1 . Dozens of scientists are ready to delight, provoke, and shed light on global scientific issues. Hosted by different columns on New Scientist, they’re here to engage with latest discoveries. Read on for what New Scientist has offered this week.
NS Live
Why do we need more women in science? Physicist Athene Donald will be at New Scientist Live on & January to explore the disadvantages that women in science face. Her talk will erase myths (传言) about “gendered” brains and what attributes are needed to become a successful scientist. Now, more than ever, there is a moral and business case for greater diversity in research, she says.
Weekender
From black holes to Big Bang, explore the space in this getaway featuring talks from some of the brightest minds in astrophysics. Visit the Lovell Telescope at the Jodrell Bank UNESCO World Heritage Site. Plus, go stargazing with New Scientist features editor Abigail Beall. This weekender runs from 19 January to 1 February and costs £959.
Essential Guide
What drives the ageing process? What can science tell us about the stages of life? And how can we use the latest research to live healthily into old age? This Essential Guide offers some fresh insight. Available to download on the website or to purchase in print from our shop.
Newsletter — Wild Wild Life
In an act of companionship, an African bird called the greater honey guide may get a badger to help it break into a beehive so the two can share the honey. Michael Marshall finds that there are many surprising truths in his reports, which lie behind the fables (寓言), though these animals’ behavior seems unusual in real life.
1. What’s the purpose of NS Live?| A．To set moral and commercial rules for the study. |
| B．To encourage more women to devote to science. |
| C．To demonstrate the vital elements to be a scientist. |
| D．To reveal the existence of gender differences. |
| A．NS Live. | B．Weekender. | C．Essential Guide. | D．Newsletter — Wild Wild Life. |
| A．It exists indeed in wild world. | B．It happens only in the fables. |
| C．It is widely accepted by humans. | D．It reveals the truth behind the lie. |
2 . Four Wonderful Hotels in India
Vythiri Resort, Lakkidi, Kerala
Vythiri Resort has five tree houses, including the one that’s child-friendly and buried in the jungle. This 150-acre property is built around a stream, and the tree houses have been hand-made by local people using local materials. The resort has an Ayurvedic spa, a game room, a health club, and a big free parking lot.
The regular tree house for one night is CNY 1,300 for two adults and a free stay for your child. Breakfast is included in the fee.
Rainforest Resort, Kerala
If the thought of a bird’s eye view of Athirapally Falls, Kerala’s largest waterfall, appeals to you, then book yourself into the tree house at the Rainforest Resort, which hides in the Sholayar rainforest. The resort is set among seven acres of jungle. It’s not cheap, though. You can use free parking and free Internet.
A standard double room for one night is CNY1,920 with meals included for two adults and a child.
The Tree House Resort, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Situated around an hour’s drive from the city center, The Tree House Resort is the largest resort in the world of its kind. It’s located at Nature Farms in the Syari Valley. The tree houses are divided into many “nests”. Some even have tree trunks running through them. All are air-conditioned and have wireless Internet and satellite TV. Activities include jeep tours and nature walks.
A garden room for one night is CNY 820 for two adults and one child. However, breakfast is not included.
Tranquil Resort, Kolagappara, Kerala
Also located in Kerala’s Wayanad district, the Tranquil Resort is, in fact, a coffee plantation homestay. There are 13 walking trails (小路) there and more than 100 species of birds. The resort has a tree house and a 1,000-square-foot tree villa. The villa is apparently a bit expensive. The two are popular, so do book early online or by phone. Fresh coffee is served.
The prices of a tree house and a tree villa are respectively CNY 1,430 and CNY 2,100 per night. And for more than 2 guests, an additional fee of CNY 200 is required.
1. What do the above four hotels offer guests?| A．The free parking service. | B．A chance to get close to nature. |
| C．A taste of India’s traditional cuisine. | D．Interactive activities for parents and children. |
| A．It’s relatively small. | B．It’s unfriendly to kids. |
| C．It charges for breakfast. | D．It’s inconveniently located. |
| A．CNY 1,430. | B．CNY 1,630. | C．CNY 2,100. | D．CNY 2,300. |
1. What will the woman do after the interview?
| A．Advertise the garden. | B．Visit the man’s garden. | C．Write for a newspaper |
| A．Being gifted plants by friends. |
| B．Reading about gardening in 1980. |
| C．Visiting Kew Gardens frequently. |
| A．From gardening classes. |
| B．From visiting Kew Gardens. |
| C．From reading gardening books. |
| A．It was a tiny piece of land. |
| B．It was filled with wildflowers. |
| C．It was located in West London. |
4 . 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 CanaLocated 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 & CaicosThis 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 RanchIf 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 BluffThe 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. |
| A．They promise good food services. | B．They include various kids’ clubs. |
| C．They provide parent-child activities. | D．They have large historic buildings. |
| A．To organize some family parties. | B．To highlight some tourist resorts. |
| C．To introduce some nature reserves. | D．To stimulate some domestic needs. |
5 . 
What do you see in the image? The image can be challenging to interpret, and most people need a clue to see the pattern. It shows a Dalmatian dog. An interesting aspect of this experience is that once you’ve perceived the pattern, you can’t unset the dog.
Whether we like it or not, our brains look for patterns in various contexts. Much of our everyday understanding is linked to the concepts we learn in school and through interaction with others. On top of this, there are learned cultural patterns to interpret works of art, music, poems, etc. Once we know the patterns, they profoundly influence how we perceive cultural products. So we see the world through patterns we have acquired.
These patterns can be applied in all forms of teaching. The great benefit of seeing a pattern in an area of knowledge is that it can be applied to new problems. A student who has understood a pattern can not only answer questions taken directly from the learning material but can use it in other types of tasks. The key question, therefore, is how a student can discover the relevant patterns and create real understanding.
There are different ways to highlight patterns. Analogies (类比) are powerful tools for creating understanding. An example is the number line (数轴) in elementary mathematics. When children learn addition, it is easy for concrete combinations of objects: three apples plus two apples make five apples. The same is true for subtraction (减法): If you have six apples and remove four, you are left with two.
But this doesn’t work when it comes to negative numbers. How do you explain that if you have three apples and remove five, two are missing? Then, an effective analogy is to see the number line as something you walk along — the line becomes a path. Addition with three is like walking three steps forward, and subtraction with five is like walking five steps backward. No wonder that if you walk three steps forward and then five steps back, you are two steps behind where you started.
In this way, the negative numbers acquire a meaning rooted in experience. More patterns of numbers can now be understood.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．The underlying effect of patterns. |
| B．The ability to acquire the art skills. |
| C．The way to find the Dalmatian dog. |
| D．The benefit of interacting with others. |
| A．It is easy for students to master them. |
| B．All types of tasks have the same pattern. |
| C．They can help students solve new problems. |
| D．They are the necessary learning materials. |
| A．There are different ways to acquire experience. |
| B．Analogies are good methods for teaching patterns. |
| C．Addition is much easier than subtraction in maths. |
| D．The number line can solve all mathematics problems. |
| A．Understanding Is Seeing a Pattern. |
| B．The Best Principle for Learning |
| C．Walking Back and Forth on a Number Line. |
| D．Using Patterns to Learn Mathematics |
6 . Fiji is an island nation with mountains to climb, jungles to explore, vast reefs under the waves to dive, and beaches to walk on. You can go to the open-air souvenir markets to shop for authentic Fijian crafts (工艺品) like wooden kava bowls and visit the Fiji Museum. You can also attend Fire walking ceremony, the traditional practice of fire walking, where men walk barefoot across hot stones.
Best Time to Go
There is no bad time for Fiji vacations. However, November to April is the wet season, when temperatures and humidity (湿度) are higher and there is a greater risk of hurricanes. August and October are some of the most popular months to visit Fiji’s islands, but this also means you will have to deal with high-season crowds and prices. Brave the heavy but short downpours in the wet season if you want to escape the crowds and get some great deals.
Accommodation & Transport & Food
Some restaurants are expensive and attract the world’s rich and famous, but you can find much cheaper options with equally beautiful locations. Budget hotels start at around $30 a night for a double room with sea views.
If you don’t mind getting about on a bus, you will find this is a cheap and efficient form of transport. Traveling from Suva to Nadi, for example, costs around $25 for a four-hour trip.
You can eat for as little as 5insmallrestaurants, and mid—range restaurants start at around 15 for a meal. Many accommodation options include meals, so you can take full advantage of this to save some money.
All up, Fiji is a very reasonably priced destination with priceless experiences on offer. So, what are you waiting for?
1. What can tourists do in Fiji?| A．Witness a special ceremony. | B．Walk on hot stones with shoes. |
| C．Shop in large indoor souvenir markets. | D．Make wooden kava bowls by themselves. |
| A．May. | B．July. |
| C．September. | D．December. |
| A．It is friendly to budget tourists. | B．It takes five hours to get there. |
| C．It can be reached only by bus. | D．It offers free meals in any hotel. |
1. Why is Alice so anxious?
| A．Her poor health. | B．The surgery she needs. | C．Her father’s health problem. |
| A．To pay attention to adjusting diet. |
| B．To give up drinking. |
| C．To control blood pressure. |
8 . The more you meditate and achieve mindfulness, the better you’ll feel. There are many free meditation apps that offer guided sessions, calming playlists.
HeadspaceThis app is simple and approachable for meditation beginners. Most of the free sessions focus on teaching the users how to meditate and easing them into the practice, while also acknowledging that meditation can be difficult. Yet to get into the really good stuff, you need to pay for the full membership.
Insight TimerThe app offers a multitude of meditation bells and calming musical notes during self-guided meditations. Featuring a variety of professional instructors and courses, Insight Timer also offers more contents for free users than other apps. Although the free option is extensive, the premium version (高级版) offers courses, downloadable meditations, night mode, and daily insights.
Meditation StudioThe app groups all its free meditations together, so it’s easy to use it without paying. These meditations run from 5 to 30 minutes and are available for download, a feature that other apps typically reserve for premium members. The number of free contents, however, is limited and included mostly basics. The design of the app is also relatively plain.
Breethe: Meditation & SleepA nice feature about Breethe is the calming background music that plays while the app is open, even without opening a meditation or music. Breethe offers a lot of sleep contents, including visualizations and bedtime stories. The app does offer a few 7-day courses for free, but the majority (1,000-plus meditations) is locked behind the paywall.
1. Which app is completely free of charge?| A．Headspace. | B．Insight Timer. |
| C．Meditation Studio. | D．Breethe: Meditation & Sleep. |
| A．Courses from professional coaches. |
| B．Advanced instructions of meditation. |
| C．Bedtime stories and calming background music. |
| D．Guidelines on how to get into meditation at the beginning. |
| A．They have a night mode set. | B．They provide contents on sleep. |
| C．They have calming background music. | D．They offer free contents of the same period. |
9 . Some Best Travel Websites to Check Out in 2023
Traveling is highly addictive! We put together a list of the best travel websites that will help to take the first step and go!
SafetyWing — Best Travel Insurance, Monthly PlansSafetyWing recently came up with undoubtedly the best travel insurance plan, called Remote Health. It’s a long-term plan that covers you for pre-existing conditions, like cancer, or even in your home country. Ideal for long-term travelers or digital nomads (数字游民), they also offer amazing monthly plans for short-term travel that come with very competitive prices, starting at $40.
Check the full comparison of digital nomad insurance plans!
GetYourGuide — One of the Best Travel Websites for Booking Trips and ToursGetYourGuide is the perfect way to book tours, airport transfers, ferries, cooking courses, tickets for events, food tours etc. It covers most of the countries in the world. They even have a price match guarantee, so just tell them you can find the activity or tour cheaper somewhere else and they will cover the difference no questions asked. It’s perfect because you can book everything beforehand and then just enjoy the holiday once you arrive.
Skyscanner for FlightsLet us be honest: Amazingly cheap flight tickets are often the first and yet the most important reason we keep on moving ourselves from country to country, even though we promised our inner selves to settle down for a while. Don’t blame yourself. Put the blame on Skyscanner, their mobile app and their delightfully intruding newsletter.
Withlocals — Enjoy Your Trip With LocalsAs one of the fastest-growing travel projects of last year that connects travelers with a local community, you can book amazing trips with locals and visit the most authentic places and experience local life. Your guide will help you to get out of tourist traps and find the real spirit of the places you want to visit.
1. What can SafetyWing offer the tourists?| A．Cheap tour events. | B．Free flight tickets. |
| C．Local life experience. | D．Proper travel insurance. |
| A．SafetyWing. | B．GetYourGuide. |
| C．Skyscanner. | D．Withlocals. |
| A．A textbook. | B．A local newspaper. |
| C．A web page. | D．An academic article. |
10 . Brittany, a land of myths and legends, is a region with a true spirit of adventure so there are plenty of attractions for active children, whether they like climbing heights, admiring the world under the sea, or even exploring ancient buildings.
Château de Fougères
Who is the King of the castle? The children’s imaginations can run wild at this medieval enchanted castle. This is one of the largest surviving castles in Europe. There are beautiful views across the Breton countryside as you stroll along the ramparts (城墙). The children will love exploring the many towers and turrets (塔楼) of this magnificent castle.
Forêt Adrénaline Rennes
This is an amazing tree top adventure park located on the outskirts of Rennes. Forêt Adrénaline Rennes is perfect for children that need to burn off lots of energy. There are eight tree top routes intended for ages 2 and over, the Black Panther route, 20 m up in the trees and a kilometer-long route made up of five zip wires. There is something for every daredevil here.
Océanopolis
Children will be in their element by the underwater world of Océanopolis with 77 aquariums filled with 10,000 animals from 1,000 different species across the world. Seals, penguins, sharks, and thousands of fish from the tropical, temperate, and polar oceans all live here in Brest in this amazing sea life park.
Village de Poul-Fetan
If you want to discover Breton life back in the 19th century, then this restored village would be a perfect place to visit. You can watch people in historical costume as they demonstrate traditional crafts and techniques including butter churning, pottery making and wool spinning. You can also watch livestock being milked and there is a chance to join in the demonstrations.
1. What is special about Château de Fougères?| A．Its high cost. | B．Its large size. | C．Its long history. | D．Its tall towers. |
| A．Océanopolis. | B．Forêt Adrénaline Rennes. |
| C．Château de Fougères. | D．Village de Poul-Fetan. |
| A．Make pottery and spin wood. | B．Demonstrate traditional crafts. |
| C．Milk the livestock. | D．Watch livestock performance. |
