1 . The year 2019 began with two pieces of exciting space exploration news. On Jan. 3, China landed a spacecraft, Change-4, on the moons far side—the side we can’t see from Earth—for the first time in human history. And according to a report published on Jan. 9 in Nature, scientists from the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) detected repeated radio signals from a galaxy 1.5 billion light years away, possibly sent by intelligent aliens.
However, what’s even more exciting than the news is the fact that whenever speaking of space exploration, we forget our political and cultural differences—the things that so obsess us.
“When you go into space, you become part of this overall collective called ‘Humanity’,” Ken Liu, Chinese American sci-fi writer and translator, told Quartz website. “You’re no longer Chinese, American, Russian... Your culture is left behind. You’re now just Humanity with a capital ‘H’.”
This magic has worked all the way along our journey into space. When US astronaut Neil Armstrong (1930-2012) became the first human to set foot on the moon in 1969, for example, he told the world: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Now, with Change-4 touching down on new moon territory, China’s aim is to help scientists from around the world find out more about Earths only satellite. And with the discovery of the CHIME astronauts, we’re one step closer to answering a common question in science: “Are humans alone in the universe?”
It’s true that we are a curious species. But instead of being curious about the “unknown”, perhaps were really more eager to “push further” our own human “boundaries” and “limits”.
1. Which of the following is the discovery of the CHIME scientists?| A．A galaxy with intelligent aliens. |
| B．Repeated radio signals sent by intelligent aliens. |
| C．Repeated radio signals from a distant galaxy. |
| D．Radio signals from a galaxy several years ago. |
| A．To introduce the famous writer, Ken Liu. |
| B．To show that in space we are just humanity. |
| C．To emphasize that culture is not important. |
| D．To introduce the things that obsess us very much. |
| A．Further confirm his opinion. | B．Add some background information. |
| C．Summarize the previous paragraphs. | D．Introduce a new topic for discussion. |
| A．China takes the lead in space exploration. |
| B．Humans are not alone in the universe. |
| C．Space exploration is a common cause of mankind. |
| D．Humans desire to push the boundaries of scientific limits. |
2 . Our summer school offers you the chance to live and learn on our beautiful and historical campus in the heart of south-west London. You will earn credits by taking classes relating to your major or general education and have the opportunity to visit London's world-class museums, libraries, parks and night life over a three- or six-week period during June and July.
Course Description
Each 3-week session caries 20 UK credits. Students are welcome to attend one or two sessions.Students should choose several courses within the session that they would like to attend, as courses will run according to the needs of students.
Dates and Costs 2020
One session: £2100
Two sessions: £ 3,840
How to Apply:
Apply online at this link
Apply before 1 May
We welcome applicants(申请人) from students who meet the following requirements:Have a minimum 2.8 GPA(grade point average)Have finished high school Be 18 years old or older Along with a completed applicant form, you will be expected to submit(提交)your most recent grades and write a personal statement. You will also be asked to submit three module choices per session.
If you have any questions, please email us at roehamplonabroad@roehampton.ac.uk
1. How many UK credits does a student earn during two sessions?| A．20 | B．30 | C．40 | D．50 |
| A．On 27 June. | B．On 1 July | C．On 2 May | D．On 27April |
| A．Age | B．Social backgrounds | C．Nationality | D．Physical condition |
3 . A crowd cheered Kunle Adeyanju as he turned off his motorbike engine after completing a tiring 41-day trip. The 44-year-old left London on April 19 and arrived in Nigeria’s commercial center Lagos on Sunday after travelling more than 8, 000 miles across 13 countries. He started the impressive journey to raise funds for Rotary International to deal with polio(小儿麻痹症）in his native Nigeria.
Accompanied by a dozen bikers for the last stretch of the journey from the Republic of Benin , Adeyanju was welcomed by supporters in Ikeja, in central Lagos. Adeyanju, called “Lion Heart” by fans won popularity among the public by posting daily pictures with comments about his journey on social media. At every stop along the way, he was greeted by enthusiastic supporters.
He did face some challenges, like the one in Mali where one of his wheels broke. “I was standing in the middle of the night, alone in a bush, not knowing what to do,without speaking the language,”he said, explaining he had to walk to the nearest village.“Fortunately, the locals helped me. ”Not all of the challenges he faced were solved smoothly.“Mauritania, a country in northwest Africa, was ‘terrible’, ” he said, after he got robbed of hundreds of euros. “The worst experience,” he added.
The former Shell employee self-funded his trip with $ 20, 400 in savings,hoping to raise up to $ 48million for Rotary International. “I have been suffering from a lack of sleep lately because I slept only three to four hours per night. But I feel proud because I finished this challenge,” Adeyanju said just after he arrived, wiping the sweat off his face. Adeyanju added that he is now planning to have a possible cycling trip to Ghana or a bike ride to Israel to help raise more funds. And he has another dream: to climb Mount Qomolangma.
1. Why did Adeyanju go on the 41-day trip?| A．To challenge himself. | B．To help fight polio. |
| C．To connect with more people. | D．To advertise Rotary International. |
| A．By using the title “Lion Heart”. | B．By commenting on other bikers’ journeys. |
| C．By sharing his experiences online. | D．By showing his deep love for his hometown. |
| A．His getting lost in the bush. | B．His failing to understand the locals. |
| C．His meeting with crime. | D．His motorbike’s breaking down. |
| A．Caring and determined. | B．Generous and sensitive. |
| C．Reliable and enthusiastic. | D．Adventurous and confident. |
4 . Humans can race to get out of a hurricane’s path. Some animals can sense a hurricane coming and leave quickly, but there are animals that can’t simply get out of the way. Here are the various effects of hurricanes on animals.
Birds may be able to sense air pressure and other changes in the environment, which encourages them to get out of harm’s way. Some birds will even speed up their migration (迁徙) leaving earlier than usual if a serious hurricane is approaching. However, strong winds can push birds hundreds of miles away from their home. Young or weak birds can become separated from the rest of their group and often have difficulty making it home.
Fish can also be affected. After Hurricane Andrew in 1992, about 184 million fish died in south Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin alone. Strong winds blew leaves off trees, blowing them into wetlands. The rotting (腐烂的) organic material to extremely low levels of oxygen in the water, killing the fish. Some fish will often find sheltered areas during hurricanes, but they’re not always safe. Dolphins have occasionally been blown to shore during big hurricanes.
There are many other dangers that come with hurricane-related water. Sharp rise of saltwater onshore can harm wildlife and plants that live in the freshwater and can’t bear the salt content.Heavy rain can also affect the balance of fresh and salt water in some areas, harming the creatures that live in them.
Many animals lose their regular food supply when a hurricane arrives, as strong winds and rains destroy trees of fruits, nuts and berries. During Hurricane Andrew, about one-quarter of Louisiana’s public oyster seed (牡蛎种苗) grounds were destroyed. Because the oysters were an important food source for some birds on Louisiana’s barrier Islands, the birds suffered mass death as a direct result of the hurricane.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?| A．Birds are adapting to a changing climate. |
| B．Birds can sense the coming of a hurricane. |
| C．Birds migrate at certain times of every year. |
| D．Birds’ habitats are destroyed by hurricanes. |
| A．Poisonous leaves. | B．Air pollution. |
| C．A lack of oxygen. | D．The loss of shelters. |
| A．Ocean ecosystem is destroyed. |
| B．Sea salt production is reduced. |
| C．Many animals move away from their habitats. |
| D．There would be less fresh water on the earth. |
| A．Animals suffer more than humans during a hurricane |
| B．What happens to animals during a hurricane? |
| C．Why do animals migrate earlier than usual? |
| D．Animals might face serious threats |
5 . Did your mother ever say you’ll feel better after a good cry? It turns out Mom is right as usual-crying really is healthy. What’s more, letting yourself feel blue and accepting those feelings will help you feel better in the long run, according to a new research.
In three separate studies both online and in a lab, researchers at UC Berkeley evaluated the responses from 1,300 adults regarding their psychological (心理的) health and emotional well-being(幸福感).In one study,1,000 participants filled out a survey evaluating how they felt about the statement, “I tell myself I shouldn’t be feeling the way that I’m feeling.” Those who agreed with the statement scored lower on tests of well-being. In other words, letting yourself feel bad is better for your mind and mood than trying to control negative thoughts.
“We found that people who habitually accept their negative emotions experience fewer negative emotions, which adds to better psychological health,” said study senior author Iris Mauss, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at UC Berkeley in an article on the university’s website.
In a society where the importance to be happy is emphasized daily on the other social media platforms, letting yourself be down in the dumps can be tough. Just remember that true happiness isn’t always what people say it is.
“It turns out that how we approach our own negative emotional reactions is really important for our well-being,” said study lead author Brett Ford, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Toronto. “People who accept these emotions without judging or trying to change them are able to deal with their stress more successfully.”
So next time someone tells you to “turn that frown upside down”, ignore them. Embrace your inner feelings for a while.
1. How did the researchers carry out one of the studies?| A．They gave the participants different tests. |
| B．They compared their own thoughts with others. |
| C．They studied the participants’ everyday experiences. |
| D．They compared the participants’ thoughts and their feelings. |
| A．Be lonely. |
| B．Be depressed. |
| C．Be positive. |
| D．Be comfortable. |
| A．It is better for people to accept negative emotions. |
| B．We should never try to change others’ thoughts. |
| C．People who accept themselves are happier. |
| D．Positive people tend to be less stressed. |
| A．Turn your frown upside down |
| B．Crying is good for our health |
| C．Stop having bad feelings |
| D．Stop feeling the way that you’re feeling |
6 . Bike Rental & Guided Tours
Welcome to Amsterdam, welcome to MacBike. You see much more from the seat of a bike! Cycling is the most economical, sustainable and fun way to explore the city, with its beautiful canals, parks, squares and countless lights. You can also bike along lovely landscapes outside of Amsterdam.
Why MacBike
MacBike has been around for almost 30 years and is the biggest bicycle rental company in Amsterdam. With over 2,500 bikes stored in our five rental shops at strategic locations, we make sure there is always a bike available for you. We offer the newest bicycles in a wide variety, including basic bikes with foot brake (刹车), bikes with hand brake and gears (排挡), bikes with child seats, and children’s bikes.
Prices
Hand Brake, Three Gears | Foot Brake, No Gears | |
1 hour | €7.50 | €5.00 |
3 hours | €11.00 | €7.50 |
1 day (24 hours) | €14.75 | €9.75 |
Each additional day | €8.00 | €6.00 |
Guided City Tours
The 2.5-hour tour covers the Gooyer Windmill, the Skinny Bridge, the Rijksmuseum, Heineken Brewery and much more. The tour departs from Dam Square every hour on the hour, starting at 1:00 pm every day. You can buy your ticket in a MacBike shop or book online.
1. What is an advantage of MacBike?| A．It gives children a discount. | B．It offers many types of bikes. |
| C．It organizes free cycle tours. | D．It has over 2,500 rental shops. |
| A．€15.75. | B．€19.50. | C．€22.75. | D．€29.50. |
| A．The Gooyer, Windmill. | B．The Skinny Bridge. |
| C．Heineken Brewery. | D．Dam Square. |
7 . No doubt there are ups and downs in life. Whatever the situation is, you shouldn’t lose your joy of life. Life is for a limited time only and no one knows how long he/she will live, so why do you waste your time in worrying about the things that are beyond your control? Be happy, and enjoy your life unconditionally (无条件地).
You enjoy good days but you also need to learn how to enjoy bad days, even enjoy your pain. In 2016 I suffered a sudden heart attack. My colleagues called an ambulance (救护车) and I was taken to hospital with much pain in my chest. Before reaching hospital, I was totally exhausted with pain and was going to lose control of my emotions. Then the doctor in the ambulance said, “Don’t worry; you are in safe hands.” His words took away all my pain because I started realizing that it was no time to worry about pain and it’s time to be happy that my life was safe. At that time, I learnt an important lesson that in pain there is a hidden joy and we must see the bright side and enjoy pain.
You not only enjoy success but you also need to learn to enjoy failure. Celebrating failure will raise your morale and make you more powerful and determined to achieve success. We all make mistakes in life, but only the courageous (勇敢的) people laugh at their mistakes and then they reach success without any spiritual burden (负担). A person who learns from mistakes and knows how to turn the bad situation into his/her favor (有利条件) is the most intelligent person and really enjoys his/her life.
1. What does the author mainly tell us in the first paragraph?| A．Life is full of ups and downs. |
| B．People’s lives only last a limited period. |
| C．We should enjoy our life unconditionally. |
| D．Bad situations can be changed into good ones. |
| A．His colleagues were always with him. |
| B．He could be looked after by his parents. |
| C．He planned to enjoy the last days in life. |
| D．His doctor made him realize the value of being alive. |
| A．talent | B．confidence |
| C．pleasure | D．inspiration |
| A．never laughs at others | B．has strong determination |
| C．is ready to do others a favor | D．is good at learning from mistakes |
8 . Sharing China 2023 is calling for photos and videos from all over the world until Feb.12, 2023. Welcome to send us your memorable moments from Chinese New Year celebrations.
What We are Looking for
Suggested themes include: traditional customs, modern customs and new trends, folk activities, foreigners experiencing the Spring Festival and celebrations around the world.
Awards and Prizes
We will select 50 photos (single or group) and 10 short films. Each winner will be awarded 1,000RMB.
Timeline
Starting time and deadline: from Dec.20, 2022 to Feb.12, 2023.
Selection and ranking: from Feb.13 to May 15, 2023.
Result announcement: June, 2023.
The Rules
Photos:
1. All works must be real and not doctored or edited.
2. Works can be single photos or a series of photos.
3. Works should have titles and a short photo description.
Short films:
1. Size: 1GB maximum, less than 4 minutes.
2. Dubbing and subtitles (配音和字幕): If the video is dubbed, the language could be either Chinese or English, but subtitles should be bilingual (双语的).
3. Caption: English or Chinese words to give a brief introduction.
How to submit (提交)
You can submit your works to China Culture’s Facebook. For further information, click here.
1. Which time is proper if you want to hand in your works?| A．Dec.10, 2022. | B．Jan.12, 2023. |
| C．Feb.15, 2023. | D．Jun.16, 2023. |
| A．An edited photo. | B．A 3-minute video. |
| C．A photo without a title. | D．A video with only English subtitle. |
| A．A science report. | B．An encyclopedia. |
| C．A story book. | D．A website. |
9 . People do physical exercise as part of their healthy lifestyle to get stronger and healthier.
There are three basic modes of physical exercise: flexibility exercise helps the human body in general or its part in particular to be able to reach farther and bend better; aerobic exercise helps the body work hard for a long time; anaerobic exercise makes the arms and legs stronger.
It has long been known that exercise is not only good for your body, but also for your mind. According to researchers, gymnasts are more likely to be emotionally stable, football players the most outgoing and swimmers the happiest.
The psychological study, which was carried out by experts, also revealed that sports can also offer clues to a person’s attitude to charity, reading habits and even their voting intentions. Boxers, for example, are most likely to focus on material possessions in life. Meanwhile, runners tend to be outgoing people who love being the centre of attention. Walkers, a group that includes those who enjoy wandering and cross-country races, are least concerned about other people and like doing things by themselves without interruption from others. Those who play chess are confident when they face challenges and trouble. Those who swim tend to be tidy and charitable. However, according to Mind Lab, 61 percent of adults are fond of helping others regardless of their choice of sports.
The results from this study also show that no matter what kind of person you are, there is the right kind of exercise for you.
1. Which of the following sports belongs to flexibility exercise?| A．Running. | B．Swimming. | C．Football. | D．Gymnastics. |
| A．Walkers enjoy loneliness in their lives. |
| B．Boxers tend to ignore wealth in life. |
| C．Runners have great power of concentration. |
| D．Chess players like challenging other people. |
| A．To make a contrast. | B．To draw a comparison. |
| C．To place an emphasis. | D．To give an example. |
| A．How can you choose suitable sports? |
| B．What kind of sports can benefit you most? |
| C．How can sports keep you mentally healthy? |
| D．What does your choice of sports tell about you? |
10 . Local authorities and firefighters in the United States are always on the lookout for new and creative methods to help control wildfires. Especially during the hot and dry summer months, thousands of wildfires cause damage to forests every year. The city of West Sacramento in North California has found a creative secret weapon to help deal with this phenomenon: goats.
These friendly animals have been assisting the city with wildfire prevention and fire risks by eating weeds, dry grass and dead trees. When the goats eat the things that are likely to catch fire, they prevent the problem from happening.
Wildfires occur naturally when dry plants are ignited(点燃)by the sun’s heat and catch on fire. However, most wildfires are caused by human carelessness, including unattended campfires, cigarettes and other flammable objects. The best strategy to battle the fires and minimize the damage is to attempt to remove the fuel that enables the spread of the flames, in this case the dry weeds, trees and plants. If the things that are most likely to catch fire are gone, the fire is less likely to spread.
The love able goats are able to reach difficult areas that people are not able to access. About 400 of these goats can clear two acres per day. They even fertilize(使肥沃)the area, a natural and free side effect of eating all those dry plants. Firefighters and government officials cannot be happier with the results.
“For us, the combination of turning to goats for help with the quick fire response is an effective method of keeping our neighbors safe from disastrous wildfires,“said assistant Fire Chief Khari Helae.” With climate change and the fact that our vegetation is being affected because of climate change, it’s necessary to focus on our fuel reduction program.”
1. How do goats assist the city in dealing with wildfires?| A．By identifying the fuel in forests. | B．By consuming dry plants. |
| C．By leading firefighters to fire sources. | D．By eating up green tree leaves. |
| A．It is complex but rewarding. | B．It causes damage to local land. |
| C．It is well accepted worldwide. | D．It is environmentally-friendly. |
| A．He spoke highly of the new method. | B．He was dissatisfied with fire responses. |
| C．He was optimistic about climate change. | D．He considered fuel reduction impractical. |
| A．Goats Help Keep Wildfires Under Control | B．Firefighters Are Being Gradually Replaced |
| C．Disastrous Wildfires Need to Be Controlled | D．Animals Are Fighting Against Climate Change |
