Location
St Helena is one of the remotest islands on Earth. The subtropical (亚热带的) British Overseas Territory sits in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, 1,200 miles from the west coast of Africa and 1,800 miles from the east coast of South America.
Size Population
St Helena is only 16 km long and 9 km wide and the population is 5,
000. This is 1/3 the size of the Isle of Wight, and the same size as Disney World Orlando. This is also the same size as San Francisco-yet the island has just
0.5% of San Francisco's population. With an extremely low-crime community, you can freely explore the island's natural and built attractions in peace.
Climate
As a subtropical island, St Helena's temperature is 15-28℃ all year round. While the four seasons are not recognized on St Helena, the "cooler months" are generally June to September and the "hotter months" are December to March. St Helena is free from extreme weather events, with even thunderstorms only occurring perhaps once a decade.
Accessibility
Until 2017, St Helena did not have an airport and was only accessible by sea. Reaching the island meant a five-day ship voyage from Cape Town, South Africa. However, since October 2017, the island's first and only airport has enabled passengers to reach the island in just a six-hour flight.
A By plane. B. By car. C. By ship. D. By train.
For a long time, I kept a selection of books on a shelf next to my bed that I called my "heart books". To qualify for a place on the shelf, a book had to be not only one I loved, but one that mattered. There was one book that never made it onto that shelf, though I read it in high school:Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg.
I can still remember the day I bought it. It was summer and I must have been 14 or
15. Desperate to get out of my house, I rode my bike into town and walked into the bookstore. I was going through the shelf of books on writing and it caught my eye. I picked it up, read a few pages, and bought it. Then I took it with me to a park, read the first few chapters, and opened my notebook to write.
It's a fairly straightforward writing book. Goldberg's method is simple: you choose a topic, set a timer, and write for 10, 15, or 20 minutes without picking up your pen. Free writing, timed writing, writing topics: anyone who has taken a creative writing class may have encountered these things. It's notearth-shattering. There was nothing particularly new or unusual about the book so I can't say why it attracted me so much. But it changed everything. I went from being someone who enjoyed writing to being a writer.
During my teen years and early twenties, following Goldberg's method was at the core of my identity. No matter where I was or what I was doing, I filled notebooks. When I eventually started writing fiction, I did the same thing. The "I" in my notebooks became someone else, but I held to the same practice.
This writing practice led me to a writing group in Boston. It led me to my current career. It led me, in so many ways, to myself. Becoming a writer allowed me to become so many other things: an activist, a business owner, a farmer, a baker... Writing is where I found my confidence. It was where I became curious about the world. From that, everything else has followed.
Have you ever walked through a door and thought to yourself, "What was I going to do?" If you have, you are not alone. Psychologists believe that walking through a door and entering another room creates a "mental block" in the brain. This is generally referred to as the doorway effect.
In the early years of brain research, scientists thought that human memory was like a closet, with many sections in which we could store little boxes of experiences from our lives. Boxes would remain there forever, and whenever we had to look into them, we could just go to that particular section and find that box of memory.
Beautiful as this description of human memory formation sounds, it is not true. Our brain is much more complex than that. Psychological studies suggest that our memories are episodic(情节性的)in general. If you think back on anything, you'll probably quickly realize our memories don't function as clear narratives. Instead, they're more episodic and divided into parts.
A new research led by psychologist Oliver Baumann from Bond University in Australia suggests that it's not so much the doorways that cause a memory wipe, as moving from one location to a significantly different one—it's the abrupt change of scene that prepares our minds for something new. "A good example is moving around in a department store," says Baumann, "Taking the elevator between floors may have no effect on our memory, but moving from the store to the parking lot might cause us to forget something that we need to buy."
Baumann also points out that a busy and perhaps overloaded brain does seem to play some part in this phenomenon. In other words, walking through open doors is thought to reset memory to make room for a new episode.
The good news is that experiencing such forgettable episodes after entering another room does not tell you anything about your memory and intelligence. So when you enter a room and suddenly forget why you are there, you should not think that Alzheimer's disease is creeping up on you!
As people become more aware of the importance of eco-friendly power sources, we have devoted much time to inventing creative devices. A newly developed paper battery promises to make a big difference to single-use electronics.
The battery is crafted from sustainable materials, which not only strengthens its eco-friendliness but also makes it cost-effective to produce. This combination of biodegradability (可生物降解) and affordability makes it attractive for a wide range of applications. Another standout feature of this paper battery is its flexibility in terms of shape and size. Unlike traditional batteries that are available in fixed sizes, this paper battery can be tailored to meet diverse requirements.
In reality, the paper battery is enough to power an LCD alarm clock. "While it won't be charging up your computer anytime soon, there's lots of potential for low-powered sensors. We present a printed paper battery developed to power single-use disposable electronics and to reduce their environmental impact to the lowest level," write the researchers in their published paper.
The battery is based on a metal-air electrochemical cell. Made from sodium chloride salt-diffused (氯化钠盐扩散的) paper, it can measure as little as one square centimeter, and is based on printed inks. All that's needed, then, is a small amount of water, as little as two drops. This dissolves the salts within the paper, and then activates the battery as they travel. The battery starts producing power around 20 seconds after water is added, according to the experiments carried out by the team.
Although the performance decreases over time as the paper dries out, it can be topped up to some extent with more water. The researchers say they want to improve the efficiency of the battery in the future, and get it working for longer. "With a rising awareness of the e-waste problem and the emergence of single-use electronics for applications, there is a growing need for low environmental impact batteries," write the researchers.
For many young adults, what to do after finishing high school is a question that is not easy to answer. For some their path is clear, but for others a number of possibilities lie before them. You are not too sure about the direction you want to take and would like to explore your options. Or maybe you have a desire to travel and experience other countries before settling down to further studies. What to do during your gap year can be tailored to suit your needs, interests and budget. Let's look at a few ideas that can just help you!
You can become a babysitter in your community or work on an oil field in another country. This can really help you to gain insight into yourself when you decide what you are passionate about. Choosing a sporting adventure in another country, either playing or coaching will be an amazing experience. In addition, giving back to the community by volunteering in a local charity is also how you would like to spend your time.
From these experiences, you will learn much more than just how to do a job. Aside from your photographs, your most treasured possession will be that new experiences challenge you and allow you to grow. So whether you are going abroad or going to your local community center, one thing is for certain — a gap year is definitely not just filling a gap.
A. Perhaps you are one of the latter.
B. Why not apply for a job locally or abroad?
C. How about combining sports with learning?
D. You can find helpful information on some websites.
E. It is a year that can make all the difference to your future.
F. You will look back and know that your gap year has done that.
G. Whatever your reasons, a gap year can be an enriching and exciting time.
It never occurred to me to think about my future job till I entered high school. In the years before high school, I 1 much on football and music. That was 2 I spent most of my spare time. After I entered high school, my 3 for civil engineering (土木工程) inspired me to make greater efforts.
I found my way to civil engineering 4 when I read an article about the Los Angeles earthquake in
1994. Its consequence was so awful that I was totally shocked. During the earthquake, many buildings fell down. The disaster led to heavy casualties (伤亡). The 5 sent me into thinking about how the building projects could be safer, and how I could get them that way. From then on, I 6 to learn civil engineering. 7 different kinds of buildings is a form of recreation for me. Sitting on my bicycle for hours watching the houses around me has made me feel the 8 to shape our buildings into solid ones.
To achieve my ambition, I must 9 that I can get high grades in all my subjects. In school, I am truly fond of science and good at math. 10 , my high school years had been challenged. My poor writing skills used to 11 me a lot. Fortunately, I had a strong wish to achieve my dream. It was the desire, which 12 me to keep practicing, that helped me overcome my shortcomings.
Over the years, I have learned to stick with things that I find right 13 . This character will stay with me till my efforts 14 . That, combined with my longstanding curiosity about 15 our world, is what will make me a great civil engineer someday soon.
Recently, many netizens posted videos on social media claiming that Harbin has launched a "photo shoot with a white fox" project to entertain tourists. The white fox in the video (have) a soft and cute appearance, and after being artificially raised and managed, its fur is clean and odorless (无气味), providing tourists with a good experience and (frequent) appearing on the hot search list.
For this project, some people believe it is innovative tourism experience that can increase the interactivity and participation of tourists, while others are concerned about the safety and health of the white fox. In fact, these white foxes are professionally trained to have close contact humans, and they do not bite. In addition, the scenic area has taken multiple (measure) to ensure the welfare and safety of the white fox.
Mr. He, the person in charge of Harbin Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival, said that the scenic area has introduced this project to (well) meet customer needs. These white foxes have been bred (饲养) and domesticated (驯化), so there is no need to worry about (catch) and bitten by foxes.
Mr. He said that due to the continuous (popular) of the White Fox on social media, more and more tourists are taking photos with it. (welcome) tourists, the scenic area often takes care of the white fox, keeping its fur clean and fresh, providing visitors with a better experience.
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 Successful Cleanup Activity
Alex sat quietly at the back of his Chinese class, his eyes fixed on the textbook before him. As a shy and unnoticed student, he felt like a lone wolf, struggling against the complexities of high school life. Ms Lau, his Chinese teacher, was a light in his otherwise dark world. Her warm smile and gentle behavior made her stand out among the sea of teachers. She was the only one who seemed to understand his conservative nature, always encouraging him to step out of his comfort zone.
One day, after class, Ms Lau approached Alex with excitement shining in her eyes. "Alex, I have an offer for you," she said, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "I am organizing a cultural exchange program to China, and I believe it would be a great opportunity for you to explore a new world."
Alex's heart skipped a beat, the prospect of traveling to a foreign country both exciting and terrifying. He hesitated, unsure if he had the courage to start such an adventure. But Ms Lau's firm belief in him gave him the push he needed to take a leap of faith.
Under Ms Lau's guidance, Alex began preparing for the trip. He got really interested in Chinese culture and learned about its long history and traditions. Ms Lau became his mentor(导师), teaching him not only the language but also invaluable life lessons. She taught him the importance of being confident and not giving up, reminding him that growth only happens outside one's comfort zone.
The day of departure arrived, and Alex found himself on a plane headed for China. He couldn't help but feel amazed as he stepped off the plane and into a world so different from his own. The busy streets, bright colors, and unfamiliar sounds flooded his senses. Yet, Ms Lau's comforting presence by his side provided him with the strength to face the unknown.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150词左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
During their time in China, Alex wholeheartedly enjoyed the experience.
Back in the United States, Alex was a changed person.
