Stargazing（观星） is rising in China. If you like seeing stars, this is the article to read!
When the night arrives, try looking up at the sky. It will help you shake off your worries and get closer to nature. Stargazing is becoming popular in China, especially among the young.
Stargazing can happen in the city. You can go to a park with equipment （设备） to look at the stars. There is also a big group of people who enjoy watching the night sky using only the naked（裸 的） eyes. But to get great pictures of stars, many stargazing lovers travel across provinces. The best conditions for stargazing are dry air, little to no rainfall, light to no air pollution, and a location on a mountain or in the desert.
Here are the top 10 most beautiful places for stargazing in China.
★ Ngari Dark Sky Park, Tibet
★ Changbai Mountain Scenic Area, Jilin
★ Taklimakan Desert, Xinjiang
★ Chaka Salt Lake, Qinghai
★ Nam Co Lake, Tibet
★ Seven Stars Terrace Scenic Spot, Jinan
★ Heimahe Town, Qinghai
★ Yamdrok Lake, Tibet
★ Huangshan Mountain Scenic Area, Anhui
★Kuocang Mountain, Zhejiang
Using stargazing apps can help you enjoy the beauty of the night sky easily. Try these two apps and see!
STAR WALK
This app is friendly to stargazing beginners. Just let the app view the sky through your phone’s camera. It will show stars in the direction you’re facing. You can also track （追踪） the movement of planets. There is a “Visible Tonight” section. It helps you watch objects you can see on a given evening.
STELLARIUM MOBILE
This app is known for its good constellation （星座） pictures and big database, which has over 1.69 billion stars. You can find and label （标注） your favourite constellations and planets by pointing your phone at the sky. Zoom in, you can see very clear photos of galaxies（星系）. The app can be connected to most telescopes.
1. ________ most beautiful places for stargazing are located in Tibet.| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four | D．Five |
| A．follow the movement of planets | B．label your favourite planets |
| C．take clear photos of the sky | D．use it alone without a camera |
| A．Jane, who is crazy about photographing | B．Lily, who has interest in indoor activities |
| C．Jim, who likes playing basketball | D．Tom, who loves nature and space |
相似题推荐
A. Tokyo Disneyland Mickey Mouse Snow; exciting rides; Disney cinemas B. Hello Kitty Land Hello Kitty show; souvenir(纪念品)shops; photo time C. Snoopy Town Souvenir made in Japan Snoopy show D. Ginza Tokyo Lots of shops — big or small E. Palette Town Lots of computer centers and restaurants F. Central Hotel Large souvenir shops; cinema; close to station G. Tokyo Hotel Large souvenir shops; computer games centers; three Japanese restaurants |
Day l Shanghai-Kunming
Activities: Arrive in Kunming. Hotel check-in.
Meals: No meals
(We flew to Kunming. After our arrival (到达) in Kunming, the guide took us to our hotel by bus. Then he showed us around the shopping center for the rest of the day.)
Day 2 Kunming
Activities: Visit Stone Forest, Bird & Flower Market.
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
(In the Bird＆Flower Market, we saw many kinds of flowers and birds as well as some traditional Chinese arts.)
Day 3 Dali-Lijiang
Activities: Arrive in Lijiang. Visit Lijiang Dayan Ancient (古代) City, and its famous Square Street.
Meals: Breakfast, Chinese Lunch
(The Ancient City of Lijiang is known as Dayan Town. It has a long history of over 800 years.)
1. The writer went to Kunming from Shanghai ________.
| A．by bus | B．by plane | C．by ship | D．by train |
| A．visited the Stone Forest |
| B．visited Lijiang |
| C．went to the Bird & Flower Market |
| D．went to the shopping center |
| A．flowers | B．birds |
| C．the Square Street | D．Chinese arts |
| A．Beside the Ancient City of Lijiang. |
| B．In Dayan Town. |
| C．In the Stone Forest. |
| D．In the center of Dali. |
| A．The writer spent at least three days in Yunnan last summer. |
| B．The writer visited Lijiang Dayan Ancient City on the second day. |
| C．The writer enjoyed himself in Yunnan last summer. |
| D．The writer didn't travel from Shanghai to Yunnan alone. |
【推荐3】When we talk about the UK, what will you think of? Big Ben, Downing Street and Tower Bridge are always our hot topics(话题). But there are many other facts about the UK. Come and see!
 | The most popular museum is the British Museum in London. Over six million people visit it every year. It is open from 10:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. m. But on Friday, the closing time is 8:30 p. m. |
 | The River Severn starts in Wales and flows(流) through western England. It’s well known for the Severn Bore—a tall wave(波浪) of water that regularly(定期地) flows up the river from the sea. |
 | Hungry? Beef and chicken are tasty, fruit and vegetables are healthy, and sandwiches are simple. Short of money? The cheapest food is fish and chips(炸鱼薯条). And it’s delicious. |
| A．At 9:00 a. m., Monday. | B．At 10:30 a. m., Tuesday. |
| C．At 9:30 p. m., Friday. | D．At 5:30 p. m., Wednesday. |
| A．Its tall wave of water. | B．Its beautiful riverbank. |
| C．Its deep river bed. | D．Its short wave of water. |
| A．a business plan | B．a diary |
| C．a science report | D．a travel guide |
On October 11, 2022, Ai-da, a robot artist who looks like a beautiful girl, made a new history-she talked at a meeting in the UK parliament (议会) . The meeting was about “A Creative Future”. Facing the robot artist, what should today’s artists do?
Ai-Da painted using cameras in her eyes and her arms. She thought and answered questions using AI ways. She painted a famous person. And people put the picture in an art room. Describing herself, Ai-da said that “I use computer programs to work” and “ although not a real human, I can still create art”.
The most interesting thing was that Ai-da “slept” at the meeting. People had to “wake her up” again. But she was still able to create art and answer questions in real time. That fully shows the quick development of AI. And it will have a better future.
Elon Musk, the head of TESLA, seemed to know about this clearly. So he was planning to create his own AI robots. Musk said the robot could create a better life for people-“a future of abundance (富足) , a future of no poverty (贫穷) ”. On Tesla’s AI Day, September30, he showed videos of his robot doing simple things like carrying boxes and watering plants.
With robots becoming more and more important in our life, we may have to learn to live with them. But will people be happy to have these robot friends? Will people feel dangerous with them? Maybe as Ai-da said in parliament, “Technology (技术) can bring good things to people, but people will also face its challenge (挑战) .”
1. What was the meeting about in the UK parliament?| A．A Creative Future. | B．Today’s Artists. | C．An AI Robot Artist. |
| A．By scientists. | B．By Elon Musk. | C．By computer programs. |
| A．发展 | B．落后 | C．劣势 |
| A．Because they could create everything |
| B．Because they could take humans’ place. |
| C．Because they could make people’s life better. |
| A．It’s dangerous to have AI robots. |
| B．AI robots have two sides to humans. |
| C．People always feel happy to have AI robots. |
【推荐2】THREE CENTURIES OF HOAXES!
A THINKING MACHINE
In 1769, long before computers were invented, a man from Hungary (匈牙利) built a wonderful machine that could play chess very well. It pleased people all over Europe and beat nearly everyone who played chess with it. For decades, many people believed that it was truly a thinking machine. About 85 years later, the secret was finally revealed. There was a man hiding inside the machine all the time, who was obviously very good at playing chess!
ZOO ESCAPE (逃脱)
On November 9, 1874, a New York newspaper ran a shocking story on its front page. It said that all the animals in the Central Park Zoo had escaped and were running around the city. It said the police were working to save people, but 27 people had already been killed, and 200 people were hurt. Many people in New York were terrified. But it was all just a hoax. The story was made up by Thomas Connery, an editor at The Herald, who wanted to draw attention to the poor condition of cages in the zoo.
ROSIE THE RUNNER
The first woman to cross the finish line of the 1980 Boston Marathon (马拉松) was 23-year-old Rosie Ruiz. However, as she received her prize, people started to doubt that. She didn’t seem to be tired at all. What’s more, none of the other runners remembered seeing her in the race. Later, it turned out that she had run only half a mile (about 805 meters) and taken the train for the rest of the race! Her prize was taken away, of course.
1. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?| A．The thinking machine used a computer to win games. | B．200 people were killed by zoo animals in 1874. |
| C．Rosie Ruiz didn’t seem to be tired at the finish line. | D．Rosie Ruiz didn’t appear in TV broadcasts of the race. |
| A．made people scared | B．fooled a lot of people |
| C．made people suspicious | D．delighted people |
| A．The hoax | B．The news | C．The thinking machine | D．The computer |
| A．She was very tired after the marathon. | B．She was the winner in the 1980 Boston Marathon. |
| C．She ran only half a mile in the race. | D．She took the bus for the rest of the race. |
| A．are not new | B．are easily avoided | C．are always cruel | D．are usually unbelievable |
【推荐3】Hangzhou, together with five other cities in Zhejiang, is going to host the 19th Asian Games from Sept 23 to Oct 8. The Games are going to be very “smart” with the use of many exciting technologies. Let’s have a look!
Every dish at the Asian Games should be safe and healthy to eat. In the kitchen of the athletes’ (运动员) village in Hangzhou, there is a special system (系统) that can tell people’s faces. If a “stranger” goes into the kitchen, an alarm will go off to let people know. The managers (管理人员) of the kitchen will also get messages on their phones. There’s also a system to keep an eye on the temperature of the refrigerators (冰箱).
The venue (场馆) for the tennis finals (决赛) of the Hangzhou Asian Games is sometimes called the “Small Lotus (莲花)”. On the top of the stadium, there are eight “petals” (花瓣). Each petal weighs 160 tons. They can open and close freely. It takes 15 minutes for each petal to open and close. People build it this way for different kinds of weather.
What if there’s an accident during the game and the athletes need first aid (急救)? People can use drones (无人机) to send things over. The drones can fly as far as 2 kilometers and travel 16 meters in one second. Using a drone saves about 60 percent of the time. They can send medicine, blood and other things needed for first aid to people quickly.
Say that you are in Hangzhou and going to watch one of the events. It will be sad if you can’t find your way. Augmented Reality (AR, 增强现实) is here to help. There’s a mini program called the Hangzhou Asian Games AR service. You simply turn on your phone’s camera and it will see where you are and then show you the way. You can also get more information about the stadiums as you walk by.
1. What is the “Small Lotus” for?| A．Showing the way to the venue. | B．Matching the different weather. |
| C．Showing what time it is. | D．Moving heavy things quickly. |
| A．To send food messages to players’ phones. |
| B．To check the temperature of refrigerators. |
| C．To watch cooks and managers there. |
| D．To make sure the food is safe. |
| A．The met averse. | B．The drones. |
| C．The AR service. | D．The alarm system. |
| A．The19th Asian Games in Hangzhou |
| B．The importance of high-technology in19th Asian Games in Hangzhou |
| C．Why technology is used in19th Asian Games in Hangzhou |
| D．How technology works in 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou |
【推荐1】Dragons are not real animals, but look like a combination of many animals such snakes, fish and deer. They have two horns and a long moustache. With fantastic power, they fly in the sky or dive in the sea. They can breathe out fire and they can make rain, too. The Chinese dragon is a symbol of strength and good luck. The emperors of ancient China loved dragons. Their clothes were covered with pictures of dragons.
We are proud to call ourselves the “descendants（传人）of the dragon”. In Chinese, excellent people are often called “dragons”. A number of Chinese sayings and idioms talk about dragons, for example, “Hoping one’s child will become a dragon”.
It is said that people born in the Year of the Dragon have certain characteristics. They are creative, confident, brave and quick-tempered. There are some famous “dragons” who have done excellent things, such as the great man Deng Xiaoping, and the Kongfu star Li Xiaolong. They are all very successful.
There are also some traditional festivals about dragons in China, such as Dragon Head-raising Day and Dragon Boat Festival. We have different kinds of activities to celebrate them. These two festivals come every year, but the Year of the Dragon comes every twelve years.
The dragon is very important in Chinese culture. As the “descendants of the dragon”, it is necessary for us to know the views on dragons in our culture. It can help us understand why our parents always want us to be “dragons”.
1. Which power of dragons is NOT mentioned in the passage?| A．They can put out fire. | B．They can swim. |
| C．They can make rain. | D．They can fly. |
| A．Hoping he or she can be as strong as a dragon. | B．Hoping he or she will have a bright future. |
| C．Hoping he or she can live a happy life. | D．Hoping he or she can learn from a dragon. |
| A．To ask people learn from them. | B．To ask people remember them. |
| C．To make a conclusion about this passage. | D．To give examples to support the writer’s idea. |
| A．What dragon is. | B．Dragon in Chinese culture. |
| C．Festivals about dragon. | D．Some saying s about dragon. |
【推荐2】In recent years, the development of e-books is very fast. So which books are more popular? Here is a report on the matter. The report collects the opinions of more than 3,000 people.
According to the report, more than half of them choose to read printed books. About 26.8% of them prefer reading on their mobile phones. The rest are more likely to read on computers and e-book readers.
In the survey, many young readers tend (倾向) to read e-books. They think that e-books are very convenient and can satisfy their desire ( 愿 望 ) to read whenever they want. At the same time, they don’t have to think about how to keep their books anymore. In addition, e-books reduce the cost of printing and the use of paper, so reading e-books is still a good habit for the environment.
However, plenty of people don’t agree with their opinions, especially middle-aged people. Although printed books take up more space, they are good for eyes and convenient to take notes. What’s more, the feeling of printed books in your hand can make you calm down easily when you are under too much pressure. “I have every reason to believe that printed books will never disappear,” a super fan of printed books said.
Although people have different views ( 观点 ) on e-books and printed books, all of them believe that both of them have their own advantages. The more important thing is that everyone should choose his own way of reading to make reading a habit and benefit from it.
1. According to the report, more people like reading________.| A．e-books | B．printed books | C．on their mobile phones | D．on computer |
| A．e-books are convenient | B．e-books are easy to keep |
| C．e-books are good for environment | D．all above |
| A．They take up more space. |
| B．They are good for eyes. |
| C．They are convenient to take notes. |
| D．They can make people calm down easily while under too much pressure. |
| A．people who like reading e-books | B．people who like reading printed books |
| C．e-books and printed books | D．e-books |
| A．middle-aged people prefer printed books |
| B．e-books bring the readers much pressure |
| C．printed books are better than e-books |
| D．e-books are better than printed books |
【推荐3】No.5 Middle School asked the students to take a survey. The question they asked was “What is your dream job?” with 200 students. Here are the results.
| Percentage | Dream job |
| 11% | Basketball players |
| 4% | Movie stars |
| 5% | Teachers |
| 14% | Doctors |
| 18% | Computer programmers |
| 13% | Traders |
| 35% | Other jobs |
The teachers may feel bad to know that only 5% of the students hope to teach in the future. But they will still try their best to help the students make their dreams come true. And here is the teachers’ advice.
1. First, you should understand yourself. What do you like to do?
2. Then, think about what is more important to you, money or joy? There is no right or wrong answer, so be yourself.
3. Next, what about your skills? What are you really good at?
4. Finally, before you try to get your dream job, you should study hard and improve yourself to be better.
1. How many students want to be doctors in the survey?| A．11. | B．14. | C．18. | D．28. |
| A．Basketball players | B．Computer programmers | C．Doctors | D．Traders |
| A．Understanding themselves | B．Being themselves |
| C．Showing themselves | D．Improving themselves |
| A．18% of the students want to be movies stars. | B．Only 10 students hope to teach in the future. |
| C．Many students want to be basketball players. | D．Few students want to be computer programmers. |
| A．Students | B．Parents | C．Scientists | D．Office workers |
