1 . Are you a fan of outdoor adventures? Do you enjoy scenic views to relax? Look no further, as the following destinations offer all that and more.
Athabasca Falls
Alberta, Canada
Water from the Canadian Rockies flows down into the waterfalls of Jasper National Park, creating a flow with wild energy. The falls are wheelchairs accessible, with a paved path taking admirers to a number of viewpoints. If visitors leave the path, they can explore both the upper and lower regions of the trail.
Akaka Falls Trail
Hakalau, Hawaii
A short half-mile hike is big on sights and low on hard activity. The well-kept ring like trail guide visitors around to see a number of waterfalls, including the 442-foot main attraction, and beautiful local flora (植物群) among the famous landscape. Though there are no hills to climb, there are a number of stairways to go.
Nugget Falls
Juneau, Alaska
Located in Tongass National Forest about 12 miles from Juneau, the Mendenhall Glacier has produced Nugget Falls, a fan-like waterfall that leads into a lake. A series of short hikes allows for different views of the waterfall and icy surrounds, which are also known for frequent brown bear sightings.
Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Valley, California
Yosemite National Park is one of the oldest national parks in America and home to the fifth tallest waterfall in the world. Hikers can reach it by taking a 1-mile trail from the lodge or the 7.2-mile round-trip Yosemite Falls Trail route. Late spring is best, with the highest water flow. In the winter, the temperatures dip below freezing. A park admission fee applies.
1. Where can visitors expect to see frequent brown bear sightings?| A．Athabasca Falls. | B．Akaka Falls Trail. | C．Nugget Falls. | D．Yosemite Falls. |
| A．Winter. | B．Spring. | C．Summer. | D．Fall. |
| A．In a travel magazine. | B．In a novel. | C．In a history book. | D．In a diary. |
2 . Dan Scarfe, the boss of a new company that has found a way to unlock conversation for deaf people, says the idea hit him over Christmas with his family last year.
Scarfe’s grandfather was 97 years old with hearing problems, so he had great trouble communicating with others in the family. This inspired (激励) Scarfe to find a solution so that his grandfather could “talk” with others. “My grandfather either sits in silence or watches TV all the time with subtitles (字幕),” said Scarfe.
Now, just six months later, his company, with the help of Augmented Reality Classes, has invented XRAI Glasses.
The XRAI Glasses are connected to a mobile phone. Our software receives a sound from the microphone on these glasses and sends it down to the phone. Then the phone turns the sound into subtitles. Finally the deaf people can understand it.
“As a deaf person myself, I think it brings us much convenience,” said Steve Crump, Founder and Chair, DeafKidz International. “When I tried on the glasses, the real time subtitles make me join others in their “talk”. I have never done it before. It’s perfect”.
Though XRAI Glasses haves been considered by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People as a game changer with the ability to change lives, the invention is not without its disadvantages. It can’t understand group conversations well when many people talk together. Scarfe said, “we are doing research to make the glasses serve deaf people better. Hopefully, they are available (上市) by September”.
1. What inspired Dan Scarfe to invent the XRAI glasses?| A．Hoping to change the world. | B．Noticing his grandpa’s condition. |
| C．Seeing many deaf people around him. | D．Believing it as a way to make money. |
| A．Where the XRAI Glasses are made. | B．What the XRAI Glasses look like. |
| C．Why the XRAI glasses are popular. | D．How the XRAI glasses work. |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Anxious. | C．Satisfied. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．The XRAI glasses still need improvements. |
| B．The XRAI glasses are available to customers. |
| C．The XRAI glasses deal with group talking well. |
| D．The XRAI glasses can only be tested by the elderly. |
3 . Mountain safety should be carefully considered before starting a hike in the mountains, but even with careful planning of your route getting lost can happen. So what should you do if you get lost hiking in the mountains? Do not be anxious.
Stop — As soon as you realize you may be lost, you should stop, keep calm and stay where you are.
Think — How did you get to where you are? What landmarks should you be able to see? Where were you when you were last sure you knew where you were?
Observe (观察) — What can you see? Where is the sun in the sky? What does the weather look like it is going to be? What supplies do you have? How long will they last?
Plan — Never move until you have a plan.
☆ Check for phone coverage. If you can still use your phone, it’s the best. You can call rescuers to help you. They may be able to explain how to get home.
☆ Attract attention. Use a whistle to try and attract attention. Three blasts is the universal signal for help.
☆
| A．Shout for help |
| B．Take out your bright items |
| C．Find a shelter to sleep well |
| D．They may even come to get you |
| E．Based on your thinking and observations |
| F．Keeping hiking is likely to get you even more lost |
| G．That is the worst thing you can do and will probably make things worse |
4 . Every year, about 25, 000 plastic tents are thrown away after festivals in the Netherlands. That’s enough tents to get you from base camp to the top of Everest (珠穆朗玛) if you set up a tent every metre of the way. These plastic tent not only cause a lot of pollution to the environment, but they also have to be dealt with.
Into this situation stepped the KarTent. It’s a good solution to the plastic tent problem. The KarTent is a cardboard (纸板) tent. It is put up for you at the beginning of the festival and when the festival is over, the makers pick it up, take it away and recycle it into other products. No more plastic, no more waste. The production of one KarTent produces half the CO2 of a plastic tent. In the past, about thirty different materials were used to produce a tent. It may take hundreds of years to biodegrade (降解) the materials. However, to produce a KarTent, only one material is needed. It’s cardboard.
The tent is the brainchild of three Dutch businessmen: Jan Portheine, Wout Kommer, and Timo Krenn. After working on a cardboard beach hut, architect Jan started to look for other ways to use the skills he had learned, “In a meeting I met Wout and we found pictures of tents being left behind at festivals, and that’s how the idea started.”
Perhaps next time you’re at a festival you won’t have to look out across the sea of plastic, instead you’ll see the cardboard tents being neatly put into a truck and taken away to be recycled.
1. Why is Everest mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To compare the Netherlands with it. | B．To introduce a famous place for us to visit. |
| C．To offer the wonderful place to put up tents. | D．To show the pollution caused by plastic tents. |
| A．Plastic. | B．Wood. | C．Cardboard. | D．Glass. |
| A．The campers themselves. | B．The makers of the tents. |
| C．The workers of festivals. | D．The inventors of the tents. |
| A．A creative idea. | B．A kind of illness. |
| C．A clever child. | D．A special experience. |
5 . One cold morning in early 2015, Lauren Passell was on her way to work. Suddenly, she fell down on the sidewalk. As she tried to stand up, a stranger appeared from the crowd and knelt (跪下) beside her.
The woman introduced herself as Sharon Evans. As Evans helped Passell up, all Passell could think about was that she needed to get to work. But she was in terrible pain, and could hardly stand. Seeing this, Evans told Passell to stay still while she called a taxi.
“And I said, ‘No, you don’t have to do that. I’m sure you have places to be, I can do it.’ And honestly, the second time she said, ‘No, I’m getting you a taxi’ I thought, ‘Oh, thank you. I don’t think I can do this alone.’ ”
Once the taxi arrived, Evans got in with her. Passell tried to tell her that it wasn’t necessary. But Evans stuck to it. Once again, Passel was secretly relieved (如释重负) to have Evans’ help.
Evans didn’t just go to the hospital with Passell. She helped her fill out the paperwork, and even took Passell to the bathroom. Each time, Passell tried to advise Evans to leave, to get to work. And each time, Evans refused.
Once it was time for Passell to be seen by doctors, Evans left. It turned out that Passell’s condition was serious. The doctors told her she needed to have an operation (手术) — if not, she could have died due to the blood clots.
Passell not only recovered (恢复), but ran a half marathon the next year. “I might’ve died if Sharon hadn’t shown so much kindness. So thank you, Sharon, for saving my life. And I hope one day I can pick someone off the sidewalk, just like you did for me.”
1. What happened to Lauren Passell on her way to work?| A．She ran a half marathon. | B．She met a traffic accident. |
| C．She talked with her friend. | D．She fell down and hurt herself. |
| A．Strangers. | B．Old friends. | C．Boss and worker. | D．Doctor and patient. |
| A．To run a marathon. | B．To help those in need. |
| C．To show kindness to Sharon. | D．To wait for Sharon off the sidewalk. |
| A．Brave and honest. | B．Clever and humorous. |
| C．Kind and helpful. | D．Outgoing and friendly. |
6 . Open Lands Day
Join us at the Rogue River Preserve for a very special Open Lands Day!
The preserve includes two miles of riverfront along the Rogue River, a large forest, and some woodlands. It is only open to the public during special events, work parties, and youth education programs. So, come and take advantage of this special opportunity and explore the trails at your own pace, attend a guided hike, bring a picnic lunch to enjoy by the river, or all three.
To limit crowding, registration is required for hikes or self-guided exploration for the day.
| Hike | Time | Activities | |
| Self-guided hike | 10: 00-3: 00 | Explore the preserve at your own pace. | |
| Guided hikes | Lichen Hike | 10: 30-12: 00 | Discover the mysterious lichens (地衣) that live on trees, rocks, and soil with lichenologist, Steve Sheehy. Learn how to identify some of the 57 liches that have been described on the preserve. |
| Cryptozoology Hike “Sassy with Sasquatch” | 12: 00-1: 00 | Bigfoot, Yeti, Sasquatch! Let’s go for a walk to the Fairy Forest and discuss the rare creatures of the Pacific Northwest. This hike will be guided by Rebekah Bergkoetter, Land Steward at SOLC. | |
| Cryptozoology Hike ‘Ness Around and Find Out’ | 1: 30-2: 30 | Learn about the monster (怪物) of Loch Ness while we walk around and find more creatures unique to this area. This hike will be guided by Rebekah Berg koetter, Land Steward at SOLC. | |
Meeting Location: Rogue River Preserve
Pet Policy (政策): This preserve is protected to conserve special habitats. Therefore, we kindly ask you to leave your pets at home. Certified Assistance Dogs will be the only dogs that are allowed.
1. What is a must for hikers at the Rogue River Preserve?
| A．To take a dog. | B．To follow a guide. |
| C．To make a schedule. | D．To register in advance. |
| A．Cryptozoology Hike ‘Ness Around and Find Out’. | B．Cryptozoology Hike ‘Sassy with Sasquatch’. |
| C．Self-guided hike. | D．Lichen Hike. |
| A．All kinds of pets are allowed at the preserve. |
| B．Visitors can only bring beautiful pets to the preserve. |
| C．The preserve can help visitors to take care of the pets. |
| D．Only Certified Assistance Dogs are allowed at the preserve. |
7 . In the past generations, our ancestors (祖先) lived with the simplest way. When science and technology materialize, there are various developments in the world that change and improve the way of living of people. As years go by, more and more innovations (创新) were created by applying the ideas of science and technologies. Most of these have positive effects on the society but some of these are harmful in certain ways. However, the importance of science and technology can’t be denied.
Science and innovation have mainly affected society, and their effect is developing. It makes life simpler and makes people more gainful. This change has positive and negative effects. The benefit is making life simpler while the other side is that it makes individuals needy and lazier. By making life simpler, science has allowed man to seek for cultural concerns to improve human conditions.
Science and technology can shape the general public we live in very well and can make us feel simpler, safer and increasingly gainful. However, it also can be used wrongly, which can harm many blameless lives. We must think for our own progress as well as for the improvement of each person of this planet that we call our own home.
In short, science and innovation have made a great contribution to our lives. They may also be related to us greatly. In this way, their effects will depend on how we follow up on them. In addition, if we see the more brilliant side of innovation, it is the foundation of national construction.
1. What does the underlined word “materialize” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Return. | B．Appear. | C．Stay. | D．go. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Negative. | C．Doubtful. | D．Objective. |
| A．A better living condition. | B．People becoming less adaptive. |
| C．People becoming determined. | D．A colorful history. |
| A．Improve studying standard. | B．Help the disabled. |
| C．Think for other people. | D．Treat wildlife equally. |
8 . While you might not realize it, the environment where you sleep can make a great difference in the actual quality (质量) of sleep that you get every night. With a few simple lifestyle changes, you can create a health y sleep environment that helps improve your sleep quality.
Go to bed and get up at the regular time every day, even on weekends, holidays and days off. Studies show that people who do so are more rested than those who sleep irregularly(不规律地).
Go to sleep only when you start to feel sleepy. If you don’t fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Go back to bed when you are tired.
Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Don’t go to bed either hungry or stuffed. Your discomfort might keep you up. Avoid caffeine(咖啡因)6 hours before you sleep. Having a cup of coffee within a few hours of bed time can keep you awake(醒着的) for hours when you are trying to sleep. Coffee isn’t the only product containing caffeine. Avoid(避开)chocolate and tea, too. Also limit(限制) how much you drink before bed to prevent trips to the toilet at night.
Many people turn on the TV before they go to bed. TV influences your natural sleep habits by making you stay up longer than you usually would, especially if you are watching something exciting. Instead of turning on the TV, read a book. Light reading before bed can help you fall into a deep sleep quickly.
If you suffer from serious sleep problems, go to your doctor. Your doctor will help treat(治疗) the problem or may advise you to see a sleep specialist(专家).
1. What should you do to make sure you have a good sleep at weekends according to the text?| A．Get up a bit later than usual. | B．Go to bed at a same time. |
| C．Watch some exciting TV programs. | D．Avoid drinking coffee or tea in the morning. |
| A．To drink some tea. | B．To do some light reading. |
| C．To listen to light music. | D．To get up and relax. |
| A．Having slept too much. | B．Having eaten too much. |
| C．Feeling too sad. | D．Feeling too excited. |
| A．What to do before going to work. | B．The importance of sleeping well. |
| C．How to improve your sleep quality. | D．The relationship between health and lifestyle. |
9 . Traditional Chinese Sports
For thousands of years, sports have played an important role in Chinese culture. Let’s explore some of the most popular traditional sports in China.
Dragon Boat Racing
Originating (起源) from the southern regions of China, dragon boat racing is a thrilling water sport. The races are held during the Dragon Boat Festival, which takes place on the 5th day of the 5th lunar (阴历) month each year. This festival is in memory of the ancient poet Qu Yuan and involves various cultural activities.
Martial Arts
Martial arts(武术) have a rich history in China and are practiced for self-defense, physical fitness, and spiritual growth. Various styles such as Tai Chi, Kung Fu, and Wing Chun have gained worldwide recognition. These practices emphasize discipline, balance, and control of mind and body.
Jianzi(Shuttlecock)
Jianzi is a traditional Chinese game that involves kicking a shuttlecock (毽子) in the air using one’s feet, knees, or other body parts except for hands. It requires agility, coordination, and precision. Jianzi can be played individually or in teams and is a popular pastime in parks and streets across China.
Chinese Chess(Xiangqi)
Similar to the Western game of chess, Xiangqi is a strategic board game played between two players. It originated in ancient China and is often referred to as “Chinese chess.” The game features different pieces, each with unique movements and abilities. Xiangqi requires critical thinking, foresight, and strategic planning.
1. Which poet is the dragon boat festival in memory of?| A．Qu Yuan | B．Li Bai | C．Su Shi | D．Wang Wei |
| A．Breathing, and gentle movements to promote energy as well as improve mood. |
| B．Relaxation, balance, and meditation. |
| C．Self-cultivation and meditation. |
| D．Self-defense, physical fitness, and spiritual growth. |
| A．Hands, heads, feet and knees. | B．Feet, knees, or other body parts except for hands. |
| C．Mind, body, and spirit. | D．Teamwork and strategy |
| A．Chinese chess. | B．Fencing |
| C．Table tennis | D．Dragon boat racing |
10 . Getting rid of(丢弃) old tyres(轮胎) has long been a problem. Every year many tyres are thrown. Some of the ways might be better than getting rid of them, but they are not especially green.
Energy recovery(回收利用) is one common way. This includes burning tyres to produce electricity, or as a way to provide heat for other industrial processes. But that produces planet-warming pollution. Tyres can be whole or broken in construction projects, such as repairing roads. There are, however, worries about chemicals from the tyres coming out and polluting the ground.
So some companies have begun exploring another pleasing idea. Since tyres are mostly made from hydrocarbons(碳氢化合物), it should be possible in principle to turn old tyres into environmentally friendly materials which can be used to run some cars they came from. One of the most thoughtful companies is based in Oslo, Norway. Later this year the company will start building a huge tyre-reused factory in Sunderland in northeastern England. In a couple of years, when the factory is fully operational, it will be able to turn 8 million old tyres into new products.
The process works by dividing a tyre into its three main parts. One is steel, which is used to support the structure of a tyre and which can be easily reused. The second is powder used to improve the continuous use of the tyre. The third is rubber. Some of that will be natural rubber from the rubber trees. The carbon black can be reused to make new tyres. That is of interest to tyre makers because it helps efforts to become carbon neutral(碳中和).
1. What is the disadvantage of energy recovery of tyres mentioned in the text?| A．It is unpractical. | B．It produces pollution. |
| C．It costs a lot. | D．It produces less electricity. |
| A．By giving an example. | B．By making questions. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By comparing differences. |
| A．Costly. | B．Useful. | C．Dangerous. | D．Short-lived. |
| A．Tyres can be divided into three parts |
| B．A company built a tyre-reused factory |
| C．Energy recovery can deal with old tyres |
| D．Old tyres can become environmentally friendly materials |
