1 . Going out guide
R&B: Melanie Fiona
Known for such songs as “It Kills Me” and “This Time,” R&B singer Melanie Fiona made her first musical album(唱片) in 2009 with “The Bridge” and followed it up with “The MF Life” in 2012. A new album, “Next Train, ” is planned to drop this year.
8 pm, Feb. 13. Howard Theatre. 202-803-2899. $ 30—$ 59. 99.
Ballet: John Cranko's “Romeo & Juliet”
Celebrated South African choreographer (编舞者) John Cranko created the dance inspired by Shakespeare’s lovers with a score by Sergei Prokofiev. The production was first performed in the United States in 1969 and returns to the Kennedy Center under the artistic direction of Julie Kent.
Feb. 14 — 18. Kennedy Genter. 202-467-4600. $ 25— $ 160.
Exhibit(展览): “Brand New: Art and Commodity (商品) in the 1980s”
This exhibit shows the commodification of art in the 1980s, when trade, art and entertainment became unclear. The exhibit shows works by 68 artists, including Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger and Julia Wachtel.
Feb. 14 through May 13. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. 202-633-1000. Free
R&B: Valentine's Love Jam
R&E artists are known for some of our most beloved(喜爱的) love songs, and the performers lined up for this show are no exception. Singer-songwriters Tyrese (“Sweet Lady”) and Joe (“I Wanna Know”) join forces with SWV (“Weak”) ,Dru Hill (“Beauty”) and Next (“Wifey”) for this show.
8 p. m., Feb. 17. EagleBank Arena. 703-493-4000. $ 59—$ 99.
1. Which number should you call if you are interested in dance?| A．703-493-4000. | B．02-633-1000. | C．202-467-4600. | D．202-803-2899. |
| A．Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. | B．Kennedy Center. |
| C．EagleBank Arena. | D．Howard Theatre. |
| A．Feb. 18. | B．Feb. 17. | C．Feb . 14. | D．Feb. 13. |
2 . A scientist working at her lab bench and a six-old baby playing with his food might seem to have little in common. After all, the scientist is engaged in serious research to uncover （揭露）the very nature of the physical world, and the baby is, well, just playing … right? Perhaps, but some developmental psychologists (心理学家) have argued that this “play” is more like a scientific investigation（调查研究）than one might think.
Take a closer look at the baby playing at the table. Each time the bowl of rice is pushed over the table edge, it falls in the ground — and, in the process, it brings out important evidence about how physical objects interact (相互作用); bowls of rice do not float in mid-air, but require support to remain stable. It is likely that babies are not born knowing the basic fact of the universe; nor are they ever clearly taught it. Instead, babies may form an understanding of object support through repeated experiments and then build on this knowledge to learn even more about how objects interact. Though their ranges and tools differ, the baby’s investigation and the scientist’s experiment appear to share the same aim (to learn about the natural world), overall approach (gathering direct evidence from the world), and logic (are my observations what I expected?).
Some psychologists suggest that young children learn about more than just the physical world in this way — that they investigate human psychology and the rules of language using similar means. For example, it may only be through repeated experiments, evidence gathering, and finally overturning （使翻转）a theory, that a baby will come to accept the idea that other people can have different views and desires from what he or she has, for example, unlike the child, Mommy actually doesn’t like Dove chocolate.
Viewing childhood development as a scientific investigation throws light on how children learn, but it also offers an inspiring look at science and scientists. Why do young children and scientists seem to be so much alike? Psychologists have suggested that science as an effort — the desire to explore, explain, and understand our world — is simply something that comes from our babyhood（婴儿期）.Perhaps evolution (进化) provided human babies with curiosity and a natural drive to explain their worlds, and adult scientists simply make use of the same drive that served them as children. The same cognitive (认知的) systems that make young children feel good about figuring something out may have been adopted by adult scientists. As some psychologists put it, “It is not that children are little scientists but that scientists are big children.”
1. According to some developmental psychologists, _____.| A．a baby’s play is nothing more than a game |
| B．scientific research into babies’ games is possible |
| C．the nature of babies’ play has been thoroughly investigated |
| D．a baby’s play is somehow similar to a scientist’s experiment |
| A．scientists and babies seem to observe the world differently |
| B．scientists and babies often interact with each other |
| C．babies are born with the knowledge of object support |
| D．babies seem to collect evidence just as scientists do |
| A．exploring the physical world |
| B．investigating human psychology |
| C．repeating their own experiments |
| D．observing their parents’ behaviors |
| A．Convincing. | B．Confused. |
| C．Confidence. | D．Cautious. |
3 . Last March my dad told us that there was a chance he would be deployed （部署，派遣）overseas. My brother and I didn't think anything of it and forgot his words . Two weeks later, Dad didn't come home on time. We didn't think it was serious since it wasn't the first time. We waited, and finally at midnight Dad came in. We asked where he'd been. He just replied , “I am leaving tomorrow for Afghanistan（阿富汗）.”
Hearing that, we were in shock , thinking that this could not be happening to us. But when he started packing his desert uniforms we knew it was for real.
He sat us all down and my brothers and I had a discussion about what we were going to do while he was away. And then we stayed up and helped him get ready. We ironed his uniforms and talked more about what we needed to do. We didn't get to sleep until 4 a.m. Therefore, my dad called school to say we were not going to be there that day.
We took off for Madison where he would check in and get ready to leave. When we got there the official told us that he wouldn’t leave until 5 p.m. We had our last meal together and then headed to the airport. We were told it was time to leave.
“Nothing is going to happen to me, and I love you,” he said. Then he was gone . We left the airport not saying anything to each other.
My dad is still gone, and he won't be home for a while. He talks to us occasionally on the phone. I hope that my story makes you think about your own family now and what counts to you.
1. How did the author feel when hearing their father would go for Afghanistan?| A．Amazed | B．Frightened |
| C．Angry | D．Satisfied |
| A．To tell he would go to Afghanistan. |
| B．to ask the school to look after his children. |
| C．to explain his children would be absent from school that day. |
| D．to let his children have more sleep |
| A．the author would be scolded by his teacher |
| B．nothing would happen to the author’s father |
| C．this is the first time for the author’s father to go abroad |
| D．the author wants to tell readers to value their family |
4 . A young woman sits alone in a café sipping tea and reading a book. She pauses briefly to write in a nearby notepad before showing her words to a passing café waiter: "Where are the toilets please?"This is a familiar scene in Tokyo’s so-called "silent cafés", where customers are not allowed to speak, and only communicate by writing in notepads.
The concept rises by a desire to be alone among young Japanese, a situation brought by economic uncertainty, a shift in traditional family support structures and the growing social isolation. The phenomenon is not limited to coffee shops but covers everything from silent discos, where participants dance alone wearing wireless headphones connected to the DJ, to products such as small desk tents designed for conversation-free privacy in the office. One Kyoto company even offers single women the opportunity to have a "one woman wedding"—a full bridal affair, complete with white dress and ceremony, and the only thing missing is the groom. The trend has its own media expression-“botchi-zoku”, referring to individuals who consciously choose to do things completely on their own.
One recent weekday afternoon, Chihiro Higashikokubaru, a 23-year-old nurse, travelled 90 minutes from her home, to Tokyo on her day off in order to enjoy some solo time. Speaking quietly at the entrance of the cafe, Miss Higashikokubaru said: “I heard about this place via Twitter and I like the idea of coming here. I work as a nurse and it's always very busy. There are very few quiet places in Tokyo, and it's a big busy city. I just want to come and sit somewhere quietly on my own. I’m going to drink a cup of tea and maybe do some drawings. I like the idea of a quiet, calm atmosphere.”
The desire to be isolated is not a new concept in Japan, home to an estimated 3.6 million "hikikomori" - a more extreme example of social recluses(隐士) who withdraw completely from society.
1. What is special about the “silent cafes”?| A．It provides various tea and books. |
| B．It has attracted many popular young people. |
| C．It offers service by writing not by speaking |
| D．People are not allowed to communicate. |
| A．Unstable economic situation |
| B．A change in traditional family support pattern |
| C．The rising demand for privacy |
| D．The increasing social isolation |
| A．She doesn’t like to be a nurse. | B．She doesn’t like the life in big cities. |
| C．She travelled to Tokyo on her work days. | D．She enjoys her solo time in a quiet place. |
| A．Lonely Japanese | B．One woman wedding |
| C．Social recluses in Japan | D．Silent cafes |
5 . We all think plants were expected to get larger with increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but changes in temperature, humidity(湿度)and nutrient availability seem to havetrumpedthe benefits of increased carbon dioxide” said researchers from the National University of Singapore.
45 percent of the species studied now reach smaller adult sizes than they did in the past. The researchers pointed out that warmer temperatures and changing habitats, caused by climate change, are possible reasons for shrinking creatures.
“ We do not yet know the mechanisms(机制)involved, or why some organism are getting smaller while others are unaffected,” the researchers said. “Until we understand more, we could be risking negative consequences that we can’t yet quantify. ’’
The change is big in cold-blooded animals. Only two decades of warmer temperatures are enough to make retiles (爬行动物)smaller. An increase of only 1 degree centigrade caused nearly a 10 percent increase in metabolism(新陈代谢). Greater use of energy resulted in tiny tortoises and little lizards. Fish are smaller now too. Though overfishing has played a part in reducing numbers, experiments show that warmer temperatures also stop fish growing.
Warm-blooded animals aren’t immune(免除)from the size change caused by climate change. Many birds are now smaller. Soay sheep are thinner. Red deer are weaken And polar bears are smaller, compared with historical records.
This is not the first time this has happened in Earth’s history. 55 million years ago, a warming event similar to the current climate change caused bees, spiders and ants to shrink by 50 to 75 percent over several thousand years. That event happened over a longer time than the current climate change.
The speed of modern climate change could mean organisms may not respond or adapt quickly enough, especially those with long generation times climate change will be shown in the future.
1. What does the text mainly talk about_______| A．Why some species become smaller. |
| B．How climate changes in Earth’s history? |
| C．Climate change has many negative effects. |
| D．Species are becoming smaller as climate gets warmer. |
| A．strengthened | B．gained |
| C．beaten | D．equaled |
| A．they have found the exact causes for creatures getting smaller. |
| B．all the animals on the earth have become smaller. |
| C．climate change has more negative effects on warm-blooded animals. |
| D．increase in energy use can lead to creatures getting smaller. |
| A．Disappointed | B．Optimistic |
| C．Worried | D．Shameful |
6 . Castle Dale is a small town in central Utah. My grandpa’s farm is a few miles to the north. I grew up there. Milking a cow, feeding the chickens and cutting firewood were daily routines. Grandpa had me carrying a broom to do snow cleaning when it was actually taller than I was. This was the work kids like me learned to do at a young age.
I was tall, very tall at a really young age. My unusual height caused people to look, ask questions, laugh, tease, and sometimes even challenge me to fight. I was teased cruelly as a kid. It wasn’t fair, I knew, but that was just the way it was. Luckily, I was taught at a very young age a very important lesson. I am different and that’s Okay—I’m unique and I matter. No one could ever take that away from me. I knew this then, and I know this now. That alone helped me through the frustrations and heartaches of normal life.
When I was in junior high school, I realized something else that helped me cope. Most teasing came from one of two places—people who were either jealous or ignorant (愚昧). I couldn’t change the way they were, but I could change the way I felt. I was not going to feel bad because of their ignorance or jealousy. It wasn’t worth it. Realizing this didn’t stop them, or change the fact that these comments hurt. It did, however, give me a way to understand these people and deal with their treatment in a way that was okay for me.
These things still happen today. It will probably happen the rest of my life. I will always be 7 feet, 6 inches (2.29 meters) tall. I wouldn’t change that for anything. People will always look because it is not every day that you see someone that tall. I learned that at a young age and I now try to teach my own children that they are unique and they matter. That is the message I give to you. Regardless of your race, religion, background, or circumstances ... Being different is okay.
1. The author mentioned his hometown to show us _______| A．he is from an ordinary family | B．his grandpa is strict with him |
| C．he loves this lovely small town | D．he had to do a lot of labor work |
| A．he grew up in a small town | B．he was much taller than others |
| C．he fought with people easily | D．he didn’t want people to watch him |
| A．He accepted the fact of being different and let it go. |
| B．He felt angry failing to change others’ opinions. |
| C．He felt hurt hearing people’s negative comments |
| D．He hated people’s ignorance and jealousy. |
| A．Everything comes to the man who waits. |
| B．It is the first step that is troublesome. |
| C．Speech is silver, silence is gold. |
| D．Keep your head up. |
7 . Welcome to Holker Hall & Gardens
Visitor InformationHow to Get to Holker
By Car: Follow brown signs an A590 from JB6, M6. Approximate travel times: Windermere-20 minutes, Kendal-25 minutes, Lancaster-45 minutes, Manchester-1 hour 30 minutes.
By Rail: The nearest station is Cark-in-Cartmel with trains to Carnforth, Lancaster Preston for connections to major cities & airports.
Opening TimesSunday-Friday (closed on Saturday)11:00 am-4:00pm,30 March-2nd November.
Admission Charges| Hall & Gardens | Gardens | |
| Adults: | £12.00 | £8.00 |
| Groups | £9 | £5.5 |
Producers: Market 13th April
Join us to taste a variety of fresh local food and drinks. Meet the producers and get some excellent recipe ideas.
Holker Garden Festival 30th May
The event celebrate its 22nd anniversary with a great show of the very best of gardening, making it one of the most popular events in gardening.
National Garden Day 28th August
Holker once again opens is gardens in aid of the disadvantaged. For just a small donation you can take a tour with our garden guide.
Winter Market 8th November
This is an event for all the family. Wander among a variety of shops selling gifs while enjoying a live music show and nice street entertainment.
1. How long does it probably take a tourist to drive to Holker from Manchester?| A．20 minutes. | B．25 minutes. |
| C．45 minutes. | D．90 minutes. |
| A．£12.00. | B．£9.00. |
| C．£8.0 | D．£5.50 |
| A．Producers’ Market. | B．Holker Garden Festival. |
| C．National Garden Day. | D．Winter Market. |
