1 . When it comes to travel, sometimes wandering is one of the most exciting things you can do. In a time when travellers are both more adventurous and eco-conscious than ever, it’s no surprise that there’s a wealth of new vocabulary to describe how we travel, when we travel and how the experience makes us feel. Here are eight of our favourite travel words that you may not have heard before.

We’ve kicked off a blog with the staycation, “a holiday in one’s own country”. The term first became popular in the mid-2000s, when the global financial crisis meant people had less income to spend on flash holidays and instead searched for cheaper local choices. Since 2020, the staycation is experiencing a revival (复兴). Benefits of staycations include cheaper travel costs, no spending hours in the airport and, of course, no need to worry about whether your passport expired (过期) last year.

Once upon a time, if you wanted to meet new people on your travels, you could stay at a hostel or with a host on Airbnb. Now, you can couch surf. And not just in “the staying at various friends’ houses until you find a new place to rent” sense: couch surfing is quickly becoming a hot new travel trend. Travellers can now choose to couch surf all across the world via a website which treats travel as a cultural exchange, allowing people to connect with willing hosts and crash on their sofas.

Given that single-use and climate strike were selected as the Collins 2018 and 2019 Words of the Year respectively, it’s clear that the climate crisis is very much on everybody’s mind. This desire to make more sustainable choices is also affecting the way we spend our vacation days. Ecotourism is another popular travel trend, defined as tourism that is designed to contribute to the protection of the environment. Examples of ecotourism include ditching short-haul flights, staying at eco-friendly resorts, or booking a staycation.

1. When did the staycation become popular firstly?

A．About in 2018.

B．About in 2019.

C．About in 2005.

D．About in 2010.

2. How many new travel words are mentioned in the text?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Six.

3. What does the text mainly focus on?

A．The eco-friendly travel ways.	B．The cheap ways to get around.
C．The changing words of travel.	D．The spread of history and culture.

4. What is probably continued with the text?

A．The other new travel words.	B．Ways to protect environment.
C．Other examples of ecotourism.	D．Experiences of reaching culture.

2 . Here’re the best music festivals of 2024 you need tickets to.

Bonnaroo
When: June 13-16

Where: Great Stage Park in Manchester, Tenn. Bonnaroo has been a king in the festival world since 2002. This year’s headliners include Pretty Lights, Fisher and so on. The main venue（场地）, “Centeroo,” stays open 24/7, so you can jamout until the sun comes up if that’s your style. When taking a break from the music, there’re tons of activities to keep you occupied, cool off, or relax.

Coachella
When: April 12-14
Where: Empire Polo Field in Indio, Calif.

The first Coachella was actually held on October 9-10, 1999. Like most festivals, fashion is a big part of the event. Headliners for Coachella 2024 include Lana Del Ray and Doja Cat. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Ultra
When: March 22-24

Where: Bayfront Park in Miami, Florida. It was first held in Miami in March, 1999. Unlike many festivals, you don’t camp on Ultra grounds and instead can book a stay at one of the nearby hotels. Who are the talented artists making an appearance? Headliners include Calvin Harris, and Afrojack, to name a few.

Hangout Fest
When: May 17-19
Where: The beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama

This three-day party came to be in 2010 and has been popular since. What’s better than your feet in the sand and live music? This year’s top performers to look out for are Odesza, and Zach Bryan. But that’s just a few names out of the long list of acts to see.

1. What is special about Bonnaroo?

A．People can hang out all night at Centeroo.

B．It’s sponsored by the local government.

C．It’s the most popular of the four festivals.

D．There’s not much going on except music.

2. Which music festival has the longest history?

A．Hangout Fest.	B．Coachella.
C．Bonnaroo.	D．Ultra.

3. What do the four festivals have in common?

A．They each last 3 days.	B．They attract famous artists.
C．They are held on the beach.	D．They are mainly for the young.

3 . Seven Bays Rock Climbing Gym is owned by Richard Avenz, the world-class rock climber who also owns the famous Climbing Gym Subway. Seven Bays Rock Climbing Gym is a 6,000-square-foot gym on Gothelm Street that hosts a 200-foot -long climbing wall and a cafe, where you can relax before or after climbing, or simply sit and watch your friends go for it.

Rock Climbing is also about the people you meet, as much as the climbing itself. Our gym is the perfect place for climbers to meet and share experiences. There are lessons seven days a week on the smaller wall and when someone is ready, they are let loose on the main wall, but always under observation. We have a great safety record and intend to keep it that way.

The gym is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but lessons are between 12 to 6 p.m. You can get a student package for 700 pounds a month and there are also yearly deals, but daily or weekly deals are not provided.

Probably one of the best things the gym offers is weekend trips for many experienced climbers. You can get out and try a real rock face at the cost of 150 pounds. We arrange hotel accommodation for overnight and it’s free of charge. It’s a lot of fun. It’s a great way to meet people, strengthen your body and become part of the rock climbing community.

1. Which of the following is Not true about Richard Avenz?

A．He is in possession of Seven Bays Rock Gym.

B．He is an excellent climber.

C．Climbing Gym Subway doesn’t belong to him.

D．He is not only a sportsman but also a businessman.

2. What do we know about the gym?

A．It is not open all year round.

B．The lessons can be available any time.

C．During weekend trips, the gym will offer hotel accommodation free of charge.

D．The students can get daily deals.

3. Who is Seven Bays Rocking Climbing intended for?

A．People who are fond of sports.	B．People who show interest in music.
C．People who dream to be a scientist.	D．People who like geography.

4 . Flash droughts develop fast, and when they hit at the wrong time, they can ruin a region’s agriculture. They’re also becoming increasingly common as the planet warms. In a study published in the journal Communications Earth& Environment, we found that the risk of flash droughts, which can develop in just a few weeks, is on the rise in every major agricultural region around the world in the coming decades.

In North America and Europe, cropland that had a 32% annual chance of a flash drought a few years ago could have a greater chance of a flash drought by the final decades of this century. That result would put food production, energy, and water supplies under increasing pressure. The cost of change will also rise. A flash drought in the Dakotas and Montana 2017 caused $2.6 billion in agricultural damage in America alone.

All droughts begin when rainfall stops. What’s interesting about flash droughts is how fast they strengthen themselves, with some help from the warming climate. When the weather is hot and dry, soil loses moisture rapidly. Dry air extracts moisture from the land, and rising temperatures can increase this evaporative (蒸发的) demand. The lack of rain during a flash drought can further contribute to the feedback processes. Under these conditions, crops and vegetation begin to die much more quickly than they do during typical long-term droughts.

In our study, we used climate models and data from the past 170 years to assess the drought risks ahead under three conditions for how quickly the world takes action to slow the pace of global warming. If greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, power plants, and other human sources continue at a high rate, we found that cropland in much of North America and Europe would have a 53% annual chance of flash droughts, by the final decades of this century. Globally, the largest increases in flash droughts would be in Europe and the Amazon. Slowing emissions can reduce the risk significantly, but we found flash droughts would still increase by about 6% worldwide under low emission conditions.

1. What is the feature of flash droughts?

A．Seldom happen and greatly beneficial.	B．Frequently happen and low risky.
C．Suddenly happen and highly destructive.	D．Regularly happen and slightly harmful.

2. Which of the following statements may the author agree with?

A．Crops and vegetation die more quickly during long term droughts.

B．Slowing emissions can completely solve the problem of flash droughts.

C．In Europe cropland will suffer from more flash droughts by the end of this century.

D．Flash droughts won’t have any effect on food production, energy, and water supplies.

3. What may be a factor that strengthens flash droughts?

A．Adequate rainfall.	B．The warming climate.
C．The cold and wet weather.	D．Long-term droughts.

4. How can humans help reduce flash droughts?

A．By studying climate models.	B．By speeding up global warming.
C．By changing cropland into forests.	D．By decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.

5 . Pasteur discovered that bacteria (细菌) cause many diseases.     1    . He proved that diseases could be cured by stopping the spread of bacteria.

How Pasteur helped industry

Louis Pasteur was born in France in 1822. He studied physics and chemistry in Paris. The wine-making industry in France was in trouble during the mid-1800s     2    . Pasteur discovered that germs were getting into the wine and turning it sour. He found that heat killed these germs and prevented the wine from spoiling. Pasteur later applied his discovery to milk. His way of heating foods to kill bacteria is now called pasteurization (巴氏灭菌法).

    3    . In the mid-1800s, a disease was killing off silkworms before they could spin silk threads. Pasteur showed that the disease was in the silkworm eggs and that getting rid of any infected eggs could keep the disease from spreading.

    4    

Pasteur then discovered how to make vaccines (疫苗) to protect people and animals against disease. He observed that animals infected with a disease sometimes became immune to the disease — that is, protected from getting the disease again. Pasteur found that he could weaken germs in his laboratory. When he put weakened germs into the bodies of animals, the animals became immune to the disease caused by the germs. Pasteur made a vaccine to protect sheep against a disease called anthrax.

One of Pasteur’s most important discoveries was a vaccine against rabies (狂犬病). People can get this deadly disease     5    . In 1885, a mother begged Pasteur to treat her young son who had been badly bitten by a dog with rabies. The vaccine worked, and the boy lived.

A．Anthrax and rabies

B．How Pasteur prevented disease

C．Pasteur became a national hero in France for saving the wine and silk industries

D．because much of the wine was spoiling

E．He showed that bacteria get into living things and then multiply

F．Pasteur also helped the French silk industry

G．if they are bitten by an animal infected with rabies

6 . Norah Wimer, a volunteer at Adoption First Animal Rescue in Jacksonville, North Carolina, was trying to brainstorm ways to help some of the dogs find their forever homes a little faster. She saw an article about a project where a class of kids helped shelter dogs find homes, and immediately she was inspired.

Wimer asked her son’s teacher if the second-grade class would want to write bios (小传记) for some of the dogs at the rescue to help them find homes. As soon as the kids heard about the project, they were so excited that their words and pictures might actually make a difference for a dog in need. The kids were each allowed to pick which dog they wanted to write about, and a lot of them were attracted to the dogs with disabilities because they wanted to show people how wonderful they are despite their differences. Each bio consisted of a short write-up (评述) and a drawing, and the kids worked so hard to show each dog’s unique personality.

Once the bios were all completed, the teacher sent them to Wimer, who was pretty floored — the whole project had worked out even better than she could have imagined.

“I was deeply impressed when I read the bios,” Wimer said. “They were so cute, and you could tell that the kids put a lot of work into them.”

Some of the bios were sweet, some were funny, and all of them were unique and really gave some personality to the dogs, who were eagerly waiting to be adopted. The bios are currently being displayed online —and have already made a difference in the lives of the dogs they feature.

When Wimer first came up with the idea, she had no idea how it would turn out. In the end, it brought joy to a whole class of kids and helped dogs in need find homes, which definitely all adds up to a huge success.

1. Where did Norah Wimer’s inspiration come from?

A．An article.	B．A volunteer.
C．Her son’s teacher.	D．Shelter dogs.

2. What can we learn about the bios?

A．They focus on dogs’ fitness.	B．They feature introductory videos.
C．They are meant for disabled dogs.	D．They contain both words and pictures.

3. What does the underlined word “floored” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Concerned.

B．Motivated.

C．Surprised.

D．Disappointed.

4. Which of the following can best describe Wimer’s idea?

A．Money-saving.

B．Win-win.

C．Impractical.

D．Funny.

7 . Four Famous Educators

John Dewey

Birthplace: Burlington, Vermont, United States

A faithful advocate of progressive education and liberalism, the American philosopher was the founder of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. John Dewey’s famous writings included The Reflex Arc Concept in Psychology and Human Nature and Conduct. According to him, passion for knowledge and intellectual curiosity were central to a teacher.

Savitribai Phule

Birthplace: Naigaon, India

Savitribai Phule was a revolutionary social reformer who devoted her life to educating girls and bringing about gender (性别) equality in the face of resistance from the conservative Indian society. Phule, who was illiterate (文盲) until her marriage, went on to become a teacher, an achievement accomplished first by an Indian woman. With her husband, she established schools for girls in Maharashtra.

Maria Montessori

Birthplace: Chiaravalle, Italy

Maria Montessori was an Italian educator and physician best known for developing the Montessori method of education, a student-friendly method, which is being used in several public and private schools around the world. In 2020, she was nominated (提名) by Time magazine as one of their Top 100 Women of the Year.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Birthplace: Geneva, Switzerland

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, composer, and writer. His political philosophy influenced aspects of the French Revolution. He also helped develop modern economic, political, and educational thought. His writing inspired a complete change in French drama and poetry. His works also influenced such writers around the world as Tolstoy.

1. What was John Dewey famous as?

A．A philosopher.

B．A social reformer.

C．A teacher.

D．A writer.

2. Who developed a student-friendly teaching method?

A．John Dewey.	B．Savitribai Phule.
C．Maria Montessori.	D．Jean-Jacques Rousseau

3. Where was the person who made a difference in French drama born?

A．In the US.

B．In India.

C．In Italy.

D．In Switzerland.

8 . If you think that this is about a ten-year-old boy adopting a blind deer, you are wrong. If you think this is about a deer giving her love for her savior then you’re wrong again.     1     He helped this deer find grass to eat every morning.

A ten-year-old boy in Chicago, Illinois spotted a blind deer that had wandered into his neighborhood, and he decided to help it find a safe place and give it some food. He made a regular morning habit of doing this before going to school. The roads are a dangerous place for blind animals.     2    

When the Illinois Department of Natural Resources got to know about this, they immediately adopted the deer. They provided her with a proper, legal shelter.     3     He didn’t try to pet her. Therefore, he felt a sense of relief, knowing that the blind deer was safe.

    4     Usually, when people find things they love, they naturally tend to make them their own and seldom like to share them with others. This example shows that loving something does not mean trying to own it. Caring is not possessing. What we learn from the boy is to live peacefully with our surroundings.

The blind deer and the boy spent very little time as friends. The boy did not let his feelings for her overpower himself.     5     Being humans is not just about loving and hugging those we love; it is also about sharing our world with them.

A．What can we draw from the story?

B．But it doesn’t mean that we cannot see his humanity and love.

C．It was a generous use of his early morning time before school.

D．How would you reward a kid who helped a blind deer in need?

E．That was when people knew that the boy hadn’t named the deer.

F．So he carefully guided the creature across the streets and sidewalks.

G．Rather, this is about a boy who was kind enough to help a blind deer.

9 . HEROES IN YOUR EYES

Everyone knows the people who have helped to change the face of the world in recent years. From Bill Gates to Steve Jobs to Jack Ma, few would not recognize their names. However, those who work tirelessly behind the scenes often go unnoticed, in spite of their great achievements. If you know anyone who deserves to have their contributions recognized, we would love to hear from you! Let us know how these people have helped to make a difference in your eyes.

●The person I respect most is the geophysicist Huang Danian, who helped China to make many technological advance. Huang was a remarkable scientist. He had studied and worked in Britain for 18 years, but when he felt that his country needed him, he gave up his well-paid job and returned to China. Over the next seven years, Huang worked to develop many devices needed for deep-Earth exploration. Unfortunately, such achievements didn’t come cheap. Due to the frantic pace of his research, Huang was absent from his father’s funeral, and even his own cancer went undetected as he had no time to see a doctor. To sum up, Huang sacrificed everything for his research and I think more people should honour him.

(Zhang Keyu, Hubei)

●I want to tell everyone about two teachers on Changyu Island, Wang Kaiquan and Lin Zhujin. Few people know about this hometown of mine. The island is beautiful, but it’s quite isolated, and there aren’t many modern conveniences. In bad weather even our water and power supplies are unstable. People who have never been to our island are often surprised by this and find it hard to adjust. Many who live on the island dream of leaving. These two primary school teachers, however, have stayed on for 23 long years! They are the only teachers here, and they plan to stay for as long as there are children who need to attend school. I want to thank them, and let the world know about these teachers who work tirelessly every day for the sake of the children.

(Chen Xueyin, Fujian)

1. What quality do Huang Danian and the two teachers have in common?

A．Ambitious.

B．Dedicated.

C．Innovative.

D．Honest.

2. According to the text, which of the following is true?

A．The magazine wants readers to send in stories about admirable people.

B．Huang Danian kept working hard even he knew he came down the cancer.

C．Changyu Island is a beautiful and modern island.

D．The two teachers find it hard to adjust the life in Changyu Island and wanted to leave.

3. In which column will you see this article?

A．Economy.

B．Technology.

C．Culture.

D．Figure.

10 . Doctors in the U. K. are warning children born in the age of tablets(平板)and touch screens are missing the fine motor skills needed to operate the simpler tools in life: pens and pencils.

After all, it’s easier to give a child an iPad than encouraging them to do muscle-building play such as building blocks.

Certainly penmanship(书法)has been on the decline since the appearance of keyboard. Some Arizona educators are even considering dropping cursive(草书)writing entirely from classes. They think teaching a kid to use soon-to-be ancient tools like pens and pencils is a waste of time and money.

The thing is, there’s more than one point to penmanship. A pencil is what develops hand strength and dexterity(灵巧)that children will need throughout their lives. It’s a lifelong learning tool that helps the world produce its surgeons and pilots.

And the bad cursive writing opens the door for an all-important lesson on the virtues of practice. A keyboard, on the other hand, ticks off each letter with perfect precision from the very start. But it robs a kid not only of the joys of getting something right, but also developing a written identity.

Consider that if society stops teaching children how to push a pen, how long before we won’t be able to read it? Maybe the pen will someday be history. But we all need to know how to read history.

As blogger Starre Vartan puts it, “As an art lover, I visit as many museums as I can, and a major part of many exhibitions, original written documents are included, all of which requires the reader to be able to decipher(破译)handwriting from times past.”

And, in an age when people turn increasingly to the same old emoji(表情符号)to express themselves, those lines on paper may be one of the few remaining bastions(堡垒)of identity.

1. Which of the following may belong to hand muscle-building play according to the text?

A．Hide-and-seek.	B．High jumping.
C．Role playing.	D．Cutting and sticking.

2. What is some Arizona educators’ view on penmanship?

A．It is a traditional art.	B．It is out of date.
C．It brings people joy.	D．It does harm to kids.

3. What message does the author want to convey in paragraph 5?

A．Penmanship is beneficial.	B．Penmanship needs practice.
C．The keyboard is also important.	D．Every kid needs a written identity.

4. What can we infer from blogger Starre Vartan’ words?

A．Learning cursive is necessary.

B．Written documents are treasures.

C．Readers need to write much more.

D．Cursive writing can hide messages.