【推荐2】It’s said that people travel to see the world.     1     You walk down different streets, hear different accents, and see different views. All of this is a great way to absorb a new location and learn as much as you can.

But there’s another reason why people travel to experience something new.     2     So what kind of person are you? To tell the truth, you’ll learn about yourself no matter where you go.

If you’re a bookworm: Anyone studying English literature will love being on the soil of where such rich literary tradition was born.     3     Maybe you’ll run into one of your favorite characters during the trip.

If you’re a Disney princess fan: Head over to Prague and you’ll find the setting of every fairy tale you’ve ever dreamed of. Prague’s study abroad programs are in English and are flexible.

If you’re an history lover:     4     Sure, that’s a lot of places. But you’ve never felt quite as absorbed in the ancient world as walking around Athens and Rome.

If you’re an adventure seeker: Consider going to Australia.     5    

If you’re indecisive: Just choose them all and take a Semester at Sea. You’ll have your classes on a ship as it sails around the world, making stops at 15 cities in 11 countries.

A．And we hope to learn about ourselves in this newness.

B．Visiting a new place will change the way of living.

C．There are countryside tours connected to novels.

D．Just a day-long trip is an adventure in itself.

E．Go somewhere where history comes alive.

F．And you do see the world when traveling.

G．History always makes men wise

【推荐3】People need to relax and enjoy themselves. One way they can have a good time is to watch a baseball game or another sports event. Even thousands of years ago, groups of people gathered to watch skilled athletes(运动员)．

Over 2, 000 years ago in Greece, certain days in the year were festival days. These were holidays when people stopped work and enjoyed themselves. They liked to watch athletes take part in races and other games of skill.

The most important festival was held every four years at the town of Olympia. It was held in honour of the Greek god Zeus. For five days, athletes from all parts of the Greek world took part in the Olympic Games. At the Olympic Games, people could watch them box, run, jump and so on. There was a relay race between two teams of men in which a lighted torch(火炬) was passed from runner to runner. The Olympic Games were thought to be so important that cities which were at war with one another had to stop fighting. People were allowed to travel to the games freely. Thousands of people came to Olympia from cities in Greece and from its colonies(殖民地) in Africa，Asia and Italy. They met as friends to cheer their favourite athletes and to enjoy themselves.

1. What happened in Greece over 2, 000 years ago?

A．People stopped work and enjoyed themselves.

B．The cities there were often against one another.

C．People watched baseball games.

D．People didn’t go to any games at all.

2. What did people do at the games?

A．They fought.	B．They just talked to friends.
C．They cheered for good athletes.	D．They tried to find friends.

3. The best title for the story is “________”.

A．Greece at War	B．Together for the Games
C．Stop Fighting	D．Sport

【推荐1】Short Story Competition

●The competition begins at June 30 and ends at December 15.

●It is open to all local citizens of Ontario who are at 16 or over, except the employees and judges. and anyone living with any employee of the sponsors or judges.

●The author's name. address, phone number and a 25-50-word self-introduction must be included with each entry on a separate sheet of paper. The name of the author should not appear in the story itself.

●Stories must be original and unpublished up to the time the winners are declared on December 25.

●Stories must be written on a computer, be double-spaced and no more than 2,500 words. Total word count should be printed on the front page of the story,

●No changes to a story are allowed once the Star receives your entry. Typescripts （文稿）will not be returned.

●A $ 5 entry fee must accompany each entry. Cheques or money orders should be made out to the Star Short Story Competition. Please do not send coins,

●Winners will be informed by telephone between 9 am and 5 pm on December 25.

●Professors from the Writing Centre at Ryerson University will complete the first round of judging. Another group of professional writers will select the final three.

More Information：

Send your story to：the Star Short Story Competition, the Star Street, Ontario M5E1E6. Full contest rules are available at www. the star, com/contests

Tel： 416-367-2000

1. Who can join in the competition?

A．A daughter of the judge.

B．A salesman living in The Star Street.

C．A visitor coming from another city.

D．A student in the local primary school.

2. Which of the following stories may be accepted by the competition?

A．A true story written on a piece of paper.

B．A famous story copied from the Internet.

C．A newly created story printed by its author.

D．An original story with its author's name in it.

3. What can you do if you want to join in the competition?

A．Change the story at any time.

B．Take the typescripts back.

C．Pay the fee by credit card.

D．Surf the website for information.

【推荐2】Chemical engineers at UNSW Sydney have found a way to make "green" ammonia (氨) from air, water and renewable electricity. In a paper published in Energy and Environmental Science, the authors say that ammonia synthesis (合成法) was one of the critical achievements of the 20^th century. When used in fusiliers that significantly increase the output of food crops, it enabled agriculture to sustain an ever-expanding global population.

But since the beginning of the 1900s when it was first employed, production of ammonia has been energy intensive- requiring temperatures higher than 400℃ and pressures greater than 200 atm-and all powered by fossil fuels. Dr. Emma Lovell, a co author on the paper from UNSW, says the traditional way to make ammonia- known as the Haber- Bosch process- is only cost-effective when it is produced on a massive scale due to the huge amounts of energy and expensive materials required and it produces more CO₂ than any other chemical-making reaction.

“In addition to the big carbon footprint left by the Haber Bosch process, having to produce millions of tons of ammonia in centralised locations means even more energy is required to transport it around the world, not to mention the risks that go with storing large amounts of it in the one place,” says Dr. Lovell. “And we saw tragically in Beirut recently how potentially dangerous storing ammonium nitrate (硝酸盐) can be. ”

Dr. Lovell and her colleagues therefore looked at how to produce it cheaply, on a smaller scale and using renewable energy. Their new production method does not rely on fossil fuel resources, nor give of CO₂.

“And once it becomes available commercially, the technology could be used to produce ammonia directly on site and on demand- farmers could even do this on location using our technology to make fertilisers- which means we negate the need for storage and transport There's a huge benefit to society as well as the health of the planet,”Dr. Lovell says.

1. What do we know about the Haver-Bosch process?

A．It does harm to the earth.

B．It requires green materials.

C．It uses less energy and is cheap.

D．It transforms fossil fuels into ammonia.

2. Why is the city Beirut mentioned in the text?

A．To remind people to protect the environment.

B．To give an example of the risk in ammonia storage.

C．To convince farmers to transport ammonia elsewhere.

D．To stress the choice of a proper centralised location.

3. What does the underlined word “negate” probably mean in the last paragraph?

A．Inspect.

B．Avoid.

C．Suit.

D．Accept.

4. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To solve a problem.	B．To explain a process.
C．To advocate a theory.	D．To introduce a method.

【推荐3】I was 16 years old the day I skipped school for the first time. It was easily done: Both my parents left for work before my school bus arrived on weekdays, so when it showed up at my house on that cold winter morning, I simply did not get on. The perfect crime!

And what did I do with myself on that glorious stolen day, with no adult in charge and no limits on my activities? Did I get high? Hit the mall for a shoplifting extravaganza (狂欢)?

Nope. I built a warm fire in the wood stove, prepared a bowl of popcorn, grabbed a blanket, and read. I was thrilled and transported by a book—it was Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises—and I just needed to be alone with it for a little while. I ached to know what would happen to Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley and Robert Cohn. I couldn’t bear the thought of sitting in a classroom taking another biology exam when I could be traveling through Spain in the 1920s with a bunch of expatriates (异乡客).

I spent that day lost in words. Time fell away, as the room around me turned to mist, and my role—as a daughter, sister, teenager, and student—in the world no longer had any meaning. I had accidentally come across the key to perfect happiness: I had become completely absorbed by something I loved.

Looking back on it now, I can see that some subtle things were happening to my mind and to my life while I was in that state of absorption. Hemingway’s language was quietly braiding itself into my imagination. I was downloading information about how to create simple and elegant sentences, a good and solid plot. In other words, I was learning how to write. Without realizing it, I was hot on the trail of my own fate. Writing now absorbs me the way reading once did and happiness is their generous side effect.

1. Why did the author skip school on that day?

A．Because her parents left home early.	B．Because it was a cold winter morning.
C．Because she was fascinated by a novel.	D．Because she hated to take the biology exam.

2. What did the author think is the source of true joy?

A．Reading by the fire.	B．Travelling in Spain.
C．Breaking the regulations.	D．Being occupied by one’s passion.

3. Which can best replace the underlined phrase “braiding itself into” in the last paragraph?

A．Entering.	B．Destroying.
C．Mending.	D．Blocking.

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．I was tired of my real-life roles.

B．I learnt how to write on the internet.

C．Hemingway skipped school when he was young.

D．Becoming a writer was my childhood dream.

【推荐1】Major causes of record fires sweeping across the Amazon rainforest this month include the dry season and human activities, according to research institutions and media reports.

The rainforest is typically wet and humid, and the frequency of fire activity usually rise each year since July — the onset of the dry season, and peaks in September and decreases in October as the rainy season approaches.

However, data from the Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) showed that the number of forest fires in Brazil soared by 82 percent from January to August this year from a year ago, and over half of those fires occurred in the Amazon rainforest. A total of 71,497 forest fires were registered in the country in the first eight months of 2019 , up from 39,194 in the same period in 2018, the Inpe said.

Human activities have led to the recent increase of fires, some experts have noted. The view was echoed by many, though they were divided over who actually conducted the activities. On Friday evening, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro pledged “zero tolerance” of environmental crimes, adding that the Armed Forces troops and resources will be mobilized from Saturday to help put out the fires.

Earlier this week, Bolsonaro blamed non-governmental organizations for increasing wildfires in the Amazon rainforest in the country’s north. His claim was refuted (反驳) by environmentalists, who argued that the surge of fires was a result of increasing deforestation and burning fueled by the governments anti-environmental policy. Alberto Setzer, an Inpe researcher, told local news site G1 that all the fires are results of human activities some accidental while others intentional.

Scientists and environmental groups are worried that the fires will aggravate climate change crisis and threaten biodiversity. The emergency has now transcended (越过) Brazil’s borders , reaching Peruvian, Paraguayan and Bolivian regions.

1. What is the main idea of the text?

A．The text explains the major causes of the Amazon fires.

B．The text aims to arouse human’s awareness of protecting the Amazon.

C．The text is intended to call on people to help the Amazon.

D．The text is expected to warn other countries of the Amazon fires.

2. Which of the followings is not the main causes of the Amazon’s fires?

A．The dry weather.	B．The intentional deforestation.
C．The natural disasters.	D．Some accidental human activities.

3. What can we infer from Paragraph Three?

A．Similar to that in 2018, the frequency of fire activity will peak in September in 2019.

B．Compared with those in 2018, fires have happened more frequently in the first eight months in 2019.

C．There are more fires in 2019 than in 2018.

D．All of the big fires have happened in the Amazon rainforest.

4. What may Alberto Setzer agree with?

A．Non-governmental organizations are responsible for wild fires in the Amazon rainforest.

B．The Amazon rainforest fires may be attributed to human activities.

C．We should pledge “zero tolerance” of environmental crimes.

D．The fires will influence Brazil’s bordering countries.

【推荐2】In the past, before alarm clocks were invented, what did people depend on to wake them up in the morning? Roosters.

“ A rooster’s crow symbolizes the break of dawn in many countries,” Takashi Yoshimura, professor at Nagoya University in Japan, told National Geographic. They are known to regularly crow two to three times at dawn.

However, scientists have long been unsure about why the animals do this. “It wasn’t clear whether crowing is under the control of a biological clock or is simply response to external stimuli.”

Roosters do react to the environment-such as car headlights-at any time of day. So it was previously thought that the increasing light in the morning might be the trigger for roosters’ crowing.

But Yoshimura and his colleagues now claim to have finally figured out the reason-roosters don’t need morning light to know when to start crowing; they will crow at the same time every day regardless of whether they can see dawn breaking.

In the study, which was published in the journal Current Biology, researchers placed 40 roosters in a soundproof, windowless room under dim lighting for 24 hours. But this didn’t deter the roosters. No matter what, they kept crowing in the morning just before dawn.

“It is proof that the behavior is caused by circadian rhythm”, said Yoshimura. In short, the roosters are genetically programmed to crow at a certain time every 24 hours.

Most animals, as well as plants, have such an internal time-keeping system. That’s why we tend to eat, sleep and exercise at around the same time every day. By consciously being aware of the schedule, our body has a chance to adapt to it, so keeping a regular biological clock is often tied to good health.

This experiment is the first of its kind to investigate the timing of roosters’ crowing. Kristen Navara, a scientist at the University of Georgia in the US who was not involved in the study, said that she wasn’t sure why no one had taken a closer look at this well-known phenomenon before.

“I think this is a very interesting study and something that should have been done a long time ago.” said Navara.

1. What has been recently discovered to make roosters crow in the morning？

A．External stimuli like noises.	B．Their biological clocks.
C．Exposure to morning light.	D．Increased temperature.

2. What does the underlined word “deter” mean in Paragraph 6?

A．Prevent.

B．Attract.

C．Encourage.

D．Upset.

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?

A．Roosters have the same circadian rhythms as humans.

B．Following our biological clocks is good for our health.

C．Dark conditions can have some effect on roosters’ crowing.

D．Roosters’ biological clocks will change to help them adapt to the environment.

4. How would Kristen Navara describe Yoshimura’s study?

A．Worthless.

B．Meaningful

C．Boring.

D．Unscientific.

【推荐3】In this digital age, people measure their popularity by the number of likes and followers they get on social media. But as it turns out, people are happiest when their friends are high quality - not high quantity.

Scientists from the University of Leeds, UK, studied data from two online surveys of nearly 1,500 people. Those who took the survey gave details about their age, social interactions, and how satisfied they were with their social lives. The researchers found that those who had a small number of close friends generally tended to be happier than those who had a large number of superficial (关系浅表的) friends.

“Loneliness has less to do with the number of friends you have, and more to do with   how you feel about your friends,” said Wandi Bruine de Bruin, one of the researchers.

Bruine de Bruin found that older people tended to have smaller social circles than young people, but the people in these circles tended to be closer to them.

Younger people, on the other hand, tended to have bigger circles that were made up of “peripheral (次要的) others” - people who are not true friends, but just people they know. These people had no influence on the happiness of the younger surveyed.

The results of the study show that the prejudice society has about old people being sad and   lonely might not be accurate.

“The research shows that older adults’ smaller networks didn’t undermine (破坏) social satisfaction and well-being. In fact, older adults tend to report better well-being than younger adults,” said Bruine de Bruin.

1. According to the study, people are likely to be happier when they         .

A．have a lot of followers on social media

B．are satisfied with their work and lives

C．make friends with people who are older

D．have a small circle of people who understand them well

2. What do we know from Paragraphs 4 and 5?

A．Older people’s friends seem to be of higher quality.

B．Young people don't need to make peripheral friends.

C．Older people's happiness has nothing to do with their friends.

D．Both old and young people find it hard to make close friends.

3. Which word might Bruine de Bruin use to describe older adults?

A．Superficial.	B．Happy.
C．Lonely.	D．Sad.

4. What is the main topic of the passage?

A．Different types of friends.

B．Changes in people's happiness levels.

C．The relationship between happiness and number of friends.

D．Interactions between old and young people.