1 . Foreign visitors to the UK might be disappointed when they learn that not everyone there speaks like Harry Potter and his friends. Usually, there’s an assumption by many non-Brits that everyone in Britain speaks with what’s known as a Received Pronunciation (RP，标准发音) accent, also called “the Queen’s English”. However, while many people do talk this way, most Britons speak in their own regional accents (口音).

Scouse, Glaswegian and Black Country — from Liverpool, Glasgow and the West Midlands — are just three of the countless non-RP accents that British people speak with. There are even differences in accents between towns or cities just 30 kilometers apart. What is even more disappointing is that not speaking in a RP accent may mean a British person is judged and even treated differently in their everyday life.

In a 2015 study by The University of South Wales, videos of people reading a passage in three different UK accents were shown to a second group of people. The group then rated how intelligent they thought the readers sounded. The lowestrated accent was Brummie, native to people from Birmingham, a city whose accent is considered working class.

However, there is no need to be disappointed though you are not speaking in a RP accent. In fact, doing the opposite may even give you strength.

Kong Seongjae, 25, is an Internet celebrity from Seoul. After studying in the UK, he picked up several regional accents. He’s now famous for his online videos, where he shows off the various accents he’s learned. “British people usually get really excited when I use some of their local dialect words, and they become much friendlier. I think it makes a bit of bond between local people and foreigners to speak in their local accent,” he said.

So if you’re working on perfecting your British accent, try to speak like someone from Liverpool, Glasgow or Birmingham. You may not sound like Harry Potter, but you are likely to make more friends.

1. What can we infer from Paragraph 1?

A．Non-Brits usually hold that all Britons speak in a RP accent.

B．Only “the Queen’s English” is accepted in the UK.

C．Foreign visitors are disappointed at their on spoken English.

D．Any Received Pronunciation around the world is also called “the Queen’s English”.

2. What do people think of the Brummie accent?

A．Favored by foreign visitors to the UK.	B．Closest to the RP accent.
C．Smart and easy to understand.	D．Spoken by people of lower class.

3. What does the underlined phrase “doing the opposite” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Speaking in a RP accent.	B．Speaking in regional accents.
C．Speaking the Brummie accent.	D．Speaking like Harry Potter.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．A study about the most intelligent accent in Britain.

B．A comparison between different British accents.

C．How much British people value the RP accent.

D．The influence of regional accents on people’s lives.

2 . Reading can be a social activity. Think of the people who belong to book groups. They choose books to read and then meet to discuss them. Now, the website Book Crossing.com turns the page on the traditional idea of a book group.

Members go on the site and register (登记) the books they own and would like to share. Book Crossing provides an identification number (识别码) to stick inside the book. Then the person leaves it in a public place, hoping that the book will have an adventure, traveling far and wide with each new reader who finds it.

Bruce Pederson, the managing director of Book Crossing, says, “The two things that change your life are the people you meet and books you read. Book Crossing combines both.”

Members leave books on park benches and buses, in train stations and coffee shops. Whoever finds their book will go to the site and record where they found it.

People who find a book can also leave a journal entry describing what they thought of it. E— mails are then sent to the BookCrossers to keep them updated about where their books have been found. Bruce Pederson says the idea is for people not to be selfish by keeping a book to gather dust on a shelf at home.

Book Crossing is part of a trend (趋势) among people who want to get back to the “real” and not the virtual (虚拟).The site now has more than one million members in more than one hundred thirty—five countries.

1. Why does the author mention book groups in the first paragraph?

A．To explain what they are.	B．To introduce Book Crossing.
C．To stress the importance of reading.	D．To encourage readers to share their ideas.

2. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．An adventure.	B．A public place.
C．The book.	D．The identification number.

3. What will a Book Crosser do with a book after reading it?

A．Keep it safe in his bookcase.	B．Mail it back to its owner.
C．Meet other readers to discuss it.	D．Pass it on to another reader.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Online Reading: A Virtual Tour	B．Electronic Books: A New Trend
C．A Book Group Brings Tradition Back	D．A Website Links People through Books

3 . Donna Strickland was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with Arthur Ashkin and Gérard Mourou.It’s the first time in 55 years that a woman has won this famous prize, but why has it taken so long? We look at five other pioneering female physicists — past and present — who actually deserve the prize.

Jocelyn Bell Burnell

Perhaps the most famous snub (冷落): the student Bell discovered the first radio pulsars in 1967, when she was a PhD student at Cambridge.The Nobel Prize that recognised this landmark discovery in 1974, however, went to her male supervisor, Antony Hewish.Recently awarded a £2.3 million Breakthrough Prize, which she gave away to help under-represented students, she joked to The Guardian, “I feel I’ve done very well out of not getting a Nobel Prize.”

Lene Hau

Hau is best-known for leading the research team at Harvard University in 1999 that managed to slow a beam of light, before managing to stop it completely in 2001.Often topping Nobel Prize prediction lists, could 2019 be Hau’s year.

Vera Rubin

Rubin discovered dark matter in the 1980s, opening up a new field of astronomy.She died in 2016, without recognition from the committee.

Chien-Shiung Wu

Wu’s “Wu experiment” helped disprove the “law of conservation of parity”.Her experimental work was helpful but never honoured, and instead, her male colleagues won the 1957 Nobel Prize for their theoretical work behind the study.

Lise Meitner

Meitner led groundbreaking work on the discovery of nuclear fission.However, the discovery was acknowledged by the 1944 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, which was won by her male co-lead, Otto Hahn.

1. When was the discovery of radio pulsars recognised by the Nobel?

A．In 1944．

B．In 1967．

C．In 1974．

D．In 1980．

2. Which woman is most likely to win a Nobel Prize later according to the text?

A．Donna Strickland.	B．Jocelyn Bell Burnell.
C．Lene Hau.	D．Vera Rubin.

3. What do we know about the five females?

A．The five female scientists did greatly in chemistry.

B．Vera Rubin had opened up a new field in geometry.

C．Lise Meitner’s teacher won a Nobel Prize for her work.

D．The five female scientists haven’t been awarded Nobel Prize.

4 . The “24 solar terms” (节气) originated and was first used in China. It was created thousands of years ago on the basis of practical needs of agricultural. Ancient Chinese people used it to guide agricultural production, explain special climate signs and even come up with healthy living tips. Last year, the 24 solar terms was added to UNESCO's world cultural heritage list(联合国教科文组织世界文化遗产名录). Now, it has been brought to life thanks to a creative designer from Southwest China's Guizhou Province.

On the eve of this year's Qingming Festival, Shi Changhong released (发布) his version of reproduced and packaged characters for each solar term in the form of “moving art” of gifs. Since their first release on Zcool on March 29, the gifs have won great praise among the general public and quickly flooded the social media with millions of hits during the festival period.

To maximize publicity, Shi released his work in three forms: the video, the animation and pictures. The background sounds add to the brilliance.

“When I watch the short video, I can strongly feel the Chinese-style elements hidden in it. And it is really cool to liven up traditional Chinese culture in such a unique way.” WeChat user Xiao Feifei said.

“It is really a comfort to me to see so many people like my latest work. To be honest, it would really surprise me if the work had not aroused great interest among Chinese people. The 24 solar terms is a deeply rooted concept that covers the essence of Chinese wisdom. However, only a small portion of people know all the names or the correct order of those terms. My intention is to increase Chinese people’s self-awareness to learn more about our traditional fine culture. Actually, the 24 solar terms work is only a part of my whole design program ‘Charm China’, which I started a year ago.” Shi told China Daily.

1. Which part of the newspaper does the text probably belong to?

A．Travel.

B．Culture.

C．Agriculture.

D．Education.

2. What do you think the underlined word “Zcool” refers to?

A．Newspaper.	B．Magazine.
C．Radio broadcast.	D．Website.

3. Which of the following statements is true according to the text?

A．The background sounds of the work make the video more attractive.

B．It really surprised Shi Changhong to see so many people like his latest work.

C．Most people know all the names or the correct order of the 24 solar terms.

D．The 24 solar terms work designed by Shi Changhong was added to UNESCO’s heritage list.

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To introduce a creative designer.

B．To introduce the 24 solar terms work.

C．To introduce the origin of the 24 solar terms.

D．To introduce a design program “Charm China”.

5 . Since 1984, Philadelphia has been cleaning up its act. One by one, graffiti-covered walls are being changed into outdoor art. So far, more than 1,800 murals (壁画) have been painted. Philadelphia now has more murals than any other American city.

The walls that were once ugly with graffiti (涂鸦) are now covered with beautiful pictures of historical heroes and modern art, thanks to the Mural Arts Program (MAP). Its work makes schools and public places attractive, and its citizens very proud. The program began as part of Philadelphia's Anti-Graffiti Network. Jane Golden is the MAP's artistic director. “When people ask me what our program is about，” she says, “I answer them with one word: hope”. Each year, the MAP offers youth art programs and workshops. Some one-time graffiti writers even help paint MAP murals.

The MAP's work, says Golden, is all about developing a sense of community (社区). When a neighborhood requests a mural, the MAP works with the people there to develop a message. Some messages have been “Safe Streets”，“Love and Care”，and “Peace Walk”．

The MAP receives up to 50 requests for murals each week. Last year, the workers painted 140 murals.

“The making of a mural enters people's collective memory as an extraordinary, pleasant moment in neighborhood history.” says Golden, who began as a muralist in Los Angeles.

1. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Love, from Graffiti Writers to Muralists

B．Hope, One Wall at a Time

C．Jane, an Excellent Mural Artist

D．MAP, a New Company in Philadelphia

2. What is the Mural Arts Program in Philadelphia aimed at?

A．Helping the young find jobs.

B．Protecting the neighborhood.

C．Fighting against graffiti.

D．Attracting more visitors.

3. How does the MAP decide on the message for a mural?

A．By having discussions with people in the community.

B．By seeking advice from the city government.

C．By learning from the young graffiti writers.

D．By studying the history of the city.

4. Which of the following words best describes the work of the MAP?

A．Difficult.

B．Meaningless.

C．Fruitless.

D．Successful.

6 . Planning to get away? Think passport first

If you’re planning to get away from it all this year, you should think passport first. Checking you have a valid passport before you book your trip takes minutes but could save you the trouble and cost of not being able to go.

Renewing (更新) your passport before it runs out

You can renew your passport up to 9 months before it can no longer be legally used. So take the time now and save the tears later.

Applying for a passport for the first time

Our eligibility (资格) checks mean that it takes at least one week to issue (颁发) a passport. So make sure you don’t leave it to the last minute, and apply in plenty of time.

Help with your application is just around the corner

Selected Post Office branches and Worldchoice travel agents offer a Check and Send service that helps you with your application. It’s convenient and you should receive your passport within 2 weeks.

If you need to apply for or renew a passport, you can either:

Pick up a Passport Application Form at Selected Post Office branches and Worldchoice travel agents.

Or call the Application Form Request line on 0901 4700 100 or visit www.passport.gov.uk

If your need is urgent, call 0870 521 0410 for an appointment at one of our offices. We can’t guarantee to see customers without an appointment.

1. When applying for a passport for the first time, you need to know that ______.

A．passports can be legally used forever

B．passports are issued at the last minute

C．application checks take at least one week

D．applications are selected by post office branches

2. According to the passage, you can meet your urgent need by ______.

A．going to the offices directly

B．making a call for an appointment

C．visiting www.passport.gov.uk for a guarantee

D．getting in touch with Worldchoice travel agents

3. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Certain types of passports.	B．Instructions on applying for passports..
C．Advantages of holding passports.	D．Different functions of passports

7 . What you do after studying could have a big effect on how well you learn and remember. Today on Education Tips, we will explore two no-cost ways that can help you improve your learning: wakeful rest and sleep.

When many students finish studying, they often go straight to another activity. Perhaps they look at their phone or computer. They might even play a video game or watch television. But research suggests that resting after your study may help you remember what you have studied.

The basic idea is this: by stopping your activity after the study, your brain gets a chance to rest. Resting is difficult when you are playing computer games.

While this might sound unusual to you, many studies have explored the benefits of resting after learning—what is called “wakeful rest”.

A 2019 study found that both young and older adults were able to better remember information they learned after doing wakeful rest.

If you want to give “wakeful rest” a try, here are a few simple things to do. Rest quietly for five to ten minutes. Do not look at your phone, read stories or play games. It is really that easy!

Besides wakeful rest, sleep is also important for learning. The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS) notes that sleep helps people to learn in two ways. A report on the school’s website explains that “a sleep-deprived person cannot focus attention well and therefore cannot learn well”. It also says, “Sleep itself helps us to memorize and that memorizing is very important for learning new information.”

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) suggests that adults between the ages of 20 and 64 get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per day. Teenagers may need a little bit more, and people over the age of 65 may need a little less.

Try to get some “wakeful rest” after a study. Then try to get a good night’s sleep. That’s it—a simple, no-cost way to help you remember what you learn.

1. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The importance of sleep.	B．The good ways to get a rest.
C．The reason for having a rest.	D．The types of resting activities.

2. Which activity might be recommended shortly after studying?

A．Reading a newspaper.	B．Playing a video game.
C．Sitting there doing nothing.	D．Having a nice sleep at night.

3. How long should teenagers sleep each day according to NSF?

A．Less than 7 hours.	B．Just 7 hours.
C．No more than 9 hours.	D．Around 9 hours.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Low-cost Tips on Working	B．Good Things to Do After Your Study
C．Why Do We Need to Have a Good Sleep?	D．How Long Should We Rest After Learning?

8 . You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

Jane Addams (1860-1935)

Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community (社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rachel Carson (1907-1964)

If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness(意识) of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.

Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)

When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator (参议员) and in 1981, the first woman to join the U. S. Supreme Court (最高法院). O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.

Rosa Parks(1913-2005)

On December 1,1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rasa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott (抵制). It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.

1. What is Jane Addams famous for in history?

A．Her social work.	B．Her teaching skills.
C．Her efforts to win a prize.	D．Her community background.

2. What was the reason for O’Connor’s being refused by the law firm?

A．Not having training in law.	B．Her little work experience in court.
C．Her identity as a woman.	D．Her poor financial conditions.

3. Who made a great contribution to the civil-rights movement in the U.S.?

A．Jane Addams.	B．Rachel Carson.
C．Sandra Day O’Connor.	D．Rosa Parks.

4. What can we infer about the women mentioned in the text?

A．They are highly educated.	B．They are truly creative.
C．They are pioneers.	D．They are peace-lovers.

9 . Smart Kids is a collection of one hundred events scheduled in October. This year, it is experimenting with Pay What You Decide (PWYD). That is, you can decide to pay what you want to or can afford, after you have attended an event. You can pre-book events without paying for a ticket in advance. Here are some of the director’s picks.

Walk on the Wild Side

Not ticketed, Free

Join storyteller Sarah Law to hear science stories about animals. Along the way you’ll meet all sorts of beautiful creatures and discover life cycles and food chains. Best suited to children aged 5-9. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

Introduction to Waves

Pre-book, PWYD

Subjects range from sound waves to gravity waves, and from waves of light to crashing waves on the ocean. Mike Goldsmith explores the fundamental features shared by all waves in the natural world.

Science in the Field

Not ticketed, Free

This storytelling night features a scientist sharing his favourite memories of gathering first-hand data on various field trips. Come along for inspiring and informative stories straight from the scientist’s mouth. Join Mark Samuels to find out more in this fun-filled workshop.

Festival Dinner

Pre-book, £25 per person

Whether you want to explore more about food, or just fancy a talk over a meal, join us to mark the first science festival in London. Which foods should you eat to trick your brain into thinking that you are full? Find out more from Tom Crawford.

1. In which event can you decide the payment?

A．Introduction to Waves.	B．Walk on the Wild Side.
C．Science in the Field.	D．Festival Dinner.

2. Who will talk about experiences of collecting direct data?

A．Mike Goldsmith.	B．Sarah Law.
C．Mark Samuels.	D．Tom Crawford.

3. What do the four events have in common?

A．Family-based.	B．Science-related.
C．Picked by children.	D．Filled with adventures.