1 . As we close out the final days of this year, treat yourself to a deliciously distracting new book —a book that you can dip into and out of throughout the holidays. Read up, rest up, and enjoy yourself.

Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and beyond

A must-have guide for yoga-loving mamas, Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond offers helpful relaxation techniques and breathing exercises that are tailored to each pregnant woman. The book also lays out valuable techniques for labor and staying in touch with your body as it continuously changes.

Mindfulness Activities for Kids

We could all use a little more peace in our lives. Uniquely suited for children and parents to do together, the 40 mindfulness exercises recommended here —from pausing to fully enjoy a tasty sandwich to taking chalk walk together—will not only teach children calm and gratitude, but also bring grown-ups and their littles closer together.

Before She Disappeared

Frankie Elkin is a recovering alcoholic who devotes her time to solving cold cases, especially those involving people of color. A new investigation brings her to Boston, searching for a Haitian teenager who disappeared months ago. But as Frankie starts asking questions, someone else will stop at nothing to keep the answers hidden.

Oak Flat

Lauren Redniss’ Oak Flat tells the story of the land near the San Carlos Apache Reservation through an Apache family fighting to protect the land which the U. S. government and two world-power mining enterprises are attempting to seize and destroy for its copper resources. Visually striking and deeply reported, Oak Flat tells a larger story of endless westward expansion and native resistance.

1. Which book can help to improve family relations?

A．Oak Flat.

B．Before She Disappeared.

C．Mindfulness Activities for Kids.

D．Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond.

2. What do we know about the book Oak Flat?

A．It’s a brief account of mining enterprises.

B．It centers on an Apache family’s struggle.

C．It sings high praise of the US government.

D．It supports westward expansion and native resistance.

3. Who are the target readers of the four books?

A．Teenagers.

B．Men.

C．Kids.

D．Grown-ups.

2 . North Americans value independence, and Europeans value togetherness. I never fully understood that stereotype until two months ago, when I left Canada for a 4-month period in a lab in France. On my first day, Pierre, a Ph. D. student, tapped me on my shoulder and asked: “Coffee?” I nodded and followed him to the common room, where other grad students were filling in. I sat there, cautiously sipping the bitter liquid and trying hard not to reveal my uncultured tastes, while lab chatter filled the air.

Coffee breaks are a ceremonial part of lab culture here. The chatter sometimes turns to serious scientific topics. But mostly, the meet-ups offer a chance to wind down, to share stories about life inside and outside the lab and to sympathize with people who understand what you’re going through.

The lighthearted atmosphere and sense of community is a welcome contrast to my life in Canada, where I spent most of my workdays in isolation. I went into the lab each morning with set goals for my day. At lunch, I’d keep my eyes glued to my computer while I fed forkfuls of salad into my mouth, trying to power through my to-do list. For 9 months, I struggled to figure out why I couldn’t exactly copy the results of another study. I didn’t want to trouble my advisor too much. I was also hesitant to ask my labmates for help.

How much we were missing! Researchers need community because good ideas don’t just come from reading literature and thinking deep thoughts. It’s helpful to bounce ideas off others, and, to have a venue to share the day-to-day ups and downs of life.

Would coffee breaks have solved all my problems? Probably not. But I think sharing ideas with my peers would have helped solve my research dilemma. My time in France has taught me that it’s important to create space for organic conversations about lab life. A scientist’s life can feel isolating, but it’s not necessarily so when you’re connected to a supportive community.

1. How did the author feel when he drank coffee for the first time in France?

A．A little nervous.	B．Very happy.
C．Somewhat excited.	D．Quite curious.

2. What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A．Cultural ceremonies in France.	B．Various topics of the chatter.
C．Coffee breaks in French lab culture.	D．Lab culture in French style.

3. What was the author’s life like back in Canada?

A．Comfortable and fulfilled.	B．Busy and lonely.
C．Tense but satisfactory.	D．Boring but healthy.

4. Why does the author write this passage?

A．To introduce the coffee break in Europe.

B．To explain the difference between cultures.

C．To recall his personal experience in France.

D．To convey the importance of a supportive circle.

3 . I was ready for bed. My eyes fell on the musical _________ on my bedside table. In it was a photo of Dad smiling, and once opened, it would play his _________ song recorded before his death. It was propped (支撑) open just enough so the recording wouldn’t play.

Dad was a _________ man. He was always singing me his little made-up songs to share joy although he was _________ off-key, not hitting every note.

Dad was a man with big heart. When my house burned down a few years ago, Dad _________ my family into his home. When we tried to offer some _________, he said with his characteristic voice, “Don’t be _________!”

With happy _________, I fell asleep.

“Beautiful and marvelous!”

Suddenly, I was awoken hours later by the _________ song. The card! I snapped it shut (啪的一声合上).

How did that card just start playing? I checked the windows, all tightly shut. But why couldn’t I __________ the feeling that something was wrong?

I decided to __________ downstairs. Opening the door to the laundry room, I was hit with a strong smell of __________. The heat lamp had fallen, and the carpet was burning.

The __________ wasn’t too bad. I let out a shaky breath with __________. What could have happened? Perhaps another house fire. But we were safe. All thanks to Dad’s one-of-a-kind __________.

1.

A．record

B．card

C．clock

D．box

2.

A．particular

B．sad

C．religious

D．strange

3.

A．joyful

B．powerful

C．reliable

D．traditional

4.

A．intentionally

B．hardly

C．annoyingly

D．typically

5.

A．frightened

B．moved

C．tricked

D．dragged

6.

A．protection

B．tips

C．opportunities

D．rent

7.

A．mean

B．careful

C．ridiculous

D．sensible

8.

A．songs

B．endings

C．memories

D．wishes

9.

A．familiar

B．embarrassing

C．beautiful

D．classic

10.

A．believe

B．shake

C．tolerate

D．express

11.

A．check

B．observe

C．wander

D．test

12.

A．chemicals

B．cigarettes

C．cooking

D．smoke

13.

A．reflection

B．influence

C．change

D．damage

14.

A．regret

B．satisfaction

C．relief

D．excitement

15.

A．kindness

B．voice

C．heart

D．generosity

4 . Elon Musk isn’t content with electric cars, shooting people into orbit and populating Mars. He also wants to get inside your brain.

His goal is to develop devices that can provide treatment to neural (神经的) diseases and that may one day be powerful enough to put humanity on an equal footing with possible future super intelligent computers.

Not that it’s anywhere close to that yet.

In a video Friday obviously aimed at seeking new employees, Musk showed off the second version of the Neuralink, a device about the size of a large coin. It’s designed to be put in a person’s head. An earlier version of the device has to be placed behind an ear like a huge hearing aid.

But the young company is far from having a commercial product, which would involve complex human trials and governmental approval. Friday’s video showed three pigs. One, named Gertrude, had a Neuralink device in its brain.

Musk, a founder of both the electric car company Tesla Motors and the space-exploration firm SpaceX, has always been worried about that smarter AI machines will outwit humans. His solution? Link our brains to computers so we can keep up with or even win over them in intelligence!

Musk urged coders (程序员), engineers and especially people who have actually created a product to apply. “You don’t need to have brain experience,” he said, adding that this is something that can be learned on the job.

Connecting a brain up directly to electronics is not new. Doctors have already put similar devices in brains to treat such conditions as Parkinson’s disease. In 2016, researchers reported that a man regained some movement in his own hand with a similar brain implant. But Musk’s proposal goes beyond this. Neuralink wants to build on those existing medical treatments and work on devices that could link our brains to computers one day.

1. What can we learn about the first version of the Neuralink?

A．It is smaller than a hearing aid.

B．It can be put in a person’s head.

C．It has to be placed behind the ear.

D．It is already available at the market.

2. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “outwit” in paragraph 6?

A．copy

B．defeat

C．understand

D．destroy

3. What kind of candidates does Elon Musk particularly want?

A．Someone who also wants to create the same device.

B．Doctors who already know how to treat brain diseases.

C．People who have already designed some unique products.

D．Engineers who are good at linking brains to computers.

4. Where is this text likely from?

A．An advertisement.	B．A test report.
C．A science fiction novel.	D．A news report.

5 . A 293-million-mile journey of the NASA Perseverance rover (探测器)to Mars ended successfully on February 18th, 2021, with a picture-perfect landing inside the Jezero Crater. The car-sized, six-wheeled rover, nicknamed Percy, is the US space agency’s biggest and most advanced explorer to date. Its primary mission is to search for signs of ancient microbial(微生物的)life on Mars.

Landing on Mars is extremely tricky. The Red Planet’s gravitational(引力的) pull causes approaching spacecraft to go faster to high speeds, while its thin atmosphere—just one percent that of Earth’s—does little to help slow it down as it approaches the surface.

The scientists had to reduce Percy’s 12,000 mph speed to a safe landing speed of less than five mph—in just six and a half minutes. The target entry angle also had to be a precise 12 degrees—any steeper, and the spacecraft would burn up; any flatter, and it would get lost in space. It is no wonder that the final approach is often referred to as the “seven minutes of terror”.

Upon attaining a manageable speed, Percy briefly flew over the Martian surface to seek out the perfect landing spot. Its complex map-reading system rapidly scanned the area and matched it with maps in its database to find the best location.

The NASA scientists will spend the next two months testing Percy’s scientific instruments. Once ready, the rover will begin to carry out its mission.

“Perseverance is the smartest robot ever made, but confirming that microbial life once existed carries an unusually large burden of proof,” said Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division.“ While we’ll learn a lot with the great instruments we have aboard the rover, it may very well require the far more well-equipped laboratories and delicate instruments back here on Earth to tell us whether our samples(样本)carry evidence that Mars once harbored life.”

1. What is the extraordinary challenge for the rover to land on Mars?

A．The speed reduction.

B．The atmosphere analysis.

C．The location search.

D．The time management.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Ways to find the precise entry angle.

B．Consequences of wrong entry degree.

C．Factors to survive “the seven minutes”.

D．Reasons for the necessity of speed reducing.

3. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The space.	B．The area.
C．The system.	D．The surface.

4. What can be inferred from Lori Glaze’s words?

A．Instruments aboard the rover are not quite reliable.

B．Perseverance is able to collect enough evidence needed.

C．Man still has a long way to go to prove there was life on Mars.

D．Samples of Mars will be returned soon to the labs on the Earth.

6 . What limits you from hiking more often? If not having a suitable hiking partner is keeping you out of the woods, why not take a look at the great hiking clubs across Canada?

Yukon Outdoors Club

Membership cost: $10 for a single membership

Description: The club organises day hikes, backpacking trips, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing trips for members to gain new skills and valuable information. The trips are open to everyone and range from easy to moderate to difficult.

UBC Varsity Outdoor Club

Membership cost: Students $40; non-UBC students $60

Description: The UBC Varsity Outdoor Club is a social group that hikes and rock climbs. Members lead trips, run skills workshops, and host presentations. Members can borrow equipment from the club. The UBC VOC has also constructed a few huts in the Coast Mountains.

Pender Harbor Hiking Group

Membership cost: Free

Description: The Pender Harbor Hiking Group offers a way for members to meet like-minded people and get fit. Hikes are scheduled two months in advance, so check the website regularly to find a hike that suits you! Hikes are usually one and a half to two hours long every Monday and Wednesday morning, but some full-day hikes are scheduled, depending on member interest.

Vernon Outdoors Club

Membership cost: A single membership is $25, and students pay $10. Children are free when they come with a registered family member.

Description: The Vernon Outdoors Club is an active group that enjoys hiking and cycling. Members are encouraged to share their activity ideas and interests. The group organises a Tuesday Activity each week.

1. If you want to learn some mountain biking skills, which club will you choose?

A．Vernon Outdoors Club

B．UBC Varsity Outdoor Club

C．Yukon Outdoors Club

D．Pender Harbor Hiking Group

2. What do we know about hikes organised by the Pender Harbor Hiking Group?

A．They are mostly held on weekends.

B．Their schedule is always emailed to the members.

C．More full-day hikes are offered than half-day hikes.

D．They are arranged two months ahead of time.

3. Mr. And Mrs. Smith, together with their three children, aged 4 and 6, the oldest is 15, intend to join the Vernon Outdoors Club. How much will they pay for the membership?

A．$50

B．$60

C．$75

D．$125

7 . Online courses offer people abundant opportunities to learn. Try some of the Harvard online courses about humanities.

The Path to Happiness

From Confucianism to Daoism, the philosophies developed over two thousand years ago are among the most powerful in human history. This course brings voices from the past into modern contexts to explore the path to a good life today.

Duration: June 16, 2021—June 14, 2022

Fees: Free of charge

Pace: Self-paced

Difficulty: Introductory

Introduction to the Ancient Greek World

This course is about ancient Greece with its unique places, ways of life and historical changes. We survey the most important social institutions and cultural traditions. We also study everyday features such as food and dress.

Duration: June 21—August 6, 2021

Fees: $3400

Pace: Instructor-led

Difficulty: Introductory

Biotechnology and the Human Good

Biotechnology offers exciting and promising prospects for healing the sick and relieving the suffering. In this course we consider possible functions beyond common treatments like making people look younger, perform better and become perfect.

Duration: June 21—August 6, 2021

Fees: $ 3400

Pace: Instructor-led

Difficulty: Intermediate

Superheroes and Power

What makes superheroes popular? How can they help us think about super powers? In this course, we explore those questions in Marvel and DC favorites (especially the X-Men) as well as independent comics novels.

Duration: June 22 —August 6, 2021

Fees: $ 3400

Pace: Instructor-led

Difficulty: Intermediate

1. Which course can you take if you are free in Oct. 2021?

A．The Path to Happiness	B．Introduction to the Ancient Greek World
C．Biotechnology and the Human Good	D．Superheroes and Power

2. What does Biotechnology and the Human Good deal with?

A．Powers of superheroes.	B．More uses of biotech.
C．Ways to increase happiness.	D．Clinical practices of biotech.

3. What do the four courses have in common?

A．They are of the same level.	B．They are free of charge.
C．They belong to the same subject.	D．They are instructor-led.

8 . Todd Bol, a retired businessman, could never have expected that a wooden container he built in his front yard one day would have the global impact it does today.

Bol built a dollhouse-size structure that looked like a schoolhouse on a post and he put it in his yard as a free community library to remember his mother, who was a book lover and school teacher. Bol’s design gave birth to Little Free Library (LFL), a nonprofit organization that seeks to place small, accessible book exchange boxes in neighborhoods around the world. The concept is simple: Neighbors are invited to share a book, leave a book, or both. Today, there are over 50,000 of these libraries registered in 70 countries.

Almost everyone can register with LFL and start a library as long as the person keeps it in good shape and makes sure that book materials are appropriate for his/her neighborhood. Library owners can create their own library boxes; therefore, the libraries are usually unique in appearance, and there seems to be no limit to the possibilities. One library in California was built out of a used wine container; another in Texas had tiny stairs and bright colored walls. Once registered, libraries are assigned a number at LFL’s website. The LFL Index lists the locations of all libraries with GPS coordinates (坐标) and other information. Owners receive a sign saying “Little Free Library”.

People say they have been attracted to pick up a book when walking by a Little Free Library, out of curiosity and because it’s convenient. Some sidewalk librarians say they have met more neighbors since having a little library in their front yard. Bol is also most proud of the way Little Free Library is bringing communities together. “It’s started a neighborhood exchange. It gets people talking and more comfortable with their neighbors,” he says. “This leads to them helping each other.”

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

A．A community center.	B．A dollhouse on a post.
C．A book exchange box.	D．A nonprofit organization.

2. What can we learn about the operation of a Little Free Library?

A．There is no limit to the selection of books.

B．The library can come in any shape and color.

C．The library needs to hire many professional librarians.

D．The owner must first be assigned a number from the LFL website.

3. What can be inferred about Little Free Library?

A．It helps improve GPS functions.	B．It connects libraries around the world.
C．It makes reading accessible to the poor.	D．It helps restore human connections.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．LFL: A Booster to Shared Reading	B．LFL: The Best Place to Meet Neighbors
C．Todd Bol: A Successful Book Businessman	D．Reading: An Approach to Improving Yourself

9 . If a president, a philosopher, and one of the best-selling writers told the same secret of their success, would you try to follow it too? What if the secret was something you already knew how to do? In fact, you probably do it every day. Here’s what Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: “It is only ideas gained from walking that have any worth.” Thomas Jefferson: “Walking is the best possible exercise.” Charles Dickens: “If I could not walk far and fast, I think I should just explode and die.”

Researchers have found quite a lot of connections between walking and producing ideas. A Stanford University study found that participants were 81 percent more creative when walking as opposed to sitting. According to the study, walking outside—compared with on a treadmill (跑步机)—produces the highest-quality ideas.

The movement aspect of walking is obviously key. Our creative thinking is triggered (触发) by physical movement, which is exactly why walking with your dog, a friend, or alone—feeds creative thinking.

The scenery is almost as important as the sweat. Breaking your routine with a walk can be a catalyst for fresh understanding of problems or projects. Just by going outside, you are stepping out of your familiar surroundings and your comfort zone, which is necessary if you want to open your mind to new possibilities. You can walk through a tree-filled neighborhood. You can walk through a park and observe people joking or birds singing. Being inside, you’re more likely to be lifeless, which means you don’t have enough energy to wonder or create.

So instead of setting a fitness goal, why not set a creativity goal that starts with walking? Involve yourself more closely in your surroundings. Turn off your phone and give yourself the chance to be present in the world, to hear conversations and natural sounds, and to notice the way people move and the way the sun reflects in a river.

1. How does the author introduce the topic?

A．By giving a definition.	B．By using quotations.
C．By providing the background.	D．By presenting examples.

2. The underlined word “catalyst” in Paragraph 4 means something________.

A．causing a change	B．stopping progress
C．catching eyes	D．discouraging creativity

3. Which of the following does the author agree with?

A．Nature exploration improves fitness.

B．Walking on a treadmill brings more energy.

C．Working indoors makes people less creative.

D．Familiar surroundings encourage creative ideas.

4. What can be the best title for the passage?

A．Exercise in Nature	B．Train Your Brain
C．Walk for Wonder	D．Develop Your Creativity