1 . Bookstores are fascinating places. That’s because the books on the shelves can take you away to magical lands, help you learn a foreign language, or cook a delicious meal. But when your community is too small to house a real brick bookstore, sometimes you have to make a compromise. A mobile bookstore that brings books around the country was the result. That is the case for Rita Collins, 70, who dreamed of opening a used bookstore after retiring from teaching.
A business planning class from the American Booksellers Association convinced Collins to abandon her idea that opening a bookstore in the small town where she lives, which would not be sustainable. Eureka, Montana, located just seven miles from the Canadian border, only has a population of 1,517. Collins asked her instructors about a traveling bookstore on wheels and they were skeptical. But she persevered.
Collins was inspired by Dylans Mobile Bookstore, a traveling bookstore in Wales run by Jeff Towns. She contacted Jeff for advice but she was largely on her own when it came to building her bookstore. First, she had to find a vehicle large enough to stand in. Then she had to have it refitted with shelves that would hold the books at a 15-degree angle so that they would stay in place while in transit. Collins named her bookstore St Rita’s Traveling Bookstore, which has been on the road since 2015.
At first, she drove through Montana and then she made her first cross-country trip in 2016. After she retired in 2017, it became a full-time job all year round. Collins and her mobile bookstore have visited 30 states, stopping at festivals and events along the way. While the locations change, some things always stay the same. Collins loves meeting people and making connections. While she loves what she does, Collins doesn’t think she can keep doing it. In several years, she hopes to pass her traveling bookstore onto another bibliophile who shares the same interest and will keep it on the road.
1. Why did Collins abandon opening a bookstore?| A．It would cost a lot of money. | B．It was not promising. |
| C．It would be out of date. | D．It was not approved. |
| A．To beautify the mobile bookstore. |
| B．To make full use of space of the shelves. |
| C．To keep the bookstore’s balance. |
| D．To protect the books from falling down. |
| A．Merciful and delightful. | B．Intelligent and reasonable. |
| C．Determined and social. | D．Generous and lovely. |
| A．A book lover. | B．A publisher. |
| C．A famous writer. | D．An editor. |
2 . French children 15 and under will no longer be allowed to bring smart devices to school. Lawmakers in France voted recently to ban all phones, tablets, and other Internet-connected devices from school grounds. The ban will start in September, “These days, the children don't play at break time anymore,” Jean-Michel Blanquer, France's education minister, said. “They are just all in front of their smartphones, and from an educational point of view, that's a problem. Some strict measures must be taken immediately.” A 2010 law bad already banned smartphones during "all teaching activity" in France. But the new rules say smartphones and tablets are not allowed even during breaks. Students who bring these digital devices to school have to keep them in their backpacks and turned off, If they want to call their parents, schools will help. However, the new law doesn’t forbid students to turn to them during extra-curricular activities. It also makes an exception for disabled students.
Alexis Corbiere is a French politician. He said the effort to make such a law should have been put to something else because teachers have already carried out this rule so far. “I don't know a single teacher in this country that allows the use of phones in class and in school, ” he told French news channel BFMTV.
How about smartphones in American schools?According to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics, about 66% of public schools banned devices in 2019, which was down from 91% in 2009. Why the change? Liz Kolb, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Education, said that parents are concerned about security in schools. "In the rare case that something may occur, " she said, "the belief by some parents is that a cell phone could be a useful tool for safety."
1. What does the underlined word "them" in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Disabled students. |
| B．Digital devices. |
| C．Backpacks. |
| D．Students' parents. |
| A．It's unnecessary. |
| B．It's rewarding. |
| C．It's impossible. |
| D．It's unexpected. |
| A．It's made a comeback. |
| B．It's helped parents a lot. |
| C．It's done good to students. |
| D．It's followed the French ban. |
| A．Students Must Turn off Smartphones. |
| B．Digital Devices Won't Be Popular. |
| C．France Makes the Call in School. |
| D．Parents Value Children's Safety. |
3 . Starting March 1, 2020, people in Luxembourg no longer have to pay to ride public transportation. The country has made all of its trains, buses, and trams(电车) free to ride.
Luxembourg is the first country to give riders a free pass. Luxembourg only has about 600, 000 people. But the country has a big traffic problem. Around 200, 000 people come into Luxembourg from the countries around it every day for work. The problem is worst in the capital, Luxembourg City. Only 110, 000 people live there, but about 400, 000 more come to work there every day. During rush hours, some trips that should normally take 30 minutes can take an hour or longer.
The government of Luxembourg hopes that by making transportation free, many more people will start taking buses, trains, and trams instead of driving. This would cut down on traffic. And they hope this will help Luxembourg pollute less, too. The government also wants to make it easier for poor people to get around. Before the free system, a single ride cost about 2, and a yearly pass cost 440. The new law only affects regular seating. Riders who want to go first class must still pay.
Some people doubt the measure. People in Luxembourg really like their cars. The country has 662 cars for every 1, 000 people, while the average in the European Union is just 468 cars for 1, 000 people. Some people believe that the country's transportation system simply isn't ready for huge numbers of new riders. What they are concerning is that without more money coming in from riders, it could be difficult for the country to improve its system. However, the government's plans call for spending 3.9 billion between 2018 and 2028 to improve its train system. The country also plans to make its bus system better, and make it easier for people from other countries to park their cars and catch a ride into the country.
1. What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?| A．The cars in Luxembourg City. |
| B．Rush hours in Luxembourg City. |
| C．The heavy traffic in Luxembourg. |
| D．Luxembourg's rapid development. |
| A．2. | B．3. |
| C．4. | D．5. |
| A．Many of them really like cars. |
| B．Many of them enjoy travelling. |
| C．Most of them want the free pass. |
| D．Most of them are rich and busy. |
| A．More people will come into Luxembourg. |
| B．Fewer people will take first class to travel. |
| C．The transportation system can't improve. |
| D．People will have to pay for traffic systems. |
4 . The sudden death of the 23-year-old female emplovee of Pinduoduo has sparked a heated debate, with many criticizing the overwork culture. Three experis share their views. Excerpis (节选) follow:
Labor laws compatible (兼容的) with digital era needed
This case should inspire society to reflect on how to better protect employees’ rights in the digital era. The relevant clauses in the Labor Law cannot be specifically applied to charge internet companies suspected of violating laborers' rights and interests.
The blurring (模糊) of the line between social and economic activities in the digital era makes it difficult to define fixed working hours.
Lawmakers should find out the new factors affecting labor relations due to the rapid development of internet and communications technology. This can pave the way for law-making on working hours in the digital era. “996” working schedule is against labor laws.
More than one year ago, it was shocking to hear e-commerce tycoons (巨头) Liu Qiangdong and Jack Ma publicly support the "996" working schedule to push their employees to work harder. A growing number of companies have been using different methods to exercise ever-increasing control over their employees.
To correct the situation, it is vital that the country bring in specific law on internet enterprises, especially in terms of labor contracts and work schedules, and make it clear that the “996” working schedule is illegal.
Death due to overwork needs legally definition
Work pressure and long working hours can seriously affect workers' physical and mental health, making. them more easily hurt by occupational and stress-related diseases.
But it is difficult to prove that a person dies of overwork. Only a person who dies at the workplace or of a sudden illness within 48 hours of getting off work is considered a victim of work.
China should issue guidelines explaining in detail what leads to death due to overwork.
1. What do the three experts agree on?| A．The Labor Law in China is non-effective. |
| B．It is difficult to define fixed working hours. |
| C．Supervision on companies should be tightened. |
| D．Improvement should be made to the current laws. |
| A．To highlight the models of e-commerce. |
| B．To introduce tycoons' attitudes to overwork. |
| C．To confirm their efforts to protect employees. |
| D．To express disagreement on “996” working schedule. |
| A．To make somebody anxious. | B．To do sports or other physical activities. |
| C．To use your power to achieve something. | D．To test or make experimental use of something. |
| A．Someone dies on his way to office. | B．Someone dies of a heart attack in his office. |
| C．Someone dies three days after work. | D．Someone dies after work without symptoms. |
5 . Zhang Ying, 23, could have been a news host after four years studying broadcasting and talk show hosting at the university. So could Du Xintong. Instead of just becoming talking heads on TV, they decided to use their knowledge to help millions of children with speech disorder to find their own voices. They co-founded Voice Changer，which offers language rehabilitation（复原）for teenagers in China through online and in-person service platforms.
According to Zhang, each child needs to finish at least one three-month course, which consists of three 40-minute sessions a week. The length of the overall training program is dependent on each child's condition upon their evaluation.
“When we are teaching in-person courses, the parents cannot accompany their children. The children may feel a bit nervous in a strange environment, but they soon get used to it and start to enjoy the training,” she says.
They also launched a mini program on WeChat that provides online services for families of children with speech disorders-parents can upload their child's information and recordings to the self-testing tool and get a report. As well as online speech therapy（治疗），there are also online courses for parents，including guidance for speech therapy at home.
“We insist that parents should accompany their children when taking online courses as they need to play the role of both teaching assistant and desk mate,” she says.
There are only 10. 000 speech therapists in China, many of whom are not full-time. Unlike common volunteer work, to be a speech therapist volunteer, complex training is required before services can be offered.
“Speech therapy is a complex subject which requires knowledge, including training in education, psychology, linguistics and so on,” Zhang says, adding that their team has developed a training system for the volunteers to grow into professional speech therapists. They prefer to employ college students majoring in related subjects. such as broadcasting, linguistics, Chinese languages and literature or special education.
1. What is Zhang Ying's occupation now?| A．A news host. | B．A speech therapist. |
| C．A psychologist. | D．A college student. |
| A．Each lasts three months. | B．They are intended for teens. |
| C．Parents' company is a must. | D．They vary from person to person. |
| A．To help their children learn better. |
| B．To have some knowledge of psychology. |
| C．To leave their children alone without interrupting. |
| D．To upload their children's information to a therapist. |
| A．Because speech therapy is a new industry. |
| B．Because being a speech therapist is demanding. |
| C．Because students majoring in related subjects are few. |
| D．Because people don't want to take it as a full-time job. |
6 . Every four or five years, vast quantities of warm water build up along the west coast of South America. This phenomenon, El Niño (厄尔尼诺), creates storms that cause devastating floods. The result is costly. In 2017, for instance, El Niño shut down northern Peru’s sugar-cane business.
Modern farmers view El Niño stoically (坚忍地). They use money saved in good years to rebuild in bad ones. But history suggests it need not be like that. In a paper published recently, Ari Caramanica, an archaeologist at University of the Pacific, in Lima, shows how it used to be done. And the answer seems to be, “better”.
Dr Caramanica and her colleagues have been studying the Pampa de Mocan, a coastal desert plain in northern Peru. Pampa de Mocan is not ideal for farming. Its soil contains little organic matter and the annual rainfall in non-Niño years is usually less than two centimetres. Today’s farmers therefore depend on canals to carry water from local rivers to their fields.
It had been assumed that ancient farmers had a similar arrangement — and so they did. But Dr Caramanica also found eight canals that could carry water far beyond the range of modern farms. Since the climate was similar to the present day’s when these canals were dug, and the river no higher, she supposed that they were intended to guide the floodwater arriving during Niño years. Around a quarter of the ancient agricultural infrastructure (基础设施) of this area seems to have been built only for managing Niño-generated floodwater.
Evidence reveals that Pampa de Mocan produced lots of crops in some years. Dr Caramanica’s team also discovered two cisterns (蓄水池) in the area. These, possibly, were used to store floodwater.
These findings suggest that, rather than resisting El Niño, early farmers in Pampa de Mocan were ready to make use of it when it arrived. Precisely how they managed their fields in Niño years remains to be discovered. But modern farmers might do well to learn from them.
1. What do we know about El Niño from the text?| A．It can be used in farming. | B．It is usually caused by floods. |
| C．It has little influence on business. | D．It is always resisted as a disaster. |
| A．Rich soil. | B．Agreeable climate. |
| C．Abundant rainfall. | D．Agricultural constructions. |
| A．Approving. | B．Indifferent. | C．Critical. | D．Negative. |
| A．Surviving El Niño | B．Living with El Niño |
| C．Farming in Different Times | D．Learning from History |
7 . Renewable energy projects, including onshore and offshore wind and solar farms, have so far been subsidized (资助) by government support schemes. This has led to some to complain that clean energy is pushing up bills.
However, the most recently approved offshore wind projects will most likely operate with ‘negative subsidies’ — paying money back to the government. The money will go towards reducing household energy bills as the offshore wind farms start producing power in the mid-2020s.
This is the conclusion of an analysis by an international team led by Imperial College London researchers published today in Nature Energy.
Lead researcher Dr Malte Jansen, from the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial, said: “Offshore wind power will soon be so cheap to produce that it will undercut fossil-fueled power stations and may be the cheapest form of energy for the UK. Energy subsidies used to push up energy bills, but within a few years cheap renewable energy will see them brought down for the first time. This is an astonishing development.”
The analysis for five countries in Europe, including the UK, focused on a series of government auctions (拍卖) for offshore wind farms between February 2015 and September 2019. Companies that want to build wind farms bid in the auctions by stating the price at which they will sell the energy they produce to the government.
These are known as ‘contracts for difference’ or CfDs. If a company’s bid is higher than the wholesale electricity price on the UK market once the wind farm is up and running, then the company will receive a subsidy from the government to top up the price.
However, if the stated price (规定价格) is less than the wholesale price, then the company will pay the government back the difference. This payback is then passed through to consumer’s energy bills, reducing the amount that homes and businesses will pay for electricity.
The winning companies said they could build new offshore wind farms for around £40 per megawatt hour (MWh) of power. This was a new record set by these wind farms with bids 30 percent lower than just two years earlier.
1. What does the passage mainly talk about?| A．Offshore wind farms to be built in the UK could reduce household energy bills by producing electricity very cheaply. |
| B．Offshore wind farms will not be subsidized by government in the near future. |
| C．The importance of CfDs. |
| D．The operation of negative subsidies. |
| A．will stop producing power in the mid-2020s |
| B．are paying money back to the government |
| C．will help reduce household energy bills |
| D．will all operate with ‘negative subsidies’ |
| A．make up |
| B．take up |
| C．cover |
| D．fill up |
| A．The renewable energy projects will lead to some to complain that clean energy is pushing up bills. |
| B．The company whose bid is less than the wholesale electricity price will receive a subsidy. |
| C．The stated electricity price is now higher than the wholesale electricity price. |
| D．Fossil-fueled power will be soon produced cheaply. |
8 . If you think of the jobs that robots could never do, you would probably put doctors and teachers atop of the list. It’s easy to imagine robots and factory workers. But are we underestimating what robots can do?
In some cases, they already do better than doctors at diagnosing illness. Also, some patients might feel more comfortable sharing personal information with a machine than a person. Could there be a place for robots in education after all?
British education expert Anthony Seldom thinks so. He even has a date for the robot takeover of the classroom:2027. He forecasts that robots will do the main job of disseminating knowledge and teachers will be like helpers. Intelligent robots will read students’ faces, movements and even brain signals. Then they will pass the information on to each student in the way he or she can understand.
However, it’s not a popular opinion. Most people think it’s impossible that robots will have the ability to really connect with humans like another human can.
One thing is certain, though. A robot teacher is better than no teacher at all. In some parts of the world, there aren’t enough teachers and 9%-16% of children under the age of 14 don’t go to school. That problem could be partly solved by robots because the owners can teach anywhere.
Being a teacher is a difficult job and teachers often feel overworked. Perhaps the question is not “Will robots replace teachers?” but “How can’t robots help teachers?” Teachers spend a lot of time doing non-teaching work, including more than 1 hour a week marking homework. If robots could cut the time teachers spend marking homework and writing reports, teachers would have more time and energy for the parts of the job humans do best.
1. What does the author mainly intend to show in the first paragraph?| A．Robots can do creative work. |
| B．Robots will replace doctors soon. |
| C．Robots work better than humans. |
| D．Robots can do more jobs than imagined. |
| A．Storing. | B．Spreading. |
| C．Analyzing. | D．Replacing. |
| A．Unacceptable. | B．Uncreative. |
| C．Unconcerned. | D．Reasonable. |
| A．What robots are never able to do. |
| B．What the weaknesses of robots are. |
| C．Whether robots will evolve by themselves. |
| D．Whether robots will completely replace human teachers. |
9 . A quick look at Instagram will show you thousands of girls sharing their clothing of the day. Many of these girls are sharing completely new clothes every day. And they’re feeling the pressure to never repeat clothes. This attitude of not being able to wear something again after sharing it on Instagram is far too common. It is a sad thing when some girls feel sorry for appearing in the same clothes more than once on Instagram.
Clothes businesses push new “must –haves” every week, which adds to the pressure to keep up. Clothes have been so cheap because of the competition between clothes businesses that it’s shockingly easy to buy new clothes every day. These clothes businesses have made it possible for a normal person to never be seen in the same clothes twice. Often the quality of these clothes is so low that they don’t even survive the wash so there is no chance of that second wear.
Consider everything that goes into making a single piece of clothing-for example: plenty of water, energy and petrochemicals, finishing and labor of each worker throughout making it. It’s shocking to think after all this, a piece of clothing might be worn once, maybe twice, and then thrown away so that they can follow fast fashion.
The fashion of throwing clothes away after use needs to change. Proudly post the same clothes you’ve worn before online. Get creative with mixing and matching, and borrow from friends for special times. The possibilities are endless so there’s no need to shop frequently.
1. What is a sad thing according to the first paragraph?| A．Some girls like showing off on the Internet. |
| B．Some girls spend too much time on social media. |
| C．Some girls care too little about their appearances. |
| D．Some girls feel ashamed to post the same clothes online again. |
| A．Online shopping. | B．Parents’ pressure. |
| C．Clothes businesses. | D．Laziness to wash clothes. |
| A．To show fast fashion’s great effect. |
| B．To tell us we should treasure clothes. |
| C．To show the development of the clothes industry. |
| D．To tell us we should have our own dressing styles. |
| A．Offer reasons. | B．Give suggestions. |
| C．Give encouragement. | D．Promote a fashion brand. |
10 . These devices, along with many others, made the list of tech-related items available this holiday season.
Theragun Mini
The Theragun Mini is essentially a massage (按摩) gun that provides up to 2,400 beats per minute to relax muscles after a workout to prevent soreness. The device is designed for quietness and can last around two hours on a full charge; $199.99 at theragun.com.
Lenovo Smart Clock Essential
The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential basically is a digital alarm clock attached to a Google smart speaker, which allows you to adjust settings with only your voice or play music. The simple LED display shows the time, weather and day of the week, and it has a built-in night-light. Its battery has a charge life of about half a month with continuous use. Starts at $29.99 at lenovo. com.
Fitbit Versa3
Fitbit’s newest smartwatch offers built-in GPS tracking for those who prefer to log their exercise outings without the need to carry a phone. If your focus is fitness, the Versa, which has a large, color touchscreen display, could be considered a less expensive option to Apple’s smartwatch. The Versa’s battery can last up to six days; $229.95 at fitbit. com.
Amazon Echo Dot and Echo Dot Kids
The fourth generation of Amazon’s smart speaker now has a round shape and comes in two editions: regular and one for kids. It operates the same way as other smart speakers in the Echo line, allowing users to ask the device to play music or give the latest news headlines. The kids version comes with a free subscription to Amazon Kids+, which has access to child-friendly digital books and games. Its battery can last around seven hours on a full charge, starting at $49.99 at amazon. com.
1. Whose battery can work the longest time on a full charge?| A．Fitbit Versa 3. |
| B．Theragun Mini. |
| C．Lenovo Smart Clock Essential. |
| D．Amazon Echo Dot and Echo Dot Kids. |
| A．They both offer built-in GPS. |
| B．They both have a color touchscreen. |
| C．They both can be got at the same website. |
| D．They are both suitable for workout lovers. |
| A．Purchase any digital books. |
| B．Keep us informed of homework. |
| C．Subscribe to Amazon Kids+ for free. |
| D．Download some videos from the Internet. |
