1 . “More and more consumers across the country are using cashless payment methods. The rapid development of third⁃party mobile payment tools is helping to encourage cashless payment across the country,” said Dong Ximiao, a researcher at Renmin University of China.
Although there were 3.4 billion third⁃party payment accounts in total in China in 2016, China is not the first country to seek a cashless society. Developed countries like Sweden, Denmark and Singapore are also seeing that increase.
However, the rapid development of the cashless payment does not mean there are no challenges or criticisms. Alibaba’s Hema store has come under the spotlight (成为焦点) recently. The media said that consumers couldn’t buy goods in cash there, which would be considered illegal.
Alipay and WeChat Pay, the nation’s two major third⁃party mobile payment tools, also launched campaigns this month to encourage more people to use cashless payment methods, which caused concern over whether cash will soon disappear.
“Some offline sellers refuse to accept cash, which influences the natural circulation (流通) of cash,” said Dong. He stressed that a cashless society would not mean that cash would completely disappear. “Also it’s important to remember that nearly half of China’s population live in the country, and they are unable to enjoy innovation (革新) brought by the Internet,” said Dong. “And when it comes to China’s senior citizens, most of them prefer to use cash in their daily lives,” he added.
“It’s ridiculous (荒谬的) to question digital payment tools’ contribution to financial development. In the long term, various payment methods will be used by consumers, and merchants should respect consumers’ payment habits,” Dong noted.
1. What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 2 probably refer to?| A．The economic activity. | B．A large amount of payment. |
| C．The development of the economy. | D．The cashless payment. |
| A．It fights against illegal activities. |
| B．Customers are not permitted to use cash there. |
| C．It provides comprehensive services. |
| D．It starts campaigns to encourage mobile payment. |
| A．The cashless payment should be limited in the countryside. |
| B．The innovation from payment is ridiculous in fact. |
| C．Various payment methods should be supported. |
| D．The digital payment should replace cash completely. |
| A．Innovation on the Internet | B．Cash or cashless? |
| C．Payment online should replace cash | D．Is the circulation of cash dying? |
2 . The apples that hang from trees in Tom Brown’s orchard (果园) are likely not found in the produce section of your local grocery store. They have names like Balsam Sweet, Candy Stripe, and Night Dropper, and are among the 1,200 varieties that Brown has regained from six southern states. Most haven’t been sold commercially for a century or more; some were transplanted from the last known trees of their kind.
One such apple is the Junaluska, which originated with the Cherokee Indians more than two centuries ago. It was popular in the South before disappearing from commercial production by 1900. Brown discovered the Junaluska in 2001 while searching for other apple varieties in a long-forgotten orchard, where he examined two ancient apple trees with Junaluskas. He took a cutting from the tree for his orchard and set about reintroducing the apple to the world.
Before Brown discovered lost apples, he was a chemical engineer who enjoyed visiting farmers markets. It was in 1999 that he became fascinated by heritage apples with unfamiliar names such as Kane, Lawver. Brown went in search of them. One dead end led to another until he reached out to local newspapers for help. The articles they ran brought about suggestions from readers, and soon Brown was tasting Yellow Potts, Moseys and many more varieties once assumed lost.
In 1905 there were more than 7,000 apple varieties in the United States. Then things changed. People migrated to urban areas and grew less of their own food, while large agribusinesses preferred selling fewer varieties, ones that were familiar and shipped easily. Brown is on mission to bring back as many of the extinct or nearly extinct varieties as possible. Most of the clues about the location of these old trees come from people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, many of whom he meets at festivals where he exhibits heritage apples.
“These were foods people had once cared about deeply, which had been central to their lives,” he says. “It felt wrong to just let them die and be lost forever.”
1. What can we learn about Tom Brown’s apples?| A．They are juicy and sweet. | B．They are rare and valuable. |
| C．They are named by Tom Brown. | D．They are sold in local grocery stores. |
| A．He found it by accident. | B．He met it in a commercial market. |
| C．He was informed by Indians. | D．He found it with the help of farmers. |
| A．Lack of labour and guidance. | B．A sudden change in the weather. |
| C．People’s migration to the countryside. | D．Agribusinesses’ favor and choice. |
| A．The lost apples | B．Tom Brown’s choice |
| C．An apple hunter | D．American apple varieties |
3 . Wang Yaping, 41, became China’s first female astronaut to conduct a spacewalk on November. 2021.
Wang’s dream of becoming an astronaut was
“Now China has its first man in space, when will our country have its first
After years of
In the first year, Wang could not get the top level in the high-G training, which simulates (模拟) the environment when the spacecraft
Wang realized her space dream as part of the Shenzhou-10 mission. She was confident that the crew could fulfill this challenging mission.
Meanwhile, to prepare for their
| A．influenced | B．requested | C．inspired | D．reported |
| A．aircraft | B．woman | C．planet | D．experiment |
| A．boring | B．tough | C．online | D．proper |
| A．missions | B．countries | C．methods | D．sections |
| A．loved | B．respected | C．titled | D．selected |
| A．burst into | B．show up | C．set out | D．brought in |
| A．takes off | B．puts on | C．jumps over | D．rises up |
| A．firmly | B．properly | C．frequently | D．gently |
| A．lack | B．supply | C．form | D．release |
| A．ignore | B．land | C．board | D．operate |
| A．mental | B．basic | C．additional | D．similar |
| A．selection | B．competition | C．separation | D．celebration |
| A．platform | B．cause | C．performance | D．tasks |
| A．collect | B．draw | C．buy | D．circle |
| A．sighed | B．laughed | C．yelled | D．regretted |
4 . George Headley would have been a dentist in the USA rather than one of the greatest cricketers (板球运动员) if he had got his papers from Panama on time. The Indian legend was born in Colón, Panama and a period of unemployment in Jamaica caused him to begin the process of seeking a career elsewhere.
The delay, however, gave Headley time to make his first-class debut (首次亮相) for Jamaica against the visiting Lord Tennyson’s XI from England. These were his scores in the three first-class games in the series: 16, 40, and 71. The rest, as they say, is history. Yet, consider what might have occurred if his documents had arrived on time and he had migrated to America. There would have been a missing chapter in cricket.
Headley’s ta le brings to the fore the role that happenstance (偶然情况) plays in life. In the song A Different Comer, George Michael lamented (哀叹) that a romantic union went wrong and suggested that it might have been better if circumstances had worked to prevent their first meeting: “Take me back in time; maybe I can forget. Turn a different corner and we never would have met.”
Our lives are the result of much planning and deliberate action. But they are the result of chance as well. “The harder I practice, the luckier I get” is a quote normally used by sportsmen to discount the occurrence or consequence of luck. Athletes like to think that whatever success they’ve had is only down to them. To admit otherwise is to devalue the skills and efforts.
The changes in luck are a large part of why we watch sports. It fosters uncertainty, which, in turn. enhances interest in the process and the result. On any given day, the underdog can be at the champion. Whenever that occurs, luck is likely to have played some significant part, and sport is better for it.
1. What decision did George Headley make before getting his papers?| A．To complete his official documents in Panama. | B．To sharpen his cricket skills in Jamaica. |
| C．To get a degree in medicine in the USA. | D．To work as a dentist in the USA. |
| A．It affected his debut performance. | B．It became a turning point in his life. |
| C．It benefited the England cricket team. | D．It led to a missing chapter in cricket. |
| A．To stress the importance of chance. |
| B．To explain the necessity of planning ahead. |
| C．To show the significance of the first impressions. |
| D．To illustrate a love-hate relationship with friends. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．Little people can make a big difference. |
| C．Efforts and chances are equally important. | D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
5 . Some people say that the planet is getting smaller, that there are few places left to explore, and that the age of exploration will be over soon.
I would argue instead that there has never been a greater need to explore. That’s because the stage for all exploration is the natural world, and nature is experiencing a rapid decline. It is by exploring that we understand and when we understand we develop an appreciation for what is found. Ultimately, only the things we appreciate are worth protecting.
As the golden age of exploration weakens, so does the richness of life on Earth. It isn’t just that there are fewer blank areas on the map; it is that wild places and spaces have been progressively carved up (瓜分). Visiting the Okavango Delta or Kalahari Desert, for example, no longer implies a self-supported expedition. Field stations pop up in important national parks and remote sensing by satellite becomes commonplace.
In the next century, I believe we will need larger and wilder areas. We will need the wilderness, not just for the protection of it, but because it is an important part of the ecosystems from which we gain our necessities like clean water, food and materials. If we succeed, then expeditions — brief travels into the wild that seek to answer questions, monitor populations, and inspire action — will have a renewed sense of purpose. More importantly, they greatly help the public experience, understand and appreciate nature.
Based on my own research expedition which aims to understand “edge effects” — how the changes in temperature at forest edges impact animals, I find it important that today’s scientists continue to spend time in the field. It is here that they begin to understand how seemingly unrelated environmental interactions influence their study system. Sometimes, it’s difficult to know which is important to measure until you stand out there on the forest edge.
It is the young generation that is the main force to lead the next wave of expeditions. The measure of their success will be whether there are still well-preserved wild places for expeditions in the future. Their leadership is needed now, more than ever.
1. What’s the purpose of this text?| A．To suggest understanding nature by keeping exploring. |
| B．To advise people not to travel to unknown places. |
| C．To inform us about the reduced biodiversity. |
| D．To call on the public to support the study. |
| A．It is difficult for explorers to make progress. |
| B．It is more accessible with the help of technology. |
| C．It promotes the development of satellite technology. |
| D．It requires explorers to take sufficient heavy equipment. |
| A．Appear unexpectedly. | B．Close temporarily. |
| C．Develop quickly. | D．Differ greatly. |
| A．The significance of scientists’ field trip. |
| B．The difficulty of carrying out fieldwork. |
| C．The need to expand the edges of forests. |
| D．The influence of his study on the environment. |
6 . Wherever we go, we are surrounded by history. Across the globe, cultural heritage is passed down through generations. It is in the buildings and structures around us. It is in the arts and artifacts (手工艺品 ) we treasure. It lives in the languages we speak and the stories we tell. But today, it is under attack as never before. Not only is the damage of time intimidating our cultural heritage, but wars, climate change, globalization and tourism are all exacting a heavy price. Technology is now the most important weapon in the battle. Here’s how technology is preserving our cultural heritage.
As you can imagine, creating the replicas (复制品 ) via crowdsourced 2D images is extremely time-consuming. Increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to do all the required sourcing, allowing millions of images to be stored in a matter of hours. AI will also make restoration-and-preservation of existing cultural heritage far easier and much better than former methods.
Virtual reality (VR) technology will play a leading role in preserving our cultural heritage in the coming years. Many of the most important sites and architecture are easily damaged. Human interaction with these locations is doing a great deal of harm. Wastes left could be seen everywhere, causing many problems. As more cultural heritage sites and objects are digitally mapped and recorded, VR technology will increasingly become the way that people experience them. We’ll all eventually be able to walk through places, look at and touch artifacts and works of art without ever seeing them with our own eyes.
Finally, our cultural heritage will be preserved via technology. Efforts in research, innovation (创新), data sharing and project work will help promote and preserve the cultural heritage of countries all across the world.
1. What does the underlined word “intimidating” in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Fading. | B．Preserving. | C．Recording. | D．Threatening. |
| A．By recycling huge amounts of waste. |
| B．By stopping visitors touching artifacts. |
| C．By reducing human effects on the sites. |
| D．By educating people about the sites’ importance. |
| A．Positive. | B．Unclear. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unsupportive. |
| A．How Technology Changes Arts |
| B．What Cultural Heritage Means to Us |
| C．Prepare for an Innovation in Technology |
| D．Preserve the Ancient with the Advanced |
7 . Owura Kwadwo Hottish teaches computer science in a school. It is a normal school except for the fact that it didn’t have
Owura became famous after he posted photos of him on the Internet. In the picture. people could see he was teaching his students by
| A．classrooms | B．computers | C．playgrounds | D．tools |
| A．operating | B．repairing | C．describing | D．drawing |
| A．poor | B．unique | C．average | D．avanced |
| A．annoyed | B．pleased | C．frightened | D．surprised |
| A．line | B．culture | C．schedule | D．school |
| A．rubbed | B．called | C．cut | D．shown |
| A．exchange | B．improve | C．revise | D．repeat |
| A．broke out | B．paid off | C．came back | D．held back |
| A．care | B．control | C．place | D．notice |
| A．suggestion | B．speech | C．decision | D．arrangement |
| A．made | B．waited | C．received | D．carried |
| A．Suddenly | B．Importantly | C．Exactly | D．Naturally |
| A．lent | B．sold | C．donated | D．applied |
| A．efforts | B．pains | C．legend | D．experiment |
| A．glory | B．wisdom | C．kindness | D．pride |
8 . That morning, I dropped our eldest at kindergarten and returned home to let our two younger children play while I worked on my medical report. It was wonderful, but it hit me that my career in hospital wasn’t making a difference in anyone’s life. I needed something that would stretch my limits and push me to grow. My career enabled me to work from home. I could work from home, and become a foster (领养) mother, providing safety for a child who needed it desperately.
On Monday morning, I picked up the phone and dialed the number I had googled for the nearest Department of Children’ Services. The man on the other end was receptive to my questions and explained the next step of training, involving eight weeks of classes designed to prepare and educate foster parents. We continued through all the classes, the home visits, background checks, and seemingly endless steps.
Five long months after we were approved, the phone rang. In the middle of the night, I woke my husband and rushed to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital--Our placement was waiting for us in the emergency room, sick and lack of nutrition. It didn’t take long for us to realize the full depth of her suffering. Six months later, her half-brother came to us by our request. We now had five children under our care.
On August 12, 2016, our family of seven walked into a small courtroom. The children’s lawyer and social worker were there. With just a few words, our adoption was finalized. These two amazing children weren’t going home, because they were already home. We are their forever family, and they are our forever children. We may not be able to change the entire world, but we have changed the world entirely for our new children.
1. How did the author feel about her hospital work?| A．Unusually demanding. | B．Lacking in motivation. |
| C．Filled with challenges. | D．Packed with chances. |
| A．She wanted to make a difference to other people. |
| B．She felt sympathetic for the abused children she knew. |
| C．She felt confident about her ability to raise children. |
| D．She experienced training to raise children properly. |
| A．The child to be adopted. | B．The need to get trained. |
| C．The approval of adoption. | D．The official at the hospital. |
| A．To put the adopted kids elsewhere. | B．To receive another adopted child. |
| C．To begin the kids’ adoption in her home. | D．To make the adoption officially legal. |
9 . The Beijing Expo Park, where the International Horticultural Exhibition (国际园艺展) took place in 2019, has become a camping resort this summer. Twelve camping areas each named after the constellations (星座) have recently opened to the public at the park.
“When I see parents and children put down their mobile phones and enjoy their family time, I feel happy. At this moment, all our efforts in organizing this camping festival have paid off, ”said Xue He, a camping operator at the park.
“Located in the Yanqing district of Beijing, the camping area covers about 280, 000 square meters. It provides more than 1, 000 camping spots where tourists can spend their leisure time on picnics, fishing, horse riding, boating, and many other activities, ” said Han Weiwei, a manager of the Beijing Expo Park Investment and Development.
At the camping area named after Sagittarius, tents are spread throughout the woods, while a wooden trestle (支架) connects the campsites. “We pursue harmony between humans and nature, so the original plants were preserved as much as possible, ” said Liu Xiao’ou, an operator in the area.
“Horse riding is one of the most popular activities here, ”Liu said, adding that campers can ride horses in the Sagittarius area under the guidance of coaches. Children can also interact with some little cute horses which are less than one meter in height.
As the altitude in Yanqing is higher than that in downtown Beijing, the expo park is much cooler in summer. “This is favorable for camping. These abundant activities have given is so much fun, ” said a resident surnamed Yin from downtown Beijing.
In the coming three months, the Beijing Expo Park is going to host more than 30 activities during the camping festival, including bicycle races, fishing contests and night runs, according to the organizers.
1. What has happened in the Beijing Expo Park?| A．Horse riding performance has been offered. |
| B．Twelve camping areas have opened. |
| C．Art exhibitions have taken place. |
| D．A traditional festival has been celebrated. |
| A．Successful. | B．Unwelcome. | C．Boring. | D．Important. |
| A．The camping area is only for children. |
| B．Campers have little fun at the Sagittarius area. |
| C．Horse riding becomes popular only among children. |
| D．Campers are offered a natural environment. |
| A．The Beijing Expo Park will be open to the public. |
| B．The Beijing Expo Park has changed its course for the future. |
| C．The Beijing Expo Park becomes popular for its abundant exhibitions. |
| D．The Beijing Expo park offers memorable camping experiences to the public. |
10 . For those who are deaf or have hearing loss, making and enjoying music can be a challenge. However, that hasn’t stopped Dame Evelyn Glennie from achieving success.
Scottish-born Dame Evelyn Glennie is one of the world’s most recognized percussionists (打击乐器乐手). However, she started going deaf at the age of eight due to a nerve disease. At 12, she totally lost her hearing.
At first, Glennie was desperate. But her percussion teacher at school taught her to feel particular notes. For example, she had to place her hands on a wall, and he would play two notes on two timpani. He would then ask her which was the higher note and where she felt the vibration. Through trials and errors, she managed to distinguish the pitch of notes by associating where on her body she feels the sound. Thanks to her perfect pitch and the fact that she performs barefoot, Evelyn “hears” the sound. Together with her lip-reading skills, and amazing musicianship, she has conquered any troubles and inconvenience caused by her impairment.
Till now, Glennie has performed with almost all the major orchestras (管弦乐队) globally. Besides classical music, she is famous for partnerships with pop and rock artists like Sting and Bjork. Glennie’s works has earned her over 100 music awards, including two Grammys. She even led 1,000 drummers in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
At the age of 58 this year, Glennie’s mission now is to “teach the world to listen” to improve communication by encouraging everyone to discover a new way of listening. “It’s important to grab on to any opportunity that comes your way, but you also need to create your own opportunities,” says Evelyn. “It’s a personal time to reflect on the impact you might have on other people as well. I don’t know if age plays a part in it, because I feel as though I haven’t really achieved very much and there’s still so much to do!”
1. How could Glennie identify different notes as a deaf person?| A．By reading her teacher’s lips. | B．By putting her hands on a wall. |
| C．By applying her amazing musicianship. | D．By feeling the vibration through her body. |
| A．Sorrow. | B．Mismatch. | C．Abnormality. | D．Fear. |
| A．faithful and tolerant | B．cheerful and practical |
| C．determined and kind | D．considerate and dutiful |
| A．A Dream Pursued by Evelyn Glennie | B．A Deaf Musician Heard by the World |
| C．Evelyn Glennie: Teach the World to Listen | D．Talented Percussionist: Say “No” to Age |
