1 . We invite you to join us on a wonderful, watery tour of underwater places.
Atlit Yam
Atlit Yam is an ancient village off the coast of Atlit, Israel. Around 8000 to 9250 years ago, there was a human settlement. The villagers left a series of unconnected walls behind, along with water wells and rectangular (矩形的) buildings. All these objects are now under 26 to 39 feet of water.
Port Royal’s Sunken City
As the sea birds fly, Port Royal, Jamaica is about 15 miles south of Kingston. In the year 1692, Port Royal had a population of somewhere between 6500 and 10000 people. Disaster struck that summer. On June 7, just before noon, an earthquake rocked Port Royal. Then it was hit with huge waves. Around 30 acres of buildings and streets slid into the ocean.
Rome’s “Lost Vegas”
Built on Italy’s northwest coast by the ancient Romans, Baia is often compared to modern-day Las Vegas. It was a seaside city where the rich kept vacation homes. But as volcanos raised the water level, most of Baia slipped beneath the waves. Announced as an underwater archaeological park in 2002, the city’s treasures are now accessible to the public.
The “Atlantis of the East”
In the 1950s, the Chinese government flooded a valley inside Zhejiang Province in order to create Qiandao Lake, an artificial body of water. But a city which was built in the Eastern Han Dynasty (between 25 and 200 AD) known as Shi Cheng had been founded there. Shi Cheng was rediscovered by divers in the year 2001. The underwater city has five entrance gates and many animal sculptures. Travel guides have called this place the “Atlantis of the East”.
1. Which place sank on a specific day?| A．Baia. | B．Atlit Yam. | C．Port Royal. | D．Shi Cheng. |
| A．They are both huge cities. | B．They were both hit by a disaster. |
| C．They are both open to the public. | D．They were both discovered in this century. |
| A．It lies in a valley. | B．It has five entrance gates. |
| C．It is rediscovered by divers. | D．It lies underwater in the west. |
2 . The following small European villages will provide you with a chance to experience the beauty of nature and a sense of adventure, from climbing a mountain to taking a dive in the ocean.
Deià, Spain
Hidden between the towering Tramuntana Mountain and the blue Mediterranean, the village’s natural beauty inspires not just writers and painters, but adventure-seekers, too. From this peaceful village, cyclists can ride across this mountainous but bike-friendly region. After working up a sweat, they can go to the best beach, Cala Deià, in Spain. Its waters are perfect for giving the tired muscles a break with a relaxing dive.
Mürren, Switzerland
In Mürren, the fun starts before you arrive. This beautiful Swiss village sits on a Bernese Oberland mountain shelf so high that travelers must arrive by cable car. Like many mountain resort towns these days, Mürren offers year-round activities. Besides downhill skiing in winter, brave climbers can enjoy themselves from June to October, with or without a guide.
San Gimignano, Italy
In the Middle Age, wealthy families of this hill town went on a tower-building competition. At one point there were more than 70 towers, some of which were nearly 200 feet in height. Initially built as defenses in wars with neighboring villages, the towers became symbols of wealth and fame. Today, the village draws both history and wine lovers. Visitors can enjoy the famous white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, at the tasting centers which overlook the surrounding grape hills.
Chipping Campden, England
Arguably the loveliest village in England, Chipping Campden isn’t just a photographer’s dream. It is also known for the annual Olympic Games in summer, a 400-year tradition that copies the Greek Olympics. It includes horseracing, coursing, jumping, backswords and country dancing. But the highlight is the wrestling that thankfully has never caught on anywhere else.
1. What can visitors do in Mürren?| A．Ski and climb mountains. | B．Ride bikes and dive in the sea. |
| C．Enjoy the Olympic Games. | D．Learn from writers and painters. |
| A．Deià. | B．Mürren. | C．San Gimignano. | D．Chipping Campden. |
| A．Horseracing. | B．Coursing. | C．Wrestling. | D．Jumping. |
3 . Every morning in a city in Indonesia’s far east, sleepy teenagers can be seen walk slowly and with heavy steps through the streets on their unwilling way to school.
It is not a scene from some sci-fi movie but a controversial experiment to get the day off to a much earlier start for the sleep-deprived (缺乏睡眠的) teens. The pilot project in Kupang has twelfth-graders at 10 high schools start classes at 5:30 am.
Authorities say the project is intended to heighten children’s discipline. According to parents, though, their children are worn out by the time they get home. Schools in Indonesia generally start between 7:00 and 8:00 am. Teens in their school uniforms are now walking down dark streets or waiting for motorcycle taxis to get to school on time.
“It is extremely difficult and they now have to leave home while it’s still completely dark. I can’t accept this, for their safety is not guaranteed when it’s dark and quiet.” Rambu Ata, a mother to a 16-year-old, said, whose daughter Eureka now has to wake up at 4:00 am to get ready and ride a motorbike to school. “Now every time Eurek arrives home she is exhausted and falls asleep immediately.”
At least one scholar seems to agree.
“It has no connection with the effort to improve the quality of education,” Marsel Robot, an education expert from Nusa Cendana University. “In the long run, sleep deprivation could endanger the students’ health and cause a shift in behaviour. They will only sleep for a few hours and this is a serious risk for their health. This also will cause them stress and they will release their stress by acting out.”
A 2014 study published by the American Academy of paediatrics (儿科学) recommended that middle and high schoolers start classes at 8:30 am or later to allow enough time for sleep. The Kupang rule change was also challenged by local politicians, who demanded the government cancel what they called a baseless policy.
1. What is the purpose of the pilot project?| A．To punish students’ mistakes. | B．To let students learn more knowledge. |
| C．To deprive students of sleep. | D．To strengthen students’ self-control. |
| A．Controversial. | B．Unacceptable. | C．Uncontrollable. | D．Critical |
| A．Students’ safety. | B．The stress of parents. |
| C．Students’ health. | D．The quality of education. |
| A．An Unpopular Move for Teens to Start School at 5:30 am |
| B．Some Problems Existing Among Indonesia’s Teenagers |
| C．An Unsuccessful Experiment Concerning Safety |
| D．The Popularity of a Pilot Project in Kupang |
4 . A new study finds that less than seven percent of the adult population in the US have what health experts consider good cardiometabolic (心脏代谢) health.
Using information on roughly 55,000 people over the age of 20, the results show just 6.8 percent of American adults reached optimal (最佳的) levels of health in 2018. Moreover, the study found American health has been in sharp decline over the last 20 years. In 1999, one in three adults had a healthy weight. By 2018, that number fell to just one in four Americans. At the same time, three in five people were free of diabetes in 1999. By 2018, however, more than six in ten adults had the condition!
“These numbers are striking. It’s deeply problematic that in the United States, fewer than 1 in 15 adults have optimal cardiometabolic health,” says Meghan O’Hearn, one of the researchers from Tufts University. “We need a complete overhaul (革新) of our healthcare system, food system, and living conditions, because this is a crisis for everyone.”
Instead of just looking for signs of disease, the team focused their study on the signs of good, moderate, and poor cardiometabolic health. “Disease is not the only problem,” O’Hearn explains. “We don’t just want to be free of disease. We want to achieve optimal health and well-being.”
Researchers also found large health gaps between US adults of different genders, ages, and education levels. Specifically, the study found Americans with less education were half as likely to be in peak cardiometabolic health.
O’Hearn adds, “Identifying these individuals and addressing their health conditions and lifestyle early is critical to reducing growing healthcare burdens. Its impacts on national healthcare spending and the financial health of the entire economy are enormous. And these conditions are largely preventable. We have the public health and clinical interventions and policies to be able to address these problems.”
1. What percentage of American adults had optimal cardiometabolic health in 2018?| A．Over 7 percent. | B．Just 6.8 percent. |
| C．Around 33 percent. | D．About 60 percent. |
| A．They’re unreal. | B．They’re acceptable. |
| C．They’re expected. | D．They’re shocking. |
| A．To find the big age gap. | B．To help people keep fit. |
| C．To develop new drugs. | D．To earn lots of profits. |
| A．Joint effort is needed to improve public health. |
| B．Economic growth affects personal health condition. |
| C．America saw a slow decrease in healthcare costs. |
| D．Rich people tend to suffer from health problems. |
5 . As we all know, insects can be remarkably agile (灵活的) in flight. This is really hard to build into flying robots, but MIT Assistant Professor Kevin Yufeng Chen has developed an insect-sized drone (无人机) that approaches insects’ agility.
Typically, drones require wide open spaces. “If we look at most drones today, they’re usually quite big,” says Chen. “Most of their applications involve flying outdoors. The question is: Can you create an insect-sized drone that can move around in very crowded and complex spaces?”
According to Chen, he overcame many problems when building the drone. The insect-sized drone requires a fundamentally different construction from a larger one. The large drone is usually powered by a motor, but the motor loses efficiency as you shrink it. So, Chen says, “For an insect-sized drone, you need to look for alternatives.” The principal alternative until now has been employing a small, rigid actuator (执行器) built from new materials. Chen designed a more agile tiny drone using soft actuators instead of hard ones.
Each actuator can beat nearly 500 times per second and weighs just 0.6 gram, approximately the mass of a large bee. It gives the drone insect-like agility. “You can hit it when it’s flying, and it can recover,” says Chen. “It can also turn over in the air.” The drone looks a bit like a tiny cassette tape with wings, though Chen is also working on a new one shaped like a dragonfly.
Chen says his drone can be useful in industry and agriculture. It can perform machinery inspections to ensure safety and function. Its potential applications include completing search-and-rescue missions following a disaster. “All those things can be very difficult for existing large-scale drones,” Chen explains.
1. What can we know about the actuator designed by Chen?| A．It weighs about six grams. |
| B．It drives the insect-sized drone. |
| C．It loses efficiency too much. |
| D．It employs conventional materials. |
| A．Easy. | B．Costly. | C．Fruitless. | D．Challenging. |
| A．Its safety standards. | B．Its flying range. |
| C．Its possible applications. | D．Its design principle. |
| A．An Insect-like Small Drone |
| B．The Future of Insect-sized Drones |
| C．How Drones Will Change the Agriculture |
| D．What Challenge Drone Development Faces |
6 . I have always loved the Arthurian legend (传奇), as there is something quite special about King Arthur, and of course Merlin, my favourite character from the stories.
Death of an Empire is the second volume in MK Hume’s “Merlin” series which details Merlin’s life from birth. Merlin travels across the Roman Empire in search of his father, a voyage of discovery to understand just who he was. Eventually Merlin gets involved in the fight against the Hun’s invasion (入侵) of Europe at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plain.
Serving under the General Flavius Aetius, Merlin builds a reputation by saving the lives of thousands of soldiers. When he finally reaches Rome, he saves many more. But a far deadlier conflict between Emperor Valentinian and Senator Petronius Maximus is around the corner and Merlin must use all his strength to carry out his work.
If I had to choose just one word to describe this novel, there would be no other choice than “immersive (身临其境的)”. There has clearly been a serious amount of research carried out by the author. Combined with the descriptive prose and imaginative story, the book really does attract you from almost the very start. The story really does feel like you are a part of it as Merlin travels across the Roman Empire.
The author does a great job of mixing the rich history with established Arthurian legend. The battle scene is handled very effectively. The author employs a very effective form to show the main fight and this not only adds a degree of tension and a good level of excitement but almost makes you feel like you are right there hearing about what happened.
Death of an Empire is a very fine novel, a wonderfully rich tale and a rewarding story.
1. Why does Merlin travel across the Roman Empire?| A．To visit King Arthur. | B．To enjoy a nice view. |
| C．To get a well-paid job. | D．To find out his origin. |
| A．It is a mixture of history and legend. |
| B．It features difficult language. |
| C．It speaks highly of an emperor. |
| D．It is a masterpiece of Merlin. |
| A．An effective description. | B．A long-running battle. |
| C．A wonderful feeling. | D．A well-known legend. |
| A．A news report. | B．A history story. |
| C．A book review. | D．A science fiction. |
| A．A puzzle show. | B．A film. | C．A football match. |
8 . The Chicago Botanic Garden opened more than 45 years ago as a beautiful place to visit, and it has matured into one of the world’s great living museums and conservation science centers.
Group Visit Packages
Garden Package
♦$41 per person
♦One activity/tour of your choice
♦Private dining area for one hour and lunch
Tours
Grand Tram Tour
♦35-minute guided tour departs on the hour starting at 10 am
♦Travels 2. 6 miles and shows the entire Garden grounds, including such highlights as 81 acres of lakes, nine islands, and beautiful gardens
♦Maximum capacity of 76 people
♦Available during peak season (April-October)
Activities
Butterflies & Blooms
For $6 more per person, put yourself in a habitat filled with more than 500 butterflies native to South America and North America. From late May through early September, 10 am — 5 pm. This visit takes approximately 20 minutes.
Model Railroad Garden
For $6 more per person, add a unique adventure to your package: 15 model trains journey coast-to-coast across bridges, through tunnels, and past miniature (微型的) scenes of America’s favorite landmarks. From mid-May to late October, 10 am—5 pm. This visit takes approximately 30 minutes.
Specialty Tours
Library Tour
This tour package includes a rare book viewing, a library tour, and an exhibition tour. Maximum 30 people per tour. This tour takes approximately 50 minutes.
Garden Highlights Walking Tour
On this tour, you will be taken to a garden in full bloom. Areas for touring are determined on the day of your visit and are based on blooms and the group’s capacity to walk. This tour takes approximately 35 minutes.
1. What do we know about Grand Tram Tour?| A．It has no time restriction. |
| B．It offers eight tours a day. |
| C．It is available all year round. |
| D．It limits the number of visitors. |
| A．$6. | B．$20. | C．$41. | D．$ 47. |
| A．Library Tour. | B．Model Railroad Garden. |
| C．Butterflies & Blooms. | D．Garden Highlights Walking Tour. |
The course of human history has been shaped by many
In most cases, these breakthroughs have been the results of single-minded efforts
10 . Learning doesn’t have to end when people age. In fact, today’s seniors want to remain socially engaged, intellectually stimulated (智力上活跃的), and an active part of their communities according to The American University Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon, That’s why AUB opened The University for Seniors that gives older adults—50 and up—an opportunity for lifelong learning.
“The goal of the program is to establish a community for seniors to learn for life, most of whom are retirees,” Mira Zaatari, the program assistant manager told Al-Fanar Media. “They can stay engaged physically and mentally here.”
The university includes two three-month semesters and students can take any class they want regardless of their educational level. There are no exams or graduation certificates. This school is all about lifelong learning. The available classes include political science, public health, agriculture, sciences, women’s affairs as well as creative classes about drawing, painting and music. Language classes include English, French and Spanish. The classes are taught by volunteers, including AUB professors, students, and doctors from the university’s hospital.
Seniors can gain a host of benefits by continuing to learn new things. According to Aging Well, that’s because lifelong learning keeps the brain stimulated, challenged and fully engaged. “This helps seniors remain mentally alert while they age. In fact, when people learn new things, the brain—even an older brain—can form new connections and pathways,” it adds.
Keeping physically active is important and so is keeping social connections. That’s why the university provides more than just education.
Former banker Youssef Bakri, 84, has been a student for over 10 years. He pointed out that before the pandemic the university garden was used as a meeting place for socialization and that there were organized field trips.
With the percentage of over 65s in Lebanon’s population growing and the fact that many of these seniors live alone without family members in the country, The University for Seniors is playing a very important role in the lives of its students.
1. Why does AUB launch the program?| A．To do some scientific research on seniors. |
| B．To promote learning among young people. |
| C．To encourage seniors to do volunteer work. |
| D．To offer a lifelong learning place for seniors. |
| A．Get free medical treatment. | B．Pass final exams as a group. |
| C．Choose their classes at will. | D．Obtain graduation certificates. |
| A．explain why learning can benefit seniors |
| B．show the working principle of the brain |
| C．offer advice on how to learn new things |
| D．analyze the advantages of accepting aging |
| A．It is far from suitable for seniors. | B．It has trouble in attracting students. |
| C．It is of great value for its students. | D．It cares little about its students’ health. |
