1 . Science competitions your students can enter

Clean Tech Competition
Age: 15-18
Opens: Now
Closes: 29 May, 2023

The Clean Tech Competition research and design challenge asks students to find a problem with our natural world and resource use that they want to change, work out a solution and hand in a research paper to the judges. This year there is no topic restriction.

Top of the Bench
Age: 14-16
Opens: October 2023
Closes: lanuary 2024

Top of the Bench (TOTB) is a yearly practical chemistry competition and a great chance for students to put their teamwork and practical skills to the test. Regional heats (预赛) will be held between October 2023 and January 2024, with the wining team from each heat progressing to the national final held later in March, 2024.

Quantum on the Clock (时间量子)
Age: 16-18
Closes: 30 June, 2023

Quantum on the Clock competition is open to all A-level students in the UK and Ireland. Students are asked to create a three-minute video about any aspect of quantum science or technology. Entries can be individual or from teams of up to four students. Cash prizes are on offer for the winners and runners tip (亚军). The best individual and best team winners will receive an invitation to a prize giving ceremony at the Photon 2023 conference dinner.

Big Bang Young Scientists and Engineers Competition

Age: 11-19
Closes: 4 July,2023

The Big Bang Competition recognizes young people’s achievements in STEM and builds their confidence in project-based work, focusing on investigation, discovery and use of scientific methods. Students can submit their project as a written or video report — on any topic in the field of STEM. Students can be in with the chance of winning a range of awards and prizes.

1. Which competition mentions presenting prizes to the winners at a conference dinner?

A．Top of the Bench.

B．Quantum on the Clock.

C．Clean Tech Competition.

D．Big Bang Young Scientists and Engineers Competition.

2. What is Top of the Bench mainly related to?

A．Biology.

B．Physics.

C．Chemistry.

D．Maths.

3. What can be learned from the last competition?

A．It involves how to save earth resources.

B．There are some regional heats for students.

C．Only high school students can take part in it.

D．Students can hand in their project as a written or video report.

3 . 随着经济的发展，越来越多的文化遗产地遭到破坏。假设你是红星中学高中生李华，请给当地报社写一封信，就以下两个方面谈谈你的看法，以庆祝世界文化遗产日(World Cultural Heritage Day )。
要点：
1.文化遗产地的重要性(见证历史和文化，帮助人们了解过去)；
2.呼吁人们保护文化遗产地。
注意：
1.要涵盖所给要点，词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Editor,

I am Li Hua, a senior student from Hongxing High School.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

4 . A young woman sits alone in a café sipping tea and reading a book. She pauses briefly to write in a nearby notepad before showing her words to a passing café waiter: "Where are the toilets please?"This is a familiar scene in Tokyo’s so-called "silent cafés", where customers are not allowed to speak, and only communicate by writing in notepads.

The concept rises by a desire to be alone among young Japanese, a situation brought by economic uncertainty, a shift in traditional family support structures and the growing social isolation. The phenomenon is not limited to coffee shops but covers everything from silent discos, where participants dance alone wearing wireless headphones connected to the DJ, to products such as small desk tents designed for conversation-free privacy in the office. One Kyoto company even offers single women the opportunity to have a "one woman wedding"—a full bridal affair, complete with white dress and ceremony, and the only thing missing is the groom. The trend has its own media expression-“botchi-zoku”, referring to individuals who consciously choose to do things completely on their own.

One recent weekday afternoon, Chihiro Higashikokubaru, a 23-year-old nurse, travelled 90 minutes from her home, to Tokyo on her day off in order to enjoy some solo time. Speaking quietly at the entrance of the cafe, Miss Higashikokubaru said: “I heard about this place via Twitter and I like the idea of coming here. I work as a nurse and it's always very busy. There are very few quiet places in Tokyo, and it's a big busy city. I just want to come and sit somewhere quietly on my own. I’m going to drink a cup of tea and maybe do some drawings. I like the idea of a quiet, calm atmosphere.”

The desire to be isolated is not a new concept in Japan, home to an estimated 3.6 million "hikikomori" - a more extreme example of social recluses(隐士) who withdraw completely from society.

1. What is special about the “silent cafes”?

A．It provides various tea and books.

B．It has attracted many popular young people.

C．It offers service by writing not by speaking

D．People are not allowed to communicate.

2. Which of the following statement can’t account for the idea of being alone in Japan?

A．Unstable economic situation

B．A change in traditional family support pattern

C．The rising demand for privacy

D．The increasing social isolation

3. What do we know about Higashikokubaru?

A．She doesn’t like to be a nurse.	B．She doesn’t like the life in big cities.
C．She travelled to Tokyo on her work days.	D．She enjoys her solo time in a quiet place.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．Lonely Japanese	B．One woman wedding
C．Social recluses in Japan	D．Silent cafes

5 . 假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文,请你修改你同桌写的以下短文。短文中共有10处错误,每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号(∧),并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线,并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处,多者(从第11处起)不计分。

It was raining hardly outside, that made it difficult for me to go home for lunch. Just as I was wondering what I should eat at noon, I saw a familiar figure passed by our classroom. I rushed out and it was my mother, who is already in the fifties, that brought me lunch, in spite the heavy rain. In China, many parents make great sacrifices for our children. But what had the children done in return? All too often, most children just take it for granted that their parents should serve for them unconditionally. My dear mum or dad, thank you very much for bringing me up. How shall I do for you?

6 . Going out guide

R&B: Melanie Fiona

Known for such songs as “It Kills Me” and “This Time,” R&B singer Melanie Fiona made her first musical album(唱片) in 2009 with “The Bridge” and followed it up with “The MF Life” in 2012. A new album, “Next Train, ” is planned to drop this year.

8 pm, Feb. 13. Howard Theatre. 202-803-2899. $ 30—$ 59. 99.

Ballet: John Cranko's “Romeo & Juliet”

Celebrated South African choreographer (编舞者) John Cranko created the dance inspired by Shakespeare’s lovers with a score by Sergei Prokofiev. The production was first performed in the United States in 1969 and returns to the Kennedy Center under the artistic direction of Julie Kent.

Feb. 14 — 18. Kennedy Genter. 202-467-4600. $ 25— $ 160.

Exhibit(展览): “Brand New: Art and Commodity (商品) in the 1980s”

This exhibit shows the commodification of art in the 1980s, when trade, art and entertainment became unclear. The exhibit shows works by 68 artists, including Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger and Julia Wachtel.

Feb. 14 through May 13. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. 202-633-1000. Free

R&B: Valentine's Love Jam

R&E artists are known for some of our most beloved(喜爱的) love songs, and the performers lined up for this show are no exception. Singer-songwriters Tyrese (“Sweet Lady”) and Joe (“I Wanna Know”) join forces with SWV (“Weak”) ,Dru Hill (“Beauty”) and Next (“Wifey”) for this show.

8 p. m., Feb. 17. EagleBank Arena. 703-493-4000. $ 59—$ 99.

1. Which number should you call if you are interested in dance?

A．703-493-4000.

B．02-633-1000.

C．202-467-4600.

D．202-803-2899.

2. Where can people enjoy a free show?

A．Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.	B．Kennedy Center.
C．EagleBank Arena.	D．Howard Theatre.

3. When can you attend a love song concert?

A．Feb. 18.

B．Feb. 17.

C．Feb . 14.

D．Feb. 13.

7 . We all think plants were expected to get larger with increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but changes in temperature, humidity(湿度)and nutrient availability seem to havetrumpedthe benefits of increased carbon dioxide” said researchers from the National University of Singapore.

45 percent of the species studied now reach smaller adult sizes than they did in the past. The researchers pointed out that warmer temperatures and changing habitats, caused by climate change, are possible reasons for shrinking creatures.

“ We do not yet know the mechanisms(机制)involved, or why some organism are getting smaller while others are unaffected,” the researchers said. “Until we understand more, we could be risking negative consequences that we can’t yet quantify. ’’

The change is big in cold-blooded animals. Only two decades of warmer temperatures are enough to make retiles (爬行动物)smaller. An increase of only 1 degree centigrade caused nearly a 10 percent increase in metabolism(新陈代谢). Greater use of energy resulted in tiny tortoises and little lizards. Fish are smaller now too. Though overfishing has played a part in reducing numbers, experiments show that warmer temperatures also stop fish growing.

Warm-blooded animals aren’t immune(免除)from the size change caused by climate change. Many birds are now smaller. Soay sheep are thinner. Red deer are weaken And polar bears are smaller, compared with historical records.

This is not the first time this has happened in Earth’s history. 55 million years ago, a warming event similar to the current climate change caused bees, spiders and ants to shrink by 50 to 75 percent over several thousand years. That event happened over a longer time than the current climate change.

The speed of modern climate change could mean organisms may not respond or adapt quickly enough, especially those with long generation times climate change will be shown in the future.

1. What does the text mainly talk about_______

A．Why some species become smaller.

B．How climate changes in Earth’s history?

C．Climate change has many negative effects.

D．Species are becoming smaller as climate gets warmer.

2. The underlined word “trumped” m the first paragraph probably mean_________.

A．strengthened	B．gained
C．beaten	D．equaled

3. Researchers from the National University of Singapore believe that________

A．they have found the exact causes for creatures getting smaller.

B．all the animals on the earth have become smaller.

C．climate change has more negative effects on warm-blooded animals.

D．increase in energy use can lead to creatures getting smaller.

4. What does the author feel about the climate change?

A．Disappointed	B．Optimistic
C．Worried	D．Shameful

8 . Castle Dale is a small town in central Utah. My grandpa’s farm is a few miles to the north. I grew up there. Milking a cow, feeding the chickens and cutting firewood were daily routines. Grandpa had me carrying a broom to do snow cleaning when it was actually taller than I was. This was the work kids like me learned to do at a young age.

I was tall, very tall at a really young age. My unusual height caused people to look, ask questions, laugh, tease, and sometimes even challenge me to fight. I was teased cruelly as a kid. It wasn’t fair, I knew, but that was just the way it was. Luckily, I was taught at a very young age a very important lesson. I am different and that’s Okay—I’m unique and I matter. No one could ever take that away from me. I knew this then, and I know this now. That alone helped me through the frustrations and heartaches of normal life.

When I was in junior high school, I realized something else that helped me cope. Most teasing came from one of two places—people who were either jealous or ignorant (愚昧). I couldn’t change the way they were, but I could change the way I felt. I was not going to feel bad because of their ignorance or jealousy. It wasn’t worth it. Realizing this didn’t stop them, or change the fact that these comments hurt. It did, however, give me a way to understand these people and deal with their treatment in a way that was okay for me.

These things still happen today. It will probably happen the rest of my life. I will always be 7 feet, 6 inches (2.29 meters) tall. I wouldn’t change that for anything. People will always look because it is not every day that you see someone that tall. I learned that at a young age and I now try to teach my own children that they are unique and they matter. That is the message I give to you. Regardless of your race, religion, background, or circumstances ... Being different is okay.

1. The author mentioned his hometown to show us _______

A．he is from an ordinary family	B．his grandpa is strict with him
C．he loves this lovely small town	D．he had to do a lot of labor work

2. The author was often teased because _______

A．he grew up in a small town	B．he was much taller than others
C．he fought with people easily	D．he didn’t want people to watch him

3. What was the author’s attitude towards being teased?

A．He accepted the fact of being different and let it go.

B．He felt angry failing to change others’ opinions.

C．He felt hurt hearing people’s negative comments

D．He hated people’s ignorance and jealousy.

4. Which of the following may best describe the theme of the passage?

A．Everything comes to the man who waits.

B．It is the first step that is troublesome.

C．Speech is silver, silence is gold.

D．Keep your head up.