1 . By the time she was 85 years old, Joy Ryan had never seen the ocean or mountains. Now, she’s 94 years old and has seen every comer of the US after visiting all 63 US national parks. Joy went on the epic journey with her grandson, Brad Ryan, who was first inspired to travel with his grandmother in 2015. “When I learned she had never seen the great wildernesses of America-deserts, mountains, oceans, you name it, I thought that was something that I would regret if I didn’t get myself involved in some way,” Brad said. Although they initially planned just to visit the Great Smoky Mountains, they had such a great time that they felt inspired to continue their journey by hitting up all the national parks in the US. “I think we’re two peas in a pod when it comes to our desire for travel and adventure,” Brad said.

The 63rd and final stop on their tour was the National Park of American Samoa. There was a reason why they left this park until the very end. “It’s the only US national park that’s south of the equator. We can enjoy the beautiful tropical paradise,” Brad said, “But as we’ve come to learn from the rangers who work there. American Samoa is an island community that is firmly rooted in family.”

The fact that a grandmother in her 90s completed such a long journey may inspire others, but Brad has always known his grandmother as an inspiration who lives up to her name. “She has already lived from a place of gratitude and joy,” he said. “That’s a power… and a choice that we all have. And I think that’s been my greatest lesson.”

1. What do we know about Joy Ryan?

A．She regretted not visiting the ocean.	B．She was financially challenged.
C．She prefers tropical landscapes.	D．She embarked on her journey in 2015.

2. What inspired Brad and Joy Ryan to visit all of the US national parks?

A．Their ambition to set a world record.	B．Their fear of having regrets in life.
C．Their shared passion for adventure.	D．Their fascination with urban scenery.

3. American Samoa was chosen as their final destination because of its       .   

A．distinctive location	B．natural resources
C．breathtaking coastline	D．close-knit community

4. What quality did Brad learn from his grandmother?

A．Her determination.	B．Her patience.
C．Her endurance.	D．Her optimism.

2 . Adrienne Tully, an amateur photographer, went to the coast of a beach in Belmar, New Jersey. She planned to take photos of the ______ against the sea. Instead, she was able to ______ a frightening but happy journey. It all started last Sunday morning when she noticed a crowd ______ on the beach. Naturally, she joined them in the ______ of learning what was going on.

For a minute, Adrienne was ______ about what everyone was looking at. From how far away they were, it almost seemed like a bird. Looking closer, ______ , it was clearly a deer who was ______ on a raised rock in the middle of the ocean. The deer made a couple of ______ to swim back to the shore but the turbulent (汹涌的) water ______ all its efforts. Then someone who came out of nowhere ______ rode his surfboard to the deer. After a short magic while, the ______ managed to guide the deer out. Upon ______ ashore, the deer just ran north on the beach. Those watching nearby were no doubt ______ at the way this nameless young man ______ to help. But he somehow disappeared too, leaving people to hope he knows that he is greatly ______ for what he did.

1.

A．wildlife

B．city

C．fight

D．sunrise

2.

A．launch

B．anticipate

C．shoot

D．report

3.

A．cooperating

B．forming

C．arguing

D．encountering

4.

A．hope

B．charge

C．absence

D．face

5.

A．confused

B．desperate

C．anxious

D．depressed

6.

A．fortunately

B．however

C．otherwise

D．therefore

7.

A．defeated

B．deserted

C．stuck

D．seated

8.

A．routines

B．attempts

C．excuses

D．routes

9.

A．ruined

B．interrupted

C．canceled

D．postponed

10.

A．purposely

B．randomly

C．elegantly

D．heroically

11.

A．onlooker

B．tourist

C．surfer

D．guide

12.

A．going

B．washing

C．thundering

D．struggling

13.

A．ashamed

B．mad

C．amazed

D．expert

14.

A．went off

B．turned up

C．settled down

D．set out

15.

A．appreciated

B．understood

C．awarded

D．supported

3 . Could you manage without the internet for four and a half years? That’s exactly what the actress Selena Gomez has done in a bid to improve her mental health.

She has spoken extensively about the relationship between her social media usage and mental well-being, recalling feeling like “an addict” as to becoming Instagram’s most followed user in 2016. “Indeed, I regret quitting from social media that late”, says she. “The unnecessary hate and comparisons went away once I put my phone down.”

However, the increasing digitization (数字化) means that everything from paying a bill to even making a phone call is at the mercy of the internet. Actively opting (选择) out of the internet becomes a matter of privilege. Ms Gomez’s multi-millionaire status has allowed her to take the “social” out of social media. The fact that she’s still the second most-followed woman on Instagram suggests it’s entirely possible to maintain a significant web profile to promote various projects by way of a dedicated team — without being exposed to the cruel comments.

It goes without saying that this is fundamentally different from how the rest of us without beauty deals and films to publicize use the likes of Instagram and Twitter, but even the concept of a digital detox (戒瘾) requires having a device and connectivity to choose to disconnect from.

The UK’s digital divide has worsened over the past two years, leaving poorer families without broadband connections in their homes. Digital exclusion (数字隔绝) is a major threat to wider societal equality in the UK.

Consequently, it’s worth bearing in mind that while deleting all social media accounts will undoubtedly make some feel infinitely better, many other people benefit from the strong sense of community that sharing platforms can develop. Greater resources and initiatives are needed to provide the underprivileged with the connectivity they desperately need to learn, work and live. It’s crucial that people feeling social media is harmful to their mental health are allowed to switch off and for those living in digital exclusion to be able to switch on primarily.

1. What do we learn about the actress Selena Gomez in the past four and a half years?

A．She has withdrawn from social media.

B．She has won Instagram’s most followers.

C．She has had worsening mental problems.

D．She has succeeded in a bid on the internet.

2. Why does actively opting out of using the internet become a matter of privilege?

A．Most people think that digital exclusion promotes societal equality in the UK.

B．Most people can hardly abandon the web while avoiding hate and comparisons.

C．Most people can hardly get by without the internet due to growing digitization.

D．Most people have been seriously addicted to the web without being aware of it.

3. What is stressed concerning social media platforms in the last paragraph?

A．They are beneficial to people’s mental health.

B．They create a virtual community on the internet.

C．They help many people feel connected with others.

D．They provide a necessary device for a digital detox.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards social media platforms?

A．Subjective.	B．Objective.
C．Disapproving.	D．Favorable.

4 . In 2016, when I was on the graduate scheme (计划) at Deutsche Bank, Marie Inafidon, chief executive of Stemettes, who encourages girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), was also working there. I didn’t meet her at the time, but I did read an article about her and her career.

Learning at 21 years old about the career of a young black woman’s succeeding in a traditionally white male-dominated industry was one of the most influential things that ever happened to me. It gave me confidence that it was possible to do well in the office and work on personal external project at the same time.

Role models can play a central role in shaping a young professional’s career. They are especially important if you belong to an under-represented group for whom a lack of representation in the workplace can lead to feeling isolated and lacking in confidence. They can help those just starting out, whether or not they are a graduate as I was, to believe in their own abilities.

There’s a growing need to have accessible role models. Given the tendency to exaggerate (夸大) success stories, hearing from women who talk honestly about the challenges they have faced, either when starting a business or forming a new career path, is much more effective. A study revealed that 70 per cent of girls say they think differently about their futures after hearing from women role models.

I’m frequently asked about what businesses could be doing to increase racial diversity in the workplace. A good starting point is to actively promote and support the voices of the people in the organisation that are leading positive change and inspiring others. This makes a real difference. Unlike the tokenism (装样子) I still come across, which results in individuals being made the lone representative for a group without real support from the organisation.

Things came full circle for me when I interviewed Ms. Inafidon for my book in 2019. I was able to tell her of the incredible impact her passion and confidence had had on me as a graduate trainee and how grateful I would always be for that.

1. What do we learn about Marie Inafidon？

A．She became successful at 21.

B．She was a trainee at Deutsche Bank.

C．She encouraged girls to take up STEM-related work.

D．She helped the author with her external project personally.

2. Who can benefit most from role models in the work place according to the third paragraph？

A．Experienced professionals.	B．A graduate eager to succeed.
C．People without special abilities.	D．The young from an under-represented group.

3. What is effective in changing girls’ mindset？

A．Taking on challenging projects.

B．Reading more made-up success stories.

C．Starting their own business as early as possible.

D．Listening to women role models share their experiences.

4. What should businesses do to increase racial diversity in the workplace according to the author?

A．Encourage positive opinions.

B．Make more colored people authorities.

C．Include more people of different races.

D．Understand the true meaning of tokenism.

5 . It was meant to connect us, make us smarter and our lives easier. And it has. But there’s at least one comer of life where the Internet has made things so much more difficult: gift giving.

Once upon a time, if you were struggling to find a present for a loved one, there were easy options to fall back on-DVDs, CDs, video games and other physical media. This wasn’t even that long ago, but now it’s been snatched from our grasp by the Internet offering us the chance, at a relatively low cost, to watch, listen to or read whatever we want, whenever we want. With everything already watched, listened to, or read, buying a present has become near impossible.

Therefore, we all have to work at becoming perfect gift givers, taking all factors into consideration and searching high and low to seek out the ideal present. If we go the extra mile, there’s less chance that the person we have in mind has already bought what we’re considering online.

But as I now consider this exact plan of action, I’m thinking perhaps it’s not all that bad. Maybe the Internet is delivering us a lesson, firm but fair: the era of half-baked present purchasing is over and it’s time to go hard or go home.

In this era of immediate satisfaction, if you want to give someone a useful present, you do have to actually go to the effort of sourcing something nice for them. Perhaps that’s making for a more rewarding gift experience for all involved. And perhaps it also means fewer gifts that are given as an excuse and end up being unused.

1. How is the topic of gift giving introduced in Paragraph 1?

A．By demonstrating the prospect of the Internet.

B．By showing the difficulty in using the Internet.

C．By pointing out the shortcoming of the Internet.

D．By arguing about the possible benefits of the Internet.

2. What might be a reason for gift giving being difficult according to Paragraph 2?

A．Numerous gift options.	B．Relative high cost for presents.
C．Limited offer from digital giants.	D．Easy access to the Internet versions.

3. What does the author suggest readers do?

A．Purchase satisfactory gifts.	B．Try to select a present.
C．Buy fewer gifts as an excuse.	D．Make more valuable presents.

4. What might be the author’s attitude towards nowadays gift giving?

A．Confused.

B．Critical.

C．Neutral.

D．Acceptable.

7 . Obese people experience discrimination (歧视) in many parts of their lives, and the workplace is no exception. Studies have long shown that obese workers, defined as those with a body-mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, earn significantly less than their slimmer co-workers.

Yet the costs of weight discrimination may be even greater than previously thought. “The overwhelming evidence,” wrote the Institute for employment Studies, “is that it is only women living with obesity who experience the obesity wage penalty (薪资损失).” They were expressing a view that is widely aired in academic papers. To test it, The Economist has analyzed data concerning 23,000 workers from the American Time Use Survey, conducted by the Bureau of Labour Statistics. Our number-processing suggests that, in fact, being obese hurts the earnings of both women and men.

The data we analyzed cover men and women aged between 25 and 54 and in full-time employment. At a general level, it is true that men’s BMIs are unrelated to their wages. But that changes for men with university degrees. For them, obesity is associated with a wage penalty of nearly 8%, even after accounting for the separate effects of age, race, graduate education and marital status.

The conclusion — that well-educated workers in particular are penalized for their weight — holds for both sexes. Moreover, the higher your level of education, the greater the penalty. We found that obese men with a Bachelor’s degree (学士学位) earn 5% less than their thinner colleagues, while those with a Master’s degree earn 14% less. Obese women, it is true, still have it worse: for them, the equivalent figures are 12% and 19%, respectively (分别地).

Your line of work makes a difference, too. When we dealt with the numbers for individual occupations and industries, we found the greatest differences in high-skilled jobs. Obese workers in health care, for example, make 11% less than their slimmer colleagues; those in management roles make roughly 9% less, on average. In sectors such as construction and agriculture, meanwhile, obesity is actually associated with higher wages.

These results suggest that the total costs of wage discrimination borne by overweight workers in America are greater than expected. Now, it’s time for our governments to take it seriously.

1. What does the underlined word “it” refer to in paragraph 2?

A．Obese men earn less salary.

B．Only obese women earn less salary.

C．Both obese men and women earn less salary.

D．Weight discrimination may be greater than previously thought.

2. Who may experience more discrimination compared to their colleagues according to the data?

A．A fat woman office director.

B．An obese construction worker.

C．An obese man with a bachelor’s degree.

D．A heavier female doctor with a Doctor’s degree.

3. What is the writer’s attitude of overweight discrimination?

A．Supportive

B．Objective

C．Subjective

D．indifferent

4. What might the author continue talking about?

A．Overweight discrimination in other countries.

B．The reason of discriminating obese people in their lives.

C．American people’s attitude towards overweight discrimination.

D．Actions taken against overweight discrimination in workplaces.

8 . Fictional, computer-generated human faces are so convincing they can fool even trained observers. They can be easily downloaded online and used for Internet scams(诈骗)and fake social media profiles.

Al programs called generative adversarial networks (生成对抗网络), or GANs, can learn to create fake images that are less and less distinguishable from real images, by competing two neural networks against each other.

Nightingale and her colleague Hany Farid at the University of California, Berkeley, asked 315 participants, recruited on a crowdsourcing website, to say whether they could distinguish a selection of 400 fake photos from 400 photographs of real people. Each set consisted of 100 people from each of four ethnic groups: white, Black, East Asian and South Asian.

This group had an accuracy rate of 48.2 percent—slightly worse than chance. A second group of 219 participants were given training to recognize computer-generated faces. This group had an accuracy rate of 59 percent, but this difference is negligible (可忽略的), says Nightingale.

The researchers also asked a separate group of 223 participants to rate a selection of the same faces on their level of trustworthiness, on a scale of 1 to 7. They rated the fake faces as 8 percent more trustworthy, on average, than the real faces—a small yet significant difference, according to Nightingale. That might be because artificial faces look more like “average” human faces, and people are more likely to trust typical-looking faces, she says.

Looking at the extremes, the four faces rated most untrustworthy were real, whereas the three most trustworthy faces were fake.

“We need stricter ethical guidelines and more legal frameworks in place because, inevitably, there are going to be people out there who want to use these images to do harm, and that’s worrying,” says Nightingale.

To reduce these risks, developers could add watermarks to their images to flag them as fake. she says. “In my opinion, this is bad enough. It’s just going to get worse if we don’t do something to stop it.”

1. What can we know about GANs?

A．GANs can cheat trained observers.

B．GANs should be used under strict legal frameworks.

C．GANs can generate artificial pictures close to real ones.

D．GANs-generated Images can not be distinguished from real ones.

2. Why did Nightingale and Farid carry out the research?

A．To warn people the risk of online fraud.

B．To train people to discover fake photos online.

C．To see if people can distinguish fake faces from real ones.

D．To test whether GANs can create fake faces to fool people.

3. What does Nightingale mean in the last paragraph?

A．Stricter laws and regulations should be imposed.

B．Effective ways are needed but not found yet.

C．Watermarks are an effective way against fake images.

D．Responsibility should be taken by developers to prevent misuse of fake images.

4. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?

A．Development of Internet scams.	B．Development of AI technology
C．Will fake faces look more trustworthy?	D．Legal frameworks for GANs

9 . Several security guards of residential compounds in Beijing and workers were seen shoveling snow and some parked vehicles were covered by thick overnight snow. The first snowfall of winter arrived in Beijing early Monday, covering the Chinese capital with a mantle (披风) of white overnight and plunging (使……下降) the city into freezing temperatures, with even colder weather coming this week in northern China.

Snowfall reached 5.8 mm on average by early Monday, with the highest snowfall of 10.2 mm recorded in Fangshan district, Beijing Meteorological (气象的) Service data showed. Beijing typically sees its first snow of the season between late November and February, or even none at all. More snowfall is expected this week, with temperatures seen further sliding to as low as -20°Celsius. The Chinese capital last saw such similarly extremely cold weather on Jan. 7, 2021, when the temperature dropped to -19.6℃.

The cold snap (寒潮) in Beijing this week, compared with the autumn-like conditions a week ago, mirrored the sharp swings in temperatures recently. In October, Beijing experienced one of its warmest Octobers in decades in a year of weather extremes.

On Monday, the government warned of road icing in large parts of the city of nearly 22 million, with authorities shutting some expressways or partially closing sections. By 10 a. m. local time, 62 out of a few hundred flights had been cancelled at the Beijing Capital Airport. Railway authorities enforced speed limits on lines connecting Beijing and Guangzhou in southern China, causing delays in some passenger trains. By 7 a. m. Monday, more than 180 bus routes in Beijing had been suspended.

The official Beijing Daily reported that vegetable stocks were enough, hitting this year’s highest daily market volume of 23,800 tons, as merchants stocked up (备货) ahead of time. Huang, a Beijing resident working in the internet sector, said the snow in Beijing came early. “Normally, it doesn’t snow until the Spring Festival,” Huang said, referring to the start of the Lunar New Year, which typically falls in January or February.

1. Which of the following is not used to show the seriousness of the snowfall in paragraph?

A．By listing out numbers.	B．By illustrating a viewpoint.
C．By citing data from the authority.	D．By making comparisons.

2. What contrast in weather conditions did Beijing experience as mentioned in the article?

A．From hot summers to mild winters.

B．From dry conditions to heavy rainfall.

C．From autumn-like conditions to a sudden coldness.

D．From constant snow to unexpectedly warm temperatures.

3. Which of the following word is close to the meaning of “enforced” in paragraph 4?

A．introduced

B．obeyed

C．happened

D．improved

4. What positive measure did merchants in Beijing take in anticipation of the snowfall?

A．Organized community support groups.	B．Increased storage of essential supplies.
C．Created emergency shelters for the homeless.	D．Offered discounts and sales to boost business.

10 . Best Alternatives of Top Travel Booking Sites

After losing two precious years to COVID, everybody is desperate to travel and explore the world. However, planning a dream trip is not easy as it demands carefully spending your money on flights and accommodation. Let’s see what best travel booking sites in the UK has to offer and what alternatives we have:

Travelhouseuk

It has been dedicated to serving its important clients for more than two decades now by using the expertise of travel agents. It is an element of human interaction with your travel agent that allows you to discuss your requirements in depth for personalization and look for customer support even after the booking is made.

Skyscanner

It is a user-friendly interface that compares flight prices from all over the globe and brings out the best deals on flights. Not only flights but you can use this metasearch engine for hotels and car rentals too. It is a great tool for everyone, but some alternatives may help you even better in finding the cheapest trip to your destination.

Cheap Flights

When Skyscanner considers known carriers to maintain the quality, Cheapflights takes the lead with the cheapest flight options worldwide. The online site serves up the cheapest time to fly, reasonable hotel rates, low-cost car rentals and vacation packages. The aim is to promote and simplify your travel experience by offering it all in one place.

Google Flights

It is a renowned name that facilitates online sales of air ticket through third-party suppliers. The best feature of using Google Flights is based on no predetermined time limits. You can look for the cheapest flying dates within the next two months of search dates.

1. What makes Travelhouseuk special?

A．Its price.	B．Its convenience.
C．Its booking time.	D．Its personalized service.

2. Which travel agency can you choose if you want to drive?

A．Travelhouseuk and Google Flights.	B．Google Flights and Cheap Flights.
C．Skyscanner and Cheap Flights.	D．Cheap Flights and Travelhouseuk.

3. In which part of the web can you read this article?

A．Travel.

B．Culture.

C．Lifestyle.

D．Business.