1 . Irish architects Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara were selected as the 2020 Pritzker Prize Laureates (获奖者), announced Tom Pritzker, Chairman of the Hyatt Foundation which sponsors the award that is often referred to as “architecture’s Nobel”. Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara have practiced architecture together for over forty years in a way that clearly reflects the objectives of the Pritzker Prize: to recognize the art of architecture and consistent service to humanity as evidenced through a body of built work.
They were awarded for their generosity toward their colleagues, commitment to excellence in architecture, responsible attitude toward the environment, ability to be cosmopolitan while embracing the uniqueness of each place in which they work, for all these reasons and more, according to the 2020 Jury Citation.
As architects and educators since the 1970s, Farrell and McNamara have created spaces that honor history while presenting their mastery of the urban environment and craft of construction. Their works never repeat or copy, but are decidedly of their own architectural style.
Their native Ireland, an island dotted with mountains and hills, breeds their acute sensitivities to geography, such as the changing climate and nature, in each of their sites. The campus of UTEC Lima, one of their works, for example, is located on a challenging site with a highway sunk in a valley on one side and a neighborhood on the other. The result is a vertical building responding to both site and climate needs. Its open spaces are designed to deliberately welcome the cool wind from the ocean and minimize the need for air-conditioning.
According to McNamara, architecture anchors us and connects us to the world as a framework for human life. She adds that possibly no other space-making discipline(科目) can do this. Farrell continues, “At the core of our practice is a real belief that architecture matters. It is a cultural spatial phenomenon that people invent. ”
1. What do we know about the Pritzker Prize?| A．It is personally sponsored by Tom Pritzker. |
| B．Its goal is to provide continuous service for mankind. |
| C．It aims to identify the architectural art through buildings. |
| D．It has been set up for more than forty years as “architecture’s Nobel”. |
| A．Global. | B．Special. |
| C．Creative. | D．Environment-friendly. |
| A．To show its geographical location. |
| B．To show the challenge of building it. |
| C．To show the two architects’ sensitivities to geography. |
| D．To show how to minimize the need for air-conditioning. |
| A．It is important to human life. |
| B．It is a crucial practice to all architects. |
| C．It is invented by people in the cultural field. |
| D．It is better than any other space-making discipline. |
1. Which place would the man like to go?
| A．An exciting modern city. | B．A popular tourist attraction. | C．A quiet and far-away place. |
| A．The weather. | B．The food and water. | C．The language. |
| A．Travel with the man. | B．Do some gardening. | C．Go to the travel agency. . |
3 . Traveling is meant to be an enjoyable activity where you can relax and find pleasure. But one small town in Vermont, US, has closed its roads to the public due to the overwhelming (压倒性的) number of tourists, reported the news site Local 10.
Famous for its beautiful autumn leaves, Pomfret, a small town with over 900 people, has been crowded with tourists attracted by beautiful pictures of the town shared on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram. This has led to “significant safety, environmental and quality of life issues, ” the Select Board of Pomfret wrote in a message to the community.
Admittedly, the popularity of social media has opened up more of the world for visitors to explore. By using functions such as geotagging (地理标记) through which you can share your location, people are looking for and sharing these destinations, especially in rural areas like the small town of Pomfret. A rise in social media presence also brings the potential for greater tourism income and jobs for people in these travel sites.
Social media is also often blamed for causing over-tourism. These places aren’t properly equipped to receive tourists. They can easily become overcrowded. Overcrowding leads to the worst problems of tourism: more traffic and rubbish, without more money coming in.
Social media has changed not only the destinations people travel to, but the way they behave once they get there. Getting the perfect photo is a top priority (优先事项) for many. “People are dressing for the photo rather than the destination or the customs, and there can be a big disconnect there, ” Lauren Siegel of the University of Greenwich said.
1. Why did Pomfret decide to close its roads to the public?| A．Some important people will visit it. | B．Local people don’t like outsiders. |
| C．Overcrowding has caused problems. | D．The town needs some reconstruction. |
| A．The trend of traveling to unknown places. |
| B．The positive effect of social media on tourism. |
| C．The importance of having a social media presence. |
| D．The popularity of sharing locations on social media. |
| A．They offer tourists high-quality service. |
| B．They lack good tourist control measures. |
| C．They advertise too much on social media. |
| D．They don’t have the proper tourist facilities (设施). |
| A．They dress appropriately for their destinations. |
| B．They pay more attention to the local customs. |
| C．They disconnect from social media. |
| D．They are more focused on taking photos. |
4 . Best Outdoor Activities in Orlando
Organ Pipe Cactus (仙人掌) National Monument
This national monument in Arizona is located within the Sonoran Desert, which spans more than 330,000 acres and is one of the few places in the US where you can see the country’s largest cacti. This “green desert” gets its name from the organ pipe cactus, whose branches mimic the musical instrument. Visitors can explore 31 cactus species and wildflowers through the monument’s many hikes, including the Nature Trail, a short and accessible paved trail. Take your camera, because the area is also home to the Sonoyta mud turtle, desert bighorn, and birds such as the Gila woodpecker and cactus wren.
Red Rock State Park
Located in the center of the state, Red Rock State Park is a popular road trip destination and a must-see attraction during a multi-day trip to the Sedona area. The nature preserve features a visitor center and picnic areas that invite visitors to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Arizona red rocks that surround them. With environmental education and conservation top of mind, Red Rock State Park is a primary place that asks visitors to hike lightly, pack out what they pack in and stick to the trails.
Sedona
Sedona is regularly described as one of America’s most beautiful places. Nowhere else will you find a landscape as dramatically colorful. The towering red rocks and jagged sandstone hills matched against an almost always blue sky have attracted professional and young artists for years. Plus, filmmakers have chosen these burning rock formations in north-central Arizona as the backdrop for such box-office hits as “3:10 to Yuma,” “Broken Arrow” and “Midnight Run.”
Orlando Watersports Complex (OWC)
On top of all that exciting lake-borne action, those looking for something exciting can take part in OWC’s Aquapark, a group of LEGO-inspired ships with climbing barriers, slides and more that will wear you and more importantly, your kids out! No special skills are required, life jackets keep things super safe, and hours of fun are virtually guaranteed. The minimum age for the Aqua park is six and reservations are definitely recommended.
1. What can you do at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument?| A．Play musical instruments. | B．Explore unknown tracks. |
| C．Harvest unusual roses. | D．Take photos of wild animals. |
| A．Colorful scenery. | B．Touching legends |
| C．Burning hot weather. | D．Steep mountains. |
| A．Red Rock State Park | B．Sedona |
| C．OWC’s Aquapark | D．Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. |
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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Darwin
As major cities go, Darwin is on the rather small side. It sits in the north-central region of Australia, right on the Timor Sea. It is a true
Darwin has
1. How long did the man stay in Hong Kong?
| A．For a week. | B．For half a month. | C．For half a year. |
| A．He didn’t have a telephone. |
| B．He changed his phone number. |
| C．He was driving with his friends. |
| A．Tiring. | B．Boring. | C．Exciting. |
8 . I. M. Pei, one of the world’s most famous building designers, died at age 102. Mr. Pei created buildings which are known and appreciated around the world. Mr. Pei’s style of architecture is called “modern” or “modernist”. This style of architecture makes use of newer building materials, such as concrete(混凝土), glass and metal. Modernist buildings are often designed with straight lines, without a lot of decorations. Modern architecture appeared at the end of the 19th century from changes in technology, engineering and building materials, and from a wish to break away from historical architectural styles and to invent something that was totally functional and new.
Mr. Pei designed many different kinds of buildings, including libraries, concert halls, office buildings, hotels, hospitals and skyscrapers. But he’s probably famous for some of his museums, like the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Perhaps Mr. Pei’s best-known building is the Pyramid he created as a new entrance to the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. Like many of Mr. Pei’s designs, it wasn’t all that popular at first, but over time, people came to love it. Now it is one of the main reasons why people visit the museum. Another famous building of his is the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, China. Mr. Pei said he wanted it to look a bit like bamboo.
Mr. Pei put a lot of thoughts into his designs. He studied carefully before he designed each building. For example, he didn’t like rock and roll music, but he went to rock concerts before he designed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. He read books, studied music and visited many musicians. He preferred his students or teammates who came from different cultural backgrounds.
Not all of Mr. Pei’s buildings were triumphant. The Hancock Tower in Boston is one example. The huge glass-covered skyscraper was nearly finished when the bad thing happened. Some glass began falling out of the building. They had to be replaced with plywood(胶合板) until a solution could be found. The problem was a headache and took years to fix.
1. What does Mr. Pei’s architecture look like?| A．Simple. | B．Strange. | C．Traditional. | D．Classical. |
| A．The East Building of the National Gallery of Art. |
| B．The new entrance to the Louvre Museum. |
| C．The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. |
| D．The Bank of China Tower. |
| A．To enjoy the music. | B．To meet the singers. |
| C．To ask for advice on his design. | D．To prepare himself for a design. |
| A．Unique. | B．Successful. | C．Completed. | D．Famous. |
9 . Science World
From Europe’s biggest science festival to the coolest projects, check out this month’s science events.
Edinburgh Science Festival
For two weeks every April, Scotland’s capital city Edinburgh is home to Europe’s biggest science festival. This year’s festival will have a particular focus on life forms, life cycles and how to fight climate change.
Highlights include the City Art Centre, which has been transformed into a five-floor science playground. Meanwhile, over at the National Museum of Scotland, visitors can become an immunologist (免疫学家) for the day and make their own vaccine. For those not in Edinburgh, EdSciFest on Demand is an online resource with workshops and quizzes, which will be free until 7 May. To find out more visit: sciencefestival.co.uk
Dino Kingdom
From 1-18 April, dinosaurs are coming to London’s Gunnersbury Park. At Dino Kingdom you can see life-sized models of dinosaurs. To be in with a chance of winning a family ticket to this event, send an email to competitions@science-nature.co.uk by 11: 5 9 pm on 8 April. For rules: sciencenature.theweekjunior.co.uk/terms
Coolest Projects
Do you have an idea for a cool tech project? Why not share it with the world by entering the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s Coolest Projects competition? You can enter either as an individual or a team. Judges will score the projects according to how cool they are, how well designed, and how usable. Registration closes on 11 May. To find out more visit: coolestprojects.org
1. Where can visitors make their own vaccine?| A．At the National Museum of Scotland. |
| B．At London’s Gunnersbury Park. |
| C．At the Raspberry Pi Foundation. |
| D．At the City Art Centre. |
| A．They must email competitions@science-nature.co.uk. |
| B．They should be a member of Dino Kingdom. |
| C．They have to be a winner of a tech project. |
| D．They need to take an online test. |
| A．8 April. | B．18 April. | C．7 May. | D．11 May. |
要求：
1.介绍重庆的地理位置；
2.介绍重庆的特色和旅游景点；
3.表示欢迎和期待；
4.词数 100 到 120 词。
Dear Tommy,
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Yours,
Li Hua
