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 . When it comes to a public library, you usually think of books and computers for people to use. You can even think of educational lectures and concerts that are often held in the library. But few people would expect to have a farm in the library.
But why not? After all, with rising costs, food safety is a community-wide issue. The Cicero Public Library near Syracuse in New York solved this problem by building a farm on its land. When Meg Backus saw all the open space in the library across the street from the building, he realized it could be used to benefit the community.
The farm was created in 2011 and in the beginning, 40 members of the library brought seeds (种子), water, and supplies to see if they could grow food on the land. It turned out that they could. To get the needed supplies for a larger farm, the library began to work with the organization Syracuse Grows Agency.
The community farm donates (捐赠) over 200 pounds of fresh produce (农产品) to local food banks every year. Half of the growing area is used as the Food Educational Garden. The other half is used by growers themselves. During the year, there are educational programs held at the library to teach people how to garden. There are also a lot of gardening books that can be used at the library.
Lauren Rosenstein, a worker of the library, said that she felt like she was giving something back to the community. “You’re really making a difference as a local community because you’re growing the food that people are eating.”
1. Why did Meg Backus build the farm?| A．To earn money. |
| B．To attract more readers. |
| C．To improve food safety. |
| D．To teach readers how to grow food. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Stressed. | C．Hopeless. | D．Confident. |
| A．Farmers’ life. | B．Food donation. | C．Gardening skills. | D．Food banks. |
| A．Make a Farm Popular | B．Turn a Library into a Farm |
| C．Meet the First Library Farm | D．Find a Job on a Library Farm |
3 . Online Courses
Frontier Physics
Further your understanding of modern physics and discover how we can solve social problems by developing future technologies. On this course from the University of Washington, you’ll explore areas of the latest physics research. You’ll also look at some real-world physics applications (应用) to build your skills.
Period: three weeks
Weekly study: four hours
Successful Communication
Build practical communication skills and learn how to use and apply these skills to your life. On this seven-week course from the University of Michigan, you’ll discover and practice the four steps to successful communication, and learn strategies to do it better.
Period: seven weeks
Weekly study: two hours
Quality Improvement in Healthcare
Why is quality improvement in health and social care systems so difficult? Why is it so challenging to bring in new and better ways of organizing health and social care services?
Many reasons have been put forward. This course from the University of Chicago explores new and better ways of organizing health and social care services to improve quality.
Period: six weeks
Weekly study: three hours
How to Create Videos for Online Courses
On this two-week course from the University of Edinburgh, you’ll learn how to use your mobile phone to create online course videos.
Period: two weeks
Weekly study: two hours
1. How long does Frontier Physics last?| A．Two weeks. | B．Three weeks. | C．Six weeks. | D．Seven weeks. |
| A．Frontier Physics. |
| B．Successful Communication. |
| C．Quality Improvement in Healthcare. |
| D．How to Create Videos for Online Courses. |
| A．Take care of some patients. |
| B．Explore the latest physics technologies. |
| C．Make videos on your mobile phone. |
| D．Find solutions to poor social care services. |
4 . Just 30 to 45 minutes of exercise three times a week can make you feel much healthier and in control of your own life.
Take up running. Running releases endorphins and can make you feel great after you do it.
Take a yoga class. Yoga is not only great for you physically, but it will help you learn to regulate (管理，调节) your breath and your mind’s wanderings.
Join a team sport, like bowling, volleyball or softball.
| A．Take up hiking. |
| B．Swim a mile every other day. |
| C．Try setting a goal for yourself, like running a 5k or 10k race. |
| D．You’ll be able to make new friends and work out at the same time. |
| E．Stress can affect how you feel, think, behave and how your body function. |
| F．It is worth spending time learning different techniques for managing your stress. |
| G．Exercise can relieve stress, reduce depression and improve your cognitive function. |
5 . A national hero and a world number one in badminton, Lee Chong Wei is surely one of Malaysia's best-known athletes. He has received numerous medals. Lee and Nicol David, who is also a Malaysian player, received the title of Datuk due to the outstanding achievements they had brought to the country.
Having a strong will, Lee continually challenged himself to rise above the competitors, narrowly missing out on the gold medal and taking the silver at the 2012 London Olympics. He managed to win his ninth Malaysian Open title in 2013, breaking a record set by Malaysian athlete Wong Peng Soon in 1954; and in 2014, he had his fifth Japan Open title. Regrettably in late 2014, Lee Chong Wei was forbidden to compete for eight months after testing positive for drugs (药物). The World Badminton Federation (WBF), after investigations (调查) and a hearing, said that they did not think Lee Chong Wei tried to cheat on purpose, so he was allowed to continue to play. His world ranking suffered as a result of the punishment but he's making his way back up.
In 2016, Lee Chong Wei won his 11th Malaysian Open and fifth Malaysian Masters titles. He also beat Lin Dan in the semi-finals and World No.1 Chen Long in the finals of the Asian Badminton Championship to win the prize. He has become the World No.1 player and continued to act as a source of encouragement to future Malaysian athletes wishing to make a name in the world.
1. How did Lee play at the London Olympics?| A．He came in second. | B．He finished third. |
| C．He won a gold medal. | D．He broke a record. |
| A．He failed a drug test. | B．He hit a player on the head. |
| C．He cheated on purpose. | D．He fought with the coach. |
| A．Lin Dan. | B．Chen Long. | C．Wong Peng Soon. | D．Nicol David. |
| A．Life. | B．Education. | C．Sports. | D．Hcalth. |
6 . Colors can affect (影响) our feelings. Blue is a calm (冷静的) color. If you are feeling nervous (紧张), you can wear blue clothes or stay in a blue room. Blue is also the color of sadness. When someone says he’s feeling blue, he means he is sad.
White can also make you feel calm. So you can wear white too if you are nervous. And white often means a new beginning.
Green is the color of nature. It can give us more energy when we are feeling tired.
Some colors can make you feel warm. In cold areas, people usually use warm colors in their homes, like orange and yellow. Yellow is also the color of wisdom. Some people prefer this color when they study for exams. For example, they may use yellow school things.
Red is one of the strong colors. It often makes us feel active. But this color can also mean danger. So it is often used in stop signs (停车标志) and lights.
1. Which may be NOT good for you if you are nervous?| A．Wear white clothes. | B．Wear blue clothes. |
| C．Stay in a red room. | D．Stay in a blue room. |
| A．I like blue. | B．I’m feeling white. |
| C．I like white. | D．I’m feeling blue. |
| A．Yellow and blue. | B．Yellow and orange. |
| C．White and green. | D．Blue and white. |
| A．智慧 | B．消极 | C．愉快 | D．正义 |
| A．White can make us feel tired. | B．Red is often used in stop signs. |
| C．Orange can mean danger sometimes. | D．Green symbolizes a new beginning. |
7 . Reading and writing are essential to learning. In fact, a new study now shows that writing by hand may help kids learn and understand letters faster. It also may help kids learn to read more quickly. Published in Psychological Science, the study found that handwriting allowed participants to take in several components of new letters they learned, helping them to potentially process the information more effectively.
During the research, the participants, who were all adults, were divided into three different learning groups: a handwriting group, a group that watched videos, and a group that typed responses. Each group was then introduced to Arabic letters and then had to reproduce them in different ways. Those in the handwriting group wrote the letters with a pen and paper. The video group saw the letters on the screen and had to identify them. And the group with typed responses had to locate the letters on a keyboard. The individuals in the handwriting group learned the information more quickly.
While the test was performed on adults, researchers believe the results can apply to children’s ability to learn letters, identify them, and perhaps read earlier. Children learn by using different learning styles: seeing, hearing, moving or touching. The benefit of using handwriting with these learning methods is that it brings the methods of learning information to get her in a way that strengthens understanding. Dr Wiley notes that writing is not necessary to learn to read. But the ability to connect everything being learned about the letters can be beneficial as children become readers. And handwriting can play a part.
In fact, many experts agree that computers and digital learning can be used to improve the educational experience and not to replace handwriting and that writing should be a part of the curriculum. “We should stick with some form of written practice. That’s what the evidence really shows,” Dr Rapp concludes.
1. What can we know from the findings of the new study?| A．Reading and writing are of great importance. |
| B．Writing faster may cause children to read faster. |
| C．Handwriting benefits children in more than one way. |
| D．Writing by hand is in fact harmful to children’s ability to read. |
| A．Computers. | B．Pens and paper. | C．Videos. | D．Recorders. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．Handwriting shouldn’t be ignored. |
| B．Computers aren’t good for students at all. |
| C．Handwriting is a form of digital learning. |
| D．Handwriting should replace digital learning. |
8 . Life in the future: tech that will change the way we live
The technology we’re already exposed to has paved the way for us in the future, and these current and future technologies certainly have the potential to change our lives even more.
High-rise farms
As the population of the earth continues to grow, living space also decreases, not only for human beings but for the animals and plants we rely on too.
It’s reasonable to see a future where tech will need to be developed to allow for farmland in unusual places. This idea of high-rise farms in the middle of a city isn’t totally beyond belief.
Li-Fi
Li-Fi has been experimented with for the last few years and has some interesting potential for fast data transfer speeds. Li-Fi uses light to transfer data rather than Wi-Fi’s radio waves. It’s also thought that Li-Fi will be much cheaper than Wi-Fi.
Recycling and re-engineering
The constant development of new tech means our world is often full of old tech. One thing the human race will have to do in the future is to learn new ways to recycle, reuse and re-engineer old tech to decrease waste and save the world.
People are already coming up with a variety of interesting ways to recycle old tech, including turning disused things into material for paving roads.
Healthcare nanobots
The robotic technology is being used to care for our health. Tiny nanobots could be used to check our insides to hunt our health problems. They might also be used to repair damaged organs. This could mean less time in hospital and less recovery time too.
1. What can we learn about Li-Fi?| A．It has come into use. |
| B．It uses Wi-Fi’s radio waves to transfer data. |
| C．It probably increases data transfer speed. |
| D．It will be as cheap as Wi-Fi. |
| A．Li-Fi. | B．Healthcare nanobots. |
| C．High-rise farms. | D．Recycling and re-engineering. |
| A．A science magazine. | B．A guidebook. |
| C．A book review. | D．A fiction novel. |
9 . Every year, FIFA(国际足联)selects a unique character for the World Cup which plays an important role in promoting the event. This trend started in FIFA World Cup 1966 where Willie, a lion, became the official mascot(吉祥物)of the event. On Monday, Qatar(卡塔尔)and FIFA have unveiled(揭幕)La’eeb(拉伊卜)as the Official Mascot for this year’s FIFA World Cup 2022.
La’eeb is an Arabic word meaning “super-skilled player” and is based on a “Gutra (An Arabic headdress(头饰)also known as keffiyeh),” which is a traditional piece of Qatari clothing. Khalid Ali Al Mawlawi, Chief Tournament Experience Officer, said: “We are delighted to unveil La’eeb as the Official Mascot for the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world. He comes from the mascot-verse – a place that is indescribable. We encourage everyone to imagine what it looks like.” After the reveal(揭示), fans started wondering if La’eeb resembles(像)a ghost, a handkerchief, or a stingray.
“We are sure fans everywhere will love this fun and playful character. La’eeb will play a vital role as we engage fans young and old in Qatar’s FIFA World Cup experience,” added Al Mawlawi.
La’eeb will be known for his youthful spirit; spreading joy and confidence everywhere he goes. La’eeb comes from a parallel world where tournament mascots live. It is a world where ideas and creativity form the basis of characters that live in the minds of everyone.
La’eeb will be everywhere – welcoming the world, inspiring young fans and cheering the action during the tournament, which will take place from 21 November to 18 December. In addition, fans will soon be able to download gifts and stickers of La’eeb via(经由)some social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, WhatsApp and Snapchat. La’eeb screensavers(屏保)will also be available for people to download.
1. Which of the following is correct according to the passage?| A．La’eeb is an English word meaning “super-skilled player” |
| B．Qatar World Cup 2022 is the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world |
| C．Choosing a mascot is a trend started in FIFA World Cup 2022 |
| D．Willie，a tiger, once became the official mascot of the event. |
| A．The previous mascot | B．A famous soccer player |
| C．A well-known cartoon character | D．An Arabic headdress |
| A．There is only one explanation about what La’eeb looks like |
| B．La’eeb is fun and playful |
| C．He is sure La’eeb can not be loved by the old fans |
| D．He announced that La’eeb resembled a ghost . |
| A．TikTok | B．Instagram | C．Snapchat | D．Sina-Weibo |
10 . Math is a necessary skill that people use throughout their lives. Unfortunately, many children and adults feel stressed and anxious when they have to do math. They may be experiencing what is called “math anxiety”. Because of this, many people believe that they are bad at math and don’t like math.
A recent research has shown that some children as young as 6 years old may feel anxious about math. A team of researchers asked 154 children in grades 1 and 2 questions like “How do you feel when taking a big test in your math class?” The children expressed how nervous they felt by pointing to a position on a scale (刻度), where there were different faces from a very nervous face on the left to a calm face on the right. After answering these questions, the children took a math test. These researchers found that almost half of the children who participated in the study said that they were at least somewhat nervous about doing math. Also, children with higher math anxiety got worse scores on the math test.
Scientists have also found that math anxiety develops in children who experience certain kinds of social situations that influence their thoughts or feelings. This means that the child’s emotions, opinions, or behaviors are affected by things that other people say or do. For example, teachers with high math anxiety were more likely to have students with poorer math achievements at the end of the school year.
Good news is that researchers have found tools to help people with math anxiety. These tools are called interventions (干预). For example, researchers did an intervention where they asked children with math anxiety to write about their math-related worries. Then they found that children’s math test scores improved. Therefore, it is advised to talk to classmates and teachers about math anxiety. This is the first step toward helping to reduce the possibly harmful effects of math anxiety.
1. What does the underlined word “this” refer to in Paragraph 1?| A．Math ability. | B．Stressful life. |
| C．Math anxiety. | D．Painful memory. |
| A．By making a math project. |
| B．By recording math scores. |
| C．By asking kids questions. |
| D．By showing teaching problems. |
| A．Anxiety determines math ability. |
| B．One’s math anxiety can affect others. |
| C．Students are born with math anxiety. |
| D．Children should avoid social situations. |
| A．Talking about it. | B．Working harder. |
| C．Using math tools. | D．Attending lectures. |
