A Greener World
Balcony (阳台) gardens can be quite valuable for those living in urban areas with little outside space. They might not be big, but when they are carefully designed, balcony gardens can be truly magical space, bringing nature to the heart of a city.
Consider the balcony’s aspect
The aspect of a balcony—which direction it faces—will determine how much sun it receives. . In the northern hemisphere (北半球), a south-facing balcony gets plenty of sun but can dry out quickly in the heat of summer. An east-facing balcony will get morning light only, while a west-facing one will get sun during the afternoon.
Make full use of space
Container gardening is likely to be the main method of growing in a balcony garden. But to really make a balcony garden the best it can be, you should use your imagination and think outside the box to make containers. Many different recycled items and materials might be used as you create your balcony garden.
Think about weight
As you decide on methods, containers, and other items for your balcony garden, one important consideration is how much all the elements will weigh.
| A．Grow different kinds of plants |
| B．Most balconies have limited space |
| C．Be creative when it comes to containers |
| D．Make sure that the balcony is structurally sound |
| E．If you have a balcony, here is what to think about |
| F．Those without outside space can rent small pieces of land |
| G．A north-facing balcony will be in the shade for much of the day |
Self-driving cars are hitting city streets like never before. In August the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) granted (授予) two companies, Cruise and Waymo, permits to run driverless robo-taxis 24/7 in San Francisco and to charge passengers for those rides. This was just the latest in a series of green lights that have allowed progressively more freedom for autonomous vehicles (AVs) in the city in recent years.
Almost immediately, Cruise was criticized for its vehicles behaving unpredictably. One blocked the road outside a large music festival, and another got stuck in wet concrete. The incidents have brought renewed attention to the potential difficulties of integrating self-driving cars into the urban environment.
Yet despite some ongoing opposition, self-driving car companies have continued to expand testing and operations to more US cities. Many supporters say these vehicles could offer a safer alternative to human drivers, make transportation accessible to more people, improve traffic flows around cities and decrease the environmental impact of cars. So far, though, most of those promised benefits remain squarely in a possible future. Meanwhile, here in the present, complications have become plainly apparent.
AVs, such as those operated by Cruise and Waymo, shouldn’t be confused with commercially available cars, such as electric cars, which come with some driver-assistance features. Unlike those vehicles, which require a human driver to oversee control at all times, robo-taxis run on the road without a person monitoring and managing each movement from behind a steering wheel (方向盘). This is made possible by a very detailed internal map.
Waymo and Cruise maintain that their AVs are safer than human drivers. Both companies have released data that they claim support this, yet some researchers have their doubts. “I actually think there is not yet enough data available to the public, including researchers like me, to be able to judge relative safety,” says Steven Shladover, an engineer at the University of California.
1．What is the CPUC’s main purpose of issuing the permits?| A．To promote autonomous vehicles. | B．To advocate sustainable practices. |
| C．To upgrade public transportation. | D．To reduce traffic at peak periods. |
| A．They have charged passengers too much. |
| B．They occupy private parking spaces. |
| C．They badly affect the urban environment. |
| D．They consume large amounts of fuel. |
| A．They require more qualified human drivers. |
| B．They are more dependent on the internal map. |
| C．They will meet customers at a lower price. |
| D．They are smarter to handle a difficult situation. |
| A．We should give freedom to car producers. |
| B．Driverless cars will improve city planning. |
| C．All researchers support driverless robo-taxis. |
| D．It’s too early to declare AVs are safe enough. |
I started considering the power of dogs during one of my daily walks around my neighborhood. Almost invariably, I’ll run into at least one person walking his dog. It’s a joyous moment to approach the dog and pet it. I always walk away from these exchanges feeling just a bit more relaxed and happy. And that got me wondering: Could these short interactions with other people’s dogs actually be good for me?
“Absolutely. I think it is safe to say that animals are beneficial to our mental and physical health,” says Nancy Gee, a professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Gee says there’s some evidence that the act of actually touching a dog might be an important part of the calming effect. For instance, one study done in Canada found college students reported less stress and reduced feelings of homesickness after brief interactions with dogs, and that the effect was much bigger in those who actually got to pet the animals.
Now, the therapy (治疗) dogs used in research are screened for things like friendliness, good behavior and responsiveness to their handler’s cues (提示). And of course, not everyone is a dog person. “Pets are not a panacea (灵丹妙药),” Gee says. “They’re not necessarily going to be great for every single person. But for people who really connect with the animals, they can make a big difference.”
Research on the health benefits of human interactions with animals, especially with dogs, has exploded in recent years, thanks to the support of the National Institutes of Health and the Waltham PetCare Science Institute. Though the field is still young, Gee says the quality of the evidence is improving all the time, including more randomized controlled trials looking at short interactions. “We’re seeing really nice effects,” she says. “We actually saw those effects one month later. And there’s some evidence that they may exist six months later.”
1．Why does the author mention his interactions with dogs?| A．To praise his neighbor. | B．To erase people’s doubts. |
| C．To introduce the topic. | D．To voice his views on life. |
| A．They disliked raising pets. | B．They enjoyed much respect. |
| C．They were very academic. | D．They became less homesick. |
| A．It has seen sound development. | B．It cuts the cost of saving animals. |
| C．It ensures humans a bright future. | D．It makes some medicine affordable. |
| A．Walking Improves the Quality of Life | B．Petting Dogs Can Boost Your Health |
| C．Animals Might Lift Patients’ Spirits | D．Happiness Lies in Helping Others |
The Open Book, a bookstore, is the idea of American writer Jessica Fox, a former NASA employee who packed in her Californian lifestyle at the age of 24 after dreaming of another life in Wigtown—Scotland’s National Book Town. Fox fell in love with Wigtown and its bookshops. She never looked back.
“It’s not just me. I think the people who come to the Open Book have a very similar reaction to Wigtown,” said Fox, now in her 30s. “It’s a magical place, which has all the things you could hope for on a trip to Scotland.”
The idea for the Open Book was sparked (触发) by Fox’s love for Wigtown, which hosts the popular Wigtown Book Festival each September. “I’d never been to Scotland. I’d only seen it in films,” recalled Fox. “I went from a heavily populated place with a car, and stuck in traffic a lot, to a place with hardly any people, amazing scenery, and no car. I absolutely loved it.”
The community of Wigtown welcomed her as one of their own when Fox settled in the town. She realized she was living the fantasy that had formerly played in her head. “I thought I couldn’t be the only crazy American who dreams of working in a bookshop by the sea in Scotland. There has to be more of us,” she laughed.
While Fox was considering this idea, one of Wigtown’s bookstores announced it was closing shop. . It seemed serendipitous (偶然的). “Finn MeCreath, who is on the Board of the Festival, and I decided to take it over and try out my idea of having a bookshop holiday,” she said. Five years later, the Open Book is a runaway success. It’s booked up online until years ahead, and there’s an extensive waiting list.
1．What do the underlined words “packed in” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Gave up. | B．Ran across. | C．Wondered at. | D．Prepared for. |
| A．The high-paying job. | B．The film industry. |
| C．The large population. | D．The book festival. |
| A．Boring. | B．Peaceful. | C．Busy. | D．Stressful. |
| A．It upsets customers. | B．It partners with a school. |
| C．It is well received. | D．It can be easily accessible. |
A Chinese animated film, Chang An, featuring some of China’s most well-known poets, has won praise for
The film is set in the Tang dynasty, an
The film revolves (围绕) around the
Chang’an was the capital of the Tang dynasty, one of the world’s
The final scene of the movie features one of Li Bai’s well-known poems, Leaving Baidi in the Morning,
When Caleb was eight, he adopted his first rabbit Snickers. They were inseparable. But Snickers died less than a year later, and Caleb was
By the time he was 14, Caleb knew he wanted his rabbits to not only live out their lives in a
Now Caleb’s rabbits are
| A．hardworking | B．heartbroken | C．well-educated | D．absent-minded |
| A．relieved | B．confident | C．shocked | D．honest |
| A．selling | B．visiting | C．delivering | D．rescuing |
| A．interested | B．stopped | C．bothered | D．fooled |
| A．put back | B．took in | C．gave up | D．dug out |
| A．Gradually | B．Secretly | C．Naturally | D．Fortunately |
| A．happy | B．familiar | C．remote | D．scary |
| A．convinced | B．forced | C．promised | D．helped |
| A．nation | B．hill | C．spot | D．notice |
| A．boats | B．rabbits | C．tools | D．firms |
| A．collect | B．waste | C．hide | D．count |
| A．insist on | B．cut off | C．hand over | D．appeal for |
| A．adopted | B．treated | C．ignored | D．trapped |
| A．warm | B．hopeful | C．sorry | D．lonely |
| A．credit | B．attention | C．comfort | D．imagination |
Yours,
Li Hua
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