1 . The Lunar Calendar (农历) Modern Chinese use the solar calendar (阳历) as English people do. But at the same time, they use their own lunar calendar. Each lunar year is given the name of one of these animals: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the hare, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the chicken, the dog and the pig. This list lasts for 12 years and then starts again.
Each Chinese month starts on the day of the new moon. And the full moon comes on the 15th day of the month. The New Year always starts between January 21 and February 20. On the last day of the lunar year, there is a big family dinner. All members of the family except married daughters try to be present at this meal, even they have to travel many miles to reach the home of their parents. Old quarrels are forgotten, and everybody is happy. After the dinner, the children keep awake to welcome the New Year.
The New Year celebrations last for 15 days, from the new moon to the full moon. On the first day , children and unmarried people go to visit their elders.
1. If next year is the year of the goat, what was the name of last year?| A．It was the year of tiger. | B．It was the year of the hare. |
| C．It was the year of snake. | D．It was the year of the ox. |
| A．On February 15. | B．On February 16. | C．On February 14. | D．On February 17. |
| A．the married son | B．the married daughter | C．the unmarried son | D．the parents |
| A．old Chinese use the solar calendar (阳历) as English people do |
| B．each Chinese month starts on the day of the new sun |
| C．on the first day, children and married people go to visit their elders |
| D．each lunar year is given the name of animals |
2 . Popular Theme Parks
Holiday World
Family-run Holiday World has developed into one of the most successful regional theme parks in the US, offering unlimited free soft drinks, free parking, free sunscreen and free Wi-Fi. The park is divided into four lands, each themed around a different holiday. Understandably, given that the park is located in Santa Claus, Indiana, one of these is Christmas, with the others being Thanksgiving, Halloween and the Fourth of July.
LEGOLAND California
As one of a number of similar LEGOLAND theme parks located all over the world, LEGOLAND California was the first to open in the US. Located in Carlsbad not far from San Diego, it fits families with children aged 2-12. The park hosts a variety of attractions inspired by LEGO toys, along with a predictably large number of stores selling LEGO toys.
Universal Studios Hollywood
Belonging to one of the world’s leading movie studios, Universal Studios Hollywood features attractions showing the art of movie-making. The park is divided into three main sections—the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the Upper and Lower Lots, including Jurassic Park, The Ride, Revenge of the Mummy, The Ride and Transformer, etc. Visitors can explore those sections by themselves.
SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld San Diego offers the chain’s standard selection of live shows interactive animal exhibits and other theme park attractions. Located on Mission Bay, it combines thrilling rides with up-close-and-personal experiences, and also offers children’s favorite performances starring sea lions, dolphins and even cats and dogs.
1. What will visitors do in Holiday World?| A．Appreciate the art of movie-making. |
| B．Spend different festivals in a day. |
| C．Enjoy a variety of attractions. |
| D．Explore the world’s leading movie studios. |
| A．SeaWorld San Diego. | B．Universal Studios Hollywood. |
| C．LEGOLAND California | D．Holiday World. |
| A．A news report. | B．A world geography textbook. |
| C．A travel website. | D．An entertainment magazine. |
3 . Clifton College’s The English Experience
Location：Bristol
Ages： 12 to 17
Fees(费用)： 2 Weeks:£ 2740;3 Weeks:£4110; 4 Weeks：£ 5480
Start Dates：9,16,23,30 July & 6,13 August 2023
The English Experience challenges students while building their confidence in English and many other skills that are useful inside and outside the classroom. At the beginning of each week, students are put into small groups and given a complex problem to work through to find a solution and present it in their chosen way. Teachers are there to guide the students, which is why class sizes are 12at most.
In the afternoons, students choose an elective(选修课) to follow for 6 hours per week. These include such courses as news reporting, presentation skills, a Mini UN, and creative writing. Extra electives such as professional golf, tennis, and football coaching, as well as horse riding and exam preparation, lead to an additional cost.
Students go on two full-day excursions(短途旅行)per week. Mid-week excursions are planned around that week’s topic, soon the environmental week we go to a local environmental activity center, while the theatre week involves a trip to a West End show with a drama workshop. Saturday excursions are more relaxed but still engaging, and include set time for shopping. Sunday excursions are shorter but also include an entrance to a local attraction.
1. What is the aim of Clifton College’s The English Experience?| A．To improve students’ confidence with useful skills. |
| B．To work through complex problems in chosen ways. |
| C．To experience a variety of English learning courses. |
| D．To establish study interest groups within 12 students. |
| A．News reporting. | B．A Mini UN. |
| C．Creative writing. | D．Professional golf. |
| A．By giving a speech on environmental protection. |
| B．By joining an environmental activity center. |
| C．By enjoying a show in a drama workshop. |
| D．By setting time for a local attraction. |
4 . Want to experience the modern style at the New York Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan? We have got a lot to offer here.
GUEST ROOMS
Spacious and stylish guest rooms include all necessities for an unforgettable stay. Each guest room features a marble bath, in-room thermostat (恒温器) control, 37-inch HDTV with HD channels and guide, on-demand HD entertainment, a spacious work area, and two telephones with voice mail.
SUITES
Our luxurious, modern suite accommodations arc on high floors and provide all the desirable facilities of our guest rooms while adding spacious living areas and access to our Executive Lounge (贵宾室).
ACCESSIBLE ROOMS
Enjoy added features for your ease of use such as lowered in-room thermostat controls, remote control curtains, raised beds and cither tubs or roll-in showers, which arc all specially designed for the disabled. You will also find desirable facilities such as 37-inch or larger HDTVs, depending on the room type chosen, on-demand HD entertainment, large work spaces, and two telephones with voice mail.
EXECUTIVE LOUNGE
The room is open seven days a week and features daily continental breakfast, snacks in the evenings and continuous coffee and tea service.
HIGHLIGHTS
•We’ve proudly hosted every US president since Kennedy.
•Rated highest in New York City for WiFi confidence and connectivity by Business Traveler magazine.
•Surrounded by top New York City attractions like Times Square, Rockefeller Center & Broadway.
BEST PRICE GUARANTEE
We guarantee you always get the lowest price when you reserve a room through an official Hilton booking channel. If you find a lower price anywhere else, we will match that price and give you an additional $50 back.
REACH US AND RESERVE
1335 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS. NEW YORK, 10019, USA
TEL: +1-212-586-7000
1. Which of the following should be most suitable for a person with disabilities?
| A．SUITES. | B．GUEST ROOMS. |
| C．ACCESSIBLE ROOMS. | D．EXECUTIVE LOUNGE. |
| A．The exploration of wilderness. | B．The reception of US presidents. |
| C．On demand HD entertainment. | D．Remote control curtains. |
| A．$80. | B．$50. | C．$30. | D．$ 20. |
5 . BBC: Top 4 Wonderful English Novels
Great Expectations
By Charles Dickens, 1861
Mrs Dalloway
By Virginia Woolf, 1925
Middlemarch
By George Eliot, 1874
Wuthering Heights
By Emily Bronte, 1847
1. Which of the following might be the purest British novel?
| A．Great Expectations. | B．Mrs Dalloway. |
| C．Wuthering Heights. | D．Middlemarch. |
| A．In 1847. | B．In 1861. | C．In 1874. | D．In 1925. |
| A．Its plot is very simple. |
| B．It describes the hero’s events in one day. |
| C．It is powered by more psychological energy than any other book. |
| D．It is the greatest social and psychological novel written in English. |
| A．George Eliot. | B．Virginia Woolf. |
| C．Emily Bronte. | D．Charles Dickens. |
6 . Four Best Online English Courses
Udemy: English for Beginners
This 77-hour course is among the bestselling courses. The design based on real need makes it easy to adapt to even the busiest schedules. It opens to students with no knowledge of the language. Learners will become good enough to speak clearly and confidently and understand the language well enough to follow movies and TV.
Price: $109
Time to complete: 20 weeks
Coursera: English for Career Development
Coursera is supported by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ office of English learning. Coursera teaches English for business skills like job searching, resumes and interviewing. Learners can start at any time.
Price: $100
Time to complete: 40 weeks
Alison: English for Career Development
This self-paced (自定进度的) course takes a unique approach to teaching business English. English language learners learn the basics of searching, applying, and interviewing for jobs in the United States. Though all parts of the course are free, certification costs $30 and is available only to those who receive 80 percent or higher on their assessments (认证).
Price: Free
Time to complete: Self-paced
Perfectly Spoken: English for Daily Use
This course helps non-locals with the kinds of English used on the street and on vacation. It covers common expressions, such as what to say when meeting and greeting people, and how to express feelings. The course includes the language used when traveling, ordering at a restaurant, and during the United Kingdom holidays.
Price: $90
Time to complete: 36 weeks
1. How much should learners pay for Udemy?| A．$30. | B．$90. | C．$100. | D．$109. |
| A．They are free of charge. |
| B．They must be finished in 40 weeks. |
| C．They focus on business English. |
| D．They are suitable for pupils. |
| A．Perfectly Spoken. | B．Coursera. | C．Alison. | D．Udemy. |
7 . Since the days of Charles Darwin, the long necks of giraffes have been a textbook example of evolution. The theory goes that as giraffe ancestors competed for food, those with longer necks were able to reach higher leaves, getting a leg-up or neck-up over shorter animals.
But a very unusual prehistoric giraffe relative reveals that, in addition to finding food, fighting may have driven early neck evolution. In a study published Thursday in Science, a team of paleontologists described the Discokeryx(獬豸盘角鹿), a giraffe ancestor, as having a helmet-like head and large neck vertebrae(脊椎).The Discokeryx evolved like this to absorb and deliver skull-cracking collisions to seek mates and defeat competitors.
“It shows that giraffe evolution is not just lengthening the neck,” said Jin Meng,a paleontologist at the American Museum of Natural History and co-author of the new study.
Head-butting is an ancient and widespread form of conflict solution. Dinosaurs like Pachycephalosaurs have firm skulls(头骨), and knocking heads remain common in bighorn sheep, chameleons and even whales.
But the researchers suggested that the Discokeryx was uniquely expert at head-to-head fight. The team estimated that collisions between Discokeryxes were likely twice as forceful as head-butting muskoxen, which strike each other at nearly 25 mph.
The series of interlocking neck joints haven’t been discovered in any other vertebrate(脊椎动物),living or dead,giving the Discokeryx the greatest head-bashing equipment yet discovered, according to the researchers. “This animal is an extreme example of using head-butting as a fighting tool,” Meng said.
1. What do we know about the Discokeryx?| A．Its evolution helps make and bear crashes. |
| B．It has tiny neck vertebrae. |
| C．Its thin neck can stretch to find mates. |
| D．It has a horn-like head. |
| A．Whales move at the speed of 25 mph. |
| B．Muskoxen are good at giving a side attack. |
| C．Many vertebrates have amazing neck joints. |
| D．Discokeryxes hit opponents with big power. |
| A．How Jin Meng completed a research paper. |
| B．Why giraffes’ necks evolve so long. |
| C．How the impact force between Discokeryxes is measured. |
| D．Why giraffes’ development goes against Charles Darwin’s theory. |
| A．In a:history book. |
| B．In a story collection. |
| C．In a science magazine. |
| D．In a celebrity biography. |
8 . What are the differences between communication and language?
The system of communication which relies on the verbal or non-verbal codes, used in transferring information, is called “language”. A language is a tool of communication, while communication is the process of transferring message to one another. Language focuses on the signs, symbols and words. Communication lays emphasis on the message. Before the invention of written words, language was confined to the auditory channels. The basics of communication do not change at all. Conversely, daily new words are added to the dictionary of the language, so it changes every day.
Is communication wider than language?
So with the above explanation, it is quite clear that communication has a wider scope than language, as the former covers the latter. Language is the essence of communication, without which, it cannot exist.
What are language barriers in communication?
Language barriers are the most common communication barriers which cause misunderstandings and misinterpretations between people. Most of the people in the world do not speak English or, even if they use, it is their second or third language. If the speaker and receiver do not use the same language and words, there is no meaning to the communication.
Why is language needed for communication?
Language is needed for any kind of communication, and even people with speech impairments communicate with sign language. Communication becomes difficult in situations where people don’t understand each other’s language. The inability to communicate using a language is known as the language barrier to communication.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?| A．Language is the only way to communicate with people. |
| B．People send messages to communicate with others. |
| C．Language didn’t appear until the invention of written words. |
| D．Language changes every day with the added new words. |
| A．Speaking English. | B．Speaking the second language. |
| C．Speaking the same language. | D．Using body language. |
| A．methods | B．functions | C．disabilities | D．skills |
| A．Communication is superior to language. |
| B．Language is the essence of communication. |
| C．All the languages can be written and spoken in the world. |
| D．Language has a wider scope than communication. |
9 . In general, people talk about two groups of colors: warm colors and cool colors. Researchers in psychology think that there are also two groups of people: people who prefer warm colors and people who prefer cool colors.
The warm colors are red, orange and yellow. Where there are warm colors and a lot of light, people usually want to be active. People think that red, for example, is exciting. Sociable people, who like to be with others, like red. The cool colors are green, blue and violet. These colors, unlike warm colors, are relaxing. Where there are cool colors, people are usually quiet. People who like to spend time alone often prefer blue.
Red may be exciting, but one researcher says that time seems to pass more slowly in a room with warm colors than in a room with cool colors. He suggests that a warm color, such as red or orange is a good color for a living room or restaurant. People who are relaxing or eating do not want time to pass quickly. Cool colors are better for offices or factories if the people who are working there want time to pass quickly. Researchers do not know why people think some colors are warm and other colors are cool.
However, almost everyone agrees that red, orange, and yellow are warm and that green, blue, and violet are cool. Perhaps warm colors remind people of warm days and the cool colors remind them of cool days. Because in the north the sun is higher during summer, the hot summer sunlight appears yellow.
1. Which of the following colors belong to cool colors?| A．Blue, violet and green. | B．Yellow, green and violet. |
| C．Black, blue and red . | D．Brown, white and orange. |
| A．Sociable people like warm colors. |
| B．Cool colors can make people relaxed. |
| C．People who like to be spend time alone don’t like blue. |
| D．Where there are warm colors, people want to be active. |
| A．Red or orange for offices. | B．Orange for dining-rooms. |
| C．Blue for bedrooms. | D．Red for factories. |
| A．Two Groups of Colors. | B．Sociable People Like Warm Colors. |
| C．Places and Colors . | D．Colors and People. |
10 . Pick-your-own farms are set for a post-lockdown boom this summer, as people look to support local businesses and spend more time outdoors. Here are four of our favorites.
Parkside Farm, Enfield
Juicy blackberries, and strawberries are the stars of the show at this pick-your-own place on the northern edge of London. One key selling point is the “table-top” strawberry-growing system, which means plants are grown in places at waist height — no more bending down in the dirt to pick your berries. Parkside is also one of the few farms accessible without a car, as long as you don’t mind a walk — it’s 25 minutes from Gordon Hill station.
Craigie’s Farm, Scotland
Just outside Edinburgh, Craigie’s Farm is bursting with produce including cherries, peas, broad beans and, perhaps surprisingly, sunflowers. The onsite shop, deli and cafe have a lot more to offer besides fruits and vegetables — you can pick up homemade jams, meat, cheese and an apple press for making your own juice. There are activities for children too, including a Nature Detective Trail involving encounters with sheep and goats.
Hewitts Farm, Kent
This family-run farm in Kent offers everything from spinach to apples and blackberries during its pick-your-own season, which runs from June to October (for Halloween pumpkins). There’s also a shop selling farm-grown and local produce, as well as free tractor rides for youngsters on Sundays during the summer.
Bellis Brothers Farm, Wrexham
This farm in North Wales started growing strawberries back in 1860 and has operated as a pick-your-own since 1967. More fruits have been added since then, but it’s still mostly known for its strawberries. Pickers can download Bellis family strawberry recipes from the farm’s website, including those for jams and a baked strawberry cheesecake.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about Parkside Farm?| A．You can enjoy sunflowers in the sunshine. |
| B．You can pick berries without bending down. |
| C．You need not worry about getting dirty on the farm. |
| D．You must drive there due to its long distance from the station. |
| A．Parkside Farm. | B．Craigie’s Farm. |
| C．Hewitts Farm. | D．Bellis Brothers Farm. |
| A．Business. | B．Books. | C．Sports. | D．Travel. |
