Some 120 kilometers north of Rome, street signs along the road tell drivers they're bound for “the dying town” Civita di Bagnoregio. The village stands on a declining plateau. It has gone through landslides, earthquakes, and erosion since humans' first settlement about 2,500 years ago. Nowadays Civita has been reduced to only 90 by 150 meters.
In the Middle ages, the size of the plateau was three times its size nowadays, and the population was over 3,000， yet the river surrounding Civita gradually made the town collapse from the bottom up. Since 1695, when a destructive earthquake took place in Civita, many people were forced to escape from their hometown, and the population there has never recovered. By the 1920s, there were merely 600 residents in the town. Currently, there are only about 10 residents. What a small population it has!
The survival of Civita is uncertain. However, as the news that the town was about to disappear started to widely spread, more and more people wanted to visit it. Now up to 10,000 people visit Civita per day. And there is doubt as to whether it is dying. The flood of people and money leads to natives longing for the rescue of the town.
Yet the actual situation in Civita is that there are no grocery stores, hardware, or convenience stores. People living there can only have access to a handful of restaurants and tourist shops. Besides, they have to get supplies through a narrow, 300-meter-long bridge that connects them to the outside world.
Today, Civita is pursuing a UNESCO World Heritage designation, in order to earn official recognition of its landscape and adaptability to nature. Recently, the town presented a 242-page document to the UNESCO, hoping that it will help strengthen Civita's role as a site of historical and cultural significance. Also, Civitas UNESCO team plans to create tourist attractions in the surrounding towns. If Civita recovers successfully, other towns in the same situation could find a direction based on its experience.
1. What has made Civita become smaller?| A．The inconvenient transport. | B．The natural conditions. |
| C．The settlement of humans. | D．The decrease of the population. |
| A．Because they want to rescue it. | B．Because they are attracted by its scenery. |
| C．Because they are interested in its natives. | D．Because they want to catch the last chance to see it. |
| A．Unchangeable. | B．Hopeful. | C．Disappointing. | D．Doubtful. |
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【推荐1】At Beijing’s Palace Museum, it sometimes seems that time stands still, but the clocks keep ticking at a small workshop there. This is where clock conservator (文物修复员) Qi Haonan works. .
As part of the fourth generation of conservators to repair and restore antique (古老的) clocks at the museum since 1949, Qi has returned more than 100 clocks to their former glory.
After having majored in mechanical automation during his university studies, Qi joined the cultural relics restoration department at the Palace Museum in 2005. “In the beginning, everything in the palace was new to me. It made me excited to even think about repairing antique clocks,” the 41-year-old told China Daily. But reality soon weakened his warmth. There is a rule at the museum: For the first year you can look, but not touch. From 8 a. m. to5 p. m. every day, he checked and took apart watches and clocks collected from his friends to practice. After a year of repeated work, he could finally get his hands on the clocks in the museum and get a better understanding of the job. To him, restoring such clocks doesn’t mean making them look brand-new. Through cleaning and restoration, he tries to keep them in their original form, bringing back their former function.
Qi still remembered the excitement he felt when the hands of his first repaired clock began to move. It was a French clock, which took him a month to restore. “What amazes me most about these clocks is that they combine the scientific advances, technological precision (精确) and trends in decorative art of their particular times,” Qi told China Daily.
Although the antique clock repairing special skills at the Palace Museum were listed as a national intangible (非物质的) cultural heritage in 2014, it was still a little-known skill and the specialty was in short supply of professionals. Until 2016, a 3-part TV documentary, Masters in the Forbidden City, made it possible to the public.
Qi started posting videos about the antique clocks on social media in 2019, giving viewers a look into the work. “With rising attention and influence, antique clock restoration can not only be further developed, but also expanded to more museums which house antique clocks and watches,” Qi told China Daily.
1. What can be known about the clock conservator Qi Haonan?| A．He began to work at the Palace Museum in 1949. |
| B．He learned how to restore antique clocks at university. |
| C．He has decided to rescue the cultural relics restoration. |
| D．He is part of the fourth generation of clock conservators. |
| A．He couldn’t touch the antique clocks. |
| B．He was asked to do much repeated work. |
| C．He had to collect clocks from his friends. |
| D．He didn’t understand the meaning of restoration. |
| A．Keeping them clean and brand-new. |
| B．Making them more beautiful and valuable than ever. |
| C．Getting them back to their original form and function. |
| D．Combining scientific advances and technological precision. |
| A．Worrying. | B．Uncertain. | C．Hopeless. | D．Promising. |
【推荐2】Chinese Teapot Escaping from British Museum Goes Viral
Chinese state media has praised a viral video series telling the story of a jade teapot coming to life and fleeing the British Museum to make its way back home.
The set of three short videos, entitled Escape from the British Museum, shows the teapot turning into a young woman in a green dress, who then engages a London-based Chinese journalist to help her reunite with her family. It appears to have struck a chord (弦) in China after first being released by independent vloggers on Douyin. By Monday evening, it had reportedly received more than 310 million views. The plot line taps into growing Chinese criticism of the British Museum after reports last month that more than 1,500 priceless objects, including gold jewelry, semi-precious stones and glass, were missing, stolen or damaged.
In August the state media Global Times called for the return of Chinese artifacts from the museum “free of charge” in the wake of the controversy. “The huge holes in the management and security of cultural objects in the British Museum exposed by this scandal (丑闻) have led to the collapse of a long-standing and widely circulated claim that ‘foreign cultural objects are better protected in the British Museum’,” it said. It strongly supported the video series for touching on a “powerful message” about the importance of cultural heritage and reflecting “Chinese people’s desiring for the repatriation of the Chinese cultural relics.”
State broadcaster CCTV also gave the short films a glowing review saying: “We are very pleased to see Chinese young people are passionate about history and tradition... We are also looking forward to the early return of Chinese artifacts that have been displayed overseas.”
The museum scandal made headlines around the world and reawakened earlier demands by the Chinese media to restore the country’s relics. The new three-part show has triggered a wave of nationalism among viewers, with many praising the creative plot that reduced them to tears by showing how the teapot experienced the happiness of returning to China to see pandas and watch a flag-raising ceremony on Tiananmen Square.
1. What excuse does Britain give for keeping other nations’ cultural objects in its museum?| A．It has taken possession of these objects by all lawful means. |
| B．These objects are safer and taken better care of in its museum. |
| C．It is requested by other nations to protect their cultural objects. |
| D．These objects may come to life, flee their countries and go viral. |
| A．Repair. | B．Reflection. | C．Reserve. | D．Return. |
| A．China had already demanded the restoration of its cultural relics before the scandal. |
| B．The museum’s awful management and security systems are involved in the scandal. |
| C．The Britain Museum is under pressure to return the cultural relics to China sooner or later. |
| D．A London-based Chinese journalist has contributed a lot to the viral three-part video series. |
| A．To appeal to Britain to return China’s cultural objects. |
| B．To introduce a viral video series about a fleeing jade teapot. |
| C．To arouse readers’ concern about Chinese cultural objects abroad. |
| D．To praise Chinese young people’s passion for history and tradition. |
【推荐3】The city of Quanzhou in East China's Fujian province, one of the most important Chinese ports along the historic maritime(海运的)Silk Road, reported new findings about archaeological(考古的)efforts from 2019 to 2020, experts said at a meeting held in Quanzhou from Friday to Saturday.
"The latest research results on iron-making remains in Quanzhou's Anxi county showed that it used to make lots of iron and steel, important goods of trade along the historic maritime Silk Road, mainly during the Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty," says Shen Ruiwen, a famous archaeologist.
Two other sites were discovered and identified as remains of regulatory bodies(监管机构)that existed within the two dynasties. One of them managed affairs related to the emperors' relatives, and the other served similar functions as today's customs. Shen said, "The two ancient organizations showed that Quanzhou once provided effective support for ocean trade."
Another finding exposed was the development of china-making technology from the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty in Dehua county, as is evidenced in the thousands of relics(遗迹)that were dug out.
"Quanzhou is a city of in historical significance because it preserved the continuous track of urban planning and construction from the late Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty," says Shen. Experts say the city will continue with research on some of the sites included in the project and carry out long-term plans.
1. What's the purpose of writing the first paragraph?| A．To present an argument. |
| B．To lead in the topic of the text. |
| C．To add some supporting details. |
| D．To provide background information. |
| A．Silk. | B．Farm products. | C．Green tea. | D．Iron and steel. |
| A．It once served as the Capital. |
| B．It once helped a lot for ocean trade. |
| C．It was once the education center of the world. |
| D．It developed fast from Song Dynasty to Qing Dynasty. |
| A．Culture. | B．Environment. | C．Education. | D．Health. |
【推荐1】On the west bank of the Grand Canal in Tongxiang, Jiaxing City, stands a 1,300-year-old ancient town of Wuzhen. Local people’s way of life centers around rich water resources. Traditional buildings in white and grey are well preserved after hundreds of years.
Over the years, Wuzhen has been transformed from a residential area to a popular tourist destination. Today it shows fascinating China via its gorgeous water town scenery, growing soft power and international influence.
Travel tips:
Food: Food in Wuzhen is a delight to enjoy. Wuzhen is home to abundant fish, so pickled Taihu Lake whitewater fish is a good start. The meat is delicate, smooth, and tender, but mind the fish bones.
Transportation: Wuzhen is 1.5-hour drive from Hangzhou and 2-hour drive from Shanghai. The Shanghai-Wuzhen Highway is well serviced and there are special bus lines available. It would be a good option to include a journey of a day or two to Wuzhen next time you visit Shanghai or Hangzhou.
Climate: Typical subtropical monsoon climate with great sunshine and rich rainfall.
Admission fee: 150 yuan ($21) for the West Scenic Zone and 110 yuan ($15.5) for the East Scenic Zone. You may only pay 190 yuan ($26.7) for both zones.
Opening hours: The West Scenic Zone opens from 9:00 a.m. to 22:00 p.m. The East Scenic Zone opens from 7:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m. in summer and 7:00 a.m. to 17:30 p.m. in winter.
For more information, visit the official website.
1. What do we know about Wuzhen?| A．It remains unchanged for centuries. |
| B．Its life style is based on water resources. |
| C．It is closer to Shanghai than to Hangzhou. |
| D．Its traditional buildings are severely damaged. |
| A．$5.5. | B．$5.7. | C．$9.8. | D．$11.2. |
| A．Take an umbrella with you. | B．Go to Wuzhen by sea. |
| C．Visit the East Scenic Zone after 18:00. | D．Avoid eating Taihu Lake whitewater fish. |
【推荐2】Based on our purpose of creating a real connection with the beauty of a destination, we have carefully crafted the following Chengdu tours to explore all the highlights in and around Chengdu. All our private Chengdu tours are flexible and can be customized to suit your budget and interests.
1-Day Dujiangyan Panda Volunteer Program Tour
If you’re looking for close contact with pandas, this 1-day panda volunteer experience will make use of your time to its fullest. It’s a memorable chance to look after a cute and fluffy panda as you clean its enclosure, make its food, and watch it be fed.
3-Day Giant Panda, Giant Buddha, and Ancient Town Tour
Two of the most highly rated attractions according to our previous customers are the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and Leshan Giant Buddha, both of which you can see on this 3-day smart tour. Furthermore, on this journey, you will discover the real Chengdu by tasting amazing Sichuan food and visiting a traditional ancient town.
5-Day Chengdu, Leshan and Mount. Emei Tour
This tour covers the most popular attractions in Chengdu and nearby cities. You will see the cute pandas, some vibrant scenes that may only happen in Chengdu, and most of all two UNESCO World Heritage Sites - the Giant Buddha cut during the Tang Dynasty, and Mount Emei.
6-Day Sichuan Adventure Tour
Starting from Chengdu, take a 6-day trip to discover incredible western Sichuan, including snowy mountains, forests, grasslands, and Tibetan villages. Be one of the first to journey into beautiful Yala Snow Mountain Scenic Area. There is a large area to the west of Chengdu (western Sichuan) that is a paradise for China’s adventurers and photographers.
1. What can visitors do in the 3-day tour?| A．Clean pandas’ enclosure. |
| B．Enjoy Sichuan Opera. |
| C．Have a bite of Sichuan food. |
| D．Hike on the snowy mountain. |
| A．6-Day Sichuan Adventure Tour. |
| B．5-Day Chengdu, Leshan and Mount. Emei Tour. |
| C．1- Day Dujiangyan Panda Volunteer Program Tour. |
| D．3-Day Giant Panda, Giant Buddha, and Ancient Town Tour. |
| A．Tibetan culture. |
| B．Personalized travel service. |
| C．A close look at pandas. |
| D．A visit to an ancient town. |
【推荐3】A new library in Tianjin—Tianjin Binhai Public Library—recently became an online hit. The Daily Mail described it as the “world’s ultimate (终极的) library”, while the word “breathtaking” was the choice of Newsweek magazine. One look at the library and you’ll see why. With its futuristic (未来主义) design and walls loaded with books, it’s the dream library of every book lover.
But as the surprise continues, there’s a burning question lying in the back of our minds: When physical bookstores are closing down one by one, what makes libraries safe from the wave of digitalization (数码化)? And do we really still need libraries now that we’ve got the Internet in our hands?
Reporter Ian Clark has the answer. “Libraries are not declining in importance—people are simply changing the way they use them,” he wrote on the Guardian website.
What Clark means is that libraries have shifted from simply being storehouses of books to a medium to help “bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots” according to website Libraries Are Essential. Since not everyone can afford a smartphone, a tablet or an Internet connection, and not everyone has the know-how to search the Internet correctly and efficiently, it’s public libraries that make sure that these resources and technologies are available to a larger group of people.
“Nobody is trying to sell you anything in the library. There is no pressure to buy and there is no judgment of your choices/’ Anne Goulding, a professor at Victoria University in New Zealand, wrote on the Newsroom website. “There are few other spaces that you can just ‘be’ without somebody questioning your presence or your motivation.”
1. What cause book-lovers to like Tianjin Binhai Public Library?| A．Breathtaking magazines. |
| B．World’s ultimate buildings. |
| C．Design and book walls. |
| D．Digitalization. |
| A．A fiction. | B．A tour guide. |
| C．A newspaper. | D．A book. |
| A．Everyone has a phone with them. |
| B．Some people are still used to the old ways. |
| C．More and more people use computers. |
| D．People can buy what they want there. |
| A．Libraries living on in digital age. |
| B．Internet libraries nowadays. |
| C．Physical libraries in the past. |
| D．People’s dream libraries. |
【推荐1】Some people believe that humans could live on the planet Mars by the year 2100. Our own planet, the Earth, is becoming more and more crowded and polluted. It is hoped that people could start all over again and build a better world on Mars. Here is what life there could be like.
At present, our spacecraft are too slow to carry large numbers of passengers to Mars — it would take months. With the development of technology, by the year 2100, the journey might only take about 20 minutes in spacecraft that travel at the speed of light! However, the spacecraft would travel really fast, so the journey to Mars might be quite uncomfortable. Many people would feel ill.
Humans can’t live without water, air or food. So far, nobody knows whether there would be enough water or air on Mars for people. Moreover, scientists are not sure whether plants could grow on Mars. Food would most probably be in the form of pills (药片) and would not be so tasty.
Compared with life on the earth, life on Mars would be better in some ways. People would have more space. They might live in houses with huge comfortable rooms. Also, robots would do a lot of their work so that they could have more time to relax. There would probably be no schools on Mars. Every student would study at online schools with “e-teachers”.
Life on Mars would be interesting and challenging. However, it may take hundred or years to make it true. So the most important thing we need to do now is to protect our beautiful blue planet — the Earth!
1. The underlined word “spacecraft” means ________.| A．spaceships | B．hot-air balloons | C．space stations | D．planes |
| A．Fast and enjoyable. | B．Fast but uncomfortable. |
| C．Slow and boring. | D．Slow but comfortable. |
| A．There would be enough water and air on Mars for people. |
| B．Food on Mars would be more delicious than that on the earth. |
| C．People would be busy with work on Mars. |
| D．The writer thinks living on Mars would be full of challenges. |
| A．Schools on Mars | B．Food on Mars |
| C．Life on Mars | D．Environment on the Earth |
【推荐2】Officials in New York City are using technology to cut down on noise on city streets. Some of the strongest rules have been released to limit noise on city streets. Cameras equipped with radar sound collectors identify loud vehicles in an effort to catch drivers violating noise rules.
The new devices record the vehicle numbers of offenders, who then receive a violation notice in the mail. Owners face fines of $800 for a first noise offense. Some could be required to pay up to $2,625 if they have three violations and ignore court hearings.
Evidence is clear that noise affects not only hearing but mood and mental health, not to mention possible links to heart disease and blood pressure. “You listen to the noise out there, it is nonstop — the horns, the trucks, the sirens,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently blamed an expressway for noise and illness. “Noise pollution makes it hard to sleep and increases the risk of chronic (慢性的) disease.”
However, some people in the city say the government efforts to quiet loud vehicles have gone too far. Phillip Franklin, a 30-year-old car lover from the Bronx area of New York, launched an online effort to protest noise rules. “The majority of us live here in New York City, where noise is a part of our daily lives. Quiet vehicles can also present dangers to inattentive individuals walking around New York City,” said Franklin. He also noted that fixing potholes (路面坑洼) is a lot more important than going after noisy cars.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said loud noise can cause immediate harm to one’s ears. Even with sound barriers, close-fitting windows and noise-reducing materials, there is only so much that can be done to reduce sound levels in the city. Many New York residents have simply learned to live with the noise. The local authority now has plans to expand the use of technology to strengthen noise rules. So far, at least 71 people have received fines for operating cars or trucks that make too much noise.
1. What can we learn about noise from paragraph 3?| A．Noise has no influence on mental health. |
| B．Noise is harmful to human beings. |
| C．Noise must lead to blood pressure. |
| D．Noise is difficult to be found. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Tolerant. | C．Indifferent. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．Fix potholes to improve road safety. |
| B．Apply the new technology on a larger scale. |
| C．Raise the allowable noise standard for vehicles. |
| D．Encourage residents to use noise-reducing equipment. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Health. | C．Education. | D．Science. |
【推荐3】Chinese scientists have identified a new protein that restricts HIV infection, a discovery that could pave the way for the development of new drugs against the virus. The protein, P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL-1), which exists in human cells, can inhibit (抑制) the process by which HIV reproduces, according to research published in the science journal Nature Microbiology this month.
However, the study also showed that PSGL-1 can be negatively affected by Vpu－an accessory (附属) protein of HIV－which can neutralize the ability of PSGL-1 to resist HIV. Further research is under way to develop a drug that can inhibit the HIV protein so that PASGL-1 can restrict HIV, according to Tan Xu, a researcher at Tsinghua University's School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, a leading author of the study.
Several other proteins in human cells that could resist HIV have been discovered over the past 10 years, but the virus can also evade (避开) them. PSGL-1 shows particular promise in that it can inhibit the HIV in multiple ways－especially by blocking the infectiousness of virus offspring, Tan said.
“We are starting to research into small molecule (分子) compounds in the hope of finding one that can restore PSGL-1’s anti-HIV function. In this way we can develop a very effective antiviral drug for people with HIV/AIDS,” he said. Tan said it will require at least three to five years for the research to reach the preclinical stage, and more time after that before a clinical trial is possible. The research was conducted by researchers at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Fudan University in Shanghai and George Mason University in the United States.
Existing treatment methods for people with HIV/AIDS, which mostly rely on a combination of different drugs, can prevent the disease from progressing but cannot cure it, and long-term use of drugs can result in drug resistance.
An estimated 37 million people in the world live with HIV, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. The study provides new leads to developing antiviral drugs, Tsinghua University said in a statement.
1. What can we learn about PSGL-1 from the passage?| A．Both the protein PSGL-1 and the protein Vpu are HIV proteins. |
| B．PSGL-1 can restrict the function of the protein Vpu. |
| C．PSGL-1’s molecule compounds have been identified. |
| D．The protein PSGL-1 functions better than others in resisting HIV. |
| A．The existing treatment for HIV are far from perfect. |
| B．It will be a decade before the antiviral drugs is put on the market. |
| C．American scientists played a leading role in the research. |
| D．HIV/AIDS will no longer be a deadly disease owing to the new discovery. |
| A．There is a long way to go before curing HIV. |
| B．More people are faced with the threat of HIV. |
| C．Chinese scientists are leading the way in curing HIV. |
| D．A new protein to resist HIV was confirmed by scientists. |
| A．A journal | B．A fiction | C．A magazine | D．A brochure |
