1 . Each year, our education team works to create a brand-new STEM curriculum. In our 2023 program—Wonder, campers build confidence and work together to take on four exciting challenges, exploring innovation, creative problem solving and design thinking, all while developing persistence and having fun!
Catching AirIn a high-energy adventure combining physics and creativity, kids design and build a mini skate park! They will have to pick out their own mini skateboard. Then, they’ll practice persistence by constructing an awesome skate park complete with ramps, rails, ledges and other features that will put their wheels to the test.
Invention CelebrationIn this festive experience, kids take on the role of event planners as they learn about the importance of celebrating. They’ll investigate the science of sights, sounds and circuitry (线路) as they plan their party with light-up party hats, colorful bubbles, art banners and musical instruments. They will also learn about the efficiency of machines.
MimicBot (模拟机器人)Exploring nature, genetics and adaptive innovation, kids will turn a MimicBot into an animatronic (电子动物) stuffie. After receiving their bot, they take it apart to investigate its inner mechanics and what makes it move. Once they put it back together, they will personalize their stuffies and use problem-solving skills and intellectual property to protect it from the idea-stealing Copy Cat!
Pop-Up VentureThe sky is the limit as kids discover what it takes to develop and run a business of their dreams! In this creative challenge, they’ll build their own pop-up shop, making decisions and using original strategies to attract customers. Children will communicate through marketing and advertising, learning how to launch and operate their own venture.
1. What can kids learn at Catching Air?| A．Plan a celebration. | B．Design and build a skate park. |
| C．Set up and run a business. | D．Look into the inner side of machines. |
| A．They are only designed to amuse kids. |
| B．They need adults to provide guidance. |
| C．They call for the same ability to finish. |
| D．They teach kids something while having fun. |
| A．To educate. | B．To advise. | C．To introduce. | D．To advertise. |
2 . You might worry that you won’t fit in or make many friends when you come to middle school. It’s totally normal to feel some anxiety about new social situations and friendships. The fact is, you’re not alone.
Give yourself an introduction tour to meet new friends
While it’s always comfortable to hang out with people you already know, being open and friendly to students you haven’t met before is how you make new friends.
Lean into kindness
Not everyone is going to be their best self all the time. People will annoy you or even be downright mean once in a while. The trick here is to lean into kindness.
Hobby up
Try to keep a positive attitude , including body language and facial expressions. If someone you don’t know introduces themselves, start up a conversation. Invite someone who is sitting alone to join you for lunch or ask someone with a common interest to join a club you like.
| A．Let your happy self shine |
| B．Keep your old friends close |
| C．You might have more choices in middle school |
| D．Middle school is a time your interests probably change |
| E．This means trying not to talk about people behind their backs |
| F．So don’t be afraid to smile and introduce yourself to new people |
| G．Every other kid at middle school is also trying to figure out who they are |
3 . To Be at Your Best, Dial It Back a Bit
Many of us were raised in the idea of hard work and max effort, and taught that what we put in was what we got out. Now, some coaches and corporate leaders have a new message.
The benefits of doing less
Constant comparison often means no end result ever feels good enough. Even searching for, say, the best umbrella to buy can become a time-consuming problem. If you make a decision with only 85% of the information in hand, what’s the result?
Just tough enough
If a task is too hard, humans get less motivated, says Bob Wilson.
Know when to stop
Grace Ueng, a leadership coach and strategy consultant, learned the “85-15 rule.”
| A．Neither should the goals be too easy. |
| B．The harder we try, the worse we get. |
| C．You will win back some time for other things. |
| D．The trick is to try for 85% rather than perfection. |
| E．Difficulty standard set at 85 is the sweet spot for us to grow. |
| F．The idea was to stop once you were 85% complete on a project. |
| G．Before a recent performance, she read a book rather than practicing. |
4 . In the past week almost 120 global leaders have resolved to triple (使增至三倍) the world’s renewable energy capacity before 2030 in an attempt to reduce the global consumption of fossil fuels. As the second half of the Cop28 UN climate conference in Dubai unfolds , more countries may join the calls for a global target of 11 TW (太瓦) of renewable power by the end of the decade, three times higher than the 3.629 TW in place at the end of 2022.
Renewable energy really could be tripled in this decade, but it won’t be a breeze, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) .
Based on the rate of growth for wind and solar power, the world is on track to meet this target. But the global energy watchdog (监察人) has warned that “stronger policy actions by governments” will be required to overcome challenges, such as rising costs, uncertain supply chains and grid (电力网) bottlenecks, which are considered essential to hit the goal of limiting global heating to within 1.5C of preindustrialised levels.
Renewable energy sources tripled, the global demand for coal power would be cut in half by 2030, according to estimates. “This is crucial for 1.5C,”said Dave Jones, the global insights lead for climate think-tank Ember. “The tripling goal would take renewables to the next level, with solar and wind reaching 40% of global electricity generation by 2030.”
The goal has won the support of 118 countries. In practice, not every country will triple its renewable capacity to meet the global target. Some countries starting from a lower level would need to more than triple their wind and solar power, while for others with a high share of renewables already, it would not be practical to triple their capacity again.
The prospect of having demand for coal is a goal worth struggling for, but governments must stay the course. Increasing capacity may have been simple in recent years with low interest rates and government support schemes, but the sector’s progress for the rest of the decade is less certain.
1. What does the underlined word “breeze” mean in paragraph 2?| A．A demanding mission. | B．An effortless task. |
| C．A dreamy vision. | D．A fruitless effort. |
| A．The road to the top is full of twists and turns. | B．A good beginning is half done. |
| C．No pains, no gains. | D．Rise from the fall, and you’ll rise high. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Neutral. | C．Cautious. | D．Optimistic. |
| A．Drawbacks of power generation using coal. |
| B．Ways to triple the output of sustainable energy. |
| C．Specific difficulties in the future and solutions. |
| D．Joint achievements made by nearly 200 countries. |
5 . Mobile phone photography is not just a casual snap（抓拍） but an art. This article will recommend some apps for photography enthusiast to shoot various landscapes, portraits, or foods.
◆B612B612 is a photo-taking app that comes with a variety of artistic features, cute stickers, and effects that can add creativity and style to your photos. You can see the different effects before taking the photo, so you can get the best possible images. This helps you make informed decisions.
◆ManbokerManboker, known as Magic Camera, is the first app to create comic-style images directly without editing. The app offers a range of effects, and tools to give your photos a comic-like appearance. You can apply speech bubbles （气泡）, texts, and stickers to enhance the story-telling aspect.
◆SnapseedSnapseed is mainly used for photo editing rather than photo taking. The app offers a comprehensive set of editing tools, including adjustments for exposure, contrast and more. With its non-destructive editing, you can easily compare different edits and undo or adjust them as needed.
◆FoodieFoodie is an app specially designed for taking pictures of food. It allows you to capture delicious food moments with ease. Whether they are fancy cuisines or home-cooked meals, Foodie helps you showcase the colors, textures, and details of the food in the most appealing way.
Experiment with different apps, explore their features and start capturing the world around you in a whole new way!
1. If you want your photos to have a cute and creative style, which app would you choose?| A．Manboker. | B．Snapseed. | C．Foodie. | D．B612. |
| A．Manboker is designed to take comic-style photos. |
| B．Snapseed comes with artistic features and cute stickers. |
| C．Foodie is mainly used for photo-editing. |
| D．B612 features non-destructive photo shooting. |
| A．Mobile phone users. | B．Photography beginners. |
| C．Professional photographers. | D．Photography enthusiasts. |
6 . Italy’s oldest man Tripoli Giannini, who credited “light meals and no stress” for his longevity, has died at the age of 111, on New Year’s Eve. He was the second oldest man in Europe, after André Ludwig, a Frenchman 75 days older.
His son, Romano, wrote on Facebook: “He believed he was immortal …instead, at 9.30 am, December 31, 2023, my father Tripoli Giannini died. He was 111 years and 133 days old — a record! He joins his wife, Tosca, my mother, who has waited for him for over 40 years.”
There are a record number of centenarians (百岁老人) in Italy. According to the national statistics agency, there were 22,000 people aged over 100 in 2023. The vast majority are women.
His life is like a living history textbook. Giannini, who belonged to the Italian army infantry corps, was born in Cecina in 1912. He not only witnessed the changes of the two world wars, but also experienced the election of about ten popes (教皇). The more admirable thing is that he has successfully withstood the multiple pandemic s from Spanish flu in his childhood to COVID-19 in his later years, demonstrating his unyielding energy. He is not only known for his longevity, but also a sports enthusiast.
During celebrations, he said the secrets to his longevity were light meals — always accompanied by wine — no stress, being a non-smoker and treating each day as a gift.
The Italian island of Sardinia has been identified as one of five regions in the world that have high concentrations of centenarians, while the Italian city with the most people over the age of 100 is Genoa in Liguria. The Mediterranean diet has long been considered to be the main ingredient for longevity among Italians. The country’s ageing population is a challenge for the government, especially as it coincides with a reducing birthrate, placing pressure on the pension and healthcare systems.
1. How old might Tripoli Giannini be when he lost his wife?| A．In his 50s. | B．In his 60s. | C．In his 80s. | D．In his 90s. |
| A．Wine drinking and smoking. | B．Light diets and no pressure. |
| C．Wine drinking and his wife. | D．Light diets and healthcare. |
| A．He might get involved in politics. |
| B．He might be optimistic towards life. |
| C．He might be the oldest in both Italy and Europe. |
| D．He might have suffered from many illnesses in his long life. |
| A．To advertise the diet of Italy. | B．To promote the anti-smoking campaign. |
| C．To highlight the ageing situation in Italy. | D．To publicize Italy’s oldest man’s death. |
7 . When Mark Twain first set eyes on Honolulu in 1866, he observed that the trees were so thick that they blocked the sunlight, rocks from past volcanic eruptions covered the corals — and lovely cats were everywhere.
Nearly 160 years later, however, the descendants (后代) of the cats that so pleased Twain are now widely seen as a threat to the islands. The wild cat, explains the Hawaii Invasive (侵入的) Species Council (HISC), has become one of the state’s most “disastrous” animals.
Cats were first brought to Hawaii aboard European colonists’ ships, where they killed rats and mice. As their number in their new home grew during the 19th century, birds started to disappear. At least 30 types of native bird became rarer or went extinct between 1870 and 1930 as they were exposed to their new enemies, according to the US Geological Survey.
Toxoplasmosis (弓形虫病) is a disease caused by a parasite (寄生虫) that reproduces in the digestive systems of cats, and then pollutes soil and water through their faces (粪便). A new study determined that two spinner dolphins found on the Hawaiian coast died of toxoplasmosis. From these findings the authors suggest that at least 60 spinner dolphins have died of the parasite over the past 30 years.
A bill that could have directed the HISC to kill cats using poisoned food, as Australia has done, died in the state legislature earlier this year. Animal-lovers prefer to focus on catching wild cats, removing their sex organs and releasing them so that they have no kittens. But HISC contends that such programmes do not actually help control cat numbers. Ms West suggests that people are too quick to blame the cats, when there is another cruel animal. “People have to stop abandoning these poor cats,” she says. “It’s not really a cat problem. It’s a human problem.”
1. What’s the purpose of Paragraph 1?| A．To stress Mark Twain’s impression on cats. | B．To urge people to show love to cats. |
| C．To indicate the change of cats in the history. | D．To lead in the topic of the wild cats in Hawaii. |
| A．The loss of habitat. | B．The infectious disease. |
| C．The increase of cats. | D．The polluted food. |
| A．Solutions to the problem. | B．Influence on the society. |
| C．Discovery of the phenomenon. | D．Outcome of the situation. |
| A．Species Invasion Is Common in Hawaii | B．Wild Cats Have Invaded Hawaii |
| C．Humans Caused the Increase of Cats | D．Getting Rid of Wild Cats in Hawaii |
8 . Ten years after Starbucks arrived in Vietnam, the outcome is clear: Vietnamese people love coffee, but they don’t really seem to like Starbucks.
Starbucks accounted for just 2% of Vietnam’s $1.2bn coffee-drinking market in 2022. It has 92 stores, which works out to less than one for every million people.
Starbucks’ presence remains limited due to the consumer preference for local coffee flavors. Vietnam, after all, is no stranger to coffee: It’s the world’s second largest exporter of coffee. For one thing, the Starbucks menu is not diverse. French settlers introduced coffee to Vietnam in the 19th century. But the first coffee plant was of the Arabica species and did not adapt well to the country’s hot and humid climate and soil. Later, the French brought Robusta plants and that is the coffee popular in Vietnam today. 97% of the coffee Vietnam consumes every year is of the Robusta variety. Starbucks, however, uses 100% Arabica beans. It might explain why even coffee drinkers who do go to Starbucks don’t seem to love what’s available.
For another thing, the Starbuck’s menu has none of the local favorites. Some local Vietnamese brands mix traditional Robusta coffee with egg yolk, yogurt, concentrated milk, ice and even fruit to attract new customers. However, in Starbucks chain stores, the Java chip frappucinos (可可碎片星冰乐) and pumpkin spiced lattes (南瓜丝绒拿铁) that have won elsewhere just don’t seem to cut it here.
The menu is by no means inexpensive for a competitive market like Vietnam, which is another reason why Vietnamese people hesitate to go to Starbucks. A medium-sized drink at Starbucks with none of the add-ons costs about $3.6. That’s out of reach for most in a country where the average monthly wage is only around $345.
“I only went to Starbucks once, because I wanted to try the luxurious coffee. Starbucks coffee is nothing special tome. It’s too fancy and I don’t like the taste.” Tram Nguyen says. “I can enjoy a quality coffee at a Vietnamese coffee shop at half the price.”
1. Why does the author give some figures in paragraph 2?| A．To show the large population of Vietnam. |
| B．To illustrate the slight failure of Starbucks in Vietnam. |
| C．To introduce the rapid development of Starbucks in Vietnam. |
| D．To prove the fact that the Vietnamese dislike coffee. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．Java chip frappucinos with ice. | B．Arabica beans with egg yolk. |
| C．Robusta coffee with yogurt. | D．Arabica coffee with concentrated milk. |
| A．Starbucks Vietnam: failure to win over coffee-loving Vietnamese. |
| B．Starbucks Vietnam: less diversity than Vietnamese local coffee. |
| C．Vietnamese coffee: national pride for the Vietnamese. |
| D．Starbucks Vietnam: a model of global luxurious coffee. |
9 . This weekend’s Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is the nation’s largest literary festival. Here are 4 Quick Picks.
If you enjoy our community book club — The L. A. Times Book Club, you can come to Norris Theatre for a meeting with novelist and screenwriter Gabrielle Zevin at 1:45 pm. She’ll be on stage with Times editor Samantha Melbourneweaver discussing “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow”. The festival is Zevin’s first L. A. appearance since the novel came out last summer.
If you love mysteries, you can come to Bovard Auditorium at 12:30 pm. Michael Connelly was a reporter working in Florida and Southern California when he began writing stories inspired by his daily job. Three dozen novels, and multiple TV series later, Connelly remains a festival (and L. A. Times Book Club) favorite. He’ll be in conversation today with another writing legend: James Ellroy.
If you like a juicy book-to-screen adaptation, you can come to the L. A. Times Main Stage at 12:50 pm. Last summer everyone was talking about “The Last Thing He Told Me”. Its author Laura Dave tells us a story about a California woman desperately trying to find her missing husband after he leaves behind a troubling note. Today Laura Dave will be in conversation with Times TV critic Lorraine Ali.
If you love children’s literature, you can come to Town and Gown at noon. Beloved children’s authors Kate DiCamillo and Lois Lowry will be talking about their careers and middle-grade fiction. DiCamillo, the author of “Because of Winn-Dixie”, is a two-time Newbery Medalist. Lowry has written more than 40 books and has been awarded the Newber y Medal twice, too.
1. Which best suits people who arrive at the festival at 1:30 pm?| A．Norris Theatre. | B．Bovard Auditorium. |
| C．The L. A. Times Main Stage. | D．Town and Gown. |
| A．He has retired to write at home. | B．His novels come from his real life. |
| C．He has lost popularity with readers. | D．His novels fail to be made into a film. |
| A．All the authors involved have won awards. | B．It’s hard for readers to get tickets. |
| C．There will be two people on stage talking. | D．All the books have been adapted into films. |
10 . What makes a good reader? You can find the answer in Readers Club. Today, we have some books for you. Come and join the fun!
The Old Man and the Sea won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1953. A year later, Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for Literature. The Old Man and the Sea is generally considered by many to be his greatest achievement. The leading character in this book is a person who can face difficulties and never give up.Hardback ￥21.70 Paperback ￥16.00
Heart, written by Edmondo De Amicis from Italy, is a diary of an Italian boy Eric. In his diary, he writes about the greatest love in the world: love for the nation, for the society, and also teachers’ love, classmates’ love, parents’ love, children’s love.
Hardback ￥27.20 Paperback ￥16.40
Peter Pan, created by Scottish novelist and playwright J.M. Barrie. Peter Pan is a young boy who can fly and never grows up. He spends his never-ending childhood having adventures (冒险) on the mythical island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys, playing happily with children both inside and outside Neverland.
Hardback ￥22.70 Paperback ￥14.60
Club members will get a discount (折扣) of 10% for hardback books and 20% for paperback books.
If you buy any of the two hardback books, e-books will be free for you.
1. Who won the Nobel Prize for literature?| A．Hemingway. | B．Leo Tolstoy. | C．Edmondo De Amicis. | D．Eric |
| A．Love. | B．Success. | C．Adventure. | D．loss. |
| A．A boy who likes keeping diaries. |
| B．A boy who always misses his family. |
| C．A boy who enjoys his never-ending childhood. |
| D．A boy who loves his teachers and classmates. |
