【推荐2】Attending a summer camp in the US is a perfect way for children to explore the world around them while giving them experience and confidence. Here are four of the best summer camps from around the country.

Camp Mondamin

413 Mondamin Rd, Zirconia, North Carolina

Since 1922, this summer camp has valued horseback riding, sailing, swimming, hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and tennis. Various wilderness trips are offered. The program is non-competitive. Children don’t need to compete against each other. They can just enjoy themselves and discover their interest.

Extreme Action at Pali Adventures

30778 Highway 18, Running Springs, California

From the minute you arrive under the expert management of our highly trained staff, you will experience some of the most exciting, one-of-a-kind, and dirt-filled activities offered by the camps. If you have a will of steel and the need for constant adventure, then Extreme Action is where you belong.

World Scholars

510 S. Sugar Rd, Edinburg, Texas

World Scholars offers excellent summer business courses to high school students taught by world-leading professional experts. Learn world-class study skills and get a deep understanding of business theory. Daily activities include surfing lessons, rainforest hiking, waterfall swimming, beach games, and trips to exciting local destinations.

Maine Camp Experience

Different locations in Maine

Kids, whose ages are 7-17, can connect with nature, have fun, make lifelong friendships, learn new skills, and gain confidence and independence. The camps provide a perfect combination of land and water sports, arts, and memorable out-of-camp trips. They focus on the individual. They feature natural beauty, strong values, and first-class instruction and equipment.

1. What’s special about Camp Mondamin?

A．It focuses on some mountain sports.

B．It is perfect for children just coming for fun.

C．It has a history of more than 200 years.

D．It aims to turn kids’ interests into future career.

2. Extreme Action at Pali Adventures is likely to attract students who ________.

A．are curious about competitions

B．want to train with famous athletes

C．are strong-willed and like challenges

D．have a great interest in traditional sports.

3. Which camp is the best choice for a student wanting to study business in college?

A．World Scholars	B．Maine Camp Experience
C．Camp Mondamin	D．Extreme Action at Pali Adventure

4. What can we infer about the Maine Camp Experience?

A．It can benefit children’s development in various ways.

B．It makes a single plan for a single students.

C．It’s suitable for children of all ages.

D．It takes place in different countries.

5. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To compare some American summer camps.

B．To offer skills of choosing outdoor activities.

C．To introduce ways to stay healthy to students.

D．To recommend several summer camps in the US.

【推荐2】Travel with Kids to Pittsburgh

This is an exciting time to visit Pittsburgh. The city and surrounding region is now perfect for family fun. Here are some of Pittsburgh’s must-visit family attractions:

Eat Pie at Sand Hill Berries

The homemade pies at Sand Hill Berries are better than what’s found on any kids menu, and everyone loves fresh fruit pie! The family farm has been growing strawberries and blackberries since 1981, using the fruit for homemade jams and pies. It’s worth a drive to the farm’s lovely outdoor Cabin Cafe. Kids and adults will enjoy a slice of pie in what feels like a secret garden.

Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

For active kids with energy to burn, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is a perfect place. Kids can play in the Garage—an interactive area that includes a parachute (降落伞) launcher and toy car raceways. At the Makeshop, kids use skills to create a take-home piece of woodworking or sewing. Museum exhibits change often and make for fresh repeat visits.

Fort Ligonier

History comes to life at Fort Ligonier, a re-created fort (兵营) from the French and Indian War located in Ligonier—about an hour’s drive east of the city. Here, kids can learn about George Washington—he served at the fort more than 250 years ago! Costumed (装扮的) soldiers demonstrate daily life, including welcoming visitors to where they slept, ate and prepared for battle. In October, the village of Ligonier hosts the annual Fort Ligonier Days with live music, performances, fireworks and more.

Just Ducky Tour

Pittsburgh’s Just Ducky Tour takes riders from land to water on one boat! The jeep-like boats start on land for a driving tour of the business and cultural districts of downtown, before driving into the river! The tour guide makes an effort to tell fun stories about the landmarks. Kids will love the group participation and enjoy the excitement of driving right into the river!

1. Where can kids make things with their own hands?

A．At Fort Ligonier.

B．On Just Ducky Tour.

C．At Sand Hill Berries.

D．In the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.

2. What can visitors see at Fort Ligonier in summer?

A．Costumed soldiers.

B．George Washington.

C．The French and Indian War.

D．Performances by the villagers.

3. How is Just Ducky Tour different from the other tours?

A．It is kid-friendly.

B．It is a historic site.

C．It offers delicious food.

D．It involves both land and water.

【推荐3】Cold rains, icy sidewalks and gray skies can make winter travel a trial. But hot drinks, snowy slopes, frozen lakes and blue skies full of fresh air? That’s the kind of winter we can all have a try. Here are some cities around the world that make for a great cold-weather destination.

Prague, Czech Republic

With its snow-capped towers and cobbled winding streets, Prague is a fairytale city that remains relatively tourist-free in winter. The unusual and impressive architecture looks even prettier under a sheet of snow. Gas street lamps throughout the city center add a romantic color to evenings. Cafes here are ideal for escaping the bitter cold. The fascinating Estates Theatre, where Mozart conducted the world premiere(首演) of “Don Giovanni” in 1787, is a must.

Tromso, Norway

Tromso, known as the capital of the Arctic, is great in winter. It’s widely regarded as Norway’s most beautiful city and is a base for spotting the northern lights. There are also fascinating museums, including the Polar Museum, which offers an insight into the history of Arctic expeditions, and the Tromso Museum, famous for its Sami exhibitions.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

In winter, Amsterdam’s museums are much less crowded, making it the time to visit attractions such as Rijksmuseum or the Anne Frank House. Built originally to house a circus, the Royal Carré Theatre is more than 130 years old. Children will love the spectacular performances.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Cobbled streets, a beautiful castle and lovely public gardens make Edinburgh a beautiful city any time of year, but in winter it’s breathtaking. Princes Street Gardens is transformed into a wonderland, with ice skating rinks, enormous Christmas trees and a Ferris wheel. On the edge of the city, Arthur’s Seat is the perfect location for a winter walk and the views from the top are second to none.

1. What is one of the attractions of Prague in winter?

A．No charge for all tourists.

B．Iconic architectures covered by snow.

C．Colorful gas lamps for street lighting.

D．Mozart’s performance “Don Giovanni”.

2. If you take your 4-year-old kid, which place is the best choice?

A．Prague, Czech Republic.	B．Tromso, Norway.
C．Amsterdam, Netherlands.	D．Edinburgh, Scotland.

3. Where is this text probably from?

A．A tour blog.	B．A travel magazine.
C．A geography textbook.	D．A government website.

【推荐1】New research dispels (消除) the myth that the time of day you eat your biggest meal can help with weight loss-though eating earlier may still have health benefits.

Two studies from 2013 suggested that consuming more calories early in the day and fewer calories in the evening helps people lose weight. Yet a major new study has found that while the relative size of breakfast and dinner influences self-reported appetite, it has no effect on metabolism (新陈代谢) and weight loss.

To investigate the link between the size of breakfast and dinner and their effect on hunger, a team of researchers at the universities of Aberdeen and Surrey conducted a controlled study in healthy but overweight people. The participants were fed two diets, each for four weeks: a big breakfast and a small dinner, and a small breakfast with a big dinner. We kept lunches the same. All study participants undertook both diet conditions so that the effect of meal patterns could be compared in the same people.

The results of the experiment found no differences in body weight or any biological measures of energy usage between the two meal patters. The only difference was a change in the self-reported feeling of hunger and related factors, such as the quantity of food they wanted to eat. Across the day, the meal pattern of big breakfast and small dinner caused participants to report less hunger throughout the day. This effect may be useful for people looking to lose weight, as it may help them better control their hunger and eat less.

As with all research, there were some limitations to our study. We only studied participants for four weeks for each meal pattern. Past research has shown the largest differences in the effects of early versus late energy intake after four weeks. However, the fact that neither calories eaten nor calories burned changed over four weeks shows that body weight is unlikely to have changed if the study was longer.

1. What does the new research suggest?

A．Eating earlier won’t do any good to your health.

B．It was best to eat a large meal at the beginning of the day.

C．When to eat your biggest meal is not so important for weight loss.

D．Right timing for your meals can make a difference in weight loss.

2. How did the researchers carry out the study?

A．By analyzing the previous data.	B．By conducting a questionnaire survey.
C．By observing the behavior of the participants.	D．By comparing the impacts of two meal patterns.

3. What difference may a “big breakfast” make?

A．People are more likely to feel hungry.	B．People burn calories at a faster pace.
C．People feel it easier to control food intake.	D．People tend to lose more weight in a month.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the result of the research?

A．Objective.

B．Doubtful.

C．Critical.

D．Indifferent.

【推荐3】Some big scientific discoveries aren’t actually discovered but borrowed. That’s what happened when scientists discovered proteins from an unlikely lender: green algae(绿藻), whose cells are decorated with proteins that can sense light.

The light-sensing protein promised the power to control neurons(神经元)by providing a way to turn them on and off. Such ability, first noticed in 2002, quickly caught the attention of brain scientists: Nerve cells which were genetically engineered to produce such proteins become light-controlled. A flash of light could cause a quiet neuron to send signals or force an active neuron to fall silent. “This is the light sensor that we needed,” says Zhuo-Hua Pan, a scientist searching for a way to control vision cells in mice’s eyes. The method is now called optogenetics (光遗传学).

In Pan’s lab, light-responsive proteins restored vision in mice with damaged eyesight, a finding that has now led to a medical test on people. Optogenetics’ promise wasn’t clear in early days, as scientists were first learning how to use these proteins in neurons. “At that time, no one expected that this optogenetic work would have such a huge impact,” Pan says.

The algae’s light sensors have been adopted for use in countless brain research fields. Talia, another scientist, uses optogenetics to study connections between cells in the mouse brain. The method allows her to comb the relationships between cells that produce and respond to dopamine(多巴胺), which might help uncover details about motivation and learning.

So far, optogenetics research has taken place mostly in mice. But findings into more complex brains like human brain may soon be confirmed. “We are definitely on the tip of uncovering some fascinating principles of the human brain, such as how the brain transforms signals from the eyes into perceptions,” says Yasmine of Columbia University.

No matter what happens next in this swiftly moving field, one thing is certain: Brain scientists will be forever in the algae’s debt.

1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A．The origin of neurons.	B．The discovery of green algae.
C．The varieties of neurons.	D．The inspiration from green algae.

2. What can we learn from Pan’s research?

A．Damaged eyesight is likely to be restored.

B．The findings are used to cure brain diseases.

C．Relationships between cells have been found.

D．The light-sensing protein is the key to the brain.

3. What’s Yasmine’s attitude towards the future of her research?

A．Cautious.

B．Confident.

C．Critical.

D．Unclear.

4. Which section is this text most probably taken from?

A．Health.

B．Botany.

C．Figure.

D．Invention.