The best time to visit Toronto is typically in the spring (April and May) or during the fall (September to early November). At these times, you’ll likely find fewer crowds, cheaper accommodations, and the best weather for sightseeing as it is neither too hot nor too cold.
Getting AroundThe Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) makes it easy to get around the city via many buses, subway, and streetcars. Figuring out how to get where you want to go is easily done using the TTC’s convenient Trip Planner.
Travel TipWhile you may choose to base yourself near many of the city’s main landmarks, it’s also worth taking some time to explore some great neighborhoods that each offer their own unique charms, including colorful Kensington Market, the Junction, Leslieville, and Little India.
Things to DoGet a Dose of Art & Culture: The Royal Ontario Museum is Canada’s largest museum and showcases everything from art and archaeology to natural science in over 30 galleries. Or, stop by the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), one of the largest art museums in North America with a collection of more than 90,000 works of art.
Take in the Views From the CN Tower: High-speed elevators send visitors to the top of the tower in just 58 seconds for full views over the city. You can even try EdgeWalk to experience a hands-free walk around the main pod of the tower, 116 stories above the ground.
Spend a Day in the Distillery District: Explore the historic Distillery District to walk casually among Victorian-era buildings on pedestrian-only cobblestone streets filled with shops, cafes, and restaurants.
1. If a tourist travels to Toronto in October, what is he likely to find?| A．Free attractions. | B．Discounted hotels. |
| C．Extreme weather. | D．Crowded scenic spots. |
| A．Help people buy tickets. | B．Help tourists in urgent situations. |
| C．Guide people to their destinations. | D．Introduce scenic spots to tourists. |
| A．It is home to over 90,000 artworks. |
| B．It’s noted for its Victorian-era buildings. |
| C．It’s one of the largest museums in Canada. |
| D．Its displays range from art to natural science. |
| A．Little India. | B．EdgeWalk. | C．The Junction. | D．The Distillery District. |
| A．Planning Your Trip in Toronto |
| B．Some Hidden Truth about Toronto |
| C．The Main Tourist Attractions in Toronto |
| D．The Reasons for the Popularity of Toronto |
2 . Feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list can certainly make you unhappy, but new research suggests that more free time might not be the magic medicine many of us dream it could be.
In a new study, researchers found that people with more free time generally had higher levels of subjective well-being, but only up to a point.
People who had up to two hours of free time a day generally reported they felt better than those who’d had less time. But people who had five or more hours of free time a day generally said they felt worse. So ultimately the free-time “sweet spot” might be two to three hours per day, the findings suggest.
Part of finding the “sweet spot” has to do with how people spend the extra time they have. The researchers conducted several smaller online experiments. In one they asked participants to imagine having 3½ to seven free hours per day. They were asked to imagine spending that time doing “productive” things (like exercising) or to imagine doing “unproductive” activities (like watching TV). Study participants believed their well-being would suffer if they had a lot of free time during the day, but only if they used it unproductively. In other words, how people use their free time matters.
Of course, what feels “productive” is up to you. If watching two hours of Real Housewives in your free time increases your happiness, you should do that. And even more traditionally productive or purposeful activities can be easy and fun. Engaging in a bit of low-key cardio, like walking, can help burn stress. Free-time activities like reading, cooking or gaming are also known to put people in a state of flow.
In cases when people do find themselves with huge amounts of free time, such as retirement or having left a job,” Sharif said, “our results suggest these individuals would benefit from spending their newfound time with purpose.”
1. According to the study, how many hours of free time brings the best feelings?| A．3 to 7 hours. | B．5 hours or more. | C．Up to 2 hours. | D．2 or 3 hours. |
| A．The busier, the happier. |
| B．The more free time, the better. |
| C．Purposeful activities increase happiness. |
| D．Retirement makes people depressed and unhappy. |
| A．Getting stuck in silence. | B．Having a poor-quality sleep. |
| C．Struggling with a dull book. | D．Enjoying classic music. |
| A．To make a new schedule. | B．To do more housework. |
| C．To watch more TV. | D．To find a new job. |
| A．Stories. | B．Life. | C．Science. | D．Sports. |
3 . A common claim states that a sheet of paper cannot be folded in half more than seven times. But is this true?
In 2002, Britney Gallivan, then a junior in high school in Pomona, California, folded a single piece of paper in half 12 times. She currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most times to fold a sheet of paper in half.
The prompt that led Gallivan to accomplish these feats was an extra-credit challenge in math class to fold anything in half 12 times. Her teacher asked the students to fold something thicker: a piece of paper.
Gallivan said “it was very frustrating, as I had many unsuccessful attempts at trying to fold different papers in half. I began to question if folding paper in half more than eight times could be impossible.” However, Gallivan recalled. “I knew I needed to understand what was limiting the folding progression.”
The equations that Gallivan came up with calculated how many times a sheet of paper could be folded. She found that in order to fold many times, a long thin sheet is needed — the more a sheet is folded, the thicker the resulting stack becomes, and once the stack becomes thicker than it is long, there is nothing left to fold. She ultimately set her record with a sheet of tissue paper she found online that was 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) — more than three-quarters of a mile, or over a kilometer — long, Guinness World Records noted.
“Working on the problem took a tremendous amount of time and effort,” Gallivan said. “As frustrating as it was at times, I learned an immense amount from the experience, which has been valuable to me throughout my life in more capacities than one would expect.”
Since Gallivan set her record, others have made claims of folding a sheet of paper more than 12 times. Still, “I anticipate that my current record will be surpassed,” Gallivan said.
1. Which was commonly considered the most times that paper can be folded in half?| A．7. | B．8. | C．9. | D．12. |
| A．the stack is as thick as its length | B．the paper is neither long nor thin |
| C．the stack is thicker than its length | D．the paper is longer than its thickness |
| A．It’s risky. | B．It’s fruitless. | C．It’s meaningless. | D．It’s energy-consuming. |
| A．Worthwhile. | B．Unsuccessful. | C．Miserable. | D．Regretful. |
| A．Gallivan’s record is impossible to break. |
| B．Folding paper in half is merely a math problem. |
| C．Folding things in half may not be limited to 12. |
| D．Folding paper 12 times is a required credit in maths class. |
4 . For centuries, the power of Chinese emperors rose and fell with their control of the Grand Canal. Today, this waterway is shorter than it once was, but it is still the longest man-made river in the world. Importantly, the Grand Canal continues to provide a significant cultural and economic link for modern China.
The original canal system began around the year 605. China’s Emperor Yang realized that he needed a better way to move food quickly to his army from China’s southern rice-growing region to the country’s north. So about one million people-mostly farmers-worked on the construction of the first section of the Grand Canal, which took six years.
Over the next 500 years, the canal’s importance grew. However, by 1127 , parts had begun to deteriorate. In 1279, Kublai Khan began to repair and build new parts of the canal, which created a more direct north-south route to and from Beijing. Future rulers continued to expand and improve the waterway, and it eventually became an important national lifeline.
In addition to moving rice around China, the Grand Canal was an important cultural connection. Soldiers, businessmen,and artists transported ideas, regional foods, and cultural practices from one part of China to another. According to ancient stories, this is how Beijing acquired two of its best-known trademarks. Peking duck,a dish from Shandong Province, and the Peking opera, from Anhui and Hubei regions,were both brought north by the canal.
For more than a thousand years, goods have been transported along the Grand Canal.Even today, the country’s watery highway plays an important economic role in China. Boats continue to carry tons of goods. In addition, local governments-eager to in-crease tourism and real estate (房地产) development-are beautifying areas along the canal.
In 2005, a group of citizens proposed that the historic Grand Canal be made a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was officially granted (批准) in 2014. The hope now is that the Grand Canal-one of the world’s great engineering achievements -will continue to link north and south China for centuries to come.
1. Why was the Grand Canal originally built?| A．To enable more people to visit distant parts of China. |
| B．To allow the army to move quickly from the north to the south. |
| C．To promote the cultural and traditional connection of south China. |
| D．To transport food from the southern regions of China to the north. |
| A．It took six years to complete its first section. |
| B．Even today, it is the longest man-made river in the world. |
| C．Around a million people worked on the first part of the canal. |
| D．It allowed Peking duck and the Peking opera to spread to southern China. |
| A．Get worse. | B．Get destroyed. | C．Get shorter. | D．Get repaired. |
| A．Renewed Importance. | B．Cultural Connections. |
| C．The Army’s Highway. | D．The Origins of the Peking Opera. |
| A．Construction of the Canal began. |
| B．New parts of the Canal were built. |
| C．The Grand Canal became a World Heritage Site. |
| D．The Grand Canal was proposed as a UNESCO Heritage Site. |
5 . More and more people are using crowd-funding to pay for their projects and create new products. Crowdfunding is when a per-son or business gets many small payments from a large number of people. Usually, the way to do this is to use the Internet. In-stead of trying to get a few people to give thousands of dollars, you get hundreds of people, maybe thousands, to give a few dollars. But this is still not easy. You want people to see the value of your idea. How will you get them to give the dollars they earn to you?
*Successful projects are those that got the money they wanted.
There are websites that make this opportunity possible. Kickstarter and GoGet-Funding are popular. You create a short video to explain your project. The most important part is getting your message across. Just because you’ve made your idea known doesn’t mean you will get the money you need. You still need to sell your idea. Many people begin by explaining what the product is and then telling why people need it. For example, one of the most popular crowdfunded products is a watch. The Pebble watch connects with in-formation on a smartphone that will send information to the watch. More than 65,000 people gave money for this product.Crowdfunding raised $10.3 million for it.However, it’s not just products that people use crowdfunding for. People use it for their music, film, art, or writing projects.
Projects usually get from 25 to 40 per-cent of their money from crowdfunding sites. Who is giving all the money? When people need money, they often ask their friends and family. Crowdfunding often works the same way, but once you create your video and message, your friends share it with their friends. If you’ve created a message that people can connect to, you get many more people to give. Why do these people give? First, there is the “feel-good” factor. Giving money makes people feel good. Second, many small businesses offer rewards to people. Third, sometimes the reward is simply getting to use the product. And this is part of the success of crowdfunding. You could make a difference.
1. Where do people usually get crowdfunding?| A．In newspapers. | B．On the Internet. |
| C．On the streets. | D．In shopping centers. |
| A．Art. | B．Music. | C．Publishing. | D．Film and video. |
| A．People use crowdfunding only for products. |
| B．The Pebble watch sends information to the smartphone. |
| C．You can post a short video for crowd-funding on Kickstarter. |
| D．You will get the money you need once you get your message across. |
| A．They feel great | B．They will receive praise |
| C．They can use the product | D．They will get some rewards |
| A．To give advice on crowdfunding. | B．To persuade people to give money. |
| C．To help people to get more money. | D．To give an introduction to crowd-funding. |
6 .
Tech Heaven Courses for the digital age Course A:Animation(动画) This course is for creative people who like to draw. You don’t have to have amazing drawing skills but you need to have some artistic talent. You start learning how to draw on the computer and you finish by making interactive films. You work very closely with teachers to learn the essential techniques. You choose to do either game design or animation. There is a huge gaming library at the camp so you will have the opportunity to test your gaming skills against other students in our gaming tournaments. Course B:Web This course is for teens who want to create their own web pages and websites. On this course, you will learn the foundations of web development. The primary focus of the course is HTML, which makes up the building blocks of the Internet. You will leave the camp with your own web page and you will be able to go home and create other web pages. Course C:Coding(编程) This course is ideal for students with some programming experience who want to improve their coding skills. Most devices, programs, computers and robots run on software applications so you must have programming and coding skills to get a job with a digital company. You will learn from experienced and supportive staff and you will leave the school equipped with the basic skills. There are two hours of outdoor sports activities a day to get some fresh air. Course D:Robotics This course is all about robots. You will work in small teams and learn how to use VEX Robotics Design System. You will build a robot that will compete in robo—football. You will learn how to build robotic arms and advanced sensors. Every day will present you with a new challenge and every day will be more fun and more inspiring than the last. |
| A．Animation. | B．Web. | C．Coding. | D．Robotics. |
| A．Making interactive films. | B．Getting a digital job. |
| C．Developing web pages. | D．Building robotic arms. |
| A．Web creating skills are primary for software applications. |
| B．Most programs, computers, etc. run on software applications. |
| C．Excellent drawing skills are needed for software applications. |
| D．Robot designing skills are necessary for software applications. |
| A．They all require team work. | B．They all have outdoor activities. |
| C．They are all related to computer techniques. | D．They all provide learners with advanced skills. |
| A．A report. | B．An advertisement. | C．A course review. | D．A course schedule. |
7 . Putting more green space around a school may help students develop some mental abilities, a study suggests. Researchers tested students repeatedly over the course of a year on attentiveness (专注力)and working memory, which is the ability to keep something in mind temporarily for performing a task. On the whole, students whose schools were surrounded by more green space improved more than pupils from schools with less green space.
The study tracked more than 2,000 students in 36 primary schools in Barcelona, Spain. The pupils were in the second to fourth grades when the study began. Green space may help mental development by reducing air pollution from vehicles, according to an article by the researchers that included pollution data from the schools. It may also help by reducing noise and encouraging physical activity, researchers said.
Policy makers should know that “more green around the school is better for cognitive development and that they should make sure that kids can see and play in green areas,” one author Mark Nieuwenhuijsen said. “Existing urban schools should think about replacing concrete or other hard surfaces with green space,” he suggested, “and even a few trees may help.”
The researchers used satellite images to group schools according to how much green space appeared on the school grounds and within about 55 yards of the school property. Their analysis showed that differences in socio-economic factors between schools did not account for the study outcome.
Sally Augustin, a psychologist, said the results made sense to her. She said the results fit with previous findings that views of nature help children and adults lower stress and perform mental tasks better.
1. What does the text mainly tell us?| A．Green space makes schools more beautiful. |
| B．Schools are lack of green space for students. |
| C．Students’ mental abilities need to be improved. |
| D．Green space is good for students’ mental abilities. |
| A．Moved. | B．Helped. | C．Followed. | D．Found. |
| A．More trees should be planted for kids. |
| B．Noise should be cleared near the school. |
| C．Kids should be encouraged to play more sports. |
| D．Air pollution should be reduced from vehicles. |
| A．To show a different opinion. |
| B．To introduce another interesting study. |
| C．To present Augustin’s view about the study. |
| D．To make the findings of the study more convincing. |
| A．Health. | B．Education. | C．Nature. | D．Technology. |
8 . Born and raised in Hawaii, I learned to appreciate and respect a diversity of cultures as a member of its very successful Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Most of my classmates stayed in Hawaii for college or went to schools on the West Coast, but I decided to broaden my horizons by attending Purdue University in Indiana. While there, I discovered I was a minority — something I had never experienced back home.
Being a minority for the first time, I felt like an outsider. My ideas, interests and values were constantly considered not as important as my heritage (传统). After sharing an alternate point of view, I would often hear “What do you know? You’re from Hawaii.” These responses eventually made me less enthusiastic about telling people where I was from; I had lost pride in my heritage.
That summer I went home to work for a political non-profit in Honolulu, where I discovered a love for working on laws. Slowly, my pride in my heritage came back. I came to the realization that everyone is raised differently, and the people who had previously thought little of me were so forced on their ideas of where I came from — a remote, beautiful island — that they were ignorant of my culture and the value that other views and opinions can offer.
I returned to Purdue with a newfound love for my background, I decided to share my culture with everyone I could and, after I did, I found people were more willing to hear my ideas. I changed my major to political science and decided I wanted to be a civil servant, with the goal of helping people of Asian American Pacific Islander backgrounds. I strongly believe if more AAPIs are given opportunities to expand their horizons by attending universities across America and the globe, the ignorance will go away and more voices will be heard.
1. Why did the author go to Purdue University?| A．Because she was tired of life in Hawaii. |
| B．Because she wanted to go out and expand her mind. |
| C．Because her classmates chose to study on the West Coast. |
| D．Because she was interested in the variety of cultures there. |
| A．Her ability was challenged. |
| B．Her identity was questioned. |
| C．She was made fun of because of her accent. |
| D．She was laughed at owning to her background. |
| A．Being a lawyer in Indiana. | B．Being a civil servant for AAPIs. |
| C．The work for a political non-profit. | D．Her major to political science. |
| A．Proud. | B．Cautious. | C．Upset. | D．Depressed. |
| A．Live My Minority Life | B．Overcome Culture Shock |
| C．Live with Others’ Pride | D．Fit into a Different Society |
9 . In this first year, the Nature Festival will be celebrating South Australian nature with over 100 events for various ages. It is full of creative ways to get you out and about enjoying all that nature has to offer.
Its 10-day program, starting from 25th September 2023, provides a wide range of both free and ticketed experiences. From “adventure” and “learning” experiences to “slowing down” and “helping out” experiences, there will be something for everyone. Here are just some of the events.
Build-a-Birdbox Workshop
Saturday 26th September @ 9 am
Explore the role of tree hollows and learn how to build a backyard bird box.
Byards Road Wetland Nature by Night
Tuesday 29th September @ 6 pm
Take your torch and discover, on a guided walk, the creatures that come out at night.
For the Love of Trees
Tuesday 29th September @ 12:30 pm
Hear Dr Palph Body share his understanding of artist Hans Heysen.
Grey-headed Flying-fox Bat Ramble
Tuesday 1st October @ 5:45pm
Walking with local bat experts and hear how the grey-headed flying-fox bat came to be in our city.
Coastal Dune Walk
Sunday 4th October @ 9:30am
Walk along the coastline and learn about the working being done at the dunes.
Port River Alive
Sunday 4th October @ 11 am
See a short film about who and what lives in the Port River.
The full Nature Festival program is available on the website https://www.naturefestival.org.au. If you’re interested in any of the experiences above, please register as soon as possible.
1. What do we know about the Nature Festival?| A．It lasts about half a month. |
| B．It welcomes visitors of all ages. |
| C．It requires visitors to pay for their tickets. |
| D．It is held to call on people to protect nature. |
| A．Port River Alive. |
| B．Coastal Dune Walk. |
| C．Build-a-Birdbox Workshop. |
| D．Byards Road Wetland Nature by Night. |
| A．On 1st October. | B．On 4th October. |
| C．On 29th September. | D．On 26th September. |
| A．By seeing a short film. | B．By exploring the role of tree. |
| C．By walking with local bat expert. | D．By taking a torch and discovering. |
| A．Buying a brochure. | B．Reading advertisements. |
| C．Searching online. | D．Booking a magazine. |
10 . We bought a Shamrock trailer (房车) in the fall of 2019 in anticipation (期待) of our three-month journey to Baja, Mexico. The camper (露营车) would be home base for all the fun and adventure our family, myself, my husband and our three teenagers, would have all the way.
It took three days to drive from Calgary to Las Vegas and the temperature went from negative 30 to 15 °F-a miracle! But by the time we made it to San Diego, California, we had visited two RV mechanics to fix water leaking from the water tank and a bed heater blowing up. Thankfully, while we waited for repairs, we could listen to waves lapping on the shore.
Eventually, we crossed the border into Mexico at Tijuana and pushed our way down the shore coast. While we swam, ate Mexican food and watched sunsets, the Shamrock kept throwing us surprises. We all learned to savor (尽情享受) the good moments while dealing with the bad.
Driving through Utah, our truck began making noises. The truck’s engine had completely broken, and we needed a new one. We holed up (躲) in St. George, Utah, to wait for repairs. One evening, we were heating up dinner when the oven let out a big WHUMP! The whole camper shook.
After a few weeks, we left our truck in Utah—the engine repair wasn’t going too well—and drove home to Calgary. There could not have been five travelers so happy to stay in their house for two weeks.
Eventually, we hired someone to drive our truck and the Shamrock to Calgary, but he arrived with just the truck. The camper was causing problems, and the keys got lost, so it was left in Idaho. It’s still there; we recently marked its one-and-a-half-year anniversary of storage.
This brings me to the point of this essay: For Sale: A lively 30-foot Shamrock camper. Keeps you on your toes! Sleeps five. $9,000. Pick-up is somewhere in Idaho. Bring some tools to break into it.
1. What can we learn about the author’s self-driving tour?| A．The tour lasted for about one month. |
| B．They drove a Shamrock all the way during the tour. |
| C．Their truck stopped working when they arrived at San Diego. |
| D．They enjoyed the tour despite some unexpected problems. |
| A．Breakdowns. | B．Beautiful scenery. |
| C．Amazing functions. | D．Quality after-sales service. |
| A．Unhappy. | B．Serious. | C．Amusing. | D．Exciting. |
| A．To suggest the places to travel. |
| B．To advertise her Shamerock camper. |
| C．To record the happy moments in life. |
| D．To complain about her campers. |
