1 . Things To Remember On Your First Solo Travel Adventure
If you’ve ever thought about just taking a trip yourself instead of waiting for someone to join you, you’re not alone.
Don’t be afraid to talk to random people. Though there is someone who poses a threat, it’s important to remember that not everyone is out to get you.
It’s okay to have bad days.
It’s okay to start small.
A.You are the boss of your own adventure. |
B.You need to make an unusual travel choice. |
C.It’s no secret that solo travel is on the rise. |
D.Sometimes things can go incredibly wrong. |
E.People like you simply don’t know how to start. |
F.Most of the time people are just curious and try to be friendly. |
G.Remember, your first solo trip doesn’t have to be to a whole other continent. |
2 . ABOUT SMART
SMART runs both study tours for groups in England throughout the year and a holiday English course for foreign students during the summer in the centre of London. Our courses combine English language learning with cultural studies in different centres around England. Our students have plenty of holiday fun, make new friends and learn a lot of English!
The holiday course
We provide lessons and afternoon activities to help you speak, write, listen and read in English, as well as understand the English people and their culture. We will help you learn through topics which are interesting to you.
The school
The Elite School is in central London, just 5 minutes from Paddington Station and 10 minutes from Hyde Park. It has 15 classrooms including an IT room, a science lab, a music room, and an art room as well as a large cafeteria.
Travelling time from Heathrow Airport: 45 minutes
Trips
There are three trips every week. You can have fun either in London or outside London. In London we visit places such as the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and the Tate Modern. Outside London we visit places such us Oxford, Cambridge and Brighton.
Terms
Age: 11-17
Minimum stay: 2 weeks
Maximum number of students in class: 15
Cost£550 per week, including:
— registration fee (C60)
— tuition package: 15 hours of English; 1 half day of creative arts; 1 full-day trip on Saturday; all course materials; 1 half day of sport; 2 “Discover London” tours; lunch; welcome pack
— host family accommodation
1. Which of the following is provided by the holiday course?A.A culture-based language study. | B.Free access to 15 classrooms. |
C.Pick-up service from the airport. | D.Learning experiences in famous colleges. |
A.£550. | B.£610. | C.£1100. | D.£1160. |
A.A tour guide. | B.An advertisement. |
C.A journal entry. | D.A study report. |
1.你体验的一项职业;
2.你的感受。
注意:
1.写作词数应为80左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题纸的相应位置作答。
My First Experience in Career
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . Imagine getting ready for bed, brushing your teeth, setting your alarm and then putting a device on your head that allows you to control your dreams. It might sound like something unfeasible, but it’s the real-life promise of a new futuristic-looking headband called Halo, at present in development by US tech company Prophetic.
Expected to be released in 2025, Halo aims to allow you to have more lucid dreams (清醒梦). In some cases, you might also exercise a degree of control over what happens in these dreams, perhaps in ways that benefit your waking life, such as solving work problems, practicing guitar and more.
Earlier research has shown lucid dreams could be used for real-life benefits. For example, one study carried out by researchers at the University of Bern, Switzerland showed that participants who practised casting coins into a cup in their lucid dreams showed superior performance the next day.
The team behind Halo are using technologies like EEG (脑电图) to collect vast amounts of brain data from volunteers experiencing lucid dreams. The idea is to build a detailed map of what’s happening in the brain during different types of lucid dreams. This information will be key for the second main area of investigation, which involves using TUS (delivered via the headband) to control brain activity. TUS, a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, can change brain function by using high-frequency sound.
“It’s seemingly true that the sound stimulation could contribute to the high-frequency brain activity that’s associated with lucidity,” says Professor Mark Blagrove, a sleep scientist based at Swansea University. “Sound stimulation has been used to cause low-frequency slow waves in slow wave sleep, so the method suggested is believable.”
However, TUS is a relatively new approach to brain stimulation and it’s not entirely clear what the long-term results of stimulating your brain with high-frequency sounds might be. Moreover, some sleep scientists believe dreams have basic functions, including processing emotional experiences. By using a device to change the nature of your dreams, maybe you risk interrupting the usual purpose of your dreams.
1. What does the underlined word “unfeasible” in paragraph 1 probably mean?A.Impossible. | B.Significant. | C.Logical. | D.Meaningless. |
A.To suggest a way to dream a dream. | B.To provide a theory for developing Halo. |
C.To prove the benefits of lucid dreams. | D.To indicate the meaning of being awake. |
A.The way in which EEG works. | B.The reason for designing Halo. |
C.The changes brought by Halo. | D.The methods used by the team. |
A.Hal o has got widespread recognition. | B.There may be some side effects about Halo. |
C.Dreaming doesn’t have any functions. | D.Lucid dreams cause emotional experiences. |
5 . Joseph Dituri hasn’t seen the sun for two fortnights. And he won’t see it again for months. Since March 1st, the professor has been underwater, with the goal of spending 100 days there-for science. If successful, he will break the current world record for time spent living underwater, which was set by two Tennessee biologists in 2014 when they stayed beneath the surface for 73 days.
Dituri, who has been nicknamed “Dr. Deep Sea”, is living in Jules’ Undersea Lodge (小屋) in Key Largo, Florida-the same underwater venue where the previous record was set. The 100-square-foot hotel, which sits 30 feet below the surface, is his temporary home, where he is carrying out research and giving virtual lectures for his students at the University of South Florida.
“The human body has never been underwater that long, so I will be monitored closely,” Dituri said. “This study will examine every way this journey impacts my body, but my hypothesis (假设) is that there will be improvements to my health due to the increased pressure.” This hypothesis comes from a study that indicated potentially positive effects of pressure exposure on cell growth and vitality (活力), and Dituri hopes that his underwater experience could reveal ways to combat age-related diseases and lengthen lifespan.
As part of his research, Dituri is investigating the effects of living in a high-pressure environment for an extended period. To keep water from entering the lodge, air must constantly be pumped into the space to create a pressure about 1.6 times higher than that of the Earth’s surface. Therefore, it can’t be achieved in his own right.
Before the journey, Dituri had undergone psychosocial, psychological and medical tests. He continues to undergo testing during and after his 100 days at the lodge. “The mental health part of this is important, because I’m in an isolated and limited environment,” he said.
Beyond research, the project is also a chance to cultivate children’s enthusiasm for exploring the science field. Dituri invites about 40 children to stay with him for 24 hours at a time and teach them to dive. To him, this outreach is what makes the whole project worth it-more than the chance for a world record.
1. What do we know about Dituri’s experiment from the text?A.It is scheduled to end on July 9th. |
B.It has been on for nearly a month. |
C.Its aim is just to break the world record. |
D.It is conducted where two Tennessce biologists settled. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Cautious. | C.Hopeful. | D.Unclear. |
A.He pumps the air into the lodge. | B.He instructs invited children to dive. |
C.He analyzes his own psychosocial tests. | D.He experiments in a spacious lodge. |
A.To arouse their eagerness for science. | B.To case his loneliness and isolation. |
C.To set a world record at full stretch. | D.To prove the value of his experience. |
Pillows have been used in China for thousands of years and hold a significant place in Chinese culture. In modern times, we enjoy a wide range of pillows
The origins of pillows can be traced back to the middle Paleolithic period. During that time, people
References to pillows can also be found in historical
During the Warring States period, pillows in China presented a certain level of craftsmanship and delicacy. The
7 . Nearly one-third of American adolescents and adults are affected by anxiety, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. In fact, over the last decade, anxiety has surpassed depression as the most common reason college students seek counseling (咨询) services, the New York Times reported. Sixty-two percent of undergraduates in survey reported “unbearable anxiety,” a significant increase from 50 percent in 2011.
Anxiety, along with depression, cuts across all demographics (人口统计数据), including both privileged and disadvantaged teenagers. But privileged teens are among the most emotionally upset youth in America, Arizona State University psychology professor Suniya Luthar told the New York Times.
“These kids are incredibly anxious and perfectionistic,” Suniya Luthar said, “there’s always one more activity, one more A. P. class, one more thing to do in order to get into a top college. Kids have a sense that they’re not measuring up. The pressure is never-ending and getting worse.” But helicopter parents aren’t always to blame. Many students internalize the anxiety and put the pressure on themselves, Madeline Levine, co-founder of Challenge Success, a nonprofit aimed at improving student well-being, told the Times.
Another expert, psychiatrist Stephanie Eken, said despite the cultural differences, there’s a lot of overlap among teens regarding what makes them anxious. Eken mentions factors range from school, family conflicts, what food to eat, diseases, how they’re perceived by friends and notably in the last few years, Eken told the Times, to a rising fear about terrorism. “They wonder about whether it’s safe to go to a movie theater,” she said.
A lack of close, meaningful relationships is also a major factor. Experts have long said mental and physical changes associated with puberty (青春期) may leave teens at higher risk for anxiety. And social media doesn’t help, Eken said, adding that teens are always comparing themselves with their friends, which leaves them miserable.
When Times reporter Benoit Denizet-Lewis visited Mountain Valley, a nonprofit that offers teens need-based assistance for $910 a day, a college student at the facility said, “I don’t think we realize how much it’s affecting our moods and personalities. Social media is a tool, but it’s become this thing that we can’t live without but that’s making us crazy.”
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?A.A big rise in anxiety among teens. |
B.A report on mental health of adolescents. |
C.Common mental health disorders in adults. |
D.The reason for adults seeking counseling services. |
A.Their parents pressure them too much. |
B.They are less anxious than disadvantaged teenagers. |
C.Their pressure often comes from themselves, not from others. |
D.They suffer extreme anxiety under pressure of perfection. |
A.To give general causes of stress and anxiety. |
B.To show typical examples of cultural differences. |
C.To illustrate the importance of close relationships. |
D.To state the impact of everyday things on mental health. |
A.Is anxiety increasing in the United States? |
B.Why are more US teens suffering from anxiety? |
C.How is social media affecting teens with anxiety? |
D.How do we help teenagers deal with mental illness? |
8 . A fisherman from Portland, Maine, the US, caught a very rare bright blue lobster (龙虾) off the coast of Maine but chose to set it free back into the ocean. The photo of the blue lobster was shared by tech enterpriser Lars-Johan Larsson. “This blue lobster was caught off the coast of Portland yesterday and returned to the water to continue to grow. Blue lobsters are one in two million,” he wrote.
While the shells of lobsters are generally red or brown in color, the blue shell is a result of gene mutation (基因突变), which causes the lobster to produce more of a particular protein than other lobsters, leading to the rare blue color, as reported by the Toronto Sun.
Yellow, orange and crystal-colored lobsters are considered even rarer than bright blue ones. According to the Lobster Institute, yellow lobsters account for about one in 30 million of the total population. Two fishermen in Dorset caught a crystal-colored lobster in 2011.
“Whatever the odds of catching different-colored lobsters, there’s no denying that bright blue ones are truly beautiful creatures,” said Rob Bayer, executive director of the University of Maine Lobster Institute. “They might not be the most unusual, but they’re undoubtedly the best to look at.”
It’s become something of a trend for restaurants to spare blue lobsters. Austin Hopley, a chef at “The Hare” in Rochdale, the UK, made the news for sparing a bright blue lobster. He gave it to Sea Life in Manchester, as reported by the BBC.
“Now it’s there for people to enjoy,” said Hopley. “I felt responsible. Something so rare didn’t require a place on the menu. Every species deserves a fair chance at survival.”
Expert Brendan Malone from Sea Life said, “It is certainly an extraordinary find and worth saving to try to educate the public about these amazing creatures in the ecosystem.”
1. What is the root cause for the color of blue lobsters?A.Gene variation. | B.Adaptation failure. |
C.A specific protein. | D.A mix of red and brown. |
A.They are the rarest. | B.They are easy to catch. |
C.They are delicious to eat. | D.They are most beautiful. |
A.It wouldn’t make a good dish. |
B.He wanted to follow the trend. |
C.He took on responsibility to save it. |
D.It would bring him fame and profits. |
A.Blue Lobsters Rebound Suddenly |
B.Chefs Take Action to Protect Lobsters |
C.Gene Mutation Has an Effect on Lobsters |
D.Man Catches a “One in Two Million” Blue Lobster |
9 . Officials have unveiled the gold, silver and bronze medals that will be awarded at this summer’s Olympic games in Paris, and each one contains a unique souvenir: a fragment (碎片) of waste iron from the Eiffel Tower.
“It’s the opportunity for the athletes to bring back a piece of Paris with them,” Thierry Reboul, creative director of Paris 2024, told reporters last week. “The absolute symbol of Paris and France is the Eiffel Tower.”
The Eiffel Tower opened in 1889 and during the later repair work, some of the original iron was cut off and preserved over time. Now, some of those preserved metal fragments have found new homes.
Each new Olympic me dal features a piece of Eiffel Tower iron — though the signature “Eiffel Tower brown” paint has been removed. These pieces have been shaped into hexagons (六边形), which is the “shape of France”. Besides, there are words “Paris 2024”, the Olympic rings and the Games logo, which looks like a flame or the face of a woman with a bob haircut.
How did they think of such an idea? Joachim Roncin, head of design at the Paris Games organizing committee told the press, “We talked about the design many times and realized that there’s one symbol known across the world, which is the Eiffel Tower. We said to ourselves, ‘Hey, what if we approached the Eiffel Tower Operating Company to see if it’s possible to get a bit of the Eiffel Tower to integrate into the medal?’”
When the Eiffel Tower Operating Company agreed to volunteer pieces of original iron, “the dream became reality,” adds Roncin.
The medals, designed by the luxury Paris jewelry house Chaumet, make people think of the Eiffel Tower in several other ways. The pieces of iron are secured by what looks like special nails that hold the structure together, and the medals’ ribbons are decorated with patterns of the tower’s latticework structure.
The iron fragments are set in recycled silver, gold and bronze disks. Over 5,000 medals are being made.
1. What does Thierry mean by saying “bring back a piece of Paris”?A.The athletes will buy souvenirs about Paris. |
B.The athletes will take many photos of Paris. |
C.Part of the athletes’ medal is from the symbol of Paris. |
D.The Eiffel Tower will be left in the athletes’ memory. |
A.The symbolic meaning of the hexagons. |
B.The shape and material of the Olympic medal. |
C.The processing technique of the Eiffel Tower iron pieces. |
D.The design of the Eiffel Tower iron fragment on the medal. |
A.From a strange dream. | B.By asking for the public. |
C.Through their discussion. | D.By studying the Eiffel Tower. |
A.They are innovative. | B.They are light. |
C.They have six sides. | D.They are golden-colored. |
10 . Dreaming of photographing the world’s beauty, I wrote a travel wish list and hung it on my wall, not expecting to actually go anywhere. However, a local photo contest gave me a
The journey was
The next morning, I woke up early to capture (拍摄) the
Returning home with numerous photos, I
A.favor | B.break | C.suggestion | D.push |
A.tiring | B.puzzling | C.refreshing | D.encouraging |
A.traveling | B.meeting | C.talking | D.picnicking |
A.shoot | B.paint | C.describe | D.video |
A.trees | B.sunrise | C.lizards | D.birds |
A.gifts | B.ideas | C.numbers | D.greetings |
A.doubted | B.inquired | C.considered | D.checked |
A.elegantly | B.purposefully | C.hesitantly | D.gratefully |
A.opened up | B.dressed up | C.hurried up | D.cheered up |
A.running away | B.passing away | C.breaking down | D.settling down |
A.possessions | B.collections | C.memories | D.qualities |
A.entertained | B.inspired | C.concerned | D.touched |
A.available | B.comfortable | C.admirable | D.unforgettable |
A.purchased | B.guaranteed | C.selected | D.made |
A.competing | B.connecting | C.discussing | D.cooperating |