1 . The London Eye remains temporarily closed but in line with the Government's roadmap out of lockdown we plan to reopen from 17th May.You can pre-book now. Further information can be found here.
What to Expect
The London Eye soars 443 fee into the sky and views stretching25 miles every direction.Since opening in 2000,it has been used as a backdrop in countless films and is loved by Britons and visitors alike.This is the UK's most popular visitor attraction,visited by over 3.5 million people a year.
Each London Eye capsule holds up to 25 passengers comfortably. All capsules are fully air-conditioned and rotate (旋转)on a special device designed to keep everyone upright as the wheel makes a slow but progressive rotation.The full rotation lasts 30 minutes of an ever changing view of this dynamic city.
Opening Times
■September to May 10:00am—8:00pm daily
■June 10:00am—9:00pm daily
■July 10:00am—9:30pm daily
■August 10:00am—-8:30pm daily
■Not open on Christmas Day or during maintenance period.
Ticket Prices
| Adult: January to March ₤15.00 April to December ₤15.50 |
| Child (5-15 years): January to March ₤7.50 April to December ₤7.75 |
| Child under 5 years: free |
| Senior (60 plus): ₤12.00 |
Booking line
■9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Sunday
■Telephone: 0870 5000 600
1. Which of the following does the London Eye ride offer?| A．A 30-minute fast rotation. |
| B．An insight into its long history. |
| C．A 360°moving view of the city. |
| D．A non-chargeable admission. |
| A．10:00am—-8:00pm. |
| B．100am-9:00pm. |
| C．10:00am-—9:30pm. |
| D．10:00am—8:30pm. |
| A．₤30 | B．₤31 | C．₤37.5 | D．₤38.75 |
2 . Doug Falter, an American photographer, returned home, teary-eyed and exhausted. He pouted online that evening, "I lost my baby." That "baby" referred to a surfboard that had been custom-made for him. Hours earlier, a big wave had separated Falter from this prized possession.
Months passed with no sign of the surfboard. Falter saved money to buy a new surfboard for $ 1,500. But Falter never completely forgot the surfboard, which - six months later and more than 5,000 miles away from where it disappeared-floated to the southern Philippines.The local fisherman who found it didn't have much use of his unusual catch of the day, so he sold the board for s 40 to Giovanne Branzuela, an elementary school teacher. Branzuela hoped to learn to surf and one day share the skill with his students,who regularly accompany him on beach clean-ups.
The once-blue board had faded to a pale straw color during its journey, but its distinctive markings were still there: two elephants, one at either end. Underneath the elephants were the words "Doug Falter Surfboard".
Branzuela couldn't believe it on realizing how far the surfboard had traveled. He reached Falter online and sent him a photo of the surfboard. Falter was shocked to learn that his "baby"had drifted(漂流) across the world's largest ocean and survived. He was overjoyed.
But the story was far from over. Falter wanted to thank Branzuela with some surfing supplies for his kind act, but the teacher asked for school supplies instead, such as backpacks for his students and materials to help them learn English.
Falter said it made him raise money for the kids. So far, he has collected $ 2,500,which he has used to buy and ship maps, puzzles, classroom posters, textbooks, and workbooks.
1. What happened to Doug Falter that afternoon?| A．His baby was lost on the beach. | B．The sea carried away his surfboard. |
| C．He took excellent photos of the surf. | D．His custom-made camera was damaged. |
| A．He liked the pale straw color of it. |
| B．He found it belonged to Doug Falter. |
| C．He found the fisherman charged low for it. |
| D．He wanted to learn a new skill to teach his students. |
| A．Branzuela kept it as a prized possession. |
| B．Branzuela's students learned surfing with it. |
| C．It was returned to its owner after a long journey. |
| D．Falter sold it to help Philippine children. |
| A．Selfless. | B．Merciful. |
| C．Generous. | D．Knowledgeable. |
3 . Having worked for more than a decade in finance in the oil industry in Canada, Tori Fahey found herself wanting more from life. But it wasn't through desperation that her circumstances changed: “I didn't get fed up and storm off, nothing like that; it was curiosity about other interests and wanting to experience something new.”
Fahey left her job and completed an MBA before setting up a move to New York to begin a degree. However, the opportunity of an open year between the MBA and the degree came up, and as a keen touring cyclist, Fahey realised that a much dreamed-about adventure was now becoming a possibility: "The ride in Africa had been on my fantasy list. It was a moment when I realised that I could do anything, so I should."
Fahey rode across Africa, a 7,500-mile trip that took four months. The whole experience had a life-changing impact. Fahey said: “Bicycles provide a literal freedom. You don't allow yourself to feel like that in everyday life because there are so many distractions. But when you' re out on the bike and there's nothing else, you' re really free to experience what life is.”
Post-degree, Fahey worked on projects with the UNDP(United Nations Development Project) in Montenegro with the aim of bringing investment to rural communities.
It was while working on these projects that the seeds were sown for the next new investment. “It was through my trip across Africa that I discovered pannier and rack systems inconvenient and I was never going to use them again.” Little did she know this would lead her to start up her own company.
In 2013, Apidura was born, producing storage solutions for people looking to travel the world by bike, race across continents and carry all they need to do so. It's now a successful global brand, but Fahey remains reflective about what else the company can do for people.
1. Why did Fahey leave her job in Canada?| A．She was bored with the job. | B．She was disappointed with life. |
| C．She wanted to add new dimensions to her life. | D．She found it hard to adjust to the circumstances. |
| A．Demanding. | B．Liberating. | C．Eventful. | D．Dangerous. |
| A．To encourage bicycle traveling. | B．To make her investment profitable. |
| C．To help cyclists carry traveling stuff. | D．To increase the pleasure of riding bikes. |
| A．A tough path to fame. | B．An adventure across Africa. |
| C．The benefits of green travelling. | D．The story behind the birth of Apidura. |
4 . A woman held her phone tightly to her heart the way a church-goer might hold a Bible. She was anxious to take a picture of an impressive bunch of flowers that sat not so far away, but first she had to get through a crowd of others pushing their way to do the same. The cause of this was Bouquets to Art, one of the most popular events at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.
Flower sellers were asked to create flower arrangements that respond to pieces of art on display, from ancient carvings to contemporary sculptures. It’s extremely attractive and also memorable, to the point that it has become a problem.
In recent years, the de Young received more than a thousand complaints from people who felt that cell phones had spoiled their experience of the exhibit. Institutions of fine art around the world face similar problems as the desire to take photographs becomes a huge attraction for museums, as well as something that upsets some of their patrons (资助人). So the de Young responded with a kind of compromise:carving out “photo free” hours during the exhibition’s six-day run.
One common complaint about the effect of social media on museum culture is that people seem to be missing out on experiences because they are so busy collecting evidence of them. A study recently published in the journal Psychological Science suggests there is some truth to this. It finds that people who keep taking photos of an exhibit and posting them on social media rather than simply observing it, have a hard time remembering what they see. But the issue is complex for the professionals running museums. Linda Butler, the de Young’s head of marketing and visitor experience, acknowledges that not everyone wants a museum to be“a photo-taking playland”. Yet a lot of people do and she believes that the de Young is in no position to judge one reason for buying a $ 28 ticket to be more valid than another. “If we removed social media and photography,” she says. “We would risk becoming irrelevant.”
1. What was the woman eager to do according to Paragraph 1?| A．To get her phone. | B．To escape the crowd. |
| C．To take a photo. | D．To push ahead. |
| A．By setting periods without photo-taking. |
| B．By making the exhibition free of charge. |
| C．By compromising with the government. |
| D．By extending the free exhibition hours. |
| A．uncover the truth | B．cause irrelevancy |
| C．bring more pleasure | D．play a negative role |
| A．Reducing admission prices. |
| B．Catering to visitors. |
| C．Reserving judgement in public. |
| D．Banning social media and photography. |
5 . For 21-year-old Malhar Kalambe, weekends are not about hanging out with friends. Instead, they have a different mission — cleaning the Datar Beach. Collectively， they have made such a huge difference to the beach that the United Nations has recognized their contributions.
“Actually the idea stemmed from my vacation to Bali, the clean beach leaving a great impression on me. After returning, I found our beaches in shambles. During a conversation with my mother, I was complaining about how bad our beaches are compared to beaches in Bali, and my mother just said, 'Don't complain, if you care, just go and clean. ? and thus 'Beach Please'," Malhar said. “It began on September 10, 2017 and since then cleaning the garbage on the beach has become a weekend routine. Currently, there are 25 odd volunteers spending our weekends cleaning the beach.”
After cleaning the beach for months, Malhar and his friends realized that it was of a little help and there is no end to this. They needed to contain the source which dumps garbage in the ocean. They found that the Mithi River is being used to dump the industrial waste, construction waste and even domestic waste into the ocean and they decided to also clean the river. Now on Saturday, they clean the Mithi River and on Sunday, they focus on the Datar Beach. In order to make a sustainable （可持续的）difference, they must make people understand that they have to stop dumping garbage into any source. “Awareness, recycling and cleaning up are three steps which can bring a change. I hope people realize it's their duty to keep their surroundings as well as the ocean clean,“ Malhar added.
1. What does the underlined phrase “in shambles” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Damp. | B．Messy. | C．Crowded. | D．Abandoned. |
| A．He likes hanging out with his friends. | B．He encourages his mother to join him. |
| C．He volunteers to clean the Datar Beach. | D．He complains his vacation to Bali to his friends. |
| A．Recycling most of domestic waste. |
| B．Calling for people to make a green trip. |
| C．Raising people's awareness of protecting the ocean. |
| D．Seeking for the source of the ocean pollution. |
| A．Sympathetic. | B．Considerate. | C．Outgoing. | D．Responsible. |
6 . Imagine reading a story titled “Pursuing Success.” That would be an inspiring story, wouldn’t it? Maybe—but maybe not. It might well be the story of someone whose never-ending chase for more and more success leaves them unsatisfied and incapable of happiness.
Though it isn’t a conventional medical addiction, for many people success has addictive properties. Obviously, success goes with praise. To a certain extent, praise stimulates the neurotransmitter dopamine, which contributes to all addictive behaviors.
The desire for success may be in humans’ nature, but specialness doesn’t come cheap. Success is tough work, and it requires bearing the cost of losing. In the 1980s, the physician Robert Goldman famously found that more than half of ambitious athletes would be willing to take a drug that would kill them in five years in exchange for winning every competition they entered.
Unfortunately, success is endless. The goal can’t be satisfied; most people never feel “successful enough.” The high only lasts a day or two, and then it’s on to the next goal. Psychologists call this the hedonic treadmill, in which satisfaction wears off almost immediately and we must run on to the next reward to avoid the feeling of falling behind.
People should get off the treadmill. But quitting isn’t easy for addicts. For people hooked on substances, withdrawal can be a painful experience, both physically and psychologically, research finds that depression and anxiety are common among outstanding athletes after their careers end. Olympic athletes, in particular, suffer from the “post-Olympic blues.”
Just like wine, success in and of itself is not a bad thing. Both can bring fun and sweetness to life. But both become bossy when they are a substitute for—instead of a complement to — the relationships and love that should be at the center of our lives.
1. What can be inferred from the first two paragraphs?| A．Success doesn’t always bring positive results. |
| B．A traditional medical addiction leads to success. |
| C．The passion for constant success is rarely praised. |
| D．Success addiction has already drawn wide attention. |
| A．To argue that athletes deserve more rewards. |
| B．To illustrate success is a tough and cruel job. |
| C．To describe the routine training of an ordinary athlete. |
| D．To express his opinion on success: no pains, no gains. |
| A．Satisfaction and a sense of pride | B．Confidence and lifelong happiness |
| C．Anxiety and short-lived happiness | D．Relaxation and endless motivation |
| A．Stop chasing success | B．Give up love and relationships |
| C．Chase success at any cost | D．Reflect on what matters in life. |
7 . Welcome to the Sydney Opera House
Ticket Info and Guided Tours
Visitors can enjoy the Sydney Opera House foyer for free, but for a more insightful visit, you'll need to book a tour.
There are several different ways to experience the Sydney Opera House, and multiple tours are available including back-stage passes and walking tours.
Tour Type Adult （AUD $ ） Child
Guided Walking Tour $ 42 $ 22
Guided Walking Tour + Dinner $ 73 $ 52
Guided Walking Tour + Tasting Plate $ 82.20 $ 64. 80
Backstage Tour $ 175 $ 175
Opening Hours and the Best Time to Visit
The Sydney Opera House is open year-round with the following opening hours：
● Monday—Saturday ： 9am—8 ： 30pm
●Sunday： 9am—5pm
As for the best time of day, it's recommended to book the earliest Sydney Opera House tour of the day to beat the crowds. To enjoy sunny weather with fewer crowds, try visiting in the shoulder season (October, November, February, or March )
Points of Interest
●The Steps
Before entering the Opera House, take a picture of the building from the steps outside.
●The Sails
Step beneath the sails on a guided tour and enjoy harbor front views.
●The Concert Hall
The Concert Hall is the largest venue with seats for more than 2000 people. It features contemporary live music shows and highly -regarded orchestral (管弦乐的)performances. It is also here that you will find the world's largest mechanical tracker-action pipe organ.
● Opera Bar
After your tour, head to the Opera Bar for a bite to eat or drink in the sun.
● Badu Gili
Badu Gili, which is ‘water light’ in the language of the Gadigal people-takes place most evenings after sunset at 9pm, 9：30pm, and 10pm. The seven-minute display is free to view.
1. How much will a guided walking tour for two adults cost?| A．$ 64. | B．$ 84. | C．$ 128, | D．$ 168. |
| A．9：30 am, a Monday in February. | B．10：00 am, a Sunday in December. |
| C．5：00 pm, a Friday in September. | D．6：00 pm, a Saturday in March. |
| A．A local language. | B．A pipe organ. | C．A light show. | D．A dinning area. |
8 . “The pile of ice is so thick; it extends more than 10, 000 feet above the ocean. And if all that ice were to melt and go into the ocean, global sea levels would rise by about 24 feet everywhere around the world,” said Jason Briner, a geologist who studies the ice sheet in Greenland at the University of Buffalo. The ice sheet of the biggest island in the world is melting, and the ice sheet that sits atop it is massive. The ice sheet is melting, of course. But just how much, compared to the past?
Briner’s team did a computer simulation (模拟) of the southwest part of the Greenland ice sheet — which he says is a good indicator for ice melting across the entire ice sheet. The researchers plugged past climate data into that model to “hindcast,” rather than forecast, the past activity of the ice sheet. They then checked the model’s predictions of the past shape and size of the ice sheet by looking at piles of rocks and dirt on Greenland today, which outline the edges of ancient ice. And the simulation was in good agreement with the actual situation.
Using that reconstruction of the ice sheet over time, the team could compare the ice sheet’s historic losses to those happening today under human-caused global warming. And they determined that Greenland is on track to lose more ice this century than during any century in the past 12,000 years — possibly four times as much.
Finally, it’s up to us how much ice actually melts. If the world goes net carbon zero by 2100, for example, Briner says ice loss could stop entirely at the end of the century, according to one model. “That was what kept me from being completely depressed about our study.” Dozens of countries have already announced goals to go net zero by the middle of this century — so far the U. S. is not one of them.
1. What do we know about the Greenland ice sheet?| A．It is as thick as over 10,000 feet. |
| B．It is becoming smaller and smaller. |
| C．It has raised sea levels by 24 feet. |
| D．It is the largest ice sheet in the world. |
| A．By modeling part of the ice sheet on computer. |
| B．By doing a simulation of the whole ice sheet. |
| C．By studying the ancient rocks and dirt. |
| D．By forecasting the future climate change. |
| A．Its status has already been acknowledged. |
| B．Its growth can be improved by the model. |
| C．The speed of its melting will be increasingly fast. |
| D．The extent of its loss depends on human activities. |
| A．Rising Global Sea Levels |
| B．Climate Change is Speeding Up |
| C．Greenland — the Biggest Island is Melting |
| D．Net Carbon Zero — a Global Goal by 2100 |
9 . Since apps like Uber and Lyft came on the scene, ridesharing services have dramatically changed the way people get around. A new study out of Columbia University reveals a downside of these services. It turns out that ridesharing trips cause an increase in the number of accidents involving motorists and pedestrians at pick-up and drop-off locations.
Previous studies on the relationship between ridesharing services and vehicle crashes compare cities where ridesharing services are available with cities where they are not, and this makes results somewhat ambiguous. In this study researchers analyze individual trips to make the picture a little clearer.
Researchers analyzed data from 372 million ridesharing trips in New York City between 2017 and 2018. Whenever a crash occurred in the city, they calculated the number of ridesharing trips that began or ended in the area at the time of the accident. They compared this with the number of trips that took place in the same location one week before and one week after the crash. Researchers did the same calculations for regular taxi rides as part of their analyses. Also, separate analyses were performed based on the type of people injured in the crash: pedestrians, motorists or cyclists.
The results of the analyses show that the rise in ridesharing trips is associated with an increase in the number of accidents involving pedestrians and motorists, but not cyclists. Furthermore, they did not find this same association between taxi trips and accidents.
“Ridesharing is changing the way we move around cities.” says first author Christopher Morrison. “It is becoming clear that the technology reduces alcohol-related crashes, but these benefits do not seem to extend to the overall number of crashes. These findings help explain why that might be---- because the reductions in alcohol-related crashes are offset (抵消) by increases in other types of crashes.”
Researchers hope that cities and ridesharing services will use the results of this study to take measures that might reduce the number of crashes. “In crowded areas with large numbers of rideshare pick-ups and drop-offs, cities could consider building taxi-rank style infrastructure (基础设施) to protect pedestrians and prevent crashes, ”concludes Morrison.
1. What do we know about previous studies on ridesharing services?| A．Their analysis is hardly reliable. |
| B．Their findings are rather ridiculous. |
| C．Their research method is out-of-date. |
| D．Their research sample is not wide enough. |
| A．The increase in ridesharing trips can lead to an increase in accidents between cyclists and pedestrians. |
| B．When there is a high number of ridesharing trips, there is usually an increase in the number of accidents. |
| C．Ridesharing is changing the way we move around cities. |
| D．Cyclists are always safe. |
| A．Ridesharing reduces alcohol-related crashes. |
| B．Ridesharing doesn’t increase accidents involving cyclists. |
| C．Various types of crashes increase with ridesharing services. |
| D．Overall crashes don’t decrease along with alcohol-related crashes. |
| A．Improving infrastructure to expand taxi services. |
| B．Banning ridesharing services in crowded places. |
| C．Constructing some stops for ridesharing vehicles. |
| D．Reducing the number of pick-ups and drop-offs. |
10 . After the season for giving, it is the one for throwing away. Each year in late December and early January a massive amount of plastic packaging is discarded (丢弃) worldwide. In Britain alone households generate 30% more waste, an extra 3m tonnes, in the month over Christmas. Most is destined for landfill. Lithuania will do less damage than many, though. The country now recycles at a record level. Almost three- quarters (74%) of plastic packaging waste was recycled there in 2017, the highest proportion in Europe.
Much of Lithuania' s success is due to a deposit refund scheme (方案). Customers pay €0.10 extra when buying drinks containers. After use, these can be fed into reverse vending machines (反向自动售货机) installed in shops, which spit the deposit back out. The machines’ contents are sent directly to recycling centers. By the end of 2017, 92% of all bottles and cans sold in Lithuania were being returned. The overall plastic packaging recycling rate increased by almost 20%.
The Lithuanian government says the scheme has fueled a potential love for recycling in its citizens. Nearly 90% of Lithuanians have used the machines at least once. However, Lithuanians do not generally describe themselves as eco-fighters. A 2017 survey by the European Commission found they were less likely than most other Europeans to regard environmental issues as “very important”.
The eagerness of Lithuanian recyclers may stem not from a love of the Earth but from a low net worth(资本净值). A tenth of the population live on less than €245 a month. In big cities it is common to see people scooping recyclable items out of bins to take to the machines.
Less litter and money for people who need it seems like a win-win. But it might not in fact be best for the environment in the long run. In Germany ----where a similar, widely used refund deposit scheme has been in place since 2003 --- the earnings from keeping the deposits from unreturned bottles seem to have discouraged producers from switching to more sustainable packaging.
1. What might most Lithuanian customers do under the deposit refund scheme?| A．They send their drinks containers directly to recycling centers. |
| B．They spend more on drinks than other European customers. |
| C．They return their used drinks containers. |
| D．They use vending machines to buy drinks. |
| A．Lithuania beat many countries in plastic recycling. |
| B．Lithuanians were less aware of environmental conservation. |
| C．Lithuanians made much money from recycling. |
| D．Lithuania had an unequal income distribution. |
| A．Positive. | B．Unfavorable. |
| C．Ambiguous. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．How and why Lithuanians recycle their trash. |
| B．How waste turns into treasure in Lithuania |
| C．Who are recycling plastic bottles in Lithuania |
| D．Where Lithuanians throw away their plastic packaging |
