For centuries, Poland has been a bridge between Western and Eastern Europe. Poland is roughly square. It’s bordered by the Baltic Sea to the northwest, by Germany to the west, the Czech and Slovak republics to the south and Ukraine, Lithuania and Russia to the east. The flat central belt is the main agricultural area, watered by Poland’s longest river, the Vistula, which runs towards the north, draining into the Baltic Sea.
Over the past decade, Poland has developed into a modern and progressive country. Yet at the same time it maintains its traditional culture. There are two major cities in Poland you should know about Krakow and Warsaw. As the royal capital for half a millennium(一千年), Krakow absorbed more of Poland’s history than and other city in the country. As Poland’s most popular tourist destination, as well as an architectural and cultural gem(珍宝), the city came through WWII untouched，which is a city alive with character and soul. In July, there are numerous festivals held, from street theatre to jazz.
Warsaw is a postwar city, whose handful of historic areas have been reconstructed. But most of its urban landscape is modern. With an intriguing(引人入胜的)mix of old and new, the Royal Castle in Warsaw was the seat of kings from the 17th century on. Totally destroyed during WWII, the castle was restored during the 1970s.
Another museum worthy of mentioning is the war-related Auschwitz Museum. It definitely reminds you of the Polish Jews, whose presence died due to the Hitlerite Holocaust.
Turbulent history has reduced many of the defensive castles and stately palaces into ruins. Some of them, however, have been spared and today carefully restored, which enchants us with their beauty.
Situated in the south of Poland’s harbor city Gdansk, Malbork Castle is reputedly Europe’s largest Gothic castle. It’s one of Poland’s oldest and a splendid example of a classic medieval fortress(要塞), with multiple defensive walls. In 1997, the castle was included on UNESCO’s World Heritage(遗产) list.
Polish culture has been connected with the western world since the Middle Ages. People worldwide are interested in its music, film, literature ands fine arts. Music is a significant part of Polish culture. Poland is also the homeland of many Nobel Prize winners, for example , Henryk Sienkiewicz, Wladyslaw Reymont, Maria Curie, etc.
Besides Christmas and Easter, the most important day in a Pole’s life is the ‘name day’, in honor of the patron saint(圣人) after whom the person is named. Poles celebrate their name day at home, sometimes in restaurants, and occasionally after work.
Poland is a country of kind and hospitable people who enjoy and respect their customs. In spite of its turbulent history, Poles have maintained a distinct sense of culture and community. Poland is definitely a fascinating destination!
1. According to the passage, which of the following statements is right?| A．Germany is to the east of Poland |
| B．Lithuania is to the north of Poland |
| C．Slovak is to the south of Poland |
| D．Ukraine is to the west of Poland |
| A．modern | B．traditional |
| C．attractive | D．beautiful |
| A．Name day is an important day celebrated only in Poland |
| B．Poland is the centre of European cultures and history |
| C．Malbork Castle is the largest Gothic castle |
| D．Poland used to be a war-stricked country |
| A．Students of Poland | B．Adults |
| C．Potential foreign travelers | D．Researchers |
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【推荐1】Most countries chose a single city as their capital. But there are nations across the globe with two or more capital cities. As travelers wait out the coronavirus pandemic, armchair traveling and hopefully planning their next adventures, consider which capital of these countries to visit in future—either or perhaps both?
South Africa: Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein
This is the only country to have three capital cities, a special arrangement designed to share power across regions. With a spectacular location between the shoreline and Table Mountain, Cape Town was the capital of Britain’s Cape Colony and remains the legislative (立法的) capital of South Africa. By dividing the remaining branches of government between Pretoria and Bloemfontein, the Republic of South Africa helped distribute power across the new country.
Netherlands: Amsterdam and The Hague
With a reputation as one of Europe’s hottest party spots, Amsterdam has plenty of name recognition. But even though the Netherlands’ constitution appoints the city as the country’s capital by law, the real work of governing takes place in The Hague. The Netherlands’ main governing bodies have been located in this great city for centuries.
Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya
Featuring with a combination of minarets, stylish towers and street markets, Kuala Lumpur is a representative example of Malaysian life and culture. It’s the national capital, too, the seat of the legislature and the official home of Malaysia’s monarch. But even governments need a break from big-city life. In 1995, the government began constructing Putrajaya, a quieter metropolis that wraps around a massive artificial lake. The new capital makes up for what it lacks in heritage in space.
1. Which city is the best choice for a party goer?| A．Pretoria. | B．Bloemfontein. |
| C．Amsterdam. | D．The Hague. |
| A．the city is historic |
| B．the city is vast in area |
| C．it can help distribute power |
| D．it can satisfy the people of the country |
| A．They are cities in South Africa. |
| B．They are cultural centers of their countries. |
| C．They are legislative capital cities of their countries. |
| D．They are where their main government bodies locate in. |
【推荐2】New England is the six northeastern states of the United States：Maine，New Hampshire，Vermont，Massachusetts，Rhode Island，and Connecticut. The six states were among the first colonies (殖民地) in America. The colonies were ruled by England，and this is how the area became known as New England. After the Revolutionary (革命的) War the colonies became states.
Many things are similar in the six New England states. For example，there are many stone walls, fishing villages and forests in these states. The houses and buildings are similar，too. People cut down trees from the forests to make space for their farms and villages.
They then used wood from the trees and stones from the field to build houses，schools, and churches. Even today, most of the houses in New England are made of wood.
There are big cities in New England，but there are also small cities and farms，especially in the northern part.There is much industry and business and New England is one of the most populous (人口稠密的) parts of the United States.It has many busy seaports on its long coast.There are always many tourists who enjoy the beautiful lakes，beaches，and mountains and who visit the historical places.
1. Why are the six states called New England?| A．They are now ruled by England. | B．They were once colonies of England. |
| C．There were people from England. | D．The states were near England. |
| A．Stones and trees. | B．Rocks and wood. |
| C．Stones and wood. | D．Stones and forests. |
| A．There are six states in New England. |
| B．The states became known as New England after the Revolutionary War. |
| C．Many tourists come and enjoy themselves. |
| D．The six states have many similar things. |
【推荐3】The boulders (巨石) look generally unremarkable, besides the fact that they stretch up and down the ridge in a curved line. Most people who don’t know their story would probably choose to look at the sweeping view of San Jose below them instead.
The timeworn line of boulder, is part of a system of stone walls, the remains of which stretch along the East Bay Hills all the way from Grimly Peak in Berkeley to where I watched a man tie his shoes at the Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve above East San Jose.
They exist only in sections, and some are better preserved than others — where I found the man, the walls are short and thick and half-sunk into the earth, hut further north at Ed R. Levin County Park in Milpitas, they remain almost perfectly assembled and stand several feet tall.
The first recorded mention of the walls is from an article in the San Francisco Chronicle from 1896. “Half a mile east of Grizzly Peak stand the remains of stone walls which have long baffled the researchers. By whom they were built, when and why is an unsolved mystery,” the article stated. The unnamed author went on to write a generally-accepted theory of the walls that they were constructed by “some long-forgotten race, possibly Aztec”.
Of course, the people who originally inhabited the hills and the land surrounding them are far from forgotten. The Ohlone people thrived in the area for thousands of years until they were largely displaced by European settlers — however, there’re no records of them constructing stone walls.
“Some of my colleagues have heard the rocks were placed there by Spanish settlers clearing their fields, and there have been speculations that it could have been part of Indigenous practice,” said Charlotte Graham, a spokesperson for the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. “We’ve also heard it could be a natural occurrence.”
However, there isn’t enough evidence on the walls to be entirely certain. A study dated lichen (地衣) on the walls in Berkeley as being from 1851 to 1880, though other sections of the walls haven’t been tested, and there’re few historical accounts on their presence.
1. How may most people never hearing about the boulders react when seeing them?| A．Ignore them. | B．Collect them. |
| C．Post the photos of them online. | D．Report them to the government. |
| A．The one along the East Bay Hills. |
| B．The one near Grizzly Peak in Berkeley. |
| C．The one at Ed R. Levin County Park in Milpitas. |
| D．The one at the Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve. |
| A．Prevented. | B．Confused. | C．Annoyed. | D．Inspired. |
| A．Functions of stone walls | B．Newly-found boulders |
| C．The history of boulders | D．Stories behind mystery walls |
【推荐1】Do you know the names of the people who live next door? Chances are you live next to someone, but do you actually know them? Sadly, the only time we do seem to hear about people’s neighbors is when things go wrong — hearing people say things like they have the bad neighbors! So, what does go wrong?
When talking about famous feuds (宿仇) with people who live close, you only need to think of the Montagues and Capulets in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Thankfully, most real-life quarrels don’t go that far. These days, especially in cities, many people live in buildings. Our neighbors are all around us — so what problems can come from that?
The first obvious cause of argument is noise pollution. Loud noise through the walls construction (施工), or people arguing next door can disturb the silence of your living space. Asking someone directly to turn the music down can cause you to feel anxious. However, if you get someone like a building manager to speak to your neighbors, it can make things more awkward because you didn’t speak to your neighbors directly.
And then what about smells? If your neighbors like eating food with pungent (刺激的) smells, and the smells flow through your window, what can you do? There are some other common problems, such as water running through the wall, pets making noise, and Jittering from the window above you. These can bring anger over time.
It’s not easy living next door to someone, especially if they’re noisy. But having a clear and honest conversation might help. Also, try thinking what you are doing could make your neighbors angry. If it’s something that would make you feel bad, maybe think again.
1. Why does the author mention Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in paragraph 2?| A．To present a fact. | B．To provide an example. |
| C．To explain a topic. | D．To make a comparison. |
| A．Turn to the police. | B．Talk to the neighbor directly. |
| C．Quarrel with the neighbor. | D．Ask the building manager for help. |
| A．They provide you pleasure. | B．They open your imagination. |
| C．They’re your neighbor’s favorites. | D．They make you uncomfortable. |
| A．How to make a neighbor happy. | B．How to deal with a noisy neighbor. |
| C．How to communicate with a neighbor. | D．How to get along well with a neighbor. |
【推荐2】Imagine looking at a view of mountaintops and wondering about the name of each peak. Suddenly, above each mountaintop, a name appears on the sky. The words are not written in smoke by skywriting planes. The words are actually not in the sky at all. They come from tiny computers in contact lenses(隐形眼镜)
Computers have become smaller and smaller over the decades. The first computers filled houses. Transistors(晶体管) and then chips allowed computers to become small enough to fit on a desktop, then a laptop, and finally a phone. When experimenting with further reductions in size, developers often have to deal with the limits of human eyesight, which control how small the computers can be and still present visible information.
One new solution employs microprojectors (微投影机) to create a readable display for tiny computers. These machines project computer information onto any surface. Though an impressive breakthrough, there are potential problems. Such public displays can lead to privacy concerns; Most people do not want their information displayed on a wall for everyone to see. Besides, these projectors are extremely expensive, and their screens give users headaches.
Babak Parviz, a researcher at the University of Washington, created another solution: inventing a screen visible only to a person wearing a contact lens. Parviz created a computer in a contact lens that uses the wearer's field of vision as the display. To create the display, Parviz took ordinary soft contact lenses with a wirelessly controlled system. At some point, Parviz says, it will be possible to connect the lens to a remote personal computer device such as cellphone or a laptop. By looking in a certain direction, the wearer sends the computer visual information about what he or she sees. The device then uses this information to point out the names of peaks.
These contact lenses are inserted and removed in much the same way as ordinary contact lenses. In addition, the computers in the lenses won't block the wearer's sight at all. Although now the computers are not on lenses treating eyesight problems, Parviz hopes that someday the technology will progress to that level.
1. What can the contact lenses in the text do?| A．Treat eyesight problems of the wearers. |
| B．Offer beautiful views of nature to users. |
| C．Project information on wall surface remotely. |
| D．Show information about what wearers can see. |
| A．Put people's privacy at risk. | B．Save computer information. |
| C．Cause serious illnesses. | D．Support users' needs. |
| A．Further reducing computers' size. | B．Creating the visual information. |
| C．Treating eyesight problems. | D．Blocking the wearer's sight. |
| A．Tiny Computers, Amazing Sights. | B．Smaller Lenses, Closer Views. |
| C．Progress Towards Clearness. | D．Road to the Small World. |
【推荐3】Record pressing companies are handling ongoing supply chain issues and accelerating demand for vinyl releases pushes long-playing sales to record highs.
According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), more than five million vinyl records were bought in 2021. It means that vinyl comprised 23% of all albums sold in the UK last year, the trade body (行业机构) says that vinyl is on course to beat CDs as the dominant physical medium of choice for music fans this year.
Some big-name releases in the latter half of the year are expected to push the sales even higher. The latest release from Harry Styles, Harry’s House, broke records in May has become the quickest-selling vinyl album in the US since 1991, selling 182,000 copies in its first week.
In the US, profits from the sale of vinyl albums grew by 61% in 2021, far outpacing growth rates for paid music and streaming services like Spotify, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. But in the wake of the revival (复兴) are some significant production problems. Dozens of record-pressing factories have been built to try to meet demand in North America — and it’s still not enough.
The industry “has found a new gear, and is accelerating at a new pace”, said Mark Michaels, boss of United Record Pressing, America’s largest record producer, in Nashville, Tennessee. There are now about 40 plants in the US – most of them smaller operations – but challenges remain. Where major record labels may have once pressed the records for their artists, now the manufacture of the discs is increasingly carried out by independent plants. Some, like Jack White’s Third Man Pressing, based in Detroit, are run by musicians themselves.
Backlogs (积压的工作) are preventing new releases, however, as the capacity of smaller firms to press new vinyl releases is held up by growing demand and supply chain failures. Shortages of raw materials melted and flattened into the actual records, have caused widespread problems. It is uneasy to launch a new plant because there are a handful of companies that make record-pressing machines. Those machines are backordered, as well.
In the UK, Press On Vinyl, have been established in recent years to meet increasing demand from acts of all sizes to have their tunes preserved in a physical format. The pressing plant adapts cutting-edge technology to make records with lower energy consumption, better quality control and a smaller chance of adding surface noise to the records than other manufacturing techniques.
But Danny Lowe, co-founder of the business along with David Todd, says: “Widespread problems along the supply chain are leaving record pressers at risk of being unable to meet the growing appetite for vinyl.” “Demand has grown from all quarters,” says Lowe, “whether from smaller independent artists who only order a run of 100 or so records, up to bigger acts who can take up the plant’s capacity for a while at a time.” “We’ve just added more machinery to our production line so that we have more available capacity.” he explains.
1. Which understanding of the underlined words is WRONG?| A．Vinyl: a kind of material. |
| B．Big-name: famous. |
| C．Backorder: delay filling the order. |
| D．A physical format: a finding in physics. |
| A．Physical medium has dominated the CD industry this year. |
| B．Vinyl comprised 23% of albums’ total sale of more than five million according to BPI. |
| C．The latest release from Harry House, Harry’s Styles, sold more than 180 thousand copies in its first week. |
| D．Big-name releases contributed to even higher sales. |
① Because of fans economy.
② Thanks to paid music and streaming services.
③ It was the newly-built factories that met the huge requirement.
④ The efficiency promotion, benefited from a new technique.
| A．①④ | B．①③④ | C．①②④ | D．②③④ |
| A．Because it had advanced technology. |
| B．To fill in the industry blank. |
| C．To arouse people’s love for vinyl. |
| D．Because of considerable benefits. |
| A．David Todd pointed out that the problem was they couldn’t meet needs. |
| B．Danny Lowe thought there was a need to supplement workers. |
| C．David Todd put more effort in the foundation of Press On Vinyl. |
| D．They both held a positive attitude towards the industry prospect. |
| A．What made the record industry so low. |
| B．The importance of promoting physical medium. |
| C．Other ways adopted to improve the situation. |
| D．Where records could have a better sale. |
