修改时间：2024-07-31 浏览次数：276 类型：期中考试
Chef Zhang Xuesi lowered the fire on the stove where he was cooking his Cantonese meal. He added all the necessary foods. He quickly lowered the fire and turned toward a phone camera as hundreds of people watched him online. "It ruins the dish if you burn the breadcrumbs," he advised his livestream video watchers.
Many people in China are restricted to their homes in the effort to stop the spread of coronavirus. Millions of them are finding a new interest in cooking. People watching television and online cooking shows are learning how to make Chinese and Western foods. They are also pushing up the sale of special cookware on online markets. Downloads of the top five recipe apps doubled in February, said research company Sensor Tower.
Billibilli said it has had more than 580 million views of its cooking videos in the two months since the coronavirus began to spread in China. Another online cooking show producer DayDayCook told Reuters its numbers of new users increased 200 percent from January to February. A recipe for bean curd and shrimp received the most watchers.
This group is used to eating out or getting food delivery. Now these people are cooking at home. Wu Shuang is a 30-year-old who works and lives in Beijing. She was among those trapped at home in February. She says she spent a lot of time online, learning how to make bread and other foods.
Chef Zhang Xuesi explained that many of his online viewers expressed interest in discussing more than just food. In the past, users were only interested in learning cooking tricks, but now we talk about all kinds of subjects.
Even as a bush fire threatened the rural Australian community, Gary Wilson and his partner Julie Willis decided not to flee their wooden house.
The two had a home full of baby kangaroos to protect. More than 10 of the baby kangaroos — called joeys — stayed safe inside fabric pouches (育儿袋) that hung in the couple's living room. Each piece of cloth looked like the opening in which mother kangaroos carry their young. Wilson and Willis have taken care of wild animals before. Recently, full-grown kangaroos and other wildlife that had left their care long ago came back to the house in search of protection as the fires grew nearer. "We had too many animals in the house and around the house so we really couldn't go," Wilson said. "We decided we were going to stay and fight." Their home is now surrounded by burned land and vehicles.
Wilson and Willis defended their home with fire extinguishers (灭火器) and water pumps. Their house also had a special device on top that sprayed water on hot ashes falling on the roof.
Good preparation and good luck helped the building stay safe. And the animals have survived. But the fire killed two of Wilson's neighbors. "It was a horrible thing." Wilson said.
Willis said, "It's not until after the fires when it really hits you how close you were to dying..." While Wilson and Willis usually care for joeys that are rescued after their mothers are struck by vehicles, they are now welcoming an increasing number of fire orphans.
She said, "We didn't have children ourselves; this is what we spend our time doing. We think it's worthy — a worthy cause — looking after our babies no matter what they are..."
Attending a live musical performance in a huge sports center with lots of supporters of the musician is exciting. Even in a theatre, a skilled performer can provide a great show. Here in the U.S., a very different kind of performance space is gaining in popularity.
Singer-songwriter Annalise Emerick is getting ready to play a show. It is something she does most nights in bars, and other small spaces across the country. But tonight, the setting is even smaller. Ms. Emerick will play for a few people in Kristina Shulz's home.
Ms. Shulz has been holding such performances in her home for about four years. As many as 30 people have attended past shows. The crowd is usually a mix of family, friends and neighbors. But some strangers might show up, too. The performances are listed on house concert websites. "We've done rock, we've had blues, we've had pop, folk...pretty much anything...anything we'll have here." she said.
House concerts have become an importance part of Annalise Emerick's earnings." I can play a bar for 100 dollars, but I can play a house concert and if there are 50 people and they all paying $20 I'm having a great night. And they're all buying CDs. It's amazing."
Ms. Emerick says house concert audiences tend to make more supportive fans. They follow her career, buy her new releases, and go to her shows when she is in town.
"There's just a totally unique experience as opposed to playing like a coffee shop or a bar or something like that where people are usually there, but you don't always know if they're there for you."
Charlie Dahan teaches music management courses. He used to organize shows for artists. Mr. Dahan says house concerts can be financially risky for artists.
"The downside for the artists is that most house concerts don't pay guarantees. In fact, most house concerts by law are not allowed to charge admission. Most of them can only do a suggested donation." On the other hand, he says house concerts can help fill an artist's performance calendar and build a loyal following.
Annalise Emerick says she has played in some homes so often the owners have become close friends. And that's been really nice for her.
To joke around is to have fun with someone. To fool someone is to try to make them believe something that is not true.
April 1st is known as the day to fool people with practical jokes, pranks or harmless tricks.
Some say April Fools' Day began as one big mistake.
Many centuries ago, people in the Western world used the Julian calendar. However, when people began using the Gregorian calendar, the New Year was moved to January 1st. Those who forgot the change and tried to celebrate New Year's Day on the wrong date were teased and called “April fools”. This is just one of the many theories behind the origin of April Fools' Day.
The fool is a common character in art, music and literature. William Shakespeare is famous for his fools. And fools make for great pop songs. Fools are found in many words, expressions and proverbs. To be foolhardy means to do something that are too dangerous or risky. For example, it is foolhardy to hike up a mountain during a heavy snowstorm. If something is foolproof, it is planned or made so well that nothing could go wrong.
"Look, I don't want to get into trouble. This plan of yours sounds risky."
"My plan is foolproof. Nothing will go wrong as long as you do exactly as I say."
A. Not even a fool could mess it up.
B. And that is the purpose of April Fools' Day.
C. They celebrated the New Year on April 1st.
D. Even a smart person can be a fool at times.
E. But the tradition remains the same—to fool someone.
F. Fools also find themselves in many proverbs.
G. But how did this tradition begin?
As a young man, Aaron was a skilled artist, a porter. He had a wife and two fine sons. One night, his older son developed a stomachache. Thinking it was some 1 disorder, neither Aaron nor his wife took the condition very seriously. But the illness was actually severe and the boy 2 suddenly that night.
The son's death could have been prevented if he had only 3the seriousness of the situation! Aaron's emotional health got 4 under the heavy burden of his guilt (内疚). What's worse, his wife left him a short time later, leaving him alone with his six-year-old younger son. The hurt and pain of the two situations were more than Aaron could handle, and he 5 alcohol (酒精) to help him cope. In time Aaron became an alcoholic (酗酒者).
As the alcoholism (酗酒) 6, Aaron began to lose everything he possessed — his home, his land, his art objects, everything. 7, Aaron died alone in a San Francisco motel room.
When I heard of Aaron's death, I reacted like most people who show no respect for one ending his life with nothing material to show for it. "What a complete failure!" I thought. "What a 8life!"
As time went by, I began to reevaluate my earlier cold 9. You see, I knew Aaron's now adult son, Ernie. He has a family and he is one of the kindest, most caring, most loving men I have ever known. I watched Ernie with his 10. I saw the free flow of 11 between them. I knew that kindness and caring had to come from somewhere.
I hadn't heard Ernie talk much about his father. It is so hard to 12an alcoholic. One day I worked up my courage to 13 him. "I'm really 14by something," I said. "I know your father was basically the only one to 15 you. What on earth did he do that you became such a special person?"
Ernie sat quietly and thought for a few moments. Then he said, "From my earliest memories as a child until I left home at 18, Aaron came into my room every night, gave me a 16 and said, 'love you, son.'"
Tears came to my eyes as I realized what a fool I had been to judge Aaron as a(n) 17. He had not 18 any material possessions to his son. But he had been a kind loving 19. He 20one of the finest, most giving men I have ever known.
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