1 . 4 places in the Midwest that look like they could be in Europe
If an expensive overseas trip isn’t in the cards for you right now, don’t worry. Take a road trip from Chicago and check out these Mid-western tourist spots that look like they’re straight out of a European postcard．
★Niles, Illinois
If you visit a square at 6300 W. Touhy Avenue, you’ll find a pleasantly European surprise — a half-sized copy of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Constructed in1934 to hide a water tower, the Leaning Tower of Niles stands 94 feet tall with a 7. 4-foot tilt which looks like the Italian one．
★Lindsborg, Kansas
Originally settled by Swedish immigrants, Lindsborg’s Scandinavian culture remains clear through public art and Swedish specialty shops, so prepare to collect Scandinavia n clothes, cookies, and wine. Best of all are the town’s yearly Scandinavian celebrations, where you’ll find various Swedish traditions．
★Frankenmuth, Michigan
Lovingly called “Little Bavaria”, this central Michigan town look like they’ve been transported straight out of a Franconian village. For the full Bavarian experience, you can stop by one of its restaurants for traditional German food. You can also learn a little more about the town’s Franconian origins．
★New Glarus, Wisconsin
Many people in Chicago know New Glarus for its brewery. Take a walk there and you’ll soon realize why it’s called “Little Switzerland”. Named after the big city of Glarus in Switzerland, New Glarus’ wooden houses, Swiss restaurants and museums, and gently hilled landscapes make for an almost Alpine（阿尔卑斯山的）experience．
1. What is the best part of a trip to Lindsborg, Kansas?| A．The local natural scenery． |
| B．The Scandinavian celebrations． |
| C．The Scandinavian dressing culture． |
| D．The traditional Scandinavia n foods． |
| A．Niles, Illinois． | B．Lindsborg, Kansas． |
| C．Frankenmuth, Michigan． | D．New Glarus, Wisconsin． |
| A．For its famous brewery． | B．For its Alpine-style design． |
| C．For its main Swiss population． | D．For the same city name of Glarus． |
2 . Great Places to Enjoy Books
Sinan Books，ChinaSinan Books offers a space for learning and thinking to the general public living in the city. Its door has red decoration, showing Sinan Books’ attitude of openness, and its reading space is beautifully decorated with yellow lights. The color green sets off the exhibition spaces. Spaces on the fourth floor are decorated with black and white colors to encourage readers to face themselves.
Paju Book City，South KoreaAs the name suggests, it’s a city of books. The bookstores make lots of book lovers come here. In particular, the yearly Booksori book festival attracts nearly one million visitors. At the festival, the organizers present Paju Book Awards to the great Asian writers, editors, and designers. Besides, you can give your old books in return for those books you want to read in these bookstores. The most popular bookstore is Bomulseom, which carries a quality selection (挑选) of Korean, English, and Japanese books, as well as magazines and albums.
Bonjinsha，JapanBonjinsha is a bookstore dedicated to (致力于) the teaching and learning of the Japanese language. The store in Tokyo has a wide variety of teaching materials for all levels, from beginners to advanced learners. If you are studying or living in Japan and need to improve your Japanese language skills, then Bonjinsha will be a good place to start. Not only is Bonjinsha an established bookstore, but it’s also a famous publishing house in Japan.
College Street，IndiaAlthough it is only 0.9 km long, there is a range of bookstores and publishers right on the street. Perhaps the most well-known bookstores in this neighborhood are Dasgupta & Co., the first bookstore on College Street founded in 1886 with a large number of rare books, and the Bani Library, a family-run business for five generations housing all kinds of textbooks related to all things academic.
1. What is unique about Sinan Books?| A．It’s more popular with teenagers. |
| B．It uses colors to create a better reading atmosphere. |
| C．It often introduces the latest good books to readers. |
| D．It often holds colorful reading festivals. |
| A．communicate with some famous writers |
| B．visit many bookstores with particular themes |
| C．get a special discount on books in Korean |
| D．exchange used books in the bookstores |
| A．Both have a small space. | B．Both encourage guests to buy used books. |
| C．Both have a long history. | D．Both offer rare books at affordable prices. |
3 . With a fragrance (芳香) through the bedrooms of older adults for two hours every night for six months, memories skyrocketed. Participants in this study by University of California, Irvine (UCI)neuroscientists gained a 226% increase in cognitive capacity compared to the control group. The researchers say the finding transforms the long-known tie between smell and memory into an easy, non-invasive technique for strengthening memory and potentially preventing dementia (痴呆).
The project was conducted through the UCI Center for the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory. It involved men and women aged 60 to 85 without memory impairment. All were given seven small containers, each containing a single and different natural oil. People in the enriched group received full-strength oils. Control group participants were given the oils in tiny amounts. Participants put a different container into their room each evening prior to going to bed, and it activated for two hours as they slept.
People in the enriched group showed a 226% increase in cognitive performance compared to the control group, as measured by a word list test commonly used to evaluate memory. Participants also reported sleeping more soundly. The researchers say the results from their study bear out what scientists learned about the connection between smell and memory.
Scientists have long known that the loss of ability to smell, can predict development of nearly 70 neurological and psychiatric diseases. These include Alzheimer’s and other dementias, Parkinson’s and alcoholism. Researchers have previously found that exposing people with moderate dementia to up to 40 different smells twice a day over a period of time improved their memories and language skills, eased depression and improved their sense of smell.
The team would next like to study the technique’s impact on people with diagnosed cognitive loss. A product based on their study and designed for people to use at home is expected to come onto the market this fall.
1. What field may the findings be applied to?| A．Controlling sleep. | B．Exploring smells. |
| C．Developing skills. | D．Promoting memory. |
| A．Research results. | B．Research process. |
| C．Research methods. | D．Research purpose. |
| A．By giving the participants a test. |
| B．By scanning the participants’ brain. |
| C．By observing the participants’ actions. |
| D．By asking about the participants’ feeling. |
| A．Developing a smell product. |
| B．The impact of cognitive loss. |
| C．Application of research results. |
| D．Doing market research for their product. |
4 . At the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, among mountain songs and ethnic costumes and special ceremonies, I am noticeable despite my modern dress, as my green “VOLUNTEER” nametag brands me as a perfect target for curious tourists. I have volunteered to learn about global customs; my knowledge of my native culture is limited. I had boxed up my past before moving to America eight years ago, when a new continent considered my old self foreign.
Here on the National Mall, I am the only means of communication between the Americans and the artisan (工匠), who were invited from China to display their talents. They see my awkward hand gestures as I test my mother tongue, speaking Mandarin (普通话) and putting it into English for visitors.
The artisans possess exceptional skills. He Guoyao can read thousands of pictographic characters (象形文字) and bears the duty of passing on Dongba culture. Cheng Zhirong creates fantastic animal figures with a spoon and melted sugar in minutes. Standing among them, I wonder about the contributions a 16-year-old girl can make.
“Ooh, it’s so pretty!” A young girl sticks her nose close to a sugar dragon. Zhirong, the candy maker, signals to me, and I explain to the girl that the dragon is pure sugar. “Mommy, it’s candy!” she excitedly says. “Beautiful...” The crowd breathes in awe. One woman taps me on the shoulder, saying, “Please, tell her that her work is surreal... a gift from another world.”
As Zhirong takes my hand and calls me “little sister”, I find my place in this group of extraordinary people who crossed oceans to build a bridge between different ethnicities and nationalities through sugar sculptures and painted words. I, too, am a bearer of traditions．
I smile at Guoyao, as he paints in pictographic characters the English words I have taught him, “You’re welcome.” I come to know that culture is not shelved behind glass cases in museums. It is in the life that I once thought backward and dull — the Chinese way of life that is a part of me.
1. Why does the author attend the Smithsonian Folklife Festival?| A．To learn about global traditions. |
| B．To improve her interpersonal skills. |
| C．To interview some talented artisans. |
| D．To appreciate the wonderful artworks. |
| A．A visitor. | B．A translator. | C．A tour guide. | D．A security guard. |
| A．In doubt. | B．In silence. | C．In satisfaction. | D．In amazement. |
| A．Chinese culture has been part of her own identity. |
| B．Culture should be presented in different forms. |
| C．Culture can only be kept alive through exchanges. |
| D．Chinese culture has helped her better adapt to her new life. |
5 . Researchers have proposed a novel method for counting and tracking vehicles on public roads, a development that could improve current traffic systems and help travelers get to their destinations faster.
Using the cameras already installed on campus buses at the Ohio State University, researchers proved that they could automatically and accurately measure counts of vehicles on urban roadways, detect objects in the road and distinguish parked vehicles from those that are moving.
In previous studies, Ohio State researchers found that using these mobile cameras provides much better spatial and temporal (时间的) coverage than relying on often temporarily placed sensors that don’t provide a view of many streets and roads in a city.
“If we collect and process more high-resolution (高清) spatial information about what’s happening on the roads, then planners could better understand changes in demand, effectively improving efficiency in the broader transportation system,” said Keith Redmill, lead author of the study.
“If we can measure traffic in a way that is as good or better than what is conventionally done with fixed sensors, then we will have created something incredibly useful extremely cheaply,” he said. “Our goal is to start building a system that could do this without much manual intervention because if you want to collect this information over lots of potential vehicles and lots of time, it’s worth fully automating that process.”
While still a long way from total implementation (实施), the study suggests the system’s results bear promise for the future of intelligent traffic surveillance. Transportation planners, engineers and operators make vital decisions about the future of our roadways, so when designing transportation systems to work over the next 30 to 50 years, it’s necessary that we give them data that allows them to improve the efficiency of the system and the level of service provided to travelers.
1. How can cameras on buses benefit travelers?| A．By shortening their travel time. |
| B．By making their schedules tight. |
| C．By decreasing their transport cost. |
| D．By improving their safety awareness. |
| A．They provide more spatial coverage. |
| B．They can’t detect objects on the road. |
| C．They cover less view of the urban traffic. |
| D．They accurately record the flow of traffic. |
| A．Operation. | B．Monitoring. | C．Protection. | D．Arrangement. |
| A．Transportation automation is on its way |
| B．It is time to improve the efficiency of traffic system |
| C．Transportation planners use cameras to make policies |
| D．Cameras installed on buses can better measure traffic |
6 . For many runners, a marathon can often be a challenge — but sometimes what gets a runner through the tough 26.2 miles is looking out into the crowd and seeing his or her loved one holding up a sign and shouting words of encouragement. For one mom, though, her loved one was a bit more hands-on.
While running the REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon in Salt Lake City, Courtney Rich, a self-taught baker and mother of two, was beginning to run out of energy just yards from the end when she was suddenly joined by her 10-year-old daughter, Avery.
The touching moment, caught on video and posted on social media, shows Avery running to her mother’s side to support her as she approached the end of the race. Rich’s face lit up when Avery joined her and helped her cross the finish line.
Rich later said in the video’s caption that being joined by her daughter to finish the race was “a moment I hope neither of us ever forget”. Rich said that her daughter could tell she was struggling after a phone call near the end of the race. “She knew I had struggled the last few miles,” Rich said. “She saw tears in my eyes when I called on mile 24.”
In the video, Rich’s facial expression changes from tiredness to a smile after seeing her daughter emerge from the crowd to join her. Then, Rich and her daughter ran hand-in-hand to the finish line. “Nothing could have prepared me for the moment my 10-year-old daughter would jump out of the crowd and run with me to the finish line,” she said. When the race was done, the two hugged each other at the finish line. The video ends with a final caption, “And then she just held me. She held me.”
In the past, the REVEL Big Cottonwood Marathon has had other memorable moments of mothers caring for their children, but perhaps not as hands-on as this one.
1. What happened to Rich when she was coming to the finish line?| A．She fell down all of a sudden. |
| B．She was far behind others. |
| C．She felt herself struggling. |
| D．She was interrupted by Avery. |
| A．She helped Rich run to the finish line. |
| B．She tried to call for help at once. |
| C．She ran the rest in place of Rich. |
| D．She shouted encouraging words to Rich. |
| A．Doubtful. |
| B．Content. |
| C．Concerned. |
| D．Expected. |
| A．A Mother Would Never Give Up On Her Marathon Dream |
| B．A Mother Encouraged Her Daughter To Pursue Her Dream |
| C．A Daughter Got Involved In Her Mother’s Race By Mistake |
| D．A Daughter Cheered For Her Mother By Joining In Her Race |
7 . Ramirez Castañeda, a Colombian biologist, spends her time in the Amazon studying how snakes eat poisonous frogs without getting ill. Although her findings come in many shapes and sizes, she and her colleagues have struggled to get their biological discoveries out to the wider scientific community. With Spanish as her mother tongue, her research had to be translated into English to be published. That wasn’t always possible because of budget or time-and it means that some of her findings were never published.
“It’s not that I’m a bad scientist,” she says. “It’s just because of the language.”
Castañeda is not alone. There is plenty of research in non-English-language papers that gets lost in translation, or is never translated. A research looked through more than 400, 000 peer-reviewed papers in 16 different languages and found 1, 234 studies providing evidence on biodiversity conservation which, because they weren’t in English, may have been overlooked. These included Japanese-language findings on the effectiveness of relocating the endangered Blakiston’s fish owl, the largest owl species.
Some experts argue that for the sake of the bigger picture, scientific knowledge should converge (转换) into one common language. Science is very globalised and becoming more so, so the use of a global language is enormous for that.
Of course, scientists can work with an English partner, or use a translator-but this ultimately strengthens the cycle of dependency on the global north, leading to inequality in international influence. The specific meanings of words can also pose a problem in translation. For example, it is difficult to find in English one single word to describe forest snakes and frogs in the work Castafieda does with indigenous (土著的) communities in the Amazon.
“So we’re losing observations for science, too, ” says Castañeda. “For me, it’s not possible to just have everything translated into English. We need multilingual (多语种的) science, and we need people that feel comfortable doing science in their own languages. It could be possible to switch to a world where, say, Chinese, English and Spanish are the three languages of science, just as English, French and German were the languages of science in the 19th century.”
1. What prevented Castañeda’s discoveries from being more widely known?| A．Poor management. | B．Opposition from her colleagues. |
| C．Her bad reputation. | D．The language barrier. |
| A．Inefficient wildlife conservation. |
| B．A knowledge gap in the scientific world. |
| C．A growing interest in non-English papers. |
| D．Inadequate job opportunities for translators. |
| A．The urgency to protect rare species. |
| B．The need to adopt one global language. |
| C．The challenges in translating scientific texts. |
| D．The biodiversity on the South American continent. |
| A．A potential solution. | B．A theoretical model. |
| C．A popular belief. | D．A global trend. |
8 . When you go on vacation next time, make sure to take lots of pictures of the wildlife you see. These photos can help save different types of wildlife because of a new field called “imageomies”. Imageomies uses computers to study pictures of wildlife and learn information from them.
Until recently, scientists didn’t have the technology to analyze (分析) the data in wildlife photos. But now, machine learning and computer vision are helping researchers unlock valuable information hidden in these images.
There are platforms where people can share their wildlife photos, like cBird, iNaturalist and Wildbook. These platforms help scientists keep track of different species and create databases. If you have rare (稀有的) photos of wildlife, it’s a good idea to share them on these platforms.
Scientists have limited time and resources to study all endangered wildlife in the world. By using artificial intelligence (人工智能) to analyze public photos, we can learn more about different species and their behaviors. This technology can even help us find things in photos that humans might miss.
It’s important to use the collected information responsibly and protect it from poachers (偷猎者). If we do that, imageomies can not only help save wildlife but also contribute to other fields like medicine and agriculture.
1. How can imageomies help scientists study wildlife?| A．By offering information from wildlife. | B．By analyzing the data in wildlife photos. |
| C．By analyzing the trend of human population. | D．By knowing the origin of biological processes. |
| A．eBird, iNaturalist and Wildbook. | B．Imageomics, eBird and Wildbook. |
| C．Imageomics, eBird and iNaturalist. | D．Photos of wildlife, iNaturalist and Wildbook. |
| A．To appreciate the beauty of wildlife. | B．To contribute to the public safety. |
| C．To inspire others to protect nature. | D．To help scientists study wildlife. |
| A．Computers help identify the biological features | B．Poachers stop killing threatened animals |
| C．Photos can save wild species | D．Photos can protect our environment |
9 . I was talking to my friend Sandy about our children. Sandy had recently moved into the neighborhood with her four kids: Jane, Joe, Christopher, and her youngest, eighteen-month-old Kim. She seemed happy to have kids nearby, until she saw our dog, Sam.
Sam, our shiny black dog, loved to play with the kids and protect them. But Sandy had a fear of dogs, and she started to back away as Sam approached. I grabbed Sam’s collar and made him sit, trying to ease Sandy’s discomfort.
Sandy mentioned that she needed to get her kids ready to go to their grandmother’s house. Just then, her door opened and her kids rushed out. Sandy shouted at them to stay away from Sam.
The kids huddled (蜷缩) around their mom, looking at Sam cautiously (谨慎地). Emma, my daughter showed the kids how to approach a dog slowly and properly. The kids were won over by Sam’s friendly nature, but I knew it would take some time for Sandy to change her viewpoint.
After that incident, we made sure that Sam didn’t go near our neighbors without me present. One day, when the kids were playing across the street. I noticed the eighteen-month-old baby heading towards a small hill. I saw a car approaching and shouted to everyone to watch the baby. Without hesitation, Sam rushed out the door and ran across the street towards the baby. He ran to the boy in time to gently push the baby away from the oncoming car. The kids cheered, completely unaware of the danger. They thought Sam had come to play.
Within a year, Sam had made friends with all the neighbors. Even Sandy started to warm up to Sam and would occasionally come over to give him a hug.
1. How did Sandy feel when she first saw Sam?| A．Excited. | B．Amazed. | C．Fearful. | D．Awkward. |
| A．They looked at Sam with watchful eyes. | B．They formed a circle to protect their mom. |
| C．They held him by the collar to make him sit. | D．They prepared to escape from the dog. |
| A．By running in front of the car to block it. | B．By pushing the baby away from the car. |
| C．By rushing to Sandy’s house to get help. | D．By jumping to the front of the coming car. |
| A．Dangerous. | B．Funny. | C．Brave. | D．Sensitive. |
10 . Are you a fan of outdoor adventures? Do you enjoy scenic views to relax? Look no further, as the following destinations offer all that and more.
Athabasca Falls
Alberta, Canada
Water from the Canadian Rockies flows down into the waterfalls of Jasper National Park, creating a flow with wild energy. The falls are wheelchairs accessible, with a paved path taking admirers to a number of viewpoints. If visitors leave the path, they can explore both the upper and lower regions of the trail.
Akaka Falls Trail
Hakalau, Hawaii
A short half-mile hike is big on sights and low on hard activity. The well-kept ring like trail guide visitors around to see a number of waterfalls, including the 442-foot main attraction, and beautiful local flora (植物群) among the famous landscape. Though there are no hills to climb, there are a number of stairways to go.
Nugget Falls
Juneau, Alaska
Located in Tongass National Forest about 12 miles from Juneau, the Mendenhall Glacier has produced Nugget Falls, a fan-like waterfall that leads into a lake. A series of short hikes allows for different views of the waterfall and icy surrounds, which are also known for frequent brown bear sightings.
Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Valley, California
Yosemite National Park is one of the oldest national parks in America and home to the fifth tallest waterfall in the world. Hikers can reach it by taking a 1-mile trail from the lodge or the 7.2-mile round-trip Yosemite Falls Trail route. Late spring is best, with the highest water flow. In the winter, the temperatures dip below freezing. A park admission fee applies.
1. Where can visitors expect to see frequent brown bear sightings?| A．Athabasca Falls. | B．Akaka Falls Trail. | C．Nugget Falls. | D．Yosemite Falls. |
| A．Winter. | B．Spring. | C．Summer. | D．Fall. |
| A．In a travel magazine. | B．In a novel. | C．In a history book. | D．In a diary. |
