Have you ever visited the Forbidden City? This year is its 600th birthday. It is the world's largest palace and has over 17 million visitors every year. But if we traveled back to the past, we probably wouldn't be allowed inside.
In the past, all buildings in Beijing were low except the Forbidden City. From outside, ordinary（普通的）people could only imagine what it looked like inside.
The Forbidden City takes up 720, 000 square meters in the heart of Beijing. It was built from 1406 to 1420 by the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the Yongle Emperor. After that, it was the living and working place of 14 emperors of the Ming Dynasty and 10 emperors of the Qing Dynasty.
During those times, the Forbidden City was where the country's supreme power（最高权力）could be found. Emperors were born, lived, fought and died there. It saw the highs and lows of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and it plays a very important part in Chinese history.
The cultural relics（遗物）and documents（文件）in the palace show how the royal families lived. They are still used today for historical research, as well as inspiration for literature（文学）and entertainment（娱乐）.
In 1987, the Forbidden City was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. For world leaders who visit China, it has become a must-see. In 2017, when US President Donald Trump paid a state visit to China President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan welcomed Trump and his wife there.
1. The Forbidden City was built _________.| A．in1406 | B．in 1420 | C．from 1406 to 1420 |
| A．Because it saw the highs and lows of the Ming and Qing dynasties. |
| B．Because it was the place where the emperors were born and grew up. |
| C．Because it is the place people want to visit most. |
| A．The pictures of the Forbidden City |
| B．The cultural relics and the documents in the palace |
| C．The buildings in Beijing |
| A．一定看见 | B．一定明白 | C．必看之地 |
| A．The Forbidden City. |
| B．The emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties. |
| C．The life of royal families. |
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Disneyland has always been the dream vacation for kids throughout the world. However, Shanghai Disneyland has recently caught people’s attention through a lawsuit(官司).
The suit was brought by a college student Wang, who is from East China University of Political Science and Law. She refused after being told to either throw away the snacks she had brought in the backpack or eat them up. Wang argued with the park security and then made phone calls to the police and to official hot lines like 12345 and 12315, however, none worked. In order to get into the park, she gave up the snacks, which were worth 46.3 yuan.
Wang brought the case to the People’s Court Pudong New Area, where the theme park is located. The case was heard on April 23. Shanghai Disneyland replied in August with its “no outside food” policy and said that the rule is “consistent(一致) with many other theme parks across China” and “guests are welcome to enjoy their own food and drinks outside the park”.
This is not the first time that Disney has been accused. In June last year, a lawyer Jun accused Shanghai Disneyland of overpriced food in the park. The next month, Liu Demin, a father accused the park of charging his ten-year-old son a full fare ticket instead of half price.
Disney has owned 6 theme park resorts all over the world. Three parks in America and France do not have such rules as “no outside food” policy, while the three in China and Japan, as Asian countries, don’t allow tourists to take in outside food. In addition, customers are not informed about the rule when they book park tickets on the computer. No tips are listed on the official website of Disney. People can only get to know the certain rule at the end of the page when they buy tickets through smart phones.
1. In _________, customers can bring food and drinks into Disneyland.| A．Paris. | B．Hong Kong. | C．Shanghai. | D．Tokyo. |
① Wang gave up her snacks and got into the park.
② Shanghai Disney park replied with its “no outside food” policy.
③ Wang called the police and official hot lines.
④ Wang was refused to get into the park with snacks in her backpack.
⑤ Wang brought the case to the court.
| A．②④③①⑤ | B．④③①⑤② | C．④①③⑤② | D．①②④③⑤ |
| A．Wang’s case this year was the first time that Disney has been accused. |
| B．The college student Wang accused Shanghai Disneyland of its expensive food. |
| C．Guests are allowed to enjoy their own food and drinks outside Shanghai Disneyland. |
| D．Customers know about “no outside food” policy at the end of the computer page. |
| A．health | B．food | C．travel | D．fashion |
【推荐2】We know the 2020 Tokyo Olympic didn’t start until 2021 because of NCP (新冠肺炎).
But do you know which city will be the one after that?
On Sept 13, 2017, IOC gave us the answer.
Paris will host the Olympic Games in 2024 and Los Angeles will be the next in 2028. This is the first time that IOC has chosen (选择) two host cities at the same time, reported Xinhua. Both countries are happy to bring home the Games.
Paris hosted two Olympics before. It will host the Games 100 years after its last Games in 1924. For the United States, the event goes back to the country since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
The two cities already have more than 90 percent of the facilities (设施) for the Games. This will help them to spend less money.
1. When did the Tokyo Olympic start?| A．In 1924. | B．In 2017. | C．In 2020. | D．In 2021. |
| A．Tokyo. | B．Los Angeles. | C．Atlanta. | D．Paris. |
| A．Once. | B．Twice. | C．Three times. | D．Four times. |
| A．they’re happy to bring home the Games |
| B．they will help each other host the games |
| C．they already have most of the facilities |
| D．they hold ninety percent of the Games |
【推荐3】I’m usually sad to say goodbye to my cousins after visiting them in Australia. But last June I wasn’t. We had to change planes in the Middle East on the way back and had to stay overnight. I just couldn’t wait to get to our hotel. How exciting it was!
The first thing I noticed in the hotel was all the glass. It was really bright, so I don’t know why all the lights were on in the building! There was also loud rock music playing inside, which I loved, but my parents didn’t! There weren’t many people waiting at the reception, so we were soon in our rooms.
The garden wasn’t what I expected. “Dad”, I said, “you told me there was a pool!” He took me back into the reception area and then up in the lift to the 39th floor and out onto the top of the building. “Here it is”, he said. It was amazing! Swimming under the clouds was awesome.
I’ve stayed in some great hotels around the world, but no one was as cool as that one. I saw photographs of it before I went, but they don’t really show how large the building is. I couldn’t believe it. Everything is huge — the building, the pool, the meals which were delicious, too, by the way! There’s so much to do and see there. I hope we can go back again and stay for longer.
1. The writer says the last June, she felt ________.| A．excited about where she was going | B．sad because she was leaving her cousins |
| C．angry because her journey was put off | D．surprised because of the changes |
| A．It was dark. | B．It was quiet. | C．It was busy. | D．It was noisy. |
| A．It was in the hotel garden. | B．It was on the top of the building. |
| C．It was close to the hotel’s reception area. | D．It was up in the lift. |
| A．She hasn’t visited any hotels in her life. |
| B．She didn’t have time to see everything in the hotel. |
| C．She didn’t know the hotel is so big before she came here. |
| D．She didn’t like the hotel at all. |
| A．To describe what the hotel looks like. | B．To say how the hotel could improve. |
| C．To explain why she loved the hotel. | D．To make an advertisement for the hotel. |
【推荐1】How fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them? Never fear: An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush, and it lets you track your performance on your phone.
The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection.
The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right (don’t forget the insides of the teeth!) and make sure you’re brushing long enough. “It’s kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis, ” says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.
The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone, so developers could, for instance, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your teeth. “We try to make it smart but also fun,” Serval says.
Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said “yes,” but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.
The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, for $99 to $199, depending on features. The U.S. is the first target market.
Serval says that one day, it’ll be possible to replace the brush on the handle with a brushing unit that also has a camera. The camera can even examine holes in your teeth while you brush.
1. Which of the following might make the Kolibree toothbrush fun?| A．It can be used to update mobile phones. |
| B．It can be used to play mobile phone games. |
| C．It can send messages to other users. |
| D．It can talk to its developers. |
| A．They were unwilling to brush their teeth. |
| B．They often failed to clean their toothbrushes. |
| C．They preferred to use a toothbrush with a dry head. |
| D．They liked brushing their teeth after Serval came home. |
| A．The brush handle will be removed. | B．A mobile phone will be built into it. |
| C．It will be used to fill holes in teeth. | D．It will be able to check users’ teeth. |
1. What quality should a brave new girl have?
| A．Confident | B．Healthy |
| C．Happy | D．A, B and C |
| A．film | B．story |
| C．book | D．newspaper |
| A．Make a decision for yourself |
| B．Wear clothes like your favourite TV star |
| C．Like your body |
| D．Realize that you are as clever as boys. |
| A．年级 | B．成绩 |
| C．品位 | D．道路 |
| A．To be brave |
| B．A good book |
| C．To be a brave new girl |
| D．Realize dreams |
A Japanese company has created a “smart” mask to improve communication for people wearing face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The use of face masks has become the new normal in parts of the world still trying hard to reduce spread of the coronavirus. However, masks and other kinds of coverings can affect the quality of communication between wearers.
It can be more difficult to hear voices through the coverings. Many business and public spaces also have social distance barriers in place, which also make it harder for people to be heard and understood.
The wearable electronic device is designed to help improve speech interactions in such conditions. The Japanese startup company Donut Robotics calls its invention the “c-mask”. The device is worn over other common face masks.
The c-mask is made of soft plastic material. It has a built-in microphone and holes in the front to let air in. When it is turned on, the mask uses Bluetooth technology to connect to a mobile device. An app then helps users perform several actions, including turning speech into text, completing telephone calls and making the user’s voice louder. The device can also translate a person’s voice from Japanese into eight other languages.
If needed, when people speak, the voice speech transcription can also be displayed on a large computer screen, which makes modern online meetings possible. During a company meeting, minutes can be created and translated without typing.
Donut Robotics plans to create a world where people can connect with each other from a distance better. The c-mask will be equipped with a Wi-Fi router. And the company is planning to install AR function as well.
Ono, the head of Donut Robotics, said the company planned to ship its first 5,000 c-masks to buyers in Japan in September. He is also looking to sell the devices in China, the United States and Europe and says he has received strong interest in the product.
“We hope that our device will be useful in a society where people get used to keeping social distance,” the company states on its website.
1. The c-mask was invented in order to .| A．tell people to keep social distance |
| B．help people to be heard more clearly |
| C．change people’s ways of communication |
| D．improve the quality of the common mask |
| A．A mobile app | B．An hole in the front |
| C．A microphone | D．The plastic material |
| A．people will buy more c-masks instead of common ones |
| B．people will communicate more when c-masks are worn |
| C．c-masks will be sold in other countries besides in Japan |
| D．c-masks will take the place of lots of electronic devices |
| A．The C-mask and Its Future | B．Advantages of the C-mask |
| C．How to Use the C-mask Better | D．The Recent Plan of the C-mask |
【推荐1】Have you ever felt lonely when you have a rest? The task of Jack, a 3rd- grade school-boy in America, is to end playground loneliness(孤独). And he is making waves with the help of the BuddyBench.
The Buddy Bench is a place where children can go if they have no friends to play with. Kids who see someone on the bench can then go over and ask them to play. It is a simple, but very smart idea, and it is now forming friendships all over America.
When Jack was in the 1st grade, his family was thinking about moving to Germany. While looking at school brochures(手册)，he saw a photo of a playground with a special bench for anyone who was lonely.
Although he did not move to Germany, he liked this idea so much that he discussed it with his teacher and the head teacher. They also thought it was a great idea and soon the school bought their first Buddy Bench! The kids loved it!
Since then, children and schools across America have learned about it and the benches have started to show up all over! Jack's action and proactivity(积极性)are living proof(证明)that a child can change the world. All it takes is a good idea, some passion and to follow through.
1. What is Jack's task?| A．To help kids make more friends. |
| B．To end playground loneliness. |
| C．To help kids play safely in the playground. |
| D．To make kids have more places to sit down. |
| A．When you have no one to play with. |
| B．When you are in Grade 3. |
| C．When you are tired in the playground. |
| D．When you have nowhere to play. |
| A．密友 |
| B．对手 |
| C．朋友 |
| D．同事 |
| A．their school playground |
| B．Jack's smart idea |
| C．their school sports game |
| D．their first Buddy Bench |
| A．If you want to change the world, you should first change yourself. |
| B．Too many children are lonely at school. |
| C．The Buddy Bench is useful and helpful. |
| D．A child can change the world. |
【推荐2】Cities are a world of convenience. People usually live comfortably in cities because of convenient public transportation, well prepared hospitals and good social services. But services don’t make up for the fact that big cities are often lonely places. People can easily separate themselves far from others. Then creating a sense of community becomes very necessary. Some experts say that community art—art made to be displayed free in a special community—can make a big difference.
Unlike the random graffiti(涂鸦) that many people consider an ugly thing, community art can bring people together and encourage respect. In the U.S. city of Philadelphia, for example, mind doctors are doing a citywide project where mental health patients work with common people to paint murals(壁画). It is a good way to help people who struggle with these problems.
Art also makes neighborhoods more beautiful and has a special ability to open people up. Neighbors can share comments with one another about a new painted mural, which can challenge their prejudices(偏见) and open their eyes to the world.
Businesses can also be increased by community art. In Fort Smith, a town in the U.S. state of Arkansas, artists from around the world came together to paint murals. One of the goals of the project was to develop the town’s cultural offerings in order to attract more visitors. Not only locals but also tourists were interested in seeing the murals. The money they spent while visiting the town was good for local businesses.
Public art projects can help to improve community relationships and provide great chances for people to get to know each other within their neighborhoods. “________” is a difficult job for everyone. But if a little more color can make cities warmer, more welcoming places, then let’s get some brushes and get to work!
1. In cities, people can get a lot of useful resources(资源) EXCEPT .| A．public transportation | B．close neighbors |
| C．good social services | D．well equipped hospitals |
| A．using numbers | B．telling stories |
| C．asking questions | D．giving examples |
| A．Love your art | B．Love your life |
| C．Love your neighbors | D．Love your business |
| A．Community Art | B．Public Projects |
| C．Social Services | D．Painted Murals |
【推荐3】Most of you will enter high school this fall. By that time, you'll find yourself immersed in (沉浸于) traditional Chinese culture.
In January, the Ministry of Education worked out a new set of curriculum standards (课程标准) for high school students, People's Daily reported. One of the biggest changes will be a greater focus on traditional Chinese culture.
According to Professor Han Zhen from Beijing Foreign Language Studies University, the new standards echo President Xi Jinping's call for strengthening education. "The standards help students build cultural confidence," he told People's Daily.
The new standards call for students to be able to recite 72 ancient poems or articles. The number used to be 14. Recommended classic literature (推荐的经典著作) from ancient China includes The Analects of Confucius (《论语》), Records of the Grand Historian (《史记》) and more.
Apart from Chinese language, other subjects such as fine arts, music and physical education will also focus more on traditional Chinese culture. For example, fine arts will include new lessons on Chinese calligraphy (书法) and painting.
According to Fu Yan, a Chinese language teacher at Hangzhou Xuejun High School, learning about traditional Chinese culture is a good thing for students.
"At their age, the students may be too young to understand some classics," Fu told Qianjiang Evening News. "However, as their life experience builds up, they may develop their own thoughts about the wisdom (智慧) of the classics, which could be a driving force for their growth."
1. Which of the following is TRUE about the new curriculum standards?| A．They came out last year. | B．There will be no change for students. |
| C．They focus more on culture worldwide. | D．They will help students develop cultural confidence. |
| A．重复 | B．回响 | C．模仿 | D．响应 |
| A．be able to recite 72 ancient poems or articles |
| B．introduce classic works to their classmates |
| C．spend two hours a day learning about traditional Chinese culture |
| D．take extra classes on Chinese calligraphy and painting |
| A．learning the Chinese language is a good thing |
| B．students are too young to learn about classics |
| C．students need to develop their own thoughts |
| D．the classics could help students with their personal growth |
| A．High school students like learning about traditional Chinese culture. |
| B．The new curriculum standards focus more on traditional Chinese culture. |
| C．China is making efforts to become an educational power. |
| D．People's interest in traditional Chinese culture is growing. |
【推荐1】Seven years ago, Joyce Akinpe moved to Australia to start a new life, finding an exciting job in Sydney. After the outbreak (爆发) of COVID-19, she suddenly lost her job.
Seeing that there were many others like herself in trouble from the outbreak, Akinpe and her two roommates, Michele Gomez and Maureen Lee, brainstormed ideas for how to help their local community. They came up with a street pantry（储藏柜）. Gomez said the idea was very simple, “Take what you need and leave what you can.”
With the help of Gomez’s father, they built the Blessing Box – a street pantry, with shelves and hanging baskets and two doors made from old furniture.
It sits just at the back of the three girls’ home, so they can look after it. They put some information notices into their neighbors’ mailboxes, and the Blessing Box was quickly filled with the donations (捐赠)from the community, “It is the community’s strong support that keeps the project alive,” Akinpe said.
We now have hundreds of people visiting our box every day. It might only a hours for the box to be full and next hour it might become empty again. “We are now helping others to carry out similar projects in their own communities, too”, Gomez said.
Lee said things in the box were mostly convenience foods, as well as some necessary life things such as spaghetti and toilet paper. “Few people take everything at once. They think there are other people who need them more.” Lee added.
There were many people rushing there for donations. The three girls needed to sanitize (消毒）all the donations and make sure all food packages were not broken. Gomez said that they had no time for rest, but what they did was well worth.
1. Paragraph 2 mainly talks about ________.| A．the way to build the Blessing Box |
| B．the help from the local community |
| C．the purpose of building a street pantry |
| D．the trouble from the outbreak of COVID-19 |
a. The three girls thought up a good idea.
b. The three girls received and sanitized the donations.
c. The three girls put information notices into their neighbors’ mailboxes.
d. The three girls built the Blessing Box with the help of Gomez’s father.
| A．c—a—b—d | B．c—b—a—d. | C．a—b—-d—c | D．a—d—c—b |
| A．they would like to use their own things |
| B．they think other people need these things more |
| C．there aren’t enough donations in the Blessing Box |
| D．it's not safe to use the things from the Blessing Box |
| A．Challenges through Life | B．Happiness from Strangers |
| C．Friendship during the Hard Times | D．Kindness behind the Blessing Box |
【推荐2】Do you think robots could pass an eighth-grade test? Guess what—they can.
The artificial intelligence (AI) system Aristo recently passed the same eighth-grade science test that some US students take. The New York Times reported. Aristo correctly(正确地) answered 90 percent of the questions on the test.
This is an example of the progress that is being made in AI development. Four years ago, 700 computer scientists tried to develop AI systems that could pass these kinds of exams. None scored higher than 60 percent.
Scientists at the Allen Institute in the US developed the system. Aristo was able to pass the exam because it can not only understand language, but also use logical thinking(逻辑思维)to solve difficult problems. For example, it can understand what a forest fire is and how it could affect(影响) animals.
The system used BERT, a kind of neural(神经的) network technology developed by Google, to answer the questions. BERT has "read" thousands of articles and can understand English. If it looks at a sentence with a missing word, it can correctly guess what the word is. With BERT's help, Aristo "read" many multiple-choice(多选的) questions. Over time, it was able to find logical patterns(逻辑模式).
Aristo’s success means that we might see new AI-based products(人工智能产品), such as search engines(搜索引擎) and databases(数据库) for hospitals. AI systems might be able to better understand users in the future.
1. What did the AI system Aristo do?| A．Help students study. | B．Pass a school test. |
| C．Talk like a human does. | D．Develop other AI systems. |
| A．It passed several kinds of tests. | B．It passed the test with a full score. |
| C．It scored 90 percent on the test. | D．It worked out a set of test questions. |
| A．By using BERT. | B．By asking Google for help. |
| C．By working with scientists. | D．By copying the students' answers. |
| A．explain how Aristo worked | B．show what else Aristo can do |
| C．show how Aristo was created | D．describe another AI breakthrough |
| A．AI-based products are not useful | B．AI systems might be used in many fields |
| C．robots can't think logically | D．Aristo will be used to help teach students |
There are different kinds of steamed buns in Chinese food. One of them is xiaolongbao.
The name “xiaolongbao” refers to the buns which are cooked in a small bamboo basket. Usually, xiaolongbao are filled with pork that is cut into pieces. But pork isn’t always the only ingredient (原料). Vegetables, seafood, and other kinds of meat can also be put into xiaolongbao. People think up a bright idea to keep the soup inside the buns. Actually, the soup comes from the beef juice that is kept in the solid(固体) form. It melts when the buns are cooked, but it will be kept inside until people take their first bite. What makes xiaolongbao special is the delicious soup that comes with every bite.
It’s said that the development of xiaolongbao started in Shanghai, but now it is found all over the world. Thanks to a restaurant called Ding Tai Fung, xiaolongbao becomes well-known throughout the world. The owner of the restaurant had planned to sell cooking oil at first. But since there were so many restaurants selling the same product and it was difficult for them to make money, the owner’s wife started selling xiaolongbao to earn a little extra money. This delicious food quickly became famous and popular among the local people. So the couple decided to stop selling cooking oil and turn their business into a restaurant. In the early 1990s, Din Tai Fung was chosen as one of top 10 restaurants in the world. Since then, more and more people around the world have known about the food xiaolongbao.
Another place where people can enjoy tasty xiaolongbao is Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant in Shanghai. The restaurant has a long history of more than 100 years and its xiaolongbao is known for its unusual flavour. Unlike many other restaurants , this restaurant does not add any shallots, garlic, or MSG(葱蒜或味精). Just be careful when you eat them because they are always very hot when being served.
1. Xiaolongbao was named after________.| A．its shape and colour | B．the person who invented it |
| C．the place where it became popular | D．the container in which it is cooked |
| A．Why xiaolongbao is so delicious. | B．Who invented and developed xiaolongbao. |
| C．How xiaolongbao becomes worldwide famous. | D．Which restaurant is the best to make xiaolongbao. |
| A．Because it’s filled with garlic. | B．Because its flavour is unusual. |
| C．Because its shape is an old design. | D．Because it’s cool when being served. |
| A．Xiaolongbao was found in Beijing and developed in Shanghai. |
| B．The delicious food xiaolongbao has a long history of about 100 years. |
| C．Ding Tai Fung was chosen as the best restaurant in the world in the early 1990s. |
| D．The solid beef juice in xiaolongbao melts and becomes soup when being cooked. |
