1 . Events at Hamilton Civic Museums
We host a variety of events, workshops and exhibitions at our city-owned museums throughout the year.No two trips are ever the same! The following are on in November and December.
※ Exhibit: Stories from the edge
Using 31stories and artworks, this exhibition presents Ancaster’s history from the earliest human occupants to the present day.
This Exhibit runs Tuesday to Saturday, 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
For all ages
Cost: Adults:$4, Children:$3, Family:$12
Location: Fieldcote Memorial Museum, 64 Sulphur Springs Road.
※ Morning Quilting Workshop Series
Participants of all skill levels are welcome to engage in this make-a-quilt project.Sewing machine in working order is required.
The project takes place every Monday from 9:30 AM to 12:00 AM.
For ages 18 years and older.
Cost: $20 for the series. Pre-registration is required.
Location: Ancaster Old Town Hall, 310 Wilson Street East.
※ An Evening with Jane Austen
Join us on November 23, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM as we celebrate the writings of author Jane Austen and help bring the charm of the early 19 th century to life with fashion,music, dancing, and refreshments.
For adults.
Cost:$25. Online payment is accepted.
Location: Battlefield House Museum & Park, 77 King Street West.
※Victorian Christmas
Bring your family to share a Hamilton holiday tradition and enjoy the beauty of a mid-19th century family Christmas celebration at Dundurn Castle, in which the impressive beauty of the Victorian Age will be produced.
The event happens Tuesday to Sunday, 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
For all ages’
Cost: Adults: $30, Children: $14, Family: $40
Location: Dundurn National historic Site, 610 York Boulevard.
1. How is Morning Quilting Workshop Series different from the others?| A．It is fit for people of all ages. | B．It lasts the longest each time. |
| C．It needs signing up in advance. | D．It gives orders through a machine. |
| A．310 Wilson Street East. | B．64 Sulphur Springs Road. |
| C．Dundurn National historic Site | D．Battlefield House Museum & Park |
| A．Victorian Christmas | B．An Evening with Jane Austen. |
| C．Exhibit: Stories from the edge | D．Morning Quilting Workshop Series |
2 . Catalin Baciu from Romania wanted to make money in Germany. So, he and his wife, Oltita went to Bucharest, the capital city of Romania to get legal papers to move to Germany. However, when they arrived, they were surprised by what they saw. “Hundreds of street children were living in a busy and dirty city of two and a half million people. Many of them were using drugs. They all seemed lost. Most of them were under ten years old. Oltita had tears in her eyes,” Catalin said.
Many of these streets children were orphans. They had grown up in the government orphanages, but had run away. They thought any place would be better than the orphanages. But the streets were cold and hard. The winters were freezing. The children had to sleep in warm sewers(下水道) under the ground. Many of the children even became involved with crime and violence.
The Bacius did not like the sight of so many pitiful children in Bucharest. They wanted to leave immediately and go to Germany. However, that night, Catalin and Oltita stayed with a friend in Buchares. “The friend we were staying with was working with street children. I was deeply touched by what he and his fellows were trying to do…they were sacrificing their jobs and lives to save street children, ” Catalin said.
After that visit, the Bacius completely changed their life plan. Instead of moving to Germany, they began working with street children in Bucharest. They started by opening a home called House of Hope, which provided a warm and loving place for children who needed to get away from the streets. Many hospitals and business workers called House of Hope when they found troubled kids. Everyone knew the House of Hope would help.
1. Oltita had tears in her eyes because ________.| A．she felt pity for the street children |
| B．she almost lost her Way in Bucharest |
| C．she didn’t get legal papers |
| D．she would leave Romania |
| A．liked to run around | B．lived a very busy life |
| C．didn’t receive good care | D．were under ten years old |
| A．Kind-hearted. | B．Short-sighted. |
| C．Hard-working. | D．Self-confident. |
3 . With the development of our society, cellphones have become a common part in our lives. Have you ever run into a careless cellphone user in the street? Maybe they were busy talking, texting or checking updates on WeChat without looking at what was going on around them. As the number of this new "species" of human has kept rising, they have been given a new name—phubbers (低头族).
Recently a cartoon created by students from China Central Academy of Fine Arts put this group of people under the spotlight. In the short film, phubbers with various social identities bury themselves in their phones. A doctor plays with his cellphone while letting his patient die. A pretty woman takes a selfie (自拍) in front of a car accident site. And a father loses his child without knowing about it while using his mobile phone. A chain of similar events will finally lead to the destruction(毁灭) of the world.
Although the ending of the film sounds unrealistic, the damage phubbing can bring is real. Your health is the first to bear the effect and the result of it. "Always bending your head to check your cellphone could damage your neck," Guangming Daily quoted doctors' words. "The neck is like a rope that breaks after long-term stretching." Also, staring at cellphones for a long time will damage your eyesight gradually, according to the report.
But that's not all. Being a phubber could also damage your social skills and drive you away from your friends and family. When getting together with family or friends, many people prefer to play their cellphones while others are chatting happily with each other and this creates a strange atmosphere, Qilu Evening News reported.
It can also cost your life. There have been lots of reports on phubbers who fell to their death, suffered accidents, and were robbed of their cellphones in broad daylight.
1. Why does the author give the example of a cartoon in Paragraph 2?| A．To suggest phubbers will destroy the world. |
| B．To call for people to go walking without phones. |
| C．To tell people the bad effects of phubbing. |
| D．To advise students to create more cartoons like this. |
① Destructing the world.
② Affecting his social skills.
③ Damaging his neck and eyesight.
④ Getting separated from his friends and family.
| A．①②④ | B．②③④ | C．①③④ | D．①②③④ |
| A．Supportive. | B．Confident. | C．Disapproving. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．Ways to avoid the risks of phubbing. | B．Bad effects of phubbing. |
| C．Daily life of phubbers. | D．Behaviours of phubbers. |
4 . Gardeners may be able to cut down on the amount of weeds (杂草）killer they use by dealing with invaders at specific times of the day, such as dawn, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the University of Bristol have discovered that the 24-hour rhythms of plants leave them more defenseless to herbicides (除草剂） at different points in their daily 24 hour cycle.
They believe the findings could help farmers by reducing crop loss and improving harvests.And gardeners could benefit from knowing which weeds respond better at certain times of the day. In recent years,pesticides (杀虫剂） and herbicides have been implicated in the decline of important pollinating insects, such as bees.
Dr.Antony Dodd, senior author of the new study, said,“The research suggests that,in future, we might be able to improve the use of some chemicals that are used in agriculture by taking advantage of the biological clock in plants.”
Just like humans, plants have evolved to take advantage of cycles of night and day,with certain biological processes turning on at different times of the day.
Scientists have discovered that many drugs work much better in humans if they are given at specific hours. Aspirin, for example, has doubled the impact on thinning the blood if taken at night as opposed to in the morning. The process is known as 'chronotherapy' and researchers wanted to find out if the same concept could be applied to plants.
Many gardeners already know that plants drink in more water in the morning because their pores（气孔） are open to take advantage of early morning dew and water vapour. At the break of the day,plants are also not busy producing food through photosynthesis(光合作用）。The open pores could also be the reasons that chemicals are more effective at dawn and also at dusk.
The air is also likely to be stiller at dawn and dusk,meaning that pesticides or herbicides are less likely to be blown away to places where they are not wanted.Pesticide labels often warn against spraying on windy days in case they endanger people or animals. Many insects are active early in the morning and around dusk, also making very early morning and early evening effective times for insecticide.
Commenting on the study, Dr. Trevor Dines, Botanical Specialist at the conservation charity Plantlife,said, “This is a fascinating research which will be of great interest to many gardeners like me. This research knocks our previous assumption on its head. The opposite is true.”
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined phrase “implicated in" in the third paragraph?| A．restored to |
| B．blamed for |
| C．limited to |
| D．composed of |
| A．The process of photosynthesis is most active in the morning. |
| B．Insects are more defenseless in the morning than any other time of the day. |
| C．Bigger pores on the plants make herbicides work more effectively. |
| D．The stronger morning wind blows pesticides away to more places. |
| A．Gardeners were not interested in combining science with gardening. |
| B．A long time had passed before herbicide was applied in farming. |
| C．The old assumption about the use of chemicals proved right. |
| D．Many gardeners used to spray herbicides at the wrong time. |
| A．New chemicals have been found to help kill harmful insects. |
| B．Biological clock of plants could help gardeners use less weed killer. |
| C．Plants' cycles can be taken advantage of to improve the environment. |
| D．The research on the effects of pesticides has enabled good harvests. |
5 . Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.
My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him. He seemed unhappy with me unless got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor cafe. We talked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions Gone was my father’s critical (挑别的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?
The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.
1. Why did the author feel bitter about her father as a young adult?| A．He did not love his children. |
| B．He expected too much of her. |
| C．He was too proud of himself. |
| D．He was silent most of the time. |
| A．nervous | B．sorry |
| C．tired | D．safe |
| A．More critical. | B．More talkative. |
| C．Gentle and friendly. | D．Strict and hard-working. |
| A．the cafe owner | B．the author’s son |
| C．the author’s father | D．the friend of the author’s father |
6 . ByteDance（字节跳动）Group’s TikTok, an overseas version of Chinese short video sharing app Douyin, faces an existential crisis in the United States, as murmurs of a “crackdown”（强制取缔）from the White House forced the Chinese company to engage in talks on selling its US business to Microsoft.
TikTok is the fastest-growing registered global mobile internet app, with more than 100 million users, and its rapid growth, especially in the US, is seen as a threat to Facebook. The US government has long viewed globally competitive Chinese high-tech companies including Huawei as a threat and done whatever it could to crack down on（打击）them in the name of “national security”.
The US government has not introduced any specific policy against TikTok, only threatened it through a number of unclear statements.
According to the latest media reports, Microsoft is prepared to press ahead with the negotiations to take over TikTok’s US operations and complete the negotiations by Sept 15, following talks between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and US President Donald Trump.
This means that TikTok will have to hand its fate over to some unpredictable power, and even have to sell its assets without the option of setting a price.
The US government has failed to find a reasonable legal excuse to deal with TikTok. All private data of TikTok’s US users are stored in the US and are unlikely to be transferred. Considering the US government is trying to deal with TikTok in a political way, TikTok should consider incorporating（合并）the dispute into the US legal process to assert（坚持）its legal rights and interests.
TiKTok’s core value lies in its unique algorithms, a product of artificial intelligence that represents the expertise of Chinese engineers and programmers with high-value intellectual property.
The US government’s move, which has forced ByteDance to sell TikTok to a US company, is similar to a forced technology transfer and an example of the US’ open seizure of Chinese intellectual property.
If ByteDance sells TikTok to a US company for “security reasons", that would set a dangerous precedent, motivating other countries where TikTok operates to follow the US administration's example and cause a chain reaction.
ByteDance is a young Chinese private company that cannot deal with a political game played by the US. But as a Chinese company that has gone global, ByteDance has reasons to take up legal means to defend its legal rights. The Chinese government can also consider examining whether the technology transfer in the deal violates China’s law and harms the country’s national interests.
1. What is the most valuable as for TikTok?| A．Its global popularity. |
| B．Its artificial intelligence. |
| C．Its registered global mobile internet app. |
| D．Its private data of TikTok’s worldwide users. |
| A．Out of so-called political reasons. | B．Out of so-called debt reasons. |
| C．Out of so-called technical reasons. | D．Out of so-called security reasons. |
| A．An untrue spoken statement about someone. |
| B．The use of legal authority to take sth from sb. |
| C．The crime of stealing sth from a person or place. |
| D．The act of trying to hurt somebody using physical violence. |
| A．TikTok must defend its rights legally |
| B．TikTok is seen as a threat to Facebook |
| C．ByteDance has to sell TikTok to a US company |
| D．ByteDance agrees to transfer technology |
7 . From self-driving cars to carebots (care+robots) for elderly people, rapid development in technology has long represented a potential threat to many jobs normally performed by people. But experts now believe that almost 50 percent of occupations existing today will be completely unnecessary by 2025 as artificial intelligence continues to change businesses.
“The next fifteen years will see a revolution in how we work, and a revolution will necessarily take place in how we plan and think about workplaces,” said Peter Andrew, Director of Workplace Strategy for CBRE Asia Pacific.
A growing number of jobs in the future will require creative intelligence, social skills and the ability to use artificial intelligence.
The report is based on interviews with 200 experts, business leaders and young people from Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. It shows that in the US technology already destroys more jobs than it creates.
But the report states: “Losing occupations does not necessarily mean losing jobs — just changing what people do.” Growth in new jobs could occur as much, according to the research.
“The growth of 20 to 40 person companies that have the speed and technological know-how will directly challenge big companies,” it states.
A report by Pew Research found 52 percent of experts in artificial intelligence and robotics were optimistic about the future and believed there would still be enough jobs in the next few years. The optimists pictured “a future in which robots do not take the place of more jobs than they create,” according to Aaron Smith, the report's co-author.
“Technology will continue to affect jobs, but more jobs seem likely to be created. Although there have always been unemployed people, when we reached a few billion people there were billions of jobs. There is no shortage of things that need to be done and that will not change,” Microsoft's Jonathan Grudin told researchers.
1. We can infer from the text that in the future ________.| A．people will face many difficulties |
| B．people will take up more creative jobs |
| C．artificial intelligence will threaten people's lives |
| D．most jobs will be done in traditional workplaces |
| A．people won't necessarily lose jobs |
| B．big companies will face fewer challenges |
| C．small companies will win against big companies |
| D．most people will become interested in technology |
| A．Mixed. | B．Worried. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Optimistic. |
| A．there will be enough jobs for people |
| B．things will change a lot in a few years |
| C．many people will become unemployed |
| D．technology will totally change future jobs |
8 . A Service Trips for High School Students
Are you a high school student who loves to be outdoors and is eager to experience new challenges, learn new skills and meet new people? WTA offers first-time participants country trips and returning students have the option to go on trips in the back country (边远地区).
Front Country Trips
Our front country trips provide opportunities for people to experience projects near the ocean, in the scenic Cascade Mountains and in northeast Washington. Our trips also provide you with experienced leaders, a great project, some camping tents, sleeping bags and all your meals for the week.
Advanced Back Country Trips
On these trips you will be backpacking to the work site and will have a chance to advance your trail and leadership skills under the supervision(监护) of a WTA leader.
Trip Details
In 2015, trip fees for WTA members will be $195 for the first trip and $145 for each additional trip. Non-members will pay an additional $40 for their first trip and can be qualified to be members in the second trip. Due to the popularity of our trips, please submit your payment and application within two weeks. If a trip is full and you would like to be added to the waiting list, please call us at 206/625-1367 or email trail-teams@wta.org.
Scholarships
We believe no student should have to stay at home this summer because he or she can’t afford to go outside. Thanks to donations from members and supporters, WTA is proud to announce that we are able to offer a limited number of scholarships. Application Deadline: May 1, 2016.
1. If you are going on Front Country Trips, you can’t go on trips ________.| A．near the ocean | B．in northeast Washington |
| C．in the Cascade Mountains | D．in the back country |
| A．$145. | B．$185. | C．$235. | D．$195. |
| A．must submit your payment and application within two weeks. |
| B．can cancel your trip and get all your money back. |
| C．will be added to the waiting list. |
| D．will naturally become a WTA member |
9 . What’s the meaning of the “dark horse”? It is someone who wins when no one expect it.
Han Xiaopeng took China’s first gold on snow. He became an Olympic “dark horse” by winning the gold medal in men’s freestyle skiing aerials (自由式滑雪空中技巧) at Turin in Italy. He made two almost perfect jumps for the highest score. Han had never won a world gold medal before, let alone in the Olympics!
“I never thought this would happen,” said Han Xiaopeng, “I feel like I’m in a dream.” It’s China’s second gold medal at the Turin Olympic Winter Games. But more important, Han’s gold was the country’s first ever in a snow sport. In 2002, China’s Yang Yang won the gold for speed skating at the Winter Olympic in Salt Lake City, US.
That Han’s win was unexpected doesn’t mean that he didn’t work hard.
Han grew up in Jiangsu Province. Before he started his training on snow, he used to be an acrobat (杂技演员) at a circus. In 1995, a coach found his talent. The coach, Yang Er’qi, said Han had the agility (灵活性) and courage to be a ski jumper. When Yang first took the 12-year-old boy to northern China, he couldn’t swim, skate or ski. But he wasn’t afraid of the high platform and kept on training.
Han almost left the sport after hurting his knee months before the Salt Lake Games. In that Olympics he only got 24th. “I was hopeless at that time, but my family and the coach stood behind me, helping me through,” he recalled.
Han Xiaopeng worked so hard that he won the gold medal in the Olympics at last. Because of his success, more and more people in China are becoming interested in skiing. We are proud of him.
1. What does the “dark horse” mean?| A．Someone who is unexpected to win. |
| B．A horse which dark. |
| C．A horse which likes the dark. |
| D．Someone whose win is expected. |
| A．In China. | B．In America. |
| C．In Australia. | D．In Italy. |
| A．He had enough courage though he was only 13 years old. |
| B．He was born in the south of China and liked sports on snow. |
| C．He had the agility and wasn’t afraid of the high platform. |
| D．He had the talent and he had won a world gold medal before. |
| A．A wonderful Match |
| B．A Dark Horse at the Winter Olympic |
| C．A Hopeful Snow Game |
| D．An Exciting Skiing Race |
10 . Take a closer look at the wonders of Kew Gardens by joining a guided walking tour. Led by our knowledgeable volunteer guides, it is a fun and informative way to explore the grounds.
Free daily walking tours
Tours leave at 11 am and 1:30 pm from the information desk at Victoria Gate Plaza. Each guide presents their own tour and takes in the highlights(最精彩的部分) of the season.
Themed tours
Tours leave at 12 from the information desk at Victoria Gate Plaza. Our guides offer attractive seasonal themes including Autumn Colour and Winter Evergreens.
Expert-guided tours
Every Tuesday throughout the year at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm we’ll be holding an expert-guided tour. The tour will feature (以…为特色) a different plant each month and you’ll go behind the Scenes and talk to Kew staff about their work. You’ll find out interesting facts about the featured plant or fungus(真菌), including why it’s grown at Kew and how it’s used and cared for.
Price
The cost is £ 60 per guide (this does not include your entry to the Gardens). Each guide can take 15 people. Groups of more than 15 must book more than one guide. Smaller groups are also accepted but the cost remains £ 60.
Tours take about one hour and may be booked from 10 am every day. Please note that no refunds(退款) can be given once tickets are booked.
1. What time can you choose if you go to Free daily walking tours?| A．9 am. | B．10 am. | C．11 am. | D．2:30 pm. |
| A．People can get in touch with experts ahead of time. |
| B．People have no choice but to go on Tuesday. |
| C．People can be warmly received by the staff. |
| D．People can have a taste of fungus. |
| A．£ 60. | B．£ 120. | C．£ 150. | D．£ 300. |
