1 . Each week Visit Indy publishes some events for the upcoming weekend. Here are some of them.
Fan Powered World Tour
Harlem Globetrotters, the world-famous basketball stars celebrate their fans on this tour with more interactive experiences than ever before. You have two opportunities to catch the show as the Globetrotters face the Washington Generals on both Friday and Monday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Tickets are $26 and up.
Basketball Day of Indiana
Indiana's love of basketball is famous, and Saturday's celebration will please fans from high school to college. Bankers Life Fieldhouse hosts high school girls and boys playing during the afternoon. You will watch the game between Pacers and the Dallas Mavericks there that evening. Tickets start at $ 22.
MLK Day Celebration
Honor the memory of Dr. King as local artists present poetry, music, and dance that show the theme of love. Dr. King felt it was important to communicate with each other in order to break down barriers. Visitors to the Sunday's free program in Newfields are advised to do that via social activities and by participating in a donation drive.
Jingle Rails
Get your pleasure on Route 66 for one final weekend this season. See Mt. Rushmore, Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon, as well as local treasures like Monument Circle, Hilbert Circle Theatre, and the Indiana State Fair. Tickets start at $33.
1. Where can you watch basketball games?| A．On Mt. Rushmore. | B．In Newfields. |
| C．At Bankers Life Fieldhouse. | D．In the Grand Canyon. |
| A．MLK Day Celebration. | B．Fan Powered World Tour. |
| C．Basketball Day of Indiana. | D．Jingle Rails. |
| A．Volunteer for a charity. | B．Visit places of interest. |
| C．Have a talk with stars. | D．Live with local people. |
2 . Recently I attended several meetings where we talked about ways to attract students and keep younger faculty members from going elsewhere. It seems higher education has become an industry of meeting-holders whose task is to “solve” problems — real or imagined. And in my position as a professor at three different colleges, the actual problems in educating our young people and older students have deepened, while the number of people hired — not to teach but to hold meetings — has increased significantly. Every new problem creates a new job for an administrative fixer. Take our Center for Teaching Excellence. Contrary to its title, the center is a clearing house (信息交流中心) for using technology in classrooms and in online courses. It's an administrative sham (欺诈) of the kind that has multiplied over the last 30 years.
I offer a simple proposal in response: Many of our problems — class attendance, educational success, student happiness and well-being — might be improved by cutting down the bureaucratic (官僚的) mechanisms and meetings and hiring an army of good teachers instead.
If we replaced half of our administrative staff with classroom teachers, we might actually get a majority of our classes back to 20 or fewer students per teacher. This would be an environment in which teachers and students actually knew each other. The teachers must be free to teach in their own way — the curriculum should be flexible enough so that they can use their individual talents to achieve the goals of the course.
Additionally, they should be allowed to teach, and be rewarded for doing it well. Teachers are not people who are great at and consumed by research and happen to appear in a classroom. Good teaching and research are not exclusive, but they are also not automatic companions. Teaching is an art and a craft, talent and practice; it is not something that just anyone can be good at. It is utterly confusing to me that people do not recognize this, despite the fact that pretty much anyone who has been a student can tell the difference between their best and worst teachers.
1. What does the author say about present-day universities?| A．They are effectively addressing real or imagined problems. |
| B．They often fail to combine teaching with research. |
| C．They are over-burdened with administrative staff |
| D．They lack talent to fix their deepening problems. |
| A．Good classroom teachers. |
| B．Efficient administrators. |
| C．Talented researchers. |
| D．Motivated students. |
| A．They facilitate students' independent learning. |
| B．They help students form closer relationships. |
| C．They have more older students than before. |
| D．They are much bigger than is desirable. |
| A．Creating an environment for teachers to share their teaching experiences. |
| B．Hiring more classroom teachers and allowing them to teach in their own way. |
| C．Using high technology in classrooms and promoting exchange of in formation. |
| D．Cutting down meetings and encouraging administrative staff to go to classrooms. |
3 . Almost every day we come across situations in which we have to make decisions one way or another. Choice, we are given to believe, is a right. But for a good many people in the world, in rich and poor countries, choice is a luxury, something wonderful but hard to get, not a right. And for those who think they are exercising their right to make choices, the whole system is merely an illusion, a false idea created by companies and advertiser, hoping to sell their products.
The endless choice gives birth to anxiety in people’s lives. Buying something as basic as a coffee pot is not exactly simple. Easy access to a wide range of everyday goods leads to a sense of powerlessness in many people, ending in the shopper giving up and walking away, or just buying an unsuitable item that is not really wanted. Recent studies in England have shown that many electrical goods bought in almost every family are not really needed. More difficult decision-making is then either avoided or trusted into the hands of the professionals, lifestyle instructors, or advisors.
It is not just the availability of the goods that is the problem, but the speed at which new types of products come on the market. Advances in design and production help quicken the process. Products also need to have a short lifespan so that the public can be persuaded to replace them within a short time. The typical example is computers, which are almost out-of-date once they are bought. This indeed makes selection a problem. Gone are the days when one could just walk with ease into a shop and buy one thing; no choice, no anxiety.
1. What does the author try to argue in Paragraph 1?| A．The exercise of rights is a luxury. | B．The practice of choice is difficult. |
| C．The right of choice is given but at a price. | D．Choice and right exist at the same time. |
| A．Professionals find it hard to decide on a suitable product. |
| B．People are likely to find themselves overcome by business persuasion. |
| C．Shoppers may find themselves lost in the broad range of items. |
| D．Companies and advertisers are often misleading about the rage of choice. |
| A．advanced products meet the needs of people | B．products of the latest design flood the market |
| C．competitions are fierce in high-tech industry | D．everyday goods need to be replaced often |
| A．The variety of choices in modern society. |
| B．The opinions on people’s right in different countries |
| C．The problems about the availability of everyday goods. |
| D．The helplessness in purchasing decisions |
4 . I was talking recently with my mom when our conversation reminded me of an interesting story. “This is very funny,” I said. “One time I was diving with my friend Rudy...”
My mom cut me off impatiently. “I’ve heard this one before, honey,” she said. “You don’t need to tell it again.”
Storytelling is a signal of faith (信任) in the relationship. When we share our personal experiences, we also share something about our values, our history, our outlook on life. But the benefits of storytelling only work if you’re good at it—many of us are not. We fail to pay attention to our audience, ignoring them when they become bored, angry or confused. And we often throw in every detail we find interesting, no matter how irrelevant (不相干).
People who repeat the same stories over and over are considered as less sincere. We also find that listeners are less interested in getting along with someone retelling a story they’ve heard him or her tell before. We tend to think these storytellers aren’t presenting themselves truly.
Good storytellers use their voice to express strong feelings, which show they really care about the story. Impressive stories that make people laugh or feel moved, touched or angry have the most impact. “ If it causes a reaction in you, it’s likely to cause a reaction in your audience,” mom says.
I’ve learned a lot about storytelling in my work as a journalist (and from my mother). Tailor your story to your audience. Have a point. Edit yourself. Leave a straight wake—no going off the track. And most importantly, don’t repeat yourself.
1. The conversation between the writer and his mom is mentioned to show ________.| A．storytelling is a signal of faith in the relationship |
| B．storytelling can help us start a relationship with others |
| C．sharing our experiences is of great importance |
| D．we are often not good at storytelling |
| A．he is less interesting than his audience | B．he gets a good reaction from others |
| C．he is not presenting his true self | D．he has strong feelings to express |
| A．The relationship. | B．The story. |
| C．The impact. | D．The signal. |
| A．mention as many details as possible | B．make good use of his voice |
| C．take his audience into consideration | D．avoid repeating a story |
5 . Online programs to fight depression are already commercially available. While they sound efficient and cost-saving, a recent study looked at computer-assisted cognitive (认知的) behavioral therapy (CBT) and found that it was not that helpful in handling depression.
Traditional CBT is considered as an effective form against depression, helping people challenge negative thoughts and change the way they think in order to change their mood and behaviors. However, online CBT programs have been gaining popularity, with the attraction of providing low-cost help wherever someone is able to use a computer.
A team of researchers from the University of York conducted a survey with 691 depressed patients from 83 physician practices across England. They were divided into three groups: one group received only usual care from a physician while the other two groups received usual care from a physician plus one of two computerized CBT programs. After four months, the patients using the computerized CBT programs had no improvement in depression level over those who were only getting usual care form their doctors, mainly because depressed patients are not likely to get involved in online programs and stick with them.
“It’s an important, warning note that we shouldn’t get too carried away with the idea that a computer system can replace doctors and therapists (治疗师),” says Christopher Dowrick, a professor of primary medical care at the University of Liverpool. “We do still need the human touch or the human talk, especially when people are depressed.”
Being depressed can mean feeling “lost in your own small, negative, dark world,” Dowrick says. Having a person, instead of a computer, reach out to you is particularly important in battling that sense of separation. “When your feeling is more easily hurt, you’re even more in need of a caring human being,” he says.
1. What has made online CBT programs increasingly popular?| A．Their good effects on fighting depression. |
| B．Their easy and cheap use by patients. |
| C．The low efficiency of traditional CBT. |
| D．The attraction of going online. |
| A．online CBT is more likely to cure depression |
| B．traditional CBT has no improvement in depression |
| C．depressed patients fail to keep up the online treatment |
| D．the combination of traditional and online CBT is most effective |
| A．It can take the place of doctors. |
| B．It should not be ignored in primary care. |
| C．Its effectiveness should not be over valued. |
| D．Its advantages should be encouraged by doctors. |
| A．Science and Technology | B．Culture and Society |
| C．Business and Advertisement | D．Health and Fitness |
6 . Chinese audiences on average spent more time watching entertainment content online in this uncommon year when the battle against COVID-19 is still being fought.
An average consumer has spent 133.9 minutes each day watching TV dramas, a 10 percent increase compared to last year, according to the report. Interestingly, TV romantic dramas make up 36 percent of all 131 new television series this year, ranking the first.
In the overseas market, Chinese dramas are seeing a rise in popularity, such as hit costume dramas Three Lives Three Worlds, The Pillow Book, and The Romance of Tiger and Rose. The report shows that subscribers (订阅者) of WeTV, the overseas version of Tencent Video in more than 110 countries and regions, have risen 175 percent over last year, with time spent watching these programs up 300 percent year-on-year.
Shows with strong female roles are more popular, like the hit series Nothing but Thirty, I Will Find You a Better Home and A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower, the report said. It also found that a quality trailer (预告片) played an important role in drawing an audience, as about 90 percent of consumers pick their choices from trailers.
As a result of the six-month shutting down of Chinese cinemas, a number of people have chosen watching films online.
Through Nov. 30, a total of 15 online films have earned more than 10 million yuan, propelling the annual box office income on Tencent Video to nearly 500 million yuan this year. While TV series are almost "dominated" by female audiences, men are favored online movies more. Nearly 70 percent of online film viewers are men, whose favorite themes center on fantasy, comedy and adventure.
1. The shows with strong female roles are mentioned except .| A．Nothing but Thirty |
| B．I Will Find Your a Better Home |
| C．The Romance of Tiger and Rose |
| D．A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower |
| A．protecting | B．pushing | C．stopping | D．beating |
| A．Chinese audiences spent more time online due to the COVID-19. |
| B．Chinese dramas have made success in the overseas market. |
| C．A quality trailer plays an important role in consumers’ choices. |
| D．Compared with males, females have a more preference for online film. |
7 . Compassion is a desire within us to help others. With effort, we can translate compassion into actions. An experience last weekend showed me this is true. I work part-time in a supermarket across from a building for the elderly. These old people are our main customers, and it’s easy to lose patience over their slowness. But last Sunday, one aged gentleman appeared to teach me a valuable lesson. This untidy man walked up to my register with a box of biscuits. He said he was out of cash, had just moved into his room, and had nothing in his cupboards. He asked if we could let him have the food on trust. He promised to repay me the next day.
I couldn’t help staring at him. I wondered what kind of person he had been ten or twenty years before, and what he would be like if luck had gone his way. I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul, all alone in the world. I told him that I was sorry, and the store rules didn’t allow me to do so. I felt stupid and unkind saying this, but I valued my job.
Just then, another man, standing behind the first, spoke up. “If anything,” he looked more pitiable, “Charge it to me,” was all he said.
What I had been feeling was pity. Pity is soft, safe and easy. Compassion, on the other hand, is caring in action. I thanked the second man but told him that was not allowed, either. Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself. I reached into my pocket because these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion.
1. The aged gentleman who wanted to buy the biscuits________.| A．promised to obey the store rules | B．forgot to take any money with him |
| C．hoped to have the food first and pay later | D．could not afford anything more expensive |
| A．kind and lucky | B．poor and lonely |
| C．friendly and helpful | D．wise and disappointed |
| A．he wanted to keep his present job | B．he felt no pity for the old gentleman |
| C．he considered the old gentleman dishonest | D．he expected someone else to pay for the old gentleman |
| A．Wealth is more important than anything else. | B．Helping others is easier said than done. |
| C．Experience is better gained through practice. | D．Obeying the rules means more than compassion. |
8 . Me? On the Internet? My three daughters were crazy. They knew I hated the computer. Each of them had tried to teach me how to use it. Two of them even came up with the idea of “Mom on Match,” which I immediately rejected. Did they really think I, at age eighty-seven, was going to find a date with some old man that way? Some had told me earlier about the criminals out there who prey on older women like me. I wanted no part of that nonsense. I didn't care if I was Internet iliterate.
But they wouldn't give up. So, one night, when I felt very tired and wanted to shut them up, I reluctantly agreed to let them put me on Match. com. I didn't have to do anything. They did it all and then instructed me on how to use it. I didn't take a single note.
About a month later, all three girls wanted to see the results I'd received from Match. com. None existed! They found out then that I hadn't used it. So the one who lived closest took over. She got on the computer, found a gentleman who hadn't given up when I didn't reply on Match earlier, and answered him. After talking on the phone for two weeks, I reluctantly agreed to meet him for lunch. Surprisingly, I found that we had much in common, so we continued to meet, had dinner dates, enjoyed ballroom dancing and went to football games. Feeling comfortable with each other, we began seeing each other more.
Then, one evening, a surprise proposal came in the middle of a dance floor. I love surprises, but I wasn't ready for that. At our age we had to address possible challenges for the future. However, with time passing, we grew even closer together. Our small wedding took place a year later. Now, almost two years later, we still feel like newlyweds and have recommended Match. com to others. And, yes, I use the computer constantly these days, often to write down such stories as this一which, I admit to my daughters, is a lot of fun.
1. Why did the mum refuse to accept the online dating?| A．She showed no interest in any affairs online. |
| B．She was iliterate, not knowing how to type. |
| C．She cared much about her daughters' nonsense. |
| D．She felt there was not a gentleman online. |
| A．Match websites are not reliable. |
| B．Her daughter's effort paid off. |
| C．She didn't have much wealth to live on. |
| D．She had a clear head about her future life. |
| A．A good bargain. | B．A ridiculous love. |
| C．A happy choice. | D．A crazy decision. |
9 . Starting in the late 1980s, the plastics industry spent tens of millions of dollars encouraging recycling through advertisements and recycling projects, telling people plastics could be recycled. But their own internal records showed that industry officials long knew that plastic recycling on a large scale came with high costs but poor results.
A report sent to top industry directors in April 1973 said that plastic recycling was not as easy as people thought and sorting plastics was impractical. Another document a year later showed that there was serious doubt widespread that plastic recycling could get profits on an economic basis.
Despite this, three former top officials said the industry supports recycling as a way to beat back a growing trend of stopping using plastics in the 1980s. “The plastics industry is under fire, but we want to continue to make plastic products,” Thomas, an official from a company making plastics says, “If the public think the recycling is working, then they’re not going to be so worried about the environment.”
“The public gradually doubt the idea that the plastics industry could do a satisfying job in dealing with plastics and protecting the environment. But now we have already funded new technologies to change this situation. We don’t want to see the pollution of the environment either and are willing to solve this problem,” says Jim Becker, vice president of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company.
However, the more plastics are recycled, the less money the industry will make. And the industry now produces many more different and complex kinds of plastics that are more costly to sort and in many cases can’t be recycled at all. Efforts to reduce the use of plastics are increasing worldwide, but any plan to slow the growth of plastics will cause the whole industry to lose billions of dollars in the future.
1. According to the passage, the plastics industry .| A．tried to teach people to sort plastic products |
| B．knew that plastic recycling will bring good results |
| C．thought environmental problems are easy to deal with |
| D．encouraged the public to recycle plastics for more sales |
| A．criticized severely | B．increasingly popular |
| C．growing fast | D．declining rapidly |
| A．He encourages people to buy high-tech plastic products. |
| B．The plastics industry is highly thought of for its devotion. |
| C．He has convinced the public of the plastics industry’s efforts. |
| D．The plastics industry starts taking on more social responsibilities. |
| A．Reducing plastics production has become a new trend. |
| B．Changes in plastics increase the difficulty of recycling. |
| C．Plastic recycling puts the plastics industry in a dilemma. |
| D．The plastics industry spends more improving the quality of plastics. |
10 . Four things that you can't miss in Macao
Visit a museum
Macao, a tiny lttle city with only an area of 30.5 square kilometers, has 23 eye-catching museums. Due to its unique history, both Eastern and Western historical sites can be found. Many of them are preserved for cultural heritage, tourist spots or museums, such as the Grand Prix Museum, Maritime Museum and Wine Museum. Some are free for the visitors. Some are not.
Selfie at the Ruins of St. Paul
The Ruins of St. Paul is the official signature landmark of Macao. The ruins consist of the St. Paul’s College and the Church of St. Paul, built in 1583. However, after three intense fires in 1595, 1601 and 1835, the church was seriously damaged. Miraculously, after the vigorous cycles of rebuilding and fires, only the huge facade and the front stairway remain.
Grab a meal in a small local restaurant
In Macao, tourists will visit luxury restaurants in hotels for famous Portuguesecuisines. As a result, many tempting small local restaurants, known as “Cha ChaanTeng”, are neglected. Trying those restaurants will bring a tasty surprise.
Watch the Macao Grand Prix
The Macao Grand Prix is a major worldwide car-racing event held annually, featuring over 300 top drivers every year. Racing through the small streets and roads over this tiny city, the Macao Grand Prix circuit is the only street circuit racing in the world for car and motorcycle events. Thus, it is also well-known as one of the world’s most demanding circuits.
This challenging circuit consists of fast straights, tight corners and uncompromising crash barriers, attracting numerous top Formula One drivers who aim to win. The Grand Prix runs in November every year for about four days.
1. What is the unique feature of Macao’s museums?| A．Most of them are in small scale. | B．They are all free for visitors. |
| C．Museums serve as tourist spots. | D．Different cultures mix well here. |
| A．It is now rebuilt from the old ruins. |
| B．Nothing was left after intense fires. |
| C．It was damaged three times by fire. |
| D．Its college part remains as a landmark of Macao. |
| A．Cultural heritage. | B．The Ruins of St. Paul. |
| C．Portuguese cuisines. | D．The Macao Grand Prix. |
| A．Enjoying a non-stop four-day race. |
| B．Driving in the challenging city streets. |
| C．Competing with hundreds of drivers. |
| D．Racing with cars and motors at the same time. |
