1 . Learn about programs, events and much more for students of your age to get opportunities.
Youth and Non-Violent Direct Action
Time: October 18 and November 1,2023
Contact: Robert Croonquist
This interactive workshop for school groups will teach how to appeal to the government for change and how to create safe, non-violent direct action. Students will meet in small groups to discuss issues that are important to them. The fee to participate is $5 per student.
Attend a FREE Architecture and Design College Fair
Time: October 28,2023
Contact: Mary Lib Schmidt
High school students are invited to learn more about applying to architecture school. Representatives from over 30 colleges, universities, and design programs will meet with students and answer questions. The event will be held from 11am-3pm.
Seeds of Knowledge: Teen Tour and Natural Bath Bomb Making Workshop
Time: October 26,2023
Contact: Nicole Leist
Participants will look at 15th- to-17th-century printed herbals on display and learn how modern practitioners (医师) create beneficial natural products today. Teens will create bath bombs using all organic materials. This program is intended only for teens aged 13 to 18. FREE with advance registration.
FREE Saturday Leadership Program for Hispanic Youth
Time: November 2023 through March 2024
Contact: Lisa Pineda
It is a FREE Saturday program serving 100 students. It offers various leadership opportunities and resources with the goal of affirming students in cultural pride and increasing the Hispanic voice in government, community, and institutional spaces. Seats are limited.
1. What can you learn about Youth and Non-Violent Direct Action?A.It lasts a fortnight. | B.It is free of charge. |
C.It is organized by the government. | D.It teaches legal ways to communicate. |
A.Robert Croonquist. | B.Mary Lib Schmidt. | C.Nicole Leist. | D.Lisa Pineda. |
A.Youth and Non-Violent Direct Action. |
B.Attend a FREE Architecture and Design College Fair. |
C.Seeds of Knowledge: Teen Tour and Natural Bath Bomb Making Workshop. |
D.FREE Saturday Leadership Program for Hispanic Youth. |
2 . Michael Todd wore the same clothes every day for the first three weeks of school. When the other kids began to notice that he was wearing the same black pants and blue, and gray long-sleeve shirt day after day, Todd, a freshman at Martin Luther King Jr. College Preparatory High School in Memphis, became the target of laughter. But there was little Todd could do. His mother simply couldn’t afford to buy him new clothes.
Two of the kids piling on were Antwan Garrett and Kristopher Graham, a pair of freshman football players. But over time, they realized that their unfavorable words felt like bullying (欺凌) and seemed to be slowly crushing (击垮) Todd’s spirit. Something finally clicked (被突然领悟) . “I felt like I needed to do something,” Graham told CBS News. So he and Garrett hatched a plan. They went home and hunted through their own drawers and closets.
The next day at school, they met Todd at their third-period class and asked him to come into the hall. Todd was understandably nervous about being called out by the larger boys. “He wasn’t smiling or anything, and I was like,’I think this is going to make you smile,’” Graham says. “I told him, ‘We’re in the same third period, and I apologize for laughing at you, and I want to give something to you to make it up.’” He then handed Todd a bag. Inside were clean shirts and shorts, plus a brand-new pair of New Balance sneakers.
Todd was blown away. “I was very happy,” he told CBS News. “Surprised and upset, completely.” And Todd got much more than a new wardrobe. He no longer sits alone at lunch. Now he eats with his new friends, Garrett and Graham.
“I’ve been bullied my entire life,” Todd told CBS News. Reflecting on the day Garrett and Graham called him into the hall, he called it “the best day of my entire life, basically.”
1. What can we learn about Todd and his family from the passage?A.Todd worked hard to earn his living. |
B.Todd’s family lived in extreme poverty. |
C.Todd’s mother did nothing to change the situation. |
D.Todd was made fun of from the beginning of school. |
A.Formed. | B.Proved. | C.Confirmed. | D.Rejected. |
A.Todd was eager to make more friends with others. |
B.Todd felt puzzled when being shouted by Graham. |
C.Todd received no apology from Garrett and Graham. |
D.Todd was shocked but pleased at the kids’ help to him. |
A.Helping the weak out is a virtue (美德) . |
B.Accepting and living with each other’s weaknesses. |
C.Hoping for the best while preparing for the worst. |
D.Making friends with those having common interests. |
3 . According to a study published this week, habitual napping (打盹) appears to be associated with a large brain volume in adults although experts stressed that further research was needed. It reduces the cost caused from the lost time and the fatigue-related errors. The work followed previous studies that suggested a brief doze could improve people’s ability to learn.
Arianna Huffington, a co-founder of Huff Post and the founder and chief executive of Thrive Global, said, “Given the latest science on the effectiveness of napping and the clear link between employees feeling well rested and their productivity, it’s long past time that businesses embrace short naps at work.”
Some businesses, including Thrive Global, have already introduced facilities for employees to take naps. Google introduced sleep pods as far back as 2014 and companies like Nike and Ben & Jerry’s introduced nap rooms. The practice has even been adopted by the NHS, with a growing number of hospitals introducing sleep pods for staff in an effort to help them get more rest. Employees, it seems, are enthusiastic. Sean Greenwood, of Ben & Jerry’s, said, “If a quick nap gets employees more involved and creative, we’re happy to provide that for our team members.”
Unfortunately, the practice of napping still suffers from our collective concept that sleep equals weakness and laziness. However, the performance-enhancing benefits of naps have been no secret to many leaders throughout history. It also gives the higher-ups the chance to acknowledge the 24/7 culture and come up with top-down solutions that encourage workers to take care of themselves in and out of work.
While sleep experts stressed that a daytime doze could be beneficial, they said it was crucial to get enough shut-eye at the end of a day. It is the late stage of sleep, sometimes missed by early risers, that strengthens the nerve circuits that make for learning and memory, allowing the brain to make and consolidate new neutral connections. Additionally, prioritizing sufficient sleep during the regular nightly sleep period is essential for overall well-being.
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?A.Work stress. | B.Learning abilities. |
C.A research finding. | D.The brain volume. |
A.Dismissive. | B.Approving. |
C.Unclear. | D.Critical. |
A.To advocate enough rest. | B.To praise creative employees. |
C.To compare the differences. | D.To present the current situation. |
A.The approaches to shut-eye. | B.The importance of napping. |
C.The secrets to well-being. | D.The benefits of memory. |
4 . Now, new research suggests frequent exercise might help you live well in another meaningful way—that is, in terms of income. Researchers investigated whether individuals who stayed active would earn more money as a result of their active lifestyle. It revealed that staying active not only resulted in higher present earnings, but also predicted increased future income throughout one’s life.
The researchers set out to explore three key correlations (相互关系):How mobility-the ability to move, affected income, how mobility influenced income overtime, and whether exercise could help people maintain their mobility as they aged. The team analyzed data from Health and Retirement Study(HRS), the largest study tracking changes overtime in Americans aged 50 and above. This study takes into account various life aspects, including work, social status, health, psychology and family matters, as individuals age.
To evaluate the impact of current mobility on income, the researchers examined data from over 19, 000 respondents (调查对象) to determine how well they could perform simple tasks, such as climbing stairs, or moving around a room. Each person received a score, with 5 indicating full mobility and 0 indicating difficulties with these tasks. The researchers found that for each decrease in the mobility category, individuals lost out on an average of $3, 000 in annual income compared to their peers. Those who were active were also significantly more likely to remain working for longer than the other group. It appeared that engaging in exercise enabled individuals to maintain mobility and engage in professional life for a longer period of time than those who were less active.
Looking at earnings overtime revealed even more substantial benefits for those who remained active throughout their lives. Active individuals showed an overall income level that was $6, 500 higher, along with higher rates of employment. For the third part of the study, it’s not surprising that those who engaged in exercise continued to maintain their mobility after the age of 55 and had higher employment rates. Even exercising just one day a week showed improvements in mobility outcomes.
While this study doesn’t definitively prove that leading a healthy lifestyle directly leads to higher earnings, it strongly suggests that staying healthy and mobile brings benefits beyond just lower levels of disease.
1. What didn’t researchers take into consideration when designing their experiment?A.Family matters | B.Work and social status |
C.Health and psychology | D.Educational background |
A.Increased mobility slightly reduces annual income |
B.Greater mobility is closely related to higher income |
C.Decreased mobility greatly increases the overall income |
D.Maintaining mobility has nothing to do with the income |
A.Favorable | B.Indifferent | C.Opposed | D.Doubtful |
A.Exercise Lowers Levels of All Diseases |
B.Exercise Promotes Work Efficiency |
C.Exercise Helps to Make More Money |
D.Exercise Ensures A Longer Lifespan |
5 . How to communicate complex information?
Did you ever have to read a presentation where you felt like you’re lost in confusing terms, data and concepts? Are you giving others this same experience?
Use interactive content. It gets the readers more involved in your presentation by letting them play an active part.
Narrate your content.
Use examples and fables. They can help explain clearly the complexity of ideas for they are what we’ve already known and understood.
A.Show, don’t tell |
B.Make every word count. |
C.This makes the complex concepts less new and more familiar |
D.If you don’t sound excited, the listeners won’t feel excited either |
E.Storytelling is another powerful tool for communicating complex concepts. |
F.Communicating complex information is a common challenge in presentations |
G.For example, allow them to choose the content route they wish to take and control the pace. |
6 . Your neighbors are probably the first line of defense in case of any problematic situation.
The first step is introducing yourself when you move to a new neighborhood or when a newcomer moves in. Leave them a note under their door to introduce yourself.
Be respectful of your neighbors. It’s in poor taste to have regular insensitive parties at your place causing disturbances. Before your party, it’s good practice to notify your neighbors. Besides, avoid chatting them up for hours on end, which may be inconvenient, especially if you don’t know their schedules.
As Emma Seppälä put it, “social connectedness generates a positive feedback loop (圈) of social, emotional and physical well-being.” It feels so easy to just stay home without having to engage with your neighbors but connecting with them is worth the effort.
A.Remember every small gesture counts. |
B.A crisis is a test of communication skills. |
C.It can actually boost your mood in the long run. |
D.Slipping it in their mailbox further solidifies friendship. |
E.It’s essential to ensure you maintain decent relationships with them. |
F.Alternatively, you can give them a gift while making yourself known to them. |
G.Only by establishing healthy boundaries will you achieve peaceful coexistence. |
7 . That dinosaurs ate the mammals (哺乳动物) that ran beneath their feet is not in doubt. Now an extraordinary fossil newly described in Scientific Reports, unearthed by a team led by Gang Han at Hainan Vocational University of Science and Technology in China, shows that sometimes the tables were turned.
The fossil -dated to about 125 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period-was formed when a flow of boiling volcanic mud swallowed two animals seemingly locked in a life-and-death fight. The one on top is a mammal. This animal is a herbivorous species closely related to the Triceratops (三角恐龙). Animal interactions such as this are exceptionally rare in the fossil record.
One possibility is that the mammal was eating something already dead, other than hunting live prey. These days it is uncommon for small mammals to attack much larger animals. But it is not unheard of. And Dr. Han and his colleagues point out that those mammals which eat dead bodies typically leave tooth marks all over the bones of the animals. The dinosaur’s remains show no such marks. There is also a chance the fossil could be a fake. More and more convincing fake s have emerged, as this one did -though Dr. Han and his colleagues argue that the complexly connected nature of the skeletons (骨骼) makes that unlikely, too.
Assuming it is genuine, the discovery serves as a reminder that not all dinosaurs were enormous during the Cretaceous and not all mammals were tiny. From nose to tail, the dinosaur is just 1.2 meters long. The mammal is a bit under half a meter in length. Despite being half the size, the mammal has one paw firmly wrapped around one of its prey’s limbs, and another pulling on its jaw. It is biting down on the dinosaur’s chest, and has ripped off two of its ribs. Before they were interrupted, it seems that the mammal was winning.
1. Which idiom is closest in meaning to underlined part “the tables were turned” in paragraph 1?A.The fittest survives. | B.The hunters become hunted. |
C.Fortune always favors the brave. | D.The truth will always come to light. |
A.To prove the fossil was fake. | B.To show the forming of the fossil. |
C.To illustrate the process of hunting. | D.To suggest the dinosaur was hunted alive. |
A.The size of the fossil. | B.The absence of fake fossils. |
C.The complexity of the skeletons. | D.The consistency of the opinions. |
A.It offers a cause. | B.It highlights a solution. |
C.It justifies the conclusion. | D.It provides a new discovery. |
8 . The 2023 Shanghai Coffee Culture Week opened on May 13, with a variety of activities integrating industry, culture and lifestyle scheduled.
Shanghai, home to more than 8,00 coffee houses, has hosted the event since 2021. This year’s Coffee Culture Week is organized by the Shanghai Cultural and Creative Industry Promotion Association, and will run through to June 2.
Coffee has become a key part of Shanghai culture, showcasing the city’s characteristics of opening-up and inclusiveness(包容),local officials said at a news conference in early May.
On the event’s opening day, Yongpu Coffee, in collaboration with the food delivery platform Eleme and China Construction Bank, offered 30,000 cups of coffee for free. Multiple coffee brands such as Luckin Coffee and McCafe will also provide free coffee and coupons (优惠券) during the event.
From May 18 to 21, West Bund International Coffee and Lifestyle Festival is taking place in Xuhui Binjiang area, involving more than 100 coffee brand outlets (销售点) located along a 5-kilometer shoreline of the Huangpu River.
It is the first time that Shanghai has launched such a large coffee-themed market, organizers said. In addition to enjoying freshly brewed coffee, visitors can attend diverse activities such as exhibitions, performances and workshops to experience coffee culture.
Many cultural sites in the city are also participating in the coffee culture week. Sinan Mansions in downtown Shanghai is holding the Bonjour Coffee Art Fair from May 19 to 21,which has attracted some 20 coffee staff members and 80artists.
The Shanghai History Museum will launch the Square Coffee Festival, inviting fans and industry experts to share their knowledge about coffee. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Books and Periodicals Distribution Association will hold a coffee-themed book fair in more than 80 stores across the city.
Organizers said they hope these events will boost the consumption of coffee and cultural products, and promote the coordinated development of the two industries.
The Shanghai Coffee Industry Summit will take place on May 26, which includes two roundtable discussions and about 10 seminars. Corporate leaders will discuss the latest consumer trends and offer their insights into hot topics.
According to data from domestic tech and retail giant Meituan, the value of China’s freshly brewed coffee industry is expected to reach 15.79 billion yuan ($2.25 billion) this year. It was valued at 8.97billion yuan in 2021.
1. Why was the Coffee Culture Week hosted?A.To hold diverse activities. | B.To spread knowledge about coffee. |
C.To show the city’s unique features. | D.To promote coffee industry and culture. |
A.Get coupons and make freshly brewed coffee. |
B.Enjoy free coffee and read coffee-themed books. |
C.Visit coffee exhibitions and put on performances. |
D.Share ideas about coffee and get employed in workshops. |
A.Coffee consumption is increasing rapidly in China. |
B.Meituan has benefited a lot from coffee industry. |
C.The Coffee Culture Week has boosted the coffee industry. |
D.Freshly brewed coffee industry is the most promising industry. |
A.Entertainment. | B.Culture. | C.Health. | D.Science. |
9 . Black Beauty by Anna Sewell is a great book that has attracted young and old readers for over a century. Its long-lasting popularity shows Sewell’s skillful storytelling and the great message at the novel’s heart.
Through the eyes of Black Beauty, readers are sent to a world filled with trouble, pity, and hope. Sewell’s choice to tell the story from the horse’s viewpoint (角度) was a new method which made it easier for future writers to explore the thoughts of animals. The main ideas in the novel are just as important today as they were in the Victorian times.
Black Beauty is a lovely black horse that begins as a carriage (马车) horse, but when he is hurt, his rich owner decides that he is no longer good enough to be a carriage horse. From that moment, he is passed from owner to owner and goes through lots of hard work. Even though many unpleasant things happen to Black Beauty at the hands of unkind humans, he lives up to his name both outside and inside.
This story of his life from birth to old age is beautifully descriptive. Everything from his active days as a baby horse on a farm to a hard life pulling carriages on stone roads in London can be readily pictured in the readers’mind. Each part carries an important message about animal well-being, kindness, and respect, and is filled with plenty of page-turning suspense (悬念).
This Collector’s Edition of Black Beauty shows respect for this beloved book. Each part of the book has been carefully considered. From the drawings on the cover to the colored blocking, this is truly one-of-a-kind. The matching colored endpapers add an extra touch of luxury (奢侈), making it the perfect addition to any collector’s library and a great chance to experience the story that will reach your heart and stay with you forever.
1. What of Black Beauty helps future writers most?A.The main idea. | B.The storyline. |
C.The touching ending. | D.The way of writing. |
A.It’s thin and weak. | B.It hates hard work. |
C.It has good qualities. | D.It feels not up to the job. |
A.To introduce each part. |
B.To share feelings about the horse. |
C.To give opinions about the story. |
D.To give examples of page-turning suspense. |
A.A diary entry. | B.A news report. |
C.A children’s story. | D.A book review. |
10 . Jim Thorpe is one of the greatest athletes of all time. He had amazing athletic abilities and was well-known during his lifetime, yet that did not make Thorpe a stranger to adversity.
Thorpe was an American Indian from Oklahoma who developed his extraordinary athletic skills in his youth through hard labor. It was also in his youth that he learned to endure hardship brought upon by racial prejudice. Many would say his childhood was not easy. He grew up poor and at age 9 his twin brother passed away and a few years later he lost both of his parents.
But that did not stop him from doing what he loved and pursuing his dreams. Nothing seemed to stop him, not even stolen shoes. Just hours before Thorpe was going to compete in the 1912 Olympics, somebody stole his shoes. Thorpe improvised (临时拼凑) by getting shoes out of the garbage. The shoes were two different sizes. He wore an extra pair of socks on one foot to even them out.
He still went on to win two gold medals—winning each event he competed in except for one, the javelin (标枪). The javelin was the only event he didn’t win, probably because he had never competed in that event before. It is interesting to note that Thorpe had tried to throw the javelin once before in the Olympic trials. At the time, he didn’t know that he could throw it with a running start. He threw it standing still and was placed second.
At the Olympics,he also took part in the decathlon (十项全能运动). He finished first in two events, third in four events, and fourth in two more. Thorpe ended up finishing third in the world. He was undoubtedly a dominating force that couldn’t be stopped and just kept on going.
I think Paul Dughi said it best, “It’s hard to imagine now that pro athletes get paid millions of dollars just to wear a particular brand of shoes. For Jim Thorpe, it didn’t matter what kind he wore.”
1. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 mean?A.The adversity Thorpe met with led to his success. |
B.Thorpe’s success was no guarantee of a better life. |
C.Thorpe’s career brought him both gains and losses. |
D.Thorpe suffered many hardships despite his success. |
A.To prevent the foot from injury. | B.To make the shoe fit the foot. |
C.To stop the shoe from being stolen. | D.To show his problem-solving skills. |
A.Loss of his own sports shoes. | B.A casual attitude towards the event. |
C.Lack of experience in the event. | D.A shortage of talent for the event. |
A.Loyal and enthusiastic. | B.Genuine and creative. |
C.Tough and strong-minded. | D.Selfless and good-tempered. |