1 . The Palace Museum, known as the Forbidden City, was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the early 15th century, large－size construction caused 100, 000 common people to lead a hard life. The construction took 14 years and was finished in 1420. In the following year, the capital of the Ming Dynasty was moved from Nanjing to Beijing. Twenty－four emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties ruled from the Forbidden City. The Last dynasty fell in 1911, but Emperor Puyi still lived in the inner court. It was not until 1925 that the complex buildings were changed into a museum. Since then, the Palace has been opened to the public.
The Palace Museum is rectangular in shape, about 960 meters long from north to south and 750 meters wide from west to east. There is a 10－meter－high wall, encircled by a 52－meter－wide moat. In the Ming Dynasty, the wood needed for the building was brought mostly from Sichuan and Hunan Provinces, while in the Qing Dynasty, it was cut from the northeast of China. Most of the stones were mined from the suburban district of Fangshan and other districts. Construction of the Forbidden City brought huge hardship to the laboring people.
The palace is the largest piece of ancient Chinese architecture still standing. Some of the buildings were damaged by lightning and rebuilt in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The palace has been expanded several times, but the original design was preserved. After liberation, some costly renovations were done and the Palace Museum is listed as one of the most important historical sites under special preservation by the Chinese government.
1. What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?| A．The origin of the name “the Forbidden City”. |
| B．The Forbidden City and emperors. |
| C．The open to the public of the Forbidden City. |
| D．The period of the construction of the Forbidden City. |
| A．1911 | B．1421 | C．1406 | D．1420 |
| A．The emperors’ cruelty brought the Forbidden City into the world. |
| B．The processing of constructing the Forbidden City needed wood and stones from all over the country. |
| C．The Forbidden City is the largest piece of ancient Chinese architecture still standing. |
| D．The Forbidden City is about 720, 000 square meters. |
| A．customs and habits |
| B．dynasties and emperors |
| C．history and emperors |
| D．architecture and history |
2 . 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. |
3 . Do you live in a city? You’ve probably noticed how noisy and crowded life in a city can be. What if you could live next to a calm lake instead?
As it turns out, living near bodies of water – lakes, rivers, ponds, even oceans – can help us feel both happier and healthier. Those who live less than a kilometer from the coast are around 22 percent less likely to have mental health problems than those who live 50 kilometers or more away, according to a study by researchers from the University of Exeter, UK. People who visit the coast at least twice a week tend to experience better general and mental health as well.
So how does “blue space” make us feel better? For one thing, aquatic environments tend to have less pollution and more sunlight, both of which are linked to better mental and physical health. People who get more sun tend to be happier than those who do not.
There’s also the air above the sea. After spending time near the ocean, you might find that you feel more relaxed than usual. This is because sea air is filled with negative ions（负离子）. These ions balance our levels of serotonin（血清素）, a chemical that affects our moods. With balanced serotonin levels, we feel more calm and relaxed, according to Daily Mail.
Finally, people who live near water tend to be more physically active, according to the Guardian. Water sports like swimming and rowing can help us stay in shape, which in turn keeps us healthy.
1. What did the researchers from the University of Exeter find?| A．Living near water can improve our mental health. |
| B．An increasing number of people don’t like living in cities. |
| C．Living near water has more advantages than living in cities. |
| D．People with mental health problems mainly come from cities. |
| A．natural |
| B．outdoor |
| C．oceanic |
| D．clean |
| A．They are chemicals in our bodies. |
| B．They can only be found in sea air. |
| C．They can help people reduce stress. |
| D．They increase serotonin in our bodies. |
| A．Health. |
| B．Travel. |
| C．Environment. |
| D．Entertainment. |
4 . Smart Home Products for Living a Connected Life
What makes something a smart home product? Generally, it’s defined by its ability to connect to a Wi-Fi network, allowing users to interact（互动）with it from their smartphones.We’ve rounded up some cool, diverse offerings that you’ll love to have in your home.
Nest Cam IQ
walmart.com
$299.00
The Nest Cam IQ is a beautifully designed home security camera that can recognize faces. It can warn you if there’s a stranger in your home. The device also supports two-way communication via built-in microphones and a powerful speaker.
Logitech Harmony Elite
amazon.com
$249.99
The Logitech Harmony Elite is one of the best universal remote controls available on the market. It can control just about every piece of electronics you own（it supports over 270，000 devices！）in every room of your house or apartment, including TVs，streaming devices, and sound systems.
Apple HomePod
bhphotovideo.com
$349.00
The Apple HomePod has better audio quality than any other smart speaker available today. Available in white or space gray, the Siri-powered device also allows you to control a number of devices with your voice.
August Smart Lock Pro
amazon.com
$279.99
The August Smart Lock Pro is compatible（兼容的）with most locks. A mobile app allows you to manage access to the lock, check its usage history, and get informed when someone opens the door. You can control it and check on the state of your door with voice commands.
1. What can the Nest Cam IQ help you do？| A．Properly use your smartphone camera |
| B．Control electronics with your voice. |
| C．Check the locks of your house. |
| D．Keep your home safe. |
| A．Nest Cam IQ. |
| B．Apple HomePod. |
| C．August Smart Lock Pro. |
| D．Logitech Harmony Elite. |
| A．Technology. |
| B．News. |
| C．Society. |
| D．Education. |
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1. Mr. and Mrs. White visited Sweet Tomatoes with two kids, Sara, age 7; Tom, age 4. They have to pay _______ for the meal.
| A．110 | B．120 |
| C．150 | D．180 |
| A．To invite a friend. | B．To save money. |
| C．To get a VIP card. | D．To be a reader of China Daily. |
| A．In a story book. | B．In a math book. |
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