1 . A listener from Brazil recently wrote to us asking for some advice. He's planning a trip to the United States, and wanted to know about the best places to travel in America. Today, we tell about the most popular places to visit in the country, and hear about what makes them so appealing.
Each of the 50 states in America has interesting things to offer visitors, but some are more popular than others. Washington D.C. is famous for its historical places, like the White House and the Lincoln Memorial. Visitors to Los Angeles, California can see the Hollywood Walk of Fame or shop at stores on Rodeo Drive where they may see a star or two. The Grand Canyon in Arizona appeals to hikers, climbers and nature lovers as does Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.
Trip Advisor is a website where people can write reviews about their travel experiences. There are also ratings for hotels, restaurants, and places people have visited around the world. Every year, Trip Advisor makes a list of the top 25 cities to visit in the United States. The results are based on the opinions of visitors to the website.
America's major cities are still the most popular destinations for visitors. This is because of the good quality of services they provide tourists.
"They do a great job of giving travelers what they want while they're on vacation. They cater to (迎合) every type of traveler need. So whether you're traveling alone, you're traveling for business, you're traveling with your family — whatever it is, those destinations are really tuned in to (与…一致) delivering amazing experiences and just a lot of different opportunities when you're there." said Brooke Ferencsik, a tourist from Germany.
1. The author is most possibly________.| A．a radio announcer | B．a journalist |
| C．a university professor | D．a tour guide |
| A．Yellowstone National Park | B．The Grand Canyon |
| C．Los Angeles, California | D． Washington D.C. |
| A．Welcome to Trip Advisor | B．America’s Major Tourist Attractions |
| C．The Power of the Internet | D．It’s Tourist Who Decide Where to Go |
2 . When public health officials started telling Americans that hand washing is one of the most powerful weapons against the spread of the coronavirus, Terence Lester wondered, “What about the homeless?” Lester had been homeless himself for a time as a teenager, and today he runs a nonprofit in Atlanta called Love Beyond Walls that helps raise money for and awareness of homeless people. He knows all too well that in the best of times they are lucky to find a public bathroom that will let them in to wash up occasionally, not to mention several times a day.
Lester’s experience of creating temporary shelters with his nonprofit led him to another idea: temporary handwashing stations, the kind you see at outdoor music festivals. He mentioned the idea to his friend Lecrae Moore, a Grammy-winning Christian rapper, who eagerly donated enough money to buy 15 of the $ 150 washing stations. They called their project Love Sinks In. “If leaders in this country are asking people to wash their hands, we also have to provide the tools to people living on the margins of society who are more likely to catch and spread the coronavirus,” Lester says.
After its success in Atlanta, the group sent sinks to Birmingham, Alabama; Oakland, California; Columbus, Ohio; and Austin, Texas, where a partner organization installed the sinks in parks and other public spaces, thanks to a $ 13,000 donation from Google. (In addition to the startup funds, it costs about $ 500 a month to keep each sink stocked with soap and clean water.) One Atlanta hand washer, Sam, left a note on a sink that said, “God bless you! The hand washing the others!” One Atlanta hand washer, Sam, made sure his gratitude didn't go unnoticed. He left a note on a sink that said，“Thank you all for not forgetting about us.”
1. What makes Lester know the homeless well?| A．His research into the homeless. | B．His personal experience. |
| C．The public health warming. | D．The nonprofit organization. |
| A．He fixed handwashing stations at musical festivals. |
| B．He installed the sink for hand washing in person. |
| C．He launched the project Love Sinks In. |
| D．He created temporary shelters. |
| A．The homeless are unlikely to develop coronavirus. |
| B．The project involves individual and collective efforts. |
| C．The homeless have good public health consciousness. |
| D．Handwashing is the most effective way to cure coronavirus. |
| A．Grateful. | B．Negative. |
| C．Concerned | D．Doubtful |
3 . Every human being, no matter what he is doing, gives off body heat. The usual problem is how to get rid of it. But the designers of the University of Pittsburgh set themselves the opposite problem-----how to collect body heat. They have designed a collection system which makes good use of not only body heat, but the heat given off by such objects as electric lights and fridges as well. The system works so well that no fuel is needed to make the university’s six buildings warm and comfortable.
Some parts of most modern buildings-----theaters and offices as well as classrooms are heated by people and lights far more than necessary, and sometimes they must be air-conditioned even in winter. The skills of saving heat and sharing it out again in a different way is called “heat recovery.” A few modern buildings recover heat from some buildings and reuse it in others.
Along the way, Pittsburgh has learned a great deal about some of its heat producers. The harder a student studies, the more heat his body gives off. Boy students send out more heat than girl students, and the larger a student is, the more heat he gives. The hottest for the Pittsburgh University would be a hardworking, overweight boy student who is very clever in the university.
1. According to this passage, the heat system of the Pittsburgh University is supplied by ________.| A．human bodies | B．human bodies and electrical equipment |
| C．human bodies and fuel | D．human bodies, electrical and fuel |
| A．A fat boy student who is clever and studies hard. |
| B．A thin girl student who is not clever and does not study hard |
| C．A thin boy student who is clever and studies not study hard |
| D．A fat girl student who is both clever and hard-working |
| A．recovery of boys’ heat in the Pittsburgh University. |
| B．modern buildings’ heat system of human being. |
| C．a new heat recovery system in the Pittsburgh University. |
| D．a best way to save fuel or electricity. |
| A．By telling facts. | B．By following time order. |
| C．By analyzing causes. | D．By making comparison. |
4 . Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs.
AVOID BIG EVENTS
Big sporting events, concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival (19 Oct.) cost ￡169.15 at Booking.com. A week later, the same room cost ￡118.15.
If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid—or you’re looking for a big event to pass your time—check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category.
STAY AWAY FROM THE STATION
If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station, but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday.
Don’t be too choosy about the part of town you stay in. Booking two months in advance, the cheapest room at Travelodge’s Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22 September was ￡95.95. A room just a tube journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was ￡75.75. And at Farringdon, a double room cost just ￡62.95.
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF
Really central hotels in cities such as London, Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. As an alternative, consider checking into a selfcatering flat with its own kitchen. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city center buildings. A great example is the historic O’Neill Flat on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, available for ￡420 for five days in late September, with room for four adults.
GET ON A BIKE
London’s ‘Boris bikes’ have attracted the most attention, but other cities also have similar programs that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs.
Among the smaller cities with their own programs are Newcastle (casual members pay around ￡1.50 for two hours) and Cardiff (free for up to 30 minutes, or ￡5 per day).
1. “Farringdon” in Paragraph 5 is most probably ________.| A．the tube line to Covent Garden | B．a hotel away from the train station |
| C．the name of a travel agency | D．an ideal holiday destination |
| A．lies on the ground floor |
| B．provides cooking tools for tourists |
| C．is located in central London |
| D．costs over ￡100 on average per day in late September |
| A．to offer visitors some moneysaving tips |
| B．to show visitors the importance of selfhelp |
| C．to supply visitors with hotel information |
| D．to tell visitors how to book in advance |
5 . Google’s self-driving car is designed to work without a gas pedal (踏板) or steering wheel (方向盘). Now, the company has decided that the car doesn’t have any windscreen wipers either, because there’s no need for passengers to see where they are being driven.
The car requires no input from a driver, except telling it the destination. There is no driving in the way we know it and all people inside the cars will be passengers who can spend their time paying no attention to the road. While the car may not need windscreen wipers, the absence of them may make passengers feel helpless if they are unable to see where they are going clearly.
Google’s two-seater “bubble” cars have buttons to begin and end the drive, but no other controls. An on-board computer uses data from sensors, including radar (雷达) and cameras, to make turns and keep away from people walking in the street and other vehicles. Under the vision made public by Google, passengers might set their destination by typing it into a map or using voice commands. The new car can’t go faster than 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). It is electric and has to be recharged after 80 miles (129 km). They can only be used in areas that have been thoroughly mapped by Google.
Google has been testing its self-driving cars since 2009 and its new model without a steering wheel since early this summer. It intends on making its driverless cars available to consumers in the next five years. The final goal of the project is computer-controlled cars that can get rid of human error, which results in about 90 percent of the 1.2 million road deaths worldwide each year and it was also inspiring to start with a blank sheet of paper.
1. Why may people feel helpless riding in Google’s self-driving car?| A．There are no other controls. | B．They have no idea of the destination. |
| C．They are unable to see the road clearly. | D．The car is traveling too fast. |
| A．The tests the car needs to pass. |
| B．How Google’s self-driving car works. |
| C．The development of the new car. |
| D．What the drivers need to drive the car. |
| A．Filled with electricity. |
| B．Repaired from time to time. |
| C．Asked for some money again. |
| D．Designed into a new style. |
| A．Google began to test self-driving cars this summer. |
| B．Driverless cars will be available to consumers next year. |
| C．Google’s computer controlled cars fire the drivers’ inspiration. |
| D．Most of the road deaths are caused by drivers. |
6 . An 8-year-old therapy dog(治疗犬) named Moose was among the graduates at this year's virtual graduation ceremony at Virginia Tech — and this good boy has a lot to celebrate．
Moose, who came to Virginia Tech in 2014, received an honorary doctor's degree in vet medicine, the university said．He is one of four dogs who work at the school's Cook Counseling Center, serving as working therapy animals and ambassadors for merrtal health awareness．
The Labrador retriever has aided in more than 7,500 counseling sessions(心理治疗课程) and over 500 outreach events in his six years at Virginia Tech, according to his owner Trent Davis, the coordinator of animal-assisted therapy and a counselor at the center．
Recently, Moose has faced a challenging few months after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer just a week after his birthday in February．The pup began radiation, chemotherapy and other therapies and has been given a positive result．
In 2019, the cute pup was honored with the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association's Animal Hero Award, an honor given to an animal that has performed “a heroic act of service or provides daily outstanding service for humans．”
“Moose loves you if you're super smart, and he loves you if you got an F．He loves you if you've been in the hospital, and he loves you if you're a sports star,” Davis said of the honor．“Moose doesn't care if you have a mental health concern．He doesn't care if you got an A or a B or if you didn't get into college…That's got a magic to it．”
When Moose isn't working, he enjoys swimming, playing a classic game of tug of war, and most of all, eating．
1. When did Moose receive an honorary degree?| A．In 2014． | B．When he was eight years old． |
| C．In 2019． | D．When he was six years old． |
| A．Getting all kinds of therapies． | B．Assisting in therapy for mental health． |
| C．Working as an ambassador． | D．Receiving honors for outstanding service． |
| A．Moose is a dog with magic power | B．Moose got cancer because of challenging work． |
| C．Moose likes eating while working． | D．Moose loves you even if you didn't go to college: |
| A．The importance of therapy dogs． | B．The amazing work done by a therapy dog． |
| C．The comfortable life of therapy dogs． | D．The story of a therapy dog． |
7 . A Cappella Competition
Do you love to sing?
Come and show off your talents at the Chilton Youth A Cappella Competition！
＞October 20th, 11: 00-17: 00
＞Edward Greatcoat Theater, Sealey Road, Chilton
＞Rules
Please remember that this is an a cappella competition!
No instruments or recorded music will be allowed.
Competitors may sing published or original songs in any style.
Competitors must be between eight and 15 years old.
There are four categories (类):
(1) Solo (8-11 years old) (2) Solo (12-15 years old)
(3) Group (8-11 years old) (4) Group (12-15 years old)
※Competitors under 12 years old must stay with a parent or other adult at all times.
※Each competitor must pay an entry fee of $10.
※Winners will receive $500 and a course of 20 lessons with famous voice coach Vickie Leonard.
※Winners will be decided by three judges from the Chilton School of Music. Their decision is final.
＞Additional information
※Please arrive at the Edward Greatcoat Theater between 09: 00 and 10: 00 to register (登记), as the competition will start at 11: 00. The parking lot has limited spaces so you are advised to come as early as possible.
※Shared dressing rooms with showers will be provided for all competitors.
※Tickets for the competition are available at the theater from October 1st. There is no charge for these, but again, spaces are limited.
1. What is the purpose of this text?| A．To invite people to a concert. | B．To encourage more visitors. |
| C．To offer free singing lessons. | D．To introduce a singing competition. |
| A．8:30 a.m. | B．9:30 a.m. | C．11:30 a.m. | D．17:30 p.m. |
| A．You shouldn’t try to argue with the judges. |
| B．You can’t park your car at the theater. |
| C．A competitor can sing a song while playing the guitar. |
| D．A sixteen-year-old girl can take part in this competition. |
8 . A few days before Christmas, the crowded shopping downtown was starting to annoy us. Most of us were loaded down with packages, and it looked like many of us were beginning to wonder if all those countless friends and relatives actually deserved so many gifts. This was not the Christmas spirit I’d been raised with.
When I finally got on a jammed streetcar, the idea of standing there packed like a sardine the whole way home was almost more than I could take. Suddenly I saw something out of the corner of my eye. A small, dark-skinned boy pulled a woman’s sleeve and asked, “Would you like a seat?” He quietly led her to the closest free seat he could find. Then he set out to find another tired person. As soon as each rare new seat became unoccupied, he would quickly move through the crowd in search of another burdened woman.
When I finally felt the pull at my own sleeve, I was absolutely struck by the beauty in this little boy’s eyes. He took my hand, saying, “Come with me, ma’am.” As I happily settled down, the little angel of love immediately turned to help his next subject.
The people on the streetcar, as usual, had been deliberately avoiding each other’s eyes, but now they began to exchange shy glances and smiles. That little boy had obviously changed something—we all relaxed into a feeling of warmth and actually enjoyed the trip.
I didn’t notice when the child got off. When I reached my stop I practically floated of that streetcar, admiring the sparkling Christmas lights on my street in a fresh, new way. Or maybe I was seeing them in an old way, with the same wonder I felt when I was five or six. Anyway, it is the little child that shall lead the ways for me.
1. What can we infer from the underlined part in Paragraph 1?| A．The gifts were too heavy to carry home. |
| B．Friends and relatives always deserve gifts. |
| C．People wondered where to buy Christmas gifts. |
| D．The author was fed up with buying Christmas gifts. |
| A．Uncomfortable. | B．Warm. |
| C．Astonished. | D．Excited. |
| A．Because he was dark-skinned. | B．Because he occupied free seats. |
| C．Because he helped tired persons. | D．Because he took her hand gently. |
| A．They got to know one another. |
| B．They admired the boy when he got off. |
| C．They became more friendly to each other. |
| D．They changed the lights on the old streets. |
9 . Volunteering abroad is a great way to help others，improve your skills and become a more confident，independent person. If you are interested in volunteering abroad，here are some places to go.
Australia
If you seek a life on the beach，in a great climate with friendly people，Australia might be your best bet. With thousands of volunteers already signing up to leave for Australia during the holidays，it will be a very popular option.
Brazil
This vast country has some great opportunities on offer and is especially popular this year. A lot of volunteer work is available in Brazil centers on conservation and ecological projects. With the world's largest rainforest in Brazil，of which huge part is in danger，there are lots of different jobs you can do.
Kenya
Kenya is the destination for those seeking an African experience. Generally volunteers in Kenya work in orphanages (孤儿院) or with local children living in slums. There is a great demand for volunteers in Africa because many people live in poverty，so if you truly feel like making a difference to a community，Kenya should be at the top of your list.
Costa Rica
Golden sandy beaches，clear coastlines and beautiful cities are what Costa Rica is all about. Because of its small size，you can see a lot of the country in just a short time. You can really make the most of your time as a volunteer. A lot of work is needed with wildlife and ecological work，so if you want to look after turtles on the beach，Costa Rica could be just the place for you.
1. If you are interested in protecting the environment，you will probably go to .| A．Australia | B．Brazil | C．Kenya | D．Costa Rica |
| A．animals | B．plants | C．the elderly | D．children |
| A．take care of trees in the forests | B．surf with children in the water |
| C．work with animals on the beach | D．look after children who have lost their parents |
Too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn and even reduce their chances of getting a college degree, new studies suggest in the latest effort to examine the effects of television on children.
One of the studies looked at nearly 400 northern California third-graders. Those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedrooms TVs.
A second study, looking at nearly 1,000 grown-ups in New Zealand, found lower education levels among 26-year-olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood. But the results don’t prove that TV is the cause and don’t rule out that already poorly motivated youngsters(年轻人) may watch lots of TV.
Their study measured the TV habits of 26-year-olds between ages 5 and 15. Those with college degrees had watched an average of less than two hours of TV per weeknight during childhood, compared with an average of more than 2.5 hours for those who had no education beyond high school.
In the California study, children with TVs in their rooms but no computer at home scored the lowest, while those with no bedroom TV but who had home computers scored the highest.
While this study does not prove that bedroom TV sets caused the lower scores, it adds to accumulating findings that children shouldn’t have TVs in their bedrooms.
1. According to the California study, the low-scoring group might ________.| A．have watched a lot of TV | B．not be interested in math |
| C．be unable to go to college | D．have had computers in their bedrooms |
| A．Poorly motivated 26-year-olds watch more TV. |
| B．Habits of TV watching reduce learning interest. |
| C．TV watching leads to lower education levels of the 15-year-olds. |
| D．The connection between TV and education levels is difficult to explain. |
| A．More time should be spent on computers. |
| B．Children should be forbidden from watching TV. |
| C．TV sets shouldn’t be allowed in children’s bedrooms. |
| D．Further studies on high-achieving students should be done. |
| A．Computers or Television |
| B．Effects of Television on Children |
| C．Studies on TV and College Education |
| D．Television and Children’s Learning Habits |
