Songkran

Duration: from April 12 to 15, 2020 in Phuket (The dates vary depending on the regions).

Location: Songkran is the Thai New Year. The entire country gets a lot of days off, and most Thai people will be going back home to celebrate Songkran with their families. Just expect a lot of traffic jams on the road as everyone is out on pick-up trucks, throwing water at each other.

Details: Staring in the early morning on April 13th, the water ceremony will take many forms. Initially, you are only supposed to sprinkle (洒) your family with a tiny cup of water at home. It’s good luck. Then you sprinkle a statue of Buddha very respectfully and do a little pray.

Later in the morning, the game starts to change. Because this is the hottest time of the year, sprinkling each other with water is a lot of fun. Add a little beer to that and Songkran turns into a country-wide water war.

It starts rather gently in Phuket Town around 10 am, turning to water dogfights (混战) in the afternoon in Patong, Kata and Karon, and ends full-scale wet war zone in Bangla Road until late at night.

Survival Tips:

★ Don’t drive a bike if you can avoid it. It’s slippery and the tendency to close eyes when water is thrown at you is dangerous.
★ Get a waterproof camera
★ Be aware of major traffic jams in towns, mostly in Patong Beach.
★ Don’t carry anything that doesn’t resist water.
★ Don’t wear expensive clothing.
★ Be aware of the sun!
★ Have fun! Don’t take it too seriously, it’s good.
1. Why do traffic jams happen during Sognkran?

A．The road is slippery.

B．The entire country gets a lot of days off.

C．The people are throwing water at each other.

D．Everyone is sprinkling his family on the road.

2. What’s the first step to celebrate Songkran?

A．Doing a little pray.	B．Sprinkling a statue of Buddha.
C．Sprinkling family with a little water.	D．Sprinkling each other with much beer.

3. Which of the following is recommended during Songkran?

A．Carrying an umbrella.	B．Wearing cheap clothes.
C．Bringing some cash.	D．Riding a bicycle

Four days of fun, sun and celebrities, as well as networking, career workshops and mentoring (指导), were in store for two Long Island teens chosen to take part in the 12th annual Disney Dreamers Academy (DDA) at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Chosen from thousands of applicants, Tianna Gonzales of Lake Grove and Kaiya Simmons of Miller Place were part of a group of 100 young people who marched in the Magic Kingdom parade and made conversation with Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth Carter and actor Miles Brown.

Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Kaiya Simmons, 14, moved to Miller Place at the age of 3. A ninth grader at Miss Porter School in Farmington, Connecticut, Kaiya says she enjoys acting, art and science and is currently studying environmental science. “It is fun learning about the environment and different ways to help protect it,” Kaiya says, adding, “I am also learning different techniques to improve my acting on stage and in film.” After high school, Kaiya hopes to attend Yale University and undertake a career as a doctor.

Tianna Gonzales, a 10th grader at Sachem North High School, is interested in psychology and music and plays saxophone (an instrument) for the school’s marching band, orchestra and band. Other school activities include track, Model United Nations, foreign language and art club honor societies. “Once I graduate, I plan to undertake a career in the film world, hopefully attending New York University or New York Film Academy,” she says. “Through storytelling, we can shape this century to be an even stronger attraction for societal change.”

The Disney Dreamers Academy is aimed at helping to inspire young people during a critical time of their development, “Our goal is to help them see the unlimited possibilities and to inspire them to achieve their full purpose—to become the heroes of their own stories,” says Tracey D. Powell, vice president of Walt Disney World Resort.

4. What can we know about the two Long Island teens?

A．They experienced four days of fun in a store.

B．They communicated closely with two celebrities.

C．They took part in a costume design competition.

D．They’re recognized as celebrities by the 12th annual DDA.

5. What is Kaiya’s dream after graduating?

A．To become a movie actress.	B．To study environmental science further.
C．To take up a profession as a doctor.	D．To return to her hometown Miller Place.

6. What can best describe Tianna?

A．Creative and serious.	B．Ambitious and responsible.
C．Straightforward but friendly.	D．Determined but conservative.

7. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To introduce the aim of the DDA.

B．To summarize the previous paragraphs.

C．To encourage more teens to take part in the DDA.

D．To provide information about the participants of the DDA.

The rebuilt Notre Dame (巴黎圣母院) could feature a futuristic glass design, solar power, and an urban farm that supports vulnerable and homeless Parisians, if one architecture firm’s vision is realized. In April, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced an international competition for architects to redesign the cathedral’s 19th century spire (尖顶), which fell down after a fire destroyed the 850-year-old Gothic landmark. Paris firm Vincent Callebaut Architectures (VCA) responded to the call with an eco-friendly design that supports the local population and produces more energy than it uses.

The Vincent Callebaut (VC) project is titled “Palingenesis”, a Greek concept of rebirth or recreation. The film proposes a new roof made of galss, oak and carbon fiber, which connects “in one single curved stroke of pencil” to the sloping spire. The rooster which topped the original spire, regained front the remains after the fire, will resume its watch from the new glass design, while the cathedral’s choir will be “bathed in natural light”.

Beneath the spire, the roof will host a fruit and vegetable farm run by charities and volunteers, in order to produce free food for vulnerable local people. “Up to 21 tons of fruits and vegetables could be harvested and directly redistributed for free each year,” the firm said in a press release. “To that end, a farmers’ market would be held every week on the forecourt of Notre Dame.” The roof and spire will also produce electricity, heat and ventilation (air circulation) for the cathedral: an “organic active layer” within the glass will provide solar power, while the roof’s diamond-shaped “scales” will open to offer natural ventilation—a design inspired by termite mounds (白蚁丘). The spire will at as a space in which hot air accumulates in winter.

“How can we write the contemporary history of our country, but also that of science, art and spirituality together?” the firm said in a press release. “We seek to present a supreme project, a symbol of a lively and ecological future.” If the Vincent Callebaut design is selected, the firm said, the reborn Notre Dame will define “the new face of the Church in the 21st century”, presenting “a fairer symbiotic relationship between humans and nature.”

8. What can be learned about the design of Notre Dame by VCA?

A．It is focused on the theme of “green”.

B．It gets the most local support than the others.

C．It can recover Notre Dame’s original appearance.

D．It is from the most famous architect around the world.

9. What does the underlined part “resume its watch” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Be made of high-tech materials.	B．Show people the right time again.
C．Be removed and placed somewhere else.	D．Overlook Notre Dame again at its original place.

10. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The inspiration of the design.	B．The function of the roof and the spire.
C．A detailed introduction of the VCA project.	D．The symbol of Notre Dame for the local people.

11. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The future of the new Notre Dame looks black.

B．The proposal for the Notre Dame has been approved.

C．The VCA is confident about winning the competition.

D．The new design of Notre Dame will be a mix of history, science and art.

Innovation(创新) comes from environments where ideas can connect. So what kind of environment does an epidemic(传染病) create when it comes to quickening innovation? This is the very question a new information chart from Top Masters looks to answer. According to the report, ground- breaking innovations have come despite the tragic effect of epidemics throughout history. This is a timely report because people are coming up with some innovative ideas to address many of the challenges brought on by COVID-19.

As epidemics go, the Black Death of the 1300% was extremely shocking. The plague(瘟疫) as it is also known, wiped out up to 60% of the population in Europe. According to the report, it was responsible for changing the economic and social structure of Europe and the creation of a middle class.

There were other outbreaks of the plague in England later on. In 1592, London faced an outbreak that shut down theaters for six months, This led Shakespeare to start writing poetry to make a living. And it was during this time that he wrote Venus and Adonis, and The Rape of Lucre. Another plague in 1606 also closed the theatres in London, and this time Shakespeare wrote King Lear and Macbeth.

In the US, the Boston smallpox epidemic of 1721 led to the spread of variolation(天花接种) which was responsible for reducing the death rate from 14% to2%，2s well as the first steps towards vaccines.

COVID-19 is causing serious damage around the world. And although the death rate is nowhere close, the economic impact has been overwhelming. On the negative side, it has highlighted may of the shortcoming in the healthcare industry as nurses and doctors battled virus unfortunately underequipped.

With increased connectivity and technology, innovators around the world have responded by making the equipment that healthcare workers desperately need Today’s innovators are addressing ventilator(呼吸机) shortages by using 3D printers and designing simpler ventilators; companies are making washable and reusable masks; app are tracking the virus and fighting the spread of misinformation.

12. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?

A．Epidemics can promote creative ideas.	B．Creative ideas can influence epidemics.
C．Innovation exists in any environment.	D．Epidemics have more negative effects on the environment.

13. According to the passage, what effect did epidemics have in history?

A．The death rate was decreased.	B．European economy was improved.
C．Shakespeare changed his writing focus.	D．The Boston smallpox killed 14% of the population.

14. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．The COVID- 19 will soon be wiped out.

B．Medical workers are making equipment.

C．Healthcare equipment has been made in large quantities.

D．Innovators rely on technology to solve medical problems.

15. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Epidemics Speed Up Innovation	B．Innovation Changes the Economy
C．Epidemics Damage the Environment	D．Innovators Prevent COVID-19