1 . Bookstores are fascinating places. That’s because the books on the shelves can take you away to magical lands, help you learn a foreign language, or cook a delicious meal. But when your community is too small to house a real brick bookstore, sometimes you have to make a compromise. A mobile bookstore that brings books around the country was the result. That is the case for Rita Collins, 70, who dreamed of opening a used bookstore after retiring from teaching.
A business planning class from the American Booksellers Association convinced Collins to abandon her idea that opening a bookstore in the small town where she lives, which would not be sustainable. Eureka, Montana, located just seven miles from the Canadian border, only has a population of 1,517. Collins asked her instructors about a traveling bookstore on wheels and they were skeptical. But she persevered.
Collins was inspired by Dylans Mobile Bookstore, a traveling bookstore in Wales run by Jeff Towns. She contacted Jeff for advice but she was largely on her own when it came to building her bookstore. First, she had to find a vehicle large enough to stand in. Then she had to have it refitted with shelves that would hold the books at a 15-degree angle so that they would stay in place while in transit. Collins named her bookstore St Rita’s Traveling Bookstore, which has been on the road since 2015.
At first, she drove through Montana and then she made her first cross-country trip in 2016. After she retired in 2017, it became a full-time job all year round. Collins and her mobile bookstore have visited 30 states, stopping at festivals and events along the way. While the locations change, some things always stay the same. Collins loves meeting people and making connections. While she loves what she does, Collins doesn’t think she can keep doing it. In several years, she hopes to pass her traveling bookstore onto another bibliophile who shares the same interest and will keep it on the road.
1. Why did Collins abandon opening a bookstore?| A．It would cost a lot of money. | B．It was not promising. |
| C．It would be out of date. | D．It was not approved. |
| A．To beautify the mobile bookstore. |
| B．To make full use of space of the shelves. |
| C．To keep the bookstore’s balance. |
| D．To protect the books from falling down. |
| A．Merciful and delightful. | B．Intelligent and reasonable. |
| C．Determined and social. | D．Generous and lovely. |
| A．A book lover. | B．A publisher. |
| C．A famous writer. | D．An editor. |
2 . Bangladesh's floating gardens, built to grow food during flood seasons, could offer a continuous solution for parts of the world which are likely to suffer from flooding because of climate change, a new study has found.
Bangladesh's floating gardens began hundreds of years ago. The gardens are made from native plants that float in the rivers and operate almost like rafts (筏), rising and filling with the waters. Historically, they were used to continue growing food during rainy seasons when rivers were filled with water.
The farmers layer the plants about three feet deep, creating a version of raised-bed gardens that float in the water. Then, they plant vegetables inside those rafts. As the raft-plants rot away, they release nutrients, which help feed the vegetable plants.
But as climate change affected the volume of water in those rivers, the researchers wanted to understand whether Bangladesh's floating gardens could be a continuous farming practice. They interviewed farming families and found strong evidence that floating gardens provide stability, both in the amount of food available to feed rural populations and in a farming family's income.
They found that farmers typically use hybrid (杂交) seeds, which must be repurchased each year, to grow a diverse range of vegetables in the floating gardens. The gardens are also sensitive to pests, so farmers end up spending some money on both pesticides and fertilizers. But even with those expenses, they found, benefits outweighed costs. One farmer told the research team that he earns up to four times as much money from the gardens as from traditional rice fields.
However, before gaining profits, farmers often take out high-interest loans (贷款) to cover the investment costs of filling the beds and stocking them with plants. Luckily; there are also lower-interest loans from responsible government or non-governmental organizations, which could ease that burden.
1. How do vegetable plants grow according to the text?| A．By absorbing nutrition from raft-plants. | B．By taking shelter from climate change. |
| C．By living together with hybrid seeds. | D．By moving up and down with raised beds. |
| A．“Our life becomes tough when rivers flood.” | B．“Fewer vegetables are planted when water rises.” |
| C．“We harvest much more food during rainy seasons.” | D．“Climate change has little influence on our income.” |
| A．Affected. | B．Brought. | C．Beat. | D．Equaled. |
| A．A solution to climate problem has been found. | B．The gardens are built with rotted native plants. |
| C．Farmers earn more from traditional rice fields. | D．Low-interest loans lighten the stress of farmers. |
3 . When you hear the beginning of your favorite song from the radio, suddenly your neck is covered in goose bumps.
It's such a thing that a group of scientists call “skin excitement”—a feeling of cold caused not by a drop in temperature or sudden scare, but by the sense of beauty. “Skin excitement” can come from a song, a painting, a moving movie scene, or even a beloved memory-pretty much anything that causes the giving out of pleasure-soaked dopamine in your brain. But it does not come for all of us.
Your favorite music uncovers a lot about your personality，and so does how you respond to that music. Studies suppose that as few as 55 percent of people experience “skin excitement” when listening to music. And if you count yourself among this group, the goose bumps on your skin aren't the only giveaway—scientists can read it in your brain, too. In a new study published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Harvard researchers performed brain scans on 10 students who said they reliably got cold when listening to music, and 10 students who didn't. They found that the cold-prone brains may really be excited by stronger emotions.
Cold-prone brains are generally more likely to show stronger emotional intelligence than no-cold brains. Cold-prone minds tend to have unusual active imagination, reflect more deeply on their emotions, and appreciate nature and the beauty of music and art to a stronger degree than no-cold brains.
So, what type of music causes the chills? It seems that the type is not so important; participants in the new study reported getting cold from songs of every kind. And any song connected with a strong emotional memory of the listener can produce the most reliable results. For me, that's the song Sailing to Philadelphia by Mark Knopfler, which I listened to as a kid in the car with my dad, on the way to the summer camp.
1. What can we learn about “skin excitement” in the text?| A．It helps to produce doparmine. | B．It is caused by the pain in the skin. |
| C．It can be experienced by every music listener. | D．It is the human body's reaction to something nice. |
| A．The percentage of music lovers in students. |
| B．The solutions to the goose bumps on one's skin. |
| C．The differences between cold-prone and no-cold brains. |
| D．The relationship between one's music preference and personality. |
| A．Beautiful and intelligent. | B．Emotional and dishonest. |
| C．Imaginative and sensitive. | D．Brave and strong-minded. |
| A．Responses to Music Vary among People | B．A Feeling of Cold Is Caused by Horrible Music |
| C．Your Favorite Music Reveals Your Personality | D．Favorite Music May Bring Forth Goose Bumps |
4 . Looking for work?
Tutors Wanted: Math / Science / Humanities + Test Preparation
Job Posted: 2 days ago
Wage: $27 – 30 per hour
Job Type: Part-time
Schedule: Afternoons, evenings, weekdays, weekends
Job description:
We're looking for tutors to join us before the next school year starts.
Our suitable candidate will be able to assist middle and high school students with test preparation and academic work in Math, Science and or Humanities.
We'll pay for your training before this fall and can also offer flexible summer tutoring chances, including teaching group classes.
Once our fall semester starts on August 21, we’ll have even higher demand for tutoring sessions on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. as well as from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday.
What we offer:
★ Flexible scheduling. Tutors work from 15 to 30 hours per week depending on availability and student demand.
★ Free Sunday dinners during the academic year.
★ Fun staff gatherings
★ Health insurance reimbursement (补偿) for staff working over 30 hours per week.
★ We are 5 minutes’ walking distance from the Menlo Park Caltrain Station.
Applicants must：
★ Have a good command of the subjects they tutor.
★ Be willing to tutor students through the full academic year.
Application instructions:
★ Email us your resume (简历)
★ Tell us why you want to join Academic Trainers and describe your experience of tutoring students if you have any.
★ Let us know your scheduling preferences and potential start date.
★ Tell us which of the subjects you are able to tutor — Math, Science and or Humanities.
1. Which period of time needs the most tutors during the academic year?| A．Saturday and Sunday mornings. | B．Friday afternoons and evenings. |
| C．Monday and Thursday mornings. | D．Sunday afternoons and evenings. |
| A．Comfortable accommodation. | B．Free job training every month. |
| C．Health insurance reimbursement. | D．Free meals during the academic year. |
| A．is good at one or more academic subjects |
| B．will work every evening throughout the academic year |
| C．has the opportunity to become a full-time tutor |
| D．must have previous tutoring experience |
5 . What people say is only one aspect of good communication. Good listening skills and body language are also important for us to effectively communicate with others. Effective communication involves more than talking to a person. How things are said, words are chosen and tones are adopted are all aspects of good communication.
Body language, a common form of non-verbal communication, can support what a speaker is saying. Studies have shown that of the information that is received from other people, only 10% is from what they say and 40% is from the tone and speed of their voice. The other 50% is obtained from their body language. Reading body language is part of developing social skills.
Some professionals, such as lawyers, governmental security officers and doctors on mental problems, learn to read every type of body language of others to help in their jobs. They look for specific signs, while the average person reads some body language subconsciously（下意识地）. Body language can involve one aspect such as the eyes, or the use of different body parts. Where the body is positioned in relation to another person or at a table is another piece in communicating what the person is feeling. Troubles may arise（出现） when body language is misunderstood.
Good listening skills clear the way to a clear message while bad listening skills create barriers which can confuse or stop the message. Good listeners can use body language by nodding occasionally to show interest and understanding, make eye contact with the speaker, repeat some of the words and feelings, and summarize what they have heard. All these can avoid communication troubles.
Poor listeners rarely communicate effectively. Barriers they commonly use may include: interruptions, inappropriate humor, judgments, criticisms, and unrelated questions. People who are attempting to communicate with a person who continually throws out barriers will often stop talking and they even get angry as they feel misunderstood and frustrated. Healthy minded people are able to communicate with others effectively by avoiding these barriers. They are able to let their partners know what they want regularly and clearly.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Speakers usually pay little attention to what they said and what words and tones they use. |
| B．Good communication means talking to a person effectively with right tones and speed. |
| C．Body language and listening skills are highly involved in successful communication. |
| D．The manner of communication is determined by the listener rather than the speaker. |
| A．makes up 40% of the information received from communication |
| B．sometimes leads people to misunderstand what others have said |
| C．can remind the listeners of what the speakers are actually expressing |
| D．can only be correctly read by people with excellent social skills |
| A．Making a summary of what he has heard. |
| B．Repeating the speaker’s words and ideas. |
| C．Showing his feeling to the speaker. |
| D．Bringing in an unrelated topic suddenly. |
| A．To emphasize that communication involves more than talking. |
| B．To introduce different types of non-verbal communication. |
| C．To suggest ways to effectively communicate with others. |
| D．To discuss the different effects of good and poor listening skills. |
6 . Inspired by the movement to protect the Carmanah Valley and Clayoquot Sound, I decided to devote myself to producing images for conservation full-time in 1992. Since that time my work has taken me all over the world and my photos have appeared in many major magazines. However, many of my most rewarding moments have come from working on projects in British Columbia, Canada, and sharing those images in slide show tours I have given throughout Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
The more I travel and photograph in other parts of the world, the more I have come to realize the wilderness we have in Canada is truly special and rare.
I have always felt that as a photographer my goal is to approach the natural environment with the sense of wonder and curiosity that comes so naturally to children. This, I believe, is one of the basic keys not just to producing meaningful images, but more importantly, to gaining a full appreciation and enjoyment of the natural world.
I find that not only my best images, but also my most enjoyable experiences in nature, occur when I have an open mind and follow my intuition (直觉). When I feel drawn to a certain scene, I try to make the scene simple and not include anything that is not relevant. I also try all ways to look for beautiful light. Early morning and the end of the day almost always produce light that results in more pleasing images than those taken under the strong light in the middle of a sunny day. Soft cloudy skies are wonderful for photographing all day, especially in our beautiful forests or for small subjects like wildflowers. Rain, storms, and snow also provide wonderful opportunities for new and different kinds of images.
1. In the first paragraph, the author mainly tells us about________.| A．his working experiences | B．his goal as a photographer |
| C．his skills in photographing | D．his understanding about conservation |
| A．was born in the United Kingdom |
| B．now works mainly in the United States |
| C．has worked as a full-time tour guide since 1992 |
| D．is aware of the importance of environmental protection |
| A．To produce beautiful pictures |
| B．To take his children to approach the nature. |
| C．To gain people’s appreciation and admiration. |
| D．To get close to nature with strong desire to know about it |
| A．They are not easy to be produced in soft cloudy skies. |
| B．Sometimes the scenes in them are simple and don’t include irrelevant things. |
| C．If they are wildflowers, the best time to produce them is in the rain. |
| D．If produced at the end of the day, they are more beautiful than in the early morning. |
| A．To study the key to becoming a famous artist. |
| B．To show thoughts about nature photography. |
| C．To praise wonderful scenes they have in Canada. |
| D．To tell the most enjoyable experiences in nature. |
7 . It's no secret that inhaling(吸入)smoke is bad for your lungs. But now, scientists are suggesting smoke may also carry and spread infectious diseases. The theory, published in Science Magazine, is based on the research that found wildfire smoke is full of thousands of species of microorganisms(微生物).Some of these microorganisms, including bacteria and fungal spores(真菌抱子).are known to cause disease.
The new research suggests that when a wildfire burns plants or animal matter and disturbs soils, it exposes thousands of species of bacteria and fungi that otherwise might not easily become airborne. You might think the high heat from fire would kill these organisms, but one study mentioned in the article found that some bacteria even multiply after fires. Scientists say the organisms stick with smoke particulates(颗粒物), allowing them to travel thousands of miles across continents.
Dr. Peter Chen, director of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, is interested in the theory but somewhat skeptical that the microorganisms in smoke would actually cause infections. Many bacteria and fungi don't cause lung infections, says Chen, but it's certainly possible that a significant number could worsen symptoms in someone with a preexisting lung condition. "I always thought it was the particulates in smoke that were causing these issues," says Chen. "But when I read this, I started thinking, could it be the microorganisms that are also worsening existing illnesses?"
Whether the microorganisms in smoke actually cause infections or simply worsen potential respiratory(呼吸的)issues, the article raises a new health threat that is "certainly alarming", says Kelsey Jack, an associate professor of environmental and development economics. This is especially true for lower-income populations, Jack says, because people with fewer protective means are often more exposed to the environment. If smoke is affecting the air quality in a certain area, the people who work outside, or who have to go to the office on foot or by bike will inhale more smoke than those who drive.
But until more research is done, Chen says the best thing people can do is just follow existing recommendations when air quality is poor-including staying indoors, keeping windows and doors closed, using HEPA filters and running air conditioning.
1. What can we know about the microorganisms from Paragraph 2?| A．Some could reproduce after fires. |
| B．They could be killed by high heat. |
| C．They could possibly travel through air by themselves. |
| D．Some could copy the smoke particulates. |
| A．They will cause lung infection. | B．They might worsen lung diseases. |
| C．They will destroy living environments. | D．They might damage respiratory systems. |
| A．They live in poor areas. | B．They drive to and from work· |
| C．They have suffered from lung disease. | D．They are exposed to polluted air more frequently. |
| A．To wait for the results of more researches. |
| B．To ignore the air quality and to work out outdoors. |
| C．To follow previous suggestions on dealing with poor air quality. |
| D．To avoid using filters and air conditioning. |
8 . Mammals (哺乳动物) tend to get huge when they invade the ocean. Why? Most of the explanations for this trend treat the ocean as a kind of release. The water partly frees mammals from gravity, allowing them to evolve heavy bodies. But to William Gearty from Stanford University, the ocean makes mammals so big not because it relieves them of limits, but because it sets new ones.
"To deal with the constant loss of heat as you get into the water, the easiest way is to get bigger." he explains, "As bodies balloon, volume increases faster than surface area does, so you produce more heat in your body but lose comparatively less of it from your skin."
But there is a limit because larger bodies also demand more fuel, and there's only so much food that an animal can reasonably get. Therefore, the need to stay warm sets a floor for the body size, while the need to eat sets a ceiling. And the gap between them, Gearty found, is surprisingly narrow. "The minimum size of oceanic mammals is thousands of times larger than the minimum for mammals on land, but the maximum size is only 25 times larger," says Gearty.
These trends suggest that the water places strict size limits. Oceanic mammals must be just the right size-big, yes, but not too big and not too small.
And as always in biology, there are exceptions. Whales go way beyond the size limit. Nick Pyenson from the Smithsonian Institution thinks he knows why. Around 3 million years ago, a combination of changes to glaciers (冰川), winds, and currents created a large increase of nutrients in coastal waters, which then fed lots of shrimps and small fish-potential prey (猎物) for whales.
But these bonanzas weren't evenly distributed. Instead, they were concentrated in particular places far apart from each other-all-you-can-eat buffets separated by food deserts. And that Pyenson says, is why the giant whales evolved. They are adapted to hunt down concentrated prey. Their huge size allows them to survive for a long distance without encountering any food. And they evolved a special technique of feeding. The existence of concentrated prey, and the evolution of a technique for capturing them, allowed whales to break the size ceiling. That's why they transformed from big animals into the biggest animals that ever existed.
1. William Gearty's explanation differ from traditional ones because he believes _________.| A．bigness helps mammals to survive in the water |
| B．the ocean puts size limits on oceanic mammals |
| C．oceanic mammals are larger than mammals on land |
| D．gravity prevents mammals from evolving heavy bodies |
| A．the sea mammals have to get as big as they can to hunt for food |
| B．the need to stay warm decides the size ceiling of oceanic mammals |
| C．the maximum size of an oceanic mammal depends on its food supply |
| D．the smallest mammals in the ocean are 25 times as big as those on land |
| A．buffets and deserts | B．shrimps and small fish |
| C．glaciers and currents | D．nutrients and waters |
| A．To emphasize the importance of big size for the whale. |
| B．To introduce how whales evolve to survive in the ocean. |
| C．To explain what influences the sizes of oceanic mammals. |
| D．To appeal for more scientific studies on oceanic mammals. |
9 . "While protected areas are generally designed to be safe havens, unchecked human pressures car have a negative impact," says zoologist Femke Broekhuis, lead author of a new study by the University of Oxford that has raised questions about levels of tourism in protected areas.
The study focused on female cheetahs（非洲猎豹）in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. Cheetahs have babies of one to six, few of which make it to adulthood. The study claims that the already low cubs（幼崽）survival rate is made even worse by tourist pressure. It found that one or no cub survived to adulthood in areas with high levels of tourism, while an average of two survived in areas with low levels.
The higher death rate is likely to be caused by poor food supplies for the cubs. "Cheetahs, especially those with cubs, are a major tourist attraction and commonly attract large numbers of vehicles," says Broekhuis. "High tourist numbers have been found to negatively impact cheetah hunts and even if a hunt is successful, the presence of tourists can result in a cheetah abandoning its kill."
While Broekhuis is eager to stress the positive role of conservation, she also admits the results are worrying. Cheetah numbers are already being squeezed. Predation（掠夺）from lions as well as habitat reduction means the big cats have experienced sharp population decline. In fact, their numbers are thought to have halved in Kenya in the past 40 years to around 7,000. They have also disappeared from 91 percent of their historic range.
Researchers suggest stricter limits on the number of cars allowed near the animals. Growth rates for cheetahs inside the protected areas need to be high if they are to make up for declines outside of them.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．Cheetah numbers halved. |
| B．Conservation has a positive effect， |
| C．Tourism reduced cheetah numbers, |
| D．Tourists are not allowed to get close to cheetahs. |
| A．Because the birth rate is low, |
| B．Because hunman hunt them cruelly. |
| C．Because their habitat is reduced. |
| D．Because they have poor food supplies. |
| A．Disappointed | B．Worried. |
| C．Satisfied. | D．Shocked. |
| A．Set more preserves. | B．Stop hunting cheetahs. |
| C．Give cheetahs more food. | D．Limit cars near cheetahs. |
10 . LONE TREE, colorado-patanjali Rao, a 15-year-old Colorado high school student and young scientist, who has used artificial intelligence （AI） and created apps to deal with social problems, has been named Time magazine's first-ever "Kid of the Year".
Time says Rao stood out for creating a world-wide community of young inventors and inspiring them to go after their goals. Rao insists that starting out small doesn't matter, as long as you have a passion （热爱）for it.
Rao's sense of invention started early. At age 12, she developed a portable device to discover lead in water. She has also created an app called Kindly that uses artificial intelligence to help prevent cyberbullying （网络欺凌）. It allows teens to type in a word or phrase to find out if the words they are using are bullying and lets them decide what they are sending.
She said that "Work is going to be in our generation's hands pretty soon. So if no one else is going to do it, I'm going to do it.”
Rao has partnered with schools, museums, and science, technology, engineering and math organizations, and other societies to work for thousands of other students.
In a world where science is increasingly questioned or challenged, Rao insists that devotion to science is an act of kindness and the best way that a younger generation can better the world. “We have science in everything we're involved in, and I think the biggest thing to put out there is that science is cool, innovating is cool, and anybody can be an innovator," Rao says.
"Anybody can do science.”
1. What do we know about Rao?| A．She has created apps to deal with mental problems. |
| B．She has set a good example for the younger generation. |
| C．She has been named Time magazine's "Youth of the Year”. |
| D．She thinks that only the younger generation can better the world. |
| A．Time waits for no man. |
| B．Ups and downs make one strong. |
| C．Passion and devotion help to promote excellence. |
| D．Good habits formed at youth make all the difference. |
| A．A newspaper | B．A diary. |
| C．A travel brochure. | D．A history book. |
