1 . I first saw a real durian (榴莲) in an Asian supermarket in Queens. That strange-looking fruit was big, heavy, and covered with sharp pricks (刺). I decided to buy one. The Chinese checkout girl carefully wrapped it thickly in a newspaper before putting it into a shopping bag.
On the train home, I cautiously opened the Chinese newspaper and lifted it out. Its strangeness made me think of kung fu, yoga and Taijiquan.
Upon arriving home, I dug out the biggest knife and cut through the tough prickly husk (壳). I tasted the pale-yellow flesh, delicious!
After that, durian was my favourite fruit. My skill at cutting durian open was improving. I showed the skill to my girlfriend.
A few years later, we moved to Taiwan. One day I noticed some durians had begun to open by themselves. The owner tried to get me to buy one but I shook my head, thinking it was far-gone. Instead I selected one whose outer husk wasn’t open.
The next morning I woke up to a strong durian smell. I found a small crack (裂缝) had appeared all on its own. I used the smallest pressure and tasted a more delicious durian. Suddenly, I realized something. I ha felt so satisfied with my own skill in opening the durian that I never thought about letting the durian open itself. The higher art was not in doing but in not doing — letting the thing happen on its own in the way it happens best.
1. Why did the Chinese checkout girl wrap the durian thickly in a newspaper?| A．To decorate the durian. | B．To stop the durian from falling apart. |
| C．To prevent the author from being hurt. | D．To encourage the author to read Chinese. |
| A．A strange fruit. | B．A delicious dinner. |
| C．Other passengers’ attention. | D．Some symbols of Asian culture. |
| A．He thought it was too ripe. | B．He enjoyed the selection of durian. |
| C．He wanted a chance to show his skill. | D．He preferred the durian with open husk. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．Let nature take its course. |
| C．Interest is the best teacher. | D．Kill two birds with one stone. |
2 . We are always seeking ways to make our events more inclusive and to find new ways to deliver value to you. For 2024 we have reduced the ticket prices and introduced a new ticket option “super early bird” for our Instant Expert events. All our events will still be held at Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London. What doesn’t change is that each event will continue to feature six expert speakers sharing their knowledge and latest research on the event topic.
What will you learn?Anyone interested in genetics (遗传学) can attend, whatever your age or background. Whether you’re a scientist, a student or simply a fascinated human being, Instant Expert: The Genetics Revolution offers the chance to learn directly from the experts at our one-day masterclass. At this Instant Expert, you’ll learn about:
●Gene editing with CRISPR
●Whether DNA is destiny, Nature vs Nurture
●Genome sequencing and consumer DNA testing
●The ethics of creating new life
What’s included in your ticket?●In-depth and engaging talks from six leading scientists
●Ask-an-expert Question Time session
●Your chance to meet our six speakers and New Scientist host
●Exclusive on-the-day New Scientist subscription deal, book and merchandise offers
Booking information:Doors will open at 9 a. m. on Saturday, May 25th, with talks starting an hour later. The event will finish at 5 p. m. Lunch will NOT be provided at this event, but the agenda includes a one-hour lunch break... Visitors are welcome to bring their own food, or purchase lunch at one of the many establishments around Red Lion Square and the surrounding area.
Tickets are non-transferable to any other New Scientist event. All tickets are non-refundable.
1. Which is one of the changes about the event?| A．The prices of the tickets. | B．The place for the event. |
| C．The time for entrance. | D．The number of experts. |
| A．Edit gene with CRISPR. | B．Have their DNA tested. |
| C．Buy discounted books. | D．Interact with the experts. |
| A．About 9 hours. | B．About 6 hours. | C．About 5 hours. | D．About 3 hours. |
3 . Do you want to see majestic lions roaring, rare rhinos running and colorful birds flying? You’ll find this incredible display of nature in the Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley.
First stop
Fly into Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. This great city is known for its fashion markets and beautiful art. And be sure to pick up some rich Kenyan coffee while you’re there! Then head for the countryside.
Plan your trip
The largest of the three lakes in the system, Lake Nakuru, is less than 175 kilometers from Nairobi. But Lakes Bogoria and Elementaita are equally worth a visit. You can stay at one of several choices of luxurious cabins in the valley. And if you sign up for a trip, be sure to put flamingos, the white and pink birds, at the top of your list.
Paradise
The Kenya Lake System is shallow and alkaline (碱性的). That means it supports vegetation such as green algae, a food source for many waterfowl. Hundreds of species of birds flourish here, using this area as a major breeding and nesting ground. Water buffalo, leopards, monkeys and the endangered Rothschild giraffe also make this area their home.
Other sights
Wildlife isn’t the only natural wonder in the Great Rift Valley. The valley marks a place where the earth is divided far below the surface. This rock separation belowground leads to noticeable features aboveground. Walking around Lake Bogoria especially, you will see steam rising from hot springs.
Other activities include golfing, horseback riding and hiking. The fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down, either. The river valley is far from city lights, so many visitors gaze at the stars shining above.
If you are ready for a wildlife experience, don’t hesitate!
1. What is Nairobi famous for?| A．Coffee markets. | B．Beautiful fashion shows. |
| C．Fashion markets. | D．Great artists. |
| A．Majestic lions. | B．Rare rhinos. |
| C．Colorful flamingos. | D．Luxurious cabins. |
| A．Horseback riding and hiking. | B．Shopping for fashionable clothes. |
| C．Admiring beautiful artworks. | D．Enjoying Kenyan coffee. |
4 . Dogs are man’s best friends, and they may be the heart’s best friends as well.
A group of heart disease experts from the American Heart Association (AHA) reviewed research connecting heart health with owning a dog and found that owning a dog has a likely nexus with a lower risk of heart disease for those without a history of heart problems, and with greater survival rates among heart disease patients.
The group, chaired by Dr. Glenn Levine, a professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, released a scientific statement in favor of having a dog to lower the risk of heart disease by helping people to be more physically active as well as reduce blood pressure and minimize the effects of stress. Previous studies showed that the companionship and close relationship that owners build with their dogs can boost levels of anti-stress hormones (抗应激激素) that can increase resilience (适应力) and help people to cope with stressful situations. One of the studies found, for example, that those who adopted dogs enjoyed a drop in blood pressure, while another revealed that among 5,200 adults, those who owned dogs were 54% more likely to get recommended levels of exercise and be active than non-dog owners. That trend is supported by other studies that found people who owned dogs were less likely to be overweight.
According to a report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), dogs aren’t a panacea (灵丹妙药) against heart disease, and it’s likely that taking care of them requires their owners to get more exercise, which can reduce stress, weight and blood pressure and thus benefit the heart. “If someone adopts a pet, but still sits on the couch and smokes and eats whatever he wants and doesn’t control his blood pressure,” Levine told the Nero York Times, “that’s not a wise strategy to decrease the risk”.
1. What does the underlined word “nexus” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Comparison. | B．Similarity. | C．Combination. | D．Link. |
| A．Stress is the cause of heart attack. |
| B．People raising pets can be slimmer. |
| C．Dogs’ companion holds back hormone functions. |
| D．Anti-stress hormone levels are low in dog owners. |
| A．Dog owners work out more by walking the dog. |
| B．Dogs can be trained to detect high blood pressure. |
| C．Dogs can prevent owners from smoking on the couch. |
| D．Dog owners attach importance to monitoring heart health. |
| A．How dogs promote owners’ mental health. |
| B．Raising dogs can help reduce heart attack. |
| C．What are the advantages of raising dogs. |
| D．Having a dog may lower heart disease risk. |
5 . It all began in Everett, Washington, where my project team was in the process of conducting one of our business systems. So tough was the project that we often stayed up completing the tasks assigned. All of us were worn out. One night, as I walked through the parking lot with one of my employees. I found a cent and picked it up. Glancing at my exhausted employee. I suddenly had an idea to delight him. Playfully, I presented the cent to the employee and said, “This is an informal award for your efforts.” He put the cent in his pocket. “Thank you,” he said, a wave of joy sweeping across his face.
About six months later, I was walking with the same employee、this time in Los Alamitos, California, when I again found a cent and gave it to him with the same words.
Later, I got into his office and there, taped on a piece of paper were the two cents, which made me surprised. He said he was displaying them as his recognition for a job well done.
Other employees noticed the cents proudly displayed and began asking why they hadn’t received any. They were also longing for the “reward”. It was then that I started handing out cents, explaining that they were for recognition, not for reward. Soon, so many people wanted them that I designed a cent holder. The front features a place for a cent and beside it the phrase, “Your work is recognized!” The back has room for 30 more cents and the phrase, “Your achievements count!”
One time, I spotted an employee, Mia, doing something right and wanted to recognize her, but I didn’t have a cent, so I gave her a quarter. Later the same day she stopped by and returned 24 cents.
That’s how the “One Cent Award” was born. It’s become a significant source of recognition in our organization.
1. Why did the author give a cent to the employee initially?| A．To praise him. | B．To amuse him. |
| C．To reward him. | D．To surprise him. |
| A．The design of a cent holder. | B．The shared beliefs in his team. |
| C．The eagerness of fellow employees. | D．The expectation for better achievements. |
| A．One cent stood for recognition. | B．She was advised to do so. |
| C．The author was mean with money. | D．It is the company’s strict regulation. |
| A．Greedy. | B．Motivated. | C．Aggressive. | D．Talented. |
6 . Facial recognition cameras are everywhere, including in your smartphone. Many people rely on this technology to unlock their phones, open doors or make quick payments, but everyone is wearing mask. What a trouble!
Now, tech companies have updated their software. Facial recognition technology can now identify people even if they are wearing a mask.
Beijing-based tech company Hanwang has announced a software which can correctly recognize 95 percent of people wearing masks, Engineering&Technology (E&T) reported. What’s the secret? It’s all about your eyes.
Marios Savvides, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, US, studies facial recognition technology. “As we get older,” he said, “our faces change shape, but not the area around our eyes. It stays the same — even if we put on weight.”
Another company has also been working on this kind of software. Tech5 has Al that measures the shape of your face. It also scans your iris (the colored part of your eyes). Tech5 hopes to ignore all of the face below the nose.
Facial recognition software is about more than just unlocking your phone. It’s about public safety. Touchless verification (验证) has become extremely important due to the COVID-19. More than that, facial recognition can be used to fight crime (犯罪). “It can detect crime suspects,” said Huang Lei, Hanwang’s CEO. Hanwang’s technology is used by police in high-security settings. This means places like government buildings, subway stations and airports, Huang admits one big weakness of this new technology: It fails when people wear both masks and sunglasses. “In this situation, all of the key facial information is lost, but I believe we can overcome the weakness in the future,” said Huang.
1. What is the function of facial recognition from paragraph 1?| A．Lock phones. | B．Lock doors. | C．Unlock doors. | D．Draw money. |
| A．The shape of face. | B．The eye area. |
| C．The color of the eyes. | D．The facial expression. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Indifferent. | C．Doubtful. | D．Positive. |
| A．It needs further improving. |
| B．It will be less popular in the future. |
| C．It won't work if people wear glasses. |
| D．It cannot store key facial information. |
7 . Museum of Brands
Do you remember Watney’s Party Seven? Do you hope to enjoy the taste of Spangles? Could you still sing the Fairy Liquid song? Surround yourself with objects of your childhood and find your memories in our Time Tunnel at the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising, Notting Hill, near Portobello Road Market.
£7.50; Tue-Sat: 10:00-18:00 Sun: 11:00-17:00 Closed Mon.
Garden Museum
The Garden Museum is the only museum in the UK to celebrate the art, design and history of gardens. It holds three temporary exhibitions each year, and an exciting programme of over 30 events. Visitors can also see an exhibition of paintings and tools all year round and experience the British love for gardens.
£10.00; Sun-Mon: 10:30-17:00 Sat: 10:30-16:00
Foundling Museum
The Founding Museum shows the history of the Foundling Hospital, Britain’s first children's charity and first public art gallery. And through an exciting programme of. exhibitions and events, it celebrates the ways in which lots of artists have helped improve children s lives for over 270 years.
£8.25; Tue-Sat: 10:00-17:00 Sun: 11:00-17:00 Closed Mon.
Cartoon Museum
See great British cartoon art from Steve Bell and Matt, Ronald Searle and Manga to favourite characters like Dennis the Menace and Andy Capp. Something for everyone — including a great shop full of funny books and Cards.
£7.00; Mon-Sat: 10:30-17:30 Sun: 12:00-17:30
1. Which museum should you go to if you want to bring back your childhood memories?| A．The Museum of Brands. | B．The Garden Museum. |
| C．The Foundling Museum. | D．The Cartoon Museum. |
| A．A tour of some famous gardens. | B．Three exhibitions of paintings. |
| C．30 exciting programmes. | D．An all-year exhibition. |
| A．10:30 | B．11:00 | C．13:00 | D．17:30 |
8 . Many primitive people believed that by eating an animal they could get some of the good qualities of that animal for themselves. They thought, for example, that eating deer would make them run as fast as the deer. Some tribes (部落) even ate enemies that had shown bravery in battles.
Among civilized people it was once thought that ginger roots could improve the memory. Eggs were thought to make the voice pretty. Tomatoes also were believed to have magical powers. They were called love apples and were supposed to make people who ate them fall in love.
Even today there are a great many wrong ideas about food, some of which are very widespread.
One such idea is that fish is the best brain food. Fish is good brain food just as it is good muscle food and skin food and bone food. But no scientist has been able to prove that fish is any better for the brain than many other kinds of food.
Another such idea is that you should not drink water with meals. Scientists tell us that washing food down with water as a substitute for chewing is not a good idea, but some water with meals has been found to be helpful. It makes the digestive juices flow more freely and helps to digest the food.
Many of the ideas that have to do with mixtures of foods have no scientific foundation. A few years ago, the belief became general that orange juice and milk should never be drunk at the same meal. The reason given was that the acid in the orange juice would make the milk curdle (结团) and become indigestible. As a matter of fact, experts confirm milk always meets in the stomach a digestive juice which curdle it; in fact, the curdling of the milk is the first step in its digestion. A similar wrong idea is that fish and ice cream when eaten at the same meal form a poisonous combination.
1. Why did some tribes eat brave enemies?| A．They were eager to be courageous. | B．They hated brave enemies bitterly. |
| C．They had to follow the local custom. | D．They were extremely lacking in food. |
| A．Consuming eggs could strengthen the bones. |
| B．Singers were supposed to consume fish frequently. |
| C．Apples could make people lose their heart to others. |
| D．Those suffering memory loss should eat ginger roots. |
| A．The curdling of milk can harm people’s stomach. |
| B．Milk will be poisonous by adding orange juice in. |
| C．Drinking water with meals is beneficial to digesting. |
| D．Eating fish and ice cream together will sicken people. |
| A．Civilized People’s Table Manners | B．Good Recipes Popular with People |
| C．Wrong Widespread Ideas about Food | D．Practical Thoughts in Favor of Health |
9 . MINIBOSS & BIGBOSS SUMMER BUSINESS CAMP
Join us at our award-winning International Summer Business Camp! Together with students from all over the world, you will dive into experiencing life and culture. We’ve served over 9,000 students from 27countries since 2000!
LOCATIONThe camp is located 10 miles from Oxford, not far from London and Cambridge.
ACCOMMODATIONSThe camp provides full board. You will live in shared rooms in the boarding Thornton High School or Thornton College. Delicious English dishes are prepared by chefs.
AGE GROUPSMiniboss groups: 9-11,12-15 Bigboss groups: 15-18
POWERFUL PROGRAMMES☑Explore Yourself in Business
This course provides you with a broad introduction to business, human full potential and self-realization. It equips you with the skills to successfully launch and manage your own business. Most importantly, you will develop the mindset to become a groundbreaking entrepreneur (企业家).
☑Aeademic ProgrammeImmerse (使沉浸于) yourself in the exciting business world through case studies of world-famous companies. In addition to training, the camp has many recreational activities and sports, which alternate with business games and daily evening reflection. On this course, you will;
● Identify how to unlock your full potential and manage your own potential;
● Strengthen your problem-solving abilities;
● Develop cooperation skills;
● Examine how leading entrepreneurs achieve their goals;
● Learn to think like an entrepreneur.
1. What do we know about the camp?| A．It has a history of 27 years. | B．It is backed by Oxford and Cambridge. |
| C．It is clearly targeted at teenagers. | D．It is open to students of all nationalities. |
| A．Teamwork spirit. | B．Interpersonal skills. |
| C．Creative thinking. | D．Problem-solving abilities. |
| A．Combine education with pleasure. | B．Teach campers to set goals. |
| C．Offer jobs in world-famous companies. | D．Train campers to think like adults. |
10 . 2024 Travel Planner: The Best Things to See in the UK
Icons of British Fashion, Oxfordshire
A fashion exhibition will open at Blenheim Palace in March. Icons of British Fashion is the largest event in the palace’s 300-year history and will showcase some of Britain’s most famous designers. Clothing, drawings, photographs and patterns will be on display. 23 March to 30 June. Palace entry tickets are valid for a year and cost £ 38 for adults, £ 22 for under-16s.
Toulouse-Lautrec in Bath
A new exhibition, Toulouse-Lautrec and the Masters of Montmartre, opens at Victoria Art Gallery in Bath in April. More than 30 pieces from the artist’s colourful career will be shown alongside works by other artists of the day. This is the only chance to see Lautrec’s complete collection of posters in the UK before it moves to a permanent home at the Musée d’Ixelles in Belgium. 26 April to 29 September, adults £ 10, children £ 3.50.
Back in Time at Beamish
A truly recreated 1950s picture house at Beamish will offer visitors a chance to recall the golden age of movie-going. The cinema will be the latest addition to a “1950s Town” opened last summer at the living history museum. Adults £ 24.95, children £ 15.45, a family of four £ 63.50, valid for a year.
National Gallery goes on tour
The National Gallery celebrates its 200th anniversary on 10 May. To mark the occasion， the gallery is lending 12 of its most iconic paintings to 12 venues across the UK. Paintings will travel to centres from Brighton to Edinburgh, and will all go on display on 10 May. Each of the 12 venues will run exhibitions and digital interventions to showcase its particular painting.
1. How much should a couple with a 5-year-old pay for Blenheim’s exhibition?| A．£ 23.50. | B．£ 60.00. | C．£ 63.50. | D．£ 98.00. |
| A．Recalling the artist’s career. |
| B．Offering chances to make posters. |
| C．Employing digital interventions. |
| D．Enabling visitors to enjoy arts. |
| A．Icons of British Fashion. |
| B．Toulouse-Lautrec and the Masters of Montmartre. |
| C．1950s Picture House Visit. |
| D．National Gallery Painting Show. |
