In Spain, children and their families are riding bikes to school together in large groups. The program is called “bicibús” or bike bus. In Barcelona, the program started recently with only five children and grew quickly to hundreds of riders.
The Eixample bike bus begins around 8:25 every Friday morning. The path it will follow is always posted ahead of time, so everyone knows where to join. The bicibús starts off with just a few students and parents, with more and more joining as it travels along.
Most kids ride their bikes, but others ride motor bikes or use skates. Instead of riding in bike lanes (车道) or on sidewalks, the bicibús takes over the entire street. With music playing and bike bells ringing, the bicibús feels like a party.
Being able to ride with a crowd of kids is a big part of the fun. Nine-year-old Maria Pitarch says, “The best part of the bicibús is that we ride along and pick up my friends and we ride together. ”
The Eixample bicibús goes to several schools. When students reach their school, they leave the bus and park their bikes. Some parents have made the bicibús the way they get to work on Friday.
It was possible to bike to school in Eixample before, but it wasn’t really safe for kids. There are a few bike lanes, but there are also lots of cars.
Because one of the main roads used by the Eixample bicibús is busy, having about 20,000 cars and motorcycles every day, the local police are helping stop traffic by riding in front of the bicibús and behind it.
Parents are hoping that the bicibús will help change ideas about how people can get around in the city. They want the city to create wider, kid-friendly bike lanes that are separate from car traffic. They point out that the bicibús also helps cut down on pollution.
Already some other areas in Barcelona are also organizing bike buses. Some bike buses have even been organized in other countries.
1. What can we learn about the bicibús?| A．It is really a party. | B．It has a long history. |
| C．It is becoming popular. | D．It is simply made up of kids. |
| A．Learning skating on the way. | B．Riding with their friends. |
| C．Getting to know more kids. | D．Having a free time every day. |
| A．The bike lanes have been widened. |
| B．The police come to help with traffic. |
| C．Bike bells have been fixed to the bikes. |
| D．The number of bike lanes has been doubled. |
| A．Sports. | B．Travel. |
| C．Science. | D．Culture. |
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【推荐1】Going to bed in one major city and waking up in another, toasting the landscape as a new country slips past; being rocked to sleep as you rattle across a continent. It's no wonder that the night trains of Europe have been a byword for romance.
In fact, over the past decade, much of Europe’s night train network has been cut. For many, it seemed the end of the line was near. But recently there has been a recovery of night trains across Europe. On December 8th 2020, four national rail providers teamed up to announce new routes between 13 European cities.
“You leave work at a usual time, have dinner, make your way to the Nation, get on the train, and wake up in the place you want to be. There’s no turning up at the airport at a very strange hour, as you do for a budget flight.” says Monisha Rajesh, author of “Around the World in 80 Trains.”
In fact, “flight shaming” has been sweeping across Europe in the past few years. In 2018, domestic flights were down 9% in Sweden.
The Covid-19 pandemic has helped, too. Trains are easier to social-distance on, says Rajesh. And night trains—where you can book an entire compartment to yourself—are even better.
Europe's geography also helps the argument for night trains, says Nicolas Forien, a member of Back on Track, who points out that half the flights leaving France are either internal, or going to a neighboring country. “The distance between European capitals is mostly ideal for night trains. The continent could be a night-train paradise.”
1. What does the author say about the night trains of Europe?| A．They run at a high speed. | B．They were popular among Europeans. |
| C．They experienced a down a century ago. | D．They bring passengers a sense of romance. |
| A．long. | B．cheap. | C．short. | D．expensive. |
①flight shaming ②the Covid-19 pandemic ③the maternal budget flight
④Europe’s geography ⑤the tourism boom
| A．①②⑤ | B．②③④ | C．①②④ | D．②④⑤ |
| A．Why Europeans choose to travel by night trains |
| B．How Europe’s night trains come back from the dead |
| C．When Europeans start taking an interest in night trains |
| D．Whether the network of Europe’s night train has been cut |
【推荐2】It is predicted that in 2023, a quarter of all new cars purchased in China will be an all-electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid. By some estimates, more than 300 Chinese companies are making E.V.s, ranging from discount off rings below $5,000 to high-end models that rival American and German automakers. There are roughly five million charging units in the country, with more coming.
While other E.V. markets are still heavily dependent on allowances and financial stimulation, China has entered a new phase: Consumers are weigh in e the features and prices of electric vehicles against gas-powered cars without much consideration of state support, it took China more than a decade of allowances, long-term investments and infrastructure (基础设施) spending to lay the foundation for its electric vehicle market to start standing on its own. Of the world ‘stop-10best-selling E.V. brands, half are Chinese. And it’s not just the car sales that are booming in China. The Chinese battery manufacturers are the biggest players in the industry.
Mr. Li, a 27-year-old employee at a construction firm who recently decided to trade in his gas-powered car for an E.V., said financial stimulation did not weigh on his decision to go electric. In Chengdu, the big city in southwestern China where Mr. Li lives and works, traditional cars are restricted from being on the road on certain days of the week to help reduce traffic jams and pollution. Electric vehicles, however, are free to come and go. For electric cars, parking is free for the first two hours at public parking lots.
1. How does the author develop the first paragraph?| A．By listing data. | B．By telling stories. |
| C．By analyzing causes. | D．By giving a definition. |
| A．The number of charging piles is not enough. |
| B．Electric vehicles have a bright future in China. |
| C．Consumers will consider state support when buying cars. |
| D．The Chinese only buy the world’s top-10 best-selling electric cars. |
| A．He lives in Chengdu and works at a construction firm. |
| B．The electric vehicle is more convenient for him to use. |
| C．There are financial rewards for buying an electric vehicle. |
| D．The electric vehicle is less expensive than gas-powered cars. |
| A．The benefits of electric ears | B．The top best-selling electric cars |
| C．Electric cars or gas-powered cars? | D．Chinese are encouraged to go electric |
【推荐3】In a normal world, getting on an airplane that circles in the air for a few hours before returning to the same airport would have been considered laughable. However, in the COVID-19 pandemic, when many international travels stopped, “flight to nowhere” or “scenic flights” were increasingly popular.
Taiwan's Taipei Songshan Airport was one of the first to offer this unique service. In June 2020, faced with an over 60 percent drop in passengers, the airport officials decided to offer consumers a virtual flight. People interested in the “pretend to go abroad” experience could sign up for a chance to win one of 90 daily tickets. Winners of the three half-day tours were treated to a full airport experience, including clearing immigration, checking in, and boarding the airplanes. Though the planes never took off, the idea was amazingly popular.
At the same time, Japan's First Airlines also offered travel-hungry tourists an affordable way to visit New York, Rome, and Paris — without leaving the ground. For only $60, passengers in their airline seats could enjoy a life-like virtual reality tour of one of the world-class cities while feasting on a destination-themed meal.
Qantas Airlines’ “flight to nowhere”, which was announced on September 22, 2020, and sold out within 10 minutes took air travellers on a scenic tour of Australia, flying over the Northern Territory, Queensland, and New South Wales. The seven-hour flight, which departed and returned to Sydney on October 10, 2020, cost between $787 to $3, 787 Australian dollars.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) dropped the idea of a “fight to nowhere” on September 29, 2020. Instead, the company held several fun activities that allowed passengers to experience the airline’s world-famous hospitality without leaving the ground.
Strange as the offerings may seem, they were a win-win for both customers who are longing to travel and airlines trying their best to keep afloat during these difficult times.
1. What can tourists do in Taiwan's virtual flight?| A．Have a full airport experience. | B．Have a half-day tour. |
| C．Pretend to check in. | D．Fly a virtual plane. |
| A．It costs the least money. | B．It attracts the most tourists. |
| C．The plane really flies into the air. | D．It offers three half-day tours. |
| A．Adventurous. | B．Successful. | C．Competitive. | D．Environmentally-friendly. |
| A．Win. | B．Explore. | C．Compete. | D．Survive. |
【推荐1】Corn is among the most commonly consumed grains on the planet. Globally, the average human will consume 70 pounds of corn each year! That’s a whole lot of corn that needs to be grown each year, and that’s not even accounting for corn being grown for animal consumption and biofuel. Just like many other popular foods, farmers are finding it difficult to get enough corn produced.
Of course, complicating matters is the fact that corn is a tropical(热带的) plant, meaning farmers can’t produce it during the colder months of the year. Now, researchers from Cornell University’s Boyce Thompson Institute have developed their own solution: a new variation of corn that recovers much more quickly after being exposed to cold temperatures.
Lead researcher David Stern, president of the Boyce Thompson Institute, and his team made this incredible breakthrough by building on research originally published two years ago. That study had discovered that increasing the levels of an enzyme(酶) called Rubisco in plants caused them to grow more rapidly and reach larger sizes. Rubisco helps plants turn atmospheric carbon dioxide into sugar. Regarding corn specifically, Rubisco levels in corn drop considerably in cold weather.
This time, the research team planted a large group of corn plants, and provided a portion of the group with more Rubison. Then, they allowed all the plants to grow for three weeks at 77 degrees Fahrenheit (normal growing temperature for corn) before dropping the temperature to 57 degrees Fahrenheit for two more weeks. Finally, they heated things up back again to 77 degrees.
“The corn with more Rubisco performed better than regular corn before, during and after chilling(冷却),” explains first author Coralie Salese-Smith. “In fact, we were able to reduce the severity of chilling stress and allow for a more rapid recovery.”
All in all, the corn with more Rubisco was able to recover from the colder temperatures more quickly and with less damage done. The Rubisco corn plants grew to be taller. These results are very promising. However, Stern and his team say they’re still working on improving their approach.
1. What did the researchers do during the study?| A．They exposed corn plants to different temperatures. |
| B．They removed all the chilling stress on corn plants. |
| C．They assessed corn plants’ ability to absorb CO2. |
| D．They made those corn plants resist Rubisco. |
| A．It has functioned well in solving global starvation. |
| B．It isn’t yet completely perfect for chilling tolerance. |
| C．It is qualified enough to be grown around the world. |
| D．It recovers from the colder temperatures more slowly. |
| A．Much More Corn Plants Are Badly Needed |
| B．Corn Plants Aren’t Sensitive to Cold Weather |
| C．Scientists Have Developed Cold-resistant Corn |
| D．Tropical Corn Is Going to Become History Soon |
【推荐2】When someone boards a train in London — entering one of the world’s most admired transportation systems — they probably do not have visions of clean beaches and rolling surf of San Diego on the west coast of America. But they would not be wrong if they did, considering that London’s Oyster Card is powered by Cubic, a San Diego-based company with headquarters 5,500 miles down the road.
San Diego is the 17th largest city in America, yet it leads the world in biotechnology, clean technology, defense technology and telecommunications, and it is also the third-most patent-intense region in the world. That is because policymakers, businesses and educators in San Diego are working together to create a creativity ecosystem, including some of the world’s smartest companies, a talented and loyal workforce, top-rate universities and easy access to international markets. San Diego’s world-class universities and research centers foster a talented workforce, and attract top academicians.
Across an ocean and a continent, London is seeing similar economic achievement. The city’s exports represent 25 percent of the U.K.’s national exports — a sum that is valued at about ￡130 billion — and is particularly strong in service exports, where it accounts for 50 percent of the U.K. total.At the same time, it is maintaining its strength in financial and business services, media, tech and architectural surveying and construction services. London also leads the way in the U.K.’s exports of ￡100 billion of goods and services to the U.S., its largest single trading partner. In fact, in 2013 London alone exported nearly ￡4 billion in goods to the U.S. — their largest market behind the European Union.
So while both cities focus on creating success at home, London and San Diego are also focused on creating a strong international market for what they produce. Both have advanced industries that promote rapid innovation and significant job creation. And they are working together — sharing best practices and challenges, and learning where their trade and investment coincide.
1. What does London’s Oyster Card probably refer to in Paragraph 1?| A．Fare payment system. | B．Seafood delivery system. |
| C．Fresh water supply system. | D．Banking management system |
| A．engineers | B．lecturers |
| C．talents | D．publishers |
| A．London’s service exports take up 50% of British total exports. |
| B．London will outshine other cities in biotechnology. |
| C．London may lose its strength in business. |
| D．London’s largest market is the European Union. |
| A．Two Cities of the Same Tale |
| B．Two Cross-continental Cities |
| C．Two Love-and-Hate Cities: London and San Diego |
| D．Two Unlikely Twin Cities: London and San Diego |
【推荐3】Millions of people pass through the gates of Disney's entertainment parks in California，Florida and Japan each year. What makes these places an almost universal attraction? What makes foreign kings and queens and other important people want to visit these Disney parks? Well，one reason is the way they're treated once they get there. The people at Disney go out of their way to serve their “guests”，as they prefer to call them，and to see that they enjoy themselves.
All new employees，from vice presidents to part－time workers，begin their employment by attending Disney University and taking “Traditions I”. Here，they learn about the company's history，how it is managed，and why it is successful. They are shown how each department relates to the whole. All employees are shown how their part is important in making the park a success.
After passing “Traditions I”，the employees go on to do more specialized training for their specific jobs. No detail is missed. A simple job like taking tickets requires four eight－hour days of training. When one ticket taker was asked why it took so much training for such a simple，ordinary job，he replied，“What happens if someone wants to know where the restrooms are，when the parade starts or what bus to take back to the campgrounds? We need to know the answers or where to get them quickly. Our constant aim is to help our guests enjoy the party.”
Even Disney's managers get involved in the daily management of the park. Every year，the managers leave their desks and business suits and put on special service clothes. For a full week，the bosses sell hot dogs or ice cream，take tickets or drive the monorail(单轨车)，and take up any of the 100 jobs that make the entertainment park come alive. The managers agree that this week helps them to see the company's goals more clearly.
All these efforts to serve the public well have made Walt Disney Productions famous. Disney is considered by many as the best mass service provider in America or the world. As one long－time business observer once said，“How Disney treats people，communicates with them，rewards them，is in my view the very reason for his great success. I have watched，very carefully and with great respect and admiration，the theory and practice of selling satisfaction and serving millions of people on a daily basis successfully. It is what Disney does best.”
1. The first day they come to Disney parks，all new employees________．| A．begin by receiving on－the－job training | B．must learn several jobs |
| C．begin as ticket takers | D．have already attended Disney University |
| A．set a good example for employees |
| B．remind themselves of their beginnings at Disney |
| C．gain a better view of the company's objectives |
| D．replace employees on holiday |
| A．Tourists learn the history of Disney in its entertainment parks. |
| B．Disney attracts people almost from all over the world. |
| C．Parades are regularly held in Disney's entertainment parks. |
| D．Disney's managers are able to do almost all kinds of work in the Disney parks. |
