1 . As an epic (史诗) which brings back to life some of the most famous poets from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) , on July 2, the animated movie Chang’an held its first release in what was once called Chang’an, now known as Xi’an.

Produced by Light Chaser Animation, a Beijing-based animated studio known for its focus on tales inspired by traditional culture and mythology (神话), the film is scheduled for a nationwide release on Saturday.

With a total time of 168 minutes — the longest of any Chinese animated movie to date — Chang’an mainly chronicles the decades-long friendship of Li Bai, arguably the country’s most beloved poet, and Gao Shi, his close friend and a well-known poet.

In an interview, Zou Jing, the director of the movie, discussed the challenges faced in bringing their story to the screen. The biggest challenge we faced was deciding how to present the impressive prosperity (繁荣) of the Tang Dynasty. Before production began, our team studied historical materials, read as much as possible about Tang Dynasty culture and the poets’ lives. We invited experts from different fields to guide us to make sure the content was correct and reliable, and we also learned thoroughly about the poems in this film.

Zou Jing added that in this film, animation gave us a strong expressive means to present Chinese poetry culture in a more impressive way so that the audience could better understand the poetic mood and artistic concepts of the poets.

Chang’An is set up as the first in a series of New Culture films that Light Chaser plans to produce. Speaking with Global Times, Zou Jing explained, ”The New Culture series will be based on actual historical figures in China. This is the key of the series.”

As of Saturday, the movie had gained over 27 million yuan ($3.7 million), topping the country’s presale box office.

1. What do we know about Chang’an from the passage?

A．It was the longest movie so far.

B．It was a movie about mythology.

C．It held its nationwide release on July 2.

D．It involved some famous poets from the Tang Dynasty

2. What does the underlined word “chronicles” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Guides.

B．Records.

C．Creates.

D．Educates.

3. What was the biggest challenge faced in making the movie Chang’an?

A．Displaying the splendid Tang Dynasty.

B．Understanding the culture of the Tang Dynasty.

C．Telling the whole story in limited time.

D．Ensuring the movie’s credible.

4. What is the purpose of this article?

A．To explain the success of a movie.	B．To promote a new animated movie.
C．To introduce Chinese poetry culture.	D．To discuss the challenges of making a film.

2 . Join the Sydney City Library

1. Create a City of Sydney account and join the library

Experience greater security and access to our library and other services by joining with a City of Sydney account. Your City of Sydney account uses your email address and a password as the login (登录). You’ll be able to use the same login to access other City of Sydney services.

① Go to the library online catalogue (目录) and select Join

② Select Create an account and follow the instructions

③ When the account is created, select Join the library

2. Join the library without an email address

If you don’t have an email address you can still join the library.

① Go to the library online catalogue and select Join

② Select Create an account and then the option I don’t have an email

③ Follow the prompts to complete the library membership form

3. Activate (激活) your membership

To ensure your full membership and collect your library card, visit a branch open for browsing and borrowing. You need to show proof of identity and permanent residential address. Official documents such as a driver licence, student card, bank statement or rates are accepted.

Applicants under 18 years old

A parent or guardian is required to approve your application. They need to visit a branch with you to show proof of identity, including their residential address and medicare card listing your name. For online memberships this proof of identity should be emailed to librarymemberships@cityofsydney. nsw. gov. au

1. What’s the benefit of having a City of Sydney account?

A．You can spend less money.	B．You can borrow more books.
C．You can enjoy safer access.	D．You can log in without a password.

2. What do you need to activate your membership?

A．Library card.	B．Email address.
C．Identity documents.	D．Bank password.

3. What is this text?

A．A guide.

B．A poster.

C．A report.

D．A notice.

3 . Planning and cooking meals for your entire family is practically a tricky job. The following are four best meal delivery services that can help you not only plan healthy meals, but provide the freshest food for the entire family.

Sunbasket

If you are a person who never eats meat, or follows a specific diet like only eating gluten-free (无麸质的) food, you will find a lot of tasty options with this meal delivery service. The recipes are not time-consuming and its menu contains many organic foods and vegetables. You can pick your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks here.

HelloFresh

If trying out a meal delivery service is something you are toying with, HelloFresh offers no-commitment plans that allow you to cancel any time. Each delivery includes the farm-sourced food materials and pre-packaged foods that can be easily stored in the refrigerator.

Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon

Leave it to Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon to provide the most delicious and well-thought-of meal delivery service. You can try to make tasty food at home with the help of it and each week there are different options to choose from. Its recipes each contain six easy-to-follow steps and you might even feel like you could start your own at-home cooking shows afterwards.

Purple Carrot

Purple Carrot specializes in meals made with plants and you can choose a two- or four-serving meal plan. Recipes include those for almond(杏仁) butter tofu bowls, fruit salads, etc. Each box comes to you also with the meal’s nutrition information and step-by-step directions. You can also customize meals by adding more protein or choosing gluten-free options.

1. Which is suitable for people with changeable minds?

A．HelloFresh.	B．Sunbasket.
C．Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon.	D．Purple Carrot.

2. What is the feature of Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon?

A．Its meals have a very pleasant smell.	B．It provides on-site cooking service.
C．It specializes in complicated meals.	D．Its recipes vary from week to week.

3. What do Sunbasket and Purple Carrot have in common?

A．They offer no-commitment plans.	B．They feature plant-based diets.
C．They have food that can be easily stored.	D．They contain detailed nutrition information.

4 . I didn’t quite know what I was looking for when I flew to Mongolia for a term abroad. I just needed something different, far from the late-night libraries of my college town. Most different, I hoped, would be my rural homestay: two weeks in central Mongolia with a family of nomadic(游牧的) herders.

I was studying Mongolian at the time, but still, there was so much I couldn’t say or understand. As we walked in the snow behind the goats, my host mom would ask me if I was cold, then giggle (咯咯地笑) and copy a big shiver to make sure I understood. In the evenings, she showed me how to make dumplings with her fingers. My host siblings would talk with me, speaking too fast for me to understand, as we explored the rocks around our tent; I’d listen and nod.

This verbal(言语的) barrier was strangely freeing. In the crowded dining hall at home, meeting new people made me anxious. I’d stay quiet, measuring out my words, struggling for something to say that wouldn’t expose me as unfunny or boring. In Mongolia, I couldn’t perfect my words. I could only smile, and try out one of the phrases I’d mastered: “May I help?” “Where is the dog?” “Are you tired?” My host family laughed at my pronunciation, at the way I threw up my hands and eyebrows in a frequent gesture of confusion. But in their laughter, I felt safe, unembarrassed.

With my Mongolian family on the grassland, I found a feeling of ease I’d never felt before. We were so different, they and I, and not just in language. Their skin was hardened and darkened by sun; I’d been hidden under hats and sunscreen since birth. My host siblings(兄弟姐妹) grew up drawing water from frozen streams and jogging behind herds of sheep; I spent summers at tennis camp.

For me, these gaps made all the difference. Without shared social measures, I wasted no time wondering how I was measuring up. Only real things—kindness, helpfulness—mattered.

1. Why did the author go to Mongolia for a term abroad?

A．She dreamed of living a nomadic life.	B．She was tired of studying late at night.
C．She had to study Mongolians’ normal life.	D．She was collecting information for libraries.

2. What does the underlined word “shiver” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Hug.

B．Smile.

C．Attack.

D．Shake.

3. How did the author behave at the dining hall in her home country?

A．She felt at ease in the crowd.	B．She usually weighed her words.
C．She asked a lot of funny questions.	D．She often made others laugh with jokes.

4. What did the author learn from her life in Mongolia?

A．You are judged wherever you go.	B．Nature makes humans feel insignificant.
C．Appearance reflects one’s standard of life.	D．Being kind is the common social standard.

5 . Metaura Pro claims to be the world’s first wearable air-conditioning device capable of constantly blowing cold air to keep the wearer cool.

Conventional wearable cooling systems only circulate the surrounding air, and thus don’t do a very good job of cooling people down. The stronger the wind blows, the hotter you get. This is definitely not what you want during those hot summer days. Metaura Pro, on the other hand, relies on a cooling solution to produce genuinely cold air that is 7 degrees Fahrenheit (华氏的) cooler than that of the surrounding area, in fan mode, and up to 18 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the surrounding air, in cooling mode. The device has a smart app and relies on artificial intelligence to regulate air temperature.

Metaura Pro is driven by a powerful motor and its cooling modules are made up of 26 lightweight flat objects that wrap around the wearer’s neck and help to reduce heat. The motor is linked to a high-speed fan at the back of the device which also drives away some of that warm air around the neck. The device also has a VC plate, which has a liquid-cooled, heat-equalizing mechanism, efficiently creating a temperature differential between hot and cold temperatures.

“What sets Metaura Pro apart from the competition is that it produces genuinely cold air lower than the surrounding temperature, refreshing you during those dog days of summer,” the Metaura Pro Kickstarter crowdfunding page reads.

Metaura Pro not only supplies a cooling function, but also has the capacity for heating as well in winter, it can be used to warm your body to a comfortable temperature, when the surrounding air feels cold.

The device intelligently monitors itself, so when you take it off, it recognizes that it is no longer in use and will automatically shut off and switch to standby mode to save power consumption. Metaura Pro wearable collar is powered by a chargeable battery that can provide only 3 hours of cooling on a single charge. The device weighs 435 grams, which is not heavy, but definitely noticeable.

1. How does Metaura Pro manage to keep people cool?

A．By dropping the body temperature.

B．By circulating the surrounding air.

C．By producing lower-temperature air.

D．By blowing the strong wind around.

2. What is mainly discussed about Metaura Pro in paragraph 3?

A．Its internal structure.	B．Its operating costs.
C．Its amazing function.	D．Its working principle.

3. What may be the disadvantage of the device?

A．It puts limitation on cooling function.

B．It switches to different modes by hand.

C．It possesses a relatively short battery life.

D．It depends much on outdoor temperatures.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．A double-mode smart phone app

B．A cooling air-conditioning system

C．A rechargeable battery for e-products

D．A wearable temperature-adjusting device

6 . When looking for some vacation ideas to spread out and get some time and space to yourself, check out these great resorts (度假胜地) options.

Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana

Located in Punta Cana, this family-friendly vacation at an all-inclusive resort offers something for everyone in your party. Parents can enjoy relaxing by one of the resort’s swim-up bars in an infinity pool or head out for some deep-sea fishing. Kids, meanwhile, can head over to the kids’ club for a number of activities. Plus, all of the drinks and food across the 14 restaurants and bars is included.

Beaches Turks & Caicos

This resort has become the Caribbean’s popular go-to when it comes to all-inclusive family vacations that provide great value since there’s so much to do for guests of all ages. There’s a 45,000-square-foot water park, 24 restaurants, unlimited PADI-certified scuba diving and water sports, a 12-mile beach, a spa, 10 pools—whew!

The Alisal Guest Ranch

If you live in the city and want to get back to nature, this luxury farm over nearly 11,000 acres in California’s Santa Ynez Valley is a perfect fit for a family. All that wide-open space means activities like horseback riding, scenic cycling, hiking, fishing, kayaking and, for the body-and-spirit-minded traveler in your group, yoga.

Montage Palmetto Bluff

The 20,000-acre community includes a nature preserve with walking trails, but the real stars of the show here are the over 300 species of birds. The resort’s resident naturalist takes families on walks to Bird Island, sharing a history of the area. Plus, kids will love the kayak tours that get up close to the dolphins that live there year-round.

1. Which attracts those interested in horseback-riding?

A．Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana.	B．Beaches Turks & Caicos.
C．Montage Palmetto Bluff.	D．The Alisal Guest Ranch.

2. What do the four attractions share?

A．They promise good food services.	B．They include various kids’ clubs.
C．They provide parent-child activities.	D．They have large historic buildings.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To organize some family parties.	B．To highlight some tourist resorts.
C．To introduce some nature reserves.	D．To stimulate some domestic needs.

7 . 我们掌握了商业信息，可以迅速地给你们解决本地和国外的商务问题。
With business information _____ _____ ____, we can solve your local and foreign business problems quickly.

8 . 他们撒开网四处物色新的球队教练。
They have spread their net ______ _______ ______ in the search for a new team coach.

9 . 士兵们在执行任务后已安全返回。
The soldiers have arrived _______ _______ ______ from their missions.

10 . 最近研究使人们进一步了解这一物种的起源。
Recently research has ________ ________ ________ ________ the origin of the species.