What Will You Discover Today
Whether you are a new or regular visitor, this is your guide to all of the free family-friendly activities coming up at museums and collections of the Oxford University in the next few months. From planting to painting; the deep blue sea to the sky above us; storybook characters, historical figures and monsters—there is something for everyone! Learn together, have fun together, and become a family of museum explorers together....
Tales of Trees and Other Plants
Every day from l Mar.-31 Oct.
Hear Philip Pullman read from the His Dark Materials and members of the Botanic Garden staff talk about their favorite plants.
Age 17+ During opening hours. Subject to availability (受可用性限制)
Brilliant Medicine Trail (路线)
Every day from l Mar.-9 Oct.
Take our medicine trail around the Botanic Garden to find out how plants have helped to keep us healthy for thousands of years and continue to be essential to making medicines today.
Age 17+ During opening hours.
Saturday Backpacks
Every Saturday
If you want to visit the much-loved Pitt Rivers Museum, housing the finest collection of anthropological artifacts (人类学手工艺品) from all over the world, on a Saturday, keep a look out for our family backpacks full of activities!
Suitable for all! 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Subject to availability
Advance bookings are required.
Big Botanic Backpacks
Every day from 1 Mar.-31 Oct.
Borrow a backpack from our information desk and use the activities inside to help you explore our collection of plants and trees from all around the world! Suitable for all!
1.Who will most likely be interested in Brilliant Medicine Trail?
A.Garden staff. B.History teachers.
C.Local guides. D.Medical students.
2.What are visitors required to do to attend Saturday Backpacks?
A.Book tickets ahead of time.
B.Buy souvenirs in the activity.
C.Borrow backpacks from the information desk.
D.Look for information of the Pitt Rivers Museum.
3.What do the activities have in common?
A.They are held indoors.
B.They are free of charge.
C.They are held on a daily basis.
D.They are intended for teenagers.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
In 2011, Nancy Ballard went for a routine checkup that turned into something extraordinary. In fact, she was carrying a painting of a plant she’d done when she arrived at her doctor’s San Francisco office. “It would be great if we had artwork like that for our chemotherapy (化疗) rooms,” the nurse said. Ballard asked to see one.
She was shocked by what she found. The walls were dull and bare, and the paint had fallen off. It was a room where sad patients are receiving their routine—patients limited themselves to chemo drips (点滴) for perhaps several hours, often with nothing to look at except those sad walls. Ballard didn’t have cancer herself, but she had pity on the patients. “I couldn’t imagine how anyone could even think about getting healthy in a room like that,” she says. As it happens, Ballard’s doctor, Stephen Hufford, was ill with cancer himself, so finding time to decorate the rooms was low on his to-do list. So Ballard made it her mission to brighten the place up.
She started by emailing 20 local designers. “I wrote, ‘You don’t know me. But my heart hurts after seeing these rooms.’” she said. She then asked whether they would donate their time and money to transform just one of Dr. Hufford’s rooms each.
As it happens, six of them wrote back almost immediately. Six rooms got new paint, light fixtures, artwork, and furniture. Dr. Hufford was delighted. “All the patients feel the relief of the pain because of it,” he said. He even noted that his own voice was different in the rooms and that he was better able to connect with his patients.
Ballard was so encouraged by the patients’ reaction that she created a non-profit organization, Rooms That Rock Chemo, to raise money and decorate more spaces. Since then, she has worked on 20 projects, including one in Pennsylvania. “We were in Philadelphia for an opening ceremony, and a woman was there on her third battle with cancer,” says Ballard. “When she saw what we’d done, she said, ‘I’m gonna beat it this time. I thought I wasn’t going to, but now I’m gonna beat it.’”
1.What made Ballard decide to help decorate the chemotherapy rooms?
A.Her pity for cancer patients.
B.Her passion for room decoration.
C.The good relationship with Hufford.
D.The request of a nurse in San Francisco.
2.What result does Ballard’s efforts bring about?
A.More hospitals will be built.
B.Hufford cured more patients.
C.The cancer patients were feeling better.
D.Hufford’s chemotherapy rooms got good reputation.
3.Which words best describe Nancy Ballard?
A.Rich and generous. B.Talented and energetic.
C.Loving and devoted. D.Ambitious and creative.
4.Which can be a suitable title for the passage?
A.Battle Against Cancer B.Design for Hope
C.Donation for Patients D.Decoration in Hospital
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Older adults with a better sense of smell may live longer than those who have a poor sense of smell, a new study suggests. The study was a project of researchers in the United States that was continuing for over 13 years. They asked nearly 2300 men and women to recognize 12 common smells. All the subjects were from 71 to 82 years of age. The researchers gave the adults marks, from 0 to 12, based on how many smells they recognize correctly.
During the years of follow-up research, over 1200 of the adults died. When the study was started, none of the adults were weak. They could walk about half a kilometre, climb 10 steps and independently complete daily activities. In the latest findings, the researchers noted those with a weak nose were 30% more likely to die than people with a good sense of smell. The findings were reported last month in the scientific publication Annals of Internal Medicine.
Honglei Chen, a doctor with Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, was the lead author of the report on the study. He said the connection between a poor sense of smell and an increased risk of dying was limited to adults who first reported good or excellent health. This suggests that a poor sense of smell is an early and sensitive sign of worsening health before it is recognizable in medical tests. With a poor sense of smell, people are more likely to die of brain and heart diseases, but not of cancer or breathing problems.
The results also suggest that a poor sense of smell may be an early warning of poor health in older age that goes beyond dementia (痴呆) or other neurodegenerative (神经变性的) diseases. These often signal the beginning of the weakening of the mind or body.
1.What do we know about the study in the passage?
A.All the adults were in their eighties.
B.The adults were young and energetic.
C.The study lasted for more than 13 years.
D.The study involved international researchers.
2.What was the situation like at the beginning of the study?
A.Over 1200 of the adults passed away.
B.One third of the adults had a poor sense of smell.
C.Many of the adults were found with health problems.
D.All the adults could perform daily activities independently.
3.What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?
A.People with a poor sense of smell have heart disease.
B.Most older people may have breathing-related disease.
C.People with a poor sense of smell won’t suffer from cancer.
D.Older people should be careful with their health if they smell poorly.
4.What is the meaning of the underlined word in Paragraph 1?
A.主题 B.科目
C.实验对象 D.绘画或拍摄题材
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The world’s first hydrogen-powered (氢动力的) trains have begun running in Germany. They began carrying passengers on Monday in Germany’s northern Lower Saxony state. The new trains will run 100-kilometre trips and can travel up to 140 kilometers per hour.
A French railroad company called Alstom built the two trains. Teams in Germany and France worked together on the project, which was supported by the German government. The new train model, called the Coradia iLint, signals the beginning of efforts in Germany and other nations to move away from pollution-producing diesel (柴油) trains.
The Coradia iLint is designed to run on non-electrified train lines with low levels of noise. It uses a process that combines hydrogen with oxygen to produce electrical power. If the system produces more energy than the train needs at that time, it can store the extra energy in batteries. The only emissions (排放物) are water and steam.
Hydrogen-powered trains cost more than diesel trains to build. But Alstom officials say the operating costs are much lower. The company plans to provide another 14 Coradia iLint trains to Lower Saxony by 2021.
The head of railroad operations in the area, Carmen Schwabl, praised replacing diesel trains with hydrogen-powered trains. She said the move was an important first step in using clean-burning technologies to reach climate protection goals.
Alstom says several other European countries have also expressed interest in developing hydrogen train systems. France have already said it wants its first hydrogen train to be on the rails by 2022.
1.Why did Germany build the new trains?
A.To replace diesel trains.
B.To carry more passengers.
C.To make traveling much faster.
D.To improve the relationship with France.
2.What is one advantage (优势) of hydrogen-powered trains over diesel trains?
A.They are cheaper to build.
B.They cost much less to run.
C.They don’t use electrical power.
D.They run without making any noise.
3.What can we know about hydrogen trains?
A.They are widely used nowadays.
B.They are environmentally friendly.
C.They can contribute to air pollution.
D.They can produce water and oxygen.
4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A.Saving Natural Resources
B.Efforts to Reduce Emissions
C.A New Way to Make Electricity
D.The World’s First Hydrogen Trains
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Do you think about overseas trip but worry that you might make a less-than-worthy choice because you can’t afford to visit all the places on your wish list before you make your final decision? However, little money doesn’t mean you have to stay at home. 1.
Hug the simple joy with travel. 2. Or even climb to the top of a hill and watch the sun set over the ocean. The simple joy of being in a new place is just a matter of going some place new. No tour package required.
3. People need fresh air, exercise, creative excitement, a new relationship and so on. All of these things are simple to get and most of them are free. For fresh air, go outside. For exercise, go out for a jog. For creative excitement, go somewhere new, such as a neighbourhood near your accommodation or just a local market. For a new relationship, make friends with the locals. And you can get a better understanding of the native civilization.
Go slowly. If you live in New York and want to take a 2-week vacation to Africa, it will be very tough to travel with low cost. Time is not money. 4. Instead of buying a plane ticket, take a train or bus, or just hop your bike and ride away from the town. The slower you travel, the less money you will spend.
Try to get your accommodation for free or next-to-nothing. Find kind souls around the world who agree to offer an extra bedroom, sofa, or a corner of the floor to travelers in exchange for the same kindness when they visit your town. This plan involves trading homes for an agreed-on amount of time. 5.
A.Time can be free.
B.Keep your needs to the lowest degree.
C.Walk on the streets of a city and chat with a local.
D.Things like air and water are much cheaper once you get outside.
E.With a bit of creativity and some tricks, you can travel the world cheaply.
F.If you can do what needs to be done around the house, just stay inside for free.
G.It works best if your home is in a place someone wants to visit during your vacations.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
15 years spent in the field of education has provided me with treasured moments. One of the most priceless happened when I was teaching second grade, 10 years ago.
In May of the fourth quarter, I decided to _______ something special for the children: A Mother’s Day tea. We put our _______ together to come up with ideas of how to _______ our mothers. We decided to hold our tea the Friday before Mother’s Day. Each child took home an invitation and I was _______ to see that every mother was planning to attend. I even invited my own mother.
Finally the _______ day arrived. At 1:45 that afternoon, each child lined up at our classroom waiting for the _______ of his or her mom. As it got closer to starting time, I looked around and my eyes quickly found Jimmy. His mother hadn’t _______ and he was looking anxious.
I took my _______ by the hand and walked over to Jimmy. “Jimmy,” I said. “I have a bit of problem here and I was wondering if you could _______. I’m going to be really busy. I was wondering if you could keep my mother company while I’m busy.”
My mom and Jimmy sat at a table with two other mother-and-child ________. Jimmy served my mom her treats, presented her with the gifts I had made, and pulled out and pushed in her chair, just as we had practised the day before. ________ I looked over, my mom and Jimmy were in ________ conversation.
Now, 10 years later, I work with students of all ages, educating them about the environment. Last year, I was at a high school to ________ a senior class on a field trip, and there was Jimmy. When Jimmy made sure we were the last two, he said, “Remember our Mother’s Day ________ we had in second grade? Thanks for all you did for me, and thank your mother, too. No one knew my mom didn’t make it!” I ________ my work with a hug from a teenage boy who had probably stopped hugging teachers years ago.
1.A.hide B.teach C.cook D.plan
2.A.coins B.heads C.hands D.changes
3.A.honor B.forgive C.hold D.replace
4.A.proud B.pleased C.stressed D.upset
5.A.happy B.sunny C.big D.last
6.A.story B.gift C.performance D.arrival
7.A.shown up B.turned on C.picked out D.got up
8.A.child B.mother C.student D.boy
9.A.run away B.set off C.help out D.catch up
10.A.partners B.crowds C.families D.teams
11.A.Whenever B.However C.Whatever D.Wherever
12.A.low B.loud C.brief D.deep
13.A.take B.show C.bring D.deliver
14.A.gift B.talk C.tea D.game
15.A.continued B.ended C.celebrated D.remembered
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
假定你是李华。请给你的英国朋友Peter写一封电子邮件，邀请他拍摄一个短片，参加一个网上的校园生活艺术展。
内容包括：1. 拍摄短片的目的；
2. 短片的内容；
3. 举办时间和邮寄地址。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头已为你写好。
Dear Peter,
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
The Board Meeting (董事会) had come to an end. Bob started to stand up and pushed against the table, spilling (使溢出) his coffee over his papers. “How embarrassing. I am getting so awkward in my old age.” Everyone had a good laugh, and soon we were all telling stories of our most embarrassing moments. It came around to Frank who sat quietly listening to the others. Someone said, “Come on, Frank. Tell us your most embarrassing moment.”
Frank began, “I grew up in San Pedro. My dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was hard making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed his family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his mom and dad and the other kids that were still at home.”
Frank’s voice dropped a bit. “When the weather was bad, he would drive me to school. He would pull right up in front, and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so embarrassing for me. Here I was twelve years old, and my dad would lean over and kiss me good-bye!”
He paused and then went on, “I remember the day I thought I was too old for a good-bye kiss. When we reached the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big smile. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said, ‘No, Dad.’ It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this surprised look on his face.
I said, ‘Dad, I’m too old for a good-bye kiss. I’m too old for any kind of kiss.’ My dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear up. I had never seen him cry. He turned and looked out of the windshield (挡风玻璃). ‘You are right.’ he said. ‘You are a big boy......a man. I won’t kiss you anymore.”
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
Frank got a sad look on his face and tears welled up in his eyes when he spoke of what happened later that day. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Tears were running down his cheeks as Frank told us the biggest regret in his life.
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析