HS2 has announced the formal start of construction of the high-speed rail line between London and the West Midlands, which it claims will create 22,000 jobs.
The UK government will launch the main civil engineering contracts on Friday.
The contracts to build the first phase of the line, including viaducts, tunnels, and stations at Euston and Old Oak Common, were signed off by the Treasury during lockdown, after the government approved the controversial £106 bn project in February.
The company HS2 Ltd said most work to date had been preparatory, including design, ground clearance and demolition.
With coronavirus putting limitations on work since the formal notice to proceed in April, it said the launch on Friday of full construction work was “a step closer to reality” for the high-speed line, which has been more than 10 years in gestation and will not see full intercity services for another 10 years.
Midlands, a Balfour Beatty-Vinci joint venture, expects to be one of the biggest recruiters in the region over the next two years, looking for up to 7,000 skilled workers. Contracts to build stations, tunnels and viaducts will produce another 10,000 vacancies in greater London, HS2 said.
The first phase of the line, linking London and Birmingham, is expected to cost up to £45 bn, according to the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd’s estimates, with full services now expected to begin running from Euston as late as 2036, although first high-speed trains might appear by 2029.
The eventual completion of the second phase, completing a Y-shaped network to Manchester and Leeds, remains in some doubt.
The parliamentary spending watchdog blasted HS2’s management in May in a report that warned that the scheme had gone “badly off course” and that further delays and cost overruns could not be ruled out.
1. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?| A．Prime Minister showing up for engineering contracts |
| B．HS2: construction of high-speed rail line officially starts |
| C．The transportation network of a high-speed railway |
| D．HS2 Ltd playing an important role in building high-speed rails |
| A．viaducts | B．shops |
| C．tunnels | D．stations |
| A．As late as 2036. | B．By 2029. |
| C．In 10 years. | D．Still not sure. |
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【推荐1】Ya Ting had taken me under her wing after hearing me speaking Chinese in a hotel in Lijiang．She had been hitchhiking(搭便车旅行) around China for months．She invited me to travel with her, which was how we ended up on the side of the road looking for a ride to the Tiger Leaping Gorge．Within 20 minutes, we had our first ride．The driver couldn’t take us all the way and ended up dropping us at a freeway crossroads．As a new hitchhiker, I thought that would be the end of our luck, but almost immediately we got another ride．
Our most unforgettable ride was when a twenty－something kid picked us up．He couldn’t take us the whole way so his uncle bought us lunch and a bus ticket for the rest of the journey．He felt it was his duty to help us find a way to complete our trip．It brought tears of joy and thankfulness to my eyes．This was the first time I understood how guests are respected(受尊重) in China．
A few weeks later, we said goodbye．I thought we had been so lucky because we had been a local(本地人) and a foreigner travelling together．But now Ya Ting was no longer around to do the talking, nor did I have someone to depend on if something went wrong．When I stood by a highway in Sichuan, I knew all about the difficulties before me．Now I was just a strange foreigner on her own who suddenly had to manage with poor Chinese．
After about 30 minutes, a couple picked me up and took me the whole eight hours to Chengdu．We ate lunch on the way, and they refused to allow me to pay for any of it, which I had come to learn was typical(特有的) of Chinese culture．This made me believe that people weren’t being friendly because of Ya Ting．
1. What do the author and Ya Ting have in common?| A．They both are foreigners． | B．They both live in Lijiang． |
| C．They both are hitchhikers． | D．They both speak Chinese well． |
| A．It was rather tiring． | B．It was very smooth． |
| C．It was full of danger． | D．It was heart－breaking． |
| A．She lost her way． | B．She had little money left． |
| C．She was unable to find her friend． | D．She was a lone foreign traveler in China． |
| A．They dropped her halfway． | B．They lent her some money． |
| C．They offered her a free lunch． | D．They taught her about Chinese culture． |
【推荐2】It is quite reasonable to blame traffic jams, the cost of gas and the great speed of modern life, but manners on the road are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men would become fierce tigers behind the wheel. It is all right to have a tiger in a cage, but to have one in the driver’s seat is another matter altogether.
Road politeness is not only good manners, but good sense too. It takes the most cool-headed drivers great patience to give up the desire to beat back when forced to face rude driving．On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards reducing the possibility of quarrelling and fighting. A friendly nod or a wave of thanks in answer to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of good will and calm so necessary in modern traffic condition. But such behaviors of politeness are by no means enough. Many drivers nowadays don’t even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.
However, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who waves a child crossing the street at a wrong place into the path of oncoming cars that may be not able to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they want to. It always amazes me that the highways are not covered with the dead bodies of these grannies (奶奶).
An experienced driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if drivers learnt to correctly join in traffic stream without causing total blockages that give rise to unpleasant feelings. Unfortunately, modern drivers can’t even learn to drive. Years ago, experts warned us that the fast increase of the car ownership would demand more give-and-take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.
1. According to the passage, troubles on the road are often caused by .| A．road conditions | B．the speed of modern life |
| C．the large number of cars | D．the behavior of the drivers |
| A．drivers should show road politeness properly. |
| B．strict traffic rules are badly needed |
| C．unskillful drivers should be punished |
| D．drivers should avoid traffic jams |
| A．Road Politeness | B．Traffic Problems |
| C．Bad Manners on the Road | D．Good Drivers and Bad Driver |
【推荐3】Sydney Trains is one of the most economical, reliable and convenient ways to travel throughout Sydney and its surrounds.
Our network, the NSW Trains Intercity, covers suburban Sydney and extends to the Hunter, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands and South Coast regions.
The network is made up of several color-coded lines. Trains from different lines can share the same platform, so check display screen and listen to announcements.
Ticket prices are generally based on the distance traveled. You can visit transportnsw. Info for details.
Getting to the City.
In Sydney, if you’re near a train station, you’re on your way to the city. Every rail line leads directly or indirectly to the City Circle. It’s the loop around the central business district of Sydney. Most City stations are underground so look out for the sign on street level.
Automatic ticket gates
Large stations have automatic gates for entry to, and exit from, the station. If you have an Opal card or a ticket which has a magnetic stripe you must use the automatic gates. You may use the wide gate for wheelchair, pram or luggage access. Station staff will assist you.
Night Ride buses
Most trains do not operate between midnight and 4:00 a.m. For your convenience a special Night Ride bus service is available between these hours on most Sydney suburban lines.
Track work
In order for the tracks to the maintained, we sometimes have to replace train with buses, particularly at weekends, please check the track work section for the latest service alterations on your line.
1. To get more information about ticket prices, travelers had better________.| A．go to the City Circle |
| B．visit a website |
| C．check display screen |
| D．listen to announcements |
| A．A free Opal card. |
| B．Earlier entry to the station. |
| C．Help from station workers. |
| D．A ticket with a magnetic stripe. |
| A．At midnight. |
| B．On Sunday afternoon. |
| C．Between midnight and 4:00 a.m. |
| D．At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. |
【推荐1】Imagine, John Lennon’s most famous song was recently voted “Britain’s favourite song of all time”. It’s an idealistic song about peace and hope for a better world. “Imagine all the people living life in peace”. The song was a big hit in 1971 and again in 1981 Lennon was murdered in New York. It became a hit for a third time after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001.
But who really wrote the song? Until recently the answer to this question was always John Lennon. But on a TV program this week, Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono, spoke for the first time about how she in fact helped to write the song.
Ono said that the idea and inspiration (灵感) for Imagine came from some of her poems that John Lennon was reading at that time. The poems began with the word “Imagine”. Ono said, “During the Second World War, my brother and I were terribly hungry. I imagined delicious menus for him and he began to smile. If you think something impossible, you can imagine it and make it happen.”
In an interview just before he died, Lennon admitted that Yoko deserved credit for Imagine. He said a lot of it came from her, from her book of poems. Imagine this, imagine that.
Ono said that some of the song was written when they were flying across the Atlantic, and the rest was written on the piano in their bedroom at their home in England. Ono said, “The song speaks about John’s dream for the world. It was something he really wanted to say.” Imagine became a popular song for peace activists everywhere.
In March 2002, the airport in his hometown of Liverpool was renamed John Lennon Airport. A sign above the main entrance has a line from Imagine ‘Above us only sky’.
1. What does the author say about the song?| A．It expresses Lennon’s wish for world peace. |
| B．It’s the most popular song in the world. |
| C．It encourages listeners to use their imagination. |
| D．Imagine is closely related to Lenon’s death. |
| A．people’s smiles on their faces | B．his wife’s poems |
| C．his anger over World War II | D．some delicious menus |
| A．it’s the first airport in England to be named after a singer |
| B．Lennon’s support for the airport |
| C．it’s the place where Lennon’s dream came true |
| D．Lennon’s great influence |
| A．Why Was Imagine Written? | B．The Reasons Behind Imagine’s Success. |
| C．Who Wrote Imagine? | D．The Unknown Secret of John Lennon |
【推荐2】The three phases of life are increasingly a thing of the past. Where once working lives fitted neatly into the model of education, employment and then retirement, the simplicity of that division is being challenged by changing standards of the workforce.
Increasing numbers of workers, nearing their long-imagined transition into retirement, seem to be actively postponing the moment at which they down tools. Newly released figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown that there are over a million more over 50s in part-time work than a decade ago. And with nine out of 10 employers reporting difficulties hiring workers, there’s likely to be a growing market for their talents as bosses extend their searches to older people, including those who are willing to take on part-time responsibilities.
The ending of the three phases of working life isn’t simply down to people living longer or financial necessity － though those are certainly important factors － but also to an increasing desire to maintain a purposeful life. One survey of British retirees over 50 found that 85 per cent of them felt they’d retired too young – stopping working had left a void that they subsequently regretted.
The 2015 film The Intern conveyed this human need to have value. In it, Robert De Niro plays a 70-year-old widower who finds himself a fish out of water when he joins a trendy internet start-up. In the end, not only does he find the sense of belonging that he craves but his colleagues come to rely on his experience and different perspective. It’s a plot we can increasingly expect to play out in real-life offices over the decades to come as people live ever longer.
Already, we are seeing people in their 50s and 60s looking ahead to a retirement lasting 30 years, choosing instead to build second careers that they can maintain into their 70s or beyond. Freed from the financial burden of young children, they can prioritise flexibility, shorter working hours or more rewarding jobs in areas such as charity work or teaching. Many do it for no money at all, volunteering behind the till in charity shops or showing people round National Trust properties.
However, it’s the next generation where the effect of living longer will really be felt, and the financial necessity will start to bite. In the West, more than half of the children born in 2016 have a life expectancy of more than 100 years. In their book, The 100-Year Life, London Business School professors Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott suggest that acquiring sufficient funds to see oneself through a 40- or 50-year retirement will likely be beyond all but the highest earners.
Then there’s the often repeated claim that young people today are the first generation to be poorer than their parents. Certainly property prices are changing the way they plan for the future. In the mid-Nineties, the average home cost less than three times the average wage; last year, ONS stats placed that ratio at eight times wages.
The overall effect of these trends is that young people recognize that they will likely have to postpone dreams of retirement and instead strap on(绑住) more debt spread over longer spans. It’s why 44 per cent of under 30s say they expect to be working well into their 70s and why data this year from the Bank of England show that 16 per cent of UK mortgages(按揭贷款) now have terms of 35 years or more – a figure that has tripled in the past decade.
All of these factors look set to contribute to a workforce that has a significantly wider range of ages in the future. In an era of work when we’ve all learned to be more inclusive, only eight per cent of firms with a diversity programme have adapted it to go beyond gender, race and sexuality and into age. Incorporating older employees into the workforce is set to be the next big thing at the office.
If Robert De Niro has anything to teach us, it’s that this can be an enormous force for good for both employees and businesses.
1. What do the underlined words “down tools” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．stop working | B．undertake part-time jobs |
| C．learn a new skill | D．imagine the future life |
| A．a longer life | B．financial needs |
| C．a meaningful life | D．delayed retirement policy |
| A．tell us Robert De Niro is a helpful retiree |
| B．indicate that retirees can also benefit society |
| C．illustrate that retirees desire to live meaningfully |
| D．share Robert De Niro’s second career with us |
| A．Their life expectancy will be longer. |
| B．They will be richer than their parents. |
| C．They can live within their means. |
| D．They will fail to pay off their mortgage. |
| A．longing for a more purposeful life |
| B．inability to make their ends meet |
| C．a shorter term of mortgages |
| D．eagerness for experience from old employees |
| A．Different attitudes to retirement between the young and old. |
| B．Financial issues facing both old people and young people. |
| C．Age being no bar in the modern world of work. |
| D．The new standards of the workplace. |
【推荐3】It’s a common debate between couples — the perfect temperature to keep both warm but not hot. And the temperature’s setting often forms the basis of office arguments between women and men about the “correct” temperature. Research does often show women prefer a higher indoor temperature, compared with men. But why do women feel the cold more?
With the same body weight, women tend to have less muscle to produce heat. Women also have more fat between the skin and the muscles, so the skin feels colder, as it’s slightly further away from blood vessels. Women also tend to have a lower metabolic (新陈代谢) rate than men, which reduces heat production ability during cold exposure, making women more likely to feel cold as the temperature drops. Additionally, the hormones mainly found in women make women’s hands, feet and ears stay around three degrees Celsius cooler than men’s.
The phenomenon that women prefer warmer temperatures isn’t unique to humans. Studies on many species of birds and mammals report that males commonly gather in cooler areas where there is shade, while females and the young stay in warmer environments where there is sunlight. Male bats prefer to rest at the cool, high peaks of mountains, while females remain in the warmer valleys. Female mammals may have developed a preference for warmer climates to encourage them to rest with offspring (幼崽) during stages when the young are unable to regulate their own body temperature. So the difference between heat-sensing systems may provide an advantage.
Couples choosing separate blankets is one way to overcome the differences in temperature preferences. In the workplace, personal comfort systems are heating systems that heat or cool and can be locally placed in individual work stations such as desktops, chairs, or near the feet and legs. Examples include small desk fans, heated chairs and blankets, or footwarmers. These provide individualised thermal comfort (热舒适) to meet personal needs without affecting others in the same space, and have been found to produce higher comfort satisfaction in the workplace.
1. How does the author introduce the topic of the passage?| A．By giving daily examples. | B．By analyzing office rules. |
| C．By mentioning an experiment. | D．By sharing a personal experience. |
| A．They have less fat than men. | B．Their skin usually feels warmer. |
| C．Their heart rate is higher than men. | D．They are more sensitive to cold. |
| A．To show their preference for cold. |
| B．To provide more evidence for the findings. |
| C．To introduce the system of keeping warm. |
| D．To inform us of a new scientific debate. |
| A．Women have an advantage. |
| B．Why do women feel cold more? |
| C．How do we agree on the ideal temperature? |
| D．Biological differences between men and women. |
