【推荐1】For most business speakers, the necessary stage time, structure, and conscious editing to bring about maximum effect just aren’t there — most people don’t have to speak often enough to get it. Conversely, the speakers who deliver their talk most tend to be the best and most polished. They know where the laugh lines are, they know what phrasing works best, and they know their timing. Just like standup comedians.

Standup comedy, at its basic principles, is a combination of material (what you say) and delivery (how you say it). It is no different than typical speeches or presentations. TV slots (节目时间) for new comedians tend to be under five minutes, which forces them to continuously refine and refine again in order to achieve maximum effect from each word. Conference organizers still tend to book speakers in 40-60 minute time slots but who, these days, has an hour to focus on one person? Some of the best speeches in history have clocked in at less than 20 minutes. Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was 272 words and lasted two minutes. Winston Churchill’s “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat” speech was 688 words. The most powerful emotional expression two humans can say to each other is just three words: “I,” “love,” and “care.”

Most people switch off at around the ten-minute mark. As mentioned in Brain Rules, studies by noted educator Wilbert McKeachie demonstrate that “typically, attention increases from the beginning of the lecture to ten minutes into the lecture and decreases after that point.” This is why the organization for online talk TED has shortened its earlier 18-minute format. They figured out that brevity is levity. However, many conference and event producers haven’t got it right. Most speakers can’t hold the attention of an audience for 40-60 minutes. It’s something even the best standup comedians battle with. Yet business speakers seldom ask for a shorter slot. They should.

1. What pushes new standup comedians to improve their presentations?

A．The limited given time.

B．The topic of their speeches.

C．The audience’s expectation.

D．The place of their performance.

2. Why does the author mention the best speeches in history in Paragraph 3?

A．To expand the influence of the two speeches.

B．To prove that powerful speeches can be brief.

C．To illustrate the power of emotional expressions.

D．To show how famous people shortened speeches.

3. Why did TED reset a time limit?

A．The organizers can’t book long TV slots.

B．The audience cannot focus for a long time.

C．The access to online speeches was limited.

D．The speakers tend to deliver short speeches.

4. What are business speakers advised to do?

A．To cut down their speech time.

B．To interact more with the audience.

C．To pay more attention to the contents.

D．To battle against the standup comedians.

【推荐2】When Faith Wanjiku graduated from the Technical University of Kenya (肯尼亚) last year, she immediately enrolled at the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University. She wanted to learn Chinese, as she believed that it would help her land a good job. She has just completed the HSK (level II) exam. The HSK exam is a test of Chinese language proficiency (水平) for non native speakers, organised by the Confucius Institute Headquarters.

However, level III isn’t enough for Wanjiku, who plans to pass HSK (level VI). “I want to increase my level of understanding and improve my spoken Mandarin,” she said. And Wanjiku isn’t alone. The Ministry of Education reported in May 2019 that the number of people taking the HSK reached 6.8 million in 2018, up 4.6% from a year earlier.

Chinese is becoming an increasingly popular choice of language to study around the world. Currently, middle school students in Russia can take a Chinese language test as part of the country’s national college entrance exam. In 2019, Zambia (赞比亚) became the fourth country in Africa——after Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa——to introduce Chinese language to its schools. And many English-speaking countries have shown an interest in allowing their students to learn Chinese. For example, the US government announced the launch of “1 Million Strong” in 2015, a plan that aims to bring the total number of learners of Chinese to 1 million. Additionally, a 2017 survey by the British Council showed that Chinese has become one of the languages that British parents most want their children to learn.

Behind the growing popularity of Chinese language learning is the international community’s positive expectations of China’s future development, which has also created worldwide interest in learning more about Chinese civilization and culture.

“I am fascinated with China’s history, culture, and language, as well as its economic development, and I think that studying in China could provide me with some great job opportunities, as I see growing investment and cooperation between the two countries,” said Patcharamai Sawanaporn, 26, a Thai student graduate of Beijing’s University of International Business and Economics.

1. Why does Faith want to learn Chinese?

A．She wants to pass the HSK (level VI) exam.

B．She wants to get a good job after graduation.

C．She wants to graduate from the Technical University of Kenya.

D．She wants to study at the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University.

2. What is the function of the first two paragraphs?

A．To show the advantages of an exam.

B．To give an example of a good student.

C．To introduce the topic of learning Chinese.

D．To stress the importance of language learning.

3. What is the goal of the “1 Million Strong” plan?

A．To encourage Americans to pass HSK (level VI).

B．To get more Americans learning Chinese.

C．To introduce Chinese to American middle schools.

D．To find one million healthy students.

4. What can we conclude from the passage?

A．Faith plans to pass the HSK (level VI) exam for a better job.

B．Some students in Russia take a Chinese language exam.

C．The plan “1 Million Strong” aims to make people stronger.

D．Learning Chinese is becoming more popular.

【推荐1】Hoo, the online hotel room offer platform, has found that the level of staycations (宅度假) being taken across 16 global holiday hotspots has increased by an average of 18 percent when compared to this time last year.

With the cost of accommodation also climbing 16 percent, Hoo found more of an increase in domestic (国内) demand for travel. “This time last year, we were already starting to see caution where our holidays were concerned, as the growing threat of COVID caused uncertainty over travel plans. A year down the line and there’s an obvious shift away from international travel,” Hoo co-founder Adrian Murdock said in a statement. “Although we now remain in lockdown in many parts of the world, many are hoping that the easing of restrictions (限制) will allow domestic travel by the time the holiday season arrives.”

Hoo, a British-based company, is an online platform that allows users to book a hotel room at the advertised rate or to make an offer on the room which the hotel can accept or decline in real-time. The figures it collected from 16 key tourism markets show that, currently, an average of 76 percent of all bookings are for domestic holidays, with just 24 percent of bookings being made for holidays abroad. This is an 18 percent swing when compared to the same point last year when just 58 percent of bookings were for domestic holidays.

At the same time, this domestic demand seems to have caused an increase in the cost of staycations. Hoo also analyzed hotel room rates across major cities within each nation and found that the average cost of a room per night has increased by 16 percent.

1. What can we learn from Adrian Murdock’s words?

A．People are worried about COVID.

B．People can travel as they like soon.

C．Domestic travel is greatly increasing.

D．International travel is not popular now.

2. How does the author present the main idea?

A．By telling stories.	B．By giving reasons.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By showing examples.

3. Which can be the best title of the text?

A．Free to Go for Domestic Holidays?

B．An Increase in the Cost of Staycations

C．International Travel or Domestic Travel?

D．Staycations on the Rise Around the World

【推荐2】If you’re someone who has been worrying about the rise of the robots—hold on there just a second, and let them help you impress your friends with some newfound skills in a foreign language. Using artificial intelligence (AI) to help us learn and improve those skills is not new—some of the online language tools we turn to every day are powered by AI.

But as new technologies flood into the market, now is a great time to take advantage of the tech. And according to experts, these tools aren’t replacing teachers—they’re making their lives easier. One of the things that stops some of us from practicing speaking in a new language is a lack of self-confidence. AI can help—chatbots don’t judge you. Of course, teachers don’t either, but for some people, communicating with a bot may erase that fear of failure or shyness.

The latest chatbots use something called natural language processing that allows them to understand human speech or writing, providing a human-like response right away. While chatbots are extremely useful for learners working individually, teachers can also offer course material and ask an AI system to produce personalized textbooks for groups of students. The AI can also provide feedback (反馈) in seconds—gone are the days of waiting a week for work to be graded.

Past online language tools and games were able to tell you when you were wrong, but they weren’t always able to explain why. Now, not only has that changed, but the explanations are detailed and immediate. But this is not to underestimate the role of the teacher, who can use the technology to help learn more about the strengths and shortcomings of their students and personalize their teaching.

So, if you want to impress your friends with your perfect speech, don’t be afraid of AI. Just think of it as a useful tool for both teachers and language learners, which will give you more time and space to enjoy learning something new!

1. What is the main idea of the article?

A．The dangers of Al-robots.

B．The history of online language tools.

C．The benefits of AI in language learning.

D．The role of teachers in the modern classroom.

2. Why might someone prefer communicating with a bot?

A．Because bots grade work faster.

B．Because bots provide textbooks.

C．Because bots are more knowledgeable.

D．Because bots may remove the fear of failure or shyness.

3. What is the benefit of AI producing personalized textbooks?

A．It saves time for teachers.	B．It reduces the cost of education.
C．It meets individual students’ needs.	D．It provides detailed lesson plans.

4. What word might replace the underlined word “shortcoming” in paragraph 4?

A．weakness.

B．awareness.

C．witness.

D．darkness.

【推荐3】Recent research has found that Martian (火星的) soil contains all the essential nutrients necessary for growing rice, planetary scientist Abhilash Ramachandran of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, reported at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, providing new possibilities for agriculture on the Red Planet.

The study, conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, tested simulated (模拟的) Martian soil to determine its suitability for growing rice. The researchers found that the soil contained all the essential nutrients needed for the crop to grow.

However, it would be a bit challenging for the plants to survive in the soil that has perchlorate, a chemical that has been detected on Mars’ surface and can be poisonous to plants.

The team grew rice plants in a Martian soil simulant primarily made of Mojave Desert basalt (玄武岩). However, the new-grown plants developed slighter shoots and thinner roots than the plants that grew from the potting mix. Even replacing just 25 percent of the simulant with a potting mix made a big difference, the team found.

The team of researchers then conducted an experiment to grow rice in soil containing perchlorate. They used a wild rice variety and two genetically edited varieties, which were designed to stand up to environmental stressors such as drought, and tested them in Mars-simulated soil with and without perchlorate.

The study revealed that a concentration of three grams of perchlorate per kilogram of soil resulted in no growth of rice plants. However, when the concentration was reduced to one gram per kilogram, one of the genetically edited lines successfully grew both a shoot and a root, while the wild variety was only able to grow a root.

“We want to send humans to Mars but we cannot take everything there. It’s going to be expensive,” said Ramachandran. The discovery could be a game-changer for future missions to Mars, as it could enable astronauts to grow their own food on the planet, reducing the need for costly and complex resupply missions.

1. How did the researchers conduct their study?

A．By asking questions.	B．By carrying out experiments.
C．By making a case study.	D．By referring to former studies.

2. The gene-edited variety grows better in one kilogram of soil containing ______.

A．one gram of perchlorate	B．two grams of perchlorate
C．three grams of perchlorate	D．four grams of perchlorate

3. Why did the researchers want to grow rice on Mars?

A．To find a wonderful way to make money.

B．To support the growing population on Earth.

C．To help astronauts feed themselves on Mars.

D．To enable people to eat new varieties of rice.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．What Should We Grow on Mars?

B．How Did Martian Soil Change Over Time?

C．People Are Likely to Live on Mars Years Later

D．Martian Soil May Have All the Essential Nutrients Rice Needs

【推荐1】Brian was a funny student. He loved watching comedies(喜剧) best and hoped to become a comedy actor one day.

When he heard about the talent show to be held at this school, Brian decided to take part. He had never acted on stage before, and he was very excited. But some students laughed at him. “You are not funny but silly,” Ken, one of his classmates, said to his face. “No one will like what you do,” another boy also said to him, loudly.

Brian couldn’t understand why they were so unkind to him. For a moment, he thought about giving up the show. But he remembered how much his friends liked his jokes, and also his teachers said he was very funny. So he decided to prepare for the show.

Brian did a great job at the talent show. Everyone loved his performance, and he won the first prize! His teachers and friends were proud of him. Even so, Ken told Brian that he was not funny, and that he would never be successful. Brian didn’t understand why Ken said so, but he realized that it had nothing to do with him. He confidently continued to work towards his goal.

As the years went on, Brian met more people like Ken. “You’ll do a terrible job,” they said to him. Luckily, most people encouraged him and some helped him to become even funnier. He got a lot of opportunities to perform in movies. He was even invited to appear on television. His fans thanked him because his comedies made them feel good when they were unhappy.

Now Brian is a big comedy star! He is doing what he loves best. He never feels stressed like those unkind people, and he laughs all day long!

1. Brian decided to prepare for the show because ________.

A．he was invited by a TV station	B．he wasn’t busy acting in movies
C．Ken was expecting his performance	D．his friends liked his jokes

2. After winning the first prize, Brian ________.

A．began to understand Ken	B．continued to work towards his goal
C．became a teacher of acting	D．encouraged others to join him

3. Brian’s fans thanked him because his comedies brought them ________.

A．happiness	B．success
C．luck	D．pride

【推荐2】More People Are Leaving the Rat Race for the Simple Life
Time is more precious than money for an increasing number of people who are choosing to live more with less—and liking it.
Kay and Charles Giddens, two lawyers, sold their home to start a B&B hotel. Four years later, the couple dishes out banana pancake breakfast, cleans toilets and serves homemade chocolate chip cookies to guests in a B&B hotel surrounded by trees on a hill known for colorful sunsets.
“Do I miss the freeways? Do I miss the traffic? Do I miss the stress? No,” says Ms. Giddens, “This is a phenomenon that’s fairly widespread. A lot of people are reevaluating their lives and figuring out what they want to do. If their base is being damaged, what’s the payoff?”
Simple living ranges from cutting down on weeknight activities to sharing housing, living closer to work, avoiding shopping malls, borrowing books from the library instead of buying them, and taking a cut in pay to work at a more pleasurable job.
Vicki Robin, a writer, lives on a budget equal to a fifth of what she used to make. “You become conscious about where your money is going and how valuable it is,” Ms. Robin says, “You tend not to use things up. You cook at home rather than eat out…”
Janet Luhrs, a lawyer, quit her job after giving birth and leaving her daughter with a nanny for two weeks. “It was not the way I wanted to raise my kids,” she says, “Simplicity is not just about saving money; it’s about me sitting down every night with my kids to a candlelit dinner with classical music.”
Mrs. Luhrs now edits a magazine, Simple Living, which publishes tips on how to buy recycled furniture and shoes, organize potluck dinners instead of expensive receptions, and generally how to consume less.
“It’s not about poverty,” Mrs. Luhrs explains, “It’s about conscious living and creating the life you want. The less stuff you buy, the less money goes out of the door, and the less money you have to earn.”
1. Kay and Charles Giddens sold their home to ______.

A．pay off the debt

B．start a private hotel

C．cut down expenses

D．buy living necessities

2. Simple living includes ______.

A．building a home library

B．living in the countryside

C．enjoying a colorful night life

D．sharing housing with others

3. It can be learned from the passage that now Janet Luhrs ______.

A．spends more time with her kids

B．has an interest in classical music

C．works as a reporter of a magazine

D．helps people buy recycled clothes

4. How does the author develop the passage?

A．By using figures.

B．By asking questions.

C．By giving examples.

D．By making comparisons.

【推荐3】I used to live in Southern Africa and recently went back to Botswana to visit the Central Kalahari Game Reserve with my friend Oscar． Why? Because there's nothing quite like the vast African wilderness...

Our jeep moved slowly along the too-hot-to-touch sand． With no air conditioner and an engine which might break down at any time， it was tough work． The dry heat was fierce and the only break came from using our precious water for brief bucket showers．

With no supplies available within the park—it was a sort of no man's land which was inhabited by the occasional cow — it is necessary to bring all your fuel， food and water with you．

We camped in a small place in the center of the woods． At the height of the dry season， leaves in the trees had all fallen down， shade was in scant supply， so we placed ourselves near a leaf less tree． As the sun set， we drove towards the watering hole a few miles away， and were reminded just why we'd chosen to spend weeks suffering this exercise on ourselves． A lone lion paused his lapping to acknowledge our arrival． He yawned， and then carried on drinking．

That night， sleeping on the roof of the jeep， we felt his shouting as much as heard it ． Those vast African skies offered the only indication that the outside world hadn't come to a state of quietness， as bright satellite whipped across the blackness．

In the morning we saw that the lion had walked in the road overnight， his paw prints pressed into yesterday's tyre tracks．

We set off for another morning inching through the sand; another day of changing landscapes and raw， wild beauty; another night lit by shooting stars．

1. What can we learn about the author?

A．He slept in a hotel at night．	B．He is now living in Botswana．
C．He enjoys the wildness of nature．	D．He didn't take enough food and water．

2. What did they think of their journey?

A．Amazing and hard．	B．Terrible and annoying．
C．Comfortable and safe．	D．Pleasant and easy．

3. What does the underlined word “scant” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Inadequate．	B．unbending．
C．Abundant．	D．Ready．

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Shining Stars and A Lone Lion	B．Travelling in the Southern Africa
C．My Great Escape into the Wild	D．Camping in Too-Hot-to-Touch Sand

【推荐1】When he first rose to stardom in the NBA, Yao Ming could not possibly have known the influence he would have on the American understanding of China.

In the eyes of many Americans, Chinese are short, bookish, and not especially athletic. Yao, 26, has turned that image on its head. A giant at 2.26 metres, he has been the most talked-about player in the league since he topped the NBA draft（选秀）in 2002.

When Yao first joined the Rockets and struggled with an American style of basketball, many were quick to label（标记）Yao “a failure”. But Yao played on. He did not let the criticism affect his performance. Even when former NBA star Charles Barkley bet that Yao could not score more than 19 points in a single game, Yao kept his self-respect. The same cannot be said for Barkley, who was forced to kiss a real donkey’s ass（屁股）when Yao passed the 19-point mark early in his first season.

For Americans, Yao’s polite and friendly personality is a welcome contrast to the rude behaviour of the NBA’s bad boys. Compared with most other NBA players, Yao Ming is a true gentleman. He respects all of his opponents（对手）, even those who are not friendly to him.

“He is so wise and humourous that he seems like a diplomat（外交家）rather than a basketball player sometimes,” said Ron Burke, an NBA TV reporter.

In addition, Yao’s witty answers have changed the opinion that Chinese people are boring. When asked what were his favourite English words, Yao told the press that the five words were “This is the last question.” Yao is winning supporters within the league as well. After a Rockets-Lakers game that Shaquille O’Neal had to sit out with an injury, O’Neal said, “You played pretty good, Yao Ming.” Yao replied, “That’s because you weren’t there.”

1. What attitude do many people take with Yao Ming when he first joined the Rockets?

A．Friendly.

B．Doubtful.

C．Sincere.

D．Angry.

2. Yao Ming was liked by Americans mainly because he ________.

A．proved that he was athletic	B．passed the 19-point mark early
C．showed his politeness and friendliness	D．beat former NBA star Charles Barkley

3. By sharing the story between Yao Ming and O’Neal in the last paragraph, the writer shows us ____.

A．Yao Ming was respectful and smart	B．Yao Ming was boring and proud
C．Yao Ming topped the NBA draft	D．Yao Ming wasn’t a failure any more

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Yao Ming’s road to stardom.

B．The skills Ming showed in NBA.

C．Yao Ming’s competition with other NBA players.

D．The impact of Yao Ming on Americans’ attitudes towards Chinese.

【推荐2】The words “protect animals” appear everywhere in books and on screens because some animals are in danger of dying out. But sometimes the reality can be a little different from what people read or watch.

About 300 black bears were killed in Florida, the US, in October, 2015. It’s been the first bear hunt since 1994.

Animal protection groups protested this decision. But local officials explained that the black bear population had grown to 3,500 and become a menace to local people. In the past two years, bears have hurt at least four people in Florida.

This brings an old question back into the spotlight — which is more important, protecting animals or protecting people’s interests?

This question is asked in other countries too. In Switzerland, a wolf was sentenced to death by the Swiss government months ago. This is because the wolf killed 38 sheep and local people lost a lot of money. Days ago in China, three old men were arrested for killing a serow (鬣羚), a protected species. But they insisted they didn’t know about this and killed the animal because it ruined their crops.

However, these stories don’t always mean that animal protection stops due to human interests, especially involving economic development. A man named Zhou Weisen set up a wild animal base in Guilin, Guangxi. He saved over 170 tigers and 300 bears. But his base also offered jobs to local people.

“There may never be a standard answer to the question of whether we should give more attention to the environment or human development,” said Robert May, a British biologist at Oxford University. “But we shouldn’t push either one to the side, as the future is hanging in the balance.”

1. In October 2015, Florida held its first bear hunt after about________.

A．five years	B．ten years
C．fourteen years	D．twenty-one years

2. What does the underlined word “menace” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Danger.

B．Chance.

C．Relief.

D．Treasure.

3. What does the author intend to tell us by mentioning Zhou Weisen’s story?

A．Protecting animals needs hard work.

B．Zhou was good at feeding wild animals.

C．Zhou had a good relationship with local people.

D．Protecting animals can bring economic development.

4. Which of the following statements might Robert May agree with?

A．Human development should be considered first.

B．We should pay more attention to animal protection.

C．We should consider both the environment and human interests.

D．It’s difficult to find proper ways to solve environmental problems.

【推荐3】My friend Karen and I were always together. Karen was only a few months older than I, I always thought she was so beautiful, with long hair and blue eyes. I loved Karen so much because she liked me for being the way I was. I could be myself and share my secrets with her and I never felt like I was being judged.

We had so much fun and were really quite silly. One time I asked my mom to make us the same dresses so we could pretend we were twins.

We continued as best friends throughout grade school. One day. Karen was going to another friend's place and asked me to come along, but I couldn't go because I had a babysitting job that afternoon. We walked together to the Becker's home where I was to take care of the baby and then she continued on her way without me. We had agreed that I would meet her at the corner when she returned and I finished my job.

At four o'clock I rushed to the corner so I wouldn't be late for meeting Karen. Just as I arrived at the corner, I saw Karen crossing the street. In a second it happened. I saw Karen's body fly up in the sky. A car had hit her !

Karen was on life support for a week before it was decided that they would allow her to go in pence. Karen's parents wanted to donate (捐助) her organs to the hospital, but there was nothing left healthy enough to be used because she was hit so hard.

I have never got so close to another person since Karen died, I do miss her ! Do you cherish (珍惜) your friends? If you don't, please do, as you may lose them one day.

1. What's the best title for the passage?

A．A horrible car accident	B．An unforgettable experience
C．My dearest friend—Karen	D．An unforgettable girl

2. Why did the writer ask his mom to make them the same dresses?

A．Because he was quite silly.	B．Because they were twins.
C．In order to share his secrets with Karen.	D．Because he loved Karen so much.

3. When Karen was hit by a car, she was          .

A．on her way to a friend's place.

B．on her way to the Becker's home.

C．shouting to the writer who was so far from her       .

D．heading toward the corner where they would meet.

4. Why were Karen's organs unable to be donated?

A．Because her parents refined to do that.

B．Because all her organs were seriously damaged.

C．Because the writer thought it was too cruel (残酷).

D．Because no patients needed organs in the hospital.

5. What does the writer suggest we do?

A．Cherish our friends.	B．Because all her organs were seriously damaged.
C．Accept the met that people die.	D．Never be too close to someone.