1 . American Unique Buildings
The country’s full of awe—inspiring natural wonders, but those made by man (and woman) are equally impressive. The architect behind a design or the creation’s history or purpose are all elements that may prove particularly attractive. These following buildings are all well worth visiting.
Bradbury Building
Los Angeles
Glancing at the Bradbury Building, built in 1893, the oldest commercial building in L.A., you may say: “OK, it’s a 19th-century relic.” Step inside and you will be surprised by the light-filled Victorian court, a wonder of open—cage elevators, marble stairs, and splendid iron barriers. Its architectural history is debatable — Sumner Hunt’s designs seem to have been completed by George H. Wyman, who monitored the construction.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Miami
Built in 1916, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, formerly Villa Vizcaya, is the one-time winter home of businessman James Deering. On Biscayne Bay in the Coconut Grove neighborhood, the early 20th-century property features Italian Renaissance (文艺复兴) gardens, native woodlands, and a complex of historic outbuildings. The property designed by Paul Chalfin is today operated by Miami-Dade County.
Rogers Building
Orlando
The 132-year-old, Queen Anne-style structure, now housing an art gallery but a one-time home to cocktail-and-gaming clubs, was donated to the City of Orlando in 2018 earlier by Ford Kiene. The restriction that it must remain an arts and culture center for at least 20 years ensures public access for the near future.
Griffith Observatory
Los Angeles
It’s possible to see the stars at this destination that includes sweeping views of the city and the Hollywood sign, and has a planetarium (天文馆) to boot. It’s been a draw for its construction style sign its 1935 opening, with a $93 million expansion completed in 2006.
1. Which of the following places has the shortest history?| A．Bradbury Building. | B．Griffith Observatory. |
| C．Rogers Building. | D．Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. |
| A．It used to be an art gallery. | B．It was expanded in 1892. |
| C．It was once privately owned. | D．It has been a culture center for 20 years. |
| A．Business. | B．Travel. | C．Science. | D．Education. |
2 . Issues such as global warming and sustainability have become passionate concerns for many of the concert industry’s fans and increasingly for the musicians. Coldplay, a pop band whose members scored their first big hit in 2000 with a song called Yellow, announced in November that it wouldn’t go on tour to promote its latest album, Everyday Life, until it could find a way to make concerts more sustainable and greener to the environment.
It’s not always easy to walk the talk. A growing number of artists, including Peggy Gou, have environmental demands built into their contracts when they tour, such as bans on plastic tableware. But there’s almost no way of avoiding carbon emissions produced by a tour, which involves moving hundreds of people and tons of equipment across large distances.
Lisa Pomerantz, who books travel for acts says that real change will require action by venue owners, concert promoters, and the fans. Major acts like Coldplay can afford to stop touring while figuring out how to lessen their environmental impact. But lesser-known artists can’t stay off the road, since streaming earnings haven’t been able to compensate (弥补) for the collapse in CD and downloaded music sales. Even when concerts are aggressive about being more sustainable, the impact of audience travel can easily swamp (淹没) their efforts. For bigger acts, this can represent as much as 80% of the carbon footprint, according to a 2015 study. Another analysis showed that roughly a third of the tour’s carbon footprint came from a venue’s power consumption.
Still, even the most green-conscious bands must balance their desire to be more sustainable against the financial necessity of touring. “I absolutely think you can go on tour and have a concern about the environment. It’s a matter of just keeping our carbon footprint as low as possible,” says Flavian Graber, lead singer of We Invented Paris.
1. Why did Coldplay stop its promotion tour?| A．Because it had already released a hit. | B．Because it wanted a more environmentally friendly concert. |
| C．Because its latest album needed further improvement. | D．Because they could afford the money. |
| A．Make it. | B．Talk it. | C．See it. | D．Appreciate it. |
| A．Stopping bands’ promotion tours. |
| B．Downloading music on the Internet. |
| C．Cutting down venues’ water and electricity consumption. |
| D．Combining efforts of bands, audiences and venue owners. |
| A．Achievable. | B．Fruitless. | C．Challenging. | D．Controversial. |
3 . A tragic case of Kitty Genovese, who was killed, happened in New York in 1964. However, subsequent investigations concluded that several people saw or heard what was happening, but did nothing to intervene. This has been termed the “bystander effect” — a well-known psychological phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to someone when other people are present. The more people there are, the less likely they are to help.
None of us like to think we’d walk on by when someone needed our help. But sometimes we behave in ways we wouldn’t expect when faced with a situation we are unsure about. While we might like to think we would rush to someone’s assistance, we know from studies that often people hang back. Research from the British Heart Foundation has suggested that a third of people would not give first aid if they saw someone collapse on the street, with some even admitting they wouldn’t call an ambulance.
There are various factors contributing to this effect — people think that others will get involved. Afterwards people often say they did not feel qualified or important enough to be the one to intervene. It is also partly down to “pluralistic ignorance” — since everyone is not reacting to the emergency, they don’t need to either; it’s not serious because no one else is doing anything.
Other studies have shown that once people are aware of the bystander effect, they are less likely to be affected by it. Self-awareness is the best solution to it. When facing an emergency, think to yourself how you would behave if you were on your own. Ignore everyone else and go with your gut (直觉) — If you’d run for help, do it. If that’s how you would have behaved when you were on your own, then that’s probably the right course of action. The worst that can happen is that you’ll look a little foolish at having overreacted. You might also save someone’s life.
1. What is the author’s purpose of telling about the case of Genovese?| A．To show the high frequency of killing. | B．To highlight the indifference of bystanders. |
| C．To introduce the topic of the passage. | D．To lead to the investigations. |
| A．No one would like to admit the truth. | B．People tend to help when no people are present. |
| C．Few people will encounter uncertain situations. | D．Many people will not rush to help in an emergency. |
| A．The consequences of the phenomenon. | B．The reactions to different accidents. |
| C．The seriousness of an emergency. | D．The reasons for not helping. |
| A．Don’t Be A Bystander | B．Life-Saving Response |
| C．Importance of First Aid | D．Reactions in Emergency |
4 . It’s been 20 years since a cookbook changed my life. Before reading every page in Nigella Lawson’s Feast, I didn’t give much thought lo what I ate. Cooking was a boring task I wasn’t particularly good at. Moreover, fear of calories and not being able to fit into my jeans left little room for enjoying things like “chocolate cake”. Nigella, the author of Nigella Lawson’s Feast transformed my relationship with food, changing it from a source of panic to one of limitless pleasure. Leafing through the pages of Feast, I began to think of the women who shaped my cooking. They not only influenced me strongly with their words, recipes and passion for the art of eating, but they also left their mark on the culinary (烹饪的) world.
Take Eugénie Brazier, for example, who grew up with barely enough to eat yet with plenty of determination to achieve great things. After years of hard work on farms and later as a humble cook, she used the little savings she had to open La Mère Brazier, a restaurant that would attract the likes of celebrities. A second location followed, and in 1933, she became the first chef ever to hold six Michelin stars simultaneously (同时地). Known as the mother of modern French cooking, Brazier’s simple yet elegant food changed the way Britain ate.
What Brazier did for the UK, the passionate Julia Child did for America. At a time when TV dinners and tinned foods were gaining popularity, she inspired home cooks to try elegant recipes, teaching them about the use of quality ingredients in an approachable way.
While Julia Child tempted us with her recipes, it was the American author Fisher who enlightened us with her fine cooking prose (散文). In her brilliant essays, she praised the pleasures of the table and explored connections between food and culture. One of my favorite books is Love in a Dish, a charming collection of culinary experiences that transport you to French villages and even describe how the love of food can potentially save a marriage!
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By giving examples. | B．By raising a question. |
| C．By describing his experience. | D．By offering facts. |
| A．Friendly and determined. | B．Considerate and brave. |
| C．Generous and intelligent. | D．Ambitious and successful. |
| A．The ingredients of food. | B．The story behind food. |
| C．The significance of food. | D．The origin of food. |
| A．To motivate readers to cook at home. | B．To market high-quality cooking books. |
| C．To honor some exceptional women cooks. | D．To share his passion for cooking. |
5 . It was January 2016, and Jeremy and his girlfriend, Molei, were leaving Denver for a weekend of fun with friends on the slopes in Colorado.
The snow came earlier than they’d
“Life was really great,” he says. Then, within a blink of an eye, everything
A truck that came out of nowhere hit them. One minute, Jeremy’s Ford SUV was
Statistically, Molei should have died. Inside her neck, the vertebrae (脊椎) had basically been crushed. Her head was attached to her shoulders by
Henry Rodriquez, an officer on holiday, was driving on the same road not far behind the Ford and
For 45 minutes, Rodriquez
| A．observed | B．expected | C．enjoyed | D．realised |
| A．slope | B．tunnel | C．route | D．town |
| A．exactly | B．surprisingly | C．specially | D．correctly |
| A．grateful | B．terrible | C．difficult | D．awesome |
| A．happened | B．disappeared | C．moved | D．changed |
| A．driving | B．rolling | C．jumping | D．running |
| A．pinned | B．lay | C．sat | D．placed |
| A．terror | B．pain | C．panic | D．frustration |
| A．something | B．everything | C．nothing | D．anything |
| A．drove away | B．drove on | C．pulled back | D．pulled over |
| A．Since | B．After | C．While | D．Although |
| A．kept | B．left | C．appealed | D．improved |
| A．laid | B．rushed | C．dragged | D．walked |
| A．shook | B．touched | C．pounded | D．felt |
| A．rescue | B．check | C．response | D．arrival |
6 . In the northernmost edge of Colombia sits the coastal town of Acandí. Access to the town is only by water or air; there is no road that leads there. The residents there are faced with the struggles of balancing livelihoods while protecting biodiversity.
In the past, traditional community fishing methods, passed down by the elders, focused on the reasonable fishing and management of resources. However, the introduction of large-scale trawling vessels(拖网渔船) decades ago gradually depleted the area’s fishing resources, leading to damage to marine(海洋的) life seriously.
Jesús Antonio Julio Cuestas, who serves in the region’s conservation and management of marine resources, stresses the bad impact of these developments and calls for new fishing techniques. “Fishing and conservation co-exist as long as we have good management practices and reasonable use of our fishing resources,” says Cuestas. He and other officials actively monitor fishing activities in Acandí. Each morning, they visit the fish markets to gather data on fishery resources—including prices and sizes—to monitor the state of the local fishing industry.
Along with Cuestas, the fishers work to reduce their impact on the marine ecosystem. By changing fishing methods and adopting new practices, they aim for a more balanced approach to fishing. “This year the local fishermen have not used the trawl net s that were causing the death of the leatherback sea turtles,” explains Cuestas proudly. Changes include the efforts of boats to protect the seagrass that serves as feeding grounds for marine life and an end to fishers throwing net s where turtles lay their eggs.
This marine reserve in Acandí, Cuestas believes, is their greatest treasure. He attaches great importance to working together with local residents to improve the quality of life while preserving the marine ecosystem. By doing so, he imagines a picture where individuals from the fishing community can pursue various careers, such as engineers or lawyers, proudly stating that they are the products of the fishing tradition in Acandí.
1. What does the underlined word “depleted” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Reused. | B．Restored. |
| C．Explored. | D．Reduced. |
| A．To cut down on the costs of fishing. |
| B．To improve the income of local residents. |
| C．To promote the well-being of marine wildlife. |
| D．To spread traditional community fishing methods. |
| A．The aim of the changes to fishing methods. |
| B．The efforts to preserve marine ecosystem. |
| C．The results the trawl net s have brought about. |
| D．The impact of fishers on the local environment. |
| A．Confident. | B．Uncaring. |
| C．Concerned. | D．Doubtful. |
7 . Lots of kids like to talk about sports, but Joseph D’Avirro talks about sports like a professional host in a show called Sliders & Curveballs. The 9-year-old from Newington, Connecticut is a natural at sports talk and has been broadcasting the show—which is about baseball, basketball and other sports—with his dad, Mike D’Avirro, since September 2019.
The D’Avirro started the broadcast after two former college roommates of Mike died, which made Mike want to spend more time with his son. Then the idea came to him. So far, they have done about 50 programs. Joseph’s favorite is when the father-and-son team interviewed Jim Calhoun, the coach leading the Connecticut Huskies to three national titles. They have also interviewed important sports authors.
The father and son make about one 30- to 40-minute podcast each month. They prepare for the podcasts by deciding on the questions they want to ask the guest. Joseph asks half of the questions, and Mike handles the other half. Joseph reads his questions again and again to get them in his brain well. It is a lot of work, but Joseph says it is “a lot more fun than homework”. Joseph has also learned to speak up and speak clearly. He has to listen and to go with the flow of the conversation. For example, he said, “If the guest is talking about sports in the 1990s, you have to think about sports in the 1990s.”
When asked how long he and his dad will continue doing the show, he answered, “Until my dad starts growing gray hairs.” Joseph has other ambitions when he grows up—to be a sports player, a sports broadcaster or to own a basketball team. Those are big dreams, but Joseph is already living a dream: talking sports and spending time with his dad.
1. What is Joseph’s show about?| A．Some talk shows on sports. |
| B．Ways to get along with parents. |
| C．Stories about famous sports players. |
| D．Sports that his family loves playing. |
| A．His son’s talent for sports. |
| B．His wish to be a host since college. |
| C．The deaths of his college roommates. |
| D．The encouragement from his roommates. |
| A．It’s as boring as homework. |
| B．It’s challenging to his brain. |
| C．It takes a lot of time but means a lot. |
| D．It’s more interesting than homework. |
| A．A rising sports broadcaster |
| B．A long road to go to success |
| C．The father-and-son team hosts |
| D．Joseph D’Avirro’s big dream |
8 . Bright and early on the morning of our first full day in Antarctica (南极洲), L’ Austral’s Captain Fabien’s voice woke us up as it came through a loudspeaker. If we looked outside right now, he said, we’d see a beautiful sea of icebergs (冰山) in the golden sunlight. My sister and I jumped out of bed, staring in amazement as we sailed past giant pieces of ice. In the distance, we spotted a group of humpback whales feeding on smaller fishes. Next door, my parents were also waking up to the sights of a new day in Antarctica. Over breakfast, my sister and I excitedly told them about the whales we saw from our room that morning.
You might not immediately think “family vacation” when talking about a trip to Antarctica, but tour companies like Adventures by Disney are changing that. The company offers guided group trips to destinations across all seven continents in the world.
Our adventure started when we flew to Buenos Aires and explored the beautiful Argentine capital for a day. After leaving Buenos Aires, we flew to Ushuaia on an Adventures by Disney plane. Then, it was the journey toward the Drake Passage. After a speedy Drake Passage crossing, we reached Antarctica early, adding a half day to our scheduled four days on and around the continent.
To those unfamiliar with Adventures by Disney, the fact that you can experience Antarctica — the most distant, extreme continent — with Disney might be surprising. During the trip, there were thoughtful acts, from stamped postcards to send from an Antarctica post office to a champagne (香槟) party on our final stop of the journey; Adventures by Disney truly thought of everything for us. Antarctica is a life-changing destination packed with experiences that can’t be copied. We experienced Drake Passage seasickness, hiked up ice hills alongside lovely animals, and had a taste of champagne. And honestly, it’s going to be hard for the next family trip we take to compete.
1. Why did Fabien speak to passengers early in the morning?| A．To ask them to remain seated. |
| B．To wake them up for breakfast. |
| C．To warn them of possible dangers. |
| D．To remind them of the beautiful sights outside. |
| A．Visiting Antarctica with children being a good idea. |
| B．Most people not being able to enjoy family vacations. |
| C．Most people not considering Antarctica as a family vacation place. |
| D．A guided trip being an uncomfortable way to explore a new destination. |
| A．What the author had learned during the journey. |
| B．How the author and his family traveled to Antarctica. |
| C．What the author and his family had seen in Antarctica. |
| D．How the author felt about the Drake Passage crossing. |
| A．It was tiring but extreme. |
| B．More time should be added to it. |
| C．It was a family journey of a lifetime. |
| D．There should be more thoughtful acts. |
9 . Zebby beat thousands of others and won the title of National Cat of the Year, an award given by Cats Protection, a charity that rescues and rehomes cats. To win the award, Zebby first won the Family Fur-ever category, which honors cats that “make a family complete”.
Zebby’s owner, 66-year-old Genevieve Moss, lives alone in the UK, aside from her animal friend, of course. Living alone can be troublesome and her problems were further worsened by the fact that she can’t hear anything without her hearing aid. Once, she was robbed in the middle of the night. “I used to be scared to go to sleep, and I used to lie awake. But now, with Zebby, I can rest easily,” said Moss.
Zebby warns her of different sounds in their home. He also fetches the mail for Moss and drops it into the bedroom. He even takes her slippers (拖鞋) to her. “He seems to know that when the phone rings, he needs to tell me. At nighttime, if my security light goes on, he will wake me up by hitting my face gently. Sometimes to protect me, Zebby takes up his position at the front door to tell me it’s not happening when I try to leave the house,” Moss said.
“I am so proud of Zebby for showing the world how caring cats can be, and what a positive effect they can have on people’s lives,” she said. “I can’t imagine life without Zebby and I’m over the moon about his being honored with the National Cat Awards.”
Cats Protection’s National Cat Awards organizer Ashley Fryer said, “From the moment we read his entry form, we knew Zebby was something special. He is clearly devoted to Moss and their story highlights the powerful bond that exists between people and their cats. He shows a shining example of the joy and comfort a cat can bring.”
1. What can we infer about Zebby?| A．He was once a homeless cat. |
| B．He helped prevent a robbery. |
| C．He is highly sensitive to sounds. |
| D．He gives Moss a feeling of security. |
| A．a cleaner | B．a watchman | C．a companion | D．a postman |
| A．Inspired. | B．Astonished. | C．Moved. | D．Excited. |
| A．Amazing Cat Making a Family Complete |
| B．Award-winning Cat Listening for His Owner |
| C．National Title Awarded to a Rehomed Cat |
| D．Special Bond Formed Between Cat and Human |
10 . The Gezhouba Dam is the world’s largest run-of-river hydropower (水力发电) station and the first large water control project in the Yangtze River. It will celebrate the 43rd anniversary (周年纪念) of its functioning in 2024. Since its functioning, nearly 600 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity has been produced in total. It is the largest water protection project independently designed, constructed and operated by China in the 20 century.
From the start of construction in 1970 to the functioning of the first generator unit in1981, to the completion of the whole project in December 1988, more than 100,000 hydropower specialists from all over the country, who set up base in the wilderness, carrying poles and pushing carts to overcome a series of significant technical problems, finally completed all the construction tasks with their blood and sweat.
Since its completion, the Gezhouba Dam has safely released more than 60 floods equal to 45,000 cubic meters per second on the Yangtze River, effectively reducing the pressure of downstream flood control operations and helping to protect the lives and belongings of people in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze.
“The successful construction and management of the Gezhouba Dam has provided valuable experience and played a role in training talent for the design, construction and operation of the Three Gorges Project and other super dams. Practice has proved that the Chinese are able to build and manage large water projects on the Yangtze River,” Xiang Ke, deputy director of the Gezhouba Hydropower Plant, said, “A new chapter of hydropower development for the Chinese people begins with the Gezhouba Dam, and we will continue our efforts to contribute to a brighter future in this field.”
1. What can we learn about the Gezhouba Dam?| A．It started to function in 1991. |
| B．It is the world’s largest water control project. |
| C．Its completion is achieved without any foreign help. |
| D．It produces about 600 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. |
| A．7 years. | B．11 years. | C．18 years. | D．43 years. |
| A．The process of building it. |
| B．The way to operate it. |
| C．The reasons for constructing it. |
| D．The significance it has produced. |
| A．To introduce a famous hydropower station. |
| B．To explain the function of the Gezhouba Dam. |
| C．To present China’s determination in flood control. |
| D．To stress the importance of water control projects. |
