The Summer Program

Highlights：

※ More outdoor Chinese study: All trips and activities focus on developing language skills in Chinese, as well as building up self-confidence and teamwork ability. Campers would get a clear awareness of the program theme— “Observe-Think-Act”.

※ Breakfast is upgraded to western buffet style and offered by the host four-star hotel.

※ One-to-one Chinese tutoring: One hour per day, we have college students majoring in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language work as tutors.

Schedule:

Note：

1. Age ranges: 8 to 16 years old.

2. Please note that the price in the US dollar is subject to change with currency exchange rate fluctuations (波动).

3. Please download FAQs or Application Forms to see what price includes and excludes.

4. Students could take day camp programs only, ¥ 17, 000 from 9: 00 am to 16: 30 pm; please contact us for details.

Discounts:

• ¥ 1,000 off per student for early bird applications on or before April 1st;

• ¥ 500 off per student for returning students;

• ¥1,000 off per student for a group of 3 or above.

Contact information: Ms Summer

E-mail: summer @ richblcu.com

Tel: (+86) 010 8220-6789

21. Who is the advertisement aimed at?

A. Chinese college students.                                              B. Chinese middle school students

C. Foreign students to learn Chinese.                                D. Adult foreign tutors.

22. What can campers gain from the summer program?

A. Enjoying traditional Chinese foods.

B. One-to-one Chinese tutoring all day long.

C. More chances of indoor activities.

D. Improving their Chinese language skills.

23. How much will a camper pay if he/she sends an application on March 8 for a 2-week study?

A. ¥ 13,000.                       B. ¥ 14,000.                       C. ¥ 19,000.                       D. ¥ 20,000.

One cowardly man came to a master of martial arts and asked the master to teach him bravery. The master looked at him and said, “I will teach you only with one condition: one month you will have to live in a big city and tell every person you meet that you are a coward. You will have to say it loudly, openly and looking straight into the person’s eyes.”

The man got really sad, because this task seemed very scary to him. For a couple of days he hesitated, but to live with his cowardice was so unbearable that he travelled to the city to accomplish his mission.

At first, when meeting the passers-by, he quailed, lost his speech and couldn’t contact anyone. But he needed to finish the master’s task, so he began to overcome himself. When he came up to his first passer-by to tell about his cowardice, it seemed to him that he would die from fear. But his voice sounded louder and more confident with every passing day. Suddenly came a moment, when the man caught himself thinking that he was not scared anymore, and the further he continued doing the master’s task, the more convinced he was that the fear was abandoning him.

That way a month had passed. The man came back to the master, bowed to him and said, “Thank you, sir. I finished your task. Now I’m not afraid anymore. But how did you know that this strange task will help me?”

“The thing is that cowardice is only a habit. And by doing the things that scare us, we can destroy the fear. And now you know that bravery is also a habit. And if you want to make bravery a part of yourself, you need to move forward into the fear. Then the fear will go away, and bravery will take its place.”

24. Why did the man finally decide to finish the master’s task?

A. The master forced him to do it.

B. He couldn’t stand his own cowardice.

C. The task was easy for him to accomplish.

D. He hoped to meet different kinds of people.

25. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “quailed”？

A. waved happily                                                          B. became excited

C. bowed politely                                                         D. trembled with fear

26. What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A. The man was thoughtful.

B. The man abandoned his task.

C. The man was greatly transformed.

D. The man was good at dealing with people.

27. What is the best title for the text?

A. Make Bravery Your Habit.

B. Never give up on yourself.

C. Value Your Teachers; Advice.

D. Build Up Your Self-confidence.

Robots could soon be hiring and firing staff tinder secret plans drawn up to improve efficiency. A team of engineers at US-based Bridgewater Associates is reportedly developing artificial intelligence which can run the firm without emotions getting in the way.

Founder Ray Dalio is seeking to create a new business model where most employees are programmers and decisions are made by a computer. He appointed a team, called the Systemised Intelligence Lab, to work on the project early in 2015. It is overseen by David Ferruci, a famous developer who created IBM’s Watson supercomputer. That machine was made famous when it beat humans at a game.

Employees at Bridgewater are already asked to rank each other using a system called Dots，and these scores are mixed into “baseball cards” which show each worker’s strengths and weaknesses.

Employees also use a program called “The Contract” to set goals and track how well they achieve them.

It is the beginning of Dalio’s robotic imagination for the future of his company. He wants machines to make three-quarters of all decisions in the next five years. This could include finding the right staff and dealing with disagreements between different groups. Devin Fidler, a research director, said it could prevent human feelings from getting in the way of business. “People have a bad day and it then colours their opinions about the world. That may cause them to make different decisions,” he said. He described the plans as ambitious but added, “A lot of management is basically information work, the sort of thing that software can get very good at.”

Last month, Mark Carney, from Bank of England, said robots could steal 15 million UK jobs in coming years. He warned huge technological advances meant roles could be automated instead. The Governor said, “The challenge is, alongside its great benefits, every technological revolution will destroy jobs and people’s life.”

28. What’s special about the robots Bridgewater is developing?

A. They can beat humans at games.

B. They can replace employees soon.

C. They can recognize human emotions.

D. They can help in managing the firm.

29. What will Dalio’s new business model bring to the company?

A. More job opportunities.                                            B. Higher efficiency in work.

C. More dependence on employees.                                  D. Friendlier working environment.

30. What’s Devin Fidler’s attitude towards Dalio’s robotic idea?

A. Unclear.                         B. Doubtful.                        C. Favorable.                            D. Negative.

31. Which of the following can best describe the technological revolution?

A. Every coin has two sides.

B. Where there is a will, there is a way.

C. God help those who help themselves.

D. Nothing can be achieved without standards.

Located just behind Amsterdam Central station, Al Ponte is a popular cafe serving people on their way to and from the nearby ferry port. Not all Al Ponte’s customers pay for their coffees, however.

Al Ponte is one of the businesses taking part in Wasted, a project running in Amsterdam’s Noord district. It encourages households to recycle their plastics by rewarding them with discounts at local businesses.

When people sign up, they are given bags with unique QR codes, enabling the project’s organizers to give the correct credit to each household once the filled bags have been collected. For every bag of plastic, households earn one green coin.

At Al Ponte, one coin earns users a free second coffee. Meanwhile, at Beekhoven Bikes, three coins earn users 50% off bike repairs.

Silvia Salani, who owns Al Ponte, says there are days when only one or two customers have a coin to exchange free coffees. As well as improving her standing in the community, Salani believes being part of the project has been positive for business growth. Those who first came in with friends for free coffees usually return as paid customers.

Since Wasted was set up in early 2015 by a non-profit organization, Cities Foundation, more than 700 households have signed up. In a recent survey, 52% of users said they improved their waste disposal (处理) habits as a result of using Wasted and 23% said they reduced their plastics consumption.

Broader research shows schemes that reward people to recycle have mixed long-term results. A study shows the project caused different results. While the organizers acknowledge the long-term challenge, they believe that creating awareness can help bring positive effects, “We want to engage those who don’t usually care about recycling. At the same time, we can build a social contract between the community and business owners that goes beyond the traditional consumer relationship,” she says.

32. What’s the purpose of Wasted?

A. To encourage plastic recycling.

B. To promote sales in local businesses.

C. To advertise local tourist attractions.

D. To help win discounts at local stores.

33. Who can have a free second coffee at Al Ponte?

A. The organizers of Wasted.

B. People to and from the ferry port.

C. Those who have “green coins”.

D. People from nearby households.

34. Why does Silvia favor the project?

A. It has helped her earn many green coins.

B. It has improved her habits of dealing with waste.

C. It has reduced the plastic consumption in her cafe.

D. It is beneficial both to her reputation and her business.

35. What do the organizers think of the project?

A. It is worth all the efforts.

B. The results are discouraging.

C. It won’t make much difference.

D. It’s more challenging than promising.

Father’s Day has been celebrated for over 100 years, It’s also an event celebrated in many countries around the world, although at different times of the year. Make this Father’s Day the best by giving your dad a day that shows him just how special he is to you.

  36   How you celebrate Father’s Day will largely come down to knowing what your dad likes and what will make the day most enjoyable. That can mean planning a grand adventure, or simply taking care of all the chores (日常琐事) around the house so dad can relax.

Get others involved. If you have brothers or sisters, you could get them involved in planning something nice for your dad.   37   If you don’t have any siblings, you could also ask your mom or grandparents to help you.

Wish him a happy father’s day.   38   When you see him in the morning give him a yell, “Happy Father’s Day, Dad!” in a loud, happy voice.

  39   Gifts are great, but showing your love, and reassuring your dad that you’re proud of him and all he’s done for you can be the most important factor in celebrating a fantastic Father’s Day.

Talk with your dad. Tell him about some things going on in school you haven’t told him; tell him about things that are going on in your life. Don’t make it all about you!   40 

A. Think of a creative gift.

B. Tell your dad that you appreciate him.

C. Think about what makes your dad happy.

D. Your dad may take no interest in what you talk about,

E. This may seem obvious, but don’t forget to acknowledge that it is his day.

F. Ask your dad about how he is doing, or ask him to tell you about his life growing up.

G. Having all of his kids celebrate father’s day with him will make it even more special.