1 . Teenage years are an unforgettable season of life and books read at that time also make a difference. Much like the best children’s books ever written, these following top teen-centered books offer hope for the future and nostalgia for young life.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Because of cancer, protagonist (主人公) Hazel Lancaster believes her life is over. But then she meets Augustus Waters, and the way he makes her laugh — the way he makes her feel seen — makes her want to live again. The Fault in Our Stars will attract young adults with themes of life and death, true love, and friendship that surpass circumstances. This book is especially worth reading if you love sad books.
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
In this classic book, Bilbo Baggins is summoned (召唤) on a great ad venture that will change his life forever. With themes of friendship, loyalty, sacrifice, and more, The Hobbit is an adventure waiting to happen for those willing to experience the dangerous business of stepping into the story.
Dune by Frank Herbert
A science fiction novel for the ages, Frank Herbert’s Dune tells the adventures of Paul Atreides — who will become known as Muad’ Dib — as he and his family strive to bring humankind’s greatest dream to life while living on a desert planet. Though written in 1965, much of Dune’s story may be more connected to 21st-century readers than it was to bookworms who picked it up in the 1960s.
Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene
This collection of classic mystery novels was actually written by various authors under the pen name of Carolyn Keene. Over the past few decades, Nancy has developed with the times — to the point where she’s now using a cell phone to investigate her never-ending mysteries. Today, Nancy is drawing a whole new generation of fans, thanks to a television show launched in 2019.
1. What do The Fault in Our Stars and The Hobbit have in common?| A．They both tell great adventures. | B．They both have heartbreaking endings. |
| C．They both contain the theme of friendship. | D．They both focus on how to change life better. |
| A．It is a science magazine. | B．It became a hit in the 1960s. |
| C．It is the best young adult book. | D．It is more suitable for modern readers. |
| A．A TV programme. | B．The appearance of television. |
| C．It’s mysterious authors. | D．An unknown cell phone. |
2 . Di Renjie, a judge and administrator of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is called “China’s Sherlock Holmes” in the West. It all started in the 1950s, when Dutch sinologist (汉学家) and diplomat Robert Hans van Gulik created his own historical mystery tales featuring Judge Dee, collectively known as Judge Dee’s Mystery in the West. Since then, Van Gulik’s works have captured the imagination of audiences across Europe and the Americas.
The new TV series Judge Dee’s Mystery chronicles the life of Judge Dee. While solving various criminal cases in different places, Dee also uncovers the mystery surrounding his own birth.
Unlike traditional Chinese detective fiction which features a lot of supernatural elements, the new series values logic, reason and realism. For instance, in the case of “The Chinese Gold Murders”, a ghost ship adrift at sea with no survivors hides a “Golden Mystery”. As Judge Dee investigates, more intertwined mysteries surface.
“I was most impressed by the plot design of this case, taking pleasure in peeling back the layers to find the truth,” said actor Zhou Yiwei, who portrays Judge Dee in the series.
However, Judge Dee’s Mystery is more than a mere detective drama. Li Yunliang, the director of the series said he believes that embracing AI technology is an inevitable trend in the film and television industries. The busy streets of ancient Chang’an, for example, are brought to life using AI-generated imagery.
1. Where did the nickname “China’s Sherlock Holmes” originate from?| A．A Tang Dynasty judge. | B．A TV series in the 1950s. |
| C．Audiences across Europe and the Americas. | D．Historical mystery tales created by a scholar. |
| A．Describes in detail. | B．Summarizes briefly. |
| C．Predicts the future. | D．Compares with other events. |
| A．It focuses entirely on Judge Dee’s criminal cases. | B．It is set in the Tang Dynasty. |
| C．It highlights historical accuracy rather than plot. | D．It contains a lot of supernatural elements. |
| A．Impressive and influential. | B．Fascinating but contradictory. |
| C．Complex and appealing. | D．Inspiring but illogical. |
3 . Begus is a linguist at the University of California, Berkeley. He got the chance, last summer, to observe sperm whales in their wild Caribbean habitat. With him were marine (海洋的) biologists and roboticists. There were also cryptographers and experts in other fields. All have been working together to listen to sperm whales and figure out what they might be saying. They call this Project CETI. Project CETI’s team is not the only group turning to AI for help decoding animal talk. Researchers have trained AI models to sort through the sounds of prairie dogs, dolphins, naked mole rats and many other creatures.
Long before AI came into the picture, scientists and others have worked toward understanding animal communication. Some learned that vervet monkeys have different calls when warning of leopards, eagles or pythons. Others discovered that elephants communicate in rumbles too low for human ears to hear. Bats chatter in squeaks too high for our hearing. Still other groups have explored how bees communicate through dance.
“It took us a long time to measure all these things,” says researcher Karen Bakker. AI, she notes, has the potential to greatly speed up this type of research. Perhaps one day we’ll be able to use AI to build a futuristic chat box that translates animal sounds into human language, or vice versa (反之亦然).
“Al could eventually get us to the point where we understand animals,” says Bakker. What’s interesting to her is what we can learn from how bats and other creatures talk among each other. We should listen to animals for better protection, she argues. For example, a system set up to record whales or elephants can also track their locations. This can help us avoid whales with our boats or prevent elephants from illegal hunters.
1. What is Project CETI aimed at?| A．Applying AI to animal research. |
| B．Improving the living conditions of sperm whales. |
| C．Preventing all marine life from extinction. |
| D．Analysing talks of sperm whales. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By analyzing causes. |
| A．Animal researches used to be time-consuming. |
| B．Animals may one day understand human language. |
| C．We can already well figure out animal talk with AI. |
| D．We apply AI to eventually assist us protect animals. |
| A．AI: A Potential Threat to Human Future |
| B．AI: A Technology Beneficial to the Earth |
| C．AI: A Tool to Understand and Protect Animals |
| D．AI: A Field of Fierce Major-country Competition |
4 . In the heart of Gaza, a 15-year-old Palestinian teen, Hussam Al-Attar, has become a beacon of hope. He has been
Equipped with
Despite the
With dreams of becoming an inventor, Hussam remains
| A．rewarded | B．nicknamed | C．awarded | D．marked |
| A．balance | B．abuse | C．control | D．failure |
| A．nearly | B．almost | C．only | D．much |
| A．instruction | B．situation | C．motivation | D．explanation |
| A．overcome | B．ease | C．release | D．escape |
| A．supply | B．waste | C．shortage | D．distribution |
| A．recycled | B．restored | C．refreshed | D．reformed |
| A．wires | B．buttons | C．switches | D．batteries |
| A．obtained | B．transformed | C．repaired | D．fashioned |
| A．affordable | B．sustainable | C．available | D．organic |
| A．resist | B．capture | C．measure | D．generate |
| A．interacted with | B．cooperated with | C．dealt with | D．agreed with |
| A．curious | B．optimistic | C．amazed | D．sympatric |
| A．energetic | B．bold | C．promising | D．innovative |
| A．change | B．adventure | C．danger | D．adversity |
5 . People will do all sorts of crazy things for their loved ones, and 72-year-old Raynor is a case in point. The American elder has been devoting a lot of his time to his
Six years ago, Raynor’s grandson Jason was diagnosed (诊断) with a rare and cruel disease — spinal muscular atrophy (脊髓性肌萎缩). The boy was only five at the time, and doctors
Strong
| A．unusual | B．normal | C．important | D．routine |
| A．produces | B．orders | C．applies | D．designs |
| A．quality | B．solution | C．behavior | D．belief |
| A．touching | B．typical | C．special | D．similar |
| A．doubted | B．approved | C．promised | D．predicted |
| A．expectations | B．explanations | C．imagination | D．inspiration |
| A．hard | B．easy | C．successful | D．beneficial |
| A．examined | B．transported | C．imported | D．exported |
| A．decision | B．chance | C．trust | D．desire |
| A．took off | B．took up | C．took in | D．took away |
| A．Suddenly | B．Obviously | C．Gradually | D．Usually |
| A．delighted | B．surprised | C．embarrassed | D．anxious |
| A．popularity | B．knowledge | C．understanding | D．curiosity |
| A．Despite | B．Because of | C．Without | D．Instead of |
| A．sending | B．providing | C．donating | D．promoting |
6 . Bringing species like beavers (河狸) back to England is no longer a priority, the government said on Friday to criticism from wildlife groups.
A recent report shows that one in six UK species are at risk of extinction. In September more than 60 conservation organizations reported a significant decline in species due to expansions in farming and the effects of climate change. In recent years, animals and plants have been reintroduced by charities as part of efforts to restore the country’s reduced biodiversity.
Despite the government allowing this, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee concluded in July that there was an absence of long-term plans on how to manage this. In response, the government has now said that the "reintroduction of species is not a priority".
The government said it was focused on increasing biodiversity through habitat restoration. The government's environment department has come under scrutiny (详细审查) for not doing more to prevent sewage dumping and other forms of pollution in England's waterways.
Sir Robert Goodwill, chair of the Committee, said he was disappointed with the government response. Bringing back extinct species is a controversial issue- although farmers and landowners appear broadly supportive, there are risks of reintroducing new species, and without clear guidance, problems could arise.
A recent study showed that river barriers similar to those built by beavers can protect communities at risk of flooding. But there have also been cases documented in Europe where beavers have built their dams in places that have damaged crops and changed rivers.
Joan Edwards, director of Policy &Public Affairs at The Wildlife Trusts said, “Reintroducing wildlife must be part of the UK government’s arsenal (武器) for tackling nature loss and climate change—it is astonishing there is no strategy for doing so.”
“The return of wild beavers can help to recreate lost wetlands, with a knock-on effect that benefits other wildlife including insects, invertebrates and birds. Beavers also slow the flow of water, which can reduce flood risks to towns and villages,” she said.
1. What does paragraph 2 want to convey?| A．The situation of species in the UK Severe. |
| B．Reintroduction of species in the UK is not a priority. |
| C．Expansions in farming have a great effect on climate change. |
| D．The UK government's response to reduced biodiversity is disappointing. |
| A．By restoring habitat. | B．By offering guidance. | C．By expanding farming. | D．By developing strategy. |
| A．It was messy. | B．It was controversial. | C．It was beneficial. | D．It was costly. |
| A．The advantages of reintroducing wildlife. | B．The responses to a government statement. |
| C．The effects of climate change on farming. | D．The approaches to increasing biodiversity. |
7 . One January evening in 2008, Rachel Lapierre bought a $4 lottery ticket (彩票) at the grocery store. After a tiring day in a full-time emergency-room, she needed something to
For years, Lapierre had done humanitarian work and she longed to be able to one day
Lapierre went home and scratched (刮出) her ticket,
Staying
Le Book, as Lapierre, now 62,
To her, the deeds were just small acts of
“When you do a good deed, it has a butterfly effect,” says Lapierre. “One good deed can
| A．advocate | B．explore | C．lift | D．control |
| A．display | B．quit | C．apply | D．continue |
| A．boring | B．outstanding | C．difficult | D．rewarding |
| A．making | B．revealing | C．encountering | D．consuming |
| A．meant | B．entertained | C．shaped | D．included |
| A．true | B．opposite | C．open | D．linked |
| A．plant | B．company | C．office | D．charity |
| A．affectionately | B．conventionally | C．innovatively | D．originally |
| A．hold | B．track | C．secret | D．count |
| A．resistance | B．courage | C．kindness | D．freedom |
| A．isolated | B．honorable | C．odd | D．easy-going |
| A．spreading | B．appearing | C．fading | D．working |
| A．respect | B．make | C．field | D．reject |
| A．manage | B．pursue | C．inform | D．affect |
| A．define | B．enrich | C．organize | D．save |
8 . Carillon Canal National Historic Site
The Carillon Canal, built on the Ottawa River for military purposes, was opened in 1833. Located 100 kilometres from Montreal and 130 kilometres from Ottawa, it is today a pleasure boating waterway.
Things to do
The Carillon Canal is fed by the water of the Ottawa River. The Canal opens a huge gate to enable boats to sail an impressive 20-metre drop in just 40 minutes!
Have a family picnic in beautiful scenery, then visit the old barracks (营房) which are now a museum. Curious to see a huge power station up close? Visits are free of charge.
Opening hours
The national historic site is open every day of the year from sun rise to 11 p. m.
Fees
Site access is free. Otherwise, there are fees for locking and overnight mooring(停泊).
When is the Canal the busiest?
From mid-June to the end of August, and especially during the following vacation periods and holidays:
·Fete Nationale du Quebec (June 24th).
·Canada Day (July 1st).
·Summer vacations.
·Labour Day(the first Monday of September).
·Thanksgiving.
What are the best times for sailing?
To avoid waiting lines, experience the Carillon Canal during the quieter periods, i. e. before June 24th, and later in early autumn, from Labour Day to mid-October. In this way, you’ll discover these wonderful places at your own pace, without pushing through the crowd that might have had the same idea as you, and you’ll gain the peace of mind to sail in complete relaxation!
1. What do we know about the Carillon Canal?| A．It was originally for educational purposes. |
| B．It is now visited by boaters for pleasure. |
| C．It enjoys a high reputation for its 20-metre drop. |
| D．It was formed naturally on the Ottawa River. |
| A．Mooring overnight. | B．Staying overnight in old barracks. |
| C．Exploring a power station. | D．Passing through locks. |
| A．July 1st to July 24th. | B．October 24th to October 31st. |
| C．June 1st to June 24th. | D．August 24th to June 30th. |
9 . I am employed in an educational institution. Each day, following the
Last week, she seemed unlike her
Eager to surprise her, I placed them in an elegant bag and
She penned a note expressing her
| A．queue | B．exit | C．guidance | D．plan |
| A．wait | B．work | C．think | D．remain |
| A．conversations | B．jobs | C．trips | D．arrangements |
| A．regular | B．usual | C．unusual | D．calm |
| A．fired | B．blamed | C．rewarded | D．comforted |
| A．stability | B．manner | C．method | D．support |
| A．checking out | B．putting aside | C．trying on | D．taking up |
| A．ambition | B．reflection | C．conclusion | D．decision |
| A．Satisfied | B．Bored | C．Familiar | D．Careful |
| A．occasionally | B．cautiously | C．accurately | D．secretly |
| A．achieved | B．approached | C．found | D．removed |
| A．covering | B．hiding | C．spotting | D．receiving |
| A．maintained | B．struck | C．lifted | D．restored |
| A．gratitude | B．comment | C．preparation | D．apology |
| A．doubt | B．imagine | C．admit | D．anticipate |
10 . My wife and I parked by a rough path the same time as a young man covered in tattoos (纹身). I
Hours later we turned back
He continued, “During much surgery and
My
| A．assumed | B．remembered | C．admitted | D．confirmed |
| A．tell | B．distance | C．save | D．free |
| A．turn away | B．set out | C．catch up | D．settle down |
| A．politely | B．secretly | C．carelessly | D．accidentally |
| A．though | B．unless | C．because | D．before |
| A．impress | B．interrupt | C．persuade | D．engage |
| A．target | B．story | C．plan | D．journey |
| A．confused | B．discouraged | C．ignored | D．injured |
| A．observe | B．judge | C．manage | D．challenge |
| A．silence | B．pain | C．failure | D．guilt |
| A．massive | B．funny | C．random | D．popular |
| A．brilliant | B．gentle | C．weak | D．sensitive |
| A．allowed | B．begged | C．forced | D．expected |
| A．doubt | B．sympathy | C．prejudice | D．resistance |
| A．reputation | B．message | C．appearance | D．insight |
