1 . Australia Post is celebrating the 10th anniversary of BirdLife Australia’s Aussie Bird Count with three of our most commonly seen birds set to be flying across the globe on a commemorative stamp issue launch today.
Rainbow Lorikeet: Known for its kaleidoscopic colors, the Rainbow Lorikeet has been the number one most seen bird every year of the Aussi e Bird Count. These social and energetic birds are often spotted in urban areas, parks, and gardens, feeding on flowering native plants and spreading joy with their playful calls, though in cities to which they have been introduced such as Perth and Hobart their presence is not so welcome as they out-compete local parrot species.
Noisy Miner: As the name suggests, the Noisy Miners are highly vocal birds with a complex range of calls. They are skilled communicators, using a variety of sounds to defend their home and communicate with their group. These fascinating honeyeaters are essential pollinators, but the number of these bold birds has increased so much that they have started to drive away many of our smaller bush birds.
Australian Magpie: The iconic Australian Magpie, with its distinctive black and white feathers, holds a special place in the hearts of many Australians. Known for their beautiful, melodious song, magpies are highly intelligent and form strong social bonds. They are also famous for their swooping (俯冲) behaviour during the nesting season, as their protective instincts kick in to safeguard their weak chicks in the nest.
The stamp issue includes various products, such as the Aussie Bird Count First Day Cover (Gummed Stamps), the Aussi e Bird Count First Day Cover (Minisheet), and a set of three Maxicards, which can be used as postcards and posted worldwide. Starting today, the stamps are available for purchase through Australia Post’s official website: https://auspost.com.au//stamps.
1. What can we learn about the Aussie Bird Count?| A．It takes charge of BirdLife Australia. | B．It has existed for about ten years. |
| C．It has branches across the world. | D．It mainly focuses on three species. |
| A．Rainbow Lorikeet. | B．Noisy Miner. |
| C．Bush Magpie. | D．Australian Magpie. |
| A．To call on people to protect local birds. |
| B．To persuade people to count the number of local birds. |
| C．To encourage people to buy stamps about local birds. |
| D．To inform people of the situation of the endangered birds. |
1. Who is the speaker aimed at?
| A．Those who feel depressed. |
| B．Those who need some rest. |
| C．Those who are music lovers. |
| A．Talk to Tessa. | B．Play some music. | C．Hang out with friends. |
| A．She's a hostess. | B．She's a musician. | C．She's a psychology teacher. |
| A．Boring. | B．Interesting. | C．Educational. |
4 . Have you ever dreamed of having your own custom deck (木制平台)? Decks make a beautiful addition to any home and they are great places to sit and relax. Here, we discuss several benefits of installing a custom deck on your property.
● Great meeting places. Does your family love to have a barbecue? A custom deck will give you plenty of space to host a barbecue, family picnics, and neighborhood parties. A deck can make a great meeting place for just about any open-air event.
● Room to grow. Decks are great places to grow your own food. A container garden can grow many of the fruits and vegetables you love to eat without the hassle of a traditional garden. So if you have green fingers (good at making plants grow), you should really think about adding a deck to your property soon.
● Quick installation. Most decks can be built in just a few days to weeks. While they are highly durable and permanent structures, they can be installed fast. This means that you will be able to enjoy your investment right away without the need to wait.
If you want to take advantage of these benefits, contact the decking professionals at https://newdaydevelopment.com/ to help you design and build the perfect deck for your needs. With our help, you can create a beautiful place to relax outside and enjoy special memories together. We’d be happy to discuss your questions or concerns.
1. What makes a deck a great meeting place possible?| A．Plenty of time to host family picnics. | B．Plenty of space to have outdoor activities. |
| C．A secret place to keep your personal room. | D．Nice atmosphere to host neighborhood parties. |
| A．Its price. | B．Its market prospect. | C．Its drawbacks. | D．Its function. |
| A．A news report. | B．A science magazine. | C．A product advertisement. | D．A culture report. |
5 . The following are newly released devices all designed to help make your life more convenient, beautiful and vivid.
Tonal
$2,995 AT TONAL.COM
Tonal makes lifting and resistance training truly easy and accessible from your own home. It is great because I hate any sort of public weight training. Tonal has a remarkably easy user interface and gives data and feedback in a helpful manner. It also makes you feel great by keeping track of clear improvements.
Hisense 75” U800GR 8K ULED Roku TV
$1,800 AT BEST BUY
8k sounded like a luxury, but now that brands like Hisense, which focus on a more affordable end of the spectrum, have gotten some time with the tech, you can finally bring the deep color output and stunning detail into your living room. Calling it “affordable” may be a stretch, but compared to most 8k TV’s which all run over $5,000, it’s the most cost-efficient version of the tech we’ve got. It gets your money worth best.
VIVE Goggle
$499 AT VIVE.COM
Vive goggles will bring an extremely accessible and refreshing approach to the VR world. They are a pair of goggles not unlike something you’d wear to snowboard. They’re extremely lightweight with a lightning fast set — that’s connected with things like watching Netflix. It’s the calmest headset I’ve ever worn and uses cameras to let you control everything with just your hands. This one’s for the not-gamers.
Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool Formaldehyde
$920 AT WALMART
For people who easily sneeze because of dog hair or something like that outside, Dyson has created a machine that saves them for time at home. This new purifier doubles as a humidifier, plus it has a cooling function, making it the end all be all for stuffy, hot, dry apartments.
1. Which device will get your money worth best?| A．Tonal. | B．Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool Formaldehyde. |
| C．VIVE Flow. | D．Hisense 75” U 800 GR 8K ULED Roku TV. |
| A．They are user-friendly. |
| B．They help keep track of weight. |
| C．They appeal to gamers. |
| D．They are intended for who are allergic to dust. |
| A．A consumer review. | B．A magazine. |
| C．A novel. | D．A health report. |
6 . Why pay for expensive language softwares when you can use dozens of language learning websites for free? These websites can help you learn a new language just as expensive programs do.
Duolingo
Duolingo is one of the best places for learning a new language for free. The website is clear and easy to grasp and you're motivated to learn through a virtual currency (货币) . At any time, you can switch to a different language to start that course without losing your place in your current one.
Languages you can learn: English, German, Greek, Chinese.
Memrise
Memrise provides techniques for remembering each and every concept you run across. Some of these courses are provided by Memrise and others are created by users like you. You collect points as you complete courses, and there's a leaderboard you can use as inspiration to keep learning and compete with other members.
Languages you can learn: English, French, Duteh, Japanese.
Busuu
Busuu features beginner, elementary, and intermediate language learning lessons. You can skip to any lesson you want and easily monitor the progress of all of them from one page. There's also a social tool that lets you chat with native speakers of the language you're learning.
Languages you can learn: English, Italian, Korean, Russian.
123TeachMe
123TeachMe lets you learn Spanish for free with games, quizzes, lessons, and audio files. A Spanish placement test can tell you where you should start learning if you're unsure. There are lots of free language learning resources here, but if you want no ads and extra features, you can subscribe to the Premium Content package.
Language you can learn: Spanish.
1. What can you do on Memrise?| A．Learn through a virtual currency. | B．Establish your own courses. |
| C．Chat with a native speaker. | D．Subscribe to a content package. |
| A．It is not free. | B．It provides points. |
| C．It only offers Spanish. | D．It requires membership. |
| A．Duolingo. | B．Memrise. | C．Busuu. | D．123TeachMe. |
7 . Best spring destinations in Tibet
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has long been an ideal and mysterious destination for visitors who are passionate about exploring remote lands. Here we recommend some of the best tourist destinations in Tibet.
Peach Blossom Valley, Nyingchi
The peach blossoms in Nyingchi have been dubbed as “the most beautiful peach flowers in the world”. The annual festival has become a signature tourism event on the plateau. Peach trees bloom depending on the altitude and climate, so visitors will have the chance to enjoy the blossoms.
Ranwu Lake
Ranwu Lake is renowned for its tranquility (平静) and its purity of blueness. Scenery along the lakeside varies a good deal with grass, forest, autumn leaves, white waterfowl and snow mountains clearly reflected in the mirror-like water. Spring coming, a reflection of green trees dances on the lake and people feel like they are walking into a romantic dreamland.
The Yarlung Zangbo River Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is the deepest canyon in the world. With a total length of about 500 kilometers, its altitude spans from 7,782 meters to 550 meters around the Yarlung Zangbo River Valley. Visitors can enjoy both the peach blossoms and the snow-capped mountains.
Nanyi Valley
Nanyi Valley is known as “the highest green mysterious place on Earth”. Surrounded by mountains and shrouded in clouds, Nanyi Valley is an ideal spring destination for visitors, where you can find peach and azalea blossoms everywhere.
There are some other attractions. For more information, please click the following link http://en.chinaculture.org/.
1. If you are a festival lover, which destination will you choose?| A．Nanyi Valley |
| B．Ranwu Lake |
| C．The Yarlung Zangbo River Grand Canyon |
| D．Peach Blossom Valley, Nyingchi |
| A．Admiring snow mountains. |
| B．Watching white waterfowl. |
| C．Enjoying peach blossoms. |
| D．Appreciating azalea flowers. |
| A．A book review | B．A website |
| C．A magazine | D．A travel brochure |
1. What do the speakers talk about first?
| A．The man’s favorite actor. |
| B．The man’s favorite country. |
| C．The woman’s favorite movie. |
| A．The weather. | B．The people. | C．The food. |
| A．The city is noisy. | B．The life is colorful. | C．The cost of living is high. |
| A．Reading. | B．Playing volleyball. | C．Having a barbecue. |
9 . Soon there will be a Review Blitz! In a month, we are searching for reasonable reviews that reflect your sincere opinions. Just keep in mind that the deadline for your reviews is October 23, 2023.
Rules:
To enter, you must be a teen (aged 13-19) with a Teen Creativity account.
Submissions ought to be relevant to the topic.
Each review must be no more than 250 words.
There is no restriction on the number of pieces you can submit.
Guidelines:
Give a brief summary of the book. Avoid explaining the entire plot or telling your reader how the book ends.
Inform the reader what you like or dislike about the book.
Recommend the book to specific readers. Does the book lend itself well to older teens? Would science fiction enthusiasts show interest in this book? It’s helpful for readers to think about the book in light of other books they’ve read.
Remember that it’s okay to have a strong opinion! Don’t start sentences with “I think”, “I believe” or “In my opinion”.
Prizes:
All participants will be given a certificate.
First prize winners will respectively have one review published in Teen Creativity magazine and obtain a free 6-month magazine subscription.
Second-place winners will each receive a free 3-month magazine subscription.
You’ll receive these prizes before December 28, 2023.
Submit your works to www.teencreativity.com. We hope reviewing books brings you joy.
1. Which of the following meets the requirement of Review Blitz?| A．A person can present no more than one piece of work. |
| B．Each piece of work can have a maximum of 250 words. |
| C．Reviews must be written by people under 20 years old. |
| D．Works must be uploaded by the end of October 2023. |
| A．The likes and dislikes of the book. |
| B．The recommendation to all readers. |
| C．Statements containing “In my opinion”. |
| D．A summary that demonstrates the whole plot. |
| A．Self-learners. | B．Teaching staff. |
| C．Professional trainers. | D．Bookish adolescents. |
1. What is the speaker mainly talking about?
| A．A big sale. | B．A new store. | C．A membership application. |
| A．To celebrate a holiday. |
| B．To prepare for a store closing. |
| C．To promote a new product. |
| A．A TV. | B．A fridge. | C．A computer. |
