2 . Urban gardens are valuable assets to communities. They provide green spaces to grow sustainable food, build community cohesion（凝聚力）, make new friends, connect with the earth, and much more. So, let's check out our list of 4 inspiring urban gardens in the US.

Gotham Greens

Where: New York Chicago

What: Gotham Greens first started in Brooklyn and now has four locations in New York City and Chicago. Their flagship farm in Brooklyn produces over 100, 000 pounds of greens per year. But it doesn't just produce healthy local vegetables. It is using high-tech greenhouses with solar panels to make sure the food grown is healthy and sustainable.

Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students

Where: Baltimore, Maryland

What: The Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students （BUGS）program encourages students to get their hands dirty and plant vegetables through their after-school and summer programs. Many of these kids don't have access to green spaces, and have never had the opportunity to grow food.

ReVision Urban Farm

Where: Boston, Massachusetts

What: ReVision Urban Farm in Boston works in partnership with the ReVision Family Home—a shelter for 22 homeless parents and their kids. The farm provides these families with information on healthy eating, and access to the farm's fresh vegetables. The organization also provides job training to help families escape the cycle of poverty.

Swale

Where: New York

What: Swale, a floating food forest located on a large boat, is an innovative project meant to inspire citizens to rethink the relationship between our cities and our food. This urban garden serves as both a living art exhibit and an educational farm. Food forests are sustainable gardens that include vegetables, fruit, nut trees, bushes, herbs, and vines-each one complementing the other in a symbiotic（共生的）relationship.

1. What does the BUGS program mainly do?

A．Provide job training for students.

B．Use high-tech greenhouses to grow healthy food.

C．Create a sustainable garden on a large boat.

D．Offer students the opportunity to grow vegetables.

2. Which urban garden helps people get out of poverty?

A．Gotham Greens.	B．Baltimore Urban Gardening with Students.
C．ReVision Urban Farm.	D．Swale.

3. Where can citizens go to see a food forest?

A．Chicago.	B．Baltimore.
C．Boston.	D．New York.

3 . The kid’s face is glowing green from the iPad in her hands, which shows a cartoon boy singing a nursery rhyme and dancing with dinosaurs. She’s so attracted that she doesn’t respond when her mother calls her name. “It’s literally like crack for her,” says her mom Meng Zhou at their home.

It is CoComelon, which may be the most streamed children’s entertainment program in the world. The show was watched for 33 billion minutes last year and had 3.6 billion views on YouTube in January, as many as three-quarters of whom were from outside the U. S. . CoComelon was a Top 10 show on Netflix for more than 100 straight days in 2021, and its music is streamed 1.3 million times a day on Spotify.

CoComelon is not only a ratings juggernaut (收视率主宰). It’s also a model for a new approach to children’s TV. A room of adults could work very hard for years on a concept that helped kids learn important ideas, only to find out viewers weren’t interested. CoComelon’s parent company, Moonbug Entertainment, searches digital platforms like YouTube for popular kids’ programming to figure out what the audience want to watch.

It’s clear that much of CoComelon’s popularity is caused by this program. As parents juggled childcare and remote work, demand for kid content increased greatly, thus making CoComelon successful. The success of the show is the influence that CoComelon has on babies and kids. You can see the evidence in the dozens of TikTok videos showing kids who hear the marimba tones of its theme song. And, Zhou’s daughter’s third word, after Mama and Dada, was CoCo.

As the show and others like it become inescapable, parents are going to have to deal with whether this type of children’s programming works for their families. Sure, their kids may love it — but does that mean it’s any good for them?

1. Why does the author mention the kid in the first paragraph?

A．To explain a phenomenon.	B．To introduce a topic.
C．To make a prediction.	D．To present a fact.

2. What do we know about Cocomelon from the text?

A．It only attracts babies and kids in the U. S.

B．Its music is streamed 1. 3 million times a day on Netflix.

C．It serves as a model showing how to make children’s TV.

D．It is the most popular entertainment program on YouTube.

3. What does the underlined word “juggled” mean in Paragraph 4?

A．Balanced.

B．Matched.

C．Compared.

D．Connected.

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards the popularity of Cocomelon?

A．Objective.

B．Dissatisfied.

C．Uninterested.

D．Supportive.

5 . The advertising industry started with the purpose of promoting and selling goods to people who might need them. Advertising agencies would create a basic type of advertisement known as a commercial advertisement.     1    

    2     It was likely to be the name of a company, part of which might include the name of the place from which the product originated. For example, it could be “Shanghai Sewing Machines”, or “Tsing Tao Beer Corporation”. From the name you would know what the company sells, where they are located, and the name of the product.

Modern advertisements need something else to separate them from their competitors. To stand out in a world of competitive advertising, they must combine the highest standard of design with creative ways to make people believe that they “must have the product”. For example, some advertisements may suggest that buying a car can make you free.     3     Other common ideas include happiness, wealth and success.

For many of today’s advertisers, ideas that would work in the past genuinely are not as effective now. They realize that it does not matter how attractive the idea linked with the product is — most people know that the main purpose of the advertisement is to make customers buy the product. The top advertisers of today believe that using humour as well as unusual ideas to surprise people is important.     4    However, not all advertising is about selling products and services for a profit.     5     For example, there are public advertisements, which encourage citizens to participate in improving their neighbourhood, protecting the environment, and helping other people. These advertisements have helped to increase public knowledge about topics that used to be ignored by most people, and this has made our society a better place for everyone.

A．By doing this, they hope to make people forget that someone is trying to sell them something!

B．But then they realized that it might not be suitable for a marketplace.

C．Such advertisements have changed along with social, economic and technological developments.

D．Some advertisements nowadays aim to make a contribution to society and welfare.

E．Classic advertisements used to give information about finding certain products.

F．Others try to create advertisements that people simply enjoy looking at.

G．That is, they use the concept of freedom to sell the car.

9 . Bus Tours in Nashville TN

Redneck Comedy Bus Tour
Available Time: Dec. 2021—June. 2022

If you’re looking for a trip that will show you all of Nashville’s most famous and historic sites without being a bore, the Redneck Comedy Tour is for you. Guided through the heart of Nashville with the help of an experienced guide and host from the comfort of a climate-controlled bus, the 1.5—2 hour tour is filled with plenty of extremely funny humor. Guests are welcome to bring their drink aboard the bus, alcoholic or not. Since there may be some PG-13 humor throughout the experience, this tour is suggested for kids who are more than 14 years old.

Homes of the Stars Bus Tour
Available Time: Dec. 2021—Sep. 2022

Country music fans? Then this Homes of the Stars Nashville tour is for you as you enjoy a trip into the abundant neighborhoods that country music stars such as Taylor Swift and Martina McBride call home. These stars’ homes are absolutely wonderful, allowing you to share the estate views of the hottest celebrities and legends. See your favorite country star’s Nashville home as you explore the city on this sightseeing tour.

Barrels Of Fun Nashville Bus Tours
Available Time: Dec. 2021—Sep. 2022

Experience the best of the best in the Music City wine world with these Barrels of Fun Nashville Bus Tours. The bus is ideal, providing the perfect vehicle for some sightseeing along the route. Each Barrels of Fun tour is carefully organized to display the most famous samples of Nashville wines, beers, and other liquor. The knowledgeable guide onboard will treat you to interesting stories about the area while you enjoy comfortable transportation to the tour site.

Civil War Tour: The Battle of Franklin Bus Tour
Available Time: Dec. 2021—Sep. 2022

When you take the Civil War Tour, you will visit some of the most famous Civil War landmarks in the area and hear little-known stories about the sites. The tour gives you an inside glimpse of the area's culture ranging from pre-Civil War times through the end of the war. You can actually walk along the holy ground of the battlefield, hear stories about families caught in the middle of the war. This is a great way for children to learn about the Civil War as well as for adults to get an in-depth and more personal look at the war and how it affected actual lives.

1. What’s the limitation of Redneck Comedy Bus Tour?

A．There is no host or guide.	B．Alcoholic drinks are not allowed.
C．Some of the historic sites are boring.	D．It’s unsuitable for children under 14.

2. Which one is the most popular among people interested in wines?

A．Redneck Comedy Bus Tour.

B．Homes of the Stars Bus Tour.

C．Barrels Of Fun Nashville Bus Tours.

D．Civil War Tour: The Battle of Franklin Bus Tour.

3. What is special about Civil War Tour?

A．It has the longest time available.	B．It is educational for kids and adults.
C．Tourists will hear interesting stories.	D．Tourists will visit historic sites.

10 . The Best National Parks to Visit in Winter

While most parks tend to draw families in the summer and fall, there are also ideal spots for adventurous winter trips.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

The country’s oldest and best-known national park takes on an almost otherworldly atmosphere in winter: the air filled with rolling steam, the strong colors of hot springs, the surrounding white landscapes, let alone the impressive wildlife during this time, like bison, wolves, and playful red foxes. Just book a guided hiking tour to get a ranger’s perspective on the park and local people.

Joshua Tree National Park, California

With its giant red rocks and unique trees, you’ll feel like stepping onto a foreign planet as you spend hours hiking the Panorama Loop or Maze Loop. The park is recognized as an International Dark Sky Park, featuring virtually zero light pollution and the country’s best views of a starry sky.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

A significantly lower number of visitors in winter means you can take in unblocked views of the South Rim, and get to see the rare beauty of the Grand Canyon dusted with snow. For those adventurous and daring, it is recommended to hike the Bright Angel Trail and take the chance to see the canyon’s wintertime wildlife, including mule deer, elk, and bald eagles.

Virgin Islands National Park, St. John

Surprise! Not all wintertime national park trips need to involve snow. Virgin Islands National Park is most famous for its white-sand beaches. You can also hike inland to visit old sugar plantations, or venture out to the water to swim along with sea turtles and manta rays. You will definitely enjoy a different winter here.

1. Which park will one choose if he/she is interested in stars?

A．Yellowstone National Park.	B．Joshua Tree National Park.
C．Grand Canyon National Park.	D．Virgin Islands National Park.

2. What do we know about the Grand Canyon National Park?

A．We can have a poor view of the South Rim there.	B．It lies in an area with rolling steam and hot springs.
C．There is a slight decline in visitor numbers in winter.	D．The Bright Angel Trail is challenging in cold weather.

3. Which activity is mentioned in all of the parks?

A．Hiking.

B．Skiing.

C．Swimming.

D．Hunting.