1 . Great Panda Center
Join GoEco on a 7-day volunteer program in China to help wildlife at a giant panda center!
Your schedule
Day 1: Arrive at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. The local team will be waiting to pick you up and transfer you to the hotel in Chengdu.
Day 2: Walk around Chengdu, visit Panda Breeding Center and enjoy delicious hot pot dinner.
Day 3-6: Transfer to Panda Base in the mountains and take part in rewarding volunteer work! Each day, volunteers will work for 4-6 hours and in the evenings, volunteers will take part in cultural activities ranging from dumpling making to Chinese language lessons.
Day 7: Take a bus to either the airport or Chengdu City Center if extending stay.
Some of your tasks include
• Preparing food for the pandas
• Cutting down and carrying bamboos
• Cleaning panda enclosures
• Occasionally participating in observation and research
Requirements
• Ages 18-50 (This project may accept volunteers who are under 18 with a letter of consent(同意)from a parent)
• Basic English and/or Chinese
• Motivation to work with animals
Total project cost: $1200
• What’s included
Room: Shared hotel room
Food: Three meals a day
Airport transfers: Airport transfers upon arrival and departure
• What’s not included
Flights, travel health insurance, personal expenses
Important note: Please apply for this program 1-2 months in advance. Families upgrading to private accommodations must pay an additional charge.
1. What might volunteers do on the sixth day?A.Visit Panda Breeding Center. |
B.Clean panda enclosures. |
C.Travel around Chengdu. |
D.Depart from Panda Base. |
A.Accommodations. | B.Personal expenses. |
C.Travel insurance. | D.The air ticket. |
A.Being fluent in both English and Chinese. |
B.Having experience of working with animals. |
C.Applying for the program in advance. |
D.Being at least 18 years old. |
2 . As a college student in Boston, I formed the habit of buying used books. I enjoy the hunt, the good price and the unrecognized treasures. I find old textbooks, ex-bestsellers, and books on subjects I’ve never heard of and now must learn all about. I don’t search for rare books, first editions, or leather-bound editions but books that are worth reading.
Rereading, for me, is a pleasure during retirement. The theater and the concert hall become less appealing to me, along with crowds. Staying alone and reading books have become extremely important to me. Literature needs the flesh of experience to have its full effect. Different books offer me insights and ways of expressing that stuck in my mind as grains of sand in an oyster now shine like pearls. My taste in books improves with age.
While packing for a move, which occurs at intervals of five to seven years, I clear my shelves and pick my books. I abandon a few, later regret my decisions, and look for them again. Several years ago, I got rid of books related to my job-architecture. Some were design guides, reference books, product catalogs, and things that went out of date. Some were historical or centered on a period or an architect. These had given me many hours of pleasure. Will I ever open their covers again? Certainly. I held on to the red bulk of Sir Banister Fletcher’s A History of Architecture and books on Paris, Rome, and Boston.
I gave away drafting equipment and instruments. I threw out rolls and rolls of paper, and old drawings of projects completed long ago, some of which had even been damaged. This time, I stay put in a cottage that suits my status and I’ve moved on in spirit. No doubt I will acquire more used books and throw away more books as passions grow and fade, like feathers changing with the seasons.
1. What does the author consider most important when choosing used books?A.Their appealing covers. | B.Their reasonable prices. |
C.Their excellent content. | D.Their collection value. |
A.He has a small circle of friends. | B.His attitude towards work changes. |
C.His communication skills improve. | D.He has a deeper understanding of life and books. |
A.To show some books are worth reading repeatedly. |
B.To recommend Sir Banister Fletcher’s books. |
C.To suggest we avoid making poor decisions. |
D.To explain his love for architecture. |
A.He will stop throwing away used books. |
B.He likes updating his collection of used books. |
C.He is bad at using advanced drafting equipment. |
D.He enjoys leading an active life in the countryside. |
3 . At most schools in the U. S., it’s customary to have a cheer squad (啦啦队) to support athletics. Cheerleaders drum up excitement before games, put on jaw—dropping routines at games, and provide support on the sidelines of most events. But students who participate in performing and visual arts seldom receive the same displays of support as athletes do. A group of students at Mountain View High School in Orem, Utah, decided to change that fact by creating a cheer squad just for the arts.
Their school’s athletics cheer squad is called the Bruin Crazies, so they named their artistic cheer squad the Bruin Classies! This is a new brand with which they could create something for all of the arts, whether it is band, dance show, photography and art galleries—to give them some publicity and cheer them on.
Classies wear a “uniform” of bow ties to indicate the “sense of class”artistic efforts bring their school. They carry around signs to advertise the upcoming play, musical, or dance performance. Hoping to drum up ticket sales, they encourage their fellow students to come out to support the hard work of others. They also attend performances and displays at school to cheer their classmates on.
After years of discussion to make a cheer squad for the arts, this is the first time they’ve been able to pull it off. More than 90 students have already signed up to be a Bruin Classy! “The students have poured their time and energy into their arts, and it is worthy to be celebrated. ”Caleb Stay, the cheer squad leader, said, “If you worked really hard on something and no one showed up, it would be disappointing. We just want to make sure that no one feels that way. ”
This is such an amazing idea! We can’t believe no one has come up with it before, but hopefully these thoughtful teens have started a new trend to support the arts in other schools, too.
1. Why did the students in Mountain View high school set up the Bruin Classies?A.To support the arts in their schoo1. | B.To compete with the Bruin Crazies. |
C.To participate in the art performing. | D.To cheer the athletes on in the games. |
A.By offering free tickets to students. |
B.By popularizing the art performances. |
C.By inviting students to attend performances. |
D.By wearing a special uniform for art festivals. |
A.More students will sign up the Bruin Classy. |
B.Few students like to attend the art performance. |
C.The artistic cheer squad will become a new trend. |
D.The students’artistic efforts deserve to be admired. |
A.Move over, “Crazies,” the “Classies” are here |
B.“Crazies” keep up, never give in to “Classies” |
C.The Bruin Crazies, a “uniform” of bow ties |
D.The Bruin Crazies, a big hit in Orem, Utah |
4 . Are you relatively skinny but growing a “beer belly”?
Then don’t be surprised at your next checkup if the nurse measures your waistline to determine your healthy weight. That’s because research is showing that a protruding (鼓出的) belly may be a sign of VAT — a dangerous form of fat around organs deep inside your body. “Studies confirm that visceral (内脏的) fat is a clear health risk,” said Dr. Tiffany Wiley, a senior expert at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Unlike the fat just under your skin, visceral fat raises your risk for heart disease. Experts think that’s because visceral fat raises blood pressure and inflames (使发炎) tissues and organs.
However, you can’t assume you’re safe from visceral fat if your overall weight is healthy, experts stress. That’s because you can have dangerous visceral fat even if you’re not considered overweight — and not have any visceral fat even if you are overweight.
How do you know if your stomach is protruding into dangerous size? Do a check. Non-pregnant women with a waist size greater than 88 cm and men with a waist larger than 102 cm, are at higher risk according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you’re Asian, it drops to 80 cm for women and 90 cm for men. But it is only a rough measure. “The only sure way to know is to check your visceral fat levels on a CT scan or MRI,” say experts.
According to the AHA committee, the most salutary physical activity to “shrink” belly is aerobic exercise. Aerobic means “with oxygen”, so aerobic exercise increases your breathing rate and promotes the circulation of oxygen through the blood. This type of exercise makes the heart work more effectively and improves its ability to move oxygen-carrying blood with every beat. Speed walking, jogging, stair climbing, cycling and swimming are all examples of aerobic exercise.
“However, more studies are needed to determine the best physical activity, food and other lifestyle changes to reduce heart disease risk,” Dr. Tiffany Wiley added.
1. What would a “beer belly” cause?A.Enlarged organs inside the body. | B.Higher risk of heart disease. |
C.Raised mental pressure. | D.Inflamed stomach. |
A.A white man with a waist size of 120 cm. |
B.A white woman with a waist size of 90 cm. |
C.An Asian man with a waist size of 102 cm. |
D.An Asian woman with a waist size of 75 cm. |
A.Beneficial. | B.Difficult. | C.Enthusiastic. | D.Useless. |
A.Doing aerobic exercise can remove visceral fat completely. |
B.Heart ability improves when one does speed walking. |
C.Further studies are needed to reduce heart disease risk. |
D.Food and life style determine one’s body shape. |
A.whomever | B.whichever | C.whatever | D.whoever |
6 . Fast walkers may live longer than dawdlers (缓慢的人)— regardless of their weight, a new study suggests.
Researchers at Leicester University analyzed data on 474, 919 people with an average age of 52 in the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2016. They found women who walked briskly had a life expectancy of 86.7 to 87.8 years old, and men who kept up the pace had a life expectancy of 85.2 to 86.8. Slow walkers hadn’t much encouraging prospects (前景): women had a life expectancy of 72.4, and men of 64.8 years old, if they were more leisurely in their movements. According to the paper, published last week, that ratio held true even if the fast walkers were severely overweight. It does not necessarily mean fast walkers will live longer. Experts say it suggests walking speed could be a simple way for doctors to judge their patients’ general health alongside other tests.
It is hardly the first study holding up walking speed as a powerful evidence that appears to improve and determine our health.
In 2011, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study by Stephanie Studenski, who found the same: walking speed was a reliable predictor of life expectancy.
In 2013, US researchers found walking pace was linked to lower heart disease risk and longer life expectancy. In 2018, a study from the University of Sydney found picking up your walking pace to even an “average speed” could cut your risk of premature death by a fifth.
And Tom Yates, the physical activity professor at Leicester who's behind the latest study, has been publishing findings on this connection for years.
In 2017, he analyzed the same UK Biobank data and found walking speed appeared to affect the risk of dying from heart disease — concluding that the slowest walkers were twice as likely to suffer a heart-related death compared to quick walkers.
1. What does the underlined word “briskly” in paragraph 2 probably mean?A.Casually. | B.Quickly. | C.Actively. | D.Energetically. |
A.Most fast walkers are overweight. |
B.Fast walkers have a simple way of living. |
C.Walking speed can help doctors know about their patients’ general health. |
D.Doctors will surely have better ways to cure their patients of their illness. |
A.Walking slowly is bad for people's health. |
B.Walking speed can predict a person’s life expectancy. |
C.People won't die early by increasing their walking pace. |
D.Lower heart disease risk is determined partly by walking pace. |
A.Fast Walkers May Have a Long Life Expectancy |
B.Life Expectancy Is Determined by Exercise |
C.Researchers Try to Improve Life Expectancy |
D.The Public Doubt Researches on Walking Speed |
7 . You may be surprised to learn that one of the best steps you can take to protect your health is to step outside and spend some time in the grass, dirt and water. Our ancestors enjoyed the healing power of nature, and now scientists are starting to catch up. Researchers have documented how contact with nature can decrease mental tiredness, and enhance moods, concentration and problem-solving. Just having a view of nature has been shown to improve hospital patients’ recovery and reduce illness rates. Exposure to the open air, horseback riding, hiking, camping can be helpful for a variety of health conditions in adults and children. Much of this type of research is focusing on children, and in fact an entire movement has quickly developed to connect kids with the healing power of nature.
Obesity. Rates of childhood, adult obesity and related conditions including diabetes (糖尿病) and heart disease have grown greatly in recent years, partly because of reducing the time of outdoor activities. This problem can be partly addressed by increasing the time students spend learning about nature, both in and outside the classroom. Such lessons are often more engaging to students and often lead them to become more active outside.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (注意力缺失症). An exposure to ordinary natural settings in the course of common after-school and weekend activities may be widely effective in reducing attention shortness symptoms (症状) in children. Participation in green activities helps ADHD patients keep focused and complete tasks.
Stress. Access to nature, even houseplants, can help children deal with stress.
Depression and seasonal emotional disorder. Major depression requires medical treatment, but physical activity, especially those done outdoors, can help ease symptoms. Staying in the sunshine for just a few minutes can also help supply bone-building vitamin D. Experts say that simply walking in a city park can enjoy nature’s benefits.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is the most important for you to keep healthy?A.Healthy diet. | B.Exercises. |
C.Outdoor activities. | D.No smoking. |
A.improve | B.add |
C.destroy | D.control |
A.People didn’t enjoy the healing power of nature until recent years. |
B.Having a view of nature is the only way to improve health conditions. |
C.Outdoors activities are good for people’s health. |
D.Researchers have found out what causes people’s mental tiredness and illness. |
A.helping people to control stress |
B.helping children to increase the vitamin D level |
C.helping people to reduce the symptoms of ADHD |
D.helping scientists to believe the rates of adult obesity and the healing power of the open air |
A.Contact with Nature | B.The Benefits of Nature to Health |
C.Exposure to the Open Air | D.Some Health Conditions |
A.bring up | B.bring about | C.bring in | D.bring back |
The honors program is for students who have enjoyed their experience in research with a guide teacher and are looking for a highlight experience during their final year. The program has specific requirements for our majors described below.
Application
Students participate in the honors program during their final year. Students who expect to have a 3.5 accumulative GPA by the fall of senior year should have identified a guide teacher and applied for NBB honors by May 1st of their third year. Applications are brief and include basic information such as guide teacher name, project title, and current GPA.
Coursework
During senior year, honors students take two research-experience courses. Participation in these courses includes at least 12 hours of work on the research project each week as well as weekly meetings with other researchers to develop professional skills.
Essay
The majority of our major work with guide teachers in research experiences, and many students co-author manuscripts(手稿) published in leading journals. However, only honors students are guided and helped through the process of writing an essay. All students’ essays are published online through the university library and, after the data being forbidden to be included in other articles, the essays are available to search.
1. Which of the following is the requirement of the honors program?A.Students should take two relevant courses. |
B.Students should spend 12 hours researching. |
C.Students should finish their essays on their own. |
D.Students should apply by May 1st in the fourth year. |
A.Access to leading journals. | B.Guidance in writing an essay. |
C.Including the data in other articles. | D.Publishing essays through the library. |
A.Guide teachers. | B.College Students |
C.Researchers. | D.Professors. |
1. 很高兴他将来中国;
2. 建议;
3. 期待他的游学成功。
注意:
1. 词数80左右;
2. 可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear Mike,
How is everything going?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua