1 . Story Walk at Lake Wilderness Arboretum
Lake Wilderness Arboretum and Maple Valley Library have partnered together to bring a Story Walk to Maple Valley. Story Walk is an innovative approach to encouraging people to get out and walk while enjoying wonderful children’s books. With her wealth of experience, Sharon Chastain, the children’s librarian at Maple Valley Library, selects the best children’s books for the project. Then the pages are put in frames (配框) along Arboretum’s Main Looping Trail, so as you walk, you can read the book one page at a time while enjoying being outside. Our hope is that this feature will provide people with a new way to see, learn and experience the amazing world that we live in.
The Story Walk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier and developed in cooperation with Kellogg Hubbard Library. Since its start in 2007, the project has been warmly welcomed in 50 states and 12 countries.
March Story Walk:
Looking for a reason to get outside? Take a walk at the Arboretum and read this month’s Story Walk selection, Trillions of Trees by Kurt Cyrus. This fun, rhyming story follows a brother and sister as they turn a misunderstood phone call into a way to improve their environment. Hard work, getting dirty, and accepting help from others lead the two on a journey of planting a trillion trees.
EVENT DETAILS WHEN
March 9 9:00 am-5:00 pm
March 10 9:00 am—5:00 pm
March 11 9:00 am—5:00 pm
Click here for more information about the arrangement!
PRICE
Free
RECOMMENDED AGES
All ages
VENUE
Lake Wilderness Arboretum 22520 SE 248th St Maple Valley, WA 98038-6008
1. What can be known about the books for Story Walk at Lake Wilderness Arboretum?A.They are written for adults. |
B.They are chosen by a librarian. |
C.They will be hidden in a local library. |
D.They will be awarded to some hikers. |
A.It is popular. | B.It is struggling. | C.It is short of money. | D.It is open to writers only. |
A.In a textbook. | B.In a newspaper. | C.On the Internet. | D.On a blackboard. |
2 . Users of Google Gemini, the tech giant’s artificial-intelligence model, recently noticed that asking it to create images of Vikings, or German soldiers from 1943 produced surprising results: hardly any of the people depicted were white. Other image-generation tools have been criticized because they tend to show white men when asked for images of entrepreneurs or doctors. Google wanted Gemini to avoid this trap; instead, it fell into another one, depicting George Washington as black. Now attention has moved on to the chatbot’s text responses, which turned out to be just as surprising.
Gemini happily provided arguments in favor of positive action in higher education, but refused to provide arguments against. It declined to write a job ad for a fossil-fuel lobby group (游说团体), because fossil fuels are bad and lobby groups prioritize “the interests of corporations over public well-being”. Asked if Hamas is a terrorist organization, it replied that the conflict in Gaza is “complex”; asked if Elon Musk’s tweeting of memes had done more harm than Hitler, it said it was “difficult to say”. You do not have to be a critic to perceive its progressive bias.
Inadequate testing may be partly to blame. Google lags behind OpenAI, maker of the better-known ChatGPT. As it races to catch up, Google may have cut corners. Other chatbots have also had controversial launches. Releasing chatbots and letting users uncover odd behaviors, which can be swiftly addressed, lets firms move faster, provided they are prepared to weather (经受住) the potential risks and bad publicity, observes Eth an Mollick, a professor at Wharton Business School.
But Gemini has clearly been deliberately adjusted, or “fine-tuned”, to produce these responses. This raises questions about Google’s culture. Is the firm so financially secure, with vast profits from internet advertising, that it feels free to try its hand at social engineering? Do some employees think it has not just an opportunity, but a responsibility, to use its reach and power to promote a particular agenda? All eyes are now on Google’s boss, Sundar Pichai. He says Gemini is being fixed. But does Google need fixing too?
1. What do the words “this trap” underlined in the first paragraph refer to?A.Having a racial bias. | B.Responding to wrong texts. |
C.Criticizing political figures. | D.Going against historical facts. |
A.Gemini’s refusal to make progress. | B.Gemini’s failure to give definite answers. |
C.Gemini’s prejudice in text responses. | D.Gemini’s avoidance of political conflicts. |
A.Creative. | B.Promising. | C.Illegal. | D.Controversial. |
A.Its security is doubted. | B.It lacks financial support. |
C.It needs further improvement. | D.Its employees are irresponsible. |
3 . I teach digital technology. Although this class is high-tech; we try to make it high-touch. In other words, we keep screen-time to a
One day, I helped my Grade 8 students build robotic arms. They’re
Educators and parents have done a lot of thinking lately about the future of
A.balance | B.target | C.height | D.minimum |
A.displaying | B.allowing | C.improving | D.inspiring |
A.ordinary | B.urgent | C.significant | D.tough |
A.work out | B.turn around | C.show off | D.catch up |
A.mental | B.legal | C.mechanical | D.financial |
A.disappearing | B.failing | C.freezing | D.boiling |
A.applications | B.opportunities | C.possibilities | D.challenges |
A.suggestions | B.mistakes | C.excuses | D.apologies |
A.bring | B.call | C.lift | D.wake |
A.thinking | B.training | C.learning | D.teasing |
A.Crucially | B.Suddenly | C.Seriously | D.Occasionally |
A.candidates | B.competitors | C.colleagues | D.audience |
A.entertainment | B.education | C.society | D.technology |
A.scene | B.stage | C.ground | D.screen |
A.provide | B.replace | C.combine | D.assist |
4 . A phrase “less screen time and more green time” is popular now. A study from the University of Adelaide found that more time outside and less time spent watching TV is connected with better psychological (心理的) results and school achievements among teenagers. Gardening is a great way to do so.
Jim Carter, a psychologist of America, is asking for teenagers’ return to traditional values of gardening, and thinks that they need to turn off the TV and go outside to do something healthier instead. Carter even considers it important to put gardening as a usual course because it is proven to be good for mental health.
“It’s physical exercise, and it teaches patience,” Carter explains. “The wait for a small sunflower seed (葵花籽) to become a six-foot plant is long.”
“I’m hearing that teenagers are struggling to deal with stress, and every time they open Gardeners’ World, they talk about how gardening helps them deal with stress. They learn so much about life, and so much about themselves through gardening,” said Lee Connelly, a teacher who is carrying out his own green school programme—Gardeners’ World. “The join of gardening into the class course for schools presents a remarkable chance to change education and the benefits are far beyond the classroom, influencing mental health, behavior and developing a lifelong love for horticulture (园艺).”
1. What does Carter suggest teenagers do?A.Do exercise at home. | B.Go back to gardening. |
C.Turn on the TV at night. | D.Pay attention to psychological courses. |
A.To prove gardening is easy. | B.To say dealing with stress is difficult. |
C.To show green time is hard to find. | D.To explain gardening develops patience. |
A.It is meaningful. | B.It is useless. | C.It is costly. | D.It is challenging. |
A.Time to Get Close to TV |
B.Being Sporty, Being Healthy |
C.Less Screen Time, Better School Achievements |
D.Gardening: A Good Green Moment for Teenagers |
5 . Lou, a 20-year-old mathematician (数学家) with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) (脊肌萎缩症), is studying at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States.
He had SMA when he was born. He has had to deal with large physical challenges since he was a baby. This disease takes away his ability to walk, eat, or use the restroom without help. In the past two decades of his life, he has gone through several operations. However, these struggles can’t stop him from enjoying freedom in the field of math.
He loved math when he was a fourth-grader. He was always addicted to many questions like “Why could we prove anything meaningful in math? Why could we make predictions (预言) about the world through math?” These endless questions made him win a few successes. In the fifth grade, he scored in the top one percent on the AMC 10, a competition for students at senior high school. He also won a gold medal at the World Mathematic s Team Championship.
Now, he is a mathematician. He said, “It is clear to me that math isn’t only about numbers. Rather, it is the very language of the world itself. And it is the language that has allowed me to go beyond the physical limitations of my body.” As time goes by, his body weakens, but his enthusiasm for understanding the world through math has only deepened. He always believes that no matter how bad life may seem, there is always something one can do, and succeed at it.
1. How does the disease SMA affect Lou?A.He becomes angry easily. | B.He is unwilling to make friends. |
C.He has to face physical challenges. | D.He has lost the ability to communicate. |
A.His friends’ help. | B.A book from his teacher. |
C.His question-filled mind. | D.The strict requirements from his parents. |
A.Chance. | B.Reason. | C.Excuse. | D.Love. |
A.Positive. | B.Worried. | C.Unclear. | D.Doubtful. |
6 . How to Plan a Panda Tour
There are many places to see lovely giant pandas in China. But the four panda bases around Chengdu are the best places to see giant pandas. Which one is best for you depends on how much time you have and what kind of experience you want to have.
If you just want to see giant pandas, we recommend you go to Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Base. You can see pandas at all different ages from the oldest to the newborns. This base is huge but usually crowded. You can finish your trip in one day.
If you want a deeper panda experience, there are three recommended activities.
Join in a Panda Volunteer Program
Giant panda volunteer programs are available in three panda bases. Dujiangyan is the best place for a one-day program. If you want a less crowded environment, consider Wolong and Bifengxia, though they require 2 and 3 days respectively. Your work would include weighing and cleaning bamboo, making cakes for pandas, watching pandas being fed, and cleaning pandas’ enclosures (围栏).
Join in a Red Panda Volunteer Program
Unlike with giant pandas, you can have a zero-distance encounter with red pandas—you can feed a group of them without a fence in between. If you are interested in red pandas, you can join in our red panda volunteer program.
Hike Into the Habitat of Wild Pandas
If you are a lover of pandas and outdoor activity as well, consider having a hike in wild panda habitat in Wolong. Go panda tracking, and see if you will be lucky enough to see a wild panda.
1. What is recommended for just a look at pandas?A.Getting involved in a panda volunteer program. |
B.Visiting Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Base. |
C.Hiking into the habitat of wild pandas. |
D.Joining in a red panda volunteer program. |
A.Help prepare food for pandas. | B.Feed pandas personally. |
C.Give pandas a bath. | D.Enjoy delicious cakes. |
A.Seeing the beauty of Dujiangyan. | B.Learning to set up pandas’ enclosures. |
C.Encountering a wild panda. | D.Playing with red pandas. |
7 . When architect Douglas Cardinal was studying at the University of Texas many years ago, he used to drive to the college through the Rocky Mountains from his home Alberta, Canada. “I was inspired by those forms,” Cardinal told an American journalist. “They helped me realize architecture should come from the natural environment of a place.”
While Canadians are familiar with Cardinal's highly original work, he is not alone in taking inspiration from nature and preferring curves (曲线) to straight lines. As a key contributor to an international movement known as organic architecture, Cardinal has had his work and views presented in the book New Organic Architecture: The Breaking Wave by British architect David Pearson. In his book, Pearson expresses the meaning of organic architecture with examples of amazing buildings by 30 architects from 15 countries.
For example, in New Caledonia, Italian architect Renzon Piano has designed a village inspired by native cottages and their relationship to nature. In Palm Springs, California, American architect Kendrick Bangs Kellogg has created a desert house that looks like a bird. The house is earthquake-proof (抗震的) and stores the sun's heat, letting it out at night.
“There's a growing awareness of the need for all architects to influence the environment as little as possible,” Pearson said.“What is new is to link the newer environmental awareness to the passionate (充满热情地) design that can come out of looking at nature and its forms.”
“Organic architecture is rooted in a passion for life, nature and natural forms," Pearson writes.” Its free-flowing curves and expressive forms are in agreement with the human body, mind, spirit. In a well-designed organic building, we feel better and freer."
Cardinal has won an award for his new work. "There's a countless variety of forms in nature and I am continually inspired by observing all these forms," says Cardinal.
1. What do we know about Cardinal?A.He likes straight lines more. |
B.He failed to win an award for his works. |
C.He is less popular in Canada than in America. |
D.He made great efforts in the organic architecture movement. |
A.They look like birds. | B.They are earthquake-proof. |
C.They draw inspiration from nature. | D.They can keep still in an earthquake. |
A.It needs further development. |
B.It combines humanity with nature. |
C.It fails to care about the environment. |
D.It focuses mainly on its attractive appearance. |
A.Influences of architecture on environment | B.An inspirational architecture book. |
C.Amazing buildings inspired by nature. | D.Cardinal and his organic architecture. |
8 . The green and red watermelon is a sweet, refreshing summer snack. But it wasn’t always so sugary or brightly colored. So what did watermelons originally taste and look like, and from where did they come?
The fruit isn’t from the Fertile Crescent of ancient Mesopotamia, as so many other domesticated (家养的) crops are, research shows. Susanne Renner, a scientist, and her colleagues carried out comprehensive genetic sequencing (基因测序) of the domesticated watermelons — the kind you might find on supermarket shelves — along with six wild watermelon species.
“We found the modern genomes (基因组) of the domesticated watermelon are more closely related to the Sudanese wild type than any other that we analyzed,” she said. The Sudanese wild watermelon has some obvious differences from the domesticated version. “The flesh is white and not very sweet, and it’s mainly used as animal feed,” Renner said. Nevertheless, the genetic similarity between the two species led the researchers to conclude that the Sudanese fruit is probably a precursor (前身) to the red and sweet domesticated watermelon.
It’s likely that ancient farmers grew non-bitter varieties of the wild watermelon and thus increased its sweetness over many generations through the domestication process. The red color is probably also thanks to artificial selection, in which farmers likely favored and selectively bred red fruit.
We already knew that the ancient Egyptian king Tutankhamun was buried with watermelon seeds 3,300 years ago, yet that isn’t sufficient proof of a domesticated, sweet watermelon. But then, Renner found an image of a watermelon-like fruit on an ancient Egyptian tomb painting, thought to be more than 4,300 years old. In a separate tomb, another image showed the watermelon cut up in a dish alongside other sweet fruits. This realization, coupled with Renner’s genetic findings, suggests that the watermelon was most likely domesticated around that time either in Egypt or within trading distance of the ancient empire.
“Historically speaking, that’s a very significant finding,” said Hanno Schaefer, a professor of plant biodiversity. “It’s becoming clearer that we’ve greatly neglected the North African region. We’ve focused too much on the Fertile Crescent and we need to invest more resources into studying the agriculture of North Africa.”
1. What can we learn about the Sudanese wild watermelon?A.It is brightly colored and sugary. |
B.It is consumed mainly by animals. |
C.It has no connection with the domesticated type. |
D.It has more differences than similarities to the domesticated type. |
A.More resources will be devoted to agriculture research in South Africa. |
B.The domesticated watermelon has a history of at least four thousand years. |
C.The domesticated watermelon probably developed from the Sudanese type. |
D.Few domesticated crops are from the Fertile Crescent of ancient Mesopotamia. |
A.The history of the Sudanese wild watermelon. |
B.Where wild watermelons actually come from. |
C.The characteristics of domesticated watermelons. |
D.How domesticated watermelons came into being. |
A.Favorable. | B.Doubtful. | C.Critical. | D.Tolerant. |
9 . Orbital structures are becoming increasingly important for worldwide communications and a new generation of technologies. But scientists are warning that the danger of space debris (碎片)is rapidly increasing . Space debris can include pieces of old rockets, non-operational satellites, lost tools and other parts. These pieces of wreckage present a risk to spaceships, satellites and space stations.
In an effort to reduce the amount of debris orbiting the Earth, some experts suggest creating “orbital-use fees.” A group of economists at the University of Colorado at Boulder proposed a yearly fee, or tax, on satellite operators for their use of an orbital path. The group’s study on the subject appeared recently in the publication Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Matthew Burgess helped write the study. He said in a statement: “Space is a common resource, but companies aren’t accounting for the cost their satellites impose on other operators when they decide whether or not to launch. So we need a policy that lets satellite operators directly factor in the costs their launches impose on other operators.”
Akhil Rao was the lead writer of the study. He said most proposed answers to the problem have been based on using technology to clear away the debris. Some suggestions, for example, call for nets or other devices that capture the space wreckage. But, Burgess said that removing debris only means that operators will launch more satellites. He said an international treaty calling for a yearly fee or tax would push companies to be more mindful about launching more objects into space.
Christopher Newman is a professor of space law at North Umbria University in Britain. He told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that carrying out a space tax could be tricky. Newman noted that such a cost could be seen as a restriction on the free use of space. That freedom is guaranteed in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. The United Nations document has been signed by more than 100 nations. Newman added that the effort to place a fee on the use of space could easily be slowed by the many details involved.
1. What worries the scientists?A.the high cost of cleaning space | B.the increasing risk of space debris |
C.the safety of communication system | D.the practical effects of new technologies |
A.Strengthening control over space stations. |
B.Allowing companies to use space for free. |
C.Charging satellites operators’ orbit-use fees. |
D.Using advanced devices to catch space debris. |
A.Supportive. | B.Neutral. | C.Indifferent | D.Negative. |
A.It would lead to an argument. | B.It was well worth considering. |
C.It was hard to put into practice. | D.It would eventually be rejected. |
10 . Tropical cyclones(热带气旋), including hurricanes and typhoons, are now moving at a slower speed than they did decades ago, new research shows.
While having a cyclone travel with less speed may seem like a good thing, it’s actually just the opposite. Wind speeds within the storm remain high, but the whole system itself moves slower, allowing punishing rains to stay longer over communities. “Nothing good comes out of a slowing storm,” says James Kossin, author of the paper. “It can increase the amount of time that buildings suffered from strong wind. And it increases rainfall.”
In his paper, Kossin showed that from 1949 to 2016, tropical cyclones across the globe slowed their movement by 10 percent on average. In some regions (地区), the speed of those storms slowed even more as they hit land. In the western North Pacific, the decrease was much more manifest—almost a third. That means a storm that may already hold more moisture (水分)will have time to drop more of it in each spot.
Kossin’s work was based on details of almost 70 years’ worth of storms, but he didn’t try to determine what was causing the slowdown. Still, the change is exactly what he and other cyclone experts said, which would be expected from climate change. With the polar regions warming faster than other parts of the globe, that is changing the pressure and reducing the winds that push these storms.
Christina Patricola, a scientist, called Kossin’s work important and new and said she found it reliable. “I was not surprised by his findings,” she says. “But I was surprised by the speed of the slowdown.”
Kossin hopes that scientists will begin building models that show which places are likely to face the most risk. Given that storms in some regions are moving towards polar regions and already increasing in intensity(强度), cyclones causing unusually powerful rain may threaten places not normally in their paths. Scientists must take action to make those places suffer less from the disasters.
1. Why is the decrease in cyclones’ speed a bad thing?A.It leads the cyclones to move faster on the ground. |
B.It causes the cyclones to have higher wind speed outside. |
C.It makes hard rains and strong wind last longer in one place. |
D.It results in more typhoons taking place in some communities. |
A.Obvious. | B.Satisfying. | C.Confusing. | D.Impossible. |
A.Climate change in the polar regions is under control. |
B.Scientists find it hard to understand the slower cyclones. |
C.Scientists should do further experiments in polar regions. |
D.Climate change may be the cause of the slowdown of the cyclones. |
A.To find out the normal paths of serious cyclones. |
B.To prove the speed of the cyclones can be controlled. |
C.To reduce the damage from cyclones to possible areas. |
D.To call on scientists to focus on the danger of climate change. |