Wu Yuren, a retired (已退休的) professor of physics from Tongji University, has caught much attention on Douyin for her efforts to the popularization (普及) of science, Wu has already practised science popularization for 16 years. However, science popularization is never an easy task. Translating difficult physics principles (原理) into easy-to-understand language requires both a deep knowledge of physics and a strong ability to express and show the principles with experiments (实验). And it is even more difficult to teach science to children.
To help solve these problems, Wu and her team turned to short-form videos three years ago. In the videos, Wu shows people interesting physics experiments. To her surprise, her videos are popular with people of all ages.
So far, Wu’s popular science videos have attracted (吸引) over 1 million fans on the Internet.
In her videos, Wu often wears a multifunctional vest (多功能马甲) which has many pockets all over it. Her pockets are full of magical “toys” such as water bottles, coins and glasses. She uses them as teaching tools. She is always able to make use of these everyday things to explain complex phenomena (复杂的现象) found in the field of physics.
“Physics is very interesting. I hope to tell teachers and kids how to teach or learn physics,” she said. As long as more and more people can realize the beauty of physics and enjoy endless fun in the world of science, she feels that all of her efforts are worthwhile (值得的) .
1. How long has Wu Yuren practised science popularization?2. How did Wu Yuren solve the problems she ran into in science popularization?
3. What does Wu Yuren’s multifunctional vest look like?
4. What does Wu Yuren hope to tell teachers and kids?
5. What do you think of Wu Yuren?
Honesty is valuable in the world. There are five qualities (特征) of honest people.
Honest people have no interest in competition for popularity. They don’t pay too much attention to what others think of them.
Honest people don’t go looking for fights, but they aren’t afraid to speak their mind. Honest people will express their opinions bravely even when their beliefs (信念) are against other people. While sometimes this may cause some trouble, most people respect honesty and admire those who stick to their beliefs.
Honest people don’t get angry easily. It requires a thick skin (不计较面子) to stay honest. Not all people love to hear the truth. When honest people tell the truth, other people may get angry. Honest people may be hurt by them so that they need to have thick skin.
Honest people often have long, deep friendships. Their friends know that they won’t discuss them behind their back, and will instead deal with problems in a direct way. This allows for deeper, healthier relationships.
We can ask honest people for help and advice. They will not tell us the story that we want to hear. Although it may help avoid bad feelings, sometimes the difficult truth is the only thing we really need to know.
| Five qualities of honest people | |
| Honest people don’t compete in order to be | They don’t care too much about others’ opinions of them. |
| Honest people stick to their beliefs. | Although honest people don’t ask for trouble, they are brave enough to tell others their opinions. They are respected and |
| Honest people don’t get angry easily. | They need to have thick skin to protect them from being hurt by people who are not happy about hearing the |
| Honest people have close friends. | Their friends understand that they deal with problems |
| Honest people are always helpful. | Honest people can offer help and advice to us, |
Wu Dajing won the first place in the men’s 500m short track (短道) speed skating, in the ISU (国际滑冰联盟) World Cup Short Track Speed Skating series in Dordrecht, the Netherlands on November 27, 2021.
Wu Dajing was born in Heilongjiang Province on July 24, 1994. He started skating when he was ten years old and entered the national team in 2010. He loves to play basketball in his free time.
In 2014, Wu Dajing won a silver medal in the men’s 500m at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, and bronze medal in the men’s 5,000m relay. In the same year, he won a gold medal in the men’s 500m at the World Championships (锦标赛) in Canada. He was chosen as China’s flag bearer at the 2017 Asian Win Games.
Wu Dajing said, “I believe that as long as I work hard, I will succeed.” In 2014, he was presented (颁发) with the May 4th Youth Medal. It’s the highest honor for young people in China.
Wu Dajing surprised the skating world by breaking the world record twice in the men’s 500m short track speed skating race and winning the only gold medal for China at the Winter Olympics in 2018, which is very meaningful for China! He became the first Chinese man to win an Olympic gold medal on ice!
An introduction of Wu Dajing | |
| Born in Heilongjiang Province on July 24, 1994. He started skating and entered the national team in 2010 | |
| In 2014 | He won |
| After 2014 | He was He |
Over the past thirty years, many big changes have taken place in our hometown, Yuwan. Many big companies and factories have been opened. Lots of tall buildings are standing here and there. In the past, Yuwan was only a lonely seaside village. Now it has become a modern city.
Look! This is the new train station. In the past, people here never saw trains or buses. Few people had bikes. Most people walked if they wanted to leave Yuwan. Now the train station is big. And there are more buses to take people to every part of the city and other places. There are also parks, museums and places for people to enjoy sports, music and art. The city government has built more roads. Some people have stopped riding bikes. They have bought cars. The traffic has been very heavy today. It’s a modern city now.
Thirty years ago, there were only one thousand people living in Yuwan. Now the population is much larger. More and more people are coming here to work or live. It has become a new tourist attraction (吸引地) as well. More supermarkets have been opened and you can enjoy beautiful beaches. Sea food and some places of great interest.
Changes to our hometown | |
| In the past | Our hometown was only a lonely seaside village |
| Only one thousand people | |
| It was hard to see a bike and people had to go to other places on | |
| At present | People have changed Yuwan into a |
| People can take trains, buses or their own car to other places if necessary. | |
| You can find many tall buildings, companies and museums. Now it has become a new | |
For pupils at a village school in Yiyuan country, Shandong Province, Ren Jilan has not only been teaching them but also showing them how to face life bravely, especially when things just don’t seem to be working out.
Ren came from a poor family in a Yiyuan country village. She had to do more housework than other children when she was young because both her father and mother were in ill. With support from her relatives and villagers, Ren completed her 12-year school study and was accepted by Qufu Normal University. But the four-year university experience didn’t go well. Her father died and then she had to care for her mother. At the difficult moment, it was her teacher, Li Zhenhua, who offered help.
After graduation, Ren was faced with chances to work as a teacher in cities, but she chose to return to her hometown and work as a country teacher at Fuluping Primary School. “Teacher Li gave up a well-paid job in a big city to teach children at the village school. I’d like to follow his path,” Ren says.
Fuluping Primary School is 50 kilometers away from downtown Yiyuan country. It was once among the schools with the worst conditions in the country. But the school has its own beautiful and comfortable playground now.
Ren works hard on teaching and taking care of her students. She also spends a part of her money helping two poor students. She received the China Youth May 4th Medal—the country’s top honor for excellent young people.
“Life was not easy for me, but luckily I had nice people around me. They gave me a helping hand when I was in need, and it encouraged me to go on,” says Ren.
1. Who helped Ren complete her 12-year school study?2. Where did Ren choose to work after graduation from university?
3. How is the playground of Fuluping Primary School now?
4. What honor did Ren get from the country?
5. What do you think of Ren Jilan?
Studying makes you tired. How to deal with the worries and relax yourself? Here is some advice which may add happiness to your life.
Rest on weekends
Weekends are time for a rest. After a week’s hard work, weekends are the best time for you to relax yourself. Having a nice sleep is a good idea, because good sleep makes sure of your study.
Cry out
If you feel sad, don’t try to hide your feelings. Crying out may help reduce your sadness.
Keep a diary
You can write down all that you want to say. That’s a great way to think about and remember life. You can do it on paper or on computers.
Enjoy a big meal
It’s not a good idea for a kid to lose weight, so you don’t need to eat less food. When you feel upset, enjoy a big meal. Eating delicious food will make you feel good.
Join in activities
Having a get-together is great fun. Going out with friends for a trip will make you happy. And it will also bring you a good sleep.
| Rest on weekends | A good |
| Cry out | |
| Keep a dairy | Write down all that you want to say on paper or on |
| Enjoy a big meal | Enjoy delicious food will make you feel good. |
| Join in activities | Having a party or going |
Winter is coming. How about taking a trip to Harbin in northern China? A lot of people go to Harbin to enjoy the world of ice and snow there. There is even an Ice and Snow Festival. It is usually held from December to next February. You can’t miss thousands of great ice sculptures (雕塑) of buildings, animals and so on. Remember to wear warm clothes and shoes when you visit the Ice and Snow World. People like to have a taste of the food in Harbin. Visitors like to try dumplings, Madier ice cream, Hongchang (smoked red sausages) and Guobaorou (sweet and sour pork). And among them, visitors like Madier ice cream best because having a bite of Madier ice cream at the temperature of -25℃ is an interesting and unforgettable experience. People say it’s very cold in Harbin, but I think it’s great fun. Harbin has many ski resorts (度假胜地) and snowboarding parks. Among the outdoor activities, people love to enjoy snowboarding and skiing there. Ice skating is very fun on the icy lakes and rivers. These activities give us a chance to enjoy the winter wonderland.
1. Where is Harbin?2. When is the Ice and Snow Festival?
3. What’s visitors’ favorite food?
4. Do people love the food and winter activities in Harbin?
5. What outdoor activities can people do to enjoy themselves according to the passage?
A Lesson on Happiness
What is “happiness”? Many of you ask yourselves this question, but the answer isn’t always clear. However, people in Finland might have a better idea than most.
In the 2023 World Happiness Report, Finland won the title (称号) of “the happiest country in the world” once again (再一次). It is the sixth year that the country has got this title.
So, what’s Finland’s secret to happiness?
Heli Jimenez, a worker at Business Finland, thinks Finnish people’s happiness may come from their relationship (关系) with nature and a “down-to-earth” lifestyle. “Everyone can learn to be happy,” she said. “And our country wants to help people do that.”
This June, Business Finland paid for 10 people to have a special lesson “Masterclass of Happiness”. It was a four-day lesson. The lesson started on June 12, at the Kuru Resort in the Finnish countryside.
During the lesson, experts from different fields helped the “students” understand more about what it means to be happy. The lesson was mainly on four different areas: nature and lifestyle, health and balance (平衡), design (设计) and “every day”, and food and well-being.
All of this was free. And don’t worry if you didn’t go to take the special lesson—you will see it online later in 2023.
1. How many times did Finland win “the happiest country in the world” title?2. What do the underlined words “do that” in Paragraph 4 mean?
3. When did the special lesson finish?
4. How much did the “Masterclass of Happiness” lesson cost?
5. What do you think “happiness” is?
9 . This Sunday, Nick goes to the zoo to watch (观看) animal shows with his parents. They get up at 7:15 a. m. and then go there by car. It takes them 30 minutes on the way. At about 9:00 a. m., they get to the zoo. They go to watch the Monkey Show first, because (因为) monkeys are Nick’s favorite animals. The show is really interesting. Nick takes a lot of photos of the monkeys. Then, they watch the Elephant Show at 10:30 a. m. The elephants are so clever. They can dance (跳舞). After that, they have lunch at a restaurant near the zoo and go back home at 2:00 p. m. It’s really a happy day.
根据短文内容用完整的句子回答问题。
1. Who does Nick go to the zoo with?
2. When does Nick get to the zoo?
3. What are Nick’s favorite animals?
4. What does Nick think of elephants?
5. How many animal shows does Nick watch?
10 . Bamboo is a wonderful plant for many people around the world. There are over 1,000 uses for it. People make tables, clothes, medicine, and musical instruments with it. Pandas may eat bamboo every day, and people can also eat it.
The fastest growing plant in the world is bamboo. Some bamboo grows so quickly that people say they can watch it grow. The speed of growth depends on the type of bamboo, the earth and the season. Normal bamboo grows 3—10 cm a day. It usually grows in tropical (热带的) areas. It can also be found in other parts of the world. Bamboo plants are found in Asia, Australia, parts of Africa, and South America.
One of the world’s oldest building materials is bamboo. Like today, people use it because it’s very strong. They use it to build houses, boats, and bridges. The Chinese made a bamboo bridge over the Min River in Sichuan, China almost 1,000 years ago. You can still visit it today. Also, bamboo is still used to build houses today, especially in China and Philippines.
As a part of history, bamboo is very important. The great scientist Thomas Edison did not invent the light bulb (灯泡), but he made it perfect. He wanted the material inside to burn for a long period of time. He tried over 1,000 different types of materials. However, none worked very well. One day, he tried to use a piece of bamboo and the light bulb lit up for over a thousand hours. This invention helped other scientists to make the modern light bulb we use today.
根据短文内容，请用完整句子回答下列问题。
1. How many uses are there for bamboo?
2. Which plant is the fastest growing plant in the world?
3. What does the speed of growth depend on?
4. Why do people use bamboo today?
5. How long did the light bulb light up when Edison used a piece of bamboo to burn?
