1. Why did the speaker go on the tour?
| A．It was the prize of a competition. |
| B．John asked her to go with him. |
| C．It was her travel plan. |
| A．The drinks. | B．The food. | C．The waiters. |
| A．Disappointing. | B．Amazing. | C．Terrible. |
| A．She rode an elephant. |
| B．She went to the mountains. |
| C．She relaxed in the hotel. |
2 . In honor of the 70th anniversary of the Beijing People’s Art Theater, we select a group of its original works.
Thunderstorm
Playwright: Cao Yu
Thunderstorm was the first work of Cao Yu. Praised as one of China’s most enduring dramas of the 20th century, Thunderstorm tells of a tragedy (悲剧) between two families during the1920s. The intense conflicts are all presented in a day’s time within the drama.
Sunrise
Playwright: Cao Yu
Sunnse is set in Tianjin in the 1930s. It centers on the tragedy of Chen Bailu. It discloses the social conflicts and unfortunate life of those living at the bottom of society at that time. The drama also expresses the longing for brightness indicated by the name and order of its four acts — dawn, dusk, midnight and sunrise.
Rickshaw Boy
Playwright: Mei Qian
The drama Rickshaw Boy is adapted from the novel of Lao She, a Chinese literary giant. It tells the sad story of`Xiangzi, a rickshaw boy in Beijing in the 1920s who dreams of running his’ own firm. However, after a series of misfortunes, Xiangzi is no longer an honest and optimistic young country boy.
The Teahouse
Playwright: Lao She
Consisting of three acts, the play tells stories taking place in the Beijing Yutai Teahouse and the fate of Wang Lifa, the owner of the teahouse. It mirrors the great social changes in China from 1898 to the 1940s. The Teahouse is also the first Chinese drama production to be performed overseas.
1. Which story takes place within a day’s time?| A．Thunderstorm. | B．Sunrise. |
| C．Rickshaw Boy. | D．The Teahouse. |
| A．The desire for brightness. | B．The dream of Chen Bailu. |
| C．The social conflict at that time. | D．The order of the acts in the drama. |
| A．Both dramas are sad stories. |
| B．Both plays are written by Lao She. |
| C．Both stories are set in the same place. |
| D．Both stories are made up of three scenes. |
3 . For some people, nothing beats a long walk on a sandy beach. But there’s no denying that it’s not as easy or as fast to get around on the beach as it is on a road or a sidewalk. But why is it so hard to walk on sand?
The problem with sand is that it’s soft; you “sink in” at each step. This forces you to use 2.1 to 2. 7 times more energy with every step you take. Another idea is that people walk more difficultly on soft than they do on hard surfaces, a study found. The researchers compared how people walked on foam (沫) and hard surfaces by analyzing the forces under their feet and how much oxygen each person consumed. They found that walking on soft surfaces, such as sand, mud and snow, caused people to take longer steps — actions that use more energy than walking on a hard surface.
But as experienced beach walkers know, there’s a way to make it easier to walk on sand: Just add water, When sand is wet, it becomes more compact (紧密), and walking on it is more similar to walking on hard surface. In other words, it’s much easier to cross a beach by walking along the shoreline, where the waves roll in and out. This is a balance though; too much water could make the sand soft once again. If water isn’t an option, there is another way to make walking on sand easier — increasing your surface area. This could be accomplished by wearing shoes.
Although it’s more difficult, there are some good reasons to exercise on sand. The impact forces are lower on sand than on hard surface. Research suggests that walking across sand is much easier on your joints (关节) and muscles, especially compared with an unforgiving surface such as concrete (混凝土). This means sand is a better surface for helping athletes recover more quickly from workouts.
1. Why is the question raised in the first paragraph?| A．To show problems. | B．To call up readers’ memories. |
| C．To invite readers to answer it. | D．To draw readers’ attention to the topic. |
| A．By putting on shoes. | B．By taking longer steps. |
| C．By walking in the water. | D．By using special breath methods. |
| A．Sand. | B．Concrete. |
| C．Foam. | D．Snow. |
| A．Tips for Beach Vacation | B．All Kinds of Sports on the Sand |
| C．Why Is It So Hard to Walk on Sand? | D．Where Are We With the Sand Research? |
4 . Traveling with friends or family is always a fun bonding experience, and one of the best ways to do that is by taking a charter (租赁) bus.
Security and safety
When chartering a bus, you have more flexibility than renting cars or traveling by train. You’ll also have the convenience of being able to specify precisely how much space and comfort everyone in your group needs during the trip, which is essential if there are mobility issues among some members of your party.
Comfort
If you’re traveling with more than one or two people, there may be more comfortable ways to travel than staying in a car.
Convenience
There are many advantages of booking a charter bus over a rental car when traveling with a group, but the biggest one is convenience. If you book a charter bus, the bus company will pick you up at your start location, drive you to your end location, and even wait for you at any place where you want to stop.
| A．Flexibility |
| B．Room for personal belongings |
| C．In short, the bus is your vehicle, and you can use it as you please |
| D．The first reason is security when you travel with more than one person |
| E．You just have to worry about having fun safely with other fellow travelers |
| F．A chartered bus will give everyone in your group some much-needed comfort |
| G．Here are the reasons why you should book a charter bus when traveling with a group |
“You signed us up for what?” Lu’s eyes widened as Jamie grinned at her. “A charity bike ride. It’d be fun!” She stared at him open-mouthed. “Fun? But I haven’t ridden a bike for years, Jamie. And I hate exercise! How long is this ride?” Lu could feel her muscle shrinking at the mere thought of it.
“Only 20 kilometers.”
Lucinda swiped the brightly coloured leaflet advertising the bike ride from her husband’s hand. “Twenty kilometres? That’s a half marathon, Jamie!”
She tossed the leaflet back at him. “Well you can count me out. I’m not fit enough to run five minutes round the block, let alone hours on a bike.”
“But you will be in a couple of months. I thought we could train for it together.” Jamie patted his beer belly. “I’m not exactly in great shape at the moment. And you’ re always saying we don’t get to spend enough time together!” He gave her his best winning grin.
A smile fell across Lucinda’s lips. It was true, she was always saying that lately. Though spending her weekends cycling was not exactly what she’d had in mind.
A wave of sadness spun through her heart. The past few months had been... difficult. She had lost her job and was struggling to find a new one. Being at home, scrolling through job adverts and waiting for interview replies, had left her feeling stuck. Jamie had been working extra hours to support financially, but that only added to her guilt. Despite trying to stay positive, life had somehow skidded to a stop.
“I’m not sure,” Lu sighed.
“It’s not a race, but a joy ride, Lu.” Jamie reassured her, nudging her playfully. “Plus, I’ve already rented us a tandem bike(双人自行车)!”
“A tandem?” Lu’s eyes flashed with horror. “Are you mad?” She stared at him. “You’re not even joking, are you?” Doubts crept into her mind as she imagined the challenges of coordinating their movements on a shared bike.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Actually, the first training session did not go well.
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It seemed cycling had truly got their lives moving forward again.
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Counted among the “Ten Great Chinese Paintings”, the famous historical scroll painting “Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy(使团)” created by renowned painter Yan Liben (601-673), recently
In the
Princess Wencheng brought not only Tang Dynasty customs and practices, but also a large group of
In addition to well-known artworks such as this painting, the exhibition also featured a large number of cultural relics
The exhibition showcased
7 . A diet high in fats and sugars actually affects the parts of the brain that are important to memory and makes people more likely to desire for unhealthful food, says American psychologist Terry Davidson.
Davidson didn’t start out studying people’s eating. Instead, he was interested in learning about the hippocampus（海马体）, a part of the brain heavily involved in memory. He noticed something strange when he studied mice with hippocampal damage. They would go to pick up food more often than the others, but they would eat a little bit, then drop it.
Davidson realized these mice didn’t know they were full. He says something similar may happen in human brains when people eat a diet high in fat and sugar. If our brain system is damaged by that diet, that makes it harder for us to stop eating that diet.
The evidence is growing. In another study by Cambridge psychologist Lucy Cheke, her researchers asked obese（肥胖的）and thin people to do a memory task, a virtual treasure hunt. The subjects had to hide something in a scene across various computer sessions（会话框）, then they were asked what they hid, where they hid it and in which session. The obese people were 15-20 percent worse than the thin ones in all aspects of the experiment.
Cheke says with the link between obesity and the brain growing as a field of research, we could see more ways of targeting obesity. For example, if the problem is that obese peopled diet degrades their memory, perhaps making peopled meals more memorable would help them eat less bad stuff. Previous researches showed that watching TV while eating will probably make people eat more, get hungry in the afternoon and eat more at dinner. So Cheke suggests not watching TV while eating. It is one of the easy changes people can make that don’t involve much self-control, but that makes a great difference.
1. What inspired Davidson’s new finding?| A．The growing popularity of unhealthy diet. | B．His former study on hippocampus. |
| C．His research on people’s eating habits. | D．The strange behaviour of the studied mice. |
| A．A sense of hunger. | B．The similarity in brains. |
| C．The damage of brain. | D．A diet high in fat and sugar. |
| A．Memorize the treasure locations. | B．Answer questions on their hiding task. |
| C．Chat on various computer sessions. | D．Conduct an experiment with obesity. |
| A．Possible approaches to targeting obesity. | B．The research’s contribution to brain science. |
| C．The link between obesity and memory. | D．Changes of people’s living habits. |
8 . About Scholastic Kids Press
Scholastic Kids Press is a group of talented kid reporters, ages 10-14, from across the country and around the world. Since 2000, our award-winning young journalists have reported “news for kids, by kids”, covering politics, entertainment the environment, sports and more in their hometowns and on the national stage. Their stories appear online and in Scholastic magazines, which reach more than 25 million students in classrooms nationwide.
Scholastic Kid Reporters have made headlines（头条）by interviewing Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, environmentalist Jane Goodall, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, Dog Man author Dav Pilkey, actress Misty Copeland and more.
Contact Info
Email us at kidspress@scholastic.com.
How to apply?
We are now accepting Kid Reporter applications for the 2023-2024 program year. Learn more and download the application here.
The application to join Scholastic Kids Press includes writing a news story, story ideas and a personal article. Editors select Kid Reporters every year based on writing ability, interviewing skills and attention to detail.
To be considered, applicants must be between 10-14. Students in any part of the world are welcome to apply.
What do Scholastic Kid Reporters write about?
Throughout the year, Scholastic Kid Reporters cover issues and topics that matter most to them and their peers(同龄人). This includes current events, breaking news, entertainment, sports and more from their communities.
The Kid Reporter application is now open! Click here to learn more.
1. Why does the author mention some people in the second paragraph?| A．To show Scholastic Kid Reporters’ success. |
| B．To introduce Scholastic Kid Reporters’ various readers. |
| C．To prove Scholastic Kid Reporters’ effects on famous people. |
| D．To tell us the topics Scholastic Kid Reporters value. |
| A．The place they come from. | B．Their age. |
| C．Their personal experience. | D．The language they speak. |
| A．Skills in making delicious food. | B．Stories of their parents. |
| C．The most important things for kids. | D．Housework suitable for children. |
9 . Map reading, growing fruit and vegetable and basic car service are also more common skills among the baby boomer generation. But according to a new survey, just one in three 18- to 25-year-olds are able to do basic DIY, compared to two-thirds of those aged 58 and over.
Sarah Clarke-Kuehn, Chief Operating Officer-Commercial, said, “The survey findings are so interesting as they highlight a very common incorrect conception related to ‘getting old’.”
When asked at what age they thought developing new skills becomes “difficult”, Gen Z respondents said they were 35 years old, while those aged over 58 believed this number was 63 years old. The belief is that there is a boundary between learning new skills and getting a sense of achievement. But we know that this is just not the case. The benefits in continuing to enjoy life, as well as developing new talents are very significant—both physically and mentally as we grow older.
Neuroscientist and author, Dr Julia Jones, said, “We underestimate our brain’s ability to continue learning. Our brain is the most complex and precise structure in the known universe but we only use a small part of its true potential throughout our lifetimes. To boost continued brain health, we should learn complex and novel skills at all ages. This becomes more important as we age, because these learning experiences help to build new connections between neurons (神经细胞) that maintain intelligence and reduce the risk of future brain decline.”
“Learning languages and musical instruments are believed to be effective at boosting neuroplasticity (神经可塑性) due to their complex nature, but all learning is beneficial and can bring a sense of achievement, purpose and social engagement.”
Dr Jones added. “Find a new hobby and throw yourself into a wonderful learning experience or pick up an old pastime and improve those skills. I’m currently learning to play the guitar and it’s opened up a whole new world of music and fun.”
1. What is mentioned about the young generation in the text?| A．They lose interest in DIY. |
| B．They have no idea in plants. |
| C．Many of them lack some basic skills. |
| D．Many of them own poor reading skills. |
| A．Learning brings a sense of belonging. |
| B．It is never too late to learn in one’s life. |
| C．It is necessary to show off one’s talents. |
| D．The benefits of lifelong learning are temporary. |
| A．The significance of knowing the structure of the brain. |
| B．The difficulties in improving the ability of the brain. |
| C．The reasons for taking full advantage of the brain. |
| D．The process of protecting the brain from risk. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Negative. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
A 12-year-old boy saw something in a shop window that set his heart racing. It was a jewel box. But the price—five dollars—was far beyond Reuben Earle’s means. However, he opened the door and went inside. Standing proud and straight, he told the shopkeeper what he wanted, adding, “But I don’t have the money right now. Can you please hold it for me for some time?”
“I’ll try,” the shopkeeper smiled.
“I will raise the five dollars and not tell anybody,” Reuben said to himself.
Hearing the sound of hammering from a side street, Reuben had an idea. People built their own homes in Bay Roberts, using nails purchased in sacks (麻布袋) from a local factory. Sometimes the sacks were abandoned, and Reuben knew he could sell them back to the factory for five cents a piece.
That day he found two sacks and sold to the man in charge of packing nails.
The boy’s hand tightly held the five-cent pieces as he ran home. Near his house stood the ancient barn (谷仓). Reuben found a soda tin and dropped his coins inside. Then he climbed into the top of the barn and hid the tin.
All summer long, despite housework at home Reuben kept to his secret task. Often he was cold, tired and hungry, but the thought of the object in the shop window sustained him.
Mother’s Day had come! He uncovered the tin can, poured the coins out and began to count. He needed 20 cents more. He had to find four more sacks and sell them before the day ended.
Towards evening Reuben arrived at the factory. The sack buyer was about to lock up.
“Mister! Please don’t close up yet.”
The man turned and saw Reuben, dirty and sweat stained.
“Come back tomorrow, boy.”
“Please, Mister. I have to sell the sacks now — please.”
注意：
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
The man heard a slight shake in Reuben’s voice and could tell he was close to tears.
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Paragraph 2:
Then he placed the parcel(包裹) in Reuben’s hands.
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