1 . Things to do this weekend in NYC: April 12-14 2024

Here are some noteworthy events to check out this week in New York City

Josh Wolf

Gramercy Theatre — 127 E. 23rd St., New York, N.Y. 10010

Sat. April 13 at 7:00 p.m.

Josh Wolf of “Chelsea Lately” will bring his brand of humor to Gramercy’s historic music venue. Josh Wolf’s comedy material is heavily inspired by his family. Wolf, 54, is also known to incorporate (融合) music into his performance, as he does when hosting his own comedy show “The Fantastical Jamboree” at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club in Las Vegas.

Tickets start at $27.50

“Selena Brunch”

Alamo Drafthouse Staten Island — 2636 Hylan Blvd., Suite 230, Staten Island, N.Y. 10306

Sat. April 13 and Sun. April 14 at 11:30 a.m.

The 1997 Gregory Nava film that made Jennifer Lopez a Hollywood star is getting a nice revisit at Alamo Drafthouse with a “Selena Brunch” this weekend. While enjoying a special menu created for the occasion, see Jenny from the Block in her breakthrough role as the late Tejano star who was tragically murdered at 23. Dishes include a breakfast club sandwich, blueberry donut French toast bake and breakfast tacos, in addition to the regular refreshments on offer.

Though the downtown Brooklyn showings are already sold out, there are still tickets at the Staten Island location.

$12 admission. Prices range from $11.95 to $15.95 for food item

I’m Possible

New Victory Theater — 209 W 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10036

The Brooklyn-based Omnium Circus company, which prides itself in inclusivity and accessibility for both audience and performers, kicks off a two-week run of its latest show this weekend in Times Square.

“I’m Possible” lives up to its goal to make the Big Top experience accessible to audiences of all abilities with a 90-minute show featuring a gymnast who uses a wheelchair, an tennis player born without legs, and a deaf storyteller.

All performances will incorporate audio description, captioning (字幕), sensory-friendly lighting and sound, and a calm environment where movement and vocalization from audience members are welcome.

Tickets start at $28

1. Where does Josh Wolf get his inspiration for his comedy show?

A．From his favourite music.

B．From his own working experience.

C．From Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club.

D．From his experience with family members.

2. How much will you have to pay if you require top service in Alamo Drafthouse?

A．$ 15.95.

B．$ 23.95.

C．$ 27.95.

D．$ 39.9.

3. Which of the following words may be the most suitable to describe the performance in New Victory Theater ?

A．Entertaining.

B．Encouraging.

C．Terrifying.

D．Puzzling.

2 . In 2009, when Qatar (卡塔尔) bid to host the 2022 Football World Cup, it promised a carbon-neutral (碳中和) event. Even back then, the prospect of neutralizing the carbon-dioxide emissions (排放) generated by hosting hundreds of thousands of fans in newly constructed stadiums, in a desert state, seemed fanciful. So it is proving. In their greenhouse-gas accounting report, published last year, FIFA (国际足联) and the Qatari organizers estimated that the World Cup would generate 3.6 million tons of CO2 emissions. Estimating emissions for big sporting events is a relatively new practice and methods can vary, but that figure is higher than any recent World Cup or Olympics.

It is also likely to be a significant underestimate. A report in May 2022 by Carbon Market Watch (CMW), a climate watchdog (监督者), found that the official forecast failed to account accurately for the emissions generated from stadiums. FIFA, which insists its method is “best in practice”, reckons that the majority of the emissions (52%) will come from fans and players travelling to Qatar, while less than 25% are from stadium construction. That is because organizers expect these stadiums to be used for years after the World Cup, spreading their carbon footprint way into the future.

CMW believes such an excuse is far from reasonable. Before the World Cup, Qataris were able to get by with only one stadium, it points out. Consequently, it estimates that the emissions from stadium construction for the World Cup are undercounted by a factor of eight. It puts the real figure at 5 million tons. Though it amounts to less than 0.02% of the world’s annual emissions, sports teams and organizations should have set a positive example in this.

To remove the doubt from outside, Qatar has established the Global Carbon Council (GCC), a dedicated environmental agency. Beyond adjusting for World Cup emissions, the GCC will promote a path to “a low-carbon future”, a great step for a country with the world’s highest emissions per person. Yet the agency is still at its early stage. Only six projects, saving less than 600,000 tons, have been approved so far.

1. What is the main problem Qatar and FIFA are faced with at present?

A．The 2022 World Cup isn’t as successful as it should be.

B．They may fail to keep the promise to hold a green event.

C．The figure they published is higher than that of other events

D．They are unfamiliar with the new practice of the World Cup.

2. How does Qatar and FIFA cut down the carbon footprint of the World Cup?

A．By insisting on its way of environmental protection.

B．By promising to use the new stadiums for more years.

C．By blaming the greenhouse-gas emissions on travelers.

D．By cooperating with Carbon Market Watch for instructions.

3. Why does the CMW refuse to accept the explanation given by Qatar and FIFA?

A．5 million tons accounts for a little of the annual emissions.

B．The stadium construction for the World Cup sets a bad example.

C．The method they employed in estimating the emissions is unscientific.

D．There will be more stadiums than Qatar actually needs after the World Cup.

4. What can be learned from the last paragraph?

A．The GCC is an agency specially established for the World Cup

B．The Qataris attach great importance to environmental protection.

C．The Qataris need to make more efforts to hold a carbon-neutral event.

D．The GCC has achieved a lot in cutting down greenhouse-gas emissions.

3 . I’m in a coffee shop in Manhattan and I’m about to become the most disliked person in the room. First, I’m going to interrupt the man reading quietly near the window and ask for a drink of his latte. Next, I’m going to ask the line of people waiting to pay if I can cut to the front of the queue. This is how I chose to spend my last vacation. Here’s why.

Growing up, all I ever heard about was “EQ.” It was the mid-1990s, and psychologist Daniel Goleman had just popularized the concept of emotional intelligence. Unlike IQ, which tracked conventional measures of intelligence like reasoning and recall, EQ measured the ability to understand other people — to listen, to empathize (共情), and to appreciate.

My mother, an elementary school principal, prized brains and hard work, but she placed a special emphasis on Goleman’s new idea. To her, EQ was the elixir (万能药) that separated the good students from the great after they left school. She was determined to send me into the adult world with as much of this elixir as possible.

But when I finally began my first job, I noticed a second elixir in the pockets of some of my colleagues. It gave their opinions extra weight and their decisions added impact. Strangest of all, it seemed like the anti-EQ: Instead of knowing how to make others feel good, this elixir gave people the courage to do the opposite — to say things others didn’t want to hear.

This was assertiveness (魄力). It boiled down to the command of a single skill: the ability to have uncomfortable conversations. Assertive people — those with high “AQ”— ask for things they want, decline things they don’t, provide constructive feedback, and engage in direct confrontation (对峙) and debate.

A lifetime improving my EQ helped me empathize with others, but it also left me overly sensitive to situations where I had to say or do things that might make others unhappy. While I didn’t avoid conflict, I was always frustrated by my powerlessness when I had to say or do something that could upset someone. This is my problem and I’m working on it.

1. Why did the author act that way in the coffee shop?

A．To improve a skill.	B．To test a concept.
C．To advocate a new idea.	D．To have a unique vacation.

2. What do we know about the author’s mother?

A．She thought little of IQ.

B．She popularized Goleman’s idea.

C．She was a strict mother and principal.

D．She valued EQ as the key to greatness.

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

A．EQ.

B．AQ.

C．Empathy.

D．Courage.

4. According to the passage, those with high EQ but low AQ are likely to be ______.

A．successful leaders	B．people pleasers
C．terrible complainers	D．pleasure seekers

4 . Long believed to have little social structure, giraffes actually are socially complex, University of Bristol scientists suggest. Their social organization is comparable to that of elephants, dolphins and whales.

Lead author Zoe Miller started research work on giraffes in 2005. “I had noticed that giraffe population numbers were decreasing, and I realized that the tallest of all land animals had hardly had any scientific work done on them, which I just found unbelievable. I decided to devote my career to understanding this species better,” said Muller.

Muller and her team looked at research work done in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Researchers then considered giraffes very unsociable and that they formed no long-lasting relationships. “However, this was not what I saw in Africa, and I started to question why they were described as having ‘little or no social structure’ when I could clearly observe them always together,” Muller said.

Muller was based in Kenya for five years, conducting research on giraffes and their social organization. She and her team found that giraffes are actually a highly complex social species that may live in matriarchal (母系的) social systems and include shared care of their young.

“Giraffes may take part in shared parenting of the young, and remain in groups of related females. These types of social organization are well-known in other species, for example elephants and whales, but nobody has ever before suggested that the same could be true for giraffes,” Muller said.

The grandmother giraffes stay in their family groups, passing on survival benefits in tough times to the younger members of the group. For example, they may know where there is water or where they can find food. “This is important information, as this means we should focus on protecting the older adult females, since they are important members to aid the survival of younger generations,” explained Muller.

1. What did Zoe Muller think of researchers’ work done in the 1950s-1970s?

A．Questionable.

B．Inspiring.

C．Reliable.

D．Creative.

2. In what way are giraffes similar to elephants according to the text?

A．Their population numbers are dropping.

B．They remain in groups of related males.

C．They have been well protected in the wild.

D．They take part in shared raising of the young.

3. Why are older female giraffes particularly worthy of protection?

A．They can help keep the balance of nature.

B．They can help researchers learn about giraffes.

C．They can pass on life skills to the younger generations.

D．They can help younger giraffes get on well with each other.

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

A．Secrets of Giraffes: The Older, The Smarter

B．Social Structure: A Gap in Animal Research

C．Giraffes: More Socially Complex than Imagined

D．Survival of Giraffes: The Role of Older Members

5 . Unlike Special Forces tourism, where the aim is to hit as many famous spots as possible in the _______ amount of time, Citywalk is more about immersing in the atmosphere of the city. By _______ on foot, Citywalkers get away from _______ famous hotspots and commercial hubs, _______, seeking out interactions with locals, authentic snacks, and a deeper appreciation for the history and culture of the city.

In some cases, Citywalk is much like a food tour, with walkers carefully planning out _______ with certain snack spots in mind. Seasoned (资深的) Citywalkers have seized the _______ to share their own recommended routes and snack spots _______ social media, quickly gaining thousands of new subscribers over the past month. The addition of the group chat function to Xiaohongshu (_______ in February) means Citywalk fans can chat with an influencer/ expert in their city and _______ connect with other new Citywalk fans.

On Gen Z trend bible Xiaohongshu, hashtags “Citywalk” and “Day off Citywalk” have 14.2 million and 411.5 million views _______. An official page dedicated to the trend ________ “Strolling the Street to Eat Delicious Food” can also be found when ________ for Citywalk on the platform. The H5 page recommends snack spots on backstreets in Hangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Tianjin, Changsha, Guiyang and more.

While Citywalk can work as an ________ to tourism, most of the trend’s enthusiasts ________ reconnect with the city they live in. This post-reopening trend ________ Gen Z seek pleasure more through connection than consumption and signifies a deep cultural curiosity that goes beyond the Chinese iconography that typifies guochao.

1.

A．largest

B．hugest

C．shortest

D．quickest

2.

A．figuring

B．measuring

C．admiring

D．sensing

3.

A．offline

B．local

C．internet

D．nearby

4.

A．instead

B．however

C．meanwhile

D．furthermore

5.

A．paths

B．routes

C．ways

D．directions

6.

A．trend

B．taste

C．flow

D．trick

7.

A．on

B．at

C．by

D．via

8.

A．installed

B．launched

C．set

D．downloaded

9.

A．easily

B．possibly

C．luckily

D．randomly

10.

A．totally

B．particularly

C．visually

D．respectively

11.

A．read

B．named

C．said

D．noticed

12.

A．searching

B．leaving

C．longing

D．allowing

13.

A．inspiration

B．expression

C．anticipation

D．approach

14.

A．are keen to

B．are approved to

C．are bound to

D．are determined to

15.

A．discovers

B．observes

C．sees

D．views

6 . My wife and I parked by a rough path the same time as a young man covered in tattoos (纹身). I ______ he was unfriendly，so we tried to ______ ourselves from him. But he struggled hard to ______ and wanted to talk some. We slowed down. He said he was recovering from a bad time in his life. We ______ left him in the dust，heading up the river.

Hours later we turned back ______ a flash flood had taken out the bridge. There he was again, following to ______ us. He shared a little more of his ______. He lost his mother and sister in a car accident and he was permanently ______ too. We slowed down to the pace he could ______ for the whole way back.

He continued, “During much surgery and ______ I came to hate life...” Then he pulled up his shirt to show us a ______ life size tattoo from neck to waist. It was two ladies in a ______ light waving to him. “This is my mom and this is my sister,” he pointed, “They told me to stop hating everything. They loved me just as they always had and ______ me to live in love too!” He explained the brightly colored tattoo was the exact dream he had that day.

My ______ went away. It had painted a wrong picture of this wonderful person with a beautiful ______ . I learned more than he hoped to tell.

1.

A．assumed

B．remembered

C．admitted

D．confirmed

2.

A．tell

B．distance

C．save

D．free

3.

A．turn away

B．set out

C．catch up

D．settle down

4.

A．politely

B．secretly

C．carelessly

D．accidentally

5.

A．though

B．unless

C．because

D．before

6.

A．impress

B．interrupt

C．persuade

D．engage

7.

A．target

B．story

C．plan

D．journey

8.

A．confused

B．discouraged

C．ignored

D．injured

9.

A．observe

B．judge

C．manage

D．challenge

10.

A．silence

B．pain

C．failure

D．guilt

11.

A．massive

B．funny

C．random

D．popular

12.

A．brilliant

B．gentle

C．weak

D．sensitive

13.

A．allowed

B．begged

C．forced

D．expected

14.

A．doubt

B．sympathy

C．prejudice

D．resistance

15.

A．reputation

B．message

C．appearance

D．insight

7 . The first apes evolved 20 million years ago in the forests where they would go up a tree to get their food, and then come back down to move on to the next tree. Getting out of a tree presents all kinds of new challenges. Big apes can’t afford to fall because it could kill or badly injure them. Natural selection would have favored those with body structures that allowed them to descend safely.

Dartmouth researchers report in the journal Royal Society Open Science that apes probably evolved free-moving shoulders and flexible elbows to slow their descent from trees as gravity pulled on their heavier bodies. These flexible body parts passed on from ancestral apes would have allowed early humans to climb trees at night for safety and comedown in the daylight unhurt. When early humans transitioned from forests to open savannas (热带稀树草原), flexible shoulders and elbows were crucial for gathering food and using tools for hunting and defense.

The researchers used sports analysis and statistical software to study how primates(灵长目动物) like chimpanzees and small monkeys called mangabeys climbed in the wild. They found that chimps and mangabeys scaled(攀爬) trees similarly, with shoulders and elbows mostly bent close to the body. When descending, however, chimpanzees extended their arms above their heads to hold on to branches, much like a person using a ladder, to counteract(抵消) their heavier weight pulling them downward.

Luke Fannin, the lead author of the study, emphasized that their findings highlight the importance of “down climbing” in the evolution of apes and early humans. He explained, “Our research introduces the idea that down climbing played a significant role in shaping the structural differences between monkeys and apes, which eventually manifested in humans.”

“Our field has thought about apes climbing up trees for a long time, but we’ve been ignoring the second half of this behavior,” said Professor Jeremy DeSilva, “The findings are among the first to identify the significance of “down climbing” in the evolution of apes and early humans.

1. According to paragraph 1, apes would have been favored by natural selection if                .

A．they have sufficient food resources.

B．they come down from trees securely.

C．they master skills of climbing up trees.

D．they cure themselves when they’re injured.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The similarity of two primates in tree climbing

B．The evolution of two primates’ adaptation to nature.

C．The analysis of primates’ tree scaling and descending

D．The application of different research methods and tools.

3. Which of the following statement might DeSilva agree with?

A．Descending trees has been neglected by researchers for a long time.

B．The study is the first to recognize the significance of down climbing

C．The evolution of apes and early humans is a result of down climbing.

D．Studies on climbing down trees are more likely to have new findings.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．Chimpanzees and Mangabeys: Researches in Natural Settings

B．Apes and Humans: A Comparative Study of Climbing up Trees

C．Shoulders and Elbows: Evolved as Brakes for Downclimbing Apes

D．Apes’ Climbing Strategies: How to Use Different Body Parts Flexibly

8 . It’s 1:30 am in Kenya’s populated north, and 50 people are lying on their backs on the shore of a dried-up river, staring up at the night sky. These stargazers have travelled 250 miles to Samburu to witness the Perseid meteor shower(英仙座流星雨). They are not disappointed: Every few minutes, arrows of light shoot across the sky like silent fireworks.

The Star Safari is organised by a Kenyan astronomer, Susan Murabana, who has brought a 50 kg,170 cm-long telescope to allow the group to view Mars and deep-sky objects. But here in Samburu, where light pollution is minimal, the Perseid meteors—visible with the naked eye (裸眼)—steal the show.

Every two months, Murabana and her husband load their telescope on to the roof of their 4×4 and set off to rural communities, where they give up to 300 children a chance to view the planets and learn about constellations (星座) and the basics of astrophysics. They primarily targets schools in remote areas because of her mission to give girls an opportunity that she wishes had been available to her.

“When I started this work, I didn’t see people who looked like me. I was a lone ranger and I wanted to change that.” says Murabana.

“There is a common misconception in Kenya that astronomy in general is hard, boring, and only for boys,” she adds. “I’d like to teach young girls that astronomy is neither of these things and that they, too, can become astronomers,” says Murabana.

Murabana’s passion for astronomy began in her early 20s when her uncle invited her to join a similar outreach session organized by the Cosmos Education. “That was a gamechanger. If an outreach group had come to me when I was a young teenager, my attitude towards a career in astronomy would have been positive. I ended up studying sociology and economics, but maybe I would have desired to be an astronomer,” she says.

Inspired by the Cosmos Education, Murabana completed an online master’s degree in astronomy with the James Cook University in 201l and set up her own outreach programme. She looked to Dr Mae Jemison, the first black woman in space, as a role model. “I hope that one day, through this work, I will spark a chain reaction that leads to the first African woman in space.”

1. What do the underlined words “steal the show” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Ruin the effort.	B．Face the challenge.
C．Attract more attention.	D．Keep the promise.

2. Why does Murabana target girl students in remote areas?

A．To help them out of poverty.	B．To inspire their love of astronomy.
C．To look for assistants for her work.	D．To give them an edge over boys in studies.

3. What can we learn about Murabana from paragraph 6?

A．She enjoyed playing games.

B．She longed to be an astronomer.

C．She is an initiator of Cosmos Education.

D．She regretted not taking astronomy earlier.

4. What’s the passage mainly about?

A．The birth of a Kenyan woman astronomer.

B．The prejudice against girls in rural Kenyan.

C．The Kenyan astronomer bringing astronomy to the people.

D．The Kenyan stargazers watching the Perseid meteors shower.

9 . Microsoft has announced the general availability of its Azure AI Content Safety, a new service that helps users detect and filter harmful AI — and user-generated content across applications and services.

The service, designed to reduce negative information in community environments, includes text and image detection and identifies content that Microsoft terms “offensive, risky, or undesirable,” including hate, bias, adult content, violence and self-harm.

“By focusing on content safety, we can create a safer digital environment that promotes responsible use of AI and safeguards the well-being of individuals and society as a whole,” wrote Louise Han, product manager for Azure Anomaly Detector, in a blog post announcing the launch.

Azure AI Content Safety has the ability to handle various content categories, languages, and threats to moderate both text and visual content. It also offers image features that use AI algorithms to scan, analyze, and moderate visual content, ensuring what Microsoft terms 360-degree comprehensive safety measures. The service is also equipped to moderate content across multiple languages and it can rate the severity of specific content on a scale ranging from 0 to 7. Then it instructs human detectors to take action.

“When it comes to online safety, it is crucial to consider more than just human-generated content, especially as AI-generated content becomes prevalent,” Han wrote. “To make sure that AI-generated outputs are accurate, reliable, or appropriate materials is essential. Content safety not only protects users from misinformation and potential harm but also upholds moral standards and builds trust in AI technologies.”

Azure AI Content Safety has a better understanding of textual content and cultural context and are more precise in processing data and content than other products in their category.

Azure AI Content Safety is mainly priced on a pay-as-you-go basis. Interested users can checkout pricing options on the Azure AI Content Safety pricing page.

1. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Microsoft makes AI technologies popular.

B．Microsoft guarantees trust in AI technologies.

C．Microsoft launches AI Content Safety service.

D．Microsoft puts forward a term about AI Content Safety.

2. What type of information is the most likely to be identified by Azure AI Content Safety?

A．Hatred speeches.

B．Nursery rhymes.

C．Peaceful protests.

D．Defensive postures.

3. Which of the following is TRUE about Azure AI Content Safety according to paragraph 4-6?

A．It deals only with visual information to guarantee a secure digital world.

B．It is the best product created to prevent misleading information in history.

C．It assesses the seriousness of specific information by using different languages.

D．It’s committed to accuracy, reliability and appropriateness of AI-generated contents.

4. The text is probably followed by a paragraph about         .

A．the application of Azure AI Content Safety to users’ language learning.

B．the details of price choices when purchasing Azure AI Content Safety.

C．the comparison of Azure AI Content Safety and other similar products.

D．the examples of Azure AI Content Safety to solve technical problems.

10 . More than three billion people rely on the ocean to make a living, most of whom are in developing countries. As the global population increases, the demand for seafood is expected to rise, too.

Although ocean ecosystems are stretched to the limit by climate change, overfishing and more, studies nevertheless suggest that seafood can be expanded sustainably to meet future food demands. Success will depend on small-scale fisheries. These fisheries can be remarkably efficient. Almost everything that hand-to-mouth fisheries catch is consumed. By contrast, around 20% of the fish caught by industrial ships is estimated to be wasted, mainly because of unwanted by-catch.

Small fishers rarely have the right resources to expand their operations, or even to survive. If they do scale up, they might lose some of their current advantages or engage in the same harmful practices as do large commercial fisheries. Managed with care, however, small fisheries could provide win-wins for livelihoods and the environment.

Most nations already have management policies for marine ecosystems that provide for small-scale fisheries. But small-scale fishers’ rights to access are often poorly defined, ineffectively enforced or unfairly distributed (分配). Government subsidies (补贴) also require reform. One estimate found that large-scale fishers receive about 3.5 times more subsidies than small-scale fishers do. Instead, subsidies and other funds should be directed towards small-scale fishers to let them expand their access to markets, while keeping them from adopting the negative practices of large-scale operations.

The total global loss and waste from fisheries is estimated at between 30% and 35% annually primarily due to a lack of technology, good manufacturing practices, and infrastructure such as decent roads and cold storage. Public and private investment in cold-storage facilities and processing equipment could help. One promising strategy is to pair international or national funding with direct contracts for feeding programmes linked to schools, hospitals and similar facilities. Such arrangements would provide small fisheries with large, consistent markets and storage infrastructure that boosts local consumption and does not incentivize (刺激) overfishing.

Moreover, simple incentive programmes could be conducted by funders, managers and local governments trying to promote sustainable fisheries. For example, local markets could display a rating system for individual fishers or small fisheries. This could include various elements of sustainability other than environmental ones — such as providing information on the type of fishing equipment, location of the catch and freshness. Promoting the rating as a social responsibility concept would inform consumers of the need to support sustainable fisheries.

Anyway, only joint problem-solving efforts can deliver seafood protein, sustainably, to a world that increasingly needs it.

1. The passage mainly tells us that ________.

A．small fisheries can help the world if managed with care

B．the global demand for seafood is increasing dramatically

C．small-scale fisheries need to be commercialised urgently

D．people in developing countries are more reliable on fishing

2. Small-scale fisheries are more efficient because ________.

A．what they catch is hardly wasted	B．their by-catch accounts for a larger share
C．they catch fish by industrial means	D．their operation is limited within a small area

3. What can be inferred about small fisheries’ current situation?

A．They gain no support from governments.	B．They are expanding to meet local demands.
C．They have little access to good resources.	D．They impact marine ecosystems negatively.

4. To promote sustainable fisheries, which of the following is one of the author’s suggestions?

A．To initiate a rating system for small fishers to evaluate the local markets.

B．To provide technology for small fisheries to boost their fishing efficiency.

C．To inspire a sense of social responsibility in large-scale fishers and consumers.

D．To facilitate direct cooperation between small fisheries and feeding programmes.