1 . Black Valley, 63 kilometers from downtown Chongqing, is one of the best preserved natural wonders around the municipality. The national 5A-level scenic spot is a popular summer resort for sightseeing, forest adventures, outdoor camping, hunting and angling.
Located in Heishan town, Wansheng Economic Development Zone, the scenic spot spans over 103 square kilometers, 97 percent of which are covered by primitive forests. With over 110,000 negative oxygen ions in each cubic centimeter of air, it is dubbed as a natural oxygen bar and “the most beautiful healthcare-themed valley.”
Black Valley is also known as “the natural gene bank of Chongqing and Guizhou regions” for the diversity of its rare plants and wildlife, including Cathaya argyrophylla, Davidia involucrata, Trachypithecus francoisi and clouded leopards.
Scenic spot level: AAAAA
Address: Heishan town, Wansheng Economic Development Zone, 63 kilometers from downtown Chongqing Opening hours: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm (peak season from November to February), 9:00 am-3:00 pm (off season from March to October)
Ideal sightseeing season: from May to September
Ticket price: 60 yuan ($8.72) during off season and 100 yuan during peak season, sightseeing bus and cable not included.
Notes:
1. It is recommended that tourists start from the higher southern area for a downward journey.
2. The average temperature is 18.1 degrees.
3. It’s a good idea to experience the local folk culture of the Miao ethnic group, especially when you choose to visit in May when the traditional Caishan Festival of Miao ethnic group is celebrated.
1. What can we know about Black Valley?| A．It lies in downtown Chongqing. |
| B．Plants and wildlife are rarely seen there. |
| C．A visit there costs at most 100 yuan. |
| D．The air is very high in negative oxygen ions there. |
| A．January. | B．March. | C．May. | D．July. |
| A．Culture. | B．Travel. | C．Nature. | D．Wildlife. |
2 . Many people wake up in the morning and watch their mobile phones first and then they watch their mobile phones last before they go to bed. Our mobile phones are never far away from us. Data show that we watch them every 12 minutes on average. Since we are bound to be inseparable from mobile phones, we should obey the relative “cell phone manners”. The following five things are best avoided.
● Talk on the phone at mealtimes
An absolute no-no for most (81%) of us. Yet half of us have been with others who've done it. And more than a quarter of young adults admit to it.
Even looking at the screen at the dinner table is not acceptable — for some. More than four in five people aged 55and over think it's unacceptable to check messages, compared with around half (46%) of 18 to 34-year-olds.
● Listen to loud music on public transport
Three-quarters (76%) of us object to watching videos and playing video games loudly on public transport, as well as listening to music, but it doesn't stop us doing it.
● Be on the phone when you should be listening
You’re at the cashiers but on the phone mid-conversation. Do you hang up, say a polite “hello” and pack away your bread and goods — or chat on regardless?
It's a source of frustration for many a shop worker, receptionist and waiter. One hotels checkout worker was so annoyed when a customer refused to end her call that she refused to serve her.
● Walk while looking at your phone
They are always getting their head down, eyes fixed on the screen — and they're right in your path. Twitter user @tiredhorizon has a public warning for them. Put away your phones in public buildings, hospitals and near reversing lorries.
● Play with devices while watching TV with others
Four 10 (41%) adults think is unacceptable to use a phone while seated with he family on the sofa in front of TV.
For the older generation (those over 55) it's more of an issue — 62% object to it — than for younger adults — only one in five are against it.
1. Which one of the following is unacceptable according to the text?| A．Play with cellphones while watching TV alone. | B．Talk on the phone at mealtimes. |
| C．Listen to loud music at home. | D．Talk with others while working |
| A．It's unacceptable for some to stare at the phone screen at the dinner table. |
| B．Watching videos and playing games loudly on the subway will annoy many people around. |
| C．Strict bans on playing phones while walking on the road have been made. |
| D．The old are more against playing a phone in a family get-together than the young. |
| A．Art & Movie. | B．Travel. | C．Business. | D．Health & Life. |
3 . Do you like running enough to make it a habit? Tierney Wolfgram does; she has made running a lifelong career and isn't stopping.
In February, the 16-year-old from a high school, US, competed at the 2020 US Olympic Trials. She finished the marathon(42.195 km)with a time of 2:42:47 as the youngest competitor in the race and ranked 76th out of 390 runners. However, the cross-country(越野的)season was postponed to winter because of the COVID-19. So she jumped at the opportunity to train for another race-the Parkway Marathon in California. In November, Wolfgram broke the Women's American Junior marathon record with her time of 2:31:49. The old record was 2:34:32, which had stood since 1984.
“I'm completely stunned, ”said Wolfgram's coach. “I knew she was going to break it, but she really showed out！”
During the run, Wolfgram once hit a wall pretty hard, but she overcame it to finish. “I guess I can say I gave it my all, ”she told Runner's World. “When I finished, all I was thinking was I felt super happy,” Wolfgram said This was only her third marathon. In 2018, when Wolfgram was 15 years old, she ran her first marathon just because she wanted to see if she had the ability to do it. “I believed that I would get faster as the distances got longer. . . I'm still glad that I did it. ”
When preparing for that first marathon, she ran up to 120 miles per week. Although her parents didn't have any background in running, they helped Wolfgram train. At first, her dad would take her out in the morning and run about 13 miles. The distance would gradually increase each day. On top of her runs in the morning, she would do cross-country practice after school.
Now Wolfgram will consider attending the Olympics Games in 2024 after it's scheduled.
1. What can we learn about Wolfgram from Paragraph 2?| A．She was the champion at the 2020 US Olympic Trials. |
| B．She put off the cross-country season for the COVID-19. |
| C．She broke an Olympic marathon record in November. |
| D．She prepared for the Parkway Marathon in California. |
| A．Doubtful | B．Worried. | C．Shocked. | D．Interested |
| A．Her parents' encouragement. | B．Her desire to prove she could do it. |
| C．Her coach's support and help. | D．Her hope to break the national record |
| A．Sports. | B．Lifestyle | C．Culture. | D．Opinion |
4 . What do you usually do to comfort your friends when they are feeling sad or depressed? You probably pat them on the back or shoulder, or maybe you give them a big, warm hug.
We used to think that knowing when and how to comfort others was an ability that only humans have. But scientists have discovered that apes （猩猩）have this ability, too. Two researchers from Emory University in Atlanta, US, went to an Ape Protection Centre in Congo to study bonobos （倭黑猩猩）,which are closely related to humans.
The researchers analyzed the bonobos' reactions after more than 370 cases of stressful situations, such as fights and losing temper, and found that some bonobos rushed to hug those that were screaming after being attacked, just like humans would have done.
However, researchers said that not all bonobos were able to comfort others. In the protection centre, many bonobos are orphans （孤儿）whose mothers were killed by hunters. They were found to be more anxious in times of tension and have greater difficulty controlling their own emotions, malting them worse at reaching out to help friends in need.
"Orphans, who have not had the benefit of a mother helping them handling their emotions, are much worse al comforting others,” Professor Frans de Waal, one of the researchers, told The Telegraph. "Bonobos with moms were able to curb their negative emotional reactions more quickly. Therefore, they pay more attention to others.” This pattern mirrors the way that human children have been found to react. Those who seem more capable of handling their own emotions—for example, the ones who can calm themselves down more quickly after upsetting experiences—are usually better at expressing their concerns for others .
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?| A．Orphan bonobos never give a hand to friends. |
| B．There were 370 bonobos involved in the research. |
| C．Moms play a significant role in handling kids' emotions. |
| D．The ability to comfort others is unique to human beings. |
| A．express | B．observe | C．hide | D．control |
| A．A science journal | B．A travel leaflet |
| C．A literature review | D．A science fiction |
| A．To uncover the mystery of Apes. |
| B．To inform readers of a new study. |
| C．To provide better protection for Apes. |
| D．To compare human behaviors with Apes. |
5 . Your future in the performing arts doesn't have to be a dream. For over 50 years, AMDA has launched some of the most successful careers in theatre, film and television, AMDA creates industry professionals who don't just wait for life to happen-they stage their own career path. Now it's your turn.
Program description
At AMDA,we believe a performer must perform. From the first day, you'll find many performance opportunities in the three core areas of acting, musical theatre and dance, both in and out of the class-room ,as well as individual voice lessons. Over the course of your four semesters, you'll also improve your performance technique through an intensive curriculum (课程) that focuses on both basic and advanced concepts in acting, musical theatre and dance. Finally, through courses in career preparation, you'll learn how to apply all of this training to a successful career on stage and screen.
Philosophy and mission
AMDA is committed to providing a splendid performing arts education to a diverse community of creative artists, AMDA serves as both school and stage, where students are given the support and opportunity to identify their own personal objectives and to develop and improve their own distinctive artistic voices. AMDA tries to create an environment for students to develop the skills, confidence, imagination, and power to contribute to their community as artists, business people, lifelong learners, and hard-working citizens of the world. Above all,，AMDA wants to teach students that commitment and passion are the marks of a successful and joyous career.
Registration
6305 Yucca Street Los Angeles
800 -367 -7908
https： //www. amda. edu. com
1. What is the first paragraph meant to do?
| A．To attract the reader's attention. |
| B．To show AMDA’s great achievements. |
| C．To show the long history of AMDA. |
| D．To make a brief introduction about AMDA. |
| A．acting | B．dancing |
| C．playing a new instrument | D．improving their voice |
| A．a travel magazine | B．a university website |
| C．a theatre’s notice | D．an advertisement |
6 . Asthma (哮喘) and allergy (过敏) attacks have increased in the United States, despite the fact that our outdoor air quality has improved. Some researchers think these problems have increased because kids are spending too much time indoors.
When outdoors, we are exposed to different kinds of pollen (花粉) and dust. But when indoors, we are also exposed to allergens (过敏源) . Allergens cause allergies and most people know that allergens can make you sneeze, have runny eyes, and other cold-like symptoms (症状). But allergens can also lead to asthma attacks, which are more serious. Asthma symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, especially during exercise and tightness in the chest. Allergic asthma affects about three million children (8 to 12 percent of all children) and seven million adults in the United States each year!
You can get rid of the allergens from your environment! Most children with asthma are allergic to something, so staying away from the allergen should help control the asthma. If you have asthma or allergies, stay away from animals, remove the teddy bears, rugs and curtains in rooms that you spend a lot of time in. Removal of dusty things can help you breathe more easily. If it's trees and pollen that affect you, air conditioning and air filters(空气过滤器) should help.
And research helps, too! Children whose parents, brothers or sisters have asthma are more likely to develop it themselves. But even though our genes do play some part in whether or not we'll have asthma, researchers hope to make the most progress in fighting the disease by looking at the environmental aspect (方面) of asthma. The hope is that if kids are exposed to fewer allergens early in life, they'll be less likely to develop allergic responses. Asthma research is performed at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases(NIAID).
1. What makes asthma and allergy attacks increase in the United States?| A．Poor outdoor air quality. | B．Not enough outdoor time. |
| C．Too much pollen and dust. | D．The decrease of people's physical condition. |
| A．Allergens in home environment can affect our health. |
| B．The number of allergens in the average home has decreased. |
| C．Asthma symptoms are the same as those of the common cold. |
| D．Allergens from outdoors are more dangerous than those in our homes. |
| A．Allergies are more serious than asthma. |
| B．People do not get asthma when they are outdoors. |
| C．We should stay away from allergens to help control asthma. |
| D．Children whose parents have asthma are certain to develop it. |
| A．In a storybook. | B．In a news report. |
| C．In a travel guide. | D．In a health magazine. |
7 . Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world. When it comes to cancer, the sooner you know you have it, the better your chances of surviving. A new blood test could change the way doctors and researchers find cancer in patients. Researchers say the test could provide evidence to the early forms of the disease.
Scientists at Swansea University in Wales came up with the idea. Gareth Jenkins is a professor at the university. “ In this blood test we don’t measure the presence of cancer; we measure the presence of mutant red blood cells which are collateral(附属的) damage that occurs---a by-product of the cancer developing.”
The researchers used normal laboratory equipment to perform the test. This equipment looks for changes in the structure of millions of red blood cells. Those mutant cells lack a surface protein that healthy cells normally have. “The main purpose of the test is to look for very rare cells which have picked up a mutation. The number of mutant red blood cells in a healthy person is around 5 or so per million. You have to look at millions of red blood cells to detect those rare events. These numbers increase in cancer patients---they go up to 40 or 50 mutants on average.”
The researchers tested blood from about 300 people, all of whom have cancer of the esophagus(食道). Patients with esophageal cancer have high levels of mutant red blood cells. Jenkins says that at this point he is not sure if other cancers will produce similar results.
The hope is that the new test and other non-invasive methods could one day become part of commonly used medical methods. He says that using a battery, or series, of tests will be the best way to find out if a person has cancer. These new technologies could save millions of lives.
1. According to the test, how do scientists find out if a person has cancer?| A．By calculating the speed of changes in the structure. |
| B．By observing the surface protein. |
| C．By looking for changes in the number of mutant red blood cells. |
| D．By measuring the presence of cancer. |
| A．Decreased. | B．Changed. | C．Increased. | D．Multiplied. |
| A．humorous | B．favorable | C．critical | D．objective |
| A．Health. | B．Fashion. | C．Education. | D．Culture. |
8 . CHICAGO-Team LeBron beat Team Giannis by two points at the 69th NBA All-Star game on Sunday at a packed United Center that fell silent for eight seconds before tip-off as about 21, 000 fans joined hands to pay their respects to global sports icon Kobe Bryant.
The silence was broken by a string of thunderous "Kobe, Kobe, Kobe, "chants that rocked the stadium as the crowd honored Bryant, who wore the No 8 and No 24 during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers that was highlighted by five National Basketball Association championships.
The stirring pre-game tribute(吊唁) began with Laker great Magic Johnson arousing the crowd and paying homage to Bryant, killed along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven victims in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Jan 26.
"We will never see another basketball player quite like Kobe," Johnson said, highlighting his work with the Los Angeles community along with the love he had for his family. "This is a tough time for the whole NBA family."
Before tip-off, the singer and actor Jennifer Hudson, who is a Chicago native, sang with a montage(敬意) of photos of Bryant and his daughter in the background.
On Friday, Bryant, who is fourth all-time in league scoring, was named a finalist to the Basketball Hall of Fame(名人堂). On Saturday, the league's commissioner, Adam Silver, announced that the league's All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award has been permanently named for Bryant.
Bryant made his NBA All-Star Game first present in 1998 at age 19—the youngest player to ever play in an All-Star Game. His 18 All-Star selections are the second-most in NBA history, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, at 19.
Players in Sunday's All-Star game wore No 2 and No 24 on their jerseys to honor Kobe and Gianna Bryant, while the game's format paid homage to Bryant.
1. What is the passage mainly about? __________| A．Team LeBron beat Team Giannis at the 69th NBA All-Star game. |
| B．Kobe Bryant was named a finalist to the Basketball Hall of Fame. |
| C．Kobe's combustions to basketball in the history of NBA. |
| D．Kobe's colleagues and fans paid their respects to the global sports icon. |
| A．The players wore Kobe's numbers in honor of the victims. |
| B．There were nine people killed in the air crash. |
| C．Kobe is the youngest Most Valuable Player in the history of NBA. |
| D．Laker's former player Magic Johnson showed respect to Bryant. |
| A．business | B．politics |
| C．biography | D．sports |
| A．respect | B．sadness |
| C．excitement | D．pity |
9 . Language Engineer Wanted
Are you a linguist（语言学家）with technical skills? Or are you an engineer with a passion for（human）languages? Come work on Alexa! We're building the speech and language solutions behind Amazon Echo and other Amazon products and services. Our goal is to delight our customers by adding new features to Alexa. We also improve our existing speech recognition and natural language processing systems.
Specifically, you will:
●design the natural language processing components of new Alexa experiences and features;
●discover and solve production issues that are impacting the Alexa customer experience;
●work with other language engineers in creating the best solutions to improve customer satisfaction.
Basic qualifications:
●Bachelor's degree in a relevant field
●Experience in computational linguistics(计算语言学), language data processing, etc.
●Experience working with speech and text language data in several languages
●Experience in Python, Perl, or other programming languages
Primary qualifications:
●Advanced degree in a relevant field
●Familiarity with database queries（数据库查询）and data analysis processes
●Experience with statistical language modeling
●Fluency in a language other than English
Application instructions:
Please click "Apply Now" and follow our online application process
Deadline: September 30, 11:59 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time（EDT）. We highly recommend that candidates submit résumés up to two weeks in advance of the deadline. Submitting on the deadline day is NOT recommended, and applications received late will not be accepted.
You must submit the name of your résumé in this exact format: LastName_FirstName_CV_Language Engineer
1. What does a language engineer do?| A．Build speech and language solutions for Google |
| B．Work with linguists to improve customer satisfaction. |
| C．Add new features to Alexa to satisfy the customers' needs. |
| D．Invent speech recognition and natural language processing systems |
| A．One with a bachelor's degree in literature |
| B．One familiar with data analysis processes |
| C．One fluent in spoken and written English. |
| D．One with years' of experience in customer service. |
| A．A webpage. | B．A newspaper. |
| C．A textbook. | D．A report. |
10 . The Impossible Burger is a burger that tastes exactly like a beef, but is made using vegetables and science. There are many kinds of plant-based burgers for people who don’t eat meat, but this one is made for meat lovers. The company that makes this burger, Impossible Foods, wants to produce all foods that we get from animals to protect the environment.
At the Impossible Foods lab in California, scientist Celeste Holz-Schietinger works on the taste of the burger. She looks for the key points of beef - its smells, sound, and look. Then those points are copied using plant-based ingredients. The key ingredient is heme(血红素), which is taken from plants and looks and tastes like blood. This ingredient gives the burger its red color before it is cooked. After cooked with these ingredients, the burger will have a crispy(脆的) and meaty taste.
The Impossible Burger has the same nutrition as beef. In fact, taste, nutrition, and reducing greenhouse gases are all important for creating the burger.
Cows are actually terrible for the environment. They need lots of land and water, and they create greenhouse gases. To make a burger, it takes as much water as a 10-minute shower, 75 square feet of land, as well as creating 18 driving miles of greenhouse gasses. However, an Impossible Burger uses 95% less land, 75% less water, and creates 85-87% less greenhouse gasses than a beef burger.
That’s why this burger was made for meat lovers. The purpose is for them to less eat meat in order to protect the environment. At the same time they can still eat delicious burgers that taste like real meat.
Want to try the Impossible Burger? It can be found in Texas, Nevada, California, and New York. Click here the Impossible Foods website for the full list of restaurants and cities.
1. What is the feature of Impossible Burger?| A．It’s environmentally friendly. | B．It’s only for meat lovers. |
| C．It’s based on plants. | D．It’s a substitute for common burger. |
| A．Production of the Impossible Burger. | B．Ingredients of the Impossible Burger. |
| C．Research for the production. | D．Work on the taste of the burger. |
| A．By drawing a conclusion | B．By making a comparison. |
| C．By doing an experiment. | D．By listing important statistics. |
| A．In a travel journal. | B．On a farm. |
| C．On a website. | D．At a restaurant. |
