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. |
2 . India’s Best Wildlife Protected Areas
Parambikulam Wildlife Reserve
An important tiger reserve located in Palakkad district of Kerala, the Parambikulam Wildlife Reserve is a memorable place for anyone who visits here. This is a place of rich diversity of animals and birds. The best time to visit it is between August and January.
Gir National Park & Wildlife Reserve
Noted as the only place you can find the Asian lions, Gir Reserve is the place if you want to get the best out of your vacation. It is situated in Junagadh and Amreli district, Gujarat. You can also find many more rare species. If you are going there especially for the lions, make sure you go between March and May.
Kumarakom Bird Reserve
Known for migratory(迁徙的)birds, this reserve is situated on the banks of Vembanad Lake in Kottayam district, Kerala. Among the migrators, the Siberian crane identifiable by its red mask and white cap offers good views to the watchers. The best time to visit local species is from June to August and if you are planning to click travelling birds then the recommended period is from November to February.
Mudumalai National Park & Wildlife Reserve
Mudumalai is a great tourist attraction in Nilgiri district, Tamil Nadu. It is home to some of the rarest species on the Earth like Bengal tiger and Indian elephant. This park along with its neighbors around has a maximum tiger population in the country. And it hosts around 8 percent bird species occurring in India. The periods from February to May and September to October are recommended for visit.
1. What is Gir National Park & Wildlife Reserve famous for?| A．Asian lions. | B．Bengal tigers. | C．Siberian cranes. | D．Indian elephants. |
| A．From June to August. | B．From February to May. |
| C．From August to January. | D．From November to February. |
| A．It is the most important elephant reserve. |
| B．It is surrounded by other protected areas. |
| C．It has the largest number of tigers in India. |
| D．Its neighbor places are good for bird watching. |
Would you like to deepen your understanding of diversity, equality,and inclusion (DEI) as it relates to the field of English language teaching? You're invited to join online conversations on these topics as part of a new reading club in the Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Community, accessible through my TESOL. Each week there will be a new article used as a basis for the discussion.
In Week 1, August 9-15, we will discuss "Black Teachers of English in South Korea: Constructing Identities as a Native English Speaker and English Language Teaching Professional" with author Quanisha D.Charles. Throughout the week, the author will post questions for discussion for participants to discuss within the discussion group.
In Week 2, August 16-22, we will discuss "On Issues of Discrimination and Prejudice: What Can TESOL Practitioners Do to Support and Advocate for Refugee Students?" with author Chatwara Suwanamai Duran. Suwanamai will post the initial question(s) for discussion and will take part in the discussion.
To participle, join the online community in my TESOL. More details can be found at TESOL International Association website https://www.tesol.org//dei-reading-club
We look forward to having many meaningful and thoughtful exchanges with you.
1. This piece of information is sent by___.| A．DEI | B．TESOL International Association |
| C．Quanisha D. Charles | D．Chatwara Suwannamai Duran |
| A．Asking Dillion to learn how to teach English. |
| B．Asking Dillion to become a TESOL Practitioner. |
| C．Inviting Dillion to take part in online discussions. |
| D．Inviting Dillion to exchange thoughts about my TESOL. |
| A．Becoming a TESOL practitioner. |
| B．Identities as an English teacher. |
| C．Helping refugee students. |
| D．Discrimination in South Korea. |
4 . A blow-fly (绿头苍蝇) was looking for an ideal place to lay eggs, like rotting meat, so that when her little maggots (蛆) were born, they could feed on the meat.
As she turned a corner in the grassland, she smelt something stinking in the air. The smell of rotten meat! With great joy she perched on it and laid her eggs. She was happy that her children would have enough food to eat.
The blow-fly did not know she had made a great mistake. What she had sat upon was not meat but a flower, which stinks. It is called a carrion flower (牛尾草). So, when the blow-fly’s eggs hatched and the little maggots came out, they had nothing to eat. They died of starvation.
The carrion flower is one of the many flowers which give out dirty smells to attract flies. The Rafflesia stinks like rotting meat, while the tropical Lords and Ladies flower gives out a smell like rotting fish.
They do it for a special reason. Unlike mating birds, these plants cannot move from their place. But it is important for the male cell of one plant to get in touch with the female cell of another plant. Once that is done , the seed of the plant will bloom and give birth to another plant.
The plant uses its stink to attract flies. As soon as the blow-fly sits on the flower, it is captured by the flower with strong hair. When the hair falls, the fly is free to fly, but it takes some pollen (花粉) with it. And goes and sits on another plant. The male cell of one plant meets the female cell of the other. The seed gets new life.
1. What does the underlined word “stinking” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Moving around. |
| B．Shaking in the wind. |
| C．Being in full bloom. |
| D．Giving out bad smell. |
| A．They feed on the flower. |
| B．They die of hunger. |
| C．They become blow-flies again. |
| D．They become food of the flower. |
| A．To get food for itself. |
| B．To kill the flies. |
| C．To get their maggots. |
| D．To let the flies help with its reproduction. |
| A．The blow-fly only lays eggs on a carrion flower. |
| B．The carrion-flower and the blow-fly benefit each other. |
| C．The blow-fly falls victim to the carrion flower in the end. |
| D．The blow-fly helps the carrion flower in an important way. |
5 . Welcome to Vietnam!
Day 1: Endangered Primates and Stunning Landscape Of Ninh Binh
After breakfast take the electric car to the Endangered Primates Rescue Centre. Here, they focus on the conservation of the gibbons (长臂猿) and langur (叶猴). You will have chance to see how the staff feed them in captivity and semi-wild areas of primary forest. Then you’ll see how their behavior is studied in semi-wild conditions and how they are prepared for full release into the wild.
Day 2: Cruising Halong Bay
A delicious lunch will be served as you slowly sail through this Halong Bay. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994. Mid-afternoon head to the Vung Vieng fishing village by local rowing boats to explore the interesting daily lives of its inhabitants. In the evening you will experience a Vietnamese cooking meal served in the main dining room. Evenings are beautiful on Halong Bay. Relax on the top deck and take in the transformation of the bay.
Day 3: Discover Hue the Authentic Way
Today, you will get a taste of what real life is like in Hue. One of the city’s most famous cooking experiences is the Royal Dinner. You will have a unique experience where you will have a private audience with descendant (后裔) of the last royal family of Vietnam, in her own home. Spend time tasting the real dishes that were once served to royalty.
Day 4: Walk to the Hang Tien Cave
Hang Tien is actually two huge caves, one of which is over 3km long. The wonder lies in unusual rock formations, such as breathtaking rock formations that look like terraced rice fields, giving the caves an otherworldly feel. On your way back, take a dip in the natural jungle swimming pool and have a coffee, a quick swim, before making your return journey.
1. What are tourists scheduled to do on their first day?| A．Tour a bay by boat. |
| B．Watch endangered animals. |
| C．Climb breathtaking rock formations. |
| D．Visit a UNESCO World Heritage site. |
| A．Tasting local foods. |
| B．Exploring huge caves. |
| C．Visiting a small fishing village. |
| D．Enjoying water-related activities. |
| A．Day 1. | B．Day 2. | C．Day 3. | D．Day 4. |
6 . Reducing plastic waste isn't easy because the cheap material is found in almost every household item. Now a delicious and nutritious solution has come up to help reduce our dependence on this environmental hazard（危害）.
David Christian, the co-founder of Evoware, says the idea of creating the biodegradable （生物降解的）products came from concern at the country's high pollution rate. Indonesia is home to four of the world's worst polluted river. Since single-use packaging is a large contributor to the problem, Evoware decided to deal with that first.
After investigating various materials, the company settled on seaweed. Unlike corn, commonly used for biodegradable containers, seaweed does not require resources like water or large amounts of space. Since Indonesian farmers already harvest more seaweed than they can sell, it's easy for the company to find the material.
Though they will not reveal their production process, Evoware says the seaweed packaging contains no chemicals and is safe to consume. The company has also invented single-use cups, which can break down 30 days after they're thrown away.
While replacing plastic with the seaweed products may seem appealing to most of us, it is a hard-sell in Indonesia. According to Christian, The awareness to reduce single-use plastic is still very low. This makes our bioplastic unnecessary.” Also a factor is the cost, which is higher than using plastic. Hopefully, Evoware will succeed in convincing Indonesians and people worldwide that switching to their products will be helpful to protecting our beautiful planet.
1. What problem did Evoware decide to deal with first？| A．Ways to clean the four worst polluted rivers. |
| B．How to deal with single-use packaging. |
| C．Means to contribute to the country’s economy. |
| D．What nutritious materials for people to use. |
| A．It could be found everywhere in his country. |
| B．It was most commonly used for packaging. |
| C．It didn't require much space and was easy to get. |
| D．It grew thickly in most of the polluted rivers. |
| A．Sometimes it's hard to get people to reduce the use of plastics. |
| B．Their seaweed products have won government support. |
| C．Their new products have received worldwide popularity. |
| D．The cost of making seaweed products will be lowered soon. |
7 . For the brave in the armed forces, being sent away from home for months at a time is just part of the duty. However, it's never an easy one to perform especially for those with children. So when I found out I was going to be stationed in South Korea for a year, I was nervous about how my five children, particularly my eldest daughter Abigail, would take the news since it meant I wouldn't be home to see her graduate from high school.
Incredibly, Abigail told me not to worry and even suggested we live stream the event among family members when I leaked the news. “We've been lucky you haven't had to be sent abroad yet. Anyway we can get connected through the Internet. See me on your phone on my spot,” Abigail said. She stepped into many of my roles when I was gone. I wanted to find a way to thank her and show her how proud I was of her. I started planning the special surprise when my request to return home a few weeks early to attend Abigail's graduation ceremony was approved.
When my time in South Korea finally came to an end, I flew home, rented a car, and stayed in a hotel. And on Abigail's graduation day, I hid in an office behind the stage waiting until I heard my daughter's name called. I just kept thinking “Don't cry. Don't trip in your heels. Don't fall over.” At last！Abigail was up on stage. I slipped up behind her, whispered in her ear, and around she turned! “I was just thinking, like, ‘You aren't supposed to be here. What? What? How？’ It was the biggest shock...I'm pretty sure my dad made people he didn't even know cry. Emotional for everyone,” Abigail cried.
You know what followed: Embraces, kisses, tears, laughs, flowers, wishes...Aren't they what a family has in store?
1. What worried the author most?| A．His duty in South Korea. | B．His five children's safety. |
| C．His eldest daughter's study. | D．His absence from a big event. |
| A．Plan. | B．Celebrate. | C．Prepare. | D．Broadcast. |
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Overjoyed. | C．Nervous. | D．Satisfied. |
| A．A soldier's personal sacrifice. | B．A father's love for his family. |
| C．The meaning of family bond. | D．The way to plan a big surprise. |
8 . Drinking a daily glass of wine for health reasons may not be so healthy after all, a new study from Washington University School of Medicine suggests.
Analyzing data from more than 400,000 people between ages 18 to 85, the researchers found that consuming one to two drinks four or more times per week-an amount considered healthy by current guidelines-increases the risk of early death by 20 percent, compared with drinking three times a week or less. The increased risk of death was consistent across age groups.
＂It used to seem like having one or two drinks per day was no big deal, and there even have been some studies suggesting it can improve health,” said first author Sarah M. Hartz. “But now we know that even the lightest daily drinkers have an increased death risk. ”
Although some earlier studies have linked light drinking to improvements in cardiovascular(心血管的）health, Hartz said the new study shows that those potential gains are outweighed by other risks. Her team evaluated heart disease risk and cancer risk and found that although in some cases, drinking alcohol may reduce risk of heart-related problems, daily drinking increased cancer risk and, as a result, mortality risk.
The new study reviewed data from more than 700 studies around the world and concluded that the safest level of drinking is none. The Washington University team analysis focused on light drinkers: those who consumed only one or two drinks a day. The study focused on two large groups of people in the United States: 340,668 participants, aged 18 to 85, in the National Health Interview Survey, and another 93,653 individuals, aged 40 to 60 who were treated as outpatients(门诊病人）at Veterans Administration clinics.
Hartz thought that some doctors could recommend that people with family histories of heart problems have a drink from time to time, but in families with a history of cancer, physicians had better recommend quitting drinking.
1. What's the new finding of the study on light drinking?| A．It benefits heart health. |
| B．It is potentially unhealthy. |
| C．It is the main cause of cancer. |
| D．It harms only certain age groups. |
| A．By collecting, clinical data. |
| B．By analyzing questionnaires. |
| C．By visiting hospitals personally. |
| D．By making an analysis of other studies. |
| A．Earlier studies are proved totally wrong by Hartz. |
| B．Hartz thought doctors should avoid suggesting drinking. |
| C．Hartz thought doctors should offer personalized suggestions. |
| D．The Washington University team surveyed about 700 people. |
| A．Daily drinking, however much, adds to risk of death |
| B．Risk of drinking wine can't be ignored among youth · |
| C．A sip of wine a day keeps the doctor away |
| D．Light drinking still promises a longer life: |
9 . The huge T-rex (霸王龙) bends over a large triceratops (三角龙) lying on his side below. With its mouth open wide, the T-rex looks ready to kill the triceratops with a final bite to the triceratops’s neck. The display will be found at the National Museum of Natural History.
The museum has sought a huge T-rex skeleton (骨架) for many years. Before, it used a model of one. But museum director Kirk Johnson says that was never good enough. “It’s been kind of deeply embarrassing to be the national museum and NOT have a T-rex,” he said. The T-rex display is now the centerpiece of the museum’s newest show, which will be available to the public on July 15.
That T-rex, named Sue, was found in South Dakota. Officials at the museum built a special area for the skeleton. It includes a gift store of all things related to Sue. Sue even has her own Twitter account and a media presentation of her life story.
In modern times, movies like “Jurassic Park (侏罗纪公园)” have helped grow dinosaur interest for a new generation of young fans. But such movies describe the T-rexes as mostly huge, stupid and dangerous animals, which are true threat in the fighting: quick, intelligent and aggressive hunters in groups.
1. What is described in Paragraph 1?| A．How a T-rex hunts in the wild. |
| B．How a T-rex will be displayed in a museum. |
| C．How a T-rex is painted in a picture. |
| D．How a T-rex is filmed in a movie. |
| A．It was found in Australia. |
| B．It has been open to the public. |
| C．It is valued by the museum. |
| D．It is still a model one. |
| A．Movies about dinosaurs should be reduced. |
| B．The young generation dislikes dinosaurs. |
| C．The T-rex is a kind of huge, stupid dinosaur. |
| D．Some movies are misleading in a way. |
10 . Every animal species carries unique viruses that have specifically adapted to infecting it. Over time, some of these have jumped to humans — these are known as “zoonotic” viruses.
As the population grows, we move into wild areas, which brings us into more frequent contact with animals we don’t normally have contact with. Thus viruses can jump from animals to humans and they can spread between humans, through close contact with body fluids (体液) like blood or urine.
Because every virus has evolved to target a particular species, it’s rare for a virus to beable to jump to another species. When this does happen, it’s by chance, and it usually requires a large amount of contact with the virus.
Initially, the virus is usually not well-suited to its new host and doesn’t spread easily. Over time, however, it can evolve in the new host to produce variants that are better adapted.
When viruses jump to a new host, a process called zoonosis, they often cause more severe disease. This is because viruses and their initial hosts have evolved together, and the species has time to build up resistance. The new host species, on the other hand, might not have evolved the ability to tackle (应对) the virus. For example, when we come into contact with bats and their viruses, we may develop rabies or Ebola virus disease, while the bats themselves are less affected.
It’s likely that bats are the original source of three recently emerged coronaviruses: SARS-CoV (2003), MERS-CoV (2012) and SARS-CoV-2. All of these jump from bats to humans via an intermediate animal; in the case of SARS-CoV-2, this may have been pangolins (穿山甲), but more research is needed.
1. Why is it rare for a virus to infect another species?| A．The new host can deal with the virus. |
| B．The new species builds up resistance. |
| C．Every virus can’t adapt to the new species. |
| D．Each virus develops to target a specific species. |
| A．The resistance of the old species. |
| B．The ability of the new host species. |
| C．The process of the viral infection. |
| D．The reason for the virus variation. |
| A．SARS-CoV. | B．SARS-CoV-2. |
| C．Not mentioned. | D．MERS-CoV. |
| A．Humans should not move into wild areas. |
| B．Wild animals are actually our best friends. |
| C．A virus can spread from animals to humans. |
| D．A virus can vary to infect another species. |
