Time: 25th – 31st August 2008
Tel / Fax: 0131 557 1400
E-mail: info@edinburgh-mela.co.uk
Website: www.edinburgh-mela.co.uk
Each year Edinburgh Mela is Scotland's biggest multicultural(多文化的) arts festival that celebrates in Scotland. Although Edinburgh Mela's roots are in South Asian cultures, this is a festival for everybody. Music, color, dance, art, fashion, food, children's activities, the Mela bazaar（集市）and much more!
Edinburgh International Book Festival
Time: 9th – 25th August 2008
Tel: 0131 718 5666
Fax: 0131 226 5335
E-mail: admin@edbookfest.co.uk
Website: www.edbookfest.co.uk
Edinburgh International Book Festival is the world's biggest book festival. We present different programs for both adults and children including discussions, lectures, debates and workshops, all in one of Edinburgh's most beautiful spaces, Charlotte Square Gardens.
Edinburgh International Festival
Time: 8th – 31st August 2008
Tel: + 44 (0) 131 473 2000
Fax: +44 (0) 131 473 2002
E-mail: eif@eif.co.uk
Website: www.eif@eif.co.uk
Each year the Edinburgh International Festival stages one of the greatest celebrations of the arts, attracting audiences from around the world to the city's exciting atmosphere. The festivities offer a special opportunity to experience the excitement of live performance by internationally well-known artists as well as the joy of discovering new and unfamiliar works.
Edinburgh International Science Festival
Time: 25th March-5th April 2008
Tel: 0131 558 7666
Fax: 0131 557 9177
E-mail: esf@scifest.demon.co.uk
Website: www.sciencefestival.co.uk
The UK's largest Science Festival is back with one of the most exciting line-ups in the Festival's 16-year history. The Science Festival is an unbelievable place for everyone, with events at all levels, all ages and all purses. On offer are 10 days of non-stop shows, workshops, presentations, hands-on activities, exhibitions and tours designed to amuse and entertain. Call our ticket hotline on 0131 557 5588.
1. According to the passage, the four festivals ________.| A．are all about arts | B．all happen in 2008 only |
| C．are all celebrated in Edinburgh | D．are all mainly for children |
| A．It is deeply rooted in Edinburgh. |
| B．It is a place to buy and sell things. |
| C．It shows kinds of cultures in Scotland. |
| D．It offers a chance for you to buy books. |
| A．Only one. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
2 . Japanese automaker Toyota has announced its “Woven City” plan, which aims to create a “smart city of the future”. It will be a “living laboratory” for technologies including self-driving systems, high-speed internet connectivity to link major information and communication systems.
The main streets in Woven City will be divided for different purposes. One part will be used for faster vehicle traffic. Another will be designed for people riding bicycles. The third part will be used for walking. To move people through the city, only fully-autonomous, zero emission（排放）Toyota vehicles will be allowed on the roads. In and throughout Woven City, Toyota e-Palettes will be used for transportation and deliveries.
The city will be fully sustainable（可持续的）, with buildings made mostly of wood to cut carbon footprint to the minimum. The rooftops will be covered with solar panels to produce power in addition to power produced by H2 fuel cells. Houses will be equipped with the latest AI technologies, such as in-home robotics to assist with daily work and to check people’s health. Both neighborhood parks and a large central park for recreation and social gatherings are designed to bring the people together.
Toyota plans to populate the city with Toyota Motor Corporation employees and their families, visiting scientists and industry partners. The plan is for 2,000 people to start, adding more as the project develops.
“Building a complete city from scratch, even in a small size like this, is a unique chance to develop future technologies. With people, buildings and vehicles all connected and communicating with each other through sensors, we will be able to test connected AI technology in both the virtual and the physical areas to maximize its potential,” said Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corporation.
Experts say smart cities, like Toyota’s “Woven City”, will greatly improve our living conditions.
1. What is the “e-Palette” in paragraph 2?| A．An intelligent robot. | B．A driverless car. |
| C．An autonomous bike. | D．A slow vehicle. |
| A．All the houses are built with wood only. | B．Only Toyota workers live there. |
| C．It is designed to hold 2,000 people. | D．Just green power is used in the city. |
| A．He is not satisfied with the small size of the city. |
| B．It is difficult to build a complete city of the future. |
| C．The city is a good platform to test future technologies. |
| D．Toyota is committed to improving the living conditions. |
| A．What Does a “City of the Future” Look Like? |
| B．Can Toyota’s Woven City Become a Reality? |
| C．Toyota’s Plan for a “City of the Future” |
| D．New Technologies for Smart Cities of the Future |
3 . Every day we experience one of the wonders of the world around us without even realizing it. It is not the amazing complexity of television, nor the impressive technology of transport. The universal wonder we share and experience is our ability to make noises with our mouths, and so transmit ideas and thoughts to each other’s minds. This ability comes so naturally that we tend to forget what a miracle (奇迹) it is.
Obviously, the ability to talk is something that marks humans off from animals. Of course, some animals have powers just as amazing. Birds can fly thousands of miles by observing positions of the stars in the sky in relation to the time of day and year. In Nature’s talent show, humans are a species of animal that have developed their own special act. If we reduce it to basic terms, it’s an ability for communicating information to others by varying sounds we make as we breathe out.
Not that we don’t have other powers of communication. Our facial expressions convey our emotions, such as anger, or joy, or disappointment. The way we hold our heads can indicate to others whether we are happy or sad. This is so-called “body language”. Bristling (直立的) fur is an unmistakable warning of attack among many animals. Similarly, the bowed head or drooping tail shows a readiness to take second place in any animal gathering.
Such a means of communication is a basic mechanism that animals, including human beings, instinctively acquire and display. Is the ability to speak just another sort of instinct? If so, how did human beings acquire this amazing skill? Biologists can readily indicate that particular area of our brain where speech mechanisms function, but this doesn’t tell us how that part of our bodies originated in our biological history.
1. According to the passage, the wonder we take for granted is _______.| A．the miracle of technology |
| B．our ability to use language |
| C．the amazing power of nature |
| D．our ability to make noises |
| A．Body language is unique to humans. |
| B．Animals express emotions just as humans do. |
| C．Humans have other powers of communication. |
| D．Humans are no different than animals to some degree. |
| A．Lifting heads when sad. |
| B．Keeping long faces when angry. |
| C．Bristling hair when ready to attack. |
| D．Bowing heads when willing to obey. |
| A．The special role humans play in nature. |
| B．The development of body language. |
| C．The difference between humans and animals. |
| D．The power to convey information to others. |
4 . Rehan Staton recently found out he was accepted to Harvard Law School. For him, the sky’s the limit, but it wasn’t always that way.
The 24-year-old college student was raised by a single father who worked three different jobs, breaking his back. But, despite his father’s best efforts, financial burdens steadily mounted. Staton’s study had suffered but he kept pushing himself forward. He said growing up was tough and he used to struggle in school. One teacher even suggested he switch to a special education class.
But with help from a free tutor, Staton’s grades improved. He continued to improve academically while training to be a professional boxer in high school. However, his choices for college dwindled after suffering an injury, which ruined the chances of him turning professional in sports. He was rejected from every school he applied to.
So to help support his family, Staton took a job collecting trash at a local sanitation company, which he said changed his life in ways he never imagined. “Most of my coworkers were formerly imprisoned. So, it caught me by surprise how much the people on the bottom of the society uplifted me and really wanted me to make something of myself,” he told the reporter. “They encouraged me to reapply to college. They had nothing but uplifting words for me and my future.”
Through persistence, he took the LSAT and applied to nine schools—getting accepted to five. Ultimately, he decided to commit to Harvard Law School—and he’ll never forget all the people who helped him get there. “Throughout this time, people ask me, ‘How did you do it?’ it’s more so how could I not do it when everyone is breaking their backs for me, and pushing me to win.” Staton said. “When you have a support system, you want to give them your best shot. Because as much as you’re investing into yourself, you have others investing into you too.”
1. What can we know about Staton from paragraph 2?| A．He received special care from his teacher. |
| B．He used to have poor academic performance |
| C．He worked three jobs to help support his family |
| D．He lost sight of his goal due to family difficulties |
| A．Decreased. | B．Change. | C．Appeared. | D．Continued. |
| A．The mixed backgrounds of his coworkers |
| B．The misunderstanding about garbage men |
| C．The strong encouragement from his coworkers |
| D．The misfortune of people at the bottom of society |
| A．Courage is resistance to fear and pain. | B．Success comes from sweat and support. |
| C．Achievements are going from failure to failure. | D．Progress takes place outside the comfort zone. |
5 . Every Saturday, my mom and dad picked me up from school in a yellow car. What happened last time stayed
As I slid into the back seat as usual, my dad tried to
Along the way, I fell into a sound sleep. Suddenly, mom
Fluttering around the rearview mirror (后视镜)was a tiny yellow butterfly.
1.| A．familiar | B．quiet | C．distant | D．fresh |
| A．move | B．settle | C．start | D．wash |
| A．voices | B．shouts | C．coughs | D．cries |
| A．panic | B．disappointment | C．amazement | D．silence |
| A．hesitation | B．permission | C．difficulty | D．doubt |
| A．after | B．before | C．when | D．the moment |
| A．argued | B．discussed | C．quarreled | D．chatted |
| A．factory | B．store | C．police station | D．gas station |
| A．speeding | B．pulling | C．filling | D．winding |
| A．still | B．even | C．hence | D．otherwise |
| A．Regardless of | B．Instead of | C．Apart from | D．Far from |
| A．deed | B．treat | C．part | D．trick |
| A．pushed | B．rocked | C．hugged | D．removed |
| A．wonder | B．fear | C．worry | D．power |
| A．existing | B．standing | C．sitting | D．pointing |
6 . Their man-servant had been sent one morning to Exeter on business, and when he waited at table, he began to chat with his mistress（女主人）.
“I suppose you know, ma’am, that Mr. Ferrars is married?”
Marianne gave a violent start, fixed her eyes upon Elinor, saw her turning pale, fell back in her chair and lost control of her emotions. Mrs. Dashwood was shocked to realize by Elinor’s expression how much she really suffered.
Mrs. Dashwood immediately took all that trouble on herself, and Elinor had the benefit of the information without the effort of seeking it.
“Who told you that Mr. Ferrars was married, Thomas?”
“I see Mr. Ferrars myself, ma’am, this morning in Exeter, and his lady too, Miss Steele as was. They were stopping in a chaise（马车）at the door of the New London Inn, and she knew me and called to me, and inquired after you, ma’am, and the young ladies, especially Miss Marianne.”
“But did she tell you she was married, Thomas?”
“Yes, ma’am.” She smiled, and said how she had changed her name since she was in these parts.
“Was Mr. Ferrars in the carriage with her?”
“Yes, ma’am, I just see him leaning back in it, but he did not look up: he never was a gentleman much for talking.”
Elinor’s heart could easily account for his not putting himself forward, and Mrs. Dashwood probably found the same explanation.
“Was there no one else in the carriage?” “No, ma’am, only they two.”
“Do you know where they came from?”
“They come straight from town, as Miss Steele -- Mrs. Ferrars told me.” “And are they going farther westward?”
“Yes, ma’am, but they will soon be back again, and then they’d be sure and call here.”
Thomas’s intelligence seemed over. Elinor looked as if she wished to hear more. Mrs. Dashwood could think of no other question, and Thomas and the tablecloth, were soon afterwards dismissed. Mrs. Dashwood’s and Elinor’s appetites（胃口）were completely lost. They remained long together in a similarity of thoughtfulness and silence.
1. What’s Elinor’s reaction at the news from the man-servant?| A．She expressed mixed emotions. | B．She burst out crying. |
| C．She went pale from suffering a lot. | D．She exploded with great anger. |
| A．She was only too curious about the couple. |
| B．She wanted to find out who Mr. Ferrars married. |
| C．She wanted to satisfy her daughters with her questions. |
| D．She wanted to cheer her daughters up with the news. |
| A．Confident. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Joyful. | D．Scared. |
| A．Mr. Ferrars was not in the carriage at all. |
| B．The lady the servant encountered was not Mrs. Ferrars. |
| C．The Dashwoods would never see Mr. Ferrars again. |
| D．The news upset the mother and daughter terribly. |
7 . I remember my first true introduction to art fondly. It was my second year of university and I was a confused 19-year-old at the time, unsure of what academic path I wanted to pursue. I knew that I had always been fascinated by things that made me question the world around me, and my art history class was the first time I really got to get my feet wet.
My professor, a post-graduate with natty (齐整的) hair, entertained us with her stories of travel and revealed the arts of the world to us, something that had not been touched on since my primary school years. The grand story of time was told in broken Greek sculptures, figures whose amazingly detailed limestone carvings were often missing arms and heads to the brittle ravages (无情的破坏) of time. We explored the patterns of the Medieval era and the early Renaissance religious symbolism of Michelangelo and Botticelli. We analyzed the mustard (芥末黄) and chiaroscuro (明暗对比) glare of the Baroque paintings of Caravaggio and El Greco, and we were amazed by the sandcastle-naturalism of the Spanish architect Gaudi. The history of art has fascinated me ever since.
I never had a talent for art myself, but I always did have a well-grounded appreciation for those who did. In primary school, we explored art through music and painting classes, but once we entered secondary school, art was an elective course and quickly limited to the dustbins of my memory. It was only after that humble art history class that I realized what I had been missing.
I strongly believe that a well-rounded society needs everyone to have an early education in the arts. A healthy society needs all its members to open their eyes—and their minds—so that they can learn what is true and beautiful, just as the famous Greek philosopher Plato said, “The reflection of beauty causes the soul to grow wings”.
1. What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence in the first paragraph?| A．The author got lost in the art history class due to the confusion. |
| B．The author was starting to figure out the exact academic path. |
| C．The author was starting to learn to appreciate art. |
| D．The author wet his feet because of carelessness. |
| A．To show his love for Greek sculptures. |
| B．To show the beginning of his love for art. |
| C．To tell readers the professor’s love for grand stories. |
| D．To tell readers what the Renaissance religious symbolism is. |
| A．Ambiguous | B．Supportive | C．Opposed | D．Doubtful |
| A．To advocate the popularity of art history. |
| B．To propose a change in the education of art history. |
| C．To urge people to explore more art classes in an early age. |
| D．To arouse people’s awareness of the importance of early art education. |
8 . There are so many rabbits across Australia that it may be surprising to learn that they are a non-native species. A few rabbits arrived with British settlers in 1788, but it was not until 1859, when a British-born farmer named Thomas Austin brought 24 European rabbits to his land for hunting, that they began to live there. They are an excellent example of an invasive (侵入的) species, a non-native species that does harm to its new environment.
Rabbits have lived well in many different environments within Australia, such as grasslands, coastal areas, farmland, and even in towns or cities. Their activities have destroyed crops and plants. They compete directly with other wildlife for food and shelter, including taking over burrows (地洞) of other animals. They have led to dangerously reduced populations of many plant and animal species.
Efforts to control the rabbit population have had mixed success. The first main effort was the Rabbit-Proof Fence. In 1901, the government started building a knee in the state of Western Australia to protect farmland from rabbits. By the time it was finished in 1907, the Rabbit-Proof Fence ran some 2,000 miles from north to south. The Acting Chief Inspector of Rabbits, Alexander Crawford, headed a team whose job was to go around keeping the fence in working order. But over time, the fence proved to be no match for the rabbits.
Other main efforts have included programs to destroy rabbit burrows or use viruses that sicken and kill rabbits. Again, these efforts have been less than successful. The big problem to any efforts to control the rabbit population is simply that their population grows so quickly. One female can have 30 young in a year.
If Thomas Austin had known the damage that the rabbits would cause across the country, he might have had second thoughts about bringing rabbits to Australia.
1. Why did rabbits begin to live in Australia?| A．They travelled there by chance. |
| B．They were brought in by Thomas Austin. |
| C．They were introduced by the government. |
| D．They moved there to escape bad environment. |
| A．Some activities of rabbits. |
| B．Rabbits’ ability to live in the wild. |
| C．How fast the population of rabbits grows. |
| D．The damage rabbits have caused to Australia. |
| A．It failed in the beginning. |
| B．It didn’t live up to expectations. |
| C．It was unfinished for lack of money. |
| D．It failed later for nobody protected it. |
| A．Rabbits and farming |
| B．Efforts to control rabbits |
| C．Rabbits: experts in burrowing |
| D．Rabbits: unwelcome newcomers |
9 . The lander carrying China’s first Mars rover successfully touched down on the red planet early Saturday morning Beijing Time. It is the first time China has landed a probe on a planet other than Earth.
Tianwen-1, consisting of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, was launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of southern China’s island province of Hainan on July 23, 2020. This is the first step in China’s planetary exploration of the solar system, with the purpose of completing orbiting, landing and roving on the red planet in one mission.
The name Tianwen, meaning “questions to Heaven”, comes from a poem written by the ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan (about 340-278 BC). China’s first Mars rover is named Zhurong after the god of fire in ancient Chinese mythology, which echoes with the Chinese name of the red planet: Huoxing (the planet of fire).
Tianwen-1 was launched via a Long March-5 rocket, China’s largest launch vehicle. Tianwen-1 has been traveling in space for nearly 10 months. It has carried out four orbital corrections and a deep-space maneuver. It had flown 475 million km and was 192 million km from Earth when it reached Mars orbit.
The craft’s plummet through the Martian atmosphere, lasting about nine minutes, was extremely complicated with no ground control, and had to be performed by the spacecraft autonomously.
“Such a challenging attempt is characterized by a succession of complex activities that must be conducted completely by the spacecraft within a very short period of time,” said Geng Yan, an official with the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the CNSA. “What added to the difficulties was that we don’t know much about the Martian atmosphere, which brought a lot of uncertainties to the mission. Each step had only one chance, and the actions were closely linked. If there had been any flaw, the landing would have failed.”
1. What is the mission of Tianwen-1?| A．To record the wind speed on Mars. | B．To explore the atmosphere of Mars. |
| C．To search for aliens in the solar system. | D．To accomplish three major tasks on Mars. |
| A．The introduction of the poet Qu Yuan. | B．The reasons for the craft landing on Mars. |
| C．The origin of two names Tianwen and Zhurong. | D．The importance of ancient Chinese mythology. |
| A．The huge task of Tianwen-1. | B．The surroundings of the Mars orbit. |
| C．The expense of traveling in space. | D．The size of the Long March-5 rocket. |
| A．China’s attempt to explore Mars is successful. |
| B．Landing on Mars is a very challenging move. |
| C．People are enthusiastic about exploring the universe. |
| D．Tianwen-1 is essential to China’s space station program. |
10 . The best dessert for a party of family and friends? A homemade pie. The second best? A store-bought pie that you can pretend is homemade without being questioned. The following are some stores where you can find such great pies on Long Island.
Olish's Farm (75 Eastport Manor Rd., Eastport)
Owner Donny Olish prefers to buy fruit locally for his shop. Although more than 30 varieties are on offer, he's sometimes forced to look elsewhere to buy strawberries, pears, apples, blackberries and raspberries(山莓) to produce a pie for the ages. More info: 631 -325 -0539, olishfarms. com.
Briermere Farms (4414 Sound Ave., Riverhead)
Briermere is nothing short of a pie factory, whose two dozen flavors (味道) are sold by the hundreds on lovely fall weekends. And for good reason: Much of the fruit used is grown right there on the farm. Don't miss its cream pie, an open-faced pie filled with cream and topped with fruit. More info: 631-722 -3931, briermerefarms. com.
Diane's Bakery Cafe (23 Bryant Ave., Roslyn)
Blue. Straw. Rasp. Three kinds of berries that join produce what remains the most popular pie at this old shop. But almost as popular are its chocolate and banana cream versions, followed closely by pecan and apple pies, to which New York State fruit is the key. Besides all these pies, you can treat yourself to other types of desserts there. More info: 516 -621 -2522, dianesroslyn. com.
Jericho Cider Mill(213 Route 106, Jericho)
Apple-raspberry. Apple-peach. Apple-blueberry. Are you detecting a theme? A new and cute outdoor seating area is the latest addition to Jericho Cider Mill. A matchless selection of New York's favorite home-grown fruit finds its way into equally matchless 13 varieties of pies. More info: 516 - 433 - 3360, jerichocider. com.
1. What do we know about Olish's Farm?| A．It merely uses home-grown fruit. |
| B．It has a new outdoor seating area. |
| C．It always opens on fall weekends. |
| D．It offers the largest variety of pies. |
| A．The apple pie. |
| B．The chocolate pie. |
| C．The mixed berry pie. |
| D．The banana cream pie. |
| A．Olish's Farm. |
| B．Jericho Cider Mill. |
| C．Briermere Farms. |
| D．Diane's Bakery Cafe. |
