World Book Day falls on April 23 every year. The UNESCO set it up （设立） in 1995 to help people, especially teenagers, to enjoy reading. It is also the day to remember great writers, for example, William Shakespeare, born or dead on that day.
Many countries celebrate World Book Day. Take UK as an example. On that day, millions of schoolchildren can buy half-price books in any bookshop. It has been done every year since 1998. We also celebrate World Book Day in China. Wen Jiabao, Premier of China, is so interested in reading that he does reading every day though he is very busy. On World Book Day of 2009, he called on（号召）people to do more reading. He told us that we could change the world by changing ourselves through reading.
Reading can help people in many ways. Reading helps us know a lot and become smarter. It helps us to follow the latest developments of science and technology. It gives us information about other cultures and places of the world. When we read, we may find many things that we don’t understand well. We would have to think about them or do more reading to find out the answers. The more we read, the more we know. The more we know, the smarter we become. Reading is also one of the most important ways to learn a foreign language like English. We all know that it is difficult to learn everything in the classroom, for example, the ways English people are speaking and writing today.
All in all, reading can help us know more about the world and perfect ourselves. So it is necessary for us to do some reading every day.
1. Why did the UNESCO set up World Book Day?| A．To let people learn English. |
| B．To help people enjoy reading. |
| C．To make teenagers become writers. |
| D．To help teenagers know Shakespeare. |
| A．learning a foreign language | B．knowing more about culture |
| C．having more interesting hobbies | D．understanding about the world |
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【推荐1】We tend to take holiday colors for granted, since they’re so deep-rooted in our culture. It’s usually pretty clear what colors go with what holidays. But what might be less clear is why certain colors are associated with certain holidays. For instance, as black and orange begin to take over department store corridor as decorations, we wonder how these colors became so popular for the holiday. Is it just because of black cats and pumpkins, or is there a deeper meaning to it?
To learn how black became associated with Halloween, we’ll have to explore the history of the holiday itself. Halloween can date back to a pagan celebration called Samhain, a ceremony that the ancient Celts celebrated in late October and early November. The purpose of the celebration was to welcome in the time of harvest, and with it, “the dark half of the year”.
But the true symbolic significance of black had to do with death, as did the holiday. The ancient Celts believed that during Samhain, the boundaries between the living and the dead were weakened. So the celebration would also include offerings to dead ancestors, and celebrants would wear deep black mourning dress.
Orange is a little self-explanatory. But it also has to do with the particular time of year. Again, Samhain was introducing the harvest time; people would have seen the trees turn orange after months of greenery. But the orange also has to do with another important component of the ancient Samhain celebrations: fire. The ancient Celts would light community fires while leaving the fires in their own fireplace to burn out. The fires could also be ceremonies to help defend against devils(魔鬼) while the gateway between the living and the dead was weak. And those fires certainly would have been orange!
1. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?| A．Getting together and enjoying feasts. | B．Mourning ancestors. |
| C．A celebration of Samhain. | D．The weakened boundaries. |
| A．Orange trees brought harvest to people. | B．The meaning of Orange is difficult to explain. |
| C．People left the fire to burn out to keep warm. | D．The color of fire was believed to drive away devils. |
| A．Connections between black and orange |
| B．The most popular colors of Halloween |
| C．Certain colors are associated with certain holidays |
| D．The ways for ancient people to celebrate Halloween |
【推荐2】Around the world there are some festivals that for some of us may sound bizarre.
In England they celebrate the rolling cheese race, which occurs every year during the last Monday in May. This festival’s characteristic is a contest where an official rolls cheese down a steep hill and festival-goers go chasing after it. The winner is the first one to reach and catch the cheese.
Another festival celebrated in England is the world championship of grimaces (鬼脸). It is a celebration that dates back to 1297 and is celebrated during the month of September. The task is to perform the best grimace using anything you can to win.
The worldwide championship of wife lifting is celebrated in Finland. The game is based on Viking traditions where a man should carry away his neighbor’s wife. According to the rules, any woman above 17 is considered as a wife, so if you are within this age, take care while visiting this country during the month of July.
Many of you have watched Pirates of the Caribbean and have known something about pirates. The 19th of September has been declared worldwide as the day to talk like a pirate. Plenty of people have celebrated it thanks to the publicity (宣传) on the Internet.
First staged in 1998, the Boryeong Mud Festival is an attraction that pulls more than a million visitors to the South Korean City. As you all know, the town is said to be rich in minerals, so there is no shortage of mud. Mud is trucked onto Daecheon Beach for tourists and locals to enjoy the festival to their best.
The Monkey Buffet Festival is held in Thailand to develop tourism. It’s an unusual feast held for about 600 monkeys. The Monkey Buffet Festival is held in honor of the Hindu gods Ram and Hanuman and involves 3,000 kilograms of vegetables and fruits being laid out for monkeys to stuff themselves.
1. What does the underlined word “bizarre” in Paragraph1 probably mean?| A．Dangerous | B．Strange | C．terrible | D．Familiar |
| A．roll as much cheese down the hill as possible |
| B．find the largest piece of cheese rolling downhill |
| C．perform the best grimace when chasing the cheese |
| D．be the first one to catch the cheese rolling downhill |
| A．the worldwide championship of wife lifting |
| B．the world championship of grimaces |
| C．the Boryeong Mud Festival |
| D．the Monkey Buffet Festival |
【推荐3】“Good afternoon! Remember tomorrow is Crazy Day, so you are welcome to do anything crazy,” boomed a voice through our school speakers.
“Crazy Day? What does that mean?” I asked my ESL teacher, Mrs. Ramsey. She answered, “On this day, everyone dresses up like a crazy person.” She suggested I make a strange hairstyle or wear two different shoes. However, I decided that I would wear my T-shirt backwards.
The next day as I walked into the classroom, everybody looked so funny: Mrs. Toalson had curled her hair into large curls and my classmate Bradley had coloured his hair white! I thought he was an old person when I first saw him.
“Hi, Jim, you look weird! How do I look?” My friend Taylor asked. She was wearing an old hat that looked like it came from the 17th century paired with a cute and trendy skirt. It reminded me of women from ancient times mixed with a 21st century woman who chewed gum
during school.
The next day, I received a note from school that said “Tomorrow is Pajama (睡衣) Day.” “Should I wear my pajamas to school tomorrow? What if tomorrow is not Pajama Day? What if the note is just a joke?” I worried. “What if tomorrow I am the only one wearing pajamas? I will look silly and strange!” I decided to be safe and not wear my pajamas.
As I walked into the classroom the following day, I was amazed how my classmates were dressed! They were all wearing pajamas! Some of them even brought their dolls and Barbies with them! I deeply regretted not wearing my pajamas.
1. What days are mentioned in this passage?| A．Crazy Day. | B．Pajama Day. |
| C．April Fool’s Day. | D．Both A and B. |
| A．She advised him to wear two different coats. |
| B．She advised him to wear his pajamas. |
| C．She advised him to make a weird hairstyle. |
| D．She advised him to wear T-shirt backwards. |
| A．Because he thought it was a joke. |
| B．Because his mother didn’t allow him to wear his pajamas. |
| C．Because he wanted to be beautiful. |
| D．Because he didn’t have any pajamas. |
| A．Mrs Toalson had curled her hair into large curls. |
| B．Two crazy days in America. |
| C．They all wore their pajamas including the author. |
| D．The author was afraid to wear his pajamas to school. |
“Have a nice day. Next!” This version of the expression is spoken by a salesgirl at the supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out the door. The words come out in the same tone (腔调) with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me. Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else’s is the management’s attempt to increase business.
The expression is one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting is at an end. Sometimes the expression saves us when we don’t know what to say “oh, you may have a tooth out? I’m terribly sorry, but have a nice day.”
The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says “Have a nice day” to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don’t know has tried to be nice to you.
Although the use of the expression is an insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that it is a little uninteresting. The salesgirl, the waitress, the teacher, and all the countless others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it’s nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don’t care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like.
1. How does the author understand Maxie’s words?
| A．Maxie shows her anxiety to the author. |
| B．Maxie really wishes the author a good day. |
| C．Maxie encourages the author to stay happy. |
| D．Maxie really worries about the author’s security. |
| A．try to be polite to you |
| B．express respect to you |
| C．give his blessing to you |
| D．share his pleasure with you |
| A．sincerely | B．as thanks |
| C．as a habit | D．encouragingly |
| A．Have a Nice Day—a Social Custom. |
| B．Have a Nice Day—a Pleasant Gesture. |
| C．Have a Nice Day—a Heart-warming Greeting. |
| D．Have a Nice Day—a Polite Ending of a Conversation. |
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentines Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didnt allow marriage.
But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers secretly. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed From your Valentine, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
1. On the 14th day, a boy will do the following things for his girlfriend but not _________.
| A．marry her. |
| B．buy her flowers and chocolates. |
| C．write poems, sing to her or even spelling out her name with rose petals |
| D．take her out to dinner. |
| A．Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers |
| B．Because there were few women in his country at that time. |
| C．Because there wasnt enough food for so many people. |
| D．Because he wanted to control the birth rate. |
| A．he killed one of the soldiers |
| B．he stole a lot of food |
| C．he didnt obey the emperors order |
| D．he didnt want to be a soldier |
| A．students in China send cards to their teachers |
| B．it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| C．it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| D．Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now |
This photo taken on Feb 19,2023 shows giant panda Xiang Xiang at Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo, Japan. People flocked to Tokyo’s Ueno Zoological Gardens to see Xiang Xiang on Sunday, the final day for public viewing for the beloved five-year-old female giant panda before her return to China.
Giant pandas are among the most lovable animals alive today.Unlike their relatives, such as the polar bear, pandas don’t eat meal but survive on a diet of only bamboo. So why and how have pandas abandoned their taste for meat to pick up a vegetarian diet?
Pandas today don’t eat meat. However, they’ve kept much of their meat-eating adaptations from times past. Their digestive systems have not changed much from their meat-eating days. Out of the huge 12.5 kg of bamboo they eat in a single day, only about 17%of it is digested. To survive, pandas eat large amounts of bamboo while having a low-metabolic(新陈代谢的), lazy lifestyle to make up for the poor energy return.
The giant panda’s shift to a vegetarian diet is in line with the inactivation of a specific gene-Taslrl, which provides them with the ability to taste certain amino acids(氨基酸) abundant in meat. Its inactivation in pandas would lead to their dietary change.
Pandas have evolved(进化) to a great degree to cope with their relatively recent bamboo-eating lifestyle. Pandas must seize long and thin pieces of bamboo shoots. To help with this, they have developed a long “fake-thumb”(伪拇指). So giant pandas have six fingers in each paw which provides better support for them to seize objects such as bamboo in one paw quickly. Researchers have found that the surface of the panda’s tongue is different. While other bears and many meat-eating animals have smooth tongues, pandas have evolved tiny projections on the surface of their tongues that serve to file down food. This is especially useful for pandas as they remove the outer cover of bamboo.
Time will tell if pandas will adapt and survive, go back to eating meat, or disappear in the wild. Whatever the future holds, we can be grateful that, for the time being, we get to share our planet with these adorable animals.
1. Why are the data mentioned in paragraph 3?| A．To state the variety of food. |
| B．To represent the evolutionary rule of pandas. |
| C．To show the ineffectiveness of digestive system. |
| D．To describe the changes of living environment. |
| A．The low-metabolic lifestyle. | B．The amino acids in meat. |
| C．The surface of the panda’s tongue. | D．The Taslrl gene’s inactivation. |
| A．Developing more fingers. | B．Seizing bamboo shoots. |
| C．The low energy return. | D．The vegetarian diet. |
| A．The evolutionary feature in eating. | B．The preference for bamboo. |
| C．The unique lifestyle. | D．The special appearance. |
【推荐1】All over the globe and in some of the world's most prestigious art galleries and museums there is always one form of artwork that you'll find gracing the walls-watercolors.
Creating artwork using watercolors is one of the most popular ways of capturing beautiful scenery, painting life-like portraits and studying still-life objects. However, an unfortunate side effect of using watercolors is that they begin to fade over time, and as the years go by there is a risk of these masterpieces being lost to us forever. But just how do we prevent these wonderful paintings from disappearing? Well, thanks to the advances of modern technology, we now have the ability to scan watercolors, capturing every detail of them in the process and then saving them in a digital form.
Not only does this help to preserve the artwork in a very modern way, but when these digital captures are uploaded to a website, it offers the public more chances to appreciate them. One such website is Water colour World, which is one of the many organizations supported by Javad Marandi, one of the Joint Chairs of the Marendi Foundation which helps to provide opportunities in education, and supports some of the most vulnerable communities in the United Kingdom, as well as art and cultural initiatives. Scanning watercolors is certainly a lot more advanced than the usual scanning you might be more familiar with. Keeping the liveliness of the painting, the depths of the colors requires the correct equipment, software and a great eye for detail.
If you're an artist and you'd like to digitize (数字化) your watercolors through scanning, or if you're generally interested in how it's achieved, we've broken down the process below to give you a better idea of how art is transformed from paint to pixels (像素)!
1. What is the disadvantage of watercolor paintings?| A．They are easy to be stolen. | B．They can't last a long term. |
| C．They make people unfortunate. | D．They are only about natural scenery. |
| A．By capturing every detail. | B．By educating community citizens. |
| C．By moving them to a website. | D．By supporting more organizations. |
| A．It is quite demanding. |
| B．It helps to preserve the artwork. |
| C．It is simpler than usual scanning. |
| D．It is invented by Watercolor World. |
| A．How watercolors are digitized. |
| B．Why paints need to be transformed. |
| C．How the idea of scanning came into being. |
| D．What watercolors will become through scanning. |
【推荐2】Artificial intelligence can predict when patients with a heart disorder will die, according to scientists.
The software learned to analyze blood tests and scans of beating hearts to spot signs that the organ was about to fail. The team, from the UK’s Medical Research Council, said the technology could save lives by finding patients that need more aggressive treatment. The results were published in the Journal of Radiology.
According to the researchers, high blood pressure in the lungs damages part of the heart, and about a third of patients die within five years after being diagnosed. There are treatments: drugs, injections straight into the blood vessels, a lung transplant. But doctors need to have an idea of how long patients might have left, in order to pick the right treatment.
The software was given scans of 256 patients’ hearts, and blood test results. When this data was combined with eight years of patient health records, the artificial intelligence predicted when patients would die.
The software could look about five years into the future. It correctly predicted those who would still be alive after one year about 80% of the time. The figure for doctors is 60%.
The team now want to test the software works in other patients in different hospitals before assessing whether it should be made widely available to doctors. The researchers also want to use the technology in other forms of heart failure, such as cardiomyopathy, to see who might need a pacemaker or other forms of treatment.
Dr Mike Knapton, from the British Heart Foundation, said, “This exciting use of computer software in medical practice will help doctors in the future to make sure that patients are receiving the correct treatment before the condition deteriorates and leaves them needing a lung transplant. The next step is to test this technology in more hospitals with heart disease.”
1. What can artificial intelligence do according to the passage?| A．Predicting how long a person with heart disease can survive. |
| B．Helping doctors diagnose people with heart disease. |
| C．Obeying orders and reminding heart disease patients to take pills. |
| D．Producing medicine without side effects for heart disease patients. |
| A．It can make accurate long-term predictions. |
| B．It has not yet been widely put into use. |
| C．It can prevent high blood pressure in the lungs damaging part of the heart. |
| D．It can help doctors make sure that patients are receiving the correct treatment. |
| A．continues | B．worsens |
| C．exists | D．improves |
| A．advertise | B．persuade |
| C．inform | D．entertain |
【推荐3】The foldable smartphone was shown for the first time on Wednesday during a Samsung developer’s conference in San Francisco, California. The company first announced plans to build a fully foldable phone five years ago.
The phone is designed to fold open to make the device the size of a small tablet. It can also perform some operations of a tablet. When folded closed, the device looks and works like a normal smartphone. The device will permit users to keep up to three apps open at one time. With normal size smartphones, users have to keep changing between apps.
Justin Dension is Samsung’s senior vice president. He introduced the device to people at the conference. He said it marked a major breakthrough in future smartphone technology. Denison said the design of the foldable device was very complex. One of the biggest difficulties was finding a material that was not only flexible but also strong enough to support repeated folding and unfolding of the device. Denison said Samsung would be ready to start mass production in the coming months.
Technology experts see the new foldable design as a way to get users to buy a new device seen as revolutionary. More people are deciding to hold onto smartphones longer because newly launched models do not offer major improvements and can be very costly. This behavior is one reason for a steady decrease in worldwide smartphone sales over the past year.
It remains to be seen whether foldable phones will become popular quickly. The device is expected to cost more than $1,000. The company has not yet announced when its FlexPai device will be available in America. But it is planning to launch the product in China starting next month, at a price of about $1,300.
1. What did Samsung company do on Wednesday in San Francisco?| A．It announced plans to build a foldable phone. |
| B．It introduced its foldable phone to the public. |
| C．It started to sell its foldable phone in America. |
| D．It held a conference to deal with new challenges. |
| A．It can run only one app at a time. |
| B．The material for it was hard to find. |
| C．It is popular worldwide now. |
| D．It will take the place of the tablet. |
| A．Recycling their old smartphones. |
| B．Repairing their old smartphones. |
| C．Keeping their old smartphones. |
| D．Replacing their old smartphones. |
| A．A brochure. | B．A newspaper. |
| C．A research paper. | D．A shopping guidebook. |
【推荐1】The Guide to Film Festivals
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes, France in May
Top prize: Palme d’Or
History: The first Cannes Film Festival took place in September 1939, but it didn’t happen again until after World War II. The Palme d’Or prize was introduced in 1955. The festival became established during the 1960s and is now known as the world’s most important and influential film festival.
Did you know? About 20 feature films compete each year for the Palme d’Or. Previous winners include Michael Moore and Quentin Tarantino. Unlike the Oscars, the top prize is frequently shared between two films. Famous films that have won the Palme d’Or include Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, La Dolce Vita and The Third Man. The festival attracts more than 40,000 people every year.
Venice Film Festival
Venice, Italy in August/ September
Top prize: Golden Lion
History: The Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival still in existence. The film festival was in 1932 and it attracted over 25, 000 people. The festival did not appear again until 1934, when there was a competition between 19 countries. The festival was held three times during World War II and has been held almost every year since then.
Did you know? Films at the 61st Venice Film Festival in 2004 were nominated for 16 awards at the Oscars — the highest ever for the festival. These films included Vera Drake, Shark Tale, Collateral and Finding Neverland.
The London Film Festival
London, UK in October/ November
Top prize: Non-competitive
History: The London Film Festival started in 1956 when a group of film critics led by the famous Dilys Powell, the film critic for The Sunday Times, got together over dinner. They discussed the festivals at Cannes and Venice, and they agreed that London needed one, too. They wanted to give people the opportunity to see films from around the world that were not being shown in the cinemas. The first festival showed 20 films at the National Film Theatre on the South Bank.
Did you know? The festival is one of Europe’s largest public film events, screening about 280 films from 60 countries. Although it is non-competitive, the British Film Institute awards the Sutherland Trophy to the most original and imaginative first feature film screened at the festival.
1. The Venice Film Festival____| A．didn’t attract many people at first |
| B．has been running longer than any other film festival |
| C．is regarded as the most essential film festival |
| D．has been held every year since 1934. |
| A．To make some films public. | B．To bring film critics together. |
| C．To choose the best original feature films. | D．To compete with other film festivals. |
| A．producing | B．watching | C．judging | D．showing |
【推荐2】Volunteer with ICS and make a difference in 2019
Raleigh International are looking for young people to volunteer overseas with ICS,development program which is fully funded by the UK Government, ICS aims to bring about three things:project impact, volunteer personal development and the creation of active citizens.
.Aged 18-25 Apply as a volunteer. Placements last 10 weeks.
.Aged 23-35 Apply as a learn leader. Placements last from 14 weeks to 8 months.
Your impact
.With Raleigh ICS, you will focus on improving people's access to water and health care, or supporting women and young people to set up small businesses in order to improve community development.
.You will contribute to sustainable development and make a real difference to the lives of people living in poverty.
What's in it for you?
.It won't cost you a penny.
Your flights, visas, vaccines, training,food, medical insurance and accommodation are all covered.
.You'll have a completely unique experience.
Living with a host family for 10-12 weeks, experiencing a new culture and working with local volunteers, you'll be part of the community.
.You'll be more employable afterwards.
.You'll gain teamwork, leadership and communication skills, which will make you stand out and set you up well for whichever career you choose.
Interested? Apply online today.
Requlrements
.You'll need a positive attitude, commitment, and drive to make a difference.
.You must be a UK or EU/EEA citizen and have lived in the UK for at least 12 months.
.You'll be asked to raise a minimum of £800 to demonstrate your commitment to the program.
1. What are you supposed to do in the program?| A．Provide medical insurance for the poor. |
| B．Support young people to find water resource. |
| C．Start small businesses to help your host family. |
| D．Help to raise the living standard of poor people. |
| A．A special experience. | B．A positive attitude. |
| C．A prize of £800. | D．A leader position. |
| A．An investigation. | B．A report. |
| C．A journal. | D．An advertisement. |
【推荐3】Stephen Hawking was regarded as one of the most brilliant physicists in history. His work on the origins and structure of the universe, from the Big Bang to black holes, changed the field greatly. His best-selling books also appealed to a number of readers.
Stephen Hawking had a challenging life. He was born in England on Jan.8, 1942-300years to the day after the death of the astronomer Galileo Galilei. He attended University College, Oxford, where he studied physics, despite his father’s urging to focus on medicine. Hawking went on to Cambridge to research cosmology.
In early 1963, just before his 21st birthday, Hawking suffered from a serious disease more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was not expected to live more than two years. Completing his doctor’s degree did not appear likely. Yet, Hawking had overcome the great difficulties, not only attaining his Ph. D. but also building new roads into the understanding of the universe in the decades since.
Hawking continued at Cambridge after his graduation, serving as a research fellow and later as a professional fellow. In 1974, he was inducted（正式就职）into the Royal Society, a worldwide fellowship of scientists. In 1979, he was appointed Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, the most famous academic chair in the world.
As the disease spread，Hawking became less mobile and began using a wheelchair. Talking grew more challenging and, in 1985, an emergency tracheotomy（气管切开术）caused his total loss of speech. A speech-generating device was constructed at Cambridge, combined with a software program, serving as his electronic voice and allowing Hawking to select his words by moving the muscles in his cheek. Hawking died on March 14, 2018.
1. What greatly influenced the field Stephen Hawking studied？| A．Stephen Hawking’s best-selling books. |
| B．His research on the Big Bang and black holes. |
| C．Stephen Hawking’s talent. |
| D．The origins and structure of the universe. |
| A．A research on time. | B．A subject of medicine. |
| C．A study about universe. | D．A project in Cambridge. |
| A．He became world famous. | B．He achieved his doctor’s degree. |
| C．He was badly affected by a serious disease | D．He built new roads into the understanding of the universe. |
| A．By using a speech-generating device. | B．With the help of an operation. |
| C．By using body language. | D．With the help of some people. |
