1 . New York City has many remarkable parks and open spaces that are perfect for hanging out in warm weather. Here are four of our favorite places to take a scenic walk, plus where to eat nearby.

Louis Valentino, Jr. Park

Don’t let all of the factories fool you — Louis Valentino, Jr. Park has the best view of the Statue of Liberty. When you get hungry, stop by Red Hook Lobster Pound for mayo-coated lobster (龙虾). Sit at one of the cafe’s first come, first served outdoor tables, or eat on the waterfront.

Riverside Park

Stretching 4 miles from 72nd to 158th St, Riverside Park is perfect for hanging out along the Hudson River, enjoying beautiful views of New Jersey. If walking the whole way isn’t your thing, there’s a bike path too. Daily Provisions offers fantastic sandwich choices, like juicy chicken and smoked bacon.

Central Park

There are many reasons to walk through Central Park this spring: historic landmarks, great bird watching spots, and hanging out with friends. And while these are enjoyable activities, they’re even better with a pastrami sandwich from Pastrami Queen.

Ridgewood Reservoir

At Ridgewood Reservoir, you’ll find an easy hiking spot with a peaceful nature preserve and skyline views of Manhattan. After hiking, head to Rolo’s for various sandwich options. It has outdoor tables but no heaters, so you can take everything to go if it’s too cold out.

1. What is the best spot for enjoying views of the Statue of Liberty?

A．Louis Valentino, Jr. Park.	B．Ridgewood Reservoir.
C．Riverside Park.	D．Central Park.

2. What makes Riverside Park an attractive destination?

A．It features a bike path for leisurely rides.

B．It provides various sandwich options at Rolo’s.

C．It is known for its iconic status and historic landmarks.

D．It provides a scenic walk with options for bird watching.

3. Where is this article most likely sourced from?

A．An online cooking advertisement.

B．A local New York City travel guide.

C．The lifestyle section of a local newspaper.

D．An official tourism design for New York City.

2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Who is the speaker talking to?

A．Freshmen.

B．Librarians.

C．Teachers.

2. What is scheduled in the first week?

A．A tour.

B．Some training.

C．Some talks.

3. What do we know about the library computers?

A．They are connected to printers.

B．Not all of them are available to students.

C．They have access to the Internet all the time.

4. Who can help to find things in the library?

A．The Section Manager.

B．The Cataloguing Assistant.

C．The Training Supervisor.

3 . Discover the secrets of the UK’s natural landscapes and the creatures with these new travel books.

North York Moors & Yorkshire Wolds

A “slow travel” guide to one of Britain’s most beloved landscapes, this newly updated book remains the only stand-alone guide to Yorkshire. Written by travel writer Mike Bagshaw, it takes in sandy beaches, woodlands, grasslands and wetlands. It has information on walking and cycling paths, as well as wildlife-watching areas for such sea animals as whales and dolphins.

Bradt Guides, £16.

Springwatch

Explore the UK’s richest regions for wildlife with 100 walks chosen for their unique scenery. Written by travel journalist Luke Waterson, with an introduction by Chris Packham, this new guide is based on the current BBC TV series and features walks that best reveal the diversity of British nature. With easy-to-follow maps and plenty of inspiring details on why the natural landscapes are so special, this is a walker’s best companion.

BBC Books, £19.

Wild Isles

This rich photographic guide accompanies the new BBC TV series of the same name, which sees Sir David Attenborough celebrate the wonders of British wildlife across a range of destinations. Written by natural history journalist Patrick Barkham, each chapter of the book focuses on a particular kind of wild space, from our wide variety of grasslands to our ocean shores, woodlands and forests.

HarperCollins, £25.

Flight Paths

Spring brings new bird life to the UK’s shores, but until recently little was known about the birds’ seasonal journeys. Written by science writer Rebecca Heisman, it brings much-needed insight into how best to protect and conserve the birds that visit our islands—and destinations far beyond.

Swift Press, £17.

1. How much is Springwatch?

A．£16.

B．£17.

C．£19.

D．£25.

2. Who is the author of Wild Isles?

A．Luke Waterson.	B．Patrick Barkham.
C．Rebecca Heisman.	D．Sir David Attenborough.

3. What is Flight Paths mainly about?

A．Grasslands.	B．Large sea animals.
C．Ocean shores.	D．Birds’ seasonal journeys.

4 . World’s Greatest Places

Want to see the world? Each year, TIME magazine makes a list of the World’s Greatest Places. TIME for Kids picks its favorites. Some places are a window on the past. Others look out on the future. Together, they represent the range of beauty and culture on our planet, from wildlife and other natural wonders to incredible human-made structures. Get ready for an adventure!

I sland Living

Dominica is called the Caribbean’s nature island for its waterfalls, hot springs, and volcanoes. Visitors can hike trails and kayak along the coastline. And the island is eco-friendly. There’s a new resort that’s fully powered by sun and wind.

Family Fun

Phuket, Thailand, is known for its beaches. But there’s a new theme park called Carnival Magic, which re-creates traditional festivals. Look at the fireworks! At the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, visitors can feed the animals. Local shops offer ice cream made with coconut milk.

City Central

In 2022, Vienna was named the world’s most livable city. Austria’s capital has more than a thousand miles of bike paths, and green spaces cover half of its area. There’s plenty to do indoors, too. The Belvedere Museum just celebrated its 300th birthday.

Rain On

This is the new visitor center at El Yunque, a rainforest in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the United States National Forest Service, and is famous for its biodiversity. Puerto Rico is home to more than 240 plant species and 18 native bird species. You can spot many of them in the park.

1. What do visitors probably do in Austria’s capital?

A．Go cycling.

B．Feed the animals.

C．Hike trails.

D．Enjoy the fireworks.

2. Which place is attractive to the tropical rainforest lovers?

A．Phuket.

B．Dominica.

C．El Yunque.

D．Vienna.

3. Who are these mentioned places intended for?

A．Adults.

B．Kids.

C．Elders.

D．Editors.

5 . What idea will physicians probably agree with?

A．Positive people may live longer.	B．Watching TV makes the elderly healthy
C．People will be happier in the future.

6 . NPR’s Student Podcast (播客) Challenge is back — for a fifth year! This year’s competition will open for entries on January 6, 2023 and close on April 28.

As in past years, our judges will choose winners in two categories: grades five through eight and grades nine through twelve. Entries must be submitted by an educator or a student leader who’s 18 years old or older. Another important rule is that the maximum length of your podcast is within eight minutes, and longer entries will be disqualified.

Our judges will use the following criteria to narrow down and choose the winners:

Information and structure, 40 percent

Does the podcast tell a good story or teach us something new and important? Is it structured in a way that keeps listeners engaged? Can we easily follow the story you’re telling or the information you’re explaining? Have you spent time cutting out unnecessary information to make sure the main ideas come through clearly?

Personality and creativity, 40 percent

Does it have personality, or does it sound like you’re reading from a script (脚本)? Does it make us laugh or cry or leave us deep in thought?

Production, 20 percent

We’re not judging you on how fancy your equipment is and we don’t expect you to be an expert on recording and editing sound, but we hope you’ll try.

Some podcasts may use a narration (讲述) format. Others may be more of an interview format. If you use sound apart from interviews and narration, make sure it is clear and smooth.

1. What is the deadline for handing in your podcast?

A．January 6.

B．February 18.

C．March 26.

D．April 28.

2. Who are qualified to submit the podcast to the competition?

A．All monitors.

B．Any student.

C．Teachers.

D．Parents.

3. What is a requirement for the entries?

A．They should be more than eight minutes.	B．They must be well structured and edited.
C．They have to adopt an interview format.	D．They must be produced with special sound effects.

7 . Mirthy hosts over 80 online events every month. You can enjoy them from the comfort of your home. All you need to do is visit our dedicated page on the Mirthy website.

Learning to rug hooking on a budget
Friday 4th and Friday 18th November at 2:30 pm

Participants will learn a brief history of rug hooking. Participants will also be encouraged to try their hand at this multi-generational art form, have two weeks to complete the small project and then come back to the second session to learn how to finish it off and prepare it for display.

The disappearance of Heneage Bloxham
Wednesday 9th November at 7:30 pm

In 2001, Sam Eedle was approached by an elderly woman in Tewkesbury. Her uncle, Heneage Bloxham, had disappeared on the Western Front and nobody in her family was able to tell her what actually happened to him. By accessing the available records, maps and war diaries, and by taking a diversion to the battlefield while on a trip to France, Sam was able to find out what happened to the woman’s uncle.

African dance
Monday 2lst November at 5:15 pm

African dance allows us to express ourselves individually while also being part of a collective. Creative expression is encouraged and our uniqueness is celebrated. Kenzi will be reminding you that movements can be adapted and explored to find a way that works for your body and movement style. Making a wild foraged wreath Monday 28th November at 2:30 pm

In this workshop, you will be learning how to make a wreath! Through winding twigs and vines to find forest textures into a festive sampling of nature, this will be an artistic nature-based experience. The wreath is free-form and adds a naturalistic winter atmosphere to your door with a minimal, organic style.

1. Where do the activities take place?

A．On the Internet.	B．In public places.
C．At school.	D．In a lecture hall.

2. Who was missing?

A．Sam Eedle.	B．An elderly woman.
C．Heneage Bloxham.	D．Kenzi.

3. When is Making a wild foraged wreath shown?

A．18th November at 2:30 pm.	B．9th November at 7:30 pm.
C．21st November at 5:15 pm.	D．28th November at 2:30 pm.

8 . The number of fin-less porpoise, a protected species living in the Yangtze River, has seen growth compared with the 1,012 that were seen in 2017. A previous survey carried out on Oct. 25 said more mother-child pairs were seen and some were seen in places that had never reported them earlier.

Fin-less porpoise, also called Smiling Angels, have become a natural indicator of the health of the Yangtze River ecosystem, especially after the Lipotes vexillifer, a species of the freshwater dolphin commonly known as Baiji, became extinct in 2007. Despite efforts to protect the fin-less porpoise for over 40 years, its numbers continued to fall. Finally, there is some good news.

The turnaround would not have been possible without the three earlier scientific surveys and the ongoing one. Add to that a 10-yearfishing ban on the Yangtze River carried out on Jan. 1 last year, followed by the fin-less porpoise being upgraded to a level protected species on the national list on Feb. 5,2021,and the Yangtze River Protection Law coming into effect on March 1,2021.

Because of these measures, the provincial-level regions along the Yangtze River relocated their chemical plants, closed down illegal docklands, mended wetlands and adjusted sailing lanes. All these efforts ultimately improved the river’s ecological environment, helping breathe life into the fin-less porpoise species. The results show that China has chosen the right path in protecting not only the fin-less porpoise, but also the river’s ecosystem.

The story of the revival of the fin-less porpoise is only part of the bigger story of the Yangtze River’s protection as a whole. And protecting the river is part of the larger picture of the country’s ecological civilization. Fixing the Yangtze River’s ecology can benefit hundreds of generations, and a good ecology is a fortune of the Chinese nation as a whole.

1. What do we know about the Lipotes vexillifer?

A．It was extinct about 15 years ago.	B．Its favourite habitat is ocean.
C．Its population is falling rapidly.	D．It has been a protected species.

2. What makes the fin-less porpoise increase?

A．Ban on fishing industry forever.	B．The earlier and ongoing scientific surveys.
C．Relocation of the wetlands.	D．Improvement of the chemical plants.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards fixing the Yangtze River’s ecology?

A．Skeptical.

B．Worried.

C．Conservative.

D．Positive.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Fin-less Porpoise—a Protected Species	B．Making the “Smiling Angels” Smile Again
C．The Yangtze River—Origin of Chinese People	D．Fixing the Yangtze River’s Ecology Is Urgent

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where probably is the man from?

A．The US.

B．Britain.

C．Japan.

2. What does the woman suggest seeing immediately after lunch?

A．St. Paul’s.

B．British Museum.

C．Westminster Abbey.

3. When does the bus stop at Hyde Park Hotel?

A．At 5:30.

B．At 8:30.

C．At 9:50.

4. What does the man particularly want to see?

A．Westminster Abbey.

B．The British Museum.

C．London Tower.

10 . Attitude actually is mental energy and from the moment you awake in the morning until you fall asleep at night, you are continuously producing this mental energy, or attitude. There is never a time when you can have a neutral attitude. Your attitude right now is either positive or negative.

Your attitude determines your altitude. For example, as a plane is in the air, it has an altitude indicator. The indicator tells the pilot in which direction the plane is going, up or down. Just like the plane, you too have an altitude indicator and you’re the pilot of your plane. The feeling that you gain when something is wrong or what you are doing is not right serves as your altitude indicator. We all have an attitude to our thinking which determines our destiny.

In fact, attitude is a matter of choice. It determines the size of our dreams and influences our determination when we face new challenges and the thing is, no one can control your attitude but you. No one can make us angry. We make ourselves angry when we give in to that control of our attitude and when people do things to anger us. All it does is put our attitude to the tests. We have that choice every morning of what kind of attitude we are going to have for the rest of the day.

Attitude is everything. To begin with every problem is an adventure. To fall, rise and try again is what we call adventure and that’s the real fun of life. Failure is not a bad thing but another chance for success. Dreaming of becoming successful is not enough. There’ ll be a lot of things you hate doing, but you have to do them all and that’s a success.

With a positive attitude, you’ll have the ability to be happier every day, make others around you happier, and live a good life.

1. What does the author want to stress with the example in Paragraph 2?

A．Attitude’s role in people’s future development.

B．The importance of pilots ‘ feelings in flight.

C．People’s correct judgement of their life direction.

D．The application of altitude indicators in various fields.

2. What are people doing when they try to anger us according to the author?

A．They’re trying to control our feeling.	B．They’re testing our attitude.
C．They’ re challenging our bottom line.	D．They’ re reminding us of possible failure.

3. What does the author think of the adventure in life?

A．Dangerous and tiring.	B．Annoying and understandable.
C．Difficult but meaningful.	D．Exciting and necessary.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．How to achieve a positive attitude?	B．How is attitude formed?
C．What is attitude?	D．What’s the power of a positive attitude?