Who invented the ATM? There have been
Back in the mid-1960s, James Goodfellow was working
The cash machine has become a world-conquering piece of technology. There are now 3 million ATMs worldwide, with
2 . 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. |
3 . Just like happiness and sadness, anxiety is part of everyone's lived experience—but it's not always tolerated as such. “People often spend too much time and effort trying to rid anxiety,” says Dr Joel Minden, a clinical psychologist. “I encourage them to remember that anxiety is a normal emotional response.”
If you try to banish anxiety, all you're doing is putting it more at the forefront of your mind. But if you accept anxiety as part of life, you can learn to relate to it with self-pity or even with humour. This is a cornerstone of acceptance and commitment therapy(ACT), which has been gaining clinical validation, including by the American Psychological Association. ACT guides people to see their unpleasant emotions as just feelings and to accept that parts o£ life are hard. Sufferers are encouraged to begin a dialogue with anxious thoughts, examining their causes while also keeping in mind their personal goals and values.
This way of relating to anxiety has been a powerful strategy for John Bateman, the 52- year-old host of the podcast Our Anxiety Stories. When negative thoughts arise, he acknowledges them but doesn't let them drive his decisions. Over the years, Bateman has noticed that if he submits to his thoughts, they don't go away but dramatically increase. But if he recognizes them for what they are, just a passing thought and not a fact that needs to be acted on, they gradually go away.
Learning to live with anxiety is an individual process and one that requires trial and error to get just right. While acceptance is the first and most important step to take, some lifestyle changes have been proven to take the edge off, as well. Since tiredness, increased tension and stress leave us much easier to fall into anxiety, a well-balanced diet, sufficient rest and, especially, regular exercise can help us manage it better.
1. What may Dr Joel Minden agree about anxiety?| A．It goes hand in hand with joy. | B．It should be seriously taken. |
| C．It is easily-earned experience. | D．It is often improperly treated. |
| A．Ignore. | B．Hide. | C．Recognize. | D．Control. |
| A．To explain a strategy. | B．To describe a phenomenon. |
| C．To present a successful case. | D．To introduce a public figure. |
| A．Concentrating on the process. | B．Making lifestyle adjustments. |
| C．Avoiding exposure to pressure. | D．Learning to get things in place. |
4 . Joseph Conrad, a famous English novelist, said that his goal as a writer was “to make you hear, to make you feel, and above all, to make you see. That, and no more, is everything.”
In Hemingway’s story, The Old Man and the Sea, however, we must approach the content on another level.
Readers cannot appreciate a short story fully unless they react not only to what has been said but also to how it has been said.
| A．They must look for style and structure. |
| B．In complex stories, careful readers may not always agree with the author. |
| C．The impact on the reader comes from the sudden and unexpected response. |
| D．A good short story tries to give the reader a sense of the actual experience. |
| E．Finally, the reader should be able to explain the insights which the author has given into the theme. |
| F．The impact of the story comes from the insight it gives us into the needs and desires of youth and old age. |
| G．In order to read a short story with full understanding, the reader must approach the content on two levels. |
5 . School Activities for Kids and Teens
July is a month of fun-filled activities for kids and teens as long as you know where to find them. When you want some fun activities for July, consider these ideas happening this month.
Magic Class Time: Friday, July 1,10:00 a.m. Cost: Free Booking Phone: 34038470 Address: Centenary Community hub,171 Dandenong Note: Would you like to be a magician? Then join David, the magician, to learn about real magic with playing cards, coins, ring ropes and DIY projects and be able to become the life of the party. | Science With Me: Making your own guitar! Time: Saturday, July 4,3:00 p.m. Cost: Free Booking phone: 34031226 Address: 10, Egginton Close Note: Do you want to make a guitar with Katy and her mom?Science With Me is going to be with you. Please remember to bring a piece of wood, a hammer, some rubber bands and some nails with you. |
Secret of the Dragon Time: Monday, July 12,10:30 a.m. Cost: Adult: $7.40 Children under 15: half Booking Phone: 34032578 Address: Brisbane Botanic Gardens Note: Secret of the Dragon is a magical story about two children who ride a dragon to explore the universe. | The Search for Life:Are We Alone? Time: Thursday, July 20,2:00 p.m. Cost: Adult: $14.50 Children: $8.70 Booking Phone:34037689 Address: Brisbane Botanic Gardens Note: Are we truly alone in space? Is there any life out there?These questions are asked in this show. |
| A．$23.20. | B．$14.80. | C．$11.10. | D．$7.40. |
| A．Magic Class | B．Science With Me |
| C．Secret of the Dragon | D．The Search for Life |
| A．They are all free. | B．They can all be booked by phone. |
| C．They take place in the same place. | D．They all belong to weekend activities. |
6 . A research project called Mineral has created robots that move around in farm fields, aiming to use computers to help farmers grow more food in ways that are healthy for the environment.
In the past, when farmers have tried to quickly increase the amount they produce, they’ve used methods that aren’t always healthy for the environment—more fields, fertilizers (化肥), and pesticides (杀虫剂).
Mineral’s team spent several years talking to farmers to see what problems they were having and how these problems might be fixed. That led to the creation of special robots, called “plant buggies (小车)”.
The robots can take detailed pictures of plants, track each plant’s location, and measure the plant’s size. They can even do things humans can’t, like counting all of the small buds on a plant.
Before, farmers had information about the soil and the weather, but they couldn’t track every plant. Now, with Mineral’s robots, they can. By collecting a lot of information like this, Mineral believes computers can help farmers make predictions about how their plants will grow.
Studying each individual plant could save time and money. For example, if robots can detect which plants have diseases, farmers can quickly get rid of these plants before they ruin the entire crop.
The detailed information will also allow farmers to fertilize and water the plants that truly need it, meaning fewer plants will be spoiled and more food will be produced.
Currently, the Mineral team is working in countries around the world, Including Argentina, South Africa, and Canada, learning how computers and robots can help farmers produce more food in ways that are good for the environment.
1. How did farmers increase production quickly in the past?| A．Improving soil. | B．Employing robots. |
| C．Using more chemicals. | D．Watering crops frequently. |
| A．The use of the robots. | B．Suggestions of farmers. |
| C．The team’s experiments. | D．Research on farming problems. |
| A．Control a plant’s size. | B．Collect detailed information. |
| C．Change a plant’s location. | D．Get rid of diseased plants. |
| A．Energy-consuming and chemical-free. |
| B．Efficient and chemical-free. |
| C．Environmentally-friendly and land-occupying. |
| D．Efficient and environmentally-friendly. |
7 . Alvin, 66, was deep in the woods in Grand Cane last December when something like litter on the ground caught his eye. It was a
“Dear Santa,” the note
Alvin’s heart hammered in his chest. It reminded him of his childhood wish. He smiled and set out to
Meanwhile, Gonzalez, the mother of four-year old Luna, had no idea that such a(n)
One day, Gonzalez received a call saying that someone had found Luna’s balloon. Her jaw
“Santa dropped your balloon
Now, having received so much
| A．beautiful | B．broken | C．precious | D．blown |
| A．printed | B．wrote | C．typed | D．read |
| A．nice | B．difficult | C．demanding | D．smart |
| A．fulfill | B．spread | C．make | D．express |
| A．entertaining | B．uniting | C．reporting | D．locating |
| A．preparation | B．effort | C．research | D．game |
| A．temporarily | B．relatively | C．particularly | D．naturally |
| A．came up with | B．argued about | C．put up with | D．jumped at |
| A．healthy | B．green | C．modest | D．grand |
| A．burst | B．cracked | C．broke | D．dropped |
| A．post | B．letter | C．name | D．photo |
| A．in time | B．after all | C．by accident | D．on purpose |
| A．candies | B．gifts | C．toys | D．books |
| A．attention | B．admiration | C．popularity | D．generosity |
| A．adopted | B．stored | C．thrown | D．dragged |
2 DAYS MAY–DEC 2021 ￡139 PER PERSON |
SIX
THE MUSICAL
SIX the Musical is an unforgettable lesson of girl power, transforming history into her story! Henry Ⅷ's famous wives tell their tales in the style of a fantastic pop concert, coming together to share their stories.
YOUR BREAK INCLUDES
• Return coach travel
• Overnight stay at a 3 or 4-star hotel outside London with full English breakfast
• Stalls（正厅前排座位）or Circle ticket
Free for children under10
2 DAYS APR–DEC 2021 ￡139 PER PERSON |
TINA
THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL
Join us at London's Aldwych Theatre for what The Independent describes as a “whirlwind of elation”. Officially one of the best-selling female artists in history, Tina Turner's story has been transformed into an incredible musical-Simply the Best!
YOUR BREAK INCLUDES
• Return coach travel
• Overnight stay at a 3 or 4-star hotel outside London with full English breakfast
• Grand Circle ticket
Free for children under 10
5 DAYS MAY–AUG 2021 ￡ 399 PER PERSON |
LONDON SUMMER DAYS & ROYAL PALACES
ENJOY SUMMER BY THE BANKS OF THE THAMES
While the idea of walking along the River Thames on a warm summer's evening might sound appealing, hotels in the capital during high season often come with a high price label. Not so with our great value break with accommodation at a centrally-located,4-star hotel-ideal for exploring this lively city! With the chance to visit some of London's most famous attractions and Royal Palaces too, this is the perfect city break!
YOUR BREAK INCLUDES
• Return coach travel
• 4 nights at the 4-star Tower Hotel with full English breakfast
Free for children under 12
1. How much should a couple with a 9-year-old girl pay if they attend SIX the Musical?| A．￡417. | B．￡399. | C．￡278. | D．￡139. |
| A．They are both about female stories. | B．They are both free for teenagers. |
| C．They are both based on historical stories. | D．They are both adapted from best-selling books. |
| A．Free rides for children under 10. |
| B．Good location and reasonable price of the hotel. |
| C．The chance to experience the lively nature. |
| D．Visits to all the famous attractions of London. |
9 . We are born to dance. Dancing changes the way we feel and think, and increases self-worth.
As a dance psychologist and teacher, I have witnessed the ways dancing has changed the lives of hundreds of people. Then I set up the Dance Psychology Lab so that I could combine my knowledge in psychology with dance, using science to study the relationship between movement and the brain. What I found was extraordinary: people with Parkinson's disease（帕金森病）and dementia（痴呆）getting a new chance to live longer；an increase in the self-worth of teenagers；reductions in sadness and anxiety in adults；increases in social bonding between people；and fundamental changes in the way people think and solve problems. All because of dancing.
Dancing stimulates the link between the body and the brain. The emotional high we get from dancing is due to dopamine（多巴胺）.This brain chemical plays a role in how we feel, and low levels are associated with feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, pain and mood swings. Dancing is a great way to overcome these negative feelings because the exercise and our emotional responses to the music we're hearing can increase the release of dopamine in different parts of the brain. As dopamine levels go up, we can shake off some of those negative feelings and float into an excited state.
Scientists suggest that the best time to learn a dance routine is before you go to sleep. This is because the brain builds new knowledge structures while we sleep, and it is these structures that strengthen our ability to learn and remember information.
In our lab experiments, we found that people who did 20 minutes of improvised（即兴的）dancing became more creative when answering creative-thinking tasks. For example, before dancing, participants could generate about four or five alternative uses for a common object such as a brick or a newspaper, but after dancing they could generate seven or eight.
1. Why does the author build the Dance Psychology Lab?| A．To change how people think and feel. | B．To help people increase their self-worth. |
| C．To find out different social relationships. | D．To study how dancing influences the brain. |
| A．Dopamine levels go up. | B．Their intelligence is raised. |
| C．Sleep quality is improved. | D．Parkinson's disease and dementia are cured. |
| A．In the morning. | B．Before sleeping. |
| C．While working. | D．In the evening. |
| A．Dancing helps with our creativity. |
| B．Dancing creates more activities. |
| C．Dancing attracts more participants. |
| D．Dancing inspires us to use more objects. |
10 . The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms, which reflect the Chinese people’s understanding of time. Here several special solar terms are listed.
Rain Water
Rain Water signals the increase in rainfall and rise in temperature. With its arrival, the river water defreezes, wild geese move from south to north, and trees and grass turn green again. Extra care is needed to cope with a returning cold spell in this period. The wet and damp weather during Rain Water period is considered harmful for people’s spleen (脾) and stomach according to Chinese medical practice. Therefore, a bowl of nutritious porridge is the best choice to nourish the body.
Awakening of Insects
As the third solar term in the lunar year, its name implies that animals sleeping in winter are awakened by spring thunder and that the earth begins to come back to life. It is the key time for spring agricultural activities. Modern meteorological science shows that around this period, the earth becomes wet, the hot humid air from the north is strong and creates frequent winds. For this reason, thunder often occurs.
Spring Equinox
Spring Equinox signals the equal length of the day and night time. On the day of the Spring Equinox, the sun is directly above the equator. After the equinox, the sun moves northwards, resulting in gradually longer day time in the Northern Hemisphere. Standing an egg upright is a popular game during this period. It is believed that if someone can make the egg stand, he will have good luck in the future.
Grain Rain
Grain Rain originates from the old saying, “Rain brings up the growth of hundreds of grains", which shows that this period of rainfall is extremely important for the growth of crops and people are busy working on the land. Grain Rain falls between the end of' spring and the beginning of summer, with infrequent cold air moving to the south and lingering cold air in the north. With dry soil, an unsteady atmosphere and heavy winds and sandstorms become more frequent.
1. What can we know about Rain Water?| A．River water starts to freeze. |
| B．Taking off the thick coats is advisable. |
| C．Lively spring-like scenery can be seen. |
| D．It falls between the end of spring and the start of summer. |
| A．Farming season. | B．Animal activities. |
| C．Air temperature. | D．Frequent thundering. |
| A．Rain Water. | B．Grain Rain. |
| C．Spring Equinox. | D．Awakening of Insects. |
