1 . 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. |
2 . Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive (欺骗)? When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can give you a false picture. For example, some might say, “I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery. It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!” This guy’s a winner, right? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought $200 worth of tickets, and only one was a winner. He’s really a big loser! He didn’t say anything that was false, but he left out important information on purpose. That’s called a half-truth.
Half-truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest. Some politicians often use this trick. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeks another term. One of her opponents says, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. However, an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs.”
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth. An advertisement might say, “Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache.” It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company. This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.
1. How much did the lottery winner lose?| A．One hundred dollars. | B．Two hundred dollars. | C．Three hundred dollars. | D．Four hundred dollars. |
| A．Large share. | B．Final increase. | C．Big advantage. | D．Total saving. |
| A．buy lottery tickets | B．make use of half-truths |
| C．not trust the Yucky Company | D．don’t take anything at face value |
| A．False statements are easy to see through. | B．Half-truths are often used to mislead people. |
| C．Doctors like to act in advertisements. | D．Advertisements are based on facts. |
3 . Intelligence (AI) is showing promise in earthquake prediction, challenging the long-held belief that it is impossible. Researchers at the University of Texas, Austin, have developed an AI algorithm (算法) that correctly predicted 70% of earthquakes a week in advance during a trial in China and provided accurate strength calculations for the predicted earthquakes.
The research team believes their method succeeded because they stuck with a relatively simple machine learning approach. The AI was provided with a set of statistical features based on the team’s knowledge of earthquake physics, and then instructed to train itself using a five-year database of earthquake recordings. Once trained, the AI provided its prediction by listening for signs of incoming earthquakes within the background rumblings (隆隆声) in the Earth.
This work is clearly a milestone in research for AI-driven earthquake prediction. “You don’t see earthquakes coming,” explains Alexandros Savvaidis, a senior research scientist who leads the Texas Seismological Network Program (TexNet). “It’s a matter of milliseconds, and the only thing you can control is how prepared you are. Even with the 70% accuracy, that’s a huge result and could help minimize economic and human losses and has the potential to remarkably improve earthquake preparation worldwide.”
While it is unknown whether the same approach will work at other locations, the researchers are confident that their AI algorithm could produce more accurate predictions if used in areas with reliable earthquake tracking networks. The next step is to test artificial intelligence in Texas, since UT’s Bureau TexNet has 300 earthquake stations and over six years worth of continuous records, making it an ideal location for these purposes.
Eventually, the authors hope to combine the system with physics-based models. This strategy could prove especially important where data is poor or lacking. “That may be a long way off, but many advances such as this one, taken together, are what moves science forward,” concludes Scott Tinker, the bureau’s director.
1. What can be concluded from the passage?| A．AI can predict the earthquake entirely accurately. |
| B．The researchers have used a complex machine learning approach. |
| C．AI forecast earthquakes by analyzing background sounds in the Earth. |
| D．The researchers have combined statistical features with physics-based models. |
| A．Applying the AI to other fields. |
| B．Conducting tests in different locations |
| C．Building more earthquake stations in Texas. |
| D．Enlarging the database to train the calculation accuracy. |
| A．reliable but outdated. | B．Effective but expensive. |
| C．Potential and cost-effective. | D．groundbreaking and promising. |
| A．To discuss the limitations of the AI algorithm. |
| B．To highlight the challenges of earthquake prediction. |
| C．To promote the University of Texas’s research program. |
| D．To inform the advancements in AI-driven earthquake forecasting. |
4 . Some buildings can leave you wondering how on earth they were built. Jaw-dropping architecture is not new. We’re still amazed that the Great Pyramid in Egypt was built 4,500 years ago! Read on for more recent examples of innovative 4 buildings constructed using technology developed in the last century.
Krzywy Domek (Crooked House) Sopot, Poland
COMPLETED: 2004
SIZE: About three-fourths the size of a football field
With its warped 13 walls, curved stained glass, and roof that looks like green dragon scales, Crooked House is popular with photographers. Staring at it for too long might make you dizzy! Inside though is a typical mall and office building. People can shop in the stores, eat in the restaurants and get their haircut in a salon. A favorite feature is the Wall of Fame with signatures from Polish celebrities. It’s modeled after the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Cube Houses Rotterdam, Netherlands
COMPLETED: 1984
SIZE: About one-fourth the size of a basketball court
The 38 Cube Houses are a popular attraction, but they are also real houses that people live in! The cubes have concrete foundations and floors with a wood-frame living space on top. Cement panels and zinc panels add visual appeal. The furniture is tailor-made to fit the odd angles where the walls meet.
Bubble Palace Cannes, France
COMPLETED: 1989
SIZE: Almost three times the size of a basketball court
This house may look like a space colony but it’s really a 10-bedroom palace. Made of cave-like bubbles forming a labyrinth (迷宫), it also has ponds, waterfalls, swimming pools, an outdoor theater that seats 500 people, and views of the Mediterranean Sea.
Wonderworks Pigeon Forge, Tenessee
COMPLETED: 2006 (Other locations followed)
SIZE: About nine-tenths the size of a football field
Looking at the cracks in this building, you might think, is it about to crumble? And how do they get palm trees and grass to grow upside down? But it’s all an illusion. This indoor amusement park is actually pretty normal. The upside-down features are just for show. Inside are more than 100 hands-on science exhibits and activities, including a laser-tag zone, a hurricane-force wind tunnel, a zero-gravity astronaut-training ride, and a three-story ropes course.
1. Which building has the smallest size?| A．Wonderworks. | B．Cube Houses. |
| C．Bubble Palace. | D．Krzywy Domek. |
| A．The Wall of Fame with signatures from Polish celebrities. |
| B．The tailor-made furniture to fit the strange angles. |
| C．An illusion of palm trees and grass growing upside down. |
| D．A labyrinth formed by cave-like bubbles. |
| A．A textbook. | B．A tour brochure. | C．A magazine. | D．A report. |
5 . Have you ever had the feeling that you can’t think when there is too much noise around? Did you ever think a fish could experience that feeling too? A recent paper published in Science titled “Soundscape (声景) of the Anthropocene Oceans”, combined over 10,000 scientific papers, confirming that undersea life knows that exact same feeling, more often than not. Anthropogenic (人为的) ocean noise, also known as underwater noise pollution, has created a dramatic impact on marine life due to “human-caused” activity within and neighboring our oceans.
Disney Pixar’s animated film Finding Nemo educated us about the ocean, and specifically within the ordinary world of a clown fish. A fact many may not know is that clown fish spend the first part of their lives as larvae, drifting with the current of the ocean until they become strong enough to swim against it. Once they are powerful and strong, they head home in sheltered coral reefs. There is only one drawback — the fish can’t physically see the reef, but they can hear it. The only problem is, if they can’t hear it, will they ever make it home?
Our anthropogenic ocean noise, such as cargo ships, ship and boat propellers, surfing, deep sea mining, etc. are causing destruction of marine life. According to Time, sound is the sensory signal that travels the farthest through the ocean. Anthropogenic noise drowns out the natural soundscapes, putting marine life under immense stress. Altogether, this stress then affects their general health, disrupts their behavior, physiology, reproduction and, in extreme cases, causes death. Marine life can adapt to noise pollution, however, only if they can escape it. This only renders further complications of straying (使偏离) species from their traditional breeding regions or separating them from their families.
Now, what if we told you there is already a solution? Multiple remedies, ideas and designs are currently in the works or already exist to eliminate and reverse the damage of anthropogenic ocean noise. As Time explains, from wind-powered ships to noise-reducing propellers, floating wind turbines and “bubble curtains” that muffle construction noise, the solutions are already available and in some cases, cost-effective. The authors of the paper hope it will catch the attention of policymakers, who historically speaking, have ignored the matter still to this day.
Of all the challenges ocean creatures are battling, luckily sound pollution is the easiest compromise humans can make. Once the noise has decreased, marine life will be able to better manage everything else it is up against.
1. How does anthropogenic ocean noise affect clown fish?| A．It improves their reproduction rates. |
| B．It promotes their better development. |
| C．It hinders them from finding their home. |
| D．It causes them to give up their migration in the ocean. |
| A．leads to | B．decides on | C．holds back | D．results from |
| A．The application of relevant laws | B．The use of noise control technology. |
| C．The restriction of human activities. | D．The attention of local policymakers. |
| A．The beauty of marine ecosystems. |
| B．The urgent need for ocean conservation. |
| C．The impact of climate change on ocean noise. |
| D．The harmful effects of human-generated ocean noise. |
6 . I was born missing my left arm. And while there really wasn’t anything I couldn’t do, it felt like an obvious disadvantage in a world desiring perfection. In 1986, at 18 months, I was fitted with a prosthetic (假肢的) device, a decision made by my parents so that I would mix in and develop “normally”.
I spent my entire childhood trying to fit in. I did just about anything to ease the special pain of the stares and hurtful jokes from my classmates. I wore long sleeves and did whatever I needed to do to become invisible. By the time I was 8 years old, I had no self-confidence, and the hand I was wearing was making it harder and harder for me to fit in. So I decided I was better off without one. I didn’t need anyone to fix me, because I wasn’t broken.
One of the most obvious ways for me to prove that I wasn’t going to be limited by my disability was through movement. I developed a love for sports, in particular swimming. I felt free and excited when I powered through the water. I was selected to join my first Australian swimming team at age 13, and I successfully represented my country for eight years. I realized I’d made a name for myself because of my disability-not in spite of it.
I taught myself how to be comfortable in a society filled with insecurities. So when I was first contacted in 2021 by Simon Pollard, whose company Covvi was on a mission to create the world’s most advanced bionic (仿生) hand, I was a bit surprised. He asked me to try the hand and, if I was comfortable with the idea, to become a patient advocate. Through sharing my journey, I’m able to reach thousands of other people who would benefit from its extraordinary capabilities. That’s why I wear a bionic hand—not because I’m broken, but because I have an opportunity to enhance the human capabilities that already exist.
1. What was the author’s early childhood probably like?| A．He struggled to do well in study. | B．He did well with the prosthetic hand. |
| C．He suffered a lot from unkind treatment. | D．He received acceptance among his classmates. |
| A．To make him known. | B．To join his classmates for fun. |
| C．To satisfy his parents’ expectations. | D．To boost confidence and gain happiness. |
| A．Encouraging. | B．Surprising. | C．Successful. | D．Stressful. |
| A．Embrace change and adaptability. | B．Communication and teamwork lead to success. |
| C．Experience comes from having unstoppable trials. | D．Turn your uniqueness into your greatest strength. |
7 . For rescued dogs to get adopted, they need to stand out from the pack. One teenage boy, Darius Brown, has made it his mission to make sure they do —and he does it by providing these dogs with many adorable bow ties (领结) that he sews himself.
Darius Brown’s sister, Dazhai, taught him to sew when he was 8. The youngster’s first project, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-themed bow tie, proved popular with his peers.
According to his mom, Joy, her son’s new passion was something of a godsend. Diagnosed at an early age with speech and fine-motor skill disorders, she noticed Darius’s abilities steadily improve as he painstakingly pursued his new craft. “He was so determined. He sat and watched Dazhai for months and took it all in,” Joy told The Washington Post. “He started out cutting fabric and pretty soon, he was running the sewing machine by himself.”
When Darius learned about all the family pets left homeless by Hurricane Irma in 2017, he was inspired to use his emerging talent in helping them get adopted. He soon delivered his first batch of 25 rescue bow ties to New York City’s ASPCA animal shelter, which had become a refuge (避难所) for large numbers of dogs and cats displaced by Irma.
“I saw how happy the people at the shelter were to get the bow ties and how much the dogs liked them, and I decided to make more,” he said. “I came up with a goal to give bow ties to an animal shelter in every state.”
With a little help from his mom, Darius brought his Beaux and Paws brand to life on Facebook and Instagram. The Browns also set up a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for Darius’s sewing supplies. As demand for his “collarful” wares grew, Darius also broadened his operations by starting up his own entrepreneurial website, Sir Darius Brown.
1. How did Darius Brown’s sister help him learn to sew bow ties?| A．By teaching him in person. | B．By asking others to teach him. |
| C．By gifting him a sewing book. | D．By buying him a sewing machine. |
| A．To earn money. |
| B．To realize his dream. |
| C．To help homeless animals get adopted. |
| D．To become a famous fashion designer. |
| A．Darius had a talent for learning languages. |
| B．Darius’ mother assisted him in establishing his brand. |
| C．A GoFundMe campaign was set up to help the homeless dogs. |
| D．The Browns built ASPCA animal shelters as a refuge for dogs and cats. |
| A．Animals Compete to Find an Owner. |
| B．A Boy Brings New Lives to Homeless Dogs. |
| C．A Family Adopt s Animals with Disabilities. |
| D．Pets in Disasters Need an Animal Shelter to live. |
8 . Sometimes it takes a work of art to give the inspiration for advances in science. For example, Elon Musk’s dream of humans living on other planets was first inspired by Isaac Asimov’s Foundation book series. Let’s explore some of the technologies from science fiction that have been brought to life.
※Remote control
Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel Dune features a small flying robot device that is piloted remotely, one of the earliest appearances of drones (无人机) in science fiction. With the first permit for commercial drone use in the US given in 2006, drones became a reality, and can now be found taking on multiple roles. They provide new angles for photography, help farmers maintain their crops and are used in the military. Jeff Bezos has even supported the use of drones to deliver packages for his company Amazon, unveiling(公开) a delivery drone back in 2019.
※From thin air
Television show Star Trek, first appearing on screens in 1966, inspired science. One of the most unexpected examples may be the 3D printer. In 2019, researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, US, developed a 3D printer that shapes objects using rays (光线) of light.
They have named the printer the “replicator”, the same name as the device in the program to show their inspiration. The device uses light to alter the density (密度) of resin (树脂), changing the material from a liquid to a solid in order to shape the desired object.
※Starting the heart
One of the first sci-fi novels, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley has had a huge impact on science. Earl Bakken, the inventor of the pacemaker (起搏器), a device placed into the chest that helps the heart to pump blood using small electrical impulses (脉冲), was inspired by the 1931 movie adaptation of the book. “What intrigued me the most… was the creative spark of Dr Frankenstein’s electricity,” Bakken told the Atlantic.
1. Why does Jeff Bezos want to use drones?| A．To transport packages. | B．To guard military sites. |
| C．To seed and water crops. | D．To snap breathtaking pictures. |
| A．It came into use in 1966. |
| B．It is used to print anything. |
| C．It can change the density of a desired object. |
| D．It has been named after a device in Star Trek. |
| A．They are all based on electricity. |
| B．They are all invented by famous CEOs. |
| C．They are all brought to life from science fiction. |
| D．They are all used for commercial and medical purposes. |
9 . Nearly everything we do contributes to our carbon footprint.
E-bikes have the same components as traditional bicycles: frames, seats, handlebars, and wheels.
The pedal assist on e-bikes can encourage riders to bike farther and more often than they would on a traditional bike, leading to more exercise long-term. This also makes e-bikes a multifunctional option for older riders and individuals with disabilities that would otherwise prevent them from biking.
| A．E-bikes also need public storage and charging stations. |
| B．They differ in their power and speed. |
| C．Some women chose e-bikes because they make them feel safer, research says. |
| D．Energy recovery is one common method. |
| E．E-bikes are fueled by batteries, making them heavier. |
| F．But a two-wheeled solution is zipping through the world at 20 miles an hour. |
| G．E-bikes are a powerful tool on the road to sustainability. |
10 . Traditional Chinese opera has been revitalized in recent years, frequently breaking out with spectacular performances and showing strong artistic prowess. An immersive Shaoxing Opera, “New Dragon Gate Inn”, performed by Xiao Bai Hua, one of the most remarkable Shaoxing Opera troupes from Zhejiang Province, has emerged as a phenomenal hit.
The “New Dragon Gate Inn” Shaoxing Opera draws inspiration from the classic martial arts film of the same name. The story is set against the backdrop of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and tells the tale of martial arts heroes encountering skilled agents of the traitors at the Dragon Gate Inn located in a vast desert.
Shaoxing Opera, the second most popular of all traditional Chinese operas, originated from south of the Yangtze River. It has a unique form of storytelling that combines classical singing, dancing and acting into one. Like many classical art forms, it faced decreasing interest from younger audiences until the groundbreaking “New Dragon Gate Inn” broke the spell.
The plot breaks away from the traditional focus on the love stories and explores the theme of the martial world. What’s more, the young team incorporates short videos into the production, successfully generating widespread attention.
The success of “New Dragon Gate Inn” comes not only from the charm of the work itself, but also from the cultural heritage and artistic confidence of the Shaoxing Opera genre. “Today, we are putting in great efforts to make Shaoxing Opera more accessible and relatable to the younger generation. This is a positive step in the revival of this ancient art,” said Xu Yena, who acts in the show as the landlady of the inn.
1. What does the underlined word “hit” in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．knock | B．success | C．click | D．reach |
| A．It is the most popular of all traditional Chinese operas. |
| B．It originated form the southern part of China. |
| C．It’s doomed to die because of decreasing interest from younger audiences. |
| D．It focus on the love stories. |
| A．It innovates how secret passages are set in a Shaoxing Opera. |
| B．The plot does not contain the traditional love stories. |
| C．The plot is groundbreaking in term of its martial arts performance. |
| D．The young team incorporates short videos into the production. |
| A．Shaoxing Opera “New Dragon Gate Inn” Wows Audience |
| B．The Influence of Martial World on Chinese Opera |
| C．A New Era of Modern Cinema: “New Dragon Gate Inn” Film |
| D．The Evolution of Traditional Chinese Performances |
