1 . Market traders and street vendors （摊贩）are making a comeback across China, and this time they find themselves equipped with a new set of digital skills essential to navigating the vast consumer market. To revitalize （复兴）retail stands, in a move aimed at stimulating domestic spending and stabilizing employment, the country's leading e-commerce platforms are lending a helping hand, offering services like accessible financing backed by technologies.
Domestic wholesale site 1688. com is among the first group of tech players with such offerings. At the heart of the action plan is an effort to link street vendors directly with factories, effectively avoiding middlemen and saving time and costs.
According to general manager Wang Hai, numerous small-scale merchants on the site have managed to gain the upper hand in price negotiations, while manufacturers are more willing to mass-produce as the economy of scale serves to reduce costs, thus creating a win-win situation.
“Data analytics also kicks in, giving traders some insight into current consumer trends so that they no longer need to operate their business purely based on intuition （直觉），and they can avoid stockpiling,“ Wang said. For instance, the most sought-after categories in markets are daily necessities ? underwear , digital gadgets and beauty products, according to the company, whereas the most passionate buyers come from Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.
Meanwhile, to stabilize employment , e-commerce major JD. com vowed to add a number of job positions that either require flexible working hours, allow working from home or are designed to promote startup businesses. For posts related to delivery, warehouse management and packaging, priority is given to people from poverty-stricken areas.
“The COVID-19 outbreak will accelerate the digital transformation of the real economy, and individual traders and smaller stores are no exception,” said Xu Lei, CEO of JD's retail unit. "We have the capability and, more importantly, the responsibility to inject vitality （活力）into these entities, thus contributing to the economic rebound （回弹）and stabilizing employment.
1. What can we learn about e-commerce platforms like 1688. com?| A．They have an advantage in price negotiation. |
| B．Their efforts help street vendors cut the cost. |
| C．They increase production through technology. |
| D．Their services are financed by the government. |
| A．By improving traders' business intuition. |
| B．By helping traders find out market trends. |
| C．By telling traders when to stockpile goods. |
| D．By aiding traders in controlling the market. |
| A．A person experienced in driving a truck. | B．A person willing to start a new business. |
| C．A person from an underdeveloped village. | D．A person preferring flexible working hours. |
| A．Culture. | B．World. |
| C．Lifestyle. | D．Business. |
Be careful what you say around your dog．It might understand more than you think．
A border collie named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany．The dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3-year-old child．Its word-learning skills are as good as those of a parrot or chimpanzee．
In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them into 20 groups of 10 objects．Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back．In four tests, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right．As the dog couldn't see anyone to get clues, the scientists believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words．
In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names the dog already knew．The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word the dog had never heard before．
The correct object was chosen in seven out of ten tests, suggesting that the dog had worked
out the answer by process of elimination（排除法）．A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even more impressive．
Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog．For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a breed （品种）known for its mental abilities．In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names since the age of nine months．
It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say．Even if they do, they can't talk back．Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet-talk your dog every now and then．You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!
1. From paragraph 2 we know that __________．
| A．animals are as clever as human beings |
| B．chimpanzees have very good word-learning skills |
| C．dogs are smarter than parrots and chimpanzees |
| D．dogs have similar learning abilities as 3-year-old children |
| A．Rico is smart enough to get all commands right |
| B．Rico can recognize different things including toys |
| C．Rico has developed the ability of learning mathematics |
| D．Rico won't forget the names of objects once recognizing them |
| A．Rico has a better memory partly because of its proper early training． |
| B．The purpose of the experiments is to show the border collie's mental abilities． |
| C．The border collie is world-famous for recognizing objects． |
| D．Rico is born to understand its owner's commands． |
| A．To train your dog． | B．To talk to your dog． |
| C．To be careful with your dog． | D．To be friendly to your dog． |
3 . Each year, half a million people die from brain aneurysms（动脉瘤）—when a blood vessel（血管）bursts in the brain. An aneurysm is a bulge（膨胀）in a blood vessel that can burst. If that happens in the brain, it can be deadly. For survivors, physical disabilities are often severe. They may include memory problems, loss of balance, trouble speaking and even blindness. But new technologies are increasing survival rates and reducing disabilities.
Beaumont Bacon is a survivor who makes light of her experience because she is a comedian（喜剧演员）. She uses humor to make others laugh. Now she’s working on a new show. Michael Alexander is her doctor. He operated on Beaumont Bacon after her attack. “She had bleeding in the frontal area of her brain, so right above the eyes. The part that was in the brain was about maybe the size of an egg. So, that’s a fairly large bleed.”
Ms. Bacon had a better chance at survival than most people because of Dr. Alexander. He directs the Neurovascular Center in Los Angeles. The center offers new technologies that include placing a catheter（导管）into an aneurysm, then threading wires to promote blood clots（血栓）. This technique reduces the chances of another burst blood vessel. “You don’t have to open up the skull（头盖骨）or open up the brain to do surgery. It’s all done from inside the blood vessels. So it reduces the amount of blood loss, and the recovery is much faster.”
For Beaumont Bacon’s recovery, the hospital worked to prevent problems commonly found in patients with a burst aneurysm. The problems include brain swelling that can shut down blood vessels. She spent a month in a coma（昏迷）—unable to communicate with doctors, friends and loved ones. But with a year of treatment, she recovered. Now, she is making people laugh.
1. What do you know about aneurysms?| A．No technologies can treat them nowadays. |
| B．They may cause severe disabilities. |
| C．Few people die from them every year. |
| D．They are deadly wherever they happen. |
| A．it is much faster for the patient to recover |
| B．it brings no problems after the operation |
| C．it reduces the amount of blood loss |
| D．it doesn’t need to open up the brain to operate |
| A．was always in an unconscious state after the operation |
| B．recovered soon after the treatment |
| C．returned to work after the treatment |
| D．was the first to try the new technology |
| A．providing an example | B．making comparisons |
| C．offering data | D．giving explanations |
4 . New research says 35 percent of the deaths of children worldwide are caused by hunger. The research is from poor to middle-income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Robert Black from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland was the leading writer of the research. He says more than 3.5 million mothers and children under five die in poor countries each year because of hunger.
He says more than two million children die from underdevelopment, either before or after birth. Millions of others who survive face a lifetime of disabilities or early death. And the effects are not just physical. Poor brain development can limit economic success as children become adults. Then the cycle of poverty and hunger often repeats for their children.
Doctor Black says hungry children are also more likely to have conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease as adults. He says the studies show that food programs need to place the greatest importance on the first two years of life. Hungry children can suffer the whole life damage from age two.
So it is high time to improve their diets. Diets should include foods rich in vitamin A and other useful things. The researchers say early help like these could reduce child deaths by 25%.
The research has faced some criticism（批评）. A medical aid group says the researchers underestimate（低估）the number of child deaths from hunger. The researchers say there are findings that support this treatment but more studies are needed to compare it to hospital care.
1. What is the main idea of the third paragraph?| A．Poverty and hunger have influenced all children's lives in the world. |
| B．Hunger has some bad effects on children's physical and mental development. |
| C．Ever year over two million children die of hunger after birth. |
| D．Poverty and hunger can limit people's success. |
| A．If a child is hungry at childhood, he will be disabled in the future. |
| B．Criticism is the best medicine for hunger. |
| C．The results from the research is not satisfactory. |
| D．Generally speaking, hungry children have less chance of catching heart disease when they grow up. |
| A．Before birth. | B．Between birth and the age of two. |
| C．From age two to five. | D．Under the age of five. |
| A．Hunger—children's biggest enemy. | B．How to prevent hunger. |
| C．A latest survey about hunger all over the world. | D．Time to improve our living conditions. |
5 . From the moment you open your eyes in the morning, you can feel sweat (汗水)running down your body, even if you’re barely moving at all. That’s what most people in China felt like this summer. In fact, the entire northern hemisphere(半球 )saw high temperatures in July. The Arctic Circle(北极圈) was no exception(例外). Temperatures in the city of Norilsk, which is in the Arctic Circle, reached a record high of 32 ℃, The Atlantic reported. Temperatures there are usually just 10 ℃ at this time of the year.
The heat wave in the Arctic is mainly a long-term result of global warming, according to the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences. In fact, while the whole world is getting warmer, the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet. This is called the polar amplification effect(极地放大效应).
The most direct impact(影响) of Arctic warming is the melting of Arctic ice. According to NASA, Arctic sea ice is now disappearing at a rate of 13. 2 percent every 10 years. NASA said that if this continues, the Arctic will have no ice by the year 2040. This has put some Arctic animals, like polar bears, in danger. The ice that the bears live on has shrunk(缩小), the Toronto Star reported.
Melting ice can also cause sea levels to rise in the long term. Since 1993, sea levels have risen at a rate of 3. 2 cm every 10 years, the Guardian reported. Some countries, such as Tuvalu(图瓦卢) in the South Pacific Ocean and Maldives(马尔代夫) in the Indian Ocean, are at risk of disappearing into the sea.
1. Which of the following is true?| A．Some countries in the ocean will disappear in 10 years. |
| B．China is the hottest in the northern hemisphere this summer. |
| C．The temperatures in Norilsk used to be lower than this summer. |
| D．The world gets warmer because of the heat wave in the Arctic. |
| A．The heat wave in the Arctic. |
| B．The result of global warming. |
| C．Getting warmer in the world. |
| D．The Arctic getting warm faster. |
| A．The polar will become dangerous. |
| B．Sea levels rise in the long term. |
| C．There will be an end of water shortage. |
| D．There will be no ice in the world by 2040. |
| A．Heat hits Arctic. |
| B．Arctic animals are in danger. |
| C．The world became hotter than before. |
| D．Some countries may disappear into the sea. |
6 . It was “Disabilities Day at the Capitol ” and I was there, along with hundreds of Georgians, hoping to get the attention of our legislators (立法者). My thoughts ran back to the days when I was struggling to deal with my hearing loss learning, often dependent on others to help me hear. Now I stood under the gold dome of the Georgia Capitol, a member of the disabled community claiming the rights of people with disabilities.
After the rally (集会) I followed the crowd across the street to a free lunch. Although the crowd was huge, I managed to find a place to sit. I introduced myself to the young woman on my right, Kendall. However, with my hearing loss and her serious speech disorder, a conversation with her was next to impossible.
After a few moments, I realized that Kendall’s personal attendant (护工) was not present. I asked if anyone knew where she was and found out there had been a family situation and the attendant had to leave. “But,” I said, “who’s going to feed Kendall?” My thoughts were racing: someone had to help Kendall. In admitting her need I had to at once declare my responsibility to help.
Surprisingly, Kendall spoke clearly with her eyes. It was those eyes that spoke to me that day as we were waiting for lunch. I asked if I might serve her lunch. She nodded “Yes!” and her eyes said “Thank you!”
Helping Kendall that day shows an important belief of my life: We need each other. With or without a disability, it is our need for each other that makes us have a good life.
1. What’s the author’s purpose in attending “Disabilities Day at the Capitol”?| A．To defend the rights of the disabled. | B．To have a free lunch with friends. |
| C．To deal with his hearing problem. | D．To give support to the legislators. |
| A．Because they were in a noisy crowd. | B．Because they didn’t know each other. |
| C．Because they spoke different languages. | D．Because they both had certain disabilities. |
| A．By calling her family. | B．By feeding her lunch. |
| C．By admitting her need. | D．By finding her attendant. |
| A．We need each other to live a good life. |
| B．We should support people with disabilities. |
| C．People with disabilities should help each other. |
| D．People with disabilities should learn to be independent. |
7 . If your fingers get chilly all year round—even in the peak of summer—you’re not alone. Many people get cold hands during all of the seasons, due to a number of causes, from genetic to chronic illnesses.
Common reasons include being elderly and thin. If your hands are regularly cold or numb, however, it’s a good idea to see a doctor to rule out more serious causes. Cold hands are one of the symptoms of both anemia (贫血症) and hypothyroidism (甲状腺机能减退). Diabetes, which reduces blood circulation, can also trigger it. And if your heart is weak from heart disease, your body may prioritize sending blood to your core over your limbs.
For many others, cold hands are a sign they have a largely harmless condition called Raynaud’s disease. When any of us goes out in the cold, our bodies activate the muscles in our smallest blood vessels to make them even smaller—a survival mechanism to keep blood, and thus warmer temperatures, in our core. For people with Raynaud’s, this reaction is too strong, and instead of just a bit less blood going to their fingers, far too little gets there.
Raynaud’s is more common in women, and it most often develops before the age of 30. In fact, if you develop Raynaud’s when you’re older—usually after 40—it can be a sign of another underlying issue. That could be a smaller problem—a previous incident of frostbite (冻伤) or a sign of a more serious autoimmune condition, like lupus (狼疮).
For the majority of people living with Raynaud’s, medication won’t be necessary. However, a rare, more severe form of Raynaud’s affects less than one in 1,000 people. In these cases, blood can become completely blocked, causing sores on the hands. If they go untreated, it can lead to gangrene (坏疽) and, very rarely, amputation (截肢).
1. What’s the purpose of paragraph 1?| A．introduce a topic | B．present an argument |
| C．describe the characters | D．clarify his writing purpose |
| A．diabetes | B．heart disease | C．aging | D．obesity |
| A．It appears when blood vessels in your body overreact to high temperatures. |
| B．Males never suffer from it before the age of 30. |
| C．In some cases, it can be a sign of some health issues. |
| D．For most people, it is a serious health problem. |
| A．The reasons why people have cold hands |
| B．Ways to treat Raynaud’s disease and prevent cold hands |
| C．Medical research on Raynaud’s Disease |
| D．Disadvantages of cold hands |
8 . Los Angeles is a relatively new and spreading city, which means there’s a big canvas (画布) for architects of many styles to put their 3D stamps on the city. For architecture fans, here are some must-see spots.
Watts Towers
Designed and constructed by Italian-born Simon Rodia over the course of three decades, the 17 towers—the tallest is 100 feet high—consist of metal and found objects such as broken glass, pottery chips (陶器碎片), seashells, etc. You can take a guided tour of this place, learning about the history of this attractive project. 1727 E. 107th St., LA.
Getty Center
Architect Richard Meier’s shining city on a hill took 16,000 tons of marble to build but today it’s a wonder, housing the Getty’s main art collection and offering unbelievable views of Los Angeles. 1200 Getty Center Dr., LA.
Sturges House
Frank Lloyd Wright designed nine different structures throughout Southern California. This was Wright’s first turn away from the textile (纺织) block buildings he’d been designing in California and toward stressing natural factors of the structure to mix with the natural surroundings. 449 N. Skyewiay Rd., LA.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Frank Gehry has lived in Los Angele s for decade s and hi s world has been se en throughout the city. This one, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, is his most luxurious (奢侈的) building in Southern California. You need not sit through a symphony performance to get a glance at the interior(内饰). The concert hall offers free self-guided audio tours recorded by actor John Litligow. 111 S. Grand Ave., LA.
1. Where should you go to visit Watts Towers?| A．1200 Getty Center Dr., LA. | B．1727 E. 107th St., LA. |
| C．449 N. S kyewiay Rd., LA. | D．111 S. Grand Ave., LA. |
| A．It is made up of 9 structures. | B．It is a textile block building. |
| C．It fits in well with its environment. | D．It is a luxurious building. |
| A．Simon Rodia. | B．Richard Meier. |
| C．John Lithgow. | D．Frank Gehry. |
9 . China is set to join a growing number of countries that are taking strict measures on single-use plastic items, with multiple bans expected to come into force gradually within the next six years.
The new policy, announced Sunday, will first take effect in major cities, where many of the non-biodegradable（非生物降解的）plastics found in the world’s oceans originally come. The distribution of plastic bags is supposed to stop in large Chinese cities by the end of the year, whereas smaller cities and rural areas have until 2022.Among other items are single-use straws and many disposable（一次性的）items. The effort was described as a global “war on plastic”.
Between 1950 and 2015, plastic production has risen from 2 million tons annually to 381 million worldwide, which has seen a rise in policies to reduce dependence on plastics. Extremely strict steps have been taken in many places.
Last August, the Pakistani government banned all single-use plastic bags in the country’s capital region, home to some 1.5 million people. While environmental protection groups celebrated the move, industry representatives warned it would come at a huge financial cost “They should first find new jobs for the plastic factory workers and then ban the bags,”38-year-old fruit seller Nazeer Abbasi told The Washington Post last year.
Last spring, the European Parliament voted to ban many single-use plastic items-including plates, straws and cups — by 2021. It also voted to increase recycling targets. Many E.U. member states already have built systems to encourage customers to return plastic bottle for recycling.
1. What are the multiple bans targeted at?| A．Recyclable glass bottles. |
| B．Reusable shopping bags. |
| C．Degradable plastic straws. |
| D．Disposable plastic plates. |
| A．By banning plastics once for all. | B．By taking measures step by step. |
| C．By conducting it in big cities only. | D．By performing it in small cities first. |
| A．He’s worried. | B．He’s annoyed. |
| C．He’s puzzled. | D．He’s disappointed. |
| A．To explain the causes of plastic pollution. |
| B．To offer tips about Chinese plastic production. |
| C．To share his own ideas about plastic recycling. |
| D．To introduce different bans on single-use plastics. |
10 . Yesterday my older neighbor, who takes care of part of our garden with great difficulty and efforts, was in deep shock. Obviously，my cats had left droppings (粪便) in his perfect flower beds.
Fortunately, my husband and I weren't at home when this happened，so he vented (发泄) his anger on my friend and neighbor, Katherine. She was kind enough to listen to him and to go down into the garden with him to have a look. She even took a picture!
When I got home, she had left a message on my answering machine about the incident. Having heard it was about my cats again, my stomach turned. Last year, he got so upset that he threatened to put rat traps on the roof，hoping that would warn me to keep my cats indoors. So I was a little worried.
However, I couldn't help but laugh when I heard Katherine tell me what the whole incident was all about. I understand gardening is important to my neighbor and that he keeps his garden perfect to comfort his soul.
So when I saw him in the garden days later, I went over to talk to him.
And the talk turned out to be quite nice. I was really surprised to find that I had the wisdom not to respond to his comments on my cats.
Instead, I had conversations with him about the beautiful flowers he had planted, the color combinations, and the care he took in creating such a sense of order. I tried to convey my understanding and appreciation without arguing or talking down to him.
I was really amazed how that talk turned out. We haven't had a conversation like that for over a year!
1. What do we know about the author's cats?| A．They ate the older neighbor's flowers. |
| B．They chased rats in older neighbor's house. |
| C．They left droppings in Katherine's garden. |
| D．They ruined the older neighbor's flower beds. |
| A．To stop the rats coming. |
| B．To show his concern for his neighbors. |
| C．To make the author mind her cats. |
| D．To express his appreciation to the author. |
| A．considerate and smart | B．sensitive and generous |
| C．creative and kind | D．friendly and enthusiastic |
| A．everyone should mind his own business |
| B．a wise conversation really makes sense |
| C．it is meaningful to argue with others |
| D．we need to take care of others’ pets |
