The popular image of the mountain climber is of a person carefully climbing a steep cliff with a network of safety ropes, but it is not the only kind. Many climbers now enjoy bouldering. It's more accessible and better for the environment.

    Here is an example of a climber addressing a bouldering problem.

    Figure 1: The climber has two routes she could take, one to the left and one to the right. The left one appears easier because it has a jug within easy reach, but look what happens if she chooses that direction. She gets stuck on the rock and has to go back down. Sometimes that is even more difficult than going up.

    Figure 2: The climber takes the one to the right this time. Using a foothold and placing her right hand in a crimp, she is able to lift herself up and locate other handholds. After only a few moves, she is able to throw her leg over the top of the boulder and pull herself up.

    I have learned something about myself since I moved from Long Island to Florida three years ago. Even though I own a home in Port St. Lucie just minutes from the ocean, an uncontrollable urge wells up to return to Long Island even as others make their way south. I guess I am a snowbird stuck in reverse. Instead of enjoying Florida's mild winters, I willingly endure the severe weather on Long Island, the place I called home for 65 years.

    I'm like a migratory bird that has lost its sense of timing and direction, my wings flapping against season.

    So what makes me fly against the tide of snowbirds? The answer has a lot to do with my reluctance to give up the things that define who I am. Once I hear that the temperature on Long Island has dipped into the range of 40 to 50 degrees, I begin to long for the sight and crackling sound of a wood fire. I also long for the bright display o£ colors — first in the fall trees, and then in the limits around homes and at Rockefeller Center. Floridians decorate too, but can't create the special feel of a New England winter.

    I suppose the biggest reason why I return is to celebrate the holidays with people I haven't seen in months. What could be better than sitting with family and friends for a Thanksgiving turkey dinner, or watching neighbors' children excitedly open gifts on Christmas? Even the first snowfall seems special. I especially enjoy seeing a bright red bird settling on a snow-covered branch (My wife and I spend winters at a retirement community in Ridge, and I'm grateful that I don't have to shovel.）

    While these simple pleasures are not unique to Long Island, they are some of the reasons why I come back. Who says you can't go home?

    It's undeniable that spending time outdoors and in nature lifts our spirits and makes us feel more centered and at peace. When we breathe in fresh air, and enjoy the beauty of trees, streams and oceans, we naturally tend to feel more connected to ourselves and others.

Over the past decade, scientists have been exploring why nature — and dirt specifically — is such a powerful tool in improving our mood. According to researchers, the secret may lie in the microbes (微生物)of the soil. One bacterium specifically—-Mycobacterium Vaccae (M. Vaccae) —has been identified as having the power to affect our moods and cognitive function as well.

    Experiments conducted at Sage Colleges in New York found that contact with M. Vaccae can increase serotonin levels in the brain — a chemical that is associated with higher levels of happiness, increased focus, and reduced anxiety. In order to explore how the bacteria can improve learning, researchers Dory Mathews and Susan Jenks experimented with mice in a maze. Mice that ingested the bacteria navigated the maze twice as fast as the control group and proved less anxious as well.

    Humans can absorb M. Vaccae just by playing in the dirt. We take in it when we breathe, we consume it in organic vegetables, and it can also enter our bloodstream through skin contact, especially where we have open cuts. This may explain why children in school perform better after break.

    Neuroscientist Christopher Lowry at the University of Bristol in England believes that he has identified why this incredible bacterium works. "What we think happens is that the bacteria activate immune cells, which release chemicals called cytokines that then act on receptors on the sensory nerves to increase their activity.”

    Beyond the power of M. Vaceae, scientists have been proving for decades that exposure to dirt, and the huge number of microbes found in dirt, can strengthen our immune system. When our body comes into contact with bacteria, it stores die information in a type of library and can then use that information to fight sickness and infection more effectively.

    Happiness, focus, less anxiety… I'll take a double dose of dirt; please!

    It is becoming increasingly important for researchers to closely monitor our ocean life. However, observing sea creatures up close is almost impossible since human presence scares them. Now, thanks to The Soft Robotic Fish, also known as SoFi, researchers may be able to keep a close eye on the sea creatures.

    Built by MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), the white re- mote-controlled robot resembles the real fish, complete with a tail that waves from side to side. Though not the first autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) created to monitor the ocean, SoFi settles many of the problems that have blocked the usefulness of the previous robot fish.

    Previous AUVs have had to be linked to boats because radio frequency communications don't work well underwater. To overcome the problem, Director of the CSALL Daniela Rus and her team used sound waves. The technology can travel greater distances allowing divers to pilot SoFi from up to 50 feet away.

    Also limiting the usefulness of traditional AUVs is the risk of collision. With the outside made of soft silicone (硅树脂) rubber and flexible plastic that keeps its inbuilt electronics dry, SoFi poses no such danger. "Collision avoidance often leads to unnecessary movement, since the robot has to settle for a collision-free path", says Rus. "In contrast, a SoFi robot is not only more likely to survive a collision but also could use it as information to form a more workable movement plan next time around."

    During test dives, SoFi moved alongside the ocean life at depths of 50 feet for up to 40 minutes at a time, taking photos and making videos. The researchers say sometimes the fish would swim a- longside the strange-looking robot-fish out of curiosity, while at other times they took no notice of its existence.

    While SoFi presently only records video, future versions will include sensors. The researchers also hope to make it more autonomous. "We imagine someday it might help us uncover more secrets from the amazing underwater world that we know so little about," says Rus.

    "Post-truth" was chosen by Oxford Dictionaries as the Word of the Year 2016. Indeed, digital misinformation is on the rise and it is hard for people to distinguish.

    Before the dawn of the Internet, Canadians regularly turned to trusting their preferred newspapers or radio stations for the latest news.  It's now coming at you from so many different sources that you need to take responsibility for what you're seeing.

    Experts recommend relying on a range of sources instead of just one, but looking into them first.  For example, the people connected where they're based, and their intention. A lack of information is certainly a warning.

    Next, learning to recognize misinformation is important. False news spreads mostly through social media. So if you're looking at news on Facebook, you have to handle it in a wiser way. Is it from a well-informed relative or a friend who regularly expresses extreme views? And whatever you do, only by clicking through can you see whether the information is accurate.

     It has no limits in achieving that goal, so it plays on feelings and uses improper language. Therefore, if you feel excited to share something immediately, that's the time you should stop and ask, "Is it accurate?" If we all take that extra little pause, we'll be able to stop this false thing from spreading.

A. Sources that are reliable tell you about themselves.

B. Fortunately, there are some simple ways to tell facts from fiction.

C. Consider who's sharing it if it's not posted directly from the source.

D. Today 42% of them use social media at least once a day to get their news.

E. Someone sets up "Hot Global News", hoping the ad dollars would pour in.

F. False news is designed to seek attention in order to sell ads or make an idea public.

G. Evaluating sources and getting reliable news is important in the age of misinformation.

    A Florids woman walked into a Publix supermarket last week. She asked a(n)1  ques­tion at the bakery counter, “Are there any first-birthday cakes scheduled for 2 over the weekend?

    Nick DeClemente, who works at the store, was initially 3 by the request. He then asked if the woman had any 4 person in mind. To his surprise, she didn't.

    The woman said, "No, I want to pay for one anonymously (匿名),"

    Minutes later, she started to burst into 5. She then explained to him that her baby was born 6 one year ago and she wanted to 7 his memory by paying for another 1-year-old's birthday cake.

    "I was a little lost for words just because of the deep 8 I developed for her," DeClemente recalled. He 9a pile of cake orders and picked out an order for a birthday cake for a 1-year-old boy named David. The buttercream topped sheet cake, which 10 at least 20 people, cost $32.99. The woman 11 agreed to pay.

    “She told me, “Thank you, and 12 that I let her do this," DeClemente said” "I hope that this lady finds 13 through this gift and that the customer receiving this gift will pay it 14, "“I told her how much it made my 15 especially because I have a little boy on the way and wished her many 16." DeClemente said, explaining he was standing by the stores front door as she was 17.

    The dad-to-be said he never got her name nor did he get a 18 to explain to the customer whose cake was paid for the story behind the 19 gesture — but he hopes their paths 20 again.

    The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB), the (eight) wonder for the 21st century, opened on the morning of October 24th, 2018. The bridge links three areas, making much more convenient to travel from one to another. Since opening, the three-hour drive Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao (shorten) to 30 minutes.

    The project involved more than 400 new patents, broke seven world records, and featured (independent) developed key techniques and design. After an 8-year struggle, the success of the HZMB achieves several generations have been dreaming of, and amazes the whole world with its demonstration of perfect skills and high-level Chinese standards. The bridge is intended to be (rely) for more than 120 years. From the Belt and Road Initiative to "Created in China", there is always a group of people (provide) strong technical support for each of the country's huge projects. From the beginning in December 2009 to the day of the official opening, all (walk) of life made great contributions to the design and construction of HZMB, contributing " (wise) of China".

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号Λ，并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。

修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：⑴每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

⑵只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分

    Yesterday, my friend Meyer and I went to a cafeteria close to that I live. It turned out to be one of the most unforgettable experience I had ever had.

    Small although it is, the cafeteria is very popular in our area. Upon arriving at the crowded cafeteria, we spot a large sign hanging on the wall reads: "Watch Your Hat and Overcoat.^”

    Meyer did. He kept turning all time, almost choking on his food. I kept on eating, with thought of my own coat on the hook. Final I couldn't help but say," You, stupid boy, stop to watching our coats. "

    "I'm only watching mine, replied Meyer." You has been gone for over half an hour."

1）表达意愿；2）自荐理由；3）恳请获准。

注意：1）词数100左右；2）可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。

参考词汇：讲解员interpreter

Dear Mr. Jason,

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua