1 . Innovation has pretty much finished with car tires (轮胎) right, I mean, what’s left to change? How about the whole “air” part?
Michelin Company’s attempt to tackle tire rubbish around the world witnessed them roll out puncture-proof “airless” tires, which they say should help reduce the 18% of all world tires that are abandoned early due to punctures (轮胎漏气). Deserted tires arc a huge worldwide waste problem — the US produces 260 million abandoned tires per year, many of which end up in landfills or on the sides of the freeway where they release harmful gases and microplastic pollutants as they break down.
Michelin Company's Unique Puncture Proof Tire System or “UPTIS” is designed using 46% recycled material, and made from a plastic matrix (母体) mixed with glass fibers that provide a flexible outer layer with a strong inner one. “The truly distinctive structure of the Michelin UPTIS prototype (原型), or its “strangeness” as we have often heard it called, really attracted the eye of many visitors and left a lasting impression on them,” stated Cyrille Roget, Michelin Group Technical and Scientific Communications Director. “It was an unusual experience for us, and our greatest satisfaction came at the end of the demonstration when our passengers, who were undoubtedly a little alert (警觉) at first, said they felt no difference compared with conventional tires.”
Michelin Company believes airless tires will improve everyone's lives. Maintenance (保养) costs for company’s vehicle fleets will be less expensive, and inexperienced car owners won’t accidentally ruin their rubbers when driving them because they are over-or under-inflated (充气). Although they are still in development stage and using at a large scale within years is unlikely to be available, Michelin Company is not in the least doubtful about their tires’ future.
1. Why does the author ask questions in the first paragraph?| A．To explain a strange phenomenon. | B．To clarify a difficult concept. |
| C．To present a well-known fact. | D．To introduce a new topic. |
| A．The new tire runs more smoothly. |
| B．The world greatly needs airless tires. |
| C．Traditional tires threaten the environment. |
| D．Michelin Company battles the issue of wasted tires. |
| A．Its structure distances visitors. | B．It only uses recycled materials. |
| C．It combines plastic and glass fibers. | D．Its comfortableness beats ordinary tires. |
| A．Tolerant. | B．Positive. | C．Mixed. | D．Objective. |
2 . Honesty is always the best policy. Though lying often allows one to escape punishment for the moment, the
Sometimes people lie for the purpose of being
After that I realized the
In some cases, lying seems to be difficult. For example, how can one
| A．answer | B．reason | C．truth | D．result |
| A．find | B．mean | C．imagine | D．include |
| A．active | B．polite | C．fair | D．silent |
| A．opinion | B．decision | C．information | D．instruction |
| A．stopped | B．arrived | C．smiled | D．appeared |
| A．hide | B．ruin | C．control | D．cause |
| A．danger | B．purpose | C．importance | D．possibility |
| A．math | B．history | C．spelling | D．listening |
| A．since | B．when | C．though | D．before |
| A．Clearly | B．Painfully | C．Strangely | D．Luckily |
| A．rule | B．advice | C．example | D．timetable |
| A．saved | B．missed | C．believed | D．refused |
| A．prove | B．explain | C．report | D．suggest |
| A．relaxed | B．impatient | C．confident | D．surprised |
| A．honest | B．brave | C．kind | D．careful |
3 . Much-loved 100-Word-Story Competition
Our much-loved 100-Word-Story Competition is back! Enter for the chance to win prizes of up to₤ 1,000.
Rules and prizes
Please ensure that submissions are original, not previously published and exactly 100 words long(not including title). Don’t forget to include your full name, address, email and phone number when filling in the form. We may use entries in all print and electronic media.
Terms and conditions:
There are three categories—one for adults and two categories for schools (one for children aged12-18 and one for children under 12).
● In the adults category, the winner will receive £ 1,000 and one runner-up will receive £250.
● In the 12-18s category, the winner will receive a £200 book voucher (代金券) or a Kindle Paperwhite and a ₤ 100 book voucher for their school, and the runner-up will receive a £100 book voucher.
● In the under-12 category, the winner will receive a £100 book voucher or a Kindle Paperwhite and a £50 book voucher for their school, and the runner-up will receive a £50 book voucher.
Please submit your stories by 5 pm on January 5, 2024 either online or by post addressed to:
Reader’s Digest
00 Word Story Competition
Warmers Group Publications
West Street, Bourne
PE10 9PH
The editorial team will pick a shortlist of entries, and the three best stories in each category will be posted online at readersdigest.co.uk on February 1, 2024. You can vote you’re your favourite, and the one with the most votes will win the top prize. Voting will close on February 29,2024 and the winning entries will be published in our May 2024 issue, and posted online on April 16, 2024.
1. What do we know about the writing event from the text?| A．It will pick out 6 best entries. | B．Each entry is 100 words or fewer. |
| C．Only students over 12 can enter it. | D．Entries can be in electronic version. |
| A．A Kindle Paperwhite. | B．A £ 100 book voucher. |
| C．£250 in prize money. | D．An issue of Reader’s Digest. |
| A．On January 5, 2024. | B．On February 1, 2024. |
| C．On April 16. 2024. | D．On February 29,2024. |
4 . Humans are not the only ones that like gold. Australian scientists have discovered a new fungus (真菌) that decorates its long, thread-like tendrils (卷须) with gold collected from the soil. The experts desperately hope the “gold digger” will provide information on the locations of gold deposits and make searching for the precious metal easier, and more environmentally friendly.
The gold-loving fungus was discovered accidentally by a team of researchers led by Dr. Tsing Bohu, a scientist at Australia national science agency, CSIRO, when they were examining the microbes (微生物) in the soil at Boddington, a tiny town home to Australia’s largest gold mine.
A closer analysis suggested that the fungus uses chemical interactions with underground minerals to accumulate gold from its surroundings. Though fungi often interact with other things in nature, the reaction with gold was unexpected. ―Fungi are well-known for playing an important role in the recycling of organic material, such as leaves and bark, as well as for the cycling of other metals,” Dr. Bohu explained. ―But gold is so chemically inactive that this interaction is both unusual and surprising.”
The fungi are not wearing the gold for beauty. ―There is a biological benefit from this reaction.” Dr. Bohu said, ―Gold-loving fungi can grow faster and bigger relative to other fungi that don’t work with gold.”
The researchers still need to conduct further analysis to understand the relationship between the fungi and the precious metal. More importantly, they need to determine if its presence is a sure sign of the existence of large deposits of the metal underground. The scientists also believe the fungi could be used to detect the presence of gold in waste products and man-made electronics.
However, those hoping to get free gold from the fungi are in for a disappointment, for the delicate fungus is hard to see. Also, its gold can only be seen under a microscope.
1. What do the experts hope for?| A．Investigating the sites. | B．Excavating the gold mines. |
| C．Getting further informed. | D．Unearthing gold deposits. |
| A．Fungi’s interaction with gold is unexpected but beneficial. |
| B．Gold’s classification is biologically identified by fungi. |
| C．Fungi’s formation with gold is fairly natural and frequent. |
| D．Gold is chemically accumulated by fungi’s evolution. |
| A．It excites the gold diggers’ motivation. |
| B．It has a long way to go before confirmation. |
| C．It lays the foundation of geological studies. |
| D．It ensures the search of gold sites. |
| A．Beauty-loving Fungi Wrapped by Gold |
| B．Gold-loving Fungi Discovered in Australia |
| C．Boddington, Austria’s Largest Gold Mine |
| D．New Discovery of Gold with Fungi |
5 . Lanzhou, 9 August 2017. A group of researchers and scientists from China and other countries are working together to help increase knowledge and appreciation of China’s ancient cultural heritage. They are recording and collecting digital images of cultural relics from the Mogao Caves, which were a key stop along the Silk Road throughout China’s ancient history. Nearly 500,000 high quality digital photographs have been produced since the international project started in 1994.
The Mogao Caves have long been a meeting point for different cultures and are part of the history of many countries. Today, the caves are just as international as they were at the time when people travelled the Silk Road. Tourists from all over the world visit Dunhuang to see the caves, and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles has even reproduced a copy of the caves and paintings for people to admire in America.
By sharing so many digital photos over the Internet, the group hopes to promote even wider interest around the world in China’s ancient history, culture, and traditions. They also hope to further educate people about the importance of safeguarding historic and cultural relics for future generations to understand and appreciate. As one researcher who is working on the project explains,“Appreciating one’s own cultural heritage is very important for understanding oneself. Appreciating the cultural heritage of other countries is very important for international communication and understanding.“
1. The researchers and scientists are trying to ________.| A．collect the pictures away from the walls of the caves |
| B．preserve the paintings by copying them |
| C．help people know and appreciate China’s ancient cultural heritage |
| D．take pictures of the beautiful paintings in the caves |
| A．information technology | B．the Internet technology |
| C．automation(自动化) technology | D．digital photography |
| A．there are so many treasures inside them | B．they want to learn drawing from them |
| C．they can buy Chinese silk there | D．the caves have long been a meeting point for different cultures and are part of the history of many countries |
| A．Disagree with | B．Agree with | C．Doubt | D．Partly disagree with |
6 . One Saturday last November, I stepped into my local library. I was about to read a book when I heard an elderly man speak to a lady. “This library will soon become a café. Everyone is reading with electronic devices,” he said. Hearing this, I wanted to shout, “I still read library books!” But my words stuck in my throat and I found teenagers around me were talking to friends or staring at their phones.
Reading online feels robotic to me. It’s like I stare at a screen and click “next” for the following page to appear until the very end of the e-book, and at the end of all of that, I just think, “That’s it?” But when I read a printed book, it’s like I’m holding on to the characters. I can imagine the plot better, as I can picture the scenes of each moment in my head with more accuracy and imagination.
Besides, some online books miss components (组成部分) that are in the printed novels. For instance, the physical copy of a fantasy novel I have read contains a map, but the e-book version does not. That is an injustice to e-book users; after reading and understanding the map, the story made a lot more sense for me, in terms of the setting and plot.
And personally, physically turning to the next page is better than clicking “next”. When reading online, I sometimes worry that I click “next” too quickly. It feels more like a race; I want to finish it because the pages just keep making that “flipping” sound and I wonder how long the book really is.
Some printed books have a special smell that makes the novel feel special to me. It’s hard to describe but I’m sure I’m not the only one that thinks so. I know I cannot convince every teen to switch from the digital book to the printed one, but maybe my writing about the difference will at least get some of them to think about it.
1. Why will the library be replaced by a café?| A．Few people head for it. | B．It lacks good management. |
| C．Few people read its books. | D．It holds little attraction for the youth. |
| A．They include additional contents. |
| B．They leave a lively impression. |
| C．They have a special pleasant smell. |
| D．They can improve readers’ imagination. |
| A．Making her tired of reading. | B．Leading her to read aimlessly. |
| C．Bringing more fun to her. | D．Stopping her digging into reading. |
| A．To inspire teenagers’ interest in reading. |
| B．To show advantages of printed books. |
| C．To reduce the impact of electronic devices. |
| D．To encourage teens to change the reading medium. |
7 . For my 8th birthday my
I bumped into the curb (路缘),
Learning life lesson is
But things are different now.
My husband, Rich,
When the life lessons come along in this New Year you may
| A．dream | B．reward | C．gift | D．aim |
| A．brothers | B．sisters | C．friends | D．classmates |
| A．stuck | B．turned | C．knocked | D．pushed |
| A．wildly | B．carefully | C．slowly | D．instantly |
| A．jumping | B．flying | C．moving | D．leaving |
| A．sadness | B．happiness | C．excitement | D．sympathy |
| A．although | B．until | C．because | D．while |
| A．passed | B．remained | C．happened | D．changed |
| A．crowded | B．busy | C．covered | D．empty |
| A．experiments | B．attempts | C．fights | D．conflicts |
| A．though | B．even | C．much | D．still |
| A．wonderful | B．comfortable | C．dangerous | D．painful |
| A．ready | B．perfect | C．wrong | D．strong |
| A．forced | B．taught | C．allowed | D．ordered |
| A．practice | B．habit | C．development | D．feeling |
| A．repair | B．fix | C．steady | D．move |
| A．almost | B．usually | C．always | D．seldom |
| A．in time | B．in relief | C．in turn | D．in case |
| A．accept | B．learn | C．refuse | D．avoid |
| A．blame | B．complaint | C．support | D．criticism |
8 . Recently we celebrated my grandmother’s 90th birthday. Family members traveled to my hometown to visit her. This was the first time in many years that I had seen so many of them. Though this was an opportunity to see family, many people did not make it. Honestly, living far from hometown, I had missed many family gatherings. But this one made me realize how much I was really missing.
It seemed strange when I was looking at the faces, realizing whom they were and greeting them with open arms. After chatting for a while, we caught up on each other’s news. Several relatives suggested having a family reunion soon if everyone wasn’t so busy. But my grandmother’s generation was much busier, yet still found time to gather. They understood the importance of visiting one another. They knew time is flying and that those you care about most won’t be here forever.
Today, we focus on our careers and raising our kids. Our extended family isn’t the center it once was. Besides, we keep in touch on social media. But what we really miss are the potato salad, the moments of laughter and sudden bursts of excitement when we hug someone we haven’t seen for over 10 years. Although the next get-together is always a year or so away, people aren’t goods and everyone has an expiration (到期) date.
I left my grandmother’s party with a much better sense of who I am and where I come from. I spent valuable time with people who contributed to who I am today. I had forgotten how much I love them and I was reminded how much I am loved.
1. How did the author feel about missing previous family gatherings? ________| A．Concerned. | B．Regretful. | C．Sad. | D．Annoyed. |
| A．They were irresponsible. | B．They took time seriously. |
| C．They stress the importance of family. | D．They visited family frequently. |
| A．Family reunions mean no fun. | B．We should see loved ones more before it’s too late. |
| C．People are always too busy to get together. | D．All goods have expiration dates. |
| A．To convince readers to meet friends. | B．To share an interesting family reunion. |
| C．To compare different generations’ values. | D．To stress the value of family gatherings. |
9 . Arden University
Arden University has physical study centres in London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Berlin, Germany, and also offers high quality online bachelor and master degree programmes to British and international students all over the world. They have supported over 50,000 students while remaining true to their core values, ensuring higher education is available for all. Covering a range of professional subjects in 12 academic fields, Arden University makes UK education accessible and affordable through their creative study platform. Click here to view this school.
University of London International Programmes
We have over 60,000 students in every corner of the globe studying on more than 100 different programmes. Our global footprint and flexible study method has enabled students to study wherever they live. As a family of 19 world-class colleges and admired institutes, the University of London has an international reputation for academic distinction in teaching and research. Our students achieve exactly the same standard of internationally recognized qualification as those who attend the University itself. Click here to view this school.
University of York
The University of York is one of the top ten universities in the UK for teaching and research, and is ranked in the top 100 universities in the world. This well-established university consists of over 30 academic departments and research centres and a student body of 13,000, and was named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2010. Most of the distance learning courses are designed to meet professional development needs, and reflect the benefits of online learning in this context. Click here to view this school.
Lloyd’s Maritime Academy
Course options include popular and well-established diplomas in Marine (海洋) Surveying, Ship Management, and Maritime Law. Various accreditation levels are available from short, online based certificate courses to fully-accredited diploma and postgraduate diploma study options. We also offer our best course — the MBA in Shipping&. Logistics. The continued strength of these distance learning programmes have over 6,000 students enrolled on our courses. Click here to view this school.
1. Which holds the largest number of students?| A．Arden University. | B．University of York. |
| C．Lloyd's Maritime Academy. | D．University of London International Programmes. |
| A．How to be a training teacher. | B．How to be a good programmer. |
| C．How to be a professional in shipping industry. | D．How to be an excellent shipbuilder. |
| A．They all offer online courses. | B．They are only accessible to the British. |
| C．They are all top ten schools in the world. | D．They were all built in the early 20th century. |
10 . A famous magazine, Amusement Today, does a survey among park lovers every year both in the US and overseas, based on which, “Top 5 List of the Best Amusement Parks in the World” has come out as follows:
Disneyland, California
Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California, the US. More than 515 million guests have traveled to this American landmark from around the world since the park first opened to guests on July 17, 1955. The park consists of many world-famous sections, such as Main Street, Adventure land, New Orleans Square, and so on.
Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Florida
Magic Kingdom is a theme park within the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando opened on October 1, 1971. It is the most famous theme park in Florida. The park’s design and attractions don’t make much difference from Disneyland Park in Anaheim.
EPCOT, Disney World, Florida
EPCOT is the second theme park built at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. The park opened on October 1, 1982, and was named EPCOT Center from 1982 to 1993. It was the largest Disney theme park in the world until 1998, when Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened.
DisneyMGM Studios, Florida
MGM’s streets are the home for some great moviethemed attractions with a history of less than 30 years. With the addition of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Rock and Roller Coaster, the park is now home to Disney World’s most thrilling rides.
Universal Studios, Florida
Go behind the scenes, beyond the screen and jump right into the action of your favorite movies at Universal Studios, the number one movie and TV theme park in the world.
1. Which of the following theme parks have similar attractions?| A．Disneyland & Magic Kingdom. |
| B．Disneyland & Universal Studios. |
| C．EPCOT & DisneyMGM Studios. |
| D．Magic Kingdom & Universal Studios. |
| A．Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Florida. |
| B．DisneyMGM Studios, Florida. |
| C．EPCOT, Disney World, Florida. |
| D．Disneyland, California. |
| A．To attract tourists to these theme parks. |
| B．To increase the sales of Amusement Today. |
| C．To introduce world’s best amusement parks. |
| D．To compare attractions in different theme parks. |
