1 . WHY SHENNONGJIA?
As we know, in 2016, Shennongjia made it on to the UNESCO World Heritage List. But there are so many important places not yet on this list. So you might ask: why Shennongjia?
UNESCO awarded Shennongjia this status because it meets two criteria required by the list. It contains a naturally-balanced environment that allows the many and various species to live and prosper. It is also one of the rare locations in the world where scientists can observe in real time the ecological and biological processes that occur as the plants and animals develop and evolve.
For the first criterion, Shennongjia is apparently one of the most “complete” natural areas in the world. The region rises from about 400 metres to over 3, 000 metres above sealevel, giving it the name the “Roof of Central China”.
For the second criterion, we can see that Shennongjia has incredible biodiversity. Look at this slide. According to official statistics, over 3, 000 plant species have been recorded there. This represents more than ten percent of China’s total floral richness.
It is a challenge to look after so many species. In winter, scientists brave heavy snow and freezing temperatures to supply food to the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. Thanks to their efforts, the monkey’s population has doubled since the 1980s.Their number reached over 1, 300 in 2015 and continues to grow.
But the most impressive aspect of Shennongjia is the local people, who take things from nature without causing damage. I visited a local village which is known for its home-made honey. What is special about the honey is that it is produced by the earliest species of Chinese bee. All of this explains why Shennongjia earned—and deserves—its place on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as well as highlighting how understanding, awareness and hard work have contributed towards protecting a unique and wonderful part of our natural world.
1. Why is Shennongjia included in the UNESCO World Heritage List?| A．Because its forests stretch on and on like great green seas. |
| B．Because it is the legendary father of Chinese herbal medicine. |
| C．Because it satisfies the two requirements for the status. |
| D．Because it has the mysterious creature called “Yeren”. |
| A．Roof of Central China | B．Roof of Northern China |
| C．Roof of Eastern China | D．Roof of Southern China |
| A．Patient. | B．Careful. | C．Confident. | D．Hard-working. |
| A．A local village. | B．The local people. |
| C．Some special monkeys. | D．The wild bees. |
2 . Sri Lanka’s best tours: Wonders, exciting wildlife and unforgettable beaches.
Sri Lanka by land and sea
This14-dayadventure starting in Negombo , you’ll head to the pretty hilltop town of Kandy, visiting the ancient Temple of the Tooth. After that, you’ll walk around Ella Rock, learn to cook classic home- style Sri Lankan food there and visit the Elephant Transit home in Udawalawe National Park. Then you’ll head over to Galle and the southern coast for some time with swimming and a beach barbecue.
Cycle the back roads of Sri Lanka
Explore a different Sri Lanka in depth and at a more joyful pace on a 14-day cycling tour.
Cycling along back roads, you’ll get under the skin of the country and its people enjoying once-in-a- lifetime experiences, like cycling through Nuwara Eliya and the remains of Buduruvagela.
A ride through Bundala National Park is one you’ll never forget and your downtime on the beaches of Ahangama will be an enjoyable break
Experience Sri Lanka’s wild side
Treat yourself to a wildlife trip like no other on this holiday to Sri Lanka’s famous national parks and underwater reserves (保护区) with Wexas Travel.
Your journey begins in Sinharaja Rain Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the last remaining Sri Lanka’s lowland rainforest. Next up is a visit to Yala National Park, the second largest in Sri Lanka and where you’ll get the chance to see elephants, water birds and other wild animals. Finally, finish your trip with a visit to Galle, where you will be able to enjoy some whale and dolphin watching. The focus of this trip is Sri Lanka’s various wildlife, and at the same time. you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy its food as well.
1. From where can you enjoy cooking home-style Sri Lankan food?| A．Ella Rock. | B．Nuwara Eliya. | C．Negombo | D．Kandy |
| A．Udawalawe National Park | B．Yala National Park |
| C．Bundala National Park | D．Wilpattu National Park |
| A．News. | B．Humor. | C．Travel. | D．Sports. |
3 . Bears can exactly make another bear’s facial expressions. Sun bears open their mouths to match their playmates (伙伴) when they are doing things with others face to face. Researchers believe that such facial mimicry (模仿) has not been seen outside humans and gorillas (大猩猩). In the behavioral study, they found that bears were able to use facial expressions to communicate with others in a similar way to humans and gorillas.
The researchers studied 22 sun bears in the wild for more than two years. In total, 21 matched the open-mouthed expressions of their playmates during face-to-face communications. When they were facing each other, 13 bears made expressions within one second of observing a similar expression from their playmates.
The bears aged 2-12, were housed in a natural center in Malaysia in which the areas were large enough to allow bears to choose whether to communicate or not. Although they prefer to live alone in the wild, the bears in this study took part in hundreds of games. Among them there were more gentle plays than rough ones.
The research was done by Doctor Ross in the University of Portsmouth. She believes that copying other bears’ facial expressions plays a great part in sun bears’ daily life.
1. How do sun bears respond to others in face to face communication?| A．Touching. | B．Smiling. | C．Opening their mouths. | D．Kissing on the face. |
| A．2. | B．12. | C．21. | D．22. |
| A．Quiet. | B．Violent. | C．Soft. | D．Fair. |
4 . We all know that some animals adapt to living in very cold environment, like polar bears in the frozen Arctic. But what about the opposite situation? How do animals become adapted to the life in very hot places? A great example of animals beating heat is the camel living in deserts.
A major problem for camels in deserts is the temperature. It’s hot and dry during the day and can be very cold at night. So their fur can not only protect them from the burning sun at daytime, but also help keep warm at night. Another thing is that camels have long necks and legs, so they have large surface area to lose heat easily. They can stand body temperature above41℃, which would be really damaging to living creatures like us humans. And how can they manage to travel a long distance without water at all in deserts? They have large flat feet to spread their weight on the shifting sand. They store fat in their humps to keep them from getting hungry or dehydrated. This helps when they’re not able to find food or water for long periods of time.
In addition to these, camels have other ways to adapt to their environment. In a desert, it can sometimes get very dusty. However, camels don’t mind since they have extremely thick and long eyelashes which protect their eyes from blowing sand. Sand up the nose can be a problem, but not for camels. They can shut their nostrils during sandstorms.
1. What do we know about camels living in deserts?| A．Their fur can help keep cool at night. |
| B．They have long necks to protect them from blowing sand. |
| C．They have large flat feet to walk on the sand. |
| D．They can stand body temperature up to 41℃. |
| A．Being lack of water. | B．Being lack of food. |
| C．Being lack of fat. | D．Being lack of direction. |
| A．The Camel —the Best Traveller in Deserts | B．The Camel Needs More Water |
| C．The Harder, the Better | D．Be the Best in Deserts |
5 . College. It means that you are finally going to leave your parents’ nest and experience a lot of personal freedom and independence. You’ll wear whatever you want. You’ll make new friends. And you are definitely ready to enjoy your time in “paradise”.
However, college might be different than you have considered. When an English speaking contest was held in Beijing, about two-thirds of the 62 college students recalled their frustrations about their life in college.
Many of them said they didn’t know what they were supposed to do in college. “Most of the time, I lingered around in my dorm, idling hours and hours away, watching entertainment shows or soap operas on the Internet, or chatting with roommates, ”Huang Xuan, 23, from Guangxi University, said of his first two years of college life.
However, one day his mum asked him about his future plans after college. It was then that he realised his future would be ruined if he kept up such self-indulgence.
Li Yan, 20, from Shenzhen University, suffered a loss of not being one of the “marked” students. She was neither the chairman of the Student Union nor the one with the highest scholarship. Sun Tingting, 21, from Suzhou University of Science and Technology, dominated all the exams with the highest scores, but she felt confused because when she was free, she could think of nothing else to do and no one else to talk to. Zhang Xin, 19, from Beijing Foreign Studies University, began to re- examine what “college” means after she noticed many graduates from elite schools ending up in a job that does not pay well. “Our future is not guaranteed by our college, but rather by how we reshape ourselves in college.”
“Young people are experiencing ‘growing pains’,” said Li Fang, a mental health consultant. In the process of self-discovery, she thinks many Chinese young people suffer more than their peers in the West. Their independence comes much later. They are so used to relying on their parents that when independence suddenly comes in college, it can be difficult.
“Relax,“ Li advised. “This is part of growing up.”
1. The underlined expression “idling hours and hours away” in paragraph 3 can be replaced by “________”.| A．killing time | B．making use of time |
| C．saving time | D．valuing time |
| A．They are no longer the “best” students. |
| B．They have no friends to talk to in their spare time. |
| C．They have trouble communicating with their parents. |
| D．They realise that good college doesn’t guarantee a good job. |
| A．They often abandon themselves to watching TV or shows on the Internet. |
| B．They are accustomed to counting on their parents before coming to college. |
| C．They have never left their parents’ nests. |
| D．They are definitely ready to enjoy their time in college. |
| A．Learn from their peers in the West. |
| B．Consult a psychologist. |
| C．Relax and consider this as part of growing up. |
| D．Stop relying on their parents and learn to take responsibility. |
6 . It was nearly dark; the sun was dropping down the mountains far away. Little Tom came back home, with tears in his eyes.
“What’s the matter, Tom? How’s your trip?” His mother asked with a big smile. “I failed. The mountain is so high and full of big or small stones on the way, I still go ahead. But I was tired and it was so late that I had to come back.” Tom cried. “It doesn’t matter, you are only 14 years old after all. You will have another chance.” His mother said. “But, standing at the top of the mountain is my dream!” Tom said. His father came over and asked, “Did you see the green trees on your way to the mountain?” “Sure, and there were a lot of beautiful flowers by the side of the road.” Tom replied. “Did you hear the birds singing?” His father asked. “There were many kinds of birds singing in the trees, and the sound was very sweet.” Tom said. “Did you feel the beauty of nature?” His father asked. “Yes, the blue sky, the white clouds, the green trees and the colorful flowers made a nice picture.” Tom answered. “That’s enough!” His father smiles and said, “Please remember, my son. For often, achieving what you expect is not the most important thing. Although you didn’t reach the top of the mountain, you got a lot on the way.”
It is true that not every goal will be achieved, not every job will end up with a success, and not every dream will come true. The most beautiful scenery is on the way.
1. Tom got back home ________ when the sun was dropping.| A．slowly | B．sadly | C．quickly | D．early |
| A．The mountain was so high. | B．The way was full of big or small stones. |
| C．He was tired and it was so late. | D．He was only 14 years old. |
| A．clear water | B．blue sky |
| C．colorful flowers | D．green trees |
| A．the goal is not important | B．everyone should climb the mountain |
| C．the mountain is very beautiful | D．the process is more important than the result |
7 . When I think of my childhood, I remember cycling with my friends and buying orange candies, but most of all, going home to see my grandma waiting at the doorstep and asking, “How was your day, bunny?”
Nana (I call my grandma Nana) saw me
Nana was born during the Second World War with a very different lifestyle and childhood from me. She didn’t get
She taught me to be
As years went by, Alzheimer’s disease (老年痴呆症) ate her from the
One day, the glimmer
Nana took a piece of my childhood with her when she
| A．grow up | B．look out | C．look up | D．work out |
| A．works | B．designs | C．truths | D．memories |
| A．forgot | B．celebrated | C．survived | D．calculated |
| A．care | B．education | C．assistance | D．fame |
| A．invitation | B．law | C．burden | D．opportunity |
| A．complained | B．cried | C．struggled | D．argued |
| A．eager for | B．upset about | C．grateful for | D．curious about |
| A．pretended | B．failed | C．wished | D．managed |
| A．me | B．her | C．it | D．them |
| A．trained | B．got | C．needed | D．became |
| A．outside | B．inside | C．top | D．bottom |
| A．woman | B．master | C．neighbour | D．colleague |
| A．address | B．job | C．hobby | D．name |
| A．ambition | B．separation | C．recognition | D．permission |
| A．occupied | B．expected | C．represented | D．seized |
| A．hardly | B．usually | C．completely | D．slightly |
| A．sight | B．style | C．service | D．sleep |
| A．loudly | B．beautifully | C．weakly | D．fluently |
| A．voice | B．story | C．laughter | D．praise |
| A．sank | B．dreamed | C．left | D．whispered |
8 . There are a number of reasons that can be given as to why children should be taught swimming at a young age. If your children know the basic swimming skills, you can be at peace when your children are near the water. If you are in the process of teaching your children how to swim, then here are some points that you should keep in mind.
♦Help your children pick bathing suits. If your children want to wear a bathing suit and get wet then it is certain that your children will be able to handle the water.
♦If the pool has steps, then it is great. Start from these to help your children gain some confidence. You should make sure that there is one place in the pool where your children can be left safely.
♦The best way to teach your children to swim is to make them join swimming classes. In this way, you will be at peace because there is a professional trainer around your children who can teach them all the tricks of swimming. You can join in the parent-children lessons to make your children feel comfortable. If your children are a bit older, then get permission and sit by the pool to watch them learn.When you get your children admitted to swimming classes, make sure that the lessons go according to the swimming goals that you have set for your children.
Swimming is a fun activity and makes it easy for your children to understand coordinating (协调 ) the movements of their arms and legs will take some time. But, with regular practice and training this can be overcome. So, start with the basics and be around your children when they are learning how to swim. Once they know how to swim, then you can be at peace when they play around the water.
1. The pool with steps can make your children .| A．excited and clam | B．confident and relaxed | C．nervous and uneasy | D．strange and unusual |
| A．train themselves with their skilled parents |
| B．learn from morning till night without break |
| C．join swimming classes with professional trainers |
| D．get a chance to sit by the pool to watch trainers swim |
| A．Breath will take some time. |
| B．Coordinating the movements of their arms will take some time. |
| C．Coordinating the movements of their legs will take some time. |
| D．Coordinating the movements of their arms and legs will take some time. |
| A．Teaching Your Children to Swim |
| B．Gaining Experience of Swimming |
| C．Learning to Swim with Your Children |
| D．Swimming Can Make People Healthy |
9 . Top Chinese Restaurants in the Greater Seattle Area
Dumpling Generation
As the name implies, baskets of steamed dumplings are the move here. The wrappers are hand-rolled—not too thin or thick—and the fillings are savory and juicy. Ifyou prefer a strong taste, get the dumplings that include Chinese chives (韭菜), which have large, flat leaves that aren’t afraid to announce their presence.
Xi’an Noodles
Biang biang noodles take their name from the satisfying sound you hear when chefs slap dough (面团) on the counter. The impact creates the specialty noodles of the northwest Chinese city of Xi’an. These chewy, hand-ripped noodles center in most dishes on the menu. Order them as a soup,or as a bowl tossed with spicy cumin (孜然) lamb or just some chili hot oil.
Friendship BBQ
The Northeastern-Chinese-style grilled baroque restaurant is actually the Seattle branch of a New York-based chain. Meats and seafood come coated in a cumin-forward seasoning with your choice of spice level. Don’t miss the side dishes, including the garlic eggplant, which is roasted until the flesh is covered with a garlic sauce. Despite its authentic taste, you’ll constantly be wowed by its cool new recipes. That’s probably what sets it apart in the Chinese food scene.
Imperial Garden
The dim sum menu contains all the favorites and any extras make great takeaway. But Imperial Garden’s star remains the Peking Roast Duck—shaved pieces of meat topped with long narrow pieces of shiny duck skin,served with steamed pancakes. While the restaurant uses white tablecloths and is spacious enough to accommodate large banquets, the vibe (氛围) isn’t formal.
1. What do Dumpling Generation and Xi’an Noodles have in common?| A．Steamed foods. | B．Plain taste. |
| C．Handmade dishes. | D．Northwestern origin. |
| A．It’s not locally owned. | B．It has innovative spirit. |
| C．It features roasted dishes. | D．It has casual atmosphere. |
| A．Imperial Garden. | B．Dumpling Generation. |
| C．Friendship BBQ. | D．Xi’an Noodles. |
10 . The Walt Disney Company turns 100 years old in 2023, and the whole world will celebrate its stories, characters and imagination — but only Philly’s Franklin Institute will house Disney 100: The Exhibition.
Making its world debut (首秀) right here in Philadelphia, the exhibition takes guests behind the scenes into the magical world of Disney at what’s sure to be one of the region’s must-see exhibitions of 2023.
When to Visit
From February 18 to August 27, 2023
What to Expect
Disney 100: The Exhibition features 10 large galleries, each with a distinct theme relating to the history of the House of Mouse, celebrating the classics from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Strange World.
The Walt Disney Archives (档案馆) is displaying its treasures, including more than 250 of its “Crown Jewels”, rarely seen artworks, costumes and other memorabilia (纪念品).
Admission & Tickets
Tickets to Disney 100: The Exhibition are on sale now, and guests have several options when it comes to experiencing the Disney magic.
Folks looking to visit in the daytime (9 am to 5 pm) can buy timed tickets for $45 (adults) and $41 (children aged 3-11). The best part: General museum admission to the rest of the Franklin Institute is included in the cost.
Looking to save on tickets? Consider visiting during the exhibition’s evening hours, which run from 5 pm to 8 pm from Thursdays to Saturdays. Tickets run $25 per person and do not include admission to the rest of the museum.
For maximum flexibility, consider picking up Flex Time Tickets, which allow exhibition access for any time. These run $61 per person and must be purchased in person at the Franklin Institute or over the phone.
Location & Contact
The Franklin Institute 271N. 21st Street Philadelphia, PA 19103(215)448-1200
1. What can guests do at the exhibition?| A．Watch a new Disney movie. | B．Try on different Disney costumes. |
| C．Create artworks about Disney characters. | D．Learn about the history of the House of Mouse. |
| A．They are available at a low price. | B．They can help avoid a long wait. |
| C．They can be bought over the phone. | D．They include general museum costs. |
| A．$50. | B．$131. | C．$90. | D．$86. |
