Londoners love a market. It's the combination of eating, chatting and browsing（逛）, and lovely stuff. Locals and tourists continue to rush to the capital's best stalls（货摊）and these days there's a huge range of markets across London. Below you'll find the very best markets in London.
Borough Market
Next to London Bridge, this food market has existed in some forms since at least 1014. It's now best known as a foodie's（美食家）paradise where Londoners come to buy top-quality meats, fish, fruits and vegetables, fresh-baked bread, cakes and sweet treats, oils and vinegar, and pretty much anything else they desire. Borough Market is open Monday to Saturday, with Saturday the busiest day.
Portobello Road Market
Portobello Road Market is really five markets in one, with different sections dedicated to second-hand goods, clothing and fashion, household essentials. You'll find the greatest range of antiques stalls on Saturdays.
Brick Lane Market
The streets of East London's Brick Lane are lined with stalls selling anything and everything on Sundays. You can find bargain fruits and vegetables, and electrical products, but this market's Unique Selling Point is its unpredictability: You could bag a second-hand bargain, or spend hours selecting inexpensive goods.
Broadway Market
Since being reopened in 2004, this street market has become attractive to fashion lovers. It is packed every Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm with arty students and East End creative types filling their large bags with organic groceries, vintage clothes, fresh flowers, coffee, books and unusual handmade gifts.
A cancer survivor has become the first woman to complete an exhausting "Sea to Summit" triathlon（三项全能运动）, which saw her swim, cycle, and run over 330 miles in just five days. Andrea Mason was overjoyed when she crossed the finish line early Wednesday morning.
The race was set in the French Alps. Setting off at 6: 15 am on Friday, 39-year-oldMason battled through severe pain, and hallucinations（幻觉）, but she pushed on—managing to complete the race in an impressive four days, 23 hours, and 41 minutes. Andrea had been diagnosed with cancer and needed life-saving surgery. Following a successful operation, she is now hoping to raise awareness of women's health. In the past year, Andrea set up her own charity, Lady Talk Matters, in order to improve surrounding females' health.
Andrea, from Blackpool in Lancashire, England, said, "I am so happy all went according to the plan as there were so many things that could have gone wrong. I wanted to do it in five days and I did so, but it was very tough. I had some low moments, particularly when I couldn't sleep in my limited rest periods, and when I couldn't keep any food down as I was running. For sure, I had some doubts along the way as I was exploring the unknown with such a huge run, particularly as large parts of it were in the dark. It was bigger than I imagined. The impact on my body was huge. But every time I felt like giving up, I thought about all the women out there in pain or who still hadn't been diagnosed. That is why I put myself through this."
Andrea had to swim 23 miles around Lake Annecy, cycle 205 miles with 30,000 feet of vertical climbing around Mont Blanc, and run 105 miles with 4,000 feet of vertical climbing around The Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc. You could say Andrea's actually spent a lifetime training for an event like this. She completed her first three-mile race "powered by chocolate bars" when she was just four.
Old age may not sound exciting. But recent findings offer good news for older people and for people who are worried about getting older. Researchers found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of 50. In fact, they say by the age of 85, people are happier with their life than they were when they were 18 years old.
The findings came from a survey of more than 340,000 adults in the United States. The Gallup Organization questioned them by telephone in 2012. At that time, the people were between the ages of 18 and 85. The researchers asked questions about emotions like happiness, sadness and worry. They also asked about mental or emotional stress.
Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were the highest among adults between the ages of 24 and 25. The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties.
The study also showed that men and women have similar feeling patterns as they grow older. However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men.
Researchers say they do not know why happiness increases as people get older. One theory is that, as people grow older, they grow more thankful for what they have and have better control of their feelings. So they spend less time thinking about bad experiences. Professor Stone says the emotional patterns could be connected to changes in how people see the world, or maybe even changes in brain chemistry.
The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single. But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age.
①Having young children ②Becoming more grateful ③Being living alone
④There being changes in brain chemistry ⑤Controlling their emotions better
Mexico City is making various strategies to fight against severe water shortage, as a years-long lack of rainfall continues to impact the local water supply. The water crisis is a direct result of falling levels of rain within the Cutzamala System, which supplies the city of nearly 10 million people, and of its primary water source, the Valle de Bravo reservoir. Levels at the reservoir have fallen significantly after years of limited rainfall.
"Mexico currently has a major problem in terms of water due to climate change," Sandra Lopez, a research er at the public policy research center Mexican Institute for Competitiveness, said. "But it can also be very much linked to the country's management problems, since we have different factors, such as the fact that not enough resources and financing have been allocated to management." This, for obvious reasons, means that the population and Mexican society in general is experiencing water stress, which we are only just identifying as a potential problem.
The water shortage affects about one-fourth of the population in the Mexican capital, which is witnessing daily water disruptions（中断）in various areas, making it difficult for residents to undertake essential tasks such as cooking, cleaning and bathing. "In the neighborhood where I am, they start to cut off the water supply at about 1 1 am. It comes very slowly," Sergio Ramos, a clerk at Navycar car wash in Mexico City, said. The water supply only lasts seven or eight hours a day, he said. Amid the continuing crisis, the federal, state and city governments are urging citizens to conserve water by fixing faulty faucets（水龙头）, making use of waste water, and taking shorter showers. These actions, aimed at reducing consumption, could contribute to extending the city's water supply. With the shortage projected to last until May, water conservation efforts will have to continue for some time.
Some citizens are actively employing measures such as using rainwater or bottled water, while the government is pursuing additional strategies, including reducing water consumption in public buildings, using innovative water-saving devices, and making a plan to augment the city's water supply. Educational initiatives are also underway to the Cutzamala System.
"The Cutzamala System dams are at low storage levels due to the lack of rain and the drought in the country, "said Mexico City Water System, which manages the city's drinking water supply. "In this context, at the same time there have been low levels of storage in the tanks that distribute water in the Azcapotzalco district."
The National Water Commission, or Conagua, explained that there is a 29 percent deficit（缺乏）in the country's reservoirs, compared with historical data for November.
What does it mean to take responsibility? What does being a responsible person mean? Responsibility is a virtue that everyone should have. But it seems that nowadays most people are willing to take convenience over responsibility. After all, your world is a reflection of you and you alone.
Being responsible means being aware. The first step of responsibility starts with being aware of your actions. Consciously or unconsciously, your actions are affecting those around you. Be responsible and be mindful of every word you say and every act you commit.
Seize the present moment, and do all you can today to become a more responsible person. Your responsible acts today will lead to a responsible future.
Being responsible involves humility（谦逊）. Responsibility means accepting the consequences of your actions, even if it is the expense of your ego（自我）. We all make mistakes. By accepting responsibility, we can improve our integrity. Nothing says more of our integrity than the way we handle responsibility.
Accept responsibility, learn from your mistakes, and move on with your life. Don't ever feel it is too late to accept responsibility for wrong actions in the past. Do what is right, and give your soul the peace it deserves.
A. So what can you do to be more responsible?
B. The matter is outside our area of responsibility.
C. Do it with a sense of pride and a spirit of adventure.
D. Don't ignore what you do to others or how you hurt them.
E. Taking responsibility means attending to the needs of the present.
F. It is a natural part of life, especially when we act without paying much attention.
G. That is the healthiest and most beneficial way to accept our mistakes and failures.
When I was 19, determined not to spend my last teenage year in a suburb in Buckinghamshire, I took off with an Australian friend. We travelled around Europe for months. We stayed in the 1 accommodation we could find due to a lack of money and only 2 bread, cheese and the occasional bottle of red wine.
That was in 1990, a time before mobile phones and the Internet appeared, when the primary 3 our home was the collection of 4 from the post office.
Before I left, Mom had made me a money pouch（荷包）to wear around my neck. She'd also made me two sleeping sheets so I could 5 unclean bedding. She didn't want me to go, and those gifts were her way of telling me to have a wonderful time.
It's only now, as my 18-year-old daughter is preparing to leave on her own gap-year（间休年）trip, that I have more 6 what Mom felt.
Doing multiple jobs and saving money, my daughter has researched on her own where to stay, how to 7 and what to do when she arrives. Therefore, she 8 asks for my opinion and I find myself 9 unsure of whether I should intervene（介入）or back off. I want to be supportive but not too 10 . I want to be cool but not indifferent. I want to be like the perfect travel guide.
When she first mentioned a gap-year travel, I was encouraging, expecting her to have her own experiences that will 11 her. As I had mine, I didn't let myself speak too long on the idea of her not being here. Soon there will just be me, my son and the cat in our house. However, I am not quite 12 that. But the trip may benefit her. This is not in 1990 and I am not 13 at home waiting for a（n）14 . I have promised not to 15 her with messages, but at least I know she can contact me whenever she wants to.
One Sunday, Nicholas, a teenager, went skiing at Sugar loaf Mountain in Maine. One of his dream （career）is to become an astronaut. Early in the afternoon, when he was planning to go home, a fierce snowstorm swept into the area. Unable to see far, he accidentally left the path. Before he knew it, Nicholas was lost, all alone! Not （have）food, water, a phone, or other supplies, he felt rather （anxiety）and was getting colder and colder by the minute.
Nicholas didn't know the spot he was staying. He tried not to panic regardless the terrible situation. He thought about all of the survival shows he had watched on TV.
There was a better chance of someone finding him if he stayed put（待在原地）. Using his skis, Nicholas was able to build a snow cave. He gathered a huge mass of snow and had a hole （dig）in the middle. Then he piled branches on top of himself, like a blanket, to stay as warm as he could. On Tuesday, Nicholas went out again to find help. He had walked for about a mile when a volunteer searcher found him.
Nicholas might not have survived this snowstorm had it not been for a TV program. He used to watch Grylls' survival show Man vs Wild. That's where he learned the tips that saved his life. In each episode（一期节目）of Man vs Wild, is in a wild area that Grylls is abandoned and has to find his way out.
According to Grylls' own （interpret）on Nicholas' survival, he was super impressed that Nicholas had made it since he knew better than anyone else how hard Nicholas had to work to stay alive. Nicholas was （genuine）thankful for Grylls' show and said, "From seven to eight o'clock tomorrow, I （watch）Grylls' survival show again."
注意：1.写作词数应为80左右；2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
A welcome evening party
Martin was returning home after a difficult shift（轮班）on a dark snowy night. He worked as a truck driver in Los Angeles, taking several shifts a week because he had a sick daughter, Anne, who needed urgent surgery, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to raise enough money for it.
Anne was diagnosed with a cyst（囊肿）shortly after birth. The doctors told Martin and his wife Helen that she needed an operation as soon as possible, otherwise, it could pose a threat to the little girl's life. The parents decided they should do whatever it took to save their daughter and began saving money right away.
It was too black outside with no visibility（能见度）. Martin was driving slowly, thinking of solutions to his problem when he noticed a shadow in the middle of the road. He hit the brakes and the truck came to a complete stop. Rubbing his eyes, Martin looked more closely. A human figure—a woman lying unconscious in the middle of the road!
Martin picked up the woman, carried her to his truck, quickly changed his route and drove straight to the hospital. About 10 minutes later, they finally arrived at the hospital. "It's an emergency! Please call the doctor!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. The woman was admitted to hospital at once.
The next day, Martin went to the hospital to see the woman. The woman was Daisy, who was a rich businesswoman. Daisy expressed her gratitude to him and told him the whole story about how she ended up on the road. "Thank you so much, Martin. You're a really generous soul. I heard you drove me to the hospital last night and that you have been here a few times with your daughter."
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。
Daisy found that Martin seemed to be worried.
……
As the saying goes, one good turn deserves another.
