【推荐1】“The past is a different country, they do things differently there,” L.P. Hartley wrote in one of his best-known novels, The Go-Between. To the British novelist, the past was irrelevant. And one of my Asian students once told me “I have no interest in the past. I’m only interested in the present and the future.” I have to disagree. “The past” is a very interesting country, and the more we know about it, the more we will be able to understand the present and thus, prepare ourselves for the future.

An ideal place, as I see it, that can allow us to look back on the past is the museum. I prefer to visit museums as if you are sitting in the same room with some of the greatest men in history. While no museums can claim to offer a complete picture of human history, the lessons we can learn from the events and wonders of the past are of great value.

Thanks to modern technology, museums are being transformed from places of looking and learning to spaces of participation and interaction. A large number of immersive(沉浸式)multi-media displays, which allow visitors to engage with its exhibits during their visit, play a big part at the Shanghai Natural History Museum.

The rise in technology has also made museums more accessible than ever. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, traditional museums have started to think outside of the box in order to create new ways for visitors to experience their collections online. It is definitely good news for those who are fascinated by museums but are struggling to actually go there. However, you shouldn’t expect to get the same experience that an in-person visit would provide, at least, that is, for now.

International Museum Day is observed on May 18 every year. This is a quick reminder that you should always spare some time to visit museums and appreciate the “must-see ‘em’ ” things that are an important part of the cultural heritage of humankind.

1. What does the writer think of “the past”?

A．Different.

B．Unrelated.

C．Significant.

D．Understandable.

2. Why is the museum an ideal place to look back on the past?

A．It’s where the great minds once sat.

B．It’s where to learn and reflect.

C．It’s where to learn about previous events.

D．It’s where to appreciate ancient wonders.

3. What does “outside of the box way” in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Allowing more in-person visits.	B．Showing a complete picture of history.
C．Adding multi-media displays.	D．Offering online exhibits.

4. Which could be the best title for the text?

A．Technology Revives Museums	B．Observe International Museum Day
C．Museums Are “Must-see ‘ems’ ”	D．Visit Museums In-person or Online

【推荐2】If you’ve never heard of a biophilic city (亲自然城市) before, you probably will soon — there’s a growing movement emerging globally.

A biophilic city is a city where the planning and design largely integrate the natural world into the daily lives of residents. It’s based on the idea that humans have a deep love for nature and desire to connect with nature.

“We describe the vision of biophilic cities as immersive (沉浸式的) nature — nature is not just something to be found in a park here and there that you have to walk to, but rather we need to reimagine the city as a park, or as a forest,” says Tim Beatley, a professor of sustainable communities. “There is a renewed (更新的) appreciation for how essential nature is in cities and how it can help to make them more beautiful places,” Beatley says. “We know, for instance, that cities face great pressures from climate change — a key response must be nature and nature-based solutions, such as cooling cities with trees and urban forests.”

Beatley’s colleague, Peter Newman, a professor of sustainability, says he has devoted nearly 50 years to activism, research and teaching how to make cities more sustainable. He made a film with Beatley, called “Singapore: Biophilic City”.

Singapore is seen as an exceptional biophilic city. “In our film we show how biophilic values began with the first Prime Minister of Singapore saying that the environment in the city was as important as the economy,” says Newman, who got the idea of making the film after he spent some time in Singapore teaching a course. “Singapore is one of the best examples in showing that you can accommodate city development and population growth and also actually protect nature as well,” says Newman. Greenery is woven throughout the city, not only in many parks, but integrated even into the design of tall buildings.

“Singapore has now officially changed its motto from ‘Singapore, Garden City’ to ‘Singapore, a City in a Garden’,” says Beatley.

1. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 2?

A．To explain a concept.	B．To put forward an idea.
C．To provide an example.	D．To introduce a general rule.

2. What can we infer from Beatley’s words in Paragraph 3?

A．Parks in cities need to be renewed.

B．Biophilic cities face many problems.

C．It is difficult to imagine a city as a park.

D．Nature should be a key factor in city planning.

3. What does Newman’s film mainly focus on?

A．The unforgettable experience in Singapore.

B．The rise of tall green buildings in Singapore.

C．Why Singapore chooses to be a biophilic city.

D．How Singapore balances the economy and the environment.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．Singapore: a garden city	B．Turning cities into gardens
C．The future of biophilic cities	D．Nature: a solution to climate change

【推荐1】Hipster Greenport: 4 places to eat, shop and visit

Greenport may date back to the 1630s, but it’s feeling pretty of-the-moment right now. Here are four places that embody the old-meets-new energy of the village:

Claudio’s

If you’ve been to Greenport, you can’t miss Claudio’s — it’s where generations of Long Islanders have made a tradition of eating, whether inside the main restaurant or at the floating dock-bar. The new owners have added fresh elements: Baccano Pizza by Nino, which offers a variety of slices and pies until as late as 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays — is right by the dock entrance.

Little Creek Oyster Farm & Market

It’s little spots like this that tell the current Greenport story. There’s no sign or advertising for this tiny house changed from the cabin of an old ship that’s practically hidden down Bootlegger’s Alley near Mitchell Park. But there they are — streams of people who come to enjoy the fresh oysters while drinking local craft beer, with a waterside view.

The Times Vintage

Nostalgia (怀旧) for bygone times runs high in this 1909 building, which once served as the base for the Suffolk Times newspaper. These days, this well-designed shop sells vinyl records (黑胶唱片) and loads of old-fashioned clothing and home decoration items including mid-century highball sets.

Greenport Fire

Heat comes in many forms and several are sold here — hot sauces, cigars and candles. Consult the chalkboard for the current sauce offerings or browse cigars such as a hand-rolled Honduran Leaf by Oscar or the Gurkha Cellar Reserve made with 18-year-aged tobacco.

1. What’s special about Greenport?

A．It is a place full of energy.

B．It is a famous port in the world.

C．It is a combination of new and old.

D．It is a popular place of interest.

2. What can you do in The Times Vintage?

A．You can enjoy delicious oysters.

B．You can buy some old things.

C．You can find hand-rolled cigars.

D．You can have Baccano Pizza.

3. If you are a smoker, you may be interested in _________.

A．Claudio’s

B．Little Creek Oyster

C．Greenport Fire

D．The Times Vintage

【推荐2】Sagrada Familia (2,056,448 visits/year)

Opening hours: 09:00—18:00 (October—March); 09:00—20:00 (April—September) Admission: $ 11, or $ 10 with the Barcelona Card.

Disabled Access: Yes.

The temple has been under construction since 1882 and they’ve still got another 30 to 80 years to go before it is finished. The project’s vast scale and its special design have made it one of Barcelona’s top tourist attractions for many years.

La Pedrera (1,133,220 visits/year)

Opening hours: November—February: 09:00—18:30; March—October: 09:00—20:00

Admission: $ 9.50. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.

Disabled Access: No.

This building used to be called Casa Mila but nowadays it’s more commonly known as La Pedrera. It is a unique modernist building in Barcelona and was made of bricks and had colorful tiles (瓦). It was built between 1906 and 1912 by famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (1852—1926) and in 1984 it was declared a UNESCO World Her it age site with other Gaudi buildings in Barcelona.

Barcelona FC Museum (1,032,763 visits/year)

Opening hours: 6th April—4th October: (Monday to Saturday) 10:00—20:00; the rest of the year: 10:00—18:30

Admission: $ 8.50 for entry to the museum and $ 17 for a guided tour.

Disabled Access: Yes.

When you buy your ticket you have two options. You can buy a ticket for the museum to see the football stadium or you can buy a dual (双的) ticket for $ 15 where you get to see the museum and the scenes at the club.

Miro Museum (518,869 visits/year)

Opening hours: Check the website for details as they vary relying on the time of the year. Admission: $ 8. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.

Disabled Access: Yes.

This museum has a wide range of Miro’s works dating back as far as 1914. This art work collection not only includes his paintings but also a good selection of sculptures.

1. Which of the following attractions is the most popular with people?

A．Sagrada Familia	B．La Pedrera
C．Barcelona FC Museum	D．Miro Museum

2. What do we know about the tourist attractions mentioned in the passage?

A．Sagrada Familia is the largest building in Barcelona.

B．La Pedrera is well-known for its colorful material.

C．Barcelona FC Museum may attract football fans.

D．Miro Museum was built in 1914.

3. If you visit the stadium and the club with a tour guide in Barcelon a FC Museum, you should
pay ____ .

A．$ 25.5

B．$ 32

C．$ 42.5

D．$ 34

4. What do the attractions have in common?

A．They are all famous for their architectural style.

B．They are available for the disabled people.

C．Their opening hours are changeable in different seasons.

D．Tourists can have a discount of 20% with the Barcelona Card.

5. Where is the passage probably taken from?

A．A novel

B．An advertisement

C．A poster

D．Travel brochure

【推荐3】In the United States in recent years, camping has become very popular. Every summer, thousands of families leave the city behind to spend weekends and vacations outdoors. Some families take along trailers(拖车). Others load their cars with tents, small stoves, and air­filled sleeping mattresses(床垫). Then they head for one of the country's many campgrounds.

Some campgrounds offer campers little more than clean water and places to pitch their tents or park their trailers. People who go to these places like to “rough it.” Other campgrounds offer campers such comforts as electricity, outdoor fireplaces, and even showers.

In the United States, most campgrounds are publicly owned. The national parks and many national monuments and national forests have land set aside for campers. State governments also run campgrounds in state­owned parks and forests. Even countries and cities may have their own campgrounds.

A few years ago, campers could always find room to camp in a public campground. But today, government­owned campgrounds are often overcrowded. To meet the needs of the ever­growing number of campers, some businessmen are opening privately owned land to campers.

More private campgrounds are opening across the country. The campers usually pay a higher fee than they pay at government­owned grounds. But many private parks also offer more comforts. And as public parks and forests become greatly overcrowded, private campgrounds will give more people the chance to enjoy camping.

1. The story is mainly about ______.

A．new campgrounds that will give more people a chance to camp

B．the problems of running the national parks and national forests

C．how countries and cities can have their own campgrounds

D．why camping has become so popular in the USA

2. Most campgrounds are ______.

A．national monuments	B．governed by cities
C．privately owned	D．publicly owned

3. The word in the last paragraph that means “payment or charge” is “______”.

A．campgrounds	B．fee
C．comforts	D．campers

4. Which statement does the story lead you to believe?

A．Each country and city will have to build its own campgrounds.

B．All people who go camping like to “rough it”.

C．Many people who go camping live in big cities.

D．Fewer and fewer people like to camp in the country.

【推荐1】On November 27, 2020, two giant pandas, “Da Mao” and “Er Shun,” arrived in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, after finishing their stay at a Canadian zoo ahead of schedule, as the COVID-19 pandemic made their bamboo supply difficult to continue.

The two pandas were shipped from China to Canada on March 25, 2013. The original plan was that the two, Da Mao, a 4-year-old male from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan, and Er Shun, a 5-year-old female from Chongqing Zoo, would stay in Canada for 10 years under a conservation agreement between the two countries, the first five years at Toronto Zoo followed immediately by another five years at Calgary Zoo.

At present, “Da Mao” and “Er Shun” have been sent to Chongqing Municipality for quarantine, according to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

As we know, on average, each giant panda consumes about 40 kilograms of bamboo daily. The Calgary Zoo had been importing fresh bamboo from China because of the climate in Canada, but struggled to meet the pandas needs when the coronavirus grounded most flights in March.

The zoo said staff worked with the San Diego Zoo and Suncoast Nursery to arrange weekly shipments of fresh bamboo, but the process of finding the right bamboo has been expensive and time-consuming.

In May, the zoo announced it would have to return the two animals earlier than planned so that they could enjoy China’s abundant supply of fresh bamboo instead.

The zoo said on Friday that after months and months of hard work it had secured international permits to get their beloved pandas home to China.

Throughout their trip home, each panda has about 100 kilograms of bamboo to consume along with pears, apples and biscuits.

After spending five years at the Toronto Zoo, the two moved to the Calgary Zoo in March 2018 with twin babies, “Jia Panpan” and “Jia Yueyue,” which had traveled home to China in January.

        Times Nov.30, 2020

1. How many years earlier did the two pandas return to China?

A．More than two years	B．Less than two years
C．About four years	D．More than three years

2. The reason why the Calgary Zoo had been importing fresh bamboo from China may be that __________.

A．the two giant pandas come from China	B．Canada wanted to be grateful for China
C．pandas eat nothing but bamboo from China	D．the climate in Canada is unfit for bamboo to grow

3. The word “grounded” in Paragraph 4 probably means _________.

A．being based on something	B．stopping a child from going out
C．connecting something to the ground	D．preventing the flights from taking off

4. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．The two giant pandas are both 12 years old now.

B．Throughout their trip home, the two pandas only ate bamboo.

C．The two pandas’ twin babies came back to China earlier than them.

D．The two pandas are from the same Chinese zoo and stayed together in Canada.

【推荐2】Supply Primary Teachers Needed

We work with a group of ‘Good’ and ‘Excellent’ schools located across London. We are looking for excellent teachers who have a passion for teaching and are looking for new opportunities.

About Supply Teaching

Supply teaching gives you the freedom and flexibility to work at a variety of different schools. You have the option of day-to-day supply or long-term supply, which could lead to a full time employment.

You would be required to have a great understanding of the primary curriculum(课程). If you have experience, then please don’t hesitate to apply.

You would be working with students who have varied needs.

We are looking for able and devoted teachers who are able to teach and engage with the whole class while teaching.

Supply roles are great for experienced teachers and newly qualified teachers looking to gain experience.

Key Responsibilities

To teach effective lessons that inspire and lead to rapid progress from all students.

To plan and prepare effective schemes of work and lessons.

To use regular assessments to set targets for students, and monitor their progress.

To maintain regular and productive communication with students and parents.

The Perfect Candidate

Must hold a university diploma.

Able to work well within a team.

Strong understanding of the primary curriculum.

Able to create interesting and engaging lessons for students.

Deadline: Apply by Thursday, 4th January 2018 at 9 am.

Contact Us

Please don’t hesitate to contact us at ASQ Education.

If you feel like this is not quite the right role for you, please still contact us at ASQ Education, we have a variety of roles in Primary and Secondary School.

1. What main duties should a supply teacher take?

A．Plan, prepare and teach effective lessons.

B．Guide students to experience after-school activities.

C．Set targets to become a full time employee.

D．Make sure of the students’ freedom and flexibility.

2. Which of the following is not suitable to be a supply teacher?

A．One who has a clear idea of primary curriculum.

B．One who has great passion for teaching.

C．One who has teaching experience.

D．One who likes working alone.

3. If you want to apply for the position, you should ___________.

A．have humorous personality

B．apply before 4th January 2018 at 9 am

C．contact the schools located across London directly

D．prepare a lesson and communicate with parents in advance

【推荐3】During the COVID-19(新冠病毒)crisis, working from home has become common for many people. For some, working from home is distracting and exhausting. But one pioneering study found that working from home increased output by 13%. Nicholas Bloom, a professor at Stanford University in California, began the experiment when James Liang, one of the founders of Trip.com Group-the largest online travel agency in China-met Bloom in Stanford and mentioned to him how expensive Shanghai housing was, how the costs of maintaining company headquarters were huge there, and that he was thinking of letting his staff work from home. This idea made Bloom interested.

Bloom started to test Liang’s thought. First, 1000 employees who volunteered for the study were divided into two teams, separated by birth dates. Those born on even days got to work from home 4 out of 5 weekdays for the next 9 months Those born on odd days stayed in the office all week long. Then the two teams were tracked. It was easy to do, as these workers had repetitive, straightforward tasks that could easily be quantified(量化), and their productivity could easily be measured-making bookings in the system or making phone calls, for example. Nine months passed; Bloom and Liang discovered workers were 13% more productive at home.

Bloom’s data suggests the staff could become much more productive while working from home long term-but it’s not so straightforward. In the experiment, there were warmings as to who could take part in the first place. Participants had to meet 3 requirements: have no kids, have a room that wasn’t their bedroom and have quality Internet on equipment which the firm installed for them at home. So there’s no guarantee that everyone’s productivity will increase.

Lynda Grattan, a professor at London Business School, distrusts other points: Bloom’s experiment was easy to carry out because it was essentially happening at a call centre. “We have no proper data on the productivity of knowledge workers when they’re based at home,” she says.

1. Why did Liang want to let the staff work from home?

A．To decrease the staff salaries.	B．To avoid the spread of COVID-19.
C．To save the costs of working in the office.	D．To prove the advantage of remote work.

2. How did Bloom conduct the experiment?

A．By giving questionnaires to all the staff.

B．By following the productivity of two teams.

C．By interviewing volunteers about their feelings.

D．By analyzing features of various working environment.

3. What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A．The experiment has attracted many volunteers.

B．The staff working at home always finish more tasks

C．The speed of the Internet decides the productivity of workers.

D．Workers’ high productivity is based on suitable working conditions.

4. What does Grattan think of the experiment?

A．It doesn’t apply to easy tasks.

B．It ignores the role of parents at home.

C．It inspires knowledge workers to work at home.

D．It needs further study for knowledge workers.