1 . Before children can learn to read, they need to have a good understanding of basic words and what they mean.
If you are looking for a great place to start building your preschooler’s vocabulary and early reading skills, look no further than your local library. Research shows a strong correlation between library use and literacy-building skills in young children.
When it comes to increasıng your child’s vocabulary, more is better. The more words that your child hears, the more he or she will learn. For example, when describing a fabric pattern, try using words such as unusual, relaxing, or creative. These words may be beyond a kid’s understanding right now.
If you want your preschoolers to learn more words, then make it easy.
Besides being a wonderful way to spend quality time with your preschooler, reading aloud is a great way to expose your preschooler to new words. Choose books that are of interest to your preschooler but that use words that are slightly above their understanding. Together you can work through what they mean, by using context—the other words on the page and any pictures that might be on the page as well.
| A．Reading aloud together |
| B．Spending time together |
| C．While that may sound a bit difficult |
| D．In addition to saying them often, show them too |
| E．If you aren’t sure what to do when you get there |
| F．But by using them in the proper context, you’ll make them understandable |
| G．The more parents help children overcome challenges, the better they’ll be for kindergarten |
2 . It is hard to imagine humans spending their lives in virtual reality (VR) when the experience amounts to waving your arms about in the middle of the waiting room with a device fastened to your face. But this is where humanity is heading.
Chalmers, an Australian professor of philosophy and neural science at New York University, makes the case to embrace VR in his new book, Reality +. Well-known for explaining “the hard problem” of consciousness, Chalmers sees technology reaching the point where virtual and physical are the same in the sense and people live good lives in VR. In the decades ahead, Chalmers suspects we will replace the clumsy (笨拙的) headsets with brain-computer interfaces that allow us to experience virtual worlds with our full set of senses.
“A common way of thinking about VR is that it is somehow fake ability. I think that’s wrong,” Chalmers explained. “The virtual worlds we’re interacting with can be as real as our ordinary physical world.”
“But there are plenty of risks to be cautious of,” he notes. As fulfilling as virtual worlds may become, people will need real food, drink and exercise, and perhaps even the glimpse of daylight, to keep their bodies from fading away. These are not the only health problems. Some people have raised serious concerns about the risk of psychological damage: If we are better looking and have better clothes and a nicer home in the meta verse (元宇宙), how will we feel when we leave?
“The lure (诱惑) of VR might also cause neglect on a global scale,” Chalmers reveals. Would climate change and other crises facing the physical world lose their urgency? That would be a disaster. He says,“Physical reality is really important. We must maintain a connection to it and care for it responsibly.”
1. Why does the author mention “a device fastened to your face” in paragraph 1?| A．To offer a suggestion on improving virtual reality. |
| B．To introduce the latest advance in virtual technology. |
| C．To emphasize a physical barrier to enjoying virtual reality. |
| D．To demonstrate the necessity of wearing a virtual device. |
| A．He considers that virtual reality has various definitions. |
| B．He argues that virtual reality is genuine reality. |
| C．He believes that virtual reality is fake reality. |
| D．He suggests that virtual reality is temporary. |
| A．It might speed up global warming. |
| B．It might offer an alternative solution. |
| C．It might encourage people to solve it. |
| D．It might make people neglect the issue. |
| A．The future of VR. | B．The worries about VR. |
| C．The professor’s insights into VR. | D．The public’s views on VR. |
3 . In a world filled with things that take our attention away, and ego-driven (自尊心驱使的) ambition, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s truly important. Among the chaos of modern life, humility(谦逊) emerges as a powerful force that, if embraced, can help us navigate challenges, understand ourselves and those around us, and change our true values and purpose.
Drawing from personal experiences and reflections, Peter Ash talks about the transformative power of embracing humility as a tool to navigate the challenge, build true confidence, and lead life as our authentic selves.
In Humble: Reflections On The Power Of Humility And Its Place In An Ego-Obsessed World, the author Peter Ash puts forward a different perspective on a happy life, by addressing what he considers to be the definition of what humility is, and what it is not. Using his experiences to set a backdrop, Ash’s guidance is designed to intentionally flow between autobiography and reader guidance.
The book has ten chapters, covering topics such as making the case for humility, personal ego, and the importance of humility in the digital age and in the workplace. The guidance provided is less around direct bullet points and key takeaways, but more asking the reader to draw general reflections and conclusions. This is done by comparıng and contrasting themselves to the author’s experiences as they progress through the book.
The book comes in at just over one hundred pages in length. Ash has a clear and well put together writing style to take readers on that journey to highlight his argument for living a more modest existence.
The book is suitable for anyone who wishes to reflect and gain inspiration on how to live a more meaningful life. When terms such as “be kind” and “be humble” are bounced around the Internet with no clear definition, this book could be seen as an interesting story to the chaos of modern life.
1. What do we know about humility?| A．It leads us to a deeper understanding of self and others. |
| B．It is the key to achieving our ego-driven ambition. |
| C．It is the most powerful tool for us to overcome difficulties. |
| D．It definitely contributes to success in all aspects of life. |
| A．It provides numerous direct suggestions. |
| B．Its writing style is formal and academic. |
| C．It is based on the author’s childhood experiences. |
| D．Its contents are enlightening and inspiring. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Approving. | C．Dismissive. | D．Ambiguous. |
| A．A news report. | B．A book review. |
| C．A novel. | D．An autobiography. |
4 . Self-learning can help you develop important skills and gain valuable knowledge. Understanding strategies for self-learning is important. They can help you study new concepts with ease.
Determine your learning style. People often prefer to learn new information or a new skill using varied approaches.
Find a purpose. Determine what you want to learn about and why you want to be a self-learner.
Determine a schedule. To create an effective plan, it may be helpful to create an agenda for your self-learning sessions.
| A．Assess your strengths |
| B．Be sure to set reasonable goals |
| C．Identify a skill set you’re interested in learning |
| D．Here’re some tips for effective self-learning practices |
| E．Consider giving yourself a set of achievable deadlines |
| F．You can find the most useful methods and techniques for yourself |
| G．Having a specific goal can also help you set accurate self-learning sessions |
5 . I tried not to look down. My palms (手掌) were sweating. All I could concentrate on was the man below who was keeping the ladder steady. The tiny people waved up at me, but I couldn’t see them clearly.
When I got to the top, some sort of supernatural force brought my feet to the edge of the platform. I was going to slip off the board. The line holding me was going to break, and I was once again going to be thrown to death. Down was the only direction my eyes would go.
I begged to go back down the ladder, but the stupid man tried to convince me. The tiny dots below shouted encouragingly, saying they would run with me as I flew. I was going to slide off that platform. I couldn’t think; the tears stopped my brain. Why wouldn’t he let me go back? The message replayed in my mind, “You’re going to die…”
Like a blown-up balloon, I was let go just before it could be knotted at the bottom. I went in every direction, tension escaping from my body as I fell. The breeze hit my face and cooled my sweaty body. I could see clearly now, and I was flying.
Today, I am still terrified of heights. It would be nice to say that I conquered my fear and found something I loved. I owe my zip line (飞索) experience to the Englishman who pushed me off the platform. I am grateful for the experience because I love adventure. Trying new things has always appealed to me. Some of the most rewarding experiences I have had, like flying, have come out of conquering what at first appears to be frightening and impossible. While my days of aerial escapades are over, I look forward to the future and the question of fear of flying and will continue to create questions wherever I go.
1. How did the author feel when he was on the ladders?| A．Exhausted. | B．Frightened. | C．Annoyed. | D．Excited. |
| A．To teach him to fly. | B．To push him to death. |
| C．To develop his courage. | D．To test his ability to climb. |
| A．everyone can enjoy flying well |
| B．trying difficult things is his favorite |
| C．looking back on the old days is awful for him |
| D．something that seems impossible can be conquered |
| A．The author’s zip line experience. | B．The author’s difficulty in life. |
| C．The author’s failure in adventure. | D．The author’s dreams about his future. |
6 . AP at a Glance
Get an Overview of the AP ProgramThe Advanced Placement ® Program (AP) enables willing and academically-prepared students to pursue college-level studies while they are still in high school. The program develops college-level courses that high schools can choose to offer and corresponding AP exams that are administered once a year.
Fast Facts·AP courses are available in seven subject categories.
·Each AP course is modeled on a comparable introductory college course in the subject.
·Each course comes to an end in a standardized college-level assessment or an AP exam.
·AP exams are given in May each year at testing locations all over the world.
·Schools must be authorized by the AP Course Audit to offer approved AP courses and use the “AP” designation (名称).
AdvantagesTaking AP courses and exams can help students:
·Stand out on college applications. AP courses on a student’s transcript (学生成绩报告单) show that they’ve challenged themselves with the strictest courses available to them. And success on an AP exam shows that they’re ready for college-level coursework.
·Earn college credits and skip introductory courses in college. Most four-year colleges and universities in the United States, as well as many institutions in more than 100 other countries, grant students’ credit, placement, or both for qualifying AP exam scores.
1. Who are suitable to apply for the program?| A．Middle school teachers. |
| B．High school students. |
| C．Program designers. |
| D．Company administrators. |
| A．Study seven reports. |
| B．Earn enough credits. |
| C．Take a relevant exam. |
| D．Use the “AP” designation. |
| A．Getting a high school transcript sooner. |
| B．More foreign universities to be chosen from. |
| C．Studying more introductory courses in college. |
| D．Higher possibility of being admitted to a university. |
7 . In ancient Maya civilization, cacao — which chocolate is made from — wasn’t just for the elites (精英). Traces of the sacred plant show up in antiques from all types of neighborhoods and in and around a former Maya city, researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The finding suggests that, contrary to previous thinking, cacao was consumed at every social level of Maya society.
“Now we know that the ceremonies with cacao were likely played out by everyone,” says AnabelFord, an archaeologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Cacao was sacred to the ancient Maya, consumed in ceremonies and used as a currency. The cacao tree itself was linked to Hun Hunahpu, a Mayan god. Previous research found cacao in burials (墓地), suggesting that its use was restricted to those at the top.
To explore the extent to which cacao was used in broader Maya society, Ford and colleagues examined 54 antiques dating from A. D. 600 to 900. The antiques come from jars, mixing bowls, serving plates and vases thought to be drinking vessels. All the pieces were found in residential and ceremonial civic areas of varying size and status from city centers, foothills, upland areas and the valley around the former Maya city of El Pilar, on the present-day border of Guatemala and Belize.
To identify cacao, the researchers searched for theophylline, a compound found in trace amounts in the plant. The team found the compound on more than half of the samples, on all types of antiques and distributed throughout social contexts.
Future research will move beyond who consumed cacao and explore the role of farmers in managing the critical resource. “A better question is to understand who grew it,” Ford says, because those people probably had greater access to the valuable commodity.
1. What do traces of cacao found in Mayan antiques indicate?| A．Cacao was once unique to Maya society. |
| B．Cacao was only available to wealthy Mayan people. |
| C．Cacao was accessible to Mayan ordinary people. |
| D．Cacao left more traces in the Mayan city center. |
| A．There is no need to do further research on cacao. |
| B．Mayan people liked eating chocolate very much. |
| C．Mayan festivals were the same as those of the modern times. |
| D．There were some limitations in previous research about cacao. |
| A．To make copies of Mayan antiques. |
| B．To learn about the Mayan eating habits. |
| C．To find out cacao’s relationship with the religion. |
| D．To know about Mayan social groups of cacao use. |
| A．The varieties of cacao. | B．Ways cacao was spread out. |
| C．Cacao tree growers. | D．The cacao’s value. |
8 . Interlibrary Loan is the service that the Osterhout Free Library offers for free to our patrons (顾客). You can use Interlibrary Loan to borrow an item (books, DVDs, music CDs, etc.) from within the continental 48 states if it is unavailable in the Luzerne County Library System.
How to request an Interlibrary Loan item·To request an Interlibrary Loan item, you must either call the Osterhout Free Library, or come to our Information Services Desk.
·You must know exactly what item(s) you would like. We do not accept requests for general topics, for instance, “I would like books on antique cars.”
·Be sure to check the Luzerne County Library System’s catalog before asking Interlibrary Loan for an item.
Interlibrary Loan Processing
·When a patron requests Interlibrary Loan items, they are allowed to request more than one item, but there is a maximum of 5 requests in the system per patron.
·When the item comes in, the patron will be contacted via phone to ask him/her to pick it up. If the item is not able to be obtained, the patron will be notified via e-mail.
·If you wish to renew your Interlibrary Loan item, you must call us at least one week before the due date.
Interlibrary Loan Penalties (处罚)
·Interlibrary Loan overdue fees are $0.50/day per item.
·The following actions will result in an additional $3.00 per item fine:
(1)Returning an Interlibrary Loan item to any library other than the Osterhout Free Library.
(2)Returning an Interlibrary Loa n item without the paperwork with the due date.
1. What is a must when you borrow a book from Interlibrary Loan?| A．Renewing the book 3 days in advance. | B．Specifying your desired book. |
| C．Visiting the Osterhout Free Library. | D．Giving priority to Interlibrary Loan. |
| A．Being reminded of an unavailable item by e-mail. |
| B．Borrowing at least 5 items at a time. |
| C．Being given unlimited renewal of an item. |
| D．Having a free delivery service. |
| A．$4. | B．$6.5. |
| C．$7. | D．$3.5. |
9 . The Canadian town of Churchill is well-known for its arctic (北极的) wilderness. This town of extremes is home to about 900 year-round residents. However, 500, 000 tourists, more or less, flood here throughout the year.
In this setting, there’s a special find in a simple shipping container just outside the town. It’s a new project called Rocket Greens, led by the Churchill Northern Studies Centre(CNSC). Rocket Greens has successfully demonstrated the possibility of planting fresh, leafy produce regardless of seasons or weather conditions.
Erin Greene, a Churchill resident since 2015, became one of the first subscribers to Rocket Greens’s CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. “When I first moved here, it was very hard to get good-quality fruits and vegetables. We would never get fresh herbs and never see things like Swiss chard or kale,” recalls Greene, who says she now maintains a healthier diet and has become more self-sufficient as a result of the program.
In addition to Rocket Greens, CNSC has set up a seeding project for community garden support. This involves planting seedlings during the late fall and early spring that have been distributed to local community members free of charge in summer. Due to the short growing season and the challenging agricultural conditions, this seeding project offers a head start. “Community members can receive plants at no charge. It’s an educational tool to learn how to seed a field properly and how to grow your own food in your own home,” explains Dylan McCart, director of CNSC. This year’s seeding program will include a variety of crops such as peas, corn and peppers to make up for the traditional vegetables that are typically planted during Churchill summers.
“Considering the challenges of operating in a remote location like Churchill, we were one of the first ones to be able to do it, so it’s great that we were able to have that vision at that time. And it’s still successful today,” McCart says.
1. Why are so many people attracted to Churchill?| A．They want to live in the wilds. | B．They like to enjoy the unique scenery. |
| C．They can taste fresh produce from the locals. | D．They wish to become members of Rocket Greens. |
| A．To advertise the lifestyles of locals. | B．To show the diversity of local food. |
| C．To prove the difficulty of living there. | D．To illustrate the effects of the program. |
| A．It adds fuel to the fire. | B．It teaches a man to fish. |
| C．It pulls a rabbit out of the hat. | D．It kills the goose that lays the golden egg. |
| A．Curious. | B．Relieved. | C．Astonished. | D．Proud. |
10 . The Chinese Students and Scholars Association in the UK held a Spring Festival gala (庆典) on Wednesday in London to count down to the Chinese New Year. More than 900attendees, including representatives from British universities and education institutions, as well as Chinese students and scholars, joined to enjoy a feast of Chinese culture.
This year’s Chinese New Year falls on Saturday, and 2024 is the year of the dragon based on the Chinese zodiac. The dragon is considered by the Chinese people to represent dignity, prestige, and fortune.
The festival gala, with a theme of “Soaring Dragon’s Spring Melody”, featured Chinese folk music, dance, singing, martial arts performance and more.
During the event, Zheng Zeguang, China’s ambassador to the UK, made a speech to the attendees, highlighting major accomplishments achieved in the past year and stating China’s future development focuses.
He pointed out that China will determinedly pursue high-quality development and Chinese modernization to advance the great rejuvenation (复兴) of the Chinese nation. China will also call for an equal and orderly multipolar (多级的) world as well as for inclusive economic globalization that benefits all, Zheng noted. “Our motherland has bright prospects for future growth,” he said.
The ambassador praised Chinese students and scholars for being hardworking and behaving in a controlled way, saying that the number of Chinese students in the UK has significantly increased due to the transformation of China. “I hope you will carry on the tradition of patriotism. I hope you will ai m high and work hard. I hope you will unit e and help each other, as well as make friends widely. I hope you will grow into the backbone of the nation in the near future,” he said.
Alistair Fitt, vice-headmaster of Oxford Brookes University, extended warm wishes of good fortune and prosperity in the year of the dragon and expressed hope for progress in Sino-British relations. “I am very sure that our two great nations will continue to expand all of our very successful relationships,” he said.
1. What does the underlined word “prestige” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．The condition of being strange and alone. | B．The condition of being respected and admired. |
| C．The condition of being large and frightening. | D．The condition of being followed and monitored. |
| A．Advertising activities have been organized well in China to promote British universities. |
| B．Chinese students are most attracted by the scenery in the UK. |
| C．The education fees in the UK have been reduced. |
| D．Great changes have taken place in China. |
| A．His suggestions. | B．His surprises. | C．His arrangements. | D．His expectations. |
| A．Spring Festival gala brings joy to Chinese students in UK |
| B．Chinese students in UK count down to Chinese New Year |
| C．Warm wishes of good fortune expressed in year of dragon in UK |
| D．China’s ambassador to UK states China’s future development focuses |
