1 . Four Best Music Festivals Worth Attending This Year
Big Ears
When: March 21 — 24
Where: Knoxville, Tennessee
Named for the open-minded approach to listening it asks attendees to have, Big Ears regularly hosts contemporary classical music performances along with adventurous rock, jazz, metal and electronic music. For four days, Big Ears transforms the city into a paradise (天堂) for music of all kinds, taking over music halls, clubs and churches, all of which are centrally located and within walking distance.
Ultra Music Festival
When: March 22 — 24
Where: Miami, Florida
Considered as one of the best electric music events in the world, Ultra Music Festival features electronic dance music (EDM), techno and house music. Attendees are referred to as “Ultranauts” and come from around the globe to party in downtown Miami. This year’s line-up includes Calvin Harris, Afrojack, David Guetta and Zeds Dead.
Jazz & Heritage Festival
When: April 25 — May 5
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana
Held annually since 1970, Jazz Fest is also one of the biggest. Nearly half a million people show up to take in a massive bill of jazz, blues and rock music. While most festivals are content to book the same handful of reunited alt-rock (另类摇滚) bands making the rounds, Jazz Fest always takes pride in hall-of-fame headliners. This year’s line-up goes well beyond jazz with names like the Foo Fighters, Chris Stapleton, Hozier and Earth, Wind & Fire.
SXSW
When: March 8 — 16
Where: Austin, Texas
The first SXSW was held in 1987 and since then the festival has grown both in terms of attendance — by some counts, 280,000 people attended the festival in 2019 — and in terms of influence: SXSW is Austin’s biggest profit-producing event and one of the most important gatherings on the nation’s entertainment calendar. The event is broken down into several parts, including SXSW Music, SXSW Film and SXSW Comedy.
1. What can you do at the festival of Big Ears?| A．Listen to various kinds of music. | B．Enjoy comedy shows every day. |
| C．Watch classical films in a church. | D．Explore a paradise for nature lovers. |
| A．Knoxville, Tennessee. | B．Miami, Florida. |
| C．New Orleans, Louisiana. | D．Austin, Texas. |
| A．Big Ears. | B．Ultra Music Festival. |
| C．Jazz &Heritage Festival. | D．SXSW. |
2 . When I was fifteen, I planned to start my business. But every time I wanted to try something new, I felt there was a
Then I learned about “Rejection Therapy (治疗)”. Basically, the
Once, I thought, “What if I just
Three months later, when I finished teaching that class, I walked out crying with
Honestly speaking, rejection
| A．feature | B．link | C．deal | D．battle |
| A．change | B．ignore | C．destroy | D．recall |
| A．open to | B．sure about | C．interested in | D．afraid of |
| A．price | B．excuse | C．idea | D．news |
| A．embarrassed | B．bored | C．tired | D．confused |
| A．agree | B．decline | C．ask | D．pretend |
| A．grateful | B．impressed | C．envious | D．regretful |
| A．broke down | B．looked at | C．put aside | D．prepared for |
| A．products | B．answers | C．tests | D．lessons |
| A．excitement | B．sympathy | C．forgiveness | D．respect |
| A．suddenly | B．gradually | C．barely | D．casually |
| A．followed | B．challenged | C．accepted | D．assessed |
| A．taught | B．helped | C．bothered | D．understood |
| A．avoiding | B．interrupting | C．forgetting | D．welcoming |
| A．gift | B．issue | C．event | D．record |
3 . The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) is a significant part of the digital transformation bringing challenges and changes to the job descriptions among management. A study shows that integrating AI systems into service teams increases demands on middle management in the financial services field.
Interviewed in the study were 25 experienced managers employed by a leading Scandinavian financial services company. AI systems have been intensely integrated into the tasks and processes of the company in recent years.
The results showed that the integration of AI systems into service teams is a complex phenomenon, putting new demands on the work of middle management and requiring a balance d act in the face of new challenges.
“The productivity of work grows when routine tasks are passed on to AI. On the other hand, the fast pace of change makes work more demanding, and the integration of AI makes it necessary to learn new things constantly. Surprisingly, new kinds of routine work also increase, because the operations of AI need to be monitored and checked,” says Assistant Professor Jonna Koponen.
According to the results of the research, the social features of middle management also changed, because the AI systems used at work were seen either as technical tools or colleagues, depending on the type of AI that was used. Especially when more developed types of AI, such as chatting robots, were included in the AI systems, they were seen as colleagues.
Integrating AI also poses ethical (道德上的) challenges, and managers devoted more of their time to ethical considerations. For example, they were concerned about the fairness of decisions made by AI. Aspects observed in the study showed that managing service teams with integrated AI requires new skills and knowledge of middle management, such as technological understanding and skills, interactive skills and emotional intelligence, problem-solving skills, and the ability to manage and adapt to continuous change.
“AI systems cannot yet take over all human management in areas such as the motivation and inspiration of team members. This is why skills in interaction and empathy (同理心) should be emphasized when selecting new employees for managerial positions which emphasize the management of teams integrated with AI,” Koponen says.
1. What does the study find?| A．AI becomes less popular in the service field. | B．AI makes decisions more fairly than humans. |
| C．AI proves human management is unnecessary. | D．AI makes middle management more demanding. |
| A．Unmentioned. | B．Opposed. | C．Objective. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．AI can’t replace human mangers completely. | B．Few managers in the service field are needed. |
| C．Employees for managerial positions dislike AI. | D．AI devotes more time to ethical considerations. |
| A．The integration of AI into service teams is hard. |
| B．AI takes over human management in many fields. |
| C．AI and human managers are a perfect combination. |
| D．The application of AI influences middle management. |
4 . Library Rules and Regulations
Opening hours
Monday — Friday: 8:00 am — 10:00 pm Saturday: 9:00 am — 4:00 pm
Sunday: 2:00 pm — 5:00 pm Public holidays: Closed
General rules
* Silence should be strictly observed in the library. Users are strictly prohibited from making or receiving calls at any given time. Discussions are not allowed, either.
* All readers must show their identification cards (student IDs) at the entrance.
* Marking, writing on or tearing pages is prohibited.
* Smoking, spitting, eating, sleeping, drinking or littering is banned.
* To improve the library service, users are free to report what they think the library should get better at to the librarian or by filling the opinion book at the security desk.
* Users are required to ensure that valuable items (like money, phones, laptops and
calculators) are not left in the luggage area.
Borrowing rules
* Undergraduate (大学本科生的) students — 2 books for one week
* Postgraduate students — 2 books for two weeks
* Lost or damaged information materials on loan should be replaced or charged at the current market price of the information materials.
* For a book out of print (绝版的), the librarian will guide the borrower to the alternative books available.
E-resources
The library subscribes to e-books and e-journals which can be accessed from the University library website and all computer labs via a laptop with wireless connectivity. We have off-campus access that will allow users to access the e-resources off campus. Users are advised to consult the e-resource librarian for the purpose of accessing e-resources.
Membership
* Membership of the library is open to all students and academic staff for free.
* External (外部的) members shall be considered on production of recommendation letters from school employees (员工). In addition, they shall pay 1 dollar per day.
1. When can somebody borrow a book from the library?| A．9:00 am on Thanksgiving Day. | B．10:30 pm on Tuesday. |
| C．5:00 pm on Saturday. | D．4:00 pm on Sunday. |
| A．Lost information materials must be charged at twice the current market price. |
| B．The librarian tends to offer a borrower some advice as for a book out of print. |
| C．Undergraduate students can keep two books for two weeks. |
| D．Postgraduate students can keep three books for one week. |
| A．Pay seven dollars a week. |
| B．Ask the e-resource librarian for suggestions. |
| C．Offer advice on bettering the library service. |
| D．Get a recommendation letter from a student. |
5 . The moon has no air, no water and an extreme 250-degree celsius temperature range, but among the most tricky challenges for space agencies hoping to set up camp is the dust. It damages space suits, blocks machinery, affects scientific instruments and makes moving around difficult.
Now scientists have come up with a potential solution, demonstrating that moon dust could be melted using a giant lens (透镜) to create solid roads and landing areas. “You might think: Streets on the moon, who needs that?” said Prof. Jens Gunster, of the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in Berlin and co-author. “But in fact it’s a kind of depressing demand early on.”
Dust has destroyed previous missions, such as the Lunar Surveyor 3 spacecraft — damaged by dust kicked up by the Apollo 12 landing — and overcoming this challenge is a priority for NASA, which aims to establish a permanent lunar base.
Taking building materials to the moon would be too expensive, so new solutions are needed. “You need to use what’s there and that’s simply loose dust,” said Gunster.
He and colleagues experimented with a fine-grained material called EAC-1A, developed by the European Space Agency as a substitute for lunar soil. They used a laser beam (激光) to heat the dust to about 1, 600℃ to melt it. They then traced out bendy triangle shapes, each about 25 cm across, which could be interlocked to create solid surfaces across large areas for roads and landing areas.
The process is slow. Each small geometric unit took about an hour, meaning it would take about 100 days to create a landing spot measuring 10 meters by 10 meters. “It sounds like forever, but think about constructions on Earth,” said Gunster.
The authors calculate that a lens of about 2. 37 sq meters would need to be transported from Earth to act as a sunlight concentrator in place of the laser. But dust would still be an issue for the lens itself. “When you accumulate dust on the lens, it will sooner or later not function any more,” said Gunster, adding that a shaking lens may help ease off this problem.
1. Why is the demand for streets on the moon “kind of depressing”?| A．Streets are not necessary on the moon. |
| B．Streets would get damaged by moon dust. |
| C．Building materials are too expensive to transport. |
| D．There are better solutions available for lunar base. |
| A．Finding a substitute for lunar soil. |
| B．Setting up a permanent lunar base. |
| C．Solving the problem caused by moon dust. |
| D．Repairing the damaged Lunar Surveyor 3 spacecraft. |
| A．Slow but workable. | B．Expensive and fast. |
| C．Important but impractical. | D．Difficult and unnecessary. |
| A．In a personal diary. | B．In a newspaper. |
| C．In an official report. | D．In a textbook. |
6 . Four Powerful US National Parks
Glacier
Montana
The Crown of the Continent is a playground of peaks, lakes, hiking paths and, of course, glaciers. Twenty-five of the original 150 remain, and scientists warn they may begone by 2030. Don’t miss Going-to-the-Sun Road, with a stop at Logan Pass to stretch your legs on the 2. 8-mile Hidden Lake Overlook Trail.
Yosemite
California
Not only is Yosemite home to the world’s tallest granite monolith (花岗岩巨石), but also North America’s largest waterfall (Yosemite Falls). The park has many 3, 000-year-old giant sequoia trees, so it’s easy to see why this 1, 100-square-mile wilderness is Eden for nature lovers.
Grand Canyon
Arizona
The power of nature on display at the Grand Canyon both humbles and excites the park’s 5 million annual visitors. There are many heart-stopping overlooks on the South Rim, but don’t miss the descent (斜坡) into the mile-deep gorge (峡谷) for adventures on foot, by mule or in a white-water raft.
Denali
Alaska
Travel to this remote park, which celebrated its 100th birthday in 2017, and mark two major items off your list: North America’s highest peak: 20, 310-foot Denali; and Alaska’s “big five”: moose, Dall sheep, caribou, wolves and grizzlies. See it all from the comfort of a bus tour, or explore 35. 5 miles of official hiking paths.
1. Which national park should you visit if you want to travel Going-to-the-Sun Road?| A．Glacier. | B．Yosemite. | C．Grand Canyon. | D．Denali. |
| A．Watch Alaska’s “big five”. | B．Explore the mile-deep gorge on foot. |
| C．Hike on the Hidden Lake Overlook Trail. | D．Admire North America’s largest waterfall. |
| A．In Montana. | B．In California. | C．In Arizona. | D．In Alaska. |
7 . 4-Day Tour of Zurich
If you only have 4 days to spend in Zurich, we’ve narrowed down the top places you should check out to get the best experience of your time here. Welcome to our group tour of Zurich!
Day 1 The guide will first lead us to the splendid Mountain World of the Bemese Oberland. Then we plan to board the Cogwheel train at Lauterbrunnen to Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe. The most exciting part of this train trip is the beautiful Ice Palace on the way and we’ll have a chance to overlook (俯视) the Aletsch Glacier. |
Day 2 After breakfast, we will drive along the beautiful Lake Thun to the capital Berne. The city sits against the impressive Alps at the bend of the Aare River. After visiting the old district of the city, we will head to scenic Gruyeres. where we will visit the cheese factory and taste the famous Gruyere cheese. Later we are heading to Vaud Riviera, arriving at today’s destination Geneva. |
Day 3 First of all, we will visit the beautiful lakeside park and the famous Palace of Nations in Geneva. Then we’ ll leave Geneva and drive to Montreux. On the way. we’ ll see Chillon Castle. the 13th-century building which is famous for Lord Byron’s poem. After arriving at Tasch in the afternoon. we will take the train to Zermatt and stay for one night there. |
Day 4 For the last day in Zurich, you might be tired from the previous days. Zurich is known for their shopping, so this day could be shopping or window shopping! Each quarter of the city offers a unique shopping experience. You can explore Zurich’s Old Town which has smaller. traditional stores &. boutiques. Or maybe you are interested in expensive items in which you can stroll through Bahnhofstrasse. Walking through different streets you will stumble upon cafes and restaurants so you can easily find a spot for lunch and dinner. |
| A．Visiting the Cogwheel train. | B．Hiking the Bernese Oberland. |
| C．Appreciating the beautiful Ice Palace. | D．Going boating on Lake Thun. |
| A．Tasting delicious cheese. | B．Visiting Lord Byron’s residence. |
| C．Having a short stay in Geneva. | D．Enjoying the natural scenery of Berne. |
| A．Buying souvenirs in Chillon Castle. | B．Enjoying a dinner in Gruyere . |
| C．Visiting cheese factory in Zurich’s Old Town. | D．Hanging out through Bahnhofstrasse. |
1. Why are the Blacks moving to Australia?
| A．Mr Black has found a new job there. |
| B．They have many friends there. |
| C．Mrs Black wants to teach there. |
| A．A teacher. | B．A housewife. | C．A clerk. |
9 . Common water plant could provide a green energy source. Scientists have figured out how to get large amounts of oil from duckweed, one of nature’s fastest-growing water plants. Transferring such plant oil into biodiesel (生物柴油) for transportation and heating could be a big part of a more sustainable future.
For a new study, researchers genetically engineered duckweed plants to produce seven times more oil per acre than soybeans. John Shanklin, a biochemist says further research could double the engineered duckweed’s oil output in the next few years.
Unlike fossil fuels, which form underground, biofuels can be refreshed faster than they are used. Fuels made from new and used vegetable oils, animal fat and seaweed can have a lower carbon footprint than fossil fuels do, but there has been a recent negative view against them. This is partly because so many crops now go into energy production rather than food; biofuels take up more than 100 million acres of the world’s agricultural land.
Duckweed, common on every continent but Antarctica, is among the world’s most productive plants, and the researchers suggest it could be a game-changing renewable energy source for three key reasons. First, it grows readily in water, so it wouldn’t compete with food crops for agricultural land. Second, duckweed can grow fast in agricultural pollution released into the water. Third, Shanklin and his team found a way to avoid a major biotechnological barrier: For the new study, Shanklin says, the researchers added an oil-producing gene, “turning it on like a light switch”by introducing a particular molecule (分子) only when the plant had finished growing. Shanklin says, “If it replicates (复制) in other species-and there’s no reason to think that it would not — this can solve one of our biggest issues, which is how we can make more oil in more plants without negatively affecting growth.”
To expand production to industrial levels, scientists will need to design and produce large-scale bases for growing engineered plants and obtaining oil — a challenge, Shanklin says, because duckweed is a non-mainstream crop without much existing infrastructure (基础设施).
1. What can people get from duckweed firsthand?| A．Plant oil. | B．Stable biodiesel. |
| C．Sustainable water. | D．Natural heat. |
| A．Options for renewable energy. |
| B．Reasons for engineering genes. |
| C．The potential of revolutionary energy source. |
| D．The approach to avoiding agricultural pollution. |
| A．Industrial levels. | B．Unique design. |
| C．Academic research. | D．Basic facilities. |
| A．Duckweed Power | B．Duckweed Production |
| C．Genetic Engineering | D．Genetic Testing |
| A．It’s broken. |
| B．It doesn’t fit in her room. |
| C．It has bad picture quality. |
