1 . Never climbed before? It doesn’t matter! Boulders Indoor Climbing Centre is a fantastic outing for the whole family that’s guaranteed to pack your day with fun and adventure! No experience is necessary.
Under the guidance of qualified instructors, you will step outside of your comfort zone in a safe and controlled environment. All equipment is provided — just bring your spirit of adventure and your willingness to challenge yourself! Boulders specializes in introducing people of all abilities into this vertical (垂直的) world in a fun, safe and inclusive way!
With climbing walls that reach between 4 to 12 metres in height, Boulders, whose task is to teach you all the skills required to climb safely, is designed to train the bravest explorer. You will learn how to move around the climbing wall in a safe manner, and how to differentiate (区分) between grades and varieties of techniques.
There’s even a café on site with free Wi-Fi, so send the children to climb and check in with the office while you’re enjoying a skinny latte! Boulders offers a wide range of climbing activities, including:
Climbing classes for children, families, students and adults
Birthday parties for all ages
Children’s holiday activities
Soft play for children 7 years old and under
Climbing-Introduction courses
Opening hours: Mon.-Thur. 10:00-22:00
Fri. 10:00-21:00
Sat.-Sun. 10:00-18:00
Price: Adults £15 Children £10
The price includes entry to the wall after the session, your one-off registration fee and shoe hire.
Family pass: £38
Up to 4 persons. Rental shoes & chalk included.
1. Which is the requirement for the climbers in Boulders Indoor Climbing Centre?A.Awareness of safety. | B.Being brave and adventurous. |
C.Previous experience of rock climbing. | D.Abilities to communicate with others. |
A.To instruct the climbers to gain skills of climbing safely. |
B.To help instructors to enjoy the spirit of adventure. |
C.To guarantee the climbers out of their comfort zones. |
D.To equip learners with abilities to design climbing walls. |
A.Having soft play at 10 am on Wednesday. |
B.Attending a birthday party at 8 pm on Saturday. |
C.Taking climbing classes at noon on Sunday. |
D.Attending climbing classes at 9 am every Friday. |
2 . Is it true that our brain alone is responsible for human cognition(认知)? What about our body? Is it possible for thought and behaviour to originate from somewhere other than our brain? Psychologists who study Embodied Cognition(EC)ask similar questions. The EC theory suggests our body is also responsible for thinking or problem-solving. More precisely, the mind shapes the body and the body shapes the mind in equal measure.
If you think about it for a moment, it makes total sense. When you smell something good or hear amusing sounds, certain emotions are awakened. Think about how newborns use their senses to understand the world around them. They don’t have emotions so much as needs – they don’t feel sad, they’re just hungry and need food. Even unborn babies can feel their mothers’ heartbeats, and this has a calming effect. In the real world, they cry when they’re cold and then get hugged. That way, they start to associate being warm with being loved.
Further studies have backed up the mind-body interaction. In one experiment, test subjects were asked to judge people after being handed a hot or a cold drink. They all made warm evaluations when their fingertips perceived warmth rather than coolness. And it works the other way too. In another study, subjects’ fingertip temperatures were measured after being “included” in or “rejected” from a group task. Those who were included felt physically warmer.
For further proof, we can look at the metaphors(比喻)that we use without even thinking. A kind and sympathetic person is frequently referred to as one with a soft heart and someone who is very strong and calm in difficult situations is often described as solid as a rock. And this kind of metaphorical use is common across languages.
Now that you have the knowledge of mind-body interaction, why not use it? If you’re having a bad day, a warm cup of tea will give you a flash of pleasure. If you know you’re physically cold, warm up before making any interpersonal decisions.
1. According to the author, what is the significance of EC?A.It brings us closer to the truth in human cognition. |
B.It offers a clearer picture of the shape of human brain. |
C.It reveals the major role of the mind in human cognition. |
D.It facilitates our understanding of the origin of psychology. |
A.Their personal looks. | B.Their mental needs. |
C.Their inner emotions. | D.Their physical feelings. |
A.Human speech is alive with metaphors. |
B.Human senses have effects on thinking. |
C.Human language is shaped by visual images. |
D.Human emotions are often compared to natural materials. |
A.To deepen the readers’ understanding of EC. |
B.To encourage the reader to put EC into practice. |
C.To guide the reader onto the path to career success. |
D.To share with the reader ways to release their emotions. |
3 . Chinese traditional painting and dance are two vital parts of the art world. But what about when they meet each other?
This year, a dance drama titled Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting (《只此青绿》) was staged on CCTV’ Spring Festival Gala and went viral.
According to CCTV, this poetic dance programme was inspired by the about 900-year-old Chinese painting A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains(《千里江山图》). Created by Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng at the age of 18, the painting is amazing in its marvellous size, rich coloration and the expressive details, reported CCTV. It shows a Chinese blue-green landscape: mountains and groupings of infinite rise and fall between cloudless sky and rippling water.
When the dancers moved elegantly, audiences seemed to be looking at the moving mountains and rivers. “It brings me a pure experience of beauty. It is not only dance but also an ‘exhibition’. Vast mountains and rivers are coming to life!” An Internet user Mo Weisha wrote in a review, “About a thousand years later, green mountains and rivers still wow people as they did long ago.
Some people even decided to watch the dance again when it was staged in the theaters later. In fact, in recent years, more and more modern shows highlight Chinese traditional culture and have received warm welcome. As for why, it is due to people’s great love for traditional culture.
“The younger generations have grown up with a more open mindset. They embrace Chinese culture and are proud of it. ”Yao Wei, director of Henan TV Station’s Innovation Center, told China Daily.
1. What is the function of Paragraph 1 in the text?A.To present a common phenomenon. | B.To compare painting with dance. |
C.To describe the art world. | D.To introduce the topic. |
A.It was painted in several bright colors. |
B.It shows natural beauty vividly. |
C.It was created over thousand years ago. |
D.It is of small size but includes great details. |
A.People are more open to traditional culture. |
B.People are happy to see new forms of art. |
C.Chinese culture has been spreading around the world. |
D.People have gained more access to traditional culture. |
A.Passion for Chinese Traditional Painting |
B.Art Coming Alive Through Poetic Dance |
C.Connection Between Painting and Dance |
D.Highlights in Traditional Chinese Culture |
4 . How to Make Friends at Community College
Making friends in community college is a bit trickier than in four-year schools in some cases. Students don’t typically dorm at community colleges, so there isn’t always a shared living environment.
Get hired on campus
While working part-time, most initial engagement involves assisting students with their needs. For example, if you work in the bookstore, the conversational icebreaker usually focuses on finding out what the other students need to find. Previously, you may have only had opportunities to socialize with other students in your classes.
Attend events
College work will occupy most of your day. Your health, for one, is something you may start to neglect as you throw yourself fully into college life. Needless to say, ignoring your health is absolutely unacceptable.
A.Work out with a partner |
B.Find a job in your gym |
C.You may start to see some new faces at your job though. |
D.However, that doesn’t mean opportunities aren’t available |
E.Community colleges offer programs that are two years long |
F.Community colleges do hold a variety of activities throughout the year |
G.Finding yourself an exercise buddy will help encourage you to become more active |
5 . Stepping out of your comfort zone (区域) helps you to improve yourself and become a happy and fun person. You’ll experience greater enjoyment as you try out new experiences.
Unplug (拔掉插头)
Take a break from today's interconnected world.
Go to another country
You will experience new cultures, different customs, unique landscapes and another language from travel.
Try diving, skydiving or a roller coaster ride. If those are too frightening, try giving a speech or taking a dance class. Once you overcome your inner fear, you will have a sense of satisfaction that comes from overcoming it.
Talk with someone new
This doesn’t have to be a complete stranger. Start a conversation with someone new at work, the barista (咖啡师) in your local coffee shop, a neighbour or someone in the queue.
A.Do something that is fearful for you |
B.Become uncomfortable with the Internet |
C.You can end your conversation with your friends anytime |
D.Leave your phone at home, turn off the TV and the Internet |
E.Here are some ways that can probably lead you to a new life |
F.See if you can continue the conversation for 30 seconds or longer |
G.Besides, using cash from different countries is also good for your brain |
Japan said on Tuesday that it had decided to
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“The Japanese government ignores concerns and strong opposition both at home and abroad. Such an
Greenpeace(绿色和平组织)criticized Japan’s plan and said there are other solutions that should
7 . Personalized medicine changes conventional medicine which typically offers blanket recommendations and offers treatments designed to help more people than they bam but that might not work for you. The approach recognizes that we each possess unique characteristics, and they have an out size impact on our health.
Around the world, researchers are creating precision tools unimaginable just a decade ago: superfast DNA sequencing(排序); tissue engineering, cell reprogramming, gene editing, and more. The science and technology soon will make it possible to predict your risk of cancer, heart disease, and countless other illnesses years before you get sick. The work also offers prospects for changing genes in removing some diseases.
Last spring, researchers at the National Cancer Institute reported the dramatic recovery of a woman with breast cancer, Judy Perkins. The team, led by Steven Rosenberg, an immune(免疫的) treatment pioneer, had sequenced her cancer cells’ DNA to analyze the sudden change. The team also removed a sampling of immune cells and tested them to see which ones recognized her cancer cells' genetic faults. The scientists reproduced the winning immune cells by the billions and put them into Perkins to attack her cancer cells. More than two y cars later. Perkins, a retired engineer from Florida, shows no signs of cancer.
Thirty years ago, scientists thought that it would be impossible to understand our genetic rules and sequence the 3.2 billion pairs of different elements in our DNA. “It was like you were talking fairytales,” Kurzrock said. “The conventional wisdom was that it would never happen. Never And then in 2003, never was over.”
It took the Human Gene Project 13 years, roughly one billion dollars, and scientists from six countries to sequence one gene complex. Today sequencing costs about a thousand dollars. The latest machines can produce the results in a day. The technology, combined with advanced cell analysis, clarifies the astonishing biochemical variations that make every human body unique.
1. What can we know about personalized medicine?A.It has emerged a decade before. |
B.It offers blanket recommendations. |
C.It uses genetic information to help patients. |
D.It administers treatment intended for most people. |
A.Promising. | B.Highly risky. | C.Fruitless. | D.Strictly confidential. |
A.Sequencing her immune cells. |
B.Reprogramming her cancer cells |
C.Analysis of her life style changes. |
D.Identification of cancer-fighting cells. |
A.Its wide applications. | B.Its recent advances. |
C.Its major disadvantages. | D.Its attractive prospects. |
8 . Cultivated meat, also known as lab-grown meat, has been cleared for sale in the US.Actually,Lab-grown meat is made by feeding a mix of nutrients to animal cells in steel tanks in labs. The idea is to create an alternative to agriculturally raised meat. And unlike other meat substitutes which are made from plant proteins and other ingredients, lab-grown meat is real meat.
Upside Foods and Good Meat, two companies that make “cultivated chicken”, said that they have gotten approval from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to start producing their cell-based proteins. Good Meat said that production is starting immediately. Cultivated meat is grown in a giant vat (缸), much like what you’d find at a beer factory.
Last week both companies revealed that the USDA approved labels for their products. In March, Good Meat received a“no questions”letter from the FDA, confirming the product’s safety for sale in the US. Upside Foods also received one in November. Both the USDA and the FDA are overseeing the growing cultivated meat market. CEO of Good Meat, Josh Tetrick, described the approval as a major milestone for the company, the industry, and the food system. Upside founder Uma Valeti called the approval “a giant step forward towards a more sustainable future”.
Good Meat, which has been selling its products in Singapore, advertises its product as “meat without slaughter (屠宰)”, a more humane approach to eating meat. Supporters hope that cultivated meat will help fight climate change by reducing the need for traditional animal agriculture, which emits greenhouse gases. The company previously announced a partnership with chef José Andrés to introduce the product to a Washington DC restaurant, although the launch time remains uncertain. As production increases, Good Meat may explore cooperation with other restaurants or supermarkets.
Upside is planning to introduce its product at Bar Crenn, a San Francisco restaurant, but did not share a launch date yet. Selling at Bar Crenn should help Upside learn more about how chefs and diners feel about the product. Eventually, the company plans to work with other restaurants and make its products available in supermarkets. For now, it is holding a contest to allow curious customers to be among the first to try the product.
1. What do Upside Foods and Good Meat have in common?A.Both have partnerships with international chefs. |
B.Both are involved in producing lab-grown meat. |
C.Both declared a launch date of their cultivated meat. |
D.Both received FDA approval for worldwide distribution. |
A.Higher safety for eating. |
B.Lower costs for restaurants. |
C.Improvements in traditional animal agriculture. |
D.Positive impacts on climate change. |
A.Diners have access to free products from Upside. |
B.Curious customers will become the main force of buying. |
C.Upside will evaluate the responses of chefs and diners to its product. |
D.Upside will conduct a survey among diners about their paying ability. |
A.The benefits of cultivated meat. |
B.The research on cultivated meat. |
C.The history and processing of cultivated meat. |
D.The approval and prospect of cultivated meat. |
9 . The Rise of “China-chic”
Over past years, guochao, or “China-chic” has been gaining popularity among Chinese consumers. Guochao conveys the cultural heritage and values of China.
The idea of guochao was first borrowed from some international brands, and began to win over Chinese consumers in 2015.
In its third stage, guochao became more common in everyday life. Over the past decade, guochao has expanded from consumer goods to experiential products. As consumers are showing greater interest in cultural identity and creativity, productions like the TV program National Treasure, and the dance show Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace integrate cultural and historical elements with the latest audio-visual technologies.
Nowadays, guochao is moving to the next stage. No matter how the trend evolves, Chinese people’s positive attitude toward the country’s development and their recognition of and growing confidence in national culture won’t change.
A.The trend grew in the following years |
B.They give the viewers a totally new experience |
C.The next stage saw the rise of China’s native fashion trends |
D.It also expresses national pride and confidence in a new era |
E.The second period of guochao mainly features hi-tech sectors |
F.Its success will rely first and foremost on gaining cultural confidence |
G.The concept of “Made in China” was recognized as the representation of Chinese culture |
10 . Most people hate mosquitoes — but scientists are about to build a “mosquito factory” to release modified (改良的) mosquitoes.
The modified mosquitoes carry a bacterium called Wolbachia pipientis (沃尔巴克氏菌), which can be naturally found in most insect species. However, it’s rarely discovered in mosquitoes. “We actually grow these mosquitoes that contain the bacterium,” Scott O’Neill, an Australian scientist involved in the project, told CBC News. When the modified mosquitoes are released, they slowly spread the bacterium to the population.
Several studies have demonstrated the insects’ success. For example, a controlled experiment in Indonesia showed that the modified insect helped reduce the cases of the disease dengue (登革热) by 77 percent, according to a study paper published in 2021.
The World Mosquito Program has announced that it will release modified mosquitoes in many of Brazil’s urban areas over the next 10 years. The aim is to protect up to 70 million people from diseases such as dengue, an infectious disease mainly spread by mosquitoes.
Brazil has one of the highest rates of dengue infection in the world, according to the Nature website. “More than 1,000 people died of dengue in 2022 because of the spread of mosquitoes. It’s going everywhere,” Luciano Moreira, a scientist in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, told CBC News.
Another way to prevent mosquitoes from spreading diseases is by producing genetically modified mosquitoes (GM). In 2022, the US Environmental Protection Agency cleared the release of 2.4 billion GM mosquitoes in California and Florida.
According to the agency, GM mosquitoes carry two types of genes: a self-limiting gene that prevents female offspring (后代) from surviving to adulthood; and a marker gene that allows researchers to identify GM ones in the wild. After being released, GM mosquitoes lay eggs, so the genes are passed on to offspring. In this way, the number of female mosquitoes is reduced, therefore reducing the chance of spreading disease.
1. What is the final purpose of building the “mosquito factory”?A.To prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. |
B.To produce massive mosquitoes for scientific research. |
C.To study the behavior of mosquitoes in different environments. |
D.To replace the natural mosquito population with a modified one. |
A.It states challenges facing the program. | B.It provides the background to the program. |
C.It shows the expected effect of the program. | D.It indicates an opinion on the announcement. |
A.By limiting their ability to lay eggs. | B.By making them immune to disease. |
C.By reducing their offspring’s lifespans. | D.By allowing them to be easily identified. |
A.Releasing GM Mosquitoes | B.Reducing Dengue in Brazil |
C.Experimenting on Modified Insects | D.Modifying Infectious Mosquitoes |