【推荐1】Microsoft’s second console is now official, and it's called the Xbox Series S.

What is the Xbox Series S?

Earlier this year, Microsoft released the Xbox Series X. This next-generation console is due out just before Christmas, and promises amazing 8K pictures. It is aimed at buyers on a budget.

Xbox Series S, features

The first thing to note is that it's an all-digital console with no disc tray to keep costs down. Sony has already offered up much the same with its new PS5. And Microsoft responded to this trend with its all-digital Xbox One S, which came out last year.

The new console comes with a new — version handle. And rather than being all-black like the Series X, the Series S has a white design with a large dark circle on its front.

Xbox Series S release date

Microsoft will release the Xbox Series S for sale on November 10. That's the same day that the new-version Xbox Series X will come out. They'll also be on sale for Black Friday, November 27, so we may see some free presents available then.

Xbox Series S price

The new Xbox Series S is the cheaper of Microsoft's next-generation consoles. It'll cost you £249 in the UK, or $ 299 in the USA. That's far cheaper than the Xbox Series X, which is set to retail at £449 or $ 499.

1. What advantage does the Xbox Series S have?

A．Its size is bigger.	B．Its price is lower.
C．It has more function.	D．It looks more attractive.

2. When will the Xbox Series S be released?

A．On November 10.

B．Earlier this year.

C．On November 27.

D．On Christmas.

3. What's the purpose of the text?

A．To show a design.	B．To promote a technique.
C．To advertise a product.	D．To introduce a company.

【推荐2】

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas This book takes you through waves of emotion as you start to undcrstdad the main character, the 9-year-old son Bruno of the Auschwitz commandant(（司令官）. The plot taking place during the Holocaust（大屠杀）,we witness the horror from the boys viewpoint . who just wants friends. You 11 be shocked by some of the more surprising aspects of the book as the boy befriends one of the boys on the other side of the fence.

The Book Thief The story is about a young girl named Liesel who has to live with foster parents(养父母）during World WarⅡ. On the way to her new home. her bother dies, setting the sad tone for the story. There is hope, however, when Liesel discovers her love for reading and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing at tacks as well as                                        with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

The Fault in Our Stars This is probably the most likely book to make you cry, as it records the experiences of teens who are dying from cancer and living their last days in love. Their life is tragic and jarring at the same time as we watch their health deteriorate （恶化）. The real tragedy is the love between the main characters, who know that it is certain to "die".

A Child Called " It" Easily one of the saddest stories of abuse in recent decades. A hild Called " It" is based on the true story of Dave Pelzer, a boy from C alifornia who suffered at the hands of his sadistic(施虐癖的)family, the tears will conic from both sadness and the inspiration lied to Dave's fight for survival in an environment where he is considered worthless.

1. Which book is basically a romance?

A．The Book Thief.	B．A Child Called “it”
C．The Fault in Our Stars.	D．The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.

2. Who is considered to have no good qualities or useful skills in the family?

A．Liesel's brother	B．The 9-year-old son Bruno.
C．A young girl named Liesel.	D．Have Pelzer, a boy from California.

3. What do the four novels have in common?

A．They all expose the dark side of society.	B．They are all emotionally powerful.
C．They are all connected with wars.	D．They all have a sad ending.

【推荐3】International Exchange Programme
The application form for participation on the exchange programme for 2016／17 can be found in Application Procedures．
Applying Qualification—Current Queen Mary undergraduate students(with the exception of students in Biomedical Sciences，Chemistry，Dentistry and Medicine)have qualifications to apply.
Law Students—Students enrolled in The School of Law should contact Sheila Shirley(s．shirley@qmul．ac．uk)for details of study abroad opportunities.
English and Drama Studen—Students cannot study abroad for the full academic year. Students will be able to spend only the autumn semester studying at one of our exchange partners·
Applications
A complete application will consist of the two-page application form，a personal statement and a supporting academic reference．Students should follow these application procedures. Applicants must ensure they have spoken to their departmental study abroad instructor before submitting their application．Applications can be submitted in person at The Study Abroad Office(E09，Ground Floor，Queens’Building)or by email to h．gibney@qmul．ac．uk
New Exchange Partners for 2016／2017
For 2016／17 we hope to offer students the opportunity to study abroad at the following new partners：The University of Pennsylvania—UPenn(USA)，The University of Sydney(Australia) and Waseda University(Japan)．Should we be unable to send students to any of these new institutions on exchange，and if you intend to include one or more of these destinations with your application，please provide at least one alternative destination from the list of other partner programmes．
1. Who can apply for the exchange programme?

A．Students in Biomedical Sciences

B．Students in Chemistry

C．Students in Dentistry

D．Students in English and Drama

2. The law students who want to study abroad should______．

A．email to h．gibney@qmul．ac．uk

B．email to s．shirley@qmul．ac．uk

C．go to E09，Ground Floor，Queens’Building

D．go to Masons Lecture Theatre Hall，Bancroft Building

3. What will you do if you can’t be sent to the new exchange partners?

A．Wait for another proper opportunity．

B．Cancel your exchange programme．

C．Provide another university from the list．

D．Contact the university by yourself．

【推荐3】On Monday, a scientist and doctor Robert Winston is to formally ask a question in congress about what assessments the government has made “for requiring adults riding bicycles in city centres to heave a licence and third-party insurance”. The letter below is the entirely imagined response I would like the government to make to him.

Dear Robert,

You ask what assessments we’ve made for your proposal about obliging cyclists to have licences and insurance. The brief answer is: none. Nor do we have any plans to do so.

Why? Again, the short answer is this: it’s a silly and pointless thing to suggest, as evidenced by the fact that practically no countries or territories anywhere in the world require cyclists to be licensed, or to have compulsory insurance.

I suppose it’s only fair if I explain why I think it is such a non-issue. It’s pretty simple: such a plan would achieve pretty much nothing, while causing significant problems. More widely, any sensible governments will do everything in their power to get more people cycling, not to put pointless obstacles in their way.

Let’s just take one example. As I’m sure you know as a doctor, one of the problems facing our nation is that the National Health System is likely to collapse under the caring for an increasingly overweight population. Inactive living is central to this. Even a fairly brief daily bike trip can have miraculous benefits for people’s health.

Next, how would such rules even work? Would the licensing and insurance be just for adults, or also children? How would the system even be enforced-would it also require all bikes to be registered with number plates?

Finally, what would you hope to achieve by this? If you believe licensing transport users stops wrongdoing, can I point to you the data showing how a third of drivers admit to using handheld phones while driving, despite the law forbidding it.

So, to summarize：your plan would be to introduce a hugely new administrative scheme that would most likely have limited effect on the behaviour of averagely law-abiding (守法的) transport users who rarely harm others, while putting people off from this beneficial type of transport.

I’m afraid I just don’t get it.

1. What does Robert most probably want to know by asking the question?

A．whether the government has made efforts regarding his proposal.

B．whether each bike rider has applied for a third-party insurance.

C．whether the congress has sympathy towards the cyclists.

D．whether doctors can receive the government’s support.

2. What does the author think of the plan proposed by Robert?

A．It may raise people’s insurance awareness.

B．It can motivate people to obey the law.

C．It imitates what other countries are doing.

D．It is difficult to implement and enforce.

3. The example in paragraph 6 is used     .

A．to draw people’s attention to overweight problems

B．to prove that cycling can cause problems

C．to explain why governments advocate cycling

D．to illustrate how broken the NHS is

4. We can conclude from the passage that the author     .

A．holds prejudices against Robert Winston

B．is a pleasant and good-tempered person

C．has the right to speak for the government

D．is skilled in argumentative techniques