1 . Scotland is a country in Great Britain, to the north of England. Scotland has nearly 800 islands, but people only live on some of them. About five million people live in Scotland, which is 8.5% of the UK population. Most people live in the south of the country, in and around the cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Dundee.

Language

In Scotland, most people speak English and Scots and a minority speak Scottish Gaelic, an old Celtic language which is very different from English. Scots is spoken by young and old people and sometimes people mix Scots and English. Some words in Scots are the same as in English and some are different.

Sport

The most popular sport in Scotland is football and famous teams include Celtic and Rangers, from Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city. Another popular game, golf, was invented in Scotland in the Middle Ages. You can go skiing in winter at Scotland’s five mountain ski fields and any time of the year at snow sports centers around the country.

Food

When people think of Scottish food, they often think of haggis, a type of sausage made from parts of a sheep. However, Scotland is also known for its variety of seafood and beef.

Symbols

Blue is a colour which is often connected with Scotland. The Scottish flag is blue with a white X-shaped cross called the Saint Andrew’s cross. St Andrew is the Patron Saint(守护神) of Scotland. Everywhere you go in Scotland, you will see tartan(苏格兰格子呢), kilts and bagpipes. Also, look out for the national animal, the unicorn, and the thistle, the national flower of Scotland.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．The Scottish live separately on 800 islands.

B．Most of the Scottish live in big cities.

C．8.5% of the UK population live in Scotland.

D．Scotland lies to the north of Great Britain.

2. How many languages are there in Scotland?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

3. Which of the following is True according to the passage?

A．Scotland is the birthplace of golf.

B．Celtic and Rangers are famous golf clubs.

C．The special Scottish food is its seafood.

D．The Scottish flag is white with a blue cross.

2 . When I was young, I lived on an island in the north of Scotland, but I went to school in Edinburgh. It was a music school, and I studied the violin. We practiced for six hours every day. Our school was a boarding school. At the end of the term, we all packed our bags and our instruments to go home for the holidays. Most kids went by train, or bus, or their parents took them home by car. Not me! I went home by ferry (渡船) — 14 hours overnight on the open sea. I loved it!

One summer I packed my suitcase and violin and said goodbye to my friends. I took the train to the ferry station and then got on the ferry. When we started moving away, I remembered a terrible thing! I left my violin on the train! I went to ask one of the crew (船员) what to do, but he said he couldn’t stop the ferry for me.

What should I do? What would my dad say? He’d be really angry! I was worried, and didn’t sleep all night. The next morning I got off the ferry to meet my dad. I didn’t want to look at him. I told him what happened. He laughed. I looked at him and couldn’t believe it. Why was he laughing?

In my violin case, I always have a label with my address and a telephone number. My dad told me, “A cleaner found your violin by the label on the train in London and took it to the police. They called me. They put the violin on a plane and it arrived an hour before you did.” My dad had it in his car! Thanks to those people, my violin was safe home!

1. Where was the writer’s home?

A．On an island.	B．In London.
C．In Edinburgh.	D．In the south of Scotland.

2. Why was the writer worried?

A．He didn’t sleep all night.	B．He went back home alone.
C．His dad would be angry.	D．He left his address on the train.

3. The underlined word “label” in the last paragraph probably means            .

A．模型

B．标签

C．绰号

D．唱片公司

4. Who found the writer’s violin?

A．His father.

B．The police.

C．A cleaner.

D．A crewman.

5. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Travelling Violin	B．Boarding School
C．Unforgettable Train	D．Missing Suitcase

3 . Months ago, a 76-year-old woman named Marie Boyer fell in her house. For days, she was incapable of moving. Because her windows were closed, no one could hear her cry out.

On the fourth day, her regular mail carrier, Lisa Sweeney, returned from vacation and noticed something wrong. Though she and Marie hadn’t had much conversation over the years, Lisa knew her customer’s habits. The mails in the mailbox, untouched garbage cans in front of the house and the car in the driveway were clear warning signs. She knocked on the door next to Marie’s, but the man in the house had been away on vacation too and didn’t know anything. “I just had a feeling that Marie was inside,” Lisa says. She called the police and continued on her route, but kept circling back to Marie’s house until the police arrived.

Rescuers broke in through a back window to discover Marie unconscious (不省人事的). Learning that Marie was still alive, Lisa burst into tears, so glad that her customer of 11 years had been rescued.

Since that August day, Marie has moved into an assisted-living facility, but Lisa visits her regularly and still brings her mail. They even celebrated Marie’s 77th birthday at a restaurant across the street. Lisa’s son has been known to stop by to see Marie too. The close connection forged that summer day continues stronger than ever.

On Thanksgiving Day, Lisa’s home held extra guests: Marie and her son, daughter-in-law and daughter. It was their first Thanksgiving together as a family since Marie’s own mother passed away. Lisa brought Marie over early to watch the programme on TV together as well as one of the turkeys frying outside. Marie also got in some quality animal time with Lisa’s six cats and one dog.

Due to Lisa’s offer to step forward, Marie is fortunate to have a new life. “Actually, it’s lucky for me too. My life has become more colorful and happier because I have a new family member: Marie,” Lisa says.

1. Why did Lisa knock on the door of Marie’s neighbor?

A．To ask about Marie’s habits.	B．To tell him to call the police.
C．To remind him to collect his mails.	D．To know what had happened to Marie.

2. Why did Lisa cry on that August day?

A．She was ashamed of her mistake.	B．She was worried about the late mails.
C．She was scared of rescuers’ rude behaviour.	D．She was too happy for Marie’s being saved.

3. What does the underlined word “forged” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Destroyed.

B．Built.

C．Affected.

D．Judged.

4. What do Lisa’s words in the last paragraph show?

A．She feels grateful for having Marie as her family.

B．Marie’s family treated her well after the accident.

C．It’s a little difficult for Marie to start a new life.

D．Family members should always support each other.

4 . Bioengineering has the power to improve health globally by developing diagnostic (诊断法), treatment and disease monitoring platforms that function in diverse settings. This conference aims at improving the open exchange of ideas between bioengineers, clinical researchers, healthcare providers, funding and community partners, policymakers and educators, discussing the current impact of bioengineering on solving global health challenges and how to connect with communities.

This conference aims to provide a forum (论坛) to present research about:

► Improving for global health: low-cost diagnostics

► Establishing effective treatment

► Funding and publishing global health-related bioengineering research

► Providing training and education as a means to advance global health

► Capacity building for disease prevention

Submission Deadline September 8, 2023

PLEASE NOTE: You must register for the conference in order to be accepted.

How to submit:

1. Click “Submit Abstract”

2. Create an account, follow the steps and submit your research

3. Register for the conference

4. Check your email for a decision email

You will be informed via email shortly after the deadline whether you have been accepted or not.

* Submission confirmation and future communications will come from a natuteconferences@nature.com email address.

Fee:

Student	Professional (not for profit)	Professional (for profit)
Regular Registration $ 299	Regular Registration (by or before Sept 8, 2023) $550 Late Registration (from Sept 9, 2023) $599	Regular Registration (by or before Sept 8, 2023) $ 750 Late Registration (from Sept. 9, 2023) $ 799

1. Why is this conference held?

A．To improve treatment and disease monitoring techniques in America.

B．To promote global communication of people from the relevant fields.

C．To connect with more local communities in medicine.

D．To provide more challenges to clinical researchers.

2. How do you know whether you are accepted by the conference?

A．By surfing the website.	B．By attending to the phone message.
C．By checking the email	D．By noticing the bank account reminders.

3. How much should a medicine producer pay if he registers after Sept. 9, 2023?

A．$ 550.

B．$559.

C．$ 750.

D．$799.

5 . 20-year-old Derrick Byrd doesn’t believe he’s a hero, but rushing through flames — not once, but twice — was his response to a(n) _______ situation. When he _______ to a loud cry and his sister’s scream (尖叫) in the early morning hours of July 4th, Derrick     _______ their house was on fire and he called the firemen _______.

He kicked in his sister’s bedroom door, and then he ran downstairs through flames     _______ he could catch the children as his sister _______ them jump from the upstairs window. “ Kayla wanted to get the kids out, so I ran downstairs even though I got burnt,” Derrick told KOMO News.

Although it was still _______ outside, Derrick safely _______ Junior, 6, and Rory, 3, before Kayla was helped down. The third child, eight-year-old Mercedes, fell back into the room and screamed Derrick’s name as the _______ continued to burn. Derrick didn’t think twice about his own ________ when he ran back into the flames and up the stairs to ________   Mercedes. “ I could feel it burning me,” Derrick said from his hospital bed. “ I got her and took my shirt off and put it around her ________ so she wouldn’t take in any ________, and I just carried her out as fast as I could.” After making sure his sister and her children were ________, Derrick got a ride to the hospital. The firefighters arrived on the scene in time and put out the big fire ________. Everyone there ________ from the fire, thanks to Derrick and Kayla’s ________ and decisive (果断的) actions.

Derrick suffered second- and third-degree ________ on his face, back, and arms for his selfless rescue. With bandages(绷带) ________ his burns, the youth told the reporter that he would “________ it again in that situation as long as I am alive.”

1.

A．exciting

B．senior

C．intelligent

D．horrible

2.

A．referred

B．applied

C．awoke

D．turned

3.

A．realized

B．meant

C．expected

D．doubted

4.

A．specifically

B．immediately

C．curiously

D．confidently

5.

A．but

B．while

C．so

D．if

6.

A．helped

B．watched

C．explored

D．exchanged

7.

A．rainy

B．crowded

C．dark

D．noisy

8.

A．touched

B．guided

C．caught

D．raised

9.

A．tree

B．garden

C．car

D．house

10.

A．topic

B．collection

C．pain

D．award

11.

A．select

B．rescue

C．watch

D．support

12.

A．face

B．legs

C．hair

D．arms

13.

A．gas

B．air

C．material

D．smoke

14.

A．happy

B．safe

C．honest

D．calm

15.

A．peacefully

B．suddenly

C．nervously

D．finally

16.

A．escaped

B．figured

C．forgot

D．gained

17.

A．simple

B．brave

C．common

D．easy

18.

A．headache

B．fever

C．marks

D．burns

19.

A．showing

B．covering

C．changing

D．increasing

20.

A．do

B．discover

C．report

D．end

6 . What Is Space Camp?

Space camp is a camp for kids (10-14) on Earth. It is a camp to get young people excited about space, science and maths. For a week, build and launch a model rocket and eat space food. They also get to meet an astronaut (宇航员). Not only that, they get to train like an astronaut, too. The campers find out how an astronaut’s spacesuit (航天服) and helmet (头盔) stop the astronaut from getting too hot or too cold in space.

Training for Moon Walking

There is an unusual chair at space camp — the gravity chair. It hangs from springs (弹簧). The chair helps the campers to feel what it is like to walk on the moon. The gravity on the moon is six times weaker than the gravity on Earth. When the campers are in the gravity chair, they find it hard to walk. There are three different ways they can move in it. They can bunny hop (兔子), or do a slow walk.

A Day in Space and Rocket Centre

One of the most exciting activities of space camp is visiting the space and rocket centre. The space and rocket centre has more than 1,500 things for campers to look at, such as small moon rock and the Saturn V rocket. A week at space camp is the best way to experience space life without even leaving the Earth!

1. How long can kids stay in this camp?

A．3 weeks.

B．6 months.

C．7 days.

D．150 hours.

2. Who may take part in this space camp?

A．Tom, aged 9, likes model rockets.

B．Amy, aged 11, is interested in space.

C．Susan, aged 13, enjoys delicious food.

D．Henry, aged 15, wants to fly a space plane.

3. What does “it” refer to (指的是) in paragraph 2?

A．The training.

B．The space camp.

C．The gravity chair.

D．The moon walking.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Kids will wear spacesuits and helmets.	B．Kids may find it easy to walk in space.
C．Kids are able to buy small moon rocks.	D．Kids can walk fast in the gravity chair.

5. What is the best title of the passage?

A．A Trip to the Moon	B．A Trip to Space Camp
C．A Day in Space Camp	D．A Lesson in Space Camp

7 . Good News for Space Lovers

Do you dream of exploring space someday? You can now begin locally—just buy a ticket to the newly opened Shanghai Astronomy Museum. As the largest of its kind in the world, the museum makes a new space to lead visitors on a true-to-life tour around the universe. That sounds cool, doesn’t it?

Four Ordinary People Flew into Space

A group of four ordinary people (普通人) flew into space in the first space mission (任务) with no professional astronauts. The four remained in space, circling the Earth for three days. Though this was the first “all amateur (业余者)” flight, it’s clear that the members had a lot of knowledge and experience which was helpful. They had also had a quick astronaut training course.

Plane travel used to be very expensive, but now many people may afford it. It opens up space for ordinary tourists.

Robot Wolves Scare Away Bears

A town in Japan is using robot wolves to keep bears away. The robots, known as “Monster Wolves”, look like real wolves, only scarier. They’re meant to scare away unwanted wild animals. Since the town began using the robot wolves, there have been no bears.

1. What can you do in the Shanghai Astronomy Museum?

A．Have a dream of exploring space.

B．Experience a true-to-life space trip.

C．Learn to be an astronaut.

2. It took the four ordinary people          to remain in space and circle the Earth.

A．2 days

B．3 days

C．4 days

3. What do the people in a town of Japan use robot wolves for?

A．To keep the bears away.

B．To make people scared.

C．To keep real wolves away.

4. From the introduction of the second picture we learn that          .

A．they had a lot of experience	B．many people can afford space travel
C．they had no quick astronaut training courses.

5. All the news above has something to do with           .

A．space

B．nature

C．technology

8 . If you walk through the doors of one of the Smithsonian Institution’s museums in Washington, D.C., you may be greeted by an unusual guide. A Japanese tech company recently sent 25 humanoid robots to the Smithsonian. All of them are named Pepper.

Each Pepper stands 4 feet tall and has a computer screen attached to its body. Built by SoftBank Robotics, the robots are programmed to share information about the museum in which they are based.

“Pepper is basically an experiment,” Goslins, director of the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Museum, said. “The idea is to explore and see how a robot performs in this kind of environment.”

Museum visitors communicating with Pepper. The robot can tell stories and answer basic questions. People even take pictures and dance with it.

“The robot draws big crowds,” said Allison Peck, director of marketing at the Hirshhorn. “People just love Pepper.”

According to the Smithsonian Institution’s website: “Pepper gives our museum workers a new way to reach and serve visitors.” For example, Pepper teaches Swahili words to visitors of the “World on the Horizon” exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art.

Pepper also has the special ability to draw guests to less-visited areas of the Smithsonian’s museum. When Pepper is placed in a spot, crowds are attracted to that place.

When not educating museum visitors, Pepper stays in the Smithsonian offices, getting charged and programmed. After being charged, Pepper can run for about 8 hours at a time.

Pepper plays an important role, but the robot“ is not meant to take away human jobs at the museum, ” Goslins explained. “It is meant to give our visitors a more enjoyable experience while they are here with us.”

1. What do you know about Pepper?

A．It measures 4 feet in width.	B．It serves as a guide.
C．It is named after a robot.	D．It is made in the US.

2. What can Pepper do?

A．Draw pictures.	B．Take pictures.
C．Ask questions.	D．Tell stories.

3. What attracts visitors to the less-visited areas?

A．Reasonable cost.	B．Pepper’s appearance.
C．Workers’service.	D．Attractive scenery.

4. Why is Pepper used in the Smithsonian Institution’s museums?

A．To please visitors.	B．To replace humans.
C．To perform programs.	D．To educate visitors

9 . It’s a hot time for Chinese language learning across the world, not only because of China’s higher position in the world but also because of the increasing economic and cultural connections between China and the other countries.

For example, the United Arab Emirates(UAE)plans to open Chinese language courses in 200 public primary and middle schools, so experienced Chinese teachers are needed.

Other Chinese courses opened across the world show the increasing need for Chinese-speaking talent. Mandarin(普通话)became an elective(选修的)foreign language in Russia＇s college entrance exam. Following English, German, French and Spanish, Mandarin has become the fifth elective test subject for the exam.

Spain has more than 40,000 people learning Chinese. Last year about 8,000 people took the Chinese Proficiency Test(HSK) exam. The number of people who took the test was the biggest, according to Xinhua News Agency.

In the USA, learning Chinese has been growing fast for many years and is now a popular choice for American children, especially those who were born in rich families. The children begin to learn Chinese at an early age because their parents believe that learning Chinese will help them build successful international business.

1. Why is Chinese language learning so hot?

A．Many foreigners like China’s culturc.

B．China helps a lot of countries to develop.

C．China has the highest position in the world.

D．China has more international influence around the world.

2. What can we know about Chinese learning around the world?

A．The UAE needs experienced English teachers.

B．All American children learn Chinese at an early age.

C．About one fifth of the Spanish learning Chinese took the HSK.

D．The Mandarin exam must be taken before going to Russia’s colleges.

3. What do American parents think of learning Chinese?

A．Helpful.

B．Difficult.

C．Boring.

D．Interesting.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．More people in the UAE begin to learn Chinese.

B．Chinese language learning is popular around the world.

C．Some foreign countries want more Chinese teachers.

D．Many American children are learning Chinese now.

10 . China has named the nation’s first Mars rover (火星车) Zhu Rong. For all of us, Zhu Rong is a well-suited name.

In an ancient Chinese story, Zhu Rong had the face of a man and the body of an animal. H rode on two dragons.

When he had a big fight with Gong Gong, the god of water, Zhu Rong won. But after the fight, the human world came into complete darkness. Then he brought fire from heaven to the world.

“Zhu Rong is regarded as the earliest god of fire in traditional Chinese culture,” a space official said. “The first Mars rover was named Zhu Rong. The name symbolizes light and hope for space exploration in our country, and means to guide humans to continue exploration.”

After leaving the earth last summer, Zhu Rong circled Mars for several months and landed on it in May. In recent years, our country has sent up the world’s first quantum satellite (量子卫星), and Chang’e-4 has made a soft landing on the moon. We have made great progress in space technology and will soon start building our own space station.

1. What Zhu Rong brought from heaven to the world was ________.

A．fire

B．wars

C．water

D．animals

2. For China’s space exploration, the name Zhu Rong symbolizes ________.

A．a big fight

B．complete darkness

C．light and hope

D．Chinese culture

3. The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to “________”.

A．the earth

B．Mars

C．the moon

D．the sun

4. According to the passage, we can infer that ________.

A．Zhu Rong is a bad person in an ancient Chinese story

B．China has made great progress in space technology

C．the writer is proud of China’s space technology

D．the official doesn’t like the name Zhu Rong