1 . On July 1, Shanghai began a garbage-sorting program by law. Under the new regulations, households and companies must classify their wastes into four categories and dump them in appointed places at certain times. Those who won't obey them can lead to fines. Companies and communities that don't obey risk having their credit rating lowered.
The strict practice became the talk of the city's more than 24 million residents, who criticized the program's inflexibility and confusing waste categorization. Gratefully, China's tech companies are here to help.
For instance, China's biggest internet companies responded with new search features that help people identify which wastes are "wet" (used as fertilizer), "dry", "toxic", or "recyclable". Not even the most environmentally conscious person can get all the answers right. Like, which bin does the newspaper you just used to pick up dog waste belong to? Simply open up a mini app on WeChat, Baidu or Alipay and enter the keyword. The tech firms will give you the answer and why.
Alipay, Alibaba's electronics payment platform, claims its garbage-sorting mini app added one million users in just three days. The app has so far classified more than 4,000 types of rubbish. Its database is still growing, and soon it will save people from typing by using image recognition to classify trash when they snap a photo of it. Tmall Genie can already answer the question "What kind of trash is a wet wipe?" and more.
If people are too busy or lazy to hit the collection schedule, well, companies are offering valet trash service at the doorstep. A third-party developer helped Alipay build a recycling mini app and is now collecting garbage from 8,000 apartment complexes (小区)across 11 cities. Till now, two million people have sold recyclable material through its platform.
Some residential complexes in Shanghai began using QR codes to trace the origin of garbage, Xinhua reported. Each household is asked to attach a unique QR code to their trash bags, which will be scanned for sources and classification when they arrive at the waste management station. This way, regulators in the region know exactly which family has produced the trash 一 although the city's current garbage regulations do not require real-name tracking ——and those who correctly categorized receive a small reward.
1. If a company doesn't dump rubbish in the appointed places, it________| A．will receive a heavy fine. | B．will not receive a reward. |
| C．it may face a lower evaluation. | D．it may be demanded to shut down. |
| A．We can use image recognition to sort rubbish on Alipay very easily. |
| B．Residents in Shanghai are required to carry on rubbish sorting properly. |
| C．Tmall Genie is trying to develop an app to classify rubbish properly. |
| D．An environmentally conscious person can sort his wastes very easily. |
| A．By scanning a unique QR code on the trash bags. |
| B．By using real-name tracking the specific household. |
| C．By offering valet trash service at the doorstep. |
| D．By asking a third-party developer for help. |
| A．China's tech companies help classify and trace rubbish. |
| B．China's war on rubbish is widely criticized by residents. |
| C．Alibaba helps residents classify rubbish on its platform. |
| D．Some complexes use QR codes to trace the origin of rubbish. |
2 . Visiting the London Eye
Avoid Peak Times
The London Eye is busiest between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. during the UK school holidays, and is quieter at the beginning and end of their opening hours, which vary throughout the year. As a rough guide, summer hours are 10 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. and winter hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., but do check in advance on their site for the hours on the day you plan to go. It's worth bearing in mind that it closes for around two weeks every January, for annual maintenance (维护).
Buy Tickets Online
Buying tickets online will allow you to skip the initial ticket office line and also save you 10%, if you book more than 24 hours in advance. You will, however, be tying yourself into a time slot, unless you choose an Any Time Flexi ticket. If you want to avoid waiting as much as possible, your best bet is buying a Fast Track ticket, which can be bought on the day or online (again, with a 10% discount and the bonus of skipping the ticket office line). It's an extra cost, but will grant you fast track entry through a dedicated entrance.
Travel By Train
Waterloo station (served by the tube and overland trains) is the closest to the London Eye, at just a five-minute walk away. Both Embankment and Charing Cross are fairly close, at around a 10-minute walk. Westminster station is a short and picturesque walk over the river where you'll also find the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.
1. If you want to visit London Eye in January, what do you have to do?| A．Buy a Fast Track ticket in advance. | B．Visit it between 10 a.m. and 8.30 p.m. |
| C．Check the quieter hours in advance. | D．Make sure the time for annual maintenance. |
| A．Embankment station. | B．Charing Cross station. |
| C．Westminster station. | D．Waterloo station. |
| A．To advertise the London Eye. |
| B．To introduce the London Eye. |
| C．To attract tourists' interest in the London Eye. |
| D．To provide tips on visiting the London Eye. |
3 . A Time for an adventure?
Are you a bit bored with your nine-to-five routine? Have a look at our exciting range of holidays and decide what type of adventure you'd like.
Activity holidays
Our activity holidays are for everyone, people who love danger or who just like sports. We have a huge variety of water, snow or desert holidays. We'll take you SCUBA diving in the Red Sea or kayaking and white water rafting in Canada. If you prefer snow, you can try skiing or snowboarding in the Alps. For those who like warmer weather, we also have sandboarding-he desert version of skateboarding.
Polar expeditions
Take a cruise to the Antarctic or the Arctic; explore a land of white natural beauty and wonderful wildlife. Our experts will explain everything about the two poles as you watch the penguins in the Antarctic or whales and polar bears in the Arctic.
Cultural journeys
Our cultural journeys will help you discover ancient civilizations: India, Thailand, Egypt and many more. Visit temples, palaces and ancient ruins-just remember to bring your camera! Get to know local ways of life by exploring markets, trying foreign foods and meeting local people.
Trekking tours
We have trekking holidays to famous places such as Machu Picchu or the Everest Base Camp Trek, as well as some nearer to home in the Highlands of Scotland. You don't need to be very sporty, just fairly fit. You'll have a great time enjoying nature with a group of new friends. Some of the holidays include camping, but we'll transport the tents for you!
1. Which tour will you choose if you want to watch animals in nature?| A．Activity holidays. | B．Polar expeditions. |
| C．Cultural journeys. | D．Trekking tours. |
| A．Do some sports. | B．Enjoy sandboarding. |
| C．Camp on the mountains. | D．Try snowboarding in the Alps. |
| A．Senior retirees. | B．Young teenagers. |
| C．Regular workers. | D．Successful businessmen. |
4 . An estimated 70 percent of cats and 60 percent of dogs in the U.S. are overweight or obese, so chances are that your pet needs to lose weight rather than pack on some pounds, It's not always easy to tell if your pet could afford to lose a few, but there are some other signs that can tip you off, One important factor: the waist. ''Most people don't know what a normal cat should look like,'' says Romine. ''But cats should have waists, too, '' The vet says you should be able to feel your pet's ribs (肋骨) through its coat, and when you look down at them, they should have an hourglass (沙漏) shape- just like a person.
''For some overweight pets, you may want to switch to a new food entirely; foods with 'light' or 'healthy weight' labels usually have an increased fiber content to help the dog or cat feel fuller,'' Romine notes. ''Another option is to feed them less of the food they currently eat, '' Freeman suggests. ''Make sure you're reducing table scraps (残羹剩饭) and high-calorie treats like pet biscuits, '' she says.
It's important to figure out what your pet's ideal weight is as you're helping them to lose.Romine advises working with your vet to get the right number, and if you're following the portion guidelines often printed on food labels, feed them the amount of food associated with the weight you want them to be, rather than the weight they currently are .
Food isn't the only factor that can impact your pet's weight. Romine stresses the importance of exercise in keeping your pet healthy. For cats, just 10 minutes of indoor play each day can make a difference. For dogs, letting them out in the backyard to do their business is not enough, You'll have to exercise with your dog to really get it moving.
1. What can we learn about most cats in America from the text?| A．They need to lose weight. | B．They need to be fed more food. |
| C．They need to pack on pounds. | D．They need to be more energetic. |
| A．The food with an decreased fiber. | B．The food from table scraps. |
| C．The food with ''light'' labels. | D．The food with a new label. |
| A．A partner. | B．Protein. |
| C．Pet biscuits. | D．Exercise. |
| A．A biology textbook. | B．A travel brochure. |
| C．A pet magazine. | D．A recipe book. |
5 . My mom was always a good driver. She never got a speeding ticket. One day while driving, she was so attracted by singing along to the radio that she didn't notice how close she was getting to a mailbox. Then with a bang, she hit someone's mailbox.
After realizing what she had done, she quickly exited the car to see the damage. The whole side mirror was off, and the mailbox was destroyed. My mom didn't know whose mail-box it was, but knew she must tell the owner. She walked up to the door, with her heart beating fast. She debated over and over whether she should ring that doorbell or just go to work and pretend that this had never happened.
Just then, an old lady opened the door, glancing at the tears down from my mom's face and at the destroyed mailbox. she understood exactly what had happened. So when my mom was trying to explain, the lady interrupted her and asked her if she would like to come in. My mom, unable to put any words together, simply nodded her head.
The lady told her not to worry about the mailbox, because it was an accident. My mom had been babysitting all summer long. so she offered to repay the lady. The lady refused, saying my mother would need that money for replacing the car's mirror. The lady also said that < she had been looking for an excuse to get rid of that mailbox, which, my mom knew, was really a kind excuse.The lady then brought out the best chocolate chip cookies and tea that my mom has ever had. My mom was grateful for the old lady's kindness. She helped my mom save money, for my mom had to give lots of her savings in order to fix her car.
When my mom told me this story, I couldn't believe it. My perfect mom hit a mailbox. She always yells at my sister for driving recklessly (鲁莽的)，but my sister has never hit a mailbox. I love this story, because it makes me know that we should be careful when driving.
1. What caused the accident?| A．Awful road conditions. |
| B．Extremely terrible weather. |
| C．Bad driving skills of the author's mother. |
| D．The absent-mindedness of the author's mother, |
| A．She knew what had happened. |
| B．She couldn't understand the explanation. |
| C．She was impatient with the author's mother. |
| D．She was very angry with the author's mother. |
| A．She was very wealthy. |
| B．She was also to blame. |
| C．She used to be the mother's workmate. |
| D．She felt a little sympathy for the author's mother. |
| A．Warm -hearted | B．Rude. |
| C．Responsible. | D．Generous. |
6 . When you are sitting in the car, do you ever notice the drivers looking over their shoulders or side to side in the car? Well, they are doing this to check their blind spots! Blind spots make driving extremely difficult and increase the potential for car accidents.
Fourteen year old Alaina Gassler from Pennsylvania noticed her mother struggling with blind spots while driving their family car. So she came up with an ingenious solution that won the first place and $ 25,000 in the Broadcom Masters Competition.
Blind spots are the areas around the car that cannot be directly observed by the driver.There are two kinds of blind spots- on the back of the car that cannot be seen with mirrors, and blind spots at the front of the car as well.
When a driver is changing lanes, he has to look over his shoulder through the side windows to make sure that there is no vehicle in the blind spot. This invisible area is big enough to hide a car!
The other blind spot is created in the front by the A-pillar (柱子)- the material on either side on the windshield (挡风玻璃) that holds the glass and forms the frame of the car. In some cars, this pillar can be quite thick. Usually, people or cyclists can be hidden by this pillar.
Alaina's design was to get rid of the blind spot created by the front A-pillar of the car,the one that helps hold up the windshield.
She put a camera on the outside passenger side of the car which then sent the photos to a projector above the driver's head. Then, she covered the inside of the pillar in a reflective fabric onto which the image was projected, Basically, her device made the pillar ''see through'' and removed the blind spot on that side of the car.
Alaina's solution is very creative and could be improved by using LCD displays that will make it easier to see during day time as well.
1. What can be learned about blind spots during driving?| A．They cannot be get rid of. | B．They make driving thrilling. |
| C．They call for careful driving. | D．They cannot be indirectly seen by drivers. |
| A．Interesting. | B．Creative. |
| C．Ridiculous. | D．Invisible. |
| A．By improving the A- pillar. | B．By using a camera to capture images. |
| C．By replacing LCD displays in the cars. | D．By using a mirror on the outside of the A-pillar. |
| A．An Introduction to Blind Spots. | B．A Warning About the Road Safety. |
| C．Scientific Research on Blind Spots. | D．A Teen's Creative Solution to Blind Spots. |
7 . Special Hotels For Christmas
Spending Christmas at a hotel does hold a certain travel attraction. Whether you stay for a week or drop in for tea,there are some special ones for you for the holiday:
The Ritz: London
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners will be held in the Michelin-starred Ritz Res-taurant, with a live band and professional dancers. Traditional Christmas afternoon tea is available in the Palm Court during the holiday season. December room rates start at $ 800 per day for a Superior King.
Montage Laguna Beach: Laguna Beach, California
Montage Laguna Beach offers Christmas festivities on a surprising Pacific Ocean back-ground. A 35- foot tree was decorated on the Pacific Lawn, which sets the tone for a splendid California Christmas. Bread decorating workshops and holiday afternoon tea will also get guests into the spirit of the season. Rates start at $ 945 per day during Christmas week.
The Lygon Arms: Broadway, England
Drinks and good cheer will be abundant this Christmas season at The Lygon Arms. The charming hotel is hosting a three-night Christmas house party from December 24 to 27. Cock-tails and canapes, traditional afternoon tea, cream tea and a four course Christmas lunch are among the scheduled snacks, The cost for the three night party and your room is about $2,100 in total.
Four Seasons Chiang Mai: Chiang Mai, Thailand
At the Four Seasons Chiang Mai, guests can experience northern Thailand's famous culture. Located in the mountains of Chiang Mai's Mae Rim district, the resort is famous for its natural setting. The resort's Rim Thai Kitchen hosts its annual Christmas Day brunch, which includes classic holiday dishes as well as international favorites. Room rates start at $ 300 per day during Christmas week.
1. What makes The Ritz special?| A．A 35-foot tree. | B．A live band and dancers. |
| C．Classic Thai holiday dishes. | D．Abundant drinks and good cheer. |
| A．A three -night Christmas party. | B．Natural setting and famous culture. |
| C．Traditional Christmas afternoon coffee. | D．Celebrations based on the Pacific Ocean. |
| A．The Ritz. | B．Montage Laguna Beach, |
| C．The Lygon Arms. | D．Four Seasons Chiang Mai. |
8 . If you believe that scientists and artists are most creative when they're young, you are missing an important part of the story. A new study published in De Economist looked at Nobel Prize winners in the field of economics. It found there are two different peaks of creativity. One comes early in a person's career, while another comes later.
The research supports previous work by the authors that found similar patterns in the arts and other sciences.
"We believe what we found in this study isn't limited to economics, but could apply to creativity more generally," said Bruce Weinberg, lead author of the study and professor of economics at The Ohio State University.
"Many people believe that creativity is exclusively associated with youth,but it really depends on what kind of creativity you're talking about."
In the study, those who did their most groundbreaking work early in their careers tended to be "conceptual" innovators(创新者).
These type of innovators "think outside the box", challenging conventional wisdom and suddenly coming up with new ideas. Conceptual innovators are not yet immersed(沉浸于)in the accepted theories of their field, Weinberg said.
But there is another kind of creativity, he said, which is found among "experimental" innovators. These innovators accumulate knowledge through their careers and find new ways to understand it.
The long periods of trial and error for important experimental innovations come later in a Nobel laureate's(荣誉获得者的)career.
"Whether you hit your creative peak early or late in your career depends on whether you have a conceptual or experimental approach," Weinberg said.
The researchers took a novel, empirical(经验主义的)approach to the study, which involved 31 laureates. They arranged the laureates on a list from the most experimental to most conceptual.
This ranking was based on the laureates' most important work, classifying them into "conceptual" or "experimental".
After classifying the laureates, the researchers determined the age at which each laureate made his most important contribution to economics and could be considered at his creative peak.
They found that conceptual laureates peaked between ages 25 and 29. Experimental laureates peaked when they were roughly twice as old, in their mid-50s.
"Our research suggests that when you're most creative is more about how you approach your work."
1. What did the study published in De Economist find?| A．Creativity comes at any age, young or old. |
| B．Creativity tends to decrease as people get older. |
| C．Economists, artists and other scientists have much in common. |
| D．Economists are more creative than artists and other scientists. |
| A．Follow rules strictly. |
| B．Experiment on boxes. |
| C．Break old thought patterns. |
| D．Figure out how to escape from a box. |
| A．They usually come up with new ideas all of a sudden. |
| B．They make discoveries through constant trial and error. |
| C．The majority of them reach their creative peak in their twenties. |
| D．They make more contributions than "conceptual" innovators. |
| A．One's personality type. |
| B．What kind of job one takes. |
| C．How one handles their work. |
| D．One's attitude toward their work. |
9 . Australian experts have expressed concerns that too many millennials(千禧一代）are hoping to use their social media accounts to build their careers.
Their concerns follow the sudden rise in "insta-celebrities" who make money by posting sponsored photos online. For the lucky few who are not only talented photographers but also good-looking and business-savvy(有商业头脑的)，making money off social media isn't impossible.
Instagram is flooded with social media professionals paid to promote products and services. However, social scientist Dr Lauren Rosewarne, from the University of Melbourne, says that in reality, there are far fewer people making money off the platforms than one may think.
She said many young Australians were getting sucked in by the appeal of making money on platforms like Instagram, describing it as "totally unrealistic" and extremely difficult to do.
"Young people are hoping to be famous in numbers that were simply not there 20 years ago," Rosewarne told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation(ABC) on Saturday. "There are some people who can make fortunes out of monetizing(使具有货币性质)their Instagram posts, but that is not the norm."
She said it was up to parents and schools to discourage students from seeking Insta-fame, as many believe it is a possible career choice. "There's the warning for parents; this is not a normal or even common occurrence that you can monetize your Instagram account."
Meanwhile Toni Eager from Australian National University said social problems could arise from spending too much time with social media.
"Where do the insta-celebrities go ... to separate the life people see on Instagram from their actual normal life?" Eager said. "All of a sudden, people own your private life."
1. Why is there a sudden rise in "insta-celebrities"?| A．Many young people want to be photographers. |
| B．Many people see it as a shortcut to making money. |
| C．People want to socialize by sharing photos online. |
| D．Instagram offers young people more career choices. |
| A．benefiting from something |
| B．becoming involved in something |
| C．taking advantage of something |
| D．being satisfied with something |
| A．Young people today are more business-savvy than ever. |
| B．Young people are becoming less interested in Internet fame. |
| C．Instagram is not a good platform to promote new products. |
| D．It's a bad idea for young people to try earning money on Instagram. |
| A．An over-reliance on Instagram. |
| B．A loss of personal privacy. |
| C．Less interaction with people in real life. |
| D．The desire to monetize one's Instagram account. |
10 . We’ve known for years that plants can see, hear, smell and communicate with chemicals. Now, reported New Scientist, they have been recorded making sounds when stressed.
In a yet-to-be-published study, Itzhak Khait and his team at Tel Aviv University, in Israel, found that tomato and tobacco plants can make ultrasonic（超声的）noises. The plants “cry out” due to lack of water, or when their stems are cut. It’s just too high-pitched（音调高的）for humans to hear.
Microphones placed 10 centimeters away from the plants picked up sounds in the ultrasonic range of 20 to 100 kilohertz（千赫兹）. Human hearing usually ranges from 20 hertz to 20 kilohertz. “These findings can alter the way we think about the plant kingdom,” they wrote.
On average, “thirsty” tomato plants made 35 sounds an hour, while tobacco plants made 11. When plant stems were cut, tomato plants made an average of 25 sounds in the following hour, and tobacco plants 15. Unstressed plants produced fewer than one sound per hour, on average.
Perhaps most interestingly, different types of stress led to different sounds. The researchers trained a machine-learning model to separate the plants’ sounds from those of the wind, rain and other noises of the greenhouse. In most cases, it correctly identified whether the stress was caused by dryness or a cut, based on a sound’s intensity and frequency. Water-hungry tobacco appears to make louder sounds than cut tobacco, for example. Although Khait and his colleagues only looked at tomato and tobacco plants, they think other plants also make sounds when stressed.
If farmers could hear these sounds, said the team, they could give water to the plants that need it most. As climate change causes more droughts, they said this would be important information for farmers. “The sounds that drought-stressed plants make could be used in precision agriculture（精准农业）,” said Anne Visscher at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the UK.
Khait’s report also suggests that insects and mammals can hear the sounds up to 5 meters away and respond. For example, a moth may decide not to lay eggs on a water-stressed plant. Edward Farmer, at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, is doubtful. He said that the idea of moths listening to plants is “a little too speculative”.
If plants are screaming for fear of their survival, should we be thankful we can’t hear them?
1. What did Khait and his team find from their research?| A．Plants made low-pitched sounds when in danger. |
| B．Plants were able to produce sounds in response to stresses. |
| C．Plants picked up a wider range of sounds when stressed. |
| D．Plants made ultrasonic noises to communicate with each other. |
| A．A plant reacted to different stresses with the same sound. |
| B．Cut tobacco plants seemed to make weaker sounds than drought-stressed ones. |
| C．Cut tomato plants produced more sounds per hour than water-hungry ones. |
| D．Tobacco plants might make louder sounds than tomato plants when short of water. |
| A．Challenges facing farmers in the future. |
| B．Farmers’ contributions to the research. |
| C．The potential applications of the research. |
| D．What the future agriculture will be like. |
| A．negative | B．positive |
| C．neutral | D．indifferent |
