1 . San Francisco Fire Engine Tours
San Francisco Winery TourRunning: February 1st through April 30th
This delicious tour goes through the city on its way to Treasure Island where we will stop at the famous Winery SF. Here you can enjoy 4 pours of some of the best wine San Francisco has to offer.(Included in tickets price)
Departing from the Cannery: Tour times upon request.Duration(时长): 2 hours
Price: $90
Back to the Fifties Tour
Running: August 16th through August 31st
This tour transports you back in time to one of San Francisco’s most fantastic periods, the 1950s! Enjoy fun history as we take you through San Francisco for a free taste of ice cream.
Departing from the Cannery: 5:00 pm and 7:30 pmDuration: 2 hours
Price: $90
Spooky Halloween Tour
Running: October 10th through October 31st
Join us for a ride through the historical Presidio district. Authentic fire gear(服装) is provided for your warmth as our entertainers take you to some of the most thrilling parts of San Francisco.
Departing from the Cannery: 6:30 pm and 8:30 pmDuration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Price: Available upon request
Holiday Lights Tour
Running: December 6th through December 23rd
This attractive tour takes you to some of San Francisco’s most cheerful holiday scenes. Authentic fire gear is provided for your warmth as you get into the holiday spirit.
Departing from the Cannery: 7:00 pm and 9:00 pmDuration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Advance reservations required.
1. Which of the tours is available in March?
A.San Francisco Winery Tour. | B.Back to the Fifties Tour. |
C.Spooky Hallowen Tour. | D.Holiday Lights Tour. |
A.Go to Treasure Island. | B.Enjoy the holiday scenes. |
C.Have free ice cream. | D.Visit the Presidio district. |
A.Take some drinks. | B.Set off early in the morning. |
C.Wear warm clothes. | D.Make reservations in advance. |
2 . Top Silk Road Attractions
Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑)
Type: History Museums, Historic Sites
Recommended Length of Visit: 3 hours
As the eighth wonder of the ancient world, it has a history of more than 2, 200 years. Oriental mummies (东方木乃伊) wait for you to discover their mystery.
Mogao Grottoes (莫高窟)
Type: Buddhism, Historic Sites
Recommended Length of Visit: 3 hours
Considered as the eastern Louvre Museum, Mogao Grottoes is a glorious treasure of ancient Buddhist cave art. The history of Mogao Grottoes can be traced back to the “Five Hu — 16Kingdoms” period (AD 304-439).
Big Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔)
Type: Culture & History, Buddhism
Recommended Length of Visit: 2 hours
For hundreds of years, this great pagoda has always been the symbol of Xi’an. It is famous for the great traveler Xuanzang of Tang Dynasty who traveled from China to India to learn the Buddhism and got back to China with many precious Buddhist scriptures (佛经).
Qinghai Lake
Type: Lake
Recommended Length of Visit: 5 hours
Known as the largest inland lake, as well as the largest salt water lake in China, it is the most visited and famous attraction in Qinghai Province. Here, you not only enjoy the fantastic natural beauty, but also experience the amazing culture here.
Please click here to add the attraction to your favorite list. Let us plan a private Silk Road Tour for you!
1. What do Mogao Grottoes and Big Wild Goose Pagoda have in common?A.Both contain ancient Buddhist cave art. |
B.Both are related to history and Buddhism. |
C.Both are known as the symbol of Xi’an. |
D.Both were constructed during the Tang Dynasty. |
A.Terracotta Warriors. | B.Mogao Grottoes. |
C.Big Wild Goose Pagoda. | D.Qinghai Lake. |
A.A novel. | B.A storybook. |
C.A website. | D.A magazine. |
3 . The future home is something that people have talked about for decades. Because the future home idea inspires our imagination, scientists and engineers have been working hard to develop different systems to make houses “smarter”.
The video camera at the entrance recognize visitors using facial recognition. The facial recognition software of the future home will not only recognize friends, but strangers as well. And the software in the future home will run the strangers faces against a database of criminals.
The future home will also have smart application appliances (家电) as well. There will be a vast networking system connecting them. Ovens, microwaves and refrigerators will be controlled automatically, so remote cooking will be a possibility and meals are prepared for your arrival.
There will also be a green systems in place such as saving and reusing washing water and bathwater. Plants and people may receive pure or mineralized (含矿的) drinking water.
If you think this future home idea is pie in the sky or science fiction, then think again. Most of the systems described here are either in development or already out in the market. Future homes may not be standard yet for the middle class but this is not as far ahead as many people would think.
1. What can the facial recognition software be used for in the future houses?A.Greeting friends. | B.Collecting criminals information. |
C.Recognizing visitors. | D.Following dangerous criminals. |
A.Facial recognition software. | B.Remote cooking. |
C.Smart refrigerators. | D.Saving and reusing water. |
A.Attractive. | B.Common. | C.Special. | D.Excellent. |
A.Smart future home |
B.A smart networking system |
C.Software in future home |
D.Various household appliances |
4 . Welcome to the “Chicken Soup” family
The first Chicken Soup for the Soul book was released in 1993 and quickly became a holiday favourite. Thereafter, more than 250 books have been put together based on inspiring stories submitted by readers.
On this part of the website, you will find a list of our new book topics, our writing guidelines and our submission form. We welcome your stories, written in English, from all over the world!
Guidelines for a Chicken Soup for the Soul story
1. Tell an exciting, heart-warming or funny story about something that has happened to you or someone you know. Your story should be written in the first person.
2. Don’t be afraid to speak from the heart. We do let you use a pen-name for your story.
3. Keep your story to 1,200 words or less.
4. We love poems that tell a story, but we do not publish poems that seem overly focused on rhyming (押韵) or those which read more like greetings cards.
A few more tips about submitting your stories
1. The only way to submit your stories is via our website. If you have any problems when trying to fill out the form to submit your work, please contact us.
2. Please submit stories that have not been previously published. The only exception to this is if your work has only been published in a small local publication with limited circulation (发行量) or on your own blog.
3. Please do not send us any book manuscripts (手稿), unless through a literary agent (作家代理人), as they will be automatically discarded.
What happens after you submit your story?
Please complete all fields in the submission form. After you press the SUBMIT button, wait for the next screen to come up with a message that says: “Thank you! Your information has been received.” This is the only confirmation that your story has been entered into our database.
We do not send rejection letters, and we occasionally will save a submission for consideration for a future book. But in general, if you have not heard from us 60 days prior to the book’s on-sale date, that probably means we have decided not to use your story.
If we choose your story for a future book, we will notify (通知) you by email and request your permission to print it. You will be paid $200 one month after the publication of the book and receive ten free copies of the book your story appears in. You will also be entitled to buy books from us at half price.
1. According to the article, a Chicken Soup for the Soul story may be anything but a ________.A.work of fiction | B.narrative poem |
C.humorous story | D.tale of adventure |
A.you don’t submit it on your own |
B.you don’t use your real name in the story |
C.it has already been published on a large scale |
D.it seems similar to a story that has already been published |
A.as soon as you submit your story on its website |
B.after your story has been published in a new edition |
C.when your story has been chosen for a future edition |
D.45 days before its new edition is available for purchase |
5 . What’s On?
Electric Underground
7.30pm-1.00am Free at the Cyclops Theatre
Do you know who’s playing in your area? We’re bringing you an evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract? If so, come early to the talk at 7.30 pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He’s going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce your music.
Gee Whizz
8.30pm-10.30pm Comedy (喜剧)at Kaleidoscope
Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He’s the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7.00pm for drinks and snacks(快餐).
Simon’s Workshop
5.00pm-7.30pm Wednesdays at Victoria Stage
This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years’ experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny.
Charlotte Stone
8.00pm-11.00pm Pizza World
Fine food with beautiful jazz music; this is a great evening out. Charlotte Stone will perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with James Pickering on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta(面食). Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer, and white wine.
1. Who can help you if you want to have your music produced?A.Jules Skye. | B.Gee Whizz. | C.Charlotte Stone. | D.James Pickering. |
A.The Cyclops Theatre | B.Kaleidoscope | C.Victoria Stage | D.Pizza World |
A.It requires membership card. | B.It lasts three hours each time. |
C.It is run by a comedy club. | D.It is held every Wednesday. |
A.5.00pm-7.30pm. | B.7.30pm-1.00am. | C.8.00pm-11.00pm. | D.8.30pm-10.30pm. |
6 . Music is not just a set of sounds and rhythms. Its influence on brain is much deeper than any other human experience. Keep on reading to know all these amazing power of music.
A recent study suggests that preterm (早产的) babies appear to experience less pain and feed more when listening to music. Experts led by Dr. Manoj Kumar of the University of Alberta,Canada,found that music had a beneficial effect on reducing pain for preterm babies experiencing painful medical tests. It also appeared to benefit full-term babies during operations.
Many people experiencing brain damage have speech and movement-related problems. Music can help recover from brain injuries. As a different and effective treatment, doctors often advise such patients to listen to good music to improve the parts of the brain responsible for these two functions. When people with neurological (神经的) disorders hear a musical beat, it helps them to regain a balanced walk.
Though music cannot make deafness disappear, it really can stave off the loss of hearing. There was an experiment involving 163 people where 74 were musicians. Participants were asked to pass some listening tests. Musicians heard the sounds better than non-musicians, and this difference gets clearer with age. This means that a 70-year-old musician hears better than a 50-year-old non-musician, even in a noisy environment.
Besides, music mends a broken heart. It is not about a thrown-away love, but about a heart attack. The matter is that music can help people recover from a heart attack or heart operation by reducing blood pressure, slowing down the heartbeat rate, and reducing anxiety. Listening to the quality music produces positive emotions, improves the movement of blood, and expands blood vessels, thus, promoting quick recovery of the whole cardiovascular (心血管的) system.
1. How does music affect preterm babies?A.It helps develop their potential in music. |
B.It helps reduce their pain. |
C.It helps improve their hearing systems. |
D.It helps repair their neurological systems. |
A.Cause. | B.Increase. |
C.Prevent. | D.Expand. |
A.It has a positive effect on human body systems’ work. |
B.It can encourage people to do sports. |
C.It helps make a person outgoing. |
D.It helps patients recover more quickly than medicine does. |
A.People Who Can Benefit From music. |
B.The Best Time to Listen to Music. |
C.The Way to choose Quality Music. |
D.How Music Affects Our Mind and Body. |
7 . You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams(1860-1935)
Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community (社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson(1907-1964)
If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor(1930-present)
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator(参议员) and, in 1981, the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks(1913-2005)
On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott.It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was,was tired of giving in,”said Parks.
1. What is Jane Addams famous for in history?A.Her social work. | B.Her teaching skills. |
C.Her efforts to win a prize. | D.Her community background. |
A.Her lack of proper training in law. | B.The discrimination against women. |
C.Her little work experience in court. | D.The poor financial conditions. |
A.Jane Addams. | B.Rachel Carson. |
C.Sandra Day O’Connor. | D.Rosa Parks. |
8 . In the world of digital health, Silicon Valley-based Mindstrong stands out. It has a remarkable team and tens of millions of funding. It also has a fascinating idea-its app, based on mental functioning research, can help detect troubling mental health patterns by collecting data on person’s smartphone usage-how quickly they type, for instance.
The company’s app collects information about how people are typing and runs it through a machine learning algorithm (计算程序) to determine which data can predict their emotional state. The idea is to use that data to establish a “normal” pattern-so it can be compared with someone’s typing habits on any given day. If the habits change, slower or more anxious than normal, the app can warn a health care provider.
The promise of this technology has made Mindstrong incredibly popular since it was launched last year; already more than a dozen counties in California have agreed to apply the company’s app to patients. Does the app live up to its promise? There’s no way to tell. Almost no one outside the company has any idea whether it works, leading some experts to wonder if the technology is ready for the real world. “I wouldn’t waste all that time and money in the wild until they get sure that some of those things are as specific as they hope they are,” said Rosalind Picard, a researcher at MIT Media Lab, who is familiar with Mindstrongs work.
“It has passed the gold-standard clinical tests for depression and anxiety,” said Dr. Paul Dagum, the company’s founder. “We’re confident, and we’re already seeing some really exciting results.” Mindstrong officials said that among their most encouraging results is that its app can even predict how a person will feel next week, kind of like a weather app for your mood. “For a clinician(临床医生) or someone looking after a patient, they know that it could be very, very powerful,” Dagum said.
1. What can Mindstrong’s app do?A.Improve its users’ mental health. | B.Get its users to type more quickly. |
C.Discover its users’ mental state. | D.Work out the causes of its users’ trouble. |
A.The ways of collecting data. | B.The app’s working principle. |
C.The analysis of typing habits. | D.The development of the app. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Positive. | C.Uncaring. | D.Defensive. |
A.The app has a powerful effect on anxiety. |
B.The app can also predict weather conditions. |
C.Care providers could be supporters of the app. |
D.Doctors benefit more from the app than their patients. |
9 . How similar are language and music?
Language is part of our daily lives, no matter where we live in the world.
Both language and music have a writing system.
In English we record language using the alphabet, which is a collection of letters. Similarly, we use notes (音符) to keep a record of music. Musicians read notes and create meaning in the form of music.
You can make a good guess at where someone is from by listening to the language he uses. In the same way, we know that styles of music are different around the world, giving us the opportunity to explore many different cultures through their music and providing us with music for every situation.
Both share emotion.
A.Both are expressive. |
B.Both vary with culture. |
C.How do you know that I am angry? |
D.We use language to express our thoughts. |
E.Similarly, music is part of many people’s lives. |
F.So just as you read English, you can read music. |
G.In contrast, you probably also listen to sad music when you are feeling down. |
10 . Some students get so nervous before a test. They do poorly even if they know the material. Sian Beilock, a professor at the University of Chicago in Illinois, has studied these highly anxious test-takers. The students start worrying about the results. And when they worry, it actually uses up attention and memory resources (资源).
Professor Beilock and another researcher, Gerardo Ramirez, have developed a possible solution. Just before an exam, highly anxious test-takers spend ten minutes writing about their worries about the test.
The researchers tested the idea on a group of twenty anxious college students. They gave them two short maths tests. After the first one, they asked the students to either sit quietly or write about their feelings about the upcoming second test.
Professor Beilock says those who sat quietly scored an average of 12% worse on the second test. But the students who had written about their fears improved their performance by an average of 5%. Next, the researchers used younger students in a biology class. They told them before final exams either to write about their feelings or to think about things unrelated to the test. Professor Beilock says highly anxious students who did the writing got an average grade of B+, compared to a B- for those who did not.
“What we showed is that for students who are highly test-anxious, who’d done our writing intervention (干预), all of a sudden there was no relationship between test anxiety and performance. They were performing just as well as their classmates who don’t normally get nervous in these tests.”
But what if students do not have a chance to write about their fears immediately before an exam? Professor Beilock says students can try it themselves at home or in the library and still improve their performance.
1. What may the students start worrying about before an exam?A.Whether they can pass the exams. |
B.What other students do during the test. |
C.Whether they have remembered the materials. |
D.What kind of problems they will meet on the test paper. |
A.Asking the students to think nothing of the test. |
B.Asking the students to focus on the test. |
C.Asking the students to sit quietly before the test. |
D.Asking the students to write about their worries before the test. |
A.became less nervous before the test. |
B.were better at controlling their feelings. |
C.did worse than those who wrote about their feelings. |
D.did better than those who took two tests. |
A.Writing about worries before an exam can work a bit. |
B.Studying in the library can improve students’ performance. |
C.Students can only write about worries right before an exam. |
D.It doesn’t matter where to write about worries before an exam. |