During the 2023 Lanzhou International Marathon, all eyes were on the elderly couple—Hu Yingfu, 86, and his wife Wang Zhangmin, 77. Many doubted their ability to finish the race,
Against initial struggles, Hu found a way to motivate himself by counting electric poles while running. “The distance between each electric pole is 50 meters. I run as fast as I can, passing a dozen or so poles.” said Hu.
The couple’s love for running started as a way
Since then, the elderly couple have become regular
With a
2 . The World-Famous Nine
By Ben Guterson, illustrated by Kristina Kister
Zander’s grandmother owns the most incredible department store in the world. When a string of mysterious accidents start happening at the store, Zander’s grandmother tells him that a monster called Darkbloom may have returned. The monster, which can control people, wants a magical object that disappeared from the store decades ago. Zander notices that walls on many floors contain mysterious symbols and takes them down in his notebook. Will the 11-year-old boy be able to solve the puzzle and secure the object before Darkbloom does? Packed with suspense, fascination, and a family drama, this mystery may remind you of a cross between Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Ask the Author
The Week: What inspired this book?
Ben Guterson: When I was growing up, Seattle had two big department stores. Something about these big buildings held many possibilities for mystery and discovery to me.
The Week: Why is Zander close to his grandmother?
Ben Guterson: I didn’t want Zander to be alone, so he’s got his loving grandmother there to give him some guidance and keep him safe.
The Week: Do you enjoy mysteries?
Ben Guterson: Yes, I like stories with a mysterious feel to them. I don’t think I have ever been drawn to straightforward realism.
1. What can we learn about Zander?A.He grows up in Seattle. | B.He lives alone at a store. |
C.He wishes to be a magician. | D.He wants to defeat Darkbloom. |
A.A kid loving true-life stories. | B.A kid enjoying fictional works. |
C.A kid interested in grandma’s dishes. | D.A kid drawn to online store shopping. |
A.A writer’s profile. | B.An interview outline. |
C.A children’s story. | D.A book recommendation. |
3 . For eight years, Sophie created realistic-looking limbs (肢) for those who wanted to fit in. But she longed to work on more odd designs that would stand out. Then she met Pollyanna Hope, a young amputee (被截肢者).
“She wanted something a little different on her leg: pictures of a cartoon she loved, Peppa Pig,” said Sophie, who is now based in London. So she designed a unique leg covered in tattoo-like images of Peppa and other pigs riding a bicycle and eating ice cream. Working with Hope made Sophie realize there was a potential market for limbs.
Since then, Sophie founded the Alternative Limb Project (ALP) to make artistic limbs. Her work includes an arm wrapped in sculpted snakes and a leg that looks like porcelain (瓷器) covered in a painted flowery vine. She makes about six limbs per year, always including clients’ ideas so that they receive a personal piece they can celebrate rather than hide.
Of course, a fancy-looking limb won't suit everyone. For Sophie, the basis is that each limb must satisfy a combination of comfort, beauty and functionality, and pushing too hard in one direction can weaken other areas. But for amputees who appreciate novelty, Sophie has some amazing ideas.
“I’d really like to make a candy-dispenser leg with colorful candies inside it” she says. “Or a cuckoo-clock leg with a wooden bird that pops out every hour.” Her goal is to fashion a striking limb.
“It’ll transform the limbs from an elephant in the room into a conversation piece.”
1. Why did Pollyanna Hope come to Sophie?A.She hoped to have a tailored limb. |
B.She intended to design a cartoon figure. |
C.She longed to expand the market for limbs. |
D.She expected to sell Sophie some odd ideas. |
A.boost users’ confidence | B.sharpen users’ creativity |
C.improve Sophie’s sculpture skills | D.extend Sophie’s art business |
A.The novelty of the pattern tops the list. | B.The balance of multi-needs comes first. |
C.Fashion is the best policy. | D.Functionality is the key. |
A.Sophie resolves to lead the fashion of limbs. |
B.Sophie plans to further transform artistic limbs. |
C.Amputees will feel at ease to talk about limbs. |
D.Amputees will have easy access to artistic limbs. |
A.added | B.linking | C.related | D.connecting |
5 . Livestreaming (直播带货) is a kind of e-commerce and marketing and sales method. It combines live product demonstrations, time-limited pricing promotions, live negotiations, and instant ordering through online streaming services hosted either by an influencer’s (网红) studio, or an online store.
Livestreaming removes barriers between brands and consumers. While it is focused on driving short term sales, livestreaming can enable firms to improve marketing efficiency by combining brand marketing and performance marketing. There are certain factors that will increase the chance of success.
Brands should not use livestreaming as a short-term sales booster but as a long-term way to remove barriers between brands and consumers. Specifically, brands could better show their products in this way, tell fuller brand stories, introduce emotional and cultural elements to their products, obtain instant feedback, conduct product trials, improve marketing efficiency by combining brand marketing and performance marketing, use different livestream hosts to build a bridge for the consumers and cultivate brand loyalty.
Of course, Livestreaming is not without drawbacks. For ads on TV, government has clear rules to forbid brands parading the before-and-after effects of health products. The restrictions are not clear yet for Internet-based livestreaming, and health products are frequently promoted by livestreamers. We need to continue to monitor regulatory updates carefully.
As promoting products through live-streaming has been compared to “turning clicks into cash”, some people have made illegal profits by creating false prosperity (繁荣). Through the purchase of fake followers to increase shares and comments, some live streamers can make up their rate of engagement to cheat brands and companies in an effort to win more trust and make more money. Meanwhile, live-streams have also faced issues like the refund and exchange of products.
1. What does the author advise the brands to do with Livestreaming?A.To achieve as much sales as possible. |
B.To focus more on brand marketing. |
C.To remove barriers between brands and consumers. |
D.To build a bridge between consumers and government |
A.Overstating. | B.Comparing. |
C.Displaying. | D.Describing. |
A.By promoting the products as hard as possible. |
B.By creating fake comments and shares. |
C.By speaking highly of the brands and firms. |
D.By refusing the exchange and the refund of products. |
A.Supportive. | B.Objective. |
C.Critical. | D.Doubtful. |
A.mature | B.maturity | C.grown-up | D.grow |
A.set | B.closed | C.removed | D.reset |
A.inquire | B.enquiry | C.inquiry | D.require |
A.complains | B.compromises | C.complaints | D.chorus |
A.consisted of | B.made up of | C.composed of | D.were consisted of |