1 . It’s hard to overstate just how much Writer’s Digest has survived to make it to its centennial. The Great Depression. World War II. The many wars and societal revolutions of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. The technological revolution and the creation of the internet. The shift from being family-owned business to a corporation with investors. And most recently, global pandemic(流行病).
It is because WD survived all that, that I view this anniversary issue as a love letter to every single person who has contributed to keeping WD alive over these amazing, and tough, and change-filled 100 years. Thank you to the Rosenthal family for starting a magazine—a community—like this. To the publishers, editors, and all the other behind--the-scenes folks who made sure each issue over the many decades was the best it could be, thank you for your hard work and long hours. To the absolutely incomparable list of writers who shared their wisdom, insights, and encouragement: This magazine was made better by your contributions.
But most of all, this is a love letter to our readers. You give the magazine purpose and the motivation to keep going. Without you, WD wouldn’t exist, so on behalf of all the current and former WD staffers, we offer our sincerest thanks.
You’ll see a collection of new columns coming in 2021. We are thrilled to have Bryan Washington, award-winning author of the short story collection Lot and the new novel Memorial, as our first guest columnist. The WD team started planning this issue more than a year ago and putting it together has been a joy. We hope you find as much pleasure and inspiration in reading it as we found in creating it. See you in year 101.
1. What does the underlined word “centennial” mean?| A．The first publication. | B．The collection version. |
| C．The 100th anniversary. | D．The opening ceremony. |
| A．It has a long list of guest columnists. |
| B．It was once a family-owned business. |
| C．It is financially supported by the community. |
| D．It contributed to the technological revolution. |
| A．She used to be a novelist. | B．She is with Writer’s Digest |
| C．She was a business owner. | D．She is one hundred years old. |
| A．To express gratitude. | B．To promote sales. |
| C．To introduce a magazine. | D．To employ new staff. |
2 . Gary Koppelman, an award-winning science teacher, didn’t think he’d make it to college. In elementary school, he struggled with math and reading. Speaking in front of his classmates made him awkward. He was teased constantly. By the time he began high school, his instructor told him to forget about college.
Fortunately, Koppelman’s high school teacher, Doug Cline, frequently praised Koppelman’s strengths, and helped him handle incidents of teasing. In 1970, Koppelman got admitted into Eastern Michigan University to pursue a degree in teaching. There, his professor noticed his difficulty in reading and challenges with hearing. Following his professor’s advice, Koppelman started seeing his teachers after lectures to receive extra help and designing projects to understand theories better. In 1976, Koppelman graduated with a master’s degree in elementary education.
Koppelman’s discoveries about his own learning challenged him to design an alternative method to teach science to young children and create the Environmental Life Lab at Blissfield Elementary. He tries to provide opportunities for students to engage with natural world, ask questions, collect and analyze data, and work together to come up with answers. “In the science lab, every day feels like a field trip day,” a seventh grader said.
“At a young age, children are so attracted by animals and insects,” Koppelman said. “It’s hard to explain to people who are not teachers what it looks and feels when something in nature or science touches a child’s sense of awe and wonderment. But I see it every day.”
“Life science is a powerful springboard to get students interested in earth and physical science, and then extend that into math, geography, and social studies. There is nothing else like it,” claimed Linda Mueller, the school’s headmaster. “Blissfield consistently outperforms state averages on standardized science tests, and sometimes near the top of the state.”
1. What do we know about Koppelman’s elementary school life?| A．It was interrupted constantly. | B．It was unforgettable with joy. |
| C．It was filled with achievements. | D．It was depressing with difficulty. |
| A．By having daily field trips. | B．By getting them exposed to nature. |
| C．By giving standardized tests. | D．By seeking help from other teachers. |
| A．It is hard to explain science to people. |
| B．Science is different from other subjects. |
| C．Koppelman’s teaching method has paid off. |
| D．Blissfield tops the state’s elementary schools. |
| A．Devoted and creative. | B．Reliable and punctual. |
| C．Humorous and modest. | D．Disciplined and talkative. |
3 . You have distinct opinions on where the best coffee is in your local area. But if the entire city had a high chance of providing a tasty cup, it could be the personal heaven for coffee lovers.
Rome, Italy
Italy is known for its love of quality food, and the same applies to the coffee. Rome is packed with cafes that keep the city running. Coffee brewers take their business very seriously, so that you rarely meet a watered-down cup.
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne loves coffee so much that they hold an annual coffee festival and have their own coffee-related publication, the Melbourne Coffee Review. What makes Melbourne coffee shops unique is the way the city is divided: the city is divided into several villages, each with its own specific culture. The most recommended drinks to get in Melbourne are typically lattes or other coffee drinks with milk.
Vienna, Austria
When it comes to coffee, Vienna goes hard: the city had its coffee shops listed as “intangible heritage(非物质文化遗产)” by UNESCO in20l1. Vienna cafes pride themselves on their atmosphere, taking the furnishings and decoration of shops quite seriously. These spaces are great social or people-watching atmospheres. Viennese particularly enjoy cappuccinos and the local Wiener Melange.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Considered the “birthplace of coffee”, and one of the world’s top coffee bean producers today, it’s no surprise that coffee is an important part of Ethiopian culture. If you have friends or relatives there, expect to be invited to coffee ceremony. You’ll enjoy roasting and grinding(研磨) the beans, then brewing them in a clay pot before finally enjoying the final product with your hosts.
1. Which city hosts a coffee festival every year?| A．Rome | B．Melbourne. |
| C．Vienna. | D．Addis Ababa. |
| A．Their atmosphere is unique. | B．They are hardly decorated. |
| C．Their signature coffee is the latte. | D．They divide the city into blocks. |
| A．Produce coffee beans. | B．Buy hand-made cups. |
| C．Enjoy self-made coffee. | D．Decorate coffee shops. |
4 . About 50 feet from shore, two brothers were fighting for their lives, their mouths barely able to stay above the water. Thick fog made it difficult for beach goers to see the guys, but the screams were unmistakable and every second counted. The brothers, aged 15 and 20, were wearing shorts and T-shirts, unsuitable for a November day, let alone the 50-degree water. Keven Harder, a supervising ranger, told the North Coast Journal that swimming in such a temperature “will take the fight right out of you.”
Luckily, four surfers in wet suits were nearby. Narayan Weibel, Spenser Stratton, and Adrian York, all 16, along with Taj Ortiz-beck, 15, were on their surf boards riding on waves when they heard the cries. They turned and saw two bobbing heads and four flailing arms. “We looked at each other and knew they were about to drown,” Weibel said.
Weibel, Stratton, and Ortiz-beck paddled toward the distressed swimmers while York headed to shore to call 911. As the surfers drew close, the brothers were struggling. “It was pretty stressful, but there wasn't any time to think about it,” Ortiz-beck said. He pulled up alongside the younger brother. Grabbing him under his arms, he raised him up onto the board. Stratton and Weibel, meanwhile, were straining(竭力)to help the elder brother. He was large, about 250 pounds, and panicked. Fortunately, York arrived in time to help get the elder brother atop the second board. The surfers then paddled several minutes through rough water to the medical help waiting onshore. The brothers were scared but fine.
“When we get a call like this one, it's usually too late by the time we get there,” said Dillon Ceavenger, the first responder. “I can't say enough about what these boys did. They were willing and prepared to risk their lives.”
1. What do we know about the weather from the first paragraph?| A．It was foggy and cold. |
| B．It was pleasant for swimming. |
| C．It was fine with high visibility. |
| D．It was abnormal for a November day. |
| A．Beachgoers' search. |
| B．Their loud screams. |
| C．Keven's inspection. |
| D．Their dressing style. |
| A．York raised the elder brother up alone. |
| B．The brothers struggled onto the board. |
| C．The four teenagers had a good cooperation. |
| D．The medical team offered help in the water. |
| A．Their big size was troublesome. |
| B．They should be criticized strictly. |
| C．They sacrificed their lives to save others. |
| D．Their quick action counted in the rescue. |
5 . The world has been extremely impressed by China's high-speed trains that cross the country by the hundreds in all directions every day, but in one corner of this vast land is a gentle reminder that life was not always this fast.
Those fortunate enough to travel to Jiayang in Sichuan province will find railway carriages dragged by steam locomotives(火车头), among the last steam trains operating in China and still running every day. First used to transport coal from Jiayang Coal Mine 62 years ago, today they transport local farmers and their produce to market and serve as a tourist attraction.
“In the early days of the railway, farmers headed for the farm produce market sitting beside coal,” said Liu Chengxi, the Jiayang official in charge of the trains. “As coal production has stopped, the trains are now exclusively(专门地)for farmers and tourists.”
The narrow railway, only 76.2 cm instead of the standard 144 cm, stretches for 19. 84 km, with the trains reaching a top speed of 20 km/h.
A one-way ticket costs 5 yuan for seated passengers and 3 yuan for standing passengers on the ordinary trains regardless of whether they are travelling empty-handed or with animals or vegetables. But Li Cuirong, who has worked as a train dispatcher(调度员)for more than 20 years, recommends tourists pay 80 yuan for a sightseeing train, as the carriages, which have 37 seats, are more comfortable and air-conditioned. A one-way trip takes about one and a half hours.
The scenery is dramatic as the train winds through the mountain, passengers can view chickens and geese wandering among the orange trees and butterflies dancing over the fields and ponds.
Rob Dickinson, a steam train lover from the United Kingdom, has ridden the trains twice. He hopes the narrow line can last long enough for him to find the time to get back again.
1. What can we learn about the steam-powered trains in Jiayang from the text?| A．They are 144cm wide. |
| B．They have stopped running. |
| C．They are used to transport coal. |
| D．They have become a tourist attraction. |
| A．Because it runs faster. |
| B．Because it is money-saving. |
| C．Because it is tourist-friendly. |
| D．Because it offers a round-way trip. |
| A．He can't afford to make another trip. |
| B．The steam-powered trains appeal to him. |
| C．He expects the narrow line to be lengthened. |
| D．The present situation of the railway is worrying. |
| A．A deserted mine alive again. |
| B．A train trip back to a slower age. |
| C．A subway through the mountain. |
| D．A produce market open to tourists. |
6 . Dogs can’t speak, but their brains respond to spoken words. Every dog owner knows that saying “Good dog!” in a happy, high voice will make their pet joyfully wag its tail. That made scientists curious: What exactly happens in your dog’s brain when it hears praise, and is it similar to the way our own brain processes such information?
When a person gets others’ compliment, the more primitive, subcortical auditory regions (皮层下听觉区) first reacts to the intonation — the emotional force of spoken words. Next, the brain taps the more recently evolved auditory cortex (听觉皮层) to figure out the meaning of the words, which is learned.
In 2016, a team of scientists discovered that dogs’ brains, like those of humans, compute the intonation and meaning of a word separately — although dogs use their right brain to do so, whereas we use our left one. Still, a puzzle remained: Do their brains go through the same steps to process approval?
It’s an important question, because dogs are a speechless species, yet they respond correctly to our words. For instance, some dogs are capable of recognising thousands of names of individual objects, and can link each name to a specific object.
When the scientists studied scans of the brains of pet dogs, they found that theirs, like ours, process the sounds of spoken words in this manner — analyzing first the emotional component with the older region of the brain, the subcortical regions, and then the words’ meaning with the newer part, the cortex.
See why dogs are so successful at partnering with us? Dogs and humans last shared a common ancestor some 100 million years ago, so it’s likely that our brains respond to sounds in a similar way. As domesticated animals that have evolved alongside humans for the past 10,000 years, dogs make special use of it to process human emotions. You know, what we say really matters to dogs!
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “compliment”?| A．Reply. | B．Praise. | C．Warning. | D．Advice. |
| A．Linking it to an object. | B．Analyzing the emotion. |
| C．Working out its meaning. | D．Tapping the auditory cortex. |
| A．By comparing opinions. | B．By raising examples. |
| C．By providing answers to questions. | D．By analyzing causes and effects. |
| A．Dogs—good listeners |
| B．Dogs—perfect partners |
| C．Dogs and humans share a common ancestor actually |
| D．Dogs understand spoken words the same way we do |
7 . A cozy environment fostering focused thinking and concentration on books is what study lounges are all about. Ideal for students with limited options as after-school study spaces. And relatively cheap.
The demand for study lounges rose in China because students can hardly find a peaceful place to study after finishing classes. Before 2018, there were few study lounges in China, and the few that existed were mainly in first- and second-tier cities such as Guangzhou, Suzhou and Tianjin. Yet by 2019, they had become popular nationwide.
But the pandemic (流行病) has dealt a blow to the industry. Since personal contact in a closed environment is unavoidable, the pandemic forced all study lounges to shut down for several months. Lou Qingxiao, founder of Xinliuzaowu, one of Beijing’s earliest study lounge brands that opened in 2018, said their first study lounge near Renmin University of China had made ends meet before the pandemic. Li Hang and Zhang Yang, co-founders of Sishiloushi, a Beijing-based independent study lounge, said that even before COVID-19 broke out, the industry’s profit was neither promising nor clear, let alone in such a particular period.
“Rent is a major fixed cost for study lounges, especially in first-tier cities,” Lou said. In a first-tier city such as Beijing, rentals comprise more than a half of a study lounge’s monthly operation cost. But Lou sounds optimistic about the industry commercial prospects, “because it’s a blue ocean with less competition.”
Study lounges provide a better learning experience that people cannot get in free public libraries. “Privately operated study lounges like ours actually make up for the shortage of public infrastructure (基础设施) and public services and we are willing to cooperate with the government to better serve the public.” Li said.
1. What contributes to the rise of study lounges in China?| A．The rapid development of cities. |
| B．The shrinking number of libraries. |
| C．The need for a peaceful study environment. |
| D．The lack of alternative after-school activities. |
| A．The earliest study lounge brands in China. |
| B．A guideline on finding famous study lounges. |
| C．An introduction to the founders of study lounges. |
| D．The influence of the pandemic on study lounges. |
| A．It is promising. | B．It is unclear. |
| C．It will be full of competition. | D．It will be free of rent. |
| A．Government involvement is welcome. |
| B．The infrastructure construction is needed. |
| C．Study lounges should be privately operated. |
| D．Cooperation with public libraries has been achieved. |
8 . While some customs like setting off fireworks and counting down the last few seconds seem universal, many countries have their own unique New Year’s Eve traditions.
Denmark: Break plates
A Danish tradition is to throw plates and dishes against friend’s and neighbor’s front doors. It’s a bit of a popularity contest as the bigger the pile of broken china is the next morning, the more friends and good luck you’ll have in the coming year.
Germany: Pouring lead
In Germany, people melt small pieces of lead in a spoon over a candle, then pour the liquid into cold water. The shapes from the lead pouring are supposed to reveal what the year ahead will bring. If the lead forms a ball, luck will roll one’s way, while the shape of a crown means wealth; a cross means death and a star will bring happiness.
Spain: Twelve grapes of luck
In Spain, one New Year’s tradition is to eat 12 grapes, one for each month of the coming year, to secure prosperity (繁荣). You need to eat one grape with each bell strike at midnight. The tradition dates from 1909 when farmers in Alicante came up with this idea to sell more grapes after an exceptional harvest.
Philippines: Round food, round clothes, round everything
In the Philippines, the start of the new year is all about the money. The locals believe that surrounding themselves with round things (to represent coins) will bring money or fortune. As a result, clothes with dots are worn and round food is eaten.
1. What is believed to bring good luck for the coming new year in Denmark?| A．A red candle. | B．Round food. | C．Broken china. | D．A lead cross. |
| A．A way to make coins. | B．An act to keep power. |
| C．A desire to be popular. | D．An idea to gain profit. |
| A．Fashion. | B．Travel. | C．Culture. | D．Entertainment. |
9 . People have different ways of dealing with a common cold. Some take over the counter medicines such as aspirin while others try popular home remedies(治疗) like herbal tea or chicken soup. Yet here is the tough truth about the common cold: nothing really cures it.
So why do people sometimes believe that their remedies work? According to James Taylor, professor at the University of Washington, colds usually go away on their own in about a week, improving a little each day after symptoms peak, so it's easy to believe it's medicine rather than time that deserves the credit, USA Today reported.
It still seems hard to believe that we can deal with more serious diseases yet are powerless against something so common as a cold. Recently, scientists came closer to figure out why. To understand it, you first need to know how antiviral drugs work. They attack the virus by attaching to and changing the surface structures of the virus. To do that, the drug must fit and lock into the virus like the right piece of a jigsaw(拼图), which means scientists have to identify the virus and build a 3D model to study its surface before they can design an antiviral drug that is effective enough.
The two cold viruses that scientists had long known about were rhinovirus(鼻病毒) A and B. But they didn't find out about the existence of a third virus, rhinovirus C, until 2006. All three of them contribute to the common cold, but drugs that work well against rhinovirus A and B have little effect when used against rhinovirus C.
''This explains most of the previous failures of drug trials against rhinoviruses,'' study leader Professor Ann C. Palmenberg at the University of Wiscons in Madison, US, told Science Daily.
Now, more than 10 years after the discovery of rhinovirus C, scientists have finally built a highly detailed 3D model of the virus, showing that the surface of the virus is, as expected, different from that of other cold viruses.
With the model in hand, hopefully a real cure for a common cold is on its way. Soon, we may no longer have to waste our money on medicines that don't really work.
1. What does the author think of popular remedies for a common cold?| A．They are quite effective. | B．They are slightly helpful. |
| C．They actually have no effect. | D．They still need to be improved. |
| A．By breaking up cold viruses directly. |
| B．By changing the surface structures of the cold viruses. |
| C．By preventing colds from developing into serious diseases. |
| D．By absorbing different kinds of cold viruses at the same time. |
| A．The surface of cold viruses looks quite similar. |
| B．Scientists have already found a cure for the common cold. |
| C．Scientists were not aware of the existence of rhinovirus C until recently. |
| D．Knowing the structure of cold viruses is the key to developing an effective cure. |
| A．Drugs against cold viruses | B．Helpful home remedies |
| C．No current cure for common cold | D．Research on cold viruses |
10 . A Chinese company says it has created a new facial recognition system that can identify people even if they are wearing masks.
Engineers at the Beijing-based Hanwang Technology Ltd. say their system is the first to be created to effectively identify people wearing face masks. A team of 20 people built the system in about a month. The system is based on existing technologies developed over the past 10 years. The process involved adding a collection of about 6 million unmasked faces and a much smaller collection of masked faces.
Hanwang is now selling two main kinds of products that use the new technology. One performs “single channel” recognition, which is designed to be used at the entrances to buildings. The other product is a “multi-channel” recognition system that uses groups of surveillance cameras (监控摄像头).
“When wearing a mask, the recognition rate can reach about 95 percent, which can ensure that most people can be identified,” said Huang Lei, Hanwang’s vice president. He added that the system’s success rate for people not wearing a mask is about 99.5 percent.
Huang said Hanwang’s technology can be used to identify and track people as they move about. He added the system can identify crime suspects, terrorists or make reports or warnings.
However, the new system struggles to identify people wearing both a mask and sunglasses. “In this situation, all of the key facial information is lost. In such cases recognition is tough,” Huang said.
It was not immediately clear how people were reacting to the new technology. While some have expressed opposition to such tools, many others seem to have showed interest in the new system and accepted it as a way to deal with the current health emergency — the spread of the novel coronavirus (新型冠状病毒). Huang says he sees the interest likely expanding if the virus continues to spread and the use of face masks increases.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．Where the company is located. | B．How the system is developed. |
| C．When the research work started. | D．What the collection stands for. |
| A．The poor storage of information. |
| B．The relatively low recognition rate. |
| C．Identifying people with both a mask and sunglasses. |
| D．Tracking the movement of crime suspects and terrorists. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Optimistic. | C．Opposed. | D．Worried. |
| A．A travel brochure. | B．A health magazine. |
| C．A medical paper. | D．A science report. |
