1 . Windmill Lake Wake & Eco Park
Location: Bayfield, Ontario
Open season: May 20th — October 31st
Starting prices: $ 20 CAD
Website: www. windmill-lake, ca
Windmill Lake Wake & Eco Park is an environmentally conscious (有意识的) amusement park. The experts will teach you how to wakeboard and paddleboard, and you can also rent kayaks (橡皮船), canoes, and boats. The folks say by playing in the water you help refresh it for all the creatures that call it home.
Tofino Sea Kayaking
Location: Tofino, British Columbia
Open season: Year round
Starting prices: $119 CAD
Website: www. tofinoseakayaking. com
During a five-hour kayaking tour, the folks will take you through the rainforests, the incoming tides and old forests. And, if you come during the right time of year, you could catch the migration (迁徙)season of the local birds.
Lardeau River Adventures
Location: Meadow Creek, Kaslo, British Columbia
Open season: May 1st — September 30th
Starting prices: $ 169 CAD
Website: www. lardeauriveradventures. com
Lardeau River Adventures offers a wilderness whitewater rafting experience and eco-tour. You'll ride the waters through a beautiful mountain valley providing class 2+ rapids and overlooking amazing scenery and wildlife. The trained experts will teach you about the area, take you on a picnic and show the great biological diversity (多样性) in these mountains.
D-Tour
Location: Mont-Tremblant, Quebec
Open season: May 13th — October 22nd
Starting prices: $ 87 CAD
Website: www. dtourtremblant. com
The e-Bike Discovery tour allows even beginners to enjoy the vast, beautiful area of Mont- Tremblant in only a couple of hours with ease and pleasure. Thanks to this innovative (革新的) bike, you'll see more of this wonderful scenery in less time. Plus, it's a unique experience you'll talk about proudly for years to come.
1. What is Tofino Sea Kayaking mainly about?| A．Historical sites. | B．British wildlife. |
| C．Cultural remains. | D．Adventure activities. |
| A．D-Tour. | B．Tofino Sea Kayaking. |
| C．Lardeau River Adventures. | D．Windmill Lake Wake & Eco Park. |
| A．Year round. | B．May 13th — October 22nd. |
| C．May 1st — September 30th. | D．May 20th — October 31st. |
2 . When it comes to sitting properly, we all know the correct way even if we don' t do it to the letter. No crossed legs, bottoms touching the back of the chair and feet on the ground. But even if you' re doing it right, sitting for long periods is shockingly bad for you. It has been described as the new smoking, linked to heart disease and even cancer. There is no doubt we should all try to do less of it. But perhaps we could also do it better.
A classic survey, published in 1953, described 100 different sitting postures adopted by 480 cultures around the world. Among the most common were sitting cross-legged, kneeling and the deep squat (深蹲), with feet flat on the ground and bottoms resting on or just above it. Even in Western cultures, these are preferred sitting positions among young children. But Westerners tend to prefer chair use from an early age, insisting children sit on seats in school.
One big problem with this desire for chairs is that they make sitting so, well, sedentary (久坐不动的). Consider the Hadza, a group of hunter-gatherer people in Tanzania. They spend around 9 hours a day sitting. However, they squat and sit on the ground in various positions, and this involves high levels of muscle activity. The supportive nature of chairs, with their high backs and armrests, removes this effort perhaps the reason that people love them.
So what' s the best way to sit? Josette Bettany-SaItikov at Teesside University, UK has found that kneeling can help keep the spine in a better position as does squatting. We might also take inspiration from traditional cultures like the Hadza. "Use a variety of postures and preferably not just still postures but some which allow movement," says Bettany-Saltikov.
Bettany-Saltikov believes that we should be rethinking what it means to do a desk job. "We still need to design workplaces that enable people to be productive while being lightly active, like with under-table cycling or walking desks," she says. For now, if your job is sedentary, don' t forget to stand up regularly and move around.
1. What does the author think of sitting properly for long?| A．It still does some harm. | B．It improves body shape. |
| C．It can prevent heart disease. | D．It may cause smoking-related illnesses. |
| A．Children should sit in their preferred manner. |
| B．Children should take their seats while sitting. |
| C．Children should practice sitting cross-legged. |
| D．Children should learn different sitting postures. |
| A．They sit for short periods of time. | B．They sit for the purpose of exercise. |
| C．They use some muscles while sitting. | D．They remain generally still while sitting. |
| A．Combine exercise and their work. | B．Improve their productivity at work. |
| C．Kneel or go cycling as often as possible. | D．Start exercising as soon as they leave work. |
3 . It’s time for bed, the lights are out, and yet you’re wide awake. You do eventually manage to fall asleep, but even then, it’s a very shallow, restless sort of sleep.
Now more research suggests you needn’t look further than outside your window and at the moon for the cause of this sleeplessness. However, in a surprising twist, the findings weren’t entirely what the researchers expected. While we know that humans are a species ruled by light, the “lunar phase effect” (月相效应) affects sleep even when artificial sources of light are accounted for.
Rather than people staying up later and sleeping less during the full moon, it was just before the full moon that sleep was shorter and lighter. “It turns out that the nights before the full moon are the ones that have most of the moonlight during the first half of the night,” said Horacio Iglesia, a professor of biology at the University of Washington in The Guardian. The opposite was true just before the new moon — people tended to sleep more and go to bed earlier.
Ninety-eight participants across three Indigenous communities in Argentina wore wrist monitors tracking sleep patterns over the course of one to two months. While one community had no access to electricity, the second community had limited access, and the third community was located in an urban setting with full access to electricity.
The study also found that this lunar phase effect on sleep also appeared to have greater impact on people who had more limited access to electricity. In every community, participants’ peak (高峰) sleepless period occurred in the three to five days leading up to the full moon night, while the opposite was true for the new moon, the study authors found.
Wanting further insight, the researchers compared their data to the results of a similar study of 464 Seattle-based students at the University of Washington. The findings proved consistent.
This research supports the view that try as we may, we can’t ever fully get away from some forces of nature.
1. What makes it hard for people to fall asleep?| A．Visual distance. | B．Faded light. |
| C．Artificial light. | D．Bright moonlight. |
| A．Before the full moon. | B．During the full moon. |
| C．Before the new moon. | D．During the new moon. |
| A．The third community slept least during the new moon. |
| B．Lunar phase effect affected the first community more. |
| C．Peak sleepless period often happened at the same night |
| D．The result of the research differed from previous ones. |
| A．Shallow Sleep Does Harm to Health | B．The Moon Affects Our Sleep Cycles |
| C．People Live in Harmony with Nature | D．Sleep Patterns Differ from Each Other |
4 . Day Trip: Van Gogh Alive at The Dali Museum
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to step inside an artistic masterpiece, Van Gogh Alive at The Dali in St. Pete is a must-do experience. The Dali is the first museum in North America to host this hilly immersive (浸入式) art experience.
Read on for all the details, on display through June 21, 2021.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Book your timed ticket and your timed entry at thedali.org in advance. This includes Dali members, out of concern for social distance. Face mask wearing is required.
NEW HOURS AT THE DALI
Open 10:00 a. m. — 6:00 p. m. daily and until 8:00 p. m. on Thursdays and Fridays. Admission is half off on Thursday nights.
DOWNLOAD THE APP
The Dali has a fantastic app worth downloading, which takes you on a deeper dive about the art you’ll experience and more about the artist himself. You’ll also get the augmented reality (AR) experience with Dali’s works, too.
THE EXHIBIT
The exhibit has three areas — there’s a smaller open room, a larger open gallery, and lying in between is a bedroom sized room. You are surrounded by enormous screens on the wall and even a few on the floor. High-definition projections (高清投影) of his paintings like ‘Sunflowers’ and ‘starry Night’. sketches, and even quotes pulled from the numerous letters he wrote during his lifetime fill the giant screens on the walls and floor, making you feel as if you’ve stepped inside Van Gogh’s masterpieces. In a way, you have.
It’s not just the images, but the sound that makes this a multi - sensory experience. The classical music soundtrack of Van Gogh Alive helps bring the works to life by tugging at your heartstrings, connecting you to the misterpieces in a way you’ve probably never felt before.
1. Who is the text intended for?| A．Van Gogh Art lovers. | B．Fans of Dali Art. |
| C．Museum working staff. | D．Photography enthusiasts. |
| A．Download the Dali app. | B．Booked timed tickets online. |
| C．Wear face masks and gloves. | D．Learn about the artist in advance. |
| A．To advertise more coming exhibits. |
| B．To introduce a unique experience. |
| C．To tell about the life of an artistic genius. |
| D．To present details of some masterpiece. |
5 . Emerson, my 11-year-old daughter, is constantly contacting with the United States Postal Service (USPS)and our mail carrier, Doug. She las a serious letter-writing habit and maintains correspondence with her favorite people. If you've been the receiver of her hand-decorated letters and envelopes, then I know they really make your day.
A letter from Emerson is likely to include some art, a joke and enough questions to guarantee a response. But when she wrote a letter to Doug, she put something new in it: "You may know me as the person living here that writes lots of letters...You're very important to me, helping me stay in touch with friends. I cheer people up with my letters, but you do too!"
The next day, a package arrived with two letters. One was from Doug and the other from his superior, Sara, saying she had shared Emerson's note in the internal newsletter of the USPS and believed many postal folks wanted to thank Emerson. Emerson was so pleased with the letter that it upset me much, for the possible result of no reply would come as a blow to her.
Surprisingly, today, we saw Doug come with two boxes of letters from around the country. These letters were so human, filled with family, pets and a sense of kindness. But there was something more in them. People felt seen—some for the first time in a long time. "I work alone in a small rural post office..." "Not many people think about how hard we work…" Emerson wrote back seriously.
I'm sharing this not because I'm a proud dad, but because it's relatively easy, if we take the time, to give others links they need to be well. We all want to be seen, known and loved. Send a letter. Give a call. Take a step of bravery, like Emerson.
1. What do we know about Emerson's letters?| A．They make receivers joyful. |
| B．They are all about family and pets. |
| C．They contain many practical jokes. |
| D．They are written to postal folks. |
| A．Emerson was too delighted with the package. |
| B．there might be no answer to Emerson's note. |
| C．postal folks would like to express their gratitude. |
| D．Sara had shared Emerson's note without permission. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Serious. | C．Ambitious. | D．Caring. |
| A．Courage lightens the blow. |
| B．Brief is life but love is long. |
| C．Connection makes a difference. |
| D．Life without a friend is death. |
6 . Every day, it seems that some new algorithm (算法) enables computers to diagnose a disease with unprecedented accuracy, renewing predictions that computer's will soon replace doctors. What if computers could replace patients as well? If virtual humans could have replaced real people in some stages of a coronavirus vaccine trial, it could have sped development of a preventive tool and slowed down the pandemic. Similarly, potential vaccines that weren't likely to work could have been identified early, reducing trial costs and avoiding testing poor vaccine candidates on living volunteers. These are some of the benefits of “in silico medicine”, or the testing of drugs and treatments on virtual organs or body systems to predict how a real person will respond to the therapies.
The modeling begins by feeding anatomical data drawn from noninvasive (非侵入式) high- resolution imaging of an individual's actual organ into a complex mathematical model of the mechanisms that govern that organ's function. Algorithms running on powerful computers resolve the resulting equations and unknowns, generating a virtual organ that looks and behaves like the real thing.
In silico clinical trials are already underway to an extent. Heart Flow Analysis, for instance, enables clinicians to identify CAD (冠心病) based on CT images of a patient's heart. The Heart Flow system uses these images to construct a fluid dynamic model of the blood running through the coronary blood vessels, thereby identifying abnormal conditions and their severity. Without this technology, doctors would need to perform an invasive operation to decide whether and how to intervene. Experimenting on digital models of individual patients can also help personalize therapy for any number of conditions and is already used in diabetes care.
The philosophy behind in silico medicine is not new. The ability to create and simulate the performance of an object under hundreds of operating conditions has been a cornerstone of engineering for decades, such as for designing electronic circuits, airplanes and buildings. Various obstacles remain to its widespread implementation in medical research and development.
The predictive power and reliability of this technology must be confirmed, and that will require several advances. Those include the generation of high quality medical databases from a large, ethnically diverse patient base that has both women and men; improvement of mathematical models to account for the many interacting processes in the body; and further modification of Al methods that were developed mainly for computer-based speech and image recognition and need to be extended to provide biological insights.
In recent years American and European regulators have approved some commercial uses of computer-based diagnostics, but meeting regulatory demands requires considerable time and money. Creating demand for these computer-based diagnostic tools is challenging as well. In silico medicine must be able to deliver cost-effective value for patients, clinicians and health care organizations to accelerate their adoption of the technology.
1. According to the text, “in silico medicine” might help ________.| A．discover the cause of an illness |
| B．quicken the creation of new medicine |
| C．recognize the symptoms of a disease earlier |
| D．avoid including unhealthy volunteers in trials |
| A．works effectively in CAD treatment |
| B．offers personalized therapies to patients |
| C．reduces the chances of invasive operations |
| D．builds models after identifying abnormal conditions |
| A．money and time from the regulators |
| B．replacement of old mathematical models |
| C．more proof of its effectiveness and dependability |
| D．progress in speech and image recognition technology |
| A．Looking to Al to End Experimental Study |
| B．In Silico Medicine Saved Millions of Lives |
| C．Exploring the Future of Algorithm in Medicine |
| D．Virtual Patients Could Revolutionize Medicine |
7 . For today’s increasingly interconnected food supply chains, “efficient” is what it’s supposed to be: Each country specializes in what it’s best, at and puts it on the global market. Producers and processors within countries specialize, too, as a way to minimize costs. As a result, at least in theory, prices stay low, the world gets fed and everyone wins.
However, the coronavirus crisis demonstrates what is wrong with this approach. When barriers prevent food from reaching its markets, or demand suddenly drops — both of which are happening now — the system falls apart.
Specialization of the food system makes it hard to shift into different markets when disruptions arise. Belgium, a leading exporter of potatoes, lost sales not only to local restaurants but also to other countries because of lockdowns（封锁）. At least the Belgians can try to eat the potatoes at home. That strategy won't work for every crop: Ghana, the world’s top cocoa exporter, lost markets when people stalled focusing on buying essential items instead of chocolate.
The loss in export income in Africa more generally could have a huge impact if the pandemic continues, as many countries there rely heavily on imported wheat and rice. The prices of these grains have soared not only because of rising demand for these grains during the crisis, but also because a few countries — including Russia and Vietnam — imposed export restrictions out of fear that sending food abroad would lead to higher prices at home.
Concentrated markets dominated by just a handful of companies heighten food system fragility. For example, just three meatpacking plants process over 95 percent of Canada’s beef and nearly all of its beef exports. Now, those meat processing plants have had to temporarily shut down because of outbreaks of COVID-19 among workers.
Seeing the spoiled products across the world should force all of us to rethink our “efficient” food supplies. We need to rejuvenate（使恢复活力）local and regional food systems to reduce the vulnerabilities that come with being too reliant on imported and corporate-dominated foods. This doesn’t mean cutting off all trade or abolishing all packaged foods, but it does mean building diversity, and increasing opportunities for small and medium-scale enterprises to flourish in shorter, more sustainable food supply chains that are closer to home.
One place to start is for governments to shift their support from the large-scale, specialized and export-oriented food system to building infrastructure for more diverse local food systems. Around the world, small-scale and organic producers have been overwhelmed with the surge in interest from customers who want to buy directly from farmers during the crisis. But these producers often lack the infrastructure to meet that demand. As governments around the world pass stimulus packages to address the crisis, building more diverse and localized food systems should be an obvious inclusion.
1. In theory, specialization of the food system ________.| A．adapts to changes efficiently | B．balances supply and demand |
| C．focuses on essential items | D．reduces costs of production |
| A．weakness | B．diversity |
| C．unfairness | D．complexity |
| A．A few countries restrict exports to stabilize local food prices. |
| B．Grain prices rise due to Africa’s dependence on importation. |
| C．Ghana might be less affected by lockdowns than Belgium was. |
| D．Packaged-food consumption should be encouraged to address the crisis. |
| A．expose food security issues during the crisis |
| B．advocate establishing diverse local food systems |
| C．discuss the development of a sustainable economy |
| D．prove the importance of sound government policies |
8 . Think of Japan in the spring, and the image that comes to mind is likely the country’s famous cherry blossoms, which experience a “peak bloom (开花)” that only lasts a few days and have been honored in Japan for more than a thousand years. But this year, the cherry blossom season has come and gone in the blink of an eye, in one of the earliest blossoms on record -- and scientists warn it’s a symptom of the larger climate crisis threatening ecosystems everywhere.
Yasuyuki Aono, a researcher at Osaka Prefecture University, has gathered records from Kyoto back to 812 AD from historical documents and diaries. In the central city of Kyoto, cherry blossoms peaked on March 26, the earliest in more than 1,200 years, Aono said. And in the capital Tokyo, cherry blossoms reached full bloom on March 22, the second-earliest date on record.
The peak bloom dates shift every year, depending on numerous factors including weather and rainfall, but have shown a general trend of moving earlier and earlier. “Cherry blooms are very temperature sensitive,” said Aono. “Flowering and full bloom could be earlier or later depending on the temperature alone,” he said. This year’s seasons in particular influenced the blossom dates, he added. The winter was very cold, but the spring came fast and unusually warm, so “the buds are completely awake after enough rest.”
Their early bloom, however, is just the tip of the iceberg of a worldwide phenomenon that could make natural systems and countries’ economies unstable, said Amos Tai, assistant professor of earth science at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. There are two sources of increased heat, which is the main factor making the flowers bloom earlier: urbanization（城市化）and climate change. With increased urbanization, cities tend to get warmer than the surrounding rural area, in what is called the heat island effect. But a bigger reason is climate change, which has caused rising temperatures across the region and the world.
These earlier dates aren’t just a matter of tourists scrambling to catch peak bloom before the petals all fall-- it could have a lasting impact on entire ecosystems, and threaten the survival of many species.
1. What is the purpose of mentioning the dates and figures in paragraph 2?| A．To present “peak bloom” in Tokyo came earlier than in Kyoto. |
| B．To suggest when cherry blossoms will bloom next year. |
| C．To report the dates of “peak bloom” in different Japanese cities. |
| D．To show cherry blossoms came out earlier this year than in the past. |
| A．The blossom season this year is a sign of a larger global crisis. |
| B．The weather will be too cold for the blossoms to last long enough. |
| C．The earlier peak bloom will threaten the survival of many species. |
| D．The earlier bloom could affect natural systems and countries’ economy. |
| A．Deciding. | B．Managing. | C．Rushing. | D．Marching. |
| A．The Japanese Climate Crisis |
| B．Sooner’s Not Always Better Than Later |
| C．Cherry blossoms and Their Impact |
| D．The Early Blooming of Cherry Blossoms |
9 . The Best Art Competitions to Enter in 2021
Check out our guide to some of the best art contests to enter this year.
Acrylic Works 9
Prize: $2,000 first prize, $1,000 second prize Entry Fee: $45
Requirements: Open to artists in the United States and Canada Closing Date: October 18, 2021
For the Acrylic Works 9 competition, the organizers are looking for the best in acrylic (丙烯酸) painting of a variety of styles and subjects. The entries will be judged in two rounds according to artistic technique, design and creative elements, as well as overall impression and impact. Winners’ works will be shown in Artists magazine.
Splash 23
Prize: $2,000 first prize, $1,000 second prize Entry Fee: $45
Requirements: Open to artists in the United States and Canada Closing Date: June 14, 2021
For the Splash 23 contest, the organizers are looking for original watercolor paintings. Each entry must be painted with watercolor. However, some minor use of other mediums may be acceptable. Top paintings of winners will appear in a special edition of Watercolor Artist magazine.
The Lumen Prize for Digital Art
Prize: $4,000 first prize Entry Fee: $48 for two works
Requirements: Open to artists worldwide Closing Date: June 8, 2021
This digital art competition is organized by Lumen Art Projects Ltd, a non-profit organization that’s aimed at providing new opportunities for digital artists around the world. Categories include Still, Moving Image, 3D/ Interactive and Artificial Intelligence.
California
Award Prize: $3,000 first prize Entry Fee: Free
Requirements: Open to artists in California Closing Date: July 31, 2021
Hosted by the Brea Gallery, the competition intends to provide a great opportunity for all artists based in the state of California. All artworks will be considered. And there is also a solo (单独的) show opportunity for artists who submit a body of work containing 5-10 pieces.
1. What does Acrylic Works 9 and Splash 23 have in common?| A．They are open to all artists. |
| B．They focus on different styles. |
| C．The winners’ paintings will appear in a magazine. |
| D．The deadlines of the competitions are both in October. |
| A．Splash 23. | B．Acrylic Works 9. |
| C．California Award. | D．The Lumen Prize for Digital Art. |
| A．To offer opportunities for artists in the US. |
| B．To inspire creative ideas in paintings. |
| C．To provide a solo show for all artists. |
| D．To encourage local artists to take part. |
10 . Here is' a collection of the best travel apps.
Best for planning
PackPoint
The app customizes (定制) packing lists based on weather forecasts and a questionnaire about your trip — where you're going, when you're going, what you're doing, etc.
You can get all these features with the free app; but with a $ 2. 99 in-app purchase.
Best for your body
Timeshifter
The app offers advice about when you should expose yourself to bright lights, when you should avoid caffeine, and when you should nap. The best part? It takes into account your habits, routines, and sleep patterns as it devises a personalized jet lag plan for you. The downside? You only get one free plan. After that, it's $ 9. 99 per plan or $ 24. 99 for a year of unlimited plans.
Best for managing your money
GlobeTips
Different countries have different tipping customs. GlobeTips can help with navigating different tipping norms across countries.
Once you select a country, you have the choice to either manually enter the bill amount or let the app's bill recognition technology do it for you. Use the sliding scale to adjust tip percentages based on the app's suggestion, and it will calculate and display both the tip and your total. You can look at tipping basics for each country on the free version, but you'll have to upgrade the app for $ 4. 99 if you want to read the tip guide in full. This app is for iOS users only, however.
Best for local experiences
Meetup
Great minds think alike, and they get together with the help of Meetup. The platform is all about connecting people with similar interests. It has more than 44 million users and more than 333,000 meet up groups, so you’re bound to find something. Once you find a group that interests you, you can request to become a member and attend its events. The app is free unless you’re trying to organize groups and events yourself-in which case you'll have to pay for a subscription (订购) starting at $ 9. 99.
1. Which travel app is the best for planning your trip?| A．PackPoint. | B．Timeshifter. | C．GlobeTips. | D．Meetup. |
| A．Managing your money. |
| B．Creating custom activities. |
| C．Taking into account your sleep patterns. |
| D．Connecting people with similar interests. |
| A．$ 2. 99. | B．$ 4. 99. | C．$ 9. 99. | D．$ 24. 99. |
