1 . Google Flights reveals new feature to help travelers save money
Regular users of Google Flights might notice a new feature the next time they go to the site to check out airline schedules and compare flight prices.
The new feature officially announced on Monday morning in a news release is Google guidance on the cheapest time to book a flight, which adds price tracking alerts and a price guarantee option already in place.
Cheapest time to book: Google Flights said starting this week, searches that have reliable trend data will let users see in what time frame prices have typically been lowest. Users can then better decide whether to book now or later, Google said in the release.
Take flights from New York to Miami, for example, the cheapest time to book is usually from Sep 13 to Dec 7. Prices during this time are $59 cheaper on average.
Price tracking: Users who want to wait for lower fares before booking can use a price tracking feature that “can do most of the heavy lifting for you,” Google said.
Price guarantee: On some flight results, users might notice a price guarantee badge (标志) pop up (this won’t happen on every use). If you book one of these flights, Google said it will monitor the price every day before takeoff.
“If the price does go down, we’ll pay you back the difference via Google Pay. These price guarantees are part of a pilot program available for select Book on Google itineraries (行程) departing from the U. S.,” Google said in the release.
1. Which is the cheapest time to book a flight from New York to Miami?| A．August 19. | B．September 20. | C．December 8. | D．January 11. |
| A．Get your money back. | B．Pay back the difference. |
| C．Monitor the price before flights take off. | D．Make sure you can get the cheapest flight. |
| A．Science. | B．Entertainment. | C．Travel. | D．Education. |
2 . The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 was awarded to three American scientists Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov “for the discovery and development of quantum (量子) dots”. They are so tiny that their size determines their properties. These smallest components of nano (纳米) technology now spread their light from televisions and LED lamps, and can also guide surgeons when they remove cancer tissue, among many other things.
Everyone who studies chemistry learns that an element’s properties are governed by how many electrons (电子) it has. However, when matter contracts to nano-dimensions quantum phenomena arise; these are governed by the size of the matter. The Nobel winners in Chemistry 2023 have succeeded in producing particles so small that their properties are determined by quantum phenomena. The particles, which are generally known as quantum dots by scientists, are now of great importance in nanotechnology.
“Quantum dots have many fascinating and unusual properties. Importantly, they have different colours depending on their size,” says Johan Åqvist, Chai r of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.
Physicists had long known that in theory size-dependent quantum effects could arise in nanoparticles, but at that time it was almost impossible to sculpture in nanodimensions. Therefore, few people believed that this knowledge would be put to practical use.
However, in the early 1980s, Alexei Ekimov succeeded in creating size-dependent quantum effects in coloured glass. The colour came from nanoparticles of copper chloride (氯化铜) and Ekimov demonstrated that the particle size affected the colour of the glass via quantum effects. A few years later, Louis Brus was the first scientist in the world to prove size-dependent quantum effects in particles floating freely in a liquid. In 1993, Moungi Bawendi revolutionised the chemical production of quantum dots, resulting in almost perfect particles. This high quality was necessary for them to be used in applications.
Quantum dots are thus bringing the greatest benefit to humankind. Researchers believe that in the future they could contribute to flexible electronics, tiny sensors, thinner solar cells and quantum communication — so we have just started exploring the potential of these tiny particles.
1. Why was the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 awarded to 3 American scientists?| A．They discovered quantum size. | B．They discovered nanotechnology. |
| C．They discovered quantum effects. | D．They discovered and improved quantum dots. |
| A．Quantum dots. | B．Spots. | C．Atoms. | D．Grains. |
| A．Moungi Bawendi. | B．Louis Brus. | C．Alexei Ekimov. | D．Johan Åqvist. |
| A．Innovation is the most important thing. |
| B．Practice is the only criterion for testing truth. |
| C．The development of science and technology is endless. |
| D．Technology from quantum dots is constantly improving. |
3 . Here are some ways to introduce classical music to your children.
●When you read a story to your children, pick out a classical music piece that matches the emotion of the book.
●If your kids are always moving around, try introducing classical music to them by dancing. Instruct your children to listen to the music and dance however the music makes them feel. Parents dance with them!
●Before your kids begin playtime, make a list of classical music pieces with the name of the person who wrote it.
●
●You can pick out three pieces of music to play during the week.
| A．Have your children pick one. |
| B．Practice reading the story out loud with the music. |
| C．Mix up the music and see how your children react. |
| D．Classical music can be fun, and not boring to listen to. |
| E．Tell your children the name of the piece every time you play it. |
| F．Make sure you tell your children what the piece is and who wrote it. |
| G．While you and your children paint, play different classical music pieces. |
4 . As a teenager in the 1990s, Melissa Blake was interested in fashion. Unfortunately, fashion wasn’t much interested in her. Born disabled, Blake couldn’t find jeans or dresses in her size. Paging through fashion magazines, she didn’t see a single person who looked like her, and it hurt. “When you’re a teenager—disabled or not—you’re troubled by self-worth.”
Blake, 39, has spent her adult life trying to make up for that. She is a disability-rights activist and a writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times. But she gained national attention in 2019 after clapping back at people, who said she should be banned from posting photos of herself because she’s too ugly. Over the next year, Blake posted a new selfie (自拍照) every day. “I feel like every time I post my selfie or share something about my life as a disabled woman, I’m fighting against this ableism (残障歧视),” Blake said.
Her fans went wild, calling Blake a goddess and a powerful woman. Among her fans is Mindy Scheier, the founder and CEO of Runway of Dreams. The company shows fashion for people with disabilities. Last fall, Scheier asked Blake to be a model in the biggest fashion event of the year.
Scheier said, “Putting Melissa in the event made people realize how important it is to expand who consumers are in the fashion industry, or who should be on stage, or what we’re really standing for in the word model.”
“Often, when we think of access for people with disabilities, we think of buildings and employment,” Blake says. “But it’s also important to have access to what’s fun and enjoyable. When disabled people are included, it sends a message that we deserve a seat at the table in all aspects of life.”
1. What can we know about Blake from paragraph 1?| A．She didn’t have a good taste in fashion. | B．She couldn’t follow fashion for her disability. |
| C．She couldn’t find fashion items in magazines. | D．She didn’t see other disabled people in her life. |
| A．To defend her equal rights. | B．To attract public attention. |
| C．To share her life experience. | D．To expose unkind comments. |
| A．To show her admiration for her. | B．To increase fashion consumers. |
| C．To present the world of models. | D．To include the disabled in fashion. |
| A．From Role Model to Fashion Model. | B．From Teenager Model to Adult Model. |
| C．From Fashion Sufferer to Fashion Fighter. | D．From Fashion Follower to Fashion Leader. |
5 . Adding to the achievements of a remarkable year, Taylor Swift has been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2023.
Already a superstar before 2023, Swift’s career has reached new heights thanks to the beginning of her Eras Tour that brought her 3.5-hour performance to 66 shows in 23 cities across North America, Argentina and Brazil. Promoted by her tour, Swift has been named the most-streamed female artist in the history of Spotify and Apple Music. According to Billboard, the tour made about $900 million (about 6.4 billion yuan) in 2023. In addition, the tour’s movie Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour became the biggest concert movie of all time, taking more than $250
million globally.As she was declare a billionaire by Bloomberg in November, a hidden “Taylor Swift economy” also promoted sales for business owners across the US. From soaps to a cruise inspired by her different “eras”, interest in Swift-related products went way up.
Apart from her financial contributions, Swift made a significant cultural impact by taking back control of her music. In 2019, her old record label, Big Machine, sold the master tapes of her first six albums (专辑) to Scoot er Braun. The sale meant that she didn’t have the rights to the albums. In response to this, Swift began re-recording her first six albums, tagging (加标签于) them “Taylor’s Version”. This move stressed her belief that artists deserve to own their work. “It’s all in how you deal with loss,” she told Time. “I respond to extreme pain by resisting.”
Heading into 2024, Swift will start the Eras Tour again in Japan and Australia. As USA Today noted, “Her current top has been a long time coming, but it may also be just beginning.”
1. What do we know about Taylor Swift?| A．She broke a new record on her tour. | B．She toured South America before 2023. |
| C．Her achievements received great recognition. | D．Her performance began with the Apple Music. |
| A．She proved herself to be an artist. | B．She learned to make some products. |
| C．She had influence on music culture. | D．She sold her master tapes to a company. |
| A．She will end her music career. | B．She will continue her Eras Tour. |
| C．She will reach her top in Japan. | D．She will make a record in Australia. |
| A．Admirable. | B．Uncaring. | C．Doubtful. | D．Critical. |
6 . Exploring China is not easy even for experienced travelers, but the history instructor Jessica Gerard from Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) knows from experience the trip is worth it. Since 2008, she’s led five groups of students across China to study its culture and history.
Gerard often reminds interested students that the trip is not a vacation—it’s an academic (学术的) course. “Anyone interested in the trip must take an online course about the history of China before they can go,” she said. “And, most importantly, students continue to learn while in China. They’re expected to listen to guides, keep a diary and write about their experiences afterward.”
OTC student Ross Weis believed his experiences in China easily transcended (超越) anything he could have learned in the classroom. In fact, it was his long-held interest in China that led him to ask about the trip after seeing a poster in the OTC library. “I’ve always been drawn to China and its rich culture and history,” Weis said. “My dad studied history in college, and I suppose that has some influence on me.”
Of all the cities and historical sites Weis visited, he said nothing could top his experience at the Great Wall. “I’d read about the Great Wall and seen it on TV, but it is so different to go there and actually experience it,” he said. “It wasn’t as worn as I had expected it to be. That was pretty cool.”
Every OTC group Gerard has taken to China has been led by her trusty tourist agent, Jim Lieu. Gerard plans her trips directly through Lieu, who keeps travel costs down for students. “Lieu and I have an excellent relationship with one another. He always knows what I want for my students, and I know what he can do,” said Gerard. “He sincerely believes that in order to build stronger communities and a better world, people around the world should get to know each other through travel.”
1. Why did Gerard organize travel to China for her students?| A．To help students relax after exams. | B．To get students interested in travel. |
| C．To teach history in a productive way. | D．To give an interesting life experience. |
| A．Take a course online. | B．Consult a native guide. |
| C．Show their anxiety. | D．Share their preparation. |
| A．His passion for travel. | B．His interest in China. |
| C．His teacher’s invitation. | D．His father’s inspiration. |
| A．Brave. | B．Patient. | C．Helpful. | D．Humorous. |
7 . Being healthy is important. Often, we’re crazy about articles in health magazines talking about the latest popular diets, or advertisements that offer cures (疗法) for fatness that are often too good to be true. One of the latest crazy phenomena (现象) is intermittent fasting (间歇性禁食).
There are different ways of intermittent fasting.
Some people try intermittent fasting for weight management, and others use the method to deal with some conditions such as high cholesterol or arthritis.
As with many diets, it’s always wise to speak to your doctor or weight-loss professional before changing your eating habits. And, at the end of the day, it could just come down to what lifestyle choice suits you.
| A．But what is intermittent fasting? |
| B．However, this diet isn’t for everyone. |
| C．Intermittent fasting has two main origins. |
| D．Let’s look at some of the possible benefits. |
| E．The idea of this is to reduce calories over a period. |
| F．In a word, you should avoid turning to intermittent fasting blindly. |
| G．You can eat normally on five days of a week and reduce calorie intake on the other two. |
8 . Taking exercise in a crowded, noisy gym will improve your muscle but may not make much difference in your stress level. By contrast, hiking improves not only your physical fitness level, but your mental health as well. “I hike with friends every week. Whether I am wandering down a flat path along a river or climbing a rock y mountain in the wilderness, hiking can be beneficial to me because it exposes (使接触) me to outdoor scenes such as mountain s and rivers, which can always offer me good ideas about paintings and music,” Marry Copper, a hiker said.
Experts agree that hiking reduces stress. According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), hiking increases the body’s production of endorphins, a type of chemical that improves mood (情绪). Endorphins also help you sleep more soundly, which will lower your stress level. However, not all scientists agree that hiking raises your endorphin level. Instead, some researchers believe that hiking causes the release of the chemical norepinephrine, which helps make you less excited or upset.
The controversy (争议) is ongoing, but it is clear that however it happens, hiking is useful when you are feeling anxious. Hiking can also help improve your confidence. Walking down a path is a repetitive motion, which can lead your brain into relaxing; you may “zone out” to the point where you won’t be thinking about anything in particular. Being outside in the open air may also help you exercise better because most people do indoors; getting out from under a roof can lift your spirits.
Hiking may improve your mood more than a gym workout will, but your risks are also greater. People sometimes try to make their own way rather than stick to established paths. They are proud to say they like to have an adventure. However, people who try to do something new could be attacked by wildlife and get hurt and lost. So stick to the known roads and bring a cellphone with you, and always tell someone where and when you are going hiking, even if you have a partner going with you.
1. Why does Marry Copper like hiking?| A．She dislikes exercising in the gym. | B．She can meet new friends when hiking. |
| C．She can draw inspiration from nature. | D．She has the spirit of adventure in the wilderness. |
| A．Scientists have reached an agreement. |
| B．Sound sleep can increase the body’s endorphin level. |
| C．Stress is caused by the body’s production of endorphin. |
| D．The chemical norepinephrine could make people calm. |
| A．Negative | B．Positive | C．Objective | D．Unclear |
| A．How can hiking cause controversy? | B．Why do people like exercising outdoors? |
| C．What do hikers like to do in the wilderness? | D．What benefits can hiking bring to people? |
9 . Have you ever thought how good it would be if an unfinished handwork project, which stopped because the owner passed away, could be lovingly completed?
Friends and knitters (编织者) Jennifer Simonic and Masey Kaplan started the Loose Ends Project in September 2022. The pair match “volunteer finishers” with unfinished projects online so they can carefully complete them and then return them to the people they were being made for.
It all started when founders, Simonic and Kaplan, realized that they had both been asked by friends to finish knitting hats, sweaters or other unfinished projects by their moms. When more friends asked them for help, they felt it would be a good idea to “have strangers be able to finish things for each other”.
Helping strangers this way, which also assists (帮助) them to get through their grieving process, was something that the two had happily agreed to do, understanding how wonderful it feels to be dressed in something a loved one has created.
Adding a moving couple of extra steps, once the finishers receive the project, they may highlight (突出) the last stitch (针) worked by the dead maker in a special way before they restart the work.
In just a few months, Loose Ends has built up a global team of over 7, 000 volunteers. New volunteers are asked to share their skill sets and interests. When Loose Ends receives a project, the founders determine a good fit based on these skills. The Loose Ends team will let the volunteers try the work to “check if they’re feeling it too”, as Simonic and Kaplan never want the work to be a boring task.
Volunteers do not charge for their work, while families are only asked to cover the delivery costs. The group tries to match projects to volunteers living nearby to reduce the delivery costs to the lowest.
1. What is the goal of the Loose Ends Project?| A．To promote handwork art. | B．To sell handwork products online. |
| C．To complete unfinished handwork projects. | D．To recycle good handwork projects. |
| A．Touching | B．Amazing | C．Unforgettable | D．Painful |
| A．They may make a special design for the last stitch. |
| B．They may mark the original maker’s last stitch. |
| C．They may add receivers’ information on them. |
| D．They may sign their names on the works. |
| A．Quick | B．Tiring | C．Safe | D．Thoughtful |
10 . J. K. Rowling frequently shows there is magic every day. Her Harry Potter series has helped people through times of stress and depression and she is always there to deliver wise words of encouragement.
She is one celebrity who is very active on Twitter. So when a single dad named Matt Burke sent her a message thanking her for the series, she noticed. Her series had helped strengthen his relationship with his 9yearold daughter Bailey.
He included a link to his article titled Being a Broke Parent. He explained how he hadn’t found a level of financial stability that allowed him to pay bills on time and take his daughter on more activities and events. The family also doesn’t have the Internet or TV, which means there’s no “digital babysitter” and he has to rely on his own creative ways to bond with his daughter. Since he received the series, the main thing that has occupied them these days is reading books together.
Burke admits that he thought he was “too cool” for the books when they first came out and he was in his twenties, but he’s loving reading them now. “We switch off chapter by chapter reading them out loud，“Burke explains.” This not only allows her to get more used to reading aloud in front of someone, but it gets me directly involved in something she loves, and it gives me the chance to be very dramatic when I read my chapters and bring myself into the characters in the book, which has proven to be a ton of fun.”
After hearing Burke’s story, Rowling said how honored she was when Harry Potter was a part of his family’s life and offered Burke more books. Besides, people are also offering to send Burke more books as gifts. For Burke, this experience, far more than gifts, will be what he treasures.
1. Why did Burke thank J. K. Rowling according to the text?| A．She guided him how to write a good story. |
| B．She encouraged him when he was in trouble. |
| C．Her books helped him through times of confusion. |
| D．Her books helped him improve his bond with his daughter. |
| A．He has found it interesting to read the series. | B．He was too old to understand the series better. |
| C．He has chosen a better way of reading the series. | D．He hopes to play a role in the drama in the future. |
| A．Useless. | B．Normal. | C．Valuable. | D．Boring. |
| A．J. K. Rowling chooses to help improve kids’ health. |
| B．J. K. Rowling gives a magical gift to a single father. |
| C．J. K. Rowling has a deep influence on others’ growth. |
| D．Burke comes to know J. K. Rowling through her series. |
