1 . How to improve your memory?
It’s generally accepted that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but when it comes to the brain, scientists have discovered this old saying simply isn’t true.
Don’t skip the physical exercise. While mental exercise is important for brain health, that doesn’t mean you never need to break a sweat. Physical exercise helps your brain stay sharp.
Get enough sleep. There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get and the amount you need to function at your best. The truth is that over 95% of adults need 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep every night.
Make time for friends. When you think of ways to improve memory, do you think of “serious” activities such as mastering chess strategies, or is it more relaxing pastimes—hanging out with friends or enjoying a funny movie?
A.Keep stress in check. |
B.Give your brain a workout. |
C.If you’re like most of us, it’s probably the former. |
D.Even losing a few hours of sleep makes a difference! |
E.In fact, interacting with others may provide the best kind of brain exercise. |
F.The human brain has an astonishing ability to adapt and change, even into old age. |
G.It increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss. |
2 . With the beautiful snow-coated landscapes, winter reveals a different world of national parks with significantly fewer crowds. Here are some of the best national parks in the US for a winter getaway.
Acadia National Park, MaineBetween October and March, Acadia National Park’s Cadillac Mountain, the tallest mountain on the east coast, offers hikers epic views of the first sunrise in the country. Because the roads are closed to motor vehicles during the winter, those who undertake the 3.5-mile hike from Park Loop Road are rewarded with a stunning view all to themselves. Snowmobiling in the park is another special experience for visitors.
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington StateMount Rainier National Park in Washington State is one of the oldest national parks in the US and a playground for outdoor enthusiasts in winter. Unlike other snow-crowded resorts, this park allows visitors to heartily enjoy snowmobiling, sledding and snowshoeing. Its hotel offers comfortable rooms with views of Mount Rainier, and tasty local dishes.
Denali National Park, AlaskaWith its remote location and minimal light pollution, Denali National Park is an ideal place for photographers to capture the northern lights during the aurora (极光) season, between September and April. Visitors in this crowd-free park can spot wildlife such as wolves and black bears, which remain active in the winter.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New MexicoIn northern New Mexico, Chaco Culture National Historical Park holds stone great houses, which were the largest buildings in North America until the mid-18th century. Accessible for most of the winter, the park can see fewer than 10 visitors a day in colder months. Photographers can capture landscapes amid the constellations (星群) by night.
1. What experience can visitors only have in Acadia National Park?A.The longest hiking route. |
B.The earliest sunrise in USA. |
C.Snowshoeing and snowmobiling. |
D.Comfortable accommodation. |
A.Acadia National Park. |
B.Mount Rainier National Park. |
C.Denali National Park. |
D.Chaco Culture National Historical Park. |
A.Snow and ice activities. |
B.A chance to meet wildlife. |
C.Cultural heritage sites. |
D.An escape from the crowds. |
3 . There are countless stories of man’s best friend stepping in to
Single mom Nicole Evans was out of town when a fire
The fire completely
Meanwhile, Nicole won’t face this
Our pets not only provide us with companionship and unconditional love, but can even act as our furry
A.approach | B.rescue | C.inspire | D.reward |
A.broke out | B.set off | C.gave away | D.checked in |
A.confirmed | B.satisfied | C.aware | D.concerned |
A.selfishly | B.strangely | C.badly | D.professionally |
A.pretending | B.agreeing | C.refusing | D.determining |
A.debate | B.mission | C.request | D.reaction |
A.disappear | B.hide | C.escape | D.depart |
A.destroyed | B.affected | C.removed | D.threatened |
A.disaster | B.adventure | C.drought | D.contest |
A.speech | B.idea | C.experience | D.journey |
A.Instead | B.However | C.Gradually | D.Similarly |
A.arranged | B.recognized | C.caught | D.survived |
A.unique | B.valuable | C.replaceable | D.useful |
A.challenge | B.opportunity | C.reason | D.relief |
A.character | B.performance | C.talent | D.responsibility |
A.specific | B.pleasant | C.boring | D.tough |
A.pouring in | B.running out | C.showing up | D.taking off |
A.suffer | B.benefit | C.struggle | D.recover |
A.support | B.creation | C.advice | D.information |
A.leaders | B.instructors | C.protectors | D.neighbors |
4 . The holidays can be a divisive season. Because the holidays are full of merriness, some love them. Others can feel troubled by them, affected by the financial pressure and family gatherings often accompanying the holidays.
Begin tracking how you’re feeling on the day-to-day life. You can keep a journal or take a brief walk where you can reflect at the end of your day. Doing this lets you see a pattern of what may be activating your negative feelings.
After getting your triggers written down, let’s make a plan. If it is money fueling the discomfort, let’s strategize how you can cut down the financial expectations. You can select a thoughtful low-cost decoration or a bunch of flowers.
Rethink how to love yourself rather than care for others too much. If you have to be with someone, are you at risk of yourself because of arguments or conflicts?
A.Keep track of your daily actions. |
B.It will help you get through the tense situation. |
C.Hosting a gathering can be another costly issue. |
D.Feeling joyless during the holidays can be really awful. |
E.You can also offer meaningful time spent with loved ones. |
F.The truth is that it is hard to engage with people who hurt you. |
G.Let’s begin by identifying what is causing you the intense anxiety. |
5 . I often felt there was a lack of ceremony in my life. The ceremony of passage to mark transitions was
It was a long drive and we started out early,
A.happening | B.recovering | C.developing | D.missing |
A.curious | B.confident | C.excited | D.puzzled |
A.sympathetic | B.symbolic | C.severe | D.sufficient |
A.visited | B.accompanied | C.persuaded | D.accomplished |
A.guide | B.friend | C.teacher | D.partner |
A.lesson | B.greeting | C.ceremony | D.problem |
A.wonderful | B.ordinary | C.unimportant | D.unsuitable |
A.walking | B.climbing | C.jumping | D.winding |
A.fashion | B.wilderness | C.travelling | D.business |
A.wildflowers | B.cultures | C.clothes | D.houses |
A.hid | B.unfolded | C.disappeared | D.stopped |
A.attraction | B.attention | C.association | D.accommodation |
A.forget | B.break | C.keep | D.change |
A.Fortunately | B.Strangely | C.Occasionally | D.Interestingly |
A.sad | B.awkward | C.historic | D.teachable |
A.lighter | B.clever | C.healthier | D.older |
A.gifts | B.plans | C.purposes | D.disadvantages |
A.escape | B.rest | C.notice | D.laugh |
A.adapt to | B.pay for | C.wait for | D.object to |
A.attempt | B.influence | C.function | D.attitude |
6 . A humanoid robot can relay video and touch sensations to a person wearing a haptic (触觉内) feedback suit and a virtual reality (VR) headset hundreds of kilometres away, offering away for people to attend events without travelling.
The iCub 3 robot is a 52-kilogram, 125-centimetre-tall robot with 54 joints across its body. Its head contains two cameras where a human’s eyes would be, and an Internet-connected computer where the brain would go. Along with the cameras, sensors covering its body send data to the robot’s “brain”. These sensations are then reproduced on a suit and VR headset worn by a remote human operator.
When the operators react to what they see and feel, the suit’s sensors pick up the movements and the robot matches them. “The key is to translate every signal and bit of digital data that can be sent through the network.” says Stefano Dafarra, who was part of the iCub3 team. There can be a small delay of up to 100 milliseconds to capture and transmit the visual shots, but the operator can case this by moving slightly slower than normal.
The team demonstrated the robot at the Venice Biennale, where it wandered through an exhibition while its operator stood 290 kilometres away in Genoa. Dafarra hopes people will use the iCub3 to attend events remotely, reducing the need to travel. “But at present, a fall could be hugely damaging to the robot, and it’s uncertain whether it could stand up again on its own," he says.
“iCub3 is an interesting robot and offers clear advantages from the previous versions.” says Jonathan Aitken, whose laboratory owns a prior version of the robot. However, he is disappointed that the team wasn’t clear in its research about the data transmission requirements of the new version of the robot. “It would be good to know just how much data was required, and what the upper and lower bounds were.” he says.
1. What’s the principle behind the humanoid robot?A.It conveys sensations to the wearer and acts accordingly. |
B.It receives commands from an operator through the Internet. |
C.The cameras take pictures and then interact with the sensors. |
D.The computer in the robot processes the data and gives orders. |
A.Medical consultation. | B.Sports events. |
C.Outdoor workouts. | D.Virtual tourism. |
A.It fails to appeal to potential investors. |
B.Its performance hasn’t been evaluated clearly. |
C.Its present version still requires to be updated. |
D.Its transmission of data came across technical problems. |
A.Humanoid robots with sense of touch catch on |
B.iCub 3 robot combines with VR to benefit more people |
C.Humanoid robots let people see and feel things remotely |
D.New advances in technology enable people to travel at work |
7 . Tokyo restaurant Sushiya no Nohachi reportedly serves great sushi, but it is most famous for its gimmick—making the world’s smallest sushi with a single grain of rice.
Located in Asakusa, a slightly quieter part of Tokyo, Sushiya no Nohachi is the place to go if you want to enjoy the tiniest, most adorable sushi in the world. Each piece is made with only a grain of rice and a tiny slice of topping wrapped in the thinnest piece of nori(海苔). Every served piece is actually perfect, which hints at the amount of work and patience that Bes into making them. They are the work of Hironori Ikeno, the chef of Sushiya no Nohachi, who came up with the idea in 2002 when a client asked him how small he could make his sushi. He answered, “as small as a grain of rice”, and proceeded to demonstrate that he wasn’t kidding. Over the years, the restaurant has become internationally famous for making the world’s smallest sushi.
Despite its size, miniature sushi actually takes a bit longer to make than regular-sized me, because of the precision and concentration required to put the tiny ingredients together. That is part of the reason why the restaurant only prepares tiny sushi for customers a few times a week and no more than five times a day, although they do sometimes make exceptions for foreign visitors who travel to the restaurant just to experience the world’s smallest sushi.
“I had a client from Sweden who came just to see my tiny sushi and the moment she saw it, she literally cried with joy.” Hironori Ikeno said.
Interestingly, one cannot simply order the tiny sushi at the restaurant. It is served for f re upon request with a regular-sized sushi course. Considering the sushi served at this place is reportedly delicious, you should probably be more excited about that. Plus, it also justifies the gimmick that the restaurant is so famous for.
1. What does the underlined word “gimmick” in paragraph 1 probably refer to?A.A class to teach cooking skills. |
B.A trick to attract customers. |
C.A plan to promote the sushi. |
D.A dish to win over opponents. |
A.His pursuit for perfection. |
B.The curiosity of a customer. |
C.The requirement from his boss. |
D.A bet he made with others. |
A.Take more time to make one |
B.Unpopular among customers |
C.costs more money to buy one |
D.needs more expensive materials |
A.Diversity of the customers. |
B.His lack of experience. |
C.Special treatment to foreigners. |
D.His sense of achievement. |
8 . How to Go Green
The idea of “going green” means that you’ll try to reduce your impact on the environment. It’s a great way to improve the planet.
Walk or bike to places if you live close enough.
Communicate digitally whenever possible, and only print out items when you absolutely must. When you do use paper, recycle it or save it to reuse the other side of it.
Buy second-hand products or borrow items instead of buying something new.
Buying things produces more waste and pollution, so try not to buy things you don’t need. When you do need something, shop at local second-hand market or use online resale shops.
Skip products that have a lot of packaging.
Products that come with a lot of packaging are bad for the environment because the packaging is waste. Even if you recycle the package, it’s still an unnecessary waste of resources.
A.Cars use up a lot of gas |
B.Limit your use of paper |
C.Use reusable bags while you’re shopping |
D.If you’re ready to go green, start from the following good habits |
E.Do your best to pick products that have as little packaging as possible |
F.In order to save money, cut down on the cost of paper you’re using |
G.If you can, borrow items that you don’t use often, like tools, from a friend |
9 . Several years ago, I was driving down a busy freeway in Portland, Oregon, when my tire blew out. I pulled over and made a (n)
Three hours later, a car finally
I thanked them and tried to give them money as a (n)
Then I heard their small daughter call out, to ask if I was
I know the
A.deal | B.sign | C.attempt | D.promise |
A.pulled up | B.moved on | C.went off | D.dropped out |
A.coach | B.rescuer | C.advisor | D.interpreter |
A.wipe | B.unlock | C.fix | D.polish |
A.rope | B.hammer | C.nail | D.log |
A.replace | B.return | C.kick | D.blow |
A.reminder | B.reward | C.comfort | D.donation |
A.last | B.least | C.superior | D.minor |
A.refuse | B.notice | C.deserve | D.accept |
A.apparently | B.confidently | C.eventually | D.temporarily |
A.hungry | B.alone | C.nervous | D.thirsty |
A.displayed | B.exchanged | C.identified | D.demanded |
A.unwrapped | B.unloaded | C.emptied | D.gathered |
A.came across | B.got through | C.passed by | D.ran after |
A.sympathy | B.support | C.attention | D.confirmation |
A.shook | B.raised | C.covered | D.bent |
A.meaning | B.connection | C.expression | D.background |
A.claim | B.reveal | C.suppose | D.appreciate |
A.different | B.traditional | C.gradual | D.universal |
A.advance | B.trouble | C.question | D.action |
Cheng Yongmao was born in a village in Huairou, Beijing and began to learn the skill of building under the
Cheng received his first Great Wall assignment in 2004. He led a construction team of dozens of members, most of
In 2016, he started to work on the Jiankou section, which
After years of efforts, the section has regained its historical appearance. “Protecting the Great Wall is my responsibility,” he said, “As long as I can climb up the mountain, I’ll do my best to lead my team, especially to assist them in gaining experience