1 . Driving in Canada is similar to driving in many parts of the United States. Distances and speeds, however, are posted in kilometers per hour and some signs, particularly in Quebec, may only be in French.
Unless otherwise posted, the maximum (最大限度的) speed limit in Canada is 50km/hr in cities and 80km/hr on highways. On rural highways, the posted speed limit may be 100km/hr. It is illegal to take automobile radar detectors (汽车雷达检测器) into Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and the Yukon. In Canada, seat belt use is required by law for all people, and child car seats must be used by children under 40 pounds. Some provinces require drivers to keep their vehicles’ headlights on during the day and some have banned (禁止) driving while using a hand-held cell phone. Motorcycles cannot share a lane (车道), and safety helmets for motorcycle riders and passengers are necessary. Running a red light is a serious crime throughout Canada and drivers are advised to stop before starting when a light turns green.
Winter travel can be dangerous due to heavy snowfalls and icy conditions. Some roads and bridges are often closed in winter. Snow tires are required in some provinces. Travelers should also be careful about animals while driving at night in rural areas.
Highway 401, from Detroit to Montreal, is one of the busiest highways in North America. It has been the scene of many deadly traffic accidents due to sudden and severe weather changes, high rates of speed, and heavy truck traffic. Thus drivers should be alert while travelling here.
Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information. Also, we suggest that you visit the website of Canada’s national authority responsible for road safety.
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?| A．All signs on the roads in Quebec are in English. |
| B．Automobile radar detectors are allowed to be used in Manitoba. |
| C．People may choose not to wear seat belts while in a car in Canada. |
| D．The speed of cars in Canadian cities should be less than 50km/hr. |
| A．careful | B．relaxed |
| C．nervous | D．pleased |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Travel. | C．Education. | D．Science. |
2 . It was about five in the morning in Ontario，Canada，when Donna Strickland's phone rang. The Nobel Prize committee was on the line in Stockholm，calling to tell her she had won the prize in physics.
“I wondered if it was a joke，” Strickland said in an interview with a Nobel official after the call. She had been asleep when the call arrived. “Something was wrong because it came so early in the morning. But then I knew it was the right day，and it would have been a cruel joke.”
Strickland，an associate professor at the University of Waterloo，shares the honor with two other scientists for their work in the 1980s in transforming lasers (激光) into tiny tools that today have countless applications. The prize money of $1.4 million will be shared among the three. Half of the prize went to Strickland and her cooperator Gérard Mourou，a professor at the École Poly technique in France. The other half was awarded to Arthur Ashkin，a retired physicist who worked at the famous Bell Labs in the United States.
Strickland's win is historic in more than one way. It's been over 55 years since a woman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics last time. And she is only the third woman to receive the prize in the Nobel's over 117year existence. In 1903，Marie Curie became the firstever woman to win a Nobel Prize in Physics.For the next 60 years，no women physicists were awarded. Maria GoeppertMayer became the second woman physicist to win the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1963.
Strickland herself was surprised to learn she was the third woman to receive the honor in physics. “Is that all，really？I thought there might have been more，” she said at a press conference Tuesday. “We need to celebrate women physicists，because we're out there. Hopefully，in time，it will start to move forward at a faster rate.”
1. What was Donna's first reaction when told she won the Nobel Prize?| A．She felt all efforts paid off. |
| B．She was skeptical of the news. |
| C．She was too excited to say a word. |
| D．She was annoyed at being awaken up. |
| A．About $350，000. |
| B．About $700，000. |
| C．About $1.4 million. |
| D．About $2.8 million. |
| A．Strickland's achievements in physics. |
| B．The history of the Nobel Prize in Physics. |
| C．The struggle of women physicists to win the Nobel Prize in Physics. |
| D．Three women scientists who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in history. |
| A．The Nobel Prize in Physics. |
| B．The achievement of women physicists. |
| C．The celebration of the Nobel Prize winners. |
| D．Awarding women physicists the Nobel Prize in Physics. |
3 . A License to Heal
Steven Bentley, M. D.
www.iuniverse.com
$11.95 soft cover
In the world of emergency medicine, there are pain and blood, but there are also hope and compassion (同情). A License to Heal shows readers the stories from an ER (emergency room) doctor that brings this world to life. In this book, an emergency room physician describes the world of the ER — as one filled with pain and fear, but also compassion, hope, and a surprising amount of humor.
Batting Rocks over the Barn
Lawn Griffiths
www.xlibris.com
$19.99 soft cover
Country life during the 1950s and 1960s comes alive through the eyes of an Iowa boy who grew up to become a newspaperman and farm editor. Follow his stories in Batting Rocks over the Barn.
Honeyball
Pete Liebengood
www.xlibris.com
$17.99 soft cover
A group of women pull together in a campaign to find success at the box office while their leader finds the love of her life and the persons responsible for the death of her father in a plane crash.
The Armageddon Virus
Robert Gallant
www.iuniverse.com
$16.95 soft cover
Travis Weld, leader of a secret government team pursuing (追踪) terrorists, discovers the meaning of a phone message from someone offering to sell a deadly new virus to an illegal weapons (武器) dealer. Can he track the seller and secure this mysterious Armageddon virus?
1. Which book is probably written by a doctor?| A．Honeyball. |
| B．A License to Heal. |
| C．The Armageddon Virus. |
| D．Batting Rocks over the Barn. |
| A．They can be found on the same website. |
| B．They tell stories of the same time. |
| C．They focus on the same topic. |
| D．They cost the same. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Touching. |
| C．Common. | D．Thrilling. |
4 . George Washington Carver was born some time in the early-mid 1860s. A sickly child, Carver was unable to work in the fields, so he did gardening. He was left with many free hours to walk in the woods — beginning his career with nature. He soon became known as the “Plant Doctor” and would help friends and neighbors manage sick plants.
In 1890, Carver began to study music and art at Simpson College. His artwork was on show at the 1893 World’s Fair. Painting gave him the chance to combine his two loves — art and nature. Yet it was his talents (天赋) for gardening that took him in another direction in 1891. Carver became the first African-American to attend what is today Iowa State University. He proved to be a first-class student and upon graduation he became the school’s first African-American teacher.
In 1896, he received an invitation from Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School in Tuskegee, Alabama. Upon arriving, he found that the school was short of money so Dr. Carver had to equip his own lab. He and his students would search trash heaps (垃圾堆) for things to use. This proved that Dr. Carver was well ahead of his time.
In 1916, he published a research report on peanuts, which helped many farmers turn to peanuts as a cash crop and saved the economy (经济) of the South when it was destroyed by the cotton insects attack. Carver continued his research with the peanut. He went on to find many uses for the peanut. But he didn’t invent peanut butter (花生酱).
Dr. Carver’s research earned him much worldwide praise. Dr. George Washington Carver died on January 5, 1943, and was buried at Tuskegee. Carver contributed his whole life savings to Tuskegee. Upon his death, Franklin D. Roosevelt gave him this title “an inspiring example to youth everywhere.”
1. How was Carver’s childhood?| A．He took up gardening. | B．He grew crops in the fields. |
| C．He enjoyed good health. | D．He dreamed of being a doctor. |
| A．Bad. | B．Strange. | C．Ordinary. | D．Excellent. |
| A．He was well paid by the school. | B．He relied on himself to build his lab. |
| C．He saved money by picking up trash. | D．He published his findings ahead of time. |
| A．It made a contribution to the economy. | B．It included new findings on peanut butter. |
| C．It prevented peanuts from insects attacking. | D．It helped farmers find many other uses of peanuts. |
5 . Sunshine on a rainy day
Have you ever had a day when everything seemed to go wrong, and nothing seemed to go right? Not too long ago I was having one of those days. I was discouraged, weary, and sad. My focus was on me, me ,me. After all, no one else was experiencing the same trials as I was.
I expressed my downcast state to my mother, hoping for some pity. Instead, she said, “I hear that Jamie was having a difficult day too. Why don’t you make her some cookies and we’ll take them to her this afternoon?” I didn’t really want to, but decided that I didn’t want to go back to my other problems just yet. I made the cookies and arranged them on a little plate. Then I made a card with a sunflower on it and wrote a note of empathy.
That afternoon we dropped in my friend’s house. I went to the door and rang the bell. Soon, Jamie came to the door and looked at me in surprise for the unexpected visit. Before she could say anything I rushed, “I heard you were having a hard day and decided to bring you something. I hope your day goes better.” The look that came over Jamie’s face was one that I could never put into words. It was as if a darkened sky was suddenly lit with the golden rays of the sun; it was as if in that small act, her day was brightened.
I got back into the car and for some amazing reason, I felt a lot better myself. That day I experienced the truth that James Barrie attempted to describe. “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves.”
1. Why did the writer feel discouraged?| A．Because everything she did went wrong. | B．Because she had quarreled with her friends. |
| C．Because she always focused on herself. | D．Because she had some trials. |
| A．She showed great pity. | B．She didn’t care at all. |
| C．She laughed about it. | D．She made a good suggestion. |
| A．Message | B．Thanks | C．Comfort | D．Visit |
| A．Hardship. | B．Care of others. | C．Cruelty | D．Worries from others. |
6 . As the coronavirus (冠状病毒) outbreak continues, many Americans are fearful of using public transportation. They are also looking for ways to get exercise without going to a gym. So, it may not be surprising that the pandemic (疫情) has led to a major increase in bicycle sales.
In the US, bicycles at big stores have sold out. And small bicycle stores cannot keep up with demand for “family-style” bicycles: the low-cost, easy-to-ride models. “The bicycle industry is seeing its biggest sales increase since the oil crisis of the 1970s,” said Jay Townley, an industry expert. He compared the sale of bicycles to the rush to buy products like toilet paper at the start of the pandemic.
The rise in bicycle sales is not happening just in the US. Italy has created bicycle paths for the growing number of people who want to avoid public transportation. In London, city officials plan to ban cars from some central roads. Bike shop owners in Manila say demand is even stronger than what they see at Christmas time.
Of course, you can only buy a bicycle if you can find one. In the US, the shortages now mean it may take many months to get a bicycle. High demand is not the only reason for the shortage. Many bicycle factories were shut down to stop the spread of COVID-19. The increase in bicycle demand began in March as countries began to close down. In April, the sale of bicycles increased 200 percent in the US.
Joe Minutolo is the co-owner of Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop in Maine. He said he hoped the increased sales meant a change in the way people think about transportation. “People are having a chance to rethink things,” he said, “Maybe we’ll all learn something out of this, and something really good will happen.”
1. What causes the increase in bicycle sales?| A．Shortage of public transportation. |
| B．Outbreak of the coronavirus. |
| C．People’s desire to defeat disease. |
| D．People’s fear of natural disasters. |
| A．More bikes are sold than at Christmas time. |
| B．“Family-style” bicycles are in great need. |
| C．Cars are banned from some central roads. |
| D．New bicycle paths have been built. |
| A．It’s impossible to buy a bike. |
| B．Bike factories were closed in April. |
| C．High demand for bikes began in March. |
| D．It takes many months to produce a bike. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Uncertain. | D．Critical. |
7 . I don’t post recognizable pictures of my children on social media. I don’t use their names. I don’t put anything out there that will be really embarrassing for them in later life.
The reason for not posting pictures is that I feel a person’s pictures should be his or her own. It’s not good for me to push my kids out into the wilds of the Web before they’re ready, and understand what it all means.
When the time comes, they’re more than welcome to use social media. But for now, I’m happy to give them a degree of separation until they can make a choice for themselves.
This has meant extra efforts on our part when it comes to making sure that kids don’t get accidentally caught up in the Internet, because the schools where they learn, like so many others up and down the country, post their pictures to social media.
However, my husband thought I was overanxious and asked me a question about its advantages. And having thought about it for while, I’m not 100 percent sure if there are any.
But I could list the disadvantages: the time it takes to manage an account, often by a teacher, meaning extra work; the unavoidable difficulties in safeguarding.
It’s great to see the kids doing their things in schools but my worry is about the use of social media that doesn’t give anything back to the kids, and in many ways, just turns them into another way to gain clicks. I want more than that for them.
1. Why is the author unwilling to post her kids’ picture online?| A．To push her kids into the wilds of the Web. | B．To avoid being recognized |
| C．To make herself embarrassed. | D．To protect her kids’ privacy. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Unfavorable. | C．Doubtful. | D．Worried. |
| A．To prove the author is knowledgeable. | B．To show social media has disadvantages. |
| C．To advise the author to list what she thinks. | D．To help the author solve her problem. |
| A．Teachers will take on extra work. | B．Parents will have lots of things to do |
| C．Kids’ safety will be protected effectively. | D．Kids will become famous due to clicks. |
8 . Whenever we see a button, we are eager to press it because we know something will happen. This is true in most cases, for example on a doorbell and on the “on/off” button on the TV. But some buttons are actually fake, like the “close” button on a lift.
Many people are in the habit of pressing the “close” button because they don’t have the patience to wait for the lift doors to shut. But lifts’ “close” buttons are a complete scam (骗局), at least in the US － the doors will not close any faster no matter how hard you press.
It started in the 1990s when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in the US, making sure that all lifts stayed open long enough so that people with disabilities could enter. Only US firefighters and repairmen can use the buttons to speed up the door-closing process if they have a code or special keys.
But to normal lift riders, the buttons aren’t completely useless. According to psychologists, fake buttons can actually make you feel better by offering you a sense of control.
“Perceived (能够感知的) control is very important. It reduces stress and increases well-being,” Ellen J. Langer, a psychology professor, said, “having a lack of control is associated with depression（沮丧）.”
Experts have revealed that a lot of buttons that don’t do anything exist in our lives for this same purpose. For example, many offices in the US have fake thermostats (温度调节器) because people tend to feel better when they think they can control the temperature in their workplace.
Pedestrian(行人) crosswalk buttons don’t live up to their names either. Pressing them used to help make the traffic signals change faster, but that was before computer-controlled traffic signals were introduced.
But psychologists found it interesting that even when people are aware of these little “white lies”, they still continue to push fake buttons because as long as the doors eventually close, it is considered to be worth the effort.
“That habit is here to stay,” John Kounios, a psychology professor, said. “Even though I have real doubts about the traffic light buttons, I always press them. After all, I’ve got nothing else to do while waiting. So why not press the button in the hope that this one will work?”
1. What was the author’s main purpose in writing the article?| A．To analyze the functions of fake buttons. |
| B．To describe some different kinds of fake buttons. |
| C．To explore people’s different habits when it comes to pushing buttons. |
| D．To explain the advantages and disadvantages of fake buttons. |
| A．work only when people press them hard for a while |
| B．cannot speed up the process of closing the door in any case |
| C．are fake for the convenience of disabled people |
| D．were specially designed to give people a sense of control |
| A．helping people to build up confidence |
| B．making people more patient |
| C．making people with depression feel better |
| D．giving people perceived control |
| A．don’t know that what they press is fake |
| B．should give up this habit |
| C．consider what they do to be meaningless |
| D．probably do so to kill time |
9 . I thought I knew a lot about Hamlet.As an English literature major,I have to!Having seen quite a few productions of Hamlet and read the play many times,I was full of confidence-until Peking Opera came to town!
Peking Opera has over two hundred years of history,so does this mean it's easier than a Shakespeare play to understand?To find out the answer,I just had to go and see The Revenge of Prince Zidan- the Peking Opera version(版本）of Hamlet.
The opera brought a completely new sound to my Western ears.At first,I thought it was a violin.but later I learnt that it was a traditional Chinese instrument called jinghu.Then. seeing the characters in fantastic costumes and masks,I was amazed!They of course sang in Chinese,but the music and exaggerated movements helped get the meanings across to the audience.The voices sounded really unique-some of the female voices were so high that I was sure they could break glass!
Easily my favourite part of the show was how the characters moved on stage.I had never seen Prince Hamlet do a backflip(后空翻）before!It was so dazzling and energetic that I wasn't sure if the characters were performers or athletes!
Before experiencing The Revenge of Prince Zidan,I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it.But, in fact,I was on the edge of my seat!Feeling the strong emotions of love,anger,fear and grief in the performance,I could easily recognize the theme of Hamlet.So,if you want to see a show that combines music,singing,drama,poetry and costume design with explosive effect, The Revenge of Prince Zidan ticks all the right boxes!
1. Why did the author go to see The Revenge of Prince Zidan?| A．To have a full understanding of Hamlet. |
| B．To know about Shakespeare and his works. |
| C．To prove Peking Opera is a better way to perform Hamlet. |
| D．To see if Peking Opera is more understandable than English plays. |
| A．The music effect. |
| B．The costume design. |
| C．The performers'movements. |
| D．The Chinese instrument jinghu. |
| A．I became tired of the show. |
| B．I missed the best of the show. |
| C．I was held spellbound by the show. |
| D．I was to leave halfway through the show. |
| A．It's puzzling. |
| B．It's impressive. |
| C．It's humorous. |
| D．It's disappointing. |
10 . Great Activities for Nature Lovers
Hiking
One of the easiest and most accessible ways to get close to nature is by setting out on a good old fashioned hike. Hiking generally doesn’t require any fancy equipment or special skills, just a piece of map and a thirst for adventure. This activity can be as relaxing as you make it.
Backcountry Camping
Why limit yourself to just a day hike when you can have a full weekend (or longer) adventure? Backcountry camping involves packing your tent, sleeping gear, food, and water on your back to set up camp in a remote location. If you’re an experienced hiker and camper, this is an excellent way to test your survival skills and explore the wilderness.
Mountain and Road Biking
Unlike long hikes through the woods, biking allows you to cover more ground and travel farther in nature. Mountain biking typically involves riding up and down steep slopes, between trees, and over rocks. If this sounds too intense or your tires aren’t suited for rugged terrain, consider taking a road bike on paved trails through forest preserves or along country roads.
Gardening
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to travel beyond your own backyard to experience the beauty of nature every day. If your personality is less adventurous or your mobility restricted, consider planting a garden to grow your own vegetables, fruits, herbs, or flowers. There’s something truly satisfying about mixing up a salad with fresh ingredients you grew yourself. One of the best parts about spending time in nature is that it doesn’t have to break your budget and anyone can do it.
1. What does hiking need for hikers?| A．A world map. | B．A strong desire. |
| C．Practical skills. | D．Necessary equipment. |
| A．To a backyard. | B．To a forest. |
| C．To a mountain. | D．To a distant place. |
| A．Hiking | B．Backcountry Camping |
| C．Gardening. | D．Mountain and Road Biking |
