1 . In our meditation (冥想) group on Monday morning, one of the ladies asked if the group leader could take us through meditation to ease worries.
Later that day, I thought that I would reach out to her just to let her know that I was there for her. I must admit all sorts of reasons why I shouldn’t reach out came to mind, but I allowed myself to get rid of my weakness and sent an email anyway.
It was through one of those messaging type things that I could see the other person was reacting. I could see that quite soon after, the lady was writing a reply. However, she must have changed her mind and decided to give it up and not send it after all.
Anyway, 2 days later, this morning, she sent me a nice message which opened up a short talk about our past and present experiences and we found a common connection. In the end, I invited her to an online group where we could meet every Sunday just to connect and chat. She promised to join us. I knew that she was glad that I had reached out.
Afterwards, I realized that I did have a new friend. When I learned about her difficult life, I offered to help her get through difficulty. When I had problems, she was always there. What a real lucky thing is to step into someone’s life situation and come together with them on their journey. I always think it is the most pleasant thing in the world! I’m so thankful to have had a new friend today!
1. What can we learn about the lady on Monday morning?| A．She felt anxious then. |
| B．She was unfit for the group. |
| C．She turned to the author for help. |
| D．She was eager to have a new friend. |
| A．She ignored it completely. |
| B．She quit answering it halfway. |
| C．She took back the email she had sent. |
| D．She directly refused to answer the author. |
| A．To communicate regularly. |
| B．To replace the former activity. |
| C．To set up a commercial project. |
| D．To join the same meditation group. |
| A．A friend is easier lost than found. |
| B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．A friend without faults will never be found. |
| D．A friend to everybody is a friend to nobody. |
2 . A Trip to Madagascar
You’ll have unique experiences in Madagascar, a wonderful country, with landscapes like nowhere else.
Day 1: Andasibe ReserveIn the morning, meet Anselme. After his short introduction to Andasibe Reserve and work to protect this unique ecosystem, set out into the forest, guided by Anselme. Boating, sunset mountain walks and exploration are ready for you. Return to the hotel for lunch, and then in the afternoon, you’ll be back in this wonderful forest.
Day 2: JoffrevilleA flight to the city of Antsiranana. On arrival, you are welcomed by your guide and then begin your journey to Joffreville, the main access town for Amber Mountain National Park. There is usually time for a short tour of Antsiranana, known for its wonderful setting and harbour. The city is full of buildings in the old style, two-storey town houses, markets and shops.
Day 3: Amber Mountain National ParkEstablished by the French in 1958, this protected area with its volcanic rocks and surrounding forests is one of the most exciting parks to visit. The area of mountainous rainforest is home to extraordinary plants and animals. Explore the network of paths that cut through the trees. In the evening, take a night walk in the reserve.
Day 4: Ankarana Special ReserveBegin your 3-hour drive to Ankarana East. On the way, stop at the Tsingy Rouge, a unique geological formation, which gives it the wonderful red colour. Ankarana, an undeveloped park, where wild creatures, bats for example, hide in underground caves and forests. In the evening, explore on foot, in search of the night-time creatures that live in the dry forest environment.
1. What is Anselme likely to be?| A．A traveller. | B．A shopkeeper. | C．A tour guide. | D．A hotel manager. |
| A．Cut down trees. | B．Enjoy a free local lunch. |
| C．Discover ancient volcanic remains. | D．Appreciate old-fashioned architecture. |
| A．Bat caves. | B．Flight. | C．Red houses. | D．Wildlife. |
3 . My aunt Nancy is a truck driver. When she left school, she didn't know what she wanted to do, so she went to work in a supermarket. One day, she was talking to one of the truck drivers at the supermarket, and she got the idea to drive a truck herself. She went home and told her parents (my grandparents！), and they thought it was a good idea.
Nancy’s journeys are different every day, and she goes to every part of the country. She enjoys the driving, but she says that one day, she would like to get a job with a different company(公司) so that she can drive to more places.
Nancy says she likes being out on the road, seeing new towns all the time, but the best thing about driving trucks for her is talking to everyone she sees during her working day. She also says the trucks are comfortable, so she doesn't mind sleeping in them. For her, they are her home on wheels!
I asked my grandparents what they thought about Nancy’s job. They are happy that Nancy is happy, so they don't want her to change jobs. But they worry about her because it’s sometimes a dangerous job and she spends a lot of time away from home.
1. Where did Nancy get the idea to be a truck driver?| A．At school. | B．At the supermarket. | C．In her truck. | D．On the road. |
| A．She drives all around the world. | B．She often drives to the same places. |
| C．She would like to be a taxi driver. | D．She hopes to work for a different company in the future. |
| A．Talking with different people. | B．Travelling to different places. |
| C．Sleeping in the trucks. | D．Tasting delicious food. |
| A．They don't like her job at all. | B．They are glad that it's a perfect job. |
| C．They believe the job has some problems. | D．They would like Nancy to do a different job. |
4 . 
Panda Ya Ya returns home
Ya Ya the giant panda has just arrived in Shanghai, east China on Thursday after 20 years of stay at the Memphis Zoo in the U.S. The flight was around 15.5 hours. Both Chinese and American vets are with Ya Ya.
Ya Ya was born at Beijing Zoo on August 3, 2000. She arrived at Memphis Zoo in April, 2003. Ya Ya has become a bridge of friendship between Chinese and foreign people. She will spend a month in Shanghai before returning to her birthplace, Beijing Zoo.
We do hope all pandas that are in foreign countries can be healthy and happy.
Did you know…?
Baby pandas are born pink and measure about 15cm-that’s about the size of a pencil
Giant pandas spend up to 12 hours a day eating bamboo.
Pandas live for about 20 years in the wild, but in the zoos they can live for up to 35 years.
1. Ya Ya was born in _______.| A．Beijing | B．Chengdu | C．Shanghai ` | D．Guangzhou |
| A．Black and white. | B．Pink. | C．Yellow. | D．Gray. |
| A．Ya Ya spend up to 10 hours a day eating bamboo. | B．Shanghai Zoo is Ya Ya’s final home. |
| C．Ya Ya had a short flight coming back home. | D．Ya Ya helps foreigners know more about China. |
| A．a piece of news | B．an ad | C．a diary | D．a letter |
5 . A few years ago my sister moved from her home in Alabama to Buffalo, New York. Since moving to Buffalo she’s become a big hockey (曲棍球) fan and has encouraged me to start watching it. Unfortunately it’s very difficult to find hockey on television here in Alabama. Since hockey games don’t air very much on television, I’ve had to look for different ways to watch hockey games.
I often see websites that claim if you go to their website you can watch television on your computer. I try out many of these websites, hoping that one of the television stations is a northern station that airs hockey games. Unfortunately, most of them don’t work. Either the site doesn’t really give you what they advertise or their video player doesn’t work properly. But finally I’ve found one websites that actually works.
Free Tube is a site that you can go to and watch Television online for free. You don’t have to download any kind of special software or pay money or even sign up for anything. All you have to do is go to Free Tube, choose your channel and start watching.
The different channels to choose from are separated into different categories like news, business, entertainment, music and sports. You’re not going to find channels like NBC or ABC, so you can watch the latest episode of Heroes or Grey’s Anatomy but it does include some popular channels like Cartoon Network and ESPN.
There is also a movie section. Each movie channel airs different sorts of films like adventure, classics, comedy or horror and that channel will always air that kind of movies. The movie section also includes my favorite station called Max Trailers (预告片). Max Trailers airs nothing but movies trailers 24 hours a day. Some of the trailers are for movies coming out and some are for movies that have already been released but already released movies don’t go back farther than a couple of months.
So far I haven’t had any problems with Free Tube’s video player either. Whenever I choose a channel the video almost always works and usually loads every quickly. The only problem I have with Free Tube is that there is currently a fault if you’re using Firefox. Once you choose a channel you can’t select another channel to change to, your web browser will freeze up. So if you’re using Firefox, the only way to switch channels is to leave the site and re-enter the site, when choosing what channel you want to go to. However, Free Tube is aware of this fault and is working with Mozilla to get it fixed right away.
If you’re missing some show everyone is talking about like Grey’s Anatomy or Heroes, this isn’t really a solution for that. But Free Tube is a good way to find channels that you weren’t aware of; there are several good stations to be found.
1. The author mainly ________ in this passage.| A．tells us his experience in using the Web. | B．shows us the disadvantages of Free Tube |
| C．introduces Free Tube to the readers | D．shows us how to enjoy films online |
| A．because he is a sports fan | B．because he has nothing to do all day long |
| C．since everyone enjoys the games | D．due to his sister’s influence |
| A．the author is also very fond of movies |
| B．Max Trailers airs to-be-released movies |
| C．ABC is a very famous TV station in America |
| D．Firefox is the only software used to watch films online |
6 . The tea that has delighted and fascinated the world for thousands of years has finally received top-level global recognition as a shared cultural treasure of mankind. China’s traditional tea-making was added on Tuesday to the intangible cultural heritage list of UNESCO.
The traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China consist of knowledge, skills and practices concerning the management of tea plantations, picking of tea leaves, manual(手工的)processing, drinking and sharing of tea. Since ancient times, Chinese people have been planting, picking, making and drinking tea. Tea producers have developed six categories of tea: green, yellow, dark, white, oolong and black teas. Together with reprocessed teas, such as flower-scented teas, there are over 2, 000 tea products in China.
Tea-related customs are not only found across the country, but also influence the rest of the world through the ancient Silk Road and trade routes. Tea is ubiquitous in Chinese people’s daily life, as steeped(浸泡)or boiled tea is served in families, workplaces, tea houses, restaurants and temples, etc. It is also an important part of socialization and ceremonies such as weddings and sacrifices. The practice of greeting guests and building relationships within families and among neighbors through tea- related activities is common to multiple ethnic groups, providing a sense of shared identity and continuity for the communities.
In China, 44 registered national-level intangible cultural heritage entries are related to tea. There are over 40 vocational colleges and 80 universities that have set up majors in tea science or tea culture, resulting in over 3,000 graduates specializing in tea production and art every year, according to the ministry.
China now has 43 items on the intangible cultural heritage list, continuing to be the most enlisted country in the world.
1. What can be learnt from the passage?| A．Chinese producers developed 44 categories of tea. |
| B．Tea is quite popular with people all over the country. |
| C．More than 2,000 tea products could be found in China. |
| D．There’ re about 300 graduates specializing in tea production every year. |
| A．rare | B．common | C．temporary | D．available |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By making definitions. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．A textbook. | B．A travel journal. |
| C．A story book. | D．A cultural magazine. |
7 . A few months ago, a friend gifted me a robot sweeper that’s programmed to move around a room and clean as it goes.
When the box arrived, I was afraid the device would detect me and suck up (汲取) data along with the dog hair and dust. But the instructions were easy, and I finally decided not to care.
I powered up the sweeper, watched it leave its docking station to work, and quickly fell in love with my newly shiny floors. I kept shooting its working videos. “I think you’re giving more attention to it than to us,” joked my son.
One day, I returned home and discovered that our front door had blown open and the robot rolled into the yard, trying to clean the flower beds. Even when its brushes were blocked with leaves, bugs and mud, its little wheels bravely kept turning.
The robot acted properly as it was programmed to clean “dirty” things. In a kitchen, dirt can be garden debris (碎片) such as leaves and mud. In a garden, this kind of dirt does not need to be removed. The context is important. The problem for robots is that reading this context is difficult.
This accident inspired me to think more about AI (artificial intelligence). As far as I am concerned, AI is simply well trained and reproduces what it has learned. And it is undeniable that robots are increasingly being given powerful intelligence. Some experts even predict that we will soon see not only AI-enabled robots designed to solve problems according to their instructions, but also those with the ability to judge how they should respond when they are in a different setting.
Maybe this will happen in the near future.
1. What was the author’s concern about the robot sweeper at first?| A．Its after-sales service. | B．Its working efficiency. |
| C．The privacy of her family. | D．The readability of its instructions. |
| A．Enthusiastic. | B．Regretful. | C．Uncertain. | D．Cautious. |
| A．Its program went wrong. | B．It lacked critical thinking. |
| C．Its wheels were badly designed. | D．It failed to work on rough surfaces. |
| A．The accident. | B．Some experts’ thinking. |
| C．Its appeal to the author. | D．The author’s opinion. |
8 . Public Speaking Courses
Complete Public Speaking Masterclass for Every Occasion (Udemy)
If you’re struggling to put yourself out in front of audiences, then joining this Udemy course will be a good decision. In this course, you will be instructed to feel calm and comfortable on stage in front of any number of people while speaking and conveying your message. The comprehensive guide by TJ Walker will help you impress your audience and influence them.
Dynamic Public Speaking Certification (证明) by University of Washington (Coursera)
Available on Coursera, this online course is perfect for people who want to be excellent dynamic speakers. You will be taught by Dr. Matt McGarrity - a principal lecturer at UW Department of Communication. Designed for beginners, it will help you gain many skills, for instance, public speaking, speech, presentation, and communication.
How to Become a World-class Speaker (Mindvalley)
This Mindvalley course is aimed at training people who have no experience of public speaking and just start to set foot in this area. It has already assisted a lot of people in becoming skillful at speaking and spreading their voice. Lisa Nicholas, your communication coach, is regarded as one of the best speechmakers in the world. Within less than two days, you will get insights into how she masters this art.
Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation (University of Colorado Boulder)
With the help of this course, you can get better at business communication, including presenting your ideas to your coworkers, handling client (客户) calls, and so on. You’ll also learn how to write effective business emails, along with reports and draft presentations. This course is very popular among people who want to quickly fit in with the workplace.
1. How can the Udemy course benefit learners?| A．Allowing them to study at their own pace. |
| B．Teaching them how to make good life decisions. |
| C．Helping them overcome the fear of public speaking. |
| D．Enabling them to hold comprehensive lectures with TJ Walker. |
| A．They both last for one month. |
| B．They are targeted at beginners. |
| C．They are offered by the same university. |
| D．They train people to be smart speech listeners. |
| A．Dynamic Public Speaking Certification. |
| B．How to Become a World-class Speaker. |
| C．Complete Public Speaking Masterclass for Every Occasion. |
| D．Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation. |
9 . There are a fair few benefits of waking up early. There is increasing evidence (证据) that suggests morning people could be healthier. According to a new study, women in particular who wake up earlier could be less likely to develop depression. Researchers wanted to see if a woman’s chronotype (睡眠类型) — whether they were an “early bird” or “night owl” — had any influence on their risk of depression (抑郁).
They used data from a large study that recorded the health of more than 32.000 female nurses in the US, with an average age of 55 for-nearly thirty years. In 2009, they were asked to tell whether they were a morning or evening person, then they followed up after four years to see how many of them developed depression. During that time there were 2,581 new cases of depression, and those morning types were somewhere between 12 and 27% less likely to develop depression.
The results show that someone’s chronotype could be a reason for developing depression, but the risk is small. The study was based on a special group of people, who are in a highly emotionally and energetically demanding job, and so there is no certainty that the risk of depression is influenced by their sleeping habits. The results are not necessarily suitable for other women of the same age, or men, or children, either.
However, the study does raise some interesting points of discussion. For example, recent research found that disrupting (干扰) our body clock can increase our risk of mood disorders like depression. Nurses work long hours and they often work at night. That may cause psychological problems.
Research has also found that too much sleep and too little sleep are both likely to be bad for your health, and the best way to make sure you’re getting the right amount is to stick to a schedule. That means that even if you have a late night, you should try and get up at the same time every day.
While the answer isn’t as simple as early birds being healthier than night owls, what is clear is that sleep is important to avoiding diseases.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about the research?| A．The subjects of it are all female nurses all over the world. |
| B．Researchers have followed the subjects for nearly thirty years. |
| C．Those people who got up early were less likely to have depression. |
| D．Those people who aged over 55 were more likely to develop depression. |
| A．They are one-sided. | B．They are useless. |
| C．They are correct. | D．They are reasonable. |
| A．they have much work to do | B．their body clock is disordered |
| C．they always sleep late | D．their sleep time is short |
| A．Working less time. | B．Not working late at night. |
| C．Sleeping as long as possible. | D．Keeping the body clock. |
| A．The benefits of waking up early. | B．Is sleeping earlier better than late? |
| C．Nurses are likely to have depression | D．Can keeping early hours prevent depression? |
10 . A narrow region of the eastern Pacific Ocean has been getting colder for the past 30 years, challenging global trends and confusing many scientists. Over at least three decades, the region has cooled by roughly half a degree, which has been causing scientists to wonder how long that will hold.
The unusual phenomenon, known as the “cold tongue” is affecting a vast area of ocean west of South America. Scientists are not entirely certain what is keeping the “cold tongue” cool. Richard Seager, from the Earth Observatory at Columbia University, said one factor appears to be trade winds in the equatorial (赤道) region, which carry warm water away from the surface, stimulating cooler water to rise. “The trade winds blow from east to west across the tropical Pacific Ocean,” Seager said. “As the waters are driven away from the surface, water flows up from below. And since the waters below the surface are cold, this creates the ‘cold tongue’.”
Yet despite the effect of these winds, the “cold tongue” has puzzled scientists, because advanced climate computer models suggest that the waters should have been warming for decades at a faster rate than the rest of the Pacific due to rising greenhouse gas emissions (排放).
Pedro DiNezio of the University of Colorado Boulder, considers “It’s the most important unanswered question in climate science”. Scientists can’t predict when it will end or start warming since the cause is unknown. According to New Scientist, this has huge worldwide implications, including determining California’s permanent drought and Australia’s wildfires. More profoundly still, “it could even alter the extent of climate change globally”, the site said, “by understanding how sensitive Earth’s atmosphere is to rising greenhouse gas production”.
Despite this, the overall ocean temperatures are rising. Solving the puzzle of the “cold tongue” isn’t about proving climate models wrong. Rather, the “cold tongue” is the last big piece of the puzzle. Fit that in and we can build a more accurate picture of how life will change in a warming world-and how best to prepare for that future.
1. What may be the cause of the “cold tongue”?| A．The arrival of ocean currents. |
| B．Trade winds in the equatorial regions. |
| C．The change in the direction of water flow. |
| D．The temperature differences between sea and land. |
| A．It has lasted for many years. | B．It forms a minor ocean ecosystem. |
| C．It contradicts the global warming trend. | D．It mirrors increasing carbon emissions. |
| A．It can help predict droughts in California. |
| B．It contributes to adjusting ocean temperatures. |
| C．It can help improve the accuracy of climate models. |
| D．It offers insights into dealing with future climate events. |
| A．To stress the effect of climate change. |
| B．To introduce an unusual phenomenon. |
| C．To explain reasons for strange natural disasters. |
| D．To appeal to people to pay more attention to the ocean. |
