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 . For eight years, Sophie created realistic-looking limbs (肢) for those who wanted to fit in. But she longed to work on more odd designs that would stand out. Then she met Pollyanna Hope, a young amputee (被截肢者).
“She wanted something a little different on her leg: pictures of a cartoon she loved, Peppa Pig,” said Sophie, who is now based in London. So she designed a unique leg covered in tattoo-like images of Peppa and other pigs riding a bicycle and eating ice cream. Working with Hope made Sophie realize there was a potential market for limbs.
Since then, Sophie founded the Alternative Limb Project (ALP) to make artistic limbs. Her work includes an arm wrapped in sculpted snakes and a leg that looks like porcelain (瓷器) covered in a painted flowery vine. She makes about six limbs per year, always including clients’ ideas so that they receive a personal piece they can celebrate rather than hide.
Of course, a fancy-looking limb won't suit everyone. For Sophie, the basis is that each limb must satisfy a combination of comfort, beauty and functionality, and pushing too hard in one direction can weaken other areas. But for amputees who appreciate novelty, Sophie has some amazing ideas.
“I’d really like to make a candy-dispenser leg with colorful candies inside it” she says. “Or a cuckoo-clock leg with a wooden bird that pops out every hour.” Her goal is to fashion a striking limb.
“It’ll transform the limbs from an elephant in the room into a conversation piece.”
1. Why did Pollyanna Hope come to Sophie?| A．She hoped to have a tailored limb. |
| B．She intended to design a cartoon figure. |
| C．She longed to expand the market for limbs. |
| D．She expected to sell Sophie some odd ideas. |
| A．boost users’ confidence | B．sharpen users’ creativity |
| C．improve Sophie’s sculpture skills | D．extend Sophie’s art business |
| A．The novelty of the pattern tops the list. | B．The balance of multi-needs comes first. |
| C．Fashion is the best policy. | D．Functionality is the key. |
| A．Sophie resolves to lead the fashion of limbs. |
| B．Sophie plans to further transform artistic limbs. |
| C．Amputees will feel at ease to talk about limbs. |
| D．Amputees will have easy access to artistic limbs. |
3 . In a study from Washington State University, researchers have uncovered a significant correlation between the closeness of older adults to green and blue spaces and their mental and physical well-being. The study offers convincing evidence that even small increases in access to nature can remarkably improve the health outcomes of older adults.
A mere 10% increase in forest space within a person’s living environment is linked to a noticeable decrease in serious psychological conditions. This type of suffering includes mental health challenges that need treatment and block normal social, occupational, or educational functioning. Similarly, the new study proves that enhancing green spaces, water bodies, or trail lengths by 10% appears to lower the likelihood of older individuals reporting their overall health as poor.
The researchers analyzed health survey data from over 42,000 people aged 65 and above living in urban areas of Washington state, spanning (跨越) the years 2011 to 2019. The experts related the health outcomes of these individuals to various measures quantifying their access to nature within their living areas.
Initially presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in April 2023, the research focused only on the link between psychological depression and closeness to natural spaces. The final study expanded to include additional metrics (指标) such as green space percentage and trail length, also taking into account demographic variables (人口统计变量) like race and education.
“Our findings suggest that abatement of our urban green and blue spaces due to rapid urbanization may not just have an environmental impact but could have a public health impact as well,” said Adithya Vegaraju, first author of the study.
Vegaraju said this research is among the first in the U. S. to specifically investigate the relationship between access to nature and health in the older population.
1. What does the author intend to stress in the second paragraph?| A．Access to nature can improve the elders’ mental health. |
| B．Older individuals are more likely to get close to nature. |
| C．Green space is an ideal place for educational functioning. |
| D．A person’s social interaction is linked to more green space. |
| A．By changing old people’s living habits. | B．By tracking and recording the aged people. |
| C．By comparing various measures in the study. | D．By analyzing the participants’ related data. |
| A．Solution. | B．Impact. | C．Loss. | D．Power. |
| A．It needs further research. | B．It’s a pioneer research work. |
| C．It is beneficial to everyone. | D．It will be used in other fields. |
| Name | Koala | Panda | Elephant |
| Country | Australia | China | South Africa |
| Description(描述) | It is cute and small. It eats leaves. It likes sleeping in the trees. | It’s fat and cute. It’s black and white. It eats bamboo. | It’s very quiet and strong. It eats grass and leaves, Its nose is very long. |
| Time | Only weekends 8: 00 a. m. — 4: 00 p. m. | ||
| Tickets | Adults: $ 10. 00 Children: Over 10: $ 5. 00 Under 10: free | ||
1. The elephant is from _______.
| A．China | B．Australia | C．South Africa | D．Japan |
| A．Koala | B．Panda | C．Elephant | D．Tiger |
| A．9: 30 am on Saturday | B．5: 00 pm on Sunday |
| C．8: 50 am on Tuesday | D．7: 00 pm on Monday |
| A．$10 | B．$15 | C．$50 | D．$20 |
5 . Do you know what STEM is? It stands for science, technology (技术), engineering (工程), and maths. STEM classes are popular in the US. But most STEM students are boys.
Alice Hou is a girl from Texas. She is 16 years old now. She first noticed (注意到) the STEM gender gap (性别差异) when she was in the ninth grade. Forty students from her hometown went to the state science fair that year, but only seven of them were girls.
She decided to do something about this. She set up (创建) a club called Girls in STEM. It helps girls learn more about STEM subjects. Girls can try some fun activities that can raise (激发) their interest in STEM. They can also talk to each other about studying these subjects.
The club started with seven girls at Hou’s school. But now it has 45! Other schools have also started their own Girls in STEM clubs.
1. What does the letter “M” mean in the word “STEM”?| A．Music. | B．Money. | C．Maths. | D．Match. |
| A．STEM classes are only for boys. |
| B．Alice Hou found the gender gap at the age of 16. |
| C．At first, more girls went to the state science fair. |
| D．Girls in STEM makes girls interested in STEM. |
| A．Talk about science. | B．Have a birthday party. |
| C．Learn about history. | D．Do some sports. |
| A．There are some robots (机器人). | B．There are more girls. |
| C．There are more teachers. | D．There are more clubs. |
6 . Are you an early person (人) or an evening person? That’s the question. When do you work best? For me, the answer is easy. I work best in the morning. I do all my best work before lunchtime. I get up at about eight, and then have breakfast. I listen to the radio, and read the papers. And then I start to work. Usually I work from nine to twelve, but after that I gets tired easily. On a good day I write fifteen hundred words or more, sometimes two thousand words, in the morning. Then after lunch I go for a walk or do some reading. In the evening, I like to listen to music, go to my favourite club or go out to meet people. Before ten o’clock, I go to bed and in about five minutes I fall asleep (入睡的) very quickly. If you are a writer, you need self-discipline. But when you are tired, it shows that you have to refresh (使……恢复) your mind and body.
1. The writer usually works ________ in the morning.| A．about half an hour | B．about l hours |
| C．about 3 hours | D．about 4 hours |
| A．You are a person who likes getting up early. |
| B．You are a person who likes going to bed late. |
| C．You are a person who works best in the morning or in the evening. |
| D．You are a person who likes working in the morning or in the evening. |
| A．自私的 | B．自律的 | C．自我的 | D．自以为是的 |
| A．the writer’s daily life is busy | B．the writer goes for a walk after supper |
| C．the writer does best work in the morning | D．the writer always need refresh mind and body |
7 . What do you feel passionate? What do you love (besides your family, children, and friends)? Our passion often leads us to our purpose in life. For example, am absolutely passionate about helping people work through blocks or barriers such as hurt, guilt, shame, and self-doubt in order to experience the freedom to be authentically who they are.
I believe when you find your passion, you will experience freedom, happiness and, ultimately, less anxiety and more peace. It sounds so simple. However, many people do not really know what they are passionate about because they have lost a sense of who they are. We have spent so much time trying to please others or creating stories about why we can’t do something. What if you could change this? How would your life be different?
Identify and write down the areas you love. Technology, gardening, helping others, inner design, leadership, finances, health, fitness, writing, photography, art, managing projects, and the list goes on.
Look at your thoughts around placing more emphasis on the area where you pursue either personally or professionally. What are you telling yourself? I’m not good enough. I don’t have the time or money. Whatever it is, work on deleting this from your thoughts and replacing them with the opposite statement.
Create more time in your calendar or research what add it information or resources you might need to integrate this more in your life. Maybe it’s getting a coach or instructor to help keep you on track, reduce your fears and work on your limiting conversations. Set goals and make them happen.
Living out your purpose may mean a different job or it may mean focusing your time differently or making your passion more of a priority in your life. We all matter and have a purpose. It’s never too late to create what you want.
This quote by Bob Proctor summarizes what this all means, “Your purpose explains what you are doing with your life. Your vision explains how you are living your purpose. Your goals enable you to realize your vision.”
1. Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To express his doubts. |
| C．To present an argument | D．To compare different ideas. |
| A．The benefit of passion. | B．The unknown about passion. |
| C．The disadvantage of passion. | D．The definition of passion. |
| A．To explain the purpose of action. |
| B．To demonstrate the value of Bob Proctor’s book. |
| C．To illustrate the process for achieving the goal. |
| D．To remind the readers of the importance of passion |
| A．Passion is the priority | B．Creation is never too late |
| C．Passion leads to purpose | D．Success lies in anxiety reduction |
8 . Writing poetry is away to convey emotions, memories, and homesickness without directly stating what you are describing.
Get in tune with your emotions.
Set aside time to write every day.
The only way to get better at writing poetry is to practice it. Try to write poetry for at least 10 minutes a day, or more if you have time.
| A．Your first poem can be short |
| B．People feel emotions universally |
| C．A lot of poetry is filled with feelings |
| D．Read famous poems as examples to follow |
| E．Use descriptive language to convey emotions |
| F．Write about anything that you are inspired by |
| G．However, writing poetry for the first time can be challenging |
9 . Hundreds of hours of survey footage has revealed a rare mammal in the south-west of Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil. Wildlife camera traps have recorded footage of a giant anteater(食蚁兽) wandering through scrubland in Espinilho State Park in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is the first time since the 1890s that this large mammal has been seen in the southwest of the state. Experts think the anteater came from Ibera National Park in Argentina, where a major re wilding project has been underway since 2007.
The anteater was spotted by Brazilian biologist Fabio Mazim as he was reviewing hundreds of hours of footage for a wild if e survey. “The animal seems to be in very good condition and established in the area,” says Mazim. “At the moment it is impossible for us to determine whether it is male or female, one or even several different individuals.”
According to WWF Brazil, the species was once present in all Brazilian states. It is now threatened with extinction in all regions of the country and has been lost from some states entirely. The main causes of the population decline are the damage and loss of occupied zone, hunting, road accidents and forest fires.
Giant anteaters were first l reintroduced to I bera National Park in 2007 by Rewilding Argentina. Since the start of the project, 110 anteaters orphaned by road accidents or illegal hunting have been released, and several generations now live in Ibera Wetlands. The discovery in Rio Grande do Sul state, along with additional sightings over a 100 km range, suggests that Ibera’s giant anteaters are colonizing other regions.
For the next stage of the project, researchers will try to find out if there are more individuals in the area, and determine what their favoured habitat(栖息地) is. “We intend to seize the individual sighted in Espinilho State Park, collect biological samples (样本) for genetic analysis, and compare them with the populations that exist elsewhere in Brazil.” says Flavia Miranda, a biologist who has been studying the species for 25 years.
1. How was the giant anteater discovered?| A．Through cooperation with WWF Brazil. |
| B．Through a wild adventure in Espinilho State Park. |
| C．By catching the animal for a bioresearch. |
| D．By examining picture recording for a wildlife survey. |
| A．Lack of genetic variety. |
| B．Loss of living areas and natural disasters. |
| C．Climate change and natural destruction. |
| D．Competition for resources with other species. |
| A．A major rewilding project by Re wilding Argentina. |
| B．The establishment of a protected area for anteaters |
| C．A reproductive program focused on prisoned anteaters |
| D．An anti-hunting campaign sponsored by WWF Brazil. |
| A．Releasing the giant anteater back into the wild after a health check. |
| B．Shifting the giant anteater to Ibera National Park for further studies. |
| C．Trapping the giant anteater to compare genetic samples with other populations in Brazil. |
| D．Observing the giant anteater from a distance to understand its behavior better. |
10 . Founder is turning ownership of the company after nearly 50 years into two entities (实体) that will help fight the climate crisis.
Patagonia is a private company based in Ventura, California, which sells outdoor clothing and equipment, and was founded in 1973. Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard, who has previously expressed his unwillingness at gathering wealth, is giving away his company. The outdoor clothing company will now be in the hands of a trust and a nonprofit organization. All future profits will be donated to help fight climate change, the company announced Wednesday.
“It’s been a half-century since we began our experiment in responsible business,” Chouinard said. “As the business leader In ever wanted to be, I am doing my part” He added, “Instead of taking value from nature and turning it into wealth, we are using the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the resources. We’re making Earth our only shareholder. I am dead serious about saving this planet.”
Chouinard and his family will be turning over their entire ownership share into two newly created entities. Those entities will ensure that the company’s values will continue to be upheld—and that Patagonia’s profits are used to combat climate change.
“If we have any hope of a thriving planet 50 years from now, it demands that all of us should do all we can with the resources we have. We want to both protect the purpose of the business and immediately and continuously release more funding to fight the environmental crisis. We believe this new structure delivers on both and we hope it will inspire a new way of doing business that puts people and the planet first.” Chouinard said in a statement Wednesday.
This nonprofit organization will make sure that the company’s annual profits, about $100 million per year, will be used to protect nature and biodiversity, support thriving communities and fight the environmental crisis.
1. What is the goal for donating Patagonia?| A．To maximize shareholder value. |
| B．To turn the structure of the company. |
| C．To use its profits for protection of nature. |
| D．To become a leader in the business world. |
| A．Limiting. | B．Interesting. | C．Promising. | D．Rewarding. |
| A．Kill two birds with one stone. | B．Helping others is a virtue. |
| C．Rose presented, smell remained. | D．Actions speak louder than words. |
| A．His pursuit of success. | B．His social responsibility. |
| C．His rich life experiences. | D．His great business talent. |
