1 . The last few months have seen record numbers of us working from home, which begs the question: are offices still needed?
The likelihood is that you or a family member may have spent at least some time working from home since lockdown began. According to Finder.com, a huge percent of us were working from home, which has led commentators to dub the last few months a mass-work-from-home experiment.
Many people soon noticed positives such as increased productivity as a result of no office distractions, and more free time because there’s no need for commuting(上下班往返). For some, parents in particular, the ability to work from home with flexible hours has been a huge positive. Home working also cuts pollution levels due to fewer of us embarking on the daily commute and would save companies the costs of renting office space.
Some argue the shift to remote working is long overdue, with broadband technology now widely available and an ever-increasing number of people balancing working with childcare.
“Hopefully it will show employers who were resistant that it is possible to work effectively from home,” says Mandy Garner, managing editor of Workingmums.co.uk. Mandy adds that flexible working was regarded mainly as a bit of a favour done to mums. There was little research about it. Now we have countless studies showing the benefits.
A key concern, however, is loneliness, with Finder.com reporting 19 percent of remote workers were experiencing this. Even with video calls, it is difficult to recreate the buzzing dynamic of an office. Many people also have a daily battle with poor Wi-Fi. And there’s the challenge of switching off once the working day is over—an office creates a physical and mental line between work and home, which can be easily blurred(变得模糊) when working from home.
The future of offices is uncertain but with the benefits—to employees and employers—of remote working, it may be that a real shift has taken place and we won’t be going back to work in the same way again.
1. What do we know about working from home?| A．It was resisted by employees. | B．It can result in more distractions. |
| C．It brings about broadband technology. | D．It may lead to higher efficiency. |
| A．It will keep employees free from loneliness. |
| B．It can build a line between work and home. |
| C．It can balance working with childcare. |
| D．It may have the challenge of switching off. |
| A．Indifferent | B．Sympathetic | C．Disapproving | D．Positive |
| A．The benefits of remote working | B．A mass-work-from-home experiment |
| C．The End of the Office? | D．A real shift in employment? |
2 . A fisherman I know named Joar Hesten called me late in April 2019. A white whale was swimming around his boat near the northern tip of Norway. It appeared to be wrapped in a tight strap (背带), and Hesten didn’t know what to do. White whales are usually found in pods in areas with ice and glaciers — rarely alone along the Norwegian coast. As a marine (海洋的) biologist, I knew that the strap needed to be removed as soon as possible.
We contacted the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries Sea Surveillance Service. When inspector Jorgen Ree Wiig and his crew met with the fishing boat, the nearly 12-foot-long male eagerly engaged with them. He’d clearly been trained. The mystery deepened when Hesten got into the water to remove the strap. Attached to the strap was a camera mount (支架) with the words “Equipment St. Petersburg”.
A week after his discovery, Hvaldimir — the whale, followed a sailboat to Hammerfest harbor, about 25 miles from where he was first spotted. That’s where I photographed him in early May. I had traveled to Hammerfest to determine his physical condition. He was thin: He wasn’t eating on his own and seemed unlikely to survive in the wild. Later the authorities decided to feed him; his meals became daily tourist attractions in Hammerfest.
Training such a whale is expensive and time-consuming, yet no one claimed him. The Norwegian Police Security Service got on the case, and a German journalist used crowdsourcing to track the strap logo to an outdoor-equipment supplier in St Petersburg.
In June Hvaldimir left Hammerfest, in much better shape than when he arrived. Since then he has traveled along the coast of northern Norway, apparently feeding himself. Many people have opinions about what to do with Hvaldimir. Should the lone whale be placed in a dolphinarium (海豚馆), moved to a habitat, or just left to himself ? So far, he seems to be doing fine on his own.
1. Why did Hesten give the author a call?| A．To respond to greetings as an old friend. |
| B．To complain about the behavior of inspectors. |
| C．To ask him how to help a trapped whale. |
| D．To tell him increasing whale numbers along the coast. |
| A．Frightened. | B．Confused. |
| C．Embarrassed. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．He was spied on by a sailboat. | B．He was attached to a new camera. |
| C．He was ordered to perform each day. | D．He was supplied with food regularly. |
| A．Keep Hvaldimir in the wild. | B．Return Hvaldimir to his owner. |
| C．Establish a reserve for Hvaldimir. | D．Invest more money in training Hvaldimir. |
3 . New events and changes of junior golf competition calendar
New events
Notah BegayⅢ Junior Golf National Championship
What does a junior golfer aim to pursue? One thing is to be noticed, ideally by a college coach. A remarkable opportunity will be offered by the Notah BegayⅢ Junior Golf National Championship to its participants: an event broadcast by Golf Channel. Players aged between eight and 18 can compete in the new event; information about where and when it will be held will be released later.
Barbasol Junior Championship
Beginning the career in the PGA Tour is something that a junior golfer tends to dream of. The Barbasol Junior Championship, which is scheduled to take place between June 29 and July 2 at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky, will provide such an opportunity. Boys under 19 years old will qualify for this new 54-hole event, and the winner will be awarded a spot at the PGA Tour's Barbasol Championship in July.
Changed events
Thunderbird International Junior
The dates of the AJGA's Thunderbird International Junior have to be changed since the NCAA Championships move to Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, for the next three years. Generally, the Thunderbird is played at the end of May. However, this year it is scheduled on different dates for the first time, from April 9 to 12, which means, of course, that the finish date is on Masters Sunday.
Gator Invitational
Junior golf intends to prepare for the following college golf. If this is the case, then it is crucial to simulate the higher-level experience as much as possible. Because of that, the Gator Invitational, as a junior boys' event, has made a significant decision on becoming a 54-hole event by adding a round this year. The new version will be played from March 13 to 15 at The Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Mississippi.
1. Which event can be watched on TV?| A．Notah BegayⅢ Junior Golf National Championship. | B．Barbasol Junior Championship. |
| C．Thunderbird International Junior. | D．Gator Invitational. |
| A．At the end of May. | B．From April 9 to 12. |
| C．Between June 29 and July 2. | D．From March 13 to 15. |
| A．The award given to the winner | B．The place where it is played. |
| C．The required age of the players. | D．The number of rounds it has. |
4 . When Jaimeson Pleasants was born, the delivery room turned into chaos. Now 20, Jaimeson, who was born without cheekbones, a jaw, and parts of both ears, has Treacher Collins syndrome (特雷彻·柯林斯综合症), a condition that affects facial development. His facial differences badly affected him — mainly, in relation to bullying. Jaimeson reveals that he dealt with some pretty serious bullying growing up, and often felt isolated or like he didn’t fully belong.
Luckily, Jaimeson has his brother, Anderson, by his side. And that’s all thanks to a phone call their mother Lisa got when Jaimeson was just 2 years old. One day, Lisa got a call from an adoption agency. They told her they had a newborn baby they thought also had TCS, and wondered if Lisa would be interested in adding him to her family. She said yes.
Anderson quickly bonded with Jaimeson over their shared struggles. But Lisa began to suspect that Anderson didn’t actually have TCS, so she brought both kids to a doctor to get a better diagnosis. It turned out Lisa was right — Anderson was diagnosed with Goldenhar syndrome (唐氏综合征), a similar condition that affects Anderson’s face, as well as his lungs, neck, and spine (脊柱).
Regardless of their health struggles, Jaimeson and Anderson are a team. They understand each other better than anyone, and they’ll head to college together soon. Although adopting a second child with a serious health condition was likely a risk for Lisa, there’s no doubt that it worked out for the best.
1. What happened when Jaimeson Pleasants was born?| A．He lost his ears. | B．He had a twin brother. |
| C．People were shocked. | D．His mother abandoned him. |
| A．Jaimeson used to be bullied by his brother. |
| B．Anderson has gone to college together with Jaimeson. |
| C．Anderson has the same disease as Jaimeson. |
| D．Jaimeson is senior to Anderson by two years. |
| A．Selfless and responsible. | B．Intelligent and strict. |
| C．Caring and humorous. | D．Enthusiastic and energetic. |
| A．Fashion. | B．Travel. | C．Life. | D．Science. |
5 . A Guide to the PMU
Food
Open from 6:30 am to 9 pm, the PMU cafeteria serves snacks, drinks, ice cream bars and meals. You can pay with cash or your ID cards. You can add meal money to your ID cards at the Front Desk. Even if you do not buy your food in the cafeteria, you can use the tables to eat your lunch, to have meetings and to study.
If you are on campus in the evening or late at night, you can buy snacks, fast food, and drinks in the Lower Café located in the bottom level of the Gouglas Centre. This area is often used for entertainment such as concerts, games or TV watching.
Relaxation
The Globe, located in the bottom level of McMillan Hall, is available for relaxing, studying , cooking, and eating. Monthly activities are held here for all international students. Hours are 10 am to 10 pm, closed on Sundays.
Health
Located on the top floor of Douglas Hall, the Wellness Centre is committed to physical, emotional and social health. A doctor and nurse is available if you have health questions or need immediate medical help or personal advice. The cost of this is included in your medical insurance. Hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to noon and 1:00 to 4:30 pm.
Academic Support
All students have access to the Writing Centre on the upper floor of Douglas Hall. Here, qualified volunteers will work with you on written work, grammar, vocabulary, and other academic skills. You can sign up for an appointment on the sign-up sheet outside the door, two 30-minute appointments per week maximum. This service is free.
Transportation
The PMU Express is a shuttle service. The shuttle transports students between campus and the shopping center, leaving from the Mattson Centre. Operation hours are between 8 am and 3 pm. Saturdays only. Round trip fare is $1.
1. What does the Guide tell us about the PMU cafeteria?| A．It’s open to the public for 10 hours a day. |
| B．It’s used for entertainment only. |
| C．It’s located in the McMillan Hall. |
| D．It’s possessed of many uses. |
| A．at 9 am on Saturday | B．at 11 am on Friday |
| C．at 9 pm on Sunday | D．at 11 pm on Monday |
| A．Fill a sign-up form. | B．Apply on the Internet. |
| C．Call the Center. | D．Write a recommendation letter. |
6 . Application and Essays
You can apply to Stanford by submitting online either the Coalition Application or the Common Application.
Both applications include essay prompts for your personal essay. In addition to the personal essay, you also need to reply to the Stanford Questions, which you can access in either application once you add Stanford University to your list of colleges.
When you apply to Stanford, we encourage you to indicate potential majors and career interests in the application, but please know you are not bound by these selections in any way.
Stanford Questions
We ask applicants to choose one of the three topics below and write a short essay.
◆ Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning in Stanford.
◆Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate know you belter.
◆Tell us about something that is meaningful to you, and why? How to Submit Required Materials
◆We suggest using Coalition or Common Application online forms whenever possible to Submit documents, which is the speediest method.
◆If online submission is not possible; school personnel may send materials as an email Attachment to personnel@ stanford.edu.
◆When ordering college transcripts, please use credentials@stanford.edu as the contact email.
◆If your checklist is not complete by the deadline, simply continue to check your Application Status Portal until we have received all items.
1. What is necessarily included in an application?| A．A personal essay. | B．Career interests. |
| C．Personal hobbies. | D．The selected major. |
| A．Writing an essay to include the three topics. |
| B．Writing a note about something that interests you. |
| C．Writing an essay on what inspires your learning in Stanford. |
| D．Writing a note to recommend something meaningful to your roommate. |
| A．personnel@ stanford.edu | B．credentials@ stanford.edu |
| C．Application Status Portal. | D．Coalition or Common Application. |
7 . Cecilia Chiang, whose San Francisco restaurant, the Mandarin, introduced American diners in the 1960s to the richness and variety of authentic Chinese cuisine, died on Wednesday at her home in San Francisco.
Ms. Chiang was not a chef, nor was she a likely candidate to run a restaurant. She was born near Shanghai in 1920 as the seventh daughter in a wealthy family. After her parents died, Cecilia managed the businesses' finances while still in her teens.
Ms. Chiang came to the United States from China to flee the Japanese during World War Ⅱ, traveling nearly 700 miles on foot. Once in San Francisco, she met two Chinese acquaintances who wanted to open a restaurant. Ms. Chiang agreed to put up a huge deposit. But when the two women quit, Ms. Chiang found to her honor that the deposit was not refundable（可退还的）. She took a deep breath and decided to open the restaurant herself. "I began to think that if I could create a restaurant with Western-style service and the dishes that I was most familiar with -the delicious food of northern China — maybe my little restaurant would succeed," she wrote in her book.
The Mandarin , which was opened in 1962 as a 65 -seat restaurant, introduced customers to mainly Sichuan9 Shanghai and Canton dishes. The early days were difficult. But little by little, Chinese diners, and a few Americans, came regularly. Overnight the tables filled and became a huge success.
Ms. Chiang continued to work as a restaurant consultant into her 90s. " I think I changed what average people know about Chinese food," Mrs. Chiang wrote. "They didn't know China was such a big country. "
1. When did Ms. Chiang start to manage the businesses' finances?| A．In the 1920s. | B．In the 1930s. | C．In the 1950s. | D．In the 1960s. |
| A．When Ms. Chiang came to the US. | B．How Ms. Chiang earned her deposit. |
| C．What Ms. Chiang wrote in her book. | D．Why Ms. Chiang opened her restaurant. |
| A．It survived the early hardships. | B．It provided all kinds of Chinese dishes. |
| C．It could seat less than 60 people at first. | D．It attracted many Americans once opened. |
| A．Smart but stubborn. | B．Devoted and brave. |
| C．Adventurous but careless. | D．Enthusiastic and ambitious. |
8 . A joint research team recently have developed a new electronic skin that is similar to human skin in strength, durability(耐久性) and sensitivity. The skin or e-skin may play an important role in next-generation personalized medicine, soft robotics and artificial intelligence.
“The ideal e-skin will mimic(模仿) the many natural functions of human skin, such as sensing temperature and touch, accurately and in real time,” says leading researcher Yichen Cai. However, making suitably flexible electronics that can perform such delicate tasks while also used repeatedly is challenging, and each material involved must be carefully engineered.
Most e-skins are made by putting an active sensor on the surface that attaches to human skin. However, the connection between them is often too weak, which reduces the durability and sensitivity of the material; otherwise, if it is too strong, it won’t be flexible enough, making it more likely to break the circuit.
“The landscape of skin electronics keeps shifting at a remarkable pace,” says Cai. “The discovery of 2D sensors has accelerated efforts to turn these quite thin but strong materials into functional, durable artificial skins.”
The new man-made skin built by the researchers could sense objects from 20 centimeters away. It could further make a quick response when touched in less than one tenth of a second. “ It is a striking achievement for an e-skin to maintain toughness after repeated use,” said Shen, “which mimics the softness and rapid recovery of human skin.”
This type of e-skin could monitor a range of biological information, such as changes in blood pressure, which can be detected from movements of arms and legs. This data can then be shared and stored on the cloud via Wi-Fi.
“One remaining problem to the widespread use of e-skins lies in mass production of high-resolution sensors,” adds group leader Vincent Tung “ however, the latest technology offers new promise. ”
1. What’s the feature of the new e-skin?| A．It can store information. | B．It’s quite hard and tough. |
| C．It’s flexible and sensitive. | D．It can replace human skin. |
| A．To stress the challenges of making e-skins. |
| B．To introduce the popularity of e-skins. |
| C．To show the process of making e-skins. |
| D．To compare the similarity between e-skins. |
| A．Adjust the blood pressure. | B．Recover the wounded skin. |
| C．Work as a remote controller. | D．Sense the outside temperature. |
| A．A Breakthrough in Hi-tech | B．Man-made Skin, Improved |
| C．E-skin, A Promising Business | D．The Widespread Use of E-skin |
9 . Welcome to the Sydney Opera House
Ticket Info and Guided Tours
Visitors can enjoy the Sydney Opera House foyer for free, but for a more insightful visit, you'll need to book a tour.
There are several different ways to experience the Sydney Opera House, and multiple tours are available including back-stage passes and walking tours.
Tour Type Adult （AUD $ ） Child
Guided Walking Tour $ 42 $ 22
Guided Walking Tour + Dinner $ 73 $ 52
Guided Walking Tour + Tasting Plate $ 82.20 $ 64. 80
Backstage Tour $ 175 $ 175
Opening Hours and the Best Time to Visit
The Sydney Opera House is open year-round with the following opening hours：
● Monday—Saturday ： 9am—8 ： 30pm
●Sunday： 9am—5pm
As for the best time of day, it's recommended to book the earliest Sydney Opera House tour of the day to beat the crowds. To enjoy sunny weather with fewer crowds, try visiting in the shoulder season (October, November, February, or March )
Points of Interest
●The Steps
Before entering the Opera House, take a picture of the building from the steps outside.
●The Sails
Step beneath the sails on a guided tour and enjoy harbor front views.
●The Concert Hall
The Concert Hall is the largest venue with seats for more than 2000 people. It features contemporary live music shows and highly -regarded orchestral (管弦乐的)performances. It is also here that you will find the world's largest mechanical tracker-action pipe organ.
● Opera Bar
After your tour, head to the Opera Bar for a bite to eat or drink in the sun.
● Badu Gili
Badu Gili, which is ‘water light’ in the language of the Gadigal people-takes place most evenings after sunset at 9pm, 9：30pm, and 10pm. The seven-minute display is free to view.
1. How much will a guided walking tour for two adults cost?| A．$ 64. | B．$ 84. | C．$ 128, | D．$ 168. |
| A．9：30 am, a Monday in February. | B．10：00 am, a Sunday in December. |
| C．5：00 pm, a Friday in September. | D．6：00 pm, a Saturday in March. |
| A．A local language. | B．A pipe organ. | C．A light show. | D．A dinning area. |
10 . London Tour and Attraction Pass Tickets
Tickets to Attractions
With this London Attraction Pass, you can benefit from our sightseeing bus tour plus three top London attractions—Madame Tussauds, London Eye and Sea Life London. The best part is that you don’t need to visit all three attractions in one day. Once you have bought your London attractions ticket package, you have 30 days to visit each attraction so you can spread visits out across your trip.
Gallery
So many amazing galleries in London! There are plenty of photo opportunities with the London Tour and Attraction Pass. With so many things to do, you’ll have lots of pictures to share with families and friends.
Plan Your Visit
With our London 72 hour Bus Ticket, you will be able to get to one attraction per day with ease. Your tickets are valid for entry within 30 days after you have bought them and you can use them before, after or on the same day as your bus tour.
Location
Madame Tussauds: Marylebone, next to Baker Street
London Eye: Southbank
Sea Life London: Southbank
Opening Times
Madame Tussauds: Times vary between 9 am—6 pm
London Eye: Times vary between 10 am—9:30 pm
Sea Life London: Opening times vary between 9:30 am—7 pm
Accessibility
Madame Tussauds: Wheelchair friendly but book your seat in advance.
London Eye: Only two wheelchairs per capsule and a maximum of 8 at any one time. You must book a disabled seat in advance.
Sea Life London. Full wheelchairs are accessible.
1. How long can London attractions ticket package be used?| A．30 days. | B．72 hours. | C．1 week. | D．24 hours. |
| A．Artworks. | B．Books. | C．Paintings. | D．Photos. |
| A．Visit London Eye after 10 pm. | B．Book a disabled seat in advance. |
| C．Buy a London 72 hour Bus Ticket. | D．Reach Marylebone as early as possible. |
