1 . Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs.
AVOID BIG EVENTS Big sporting events, concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival (19 Oct.) cost £ 169. 15 at Booking.com. A week later, the same room cost £ 118.15.
If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid--- or you're looking for a big event to pass your time--- check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category.
STAYAWAY FROM THE STATION If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station, but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday.
Don't be too choosy about the part of town you stay in. Booking two months in advance, the cheapest room at Travelodge's Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22 September was £ 95.95 . A room just a tube journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was £ 75.75 . And at Farringdon, a double room cost just £ 62.95 .
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF Really central hotels in cities such as London. Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. As a choice consider checking into a self-catering flat with its own kitchen, where you can cook. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre buildings. A great example is the historic O'Neill Flat on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, available for £ 420 for five days in late September, with room for four adults.
GET ON A BIKE London’s "Boris bikes' have attracted the most attention, but other cities also have similar programs that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs.
Among the smaller cities with their own programs are Newcastle (casual members pay around £ 1.50 for two hours) and Cardiff (free for up to 30 minutes, or £5 per day).
1. The Brighton Comedy Festival is mentioned mainly to show big events may ________.| A．help travelers pass time |
| B．attract lots of travelers to the UK |
| C．allow travelers to make flexible plans |
| D．cause travelers to pay more for accommodation |
| A．a hotel away from the train station | B．the tube line to Covent Garden |
| C．an ideal holiday destination | D．the name of a travel agency |
| A．lies on the ground floor |
| B．is located in central London |
| C．provides cooking facilities for tourists |
| D．costs over £100 on average per day in late September |
| A．half an hour | B．one hour |
| C．one hour and a half | D．two hours |
| A．to tell visitors how to book in advance |
| B．to supply visitors with hotel information |
| C．to show visitors the importance of self-help |
| D．to offer visitors some money-saving tips |
Rachael Jack, University of Glasgow researcher, said that rather than scanning evenly(均匀的) across a face as Westerners do, Easterners fix their attention on the eyes.
"We show that Easterners and Westerners look at different face features to read facial expressions," Jack said. "Westerners look at the eyes and the mouth in equal measure, whereas Easterners favor the eyes and neglect (忽略) the mouth."
According to Jack and her colleagues, the discovery shows that human communication of emotion is more complex than previously believed. As a result, facial expressions that had been considered universally recognizable cannot be used to reliably convey emotion in cross-cultural situations.
The researchers studied cultural differences in the recognition of facial expressions by recording the eye movements of 13 Western Caucasian and 13 East Asian people while they observed pictures of. expressive faces and put them into categories: happy, sad, surprised, fearful, disgusted, angry, or neutral. They compared how accurately participants read those facial expressions using their particular eye movement strategies.
It turned out that Easterners focused much greater attention on the eyes and made significantly more errors than did Westerners. "The cultural difference in eye movements that
In short, the data show that facial expressions are not universal signals of human emotion. From here on, examining how cultural factors have diversified these basic social skills will help our understanding of human emotion. Otherwise, when it comes to communicating emotions across cultures, Easterners and Westerners will find themselves lost in translation.
1. The discovery shows that Westerners .
| A．pay equal attention to the eyes and the mouth |
| B．consider facial expressions universally reliable |
| C．observe the eyes and the mouth in different ways |
| D．have more difficulty in recognizing facial expressions |
| A．To make a face at each other. | B．To get their faces impressive. |
| C．To classify some face pictures. | D．To observe the researchers' faces. |
| A．The participants in the study. |
| B．The researchers of the study. |
| C．The errors made during the study. |
| D．The data collected from the study. |
| A．do translation more successfully |
| B．study the mouth more frequently |
| C．examine the eyes more attentively |
| D．read facial expressions more correctly |
| A．The Eye as the Window to the Soul |
| B．Cultural Differences in Reading Emotions |
| C．Effective Methods to Develop Social Skills |
| D．How to Increase Cross-cultural Understanding |
3 . In June,2007,a group of students from eight high schools in Winnipeg, the capital of Canada’s Manitoba province, will begin test-launching (试发射) a satellite the size of a Rubik’s cube.
The one-kilogram Win-Cube satellite, named for its home city and its shape, will be put into low orbit. Once in space, it can perform for a few months or up to several years, communicating information that could help find the early signs of earthquakes.
There are 80 similar satellite projects worldwide, but this is the first high-school based program of its kind in Canada. 30 Manitoba high school students are having a hand in designing and building the satellite, in cooperation with aerospace (航空航天的) experts and 10 students from the University of Manitoba, and with support from two other organizations.
The Win-Cube project is not something that goes on a piece of paper, it is real-world engineering, allowing high school students to have an opportunity to learn more about the exciting world of engineering through their participation in this challenging program. It is also taken as a wonderful example of the unique partnerships within Manitoba. Designing, building and lauching a satellite with high-school participation will bring this world-class educational project into reality and Manitoba closer to space.
“These Manitoba high school students deserve congratulations for their enthusiasm, innovation (创新), and a strong love for discovery,” said Education, Citizenship and Youth Minister Peter Bjornson. “We want to make science more relevant (相关的), interesting and attractive to high school students by showing them how classroom studies can relate to practical experience in the workplace or, in this case, in space,” Bjornson added.
The Win-Cube program is mainly aimed at inspiring a strong desire for discovery on the part of the students. It also shows Manitoba’s devotion to research and innovation and the development of a skilled workforce — all important drivers of knowledge-based economic growth.
1. According to the passage, the Win-Cube satellite is_______.| A．named after Manitoba and its shape |
| B．intended for international communication |
| C．designed like a Rubik’s cube both in shape and size |
| D．challenged by university students around the world |
| A．those Manitoba high school students are worth praising |
| B．the study of space can be practically made in classroom |
| C．Manitoba high schools are famous for the sutdy of space |
| D．scientific research is too far away from high school students |
| A．find the early signs of earthquakes |
| B．relate studies to practical experience |
| C．help high school students study real-world engineering |
| D．inspire a strong desire for discovery among the students |
| A．Manitoba School | B．Win-Cube Program |
| C．Space Cooperation | D．Satellite Launching |
This Christmas I was debating what to give my father. My dad is a hard person to buy for because he never wants anything. I pulled out my phone to read a text message from my mom saying that we were leaving for Christmas shopping for him when I came across a message on my phone that I had locked. The message was from my father. My eyes fell on a photo of a flower taken in Wyoming. and underneath a poem by William Blake. The flower, a lone dandelion standing against the bright blue sky, inspired me. My dad had been reciting those words to me since I was a kid. That may even be the reason why I love writing. I decided that those words would be my gift to my father.
I called back. I told my mom to go without me and that I already created my gift. I sent the photo of the cream-colored flower to my computer and typed the poem on top of it. As I was arranging the details another poem came to mind. The poem was written by Edgar Allan Poe; my dad recited it as much as he did the other. I typed that out as well and searched online for a background to the words of it. The poem was focused around dreaming, and after searching I found the perfect picture. The image was painted with blues and greens and purples, twisting together to create the theme and wonder of a dream. As I watched both poems passing through the printer, the white paper coloring with words that shaped my childhood. I felt that this was a gift that my father would truly appreciate.
Christmas soon arrived. The minute I saw the look on my dad's face as he unwrapped those swirling black letters carefully placed in a cheap frame, I knew I had given the perfect gift.
1. The idea for a special gift began to form when the author was______.
| A．doing shopping | B．having a debate |
| C．reading a message | D．leaving for Wyoming |
| A．a photo of a flower | B．a story about a kid |
| C．a call from the mother | D．a text about Christmas |
| A．the father | B．the author |
| C．William Blake | D．Edgar Allan Poe |
| A．searching for the poems online |
| B．drawing the background by hand |
| C．painting the letters in three colors |
| D．matching the words with pictures |
| A．To show how to design images for gifts. |
| B．To suggest making gifts from one's heart. |
| C．To explain how computers help create gifts. |
| D．To describe the gifts the author has received |
Dorothy taught in a school In Harlan County, Kentucky, Appalachian Mountain area. To get to her school from the town of Harlan, I followed a road winding around the mountain. In the eight-mile journey, I crossed the same railroad track five times, giving the possibility of getting caught by the same train five times. Rather than feeling excited by this drive through the mountains, I found it depressing. The poverty level was shocking and the small shabby houses gave me the greatest feeling of hopelessness.
From the moment of my arrival at the little school, all gloom(忧郁) disappeared. Upon arriving at Dorothy’s classroom. I was greeted with smiling faces and treated like a queen. The children had been prepared to show me their latest projects. Dorothy told me with a big smile that they were serving poke greens salad and cornbread for “dinner” (lunch). In case you don’t know, poke greens are a weed-type plant that grows wild, especially on poor ground.
Dorothy never ran out of reports of exciting activities of her students. Her enthusiasm never cooled down. When it came time to sit for the testing and interviewing required to receive her Child Development Associate Certification, Dorothy was ready. She came to the assessment and passed in all areas. Afterward, she invited me to the one-and-only steak house in the area to celebrate her victory, as if she had received her Ph. D. degree. After the meal, she placed a little box containing an old pen in my hand. She said it was a family heirloom(传家宝), but to me it is a treasured symbol of appreciation and pride that cannot be matched with things. (360 words)
1. “Early Childhood Development” in Paragraph 1 refers to __________.
| A．a program directed by Dorothy |
| B．a course given by the author |
| C．an activity held by the students |
| D．an organization sponsored by Union college |
| A．the long track | B．the poor houses |
| C．the same train | D．the winding road |
| A．a warm welcome | B．the sight of poke greens |
| C．Dorothy’s latest projects | D．a big dinner made for her |
| A．She was invited to a celebration at a restaurant. |
| B．She got a pen as a gift from the author. |
| C．She passed the required assessment. |
| D．She received her Ph. D. degree. |
| A．Whatever you do, you must do it carefully. |
| B．Whoever you are, you deserve equal treatment. |
| C．However poor you are, you have the right to education, |
| D．Wherever you are, you can accomplish your achievement. |
6 . A recent study of ancient and modern elephants has come up with the unexpected conclusion that the African elephant is divided into two distinct species.
The discovery was made by researchers at York and Harvard universities when they were examining the genetic relationship between the ancient woolly mammoth and mastodon to modern elephants — the Asian elephant, African forest elephant and African savanna elephant.
Once they obtained DNA sequences from two fossils, mammoths and mastodons the team compared them with DNA from modern elephants. They found to their amazement that modern forest and savanna elephants are as distinct from each other as Asian elephants and mammoths.
The scientists used detailed genetic analysis to prove that the African savanna elephants and the African forest elephants have been distinct species for several million years. The divergence of the two species took place around the time of the divergence of Asian elephants and woolly mammoths. This result amazed all the scientists.
There has long been debate in the scientific community that the two might be separate species but this is the most convincing scientific evidence so far that they are indeed different species.
Previously, many naturalists believed that African savanna elephants and African forest elephants were two populations of the same species despite the elephants’ significant size differences. The savanna elephant has an average shoulder height of 3.5metres while the forest elephant has an average shoulder height of 2.5metres. The savanna elephant weighs between six and seven tons, roughly double the weight of the forest elephant. But the fact that they look so different does not necessarily mean they are different species. However, the proof lay in the analysis of the DNA.
Alfred Roca, assistant professor in the department of Animal Sciences at the University of Minois, said, “We now have to treat the forest and savanna elephants as two different units for conservation purpose. Since 1950 all African elephants have been conserved as one species. Now that we know the forest and savanna elephants are two very distinct animals, the forest elephant should become a bigger priority for conservation purpose.”
1. One of the fossils studied by the researchers is that of ________.| A．the Asian elephant | B．the forest elephant |
| C．the savanna elephant | D．the mastodon elephant |
| A．evolution | B．exhibition | C．separation | D．examination |
| A．DNA | B．height | C．weight | D．population |
| A．The conservation of African elephants. |
| B．The purpose of studying African elephants |
| C．The way to divide African elephants into two units |
| D．The reason for the distinction of African elephants |
| A．Naturalist’s Belief about Elephants. | B．Amazing Experiment about Elephants |
| C．An Unexpected Finding about Elephants | D．A Long scientific Debate about Elephants |
7 . In its early history, Chicago had floods frequently, especially in the spring, making the streets so muddy that people, horses, and carts got stuck. An old joke that was popular at the time went something like this: A man is stuck up to his waist in a muddy Chicago street. Asked if he needs help, he replies, “No, thanks. I've got a good horse under me.”
The city planner decided to build an underground drainage (排水) system, but there simply wasn't enough difference between the height of the ground level and the water level. The only two options were to lower the Chicago River or raise the city.
An engineer named Ellis Chesbrough convinced me the city that it had no choice but to build the pipes above ground and then cover them with dirt. This raised the level of the city's streets by as much as 12 feet.
This of course created a new problem: dirt practically buried the first floors of every building in Chicago. Building owners were faced with a choice: either change the first floors of their buildings into basements, and the second stories into main floors, or hoist the entire buildings to meet the new street level. Small wood-frame buildings could be lifted fairly easily. But what about large, heavy structures like Tremont Hotel, which was a six-story brick building?
That's where George Pullman came in. He had developed some house-moving skills successfully. To lift a big structure like the Tremont Hotel, Pullman would place thousands of jackscrews (螺旋千斤顶) beneath the building's foundation. One man was assigned to operate each section of roughly 10 jackscrews. At Pullman's signal each man turned his jackscrew the same amount at the same time, thereby raising the building slowly and evenly. Astonishingly, the Tremont Hotel stay open during the entire operation, and many of its guests didn't even notice anything was happening. Some people like to say that every problem has a solution. But in Chicago's early history, every engineering solution seemed to create a new problem. Now that Chicago's waste water was draining efficiently into the Chicago River, the city's next step was to clean the polluted river.
1. The author mentions the joke to show ______.| A．horses were fairly useful in Chicago |
| B．Chicago's streets were extremely muddy |
| C．Chicago was very dangerous in the spring |
| D．the Chicago people were particularly humorous |
| A．get rid of the street dirt | B．lower the Chicago River |
| C．fight against heavy floods | D．build the pipes above ground |
| A．change | B．lift |
| C．repair | D．decorate |
| A．It went on smoothly as intended. |
| B．It interrupted the business of the hotel. |
| C．It involved Pullman turning ten jackscrews. |
| D．It separated the building from its foundation. |
| A．popular life styles and their influences |
| B．environmental disasters and their causes |
| C．engineering problems and their solutions |
| D．successful businessmen and their achievements |
8 . The behaviour of a building’s users may be at least as important as its design when it comes to energy use, according to new research from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC). The UK promises to reduce its carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050, part of which will be achieved by all new homes being zero-carbon by 2016. But this report shows that sustainable building design on its own — though extremely important—is not enough to achieve such reductions: the behaviour of the people using the building has to change too.
The study suggests that the ways that people use and live in their homes have been largely ignored by existing efforts to improve energy efficiency, which instead focus on architectural and technological developments.
“Technology is going to assist but it is not going to do everything,” explains Katy Janda, a UKERC senior researcher, “consumption patterns of building users can defeat the most careful design.” In other words, old habits die hard, even in the best-designed eco-home.
Another part of the problem is information. Households and bill-payers don’t have the knowledge they need to change their energy-use habits. Without specific information, it’s hard to estimate the costs and benefits of making different choices. Feedback facilities, like smart meters and energy monitors, could help bridge this information gap by helping people see how changing their behaviour directly affects their energy use; some studies have shown that households can achieve up to 15 percent energy savings using smart meters.
Social science research has added a further dimension, suggesting that individuals’ behaviour in the home can be personal and cannot be predicted—whether people throw open their windows rather than turn down the thermostat, for example. Janda argues that education is the key. She calls for a focused programme to teach people about buildings and their own behaviour in them.
1. As to energy use, the new research from UKERC stresses the importance of________.| A．zero-carbon homes | B．the behaviour of building users |
| C．sustainable building design | D．the reduction of carbon emissions |
| A．the ways | B．their homes | C．developments | D．existing efforts |
| A．The importance of changing building users, habits. |
| B．The necessity of making a careful building design. |
| C．The variety of consumption patterns of building users. |
| D．The role of technology in improving energy efficiency. |
| A．can be bridged by feedback facilities | B．affects the study on energy monitors |
| C．brings about problems for smart meters | D．will be caused by building users’ old habits |
| A．The social science research is to be furthered. |
| B．The education programme is under discussion. |
| C．The behaviour of building users is unpredictable. |
| D．The behaviour preference of building users is similar. |
In Mrs. Totten’s eighth-grade math class at Central Avenue School in Anderson, Indiana, we were learning to add and subtract decimals (小数).
Our teacher typically assigned daily homework, which would be recited in class the following day. On most days, our grades were based on our oral answer to homework questions.
Mrs. Totten usually walked up and down the rows of desks requesting answers from student after student in the order the questions had appeared on our homework sheets. She would start either at the front or the back of the classroom and work toward the other end.
Since I was seated near the middle of about 35 students, it was easy to figure out which questions I might have to answer. This particular time, I had completed my usual two or three problems according to my calculations.
What I failed to expect was that several students were absent, which threw off my estimate. As Mrs. Totten made her way from the beginning of the class，I desperately tried to determine which math problem I would get. I tried to work it out before she got to me, but I had brain freeze and couldn’t function.
When Mrs. Totten reached my desk，she asked what answer I’d got for problem No. 14. “I…I didn’t get anything,” I answered，and my face felt warm.
“Correct,” she said.
It turned out that the correct answer was zero.
What did I learn that day? First, always do all your homework. Second, in real life it isn’t always what you say but how you say it that matters. Third，I would never make it as a mathematician.
If I could choose one school day that taught me the most, it would be that one.
1. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 indicate?
| A．It is wise to value one’s time. |
| B．It is important to make an effort |
| C．It is right to stick to one’s belief. |
| D．It is enough to do the necessary. |
| A．recite their homework together |
| B．grade their homework themselves |
| C．answer their homework questions orally |
| D．check the answers to their homework questions |
| A．asked questions in a regular way |
| B．walked up and down when asking questions |
| C．chose two or three questions for the students |
| D．requested her students to finish their usual questions |
| A．the class didn’t begin as usual |
| B．several students didn’t come to school |
| C．he didn’t try hard to make his estimate |
| D．Mrs. Totten didn’t start from the back of the class |
| A．An Unforgettable Teacher |
| B．A Future Mathematician |
| C．An Effective Approach |
| D．A Valuable Lesson |
Towner Writer Squad (班组) for kids aged 13-17
Led by comedy and TV writer, Marian Kilpatrick, Towner Writer Squad will meet once a month at the contemporary art museum for 11 months, starting 12 October, 2014.
The FREE squad sessions will include introductions to a wide range of writing styles, from poetry to play writing and lyrics (抒情诗）to flash fiction, to support the development of young writers.
Application & Selection
If you would like to apply to be part of the Towner Writer Squad, please send a sample piece of your writing (about 500 words), responding to the title ‘LUNCH,’ with your name, age, address and e-mail address to: debo@newwritingsouth. com.
Once all applications are in, you will be invited to an open selection event on 17 September, 4-5pm, at the gallery of Towner. This will be an informal opportunity to meet the Squad Leader, Squad Associate and other young people.
You will also have a chance to get to know the fantastic gallery space and get a taste of what’s to come.
Deadline for applications: 8 September, 2014
For further information go to: facebook. com/towner or towner. org. uk or newwritingsouth. com
Any questions 一 feel free to send your e-mail to Towner Writer Squad Associate: whame@towner. gov. uk
﹡ ﹡ ﹡ ﹡ ﹡ ﹡ ﹡ ﹡ ﹡
Beginner Writing Project for kids aged 10-13
Due to popular demand, a writing project will be started for eager beginners.
Start time: 6 September, 2014
Meet every other Saturday, 2-4pm, at the Towner Study Centre.
Study and write at your own pace 一 you do not have to rush 一 as you have a year to go through the project. Practise under the guidance of some experienced writers and teachers who can help you with basic writing skills. Most importantly, build confidence and have fun while writing!
No previous experience or special background is required. Many others have been successful this way. If they can do it, why can’t you?
Fee: £179
For more information go to: newtowner. org. uk or generate. org. uk
1. Towner Writer Squad will be started _______.
| A．to train comedy and TV writers |
| B．to explore the fantastic gallery space |
| C．to introduce a contemporary art museum |
| D．to promote the development of young writers |
| A．provide a piece of their writing |
| B．meet the Writer Squad Leader |
| C．offer their family information |
| D．complete an application form |
| A．6 September, 2014 |
| B．8 September, 2014 |
| C．17 September, 2014 |
| D．12 October, 2014 |
| A．Practising as much as possible. |
| B．Gaining confidence and having fun. |
| C．Studying and writing at their own pace. |
| D．Learning skills from writers and teachers. |
| A．facebook.com/towner |
| B．newwritingsouth.com |
| C．newtowner.org.uk |
| D．towner.org.uk |
