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Books are excellent gifts. Here are four of the year's most talked-about titles.

Ordinary Monsters | By J. M. Miro

Miro has temporarily abandoned literary fiction in favour of a new series of historical fantasy novels. Ordinary Monsters is about a group of children with magical gifts who come together and pool their powers to escape the bad shape-shifting man that's going after them.

Son of Elsewhere: A Memoir in Pieces | By Elamin Abdelmahmoud

The soundtrack to The O. C. , a drama series, and the strange beauty of Highway 401 were important factors in developing selfhood of Abdelmahmoud. This book describes his own experience of moving from Khartoum, Sudan, to Kingston, Canada, in the early 2000s at age 12. 

A Magic Steeped in Poison | By Judy I. Lin

Harry Potter has his magic stick. And Ning, the heroine of Lin's first novel, has tea, which in her world carries magical properties. Lin has created a pleasing Young Adult fantasy rich in Chinese mythology (神话). In this book, Ning enters a competition to find the most gifted tea master, Shennong.

A Ballet of Lepers | By Leonard Cohen

Unlike many other posthumous (死后出版的) works, you can count on Cohen's to be worth your wait. Before his death, he said that the novel contained in the book, which was never published, was likely better than The Favourite Game, a novel he published during his lifetime. This book also includes a radio play script (剧本) and a handful of short stories.

1. （1） Which book is a mirror of the author's life story?

   A . Ordinary Monsters. B . Son of Elsewhere: A Memoir in Pieces. C . A Magic Steeped in Poison. D . A Ballet of Lepers.
3. （2） What do the first and third books have in common?

   A . They are about teamwork. B . They are based on an imaginary world. C . They both involve Chinese characters. D . They draw inspiration from other novels.
5. （3） What can be inferred about A Ballet of Lepers?

   A . It is a collection. B . It is Cohen's best novel. C . It is a fantasy novel. D . It is adapted from a play.

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For over a decade, Zubin Kanga, a pianist, composer and technologist, has changed the limits of the forms of musical performances. He has both organized and performed shows that have pushed barriers, with motion sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), live-generated 3D visuals and virtual reality among the technological advancements used to unlock new possibilities of music and performances. 

Kanga's approach to employing cutting-edge technology was first informed by the relative limitations of his chosen instrument. "The piano is a very accurate technology," he says. "From the early 20th century till now it hasn't really changed at all. It's an amazing instrument, but it does have certain limitations in terms of the types of sound you can create. "

One of the early works is Steel on Bone, composed by Kanga himself. He performs the piece using MiMU multi-sensor gloves. "I can put up one finger, and that'll produce a particular sound," Kanga explains. "And then I can control that sound just by moving my wrist through the air — I can do that with lots of different gestures. "

"For Steel on Bone, I'm actually playing inside the piano with these steel knitting (编织) needles, and getting all these interesting effects on the strings. Then I'm using samples of them. Sometimes I'm using live delays and operating them. The sound can change depending on how my hands are moving. It allows me to make a very theatrical piece, and people can see this immediate connection between how I'm moving — these very big, almost conductor-like gestures through the air — and the way the sound is changing," said Kanga.

This is just the start, and Kanga goes on to be enthused with the use of motion sensors to make music, the possibilities that AI offers composers as a tool, and how virtual reality could transform performances and more. 

1. （1） What do technological advancements do for music and performances?

   A . Remove music barriers. B . Bring new performance forms. C . Popularize musical performances. D . Make performances professional.
3. （2） Why does Kanga talk about the piano in paragraph 2?

   A . To indicate its stability. B . To prove its rare accuracy. C . To show it has a long history. D . To clarify why he uses technology.
5. （3） How does Kanga perform Steel on Bone?

   A . By moving his hands in the air. B . By pressing the piano keys. C . By beating the steel knitting needles. D . By making very small gestures.
7. （4） Which can be the best title for the text?

   A . Technology: When It Replaces Music B . Virtual Reality: Future of Performances C . Zubin Kanga: When Music Meets Technology D . AI Music: From Composing to Performing

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Turning on the air conditioning can bring sweet relief from the heat. But your resulting energy bill? Not so much. What if your home could stay cool all on its own? That's the premise (前提) of Zheng Yi's new invention. The associate professor at Northeastern University in Boston has created a sustainable material that can be used to make buildings or other objects able to keep cool without relying on conventional cooling systems.

Zheng imagines this material covering the roofs of houses or other buildings. The material, which Zheng has named "cooling paper", has light colors and internal microstructure with many small holes. It reflects those warm solar rays away from the building, and it also absorbs heat inside — heat that is from electronics, cooking and human bodies.

Cooling paper is, in fact, made of paper. One day, Zheng saw a container full of used printing paper. He thought to himself, "How could we simply transform that waste material into some functional energy material?" So, with the help of a high-speed blender (搅拌机) from his kitchen, Zheng made a pulp (浆状物) out of it and the material that makes up Teflon, a type of plastic. He then made it into waterproof "cooling paper" that could coat homes. Then, he and his team tested its ability to keep cool: it can reduce temperatures by as much as 6 ℃. He selected materials that would reduce the cost of using the new technology to cool homes.

The cooling paper isn't just green in its ability to reduce your energy footprint. The material can be used, exposed to solar radiation and various temperatures, and then reduced to a pulp (again) and remade without losing any of its cooling properties. "That is incredible!" Zheng says. "We thought there would be maybe 10 to 20 percent of loss, but no. It's just as well as the original. "

1. （1） On what basis is Zheng's new invention created?

   A . Relieving the discomforts of the heat. B . Improving traditional cooling systems. C . Cooling the air without electricity. D . Reducing electricity use and costs.
3. （2） What does the author say about the material in paragraph 2?

   A . It works in two ways. B . It's complexly structured. C . It has limited applications. D . It's available in dark colors.
5. （3） Where did Zheng get inspiration for the cooling paper?

   A . From Teflon. B . From a pulp. C . From the blender. D . From the waste paper.
7. （4） Which aspect of the cooling paper is mainly stressed in the last paragraph?

   A . Its practicality. B . Its recyclability. C . Its heat resistance. D . Its user-friendliness.

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Parks are the beating hearts of cities, providing crucial environments for wildlife of many sizes as well as areas of rest and recreation for local citizens. Accessible via public transport, and located near a university, a stadium and the National Library, Warsaw's Pole Mokotowskie Park provides green space for many people.

One of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's five pathways to transformative change for water management is to restore species population, ecosystems and the benefits that nature provides to people by using each city's advantage. As more urban centres seek new ways to unite greenery into the built environment, projects of all sizes and stages add to essential corridors and stopping points for a range of wildlife.

Tasked with improving Warsaw's Pole Mokotowskie Park's natural sustainability, architecture company WXCA looked at ways of enhancing the elements that were already in place to better support wildlife. One of the most visible means was the removal of thousands of square metres of concrete (混凝土). Removing concrete in and around ponds and other waterways allows the city's features to shape themselves naturally, in reaction to both the surrounding environment and the weather. Doing so can support biodiversity by removing artificial constraints and flows. More than 13,000 square metres of concrete has already been removed, with more removal planned over the next year.

For the human users of the park, the designers created education, activity, and art spaces. The Grand Salon, a grassland surrounded by trees, is for large public gatherings, and a handful of pavilions (亭) spread throughout the space provide visible means of monitoring the quality of the air and water. They also contribute to the park's ecosystem through rainwater harvesting. As the temperature consistently rises, city planners are using the leaves and branches of the plants and mixed use designs to reduce heat islands, improve air quality and prevent urban runoff.

1. （1） What do we know about Warsaw's Pole Mokotowskie Park?

   A . It creates a new way to the city center. B . It serves different community groups. C . It reminds the public to protect the environment. D . It shows the locals are living happily.
3. （2） What are the projects in paragraph 2 intended for?

   A . Providing stages to show off creativity. B . Taking advantage of the city's resources. C . Encouraging people to get close to nature. D . Supplying various wildlife with more room.
5. （3） What does the underlined word "constraints" in paragraph 3 mean?

   A . Limits. B . Factors. C . Methods. D . Damages.
7. （4） How do the pavilions help the ecosystem?

   A . By offering some shelters. B . By collecting rainwater. C . By monitoring the air quality. D . By reducing high temperature.

 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention (《世界遗产公约》), Beijing held event titled "The Next 50 Years: World Heritage Where Challenges and Development Coexist", during which experts discussed how (make) the sites more accessible and sustainable for future generations.

Since joining the World Heritage Convention in 1985, the number of world heritage sites in China  (grow) to 56, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Grand Canal,

 (allow) the nation to rank second in the world. And over the past decade, China has added 15 new world heritage sites, six of  have been included in the relevant lists of intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产). 

Chinese experts said that the 56 listed world heritage sites reflect the country's

(abundance) heritage and that China's cultural heritage achievements over the past 10 years can be seen in many aspects.

For example, in 2013, the Tianshan Mountains  (list) on the World Heritage List. The beauty of Tianshan lies  its snow-capped mountains and glacier-capped peaks. It is really an outstanding example of a mountain ecosystem with a  (diverse) of landform features and ecosystems. 

Experts said that the world heritage application is just a means to perform better protection. We should behave more  (responsible) to conserve the heritage of all humanity. 

 When will the speakers see the movie?

Fantastic Beasts The Secrets of Dumbledore will be released on Friday.<br />Would you like to see it with me on Saturday?<br />I'd love to, but I have to work that day.<br />How about the next day?<br />Okay, let's meet outside the theatre at 7pm.

 Where will the woman probably go first?

I'm going to the city library. Do you need a ride?<br />Thank you. My appointment with the professor is three hours later, and I want to finish the grocery shopping first.

 What is the man probably?

Have you watched the third season of the exciting offer? Unlike the first two<br />seasons, focusing on young job seekers competing for a job at a law firm, the<br />interns are medical students in this season. Yeah, it reminds me of my days<br />when I almost knew nothing about clinics.

 What does the woman imply about Harry?

Another Coke Harry?<br />Cokes and chips are my favourites.<br />You know, adopting a healthier lifestyle can add years to your life, even in your 80s,<br />according to a new research from Japan.

 What are the speakers talking about?

What do you think of these watercolor paintings of the towns in South China?<br />They are clean and neat.<br />These works perfectly interpret the unique charms of watercolor.<br />Yeah, I really want to meet the artist.