1 . On the banks of the beautiful Macquarie River, Bathurst is a town of pretty tree-lined streets, beautiful parks and wonderful heritage buildings. Many activities are held there year-round. Here are some for you.
The Lazy Sunday Afternoon
January 1
Join us for the Lazy Sunday Afternoon as we show you local award-winning wine from Three Views Vineyard. Please call in advance to book. Enjoy cheap wine tastings and a selection of cheeses. For those who do not want to drive, a pick-up is available.
International Museum Photograph Day
January 15
Celebrate International Museum Photograph Day with a selfie at Bathurst Regional Council Museums with free entrance. To win a prize for the most imaginative photographs, just use the marking Museum Photograph Day Bathurst when you post on Facebook.
Bathurst Miniature Railway
From February 1 to February 16
Bathurst Miniature Railway operates every third Sunday of the month. It is located next to the Tennis Centre in Durham Street. The club started in 1977 and today operates nearly 600 meters of race track in Durham Street Bathurst. Over the years more tracks for your enjoyment of sports have been added.
Challenge Bathurst
From November 28 to December 1
Challenge Bathurst is a great opportunity to drive your own street car or track racing car on the famous Mount Panorama Racing Circuit. With the most exciting 6.2 kilometers of bitumen (沥青) on the planet open for your speeding enjoyment, you won’t want to miss your chance to gain an unforgettable experience.
1. What do we know about the Lazy Sunday Afternoon?| A．It is held monthly. | B．It is free of charge. |
| C．It refuses to offer pick-up service. | D．It requires booking ahead of time. |
| A．A man loving food and wine. | B．A girl fond of taking pictures. |
| C．A kid expecting free car rides. | D．A teenager wanting to play tennis. |
| A．To introduce some events in Bathurst. | B．To advertise some summer activities. |
| C．To show races on the Bathurst streets. | D．To provide opportunities for indoor sports. |
2 . Dogs are often referred to as “man’s best friend”. But MacKenzie, a four-pound chihuahua, who was named winner of the 2020 American Hero Dog Competition on October 19, 2020, is making the world a better place for humans and animals alike.
In its tenth year in 2020, the annual contest is the brainchild of American Humane Association, the country’s first national charitable organization founded for the safety and well-being of animals. Often called the “Oscars for dogs”, the award recognizes dogs who make extremely great contributions (贡献) to society.
The competition of 2020 attracted over 400 entries from across the country. These heroic dogs have gone above the call of duty, saving lives, comforting the ill and aged and reminding us of the powerful, age-old ties between animals and people. While all were impressive, it was tiny MacKenzie who won the judges’ hearts.
MacKenzie’s path to stardom was not easy. Born with a mouth disability, she had to be fed through a tube (管子) for the first year of her life. Despite her own struggles, she always seemed to think more of other animals in need. “Never have I seen such a will to live. Though sick, she carefully looked after the baby animals at the rescue (救助) center,” said her caretaker.
A life-saving operation performed in 2014 gave MacKenzie the ability to eat independently. The seven-year-old chihuahua is now working for the Mia Foundations New York-based charitable organization that rescues and nurses animals with inborn disabilities. The chihuahua does an excellent job and has raised various animals. She plays nurse, cleans, comforts and hugs them, acting as their mother and teaching them how to socialize, play and have good manners.
In addition to her role as an animal caretaker, MacKenzie also visits schools to educate kids about the importance of accepting physical differences in both animals and people. Her heart-warming and inspiring story makes her a worthy receiver of Americans top dog honor!
1. What can we learn about the American Hero Dog Competition?| A．It was started by a charitable organization. |
| B．It was meant to honor caretakers of dogs. |
| C．It takes place every ten years. |
| D．It was first held in 2012. |
| A．Talented and strong. | B．Courageous and selfless. |
| C．Funny and friendly. | D．Confident and picky. |
| A．Learning from failures. | B．Valuing physical health. |
| C．Understanding the disabled. | D．Developing practical ability. |
| A．Dogs Are Man’s Best Friends |
| B．Treat Dogs the Way We Want to Be Treated |
| C．2020 American Hero Dog: A Tiny Chihuahua |
| D．Touching Stories Between MacKenzie and People |
3 . Iceland has long been identified as having unique environments. Here you can walk and swim between tectonic (地壳构造的) plates, bath in geothermal waters, and experience the wild landscapes. Furthermore, these unique environments have attracted the space-science community to use Iceland as one of its test sites for missions travelling to Mars (火星).
DAY 1
Arrive in Reykjavik.
After check-in, you will visit the geothermal pools of the Blue Lagoon to relax after your flight, before returning to your hotel to freshen up. You will then head to the Aurora Basecamp Observatory, where you will be able to see the northern lights recreated indoors. In the evening, space expert Niamh Shaw will give the first of two talks on our attempt to establish bases on other planets.
DAY 2
After breakfast, you will set out on special vehicles towards Þingvellir National Park, a registered UNESCO world heritage (遗产) site accompanied by Niamh. Here, you will have the opportunity to do something that you can’t do anywhere else, the opportunity to swim between the tectonic plates. In the evening, you will enjoy a second talk from Niamh.
DAY 3
Today you begin your journey towards the 2020 NASA test site, where the NASA SAND_E Mars Rover is being tested. NASA scientists will be on hand to explain the project, along with updates of the current Mars missions and the most recent findings.
DAY 4
In 2019, Iceland Space Agency hosted the ISAGEVR1 Expedition to Grimsvötn Volcano on top of the Vatnajökull Glacier (冰川) to field test the MS1 Mars Analog Spacesuit designed by the NASA/Johnson space centre. We will be working together with the agency to create a unique experience for you today on the glacier.
DAY 5
In the afternoon, you will reach the bridge between the continents, spanning a gap in between the two tectonic plates, on your way to Keflavik Airport and your evening flight home.
1. Who would be most interested in this travel arrangement to Iceland?| A．Fiction writers. |
| B．Space enthusiasts. |
| C．Wildlife protectors. |
| D．Professional swimmers. |
| A．Day 1 and Day 2. |
| B．Day 2 and Day 3. |
| C．Day 3 and Day 4. |
| D．Day 4 and Day 5. |
| A．“We hope to offer you a great opportunity to enjoy hiking.” |
| B．“We will let you explore how NASA is a part of everyday life.” |
| C．“We want to help you discover space science through the joy of travel.” |
| D．“We will provide you a chance to experience the culture near the Arctic Circle.” |
4 . Think about all those successful people in your life that you know. How many of them build their success overnight? How many of them didn’t care about their goals? How many of them gave up after the first failure?
Most of the people we know to be successful were very persistent and devoted to their dreams. In other words, they work hard towards their dreams and keep trying, even if their goals aren’t easy to achieve. They didn’t give up just because they faced barriers and problems. They might even get encouraged by them.
Persistence really matters. It can help build your character. Nothing builds your character more than overcoming failures and problems in life. You get tougher and can handle anything life might throw at you. Each time you win your urge to give up, you make your mind and personality a bit stronger. Each of those wins will build your character to be healthier and to handle more stress.
When you are committed to something, you are willing to learn what it takes to be successful. You will be required to learn new skills and solve new kinds of problems. When you are persistent about your goals, you will have to learn new ways of doing things. Sometimes you might notice that to solve a particular problem, you need to learn more about it. When you study more about the topic, you discover new exciting subtopics to know about. As you think more in-depth into that problem, you will be exposed to new ideas and thoughts. Persistence is the driver behind your ability to learn what you need to know.
When you keep building your persistence and willpower, you will face many failures. Things don’t always end up as you have planned. With persistence, you will learn how to solve those problems and get back up after a failure. You will learn that failure is not the end of the world. Life goes on, and so can you. Each time you decide to overcome your failure, you will learn something new, and you will be a bit stronger than before. Those changes won’t show daily, but slowly they will start to stack up. If you look back and analyze your process, you will discover that you handle the stressful situation more efficiently, and after failures, you won’t go into despair. You rather know how to handle each failure as you have accumulated experiences from them and handle challenging situations.
Persistence is a basic quality to develop in life because it is closely related to personal development and improvement. As you already know, it is not easy, but it is worthy of your effort.
1. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph refers to________.| A．dreams | B．successful men | C．most of the people | D．barriers and problems |
| A．Persistence builds your character. |
| B．Persistence teaches you how to manage failures. |
| C．Persistence improves your skills and abilities. |
| D．Persistence helps you handle a stressful situation. |
| A．People with persistence seldom suffer from failures. |
| B．Learning new skills will make you more persistent. |
| C．Persistent people are easier to get out of a bad mood. |
| D．Successful people usually have stronger personalities. |
| A．explain the importance of being persistent | B．analyze the character of successful people |
| C．offer some suggestions about being persistent | D．show how to deal with problems and face failures |
5 . When I arrived in London, I couldn't speak a word of English. Not even "hello". I was 18. I'd been working for my dad's restaurant in Milan and I wanted a new experience. My friend from home lived in London and he used to tell me how incredible it was. I was really bored, so I took my luggage and left.
I was so lost when I arrived at Stansted. To me, English sounded like Chinese. I only arrived with a few hundred pounds. I lived with my friend in East London for a while. I couldn't find a job for a month. Finally I found a waiter role in a restaurant. At the time, I had nothing else going on in my life. I used to get up, go to work, and sleep. It was no difference every day. Then one day on my lunch break, I saw a Gymbox. When I took a look in, there was an amazing Muay Thai (泰拳) class. I used to do boxing when I was 15 but I wasn't that serious about it. There and then I joined the gym and signed up for the Thai boxing team.
I fell in love with it. I never missed a session (一场) . I started training a lot and the head coach said to me one day, "Do you want to fight?" I knew that's what I wanted to do. He put me in competitions and I won my first nine amateur games. After watching me progress, he offered to help me fight professionally. However, at one point I had a motorcycle crash and was out for 18 months. This year I've fought in Milan and London. I'd say I'm about 12 fights away from becoming a winner
Sometimes I can't believe how far I've come from that day I arrived in England. I think everything that's happened has been because I'm committed. But anyone could do it. If you put in 100%, you'll get there. I'm just happy because I did a positive thing with my life. It feels good.
1. What had the writer done before he came to London?| A．He had worked in a restaurant. | B．He had been a professional coach. |
| C．He had worked in a small company. | D．He had done nothing but travel around. |
| A．Exciting. | B．Scary. | C．Satisfying. | D．Dull. |
| A．Joining the boxing team. | B．Losing the competition in Milan. |
| C．Suffering from a motorcycle crash. | D．Being the head coach of the team. |
| A．Life is not all roses. | B．Difficulties make him stronger. |
| C．Failure is the mother of success. | D．Devotion makes him successful. |
6 . City Information Sheet
The city has several services and events each year that may interest you and are listed below:
•The city has an Animal Control Office that enforces laws for dogs and cats running at large in the city. All dogs and cats are required to be leashed (系住) unless they are kept inside your house. You can contact Dispatch to report animals running without the owner’s company.
•Each family is allowed two two-day yard sales per calendar year. You don’t have to get a permit before you hold a yard sale in the city limits.
•The city requires anyone doing business in the city to first obtain a business license. This license can be obtained from the City Hall.
Spring Cleanup — Held for one week in spring each year. Citizens may place unwanted furniture at the road edge in front of their location and the Spring Cleanup Crew (SCC) will remove them at the end of the event. If any nonresident is putting garbage at your address or in your neighborhood, please get the license plate number and description of the vehicles. Call City Council Center at 270-265-2501 to report it. The SCC is not authorized to take your garbage, so please place your daily garbage in the proper trash can.
Harvest Festival — Street festival with live music, children's activities, food stands, arts and crafts, fashion clothing and much, much more! The festival is sponsored by the Community Alliance and is held annually on the first Saturday in October.
Leaf Pickup — During the month of October, citizens may take the leaves to the road edge and the city will remove them. The machine will not vacuum(吸走)up sticks.
Elkton Bike Night — Every Thursday night, currently from May through September, the city welcomes cycle enthusiasts from around the region. Local food stands set up, restaurants have specials and the Todd County Community Alliance provides live entertainment such as live bands, karaoke or radio music. Even if you are not a cycle rider, everyone is welcome to join us for the free entertainment and food!
1. Which organization should you report to when spotting a dog running alone outside?| A．Dispatch. | B．Animal Control Office. |
| C．City Council Center. | D．The Community Alliance. |
| A．A couple preparing to hold a yard sale. |
| B．A retired man planning to open a bike shop. |
| C．A businessman organising a charity event. |
| D．A neighbor placing the unwanted furniture. |
| A．The city events cover all the seasons of a year. |
| B．Machines are used to collect the leaves and sticks. |
| C．The fun of Elkton Bike Night is not limited to cycling. |
| D．The SCC can take daily garbage away if properly placed. |
7 . One of Britain' s most outstanding scientists says the growth in the use of electronic tablets and smart phones is causing people to spend so much time indoors that they need to take regular vitamin D supplements to make up for the lack of sunlight they receive naturally.
Geneticist Steve Jones said he himself was a follower to the cause and urged others to follow. “I never thought I would be a person who would take vitamin supplements；I always thought it was absolute nonsense. But now I take vitamin D every day. Today, because I knew the sun wasn't going to shine, I took an extra one,” he said.
Exposure to the sun is the major source of vitamin D. However, people are spending less and less time outdoors in many areas. The problem is particularly serious in Scotland. "The Scots are the whitest people in the world because their entire body systems are crying out for vitamin D," he said, adding that life expectancy in Scotland is two years shorter than in England or Wales. Multiple sclerosis (多发性硬化症), a medical condition which is often seen in northern Europe, is also higher in Scotland than in England.
Vitamin D helps with the absorption of Ca, which helps keep bones strong. And Jones said the fact that rickets (佝偻病) was making a comeback in Britain after nearly 50 years was another sign of how changing behavior patterns were bringing physical harm.
Jones admitted that concerns over the damaging effects on skin of long-time exposure to the sun were reasonable, but said sunlight was healthy and necessary for the human body, and could help in lowering blood pressure. "If you lie on the beach for an hour, you will drop your blood pressure by about 10 points, because it relaxes your blood vessels (血管). So, get out in the sun while we still can," he said.
1. How are people affected by the rise of technology according to the text?| A．They are more sensitive to sunlight |
| B．They take more vitamin D supplements. |
| C．They get less vitamin D than before. |
| D．They become addicted to electronic games. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Cautious. |
| C．Worried. | D．Supportive. |
| A．Because they are in great need of sunlight. |
| B．Because their blood pressure is very low. |
| C．Because they enjoy a short period of sunshine. |
| D．Because they are easy to get multiple sclerosis. |
| A．Get out and gain more Vitamin D |
| B．Keep away from tablets and phones |
| C．Pay attention to the importance of sunlight |
| D．Take vitamin D supplements to keep healthy |
8 . Some time ago, in my class I was about to fail a student for his answer to a physics question when the student claimed he deserved a better score. The examination question sounded “safe”.
“Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer（压表）.” The student had answered: “Take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower the barometer to the street, and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building.”
I argued that a high grade should prove his competence in physics, but the answer did not confirm this. I suggested that the student have another try. Immediately, he worked out his answer: A second best way is to take the barometer to the top of the building. Drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then, using the formula to calculate the height of the building.
I was shocked by his answer. His method gave me not only a broken barometer but a U-turn in my teaching philosophy. I gave him full marks.
On his leaving my office, I recalled that he suggested there could be a better answer. So I asked him what it was. “Oh, yes,” said the student, “There are many ways. Probably the best,” he said, “is to take the barometer to the basement and ask the superintendent （楼管）. You speak to him as follows: Mr.Superintendent, here I have a fine barometer. If you tell me the height of this building, I will give it to you.
At this point, I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did, but said that he was fed up with high school instructors’ trying to teach him how to think, and to use the so-called “scientific method”. He just wanted to solve the problem in a practical manner, not just answer the question in an expected way. Hearing this, I really had nothing to do but give the boy a firm handshake, feeling thankful that I hadn’t failed him in the first place and even more thankful, neither had he.
1. Why did the author want to fail the student in the first place?| A．The student challenged his authority. |
| B．The student’s answer was not practical. |
| C．The student didn’t show his academic ability. |
| D．The student had a poor performance in physics class. |
| A．Without love, there is no education. |
| B．A man becomes learned by asking questions. |
| C．Teaching is to make two ideas grow where only one grew before. |
| D．You can lead your horse to the river, but you can’t make it drink. |
| A．Lack of physics-related knowledge. |
| B．Ignorance of the teacher’s expectation. |
| C．Intention to deeply impress his teacher. |
| D．Disapproval of existing teaching concepts. |
| A．The superintendent was a greedy person. |
| B．School education restricted this student’s thinking. |
| C．The teacher appreciated the student’s answers finally. |
| D．The examination question is a lough physics problem. |
9 . Two hours from the tall buildings of Philadelphia live some of the world’s largest bears. They are in northern Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, a home they share with an abundance (丰富) of other wildlife.
The streams, lakes, grasslands, mountain and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the region. Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing estates and important habitats are endangered by highway construction. To protect the Pocono’s natural beauty from irresponsible development, the Nature Conservancy named the area one of America’s “Last Great Places”.
Operating out of a century-old schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond, Bud Cook, the president of the Conservancy, is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection. By forming partnerships with people like Francis Altemose, the Conservancy has been able to protect more than 14,000 acres of environmentally important land in the area.
Altemose’s family has farmed in the Pocono area for generations. Two years ago, Francis worked with the local branch of the Nature Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program. As a result, his family’s land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure financial future for their 7-year-old grandson.
Cook attributes the Conservancy’s success in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents.
“The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community,” Cook said. “The people who live here respect the land. They value quiet forests, clear streams and abundant wildlife. They are eager to help with conservation efforts.”
For more information on how you can help the Nature Conservancy protect the Poconos and the world’s other “Last Great Places,” please call 1-888-564 6864 or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.tnc.org.
1. The purpose in naming the Poconos as one of America’s “Last Great Places” is to ________.| A．gain support from the local community. |
| B．protect it from irresponsible development. |
| C．make it a better home for black bears. |
| D．provide financial security for future generations. |
| A．the tourist industry is growing fast and has great influence on the Pocono area. |
| B．wildlife in the Pocono area is dying out rapidly. |
| C．the security of the Pocono residents is being threatened. |
| D．farmlands in the Pocono area are shrinking fast. |
| A．Financial contributions from local business leaders. |
| B．Consideration of the interests of the local residents. |
| C．The establishment of a wildlife protection foundation in the area. |
| D．The setting up of a local Nature Conservancy branch in the Pocono area. |
| A．The setting up of an environmental protection website. |
| B．Support from organizations like the Nature Conservancy. |
| C．Cooperation with the local residents and business leaders. |
| D．Inclusion of farmlands in the region’s protection program. |
10 . Blood-Doping Champion
Blood doping (违规输血) to improve performance is forbidden in professional sports. Athletes can use this technique to fuel their muscles with more oxygen-carrying red blood cells—for example, by receiving a transfusion. But many animals dope naturally: sheep, fishes and horses can boost their blood’s capacity to carry oxygen by 16 to 74 percent in physically demanding situations. Now a study shows that an Antarctic fish called the bald notothen can increase its carrying capacity by more than 200 percent to pursue an active life in cold waters.
Like most fishes native to Antarctica, the bald notothen’s blood contains anti-freeze proteins that help it withstand extreme cold. But these proteins, along with red blood cells (RBCs), can make blood sticky and hard to circulate. Some Antarctic fishes adapt by removing RBCs altogether, absorbing oxygen directly from the water via skin as they passively await prey (猎物). Bald notothens, however, actively swim below surface ice to chase other active life when avoiding seals and penguins. For this behavior, “you need to supply more oxygen to the muscles,” says Michael Axelsson, a physiologist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and co-author of the new study.
The scientists compared RBC levels in samples collected from bald notothens relaxing in glass tanks with those in samples drawn from fish they “chased” using a plastic tube. RBC levels were at 9 percent in the resting animals but 27 percent in the exercised ones, showing a 207 percent increase in the latter’s blood oxygen carrying capacity. “No other fish we’ve seen can more than double their RBCs or drop their numbers to such a low level when resting,” Axelsson says. The fish’s spleen (脾) stores RBCs, and the researcher found that to release more into the bloodstream, the organ shrinks to weigh 41 percent less.
The enormous changes in RBC levels initially surprised Gerald Kooyman, a biologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who was not involved in the study. He notes, however, that these animals have fewer blood cells to begin with, so maintaining circulation with a tripled RBC count is less difficult. If a diving Weddell seal pushed its RBC levels from 40 to 90 percent, for instance, its blood would be dangerously hard to pump.
Yet bald notothens do face trade-offs for their ability. The scientists found blood pressure was 12 percent higher and the heart worked 30 percent harder in active individuals. Bald notothens can rest during quiet times, but when they need to use their abilities, Axelsson says, “these fish have to live with more RBCs because they need more oxygen.”
1. Compared with most fishes native to Antarctica, what is special about the bald notothen?| A．Its blood contains anti-freeze proteins. |
| B．It can absorb oxygen directly from water via is skin. |
| C．Its red blood cells can make blood sticky and hard to circulate. |
| D．It actively swims below surface ice when chasing other active life. |
| A．RBC levels. | B．Scientists. |
| C．Glass tanks. | D．Fishes. |
| A．the RBC levels in seals can increase from 40 to 90 percent |
| B．bald notothens’ blood pressure are 12 percent higher than other fishes |
| C．when bald notothens chase active life, there are more RBCs in their bodies |
| D．Gerald Kooyman, a marine biologist provided some suggestions on this study |
| A．To explain study methods on fishes. |
| B．To introduce some findings about a fish. |
| C．To present a way to improve athletes’ performance. |
| D．To raise people’s awareness to protect bald notothens. |
