1 . In the Watertown offices of planning and design firm Sasaki Associates, there’s a wall that asks employees to respond to the question, “What makes you happy?” Standing out among a sea of sticky notes listing things like “yoga” and “my cat,” one post says “CHICKENS.”
At most companies it would sound like a joke, but not here. Sasaki, which has an on-site, employee-run garden featuring 30 different kinds of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, is soon adding a chicken coop (笼子) to the mix, and workers seem delighted.
In 2015, Sasaki partnered with Green City Growers, a Somerville —based company that installs (安装) and helps maintain urban farms and vegetable gardens, to give its employees a chance to grow their own produce and experience urban agriculture firsthand.
“It builds a culture of inclusion and community,” said James Miner, a managing principal at Sasaki, who brought the farming idea to the company’s parking lot. “It’s something people can get behind and enjoy. You can just take 10 to 12 minutes away from your screen, get your fingers dirty, talk to your neighbors, and hopefully harvest something.”
While Miner hoped a handful of employees would be excited to take part in the gardens, he was happily surprised when nearly 40 percent of the Watertown office’s employees jumped onboard.
Completely, funded by Sasaki, the company’s urban gardens are owned and tended by employees, who can sign up to manage crops by themselves or in groups. Workers bring home whatever produce they grow —cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, and scallions are just a few of the foods they’ve had success with.
After the addition of the bright pink chicken coop — which will be designed and 3D —printed in Sasaki’s offices —the employees hope to add a garden and explore beekeeping on the building’s roof. Quite a few closet beekeepers, gardeners, and birdwatchers have emerged from the company’s woodwork to lead the charge on these plans.
“People are looking for a higher sense of meaning at work,” Miner said. “The gardens show what it means to be a part of Sasaki.”
1. What’s employers’ attitude to their workers raising chickens in most companies?| A．Doubtful. | B．Interested. | C．Disapproving. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．A sense of community. |
| B．Environmental awareness. |
| C．Enough fruit and vegetables. |
| D．Increased work efficiency. |
| A．By discussing. | B．By competing. | C．By renting. | D．By applying. |
| A．The employees are looking forward to more gardens. |
| B．The company will increase the use of 3D technology. |
| C．The company will change the employees’ work patterns. |
| D．The employees aren’t content with their working conditions. |
2 . Amusement Parks in North America
Disneyland Park
Location: Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, California, USA
The first theme park built in the Anaheim Disneyland Resort, the Disneyland Park was opened in 1955. This Californian park brings us eight different lands of adventure and fun. This is the right place to meet Disney princes, princesses, and go on themed adventure rides.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Location: Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is where the magic of movies comes together with exciting rides and entertainment. The theme park opened up in May 1989. The park is divided into six zones, of which Pixar Place, and Animation Courtyard are favorites.
Universal Studios Florida
Location: Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida, USA
Based on some of the best-loved movies, this fun and adventure theme park by Universal Studios opened up to the public in June 1990. The greatest attraction of this park is “the Wizarding World of Harry Potter”, which is a favorite with both kids and adults. It is also well-known for its yearly celebrations and Hollywood theme rides.
Islands of Adventure
Location: Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida, USA
The Islands of Adventure opened up in May 1999. This theme park is divided into seven different themes. Marvel Super Hero Island, Jurassic Park, and Seuss Landing are among the most popular islands of the park. Apart from the exciting rides, the restaurants here are also themed on myths and legends.
1. Which park will you choose if you are a fan of Harry Potter?| A．Disneyland Park. | B．Disney’s Hollywood Studios. |
| C．Universal Studios Florida. | D．Islands of Adventure. |
| A．Watch Hollywood movies. | B．Join in yearly celebrations. |
| C．Meet different Disney characters. | D．Enjoy food in theme restaurants. |
| A．They are located in Florida. | B．They offer some exciting rides. |
| C．They are designed for children. | D．They opened in the same year. |
3 . The largest and most popular Environmental Education programs are the Summer Nature Camps. The Summer Nature Camps provide children aged 5 — 13 with a full day nature experience. Our small groups allow campers to take daily field trips to the parks and sanctuaries (鸟兽保护区) of Brookline.
| Camp | Age | Date | Fee |
| Little Acorns | 5 — 6 yrs | 7/6—7/16 | $585 |
| Sprouts | 7 — 8 yrs | 7/19—7/30 | $650. |
| Junior Rangers | 9 — 10 yrs | 8/2—8/13 | $680 |
| Adventurers | 11 — 13 yrs | 8/16—8/20 | $350 |
Little Acorns (8:30 AM — 3:00 PM)
As a little acorn, your young nature lover will have the opportunity to visit and explore Brookline's parks and sanctuaries in this unique camp. We will focus on local wildlife and plants, discovering the mysteries of the natural world through interactive lessons, stories, games, ars&crafls , hands-on exploration and nature walks.
Sprouts (8: 30 AM — 3:00 PM)
This older group of naturalists will explore Brookline, focusing on the naive plant life and varied habitats found in our natural areas. Campers will join in the harvesting of our community garden. Each day will feature a different theme and new location for campers to enjoy.
Junior Rangers (8: 30 AM — 3: 00 PM)
Campers at this unique camp will experience nature based learning in the outdoors as they work towards earning a Junior Ranger medal. While visiting Brookline's parks and sanctuaries, campers will explore the outdoors with themes and activities including: fishing, team-building, orienteering, conservation and more!
Adventurers (8:30 AM — 3: 00 PM)
Our oldest group of naturalists will expand their knowledge and skill set as they experience nature through adventure! Daily local field trips will strengthen our themes of outdoor skills, team- building, fishing, and more. Our week together will end in a local overnight camping trip! This program emphasizes hands-on, filed-based, experiential learning and aims to develop the learn spirit.
1. How much will a camper of the youngest group pay?| A．$585. | B．$650. | C．$680. | D．$350. |
| A．July 6th. | B．July 19th. | C．August 2nd. | D．August 16th. |
| A．Little Acorns | B．Sprouts | C．Junior Rangers | D．Adventurers |
1. What did Mr. and Mrs. Jones do last Saturday night?
| A．They went out for a walk. |
| B．They went to the movies. |
| C．They watched TV at a friend’s house. |
| A．Nobody in the street. |
| B．Two people running on the road. |
| C．Lots of cars coming and going. |
| A．She tried to catch a car. |
| B．She had to catch her husband. |
| C．She did not want to wash the dishes. |
| A．They are funny. | B．They are serious. | C．They are kind-hearted. |
5 . National Geographic Nights
Every month National Geographic opens its doors for a night of fun and exploration. These special monthly happy hours feature live stories from National Geographic Explorers, fun activities, lively music, food, and drink specials at our cash bar. Your ticket includes free admission to the National Geographic Museum, starting from the day of the event and expiring (终止) at the end of that month.
Monthly on the third Thursday
5: 30 PM — 8: 00 PM
View From Above
Sometimes, a little distance is all you need to see things in a brand-new way. For astronaut Terry Virts, his new found perspective (视角) was from the International Space Station. He took more photographs than any astronaut who had come before him. Many of those images were later used to create the National Geographic book View From Above and IMAX film A Beautiful Planet.
November 14
7:30 PM — 9:00 PM
$25. 00
Adventures Among Orangutans (猩猩)
Animals fond of being alone often live in hard-to-reach places. Orangutans are one of the most difficult large land animals to study. Since 1992, biological anthropologist Cheryl Knott and wildlife photojournalist Tim Laman have been using innovative techniques and new technologies to gain a closer look at this intelligent, resourceful and threatened species, giving us deep understanding of not only their world, but also our own. Come to listen to their speech!
December 7
10:00 AM — 11:30 AM
$5. 00
Mountainfilm On Tour
Mountainfilm On Tour returns to D. C.! Over two unique evenings, enjoy a rich selection of films from this year’s festival in Telluride, CO. Started in 1979, Mountainfilm is one of America’s longest-running film festivals. Through the years, in and out of trends, the festival has always been best described by one unchanging word: inspiring. Far more than any other adjective, that’s how audiences describe their experience.
November 3 — November 4
7:30 PM — 10:30 PM
$25. 00
1. What’s special about National Geographic Nights?| A．The activity lasts a whole night. |
| B．Free food and drinks are available. |
| C．We can visit the museum for free. |
| D．The celebrations take place every night. |
| A．Popular. | B．Common. |
| C．Simple. | D．Challenging. |
| A．View From Above. | B．Mountainfilm On Tour. |
| C．National Geographic Nights. | D．Adventures Among Orangutans. |
1. What is the ticket price for the elderly?
| A．$25. |
| B．$15. |
| C．$10. |
| A．In the top left-hand corner. |
| B．In the top right-hand corner. |
| C．In the bottom right-hand corner. |
| A．It’s not good enough. |
| B．It’s not available then. |
| C．It costs much more to book. |
7 . Movies are a popular means of entertainment in our lives. However, it is not always easy to make the trip to the cinema every time you want to. Here are four interesting websites to keep you entertained.
Netflix
Netflix is a video streaming website founded in 1998. It supports lots of devices and operating systems, so you can watch new box office movies, stream TV shows, and catch up on your favorite soaps anytime, anywhere. With over 81 million members in more than 150 countries, this streaming service is taking over the movie scene and keeping you entertained all day.
Hulu
Hulu is another high-quality online streaming website, similar to Netflix. It offers video clips, TV shows, and box office movies. And with the agreements it has with certain networks, it is possible to stream episodes of some TV shows as soon as the day after they are aired.
The Hollywood Reporter
This is the Hollywood movie authority dishing up-to-date information, movie reviews, movie trailers(预告片)，on-set pictures and gossip, inside source scoops, and lots more. It is loaded with news about movies, TV shows, exclusive (独家的) actor interviews, and trailers. You will definitely get addicted to this site.
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website with over 80 million users and is a source of entertainment with a very wide and variety of user-uploaded content ranging from movies, music videos, cute videos, original contents, and lots more. In addition, several networks also share free videos of their broadcasting service. YouTube is very entertaining!
1. What do Netflix and Hulu have in common?| A．Box office movies are available. |
| B．They both offer global coverage of service. |
| C．They both work with other networks. |
| D．They both have the largest number of users. |
| A．Netflix. | B．Hulu. |
| C．The Hollywood Reporter. | D．YouTube. |
| A．Download their favorite music. | B．Share their creative videos. |
| C．Exchange their movie reviews. | D．Watch the latest movies. |
8 . Playing video interactive games, and later computer games, has been a big part of people’s lives ever since the birth of Pong and gaming consoles (游戏机) in the early 1970s. But games have progressed steadily since those early days. Now online games are being played worldwide by people of all ages.
While many people tend to think of gamers as people who sit alone on their couches and anonymous to other players, the opposite is actually true according to the BBC. With the rise in popularity of games, people, especially for those in Generation Z, have built communities and friendships with their fellow players. These connections have become a social lifeline during these times of social distancing and lockdowns (活动限制).
While TV and Netflix help people pass the time, there is no interaction between people like the ones found in gaming and the amount of time people play has seriously increased during the COVID-19 pandemic (疫情). In fact, in the US, gamers are now playing an average of 6 hours and 46 minutes weekly. And the numbers keep going up.
Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, where people can watch other people play videogames in real time webcasts and can chat with other viewers, actually clocked 5 billion hours of viewed content in the second quarter of 2020. That was an 83 percent increase from 2019 and a new record. But this increase in gaming is about much more than just entertainment. “This isn’t just out of boredom but an inner desire to be social. New gaming capabilities allow people to communicate with one another virtually,” said Nigel Burmeister, vice president of Limelight Networks. That’s because humans are naturally social and human contacts are necessary for our mental health.
Rosemary “Nekkra” Kelley, a 25-year-old gamer, told USA Today that she’s spending a lot more time playing games because her work has been curtailed due to the cancellation of live events. In her extra time, she has been playing Pokémon Sword and Animal Crossings on her Nintendo Switch.
1. What idea does the author convey in Paragraph 2?| A．Gamers appear to be lonely. |
| B．Gamers take friendship seriously. |
| C．Playing games benefits players. |
| D．Some gamers hate social interaction. |
| A．It causes people to waste time. |
| B．Its content holds little attraction. |
| C．It lacks newly-developed games. |
| D．It gives people no chance to interact. |
| A．To state what research he takes up. |
| B．To analyze why Twitch is popular. |
| C．To make people aware of their nature. |
| D．To encourage people to interact with one another. |
| A．Shortened. | B．Simplified. | C．Adapted. | D．Influenced. |
9 . Streaming Music
Nowadays, many music fans listen to songs not from records or CDS but directly on the Internet. This is called streaming, and it allows people to listen to what seems like an infinite variety of songs.
The largest music-streaming website, Spotify, began in Sweden in 2008. It spread to other countries as major music labels(唱片公司)agreed to let Spotify users stream their songs. In return, Spotify gives the labels some of its profits.
Many streaming services allow people to sign up for free accounts.
There are some disadvantages to music-streaming services. For one thing, people are only renting music, not buying it. This means if they stop their subscription to the service, they lose access to the music.
Streaming is convenient and inexpensive, and it offers a huge selection of songs to listen to. It is likely to grow more popular and may even develop new services for users to enjoy.
| A．But how exactly does it work? |
| B．So why do people choose the Internet? |
| C．You can explore what you can get for free. |
| D．However, free accounts are usually limited in some way. |
| E．Also, artists generally don’t earn much money from streaming services. |
| F．Spotify users have a variety of ways to choose what songs they listen to. |
| G．To avoid these issues and gain new features, users can pay for a subscription. |
10 . Thanks to a lot of quality virtual camps, you do not have to search far, spend more, or even leave your homes to keep your kids entertained, educated, and safe this summer.
Camp Super now
For children from five to ten years old, Camp Super now offers a different theme every week, including space exploration, movie-making and fairy tales. Kids join a virtual cabin for two weeks with six to ten others. You can create your own cabin with your child's friends or your child can meet others from other countries. Together they do crafts, play games and watch magic shows.
San Diego Zoo
For children from kindergarten through eighth grade, San Diego Zoo is famous for its summer camp programs. The zoo's website also offers virtual activities, animal videos and read-along stories all about the animals in the zoo.
Varsity Tutors
These week-long camps are available to kids from five through eighteen. Some of the camps are free. Varsity Tutors features experts such as a famous magician, a famous dog trainer, and a very entertaining chemistry teacher. Kids can also choose to learn a new language at camp. You pick the times and days of the week that suit your kids best.
Met Opera Global Summer Camp
Here is a unique opportunity to introduce children to culture. Met Opera Global Summer Camp is free and open to children from grades three through twelve. Using Facebook Live and YouTube, the camp focuses on a new opera each week to develop children's creativity. They explain the story, introduce theme-related crafts, and offer interesting interviews with opera stars.
1. What can children do at Camp Super now?| A．Enjoy interesting stories. |
| B．Meet famous movie stars. |
| C．Travel to other countries. |
| D．Learn the history of the zo0. |
| A．Camp Super now |
| B．Varsity Tutors |
| C．San Diego Zoo |
| D．Met Opera Global Summer Camp |
| A．Children 's entertainment. |
| B．Children's care for animals. |
| C．Children's opera-writing skills. |
| D．Children's creativity. |
