1 . The world’s craziest festivals
Crazy festivals all over the world are out there just waiting to be celebrated. Join Cornelia Kumfert on a trip to the most unusual events taking place around the globe.
Burning Man Festival
Every year in Nevada (US) there is artwork and cunosities galore to marvel at when the Black Rock Desert changes into a mammoth art exhibition.
In August and September, some 70,00 people come here to celetrate the Burning Man Festival.
San Diego Comic Con
Surely superheroes don’t queue? Well, at San Diego’s Comic Convention they do. Each July hey open their dos to fans of Superman and other comic figures. More than 100,000 annual visitors have paid homage to their mythical heroes.
Crying Baby Festival, Tokyo
At the Crying Baby Festival in Tokyo (Japan), sumo wrestlers do what they can to bring babies to tears.
Sadists run riot? Certainly not! It’s a 400-year-old tradition based on a Japanese proverb, which says that crying babies grow fastest and parents believe the event brings good health to their children.
Palio Contest, Siena
Fame and honour await the winner of the Palio contest in Siena (Italy).
In July and August, ten inhabitants of different districts of the city jockey for first place in a spectacular horse race.
The trophy goes to the contestant whose horse crosses the finishing line first—whether he’s still in the saddle or not.
1. Which of the festivals offers a view of art?| A．Burning Man Festival. | B．Palio Contest, Siena. |
| C．Crying Baby Festival, Tokyo. | D．San Diego Comic Con. |
| A．On the basis of a proverb. | B．Based on a phrase. |
| C．According to a story. | D．At the request of the public. |
| A．A burning man show. | B．A comedy play. |
| C．A horse race. | D．A baby-crying show. |
2 . “This material is called xiangyunsha,” said Song Fei, while she introduced a traditional cheongsam(旗袍) to customers in a flagship shop. “Dyed with pure plant extracts (提取物) and unpolluted river mud, the time-honored silk cloth is named ‘soft gold’ in the textile (纺织的) industry.”
To everyone’s surprise, the knowledgeable Song, who has unbelievable insights into cheongsam, a body-hugging one-piece Chinese dress for women, has practiced law for 10 years in Chengdu City. In 2017, she traveled to Suzhou to learn design and handicraft skills of cheongsam and traditional costumes, becoming a cheongsam designer.
At first, Song’s family and friends were not optimistic about her choice to switch from a distinguished career to an artistic field. Knowing little about clothing, Song met with a huge challenge. “The pain was unthinkable, but since I had chosen that profession, I had to stick to it. I want a career that I truly enjoy,” said Song.
Song returned to Chengdu with new skills and creative passion in 2019 and founded her design brand. “To be honest, compared with my previous job, this one is harder and leaves me with much greater financial pressure. But my sense of satisfaction is beyond comparison when my works are recognized and appreciated,” said Song.
“Traditional cheongsams are one-piece tailored dresses of Chinese origin that require making with natural materials by hand. However, modern cheongsams are often made with artificial materials and produced by machine,” Song said. “In the face of rapid social and economic changes, traditional cheongsams are receiving less attention due to the popularity of mass-produced cheongsams.”
To save the beauty of traditional culture, Song wants to blend people’s daily lives with time-honored handicrafts, believing that traditional culture should not be the zone of museums. She aims to pass on traditional Chinese culture, which is a meaningful type of work with social responsibilities.
1. Where did Song probably work in the past?| A．In a design room for costumes. | B．At an office of legal affairs. |
| C．In a museum of traditional culture. | D．At a flagship shop of cheongsams. |
| A．Great financial pressure. | B．Persuasion from family and friends. |
| C．Unthinkable pain from the former job. | D．Love for traditional costumes. |
| A．The future development of cheongsams. |
| B．The main producing process of cheongsams. |
| C．The difference between traditional and modern cheongsams. |
| D．The original materials of traditional and modern cheongsams. |
| A．Combine. | B．Present. | C．Compare. | D．Exchange. |
3 . Are you searching for the latest device as a gift? Here, we offer a guide that will help you take a closer look at four of tech’s hottest categories.
Virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR), the most exciting tech development of recent times, has arrived. The Sony VR doesn’t require expensive phone and there are some devices you can purchase to enhance the experience. But if you’ve already got a PS4, you can enter the world of VR for just $400 (2780 yuan).
Wireless headphones
Combining ease of use with the ability to move around without limit, wireless headphones just make sense. The Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones are worth a test drive. The headphones feature active noise cancellation. They can be easily purchased for less than $400 online.
Digital cameras
While your phone has more functions, there’s no substitute（替代品）for a real camera. As small as your smartphone, the smooth design of the Fujifilm X70, $699 (4850 yuan), makes it the perfect companion. In China, Xiaomi’s mirrorless Yi M1 offers a more affordable option, available for just 2199 yuan.
Smartwatches
Watches, thanks to the mobile phone, were becoming unnecessary. Now the pursuit for fitness has helped the watch industry push forward. FitBit has been a leader in the sporty wearable field, and its new swim-proof Fitbit Flex 2 ($130) represents the best in the way of today’s fitness bands.
1. With a budget of $300, which of the following can you buy?| A．Xiaomi Yi M1. | B．Fujifilm X70. | C．Fitbit Flex 2. | D．A Sony VR without a PS4. |
| A．Its design. | B．Its function. | C．Its quality. | D．Its price. |
| A．In a newspaper. | B．In a guide book. | C．In a research paper. | D．In a sports magazine. |
4 . Some documents have been making the rounds lately — where people who work various positions in different industries share how much they’re paid.
Bravo! It’s about time we blew up that old belief that salaries have to stay secret. This is not just a matter of curiosity. Having information about salaries can help narrow the gender wage gap, which has barely changed for more than a decade. Recently released date from the US Census Bureau shows that, on average, women working full time still are paid only 82 cents for every dollar paid to a man. And the gap is even wider for many women of color: Black women make 62 cents, and Latinas just 54 cents. What’s more, the pay gap even extends into her retirement. Because she earned less and therefore paid less to the social security system, she receives less in social security benefits.
Having greater access to salary information is helping to speed things up. A new research report by the American Association of University Women shows that the wage gap tends to be smaller in job sectors where pay transparency (透明) is a must. For example, among federal government workers, there’s just a 13 percent pay difference between men and women, and in state government, the gap is about 17 percent. But in private, for-profit companies, where salaries are generally kept under wraps, the gender wage gap jumps to 29 percent.
Fortunately, salary information is increasingly available on some websites. Certain companies and many human resources departments are pushing ahead with this practice. Of course, it’s going to take more than salary transparency to equalize earnings between women and men. But sharing salaries can and must be part of the solution. The more information women have about how jobs are valued — and what different people earn — the better they will understand their value in the labor market and be able to push for the pay they deserve.
1. Why are the figures mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To reveal the severity of gender wage gap. |
| B．To confirm the previous belief about salaries. |
| C．To satisfy readers’ curiosity about others’ salaries. |
| D．To appeal to readers to share their salary information. |
| A．The inequality between men and women. |
| B．The need to keep salary information a secret. |
| C．The advantage of working for the government. |
| D．The benefit of making salary information public. |
| A．Critical. | B．Favourable. |
| C．Unclean | D．Negative. |
| A．Why It Pays to Share How Much You Make |
| B．Where Salary Information Difference Lies |
| C．What It Takes to Realize Gender Equality |
| D．How Woman’s Value Improves at Work. |
5 . You may have seen them coming quickly towards you or passing you swiftly. They’re moving steadily, swinging what looks like a ski pole in each hand.
In the early days of Nordic walking, all walkers -- skiers and non-skiers alike- used ski poles. In 1988, an American company began making and selling poles especially for walking.
Although regular walking is healthy, studies have shown that Nordic walking is even healthier.
| A．Nordic walking poles are shorter than ski poles. |
| B．And there’s none of the danger of falling on skis. |
| C．But you aren’t on a ski hill, and there’s no snow in sight. |
| D．Nordic walking can be performed by anyone at any time. |
| E．Nordic skiers don’t just slide down hills. |
| F．Nordic walking is a form of popular sport. |
| G．With each step, Nordic walkers push themselves forward with one of their poles. |
6 . Most of us wish to be liked by others. Increase the chances of someone liking you by smiling and being of good cheer when you’re around them.
Communicate honestly, but with tact (得体).
Respect yourself. Having healthy self-respect means you like yourself no matter what. When you’re communicating with others, avoid comparing yourself to others. Remind yourself of your strengths by listing them out to yourself.
| A．Share your values and beliefs. |
| B．Stand behind your values and beliefs. |
| C．Self-respect is key to earning respect from others. |
| D．It’s no easy to refuse to go along with a dangerous joke. |
| E．Most people like others who are able to talk to them straight. |
| F．If they can’t like you for who you are, they’re not worth the effort! |
| G．It’s also a good idea to find out their interest’s and get them talking. |
7 . Each year people are crazy about different ceremonies. Many graduation ceremonies look special and different. But for Melody, it looked so unique because of the classmate who graduated alongside her — her grandmother, 75-year-old Pat Ormond. They both went to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and graduated together.
Pat took her first college class 42 years ago. After one semester, she dropped out to move to Chattanooga, where she spent the next several decades working as an accountant and raising a family. While she did take an occasional class at UTC, she says her family continued to encourage her to go back to finish her degree, especially after she retired. She agreed when her granddaughter decided to move to study psychology at UTC after a year at Berea College. They both entered UTC with enough college credits to make graduating together a possibility.
Pat and Melody graduated on November 20 as part of UTC’s 2020 class. The achievement has also made Pat somewhat of a celebrity.
“We are so proud to have graduates like Melody and her grandmother, Pat Ormond, in the UTC class of 2020,” said Steven, UTC Chancellor. “Together, they personify the determination, commitment and love for lifelong learning we encourage in every UTC graduate.”
Pat hopes that she can be an example to other non-traditional college students who want to get their degrees. “Learning never stops,” Pat said. “That’s something that my father taught me when I was young. No matter what you do, learning never stops.” Pat isn’t planning to stop anytime soon. She’s already working on another degree-a bachelor’s degree in history.
Meanwhile, her granddaughter, who is hunting jobs, is interested in getting a master’s degree in clinical psychology so she can become a lawyer. But she says she’s in no rush. Her nanna has taught her that she has plenty of time.
1. Why was Melody’s graduation ceremony so special?| A．Because her grandmother graduated alongside her. | B．Because her grandmother was 75 years old. |
| C．Because it looked quite different from others. | D．Because she celebrated it with all her classmates. |
| A．They are anxious to be celebrities. | B．They prefer attending non-traditional colleges. |
| C．They never stop creating opportunities. | D．They support and encourage each other. |
| A．Repeat. | B．Represent. | C．Identify. | D．Follow. |
| A．Love me, love my dog. | B．Passion gives life power. |
| C．A good beginning is half done. | D．It’s never too late to learn. |
8 . Food Festivals Around the World
Stilton Cheese Rolling
May Day is a traditional day for celebrations, but the 2,000 English villagers of Stilton must be the only people in the world who include cheese rolling in their annual plans. Teams of four, dressed in a variety of strange and funny clothes, roll a complete cheese along a 50-metre course. On the way, they must not kick or throw their cheese, or go into their competitors’ lane. Competition is fierce and the chief prize is a complete Stilton cheese weighing about four kilos (disappointingly, but understandably the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones). All the competitors are served with beer or port wine, the traditional accompaniment for Stilton cheese.
Fiery Foods Festival — The Hottest Festival on Earth
Every year more than 10, 000 people head for the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They come from as far away as Australia, the Caribbean and China, but they all share a common addiction-food that is not just spicy, but hot enough to make your mouth burn, your head spin and your eyes water. Their destination is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival which is held over a period of three days every March. You might like to try a chocolate-covered habanero pepper — officially the hottest pepper in the world—or any one of the thousands of products that are on show. But one thing’s for sure—if you don’t like the feeling of a burning tongue, this festival isn’t for you!
La Tomatina — The World’s Biggest Food Fight
On the last Wednesday of every August, the Spanish town of Bunol hosts La Tomatina-the world’s largest food fight. A week-long celebration leads up to an exciting tomato battle as the highlight of the week’s events. The early morning sees the arrival of large trucks with tomatoes — official fight-starters get things going by casting tomatoes at the crowd.
The battle lasts little more than half an hour, in which time around 50, 000 kilograms of tomatoes have been thrown at anyone or anything that moves, runs, or fights back. Then everyone heads down to the river to make friends again — and for a much-needed wash!
1. In the Stilton cheese rolling competition, competitors on each team must ________.| A．kick or throw their cheese | B．wear various formal clothes |
| C．roll a wooden cheese in their own lane | D．use a real cheese weighing about four kilos |
| A．In China. | B．In New Mexico. | C．In the Caribbean. | D．In Australia. |
| A．An exciting tomato battle takes place at the beginning of La Tomatina. |
| B．More than 10,000 Chinese take part in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival. |
| C．The chief prize for the Stilton cheese rolling competition is beer or port wine. |
| D．Thousands of spicy foods are on show in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival. |
9 . A study led by Plana-Ripoll, a psychiatrist (精神病医生) at Aarhus University in Denmark, tries to deal with a fundamental question that has bothered researchers for more than a century—What are the roots of mental illness?
In the hope of finding an answer, scientists have piled up a large amount of data over the past decade, through studies of genes (基因), brain activity and neuroanatomy (神经解剖学). They have found evidence that many of the same genes underlie seemingly distinct disorders and that changes in the brain's decision-making systems could be involved in many conditions.
Researchers are also rethinking theories of how our brains go wrong. The idea that mental illness can be classified into distinct, separate categories such as “anxiety” or “psychosis” has been disproved to a large extent. Instead, they’ve found that disorders shade into each other, and there are no hard dividing lines.
Now, researchers are trying to understand the biology that underlies mental illness.
They have a few theories. Perhaps there are several dimensions of mental illness—so, depending on how a person scores on each dimension, they might be more prone (易患) to some disorders than to others. An alternative idea is that there is a single factor that makes people prone to mental illness in general; which disorder they develop is then determined by other factors. Both ideas are being taken seriously, although the former one is more widely accepted by researchers.
The details are still vague, but most psychiatrists agree that one thing is clear: The old system of categorizing mental disorders into neat boxes does not work. They are also hopeful that, in the long run, replacing this framework with one that is grounded in biology will lead to new drugs and treatments. Researchers aim to reveal, for instance, the key genes, brain regions and neurological (神经的) processes involved in psychopathology (精神病理学), and target them with therapies (疗法). Although it might take a while to get there, they are long-term optimistic if the field really does its work.
1. What have researchers found in their study?| A．There exist links between mental disorders. | B．Genes are different in distinct mental disorders. |
| C．Brain function has little to do with mental illness. | D．Mental illness is classified into different categories. |
| A．the theory of genetic influences | B．the belief of brain abnormalities |
| C．the concept of multiple dimension | D．the idea of the determined risk factor |
| A．Its genes are too complex to study. | B．Hunting for its biology might help. |
| C．Scientists are clear about its details. | D．Its new drugs can be available soon. |
| A．The categories of mental illness. | B．The symptoms of mental illness. |
| C．The theories of mental illness. | D．The roots of mental illness. |
10 . After moving from a refugee camp (难民营) to a big city, 18-year-old Dhakal wanted to give back to his community.
A few years ago, while working at a restaurant, Dhakal met a homeless man. While cleaning tables, he talked with the man, and the man shared his story about how he became homeless. “One of the necessities he needed was clothes, so that is where I got the idea,” Dhakal explained.
Dhakal Collects Clothes hosted its first clothing drive in 2019. He collected everything, including socks, hats, jackets, coats and shoes. “With that project, I was able to bring so many people together and change so many lives,” said Dhakal.
For Dhakal, Dhakal Collects Clothes is just a start. In the future, he wants to own a multimillion-dollar business that focuses on giving its money away to help others. To help him meet that goal, a kind person introduced Dhakal to Cuban, a billionaire philanthropist (慈善家), who is also one of Dhakal’s heroes. Cuban, who said that he knew what it was like to struggle and want to give back, gave Dhakal a specific goal: Collect 575 coats to give away to those in need.
While Dhakal first struggled to collect coats, he used a piece of advice from Cuban to give himself: He networked with Amy, who worked at a local charity organization. In 4 days, he collected thousands of coats, much more than his initial goal.
“I never dreamed of collecting 3, 000 coats, but the people that I connected with made it possible,” Dhakal said.
“You're setting an example, Dhakal. It isn't about connections,” Cuban said. “It isn't about who you know. Effort. It's all about how hard you're willing to work to get something done.”
1. What inspired Dhakal to start his charity project?| A．His tiring job in a restaurant. | B．The advice of a homeless man. |
| C．His desire to get away from poverty. | D．The experience of a poor man he met. |
| A．Give him some useful advice. | B．Donate lots of clothes to him. |
| C．Share the skills in making money. | D．Persuade others to network with him. |
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Surprised. | C．Worried. | D．Proud. |
| A．The original goal of his project. | B．His ambitious plan for the future. |
| C．His hard work and determination. | D．His connections with other people. |
