1 . A young girl is smiling at me from a picture frame on my desk as I write this. She is a child I once sponsored from the Philippines. Even though I have never met her in person,she has found a(n)
I can still
Empathy(共鸣)does change us. It helps us to
| A．special | B．airy | C．tiny | D．whole |
| A．suffer | B．bring | C．cost | D．give |
| A．wealth | B．anxiety | C．challenge | D．joy |
| A．imagination | B．complaints | C．price | D．research |
| A．remember | B．doubt | C．admit | D．realize |
| A．money | B．time | C．energy | D．labor |
| A．doing | B．buying | C．facing | D．missing |
| A．stored | B．developed | C．lost | D．searched |
| A．happy | B．relaxed | C．energetic | D．positive |
| A．technology | B．suffering | C．stories | D．atmosphere |
| A．marriage | B．trust | C．support | D．faith |
| A．treating | B．praising | C．honoring | D．serving |
| A．relief | B．empathy | C．ease | D．guilt |
| A．attack | B．change | C．love | D．sponsor |
| A．worse | B．safer | C．firmer | D．better |
2 . Beijing Opera, as one of Chinese traditional opera forms, is regarded as the national opera of China and well received all over the world.
Beijing Opera arose in the late 18th century with a history of more than 200 years whose origin can date back to some old local operas, especially the Anhui Opera. It became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century. Now it's the biggest kind of opera in China, whose popularity spread all over the country, becoming the most popular dramatic (戏剧的) form on Chinese stage.
There are four basic methods employed in a Beijing Opera performance: chang, nian, zuo, da. Generally speaking, chang means singing, and nian recitation (背诵) and oral communication, while zuo means the facial and body expressions and acting and da is Chinese Kungfu. Beijing Opera also has four main types of performers namely Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou. Sheng and Dan mean the main roles in the opera. The painted face, in Chinese called 'jing', is a name for the role of the man that has some special characteristic or appearance. Chou is easily understood from the role's name as a clown with an ugly appearance, who is to provide light relief and comedy.
In recent years, Beijing Opera has tried to make some changes, including improving the performance quality. Widely spreading all over China with great influence, Beijing Opera contains the spirit of Chinese national culture, but the shortage of funding has become a big problem as the form enters the 21st century. There is no doubt that it is a treasure of Chinese culture!
1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly tell us?| A．The history of Beijing Opera. |
| B．The great influence Beijing Opera has on us. |
| C．Beijing Opera is popular in China. |
| D．The relationship between the Anhui Opera and Beijing Opera. |
| A．Chang | B．Nian | C．Zuo | D．Da |
| A．Sheng | B．Dan | C．Jing | D．Chou |
| A．Very bright. | B．Certainly dark. |
| C．More popular. | D．Much uncertain. |
3 . Unusual Castles Around the World
Whether a fantastic achievement of architecture or just a try to appeal to the public intentionally, the four curious castles below are far from ordinary.
Kelburn Castle, Largs, ScotlandWhen viewed from some sides, Kelburn Castle looks like a typical Scottish castle. But on the building’s south side, the stone tower and walls are covered in cartoon-style graffiti (涂鸦). The castle’s graffiti is the work of four artists. The graffiti took 1,500 cans of paint to create.
Predjama Castle, Predjama. SloveniaPredjama Castle was built directly into the mouth of a cave located halfway up a little over 123-meter cliff (悬崖) face. Although the site dates back to at least the 13th century, the current building was reconstructed during the 16th century. The impressive castle holds the Guinness World Records for the largest cave castle in the world.
Swallow’s Nest, Gaspra, CrimeaIt’s common for castles to be built near the edge of a cliff, but few look so unsafe as the Swallow’s Nest in Crimea, which extends out over the Black Sea. The foundation of this small castle, which measures 20 meters in length and 10 meters in width, extends beyond the edge of the 40-meter cliff. The current stone building was once a wooden structure.
Trosky Castle, Troskovice, Czech RepublicOn the top of two volcanic mouths is Trosky Castle, which dates back to the end of the 14th century. Along with the towers on each peak, the castle is also built on the ridge (山脊) that connects the peaks. After a defensive stronghold during war time, the castle was abandoned. The government took control of the site in 1925 and the remains of its walls are now carefully maintained.
1. What highlights Kelburn Castle?| A．Its history. | B．Its location. | C．Its design. | D．Its function. |
| A．They were once rebuilt. | B．They were abandoned. |
| C．They are cave castles. | D．They are the same length. |
| A．Kelburn Castle. | B．Predjama Castle. |
| C．Swallow’s Nest. | D．Trosky Castle. |
4 . Thru hiking (徒步旅行) for long distances with your equipment on your back
The first kindness is the Trail Angels who
Trail Magic can
One Saturday morning in the San Gabriel mountains, as we crossed a highway, trail runners in their vehicle pulled over to
Now I am preparing for the next section hike to the Mojave desert. Thank you God for those who show a
| A．risks | B．means | C．suggests | D．enjoys |
| A．inspiring | B．confusing | C．surprising | D．annoying |
| A．passers-by | B．passengers | C．strangers | D．friends |
| A．adjust | B．open | C．fix | D．change |
| A．provide | B．receive | C．prove | D．count |
| A．anxiously | B．eagerly | C．sincerely | D．randomly |
| A．occur | B．work | C．guess | D．arise |
| A．looked | B．warned | C．approached | D．backed |
| A．meaningful | B．wonderful | C．hopeful | D．helpful |
| A．lend | B．show | C．sell | D．offer |
| A．drink | B．food | C．luggage | D．cigarette |
| A．came about | B．got down | C．came across | D．torn down |
| A．amazing | B．shocking | C．disappointing | D．interesting |
| A．hard | B．broken | C．calm | D．warm |
| A．hope | B．honesty | C．bravery | D．kindness |
5 . Windy City Harvest Farm Tours
Visit one of the Windy City Harvest farm sites and learn more about our program. We offer different tours which include information about the program history, job-training mission, and growing practices. All profits from the tour fees help fund the education of the city.
SITE
North Lawndale Farm
This farm site is located on the west side of Chicago on a 1/5-acre (英亩) lot. It has been a training site since our programme was launched in 2003. Currently this space can serve up to 20 people at a time.
McCormick Place Farm
It is a 3/5-acre rooftop farm at McCormick Place West in cooperation with Savor Chicago, the food service team for McCormick Place. Produce grown on the rooftop farm is harvested and then delivered directly to Savor Chicago. This 12-year-old farm is a sought-after training site for WCH program participants.
Washington Park Farm
Established in 2012, Washington Park Farm is a major job-training center. Located on the east of Chicago Park District, this 3/4-acre site hosts up to 25 participants during the growing season.
PRICE
Tour | Price |
Nonprofit and School Group | $5 per person(starting at $50) |
Private Group | $10 per person (starting at $100) |
Reservation is required. Provide payment in the form of check or money order payable to Windy City Harvest or in cash upon your arrival at the tour site except Washington Park Farm. For groups interested in visiting two or more farm sites during the tour, an additional fee will apply. It’s important to note that tour groups should arrange for their own transportation.
1. What is special about McCormick Place Farm?| A．It is the smallest farm. | B．It has the longest history. |
| C．It is on the top of a building. | D．It provides courses for job seekers. |
| A．$100. | B．$75. | C．$50. | D．$35. |
| A．Washington Park Farm is free. |
| B．Booking in advance is a must. |
| C．Four kinds of payment are mentioned. |
| D．A lower price is offered for the second site. |
Riding a horse at a high speed on grassland covered with snow while dressed in a red cloak (披风) and a white fur hat isn't something people would normally see a Chinese government official do. So it's not surprising that He Jiaolong, a female official from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, almost instantly became an online celebrity after she posted such a video.
She came up with the idea to make the video when she was thinking about new ways to let more people know about the famous horse breed (品种) of Zhaosu County, Ili, known as “heavenly horses”.
“I never expected the video to be such a hit. At first, I really didn't like to be called an online celebrity, because l never wanted to be one. But now I'm gradually getting used to using my influence to boost local development, she said.
Besides posting short videos, she has also been promoting local agricultural products and tourist resources via livestreaming (直播). With more followers, she can now help to sell local products worth more than 2 million yuan during a livestream while sales were only about 5,000 yuan each time when she first started to livestream on social media.
While she continues to draw the public's attention to Ili, she also has to keep dealing with the stress brought by criticism, especially often being questioned if being a social media celebrity may affect her work as an official. She said that she had even thought of giving up appearing on social media several times.
“I am, above all, a government official. I will never let what I do on social media affect my job,” she said. “I want to see the locals appreciate my efforts in serving them, which is my duty. I hope people can feel the warmth and positive energy of Xinjiang officials via my videos. I am simply one of them.”
1. Why did He Jiaolong first make her videos?| A．To introduce her job. |
| B．To gain personal fame. |
| C．To promote a horse breed. |
| D．To advertise the local scenery. |
| A．She enjoys being called an online celebrity. |
| B．She is proud of her skills of making short videos. |
| C．The video's success makes a difference to her life. |
| D．The video's success damages her image as an official. |
| A．Sales of local products have been increased. |
| B．Lives of local residents have been disturbed. |
| C．More local officials join her in livestreaming. |
| D．More followers make videos of the local scenery. |
| A．She decides to quit appearing online. |
| B．She apologizes to the local government. |
| C．She consults experts on dealing with the stress. |
| D．She continues serving people through her efforts. |
7 . Frequently Asked Questions for Yellowstone National Park
How much is the entrance fee?
| $35 - Private, non-commercial vehicle; $30 - Motorcycle or snowmobile (winter) $20 - Visitors 16 and older entering by foot, bike, ski, etc. * This fee provides the visitor with a 7-day entrance permit for both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. |
Your decision may depend on how much time you have and what you want to see the most. If you plan on visiting Yellowstone National Park for only a few days and want to experience some of the main attractions then West Yellowstone would be a good base. From there, it is a short drive to the geyser basins, Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon. If you want to have the full park experience then perhaps lodging at Old Faithful would be a good choice. If you want to view the most wildlife, then we suggest the Northeast Entrance. The South Entrance is a great option if you have more time and want to visit Grand Teton National Park; however it is a longer drive to the heart of Yellowstone if you base out of Jackson. The North Entrance is park headquarters and has the most historic information on the park. |
This depends on what your interests are. Spring has abundant wildlife, roaring waterfalls and wild weather. Summer has it all including the most crowds, so you’d better get out early and eat your breakfast on the road! Fall is a special time of year. Everything seems to be diminishing including the crowds. Winter is a time of being a bit of social isolation. In years past it was more “economical” to visit most of the park. Now it is more restricted unless you can afford a snow-coach or guided snowmobile tour. |
Free public Wi-Fi is available at Al-bright Visitor Center and at some park lodges for registered guests. Cell service is extremely limited, with reception only available in or near major developed areas. In summer, service is often maxed out in these areas. Yet, it is sad to see the latest generation fade away from normal everyday activities and conversation. Get out, look around, admire the wonders. There’re plenty of natural and human distractions around every corner. The last thing we want to do is divert visitors from Yellowstone’s wonders especially while driving. |
| A．$105 | B．$55 | C．$35 | D．$50 |
| A．visiting Yellowstone in winter is preferred by most local people |
| B．most of the park was restricted to visitors in winter in the past. |
| C．nowadays most people choose to tour the park on a snow-coach in winter. |
| D．winter used to be a better time to visit the park in terms of expenses |
| A．the entrance ticket applies to Yellowstone only |
| B．Old Faithful provides a full view of the park |
| C．the wireless connection is not satisfactory in summer |
| D．younger generations make up the majority of park visitors |
8 . “My Story of Chinese Hanzi”is an international competition, hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and organized by People’s Daily Online.
The entire competition consists of preliminary rounds(预赛)，semi-finals，and finals.
The first two rounds of the competition will be held online.Contestants will answer the questions and provide one-minute videos in the preliminary rounds.The second-round contestants will produce videos featuring a virtual talent show.Votes will be cast by fans online, and the top ten selected winners will move onto the finals, which will be held offline in late August.
Each finalist will deliver a seven-minute speech focusing on the theme of "Ren", a fundamental value long cherished in Chinese culture.
Eligible(具备条件的)candidates：
International students in China, including ethnic Chinese who are at least third-generation immigrants；
Foreigners working in China whose native language is not Chinese and whose parents’ native language is not Chinese；
Other non-native speakers of Chinese(including full-time students and community members)who are non-Chinese citizens.
There is no age limit for contestants.
Schedule：
Preliminary rounds—The top 30 contestants will receive participation awards and be eligible to enter into the semi-finals.
Semi-finals—The contest organizing committee will upload the videos of the winners of the preliminary rounds onto the People's Daily Online website, organize online voting, and then select ten winners after completion of online voting and scoring by the judges.
Finals—Upon finishing up the speech competition, various awards will be announced after the scoring is carried out by the judges, with the scores comparing competitors' Chinese language speaking abilities, expressiveness, the core message behind their stories, and how their stories promote exchanges between different civilizations.
To take part in the contest, please scan the QR code and complete the questionnaire.
CPAFFC reserves all rights for final explanation.
1. Who decide the winners to move onto the finals？| A．Committee members. | B．Online Fans. |
| C．International judges. | D．Non-Chinese citizens. |
| A．Occupation and gender. | B．Education and age. |
| C．Native language and nationality. | D．The stories selected. |
| A．It will be held online throughout. |
| B．Fluency will be weighed most by judges. |
| C．The scores will be given by the audience. |
| D．People can attend by scanning the QR code. |
9 . Top Festivals In Europe
Carnival of VeniceDates: 12 Feb, 2023—1 Mar, 2023
The Carnival of Venice, which began in 1979 as an effort to revive the culture of this city, is one of the best festivals featuring masks. Each year, almost 3,000,000 people attend this 20-day-long biggest festivals in Europe. There is a water parade, a grand ball with old and modern music, and a popularity contest for best mask design.
Glastonbury FestivalDates: 22 Jun, 2023—26 Jun, 2023
Of all the famous European music festivals, the Glastonbury Festival has a special place. Held in Somerset, England, since the 1970s, the festival is a major part of the British culture. Major pop act performers are invited to perform and headline. The festival sees as much as 175,000 people in attendance and is the world’s largest greenfield festival.
TomorrowlandDates: 22—24Jul, 2023 & 29—31Jul, 2023
For the music lovers, Tomorrowland is one of the largest electronic music festivals which takes place in Belgium. The festival is hosted at the town of Boom, Belgium. First organized in 2005, this festival has become an annual tradition which is visited by people from far and wide.
Sziget FestivalDates: 10—15 Aug, 2023
The Sziget Festival is one of the best cultural festivals in Europe. Started in 1993 and hosted in an island of Budapest, this festival gives an amazing holiday, with around 400,000 fans from around 70 countries. The festival features the non-stop party and amazing live concerts.
1. What can people do in the Carnival of Venice?| A．Swim in the river. | B．Design different masks. |
| C．Attend music contests. | D．Watch pop performances. |
| A．Tomorrowland. | B．Sziget Festival. |
| C．Carnival of Venice. | D．Glastonbury Festival. |
| A．They each have a parade. | B．They take place in summer. |
| C．They are British festivals. | D．They are related to music. |
10 . On one side of the room sits a lovely life-size stuffed animal (毛绒玩具) you’ve ever seen. On the other side rests a real rabbit the same size, shape and even the same name as the stuffed version. You get to sit next to both of them and pet their fur. Guess which one will make your brain light up?
If you guessed the real rabbit, you’re right. Stuffed animals, as lovely as they may be, just don’t supercharge (对……增压) our frontal cortex, the part of the brain managing how we think and feel, according to a new study published in the journal Plos One.
Why is this finding important? “It provides additional evidence that live human-animal interactions may increase cognitive (认知的) and emotional activity in the brain. If patients with problems in motivation, attention, and socioemotional functioning show higher emotional involvement in activities connected to a rabbit, then such activities could increase the chance of learning and of achieving healing aims,” said the leading author of the study, Rahel Marti, a doctoral student in the division of clinical psychology and animal-assisted treatment at the University of Basel in Switzerland.
Researchers used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in the study, which is a portable brain scanner that provides flexibility since it’s functional in natural settings and not limited to a closed room in a lab.
The study team fitted each of the 19 participants with the scanner and asked them to observe and interact with one of the three live rabbits. First, participants watched the rabbit from across the room. Then the rabbit sat next to them. Finally, each person was allowed to pet the rabbit. This process occurred twice more at later dates.
In other sessions, each person repeated the same sequence with a stuffed rabbit that contained a hot water bottle to make it have the exactly same body temperature of a live rabbit. In each of the sessions, brain activity rose as the live rabbit or the stuffed one moved closer.
However, the study found an even stronger increase in brain activity when the person petted the fur of a real rabbit than the stuffed animal.
“Positive non-verbal signals and interactions provided by a living animal could in part explain this difference,” said Dr. Tiffany Braley, an associate professor at the University of Michigan.
1. How does the author develop the first paragraph?| A．By giving an example. | B．By using previous data. |
| C．By making a comparison. | D．By offering a choice question. |
| A．Humans are more willing to interact with real rabbits. |
| B．Live human-animal interactions prove to have healing effects. |
| C．Only activities connected to a rabbit can help keep brain healthy. |
| D．Rabbits have been used for treating psychological problems for years. |
| A．It is a brain scanner fitted on rabbits. |
| B．It can change its size and shape easily. |
| C．It allows the study to be conducted outside a lab. |
| D．It ensures the accuracy of the results of the study. |
| A．Lack of interactions with the stuffed animal does harm to the brain. |
| B．Positive reactions given by the living animals can make the brain light up. |
| C．It’s impossible to explain why there are different results of the two experiments. |
| D．Children playing with a pet are sure to be happier than those with stuffed animals. |
