【推荐1】Let’ s explore the nature!

Are you interested in animals and nature? Want to enjoy your summer holiday and learn something fun and useful?

Here comes your chance! Youth Explorer has prepared you with a three-day summer programme full of hands-on activities and live animal encounters (相遇)-----giraffes, snakes, tigers, you name it! You will be spending time at the Fun Zoo exploring topics like animal care, animal handling and a lot more! The details of the programme are as follows:

Age group: Students aged 8--16
Sections: There are 2 programmes for you to choose from. Each programme is limited to 15 participants.
Programme A
Dates: 8---10 July
Days: Monday to Wednesday
Times:10:00a.m.----4:00p.m
Programme B
Dates: 11-13 August
Days: Tuesday to Thursday
Times:10:00a.m.----4:00p.m
Programme fees: $230 for members, $ 250 for non-members
How to apply: Simply come to our centre to get an application form. Submit your completed form on or before 10 June.
Notice:
1) No lunches are provided due to individual food preferences and allergies. Participants may either bring a lunchbox or buy lunch at our restaurants
2) Both programmes will be put off for one day if the following happens: Typhoon signal number 8 or above.

Come and join us now! Don’t miss this chance!

1. What can be learnt about Youth Explorer’ s summer programme?

A．It is suitable for animal lovers	B．It is held at its centre
C．It is full of sports activities	D．It is family-friendly.

2. What should you know about the programme if you want to take part in it?

A．It sets a fixed fee	B．It provides free lunches
C．It favours middle school students	D．It may be affected by the weather

3. Where is the text most likely to have been taken from?

A．A news report	B．An art show review
C．An advertisement	D．A lesson plan

【推荐2】Sun Xun: Time Spy

About the Exhibition

Chinese artist Sun Xun uses woodblock (木板) printing, a centuries old method to change the 215 century medium of film. In Time Spy, Sun Xun has created a 3D world that walks freely across time and cultures that draws its inspiration from both Eastern and Western art, history, myth (神话), especially imagination.

To produce Time Spy, the artist and his team cut more than 10,000 woodblocks to make beautiful patterns, and then looked at every part carefully to create the cartoon. The choices of the woodblocks that were used to create the film will be shown publicly in the exhibition.

Exhibition Hours

Opened: Tuesday-Sunday: 10 am-5 pm   Friday: 10 am-9 pm

Closed: Monday

Final admission to the exhibition is one hour before it closes. Due to high demand,especially on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, we strongly suggest you buy or book your ticket in advance.

Tickets

A ticket is required for admission to the exhibition. All tickets are marked for a detailed date and time.

Adults: $20; Seniors and Students: $18; Children (6-12): $8; Children (5 and under): Free Tickets required: limited to six tickets per reservation. Discounted ticket rates are available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets must be bought at least four weeks in advance to get your discount.

1. What inspires Sun Xun the most on Time Spy?

A．His analyses of the Eastern films.	B．His knowledge of the Western paintings.
C．His deep research on modern technology.	D．His study on Western and Eastern cultures.

2. Visitors to the exhibition are advised to________.

A．visit it in groups	B．set off early in the morning
C．buy the tickets ahead of time	D．avoid going there on weekends

3. How much does it cost a couple with their nine year old daughter to see the exhibition?

A．$28.

B．$48.

C．$40.

D．S58.

【推荐3】Book: No Looking Back
Author: Shivani Gupta

Shivani had thrown a party one evening and awoke the next morning in hospital because of a car crash. It took Shivani years of pain, struggle and determination to regain control of her life and her body. Then tragedy struck again. As the newly-married Shivani drove to Manali  with her family, a truck crashed into her car. Shivani refused to give in-she wouldn't let her injury keep her from achieving her ambitions.

Book：Courage Beyond Compare
Author: Sanjay Sharma

The 10 sportspersons in the book are champions in diverse fields like athletics, swimming  and badminton, who have brought glory to the country. They overcame their physical limitations to reach the top of their chosen fields.

Book: Face to Face
Author: Ved Mehta

Blind since the age of four，the author led a lonely childhood in India until he was accepted to the Arkansas School for the Blind, to which he flew alone at 15. America and the school changed his life, leading him to degrees at Oxford and Harvard and a fruitful writing career.

Book: This Star Won’t Go Out
Author: Lori and Wayne Earl

Diagnosed with cancer at 12, Esther Earl was a bright and talented, but very normal teenager. She lived a hope-filled and generous life. A cheerful, positive and encouraging daughter, sister and friend, Esther died in 2010, shortly after turning l 6, but not before inspiring thousands through her growing online presence.

1. The book No Looking Back mainly talks about__________.

A．a successful author who was blind during his childhood

B．10 disabled athletes who are champions in sports field

C．an unlucky girl who experienced two car accidents

D．an inspiring teenager who died of cancer

2. In which book does the author tell of himself?

A．Courage Beyond Compare.	B．This Star Won't GO Out.
C．Face to Face.	D．No Looking Back.

3. Which word can best describe the characters of all the four books?

A．Intelligent.	B．Passionate.
C．Pessimistic	D．Inspiring

【推荐2】The Gold Rush (1925)

Charlie Chaplin as the Little Tramp eats his shoe for Thanksgiving dinner while trapped in a snowstorm in this endearing silent film classic from 1925. Watch this one if you’re in the mood to see a leather shoe prepared and eaten as if it were a delicious turkey. It makes you thankful for what you have!

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)

Return to the iconic moment when Lucy pulls the football away from Charlie Brown right as he’s about to kick it. Life is hard, but in this animated film, sweetness wins when the Peanuts group prepares a Thanksgiving feast, complete with jelly beans.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

This John Hughes comedy starring Steve Martin and John Candy is already a Thanksgiving classic for many. Neal ends up rerouting the plane because of a snowstorm. As he struggles to find a way home for Thansksgiving, he gets stuck with extremely positive Del.

One True Thing (1998)

Mery1 Streep was nominated (提名) for an Academy Award for her performance in this movie as a wife and mom who struggles with cancer. Rente Zellweger plays the grown daughter who has to come home to help with the holiday. The two try to hold the family together, especially during a tense Thanksgiving meal when guests get all the attention.

1. What could The Gold Rush remind many viewers of?

A．History of football games.	B．Origin of animated films.
C．Thankfulness for something you have.	D．Sweet memories of good old days.

2. Which film best suits people who want to see a Thanksgiving feast with jelly beans?

A．The Gold Rush.	B．Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
C．One True Thing.	D．A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

3. What do these four films have in common?

A．They tell interesting family stories.	B．They describe the holiday activities.
C．They are all related to Thanksgiving.	D．They are all based on the authors’ own lives.

【推荐3】Beaches are not only great for lying on and doing water sports, and in fact one of the best ways of enjoying them is a classic beach walk. Here at iWantSun. Co. Uk, we’ve been searching the globe to find you the world’s best and most glorious beach walks, and here’s our pick of the top.
The Footpath of the Gods, Amalfi Coast, Italy
The name says it all really and you truly do feel up there to walking along this wonderful mountain coastal path, which offers some of the most striking views on the planet. The path begins at town of Bomerano to charming Positano along the UNESCO World Heritage area of the Amalfi Coast. The whole walk will take you approximately four and a half hours to complete and pass over narrow rocky paths, past sheer cliffs and shining blue bays.
Sydney’s Great Coastal Walk, Australia
Sydney’s coastline is one of the most beautiful and diverse in the world. Here you have national parks, historic sites, steep cliffs, sparkling beaches and quiet bays all in one place. Sydney’s Great Walk runs all the way from Barrenjoey in the north to Royal National Park in the south and takes an incredible seven days to complete. However, if you’re not up to doing the full walk, then there are many different parts of the walk that you can do right in the city. Walking from the city’s famous Bondi Beach to the sweeping curve of Bronte Beach takes just an hour, which takes in some top scenery.
Great Ocean Walk, Australia
The Great Ocean Walk stretches 104 km along Victoria’s famous Great Ocean Road, located on the southern coast of Australia, from the resort town Apollo Bay to the magnificent Twelve Apostles. The Twelve Apostles are the area’s famous stone landmarks which stand out like giants from the sea. The walk passes through a range of landscapes and sights, from national parks, famous surfing spots and deserted beaches, to wild coastlines, cascading waterfalls, lush forests, historic lighthouses and ghostly shipwrecks. Day walks and shorter three-hour walks such as the Wreck Beach Walk or the Lighthouse Cemetery and Lookout Walk can also be enjoyed.
So next time when you’re looking for a beach holiday don’t just think about the resorts and the sand, but consider a more active sun holiday, discovering some of the best beaches in the world.
1. The author intends to tell us ____________.

A．the world’s best places for beach walks

B．the wonderful beaches in the world

C．the ideal tourism resort for health

D．the beautiful beaches in Australia

2. When you arrive at the Amalfi Coast _______________.

A．you must be disappointed at the footpath

B．you will be fascinated by the scenery

C．you can start walking from Positano

D．you may be trapped in narrow rocky paths

3. What is special about Sydney’s Great Coastal Walk?

A．It takes about more than five hours to complete.

B．It starts from Royal National Park in the north.

C．It provides visitors a variety of great landscapes.

D．It really has the longest coastline in the world.

4. According to the fourth paragraph we can know that __________________.

A．Apollo Bay is at the end of the Great Ocean Walk

B．the Twelve Apostles exists below the surface of the sea

C．the Wreck Beach Walk can also give visitors pleasure

D．most visitors can finish the 104 km walk in three hours

【推荐1】Ray Tokuda, a 54-year-old Japanese American, is proud of the title his school has given him. He is a shifu, a Chinese word meaning a master of martial arts.

He has been involved with Chinese martial arts for over four decades. After leaning them at the martial arts school in US New Mexico State, today he is among the most experienced kung fu teachers of the school.

Founded by a Chinese American in 1974, the training center accepts only those with stunning kung fu skills and a profound understanding of martial arts as its masters according to Shanti Thomas, general manager of the school.

Practicing martial arts two to three hours and helping students improve their skills have become Tokuda’s daily routine. Tokuda is teaching and learning at the same time now. He spends around 15 to 20 hours a week honing his skills and is also working on standardizing the Tai Chi curriculum for the training center.

He was sent to the martial arts school at 10, but he was unwilling in the beginning. His father had always wanted to learn Chinese martial arts but never got the chance, so he put him in.

He was afraid at that time because he thought kung fu was all about punching and kicking. But things changed after he learned that martial arts were more than that. “One of the things martial arts teach you is overcoming adversity (逆境),” Tokuda said. “As a little kid, my first lesson was that I could overcome it by diligence, perseverance and dedication.”

Learning Chinese martial arts was also an eye-opening experience because he could hear many ancient Chinese kung fu-related stories to better understand the essence of martial arts, Tokuda joined a China tour organized by his school in 2002. He described it as a martial arts pilgrimage (朝圣). “We went to Shaolin and Wudang and exchanged views and skills with kung fu masters there,” he said, fired by excitement while talking about the experience.

1. According to Shanti Thomas, who can be a master of the martial arts school?

A．One experienced in wushu and understanding its essence.

B．Those gifted and interested in martial arts.

C．Those having a good knowledge of martial arts.

D．One who knows many ancient martial arts stories.

2. What does the underlined word “honing” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Introducing.	B．Improving.
C．Advertising.	D．Displaying

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The martial arts school was founded by Shanti Thomas in 1974.

B．Tokuda paid a visit to Shaolin and Wudang by himself in 2002.

C．Tokuda spends about 15 to 20 hours a week training students.

D．Martial arts can teach one to overcome challenges.

4. Why was Ray Tokuda sent to learn Chinese martial arts?

A．Because he was crazy about Chinese culture.

B．Because he wanted to be a martial arts master.

C．Because his father had wanted to learn but could not.

D．Because his parents wanted to better understand Chinese culture.

【推荐2】It’s important for children to take part in social activities during their summer holidays. “Kids should have a break during the summer. They’ve worked hard during the school year and this is their time to relax, but they should continue communicating with their friends and meeting new people,” said Dr. Jin Han. He’s a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Spending time with friends and meeting new people by doing fun and educational activities such as music, arts and sports programs in summer help with their development. “If children spend a lot of time alone on their electronic equipment, then they will fail to communicate with others,” Han said. “In today’s world, it’s very easy for kids to stay indoors all day and keep in touch with others, but that is not a good way to connect with others. Face-to-face communication is necessary and important. Parents should restrict the time their children spend on electronic equipment. For example, the time they spend on their phones cannot be more than one hour a day.”

It’s also important for children to spend quality time with their parents and sisters or brothers. “It’s not the length of time, but the quality of time that families spend together that is really valuable,” Han said. “This type of communication is not something that you can get from anywhere else. It doesn’t matter how old the child is, because family bonding (人与人之间的关系) experiences can happen at any time.”

Having children spend time with friends and families doesn’t have to spend money in the wallet, either. For example, going to the neighborhood swimming pool or having a picnic is a great way to spend quality time together.

1. What does Dr. Jin Han think about the summer holidays according to the first paragraph?

A．It is necessary for children to have a rest during summer holidays.

B．Children should relax as much as possible during summer holidays.

C．Making new friends in summer holidays is difficult for children.

D．Children should prepare for schoolwork in summer holidays.

2. What does the underlined word “restrict” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Increase.

B．Control.

C．Spend.

D．Employ.

3. What can we infer from children spending time with families?

A．How long children spend with families matters.

B．What to do with families depends on the parents.

C．When to spend time with families makes a difference.

D．How to enjoy the time with families is of great importance.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．The importance of friends and families.	B．The introduction of some social activities.
C．The suitable ways to spend summer holidays.	D．The necessity of face-to-face communication.

【推荐3】We Are Cyborgs

RoboCop, the Bionic Woman, Darth Vader-what do these characters have in common? They are all cyborgs-humans who are made more powerful by advanced technology. You might think that cyborgs exist only in fiction, or are a possibility only in the distant future. But cyborg technology already exists.

The word “cyborg” was first used in 1960 and defined as an organism “to which external components have been added for the purpose of adapting to new environments”. According to this definition, an astronaut in a spacesuit is an example of cyborg, as the spacesuit helps the astronaut adapt to a new environment-space. More recently, the word has evolved to refer to human beings who have mechanical body parts that make them more than human.

Although super-humans like RoboCop are not yet a reality, advances in real-life cyborg technology allow some people to compensate for abilities they have lost, and give other people new and unusual abilities. An example is filmmaker Rob Spence and his bionic eye. Spence injured one of his eyes in an accident. A camera was implanted in his prosthetic eye(假眼).   The eye is not connected to his brain or optic nerve(视神经), but it can record what he sees. Spence has used his camera eye to record interviews for a documentary about people with bionic body parts.

Some types of cyborg technology replace a lost ability by connecting directly to a person’s nerves. Michael Chorost completely and suddenly lost his ability to hear in July of 2001. Two months later, doctors placed a cochlear implant, a kind of computer, inside his skull. This type of implant connects to auditory nerves and allows a deaf person to hear again. Around the world, over 300,000 people have now been fitted with cochlear implants.

These examples of cyborg technology have enabled people to enhance or change their abilities and improve their lives. But does everyone want to use cyborg technology? It might be too late to decide. Cyborg scientist Amber Case argues that most of us are already cyborgs. Anyone who uses a computer or a smartphone, Case claims, is a cyborg. Consider the data that you have in your smartphone. It keeps information for you so you don’t have to remember it: notes, phone numbers, email addresses, messages. It also allows you to communicate with friends and family via telephone, text messages, email, and social networks.

The potential benefits of cyborg technology are evident, but can this new technology be harmful, too? Could we become too dependent on cyborg technology-and become less than human? These still remain questions.

1. According to the passage, the cyborg _______.

A．is similar to human beings

B．took root in fiction characters

C．first appeared in space industry

D．has some device attached to the body

2. With the help of cyborg technology, _______.

A．eyesight can be restored

B．the nerve injury can be repaired

C．lost abilities can be replaced by a new skill

D．hearing loss can be prevented by cochlear implants

3. Amber Case probably thinks that ______.

A．technology makes cyborgs become common

B．cyborg technology is crucial to modern society

C．the use of mobiles improves cyborg technology

D．cyborg technology helps improve human memory

4. What is the author’s attitude toward cyborg technology?

A．Critical.	B．Skeptical.
C．Optimistic.	D．Objective.

【推荐1】Feeling overwhelmed? Maybe the parent of a preschooler in your family just called to say they need extra help with child care, and a sick neighbor wants to know if you can pick up some groceries for her. Meanwhile, your best friend keeps calling in need of someone to open up to.

In less stressful times, perhaps, you’d have jumped to help out and lend an ear. But after months of social isolation (孤立), coping with work demands, and caring for loved ones, the balance has started to tip. Suddenly your own need for emotional support is outweighing your capacity for kindness.

That’s understandable, and OK. If you’re feeling insensitive or overburdened these days in response to another’s pain or request for help, that doesn’t make you unkind. What you’re feeling could instead be what we mental health professionals call “compassion fatigue (同情疲劳)”. Anxiety, sadness, and low self-worth can also be symptoms of this sort of emotional tiredness, the American Institute of Stress notes. Often we associate this stress condition with health care workers, but the American Psychological Association warns that anyone who continually cares for others or who witnesses others’ sufferings is also at risk.

Research shows compassion fatigue can be successfully treated—with stress-reduction techniques, such as meditation, as well as with specific treatment. The key is learning how to recognize the symptoms so that you can get help.

When the two of us—a psychologist and a social worker—feel like we have “nothing left to give,” supporting our own sad friends or caring for a sick relative can feel like running a marathon with aching muscles. But showing sympathy—and avoiding emotional burnout—doesn’t have to be painful for anyone. As Stanford psychologist Jamil Zaki notes in his book The War for Kindness, “empathy (共情) is a skill we can all strengthen through effort.”

1. Which of the following is “compassion fatigue”?

A．The guilt after refusing to help your neighbors.

B．The loneliness without getting emotional support.

C．The anxiety from failing to be successfully treated.

D．The sadness from seeing people suffering from cancers.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．People are unable to offer help when they’re stressed.

B．Showing no sympathy for others’ sufferings is unacceptable.

C．Whoever cares for others will suffer from emotional tiredness.

D．Those constantly attending to others may experience compassion fatigue.

3. What does this passage try to convey?

A．Compassion fatigue can be easily treated.

B．Avoiding emotions causes pain to everyone.

C．The skill of showing sympathy can be built up.

D．Experts can do nothing about compassion fatigue.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Helping Hands Need A Break

B．Sympathy Is What We Can Acquire

C．Stress Symptoms Need Recognizing

D．Psychologists and Social Workers In Danger

【推荐2】Imagine a world where you move around in front of a personal computer in your own sound space. You listen to your, favorite songs, play loud computer games or watch a movie - all without other people hearing the sound. That is the possibility presented by "sound beaming,'' a new technology from Noveto Systems, an Israeli company.

On Friday, the company debuted (首发) a desktop device that sends sound directly to a listener without the need for headphones or a special receiver. No veto Systems gave The Associated Press (AP) a chance to test its SoundBeamer 1.0 before its debut. The AP's Louise Dixon writes that listening to the device is like something from a science fiction movie. The sound seems so close that it feels like it is inside your cars while also in front, above and behind them.

Noveto expects the device will have many uses. Office workers could listen to music or conference calls without others hearing. People could play a game, a movie or music without waking up others in the same room. Because the device does not use headphones, it is possible to hear other sounds in the room clearly.

The device uses a 3-D technology that finds and follows the ear position of the listener. It sends ultrasonic (超声的) waves to create sound pockets by the user's cars. Sound can be heard in stereo or 3-D. The 3-D method creates sound on all sides of the listener, the company said.

The demo (样本) version of the device included nature videos of birds on a lake, bees flying and a quiet waterway. Most people trying the technology for the first time just say, 'Wow. I really don't believe it. It sounds like a speaker, but no one else can hear it ... it's supporting you and you're in the middle of everything. It's happening around you.”

By changing a setting, the sound can follow a listener around when they move their head. It is also possible to move out of the sound beam's path and hear nothing at all.

While the idea of sound beaming is not new, Noveto was the first to launch the technology. Its chief executive officer Christophe Ramstein said a “smaller" version of the device will be ready for release to consumers next year.

1. What does the Soundbeamer Product mainly feature?

A．Its various uses.

B．The application of 3-D technology.

C．An escape from other sounds around.

D．The absence of headphones for a listener.

2. How do the people on trial find the device?

A．Scientific.	B．Fashionable.
C．Lifelike.	D．Convenient.

3. What can a user do with the device?

A．Make sound pockets.	B．Enjoy natural scenes.
C．Play games with friends.	D．Produce a science fiction movie.

4. What will get improved about the device?

A．Its original idea.	B．Its present size.
C．Its positioning ability.	D．Its sound effect.

【推荐3】I was born and raised in Minnesota, the USA, but as an adult I have mostly lived in Europe and Africa. I teach cross-cultural management at the International Business School near Paris. For the last 15 years, I’ve studied how people in different parts of the world build trust, communicate, and make decisions especially in the workplace.

While traveling in Tokyo recently with a colleague, I gave a short talk to a group of 20 managers. At the end, I asked whether there were any questions or comments. No hands went up, so I went to sit down. My colleague whispered to me, “I think there actually were some comments, Erin. Do you mind if I fry?” I agreed, but I guessed it a waste of breath. He asked the group again. “Any comments or questions?”

Still, no one raised a hand, but this time he looked very carefully at each person in the silent audience. Gesturing to one of them, he said, “Do you have something to add?” To my amazement, she responded “Yes, thank you.” and asked me a very interesting question. My colleague repeated this several times, looking directly at the audience and asking for more questions or comments.

After the session, I asked my colleague, “How do you know that those people had questions?” He hesitated, not sure how to explain it, and then said, “it has to do with how bright their eyes are.”

He continued, “In Japan, we don’t make as much direct eye contact as you do in the West. So when you asked if there were any comments, most people were not looking directly at you. But a few people in the group were looking right at you, and their eyes were bright. That indicates that they would be happy to have you call on them.”

I thought to myself I would never have learned from my upbringing in Minnesota. Since then, I try to focus on understanding behavior in other cultures I encounter, and keep finding the bright eyes in the room.

1. What can we conclude from the first paragraph?

A．Life in Minnesota has made the author worn out.

B．The author enjoys traveling around the world.

C．Different cultures are kind of familiar to the author.

D．The author may start his own business in the future.

2. Hearing the colleague whispering, the author ________.

A．went back to his scat and got seated

B．knew his colleague had some questions

C．owed a big debt of gratitude to his colleague

D．thought his colleague would get nowhere

3. Where does the author’s colleague probably come from?

A．Japan.	B．America.
C．Africa.	D．France

4. Which is the proper title for the passage?

A．Focusing on Behavior in Cultures.

B．Looking at Another Culture in the Eye.

C．Sharing Different Cultures in Tokyo.

D．Admiring the Beauty in the Eye.