1 . The West Philadelphia Tool Library

Who are we?

The West Philadelphia Tool Library (WPTL) lends tools to community members so they can perform simple home repairing tasks, tend their yards and gardens, build furniture, start projects, and learn new skills in a safe and affordable manner.

Where are we?

We are on the west side of S. 47th Street about 200 feet south of Woodland Avenue.

WPTL open hours

Monday through Thursday: 5:30 pm-8:30 pm

Friday: Closed

Saturday: 9:00 am-3:00 pm

Sunday: 12:00 pm-3:00 pm

Become a member

To join the Tool Library, stop by during hours of operation to complete the application, or join today by completing the on-line application.

After joining, but before you borrow your first tools, we will ask you to show us two forms of identification, including one that is a government-issued ID photo (like a driver’s license) and one that includes your current address. We also ask you for the names and phone numbers of two references (担保人), who know you well and who could guarantee your reliability in returning tools timely.

Your membership application is not complete until you pay your membership fees. We ask that you pay between $20 and $50 per year based on your income. Consider becoming a Lifetime Member for $400 if you can afford it. The money you pay will help the Tool Library buy more tools that you can borrow.

1. What can we know about the West Philadelphia Tool Library?

A．It collects tools from the locals.	B．It helps the locals repair their tools.
C．It provides the locals with a tool lending service.	D．It sells garden tools to local community members.

2. When are the WPTL tools available to local community members?

A．At 10:00 am on Tuesday.	B．At 6:00 pm on Wednesday.
C．At 9:00 pm on Friday.	D．At 8:30 am over the weekend.

3. What do you have to do if you want to join the West Philadelphia Tool Library?

A．Complete the application.	B．Visit it during hours of operation.
C．Hand in the application in person.	D．Supply WPTL with some tools.

2 . 4 YouTube Channels That You Need to Watch

Yes Theory
6.57M Subscribers

Driven by the motto “Seek Discomfort,” Yes Theory aims to spread a message of positivity and fearlessness through pursuing projects and missions that help bring people outside their comfort zones. There is no doubt that many of us may feel too scared to pursue ambitious goals, which is why Yes Theory takes on some of the most daunting (令人望而却步的) adventures to show people that discomfort helps achieve a great life.

Nas Daily
2.45M Subscribers

Being a graduate of Harvard, Nuseir Yassin, also known as Nas Daily, makes an effort to provide a YouTube channel that highlights the “most incredible humans on planet Earth.” His videos often feature individuals who are creating change in the world, and he also covers some of the most important topics of discussion like climate change.

TED-Ed
13.7M Subscribers

TED-Ed is one of the most famous YouTube channels when it comes to learning and inspiration. The channel has no specific video producer as it features presentations from people all around the world. These videos feature a wide variety of topics, and there is no specific subject that the channel focuses on. Instead, it provides insight into anything that can benefit the viewers, and it truly is a great resource to use if you would like to learn something new.

Be Inspired
7.4M Subscribers

Be Inspired is a YouTube channel that provides videos to help people improve their overall well-being. These videos include a wide variety of topics such as sleep, stress, economics, jobs, setting and achieving goals, and creating plans. The channel also includes short and inspirational videos that help people realize the mistakes they are making and ways to solve them.

1. Which channel encourages viewers to challenge themselves?

A．Be Inspired.

B．Yes Theory.

C．Nas Daily.

D．TED-Ed.

2. What benefit will viewers most probably get from Be Inspired?

A．Learning the latest news.	B．Meeting incredible humans.
C．Having access to job opportunities.	D．Improving their overall well-being.

3. What do the four channels have in common?

A．They are inspirational.

B．They are favored by students.

C．They all have over 6M subscribers.

D．They all have one specific video producer.

3 . There once lived a monster named Nian, who lived deep in the sea and climbed up to eat cattle and ______ people.

Then, one New Year’s Eve, the villagers were in a great ______ to run away. Some were closing windows and locking doors, some were ______ and others were driving cattle and sheep. There came a beggar (乞丐), saying “I’ll drive away the ______ .”

Around ______ Nian rushed into the village. He found the grandmother’s house was bright with red paper ______ on the doors. The monster gave a loud cry, looked ______ for a moment and went to the door. There suddenly came the sounds of explosions (爆炸). Shaking all over, the monster dared not take a step ______ . It turned out that the colour ______ flames and explosions were what Nian feared the most. The monster ran away quickly in the darkness. All the villagers felt ______ and came back to thank the beggar.

To ______ such good luck, the villagers put on their ______ clothes and hats and went to their relatives and friends to send their ______ and congratulations. These ______   have been passed down through the generations, which is the ______ of the Spring Festival.

1.

A．cheat

B．greet

C．kill

D．cheer

2.

A．hurry

B．silence

C．trouble

D．satisfaction

3.

A．complaining

B．sweeping

C．decorating

D．packing

4.

A．monster

B．villager

C．beggar

D．sailor

5.

A．morning

B．noon

C．afternoon

D．midnight

6.

A．staying

B．stuck

C．returning

D．left

7.

A．angrily

B．calmly

C．cheerfully

D．secretly

8.

A．upward

B．downward

C．forward

D．backward

9.

A．black

B．red

C．yellow

D．white

10.

A．amused

B．concerned

C．relieved

D．scared

11.

A．celebrate

B．explore

C．benefit

D．exchange

12.

A．expensive

B．new

C．modern

D．dusty

13.

A．instructions

B．beliefs

C．contributions

D．regards

14.

A．behaviours

B．occasions

C．gestures

D．customs

15.

A．purpose

B．response

C．origin

D．description

4 . Thousands of books are published daily, and book advertisements play a crucial role in increasing awareness about those books. But it’s too easy to be tricked into bad “advertising opportunities” and make the wrong decisions. Here are several forms of digital advertising proven to work well.

Facebook advertising: Facebook provides the perfect advertising platform for authors because it allows targeting very specific categories of people. The other advantage is that it’s easy to test. You can start with a budget as low as $5 and gradually increase your monetary (货币的) commitment if your return on investment is positive.

Amazon advertising: Amazon allows you to show ads about your book directly on other book pages and search result pages. Since their main US rollout in 2017, they’ve become the most effective advertising place for authors.

Bookbub advertising: Bookbub rolled out a self-serve ad platform in 2016, which they’ve greatly improved since. It’s a less competitive playing field than Facebook or Amazon, but it does have its features.

Discount/promotion advertising: If you’re running a discount or free promotion on one of your books, you can apply to have it advertised in the newsletters of platforms such as Freebooksy, Bargainbooksy, etc.

Other types of advertising include search advertising, Goodreads advertising, banner ads on websites, etc. These haven’t produced the same effective results for most authors yet, but they could be just as effective (or more) if you write in a certain field.

1. What is special about the Facebook advertising?

A．It is easy for authors to access.

B．It aims at saving money for readers.

C．It allows adjusting investment by profit.

D．It includes different categories of information.

2. Which is suitable to promote your book with a discount?

A．Facebook.

B．Amazon.

C．Bookbub.

D．Freebooksy.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To get readers to buy more books.

B．To raise people’s reading awareness.

C．To offer authors advertising platforms.

D．To help publishers communicate with readers.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What are the speakers talking about?

A．Benefits of exercise.

B．Ways of keeping fit.

C．Tips for losing weight.

2. What does the scientific journal say about keeping fit?

A．Regular mild physical activity works better.

B．Working out at the gym is the most rewarding.

C．Avoid eating after doing intensive (高强度的) exercise.

3. What does Rashmi do to stay fit?

A．He works out at the gym.

B．He runs in the park.

C．He goes cycling.

6 . New research from the University of Portsmouth has shown a marked increase in shipping in the North East Atlantic. Scientists now warn that more monitoring is required to help protect sea life.

Researchers at the University of Ponsmouth have discovered that rates (率) of shipping in the North East Atlantic area rose by 34 per cent in a five-year period. The research is the first detailed survey of shipping activity in the North East Atlantic. Researchers used data from over 530 million vessel (船) positions recorded by Automatic Identification System(AIS). They looked at the change in shipping between 2013 and 2017 across ten different vessel types. In total the study area covered 1.1 million km², including waters off Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany,Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal. Spain, and the UK.

Lead author, James Robbins said: “This change is likely to put more pressure on the marine (海洋的) environment, and may influence the protection of at-risk species. Renewed monitoring effort is needed to make sure that protective measures are enough to save species under threat in a changing environment.”

Some of the greatest shipping increases were found in areas close to the Spanish coast. The Espacio Marino de la Costa da Morte saw a rise of 413 percent in vessel activity. It is an area used to protect seabirds.

Dr. Sarah Marley, Visiting Researcher at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Shipping is the most widespread human activity in our oceans, carrying a set of threats-from unnoticeable effects like underwater noise pollution to serious results when ships hit whales.”

Professor Alex Ford. from the University’s Institute of Marine Sciences, said: “Given the well-documented effects that shipping can have on the marine environment, it is necessary that this situation continues to be monitored-particularly in areas used to protect vulnerable (脆弱的) species which may already be under pressure.”

1. What can we say about the new research?

A．It started in 2013.	B．It is the first of its kind.
C．It was carried out by AIS.	D．It covers the whole Atlantic.

2. What do the underlined words “This change” in paragraph 3 refer to ?

A．Rapid population growth.

B．Rising global temperatures.

C．The huge increase in shipping.

D．The disappearance of marine life.

3. What does Dr. Sarah Marley want to tell us in paragraph 5?

A．Shipping plays an important role in the local economy.

B．Shipping can be a danger to the marine environment.

C．Noise pollution is closely related to human activity.

D．Marine areas should be monitored more carefully.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．New waterways across the Atlantic

B．The shipping industry in the North East Atlantic

C．New research opens windows into life under the water

D．Sea life needs better protection from an increase in shipping

7 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容 (1个单词) 或括号内单词的正确形式。

The first underwater tunnel—Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel in South Asia, undertaken by China Communications Construction Company, opened in Bangladesh on Saturday.

    1     (locate) at the mouth of the Karnaphuli River, the tunnel connects the east and west banks of the river. It is 9. 3 kilometers long, has four lanes and is designed for speeds of 80 kilometers per hour. Major technical     2     (difficult) in construction had to be overcome, such as geological structures. To solve the problems, the project team applied the world’s     3     (large) steel casing (框架) , which allowed specialized machinery     4     (enter) and exit the tunnel.

The project, which was designed     5     Chinese standards, built using Chinese equipment and managed by Chinese enterprises,     6     (accomplish) as a successful exploration of China’s complete industrial chain for the construction of tunnels overseas, and will become     7     shining business card abroad.

As part of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor, the tunnel is an important link in the Belt and Road Initiative. Not only will it     8     (great) improve transportation conditions in Chattogram     9     will drive economic development in Bangladesh. Moreover, it improves the Asian highway network, promotes connectivity between Bangladesh and     10     (neighbor) countries and will encourage the internationalization of Bangladesh’s development.

8 . General Art Contests

THE SUNNY ART PRIZE

Prize       A total cash fund of £6,000 plus an individual exhibition in London.

Entry Fee       £25 for one artwork, up to £45 for four artworks.

Requirements       Open to artists worldwide aged 18 and over.

Closing Date       June 30, 2024

One of the most diverse art competitions in the UK, the Sunny Art Prize offers unique exposure for both emerging and established artists.

BEAUTIFUL BIZARRE ART PRIZE

Prize       Over $50,000 in cash and prizes to be won. Plus, global exposure through Beautiful Bizarre Magazine. Winners will also participate in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s group exhibition at Haven Gallery in New York later this year.

Entry Fee       $40 per entry

Requirements       Open to artists worldwide working in the representational visual arts.

Closing Date       July 17, 2024

The Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, now in its 5th year, is an annual international art prize that celebrates diversity and excellence in the representational visual arts.

MADE IN CALIFORNIA COMPETITION

Prize       $750 first prize, $500 second prize.

Entry Fee       $20 per entry

Requirements       Open to artists based in California.

Closing Date       February 16, 2024

Hosted by the Brea Gallery, the Made in California Competition provides a promotional opportunity for all artists based in the state of California.

ARTISTS MAGAZINE ANNUAL ART COMPETITION

Prize       Over $29,000 in cash prizes and publication in Artists Magazine.

Entry Fee       $40 ($35 if submitted before April 3)

Requirements       Open to artists over 18 worldwide working in a traditional medium.

Closing Date       May 30, 2024

Artists Magazine’s Annual Art Competition celebrates traditional 2D artistic mediums such as painting, digital art, and much more. All winners’ works will be featured in the January/February 2025 issue of Artists Magazine.

1. Which art contest offers the opportunity for a group exhibition?

A．THE SUNNY ART PRIZE.

B．BEAUTIFUL BIZARRE ART PRIZE.

C．MADE IN CALIFORNIA COMPETITION.

D．ARTISTS MAGAZINE ANNUAL ART COMPETITION.

2. How much should a contestant pay for a January submission to Brea Gallery?

A．$20.

B．$25.

C．$35.

D．$40.

3. What do these general art contests have in common?

A．They are held every year.	B．They are open to emerging artists only.
C．They provide winners with added bonus.	D．They celebrate excellence in traditional arts.

9 . Studies continue to show how important strong friendships are to our overall health. Here’re the rules you are supposed to know to keep strong and healthy friendships.

    1     Everyone needs a support network. When you consider yourself the friend of another, you’re implicitly offering to be a part of his or her support network. What’s more, without trust and honesty, there is no authenticity (真实性) to the friendship.

Be all ears to your friends. Too often, we only “half hear” what others are telling us, and have a hard time making space for caring about others’ conditions.     2     If we don’t truly know what our friends need or can’t clearly express how we feel or what we need, friendships won’t survive or continue.

Throw away the judgment.     3     Good friends are able to realize that everyone is human. Friends don’t have to necessarily “like” or “approve” of their friends’ choices, but good friends will accept their friends’ choices no matter what.

Forgive (原谅) where you can — and seek forgiveness when you make a mess of something. No one promises to bring perfection to a relationship, so being willing to accept and forgive the weaknesses of others makes you more likely to build a lasting friendship.     4    

Respect your friends and their boundaries. Everyone has a right to set up personal boundaries to feel safe and respected. Some friends may have a difficult time letting people get close to them for fear of being hurt.     5     Give them the space they need to feel comfortable, and let the relationship deepen over time.

A．Don’t crowd your friends.

B．Offer them what they need.

C．Support, trust, and honesty are givens.

D．But friendships don’t need to be perfect.

E．True friends don’t judge each other’s choices.

F．However, friendships require attention and care.

G．It’s also important that we’re able to recognize when we make mistakes.

10 . Top Wonders of the World

From India to Rome, these sights will inspire your next historical vacation.

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Constructed from 1632 to 1648, the property covers 42 acres, including its beautiful gardens.

Best time to go: Late spring and early summer in this part of India has often severe heat. Then come monsoons. November to February is your best chance for pleasant weather. The sunrises here are highly admired.

The Great Wall

The Great Wall of China is the world’s longest wall and one of the most famous landmarks in China. Dating back to about 700 BCE, it stretches over 13,000 miles and was designed to protect the country from invaders.

Best time to go: Plan for a spring or fall trip when the weather is nicer and fewer people visit. Summertime is often hot and crowded, and winter can be extremely cold in northern China.

Petra

Located in the Kingdom of Jordan, Petra was built directly into the cliffside around 312 BCE by the Nabataeans. The city includes temples, tombs, and its most well-known building — the Treasury.

Best time to go: Summer can get very hot in Jordan, and winter is much colder than you may realize. Weatherwise, aim for spring or fall.

The Colosseum

The Colosseum remains Rome’s top attraction. Built in the first century by Emperor Vespasian, the massive theater spans 620 by 513 feet, which would hold 80,000 people.

Best time to go: You’ll find fewer tourists there during Rome’s low season (winter), weekdays and during the opening hour or near closing time. If you show up in summer at midday, it’s going to be hot!

1. What’s the best time to travel to Taj Mahal?

A．March.

B．July.

C．October.

D．December.

2. Which of the following has the longest history?

A．Taj Mahal.

B．The Great Wall.

C．Petra.

D．The Colosseum.

3. Where can we most probably read the passage?

A．In a research paper.	B．In a travel brochure.
C．In a science magazine.	D．In a geography textbook.