It is no secret that literary works, like many other pieces of art, are capable of making an emotional impact on their audience. One can say it is the ability to influence the reader’s mood that makes a story good and memorable.
A writer can show the optimistic nature of a fictional character in a variety of ways. Creating a contrast between the main character’s personality and external reality is among the most emotionally efficient means. Therefore, there is usually a juxtaposition between the imagined world of a book and readers’ world around them.
At times when the world is “all over the place” and causes severe stress for people, having the chance to immerse (使沉浸) oneself in to the fictional world and spend some time with the characters of the story can be a relief. For example, during the peaks of the pandemic when the news media was reporting high numbers of infected patients as well as spiking ICU rates, more and more people wanted to shelter themselves from the reality and take a break from it. While escaping the world around us is not realistic for a long time, having an opportunity to escape just for some time is a luxury that literature can offer.
There are a large number of books that offer the safe escape into a fictional world and teach their readers that there are too unsolvable problems. The adventures through which the reader goes together with book characters often provide teachable lessons and underline the importance of remaining optimistic. As mentioned by Montgomery in Anne of Green Gables, “Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it yet.” It illustrates that the characters of the book have made some mistakes and have harvested the consequences of them, but the next day is a new page with new opportunities.
1. What is one of the most emotionally efficient means in literature?2. How can people get a relief when suffering from stress?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
The adventures in literature help readers find solutions to problems and realize the importance of optimism.
4. Apart from optimism, what other benefit(s) have you got from literature? Why? (In about 40 words)
2 . Digital Medicine
Could the next suggestion from your doctor be downloading an app? Collectively known as digital medicine, a large number of apps in use or under development can now detect or monitor mental and physical disorders or directly administer therapies.
Many detection aids rely on mobile devices to record such features as users’ voices, locations, facial expressions, exercise and sleep; then they apply artificial intelligence to mark the possible change of a condition. Some smart watches, for instance, contain a sensor that automatically detects and warns people of a dangerous heart rate.
Clearly, society must move into the future of digital medicine with care — ensuring that the apps go through strict testing, protect privacy and go smoothly into doctors’ work. With such protections in place, healthcare costs could be saved by marking unhealthy behaviours and helping people to make changes before diseases set in.
| A．For doctors, applying AI to the data from these apps could help them personalize patient care. |
| B．These data also help doctors detect diseases and help patients change their behaviors. |
| C．Other similar tools can detect breathing disorders, depression and other conditions. |
| D．They can both help diagnose symptoms and enhance traditional medical care. |
| E．Detection aids can also take the form of eatable and sensor-bearing pills. |
| F．Digital medicine has been widely used in all aspects of life nowadays. |
| G．Not all healthcare apps can be used as digital medicine. |
3 . Noodles can turn from white to purple to pink with the aid of red cabbage and lemon juice; a chocolatey “liquid” can be rolled like a solid. These are just a few of the edible (可食的) treats in The Kitchen Science Cookbook that kids can make from everyday kitchen ingredients. The book has non-edible experiments, too—volcanoes that erupt with lava made from baking soda and vinegar—and most recipes cost less than a dollar, says the book’s creator, a nanotechnologist (纳米专家) and science communicator, Michelle Dickinson, known as Nanogirl.
Dickinson was inspired by a mother who told her she’d failed in science at school but wanted to develop a love of science in her own daughter. “Then the mother offered me a cake she’d made at home as a gift. I told her, ‘You do use science—you baked this cake!’ and she replied, ‘No, that’s baking, very different from science.’ I said, ‘Well, what happens if it doesn’t rise enough? You use more baking soda and then turn the oven up higher...’ There was a real disconnection between what the mother was doing and the word ‘science’.”
So Dickinson spent three years using her kitchen as a lab, coming up with 300 experiments. She put a call-out online for recipe testers, “thinking I’d get about five of my friends with kids responding, but in 24 hours we had 2,000 applicants from 24 countries!”
In 2012, she was asked by TEDx to give a lecture on nanotechnology, where she presented herself as Nanogirl—a confident, smart, amazing superhero on stage. In last year’s six-week nationwide tour, Nanogirl performed science stunts (特技表演) to thousands of kids, and trained 200 teachers in how to integrate science in the classroom.
Dickinson has got thousands of videos posted by children who’ve attempted the experiments she encourages them to try at home. “Then we have kids building all sorts of weird and wonderful things.”
Now Nanogirl has gone global, with local versions surfacing in five countries and in four languages.
Dickinson self-published The Kitchen Science Cookbook as part of a pay-it-forward program, where for every book sold, a book will be donated to a library, school or community organization. A Kickstarter fund helped pay for the printing. “I’m so grateful people believed in us.”
1. Dickinson became a science communicator because ______.| A．her mother developed a love of science in her |
| B．she got inspired by her cake-baking experience |
| C．she noticed people were unaware of science in life |
| D．her kitchen experiments went popular on social media |
| A．200 teachers have joined her to become nanogirls. |
| B．Nanogirls emerge following in her steps worldwide. |
| C．A few schools and libraries have been funded by her. |
| D．Many kids are encouraged to donate books to schools. |
| A．passionate and inspiring | B．creative and humorous |
| C．cooperative and generous | D．courageous and grateful |
4 . Our teen poetry workshops at Poets House are opportunities for writers in high school to create and explore poetry in one of the largest poetry libraries in the country. Young poets are given a chance to dig into the art and craft of poetry in a fun, creative and inspiring environment.
Join Dave Johnson Workshop
Join Dave Johnson Workshop to write daily new poems in only 10 minutes. Click the banner for two series of video poetry workshops where poet, playwright and educator Dave Johnson chooses a poet each day, and takes us through a close reading of their work. He gives us an instruction based on their work, then a short biography and reads an additional poem. These workshops are fun and surprising, for teens through adults, free.
The Thompson Foundation Initiative
The highlight of our teen poetry workshop program is the Thompson Foundation Initiative, through which noted poets visit high school classrooms followed by free follow-up class visits to Poets House. Recent teachers have included Dave Johnson, Jive Poetic, and Mahogany Browne. This initiative is meant to increase access to poetic education for under served schools and students by combining hands-on instruction from established poets with on-site visits to our extensive library. Students engage with poetry through reading, writing, and art projects that integrate the visual and linguistic.
If you are a teacher interested in this program, please reach out to Reggie Harris to arrange sessions for your class. Free class trips for all age levels are also available outside of this program.
Intensive Workshops for Teens
Advanced, individualized study is available periodically for students who want to continue writing poetry, through either our day-long or week-long intensive workshops.
·One-day workshops: Participation is free. All interested teens are encouraged to sign up.
·Week-long workshops: Participants are determined through an application process and an external judge; all interested high school students are encouraged to apply. Financial aid is available.
1. Teens can get to know one poet on a daily basis in _______.
| A．Dave Johnson Workshop |
| B．the Thompson Foundation Initiative |
| C．Jive Poetic Workshop |
| D．Intensive Workshops for Teens |
| A．contact Reggie Harris to attend class trips |
| B．visit Poets House with Mahogany Browne |
| C．work one-on-one with established poets |
| D．learn and enjoy poetry in diverse ways |
| A．They are free of charge. |
| B．They are for all age groups. |
| C．They offer chances to write poems. |
| D．They have famous poets as teachers. |
5 . Technology has changed the ways in which we communicate with each other. For many people, the primary form of communicating these days is via instant messaging. When you run out of space or ideas, you just hit the send button or turn it off. There are no silences between the words, literally or figuratively (比喻地).
In real life, getting along with another person takes effort and energy. There are moments when neither person has anything to say. Silence can feel awkward. So too, emotions can arise in real life that are difficult. There are moments when things can get painful with another person. Misunderstandings happen, hard truths are revealed, and feelings can get hurt.
A trend has started to pop up. When difficulty or conflict arises within a relationship, we are simply dropping out of it rather than facing the issue. I hear of this more often in my practice and notice it more in my own life. We come and go, in and out of each other’s lives with remarkable ease, as if relationships are not really worth investing in or working for any longer. It makes me wonder if we are simply losing the ability to deal with the messy and uncomfortable parts of life. The result is that we are left with a lot of relationships but not much in the way of nourishing relationships. We have it easy, but we don’t have it real.
When we run into conflict with others, the reason we are willing to address the conflict is that we want the relationship and we care about it. Discomfort, awkwardness and challenges are an unavoidable part of being in a relationship with others. We have to remind ourselves that we can wade (涉水) through that messy river to get to the other side where the relationship can be restored. In psychology, we call this process repair. And the relationship that is formed after dealing with the conflict together is actually stronger than if the conflict had not happened.
We will never end up anywhere deeply satisfying by avoiding challenges. Each moment that we are willing to be uncomfortable in a relationship, to live in and through the messiness, is a drop of gold in the relationship itself. The investment in the hard stuff is finally what makes the relationship worth investing in. The willingness to be uncomfortable with something and the value of that something are part of the same circle.
1. What can be inferred from the first two paragraphs?| A．Technology has brought people closer. |
| B．True friends are not embarrassed by silence. |
| C．Online communication creates a lot of misunderstandings. |
| D．More challenges arise in real-life interpersonal relationships. |
| A．Negative. | B．Positive. |
| C．Reserved. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Step back and avoid conflict. |
| B．Pay more attention to themselves. |
| C．Try to fix the relationship. |
| D．Learn to identify unhealthy relationships. |
| A．To describe a growing trend. |
| B．To stress the importance of handling conflict. |
| C．To guide people into meaningful relationships. |
| D．To show the influence of the Internet on relationships. |
Are we getting more stupid? According to Gerald Crabtree, a scientist at Stanford University in the US, we are.
According to Dr. Crabtree, human intelligence may have actually mounted to the top more than 2,000 years ago and ever since then it has been going downhill. Dr. Crabtree states that genetic mutations (基因变异) during the past several thousands of years are causing a decrease in overall human intellectual and emotional fitness.
At the heart of Crabtree’s thinking is a simple idea. Our bodies choose what genes we decide to keep and pass on what will most likely benefit our children. The study explains how our body decides to keep those traits that make us most healthy and most immune, not the ones that make us most intelligent. So since we need to be healthy but possibly not as smart, we start to lose the genes that make us smart.
There are other scientists that seem to agree with Dr. Crabtree. Ray Williams, from MIT, carried out a survey of general knowledge among public school students in his study. The data showed that 77% of the students didn’t know who was the first president of America and 18% of the Americans still believed that the sun goes around the earth. So Dr. Crabtree’s idea that people could be getting stupider could be factual.
However, not everyone believes in Crabtree’s theory. James Flynn, the author of Are We Getting Smarter, argues that human mental abilities have grown, because we are learning what possibilities are open to us and have developed a wider variety of intelligence.
“You wouldn’t get Stephen Hawking 2,000 years ago,” Thomas Hills, another opponent from the University of Warwick, says, “But now we have people of his intelligent level doing things and making insights that we would never have achieved in our environment of evolutionary adaptation.”
1. What does Dr. Crabtree believe about human intelligence?2. How did Ray Williams prove Dr. Crabtree’s theory to be true?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
People who question Dr. Crabtree’s theory believe that people today have similar intelligence to people in ancient times.
4. Are you for or against Dr. Crabtree’s belief on human intelligence? Explain your reasons. In about 40 words)
From the cheeky sound of a whoopee cushion to a spring-loaded spider rocketing from a glass, pranks (恶作剧) are a popular way of making fun of others and getting a laugh. While some experts point out potential negatives, pranking can also decrease stress, raise a smile, and strengthen relationships.
It’s little wonder that best-selling children’s author Matt Stanton has shaped his latest book around pranks for young jokesters. Part of his Funny Kid book series, Prank Aliens, is about a boy named Max who is searching for the greatest prank of all time. Stanton said that pranking in the home can build strong relationships between parents and kids.
“Some of the best relationship-building moments I have with my own kids are when I enter into their space,” Stanton said. “An adult joining in their games can be surprising for kids and bring wonderful moments of joy. It’s a great way to demonstrate to our kids that we can laugh at ourselves and still feel loved and secure,” he added.
But playing tricks can come with unintended consequences, said psychiatrist Mark Cross. Pranks that are intended to harm or embarrass can anger the target and even ruin a relationship. However, Cross also added “Pranking can be good when the outcome is laughter for everyone, including the pranked person. It can be a great release of stress. When you laugh, you breathe deeper, which helps ease anxiety.”
So why not try some pranks? Wrapping vegetables and shoes up as presents for kids on their birthdays always gets a great reaction. Putting plastic spiders in guests’ drinks or placing a whoopee cushion on an unsuspecting person’s chair is sure to cause a belly laugh. All these might just be good for you and everyone involved.
1. What are the benefits of pranking?2. When can pranks anger the target or even ruin a relationship?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Pranking is good when everyone laughs at the pranked person, since laughter releases stress.4. In addition to pranking, what other ways can you use to strengthen relationships with family members? (In about 40 words)
8 . The Ultimate Guide for an Amazing Family Trip
Wondering how to take your kids on a special weekend trip while also giving yourself a relaxing time? Come to Universal Beijing Resort to immerse yourself in this world of movies!
• How to get to Universal Beijing Resort
If you are taking the subway, Universal Beijing Resort is the final stop of the Batong Line and Line 7. The park is equipped with nearly 10000 regular parking spaces, so driving is another quick and convenient option.
• Must-Bring Checklist
Have these prepared ahead of your trip so that you could enter the park:
Universal Studios Beijing One-Day-Dated Ticket
Valid ID Card / Pre-uploaded photo validation information through after-buying ticket message link or Universal Beijing Resort Official App
Face masks
Register for the green health QR code on the visitation date
• Safety Reminder
To ensure the health and safety of every guest and team member, please visit the Universal Beijing Resort Official channels before visitation for the latest Safety Guidelines. Universal Beijing Resort will closely monitor the developments of the pandemic situation and adjust the operational schedule in a timely manner.
• Family Travel Tips
Universal Beijing Resort offers convenient services for families. Stroller rental services are available near the front gate of the park to make it easier for the whole family to get around.
| Rides | Minimum height requirement | Children under the following height must be accompanied by a guardian |
| Despicable Me Minion Mayhem | 102cm | 102cm to 122cm |
| * Guests under 102cm must be seated at designated seats to experience this ride. | ||
| Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey TM | 122cm | —— |
| Flight of the Hippogriff TM | 99cm | 99cm to 122cm |
| Camp Jurassic | —— | —— |
| Jurassic Flyers | 100cm | 100cm to 122cm |
| Kung Fu Panda Journey of the Dragon Warrior | 80cm | 80cm to 122cm |
| Bumblebee Boogle | —— | Less than 122cm |
| Transformers: Battle for the AllSpark | 102cm | 102cm to 122cm |
For children's safety, some attractions have height limits. Make sure to pick attractions that are suitable for your child! Here is a list of the attractions mentioned in this guide and the height requirements:
• Stay up-to-date with us
Want to learn more about Universal Beijing Resort? Download the Universal Beijing Resort Official App or check out our WeChat/Alibaba Mini Program to get insider tips, keep up with Park news and plan for your trip. Don't forget to also follow our official WeChat account to stay up to date on the latest events and promotions that you don't want to miss!
1. One recommended way to get to Universal Beijing Resort is ________.| A．by bus | B．by bike |
| C．by car | D．on foot |
| A．You cannot not enter the park without a valid ID card. |
| B．The resort may close if the pandemic situation worsens. |
| C．The family can rent strollers through the resort official app. |
| D．You need the green health QR code one day before visiting. |
| A．Harry Porter and the Forbidden Journey TM |
| B．Despicable Me Minion Mayhem |
| C．Flight of the Hippogriff TM |
| D．Camp Jurassic |
Take a seat. Daddy has something to share with you. I would like us to have a heart-to-heart—even though, over the years, you have slowly broken mine. Oh shut up; you so have! If you go out and ask any mother or father out there, I guarantee they’ll say the same thing: All children break their parents’ hearts. It’s just what children do. In fact, it’s what Daddy’s own mother continues to remind him still, to this very day, every time they speak on the phone.
In your baby years, you vomited, pooped and peed all over me. In your teen years, you came home from parties and vomited red wine all over my already-dirty carpets. There was a time you experimented with drugs and all those things I hate. Where does the heartbreak end?
Still, I want you to know you are loved, because various parenting magazines insist that’s my responsibility: to make you feel special and valued and so on. And of course Daddy loves you! Don’t you see? And Daddy values you. Very much so. How could he not value you, when you, as a test-tube baby, cost so much to come into this world?
Now you’re old enough to hear the truth about parenting. And it’s this: all kids annoy their parents. Like you, I started off adorable. Then I went through my weird-body-shape-and-acne years, lost all my cuteness, developed an attitude and never once did I apologize to my parents for stealing the best years of their lives.
When you become a parent yourself, here are some parenting skills you might want to try that have been passed down from countless generations of angry Asians before me. Passive aggression is always welcome. Regular scream “I WISH YOU HAD NEVER BEEN BORN” will help keep your own kid’s self-respect in check. But whatever happens, ensure you earn enough money in your adult life. Then give it to me, so I can go on expensive international tours. If you do this I promise I’ll stop complaining and leave you alone, because we both know that’s what we really want.
Love you lots, Cutie-Pie.
Daddy
1. The letter is probably written to _____.| A．a grandparent | B．a little baby | C．a parent | D．a young adult |
| A．death | B．parenting | C．babyhood | D．teenage problems |
| A．used to take drugs | B．broke his parents’ hearts |
| C．regrets getting married | D．was born as a test-tube baby |
| A．To ask his child to earn more money. | B．To encourage his child to be independent. |
| C．To communicate to his child love. | D．To stop his child from being a troublemaker. |
10 . After numerous warnings over the years, you thought coffee probably had a negative effect on your health? Perhaps the drink is not so bad after all.
The new study, conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), has been published and suggests that coffee does not have a harmful effect on your health. Researchers suggest, based on data examined, older adults who drink a lot of coffee, have a lower risk of death when compared to their non-drinking coffee peers.
The team of researchers conducting the study analyzed data on 400,000 U.S. men and women, aged 50 to 71 years; the individuals had participated in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. This study started in 1995﹣1996 and was tracked until the day a participant passed away, or Dec. 31, 2008.
According to a press release on the report, researchers shared that coffee drinkers are “less likely to die from heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries and accidents, diabetes, and infections, although the association was not seen for cancer.”
Results indicated participants that drank three or more cups of java a day reduced their risk of death by 10percent. Based on the findings that both caffeinated and non-caffeinated coffee found similar results, researchers are thinking caffeine is not the protective ingredient(原料), although which ingredient in coffee might be, they are not sure.
Researchers indicate that despite these observational findings，they caution it is not clear whether or not drinking coffee actually extends life expectancy.
“Coffee is one of the most widely consumed drinks in America，but the association between coffee consumption and risk of death has been unclear. We found coffee consumption to be associated with lower risk of death overall, and of death from a number of different causes,” said Neal Freedman, Ph. D. , Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI.
“Although we cannot infer a relationship between coffee drinking and lower risk of death, we believe these results do provide some comfort that coffee drinking does not adversely affect health,” Freedman said.
Dr. Cheryl Williams, a registered dietician, told ABC News, “Overall, more research needs to be done to truly understand the compounds in coffee and their biological activity and effect on health,” said Williams.
1. The passage is mainly about ________.| A．medical benefits of coffee |
| B．benefits of planting coffee |
| C．coffee’s negative effects on health |
| D．new study results on coffee |
| A．drinking coffee can help reduce the risk of death from some diseases |
| B．people rely heavily on coffee drinking and that proves to be a problem |
| C．people who often drink coffee are more likely to suffer different diseases |
| D．caffeine is the very ingredient which protects people from developing diseases |
| A．caffeine | B．ingredient |
| C．coffee | D．drink |
| A．People should drink more caffeinated coffee. |
| B．People should analyze the cause of human death. |
| C．People should take advantages of drinking coffee. |
| D．People should carry out more related and effective studies. |
