1 . When you think of a map, is north on the top or the bottom? Usually, maps are designed with north on top, though when we think about it, there is no logical reason for this bias (偏见). After all, there is no up or down in space. So what is wrong with south, east or west being on the top of the map? The answer is: nothing at all. In fact, north-up maps only became the norm in the last few hundred years.
Ancient Egyptian maps had south at the top because the Nile River flows downhill from mountains in the south to the Mediterranean Sea in the north. Mecca was to the south of most early Muslim civilizations, and south-up maps were designed so that viewers would look up to see Mecca. Medieval Christian maps had east at the top, as they believed the Garden of Eden was in the east. The only early maps that had north at the top were those of early China because the emperor lived in the north.
North seems to have settled at the top of maps during the 16th century, largely thanks to a Flemish mapmaker, Mercator. Mercator was a great admirer of an early Greek mapmaker, who, for reasons now unknown, put north at the top of maps, so Mercator did, too. When Mercator’s world map became the standard map to navigate the oceans, north up became standard as well.
What is the implication of this north-view of the world? Psychologically, people tend to think of up as good and down as bad. Just think of words and phrases like “upmarket”, “upbeat” and “moving up in the world”, and how they contrast with their opposites. Because north is so consistently put at the top of maps, people now think of north as good, too.
Several attempts have been made in recent years by introducing south-up maps to the market. These maps not only give us a chance to see the world differently, but also give everyone the chance to see themselves on top.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．North-up maps were rare in ancient times. |
| B．Deciding up or down in space is ridiculous. |
| C．Mecca maps were based on a legend. |
| D．The south-up map first appeared in ancient Egypt. |
| A．An illogical reason. | B．The spread of Mercator’s maps. |
| C．People’s preference for up. | D．An age-old tradition in Greece. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Supportive. | C．Uncaring. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．To criticize a phenomenon. | B．To compare various facts. |
| C．To correct a cultural bias. | D．To argue for a viewpoint. |
Science Sunday is for everyone interested in the world around them, whose lectures are designed to make science interesting and “user-friendly” for everyone. Lectures are one hour long. Doors open to the lecture hall at 1:00 pm. Lecture passes are available at the admissions counter at 12:30 pm. Seating is limited and first-come, first-served. No late seating. Lectures include time for a few questions at the end.
Life on the Ranch
Celebrate the warmth of the holiday season with crafts, games, music, and enjoyment from the early 20th century. We’ll busy your hands with holiday wreath-making (花冠), invite you to join in an old-fashioned sing-along around the player piano, and provide you with materials to make Victorian and Mexican holiday crafts. Come play games, take a draft-horse carriage ride, decorate the tree, and create decorations to bring home to your own tree.
Open Studios Tour
Explore the hidden world of art! Visit artists in their studios, learn about their processes, purchase original works of art. Free mobile app and printed guide have artist information and maps. Open Studios is a free self-guided tour, produced by Arts Council Santa Cruz County, which invites the public into more than 300 artist studios across Santa Cruz County.
Roaring Camp
Step into the incredible world of steam power at the Steam & Harvest Festival. Welcome Fall with traditional children’s activities like candle making, and gold panning. See a variety of steam and belt-powered equipment on display. Admission is free for the whole family.
1. What can visitors do if they attend Science Sunday lectures?| A．Show up at 2:30 pm. | B．Explore the hidden world of art. |
| C．Be able to ask questions. | D．Change attitudes to oceans. |
| A．Promote wreath-making. | B．Sing to the piano. |
| C．Make crafts alone. | D．Get close to Victoria. |
| A．Roaring Camp | B．Open Studios Tour |
| C．Life on the Ranch | D．Seymour Marine Discovery Center |
3 . A team of researchers at the University of Cambridge have created an innovative floating device that uses solar power to transform polluted water or seawater into clean hydrogen (氢气) fuel and purified water.
This device is particularly beneficial for areas with limited resources or without access to the electricity, as it can operate with any open water source and does not rely on external power sources.
It takes its inspiration from photosynthesis, the process by which plants turn sunlight into food. However, unlike earlier versions of the “artificial leaf”, which could produce green hydrogen fuel from clean water sources, this new device operates from polluted or seawater sources and can produce clean drinking water-at the same time.
“In remote or developing regions, where clean water is relatively scarce and the basic facilities necessary for water purification are not readily available, water splitting (分解) is extremely difficult,” said Ariffin Mohamad Annuar, a member of the research team. “The device that could work using polluted water could solve two problems at once: it could split water to make clean fuel, and it could make clean drinking water.”
The device that can make clean fuel and clean water at once using solar power alone could help address the energy and the water crises facing so many parts of the world. For example, the indoor air pollution caused by cooking with “dirty” fuels, such as kerosene, is responsible for more than three million deaths annually, according to the World Health Organization. Cooking with green hydrogen instead could help reduce that number significantly.
“It’s such a simple design as well: in just a few steps, we can build a device that works well on water from a wide variety of sources,” said Ariffin Mohamad Annuar. “In addition, the new device uses more of the sun’s energy. The light-driven process for making solar fuels only uses a small portion of the solar spectrum (光谱) — there’s a whole lot of the spectrum that goes unused.”
1. What do we know about the new device?| A．It can hardly produce clean hydrogen fuel. |
| B．It needs a lot of power to function properly. |
| C．It is not as convenient as the “artificial leaf”. |
| D．It can turn polluted water into purified water. |
| A．Insufficient. | B．Cheap. | C．Available. | D．Useless. |
| A．Costly. | B．Environmentally-friendly. |
| C．Outdated. | D．Complex. |
| A．To stress the harm of air pollution to human beings. |
| B．To predict how many people will buy the new device. |
| C．To show the potential impact of the new device on the world. |
| D．To explain the skills of selling the new device to the poor people. |
4 . Choosing the Right Career
You will be leaving this school and the unavoidable question many people will ask you is, “
First, does the career you are considering have staying power?
Second, choose a career that interests you. Some people might think this is unimportant, but if you are truly passionate about your job then going to work every day won’t seem a chore.
Before making a choice, you should examine your values, skills and personality type. This can help you decide if a career path is a good fit for you.
Third, of course you will want to consider your chosen profession’s earning power. Although high pay plays a part, you should know that a job with a big salary will likely require more time to get to the top, much more effort and a higher level of stress.
| A．You are on the right track. |
| B．So, what do you want to be? |
| C．Will it be in demand in 20 years’ time? |
| D．It’s also likely that you will stay and grow in this career. |
| E．They simply want you to be the best of the best to your best ability. |
| F．Only the truly motivated will likely to be able to meet these challenges. |
| G．Thinking about a life-long career at this stage in your life is surely disturbing. |
5 . Maybe, you are one of those who just paid a visit to a library several years ago. If so, you may be surprised to learn that libraries have changed for the better.
Check out a book. While libraries still loan out (出借) books, you’ll find it easier to get a copy of whatever you’re looking for, thanks to cooperation among the area libraries.
Search for other items. The library is now a multimedia zone, loaded with information in many forms. You can borrow movies on DVDs, music on CDs, and popular magazines.
Join targeted reading groups. Libraries will often hold reading-group sessions for various age groups.
| A．Set up a library in your own style |
| B．Some libraries even supply toys and games |
| C．There are some most popular libraries in the world |
| D．Start a business using the help of your local library |
| E．It’s been years since they were dusty little rooms with books |
| F．Perhaps you’d like to learn a language or improve your English |
| G．Via such networks, libraries share their books through the use of delivery vehicles |
6 . My life as an exchange student finally began! It was only a short 20-minute drive from the airport to Queensland University of Technology (QUT), but I
Before
The week-long event not only
I loved the
After
I loved Australia so much that I felt very
| A．enjoyed | B．predicted | C．suspected | D．planned |
| A．curious | B．strange | C．friendly | D．lonely |
| A．arriving | B．returning | C．moving | D．leaving |
| A．experience | B．behavior | C．position | D．result |
| A．requirements | B．expectations | C．challenges | D．grades |
| A．warned | B．forced | C．taught | D．allowed |
| A．expand | B．explore | C．compare | D．contact |
| A．atmosphere | B．invitation | C．purpose | D．origin |
| A．responsibility | B．stability | C．opportunity | D．ability |
| A．green-hand | B．trouble- maker | C．record-holder | D．eye-opener |
| A．denied | B．pictured | C．declared | D．misunderstood |
| A．embarrassed | B．shocked | C．excited | D．relaxed |
| A．settling into | B．figuring out | C．paying a visit | D．getting around |
| A．patience | B．power | C．excuse | D．freedom |
| A．why | B．where | C．when | D．how |
| A．laboratory | B．destination | C．accommodation | D．company |
| A．interesting | B．inconvenient | C．demanding | D．ordinary |
| A．sudden | B．positive | C．different | D．foolish |
| A．proud | B．confused | C．satisfied | D．sad |
| A．point | B．end | C．crisis | D．choice |
1. How is the Sony camcorder (便携式摄录机) bought by the man?
| A．Small. | B．Big. | C．Heavy. |
| A．Husband and wife. | B．Employer and employee. | C．Teacher and student. |
| A．Decreasing production. | B．Inviting functions. | C．Creative computers. |
| A．A pocket dictionary. | B．A home computer. | C．A slide show. |
8 . The 2024 “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreigners across the Globe—Calligraphy and Painting Challenge has been officially announced.
This competition invites painting, calligraphy, and Chinese language enthusiasts from all around the world to take part in this exciting event.
Participants are encouraged to submit their creative themes for the contest, with the theme selection process being determined through public nominations.
If you’re interested, feel free to submit the theme that you believe fits best with the requirements of the competition.
Here are the requirements:
Who Can Apply
The call for creative themes for the Calligraphy and Painting Challenge is open to any Chinese language enthusiasts worldwide, with no limit to age or nationality.
Submission Dates
Submissions will be accepted from June 15, 2024, to 12:00 PM on June 30, 2024(Beijing Time.)
Announcement Date
The selected theme for the Calligraphy and Painting Challenge will be announced on July 1, 2024, which also marks the official start date of the submission period for works under the selected theme.
Submission Methods
Participants can send their theme and related information to chinesebridge@chineseplus.net. “Chinese Bridge” also accepts direct messages on its official account on Facebook, Instagram, WeChat, and Weibo.
1. Who can be invited to the competition?| A．Tom who is crazy about Spanish. |
| B．Sandy who is creative in writing. |
| C．Lucy whose nationality is Chinese. |
| D．Bill who loves Chinese and calligraphy. |
| A．June 12, 2024. | B．July 1, 2024. |
| C．June 20, 2024. | D．July 15, 2024. |
| A．To build a competition organization. |
| B．To provide information about a competition. |
| C．To announce the opening of a competition. |
| D．To collect creative themes for a competition. |
1. 事件描述；
2. 体验或感受。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80个左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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10 . We’ve all been there—you’ve sent a message and it’s marked “read”, but you haven’t heard anything back. What’s the deal? While being left on read (已读不回) can be confusing, it’s also pretty common.
Expect the best. Remind yourself that the person is probably just busy. Ask yourself if you actually know their schedule. There could be some time commitments you aren’t aware of. Here are a few other reasons for a delayed response.
Resist the temptation (诱惑) to double-text.
Read over your previous messages. See if there are any confusing texts that you need to clarify. It’s okay if you review your message again and notice that it might have been a little unclear—it happens!
| A．Put your phone away. |
| B．Fix your attention closely on text responses. |
| C．Give them a little space so they have a chance to reply. |
| D．They want to give you a longer response but can’t right now. |
| E．Ask yourself why being left on “read” frustrates or confuses you. |
| F．You can keep the situation from bothering you until you hear back. |
| G．You might feel relieved when you find something that is easy to misread. |
