1 . It seems every country has one major event on the annual calendar. Here we’ve boiled down the choices to the absolute top events to add to your bucket list.
Montreux Jazz Festival, SwitzerlandThis over 50-year-old good time held on the shores of Lake Geneva is the second-largest jazz festival in the world. It’s more than jazz, though. You’ll find broad-ranging acts from pop to rock and blues. And, best of all, a large portion of the performances are free, in keeping with the festival’s purpose to make music accessible to anyone.
Palio di Siena, ItalyTwice a year, the Tuscan town of Siena recalls its past in the Middle Ages with a bareback horse race. Each of the 17 horses in the race and each of their course riders, represent one of the city’s districts, adding to the roar (咆哮) of the crowd. And to make things even more entertaining, riders are allowed to do anything to their opponents other than pull their reins (缰绳), so expect as many falls as thrills.
Saint Patrick’s Festival, IrelandSaint Patrick’s Day is celebrated anywhere in the world where there is an Irish group, but there’s no better place than Dublin, Ireland. This four-day festival in March is packed with a program of music, performing arts, literature, tours and food events. Centered around the national holiday, this festival of Irish pride, achievements and talents will be well supplied with Irish cheer.
Harbin International Snow and Ice Festival, ChinaHarbin is transformed into a winter wonderland with huge ice sculptures across the city, decorated with lights and lasers, drawing thousands of artists and art enthusiasts alike. And if that’s not enough to satisfy your fancy, there’s also the Ice Lantern Art Fair, sledding to watch and our favourite, “winter swimming watching”.
1. What features Montreux Jazz Festival?| A．Its programs are mostly charged. | B．It aims to make jazz free to anyone. |
| C．It includes various styles of music. | D．It is the oldest jazz festival globally. |
| A．Montreux Jazz Festival. | B．Palio di Siena. |
| C．Saint Patrick’s Festival. | D．Harbin International Snow and Ice Festival. |
| A．They last just as long. | B．They are held nationwide. |
| C．They take place in cold days. | D．They offer artistic experience. |
China has been working quietly to address air pollution. In addition to observing, I also communicated with locals and foreigners
According to Cui Xiaoyi, a resident of Beijing, due to serious air pollution the local administration (行政部门) sometimes warned
Muhammad Asghar, a representative of the Associated Press of Pakistan in China
Asghar added that China has not only done good work to address air pollution, but has also made contributions
The ideas
3 . When we’re studying a new language, many of us approach it with dread. If we make a mistake or say something wrong, we judge ourselves strictly. But as it turns out, however, we’d benefit by shifting (转移) our focus and worrying less about getting it right, according to Marianna Pascal, a communication skills trainer.
As a teacher who’s spent 20 years in Malaysia helping people speak better English, Pascal noticed that some students didn’t get a high language level but could still communicate very effectively. She remembers one specific student named Faisal. Despite not knowing much English, she says, “This guy could just sit and listen to anybody very calmly, clearly, and then he could respond and express his thoughts beautifully.”
She also observed some students knew quite a bit of English but struggled to make themselves understood. Pascal noticed that a lot of these students’ attitude towards English is like her daughter’s attitude towards playing the piano. Pascal says her daughter hated piano and hated practicing, because she was afraid of being wrong. To her, her success in piano was measured by how few mistakes she made.
Then she shared her experience in a cafe. The person sitting next to her was playing a game while his friends watched, and he just wasn’t a very good player. But at the same time, she saw something amazing. Even though this guy was terrible and his friends were watching him, there was no embarrassment or shyness. There was no feeling of being judged. Instead, he focused completely on the task at hand. Pascal says, “I suddenly realized that this is it. This is the same attitude that people hike Faisal have when they speak English.”
Pascal believes that speaking a language isn’t like those exams many of us had to take in grade school, where a tiny mistake would result in a big red X from the teacher, In the real world, what matters is whether we can make ourselves understood. She says, “If you want to speak English well, don’t focus on yourself but focus on the other person and the goal you want to achieve.”
1. What does the underlined word “dread” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Fear. | B．Doubt. | C．Curiosity. | D．Confidence. |
| A．To provide some advice. | B．To offer some details. |
| C．To state a reason. | D．To present a fact. |
| A．Never minding others’ opinions. | B．Not judging a person too soon. |
| C．Improving through practicing. | D．Playing a game with patience. |
| A．It is important for teachers to encourage students in exams. |
| B．It is OK to make small mistakes in speaking a language. |
| C．Language has to be fluently spoken in daily life. |
| D．Language is an art difficult to fully master. |
4 . I often hear kids say, “I’m not a math person” or “I’m just not good at math.” These statements reflect what’s called a “fixed mindset”, which is often associated with a sense of discouragement, powerlessness and inability to improve one’s situation. A fixed mindset is extremely common in math classrooms, but with the help of teachers, students can adopt a “growth mindset”.
This means believing in their potential to acquire the skills and knowledge. In strong, productive teacher-student relationships, teachers nurture (培养) growth mindsets. And there are some key steps in building these relationships, starting with giving instruction that meets the skill levels of individual students. Besides, it’s important to give students social and emotional support, so they could develop social awareness self-management, decision-making and relationship skills.
How could teachers do these among class prep and grading duties? I believe in applying educational technologies. With the right tools, teachers can skillfully manage to individualize instruction and meet social-emotional needs.
Razzaq, a math teacher at Doherty High School, has students from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and some were still learning English alongside math. The school once placed a student in her class, who hadn’t been in formal school since third grade. Students have different levels and social-emotional needs that demand attention from teachers. Sometimes they’re not aware or communicative of the areas in which they need help. Razzaq gives tests with the help of some educational platforms, which generate reports that summarize individual weak points. Then Razzaq could give instructions suiting their academic situations, making productive use of class time. She also uses technologies that provide insights into social-emotional experiences such as attentiveness and time management. The data enables her to initiate conversations that make a difference in students’ education.
More importantly, we need to examine our approach to education. Are we creating an environment where children can develop healthily? How are we satisfying the needs of our future generations? Only by knowing our vision can we decide the technology to complete the picture.
1. Which of the following problems do students often have about learning math according to the text?| A．Personal interest. | B．Low confidence. |
| C．Poor self-control. | D．Poor learning ability. |
| A．By giving an example. | B．By conducting research. |
| C．By analyzing statistical data. | D．By making some comparisons. |
| A．They encourage students to communicate. |
| B．They provide suggestions on math teaching. |
| C．They correct the mistakes students make in tests. |
| D．They give information about students’ learning situation . |
| A．A technician. | B．A psychologist. |
| C．An educationist. | D．A mathematician. |
5 . The most-visited museums in the United States
The National Museum of Natural History
It is free of charge and is open 364 days a y year. Opening its doors in 1910, the museum has a collection of over 14646 million specimens (标本) of plants, animals, rocks, human remains, and human cultural artifacts, the largest natural history collection in the world. It is also home to about 180 professional natural history scientists who focus on the study of natural and cultural history in the world.
The National Callery of Art
Open to the public and free of charge, the museum was privately established in 1937. Its collection includes many donated works of art. The Gallery’s collection of paintings, drawings, sprints, photographs, medals, and decorative arts traces (追溯) the development of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present, including the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Americas and the largest mobile created by Alexander Calder.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
It is the largest art museum in America. It was s founded in 1870 with its mission to bring art and art education to Americans. The museum’s collection contains works of art dating back to the ancient Near East and ancient Egypt. It includes works of art from many European Old Masters as well as many collections of American art. The museum is home to collection of musical instruments, costumes, and decorative arts.
The Museum of Modern Art
It is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The institution was conceived (构想) in 1929. It moved to several locations in its early years, and John D. Rockefeller Jr. finally donated the land for its permanent (永久的) site. The collection includes architecture, drawings, paintings, photographs, prints, artists’ books, films, and electronic media.
1. Which museum would you go to if you are curious about Western art history?| A．The National Gallery of Art. | B．The Museum of Modern Art. |
| C．The Metropolitan Museum of Art. | D．The National Museum of Natural History. |
| A．To store works of art of different countries. | B．To satisfy people’s thirst for museums. |
| C．To make Americans learn about art. | D．To document American history. |
| A．It once changed locations for several times. | B．It was recommended by John D. Rockefeller |
| C．It has historical and natural collections. | D．It was founded in Midtown Manhattan in 1929. |
6 . The NCPA (国家大剧院) has accepted more than four million visitors with a series of 284 exhibitions covering oil paintings, music instruments, intangible cultural heritage and more. The NCPA provides you with performances and shows every day. Whenever you see a sunrise or sunset the curtain her never falls down.
Shape of MusicShape of Music — A Cross-Sense Experience is an art exhibition jointly launched by the NCPA and the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Visual artists will create animated (动画的) works based on the feelings brought by different music pieces.
The NutcrackerThe ballet The Nutcracker is produced by the Harbin Ballet. Zhang Dandan, the famous ballet artist the head and artistic director of the Harbin Ballet, and the chief director, together with the international choreographer Peter Quanz and many other top domestic and foreign artists, create a large-scale ballet. The ballet has now had its first public performance at the Harbin Grand Theater and has achieved complete success.
Xu Li’s Impressionistic Oil PaintingsIt is the first exhibition of new oil paintings by Xu Li in recent years, which gives shape to natural mountains and rivers throughout the country. He continuously pours out his appreciation and perception of the beautiful China
Pear Garden Culture-Themed ART ExhibitionAbout 100 traditional Chinese paintings and oil paintings are displayed under three themes — “Ancient Tone &New Tune”, “Cultural Inheritance” and “Review for More Knowledge” at the exhibition to introduce, present and spread the opera culture in the form of paintings, promoting the expression of the opera culture through the re-creation of painting art.
Booking tickets: please click here.Working hours: 9:30AM-19:30PM (CST) on performance day
9:30AM-18:00PM (CST) for days without performances
1. If you are interested in dancing, which will you probably go for?| A．The Nutcracker. | B．Shape of Music. |
| C．Xu Li’s Impressionistic Oil Paintings. | D．Pear Garden Culture-Themed ART Exhibition. |
| A．They are available for free. | B．They are exhibition of oil paintings. |
| C．They are re-creation of performing arts. | D．They are related to traditional Chinese culture. |
| A．A website. | B．A brochure | C．A newspaper. | D．A magazine. |
1. How tall does a child have to be to ride the “Waterfall” alone?
| A．42 inches. | B．45 inches. | C．48 inches. |
| A．Oceana. | B．Lakeland. | C．Rainforest River. |
| A．The sink. | B．The basin. | C．The wave pool. |
| A．The plan for a family trip. |
| B．The introduction of a water park. |
| C．The rules of outdoor water activities. |
1. Who gave the woman her first mountain bike?
| A．Her uncle. | B．Her father. | C．Her brother. |
| A．A fallen tree blocked the road. |
| B．Someone appeared on the road suddenly. |
| C．A photographer suddenly fell off the tree. |
| A．Four. | B．Five. | C．Six. |
1. What kind of dress does the woman usually like?
| A．Short dresses. | B．Mid-length dresses. | C．Long dresses. |
| A．In summer. | B．In autumn. | C．In winter. |
| A．Attend a wedding. | B．Change her dress. | C．Go to the store. |
10 . As teens spend more time online, there is an old challenge that has taken on a new form: cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying is in some ways worse than traditional bullying because the attacks can live forever on the internet and can reach a much broader audience. And it’s especially urgent to address at a time when teen mental health has already taken such a hit.
But there’s some encouraging news from a new study suggesting that nurturing gratitude in students could reduce this online abuse.
The study included almost 50011-to-17-year-olds from three different schools In Spain. The students participated in either a four-week gratitude program, a four-week cyberbullying education program, or neither.
Across the four one-hour sessions in the gratitude program, the students learned about gratitude, practiced through activities, and role-played scenarios using gratitude to reduce the risk and harm of cyberbullying. For example, teens were asked to think about a difficult experience related to cyberbullying and then think about someone who helped them in one way or another through that experience.
The cyberbullying education program involved discussions about what cyberbullying is, how it is different from traditional bullying, and how the students might be able to prevent or take action during a cyberbullying incident.
All the students took a survey at the beginning and end of their program, as well as three months after ward, which asked them how much they had engaged in cyberbullying in the recent past, including calling someone names via text or online messages and spreading rumors about someone on the internet.
The result suggests that learning about and practicing gratitude may have lasting impacts on an adolescent’s tendency to engage in cyberbullying—after only four hours of lessons. The fact that a decrease in cyberbullying didn’t occur right away for gratitude, as it did with cyberbullying education, suggests that it may have taken time for the young people to think about and incorporate it into their lives. A combination of these two approaches could be most helpful, the authors suggest.
1. Which is the worst situation of bullying according to the text?| A．Jack forced Sam to do homework for him. | B．Julia named Lily a stupid donkey in her vlog. |
| C．Tina asked classmates not to play with Linda. | D．Tom kicked his classmate hard during a break. |
| A．Give up. | B．Find out. | C．Deal with. | D．Bully online. |
| A．The purpose of the research. | B．The principle of the research. |
| C．The procedure of the research. | D．The application of the research. |
| A．Caber Education: A New Threat to Tradition. |
| B．Education Program: A New Way of Teaching. |
| C．Program Survey: A New Approach to Research. |
| D．Gratitude Education: A New Solution to Online Abuse. |
