【推荐1】Recently, a new kind of tourism has sprung up in China. Called “special forces style tourism”, this new kind of tourism features visiting multiple scenic interests in a short, intense period, most often on weekends. It is popular among college students, reported China Youth Daily.

Yu Yinghua in Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance is one of them. The 22-year-old started the “special forces style tourism” in March after she was attracted by such experiences of Xiaohongshu travel bloggers. “Confined (限制) to the school for almost three years due to the pandemic, I’m hungry to take trips in my spare time, ” said Yu.

Her most recent trip was to Shanghai. Starting at 7 am, the 22-year-old visited nine local attractions. “That day, I walked almost 30, 000 steps,” Yu said, “Though it’s a bit tiring, I enjoy the trip as much as day-long trips. It still lets me have a better understanding of the cities I go to. ” Unlike Yu who traveled in nearby cities, Chen Junjun, a doctoral student at Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, CAS, likes to travel far to rid herself of academic stress. In April, the 24-year-old took a two-day trip to Xi’an, Shaanxi. During her trip, she visited all the scenic sites in the city. “Juggling (同时应付) many academic responsibilities, such a trip can bring a splash of color (一抹亮色) to my stressful life!” said Chen.

Even so, the 24-year-old added that such tourism is not suitable for everyone. Chen said that it’s labor-consuming as visitors have to see as many sites as possible in an intensive (集中的) period. To some extent, such trips are not flexible as long-day trips in which you can change your plan as you like. “Thus, abundant energy and a calm mind are necessary for special forces style tourism, ” said Chen.

1. What can we infer about special forces style tourism from the text?

A．It is labor-consuming but rewarding.

B．It is popular with all people in China.

C．It features visiting multiple scenic interests in a relaxing way.

D．It is flexible as long-day trips in which you can change your plan as you like.

2. Which of the following is NOT the reason why people take to this new kind of tourism?

A．It can bring relief to our stressful life.

B．It can contribute to learning more about the sites.

C．It can help save time and money while enjoying the sites better.

D．Confined for almost three years due to the pandemic, people long to take trips.

3. What are required for special forces style tourism?

A．Enough energy and calmness.

B．Good outfit and an open mind.

C．Rich experience and willpower.

D．Abundant fund and a calm mind.

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．A new kind of tourism has sprung up.

B．Special forces style tourism is well-received worldwide.

C．College students like visiting scenic interests on weekends.

D．College students challenge themselves by traveling on a tight schedule.

【推荐3】Be a Better Traveler in the Over-tourism Era

Travel has become as accessible as McDonald’s, reaching a new high as global tourist arrivals reached 1.4 billion last year. In 1995, global arrivals numbered only 525 million.

As a father of two kids, I am the first to celebrate the drop in costs brought on by air-travel market liberalization, the rise of discount airlines, a revolution in accommodations thanks to the likes of Books.com and Airbnb, and mobile devices installed with the best maps and travel guides the world has ever known. I’m also happy for the retailers, hoteliers, museum keepers and others who have benefited financially from the tourism boom.

I can’t help but wonder, though, what we are actually seeing as we travel these days. More people are travelling, but many are visiting the same places. Is a forest of selfie sticks what I wanted to show my daughter at the Louvre? When was the last time I set food on Prague’s main square without being elbowed a dozen times? Is a trip to Barcelona complete if you have to avoid every famous location for fear of being trampled (踩踏)?

Cities can not do much about this — they can’t very well close airports, force airlines to fly less frequently or increase their prices. Raising the cost of air travel, overall or to specific destination, will never be popular. Many will object it on the grounds that travel shouldn’t be just for the rich, and it’ll hurt the residents of cities troubled with over-tourism.

So what should travelers do? Stay home? That’s unlikely. But if you are heading for some of the world’s most popular destinations, rethink your bucket list (愿望清单). You should be open to venturing beyond the obvious. Even if you are set on visiting an iconic site, consider going at an off-peak time.

The biggest thing to keep in mind, no matter where you travel, is to be well-researched, respectful and genuinely curious about the destination. Don’t fall victim to what people call “selfie culture” and “bucket list culture”. Treat the destination as you would do to your own home - not as a “hidden gem” that you throw money at to get certain experience you feel entitled to.

1. Which of the following is NOT the cause of the drop in travelling costs according to the author?

A．The rise of discount airlines.

B．The freedom to choose transport

C．The popularization of mobile devices.

D．The appearances of Booking.com and Airbnb.

2. According to the passage, why might some people oppose raising the cost of air travel?

A．It would result in a decrease in airport security.

B．It would lead to fewer people travelling overall.

C．It would hurt the residents of tourism-dependent cities.

D．It would encourage a “bucket list culture.”

3. What does the author mean by saying “Cities can not do much about this”?

A．Facing the trouble of over-tourism, cities lack feasilbe measure.

B．Those cities as famous tourist destinations are not only for the rich.

C．Cities with over-tourism can’t deal with protests among travelers.

D．Cities with over-tourism can stop people making trips there.

4. What should people do to be a better traveler in the over-tourism era?

A．Set on a journey at an on-peak time.	B．Avoid visiting an iconic site
C．Raise the cost of air travel.	D．Be willing to explore new sites.

【推荐1】So called “never-marrieds” are one of the fastest-growing groups in America, according to the US Census Bureau. More than 40 percent of the adult population are singles, and 10 percent of all adults will never marry, according to the recent statistics. In less than 30 years, the number of people who have never walked down the aisle(通道) has more than doubled, as the average age of marriage has reached a historic high: 25 years for women, and 27 years for men.

Why is America becoming more and more a nation of singles? “People are being more demanding. It’s a soul mate(配偶) or nothing, when a generation ago, less than half the people said something similar to that,” relationship expert Laura Berman told Good Morning America.

A recent Rutgers University study found 94 percent of people between the age of 20 and 29 agreed to the statement: “When you marry, you want your partner to be your soul mate, first and foremost(最重要的).”

In addition to that, modern women are able to support themselves, and do not need men for their money, Berman said. Some are buying homes for themselves. “They need a man for improving their lives, but not for creating them.” she said. Gillian Thomas, a 33-year-old lawyer in Philadelphia, is part of the growing group. Attractive and successful, she has simply not found the right person to marry, and sees no reason to settle for less. “I feel internal(内部的) pressure to find a soul mate and I think we all do,” Thomas says. “I don’t think it’s just women. I think that in this sort of post-feminist(后女权主义) generation we all feel like we can have it all.”

Singles often depend on a “family” of friends, who do everything from helping to paint each other’s apartments to taking vacations together, said freelance(自由职业) writer Ethan Watters, a single 37-year-old.

He has maned these groups “urban tribes”, and is writing a book on the subject. But only the name is new.

The comfort of these “urban tribes” may delay marriage, but they don’t rule marriage out. Indeed, there may be some good news for those who wait, Watters says. As the average age of marriage has risen, statistics say that divorce rates have leveled off. Could the urban tribes be on to something?

1. As is given in this passage, why are there more and more ‘never-marrieds” in America?

A．More and more young Americans enjoy single life.

B．More Americans are afraid of marriage failure.

C．American government supports its people to live a single life.

D．Young Americans have higher expectations of marriage.

2. According to Laura Berman, the aim of modern American women to marry is to ________.

A．have a soul mate to deal with their trouble

B．find a man to provide houses and fortune for them

C．find a man to make their lives better

D．have a soul mate to create better lives for them

3. It can be inferred from the passage that when American singles have something in trouble, they often ________.

A．go back to their parents for help

B．go to travel to escape the trouble

C．go to their friends for help

D．have the expectation of finding a soul mate

4. The author’s attitude towards marriage in American is ________.

A．concerned

B．objective

C．approved

D．pessimistic

【推荐2】When it comes to the ACT(American College Test) vs. the SAT'(Scholastic Aptitude Test), both exams are widely accepted by U.S. colleges. It often leads students to ask: Which test should I take? The answer to that question lies in understanding the differences between the two tests.

Both college admissions exams are wildly popular. In the class of 2019, a reported 2.2 million test-takers completed the SAT while 1.8 million students took the ACT. It is unclear how many students took both, but experts say it is common practice for a test-taker to deal with both exams. “More and more students in the last 5 to 10 years are taking both, ” says Joe Korfmacher, director of an admissions consulting company. But despite this, the tests vary in structure and timing as well as the content matter and scoring.

Students hoping to find the easier testing option are out of luck. These are high-stakes tests; neither of them is going to be easy. To help students make their decision, experts suggest they begin with a practice test and see which exam is best suited for them. The two exams may have appeal to different types of students. Experts advise that students with a strong English background may choose the ACT, which puts more emphasis on verbal skills. But for students who are strong in math, the SAT may reflect that much better.

The SAT costs $49.50 for the test only and $64.50 if the optional essay-is included. The ACT costs $52 for only the exam and $68 if the optional writing test is included. Additional fees may apply for other options, such as late registration.

Regardless of which test students decide to take, the idea behind both exams is similar: to demonstrate college readiness. To help students be successful, experts offer strategic test-prep tips. Some are simple, such as bringing a snack on the test day and taking breaks when offered. Others require much more time and deliberation on the part of the student, such as identifying and working on weak spots in testing.

1. What do we know about the applicants for the ACT and SAT?

A．They mostly take the exams to demonstrate their language skills.

B．A majority of them come from English-speaking countries.

C．They usually prefer taking the ACT rather than the SAT.

D．A growing number of them take both of the exams.

2. Which of the following will experts agree with?

A．The ACT is more difficult to sign up for.

B．Students should place emphasis on English.

C．Students should take as many practice tests as possible.

D．The SAT is more suitable for students doing well in math.

3. How much should an applicant taking both the exams without the writing parts pay?

A．$101.5.

B．$114.

C．$118.5.

D．$120.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．The ACT vs. the SAT: Which Test to Choose	B．How to Be Successful on the ACT and SAT
C．Application Processes for Studying Abroad	D．Advice on Taking College Admissions Exams

【推荐3】The industrial revolution was the biggest transformation in economic history. For centuries scholars have sought to understand why this process occurred in Britain around 1750. But opinions vary and some explanations are hard to prove. Researchers are now testing theories by studying why similar parts of Britain industrialized at different rates. New papers have provided evidence for a few key factors: slave-owners’ wealth, businesspersons who stood to benefit from investing, and shortages of lower-skilled workers.

Industrialization requires investment. To measure the impact of available wealth, Hans-Joachim Voth analyzed geographic variation in ownership of plantations (种植园). The wealth that Britons gained from slaves in South America flowed mainly to a few cities, such as Liverpool. By the 1830s these regions had large numbers of cotton mills and shares of workers employed in manufacturing. Other factors could have made these areas both gather wealth from slavery and industrialize quickly. But the paper tries to study slavery’s impact using slave ships’ voyages. Long journeys, caused mainly by bad weather, reduced the share of the survival of slaves and thus traders’ profits. And among similar areas, shorter trips in the 1830s meant faster industrialization.

Investors still needed to be financially driven to buy machines. In early modern Britain, most tenant farmers paid fixed rents, stopping both workers who moved elsewhere and landlords from profiting from investment. However, in 1536－40 Henry VIII ended the monasteries (修道院) and sold their land. The buyers could farm or rent it on market terms. A study by Leander shows that areas once owned by monasteries were the pioneers of industrialization. By the 1830s they had unusually large numbers of workers in trades and crafts, agricultural- machine patents(专利), textile workshops and grain separators. Those market-based farms created a commercial class and became a driving force for technological advances.

Another factor that has gained support is labour shortages. Mr. Voth studied Britain’s wars with France in 1793－1815, when there was a workforce shortage. They found that adoption of devices replacing manual labour was greatest in areas where the most men joined the army.

The strength of evidence for each of these causes implies that industrialization probably required a complex mix of conditions. Many important factors are hard to test statistically. But measuring even a few is a promising advance.

1. What is true about Voth’s study about slave ownership?

A．Liverpool grew fat on the basis of the slave trade.

B．Slaves could hardly find jobs in manufacturing industry.

C．The parts with more slaves were slower to industrialize.

D．Longer slave ships’ voyages meant greater traders’ profits.

2. What was the result of Henry VIII’s ending the monasteries and selling their land?

A．It encouraged agricultural development.

B．It promoted an increasing market economy.

C．It cut across the line of race and religion.

D．It raised money for the industrial revolution.

3. What message did the author want to convey by mentioning Britain’s wars with France?

A．Manual labor should be highly valued by the government.

B．Social and political problems may lead to the outbreak of wars.

C．Most men were reluctant to join the army because of financial burdens.

D．Modern machines were invented massively due to the workforce shortage.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．The Geographic Variation in the Industrial Revolution

B．The Role Slave-owners Play in the Industrial Revolution

C．Causes of the Industrial Revolution Identified by New Studies

D．The Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Britain’s Economy