1 . When it comes to thrilling places to travel to, the nation of Thailand has got to be at or near the top of the list. The beaches of Thailand are simply amazing. Here is a look at the four best beaches in all of Thailand.
Maya Bay
This small beach attracts some huge crowds, but it is still worth a visit thanks to what is widely regarded as some of the best sights in the whole country. The Maya Bay Beach is located on a small island and is only accessible(可进入的) via boat or passenger ferry.
Lamai Beach
For the traveler looking for a quite unforgettable beach experience during their visit to Thailand, a trip out to Lamai Beach in Samui is a must. The sandy areas are long and wide with plenty of room for everyone. The water is inviting and easy to access.
Patong Beach
Patong Beach is not only one of the most beautiful and popular beaches in Thailand, but it is the largest beach on the popular island of Phuket. The soft white sand is a great place to relax. Some of the many great activities that travelers can join in during a visit to Patong Beach include jet skiing, kayaking, surfing, diving, snorkeling(浮潜) , swimming, and more.
Haad Rin
Haad Rin is one of the most popular party spots in the country, for both locals and travelers. All month long, during most parts of the year, there are some special entertainment(娱乐), eating, and socializing opportunities.
1. If you want to have a very impressive beach experience, which is highly recommended?| A．Maya Bay | B．Lamai Beach |
| C．Patong Beach | D．Haad Rin |
| A．Maya Bay | B．Lamai Beach |
| C．Patong Beach | D．Haad Rin |
| A．Relax on the white soft sand. |
| B．Take part in adventurous activities. |
| C．Have a good time with the people living here. |
| D．Learn much culture and history about Thailand. |
2 . The biggest and the smallest of the world’s animals are most at risk of dying out, according to a new analysis, with vertebrates (脊椎动物) in the so-called “Goldilocks zone”—not too big and not too small—winning out. Action is needed to protect animals at both ends of the scale, they say. The research adds to evidence that animals are dying out on such a scale that a sixth extinction is considered under way.
One clue is body size. Research on birds and mammals has shown that those with larger bodies are more likely to go extinct. Yet, when the researchers made a database of thousands of birds, mammals, fish, amphibians (两栖动物) and reptiles (爬行动物) at risk of extinction, they found disproportionate (不成比例的) losses at the large and small ends of the scale.
“Surprisingly, we found that not only the largest of all vertebrate animal species are most threatened, but the very tiniest ones are also highly threatened with extinction,” Prof. Ripple told BBC News.
Large animals, such as elephants, rhinos (犀牛) and lions have long been the target of protection efforts. However, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians that are the giants of their kind, such as the whale shark, Somali ostrich (鸵鸟) and the Chinese giant salamander (蝾螈), tend to be overlooked. Meanwhile, small species at risk--such as frogs and shrews (鼩鼱)--receive very little attention.
“I think, for the smallest species, first of all we need to bring higher awareness to them, because the larger ones get a lot of attention, but the smaller ones get very little,” said Prof. Ripple.
In the study, vertebrates with the smallest and the largest bodies were found to be most at risk of disappearing, whether they were on land or living in oceans, streams or rivers.
Heavyweights are threatened mainly by hunting, while featherweights are losing out to pollution and cutting down forests. “Ultimately, reducing global consumption of wild meat is a key step to reduce negative impacts of hunting, fishing, and trapping on the world’s vertebrates,” they write in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
1. What made the researchers feel surprised?| A．A sixth of animals are dying out. |
| B．Small animals are in great danger. |
| C．Great losses of birds and mammals. |
| D．Big animals are at risk of disappearing. |
| A．Transform our habits. | B．Change our concepts. |
| C．Find ways to save small animals. | D．Take measures to stop pollution. |
| A．Loss of forests. | B．Climate change. |
| C．Human activities. | D．Environmental pollution. |
| A．Size Matters When It Comes to Extinction Risk |
| B．Large Animals Are Badly in Need of Protection |
| C．Why a Great Number of Animals Are Dying out |
| D．What We Should Do to Protect Endangered Species |
3 . Many cars advertisements（广告）in the United States are red, blue or green. But nearly 75% of the new cars sold in the United States are black, white, silver or gray.
Les Jackson is a reporter who writes about cars. He says Americans prefer the cars whose colors do not show dirt clearly. In this way, the owners can wash their cars less to save money. In fact, some areas that are short of water do not allow people to wash their cars often.
Dan Benton works for a company called Axalta, which sells paint（涂料）to international car markers. He says white cars are usually sold at a better price than cars of other colors. And they absorb less energy, which means temperatures inside them are lower in warmer areas. Besides, research at Monash University in Australia suggests that there is a lower risk of car accidents during the day for white cars compared with darker ones. In China, many buyer say white makes a small car look bigger.
Axalta says about 11% of the cars sold in North America are red and 8% are blue. In South America, 10% of the new cars sold are red.
“Green cars have become less popular,” Dan Benton says. “In the mid 1990s, green was the most popular color in North America. But today, green cars are hard to find.”
In the future, people may not have to choose the color of their cars---technology may let owners change their cars’ paint color anytime.
1. Americans like to buy cars that don’t show dirt clearly in order to _________| A．save energy | B．save money |
| C．follow the government policy | D．reduce car accidents |
| A．looking more beautiful | B．absorbing less heat |
| C．being more expensive | D．being safer |
| A．South American | B．Australian |
| C．Chinese | D．North American |
| A．Red | B．White |
| C．Blue | D．Green |
4 . Imagine meeting someone for the first time who comes from a distant country but is fluent in your language. Would you adapt the tone of your voice, or the spacing of pauses in your speech? How about adjusting your body language and facial expressions, depending on the background of the person in front of you?
These are just a handful of the shifts in behaviour that can contribute to what is known as your "cultural intelligence", or CQ.
"The number one predictor of your success in today's borderless world is not your IQ, or not even your expertise(专长)," writes social, scientist David Livermore in his book The Cultural Intelligence Difference. "It's your CQ."
Typically CQ is measured through a series of questions that assess four distinct components. The first is "CQ Drive"-the motivation to learn about other cultures. Then there is "CO Knowledge", which is an understanding of some of the general cultural differences you may face. "CQ Strategy" examines how you make sense of those difficult conflicts and learn from them, while "CQ Action" involves your behavioural flexibility-whether you are able to adapt your conduct like a cultural chameleon.
"While understanding a specific culture can be useful, it may not predict at all your ability to engage effectively in a new place," says Livermore. "In fact, our research finds that individuals who have lived in multiple locations for extended time are more likely to have higher CQ Knowledge than those who have lived multiple decades in one overseas setting."
Someone with low CO might have a tendency to judge everyone else's behaviour by his own cultural standards. If he comes from a more sociable environment, for instance, and notices that his Japanese colleagues are very quiet in a meeting, he may assume that they are being unfriendly or bored. A person at the top of the scale(级别), meanwhile, might realise that silence is a sign of respect and that feedback(反馈)won't be given unless it is explicitly required. As a result, he'll make sure to offer suitable opportunities within the meeting for others to provide their opinions.
1. Which of the following best describes "a cultural chameleon"?| A．Learning from other cultures to have a high CQ. |
| B．Taking action to overcome the communication barrier. |
| C．Getting along well with others despite cultural differences. |
| D．Changing behaviour according to the cultural background. |
| A．Experiencing a variety of different cultures. | B．Spending a long time in a specific culture. |
| C．Meeting people from a distant country. | D．Having personal experience in another culture. |
| A．People with low CO. | B．People with high CQ. |
| C．People from a different culture. | D．People from a sociable environment. |
| A．Those who are going to be a social scientist. |
| B．Those who want to learn about CQ Knowledge. |
| C．Those who conduct some research on CQ and IQ. |
| D．Those who interact with people from different cultures. |
5 . “Italy without Sicily does not leave an impression on your soul: here lies the key to everything.” This is what Goethe wrote during his voyage through Italy in 1787. In fact, Sicily is Italy’s largest island and at the same time a small world of its own. Typically Italian and yet completely different: contrasts (差别）characterize Sicily in many aspects --- scenic as well as cultural.
The sunny island has always been considered a blooming place. It is in spring that Italy’s southernmost point shows its best, when countless almond trees turn the island into a sea of flowers. Beautiful lemon trees are to be found all over the island, but most of all on the soil beneath Mount Etna, the landmark of Sicily and the largest volcano of Europe.
Windswept bushes and splendid sand dunes in the southeast attract you. Here you will find Sicily’s most beautiful sandy beaches --- extending for kilometers on end, wide and gentle.
In the thinly populated inland, the mountain area with its valleys, streams and plateaus creates an almost mysterious atmosphere; in the mountain villages time seems to have stood still.
The islands around Sicily are worth a visit, too: from Sicily you can easily reach the Lipari Islands, for example.
As various as the island’s landscape and sights are its people --- the Sicilians. The poet Angelo Fiore held that, there were “five million Sicilies”, just as many as there are people. In the Sicilian melting pot of cultures you will find elements contributed by the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs, the Normans, the Hohenstaufen dynasty, the Spanish and the French. Southern Italian hospitality, celebrating colorful, lively festivals and keeping up religious customs are surely among the islanders’ characteristics.
1. Why are Goethe’s words mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To attract us to Sicily. |
| B．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| C．To give us a taste of Goethe’s talent. |
| D．To describe Sicily’s unique natural sights. |
| A．Sicily is separated from the Italian mainland. |
| B．Sicily has unique scenes and cultures. |
| C．Sicily represents Italian cultures. |
| D．Sicily is Italy’s largest island. |
| A．Sicily is filled with flowers all year round |
| B．the mountain villagers lead a fast-paced life |
| C．Mount Etna is at a short distance from Sicily |
| D．you can enjoy sandy beaches in the southeast |
| A．The friendliness of the Sicilians. |
| B．The festive atmosphere of Sicily. |
| C．The melting pot of cultures of Sicily. |
| D．The different customs of the Sicilians. |
6 . Welcome to our school. You can do a lot of things here. Come and join us.
| Timetable | |
| Sunday 8:30---11:30 Personal Inventions You can see many inventions by the students； you may also bring your own inventions. | Monday 19:00---21:00 Space and Man Dr. Thomas West If you want to know more about the universe. |
| Wednesday 19:30---21:00 Modern Medicine Mrs. Lucy Green Would you like to know medical science? | Friday 18:30---21:00 Computer Science Mr. Harry Morison from Harvard University Learn to use Windows XP. |
1. You may have a chance to introduce your inventions on _________.
| A．Monday | B．Friday . | C．Sunday | D．Wednesday |
| A．Mr. Morison | B．Dr. West | C．Mr. Thomas | D．Mrs. Green |
| A．19:00 to 21:00 on Monday | B．8:30 to 11:30 on Sunday |
| C．18:30 to 21:00 on Friday | D．19:30 to 21:00 on Wednesday |
7 . People are social creatures and we depend on our relationships with others for our health and happiness. While we can individually make efforts toward slow living, finally we need the support of others and community organizations to be successful. Slow Cities meet this need. Like Slow Food, the Slow Cities movement started in Italy. Its organization is known as Cittaslow, which has spread to about 30 other countries throughout the world since 1999.
Cittaslow has set up 50 goals and principles, which supports communities as they protect the environment and build upon their own special qualities reflecting their historical roots as well as their strong desire or ambition for the future. This is not about nostalgia and following tradition closely; rather it is a call to refuse the forces of the same types that result in every place looking and feeling like every other place. By gathering together with others who share the same opinions or interests, we can start to include new projects to further improve the quality of life in our communities by using our imagination.
The basic part of Slow Cities is the idea that our health and happiness partly depend upon a healthy connection to the people and place where we live. The growing Sunday Parkways movement is just one great example of an activity that combines many of the well-being goals for cities in a fun, healthy, and family-oriented way. The Cittaslow website is designed as a place where ideas like these can be explored and exchanged.
The Slow Cities movement is not just about improving the quality of life of the citizens; it also encourages communities to develop their friendly and generous behavior towards guests, offering them an organized event, for example, a concert, a sporting event so that visitors can go through what is different and special about the area, really learning about the local culture. Slow Cities invite people to slow down so that they can see and connect with the rich diversity of the world where they live as well as the diversity of the world around them.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To show that human beings need social activities. |
| B．To stress that it is necessary to have Cittaslow. |
| C．To prove that the Slow Cities movement is getting popular. |
| D．To explain the relationship between health and happiness. |
| A．Be creative and improve their quality of life. |
| B．Be responsible and reflect on their historical development. |
| C．Be well prepared and try to continue their local customs. |
| D．Be grateful and value the good old days that they have had. |
| A．The activities and community culture. | B．The opinions and childhood education. |
| C．The neighbors and living environment. | D．The experiences and family background. |
| A．stubborn | B．hard-working | C．open-minded | D．strong-willed |
8 . Baggy has become the first dog in the UK—and potentially the world—to join the fight against air pollution by recording pollutant levels near the ground.
Baggy wears a pollution monitor on her collar so she can take data measurements close to the ground. Her monitor has shown that air pollution levels are higher closer to ground level, which has helped highlight concerns that babies and young kids may be at higher risk of developing lung problems.
Conventional air pollution monitors are normally fixed on lampposts at about nine feet in the air. However, since Baggy stands at about the same height as a child in a pushchair（婴儿车）, she frequently records pollution levels which are much higher than the data gathered by the Environment A gency.
The doggy data research was the idea of Baggy's 13-year-old owner Tom Hunt and his dad Matt. The English youngster noticed that pollution levels are around two-thirds higher close to the ground than they are in the air at the height where they are recorded by the agency. Tom has since reported the shocking findings to the government in an attempt to emphasise that babies are at higher risk of developing asthma（哮喘）.
Matt Hunt said he was "very proud" of his son because “when the boy gets an idea, he keeps his head down and gets on with it, and he really does want to do some good and stop young kids from getting asthma."
“Tom built up a passion for environmental protection at a very early age," Matt added. “He became very interested in gadgets（小装置）. About one year ago, he got this new piece of tech which is like a test tube. One Sunday afternoon, we went out to do some monitoring, and he said, why don't we put it on Baggy's collar and let her monitor the pollution？'So we did it."
Tom said, "Most of the time, Baggy is just like any other dog. But for the rest of the time she is a super dog, and we are all really proud of her."
1. With a monitor on her collar, Baggy can ____________.| A．take pollutant readings | B．record pollutant levels |
| C．process collected data | D．reduce air pollution |
| A．High places are free of air pollution. |
| B．Higher pushchairs are more risky for kids. |
| C．Conventional monitors are more reliable. |
| D．Air is more polluted closer to the ground. |
| A．To warn of a health risk. | B．To find out pollution sources. |
| C．To test his new monitor. | D．To prove Baggy's abilities. |
| A．Modest. | B．Generous. | C．Creative. | D．Outgoing. |
9 . A survey done by the University of Michigan shows a big drop in the number of teenagers who say they smoke cigarettes.
In the survey, over 44, 000 students in grades 8, 10 and 12, from 424 schools across the country were asked about their smoking habits. The results show that smoking among 8th graders went down from 21 percent in 2002, to 12 percent in 2007. In the same period, smoking dropped from 30% to 21% among 10th graders and from 37% to 30% among 12th graders.
Anti-smoking organisations think educating kids about smoking risks is the cause of the drop. “These important drops in teen smoking did not just happen by chance,” said study director Lloyd D, Johnston, “A lot of individuals and organisations have been trying to bring down the high rates of teenagers.”
Others say the higher price of cigarettes is an important reason teens are cutting back.
Whatever the reason, the drop in teen smoking is news to everyone, even cigarette-making companies warn their product is only for adults, not kids. Health experts are particularly paying attention to teenage smoking habits because lifetime smokers often get hooked on smoking at an early age.
But some say that the new figures aren’t exactly the cause for celebration. While it is true fewer teens are smoking today than five years ago, the rate of teen smoking is still higher than it was.
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in this country. “Our survey suggests that a lot of teens still do not understand the dangers of smoking particularly the younger teens,” Johnston said.
1. The rate of teen smoking among 12th graders dropped by according to the survey.| A．7% | B．30% | C．9% | D．21% |
| A．educating kids about smoking risks |
| B．efforts from health experts and organisations |
| C．the higher price of cigarettes |
| D．the cut down of the number of cigarettes |
| A．Become interested in. | B．Get tired of. |
| C．Give up. | D．Take no interest in. |
| A．The rate of teen smoking is far lower than it was. |
| B．Cigarette smoking can be stopped sooner or later. |
| C．There is a different idea about the drop in teenage smoking. |
| D．No younger teens really understand the dangers of smoking. |
10 . The gender gap in maths-related subjects is obvious. In almost all countries, far fewer women than men choose STEM（理工科）careers.
It's not that girls and women are bad at maths. In the UK in 2019, for example, 39% of 18-year-old girls who studied maths at A-level achieved an A or A*, compared to 42% of boys. For A-level physics, 29% of girls achieved the top two grades, compared to 28% of boys. But in both subjects, boys heavily outnumbered girls-by more than 3:1 in the case of physics. So why are so many girls turning their backs on these subjects?
A study published recently in the journal PNAS suggests that the answer may in fact lie in male-female differences in academic ability, but the ability in question is reading, not maths. Thomas Breda, at Paris School of Economics, and Clotilde Napp, at Paris Dauphine University, wondered whether this male-female difference in reading could help explain the gender gap in STEM careers. Every three years, hundreds of thousands of 15-year-olds in more than 60 countries take part in the PISA study. Students complete tests in maths, reading and science, and answer questions about their future career intentions. When Breda and Napp looked at the data from PISA 2012, they realized they were on to something.
"There were small gender gaps in maths performance at 15 years old, but these gaps were too small to explain the huge gender segregation（隔离）in STEM," says Breda. But for reading, the tables were turned; the girls were much better than the boys. As a result, when a boy and a girl had similar scores in maths, the girl usually had an even better score in reading.
When Breda and Napp compared each student's scores in reading and maths, they found the greater a student's advantage in reading, the less likely they were to plan a career in maths, even when their maths score was also high. Notably, this was true for both boys and girls.
"It makes a lot of sense," says Sarah Cattan, of the Institute for Fiscal Studies. "It shows that what matters most when boys and girls choose their field of study is not how good they are in maths or in reading, but how good they are in maths relative to reading."
1. What do the data in Paragraph 2 show?| A．The average gender difference in maths performance is small. |
| B．Those who are good at maths are also good at physics. |
| C．Physics tends to be easier for girls than maths. |
| D．Girls are not better than boys at maths. |
| A．Tom whose maths is worse than reading. |
| B．Lisa whose maths is better than reading. |
| C．Lily whose reading is better than maths. |
| D．Jack whose reading is as good as maths. |
| A．Their comparative strength instead of absolute ability. |
| B．Their gender advantages in a specific academic field. |
| C．Their future job landing possibility in an industry. |
| D．Their particular interest in a certain subject. |
| A．Why are we drawn to STEM careers? |
| B．Are boys worse at reading and writing? |
| C．Why are girls bad at maths-related subjects? |
| D．Are good readers more likely to give up maths? |
