1 . My car slid easily into the school lane. I turned around and glanced at the backseat as my ten-year-old daughter
As tears ran down my little girl’s face, I felt
I understand that at some point all of us are excluded from something and that this is a
As soon as we got home, I hugged my still upset daughter and wiped away her tears. As I
| A．climbed in | B．got off | C．pulled up | D．checked out |
| A．persuaded | B．invited | C．allowed | D．reminded |
| A．remembered | B．pretended | C．admitted | D．thought |
| A．embarrassment | B．excitement | C．sadness | D．anxiety |
| A．powerless | B．hopeless | C．tireless | D．fearless |
| A．disappointment | B．relief | C．impatience | D．sadness |
| A．competing | B．bargaining | C．living | D．connecting |
| A．Instead | B．Therefore | C．However | D．Otherwise |
| A．expecting | B．ignoring | C．choosing | D．training |
| A．used | B．sensitive | C．blind | D．addicted |
| A．included | B．at ease | C．fulfilled | D．left out |
| A．quality | B．test | C．skill | D．lesson |
| A．upset | B．lonely | C．naughty | D．young |
| A．comforted | B．entertained | C．rewarded | D．rescued |
| A．some | B．all | C．none | D．few |
2 . Collecting must be one of the most varied of human activities, and it’s one that many of us psychologists (心理学家) find fascinating.Collecting hundreds or even thousands of postcards, chocolate wrappers or whatever, takes time, energy and money that could surely be put to much more productive use. And yet there are millions of collectors around the world. Why do they do it?
There are the people who collect because they want to make money. They’ll look for, say, antiques that they can buy cheaply and expect to be able to sell at a profit.
Many collectors collect to develop their social life.
Some may spend their whole lives in a hunt for this.
| A．But there may well be a psychological element, too. |
| B．Another potential reason for it is its educational value. |
| C．A particular example is a rare early recording by a particular singer. |
| D．A psychological reason for collecting is the need for a sense of control. |
| E．Without those collections, our understanding would be greatly reduced. |
| F．Psychologically, this can give a purpose to a life that otherwise feels aimless. |
| G．They attend meetings of groups of collectors and exchange information on items. |
3 . Total Solar Eclipse 2023 Australia
One of nature’s most remarkable event — a total solar eclipse (日蚀) — will take place on the we stem edge of Australia on April 20th, 2023 and we have chosen the perfect way for you to enjoy this event: on a cruise (航游) at sea.
There have been only five total solar eclipse in Australia over the past century and this is the first hybrid eclipse in more than 1000 years. Unlike other cruises for this event, ours has the well-known astronomer Abigail Beall to accompany you. You will have the best possible view of the event as well as enjoying lectures and stargazing on land and at sea. Abigail will be on hand throughout, giving lectures on the history and science of eclipses, the black hole at the centre of the galaxy — along with providing many opportunities for guided stargazing. Plus, there will be additional talks from the Astronomical Society of Australia. Click here for detailed arrangements of the tour.
| Single occupancy | Per guest based on two people sharing | |
| Interior cabin | £2.429 | £1,699 |
| Oceanview cabin | £3,229 | £2,199 |
| If you wish to add a third adult or child to your room, please ask for a quote. | ||
Alongside the cruise, you can also explore some of Australia’s best scientific and natural phenomena with a series of tailored add-on tours covering astronomy on the east coast and v its to Uluru, Sydney, the Great Barrier Reef and much more. On the last day of the tour, we can send you back to the airport for your return journey home, or you can join one of our add-on tours. Click here for full details about ad-on tour.
1. What makes the cruise different from others?| A．An expert’s guidance. | B．A talk with astronomers. |
| C．A chance for stargazing. | D．A meeting with astronauts. |
| A．£3,229. | B．£2,199. | C．£6,458. | D．£4,398. |
| A．To celebrate a historic event. | B．To advertise a special cruise. |
| C．To introduce a travel agency. | D．To explain a natural phenomenon. |
4 . Artificial cloud technology could soon be used in the fight against environmental damage. Researchers in Australia have used machines to spray salt water into the air, and noted that the reflective qualities of these artificial clouds helped protect the Great Barrier Reef from sun bleaching (漂白).
The so-called cloud brightening project works by thickening existing clouds and reducing sunlight exposure to protect the reef. No artificial chemicals make it into the clouds in the sky. When water droplets steam, they leave only small salt crystals that float up into the atmosphere. This provides a larger surface area for water vapor to be liquids around them, forming thicker clouds.
The past two years have seen uncommon forest fires and droughts triggered by the climate change emergency, meaning that widespread use of this technique may become more commonplace if carbon emissions are not checked.
Drones, unmanned flying vehicles, have also entered the cloud controlling picture, used in the United Arab Emirates, a country desperately in need of more rainfall, to deliver electrical shocks to clouds in order to facilitate rainfall. Zapping (击打) clouds to produce a positive or negative charge within clouds can cause water droplets to form together. The greater the charge, the larger the droplets, which is vital for ensuring that as much rain as possible reaches the surface before steam gives off all the hard-won moisture (水分).
Even if one waves aside climate change, global waterfall shortages are still an increasing concern, given the planet’s booming population. More people means more mouths to feed, and the demand for water in agriculture for animals and crops further increases urgency for cloud controlling technology. An increase in rain also leads to positive economic growth in many countries, as large harvests stabilize financial systems and living standards in all climates.
Increasingly, scientists are looking to our skies in providing solutions to protect our environment. Cloud controlling technologies have promise. However, for this field of science to become practical economically, more research needs to be done in making this process a practicable option in protecting our environment.
1. How does the cloud brightening project work?| A．By creating more water vapor which later becomes liquids. |
| B．By spraying chemicals and small salt crystals into the atmosphere. |
| C．By expanding the water vapor arca and blocking more sunlight. |
| D．By steaming water droplets to provide a larger surface area. |
| A．They spread larger water droplets. |
| B．They charge clouds to promote rain. |
| C．They will be popularized in dry years. |
| D．They control the movements of clouds. |
| A．Problems of overpopulation. |
| B．Solutions to waterfall shortage. |
| C．Urgency of economic development. |
| D．Additional benefit of cloud technology. |
| A．High cost. |
| B．Research method. |
| C．Environmental impact. |
| D．Complicated process. |
5 . It was decades ago now, but it’s still one of the most memorable conversations of my life. On a long, slow train heading north, with nothing to do but watch the rain, the man sitting opposite began trying to talk to me. Like most young women who have learned the hard way to be careful of strangers, I was unfriendly. But curiosity took over when he said that he was just bored, and liked talking. We chatted with each other for the rest of the journey and when the train finally pulled in, we didn’t change numbers.
However, I still think about it sometimes on long, boring journeys, before getting a phone out and scrolling silently like everyone else. It’s a rare person who can cheerfully break the social rule about not talking to strangers without any ill intention, but life would be more interesting if more of us knew how to do it.
And that’s why I can’t be as cynical as I probably should be about “Tube Chat” campaign launched to encourage Britons to talk to each other. All anyone is being asked to do is to start a conversation they wouldn’t otherwise have had- maybe with a friend from whom they’ve been apart or a neighbor they don’t know.
Obviously, it takes more than a bit of small talk over garden fences to unite strangers together. More people live alone than did so a generation ago. We socialize increasingly through screens, sending texts instead of bothering to call.
It’s true that the “Tube Chat” campaign of a few years back failed in its attempts to make Londoners talk to each other on public transport. But even city people who would normally die rather than make eye contact with strangers still happily gather in large numbers by the Thames for the New Year’s Eve fireworks. They would get a far better view at home on television-it’s not really about the fireworks, but about being part of something communal (公共的).
There’s no guarantee that this latest campaign to reconnect will succeed wherever others have failed. But if there is ever a moment to stop social disbelief, it may start a fire to warm a world that sometimes feels cold. Wherever my train friend is now, I hope he is still talking.
1. What can we infer from the author’s experience on the train?| A．Young women were frightened to talk with strangers. |
| B．People become indifferent and unfriendly to strangers |
| C．Small talks with strangers can add more interest to life. |
| D．The author regretted losing touch with her train friend. |
| A．Supportive. |
| B．Doubtful. |
| C．Confused. |
| D．Disappointed. |
| A．“Tube Chat” failed in its attempts to unite strangers together. |
| B．It’s hard to break the social rule about not talking to strangers. |
| C．People have a wish to be socially connected by nature. |
| D．“Tube Chat” made a difference in reconnecting people. |
| A．Keep Our Desire to Connect. |
| B．A Memorable Train Talk. |
| C．Stop Social Disbelief. |
| D．Socialize with Our Friends. |
6 . “I was a bad student who became an astronaut.” Scott Kelly, an engineer and a retired astronaut, visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison and shared his own experience.
As a kid, he was distracted in school and he earned terrible grades and barely graduated from high school. The biggest struggle was that he used to ignore what the teachers were saying, and even he started to accept the fact that he would never be able to achieve what he dreamed.
After graduation, everything changed, quite by accident, when he picked up and read The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe’s classic account of the lives of the pioneering Americans who first explored space. Inspired at last, he decided he wanted to be an astronaut. To do that, he needed to get a technical degree. So starting that day, he was determined to do well in all the subjects. After so many years of daydreaming, it wouldn’t be easy. But he started thinking about it like a sport. The more he practiced his study skills, the better he got and the more he learned. Eventually, it became a competition with himself to see how good he could get.
But how can we find our motivation? There’s no fixed way. It’s about finding an interest and putting in the hard work. It’s likely that you just haven’t found what interests you or the topic is not being explained in a way that resonates (共鸣) with you. Reflect on your daily behavior. Do you find yourself absorbed in building things, interested in the ecosystem, enjoy reading the latest graphics in video games? That will give you clues about your interests-engineering, biology, coding, etc. Then talk to professionals in those fields and hear their stories for guidance and inspiration.
Kelly encourages young people to dream big and aim for the stars. Hard? Maybe. But anything worth having is worth pursuing.
1. What was Scott’s major challenge when he was in high school?| A．To understand what the teachers say in class. |
| B．To find his motivation in learning at school. |
| C．To finish the assignments with higher quality. |
| D．To realize his dream of becoming an astronaut. |
| A．Useful but irrelevant. |
| B．Interesting and pleasing. |
| C．Challenging but rewarding. |
| D．Stressful and time-consuming. |
| A．By following other’s path and devoting yourself to it. |
| B．By running back over your behavior and putting efforts in it. |
| C．By trying various interests and picking what you like most. |
| D．By discovering personal interests and seeking professional advice. |
| A．Well begun is half done. |
| B．Chances favors the prepared mind. |
| C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
| D．Birds of a feather flock together. |
China says its push to bring modern communications technology to poor villages is having an effect on standards of living. Over 98 percent of villages once
Official data show that, since 2015 China's central government and basic telecom (电信)operators
Thanks to the
Now rural areas in China have gained access to the same network and Internet connection speed
8 . Owen Colley, a 6-year-old from Hingham, Massachusetts, was upset to learn about the Australian bushfire. He asked if any animals had been hurt in the
“It was
Owen started making little koalas out of clay and his parents set up a way for people to
So far, Owen has
Owen hopes that other parents and children can find ways to help with those
| A．city | B．fire | C．bush | D．country |
| A．hid | B．targeted | C．represented | D．ignored |
| A．finally | B．hardly | C．widely | D．really |
| A．as to | B．more than | C．according to | D．other than |
| A．suggestion | B．reply | C．idea | D．moral |
| A．give | B．put | C．throw | D．clear |
| A．travel | B．donate | C．apply | D．fly |
| A．willing | B．exciting | C．relaxing | D．astonishing |
| A．made | B．earned | C．abandoned | D．raised |
| A．showed off | B．grew up | C．went back | D．woke up |
| A．sick | B．born | C．thin | D．young |
| A．destroyed | B．killed | C．affected | D．burnt |
| A．promise | B．difference | C．decision | D．plan |
| A．together | B．out | C．off | D．over |
| A．common | B．different | C．great | D．minimum |
9 . Women over 45 are one of the fastest-growing groups of people who are homeless in Australia. In 2020, an estimated 405,000 women over 45 were at risk of housing affordability stress and hence becoming homeless. Considering the shortage of affordable housing, an ageing population and the lifelong economic disadvantage that women experience, this problem requires a speedy solution.
A simple solution for older women facing homelessness is to provide them with access to appropriate, safe and affordable homes for the long term. So why is this problem so difficult to solve? Recent attempts provide good short-term choices. But they do not create long-term housing that meets older women's needs to age in place and have a sense of belonging and safety. All these aspects are important for their well-being.
Chinese courtyard housing — siheyuan — has some important principles that could be culturally adapted to the Australian background. The name “siheyuan” translates into quadrangle (四方院子) courtyard housing. This type of housing comes from traditional Confucian ideas of the extended family unit, arranged around a courtyard or series of courtyards with graduated levels of privacy.
The interesting thing about the siheyuan arrangement is the highly ordered series of rooms with private units organized around open spaces and halls for gatherings. The order of the siheyuan presents a great opportunity for adapting it to suit the needs of older women. It’s a type of co-housing arrangement. People live independently but together, sharing some facilities (设施) like open space and areas to come together for occasional meals. This model could form part of the rise in shared housing.
The courtyards meet the needs of older women to maintain a strong connection to a garden space. The courtyards promote social contact and exercise., as well as space for quiet contemplation (沉思). The hall serves as a social connector. It’s a place for activities, connecting with family or friends, creative projects or listening. The private units ensure the independence, safety and sense of belonging that older women need. Cultural and social needs are met easily within one’s personal space.
1. What problem will Australia meet?| A．There aren’t enough houses. |
| B．There're too many homeless people. |
| C．More and more senior women are homeless. |
| D．Australians spend money too quickly. |
| A．The attempts to help the old women. |
| B．The problems the old women meet. |
| C．The houses built for the old women. |
| D．The requirements to have a sense of belonging. |
| A．It provides small rooms. |
| B．It is full of Chinese philosophy. |
| C．It can make people live longer. |
| D．It connects sharing and privacy. |
| A．The hall. | B．The courtyards. |
| C．The private units. | D．The garden space. |
10 . Sunflower season generally runs from late July, so be sure to visit the best sunflower fields near Chicago.
Thompson Strawberry Farm
This huge Wisconsin sunflower field covers an area of 15 acres, so come prepared with scissors and a jar to prepare for a long day of picking. Visitors are welcome to cut up to a dozen sunflowers from the field, but if you really want to take home a few more, additional flowers will only set you back a dollar each.
$25 per car for up to six people,$5 per person for more than six people.
Heap’s Giant Pumpkin Farm
Flower enthusiasts will delight in walking through more than 5 acres of sunflowers at this farm, which offers an all day pass that gives you access to the sunflower field and other farm attractions like corn mazes(迷宫).You can buy a De Bucket: a $20 basket you can fill with as many flowers you can fit inside.
Thistleberry Farm
Though some of its previous summer sunflower fields have already been cleaned. South Bend’s Thistleberry Farm will once again erupt in a 3-acre sea of sunflowers from September 16-27. Order tickets online to reserve a spot before visiting.
$6 per person plus a $1 online processing fee.
M & D Farm and Garden Center
Located just 45 minutes of driving outside the city in Homer Glen,Illinois,this 10-acre farm allow for six weeks throughout the season.Check the farm's Facebook page for updates about when the field will enter full golden time and when you visit, be sure to have a couple of fresh cut sunflowers for $2.50 each.
$5 Monday-Friday,$7 Saturday-Sunday, children under 3 free.
1. Which sunflower field is the largest?| A．Thistleberry Farm. |
| B．Thompson Strawberry Farm |
| C．Heap's Giant Pumpkin Farm |
| D．M & D Farm and Garden Center. |
| A．Free tickets. |
| B．A De Bucket. |
| C．Booking online. |
| D．Fresh cut sunflowers. |
| A．$10. | B．$20. | C．$25. | D．$50. |
