Culdesac, which describes itself as “the first car-free neighborhood in the Us”, admitted its first 36 residents in Tempe, Arizona, US, earlier this year. The $170 million neighborhood, with its white buildings and narrow walkways, is expected to hold around 1, 000 people when the full 760 units are completed by 2025. Similar projects in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Houston, Texas, are also underway.
In a country as car-dependent as the US, Culdesac is no lack of foresight (远见). Although some densely populated (人口密集的) coastal Us cities like Boston and New York City are walkable and have ample public transportation options like taxis, buses and light rails, the majority of Americans are entirely dependent on cars to get around.
This dependence on cars doesn’t come cheap, unfortunately. In a 2023 study, the American Automobile Association said that it costs an average of about 89,000 yuan per year to own and maintain a car in the US.
So, what is stopping Americans from abandoning cars and accepting relatively cheaper choices like e-bikes? In a word, unsafe roads that prioritize cars over people. According to a 2018 report by WHO, the US traffic accident death rate is about 50 percent more than similar nations in Western Europe. At the same time, walkers and cyclists in the US are often blamed for being hit by drivers rather than the other way around.
Still, there’s hope. By choosing a new car-free way of living, US projects like Culdesac can provide another way of living that’s both healthier and more affordable and, in turn, influence others to live a better way as well. As Vanessa, a resident of Culdesac, said, “For some, cars equal freedom, but for me, it’s limitation, Freedom is being able to just simply walk out and access places. “
1. What can we learn about Culdesac from the text?| A．It is expected to hold only 1, 000 people, | B．It is the world’s largest car-free neighborhood, |
| C．It will be finished by the end of this year. | D．It is thought to be forward-thinking. |
| A．Enough. | B．Possible. | C．Similar. | D．Special. |
| A．Maintaining a car is cheap. | B．E-bikes are not widely available. |
| C．Road conditions are unsafe. | D．Drivers are respected by others. |
| A．Limiting freedom of movement. | B．Making local residents feel safer. |
| C．Encouraging people to explore their communities. | D．Promoting a cheaper and healthier way of living. |
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Why is this phenomenon occurring more than ever now? Experts have several theories, and all are probably partially correct. One suggestion is sheer overcrowding. In the last decade, the number of cars on the roads has increased by more than 11 percent, and the number of miles driven has increased by 35 percent. However, the number of new road miles has only increased by 1 percent. That means more cars in the same amount of space; and the problem is magnified in urban areas.
Also, people have less time and more things to do. With people working and trying to fit extra chores and activities into the day, stress levels have never been higher. Stress creates anxiety, which leads to short tempers. These factors, when combined in certain stations, can spell Road Rage.
You may think you are the last person who would drive aggressively, but you might be surprised. For instance, have you ever yelled out loud at a lower driver, sounded the born long and hard at another car, or sped up to keep another driver from passing? If you recognize yourself in any of these situations, watch out!
Whether you are getting angry at other drivers, or another driver is visibly upset with you, there are things you can do to avoid any major conflict. If you are easily influenced by road rage, the key is to discharge your emotion in a healthy way. If you are the target of another driver’s rage, do everything possible to get away from the other driver safely, including avoiding eye contact and getting out of their way.
1. Last year on the highways, .
| A．approximately two thirds of drivers were killed by road rages |
| B．road rage remained the No. 1 killer and took 41,907 people’s lives |
| C．more people were killed by aggressive driving than by drunk driving. |
| D．drunk driving was a problem more serious than aggressive driving. |
| A．Drivers’ stress and anxiety. |
| B．Rush hour traffic. |
| C．Increasing number of cars. |
| D．Overcrowded roads. |
| A．The bad results of road rage |
| B．How to discharge your emotion properly. |
| C．The practical ways to escape any fight on roads |
| D．People easily influenced by road rage |
【推荐2】Singapore’s public transport system is one of the best in the world, so you should have no problem finding your way around like a local. There are three main forms of public transport that you can find in any other major city: trains, buses and taxis.
TRAINS
Trains run from 6: 00 am to midnight. Single trip tickets start at 80 cents. If you buy an EZ- Link card for ＄ 15, you can ride the trains and buses as you like.
If you need more information, just call Transit Link at180-0767-4333
BUSES
There are several bus services in Singapore and fares start at 80 cents. Be sure to always ask the driver the cost of your ticket as he cannot give change.
If you need help, call Transit Link at 180-0767-4333
TAXIS
There are three main taxi companies, namely City Cab(6552-2222), Comfort Taxi(6552-1111) and Tibs(6552-8888). Booking can also be easy by calling the numbers listed above.
RENTAL CARS
Driving in Singapore is a pleasure and if you like to travel at your own pace, renting a car is a good choice. Renting takes away the hassle of getting to unwanted places around Singapore. You can directly go to destination(目的地). It also means you’ll get to see a lot more that a train or a bus won’t let you see.
For car rental, call Avis at 6737-1668.
1. What can you take by using an EZ-Link card?| A．Both buses and trains | B．Both buses and taxis |
| C．Only rental cars | D．Only trains |
| A．Charge | B．Benefit | C．Trouble | D．Pleasure |
| A．A local has no trouble finding his way around |
| B．It’s very convenient for us to travel in Singapore |
| C．It’s much cheaper to go around by bus than by train |
| D．We can see a lot more in Singapore only by renting a car |
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
【推荐3】On January 1, the Canadian city of Montreal is set to ban（禁止） the horse-drawn carriages on the street. Jean-Francois Parenteau, a spokesman for the city of Montreal, said "It is a tradition that has long been appreciated. But today, I think it is time to move on." He added that it is important for the city to "care about animals".
His speech was welcomed by Galahad, an organization that seeks to protect horses and had cam paigned（发起……运动） for the ban. Its founder, Chamie Angie Cadorette, said the horses faced hard working conditions.
"It is not just an hour a day. It is eight hours a day to go up and down the roads in traffic. The carriage owners are treating their animals very badly," she said.
"They say the animals are being abused. Prove it," said carriage business operator Luc Desparois. His company, which has 15 horses and employs 15 carriage drivers, recently led a legal battle against the ban and failed.
Nathalie Matte, another carriage operator in the city, said that the carriages had become an important part of Montreal's culture over the years. "They have been around since Montreal started and many people are clearly drawn to the beauty of the horses," he said.
Mujtaba Ali was visiting Montreal while traveling through Canada. "It's a special way to see the city rather than just taking the bus or the subway," he said.
After being pressured by animal rights groups for years, at first the city government had tried to satisfy the animal activists by banning the horses from the streets when summer temperatures rose. But they kept pushing for a total ban. A turning point happened in 2018 when a horse died on the street while pulling a carriage. The incident forced Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante to support the removal of horse-drawn carriages from the city. The ban is expected to put about 50 carriage operators and their horses out of work.
1. The latest law requires that| A．the horses be taken better care of |
| B．the carriage operators work shorter hours |
| C．the horses can only pull the carriages on cool days |
| D．the horse-drawn carriages shouldn't be allowed in the streets |
| A．Well trained. | B．Nicely fed. |
| C．Unfairly punished. | D．Cruelly treated. |
| A．The bad treatment of the horses by the tourists. |
| B．The government's support to remove the horses. |
| C．The sudden death of a working horse on the street. |
| D．The traffic problems caused by the horses in the city. |
| A．It is the best attraction. | B．It is a long-time tradition. |
| C．It is an important industry for the city. | D．It is the only way to see the city. |
【推荐1】Turning around corners, weaving through traffic, every second matters. It is neither a street race nor a 007 chase, but the risky journey of a sushi (寿司) roll.
The streets of China are filled with delivery drivers racing noodles, sandwiches and soups across cities. While the everyday consumer may find these services convenient, most do not realize the true cost of their delivery. How much is that late-night snack really worth?
Strict time limits are the main concern for delivery drivers. The Chinese delivery app Meituan decreased the maximum time allowance from 50 minutes to 30 or even 20. Time literally means money: Surpassing the limit can result in fines, which are paid to the firm rather than to the consumers. Yet, beyond fines, there is often a greater cost. According to Pandaily News, one delivery worker is injured or killed in accidents every 2.5 days in Shanghai and, sadly, companies seldom provide insurance claims when their time limits lead to these consequences. Drivers are pushed to break traffic rules and risk their lives so your sushi is not a minute late.
Furthermore, low wages and extensive working hours exacerbate these issues. Some companies in China take advantage of the economic inequalities between China’s large cities and less developed interior to offer extremely low pay to migrant delivery drivers while demanding long hours. Yet these long hours and low pay are common throughout the global delivery industry. In the United States, advertised earnings of $22 per hour are largely exaggerated while workers complain that food delivery apps rarely give them all their tips.
What is the solution? First, consumers should recognize what is behind their impossibly cheap and fast delivery: exploitation. We should expect more from the delivery app companies and less from their drivers. That is, we should pay more and wait longer while only ordering from companies who offer their drivers fair wages, insurance and a safe working environment. In the end, your sushi is just not worth it.
1. Who will be paid the fines for a delayed delivery?| A．The delivery firm. | B．The delivery worker. |
| C．The sushi restaurant. | D．The ordinary consumer. |
| A．Integrate. | B．Comprise. | C．Worsen. | D．Alleviate. |
| A．To indicate that delivery drivers shouldn’t expect much. |
| B．To emphasize that delivery companies should provide insurance. |
| C．To prove that the pay and working environment are better in the US. |
| D．To show that low pay and overwork are common issues in the industry. |
| A．The Harm of Delivery Services | B．The True Cost of Convenient Deliveries |
| C．The Overrated Popularity of Sushi | D．The Benefits and Problems of Delivery Apps |
【推荐2】We all know that little excitement from creating a popular post on Facebook. Watching the number of likes can be both attractive and addictive.
That same buzz (兴奋) can have its disadvantages, though. We all know the feeling of watching other people’s posts get unending positive feedback. We tell ourselves that the only reason why these people are getting attention is that they’re popular and good-looking. We sink into self-loathing (自我讨厌) and comparison. Therefore, after experimenting with hiding likes on Instagram in select countries, Facebook is exploring doing the same on its main platform.
That Facebook is considering this is encouraging. After years of appearing to ignore criticism about its effects on society, the company finally seems to be listening. However, there is a basic conflict between Facebook’s business model and its new-found altruism (利己主义). Relying on Facebook to look after its users’ mental health is a bit like asking McDonald’s to keep its customers’ blood pressure under control: At some point, a company’s need to make money is not in line with its supposed desire to do good.
The problem with likes is that they mark out how successful or happy others are, which in turn can promote a feeling of envy and insecurity. It’s a real phenomenon. However, Facebook would certainly want you to post things that get more likes. The company’s success relies upon you posting more and encouraging more “engagement” from other people so that the value of Facebook’s targeted ad business increase.
Facebook’s reliance on engagement is deep-rooted, and it destroys a supposed desire to prevent the platform from encouraging envy. Without a doubt, hiding likes can have some benefit, but the way Facebook is built means that this will always be a small step at best.
1. Why does Facebook try hiding likes on its main platform?| A．To catch more users’ eyes. |
| B．To reduce envy from other people. |
| C．To speed the operation of the platform. |
| D．To encourage users’ posting positive things. |
| A．Facebook focuses more on the users’ interests. |
| B．Facebook cares less about users’ mental health. |
| C．Facebook makes a lot of money from the users. |
| D．Facebook does better than McDonald’s in service. |
| A．The growth of value. | B．More users’ needs. |
| C．The increases of desire. | D．More users’ security. |
| A．Critical. | B．Positive. |
| C．Objective. | D．Indifferent. |
【推荐3】Dr. Melissa D. Young is a chemist and Certified Diabetes Educator at the American Association of Diabetes Educators who holds a very personal interest in advocating for annual flu vaccination (预防接种). Twelve years ago, her mother passed away after a flu infection. Young’s mother had a chronic (慢性的) lung condition, but she had refused to get a flu vaccine because she mistakenly thought it would make her suffer from the flu.
It’s a sad, but all too common story. According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of US adults who were hospitalized for flu infection in 2018-2019 with additional information available, 93 percent had at least one medical condition.
In the US, nearly half of all adults aged 45-64 years, and 80 percent of those aged 65 years and older, have multiple chronic health conditions that put them at high risk for flu-related complications, including heart attack, stroke, hospitalization, and even death. To address this public health threat, the medical community is working together to protect the most vulnerable (易受伤害的) patients.
Flu viruses cause a reaction that can last for several weeks following serious infection. This flu-related reaction can make existing chronic conditions worse, including heart disease, lung disease and diabetes. Additionally, adults with diabetes were six times more likely to be hospitalized and three times more likely to die from flu-related complications than people without diabetes.
Yet there remains low awareness of the importance of annual flu vaccination for adults with chronic health conditions. Despite the abundance of public health guidance urging people to get vaccinated each year, increasing flu vaccination rates has proven extremely difficult. Vaccination coverage among adults has increased slightly over the past decade, but remains about 40 percent, leaving more than half of US adults vulnerable each year.
1. Why does the author mention Young’s mother in paragraph 1?| A．To summarize the following paragraphs. |
| B．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| C．To show the background of the story. |
| D．To provide some advice for readers. |
| A．They influence each other. | B．They exist mainly in America. |
| C．They hardly happen to the young. | D．They are the main reasons for death. |
| A．Positive. | B．Flexible. |
| C．Uncertain. | D．Uncaring. |
| A．The benefits of flu vaccination |
| B．Flu infection is increasing in the USA |
| C．Flu infection is a threat for American adults |
| D．The difficulty in carrying out flu vaccination |
In less than four decades, Mr. Last claims we will live longer, have children in old age and rely on artificial intelligence to do ordinary and boring tasks. This shift is so significant, he claims, it is comparable to the change from monkeys to apes, and apes to humans. “Your 80 or 100 is going to be so radically different than your grandparents,” Mr. Last says, who believes we will spend much of our time living in virtual reality. Some evolutionary scientists believe this age could be as high as 120 by 2050.
Mr. Last claims humans will also demonstrate
Instead of living fast and dying younger, Mr. Last believes humans will live slow and die old. “Global society at the moment is a complete mess,” he told MailOnline. “But in crisis there is opportunity, and in apocalypse (启示) there can be transformation. So I think the next system humanity creates will be far more sophisticated, fair, and abundant than our current civilization.”
“I think our next system will be as different from the modern world, as our contemporary world is from the medieval (中世纪的) world. The biological clock isn't going to be around forever,” he added, and said that people could pause it for some time using future technology.
The change is already happening. Today, the average age at which a woman in Britain has her first baby has been rising steadily stands at 29. 8. In the US, just one percent of first children were born to women over the age of 35 in 1970. By 2012, that figure rose to 15 percent.
“As countries become socio-economically advanced, more and more people, especially women have the option to engage in cultural reproduction,” Mr. Last added. And as well as having more child-free years to enjoy leisure time, he believes artificial intelligence will make up the need for low-skill jobs. We may also spend a large amount of time living in virtual reality. “I’m not quite sure most people have really absorbed the implications of this possibility,” Mr. Last said.
His views are detailed in a paper, titled “Human Evolution, Life History Theory, and the End of Biological Reproduction" published Current Aging Science.
1. According to Cadell Last, a completely new type of human will appear because of ______.
① artificial intelligence ② new technology ③ natural selection ④ mundane tasks
⑤ behavior
| A．②③⑤ | B．①②③ | C．③④⑤ | D．①②⑤ |
| A．We have diseases and die young. |
| B．We spend less time in virtual reality. |
| C．We give birth to a child when we are young. |
| D．We use intelligent robots to do everyday housework. |
| A．Reproduction. |
| B．Reproduce less. |
| C．Natural selection shapes key events. |
| D．Organisms need more energy and time to ripen. |
| A．women are engaged in careers or hobbies instead of giving birth to babies |
| B．women are engaged in playing computer games rather than working |
| C．women are engaged in cultural reproduction in place of men |
| D．women are engaged in living in virtual reality without options |
【推荐2】When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your grudge. But forgiveness is possible－and it can be surprisingly helpful to your physical and mental health. Indeed, research has shown that people who forgive have more energy, better appetite (胃口) and better sleep pattern. “People who forgive show less anger and more hopefulness,”says Dr. Frederic Luskin, who wrote the book Forgive for Good. “So it can help save on the wear and tear on our body and make people feel more energetic.”
So when someone has hurt you, calm down first. Take plenty of breaths deeply and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, someone you love. Don’t wait for an apology. “Many times the person who hurt you may never think of apologizing,” says Dr. Luskin. “They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things the same way. So if you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting a very long time.” Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean accepting the action of the person who upset you. Mentally going over your hurt gives power to the person who brought you pain. Instead, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you. Finally, try to see things from the other person’s perspective. You may realize that he or she was acting out of ignorance(无知), fear, even love. To achieve the perspective, you may want to write a letter to yourself from that person’s point of view.
1. The underlined word “grudge” in the first paragraph most probably means ________.| A．anger | B．forgiveness |
| C．understanding | D．pity |
| A．Forgiveness keeps yourself from being hurt. |
| B．Forgiveness helps stay mentally healthy. |
| C．Forgiving others does good to your health. |
| D．Forgiving yourself is the biggest challenge. |
| A．Try to figure out why you get hurt. |
| B．Writer a letter to the person who hurt you. |
| C．Persuade yourself to accept what others have done to you. |
| D．Think about pleasant things and forget about the hurt. |
| A．people seldom want to apologize |
| B．we’d feel worse accepting others’ apology |
| C．we are not patient enough |
| D．people don’t mean it when they apologize |
【推荐3】When Mark Twain first set eyes on Honolulu in 1866, he observed that the trees were so thick that they blocked the sunlight, rocks from past volcanic eruptions covered the corals — and lovely cats were everywhere.
Nearly 160 years later, however, the descendants (后代) of the cats that so pleased Twain are now widely seen as a threat to the islands. The wild cat, explains the Hawaii Invasive (侵入的) Species Council (HISC), has become one of the state’s most “disastrous” animals.
Cats were first brought to Hawaii aboard European colonists’ ships, where they killed rats and mice. As their number in their new home grew during the 19th century, birds started to disappear. At least 30 types of native bird became rarer or went extinct between 1870 and 1930 as they were exposed to their new enemies, according to the US Geological Survey.
Toxoplasmosis (弓形虫病) is a disease caused by a parasite (寄生虫) that reproduces in the digestive systems of cats, and then pollutes soil and water through their faces (粪便). A new study determined that two spinner dolphins found on the Hawaiian coast died of toxoplasmosis. From these findings the authors suggest that at least 60 spinner dolphins have died of the parasite over the past 30 years.
A bill that could have directed the HISC to kill cats using poisoned food, as Australia has done, died in the state legislature earlier this year. Animal-lovers prefer to focus on catching wild cats, removing their sex organs and releasing them so that they have no kittens. But HISC contends that such programmes do not actually help control cat numbers. Ms West suggests that people are too quick to blame the cats, when there is another cruel animal. “People have to stop abandoning these poor cats,” she says. “It’s not really a cat problem. It’s a human problem.”
1. What’s the purpose of Paragraph 1?| A．To stress Mark Twain’s impression on cats. | B．To urge people to show love to cats. |
| C．To indicate the change of cats in the history. | D．To lead in the topic of the wild cats in Hawaii. |
| A．The loss of habitat. | B．The infectious disease. |
| C．The increase of cats. | D．The polluted food. |
| A．Solutions to the problem. | B．Influence on the society. |
| C．Discovery of the phenomenon. | D．Outcome of the situation. |
| A．Species Invasion Is Common in Hawaii | B．Wild Cats Have Invaded Hawaii |
| C．Humans Caused the Increase of Cats | D．Getting Rid of Wild Cats in Hawaii |
