1 . When ads for the Netflix show Stranger Things first appeared in 2016, the shinning, colorful font (字体) that spelled out the title told viewers exactly what they could expect. Hollywood has long known this marketing trick. And in a crowded marketplace, many mainstream consumer brands have placed more focus on fonts as a crucial part of their marketing.
When Southwest Airlines upgraded its brand in 2014, it changed its font and logo as part of the project.
The company wanted to create the image of an airline that cared about customer loyalty. So, Southwest changed its Helvetica font to a thicker, custom﹣made Southwest Sans font, which also added a tricolor (三色的) heart to the logo. All these changes were meant to convey a softer, friendlier tone.
A survey of Southwest customers showed that 95 percent found the new identity appealing. "We've definitely seen an increase in bookings." said Helen Limpitlaw at Southwest Airlines. "We're in a very competitive world and we're trying to avoid that sameness."
The right fonts can help brands stand out in a competitive market. However, they need to know whom they are targeting and what they want to say. Monster Beverage is a good example. In 2002, it rolled out its Monster Energy drink logo, featuring three neon﹣green claw marks in the shape of an "M" on a black background. The eye﹣catching logo and colors connected with fans of sports, who were exactly its target customers. Now, 17 years later, Monster's logo remains valuable and recognizable.
It is not always wise of legacy companies (老牌公司) to make changes in fonts and logo. When the clothing retailer Gap changed its iconic spire-like font to Helvetica as part of a 2010 rebrand, customers pushed back hard. "The new logo lost all the personality the original mark had acquired over the years," said Matt See, senior art director at a branding and communications firm. "And it was released without explanation. It felt like no thought was put into it." The company ultimately switched back to its original logo.
Experts recommended that companies conduct plenty of surveys before making a change to their logos. Done right, fonts allow brands to show their human side and personality, which can then connect with consumers emotionally.
1. The function of Para 1 is________.| A．to introduce the topic |
| B．to promote the Netflix show |
| C．to show the background |
| D．to present the unevenly shaded font |
| A．it deleted its tricolor heart logo |
| B．it conveyed a strong and cooperative tone |
| C．it drew on its experience gained from the real life |
| D．it chose a special font that reflected its personality as a brand |
| A．a company should think twice before rebranding itself |
| B．there is no need for a legacy company to upgrade its brand |
| C．a company should ignore customers' advice when it comes to rebranding |
| D．it's possible for a company to attract new customers by changing its logo |
| A．Fonts should avoid the sameness. |
| B．Fonts matter in upgrading the brand. |
| C．Changes of fonts are out of date. |
| D．Companies need to change fonts. |
2 . Things to do in Las Vegas
Explore the food and drink scene in Chinatown
It’s a bit of a secret, but Las Vegas has one of the most amazing Chinatown dining scenes in the country. There is incredible variety to be enjoyed throughout the district, such as roast meats at Raku, spicy Sichuan at Chengdu Taste, etc. Chinatown is about two miles of Spring Mountain Road easily reachable by taxi or rideshare.
Compete in esports
We already know video games are big business. Now they’ve become their own form of competitive sport. Las Vegas is fast becoming a centre for esports. Visit the HyperX Esports Arena at the Luxor, a multi-level venue that hosts tournaments, special events and stations for anyone to play.
Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden
Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden at the Mirage allows guests to enjoy an up-close experience will nature’s most charming creatures. Take a tour and mix with bottlenose dolphins, white tigers, white lions and so on. You can even upgrade to a VIP package and work alongside dolphin trainers.
Soak in the views at the Eiffel Tower
The centerpiece of the Paris Las Vegas is a half-size replica (复制品) of the Eiffel Tower. Take a lift to the observation platform to be absorbed in the views 46 stories above the Las Vegas Strip. Don’t forget to take a few photos. A new light show lightens the tower every 30 minutes after dark. If you’re hungry, try distinctive cuisine at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, which has its：own mid-level views of the Strip.
1. Where can visitors enjoy various food?| A．At Chinatown. | B．In the HyperX Esports Arena. |
| C．On the top of the Eiffel Tower. | D．At Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Carden. |
| A．Food lovers. | B．Animal fans. | C．Came players. | D．Bird watchers. |
| A．A light show. | B．A sight-seeing lift. |
| C．A 46th-story restaurant. | D．An observation platform. |
3 . Many students of the past and present would agree that their favorite thing on campus is the vending machine. Whether it’s serving up snacks or drinks, beholding the grand machine full of popular options with the luxury of money in your pocket and the power to choose whatever suits you most in that moment is a cherished feeling. If only, so many people wonder, it was this easy and affordable for kids to get their hands on new books? Well...it could be, in fact.
And that's why this school just opened its first scholastic vending machine. In a bid to get kids reading more, this school is taking a new approach: present the best-selling page-turners of the world in a kid-friendly package. With racing imaginations that never turn off and a hunger for any excuse to do anything except their homework, it's more often than not that kids just need to open up a book in order to get sucked in and start flipping through pages left and right. And pretty much no kid can resist the temptations of a vending machine.
But this vending machine gets even better: the books inside are available through the purchase of tokens—not money. And these tokens are earned through a system that rewards kids from visiting and finishing other books. Through a partnership with the local library, students can check out and return books there for free to qualify themselves for the book vending program, which prevents difficulties affording books independently from becoming an issue for these students.
Once the students have earned a token, they've earned a free book—from a machine stocked with $1,000 worth of books inside. The vending machine even features books from every genre to ensure that there's something for everyone.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．How a vending machine functions. | B．What makes students excited on campus. |
| C．What inspires the vending machine program | D．How a vending machine brings convenience. |
| A．It provides a limited category of books. | B．Students earn its tokens by reading books. |
| C．Children can borrow books from it for free. | D．About 1000 books are available in each machine. |
| A．Advanced but complex. | B．Traditional and effective. |
| C．Pioneering but impractical. | D．Creative and considerate. |
| A．To advertise a vending machine that serves books. |
| B．To introduce a new way to encourage children to read. |
| C．To promote a system designed to improve reading ability. |
| D．To suggest a new approach to dealing with learning difficulty. |
4 . The practice of encouraging laughter with the sound of laughter itself dates back to the 16th century. During performances of Shakespearean plays, there were people who laughed at just the right moments. This would cause other members of the audience to laugh in a similar way, thus making the show seem funnier.
Centuries later, when comedy programs were popular on radio, the sound of a laughing audience was a natural part of performances that were aired live. To make sure his performances were aired at the same time in each time zone, actor Bing Crosby had his show prerecorded. Eventually, one of the show's writers realized that big laughs from old recordings could be added in to follow new jokes. So the world was introduced to canned laughter.
When TV came along, laugh tracks were recorded from the live studio audience that was present at a show. But sometimes, the audience didn't laugh at the expected time, making these moments seem dull to those watching at home. To fix this problem, TV audio engineer Charley Douglass invented a machine called the Laff Box.
Douglass' Laff Box was a collection of tapes connected to different keys. Each tape contained canned laughter that-was-carefully selected by Douglass for its particular quality. For example, one tape might have produced very soft laughs, while another produced loud cackles(咯咯笑). The machine could be played almost like a musical instrument: if the live audience didn't laugh enough, Douglass would “sweeten” the audio by adding the right amount and type of canned laughter. This technique could even be used when no audience was present, as with cartoons. Critics have long claimed that canned laughter is merely a trick to make people laugh at bad jokes. Live laugh tracks, however, can still be heard on popular modern shows like The Big Bang theory. Sometimes it's just more fun to share in the laughter - canned or otherwise.
1. What is mentioned about Shakespearean plays?| A．They were sometimes broadcast on radio. |
| B．Most of these plays weren't funny enough. |
| C．Some viewers were purposefully arranged to laugh. |
| D．Canned laughter was used during the performances. |
| A．Bing Crosby's older jokes got more laughs. |
| B．Bing Crosby' show was aired live worldwide. |
| C．Bing Crosby's team made comedy programs popular. |
| D．Bino Crosby's team brought canned laughter into existence. |
| A．It can offer many types of laughter. |
| B．It is inconvenient for people to use. |
| C．It isn't allowed by law today. |
| D．It can make bad jokes funny. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By analyzing reasons. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By making comparisons. |
5 . Standing outside the enclosure (围场) at Polar Park, somewhere behind the wire are five Norwegian grey wolves. These are just big dogs, I keep thinking to myself. And they've probably had breakfast already.
Stig Sletten, Polar Park's animal manager, says, "Once you're in with the wolves, lie down and don't stare them in the eve. Let them approach you. Don't stick your hands out. And absolutely don't stick your tongue out." That we're about to enter a cage full of "socialized" wolves is all down to Stig and his devoted team. It was Stig who founded Polar Park—way back in 1994. And it was Stig and his team who raised the park's wolves from birth.
"These wolves have all been brought up to be comfortable among humans," he explains. “Allowing them to meet visitors is actually a good way to reduce boredom and stress." Confident that we understand the strict rules of engagement, Stig opens the enclosure and we all follow him. Within seconds the pack is running toward us, eyes forward, long noses down. For an exposed human, the first approach of five grey wolves, socialised or not, is a slight unrest, heart-quickening experience.
But any sense of trepidation (惶恐) is quickly replaced by delight. The five wolves turn out to be fun and curious, as eager to check us out as we are them, Soon humans and wolves are bonding well, and I can't believe I'm touching the stomach of a fully grown female wolf.
"There are a lot of negative impressions about wolves. both in Norway and across the world," says Stig, as we sit around the table. "One of our main aims here is to educate both locals and visitors about Arctic animals and the value of preserving Norway's natural heritage. Once they've got touch with the wolves of Polar Park, many of our visitors will leave with a different view.”
That night one wolf of the pack from our morning encounter approaches our base camp and stares into the tent, but none of us are afraid.
1. How does the author feel before approaching wolves?| A．Desperate. | B．Nervous. |
| C．Peaceful | D．Puzzled. |
| A．Lie down without panic | B．Reach out hands quickly. |
| C．Look wolves in their eyes. | D．Stick out tongues occasionally. |
| A．Grey wolves are endangered |
| B．Wolves bring people more hurt |
| C．Stig's aim has changed completely. |
| D．Stig has changed people's opinion on wolves. |
| A．Stig: A wolf enthusiast |
| B．Norway: A wolf at the door |
| C．Norway: A wolf's final destination |
| D．Wolves: A kind of endangered species |
6 . It was just the three of us—my parents and me. My dad is a truck driver, and when I was a little kid, he was gone most of the time, delivering supplies around the Mid-west. Then we moved to a small house in Brighton. Colorado on my third birthday. There weren't any kids my age in the neighborhood, so I mostly played in the yard with the dogs. I had a lot of imaginary friends—a whole family, actually, with a husband, children, a best friend...no joke.
My first memory is our neighbor Arlene handing me strawberries from her garden. One day, my parents asked Arlene and her husband Bill whether they'd watch me when they went out. This worked well, so it became a weekly occurrence.
When I was about five, I had an idea: “What if I adopted Bill and Arlene as my grandparents?” I knocked on their door and said, “Will you guys be my grandparents?” They started crying and enthusiastically accepted it. Soon after, they printed out an adoption certificate and it hung on their living room wall from then on.
I remember being surprised that they took my offer so seriously. Thinking of that moment still brings tears to my eyes. There's something truly remarkable about a child offering her love and adults being so ecstatic to accept it. From the day I adopted them, I called Bill and Arlene grandpa and grandma. Pretty soon, my parents were calling them Dad and Mom. Even our animals would often sneak out of our yard to visit them. Over the years, Bill and Arlene supported me in all my dreams. And when I got accepted to a university, they presented me with a fund. They told me they'd been putting away money since the day I adopted them.
After Arlene passed away, Bill gave me the ring he'd gifted to Arlene. It's a simple gold band that I wear on my ring finger as a reminder of the kind of love I wish to put into this world.
1. Before meeting Bill and Arlene, the author probably felt ______.| A．worried | B．scared | C．lonely | D．desperate |
| A．They were unfriendly to her animals. |
| B．They influenced her to reward the world. |
| C．They ignored her offer to adopt them at first. |
| D．They gave all their savings to help her with study. |
| A．Parents should keep their kids company | B．Love goes beyond blood relationship |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed | D．There is no place like home |
| A．To recall her childhood. |
| B．To encourage herself to pursue dreams. |
| C．To treasure the memory of her “grandparents”. |
| D．To thank her “grandparents” for their instructions. |
7 . Was your school noisy or peaceful? It might not seem important, but a growing body of research suggests that sounds can have an impact on learning, performance and creativity.
Whether background sounds are beneficial or not seems to depend on what kind of noise it is—and the volume. In a series of studies published last year, Ravi Mehta from the College of Business at Illinois and his colleagues tested people's creativity while exposed to a soundtrack made up of background noises—such as coffee-shop chatter and construction-site drilling—at different volumes. They found that people were more creative when the background noises were played at a medium level than when volume was low. Loud background noise, however, damaged their creativity.
This makes sense for a couple of reasons, says psychologist Dr Nick Perham, at Cardiff Metropolitan University in the UK, who studies the effect of sounds on learning but was not involved in the study. Firstly, he says, sounds that are most disturbing tend to be very variable. A general hum(嗡嗡声)in the background suggests a steady-state sound with not much variation. "So there's not much there to capture your attention- nothing disturbing the subjects," he says. At the same time, the background noise might cause the subjects to be in a slightly heightened state of arousal(觉醒), says Perham. "Medium arousal is best for good performance. So it might be that a general hum in the background gives an ideal level of arousal. " With that in mind, Perham suggests there may be some benefits to playing music or other sounds in an art class or other situations where creativity is key.
Many teachers all over the world already play music to students in class. Many are inspired by the belief that hearing music can improve IQ in tasks, the so-called Mozart effect. While the evidence actually suggests it's a stretch to say classical music improves brainpower, researchers do think pleasant sounds before a task can sometimes lift your mood and help you perform well, says Perham, who has done his own studies on the phenomenon. The key appears to be that you enjoy what you're hearing. "If you like the music or you like the sound—even listening to a Stephen King novel -then you did better. It didn't matter about the music," he says.
1. Which of the following is true according to the studies by Ravi Mehta and Nick Perham?| A．It's better not to expose people to any background noise while at work. |
| B．Construction-site drilling should be forbidden where there is a school. |
| C．Noises will harm people's health however low their volumes are. |
| D．A certain level of noise may do good to people's creativity. |
| A．keep the classroom quiet |
| B．play music at a steady and medium volume |
| C．broadcast classical music |
| D．vary the volume of the music constantly |
| A．prove the usefulness of pleasing sounds |
| B．confirm the belief of Mozart effect |
| C．challenge the importance of soft music |
| D．cast doubt on the power of music in raising IQ |
| A．Learning Power: Noise and Music Work |
| B．Noise Meeting Music: A Blessing? |
| C．Noise or Music: Creativity in Danger |
| D．Brainpower: More Music and Less Noise |
8 . What is the most recognizable object in the world? Could it be a football or a big computer? No, the answer is a Coca-Cola bottle. Hundreds of millions of people can recognize a Coke bottle by its shape. Unlike any other famous commercial logo, the famous Coca-Cola logo has not changed in 100 years!
In 1886, John Pemberton, a druggist in Atlanta, Georgia, invented a new type of syrup (糖浆), using coca leaves, sugar and cola nuts, plus a few other secret ingredients. Pemberton sold it as a medicine; and with coca (the source of cocaine), it must have made people feel good! Nevertheless, Pemberton's medicine was not very successful, so he sold his secret formula (配方) to another druggist, Asa Candler, Candler was interested, because he had another idea; he thought that Pemberton's "medicine" would be much better if it was mixed with soda. Candler was thus the man who really invented the drink Coca-Cola. At first he sold it in his drugstore; then he began selling the syrup to other drugstores, where it was used with their soda fountains. Candler also advertised his new drink, and soon people were going to drugstores just to get a drink of Coca-Cola. Before long. other people became interested in the product, including a couple of businessmen who wanted to sell it in bottles. Candler sold them a license to bottle the drink, and very quickly the men became millionaires. Then in 1916 the famous bottle, with its very distinctive shape, was designed.
During the First World War (1914-1918), American soldiers in Europe began asking for Coca-Cola, so the Coca-Cola company began to export it to Europe. It was so popular with soldiers that they then had to start bottling the drink in Europe. Today. Coca-Cola is made all over the world, including Russia and China; it is the world's most popular drink.
As for the famous formula, it is probably the world's most valuable secret! The exact ingredients for making Coca-Cola are only known to a handful of people. And as for the coca that was in the original drink, it was removed in 1903, for it was a dangerous drug. Today's Coca-Cola contains caffeine, not cocaine!
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．The key ingredient of Coca-Cola. |
| B．The distinctive shape of Coca-Cola bottle. |
| C．The ever-changing logo of Coca-Cola. |
| D．The development of Coca-Cola. |
| A．John Pemberton. | B．Asa Candler. |
| C．An American soldier. | D．A couple of businessmen. |
| A．The formula of Coca-Cola is still a well-kept secret. |
| B．The ingredients for making Coca-Cola is of great value. |
| C．Coca wasn't removed from the drink until the First World War. |
| D．Caffeine has the same effect on patients as cocaine. |
| A．A biology textbook. | B．A life magazine. |
| C．A research paper. | D．A travel brochure. |
9 . Thanks to Arizona's tax credit program, taxpayers can make a big difference with their dollars. Learn how these four organizations are making a difference and how you, too, can be part of the solution to help the underserved through donations.
Catholic Charities Community Services
Catholic Charities Community Services provides adoption for foster（领养）children as well as education and certification for foster families throughout central and northern Arizona. But they can't do it without your help. You can change the life of a child.
Visit Catholic Charities at www. catholiccharitiesaz. org to learn the impact your gift makes.
Catholic Community Foundation（CCF）
Established in 1983. CCF aims to build the future of faith by providing sustainable support for those who serve the community. Since 1995, CCF has given more than $ 27 million back into the community through donor-advised funds, savings and growth funds, etc.
You can learn more by visiting ccfphx. Org.
Catholic Education Arizona
Catholic Education Arizona has been creating future leaders for 23 years. And it has raised 268 million and awarded underserved youth 138,000 scholarships to change lives, strengthen families and transform culture. With more than $9 million remaining to claim, interested corporations are encouraged to contact our office for more information.
You can learn more by visiting catholiceducationarisona. Org.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul
The staff and volunteers at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul packaged more than 4,000 meals for individuals and families to pick up on a daily basis. St. Vincent de Paul's family dining room, food boxes, medical and dental care, shelter and other services are nearly 100% funded by private donations. Donors can claim up to $800 in Arizona charitable tax credits.
Learn more at svdptaxcredit. info.
1. Taxpayers can learn more about their charitable gifts to foster children by visiting _________.| A．cefphx. org | B．www. catholiccharitiesaz. org |
| C．svdptaxcredit. info | D．catholiceducationarizona. org |
| A．Serving the community. | B．Supplying food to those in need. |
| C．Aiding foster children or families. | D．Financially supporting underserved youth. |
| A．They only offer service to families. | B．They provide help for patients. |
| C．They bring hope to the underserved. | D．They are profitable organizations. |
10 . How do we model gratitude when we might be struggling with our own frustrations? For adults, Fehr suggests a "gratitude boot camp." This seven-day program can help adults figure out what works best for them.
Day 1: The Three Blessings: Write down three good things that happened to you that day for which you can give another person credit.
Day 2: To Whom for What: Think of three people for whom you are grateful in your life and write about the reasons.
…
Day 5: Absence of Blessing: Think about an aspect of your life for which you are grateful and spend a few minutes writing about what your life would be like without it.
Day 6: Pay It Forward: Show appreciation for another person through quality time spent together or an act of service.
Day 7: Day of Reflection: Spend a few minutes writing about your experiences over the past few days.
Fehr suggests thinking of gratitude as an everyday practice, for both the little and the big things in life, by which we express gratitude in our commonplace interactions with others. Documenting your blessings by using a journal is a good start for developing a gratitude practice, but don't keep it to yourself. "I would encourage people to take the next step in expressing it. It's really when we bring our gratitude into the world with our words and with our actions that its power can be felt. It can impact our relationships and other people's lives — that's where it really matters. "
Gratitude doesn't just encourage us to thank those who have helped us directly; it encourages helping others, in general. "Experiencing gratitude has a spillover effect, making you want to pay it forward," says Fehr.
If we all did that, what a wonderful world it would be.
1. What can we learn about the program?| A．It is designed for teenagers. |
| B．It aims to train adults to be grateful. |
| C．It will last more than seven days. |
| D．It costs less than other camps. |
| A．Think of one person to whom you should thank. |
| B．Imagine losing blessing of something in your life. |
| C．Reflecting your experience in the camp. |
| D．Make three wishes for those you love. |
| A．Write down your blessings in the diary. |
| B．Never give your blessings away. |
| C．Express your blessing freely. |
| D．Pay it forward for love or money. |
