Tom is the son of a farm owner. One New Year's Day, when he was 15, his father1 him to work on the farm for one year when he was free. Tom was2 with his father's idea. "That isn't my job. I have3 school work to do. " Hearing this, his father said, "I promise (许诺) to give you the best present if you4 finish one year's work." Tom thought for a while and5 .
Starting one Saturday, the boy got up early and worked6 until evening, just like any other farmer. Time passed quickly. Tom's crops (庄稼) grew well.7 the last day of the year, the father called his son to him. "I'm happy to see that you have worked very hard the whole year," said the father. " Now, tell me8 you want. "
The boy smiled and showed his father a big piece of bread made from his wheat (小麦). "I've already got the9 present. No pains, no gains. I think this is what you wanted10 to know." His father was quite pleased to hear that.
It's very usual in Shanghai to see people out walking their dogs. But it's not a common sight to see dogs out walking people. These "out walking people" dogs are special: they are guide dogs and their owners are blind.
Trained guide dogs in Europe and America have been used to help blind people for around 100 years, but it is a new thing in China. A guide dog training center was set up in Shanghai in 2007 and there were only about twenty working guide dogs in the city. There was a city law(法律) that pets and animals shouldn't walk in shops or hospitals. That's why many guide dogs and
their owners were not allowed when they went shopping or tried to take a bus. But guide dogs are not really pets. They are working dogs and their job is to help blind people walk.
Shanghai made a law in 2011: Guide dogs and their owners should be allowed to go to the shops or the hospitals. Blind people and their guide dogs are able to go into many shops now. But the law doesn't make a difference. Only by opening people's eyes and changing most people's attitudes(态度) can guide dogs and their owners go anywhere anybody else can go.
All of us live in one world. While we are eating food, drinking water, wearing clothes, watching TV, using computers and so on, we are producing waste every moment. When we finish reading a newspaper, the paper will become waste. When TV sets or computers are broken, they will become electronic waste.
Plastic bags are often used in our everyday life. The number of used plastic bags is increasing day by day. We like to use plastic bags because they are convenient. When we get home, we throw the plastics away. These are called "white pollution" as most plastics are white. Rubber is also common in our daily life. Many of our products are made of rubber, just like the tyres(轮胎) and the bottom part of our shoes. It's true that rubber plays an important role in our life. However, it also brings us some trouble when it has been used for a long time. The old rubber pollutes environment very badly because it can't break down easily in nature————it will stay unchanged for a long time. This is really a big problem all over the world.
Everyone should play a part in saving our world. For example, when we go shopping, we can bring cloth bags instead of plastic ones. And we should do something to recycle rubber. Our small actions can make a difference and lead to a better future.
①Getting a pie from the sky is becoming a real dream in the city as online delivery platform (平台) Meituan has been allowed to start drone delivery service -DDS (无人机送餐服务-简称DDS).
②At Galaxy World in Longgang District, people watched how a meal delivered by the drone on Thursday. The drone slowly landed and a door above the Meituan Intelligent Dining Cabinet (储藏柜) opened slowly, where the drone put the meal box inside the cabinet.
③"It takes about 15 minutes to order and receive the meal. A lot of people have tried DDS here," said a woman who just took her meal box out from the cabinet.
④During the year 2022, food and drinks such as noodles, fruits, coffee and milk tea and even flowers have been delivered through Meituan's drone delivery system.
⑤The company said that as of last year, it had completed over 100,000 drone deliveries Meituan started to research DDS in 2017 and started the try in early 2021. The delivery service only needs about 12 minutes, which is less than traditional delivery ways, according to the company.
⑥There are only a few cities in the world with the advantages of DDS, and Shenzhen is taking the lead. But there are still some problems with this kind of service.
①Long ago, near the islands now called Hawaii, lived a young girl named Anna. She loved to swim and listen to the whales sing. The ocean could be dangerous, but Anna did not mind the challenge. During the winter months, she bravely jumped into the water. Every day, Anna would be there for hours, listening to the whale songs. She always looked wiser when she came out from the waves and walked onto the beach.
②Though others could see her, Anna could not see them. She was blind. Her other senses (感官) were unusually strong as a result. In fact, Anna was the only one who could hear the whales sing. Anna said she could know each whale by his voice. She did not think it was strange to spend so much time listening to whales. Whenever a new whale joined the group, Anna would know. The newcomer would sing a different song. Gradually, over several winters, the others would start singing the new whale's song. The reason why Anna was interested in whales is their respect (尊重) and kindness to each other.
③Anna lived a long life. ▲. Each time this happened, Anna would have a sad look in her eyes. The villagers would ask what had happened. Anna would answer simply, "One of my whale friends died. I miss his voice. " She never wanted to talk too much about it.
④One night during her eightieth winter, Anna did not return to the village. The villagers searched the beach. There they found a whale sprawled (伸开四肢) out on the beach. Next to him was Anna. When the villagers reached her, Anna spoke softly. "The voice of my very first whale friend has been away for days. It is time for me to go now, too. Do not be sad. Remember the whales' lessons: Learn from others. Always accept newcomers. " With those words, Anna died.
⑤To this day, people still try to understand the secret to whale songs. Perhaps Anna told us their secret many centuries ago.
a. Anna's first whale friend died.
b. The villagers found her on the beach.
c. Anna didn't come back to the village
d. Anna shared the whale's lessons with the villagers.
We may get used to communicating with people whom we know. But how can we communicate with strangers? Here are some methods (方法) that can help you with it.
We often underestimate (低估) how much others like us when we first talk to them. We often imagine how we will make a first impression (印象) on strangers, which makes us feel less confident. In fact, we are not as boring as we think! What we should do is to be confident and brave to communicate with others.
There's always the weather, but when you find what you have in common, you will have a lot to talk about. You can share something they never know to make them excited. It is a good way to develop a relationship if you want to know more about one another.
Smile is a sign to tell others that you are kind and warm, which will leave a good impression on others. There is no more powerful tool than smile to shorten the distance among people.
Watch for signs that if he or she might prefer to be left by himself. Communication is meaningful only when both sides are willing to talk.
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Some advice on how to communicate with |
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Be brave and confident |
We should be confident and brave when talking with others, instead of underestimating us and how to make a first impression. |
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Pay attention to the common things |
You can share something they don't know to make them . By doing so, you can develop a relationship easily. |
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Use a smile |
Smile can tell you are and warm and it's the most powerful tool to bring people closer. |
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The stranger might prefer to be left alone sometimes. When both of you are willing to talk, a conversation has meanings. |
humorous thirsty satisfy on air listener |
Can you imagine astronauts ' everyday life in space? They also need to eat, s, exercise and relax. They do the same things as us, but they do tdifferently.
On the e, we put food on a plate. Gravity（重力） holds the food down and keeps it on the plate. But there is almost no gravity in space, so f can float （漂浮） away, and astronauts must eat carefully.
In space, sleeping is very different f that on the earth. Some a
like to float in the air, but most like to be in a sleeping bag. They tie （系） the bag to a wall so that they won ' t float away at night.
Exercise is very i in space. On the earth, your legs carry your body, but in space, astronauts float, so they do not u their legs often. This is very bad for their legs, so they must e for thirty minutes every day.
After a day ' s work, astronauts relax. They may listen to music, read, watch films, play games, or talk to their friends and families on the earth. Sometimes they just e floating in the air. How interesting !
Long long ago, King Swan had a beautiful daughter. her 15th birthday, she wished that when she was old enough, she could choose her own husband. King Swan agreed with her.
When the princess was old enough, King Swan called all the birds to his home. Birds came from everywhere, even from far away. King Swan told his (love) daughter to choose one she liked. She looked over the many birds. (final), she chose a green long—necked peacock. She told her father,"This bird, the peacock, will be my husband. "
Hearing that the peacock was the lucky one, all the other birds crowded around to congratulate him. The excited peacock said nothing held his head high. Later he (begin) to shout and show his beauty in a strange dance. The other (bird) started to laugh.
King Swan was angry. Standing in the middle of the birds, he said,"Sir Peacock, your voice is sweet, and you're really very pretty. But you are not modest at all. I will not allow my daughter to marry you!"
The princess also learned she was wrong. Then King Swan married his daughter to a modest bird. The peacock flew away, having lost a beautiful wife.
Dear Mark,
I am very happy to hear from you.
……
Yours,
Tom
