1 . Food Festivals to Look Forward to This Summer
Taste of Park Ridge
11: 00 am to 10:30 pm, Thursday, July 13, in Uptown Park Ridge, 100 Summit Ave
There will be a variety of foods, including ice cream, Mexican foods, Filipino dishes, corn dogs, Indian and Nepali cuisine, pizza, cupcakes, barbecue, and more. Don’t miss the drinks and wine. Most importantly, there is Giant Turkey Leg Eating Contest at 2: 30 pm. Free.
Antioch Taste of Summer
4: 00 pm to 10: 00 pm, Friday, July 14, at the Antioch Bandshell
You will find the classic pub fare, Crazee Ice, and more, plus carnival (嘉年华) rides, games, sidewalk sales and crafters. Music from The Beach Bum Band is on at 7: 00 pm and themed musical light show at 8: 00 pm. Free.
Taste of Westmont
5:00 pm to 9: 30 pm, Sunday, July 16, on Cass Avenue in Westmont
It features local restaurant food vendors serving Thai, Mexican, and Greek foods, pizza, barbecue, and more. There will be carnival, craft show, kids’ activities, and a car show. Music from Tom Petty band starts at 6: 00 pm. Free.
Sugar Grove Corn Boil
5:00 pm to 10:00 pm, Sunday, July 23, at Volunteer Park, Main Street
Wander among corn boil, and other tasty foods, craft show, and carnival while enjoying live music and fireworks. Car show starts from 3:00 pm. This attractive festival takes you to music from The Boy Band Night at 7:30 pm. Free bus service. Reserve tickets before availability.
1. Which of the four festivals begins the earliest?| A．Taste of Westmont. | B．Sugar Grove Corn Boil. |
| C．Taste of Park Ridge. | D．Antioch Taste of Summer. |
| A．Listen to music from Tom Petty band. | B．Set off fireworks at Volunteer Park. |
| C．Join in Giant Turkey Leg Eating Contest. | D．Enjoy themed musical light show. |
| A．Book a ticket in advance. | B．Order some delicious food. |
| C．Take a bus before 5: 00 pm. | D．Park your car on Main Street. |
2 . Simone Biles is a remarkable athlete, having won 7 Olympic medals across two Olympic Games. However, in 2020, she shocked the world when she quitted from the Tokyo Games due to some mental problems. Many praised it as a brave decision, as mental health is just as important as physical health. The athlete said she often suddenly lost the sense of direction during the Games, which meant she could no longer sense her body move in the air. It is dangerous for any athlete.
Since then, Biles has focused on her personal life, marrying the love of her life in the process. Recently, USA Gymnastics announced that Biles is ready to return to gymnastics. She is scheduled to compete at the coming US Classic in August, and fans are waiting eagerly to see her in action. Joining Biles in the upcoming competition are 12 Olympic and 16 World Championships roster members. Some notable names include Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee and 2020 Olympic floor champion Jade Carey, among others.
Before Simone Biles became a successful athlete, she and her siblings experienced a “hungry” childhood. Biles’ love for gymnastics began on a field trip. They visited a local gymnasium, where she was given a flyer (传单) to join the program. Biles was a natural, but she didn’t see her potential right away. Little did she know, but everybody else around her did. Her difficult beginnings set the stage for Biles to become one of the most successful sportswomen. Her parents gave their 100% support for her to grow up in the environment she was great at.
Biles has everything she could need to live a golden life— a supportive family, a loving boyfriend and a passion, which also happens to be her career. At 26 years old, she has her whole life ahead of her and is expected to continue dominating (统治) the gymnastics world in the coming years.
1. What did Simone Biles do during the 2020 Olympic Games?| A．She dropped out unexpectedly. |
| B．She won her seventh Olympic medal. |
| C．She hurt others due to dangerous moves. |
| D．She shocked the world with her great performance. |
| A．Worried. | B．Disappointed. |
| C．Excited. | D．Shocked. |
| A．One’s birth decides his or her future. |
| B．Quitting doesn’t necessarily mean giving up. |
| C．One should never give up his or her own job. |
| D．A person’s success requires all kinds of preparations. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A fashion magazine. |
| C．A book review. | D．A news report. |
3 . In a world where acts of kindness often go unnoticed, a good story that has been discovered reminds us of the power of care and the effect it can have on someone’s life.
It all started with a “Kindness Week Challenge” given to Brennan by his 8th-grade teacher, Ms. Watkins. Little did he know that this challenge would lead to a wonderful friendship with 84-year-old Ms. Ann.
Brennan’s promise to send his little attractive things every day for a week developed a habit of checking up on Ms. Ann and sending gifts regularly(定期地), long after the challenge was over.
Their friendship has now lasted for over five years, and Brennan still visits Ms. Ann every month with flowers, cakes, chocolates, cards and more.
They talk about everything from his high school life to his college goals. The pair has found that they share a common love of chocolates. Ms. Ann always hopes to hear about what he’s doing and loves to share her own stories from a different time. They have become the best friends, with Brennan treating her as his great-grandmother.
Brennan’s mom, Traci, takes pride in her son. She said, “The best thing a teenager can do is to take care of the elderly. I’m so glad my son has added more sunshine to Ms. Ann’s life. I hope he always remembers the joy he’s brought her, and his fun talks with her, keeps his kind heart, and thinks of others.”
Ms. Ann’s daughter Emma, with her husband Gould, has a 2-year-old son. They are thankful for Brennan’s friendship as they cannot always be with Ms. Ann. Brennan’s kind heart has brought more sunshine into Ms. Ann’s life, and her encouraging words have helped to inspire(启发)him in return.
1. How did the task “Kindness Week Challenge” affect Brennan?| A．He discovered his love of chocolates. |
| B．He became a good friend of Ms. Ann. |
| C．He developed a habit of receiving gifts. |
| D．He learned how to choose attractive things. |
| A．Flowers. | B．Cakes. | C．Chocolates. | D．Cards. |
| A．His kindness to others. |
| B．His talent for telling stories. |
| C．His good performances at school. |
| D．His ability to earn money for the gifts. |
| A．Worried. | B．Sorry. | C．Thankful. | D．Surprised. |
4 . As a mind-body coach in professional sports, I work with medical staff and expert consultants every year during baseball spring training to help players prepare their bodies for the season.
Drink enough water
How much water you drink affects all the functions of your body, including your mental performance. A body water loss of just 1% to 2% can damage cognitive (感知的) function.
Exercise regularly
The key to exercise’s effectiveness is consistency. With as little as 11 minutes of exercise per day, you can enjoy numerous health benefits, including increasing your life span.
Breathe better to move better
Sleep is essential for overall health. Adults need at least seven hours of sleep nightly, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you’re not getting that minimum amount of shut-eye, it’s time to clean up your sleep routine and start prioritizing rest.
| A．Get enough sleep |
| B．Fall asleep as early as possible every night |
| C．It means you have to follow their exercise routine |
| D．Breathing plays a vital role in how you feel and move |
| E．Walking outside is a great way to get in those 11 minutes |
| F．To promote good health, I suggest drinking at least 1.5 liters of water daily |
| G．You may not be a professional athlete, but your body affects the quality of your life |
5 . The Best Foods for Your Brain
The brain is an organ just like any other—it needs the right nutrients to function properly and there are certain foods that can support brain function and help make studying easier.
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is bitter chocolate compared to milk chocolate. It uses cacao as its main ingredient. Dark chocolate promotes the development of both neurons and blood vessels (血管).
Berries
A lot of the benefits of berries come from antioxidants. They’ll help to increase neuroplasticity which allows your brain to make new connections or, in other words, keep learning.
Not only do seeds and nuts offer antioxidants—vitamin E, which helps to protect the brain as you age, specifically—but they contain omega-3 fatty acids as well.
Fatty fish
Fatty fish are a great source of omega-3s. These healthy unsaturated fats help in the long-term especially. They lead to lower beta-amyloid levels in the blood. This means that the clumps that damage the brain which leads to Alzheimer’s disease has been decreased.
So, with foods like these, you’ll find your study session to be much more productive.
| A．Seeds and nuts |
| B．Here we break down what foods are best for the brain |
| C．While this is good for the brain, it also helps heart health |
| D．If you want to achieve the long-term effects these foods offer |
| E．To get the most out of this food, you’re going to want to eat fish about twice a week |
| F．This makes it not only a short-term focus boost through increased blood flow in the brain |
| G．Some studies have shown that positive people who laugh often have increased life expectation |
6 . In 2020, Americans spent 8.3 billion hours trapped in traffic. During traffic jams, the average car used an extra 19 gallons of gas. This amounts to $190 billion in lost time and fuel each year. Fortunately, researchers are working to reduce the traffic jams, whether by the development of driverless cars or the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in traffic lights.
Lack of traffic signal timing is a main cause of traffic jams. A new system uses software to decide when the traffic signal timing is not doing well or when it is making progress. The method was better than all other former approaches in testing.
The researchers built an advanced traffic simulator (模拟器) to train their program, teaching it to deal with different traffic and weather conditions. When the system was tested on a real crossroad, it adapted to real traffic crossings. It could be effective in many real-world environments in the future. The researchers hope to begin testing their system on real roads this year.
Dr. George Vogiatzis, a professor of Aston University, said, “This program can understand the situations it hasn’t experienced before. We have tested this with a physical obstacle that causes traffic jams instead of the traffic light waiting time, and the system still works well. As long as there is a cause of traffic jam, the computer will finally find out what the cause is.”
1. How do researchers work to reduce the traffic jams?| A．By spending 8.3 billion hours trapped in traffic. | B．By developing driverless cars or using AI in traffic lights. |
| C．By using an extra 19 gallons of gas. | D．By losing an amount of $190 billion fuel each year. |
| A．Lack of traffic signal timing. | B．The light from the traffic signals. |
| C．The location of traffic signals. | D．The number of vehicles on the road. |
| A．This year. | B．In the future. | C．It’s hard to know. | D．It depends on the weather. |
| A．The system can solve all the causes of traffic jams. |
| B．The program is expected to be available this year. |
| C．The program can tell different types of causes of traffic jams. |
| D．The program can only deal with the situations it has experienced before. |
7 . Land of Love and Peace
Xia Hong has been living in Tashikurgan Tajik autonomous county in the southwest of Xinjiang for the past six years. Her love for the cold and remote county comes from her unforgettable trips to the Tajik villages. People’s kindness and hospitality (好客) left the deepest impression on her mind.
After she moved there, Xia opened a café. She mixes her coffee with local produce for fresh tastes and also gives her concoctions (混合物) lovely names for a lasting impression. “The juice lends the coffee a color, similar to what the sky looks like from the Pamir Plateau (帕米尔高原),” she explains.
Besides managing her café, Xia loves traveling around the county, reading books, holding parties for friends and posting articles and videos online to share her experiences.
Xia finds the leisurely lifestyle peaceful. “Sometimes, I just sit outside the café and look at the mountains or clouds. The feeling is so good to be so close to nature,” she says.
Xia hopes that her cafe and its special drinks become part of “unforgettable memories” of travelers who visit the county.
1. What impressed Xia Hong most about her trip to the Tajik village?| A．The Pamir Plateau. | B．The friendly people. | C．The low temperature. | D．The beautiful nights. |
| A．By using local produce and special names. | B．By making it into a different color. |
| C．By offering it in the early evening only. | D．By adding some snow. |
| A．Picnics with friends there. | B．Travelling at home and abroad. |
| C．The feeling of being close to nature. | D．The challenge of being alone. |
| A．A beautiful place worth visiting. | B．A special café in a village. |
| C．A long trip in Xinjiang. | D．A traveler settling in a remote county. |
8 . Walking along any beach in the world, you will find plastic of some kind on the shoreline, offering a reminder of the throwaway culture of the present day world. Now, a study has sounded a fresh warning on the damage caused to the marine (海洋的) ecosystem due to plastics, which eventually has an effect on human health due to the seafood we eat
In a paper titled “A Growing Plastic Smog”, researchers called on governments around the world to take firm action to handle the “plastic pollution” of the world's oceans.
The plastics break down over time into minute particles(微小颗粒) that cannot be seen by eyes, but find their way into the ocean ecosystem and into the seafood humans consume. “Microplastics are a problem because they are mistaken for food and eaten by small marine animals.” Charlene Trestrail said. “Once eaten, microplastics can damage an animal’s intestines(肠), and give out potentially harmful chemicals inside animals.”
Charlene Trestrail, a researcher at the University of Technology Sydney, said “the study shows just how big the problem is and that much of the blame was placed on the plastics industry for failing to recycle or design for recyclability.”
Paul Harvey, an environmental scientist, said “Globally, we have reached a point where we can no longer ignore the plastic pollution pandemic(流行病) that is infecting our oceans. This research shows us that beach cleanups and citizen science projects that focus on the environmental problems of plastics have little impact on solving the problem.”
Marcus Eriksen, lead author of the study, said that the findings were a “stark warning that we must act now at a global scale”. “Cleanup is useless if we continue to produce plastic at the current/rate, and we have heard about recycling for too long, while the plastic industry refuses any commitments to buy recycled material or design for recyclability. It is time for policymakers, governments and businesses to wake up and take the issue seriously.”
1. What is the third paragraph mainly about ?| A．The effect of chemicals. | B．The harm of microplastics. |
| C．The food of marine animals. | D．The breakdown of microplastics. |
| A．Plastics industry. | B．Government. | C．Tourists. | D．Cleaners |
| A．Useful. | B．Negative | C．Positive | D．Indifferent |
| A．The tendency of plastic pollution. |
| B．The bad effects of plastic pollution. |
| C．The measures to deal with plastic pollution. |
| D．The reason for plastic pollution in the ocean. |
9 . A lady was once heating up a pot of water on a gas stove with the intent of cooking pasta for her family for dinner.
A frog fell into the pot while it was sitting on the stove. Although it wasn’t his intention to be stuck in a pot of water, he didn’t try to escape. He was comfortable enough as he was.
The lady soon turned on the flame to begin boiling the water.
As the water’s temperature began to rise, the frog was able to adjust his body temperature accordingly, so he remained in the pot without trying to do anything to change the situation.
However, as the water approached its boiling point, the frog’s body temperature could no longer keep up. He finally tried to jump out of the pot, but with water temperature continuing to increase, he didn’t have it in him to make the leap.
It was too late for the frog to save himself.
Things don’t always go as planned in life, and they certainly don’t always go the way we want them to. But, no matter how bad a situation is, it’s important to be positive and face the problem head-on. You have to avoid wasting time and take appropriate action before problems get out of hand or become too much to handle.
1. How did the frog feel when he fell into the pot?| A．Upset. | B．Anxious. | C．Comfortable. | D．Inspired. |
| A．He was caught by the lady. | B．He was too tired to jump. |
| C．He had no time to escape. | D．He could adjust his body temperature. |
| A．He didn’t make any effort | B．He failed to save himself |
| C．He jumped out of the pot | D．He decided to remain finally |
| A．Things always go as expected. | B．We should have a positive attitude. |
| C．Take timely action before too late. | D．Never regret what we have done. |
These gingko (银杏树) trees are really old, older even than the city of Xuzhou in northwest Jiangsu Province. Xuzhou, the
The home, or specifically Pizhou, quite some way to the east of Xuzhou, is situated at the “tail” of
The so-called “Pizhou Gingko Time Tunnel” shall
In Tongshan New Area, gingko trees
