【推荐1】Theme parks are fun any time of year but there's something extra special about visiting during the holidays. Here are how the best theme parks go all out during the holidays!

Great Wolf House

Every holiday season, each Great Wolf House location transforms into Snow land,a magical place with festive trees,twinkling lights, and daily indoor snow showers in the Grand Lobby. Also included free with every overnight stay are visits with Santa on holiday weekends. family holiday movies,and Snow and Glow dance parties. But the coolest things happening at Great World House at the end of the year is the chance to go to North Pole University. That's. where kids can complete fun "courses" to receive a small presents.

Disney World

Every park in the most magical place on Earth goes all out for the holidays, including Disney' s Animal Kingdom.Over at the Magic Kingdom,Queen Elsa transforms Cinderella Castle in A Frozen Holiday Wish,There's the amazing Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show,and on most nights during the season,your magical day concludes with Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. That's when the whole park is filled with music, characters dressed in their holiday best and surprises that will have kids and adults alike smiling wide from Mickey ear to Mickey ear.

Universal Studios Florida

If you're going to, Orlando during the festive season it's for Christmas in The Wizarding(巫师）World of Harry Potter! Both sides of this large park are transformed into a wizarding wonderland during the holidays.Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley will be decorated with   lights,and the sounds of special performances will make sure all are merry and bright at Universal Studios Florida. Bonus: hot Butter beer on tap!

LEGOLAND Florida Resort

Planning a family Christmas at LEGOLAND is a memorable experience. Watching the LEGO brick drop on New Year's Eve with a rocking' dance party and fireworks at LEGOLAND Florida is the greatest way in America to ring in a new year with your kids. For more information, please click the link below: www.readers' digest.com

1. According to the passage, we can know that           

A．the Great Wolf House is a theme park that you can visit at Christmas time

B．your stay at Disney World ends with A Frozen Holiday Wish

C．you can surprise yourself with butter at Universal Studios Florida

D．LEGOLAND is a place for unforgettable memories designed only for children

2. What can be inferred from "surprises that will have kids and adults alike smiling wide from Mickey ear to Mickey ear'?

A．Kids and adults will tour around Disney World collecting Mickey ear.

B．Kids and adults will have a great time attending Mickey's Christmas Party.

C．Kids and adults like to smile and watch Mickey and Minnie show.

D．Kids and adults will enjoy a magic show put on in Disney World.

3. Where can you find this article?

A．A website.	B．A piece of newspaper.
C．A science magazine.	D．A bulletin.

【推荐1】Last fall, I happened to overhear a student telling the others he had decided not to sign up for an introductory philosophy course. The demands of his major, he said seriously, meant he needed to take “practical” courses, and “enlightenment” would simply have to wait. For now, employability was the most important.

The students’ conversation fits into a larger alarming narrative about the role of the humanities in higher education. In a time of dizzying technological achievement and of rapid scientific innovation, sceptics of the humanities may question the usefulness of studying Aristotle, the Italian Renaissance or Chinese fiction.

Actually, I regret not interrupting that student to argue for taking that introductory philosophy course. I would have started by reminding him that, for much of America’s history, college graduates were not considered truly educated unless they had mastered philosophy, literature, political theory and history. The key role of higher education was to invite students into the conversations about matters like what it means to be alive and the definition of justice. Fostering engagement with these subjects is still an essential part of the university’s function in society.

I would have also mentioned to the student that he was misinformed about the job market. It is true that many employers are looking for graduates with specialized technical skills, but they also look for other capabilities. As the world is transformed by artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation, the unique human qualities of creativity, imagination and moral reasoning will be the ultimate coin of the realm. All these skills are developed in humanities courses.

Further, I would have argued that while a degree anchored in the sciences is an important precondition for many jobs, it is not the only route. Look no further than the founders of companies such as LinkedIn, Slack and Flickr, who are among the many tech businesspersons with degrees in the humanities, and who credit that training for their success.

Contrary to the widely held belief that humanities majors have a hard time getting jobs, recent studies show that those with humanities degrees are successful in the workplace, experiencing low rates of unemployment and reporting high levels of job satisfaction. The ratio between average median(中位数) incomes for humanities degree holders and those with business, engineering, and health and medical sciences degrees has been shown to narrow over the course of a career.

The case for the humanities can also be understood in less transactional terms and more as a foundational preparation for a life well lived. A humanities education plays a vital role in encouraging citizens to lead an examined life. It fosters critical thinking, self-reflection, empathy and tolerance, the usefulness of which only becomes more apparent as one navigates life’s challenges.

By all means, students should take courses they think practical and follow their interests, but if they also make a point of studying the literature of the Renaissance, or researching into modern poetry, or even taking introductory philosophy, we will all benefit.

1. What do the students’ conversation show?

A．Students feel employment difficult.

B．Students think philosophy less important.

C．Students find scientific innovation amazing.

D．Students consider university courses unsatisfying.

2. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Highly valued.	B．Equally applied.
C．Strictly assessed.	D．Greatly improved.

3. The author may agree that humanities _____.

A．discover students’ artistic ability

B．prepare students for graduation

C．raise awareness of social status

D．provide great insights into life

4. Which of the following shows the development of ideas in the passage?
I: Introduction        P: Point        Sp: Sub-point(次要点)        C: Conclusion

A．	B．
C．	D．

【推荐3】RISE is an exciting project designed and led by young pope for young people. Created by St John Ambulance, the nation’s leading first-aid charity, the project is now available in communities across the country. If you’re aged between 16 and 25 years old, and are not in employment, education or training. RISE could help you learn new skills, and improve your prospects.

What you’ll learn

St John Ambulance believes that everyone should have access to first aid, and we are devoted to equipping as many people as possible with the skills to be the difference between life and death. As a participant you’ll learn first aid through our Stick-it sessions, and also get the opportunity to develop new skills, giving you the confidence to train others in your community, or the qualifications in youth leadership you need to get your career up and running.

Choosing the right path for you

At the heart of the RISE project is a commitment to peer-to-peer learning. As well as being taught first aid, you’ll be given the skills and guidance to pass your knowledge on to other people in your community. RISE offers you the chance to gain a range of qualifications and to choose a path that helps you make the most of your talents.

Stick-it: Our one-day introduction to first aid focuses on knife related injuries. You’ll find out how to manage an incident and learn some of the most commonly needed first-aid skills.

First aid: You’ll focus on CPR (心肺复苏术) and dealing with an emergency situation on this six-hour course.

Keeping children safe: A course designed for those who come into contact with children through their work or leisure activities. This short program works by helping individuals to understand the unusual role they play in keeping children safe from harm.

Essential skills in youth work: This course provides an introduction to St John Ambulance and is the minimum qualification for a youth leadership role within the organization.

1. What do we know about RISE?

A．It was set up by a man named St John.

B．It is funded by communities.

C．It has much experience in teaching.

D．It offers first-aid training.

2. Which of the following courses deals with a serious finger cut?

A．Stick-it.	B．First aid.
C．Keeping children safe.	D．Basic skills in youth work.

3. What is the text mainly about?

A．Advantages of taking first-aid courses.

B．Tips on first-aid training.

C．A guidance on how to give first aid.

D．An introduction to a first-aid project.

【推荐2】From our smartphones to our latest weaponry, the technology that underpins（支撑） modern life would be impossible without rare earth metals．   The importance of rare earths has only grown as emerging markets increase their demand for technologies made with it, as does the renewable energy industry．
The 17 metallic elements are common in the earth-s crust, but the technique used to extract and refine them is labor-intensive, environmentally hazardous and increasingly costly．   Thomas Gradael,   a professor of geology and geophysics at the Yale School of Forestry Environmental Studies, explains that the钰criticality" of rare earths was only recently understood after China, which dominates the world-s supply of the minerals, cut exports by 40% in 2010, citing concerns over how polluting the rare earth industry was．
Along with colleagues at Yale, Gradael decided to investigate the metals used in modern technologies to determine if there were viable（可行的） substitutes．“Twenty or thirty years ago electronics were being made with 11 different elements," explains Gradael．   “Today's computers and smartphones use something like 63 different elements．" Their findings showed that there were no "readily apparent" substitutes for a metal that would not compromise on quality or performance．
However increased mining for these scarce resources can have some nasty side effects for the environment． China, which has intensively mined for rare earths with little regulation, allowing it to dominate the global industry since 1990, has acknowledged the incredible environmental harm caused by the process．   “Excessive rare earth mining has resulted in landslides, clogged rivers, environmental pollution emergencies and even major accidents and disasters, causing great damage to people's safety and health and the ecological environment," read a white paper issued by the Chinese cabinet in June last year．
Recycling metal has been advocated by some as a possible way of managing these precious resources-the European Parliament adopted a law curbing dumping of electric waste in 2012． But Gradael says that for rare earths, recycling will have little impact．
1. Rare earths are growingly important in that

A．they exist in small numbers

B．they are essential in modern technologies

C．life would be impossible without them

D．new technology markets are emerging

2. Which one of the following can be used in the blank?

A．It is in China that rare earths are fully understood．

B．Despite the name, rare earth metals are not in fact rare．

C．There is a growing concern over the rare earth industry．

D．Rare earth metals are difficult to collect though important．

3. Gradael investigated the use of rare earths in modern technologies to        ．

A．prove the important role rare earths play

B．learn the number of different elements used

C．determine whether there are substitutes for rare earths

D．research further the quality or performance of rare earths

4. Why does the author take China as an example in Para．4?

A．To tell the wide use of rare earth in China．

B．To prove the side effects of rare earth mining．

C．To warn people of the possible damage．

D．To teach other countries a lesson to follow．

5. The text may probably be followed by the paragraphs about

A．the reasons why recycling works little

B．the ways to manage rare earths

C．the effects brought about by rare earths

D．the attitudes people hold to the law

【推荐3】In 2020, many robots took up jobs, giving both humans and animals a helping hand.

A hospital ward (病区) treating coronavirus (冠状病毒) patients in Wuhan, China, was run by robots. The robots looked after patients who had the disease very mildly, giving out food and keeping the hospital clean. This reduced the risk of doctors and nurses catching the disease. If a patient fell more seriously ill they were sent to a human-run part of the hospital for more treatment.

In May, a robot dog forced people to follow social-distancing rules to stop the spread of coronavirus in Singapore. Spot, made by US company Boston Dynamics, went round Singapore’s Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park to check that people kept at least one metre apart from each other.

In June, a teenager in New Zealand won a national science award for inventing a robot that can take out the bins (垃圾箱) for elderly and disabled people. Thomas James, who is 17 years old, came up with his great idea after an elderly neighbour was told by a doctor not to take out her bin in case she fell over. The smart machine took the teenager two years to design and build, using Lego models to test his early ideas.

Over summer, a super-cute SlothBot was tested at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in the US. Designed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the animal-like robot is powered by sunlight and moves slowly between trees, collecting information around it. The SlothBot’s inventor, Professor Magnus Egerstedt, came up with the idea after observing sloths (树懒) in Costa Rica. Researchers hope that the solar-powered robot will help protect endangered forest species in the wild.

1. About robots in a hospital wart in Wuhan, which is NOT true?

A．They can take care of patients with the mild disease.

B．They can send food to patients and pick up rubbish on the floor.

C．They can help doctors to decrease the chance of catching coronavirus.

D．They can treat a seriously-ill patient.

2. What can we learn from SlothBot?

A．The robots are likely to be used in wild forest species protection.

B．The robot is powered by sunlight and runs quickly under the trees.

C．The researcher got the idea by watching many endangered wild forest species.

D．Researchers used Lego models to test their ideas.

3. In the past one year, robots can help humans and animals in the following aspects ______.
a. In a hospital
b. Advising people to keep social distance in public places
c. Helping the old people stand up when they fell over
d. Gathering information of wild forest species
e. Taking out rubbish for the people with disabilities

A．abe

B．bed

C．ade

D．acd

4. What is the author’s attitude to the rise of robots in our life?

A．Supportive

B．Unclear

C．Doubtful

D．Worried

【推荐1】A Guide to the University

Food

The TWU Cafeteria is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. It serves snacks (小吃), drinks, ice cream bars and meals. You can pay with cash or your ID cards. You can add meal money to your ID cards at the Front Desk. Even if you do not buy your food in the cafeteria, you can use the tables to eat your lunch, to have meetings and to study.

If you are on campus in the evening or late at night, you can buy snacks, fast food, and drinks in the Lower Café located in the bottom level of the Douglas Centre. This area is often used for entertainment such as concerts, games or TV watching.

Relaxation

The Globe, located in the bottom level of McMillan Hall, is available for relaxing, studying, cooking, and eating. Monthly activities are held here for all international students. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., closed on Sundays.

Health

Located on the top floor of Douglas Hall, the Wellness Centre is committed to physical, emotional and social health. A doctor and nurse is available if you have health questions or need immediate medical help or personal advice. The cost of this is included in your medical insurance. Hours are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.

Academic Support

All students have access to the Writing Centre on the upper floor of Douglas Hall. Here, qualified volunteers will work with you on written work, grammar, vocabulary, and other academic skills. You can sign up for an appointment on the sign-up sheet outside the door: two 30-minute appointments per week maximum. This service is free.

1. What can you do in the TWU Cafeteria?

A．Do homework and watch TV.	B．Have meals and meet with friends.
C．Add money to your ID and play chess.	D．Buy drinks and enjoy concerts.

2. Where and when can you cook your own food?

A．The McMillan Hall, Sunday.	B．The Lower Café, Sunday.
C．The TWU Cafeteria, Friday.	D．The Globe, Friday.

3. Which of the following is true according to the guide to the university?

A．You can get some medical training in the Wellness Centre for free.

B．You can turn to the Wellness Centre at any time in case of an emergency.

C．You can seek help from the Writing Center by applying online in advance.

D．The volunteers in the Writing Center can help you with your academic work.

【推荐2】Sharon, Aged 22

The most important thing to keep in mind when going into high school is to be yourself. Besides, I don’t know what your middle school was like, but high school teachers will not care about things such as how much homework you already have for one night. It’s best to just learn to deal with things and manage your time wisely so you can achieve everything you need to do.

David, Aged 19

I’m not going to lie. The first day is kind of frightening. But you’ll get used to it. Don’t be afraid of anyone; Just take it easy. Making some friends and staying with them will greatly help you get used to high school quickly. After the first week it’s really not bad at all. Don’t worry.

Frank, Aged 21

I think almost every kid feels both anxious and excited before their first day. You will probably love it. I know I did. You should join in some sports or activities that will make your high school experience more enjoyable. Good luck!

Eddie, Aged 20

When I started high school I was really nervous and worried too, especially since I had been home schooled all through middle school and didn’t really know anyone. I suppose the best advice would be to just relax. The first couple of days can be a little bit hard, but things will become easier before you know it.

1. What can we infer from Sharon’s words about high school?

A．Teachers are quite strict.

B．Students often stay up at night.

C．Teachers provide little care for students.

D．Students should make good use of their time.

2. Who mentions the importance of friends?

A．David.

B．Frank.

C．Sharon.

D．Eddie.

3. How did Eddie feel on his first day of high school?

A．Excited.

B．Worried.

C．Bored.

D．Relaxed.

【推荐3】Make 2020 your most adventurous year yet by signing up for one of these trips of a lifetime. Sail to Aldabra Atoll for a fascinating journey, hike along the frontiers of Georgia, explore different habitats of human and animals: These journeys are unlike any trip you've ever taken before.

Exodus Travels This once -in-a- lifetime journey visits Aldabra Atoll, one of the most remote UNESCO World Heritage sites on the planet. Hidden away from the impact of humans，Aldabra has managed to sustain a population of 152,000 giant tortoises. This is the trip for wildlife enthusiasts: The clear waters of the Seychelles are home to 850 species of brilliantly colored fish that you'll visit on snorkel and dive excursions (旅行).

Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel's Georgia Walking Tour showcases the country's wild side, with plenty of hikes in the Svaneti Mountains mixed with cultural experiences like a visit to the remote village of Adishi, home to just 12 families.

Natural Habitat Adventures A nine-day adventure centered around Natural Habitat's unique luxury base camp near the edge of the Greenland ice sheet. You'll be in one of the world's most remote locations (with a maximum of only 11 other travelers in your group) , but still have access to hot showers and well-prepared meals. You'll spend your days exploring the surrounding water, meeting the local Inuit villagers, kayaking (独木舟),and more.

Mountain Travel Sobek Accompanied with expert guides, you'll track gorillas through Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, getting a rare chance to see these majestic creatures up close. You'll also focus your search on another rare creature—the golden monkey.

1. Who will be most likely to choose Aldabra Atoll as a perfect destination?

A．A UNESCO officer.

B．An experienced hiker.

C．A passionate animal lover.

D．An active environmentalist.

2. To enjoy Natural Habitat Adventures, you need to _______.

A．enjoy a cold bath

B．make dinners alone

C．prepare a folding tent

D．take waterproof overcoats

3. Where is the passage most probably taken from?

A．A culture report.

B．A reference book.

C．A tourism magazine.

D．A geography textbook.