Next month, I’m traveling to a remote area of Central Africa and my aim is to know enough Lingala — one of the local languages — to have a conversation. I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage this — until I discovered a way to learn all the vocabulary I’m going to need. Thanks to Memrise, the application I’m using. It feels just like a game.
“People often stop learning things because they feel they’re not making progress or because it all feels like too much hard work,” says Ed Cooke, one of the people who created Memrise. “We’re trying to create a form of learning experience that is fun and is something you’d want to do instead of watching TV.”
Memrise gives you a few new words to learn and these are “seeds” which you plant in your “greenhouse”. When you learn the words, you “water your plants”. When the application believes that you’ve really memorized a word, it moves the word to your “garden”. And if you forget to log on, the application sends you emails, reminding you to “water your plants”.
The application uses two principles about learning. The first is that people memorize things better when they link them to a picture in their mind. Memrise translates words into your own language, but it also encourages you to use “mems”. For example, I memorized motele, the Lingala word for “engine”, using a mem I created — I imagined an old engine in a motel (汽车旅馆) room.
The second principle is that we need to stop after studying words and then repeat them again later, leaving time between study sessions. Memrise helps you with this, because it’s the kind of application you only use for five or ten minutes a day.
I’ve learnt hundreds of Lingala words with Memrise. I know this won’t make me a fluent speaker, but I hope I’ll be able to do more than just smile when I meet people in Congo. Now, I need to go and water my Vocabulary!
1. What does Ed Cooke make an effort to do with Memrise?| A．Create memorable experiences. | B．Make progress with hard work. |
| C．Learning words instead of watching TV. | D．Combine study with entertainment. |
| A．Logging on to the application. | B．Being a Memrise user. |
| C．Practising the vocabulary. | D．Moving words to your garden. |
| A．By linking different mems together. | B．By putting knowledge into practice. |
| C．By offering human translation services. | D．By applying an associative memory approach. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. |
| C．Uninterested. | D．Negative. |
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【推荐1】Christmas is coming early this year for “Downton Abbey”《唐顿庄园》fans. Highclere Castle, where the beloved British show was filmed, will be available for one night only on Airbnb.
The stay will offer two lucky guests a glimpse at what life as a Crawley may have been like. The once-in-a-lifetime stay will take place on November 26, 2019, according to the listing.
Highclere Castle belongs to the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, who still live on the grounds and will host the guests. The Earl is Queen Elizabeth II’s godson.
Reservations for Highclere Castle will become available on October 1 at 7 p.m. ET, and it’s first come, first serve.
The stay at Highclere Castle will cost $159.
In a one-night-only listing, Earl and Lady Carnarvon are inviting one lucky couple to “live like royalty” at their 100,000-square-foot, 300-room estate in Hampshire, England. The chosen pair will be invited to share dinner with the Earl and Countess in the state dining room, followed by coffee in the library. They will then retire to one of the gallery bedrooms with views overlooking 1,000 acres of parkland. Before they leave the following day, the guests can also expect breakfast and a private tour of the grounds that will highlight rooms “Downton Abbey” fans know well, including the drawing room and gallery bedrooms.
Guests will be waited on by the castle’s butler service(管家服务) during dinner and there’s strictly one butler allowed per guest, according to house rules.
Other stipulations for guests include that all newspapers must be ironed, they must wear cocktail attire to dinner, they can only gossip in the downstairs quarters, and there are no pets allowed. But have no fear, there are nine dogs on site who can’t wait to make your acquaintance.
This isn’t the first time the Earl and Countess have opened their doors to the public.
Visitors can take tours of the castle between 9:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily from July to September. The castle is also open on various days throughout the year. The couple even hosted the first public Christmas ball at Highclere Castle last year. They’ll be hosting another holiday ball this year, though the specific date hasn’t been announced yet.
“It’s an absolute privilege and pleasure to call Highclere Castle my home and I am delighted to be able to share it on Airbnb for a truly unique stay,” Lady Carnarvon wrote on Airbnb.
“Highclere Castle has been in the Carnarvon family since 1679 and has an incredibly rich history,” the Countess added. “I am passionate about the stories and heritage of Highclere Castle, and I am looking forward to welcoming our future guests.”
The event builds on the excitement for the “Downton Abbey” film.
The film follows the Crawley family as they prepare for a visit from King George V and Queen Mary in 1927. It premieres in theaters on Friday in the US.
1. From the passage, we can learn that ________.| A．the guests will stay at Highclere Castle on Christmas Eve |
| B．Downton Abbey was filmed at Highclere Castle |
| C．Highclere Castle will offer the guests only B&B |
| D．all the visitors will be invited to have caffee |
| A．be reserved on October 1 at 7 p.m. ET |
| B．provide the guests with dinner and coffee in the library |
| C．allow guests to take 9 dogs at most |
| D．witness a Christmas ball on November 26, 2019 |
| A．film review | B．family introduction | C．travel advertisement | D．castle story |
This museum, which opened in 2022, puts exhibits about Broadway centre stage. It has teamed up with internationally renowned artists, designers and theatre historians to create an interactive experience that highlights groundbreaking moments in Broadway’s history—the moments that pushed creative boundaries, challenged social norms and paved the way for those who would follow.
The Museum of Modern ArtThe museum has been showcasing the world’s finest modern and contemporary works for almost a century, having opened back in 1929. The institution’s evolving collection contains 200,000 works from around the world, including painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, photography, architecture, design, film, media and performance art. Highlights of the collection include Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. Other big hitters are Andy Warhol’s striking Gold Marilyn Monroe and his famous Campbell’s Soup Cans.
Whitney Museum of American ArtOpened in 2015, the current building was designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, the brains behind Paris’ Centre Pompidou and The Shard in London. With the whole view of New York City, the building makes a fitting home for one of the world’s most extensive and imaginative holdings of American art. The museum of 25,000 works was built around the personal collection of its founder, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, whose initial 600 pieces included works by realist painter Edward Hopper. Today the institution is famed for displaying works by living artists, anchored by its signature exhibition the Whitney Biennial.
Guggenheim MuseumThe museum’s twirling (旋转的) white building is a masterpiece in itself. It was designed in 1943 by Frank Lloyd Wright, one of America’s most celebrated architects. The exhibitions are world-class, too. The permanent collection has amounted to some 8,000 pieces, with everything from bronze sculptures by French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas to pieces by key figures such as Lawrence Weiner, a conceptual artist in the 1960s.
1. Which museum has the longest history?| A．Guggenheim Museum. | B．Museum of Broadway. |
| C．The Museum of Modern Art. | D．Whitney Museum of American Art. |
| A．It closely cooperates with Broadway. |
| B．It is centred on a personal collection. |
| C．It shows Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. |
| D．It is now famous for works by late artists. |
| A．Have a look at some sculptures. | B．Get a signature of Edgar Degas. |
| C．Admire a twirling bronze building. | D．Interact with some famous architects. |
The World of Theatre: All of New York is a stage. And it begins with Broadway. Where else can you find so many hit shows in one place? Only in New York!
The World of Music: Spend an evening with Beethoven at Lincoln Center. Swing to the great jazz of Greenwich Village. Or rock yourself silly at the hottest dance sports found anywhere.
The World of Art: From Rembrandt to Picasso. From Egyptian tombs to Indian teepees. Whatever kind of art you like, you’ll find it in New York.
The World of Fine Dining: Whether it’s a roast Beijing duck (北京烤鸭) in Chinatown, lasagna in Little Italy, or the finest French coqauvin found anywhere, there’s a world of great taste waiting for you in New York.
The World of Sights: What other city has a Statue of Liberty (自由女神像)? A Rockefeller Center? Or a Bronx Zoo? Where else can you take a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park? Only in New York!
1. Which of the following programmes can a visitor have only in New York?
| A．To enjoy roast Beijing duck. |
| B．To taste the finest French coqauvin. |
| C．To spend an evening with Beethoven. |
| D．To see the Statue of Liberty. |
| A．try to persuade readers to pay a visit to New York |
| B．give readers some information about New York |
| C．supply readers with some wonderful programmes in New York |
| D．help readers to get a better understanding of New York |
【推荐1】The violin is one of the most popular instruments and it is still made using traditional processes. However, that is not the only way to create the instrument. In the latest innovation (创新), AVIVA Young Artists Program is 3D printing low-cost, durable (耐用的) violins for children and adults who want to learn how to play them.
It is no secret that violins are expensive to buy. It is possible to have one violin that costs millions depending on how it is and who made it. This can make it hard for many people to buy the instrument, especially for beginners. However, AVIVA Young Artists Program is hoping to change this.
The program started as an experiment to reach under-served communities. And now it grows to be the Young Artists Program for violinists worldwide. It ‘seeks not’ only to connect people with music worldwide but also to be innovative. 3D-printed violins are a key part of that mission.
A 3D-printed violin not only works correctly but is also able to be made at a fraction of the cost of a traditional instrument. Considering that low-cost beginner violins cost around $500, this is a significant price reduction and will make these beautiful instruments accessible to more people.
Mary-Elizabeth Brown, director of the AVIVA Young Artists Program, said, “Our goals are to explore the new sound world using new materials, use the new technology in other fields, and make music education continuable and accessible through the printing of more durable instruments. The next step is to lower the costs of production while making such instruments more widely available, especially in the educational field.”
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The popularity of 3D printing. | B．The importance of innovation. |
| C．A new way of making violins. | D．A tradition of playing the violin. |
| A．It makes it easy to play the violin. | B．It is trying to cut the cost of a violin. |
| C．It helps violinists become famous. | D．It is hoping to improve education. |
| A．Rate. | B．Rise. | C．Huge amount. | D．Small part. |
| A．To show expectations of it. | B．To explore the birth of it. |
| C．To prove the value of it. | D．To spread the idea of it. |
【推荐2】Hot Technology Products at CES 2020
The consumer electronics show, or CES, presents new technology developments annually. Here are some latest products launched at CES 2020.
The Sero TV
Samsung introduced a TV that can be used to watch video designed for a smartphone. The Sero TV does this by turning itself from the normal TV position to an upright position that looks like the shape of a phone. The V can connect to mobile devices to play video directly from the phone.
Smart waste can
A company called TOWNEW presented; waste can designed for the home that does a lot of the dirty work on its own. When the can is full, the user touches a button to activate the machine's smart abilities. The device then completely closes off the waste bag inside, puts a new one in place, all by itself, and raises its top so the user can pick up and throw away the bag.
Invisible car hood(引擎盖)
Automobile industry company Continental showed off a new technology that seems to make the front end of a vehicle disappear. The technology, called "Transparent Hood," aims to make driving safer and easier. Cameras provide video of the area underneath the vehicle, permitting the driver to see objects and road conditions that might present danger.
Wearable air purifier
A company called Aō Air introduced a wearable air purifier. Designed to be a high-tech face covering to block pollution, the device pulls air through a filtration(过滤)system and then uses fans to create a small area of clean air at its front, allowing the air to be purified-without the need for a solid container.
1. Which company's product will appeal to video-loving mobile users?| A．Samsung. | B．TOWNEW. | C．Continental. | D．Aō Air. |
| A．It saves users the bother of packing waste. | B．It allows users to sort rubbish easily. |
| C．It breaks down waste automatically. | D．It contains numerous waste bags. |
| A．Complex. | B．Costly. | C．Waterproof. | D．Convenient. |
【推荐3】In the dry Namib Desert on the west coast of Africa, one type of beetle has found a special way of surviving. When the morning arrives, the Namib Beetle collects water drops on its bumpy(起伏不平的) back, then lets the water roll down into its mouth, allowing it to drink in an area without flowing water.
Shreerang Chhatre wants to use what nature has developed to help the world’s poor. Chhatre is an engineer at MIT who works on fog harvesting, the equipment that, like the beetle, attracts water drops. This way, poor villagers could collect clean water near their homes, instead of spending hours carrying water from distant wells or rivers.
Access to water is a serious global issue. According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF, nearly 900 million people worldwide live without safe drinking water. The burden of finding and transporting water falls heavily on women and children. “As a middle-class person, I think it’s terrible that the poor have to spend hours a day walking just to obtain a basic necessity,” Chhatre says.
A fog-harvesting machine consists of a fence-like mesh panel(网状面板), which attracts drops, connected to containers into which water falls. Chhatre has improved the materials used in these machines. He is continuing his work at MIT Sloan and the Legaturn Center in order to develop a workable business plan for applying fog-harvesting machines.
Interest in fog harvesting dates back to the 1990s, and has increased since new research on the Namib Beetle became famous in 2001. A few technologists saw potential in the concept for people. One Canadian charitable organization, FogQuest, has tested projects in Chile and Guatemala.
But fog harvesting remains in its childhood, technologically and commercially, as Chhatre readily recognizes. “It still faces some open problems,” he says. “But it’s a work in progress.” After all, the water that fills our rivers and lakes comes from air.
1. Which of the following is TRUE of Shreerang Chhatre?| A．He is an African engineer. |
| B．He is researching on the Namib Beetle. |
| C．He has made the first fog-harvesting machines to use. |
| D．He is trying to put fog-harvesting machines to use. |
| A．To describe the severe conditions in Namib Desert. |
| B．To introduce the diversity of species in Namib Desert. |
| C．To inform how animal nature can be used to benefit people. |
| D．To raise the awareness of accessing clean drinking water in poor areas. |
| A．UNICEF | B．the beetle |
| C．fog harvesting | D．a Canadian charitable organization |
| A．stress the importance of saving water |
| B．show the Namib Beetle’s special way of surviving |
| C．introduce a new machine for collecting water from air |
| D．inform people of the serious water problem in Africa |
