1 . BOLOGNA CHILDREN'S BOOK FAIR ILLUSTRATORS EXHIBITION 2024-58TH EDITION
A BCBF highlight, the Illustrators Exhibition is a unique international showcase for state-of-the-art illustrations for children and young adults.
WHO CAN ENTER
Illustrators, both professionals and beginners, can enter unpublished artwork, or artwork published in the previous 2 years.
Art schools can enter the projects by students who have attended their Institute.
Publishers can enter illustrators they work with.
FEATURES OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS
Illustrators must enter their artworks exclusively online by December 31, 2023.
The 5 artworks must be based on the same theme, and must be numbered, as preferred, from 1 to 5 on the digital format file.
The 5 illustrations—5, no more, no less—may be unpublished artwork or artwork published after 1 January 2022. The work can be in black and white or colour and be produced using any technique.
The digital format must be: jpg or png, maximum size 5 MB, resolution 150 DPI.
SELECTION PROCESS
All works shall be examined by the international Jury comprising five members (from publishing houses, art schools, or illustrators) appointed by BolognaFiere. The Jury's decision shall be final.
WINNERS
Being selected will give illustrators great visibility with the publication of their works in the Illustrators Annual and the 2-year world tour of the exhibition.
Winners under 35 will automatically be shortlisted (入围) for the International Award for Illustration Bologna Children's Book Fair, which consists of a prize of 15,000 Euro and the assignment to illustrate a children's book to be published by Grupo SM, Spain.
Unpublished winners under 30 will also compete for the ARS IN FABULA scholarship, which covers the entire Masters course fee.
CONTACTS
If you have problems or need assistance: bf＠archimedia. it
1. Who can submit entries to the BCBF Illustrators Exhibition 2024?| A．Visitors of the exhibition. | B．Editors of publishers. |
| C．Illustrators of all levels. | D．Authors of children's books. |
| A．Artworks in jpg digital format. | B．Five artworks on diverse themes. |
| C．Physical artworks in black and white. | D．Artworks published over 2 years ago. |
| A．A 2-year global tour. | B．A cash prize of 15,000 Euro. |
| C．A scholarship for further education. | D．A chance to get their works published. |
2 . As its name suggests, online therapy (心理治疗) allows people with mental health disorders to connect to a licensed therapist over the Internet. Five years ago, large scale online therapy providers started offering their services to the public.
There are a large list of benefits to this type of therapy. People who use an online therapy service frequently mention that they can manage the monthly payments, which generally do not exceed £200 per month.
For all the love online therapy has received lately, it doesn't come without its flaws. The main issues many people have with online therapy are the absence of verbal or facial cues and moral implications. Due to these reasons, professional organizations are hesitant to fully support online therapy.
There are many considerations to take into account prior to joining an online therapy platform. It's important to keep in mind that though many people are already using one of these services, it doesn't necessarily mean it's a good option for you.
| A．The concept is quite simple |
| B．Should you decide to join one |
| C．Once the services understand a client's unique profile |
| D．For those hesitant about sharing personal information online |
| E．The reality is, online therapy services differ greatly in price and quality |
| F．Online therapy is also known as being as effective as traditional therapy |
| G．Other common concerns include legal issues and technological difficulties |
3 . Jokes and humor are often thought of as unimportant. If the lawyer defending you in court couldn’t stop joking, you’d be understandably alarmed.
However, regarding humour as insignificant is a mistake. Humour, jokes and laughter, have a vital role to play in human behaviour and interaction. They are a powerful part of social bonding and are genuinely beneficial for health via their stress-relieving properties.
Why do we respond, in such powerful and rewarding ways, to things that objectively make little sense? A substantial amount of data has been generated regarding how humour works in the brain and on the various types of recognisable jokes that trigger it.
Verbal puns, the most familiar type of joke, involve words that convey two meanings at once. For example, “Why did the golfer wear two pairs of trousers? In case he got a hole in one.” Here “hole in one” has two possible interpretations. Their simplicity and familiarity mean most people recognise the humour in puns. So, the brain’s humour processes are still engaged.
But where does humour arise from in the brain? Considerable research points towards a specific system in the brain for recognizing humour. This system seemingly detects and resolves incongruity (不和谐). Our brains know how things, like language and behaviors, should work. But, in the real world, many things don’t match our expectations. It seems our brains have evolved a system to recognise when this happens.
If normality is subverted, it means we don’t know what’s going to happen, which creates cognitive (认知) tension. However, the system that recognises incongruity seemingly also resolves it, by providing an explanation, or at least a confirmation that the incongruity has no negative consequences. This removes the uncertainty, relieving the tension. So, we experience a rewarding feeling. If the incongruity is not resolved, however, humour is absent. If the answer to “Why did the golfer wear two pairs of trousers?” is “in case the metal owl that lives in his gold bag attacks him”, that’s not funny. There’s unresolved incongruity.
Humour is essentially our brain going, “This isn’t how things usually work... but I’m okay with it!”
1. What does the author say about humor in the first two paragraphs?| A．Its positive role is often underrated. | B．It mainly serves to entertain and amuse. |
| C．Its harmful effects shouldn’t be ignored. | D．It is essential for professional communication. |
| A．To prove a theory. | B．To draw a conclusion. |
| C．To illustrate a concept. | D．To make a comparison. |
| A．Detected. | B．Overturned. | C．Established. | D．Repeated. |
| A．How Jokes Affect Brain Structures | B．Using Humor to Boost Brain Power |
| C．Jokes and the Brain’s Reward System | D．Unlocking Brain Secrets Behind Humor |
4 . Most adults view human life as especially precious. For example, a survey of millions of people in 233 countries, most of them in their 20s and 30s, found they largely agreed that self-driving cars should crash into dogs or cats instead of people if they had to choose.
However, growing evidence suggests many young children feel differently. Using a toy railway and Lego figures, Matti Wilks and her colleagues at the University of Edinburgh presented 170 children aged 6 to 9 in an urban part of Poland with scenarios (场景) based on a thought experiment called the trolley problem.
The children had to decide whether to direct a runaway rail car down one of two tracks so that it crashed into a Lego person or a Lego animal — either a dog or chimpanzee (大猩猩). Surprisingly, children were likely to save a dog over a person. About 42 percent of the children wanted to save the dog and make the rail car collide with the person, compared with just 17 percent of adults. About 28 per cent of children also prioritized the chimpanzee over the person, compared with 11 percent of adults.
“Children learn from their parents, teachers and others that it’s morally (道德上) important to care for others, but it may be easier for them to learn this as a blanket rule,” says Karri Neldner at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany. As a result, they don’t show a strong preference for saving one over the other, she says. “However, as they get older, they might pick up on cultural narratives that tell us it’s really important to care for other people,” says Neldner.
The reason children value dogs so highly is probably due to familiarity, says Wilks. Her studies have found that children who spent more time with dogs were more likely to say they would save a dog over a person.
1. What is the author’s purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To present a scientific finding. |
| B．To advertise for self-driving cars. |
| C．To provide background information. |
| D．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| A．Children may fail to understand the value of human life. |
| B．Children’s moral development is shaped by the love for pets. |
| C．The trolley problem is a tool to assess children’s understanding. |
| D．Most children in the experiment prefer to save a dog over a person. |
| A．Cultural influence. |
| B．Familiarity with others. |
| C．Learning the blanket rule. |
| D．Care for parents and teachers. |
| A．Moral Dilemma: the Trolley Problem |
| B．Different Opinions about Self-driving Cars |
| C．Children’s Choices: Saving Lives or Animals? |
| D．Psychological Effects of Animals on Children |
5 . Hip hop is a subculture and an art movement that emerged (出现) from the Bronx in New York City during the early 1970s. Its development reflected the negative effects of post-industrial decline, political discourse, and a rapidly changing economy.
Looking back to New York City during this era, we see an economic collapse. The city’s economy was falling apart due to the decline of the manufacturing industry. Much of the middle class moved to the suburbs to escape the social and economic challenges.
Consequently, businesses closed their doors, causing many economic opportunities and sources of entertainment to disappear. As a result, urban youth turned to the streets for recreation and self-expression. The abandoned buildings and parking lots set the stage for block parties. These block parties laid the groundwork for early hip hop culture. DJs and MCs brought the music by setting up mobile “Sound Systems” introduced by Jamaican culture. Sheets of cardboard became dance floors for break-dancers, and brick walls transformed into canvases for graffiti. The emerging hip hop culture also became an outlet to deal with despair, abandonment and even violence.
Several people were influential in creating hip hop. Among the most famous ones is DJ Kool Herc, the “founding father of hip hop.” The Jamaican American made history in 1973 when he and his sister hosted the “Back to School” party in their apartment building. This historical party is recognized for launching the hip hop movement. Herc was also famous for creating a DJ technique called “break beat”-a mixing practice he adapted from Jamaican music. He noticed that people often waited for drum breaks of a record to dance. This took place when every instrument stopped playing except for the drums. Then the DJ would use two turntables (唱机转盘) to switch back and forth between two copies of the same record. The break section was also the most anticipated part of a song where people danced the most.
The DJ kept growing in popularity throughout the 1970s. He moved on to larger parks, played in clubs and inspired other DJs who helped this type of dance music to develop.
1. Why did hip hop culture emerge in the Bronx during the early 1970s?| A．Because of the economic downturn and social circumstances. |
| B．Because of the post-industrial economy and cultural diversity. |
| C．Because of the popularity of Jamaican music and dance culture. |
| D．Because of young people’ need for new forms of entertainment. |
| A．Economic challenges. | B．Jamaican music. |
| C．Community gatherings. | D．Despair and violence. |
| A．A place to seek entertainment. |
| B．A movement for social changes. |
| C．A campaign for commercial purposes. |
| D．A channel to release negative emotions. |
| A．“Back to School” was the first party held by him. |
| B．He helped spread hip-hop culture by giving concerts. |
| C．He was well-known for the “break beat” dancing skill. |
| D．He was highly thought of as a pioneer of hip-hop culture. |
6 . “If you could have any three things, what would you want?”
Eleven-year-old Ruby Kate Chitsey loves asking that question, but it’s not a game she plays at recess（课间）. She asks it at nursing homes in the Harrison, Arkansas, where she lives. Even more amazing, she then sets out to make the residents’ wishes come true.
Ruby Kate often tags along with her mother, Amanda, who works at nursing home in the summer. “I’ve never found them scary at all, so I’m able to just go up to them and ask if they need anything,” she says.
Last May, Ruby K ate noticed a resident named Pearl staring out a window. She seemed sad. “What are you looking at?” Ruby Kate asked. Pearl said she was watching her dog being led away by his new owner after a visit. Pearl didn’t know when she would see her dog again. Pearl was a medicaid recipient, who got only $40 a month to spend on personal items. Ruby Kate and Amanda asked around and discovered that many residents are unable to afford even the smallest luxuries. So Ruby Kate decided to do something about it.
She started by asking residents what three things they wanted most. “That’s a lot simpler than going, ‘Hey, what do you want?’” she explains. “They can understand you better.” Amanda worried that people would ask for things an 11-year-old wouldn’t be able to provide. Instead, they asked for chocolate bars, McDonald’s fries, and even just a prayer.
“It broke me as a human,” Amanda says. “We left the nursing home that day and went straight to a store and bought as many items as we could.”
Using their own money, the Chitseys granted the wishes of about 100 people in three months. Then they started asking for donations. The good people of Harrison responded enthusiastically, and they raised $20,000 in 24 hours and more than $250,000 in five months.
1. Why does Ruby often ask the same question?| A．She likes hearing everyone’s stories. |
| B．It makes her famous in the community. |
| C．She finds it amusing to repeat the question. |
| D．She wants to help residents in nursing homes. |
| A．Pearl was in good health. | B．Pearl couldn’t afford to keep her dog. |
| C．Pearl was too old to raise a dog. | D．Pearl sold her dog for small luxuries. |
| A．The residents’ gratitude for Amanda’s assistance. |
| B．The popularity Ruby achieved for her good deeds. |
| C．The simplicity and sincerity of the residents’ requests. |
| D．The residents’ enthusiasm and optimism in difficult times. |
| A．Action speak louder than words. | B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．Kindness is the language of the heart. | D．Nothing is difficult to a willing heart. |
7 . Is walking good exercise?
For exercise to really count, it has to be hard or complicated, or leave you totally wiped out with muscle pain for days-right? Not at all! While high-intensity activity certainly has its place, so does the most basic, accessible form of exercise: walking.
Walking is great for all exercise levels.
One of the biggest reasons walking is so popular is because it’s a low-impact exercise. It doesn’t put nearly as much pressure on the joints(关节)as running or any sort of jumping or hopping movement.
Starting is easy.
For people just getting started with fitness, walking is a wonderful form of aerobic exercise(有氧运动).
Enhanced blood flow is going to improve recovery and help ease muscle pain. Although it is not going to completely heal it, it can help reduce it and accelerate the muscle repair process.
| A．Not just for beginners. |
| B．Excellent for recovery. |
| C．The risk of injury is relatively low. |
| D．Walking can also help the body sweep away waste products. |
| E．Walking is a form of mental health treatment for many people |
| F．You don’t need any earlier or special knowledge or training to start. |
| G．Recently, it’s become an even more vital physical activity for many people. |
8 . The benefits of gratitude have long been championed in religious and philosophical thinking. In recent years, the science has been catching up: it shows that people who feel most grateful generally get a psychological boost as a result. They also have greater life satisfaction, fewer visits to the doctor and better sleep. This has led to gratitude becoming part of our daily routine, starting a trend of gratitude journals, in which you record things you are thankful for, and meditation practices in which you focus thoughts on them. However, the benefits of actually expressing this gratitude have received less attention. Now evidence is stacking up that shows turning our inner gratitude into action can make our lives even better.
For instance, a simple thank you can build relationships, even with strangers. Take people who have received a note of thanks for something they have done from a peer they don’t know. They are more likely to share their contact details with that person in an attempt to continue the relationship than people who receive a note that doesn’t contain thanks. A simple thank you seems to signal interpersonal warmth.
Expressing gratitude to a friend also changes your view of that relationship, making it feel stronger. In 2010, Nathaniel Lambert, at Florida State University, and his colleagues found that people who simply thought grateful thoughts about a friend, or even took part in positive interactions with them, didn’t experience the same effects.
But the benefits go further than just strengthening social bonds, they can have an impact on health, too. A study of more than 200 nurses working in two Italian hospitals found that gratitude expressed by patients could protect nurses from burnout. That was especially so in the emergency room, where personal interactions with patients are typically shorter and less rewarding. This positive feedback from patients reduced feelings of exhaustion among nurses, says Mara Martini at the University of Turin, who carried out the work.
1. What do the underline words “stacking up” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．disappearing | B．approaching. | C．ringing. | D．increasing. |
| A．Building stronger relationships |
| B．Sleeping well during the night. |
| C．Getting a psychological boost. |
| D．Having attractive body shapes. |
| A．Nurses should require positive feedback from patients. |
| B．Patients should speak out their appreciation to nurses. |
| C．Doctors should improve their interpersonal skills |
| D．Hospitals should protect nurses from burnout. |
| A．Friendship is worth sparing every effort. |
| B．Gratitude journals work for people who act. |
| C．Positive feedback helps improve health service |
| D．Thankfulness in action has unexpected benefits. |
9 . In films and TV shows, police investigators dust crime scenes for fingerprints to catch criminals. Now, conservationists (环保主义者) are using a similar method to tackle the illegal overfishing of sharks and rays.
Overfishing is when too many of a particular type of fish are caught, putting that species in danger. Many sharks and rays are killed because of a high demand-and a high price-for their fins(鱼鳍). In some countries, the fins are used as an ingredient in shark fin soup, which some people believe can cure certain illnesses.
About 100 species of sharks and rays are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES), an agreement between 184 countries to limit sales of wildlife that may be at the risk of dying out. CITES has teams of people who visit ports and fish factories to look for evidence of protected species being illegally caught and sold. The idea is to punish those responsible and stop it from happening, but finding evidence is difficult. If a fish is already cut up and ready for sale, it’s hard to tell which species it was. Often, fish are sold before inspectors arrive.
Scientists have come up with a process that analyzes “fish dust”-tiny traces of fish that get left on the floor at ports and factories, even after the fish are no longer there. Using a process called metabarcoding(宏条形码技术), they examine the chemical that carries all the information about a living thing’s body and characteristics in the dust and can tell if it is from a protected species.
The scientists tested the method in Indonesia, where many sharks and rays are caught and sold. They studied dust from seven sites and found evidence of 61 species of sharks and rays. More than 80% of them were CITES-protected species. Dr. Andhika Prasetyo, the scientist who led the research, hopes the new method will be helpful in protecting endangered sea life.
1. Why is dusting crime scenes mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．To discuss overfishing in a broader context. |
| B．To introduce the initial purpose of the passage. |
| C．To bring forth something new with the familiar. |
| D．To show the difference between two professions. |
| A．The risk in saving wildlife and the opportunity to seize. |
| B．The mission of CITES and the trouble inspectors confront. |
| C．The number of endangered species and the way to save them. |
| D．The agreement made by countries and the responsibility each carries. |
| A．It scans the body of a fish to confirm its killer. |
| B．It guides the investigators to the remains of a fish. |
| C．It turns a fish into the dust and test its characteristics. |
| D．It identifies a fish by studying the chemical in the dust. |
| A．The evidence collected belong to over 61 species. |
| B．Scientists in Indonesia will carry out further studies |
| C．The dusting method is promising in protecting sea life. |
| D．More than 80% of sharks and rays have been in danger. |
10 . With the rise of social media and the increasing number of online platforms, businesses have too many options when it comes to promoting their products or services. We will compare some of the top online advertising platforms and help you determine which one is right for you.
Google Ads: The Powerhouse of Online Advertising
When it comes to online advertising, Google Ads is undoubtedly the most powerful and widely used platform with its mighty targeting options. Businesses can target specific keywords, demographics (人口统计), locations, and even custom audiences based on their website visitors or customer lists. This level of precision ensures precise ads reaching.
Facebook Ads: Targeting Your Audience with Accuracy
Facebook Ads offers businesses various ad formats such as image ads, video ads, audio-visual ads, and more to engage with their target audience effectively. One significant advantage Facebook Ads have over other platforms is its advanced targeting abilities. With Facebook’s large user data, businesses can target their ads based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and even life events. This level of accuracy allows you to tailor your ads to specific audience divisions and increase the chances of transformation.
LinkedIn Ads: Connecting with Professionals
If your business operates in the B2B space or targets professionals and decision-makers, LinkedIn Ads is an excellent platform to consider. One of the key advantages of using LinkedIn Ads is its professional targeting options, including job titles, industries, company size, and even specific companies. This high level of precision ensures that your ads are viewed by related professionals who are more likely to be interested in your products or services.
YouTube Ads: Engaging Your Audience through Video
Video advertising has gained significant popularity in recent years due to its ability to draw users’ attention effectively. One major advantage of YouTube Ads is its widespread reach. With over 2 billion logged-in monthly users spending an average of 40 minutes on the platform, YouTube offers advertisers access to a large global audience.
1. What key feature sets Facebook Ads apart from other platforms?| A．Comprehensive user data. |
| B．Advanced targeting capabilities. |
| C．Professional targeting options. |
| D．Widespread audience reach. |
| A．LinkedIn Ads. | B．YouTube Ads. |
| C．Google Ads. | D．Facebook Ads. |
| A．To promote advertising websites to schools. |
| B．To introduce different advertising companies. |
| C．To help businesses select advertising platforms. |
| D．To analyze the pros and cons of online advertising. |
