1 . The mysterious science of reading gestures is explained using practical explanations and clear images. Gestures are products of both genetic (遗传的) and environmental influences. Understanding our gestures is not as difficult as some people would have you believe. All human beings use them and so actually have a “built-in” ability to recognise and read it.
Fingers crossedGenerally this means “wishing for good luck or fortune”.
Another explanation could be seen as “here’s hoping”. The gesture probably has Christian origins where the gesture was believed to get away from evil. As such, people believe that crossing the fingers when telling a lie somehow gets away from the evil of the lie. Some historians believe that crossing your fingers is a hidden or secret way of making the Christian sign of the cross a perfect way of defeating evils. As a gesture it has both good and bad meanings. Luck or lies.
Waving the first fingerMothers and teachers are common users with this hand gesture. In general, it is used to warn a single person. It is a change of the “you” gesture. If translated into language it would say “Stop whatever you are doing and pay attention to me. I am your superior and I am warning you!” Classed as a “silent” parent to child gesture, it is not completely allowed in an formal occasion where it will be explained as rude. Some psychologists believe that it has a meaning of the whip.
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?A.Reading gestures is secret. | B.Gestures are formed in daily life. |
C.Some people make reading gestures difficult on purpose. | D.It is hard to explain gestures by images. |
A.show he isn’t lucky | B.wish to succeed |
C.gets away from the evil of the lie | D.cross the street |
A.wish for good luck | B.stop you |
C.praise you | D.help you |
2 . Island of Adventure at Universal Orlando in Florida
People say that it is the home of the “Harry Potter Theme Park”. The Wizarding World is the most popular part of the park. Other popular rides include the Amazing Adventures of SpiderMan, Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges and the Jurassic Park River Adventure.
It is open from Monday to Saturday. $15.95 for children, 3 to 13 years old; $29.95 for ages 14 and over.
Pi-o Indoor Theme Park in Longueuil
The Pi-o Indoor Theme Park features (以...为特色)16 rides, a small sea train, a kid-sized bowling alley (保龄球场),a mirror maze (迷宫), theme rooms which include the Christmas room on the sea, and a private reception room.
“I wanted to create a safe environment for kids aged 1 to 10,” explains the owner Jocelyne Pinard. She notes how many competing amusement parks have sections that can be unsafe for young kids such as the “ball rooms” full of loose plastic balls. So this is how it is different from other amusement parks.
Open seven days a week. The admission fees are $16.99 for individuals (个人) and $64 for families.
Legoland Windsor Theme Park in London
Legoland Windsor is the best choice for young families. The park is designed for children from 3 to 12. There are over 50 rides as well as live shows, workshops, and other attractions aimed at younger children, and especially those who are already fond of building block (积木) toys.
The park is open every single day. Adults: $35. Ages 3 — 15 and 60+: $26. Buy online and save $3 per person.
Wonderla Theme Park in India
Wonderla is a world-class amusement park. It’s modern, clean and green, and has all kinds of attractions. There are over 50 rides, 12 of which are water-based and 9 especially for small children. If you love getting wet, don’t miss the Rain Disco-an indoor dance floor with a rain system that provides showers of warm water to the music.
Monday to Friday 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday, holiday and festival seasons 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Single adult/ child — $13.50; Family ticket (for any four people) $50.00; Children 3 and under — Free.
1. If Jim is free this Sunday, he can choose to visit the following parks EXCEPT .A.Islands of Adventure | B.Pi-o | C.Legoland Windsor | D.Wonderla |
A.$70. | B.$87. | C.$93. | D.$96. |
A.It is located in India. |
B.It is free for children of 3 and under. |
C.There are nine rides especially for small children. |
D.The Rain Disco lets children enjoy cool showers while dancing. |
A.A science magazine. | B.A textbook. |
C.A travel guide. | D.A local newspaper. |
3 . “Walt Disney World is banning selfie-sticks from its theme parks because selfie-sticks have become a growing safety concern for both our guests and cast,” Disney World spokeswoman Kim Prunty said.
Under a new policy, which takes effect Tuesday, the poles won’t make it past the bag check at any Disney World theme park. The sticks also won’t be allowed in Disney World water parks or Disney Quest, a gaming attraction at Downtown Disney. Selfie-sticks will also become forbidden at Disneyland Resort in California on June 30. The prohibition begins at Disney’s parks in Paris and Hong Kong on July 1st.
Guests will be checked for the equipment during the routine bag check that happens near the parks’ entrances. They will have an option of turning in their selfie-sticks for pick-up later or to go back to their cars or hotel rooms to keep them. Visitors will be told of the policy in locations such as the parking lots and at the resort’s hotels. The prohibition will be added to the park rules post on Disney World’s website.
The issue has been building at Disney. Previously, the sticks were prohibited from its rides, and “no selfie-sticks” signs were at select rides, such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom. Cast members have given oral warnings to rule breakers.
Selfie-stick users put smartphones and cameras on the ends of poles to extend their reach, frequently capturing theme-park moments through self-portraits. The tools have been banned in public places-including some museums and stadiums — worldwide for obstructing views or causing safety issues.
Disney World already prohibits items such as skateboards, inline skates, wagon, folding chairs and glass containers, according to its official website, which also lists “other items that we determine may be harmful”.
Universal Orlando has banned selfie-sticks and other loose items from certain thrill rides at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks, but it has not set parkwide bans.
1. Which of the following objects has already been banned in Disney World before the new policy takes effect?A.Smartphones. | B.Folding chairs. | C.Cameras. | D.Containers. |
A.abandon them at the bag check | B.get fined and pick them up later |
C.turn them in to the police | D.put them in the trunk of their cars |
A.changing | B.broadening | C.blocking | D.narrowing |
4 . In the future, the Internet will be different from what it is now. There will be many more websites. It is predicted that in the year 2100, there will be hundreds of billions of websites. This means that the use of search engines will become much more important. And there will also be many more sites in different languages. This means that on every proper website, there will be links with the language you want.
Another prediction on the Internet is that data transmission (传输) speed will increase globally. According to Akamai Technologies, the average global data transmission speed in late 2019 was 26.7 megabits per second. Compare that to the record for data transmission speed set by Bell Labs: 100 billion megabits per second. At that speed, you could transmit 400 DVDs worth of data every second. That’s an enormous gap between what’s currently possible and what’s commercially available. But as time passes, the costs of producing super-high-speed networks will decrease.
In the future, people will live under the sea and the housing shortage will be solved. There will be lots of glass domes (穹状建筑物)under the sea, which allow people to look all around into the sea. Air will be provided via air pipes which lead to the open air. You can travel from one dome to another via a kind of submarine which will also be made of glass. The domes will be so beautiful and the view under the sea will be so impressive that many people will prefer to live under water, and less people will prefer to live on land. This will have a positive effect on the environment on land.
In the future we won’t use oil or gas as energy any more. We will make use of sunlight, water and wind. Cars will run on water. Just fill your tank with water, and you can drive further than you could drive with the same amount of gasoline. Also, the exhaust won’t be damaging to the environment, because it’ll just be water vapour. So the water cycle won’t change, we’ll keep the same amount of water on the earth, and we won’t run out of water. Also, all energy will be supplied by natural sources: sunlight, wind and water.
1. What can we know about the Internet in the future from the first two paragraphs?A.It will be more important to use search engines. |
B.Most of the websites will be designed in English. |
C.People not knowing a foreign language will find it hard to surf the Internet. |
D.There will be great gaps between developed countries and developing countries in Internet usage. |
A.Because the costs are too high. | B.Because there are technical difficulties. |
C.Because Bell Labs doesn’t want to sell its technique. | D.Because governments haven’t recognised their value. |
A.oil product | B.waste air | C.solar energy | D.wind energy |
A.The Internet is the most advanced invention in history. |
B.Water will run out sooner than we have expected. |
C.Houses under the sea will be made from metal. |
D.Sunlight, wind and water will benefit people more in the future. |
5 . How to focus on today and do your best
If you want to be successful, then you must appreciate the importance of living in the present.
Be grateful for the little things. Start a gratitude journal.
Train yourself to do one thing at a time. Don’t work on too many projects no matter how big your ambitions (抱负) are.
Schedule some “me time” and make the most of it. Make some time out of your busy schedule to follow a creative hobby, enjoy the beauty of nature or simply some pop culture entertainment.
John Lennon once said, “Life is what’s happening while we’re busy making.” Practise keeping your attention on the here and now. The present moment is where you are always!
A.Finish one task at a time. |
B.Find the good in every situation. |
C.Start to do what you enjoy doing. |
D.Ask yourself questions to be in the present. |
E.Believe in what you are really feeling at present. |
F.Always remember that the best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today. |
G.Not only will it help you to relax, but it will also aid you in focusing better on your tasks. |
6 . From self-driving cars to carebots (care+robots) for elderly people, rapid development in technology has long represented a possible threat to many jobs normally performed by people. But experts now believe that almost 50 percent of occupations existing today will be completely unnecessary by 2025 as artificial intelligence continues to change businesses.
“The next fifteen years will see a revolution in how we work, and a revolution will necessarily take place in how we plan and think about workplaces,” said Peter Andrew, Director of Workplace Strategy for CBRE Asia Pacific. A growing number of jobs in the future will require creative intelligence, social skills and the ability to use artificial intelligence.
The report is based on interviews with 200 experts, business leaders and young people from Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. It shows that in the US technology already destroys more jobs than it creates. But the report states: “Losing occupations does not necessarily mean losing jobs— just changing what people do.” Growth in new jobs could occur as much, according to the research. “The growth of 20-to-40-person companies that have the speed and technology know how will directly challenge big companies,” it states.
A 2014 report by Pew Research found 52 percent of experts in artificial intelligence and robotics were optimistic about the future and believed there would still be enough jobs in the next few years. The optimists pictured “a future in which robots do not take the place of more jobs than they create” according to Aaron Smith, the report’s coauthor.
“Technology will continue to affect jobs, but more jobs seem likely to be created. Although there have always been unemployed people, when we reached a few billion people there were billions of jobs. There is no shortage of things that need to be done and that will not change,” Microsoft’s Jonathan Grudin told researchers.
1. According to the report, .A.people won’t necessarily lose jobs | B.big companies will face fewer challenges |
C.small companies will win against big companies | D.most people will become interested in technology |
A.people will face many difficulties |
B.people will take up more creative jobs |
C.artificial intelligence will threaten people’s lives |
D.most jobs will be done in traditional workplaces |
A.there will be enough jobs for people | B.things will change a lot in a few years |
C.many people will become unemployed | D.technology will totally change future jobs |
7 . Gordon Brown was born in Scotland in 1951. His childhood was a brilliant success because of his intellectual strength. He was accepted into middle school at 10. At 16 he became the youngest student at the University of Edinburgh.
“At that time, he was a lucky boy, good at almost everything,” said his old friend Murray Elder. However, setbacks (挫折) fell on the brilliant boy. After a rugby injury, he became blind in his left eye. Before long, similar symptoms (症状) developed in his right eye. “I lay in the hospital bed in total darkness, uncertain about my future,” said Brown.
Looking back on the past, Brown didn’t complain about his bad luck. He even said, “One door closes; you can’t play rugby any more, so you focus on other things.”
Brown was interested in student politics in university, which helped a lot in his political career later in life.
In 1997, Brown was made Chancellor of the Exchequer (财政大臣). He has succeeded in giving the country a high rate of employment and the longest period of economic growth in its history.
Compared with his successful career, Brown’s family life is full of downs. He lost his first daughter ten days after her birth. His one-year-old youngest son has a deadly disease. “These accidents make me appreciate my life more,” he said.
1. Gordon Brown was successful in his childhood because he .A.was very intelligent |
B.went to middle school at ten |
C.played rugby very well |
D.became the youngest student at the University of Edinburgh |
A.still had hope for the future |
B.wished that he had not played rugby |
C.believed that his door was closed |
D.felt very sad about his misfortune |
A.He didn’t like politics at university. |
B.He became Chancellor of the Exchequer at 48. |
C.He did a good job to improve the national economy. |
D.He didn’t do well for the country’s employment rate. |
8 . Theme parks and amusement parks will be standing tall this season, not just in the sense of proudly displaying their shiny, brand spanking new rides. The most expected ride of 2020, however, will take you for a face-to-face encounter with thrilling adventure.
Banshee at Kings Island, Mason, Ohio.Inverted (倒置的) feature trains that hang suspended from the track above and leave passengers’ legs hanging. They typically offer tight turns with lots of positive G-forces. With a ride time of 2 minutes 40 seconds and a track length of 4,124 +feet, Banshee is the world’s longest inverted coaster and is getting so many praises from ride fans. That is really wonderful and exciting.
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem at Universal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The extremely silly characters from the popular Despicable Me movie bring their powerful funny actions to an engaging 4-D ride film. It’s loaded with laughs, and like the movies,includes some surprisingly touching moments as well.
Goliath at Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois. The creative company that is building this new coaster has an impressive track record of delivering incredibly smooth and satisfying thrill machines. So the expectation is high for Goliath, which will boast a 180-foot, 85-degree drop and a top speed of 72mph, which will make it the world's tallest, fastest, and steepest wooden coaster.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It’s both a mildly thrilling coaster with a unique cradle (摇篮) design that allows the cars to swing back and forth and a forcing “dark ride” that takes guests into the colourful mine to see the Seven Dwarfs at work. The animated characters are particularly striking in the attraction, which is the capstone of the park’s New Fantasyland expansion.
1. How does ride fans feel after riding Banshee?A.Wonderful and excited. | B.Surprised and angry. |
C.Disappointed. | D.Hopeless and happy. |
A.Steel. | B.Wood. | C.Bamboo. | D.Iron. |
A.It takes guests into the colourful mine. |
B.It has an impressive track record. |
C.It brings their powerful funny actions to an engaging 4-D ride film. |
D.It allows the cars to swing back and forth. |
9 . Different people have different ambitions in life such as doctors. For as long as I can remember I always liked teaching people something. From my childhood, I taught whatever I learned in school. It started with helping some trying to tie their shoelaces or making my younger siblings remember alphabets through a sing-song rhythm. This profession will enable me to make my humble contribution to the building of my nation by instilling the spirit of nationalism and patriotism in my students. The sense of accomplishment I used to feel when the other person finally learned whatever it was that I had been teaching them was indescribable.
The main reason I always wanted to teach was that firstly I thought teaching comes naturally to me and secondly, I always had the utmost respect for my teacher, who knew my strengths and weakness more than I did. According to Plato, education is the turning of the inner eye towards the light. By adopting the profession of teaching, I can hope to perform this stupendous task.
I aspire to make a difference in others’ lives through education. I’m studying to be an elementary school teacher because I believe that children can achieve so much more if they learn early of their potential. My parents taught me as a child that schooling was vital to success in life. Truly, that lesson has been the most important in my path to college. I don’t think I would have made it this far had I not taken my education seriously.
What started from teaching my siblings in their homework ended in me volunteering to teach underprivileged children and making me realize that in this world there could be never enough educators and there are people in this world who are always in need of learning. I want to teach others about the importance of education so they too can prosper. Everything I’m learning at university is important for my future career and, if I don’t study it, I'm failing my future students. In view of the foregoing reasons, I am convinced that my preference to become a teacher is a step in the right direction. I will, therefore, spare no effort to achieve this ambition of my life.
1. The author mentioned the childhood experience to_________.A.share the sense of accomplishment | B.advocate nationalism and patriotism |
C.explain the inborn passion for teaching | D.introduce several ways to help others |
A.Impossible. | B.Impressive. | C.Indescribable. | D.Imaginary. |
A.The significance of education. | B.The power of students’ potential. |
C.The life of the university. | D.The successful career of parents. |
A.Being a teacher is effortless. |
B.Poor children fail to be educators. |
C.Studying in university is not enough. |
D.Education should be accessible to all. |
10 . When looking for some vacation ideas to spread out and get some time and space to yourself, check out these great resorts (度假胜地) options.
Hyatt Ziva Cap CanaLocated in Punta Cana, this family-friendly vacation at an all-inclusive resort offers something for everyone in your party. Parents can enjoy relaxing by one of the resort’s swim-up bars in an infinity pool or head out for some deep-sea fishing. Kids, meanwhile, can head over to the kids’ club for a number of activities. Plus, all of the drinks and food across the 14 restaurants and bars is included.
Beaches Turks & CaicosThis resort has become the Caribbean’s popular go-to when it comes to all-inclusive family vacations that provide great value since there’s so much to do for guests of all ages. There’s a 45,000-square-foot water park, 24 restaurants, unlimited PADI-certified scuba diving and water sports, a 12-mile beach, a spa, 10 pools—whew!
The Alisal Guest RanchIf you live in the city and want to get back to nature, this luxury farm over nearly 11,000 acres in California’s Santa Ynez Valley is a perfect fit for a family. All that wide-open space means activities like horseback riding, scenic cycling, hiking, fishing, kayaking and, for the body-and-spirit-minded traveler in your group, yoga.
Montage Palmetto BluffThe 20,000-acre community includes a nature preserve with walking trails, but the real stars of the show here are the over 300 species of birds. The resort’s resident naturalist takes families on walks to Bird Island, sharing a history of the area. Plus, kids will love the kayak tours that get up close to the dolphins that live there year-round.
1. Which attracts those interested in horseback-riding?A.Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana. | B.Beaches Turks & Caicos. |
C.Montage Palmetto Bluff. | D.The Alisal Guest Ranch. |
A.They promise good food services. | B.They include various kids’ clubs. |
C.They provide parent-child activities. | D.They have large historic buildings. |
A.To organize some family parties. | B.To highlight some tourist resorts. |
C.To introduce some nature reserves. | D.To stimulate some domestic needs. |