1 . If you are looking for something extraordinary on your vacation beyond Canada, we have some recommendations to you.
Paris
From its Haussmann-designed boulevards to the winding backstreets of the Marais and Montmartre, Paris' history as a center of culture, ideas and arresting architecture remains vivid. Drink coffee in Place des Voges; read books on the banks of the Seine at Shakespeare and Co.; or eat classic French dishes in a restaurant in St Germain. Throw in sights from the Louvre to Notre Dame, Les Invalides to the Eiffel Tower, and you're looking at the world's most picture-perfect city.
Rome
Rome is home to some of the world's most breathtaking architectural sites and Renaissance art. It's impossible not to feel the pull of the past when spending time in the Italian capital. Get lost in Rome's royal atmosphere at the Coliseum, the Pantheon and the Roman Forum. Brave the queues and wonder at St Peter's and the Sistine Chapel, while learning about how the Vatican and Christianity came to take power.
Hong Kong
The views of the towering skyscrapers(摩天大楼) of Hong Kong Island from Victoria Harbor are typical, while the Mid-Level Escalators make exploring the central district's bars, restaurants and backstreets a breeze. Across the water, Kowloon's neon(霓虹灯) streets are more lively and reward brave tourists with an up-close view of the real Hong Kong. Beyond are some of the greenest hiking spaces and emptiest beaches in Asia.
Hawaii
Thick forests. Vast sandy bays. And that gorgeous ocean. Hawaii is undoubtedly some kind of paradise. Unlike any other US state, thanks to its location far out in the Pacific, this is a place for adventurers, sun seekers and dreamers. Chill on Waikiki Beach, wonder at the the landscape in Volcanoes National Park or bring a surfboard and make like the locals by riding some of the best waves the world has to offer.
1. Where should you go if you want to have typical French food?| A．Montmartre. | B．St Germain. |
| C．Louvre to Notre Dame. | D．Les Invalides. |
| A．Adventurous life. | B．Architecture and art. |
| C．Sunshine on the beach. | D．Classic coffee and food. |
| A．They are large in size. | B．They are located in Asia. |
| C．They are located by the sea. | D．They are paradise for surfing. |
2 . The Best Children's Books
From mysteries to classics, these books can make a kid smile- and teach them a life lesson or two. Read on for People editors' picks.
She’ S Got This by Laurie Hemandez
The American gymnast's picture book takes pages out of her own life: She's Got This follows Zoe, a young girl, as she discovers her love for gymnastics. It's a colorful reminder that you must fall to fly — the perfect message for any little one- Morgan Smith, Editorial Assistant.
What Do You Say, Dear? by Sesyle Joslin
This book is a throwback, but it still feels fresh today! It's a guide to manners that makes even adults laugh—invaluable when it comes to books for young readers, which you tend to read again and again.— Alex Apatoff, Lifestyle Director
City Spies by James Ponti
In his Dead City and Framed! trilogies (三部曲)，James Ponti created amazingly entertaining escapades (恶作剧) through which his tween characters marched with mischievous (淘气的) attitude and clever smarts. He is at it again with his newest, which finds Sara Maria Martinez, a 12-year-old Brooklyn kid and computer hacker, secretly recruited by a man known as Mother into a British network of spies.— Jeff Truesdell, Writer
A World of Opposites by Gray Malin
The photographer repurposes some of his most excellent shots into a kids "book. Using photos from all over the globe and including some of kids' favorite animals, he illustrates the concept of “opposites”.— Alex Apatoff , Lifestyle Director
1. Whose book inspires readers to never give up?| A．Gray Malin’s. | B．James Pohti’s. | C．Laurie Hernandez’s. | D．Sesyle Joslin’s. |
| A．Opposite things. | B．How kids should behave. |
| C．Teen spies' stories. | D．How a gymnast realizes her dream. |
| A．It has a follow-up. | B．It is for detective fans. |
| C．It features wonderful photos. | D．It is picked by Jeff Truesdell. |
3 . Giant pandas could be left hungry and struggling to survive by global warming, scientists have warned. A new study predicts that climate change is certain to wipe out much of the bamboo on which the bears rely for food. Prime panda habitat in China could be completely lost by the end of the century. Human development adds to the threat by blocking the bears' access to places where bamboo is less affected by rising temperatures.
The research focused on the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi province, which is home to around 275 wild pandas. The animals make up around 17% of the entire wild giant panda population. Qinling pandas have been isolated for thousands of years due to a long history of human habitation around the mountain range. Their limited range makes them particularly sensitive to the loss of food resources.
Bamboo, which carpets the forest floor where the pandas live, is the single item in the bears' diet and also provides essential food and shelter for other animals. The plant's unusual reproductive cycle limits its ability to adapt to climate change. One species studied by the scientists only flowers and reproduces every 30-35 years. Tuanmu's team pointed out that three main bamboo species were likely to disappear in the Qinling Mountains as the climate warmed.
"We will need advance actions to protect the current giant panda habitats," said leading researcher Mao-Ning Tuanmu, from Yale University in the US. "We need time to look for areas that might become panda habitat in the future, and to think now about connection between good panda habitats and habitats for other species."
Conservation efforts should now aim to protect areas that have a better chance of supplying pandas with food, despite climate change. Natural "bridges" could also be created to help the pandas escape from a bamboo shortage. Looking at the climate impact on the bamboo can help us prepare for the challenges that the panda will likely face in the future.
1. What does the author want to tell us in paragraph 1?| A．Human activities prevent giant pandas travelling for food. |
| B．Giant pandas could be short of food for two reasons. |
| C．Giant pandas are faced with the danger of starvation. |
| D．Global warming will ruin the bamboo in China. |
| A．It is hard for this bamboo to get used to climate change. |
| B．It takes decades to flower and produce once again. |
| C．Three main bamboo species have disappeared. |
| D．Giant pandas live on a single food resource. |
| A．We should get giant pandas away from present habitats. |
| B．We should help giant pandas remove other species. |
| C．We should set up a nature reserve for giant pandas. |
| D．We should plant more bamboos for giant pandas. |
| A．Threat to the survival of Giant Pandas |
| B．Effect of Climate Change on Giant Pandas |
| C．Research on Disappearance of Bamboo |
| D．Measures to Protect Giant Pandas |
4 . The Board of Education of the Islip Union Free School District is accepting applications for this key leadership role, director of Schools, in the 2,788 student K-12 school district located on the south shore of Islip Town approximately 50 miles from Manhattan. The Board is seeking an experienced educational leader who has the following characteristics:
•Knowledge of K-12 curriculum and instruction, technology, the budget process, finances, labor relations, and community engagement.
•Experience as a successful classroom teacher and an effective educational leader in New York State.
•A strong commitment to academic excellence, and with outstanding communication and leadership skills.
New York State SDA or SDL certification required.
The Board is prepared to offer a regionally competitive salary package. An application and a brochure describing the position and the school district can be found at: www.esboces.org.
Application deadline: December 18, 2020. Send letter of intent and resume to: Islip UFSD. Director Search passes them on to Dr. Julie Davis Lutz, Chief Operating Officer, Eastern Suffolk BOCES, PO Box 454, Medford, NY 11763. Or directly email: suptsearch@esboces.org.
1. What is the advertised position you can apply for?| A．A teacher. | B．An assistant. |
| C．An educational leader. | D．An operating officer. |
| A．Financial support. | B．Rich experience. |
| C．Extraordinary skills. | D．Adequate knowledge. |
| A．Beyond December 18, 2020; www.esboces.org. |
| B．By December 18, 2020; www.esboces.org. |
| C．Beyond December 18, 2020; suptsearch@esboces.or |
| D．By December 18, 2020; suptsearch@esboces.org. |
5 . Mother's Day is a holiday that celebrates and honors mothers in the United States. It is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. It became an official holiday in the country at the start of the 20th century as a way to honor mothers whose sons had died in war.
The holiday is celebrated in a number of ways. People give mothers gifts like flowers, cards, and jewelry to thank them for all their hard work. A popular symbol of the holiday is the flower called carnation. This is because when the holiday first began in the U.S. people were encouraged to wear a red carnation if their mother was alive or a white carnation if their mother was dead. Many people take their mothers out for a special meal. In fact, Mother's Day is the most popular date in the U.S. for people to go out and eat and it is estimated that people spend billions on meals and gifts. Mother's Day is also the most popular day to make long distance calls in the U.S. It is the second most popular gift-giving day after Christmas.
Since its establishment, Mother's Day has been criticized for becoming highly financial. In fact, the founder of the U.S. holiday, Anna Jarvis, began protesting the holiday and was even arrested for disturbing the peace for a public march. Jarvis's own mother started the campaign to establish a mother's holiday during the American Civil War.
Mothers are not the only people celebrated on this day. All mother figures including grandmothers, great-grandmothers, stepmothers, and foster mothers are honored on the holiday. In schools many students make special gifts, including handmade cards. While widely recognized, Mother's Day is not a federal holiday. Many other countries around the world have their own version of Mother's Day.
1. Who was the holiday intended for at the beginning?| A．All mothers. | B．The sons giving lives in war. |
| C．All sons. | D．The mothers losing sons in war. |
| A．People give their mothers carnation flowers as gifts. |
| B．People prepare a special meal for their own mothers. |
| C．People spend too much on celebration of the holiday. |
| D．People telephone to their mothers anywhere anytime. |
| A．She criticized Mother's Day for high expenses. |
| B．She organized a public march and broke the peace. |
| C．She was strongly against her mother for the campaign. |
| D．She spent too much in celebrating the first Mother's Day. |
| A．The ways of observing Mother's Day. | B．The origin of Mother's Day. |
| C．Different opinions on Mother's Day. | D．The holiday of Mother's Day. |
6 . Argentina soccer legend Diego Maradona has died aged 60 of heart failure on Wednesday. Heart failure is a chronic condition that gradually damages the heart's ability to pump blood. Fluid can build up in the lungs as a result — a condition known as pulmonary edema. It is an increasingly common problem that can be fatal.
Regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game, Maradona became a household name after inspiring his country to World Cup glory in 1986. He took center stage at the tournament with a memorable performance against England where he scored a symbolic goal that he later described as the "Hand of God".
The small forward out-jumped legendary keeper Peter Shilton and knocked the ball into the net. The goal was allowed to stand, though it was claimed to be a handball. Later in the very game he scored one of the best goals in history after weaving his way past seven English defenders.
His impressive career was also marked by numerous controversies and his notorious lifestyle led to alcoholism and addiction.
Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez announced three days of national mourning for the passing of the superstar, and posted a tribute to Maradona on Twitter. "You took us to the top of the world. You made us feel incredibly happy. You were the greatest of all. Thank you for having existed," it read.
Maradona will lie in honor for public viewing at Argentina's presidential palace. Fans headed to the streets across Argentina and in Naples on Wednesday to pay tribute to（悼念） their hero. Meanwhile, a minute's silence would be observed ahead of all European matches this week in honor of the Argentine.
"He will go down in history as someone who set football alight and thrilled global fans young and old with his brilliance and skill."
1. Why did the famous football player Maradona die?| A．Old age. | B．Heart illness. | C．Loss of blood. | D．Lung cancer. |
| A．His achievements in life. | B．His "Hand of God". |
| C．His great performance in 1986. | D．His legendary life. |
| A．good | B．bad | C．common | D．healthy |
| A．Respectful. | B．Unkind. | C．Impolite. | D．Friendly. |
7 . Desperate to protect his farmland from a group of monkeys that were always destroying his crops, a farmer in Karnatakas India decided to paint his dog to look like a tiger in the hope that it would scare the monkeys away.
Srikant Gowda, a farmer from Karnatakas Shivamogga region, recently made interactional news headlines after it was reported that he used hair dye to paint his watchdog in the characteristic stripes of a tiger. The dog already had a reddish hair color, so all he had to do was add the black stripes and some white to give it the tiger look. It wasn't that Gowda had always wanted to own a tiger, but that he hoped the disguise(乔装) would help the dog drive away the monkeys destroying his crops.
The Indian farmer told reporters that he got the idea four years ago when he visited Uttara Kannada and came across a farmer in Bhatkal who was using a fake tiger doll to scare away monkeys. It seemed silly, but he tried the idea himself and was surprised to see that it actually worked. However, he was convinced that the toy tiger wouldn't fool the monkeys for long, so he decided to try something else as well.
The trick, strange as it might seem, has worked well and the dog has been able to actually scare off the monkeys.
This year Gowda not only used hair dye to make his watchdog look like a small tiger, but he also placed large posters of real tigers and his own fake tiger all over his farmland, hoping that they would keep the monkeys at bay. The paint job actually doesn't harm the dog. It’s actually hair dye(染发剂) and lasts up to a month before fading away.
1. What did the fanner decide to do to protect his crops?| A．Raise some tigers | B．Draw a dog like tiger |
| C．Set traps for the monkeys | D．Make up his dog as a tiger. |
| A．From a trip. | B．From a friend |
| C．From a toy. | D．From the Internet |
| A．The dye can do harm to dogs. |
| B．The “paint job” will last for only a month. |
| C．More dogs are likely to be painted like tigers. |
| D．Monkeys will never stop destroying crops. |
| A．Farmer Is Friendly to Animals |
| B．Farmer Is Good at Drawing Tigers |
| C．Farmer Protects His Crops from Animals |
| D．Farmer Paints His Dog as a Tiger to Scare Away Monkeys |
8 . During those barren winter months, with windows overlooking long-dead gardens, leafless trees, and lawns that seem to have an ashy look about them, nothing calms the uneasy nerves more than the vibrant green of plants surrounding the living spaces of one’s home. People browse through garden stores just to get a smell of chlorophyll (叶绿素) and to choose a plant or two to bring spring back into their winter-gray lives.
Now there is even more of a need for “the green,” in light of recent articles warning us of the dangers of chemicals that we, ourselves, introduce into our homes. Each time we bring clothes home from the cleaners, we release those chemicals into the closed-in air of our homes. Every cleanser releases its own kind of fumes.
Some of the chemicals are formaldehyde (甲醛), chlorine, benzene, styrene, etc. Read the labels on many home products, the ingredients aren’t even listed! During the winter, when those same windows are shut tight, we breathe in these chemicals—causing symptoms much like allergies (过敏). In fact, most people probably dismiss the effects of these chemicals simply as some allergy or other. The truth is that we are experiencing a syndrome that is called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Now, what has this got to do with green plants? Everything healthy! Research has been conducted with two types of plants that have actually removed much of these harmful chemicals from the air.
The two plants that seem to be the best bet for ridding one’s home of such chemicals are ferns (蕨类植物) and palms. These plants release moisture as part of photosynthesis and, as they do, pull chemicals from the air into their leaves. Even NASA has conducted some greenhouse experiments for long-term space exploration. Within hours, their plants [palms] had removed almost all traces of formaldehyde in the room. Both species of plants are ancient, dating back more than a hundred million years. Another trait they share is that they both live long lives, 100 years or more. This we expect from trees, but ferns and palms are plants; plants that can grow to 65 feet in the proper setting! Even their individual leaves live for one to two years [ferns] and one to nine years [palms]. Perhaps it is their primary qualities that have contributed to their ability to purify their environment.
1. Why does the author think we are in greater need of “the green” in our homes?| A．To bring our long-dead gardens back to life. |
| B．To get rid of harmful chemicals trapped there. |
| C．To make us feel calmer and less worried. |
| D．To serve as decorations as well as refresh us. |
| A．The source of these chemicals released in our homes hasn’t been identified. |
| B．The chemicals can be removed immediately the two plants are put into use. |
| C．People tend to underestimate the effects of the chemical in the closed-in places. |
| D．People usually buy household products without referring to the ingredients on them. |
| A．the ability to absorb chemicals and live long |
| B．their adaptability to indoor environment |
| C．the fast growth and attractiveness of their leaves |
| D．the release of their moisture and fumes |
| A．Research in the New Millennium |
| B．Common Houseplants May Purify Your Home |
| C．Hidden Dangers in Your Home |
| D．NASA Experiment Finds the Cure |
9 . It’s often said of British people that they are very aware of each other’s social rank. Britons can usually work out a fellow countryman’s background from the way they speak or dress, and may even treat them differently based on this. But although this may have been truer in the past than it is today. Visitors to Britain say that they still notice it. The comic play Pygmalion by the Irish man George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), is a famous exploration of the importance of social rank in British society.
The main story of the play concerns a working class girl, Eliza Doolittle, a flower seller from London. Two upper class gentlemen try to see if they can get Doolittle to appear like an upper class lady after sending her for elocution lessons. Professor Henry Higgins, a language expert, says it can be done; his friend Colonel Pickering says that it’s impossible. Even so, Higgins sets out to teach Eliza how to “speak properly”.
Of course Eliza isn’t a lump of clay; she has her own will. She can see that it’s in her best interest to go along with Higgin’s plan to “improve herself”. She wants to be able to sell flowers in a shop rather than on the street. Still, Eliza’s willfulness means that it’s a bumpy（坎坷的）ride for everyone.
At the beginning of fourth act, the characters are at home after a ball（舞会）, at which Eliza proved that a flower girl can pass herself off as a lady after all. She was a triumph at the ball, and Higgins has won his bet.
But what happens next? Eliza has her future to worry about. She may be able to fool the upper class into thinking she’s one of them, but she isn’t really one of them.
Shaw seems to be telling us that social rank is about more than the someone talks---it’s about wealth and privilege. The whole experiment proves the idea that accents and classes are very superficial. The way one speaks and dresses are only markers of class. The class system itself, however, is something completely different.
1. According to the text, in Britain, the way a person speaks and dresses _____.| A．determines their social rank |
| B．used to have a strict code |
| C．is no longer cared about by other people |
| D．could affect other opinions of them |
| A．dance lessons | B．speech lessons |
| C．sales training | D． dress courses |
| A．She is forced to give up selling flowers on the street. |
| B．She is unwilling to participate in the experiment at first. |
| C．She is thought of as a respectable upper-class lady at the ball. |
| D．She is afraid that true background will be known by other people. |
| A．People should try to improve their accents. |
| B．One can enter the upper class after receiving training. |
| C．The way someone speaks makes a big difference to their social status. |
| D．A person’s social rank can’t truly be judged by the way they look and talk. |
10 . iPhone 12
Outlook
Featuring the same 6.1-inch display size as the iPhone 11 and iPhone XR before it, iPhone 12 is making the transition from an LCD screen to OLED. With flat aluminum sides for an overall look, it more closely matches the iPad Pro and iPad Air. Aside from the flat sides, iPhone 12 still largely resembles the iPhone 11. Around back, it has two cameras housed in a glass circle, which makes for a nice contrast with the rest of the smooth back panel. To avoid being broken or cracked when dropped, iPhone 12 is covered with what Apple describes as a “ceramic shield”.
Camera
The iPhone 12 has a 12-megapixel f/1.6 main camera-the fastest aperture(光圈) in any iPhone yet. The low-light performance has improved, and its advancements in computational photography to maximize detail and dynamic range has also been achieved. The front camera on the iPhone 12 is gaining Night Mode, as well.
Processor
iPhone 12 is powered by the company’s new A14 Bionic processor, which is the first smartphone chip built on a 5nm process, leading to improved performance and efficiency. It’s claimed that the processor is up to 50 percent faster than the leading chips in Android smartphones.
Wireless charging
To improve wireless charging on the iPhone 12, it contains a “MagSafe” system with built-in magnets to guarantee that the iPhone 12 properly lines up with the MagSafe accessories.
1. What is the size of iPhone 12?| A．About 6.1-inch as that of iPhone Max. | B．The same size as iPad Pro. |
| C．Bigger than that of iPhone 11. | D．As big as iPhone XR. |
| A．To carry out the wired charging of iPhone 12. |
| B．To perfectly match the iPad Pro and iPad Air. |
| C．To make sure the iPhone 12 is right for the MagSafe accessories. |
| D．To process the information in a more rapid way. |
| A．There are only two cameras placed separately in front and back. |
| B．It is powered by A14 Bionic processor used in Android smartphones. |
| C．All cameras of iPhone 12 have the Night Mode. |
| D．A ceramic shield helps protect against breaking and cracking. |
