1 . A cozy environment fostering focused thinking and concentration on books is what study lounges are all about. Ideal for students with limited options as after-school study spaces. And relatively cheap.
The demand for study lounges rose in China because students can hardly find a peaceful place to study after finishing classes. Before 2018, there were few study lounges in China, and the few that existed were mainly in first- and second-tier cities such as Guangzhou, Suzhou and Tianjin. Yet by 2019, they had become popular nationwide.
But the pandemic (流行病) has dealt a blow to the industry. Since personal contact in a closed environment is unavoidable, the pandemic forced all study lounges to shut down for several months. Lou Qingxiao, founder of Xinliuzaowu, one of Beijing’s earliest study lounge brands that opened in 2018, said their first study lounge near Renmin University of China had made ends meet before the pandemic. Li Hang and Zhang Yang, co-founders of Sishiloushi, a Beijing-based independent study lounge, said that even before COVID-19 broke out, the industry’s profit was neither promising nor clear, let alone in such a particular period.
“Rent is a major fixed cost for study lounges, especially in first-tier cities,” Lou said. In a first-tier city such as Beijing, rentals comprise more than a half of a study lounge’s monthly operation cost. But Lou sounds optimistic about the industry commercial prospects, “because it’s a blue ocean with less competition.”
Study lounges provide a better learning experience that people cannot get in free public libraries. “Privately operated study lounges like ours actually make up for the shortage of public infrastructure (基础设施) and public services and we are willing to cooperate with the government to better serve the public.” Li said.
1. What contributes to the rise of study lounges in China?| A．The rapid development of cities. |
| B．The shrinking number of libraries. |
| C．The need for a peaceful study environment. |
| D．The lack of alternative after-school activities. |
| A．The earliest study lounge brands in China. |
| B．A guideline on finding famous study lounges. |
| C．An introduction to the founders of study lounges. |
| D．The influence of the pandemic on study lounges. |
| A．It is promising. | B．It is unclear. |
| C．It will be full of competition. | D．It will be free of rent. |
| A．Government involvement is welcome. |
| B．The infrastructure construction is needed. |
| C．Study lounges should be privately operated. |
| D．Cooperation with public libraries has been achieved. |
2 . One of the most recognizable symbols of Scotland is the kilt (百褶裙). Resembling knee-length skirts, kilts originated in the 16th century as a common form of clothing for men and boys living in an area of northern Scotland known as the Scottish Highlands. A special feature of kilts, even to this day, is the plaid (格子呢) patterns. These patterns were historically related to specific clans, which are family groups that share a relationship through ancestry or some other connections. Known as tartans (方格花纹), the plaid patterns are of various colors. Because of their popularity in the Scottish Highlands, the wearing of kilts and any tartan pattern in general was banned from 1746 to 1782 to try to control clans from that region that were opposed to the king at the time. After clans were no longer considered a threat to the king, the clothing ban was removed.
Although the removal of the ban meant people could once again wear kilts with their clan’s tartan, they did not become the regular dress of males there. Instead, they came to represent a traditional form of clothing, and be symbolic of national pride. Tartans of all types can be seen on show all over the world on April 6, Tartan Day, when people of Scottish ancestry celebrate their cultural treasure. Tartan Day originated in Canada in the mid-1980s. It spread to other communities of the Scottish diaspora in the 1990s.
Nowadays, tartans have been specifically created for individuals, families, institutions, and companies. Perhaps the best-known example of a tartan used by a company is that of the British company Burberry. Burberry has used tartans on a variety of products, including scarves, handbags, clothing, and other accessories. Although in 2019, Burberry announced it would reduce the number of products it produced to focus more on handbags as a way to increase profits, their iconic tartan continues to be a symbol of high fashion.
1. In which aspect are kilts special?| A．People show respect for the king by wearing them. | B．They are of the same color in Scotland. |
| C．Plaid patterns are used in the kilts. | D．They are designed for adult men. |
| A．To celebrate a tradition. | B．To spread this culture to the world. |
| C．To honor the end of the ban on tartans. | D．To express tartans shouldn’t be ignored. |
| A．To prove the popularity of tartans. |
| B．To stress tartans’ wide range of daily uses. |
| C．To show the reduced number of tartan products. |
| D．To explain reasons for Burberry’s favoring tartans. |
| A．Popularity of Scottish Kilts | B．Special Scottish Clothing |
| C．History of Scottish Kilts | D．The Kilt and the Tartan |
3 . The chief problem in dealing with foreign motorists is not so much remembering that they are different from you, but that they are largely variable. Cross a frontier(边境) without adjusting and you can be in deep trouble.
One of the greatest gulfs separating the driving nations is the Atlantic Ocean. Or rather, it is the mental distance between the European and the American motorist, particularly the South American motorist. Compare, for example, an English driver at a set of traffic lights with a Brazilian.
Very rarely will an Englishman try to anticipate(预先准备) the green light by moving off. You will find the occasional someone who watches for the yellow light to come up on the set of lights. However, he will not go until he receives the lawful signal. Brazilians view the thing quite differently. If, in fact, they see traffic lights, they regard them as a kind of roadside decoration.
The natives of North America are much more disciplined. They show this in their addiction to driving in one lane(车道) and sticking to it—even if it means settling behind some great truck for many miles.
To prevent other drivers from falling into wrong ways, American motorists try always to stay close behind the vehicle in front which can make it impossible to make a real lane change. European visitors are always falling into this trap. They return to the Old World still waving their arms in disappointment because while driving in the State in their cars they kept failing to get off the highway when they wanted to and were swept along to the next city.
However, one nation above all others lives cautiously by its traffic regulations — the Swiss. In Switzerland, if you were simply to anticipate a traffic light, the chances are that the motorist behind you would take your number and report you to the police. There are slight regional variations among the French, German and Italian speaking areas, but it is generally safe to assume that any car bearing a CH sticker will be driven with a high degree of discipline.
1. How do American drivers behave on the road according to the passage?| A．They run the red light sometimes. |
| B．They drive close behind other drivers. |
| C．They care little about the traffic light. |
| D．They start their car at the yellow light. |
| A．The Swiss. | B．The Brazilians. |
| C．The English. | D．The French. |
| A．analyzing causes | B．describing changes |
| C．making comparisons | D．pointing out similarities |
| A．Culture. | B．Business. |
| C．Entertainment. | D．Geography. |
4 . A study has found that a lifetime of regular exercise and activity can slow down the aging process (衰老过程). Researchers say that getting older should not necessarily mean becoming more weak or sick. Their research shows that a devotion to a life of movement and exercise may help us live not only longer, but also healthier.
For their study, the researchers looked at two groups. The first group was made up of 125 non-professional cyclists between the ages of 55 to 79. This group included 84 healthy men and 41 healthy women. We will call this group the “cyclists”.
Researchers then found 130 people to make up a second group. Within this group, 75 people were aged from 57 to 80. The other 55 were between the ages of 20 and 36. The people in this group were also healthy, but they did not exercise regularly. We will call this group the “non-exercisers”. Smokers, heavy drinkers of alcohol and people with other health issues were not included in the study.
Then, researchers gave both groups a series of tests. They tested their muscle mass (肌肉质量), muscular strength, percentage of body fat and the strength of their immune (免疫的) systems. Then the researchers compared the results of the two groups.
Results showed that the cyclists did not experience body changes usually regarded as a normal aging process. For example, they did not lose muscle mass or muscular strength. Also, their body fat did not increase with age.
The researchers also found something they had not expected. The study showed that the immune systems of the cyclists did not age either.
The researchers advise us all to find an exercise that we like in our lives.
1. How did the researchers carry out the study?| A．By comparing. | B．By discussing. |
| C．By imagining. | D．By reasoning. |
| A．The cyclists kept a thin body shape. |
| B．The non-exercisers gained weight easily. |
| C．The cyclists’ muscles remained strong with age. |
| D．The non-exercisers usually had health problems. |
| A．The cyclists had normal aging process. |
| B．The cyclists’ immune systems didn’t age. |
| C．The cyclists lost nearly all their fat. |
| D．Everyone needed an exercise in their lives. |
| A．Healthy People Need More Exercise |
| B．Take an Exercise, the Harder, the Better |
| C．Cycling Is the Best Way to Prevent Aging |
| D．A Lifetime of Exercise Slows Aging Process |
