1 . To better understand the ocean’s overall health, researchers hope to utilize some simplest creatures as tools to assess aquatic ecosystems. All they need is stunning $20 worth of materials, a 3D-printer, and some natural jellyfish.

Although it’s extremely dangerous, technologically challenging, and expensive for humans to reach the ocean’s deepest regions, jellyfish do it all the time. Jellyfish first began dancing through Earth’s ancient oceans at least half a billion years ago, making them some of the planet’s oldest creatures. In all that time, however, their biological appearance has remained pretty consistent — a bell-shaped, brainless head attached to a mass of tentacles （触须）, all of which is composed of around 95 percent water. Unfortunately, that same steady state can’t be said of their habitat, thanks to humanity’s ongoing environmental impacts. “Since they don’t have a brain or the ability to sense pain, we’ve been able to cooperate with bioethicists to develop this biohybrid robotic application in a way that’s ethically principled,” a lead researcher of this study, John Dabiri said in a recent profile.

Previously, Dabiri’s lab implanted jellyfish with a kind of electronic pacemaker that controls the speed at which they swim. This time, the team went a step further, adding what they call a forebody to the jellyfish. It is like a hat that sits on top of the jellyfish’s bell. This 3D-printed, hat-like addition not only houses electronics and sensors, but makes its wearer even faster. In a specially built, three-story vertical aquarium, a jellyfish equipped with a combination of the swimming pacemaker and forebody can swim up to 4.5 times faster than its all-natural counterpart.

“It’s well known that the ocean is critical for determining our present and future climate on land, and yet, we still know surprisingly little about the ocean, especially away from the surface,” Dabiri said. “Our goal is to finally move that needle by taking an unconventional approach inspired by one of the few animals that already successfully explores the entire ocean.”By controlling their jellies’ vertical ascent and descent, Dabiri’s team believes the biohybrids could help gather deep ocean data previously obtainable only by using extremely price y research vessels and equipment.

1. What made jellyfish chosen for the study?

A．Its consistent habitat.	B．Its existence for long.
C．Its watery composition.	D．Its insensibility to pain.

2. What does the underlined word “addition” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．A forebody.	B．A pacemaker.
C．A hat-wearing jellyfish.	D．A speed sensor.

3. What’s the role of a natural jellyfish in the study?

A．A data collector.	B．A device carrier.
C．A climate change predictor.	D．The model of a robotic application.

4. What’s probably the most eye-catching advantage of this study?

A．Its potential to explore the ocean.	B．Its role in determining the climate.
C．The animal-friendly approach to research.	D．The significant decline in research funding.

2 . China feeds a fifth of the world’s population from only less than one tenth of the arable (可耕作的) land across the globe.

    1     As early as the Northern Song Dynasty, there is documentary evidence of well-watered rice fields that were carved in a step-like fashion.     2     Even more remarkable than the early terracing (阶梯状坡地) of forested hillsides into productive paddies (稻田) is the fact that the terraces remain productive today.

While the Ziquejie Terraces still yield high-quality rice and are recognized as a World Heritage Irrigation Structure, they are under serious threat. Given the modern time minimum living standard, the success of China’s economic development has lifted the bar to the point where it exceeds what can be generated from traditional rice farming.     3     Local residents of the area also hope that the spectacular natural scenery will attract tourists, which eventually repays the region.

    4     There is strong evidence that rice cultivation has not only fed the population but has also cultivated Chinese culture and the form of democracy. In 2014, Scientific American magazine posed the question, “Does rice farming lead to collectivist thinking?” The answer, based on pioneering work by Chinese and American researchers, suggested that it did.

Those living in rice growing areas in south China were more interdependent in their thinking than those in the wheat growing north. The latter expressed attitudes that were individualistic rather than embracing.     5    

A．The technical challenges were huge.

B．Hence, China calls rice farmers to cooperate.

C．Moreover, rice cultivation supports the nation beyond agriculture.

D．Subsequent studies have shown that such differences are repeated globally.

E．The need to feed its population has always been a concern of China’s rulers.

F．Therefore, rice production on the Ziquejie Terraces is aided by the local finance.

G．The spectacular rice terraces of Ziquejie in Hunan Province from this era are known to date.

3 . Get together in Doon Heritage Village

Doon Heritage Village, where you can experience what life was like in 1914, is newly enhanced with restored buildings, more farm animals and fun activities for the entire family to enjoy.

Waterloo Region Museum

The new gateway to Doon Heritage Village is Waterloo Region Museum, to be opened on July 1, 2024. Come share in the stories that connect us at the new Waterloo Region Museum! The colors in the glass façade of the Waterloo Region Museum were selected from bedding, mostly quilts, in the museum’s collection and represent the textile heritage of Waterloo Region.

Special Events for JULY

2nd A Day in the Life 1914

Daily, from Saturday, July 2 to Saturday, July 30

4th World In Kitchener Film Festival

Monday, July 4 to Friday, July 8

9th History Under the trees

—Looking After Your Family’s History

23rd Flower Bouquet Workshop

& New! Summer Patio Music Enjoy live music every Saturday afternoon on our patio in July.

HUNGRY?

The museum features a café open during busy periods. The café menu includes light snack items, including hot and cold beverages. Vending machines are also available for your convenience. Water fountains are located near the café, on the patio and in the Living History Village. Please do not eat or drink inside the historic buildings.

SHOP

Be sure to visit the museum gift shop to find one-of-a-kind souvenirs, toys and gift items.

ACCESSIBILITY

Washrooms are fully accessible and can accommodate large groups and bus tours. The Waterloo Region Museum and the ground floors of most historic buildings are wheelchair accessible. We offer many services and assistive devices for visitors with disabilities. Please ask for our Guide to Access.

1. What inspired the colors used in the glass façade of the Waterloo Region Museum?

A．The natural surroundings of Waterloo Region.

B．The art heritage of Waterloo Region.

C．The bedding items from the museum’s collection.

D．The stories connecting us around the region.

2. If you come to visit on July 9th, how many special events can you enjoy?

A．4

B．3

C．2

D．1

3. What do we know about the facilities?

A．The cafe featuring snack items is always busy.

B．Drinking in the Living History Village is banned.

C．The museum gift shop has something unique to offer.

D．The Doon Heritage Village is fully wheelchair accessible.

4 . The green, natural forest absorbs carbon dioxide from the air through photo- synthesis (光合作用). There is another way of dealing with the climate crisis. That is setting up fields of dark-colored solar panels (太阳能电池板), also known as “solar forests”, which replace power stations that use fossil fuels such as coal and gas to make electricity, thus mitigating harmful emissions (排放) of greenhouse gases.

But since they are both relatively dark, they absorb a lot of solar radiation. Some of the energy is used for photosynthesis in natural forests or to produce electricity in “solar forests”, but most returns to the atmosphere, heating it up. Then what would be the more effective land use option in terms of the climate crisis: planting a forest, or building solar panels? This issue has long been debated by decision-makers around the world. Now, we may have an answer, thanks to a new study.

First, the researchers compared the impact of a forest on the climate crisis in a dry area to that of a solar farm in a similar environment. The researchers found that the albedo effect (反射效应) of both of these “forests” was similar, but that the absorption or prevention of carbon emissions was very different. It turns out that it takes 2.5 years for the heat emitted by solar farms to be balanced by the carbon emissions that are avoided, thanks to the energy they produce. In the case of a natural forest of similar size, it would take more than 100 years of photosynthesis to balance its heating effect.

The researchers also studied how the heating-cooling relationship changed in other climates and found that in more humid environments, the heating effect of planting large numbers of trees is smaller. And the break-even point is reached within 15 to 18 years.

“In dry places, building solar forests seems far more effective in addressing the climate crisis. Meanwhile, forests absorb about a third of annual carbon emissions and play a vital role in the global rain cycle, in maintaining biodiversity and in many other environmental and social contexts. Preventing them from being cut down and planting more trees in humid areas are of great significance,” explains one of the researchers in the study.

1. What does the underlined word “mitigating” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Releasing.

B．Decreasing.

C．Generating.

D．Stabilizing.

2. What is the root cause of the long-running debate over the two types of forests?

A．They cause much damage to the land.

B．They result in a serious loss of farmland.

C．They contribute to the warming of the atmosphere.

D．They lose energy during the absorption of solar radiation.

3. What did the researchers find in the study conducted in the dry environment?

A．The natural forest exhibits a stronger albedo effect.

B．The solar forest can generate more energy in dry areas.

C．The solar forest is superior in balancing the heating effect.

D．The natural forest is more effective in solving the climate crisis.

4. What can be concluded from the last paragraph?

A．More trees should be planted in dry regions.

B．More methods should be adopted to address the climate crisis.

C．Fields of solar panels should be set up everywhere on the earth.

D．Building solar panels and planting trees should be effectively combined.

5 . At an antiques store near their home, Michael, 11, and his brother Mauro, 9, encountered a link to a real national hero accidentally.

While searching through military memorabilia (纪念品), the boys had unearthed a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and a Good Conduct Medal bearing the name Charles J. George. The shop’s owner said the medals were worth hundreds of dollars, but he agreed to let the boys have them for free on one condition: that they return the awards to the soldier’s family.

The brothers found a Charles George online in the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor database, but the listing didn’t show a middle name or an initial. After searching military records at the library and online with no luck. Michael and Mauro found a YouTube video of a memorial service for George conducted in his hometown, Cherokee, by a local service officer Warren Dupree. The boys e-mailed Dupree, who responded with details about the heroic act that carned George the medals. During a war, George died after throwing himself on a bomb to save two fellow soldiers.

As for the middle initial J, the brothers learned that Cherokee don’t take middle names — Charles George had adopted his father’s name, Jacob, as a middle name just in case he would need it to join the army. The mystery was solved.

Dupree invited the brothers to Cherokee to present the medals to George’s family a few months later. “It felt so good to give the medals back,” says Michael, who wants to write a children’s book about the hunt for Charles J. George. “It was an honor,” adds his brother.

1. What can be inferred about the shop owner?

A．He cared about his credit.	B．He wanted to donate the medals.
C．He admired national heroes.	D．He tried to test the young visitors.

2. What ultimately contributed to the return of the medals?

A．Military records.	B．A YouTube video.
C．Online database.	D．The fellow soldiers.

3. Which of the following best describes the brothers?

A．Creative and generous.	B．Ambitious and talented.
C．Determined and trustworthy.	D．Intelligent and knowledgeable.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The value of the medals.	B．The influence of a hero.
C．The journey of treasure hunt.	D．The discovery of a hidden past.

6 . Using a headset at home to deliver a low electrical current to the brain can relieve symptoms of depression. The approach, called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), is effective when used several times a week for half an hour at a time.

Previous trials have shown that the therapy works under medical supervision in a clinic or lab. Now, a randomised trial has demonstrated that a tDCS headset can also reduce depression symptoms when worn at home.

Several forms of electrical brain stimulation may have the potential to treat depression. With tDCS, sponge electrodes are placed on the left and right sides of the forehead, causing a mild current to flow from the left to the right. This makes brain cells on the left side more likely to fire, with some studies suggesting that activity in this region is low in people with depression.

Repeated sessions of stimulation may lead to longer term changes in the brain cells, increasing their activity levels, says team member Cynthia Fu at the University of East London. Affecting activity in this region probably alters activity in multiple areas, she says. “There are probably many brain regions causing depression.”

To see if people can benefit from using such a device at home, the team randomly assigned 174 people with moderate or severe depression to receive either a full session of stimulation from the headset or stimulation from the same device that lasted just a few seconds. People felt their skin aching at the start and end of each session.

While the depression symptoms of both groups improved on a 52-point scale, those who got the real treatment showed the most benefit, by about 9 points compared with 7, a degree of difference that is similar to that seen with antidepressants (抗抑郁药), “We found people liked having it at home,” says Fu. “Participants could build it into their day.”

1. What is the function of the headset?

A．Curing depression in patients.	B．Testing the degree of depression.
C．Adjusting brain’s electrical current.	D．Reducing symptoms of depression.

2. How does the tDCS approach work?

A．By making the left-brain cells active.	B．By causing a strong electrical current.
C．By changing the brain wave’s direction.	D．By stimulating all brain regions repeatedly.

3. What does the underlined word “alters” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Monitors.

B．Disturbs.

C．Limits.

D．Changes.

4. What can be learned about the participants from the last two paragraphs?

A．They feel relieved to some extent.	B．They remain relaxed in the session.
C．They use different kinds of headsets.	D．They are bound to rely on the headsets.

7 . Should I go for a brownie or a slice of cake? Is it best to take up football or swimming?     1     But it can sometimes lead to feeling scared, uncertain and torn. When you’re able to reach decisions, and accept and learn from your choices, this can give you a sense of calm.

    2     Some decisions can have consequences for your health, school and relationships. Ignoring decision making can completely lead to “burying your head in the sand”. As you grow up. making choices becomes a regular part of life.

It is really brain twisting to make tough decisions.    3     You could start by listing the different options then weighing up the pros and cons of each one. Anita Garai, author of the book, Being with Our Feelings, says, “Follow your true feeling and listen to your heart, especially if your thoughts are confused or you feel anxious. Try to catch your first impulse, before your mind questions things.”     4    

Many people worry about making the “right” decision, especially if you feel disappointed by how things turn out. There’s not always a right choice and a wrong choice.    5     If the one you choose leads to disappointment, try reflecting on it and think about whether you would make a different decision in the future.

A．Are timely decisions vital?

B．Why does choosing matter?

C．People make choices every day.

D．Think carefully before making decisions.

E．Different paths lead to different experiences.

F．But breaking down your thinking can be helpful.

G．Always be careful about making a decision just to please others.

8 . Social welfare programs, including quality early education, earned-income tax credit and health care, can change children’s lives. More importantly, recent studies show the benefits from these programs strongly influence the next generation, lifting them out of poverty.

The long-term impact of prekindergarten is well established and widely known. 50 years ago, 123 three-and four-year-old African Americans from low-income families in Ypsilanti, Michigan took part in an experiment. About half attended a pioneering early education program called Perry Preschool, while the control group did not. Researchers have been able to track the lives of most of these children ever since. The kids who went to Perry Preschool did better in school, made more money, and were healthier than the control group.

The benefits of Perry Preschool didn’t just stop with those children. A study published last summer by Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman and his colleagues takes the implications of Perry a giant step further. This research shows that the children of the Perry preschoolers are also better off because of their parents’ experience.

As the Perry preschoolers grew up, they became better educated and developed greater socio - emotional skills than the control group. They became better parents. Their children grew up in harmonious two-parent families that made, on average, about $ 10,000 more a year. It was enough to lift many of them out of poverty. This healthy upbringing has had a long-lasting effect on the children of the Perry preschoolers. Compared to the children of the control group, they were much less likely to have dropped out, and more likely to have graduated from high school.

Here’s another example. A Norwegian study demonstrated the decades-long impact on babies who, during their first year, benefited from their mothers’ having had the opportunity to sign up for free mother and child health care centers. In the following years, these youngsters grew taller and stayed in school longer than those whose mothers did not receive the same support. At 40, they are in better health.

1. What do we know about Perry Preschool?

A．It provided early quality education.	B．It divided the kids into two groups.
C．It received kids from all backgrounds.	D．It continued to track half of the kids’lives.

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

A．Truths.	B．Assumptions.
C．Effects.	D．Suggestions.

3. What did the Perry Preschool experiment find?

A．Perry preschoolers received less education.

B．It had no impact on the participants’ children.

C．Early education could bring economic benefits.

D．The children of the control group became healthier.

4. What does the author want to convey through the text?

A．Early quality education matters most.

B．Social welfare can break the cycle of poverty.

C．Wealth can be passed down through generations.

D．Parents are important in shaping future generation.

9 . In the heart of the Cyclades, Mykonos has long been an attraction for visitors. The beaches on the island’s southwest coast are among the Mediterranean’s best wild-party scenes, but head east and travelers will find something quite different. Here, the crowds slowly fade away, revealing what originally made the island famous: its beauty with rocky coastline and sandy bays.

Fokos Bay

Park your vehicle in the dirt lot and climb over the low dunes (沙丘) to find perfect little Fokos Bay, where deep, sheltered waters offer delightful swimming for all ages. Once you’ve worked up a bit of an appetite, head on over to the famous Greek cafe overlooking the sand for a lazy seafood lunch.

Mersini Beach

Head west around the headland to the next beach along — the Mersini Beach, which is usually the least-crowded on Mykonos. Bring your own sun mat and even an umbrella as this beach is completely wild and raw.

Agrari Beach

If getting your own wheels isn’t an option, Agrari is only a 15-minute walk east of the more famous Elia Beach and on the south coast beach ferry(渡轮) route. It’s one of the closest uncrowded beaches to Hora, Mykonos’ main town, and home to a restaurant that provides sunbeds and drinks and snacks.

Kalafati Beach

In the far southeast, about seven miles from Mykonos town, the Kalafati Beach is beloved for its steady winds that blow the sails of windsurfers and kite surfers. Rent boards and get lessons right at the beach at Windsurfing Mykonos.

1. What can be done in Fokos Bay?

A．Get surfing lessons.	B．Take car rides on dirt tracks.
C．Rent sun mats and umbrellas.	D．Sample the delights of seafood.

2. What feature does Mersini Beach have?

A．It’s service-free.	B．It’s heavily populated.
C．It’s on a coast beach ferry route.	D．It’s within easy reach of Hora.

3. Which beach is perfect for wind sports?

A．Fokos Bay.	B．Mersini Beach.
C．Agrari Beach.	D．Kalafati Beach.

10 . Profits from cutting down rainforests are surprisingly small. A freshly cleared square kilometer of the Amazon rainforest fetches an average price of only around $ 12. By contrast, the social costs of clearing it are huge. Some 500 tons of carbon dioxide are pumped into the atmosphere. By an estimate, that does $ 25,000 of harm by accelerating climate change.

Yet still the world’s trees are disappearing. The senseless men cutting down trees receive the profits, but all 8 billion people on the planet pay for the costs. Clearly, if the owners of the rainforest were paid not to destroy it, everyone would be better off. If rainforests were in places with clear landownership and a firm rule of law, the world would no doubt already have funded such a deal. Sadly, they are not.

Local officials are often in league with the loggers, and may be loggers themselves. Consider Brazil. It had a leader, who sided with illegal loggers and ranchers (大农场主). He stopped fining forest criminals and told illegal miners on local reserves he would legalise the mining. On his watch the pace of deforestation rose by 60%. Local communities often refuse to follow the law and order since they see more benefit from deforestation than protecting it. And the land ownership is a mess. When it’s unclear who owns a piece of land, it’s unclear whom to pay to protect it, or whom to fine for destroying it.

Leadership matters. But even under better leaders, people living there should see benefits in protecting them. That will require a big, reliable flow of cash which should come from rich-country governments and from private firms buying carbon credits to make up for their emissions (排放).

Such carbon credits could be used to promote a greener local economy, and clean up local land registration. If there’s enough cash, conditionally paid, locals will be encouraged to protect trees and less likely to elect irresponsible leaders. To preserve such a huge carbon sink — never mind the biodiversity it contains — this would be a bargain.

1. What does the author intend to tell in Paragraph 1?

A．Climate change is accelerating.	B．Rainforest clearing is rather profitable.
C．Carbon dioxide is harmful to the atmosphere.	D．The costs of deforestation outweigh the profits.

2. What makes the world’s trees disappear constantly?

A．Clear landownership.	B．The absence of related law.
C．Profit-driving logging.	D．People’s willingness to buy trees.

3. What is needed to protect the rainforest according to the author?

A．More landownership funds.	B．Bringing in more private firms.
C．Awareness of saving biodiversity.	D．Paying the locals for the preservation efforts.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．Cash for Saving Rainforests	B．Fight Illegal Logging in Brazil
C．Dilemmas of Rainforest Protection	D．Rainforest Deforestation and Climate Change