1 . Good news for all Wes Anderson fans — the US director is back with the film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar which hit Netflix, an online film provider, on Sept 27. It is a film adaptation of UK novelist Roald Dahl’s novel under the same name.
The film stars UK actor Benedict Cumberbatch as a wealthy man named Henry Sugar, who develops the ability to see through objects. At the very beginning he uses this power to cheat at cards and win big while gambling (赌博), and later turns his fortune into a global network of orphanages (孤儿院).
Dialogue style
Running for just 40 minutes, the film features Anderson’s quick-paced dialogue style. He also asked the actors to recite lines directly to the audience by looking at the camera, creating “the effect of listening to a podcast (播客) while turning the pages of a lovely picture book quickly”, commented CNN.
Visual style
Anderson’s work is immediately recognizable for his visual style as well. The “Anderson aesthetic (美学)” often uses bright color palettes (调色板) to both add visual appeal and make various ideas known to the audience, reported Yahoo News. In The Grand Budapest Hotel for example, Anderson uses a color palette of deep blues, rich greens and warm pinks to recreate an old-world European feel. In The Royal Tenenhaums the red tracksuits worn by Chaz, one of the main characters, show deep-seated anger resulting from parental trauma (创伤).
Symmetrical style
Another style is his use of symmetry (对称). Many of the shots involve (涉及) a person facing the camera, with the elements around the character set up in a sense of order and balance. Anderson explained to the media that it is out of his nature to “arrange things in a frame”, which he compares to how people can’t change the individuality of their handwriting. “You might try to write very well, but really, you have something your brain tends to do”, he said.
However, his obsessive repetition of these stylistic choices in his films has led some to question his ability to innovate (创新). In response to this, Anderson stated, “It’s not something I make any effort to do. I just want to make films that are personal but interesting to an audience.”
1. What do we know about the film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar?| A．Watching this film is actually listening to a podcast. |
| B．It reflects the unique style of the director Wes Anderson. |
| C．It is based on a real story of a wealthy man named Henry Sugar. |
| D．Its main character gains nothing in gambling in the end. |
| A．They both use colors to get various ideas across to the audience. |
| B．They both reflect deep-seated anger. |
| C．They both present an old-world European feel. |
| D．They both have colorful costumes to add to their appeal. |
| A．Out of curiosity. | B．Out of innovation. |
| C．Out of habit. | D．Out of kindness. |
| A．A film script. | B．A film lecture. |
| C．A film survey. | D．A film review. |
2 . Diving in the ocean, marine biologist Erika Woolsey has seen how coral reefs (珊瑚礁) are being damaged by climate change. It has made her decide to find a way to share her experience —including those who can’t easily explore the ocean.
Through her non-profit, The Hydrous, Woolsey is using virtual reality to bring the ocean to everyone. Scientists, filmmakers and divers are taking people on immersive (沉浸式的) virtual dives, attracting attention to reef damage and expecting action to protect our sea. About 25% of marine species depend on coral reefs. However, climate change, pollution and overfishing have done harm to around half the world’s shallow water coral reefs.
Twenty years of underwater exploration has given Woolsey a detailed understanding of the dangerous situations facing reefs. “I’ve seen this first-hand shift. Healthy colourful coral reefs become what look like the moonscape step by step,” Woolsey says.
It is through this experience that The Hydrous team set out to recreate with their award-winning film Immerse. Intended to watch with a VR headset, viewers join Woolsey for a nine-minute guided virtual div e on the coral reefs, immersed in a 360-degree underwater view.
They swim alongside sea turtles and sharks before witnessing the worsening of the reefs. The experience often brings out strong feelings. “As soon as people take off that headset and look me in the eye, they want to tell me a story about their ocean experience,” Woolsey says. “It’s that human connection to our ocean that will solve our ocean problems.”
Woolsey hopes advances in camera technology will allow her team to take more and more people to places in the ocean that are underexplored and places further away from human civilization. They are developing a virtual experience that will put the people in the role of a marine biologist, carrying out biodiversity surveys underwater, and even transporting the viewers to space to monitor global sea surface temperatures.
1. Why did Erika Woolsey set up The Hydrous?| A．To collect money for ocean protection. |
| B．To let the public know about coral reefs better. |
| C．To help people enjoy the ocean’s beauty. |
| D．To encourage people to protect the ocean. |
| A．change. | B．experience. |
| C．material. | D．scene. |
| A．The story about the ocean. | B．The situation of coral reefs. |
| C．The connection with sea life. | D．The way to protect the ocean. |
| A．To bring more fun during the lockdown. |
| B．To train talents for environment protection. |
| C．To help people learn more about the ocean. |
| D．To discover more places that need protection. |
3 . I was shocked when my socially awkward sister, who had suffered from Asperger Syndrome (阿斯伯格综合症), decided to sing in front of the school. I knew she would
As I waited in the hall, sweat
I shifted nervously in my seat, afraid what was about to happen. But as my sister started to sing, I was
| A．embarrass | B．impress | C．surprise | D．support |
| A．hide | B．quit | C．escape | D．perform |
| A．protect | B．save | C．recover | D．rescue |
| A．picked up | B．climbed upon | C．took off | D．went up |
| A．impressive | B．exciting | C．fine | D．challenging |
| A．characters | B．lectures | C．curtains | D．signals |
| A．confident | B．nervous | C．prepared | D．relaxed |
| A．Cries | B．Crashes | C．Whispers | D．Screams |
| A．entertained | B．disappointed | C．relieved | D．shocked |
| A．power | B．weakness | C．silence | D．darkness |
| A．softly | B．loudly | C．quietly | D．beautifully |
| A．abilities | B．failures | C．talents | D．weaknesses |
| A．Without | B．Despite | C．Beyond | D．Within |
| A．extremely | B．equally | C．unconditionally | D．finally |
| A．lifted | B．dropped | C．covered | D．hidden |
4 . About Byron
Whether you’re in Byron for fun or work, there are plenty of things to do to fill your spare time.
Byron, Georgia makes travel sweeter with its slower pace and breathtaking attractions. It’s full of historic sites, museums, shopping malls, and more. In this city at the center of Georgia’s peach industry, you can take a vacation that leaves you rested, not annoyed.
EventsGeorgia Peach Festival-June
Fall Market Days-September
Georgia National Fair-October
Byron Christmas Parade-December
Local attractionsByron Welcome Center
Located in the Peach Shops, the Byron Welcome Center is your first stop in our area. The Byron Welcome Center is ready to help you make the most of your stay in Byron, Georgia.
North Peach Park
North Peach Park is the place for traditional festivals, movies in the park, and many other events. The park has picnic shelters, playgrounds, football fields and soccer fields all year round. North Peach Park also has an indoor, climate-controlled multi-purpose room.
The Big Peach Shopping Mall
One of Georgia’s major shopping malls, and Central Georgia’s biggest and best variety of goods, the Big Peach has something for everyone! Open seven days a week and located directly off I-75, the Big Peach is Central Georgia’s favorite shopping destination.
Party Playground Indoor Fun Center
Let the kids work out some energy with an hour or two at the Party Playground Indoor Fun Center. This room full of safe and soft play equipment will let your little ones run, jump and play, rain or shine. It’s also a great place to have a birthday party.
Contact usFor more information, contact us at (478) 956-2409
Email: byronwelcomecenter@gmail.com
1. When is the best time to enjoy delicious peach in Byron?| A．June. | B．September. | C．October. | D．December. |
| A．North Peach Park. |
| B．Byron Welcome Center. |
| C．The Big Peach Shopping Mall. |
| D．Party Playground Indoor Fun Center. |
| A．A course plan. | B．A travel brochure. | C．A journal. | D．An encyclopedia. |
5 . Does it ever seem like something is going on with our attention spans? Gloria Mark, an attention researcher at the university of California, says there is scientific evidence that attention spans have shrunk considerably. “We started studying attention span length over 20 years ago,” Mark said. “In 2003, we found that attention spans averaged about two-and-a-half minutes on any screen before people switched, In the past five, six years, they are averaging 47 seconds on the screen.”
Mark maintains that a shorter attention span has three downsides: The first is that people make more errors when they do attention shifting; second downside is that it takes longer to do something, because we have to adjust to every new task every time we shift; the third downside — maybe this is the worst of all — is that stress increases. When people are working on multiple tasks and they have to shift their attention, their blood pressure rises.
You don’t have to be a professor to guess at the cause of our great distract ability: It’s technology, of course-phones, social media, texting. It might be hard to think of the last time you even had a tech-free hour. So she offered a couple of tips for staying focused: First, when you feel the itch to change tasks, analyze why. If it’s just boredom or procrastination (拖延症), make a deal with yourself to work another 20 minutes, and then treat yourself to a reward.
Second, picture yourself at the end of the day. What do you want to have accomplished? What do you want to feel? “A concrete visualization of yourself sitting on the couch, you know, watching your favourite show is really good motivation,” she said.
The internet has this incredible resource available to us, so rather than be upset by it because it distracts us, how can we turn that around and instead find value from it? And how can we utilize our time best when we use the resources from the Internet without getting exhausted from it? These questions are what Gloria Mark will focus on in her subsequent research.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．Negative effects of short attention spans. | B．Benefits of long attention spans. |
| C．Causes of short attention spans. | D．Ways to deal with short attention spans. |
| A．Necessity. | B．Courage. | C．Desire | D．Choice |
| A．Imagining what you will accomplish at the end of the day is a waste of time. |
| B．Multitasking is a good way to extend our attention span. |
| C．It is necessary to think twice before shifting your tasks. |
| D．We’d better say no to the internet sometimes as it distracts us. |
| A．Are Our Attention Spans Getting Shorter? | B．How Do We Live with the Internet? |
| C．Is Multitasking Possible? | D．What Can We Do to Make Our Attention Spans Longer? |
6 . The Amazon rainforest spreads across nine South American countries but most of it (60%) is in Brazil. Brazilian scientists think they might have found a way to reverse the damage caused by deforestation and turn farmland back into forest. The secret lies in ancient local knowledge of soil.
Amazonian dark earth (ADE) is a thick, black soil found deep in the Amazon rainforest, and it could help restore forests around the world. ADE is a kind of compost — a soil made from dead plants and animals. Various kinds of compost are sold in gardening centers around the world, but ADE is unique. It was created by indigenous people (the descendants of people who lived somewhere before another culture arrived and took over) from the Amazon between 2,000 and 2,500 years ago. The Amazonian people, today known as Amerindians, created ADE using charcoal from fires, animal bones, food waste and poo. It contains microbes, including bacteria that help to turn chemicals in the soil into useful nutrients that feed plants and trees.
Vast areas of the Amazon have been cut down, mostly to make way for grassland for raising cattle. Scientists are looking for a way to turn grassland back into rainforest and revive forest ecosystems. These support thousands of animal and plant species, many of them unique to the area. Forests also absorb lots of carbon dioxide, a gas that cause climate change.
To see if the Amazon’s special soil could help, the scientists grew grasses and trees in ADE, regular earth and a mixture of both. Trees grown in ADE were up to six times taller than those in regular soil. ADE takes hundreds of years to create, so the scientists can’t simply make more. Team member, Dr. Siu Mui Tsai, said that instead they want to try and “copy its characteristics”, especially its helpful microbes, and see if it could help to restore natural habitats.
1. What are Brazilian scientists trying to do?| A．To bring forests back. | B．To measure damage. |
| C．To reduce farmland. | D．To dig out ancient soil. |
| A．Dead plants. | B．Animal bones. | C．Food waste. | D．Bacteria inside. |
| A．The reasons for cutting down forests. | B．The benefits of raising cattle. |
| C．The significance of forest ecosystems. | D．The influence of climate change. |
| A．Amazonian dark earth is helpful to microbes. |
| B．Amazonian dark earth is produced in large quantities. |
| C．Microbes are beneficial to the revival of forests. |
| D．Microbes are the characteristics of the natural habitats. |
7 . With a huge variety of animals, plants, and geological features, it’s no surprise the Rocky Mountains host many national parks in both the US and Canada. Here are a few of the national parks in the region dedicated to preserving the unique environments of the Rocky Mountains.
Rocky Mountain National Park
The first of the great national parks in the Rocky Mountains, this park includes 415 square miles of land across the Continental Divide. Because of its size, visitors can experience high mountain peaks, grassy valleys, hidden alpine lakes, and beautiful waterfalls. Rock climbers can scale a thousand feet up the sheer rock cliffs of Longs Peak, and there are many hiking trails.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is probably one of the most well-known national parks. President Ulyssess S. Grant designated Yellowstone as the very first national park in the United States on March 1, 1872. It is famous for its hot springs, boiling mud, fumaroles and geysers such as Old Faithful, which shoots boiling water more than 100 feet into the air. Yellowstone also has its own canyon and magnificent waterfall. Visitors can see bison, elk, wolves and grizzly bears.
Grand Teton National Park
Travelers can leave Yellowstone on a parkway that brings them right to Grand Teton National Park, just north of Jackson, Wyoming. Humans have lived in the area for more than 11,000 years, and traces of this history can be found throughout the park. Grand Teton has many opportunities for hiking, camping, boating, rock climbing, and viewing wildlife, as well as amazing views of the Grand Teton Mountain Range.
Banff National Park
Banff National Park is located near Calgary, in Alberta, Canada. Banff was Canada’s first national park, and is known for its mountain peaks, its hundreds of glaciers, and glacier-fed lakes such as Lake Louise. Banff has many hiking trails and campsites, and winter visitors snowshoe, ski, and skate.
1. Which of the following best suits winter sports lovers?| A．Rocky Mountain National Park. | B．Yellowstone National Park. |
| C．Grand Teton National Park. | D．Banff National Park. |
| A．Rocky Mountain National Park has its own canyon. |
| B．Yellowstone National Park are famous for campsites. |
| C．Grand Teton National Park enjoys the longest history. |
| D．Banff National Park is the first national park in Canada. |
| A．A science magazine. | B．A travel brochure. |
| C．A geography textbook. | D．A wildlife guidebook. |
8 . 3 Most Walkable Cities in Europe
Walking on holiday is a great way to stay fit, but also to see the sights a city has to offer. Here are the three most walkable cities in Europe.
Athens, Greece
Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world. The capital of Greece ranks fifth, with a slightly longer—but very worthwhile—route of 2.1 miles between its top-rated tourist attractions.
Visitors to Athens can set off at the Acropolis, climbing to discover the ancient Parthenon that stands as a landmark to the city’s ancient legacy. Then it leads to the Acropolis Museum, with the neighbourhood of Plaka waiting to be explored in the shadow of the Acropolis. The National Archaeological Museum is also close-by.
Seville, Spain
Seville is home to some wonderful sights that are best seen when walking. Seville in Spain takes the top spot as Europe’s most walkable city, offering the shortest walking route between the top five tourist attractions.
Visitors to this charming Spanish city can explore the impressive Plaza de Espana public square, before wandering over to the UNESCO-listed palace of Real Alcazar and Seville Cathedral. After that it’s only a short trip on foot to visit the beautiful Barrio Santa Cruz neighbourhood and admire the Torre Giralda bell tower hanging above. With just 20 minutes of walking between these attractions.
Venice, Italy
Venice is famous for walkers, so it’s no surprise it ranks as the second best location for walkable city breaks. Walking is the best way to explore the bridges over the canals the city is famed for. There are endless charming alleyways to explore, as well as plenty of bridges over the canals that the city is famous for. Just under half an hour of walking here will take you on a tour of the impressive Grand Canal.
1. What’s the recommended starting point of the city walk in Athens?| A．Plaka. |
| B．The Acropolis. |
| C．The Acropolis Museum. |
| D．The National Archaeological Museum . |
| A．It offers some wonderful sights. |
| B．Visitors can explore five tourist attractions. |
| C．It makes visitors enjoy their time to the full. |
| D．Visitors can tour five tourist attractions in the shortest walking distance. |
| A．Those who are hiking during the vacation. |
| B．Those who want to find suggestions on where to travel. |
| C．Those who are looking for the best traveling destinations. |
| D．Those who usually choose walkable cities for their vacation. |
9 . Hangzhou Asian Games are defined as a great success. For 16 days over 12,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions across Asia competed over 480 events, broke 13 world records and shared unforgettable moments in Hangzhou. It is worth mentioning that in this 19th edition of Asian Games break-dancing and e-sports made their debuts as official medal sports.
In Asia, e-sport games are more popular than traditional sport, making it the leading region for e-sports and, within Asia, China is undoubtedly the region leader as well as the largest e-sports market in the world, accounting for “34% of global industry income in that category, Asia combined takes 53%”, says Niko Partners in their market research reported by MIT Technology Review.
Within China, e-sports are run like any popular sport and have been for a long time: there are regional clubs, each with its home stadium; competitions featuring different levels of talent make it possible for the industry to evaluate the players (and also for the players to make a living); and in recent years, star players have even been marketed like celebrities, attracting crazy fan groups.
For the first time in history, the Asian Games included e-sports as medal-earning event, with over 20 countries competing in seven e-sport games making it the “highest-stakes mobile game match that’s ever been played” according to MIT Technology Review: “Of all the competitions taking place, e-sports is the only one in which arena(竞技场) tickets were sold on a lottery(抽签) basis because of skyrocketing demand. There were over 5 million lottery buyers for all the e-sports events; each had a 0.5% chance of getting a ticket.”
The reason for such popularity has been identified in the drive of the major Chinese tech companies promoting the rise of mobile gaming in China and making the e-sports more accessible to people who don’t have computers or consoles(游戏机). The popularity of e-sports is particularly intense among young people, for this reason brands like Disney or Nintendo are recruiting companies like Tencent to make their mobile games.
1. Where is this text probably taken from?| A．textbook. | B．A travel journal. | C．A science fiction. | D．A sports magazine. |
| A．Because e-sports is so popular. | B．Because the venue is not spacious. |
| C．Because it can add fun to e-sports. | D．Because it can help promote e-sports. |
| A．People’s intense interest in digitalization. |
| B．The large young population of the country. |
| C．People’s easy access to mobile games. |
| D．The government’s promotion of the sport. |
| A．The Origin of E-sports |
| B．The First Appearance of E-sports in Asian Games |
| C．The Development of E-sports |
| D．D. The Popularity of E-sports in Asia |
10 . When you go on a holiday, is your journey just an annoying inconvenience to get you there? Have you ever been too busy thinking about the next place you’re going to visit to enjoy where you are? Or do you ever return from a holiday exhausted from too much sightseeing? If so, you might want to consider slow travel.
What exactly is slow travel? It’s certainly not about doing everything at a snail’s pace or using the slowest form of transport. Instead, it’s about connecting to the local culture and the people who live there. The idea is that you experience life in any place you visit as if you were from there—if you were slow traveling, you might rent a place to stay, explore on foot or by local transport, shop in neighborhood markets and eat typical food from the area. In other words, you really get to know one or a few places rather than seeing only a little of many different places. Slow travel is a mindset —a way of thinking —it is about appreciating and making the most of every moment of your stay.
The benefits of slow travel are multiple. For a start, an important positive factor is that you’ll save money. Why? Transport, especially flights and renting a car, is one of the biggest expenses on a holiday and using alternatives brings the costs down. Also, staying in an apartment or house means you can eat in and enjoy the pleasure of local shopping. Another advantage is that you’ll meet more local people who can tell you interesting places to go and give great advice. In addition, since you won’t be sticking to a tight schedule, you’ll have time to explore in depth and make plans as you go along.
The benefits don’t end there. Slow travel is less stressful too and you get to see places that you would never have seen otherwise. Getting off the beaten track and finding unexpected treasures, such as a beautiful square or a wonderful little restaurant that aren’t in any guidebooks, are half the fun of going to new places. You’re far more likely to remember these enriching experiences for years to come than visiting yet another museum, cafe packed with tourists or city filled with sightseers, just because all the travel books say they are the best places to go. Finally, slow travel is more environmentally friendly. As a result, not only will you reduce your carbon footprint, but you’ll also promote sustainable travel.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By presenting examples. | B．By providing background. |
| C．By giving definition. | D．By asking questions. |
| A．Limited | B．Plentiful | C．Impressive | D．Unique |
| A．It is economical and flexible. | B．It is slow and inconvenient. |
| C．It is time-saving and interesting. | D．It is relaxing and green. |
| A．To compare slow travel and special forces-style travel. |
| B．To give examples of the slow travel around the world. |
| C．To introduce what slow travel is and its benefits. |
| D．To list the advantages and disadvantages of slow travel. |
