1 . When you are travelling in Thailand, which means of transport is the best choice?
You can rent a variety of motorbikes or bikes in Thailand. It seems to be very popular in most of the beaches and islands along the places in the north. The most popular bikes are the little 125 cc Honda Dream which you can get for about 150 baht (铢)a day or as little as 3,000 baht per month, making it the cheapest way to tour Thailand for the people from other countries.
Sometimes you will have to go somewhere by taxi. When you are in cities in Thailand, especially in Bangkok, always remember to get a taxi that is traveling on the roads. Some drivers outside hotels refuse to use the meter (计程表). They will ask a price which is several times the price when they use the meter!
The quality of the roads in Thailand is generally pretty good, so renting cars is another way to get around. The big car rental companies may offer you slightly older cars at a very reasonable price. It is a little surprising considering that the cost of buying a car in Thailand is more than that in the West. Petrol is also reasonably priced in Thailand, more expensive than American prices, but much cheaper than what is paid in Europe. In the past, Bangkok could be a difficult place to drive in—signs were generally in Thai (泰语)only, making it a hard job to find exactly where you were by looking around. But now, the situation is improved. In a lot of places, even the farthest corners of the country, street signs are in both Thai and English.
1. To a foreigner, the cheapest way to get around Thailand is renting a ______.| A．car | B．taxi | C．bike | D．motorbike |
| A．To take a taxi going on the road. | B．To take a taxi parked outside hotels. |
| C．To make sure there is a meter in it. | D．To bargain with the driver over the price. |
| A．Because there were too many traffic jams on the roads. |
| B．Because there were no signs showing directions. |
| C．Because the signs were written only in their own language. |
| D．Because the quality of the roads was not good. |
| A．Entertainment | B．Tourism | C．Market | D．Advertisement |
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1. How much should you pay to buy a pair of HCR3?| A．$229. | B．$249. |
| C．$458. | D．$478. |
| A．It can reduce noise automatically. |
| B．It has little in common with previous hearing aids. |
| C．It makes speech understood more easily with no whistling. |
| D．It’s rechargeable and can work for 16 hours if fully charged. |
| A．A magazine. | B．A business report. |
| C．A textbook. | D．A guidebook. |
3 . A night in the African rainforest camping under the stars is just one of the many never-to-be-forgotten experiences of our latest offer to Weekly News readers.
Day 1: The 5* Victoria Falls Hotel will meet your needs during your first day in Africa after the 30 km drive from the international airport. Located only minutes from the falls, the hotel has splendid views of the breathtaking waters.
Day 2: Your night under the stars, within few minutes’ walk of the Victoria Falls. Our purpose-built campsite offers our guests a chance to feel the atmosphere of the rainforest. Your evening starts with a great barbecue cooked by our head chef, followed by a program of African music and dance. Then, as moon rises and the stars shine, you retire to your tent to sleep or to listen to the fascinating sounds of the African rainforest.
Days 3-4: The 5* Zimbabwe National Hotel will accommodate you in the heart of the Zimbabwean wilderness. By jeep from your campsite near the Falls, you arrive at midday via the Zambezi river. The hotel offers you everything you would expect from 5* luxury hotel. In the evening, enjoy our international menu, or relax in the gardens. Those who love adventure can join our specially arranged rafting trip down the Zambezi river.
Days 5-6: Arrive by helicopter at the 5* Plaza Hotel, only 20 minutes’ drive from the airport. Day 5 includes an amazing safari to see some of the world’s most unusual animals in their natural habitats. On the final day, you can make shopping trip into town.
Included in this special offer: 6 nights in 5* hotel accommodation. Depart from London Heathrow Airport. Bed and breakfast meal basis. Price (£1, 355) is per person based on two people sharing a room.
1. During Day 2, the tourists will have a chance to _________.| A．cook a barbecue | B．dance African dances |
| C．have a sleep outdoors | D．walk around the rainforest |
| A．helicopter | B．ship | C．jeep | D．raft |
| A．Day 1 | B．Day 2 | C．Day 3 | D．Day 6 |
| A．can enjoy free meals during the whole trip |
| B．have to pay extra money for a single room |
| C．should book in advance to get a discount |
| D．are required to be London locals |
| A．A travel guide. | B．A geography textbook. |
| C．A hotel advertisement. | D．An introduction to Weekly News. |
4 . Every four or five years, vast quantities of warm water build up along the west coast of South America. This phenomenon, El Nino, creates storms that cause destructive floods. The result is costly.
Modern farmers come to terms with El Nino. They use money saved in good years to rebuild in bad ones. But history suggests it need not be like that. In a paper published recently, Ari Caramanica, an archaeologist at University of the Pacific, in Lima, shows how it used to be done. And the answer seems to be, “better”.
Dr Caramanica and her colleagues have been studying the Pampa de Mocan, a coastal desert plain in northern Peru. Pampa de Mocan is not suitable for farming. Its soil contains little organic matter and the annual rainfall in non-Nino years is usually less than two centimeters. Today’s farmers therefore depend on canals to carry water from local rivers to their fields.
It had been assumed that ancient farmers had a similar arrangement — and so they did. But Dr Caramanica also found eight canals that could carry water far beyond the range of modern farms. She thinks that they were intended to guide the floodwaters arriving during Nino years. Around a quarter of the ancient agricultural infrastructure of this area seems to have been built only for managing Nino-generated floodwaters.
Evidence from pollen supports this theory, revealing that Pampa de Mocan produced lots of crops in some years, while remaining nearly barren in others. The team also uncovered two cisterns in the area serviced by the extended canals. These, probably, were used to store extra flood-water.
These findings suggest that, rather than resisting El Nino, early farmers in Pampa de Mocan were ready to make use of it when it arrived. Modern farmers might do well to learn from them.
1. What does the recent study focus on?| A．Living with El Nino. | B．Effects of El Nino. |
| C．Farming on desert. | D．Water shortage in Peru. |
| A．Ancient farmers. | B．Rivers. | C．Farms. | D．Canals. |
| A．Every advantage has its disadvantage. | B．In every difficulty lies an opportunity. |
| C．Sharp tools make good work. | D．It’s never too late to mend. |
| A．Education. | B．Travel. | C．Business. | D．Science. |
5 . Teach abroad as an English Language Assistant
Established in 1905, the British Council’s English Language Assistants (ELA) programme is a major UK mobility initiative that offers paid teaching placements abroad, providing a perfect opportunity to travel, teach and gain invaluable experience along the way.
Every year we send around 2,500 English Language Assistants from the UK to support the teaching of English in 14 countries around the world.
Applications for the 2021—2022 academic year
Online applications for the 2021—2022 programme are scheduled to open on Wednesday 28 October 2020. Full details and the link to the online application system will be available via this webpage. Before applying, please make sure you first check the qualification requirements.
Am I eligible(合适的) for the English Language Assistants programme?
To be eligible to apply, you must meet all of the following criteria:
● Be highly proficient(熟练的) in English
●Meet the language requirements
●Hold a UK/Irish or European passport
●Have lived in the UK for a minimum of two years and be eligible to apply for an International Child Protection Certificate
●Hold the minimum academic qualifications
Please note that some of the information on this website currently relates to the 2020—2021 programme, but will be updated once the 2021—2022 programme application cycle is underway.
1. What opportunity will the programme provide?| A．All-expense-paid trips. | B．Practical teaching experience abroad. |
| C．Studying different languages. | D．Training for qualified teachers. |
| A．The age of the applicant. | B．High proficiency in English. |
| C．Time span of living in America. | D．Invaluable experience in teaching. |
| A．A travel book. | B．An English newspaper. |
| C．The Internet. | D．An English radio programme. |
6 . This Cheap Drone Might Be The Best Selling Gift Of 2021
Phone selfies are boring. People aren't doing them anymore and they've become unpopular.
First,there was the standard selfie, then the selfie stick, and now the next evolution of the selfie has arrived!
What Are We Talking About?
It's the new Drone X Pro, a brand new type of drone made so that anyone can fly it. It's perfect for making the ultimate selfies! The Drone X Pro was designed by two German engineers who love drones.They found that the drones they had were very big,heavy and difficult to travel with. So, they designed this ultra-compact, light drone.
How Does It Work?
You have to install an app (just scan the QR code in the manual). It's all very easy. Once you have done that, just plug in the battery, connect to your drone and start up the app. In less than 10 seconds you're ready to fly your drone! The controls are just superb and flying the drone feels natural.
Once you're in the air, it's time to use the built-in camera. You can take the most amazing pictures and videos from otherwise impossible angles and impress your friends with the coolest selfies!
What's the price and good?
They sell it for only $99 (link here),which is tremendously cheap for a drone of this quality! The main benefits of the Drone X Pro are its portability, price,camera and its ease of use.
1. Who is the text most probably intended for?| A．the tourists. |
| B．camera lovers. |
| C．selfie lovers. |
| D．selfie producers. |
| A．It was designed by two German engineers. |
| B．It is no longer huge and weighty but very expensive. |
| C．It is portable and user-friendly. |
| D．It is based on app and assisted by solar power. |
| A．a travel guide. |
| B．an advertisement. |
| C．a brochure. |
| D．a textbook. |
7 . A four-wheeled pod shaped like a space capsule on riverside roads trundles slowly among people who run, walk, cycle and lead dogs. At a maximum speed of 10 mph, the car beeps as it moves regularly between the Inter Continental Hotel in the west of the peninsula and apartment blocks in the east.
The biggest surprise about the vehicle is not its futuristic appearance but how it is controlled. While current safety rules require a human to monitor the vehicle’s performance and step in to avoid crashes, the pod largely drives itself. It is one of several experiments worldwide aimed at exploring how autonomous vehicles might mesh with city transport systems. All are looking at how a technology being developed mainly for US highways can work in the more confined, chaotic space of city streets.
At the heart of these efforts is an attempt to work out whether driverless vehicles will ease or worsen the impact that private car travel has had on many cities following the highway-building craze of the mid-20th century.
Some fear the technology could prompt more journeys by private motor vehicles rather than more space-efficient public transport. If the technology provides comfortable, stress-free, private journeys, it might also prompt people to commute daily from further afield, generating yet more traffic.
Experts concerned about such impacts on behaviour argue it is vital that the roll-out of autonomous vehicle technology goes hand-in-hand with a rethink of how it is used.
David Begg, a former chairman of the UK’s Commission for Integrated Transport, accepts that autonomous vehicles will use road space more efficiently but says the problem remains that cars take up too much space for the people they carry. On average, most vehicles contain little more than one person — the driver.
“There’s no doubt autonomous vehicles can allow us to squeeze more vehicles into a given amount of capacity because they’re bumper-to-bumper and side-by-side,” prof Begg says. “Unless we can increase vehicle occupancy up from 1.1, we’re moving too much fresh air and not enough people.”
1. What do we know about driverless vehicles?| A．Driverless vehicle travels at an average speed of 10 mph. |
| B．Driverless vehicle drives itself to a great degree. |
| C．Driverless vehicles’ appearance is the same as common cars. |
| D．Most driverless vehicles contain more than one person. |
| A．deserted | B．tidy. | C．straight. | D．narrow. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．concerned | C．Positive. | D．Sympathetic. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Health. | C．Education. | D．Science. |
8 . Interested in becoming a skydiver? Learn to skydive in SC with Skydive Carolina.We offer the most comprehensive skydive training in the United States with our AFP — Accelerated Freefall Progression program. All jumps are video recorded and are used during video debriefs (任务报告) after the skydive for immediate feedback and learning.
What is AFP?
AFP is a comprehensive, 16 jump program designed to train an individual with a strong foundation to become a solo, certified skydiver by building strong freefall and canopy skills. Upon completion of the AFP program, students will need to make 9 solo jumps and learn to pack in order to attain an A license.
What is an A license?
An A license certifies that a skydiver can safely jump with other skydivers and visit other skydiving centers.Attaining an A license requires a physical test, passing of a written test, a United States Parachute Association membership, a minimum of 25 jumps and showing ability to pack a parachute.
How is AFP different from tandem training?
Unlike a tandem skydive, your first jump will have you at the controls flying your very own parachute! On your first skydive, two instructors will jump alongside you giving you feedback using hand signals throughout the skydive. At the end of the freefall, you will deploy your own parachute and our ground crew will then talk you down via wireless radio giving you instructions based on the flight plan introduced during the first jump course. Click here to see an example of what jump number one looks like!
1. When you have skydive training with AFP,________.| A．you can watch video before skydiving |
| B．your jumps will be set down immediately |
| C．you will get feedback by watching videos |
| D．you must do some video debriefs first |
| A．will be flying your very own parachute |
| B．will be accompanied by two instructors |
| C．can talk to the instructors via wireless radio |
| D．can get feedback by watching video |
| A．A travel journal. |
| B．A sports magazine. |
| C．A newspaper. |
| D．A website. |
9 . When people see machines that respond like humans, or computers that perform amazing functions, they sometimes joke about a future in which humanity will need to accept robot overlords(霸主). But buried in the joke is a seed of unease. Science-fiction movies have ever shown us about artificial intelligence (AI) that escapes its creators’ control.
Even in the real world, not everyone is ready to welcome AI with open arms. In recent years, as computer scientists have pushed the boundaries(界限) of what AI can accomplish, leading figures in technology and science have warned about the frightening dangers that artificial intelligence may pose to human beings, even suggesting that AI could destroy the human race. But why are people so frightened about the idea of AI?
Elon Musk is one of the famous voices that have raised red flags about AI. In July 2017, Musk told people at a meeting of the National Governors Association, “I have exposure to the very cutting-edge AI, and I think people should be really concerned about it. I keep sounding the alarm bell. But until people see robots going down the street killing people, they don’t know how to react, because it seems so impossible. ”
Earlier, in 2014, Musk had labeled AI “our biggest existential threat”, and in August 2017, he declared that humanity faced a great risk from AI.
Physicist Stephen Hawking, who died on March 14, also expressed concerns about AI, telling the BBC in 2014 that “the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”
It’s also less than reassuring that some programmers—particularly those with MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts—seem determined to prove that AI can be terrifying.
1. What are top scientists in AI worried about?| A．It has wonderful functions. |
| B．It contributes too much to movies. |
| C．It may end the human race some day. |
| D．It’s ability to bury our seeds in jokes. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Ambiguous. |
| C．Understanding. | D．Supportive. |
| A．Be a great threat to human beings. |
| B．Learn the human emotions like fear. |
| C．Predict the future of the human race. |
| D．Turn horrible tales into scary stories. |
| A．Technology. | B．Health. |
| C．Culture. | D．Nature. |
10 . One of the tallest wooden buildings in Europe, a 98m timber mixture skyscraper, is to rise in Berlin.
The 29-storey WoHo Tower, to be designed by a firm of Norwegian architects, is intended to be a “light-house project” for low-carbon construction, towering over Potsdamer Platz and the Landwehr Canal.
Its core, including lifts and a staircase, is to be built around a steel-reinforced concrete structure but the rest of the building, including flats, offices, cafes and a kindergarten, will be fashioned down wooden beams and panels.
“As Norwegians, we are used to working a lot with timber,” Nicolai Riise, CEO of the Mad Architects’ Practice said.
“The thing about timber is that it demonstrates sustainability from top to bottom. The carbon footprint is close to zero and it’s a fantastic material to build with. If you look at this in a broader way, it’s one of the ways we are going to be able to beat the climate crisis.”
Wooden skyscrapers, once regarded as an unprofitable pipe dream, have become a realistic prospect with the coming of cross-laminated building techniques and more flexible planning laws. Because these structures’ parts are fit with care, they can be far lighter than their concrete equivalents and are thought to be relatively resistant to fire. A cubic meter of wood can also take an estimated ton of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
Larger wooden structures are planned elsewhere. London is examining blueprints for the 300-meter Oakwood Tower. A project in Tokyo could rise to 350m.
1. What can we know about WoHo Tower?| A．It will be among the tallest in Europe. | B．It will be mostly made of wood. |
| C．It is designed by a Norwegian architect. | D．Its core is to be built with timber. |
| A．Timber is too flexible. | B．Timber is easy to process. |
| C．Timber is eco-friendly. | D．Timber is multi-functional. |
| A．The concrete equivalents. | B．Creative planning. |
| C．Fire-resistant materials. | D．New building techniques. |
| A．World. | B．Comment. | C．Literature. | D．Business. |
