1 . According to archaeological evidence, at least 5, 000 years ago, and long before the rise of the.Roman Empire, the Babylonians began to measure time, introducing calendars mainly to regulate planting and harvesting. They based their calendars on the cycles of the sun and the moon. Before the invention of artificial light, the moon had greater social impact. For those living near the equator in particular, its changes were more noticeable than the passing of the seasons. So the calendars that were developed at lower latitudes were influenced more by the lunar cycle than by the solar year. In more northern areas, however, where seasonal agriculture was practiced, the solar year became more vital.
Centuries before the Roman Empire, the Egyptians had developed a calendar having twelve months of thirty days, with five days added to approximate to the solar year. They divided the day into twelve temporal or seasonal hours. A temporal hour was one twelfth of the time from sunrise to sunset. Similarly, they divided the night into twelve hours from sunset to sunrise. These periods became known as temporal hours because their duration varied according to the changing length of days and nights with the passing of the seasons. In the daytime, summer hours were long, and winter ones short. Temporal hours, which were first adopted by the Greeks and then the Romans, who spread them through Europe, remained in use for more than 2,500 years.
In order to track temporal hours during the day, inventors created sundials(日晷). To keep time during the night, inventors designed another time keeping instrument called the water clock. One of the first water clocks was a basin with a small hole near the bottom through which the water fell in drops. The falling water level showed the passing hour as it dipped below hour lines cut on the inner surface. Although these instruments performed satisfactorily around the Mediterranean, they could not always be depended on in the cloudy and often freezing weather of northern Europe. As a result, generations of inventors put their efforts into designing all-weather, more accurate timekeeping instruments.
1. The cycles of the sun had more influence on the ancient calendars used| A．in more developed countries | B．in more southern areas |
| C．at higher latitudes | D．near the equator |
| A．The Babylonians. | B．The Egyptians. | C．The Greeks. | D．The Romans. |
| A．It was very expensive. | B．It wasted too much water. |
| C．It couldn't show the correct time. | D．It didn't work properly in icy weather. |
| A．The passing of the seasons. | B．The invention of artificial light. |
| C．The early history of timekeeping. | D．The calendars used in Roman times. |
2 . The Story of Music
How did music begin? Did our early ancestors first start by beating things together to create rhythm, or using their voices to sing? What types of instruments did they use?
So, what is music?
This is difficult to answer, as everyone has their own idea. “Sound that conveys emotion” is what Jeremy Montagu of the University of Oxford and author of the article describes.
If we take singing, then controlling pitch(音高) is important. Scientists have studied the skulls and jaws of early apes, to see if they were able to make a sound and control pitch. Another important component of music is rhythm. Our early ancestors may have created rhythmic music by clapping their hands.
Many of these instruments are likely to have been made from soft materials like wood, and so haven't survived. What have survived are bone pipes. So, music is old, and may have been with us from when humans first evolved.
But why did it arise and why has it existed?
There are many possible functions of music. One is dancing. Another obvious reason for music is entertainment.
However, the major reason why music arises and exists may be that it brings people together.
| A．When did our ancestors begin making music? |
| B．Music can express certain emotion that you can feel. |
| C．This may be linked to the earliest musical instruments. |
| D．Our ancestors created music by beating stones or sticks by accident. |
| E．Has music always been important in human society, and if so, why? |
| F．Music can also be used for communication, often over large distances. |
| G．“Music leads to bonding, such as bonding between mother and child or bonding between groups,” explains Montagu. |
3 . Pizza is almost everyone’s favorite food. Recently, it has even received recognition from UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)!
Pizza has been a part of Italian culture for centuries. In the 1700s and the 1800s, the city of Naples in Italy was an independent kingdom, known for its large working class. Pizza began as a “poor man’s food”— as a way to feed poor people quickly and at a low cost.
In 1889, King Umberto Ⅰ and Queen Margherita visited Naples, which had by then come under a unified Italy.
When Italians from Naples moved to the United States, they brought more than just their desire for a better future.
The art of pizza spinning.
The skills for pizza making have been passed down in the city for generations, and those who know them are called “pizzaiuoli”.
According to UNESCO, about 3,000 pizzaiuoli work in Naples right now. In the city, there is also a pizza museum and an academy in which 120 students each year can train to become pizzaiuoli themselves.
| A．The history of pizza |
| B．The popular types of pizza |
| C．Pizzaiuoli are a select group of people |
| D．Pizza shops opened in New York and other cities |
| E．On their visit, the royal couple enjoyed pizza from a local eatery |
| F．Pizza fans and pizzaiuoli alike are excited about UNESCO’s decision |
| G．On the streets of Naples, Italy, tradition is found in the art of pizza spinning |
4 . An 85-year-old primary school constructed in 1935 in Shanghai has been lifted off the ground in its entirety and relocated using new technology called the “walking machine.” The project marks the first time this “walking machine” method has been used in Shanghai to relocate a historical building.
Urbanization（都市化）has continued to significantly threaten architectural heritage. In the capital Beijing, for instance, more than 1,000 acres of its historic hutongs and traditional courtyard homes were destroyed between 1990 and 2010.
In the early 2000s, cities including Nanjing and Bejjing-due to the critics’ protest about the loss of old neighborhoods-drew up long-term plans to preserve what was left of their historic sites, with protections introduced to safeguard buildings and restrict developers.
These conservation efforts have taken different forms. In Beijing, a near-ruined temple was transformed into a restaurant and gallery, while in Nanjing, a cinema from the 1930s was restored to its original form, with some additions providing it for modern use. In 2019, Shanghai welcomed Tank Shanghai, an arts center built in renovated（重修的）oil tanks.
“Relocation is not the first choice, but better than destroying,” said Lan, the Shanghai primary school’s project supervisor. “I’d rather not touch the historical buildings at all.” Building relocations he said however, are “a workable option.” “The central government is putting more emphasis on the protection of historical buildings. I’m happy to see that progress in recent years.”
Shanghai has arguably been China’s most progressive city when it comes to heritage preservation. The survival of a number of 1930s buildings and 19th-century “shikumen” （or “stone gate”） house have offered examples of how to give old buildings new life.
“We have to preserve the historical building no matter what, ” Lan said. “The relocation has challenges, but in general, it is cheaper than destroying and then rebuilding something in a new location.”
1. How did cities respond to the loss of historical sites?| A．They criticized the developers. | B．They rebuilt the historic hutongs. |
| C．They ended the significant threat. | D．They proposed the protection project. |
| A．All original form. | B．A new addition. | C．A cinema. | D．A temple. |
| A．Provide strong evidence. | B．Introduce different opinions. |
| C．Summarize previous paragraphs. | D．Add some background information. |
| A．Walking Machine: a New Technology | B．Rebuilding: a New Option for Relics |
| C．Old Building Torn down for Modern Use | D．Historical Site “Walks” to New Life |
5 . Procrastinators (拖延症患者)，take note: If you’ve tried building self-control and you’re still putting things off, maybe you need to try something different. One new approach: Check your mood.
Often, procrastinators attempt to avoid the anxiety or worry aroused by a tough task with activities aimed at repairing their mood, such as checking Facebook or taking a nap. But the pattern, which researchers call “giving in to feel good,” makes procrastinators feel worse later, when they face the consequences of missing a deadline or making a last-minute effort, says Timothy Pychyl, an associate professor of psychology at Carleton University.
Increasingly, psychologists and time-management consultants are focusing on a new strategy: helping procrastinators see how attempts at mood repair are destroying their efforts and learn to control their emotions in more productive ways.
The new approach is based on several studies in the past two years showing that negative emotions can damage attempts at self-control. It fills a gap among established time-management methods, which stress behavioral changes such as adopting a new organizing system or doing exercises to build willpower.
Researchers have come up with a playbook of strategies to help procrastinators turn mood repair to their advantage. Some are tried-and-true classics: Dr. Pychyl advises procrastinators to just get started, and make the doorstep for getting started quite low. “Procrastinators are more likely to put the technique to use when they understand how mood repair works,” says Dr. Pychyl, author of a 2013 book, “Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.” He adds,“A real motive power comes from doing what we intend to do—the things that are important to us.”
He also advises procrastinators to practice “time travel”—projecting themselves into the future to imagine the good feelings they will have after finishing a task, or the bad ones they will have if they don’t. This cures procrastinators’ tendency to get so stuck in present anxieties and worries that they fail to think about the future.
Another mood-repair strategy, self-forgiveness, is aimed at dismissing the self-blame. University freshmen who forgave themselves for procrastinating on studying for the first exam in a course procrastinated less on the next exam, according to a recent study led by Michael Wohl, an associate professor of psychology at Carleton.
Thomas Flint learned about the technique by reading research on self-control, including studies by Dr. Sirois and Dr. Pychyl. He put it to use after his family moved recently to a new house. Instead of beating himself up for failing to unpack all the boxes gathered in his garage right away, Mr. Flint decided to forgive himself and start with a single step. I’d say, "OK, I’m going to take an hour, with a goal of getting the TV set up, and that's it, he says; then he watched a TV show as a reward. Allowing himself to do the task in stages, he says, is “a victory.”
1. What does Timothy Pychyl mean by mentioning the “giving in to feel good” practice in Paragraph 2?| A．It probably does more harm than good. |
| B．It prevents procrastinators from giving up. |
| C．It helps procrastinators meet the deadline. |
| D．It effectively drives away anxiety and worry. |
| A．Sticking to one’s intention. |
| B．Doing things that really matter. |
| C．Getting started from a low doorstep. |
| D．Learning important techniques of mood repair. |
| A．To make their future plan more practical. |
| B．To accelerate the speed of finishing the task. |
| C．To stop people from worrying about their travel. |
| D．To free people from the present negative emotions. |
| A．Self-blame prevents students from putting things off. |
| B．Procrastinators are still able to get good scores in exams. |
| C．University freshmen can get rid of procrastination easily. |
| D．Self-forgiveness is an effective way to cure procrastination. |
6 . Australians have long been known for having a relaxed and casual attitude to life. According to Dr. Tanya King, senior lecturer from Victoria's Deakin University. "It's Australians' egalitarianism ,sense of humor and informal language that are most commonly mentioned as examples of this attitude. "
Egalitarianism roots in the way that the nation was built. In Australia's founding car in the late 1700s, criminal settlers were often cruelly treated and robbed of their basic human rights by governors. The criminal class. who were mostly working-class Brits and Irish. was unable to seek civic positions that were reserved for immigrants w ho were not the criminal, with the latter arguing that if criminals gained equal rights it would be "rewarding criminality ". Because of this, an egalitarian spirit was worn as a symbol of honor by many criminal settlers. They may not have had power, education or wealth. but they had a shared belief in equality.
The informal way Australians use language is also believed to root in criminal times. Philologist Sidney Baker once wrote that "no other class would have a better talent for creating new terms to fit in with their new conditions in life. " Cockney rhyming slang brought over by the British working class was abbreviated even further - so " have a Captains Cook"（have a look）. became "ava captains". This same practice was used to economize ordinary clauses. Words like "good day" became "g' day". and barbecue was "barbie".
The tough conditions of settler times also played a part in Australians' dry self-criticizing and sarcastic（讽刺的） sense of humor. While in many countries it's considered poor taste to find humor in difficult circumstances. Australians lend to look at the lighter side. On one road trip, as I hit the stale line and entered Victoria. I drove past some blackened trees, the leftovers of a recent bush-fire. A road sign warning drivers about wildlife was half-melted and bent, but the shape of a hopping kangaroo was still distinct. Behind the figure, someone had drawn flames making it look as though the animal's tail was on fire. I couldn't help but laugh - it was a brilliant reminder of the country's "nothing upsets us" and anti-authoritarian attitude.
And one thing you can't help but notice when driving around Australia is the country's plentiful amounts of space. This. along with considerable leisure time plus favorable climate, all contributes to Australian's relaxed attitude.
1. The underlined word "egalitarianism" is closest to ______ in meaning.| A．criminality | B．cruelty | C．equality | D．governmentalism |
| A．They use more slangs than other people. |
| B．They give new meaning to existent words. |
| C．They favor shortened forms of expressions. |
| D．They coin terms in memory of criminal times. |
| A．Kangaroos' living conditions are getting tougher. |
| B．Forest fires threatened Australian's life to a great extent. |
| C．Potential danger is here and there on the roads in Victoria. |
| D．Australians' jokes may not be as careless as they seem on the surface. |
| A．how the late 1700s impacted Australia |
| B．why Australians enjoy casual life so much |
| C．what contributes to Australians' relaxed lifestyle |
| D．how Australians present their attitude towards life |
7 . With 60 miles of canals and nearly 7,000 buildings dating from the 18th century or earlier, Amsterdam is one of Europe’s best preserved cities. Here are some of our favorites.
The Concertgebouw
A free classical concert in one of the world’s greatest concert halls? Sounds too good to be true, but every Wednesday at lunchtime that’s exactly what’s on offer at the Concertgebouw. The latest series just started up again this month and will run through June. You can pick up a free ticket (one per person) on the day of the show starting at 11:30 a.m.; the concert takes place from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Rijksmuseum Gardens
Take a walk in the beautiful formal gardens of the Rijksmuseum, which are dotted with fascinating artworks. There’s a life-size chessboard, a fountain by contemporary Danish artist Jeppe Hein, and post-war climbing frames by architect Aldo van Eyck. The gardens also host sculpture exhibitions — currently there are 21 sculptures on show by the Spanish artist Joan Miró until October 11.
The Muziektheater
This important opera, dance and music venue has free weekly lunchtime concerts by top performers on Tuesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the entrance hall, from September to May. Once or twice a month, the concert is followed by a free tour of the theatre — check the website for details.
Central Library
At the Netherlands’ biggest library, the Centrale Bibliotheek, you can read the international papers for free, and while Wi-Fi isn’t completely free, you can purchase 30 minutes for little more than a dollar by using one of the ticket machines. Upstairs on the 7th floor there is a café with a balcony that boasts wonderful city views.
1. Which one would you prefer if you have a taste for artworks?| A．The Concertgebouw. | B．The Muziektheater. |
| C．Rijksmuseum Gardens. | D．Central Library. |
| A．Enjoy classical music at Concertgebouw. |
| B．Attend the free weekly lunchtime concert. |
| C．Visit sculpture exhibitions of Joan Miró. |
| D．Take a walk in the Rijksmuseum Gardens. |
| A．Wi-Fi in it is free to use. |
| B．You can get a fantastic view of the city. |
| C．It is the biggest library in the world. |
| D．Newspapers at home and abroad are free to read. |
8 . Do you feel nervous and stressed about living in the dormitory （宿舍）? Sharing a room with strangers may be challenging at the beginning, but it will turn out to be a precious experience in your life. Here are some tips on how to become best friends with your dormmates.
Agree on Some Basic Rules
Decide on the studying time, cleaning and visiting hours. Not only will it make your routine easier, but it can also help to avoid misunderstanding and quarrels.
Discuss the problems at once
You will escape many fights if you start talking about the problem once you feel it's necessary. When you accumulate the little things, they grow bigger and you may say some unpleasant things you don't really mean. Your dormmates simply cannot know or notice some things.
Respect Your Dormmates and Their Stuff
Using without asking is the cause of most conflicts and misunderstandings between dormmates.
Get to Know Each Other Better
You won't become best friends at once, but you can do a lot in order to develop a good relationship from the very start.
Your dormmates may be from other countries with different traditions, religion and views. Be careful with the stereotypes （刻板印象） and prejudgment, your ideas about the subject may be skindeep and incorrect. Most probably your overseas dormmates will need some help during the period of adaptation to the new surrounding and lifestyle. Sharing a room with an international student is a unique chance to learn another culture and language. Don't miss it!
| A．Learning from each other |
| B．Tolerance （宽容） Makes a Difference |
| C．Tell them your own interests and preferences |
| D．This is the essential rule of any good relationship |
| E．That's why communication is always the right thing to consider |
| F．Take an interest in their hobbies, family or academic preferences |
| G．Being dormmates doesn't mean sharing everything with each other |
9 . The Sanxingdui Museum in southwest China’s Sichuan Province enjoyed huge popularity during the three-day Qingming Festival holidays by receiving nearly 20,000 visitors on the peak day, after the new archaeological discoveries brought international attention.
According to media reports, the museum saw over 15,000 visitors on Saturday, the first day of the Qingming Festival, breaking its record for daily visitors. And on the next day, more visitors swarmed into the museum to exceed 19,800. To cope with the large flow of people, on Sunday afternoon, the official Weibo account of the Sanxingdui Museum released the message to remind visitors of avoiding rush hours or rescheduling their visiting time.
The Sanxingdui Museum showcases various kinds of precious cultural relics unearthed at the site, such as the 2.62-meter-tall standing statue, 1.38-meter-wide bronze mask, 3.95-meter-high bronze tree. Earlier on March 20, Chinese archaeologists announced some new major discoveries made during the 37th excavation (挖掘) since its last excavation 35 years ago. The ruins were first discovered in the late 1920s and first excavated in 1934.More than 500 important cultural relics have been unearthed in the six newly-found pits. Since the new discoveries were known to the public, the number of people visiting the Sanxingdui Museum has increased sharply.
The museum said although they are open as usual, the newly-found pits have not opened to the public yet and the newly-excavated cultural relics are still under restoration and cannot meet the public currently. But a hall for cultural relic conservation and restoration will be in pilot operation in April and officially open on May 18. Visitors to it can see how the relics are restored, according to Zhu Yarong, vice director of the Sanxingdui Museum.
Dating back about 3,000 years, the Sanxingdui Ruins have shed light on the ancient Shu civilization and cultural origins of the Chinese nation, and have been regarded one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the 20th century.
1. What mainly brought about a surge in tourists visiting the Sanxingdui Museum?| A．Tourists’ enthusiasm. |
| B．Sichuan Province’s policy. |
| C．Qingming Festival holidays. |
| D．New archaeological discoveries. |
| A．The official Weibo account linked the museum with the public. |
| B．Newly-excavated cultural relics on display attracted tourists very much. |
| C．The Sanxingdui Museum reacted immediately to the large flow of tourists. |
| D．Tourist numbers reached the peak on the first day of the Qingming Festival. |
| A．Trial. | B．Private. | C．Official. | D．Personal. |
| A．The Sanxingdui Museum gives tourists insights into Chinese history. |
| B．Chinse people make full use of Qingming Festival holidays to travel. |
| C．The Sanxingdui Ruins is a perfect tourist attraction over Qingming Festival. |
| D．New discoveries make Sanxingdui Museum more popular during Qingming Festival. |
10 . Looking for a way to reconnect with nature but you're not sure how to when you live in the city? Here are a few ways to live in harmony (融洽相处) with nature and reduce your stress.
Go on a wildlife walk.
Nothing will make you feel as closely connected with earth as walking without shoes on grass for a couple of minutes. This very direct connection with nature will make you realize that you're part of the huge world, helping you to relax and feel calmer.
Attract nature yourself.
One of the best ways to connect with nature is to make it come to you.
Create a small garden.
Plants and flowers are part of nature as well and even the tiniest amount of space can be turned into a beautiful garden. If you've got a balcony (阳台), fill it with pots full of flowers.
Use these tips for connecting with nature and living a more comfortable lifestyle in a big city.
| A．Have a walk in a park |
| B．Put off your shoes and walk barefoot (赤脚地) |
| C．You can grow your own vegetables on it as well |
| D．There's lots of urban wildlife for you to discover |
| E．You can put a bird feeder on your balcony or by your window |
| F．Meantime, this is the best method for improving your health and wellbeing |
| G．It's a different way of experiencing nature helping you to enjoy it from a different viewpoint |
