1 . Because of COVID-19, tourism industries have to think about new ways of promoting tourist attractions online. One way of getting tourists to travel abroad from their own home is through virtual reality (VR) technology. Here are some of the best virtual travel tours that can be enjoyed online right now.
For wild animal lovers, the company andBeyond has been live streaming (直播) wildlife to viewers at home from South Africa. In order to raise money for the wildlife, andBeyond is also now offering unique virtual experiences such as a private meeting. During the meeting, viewers can chat to guides who will answer all the questions and share their experiences from a recent drive.
Those wishing to explore the US will be excited to know that national parks including Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and the Everglades, now offer 360-degree videos through Google Earth.
On the Google Arts & Culture platform (平台)，you can also enjoy a detailed virtual journey through some other national parks, such as Alaska's Kenai Fjords, the volcanoes of Hawaii or Utah's Bryce Canyon.
In the UK, the National Trust has organized many virtual tours from their most breathtaking views and gardens, including the Giant's Causeway and the flower beds of Hidcote House.
Even if it can’t compare to a real-life experience, VR technology still allows us to get a little closer to the world's greatest wonders. At the very least, these platforms might help travelers plan their next holiday once the pandemic (流行病)is over.
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?| A．VR technology will be used in tourism to attract visitors. |
| B．VR technology was born because of COVID-19. |
| C．Travelling abroad from home can be less fun. |
| D．Virtual travel tours are free to all the Internet users. |
| A．And Beyond. | B．Google Earth. | C．National Trust. | D．Google VR. |
| A．They are useless. | B．They are more attractive. |
| C．They are helpful. | D．They are badly organized. |
2 . In the summer of 1967, Walker was about to enter the sixth grade after having recently moved to the new town. Her mother signed Walker up for Girl Scouts（童子军)to help her get used to the place. She was paired with a girl named Laurie Luna in a four-person tent. At the camp, Walker and Lima's lives were tightly tied. As a Girl Scout, you have someone to rely on, to know where you're going, to talk over things with, and to develop a friendship. It was a wonderful time for these girls to look back on.
After boating with Luna one afternoon, lightning hit a tree outside the girls' tent. "It happens in the mountains in summertime. Then a storm blew in and sent us all to our tents," Walker remembers. "Lightning struck and its path led through me. I was lying on the floor seriously burned and unconscious(昏迷的)."As bad luck would have it. Walker had been standing on her bed at the time. Instantly, two-thirds of Walker's body was burned.
The other three girls in the tent screamed and ran away, but Luna quickly realized her friend was not among them. She thought Walker must be missing and went back to look for her — only to find Walker on the floor of the tent. Seeing Walker, she sped to the counselors, brought help and, in doing so, saved Walker. The counselor raced to give Walker first aid treatment, who then was rushed to the hospital by a nurse.
"The timing of getting artificial respiration(人工呼吸)and being taken to the hospital allowed me to recover with few health problems and to continue on with my life——to be a teacher, a wife, a mother, and a part of the world," Walker says.
1. What can we say about Walker from the first paragraph?| A．She was a newcomer to the town. | B．She and Luna became classmates. |
| C．Her mother disliked staying with her. | D．She was the fourth girl in Girl Scouts. |
| A．She got lost in the mountain. | B．She was hit by a big lightning. |
| C．She was late for the boating. | D．She was ill because of the storm. |
| A．By relying on her strong will. |
| B．By calling someone for help. |
| C．By using her skills learned at school. |
| D．By receiving instant treatment in time. |
| A．Walker had a few health problems after the treatment. |
| B．All girls in Walker's tent did something helpful for her. |
| C．Walker might be grateful for what Luna had done for her. |
| D．Luna sent Walker to the hospital with a nurse at once. |
3 . The best festivals in August
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world. Last year, the festival lasted 25 days, including 55,000 performances of 3,548 shows in 317 places. The festival started in 1947. Anyone can join in with the performance of their choice.
Wilderness Festival
Wilderness Festival takes place in one of the oldest woods in England. Taking place over four days in nature, people will experience music, comedy, theatre, and dance from Sadler's Wells. All the campsites are made-to-order for different needs, including family camping.
Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill Carnival takes place on the streets of Notting Hill in London, England in each August lasting three days. Attracting around one million people each year, it's one of the biggest street festivals in the world. Happening since 1966, Notting Hill Carnival is an essential cultural experience in London.
La Tomatina
Each year, the Valencian town of Bunol gets changed into a red mess as locals and tourists take to the streets and throw tomatoes at each other, creating the biggest food fight in the world, all for fun. This tomato festival has been happening since 1945 and is held on the last Wednesday of August each year.
1. Which festival lasts the longest?| A．Wilderness Festival. | B．Edinburgh Festival Fringe. |
| C．Notting Hill Carnival. | D．La Tomatina. |
| A．The campsites are specially offered. | B．People can dance with famous stars. |
| C．People will experience wilderness adventure. | D．It is the biggest street festival in the world. |
| A．Get dressed in red. | B．Experience classic music. |
| C．Eat as many tomatoes as possible. | D．Throw tomatoes at each other for fun. |
4 . Facial expressions are the primary way people exhibit emotion and read the feelings of others. Happiness, sadness, fear and surprise can be communicated through facial expressions alone. But when part of the face is masked (戴口罩), it becomes more difficult to recognize these cues.
If you cannot read other’s emotional state, your ability to empathize (共情) with them may be weakened. Moreover, if your mask is hiding your emotional state, others may not be able to empathize with you. Wearing a mask can also make you feel more distracted, further weakening your connection to others.
Fortunately, you can regain some control over communication by working with what you have left—the eyes. If you want to increase understanding with a masked individual, you should look them in the eyes, which may be easier said than done. Eye contact may cause discomfortable after only three seconds. But keep in mind, eye contact can also make you appear more intelligent and trustworthy.
You might be surprised how much information is conveyed by the body itself. For instance, when someone is happy, they stand up straighter and lift their head; when they are sad, they slouch and drop their head; and when they are angry, their whole body tenses up. Learning how people use their bodies to convey emotion may help reduce the uncertainty you feel when communicating with someone in a mask.
Don’t forget the impact of your voice. It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. Along with the actual words, you also use volume, tone and pauses to convey your message.
Before your next interaction with a friend, think of ways to improve your connection. Pull your hair back so they can see your eyes clearly. Use your body and voice to convey the emotions you fear your mask might hide.
By all means, remember that social distance doesn't have to mean socially distant.
1. What is the function of eye contact according to the author?| A．You seem to be more friendly with eye contact for a long time. |
| B．Proper eye contact makes you appear more trustworthy. |
| C．Only eye contact can avoid misunderstanding. |
| D．Eye contact for five seconds makes you feel comfortable. |
| A．Learning body languages well can increase smooth communication. |
| B．There is little information conveyed by the body itself. |
| C．When people are sad, their whole body tenses up. |
| D．Standing up straighter and lifting one’s head means a person is angry. |
| A．1 | B．2 | C．3 | D．4 |
| A．We have to keep social distance strictly. |
| B．We can regain some control over communication by social distance. |
| C．Social distance can increase understanding with a masked individual. |
| D．Social distance should not keep people distant and cold. |
5 . Members of a native community in the arctic (北极的)areas of Sweden say their reindeer (驯鹿)are facing possible hunger from unusual weather related to climate change. The local Sami community takes care of about 8,000 reindeer throughout the year. The animals are moved between traditional feeding areas in high mountains close to Norway in the summer and forests farther east in the winter.
A community member, Inga, is worried about his reindeer. He said climate change has affected the area's weather activity and created food shortages. "If we don't find better areas for them where they can feed themselves and find food, the reindeer will die from hunger,” Inga said. He verified the problem by reaching down into the snow and pulling up a hard piece of ice close to the soil.
The area received unusual snowfall early in the fall, followed by rain that froze. Inga said this traps the plants that reindeer eat under a thick cover of ice. Some of the hungry reindeer have now moved away from their traditional feeding areas in search of food.
Community members say half the reindeer moved towards the east as planned. But the rest headed back to the mountains, where they face the risk of attacks by other animals or being caught in an avalanche (雪崩). Older members of the Sami community say that in the past, they only remember bad winters about once every ten years. But now, Inga says “extreme and strange weather are appearing more and more often,“ happening several times a year.
Snowfall is common for the area. But as temperatures increase, rain can also fall, creating a “rain-on-snow” effect. When this happens, food remains trapped under the ice where the reindeer cannot reach it. This causes the animals to grow weaker and struggle to make it through the winter. Weather changes have hit the Sami community hard.
“We don't want money because we can’t buy better weather with money. We need the EU to take action and they need to do it now,“ said Inga.
1. What problem do reindeer meet with at present?| A．Cold weather. | B．Risk of hunger. |
| C．Long march for food. | D．Polluted environment. |
| A．Proved. | B．Solved. | C．Ignored. | D．Answered. |
| A．Traps under the snow. | B．Hunt from human beings. |
| C．Rocks falling down the mountain. | D．Threat from other animals. |
| A．Flood. | B．Drought. |
| C．Rain-on-snow effect. | D．Snowfall. |
6 . The Earth is losing some of its major freshwater supplies. But the water is not in lakes or rivers. They are called “aquifers”(含水层). They formed deep underground as the Earth developed. Some aquifers are so deep that water from very heavy rains cannot reach them through all the rock and dirt.
Many aquifers provide irrigation (灌溉)water for crops. These freshwater are helping farmers in many countries. A new report says some aquifers are being emptied.
Irrigated agriculture is responsible for about 80 percent or more of freshwater use worldwide. A growing part of that comes from underground aquifers because of dry weather or farmers growing crops in areas with little rainfall.
But researchers say taking water from aquifers is creating a large problem. Scientists warn that there is not much that can be done to repair them. It is difficult to measure groundwater because it is so deep underground. It is also difficult to know how much water is there and where it is. The water from these aquifers may not be replaced for hundreds of years.
The report says seven countries use the most non - renewable groundwater for agricultural production. The seven are the United States. India, Pakistan, China, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. The United States is one of the world's major exporters of food. If China and India use up the groundwater they need to feed their populations, they would be forced to buy more food. This increased demand could cause food prices to rise.
The study shows that, while countries like Somalia are dealing with little rainfall, the world may someday face an underground drought. It's a really global issue. All countries around the world are facing this challenge. We don't have any great solutions or strategies to deal with this. So, at the very least, we need to have discussions to come up with new ways, new strategies that recognize this problem and manage how we might adjust our policies (调整 政策).
Any strategy must balance the short-term need for food for the world with the long-term survival of the Earth's aquifers.
1. Why is it difficult to recover underground water?| A．More water is drawn than it is added. |
| B．The Earth still lacks rainwater. |
| C．It is too deep for rainwater to reach. |
| D．Researchers know nothing about it. |
| A．The US will benefit from it. |
| B．More rains will reach aquifers. |
| C．Fresh water in lakes or rivers will also disappear. |
| D．Food will become more expensive. |
| A．Worried. | B．Relaxed. | C．Encouraged. | D．Optimistic. |
| A．No Ways Can Save Underground Water |
| B．The Earth’s Underground Water Is Being Emptied |
| C．Agriculture Is Destroying Underground Water |
| D．Everyone's Duty Is to Protect Underground Water |
7 . A valuable musical instrument was played recently in its first public performance (表演) since being rediscovered in 2015. The instrument, a Stradivarius violin, had been stolen and was missing for 35 years.
The violin has a long history. It was made in the 18th Century. Later, the instrument belonged to Roman Totenberg, a Polish-born violinist. He died before the violin was rediscovered. Now, the violin belongs to one of his daughters and its sound is again being heard.
This week, one of Totenberg's former students, Mira Wang, played the instrument for the first time since its rediscovery.
Totenberg's three daughters all agreed that Mira Wang should perform with the Stradivarius. Amy Totenberg says the former student was close to her father.
Antonio Stradivari made the instrument in 1734. Roman Totenberg played the violin for almost 40 years. He performed on many famous concert stages around the world. Totenberg died in 2012 at the age of 101.
The Stradivarius was taken from his dressing room after a show. Daughter Nina Totenberg remembers what happened. " He was greeting well-wishers afterwards and when he turned around to go back and get the violin, it was gone. And they found the case thrown down the stairs in the place where the concert had been and they called the police and the FBI came.”
The disappearance of the violin remained a mystery (谜)for 35 years. Then, the former wife of the man who stole the instrument tried to sell it to a violin specialist who identified it. The former husband had once been a student of Totenberg.
In 2015, the Stradivarius violin was returned to Totenberg's three daughters. They had it repaired to playing condition.
The Totenberg sisters say they will sell the violin to a performer or a group. They want the instrument to be heard again by listeners around the world. Rare instruments also are musical treasures. In 2011, a Stradivarius violin was sold for more than $ 15 million.
1. Why was the performance unique?| A．It was played by a Chinese musician. |
| B．It was played to honour a former violinist. |
| C．It was played with a lost - and - found valuable violin. |
| D．It was organized by a famous musician's daughters. |
| A．She has the best skill to play the violin. |
| B．She will show the violin to the world. |
| C．She is familiar with the daughters. |
| D．She was related closely to its former owner, her teacher. |
| A．A violin specialist. | B．A student of Totenberg's. |
| C．The former wife of a thief. | D．One of the well-wishers at a concert. |
| A．It will change hands. | B．It will be donated to a group. |
| C．It will be played only once. | D．It will be kept in a museum. |
8 . Planning out your summer?Use this guide to find activities around Seattle, May through August. For more summer fun, check out our website www.projects. seattletimes. com.
Space Race Exhibit
New exhibit of things from flights to the moon in the 1960s on display, including moon rocks, space clothes, the first Apollo spacecraft and the historic Apollo 12 engines that were lost at the bottom of the sea for 43 years until they were recovered by Seattle-based Bezos Expeditions in 2013,10 a.m.--5 p. m.
Call for info:206-764-5720
Location: The Museum of Flight, Seattle
Date:May 20
West Seattle Bee Festival
Sustainable(可持续的) gardening practices and other ways to help bees; vendors (摊贩) and organizations who focus on sustainability and / or help support bees, kids’ activities, music, food tasting, 10 a.m.--3 p. m.
Call for info : 206-533-7848
Location: High Point Commons Park, Seattle
Date : June 25
Touch-a-Truck
Children of all ages explore construction trucks, emergency cars,vintage (老式的) trucks; professionals explain the equipment and the work each performs,10 a.m.--1 p.m. ; horns-free hour for children with special needs and/ or sensitive ears, 9 a.m.--10 a. m.; hosted by Junior League of Seattle.
Call for info:206-708-2236
Location : Magnuson Park, Seattle
Date : July 21
Kirkland Uncorked
Wine festival with wine tasting, food, live music in the Tasting Garden, $ 20--$25; street fair for all ages with Uncorked Market; 5 p. m.--10 p. m.August 14 ; noon--10 p. m.August 15; noon--6 p. m. August 16.
Call for info: 206-548-2500
Location : Marina Park, Kirkland
Date :July 14--16
1. What is unique about Touch-a-Truck?| A．It attracts people of all ages. |
| B．It teaches kids horn-playing skills. |
| C．Experts give explanations at any time. |
| D．It cares about children with special needs. |
| A．Marina Park. | B．Magnuson Park. |
| C．The Museum of Flight. | D．High Point Commons Park. |
| A．People pay nothing for them. | B．They are based in the same place. |
| C．People can enjoy food and music. | D．They give participants hands-on experience. |
9 . I have an amazing connection with marathons. I didn’t realize until I started running in my 30s that running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of will!
I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P. E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn’t do either well. He later informed me that I was not athletic. Though he didn’t mean it, that stuck with me for years.
A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks，leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead. The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn’t even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.
Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe ties became undone. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted !
At mile 3, I passed a sign: “GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!”
By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.
By mile 21, I was starving!
As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 am or questioned my expenses on running.
I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.
Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels, I can now call myself a marathon winner.
1. What does the underlined “that” in Para. 2 refer to?| A．His teacher’s request. | B．His failed sports. |
| C．His no-talent in sports. | D．The awkward memory. |
| A．He made it eventually. | B．He has lost confidence. |
| C．He gave up halfway. | D．He was too nervous to finish. |
| A．Doubted. | B．Supported. | C．Indifferent. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．One is never too old to learn. | B．Failure is the mother of success. |
| C．A winner is one with a great effort of will. | D．A man owes his success to his family support. |
10 . The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City in Beijing, China, was completed in 1420 during the early Ming Dynasty. It is the largest ancient palatial （宫殿似的） building in the world and it’s open to tourists to allow them to have a look at ancient Chinese architecture.
The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid is a statue in Copenhagen, Denmark. It sits on a rock in the harbor. It was inspired by a performance of a ballet based on the fairy tale The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. It was presented to the public on 23 August, 1913. And there are many tourists taking photos with the Little Mermaid every year.
The Taj Mahal
As one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of India. It is considered as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a mix of Indian, Persian and Islamic styles.
Niagara Falls State Park
America’s oldest state park, open year-round, brings you closer than you ever thought possible to the power of the Falls. The best viewing area for the American Falls and Rapids is the Prospect Point. It is also home to the Visitors Service Center, Niagara Adventure Theater, the Observation Tower and the Maid of the Mist.
1. What can you do when visiting the Little Mermaid?| A．Listen to a fairy tale. | B．Attend a performance. |
| C．Meet Hans Christian Andersen. | D．Take pictures with the statue. |
| A．The Prospect Point. | B．The Niagara Adventure Theater. |
| C．The Observation Tower. | D．The Maid of the Mist. |
| A．Tourists can only see the Forbidden City from outside. |
| B．The Little Mermaid statue was made by Hans Christian Andersen. |
| C．The Taj Mahal is the finest example of mixed styles of Mughal buildings. |
| D．Tourists must check the opening time before visiting the Niagara Falls State Park. |
