My parents immigrated to the U. S. from Guangdong, a province in southern China. The jobs they found in hot kitchens and clothing factories came with long hours, leaving them no time to learn English. So I spent most of my childhood, in Brooklyn, speaking Cantonese, the only language my parents understand. But as I continued my education, I gradually, or deliberately avoided using Cantonese. And as a result, Cantonese avoided me. As it slips from my memory, I also lose my ability to communicate with my parents. For years I have to rely on translation apps and online dictionaries for most of our conversations.
Actually, we speak on the phone only once a week and the conversations are much the same: "Have you eaten yet?" my father asks in Cantonese. Long pause. "No, not yet. You?" I reply. "Why not? It's so late, my mother cuts in. Long pause. "Remember to drink more water and wear a mask outside. "she continues. "OK. You too. "Longest pause. "We'll stop bothering you, then. "At age thirty-two, I feel like someone they know instead of their daughter.
On my mom's sixty-fourth birthday, at the peak of the pandemic, I became increasingly aware of the limited amount of time together. Did I really want to spend the rest of our lives with a language barrier between us? I made it a goal to relearn Cantonese, and, ultimately, rebuild the relationship with my parents. I take Cantonese classes. I watch Wong Kar-wai movies. I repeat Maggie Cheung's words over and over until I get the tones just right. But, most of all, I call my parents and try to have more meaningful conversations with them, no matter how challenging it gets. Though Cantonese no longer feels natural for me to speak, it will always be my first language—even if it takes a lifetime for us to know each other.
The spiders have long scary legs. Some spiders even bite. But Spider-Man is another story. He might help people see spiders less negatively, a new study finds.
After Menachem Ben-Ezra, a proud fan of the Marvel films and also a psychologist, saw the movie Ant-Man and the Wasp (黄蜂), he walked out with a sudden scientific idea that he should measure people before they went into the theater, and afterwards to see if the fear of ants would be reduced or changed.
Ben-Ezra and his colleagues asked 424 people questions, about one-quarter of them about spiders, such as" Did you find them scary?" "Did seeing one make your hearts race and palms sweat?" A second group received similar questions, this time about ants. The last two groups got the same questions about other insects. Afterward, everyone watched videos. Group one got a Spider-Man movie. Group two saw Ant-Man and the Wasp. Groups three and four watched unrelated video--wheat waving peacefully in the breeze.
After viewing the movie, Ben-Ezra again asked the participants how they felt about spiders. ants or other insects in general—and found the ant and spider exposures seemed to make people insensitive and less afraid. Between3.5and6. 1 percent of people experience such a phobia (恐惧症) of spiders. Phobias can stop people from traveling, working and enjoying their lives.
Ben-Ezra hopes that their movie research might help people with phobias. But they caution that people with phobias shouldn't just run out and watch movies and expect their fear to go away. "What we did is only the first step in a very long road, "Ben-Ezra says. "We didn't say you'll be cured. We don't have evidence for that. "But eventually, presenting people's fears in a positive context—such as a superhero movie—might help people surmount their fear or disgust. After all, if spiders produce Spider-Man, maybe they're not so bad.
On Sept 15, 2021, the night sky in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, lit up and the rumble(隆隆声) of engines of a 70-meter-tall Falcon9 rocket set off car alarms. Atop that rocket was a group of four civilians in a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft prepared to make history.
This is the first mission to Earth's orbit crewed(当工作人员)entirely by tourists, or those not professionally trained as astronauts. For three days, the four civilians aboard the spacecraft traveled in orbit around Earth as part of the mission dubbed(被称为) Inspiration 4. The name of the mission itself is fitting.
In late 2020, the mission leader Jared Isaacman, a billionaire tech entrepreneur, announced that he would like to fund a spaceflight that differed from other billionaire space journeys. His would be part of an effort to raise funds for St Jude Children's Hospital.
"He knew he would be using those seats to carry out his mission objective of inspiring humanity while raising money for children's cancer research, "Scientific American wrote. In addition to Issacman, the crew included 29-year-old Hayley Arceneux, who is not only a childhood cancer survivor, but a current St. Jude physician assistant; Sin Procotor, 51, a geologist and community college teacher, and Chris Sembroski, a 42-year-old lifelong space fan who got his seat through an online raffle(抽奖活动), CNN reported,
This particular Dragon spacecraft did not visit the International Space Station, but it did reach 590 kilometers above Earth. This is" higher than the current orbit of the Hubble Space Telescope, an altitude that humans haven't reached since the Hubble servicing missions during the space shuttle program".
While there is certainly a long way to go before SpaceX achieves its goal of ferrying civilians to Mars at an accessible price, this mission is definitely making its mark on space travel--all for a good cause. According to CNN, at a press briefing on Sept 14. Sembroski told reporters that joining the Inspiration4 mission felt like "we're writing the rules, we're breaking a couple of them that NASA used to demand…We get to kind of do things our own way."
Many people find bats frightening creatures. They have incredibly odd habits--like sleeping upside down, staying up all night and occasional bloodsucking. .
We characterize bats as supernatural. It's for that ability to "see" with their ears that bats are perhaps most well-known—that, and their supposed blindness, which makes echolocation(回声定位)necessary for finding and feeding on fruits and insects and other small animals. ? What if being" as blind as a bat" just meant, well, being able to see perfectly well'?
Contrary to what most people believe, bats are generally not blind at all and in fact are believed to have eyesight keener than that of most humans. Because they hunt mostly in the dead of night, when lighting conditions are, of course, very dark, bats rely on echolocation to pinpoint exact locations of prey. Instead, a bat's eyes, far from useless, are accustomed to low-light conditions to better aid in finding prey and are enhanced by their super hearing power. Being as blind as a bat doesn't sound so bad now does it?
. However, there are six species of bats that don't hang upside down. For most bats, their feet have evolved to be relaxed in a clenched position. When they're ready to fly, they let go and gain force from falling, since their little legs and wings can't give them the kind of lift birds get.
A. Most people also believe all bats hang upside down
B. This ability does not, however, require or have any connection to blindness
C. But you may not actually know as much about bats as you think
D. Another myth with bats is that they have no feet
E. That's no surprise with their talent for echolocation
F. But what if the most basic truth you've been told about bats was not true
G. Here are some possible reasons why they are so scary
When I first married, we only had a car for work. I worked earlier so my husband 1 me off and waited until work time. In the afternoon, I would2three miles to his workplace and we returned together.
One day, while waiting for him in the car, I saw the 3 woman I had ever seen off the movie screen driving a fancy car. She looked like Liz Taylor. Our eyes made 4 and she smiled at me. She was wearing a blue shirt that just 5 her car. It was all I could do to6. Then, a nice-looking man came and they left.
Sitting there in my jeans, I wanted to7, How could some people 8 it all? In the following weeks, it became almost a 9 to see her. She seemed10 and always waved in a big smile. My 11 lingered(逗留) long after she drove away. I had always 12 to see her full length. Finally. I could see very well as she walked very 13 with a walking stick. The lady had a prosthesis(义肢)！
I couldn't watch any more because tears were14me. For weeks, I'd envied this woman 15 I had been able to walk three miles! I told my husband about the16 and he said he knew her story. Both of her parents were killed in an accident and she was17 injured at only 12.
Suddenly, I realized how 18 I was to have my parents, the ability to walk and many wonderful things. When you meet a person who seems much 19 off than you, don't be fooled. Looks can be20.
On February 1, 2022, over a billion people in China, especially working away from the hometown, found their way home to observe the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. The ancient tradition (date) back to the ancient time with the objective of driving away "Nian". man-eating wild monster, by numerous (careful) designed means, from hanging spring couplets setting off firecrackers.
(consider)the most important meal of the year for ages, the reunion dinner is both delicious and rooted in Chinese tradition: a whole chicken symbolizes family togetherness,long uncut noodles show longevity(长寿). When having the reunion feast, children receive red envelopes filled with money and (inspire) messages from elders, represents their expectations for their offspring. More excitingly, parents allow their children, usually watching the Spring Festival Gala and admiring fireworks shows together, (stay) up all night to enjoy the big celebration.
The two-week long celebrations will end on February 15—the day of the full moon—with the Lantern Festival.
1）活动目的：
2）活动内容：
3）推荐参加。
注意：
1）词数80左右：
2）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
My school had a tradition during the ninth-grade graduation: A beautiful gold and green jacket (the school colors) was awarded to the student who had maintained the highest grades for nine years.
I had been a straight A student since the first grade and had looked forward very much to owning that jacket. My father was a farm laborer who couldn't earn enough money to feed five children, so I was given to my grandparents to raise. There would never be a school sports jacket for us because we couldn't afford it. This scholarship jacket was my only chance.
One day in May, I happened to overhear in the office Mr. Schmidt, my history teacher, and Mr. Boone, my math teacher arguing about me. "I refuse to do it! I don't care who her father is; her grades can't match Martha's at all. I won't lie or falsify(伪造)records. "said Mr. Schmidt angrily.
But Mr. Boone's voice sounded calm" Joann's father is not only on the Board (董事会), but he owns the only store in town: we could say it was a close tie and…"
The pounding in my ears drowned out the rest of the words, only a word here and there filtered through." Martha is Mexican. Resign, won't do it. "
To this day I don't remember how I made it through the rest of the afternoon. That night, I cried into my pillow so Grandmother wouldn't hear me.
The next day when the principal called me into his office. "Martha, "he said, "There's been a change in policy this year regarding the scholarship jacket. This year the Board has decided to charge fifteen dollars, which still won't cover the complete cost of the jacket. So, if you are unable to pay the money for the jacket, it will be given to the next one in line. "
Standing with all the dignity I could find, I said, "I'll speak to my grandfather about it, sir, and let you know tomorrow. "That day. I cried sadly on the walk home.
注意：
1）所续写短文的词数应为150左右：
2）至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语：
3, 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4）续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语，
Paragraph 1: By the time I got home, my eyes had been red and swollen. I found my grandpa in the bean field.
Paragraph 2: I dragged into the principal's office the next day, sad and disappointed.
