1 . Being a teenager can be challenging, but it can also be exciting. You’re becoming more independent and making decision s for yourself. You are also learning to take risks and solve problems better. And changes are happening throughout your body, even in your brain.
The changes in your brain are influencing how you develop into an adult. Imagine the structure of your brain is like a big road map. Lots of roads lead to different destinations. When you were a child, as you learnt new things, your brain created more and more roads to different destinations. By the time you become a teenager, many different roads lead to the most important places on the map. Now your brain’s job is to make that map more efficient.
As a result, your experiences as a teenager actually influence the way that your brain develops. If you spend hours playing video games, what skills do you use? You learn to see something with your eyes and respond to it with your hands. As you develop those skills, your brain is making sure that the roads leading to them are especially fast and efficient. So, your video-game playing could be preparing you for a career such as a pilot.
This is a great time for you to practice new skills and discover what you’re good at and try what you love doing. Go out and try different activities, and stick to them if you think they are useful. Remember that with everything you do, you’re shaping your brain for the future.
1. What happens as children learn new things?| A．Their brains make the maps more efficient. |
| B．The structures of their brains are like big road maps. |
| C．Many different roads lead to the most important places. |
| D．Their brains create more roads to different destinations. |
| A．Your brain. | B．Something you see. |
| C．Your skill. | D．Something you learn. |
| A．Teenagers should experience more and stick to the useful activities. |
| B．Teenagers should play more video games in order to be a pilot. |
| C．Teenagers should work harder and more efficiently. |
| D．Teenagers should learn to be more independent. |
| A．Ways of Changing Your Brain. | B．Making Decisions for Yourself. |
| C．Developing Your Brain for the Future. | D．Changes Happening in Your Brain. |
2 . Summer Art Classes
Afro-Atlanlic Histories (Ages9-12)Students will explore storytelling through artworks and will highlight moments of their lives through their own artistic creations. Taught by artist Fernando Isai Garcia. Indoors, June 12-16.
Art & Ecology-Our Friends the Plants (Ages 6-8)Explore the fantastic world of plants! Let’s look at how artists have “used” plants, and been inspired by their colors and shapes. Combine art and science to learn about plants. Taught by artist Beatriz Jaramillo.
Outdoors, July10-14.Making Comics (Ages 10-14)
We’ll view, discuss, and sketch artworks to learn about different aspects of visual storytelling, and then, in the studio, we’ll continue to learn about storytelling while making our own comics. We know you’ve got a story to tell! Taught by artist Shannon Green. Indoors, July17-21.
Art in Action (Ages5 and under)Children will make art with a focus on the process as much as the results. We’ll explore bubble prints (泡泡印画) and blow painting. Come ready for an experience that will blow your artistic mind! Taught by artist Katie Lipsitt. Indoors, July 31-August 4.
1. When will the outdoor program take place?| A．June 12-16. | B．July10-14. | C．July 17-21. | D．July31-August4. |
| A．Art in Action. | B．Making Comics. |
| C．Afro-Atlantic Histories. | D．Art Ecology-Our Friends the Plants. |
| A．Blow painting. | B．Visual storytelling. |
| C．Sketching art works. | D．Using plants to create art. |
3 . When a friend or family member sets sick, it’s difficult to see them lie in bed coughing uncontrollably and running a fever. What can you do to make them feel better? Luckily, we have some ideas.
Oftentimes when a friend or family member is ill, we try so hard to make them feel better that we push solutions onto them that they might not be comfortable with. For example, maybe we think it’s best that they sit up, when really they just want to sleep. The first thing you can do to cheer someone up who isn’t feeling well is to actually listen to what their needs are before trying to meet them.
Being sick can be incredibly stressful because our schedules are so full. Keeping up with kids, work and housework while you’re sick is incredibly tiring. If this is the case, listen to what your loved one is stressed about, then ask if there is anything you can take off their to-do list.
Finally, one of the greatest things you can do for a sick friend or family member is just to give them space. They probably don’t want to get you sick, and having a conversation may be pretty difficult at this point. So, make sure all of their needs are met, then simply leave them alone.
| A．Take on their to-do list. |
| B．Encourage them to relieve stress. |
| C．Avoid asking about their illnesses. |
| D．Don’t simply tell them what they need. |
| E．Maybe you could make dinner this week. |
| F．Check out these ways to cheer up someone who is sick. |
| G．Given space and time to rest and relax, they will feel better soon. |
4 . Wildlife experts are asking Australians to drive carefully to avoid unnecessary roadkill as native animal numbers drop following years of natural disasters.
Kristie Newton from WIRES said the recent floods across Eastern Queensland and New South Wales could lead to an increase in animal roadkill accidents with wildlife on the move. “This year it might be even worse because they’re traveling a bit further to find food,” Newton said. “Important food sources like grasses have become less and less, forcing many animals to move outside their habitat in search of food, and turn up in unusual places.”
“The fires killed millions and millions of native animals, and now we’ve had the floods. So it’s important that we try and protect what animals we’ve got left.” the wildlife expert said. The 2019-20 bushfires in Australia have affected nearly three billion animals.
According to AAMI Insurance, more than ten percent of all animal roadkill accidents happen in May. More than 15,500 AAMI animal collision claims last year showed that central Victoria’s Heathcote was the country’s most dangerous place for wild animals. Victoria was also the worst state for animal roadkill, with almost one third of animal accidents taking place on Victorian roads. New South Wales and Queensland followed closely behind.
Newton said moving a dead animal off the road can be a good way to prevent unnecessary death. “Birds also come down and feed on those bodies, and we see a lot of them get hit when doing that.” She is also encouraging drivers to do the right thing if they hit an animal. “Please pull over where it is safe to check whether the animal is injured,” said Newton. “For your own safety never set close to an adult kangaroo, even if it’s injured.”
1. What is the main reason for the increase in animal roadkill accidents?| A．People traveling more than before. |
| B．Animals preferring to feed alongside roads. |
| C．Cities becoming more attractive to animals. |
| D．Animals having to move because of natural disasters. |
| A．What damage Australian bush fires have had. |
| B．Natural disasters make it hard to protect wildlife. |
| C．Why it is high time people protected Australian animals. |
| D．Bush fire s are much more dangerous to animals than floods. |
| A．Most roadkill accidents happened in 2019. |
| B．Animals in New South Wales suffered most. |
| C．Queensland took quick action to end roadkill. |
| D．Heathcote saw most roadkill accidents in Australia. |
| A．Leave the dead animal alone. | B．Stop and check on the hit animal. |
| C．Drive off the birds on the roads. | D．Touch an injured kangaroo to calm it. |
5 . Recently, a research on how a new virtual reality (VR 虚拟的现实) experience educated children about the fire disasters was done. It was developed by the University of South Australia, aiming to educate children to learn how to be safe in a fire. It presents a situation for children aged 10-12. In the situation, They are tasked to look after a friend’s dog just before a fire event begins. They participate in a series of problem-solving activities to help save and protect themselves and the dog.
The findings showed that more than 80% of children reported that they felt more confident to tell the advantages and disadvantages of different choices. They also learnt to make wise decisions to protect themselves from a fire. Children thought it is especially important and meaningful, because 91% of them didn’t have any knowledge of fires at the beginning, and that 67% had said that they were too young to make safety decisions in a fire.
The researchers believed such VR experiences made it possible to attract and educate the young. “As children born in digital times, they are interested in such technology and they can experience events realistically yet within the safe environment.” said Delene Weber, one of the researchers. “Well-designed VR can provide a chance for children with surprisingly valuable learning tools.” Meanwhile, because children have fewer life experiences, aren’t as physically strong, and are less likely to have learned much about fire safety, they’re often most at risk. However, the ability for children to contribute to fire safety at their homes should not be underestimated (低估). “Children do not need to be always waiting for help in disasters and with those virtual reality experiences, we can help children understand the risks and realize they can help,” said Weber.
1. What is the purpose of the new VR experience?| A．To describe children’s reactions to fire disasters. |
| B．To teach children to save themselves in a fire. |
| C．To introduce ways of avoiding a fire to children. |
| D．To increase children’s interest in VR experiences. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Worried. | C．Uncertain. | D．Supportive. |
| A．development. | B．advantages. | C．quality. | D．introduction. |
| A．Children make no differences in the fire safety at their homes. |
| B．VR experiences are mainly designed for children in high school. |
| C．Well designed VR can offer children amazingly valuable learning tools. |
| D．91% of children believed they were not old enough to make safety decisions. |
6 . High school is a magical time when students can learn and grow.
● Explore and find your interests
As a high school student, one of the most important ways to prepare yourself for a successful future is to find your interests by doing explorations. Thus you can discover the areas of study that you’re interested in.
● Learn for growth, not just for scores
Discovering how to use your time wisely will certainly help you enjoy high school more. Learning how to manage your time in high school will make your college life much easier. Best of all, the better you become at time management, the more time you will hopefully create to have some fun with friends, as well as enjoying extracurricular activities.
● Volunteer in your community (社区)
Engaging with your surrounding community creates happier students. Moreover, by doing that, you will have more opportunities to explore your interests, thus providing you with a better idea of which area(s) you might take up in the future.
| A．Work on time management skills. |
| B．Learn to love the act of learning itself. |
| C．Create good habits, like reviewing notes. |
| D．However, high school can also be a hard time. |
| E．Choosing activities you love will lead to success in those areas. |
| F．You might even find that you get more interested in your classes. |
| G．Finally, realize you are unique and create your own list of success tips. |
7 . When I was little, I was really little. But my dream was big. I dreamed of being a basketball player. I tried out for the teams at school, but I was never given a chance.
As I got older, I did grow a little bigger, but not a lot bigger. On my 12th birthday, I decided to try a new sport: running. I told Grandpa. “I’m going to be an athlete.”
“Dave.” Grandpa began gently, “if you can’t be big, you can do something big.”
I ran 12 miles on my 12th birthday. On my 13th birthday, I did it again, but I added an extra mile. On my 14th birthday, I ran 14 miles. 15 on my 15th, 16 on my 16th, and you guessed it—17 miles on my 17th birthday.
All this running inspired (激发) another big dream. Someday, I’d run the Boston Marathon (波士顿马拉松赛). I told Grandpa about my decision.
“But, Dave, you haven’t trained for the marathon. Are you sure you’re ready?” Grandpa asked. But he still promised to walk over and cheer me on.
I ran fast that day. But I fell at Mile 18 and was driven to the hospital. Later that night, I called Grandpa and told him I failed.
“No,” he said calmly, “you didn’t fail. You discovered something.”
“I did?” I asked.
“Yes, you discovered that big dreams don’t just come true. They take work. If you train and work hard, I promise to wait for you next year and cheer you on.”
I trained every day, running miles and miles. Sadly, just two months into my training, Grandpa died. He wouldn’t be waiting for my second Boston Marathon. I decided I’d run for him.
That day, I ran fast. “Keep going! You can do it!” His words filled my head as I forced my legs to make each painful step. As I crossed the finish line, I threw my arms in the air and cried, “Grandpa, we did it!”
1. Why did Dave fail to join the school basketball team?| A．He couldn’t run fast. | B．He didn’t work hard. |
| C．He was not tall enough. | D．He wasn’t a quick learner. |
| A．Adding an extra mile. | B．Running on his birthday. |
| C．Training for the marathon. | D．Trying out for the basketball team. |
| A．Creative. | B．Modest. |
| C．Generous. | D．Encouraging. |
| A．Dream Big. | B．The Boston Marathon. |
| C．Think Twice. | D．The Story of Grandpa. |
8 . China is a colorful country with amazing places and cultures. In this blog, we will introduce five most attractive places that you can’t miss if you are planning to go for a travel in China!
Beijing
Beijing, the capital of China for over 850 years, is the first choice for many travellers. A perfect combination of classic elegance and modernity, it is the best Chinese destination to give you a better understanding of the country. You can wander around the Forbidden City to feel the dignity of the city; or you can walk along the criss-crossing hutongs and enjoy yourself in everyday local life.
Xi’an
If you want to feel the history of China over the past 1,000 years, you can go to Beijing; however, if you want to experience the 5,000 years’ history of this ancient, oriental land, Xi’an is the best travel destination in China. As one of the four major capitals of ancient civilisation (together with Athens, Cairo, and Rome), Xi’an is the home of Chinese civilisation. The Silk Road starts from here, stretching through West China to the Mediterranean.
Guilin
Guilin, a peaceful city lying in the hilly south-western area of the country, is among the top Chinese destinations for its extraordinary natural scenery. The unique karst landscape with its four features, namely green hills, clear water, fantastic caves, and oddly-shaped rocks, makes it a famous tourist attraction.
Chengdu
Visiting the lovely giant pandas must be on everyone’s to-do list when planning a tour of the best Chinese destinations. Many cities have zoos with space for pandas, but the best place to get close to them is Chengdu for sure! Visiting Chengdu is also a treat for food lovers. Jin li Street is a great place to have a taste of well-known Sichuan food. Besides, you can also enjoy the comfortable atmosphere.
1. What can you do in Beijing?| A．Enjoy the oddly-shaped rocks. | B．Have a taste of Sichuan food. |
| C．Walk around the Forbidden City. | D．Learn the history of the Silk Road. |
| A．Beijing. | B．Xi’an. | C．Guilin. | D．Chengdu. |
| A．Another attractive place in China. | B．The introduction to karst landscape. |
| C．Tips for travelling around the world. | D．The contact information of a museum. |
9 . Identical Twins Kathy and Sophie arrived at college last year and determined to strike out on independent paths, so they had requested rooms in different dorms. While Kathy got along with her roommate, Sophie was miserable. She and her roommate silently warred over matters ranging from when the lights should be turned off to how the furniture should be arranged. Finally, they divided the room in two and gave up on oral communication. During this time, Sophie kept seeking comfort from Kathy. Before long, the two wanted to live together again. Sophie’s roommate eventually agreed to move out.
Sophie’s ability to solve her dilemma by rooming with her identical twin is unusual, but the conflict she faced is not. Most roommate conflicts spring from such small, annoying differences rather than from grand disagreements over abstract principles. One person likes quiet, while the other person spends two hours a day practicing the trumpet. One eats only organically(有机地) produced vegetables and loves animals, while the other likes wearing fur and enjoys cutting up frogs in biology class.
When personalities don’t mix, the excitement of being away at college can quickly fade away. Moreover, roommates can affect each other’s psychological health. A recent study reports that depression in college roommates is often passed from one person to another.
Many schools have started conflict resolution programs to calm tensions that otherwise can build up like a volcano preparing to explode, finally resulting in physical violence. Some colleges have resorted to “roommate contracts” that all new students fill out and sign after attending a lecture on roommate relations. Students detail behavioral guidelines for their room, including acceptable hours for study and sleep, a policy for use of each other’s possessions. Some schools try to head off the feud before it begins by using computerized matching. Students are put together on the basis of their responses to housing form questions.
1. Why is the twins’ story mentioned?| A．To describe college life. |
| B．To reveal the relationship of the twins. |
| C．To show the love between the sisters. |
| D．To present the phenomenon of roommate conflicts. |
| A．They have opposite mindsets. | B．They argue over serious matters. |
| C．They differ greatly in life values. | D．They hold different preferences in some way. |
| A．Difference. | B．Quarrel. | C．Competition. | D．Test. |
| A．Identical Twins Living Together Again in Colleges |
| B．Roommate Conflicts, Common and Unavoidable? |
| C．Roommate Contracts, Useful in Solving Conflicts? |
| D．Roommate Conflicts Affecting Students’ Psychology |
10 . Gas boilers, which are popular as a choice for heating our homes, are filled with problems. Lack of room-by-room control means you could be left cold and unhappy, meanwhile possibly polluting the environment with harmful gases. The inefficiency of gas heaters could also cost you hundreds of pounds in repairs.
The Future is Electric
The Fischer EB is an electric boiler that has been built with the future in mind. With no need for outside water tanks (置水箱), the Fischer EB is a modern and efficient heating solution to replace your outdated heating. Made from a special steel, Fischer EB is built to last and simple to operate. And with no additional need for servicing, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing there is no risk of your boiler breaking down.
Complete Control
Fischer EB comes with a wireless thermostat (恒温计) that has been designed for easy and simple use. Program your Fischer EB boiler to make sure you are getting the right temperature when you need it. No wasted heat, no wasted energy and no more fear when the weather takes a turn for the worse. At the touch of a button you will experience the warmth and comfort of Fischer EB.
Make a difference to the environment
Fischer Electric Boilers run only on electricity, meaning if you are supplied with renewable energy you can heat your home without worrying about any harmful gases or pollutants. Installation (安装) is easy and simple. You can relax when knowing there is no need for maintaining or service.
A cleaner future
Act now! Apply an energy efficient Fischer Electric boiler and replace your huge, inefficient gas or oil boiler. Benefit from controllability and comfort this winter. You can learn more about Fischer EB by calling 0800 1032 672 or by visiting the website at: www.fischerfurureheat. com.
1. The Fischer EB is environmental friendly mainly because ______.| A．it runs only on electricity | B．it’s simple to operate |
| C．it costs less money in repairs | D．it’s easy to maintain |
| A．using a special steel | B．programming the boiler |
| C．installing a water tank | D．adding an extra button |
| A．find an applicant | B．share a technology |
| C．introduce a service | D．promote a product |
