1 . Do you want to up skill your autumn? From mastering the science of happiness to cooking, these free online courses will teach you some life skills in the cold, dark months.
Cook with bacteria
Everyone’s talking about gut bacteria (肠道细菌), which help digestion. In this free 14-week course from Harvard University, you’ll learn how to cook the foods that make them pop (出现). In this course, you’ll be guided through making bread, soy source, pickles and more. Organized by Harvard-founded Edx. org, you can sign up at any time and work at your own pace.
Become a global citizen
Our world faces great challenges-how can we act as citizens to create a better society for all? Find out how to make a difference to the world on this Bristol University course. It’s created by Future learn, which offers online courses from top universities. On the free plan you’ll need to complete the course in four weeks.
Master the science of happiness
What is happiness? How do we achieve it? The science of happiness is an eight-week course from the University of California, taught by top researchers in the field. Students learn how to apply the most up-to-date research to their own lives. It’s no surprise that it’s one of the most
Play your first chords (和弦)
Every future Jimi Hendrix has to start somewhere. In this six-week online course, pro guitarist Michael Palmisano takes you through the first steps on the road to leading campfire sing-alongs. The course has been taken by 62.000 students already on Udemy. com.
1. Which course is suitable for a healthy food lover?| A．Cook with bacteria | B．Become a global citizen |
| C．Master the science of happiness | D．Play your first chords |
| A．The courses last at least two months. |
| B．The courses provide hands-on practice for learners. |
| C．The courses are taught by professors from top universities. |
| D．The courses are free of charge. |
| A．Body and Mind. | B．Sports & Fitness. |
| C．History & Art. | D．Society & Culture. |
2 . Chinese netizens recently expressed amazement at a map filled with thickly dotted (以点标出) signs clearly marking the country’s historic sites and cultural relics (文物). The map was made by Wu Yunjie, who was born in the 1990s. CCTV News reported.
Wu is passionate about cultural relics and has a deep interest in history. When he was in college, he would often make use of his spare time to travel around the country, exploring and documenting (记录) ancient sites.
In 2020, he started collecting information on cultural relic protection units and uploaded the data to the mapping software. As some of the information is not fully shown and many historical sites in rural areas cannot be located specifically, Wu spent a lot of time on research and carrying out on-site visits. Though faced with many difficulties, Wu has joy in “this job”. “China’s thousands of years of civilization has left us with a vast and rich historical heritage (遗产),” he said.
The map is popular online, and a netizen posted, “I actually found the ancient tower around my house on the map!” However, in Wu’s eyes, the map is not perfect, as it recorded less than two percent of the over 760,000 immovable cultural relics in the country’s third national survey of cultural relics. It is also a pity that the map cannot be shared as an online map yet due to technical limitations. But Wu has been working on improving it. “If possible, I’d also like to document the cultural relics that have been lost overseas. Those treasures may not be able to return to their homeland for the time being, but the stories that they carry are what we need to see.”
1. What was Wu’s contribution according to the CCTV News report?| A．He designed a new mapping software for tourists. |
| B．He explored ancient sites around the country. |
| C．He recorded the country’s historical heritage on the map. |
| D．He shared information about relic protection online. |
| A．Disappointing and regrettable. | B．Successful and productive. |
| C．Challenging but worthwhile. | D．Exciting but tiring. |
| A．Some lost historical treasures are not included in the map. |
| B．Wu is going to write stories about lost cultural relics overseas. |
| C．The map will be put into use online in the near future. |
| D．All the ancient towers can be found on the map. |
| A．Lost Cultural Treasures Overseas returned home |
| B．Man Makes Map of Historical and Cultural Relics |
| C．Wu Yunjie, a History Lover Promoting Chinese Culture |
| D．A Popular Mapping Software became a hit abroad |
3 . Imagine the feeling of swinging at a baseball going 100 miles per hour-without leaving your living room, or being in race car as it roars down the track, while you are sitting on the couch.
These are just some of the ways that sports business leaders say virtual reality (VR) will revolutionize how people train for and experience sports. Virtual and augmented (增强的) realities are together known as mixed reality (MR). “American footballers are already using VR to better train their minds and read the field,” Ludden said. “This can allow players to perfect their skills without risking injury.”
Canadian company D-BOX Technologies designs and produces moving seats found in cinema and theme parks. It is now moving into sports, and shows its Formula One (F1) racing simulator (模拟器). The seats stimulate the force of gravity, speed and every shaking as F1 champion Lewis Hamilton zips around city streets.
A simulation seat uses pre-programed data now. Someday, though, it could use real-time information sent by the car. “They could broadcast live content through a network in pop-up theaters around the world,” Ludden said. Say you want to experience the true stress of a batter being up against major-league baseball pitcher. “You can have a heart beat added to the sensation on the seat and then you can feel it, boom, boom,” Maheu explained. “When he swings and hits the ball, you can have an impact.”
One day, fans around the world could physically experience every game from their favorite player in real time. Ludden said that current and near-future technology could create “augmented stadiums” for live audiences. Panasonic launched its “Smart Venue” plans which included the overlaying of graphics, advertisements, player statistics and replays on the field of play at a pro football game. “If you are seated in the cheap seats, you can see this really useful.” Fans may someday join in stadium wide games, using the field as a virtual gaming platform,” Ludden added.
1. What does the underlined phrase “read the field” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Get off the playing field. | B．Judge the situation on the field. |
| C．Build up a football court. | D．Ask players to play on the spot. |
| A．Enjoy live content in any theater. |
| B．Program the simulation seats in advance. |
| C．Experience the real time game with the player. |
| D．Control the force and speed of the baseball. |
| A．The origin of VR. | B．The expectations of audiences. |
| C．An advertisement platform. | D．A future stadium. |
With One Small Gesture
A. I just looked at him in disbelief. It was at the very moment that I realized with one small gesture you can change a person’s life.
B. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became friends. The more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him. When we began to think about college, Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke.
C. One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw my new classmate Kyle walking home from school, seemingly with all of his books.
D. Graduation day came and Kyle was selected as the speaker at the graduation ceremony. He told the story of the first day we met. He told of how he had planned to drop out of school because of loneliness at the new place and how he had cleaned out his locker so he would never come back.
E. All of a sudden, a bunch of kids crashed him, knocking down all his books and tripping him His glasses went flying and I saw terrible sadness in his eyes. As I handed him his glasses, he looked at me and said thanks with a grateful look on his face.
5 . Cultural Differences of Teenagers
Knowing the cultural differences between yourself and others of your age can help you understand friends who are of a different race or culture.
Family
Family comes first in the Asian culture.
Friendship
Some Asian teens generally prefer having a small group of life-long friends. They are committed and loyal to their friends. Americans often prefer a larger group of friends. There might be less commitment to keeping friends for life because of their bigger pool of possible friendships.
Working Relationships
If you are working on a group project with teens from China or other Asian countries, they might focus on developing a good relationship with you.
In China and many other Asian countries, making direct eye contact is considered rude and disrespectful. However, in America and some European countries, it is not only seen as appropriate but also necessary because it means the person is paying attention. In Asian culture people are usually more comfortable with less personal space than Americans arc. A touch on the shoulder or an arm is common for Asians even if you don’t know one another.
It’s important to keep in mind that when learning about cultural differences, you should not generalize those differences.| A．Eye Contact |
| B．Body Language |
| C．In this way, you’ll experience cultural differences. |
| D．Teenagers have a strong attachment to their parents. |
| E．With this understanding, you won’t be thought impolite. |
| F．However, American teens tend to first focus on the task. |
| G．The key to understanding them with your friends is to ask them for advice. |
A. Interestingly, audiences have in recent years turned to television series such as Sherlock or Mad Men, which can have many characters and gradual plot development.
B. Furthermore, books and movies are two different forms of media and therefore have different rules.
C. Perhaps, one day, readers of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most admired work will find themselves glued to their screens by episodes of The Great Gatsby.
D. There are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes.
E. With this in mind, perhaps we should judge a movie in its own right, and not against its original source.
7 . Most people will tell you that without a cup of coffee in the morning, they cannot function. Coffee is a good drink when consumed in right amount.
Legend says that Kaldi, an Ethiopian, discovered his goats enjoy eating coffee plants. Curious, he tasted the leaves and began to dance around. A passing monk (僧侣) witnessed the scene and took some back to his fellow monks. Later that night, the monks experienced extreme inspiration.
Caffeine (咖啡因) is the major chemical in coffee. Caffeine poisoning can occur if more than 400 milligrams of caffeine is drunk in a short period, which is about four to five cups of coffee.
| A．Coffee has many benefits. |
| B．Caffeine will also cause sleep difficulty. |
| C．The more you drink, the more you depend on it. |
| D．The caffeine in coffee can actually help fight disease. |
| E．However, it is considered harmful if coffee is taken in large amount. |
| F．Drinking coffee while you have this kind of disease will make it worse. |
| G．Whether the legend is true or not, the discovery of coffee dates back to 800 A. D. |
A. When the cultural distances are wide, some people feel anxious. They remain so homesick and feel so sad about being separated from their friends back home that they long to return, especially within the first year.
B. You can do some research on the new culture such as the history, customs, and religious beliefs, so you can get prepared for the new culture that is different from yours.
C. Besides, having trouble with the native language often makes them unwilling to communicate with other people. Actually, staying in a foreign country helps you to know more of the new culture.
D. Studying the language is also a great way to help bridge the gap between the cultures. The more of it is understood, the more of the new culture can be understood. In this way, you will begin to feel comfortable in a foreign country.
E. When you go to a foreign country, you often enter a new culture. The differences between cultures may make you feel stressed and you often find it difficult to adapt to the new surroundings, which is usually called “culture shock”.
When Jack was a small boy, he was once asked to give a speech about “A Big Challenge in My Life”. To talk before the whole class, he was
A real trial began when Jack stood on the platform with his legs
From then on, his fear of talking before a big audience disappeared. Actually Jack had his
As we know, the
10 . It’s perhaps the world’s most famous underwater attraction that remained in film and in legend: the Titanic. But now experts say the ocean liner, once a wonder of the high seas, is falling to pieces.
Capt. Alfred McLaren, the scientist who in July led the most recent expedition to the ship’s underwater grave, said his team saw clear signs of the accelerating damage of the wreck (残骸). There was damage likely caused by rust and sea life, and the captain’s cabin had collapsed.
“I was absolutely astonished,” McLaren said.
Worse still, the fallen mast (桅杆) that crushed the ship’s deck is believed by many to be the result of an unapproved salvage (打捞) operation. “It was almost depressing to see how quickly she was getting worse,” McLaren says. “I would be really surprised if there’s very much standing up from the bottom, two decades from now.”
Ed Kamuda, who runs the Titanic Historical Society in Springfield, Mass., says adventure tourists — who pay $36,000 each to visit the wreck — are also contributing to the destruction of it.
“This is something I expected. I just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly,” Kamuda said. “People are going down just as an ego trip to say ‘I was there.’ All this takes a fare on the ship.”
The Titanic has sat at the bottom of the Atlantic since it sank after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage on April 14, 1912. More than 1,500 people died that night. The ship came to rest at the bottom of the freezing North Atlantic, more than 2 miles beneath the waves. The wreck was discovered in 1985, and since then it has been repeatedly visited by treasure hunters.
But still some scientists say those divers, and other thrill seekers are not necessarily to blame for the Titanic’s current problems.
Capt. Craig McLean of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration went on an expedition to the Titanic in June as part of a government study that is monitoring the condition of the ship. He says it’s unclear what part of the damage is from Mother Nature and which is from human nature.
“It’s too early and there isn’t enough evidence to put our fingers on anything,” McLean said.
Regardless, most agree there’s little that can be done for this most famous of wrecks. And soon, the mighty Titanic could well be lost again.
1. McLaren expected that in twenty years _______.| A．Only a minor part of the wreck would remain as it is |
| B．The wreck would be getting worse at a faster speed |
| C．Only salvage operation with the purpose of research would be approved |
| D．The wreck would be completely destroyed by unapproved treasure hunters |
| A．To contribute to the breaking down of the Titanic. | B．To help finance the preservation of the Titanic. |
| C．To satisfy their curiosity and adventurousness. | D．To better understand the history of the Titanic. |
| A．Visitors should not be prohibited from the Titanic and other famous wrecks |
| B．The influence of the thrill seekers on the wreck will finally be determined |
| C．The government should contribute more to the monitoring of the Titanic |
| D．The damage of the Titanic is not necessarily attributed to the adventure tourists |
| A．promising | B．discouraging | C．controllable | D．vague |
