1 . There’s so much fun to have during the April School Holidays — check out what’s on offer around the motu.
Into the Lab at MOTAT
Location: MOTAT, 805 Great North Road
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 13 — 28 April, 2024
What: Get hands-on experience with exhibitions and interactive displays showcasing the body, energy, and scientific discovery. Catch a live show each hour and learn about the power of physical and chemical changes.
Dragon Warrior Trainees
Location: Sky City, Corner Victoria, Auckland
When: 13 — 28 April, daily
What: Upon entry, every child receives a Dragon Warrior activity booklet to kick-start their adventure. Let your little ones enjoy all the Kung Fu Panda activities, and head down to the bamboo forest for Dragon Warrior martial arts training. Keep an eye out for a wandering panda with gifts for children.
Family Test Night
Location: 9 venues (场所) in Auckland or Hamilton
When: Mon 15 — Sun 28 April (Thu — Sun 9 a.m. — 5 p.m., Mon — Wed 11 a.m. — 5 p.m.)
What: Get ready for some kid-friendly tests that the whole family can enjoy. It’s a win-win with you getting to visit your favourite local dinner spot and the kids getting in some general knowledge fun.
Dolphin Encounter Family Special (Get 15%off and a free gift)
Location: 96 Esplanade, Kaikōura
When: 13 — 28 April, 2024
What: Kaikōura is one of the best places in the world to encounter dolphins in their natural environment. It’s just you, the open ocean… and Kaikōura’s wild Dusky Dolphins. You can get a 15% discount during the April School Holidays.
1. What can you do at MOTAT, 805 Great North Road?| A．Participate in martial arts training. | B．Take some exams. |
| C．Watch a show happening on the spot. | D．Contact with nature. |
| A．2 p.m., 13 April. | B．9 a.m., 16 April. |
| C．8 a.m., 21 April. | D．9 a.m., 25 April. |
| A．They give children gifts. | B．They attract families. |
| C．They provide access to wildlife. | D．They offer discounts. |
2 . Literary festivals all over the USA offer opportunities for readers to meet their favorite authors and learn about their new projects. You can start planning your next literary vacation!
Summer WordsDates: June 19-22
Price: Free
It’s one of America’s most respected literary festivals and writing conferences. Authors are able to attend advanced workshops in order to improve the craft of writing. Besides, they can meet editors and literary agents and attend public panel discussions to gain inspiration and insight.
Book BonanzaDates: June 23-24
Price: $250
It is a celebration of books covering multiple styles and always nets a huge list of incredible author attendees. What makes it stand out, however, is not just its impressive list of attendees: it’s the charitable focus. All proceeds are donated to charitable causes, including those that benefit women and children.
Los Angeles Times Festival of BooksDates: April 22-23
Price: Free, although indoor panels will require tickets
It is a massive celebration of books and the bookish community, with book signings, panel discussions with distinguished professors and experts, art performances and book giveaways. The two-day event has grown to become an essential element of the L.A. cultural scene.
Imaginarium Book FestivalDates: May 20-21
Price: Free, but VIP tickets for early entry to signing rooms ($45), tickets for the brunch ($50)
It celebrates all things about fantasy and science fiction. In addition to panels where authors will answer your questions, you’ll get to meet and acquire signed books from your favorite authors and have the option of brunching with them at the cosmic (宇宙的) brunch buffet.
1. In which literary festival can you catch a show?| A．Summer Words. |
| B．Book Bonanza. |
| C．Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. |
| D．Imaginarium Book Festival. |
| A．Its profits go to charity. |
| B．It’s meant for women and children. |
| C．It doesn’t charge admission fee. |
| D．It features workshops for notable writers. |
| A．Get an author-signed photograph. |
| B．Dine with your admiring writers. |
| C．Interact with science fiction supermen. |
| D．Obtain one-on-one reading training. |
3 . The protected lands of the Nationa! Parks are some of the most amazing destinations within the United States to have holidays. Here are some of the best.
Mesa Verde National Park
This park celebrates the history of the Pueblo people in southwestem United States. Visitors will find over 4, 000 historical sites here, including 600 cliffdwellings (悬崖屋). Some of the best cliff dwellings, such as CliffPalace and Balcony Houserequire the tickets for guided tours. These cliff dwellings present a great opportunity for visitors to learn about the history of the region. Besides, adults and children can enjoy hikes, which end in eliffdwelling overlooks.
Rocky Mountain National Park
It’s a super introduction to the beautiful Rocky Mountains. During the summer months when the weather is at its best, it allows visitors to experience all of the nature and wildlife of the area. The park has plenty of paths that take hikers into the backcountry of the Rocky Mountains while children will love the guided horseback tours
Sequoia (红杉) &Kings Canyon (峡谷) National Park
If you are looking for a wide range of California’s natural sights all in one area, this park is a great option. It varies from deep canyons to tall mountains. Here you can visit the largest fore of scquoias in the world. There are excellent recreational activities for the whole family including hiking, camping, swimming and cave exploration.
Yosemite National Park
It’s recreational enthusiasts’ favorite, especially rock elimbers. Climbers travel from around the world to take on the challenges presented at Yosemite. For those visitors looking for different recreational activities or family activities, Yosemite has many programs covering variety of natural sciences and other topics.
1. What is the feature of the Mesa Verde National Park?| A．It is home to a wealth of wildlife. |
| B．It shows the history of the natives. |
| C．It has amazing mountainous landscape. |
| D．It is a base for natural science education |
| A．Yosemite National Park. |
| B．Mesa Verde National Park |
| C．Rocky Mountain National Park. |
| D．Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. |
| A．Adventurous. | B．Cost-effective. | C．Family-friendly. | D．Tiring |
4 . The honeybee waggle dance has been celebrated as a most complex animal communication system. A study uncovered its new property that bees must partially learn the dance from watching experienced dancers, a discovery that torpedoes the general perception that the dance is wholly inborn. A dancer bee relays information to follower bees about the target location by adjusting herself while shaking her stomach, allowing for impressive flexibility in the angle, duration and her enthusiasm. Her body’s angle corresponds to the sun’s position relative to the nest entrance.
The distance information is conveyed by the dance duration. And the more energetic and passionate the dance, the better the food. She’ll waggle in a straight line for seconds before circling back to repeat the dance, creating the figure eight pattern.
This bee waggle dance system was long assumed to be natural behavior, but researchers made a breakthrough through an experiment. They created territories of newborn bees completely separated from mature ones. When the newborn started visiting flowers and producing their first waggle dances, they consistently made more errors in the way they reported the angle and distance to the food source than bees raised in mixed-aged territories and thus exposed to the waggle dance since they were born. They also generated looser figure eight patterns, making it harder for the follower bees to get the message. Even when placed back into a territory with mature bees, they never seemed to learn how to communicate information correctly.
These results suggest every honeybee is born with a waggle dance model that gives them a basic understanding of how to dance. By watching their elders, they’ll acquire new rules on how to generate the dance unique to their territory.
This is the first known example of such complex social learning of communication in insects and is a form of animal culture, strikingly similar to the way human language generates new languages to shape itself around the local conditions. While the waggle dance is second to human language in terms of the ability to communicate diverse information through random symbols, the newly-discovered property makes it even more language-like and just that much more mind-blowing.
1. What does the underlined word “torpedoes” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Illustrates. | B．Overturns. | C．Fits in with. | D．Gives rise to. |
| A．The dancer’s physical angle. | B．The dancer’s dance duration. |
| C．The dancer’s dance liveliness. | D．The dancer’s body flexibility. |
| A．They’re absolutely ignorant of the waggle dance. |
| B．They can’t survive but for contact with mature bees. |
| C．They enhance dance routines by autonomous trial and error. |
| D．They can master the local dance by following elders from birth. |
| A．The waggle dance. | B．Human language. |
| C．The new property. | D．Diverse information. |
5 . UC Berkeley Youth Recreation Summer Camps
UC Berkeley Youth Recreation will provide a wide variety of one-week outdoor experiences and activities for the youth on summer camps 2023. Here are four best summer camps.
Windsurfing Camp
This camp is designed to teach students the basics of windsurfing, including balance and self-rescues. Through a combination of classroom instruction, demonstration and water time campers are able to master the basics of the sport. A comfort with wind and water is strongly encouraged. Campers must be ages 10-17 to register. All campers must be able to swim and weigh 100 pounds or more to safely use public windsurfing equipment.
Price: $330. Those who have participated before can receive 10% off.
Sailing Camp
Campers learn and review the essentials of sailing at their experience level on the beautiful San Francisco Bay! 2023 brings exciting updates to the camp and helps sailors master new skills. Previous sailing experience is required. Campers must be ages 12-18 to register. All campers must have basic swimming skills.
Price: $255
Skateboarding Camp
In this camp, skateboarders will learn mechanics and basic riding skills such as balance riding switches, and dropping-in. Skaters will be assessed of the first day of the session and the lessons will be adapted to their ability. All participants are educated in skateboard safety. Campers must be ages 8-16 to register. Participants must bring their own skateboard, helmet(头盔) and knee &elbow pads(护具).
Price: $300. $240 per person for group registration.
Rock Climbing Camp
Learn climbing skills, knot(结) -tying, top-rope climbing and equipment care. Sites include Strawberry Canyon, Remillard, Indian Rock and Cragmont Parks. Campers must be ages 9-15 to register. All campers can enjoy the bus service to and from the campsites.
Price: $275.
1. What is a must for the participants of Windsurfing Camp?| A．Appropriate weight. |
| B．First aid knowledge. |
| C．Previous learning experience. |
| D．Personal protective equipment. |
| A．It acquires previous skateboarding experience. |
| B．It’ll issue certificates of excellence. |
| C．It gives a 10% discount for group registration. |
| D．It bases its lessons on campers’ levels. |
| A．Windsurfing Camp. | B．Rock Climb. |
| C．Skateboarding Camp. | D．Camp Sailing Camp. |
6 . Settling down with a great novel enables you to consider ideas that might have never crossed your mind had you not chosen it in the first place.
First, find members. Reach out to your existing reading-loving friends and post a notice in your local library or bookstore. If you’re open to a more digital-friendly approach, put the word out about your new club via Twitter or Facebook.
Then set group guidelines. To guarantee your new group is all on the same page, take time to discuss what you want to get out of regular club gatherings before your first official meeting. Will your time together be spent largely focusing on the novel at hand?
As far as how often you meet, that schedule is up to your members to determine what’s realistic-plus how long it will take to complete the book. As for location, meeting up at your home is always an option.
| A．Don’t feel bound to act as host, though. |
| B．Which scene has stuck with you the most? |
| C．Picking books may seem like the trickiest part. |
| D．You’ll gain a sense of community from book clubs. |
| E．Will refreshments ultimately be the most important? |
| F．You may get people beyond your daily contact to join your circle. |
| G．And sometimes you just want to discuss what you’ve read with others. |
7 . You don’t have to be a Grammy-award winner like Beyoncé to sing. Actually, it’s a skill you can learn and practice.
| Give yourself permission to try From the beginning, set your expectations in a reasonable place. Everybody can do music—singing with kids or in a chorus. You play the guitar, but you needn’t be a performer with a band. Allow yourself to try without worrying about sounding “good” at first. Singing is a skill that takes practice and time to develop. |
| Practice stretching your speaking voice to your singing voice A few exercises help make that transition: Take a speaking phrase and start to stretch it. Make it a positive one, like “My voice is strong!” for the extra bonus of hearing some encouragement. While repeating the phrase, add some excitement to your speech—that’ll help you slide into singing naturally. There are also many vocal (发声) exercises online. |
| Find your own singing style To find what songs and styles suit you best, a music talent has established a singing method (Click HERE to find out) focusing on creating strategies specific to you. You can copy sounds but remember you’re trying to find your voice. Let Beyoncé be Beyoncé. Let whoever be whoever. That’s their identity. It’s important to say, “What do I sound like?” |
| Think about singing as a gateway to others This process is as much about self-acceptance as it is about building community. Be it in a band or a chorus, you and a bunch of friends just get together and there’s something amazing about making music. It promises a really good and deep community. |
For more help, you can email us at moreinfo@lifekit.org.
1. What does the author suggest readers do?| A．Dream big when starting singing. | B．Establish a music band with friends. |
| C．Copy songs and styles of famous singers. | D．Mix vocal exercises with self-motivation. |
| A．live a positive life | B．land a place in chorus |
| C．create music strategies | D．strengthen bonds with friends |
| A．lack confidence in singing | B．run a band or a music studio |
| C．want to register for a music course | D．desire to win Grammy Awards |
8 . Sitting on the edge of the world, Sydney is considered as one of the world’s greatest cities. Here are some things you should do and see in Sydney.
Explore Sydney’s hottest neighborhood
Many big-ticket attractions can be found in or around the Circular Quay area, right by the port. Here, you can get on ferries(轮渡) to faraway islands or go exploring on foot with the Sydney Opera House, Royal Botanic Gardens and Museum of Contemporary all nearby.
Take side trips
Popular among outdoor types, the rough Blue Mountains—about two hours by train west of the city—promises winter skiing, excellent hiking and kangaroo sightings. Walking through the national park, travelers will watch forests, waterfalls, natural caves, small villages and rock formations.
The Hunter valley, just a two-hour drive north of Sydney, is Australia’s oldest wine region. Most vineyards(葡萄园) are family-owned, focusing on small production. Wine is more personal here.
Stay in style
The classic Langham Hotel is located just west of Circular Quay, offering easy access to the famous port.
As you explore its beautiful corridors(走廊), look for contemporary artworks from around the world—The Langham Hotel has the largest art gathering (more than $1 million worth) in Australia.
Meanwhile, those looking for a more relaxed experience can go camping on Cockatoo Island—just a quick boat ride from Circular Quay.
Travel tips
• Leaving tips at the bar or for a taxi isn’t expected, but it’s appreciated.
• When riding in a taxi alone, it’s customary to sit in the front seat.
• Bring sun cream, sunglasses and hat—whatever the season.
• On Sundays, families enjoy discounted fares on Sydney’s ferries and trains.
1. What can you do in the Blue Mountains?| A．Explore the artificial caves. | B．Watch the lovely kangaroos. |
| C．Taste locally produced wine. | D．Enjoy the unique corridors. |
| A．Its ideal location. | B．Its first-class service. |
| C．Its big collection of artworks. | D．Its modern architectural style. |
| A．Ensure sun protection. | B．Offer bar tips. |
| C．Sit behind the driver in a taxi. | D．Travel by train. |
9 . Do you have the experience of digging out your suitcase, deciding what to bring and being afraid that you’ve forgotten something?
Keep a Basket Handy
Do you wait until the last minute to pack? Keep a basket in your bedroom, living room, or bath room that you can use to throw in things you need to pack as you come across them.
Buy Wrinkle-free Clothing
You won’t need to worry about carefully packing your items of clothing if they’re made from wrinkle-free materials.
Keep Old Packing Lists
Chances are that you end up taking trips that require you to pack similar items. Keep old packing lists from former vacations to the beach, ski resort, and city — that way, you’ll always have a list of at least the basics.
Schedule a Packing Time
Time can slip away from you before a trip — you may be caught up at work, at home, or be occupied with other responsibilities of daily life.
| A．Buy necessary things when you arrive. |
| B．That’s why I’ve distilled（提炼）the art of packing down to some essential trips. |
| C．Just roll them up or put them at the bottom of the suitcase. |
| D．Determine a night well in advance of departure to pack. |
| E．Rolling your clothes is the best way to save space for the suitcase. |
| F．The best way to do this is to save them on your computer. |
| G．This makes you less likely to forget any things. |
10 . Self-healing (自愈) “electronic skin” that stretches into a circuit board and attaches to the human body could be a more environmentally friendly alternative to the current wearable devices, scientists have said.
Some US researchers are developing a thin, skin-like wearable device that they say is fully recyclable and has the capability to repair itself. The electronic skin can perform sensory (传感) tasks such as tracking a daily step count or measuring body temperature and heart rate, and can be shaped to be comfortably worn on any part of the body.
The team said their work could lead to a future where recyclable high-tech skin allows people to collect accurate data about their bodies while cutting down on electronic waste. “Humans will have produced over 60 million tons of discarded (废弃的) smartphones, laptops and other electronics by 2025. Our solution is to start with how we make the device, not when it’s already been thrown away,” said Professor Xiao, leader of the team.
The researchers used a screen printing technique to create a network of liquid metal wires for the circuit. They then used two thin films made of a self-healing material called polyimine to cover the circuit.
The researchers said the resulting device is a little thicker than a Band-Aid which can be applied to treat the wound. It can also stretch by 60 per cent in any direction without messing up the electronics inside. The electronic skin can heal itself in 13 minutes if damaged. The bonds that hold together the polyimine material will begin to grow together to reform a network across the cut, similar to skin healing.
However, the electronic skin is a long way away from being able to compete with the wearable devices in the market. One of the main limitations is that it still needs an external power source to work. “We haven’t realized all of these complex functions yet, but we are marching toward that direction,” Professor Xiao said.
1. Which of the following is not the function of the skin-like electronic?| A．Taking body temperature. |
| B．Keeping track of everyday steps. |
| C．Collecting data on electronic waste. |
| D．Stretching to fit anywhere on the body. |
| A．The process of producing the electronic skin. |
| B．The future the electronic skin may face. |
| C．Why the electronic skin is so popular. |
| D．How the electronic skin works. |
| A．Confident. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Worried. |
| A．Electronic Skin: An Effective Way to Cure Diseases |
| B．A Recyclable, Self-healing Wearable Device Is Invented |
| C．Professor Xiao: Expert Devoted to .Improving Electronics |
| D．Traditional Wearable Electronic Devices Are on the Way out |
