1 . Many people have close relationships with their cousins and form bonds that last a lifetime. National Cousins Day can be a great opportunity to spend time with some of your favorite people in the family.
What is National Cousins Day?
National Cousins Day is an annual holiday that takes place on July 24. It encourages people to spend time with and appreciate their cousins.
The origin of National Cousins Day is a bit of a mystery. It's unclear how and when the holiday officially started. Nevertheless, cousins have been an important part of the American family for generations. In the past, the bonds between cousins were explored in TV shows and movies in a lighthearted and funny way. And now, from family reunions to summer cookouts, cousins are given the chance to bond with one another.
How to Celebrate National Cousins Day
| A．History of National Cousins Day |
| B．Even if we are close to our cousins |
| C．In this article, we'll do a deep dive into it |
| D．In this way, your bonds with cousins will be strengthened |
| E．If you're looking for some inspiration or ideas, don't worry |
| F．While you see cousins a lot at family events when you're young |
| G．Planning a game or organizing a competition is also a good choice |
2 . Children are innocent and not so mature. They do not understand that advertisers try to push their products and market in such a way that children want to buy them. Children take everything at face value and believe without a doubt the messages in the advertisements. Advertisements are made in such a way as to attract the attention of children. Children do not understand it to be marketing strategy. Children are an extremely easy target audience and get easily carried away.
Research has shown that junk food advertisements influence children greatly leading to an increased demand for junk food by children. When children watch young adults in good shape eating junk foods in the advertisements, they assume that it is good for health. They do not know that junk food is not good for health. They are unaware of the fact that junk food does not contain nutritional value. They may even think that by eating these junk foods they might become like the thin and fit models in the advertisements.
A research conducted has shown that children increased their consumption of junk foods after seeing these advertisements. They are seen to be so influenced by these ads that they almost doubled their consumption of these unhealthy snacks and foods.
In a study they exposed children to candy commercials. It was seen that those children who were exposed to the candy commercials were highly influenced. In fact, these children chose candy over fruits as snacks. They preferred candy rather than a healthy food like fruits. When the commercials were eliminated（消除）and the children watched them less, it had a positive effect. It encouraged them to pick the fruits over the candy.
1. What does Paragraph 1 mainly tell us?| A．Children are eager to watch advertisements. |
| B．Advertisements are focused on face value. |
| C．Children are easy to be impacted by advertisements. |
| D．Advertisements are mainly designed for young children. |
| A．By using recent research findings. | B．By using good images of models. |
| C．By introducing its nutritional value. | D．By showing its increased demand. |
| A．Consumers | B．Models | C．Advertisers | D．Children |
| A．By contrast | B．By definition | C．By using figures | D．By reasoning |
3 . A video of a German man named Uwe Brutzer who opened a bakery （面包店） in China using workers with hearing disability spread on social media on Tuesday, touching many Chinese netizens. The video has had over 30,000 comments （评论） and over 110 million views. After the video was published, Brutzer’s bakery was soon crowded with people all over the country.
Born in Germany, Uwe Brutzer and his wife came to China as part of a program by Hunan Disabled Person’s Federation to help children with hearing disability in 2002. “I was looking for a chance to help disabled people and I saw this program,” said Brutzer.
They decided to stay after spending some time with children here. To better help children in need, they learned Chinese sign language. Then they decided to open a store. “At first we sold flowers. Then we found that a bakery might be a better choice because we could make more money. So we opened this one in 2011. I hired a professional German baker and invited her to China to teach my students for four years,” Brutzer said. A child they helped years ago is now one of the workers in the bakery.
The cut in income was the biggest challenge for Brutzer during the COVID-19 outbreak. He had to close the store for safety reasons but he still paid all the workers as usual.
“I want to stay in China as long as I can and teach more and more disabled people so that they can make a living here.” Brutzer added.
1. How did so many people learn about the bakery?| A．From a TV program. | B．From the chat of local people. |
| C．Through a video on social media. | D．From the comments of customers. |
| A．Baking skills. | B．Sign language. |
| C．Performing art. | D．Planting flowers. |
| A．Brave and intelligent. | B．Caring and generous. |
| C．Confident and responsible. | D．Talented and frank. |
| A．To report a meaningful program to the public. |
| B．To advertise a bakery that was opened by a German. |
| C．To introduce a foreign couple’s efforts to help others. |
| D．To call on people to pay more attention to the disabled. |
4 . Popular E-books
The New Science of Healthy Aging
Understanding why we age and how to prevent age-related physical and mental decline can help us to live in the moment and enjoy good health at any age. In this e-book, we explore ways to help maintain our health as well as research into the limits of human lifespan (寿命).
On-Sale Date: April 1, 2019
Price: $6.79
Your Brain in the Smartphone Age
According to recent headlines, today’s teenagers are becoming more dependent on devices. In this e-book, we’ve gathered what science has to say about the effects of smartphones and social media use on teenagers, as well as their effects on thought processes, relationships and their potential as a tool to monitor mental health.
On-Sale Date: May 6, 2019
Price: $6.99
Extreme Physics
Physicists are pushing their research toward the extreme reaches of the universe as we know it. The 14-billion-year-old tale of our universe is far from over, and in this e-book we examine a series of discoveries of space and take a new look at old ideas.
On-Sale Date: July 1, 2019
Price: $6.99
IQ2O: Getting Smart About Water
The current state of our water supplies has been described as a crisis in slow motion. In this e-book, we explore the ecological (生态的) effects, the challenges surrounding water demand and energy use, and some potential solutions.
On-Sale Date: June 3, 2019
Price: $6.89
1. What can we learn from The New Science of Healthy Aging?
| A．How to keep healthy. | B．How to avoid aging. |
| C．How to use smartphones. | D．How to solve the water crisis. |
| A．Historians. | B．Environmentalists. |
| C．Space lovers. | D．Doctors. |
| A．They deal with the effects of social media. |
| B．They are on sale on the same date. |
| C．They teach people to save nature. |
| D．They are priced less than $7. |
5 . Jennifer Rocha decided to take her college graduation photos in the same vegetable fields in Coachella, California, where she has worked with her parents since she was in junior high school.
“I’m proud where I come from. It’s a huge part of who I am,” says Rocha, who graduated from the University of California, San Diego on Saturday. “I wanted to go back to the fields with my parents because I know I wouldn’t have the degree if it were not for them. They sacrificed (牺牲) their backs, their sweat, their early mornings, late afternoons, working cold winters, hot summers just to give me and my sisters an education.
The pictures, in which she’s wearing full graduation dress and picking vegetables along-side her parents, have struck a chord (弦) across social media.
Rocha began working in the fields when she was a junior in high school. Her mom and dad had both worked in the fields of Michoacán, Mexico, as young children before coming to the US. And when they arrived, they did not have the opportunity to go to college, Rocha recalls. “Instead, they had to return to the fields. And when we were older they started taking us so we could learn a lesson about the value of higher education,” she says. “I continued to work with my parents through college during winter, spring and summer breaks.”
Rocha, who majored in law, has already found her dream job in a law firm. She says she’ll take this moment to encourage other young people to set clear goals for themselves regardless of circumstances.
“It’s not impossible,” she says. “The fact that your parents work in the fields doesn’t mean that you aren’t going to be successful. It’s going to be hard, but everything is possible. And never forget where you come from.”
1. What does Jennifer Rocha most likely want to tell us in paragraph 2?| A．She is very grateful to her parents. |
| B．She is proud of her famous university. |
| C．She is ashamed of her peasant family. |
| D．She is concerned about her parents’ health. |
| A．Terrified. | B．Annoyed. | C．Moved. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．They wanted to teach them the farming skills. |
| B．They rally needed their help to make money. |
| C．They did not have anyone to take care of them. |
| D．They wanted to encourage them to study harder. |
| A．Everything is possible. | B．Family determines how far you go. |
| C．Girls can be as good as boys. | D．Fieldwork is more important than study. |
6 . Five years ago, French navy officer Jérôme Chardon was listening to a radio program about the journey of the bar-tailed godwit, a bird that migrates 14,000 kilometers between New Zealand and Alaska. Chardon understood how treacherous the journey would be, as heavy storms frequently hit Pacific island communities. Yet, somehow, bar-tailed godwits routinely pass through the area uninjured. Chardon wondered whether learning how birds traveled could help coastal communities avoid natural disasters.
This past January, a team from France’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) began experiments designed to test Chardon’s idea. Researchers with a project led by Frédéric Jiguet from NMNH equipped 56 birds of five species with cutting edge animal tracking technology. The team members were ferried to remote islands in French Polynesia, where they attached tags (标签) using tracking technology. These tags sent the birds’ locations to the International Space Station, which bounced the data back to scientists on Earth who could then follow the birds—waiting to see how the birds responded to natural disasters.
The project is focusing on birds’ ability to hear infrasound, the low-frequency sound humans cannot hear but that the researchers believe is the most likely signal birds would use to sense storms and tsunamis (海啸). In a 2014 study, scientists tracking a kind of golden-winged birds in the central and southeastern America found that the birds flew up to 1,500 kilometers to escape from an outbreak of tornadoes (龙卷风) that killed 35 people. The birds fled at least 24 hours before any extreme weather hit, leaving the scientists to believe that they had heard the storm system from more than 400 kilometers away.
The team plans on tagging hundreds more birds across the Pacific to prepare for a potential tsunami. “I think if there’s one wave that spreads across islands, we can get data from different species at different locations,” says Jiguet. “That will say it s worth continuing to tag and to develop local systems to better analyze this. There are chances that we will develop a bird-based tsunami early warning system.”
1. Which of the following best explains the word “treacherous” underlined in paragraph 1?| A．Strange. | B．Boring. |
| C．Frequent. | D．Dangerous. |
| A．Tracking natural disasters. | B．Distinguishing bird species. |
| C．Guiding researchers to islands. | D．Reporting the birds’ locations. |
| A．To prove an assumption. | B．To clarify a concept. |
| C．To present a new topic. | D．To make comparisons. |
| A．How Can Birds Avoid Natural Disasters? |
| B．Can Birds Warn Us of Natural Disasters? |
| C．How Does a Warning System Function? |
| D．Can Birds Play a Role in Human Research? |
7 . Mastering a foreign language, you can get these jobs:
1. Flight attendant
Not only will they pay you to travel the world，but you will also earn enough money to live a debt-free life with a careful budgeting（预算）, of course. Ladies who know two or more languages and are not afraid to fly will love this job. There are many airlines to choose from these days, so feel free to let them know about your skills.
2. Fashion buyer
If you are looking for a job in a fashion industry, why not become a fashion buyer? Fashion buyers typically work for department stores, although you start your own business. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average fashion buyer makes around $ 61,000 per year. If you work full time, you may also get paid time off, and in many cases, a health care package.
3. Game translator
Looking to work from home? You can earn pretty much if you become a game translator. Translating games is a lot more interesting than translating legal texts. With a great number of games appearing every day, you will always have what to translate. Just make sure you know that language well. Depending on the location, company, industry, and your experience, you can earn up to $51,000 per year.
4. Photographer
Although you do not have to speak well to shoot well, today most companies are looking for photographers who know foreign languages and are ready to travel around the world. Get paid to travel and do the job you are crazy about, without working too hard.
5. Foreign journalist（记者）
Foreign journalists are in high demand today. If you are a journalist who can speak a language other than your native one, why not apply for a foreign journalist? Even though this career choice has its risks, it is an interesting job that is particularly perfect for single people. The average salary is $ 65,000 per year, though some journalists earn $100,000 per year.
1. Flight attendant is a nice job because of ________.| A．chances to know two or more languages | B．chances to enjoy beautiful scenes |
| C．busy work and much more money | D．life without worrying about money |
| A．Flight attendant & game translator. | B．Game translator & photographer. |
| C．Flight attendant & photographer. | D．Foreign journalist & game translator. |
| A．photographer | B．foreign journalist |
| C．fashion buyer | D．game translator |
8 . You probably take many steps to protect your computer from getting a virus, but what about your cell phone? Cell phones are basically mini-computers, so, believe it or not, they too can get viruses.
“Viruses and malware（恶意软件）should not be a major concern to the average consumer who uses their device to make phone calls, take pictures, and download a few well-known apps from the major app marketplaces,” Tim Katsch Vice President of iDropped said. “If a user is downloading a lot of apps, changing and exploring settings within the device, and visiting a large number of websites from unknown sources, virus and malware protection should be kept on their mind.” If your phone gets a virus it can mess up your data, put random charges on your bill, and get private information such as your bank account number, credit card information, passwords, and your location.
The most common way that you could get a virus on your phone would be through downloading an infected app. Viruses can also get on your phone when you click on strange links or open up an email that contains a virus. Connecting to an unsecured wireless network in a public place is also a way for hackers（黑客）to get private information from your device.
If you're still convinced that your phone might get a virus, there are anti-virus apps that you can download that will constantly scan your phone to make sure it hasn't developed a virus, Apps like these will also check things before you download them to ensure that they are safe. Another tip is to always look over your cell phone bill every month to make sure there aren't charges from apps that you never downloaded.
Technology is getting smarter, but so are hackers, and it's important to always be cautious with anything you do on your phone. Many people store a lot of personal information on their phones, and while that might make life a little more convenient, it can also do a lot of damage if hacked.
1. What can we learn from Tim Katsch's words?| A．The wireless network in the public places is safe to use. |
| B．Viruses and malware will most probably attack average phones. |
| C．Downloading a lot of apps will protect your phone from being hacked. |
| D．The average consumer needn't worry much about a virus or malware. |
| A．Downloading an infected app. |
| B．Clicking on close friends' links. |
| C．Connecting to your mobile data. |
| D．Changing your private information. |
| A．Harm set, harm get. |
| B．Every coin has two sides. |
| C．Kill two birds with one stone. |
| D．Technology makes life smarter. |
| A．Anti-Virus Apps Make Your Cell Phone Safe? |
| B．Viruses and Malware Damage Your Cell Phone? |
| C．Worried About Your Cell Phone Catching a Virus? |
| D．Ready to Fight Against the Hackers to Your Cell Phone? |
9 . Whenever a new person walks through the gates of the Science of Spirituality Meditation (冥想) and Ecology Centre in Richmond, one often hears the words, “I never knew such a place existed. It’s so peaceful and the gardens are so beautiful.”
In 2005, this centre was an old school, with a history going back to 1904. Rabbits had damaged the foundations (地基) and rats ran along littered hallways. The traffic roaring along Steveston Highway was hardly beneficial to meditation, and fresh air! Neither did we have sufficient funds at the time to carry out a purchase. But there was hope, wild hope! We had a vision. We could make it a reality.
Our group was inspired to take this step under the loving guidance of Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, a living Master in an ancient family of spiritual experts. Despite the small size of our local charity, we took chances to purchase this place that spoke to us at some very deep level. Generous donations and effort flowed in from members at exactly the right time. Thus, we could begin the physical origins of the SOS Meditation and Ecology Centre.
And to create it took a great deal of sweat efforts. Gardens were dug and planted by volunteers. Brothers and sisters worked together. Over the following years, beautiful gardens were established and every inch of the old building and roof took on a new look.
From a wishful dream and a loving handful, this special place, with its green gardens, became a reality. The Centre has become a sign of light and love in a materialistic society, where seekers find peace, joy, help in meditation, friendship and an opportunity to grow spiritually.
1. What can we infer from paragraph 2?| A．The founders intended to give up the center at the beginning. |
| B．The founders had sufficient funds to carry out the project. |
| C．The centre was not originally suited for meditation. |
| D．The centre was a school with good environment. |
| A．With the help of the old school. |
| B．With the contributions of generous people. |
| C．With the funds donated by a spiritual expert. |
| D．With the local government’s financial support. |
| A．Rude. | B．Distant. | C．Conventional. | D．Selfless. |
| A．To introduce an old school to readers. |
| B．To tell the story about the construction of the centre. |
| C．To call for people to meditate. |
| D．To explain the influence of meditation on average people. |
10 . Four Tips to Improve Your English Communication Skills
There are many tips, tricks, and techniques to improve communication skills.
Slow down your speaking speed
In a way, this will take the pressure off too. When you learn a new word, try to memorize a couple of sentences that contain it.
Learn to listen
When speaking in a foreign language, you might be so focused on what you are saying and whether it’s correct or not, that you forget to listen to what others are saying. This is a big mistake as they might be using the exact words or grammar you’ll be needing later on. It’s an important resource to you at the time of speaking to someone.
We also need to keep in mind the fact that communication is a two-way process. Not only does it make you seem uninterested-even rude—if you don’t ask questions, you might also end up being the one who has to do all the talking.
| A．Learn to reduce pressure |
| B．Learn sentences, not only words |
| C．I don't want to trouble you with too much information. |
| D．Therefore, pay attention to what’s being said around you. |
| E．You might be a fluent speaker when it comes to your mother tongue. |
| F．If you always ask questions, you will make other people feel important. |
| G．Questions will keep the conversation on and show interest in others’ opinions. |
