1 . “Palace, Mountain, Moon?” has been selected by NASA as the Astronomical Picture of the Day for December 25, 2023.
The photo was taken by Valerio, a young photographer of Turin, Italy. It was shot on the evening of December 15, 2023. While he knew about NASA’s competition, he hadn’t considered participating until receiving much encouragement from his social media followers. Soon after, he received the message, “Your image has been chosen as the astronomical photo of the day.” It was incredible!
In a photo like this, nothing is left to luck. The concept came to him back in 2017. Walking on the hills north of Turin, he found several spots perfect for including both the Basilica of Superga Palace and Mountain Monviso. After numerous visits over several months, he identified four spots where Superga and Monviso line up just right.
After pinpointing these locations, he experimented with shooting them at different times. “I knew I needed something special to perfect the photo. The Sun was a no-go, so I turned to the Moon. Its various phases and position s reach an azimuth angle (方位角) of 230 degrees,” Valerio said. With this in mind, he researched the Moon’s phases, marked potential dates on the calendar, and planned the exact moments when the moon could join the queue.
It was very successful, especially because the Moon was in a waxing phase. This meant that in the photo, not only was its crescent (新月) lit up, but so was the left part, its shadowed side. That part is lit by reflected light, also known as Da Vinci’s glow, named after him because he was the one who theorized about why the Moon’s shadowed side is brightened. During the early days of the waxing Moon phases, the shadowed part is visible because the Sun’s light reflects off the Earth and hits the Moon’s shadowed side, giving it a greyish, silvery color. This allowed the light to outline Monviso on the left as well.
1. Why did Valerio send the photo to NASA?| A．He took an interest in astronomical advances. |
| B．He expected to create an impact on social media. |
| C．He received broad support from enthusiastic fans. |
| D．He wished to make his hometown a tourist hot spot. |
| A．shine light on each other | B．stand in a straight line |
| C．fit each other in size | D．vary from usual in color |
| A．Studying how the Moon phase changes. | B．Calculating the Superga-Monviso distance. |
| C．Analyzing when to adjust the camera angle. | D．Measuring the height of the observation point. |
| A．The outline of the crescent. | B．The outline of Superga. |
| C．The dark side of the Moon. | D．The shadowed side of the Earth. |
2 . Plenty of robots are inspired by existing animals, but not as many take their cue from extinct creatures. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) researchers looked over 500-million years back in time for guidance. Their result, presented during the 68th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, is an underwater soft robot modeled after one of the sea urchin’s (海胆的) oldest ancestors.
Pleurocystitids (侧囊虫) swam in the oceans around half a billion years ago — about the same time experts now believe jellyfish first appeared. Pleurocystitids featured a muscular, tail-like structure that likely allowed them to better move underwater. After studying CT scans of the animal’s fossilized remains, researchers fed the data into a computer program to analyze and offer mobility simulations (模拟).
While no one knows for sure exactly how pleurocystitids moved around, the team determined the most logical possibility likely involved side-to-side sweeping tail motions that allowed it to move forward across the ocean floor. This theory is also strengthened by fossil records, which indicate the animal’s tail lengthened over time to make them move faster without the need for much more energy. From there, engineers built their own long-tailed, soft robot-pleurocystitid.
To the casual viewer, the video of the mechanical monster clumsily moving across the ground inch by inch may seem to imply why the pleurocysitid is long gone. But according to Richard Desatnick, a Carnegie Mellon PhD student, the ancient animal likely deserves more credit. “There are animals that were very successful for millions of years and the reason why they died out wasn’t from a lack of success from their biology — there may have been a massive environmental change or extinction event,” Desatnick said in a recent profile.
The Carnegie Mellon team believes their soft robot could offer a variety of uses — including surveying dangerous geological localions, and helping out with underwater machine repairs. More flexible robot-pleurocystitids may one day glide through the waters. Even if nearby sea stars and urchins don’t recognize it, neither would they exist without their shared source of inspiration.
1. Why did CMU researchers study the extinct sea creature?| A．To save the existing animals. | B．To design an underwater robot. |
| C．To explore underwater resources. | D．To seek the sea creature’s ancestor. |
| A．By studying its fossil records. | B．By conducting experiments. |
| C．By analyzing its living environment. | D．By referring to its biological knowledge. |
| A．Smartly. | B．Purposefully. | C．Awkwardly. | D．Delicately. |
| A．The robot-pleurocystitid will have a bright future. |
| B．The sea stars and urchins will inspire a new robot. |
| C．Pleurocystitids died out due to lack of biological evolution. |
| D．Extinct sea creatures come back to life due to new technology. |
3 . Top Family Vacation Destinations Everyone Will Love
Think of taking a vacation and need some inspiration for where to travel? We have you covered. Here are some of our top picks for kid-friendly destinations.
Anaheim, California
California is a great family vacation destination that you will remember forever. Additionally, there are many other places to visit around the Anaheim area besides Disneyland Park. Other attractions like Knott’s Berry Farm, a water park and museums are close by as well, so you are sure to have lots of family adventures.
Panama City, Florida
If you’re looking for some family beach fun, why not try Panama City in Florida? You’ll find white sand and a beautiful tropical climate. It is the perfect place to relax and enjoy yourself.
Salzburg, Austrian Alps, Austria
One of our top family vacation destinations outside of the United States is Salzburg. You can visit Mozart’s home and catch a concert show. Or, if you’re looking for a snowy outdoor adventure, then Austria is also a great place to go during the right time of year. Austria has some great family hotels. Some even offer baby monitors and child care available.
Dublin, Ireland
If you’re looking for peace and quiet, and beautiful surroundings, why not go to Dublin? It’s a place where your kids can run around wild and free and it also has a romantic feel. There are attractions to visit as well, such as Clara Lara Amusement Park, located in the Wicklow mountains and many other outdoor activities kids can take part in.1. Which of the following destinations is suitable for kids fond of coastal life?
| A．Anaheim, California. | B．Panama City, Florida. |
| C．Salzburg, Austrian Alps, Austria. | D．Dublin, Ireland. |
| A．White sand. | B．Wildlife. | C．Music. | D．Water. |
| A．They both feature theme parks. |
| B．They both offer child care service. |
| C．They are both perfect places for museum lovers. |
| D．They both provide visitors with a romantic feeling. |
4 . Imagine a horizontal line. The very left is marked one thousand and the very right is marked one billion. On this line, where would you add a marker to represent one million? If you said somewhere in the middle, you answered the same as the roughly 50 percent of people who have done this exercise in a number line study. But the answer is actually much closer to one thousand since there are one thousand millions in one billion.
This error makes sense because “our human brains are pretty bad at comprehending large numbers,” says Elizabeth Toomarian, an educational neuroscientist at Stanford University. Our brain is built to understand how much of something is in its environment. But comprehending the national debt or imagining the size of our universe? “We certainly can use our brains in that way, but we’re recycling these sorts of evolutionarily (进化地) old brain architectures to do something really new,” she says. In other words, it’s not our fault that we have trouble wrapping our heads around big numbers.
So what can we do about the struggle to understand big numbers? It is suggested to use metaphors, analogies (类比) and visualizations. These techniques bring big numbers down to a more comprehensible scale (比例) and ideally make it relevant to something in our daily lives. For example, it may be difficult for most people to accurately place the extinction of the dinosaurs on a timeline between the Big Bang and humans because the first two both seem to be placed to the distant path. But when conceptualizing (概念化) these events using a “calendar”, it becomes easier. The Big Bang occurred at 12 a.m. on January 1st on the calendar. Dinosaurs were only present for roughly the last week of the year. And humans only emerged in the last eight sends December 31st, at 12:59:52 p.m. It’s clear now that dinosaurs are much closer to humans than the Big Bang on a timeline.
These metaphors and analogies are important if people are to really weigh the costs and benefits of events in their lives. The concept not only applies to long-term decisions, but public policies.
1. Why does the author mention the example in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To explain the main idea. |
| C．To make a summary of the text. | D．To make comparisons with other topics. |
| A．The lack of conceptual techniques. |
| B．The unwillingness to learn something new. |
| C．Our low ability to evaluate and compare. |
| D．Our inborn nature due to evolutionary factors. |
| A．Making them related to each other. |
| B．Wrapping our heads around them. |
| C．Using techniques to put them to a smaller scale. |
| D．Applying a calendar to present them. |
| A．How to make long-term decisions. |
| B．How metaphors and analogies help solve public problems. |
| C．How to weigh the costs and benefits in our life. |
| D．How important public policies are in our life |
5 . The best way to really see a city is to explore it slowly by walking around. It’s easy, healthy, and also benefits the environment. When on foot, you can do as the locals do. Here’s what you can find under your own steam.
Best for families: Planetenweg, Zurich
The 2,854 ft-tall, forest-covered peak that towers from Zurich’s doorstep is the envy of every European city. To get there, try the four-mile, two-hour-long route on Planetenweg. This family-friendly wander cuts in and out of spruce forests and gives you a proper flavour of being up in the mountains without ever actually leaving the city.
Best for arty vistas: Ekebergparken, Oslo
Come at sunrise or sunset, when the sky blazes above shining fjords (峡湾) and transforms the dark, rocky islands into shadows, and you can see why Oslo’s Ekebergparken inspired Munch to paint The Scream. Starting at the Ekebergparken Museum, the two-mile sculpture trail (小道) winds through pine, fir and ash forest, where plenty of phenomenal works of art await — Dalí’s surrealist Venus de Milo with Drawers and Damien Hirst’s Anatomy of an Angel among them.
Best for getting off the beaten track: Vienna Ugly, Vienna
The guided walks led by locals across Vienna dive into neighbourhoods that are off the usual tourist trail. Among them is Vienna Ugly, a 2.5-hour wander through Leopoldstadt and Innere Stadt. At the end of the tour, you’ll vote on which of the city’s buildings are the ugliest. Tours from £9.
Best for architecture: Ørestad, Copenhagen
Copenhagen rode high as World Capital of Architecture 2023. A guided walk with the Danish Architecture Center throw you in at the architectural deep end for 2.5 hours, taking you to Copenhagen’s Ørestad neighbourhood on the island of Amager. From £18.
1. What attracts travelers to Planetenweg?| A．Mountains. | B．Local flavour. | C．Art works. | D．Architecture. |
| A．Planetenweg, Zurich, | B．Ekebergparken, Oslo. |
| C．Vienna Ugly, Vienna. | D．Ørestad, Copenhagen. |
| A．They are free of charge. | B．They feature a voting activity. |
| C．They are guided tours. | D．They go deep into the forests. |
6 . Animal products could produce electricity, one British power company warns — and to give consumers a choice, it's offering what it calls the world’s first vegan electricity.
Ecotricity, a renewable energy provider in the U.K., announced its electricity and gas would be certified vegan after it claimed half of British homes are powered by electricity made from animal byproducts. Company founder Dale Vince accused companies that consider themselves “ethical” or “green” of keeping consumers in the dark about their “secret ingredient.” “We need clear labeling of energy sourcing so that people can make informed choices,” he said in a statement.
The company offers “vegan energy” in wind and solar power, and it’s developing “sea power” produced by wave oscillation and marine currents. None of Ecotricity’s electrical sources contains animal byproducts that the company knew of before it made the announcement, but it registered with the Vegan Society to certify its green status.
Though not widely disclosed, it’s fairly common for power companies to derive electricity from animals through anaerobic digestion (厌氧消化). Animal waste is generally considered a clean, renewable energy source. Turning manure into fuel eliminates a sizeable chunk of carbon pollution and lessens power companies’ reliance on “dirtier” fossil fuels like coal and oil. Plus, animals provide a limitless supply of waste, while Earth’s natural gas stores are finite, so crackers wouldn’t need to drill into rock to extract it.
Cows are pictured at a Wagyu cattle breeding center in June in Petit-Mars, France. A U.K. energy company announced the first “vegan electricity” after warning consumers about animal byproducts in energy production.
After anaerobic digestion, farmers can use the liquid remains of the manure as fertilizer and make chips for animal bedding from the solid leftovers, chemical engineer David Simakov told Popular Science.
“We are talking about producing the amount of renewable natural gas enough to heat thousands of homes from just a single large landfill site,” he said. “We need to stop pumping carbon from underground into the atmosphere and start caring about introducing more and more renewable energy to make our lives more sustainable.”
Renewable energy only accounts for 11 percent of energy consumption in the U.S., according to the Energy Information Administration. Fossil fuels and nuclear energy generate more than 80 percent of the country’s electricity, and that’s unlikely to change: like other clean energy sources, anaerobic digestion is still more expensive than traditional sources of energy.
1. According to Dale Vince, ____________________.| A．it’s necessary for consumers to know how electricity is produced |
| B．people don’t need to make choices of whether to use vegan electricity |
| C．vegan electricity and gas shouldn’t use animal byproducts |
| D．it’s not certain whether Ecotricity has used animal byproducts |
| A．an energy provider |
| B．vegan energy |
| C．animal waste |
| D．energy labelling |
| A．It’s forbidden to get exploited natural gas since it is limited. |
| B．Clean energy may not replace fossil fuels to be used by families. |
| C．Power companies can rely on animal waste to produce clean energy. |
| D．The waste of cows is first used to produce clean energy in the world. |
| A．It has been a mainstream. |
| B．It has a promising future. |
| C．Consumers tend to use more clean energy now. |
| D．Its producing cost has decreased its popularity. |
7 . If you’re a keen photographer with a passion for making an impact, we’d love to have you join this nonprofit photography workshop in Africa! You don’t need to be a pro to join: you just need to have a good camera, basic photography skills, and an interest in giving back through photography.
·Program schedule One-week workshopThe program will be kicked off with a workshop taught by humanitarian photographer Anna Lusty. The first week will be focused on all elements of nonprofit photography, including how to prepare for shoots, how to approach projects in a culturally sensitive way, and how to best capture (捕捉) the essence of projects, etc. Half days will be spent on theory, and during the other half, we’ll visit a nonprofit organization so that we can put skills into practice.
·Photography assignmentsFrom the second week, you’ll start your photography assignments. Each week, you’ll be assigned to a grassroots organization of your choice. This can have a wide range of focus areas, such as education, animal welfare, sports coaching and more. You’ll spend your time getting to understand the organization’s mission and projects, and you’ll document their work with your camera. At the end of the week, there will be time for post production, and you can donate a selection of your images to the organization.
·Logistics and supportAccommodation, transport and support are all provided during this photography volunteer project. We’ll pick you up from the airport, provide all necessary transport and support on the ground and supply daily meals.
·Start dates and feesOur start dates for 2024 are as follows:
Cape Town: Feb 19/May 14 /July 17 /Oct 16
Livingstone: July 31
Program fees for 2024:
| 2 weeks | 3 weeks | 4 weeks | |
| Cape Town | $2,150 | $2,700 | $3,250 |
| Livingstone | $2,750 | $3,200 | $3,650 |
We’d love to receive your application!
1. What is required to apply for the program?| A．Professional photography skills. |
| B．Related volunteer experience. |
| C．Proper photographic equipment. |
| D．Interest in African culture. |
| A．Each volunteer is assigned a professional photographer. |
| B．The program combines theoretical learning and practical sessions. |
| C．Volunteers can team up freely to finish a project together. |
| D．Participants raise money for the organization. |
| A．$2,150. | B．$2,700. |
| C．$3,200. | D．$3,650. |
8 . Find Inspiration at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum
Start Your Innovative Journey Here
Experience the past, present and future of American originality as you are introduced to more than 600 world-changing inventors and immersed in stories of passion, perseverance and progress.
Admission
Admission to the museum is always FREE — the perfect way to add a fun, kid-friendly learning experience to your trip to the Washington D. C. area.
Hours
Monday — Friday, 10 a. m. to 4 p. m.
The first Saturday of every month, 11 a. m. to 3 p. m.
Sundays and federal holidays, CLOSED
Parking
Find convenient parking in the East Garage at 551 John Carlyle St. in Alexandria. Hourly and daily parking is available all day long, Monday through Friday, except on federal holidays. Parking costs $3 per hour, with a daily maximum of $10.
Visitor Policy
The National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum asks that you do not:
·Destroy, damage or remove property
·Touch an exhibit unless exhibit signs give permission for such activity
·Bring dogs or other animals, other than service animals
·Take photographs for advertising or any other commercial purpose
·Distribute ads, pamphlets, handbills and flyers
Contact Us
Phone: 571-272-0095
Email: museum@invent.org
The National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum is an engaging destination that sparks curiosity in the next generation of creators, innovators and enterprisers. Please call or email us, and we’ll help you to arrange a unique learning experience for your students.
1. How much should one pay for two days of parking?| A．$10. | B．$20. | C．$72. | D．$144. |
| A．Bringing service animals. | B．Taking photos. |
| C．Handing out advertisements. | D．Approaching exhibits. |
| A．Educators. | B．Scientists. | C．Art lovers. | D．Sports fans. |
9 . Four Top Ski Resorts (度假胜地) in Norway
Skeikampen
Skeikampen has been attracting cross-country skiers since 1895, although the resort’s first ski lift was built in 1959. While the 21 downhill slopes (斜坡) are mostly for beginners and middle-level skiers, there is a 3, 000-square-metre kids’ are a with two magic-carpet lifts and two barbecue sites to warm up around, If you love cross-country skiing, then Skeikampen is the spot for you. Plus, it’s the setting for the play Peer Gynt by famous Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen.
Geilo
As one of the country’s oldest ski resorts, Geilo is a great destination for families, Geilo has 37 slopes that range from beginner to black diamond (the toughest on the mountain). It stretches across a valley with views over two national parks. Geilo is constantly investing more money into this ski resort. Last year, they improved the snow park, upgraded the kids’ area and added new lifts.
Hafjell
Back in 1994, Norway successfully hosted the Winter Olympics in nearby Lillehammer. Many of the downhill ski races were held on the slopes of Hafjell. It’s now the third largest ski resort in Norway. Not only does it offer 47 kilometres of ski slopes and several parks, it also has something called SkiMovie, a slope that’s equipped with automatic timing and filming equipment to document your highlights.
Norefjell
Just one and a half hours’ drive from the capital city of Oslo, Norefj ell hosted the alpine skiing events at the 1952 Winter Olympics. With Northern Europe’s largest vertical descent (垂直下落) of 1, 010m, you may get lucky and enjoy the heights (when you are above the clouds) over the valley. Alongside a busy ski school, there are 6 restaurants, 30 slopes and 14 lifts.
1. What can you do at Skeikampen?| A．Ski with Henrik Ibsen. | B．Participate in a play. |
| C．Enjoy cross-country skiing. | D．Eat delicious food for free. |
| A．It is lack of funds. | B．It is the oldest ski resort in the country. |
| C．It stretches across two national parks. | D．It provides slopes for skiers of all levels. |
| A．They can record your highlights. |
| B．They hosted the Olympic skiing events. |
| C．They have schools to teach beginners. |
| D．They are located near the capital city. |
10 . Travelling abroad can present many challenges, including long journeys, language problems, and culture shocks, plus the expense of transport and accommodation. However, there’s rarely a dull moment when you’re in a different country.
One of the wonderful benefits of going abroad is that you can learn history and culture without real effort. There’s a natural tendency to absorb other cultures and pick up historical concepts, while enjoying yourself at the same time.
Another great benefit is that living in a foreign culture is the only real way to fully understand its language.
Removing yourself from the familiar and travelling to a new country can be a very powerful tool for gaining self-awareness and deeper understanding. The new land gives you a fresh social environment.
| A．It’s far superior to learning it in a classroom. |
| B．It can help you shift how you see yourself. |
| C．The direct experience helps you remember something easily. |
| D．Many people wonder what they should do in a foreign country. |
| E．Travelling abroad can also boost creativity and drive innovation. |
| F．Another benefit of travelling ab road is the relaxation you can get. |
| G．It is rewarding to get to experience life in different ways. |
