2 . Things To Remember On Your First Solo Travel Adventure

If you’ve ever thought about just taking a trip yourself instead of waiting for someone to join you, you’re not alone.     1     However, do you count yourself among the many who have tried it? If you’re planning your own solo trip, here are four important things to keep in mind.

    2     Since you’re traveling solo, how you choose to explore it is entirely up to you. This is your chance to do whatever you want whenever you want because this time, you’re running the show.

Don’t be afraid to talk to random people. Though there is someone who poses a threat, it’s important to remember that not everyone is out to get you.     3    That’s because you’re a novelty, a person from another country who is visiting theirs. Therefore, instead of putting on your headphones or instantly seeing them as weirdos, use this spontaneous chat as a chance to meet the locals or get recommendations for things to do during your trip.

It’s okay to have bad days.     4     It happens and it’s completely okay to take some time to process whatever it is you’re feeling. Take yourself to a movie or spend the day dong something relaxing like writing in your journal or reading on the beach.

It’s okay to start small.     5     Start by doing a staycation in another part of town, spending a few days in a new locale a bus or train ride away. Just do whatever you’re comfortable with and see how it all feels for you.

A．You are the boss of your own adventure.

B．You need to make an unusual travel choice.

C．It’s no secret that solo travel is on the rise.

D．Sometimes things can go incredibly wrong.

E．People like you simply don’t know how to start.

F．Most of the time people are just curious and try to be friendly.

G．Remember, your first solo trip doesn’t have to be to a whole other continent.

3 . Iceberg Water, which is harvested from icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland Canada, is achieving new heights of popularity in North America.

Arthur, Von Wiesenberger who carries the title “Water Master”, is one of the few water critics in North America. As a boy, he spent time in the larger cities of Italy, France and Switzerland, where bottled water is consumed daily. Even then, he kept a water journal, noting the brands he liked best. “My dog could tell the difference between bottled and tap water.” He says.

But is plain tap water all that bad? Not at all. In fact. New York’s tap water for more than a century was called the champagne of tap water and until recently considered among the best in the world in terms of both taste and purity. Similarly, a magazine in England found that tap water from the Thames River tasted better than several leading brands of bottled water that were 400 times more expensive.

Nevertheless, soft-drink companies view bottled water as the next battle-ground for market share — despite the fact that over 25 percent of bottled water comes from tap water: Pepsi Co’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s Dasani are both purified tap water rather than spring water.

As diners thirst for leading brands, bottlers and restaurateurs are desperate for the profits. A restaurant’s typical mark-up (加价) on wine is 100 to 150 percent, whereas on bottled water it’s often 300 to 500 percent. But since water is much cheaper than wine, and many of the fancier brands aren’t available in stores, most diners don’t notice or care.

As a result, some restaurants are turning up the pressure to sell bottled water. According to an article in The Street Journal, some of the more shameless methods include placing attractive bottles on the table for a visual sell, listing brands on the menu without prices, and pouring bottled water without even asking the diners if they want it.

Regardless of how it’s sold, the popularity of bottled water taps into our desire for better health. our wish to appear cultivated, and even a longing for lost purity.

1. What is Arthur’s purpose in mentioning his dog in paragraph 2?

A．To indicate his own preference for bottled water.

B．To show the importance of bottled water to dogs.

C．To clarify the difference between bottled water and tap water.

D．To exhibit the large consumption of bottled water in big cities.

2. Which of the following best explains “fancier brands” underlined in paragraph 5?

A．tap water from the Thames River

B．famous wines not sold in ordinary stores

C．PepsiCo’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s Dasani

D．pricey bottled water with very impressive names

3. Why are some restaurants turning up the pressure to sell bottled water?

A．Most diners find bottled water affordable.

B．Competition from the wine industry is fierce.

C．Bottled water can bring in huge profits.

D．Bottled water satisfies diners’ desire to be fashionable.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Tap water: why tastes better?	B．Bottled water: why so popular?
C．A new favorite of. restaurants; bottled water	D．A rising star: tap water

4 . Officials in San Francisco are asking the public to help choose a waste container among several models proposed for mass deployment (部署) in the California city. It is proving to be a costly project. One of the trash cans under consideration cost more than $20,000 and took four years to make.

San Francisco began its search for the perfect public trash can in 2018. Officials decided it was time to replace the more than 3,000 cans that have served the city’s streets for almost 20 years. The current trash cans open too widely, they say, permitting people to reach in. The cans also break a lot, requiring repairs. Sometimes people push them over or mark them with words and pictures. Sometimes, the cans are set on fire.

Last month, the city deployed 15 made-to-order trash cans and 11 off-the-shelf trash cans. Attached to each was a QR code from which people could answer questions about the individual can. The city government project also created interactive maps so people can find the different models to consider. The so-called Soft Square model trash can was priced at $20,900, making it the most expensive model on the streets. It is made of light steel. A press of a pedal opens the can for hands-free operation. It has dividers so waste can be separated from materials for recycling, like aluminum and glass.

City officials say, however, that the government will not pay more than three-thousand per can once a model is chosen for mass production. Beth Rubenstein is a spokeswoman for San Francisco’s Department of Publie Works. “We live in a beautiful city, and we want(the trash can)to be functional and cost-effective, but it needs to be beautiful,” she said.

But the good looks of the shiny new trash cans have not protected them from vandalism and other disrespect. Three weeks after being deployed, several are overflowing, or covered in orange and white graffiti or dirty from coffee spills. Diane Torkelson volunteers on a team that removes trash from the streets near her home. She recently visited three of the proposed trash cans. Two were already full when the group arrived to inspect them, she said. “If the trash can is full, it’s of no use, no matter how well it was designed,” she said.

1. Why did San Francisco decide to replace the existing trash cans?

A．They are damaged beyond repair.	B．They are too small to hold the city's waste.
C．They have outlived their useful life.	D．They are difficult to clean and maintain.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The urban can replacement project.	B．The trash can QR code campaign.
C．The city-wide mapping initiative.	D．The pedal-operated container program.

3. What does the underlined word “vandalism” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Destruction of property.	B．Theft.
C．Illegal invasion.	D．Tagging.

4. What is Diane’s attitude towards the new trash cans?

A．Positive.	B．Negative.
C．Neutral.	D．Indifferent.

5 . Our brains process information differently: It's a good idea to talk to your children about the ways our minds function. Here are some picture books that teach children about neurodiversity(神经多样性).

My Brain is Magic: A Sensory Seeking Celebration

Prasha Sooful(Author), Geeta Ladi(Illustrator) Age: 5-9

A sensory-seeking child describes and celebrates their wonderful life in this book that highlights sensory processing and neurodiversity in a positive way for children to enjoy. Through the power of magic and imagination, different animals and insects represent sensory scenarios. The book includes a note for parents to help make sure their children's sensory needs are met.

Some Brains: A Book Celebrating Neurodiversity

Nelly Thomas(Author), Cat McInnes(Illustrator) Age: 4-8

Let's celebrate neurodiversity! This book does just that. Some Brains encourages readers to examine the strength and power of having a wonderfully unique brain! Additionally, MeInnes filled the pages with vividly inclusive illustrations so that children actually see the beauty of our diverse world.

Too Sticky: Sensory Issues With Autism(自闭症)

Jen Malia(Author), Joanne Lew-Vriethoff(Illustrator) Age: 4-8

Although Holly loves science experiments, she's unsure how she'll feel about making slime(烂泥) because it is sticky! Holly's family and teacher help her find accommodations, and she learns that slime isn't so bad after all. What's great about this book is that the author is a neurodivergent parent of three neurodivergent children, making this an essential "own voices" story to add to your collection.

Brilliant Bea

Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich(Authors), Fiona Lee(Illustrator) Age: 4-8

Beatrice uses a tape recorder to tell stories because she can speak her words and say them back. She is dyslexic(读写障碍) and shows her classmates how using a tape recorder helps her learn and keep stories. Brilliant Bea is set in EasyReading, a dyslexia-friendly font.

1. Which book explores the idea of neurodiversity through a sensory seeking child's perspective?

A．Brilliant Bea

B．Too Sticky: Sensory Issues With Autism

C．Some Brains: A Book Celebrating Neurodiversity

D．My Brain is Magic: A Sensory Seeking Celebration

2. What can readers learn from Some Brains: A Book Celebrating Neurodiversity?

A．Ways to deal with different brain conditions.

B．The differences between normal brains and unique brains.

C．The importance of accepting neurodiversity.

D．Techniques for understanding the complexity of the brain.

3. What do Brilliant Bea and Too Sticky: Sensory Issues With Autism have in common?

A．Their main characters have a love for science.

B．They focus on kids with disabilities.

C．They emphasize the power of imagination.

D．They tell stories about celebrating neurodiversity.

6 . There I was, after 12 hours of travel, standing on Lexington Avenue and hoping for a New York miracle. I’d only been in Manhattan for an hour. and already 1 was flagging down a taxi late at night and shouting “Follow that cab! ”

Well, more accurately: “Follow that little dot on this tiny map.” Meaning the GPS-enabled dot moving around a screen as part of the Find My iPhone feature. The dot indicating that somewhere out there, in one of New York City’s other 13,000 taxi cabs, sat my daughter’s blue bag that she’d left behind, containing her diary, school laptop, notebooks, iPhone and AirPods she’d bought with her saved-up allowance.

The daughter who at that very moment was curled up on the hotel bed, regretting her thoughtlessness, in tears. I was a small-town dad in a huge, unfamiliar metropolis (大都市), with maybe half an idea of what I was doing, at best. But I couldn’t stand to see her crying. I had to get that bag back.

An explanation is in order: at the airport terminal, we’d had to switch to another taxicab to get a ride into Manhattan. Our first taxi driver quoted us a fare higher than it should cost, and when I asked why, he immediately threw us out of his cab. We piled into the next waiting taxi. It wasn’t until getting to our hotel, an hour later, that we realized the first taxi driver had sped away with the bag inside.

While I called 311(非紧急情况电话), my wife remembered she’d set up tracking on our daughter’s phone in case of emergencies, and pulled up its map, excited to discover a little dot that refreshed every 15 seconds or so, traveling around the streets of midtown. Talking to the woman working 311, I casually remarked, “I’m half-tempted (诱惑) to get another cab and have them chase after this dot on the map.”

“Well,” she said, “that’s probably what a New Yorker would do.” Challenge accepted. The first taxi driver that pulled over laughed at my wild goose chase, but the second said, “Yeah. Get in.” His name was Gani. And so began our three-hour hunt for the missing bag.

1. How did the author discover that his daughter’s bag was lost?

A．They realized it when they got to the hotel.

B．The daughter called and told him.

C．He saw the taxi driver speeding away with the bag.

D．They found the bag was missing when they got into the taxi.

2. How did the daughter feel when she found out her bag was lost?

A．Disappointed.

B．Cross.

C．Discouraged.

D．Panicky.

3. What did the author consider doing after discovering the dot on the map?

A．Continuing to call 311.	B．Waiting for the dot to come to him.
C．Finding another cab to pursue the dot.	D．Giving up on looking for the lost item.

4. Which of the following would the author probably agree with?

A．People in big cities were more helpful than his hometown.

B．Technology could sometimes make a difference.

C．New York was a dangerous and scary city.

D．He was close to quitting tracking the bag’s location.

7 . In our modern economy, accelerated learning can be crucial for success. Learning faster means gaining more knowledge—quicker than others.     1     Anyone can learn from them and accelerate their learning process with the following techniques.

Combine Learning Styles That Play to Your Strengths

When you aim to accelerate your learning, what you choose to learn should not be limited to a curriculum or classroom structure.     2     Different materials along with your learning style can accelerate or slow down your comprehension process. The best learning style is the one that makes it easier to process, or comprehend ideas, and subjects faster. Once you know your learning strengths and weaknesses, you can choose learning strategies that play to your strengths.

Seek First to Understand The Basic Structure of The Topic You Choose

    3     So you need to seek first to understand the basics. In other words, you have to get to know the tree’s root, trunk, then branch out from there. Don’t start from the branches or the leaves, pursue the root and work your way to the topic. Therefore, whatever topic you choose to learn or study, just start with the basics.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time in Both “Focused” And “Diffused”(分散的)Modes

Normally, the human brain is not meant to stay in “focused” mode for hours at a time.     4     Consequently, when your brain is active for a very long time, you’re actually blocking your access to the diffused mode — a more relaxed state.

Therefore, diffused mode is just as valuable as the focused mode. So — just take breaks, let your mind wander, think about other things, and give your brain plenty of time to make better connections.     5    

A．You can benefit a lot from staying focused.

B．Smart learners don’t have any special secrets.

C．You should try to choose whatever you like best.

D．Every topic or subject has a logical structure to it.

E．Then you can learn better by imposing breaks on yourself.

F．Long-lasting attention to a single task can block memory and recall.

G．You can practically choose content from many sources, experts, and authors.

9 . If you’re seeking a plain-language intro to statistics, or just want to get better at judging the reliability of numbers in the news, Spiegelhalter’s The Art of Statistics is a solid crash course. The book is less about learning how to use specific mathematical tools than it is about exploring the numerous ways statistics can help solve real-world problems and why warnings are often added to statistical claims.

Spiegelhalter, a statistician at the University of Cambridge, keeps things lively by tying new concepts to questions. For instance, should you worry that eating bacon will increase your risk of bowel (肠) cancer? The relative risk might make you think people who eat a bacon sandwich every day have an 18 percent higher risk of bowel cancer than those who don’t. But looking at the absolute risk—a rise of 6 to 7 cases per 100 people—may put your mind at ease.

Spiegelhalter’s narration is encouraging, and he makes complex sections easier to resolve by including frequent summaries and lots of data visualizations. The Art of Statistics is alive with his enthusiasm for how statistics can be used to collect information for court cases, city planning and a host of other sectors.

But Spiegelhalter warns readers not to forget the assumptions and uncertainties in any analysis, and tells many cautionary tales about the ways statistics can go off the track. For example, incomplete samples and logical missteps can lead to faulty conclusions.

Spiegelhalter doesn’t let the media off the hook, either. Many of the questions he uses to introduce topics are drawn from misleading news reports. Such articles include one claiming that going to college increases your risk of getting a brain tumor (瘤), which mistook correlation for causation in data on socioeconomic status and tumor diagnoses.

The Art of Statistics leaves readers with a better handle on the ins and outs of statistical analysis. As Spiegelhalter writes, “Numbers may appear to be cold, hard facts, but… they need to be treated with delicacy.”

1. What’s special about The Art of Statistics?

A．It offers a reliable course in statistics.	B．It focuses on reasonable data analyses.
C．It warns the public of statistical claims.	D．It includes effective tools for math learners.

2. What’s the purpose in mentioning the example in paragraph 2?

A．To compare two dramatically different lifestyles.

B．To stress the importance of having a healthy diet.

C．To show an effective way to explain new concepts.

D．To relieve public concern over unreliable numbers.

3. What do the underlined words “off the hook” mean in paragraph 5?

A．Free from blame.

B．Familiar to all.

C．In good condition.

D．Out of control.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Spiegelhalter: A Real Fighter Expert at Data Analyses

B．The Art of Statistics: How to Avoid Faulty Conclusions

C．Spiegelhalter: A Statistician against Misleading Statistics

D．The Art of Statistics: How to Think Critically about Numbers

10 . On hearing the word vacation, most people react positively. Experienced travelers will argue that more important than where they go on vacation is who they go with.     1    

Family travel is special and creates lasting memories, but it can also have some challenges. For one, the success of a trip often depends on the relationships that the family members have with one another. If two brothers do not get along at home, the chances are that they will fight during a vacation.     2     If a family is traveling by air, purchasing plane tickets for everyone can be very expensive.

    3     Close friends often have similar personalities, so they generally get along with each other and fight less than family members might on a trip. Furthermore, if friends are close, even a terrible trip will not ruin the friendship.     4     All in all, traveling with friends can be a positive experience that results in a great vacation and, likely, a stronger friendship.

Finally, people can choose to travel alone. Solo travelers can be more flexible with transportation than those traveling in a large group.     5     And they also have better chances of getting a seat on buses or planes since they only need one. In addition, solo travelers are more likely to meet locals or other vacationers because they are more likely to want to talk with others.

A．They can change plans more easily.

B．Each person tends to cover his or her individual expenses.

C．Another potential problem of family travel is transportation.

D．Sightseeing and scheduling are not a problem for solo travelers.

E．In fact, friendships are often strengthened with the travel memories.

F．Traveling with friends can be an unforgettable experience for several reasons.

G．Vacations can be classified on the basis of who vacationers choose to travel with.