湖南省长沙市名校2022-2023学年高三上学期11月第三次...

We are all devastated by the news we have just heard from Balmoral. The death of Her Majesty the Queen is a huge shock to the nation and to the world. Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under her reign(统治时期).

Britain is the great country it is today because of her. She ascended the throne just after the Second World War. She championed the development of the Commonwealth(英联邦) — from a small group of 7 countries to a family of 56 nations spanning every continent of the world.

We are now a modern, thriving, dynamic nation. Through thick and thin, Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ provided us with the stability and the strength that we needed. She was the very spirit of Great Britain — and that spirit will endure. She has been our longest-ever reigning monarch(君主). It is an extraordinary achievement to have presided(主持) with such dignity and grace for 70 years. Her life of service stretched beyond most of our living memories. In return, she was loved and admired by the people in the United Kingdom and all around the world. She has been a personal inspiration to me and to many Britons. Her devotion to duty is an example to us all.

Earlier this week, at 96, she remained determined to carry out her duties as she appointed me as her 15th prime minister. Throughout her life she has visited more than 100 countries and she has touched the lives of millions around the world.

In the difficult days ahead, we will come together with our friends across the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the world to celebrate her extraordinary lifetime of service. It is a day of great loss, but Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ leaves a great legacy(遗产).

Today the Crown passes — as it is has done for more than a thousand years — to our new monarch, our new head of state: His Majesty King Charles Ⅲ. With the King's family, we mourn(哀悼) the loss of his mother. And as we mourn, we must come together as a people to support him. To help him bear the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all, we offer him our loyalty and devotion just as his mother devoted so much to so many for so long. And with the passing of the second Elizabethan age, we usher(进入) in a new era in the magnificent history of our great country.

Exactly as Her Majesty would have wished — by saying the words: "God save the King."

For years, life went something like this: We'd grow up in one place, head off to college, then find a city to live in for a few years to pursue a job or higher education. The end goal was to find somewhere to settle down, buy a house, start a family, and begin the whole cycle all over again. But a new model for living is emerging: Some people are increasingly opting to move from city to city throughout their entire lives, sometimes as frequently as every month.

Just ask Alex Chatzielefteriou, who has had a front-row seat watching this evolution unfold. Six years ago, he launched a startup called Blueground that rents out beautifully designed, fully furnished apartments for a month at a time, at rents that are cheaper than hotels. Today, the company has 3,000 properties in six U.S. cities, along with Dubai, Istanbul, London, Paris, and Chatzielefteriou's native Athens, and a staff of 400.

The company just landed $ 50 million in Series B funding, bringing its total investment to $ 78 million, to continue its rapid expansion. It hopes to have 50,000 properties in 50 cities over the next three years, and the goal is to make each one feel unique and cozy, rather than standardized, like what you might find in a traditional hotel.

Chatzielefteriou first came up with the idea for Blueground while he was working as a management consultant for McKinsey. "The accommodation of choice for consultants is the hotel," he says. "I had to spend five years in a hotel room, living in 12 different cities. I loved seeing the world, but I didn't love feeling like I didn't have a home."

As he spoke to his friends and coworkers, he realized that many people were dejected with this lifestyle that meant living out of a suitcase in the same few hotel chains that all began to blend together. And what's more, hotels aren't a particularly cost-effective solution for companies either. In Chatzielefteriou's case, McKinsey sometimes paid $10,000 or more for him to stay in a major city for a month, which was far more expensive than local rents.

Up to one fifth of the Amazon rainforest is emitting more carbon dioxide (CO2), than it absorbs, new research suggests.

Results from a decade-long study of greenhouse gases over the Amazon rainforest appear to show around 20% of the total area has become a net source of CO₂ in the atmosphere. One of the main causes is deforestation. While trees are growing, they absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere; dead trees release it again. However, the fact is that millions of trees have been lost to logging and fires in recent years.

The results of the study, which have not yet been published, have implications for the effort to combat climate change. They suggest that the Amazon rainforest, a vital carbon "store", or "sink", that slows the pace of global warming may be turning into a carbon source faster than previously thought. Every two weeks for the past 10 years, a team of scientists led by Professor Luciana Gatti, a researcher at Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), has been measuring greenhouse gases by flying aircraft fitted with sensors over different parts of the Amazon basin. What the group found was startling: while most of the rainforest still retains its ability to absorb large quantities of CO₂ — especially in wetter years — one portion of the forest, which is especially heavily deforested, appears to have lost that capacity.

Gatti's research suggests this south-eastern part of the forest, about 20% of the total area, has become a carbon source. "Each year is worse," she told Newsnight. "We observed that this area in the south-east is an important source of carbon. And it doesn't matter whether it is a wet year or a dry year. 2017 was a wet year, but it didn't make any difference."

A forest can become a source of carbon rather than a "store", or "sink", when trees die and emit carbon into the atmosphere. Areas of deforestation also contribute to the Amazon's inability to absorb carbon.

Carlos Nobre, who co-authored Prof Gatti's study, called the observation "very worrying" because "it could be showing the beginnings of a major tipping point". He believes the new findings suggest that in the next 30 years, more than half of the Amazon could transform from rainforest into savanna(稀树草原).

From Martin Luther King Jr. to Steve Jobs, the best speeches in the world make a real difference to listeners.

Great speeches always begin with a bang. Anything well begun is considered to be half done. But it is at the beginning where most speakers fail to create an impression. Then, no matter how great the content of the speech is, it doesn't reach the right ears at the right time.

Remember that the speech isn't about you, but about your audience. You are not standing on a platform to talk about your personal issues. Even if your speech is about your life struggles and successes, find a way to make it relevant to your audience.  Putting all the parts together to complete the picture isn't enough. Your audience must be able to recognize the picture. They must take the picture home with them. That is what will make your speech stand out.

 The greatest speakers — from Napoleon to Barack Obama — have delivered their speeches with great confidence. A speech is a promise, a declaration or a ray of hope. Thus, ensure that your speech is filled with hopeful, positive and confident words. Words such as "believe", "no doubt", "eventually" and many others fill your speech with the required confidence and make your audience think that you know what you are saying. Moreover, people won't want to listen to those who stumble over their words(结结巴巴地说话).  This will definitely turn your speech into one of the greatest speeches in history.

The Afrikaner culture that I grew up in has a delicious tradition — baking lots of different types of cookies at Christmas. We bake for days on end to 1 our cookie tins, and prepare cookie baskets and boxes to 2 to friends and neighbors. As an adult, I choose not to continue many of the Christmas traditions. However, this is still one of my favorite Christmas activities.

I have a friend from a different 3 background. She also loves cooking and baking. When she heard that I was planning a baking day, she 4 me to teach her how to bake my Christmas cookies. A week before Christmas, it was usually baking time. We both envisioned(想象) the beautiful and tasty treats that we would make for our families, friends and neighbors. Our baking got off to a slow but 5 start. The techniques and skills that I'd used countless times were new to my friend. And some of them would be even 6 to an experienced baker, let alone a first-timer. On my own, I'd have done it quickly and correctly. But by midday, I could feel my 7 rising. Teaching my friend had put us well behind 8. There was, of course, an easy solution: I could 9 and just let her watch. But I had promised that I would teach her. So we decided to reduce the variety of cookies, bake more of the 10 versions and get creative with the icing. At the end of the second day, we had 20 beautiful gift boxes, each displaying a mouth-watering selection of cookies.

My friend couldn't wait to get home and share the 11 of her labors with her family. Seeing how proud she was, I was doubly 12 that I didn't act on my thought to do everything myself just because it would be 13. Not only would I have robbed her of an opportunity to 14 but I would have robbed her of that new-found 15 and the pride she felt at having achieved something new.

Acting was, is and always will be the first love of National Peking Opera Company's new vice-president, Chen Nan reports.

Huguosi Street was one of Beijing's  (busy) commercial avenues in the olden days.  also housed the residence of Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang (1894-1961). Not far from Mei's address, the first theater for Peking Opera performances came up in 1954, five years after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The neighborhood  (change) over the decades, but the theater still stands tall and is currently managed by the National Peking Opera Company. Tian Lei cherishes the hours he spends there,  (train) and rehearsing(排练). Wearing a costume and  (arm) with a prop spear(矛), the 42-year-old strides(大步走) across the stage, practicing a  (various) of martial art movements, before ending the drill  a liangxiang pose.

Tian has been working with the opera company for 10 years. Its premises(处所) are  10-minute drive from the theater and his colleagues train there. He, however, prefers the hallowed stage. "I come to the theater almost every day  I enjoy the quietness this building offers. Rehearsing here helps me feel closer to Peking Opera  (master) who once graced the stage," he says.

1）讲座的时间和地点；

2）讲座的内容；

3）注意事项。

注意：

1）写作词数应为80左右；

2）可以适当发挥，以使行文连贯；

3）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

参考词汇：a fire extinguisher灭火器

A psychologist once said. "If you've conquered every one of your fears, congratulations — you're dead." This humorous quote points to a simple truth — no one can escape fear completely.

However, fear can be a good thing. It is a natural, healthy reaction to danger. In fact, sometimes we are afraid of things that aren't dangerous such as public speaking, failing a test or being rejected. These unhealthy fears can keep us from achieving our dreams. So how can we successfully face our fears?

First, admit what you fear and then share it with someone you trust. Perhaps you worry that others would look down on you if they know what you fear, but you might be surprised at how many other people share the same fears. Learning you're not the only one who fears something will give you self-esteem(自尊心) a push. Second, ask yourself, "What is the worst scenario(最坏的情况)?" This question can help you gain perspective(洞察力). If you think about it, the worst might not be that bad, after all. Compared with the fear of losing a contest or being turned down, the regret of having missed opportunities can be even harder to bear. Even worse, you will never know what you might have accomplished. Finally, take more steps toward conquering your fears. If you fear public speaking, start by giving a small talk to a few people. If your talk doesn't go well, try again. Each small success will increase your confidence and persistence is one of the keys to success.

You might never completely conquer your fear of certain things, but what is important is that you can bring yourself to do what you fear. True bravery is feeling afraid but doing what you have to do anyway. It's also true that you struggle with fear and don't let your fear stop you from getting the most out of life.