1 . A new international study published in PLOS Biology suggests that the popularity of tigers, lions, polar bears and others may actually contribute to their downfall. The researchers used a combination of online investigations, school questionnaires, z00 websites and cartoon films to identify the 10 most beloved animals. The top three were tigers, lions and elephants.
“I was surprised to see that although these 10 animals are the most beloved, a major danger faced by nearly all of them is direct killing by humans, especially from hunting,” said William Ripple, a distinguished professor of forest ecology at Oregon State University and a co-author on the study.“This killing by humans seems sadly ironic （讽刺的）to me, as these are some of our most beloved wild animals.”
Many of these animals are so frequently described in pop culture and marketing materials that they may form an inaccurate “virtual population” that is doing better in the media than in nature, noted lead author Franck Courchamp of the University of Paris. The researchers found, for example, that the average French citizen will see more virtual lions through photos, cartoons, logos and brands in one month than wild lions left in West Africa.
“Unknowingly, companies using giraffes or polar bears for marketing purposes may be actively contributing to the false belief that these animals are not at risk of dying out, and therefore not in need of conservation,” Courchamp said. He suggested in the paper that companies using images of endangered animals for marketing purposes provide information to promote their conservation, and perhaps part of their profits for protection of the animals.
Nearly half of the toy animals sold in the United States on Amazon were one of the 10 beloved animals, while in France some 800,000 “Sophie the giraffe” baby toys were sold last year—more than eight times the number of giraffes living in Africa.
“The appearance of these beloved animals in stores, in movies, on television, and on a variety of products seems to be tricking the public into believing they are doing okay,” Ripple said. “If we don't work together to save these animals, that may soon be the only way anyone will see them.”
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．Animal images are used in marketing. | B．Wild animals are at a high risk of dying out. |
| C．Animals' popularity in life causes their decrease. | D．Efforts are made to protect animals in danger. |
| A．Use animals for marketing purposes. | B．Spare some earnings to protect animals. |
| C．Avoid providing information about animals. | D．Contribute themselves to marketing research. |
| A．To prove these baby toys are a hit in France. |
| B．To advertise for the baby toys among readers. |
| C．To show the distinction between virtual and real population. |
| D．To indicate giraffes rank higher than other animals in France. |
| A．Raising animals at home. | B．A close look at the animals. |
| C．Exposure to animals in the wild. | D．Animals' appearance in the media. |
2 . Jagger Gordon was standing in line at the grocery store in late March when it hit him: this was only the beginning. The 50-year- old chef and founder of Toronto's Feed It Forward, one of the country's most popular food bank programs, saw that COVID-19 would have an even bigger impact on communities that depend on his services. “People were fighting over water," he says, “and I just thought, okay, this is going to be bad.”
Gordon is like a modern-day Robin Hood, only instead of robbing from the rich, his food bank rescues food that would otherwise be thrown away. He started Feed It Forward six years ago, hoping to relieve hunger by reducing the approximately 11 million tons of food that Canadians annually let go to waste. The food he rescues is still suitable to be eaten but may not meet the picture-perfect standards of consumers. “This is perfectly good!” he says. “Maybe a pepper has a slight mark, or it's not breast meat or whatever the desired cut is, but you can still make something that tastes amazing.” Operating out of three main kitchens with some 2,200 volunteers, the organization was, until recently, feeding approximately 3,000 people every day. Since COVID, it's closer to 5,000.
Feed It Forward runs a pay-what-you-can restaurant and grocery store filled entirely with hand-me-downs from Whole Foods. Thirty-two Toronto-area restaurants and food supply companies— Sysco, for example— also help out. On 200 acres in Whitby, Ont., Feed It Forward grows produce and hosts grow-your -own-food lessons for individuals and families. If the pandemic （大流行病） hadn't cancelled in-person classes, this fall would have meant continuing Soup Bar, a program that provides free hot meals to students with food insecurity at Humber College. People have an idea of what a person who is hungry looks like, says Gordon, but it's so much more common than we realize.
As the year came to an end, Feed It Forward was stockpiling food. In previous years, the organization hosted Christmas dinners—community celebrations with live music and, of course, plenty of good food. The year 2020 was different—less gathering and more special deliveries. So maybe Gordon is less like Robin Hood and more like Santa Claus. “There is need out there, and we can meet it,” he says. “That's my duty.”
1. Why did Jagger Gordon found Feed It Forward?| A．To expand his business. | B．To end people's fight over food. |
| C．To ease the problem of hunger. | D．To grow produce and host lessons. |
| A．Breast meat. | B．Desired cuts. |
| C．Picture-perfect food. ` | D．Peppers with slight marks. |
| A．It continued Soup Bar in the fall. |
| B．It delivered more food at Christmas. |
| C．It fed approximately 2,200 people every day. |
| D．It offered water at the grocery store in late March. |
| A．Warm-hearted and responsible. | B．Caring and demanding. |
| C．Ambitious and humorous. | D．Generous and strict. |
3 . British beer and pubs are famous around the world. Things are changing, however. Is this the end of a great British tradition?
For thousands of years, a very important building in any British village has been the pub. In fact, until a place has a pub, it is not really considered a community worthy of a name. Traditionally, the pub is at the heart of any village or town, since it is where people gather to socialize and exchange news. It is an institution at the heart of British society. After all, the word “pub” is actually short for “public house”.
As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved. Many of them have become historic sites that tourists visit. Many British pubs have names referring to monarchs, such as The King's Head or The Queen Victoria, but of course this doesn't mean they are only for kings and queens. Pubs have always welcomed people from all classes and parts of society. On a cold night, the pub boss can always find a warm place for customers by the fire. There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drink available at an affordable price.
That's how it used to be, but there are worrying signs that things are beginning to change. Economic downturns, governmental austerity measures and cultural changes are causing many pubs to go out of business. People do not have a lot of spare money to spend on beer. On top of that, in 2007 smoking was banned in all public indoor spaces, including pubs, which may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs since then. This decline is happening despite the fact that pubs are now allowed by law to stay open after 11p.m..
In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to diversify to attract new customers. And with various “save the pub” campaigns, there are signs that people are gathering around pubs to support this great British institution with pride.
1. Why are British pubs often old?| A．Because the British want to attract tourists. |
| B．Because the birth of a community often results from a pub in it. |
| C．Because they are where people socialize and exchange news. |
| D．Because they follow in the tradition of British kings and queens. |
| A．Emperors. | B．Bosses. | C．Special tourists. | D．Ordinary people. |
| A．Cultural differences. | B．Economic decline. |
| C．Changes in opening hours. | D．Regulations against drinking. |
| A．Conservative. | B．Skeptical. | C．Hopeless. | D．Objective. |
4 . Half decade ago, at the end of my first semester teaching at Wharton, my student Kevin stopped by for office hours. He sat down and burst into tears. My mind started cycling through a list of events that could make a college junior cry: His girlfriend had broken up with him; he had been accused of cheating in exams; he forgot to turn in papers before the deadline. “I just got my first A-minus(减),” he said with his voice shaking.
Year after year, I watch in depression as students are crazy about getting straight A's. Some sacrifice their health; a few have even tried to charge their school after falling short(倒挂). All hold the belief that top marks are a ticket to best graduate schools and rewarding job offers. I was one of them. I started college with the goal of graduating with a 4.0. It would be a reflection of my brainpower and willpower, showing that I had the right stuff to succeed. But I was wrong.
The evidence is clear: Academic excellence is not a strong predictor of career excellence. Across industries, research shows that the connection between grades and job performance is modest in the first year after college and unimportant within a handful of years. Take Microsoft for example, once employees are two or three years out of college, their grades have no bearing on their performance. (Of course, it must be said that if you got D's, you probably didn't end up at Microsoft.)
Academic grades rarely assess qualities like creativity, leadership and teamwork skills, or social, emotional and political intelligence. Yes, straight A students master large amounts of information and reproduce it in exams. But career success is rarely about finding the right solution to a problem—it’s more about finding the right problem to solve. This might explain why Steve Jobs finished high school with a 2.65GPA, and Martin Luther King Jr. got only one A in his four years at Morehouse.
1. Why did the student Kevin feel sad?| A．He was caught cheating in exams. | B．His girlfriend abandoned him. |
| C．He didn’t hand in his papers before headline. | D．He failed to get straight A's. |
| A．Marks didn’t reflect willpower and brainpower. |
| B．Top marks meant well-paid job offers. |
| C．It was wrong to care too much about marks. |
| D．Straight A's don't bring creative performances. |
| A．To stress the company values employees with top marks. |
| B．To indicate academic performance is important. |
| C．To show academic excellence isn’t a strong predictor of career performance. |
| D．To introduce successful example in the technology industry. |
| A．How to be a creative leader. | B．What to do with detailed information. |
| C．How to solve a problem. | D．What problems to be solved. |
5 . MIT researchers have developed a way to incorporate(融入)electronic sensors into fabrics, allowing them to create shirts or other garments that could be used to monitor vital signs such as temperature and heart rate. The sensor-embedded garments can be customized to fit close to the body of the person wearing them.
"We can have electronic parts or lab-made electronics embedded within the textiles that we wear every day, creating comfortable garments," says Dagdeviren, an professor at MIT. His group set out to create garments more similar to the clothes we normally wear, using a fabric that has removable electronic sensors in it.
"In our case, the textile is not electrically functional. It's just a passive element of our garment so that you can wear the devices comfortably during your daily activities," Dagdeviren says. "Our main goal was to measure the physical activity of the body all from the same body part, without requiring any fixture or any tape."
The electronic sensors consist of long flexible strips(细条). These channels have small openings that allow the sensors to be exposed to the skin. For this study, the researchers designed a shirt with 30 temperature sensors and an accelerometer that can measure the wearer's movement, heart rate, and breathing rate. The garment can then transmit(传输)this data wirelessly to a smartphone.
This kind of sensing could be useful for personalized telemedicine, allowing doctors to remotely monitor patients. "You don't need to go to the doctor or do a video call," Dagdeviren says. "Through this kind of data collection, I think doctors can make better assessments and help their patients in a better way."
Last summer, several of the researchers spent time at a factory in Shenzhen, China, to experiment with mass-producing the material used for the garments. “From the outside it looks like a normal T-shirt, but from the inside, you can see the electronic parts which are touching your skin,” Dagdeviren says.
1. Why do MIT researchers make sensor-embedded garments?| A．To create garments with medical functions. |
| B．To satisfy customers' personal need for fashion. |
| C．To complete their academic tasks. |
| D．To transform patents for benefits. |
| A．Monitoring wearers' behavior. | B．Making the skin fully exposed. |
| C．Adjusting wearers' body temperature. | D．Collecting and transmitting health information. |
| A．They will bring convenience to patients. | B．They could be in mass-production soon. |
| C．They might lead the new fashion. | D．They may take the place of doctors. |
| A．It's fashionable. | B．It's skin-friendly. |
| C．It's eco-friendly. | D．It's awkward. |
6 . The eastern Siberian landscape is not normally like hell. In winter it is blanketed in snow:in summer, its forests are lush(苍翠繁茂的). This year, however, the region is on fire, as one large parts of the Arctic Circle.
The fires began in June, caused by an extremely hot and dry early summer. It was the hottest June on record globally. In the regions that are burning, temperatures peaked at 8-10℃ warmer than the average from 1981 to 2010. This has dried out the landscape, producing tinder(易燃物)for natural forest fires.
So far, hundreds of above-ground fires have been recorded by satellites in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. It is estimated that fires within the Arctic Circle have produced more than 100m tonnes of carbon dioxide in a year. That is a lot. But burnt vegetation can regrow within a decade, and in doing so reabsorbs much of the released carbon dioxide. It is what is happening below ground that most worries ecologists and climate scientists.
Global warming will melt Arctic permafrost(永久冻土), releasing large amounts of stored greenhouse gases. But if fires in the region become more common, that could have even bigger consequences. Wildfires will release much faster and bigger amounts of carbon, rather than melting permafrost. The fires also produce black carbon which, if dropped on the Arctic sea ice by favourable winds, will darken its surface, making it more likely to absorb sunlight and melt. This decreases the reflectivity of the region and further increases Arctic warming.
Smog from the fires is blanketing much of Siberia. "What is scary about the Arctic fires is that they are driven by climate change, and there's very little you can do," says Thomas Smith. Few natural fires this big have ever been successfully managed. The only way to deal with the spread of these fires is to slow the rate of global warming. Don't hold your breath.
1. What do we know about the wild fires in the Arctic Circle?| A．They are common yearly phenomena. | B．They come earlier than usual this year. |
| C．They result from extreme weather. | D．They destroy Siberian landscape. |
| A．Hundreds of above-ground fires. | B．100m tonnes of carbon dioxide. |
| C．Burnt plant life within a decade. | D．Satellite distribution in the Arctic. |
| A．The causes of fires. | B．The consequences of fires. |
| C．The working principles of global warming. | D．The characteristics of Arctic warming. |
| A．Objective. | B．Indifferent. | C．Optimistic. | D．Worried. |
7 . Overview
If you've been missing afternoon drink outings to bars, restaurants, or pubs, this Withlocals Virtual Aperitivo(意大利小吃)Lesson with a Roman Local is a great way to still experience a fun, social activity while sipping(抿一口)on some delicious drinks. Your instructor teaches you how to make a traditional Italian aperitivo in real time, and talks about Italian culture in a private, online setting that you can experience right from home.
What To Expect
Stop at: Rome
It is a fun virtual experience with a local from Rome. Pour yourself a drink(or two)and join a local host or a class on how the Romans spend their afternoons. Ingredients(材料)list and Aperitivo workshop included. Excited to get started? Please have these ingredients ready before we start the class!
Duration: 1 hour
Admission Ticket Free
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers' questions.
Q: What is the maximum group size during Withlocals Virtual Aperitivo Lesson with a Roman Local?
A: This activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers.
Reviews by Viator travelers
Amazing class and host!
Adi, Jun. 2020
Bea is an incredible host! She guided us through the class very well and gave us a lot of historical context on everything we made. The crostini recipes were delicious, the aperitivos were amazing, and most of all, we loved learning about the culture and history behind all of it.
1. What can travelers experience in Withlocals Virtual Aperitivo Lesson?| A．Talking about the local culture online. | B．Taking a face-to-face class. |
| C．Staying with a Rome local. | D．Making a traditional French aperitivo. |
| A．Arrange a schedule for two hours. | B．Book a ticket in advance. |
| C．Prepare ingredients before class. | D．Join any group as you like. |
| A．The patience of the host. | B．The gains from the class. |
| C．The size of the class. | D．The drinks and food. |
8 . 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 |
9 . Tyler and I stopped by our corner store. A few police cars caught Tyler's attention. ''Mom, can I use my allowance money and buy the policemen some doughnuts to say 'thank you'? '' he asked.
''Certainly! '' I said, feeling proud that I was achieving my aim to raise my children to be grateful, tender-hearted and caring.
After we left the store, Tyler asked a question that would change our lives and the lives of countless others forever.
''Why were the police so happy about the doughnuts? ''
I explained some people are not always friendly to police officers. Tyler was very sad to hear this, and instead of shrugging it off, he said that he was going to thank every cop in America and buy them each a doughnut!
I was shocked, but it never occurred to me to say ''no''. In fact, I thought it was an excellent but unachievable idea. I suggested many other options, but nothing was enough for him on the new found mission (使命)
I didn't know how to put this passion into action, but I knew one thing: Tyler had found his purpose, and it was my duty to help him. I e-mailed our local police office and asked if Tyler could host a thank-you event for them. They were delighted. At the event, they called Tyler ''The Donut Boy'', a name that has become known throughout the nation.
Then we kept planning thank- you events and many caring people joined. We were invited to TV stations, and flew to Washington, D.C. for National Police Week. It has been three years since a simple act of kindness sparked a wonderful idea in an eight-year-old boy.
In forty-eight states, more than 90,000 doughnuts have been delivered so far, with no end in sight. We've made memories that will last a lifetime, but most importantly, we have served those who serve us daily and made our mark on this world.
1. What quality of Tyler made the author feel proud?| A．Independence. | B．Honesty. |
| C．Kindness. | D．Cautiousness. |
| A．She praised him for his ambition. | B．She told him it was impossible. |
| C．She expressed her doubt about it. | D．She tried to change his idea. |
| A．Tyler got the idea of buying the policemen doughnuts from the author. |
| B．The policemen were confused about Tyler's behavior. |
| C．Tyler has achieved his mission. |
| D．More people joined Tyler in doing Thank-you events. |
| A．A grateful heart can make a difference. | B．Curiosity is the key to children growth. |
| C．It's never too old to learn. | D．It's better to be famous at an early age. |
10 . Journey Back in Time with Scholars
Classical Provence(13days)Journey through the beautiful countryside of Provence，France，with Prof. Ori Z. Soltes. We will visit some of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the world. Our tour also includes a chance to walk in the footsteps of Van Gogh and Gauguin. Fields of flowers, tile-roofed(瓦屋顶)villages and tasty meals enrich this wonderful experience.
Southern Spain(15days)
Spain has lovely white towns and the scent(芳香)of oranges，but it is also a treasury of ancient remains including the cities left by the Greeks，Romans and Arabs. As we travel south from Madrid with Prof. Ronald Messier to historic Toledo，Roman Merida and into Andalucia, we explore historical monuments and architecture.
China’s Sacred Landscapes(21days)
Discover the China of “past ages,” its walled cities，temples and mountain scenery with Prof. Robert Thorp. Highlights(精彩之处)include China’s most sacred peaks at Mount Tai and Hangzbou’s rolling hills，waterways and peaceful temples. We will wander in traditional small towns and end our tour with an exceptional museum in Shanghai.
Tunisia(17days)
Join Prof. Pedar Foss on our in-depth Tunisian tour. Tour highlights include the Roman city of Dougga，the underground Numidian capital at Bulla Regia, Roman Sbeitla and the remote areas around Tataouine and Matmata，uique for underground cities. Our journey takes us to picturesque Berber villages and lovely beaches.
1. What can visitors see in both Classical Provence and Southern Spain？
| A．Historical monuments. | B．Fields of flowers. |
| C．Van Gogh’s paintings. | D．Greek buildings. |
| A．France. | B．Spain. | C．China. | D．Tunisia. |
| A．White towns. | B．Underground cities. | C．Tile-roofed villages. | D．Rolling hills. |
