A
About three hours after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas as a Category ( 级 别 ) 4 storm, it was downgraded to a Category 3 storm after winds decreased to 125 mph from maximum winds of 130 mph.
Harvey also made a second landfall on the northeastern shore of Copano Bay around the time it was downgraded.
The storm is the strongest to hit the state in decades, with serious flooding expected. The last Category 4 storm to hit the U.S. was Charley in 2004 in Florida, while the last Category 4 storm to hit Texas was Carla in 1961.
Residents staying in the area madly stocked up on(备足) food, water and gas, while others heading out of the storm's path boarded up windows and doors of their homes and businesses.
Airlines canceled flights, schools were closed while concerts and other planned events in Houston and coastal cities were postponed.
The hurricane's effects are expected to last for days, with heavy rainfall through next week estimated to be as high as 40 inches in some areas.
The National Weather Service warned Harvey could bring a potentially destroying storm surges( 风 暴 潮 ), heavy rainfall and wind hazards( 危 害 ) to the Lone Star State's coast. A tornado watch is in effect for areas of southeastern Texas and southwest Louisiana.
Life-threatening storm surge waters could reach 9 to 13 feet above ground level. Destroying flooding is expected across parts of the area. And rainfall will be heavy, with an estimated 15 to 30 inches of rain falling in many areas and as high as 40 inches in some from today through Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
B
Asking for salary history provides an easy way to sort applicants into an employer's desired price range and helps the employer calculate the lowest offer that will still attract a candidate. But an increasing number of U.S. states and cities agree there ought to be a law against it. Massachusetts, Philadelphia, New York City and Puerto Rico have banned salary history questions on applications and in interviews.
Why? Because when it comes to a candidate's suitability for a job, salary history is a subjective (主观的) and often misleading indicator — and it may most affect ＂the people who have already been illegally treated,＂ says Katie Donovan, a salary negotiation coach and one of the authors of the Massachusetts law.
Candidates who start their careers underpaid because of the gender (性别) or race wage gap, a bad economy or a cheap boss finds that this lowball (虚报低价) figure continues to weigh them down throughout their career. At the same time, senior victims of layoffs have difficulty being hired because employers assume they're not interested in senior victims.
In an interview, you can avoid talking about salary history questions by turning the discussion to what you're looking to make.
Donovan recommends a method similar to what you're already doing: Enter $0.00, or some other number that is clearly intended not to cheat, but to oppose.
Of course, there's always a risk doing so because it will cost you opportunities. But Ronda Wakefield, owner of NW MT HR Solutions, says that when she receives an application with an obviously false salary history, she'll still follow up if the candidate interests her. ＂I personally don't want to miss out on a great candidate because they didn't want to answer the question directly,＂ she says.
C
The main aim is a fully autonomous car that gets rid of the cause of most accidents: the driver, Hodgson points out, ＂For the sake of safety, the faster you can remove humans, the better, even if there are unfortunately a few accidents from new causes. It's a question of balancing the number injured or killed by autonomous vehicles with the people whose lives are potentially saved.＂
It's a theme that Elon Musk, head of electric car company Tesla Motors, has long supported. His company is determined to be the first to deliver a fully autonomous vehicle to consumers. Last year, Musk announced that Tesla's 2017 goal was ＂to do a demonstration ( 示 范 ) drive of full autonomy all the way from LA to New York...and have the car park itself.＂
However, even Tesla admits that there are problems to overcome — the software needs further confirmation and the appropriate regulatory (监管的) approval needs to be in place. Indeed, recent crashes of Tesla vehicles and Google cars confirm that the software isn't ready yet.
The UK government appears determined to encourage the development of autonomous vehicles. It's supporting four city trials, publishing the Modern Transport Bill to reduce red tape around their introduction and adapting the legal system to take into account issues such as insurance liability when a human isn't in control of a vehicle.
The insurance industry is similarly keen to promote increasing autonomy in cars. As the Association of British Insurers (ABI) points out: ＂More than 90 per cent of road accidents are attributed to human errors.＂ This costs motor insurers a surprising £20 per day in claims.
How to improve your happiness
Recent research has shown that people who value their time over the pursuit of wealth are happier. So how can you best make, save and use your time — and ensure you keep a smile on your face?
● Pay someone to do the housework you hate
Why waste precious hours on housework or gardening if you can get someone else to do it?
● Set time limits on tasks you can't avoid
Give yourself 20 minutes for necessary cleaning or 10 to hang out the washing.
● Enjoy standing in that queue
With three people in front of you at the checkout, think about how busy you usually are and see the wait as a gift, not a bore(烦人的事情).
● Take on one new activity at a time
At work and at home, be careful about the duties you take on. If you already feel stressed at work, don't do more at home.
● Learn to say no
Be firm by declining a new project, or telling someone you can't talk right now or that you can only talk for a couple of minutes.
● Make lists your friend
Start a wish list of the things you'd like to do and do more of the items that simply make you feel happy. Keep your daily to-do list manageable by putting it on an index card.
A. Be friendly but firm.
B. Make sure you start with an easy task.
C. This will get boring jobs out of the way faster.
D. Intending to do several things at once can be tiring.
E. Think about things that interest you, or wait patiently.
F. Trying to master too many new things at once can be unpleasing.
G. Recall things you're grateful for, talk to another customer or read a magazine.
At a battle, we walked slowly through the wet grass, our eyes searching for the enemy. 1, machine gun fire broke the 2. We hit the ground,3from the shots by a low stone wall a few feet ahead.
My radioman called the commander to 4as I ordered two soldiers to help me locate and knock out the 5. While I crouched( 屈 膝 ) on one knee to talk to my guys, I heard an explosion — and then I was on my6.
＂Jack! Jack! You've been 7!＂ the radioman shouted.
Two rescuers tied me to a stretcher (担架). In an aid station, a doctor put a bandage (绷带) over my8 knee. Some time later came a nurse's shout, ＂Wake up, Jack! You've got to get on a9— you're flying to a hospital in England!＂
I became 10 . All my possessions lay in a11pile of equipment. I could12everything after the war except the photo of my new bride, Ellen, which I13carried with me.
＂I'm not going until I14my wife's picture again, ＂ I said. ＂It's in the gas mask cover you15 from me.＂
I knew the nurse could 16me go, but instead she said, ＂OK, I'll see if I can find it,＂ then17out to search through the piles. Finally she came running 18back. ＂I've got it!＂ she shouted, waving the picture in her hand.
How she found it I'll never 19, but I'm glad she did. That photograph comforted me through20 times. Now, 69 years later, it sits on my bedside table.
Snakes are just about the most frightening thing in the world, according to Dr. Henry Walton Jones Jr. The only thing (bad) than a snake you can see is a snake you can't see, however. And thanks the photos Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers offer, you can experience the latter horror from the comfort of almost anywhere else besides the placethat snake is.
The snake-like animals' removal(移动) and relocation(serve) from Queensland, Australia posted a challenge to its 51,000 some-odd fans(find) the snake in the photo.
Any luck? The photo shows that this particular backyard seems likeregular ＂I Spy＂ book for snakes, so it's understandable if they are still looking hard. The snake is actually in the top right corner, (hide) in the crook(藤条) between the two fences.
Fear of snakes (call) ＂Ophidiophobia＂(蛇恐怖症) or ＂being a rational person＂. People are afraid of a lot of odd things, though.
This fun little puzzle proves to just be further evidence that Australia is a(terrible) dangerous place where everything (try) to eat you. We'll just stick to trying to find turtles in flowers, thank you very much.
1). 参观学生上课情况；
2). 参观学生课外活动情况和实验室；
3). 与教师和学生交流；
4). 合影留念以留下美好回忆。
注意：1). 词数 80 左右；
2). 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3). 参考词汇：实验室 lab；交流 exchange；回忆 recall Dear Tom,
Dear Tom,
Looking forward to meeting you at your school.
Yours,
Li Hua
Want to know how to survive a plane crash? What about a terrorist attack? To put your mind at ease in nearly any situation, you can almost guarantee your survival if you never leave the house without 3 necessary items, i.e. a lighter(打火机), a lifestraw(救命吸管) and a raincoat.
Right off the place full of danger, your first instinct(本能) might be to search for help the minute you realize you're in trouble. But survival experts insist you should stay where you are until help finds you, instead; doing so will make it easier for the search and rescue teams to locate your location.
What should you do until then, you ask? Prepare to hunker down(盘腿坐下) for the long run. That's where your three pieces of survival necessities come into play, Stewart says.
For one, you should have something to start a fire on you at all times. Fire-starting tools are inexpensive to purchase, and you can easily carry them around in a backpack or pant pocket. But even without a fancy item, all you really need is something to light the first flame.
＂You can use cotton balls covered in petroleum jelly(凡士林油) as a fire starter,＂ Stewart told USA TODAY. ＂They are water resistant and will start a fire with just a spark.＂
Second, you'll need something to make your drinking water fit to drink, such as a canteen(饭盒) that can boil water. Stewart recommends buying a $20 lifestraw, which ＂can be struck into the muddiest pool of water you can find and you suck the water out like a straw.＂ Any doubt? It could still save your life, Stewart says.
＂I always say that your life depends on your water source,＂ he said. …
You can keep all three items with you when you are away from your home. …
注意：1). 所续写短文的词数应为 150 左右；
2). 应使用 5 个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3). 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头词或句子已为你写好；
4). 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
