1 . The World's Coolest Bookstores
Where did you buy your last book? Chances are that you bought it on the Internet. But if you did, you missed the extraordinary experience of browsing in a real bookstore. These days bookstores offer lots of great books and plenty more.
Taipei's Eslite Dunnan Store
Time magazine once named Eslite Dunnan Store in Taipei "Asia's best bookstore ". One visit to the store tells you why. The store, spreading across five floors, offers a combination of restaurants, music and over 200,000 books. With its cosy reading spots, visitors sometimes say it's like a library. Others have called it the " 7-Eleven of bookstores" because it's open 24 hours a day.
Book Garden
The world's biggest bookstore is Tehran, Iran's Book Garden with 700,000 square feet of space. In addition to restaurants and a theater, the Book Garden features a park on the roof.
Libreria Acqua Alta
Venice, Italy, is a city surrounded by water. It seems that one of its most interesting bookstores is Libreria Acqua Alta. Its books are displayed in all things related to water such as boats, bathtubs and more.
La Caverne aux Livres
La Caverne aux Livres—the cave of books—was once a train. Today this unique French bookstore, located north of Paris, is home to thousands of second-hand books.
Bart's Books
Many readers like to sit inside with a good book. But at Bart's Books in California, guests can enjoy a good book and some fresh air. Bart's Books is believed to be the largest independently-owned outdoor bookstore in the US.
Whether you enjoy reading inside or outside, there's always an interesting bookstore to be discovered.
1. What is special about Taipei's Eslite Dunnan Store?| A．You can visit this bookstore at any time of the day. |
| B．You can take books from this store free of charge. |
| C．There are places where you can enjoy your meal. |
| D．It is characterized by a park directly on its roof. |
| A．Admire landmarks of Paris in the distance. |
| B．Search for some information about trains. |
| C．Enjoy a good book and outdoor scenery. |
| D．Browse a huge number of used books. |
| A．To urge people to read books inside and outside. |
| B．To encourage people to go to the real bookstores. |
| C．To inspire booksellers to open creative bookstores. |
| D．To appeal to booksellers to pay attention to this list. |
2 . Could looking through trees be the view to a greener future? Trees replacing the clear glass in your windows is not a work of science fiction. It's happening now.
Forest Products Laboratory researcher Junyong Zhu together with colleagues from the University of Maryland and University of Colorado has developed a transparent wood material that may be the window of tomorrow. Researchers found that transparent wood has the potential to outperform glass currently used in construction in nearly every way.
While glass is the most common material used in window construction, it comes with quite a few bad consequences. Heat easily transfers through glass and amounts to higher energy bills when it escapes during cold weather and pours in when it's warm. Glass production used for construction also comes with a heavy carbon footprint. Manufacturing emissions alone are approximately 25,000 metric tons per year, without considering the heavy footprint of transporting the glass.
The innovation was developed using wood from the balsa tree, which is native to South and Central America. The team treated balsa wood to an oxidizing bath, where the wood is kept in a bleach solution at room temperature to remove the light-absorbing substance from the structure. The wood is then penetrated（注入）with a synthetic polymer called polyvinyl alcohol（PVA）, creating a product that is virtually transparent. So the transparent wood is created, which is far more durable and lighter than glass.
Switching to transparent wood could prove to be cost efficient as well. It is approximately five times more thermally efficient than glass. cutting energy costs. It is made from a sustainable, renewable resource with low carbon emissions.
With all of these potential benefits for consumers, manufacturing and the environment, the case for transparent wood couldn't be clearer.
1. What is the main problem with glass used in window construction?| A．It is inefficient in letting heat out. |
| B．It does not reflect light and heat. |
| C．It cause a high ecological cost |
| D．It is inconvenient to transport. |
| A．A liquid to make objects white. |
| B．A process to solve problems. |
| C．A container to store liquids. |
| D．A way to make colors fade. |
| A．How to make things transparent |
| B．How to produce the new material. |
| C．The benefits of the wood material. |
| D．The great importance of innovation. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Ambiguous. |
| C．Conservative. | D．Appreciative. |
3 . Many cars in advertisements and on exhibition in the United States are red, blue or green, but almost 75 percent of new cars sold in the United States are black, white, silver or gray.
Les Jackson is a reporter who writes about cars. He says the colors of cars Americans choose do not show dirt. He says that means the owners wash their cars less in order to save money. And he notes some areas that are suffering from water shortages do not permit people to wash their cars often.
Dan Benton works for a company called Axalta, which makes supplies for international car makers. He says white cars are often sold more expensive than cars of other colors. And he notes that white cars “absorb(吸收)less energy” than cars of other colors. This means temperatures inside them are lower in warmer areas. Benton also says research at Monash University in Australia suggests that there is a lower risk of crashes during the day for white cars compared with darker ones.
Car buyers in other countries also like white. Jane Harrington works for PPG Industries, a company that makes paint for cars. She said in China, buyers say white makes a small car look bigger.
About 11 percent of cars sold in North America are red and 8 percent are blue. Green has become less popular. Benton notes that in the mid-1990s green was the most popular color in North America. Today, green is hard to find.
Sometime in the future, people may not have to choose the color of their cars —— technology may let owners change their cars’ paint color anytime.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?| A．Most Americans don’t like red cars. |
| B．People in America are not allowed to wash their cars. |
| C．Many people prefer to choose white cars in America. |
| D．Americans may consider the cost of cleaning when choosing cars. |
| A．They are much cheaper than cars of other colors.. |
| B．They are much safer while crashing. |
| C．They are bigger than cars of other colors. |
| D．They are more comfortable inside in warmer areas. |
| A．Les Jackson is a member of Axalta. |
| B．Most Americans rarely wash their cars. |
| C．PPG Industries mainly produces cars in China. |
| D．Green cars were once popular in North America. |
| A．Choices of car colors | B．How to buy a good car. |
| C．Differences of car colors. | D．Popular car colors in history. |
4 . Last July, my 12-year-old car died on California’s Santa Ana Freeway. It was an hour before sunset, and I was 25 miles from home. I couldn’t reach anyone to pick me up, so I decided to take a bus. Not knowing the routes, I figured I’d just head east. A bus pulled up, and I asked the driver how far she was going. “Four more lights,” she said. There was another bus I could take from there. This clearly was going to be a long night. She dropped me off at the end of her route and told me which bus to look for.
After waiting 30 minutes, I began to think about a very expensive taxi ride home. Then a bus pulled up. There was no lighted number above its windshield (挡风玻璃). It was out of service. But the door opened, and I was surprised to find that it was the same driver. “ I just can’t leave you here,” she said. “ This isn’t the nicest place. I’ll give you a ride home.” “You’ll drive me in the bus?” I asked, perplexed(困惑的). “No, I’ll take you in my car,” she said. “ It’s a long way,” I protested. “Come on,” she said. “I have nothing else to do.” As we drove from the station in her car, she began telling me a story. A few days earlier, her brother had run out of gas. A good Samaritan picked him up, took him to a service station and then back to his car.
“I’m just passing the favor along,” she said. When I offered her money as a thank-you, she wouldn’t hear of it. “That wouldn’t make it a favor,” she said. “Just do something nice for somebody. Pass it along.”
1. Judging from its context, the place where the writer waited for the second bus was ________.| A．very quiet and peaceful | B．dark without street lights |
| C．neither clean nor beautiful | D．a little unsafe |
| A．No bus would come at the time. |
| B．A taxi ride would be more comfortable. |
| C．He became impatient and a bit worried. |
| D．He knew the driver would never return. |
| A．she happened to go in the same direction |
| B．she wanted to do something good for other people |
| C．her brother told her to do so |
| D．she wanted to earn more money |
| A．would do as she did | B．would keep her in memory |
| C．would give the money to others | D．would do her a favor |
5 . Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881—1973 ) was one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. It was said that everything his brush touched turned to gold. But in truth, his works could be worth more than any precious metal. Picasso created more than 20,000 works in his life, including two of the world's 10 most expensive paintings.
Between 1907 and 1913, Picasso and his colleague Georges Braque started a revolution(革命) in painting. Before that, paintings were like windows—they were painted to look as if they had depth. You could tell which objects were "close" to you and which objects were "far away". But Picasso and Braque didn't want to paint like that any more. To them, a painting wasn't a window to the world; it was marks and lines on a flat surface. Why, they thought, should an object like a guitar be shown only from one angle (角度)? A guitar can look very different depending on which angle one looks at it from. Their answer was to show all the angles. They broke the guitar up into pieces. Their style of painting is called cubism (立体主义).
But why did they feel such a need to change things? Well, the world around them was changing, too. Science was turning people's ideas upside down. Albert Einstein's theory proved that what we knew about time and space was wrong. The world was becoming different; artists needed to start seeing and painting it differently.
The famous and terrifying painting Guernica (1937) shows a terrible scene during the Spanish Civil War. In the painting, you can actually see the sky falling. Picasso couldn't have painted it without the skills he learned during his cubist period. Breaking a guitar up into pieces was his preparation for showing the world being blown to pieces.
1. What is mainly discussed about Picasso in this article？| A．The high price of his paintings. |
| B．His difficulties in career. |
| C．The popularity of his paintings. |
| D．His achievements in art. |
| A．They painted objects with different depth. |
| B．They made their paintings look like windows. |
| C．They painted an object from different angles. |
| D．They broke objects up into pieces and painted them. |
| A．Einstein's theory. |
| B．The changing world. |
| C．A broken guitar. |
| D．Spanish Civil War. |
| A．To show the theme of Picasso's paintings. |
| B．To express Picasso's anger at the war. |
| C．To describe the preparations Picasso made before. |
| D．To present the artistic effect of cubism. |
6 . After university in 2011, Samuel went to a rural primary school for native children, where, on his first day, another teacher told him, "Samuel, you don't have to do much, they're just Orang Asli-native children." This was what Samuel would spend years fighting against.
The Orang Asli community has struggled with poverty, melting into society, and losing their own identity and culture due to others' disregard (漠视，不尊重) of it. Samuel saw that the main barrier in teaching these children was the attitude on the part of many teachers that the native children were not worth their efforts. It was thought that whatever was taught would make no difference, so nobody bothered to try. The children themselves ended up believing these stigmas (污名), often doubting what they can achieve. Teachers skipped or slept in classes, and little effort was made to create an appropriate learning environment. Consequently, the school was one of the worst-performing in the district.
Samuel bonded with his native students and accepted their culture, leading him to see their potential. However, he also came to see that they did not have equal opportunities compared to urban schools, due to the lack of facilities. So he set up a crowdfunding project to create a fully equipped 21st-century English classroom with tablets and computers. The Orang Asli children now learn technology, experience English and communicate in English with volunteers all over Malaysia and overseas.
Consequently, the students have improved in national standardized examinations, from a pass rate of 30% in English (2008-2012) to an average of 80% (2013-2017). These efforts have resulted in a shift of what local children are considered capable of academically.
1. What did the teacher's words suggest about the native children?| A．They were hopeless. | B．They were intelligent. |
| C．They were unfriendly. | D．They were independent. |
| A．The change of native students. |
| B．The importance of learning English. |
| C．The improvement of native education. |
| D．Samuel's work for the native kids. |
| A．The poverty of local people. |
| B．The lack of facilities in his school. |
| C．The prejudice against the native kids. |
| D．The unsuitable teaching methods. |
| A．The academic performance comes first. |
| B．Respect makes a big difference. |
| C．Everyone deserves access to education. |
| D．One method can't apply to each situation. |
7 . “I think kawaii, or cute feelings, can remind us of human connection that we sometimes forget,” says Hiroshi Nittono, director of the Cognitive Psychophysiology Laboratory at Osaka University.
“Viewing cute images of baby animals gives us a desire to act tenderly and responsibly to protect them,” he explains. “This idea holds that weak and defenseless but cute things set off caregiving behavior in the beholder.” Cute things make us feel protective, and when we’re protective, we might be naturally more focused.
Engineers, advertisers, and developers have taken advantage of this phenomenon, using kawaii to control user experience and consumer behavior. Researchers call it cute engineering. It’s a way to harness positive feelings and emotions to motivate (激励) and shape the user’s behavior in a positive way.
Sometimes cute engineering is subtle (微妙的), but it’s often quite obvious. Engineers use kawaii in the field of robotics, for instance—the cuter the robot, the more humans will want to engage with it. There’s also the iMac, which over the years, Apple designed to be subtly adorable (可爱的). It persuaded traditionally non-computer users to buy into the world of computing so that they could sell more units.
There’s also “cute filtering (萌物滤镜)”, a component of cute engineering that allows consumers to personalize their kawaii experience, just like the way iMac users could choose the color of their units. In this way, users can create their own kawaii experience. Using a “cute filter”, users can freely choose the cuteness parameters (参数) such as color, size, motion, smell, and taste to adjust their desired cute output.
1. Why would people like to protect cute baby animals according to Hiroshi Nittono?| A．People have no choice but to do it. |
| B．People are taught to protect animals. |
| C．Cute things motivate people to protect them. |
| D．Cute baby animals are too weak to protect themselves. |
| A．Focus on. | B．Figure out. | C．Throw light on. | D．Make use of. |
| A．The iMac could shape people’s preference. |
| B．Computer producers could make more money. |
| C．Engineers could design computers to their taste. |
| D．Consumers would like to have more kawaii experience. |
| A．The Power of Kawaii. | B．Protect Cute Animals. |
| C．A New Discovery. | D．Control Cute Feelings. |
8 . Enter for a Chance to Win a Montana Adventure
Imagine yourself hiking on the same route that Lewis and Clark once explored, fly-fishing and white-water rafting in beautiful lakes and rivers, learning how to speak Blackfoot, digging for ancient dinosaur remains, and standing at the edge of a 6,000-year-old glacier in Glacier National Park. You have the chance to do all of this and much more with the National Geographic Kids Hands-On Explorer Challenge Expedition Team. The Hands-On Explorer Challenge is heading west in 2022 to Montana.
HIKE!
Montana is home to many species of plants and animals. Follow in the footsteps of legendary explorers and get a close-up view of waterfalls, wildflowers, and wildlife.
DIG!
Some of the most important dinosaur discoveries have been found in Montana. You’ll discover treasures yourself as you dig for ancient dinosaur remains in Montana’s High Plains.
CULTURE!
Montana has eleven Native American tribes ― each one filled with a unique heritage and lots of rich traditions. View the world as they see it through their dances, songs, food, games, and languages.
HOW TO ENTER
1. Write an original, personal essay in English of no more than 300 words telling us how you explore your world and what it is about exploration that inspires and excites you.
2. Take a photograph of what, where, or how you explored the subject of your essay.
3. Enter by January 7, 2022. Open to kids who will be ages 9 — 14 as of July 1, 2022.
4. Send your entry (参赛) form, essay, and photo (as described in the Official Rules) to: NG Kids Hands-On Explorer Challenge, National Geographic Kids magazine /CDH, 1145 17th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO KIDS. NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC. COM/KIDS/CONTESTS/EXPLORER - TRIP-2022.
1. What is true about Montana?| A．It has many elephant discoveries. |
| B．It is Lewis and Clark’s hometown. |
| C．Its Native American tribes share the same culture. |
| D．It is home to many species of plants and animals. |
| A．be over 14 years old |
| B．send a photo with your essay |
| C．have rich exploration experience |
| D．write an English article over 300 words |
| A．To provide travel information. | B．To describe Montana’s scenery. |
| C．To announce a kid competition. | D．To suggest some outdoor activities. |
9 . Yu Chenrui, 29, is a maker of automata (机关人偶) in Chengdu, Sichuan province. Automata are built to look like humans or animals and give the illusion (错觉) of being able to move on their own, “The art form amazes me, because it combines various skills, from storytelling to mechanics, and the pieces are built with a sense of humor,” Yu says. His creations have caught the attention of well-known artists and his fancy pieces of art have attracted collectors worldwide.
Interested in handcrafts as a boy, Yu first encountered automata designed by Japanese artist Kazuaki at an exhibition in 2015 when he studied at the Communication University of China in Beijing. “It was like meeting a like-minded friend, ” Yu says, recalling the moment. As an art and design major, he began to learn the craft by himself and, with the support of his tutor, he kept studying and examining automata in school.
When he graduated in 2016, Yu landed a job at an advertising agency in Beijing. He stayed on at the company for three years because, at that time, he was not sure that he could make a living out of his hobby. While working as a designer Yu kept exploring and advancing his skills in wood carving and mechanics. Eventually, despite the job’s good salary, it was not enough to make up for not following his true passion. Finally, in 2018, Yu quit his job and returned to Chengdu to open his automata workshop.
To keep himself occupied while running his workshop, he planted blueberries, raspberries and cherries. He watered, weeded and added fertilizer (肥料) every day. “Daily routines helped me calm down and inspire my creativity, which resulted in an automaton called To Observe the Autumn,” Yu says.
Over time, Yu’s reputation grew and his business flourished (兴旺). Many of Yu’s creations are built with a dash of wisdom, a sprinkle of humor and are inspired by observations of real life. Yu knows that there are many more creative ideas waiting to be expressed. “It feels quite good to be fully devoted to automata creation and I am still searching for myself.”
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Yu is equipped with various skills. |
| B．Yu is a person full of sense of humor. |
| C．Yu is now gaining recognition worldwide. |
| D．Yu is following the latest trend in handcraft. |
| A．He couldn't make a living out of it. |
| B．He wanted to pursue his own dream. |
| C．He missed his family in Chengdu. |
| D．He thought he had a lot experience. |
| A．The fruits he grows. | B．Success of his business. |
| C．His devotion to the job. | D．Observation from daily life. |
| A．There is no end to learning. | B．Great hopes make great man. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. | D．Experience is the mother of wisdom. |
10 . Introduction to Sanxingdui Museum
Situated in the northeast of the state-protected Sanxingdui Site by the bank of the Yazi River in Guanghan — a city famed for its long history and splendid culture, Sanxingdui Museum is a modern theme museum which is 40 kilometers to the north of Chengdu.
Covering a total area of 530 yields, Sanxingdui Museum had its foundation laid in August 1992, and opened to the public in October 1997. Featured for its relics, architecture, demonstration and gardens, the museum has become a place of cultural and tourist attractions enjoying prestige both at home and abroad and one of the three exquisite spots Sichuan has offered to the world tourism.
Notice to Sanxingdui Site Museum Travelers
Ⅰ. Opening & Booking Time
Opening time: Gallery One 8:30-18:00 Gallery Two 8:30-18:30
Booking time: 8:30-17:00
Ⅱ. Visiting Route
Gallery One→Gallery Two
Ⅲ . Ticket Price
(1) Gallery ticket ¥72 ¥36 (students)
(2) Garden ticket ¥5
The ticket is used on the sold day and each gallery once.
Admission free for children under 1.2 meters (including 1.2m), seniors aged 60 or above and the disabled.
Ⅴ. Guide Service＆Price
(1) Guide Service
If you need a museum guide, please employ one at the reception desk in Gallery One.
Chinese, Cantonese, Tibetan: ¥80 (Group below 20 persons)
English, Japanese: ¥120 (Group below 20 persons）
(2) Guide Range: Gallery 1 & Gallery 2
(3) It takes about 80 minutes each guide service.
(4) We provide Chinese & English auto guiding device free of charge. Please deposit CNY ¥200 and your valid credential. If damaged or lost, you should compensate according to the cost price.
Ⅳ.Consulting telephone: 0838－5651526
Ⅵ. Complaint against the price telephone: 12358
1. What can we learn about Sanxingdui Museum?| A．It’s located in the northeast of Chengdu. |
| B．It’s an ancient theme museum. |
| C．It’s a famous place of cultural and tourist attractions. |
| D．It’s the only top tourist spots in Sichuan. |
| A．¥154. | B．¥118. |
| C．¥ 77. | D．¥ 41. |
| A．pay CNY ¥200 for a museum guide |
| B．first call the museum at 12358 for enquiry |
| C．use Chinese & English auto guiding device for free |
| D．deposit some money and provide her valid credential |
