周末加油站

Task 1

Many people have long dreamed of being able to fly around as simply as riding a bicycle. Yet the safety and strength of a flying bike was always a big problem. Over the past 10 years， developments in technology have moved the dream of personal flying vehicles closer to reality. Now， two groups of inventors say such vehicles may be available soon.

The British company Malloy Aeronautics has developed a prototype（原型） of its flying bicycle. Grant Stapleton， sales and marketing director of Malloy Aeronautics， says the Hoverbike is able to get in and out of small spaces very quickly. “It can be moved across continents very quickly because it can be folded and packed，” he adds.

Mr Stapleton says safety is the companys main concern. He says the designers solve the safety issue by using overlapping rotors （轉动部件） to power the vehicle.

The company is testing a fullsize prototype of the Hoverbike， which will most likely be used first by the police and emergency rescue teams.

In New Zealand， Martin Aircraft Company is also testing a fullsize prototype of its personal flying device， called the Jetpack. It can fly for more than 30 minutes， up to 1，000 meters high and reach a speed of 74 kilometers per hour.

Peter Coker is the CEO of Martin Aircraft Company. He says the Jetpack is built around safety from the start. In his words， reliability is the most important element of it. “We have safety built into the actual structure itself， very similar to a Formula One racing car.”

The Jetpack uses a gasolinepowered engine that produces two powerful jet streams. Mr Coker says it also has a parachute （降落伞） that would be used， if there should be an emergency. “It starts to work at a very low altitude and actually saves both the aircraft and the pilot，” he adds. Mr Coker says the Jetpack will be ready for sale soon.

1. What can we learn from the text about Hoverbike？

A. It can hardly get in and out of small spaces quickly.

B. It can fly for over 30 minutes， up to 1，000 kilometers high.

C. It has been used by the police and emergency rescue teams.

D. It can be transported quickly after being folded and packed.

2. Why does Peter Coker use the example of the Formula One racing car？

A. To show the Jetpack is very safe and reliable.

B. To express the engine of the Jetpack is powerful.

C. To introduce the actual structure of the Jetpack is unique.

D. To tell the Jetpack can reach a great speed and height.

3. What does the underlined word “It” in the last paragraph refer to？

A. The jet stream. B. The engine.

C. The Jetpack. D. The parachute.

4. What is the authors main purpose of writing the text？

A. To describe the problems of inventing flying vehicles.

B. To introduce the latest development of flying vehicles.

C. To show the differences between two flying vehicles.

D. To advertise the two personal flying vehicles.

Task 2

Why walking makes you a better worker

Were busy at work， distracted（分心） by technology， and often live in urban environments far from wild spaces.    1    The average American， for example， spends about 90% of their life indoors. But what happens if we make time for an hour outside each day？

2    Youll have to stand up and move， which is beneficial if most of your day involves sitting in front of a screen. Research shows short breaks can improve work enthusiasm， and a quick break in natural light will deliver a shot of Vitamin D.

Theres also a lot of work on the mental benefits of being in nature—on the state of being happy and on your brains ability to make sense of life. “When people are all out in nature，even in urban nature， people tend to have more positive emotion and energy than when they are indoors.    3   ” says Lisa Nisbet， associate professor at Canadas Trent University.

The idea that nature is good for us has been gaining ground since the 1980s.    4    Afterwards shinrinyoku， the Japanese concept followed that absorbing the atmosphere in forests can benefit your health. Researchers of shinrinyoku have since found plenty of physical and mental benefits， while global studies suggest time in nature can， for example， restore our ability to focus， increase creativity， and even help us live longer.

Of course， many of us live in cities with no ready access to forests or wilderness.    5    Various studies have shown that green environments in cities have beneficial effects.

A. We also dont get out much.

B. But it doesnt have to be a forest.

C. People can get to a forest for a hike.

D. In other words， people are happier in nature.

E. There are some obvious benefits to go outside.

F. Green and blue spaces are better than busy city streets.

G. First came the theory that humans have a basic desire to connect with nature.

Task 3

Liz was quite excited these days. She was going to travel to Asia with her mom. Neither of them had    1    traveled out of the United States before. They were going to    2    to Hong Kong by plane. They would travel on their cruise（乘船游覽） ship to Shanghai and Beijing after    3    in Hong Kong for three days.

“Beijing is inland， so we have to    4    about a twohour bus ride to get there from the port. I

5    the name of the port. Anyway， were going to    6    the Great Wall， the Tiananmen Square， and the Forbidden City. We hope their beauty will always stay with us. Its going to be so    7   ！” she told her neighbor Jane.

From China， the cruise ship would go to Pusan in the Republic of Korea， and    8    to Tokyo. From Tokyo， they would    9    a flight back to Los Angeles.

“The trip is going to    10    for three weeks. Its only going to    11    us about $2，800 each if we dont    12    anything，” she laughed.

“I hope your trip is more    13    than mine，” said Jane. “I took a cruise to the Bahamas，

14    almost all the passengers got    15   . I caught some kind of disease that made me    16    for almost three days. They    17    us a discount（折扣） that we could use on a    18    trip. No more cruising for me. That was really a pity.”

“Weve    19    those things，” said Liz. “Mom and I are going to    20    our hands every 30 minutes， and were bringing surgical masks with us.” Good preparations may help a lot in the travel and make it a pleasant and successful one.

1. A. ever B. never C. still D. also

2. A. walk B. ship C. fly D. drive

3. A. trying B. searching C. staying D. studying

4. A. know B. take C. look D. practice

5. A. leave B. choose C. forget D. call

6. A. find B. remember C. pass D. preserve

7. A. cool B. difficult C. terrible D. disappointed

8. A. sadly B. finally C. secretly D. simply

9. A. make B. miss C. meet D. catch

10. A. persist B. prepare C. last D. stop

11. A. cost B. offer C. save D. give

12. A. visit B. purchase C. meet D. show

13. A. important B. confusing C. funny D. helpful

14. A. if B. because C. but D. so

15. A. mysterious B. sick C. angry D. nervous

16. A. travel B. dream C. regret D. waste

17. A. refused B. gave C. cheated D. ordered

18. A. familiar B. normal C. future D. quick

19. A. heard about B. hoped for C. called back D. made up

20. A. watch     B. wash       C. use             D. change

Task 4

Ⅰ. 語法填空

If you always hate certain vegetables， you may be more than a picky eater. Instead， you might be a “supertaster”， a person 1.              bitter genes （苦味基因）. Those people who have the “bitter genes” are 2.6 times more likely to eat 2.             （few） vegetables than others， according to a new study 3.             （present） at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association.

“We dont get the taste of food equally，” said professor Duffy， an expert in the study of food taste. “It could explain some of the differences in our food 4.             （prefer）.”

About half of us can taste bitter and sweet， so we are not especially sensitive to bitter food. Another 25% are called “nontasters”， to 5.              bitter food might actually be a bit sweeter. The rest of us are 6.             （extreme） sensitive to the bitterness that some 7.             （plant） develop to keep animals from eating them.

Food scientists are trying to develop ways 8.             （reduce） the bitterness in veggies， in the hope that we can keep supertasters from rejecting vegetables. In fact， some vegetables we grow today

9.             （be） much sweeter than before.

We might also try to use various cooking methods， either by adding some fat， sweetness， strong flavors like garlic 10.              roasting them， to improve the taste of the vegetables.

Ⅱ. 书面表达

假定你是李华，你校英语校报正在举办题为“Food and health”的征文活动，请你写一篇英文短文参加活动。内容包括：

1. 饮食与健康的关系;

2. 如何做到健康饮食。

注意：

1. 词数 100 左右;

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Task 5

閱读下面短文， 根据其内容写一篇 60 词左右的内容概要。

Alipay Ant Forest has been awarded the United Nations highest environmental honor—the UN Champions of the Earth award. The statement was issued by UNEP（联合国环境规划署） on September 20.

The Ant Forest was started in the Alipay app in August 2016. It encourages users to adopt lowcarbon activities—such as paying online and walking or taking buses to work instead of driving. Such behavior produces virtual “green energy points”. With enough energy points， users can grow a virtual “tree” on their mobile phone. Then the virtual tree is planted by Alipay in areas that need reforesting.

By August 2019， Alipay Ant Forest has attracted over 500 million users. Their lowcarbon behavior has resulted in 122 million trees in arid areas in China， including regions in Inner Mongolia， Gansu， Qinghai and Shanxi. The influence has also traveled beyond China. Inspired by Alipay Ant Forest， the Philippines leading mobile wallet service GCash added GCash Forest to its App in June 2019. Local users are encouraged to contribute to reforestation and environmental protection by adopting lowcarbon activities in their daily lives.

“Alipay Ant Forest shows how technology can change our world， ” said Inger Andersen， executive director of the UNEP. “Although the environmental challenges we face are disappointing， we have the technology and the knowledge to defeat them， ” she said.

Champions of the Earth is the UNs flagship global environmental award. It was established in 2005 to recognize outstanding figures that have had a positive effect on the environment.

“We are truly honored to receive this Champions of the Earth award，” said Eric Jing， Chairman and CEO of Ant Financial. “Alipay Ant Forest reflects our belief that technology can and should be used for social good. Its popularity shows that the public is ready to take action to fight climate change，” he said.