1. What does the speaker say about Castle Howard?
A.It took its name from a film. |
B.It has been home to a family. |
C.It was once used for defence. |
A.It’s open every day of the year. |
B.It’s the largest garden in England. |
C.It’s planted with many kinds of roses. |
A.A tour guide. | B.A gardener. | C.A news reporter. |
1. What does Miyako want to do?
A.Make a call. | B.Send a card. | C.Hold a party. |
A.Making an apology. |
B.Giving an explanation. |
C.Sharing an experience. |
3 . Acupuncture (针灸) is a traditional Chinese medical practice of treating various physical and mental conditions. It won respect and interest in the United States after New York Times reporter James Reston visited China with President Nixon and needed an operation.
Chinese doctors used acupuncture on James after surgery (外科手术) to reduce his pain, and his recovery was quick. Curious about this, James was allowed to watch surgery on patients who received acupuncture for anesthesia (麻醉). Patients talked with their doctors during the operation and then walked back to their rooms on their own.
Acupuncture left James such a deep impression that he wrote a front-page article in New York Times about his operation upon returning to the United States. “A leading medical expert sent by Premier Zhou Enlai removed my appendix (阑尾). I was awake in the whole process.”
The National Institutes of Health began to organize some of their top doctors to visit China to investigate acupuncture and its possible functions in western medicine. With years going by, acupuncture has become popular across the world with magical effect.
1. What did James Reston do?A.A reporter. | B.A doctor. | C.A translator. | D.A scientist. |
A.Receive. | B.Study. | C.Create. | D.Develop. |
A.It is a traditional Chinese medical practice. |
B.It treats physical and mental conditions. |
C.It is a kind of surgery to reduce pain. |
D.It is popular for its magical effect. |
1. Where will the speakers go first?
A.A shop. | B.A museum. | C.A restaurant. |
A.Tasting Indian food. | B.Taking a walk. | C.Seeing unique animals. |
A.They don’t have enough money. |
B.The shopping mall is a little far. |
C.It will take them too much time. |
A.By subway. | B.On foot. | C.By car. |
A.Its funny plot. | B.Its actors. | C.Its music. |
The best time to visit Toronto is typically in the spring (April and May) or during the fall (September to early November). At these times, you’ll likely find fewer crowds, cheaper accommodations, and the best weather for sightseeing as it is neither too hot nor too cold.
Getting AroundThe Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) makes it easy to get around the city via many buses, subway, and streetcars. Figuring out how to get where you want to go is easily done using the TTC’s convenient Trip Planner.
Travel TipWhile you may choose to base yourself near many of the city’s main landmarks, it’s also worth taking some time to explore some great neighborhoods that each offer their own unique charms, including colorful Kensington Market, the Junction, Leslieville, and Little India.
Things to DoGet a Dose of Art & Culture: The Royal Ontario Museum is Canada’s largest museum and showcases everything from art and archaeology to natural science in over 30 galleries. Or, stop by the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), one of the largest art museums in North America with a collection of more than 90,000 works of art.
Take in the Views From the CN Tower: High-speed elevators send visitors to the top of the tower in just 58 seconds for full views over the city. You can even try EdgeWalk to experience a hands-free walk around the main pod of the tower, 116 stories above the ground.
Spend a Day in the Distillery District: Explore the historic Distillery District to walk casually among Victorian-era buildings on pedestrian-only cobblestone streets filled with shops, cafes, and restaurants.
1. If a tourist travels to Toronto in October, what is he likely to find?A.Free attractions. | B.Discounted hotels. |
C.Extreme weather. | D.Crowded scenic spots. |
A.Help people buy tickets. | B.Help tourists in urgent situations. |
C.Guide people to their destinations. | D.Introduce scenic spots to tourists. |
A.It is home to over 90,000 artworks. |
B.It’s noted for its Victorian-era buildings. |
C.It’s one of the largest museums in Canada. |
D.Its displays range from art to natural science. |
A.Little India. | B.EdgeWalk. | C.The Junction. | D.The Distillery District. |
A.Planning Your Trip in Toronto |
B.Some Hidden Truth about Toronto |
C.The Main Tourist Attractions in Toronto |
D.The Reasons for the Popularity of Toronto |
7 . Feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list can certainly make you unhappy, but new research suggests that more free time might not be the magic medicine many of us dream it could be.
In a new study, researchers found that people with more free time generally had higher levels of subjective well-being, but only up to a point.
People who had up to two hours of free time a day generally reported they felt better than those who’d had less time. But people who had five or more hours of free time a day generally said they felt worse. So ultimately the free-time “sweet spot” might be two to three hours per day, the findings suggest.
Part of finding the “sweet spot” has to do with how people spend the extra time they have. The researchers conducted several smaller online experiments. In one they asked participants to imagine having 3½ to seven free hours per day. They were asked to imagine spending that time doing “productive” things (like exercising) or to imagine doing “unproductive” activities (like watching TV). Study participants believed their well-being would suffer if they had a lot of free time during the day, but only if they used it unproductively. In other words, how people use their free time matters.
Of course, what feels “productive” is up to you. If watching two hours of Real Housewives in your free time increases your happiness, you should do that. And even more traditionally productive or purposeful activities can be easy and fun. Engaging in a bit of low-key cardio, like walking, can help burn stress. Free-time activities like reading, cooking or gaming are also known to put people in a state of flow.
In cases when people do find themselves with huge amounts of free time, such as retirement or having left a job,” Sharif said, “our results suggest these individuals would benefit from spending their newfound time with purpose.”
1. According to the study, how many hours of free time brings the best feelings?A.3 to 7 hours. | B.5 hours or more. | C.Up to 2 hours. | D.2 or 3 hours. |
A.The busier, the happier. |
B.The more free time, the better. |
C.Purposeful activities increase happiness. |
D.Retirement makes people depressed and unhappy. |
A.Getting stuck in silence. | B.Having a poor-quality sleep. |
C.Struggling with a dull book. | D.Enjoying classic music. |
A.To make a new schedule. | B.To do more housework. |
C.To watch more TV. | D.To find a new job. |
A.Stories. | B.Life. | C.Science. | D.Sports. |
8 . A common claim states that a sheet of paper cannot be folded in half more than seven times. But is this true?
In 2002, Britney Gallivan, then a junior in high school in Pomona, California, folded a single piece of paper in half 12 times. She currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most times to fold a sheet of paper in half.
The prompt that led Gallivan to accomplish these feats was an extra-credit challenge in math class to fold anything in half 12 times. Her teacher asked the students to fold something thicker: a piece of paper.
Gallivan said “it was very frustrating, as I had many unsuccessful attempts at trying to fold different papers in half. I began to question if folding paper in half more than eight times could be impossible.” However, Gallivan recalled. “I knew I needed to understand what was limiting the folding progression.”
The equations that Gallivan came up with calculated how many times a sheet of paper could be folded. She found that in order to fold many times, a long thin sheet is needed — the more a sheet is folded, the thicker the resulting stack becomes, and once the stack becomes thicker than it is long, there is nothing left to fold. She ultimately set her record with a sheet of tissue paper she found online that was 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) — more than three-quarters of a mile, or over a kilometer — long, Guinness World Records noted.
“Working on the problem took a tremendous amount of time and effort,” Gallivan said. “As frustrating as it was at times, I learned an immense amount from the experience, which has been valuable to me throughout my life in more capacities than one would expect.”
Since Gallivan set her record, others have made claims of folding a sheet of paper more than 12 times. Still, “I anticipate that my current record will be surpassed,” Gallivan said.
1. Which was commonly considered the most times that paper can be folded in half?A.7. | B.8. | C.9. | D.12. |
A.the stack is as thick as its length | B.the paper is neither long nor thin |
C.the stack is thicker than its length | D.the paper is longer than its thickness |
A.It’s risky. | B.It’s fruitless. | C.It’s meaningless. | D.It’s energy-consuming. |
A.Worthwhile. | B.Unsuccessful. | C.Miserable. | D.Regretful. |
A.Gallivan’s record is impossible to break. |
B.Folding paper in half is merely a math problem. |
C.Folding things in half may not be limited to 12. |
D.Folding paper 12 times is a required credit in maths class. |
There was a state
But the king didn’t agree with him. “I think we should treat the prisoners of war
Then another one said, “Your majesty, I think all the prisoners should be set free and sent back home to work in the fields and support
The king thought the official’s proposal was quite reasonable so he accepted and followed it. As a result,
10 . I received a phone call from a credit card company. With the craziness of the holidays, I had missed a
A few days later, as I’m walking to
I take it inside. And I’m not going to
The agent has sent me flowers with a note of
To that
A.chance | B.payment | C.shot | D.conference |
A.embarrassed | B.tolerant | C.understanding | D.delightful |
A.motherhood | B.childhood | C.likelihood | D.neighborhood |
A.average | B.strange | C.expected | D.total |
A.hours | B.minutes | C.seconds | D.weeks |
A.reach | B.take | C.check | D.answer |
A.flower | B.food | C.snack | D.toy |
A.sent | B.posted | C.claimed | D.misdelivered |
A.account | B.postbox | C.package | D.address |
A.credit | B.name | C.resume | D.status |
A.complain | B.boast | C.lie | D.explain |
A.card | B.secret | C.item | D.article |
A.loser | B.stranger | C.winner | D.visitor |
A.appreciation | B.warning | C.apology | D.encouragement |
A.confused | B.depressed | C.touched | D.amused |
A.call | B.send | C.owe | D.assign |
A.agent | B.offer | C.case | D.manager |
A.achieved | B.spoiled | C.made | D.accomplished |
A.request | B.advise | C.demand | D.remind |
A.love | B.modesty | C.passion | D.integrity |