1 . School Activities for Kids and Teens

July is a month of fun-filled activities for kids and teens as long as you know where to find them. When you want some fun activities for July, consider these ideas happening this month.

Magic Class Time: Friday, July 1,10:00 a.m. Cost: Free Booking Phone: 34038470 Address: Centenary Community hub,171 Dandenong Note: Would you like to be a magician? Then join David, the magician, to learn about real magic with playing cards, coins, ring ropes and DIY projects and be able to become the life of the party.	Science With Me: Making your own guitar! Time: Saturday, July 4,3:00 p.m. Cost: Free Booking phone: 34031226 Address: 10, Egginton Close Note: Do you want to make a guitar with Katy and her mom?Science With Me is going to be with you. Please remember to bring a piece of wood, a hammer, some rubber bands and some nails with you.
Secret of the Dragon Time: Monday, July 12,10:30 a.m. Cost: Adult: $7.40 Children under 15: half Booking Phone: 34032578 Address: Brisbane Botanic Gardens Note: Secret of the Dragon is a magical story about two children who ride a dragon to explore the universe.	The Search for Life:Are We Alone? Time: Thursday, July 20,2:00 p.m. Cost: Adult: $14.50 Children: $8.70 Booking Phone:34037689 Address: Brisbane Botanic Gardens Note: Are we truly alone in space? Is there any life out there?These questions are asked in this show.

1. If John and his 10-year-old son want to watch Secret of the Dragon, how much should they pay?

A．$23.20.

B．$14.80.

C．$11.10.

D．$7.40.

2. Alec is strongly interested in space life. He may go to _________.

A．Magic Class	B．Science With Me
C．Secret of the Dragon	D．The Search for Life

3. What do the four activities have in common?

A．They are all free.	B．They can all be booked by phone.
C．They take place in the same place.	D．They all belong to weekend activities.

2 . The Last Greatest Magician in the World

In this book, we can learn about the wonderworker Howard Thurston. During his life, Thurston successfully made changes in entertainment. His magic show is regarded as the one that inspires our memories.

Author: Jim Stein Meyer Length: 384 pages Publication Date: Feb. 3, 2011

Beholders: A World Without Heroes

Jason Walker lives a peaceful life until one day he falls through a hole and ends up in a new foreign world. In Lydian, the people dress and behave differently, living in fear of their Emperor Surratt. But during Jason’s search for a way home, he learns of a magical word that could kill Surratt and becomes the hero he has never imagined.

Author: Brandon Mull Length: 464 pages Publication Date: Feb. 15, 2011

Life

With his honesty, Keith Richards brings us the story of a life we all have longed to know more of. Its hard to imagine a famous persons biography is as easy to drink in as Keith Richards life. The books content agrees with the rhythm of his voice so much that reading his tale is like sharing a cup of beer with an old friend.

Author: Keith Richards Length: 576 pages Publication Date: Oct. 26, 2010

The Monkey and the Monk

The famous translation of The Journey to the West is popular with English-speaking audiences. The book shows the novels most exciting and meaningful parts without taking anything away from their true spirit. Moreover, with a new form, this translation is sure to attract more fans.

Author: Anthony C. Yu Length: 528 pages Publication Date: Nov. 15, 2006

1. What kind of book is Beholders: A World Without Heroes？

A．A life guide.	B．A biography.
C．An adventure novel.	D．An educational book.

2. Which of the following words can best describe Keith Richards？

A．Honest.	B．Simple.
C．Hardworking.	D．Generous.

3. Which of the following books came out in 2010？

A．The Last Greatest Magician in the World.

B．Beholders: A World Without Heroes.

C．Life.

D．The Monkey and the Monk.

3 . The world’s craziest festivals

Crazy festivals all over the world are out there just waiting to be celebrated. Join Cornelia Kumfert on a trip to the most unusual events taking place around the globe.

Burning Man Festival

Every year in Nevada (US) there is artwork and cunosities galore to marvel at when the Black Rock Desert changes into a mammoth art exhibition.

In August and September, some 70,00 people come here to celetrate the Burning Man Festival.

San Diego Comic Con

Surely superheroes don’t queue? Well, at San Diego’s Comic Convention they do. Each July hey open their dos to fans of Superman and other comic figures. More than 100,000 annual visitors have paid homage to their mythical heroes.

Crying Baby Festival, Tokyo

At the Crying Baby Festival in Tokyo (Japan), sumo wrestlers do what they can to bring babies to tears.

Sadists run riot? Certainly not! It’s a 400-year-old tradition based on a Japanese proverb, which says that crying babies grow fastest and parents believe the event brings good health to their children.

Palio Contest, Siena

Fame and honour await the winner of the Palio contest in Siena (Italy).

In July and August, ten inhabitants of different districts of the city jockey for first place in a spectacular horse race.

The trophy goes to the contestant whose horse crosses the finishing line first—whether he’s still in the saddle or not.

1. Which of the festivals offers a view of art?

A．Burning Man Festival.	B．Palio Contest, Siena.
C．Crying Baby Festival, Tokyo.	D．San Diego Comic Con.

2. How was the festival in Tokyo founded?

A．On the basis of a proverb.	B．Based on a phrase.
C．According to a story.	D．At the request of the public.

3. What can tourists see in Siena of Italy between July and August?

A．A burning man show.	B．A comedy play.
C．A horse race.	D．A baby-crying show.

4 . An augmented-reality (增强现实的) helmet that gives cyclists a 360-degree view of the road could help prevent accidents.

Unlike cars, bicycles don't come with rear view mirrors (后视镜), which is why British product design firm DCA created the Optic helmet. The helmet has front and rear cameras and a drop-down visor (面罩) that can display road conditions in real-time from the rear camera onto a rider's field of view. The visor can show warnings. If a vehicle is overtaking (超过) the rider, it can warn the rider by combining data from the cameras on the front and back of the helmet. In addition, the Optic helmet can provide GPS navigation information for riders who want to track their performance. The design is now just a concept, but it won the “Best of the Best” Red Dot Design Award recently.

Richard Price, a designer at DCA and the brains behind the project, said the helmet is aimed at reducing cycling accidents. Because the helmet is just a concept design, some of the details have yet to be decided, such as the exact method for projecting video onto the visor. However, Price said Google Glass has already shown that this is practical. The Optic helmet will be able to connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth to allow maps and routing information to be updated, but actual navigation will be carried out by the helmet using its onboard (自身携带的) GPS unit. It can be controlled either by a touchpad next to the visor or by using gestures picked up by the front camera.

“Users can order what is shown in the visor to suit their needs and to make sure the display doesn't distract them.” Price said. Since the designs were made public, Price said the design firm has received plenty of positive feedback from cyclists and cycling companies. But actually, putting the device into production will require lots of money, so it is unclear when or if the helmet will be available to consumers.

1. Which is NOT right about the Optic helmet?

A．It has been put into mass production.

B．It can provide GPS navigation information.

C．It can give cyclists a 360-degree view of the road.

D．It has front and rear cameras to provide road information.

2. What can we know from the text?

A．Richard Price designed the Optic helmet.

B．Google offered help in designing the helmet.

C．The Optic helmet is mainly made of steel.

D．Consumers can order the new helmet online now.

3. Why has the helmet been designed?

A．To win the Red Dot Design Award.

B．To make a large amount of profit.

C．To help reduce cycling accidents.

D．To give cyclists a cool experience.

4. What is the possible attitude of the public towards the Optic helmet?

A．Critical.	B．Doubtful.
C．Negative.	D．Positive.

5 . The biggest misconception that I've ever heard of is that in order for us to find success in anything, we must be willing to give up something else.    1    .

Over the years, I've come to realize that isn't true. As I grow, I find several things are truly stopping us from living a more fulfilling life. Below are some.

Place limitations on yourself

On the surface, limitations are the things that stop you from achieving something.    2    . You'll keep facing the same problems, forced to make the same choices, and perform the same actions repeatedly. They define your current circumstances and to that extent define your quality of life.

Lack self-control

We all have some aspect about ourselves that we don't like.    3    Maybe you have a large sweet tooth and can't help yourself from eating sweet things. When you have a lack of self-control, those habits are going to remain with you until you find some way to remove them.

    4    

Our ability to come up with creative solutions for our problems comes from our ability to learn and adapt. If you're not learning anything, you're not progressing. Leonardo da Vinci once said, "Learning never exhausts the mind." And I believe it.

Final thoughts

When you get stuck on something, you are never truly stuck    5    . You don't have to be working hard to overcome that barrier, rather change your thinking in how you're approaching the problem. Give it time and keep working at it.

A．Lack self confidence.

B．Lack learning and adaptability.

C．We shouldn't bottle up our own weaknesses.

D．Maybe you're someone who drinks a lot of alcohol or smokes.

E．It means that what you are currently doing isn't enough to get you over the barrier.

F．Whether it's career or health, one must be sacrificed in order for the other to succeed.

G．However, limitations are also the things that keep you restricted in the same life cycle.

6 . In the struggle to survive the ever hotter deserts of California, there are winners and losers. Among the losers are desert birds, whose populations have fallen among the heat stress of climate change. The winners, it turns out, are small burrowing mammals（穴居哺乳动物）, which take refuge from the sun underground. Researchers noted that the stable mammals populations formed a striking contrast to the extremely bad condition of birds.

But why? Birds had a higher evaporative（蒸发）heat loss. Birds were more exposed to the effects of warming, so they had higher energy costs to maintain their body temperature. However, mammals were able to reduce their body temperature by using burrows during the day.

Temperatures have risen about 4 degrees Fahrenheit on average across the area studied, but the heat affects birds and small mammals differently. As part of the study, scientists modeled each species' body temperature and cooling needs under different desert conditions. To calculate that, they measured the conductivity（传导率）of the animals' fur or feathers, and used information on their heat reducing behaviors.

The models showed that in the fight against climate change, there was not a level playing field for furred and feathered desert animals. Cooling costs—or the resources needed to maintain stable body temperature—were about 3. 3 times higher for birds than they were for small mammals, the study reported.

Small mammals have shown this remarkable stability. It's really quite interesting that, in the same region, with the same level of climate change, these two species have responded very differently to the changes taking place. Insights into the status of different species can help scientists take steps to protect them, such as increasing fire prevention in high desert areas, and enhancing water sources in those areas. The study also demonstrates that climate change is already reshaping the California desert

1. Why can desert burrowing mammals survive better than desert birds?

A．Burrowing mammals prefer to live in deserts.

B．Burrowing mammals eat less during the day.

C．Burrowing mammals' caves are natural shelters.

D．Burrowing mammals live in the same community.

2. What can we learn from the third paragraph?

A．Birds and small mammals respond differently to climate changes.

B．Birds in the desert were defeated by climate changes.

C．Animals living underground have higher cooling costs.

D．Temperature rise affects the burrowing mammals little.

3. What is the possible meaning of the new finding?

A．Burrowing mammals may help birds during the day.

B．Governments will improve water quality.

C．Man will reshape the deserts to save themselves.

D．Scientists can save species with scientific means.

4. What do we know from the text?

A．It's time to change the deserts into green fields.

B．Desert birds are more likely to survive in deserts.

C．Burrowing mammals' habitat needs improving greatly.

D．Burrowing mammals survive climate change underground.

7 . Database maintenance (数据库维护) is an activity designed to keep a database running smoothly. A number of different systems can be used to build and maintain databases. Databases are used to maintain a library of information in a well-organized, accessible format (格 式).They usually are not static (静态的),because changes are constantly being made as material is added, removed, and moved around. Over time, this can cause the database to start to go wrong. Database maintenance is used to keep the database clean and well-organized so that it will not lose functionality.

One important aspect of maintaining a database is simply backing up the data so that, if anything happens, there will be another copy available. Some database systems actually do this automatically and then send the backup to another location every day, every week, or within any other set period of time. Backups are usually not enough, however.

Database maintenance includes checking for signs of corruption in the database, looking for problem areas, and checking for any detail in the database that might signal a problem. The goal is to keep the database operating smoothly for users, so that ideally they never need to think about maintenance issues. A database that is not maintained can become slow, and people may start to experience problems when trying to access records.

The maintenance of databases is generally performed by people who are comfortable and familiar with the database system and the details of the particular database, although some maintenance tasks can be performed by people who do not have experience. Numerous textbooks are available with information about database management, including how to maintain databases properly. It is also possible to take courses to learn about different database systems and how to care for databases. People can also earn certifications in specific systems which indicate a high level of competence.

1. What can we know about databases?

A．They are always well organized.	B．They are often changeable.
C．They mainly serve the library.	D．They can organize news.

2. What does the underlined part “do this" in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Maintain a database.	B．Send a backup.
C．Correct mistakes.	D．Back up data.

3. What is the aim of database maintenance?

A．To look for signs of breaking down.	B．To check for any detail.
C．To make database run smoothly.	D．To ensure the safety of users.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．What database maintenance is.

B．How people keep database operating smoothly.

C．How people finish maintenance tasks well.

D．Why database maintenance is important.

8 . The best science fiction books of 2021

We take a look at the most exciting new science-fiction books of 2021. No matter what kind of science fiction fan you are, we're sure you'll find something to add to your reading list.

The Saints of Salvation

By Peter F. Hamilton

The Olyix have laid siege（围攻）to Earth, harvesting people for their god. Cities are ru¬ined by their weapons and millions have either fled to seek refuge in space or are fighting a war that seems unwinnable. As Earth's defeat draws ever closer, a team are sent to enter the Olyix's air-ship secretly. Their plan? This is the final science fiction in Peter F. Hamilton's extremely surprising series The Salvation Sequence.

A Desolation Called Peace

By Arkady Martine

This impressive sequel（续集）to Arkady Martinets Hugo Award-winning science fiction book sees the Teixcalaanli Empire facing an alien threat which could bring about its complete destruction. Fleet captain Nine Hibiscus sends a person to negotiate with the mysterious invaders...

Jack Four

By Neal Asher

Jack Four-one of twenty human clones-has been created to be sold. His purchasers are the aliens and they only want him for their experimentation program. But there is something different about Jack. No clone should possess the knowledge that's been loaded into his mind.

Rabbits

By Terry Miles

Rabbits is a secret, dangerous and sometimes deadly underground game. The rewards for winning are unclear, but there are rumors of money or it might unlock the universe's greatest secrets. Everyone knows that the deeper you get, the more deadly the game becomes-and the body count is rising. Since the game first started, ten rounds have taken place. The eleventh round is about to begin, and what happens in the game, stays in the game...

1. What can we know aboutThe Saints of Salvation?

A．It's about the war among people on earth.

B．The Olyix are defeated in the end.

C．It belongs toThe Salvation Sequence.

D．It's the last novel of Peter F. Hamilton.

2. What does Nine Hibiscus do to save Teixcalaanli Empire?

A．He gives the alien a complete destruction.

B．He lets someone negotiate with the alien.

C．He fights against the alien bravely.

D．He makes the alien face a threat.

3. Where can the text be found?

A．In a book recommendation.	B．In an art magazine.
C．In a biography.	D．In a novel

9 . As of 2020, the world's biggest lithium-ion (锂离子) battery is hooked up to the Southern California power grid and can provide 250 million watts of power, or enough to power about 250,000 homes. But it's actually not the biggest battery in the world: these lakes are.

Wait - how can a pair of lakes be a battery? To answer that question, it helps to define a battery: it's simply something that stores energy and releases it on demand. The lithium-ion batteries that power our phones, laptops, and cars are just one type. They store energy in lithium ions.

How do the two lakes store and release energy? First, one is 300 meters higher than the other. Electricity power pumps that move billions of liters of water from the lower lake to the higher one. This stores the energy by giving the water extra gravitational potential energy. Then, when there's high demand for electricity, valves (阀门) open, releasing the stored energy by letting water flow downhill to power 6 giant turbines that can generate 3 billion watts of power for 10 hours.

Unfortunately, neither of the giant batteries we've talked about so far is big enough to power multiple cities. The two lakes setup requires specific geography, takes up a lot of land, and has high upfront costs to build. The giant lithium-ion battery in California can power about 250,000 homes, yes, but only for an hour. Lithium-ion batteries also require certain heavy metals to make. These resources are limited, and mining them causes environmental damage. Inventors all over the world are rising to the challenge of making batteries that can meet our needs - many of them even weirder than the two lakes.

1. Why is the world's biggest lithium-ion battery mentioned in Paragraph 1?

A．To make a comparison.

B．To introduce the topic.

C．To stress its importance.

D．To declare a fact.

2. Which statement is true according to the passage?

A．With the help of the pumps, the two lakes store energy.

B．The water flow by itself to release the stored energy.

C．The two lakes setup is able to power multiple cities.

D．Lithium-ion batteries are environmentally friendly.

3. What will most probably be talked about in the following paragraph?

A．Inventors' worries.	B．Inventors' efforts.
C．Stranger batteries.	D．New challenges.

4. Which is the best title for the passage?

A．Battery Inventors Face New Challenges.

B．The World's Biggest Battery Looks Nothing Like a Battery

C．Giant Batteries Fail to Meet Our Needs.

D．Newly-invented Batteries.

10 . Ways to Improve Your Health

Sometimes it may seem difficult to improve our health. If so, the following health habits may help you.

●     1    

Research shows that eating a meal in the morning results in less body fat and less chance of overeating. Eating breakfast can help people feel better physically and mentally through the day.

●Get enough sleep.

Poor sleep can influence our memory and learning.       2     Studies show that people who don't get enough sleep seem to get into more accidents. So stay safe and get enough sleep!

●Take a walk every day.

    3       Instead of meeting friends for a meal, meet them for a walk. As you walk, you will see the beautiful world around you. Once you try, you will find that adding a walk into your daily life is very easy.

●Make social connections.

Social groups can provide support. They might include sport teams, art or music groups. The people in the group can offer advice and can help each other in difficult times. Also, being in a group keeps your mind busy.     4    

●Have a hobby.

A hobby could be running, reading or making something with your hands. Hobbies help people to relax and rest. Hobbies bring us joy.     5    

A．Get much exercise.

B．Eat breakfast every morning.

C．It can also cause traffic accidents!

D．An active mind is a healthy mind!

E．Spending time with others is very helpful.

F．Everyone could get a little more joy in their lives!

G．Walking is an easy way to add exercise to our lives.