1 . Blowing Up Balloons with CO₂
Chemical reactions (化学反应) make for some great experiments. You can make use of the CO₂(carbon dioxide) given off by a baking soda (小苏打) and lemon juice reaction to blow up your balloon!
What you’ll need:
●Balloon ●About 40ml of water ●Soft drink bottle
●Juice from a lemon ●I teaspoon of baking soda
Instructions:
●Before you begin, make sure that you pull the balloon long to make it as easy as possible to blow up.
●Put the 40ml of water into the soft drink bottle.
●Add the baking soda and mix it with water.
●Put the lemon juice in and quickly put the balloon over the mouth of the bottle.
What’s happening?
If all goes well, then your balloon should inflate! Adding the lemon juice to the baking soda creates a chemical reaction and produces CO₂. The gas rises up and escapes (逸出) through the soft drink bottle. It doesn’t, however, escape the balloon, pushing it outwards and blowing it up.
1. Which of the following do you need for the experiment?| A．Two cups. | B．Apple juice. |
| C．250 ml water. | D．A teaspoon of baking soda. |
| A．Heat the water. | B．Drink some juice. |
| C．Blow up the balloon. | D．Pull the balloon long. |
| A．To describe an experiment. | B．To introduce a game. |
| C．To produce soft drinks. | D．To save some chemicals. |
2 . Weddings are one of life’s biggest celebrations, and they are observed in just about every country and culture on the planet. Here are some wedding traditions from around the world.
Scotland
Scottish weddings usually feature the handfasting ceremony. During the ceremony, the bride (新娘) and bridegroom each hold a piece of cloth. These are carefully wound around the couple’s joined hands. When they pull their hands apart, the pieces become tied into a knot (结) — a symbol of the new union.
Germany
Guests at a German wedding get to see an interesting sight: the newly married couple — still dressed in their suit and wedding dress — cutting a length of a tree in half with a two-person saw (锯). In this way, they show their ability to work as a team to face any challenge they will meet in life.
Norway
A Norwegian wedding cake is made up of progressively smaller layers of iced cake rings, which give the cake the shape of Christmas tree. The inside is empty and has gifts or even a bottle of wine. The bride and g room lift the top ring of the cake, and the number of layers that stick to it is said to represent the number of children they will have!
England
Brides in England typically wear “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” for their big day. The modern practice comes from a traditional English song, and the things themselves represent protection, cheerfulness, good luck, and purity, respectively.
Though the customs might vary, the feeling remains the same. Across the world, weddings are times to celebrate love, happiness, and family.
1. Why is a two-person saw used in the German wedding?| A．To entertain the wedding guests. | B．To mark the couple’s united efforts. |
| C．To represent the upcoming challenges. | D．To keep the couple from hurting each other. |
| A．The Scottish wedding. | B．The German wedding. |
| C．The Norwegian wedding. | D．The English wedding. |
| A．Rules to follow. | B．Special customs. |
| C．Ways to treat guests. | D．Cultural backgrounds. |
3 . San Francisco’s waterfront (海滨) is on the National Register of Historic Places for good reason.
Its beautiful old landmarks, like the Ferry Building and the Bay Bridge, have been seen in many books, TV shows and movies—from the stories and novels of Jack London to the 1970s TV series The Streets of San Francisco. The future of San Francisco’s waterfront, however, isn’t safe.
In 2016, the National Trust for Historic Preservation put part of the city’s shoreline on its list of the U. S.’s most endangered historic places, in part because of the threat of sea level rise. The waterfront landmarks of many cities are under increasing threat from floods and rising sea levels brought on by human-driven climate change. St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy and the Venice Beach boardwalk in Los Angeles face similar challenges to San Francisco.
“The whole issue of climate change and historic preservation intersects (交织) right at the waterfront,” said Elaine Forbes, director of the Port of San Francisco. As she watched the boats come and go on a sunny afternoon, Forbes said, “Sea level rise hasn’t historically been as much of a threat to San Francisco as major earthquakes.” However, that’s changed. Parts of the main road that runs along the waterfront have flooded from heavy rains in recent years. The state estimates (预估) the water could rise up to about two and a half feet above its present level by 2060, and possibly up to seven feet by the turn of the century.
Now, San Francisco is considering measures to save its historic shoreline. But the growing magnitude and frequency of the climate-related threats, the high costs and effort needed in saving heritage sites, and competing ideas about what’s worth saving and what isn’t, can make it hard for cities to know what to do first.
1. What is San Francisco’s waterfront famous for?| A．Old landmarks. | B．Famous beaches. |
| C．Beautiful bridges. | D．Comfortable climate. |
| A．The loss of public support. | B．The threat from rising sea levels. |
| C．The influence of tourist activities. | D．The competition from other cities. |
| A．To give an example of existing threats. | B．To stress the seriousness of sea level rise. |
| C．To compare different types of natural disasters. | D．To show the difficulty in the waterfront protection. |
| A．Heritage sites are in ruins. | B．Threats have been removed. |
| C．The shoreline has been flooded. | D．Solutions are under consideration. |
4 . In the ever-changing world of women’s artistic gymnastics, there has been a gymnast for more than three decades: Oksana Chusovitina.
The 48-year-old had said with certainty that her final competition would be the Tokyo 2020 Games. With no fans in the stands to honor her legendary career (职业生涯) , judges, coaches and other athletes did their best to give her a party worthy of all she’d given the sport. After she thanked them through tears in her eyes, she told media that was her swansong.
However, just a few months after the Tokyo Olympics, Chusovitina said that she would return to training, dreaming of one final medal at a major competition —the Asian Games—for Uzbekistan. “I just can’t finish my career without a medal for my motherland,” she said on her Instagram story.
Chusovitina first competed in the 1992 Olympics as part of the Unified Team and won a team gold medal there. Though she represented (代表) Uzbekistan in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics, her second Olympic medal came some 16 years later in the 2008 Olympics. Chusovitina, then representing her third nation, Germany, where better medical treatment was provided for her sick son, got the silver medal.
And now, her story continues. The historic eight-time Olympian has started her ninth trip to the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the first two World Cup stops of the season she won bronze medals. “Thank you all so much for the support,” she wrote on Instagram. “First start, first medal.”
“More to come,” added the gymnast, whose motto is “I’d rather try today than regret tomorrow”.
1. What does the underlined word “swansong” mean in paragraph 2?| A．A popular song. | B．A great honor. |
| C．The last performance. | D．The wonderful career. |
| A．Personal glory. | B．National pride. |
| C．Economic situation. | D．International pressure. |
| A．To win more medals. | B．To receive better education. |
| C．To get medical treatment for her son. | D．To learn skills from the national team. |
| A．Determined. | B．Generous. | C．Creative. | D．Curious. |
1.简要介绍AI(应用、影响等)；
2.你认为未来人们该如何与AI共存。
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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Thanks for your listening!
6 . Longmen Grottoes
As one of the three most notable Buddhist sculptures in China, the Longmen Grottoes have approximately 1,400 caves with over 100,000 statues. The grottoes were first dug and carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty. Representing the high point of Chinese stone-carving, the Longmen Grottoes are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Opening hours: 8:00 a, m. — 5:00 p. m.(Feb. 1st to Mar. 31st); 7:30 a. m. — 5:30 p. m.(Apr. 1st to Oct. 7th)
Entry: 100 yuan/adult 30% off each teen
White Horse Temple
Originally established under Emperor Ming during the Eastern Han Dynasty, White Horse Temple is the first officially-built temple in China after the introduction of Buddhism. As the cradle of Chinese Buddhism, it holds a vast collection of Buddhist statues and classic sutras. The temple is also famous for interior architecture inspired by the Buddhist styles of Thailand, India and Burma.
Opening hours: 7:30 a. m. — 7:00 p. m.
Entry: 50 yuan/person
Millennium City Park
The Millennium City Park in Kaifeng is a large-scale historical and cultural theme park which copies scenes from the famous ancient painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival. Visitors can watch folklore performances like those of the Song Dynasty and see reconstructions of grand imperial halls and gardens.
Opening hours: 8:30 a. m. — 6:00 p. m.(winter); 8:30 a. m. — 10:00 p.m.
Entry: 120 yuan/person(Mar. 1st to Nov. 30th); 90 yuan/person(Dec. 1st to Feb. 28/29th)
Kaifeng Prefecture
Kaifeng Prefecture was once the country’s political, economic and cultural center as well as one of the most booming cities in the world during the Northern Song Dynasty. Today, the rebuilt Kaifeng Prefecture is a scenic area built according to the architectural standards of the Song Dynasty. Visitors can read historical documents and watch performances.
Opening hours: 7:30 a. m. — 5:30 p. m.(winter); 7:00 a. m. — 7:00 p. m.
Entry: 60 yuan/person
1. How much will a parent with two teens have to pay to visit Longmen Grottoes?| A．100 yuan. | B．160 yuan. | C．240 yuan. | D．340 yuan. |
| A．Longmen Grottoes. | B．White Horse Temple. |
| C．Millennium City Park. | D．Kaifeng Prefecture. |
| A．They are tours about Chinese civilization. | B．Visitors can see ancient paintings. |
| C．They can be visited all year round. | D．The United Nations speak highly of them. |
As the saying goes, laughter is the best medicine. Laughing is like a super drug for your health that can lift your mood, lessen pain, and protect you from the
Journalist, author and professor Norman Cousins was
Since then, research has continuously confirmed the effectiveness of laughter in relieving pain
8 . Greg Heffley is the main character in Jeff Kinney’s best-selling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series of books. Greg is a middle school student with big dreams. In his diary, he writes stories about his struggles to fit in and draws pictures to go with them.
Greg Heffley is a thin but ambitious kid with an active imagination and big plans to be rich and famous — he just has to survive middle school first. To make matters worse, Greg’s lovable best friend, Rowley seems to sail through life and succeed at everything without even trying! As details of his extremely funny — and often disastrous — attempts to infill the pages of his journal, Greg learns to appreciate true friends and the satisfaction that comes from standing up for what is right.
The first live-action movie based on Diary of a Wimpy Kid came out in 2010. Now an animated film based on the original book is about to hit screens.
“The new Diary of a Wimpy Kid is going to feel a lot different from the live-action movie,” Kinney told TFK reporter Lucy Sandor. “Parts of that first movie were reimagined. But the animated version just came to life from the pages of the book,” he said.
Humor inspires Kinney to write. Whether it’s a movie script or a book, he likes to start with jokes. “When I think of a joke, it often comes with a picture in my mind,” he said.
“Then I write. And in the end, I do the drawings.”
Diary of a Wimpy Kid will be available on Disney+ beginning December 3.
1. What is Greg Heffley’s dream?| A．To be rich and famous. | B．To have a best-selling book. |
| C．To be a famous director. | D．To write a best-selling novel. |
| A．How to draw cartoons. | B．How to write a diary. |
| C．How to save a friend. | D．How to appreciate a true friend. |
| A．The animation is reimagined. | B．The animation is a sound movie. |
| C．The animation comes directly from the book. | D．The animation has more audience. |
| A．A book. | B．Humor. | C．A movie. | D．A character. |
9 . Self-driving cars are hitting city streets like never before. In August the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) granted (授予) two companies, Cruise and Waymo, permits to run driverless robo-taxis 24/7 in San Francisco and to charge passengers for those rides. This was just the latest in a series of green lights that have allowed progressively more freedom for autonomous vehicles (AVs) in the city in recent years.
Almost immediately, Cruise was criticized for its vehicles behaving unpredictably. One blocked the road outside a large music festival, and another got stuck in wet concrete. The incidents have brought renewed attention to the potential difficulties of integrating self-driving cars into the urban environment.
Yet despite some ongoing opposition, self-driving car companies have continued to expand testing and operations to more US cities. Many supporters say these vehicles could offer a safer alternative to human drivers, make transportation accessible to more people, improve traffic flows around cities and decrease the environmental impact of cars. So far, though, most of those promised benefits remain squarely in a possible future. Meanwhile, here in the present, complications have become plainly apparent.
AVs, such as those operated by Cruise and Waymo, shouldn’t be confused with commercially available cars, such as electric cars, which come with some driver-assistance features. Unlike those vehicles, which require a human driver to oversee control at all times, robo-taxis run on the road without a person monitoring and managing each movement from behind a steering wheel (方向盘). This is made possible by a very detailed internal map.
Waymo and Cruise maintain that their AVs are safer than human drivers. Both companies have released data that they claim support this, yet some researchers have their doubts. “I actually think there is not yet enough data available to the public, including researchers like me, to be able to judge relative safety,” says Steven Shladover, an engineer at the University of California.
1. What is the CPUC’s main purpose of issuing the permits?| A．To promote autonomous vehicles. | B．To advocate sustainable practices. |
| C．To upgrade public transportation. | D．To reduce traffic at peak periods. |
| A．They have charged passengers too much. |
| B．They occupy private parking spaces. |
| C．They badly affect the urban environment. |
| D．They consume large amounts of fuel. |
| A．They require more qualified human drivers. |
| B．They are more dependent on the internal map. |
| C．They will meet customers at a lower price. |
| D．They are smarter to handle a difficult situation. |
| A．We should give freedom to car producers. |
| B．Driverless cars will improve city planning. |
| C．All researchers support driverless robo-taxis. |
| D．It’s too early to declare AVs are safe enough. |
10 . I started considering the power of dogs during one of my daily walks around my neighborhood. Almost invariably, I’ll run into at least one person walking his dog. It’s a joyous moment to approach the dog and pet it. I always walk away from these exchanges feeling just a bit more relaxed and happy. And that got me wondering: Could these short interactions with other people’s dogs actually be good for me?
“Absolutely. I think it is safe to say that animals are beneficial to our mental and physical health,” says Nancy Gee, a professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Gee says there’s some evidence that the act of actually touching a dog might be an important part of the calming effect. For instance, one study done in Canada found college students reported less stress and reduced feelings of homesickness after brief interactions with dogs, and that the effect was much bigger in those who actually got to pet the animals.
Now, the therapy (治疗) dogs used in research are screened for things like friendliness, good behavior and responsiveness to their handler’s cues (提示). And of course, not everyone is a dog person. “Pets are not a panacea (灵丹妙药),” Gee says. “They’re not necessarily going to be great for every single person. But for people who really connect with the animals, they can make a big difference.”
Research on the health benefits of human interactions with animals, especially with dogs, has exploded in recent years, thanks to the support of the National Institutes of Health and the Waltham PetCare Science Institute. Though the field is still young, Gee says the quality of the evidence is improving all the time, including more randomized controlled trials looking at short interactions. “We’re seeing really nice effects,” she says. “We actually saw those effects one month later. And there’s some evidence that they may exist six months later.”
1. Why does the author mention his interactions with dogs?| A．To praise his neighbor. | B．To erase people’s doubts. |
| C．To introduce the topic. | D．To voice his views on life. |
| A．They disliked raising pets. | B．They enjoyed much respect. |
| C．They were very academic. | D．They became less homesick. |
| A．It has seen sound development. | B．It cuts the cost of saving animals. |
| C．It ensures humans a bright future. | D．It makes some medicine affordable. |
| A．Walking Improves the Quality of Life | B．Petting Dogs Can Boost Your Health |
| C．Animals Might Lift Patients’ Spirits | D．Happiness Lies in Helping Others |
