【推荐1】In Washington, Virginia and Maryland, the final months of the year have many festivals. Whether you are into a theatre environment, medieval times or a book festival, there is an event for you.

1. Maryland Renaissance Festival

The festival, now in its 38th season, features 12 stages and hundreds of costumed actors offering entertainment such as music and theatre performance, sword swallowing and a human chess match. Sept. 21 through Oct.19.

2. Baltimore Book Festival in Maryland

This three-day fair features talks and book signings from more than 275 locally and nationally known authors, including Alice McDermott and Andre Dubus III. The festival also includes live music and literary hands-on projects for kids. Sept. 26-28.

3. Middleburg Film Festival in Virginia

The festival offers a relaxed theatre environment, and the events include a dancing party, an orchestra performance of horror film music by Marco Beltrami, and a discussion with Colleen Atwood, who is a famous costume designer. Oct. 30 through Nov.2.

4. Temple Hall Corn Maize and Fall Festival in Virginia

The 286-acre farm offers a lot of family-friendly entertainment, including pig races, farm animals and camel rides. Grab seasonal goods at the farmers’ market, take part in the corn harvest, and hear live bluegrass and folk music. Friday through Sunday, Sept. 26 through Nov.2.

5. Kids Euro Festival in Washington

Here is a chance to celebrate and experience European arts and Culture, no passports required. Twenty-eight European countries will be represented during the multicultural children’s event, which features more than 200 performances and workshops. The festival is for children ages 2 through 12, librarians and educators. Activities include puppet shows, cooking and theatre workshops. “It really brings Europe to the children, ” said organizer Sandi Auman. Oct. 24 through Nov. 9

1. When can you enjoy the performance of sword swallowing in a festival?

A．Oct. 30 through Nov.2.	B．Oct. 24 through Nov. 9.
C．Sep. 26 through Nov. 2.	D．Sept. 21 through Oct. 19.

2. In the Temple Hall Corn Maize and Fall Festival, you can ________.

A．raise pigs in person

B．play bluegrass music

C．work in the corn fields

D．learn how to train camels

3. Both the Baltimore Book Festival and the Kids Euro Festival ________

A．offer live music	B．invite famous writers
C．have activities for kids	D．show European culture

【推荐2】Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival   
Where: Becket, Massachusetts
When: Jun.15--Aug.24

Each summer, this influential dance center presents a number of classes and performances by more than 50 companies from around the world. Highlights (最精彩的部分) in this season include the Dance Theater of Harlem’s production of Alvin Ailey’s “The Lark Ascending”, which opens the festival.

Many events are free. Ticketed performances start at $22. Jacobspillow.org.

Moab Music Festival     
Where: Moab, Utah
When: Aug.29--Sept.9

This area is better known for mountain biking than for music. But since 1992, it has hosted a private festival that brings classical, jazz, Latin and other types of music to the land. This year there will be 16 concerts, including three “Grotto Concerts”, where guests take a 45-minute boat ride down the Colorado River to performances.

Events start at $25. moabmusicfest.org.

Cheyenne Frontier Days     
Where: Cheyenne, Wyoming
When: July19--28

There is something for everyone at this 117-year-old festival, from an “Indian village and Old West museum” to country concerts. But the competition is still the main attraction, with cowboys and cowgirls competing for major money in the world’s largest outdoor stage.

Competition tickets start at $18, and concert tickets at $23. cfdrodeo.com.

The Glimmerglass Festival       
Where: Cooperstown, New York
When: July6--Aug.24

Each summer, opera lovers from around the country (and the world) travel to upstate New York to watch productions that include stars like Nathan Gunn and Ginger Costa-Jackson. This year’s performances include Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” and Verdi’s “King for a Day”, in honor of the 200th birthdays of both composers(作曲家).

Tickets start at $26. glimmerglass.org.

1. If you want to enjoy a “Grotto Concert”, which date suits you best?

A．June 15.

B．July 19.

C．August 24.

D．September 4.

2. If you go to Cheyenne to watch a competition and enjoy a concert, how much will you pay at least?

A．$18.

B．$22.

C．$36

D．$41.

3. If you are a big fan of Wagner, you’re advised to go to ____________.

A．Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival	B．The Glimmerglass Festival
C．Cheyenne Frontier Days	D．Moab Music Festival

4. Which part of a website is the text probably chosen from?

A．Education.

B．Politics.

C．Business.

D．Art.

【推荐3】“The Mexican is familiar with death, jokes with it, sleeps with it and celebrates it,” wrote Mexican author Octavio Paz.

To celebrate death, people throughout Mexico celebrate the Day of the Dead on or around Nov. 1 each year. People wear makeup to celebrate the festival on that day.

Widely considered to be Mexico’s most important festival, the Day of the Dead is deeply rooted in the culture of the local Mexica.

The Mexica were the dominant local people in Mexico before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century.

The celebration is based on a Mexican legend ( 传 说 ) that says after death, souls can only communicate with their still-living families in the first days of November. One can see how these days would be quite important for the Mexican people.

Now the tradition has become a modern festival .

“It’s a celebration with many years of history, to which local people have incorporated(融合) new religious elements, such as the gathering of offerings,” said Octavio Murillo, director at the National Institute of Local People in Mexico.

On this special day, people around Mexico decorate their homes, streets and relatives’ graves with flowers, candles and colorful skulls. At the same time, they set up altars ( 祭坛) on which they place the personal belongings of the dead to welcome them home.

In recent years, this festival has become a global symbol of Mexican culture , especially after the movie Coco《寻梦环游记》 hit big screens in 2017.

“We are all afraid of death, and in Mexico, it is part of a celebration, a ritual of color. It’s amazing. ” said Alejandra Diaz, a 30-year-old traveller. She took a week-long trip from Colombia to Mexico City just to take part in the festivities.

1. What do we know about the Day of the Dead?

A．It dates back to the 15th century.

B．It is related to a Mexica legend.

C．It honors those who died for Mexico.

D．It is a traditional Christian festival in Mexico.

2. What is the main idea of Paragraphs 6 to 8?

A．The origins of the Day of the Dead.

B．Traditional ways of celebrating the Day of the Dead.

C．How the Day of the Dead is recently celebrated in Mexico.

D．Why the Day of the Dead is important for Mexican people.

3. Why is the movie Coco mentioned in the text?

A．To show that we should not be afraid of death.

B．To prove that the Day of the Dead has become a modern festival.

C．To present the influence of Mexican culture on modern movies.

D．To tell the readers that the festival stands for Mexican culture.

【推荐1】In the movie The Wrong Trousers, a pair of futuristic trousers lets people walk on walls and ceilings. Inspired by the movie, researchers in England created “The Right Trousers,” a set of trousers embedded (嵌入) with electrical pumps to force air into tiny tubes (软管) that expand and can help elderly or disabled people with issues like getting up or improving blood flow. Now, material scientists, computer programmers and fabric designers are working to advance robotic clothing.

In June, researchers in Australia created robotic fibers, which can make fabric move automatically. Last year, scientists at MIT built fiber batteries that could be embedded into clothes and power robotic clothing. In recent years, Google partnered with brands like Levi’s and Adidas to put sensors in jackets, backpacks and shoes, letting users access their phones instantly. Researchers said they could soon unlock an era where clothing will act more like a computer, sensing how your body feels and telling your clothes how to help.

At the University of New South Wales in Australia, researchers are creating fabrics that car shape-shift. Thanh Nho Do, a senior lecturer at the school, said his team has created tiny tubes that can weave into sheets of fabric. These tubes can make fabric take various preprogrammed shapes. But challenges still remain for Do’s team, especially around making these robotic tubes smaller so they can weave easily with other fabrics.

Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio from Yale University agreed that many challenges remain before smart clothing reaches their full potential. “It will be challenging to make these clothes, equipped with fibers and technology, strong enough to go through multiple cycles in the laundry (衣店),” she said. Despite that, she says researchers will figure out a way forward. “Recent breakthroughs,” she said, “point toward a not-so-distant future where smart clothing will be a part of our everyday life. ”

1. What did scientists at MIT do last years?

A．They put sensors in clothes.

B．They created movable robotic fibers.

C．They made batteries for robotic clothing.

D．They released smart clothing connected to cellphones.

2. What is the main challenge faced by Do’s team?

A．Ensuring the quality of the fabric.

B．Finding suitable materials for the fabric.

C．Programming the tubes to change shapes.

D．Adjusting tubes to weave with other fabrics.

3. What can be inferred about smart clothing according to Rebecca’s?

A．It struggles to stand repeated washes.

B．It will not be a part of everyday life soon.

C．It will never overcome laundry-related challenges.

D．It has all related challenges solved by researchers.

4. Which could be the best title for this passage?

A．The evolution of smart trousers

B．The future of laundry innovations

C．Smart fabric may shape future wardrobe

D．Smart clothing’s impact on everyday life

【推荐2】Table-Waiting Robot Cat

A table-waiting robot cat built by a Chinese technology firm can carry plates of food, navigate a restaurant, miaow(喵喵叫) at dinners—and even react to having its ears stroked.

Making its debut(初次露面) at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the so-called BellaBot was built for Chinese restaurants lacking enough waiters. It is the brainchild(智慧结晶) of the Chinese robotics and artificial intelligence firm PuduTech.

It features four shelves in the center of its tower-like body to carry plates. Having been loaded up with meals by its human colleagues, the cat-themed robotic waiters miaows when it delivers food to diners to encourage them to take their plates. If customers thank BellaBot by stroking its ears, it will initially respond with a look of pleasure on its on-board screen, which displays animations of a cat's face. “The owner’s hand is so warm,” BellaBot has been programmed to respond.

However—much like a real cat—the robot’s reaction soon changes if it is petted for too long. “It gets mad to remind you not to interrupt its job,” the designers introduced. The BellaBot waiter robot is a more personality-rich update to PuduTech’s previous model, which featured a more utilitarian(实用主义的) design and user interface.

Both BellaBot and its predecessor were designed with a particular mind to Chinese restaurateurs which are often short of waiting staff.

In a real-world food-service setting, however, BellaBot may find it difficult to operate at peak times. Nevertheless, restaurants are anticipated to increase their reliance on automation—whether in the form of robotic waiting staff or otherwise.

Furthermore, improvements in technology will see consumer robot designs grow steadily better at communicating with humans.

1. In what way can the cat robot serve as a waiter?

A．By serving food to the customers in time.

B．By stroking its ears to express its pleasure.

C．By sending food on the shelves set in its body.

D．By loading up meals with its human colleagues.

2. What does the response “The owner’s hand is so warm” imply?

A．Delight.

B．Anger.

C．Surprise.

D．Anxiety.

3. What’s the purpose of creating the cat robots?

A．To attract more customers.

B．To liberate humans from busy labor.

C．To advance the development of technology.

D．To help to solve the shortage of human labor.

4. What will the cat robots be like in the future?

A．They can cook the delicious food.

B．They can talk with the customers better.

C．They will replace the human waiters completely.

D．They will be fond of the customers’ long-time petting.

【推荐3】Peggy Whitson's job demands a daily two­hour workout in a gym where weight has no meaning and the view changes at 17,000 miles an hour.

Whitson makes it look easy. At 57, she is the oldest woman to fly in space, breaking the record last November, 2016, when she began her third long­term stay at the International Space Station. After returning home in September, 2017, the NASA astronaut felt matter­-of­-fact about the age milestone.

“It wasn't a record I was seeking for,” Whitson said. “I was 42 and 48 for my first two space flights. I feel lucky that I was able to get to do another one in my 50s. I don't think people should let age discourage them, even on those jobs that require some amount of physical fitness. The oldest man is John Glenn (at 77), and we've had male astronauts in their 60s before, so it's just a matter of time before women start flying in space at this age”.

On the earth, she stays fit by weightlifting, biking, playing basketball and water skiing. She shared what it's like to live in microgravity: “It's like you're in a swimming pool, but you don't have to worry about breathing. If I push off from one side, I'm going to float to the other side. Every direction feels exactly the same, which is really hard for your brain to grasp, but it's amazing how fast you adapt.

It's a big shock for the body to come back to Earth—everything is so heavy. We spend a lot of time getting used to being back in gravity again. Back pain was really the most dramatic for me this time. For me, coming home is harder than going up into space.”

1. How long did Peggy Whitson spend for her third stay in the International Space Station?

A．About 300 days.

B．About 708 days.

C．About 107 days.

D．About 57 days.

2. What does the underlined word probably mean in the passage?

A．Amazing.

B．Not surprising.

C．Enthusiastic.

D．Unbelievable.

3. According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A．Peggy Whitson likes swimming most.

B．Peggy Whitson is the oldest person to fly in space.

C．Peggy Whitson had been in space in 2002 and 2008.

D．There had been female astronauts over 60s flying in space before.

4. Which of the following will Peggy Whitson probably say?

A．You can still be successful and do physical things when old.

B．I spent quite a lot of time getting used to the life in space.

C．The moment we reached the earth, we felt so relaxed.

D．I feel lucky that I am physically well after the whole journey.