1 . Travel is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get, especially when using a mystery box plane ticket. Earlier this year, mystery box travel purchases increased and became trendy among China’s young people. In normal trips, people often plan their vacations well in advance. After buying a mystery box at a low price — usually 100 or 200 yuan — however, the travelers using this method will select their departure airport and receive several destination options to choose from. After the destination is decided, their trip begins.
Liao Liangyu, 16, has turned his eagerness to go on a mystery box trip into reality. He took a mystery box trip to Changsha with a couple of friends months ago. Right before their departure, a friend told Liao that Changsha was a super hyped-up (被炒作的) Internet sensation (网红). But he still decided to go and see it for himself.
“My biggest discovery is that Changsha is a city full of contrasts,” Liao explained to China Daily. “You can see skyscraper (摩天大楼) and old houses in the same view.”
Since the destination options include many less popular cities, travel mystery boxes also bring energy and economic benefits to these destinations. For example, Dehong city is a beautiful city in Yunnan province, yet has few visitors due to a lack of promotion. Following its inclusion as a mystery box travel destination, however, it has gained a lot of attention and is now thought of as a solid location for tourism.
But even so, a large number of people feel disappointed with travel mystery boxes because they can encounter many problems after purchasing one, such as inappropriate travel time, sudden flight cancellations, or even challenges with refunds. Su Weili from Ctrip suggested in an interview with Haibao News that visitors should choose reliable platforms and sign contracts to guarantee their interests.
1. What is the appeal of mystery box travel?| A．Traveling with like-minded strangers. |
| B．Unplanned traveling at a low cost. |
| C．Fixed routes to choose from. |
| D．Popular destinations to visit. |
| A．He regretted traveling with his friends. |
| B．He felt Changsha didn’t deserve its fame. |
| C．He disliked the unpredictability. |
| D．He discovered something unexpected. |
| A．They help these places better known. |
| B．They often cause overcrowding. |
| C．They lead to environmental problems. |
| D．They enrich local people’s lives. |
| A．Reliable platforms to buy travel mystery boxes. |
| B．Various mystery box travel options available. |
| C．Potential issues related to travel mystery boxes. |
| D．Mystery box travel regulations and policies. |
2 . Long ago, Anne and I had a big argument over a piano!
“The family should learn to play,” she said, having seen one in a shop. I told her there was
Later, I found a grand piano at an auction (拍卖). It was a fine piece, if a bit
She was
One day, Anne came back from tea with a friend, full of praise for her friend’s
When I returned home one day, the piano was in the doorway, ready for the removers to take it to a sale. We came as near to a
In fairness to Anne, she loves the house and I am proud of it. I couldn’t handle the
| A．no way | B．no problem | C．no doubt | D．no risk |
| A．sport | B．game | C．song | D．instrument |
| A．ugly | B．light | C．old | D．big |
| A．Eventually | B．Gradually | C．Surprisingly | D．Fortunately |
| A．repaired | B．examined | C．painted | D．polished |
| A．critical | B．ashamed | C．proud | D．careful |
| A．thinking | B．acting | C．music | D．entertainment |
| A．spacious | B．comfortable | C．bright | D．elegant |
| A．furniture | B．piano | C．vase | D．flower |
| A．removed | B．replaced | C．valued | D．played |
| A．tackled | B．dropped | C．discussed | D．clarified |
| A．comeback | B．comedown | C．breakup | D．breakthrough |
| A．repeated | B．asked | C．announced | D．suggested |
| A．pain | B．loss | C．pressure | D．failure |
| A．in the end | B．in general | C．above all | D．after all |
3 . Working at a commercial bank in New York City in the mid-2010s, Anna Sacks sensed a lack of meaning in her life. She wanted to do something more fulfilling.
Some people seeking meaning might read a self-help book, or perhaps volunteer a few hours a week. Sacks packed up her life and moved to Connecticut for three months to participate in Adamah, a farming program that focuses on sustainable living and growing sustainable food. Returning to New York, Sacks carried with her a newfound purpose and a set of skills to turn her dreams into reality.
“One of the things that really stuck with me from Adamah was how little waste they produced and how they handled the waste they did have, mostly through composting,” she says. “And I just thought, ‘Why aren’t we doing that here? What is actually in all those bags and recycling bins at the roadsides?’”
The Adamah program opened Sacks’s eyes to the damage consumer culture is doing and the need to find solutions. So in 2016, she started working with a food rescue program, and in 2017, she found her true calling—what she calls “trash walking”.
During walks around her neighborhood, Sacks, 31, picked through trash to look for reusable items. Soon her trash walks expanded to include recycling bins in big companies. Surprisingly, she discovered really great stuff—like clothing and food—all of which she documents on Instagram and TikTok.
Under the name The Trash Walker, Sacks quickly gained popularity for her educational, funny, and surprising videos that highlight the problems with consumerism and share information about how to live a more sustainable lifestyle. “The root issue is overproduction, which leads to over-consumption, which leads to a large amount of waste,” she says.
Sacks is one of the most influential climate change activists on social media today. The lesson from her trash walking isn’t just that we need to produce less stuff. It’s that we need to stop throwing perfectly good items in the trash too.
1. What motivated Anna Sacks to get involved in Adamah?| A．A self-help book she read. | B．Her job at a commercial bank. |
| C．Her desire for a meaningful life. | D．The volunteer experience she had. |
| A．Fast-growing food output. | B．Sustainable living practices. |
| C．Advanced farming techniques. | D．Various waste management methods. |
| A．To improve her living conditions. | B．To gain popularity on social media. |
| C．To advertise her food rescue program. | D．To handle the damage by consumer culture. |
| A．Raising prices on products. | B．Collecting second-hand items. |
| C．Producing high-quality goods. | D．Making full use of products. |
4 . Many green plants that are used to decorate living rooms and kitchens are marketed as air-purifying. However, scientists largely agree that plants can’t do very much to clean an entire room. Now, a Parisian company known as Neoplants is trying to change that by growing genetically modified (转基因的) plants that help remove harmful chemicals from the air.
Its first product, called the Neo P1, is a bioengineered version of the pothos (绿萝). Pothos is characterized by its green leaves and is relatively easy to care for. The Neo P1 is meant to capture and recycle dangerous air pollutants commonly found in homes called volatile organic compounds (挥发性有机化合物VOCs), which are often human-made chemicals. So it’s a popular choice for people looking to beautify their living spaces. But the Neo P1 starts at $179, and to purchase one, potential shoppers must first join a waitlist.
The idea of air-purifying plants came from a 1989 study by NASA, in which regular houseplants were tested in two-by-two-foot rooms. When scientists filled these rooms with VOCs, they found the plants could absorb some of the harmful compounds. “Actually, it’d take about ten houseplants per square foot to noticeably improve air quality,” Michael Waring, an environmental engineer at Drexel University who wasn’t involved with Neoplants, reported in a 2019 study. “Plants, though they do remove VOCs, remove them at such a slow rate that they can’t compete with the air exchange mechanisms already happening in buildings,” Waring said.
As for Neoplants, its Neo Pl was tested in a 35-liter glass room. In it, the Neo P1’s results were 30 times better than NASA’s, according to the company — which means it’d still take a large number of them to clean a room. Currently, the company’s engineers are designing testing sites that more accurately resemble living spaces. To Neoplants’ executives, cleaning the air inside a home is a more logical starting point than trying to filter (过滤) the entire atmosphere.
1. What might prevent the Neo P1 from becoming popular?| A．Its poor quality. | B．Its unstable security. |
| C．Its high maintenance (维护，保养). | D．Its difficult availability. |
| A．Plants can significantly improve air quality in a room. |
| B．Plants contribute little to removing harmful chemicals. |
| C．The Neo P1 plays a big role in removing harmful compounds. |
| D．Houseplants are expected to replace air exchange mechanisms. |
| A．Exploring new ways to genetically modify plants. |
| B．Proving the Neo P1’s effectiveness in a living room. |
| C．Improving the air exchange mechanisms in buildings. |
| D．Designing testing sites that are similar to living spaces. |
| A．How do plants reduce air pollution? | B．What is the best plant to help clean the air? |
| C．Could genetically modified plants clean the air? | D．How can we decorate living rooms with plants? |
5 . Bertha Mahony Miller, a US editor and publisher, was born on March13th, 1882 in Rockport, Massachusetts. After her mother’s death, 11-year-old Mahony helped look after her three younger siblings. She entered local teacher-training classes after high school but left the next year to pursue studies at newly formed Simmons College in Boston. Unable to afford the four-year program in library science, she chose instead to take a year of secretarial courses.
In 1906, Mahony became a secretary for the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union (WEIU), a nonprofit social-service agency. Board members soon recognized her creativity and intelligence, so she was given a variety of duties. One of her favorites was organizing plays for children, and her interest in children’s literature expanded as she searched through books for appropriate material.
With the support of the Union, Mahony opened the Bookshop for Boys and Girls in 1916. The creation of this Boston store devoted to children’s books came at a time when most parents, booksellers and publishers did not put much thought into what children read. Mahony aimed to change this by offering a large selection of thoughtfully chosen books and seeking help from many notable librarians such as Anne Carroll Moore and Alice Jordan. Storytelling, author visits and other activities helped spark people’s interest in the store, and the creation of a bookmobile extended its reach to other regions.
To coincide with (与……同时举行) the opening of the store, Mahony edited and published a buying guide of selected children’s books, the first commercial list of its kind. It grouped some 1,200 books into categories based on age and subject matter and provided a brief description of each publication. The attention it drew led her to another idea. In 1924, Mahony and coworker Elinor Whitney founded The Horn Book Magazine, the first periodical devoted entirely to children. Mahony and Whitney also compiled (汇编) Realms of Gold in Children’s Books (1929), a publication covering five centuries of children’s literature.
Bertha Mahony Miller devoted much of her life to promoting children’s literature. Her efforts enlightened (启发) consumers and encouraged publishers to expand and improve their juvenile (少年的) offerings. She is considered a figurehead of the children’s literature movement.
1. Mahony developed an interest in children’s literature when .| A．she was in high school | B．she attended local teacher-training classes |
| C．she opened the Bookshop for Boys and Girls | D．she was working as a secretary for the WEIU |
| A．The bookstore only offered children’s books. |
| B．People paid little attention to children’s books. |
| C．Mahony could not get any help from the professionals. |
| D．It was challenging to expand the bookstore into other areas. |
| A．The awards Mahony received in her life. |
| B．The support Mahony got from her friends and family. |
| C．The contributions Mahony made to children’s literature. |
| D．The difficulties Mahony met during the creation of the bookstore. |
| A．To prove the importance of reading. | B．To call on children to read more books. |
| C．To show the respect for Bertha Mahony Miller. | D．To introduce the development of children’s literature. |
6 . Student Organizations at the University of Houston
Wherever your passions lie, you’re sure to find a match among UH’s 400+ organizations. Here are four hottest organizations at UH.
Active Minds
Active Minds is an organization working to use the student voice to change the conversation about mental health on college campuses. The organization wants to increase students’ awareness of mental health problems, provide information and resources regarding mental health and mental illness and encourage students to seek help as soon as it is needed.
E-mail: amindsuh@gmail.com
Center for Student Media
Center for Student Media gives UH students free opportunities in print, online media while providing the UH with popular community-based media. The organization supports student success through professional guidance and skill development. At the center, students are actively engaged in journalism, publishing, marketing, media production, radio broadcasting and leadership.
E-mail: csm@uh.edu
Chess Club at UH
Chess Club at UH is a great way for students to play chess with each other on campus and meet like-minded people. No membership fee and all skill-levels are welcome! We meet twice a week, hold in-person tournaments, have activities with other chess clubs, and organize workshops for those who are looking to learn more about chess.
E-mail: chess.atuh@gmail.com
CSG
CSG (Computer Science Girls) is the first female organization at UH that recognizes excellence within the computer science and technology community. Members of the organization will be able to discuss technical matters and problems. We encourage all UH girls interested in computer science and technology to join our organization and build a stronger community together.
E-mail: contact@csgirls.org
1. Which address can you send an email to if you need mental health services?| A．csm@uh.edu. | B．contact@csgirls.org. |
| C．chess.atuh@gmail.com. | D．amindsuh@gmail.com. |
| A．They often organize group discussions. | B．They offer free activities to students at UH. |
| C．They need members with professional skills. | D．They focus on media industry and education. |
| A．It is an organization only for girls. | B．It is the first technology club at UH. |
| C．It is run by computer science teachers at UH. | D．It holds competitions in different universities. |
7 . Bobby Wilson is retired. Well, he’s supposed to be. But the Georgia farmer, “The Garden Man” named by his community, used his retirement savings to buy and operate a nonprofit farm — the Metro Atlanta Urban Farm — and he hasn’t slowed down since.
Years ago, Bobby Wilson saw a need for fighting hunger in his community. He worked hard all his life, but when it came time to retire, he knew his job wasn’t over yet. So he poured his time, money and energy into stepping up to fill that need and combat food insecurity. He dedicated his life to helping his community and to creating a healthier, more sustainable world for his grandchildren.
Wilson is on a mission. He’s on several missions, actually. While working for the University of Georgia for twenty years in gardening education, he saw a real need for affordable, nutritious food in his under-served community in the Atlanta metropolitan area. As food prices rise, the need has only increased. Families across the nation are feeling the pinch. It’s getting harder and harder for people to afford nutritious food. According to U.S. Hunger, one in ten households faces food insecurity. In Georgia, where Bobby Wilson lives, the problem is even more terrible, with one in eight people facing hunger. So Bobby Wilson is on a mission to help families in his disadvantaged neighborhood grow their own food on small tracts of land using sustainable practices. At a time when thousands of households are struggling to make ends meet, Wilson insists that people can save thousands of dollars if they grow their own vegetables. And he has set up a teaching farm on five acres of land in College Park, in the heart of the city, to show people how to do just that. Numerous volunteers are educated on the agriculture industry, including how to best acquire land and resources.
Asked about the principle of the farm, Wilson said, “It’s more than just a farm. It’s about justice, diversity, and inclusion. We are working for the community.”
1. Why did Bobby Wilson buy the Metro Atlanta Urban Farm?| A．To continue to work after retirement. | B．To provide healthy food for the community. |
| C．To show his grandchildren how to grow food. | D．To educate volunteers on the agriculture industry. |
| A．Struggling financially. | B．Suffering mentally. |
| C．Emotionally disturbed. | D．Physically challenged. |
| A．Committed and adventurous. | B．Generous and devoted. |
| C．Ambitious and knowledgeable. | D．Responsible and modest. |
| A．A Retired Farmer Spreads Knowledge of Farming |
| B．The Metro Atlanta Urban Farm-More Than a Farm |
| C．A Mission of Creating a Sustainable Agricultural World |
| D．The Garden Man Feeds a Community with Retirement Money |
8 . In 1921, Karel Čapek’s play R. U. R.: Rossum’s Universal Robots had its first public performance in Prague, and was translated into English the following year. He needed a name for the factory produced humanoid workers of the story, and was thinking of coining something based on the word “labour”. But his brother Josef suggested an old Czech word for “forced labour”, robota. And the word “robot” was born.
If the Čapeks had known English, they might have chosen one of the words with relevant senses that were already in the language. “Automaton” had been available since the 17th century and “android” since the 18th. But the clear sound of “robot” seemed to capture the public imagination, because within five years it was being used not only for intelligent artificial beings but for any machine capable of carrying out a complex set of movements.
In science fictions(小说), the word took on new life, with writers such as Isaac Asimov writing well-regarded novels in which robots played a central role. It was these writers who first shortened “robot”to“bot”, but none of them could have expected the explosion of usages which arrived in the 1990s, as the shortened word came to be adopted in computing. Today, a bot is any piece of software that runs an automated task, such as in searching the Internet or playing computer games. It has also become a suffix (后缀), with the function of the“bot”explained in the other part of the word, as in searchbot, infobot, spybot and warbot.
As early as 1923, George Bernard Shaw had applied the word “robot” to people who act automatically, without thinking or emotion, usually because of the repetitive work they have to do. Now anyone having automaton-like behaviour risks attracting the label. A movie star called Samantha who has taken on the same type of character too many times might have her roles described as “Samanthabots.” And in 2009 “Obamabots” arrived-people who support Barack Obama without really knowing anything about him.
1. What does the underlined word “coining” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Delivering. | B．Predicting. | C．Inventing. | D．Recommending. |
| A．It was no longer linked with machines. | B．It was gradually replaced by “android”. |
| C．It was shortened and used in computing. | D．It was only adopted in well-regarded novels. |
| A．The usage of “robot” in different situations. |
| B．The impact of “robot” on people’s behaviour. |
| C．The popularity of “robot” among movie stars. |
| D．The connection of “robot” with public figures. |
| A．A writer’s biography. | B．A science fiction. |
| C．A technology newspaper. | D．A language encyclopedia. |
9 . California is home to some of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the country. Suppose you want to appreciate unique landscapes and native plants, this post has what you need to experience in the Golden State.
San Francisco Botanical Garden
Located in the Golden Gate Park, this garden is home to over 9,000 types of plants. It has 55acres of walking paths and streams where families, couples, and solo travelers can escape from the noise of the city. It offers attractive florals (植物群) during every season of the year.
California Botanic Garden
It’s the largest botanic garden devoted to California-native plants. As a living museum, the California Botanic Garden features over 22,000 California-native plant species, many of which are endangered species. The garden offers guided walks and tours for visitors who want a behind-the-scenes look at the garden and its many beautiful species.
UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley
This garden features the most diverse landscapes in the world. It has over 10,000 types of plants. The plant collections here are impressive; visitors can wander for hours and still find new plants to admire. Special events are hosted there throughout the year, including plant sales and summer camps for kids.
San Diego Botanic Garden
This coastal California botanic garden has 4 miles of trails and ocean views and features over 5,000 plant species. Among 29 uniquely themed gardens on-site, the bamboo garden collection is a must-see. With over 100 species within the living collection of bamboo, guests can experience many distinctive eco-friendly plants up close.
If exploring the botanical gardens in California is on your to-do list, don’t wait any longer! We’re confident this collection of must-see outdoor gardens will entertain, amaze, and inspire you.
1. Which botanical garden has the most types of plants?| A．San Francisco Botanical Garden. | B．California Botanic Garden. |
| C．UC Botanical Garden. | D．San Diego Botanic Garden. |
| A．It holds different events regularly. | B．It has distinctive theme gardens. |
| C．It features California-native plants. | D．It shows various landscapes worldwide. |
| A．Travellers. | B．Gardeners. | C．Researchers. | D．Guides. |
10 . My husband Dan and I were just finishing breakfast at a busy diner when a young soldier, his wife and their two school-aged children were seated at the table next to us. As they all sat down, the woman
“Eighteen,” she said softly to her husband after
The kids ordered the silver-dollar pancakes while their parents requested scrambled eggs and sausage. “Can we get strawberries, too, puh-leeeeeeeze?” the kids asked with
Then we went to settle the bill at the
“Sure,” the cashier responded. “Whose birthday?” Dan looked at her
“Oh, I just figured one of them was having a birthday today,” the cashier
| A．took out | B．dipped into | C．searched for | D．showed off |
| A．excitedly | B．hurriedly | C．carefully | D．slowly |
| A．taking over | B．thinking over | C．turning over | D．going over |
| A．prices | B．selections | C．ingredients | D．recipes |
| A．anxiety | B．curiosity | C．eagerness | D．embarrassment |
| A．uneasy | B．distant | C．confused | D．annoyed |
| A．removing | B．exchanging | C．adding | D．weighing |
| A．Since | B．Though | C．Once | D．Unless |
| A．secret | B．quiet | C．crowded | D．luxurious |
| A．kitchen | B．register | C．door | D．bathroom |
| A．consumer | B．discount | C．membership | D．gift |
| A．blankly | B．fondly | C．directly | D．admiringly |
| A．announced | B．admitted | C．noticed | D．assumed |
| A．reported | B．explained | C．evaluated | D．suggested |
| A．unique | B．exact | C．same | D．right |
