Have you ever imagined going inside a video game? That dream may soon become real. It’s called the “metaverse”.
The word is a combination of “meta”, which means beyond, and “verse”, which refers to “universe”. Metaverse is a shared virtual 3D world, or worlds. The word first appeared in a 1992 science fiction book called Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. In this story, people wear virtual reality (VR) headsets to see and join the metaverse.
Now, what happens in the book is becoming a reality. When you are wearing a VR headset, the meteaverse will feel real because the technology can simulate our senses: vision, hearing, touch, and even smell. “We’re talking about creating another reality, another world, which is as rich as the real world,” said Rev Lebaredian, vice president of simulation technology at NVIDIA, a US tech company.
So, what can you do inside the metaverse? “Your location will no longer matter,” says VOA News. In the metaverse, “people would be connected at all times.” You can meet friends from other countries and go on a virtual beach vacation together. But forget Thailand—you can go to the beach on the moon, or anywhere else you can imagine. Can’t find a friend to play basketball? Jump into the metaverse and find some friends to play with or go to a concert!
A true metaverse will not just be a separate world, but a complementary world closely interconnected with the real world. It will allow people from one side of the planet to meet in a virtual environment with people on the other side, carrying out normal conversations as if they were both in the same room.
The key to realizing a metaverse will be more advanced input and display technologies. Perhaps haptic gloves, which will allow hand gestures as input, and retinal displays, which will project images of virtual worlds directly onto our retinas, would be enough to attract millions to take part in a new and intimate virtual reality.
1. The underlined “simulate our senses” in Paragraph Three probably mean ________.| A．create similar senses | B．take senses away | C．change senses greatly | D．make senses better |
| A．can create a real 3D world | B．can go wherever you want |
| C．can be anyone you want to be | D．can design your own video games |
| A．how to improve the design of the headset |
| B．how to separate the real world from the virtual world |
| C．how to put as much information as possible into human brain |
| D．how to present pictures of virtual worlds directly on human eyes |
| A．What Direction Will the Metaverse Take? | B．It’s Time to Think About the Metaverse. |
| C．Why Does Human Need the Metaverse? | D．There Is No Future Without the Metaverse. |
Several festivals throughout Asia celebrate the elephant, but none are quite as colorful as the Painted Elephant Parade in Jaipur, India.
Every year in March, the air is filled with excitement and delicious smells of food are flowing around. The parade is the first event of Holi, an ancient Hindu celebration which marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
The parade’s four main colors are red, blue, yellow, and green. With all this joyful color, the painted elephants play an important role in it. While it’s not that easy to paint the elephants. Work clothes, paintbrushes, and water are needed for sure. Painters must be extra careful because their canvas tends to move and has extremely heavy feet. Thus, a soft voice, gentle hands, another person to help, and some tasty snacks for the elephants are also important.
The painters often plan the theme, or designs, for days before they even touch their canvas. Designs are drawn on paper or computers, and then enlarged. Once the artist is ready to paint the elephant, it will be cleaned. The designs are usually outlined in white paint across the elephant before they are filled in with the fancy colors. Hours later, the moving models are dressed with special jewelry. Their noses are painted with gold and decorated with rings. It’s an eye-catching line of color as these huge moving canvases walk down the street.
Gathering alongside the streets, people sing and dance to welcome the colorful elephants, praying for luck and blessing. Hand-made silk umbrellas and the white vencamaran can be seen everywhere, which also express their deepest sincerity. Many tourists come to the parade for the wildest part, that is, sprinkling colorful powder on others no matter if you are strangers. It’s said that the more colorful you are, the luckier you will be. So why not come and try your luck?
1. According to the passage, the Painted Elephant Parade ________.| A．is followed by Holi | B．is held in most Asian countries |
| C．is a symbol of spring | D．is a newly developed celebration |
a. Get the elephants completely cleaned.
b. Plan and decide the theme or designs.
c. Color the designs with different colors.
d. Draw on the elephants with white paint.
| A．badc | B．bcbd | C．dabc | D．dcbd |
| A．painting the elephants is individual work | B．it usually takes weeks to paint an elephant |
| C．tourists come to the parade for colorful powder | D．local people and tourists join the parade together |
| A．tell us the ways to celebrate spring | B．show us how to paint the elephants |
| C．introduce us the history of the parade | D．invite us to enjoy the elephant parade |
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WHAT IS THE PRODUCT LifeStraw is a water filter in the shape of a large straw that will filter out dirt, micro-plastics and sand. Like other filters, it will not remove viruses. LifeStraw will let you drink water directly from lakes, streams and other sources. HOW TO USE THE PRODUCT Simply put the end of the straw into your water source and drink! The water will filter as it moves up the straw. After drinking, blow through the straw to draw out any extra water. MORE ABOUT THE PRODUCT ·Light-LifeStraw weighs less than 2 ounces (46 g) so you can pack it anywhere. ·Easy to store and simple to use—with no batteries or moving parts. ·Long-lasting membrane filter lasts up to 1, 000 gallons (4, 000 L) of water-enough drinking water to last an individual for over 5 years! ·As a survival tool, the LifeStraw has an unlimited shelf life and has been tested all over the world to face the most difficult conditions. |
| A．heat water | B．get clean water | C．store water | D．stop water pollution |
| A．get free shipping | B．have a 70% discount |
| C．choose different colors | D．receive better repair service |
| A．It can kill viruses in the water. | B．It is convenient to carry and use. |
| C．It must be used within five years. | D．It should be blown to filter water. |
4 . It’s said that cats are not just pets to us all these years. They are, in fact, learning from their owners and taking them as models. Scary, huh?
A new study from the University of Messina shows that indoor cats who live closely to their owners copy the lives of their owners. For example, they sleep at the same time and eat at the same time. Just like a parent for a child, the same is true for a cat owner and his cat.
Many owners think their cats are as family members, so they spend much time with cats, hoping to give the best care and love for their cats. This is one of reasons the cats learn from their owner’s actions.
Another reason is that cats are clever animals with a long memory. Jane Brunt, director of the Catalyst Council, told Discovery News. “Cats watch us and notice our actions, knowing where their food is and what time to eat meals, where the washing areas are and how to open the cupboard door that’s closed.”
A new study also shows that cats understand 25—35 basic men’s words, such as food, eat, sit, no, stay, and stand. If owners train a cat to learn these words, cats will got closer to them. But in fact, cats can’t understand our ‘meows’.
So try to do better when you are in front of cats. If you spend a lot of time searching the kitchen, your cat will copy you and take food to its bowl for the night meal, too. That’s why cat owners and cats overweight rates often seem to synchronize.
Next time you reach for your kitchen, think twice. If your cat is watching, maybe she will overeat as well.
1. The text is mainly about ________.| A．cats and owners |
| B．cats and home |
| C．cats and language |
| D．cats and parents |
| A．change quickly | B．go down |
| C．get lower | D．be the same |
| A．Cats can learn from men’s actions. |
| B．Cat can’t find food from closed cupboard. |
| C．Cats are always looking at their owners. |
| D．Cats understand most of our language. |
| A．people need to live with the cats |
| B．children can keep cats in their houses |
| C．people should share the story of cats and men |
| D．pet owners should have healthier ways of life |
5 . 
Do you play with your phone before bedtime? According to a US study, looking at screens at night can cause us to sleep not well.
In the evening, our brains make melatonin. Melatonin helps us feel sleepy and relaxed. It’s an important part of our sleep cycle. Our electronic screens stop that cycle from working normally.
Why? Phones, computers and TVs make blue light. Blue light stops our bodies from making melatonin. Even just a little bit of blue light can have an effect. Eight minutes of blue light can keep your brain “awake” for another hour, according to the study. Even when you are sleeping, you may have lots of dreams. Your brain won’t have a good rest.
It’s even worse if you play an exciting game before bed. Games make our hearts beat faster, so we have a harder time falling asleep. Then, when we are sleeping, we don’t get enough “deep sleep”.
Will you play with your phone before sleep now?
1. What is the story mainly about?
| A．How to get a good sleep. | B．Why scientists need to study sleep. |
| C．How playing with phones causes bad sleep. | D．Why some people have lots of dreams. |
| A．Too much of it makes us sleep not well. |
| B．It makes us hungry and tired. |
| C．It helps us fall asleep at night. |
| D．It stops our sleep cycle from going normally. |
| A．They cannot make us feel relaxed. |
| B．Their blue light stops our sleep cycle. |
| C．They make more melatonin than our bodies need. |
| D．Our brain need more time to make dreams. |
| A．feeling nothing | B．dreaming a lot | C．having a rest | D．being not sleeping |
6 . In a world where technology is king, it is getting more and more difficult to keep up with the ‘R’s — VR., AR. MR’ (iPhone) XR and the list goes on.
Many people have trouble telling the differences between augmented-reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). AR and VR mean that we experience something that isn’t there but it feels like it is. As a result, it is easy for users to be blown away and wonder what is real and what is not. In short, at the heart of AR and VR are two very similar technologies. Both offer experiences to users. most widely used in areas such as online shopping and as part of psychological treatments.
▲ The main difference lies in the way of transport. Simply put, VR ‘transports’ the user to another world instead of the real one. It uses computer technology to create a 3D environment. Users not only view a screen in front of them, but also use as many senses as possible, such as vision, hearing, touch, even smell. Imagine opening your eyes and seeing a new world created by the computer all around you: you can move in this environment and even communicate with it. That’s what VR is like. For example, VR has the power to make users feel as if they are falling. So sometimes while playing games, users become nervous and even scared.
AR, does not shut out the real world, but adds digital graphics to a live view often by using the camera on a smartphone. Users would not be “transported’ to another world but instead, they would see graphics created by computers with what they see in real life. It does not, change the whole view of what users see, unlike VR.
Thanks to new technology and successful games, AR and VR users already have a lot of choices. AR and VR are both powerful technologies which are still relatively new to many users. However, they have already begun to shake things up in the gaming world. The worlds of AR and VR aren’t just here; they’re getting bigger and better by the day.
1. Both AR and VR ________.| A．let users experience something that is already there |
| B．can only be used as part of psychological treatments |
| C．encourage users to go online shopping more frequently |
| D．use similar technologies to create virtual environments |
| A．What’s more, AR and VR will be widely used in more areas. |
| B．Besides, AR and VR have nothing to do with the real world. |
| C．In a way, AR and VR offer their users the same experience. |
| D．However, AR and VR can be quite different in many ways. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．AR and VR are so popular that everyone knows them well. |
| B．AR and VR are two very different and creative technologies. |
| C．AR and VR may not change people’s way of life in the future. |
| D．AR and VR are very powerful technologies and can go further. |
7 . People living in London give £2 billion a year to charities. Most people in the UK give money once a month in cash. People also get involved in charity work in different ways.
There are nearly 11, 200 charity shops in the UK, according to the Charity Retail Association. Oxfam has the largest number of charity shops (over 700) . Charity shops are run by volunteers and paid managers. People can donate mostly second-hand clothes, toys, books and other things that they no longer use. The volunteers then wash or steam the things to make sure they are clean before being sold. The money that is made from these sales then goes to a charity company. Many people believe that you can find very rare and expensive items at a low price in charity shops；you just have to know where to look.
Many sports events are also organized to help charities. You can take part in a charity race and get people to sponsor you. This usually means asking your friends and family to give money to the charity that you are supporting. You are sponsored for every kilometre that you complete. To run farther and collect more money, some people even make an exercise plan. Some events will be aired with a TV show along with reports about how much money is collected and how the money raised will be spent.
Red Nose Day (RND), a big event for the charity Comic Relief, takes place every two years in spring. On that day, you can see many people doing something funny or special for money. So, if you are ever in the UK on RND, you will know why you find normal people doing silly things with red noses and even men wearing women’s shining clothes on the street all day. It’s all for charitable causes!
1. Which of the following is TRUE about charity shops?| A．The clothes in charity shops are expensive. |
| B．The things in charity shops are cleaned first. |
| C．People working in charity shops are paid well. |
| D．There are nearly 11, 200 charity shops in Oxfam. |
| A．Plan the way of spending the money. |
| B．Report the amount of the money raised. |
| C．Train regularly to run farther for money. |
| D．Ask friends to give money to TV shows. |
| A．celebrate the holiday | B．collect money for charity |
| C．find someone shining | D．show fashionable clothes |
| A．Culture | B．Clothes | C．Sports | D．Travel |
8 . For many years, the world of long-distance running has been led by runners from Kenya and Ethiopia. However, what has made people most interested in is that many of the champions are from or trained at one specific Kenyan town: Iten. In fact, the town has even been called the “Home of Champions”. Several possible reasons for the town’s success are as follows.
Firstly, some say the key is the altitude. Training in high-altitude areas helps runners better get their bodies used to lower oxygen levels. The town, which sits on the edge of Kenya’s Rift Valley, 7000 feet above sea level, is perfect for such training. Runners from all over the world often go to Iten to train for several weeks, but the benefits of high-altitude training will disappear in several weeks too.
Secondly, being a successful runner is a way out of poverty. Needless to say, runners make a lot of money by winning competitions. Most of them use prize money to help their villages and families. Some even build training camps in Iten, which in turn helps the town’s growth as a center for distance running.
Furthermore, there’s not much entertainment in a far-away village like Iten. So most runners can focus on their training. Others believe that
Though there are no single, clear reasons for the town’s success, one thing is clear: Becoming a champion in distance running is certainly no easy task and requires a lot of practice and determination.
1. People want to know about ________ most in Kenyan.| A．Iten’s people | B．the running Champions |
| C．the Iten town | D．long-distance running |
| A．Because it has plenty of oxygen there. |
| B．Because training there has a long-life effect. |
| C．Because it’s located high above sea level. |
| D．Because it has many training camps there. |
| A．people in Iten show great interest in running |
| B．people in Iten are born with the running ability |
| C．training at a young age makes runners excellent |
| D．living with no entertainment lets them train harder |
| A．The runners’ hard work. | B．The suitable location. |
| C．The government’s efforts. | D．The special culture. |
Imagine you know that you’re dreaming while you’re asleep. You can try every food on the planet for free, travel around the world, hang out with famous people or lost loved ones, and maybe even have an interesting conversation with your dog. All of this may happen once you learn how to have lucid dreams.
Some people have lucid dreams naturally, while others need to practice. There are a few things that you can do to help increase your chances of experiencing a lucid dream. Keeping a dream diary is a great first step for anyone who wants to learn to have lucid dreams. But what next? The key to lucid dreaming is knowing that you are in a dream. To do that, most people need a “reality check.”
For example, you might try pressing your finger against a wall to see if you are dreaming. If you are not, the wall would stop your finger. In a dream, however, your finger might simply pass through the wall. Getting used to doing reality check while awake may help make it easier to do it while you are asleep.
Besides, scientists are developing technology to help people have lucid dreams. For example, Curzio Vasapollo invented a device called ZMax, a headband that can monitor eye movements and body movements to help people have a lucid dream.
Why would someone want to have lucid dreams? As it turns out, lucid dreaming can have many advantages. Alix Generous, a young woman living in her own world, said in her TED talk, “I love lucid dreaming because it allows me to be free and live a life I wish for.” Also, Lucid dreams may encourage creativity. For example, British American filmmaker Christopher Nolan got ideas from his own lucid dreams when he wrote the 2010 sci-fi movie Inception.
However, some studies suggest that lucid dreams may be bad for people’s health. In lucid dreams, people need to wake up during the night, so they may not have enough sleep if they do it several times every night, day after day.
What do you think? Would you like to try a lucid dream?
1. In lucid dreams, _________.| A．people are totally awake | B．people do nothing special |
| C．people can decide what to happen | D．there is always something bad happening |
①Writing down the dream ②Doing a “Reality check”
③Using modern inventions ④Having body movements
| A．①②③ | B．①②④ | C．①③④ | D．②③④ |
| A．They can make people stay active. |
| B．They can help people get enough sleep. |
| C．They can encourage people to write books. |
| D．They can help people get away from real life. |
| A．A Report on Dreams | B．Lucid Dreams and Advantages |
| C．How to have Lucid Dreams | D．An Introduction of Lucid Dreams |
One of the best things to do in London, is a classic British pub quiz! The interesting entertainment of quiz nights always include: pictures, a music round and creative challenges so that everyone feels they can take part in. Pub owners say they hold quiz nights because everyone drinks like fish, so it is good business for them.
How does the quiz work? A quiz master is in charge of the quiz and reads questions out loud. The questions are about things they usually don’t pay attention to or “trivia”. For example, you may be asked to answer what the oldest national park is in England. People answer questions in teams. There are usually several rounds and a quiz can go on for 2 to 3 hours!
The quiz covers different topics, including history, geography, science, sport, TV, music and more. In a recent survey, 1,000 people from all walks of life answered the pub quizzes on the Internet. More than half of the people didn’t know the answer to the question: “How many countries make up Great Britain?” About eighty percent people had no idea of the question: “What is the world’s largest desert?”
To win the pub quiz, you need to study. For example, make sure you know the names of the winners of sport matches and TV shows. Besides studying it’s also very important to choose your team. Try to have a mix of men and women, and no more than five people. Once you get your team together, always trust your first answer, don’t think about it too much.
In some pubs if you take part in the quiz, you can get free drinks. But if you’ve paid to be in the quiz, there is usually a prize. Most people only go for the fun of it!
1. English pubs hold quiz nights to __________.| A．buy drinks | B．enjoy music | C．show picture | D．make money |
| A．old stories | B．useful messages |
| C．unimportant facts | D．boring information |
| A．The quiz game is popular. | B．Quiz questions are difficult. |
| C．Geography questions are the hardest. | D．People can choose questions to answer. |
| A．choose a team carefully | B．learn to do well in TV shows |
| C．make sure to get free drinks | D．think about your answer slowly |
