1 . The National Gallery
Description:
The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance.
Layout:
The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th- to 15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.
The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci , Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titian and Veronese.
The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van de Dyck, Velázquez, Claude and Vermeer.
The East Wing houses 18th- to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.
Opening Hours:
The Gallery is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm (Fridays 10 am to 9 pm ) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.
Getting There:
Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk), Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8-minute walk).
1. In which wing can you see religious paintings?| A．In the West Wing | B．In the North Wing |
| C．In the East Wing | D．In the Sainsbury Wing |
| A．The National Gallery is the biggest British national art museum. |
| B．The Gallery is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm. |
| C．The Gallery is completely free. |
| D．There are four exhibition areas in the National Gallery. |
| A．A museum guide. | B．An artist magazine. |
| C．A news report. | D．A tourist map. |
2 . It’s cold and dark outside, and your bed is so warm and comfortable. Going for a run seems like such a bad idea. But before you put your running shoes away, it might be worth giving that crazy idea a try.
According to The Huffington Post，an outdoor run in winter, instead of running on a treadmill (跑步机), burns more calories (卡路里) because the body is working hard to regulate (调节) its temperature. Besides, research shows that race times are faster in cold weather than in warmer temperatures—and quicker runs burn more calories. Similarly, cold weather also makes the heart work harder to distribute blood through the body, making that vital muscle even stronger.
Outdoor exercise also turns up your energy and rids you of the stress and depression that build up every day. The heat and humidity in summer can drag you down and tire you faster, but cold weather is refreshing. It adjusts you to your surroundings, making you feel energetic.
Of course, the threat of smog in some builtup areas is a further problem to winter exercise. Heart attacks, strokes and lung cancer are all dangers of running in smog. The combination (结合) of air pollution and exercise increases the potential problems. If you do choose to run outside on smoggy days, take a path in a park or residential area to avoid polluted air, and go early in the morning, before rush hour. But staying inside on smoggy days and waiting for the next clear day to run is best.
1. How does cold weather benefit runners compared with warm weather?| A．They can run more slowly. | B．They can take in more calories. |
| C．Their hearts can work harder. | D．Their body temperature can get lower. |
| A．It makes runners tired easily. | B．It builds up their energy quickly. |
| C．It lessens runners’ stress. | D．It causes heart attacks. |
| A．Stop driving cars. | B．Run late in the morning. |
| C．Do more exercise. | D．Avoid outdoor exercise. |
| A．We can refresh ourselves with a winter run. |
| B．We should go to run in a park everyday. |
| C．It’s much better to take outdoor exercise in summer. |
| D．We’d better run on treadmill to reduce stress. |
3 . Non-Credit Courses
The Pre-College Program offers non-credit courses. Students will experience college-level courses given by some of our college’s leading experts and will receive written feedback (反馈) on their work at the end of the course. Pre-College students will also receive a grade of Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory and a certificate of completion at the conclusion of the program.
All non-credit courses meet from 9:00 a. m.-11:30 a. m. daily and may have additional requirements in the afternoons or evenings.
COURSE: Case Studies in Neuroscience
·June 11— July 2
·Leah Roesch
Using student-centered, active-learning methods and real-world examples, this course is designed to provide a fuller understanding of how the human brain works.
COURSE: Psychology of Creativity
·June 15—June 28
·Marshall Duke
Why are certain people so creative? Is it genetic (遗传的), or a result of childhood experience? Are they different from everyone else? This popular psychology course highlights the different theories of creativity.
COURSE: Creative Storytelling
·June 21 — July 3
·Edith Freni
This college-level course in creative storytelling functions as an introduction to a variety of storytelling techniques that appear in different forms of creative writing, such as short fiction and playwriting.
COURSE: Sports Economics
·July 19 — August 1
·Christina DePasquale
In this course we will analyze many interesting aspects of the sports industry: sports leagues, ticket pricing, salary negotiations, discrimination, and NCAA policies to name a few.
1. Who is the text intended for?| A．The general public. | B．College freshmen. |
| C．Educational experts. | D．High school students. |
| A．Sports Economics. | B．Creative Storytelling. |
| C．Psychology of Creativity. | D．Case Studies in Neuroscience. |
| A．Leah Roesch’s. | B．Edith Freni’s. |
| C．Marshall Duke’s. | D．Christina DePasquale’s. |
This program is planned for teenagers who have special needs with the goal of meeting within a community with other peers (同龄人). The purpose of the program is that it will lead to a better understanding of friendships. Gym, Swim, Surprise Guest, and Pizza are included. Ages 12-18, numbers of members are limited. Contact: Gloria Bass. This program is held 2 Fridays per month.
Fees: $65/$85
Club Saturday Swim
This program is available to anyone aged 5-14 who is challenged by mental, physical or emotional trouble. The program will be held each Saturday afternoon, 12:00-12:30 pm or 12: 30-1:00 pm.
Fees: $136/$260
Sibshops (Ages 10-13)
Sibshops is a program for siblings (兄弟姊妹) of children with challenges. It includes group activities and talk treatment ways with the focus on improving sibling relationships and whole family happiness. Location: Hope Church, Wilton CT. Wednesday: 4:00-5:00 pm.
Fees: $50/$65
Banana Splits
Banana Splits is an educational support group for children in family trouble. Children aged 9-13 will have the opportunity to meet other children whose parents have separated or divorced, learn to recognize feelings, think of healthy coping skills and have a place to share their struggles through verbal (语言的), physical, and artistic experiences. Location: Hope Church, Wilton CT. Tuesday: 4:30-5:30 pm.
Fees: $50/$65
1. If you have free time only on Saturday, you can go to ______.
| A．Friends and Buddies | B．Club Saturday Swim |
| C．Sibshops (Ages 10-13) | D．Banana Splits |
| A．2 Fridays per month |
| B．12:00-12:30 or 12:30-1:00, Saturday afternoon |
| C．4:00-5:00 pm, Wednesday |
| D．4:30-5:30 pm, Tuesday |
| A．meet with other peers | B．solve your mental problem |
| C．improve sibling relationships | D．think of healthy coping skills |
5 . Online eating shows, or Mukbang(直播吃饭), originated in South Korea and have gained popularity globally.
Many hosts of such shows have become popular for their ability to eat large amounts of food. But these shows have also received criticism for their waste of food. While some hosts actually do consume the amount of food shown, others may be faking it.
On Aug 12, CCTV exposed several Chinese hosts who were pretending to eat large amounts of food while on camera, but actually later threw it away.
To discourage this practice, many video and livestreaming platforms, including Douyin, Kuaishow and Bilibili, have removed videos that show food waste, and have promoted messages to “stop food waste and eat reasonably.”
In June 2020, the United Nations warned that the world is on the verge of the worst food crisis in 50 years.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about a third of the world’s food-1.3 billion tons- is wasted every year. In China alone, 50 million tons of food ends up in landfills every year, according to Beijing News.
Recently, campaigns against food waste have been further promoted. In August, President Xi Jinping stressed the need for safeguarding food security and stopping food waste.
According to China Daily, restaurants and catering associations in more than 18 provinces and all 4 municipal cities have issued guidelines to control food waste.
In Shanxi province, local restaurants have been asked to serve half portions to avoid waste. The Wuhan Catering Association proposed that restaurants adopt the “N-1 mode”. For example, a group of 10 diners should only order enough for nine people first. More food is only brought to the table if required.
In addition, a nationwide “Clear Your Plate” campaign has been launched online. Users of Sina Weibo are encouraged to share photos or videos of empty plates after finishing their meals.
Meanwhile, new laws are also being considered, according to China daily. “We will make new laws that give clear instructions on avoiding food waste,” said Zhang Guilong from the legislative Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress. The instructions will be detailed in every year of food production, purchasing storage, transportation, processing and consumption, according to Zhang.
1. What is CCTV’s attitude toward online eating shows?| A．Supportive. | B．Critical. | C．Objective. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Most video media are contributing to stopping food waste. |
| B．We should eat up all the food on the table. |
| C．It’s hard to carry out "Clear Your Plate campaign. |
| D．All the videos that show food waste have been removed. |
| A．We can adopt the “N+1 mode”. |
| B．We can eat more food than we need. |
| C．We can choose not to watch online eating shows. |
| D．We can ask the restaurants to serve us half portions. |
| A．Online eating shows should be banned. |
| B．New laws should be made to avoid food waste. |
| C．Measures are being taken to stop food waste. |
| D．We should share photos or videos of empty plates. |
6 . If you love eating and drinking for free and are looking to make some pocket money, there's a job in China with your name on it. A new type of online service allows people to hire others to eat or drink their favorite treats, either to cure their boredom or satisfy their appetite without the calories that usually come with it.
Chinese media recently reported on an increasingly popular service on online platform Taobao that's as startling as it is appealing. People can now go online and hire others to consume certain foods and drinks, and ask them to provide video evidence of them eating or drinking the said treats.
Fees usually range from two to nine yuan ($0.30 - $1.35) plus the cost of the food. It's not exactly a get-rich-quick job, but there are quite a rot of people willing to do it for the free treats alone.
“Bubble tea drinking" is a particularly popular service, as the chewy tapioca(木薯粉)balls and popping drink is all the rage in Asia these days, but there are also ads from people willing to eat fried chicken or hot pot for anyone willing to pay for them.
Advertised as being "fat-free" and "free of queues", those who pay for the service will receive the full experience, which includes a 360-degree video of the drink, photos, and a detailed description. Prices of the service are based on the drink's sweetness level, its price, and popularity. Some clients even require a short written review to be sure that the person they hired actually does what they are supposed to.
Sellers explained that most customers buy their "Bubble tea drinking" service maybe because they're trying to shake off desires while they're on a diet. Drinking bubble tea by proxy may help customers avoid high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and other health problems that the sugar-laden drink may cause.
So why would anyone pay a total stranger to enjoy a treat rather than consume it themselves? Well, apparently, the online service is so cheap that some people simply do it out of boredom, while others get satisfaction from watching others indulge in their favorite treats.
This indulging-by-proxy service（代享受服务）has received a lot of attention on social media in China, with some people describing it as the job of their dreams.
1. What kind of people may buy the new type of online service?| A．Those who are boring. |
| B．Those who are trying to lose weight. |
| C．Those who love eating and drinking for free. |
| D．Those who are looking to make some pocket money. |
| A．That they can make a fortune. |
| B．That the foods and drinks are cheap. |
| C．That they can consume the treats for free. |
| D．That they can realize their dreams. |
| A．To prove that the new type of service online is popular. |
| B．To list an example of the new type of service online |
| C．To show bubble tea is greatly welcome in Asia. |
| D．To promote the new type of service online. |
| A．Indulging-by-proxy service online helps lose weight. |
| B．Boredom leads to indulging-by-proxy service online. |
| C．People hold different opinions on indulging-by-proxy service online. |
| D．Indulging-by-proxy service online is getting increasingly popular. |
7 . Nezha is the subject of the latest feature, which officially opens in cinemas in China on Friday. Nezha has earned hot reviews and is ranked higher than Monkey King: Hero is Back. It is also China’s first 3D animated feature film released in IMAX format.
Since July 13, previews of the film have taken more than 140 million yuan at the box office and the film has a score of 8.8 points (out of 10) on China’s largest filming rating site, Douban. It took Jokalate Yang Yu, the film’s director and screenwriter, two years to improve the script (剧本) of Nezha, and the film was in production for three years. It is the most complex animated production ever made in China. Nezha has more than 1,300 special effects shots, and it took over 20 Chinese special-effects studios, employing more than 1,600 people, to realize the film’s fairy tale setting, the mysterious Dragon King’s palace and a fight between fire and water. One splendid scene alone took two months to complete.
Yang made up his mind to produce an animated film on the theme of breaking the traditional styles and changing fate to the opposite. Yang chose Nezha as his vehicle, the representative of the rebellious (叛逆的) but righteous youth. However, compared with the original novel and past animated versions, the relationships between the characters are given modern meaning. In Yang’s film he is fighting prejudice: Nezha is hated and feared. But Nezha believes his fate is not predetermined and that he can choose to be a devil (恶魔) or a god.
“After watching so many domestic animated films, only Nezha and Monkey King: Hero is Back have made me fascinated,” a Weibo user commented under the promotional video.
“Epic! I finished watching Nezha in tears. The content-rich story, vivid characters, and amazing visual effects, work together to create a 110-minute roller-coaster (过山车) watching experience,” a Douban user commented.
“Bravo! Couldn’t believe a domestic animated film can be created with such a well-developed story. The image of Nezha in this film has been overturned but his rebellious spirit is well-established. I’m sure Nezha is gonna go viral this summer!” reads another comment on Douban.
1. What does the first paragraph mainly want to tell us?| A．Nezha has won lots of comments. |
| B．Nezha is more popular than Monkey King: Hero is Back. |
| C．Nezha is the first 3D animated film. |
| D．Nezha is a big success once released. |
| A．Its hot reviews on Douban. |
| B．Its high qualified script. |
| C．Its large numbers of special effects shots. |
| D．Its creative and unconventional theme. |
| A．He is ready to give in to his fate. |
| B．He represents the youth who are rebellious but righteous. |
| C．He is liked deeply by others in the film. |
| D．He chooses to be a devil. |
| A．The film is fascinating. |
| B．The plot of the film is flat. |
| C．The image and spirit of Nezha have been overturned. |
| D．The film will not go far. |
