1 . I had moved to Japan for a long- term client consulting engagement. After a few days in a Tokyo hotel I moved to an apartment. After being moved in by my colleagues, it was time to get dinner. I found a pizza deliver flyer in my mailbox, and decided to simply order a pizza as. I might have the previous week in Manhattan. The phone call to Cali Pizza was easier than anticipated and while waiting for the pizza I set about unpacking.
Unfortunately, after 45 minutes no pizza. I figured that my “easy” call really wasn’t and that I would need to make alternate plans for dinner. While thinking about what to do next, my phone rang. It was Cali Pizza calling to say that they could not find my apartment based on the address that I had given them. Once it was determined that I had provided an incorrect address, the clerk on the phone asked me to describe what I could see from my window. After some back and forth they seemed satisfied that they knew where I was.
A few minutes later the pizza arrived, This is when my “customer delight” experience took over. First, the delivery person apologized repeatedly for being late, then he showed me the small blue metal plate on my building with the correct address, and finally he refused to accept payment for the pizza because he was late. Net result: one delighted customer (me), and frequent orders from Cali Pizza during my two-year stay in Japan.
Such “customer delight” experiences become stories I have used to illustrate what it means to truly delight a customer.
1. What did the writer do first after he moved in the apartment?| A．Deliver flyers. | B．Place an order. |
| C．Call his colleagues. | D．Set about unpacking. |
| A．The number on the flyer was inaccurate. |
| B．The clerk was unfamiliar with the address. |
| C．The wrier provided an inaccurate address. |
| D．The pizza was sent to a wrong address. |
| A．Disappeared. | B．Dominated. | C．Promoted. | D．Decreased. |
| A．It’s never easy to settle down in a new city. |
| B．A delayed delivery may result in good profit. |
| C．One can’t be too careful when placing an order. |
| D．A short-term loss of benefit may reward a lot. |
2 . During a decline in tourism, one national park in Thailand has seen a dramatic rise in “visitors” recently. So many are the hermit crabs （寄居蟹）flooding into the otherwise empty beaches of Koh Lanta that shells （贝壳）for them to live in have become in short supply.
The Thai government moved quickly to ease the housing shortage, launching a public appeal for empty shells that netted over 200 kg. On December 5 these were distributed around the park in a ceremony.
Hermit crabs rely on shells to protect their soft bodies, moving to larger shells as they grow. On Koh Lanta and the surrounding smaller islands, their rapid increase seems to be a natural phenomenon, rather than directly related to the absence of tourists. But the shortage of shells may be man-made：pretty ones have long been gathered to be sold as goods. Crabs had begun to make do with potential death-traps such as plastic caps and bottles.
The shell drive was part of a government initiative to “regain the balance of nature”. “I have instructed all national parks to do whatever it takes,” says Varawut Silpa-archa, the minister for natural resources. His inspiration comes from the pause in tourism brought on by CO VID-19. A ban on international visitors and the closure of national parks have helped nature recover, bringing endangered leatherback turtles back onto Thai beaches. In the coastal provinces of Phang Nga and Phuket, turtles have laid the largest number of eggs for 20 years.
The government has decided to try to copy the short break forced on it by CO VID-19 in future. From now on, all national parks will be required to close for a short period during the off-season and to limit the number of tourists through a reservation system when they are open. Although such restrictions mean reduced earnings from tourism in the short term, in the longer run more parks may help to keep the tourists coming.
1. What happened to the beaches of Koh Lanta recently?| A．They got flooded by seawater. |
| B．They became completely empty. |
| C．They were packed with hermit crabs. |
| D．They saw a constant stream of tourists. |
| A．Natural disasters. |
| B．Human activities. |
| C．Their preference for bottles. |
| D．The government's involvement. |
| A．To warn turtles are dying out. |
| B．To prove beaches are their ideal habitats. |
| C．To stress ecological diversity of Thailand. |
| D．To illustrate the birth of Varawut’s inspiration. |
| A．Developing Economy or Protecting Animals? |
| B．Closing National Parks or Drawing More Visitors? |
| C．Governments are Responsible for the Balance of Nature |
| D．Authorities Help to Find Shelters for Homeless Hermit Crabs |
3 . CHRONOLOGICA
——The Unbelievable Years that Defined History
DID YOU KNOW...
◆In 105 AD paper was invented in China?
◆When Columbus discovered the New World?
◆The British Museum opened in 1759?
CHRONOLOGICA is a fascinating journey through time, from the foundation of Rome to the creation of the Internet. Along the way are tales of kings and queens, hot air balloons…and monkeys in space.
Travel through 100 of the most unbelievable years in world history and learn why being a Roman Emperor wasn’t always as good as it sounds, how the Hundred Years’ War didn’t actually last for 100 years and why Spencer Perceval holds a rather unfortunate record.
CHRONOLOGICA is an informative and entertaining tour into history, beautifully illustrated and full of unbelievable facts. While CHRONOLOGICA tells the stories of famous people in history such as Thomas Edison and Alexander the Great, this book also gives an account of the lives of lesser-known individuals including the explorer Mungo Park and sculptor Gutzon Borglum.
This complete but brief historical collection is certain to entertain readers young and old, and guaranteed to present even the biggest history lover with something new!
1. What is CHRONOLOGICA according to the next?| A．A biography. | B．A travel guide. | C．A history book. | D．A science fiction. |
| A．By introducing some of its contents. |
| B．By giving details of its collection. |
| C．By telling stories at the beginning. |
| D．By comparing it with other books. |
| A．People who want to take a fascinating journey. |
| B．People who want to be updated with all the information throughout the history. |
| C．People who are much interested in history. |
| D．People who simply want to read to kill the time. |
4 . Plastic remains one of the most-used materials for making many of the things we use in our everyday lives. Things made of plastic can be very strong and last a long time. They also do well in extreme heat and cold. Plastic is also much lighter than metal and can be easily formed into different shapes. This makes the material perfect for the uses across many different industries
But the widespread use of plastics is causing major problems for the environment. Plastic materials are causing serious damage to the world’s oceans.
Plastics can take hundreds of years to break down on their own. Very few kinds are highly recyclable. This is because of the way plastics are formed. Even when recycling is possible, the process is costly and can use a lot of energy.
But a team of researchers working at the U.S. Department of Energy say they have created a kind of plastic that could lead to products that are 100 percent recyclable.
The researchers say the new material is a plastic polymer(聚合物)called polydiketoenamine, or PDK. The team reports that the material can be broken down in parts at the molecular(分子的) level. It can then be built up again to form plastics of different shapes, colors and more. The researchers say this process can be repeated over and over again -without the plastic material losing any performance or quality.
“Most plastics were never made to be recycled,” lead researcher Peter Christensen said. “But we have discovered a new way to make plastics that takes recycling into consideration from a molecular point of view. Then we would be able to remove plastics from the oceans. It’s going to be a really exciting time.”
1. What's the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To show the advantages of plastic |
| B．To explore the future of plastic |
| C．To prove we can’t live without plastic |
| D．To introduce different plastic products |
| A．What they are used for | B．How they are formed. |
| C．The deep ocean | D．The high cost |
| A．It can be used repeatedly. |
| B．It can hardly be broken down. |
| C．It is a colorful plastic polymer. |
| D．It is used in some countries now. |
| A．Plastic and industry. |
| B．Pollution and environment. |
| C．Plastic: a most-used material. |
| D．PDK: a new recyclable plastic. |
5 . If you're looking to buy cheap theater tickets, then you've come to the right place! Whether it is on Broadway, or a show at your local theater, here at Sizzling Tickets we've got some great deals for you!
Aladdin the Musical
Run Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission（幕间休息）of 15 minutes
Audience: All ages
This musical comedy provides generous family entertainment with lively dance routines and constant action. Well-loved songs such as A Whole New World and Prince Ali will have members of the audience singing along. This timeless story and its beauty, energy and magic will take your breath away.
Lion King the Musical
Run Time: 2 hours and 45minutes, including one intermission of 15 minutes
Audience: AU ages
The Lion King musical was first staged on Broadway in 1997, when it achieved great success. In fact, the Lion King musical has won several awards over the years for the way that this popular story has been displayed and the cartoon characters really come to life in a very exciting way when they reach the stage.
The Book of Mormon
Run Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one 15 minutes' intermission
Audience: Young teens and older
Winner of nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical and many other awards, the Book of Mormon is entertaining from start to finish and looks set to stay on Broadway in the near future.
Phantom of the Opera
Run Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission of !5 minutes
Audience: All ages
The box office revenue（票房收入）for this show is higher than for any other movie or stage production. Some people love it so much that they have seen it twice, perhaps even again and again. The opera has been playing continuously at Her Majesty's Theatre in London since its first performance in 1986. And it's not just audiences that love the show. Phantom has won many awards, including Olivier Awards and Tony Awards.
1. If you want to see a play longer than 2 hours and 30minutes, you can choose.| A．Aladdin the Musical | B．The Book of Mormon |
| C．Lion King the Musical | D．Phantom of the Opera |
| A．has won numerous awards | B．is telling an unhappy story |
| C．is suitable for all ages | D．will not be played on Broadway in the future |
| A．Aladdin the Musical runs for 2 hours and 15 minutes with two intermissions. |
| B．Lion King the Musical has well-loved songs for audience to sing along, |
| C．The Phantom of the Opera was first staged on Broadway. |
| D．The Phantom of the Opera is worth seeing repeatedly. |
6 . The United States is a nation of car owners. Ninety-five percent of households own a car, and 85 percent of people get to work in one. This lifestyle contributes to congestion on our roads and damages the environment. As autonomous vehicles begin to hit the streets over the next decade or so, it's believed that all this will change.
Autonomous vehicles will most likely decrease the number and severity of crashes, allow cars to travel more closely together and improve cooperation between vehicles, all of which tend to reduce traffic jams and increase capacity.
However, this future is not assured. To realize the full potential benefits of driverless cars, we will have to act soon to encourage a culture in which transportation is shared. Many people in the automobile industry assume that driverless vehicles will automatically be shared, but there is little evidence that this is true. Most estimates suggest that driverless cars will eventually be only slightly more expensive than traditional cars, which means they'll be within reach of many consumers, so users are not willing to share rides.
If most people are going to buy-in to a shared-ride culture, they need to get a significant benefit. Saving a few dollars off the fare isn't likely to promote the movement dramatically. A better benefit would be knowing that you're going to reach your destination more quickly. The way to guarantee quick passage is to redesign our roads to give priority to ride-sharing autonomous vehicles like building priority lanes. The cost of travel will also be varied based on how efficiently a vehicle uses the roads. Autonomous vehicles carrying multiple people should get higher priority than those carrying one or none at all.
Decision-makers must push for incentives that encourage the most efficient use of our limited roadway infrastructure(基础设施). The autonomous future is rapidly approaching; it is critical that we act now, while the impacts of autonomous vehicles on traffic jams and emissions are still largely within our control.
1. What's the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic. |
| B．To tell the severe traffic problem. |
| C．To prove the necessity of autonomous vehicles. |
| D．To show the damage of cars to the environment. |
| A．Autonomous vehicles worsen traffic jams on roads. |
| B．Autonomous vehicles are likely to reduce traffic jams. |
| C．Saving some fares contributes to shared-ride significantly. |
| D．Many people have ridden autonomous vehicles to avoid traffic jams. |
| A．To save a large amount of money. |
| B．To promote the development of science and technology. |
| C．To redesign roads to prioritize car-shared modes. |
| D．To allow you to reach your destination much more quickly. |
| A．Driverless Cars Will Make Our Traffic Problems Worse. |
| B．Autonomous Vehicles Will Make a Difference to Traffic. |
| C．Decision-makers Should Take Some Measures Quickly. |
| D．The Current Situation of Cars in the United States is Serious. |
7 . A company called Compass Pools has some good news for height and swimming enthusiasts.Recently，the company announced their novel design—a first of its kind 360degree pool which is set to be placed on a skyscraper in London.The Infinity London will be the first and only building in the world to include this cuttingedge pool design.The pool will be laid on top of a 55story skyscraper and will allow people to float over 200 meters above the London skyline with unobstructed(没有障碍的) views of the city.
The entrance to the pool is hidden.People began to raise questions about how anyone would get inside the pool.Compass Pools explains：“Swimmers will access the pool through a rotating spiral(螺旋形的) staircase based on the door of a submarine，rising from the pool floor when someone wants to get in or out.”
But that is not the only unique technology of the pool.The designers found a way to make sure the wind doesn't blow the water down to the streets.They included a builtin anemometer(风力计) to monitor the wind speed.It is linked to a computercontrolled building management system which will also take care of the temperature of the water.
Alex Kemsley promises that this unique pool will surpass everyone's expectations.“It's quite a strange feeling to swim in the SkyPool at The Shard and have helicopters flying past at your level but this pool takes it a step further，”he says.“Putting your goggles(游泳镜) on and with a 360degree view of London from 220m up，it really will be something else—but it's definitely not one for the acrophobic(恐高的)！”
While the exact date of the construction is not clear yet，if things go well，it may begin in 2022.The location has yet to be confirmed too.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．The Infinity London is the only building to swim in. |
| B．Swimmers can enjoy the views of London in the pool. |
| C．The pool is located on the first floor of a skyscraper. |
| D．Compass Pools has built many 360degree pools in the world. |
| A．How to get a view of London. |
| B．How to monitor the wind speed. |
| C．How to get into or out of the pool. |
| D．How to keep the water in the pool. |
| A．People who enjoy flying. |
| B．People who lose weight. |
| C．People who fear heights. |
| D．People who have poor sight. |
| A．It is not certain when people can swim in it. |
| B．The exact location of the construction is clear. |
| C．Swimmers can expect its designs easily. |
| D．It's impossible to monitor the temperature of the water. |
8 . Smoking in your own home in Thailand may now be considered a crime, if the smoke is considered harmful to other people in the house.
The new law, Family Protection and Development Promotion Act, was initiated (启动) by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and was announced in the Royal Gazette on May 22, 2019. The law aims at limiting smoking at home which might be hazardous for others’ health living under the same roof. In that case, it will be considered as “domestic violence”. The new law came into force on August 20.
According to the center for research and knowledge management for tobacco control, at the Faculty of Medical Science of Mahidol University, there are about 4.9 million households where one or more family members smoke. An average of 10.3 million people have unconsciously become passive smokers because they’ve been breathing in smoke at home. Scientific studies show that passive smokers are at greater risk of being affected by cancer.
Of 75 child patients from houses where smoking is practiced, 76% of them were found to have nicotine traces in their urine (尿液), with 43% of them having nicotine content going beyond permitted levels. Smoking at home also may lead to physical or emotional violence because of aggressiveness (攻击性) when there is a lack of smoking, and might as well ruin relationships between smokers and non-smoker family members.
According to the new law, anyone who thinks they are affected by domestic smoking can report to officials concerned so that inspectors will be sent to investigate and take legal action against the smokers. Once confirmed, the court may order a person to receive treatment to quit smoking in an attempt to protect the person’s family. In February in 2019, Thailand had banned smoking at six of its airports along with a ban in public places.
1. What do we know about the new law in Thailand?| A．It came into effect on May 22. |
| B．It aimed at protecting the health of non-smokers. |
| C．It regarded smoking at home as a kind of domestic violence. |
| D．It clearly claimed that smoking at home is a crime. |
| A．Anxious. | B．Harmful. |
| C．Beneficial. | D．Essential. |
| A．The purpose of initiating the law. |
| B．Responses to the new law. |
| C．Actions to quit smoking. |
| D．Bad consequences of smoking at home. |
| A．Smoking is illegal anywhere in Thailand. |
| B．Passive smokers are not likely to suffer from cancer. |
| C．People tend to be more aggressive when they are smoking. |
| D．Thailand is making efforts to create a smoke-free environment. |
9 . Social media is taking over our lives: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and now, TikTok. These social media platforms have transformed from a way to stay connected to an industry where even kids can make money off their posts. While this may seem like another opportunistic innovation, it’s really full of hidden false realities.
The median income (中位收入) recorded in the United States of America was about $63,000 in 2018. TikTokers can make anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000 for a TikTok brand partnership, and TikTokers with over a million followers can make up to $30,000 a month — $360,000 a year. They are making more than the average person trying to feed their family and keep a roof over their heads, simply by posting a 15-second video.
This is mad in more ways than one. Not only is it an overpaid “job”, it promotes undeserved admiration from viewers and a false sense of reality. Many of these famous TikTokers are still teens, and the effects of fame at such an early stage in life might cause issues later in life, such as mental illness. Teens between the ages of 13 and 17 make up 27% of TikTok viewers, who can be easily influenced by what they are watching. They can put a false sense of self-value into who they look up to and what they represent: money, fame, being considered conventionally attractive.
While TikTok has become a great tool for marketing, it’s important to understand how this content affects young viewers. If we’re constantly consuming content that hsows us all we need to do to be successful is be conventionally attractive and post a 15-second video featuring a new dance, it will challenge our knowledge of what really makes someone successful and will in turn affect our individual work ethics (伦理). What about the people who miss birthdays and family holidays due to their jobs and aren’t getting paid nearly as much as these TikTokers?
Richard Colyer, president and creator of Metaphor, Inc., had his own view on this issue.
“It sounds great that kids can make money for doing the latest dance moves in a 15-second video, but we should feed the minds of kids and not just their bank accounts. TikTok can be great if used properly. Money alone is not good, technology alone is not good and connectedness can be bad if it’s only online.”
Again, as a fellow consumer of TikTok, I do enjoy the app when I have some time to kill and need a good laugh. I’m not against someone making a living on entertainment, but what does getting famous of a 15-second video teach young people?
1. What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Social networking. | B．Making money on social media. |
| C．A job offered by TikTok. | D．Staying connected to the Internet. |
| A．They tend to live an adult life too soon. |
| B．They are forced to pay for certain services. |
| C．They may abandon other social media. |
| D．They are likely to develop false values. |
| A．TikTok can be a positive influence if teens employ it wisely. |
| B．Young TikTokers should be banned form making money. |
| C．It is better to involve education on investment in TikTok videos. |
| D．Contents of videos need checking before their release online. |
| A．Say No to TikTok. | B．Join Young TikTokers |
| C．TikTok — A Mine of Money | D．A Job vs An Entertainment |
10 . Friday was "Chatty Bus day", an experiment aimed at getting people to talk to each other on public transport. This is not an idea that would appeal to those who commute in the rush hour, because there is a smaller distance within which it's just as uncomfortable to talk. Elbow(肘) room is a precondition for sociability. It is no coincidence that the first truly personal music player, the Sony Walkman, was invented in Japan where the commuter trains are literally crowded with people.
We will also not talk to strangers who are physically too far away, of course. No one wants to shout their small talk. Only on country buses or similar unhurried and uncrowded forms of public transport can people reach out to their neighbors, confident that they are doing so from a position of strength and autonomy.
For all these drawbacks, the idea of talking to strangers is still a good one, and the promotion of sociability is good for society. Although it does seem to be a general rule that people are friendlier the fewer there are of them and more hostile and indifferent as cities get more crowded, there are still considerable cultural variations. And there is evidence that friendlier places are also healthier, and their inhabitants happier.
It is true that the apparent loneliness of many people on public transport is a false impression.
Many will be caught up with conversations with distant friends on their phones; some will be talking to the people in books. Some may be in willed solitude with their headphones. But there are always people who would be interested in an unexpected conversation with a stranger. This need not go on for too long.
It is not large and possibly life-changing conversations that are what most people in loneliness miss most. What they really need is not deep thought but superficiality. The kind of conversation that you could have with anyone reminds you that you yourself might be anyone. It is a release from the prison of the self, which is where lonely people serve their sentences, uncertain whether they ever can be paroled(假释). Friendship may be too rare a gift to hope for, but sometimes the kindest thing to say is also the simplest: "Don't be a stranger"-and sometimes that's also enough.
1. According to Paragraph 1, why the first Walkman appeared in Japan partly?| A．its corporate culture |
| B．its overcrowded public transport |
| C．its people's creativity |
| D．its people's desire for personal space |
| A．"Chatty Bus day" has not been introduced to other areas. |
| B．Walkman prevents passengers from talking to each other. |
| C．Passengers are unwilling to make small talk with strangers. |
| D．Improper physical distance discourages casual communication. |
| A．Small talk to strangers will help ease loneliness on the road. |
| B．Lonely people are in desperate need of deep conversation. |
| C．People in less populated cities tend to be cold and distant. |
| D．It's inadvisable to talk to strangers who are physically too close. |
| A．To cast new light on human loneliness. |
| B．To introduce an experiment and its effects. |
| C．To advocate striking up conversations with strangers. |
| D．To explore the relationship between physical distance and willingness to reach out. |
