Chinese wine culture has a long and rich history, dating back thousands of years. One of the most famous traditional Chinese
In Chinese culture, wine is often associated with toasting (祝酒),
2 . Team building activities can make a great difference when it comes to job satisfaction and organizational success.
Set the team’s goal
Studies have shown that teams work better when each member is aware of the goal. Before the team sets up, have a meeting to create a list of the goals that can help reach the end goal.
Solve problems immediately
Effective teambuilding requires an environment where problems are quickly dealt with. It’s wise to send a management team for solving problems. Furthermore, according to one social experiment, a “bad apple” can ruin a whole team. So it might be important to ensure one team member isn’t ruining the effort.
It’s useful to get the team from everyday surroundings and into somewhere unexpected. This can improve creativity, but also help build a closer relationship within the team. You could hold team meetings at a cafe, at the company lawn, or even at museums or amusement parks.
Bring humour to team work
The saying “Laughter is the best t medicine” definitely holds true in team building. Humor is a great way to relax team members. Bring humor to teamwork through fun cartoons, little jokes and even series of fun video clips.
| A．Get outside of the office. |
| B．Have teams take a break. |
| C．But you should find a balance. |
| D．What’s the solution if this is the case? |
| E．You should stress the positive steps the team has taken. |
| F．This will lead members to focus in a specific direction to get the expected results. |
| G．But even with the best intentions, it’s not enough to just bring a group of people together. |
3 . In the time before air-conditioning, southern China’s sky wells played a key role in keeping people’s homes cool. Could they do it again today?
A skywell, or “tian jing”, is atypical characteristic of traditional homes in southern and eastern China. Different from a northern Chinese courtyard, or “yuan zi”, a skywell is smaller and less open to the outdoor environment. Its size and design differ from place to place.
Skywells were designed to cool buildings at a time well before air-conditioning existed. When wind blows above a skywell house, it can enter the indoor space through the opening. Because outdoor air is often cooler than indoor air, the incoming wind travels down the walls to the lower stories and create airflows by replacing warmer indoor air, which rises and leaves through the opening.
Although skywell buildings have existed in China for hundreds of years, in recent times they have often been forgotten by people who prefer modern buildings. Over the past two decades, however, skywell buildings have been making a comeback.
Yu Youhong, 55, has spent more than 30 years restoring (修复) skywell homes in Wuyuan county of Jiangxi province, apart of the old Huizhou. One of the skywell homes restored by Yu is in the village of Yan, in Wuyuan county. The deserted 300-year-old house was bought by Edward Gawne, a former marketing director from the UK, and his Chinese wife, Liao Minx in, in 2015. The couple turned the three-storey house into a 14-room hotel with the help of Yu. They kept the spaces surrounding the sky wells in their original state: open and with natural airflow. Gawne says that even without air conditioning the skywell areas are very comfortable in summer.
Yu says he expects sky wells to be more and more popular among younger generations especially as sustainability (可持续性) becomes an important element for new buildings.
1. What do we know about the sky wells?| A．They had the same size and design. |
| B．They were commonly seen throughout China. |
| C．They acted as air-conditioners in the summer. |
| D．They were fully open to the outdoors like courtyard. |
| A．When sky wells appeared. |
| B．What sky wells look like. |
| C．Why sky wells are no longer popular. |
| D．How sky wells cool buildings. |
| A．They enlarged its rooms. |
| B．They moved the skywell. |
| C．They pulled it down and rebuilt it. |
| D．They kept part of its architectural characteristic. |
| A．The comeback of sky wells. |
| B．An introduction to an expert in sky wells. |
| C．The preservation of traditional Chinese architecture. |
| D．The influence of modernization on ancient buildings. |
4 . A person named Bernard Jackson today is a free man, but he has many bitter memories. He spent five years in prison after a jury wrongly convicted him of raping two women. At Jackson’s trial, although two witnesses testified (作证) that Jackson was with them in another location at the time of the crime, he was convicted anyway. Why? The jury believed the testimony (证词) of the two victims, who positively identified Jackson as the man who had attacked them. The court eventually freed Jackson after the police found the real criminal.
Many factors influence the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. For instance, witnesses sometimes see photographs of several suspects before they try to identify the person they saw in a group of people. They can become confused by seeing many photographs of similar faces. The number of people in the group, and whether it is a person or a photograph, may also affect a witness’s decision. People sometimes have difficulty identifying people of other races. The questions the police ask witnesses also have an effect on them.
Many people believe that police officers are more reliable than ordinary people. Psychologists decided to test this idea, and they discovered that it is not true. Two psychologists showed a film of crimes to both police officers and civilians (平民). The psychologists found no difference between the police and the civilians in correctly remembering the details of the crimes.
Despite all the possibilities for inaccuracy, courts cannot omit (忽略) eyewitness testimony from a trial. American courts depend almost completely on eyewitness testimony to resolve court cases. Sometimes it is the only evidence to a crime, such as rape. Furthermore, eyewitness testimony is often correct. Although people do sometimes make mistakes, and convict innocent people, more importantly, eyewitness testimony has rightly convicted a larger number of guilty people.
American courts depend on the ability of the twelve jurors (陪审员) , and not the judges, to determine the accuracy of the witness’s testimony. It is their responsibility to decide if a certain witness could actually see, hear and remember what happened.
1. Bernard Jackson was found guilty and sentenced 5 years’ prison because ________.| A．the victims insisted that he was the attacker | B．he admitted the crime of raping two women |
| C．the police discovered evidence leading to his guilt | D．the eyewitness proved the victims’ testimony |
| A．the eyewitness is confused by the police’s questions |
| B．the eyewitness is shown photos of many similar faces |
| C．the eyewitness lacks the professional help from police |
| D．the eyewitness can’t identify people of other races clearly |
| A．the misunderstanding of the case | B．the disbelief in the court |
| C．the disrespect for the eyewitness | D．the conviction of an innocent person |
| A．it can be relied on to detect (发现) criminals in all cases |
| B．it is sometimes the only way to resolve court cases |
| C．it is sometimes the only clue for police investigation |
| D．it is more reliable than physical evidence to a crime |
5 . The old man walked slowly into the restaurant. With head tilted(倾斜), and shoulders bent forward he leaned on his trusty(可信赖的) stick with each unhurried step. His torn cloth jacket, patched(打补丁的) trousers, worn-out shoes, and warm personality made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd. He stopped, turned with his whole body, and winked(眨眼) at a little girl seated by the door. She flashed a big smile right back at him.
A young waitress named Mary watched him walk toward a table by the window. She ran over to him, and said, “Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair.” She pulled the chair away from the table. Steadying him with one arm, she helped him move in front of the chair, and get comfortably seated. Then she moved the table up close to him, and leaned his stick against the table where he could reach it.
In a soft, clear voice he said, “Thank you, Miss. And bless you for your kind gestures.”
“You’re welcome, Sir.” She replied. “And my name is Mary. I’ll be back in a moment, and if you need anything at all in the meantime, just wave at me!”
After he had finished a hearty meal, Mary brought him the change. He left it on the table. She helped him and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, “Come back and see us, Sir!” He turned and nodded a thank-you. “You are very kind,” he said softly, smiling
When Mary went to clean his table, she almost fainted(昏厥). Under his plate she found a business card, and a note scribbled on a napkin(餐巾纸). Under the napkin was a one-hundred-dollar bill.
The note on the napkin read, “Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself too. It shows by the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you.”
The man she had waited on was the owner of the restaurant where she worked. This was the first time that she, or any of his employees had ever seen him in person.
1. The old man left $ 100 under the napkin because he ________.| A．was grateful for Mary’s kindness |
| B．appreciated Mary’s kindness and work attitude |
| C．wanted to encourage Mary to do more good deeds |
| D．thought highly of the tasty meal in the restaurant |
| A．The old man was an old acquaintance(认识的人) of Mary. |
| B．Mary recognized the old man when she served him. |
| C．The old man intended to have Mary as his secretary. |
| D．It was the first time that Mary had seen her boss in the flesh. |
| A．have a good meal | B．enjoy good service |
| C．have an on-site visit | D．show his generosity |
| A．providing examples | B．making comparisons |
| C．following the order of space | D．following the order of events |
6 . Students in our school have one thing in common — an interest in sports. According to their different intentions in doing sports, they fall into three groups.
Many students go to the playground when they feel
Students that make up the second group are
The third group want beauty from sports. Boys want to become strong and good-looking; girls want to be
No matter which group they belong to, they all
| A．attracted | B．excited | C．reserved | D．tired |
| A．character | B．fun | C．pressure | D．spirit |
| A．body | B．determination | C．mind | D．soul |
| A．actually | B．necessarily | C．responsibly | D．suitably |
| A．as | B．which | C．who | D．whose |
| A．very | B．more | C．rather | D．well |
| A．devoted | B．false | C．real | D．youthful |
| A．put aside | B．put down | C．put on | D．put out |
| A．challenges | B．donates | C．interests | D．promotes |
| A．professional | B．slim | C．strong | D．unusual |
| A．gaining | B．lifting | C．losing | D．watching |
| A．adopt | B．crack | C．mirror | D．ruin |
| A．advanced | B．amazing | C．ancient | D．appropriate |
| A．arise from | B．benefit from | C．recover from | D．survive from |
| A．bookworms | B．earthworm | C．roundworms | D．silkworms |
Red Nose Day is one of Britain’s most successful
In addition to a great evening’s entertainment on TV on the day itself, there is
Through short documentary films, TV viewers learn how the money
8 . What are two things that make humans different from animals? One is language and the other is music. It’s true that some animals can sing. However, the songs of animals like birds are very limited. It’s also true that humans, not animals, have developed musical instruments.
Music is a strange thing. It’s clearly distinct from language. However, people can use music to communicate things — especially their emotions. When music is combined (组合) with speech in a song, it’s a very powerful form of communication.
If music is truly different from speech, then we should process music and language in different parts of the brain. The scientific evidence suggests that this is true. For example, Vissarion Shebalin, a Russian composer, had a stroke (中风) in 1953. It injured the left side of his brain. He could no longer speak or understand speech. He could, however, still compose music until his death ten years later. On the other hand, sometimes strokes cause people to lose their musical ability, but they can still speak and understand speech.
By studying the physical effects of music on the body, scientists have also learnt a lot about how music influences the emotions. But why does music have such a strong effect on us? That is a harder question to answer.
Geoffrey Miller, a researcher at University College, London, thinks that music and love have a strong connection. Music requires special talent, practice and physical ability. That’s why it may be a way of showing your fitness to be someone’s mate. For example, playing a musical instrument requires fine muscular control. You also need a good memory to remember the notes. And playing those notes correctly suggests that your hearing is in excellent condition. Finally, when a man sings to the woman he loves, it may be a way of showing off.
However, Miller’s theory still doesn’t explain why certain combinations of sounds influence our emotions so deeply. For scientists, this is clearly an area that needs further research.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Music is a common language. | B．Humans are advanced animals. |
| C．Music is closely related to humans. | D．Animals can use music to communicate. |
| A．Different. | B．Direct. | C．Free. | D．Far. |
| A．Music is another form of language. |
| B．Music can inspire people’s creativity. |
| C．Gifted people have more opportunities to succeed. |
| D．’The brain processes music and language separately. |
| A．It was advanced at that time. | B．It made a valuable contribution. |
| C．It sill needs to be improved. | D．It will be confirmed by younger scientists. |
9 . When someone is homeless or trying to recover from a natural disaster, they are in great need of everyday goods. While people are often encouraged to donate canned goods, not everyone is thinking about things like shoes.
Of course, you can’t go looking for a new job or a home, if you have no shoes to walk in. One woman in Hays, Kansas took this into consideration, and found a great way to help hundreds of people.
Payless stores were going out of business, and shoes were selling for as little as $1 per pair, so a woman named Addy Tritt bought out all the remaining shoes at the Hays Payless store — more than 200 pairs and donated them to flood victims in Nebraska.
Those shoes were then sent to farmers in Nebraska by Fort Hays State University (FHSU). Tritt, who recently graduated from FHSU, wanted to “pay it forward”.
“I have been so lucky,” she said. “There have been so many great people in my life who have inspired me. I see so many terrible things in the news. So many people have helped me when I was down. They influenced me so much that I want to help if I can.”
Tritt has a history of kind acts. She has donated more than 60 bags of school supplies to Hays students, and organised a baby clothes drive and two supply drives for the animal shelter.
“I really feel I have been directed and guided to help people,” she said. “If you can do something for someone else, you need to find a way even if it is a pair of shoes.”
1. How did Tritt help flood victims?| A．By buying shoes for them. | B．By sending some food to them. |
| C．By helping them find new jobs. | D．By selling shoes to raise money for them. |
| A．Get extra support. | B．Share news with others. |
| C．Pass on kindness. | D．Put forward a plan. |
| A．FHSU’s education. | B．Flood victims’ situations. |
| C．Other people’s kindness to her. | D．Payless stores’ going out of business. |
| A．Brave. | B．Easy-going. |
| C．Clever. | D．Caring. |
10 . Amazing Ancient Forests Around the World
A visit to one of these long-lived woodlands is an excellent experience. Here’s where to see some of the oldest forests on Earth.
The Takayna/Tarkine Forest Australia
Tasmania’s Takayna/Tarkine Forest gives an experience of what life on Earth looked like 300 million years ago. This rainforest in Australia is home to the second oldest living tree species on the planet: the amazing 3, 000-year-old Huon pines. To explore this fantastic area blanketed with trees, waterfalls, rivers, caves, hills and moorlands, book a tour with Tarkine Trails.
The Araucaria Forest Chile
The Chilean pine tree that spans (横跨) the country’s Lake District is thought to have developed its strange paintbrush shape to defend against dinosaurs during the Jurassic period. However, the forest is most attractive set against the backdrop of surprisingly blue lakes and snowcapped volcanoes in Conguillio National Park. Por those who want to take their time, campsites are available within the park and currently taking reservations (预定) .
The Yakushima Forest Japan
This forest was considered so beautiful by Japan’s 17th-century royalty (王室) that the landscape was recreated in a garden on the mainland, and in 1993, the Yakushima Forest was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Once on the Yakushima Island, there is a range of accommodation options, including the expensive Sankara Hotel &Spa (from $750/night, expedia. com ) .
The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest California
The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is home to some of the oldest living trees on Earth. The most ancient among the protected forest’s bristlecone pines— which are characterized by their unusual-looking twisted forms-is Methuselah, a tree estimated to be 4, 841 years old. Grandview Campground ($5 per night, first come first serve) is the closest to the Bristlecone Pine Forest.
1. Which forest is the home of Huon pines?| A．The Araucaria Forest. | B．The Yakushima Forest. |
| C．The Takayna/Tarkine Forest. | D．The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. |
| A．It is set against snowcapped volcanoes. | B．It was recreated by Japan’s royalty. |
| C．It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. | D．It offers beautiful scenery. |
| A．Visitors can stay in expensive hotels. |
| B．Visitors can admire the oldest living trees. |
| C．Visitors can experience the Jurassic period. |
| D．Visitors can camp while enjoying the beauty of nature |
