1 . A new study has found that tools designed to warn drivers and automatically stop vehicles in emergency situations helped reduce crashes by about 50 percent.
For the study, numerous automobile manufacturers supplied vehicle equipment data on 93 different vehicle models from 2015 to 2020. This information was combined with data collected on more than 12 million police-reported crashes in 13 American states.
One of the technologies studied is called forward collision warning. Collison is another word for crash. This system uses cameras, radar and other technology tools to gather information on safe driving distances. It warns drivers if their vehicle is getting too close to other vehicles ahead. Another related driver assistance tool is known as automatic emergency braking (刹车). This system is designed to identify possible crash dangers involving vehicles ahead. The tool can automatically slow or stop a vehicle if it senses the immediate danger of a crash.
The group’s study found that front-to-rear (前后) crashes were reduced by 49 percent when the striking vehicle had both forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking. The systems also reduced crashes resulting in injuries by 53 percent. The research also suggested automatic braking systems perform well in many situations, including poor weather and low light conditions.
The study also found that vehicles equipped with technologies designed to keep vehicles in their driving lane (车道) “are effective in reducing single-vehicle crashes that lead to serious injuries”.
Many carmakers now include this kind of technology on some vehicle models. It is designed to automatically keep a vehicle centred in lanes of traffic. The study found these tools reduced crashes involving vehicles leaving the roadway by eight percent.
That study warned that drivers who put too much trust in driver-assist technologies are putting themselves at risk for serious accidents. A majority of drivers in the study said they were more likely to perform non-driving related activities, like eating or texting, while using the tools.
1. What does the author’s statement in Paragraph 2 imply?| A．There is potential danger of automatic driving. |
| B．The data source for the study result is true and reliable. |
| C．Traffic accidents are decreasing in America. |
| D．The market prospect of assistance tool is broad. |
| A．Forward collision warning. |
| B．Automatic emergency braking. |
| C．The technology keeping vehicles in their driving lane. |
| D．Technology tools to gather information. |
| A．No driver-assist technique is completely dependable. |
| B．Future technology can avoid any traffic accident. |
| C．Future technology can bring more convenience to drivers. |
| D．There is still a long way to go to study driverless cars. |
| A．A Traffic Accident Report to Prevent Injuries and Loss of Life |
| B．Study: Vehicle Warning and Braking Systems Cut Crashes by 50 Percent |
| C．An Advertise on the Effectiveness of Driver Assistance Systems |
| D．Automobile Manufacturers Are Trying to Develop High-Quality Vehicles |
2 . In Moldova, Tudor Popescu splits (劈) firewood that will heat his home in the capital of Chisinau. In the past, Popescu depended on natural gas for warmth in the mornings and firewood at night. But gas is now in short supply, following Russia’s major cut to gas exports.
The demand for firewood in Europe is not limited to poorer nations like Moldova. The German forestry service has reported getting requests for firewood from people who had never sought firewood before. German foresters also report increased incidents of people gathering fallen wood in forests, often not knowing it is illegal.
State forests in the Czech Republic also report increased demand for firewood. The government sells the wood for use at home, only. Officials say they’ve had to limit the amount of firewood sold to individuals.
In Poland, demand for small firewood from state forests increased by 46% through the end of August from a year earlier. Larger firewood demand was up 42%.
To prevent theft in Germany, the forestry department is experimenting with hiding GPS devices in logs (原木). The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia is the latest to try the technology. Foresters in neighbouring Hesse have been using GPS devices since 2013 and say they have been able to solve several thefts that way.
Austrian police recently warned people to watch for those claiming to sell firewood online. Police in Germany had issued similar alerts. In Britain, prices of firewood also are going up. Company Certainly Wood says it has seen “a massive increase in demand” even though the price is 15% to 20% higher than last year.
In Denmark, the demand for wood-burning stoves (炉子) is growing along with demand for firewood itself. The Danish sales site DBA said searches for wood-burning products have increased by over 1,300% in the past year. At the same time, government officials and environmentalists have warned Danes about the risk of burning firewood. The smoke produced can be dangerous and adds to pollution, they say, and the tree loss adds to climate change problems.
1. What caused the increase in demand for firewood in European countries?| A．Wood shortages. | B．Rising prices in Europe. |
| C．Europe’s energy crisis. | D．Unseasonable weather. |
| A．Moldova. | B．Germany. | C．Denmark. | D．Poland. |
| A．Criminals. | B．Cases. | C．Warnings. | D．Ads. |
| A．To prevent destroying trees and reduce pollution. |
| B．To strengthen collective environmental awareness. |
| C．To attack the crime of damaging woods resources. |
| D．To stress Denmark is a developed country. |
3 . Zu Wenbao, a 23-year-old Chinese villager with autism, grew up in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang. Autism is a developmental disability that makes it hard for some people to talk with others or learn social skills. For Zu, the recent years of COVID-19 restrictions(限制) have been difficult.
But he is doing better now that he is learning music and spending time with other young people at a school called Chen’s Studio, which started offering music lessons for people with autism when the pandemic started.
Zu’s mother brings her son to the music school every Sunday so he can study with the teacher, Chen Shensi. It takes them two hours on three different buses to get to the classroom from their home. At the studio, Zu learned how to play the keyboards and sing in a band called “Star Kids”.
“Without music, without these lessons, he wouldn’t have anything,” Zu’s mother said. The children he grew up with, she said, all have jobs or go to school. Her son would not have any people to socialize with if it were not for the music school. Although Zu is older than the other young people at Chen’s Studio, “they all take care of him like he’s their brother,” Zu’s mother said.
China is making progress in teaching people about autism and offering more support for people like Zu. But experts say there are still millions of children who do not get social or educational support.
Chen knows the young people with autism will have trouble getting jobs, so he hopes music will help them make a living. The Star Kids band has already played some concerts. He did not know much about autism before he started teaching a bass player with the disorder in 2020. At the start, it was hard. Chen became upset when he had trouble communicating with his students. However, it eventually became easier. He said he knows it is hard for them to communicate. But “to some degree, I think music might be their language.”
1. What can we know about Zu Wenbao?| A．He has difficulty talking with people. |
| B．He likes to learn social skills very much. |
| C．He grew up in the northwestern province. |
| D．He does better in learning music than others. |
| A．To receive timely treatment. | B．To reach out to more patients. |
| C．To show his musical talent. | D．To increase communication opportunities. |
| A．Favourable. | B．Concerned. | C．Doubtful. | D．Critical. |
| A．To tell us an interesting story. |
| B．To provide information about music teaching. |
| C．To introduce the potential of people with autism. |
| D．To guide us to the situation of Chinese autistic patients. |
4 . WELCOME TO OUR LITTLE VILLAGE
Our Mission
Little Village is a nonprofit record company that seeks to shine the light of awareness on musicians who might not otherwise be heard, and in doing so further the belief that a life filled with diverse music builds empathy (同感), making for stronger communities and a better world.
Our Story
Jim Pugh’s work with well-known blues artists and top selling rock musicians has earned him many Grammy Awards, platinum, and gold records. After 40 years in the music industry, the idea for Little Village came to Pugh after taking a step back and thinking about what meant most to him.
Founded in 2015, Little Village is an arts non-profit that uses music as a tool to increase cross cultural understanding. Our day-to-day programming consists of recording and producing underground artists whose music has not yet been discovered outside their community. Through sharing multicultural music with American roots, we work to deepen understanding and promote empathy.
Our Artists
Little Village artists come from various communities and cultures but all share a common goal of exposing their music to audiences who they would not have otherwise reached.
Little Village seeks out these previously undiscovered artists, and provides them with the tools to launch a successful album (专辑), at no cost to the artist. All proceeds from sales of the albums are given back to the artists as a way to promote artist agency and ownership of their work. Recording an artist helps them connect to their community, while providing Little Village with an opportunity to share their music with the world and win the artist acclaim (高度评价). For more information on our artists, click here please.
1. What is the focus of Little Village’s daily work?| A．Promoting and supporting popular music. |
| B．Recommending mainstream American music. |
| C．Recording a new record for well-known musicians. |
| D．Advocating musical diversity and understanding. |
| A．Jim Pugh didn’t work with blues artists. |
| B．Jim Pugh founded Little Village before 2015. |
| C．Little Village has made a lot of money ever since. |
| D．Little Village artists are from different communities. |
| A．A research report. | B．A historical magazine. |
| C．A music website. | D．A job advertisement. |
5 . In September 1789, the government of the US was only a few months old. George Washington was president — the nation’s first. Congress (国会) was
One aim was to help
In the end, Washington did formally
In the years that followed, some presidents
| A．new | B．abnormal | C．ready | D．concerned |
| A．option | B．question | C．hesitation | D．target |
| A．identify | B．protect | C．unify | D．change |
| A．goal | B．stage | C．process | D．way |
| A．contributed | B．admitted | C．stuck | D．objected |
| A．use | B．allow | C．remind | D．expect |
| A．relief | B．law | C．tradition | D．belief |
| A．strength | B．action | C．power | D．influence |
| A．sign up | B．make up | C．call for | D．get through |
| A．satisfy | B．cheat | C．rid | D．warn |
| A．lawmaker | B．instructor | C．leader | D．supporter |
| A．decided | B．chosen | C．found | D．ordered |
| A．insisted | B．agreed | C．existed | D．operated |
| A．issued | B．highlighted | C．stressed | D．considered |
| A．religious | B．independent | C．special | D．legal |
6 . On May 29, 2022, Rut Larsson, who was 103 at that time, became the oldest skydiver in the world. And yet she had just become the oldest parachutist (跳伞者) in the world. This Swedish grandmother turned her dream into
When Rut Larsson was in her 90s, she became
Now Rut Larsson was going through the respectable
With this jump, she became the oldest
“At first, slowly
| A．fiction | B．scene | C．reality | D．trouble |
| A．bored | B．fascinated | C．disappointed | D．puzzled |
| A．weight | B．pain | C．examination | D．fitness |
| A．fame | B．contest | C．reward | D．record |
| A．jump | B．climb | C．journey | D．flight |
| A．age | B．action | C．manner | D．line |
| A．put up | B．take over | C．get down | D．go through |
| A．congratulate | B．document | C．celebrate | D．recognize |
| A．official | B．designer | C．viewer | D．lawyer |
| A．nurse | B．male | C．doctor | D．skydiver |
| A．introduced | B．chosen | C．held | D．prevented |
| A．driving | B．rushing | C．crashing | D．sliding |
| A．beat | B．find | C．imagine | D．obey |
| A．confusing | B．terrifying | C．pitiful | D．wonderful |
| A．planned | B．received | C．remembered | D．forced |
7 . Dad’s car pulled into the driveway. I ran to the door. Dad smiled as if he had a secret. “It feels cold to us, but it’s warm and attractive to see a frog. Are you coming?” he asked I agreed gladly and then put on my raincoat.
“Hey, look at this one,” Dad shined his light on a green frog the size of his thumb. The frog jumped, its four legs sticking straight out I found my first frog on a driveway. A bright-green one with shiny skin. I wondered what it would feel like. I could see the frog breathing.
I could imagine a car running over it. I said, “Dad, can you move this one?” “You do it,” Dad said. I looked at the frog. I didn’t want to touch it. But I didn’t want it to get squashed (压扁的). I reached down. It jumped through my fingers. I tried again. Cupping one hand around the frog, I picked it up with the other hand. Its skin felt cold and soft. The frog moved. I walked to the grass and held out my hand. The frog climbed up my wrist. I laughed. Then I gently placed the frog onto the grass.
We walked a couple of blocks. We found lots of frogs — brown ones, green ones and spotted ones. I got better at finding them. If they were in the road, we moved them when traffic was clear. I actually started to like picking them up.
I was ready to go home. Then I saw something moving near a stone wall. Something bigger than a frog. Dad and I shined our lights and crouched. “Is it a lizard (蜥蜴)?” I asked. “No, it’s a salamander,” Dad said. “Hey, I just realized something,” I said. “The animals out tonight — frogs and salamanders — are Amphibians (两栖动物). We’d learned about amphibians in school.” “Great observation,” Dad said.
1. How did the author feel when his dad asked him to see frogs?| A．Frightened. | B．Disappointed. | C．Terrible. | D．Excited. |
| A．He did it for fun. | B．He would like to picture it. |
| C．He wanted to observe it carefully. | D．He wanted to protect it from danger. |
| A．Worthwhile. | B．Boring. | C．Tiring. | D．Fruitless. |
| A．Love every creature around us. | B．Unite outdoor activities and health. |
| C．Children should get closer to nature. | D．Good parent-child relationship is important. |
8 . The World’s Most Amazing Caves
Humans have been drawn to caves for thousands of years. Here are four of the world’s biggest caves.
Son Doong Cave, Vietnam
Son Doong Cave in the remote(偏远的)forests of Vietnam holds the title of the largest cave in the world. Son Doong is a spreading network of tunnels and caves, the largest of which could contain an entire New York City block with 40-story buildings. Parts of the cave’s top have fallen down，creating vast skylights that allow life to grow to a height of hundreds of feet beneath the forest floor.
Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, the United States
Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is the longest cave system in the world, with 426 miles explored—and scientists guess another 600 miles have yet to be discovered based on measurements of air movement within the caves. Mammoth Cave has drawn visitors since the 1800s, and 10 miles of underground passages are accessible to tourists today.
Sac Actun. Mexico
The longest underwater cave system in the world, Sac Actun winds(蜿蜒)more than 215 miles under Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Adventurers can take a drop in the Sac Actun system through more than 248 cenotes(天然井)—the natural swimming pools that form when sinkholes connect the surface to the underwater caves.
Veryovkina Cave, Abkhazia, Georgia
Veryovkina Cave is the deepest cave in the world, spreading 1.4 miles beneath the surface. It takes professionals a week to make a round journey to Veryovkina Cave, They have to brave waterfalls, tight presses and sharp drops. But the payoff is excellent—Veryovkina
Cave’s end is a beautiful blue lake about 50 feet long and 25 feet wide surrounded by black black rocks.
1. What is special about Son Doong Cave?| A．It lies far away from the forests. | B．It has some tall plants growing. |
| C．It is the longest cave in Vietnam. | D．It is the highest cave in the world. |
| A．They end up with beautiful lakes. | B．They attract few adventurers. |
| C．They stay unexplored at present. | D．They have long cave systems. |
| A．Half a week. | B．Two weeks. |
| C．One week. | D．Over two weeks. |
9 . A seven-word sentence was discovered on a 3,700-year-old comb (梳子),which is likely the oldest known sentence written in letters,according to a new study. The sentence is in Canaanite (迦南语),which is the source (来源) of later letter systems in European languages.
The comb was first discovered in 2016 in Israeli. However,it wasn’t until 2021 that a researcher from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem first noticed the words when checking the photo of the comb. The researchers were not able to directly date the comb. They believed it dated from around 1700 BC based on comparison of the letters with those on pottery (陶器) with a known age.
Garfinkel,a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem,said,“The Canaanites invented the letters. Nowadays every person in the world can read and write using the letter system. This is really one of the most important achievements of humankind. When you are writing in English,you’re really using Canaanite.”
Small groups of Canaanite letters discovered on broken pieces of pottery before did not leave much room for further research on the lives of the Canaanites. But this find of a sentence written in the first letter-based language opens up the debate about the history during the ancient time period.
Garfinkel said,“The sentence was found on an ivory comb in the ancient city’s palace and temple area,which could suggest that only wealthy men were able to read and write.” The earliest writing system started around 5,000 years ago,which relied on hundreds of pictographs (象形文字) to represent words,ideas and sounds. Canaanites were the first to use letters in their writing system. “It shows that even in the most ancient times there were full sentences,which further suggests that Canaanites stood out among the early civilizations in their use of the written word.”
1. What do we know about Canaanite?| A．It has a history of 3,700 years. | B．It is the oldest known language. |
| C．Its sentences are in many languages. | D．Its letters are still in use at present. |
| A．It was discovered on some pottery. | B．It was identified on a comb in 2016. |
| C．It was recognized when dating the comb. | D．It was recognized on a photo of the comb. |
| A．The influence of Canaanite letters. |
| B．The rules of using Canaanite letters. |
| C．The problem in identifying the Canaanite sentence. |
| D．The explanation of the discovered Canaanite sentence. |
| A．Useless. | B．Meaningful. | C．Confusing. | D．Unacceptable. |
10 . We have been taught from a young age that red means stop and green means go. So why were these colors chosen for traffic lights? And what’s the history behind the colors?
To trace the connection between the colors and traffic lights,we have to travel back in time to the earliest railroad signals (信号灯) developed in the 1830s. Those first railroad signals were the forerunner of our modern stoplights. Like modern traffic controls,they contained three lights:one for stop,one for caution (警告),and one for go. The original color system was different from our modern system,though. Red meant stop,green meant caution,and white meant go.
The choice of red for stop was fairly obvious,since red — the color of blood — has been associated with danger for thousands of years, long before cars were even around. Scientifically speaking,red is the color with the longest wavelength which means that as it travels,it gets spread less in different directions than other colors,so it can be seen from a greater distance.
Why green and white were chosen for the other signals remains a bit of a mystery. It’s possible that the two colors were chosen because how they contrasted (反差) with red. This system of color-coded signals remained in place (仍然有效) for several decades until it became clear that using white for go could cause serious problems. Around 1914,a train signal’s red lights broke down,causing it to appear white. As a train approached the signal,it was supposed to stop,but the driver believed the white meant go. The result was a terrible train crash. After that,the color for go was eventually changed to green.
To provide the most contrast between red and green,yellow was then chosen as the new color for caution,because it can be seen well at all times of the day. After cars were invented and went into mass production,a similar signaling system was needed to control the flow of traffic. When traffic lights were put up,it became standard for them as well.
1. How does the author describe the original traffic lights?| A．By listing an example. | B．By offering a suggestion. |
| C．By making a comparison. | D．By showing the importance. |
| A．It is the easiest to recognize all day long. |
| B．It reminds people of accidents and danger. |
| C．It spreads fastest in all directions in the air. |
| D．It has proved the least harmless to our eyes. |
| A．The driver’s tiredness. | B．The train’s high speed. |
| C．The travel system’s shortcoming. | D．The white light’s failing to work. |
| A．How did the present traffic lights form? |
| B．Why was the first traffic system invented? |
| C．Why did white disappear from the traffic lights? |
| D．How did an accident change the traffic systems? |
