【推荐3】Like reading? Interested in Chinese classical novels? Have a look at the following four books which are we known to most Chinese as Four Masterpieces.

The Water Margin

The Water Margin, also known as All Men Are Brothers in Pearl Buck’s translation, Shui Hu Zhuan in Chinese, is along chapter novel with the Song Jiang Uprising in the late Northern Song Dynasty as the main background and type of heroic legend. It is an immortal (不朽的) novel and has inspired many storytellers. The author of the novel is generally regarded as Shi Nai’an (1296~1371).

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is the first full-length historical romance novel in China. Its author is Luo Guan zhong (about 1330~1400), a famous novelist in the late Yuan Dynasty and the early Ming Dynasty. Characters such as Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhuge Liang have become household names among the Chinese.

Journey to the West

Journey to the West is the first romantic chapter novel about gods and devils in ancient China. There are 100 copies of Journey to the Westin the existing Ming Publications without the author’s signature. Wu Yuxuan, a scholar of the Qing Dynasty, first proposed that the author of Journey to the West was Wu Cheng’en (1500~1582) of the Ming Dynasty.

The Dream of the Red Chamber

The Dream of the Red Chamber, also called The Story of the Stone, is said to be the greatest masterpiece of Chinese fiction. It is generally believed to be written by Cao Xueqin (about 1715~1763), a writer of the Qing Dynasty. With hundreds of persons and their stories, the story is very complex but also very interesting for its encyclopedic character(百科全书式的人物).

1. Which book should people read if they want to know something about the character Song Jiang?

A．The Water Margin.	B．Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
C．Journey to the West.	D．The Dream of the Red Chamber.

2. Who lived in the 16th century?

A．Shi Nai’an.

B．Luo Guanzhong.

C．Wu Cheng’en.

D．Cao Xueqin.

3. What column (专栏) in a magazine might the passage come from?

A．Health.

B．Literature.

C．Sports.

D．Science.

【推荐1】Laundry day isn’t exactly fun for most people, but it can be quite unpleasant for the Earth. Washing clothes can release microplastics that are accumulating in the world’s waterways at alarming rates.     1     . Here are some expert-backed strategies to turn laundry day greener.

·Choose efficient machines

The machines you use have a significant effect on the amount of energy and water you save or waste.     2     , while newer, high-efficiency washers use less water and energy with lower temperatures and higher spin speeds. Therefore, it makes more sense economically and environmentally to upgrade machines.

·     3    

Avoid small loads, but don’t crowd a machine, which can make it work harder. And take a look at the amount of detergent(洗涤剂)you’re using. The extra detergent will be harder to clean out, extending washing and drying times.     4    

·Read up on green products

Companies large and small have met consumer demand for products with no harsh chemicals.     5     . Don’t buy products with lots of chemicals you can’t identify or pronounce. And don’t forget the packaging. Powdered or solid products are easier to package and ship than liquids.

A．Wash clothes by hand

B．Rethink your laundry habits

C．They use less energy than standard models

D．Older appliances can waste many resources

E．But not all products are what they claim to be

F．Two to three tablespoons for detergents are enough

G．Luckily it’s getting easier to clean your clothes while staying green

【推荐2】The Latest and Greatest Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

At this point, we know that we’re facing a climate crisis. CO_₂ levels are at their highest in 650,000 years, which is why we’ve heard a lot about our “carbon footprint.”

    1     Essentially, your carbon footprint is the amount of CO_₂ emissions(排放) resulting from each of your daily activities, as well as the products you consume. Whether you realize it or not, it affects the environment. So, how can we reduce our carbon footprint?     2    

Change to smart light bulbs(灯泡)

You’ve probably already made the change from traditional light bulbs to energy-efficient LED bulbs. That’s a great first step, but you can do one better by changing to smart LED bulbs.     3     These bulbs can wirelessly connect to the Internet and most importantly, your smartphone, enabling you to turn on the lights or change the color easily.

Use a notebook computer instead of a desktop computer

Consider getting a notebook instead of a desktop, because it uses less energy. Specifically, notebooks use up to 80 percent less electricity than desktops, using between one-fifth and one-third as much energy.     4     Notebook computers are an additional 20 percent more power efficient when running on AC adapter(适配器) power over battery power.

Rethink your transportation strategy

Not everyone has the option of walking, biking, or taking public transportation to work, but if you do, those are the best ways to reduce your transportation-related carbon footprint.     5     If this is the case, you may want to consider using an electric car. While only a few years ago these cars seemed imaginary, they’re now pretty standard, and electric charging stations are getting more common.

Taking these very workable steps is a good start. Doing your part to protect the planet can be as easy as making small, strategic changes to your everyday routine.

A．What makes them smart?

B．Besides, an added benefit exists.

C．But, what exactly is a carbon footprint?

D．However, in a lot of places, this simply isn’t possible.

E．Not only are they more convenient, but they are money-saving.

F．Making some small changes in your daily life can make a difference.

G．Make a list of all the environmentally friendly things you do, and all the unfriendly ones.

【推荐1】Representatives from around China gather in Beijing every five years for the National Congress of the communist Party of China (中共二十大).

This year, a total of 2,296 representatives were elected to attend the 20th National Congress of the CPC, which convened (召开) on Oct 16.

◆What do the representatives do?

The Congress will review the work of the CPC over the past five years, map out the course for the future, and elect a new central leadership.

The representatives will reflect the opinions and demands of Party members and the public, discuss and decide on the Party’s major issues, and elect new central leadership and a new top anti-graft watchdog (反贪监察机构).

◆Who can become a representative

The representatives are elected from 38 electoral units across the country. They are outstanding Party members who are highly qualified both ideologically (意识形态上) and political, have a good work style and high moral standards, are sill in discussing State affairs and have great achievements in their work.

Among the representatives are Party members in leadership positions and those working on the front lines. Women and people from ethnic minority (少数民族) groups as well as people with backgrounds in economics, science and technology, political and legal afire, education, culture, health and sports, among others, all have representation.

This ensures Party members at the grassroots level are more effectively represented when representatives make decisions on the Party’s key issues at the Congress, according to China Daily.

1. How often is the National Congress of CPC launched?

A．Every four years.	B．Every fifth year.
C．Every fourth year.	D．Every few years.

2. Which of the following is Not true?

A．The representatives will state the opinions and needs of the people.

B．The representatives will make decisions on the Party’s major issues.

C．People from the grassroots have little choice to be represented.

D．Woman and people from all walls of life can have representation.

3. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To call on people to join CPC.

B．To recommend representatives of CPC.

C．To explain what is the National Congress of CPC.

D．To inform us when the National Congress of CPC is held.

【推荐2】Automated systems make it easier for the pilots to control the planes. But they are also causing problems.

The challenge of what engineers call the “human-machine interface” has tragically gained attention after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 on Match 10th.Eyewitnesses reported that shortly after departing Addis Ababay, the aircraft climbed and dived repeatedly. The pilots of Boeing 737 MAX 8 struggled with an automated safety system that falsely tried to prevent the aircraft from losing speed by lowering its nose.

Although authorities around the world have forbidden the model to fly. Boeing insists that it is fit to fly. The company is updating the MAX’s automated flight-control software to make it easier for pilots to assume manual control. Boeing and Airbus both pack their planes with computers that do most of the flying.

Incidents are not limited to aviation. In Wastington D.C. automated trains have largely been out of service since 2009, when a faulty electric line made a stopped train invisible to the safety system on the one behind it. A series of accidents involving self-driving cars may have been caused by sensors’ failure to recognize objects in the road, and drivers’ failing to respond fast enough.

Studies have shown that when people must regain control from an automated system, it can take them around five seconds to grasp what is happening. The boredom of monitoring a semi-automated vehicle may reduce attention by causing “passive” tiredness. Such concerns have led some carmakers, Ford among them, to consider skipping semi-automation and go straight to full autonomy. That would remove the human-machine interface — but not humans’ machine-induced fears.

1. What made the plane, Boeing 737 MAX 8, rise and fall several times?

A．The pilots’ wrong control.	B．The falling of the plane’s nose.
C．The human-machine interface.	D．The safety system’s incorrect measures.

2. Why did the Boeing company renew the flight control software?

A．To do a test on the plane.

B．To help the plane to fly again.

C．To compete with the other company, Airbus.

D．To make it easier for the pilots to get back the control power.

3. Why did some companies consider getting rid of the human-machine interface?

A．To avoid the disadvantages of mankind in operating machines.

B．To reduce the dullness of watching machines.

C．To follow the future trend of machine controlling.

D．To help people to overcome the fears for machines.

4. What does the underlined word “That” refer to in the last paragraph?

A．The carmaker, Ford.	B．Fully automatic machines.
C．The tiredness of driving.	D．Monitoring the machines.