1 . Narasimha Das is on his way to feed 169,379 hungry children. Das is in charge of a kitchen in Vrindaban. The town is about a three-hour drive from India’s capital, New Delhi. Das gets to work at 3:00 a.m. Thirty workers are already working to make tens of thousands of rounds of bread. It will be brought to 1,516 schools in and around Vrindaban.
A Growing Problem
Going to school is difficult for more than 13 million children in India. They must go to work instead, or go hungry. That’s why India began the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, the largest school-lunch program in the world. A free lunch encourages children to come to school and gives them the energy they need for learning. The program began in the 1960s.
The kitchen in Vrindaban is run by the Akshaya Patra Foundation. It is one of the lunch program’s biggest partners. “Just $11.50 can feed one child for an entire year,” said Madhu Sridhar, president of the Akshaya Patra Foundation.
Lunch Is Served!
The Akshaya Patra food truck arrives at Gopalgarh Primary School. Since the program started, the number of underweight children has gone down. The children get foods they need — as long as they finish what’s on their plates.
1. What does Narasimha Das do？| A．A waiter. | B．A salesman. | C．A cook. | D．A shopkeeper. |
| A．the poor | B．school children | C．college students | D．the old |
| A．Because they have to work to make money. |
| B．Because there are not enough schools. |
| C．Because there are not enough teachers. |
| D．Because their parents refuse to send them to school. |
| A．It is to encourage children to go to school. |
| B．It has been carried out for about 50 years. |
| C．It is run by Narasimha Das. |
| D．It is the largest school-lunch program in the world. |
2 . Tabloids (小报) are newspapers that usually report news about people. However, the stories often leave readers wondering, “Could this really be true?” Read the following stories from the hottest tabloids in town.
Brasilia, Brazil. After Gilberto Carvalho — a million-dollar lottery (彩票) winner — told reporters that his luck had come from a particular fish in a park pond, more than 200 other Brazilians spoke up with similar stories. They had touched this fish and soon after had won a prize! Although this “magic fish” is being studied and off-limits to the public, many people have won money simply by touching its picture.
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. Bruce Zalmer, 32, is fireproof. His skin can withstand (禁得住) flames without pain or damage. And his lungs can take in oxygen from smoky air. Medical scientists are amazed that a human could have either of these qualities, let alone both. Although Zalmer sees himself as “just a regular guy”, he once saved a family of four from a burning building after firefighters had given up hope.
Nakuru, Kenya. As tourists in a bus looked on in amazement, a spaceship caught 11 elephants from a wildlife park. The bus driver had stopped at a watering hole and the tourists were watching the elephants when a huge spaceship appeared. The ship shot down a powerful beam of orange light that sucked up (吸走) the elephants and then flew off. Park officials confirmed that 11 full-grown elephants had disappeared.
Monterrey, Mexico. Doctors say that hundreds of people who had been old and sick became young and healthy again by drinking from a water fountain in a public park. Park officials removed the fountain because crowds were becoming a danger. Yet the people who had drunk its water remained young and healthy — and made others young and healthy, too, simply by hugging them!
1. In Brasilia, it’s said that there is a magic fish that ________.| A．brings people good luck |
| B．knows how to win prizes |
| C．can communicate with humans |
| D．can recognize different types of money |
| A．Smart. | B．Brave. |
| C．Dangerous. | D．Far-sighted. |
| A．reasonable | B．frightening |
| C．encouraging | D．unbelievable |
3 . One of the tallest wooden buildings in Europe, a 98m timber (木材)mixture skyscraper, is to rise in Berlin.
The 29-storey WoHo tower, to be designed by a firm of Norwegian architects, is intended to be a “light-house project” for low-carbon construction, towering over Potsdamer Platz and the Landwehr Canal.
Its core, including lifts and a staircase, is to be built around concrete structure but the rest of the building, including flats, offices, cafes and a kindergarten, will be fashioned down wooden beams (横梁)and panels.
“As Norwegians, we are used to working a lot with timber,” Nicolai Riise, CEO of the Mad Architects' Practice said.
“The thing about timber is that its carbon footprint is close to zero and that it's a fantastic material to build with. If you look at this in a broader way, it's one of the ways we are going to be able to beat the climate crisis.”
Wooden skyscrapers, once regarded as a pipe dream, have become realistic with the coming of cross-laminated (交叉叠合)building techniques and more flexible planning laws. Because these structures' parts are fit with care, they can be far lighter than their concrete equivalents (同等物)and are thought to be relatively resistant to fire. A cubic meter of wood can also take an estimated ton of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
Larger wooden structures are planned elsewhere. London is examining blueprints for a 300-meter Oakwood Tower. A project in Tokyo could rise to 350m.
1. What is special about the WoHo Tower?| A．It will serve as a light house. |
| B．Its core is to be built with timber. |
| C．It is designed for a Norwegian firm. |
| D．It will be a tall timber mixture building. |
| A．It is a flexible material. | B．It is easy to collect. |
| C．It is environmentally-friendly. | D．It can be cut into pieces. |
| A．A nightmare. | B．Something practical. |
| C．A piece of cake. | D．Something impossible |
| A．Flexible ideas. | B．The concrete equivalents. |
| C．Fire resistant materials. | D．New building techniques. |
4 . 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. |
5 . As more and more people speak the global language of English, Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic, other languages are rapidly disappearing. In fact, half of the 6,000-7,000 languages spoken around the world today will be likely to die out by the next century, according the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In an effort to prevent language loss, scholars from a number of organizations — UNESCO and National Geographic among them — have for many years been documenting dying languages and the cultures they reflect.
Mark Turin, a scientist at the Macmillan Center, Yale University, who specializes in the languages and oral traditions of the Himalayas, is following in that tradition. His recently published book, A Grammar of Thangmi and Their Culture, grows out of his experience living, working, and raising a family in a village in Nepal.
Documenting the Thangmi language and culture is just a starting point for Turin, who seeks to include other languages and oral traditions across the Himalayan reaches of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China. But he is not content to simply record these voices before they disappear without record.
At the University of Cambridge Turin discovered a wealth of important materials —including photographs, films, tape recordings, and field notes — which had remained unstudied and were badly in need of care and protection. Now, through the two organizations that he has founded — the Digital Himalaya Project and the World Oral Literature Project — Turin has started a campaign to make such documents, found in libraries and stores around the world, available not just to schools but to the younger generations of communities from whom the materials were originally collected. Thanks to digital technology and the widely available Internet, Turin notes, the endangered languages can be saved and reconnected with speech communities.
1. Many scholars are making efforts to ________.| A．promote global languages | B．rescue disappearing languages |
| C．search for languages communities | D．set up language research organizations |
| A．having detailed records of the languages | B．writing books on language users |
| C．telling stories about language speakers | D．living with the native speakers |
| A．The cultural studies in India. | B．The documents available at Yale. |
| C．His language research in Bhutan. | D．His personal experience in Nepal. |
| A．Write, sell and donate. | B．Record, repair and reward. |
| C．Collect, protect and reconnect. | D．Design, experiment and report. |
6 . When writing a complaint letter, you should keep it short and to the point to help ensure that your letter will be read in its entirety. If you write a seven-page complaint letter, it’s highly unlikely that someone will sit down and read all seven pages.
The complaint letter should be addressed to the customer service department. The address and contact information of the customer service department should be available on the company’s products or website.
A printed complaint letter should be written in the business letter format, while an e-mail should be sent in the same format but without the heading (your return address, their address, and the date).
In the first paragraph you should make clear what the issue is. Be sure to include the following information: the time of the issue, location, the name of the person on duty, the name of the product, what the problem is, your account number, model number, price and warranty(保修单) information. Be sure to stick with the facts and avoid putting emotions into your letter.
The next paragraph should state what outcome you would like of the problem, if you received poor service, you could request an apology or a coupon (优惠券). If a product malfunctioned, you could request that you could exchange the product for a new one or request a refund.
The last paragraph should thank the reader for the time. You can also politely express appreciation over something you like about their company’s product or service.
Be sure to keep a copy of the letter for yourself and include photocopies of all documents and envelop them with your letter. You should include your telephone number or e-mail address after your printed name so that they can get in touch with you as soon as possible if necessary.
1. Why should you keep the complaint letter short and to the point?| A．Because the longer it is, the more detailed it will be. |
| B．Because it can make sure that the letter is taken seriously. |
| C．Because longer letters can show my emotions. |
| D．Because short letters are more formal business letters. |
| A．In the heading. | B．In the first paragraph. |
| C．In the second paragraph. | D．After the printed name. |
| A．Failed to function well. | B．Met one’s need. |
| C．Was well produced. | D．Was wrongly delivered |
| A．By analyzing causes. | B．By showing differences. |
| C．By describing a process. | D．By following time order. |
7 . Two-time cancer survivor Tracy Pepper has developed an unlikely friendship — with a beautiful butterfly, which she called Fluffy.
Ms. Pepper found Fluffy in her garden struggling for life soon after birth. After feeding it on honey from a sunflower, Fluffy recovered but didn’t regain the use of its wings and has remained with Ms. Pepper ever since.
She has been recording the experience on social media. In one post, she wrote, “I’m the crazy butterfly lady! I just spent 3 hours playing with him, exercising him by walking him up and down my fingers and arms, feeding him and even giving him the feeling of flying! He sat on my hand and beat his wings as I moved my hand up and down pretending he was flying!”
Ms. Pepper said it was sympathy and empathy that drove her. After battling against cancer twice and keeping herself busy with aid work in Africa, she fell into a “depression” last year.
“When I found him helpless and unable to fly, I knew just how he felt. I went through burn-out last year. I wanted to give up… I felt really lonely.”
So she decided to help the insect, to which she has become attached. Ms. Pepper even advertised tickets of internationally-famous Cirque du Soleil’s act she had for sale because she thought staying at home to care for Fluffy was more important.
Unfortunately, Fluffy wouldn’t be around for long — the lifespan of a butterfly ranges from two to six weeks.
But she seemed to care little about it. She wrote on Facebook, “He has a wonderful life and when his time comes, he will die flat and happy and very very loved.”
1. What was the butterfly like when Ms. Pepper first saw it?| A．It was dying. |
| B．It was too old to fly. |
| C．It was struggling against an enemy. |
| D．It was feeding itself on honey from a sunflower. |
| A．Because she lost interest in the act. |
| B．Because she had to stay home to look after the butterfly. |
| C．Because she was busy with aid work in Africa. |
| D．Because she suffered from cancer twice and was too weak. |
| A．She felt sorry about it. | B．She remained calm about it. |
| C．She was rather disappointed with it. | D．She had some doubts about it. |
| A．Because she was interested and curious. |
| B．Because she loved small animals. |
| C．Because she showed sympathy and understanding for it. |
| D．Because she desired to get close to nature. |
8 . Over the years, you've probably known a good number of people-some for only a short period and others for a much longer time. If you spend a moment thinking back on the people who have meant the very most to you, selflessness will be the same thing they share. There might have been a person who really believed in you. Someone taught you something important. Someone cared for you in his or her own way. Someone has simply always remained your friend.
Many years ago, I traveled through the beautiful, history-rich country of Greece. With only a small backpack, I stayed at youth hotels, visiting city after city. One day, a shoulder strap on my backpack broke. I didn't speak any Greek and the owner didn't speak any English. I went to the front desk of my hotel and tried to ask him if there might be a shop nearby where I could have it repaired. He was clearly very busy. But he asked someone to watch over the front desk and then signed to me to follow him. We walked together for a few blocks,arriving at a little shoe repair shop. Within ten minutes, my backpack was repaired, and then the hotel owner insisted on paying for it!
I was shocked by this powerful, unexpected kindness. More than any other thing, it's what I recall most often when I think about my trip to Greece. Sometimes, you may not have even realized how much your selflessness toward someone has mattered. As the saying goes, "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world."
1. What's wrong with the author's backpack？ ________| A．One of its shoulder straps was broken. | B．It was got dirty by a cleaner. |
| C．One of its pockets was broken. | D．There was a hole in it. |
| A．Mean. | B．Warm-hearted. | C．Clever. | D．Humorous. |
| A．He became a lifelong friend of the hotel owner. | B．He spent all his money in travelling in Greece. |
| C．He picked up Greek while travelling in Greece. | D．He'll never forget the hotel owner's kindness. |
| A．To show his love of travelling. | B．To explore the value of selflessness. |
| C．To give a short introduction to Greece. | D．To introduce a shoe repair shop in Greece. |
9 . If you want to do your kids a favor, consider having them walk to school. Walking to school provides many benefits – improving academic performance, reducing anxiety, boosting spirits, better sleep, a sense of independence, having an opportunity to familiarize oneself with a neighborhood, to notice small details, to feel a sense of wonder at the surroundings. The list goes on.
Parental fears still exist, however. Parents are terrified of cars, of injury, of harsh weather, of encounters with strangers and wild animals. These fears prevent parents from letting their kids do something that's actually enormously beneficial to them, despite the fact that removing an opportunity to be active contributes to an increase in childhood obesity, which can have a greater negative impact on a child's life than the risk of being injured due to being active.
How do we go from being a society that does not encourage its children to walk independently to being one that does? Parents must face their own discomfort with letting go. Brussoni, an expert who researches children's outdoor and risky play, said "We want to move parents from focusing solely on protecting their child to building trust in their child’s abilities and strategies to support their child’s skills in navigating the streetscape."
Schools can play a role by encouraging children to walk to school. Brussoni offers additional suggestions: "They should promote a culture that walking to school is the norm, help educate parents on why this is important, and consider closing the streets around the school to cars before and after school."
Parents might do well to put themselves in their children's shoes. As adults, we know how good a morning walk feels to start off a day or to end one. Walking energizes us and cheers us up, and it can do the same for children. As we go through this pandemic that has shaken up all of our lives, it's a good time to practice new routines and establish new habits. Walking to school is a great place to start.
1. What can we infer about kids’ usual way of going to school?| A．They walk to school alone. | B．They are driven to school. |
| C．They ride bikes to school. | D．They are led to school by teachers. |
| A．Focus on their child’s safety. | B．Protect their child against injury. |
| C．Believe their child’s abilities. | D．Strike traffic rules into their child’s heart. |
| A．Schools. | B．Societies. | C．Governments. | D．Children. |
| A．To illustrate the roles of parents and schools. |
| B．To advise parents to have kids walk to school. |
| C．To promote a way of establishing a new routine. |
| D．To encourage kids to form a good habit. |
10 . How to be Sociable - Virtual Class
How to Be Sociable is a 2.5 hour class by The School of Life which takes place regularly in our virtual classroom.
Why should I attend?
We all long to have sincere, intimate, warm-hearted and interesting meetings with friends and strangers but too often, we fail to connect as we would like to. This is a class expressly designed to teach us the skills to have the kind of social life we deserve. It shows us how to escape unfruitful and loneliness inducing small talk and how elegantly to start to have properly enriching connections with others. We are not only shown where we are going wrong, we’re given practical guidance and group rehearsals in winning strategies. Not least, we will laugh together as we learn.
What will I learn?
How to Be Sociable teaches:
What should our friendships be for?
What is charm and how do we acquire it?
How can one be at ease in social situations?
What makes a good conversationalist?
What makes a good listener?
Evening Classes - All timings are in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
6:15pm GMT session open
6:30pm GMT class begins
9:00pm GMT class ends
Morning Classes - All timings are in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
9:15am GMT session open
9:30am GMT class begins
12:00pm GMT class ends
Dates and times are available to book below. New dates for this class are added throughout the year.
For more information, please see our London FAQs or contact classroom @theschooloflife.com
CLASSROOM TESTIMONIALS(评价)
‘Really welcoming to those coming by themselves and very interesting theoretical information/discussions’
‘Really enlightening experience; thank you so much’
‘Excellent; good fun and thought provoking’
‘Fantastic experience; varied practical exercises; dynamic and engaging teacher; absolutely great.’
1. In which aspect do you benefit from the virtual class?| A．Sense of direction. | B．Practical life skills. | C．Social skills. | D．Winning matches. |
| A．6:15 am – 8:45 am. | B．7:00 am -9:30 am. | C．3:30pm –6:00 pm. | D．6:30 pm --9:00 pm. |
| A．To praise energetic teachers. | B．To introduce interesting activities. |
| C．To present useful exercises. | D．To confirm the class is worthwhile. |
