| A．A painting. | B．A photo. | C．An exhibition. |
1. Why did the woman have to stay at the bottom of the mountain?
| A．She was worn out. | B．She was scared of heights. | C．She loved the scenery there. |
| A．Relaxing on the beach. | B．Sailing in a boat. | C．Diving under water. |
| A．One hour. | B．Two hours. | C．Four hours. |
| A．Boating. | B．Cave exploring. | C．Rock climbing. |
| A．Online videos. | B．Virtual reality. | C．Phone applications. |
4 . Cruise (邮轮) tourism is becoming popular with some 36 million passengers expected to cruise in 2024. Have a look at new ships provided by cruise lines.
DISNEY TREASURE
The 800-passenger Disney Treasure will mirror its sister ship Disney Wish while focusing more on mystery and adventure atmospheres on the high seas as opposed to a fairy-tale theme. Kids who loved the Frozen-themed dining experience on Disney Wish can move into the world of Encanto at a new themed restaurant, Plaza de Coco, on board Treasure.
ICON OF THE SEAS
Icon of the Seas will travel Caribbean waters as the largest cruise ship in the world, with a maximum onboard capacity of 7,600 guests. Passengers can expect a floating festival of entertainment, including the world’s largest waterpark at sea, featuring six water slides, a pool and much more.
RIVERSIDE MOZART
With a top-class hotel feel, the 1400-passenger Riverside Mozart will launch along the Danube in 2024, visiting such cities as Vienna and Bratislava. It includes an indoor pool and steam rooms, plus four restaurants spread across four decks (甲板).
SEABOURN PURSUIT
Expedition (远征) cruising is more appealing than ever these days. Seabourn Pursuit, half the passenger number of Riverside Mozart, entered service in August 2023. It has a 24-person expedition team to maximize adventures on land and at sea in destinations in the South Pacific and Antarctica, all among the itineraries (行程) for 2024.
1. What is special about Disney Treasure?| A．It creates a mysterious mood. | B．It is based on a fairy-tale theme. |
| C．It provides a kids-only restaurant. | D．It offers the same meal as Disney Wish. |
| A．They have top-class hotels. | B．They visit beautiful cities. |
| C．They offer water activities. | D．They have famous restaurants. |
| A．Disney Treasure. | B．Icon of the Seas. |
| C．Riverside Mozart. | D．Seabourn Pursuit. |
5 . Three-dimensional printing, a technology that creates objects layer by layer, has revolutionized (变革) the way we make things. Recently, a group of Chinese scientists took things a step further by using this technology to create realistic replicas (复制品) of human organs.
Previously, it was challenging to create a single material that could print different human organs due to their complexity. The research team from Chinese Academy of Sciences started by using hydrogel (水凝), a soft gel-like material as the main ingredient.
Human organs have various textures (质地), with our brains being the softest. To replicate the hardness of materials like bone, the researchers added metallic elements to the hydrogel and adjusted their ratio (比例) to create the texture of each organ. Besides, to make sure the printing results are correct, the team used light-curing (光固化) technology in the 3D printing process. A special lamp was placed under the printing machine, causing the gel to become solid right after it was printed.
According to the team’s paper published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, they are able to produce organ models including the brain, lungs, and intestines (肠). These 3D printed organ models are essential for medical researches, such as testing medical equipment and demonstrating surgeries. Compared to live organs and animal models, they are also ethically (伦理上) acceptable since they are printed artificially. They can help researchers develop new treatments more efficiently, due to their lower relative cost, commented the Alliance of Advanced Biomedical Engineering website. However, this method is still developing, and experts are hoping it will be used in the medical field within a decade, according to CNN.
1. What was the main challenge in printing human organs?| A．The complexity of human organs. | B．The various textures of human organs. |
| C．The difficulty in creating proper materials. | D．The lack of appropriate printing technology. |
| A．By controlling the number of metallic elements. |
| B．By using light-curing technology before printing. |
| C．By solidifying the gel immediately after printing. |
| D．By putting a special lamp on the printing machine. |
| A．This technology is still in the period of theory. |
| B．3D printed organs are of great medical significance. |
| C．The printed organs are more effective in the treatment. |
| D．Live organs and animal models are more acceptable ethically. |
| A．The Power of 3D Printing | B．Printing the Body Parts |
| C．Revolutionary Technology | D．Finding New Materials for Organs |
6 . Clothes Upcycling (升级改造) Contest 2024
Are you passionate about fashion and the environment? Do you have a creative mind and want to make a positive impact on the planet? Then we have a contest for you!
We are excited to launch the Love Your Chelmsford Upcycling Clothes Contest for secondary school ages(11-18 years), to promote extending the life of our clothes and save them from going to landfills! Upcycling clothes has many benefits including reducing the impact of buying new on natural resources and reducing your carbon footprint.
You have to create clothes from used materials, and transform them into something new and exciting. Each applicant can be one individual person or one group. Applicants can apply multiple times, but only be qualified to win with one submission (提交).
How to Participate:To enter, you must be a resident of Chelmsford and aged 11-18. We will require a before and after picture of your shoes or clothes upcycling project along with a description of the materials and techniques that you used to create your masterpiece (作品). Please send your submission to loveyourchelmsford@chelmsford.gov.uk by June 30, 2024.
Recommended:Show the creation process of your masterpiece and share where everything came from.
Prizes:*Up to 100 applicants will have the option to be listed on our website to sell their upcycled work.
*The most impressive upcycled masterpiece will win a £100 Gift Voucher (礼品券) to shop at Glass Onion, plus there are 5 runner-up prizes of a 183-piece sewing kit.
1. What do we know about the contest?| A．Group work will not be accepted. |
| B．The participants can apply more than once. |
| C．One participant can win more than one prize. |
| D．Winning pieces will be selected on June 30, 2024. |
| A．A picture of the remaining materials. | B．A list of tools involved. |
| C．A description of the techniques used. | D．A video of the making process. |
| A．A £100 Gift Voucher. | B．An amount of cash. |
| C．A free trip to Glass Onion. | D．A 183-piece sewing kit. |
7 . The Best Places for Camping Near Portland
Lost Lake
With 148 campsites, Lost Lake has plenty of room for everyone who wants to go camping near Portland. In addition to a place to park up for the night, the park also has numerous trails to explore, a public boat launch and a fishing dock(码头). But there are no electrical connections available.
Price: Tent sites range from $29- $32 depending on their location.
The Vintages Trailer Resort
Located in the heart of the Willamette Valley, camping in a vintage trailer can be a lot of fun, offering a unique lodging experience. It is a pretty luxurious experience, with terrycloth robes, pour-over coffee, and breathtaking views of the neighboring vineyards. There are plenty things to do in the surrounding valley, but primarily it is one of the nation’s top wine-producing regions.
Price: Each trailer varies.
Beaver Campground
Located in between huge old maple trees and sycamores(悬铃木), Beaver Campground makes a great place to stay. The surrounding forest is a great place to explore, and as the campgrounds are small, with only 24 campsites, you will really feel as though you are in the middle of nowhere.
Price: Between $20- $100 a night.
Oxbow Regional Park
One of the most picturesque places to go camping, the perfect place for swimming, rafting, fishing and much more, the park offers 74 drive-up campsites, each of which comes with a picnic table, fire pit, and cooking grill, and there are also 12 RV sites.
Price: $22 a night
1. What can you do in the Lost Lake?| A．Swim in the lake. | B．Use your rice cooker. |
| C．Take part in water activities. | D．Explore the surrounding forest. |
| A．Lost Lake. | B．Beaver Campground. |
| C．The Vintages Trailer Resort. | D．Oxbow Regional Park. |
| A．Beaver Campground charges the most. |
| B．Price ranges from place to place. |
| C．All places carry out the same pricing policy. |
| D．Oxbow Regional Park enjoys the lowest price. |
8 . “Hello Mother, Dad, and Blanche,” a quiet voice, has clearly been played many times over. “How’s everything at home? I’m recording this from Dallas…” The disc is small, seven inches across, dated October 1954. The old label shows that the speaker’s name is “Gene”. Gene suggests in his minute-long message that he is traveling and tells his family not to worry about him.
This forgotten sound is one of the world’s early “voice mails”. During the first half of the 20th century, these “voice mails” and other messages were recorded largely, pressed onto metal discs and vinyl records (黑胶唱片) and mailed in places all over the world. When Thomas Edison invented the phonograph (留声机) in 1877, he expected a device that could reproduce music and even store languages.
The gramophone, a later form of the phonograph developed by Emile Berliner in 1887, provided a first possibility for recorded sound being used for long distance communication. The practice of sending “voice mails” really got going across the world in the 1930s and 1940s. Back then, families could listen to the messages on repeat — gathering together around the record player whenever one arrived. They could play it proudly again anytime there were guests, but with each play, the needle would scrape away at the grooves (凹槽) until the message could hardly be heard any longer.
Today at Princeton University, professor Thomas Levin is trying to store these sounds of the past. Linguists (语言学家) are particularly interested in “voice mails” because it provides some of the earliest-ever recorded samples of how regular people spoke — their conversational vocabulary, their pronunciation and accents, their sentence structure and their intonation (语调).
1. Why did Gene record his voice in the disc?| A．To let his family know he was OK. | B．To prepare for his experiment. |
| C．To test an old vinyl record. | D．To keep a memory. |
| A．People couldn’t listen to the music in it. |
| B．It couldn’t keep voice in the records very clear. |
| C．The recorded sound would be damaged by the needle. |
| D．The needle of the gramophone must be changed often. |
| A．To research the earliest-ever recorded voice. |
| B．To prove recorded samples are true. |
| C．To learn from famous historical linguists. |
| D．To reproduce the sound of the past. |
| A．The Early Days of Recorded Sound | B．The Importance of “Voice Mails” |
| C．The Development of Our Language | D．The History of “Voice Mails” |
9 . If you had an extra $100, how would you use it to bring more kindness in your community? If you have a creative response to that question, read our FAQ below and apply for our monthly contest.
What is it?
Kindness-In-Action helps individuals put kindness idea into action. People from all around the world submit their ideas on what they would do if they had an extra $100, and KindSpring selects a winner every month.
How does it work?
First, you submit your idea, and if it gets selected, you’ll hear from one of our volunteer reviewers about setting up a phone or Skype call. Following that, we’ll mail you a check, you’ll have a month to implement (实施) the idea in your community, and then share your experience and photos with the KindSpring community. We’ll also feature it in our monthly newsletter that reaches more than 100 thousand people in 150 countries, so others can share the idea and spread more love!
What is the criteria for selection?
Your personal intention, creative use of Smile. Cards, potential ripple effect (连锁反应) in the local community, and the votes from the KindSpring community (existing members can login and vote as well). Ultimately, we are trying to inspire small (not big!) acts of kindness.
How did you start?
We received an unexpected donation in May. To share in the joy, we posted a small blurb in our online community asking for ideas. In less than couple weeks, more than 50 ideas were submitted and dozens of people helped us evaluate the ideas by adding “smiles”. On July 1st, we announced our first winner and a commitment to continue this experiment. The aim of the experiment continues to be: To inspire creative acts of kindness in local communities, to empower individuals to practice generosity, to model a trust-drive philanthropy(慈善事业), and to spread good ideas.
Click Here to Apply. Or join our community and help us select the next winner
1. What can we learn from the text?
| A．A winner is selected every year. |
| B．Only people from America can submit their ideas. |
| C．An unexpected act of kindness contributes to its origin. |
| D．The one selected needs to use his or her own money to implement the idea. |
| A．To choose more wise consumers. |
| B．To promote international cooperation. |
| C．To arouse people to express themselves. |
| D．To encourage acts of kindness and spread good ideas. |
| A．A textbook | B．A guidebook | C．A website | D．A report. |
10 . In a recent game of pickleball, my teammate and I were falling far behind other teams. It was her turn to serve. We were both standing behind the baseline, paddles(球拍) up in ready position, when she nodded at me and said, “In it to win it.”
“Really?” I looked at her, surprised by her use of a catchy expression that was new to me. My inner self was never ready to accept even the tiniest suggestion that we should be trying to win the game.
In my life off the pickleball court, I enjoy yoga, folk dancing—anything but games with winners and losers, and I always prefer to be a observer rather than a participant in the world of sports.
Then pickleball came along. Suddenly, I didn’t want to be an observer any longer. I wanted to be a player myself. Like many people, I was first drawn to the game simply as a safe COVID-19 activity. Playing outdoors with people in my neighborhood allowed me to break out of social isolation(隔离).
But my addiction to the game comes from the sport’s low barrier of entry. The equipment isn’t particularly expensive. It’s a relatively easy game to learn, and a participant doesn’t need to be especially strong, tall or fast. Little wonder that everyone can now be seen throwing a green, orange or yellow plastic ball with holes in it across a net.
Pickleball is the first game I’ve ever wanted to win. I think it’s because of the excitement I feel when I hit an unreturnable ball down the middle of the court and score a point. Participating in a sport myself rather than cheering for others provides real proof that I can still work hard to achieve goals.
So, I’ve made a long-term commitment to it. I am embracing the game as my pickleball buddies embrace me. I’d forgotten how much fun it is to socialize while, doing something active. In that playful space of the court, I am facing directly my fears of winning and losing. In the meantime, doing something outside of my comfort zone feels magical. Now I wonder what contests I might be brave enough to enter next.
1. Why was the author surprised by what her teammate said in the recent game?| A．She thought her teammate was too weak. | B．She hadn’t considered winning or losing. |
| C．She didn’t know what her teammate meant. | D．She misunderstood the rules of the game. |
| A．It is what she is good at. | B．It allows her to make new friends. |
| C．It is affordable and accessible. | D．It has many health benefits. |
| A．She has overcome her fears of competitive sports. | B．She has realized her own limitations. |
| C．She has become a more energetic person. | D．She has recognized her talents for sports. |
| A．Become a professional athlete. | B．Recommend pickleball to more friends. |
| C．Explore some extreme sports. | D．Continue playing pickleball. |
