Loy Krathong: Thailand's Beautiful Festival of Lights

Every year, on the night of the full moon in the 12th month of Thailand's lunar calendar, usually in November, people across Thailand gather to celebrate Loy Krathong. As part of the festival, people release small floats, krathongs, which are commonly covered in decorative banana leaves, flowers, candles, and so on. People release these on water to wish for good luck.

Last year, the best place to enjoy Loy Krathong is Sukhothai, Thailand's first capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the week-long celebration, locals and visitors could see parades, fireworks, and traditional shows.

Getting in and Around Sukhothai

In the 13th century, Sukhothai was the center of the Kingdom of Siam, the former name for Thailand. Today, it is known for its well-preserved historical parks. The parks are home to impressive Buddhist temples. The calm and peaceful atmosphere of the city adds to its beauty. During Loy Krathong, Sukhothai's historical parks are lit up, making its ancient architectures even more magical.

Celebrating Loy Krathong Creatively

Over time, people thought floating krathongs on water would bring them good luck, but in recent years it's been impossible to ignore the environmental impact. "Releasing flower krathongs made out of banana plant stems and leaves was never a problem until recently, when the population increased a lot. Of course it creates a mass of krathongs and pollutes water," says Tongthong Chandransu, a well-known historian. In response, many people are now choosing creative ways to honor the tradition, such as making their krathong bases out natural materials. Others just light a digital krathong online.

1. （1） What is Sukhothai famous for nowadays according to the text?

   A . Its old name. B . Its historical parks. C . Its busy city life. D . Its firework shows.
3. （2） Why do some people light a digital krathong online to wish for good luck?

   A . To honor a historian. B . To demonstrate their creativity. C . To avoid crowded people. D . To protect the environment.
5. （3） In which section of a website can the text probably be found?

   A . Innovation & Design. B . Environment & Climate. C . Culture & Travel. D . Finance & Investment.

I remember vividly the day I first stepped into Marguerite-d' Youville Elementary School in Saguenay, which is a school looking totally different. It all started back in 2017, and a group of Quebec-based education advocates, including celebrated architect Pierre Thibault, broke with tradition. They persuaded then education minister to kick in $3 million to create Lab-École, a non-profit aimed at developing learning environments that would make children excited to go to school. Lab-École's model, inspired by primary schools in Denmark, Finland and Japan, included large windows, natural materials, and spacious room for kitchens, common spaces and play.

In 2019, six schools were chosen to receive Lab-École makeovers, one of which was Marguerite-d' Youville Elementary School. The $16.75-million design featured three interconnected, all-wood pavilions (亭子) with sloping roofs reminding all of Saguenay's Little White House.

When I walked into the first wing of the school, it houses offices and kindergarten classrooms, while the second, central wing has a cooking lab and multi-purpose creative lab, along with a community learning center that doubles as a library and gathering space. In the third wing, the school's 12 elementary classrooms are spread out between three homey cottage-like structures. Outside, the yard is surrounded by the U-shaped main building, protecting the area from high winds and other wild weather. There's an outdoor classroom, a sports circuit and lots of climbable play structures made with repurposed wood from old buildings. Bio-retention basins are built into the garden to manage storm water runoff. Here, we had the chance to learn the ins and outs of urban agriculture.

After doors opened in August of 2023, the structure received good reviews from its 290 pupils, including me and the public, who make regular use of its park and kitchen. The province has no plans to extend Lab-École after all its schools are completed this year, but the program has already aced its assignment: to get Canadians thinking differently about what a school can be.

1. （1） Why was the non-profit Lab-École established?

   A . To popularize a sustainable living style. B . To make schools appealing to students. C . To develop students' critical thinking. D . To call for harmony in local community.
3. （2） What does the author intend to explain about the upgraded school in paragraph 3?

   A . Its cost. B . Its design. C . Its location. D . Its history.
5. （3） What can we learn from the last paragraph?

   A . Students will perform more assignments in the class. B . Parents and kids hold different views on the structure. C . The province plans to extend the model to all schools. D . The school's makeover won popularity with the public.
7. （4） Which is the most suitable title for the text?

   A . Lab-École: Innovating Canadian School Design. B . Challenges Facing High School Students in Canada. C . An Introduction to Quebec-based Education Advocates. D . Marguerite-d' Youville Elementary School: a Newly Constructed School.

​​​​​​​Every two weeks, a language is at risk of disappearing. To help stop the tide, a project is exploring the use of virtual reality (VR) technology and immersive (沉浸式的) storytelling to try to restore endangered indigenous cultures and languages.

Created by NowHere Media before the start of our project, Kusunda is an immersive interactive film that encourages viewers to learn key words of the Kusunda language, which is under threat of disappearing in Nepal. The film documents the nomadic way of life of the Kusunda people. It features their language, in the form of interviews with its last remaining speakers. NowHere Media worked closely with Lil Bahadur, just one of 150 Kusunda speakers left in the world, and his granddaughter Hima. Lil almost lost his mother tongue when he gave up one of his indigenous culture — the hunter-gatherer lifestyle— to live in the city at the age of 18.

But researchers discovered that Lil's teenage granddaughter was ardent about keeping her grandfather's language and culture alive. "If the Kusunda language disappears, then the existence of the Kusunda people in Nepal will also fade away," Hima said. "We'll lose our identity. That's why I want to save our language."

As to immersive technology, StoryLab received a grant from the British Academy to evaluate its potential for bringing endangered languages back to life. Our research study, Reviving Kusunda, compared the interactive VR experience alongside a short film created during the project. We threw light on the role of immersive technologies in creating emotional understanding of the subject in comparison to regular film.

Participants in our research — both members of the Kusunda community in Nepal and the public in the UK — identified many benefits of using multiple formats. However, they expressed a clear preference for VR. They highlighted the importance of interactivity and immersion in engaging viewers in the subject matter. With the VR experience, viewers are part of the story — a key aspect that helps revive stories and memories from the past.

1. （1） What can be inferred about Kusunda from paragraph 2?

   A . It is a device to print short stories. B . It is a film to state a group's industries. C . It is a means of saving an endangered tongue. D . It is an app to promote a type of film.
3. （2） What happened to Lil when he was aged 18?

   A . He had to drop out of school. B . He promoted his native language. C . He made a huge fortune in a city. D . He removed from part of his tradition.
5. （3） What does the underlined word "ardent" in paragraph 3 probably mean?

   A . Sensitive. B . Astonished. C . Well-informed. D . Enthusiastic.
7. （4） Why are the public in the UK mentioned?

   A . To show they were in favor of the project. B . To state they enjoyed listening to distant tales. C . To prove they were crazy about advanced technology. D . To praise them for saving many endangered customs.

Researchers at the University of Leeds said reintroducing wolves to the Cairngorms, as well as the south-west, north-west and central Highlands could help control the problem of red deer eating trees, which stops natural woodland regeneration.

The scientists estimated that if wolves were reintroduced, a population of about 167 of the animals would thrive, which would be enough to reduce the red deer population to a level that would allow trees to regenerate naturally. This alone could contribute to about 5% of the carbon removal target for UK woodlands, roughly equal to 1 million tonnes. Each wolf would lead to an annual carbon intake capability of 6, 080 tonnes of CO₂.

The study's lead author, Prof Dominick Spracklen, said, "The positive effect of biodiversity on the climate cannot be overlooked. We need to look at the potential role of natural processes such as the reintroduction of species to recover our degraded (退化的) ecosystems and these in turn can deliver co-benefits for climate and nature recovery. "

It is widely accepted that wolves were eradicated (根除) from Scotland about 250 years ago, leaving red deer with no natural enemies. Over the last 100 years, while efforts have been made to control the population, it has increased to an estimated 400, 000 today in Scotland alone. The researchers said only 4% of Scotland was covered by native woodland today, making it one of the least natively forested places in Europe.

The researchers have expected some strong reactions against their research, particularly from deer chasers and farmers concerned about their cows or sheep. The policy of reintroducing wolves in Scotland has been intensely opposed by some farmers and rural communities.

Lee Schofield, a co-author of the study, said, "We recognize that actual and wide-ranging stakeholder (利益相关者) and public engagement would clearly be essential before wolf reintroduction. Most importantly, conflicts between human beings and wildlife must be addressed through public policies that account for people's attitudes for a reintroduction to be successful. "

1. （1） What could be the result of reintroducing wolves in the Cairngorms and Highlands?

   A . Leading to the growth of native woodland. B . Providing the red deer with enough food. C . Reducing the amount of carbon dioxide release. D . Keeping the endangered species from extinction.
3. （2） What should be taken into consideration based on Dominick Spracklen's words?

   A . The management of new species. B . The good impact of biodiversity on climate. C . The risks of degraded ecosystems. D . The complexity of global climate.
5. （3） How is paragraph 4 developed?

   A . By giving examples. B . By providing statistics. C . By describing courses. D . By making assumption.
7. （4） What does Lee Schofield emphasize?

   A . The change in public attitudes to wildlife. B . The benefits of the wolf reintroduction. C . The worries from farmers and communities. D . The solution to human-wildlife disagreements.

What makes a good piece of creative writing?

As the name suggests, creative writing is an imaginative process. It doesn't fit one set genre (体裁).. However, with that being said, there are a few general principles that you can follow to make your creative writing as strong as it can be.

·. All great stories begin with a target audience in mind, which can help tailor your writing and connect with them. Therefore, any creative writer should begin their writing by plotting out exactly who they want to read their work.

·Write what you know.. Or you don't necessarily have to write about your life, but draw on knowledge you have about different elements of our lives to give your story some authenticity and more credibility.

·Creativity is key. Creativity is one of the most important elements of creative writing.. Of course, this doesn't demand that you write a tale about a totally imaginary world, but simply use your creativity to think outside the box and put a unique twist (转折) on things.

·Plot a loose story arc (弧线). Despite the loose bounds of creative writing, it is still advisable to plot a loose story are for any piece of literature you create. Story arcs are essential for giving your writing direction and purpose, helping you to write the whole piece at a good pace. Follow your story are, and your writing will have a strong structure, pace and direction..

A. Know your audience

B. Talk to your readers in person

C. These will keep your readers more engaged

D. You can then probably win an award for writing

E. It's what sets your writing apart from other pieces of writing in the genre

F. Quite often, the best stories are those which you can connect to your own lives

G. Therefore, there will never be an umbrella definition to describe the perfect piece

One day, it was raining heavily. Hence, Lily1 to play with her dog, Max, indoors. They were running around in the spacious2, chasing each other happily. Suddenly, Max3 a small table near the window. Lily's heart4 as she heard the sound of something breaking. She turned around and saw her mother's favorite vase lying on the5 in pieces.

Lily was6, as she knew how much her mother7 that vase. It had been a gift from Lily's grandmother, and it was one of the most8 things her mother had kept since Lily's childhood. Lily felt terrible. Should she tell her9 the truth or try to hide it?

After a few minutes of thinking, Lily decided to clean up the mess. She carefully picked up the pieces and put them in a box. Then, she sat down and10 a note to her mother. In the note, she explained what had happened and11 for breaking the vase. She also promised to save her allowance to buy a new one.

When her mother came home, Lily12 handed her the note, thinking her mother would be very angry and scold her severely. Her mother read it quietly, and then she looked at Lily. Instead of getting angry, she smiled and hugged her. "Thank you for being honest," her mother said. "The vase was special, but your13 means even more to me."

Lily felt14 and learned an important lesson that day. Sometimes, telling the truth is15, but it's always the right thing to do.

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。

An exhibition highlighting gongbihua, a traditional Chinese painting style known for its fine and precise brushwork, has opened at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.

The term gongbi (literal) means "fine brush", which describes the careful lines, soft colors, and (detail) shapes used in this style. Artists paint with very thin brushes, often adding color little by little (create) a smooth and bright look. Common (theme) in these paintings include flowers, birds, animals, and scenes from nature, (draw) with great care and accuracy.

As a mainstream form of Chinese fine art with long and rich history, gongbihua flourished(繁荣)during the Tang Dynasty and (reach) its peak during the Northern Song Dynasty. This exhibition features about 70 outstanding works by seven leading contemporary artists, including Chen Mengxin, Jia Guangjian, and Liu Wanming, have made significant contributions to the fields of academic exploration, artistic styles, and creative achievements. And their works collectively reflect a deep connection life, nature, and the times.

For example, in Liu's work, Clear and Far at the Lake, several egrets (白鹭) glide peacefully in the misty, simple environment. The peaceful beauty of solitude (独处) and purity brings a harmonious state of mind, (provide) spiritual comfort.

假定你是李华，你校科技社团正在招募新成员。请给你校交换生Tom写封邮件，邀请他加入科技社团，内容包括：

1.介绍社团活动；

2.加入该社团的好处。

注意：

1.写作词数应为80个左右；

2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Dear Tom,

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

On New Year's Eve 2022, Heginbotham, 86, was spending the holiday by herself for the first time. Her husband died in June.

Heginbotham was feeling blue. The silence was almost unbearable and made the room feel colder than it was.

To cheer herself up, she decided to work on her holiday cards and send them to her friends and relatives. She carefully selected each card, thinking of the joy they would bring to them. That afternoon, she drove to Bethesda's post office to drop off the cards.

When Heginbotham was dropping off her cards, a kind-hearted man called Zein saw her and thought she was too old to handle so many cards. Zein approached her with a warm smile.

"Ma'am, do you need any help?" he asked gently. Heginbotham hesitated for a moment, feeling a bit embarrassed, but she was grateful for the offer.

Zein helped her fill in the addresses, chatting about holidays. Heginbotham felt a sense of connection, and she showed great gratitude to Zein by sending a holiday card to him as well.

When Heginbotham returned to her car, though, it wouldn't start because of the battery, a problem she had encountered before. There were two jumper cables (跨接线) in her car. She just needed to connect the positive and negative terminals (正负极) of the batteries of two cars. After the connection was made, she kept the other car's engine running, and then started her car with a dead battery. But she was too old to manage it herself. Her heart sank.

It was cold outside, and she realized that calling roadside assistance would likely take a long time, especially on a holiday. It was getting dark, and the thought of waiting alone in the cold made her scared. So she went back inside the post office.

The post office was nearly empty, with Zein and only a few workers finishing up their shifts. Heginbotham felt a bit embarrassed, but she knew she had to try.

"Does anyone know how to jumpstart a car?" Heginbotham asked.

注意：

1.续写词数应为150个左右；

2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Without hesitation, Zein said right away, "I do."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Heginbotham warmly invited Zein into the house for a drink.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________