1 . Forget about “military-style ravel” during which people tend to visit as many places as possible in the least amount of time. A more relaxing and leisurely alternative, such as “Citywalk”, is becoming the norm among urban youngsters.
Unlike military-style travel, Citywalk is about wandering around a city on foot, feeling the atmosphere and finding unusual things that even a resident of the city might not have noticed before. It can be a special event where people start a journey led by tour guides or simply explore the streets.
Such walks generally avoid famous scenic spots and shopping centers, and take you to places where you can have real interactions with the local people, eat at small but authentic restaurants, and gain a deeper understanding of the city’s history and culture.
Citywalkers have shared their carefully planned routes on social media platforms, generating thousands of followers. Their posts usually include the duration of the walk, and interesting places and restaurants along the way. Some posts are more like a food tour.
Nan Xi, who recently moved from Beijing to Shanghai, said “I think Shanghai is a city perfect for Citywalk. There are big trees along the streets and shops selling different products, which is ideal for couples and friends to walk together and take photos.”
After several Citywalk experiences, she signed up for a two-and-a-half-hour Citywalk priced at 88 yuan per person. A tour guide narrated the history of the buildings and streets along the way. “If it were me walking alone, I would simply find the streets artistic, but the tour that day helped me gain a better understanding of how Western culture blends in with the local culture in Shanghai.” she said. Another surprising benefit of the walk was that she has made friends with two of her fellow walkers.
Lin Yi, a manager for an online platform for self-guided tours, thought Citywalk can help travelers learn about local culture and live as local people do, feeling the vibes of a city. “People who participate in Citywalks usually have similar tastes, and can have in-depth discussions with each other,” he said.
1. What is the main difference between military-style travel and Citywalk?A.The transport. | B.The cost. | C.The purpose. | D.The destination. |
A.Because it is a perfect place to run shops. |
B.Because it provides great experiences in many ways. |
C.Because there are great things to do at weekends. |
D.Because ideal couples and friends often gather there. |
A.She thought it well worth a try. |
B.She went on the tour without company. |
C.She wouldn’t have found the artistic streets by herself. |
D.She knew how Western culture differed from the local culture in Shanghai. |
A.Citywalk is a new trend in urban tourism. |
B.Citywalk can help travelers make new friends. |
C.Military-style travel is becoming more popular. |
D.Travelers choose Citywalk over military style to follow suit. |
2 . The caring employees at a Costco store near Cleveland, Ohio, are being honoured as heroes. It was because of their quick thinking and being sympathy (同情) , which
The story
“In situations where someone might oversleep for the early shift, we usually give them a
Alarmed by the unusual conversation, Dave Mackin, the assistant general manager at Costco’s Mayfield Heights location,
As events
A.gradually | B.finally | C.possibly | D.equally |
A.ended | B.developed | C.happened | D.continued |
A.Sorry | B.Mistaken | C.Prepared | D.Concerned |
A.reach out | B.set off | C.think over | D.take up |
A.former | B.friendly | C.convenient | D.serious |
A.error | B.chance | C.turn | D.step |
A.mattered | B.worked | C.completed | D.dropped |
A.demanded | B.wondered | C.judged | D.explained |
A.special | B.common | C.obvious | D.similar |
A.progressed | B.stopped | C.worsened | D.changed |
A.way | B.line | C.team | D.radio |
A.drive | B.action | C.memory | D.guard |
A.Thus | B.Therefore | C.However | D.Instead |
A.Reflecting | B.Depending | C.Looking | D.Basing |
A.hero | B.road | C.leader | D.family |
3 . Today I headed into town for a job interview. The weather was awful, for it was pouring with rain, and I would’ve loved to buy umbrellas for people. I decided to think of free or really cheap ways to make people smile. I knew I’d also have to deal with my shyness, or just create acts of kindness, but it was a challenge that I was willing to accept!
When I was on the bus, the seat I sat on next to the window was wet; somehow the rain had gotten in. I left a note on the seat, with the Smile Card, saying, “This seat is wet: sit with caution (谨慎) !” Later, while waiting at the road crossing, I held my card over the woman standing in front of me. She didn’t notice but obviously those extra moments of dryness would help!
After the interview, I’d devised a few more ways to create smiles. I checked my purse for change and put 50 pence and a Smile Card on top of a child’s automatic ride. I allowed an elderly gentleman to go in front of me as he was having trouble standing. At this point, I was really beginning to accept my day of kindness!
Before getting on the bus home. I had one more idea: I went and bought a small bag of chocolates and attached a Smile Card. When I got back to my street, I left the sweets and the Smile Card at a neighbour’s door. This neighbour had taken in a parcel (包裹) for me last week, so he deserved a treat.
After all this, my day of giving wasn’t yet over! I was so pleased that I managed to do all these little things for others today. It didn’t take much effort on my part, but I definitely had to push myself to overcome (克服) my lack of confidence, and I’m proud of myself.
1. What difficulty does the writer have to overcome?A.The job interview. | B.The terrible weather. |
C.Poor ability to pay. | D.The shyness character. |
A.Thought up. | B.Focused on. | C.Cut out. | D.Looked forward to. |
A.To please the neighbour’s children. |
B.To thank the neighbour for the help last week. |
C.To receive a welcome treat from the neighbour. |
D.To try to trouble the neighbour to take in his parcel. |
A.A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
B.Any act of kindness matters. |
C.Shyness makes it difficult to succeed. |
D.Believe in yourself first, then others will believe you. |
4 . Researchers have developed a new soft robot design that conducts itself with three behaviours at the same time: rolling (翻滚) forward. turning like a record and following a path that goes around a central point. The equipment, which operates without human or computer control, holds promise for developing soft robots that can be used to AA-head and map unknown environments.
The new soft robots are called twisted ring-bots (扭曲环机器人) . They are made of something like the ribbon (缎带) and then joined together at the end to form a ring.
When the robots are placed on a surface that is at least 55 degrees Celsius, which is hotter than the surrounding air, one part of the ribbon touching the surface becomes smaller, while one part in the air does not. This induces a rolling movement: the warmer the surface, the faster the robot rolls. “The ribbon rolls on its horizontal axis (横轴) , giving the ring forward strength,” says Jie Yin, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.
The twisted ring-bot also turns along its central axis. And as the twisted ring-bot moves forward it travels in a path around a central point, basically moving in a large circle. However, if the twisted ring-bot meets a boundary- like the wall of a box-it will travel along the boundary.
The twisted ring-bots are examples of equipment whose behaviour is governed by physical intelligence, meaning their actions are determined by their structural design and the materials they are made of, rather than being directed by a computer or human.
“Soft robotics is still a relatively new field.” Yin says. “Finding new ways to control the movement of soft robots in a repeatable and engineered way moves the field forward. And advancing our understanding of what is possible is exciting.”
1. What makes the robot roll faster and faster?A.The ribbon. | B.The central axis. |
C.The shape and material. | D.The higher surface temperature. |
A.By explaining the robot’s working ways. | B.By quoting experts’ opinions. |
C.By making some comparisons. | D.By offering reasons and results. |
A.Unclear. | B.Favourable. | C.Negative. | D.Doubtful. |
A.The New Soft Robots | B.Ribbons and Their Rolling |
C.Three Creative Movements | D.Twisted Rings and the Axis |
5 . Four Places to Listen to Free Music Online
Pandora
Pandora is a popular Internet radio service that lets users create personalized stations and listen to music. To use Pandora, you will have to create an account using your email address and a password. As you find music you like, you can save songs to your collection. However, you can’t download any specific tracks to your computer or phone.
LiveOne
On LiveOne, you’ll mostly find big artists, bands and songs along with interviews and news. While you won’t be able to stream all songs on demand for free due to licensing restrictions (限制), you will be able to create a station of similar tracks/artists from nearly any song. There’s a tab (标签) named “My Library” where you can save and share your favourite music.
iHeartRadio
iHeartRadio is a great website or app for listening to live radio stations. You can find local stations or check out stations from around the country. You won’t have to create an account to begin listening on iHeartRadio. but you can make one for free to save stations and playlists. Whether you decide to create an account or not. you won’t be able to download music from iHeartRadio.
Spotify
If you’re looking for free music online, you’ve most likely come across Spotify already. This resource is great for streaming popular hits while discovering new favourites. You can keep track of what you’ve recently played, and “favourite” songs. In addition to music. Spotify offers playlists of its most-played songs and information on local upcoming concerts.
1. Which is a must before using Pandora?A.Saving some songs. | B.Creating an account. |
C.Calling other users. | D.Sending a private email. |
A.Download popular songs. | B.Make new friends online. |
C.Share your favourite music. | D.Discover radio stations. |
A.It offers news on local upcoming concerts. | B.It requires no membership card. |
C.It allows users to download music for free. | D.It features a station of similar artists. |
6 . The African continent has seen its average monthly temperatures rise by 0.5 — 2 degrees Celsius over the past century, with up to another two degrees of warming projected for the next 100 years. The changing climate will break historical rainfall patterns, but which of these, temperature or rainfall, will have the most impact on a species, like rhinos (犀牛) ?
“Generally speaking, most, if not all, species will. in one way or another, be affected by the changing climate,” says lead author Hlelowenkhosi S. Mamba, who completed this research. It is therefore important to catch tendency (趋势) and model futures for some of the world’s weakest species. It can help prepare to reduce climate change’s effects, hence reducing global biodiversity losses.
To understand how our changing climate will affect rhino populations, Mamba and Timothy Randhir, professor of environmental protection, focused their efforts on the five large national parks that are home to most of the rhinos.
Mamba and Randhir then modeled two scenes for each of the parks: the IPCC’s high-emissions (排放) scenes and a more moderate (适度的) emissions scenes. They projected temperature and rainfall for each of the scenes out to 2055 and 2085 to arrive at a possibility that each park would remain suitable for the rhinos.
Nearly every park will become increasingly drier as emissions increase. This is all very bad news for the rhinos, because the team also found that, though the change in rainfall will not be most suitable for the rhinos, the changes in temperature are greater than what the species can bear.
“The temperature conditions in all study parks will become increasingly unsuitable for the species. And under the high-emissions scenes, the possibility of occurrence of the species falls to zero by 2085,” the authors write.
But to be forewarned is to be prepared in advance. “We propose that park managers think now about increasing water supplies, tree cover, watching for stress and planning to allow rhinos to move from one place to another place as the world warms,” says Randhir.
1. Why does the author ask a question in Paragraph 1?A.To show an evidence. | B.To stress the main idea. |
C.To lead in the topic. | D.To offer some background. |
A.The means of the research. | B.The content of the research. |
C.The process of the research. | D.The significance of the research. |
A.Changes in rainfall have a greater effect on rhinos. | B.Each park will have no rhinos in 2055. |
C.Changes in temperature affect rhinos more. | D.Each park will be warmer by 4. 5℃ in 2085. |
A.Rhinos are better suited to natural growth. | B.Rhinos are in great danger in the five parks. |
C.Park managers should plan to protect rhinos. | D.Park managers must pay more attention to nature. |
7 . If your father never says to you “I love you” when you are a child, it
I do not
One day, I decided to
There was a
I was unexpectedly
Fifteen minutes later my mother called and
A few weeks later, Dad
As I sat there in tears I realized that this
A.works out | B.breaks out | C.turns out | D.comes out |
A.wiser | B.busier | C.weaker | D.older |
A.remember | B.enjoy | C.mind | D.regret |
A.only | B.once | C.last | D.first |
A.melt | B.break | C.strike | D.build |
A.strength | B.ideas | C.words | D.attention |
A.sigh | B.silence | C.voice | D.cry |
A.touched | B.frightened | C.shocked | D.annoyed |
A.excitedly | B.nervously | C.willingly | D.sadly |
A.continued | B.checked | C.ended | D.interrupted |
A.accepted | B.expected | C.learned | D.heard |
A.quiet | B.difficult | C.special | D.different |
A.level | B.idea | C.world | D.end |
A.then | B.ago | C.before | D.since |
A.challenged | B.experienced | C.survived | D.received |
8 . Wild African elephants may break sleep records for mammals (哺乳动物). New data show that they seem to survive on about two hours of shut-eye a night. Much of that sleeping took place while they were standing up. The animals lie down to sleep only once every three to four nights.
Trying to figure out how much wild elephants sleep just by watching them 24 hours a day is tricky, especially in the dark. Much of what scientists had known about sleeping elephants came from animals living in zoos, notes Paul Manger, who is a brain researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. In zoos, elephants have been recorded sleeping from about three hours to nearly seven during a 24-hour period. Using electronic monitors on African elephants in the wild, however, has turned up more extreme behavior.
Manger’s team implanted (植入) activity monitors in the trunks (象鼻) of two elephants. Both were female leaders of their herds in the Chobe National Park. Trunks, like human hands, are important for exploring the world. Elephants hardly keep them still — unless sleeping. The researchers thought that a trunk monitor that didn’t move for at least five minutes likely meant its host was asleep.
The monitors tracked the animals over about a month. During that time, the elephants averaged just two hours of sleep a day. What’s more, the elephants were able to skip a night’s sleep without needing extra rest the next day. Those trunk implants showed there were times when the elephants went up to 46 hours without any sleep.
There has been some thought that animals need sleep to store memories properly. But that can’t explain animals, like the elephants, which skip sleep for a night without needing catch-up rest later. “Elephants are usually not considered to be forgetful animals,” Manger observes. In fact, he notes, studies have found that they can have long memories.
1. How did the African elephants typically sleep according to the new study?A.They stood up. | B.They walked around. |
C.They grouped. | D.They kept eyes open. |
A.To test a new tracker. | B.To help elephants fall asleep. |
C.To train wild animals. | D.To study elephants’ sleep. |
A.People always think elephants are forgetful animals. |
B.A good night’s sleep benefits all the wildlife’s brains. |
C.Little sleep doesn’t affect the memory of elephants. |
D.Scientists can’t understand why sleep makes sense. |
A.Tips on watching wildlife. | B.Wild elephants’ sleep habit. |
C.Efforts to protect wild elephants. | D.National nature reserves in Africa. |
9 . On April 8, as millions of people tried to watch a solar eclipse (日食) in North America, eye doctors across the United States would be ready to offer medical help.
That’s because, while a solar eclipse is an exciting event, it can also be dangerous. Looking at any part of the exposed sun without the right kind of protection can injure the eye’s light-sensitive retina (视网膜).
In 2017, during the solar eclipse seen across the United States, that happened to many people despite the media coverage about the danger of looking at the sun when it is anything less than fully and completely covered by the moon.
Given that more than 150 million people directly viewed either a partial eclipse or a total eclipse, however, the number of those who suffered eye problems may seem relatively small.
“We’ve got less than 100 cases across Canada and the US,” says Ralph Chou, an eclipse eye safety expert with the University of Waterloo in Canada. “But no one knows for sure how many people damaged their eyes in 2017,” he says, “because not every case gets written up for a medical journal, and people may not seek help for less serious eyesight troubles.”
“A lot of eyesight problems, if they actually happened, were probably relatively minor and, they disappeared on their own within weeks or months,” says Chou. “About half of those who experience significant eye problems on the day after an eclipse will recover almost completely.”
He notes that there are ways to enjoy the eclipse without looking up at all; everyday household objects allow you to create pinhole projectors (针孔投射) that let you watch an image of the sun. “If you do choose to look up at the sun when it is partially eclipsed,” says Chou, “make sure that you have the proper eclipse glasses.”
1. How can the solar eclipse be a dangerous event?A.It leaves everything in the dark. | B.It could cause damage to our eyes. |
C.It makes it hard to get medical help. | D.It forces us to go to a narrow space. |
A.The danger of seeing a solar eclipse. | B.The location of a top-class hospital. |
C.The importance of exploring space. | D.The number of tourist attractions. |
A.There is no need to worry about the solar eclipse. |
B.Some people forgot to turn to the doctor for help. |
C.It’s hard to track people who suffered eye problems. |
D.Over 150 million people in the US are nearsighted. |
A.Do it with our family. | B.Take pictures of the sun. |
C.Admire the scene on TV. | D.Protect our eyes properly. |
10 . This collection of annual events along the world’s coastlines is worth penciling in your diary.
Festa de Yemanjá, Brazil
It is an annual national party in the country’s oldest city of Salvador. Honouring the Afro-Brazilian Yoruban heritage and the history of the Bahia state capital, this cultural event sees street parades and performances as crowds are dressed in white. The food stands in the city give out fresh cakes to mark the occasion.
Biennale de Dakar, Senegal
Art takes centre stage in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, each summer season for the event. Founded in 1990, the event is the biggest and most exciting in the African art calendar. The energetic capital city makes an amazing backdrop for introducing African artists to a global audience and inviting international artists onto the streets of the city.
Printemps de la Sardine, France
The French town of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie on the Atlantic coast is recognized as the sardine (沙丁鱼) capital of the country. Here, the arrival of the little fish kickstarts the party that takes over the town each spring. From tastings and walking trails to sardine-focused menus at local restaurants and discussions about their role in literature, the two-week celebration lets the delicious local speciality become a focus.
Rock Oyster Festival, the UK
With musical performances from the likes of Nile Rodgers, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Groove Armada and more, the three - day festival also showcases some of the best chefs and restaurants from around Cornwall as well as cooking demonstrations (展示) and masterclasses. Well-known chefs such as Olia Hercules and Andi Oliver share their stories, while over at Mussel Beach, there’s a celebration of live fire cooking.
1. Where does Festa de Yemanjá take place?A.In Salvador. | B.In Dakar. |
C.In Cornwall. | D.In Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. |
A.Amazing calendars. | B.Delicious cakes. |
C.Street parades. | D.African art shows. |
A.They focus on literature. | B.They last for two weeks. |
C.They provide tasty food. | D.They have online training. |