1 . Family-Friendly Events in January
ZooLights: Glow Wild Jan. 1-19
The Phoenix Zoo’s yearly holiday light show is on until Jan. 19, allowing families one or more opportunities to enjoy the city’s zoo, with millions of lights giving an added dimension to the festivities.
Glow Wild, 455 N. Galvin Pkwy. , Phoenix, phoenixzoo.org, $11. 95 members, $13. 95 general admission.
Downtown Mesa Festival of the Arts Jan. 4-18
The Downtown Mesa Festival of the Arts features the work of established and emerging artists, including those who create woodwork, metal crafts, food items, art, photography and gifts.
On Macdonald, off of Main Street in Downtown Mesa, dtmesafest.com, free admission.
Family Fun Winterfest Jan. 4
OdySea Aquarium in the Desert is hosting the third annual Family Fun Winterfest in its Desert Courtyard, featuring real snow for the kids to play in. This free event features everything from bounce houses to rides, games, snowflake crafts and face painting to go with various stands set up by local sellers, with food and other offerings for sale at the event.
9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale, odyseainthedesert.com, free.Youth Fine Arts Course Jan. 18-Mar. 7
Mesa Arts Center is hosting an eight-week youth arts course on Saturdays to teach artistic skills and knowledge through fun and challenging art classes in a wide variety of art materials, including painting, drawing, mixed media and sculpture, ensuring mentally stimulating sessions for all.
Mesa Art Center, 1 E. Main St, Mesa, mesaartscenter.com, $93.Which event lasts the longest?
| A．ZooLights: Glow Wild. |
| B．Downtown Mesa Festival of the Arts. |
| C．Youth Fine Arts Courses. |
| D．Family Fun Winterfest. |
2 . I was 16 years old the day I skipped school for the first time. It was easily done: Both my parents left for work before my school bus arrived, so when it showed up at my house on that cold winter morning, I simply did not get on. The perfect crime!
And what did I do with myself on that glorious stolen day, with no adult in charge and no limits on my activities? Did I get high? Hit the mall for shopping?
Nope. I built a warm fire in the wood stove, prepared a bowl of popcorn, grabbed a blanket, and read. I was thrilled and transported by a book — it was Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises—and I just needed to be alone with it for a little while. I ached to know what would happen to Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley and Robert Cohn. I couldn’t bear the thought of sitting in a classroom taking another biology exam when I could be traveling through Spain in the 1920s with a bunch of expatriates (异乡客).
I spent that day lost in words. Time fell away, as the room around me turned to mist, and my role — as a daughter, sister, teenager, and student — in the world no longer had any meaning. I had accidentally come across the key to perfect happiness: I had become completely absorbed in something I loved.
Looking back on it now, I can see that some subtle things were happening to my mind and to my life while I was in that state of absorption. Hemingway’s language was quietly braiding itself into my imagination. I was downloading information about how to create simple and elegant sentences, a good and solid plot. In other words, I was learning how to write. Without realizing it, I was on the trail of my own fate. Writing now absorbs me the way reading once did and happiness is their generous side effect.
What did the author think is the source of true joy?| A．Reading by the fire. |
| B．Travelling in Spain. |
| C．Freeing herself from the roles. |
| D．Being lost in one’s passion. |
3 . Growing Green Thumbs Callie’s Kids by Calloway Nursery
Denton, 940/591-8865; Flower Mound, 972/691-2650; Lewisville, 972/315-3133. www.mytexasgarden.com
LEARN: Kids aged 5-12 can explore and plant in the Calloway gardens with a caregiver’s supervision at 9:30 am on the first or third Wednesdays from June to August. A garden expert will share tips and advice for the best gardening practices during the 45-minute session (beginning on June 2). Preregistration online is required.
COST: Free
Denton Children’s Community Garden
2200 Bowling Green Ave, Denton, 940/349-2883. www.dcmga.com
LEARN: Join the weekend work at the community garden, where caregivers, parents and master gardeners help children of all ages plant new vegetables, water the plants, harvest from the gardens and more. The instructors also lead games about nutrition, good and bad insects and more. 10 am-5 pm on Saturdays.
COST: Free
Coppell Community Gardens
255 Parkway Blvd, Coppell. www.copp11communitygarden.org
LEARN: Kids of all ages (with a parent/caregiver) can volunteer at either the Helping Hands Garden (255 Parkway Blvd) or Ground Delivery Garden (450 S. Denton Tap Road). Children will have the opportunity to till the ground, plant vegetables, harvest from the garden and more. Master gardeners are available on site; all harvested foods are either sold at the community’s farmers’ market or donated to the area food bank. Work begins every Saturday at about 9 am.
COST: Free
This piece of writing is most probably issued by_______.| A．a food industry in bad need of funding |
| B．a website promoting gardening facilities |
| C．an institution offering learning programs |
| D．an association publicizing botanical gardens |
4 . Growing Green Thumbs Callie’s Kids by Calloway Nursery
Denton, 940/591-8865; Flower Mound, 972/691-2650; Lewisville, 972/315-3133. www.mytexasgarden.com
LEARN: Kids aged 5-12 can explore and plant in the Calloway gardens with a caregiver’s supervision at 9:30 am on the first or third Wednesdays from June to August. A garden expert will share tips and advice for the best gardening practices during the 45-minute session (beginning on June 2). Preregistration online is required.
COST: Free
Denton Children’s Community Garden
2200 Bowling Green Ave, Denton, 940/349-2883. www.dcmga.com
LEARN: Join the weekend work at the community garden, where caregivers, parents and master gardeners help children of all ages plant new vegetables, water the plants, harvest from the gardens and more. The instructors also lead games about nutrition, good and bad insects and more. 10 am-5 pm on Saturdays.
COST: Free
Coppell Community Gardens
255 Parkway Blvd, Coppell. www.copp11communitygarden.org
LEARN: Kids of all ages (with a parent/caregiver) can volunteer at either the Helping Hands Garden (255 Parkway Blvd) or Ground Delivery Garden (450 S. Denton Tap Road). Children will have the opportunity to till the ground, plant vegetables, harvest from the garden and more. Master gardeners are available on site; all harvested foods are either sold at the community’s farmers’ market or donated to the area food bank. Work begins every Saturday at about 9 am.
COST: Free
To plant in the Calloway gardens, what do kids need to do?| A．To register online before hand. |
| B．To be present every Wednesday. |
| C．To be under supervision throughout the year. |
| D．To visit www.dcmga.com for more information. |
5 . Four Wonderful Hotels in India
Vythiri Resort, Lakkidi, Kerala
Vythiri Resort has five tree houses, including the one that’s child-friendly and buried in the jungle. This 150-acre property is built around a stream, and the tree houses have been hand-made by local people using local materials. The resort has an Ayurvedic spa, a game room, a health club, and a big free parking lot.
The regular tree house for one night is CNY 1,300 for two adults and a free stay for your child. Breakfast is included in the fee.
Rainforest Resort, Kerala
If the thought of a bird’s eye view of Athirapally Falls, Kerala’s largest waterfall, appeals to you, then book yourself into the tree house at the Rainforest Resort, which hides in the Sholayar rainforest. The resort is set among seven acres of jungle. It’s not cheap, though. You can use free parking and free Internet.
A standard double room for one night is CNY1,920 with meals included for two adults and a child.
The Tree House Resort, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Situated around an hour’s drive from the city center, The Tree House Resort is the largest resort in the world of its kind. It’s located at Nature Farms in the Syari Valley. The tree houses are divided into many “nests”. Some even have tree trunks running through them. All are air-conditioned and have wireless Internet and satellite TV. Activities include jeep tours and nature walks.
A garden room for one night is CNY 820 for two adults and one child. However, breakfast is not included.
Tranquil Resort, Kolagappara, Kerala
Also located in Kerala’s Wayanad district, the Tranquil Resort is, in fact, a coffee plantation homestay. There are 13 walking trails (小路) there and more than 100 species of birds. The resort has a tree house and a 1,000-square-foot tree villa. The villa is apparently a bit expensive. The two are popular, so do book early online or by phone. Fresh coffee is served.
The prices of a tree house and a tree villa are respectively CNY 1,430 and CNY 2,100 per night. And for more than 2 guests, an additional fee of CNY 200 is required.
How much will a family of three pay for the villa at the Tranquil Resort for a night?| A．CNY 1,430. | B．CNY 1,630. |
| C．CNY 2,100. | D．CNY 2,300. |
6 . PCs are no longer the only things that can be hacked（非法侵入）. Anything with an electronic pulse, including cars, TVs and refrigerators, is now a target for hackers. Here are several strangest hacks that show where the future is headed:
Remote-controlling a car – Well-known security researcher Charlie Miller is able to control a car by accessing the automotive computer. In 2011, a security company figured out how to unlock a car and start it just by texting and back in 2010, someone hacked into100 cars in Texas, causing them to honk（鸣响）uncontrollably before he remotely disabled them.
Cyber Murder – In Season 2 of Show Time’s homeland series, hackers kill the US Vice President by hacking his pacemaker（心脏起搏器）. Typical Hollywood B. S., right? No. It could actually happen. Well-known security researcher Barnaby Jack, who sadly passed away in July at the age of 35, had been prepared to demonstrate at Back Hat how to hack a pacemaker over Wi-Fi. The attack could kill a person by giving the pacemaker a high-voltage shock.
Spy Phone – By now, more people are becoming aware of the potential for a phone to be hacked. But what many fail to realize is the awesome potential of a smart phone to affect you, it has been hacked.
When Your TV Watches You – This type of hack makes it possible to monitor people in their homes via the internet. Smart TVs aren’t that common yet, but in the next few years they could become an important part of the living room, so watch out.
According to Cyber Murder, we know that Barnaby Jack ________.| A．was killed by the attack over Wi-Fi |
| B．was a well-known actor and researcher |
| C．researched how to hack a pacemaker over Wi-Fi |
| D．died at Black Hat when hacking a pacemaker |
7 . PCs are no longer the only things that can be hacked（非法侵入）. Anything with an electronic pulse, including cars, TVs and refrigerators, is now a target for hackers. Here are several strangest hacks that show where the future is headed:
Remote-controlling a car – Well-known security researcher Charlie Miller is able to control a car by accessing the automotive computer. In 2011, a security company figured out how to unlock a car and start it just by texting and back in 2010, someone hacked into100 cars in Texas, causing them to honk（鸣响）uncontrollably before he remotely disabled them.
Cyber Murder – In Season 2 of Show Time’s homeland series, hackers kill the US Vice President by hacking his pacemaker（心脏起搏器）. Typical Hollywood B. S., right? No. It could actually happen. Well-known security researcher Barnaby Jack, who sadly passed away in July at the age of 35, had been prepared to demonstrate at Back Hat how to hack a pacemaker over Wi-Fi. The attack could kill a person by giving the pacemaker a high-voltage shock.
Spy Phone – By now, more people are becoming aware of the potential for a phone to be hacked. But what many fail to realize is the awesome potential of a smart phone to affect you, it has been hacked.
When Your TV Watches You – This type of hack makes it possible to monitor people in their homes via the internet. Smart TVs aren’t that common yet, but in the next few years they could become an important part of the living room, so watch out.
From the text we know the following things have been hacked except ________.| A．smart TVs |
| B．smart phones |
| C．the Internet |
| D．cars |
8 . Examining the classroom practices of National Teacher of the Year winners and finalists, the study, by Michigan State University scholars, suggests successful educators aren’t afraid to push the boundaries by adding real world, cross-disciplinary（跨学科的）themes into their lessons.
The study, published online in the journal Teachers College Record, is one of the first in depth investigations of how teachers use creativity in the classroom.
“The best teachers are taking their own creative interests – from rap music to cooking to kickboxing – and are finding ways to include these into the curriculum,” said Danah Henriksen, lead author of the study. “They’re bringing together different subject matters and finding areas of connections so students can learn both in interesting ways.”
America’s test-driven educational policy, Henriksen argues, has impeded creativity in teaching and learning. Many teachers today struggle to balance high-stakes（高风险）testing and responsibility to act flexibly and independently in their classrooms.
“I think that there’s a lot of fear.” one of the award-winning teachers says in the study, “And when teachers are teaching in fear, they take few risks, for they have to consider exams and academic performance.”
The findings have major implications（含意）for teaching and learning. Teachers’ unique creative interests should be brought into classroom lessons, along with arts and music across varied academic content. Teacher education programs and professiona1 development courses should include a focus on real world. Administrators and policymakers should support opportunities for teachers to take creative and intellectua1 risks in their work.
“If we want teachers to be creative, we need to provide them with opportunities to bring those outside interests into their professional life,” said Mishra, study co-author and MSU professor of educational psychology and educational technology. “The point is to find what works for you, what is your passion and interest and how can you put that into what your students are learning. Finally, we teach who we are. That’s the most powerful finding.”
Many teachers are teaching in fear because ________.| A．they don’t want to take risks in classroom |
| B．the students are always troublesome |
| C．administrators and policymakers don’t support them |
| D．they’re worried about students’ academic records |
9 . As we all know, insects can be remarkably agile (灵活的) in flight. This is really hard to build into flying robots, but MIT Assistant Professor Kevin Yufeng Chen has developed an insect-sized drone (无人机) that approaches insects’ agility.
Typically, drones require wide open spaces. “If we look at most drones today, they’re usually quite big,” says Chen. “Most of their applications involve flying outdoors. The question is: Can you create an insect-sized drone that can move around in very crowded and complex spaces?”
According to Chen, he overcame many problems when building the drone. The insect-sized drone requires a fundamentally different construction from a larger one. The large drone is usually powered by a motor, but the motor loses efficiency as you shrink it. So, Chen says, “For an insect-sized drone, you need to look for alternatives.” The principal alternative until now has been employing a small, rigid actuator (执行器) built from new materials. Chen designed a more agile tiny drone using soft actuators instead of hard ones.
......
1. What can we know about the actuator designed by Chen?| A．It weighs about six grams. |
| B．It drives the insect-sized drone. |
| C．It loses efficiency too much. |
| D．It employs conventional materials. |
10 . Eighteen-year-old David Aguilar from Andorra was born without a right forearm due to a rare genetic condition but that has never stopped him from doing anything he wanted to do including typing on a computer with his partial arm.
Like most kids, David was a LEGO fan and he loved building cars, boats, planes, and motorbikes. But David also knew that he looked different and wanted to do something about it. “As a child I was very nervous to be in front of other guys, because I was different, but that didn’t stop me believing in my dreams,” David said. “I wanted to... see myself in the mirror like I see other guys, with two hands.”
......
David plans to create affordable prosthetics for people who need them, saying, “I would try to give them a prosthetic, even if it’s for free, to make them feel like a normal person.”
1. How did David feel when standing in front of other kids?| A．Anxious. | B．Natural. | C．Confident. | D．Frightened. |
| A．To be an expert in building LEGO. | B．To become rich by selling prosthetic arms. |
| C．To offer disabled people cheaper prosthetics. | D．To start a company hiring more disabled people. |
