1 . The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was invented by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. It is a self-report questionnaire indicating differing psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. The MBTI personality inventory (量表) sorts people into 16 type categories, each of which is represented by four-letter codes such as INFP and ESTJ. Every year, about 1.5 million people have enjoyed discovering their personality type by completing the MBTI. Many companies, as well as hundreds of universities, use it in hiring and training.
Nevertheless, the MBTI has received a noticeable criticism from the academic community. Some research suggests the MBTI is unreliable because the same person can get different results when retaking the test. Other studies have questioned the validity of the MBTI, which is the ability of the test to accurately link the “types” to outcomes in the real world -for example, how well people classified as a certain type will perform in a given job.
Merve Emre, a professor a Oxford University, points out that it would be more scientifically advisable to score the MBTI scales continuously to show people the degree to which they resemble the types. Even when the MBTI’s results don’t quite match your intuition (直觉) about yourself or are just wrong, they can still provide self-insight and insight into differences and similarities between people.
Scoring and interpreting the MBTI the way other personality inventories are scored and interpreted might be less fun than finding. All of the folklore (民间看法) about INFPs, ESTJs, etc. would have to be dismissed. But, in the end the MBTI is sufficiently reliable and valid enough to be useful in a number of real-world contexts.
1. What do we know about the MBTI from the first paragraph?A.It is a personality-testing tool. | B.It is divided into 16 categories. |
C.It is a study of personal preference. | D.It is a questionnaire on four-letter codes. |
A.It performs badly in job interviews | B.Its reliability has been questioned. |
C.It requires people to retake the test | D.Its advantages are not fully shown. |
A.It is beyond criticism. | B.It is a more scientific test. |
C.It is less fun than other tests. | D.It is useful for self-exploration. |
A.How Can We Use the MBTI? | B.Why do We Criticise the MBTI? |
C.Is the MBTI Totally Meaningless? | D.Is Scoring the MBTI Really Necessary? |
2 . The discovery of the ruined palace in the Mosul Dam reservoir on the banks of the Tigris River inspired an archeological dig that would improve understanding of the Mittani Empire, one of the least-researched empires of the ancient Near East, a team of German researchers said. “The find is one of the most important archeological discoveries in the region in recent decades,” Kurdish archeologist(考古学家) Hasan Qasim said.
The palace would have originally stood just 65 feet from the river on a terrace(梯田). A terrace wall of mud bricks was later added to make the building stable. Ivana Puljiz, an archeologist from the University of Tübingen’s Institute for Ancient Near Eastern Studies, describes the palace, known as Kemune, as a carefully designed building with mud-brick walls up to 2 meters (6.6 feet) thick.
The team also found wall paintings in shades of red and blue, which were probably a common feature of palaces at the time but have rarely been found preserved. “Discovering wall paintings in Kemune is an archeological sensation,” Puljiz said in a press release, “Kemune is only the second site in the region where wall paintings of the Mittani period have been discovered.”
Ten clay tablets covered in cuneiform, an ancient system of writing, were also discovered and have been sent to Germany for translation. “From the texts we hope to gain information on the inner structure of the Mitani Empire, its economic organization, and the relationship of the Mittani capital with the administrative centers in the neighboring regions,” Puljiz added.
Archeologists first became aware of the site in 2010 when water levels in the reservoir were low, but this is the first time they have been able to dig. However, the site was submerged(淹没) shortly after the dig, Puljiz said, adding“It is unclear when it will come out of water again”.
1. The function of the archeological dig is to ________.A.attract people to travel to the Tigris River |
B.help people know the Mittani Empire better |
C.show ways of rebuilding the Mosul Dam reservoir |
D.provide some clues about research on the Near East |
A.To make the palace firmly built. | B.To offer tourists a place for rest. |
C.To give tourists a good view. | D.To make the building better designed |
A.Kemune is different from any other palace. |
B.Wall paintings were an important discovery. |
C.Kemune is famous for its special wall paintings |
D.Wall paintings were first discovered in the Mittani Empire. |
A.Translating the cuneiform into English | B.Knowing relationships between regions. |
C.Waiting for the water level to drop. | D.Understanding the structure of the empire. |
3 . 24 Solar Terms: 5 things about Major Snow
Major Snow, the 21st solar term of the year, which falls on Dec 7 this year. During Major Snow, the snow becomes heavy and begins to accumulate on the ground. The temperature drops significantly. Here are 5 things you should know about Major Snow.
Snowy winter
The snow in North China may last a whole day, breaking tree branches and blocking the road. In the south, snowflakes fall and the world turns white. A proverb about the snow says, "A timely snow promises a good harvest".
The red plum blossoms (梅花) in contrast with the white snowy world is a feast for the eyes and have inspired many great poems. The plum blossom, which originated in China, is respected in Chinese culture for its bravery against severe winters.
Eating lamb
Lamb is a favorite food for Chinese people during Major Snow.
Making sausages
During Major Snow, people in southern China make sausages, an important part of preparation for the Spring Festival.
Preventing respiratory (呼吸道的) illness
During this period, Chinese people watch for outbreaks of respiratory illness, which can be prevented by wearing a warm scarf to protect the neck and properly drinking water.
A.Writing poems about snow |
B.Appreciating plum blossoms |
C.But you should not drink too much water at a time |
D.Drink as much water as you can whenever possible |
E.The best meat for this delicacy comes from the bottom of the pig |
F.As the snow covers the ground, the low winter temperature kills pests |
G.It promotes blood circulation and provides protection against the cold |
4 . The ancient Babylonians (巴比伦人)are thought to have been the first people to set New Year's resolutions. They made promises to gods that they would return any objects they had borrowed from others. If they did this, then it was said that gods would protect them in the year ahead. Since then, resolutions have changed from promises to gods to promises to ourselves and others. That could be starting a new hobby, trying to be healthier or learning a new language. Given the difficulties that any people have in keeping their New Years resolutions, though, should people wait a little longer before deciding what they'll be? Is January the right time to set New Years resolutions?
Yes — it gets the year off to a good start. They're called New Year's resolutions, not Half-Year resolutions. The whole point of setting New Year's resolutions is that it's done at the start of the year.Waiting longer just defeats the purpose of it. New Year's resolutions are a fun tradition to discuss with family and friends. You won't be able to talk about it in the same way if you're all setting them at different times. Besides, the more you put it off, the less likely it is that you'll ever decide on what your resolutions are going to be. You can always set new ones, or change your goals, but it's important to start off with something. By the time you've decided on some resolutions, you'll have less time to do them — which only increases your chances of failure.
No — January isn't the right time. January is a cold and dark month. Why would you want to start something new then? During the winter months, most people just want to stay nice and warm indoors, rather than try something new. People should make resolutions to lead happier, healthier lives whenever they want, not just on 1 January. Waiting longer means that you'll have more time to plan and will have a better idea of what you want to do in the year ahead. This will result in better resolutions, which have a stronger chance of success. One study found that by 6 January, one in five people had failed to stick to their resolutions. By not rushing into it, you're less likely to get discouraged and give up if you haven't succeeded right away.
Now that you've read a bit more about it, tell us what you think by voting in our poll at theweekjunior. co. uk/polls.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?A.Babylonians returned to gods what they had borrowed from them. |
B.Babylonians assumed that they would be permanently protected by gods. |
C.Resolutions have been shifted into commitments to people rather than gods. |
D.Setting New Year's resolutions in January is better than in any other months |
A.succeed easily | B.end up with nothing |
C.doubt the fun tradition | D.reach your ultimate aims |
A.Happier, healthier lives | B.More time to make plans |
C.Losing heart and quitting | D.Failure to make decisions |
A.To call for donations | B.To build up a tradition |
C.To introduce a practice | D.To stimulate discussions |
5 . Please don't feel singled out, special, or view yourself as a chosen one. She bites everyone. This is just the nature of the beast. There is absolutely no truth to the persistent myths that mosquitoes fancy females over males; that they prefer blondes and redheads over those with darker hair;or that the darker or rougher your skin, the safer you are from her bite. It is true, however, that she does play favorites and feasts on some more than others.
Blood type O seems to be the choice over types A and B or AB. People with blood type O get bitten twice as often as those with type A, with type B falling somewhere in between.
Those who have higher natural levels of certain chemicals in their skin, particularly lactic acid (乳酸),also seem to be more attractive. From these elements, she can analyze which blood type you are. These are the same chemicals that determine an individual’s level of skin bacteria and unique body smell.
Mosquitoes are also attracted by perfumes, soaps, and other applied fragrances. While this may seem unfair to many of you, she also has a desire for beer drinkers.
Wearing bright colors is also not a wise choice, since she hunts by both sight and smell, the latter depending chiefly on the amount of carbon dioxide sent out by the potential target. So she can smell carbon dioxide from over 200 feet away. When you exercise, for example, you emit more carbon dioxide through both breath and output. You also sweat, releasing those appetizing chemicals, primarily lactic acid, that invites the mosquito's attention.
Lastly, your body temperature rises, which is an easily identifiable heat signature. On average, pregnant women suffer twice as many bites, as they have a slightly raised body temperature.
Please don't go on a shower, exercise or give up your beloved beer and bright T-shirts just yet. Unfortunately, 85% of what makes you attractive to mosquitoes is fixed in advance in your genetic circuit board (电路板).At the end of the day, she will find blood from any exposed target of opportunity.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?A.To explain the reasons for mosquito bites. |
B.To introduce a new discovery to the readers. |
C.To prove that everyone suffers mosquito bites. |
D.To arouse the interest of the readers in the topic. |
A.Blood type. | B.Chemicals of bacteria. |
C.Color of clothes. | D.Body temperature. |
A.All the mosquito bites are caused by your genetic circuit board. |
B.Your blood will be targeted by mosquitoes at every opportunity. |
C.Mosquito bites can be avoided if you give up some relevant habits. |
D.Your genes determine your attractiveness to mosquitoes to a great extent. |
A.Keep off Mosquitoes | B.Mosquito Bites Let Nobody off |
C.Why are You a Mosquito Feeder | D.Mosquitoes, a Threat to Our Health |
6 . More than 25 years ago, Saroo Brierley was one of many poor children in rural India. One day, he played with his brother along the rail line and fell asleep. When be woke up, finding himself alone, the 4-year-old decided his brother might be on the train he saw in front of him—so he got on.
That train took him across the country to a totally strange city, where he did not speak the language. He lived on the streets, and then in an orphanage (孤儿院). There, he was adopted by an Australian family and flown to Tasmania.
As he writes in bis new book, A Long Way Home, Brierley couldn’t help but wonder about his hometown back in India. He remembered landmarks, but since he didn’t know his town’s name, finding a small neighborhood in a vast country seemed to be impossible.
Then he found Google Earth—a digital mapping program. He spent years searching for his hometown in the program’s satellite pictures. In 2011, he came across something familiar. He studied it and realized be was looking at a town’s central business district from a bird’s-eye view. He thought, “On the right-band side you should see the three-platform train station”—and there it was. “And on the left-hand side you should see a big fountain”—and there it was.
Everything just started to match.
When he stood in front of the house where he grew up as a child, be saw a lady standing in the entrance. “There’s something about me,” be thought—and it took him a few seconds but he finally remembered what she used to look like.
“My mother looked so much shorter than I remembered. But she came forth and walked forward, and I walked forward, and my feelings and tears and the chemical in my brain, you know, it was like a nuclear fusion (核聚变). I just didn’t know what to say, because I never thought seeing my mother would ever come true. And here I am, standing in front of her.”
1. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text?A.Brierley’s mother grew shorter and weaker as she aged. |
B.There was a mix of feelings when Brierley saw his mother again. |
C.Brierley kept trying and didn’t give up searching for his hometown. |
D.Brierley didn’t recognise his mother immediately. |
A.He was taken away by a foreigner. | B.He was adopted by an Australian family. |
C.He got on a train by mistake. | D.He got lost while playing in the street. |
A.By analyzing old pictures. | B.By studying digital maps. |
C.By spreading his story via his book. | D.By travelling all around India. |
A.His memory of his hometown. | B.His love for his mother. |
C.His long way back home. | D.His reunion with his mother. |
7 . Kids and science seem to be made for each other!
The basic science is a combination of thought and experiment called the scientific method. It’s where you start with an idea, create a way to prove or disprove your idea, and show what you learned based on facts. Learning to follow this process helps you think logically and carefully. These important thinking skills can be used in many areas of study. To give a child practice with these thinking skills is like giving vitamins to a developing mind.
One of the greatest things we can teach our children is to love learning. Learning science is a great way to do so. Children are easy to be interested in science. Because much of science is hands-on, it attracts most children. Nothing makes a child sit up and take notice like the “WOW!” of a great science showing.
Science opens doors to many subjects at school. Building love for science can be helpful in other areas of study. For example, one cannot love science for very long without becoming good at its language-math! So science encourages children to study math. An interest in science is an interest in how things were once understood compared to how they are understood now. Thus studying science lends itself easily to studying history. And after you do an experiment, you need to write a lab report. Therefore, writing becomes an important part of science.
Science is the basic thing for much of our life. The science of farming shows how our food is produced; biomedical science keeps us healthy; even our beds these days are designed according to scientific facts. We almost eat, sleep and breathe with the help of science! When we prepare the next generation of voters, creators and policy makers, it is important to make sure they are not only comfortable but also good at science.
1. According to Paragraph 2, what does learning the scientific method mean to kids?A.Learning to do experiments. | B.Learning many areas of study. |
C.Helping them develop thinking skills. | D.Refusing any ideas that are not logical. |
A.Science is too difficult for children. | B.Children usually consider science boring. |
C.Science can arouse children's interest in learning. | D.Children who are careless shouldn't learn science. |
A.He usually has no time for other subjects. | B.He usually loses interest in other activities. |
C.He is usually bad at such subjects like history. | D.He is likely to learn many other subjects well. |
A.Why Kids Should Learn Science | B.Why Science Is Important |
C.How Kids Can Make Use of Science | D.What Kids Should Learn at School |
8 . You can either travel or read, but either your body or your soul must be on the way. The popular saying has inspired many people to read or go sightseeing. Here are four books that you can take on your trip.
1. On the Road, 1957, by Jack Kerouac
The book is a popular spiritual guidebook about youth. The main character in the book drives across the US continent with several young people and finally reaches Mexico. After the exhausting and exciting trip, the characters in the book begin to realize the meaning of life.
2. Life Is Elsewhere, 1975, by Milan Kundera
Jean-Jacques Rousseau once said, "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains." The book describes a young artist's romantic but miserable life, about how he reads, dreams and has a relationship during his trip to Central Europe. The book invites you to deeply reflects on your current life and to honor the Czech-born writer Kundera.
3. My Name Is Red, 1998, by Orhan Pamuk
The book, a masterpiece of the Nobel Prize winner for Literature Orhan Pamuk, has been translated into more than 50 languages and published around the world. It tells a story of a young man, who was away from home for 12 years, coming back to his hometown in Istanbul. What embraces him is not only love, but a series of murder cases as well.
4. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, 2013, by Rachel Joyce
The novel tells a story of a 60-year-old man who lived a boring and unhappy life, until one day, he received his old friend's letter who got cancer. In deep shock and sorrow, he went out to send his reply letter. 627 miles in 87 days, he walked depending on one belief that “his friend can survive as long as he walks”.
1. Whose book can make you rethink your own life?A.Jack Kerouac. | B.Milan Kundera. | C.Orhan Pamuk. | D.Rachel Joyce. |
A.On the Road. | B.Life Is Elsewhere. |
C.My Name Is Red. | D.The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. |
A.He walked to keep healthy. | B.He was in deep shock and sorrow. |
C.He expected his friend to live longer. | D.He lived a very boring and unhappy life. |
9 . An 85-year-old primary school constructed in 1935 in Shanghai has been lifted off the ground completely and relocated using new technology called the “walking machine”. The project marks the first time this “walking machine” method has been used in Shanghai to relocate a historic building.
Urbanization (都市化) has continued to significantly threaten architectural heritage. In the capital Beijing, for instance, more than 1,000 acres of its historic hutongs and traditional courtyard homes were destroyed between 1990 and 2010.
In the early 2000s, due to the critics’ protest against the loss of old neighborhoods, cities including Nanjing and Beijing drew up long-term plans to preserve what was left of their historic sites, with protections introduced to safeguard buildings and set limits to developers. These protection efforts have taken different forms. In Beijing, a near-ruined building was transformed into a restaurant and gallery, while in Nanjing, a cinema from the 1930s was restored to its original form, with some parts of it changed for modern use. In 2019, Shanghai welcomed Tank Shanghai, an arts center built in renovated (重修) oil tanks.
“Relocation is not the first choice, but better than destroying them,” said Lan, the Shanghai primary school’s project supervisor. He also added, “Building relocation is a workable option. The central government is putting more emphasis on the protection of historic buildings. I’m happy to see that progress in recent years.”
Shanghai has been generally acknowledged as China’s most active city when it comes to heritage preservation. The survival of a number of 1930s buildings and 19th-century stone gatehouses has offered distinct examples of how to give old buildings new life.
“We have to preserve the historic building no matter what,” Lan said. “The relocation has challenges, but in general, it is cheaper than destroying and then rebuilding something in a new location.”
1. How did cities respond to the loss of historic sites?A.They criticized the developers. | B.They rebuilt the historic hutongs. |
C.They proposed the protection project. | D.They transformed them into restaurants. |
A.Introduce different opinions on building relocation. |
B.Summarize the main idea of the previous paragraphs. |
C.Add some background information about heritage preservation. |
D.Provide strong evidence for the success in protecting old buildings. |
A.Indifferent. | B.Favorable. | C.Opposed. | D.Skeptical. |
A.Walking Machine: New Technology | B.Shanghai: A Pioneer of Urbanization |
C.Old Building Destroyed for Modern Use | D.Historic Site “Walks” to New Life |
10 . When you hear the name Leonardo da Vinci, what pops into your mind? Maybe his most famous paintings, the Mona Lisa, one of the most famous and valuable pieces of art in the world hanging in the Louvre Museum in Paris, or the Last Supper, the most widely reproduced religious painting ever. Many people call Leonardo da Vinci one of the greatest artists of all time for his great achievements in paintings.
Despite his fame as an artist, da Vinci is also known as a true “Renaissance Man”. The term comes from fifteenth-century Italy and refers to the idea of a person with knowledge and skills in a number of different areas. Perhaps, no single individual defines the idea of a Renaissance man better than Leonardo da Vinci – an artist, inventor, architect and engineer.
Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most productive inventors in history. He drew early sketches of devices that would later become the parachute, bicycle, helicopter, and tank. He even drew a flying machine based on thephysiologyof the bat. Leonardo has also been given credit by historians for many more inventions.
Once in the courtyard of Senor Ludovico, Leonardo da Vinci constantly invented various “labor- saving devices” for use in the kitchen. At the same time, he began to keep notebooks filled with drawings and his thoughts. The funny thing was that most of the drawings, which for several hundred years were considered by researchers to be mechanisms for military operations, in fact, turned out to be quite peaceful meat grinders, dishwashers, mechanical devices for cracking nuts. The restless Leonardo invented the manual garlic press, which has remained virtually unchanged to our day, a foot-operated napkin dryer, an egg cutter, and many other useful things.
The most interesting anecdote about him may be his invention of spaghetti (意大利面条). Of course, pasta has existed in Italy since ancient time. But it was hard and very broad substance, like a heavy lump of lasagna (面块). Leonardo made a machine that cut pasta into long thin strips, which after boiling turned into spaghetti.
1. Leonardo da Vinci is mentioned as a “Renaissance Man” because ________.A.he was one of the greatest artists. | B.he had diverse talents. |
C.his paintings were universally copied. | D.he was born during the Renaissance in Italy. |
A.They were practical for everyday use. | B.They included many notebooks. |
C.They have remained unchanged to our day. | D.They were intended for military operations. |
A.Taste. | B.Color. | C.Fragrance. | D.Shape. |
A.da Vinci’s life experiences. | B.da Vinci’s skills in engineering. |
C.da Vinci’s achievements in architecture. | D.da Vinci’s personalities. |