1 . Not many people are comfortable going deep underground. There’s something pretty scary about diving into the pitch-black abyss (深谷), towards the mysteries at the centre of the Earth. But humans have been going underground — mining, caving, living and the like. All over the world you’ll find all manner of superb underground phenomena. Here are our favourites.
1. Salina Turda, Romania
A Transylvanian underground theme park sounds kind of like something out of ScoobyDoo. But it actually exists—and isn’t frightening at all. Built deep below the Earth’s surface in a salt mine, Salina Turda features attractions like a panoramic (全景的) wheel, mini-golf, bowling, table tennis and even boating on a mine lake.
2. Derinkuyu, Turkey
The underground city at Derinkuyu, in Turkey’s Cappadocia region, dates back thousands of years. It’s the deepest of its kind in the region, a web of winding passages over eight levels, reaching a depth of 85 metres. Living underground allowed the citizens of Derinkuyu to avoid extreme temperatures and more easily fight against invaders. Though not inhabited today, the site features the remains of schools, shops and churches.
3. Ajanta Caves, India
Considering that they’re cut deep into a rock face, the 30 or so caves of Ajanta are surprisingly well lit. All that light makes it much easier to admire this remarkable series of Buddhist temples and monuments (纪念碑) that date from the first and second centuries BC. They contain some of the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian wall-painting.
4. Thrihnukagigur, Iceland
Sometimes climbing up to a volcano crater (火山口) or viewing it from afar just isn’t enough. Some people need to go that step further and adventure inside a volcano. You can do exactly that at Thrihnukagigur in Iceland. A lift takes visitors 700 feet down into the volcano’s magma chamber (岩浆室). We’re assured that Thrihnukagigur is safely dormant (休眠的), having not erupted in 4,000 years, but even so, it takes a certain kind of thrill-seeker to actively want to get up close and personal with a volcano.
Click www.timeout.com/arts-and-culture for more.
1. Which of the following most probably attracts adventurers?| A．Salina Turda, Romania. | B．Derinkuyu, Turkey. |
| C．Ajanta Caves, India. | D．Thrihnukagigur, Iceland. |
| A．They both have a long history. | B．They are of the same depth. |
| C．They share the same features. | D．They both contain wall-paintings. |
| A．A textbook. | B．A magazine. |
| C．A website. | D．A newspaper. |
2 . It’s a Friday morning in Boston, which means Dr Jim O’Connell is making his rounds. He might be more comfortable inside an exam room, but that’s not where his patients are. O’Connell is one of a handful of physicians making house calls to the homeless in the city. More than 550,000 Americans are homeless, and many have health problems but no access to care. O’Connell and his team are doing something about it. They spend their days walking around where the homeless live — in parks, under bridges, and outside town. They treat about 700 regular patients. During these rounds, O’Connell himself usually sees about 20 patients. He knows where most of them sleep and whom to ask if they are missing.
O’Connell went to Harvard Medical School and was on his way to a famous oncology (肿瘤学) scholarship when his chief suggested he take what was supposed to be a one-year position as the founding physician of a new health-care programme for Boston’s homeless people. That turned into a 33-year career at the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Programme, one of the country’s largest of its kind.
O’Connell provides just everything, from stitches (缝线) for an arm to surgery for the soul. If patients can’t be treated on the street, he finds them a treatment bed at the organization’s medical respite (暂缓) facility, a place for patients who are too sick to be on the streets but not ill enough for a hospital stay.
“Everything I had been taught to do in medical school — go fast, be efficient (高效的) — was counterproductive when you take care of homeless people” O’Connell told Harvard Magazine. “When you see somebody outside, you get them a cup of coffee and sit with them. Sometimes it took six months or a year of offering a sandwich or coffee before someone would start to talk to me. But once they form a good relationship with you, they’ll come to you anytime because they trust you.” When asked about how his life might have turned out, had he become a highly paid physician, O’Connell said “I never think about it anymore.”
Some things are more valuable than money. Just ask O’Connell who gets everything from patients who have nothing material to give.
1. What do we know about the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Programme?| A．It has been founded for 34 years. |
| B．It offers a high salary to its involvers. |
| C．It, provides everything for the homeless. |
| D．It aims to care about the health of Boston’s homeless people. |
| A．High-efficient. |
| B．Being more productive. |
| C．Achieving the opposite result to the one that you want. |
| D．Achieving the excellent result to the one that you want. |
| A．hardworking, kind, patient and selfless |
| B．warm-hearted, brave, honest and confident |
| C．easy-going, successful, famous and fortunate |
| D．good-tempered, believable, inspired and happy |
You might not have heard of the “fresh start effect”, but if you’ve ever made a New Year’s resolution (决心), you’re familiar with it. It refers to the human tendency to take action towards achieving a goal after a special occasion or key date has passed.
The fresh start effect is simple. Most people want to improve themselves in some way. When we hit important milestones (里程碑), we’re often likely to reflect: was this year a successful year, or did we waste it? Annual landmarks like birthdays, or the start of a new year, signify a new time period and an opportunity to leave mistakes behind and to set new goals for better behavior.
Research shows that expectation of a new beginning is a key motivator for the fresh start effect. For example, people aged 29,39,49 etc. were 48% more likely to run a marathon for the first time. When they were approaching a new decade, they were more likely to search for meaning in their lives and try to improve themselves. The reason is simple. When we see our past self as separate from our current self, we feel it easier to introduce new goals and take action.
What’s interesting about the fresh start effect is that we don’t need to wait for big milestones to take advantage of this sudden motivation (动力). Studies show that the first day of each month and even each week can also inspire us. These days, known as “temporal landmarks”, encourage us to step back and think about our current situation. And when we do this, we gain the motivation to be better: we become more driven and more productive. That is why people are more likely to start diets or exercise plans on Monday, rather than the next day.
Fresh starts are exciting opportunities to learn from your mistakes and move forward. So, if you’re currently experiencing loss of motivation, questioning the meaning of your work, or just feel like you’re stuck in a rut (一成不变的生活), why don’t you use the fresh start effect in your own life?
1. According to the passage, what is “fresh start effect”?2. Why is expectation of a new beginning a key motivator for the fresh start effect?
3. Besides the fresh start effect, in what other way(s) do you motivate yourself in your life? (In about 40 words)
4 . Awe is not an everyday emotion. You don’t wake up awestruck. A satisfying lunch doesn’t leave you filled with awe. Even a great day is unlikely to leave you in a state of breathtaking, all-knowing fear and trembling.
Then what is-awe? Psychologists Dacher Keltner and Jonathan Haidt suggested that awe（typically includes feelings of grandness. That means awe is inspired by something larger than a person’s self or experience. And it usually helps expand the person s understanding of the world. For example, awe might come from seeing a mountain taller than you thought a mountain could be. Or it might come from listening to a symphony that contains both shockingly 4oud and touchingly quiet notes. People can be awe-inspiring, too: think of meeting a political leader whose power seems limitless.
In order to find out more about the mysterious feeling, the psychologists laid out a research plan. In the years since, they and other researchers have been testing awe. What is it? How does it work? What seems awesome, and why? For the first time, they’re starting to understand both what a we does to us and what it might do for us.
When psychologists first started studying awe, one of the unanswered questions was: What do we look like when we’re feeling it? Emotions come with facial expressions.
Keltner and two workmates guessed that an awe-filled person would widen her eyes and raise her head, eyes and eyebrows, just a bit. And they were on track. When they asked people to perform awe, they found that people indeed often raised their eyebrows and widened their eyes. They also opened their mouths and dropped their jaws.
Another question was the purpose of the emotion. “We developed emotions to help us deal with and survive certain dangers,” explains Craig Anderson, a student in Keltner’s lab, “When people are scared, they freeze or run away. People that behaved like that tended to survive long enough.” In the same way, awe should have some sort of reason for existing.
So far, it seems that the purpose of awe might draw people together. When people are awestruck, they feel like time has slowed. down somehow, and when they feel so, they are more willing to use it to help others. The study also shows that awe promotes generosity. It improves people’s moral decision making. A paper still under review indicates that a we can make people more modest, too.
“We actually experience awe a lot more often than we think,” says one of the researchers, Rudd, “We meet something in the big wide world, our minds open as we look for an explanation, and as a result we open up to connecting to other people. But if you are keeping yourself in your own small world, it’s going to be hard to experience that feeling. Just go out into newness and you’re going to be more likely to run into something that’s awe-inspiring.
| A．Eating Beijing duck at Quanjude Restaurant. |
| B．Listening to a pleasant flute solo in a famous bar. |
| C．Enjoying a sound sleep after an extremely tiring day. |
| D．Seeing a huge elephant up close in its natural setting. |
| A．We should try to avoid awe because it can fill people with fear. |
| B．Awe is a complex feeling and no one can understand it. |
| C．Awe is socially beneficial and we should be open to it. |
| D．We should try to feel awe because it helps us survive. |
| A．To move readers with touching stories about awe. |
| B．To explain what awe is and what it brings to people. |
| C．To show awe functions differently from other emotions. |
| D．To persuade readers to experience awe as much as possible. |
5 . Self-improvement doesn’t have to be a terrifying task. It can be a fun and exciting adventure that takes you on a journey of discovery and growth. With some simple tricks, you can transform yourself into a better version of you.
First off, remember that self-improvement is a marathon, not a dash.
Start with small, achievable goals. Whether it’s reading a book a week, going for a daily walk, or learning a new skill, these little milestones will help you stay motivated and feel accomplished.
Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is part of the learning process. If you stumble or fall short of your goals, don’t beat yourself up.
And finally, don’t forget to celebrate your progress.
| A．Choose your circle wisely. |
| B．Seek support and inspiration. |
| C．Instead, dust yourself off, and start out again. |
| D．Make time for activities that will fuel your soul. |
| E．No one can expect to change everything overnight. |
| F．Remember, every step counts, however small it is! |
| G．Every little win is well worth acknowledging and rewarding. |
6 . Tonight, our family was going out to play under the full moon.
My husband Todd and I first started going on full moon walks for ourselves, as we needed these little doses of moonlight to stay happy, though sometimes we had to hike through the forest to find a perfect spot. But after we became parents, we did this for our children. We wanted to show Sierra and Bryce that it was not necessary to travel far from home to have an adventure and learn something new, and that there was much magic in the natural world, available to all.
Once we arrived at our location, Sierra and I stood holding hands, waiting to cheer the full moon in its rising — a thin sliver of the moon emerged above the ridge of the mountain afar. Soon, more of the moon came out until it turned into a brilliant orange sphere (球体). Todd explained to Sierra and Bryce that the moon generates no light, but simply acts like a mirror, reflecting the sunlight back to us. “Does the moon’s face change?” Bryce asked. I told him that the moon moves around the earth, but does not spin (旋转) by itself, so the same side of the moon is always facing the earth. Sierra remarked that the moon looked larger when it was rising. I explained that it is a visual illusion (错觉) because it is so close to the horizon that the moon magically tricks our eyes into comparing it with nearby objects.
Much of the knowledge that I shared with the kids was learned from my parents. During my childhood, they would take me on educational adventures out in the woods, and as I later found, so did their parents. So every time I go for a full moon walk with my beloved family, I thank those wise educators who came before me.
To educate, sometimes all it takes is going outdoors and gazing up at the heavens.
1. What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Traveling far from home. |
| B．Learning something new. |
| C．Hiking through the forest. |
| D．Going on full moon walks. |
| A．The children were unwilling to participate. |
| B．Todd mentioned a mirror to explain the sunlight. |
| C．The children showed great curiosity about the moon. |
| D．The author used a magic trick to explain the larger moon. |
| A．Proud and stubborn. |
| B．Learned and inspiring. |
| C．Confident and determined. |
| D．Adventurous and ambitious. |
| A．Nature is the best classroom. |
| B．It takes a village to raise a child. |
| C．It is good to learn at another man's cost. |
| D．All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. |
7 . Whether you’re a thrill-seeker looking for the world’s most intense roller coasters or a family planning a vacation filled with fun for parents and kids, theme parks have something for everyone. Here are some fantastic options for you.
Tokyo DisneySea, Japan
Tokyo Disney Resort tops the must-visit list for many Disney theme park fans. Tokyo Disneyland is very similar to Magic Kingdom in Florida or Disneyland Park in California, but Tokyo DisneySea is unique with its nautical (海上的) theme, fantastical lands and beautiful sections inspired by the Mediterranean, Arabian and American coasts.
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
This primarily indoor Ferrari-inspired theme park in Abu Dhabi is a must-visit for car and thrill lovers. It’s home to the world’s fastest roller coaster Formula Rossa, which reaches speeds of 149 mph. When visiting, make sure you also take advantage of the driving experiences, on which you can go around Yas Island behind the wheel of a Ferrari.
Tivoli Gardens, Denmark
One of the world’s oldest operating amusement parks, Tivoli Gardens is a must-visit attraction in the heart of Copenhagen. The park dates back to 1843, and it has rides, theaters, and restaurants spread across its charming grounds and gardens. During the holidays, the park is extra magical with its annual festival when the scene lights up with decorations.
Efteling, Netherlands
Efteling is the Netherlands’ largest and one of Europe’s most-visited amusement parks. Its imaginative rides, gardens and attractions are themed to Dutch folklore and fairy tales, including a 15-acre Fairytale Forest with more than two dozen scenes. For example, thrill-seekers can line up for a thrill ride on the Flying Dutchman water coaster.
1. Where should you go if you are into beaches?| A．Tokyo DisneySea. | B．Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. |
| C．Tivoli Gardens. | D．Efteling. |
| A．It is mostly visited by thrill lovers. |
| B．It offers driving experiences to visitors. |
| C．It has the fastest roller coaster in the world. |
| D．It is the only indoor theme park in Abu Dhabi. |
| A．They boast a long history. |
| B．They hold annual festivals. |
| C．They provide water coasters. |
| D．They include rides and gardens. |
8 . Our old, artificial Christmas tree was in rough shape by the time we retired it. At least a decade had passed since my wife and I bought the tree, a medium-size fake tree with built-in lights, at a Target in Brooklyn and carried it on the subway to our tiny apartment. Over the years, we dragged that tree from apartment, jammed it onto a moving truck to Los Angeles and later packed the weathered box onto another moving truck, this time to Chicago and our current home. By the end, layers of duct tape (强力胶布) held the box together, the wear and tear of a decade of delivering holiday cheer.
Our little tree looked run down, but it was the only tree our family ever knew. It stands proud and glowing in the background of photos of me and my pregnant wife during our last Christmas in Brooklyn without children. Our oldest was born a month later during a January snowstorm. The tree shows up again in the next year’s photos, this time surrounded by holiday gifts for a boy about to turn 1. Then it appears in photos of our son and his 1-month-old brother, this time with California palm trees just outside the door. And in more recent photos, our tree lights up windows overlooking shining Chicago snow. This year, after much debate, we decided to retire our dear old tree, with its bent branches and the lights that had burned out years ago. Rather than feel depressed, we used the moment to launch a new family tradition: our first real Christmas tree.
So here’s a toast to all your family’s traditions—the old and the new. I hope you enjoy this issue, which we have filled with stories of seasonal joy and holiday cheer. Happy holidays!
1. Where is the author’s present home?| A．In Chicago. | B．In Brooklyn. | C．In California. | D．In Los Angeles. |
| A．His budget was tight. | B．He was attached to it. |
| C．It was in good condition. | D．It was environmentally-friendly. |
| A．An editor. | B．A salesman. | C．A delivery man. | D．A home designer. |
| A．The finest diamond must be cut. |
| B．Out with the old, in with the new. |
| C．Old friends and old wine are best. |
| D．All things in their being are good for something. |
9 . International Day of Education
24 January
Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed (宣布) 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development. Today, 250 million children and youth are out of school, and 763 million adults are illiterate (文盲的). Their right to education is being violated (侵犯) and it is unacceptable. It’s time to transform education.
International Day of Clean Energy
26 January
The International Day of Clean Energy on 26 January was declared by the General Assembly as a call to raise awareness and mobilize action for a just and inclusive transition (过渡) to clean energy for the benefit of people and the planet. 26 January is also the founding date of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), a global intergovernmental agency established in 2009 to support countries in their energy transitions.
World Health Day
7 April
It is celebrated annually and each year draws attention to a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world. The date of 7 April marks the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948.
The theme for World Health Day 2024 is “My health, my right”, which was chosen to champion the right of everyone, everywhere to have access to quality health services, education and information, as well as safe drinking water, clean air, good nutrition, quality housing, decent working and environmental conditions.
World Environment Day
5 June
World Environment Day, held annually on 5 June, brings together millions of people from across the globe, engaging them in the effort to protect and restore the Earth. People from more than 150 countries participate in this United Nations international day, which celebrates environmental action and the power of governments, businesses and individuals to create a more sustainable world. The event has been led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since its start in 1973.
1. On what day is the event about world energy marked?| A．24 January. | B．26 January. | C．7 April. | D．5 June. |
| A．International Day of Education. |
| B．International Day of Clean Energy. |
| C．World Health Day. |
| D．World Environment Day. |
| A．They have a common goal. | B．They have a long history. |
| C．They’re international events. | D．They benefit world environment. |
10 . There are reasonable dependencies that are healthy for an individual’s development. However, other dependencies bring unhappiness.
Depending on other people’s opinions means letting your behavior, likes and desires be determined by the approval of those that surround you.
Few are able to tell apart their own tastes and style from the current fashion trends. Now, we’re not only talking about clothing or accessories here but about general preferences and even philosophies. That desire to hop on a train and be part of the majority sometimes leads to dependency. Some become truly concerned about not being “in style”.
When the individual begins associating their personal value with the amount of money they have, it becomes a problem. Relying on money sometimes means believing that happiness equals consumption.
| A．It is associated with a deep dependency. |
| B．Having money is vital to everyone’s life. |
| C．These don’t contribute to your well-being. |
| D．Therefore, their own sense of identity is lost. |
| E．Some people take this too seriously to the point of addiction. |
| F．Supposing that your value depends on your wealth is the key to unhappiness. |
| G．You don’t really focus on believing yourself but getting acceptance from others. |
