1 . Maggie, Travis and Lucy’s science teacher set a special test for them. They had to work out different kinds of problems within limited time to get out of a locked room.
For the past hour, Maggie, Travis and Lucy had been locked inside a room decorated like a mad scientist’s laboratory. Together they decoded (破译) a secret language and solved a difficult maths problem. The last challenge, however, stopped them. The key to the door was trapped in a block office.
“We have to melt the ice,” Lucy said.
“But there’s nothing hot here!” Maggie complained.
Travis pulled off his sweatshirt and wrapped (裹) it around the ice. “This keeps me warm,” he reasoned.
A few minutes passed by, but the ice didn’t melt.
“Isn’t cloth an insulator (隔热材料)?” Lucy asked. She tried to remember what she had learned in science class. “Heat always flows from warm objects to cold ones. The heat in the air will eventually melt the ice, but we need to find something that will help heat move from the air to the ice more quickly.”
“What about glass?” Maggie asked.
“Glass is also an insulator. It keeps heat from moving,” Lucy said. Then she noticed a large metal tray (金属托盘) across the room. “This might work!”
Lucy put the block of ice onto the tray. Everybody’s eyes moved between the clock and the ice. Would they be able to free the key in time?
At last, the key lay in the water on the tray. The three friends rushed out of the room in the last minute.
“We made it!” Travis cheered. “Good thing you paid attention in science class!”
1. What final challenge did the three friends need to complete?| A．To solve a maths problem. | B．To learn a secret language. |
| C．To find their science teacher. | D．To get the key trapped in ice. |
| A．His sweatshirt can help melt the ice. | B．He dislikes his sweatshirt. |
| C．His sweatshirt is of good quality. | D．He wants to take off his sweatshirt. |
| A．carefully | B．suddenly | C．finally | D．properly |
2 . If you want to make yourself happy then you should know what to do. Here are some suggestions for you.
Get enough sleep. Enough sleep makes you healthy. A healthy body brings you more fun. You should sleep for 7 to 9 hours each night. Make sure to go to bed and get up around the same time every day.
Eat healthy meals. Another thing you can make yourself happier is to eat three healthy meals a day. It will provide you with energy, and make you think well. No matter how busy you are, be careful of what you eat. Because it can improve your happiness.
Find time to relax. You should try to give yourself at least 30 minutes a day for relaxation. You. can’t spend every second of your day working, or you’ll feel tired and terrible. You may read a magazine, watch TV or talk to your best friend on the phone to relax yourself.
1. According to the writer, we should sleep for each night.| A．1 to 2 hours | B．3 to 4 hours | C．7 to 9 hours | D．12 to 15 hours |
| A．early | B．same | C．different | D．late |
| A．Energy | B．sleep | C．suggestions | D．ways |
| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．five |
3 . China’s Twenty- four Solar Terms is considered to be the country’s fifth great invention. It has been added to UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (联合国教科文组织非物质文化遗产名录).
The Twenty- four Solar Terms was invented by ancient Chinese. At that time, most people were farmers. They had to learn about the movement of the sun in a year and do the farming accordingly. The Twenty- four Solar Terms shows the changes of climate, seasons and some biological phenomena (生物现象). For example, Rain Water is between February 18th and February 20th. When it comes, the temperature goes up, snow melts and there will be more and more rain. Start of Spring, Start of Summer, Start of Autumn and Start of Winter are openings of the four seasons. Awakening of Insects is between arch 5th and March 6th. During this period, many living things come out after a long winter of silence.
The Twenty- four Solar Terms shows ancient Chinese people’s wisdom. Now it is added to UNESCO’s heritage list. This means that it is accepted and will be accepted by more and more people in the world.
1. Why did ancient Chinese invent the Twenty- four Solar Terms?| A．Because they wanted to tell the differences of four seasons. |
| B．Because they wanted to learn something about the sun. |
| C．Because they wanted to help them do the farming. |
| D．Because most of them were farmers. |
| A．Summer begins. | B．The temperature goes down. |
| C．There will be more and more snow. | D．The snake comes out after a long winter sleep. |
| A．Two solar terms are mentioned. | B．Four solar terms are mentioned. |
| C．Five solar terms are mentioned. | D．Six solar terms are mentioned. |
| A．The Twenty- four Solar Terms shows that ancient Chinese people were wise. |
| B．The Twenty- four Solar Terms is one of the four great inventions. |
| C．The Twenty- four Solar Terms is added to UNESCO’s heritage list. |
| D．The Twenty- four Solar Terms is accepted in the world. |
4 . As a professional artist, people ask me all the time where I get inspiration.
If there’s a particular subject I know I need to paint or some color inspiration I can’t find in my local area, I’ll search the Internet.
Sometimes books are my great inspiration. And my favorite book for digging yourself out of a creative rut (一成不变的状态) is The Artist’s Way.
| A．What are your favorite art books? |
| B．Why do we need to find inspiration? |
| C．This will help you keep your eyes open. |
| D．If you’ve never read this book, I highly recommend it. |
| E．When I need some inspiration for a new painting, I always go outside. |
| F．This might seem strange, especially if you’re not familiar with painting. |
| G．I’m not talking about looking at other artists on the Internet and copying what they paint. |
5 . The xiao, a traditional vertical bamboo flute (长笛), is now attracting more and more attention with its long history and rich cultural meanings.
In ancient China, bamboo symbolize integrity and the spirit of striving to make progress. So, many used it to refer to their pursuits in poems. For example, the poet Su Shi once wrote, “Better to eat without meat than live without bamboo”, suggesting the importance of bamboo. Therefore, the xiao, made of bamboo, was much more than any instrument, but something the ancient literati often reminded themselves of their pursuits.
As a xiao player, Shen Yingbiao spend much time learning to play the instrument and teach others, And now is still working to promote the instrument and its culture.
“Since the Tang dynasty, the xiao was often used in gatherings of the educated. It was so popular,” says Shen. “But the instrument kept its unique attractiveness, which paved the way for it to be revived. It produces heavenly music, which agrees with traditional Chinese aesthetic idea, ‘the greatest music has the faintest notes.’.”
In Shen’s view, compared with others, the xiao is an extremely simple instrument. Since it is so simple that you can hardly make any changes on it, you can only change yourself to make your music performance better and better.
1. Why is SuShi’s poem mentioned in the second paragraph?| A．To prize the bamboo spirit of striving to make progress. |
| B．To show the influence of bamboo on chinese poetry. |
| C．To imply Su Shi’s talent in writing poems about bamboo. |
| D．To prove the significance of bamboo in ancient Chinese scholars. |
| A．Because it can produce wonderful music. |
| B．Because it is popular among the educated. |
| C．Because it is easy to match with popular instruments. |
| D．Because its faint notes suit the traditional Chinese artistic idea. |
| A．Flexibility. | B．Persistence. | C．Patience. | D．Carefulness. |
| A．Shen Yingbao, A Well-Known Xiao Player。 |
| B．The Xiao, A Musical Instruments for Poets. |
| C．The Xiao, Sound of The Past, Note for The Future. |
| D．What Makes the Xiao A Special Musical Instrument? |
6 . Plants might be able to hear their neighbors, according to a study that suggests plants use the sound signal to communicate with one another.
“We have shown that plants can recognize when a good neighbor is growing next to them,” said study co-author Monica Gagliano, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Western Australia. “We found that this communication can be based upon an acoustic (声音的) exchange.”
The findings suggest that plants can not only “smell” the chemicals and “see” the reflected light of their neighbors, they may also “listen” to the plants around them.
“Plants are more intricate organisms than we’ve given them credit for,” Gagliano said.
In the study, Gagliano and her workmate Michael Renton showed that chili plants sprouted faster and were healthier, compared with those grown in isolation, when they were grown next to “good neighbors”, such as basil.
Remarkably, the scientists got the same result even when the plants were separated by black plastic so that they could not exchange light or chemical signals.
The scientists said the study is groundbreaking but still in its early days, and admitted there are still many unanswered questions. For example, are plants intentionally (有意地) communicating with one another? And if they are, do they all speak in a universal (通用的) “plant language”? To these questions and more, Gagliano said, the answer is “we don’t know”.
Gagliano thinks learning the secrets of plant communication could have practical applications (应用) that could benefit humans. She imagines farmers using music to encourage or discourage the growth of certain plants, reducing the need for pesticides.
Study co-author Renton warned, however, that the effects in their study were fairly small. “Whether it would be economically viable (经济上可行的),” he said, “for a farmer to play music to get that little extra growth speed, I think it’s pointless and costly.”
1. What did the study find out about plants?| A．They have a great influence on their neighboring animals. |
| B．They can sense their surroundings through sounds. |
| C．They can control their own growth in the dark. |
| D．They grow much healthier in isolation. |
| A．Endangered. | B．Natural. | C．Complex. | D．Productive. |
| A．It is inspiring but the findings are limited. |
| B．It is a failure but the methods deserve praise. |
| C．It can help plants send signals more effectively. |
| D．It will draw public attention to the protection of plants. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Supportive. | C．Uncaring. | D．Opposed. |
7 . How to age gracefully?
As we age, it is natural to experience changes in our bodies and minds.
Prioritize (给……优先权) self-care
To start with, it’s vital that you put yourself and self-care first! This is important at any stage of life. And you will thank yourself later for starting early. Practicing self-care can look different for everyone.
Stay active
Regular exercise is important in maintaining good health, physically and mentally. While important throughout our lives, it can be easy as we age to want to stop exercising.
Connect and socialize
Embrace your age
Instead of fighting the natural changes that come with getting older, embrace your age and all that comes with it.
| A．Just make sure you are doing things you enjoy. |
| B．Remember, this is the time that you should take exercise. |
| C．Celebrate the wisdom and experience that you have gained. |
| D．Enough sleep is essential for overall health and well-being. |
| E．However, aging doesn’t have to mean a decline in health or energy. |
| F．It’s never too late to invest more time in your health and well being. |
| G．As we get older, it gets easier to separate ourselves from others and stay indoors. |
8 . Four Books Worth Reading
Book: Cloacal ContemplationsAuthor: Llyris Wood
Price: Paperback $20.99
This collection of true stories shares the funny, sad, and interesting experiences of a long-term wildlife carer and shows readers how amazing our wildlife is. The book shows it is important for us to protect the wildlife and offers the ways to do that.
Book: SplashdownAuthor: Russell Smith
Price: Paperback$19.99
Three young people developed a unique seaplane service in New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds, where seaplanes were formerly unknown. Follow their many adventures—some highly amusing, some harrowing and often life-saving. It is a book full of creative ideas, which help to develop your ability of imagination.
Book: An Entangled LifeAuthor: Dr. Greta Archbold
Price: Paperback $33.99
This is the story of a woman looking for love and happiness. After 16 years of searching, a miracle occurs on a vacation to Israel, where she meets her true love. Love is the theme of the world and the life without love is incomplete. Read this book and understand the true meaning of love.
Book: The Gift of LiteracyAuthor: Elaine Alvin
Price: Paperback$12.86
This manual aims to guide teachers and parents as they handle students with learning difficulties, as well as underachieving gifted and talented kids, in the area of literacy. It shows real annoying cases related to literacy in daily life and introduces the ways to deal with them. The manual is so popular with teachers and parents that it sells well since published.
1. Which book is the cheapest?| A．Cloacal Contemplations. | B．The Gift of Literacy. |
| C．An Entangled Life. | D．Splashdown. |
| A．People who are curious about wildlife. |
| B．People who do study on learning difficulties. |
| C．People who enjoy reading love stories. |
| D．People who are eager to explore new things. |
| A．Elaine Alvin | B．Russell Smith. | C．Greta Archbold. | D．Llyris Wood |
9 . Why you should be eating more pulses (豆类)
World Pulses Day is February 10, so we need get to know some popular pulses and know their benefits.
Maintaining good health means a healthy choice of foods. Pulses are healthy foods that benefit our overall health.
You can buy pulses almost all year round, and all types are recognized as a kitchen staple (主食). Pulses are more affordable than meat. And they are an inexpensive source of protein, especially important in countries where meat and dairy products are not easily accessible or too costly. Adding pulses to stews and bolognese sauces will help reduce your shopping bill. These little changes will make your sauce-based meals healthier, tastier and more filling.
Great for the environment.Essential and delicious pulses are economical and easy to prepare.
| A．Delicious and special. |
| B．Cooking pulses is not complicated if you respect the three golden rules. |
| C．An affordable, practical choice. |
| D．How they are good for our health. |
| E．Pulses boast sustainable agriculture. |
| F．Why should we be eating more throughout the year? |
| G．In other words, pulses will help prevent us from being sick. |
10 . In the days before the Internet, critical thinking was the most important skill that informed citizens could have. To think critically, you need to read carefully, consider the credibility of sources, and reason out conclusions on your own.
But right now, according to Anastasia Kozyreva, a psychologist at the Max Planck Institute of Human Development, and her colleagues, we live in an “attention economy” in which corporations compete for our attention, emotion and time. They lure (诱惑) us in with stories that stimulate our emotions while providing little useful information, all so they can expose us to revenue-generating advertisements.
To protect ourselves from attention manipulation online, we need to develop new ways of interacting with information. Kozyreva and colleagues advocate for learning the skill of critical ignoring, and point out that we can practice critical ignoring with the following tools.
The first strategy is self-nudging. This involves avoiding low-quality information so that we have more quality time for ourselves. It also calls for the removal of distracting and hard-to-resist stimuli from the environment around us.
Of course, we need to stay informed of world events and in touch with others, so we can’t just ignore the Internet altogether. Then when you do go into social media, you’d better set time limits. Limiting yourself in this way prevents you from losing track of time as you click on one attractive link after another. It’s also a good idea not to use Internet time as a reward so that you’ll lessen its appeal.
Another strategy is lateral reading. It involves opening up new browser tabs (标签) to find more about the source of the information, whether it is the site of a mainstream news agency or a lesser-known one, before diving into its contents. Only after consulting the open web can we determine whether expending attention is worth it.
Likewise, it’s also good to check the source of the information in an Internet post. Headlines are often deceiving. They’re designed to attract attention, not provide information. A sensational claim may provide a link with a headline that seems to support it, but a careful reading of the original source shows it doesn’t.
1. What does Kozyreva say about “attention economy”?| A．It can cause people emotional problems． |
| B．It sacrifices our time and concern for profit． |
| C．It has led to a great variety of advertisements． |
| D．It draws people’s attention to useful information． |
| A．Limit our sources of information． |
| B．Read as many books as possible． |
| C．Control our time on the Internet． |
| D．Get in touch with people around us． |
| A．Inspiring． | B．Entertaining． | C．Puzzling． | D．Misleading． |
| A．How to avoid falling victim to false information． |
| B．How to use the Internet without getting distracted． |
| C．How to practice critical ignoring in the digital age． |
| D．How to find high-quality information on the Internet． |
