1 . Unique and Weird New Year's Eve Traditions
German
In some parts of Germany, they do lead （铅）pouring. Pour a dollop （团）of lead into cold water and the shape it dorms may be telling you about the year to come. A heart shape, naturally, means love will come your way. A crown predicts wealth and fortune. A star indicates happiness. But if you see a cross, you're almost dead!
Latin America
If you are in Latin America, make sure you have some colourful underpants to ring in the New Year. End — of — the — year partiers put on colourful underwear to ensure certain types of outcomes of the following year, red for love and yellow for success.
Naples, Italy
Neapolitans like throwing things out of the windows, at least on New Year's Eve. Furniture, kitchen machines, grandma.. Well, maybe not the last one. Let's hope not, anyway. This tradition is meant to symbolize an out — with — the — old gesture and get a new beginning of the new year. These days people are a bit more mindful of what they throw into the street below.
Spain
In 1909, winegrowers in the Alicante region of Spain had a brilliant idea: Start and promote an annual tradition that would involve people in having to buy and eat more grapes. Everyone must eat 12 grapes on New Year's Eve to pray for wealth of the coming year. Now, it's a popular custom in Spain. But the problem is that people have to eat a grape for each bell striking at midnight.
1. Germans would like to see the following shapes of lead Except ________.| A．a heart | B．a cross |
| C．a star | D．a crown |
| A．They hate cooking at home. |
| B．They are more careful about what to throw now. |
| C．They throw their grandma out of the window. |
| D．They like making gestures in front of the windows. |
| A．They buy lots of wine. |
| B．They pray with 12 grapes. |
| C．They eat as many grapes as possible. |
| D．They eat a grape for each bell striking, |
2 . In the field of educational technology, some apps might be getting too smart. There are more and more apps providing help for students.
PhotoMath
The new, seemingly magic app allows users to take pictures of a math problem, and then receive a step-by-step solution. It is now the number one free app on the App Store. A PhotoMath spokeswoman says educators have welcomed the app with positive reviews, but the software causes a lot of angry public discussion and disagreement. Why? It is because students can use it to cheat when doing their math homework.
Price: Free
iHomework
Whether you’re a high school student or a college student, there’s one thing you’ve got for sure: a lot of homework. iHomework can help you keep track of all your homework. It can help you arrange it in a particular order according to types, or based on deadlines.
Price: Free
Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha is similar to PhotoMath, but it focuses on older students studying high levels of math and doesn’t support photos. The service also produces step-by-step solutions to advanced topics, making it a popular tool for college students.
Price: $2.99
Homework Helper
Chinese Internet search company Baidu has launched (发起) an app called Homework Helper with which students can get answers to homework. Users post a picture or type their homework questions onto online forums (论坛), and those who answer the questions can win e-coins that can be used to buy devices like iPhones and laptops. The app has logged 5 million downloads, much to the concern of many parents who argue that the students spend less time thinking about challenging problems.
Price: Free
1. What is the problem of the app PhotoMath?| A．It can’t recognize pictures. |
| B．It doesn’t provide a step-by-step solution. |
| C．It encourages students to use smartphones. |
| D．It makes cheating at homework more likely to happen. |
| A．Offering services to office workers. |
| B．Making students organize their school work. |
| C．Helping deal with advanced math problems. |
| D．Creating chances to discuss math online. |
| A．It is thought highly of by teachers. |
| B．It is unpopular among Chinese students. |
| C．Many parents think it harmful to children’s study. |
| D．Answering questions on the app wastes students’ time. |
3 . How many phone numbers can you remember by heart? It’s probably fewer than you would like. Actually, you are not alone. Out of more than 1,000 Americans who were surveyed, more than half said that they couldn’t recall the phone numbers of their friends and neighbors. In their eyes, there is no point in filling their heads with phone numbers if they are all stored in smart phones that are with them almost all the time.
In fact, most people are suffering from a sort of digital amnesia(健忘). more than 90% of those surveyed agreed that they used the Internet as an online of their brains. Rote memorization(死记硬背) was once an important part of modern education, but we just need a click or slide now. That’s making us worse at remembering things.
Researchers found that when people expected to use the information online, they were less likely to remember actual facts, but more likely to remember how to find them. As a result, we are already becoming ones with our computer tools, growing into interconnected systems that remember less by knowing information than by knowing where the information can be found.
However, some believe it isn’t necessarily a bad thing--maybe it gives them more chances to think through things. We certainly acquire more knowledge now than ever, even if it isn’t all stored in our brains.
Even so, I still believe that there are more risks to this new world of memory beyond losing our ability to recall some information such as who the 15th President was. That kind of information may always be a click away, but the important things are personal ones, like the way your parents smiled at your wedding. It’s harder to recall or find online. If you’re relying on yourself to keep track of those memories, they will be much more meaningful.
1. Paragraph 1 is mainly used to _______.| A．serve as the background | B．introduce the topic |
| C．explain new research | D．show some data to readers |
| A．Dealing with too many things | B．Seldom thinking about questions |
| C．Relying on the internet too much | D．The changes of their memories. |
| A．over 90% people are suffering from digital amnesia |
| B．people can gain knowledge more easily than before |
| C．rote memorization no longer exists in modern life |
| D．People find it hard to remember how to find information |
| A．Worried | B．Optimistic |
| C．Disappointed | D．Confident |
4 . Here are free online classes offered by several universities.
The Power of Team Culture University of Pennsylvania via Coursera Taught by Greg Urban Behind the success and failure of teams lies team culture. In this course, you will learn how to recognize team culture. Knowledge of the ideas and information in this class enables you to be a better team leader. |
Shakespeare's Life and Work Harvard University via edX Taught by Stephen Greenblatt The course will introduce different kinds of literary analysis (文学分析) that you can use when reading. With short videos filmed, you can visit Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakespeare was born in 1564; London, the lively city where he began as an actor; and the Globe Theater, where his first plays were performed. This online tour will transport you to another age and give you a new opinion on his timeless work. |
Stanford Introduction to Food and Health Stanford University via Coursera Taught by Maya Adam In this course, learners will be given the information and practical skills they need to begin improving the way they eat. This course will focus on practical discussions about real food and the environment in which we consume (吃) it. |
Chinese for Beginners Peking University via Coursera Taught by Xiaoyu Liu This is an ABC Chinese course for beginners, including introduction of phonetics and daily expressions. After taking this class, learners can have a basic understanding of Chinese Mandarin and make basic conversations of daily living. This is a course on Chinese speaking, The learners don't need to study Chinese characters, so it is easier to follow and complete this course. |
| A．Greg Urban. | B．Stephen Greenblatt. |
| C．Maya Adam. | D．Xiaoyu Liu. |
| A．It’s taught through Coursera. |
| B．It’s given by Stanford University. |
| C．It offers an online visit to London. |
| D．It provides skills of filming videos. |
| A．The writing of Chinese characters. |
| B．The advice of daily living in China. |
| C．The history of Chinese characters. |
| D．The simple conversations in Chinese. |
5 . 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. |
6 . Have you ever noticed that the stars sometimes appear brighter in December, January and February? There's a link between cold air and the night lights. "Part of it is that it tends to be drier in the winter," said Diane Tumshek, an astronomer at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Even though it's invisible, moisture can change the way light moves through the air. And in the summer, moisture can make stars appear more dull.
Air temperature is also what puts the twinkle twinkle in the little stars. "Even on very clear nights, some of the atmosphere is cooler, and some of the atmosphere is warmer,” said Tumshek, who also works with the Allegheny Observatory. And when the light from a star passes through those bubbles of varying temperatures, "it bends and shifts the light, so that we are seeing stars appear to dance or twinkle,” she said.
For star lovers in the United States, there's another factor that comes into play for bright winter stars, although this is a matter of coincidence. During Earth's journey around the sun, “there are just simply more bright stars visible from the Northern Hemisphere in the winter sky," Tumshek said. If you really want to see a shiny star, just try to find a burning ball of gas called Sirius near the horizon. At 8.6 light-years away, Sirius is relatively close to Earth and the brightest star visible in the night sky. It is also large — nearly twice as big as our sun and 20 times as bright. So this winter, when the world turns cold and it seems like we should be spending more time indoors, consider asking an adult to go exploring outside. With a warm coat and a clear sky, any night can be turned into a treasure hunt. All you have to do is look up.
1. What does the underlined word "dull" in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．not shiny | B．not exciting | C．not severe | D．not smart |
| A．By changing the bubbles around them. | B．By putting the twinkle twinkle in them. |
| C．By varying the direction of the light from them. | D．By making the stars dance and twinkle in the sky. |
| A．It can be found at any night. | B．It is 20 times as bright as the sun. |
| C．It is a burning and shiny ball. | D．It is closer to Earth than other stars, |
| A．To advocate stargazing in winter, | B．To call on people to focus on stars. |
| C．To present new research results about stars. | D．To explain why stars are more visible in winter. |
7 . Does your group or team need help? Try our challenge courses! We provide various approaches and opportunities for participants. More importantly，all activities are conducted in a safe environment!
•Our goals
◇ Bring participants together in a new environment where they’ll share a common experience while working together.
◇Encourage group trust. Participants must rely on others，completing the course as a group and not on an individual basis.
◇Overcome personal fears of lack of confidence.
◇Improve goals setting and problem solving skills.
◇Encourage safe，appropriate risks taking in a caring environment.
•Planning a program
A variety of challenge course programs can be designed. Working with your group，the center will design a program based on your group／team’s goals，schedule，group size and budget. The center offers team building programs for youth，adolescents and adults. High challenge courses are physically，mentally and emotionally challenging. An instructions and equipment are provided by the center.
•Requirements for high challenge courses
◇Climbing Tower—must be 9 years or older.
◇High Ropes—must be 12 years or older.
•Group pricing
◇Low Challenge Course—$150／per 15 people
◇High Challenge Course—$300／per 15 people
◇Both—$400／per 15 people
The two courses are annually inspected by a professional organization—Challenge Design Innovations. You can contact the center by phone 434-348-5444 or by email heathern@vt. edu to plan your next challenge course program！
1. The challenge course programs help participants__________.| A．realize their dreams | B．not fear to take risks |
| C．work together as a team | D．develop self-learning ability |
| A．It benefits especially those with special needs. |
| B．It designs different programs accordingly. |
| C．It is run by Challenge Design Innovations. |
| D．It is intended for teenagers. |
| A．300 dollars. | B．450 dollars. |
| C．600 dollars. | D．800 dollars. |
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 |
9 . I have well travelled in Spain and visited a good number of Spanish cities. However, no city will ever quite match Cadiz, where I spent six months studying as a student.
Before that, I knew very little about Cadiz but I decided to take a risk and explore it. Well, the risk certainly paid off.
Cadiz, Europe’s oldest city, hangs off Spain’s southern coast on a peninsula (半岛), surrounded almost entirely by water. As you leave the shady streets of the historical old city and explore more of it, you are met with vast areas of the blue Atlantic Ocean and white sandy beaches, which in my opinion are some of the best in Spain!
One of the great things about Cadiz is the wonderful, rich culture of food and drink. There are little tapas (小吃) bars lining every street and most will serve tapas for around 1.50~2 euros, meaning you can try a whole variety of Andalusian dishes.
Cadiz has also come to be known as “The Singing City”. It comes from the annual carnival (狂欢节), one of the biggest in Europe. A very large number of people go to Cadiz to see it. During those ten days, Cadiz’s narrow streets are filed with the sound of singing as musical groups fight for a place in the contest, which takes place on the last Saturday of carnival. The songs perfectly show the sense of humor of the Gaditanos, who, besides being so warm and welcoming, are said to have the best sense of humor in Spain!
That is my experience of Cadiz: a wonderful, typically Andalusian city which is often overlooked but well worth a visit. I can currently living in Huelva, just a short drive from Cadiz, so please pay attention to my next sharing!
1. What dose the word “that” underlined in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Studying in Cadiz. | B．Competing in a match. |
| C．Teaching a student. | D．Becoming an explorer. |
| A．The unknown origin and long history of Cadiz. | B．The beautiful life of people living to Cadiz. |
| C．The geographic position and scenery of Cadiz. | D．The author’s complex attitude towards Cadiz. |
| A．A number of local people enjoy humorous songs. |
| B．Singing is everywhere during a big annual carnival. |
| C．Many grand carnivals attract well-known singers. |
| D．A lot of singing competitions take place each year. |
| A．A post on the Internet. | B．A geography textbook. |
| C．A travel brochure. | D．A biography. |
10 . Archaeologists(考古学家)have discovered at least 58 shipwrecks(沉船)filled with ancient objects near the islands of Fournoi in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey. The discovery is believed to be the largest collection of shipwrecks ever found in the Mediterranean. They gathered there over a long time period, from time of ancient Greece to the 20th century. But most of the ships are from the time of the Greek, Roman and Byzantine civilizations.
Peter Campbell is leading the underwater research of the wrecks for the RPM Nautical Foundation, a group that studies ancient objects. He said, "The excitement is difficult to describe. I mean, it was just unbelievable. We knew that we had come across something that was going to change the history books. "
The international team began the underwater study in 2015. They found 22 shipwrecks that year. That number has climbed to 58 with the latest discovery. The team believes there are even more secrets lying on the seabed below.
Campbell called it "one of the top archaeological discoveries of the century". He told Reuters, "We now have a new story to tell of a trading road that connected the ancient Mediterranean. "
The wrecks and their contents show ships carrying goods from nearby areas like the Black Sea, Greece, Turkey, Armenia and Italy. Other goods come from places farther away such as Spain, Sicily, Cyprus, Egypt, the Middle East and North Africa.
The team has raised more than 300 ancient objects from the shipwrecks, including many tall jars(广口瓶)with two ears used by ancient Greek and Roman people to carry liquid.
Campbell said, "Those jars are used mainly for transporting liquids and semi-liquids in the past, so the goods it would be transporting were mostly wine, oil, fish sauces, perhaps honey." He added that fish sauce from the Black Sea area was rare and precious in ancient times.
1. How did Peter Campbell feel about the discovery of the shipwrecks?| A．Excited. | B．Shocked. | C．Confused. | D．Terrified. |
| A．22. | B．36. | C．58. | D．300. |
| A．Oil. | B．Wine. | C．Honey. | D．Fish sauce. |
| A．Seabed Secrets Attracted the Archaeologists |
| B．New Ancient Civilizations Were Discovered |
| C．Ancient Shipwrecks Tell Stories of Trade Roads |
| D．More Shipwrecks Exist in the Mediterranean |
