My heroes are the Singapore Women's Everest Team．In 2009，they became the first all-women team to climb Mount Everest．The team of six young women trained for seven years before they climbed the mountain．It was difficult for them to train because Singapore doesn't have any snow or any mountains．But they didn't stop，and in the end they made it．They Worked hard every day for their dream so I really admire them．

——Lance Reed, 16, from Britain

    My mum，Mary Evans，is a real hero．I have a very big family, with two brothers and three sisters．My mum works very hard every day to look after us, and she is very busy．She always makes time for everyone and she always listens to me if I have a problem．I really respect my mum because she always looks after my family and makes sure we have everything we need．

——Mark Sterling，l7，from America

    I admire the Salwen family from Atlanta，USA．In 2006, they made a very unusual choice．They decided to sell their house and give half of the money to charity(慈善)．They moved into a smaller house and gave $800,000 to charities in Ghana. I really respect them because they gave their money to people in need．

——William Kloster, 17, from Canada

    I really admire Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple．He invented a new kind of technology．Apple technology is very intelligent(智能的)．The products that he made are also really beautiful．Steve Jobs created a successful business in IT．I was very sad when he died in October 2011．I respect him because he changed the way people use technology all over the world．

——Richard Hale, 18，from Australia

根据短文内容，选择最佳答案，并将选定答案的字母标号填在题前括号内。

    Social media is our new travel agent, and it's changing the places we go. In some cases, the places we go. In some cases, the newfound fame brought about by social media platforms has helped to boost local economies and bring tourists to places they might never have discovered otherwise. In other cases, it's creating problems for countries and cities that are simply not equipped to deal with the influx(涌入) of tourists. Check out two of the incredible locations around the world that have gone viral on social media.

    Iceland

    This northern island nation has seen a dramatic surge(激增) in visitors over the past few years. One reason for that is the so-called "Game of Thrones effect,". This, combined with the availability of cheap flights and some very effective marketing campaigns, has made Iceland a popular travel destination. The number of tourists almost doubled from 566,000 to over 1 million between 2011 and 2015, according to Iceland's tourism board.

    While this influx of visitors has brought a much-needed boost to the economy post-recession(经济衰退), it's also pushed up prices for residents and put pressure on the infrastructure. Locals complain of tourists destroying the fragile ecosystem and leaving a mess behind them as they trample over the formerly untouched natural sites.

    Cuba

    According to Cuba's ministry of tourism, four million visitors went to Cuba in 2016, an increase of 13 percent from the year before. The tourism boom has had some consequences for the country's residents, The New York Times reported in December 2016.

    The surge in visitors has led to a food shortage, and basic food items have become completely unaffordable for locals. Local hotels and restaurants are buying up supplies in bulk for guests, pushing up prices and leaving limited amounts for locals.

    The situation has been acknowledged by the Cuban government, who put caps on prices to make them more affordable for residents. This has only encouraged sellers to put products on the black market, according to The New York Times.

A Competitive Sport

    Cheerleading

    Over the years, cheerleading has taken two primary forms: game-time cheerleading and competitive cheerleading. Game-time cheerleaders' main goal is to entertain the crowd and lead them with team cheers, which should not be considered a sport. However, competitive cheerleading is more than a form of entertainment. It is really a competitive sport.

    Competitive cheerleading includes lots of physical activity. The majority of the teams require a certain level of tumbling (翻腾运动) ability. It's a very common thing for gymnasts, so it's easy for them to go into competitive cheerleading. Usually these cheerleaders integrate lots of their gymnastics experience including their jumps, tumbling, and overall energy. They also perform lifts and throws. This is where the “fliers” are thrown in the air, held by “bases” in different positions that require strength and working with other teammates.

    Competitive cheerleading is also an activity that is governed by rules under which a winner can be declared. It is awarded points for technique, creativity and sharpness. Usually the more difficult the action is, the better the score is. That's why cheerleaders are trying to experience great difficulty in their performance.

    Besides, there is also a strict rule of time. The whole performance has to be completed in less than three minutes and fifteen seconds, during which the cheerleaders are required to stay within a certain area. Any performance beyond the limit of time is invalid.

    Another reason for the fact that competitive cheerleading is one of the hardest sports is that it has more reported injuries. According to some research, competitive cheerleading is the number one cause of serious sports injuries to women. Emergency room visits for it are five times the number than for any other sport, partially because cheerleaders don't use protective equipment. Smiling cheerleaders are thrown into the air and move down into the arms of the teammates, which may easily cause injuries. Generally, these injuries affect all areas of the body, including wrists, shoulders, ankles, head, and neck.

    There can be no doubt that competitive cheerleading is a sport with professional skills. Hopefully, it will appear in the Olympics since cheerleaders are just as athletic and physically fit as those involved in the more accepted sports. It should be noted that it is a team sport and even the smallest mistake made by one teammate can bring the score of the entire team down. So without working together to achieve the goal, first place is out of reach.

    Why YOUR keyless car could be gone in 23 seconds: It's a crime wave reaching high proportions and the gadgets(小装置) used to hack into your car and steal it are being sold to thieves by High Street locksmiths.

    Car thieves are using high-tech gadgets to break into and steal cars in seconds. One thief stands by a house to pick up a signal from a car key using a relay. The relay broadcasts the signal to the car, where a second thief opens the door. The scheme, which does not involve breaking windows, steals cars in seconds.

    Thousands of cars across Britain are at risk of a new form of high-tech theft which allows thieves to fool bypass the security systems in keyless cars using a relay system to boost the signal. So-called 'relay' theft occurs when two thieves work together to break into keyless cars. They use equipment to capture electro-magnetic signals emitted by key fobs. Any vehicle with keyless entry could be easily stolen. These include cars from BMW, Ford, Audi, Land Rover, Volkswagen and Mercedes.

    Tiny Countries You Never knew Existed

    Sao Tome and Principe

    Sao Tome and Principe off Africa's west coast is only 372 square miles, but it has Impressive, undamaged nature, rich in biodiverse species. The amazing needle-like volcanic peak Pico Cao Grande rises 1,000 feet into the air. The islands are home to only around 200,000 people today.

    San Marino

    Only 23 square miles with a population of just 34,000, the little-known country of San Marino, surrounded by Italy, is the world's fifth smallest country. With the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mount Titano, the country is said to be the oldest republic in the world.

    Dominica

    Dominica covers only 290 square miles, with some of the best diving in the Caribbean, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of volcanic Morme Trois Pitons National Park. In Dominica, you'll see rainforests, waterfalls, and coastal views. The island is also home to the only remaining population of the Kalinago, who are part of the island's 74, 900 inhabitants.

    Kiribati

    This Pacific island country 33 coral islands is 313 square-miles, but it's the only country in the world to fall into all four hemispheres (半球). The country's 109, 000 residents live in only 21 of the islands see this tropical paradise before it is no longer--rising seas are threatening to swallow the country whole.

A new study says that more than half the world's ocean area is "becoming greener," and the trend is connected to human-caused global warming.

It's not clear what is driving the greening. In some places, it could indicate changes in the amount of plankton or other organic material floating in the water. Plankton are a cornerstone of the ocean food chain, and these kinds of shifts could have ripple effects throughout the entire marine ecosystem.

The study, published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, examines 20 years of satellite data measuring light reflected at the surface of the water all across the globe, subtle changes that aren't necessarily visible to the naked eye. The research finds that 56 percent of the world's oceans are shifting in color — and on the whole, they're growing greener. The trend is especially strong in the lower latitudes, including the subtropics and tropics.

The researchers then used a computer model to find out whether climate change was playing a part. They conducted one set of simulations representing the oceans under a strong climate change scenario, and then compared them with a second set of simulations imagining a world in which climate change didn't exist. The model suggests that rising global temperatures are to blame.

The exact reasons still require some scientific digging. While climate change seems to be the culprit, the study also indicates that rising ocean temperatures in and of themselves aren't driving the greening.

There are plenty of other ways global warming is affecting the world's oceans, by changing the structure and flow of certain currents, for instance. These kinds of changes can affect the growth of phytoplankton and other factors that might be contributing to the greening.

The findings weren't a surprise to the researchers. They're consistent with the way researchers expect the global oceans to change as the world keeps on warming.

"I've been running simulations that have been telling me for years that these changes in ocean color are going to happen," study co-author Stephanie Dutkiewicz, a senior research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in a statement. "To actually see it happening for real is no unexpected, but frightening."