1 . Contemporary Art Fair
On July 18, 2024 the Artist Project will celebrate its 9th year with a three-day art fair at theBetter Living Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto. From collectors to designers, visitors can explore and discover works of art from 250 contemporary artists from Canada and abroad — allowing guests the unique opportunity to communicate and buy art directly from the artists.
Highlights:
Art Chats: this popular conference series will offer a range of engaging talks hosted by leading art experts.
● Art Battle Canada and the Artist Project have teamed up to bring a 20-minute live artist competition right to the show floor. Members of the audience will vote for their favourite painting and later participate in a charity auction (拍卖) to take the work home.
Emerging Artists Competition: Devoted to the development of students, new graduates, and self-taught artists, the Artist Project will be giving recognition to 20 emerging artists through this competition that will aim to provide an opportunity for young artists to launch their artworks to a public audience.
When:
Early Access Preview: Thursday, July 18, 5:00 p. m. — 10:00 p. m.
Opening Night Party: Thursday, July 18, 7:00 p. m. — 10:00 p. m.
Artist Project Show: Friday & Saturday, July 19-20, 11:00 a. m. — 8:00 p. m.
Artist Project Show: Sunday, July 21, 11:00 a. m. — 6:00 p. m.
Where:
Better Living Centre
195 Princes’ Boulevard, Exhibition Place, Toronto, ON
Ticket Information:
Adult admission: $ 15 Door, $ 14 Online
Group adult tickets: (10+people) $10 Each, online only
Youth admission: (13 — 17) $10
Children 12 or under: free
Website:www.theartistproject.com
1. What can visitors do on the art fair?| A．Vote for their favourite artist. | B．Enjoy works of art of ancient artists. |
| C．Purchase art works directly from artists. | D．Compete with young artists in live painting. |
| A．July 18,5:00 p. m. — 10:00 p. m. | B．July 21,7:00 p. m. — 10:00 p. m. |
| C．July 22, 11:00 a. m. — 6:00 p. m. | D．July 20, 11:00 a. m. — 8:00 p. m. |
| A．$14. | B．$15. | C．$24. | D．$25. |
2 . Head to This Beautiful UK Beach
The clocks may have changed, but sunbathing isn’t yet on the UK’s weather forecast.
When spring comes, Camber Sands looks like your best bet for a warm day at the beach. The East Sussex spot gets warm quickest in spring, hitting average highs of 19℃ throughout the season.
How to get to Camber Sands
Camber Sands is just two hours away from London by car, but it’s often quicker to travel from the capital by train. The nearest station is Rye, which you can get to from London St Pancras with a change at Ashford International. The journey takes just over an hour. Once you’re at Rye, you’ll then need to get a bus or rent a bike to the beach. It takes half an hour to get there by bike.
Things to do at Camber Sands
Apart from enjoying the sun, Camber Sands is also a popular location for kitesurfing and windsurfing. You can also explore the historic buildings of Rye, play a round at one of the many nearby golf courses, or take a RIB seal safari (观兽旅行) to get a look at the native wildlife.
What visitors say
On Tripadvisor, Mrs. D called it a “wonderful dog friendly beach”, while jilll25264 praised the facilities, saying, “It has everything you need for a family beach day out.” Another reviewer, J’Marie Dewdrop said, “Amazing beach, all sand, lovely clean water and beach. Beautiful day out, with a lovely gentle wind to stop you getting too hot.”
The tourist hotspot maintains a 4.5-star rating on the site, with those giving it top marks including Nicholas K, who commented, “Amazing beach. Clean, looked after and incredible in the sunshine. One not to be missed.”
1. Which is a quicker way to Camber Sands from London?| A．By car. | B．By bus. | C．By train. | D．By bike. |
| A．Its cleanliness. | B．Its acceptance of dogs. |
| C．Its lovely warm wind. | D．Its friendliness for a family. |
| A．Sports. | B．Travel. | C．Fashion. | D．Entertainment. |
3 . Recently Chinese scientists have solved a food challenge of the ages! They cultivated (培育) the world’s first crucian carp (鲫鱼) without intermuscular (肌间的) fish bones.
The new fish ends a world-wide debate which has lasted for more than 50 years on whether intermuscular fish bones can be reproduced.
Crucian carp is a popular freshwater fish with tender meat and a fresh flavor, but its many tiny bones can easily get stuck in people’s throats when the fish is eaten. A research team from Heilongjiang Province started a project to solve the problem in 2009 and chose the key gene from about 1,600 fishes, in order to control the growth of the fish’s intermuscular bones. Researchers knocked out the bmp6 gene without influencing the fish’s growth.
“In 2020, we successfully cultivated the first generation of crucian carp without intermuscular fish bones with a success rate of 12.96 percent and the second generation at the rate of 19 percent in 2021,” said a researcher from the team. “At the beginning of 2022, we set free around 20,000 fish of the third generation at the test base in Harbin. The fish grew well and is quite different from normal crucian carp. The results of an examination in August showed that we succeeded completely.”
Experts said, “People will no longer have to pick out tiny fish bones. It could greatly change the fish diet of the world in the future.” In addition, the research can help promote industrial processing of the fish, marking a great breakthrough in the field of aquaculture (水产养殖) breeding in China.
1. What challenge have Chinese scientists solved?| A．They’ve found a wild fish. |
| B．They’ve created a fish with a fresh flavor. |
| C．They’ve cultivated a fish with tender meat. |
| D．They’ve produced a fish with no small bones. |
| A．The fish can’t live in the sea. |
| B．The fish grow very slowly in freshwater. |
| C．The fish’s intermuscular bones are long and thin. |
| D．The fish’s tiny bones are stuck in people’s throats easily. |
| A．100% | B．50% | C．19% | D．12.96% |
| A．The fish diet in the future. |
| B．The problem of tiny fish bones. |
| C．The importance of the research. |
| D．The aquaculture breeding in China. |
4 . Peru is prepared to approve new laws that would make it easier to investigate and punish researchers who engage in academic cheating, including paying to have their names added to a paper.
The move comes as Peru’s national science agency seeks to crack down on authorship buying and other dishonest practices. It recently removed two scientists accused of dishonest publications from a national registry that is key to receiving government sponsor, job promotions, and salary bonuses. And officials are investigating more than 170 other researchers at a Peruvian media report claimed were involved in academic misconduct, including 72 listed in the national registry who work at 14 universities in Peru.
The new laws will empower universities and government officials to punish such behavior. Dishonest publishing practices “ transcend mere moral misbehavior” because they enable researchers to obtain government and private funding without telling the truth, says Edward Málaga Trillo, a member of Congress who is the driving force, behind the bills, which lawmakers are expected to finalize early this year. “These individuals are operating academic cheating.” Peru’s academic community has been struggling with a rising tide of false authorship and related problems. One cause, some researchers say, is a 2014 law that aimed to stimulate research by rewarding researchers who boost their publishing output. For example, under a scoring system used by universities,researchers can earn five points for authorship in a high-impact journal, and two points when the journal is lower impact. A massing points can bring bonus payments and career promotion.
Signs of dishonest publishing can be obvious, notes Nahuel onteblanco,president of Cientificospe, a Peruvian group that investigates misconduct. Many of the papers cited by Punto Final have numerous co-authors from different nations with few prior publications on the same subject. “If your colleague consistently publishes 20 articles a year with co-authors from other countries, that’s highly suspect.” Monteblanco says.
1. What action did Peru take recently to address academic cheating?| A．Disqualifying 2 scientists from a national registry. |
| B．Fining 72 offenders for academic dishonesty. |
| C．Punishing 170 researchers for academic misconduct. |
| D．Withdrawing government fund from 14 universities. |
| A．Opposed. | B．Concerned. | C．Approving. | D．Neutral. |
| A．It advocated a fair scoring system. |
| B．It applied to high-impact journals. |
| C．It aimed to punish dishonest publishing. |
| D．It led to an increase in false authorship. |
| A．Career promotion. |
| B．Consistent research focus. |
| C．Co-authors from various countries. |
| D．Few citations by Punto Final. |
5 . The world’s population cast aside 49 million tons of electronic waste, known as e-waste. It has been calculated that this number will grow to more than 60 million tons by 2023.
What is causing the upsurge (激增) in e-waste? Technology is becoming more and more widespread, covering almost every aspect of our lives. Meanwhile, the lifespan of devices is getting shorter—many products will be thrown away once their batteries die, to be replaced by new devices. Companies intentionally plan the obsolescence (过时) of their goods by updating the design or software and discontinuing support for older models, so that now it is usually cheaper and easier to buy a new product than to repair an old one. Since prices are falling, electronic devices are in demand around the world.
As more people buy electronic equipment, manufacturers (制造商) are beginning to face shortages of the raw materials needed to make their products, so recycling and reusing materials from discarded (扔掉的) products and waste makes economic and environmental sense.
Recycling e-waste is practiced both formally and informally. Proper or formal e-waste recycling usually involves taking apart the electronics, sorting through the materials and cleaning them. Companies must obey health and safety rules to reduce the health and environmental hazards of handling e-waste by using pollution-control technologies. All this makes formal recycling expensive. Informal recycling is typically unlicensed and uncontrolled. At informal recycling workshops, men and women recover valuable materials by burning devices to melt away non-valuable materials. Usually they do not wear protective equipment and lack any awareness that they are handling dangerous materials.
With the amount of e-waste growing around the world, recycling alone will not be enough to solve the problem. In order to reduce e-waste, manufacturers need to design electronics that are safer, and more durable (耐用的), repairable and recyclable. The best thing you can do is resist buying a new device until you really need it. Try to get your old product repaired if possible and, if it can’t be fixed, resell or recycle it responsibly. Before you recycle your device, put any broken parts in separate containers and close these tightly to prevent chemicals from leaking. Wear latex (乳胶) gloves and a mask if you’re handling something that’s broken.
1. Which of the following is a reason for e-waste’s sharp increasing?| A．The results of updating devices. | B．The falling of devices’ quality. |
| C．The methods of recycling e-waste. | D．The shortage of protective equipment. |
| A．Increasing the variety of electronic products. |
| B．Lowering the costs of technology innovation. |
| C．Relieving the lack of the raw materials. |
| D．Improving the poor quality of e-devices. |
| A．Influence. | B．Limits. | C．Harm. | D．Costs. |
| A．E-waste could be broken down by burying it underground for a long time. |
| B．Companies should be mainly responsible for reducing e-waste. |
| C．Fixing a device could cause more pollution than buying a new one. |
| D．Everyone should take action to reduce e-waste. |
6 . Heman Bekele, a 14-year-old student from Virginia, has created a cheap soap that could potentially help fight skin cancer, which earned him the title of America’s Top Young Scientist and a $25,000 cash prize after his innovation won first place in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge on October 10, 2023.
At age 4, Heman moved to America from Ethiopia, where he always saw people constantly working under the hot sun. While he considered ideas for the competition, it struck him that so many people in his hometown were unaware of the risk of sun exposure. The recollections fueled his decision to focus his research on skin cancer.
In June 2023, he was selected as a top-ten finalist and paired with 3M product engineering specialist Deborah Isabelle to develop and test a physical prototype (原型) of his idea. It took the pair four months of trial and error to create “Skin Cancer Treating Soap” (SCTS). The bar contains chemicals that restore the body’s dendritic cells (树突细胞) killed by cancer cells. Once reconstructed, dendritic cells, the body’s first line of defense against cancer and infections, are capable of fighting against cancer cells. SCTS, which costs just 50 cents a bar, still has to undergo clinical trials. The process could take over five years.
While similar methods are available for skin cancer treatments, his solution is a more affordable alternative, especially for those in developing countries. Though the product is very promising on paper, studies would have to be carried out to test its efficiency in the real world.
“I applied for the 3M Young Scientist Challenge because I believe that young minds can make a positive impact on the world,” Bekele said. “I have always been interested in biology and technology, and this challenge gave me the perfect platform to showcase my ideas. The opportunity to work with 3M experts and show my project to judges was an exciting prospect (前景). I am passionate about finding sustainable solutions to global problems, and I hope to inspire others to do the same.”
1. What inspired Heman’s idea for the invention?| A．Folk tales. | B．Childhood memories. |
| C．Working experiences. | D．Medical observations. |
| A．It minimizes solar radiation. | B．It reactivates destroyed cells. |
| C．It kills cancer cells directly. | D．It removes viruses from the skin. |
| A．Its making process. | B．Its working method. |
| C．Its advantage. | D．Its development. |
| A．Innovative and ambitious. | B．Inspiring and tolerant. |
| C．Sensitive and accessible. | D．Energetic and thoughtful. |
7 . Las Vegas can offer a lot more than you expect. Here are the best guided tours to help visitors make the most of their Sin City getaway.
Big Bus Las Vegas — Open Top Night TourAdmire the glittering lights downtown on this evening double-decker bus tour. Along the drive, you’ll pass well-known buildings before hopping off to enjoy the free light shows on Fremont Street. Tour-takers praise the guides for their informative, friendly account.
Passengers can board the buses at the LINQ Promenade starting at 7 p.m. each evening.
Cowboy Trail Rides — Red Rock Canyon Sunset Horseback RideWhen you need a break from the city life, put on a cowboy hat and boots for a sunset trail ride through Red Rock Canyon. On the ride, you’ll follow a guide through the picturesque desert landscape, watching for wildlife. Travelers warn that it can get chilly on the ride, so they advise wearing warm layers.
Trail Rides are offered Tuesday through Sunday.
Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters — Grand Celebration TourPapillon Grand Canyon Helicopters’ Grand Celebration tour offers bird’s-eye views of sought-after sights, like Eagle Point and Lake Mead. The tour also includes a Champagne picnic. The pilots and staff earn praise for their friendliness and professionalism.
There are several daily departure options.
Secret Food Tours — Las Vegas StripEvery day Secret Food Tours take groups of 10 participants to five-star restaurants on the Strip to sample a variety of cooking delights, including pizza, chocolates and lobster. During the walking tour, highly praised guides teach tourgoers about the city’s food and culture. Travelers say the food on the tour is plentiful and tasty, but they warn that you’ll be doing a lot of walking.
Tickets include all food tastings.
1. What can visitors do during the Open Top Night Tour?| A．Admire charged light shows. | B．Explore well-known buildings. |
| C．Board buses on Fremont Street. | D．Enjoy an evening double decker bus tour. |
| A．Visitors can try a horseback ride. |
| B．Visitors can have some food to taste. |
| C．Visitors can enjoy views from high in the air. |
| D．Visitors can learn about the history of Las Vegas. |
| A．Secret Food Tours — Las Vegas Strip |
| B．Big Bus Las Vegas — Open Top Night Tour |
| C．Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters — Grand Celebration Tour |
| D．Cowboy Trail Rides — Red Rock Canyon Sunset Horseback Ride |
8 . It was a busy morning and I had several things to do before the day became too hot to be outside the house. As I was walking by the side of a busy road, I saw an old lady, maybe in her 80s, standing dangerously close to the traffic. Although my mind was preoccupied, I thought to myself that I should warn her not to stand so close to the busy traffic rushing by. When I reached the spot where the old lady was standing, I noticed that she was trying to get attention of passers-by who of course were too busy to take note of her.
She kept pointing to the middle of the road. When I tried to gently move her back further away from the edge of the busy road, she said that she was standing there because she dropped her house key in the middle of the road and was unable to enter her house without the key. I looked around and no one seemed to be interested in the two of us. I knew I was getting delayed but decided to help.
The traffic was busy on the road with people on two-wheelers or in cars as well as school buses rushing with school children. It was the worst time of the day to cross a busy road without a traffic light. I asked the old lady to stay at a safe distance, took a deep breath, and carefully stepped onto the road waving my hands crazily, fearing to be hit by an oncoming vehicle. At first one lane (车道) stopped and then I moved further on to the middle of the road continuing to wave my hands.
I quickly picked up the key and ran back to the old lady waiting by the side of the road and returned the key to her. As I turned to continue my hurried walk, the old lady pulled me by my hand and gave me a big warm hug. I felt so happy to have helped this old lady.
1. What was the author’s worry about the old lady?| A．She couldn’t get into her house. | B．She might lose her key on the road. |
| C．She could be hit by the passing cars. | D．She might get lost on the busy road. |
| A．It was dangerous to cross the road. |
| B．People had little sense of traffic safety. |
| C．People got tired of driving on the road. |
| D．No one on the road would help the old lady. |
| A．Scared. | B．Concerned. | C．Energetic. | D．Grateful. |
| A．Eventful. | B．Heart-warming. | C．Breath-taking. | D．Life-changing. |
9 . Set 40 kilometers northeast of the city of Ambatondrazaka, Madagascar, the Zahamena National Park has overall land coverage of 643 square kilometers, but only about 420 square kilometers is open to the public. It receives an average rainfall level of around 6 feet every year and experiences frequent rain showers even during the dry season between April and October. And elevations (海拔) inside the park range from 250 to 1,560 meters, which has resulted in a diversity (多样性) of climates.
One really interesting thing about the Zahamena National Park is its unique highland landform (高地地貌). The development of several ecosystems that all together exist within its area greatly depends on it. And this is also the reason why the types of wildlife living in one area of its wide range are different in another, which makes it quite exciting to explore.
This protected region’s main area is divided into two parts: the eastern and western areas, with a separate piece of ground in the middle where many small villages are located. Zahamena means “red trees”, which suggests a tree species scientifically called Diatum unifoliatum. It lives only in Zahamena and is characterized by its typically deep reddish-orange color.
Established as a strict natural highland habitat for nature conservation (保护) in 1927, the Zahamena National Park was officially awarded the honorary title of national park in 1997 and was finally opened to the public. Due to its amazing landform and unique local biodiversity, this national park was later listed as a key part of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana in 2007.
Unluckily, there are no hotels or restaurants around the national park. So Zahamena is not an easy rainforest—this national park needs people with a high level of fitness and people with low requirements concerning accommodations. Everyone who is not discouraged by this will be able to expect an amazing rainforest experience in a location which has a small number of tourists.
1. What do we know about the Zahamena National Park?| A．It is hard to reach due to conservation rules. |
| B．It has changeable weather all year round. |
| C．It has a great difference in elevations. |
| D．It is famous for its traditional villages. |
| A．The complete food chain of wildlife there. |
| B．The wet weather condition there. |
| C．The conservation efforts there. |
| D．The special landform there. |
| A．A cultural belief. | B．A local tree species. |
| C．The unique geography. | D．The local village group. |
| A．The tough condition of Zahamena. | B．People’s high level of fitness. |
| C．Its geographical location. | D．The diversity of climates. |
10 . Parenting roles evolve from the full control and safekeeping of a young baby to the delicate dance between independence and guidance in adolescence (青春期). Eventually, our children become adults, and if we are lucky, we will have lifelong friendships with them.
Play is a key element of friendship with children. With babies and very young children, we play with them, engaging in back-and-forth activities. They often start the game, and we join in. They pull us into play, and we love it. In the language of experts who research children from birth to 3 years old, we express delight in these interactions. But delight often hits a snag when our children learn how to say “no”. From this point onward — into adolescence — we focus on getting children to behave. We tend to be the parent, not the friend, often saying “because I said so”. Highlighting our role as taskmasters limits our parenting tools. If we can leave time and space for child-driven play and activities — without adult demands or expectations — we can return to delight. These friendly interactions expand our relationship with our children. It’s not the same as peer friendship, but we are being friends.
Beyond play, the other foundational component of parent friendship is the child-directed conversation. Maintaining a friendly, non-judgmental standpoint in conversation with your kids can provide you with a world of trust and engagement. Being quiet and not saying anything are undervalued parenting tools. Instead, we can keep our ears open for informal chatter and then listen with intention and presence. And it’s usually best if we don’t offer ad vice unless asked for it. Being curious and compassionate and listening deeply to their stories and worries build emotional bonds, maintain communication, and produce trust, which sounds like friendship.
In my experience as a child, a parent, and a child psychiatrist, I think we can be more than command-and-control. And I firmly believe that we can treat children with affection and respect, as companions.
1. What does the underlined word “snag” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Misjudgement. | B．Demand. | C．Challenge. | D．Response. |
| A．Be a deep listener. | B．Start the topic of a talk. |
| C．Never make any comments. | D．Avoid any informal chatter. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Approving. | C．Unclear. | D．Negative. |
| A．Parent-child Friendship Bonds | B．Lifelong Parent-child Relationship |
| C．Fundamental Elements of Friendship | D．Parenting Roles in Children’s Growth |
