相关试卷

Indoor food growing operations are seeing both successes and failures in the United States. Some companies in the food industry are investing (投资) even as competitors fail.

California-based Plenty Unlimited this summer began working on $300 million indoor plants, while Kroger announced that it would be increasing its availability of vertically (垂直地) farmed produce. Meanwhile, two indoor farming companies that got strong backing—New Jersey's AeroFarms and Kentucky's AppHarvest—filed for financial failure and reorganization. And a five-year-old company in Detroit, Planted Detroit, shut its doors this summer.

The industry changes do not worry Jacob Portillo, a grower with Eden Green Technology, an indoor farming company. "The fact that some people are failing and other people are succeeding is going to happen in any industry you go to," he said.

Indoor farming refers to growing crops indoors, which experts sometimes call "controlled environment agriculture". There are different methods. One method called vertical farming involves putting produce from floor to ceiling, often under artificial lights and with the plants growing in nutrient-enriched water. Other growers are trying very large greenhouses, indoor beds of soil in big buildings and using special robots for parts of the farming process.

Supporters say growing indoors uses less water and land and permits food to be grown closer to consumers, saving on transport. Indoor growing is also a way to protect crops from increasingly extreme weather caused by climate change.

But critics question the sustainability (可持续性) of operations that can require a lot of energy for artificial lights. And they say paying for that light can make profitability impossible. Curt Covington of AgAmerica Lending, a private investment company centered on agriculture, is not convinced that indoor farming operations can work—except in special cases. Given the high cost of indoor operations, Covington said, "It's just hard to be very profitable."

While temperatures continue to climb, visitors are still coming to see Death Valley National Park on the California-Nevada border. The park is known as the hottest place on Earth. This past weekend, the temperatures climbed to 53.33℃. Most visitors at this time of year make it only a short distance to any area in the park before returning to the cool air in their vehicles.

Early information from the park service shows that across the nation's 424 national parks, at least four people have died this year from heat-related causes. That includes a 65-year-old man from San Diego who was found dead at Death Valley earlier this month.

Death Valley National Park suggests visitors be careful and not have expectations of rescue. While park rangers (护林员) drive on park roads and can aid tourists in need, it is unsure that lost visitors will get help in time.

Physical activity can make the heat feel even worse and leave people exhausted. Alessia Dempster, who was visiting from Edinburgh, Scotland, said, "It's very hot especially when there's a gentle wind. You would think maybe that would give you some slight relief from the heat, but it just really does feel like an air blow dryer just going back in your face."

Death Valley is a narrow area that is below sea level and surrounded by high mountains, the park service's website says. The dry air and small plant coverage let sunlight heat up the park surface. The heat then becomes trapped in the valley.

Still, several areas in Death Valley continue to draw tourists. Badwater Basin, made up of salt flats, is considered the lowest point in all of North America. The 183-meter Ubehebe Crater dates back over 2,000 years. And Zabriskie Point is a great sunrise viewing spot.

Josh Miller, a visitor from Indianapolis who has been to 20 national parks so far, shared that feeling. "It's hot, but the scenery is awesome," he said.

Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist Frank Wilczek has been honored with this year's Templeton Prize. The award recognizes individuals whose life's work brings together science and spirituality.

Wilczek is known for his research into the laws of nature. In a statement, the John Templeton Foundation said his work changes "our understanding of the forces that govern our universe." It said he used physics to address "the great questions of meaning and purpose pondered by generations of religious thinkers."

John Templeton created the prize in 1972. It is one of the most highly valued prizes at more than $1.3 million. Past winners include Jane Goodall, Mother Teresa and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Wilczek told The Associated Press, "It's a company I'm very glad to join in." He added, "It's encouragement in a direction that I've really only taken up in a big way quite recently... which is thinking about not just what the world is and how it came to be this way but what we should do about it."

Over a long career, Wilczek had many successes. He won the 2004 Nobel Prize along with David J. Gross, and H. David Politzer for their 1973 research explaining the unusual properties of the strong force. Wilczek is currently a physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Arizona State University and Stockholm University. He is also the founding director of Shanghai Jiao Tong University's T. D. Lee Institute. He has also written several books that are informed by science but look into spiritual and philosophical questions.

Heather Dill is the Templeton Foundation president. In a statement, she said, "Like Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, he is a natural philosopher who unites a curiosity about the behavior of nature with a playful and profound philosophical mind."

Four Self-Portraits (自画像) by Famous Artists

Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino)—"Self-Portrait", 1506

One of the beautiful self-portraits by famous artist Raphael was drawn at the age of 23. It measures around 45cm×33cm and is located at the world-famous Uffizi Gallery. The Italian painter used oil on board to draw his self-portrait, which was the clearest and the most recognizable self-portraits of Raphael himself.

Leonardo da Vinci—"Portrait of a Man in Red Chalk", 1512

"Portrait of a Man in Red Chalk" is a self-portrait of da Vinci at the age of 60 and measures around 33.3cm×21.6cm, which is on display in Biblioteca Reale, Turin, Italy. It is drawn with red chalk on paper and represents the head of an elderly man in a three-quarter view. In the portrait, the length of the hair is uncommon in Renaissance (文艺复兴) portraits.

Rembrandt van Rijn—"Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-up Collar", 1659

Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn painted his self-portrait in 1659 when he was 53 years old. It shows his worried expression that clearly portrays the troubled condition of his mind at that point of his life since the year 1659 was a year of anxiety for him. This self-portrait found its place among the Benjamin Altman Collection, which has been exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1913.

Edgar Degas—"Degas Au Porte-Fusain", 1855

Edgar Degas made this self-portrait only when he was twenty-one years old. It was one of the most remarkable of his fifteen self-portraits. Degas was seated as seemingly without fear and anxiety. The pose in the painting was formal and academic. The painting is located in the musée d'Orsay, Paris, France.

Maggie had always been keen on singing, but she never believed in herself enough to enter a competition. That all changed when her friend, who had heard her sing and believed she had a talent, advised her to try out for the campus singing competition. Maggie was hesitant at first, but she decided to give it a shot.

The competition was only a few weeks away, and Maggie spent every spare moment practicing. She sang in the shower, in her car, and even in the library when she thought no one was listening. Her roommate, who was also her biggest cheerleader, helped her pick out the perfect outfit for the competition.

As the competition day approached, Maggie's nerves started to get the best of her. She had never performed in front of such a large audience before, and the thought of being judged made her nervous. However, Maggie knew that she had to push herself out of her comfort zone if she wanted to pursue her passion. She reminded herself that she was doing this to prove to herself that she could do it and that she was good enough.

On the day of the competition, Maggie woke up with a sense of determination. She spent the morning rehearsing (排练) and getting into the right mindset. She arrived at the venue (会场) early and was surprised to see so many people had shown up to watch the competition.

As she waited for her turn to perform, Maggie observed the other contestants (参赛选手). She was amazed at the level of talent on display and wondered if she had what it took to win. However, she didn't let her doubts get the better of her. She focused on her own performance and was determined to give it her all.

注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

When it was Maggie's turn to perform, she took a deep breath before walking onto the stage. 

……

Finally, the judges announced the winner — Maggie won the first prize.

注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 开头和结尾已给出，可以适当增加细节，使行文连贯。

Dear all,

……

Sincerely,

Li Hua

Fayuansi, or Fayuan Temple is  key Buddhist temple in the south of Beijing. It dates back more than a thousand years. Its  (surround) neighborhood is one of the few old hutong communities in the city,  has a rich historical and cultural value.

Many celebrities (名人) once lived or participated in events in this area, adding  its rich cultural  (significant). Chairman Mao Zedong once led an anti-warlord movement here in 1920 when he was young. The famous Indian poet Tagore and his Chinese friend Xu Zhimo  (visit) Fayuan Temple together in 1924.

However, the area's out-of-date infrastructure (设施) has (gradual) forced this community to make a change. So a new project aiming (look) for solutions to renovating (修复) the Fayuansi area through sustainable development had been widely expected.

Fortunately, a well-rounded plan for the renovation of the Fayuansi area (make) earlier this year. According to the plan, most of the historic architecture will be preserved, but the work will balance the local residents' need for improved living standards, while attempting to maintain the (origin) architecture.

Last summer, my family and I went on a road trip to the Grand Canyon. It was our first family vacation in years, and we were all1 to spend some quality time together. We2 our car with snacks, water, and a lot of sunscreen, and then3 the road.

The trip was long, but we kept ourselves 4 with card games and singing along to our favourite songs. When we finally arrived at the Grand Canyon, we were 5 by the breathtaking views. We spent the next few days hiking, taking pictures, and 6 the area.

One of the highlights of the trip was when we went on a helicopter7 of the Grand Canyon. It was a great8 , and we all felt like we were on top of the world. We took a lot of pictures and videos, and we still 9 them to this day.

As the trip came to an end, we all felt a sense of10 . We didn't want to go back to our busy 11 . We wanted to stay together and keep exploring.12 , we knew that we had to go back home.

Looking back on the trip, I realized how important it is to spend time with 13 . In our busy life, we often forget to slow down and enjoy the little moments. The trip 14 me of the importance of15 memories and cherishing (珍惜) the time we have with our loved ones.

What do you do when you receive an invitation to an event that you do not want to attend or that you cannot attend due to your busy schedule? In that case, we simply can't act on everything our heart feels. Here are some right ways to decline (拒绝) an invitation without hurting others' feelings.

Respond in a timely manner.

It's OK to put off responding if you're unsure at first, but give yourself a deadline to figure it out — and stick to it. Always respond to invitations in a timely manner.

It's OK to say you're sorry that you can't make an event, but it's better to redefine it as a positive. Rather than apologizing, say how happy you are that they invited you and that while you can't make it this time, you look forward to getting together with them in the future.

Don't say "maybe".

Procrastinating (拖延) by saying "maybe" usually means it's a no. Saying "maybe" is a way of making yourself feel better, but it leaves the other person hanging, which is unkind.

Don't try to control the other person's feelings.

There's the assumption that we can decline without hurting anyone else's feelings, but we can't ensure the other person's experience. They may feel sad or disappointed when you decline, but that's OK.

A. Focus on the positive.

B. Be honest but not too honest.

C. Don't leave the host hanging.

D. It's fine to decline via digital means.

E. Most people will understand that life just gets busy.

F. So just go ahead and say no if that's really what you mean.

G. Instead, we should learn how to politely say "no" to an invitation.

While vertical (垂直的) farming of plants in limited space has been around for some time, new research looking into the "vertical farming of seafood" is being developed by Broderick House.

As part of his PhD project at the University of Cambridge, Broderick is looking at farming bivalves (双壳贝) within city boundaries. "In terms of sustainable (可持续的) food options, and from a food security standpoint, being able to expand bivalve farming from the coast into cities means you have a safe environment to produce a highly nutritious and micronutrient rich source of food," says Broderick.

The biggest challenge, of course, is water consumption. The artificial aquaculture (水产业) environment cannot fully compare to farming in the ocean, but by using advanced flowing aquaculture systems, water use can be reduced, as only 10% of the water in the tank must be changed every day. "If you're comparing it to traditional agricultural livestock — cows, pigs, chickens, which are farmed in fields, it uses much less water, and provides competing levels of protein," Broderick explains.

While sustainability can, upon first look, be accomplished by building facilities to farm bivalves inland, there is also a possibility to repurpose existing buildings which would help to decrease carbon emissions from transportation as well. Broderick points out the biggest carbon footprint in aquaculture is the feed for the livestock, and he is working together with the Algal Innovation Centre at University of Cambridge, to develop more sustainable feed options.

To help translate his research into the business world, Broderick has been supported by the EnterpriseTECH and EnterpriseTECH STAR programmes at the CJBS Entrepreneurship Centre. "CJBS has been a fantastic resource and community. The business ecosystem here has provided important tools in a constructive and informed way to help ensure my PhD research has a positive role in shaping the future of global food security," Broderick says.