Creating a truly unique experience, the world’s original Ice Music Festival returns for its 11^th year form the 21-24Januaray 2016.

       Constructed and formed from naturally harvested ice and snow, the Festival is a tribute to art, the environment and one of the worlds’ most vital resources – water. Frozen water.

       Ice music pioneer Terje Isungset is the founder of the Ice Music Festival, which is an annual celebration of music and expression performed by specially invited artists. It is held in the mountain home of Geilo in Norway.

       Getting to Ice Music Festival 2016:

       Geilo is situated almost exactly halfway between Oslo and Bergen in the southern, mountainous part of Norway and easily accessible by car, train or bus.

       Train

       The Bergen Railway is one of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world, so be sure to book your journey in daylight hours! The train takes 3.5 hours from Oslo and about 3 hours from Bergen. The NBS (Norway’s National Rail Company) train runs through some of the most beautiful, wild and unspoiled nature in Norway!

       Car

       The shortest route between Oslo and Bergen is Rv7. The Rv7 is a national tourist route. You can also follow the Rv 0 over the mountains from west to east with the scenery between Aurland and Hol particularly magnificent. From Hol, it’s another 10 km to Geilo.

       Air

       There is no direct air link to Geilo, but all carriers connect with Oslo’s 3 airports.

       So seek out your warmest clothing, pack your bags and join us in Geilo for 3 nights of wonderful music. All the information you need to arrange your trip to Geilo is found on our Visit page. If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us: info@icemusicfestival.no.

1.       Which of the following is TRUE about the Ice Music Festival?

A. It is held once every other year.               B. It came into being decades ago.

C. It was founded by Terje Isungset      .             D. It is built of man-made ice and snow.

2. What can we know about Geilo from the text?

  A. It can be accessed directly by plane.           B. It lies in the northern part of Norway.

  C. It is ten kilometers away from Aurland.              D. It is 3.5 hours’ train ride away from Oslo.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

  A. To advertise a music festival.                            B. To introduce a place of interest.

  C. To show respect to a music pioneer.          D. To inspire people’s interest in music.

On Delancy Street in Lower Manhattan, an exciting new project is being developed in a Williamsburg Bridge trolley station. Designed by James Ramsey, owner of Raad Studio, and Dan Barasch, the project will transform the abandoned space into a new, futuristic city landmark tided the Lowline.

       Ramsey planned to use solar technology in the site, creating an environment where plant life could grow underground. Joined to the JMZ Essex subway stop, the park will not only be an entertaining attraction, it will also become a part of passengers’ lives. Much like the High Line built in Manhattan on an elevated (高出地面的) section of abandoned New York Central Railroad in the Lower West Side, the park will combine the natural elements of the park with industrial aspects already available in the city.

The solar collecting system in the Lowline will catch sunlight above ground, transfer it underground and distribute it around the park via reflective domes (穹顶). The light enables plants and trees to grow. During periods of sunlight, electricity would not be necessary to light the space. In 2012, the Lowline team exhibited this technology in an abandoned warehouse in the Lower East Side, available for the public and press to view so that proof of its ability could be confirmed. Since then, many city officials have shown their support of the concept and several programs have been conducted to involve youth and young designers into the park’s creation.

       Though the negotiations of the park creation have not been completed and it will likely not be available for citizens to enjoy until around 2020, the inventive idea will bring a dynamic new attraction to the city. It will not only create a new escape from the industrial noise, but also introduce the concept of parks and plant growth being made possible in the most unlikely places.

4. What is the similarity between the High Line and Lowline?

  A. Offering convenience only for passengers.

  B. Planting the same types of plant life.

  C. Making full advantage of solar technology.

  D. Turning industrial wasteland into green space.

5. Which is true of the future Lowline?

  A. It’s an exciting trolley station.                    B. It’s a long-term open exhibition.

  C. It’s a solar-powered underground park.              D. It’s a city landmark above the ground.

6. Why did the Lowline team hold the exhibition?

  A. To conduct some programs.                      B. To prove the technology works.

  C. To win support from volunteers.                      D. To show the warehouse is useful.

7. What’s the author’s attitude towards the concept of the Lowline?

  A. Optimistic.            B. Unconcerned            C. Opposed           D. Doubtful.

Why doesn’t the unemployment rate ever reach zero? Economists, who generally believe that supply tends to meet demand, have long thought about this question. Even in good times, i.e. not now, there are people who can’t find work. And even in bad times, i.e. now, there are job openings. With over 14 million people out of work and looking for a job, you would think every available job would be filled. But that’s not the case. Not now and not ever.

       On Monday, the Nobel Prize committee awarded the prize for economics to the three scholars who have done the most to explain this phenomenon. Two of the winners are Americans, Peter Diamond of MIT and Dale Mortensen of Northwestern. The third winner is Christopher Pissarides, who teaches at the London School of Economics and was born on Cyprus.

       Like most of economists, what they have found about why the jobless and ready-employers don’t find each other seems obvious. You have to find out there is job opening you are interested in. Employers need to get resumes. It takes a while for both employers and employees to make the decision that this is what they want. And these guys came up with a framework to study the problem of why people stay unemployed longer than they should and what can be done about it.

       So what would today’s Nobel Prize winners do to solve the current problem of the unemployed? And does the awarding of the prize contribute to the politicians’ lowering joblessness?

       Speaking from his north London home, Pissarides told The Associated Press the announcement came as “a complete surprise” though his work had already helped shape thinking on both sides of the Atlantic.

       For example, the New Deal for Young People, a British government policy aimed at getting 18-24-year-olds back on the job market after long periods of unemployment, “It is very much based on our work,” he said.

       “One of the key things we found is that it is important to make sure that people do not stay unemployed too long so they don’t lose their feel for the labor force,” Pissarides told reporters in London. “The ways of dealing with this need not be expensive training – it could be as simple as providing work experience.”

8. According to the writer, which is true about finding jobs?

  A. It is always difficult to find a job.              

  B. Everyone can find a job in good times.

  C. Contrary to popular belief, it is easier to find a job in bad times.

  D. It is possible to find a job even in times as bad as now.

9. What is it that lead to their winning the prize?

  A. They have found the reason for unemployment.

  B. They have put forward a set of ideas to deal with unemployment.

  C. They have found out why people don’t want to be employed.

  D. They have long studied the problem of unemployment.

10. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

  A. Pissarides thinks his work surprising.

  B. The work of Pissarides has influenced many economists.

  C. Some of the winners’ idea have been put into practice.

  D. It is probable that unemployed young people in Britain benefit from Pissarides’ work.

11. What is effective in dealing with unemployment according to Pissarides?

  A. Spending large sums of money on training.        

  B. Teaching some knowledge of economics.

  C. Providing work experience.                             

  D. Keeping people unemployed for some time.

       Under new rules posted by the Civil Aviation (航空) administration of China on Friday, pilots will have to pass a “level four” test of Mandarin Chinese, China’s official language. Those who speak with an accent that “often impedes” comprehension will not pass. These rules take effect in January 2016.

       China’s 56 ethnic groups speak more than 80 languages and dialects. Even native Mandarin speakers can have trouble communicating with each other depending on the strength of their accents, which can be mutually unintelligible (难理解的).

       One flight trainer illustrated the scope for linguistic confusion, especially when common English aviation terms are used. Asked if there is a problem on board, a Chinese pilot might answer in the negative with the words mei you, or “there isn’t. But someone speaking with a heavy Sichuan accent would pronounce mei you as “May day” – unconsciously parroting the universally recognized distress call (遇难信号).

       Like their international counterparts (对应物), Chinese aviators have developed codes to avoid confusion resulting from homonyms (同音异义字) or near-homonyms. They use the terms yao for one and guai for seven, which are otherwise pronounced yi and qi respectively and easily confused.

       The new rule could affect all pilots, who must renew their license every six years, and adds to a growing list of burdens for the profession.

12. What does the underlined word “impedes” in Para 1 mean?

A. improves            B. helps          C. misunderstands         D. limits

13. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

   A. Sichuan dialect has the contrary meaning to Mandarin.

   B. Native Mandarin speakers can understand each other well.

   C. It isn’t necessary for a pilot to pass the test before January 2016.

   D. “May day” is a distress call in our everyday life.

14. What is the purpose of the Chinese aviators using the terms yao for one and guai for seven?

   A. To avoid confusion.                  B. To communicate with their international counterparts.

   C. To pass the test.                       D. To avoid their accents.

15. What is the best title for the passage?

   A. Chinese Pilots Told to Get Rid of Regional Accents.         B. Chinese Pilots.

   C. Rich Chinese Languages.                                              D. Hard to Be a Chinese Pilot.

Four Steps to Begin Your Path to Greatness

Feeling stuck is quite common．Many times，we have thoughts and dreams of what we want in life．  16   Our thinking pattern holds us back from going forward．The good news is，at any moment in time，we have the ability to start taking action toward creating the life we want．Here are four steps to get started：

  1．Celebrate Your Success．

Write down all the successes you’ve already achieved and all the awesomeness that you are today．  17    And once you’re in that positive routine with your thoughts，it will lead you to make better choices and take better actions toward your greatness．

2．Create Your True Vision．

Many times we live based on others’ expectations or we stay stuck in a particular place because it's our safety zone．Own your path．It can be hard to do，but allow yourself to get out of your head(or stop listening to what others want for you)and focus on your heart and what it's telling you．  18 

3．  19  ． 

If you want to start going to the gym，going from 0 days a week to 5 days a week right away is extreme，and setting yourself up by biting more than you can chew typically doesn’t result in success，but failure．Instead，start slow and go once or twice a week．After you do that for a while and get into a nice routine，up it to more days．Over time，you will build toward your goal by taking realistic，smaller steps to get there.

4．Have the Right Support．
    20    Find the right support to cheer you on in the process．It could be a friend，a family member，or significant other who you trust．Whoever it may be，having someone on your journey will be just what you need to keep you on track and celebrate with you as you work toward the life you dream of．
A．Don’t do it alone．
B．Be realistic about your goals．
C．Be kind to yourself and accept the moment．
D．Your failure can lead you to another success．
E．Sadly，they only stay as thoughts and dreams inside of us．
F．This practice will direct your thinking to a positive place．
G．Look within yourself deeply and decide what you want and what’s true for you．