1 . Frank and his brother Jack lived near the ocean. Frank was outgoing while Jack was shy. They liked doing different things. Frank was famous for organizing games of beach volleyball, football, and any other sport imaginable. Jack preferred to draw, paint, or build sandcastles (沙堡).
Frank didn’t understand why Jack would rather do artistic things than play ball. He believed sports often allowed many kids to play together. That was when Jack’s idea hatched. He would show Frank what doing things together looked like!
After Jack finished creating a special sandcastle with stairs, towers and walls, he took pictures of it. Then he painted colorful posters featuring (突出) his sandcastle and the question, “Can you top this?” He hung his posters everywhere in town, announcing his plan for a day of sandcastle artistry-all ages welcome.
When Frank saw poster, he not so nicely told Jack that no one would come. Still, shortly after sunrise on Saturday, Jack was on the beach digging in the sand. By mid-morning, four kids were sculpting (雕塑) the sand alongside him. By noon the number had increased a lot.
After Frank came back from his ball game, he went to check how his brother’s plan turned out. He couldn’t believe what he saw. At least 30 people were building a city of sandcastles, and everyone was chatting and laughing and working together! It was the most beautiful thing he had seen on the beach.
“I guess you’ve proved me wrong,” Frank said. “You should make this sandcastle day a yearly tradition!” Handing Frank a shovel (铲子) with smile, Jack got started together with his brother on their super creation in the sand.
1. What does the underlined word “hatched” in Paragraph 2 probably mean in Chinese?| A．产生 | B．改变 | C．消失 | D．中断 |
| A．Beautiful towers. | B．Colorful posters. |
| C．A town building. | D．A sandcastle day. |
| A．Doubtful | B．Interested | C．satisfied | D．nervous |
| A．It came from picture. | B．It needed 30 people’s support. |
| C．It proved Frank right. | D．It did work well. |
2 . Many people enjoy spending their vacations swimming, lying in the sun and staying at luxurious hotels.
“I’m a successful lawyer from San Francisco,” says Gavin Murphy. “
Camping out does have its disadvantages, however.
Park rangers (护林员) recommend that visitors watch out for snakes, whose bites can be poisonous. They stress the fact that it is necessary that food be kept packed away, so that an unexpected bear doesn’t pay an unwelcome visit to some surprised guests.
| A．If it rains, there is not much to do. |
| B．Camping is not really my cup of tea. |
| C．But every once in a while I like to get back to nature. |
| D．Some of the visitors have no experience being in the country. |
| E．Yet, nature lovers continue to visit national parks year after year. |
| F．But there are countless others who prefer a different kind of holiday. |
| G．Visitors to national parks have a wide variety of activities to choose from. |
3 . China has seen a boom in glamping, a combination of “glamorous (迷人的)” and “camping”, since 2020.
Camping, in earlier years, was mostly for those exploring the rough outdoors. The equipment they used was more for survival than for enjoyment. The image of camping thus was a pretty tough one.
Urban explorers, in recent years, have turned their sights to camping as they grew tired of hotel-stay travel style. The views of tents in a grassland or by a river soon attracted growing public interest in camping. Facilities that allow people to get close to nature while still able to enjoy the comforts of modern luxury have given wings to glamping.
There are many glamping grounds where facilities are ready to use. People just need to buy a ticket to get in and don’t have to buy any further equipment. It is suitable for new campers who want to get some experience of spending time outdoors.
Zhang Zheming, a photographer in Beijing, got his first taste of glamping in June2019 at a campground in suburban Beijing. It was a very spacious site and campers needed to bring their own kits (装备).
Zhang and his wife brought their 4-year-old son with them. As they didn’t have any experience in picking the right equipment, they didn’t prepare the canopy (遮阳篷), a camping must to protect oneself from strong sunlight. But this didn’t affect their first experience.
“In the past, my wife and I only chose to stay at hotels while traveling,” he said. “We are very happy to have discovered glamping and it is also a new way of socializing. My son used to be a shy boy, but now he gets along quite well with other people.”
Zhang is also surprised to see how popular glamping has become. The first time he went there in 2019, only 500 people joined in. But when he went there for the second time in 2020, he saw over 5,000 people.
1. What can we infer about glamping?| A．It’s tough and adventurous. | B．It’s comfortable and attractive. |
| C．It’s a kind of field survival training. | D．It has changed the hotel-stay travel style. |
| A．Get some camping experience. | B．Buy some necessary equipment. |
| C．Buy a ticket to the glamping ground. | D．Get some knowledge of nature exploration. |
| A．They forgot to bring their own food. | B．They were exposed to strong sunlight. |
| C．They failed to take good care of their kid. | D．They had to stay for a long time in the hotel. |
| A．He has learned to take photos. | B．He has improved his camping skills. |
| C．He has made friends with a shy boy. | D．He has become more outgoing and active. |
4 . Top Family-Friendly Events in January
These family-friendly events and activities at popular spots in and around Denver will surely entertain you.
ZooLights: Glow Wild Jan. 1—14
The Denver Zoo’s yearly holiday light show is on until Jan. 14, allowing families one or more opportunities to enjoy the city’s zoo, with millions of lights giving an added dimension to the festivities.
Glow Wild, 765 N. Galvin Pkwy., Denver, denverzoo.org, $12.95 members, $14.95 general admission.
Joy Park Snow Days Jan. 14—28
A new, multi-faceted winter experience is taking over the Children’s Museum’s Joy Park. Take a slide down the Snow Hill, go ice skating, cozy up by fire pits with hot cocoa, take a photo in giant snow globe, and try your hand at curling.
Children’s Museum of Denver, Marsico Campus, joypark.com, $15 ages 2—59, $13 ages 1 and 60+, $1 Explorer Pass, free under age 1 and members.
Family Fun Winterfest Jan. 29
OdySea Aquarium in the Desert is hosting the third annual Family Fun Winterfest in its Desert Courtyard, featuring real snow for the kids to play in. This free event features everything from bounce houses to rides, games, snowflake crafts and face painting to go with various stands set up by local sellers, with food and other offerings for sale at the event.
8520 E. Via de Ventura, Denver, odyseainthedesert.com, free.
Youth & Teen Art Classes Jan.13—Feb. 3
Create Arts Center is hosting a four-week youth art course on Saturdays to teach artistic skills and knowledge through fun and challenging art classes in a wide variety of art materials, including painting, drawing, mixed media and sculpture, ensuring mentally stimulating sessions for all. Classes are designed for a variety of experience levels from beginners through advanced students.
Create Arts Center, 1 E. Main St, Denver, createartscenter.org or 301-588-2787, $98.
1. How can you get a discounted ticket to the ZooLights show?
| A．By bringing a friend. | B．By getting a membership. |
| C．By joining a tour group. | D．By booking a ticket online. |
| A．Have free food. | B．Take art classes. |
| C．Enjoy real snow. | D．Meet local artists. |
| A．ZooLights: Glow Wild | B．Joy Park Snow Days |
| C．Youth & Teen Art Classes | D．Family Fun Winterfest |
5 . Being a Good Holiday Party Guest
When attending holiday parties hosted by friends and loved ones, many of people really want to be “good” guests. But sometimes well-meaning “helpers” can sometimes cause more trouble and stress for a host.
Reply the invitation quickly.
Respect the event’s start time and arrive within 10-15 minutes of the time on the invite. If the invitation says 7:15 p.m., guests should arrive between 7:25 and 7:30. If you turn up early, the hosts may not yet be dressed or be trying to take a 10-minute break after last-minute preparations.
Offer help respectfully.
It’s fine to offer help during the event, but don’t insist.
Don’t stay for long.
At the end of the evening, you can make one last offer to help the host tidy up the space. But if they refuse, don’t stay. Many hosts are too polite to tell people it’s time to go. Watch out for clues that the hosts wish to end the evening’s enjoyment, like yawning, turning off the music, turning up the lights.
| A．Don’t turn up early. |
| B．Create a positive schedule. |
| C．Respect the host’s wishes if they refuse your help. |
| D．Being a good guest begins long before the party begins. |
| E．Here are some tips to ensure you leave a good impression. |
| F．They can suggest that the happy gathering is coming to an end. |
| G．By following these guidelines, they can spare some time helping the host to stay lively and fun. |
6 . Bingo has been a beloved game for generations, and for good reason.
Once you have your supplies, it’s time to invite your guests. You can invite your friends and family over for a fun night of bingo, or you can even host a virtual bingo party over video chat.
Once everyone has arrived, it’s time to start the game!
The caller is responsible for drawing the numbers and calling them out to the players. Players keep marking the numbers on their cards until someone achieves a winning pattern. There are various winning patterns in bingo, such as completing a row, column, or diagonal line, or achieving a specific shape or design on the bingo card.
The goal here is to have fun. While some organization is required, try not to tun it into a military operation. After all, bingo is the type of game that can bring people together and create a fun and exciting atmosphere.
| A．Hand out the bingo cards to each player. |
| B．You can ask your guests to bring their favourite bingo balls, cards and markers. |
| C．It should be decided before the game starts, and known to all players. |
| D．To host your own bingo party, you’ll need a few supplies. |
| E．Instead of using traditional bingo numbers and letters, mix it up with different themes. |
| F．If you’re hosting an in-person party, make sure to let your guests know what time to arrive. |
| G．It’s a fun, exciting game and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. |
Nowadays, people are spending more hours on work. However, taking some time off is important for refreshing yourselves. If you’re having trouble making time for a break, the recent research by the UCLA’s Anderson School suggests that treating your weekends like a vacation can make you happier.
The findings are based on a series of experiments. In one study of 441 workers, half of the test subjects were instructed to have a normal weekend, while the others had to “treat their weekend like a vacation.” The next Monday, the weekend vacationers reported that they felt happier and were generally more satisfied than those who had had a normal weekend. The vacationers also reported they spent more money in vacation mode—about $ 130 compared to $104. But it wasn’t the money that bought them happiness. The researchers controlled for the amount of money both groups could spend. The vacationers were still happier than the ones who had experienced a typical weekend.
The reason the vacation approach may have worked wonders: The vacation mindset allows people to be more attentive to the present moment. “We’re always trying to get through things to check off our to-do lists and treating the weekend like a vacation pushes us out of our continuous ‘doing’ mode,” said Cassie Holmes, a professor at UCLA’s Anderson School.
The study showed that getting into a vacation mindset during the weekend is relatively easy. Even if you can’t take the entire weekend “off”, you can manage to steal a piece of the weekend to gain the benefits of a vacation mindset.
1. What does the research of the UCLA’s Anderson School suggest?2. Why may the vacation approach have worked wonders?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
When the researchers controlled for the amount of money both groups could spend, the vacation group was unhappier than the other group.
4. What would you do to get into a vacation mindset at weekends? And explain why.(In about 40 words)
8 . The beaches on Mykonos’s southwest coast are among the Med’s best for parties, but head east to find a different atmosphere among a rocky, golden coastline dotted with sandy bays.
Fokos Bay
Park your vehicle in the dirt lot and walk over the low dunes 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 renowned restaurant overlooking the sand for a lazy seafood lunch.
Agari Beach
If getting your own wheels isn’t an option, Agari is only a 15-minute walk east of the more famous Elia Bcach and on the south coast bcach ferry route. It’s one of the closest uncrowded beaches to Hora, Mykonos’s main town, and home to a lonely cafe that provides sunbeds and sell drinks and snacks.
Mersini Beach
Wander west around the headland to the next beach along - the gentle arc of Mersini beach, which is usually the least-crowded on Mykonos. Bring your own sun mat and even an umbrella as this beach is service-free: wild and raw, and perfectly matched to a sunbathing without being disturbed.
Kalafati Beach
In the far southeast, about seven miles from Mykonos town, the broad curving coastline of Kalafati Beach is beloved for its steady winds that blow the sails of windsurfers and kite surfers- perfect if you’re looking for sporting action. Rnt boards and get lessons right at the beach at Windsurfing Mykonos.
1. What can visitors do at Agari beach?| A．Try excellent seafood. | B．Rent boards for windsurfing. |
| C．Have a 15-minute ferry ride. | D．Rest undisturbed in sunbeds. |
| A．Its rental equipment for sunbathers. | B．Its undeveloped surroundings. |
| C．Its complex geography along the route. | D．Its free service of sun mats and umbrellas. |
| A．Fokos Bay | B．Mersini Beach | C．Agari Beach | D．Kalafati Beach |
9 . What do people associate with the Metropolitan Museum of Art called the Met? For most, this New York museum is a treasure trove (宝库) of beautifully-scheduled artistic expression. After all, its collections include 1.5 million works of art from prehistory to the present.
But since September 9, 2023, as Hyperallergic reports, the Met is also the setting for a new, super-creative center for kids aged 3—11 and their families, named“81st St Studio”, which sets out to help children understand the materials used to make art. Coming in through the entrance, visitors see tree trunks, cardboard and a carved wooden screen among other examples. Visitors can participate in activities such as woodblock carving and drum making.
According to Heidi Holder, Chai r of the Met’s education department, there’s no contradiction in this new attempt. She recently said the Met is a science institution. As she explains, “We have three big parts of ourselves: our scientific research, our conservation and our art.” As Holder explains, even when objects created hundreds of years earlier come in, a scientific understanding of the materials used will help people better understand the art itself.
The exhibit is rich with art and science activities to encourage self-expression. There’re no traditional glass exhibition cupboards here. Instead, the 3,500-square-foot center is filled with seven stations that encourage visitors to explore them using all their senses. As Holder said, “It’s an open space where you can create your own path. You can learn at your own pace. You can take risks, be curious, have fun, and discover things.”
A music installation (装置), for instance, helps kids understand how materials influence sound. It consists of several creative music-making devices. Curious young visitors can pull open small, drawer like boxes. For example, an accordion lets out an airy sound as the opening and closing motion compresses (压缩) the air inside it.
In agreement with its ambitions to serve as a community center, the 81st St Studio is free to enter for children and their caregivers, no museum ticket required, during regular Met hours.
1. What is the purpose of the 81st St Studio?| A．To encourage participators to be more creative. | B．To assist children in learning about art materials. |
| C．To help children to create some works of art. | D．To ask people to concentrate on conservation. |
| A．Approving. | B．Negative. | C．Uncaring. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．The 81st St Studio has a limited space. | B．Kids will be faced with some difficulties. |
| C．Lots of exhibits are not easy to discover. | D．Kids are free to explore the 81st St Studio. |
| A．The Met Is Best for Art Education | B．Scientific Activities Are Based on Art |
| C．Art and Science Can Meet for Education | D．Artistic Creation Comes from Inspiration |
10 . Strawberry U-Pick at the Boyd Farm
Strawberry U-Pick Season is starting! For now, we are open Monday to Friday from 10 a. m. to 3: 30 p. m. and every weekend from 9 a. m. to 5: 30 p. m. !
Not only do we have our u-pick strawberry fields, we also have fresh produce, prepicked strawberries, snacks and other farm goodies for you to buy. We also have lots of fun activities for the family—hayride with the cows, horse ride, animals to pet and feed, swings, slide, sand pile, corn hole, corn pile and more!
AdmissionAdmission is $5/person (3 and under free)
Admission includes:
◆Access to u-pick fields
◆Access to swings, corn hole, sand pile, slide, corn pile and petting zoo
◆1 pound of free-to-take-home strawberries
Admission does not include:
◆Hayride with the cows—$5/person
◆Horse ride—$3/person
◆Animal feed—$2/cup
Important information
★Please don’t leave children unattended in strawberry fields and please don’t walk on the plant beds.
★We recommend bringing something to carry berries home to cut down on waste, but we will have plastic bags if needed.
★Usually strawberry season runs through April. This is entirely weather dependent, however.
★We recommend sunscreen / hat / water / closed-toed shoes!
★Pets are not allowed in the fields due to Food Safety regulations.
1. When is the Boyd Farm open to the public in April?
| A．9 a. m. Monday. | B．5 p. m. Tuesday. |
| C．4p. m. Friday. | D．10 a. m. Sunday. |
| A．Hayride. | B．Horse ride. |
| C．Corn pile. | D．Feeding animals. |
| A．Bringing their pets. | B．Wearing open-toed shoes. |
| C．Playing in strawberry fields. | D．Taking their own strawberry containers. |
