1 . Beijing will provide COVID-19 vaccinations (接种疫苗) for certain groups in nursing homes, including the elderly and caregivers, on a voluntary basis to prevent a renewed outbreak at nursing homes during autumn and winter, the local government said.

Those who will receive the vaccines include nursing home kitchen workers, security guards and cleaners, Beijing Daily reported on Friday.

Xing Yinli, director of Jingkangyuan, a nursing home in Fengtai district with about 290 elderly residents (居民), said they have received the document (文件) recently and will strictly follow its guidance.

“It’s our top duty to strengthen prevention and control,” Xing said, adding they have been using methods such as keeping detailed records of resident contacts outside the nursing home, and encouraging online visits for family members.

As to vaccinations, she said they will ask for permission from residents, their family members and workers before giving vaccines.

In late October, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province carried out an emergency COVID-19 vaccine program, allowing the public to ask for injections (注射) in advance, with key groups first. A similar program was also organized in Jiaxing, Ningbo and Yiwu in Zhejiang.

Nationwide, emergency use of home-grown COVID-19 vaccines was approved in June and launched in late July. China now has four coronavirus candidate vaccines in the third stage clinical trials (临床试验).

The document from Beijing also said nursing homes should conduct nucleic acid testing (核酸检测) every month among kitchen workers and residents who leave the nursing homes to see a doctor. Tests will cover all people in nursing homes considered at high risk if new infections are reported in the city. Besides, routine disinfections (消毒) should be strengthened in kitchens, storerooms and restrooms, it said. The document also recommended non-contact visits from family members.

1. Where can you probably find this article?

A．In a newspaper.	B．In a fashion magazine.
C．In a book review.	D．In a travel journal.

2. How can we understand the underlined sentence in Paragraph 7?

A．China is providing vaccinations nationwide.

B．The four candidate vaccines have finished clinical trails.

C．China has taken the lead in coronavirus vaccines worldwide.

D．China has made great progress in coronavirus vaccines.

3. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Nursing homes should conduct nucleic acid testing.

B．Beijing nursing homes are to be provided vaccines.

C．Certain groups will have vaccines first in late June.

D．Routine disinfections should be strengthened in kitchens.

4. What’s Xing Yinli’s attitude towards vaccinations?

A．Supportive.

B．Curious.

C．Doubtful.

D．Dissatisfied.

4 . Tracking wildlife is a tough job. Take the case of a one-eared leopard named Pavarotti.

Kasim Rafiq, a wildlife biologist at Liverpool John Moores University. “So I used to get up at the crack of dawn, follow his tracks and try and find him. So one day, I went out, and I was looking for him. And his tracks took me off road through this woodland area...and...”

Before he knew it, the wheel of his Land Rover was stuck in a deep hole. He wasted several hours getting it out. And then, on the way back to camp, he came across some local tour guides and their safari (观赏野兽的旅行) guests, who’d had way better luck spotting Pavarotti. “Basically, they laughed and they talked to me that they’d seen him that morning.”

Rafiq then realized that tourist wildlife sightings might be an untapped source of information about wild animals.

So he and his team worked with a safari lodge in Botswana to analyze 25,000 tourist photographs of wildlife. They compared those data to the estimates they made with traditional wildlife biology methods.

It turned out that the estimates from tourists’ photos were just as good as those gleaned (四处搜集) from traditional methods. And the tourists were actually the only ones to see elusive (难以捉摸的) leopards — the researchers would have missed the cats without the citizen science data. The results are in the journal Current Biology.

The idea is not to put wildlife researchers out of a job. “The reality is there are so many interesting things we still have to find out about these large carnivores (食肉动物) and so many conservation (保护) projects that need to be carried out that we don’t have the time or resources to do them all.” And tourist photos might help make sure that all the local carnivores are spotted.

Thanks for listening for Scientific American-60-Second Science. I’m Christopher Intagliata.

1. What happened to Rafiq when he tracked Pavarotti?

A．He was lost in the woods.

B．He was trapped in a deep hole.

C．He found Pavarotti with tourists’ help.

D．He met Pavarotti on the way back to camp.

2. Why can biologists track animals from tourists’ photographs?

A．The photos are sources of information about wildlife.

B．The photos are mirrors of the wildlife researchers’ life.

C．The photos taken by tourists are of high quality.

D．The photos taken by tourists are especially beautiful.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 6?

A．The researchers have missed the data of cats.

B．The information from tourists’ photos was equally good.

C．The value of tourist photos hasn’t been proven.

D．Only the traditional methods can track wildlife.

4. Where can we find the article?

A．On TV.

B．In a magazine.

C．On a radio.

D．In a book.

5 . Have your parents ever told you any strange or alarming things about protecting your eyes? For example,they might have said that you'd go blind from reading in the dark, but you could make up for it by eating a lot of carrots. This is just one of the misunderstandings you may have heard of. Below are picked out scientific explanations for three mistakes that people often make about eyes. Let's take a look.

Can eating carrots improve your vision? If eating carrots helps us see better, why do so many students end up wearing glasses? Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is essential for our eyes' general health. Vitamin A helps the eyes to make light into signals, allowing people to see in low light conditions. However, eating more carrots doesn’t help you see better. A certain minimum amount will help, but a large number of carrots will not give you superhuman vision or allow you to get rid of your glasses.

If your parents have bad eyesight, will you have bad eyesight, too? Parents are often concerned about the causes of nearsightedness (近视).Many people believe that if parents are shortsighted, their children will suffer from the same problems. Nearsightedness can be genetic (遗传的). A study by the American Optometric Association found that if both parents are nearsighted, there's a 33 to 60 percent chance that the child is. For children who have one parent with nearsightedness, the chance is 23 to 40 percent, and it's down to 6 to 15 percent for kids with non-nearsighted parents. So no matter how bad your parents' vision is, you still have the chance of good eyesight.

Is it true that people who are color blind can't see colors? Color blindness doesn^’t mean that someone can't see colors at all, like a black and white movie. Most commonly, it means that someone has difficulty telling certain colors apart, usually green and red or blue and yellow.

1. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To offer some advice.	B．To give some reasons.
C．To clear up some misunderstandings.	D．To provide some medical information.

2. What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A．Eating carrots has no benefits at all.

B．Eating more carrots won't ensure good eyesight.

C．Vitamin D is very important for your eyes’ health.

D．Eating more carrots helps you remove your glasses.

3. What can we infer from the study in paragraph 3?

A．The people having bad eyesight can't see colors, either.

B．Nearsightedness can certainly be passed from parents to kids.

C．Non-nearsighted parents surely have kids with good eyesight.

D．The parents with nearsightedness can have kids with good eyesight.

4. Where is the text probably from?

A．A magazine.

B．A news report.

C．A novel.

D．A guidebook.

6 . Make the world your classroom!

Travel fuels curiosity, offers fresh perspectives, and gives students the opportunity to discover life beyond their backyards. Our educational tours keep students aged 11-15 interested and actively learning with specially-designed, hands-on activities in exciting destinations.

Explore Italy

Duration: 9 or 11 days

Destination: Venice, Florence, Rome

Italy has always been an icon of rich culture and traditions. This interactive tour includes Italy's top hits. Discover the country's ancient past in sites such as the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, stare up at Michelangelo's masterpiece on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel(小教堂), walk across Florence's famous medieval bridge, and take a ride down Venice's winding canals.

Total cost: $3, 519

Hello London

Duration: 7 days

Destination, London

Royal traditions? Check. Picturesque landmarks? Check. World-class museums? Check. Mysterious ring of heavy rocks that's puzzled historians for ages? Check. London has it all. Discover the complex history of this international city at sites such as the Tower of London, which also houses the famous Crown Jewels. Take a day trip to Wiltshire to get a glimpse of Stonehenge, and try to guess how the giant monument first appeared.   

Total cost: $3, 085

New York City: The Big Apple

Duration: 5-7 days

Destination: New York

Bursting with an energy all its own, New York City provides a unique look into American life and culture. Explore the very best of the Big Apple, from the bustle of Times Square to the skyline view from the Empire State Building. Get to know one of the most exciting cities even better!

Total cost: $2,746

Click here for more information about: Language &culture in Spain, Rome and Pompeii, Washington D. C.: The Capital Tour...

1. What can you do on the tour in Italy?

A．Visit ancient museums.	B．Appreciate artistic works.
C．Experience royal traditions.	D．Enjoy bike riding.

2. Which tour will you choose if you have 7 days off with a budget up to $3,000?

A．Explore Italy.	B．Hello London.
C．New York City: The Big Apple.	D．Rome and Pompeii.

3. This passage is most probably from ______________.

A．a travel magazine

B．a geography textbook

C．an education report

D．an agency's website

7 . The holiday season is upon us and though they may feel a bit different this year — without large get-togethers, the holidays themselves are certainly not canceled. December is filled with celebrations. Here are some of the most unusual ways people bring the festivities home — all around the world.

Kentucky Fried Christmas

Japan

Kentucky Fried chicken might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Christmas, but over the years, it has become quite the holiday tradition in Japan. In order to ensure you get your hands in a holiday bucket, it is suggested that you order in advance, as nearly 4 million people choose KFC as their Christmas dinner.

Throwing of the Shoe

Czech Republic

This Christians tradition has nothing to do with trimming trees or singing carols. Rather, young women step outside their homes on Christmas Eve and instead of waiting for Santa, they throw a shoe over their shoulders. How it land is said to predict if the woman will marry next year.

Burning Effigies

Ecuador

New year's Eve comes with a whole set of traditions and customers to symbolically leave the previous year behind. Here, “monigotes” — figures that represent what went wrong in the last year, sometimes politicians are then burned into the night.

Sauna Visit

Estonia

This is a holiday tradition most people would happily get behind. On Christmas Eve, after spending the day setting up for the following day's festivities, it is traditional to sweat it out in sauna with your family.

1. Which holiday tradition do you need to book in advance?

A．Sauna Visit.	B．Burning Effigies.
C．Throwing of the Shoe.	D．Kentucky Fried Christmas.

2. If a young woman throws a shoe over her shoulder on Christmas Eve, she wants to know_____

A．whether she will get promoted.	B．how much money she will make.
C．whether she will get married or not.	D．how many new friends she will make.

3. Where is the text probably from?

A．A science fiction.	B．A news magazine.
C．A travel brochure.	D．A government report.

8 . It'll be Easter soon, and time to think of how to spend a few days' holiday. Let's look at three of the best.

Budapest

Budapest is the capital of Hungary. It's actually made up of the twin cities of Buda and Pest, which are separated by the mighty River Danube. The city is famous for its cafes. There are several good ones to choose from, but you must try either Gerbeaud, or the famous New York Cafe. Order a “somloi galuska", a very rich chocolate dessert. Finally, you can' t leave the city without visiting one of its amazing Turkish baths. Some of them date back to the 16th century.

Bucharest

A fourteen hours train ride east will take you through Transylvania to Bucharest, capital of Romania. Once there, you should visit Mamie's Inn, which is a 19th century caravanserai (an inn built around a large courtyard, which is big enough for caravans). It's located in the Lipscani district (the heart of the city), and it's also a great place to have lunch and a drink.

Sofia

From Bucharest it's only 300 kilometres to Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. The city sits below the massive Vitosha Mountain. Sofia is an ancient place, and parts of the city walls date back to the 7th century BC and can still be seen. It' s also a holy city, and two of its major tourist attractions are churches. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is well worth a visit, but you should find time for the Boyana Church, a small medieval Bulgarian Orthodox chapel. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has incredible wall paintings dating back to 1259.

So, we hope we've given you a few ideas of places to spend your Easter. Wherever you go, have fun and send us a postcard!

1. If you want to enjoy a chocolate dessert, you can go              .

A．Sofia

B．Bucharest

C．Vitosha

D．Budapest

2. What is special for Sofia?

A．It is located in the heart of the city.	B．It is an ancient place and a holy city.
C．It is famous for its cafes.	D．It is made up of the twin cities.

3. Where can you find this passage in a newspaper?

A．Travel.

B．Sports.

C．Health.

D．Business.

9 . As digital devices （设备）have taken over society, “keyboard activity is now often recommended as a substitute for early handwriting," a new study notes. The idea is that typing may be easier for young children.

“Some schools in Norway have become completely digital," notes Audrey Vander Meer, the new study's leader, who measures brain activity to better understand learning and behaviors. She works at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. The human brain has developed to interact with the world in as many ways as possible, she notes. She believes that young children should learn to write by hand successfully, and, at the same time learn to manage a keyboard.

Using a pen involves more of the brain than using a keyboard, her new findings show. This is because writing and printing involve complex movements that activate more areas of the brain. The increased brain activity, "gives the brain more 'hooks' to hang your memories on," she explains.

Think about it. The same movement is required to type each letter on a keyboard. By comparison, when we write, our brain needs to think about and recover memories of the shape of each letter. We also need to use our eyes to watch what shapes we're writing. And we need to control our hands to press a pen or pencil to shape the different letters. All of this uses and connects more areas of the brain.

Along the way, these processes appear to “open the brain up for learning", says Vander Meer. So learning through only one format — digital — could be harmful, she worries.

Vander Meer also points out that taking notes by hand stimulates （激发）"visual notetaking". Rather than typing blindly, the visual note-taker has to think about what is important to write down. Then, key words can be "interlinked by boxes, and arrows, and supplemented by small drawings".

1. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Digital devices are popular with students.

B．Handwriting beats typing in taking notes.

C．The process of taking notes changes thinking.

D．The new study makes contributions to science.

2. What should young kids do according to Vander Meer?

A．Communicate with the world.	B．Rely on keyboard activity.
C．Learn to write by hand.	D．Master basic drawing skills.

3. How does the author draw the conclusion?

A．By studying how the brain develops.	B．By observing social phenomena.
C．By assessing functions of senses.	D．By comparing ways of taking notes.

4. In which section of a newspaper may the text appear?

A．Relationship.	B．Fashion.
C．Culture.	D．Science.

10 . ◆ What Are We Talking About?

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◆ Key Mozzy Watch Features, Facts, and Benefits:

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1. Which would be the best heading for Paragraph 2?

A．Why Do We Need Mozzy Watch?

B．Who Are Suitable To Wear Mozzy Watch?

C．How Does Mozzy Watch Work To Protect You?

D．How Did Our Team Do the Test On Mozzy Watch?

2. How does the author promote Mozzy Watch to consumers?

A．By describing its stylish design in detail.

B．By highlighting its unique technical features.

C．By offering feedback from thousands of users.

D．By giving special buy-one-get-one-free discounts.

3. On what kind of website would you probably find this article?

A．Health.

B．Opinion.

C．Entertainment.

D．Sports.