the ball in the air, and if your opponent fails to return the ball over the net, you get the point.②How great would it be to have robot assistants like the ones from our favorite cartoons and sci-fi shows? Well, AI chatbots like ChatGPT are getting us there. Here are a few:Manage your inboxAI can sort through your emails in a flash, identify important messages and even compose responses on your behalf. __1_______2____Try a prompt like:“I have 36 hours in Atlanta. Can you suggest a travel itinerary that includes must-try restaurants and music venues?”Give (or get) homework help____3____It won’t do their homework for them, but it can explain concepts and walk them through a math solution. Plan mealsYou could say, “Give me 10 ideas for dinner that aren’t burgers.” ____4___Learn EnglishThe AI app Elsa can teach English to those who speak other languages. _____5___【Reader’s Digest USA(October, 2023)】A.Plan a tripB. Get design ideas.C.You can check them before they’re sent if you’d like.D. When the app is done with its job, you can share the notes with others.E.Socratic is an AI app that can help students with math problems and other homework.F.Simply talk to it in English, and it will correct your pronunciation and give you tips on how to speak more fluently.G.Or, if you have limited ingredients in your fridge, you could ask for “five meal ideas that use carrots and onions.”③Whether you like it or not, fall is here. ___1____And all these things—the anxiety, the promise and even the rumination—make it the ideal season to build resilience.Autumn is the season when we can work on our acceptance of uncertainty. ___2____ Psychologists have found that the thought of change underlies a great deal of anxiety. Some of us struggle with “intolerance of uncertainty” more than others.A massive amount of research has been showing that intolerance for distress, for discomfort, for impermanence, for uncertainty, predicts bad outcomes in the long run._____3____And it’s changeable. One way to build tolerance is to lean into it—to cultivate uncertainty rather than run away from it. A feeling of exhilaration can also come from experiencing something new or uncertain, which in turn builds resilience.Leaning in to uncertainty means putting aside your routines and your planning, which is called “cushions that make us feel like we have control.” Bike through a neighborhood you’ve never been to —without a map. ____4____ Go for a walk on a day when it just might rain. You might get lost or soaked or be unable to see any stars. You might feel uncomfortable or as if you’re wasting your time. ____5_____【Reader’s Digest USA(October, 2023)】A.This kind of mindfulness has been shown again and again to reduce stress and increase well-being.B.But those small moments of uncertainty will build exposure to, a tolerance toward and perhaps even an appreciation of times when you don’t know what’s ahead .C.For many of those who struggle with seasonal depression in the winter months, the fall is the beginning of their symptoms.D.If you’re always trying to avoid difficult feelings, you might end up also cutting yourself off from love and richness and sweetness.E.But intolerance of uncertainty is a part of being human; everyone has it on some level.F.That means embracing that unsettled feeling we may have as we move out of our warm-weather routines.G.Set out during one of these lengthening autumn nights to find somewhere dark enough to do some stargazing.CEGADCAEGFCFEGB。

高考英语外刊时文精读精练 (9)World in a dish: The garden path盘中知世界：花园小径主题语境：人与自我主题语境内容：健康的生活方式【外刊原文】（斜体单词为超纲词汇,认识即可；下划线单词为课标词汇,需熟记。

）IMAGINE A plate holding two strawberries,identical in appearance. One came out of a supermarket box, meaning it was probably harvested when it was still not ripe, immediately placed in a forced-air cooling unit, loaded ontoa truck and driven hundreds of miles. By the time it reached the plate it may have been picked for two weeks. The other strawberry was picked from a garden minutes before being eaten.The first one will probably taste like a slightly mushy(软踏踏的)cucumber withstrong sour flavors. The second is likely to be sweet; the flavour will linger in the mouth, as the scent(香味)will on thehands.Supermarket strawberries are not entirely without advantages: theyare convenient and available in the northern hemisphere(半球)in February. But the two berries differ from each other in the same way that hearing Bach’s Mass in B Minor in a concert hall differs from listening to it on a cassette(磁带). The home-grown fruit is an eatable case for cultivating a home garden. Your columnist argued gardening a twee(矫揉造作的)waste of time. Planting cool-weather greens, as gardeners across the north-east of America are now doing, can seem make no sense. Convenient, continuous well-stocked supermarket shelves are available all week, in many places supplemented on weekends by farmers’ markets. But the same could be said of cooking: cheap and good restaurants around, so why bother to make your own meals?That attitude misunderstands the ultimate appeal of gardening: it mistakes the product for the purpose. It is true that a garden can yield peas that taste like the vibrant(生机勃勃的), greenspring; tomatoes and carrots of incomparable sweetness; lettuces and herbs that taste like themselves ratherthan the plastic they are usually packaged in; and potatoes with richness of earth itself. Growing your own vegetable ensures a reliable supply.On the other hand ,a garden, especially in the early years, can also yield little but frustration. Beginners may plant the wrong crops for their soil. Squirrels have a habit of taking single bites of cucumbers, beans and tomatoes, then leavingthe rest on the vine to rot(腐烂). And even expert gardeners can lose a season’s harvest to un co operative weather.No matter. The real joy of gardening is the time spent doing it. Thedeepest pleasure—as with cooking, writing, bringing up children or almost anything worthwhile—is in the work itself. Agardener’s memories revolve not around the food produced, but around long summer afternoons with hands in the dirt, surrounded by family, if the garden is at home, or deepening acquaintances with friends and neighbours in acommunity garden. To garden is to patiently, lovingly and diligently help life flourish, in the ground and above it.【课标词汇】1.identical完全相同的；极为相似的I've got three identical blue suits.我有三套完全相同的蓝色西装。

‘Women don’t need to bleed’: why many more of us are giving up on periods女性不需要流血：为什么越来越多的女性同胞对月经With recent confirmation that periods have no health benefit, an increasing number of women are using contraception to stop them altogether.Menstruation is the process by which the body sheds the lining of the uterus and unfertilised egg. Not having periods does not create a “backlog”, nor are they necessary to “cleanse the body”. Menstruation can, however, exacerbate incapacitating physical or mental health problems including endometriosis and depression. So, if women do not want a period, is there a medical reason that they should? Many may be surprised to learn that the short answer is: no.Dr Anne Connolly, the clinical lead for Women’s Hea lth for the Royal College of GPs, says there is no health benefit to them: “Ninety-nine per cent of women don’t need to bleed.”The option not to have periods is rooted in hormonal contraceptives, which prevent pregnancy, sometimes with other effects —including lightening bleeding or stopping it altogether. Many new forms of contraception — including the contraceptive implant and injection —are designed to be taken continuously, meaning many users can safely go months or years without any bleeding.The benefits can be myriad, from saving money to mitigating health problems.But some women may prefer not to use hormonal contraceptives. Some experts agree that more research is needed into the long-term effects of taking hormonal contraception. However, they say there should be greater awareness of the benefits of contraceptives beyond preventing pregnancy.Sophie, 24, from Glasgow, no longer bleeds thanks to the contraceptive implant, and says: “Just because something is natural, I don’t think it in any way m eans we should have to go through it. Different things suit different people, and that’s fantastic.”China misses out on FIBA World Cup second round after Venezuela defeat对战委内瑞拉失利，中国无缘国际篮球联赛（FIBA）篮球世界……Hosts China will not play in the round of 16 at the 2019 FIBA World Cup after losing 72-59 to Venezuela in its final Group A game here on Wednesday. The result saw Venezuela progress into the competition's next stage, while China will drop into the classification round."We made a lot of preparation. We played tight in offense at the very beginning. We let Venezuela grab 20 offensive rebounds, which is very hard for us, " said China's head coach Li Nan.Before tip-off, the Chinese team knew only victory would do, but still they trailed 33-23 at the half-time buzzer. The hosts saw a glimmer of hope when Zhao Jiwei made two consecutive three-pointers during the last minute before the interval, but Venezuela soon answered with a pair from downtown.Fang Shuo stood out in the second half for China, but not enough. With a three and a jump shot, he led his team to trim the gap to five points with six minutes to go in the third quarter, the smallest deficit China had during the whole game. China couldn't find ways to deal with its disadvantage in long-range shooting and rebounds, and the Venezuelan shooters seemed comparatively unstoppable. "They grabbed 21 more rebounds than us. We didn't do well on execution. It feels bad to lose the game. We'll try all our best and focus on the next game, " Chinese guard Fang said, referring to the classification round of 17-32 to be played in Guangzhou.Alibaba revenue jumps in first quarter阿里巴巴第一季度收益猛增Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba said Thursday that first quarter revenue beat analyst estimates. Revenue for the April-June period rose 42 percent year-on-year to 114.9 billion yuan ($16.7 billion), a company statement said, outpacing an average analyst estimate of 111.6 billion yuan compiled by Bloomberg News.Joe Tsai, Alibaba's Executive Vice-Chairman, attributed the results to China's demographic trends and continued urbanization, pointing to the growing urban middle class willing to shell out for brands on Alibaba's e-commerce platforms.Net profit for the quarter was 21.2 billion ($3.1 billion), more than double from the same period a year earlier.Revenue in the Hangzhou-based company's core e-commerce segment, which accounts for the vast majority of its business, jumped 44 percent, while the smaller but fast-growing cloud computing unit surged 66 percent.Alibaba has been pouring money into what it calls "new retail", which optimises in-store sales and service using data culled online."Alibaba had a great quarter, expanding our user base to 674 million annual active consumers, demonstrating our superior user experience, " said Daniel Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba. "We will continue to invest in technology and bring digital transformation to millions of businesses globally." Alibaba dominates China's rapidly expanding consumer culture and its corporate results are typically closely watched for any signs that the US-China trade tensions were turning off shoppers.What is a deepfake?什么是deepfake？Today, the events captured in realistic-looking or-sounding video and audio recordings need never have happened. They can instead be generated automatically, by powerful computers and machine-learning software. The catch-all term for these computational productions is “deepfakes”.The term first appeared on Reddit, a messaging board, as the username for an account which was producing fake videos. An entire community sprung up around the creation of these videos, writing software tools that let anyone a utomatically paste one person’s face onto the body of another. Reddit shut the community down, but the technology was out there. Soon it was being applied to political figures and actors.Tools for editing media manually have existed for decades—think Photoshop. The power and peril of deepfakes is that they make fakery cheaper than ever before. Before deepfakes, a powerful computer and a good chunk of a university degree were needed to produce a realistic fake video of someone. Now some photos and an Internet connection are all that is required. The consequences of cheap, widespread fakery are likely to be profound, albeit slow to unfold. Plenty worry about the possible impact that believable, fake footage of politicians might have on civil society—from a further loss of trust in media to the potential for electoral distortions. These technologies could also be deployed against softer targets: it might be used, for instance, to bully classmates by creating imagery of them in embarrassing situations. In a world that was already saturated with extreme imagery, deepfakes make it plausible to push that even further.Costco caps the number of China shoppers one day after ‘crazy’ debut开市客在中国“疯狂”开业后次日实施限制客流Costco Wholesale Corp.’s first outlet in Shanghai has capped the number of customers at 2, 000, a day after it opened and was overrun with customers willing to fight over discounted products and wait hours to pay for their purchases.It had to suspend operations on Tuesday citing “heavy traffic and customer flows, ” according to a text message to consumers shared on Weibo, China’s micro-blogging website.The frenzy at Costco’s store comes at a time when the U.S. and China are locked in a tit-for-tat tariff war that shows no signs of abating and is making American firms wary of investing in the largest Asian economy.Costco is also entering a market where many of its global rivals have struggled and given up. Carrefour SA sold an 80% stake in its China unit at a discount in June while German wholesaler Metro AG is looking to sell its operations.Local news reports said the retailer offered discounts as deep as 60% on some products and initial annual membership for just 199 yuan ($28).The sale includes the nation’s famous fiery liquor drink from Kweichow Moutai Co. and Wuliangye Yibin Co. Moutai’s coveted baijiu bottles, according to messages posted on a local investing website, are being lapped up as these are available in Costco at 1, 500 yuan and can be resold at marked-up prices of as much as 2, 500 yuan.“There’s no other word to describe Shanghai’s Costco but crazy, ” said a Weibo user, who gave up on the shopping plan Tuesday after seeing two-hour queues at the checkout counters.In “American Factory”, Chinese money and Ohioan workers collide纪录片《美国工厂》展示了中国资本和俄亥俄州工人间的冲突What makes a factory American? A captivating new documentary — produced by Barack and Michelle Obama —opens with an unambiguous case. In Dayton, Ohio, a large General Motors plant had employed 2, 000 workers assembling SUVs.It closed in 2008, leaving behind a shell of a building and a local unemployment rate that peaked in 2009 at 12.5%.The factory that opened in its place was supposed to be American too, despite its Chinese owner. The film follows Cao Dewang, chairman of Fuyao group, a Chinese glass manufacturer, as he prowls his new plant, and advises contractors against putting Chinese pictures on the walls.*** He brings in Americans to fill senior management positions.Tensions within the partnership quickly emerge. The Americans are accused of having fat fingers, of being slow and of being afraid of heat. The clashes might leave some viewers with the impression that the plant is not very American at all.Bu t when a group of workers from Ohio visit one of Fuyao’s outposts in China, “American Factory” draws a contrast. They look on in horror as Chinese workers sort large shards of glass without safety goggles or cut-resistant gloves. The Americans’ eight days off a month and eight-hour shifts are dismissed as an easy life.“American Factory” is available on Netflix from August 21st. Viewers can decide themselves whether they think the Fuyao factory in Ohio is truly American — or they can revel in the film’s com plexity and conclude that there is no right answer.Zhang wins China's first UFC title in stunning style张伟丽赢得中国首个UFC 冠军，成为全场亮点Zhang Weili thrilled a Chinese home crowd with an upset knockout of UFC strawweight champion Jessica Andrade that took just 41 seconds Saturday, making her China's first champion in the world's biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion.The experienced Andrade, who came into the fight tied for the most wins by a woman in UFC history with 11, charged the underdog Zhang from the start. But the Brazilian ran into a barrage of punches and knee kicks from Zhang that sent her staggering to the canvas as the referee waved the fight over. "Last year in Beijing I vowed to become the first Chinese champion, and I did it!" Zhang, 30, declared afterwards at the UFC Fight Night event in a sports arena in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.Zhang was the first Chinese fighter to even get a title shot from the UFC, which is pushing hard into a Chinese market where interest in MMA is growing rapidly. "As a Chinese person, I feel so proud, " she said.South Korea's fertility rate falls to record low韩国生育率降至历史新低The total fertility rate measures the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime. In 2018, this dropped to 0.98 in South Korea.This record low puts South Korea near the bottom of lowest fertility rates in the world. To put that into perspective, the 2018 fertility rate was 1.72 in the United States. In some African countries, which see the highest fertility numbers in the world, the rate can go up to 5 or 6.This isn't just a fluke for South Korea — its demographic crisis has been building for a while. The 2017 rate of 1.05 was also a record low at the time, while the mortality rate jumped to a record high.All the while, the population continues to age.Korea isn't alone in facing this problem —Japan, too, has struggled for years with an aging population, shrinking workforce, and low birth rates.There are similar reasons behind this decline in both countries. A major one is the demanding and often unhealthy work culture that makes it difficult for people to balance careers with family life.The Japanese government has launched various initiatives to try to reverse this trend. In 2017, the government announced a 2 trillion yen ($18 billion) spending package to expand free preschool and cut waiting times at day care centers. Meanwhile, the South Korean government lowered maximum working hours from 68 hours a week to 52 hours last year, with some experts pointing to the declining fertility rate and its economic consequences as a motivator.Blow to 10,000-hour rule as study finds practice doesn't always make perfect 对“一万小时定律”的反驳：研究发现，熟并不总能生巧……With blatant disregard for the public benefits of motivational idioms, researchers have concluded that practice does not, necessarily, make perfect.A study of violinists found that merely good players practised as much as, if not more than, better players, leaving other factors such as quality of tuition, learning skills and perhaps natural talent to account for the difference.The work is the latest blow to the 10, 000-hour rule, the idea promoted in Malcolm Gladwell's 2008 book, Outliers, which has been taken to mean that enough practice will make an expert of anyone. In the book, Gladwell states that "ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness"."The idea has become really entrenched in our culture, but it's an oversimplification, " said Brooke Macnamara, a psychologist at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.The seed for the 10, 000-hour rule was a 1993 study of violinists and pianists which found that accumulated practice time rose with musical prowess.Macnamara and her colleague Megha Maitra set out to repeat part of the 1993 study to see whether they reached the same conclusions. In all, the number of hours spent practising accounted for about a quarter of the skills difference, according to the study published in Royal Society Open Science.Macnamara believes practice is less of a driver. "Once you get to the highly skilled groups, practice stops accounting for the difference." she said.Macnamara said it was important for people to understand the limits of practice. "Practice makes you better than you were yesterday, most of the time, " she said. "But it might not make you better than your neighbour. Or the other kid in your violin class."Here’s the long and the short of it — mullets are back总而言之，前短后长的鲻鱼头回归了David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust wore his cascading down his neck. Patti Smith’s, meanwhile, was pure “business in the front, party in the back”.Mullets were everywhere in the 1970s and 80s, and now —perhaps to the surprise and consternation of many — they are back. The hairdo has been reinvented for the 21st century as a statement of gender fluidity and cool.Mullets have been big on catwalks and the red carpet for a while and the trend is now hitting the high street. Tina Outen, a stylist used by Vogue and i-D magazine, believes the cut can be cool and also political; a statement of androgyny. “There is a sense of freedom in the fashion industry and we are in an era of playfulness, ” she said. “People can be who they want to be.”Another explanation is that the mullet, mocked by many, is a protest against conventional beauty. According to Caryn Franklin, fashion commentator and professor at Kingston School of Art, the new-wave mullet is a backlash against the high-maintenance, long-haired looks that have dominated portrayals of femininity in mainstream advertising. “Hair styling has always allowed for non-conformist statements, ” she said.“You’ll see more of it, ” said Peckham-based hairdresser Jackson Acton. “Ten years ago, short on the sides and long on top was taboo. Now you see it on guys in suits and on Love Island. I think the mullet will be like that soon.”Germany seeks forgiveness from Poland 80 years after WWII start在二战爆发80年后，德国向波兰请求原谅Germany made an emotional appeal for forgiveness to neighboring Poland 80 years after the start of World War II that was met by a renewed demand for reparations by the fellow European Union member’s prime minister.German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, visiting the town of Wielun, Poland, where Nazi bombers caused the first large-scale civilian casualties of the conflict in an air raid on Sept. 1, 1939, said his country won’t forget the past and takes responsibility for the war’s terror and atrocities.At a ceremony in Gdansk commemorating an attack on Poland from the Baltic Sea, Polish Premier Mateusz Morawiecki returned to the controversial topic of wartime reparations. He called on his nation’s western neighbor and biggest trading partner to take “responsibility” for the economic costs of its invasion and occupation.Earlier this year, a Polish special parliamentary group published a preliminary study that showed the six-year conflict may have cost the Polish economy more than $850 billion. The German government has said all claims were settled long ago. Calls for reparations from the 1939-1945 conflict, during which about 6 million Poles — half of them Jews — were killed, have soured ties between Warsaw and Berlin since 2017.“We have to remember the victims and we have to demand compensation, ” Morawiecki said.New York City mulls foie gras ban in move critics say is fuelled by 'anti-snob' sentiment纽约市考虑禁售肥肝，被批受“酸葡萄”心理煽动New York City is considering banning sales of foie gras, which has been dismissed by critics as an "anti-snob" move.The New York City Council is currently considering legislation that would ban sales of force-fed birds as well as all forms of the rich delicacy made from their engorged livers in the city's restaurants.Foie gras is often made by duck and geese having tubes inserted into their throats, forcing them to consume far more grain than they would naturally eat and fattening their livers by up to 10 times their normal size.One of the bill's advocates, the New York State Humane Association, said the life cycle of American foie gras ducks is "short and agonising in the final weeks". "By their last week, the birds have become so ill that their physical condition and degree of suffering arguably place them in violation of the state's anti-cruelty laws", the group said.However, the proposal has come in for criticism. Mark Caro, author of The Foie Gras Wars, questions why the rarefied dish receives so much attention in comparison to supermarkets' animal produce."If you try to get people to give up their cheap chicken, you would have a problem, because it would affect their budgets, " he told the New York Times. "Foie gras is enjoyed by... people most of this country resents. There’s a definite anti-snob thing going on, " he said of the move.The new growth in hair loss research 脱发研究的新进展Has there ever been more pressure to have a full and luscious head of hair? With such anxieties magnified by the digital world, it’s little wonder that the impact of male and female pattern baldness has been increasingly linked to various mental health conditions.But th ere is increasing hope for those experiencing hair loss, as while we’re no closer to finding a way to prevent balding happening in the first place, scientists are developing increasingly novel and ingenious ways to either replace or regenerate the lost hair.With no drug to prevent your hair from falling out, cosmetic surgery has looked to fill the void. Over the past two decades hair transplants — which take hair follicles from DHT-resistant “donor areas” at the back and sides of the scalp and relocate them to cover up bald patches — have offered new hope for hair loss sufferers.Instead of relying on donor hair, the way forward could be to use patient stem cells to grow whole hair follicles completely from scratch in the lab. These follicles could then be grown in unlimited quantities, and grafted on to the scalp.In the future, 3D printing could even help do this on a large scale. At Columbia University in New York, Angela Christiano is working on creating “hair farms” using a grid of 3D-printed plastic moulds which mimic the exact shape of hair follicles. Growing them in an artificial, hair-like environment helps stimulate them to make a hair, but scientists still have to solve some aesthetic challenges.Microplastics are everywhere, even in the Arctic snow微塑料无处不在，甚至出现在北极积雪当中Microplastics are some of the Earth's tiniest and most insidious enemies. These tiny bits of plastic are found in countless consumer products including cosmetics, tires, cigarettes and toothpaste, and when they collect in bodies of water and other natural areas, they can pose serious environmental hazards and health risks. In fact, a new study reveals that microplastics have even polluted Alpine snow and Arctic ice. How did the microplastics get there? The study, published this week in the journal Science Advances, posits that the tiny particles become airborne and, when swept up into the Earth's atmosphere, can be transported virtually around the globe."The large concentrations of MPs and microfibers in snow highlight the importance of the atmosphere as a source of airborne MPs and microfibers, " the study reads. "Through this pathway, MPs likely find their way into soil and aquatic environments and therefore also into food chains."In other words, if microplastics are found in pristine Arctic ice, they're probably being breathed in, lived in and eaten by animals in other ecosystems.If microplastics are being swirled around the atmosphere, the study says, we're breathing them in, as well. And that could have serious health consequences. "The high MP concentrations detected in snow samples from continental Europe to the Arctic indicate significant air pollution and stress the urgent need for research on human and animal health effects focusing on airborne MPs, " the study says.The unlikely Chinese cities where house prices rival London看似不可能、房价却堪比伦敦的中国城市Some of the world's priciest housing markets aren't where you might think. A four-year property boom in China has elevated a collection of little-known cities and turned them into real estate gold.While that's been great news for speculators, it's raising concern about whether China's educated middle-class is quickly being priced out of these so-called second-tier cities.A 1, 000-square-foot apartment in downtown Xiamen, a port city on China's southeast coast, is almost as expensive as the average home in London, even though local wages are a quarter of what's on offer in the U.K. capital.How these cities found themselves here is a confluence of urbanization and the promise of quick capital gains.Some 90 million people have relocated from rural areas since 2012, encouraged by better job prospects and policies aimed at giving migrant workers social welfare that's more akin to urban dwellers.Owning property (or multiple properties), meanwhile, is something of a national obsession in China after frenetic price gains in the early years of this decade made hundreds of thousands of people rich, at least on paper. That mentality has meant literally millions of apartments across the country sit empty as their owners wait for prices to appreciate."This housing surge can't be justified by economic growth or people's paychecks, " said Shen Xin, a property analyst at China Real Estate Information. "Many have bought homes earlier than they planned, just to catch the price rally."Bangalore, we have a problem班加罗尔，我们有麻烦了The world's second-largest nation held its breath. Scores of engineers at mission control in Bangalore had done all they could to get their country's second Moon mission into place above the lunar surface.*** The final part, the descent of the landing module onto the Moon itself, was self-guided — the craft had to find its own path down."Fifteen terrifying minutes" was how Kailasavavidoo Sivan, boss of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), had described this phase of the landing sequence. His fears were well-founded. About 30 minutes before the expected landing time at 1.54 am Indian time on September 7th, ISRO lost communication with the module.India had been aiming to become only the fourth member of the lunar club, after the Soviet Union, America and China. This mission, Chandrayaan-2, departed Earth on July 22nd from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in southern India, after several delays.What went wrong with the landing module is anybody's guess — such is the nature of a communications breakdown. All was well until the final 30km powered descent to the surface, Dr Sivan's hellish quarter hour. Several braking stages went off without a hitch, but then 1.24 am passed without further news.After half an hour of mounting tension, Dr Sivan appeared before the cameras to give a short statement. "Subsequently, communications from the lander to ground station was lost. The data is being analysed."The lander was named Vikram, Sa nskrit for ‘valour’, and Modi called for “courage” in his parting words to the ISRO scientists. But all the guts in India will not re-establish contact with a robot 239, 000 miles away, and get Chandrayaan-2 back on course. India’s Moon mission needs a miracle.When postpartum depression stole my husband当产后抑郁症“夺走”了我的丈夫Three months before Tyler was born, my husband Rob began suffering from insomnia, paralyzing indecision and panic attacks. Neither of us had any previous experience with mental illness, and I didn't understand what was happening.I dragged Rob to various doctors. Although Rob was eventually diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and severe depression, the psychiatrist never linked the illnesses to the changes associated with becoming a father.But when I finally confided in my friends about Rob's mental illness, I learned that he was not alone. Yet research has found that 1 in 7 dads in the United States suffer from mood disorders during the perinatal period (the time before and after birth), which skyrockets to 1 in 4 dads in the three to six months postpartum. Will Courtenay, a psychotherapist, said entrenched cultural norms that men should be "emotionally strong" explain why even trained mental health clinicians are less likely to diagnose anxiety or depression in men than in women.Daniel Singley, a psychologist, has studied what he calls the "dude to dad transition" for nearly a decade and says that connection is key for helping men navigate the transition to parenthood."Step one is having more conversations about the fact that it's not just women who experience perinatal mental health issues. Step two is providing men with a sense of community so they don't feel isolated, " Singley said.Is the best way to find love ... not on an app?找到真爱的最佳途径......难道不是在约会软件上吗？Here’s at least one sign that some young adults are disaffected with dating apps. On a sweltering Saturday evening not long ago, 250 men and women in their 20s and 30s packed into a Williamsburg bar without air conditioning to match-make via PowerPoint. Over two hours, a dozen presenters clicked through slides extolling the virtues, idiosyncrasies and dating criteria of their best friends. The event, called DateMyFriend.ppt, was sort of like Tinder meets “The Office.”Friends have long been each other’s “wing” people, facilitating conversations with strangers at bars or, more recently, delivering judgment on Bumble and Tinder matches. But dating apps have left many people feeling isolated or frustrated and hungering for more real-life interaction. There’s now a dating app designed to combat the loneliness of dating apps, called Ship, that enlists friends in the matchmaking process. Ship was created collaboratively by Betches Media, a lifestyle company for millennial women, and Match Group, which owns Tinder and OkCupid. Users invite a “crew” of friends to sign up with them, swipe for them, and participate in group chats on the platform.60% of matches on the app come from people who are swiping on behalf of their single friends. About 20% of people on the app are currently in committed relationships, according to the company: They are there solely to provide support and feedback.“For the last five to seven years, dating apps haven’t reflected the way that young people actually engage with each other, how they meet, date, talk, gossip about dating life, ” said Mandy Ginsberg, Match’s CEO. Young women were “walking around, taking screenshots and sending them to friends. It was an obvious miss.”。

高考英语外刊阅读训练——阅读理解：大学生活你准备好了吗——改编自Are you ready for college life Going to university is a crucial milestone for students. While exciting, it can also be nerve-wracking and overwhelming, especially for those leaving home for the first time. A study by the Higher Education Policy Institute and Unite Students in 2017 found that many students areill-informed about what to expect, which highlights the importance of being adequately prepared.One critical aspect of university life is being self-sufficient. Students will have to learn basic domestic skills such as cooking and cleaning since they can no longer rely on their parents to do everything for them. Learning how to cook staple dishes and handle household chores like operating the washing machine and ironing clothes before starting university can help ease the transition to independent living. Graduate Peter Rogers stated that learning to cook was "reasonably enjoyable" and helped him enjoy his experience more.Moreover, university students will likely be living with others such as in shared accommodation, so they have to take responsibility for managing their finances. The cost of rent is another significant expense for students living away from home, but a surprising number of students do not identifyrent as the biggest expense. This is why more should be done by universities to help incoming students make the transition to independent living.Students must also be sociable to enjoy their university experience fully. They cannot rely solely on old friends from back home. Making new friends is essential both academically and personally. The best opportunity to do this is during the Freshers' Week, where various enjoyable events and activities take place. However, those expecting to remain friends with everyone they meet during this period must understand that things may not go according to plan.In conclusion, going to university is an excellent opportunity to gain knowledge, life skills, and independence. However, it requires adequate preparation socially, financially, and domestically. Students must learn these skills and be ready to embark on an exciting yet challenging journey ahead.【重点词汇】1. crucial /ˈkruːʃəl/ adj.关键的，重要的2. milestone /ˈmaɪlstəʊn/ n.里程碑，重要事件3. nerve-wracking /ˈnɜːv ˌrækɪŋ/ adj.紧张的，令人焦虑的4. overwhelming /ˌəʊvəˈwelmɪŋ/ adj.压倒性的，深刻的5. ill-informed /ˌɪl ɪnˈfɔːmd/ adj.不了解实情的，缺乏信息的6. adequately /ˈædɪkwətli/ adv.适当地，充分地7. self-sufficient /ˌself səˈfɪʃnt/ adj.自给自足的，能自立的8. domestic /dəˈmestɪk/ adj.家庭的，国内的9. staple /ˈsteɪpl/ adj.主要的，基本的10. dish /dɪʃ/ n.菜，餐具11. laundry /ˈlɔːndri/ n.洗衣房12. iron /ˈaɪərn/ v.熨烫，n.熨斗13. transition /trænˈzɪʃn/ n.转变，过渡期14. expense /ɪkˈspens/ n.费用，开支15. rent /rent/ n.房租，租金16. significant /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/ adj.重要的，有意义的17. income /ˈɪnkʌm/ n.收入18. sociable /ˈsəʊʃəbl/ adj.好交际的，善于社交的19. rely /rɪˈlaɪ/ v.依靠，依赖20. old /əʊld/ adj.旧的，以前的21. freshman /ˈfreʃmən/ n.大一新生22. enjoyable /ɪnˈdʒɔɪəbl/ adj.令人愉快的，有趣的23. event /ɪˈvent/ n.事件，活动24. expect /ɪkˈspekt/ v.预期，期待25. critical /ˈkrɪtɪkl/ adj.批评的，关键的26. aspect /ˈæspekt/ n.方面，特点27. knowledge /ˈnɒlɪdʒ/ n.知识，学问28. independence /ˌɪndɪˈpendəns/ n.独立，自主29. academically /ˌækəˈdemɪkli/ adv.在学业上，学术上30. personally /ˈpɜːsnəli/ adv.个人地，亲自31. opportunity /ˌɒpəˈtjuːnəti/ n.机会，时机32. sufficient /səˈfɪʃnt/ adj.足够的，充分的33. enjoyable /ɪnˈdʒɔɪəbl/ adj.令人愉快的，有趣的34. challenging /ˈtʃælɪndʒɪŋ/ adj.具有挑战性的，艰巨的35. gain /ɡeɪn/ v.获得，获取36. prepare /prɪˈpeə(r)/ v.准备，使做好准备37. operate /ˈɒpəreɪt/ v.操作，经营38. handle /ˈhændl/ v.处理，应对39. identify /aɪˈdentɪfaɪ/ v.识别，鉴别40. survey /ˈsɜːveɪ/ n.调查，测量41. student /ˈstjuːdənt/ n.学生，研究生42. institute /ˈɪnstɪtjuːt/ n.研究所，学院43. university /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsəti/ n.大学44. policy /ˈpɒləsi/ n.政策，方针45. highlight /ˈhaɪlaɪt/ v.强调，突出46. nervous /ˈnɜːvəs/ adj.紧张的，神经质的47. overwhelming /ˌəʊvəˈwelmɪŋ/ adj.压倒性的，深刻的48. sociability /ˌsəʊʃiəˈbɪləti/ n.社交能力，合群49. responsibility /rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪləti/ n.责任，职责50. expectation /ˌekspekˈteɪʃn/ n.期望，预期【阅读理解练习题】1. What did a study by the Higher Education Policy Institute and Unite Students find in 2017?A. Students are well prepared for university life.B. Students are ill-informed about university life.C. All students have experience with domestic skills before university.D. The cost of rent is not a significant expense for students.答案：B。

大学英语四级仔细阅读专项强化真题试卷7(题后含答案及解析) 题型有：1.The wallet is heading for extinction. As a day-to-day essential, it will die off with the generation who read print newspapers. The kind of shopping—where you hand over notes and count out change in return—now happens only in the most minor of our retail encounters, like buying a bar of chocolate or a pint of milk from a comer shop. At the shops where you spend any real money, that money is increasingly abstracted. And this is more and more true, the higher up the scale you go. At the most cutting-edge retail stores—Victoria Beckham on Dover Street, for instance—you don’t go and stand at any kind of cash register when you decide to pay. The staff are equipped with iPads to take your payment while you relax on a sofa. Which is nothing more or less than excellent service, if you have the money. But across society, the abstraction of the idea of cash makes me uneasy. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned. But earning money isn’t quick or easy for most of us. Isn’t it a bit weird that spending it should happen in half a blink(眨眼)of an eye? Doesn’t a wallet—that time-honoured Friday-night feeling of pleasing, promising fatness—represent something that matters? But I’ll leave the economics to the experts. What bothers me about the death of the wallet is the change it represents in our physical environment. Everything about the look and feel of a wallet—the way the fastenings and materials wear and tear and loosen with age, the plastic and paper and gold and silver, and handwritten phone numbers and printed cinema tickets—is the very opposite of what our world is becoming. The opposite of a wallet is a smartphone or an iPad. The rounded edges, cool glass, smooth and unknowable as a pebble(鹅卵石). Instead of digging through pieces of paper and peering into corners, we move our fingers left and right. No more counting out coins. Show your wallet, if you still have one. It may not be here much longer.1．What is happening to the wallet?A．It is disappearing.B．It is being fattened.C．It is becoming costly.D．It is changing in style.正确答案：A解析：事实细节题。

时事外刊专项阅读训练（十）（本套习题结合外刊时事热点，紧跟出题趋势，力求训练的同时拓宽视野）AMost of us know what it's like to get presents from friends. Whether it's for a birthday or other celebration, it's hard to beat the excitement of opening a carefully wrapped box to find something that's both unexpected and suits you perfectly. Now, imagine if you could get the same feeling when you go shopping for yourself. That's the feeling that mystery boxes hope to replicate.Mystery boxes are not a new idea –they were a feature of department stores in Japan in the early 20th Century. They contain a range of different products, which are sold at a lower price than their combined value. The key thing is that customers don't know what's in the box before they buy. All kinds of mystery boxes are available: fashion boxes, food boxes, beauty boxes, even loot boxes, which are virtual items for video games.The pleasant surprise is not the only attraction of mystery boxes. They also allow people to try things that they otherwise wouldn't. Seasonal vegetable subscription boxes might lead people to learn to cook new meals. They can also potentially offer great savings –as the recommended retail price of the contents is often far higher than the purchase price. For retailers and suppliers the benefits are clear –it allows them to sell unwanted stock for a profit. British fashion mystery box entrepreneur Mario Maher highlights how mystery boxes can help reduce the amount of waste in the fashion industry. People might discover product ranges that would otherwise be thrown away.There is an obvious downside to mystery boxes –when you buy them, you don't know what you'll get! It may be that the goods inside are not to your taste, but there is also the potential for fraudsters to exploit the unpredictability of mystery boxes to send items that have a much lower value than the price of the box.So, are mystery boxes a fun way of reducing waste and making shopping more exciting, or more an opportunity for disappointment, or worse –deception?1. Mystery boxes were first a feature of department stores in which country in the early 20th Century?A. The UKB. JapanC. The USD. China2. What does the word "replicate" in the first paragraph mean?A. CopyB. ImproveC. DiscoverD. Create3. What is the main idea of the third paragraph?A. The pleasant surprise of mystery boxes.B. How mystery boxes can help reduce waste.C. The benefits of mystery boxes for customers and retailers.D. The potential problems of mystery boxes.4. What is the main purpose of the passage?A. To introduce the history of mystery boxes.B. To explain the pros and cons of mystery boxes.C. To encourage people to buy mystery boxes.D. To warn people against buying mystery boxes.BIt's summer, so it's a great time to be outdoors. One way of letting your hair down and enjoying the fresh air is to attend a music festival, where you can enjoy seeing your favourite musicians perform. But it's not just about the music – there are other activities to enjoy. And of course, it's a chance to spend time with your friends.People have always enjoyed communal gatherings – even in prehistoric times, people would come together, have feasts and celebrate – and part of the occasion involved playing or listening to music. So, music festivals are nothing new. But they have evolved, and in recent times, one of the most famous music festivals was Woodstock in the USA in 1969. This al fresco event was one of the largest ever to be staged and promised 'three days of peace and music'. It attracted a large 'hippie' crowd. And in 1970, the Glastonbury festival began on a farm in the UK and now spreads across 900 acres of land. It has become a highlight in a festival goers' music calendar, attracting major headline acts and large crowds who camp out for the weekend. Although they often have to endure rain and mud!Other festivals that have become huge include the Danube Island Festival in Austria, the Mawazine Festival in Morocco, the Isle of Wight Festival in the UK, and Coachella in the USA – a music and arts festival that features every genre of music. But from the mainstream to the niche, there seems to be a festival for everyone taking place around the world. And festivals have become big business too. According to research by Festicket in 2018, the music festival industry was worth $3bn (£2.28bn) globally, and it has continued to grow. Many events have become commercialised. Ticket prices are high and corporations and social media influencers cash in on festival themes.Despite all of this, for many hedonistic young people, attending a festival has become a rite of passage and a shared experience that can't be missed. Writing for BBC Culture,Arwa Haider says "for any generation, they're unlike any other place on earth: a site liberated from everyday rules, where we might bond with strangers and stumble across new sounds and sensations."1. Where did the Glastonbury festival start?A. In the USA.B. In Austria.C. On a farm in the UK.D. In Morocco.2. What does the word "hedonistic" in the last paragraph mean?A. Selfish.B. Enjoying pleasure.C. Thoughtful.D. Sociable.3. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?A. The history and evolution of music festivals.B. The most famous music festivals.C. How music festivals have become commercial.D. Different types of music festivals.4. What is the main purpose of the passage?A. To introduce some famous music festivals.B. To discuss the development of music festivals.C. To explain why people like music festivals.D. To show the business side of music festivals.CAs well as impressive physical attributes, elephants have a rich cultural heritage, passed down through customs and social behaviour which is learned, remembered, and shared within their herds.This is possible partly because of their social structure. Elephants live in complex, tightly knit, multigenerational societies, led by older females known as matriarchs. Younger elephants observe and mimic the behaviour of their elders, learning through experience. It helps that the herd does almost everything together, from foraging and feeding to raising each others' young. These interactions lead to deep long-lasting relationships, which can last for decades.Possibly because of these bonds, elephants seem to have emotional capacity. Just like humans, the creatures have been seen displaying signs of grief. When an elephant dies,others in the herd have been observed to repeatedly return to where the individual passed, which is said to be part of a mourning ritual. They may sniff and touch the carcass and bones and cover the site with leaves and sand. Moreover, a 2020 study by researchers Goldenberg and Wittemyer found that "elephants show broad interest in their dead regardless of the strength of former relationships with the dead individual", which may indicate advanced sentience, the scientists say.There's a saying found in many languages – 'an elephant never forgets'. In fact, memory has been essential to the survival of some elephant herds. A study within Great Kruger National Park found that, during an extreme drought in 2016, elephant groups led by matriarchs who had previously lived through a severe drought, had higher survival rates. Researchers concluded that the matriarchs likely remembered where sources of water could be located.So, count yourself lucky that you live on the same planet as these immense majestic animals.1. What is one of the reasons for elephants' rich cultural heritage being passed down?A. Their impressive physical attributes.B. Their social structure.C. Their ability to forage and feed.D. Their mourning rituals.2. The word "matriarchs" in the passage probably means _.A. young female elephantsB. old female elephants leading the herdC. male elephantsD. baby elephants3. What is the main idea of the third paragraph?A. Elephants have emotional capacity and show signs of grief.B. Elephants have a mourning ritual when one of them dies.C. Elephants show broad interest in their dead.D. Elephants have advanced sentience.4. What is the main purpose of the passage?A. To describe the physical attributes of elephants.B. To explain the social structure of elephants.C. To show the cultural heritage and emotional capacity of elephants.D. To compare elephants with humans.DAs a result of trade, travel and migration, different cuisines have spread across the world. Many recipes, chefs and restaurants try to claim that their example of a particular culinary tradition is the most authentic. But is this a good thing?People care about authenticity because food traditions are closely linked to identity, particularly for migrant communities. Sociologist and professor of food studies, Krishnendu Ray, explains that home cooking is often the last way that communities can show their identity. British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was accused of trying to take advantage of positive feelings about Jamaica. His ready meal product had a Jamaican name, but was unlike genuine Jamaican cooking.However, food consultant Sara Kay asks whether there are problems with the idea of authenticity. She highlights that these ideas often come from the expectations that majority cultures have about minority cultures and their food. These can be restricting – restauranteurs have complained that people expect Asian food to be cheaper than that from European cultures.Expectations can also give people a false idea of what is authentic. While large cities are full of eateries representing different countries – China, India, Italy, Mexico and more – these labels can oversimplify the reality of food from these countries. Stephanie Elizondo Greist was surprised by the difference between regional specialities in different parts of Mexico and what she ate growing up as a Mexican-American in Texas, but feels that both are authentic examples of Mexican food.A more controversial view of authenticity was stated by American Chef Andrew Zimmern, who claimed that he could bring Chinese dishes to Minnesota in a more authentic way than existing restaurants – many of which are owned by Chinese-Americans. Writer and food podcaster Ruth Tam points out that while these restaurants altered their menus to suit local tastes, so does Zimmern. So, while food and identity are closely linked, and failure to respect authenticity can cause offence, could there be problems with the whole idea of authenticity?1.Why was British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver accused?A. Because his ready meal product was too expensive.B. Because his ready meal product had a Jamaican name but was not genuine Jamaican cooking.C. Because he didn't like Jamaican food.D. Because he didn't know how to cook Jamaican food.2.The underlined word "restricting" in Paragraph 3 probably means _.A. limitingB. encouragingC. interestingD. confusing3.What is the main idea of Paragraph 4?A. Different regional specialities of Mexican food.B. The difference between Mexican food in different places.C. Stephanie Elizondo Greist's experience with Mexican food.D. Both regional specialities and personal experiences are authentic examples of Mexican food.4.What is the main purpose of the passage?A. To discuss the importance of authenticity in food.B. To show the problems with the idea of authenticity in food.C. To introduce different cuisines around the world.D. To compare different views on authenticity in food.。

外研版英语【初中英语】七年级英语阅读理解解题技巧（超强）及练习题（含答案）外研版英语【初中英语】七年级英语阅读理解解题技巧(超强)及练习题(含答案)⼀、七年级英语阅读理解1．阅读理解We often hear stories of animals rescuing people .But now someone has managed to return the favor .The event took place one snowy January morning Thomas Smith was walking his dog, Jack, in the park." As I was walking, I just saw Jack running onto the ice towards the ducks in the middle, and then he fell into the water and couldn't climb out, "said Smith. He realized he had no choice but to try and save his dog." someone else told me the lake was only one - meter deep, but it was at least twice that. I had to break my way through the 6- cm ice. Finally, I got Jack by the neck, and pulled him out. I don't think I have ever felt so cold by the time we got back to dry land. And when we got there, everyone was asking if Jack was okay------ no one was particularly worried, about me!"A neighbor, Julie Brown, saw it all happen."The dog went onto an icy lake. All of a sudden, it started to go under. There were crowds of people around, and they were all shouting and screaming. Before I knew it, the owner Smith was in the water forcing his way through the ice. I can't begin to imagine how cold it was. Everyone was very nervous, but he was as cool as a cucumber — he just crawled back out, put the dog on its lead, and went home."Many regard him as a hero, but Mr. Smith is quite laid- back about it."Most dog owners are the same as me.They would do what I did without a second thought. But in the future, I'm going to make sure he's on lead near any ice ponds,Pets are members of our family. Would you do the same for them?（1）What happened on a cold January morning？A. Mr. Smith met Jack in the park.B. Mr. Smith ran after Jack on the ice.C. Jack fell from the ice into the water.D. Jack played with the ducks in the water.（2）How did Mr. Smith save Jack?A. He asked a neighbor for helpB. He broke the ice and shouted to Jack.C. He got Jack by the leg and pulled him out.D. He pulled Jack out of the icy water by the neck.（3）The underlined phrases" as cool as a cucumber" in Paragraph 3 means "___________"A. relaxedB. proudC. shyD. brave（4）In the last paragraph, the writer asks a question to _____________.A. suggest keeping pets for fun.B. remind people to put their dogs on the leads.C. encourage people to take good care of their pets.D. advise people not to leave their dog near icy ponds .（5）What is the best title of the passage？A. A Man's Pet DogB. A Dog's Best FriendC. The Danger on the Icy LakeD. Suggestions for Pets' Owners【答案】（1）C（2）D（3）A（4）C（5）B【解析】【分析】短⽂⼤意：短⽂讲了⼈们和狗之间的故事，当狗遇到危险之后，⼈们会奋不顾⾝地救它，呼吁⼈们要爱护狗。