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 |
2 . Vietnam aims to solve the relations between economic development and cultural preservation. Vietnamese cultural departments and activists have tried to preserve the historical and cultural relics in the country.
Vietnam now has more than 40,000 historical relics. These relics of various forms and history are treasures for future generations.
However, hundreds of relics are severely damaged due to the negative influence of time, war and human activities. Head of Hanoi Relics Management Board, Nguyen Doan Tuan, says rescue work must preserve the relics’soul: “We cannot replace ruined construction with new materials. We must preserve its shape, size and style. We need to pay attention to every brick replaced so that it looks exactly like the original.”
Most relics have to rely on tourist fees for repair and rescue work. Director of Van Mieu Cultural and Science Center, Dang Kim Ngoc, says that the relics must be promoted widely to attract more visitors and bring in more income for repair and preservation: “We provide constant guide services for visitors so that they understand more about our relics. At the same time, a natural surrounding of the relic has been ensured, including the grass field and garden to improve its scenic value.”
The local government agreed that the relics must be turned to the community for shared efforts in the preservation work. Director of Vietnam Revolution Museum Dang Quoc Quan, said that the community must be guided in the preservation and protection, “The UNESCO aims to let local community take part in the preservation of relics. We have seen limitations in the preservation of relics, especially festival-related groups of buildings. This requires management and guidance by the government.”
Nguyen Thi Minh Ly from the Department of Heritage says the community should be guided in proper behaviors towards relics: “This will ensure the protection of cultural relics in later generations Creative restoration (修复) must be based on previous(先前的) values.”
Experts have called for a systematic(系统的)guidance by the state in local level preservation while promoting creative thinking in restoration for each relic.
1. Where is the passage most probably taken from?| A．A government survey. |
| B．A research paper. |
| C．A newspaper report. |
| D．A travel guide |
| A．Human activities. |
| B．Poor building materials. |
| C．Wat influence. |
| D．The passing of time. |
| A．Guide the Community in Proper Behaviors |
| B．Replace the Ruined Construction with a New Style |
| C．Hundreds of Relics in Vietnam Are In Ruins |
| D．Experts Call for a Systematic Way to Preserve Relics |
3 . In the future, people may travel to Mars（火星)by water-powered spaceship! Today's spaceships are fine for getting things into space, but they are not so good at travelling long distances. These spaceships burn chemical fuels(燃料)and they are very expensive. Scientists say that a water-powered spaceship could make the trip to Mars much cheaper. The idea is just in the planning stages now, but scientists think such a spaceship could be developed soon.
The key to the water-powered spaceship is the engine(发动机).Regular engines push spaceships by burning fuel. The water engine will use steam, created by solar panels(太阳能板)that heat water to a high temperature. Of course, the spaceship will have to carry a lot of water for the long trip to Mars.
Today's spaceships could not carry that much water. But scientists think that a spaceship blown up like a balloon will be able to.
One Us company has already developed a spaceship like this. These spaceships are made of a strong material. Two of them have already been sent up into space, using rockets and then later filed with air. “Balloon” spaceships could be very large and carry enough water for a long trip. With the “Balloon” spaceships, enough water could be carried to power the engines and grow food during the trip. And the people on the spaceship might even get to take a hot bath!
Scientists say the biggest advantage of such a spaceship would be cost. The “Balloon” spaceship uses water to push it through space and costs about one thirtieth of a normal spaceship. Such savings naturally encourage continued research into balloon spaceships and water engines. If these scientists are correct, we may soon be on our way to Mars in a spaceship powered by water.
1. Which sentence best describes the main idea of the passage above?| A．The key to the water-powered spaceship is the engine. |
| B．In the future, people may travel to Mars by water-powered spaceship. |
| C．One US company has already developed a spaceship like this. |
| D．Scientists say the biggest advantage of such a spaceship would be cost. |
| A．use steam. |
| B．push spaceships. |
| C．heat water. |
| D．carry that much water |
| A．Take a hot bath. |
| B．Freeze dangerous things. |
| C．Blow up a balloon. |
| D．Change the surface of Mars. |
| A．www. freedictionary. com/power. |
| B．www. mooc. cn/music. |
| C．www. chinadaily. com. cn/culture. |
| D．www. space. com/spaceflight. |
4 . Answering the Community Needs of Our City
The Siver City Council recognizes that citizens have certain needs. To better meet your needs, we have made several changes to community facilities in 2020. The followings shows how we have tried to make your life better.
Transport
☆Three stations for the suburbs have been added to the western train service.
☆20 new buses for the southern line were purchased in January.
☆50 per cent of city bus-stops have been upgraded.
Communication
☆Broadband cableis now available to ll parts of the city.
☆All of the new Government buildings are smart-wired for better computer service!
Medical Facilities
☆The new state-of-the-art Nightingale Hospital was opened in June.
☆To overcome a shortage of trained medical staff at Dover Hospital, 10 doctors have been employed from overseas.
☆Some facilities at Station Street Hospital have been upgraded.
Education
☆Textbooks will be free to all primary students in 2020!
☆Rental for private schools has been reduced.
Protection and Security
☆Extra police now patrol(巡逻)the tourist areas.
☆50 new police officers graduated in July and have taken up duties in the city area.
Entertainment/Recreation
☆The new Central Community Building opened in May.
☆5,000 new fiction books were bought for the Silver City Library.
1. What’s the notice mainly about?| A．The work carried out by the people of Silver City. |
| B．The facilities available in Silver City. |
| C．Some improvements in Silver City. |
| D．Information for interested tourists. |
| A．Travel books are provided in the new library. |
| B．More bus lines and stops are bought in Silver City. |
| C．Free medical treatment is available at Station Street Hospital. |
| D．There are more police officers on duty now. |
| A．the community | B．the local government |
| C．the Silver City Library | D．a travel agency |
5 . A glimpse at Spring Festival Chinese film releases
The clock is ticking down to 2021! We’ve handpicked some films to help you get in the spirit of the season.
Hi, Mom
The film is widely regarded as the top dark horse thanks to its tear-jerking narration of mother-daughter affection, which is directed by Jia Ling.
Time： Feb. 12—14 9：30 a. m.〜11 ：30 a.m.
Place： Room 1
Treats： Popcorn, Ice cream
Price： ¥80
Detective Chinatown 3
Directed by Chen Sicheng, this movie topped the list of the most-anticipated holiday films sent by movie ticketing platform Maoyan.
Time： Feb. 14-16 1：00p. m.〜3：00P.m.
Place ： Room 2
Treats： Popcorn, Ice cream （for free）
Price： ¥75
A Writer\ Odyssey
Director Lu Yang showed a boldly imaginative visualization of a horrible fantasy world, taking the third seat with 410 million yuan.
Time： Feb. 13—17 9 ：30 a. m. 11 ：30 a. m.
Place： Room 3
Price： ¥65
Endgame
The film illustrates a comical up and down fate between an unsuccessful theater actor and a famous professional assassin（刺客）who loses his memory accidentally.
Time： Feb. 15 — 18 3：30 p. m.〜5：30 p. m.
Place： Room 4
Price： ¥60
Welcome to book through the WeChat account!
1. Which room will show a film about family love?| A．Room 1. | B．Room 2. | C．Room 3. | D．Room 4. |
| A．Feb. 16 3：00 a. m. | B．Feb. 15 2：00 p. m. |
| C．Feb. 18 2：00 p. m. | D．Feb. 14 11 ：00 a. m. |
| A．A report. | B．A poster. | C．A journal. | D．A guidebook. |
6 . Have you ever wondered if you see the same colours as other people? Most people know what blue is when they see it. They call it "blue” because they were taught the word and connected it with what they saw. But how do you know what you see as blue isn't someone else's red?
The ability to perceive （感知）different colours is up to receptors （接受器）in our eyes. Light waves hit these receptors and they react depending on which colour the light is, sending signals to the brain. The brain then reads these signals to determine which colour light the eyes are receiving.
Some people's receptors are more developed than others. The inability of the receptor to feel the light waves correctly means that some people cannot tell the differences between similar colours. Those with more developed receptors can see more colours. We sometimes hear people having an argument about whether something is dark blue or black. It might be because one person has stronger receptors to feel the light than another.
In the past, most scientists would argue that everyone saw colours in the same way. However, research was conducted on monkeys, in which their receptors were changed. This enabled them to see more colours than usual. Normally monkeys can only see blue and green, but the change allowed them to see red. Their brains automatically got used to new colours. This suggests that our brains may find new colors of the things we see. Colours could be a very personal experience , unique to everyone.
So, the next time you talk about your favourite colour, just remember if yours is blue and your friend says red, you two might actually be thinking about the same colour. What if everyone in the world has the same favourite colour, but just calls it different names?
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．How we perceive colours. |
| B．The inability to see colours. |
| C．What the brain does with signals. |
| D．The connection between receptors and light waves. |
| A．Some people cannot feel colours with their developed receptors. |
| B．The more light people feel, the weaker receptors they have. |
| C．People with poor receptors usually have colour weakness. |
| D．People who have strong receptors can see dark blue. |
| A．To test the monkeys with colours. |
| B．To develop the receptors of humans. |
| C．To enable monkeys to find more colors. |
| D．To prove everyone sees colours in a different way. |
| A．A film review. | B．A science magazine. |
| C．An art journal. | D．A business newspaper. |
7 . Born in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province, 30-year-old Dong Yaxue, a Chinese researcher working for NASA is currently a member of NASA's MAVEN(Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) team.
On Nov 5, Dong was invited to speak at a NASA news conference, in which the organization said the atmosphere on Mars can be stripped by solar winds. She is the first Chinese female scientist to participate in a NASA news conference.
Dong graduated from Chengdu's Shishi High School in 2003 and was later admitted by University of Science and Technology of China. She got her master's and doctor's degree in astrophysics from Rice University in the United States.
Last year, Dong joined the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado and began working for MAVEN after handing in her resume and taking part in a phone interview. Now her main job is to analyze satellite data and compare the results to theoretical predictions.
“The findings released during the new conference are very important and may change the content of school textbooks.” Dong told Chengdu Business Daily.
“It has also provided new information and guidance for future Mars exploration.”
Interested in technical work, Dong said she was never bored at work and will continue focusing on data analysis next year.
“This is the first time that my job got so much attention.” She also added that she found great pleasure in both exploring Mars and eating hot pot.
He Jianming, Dong's high school teacher, said that physics is difficult for many girls but not for Dong Yaxue. As a middle school student, she won first prize in the national physics contest.
He said Dong was not the top student in her school. “she never got first in the class, usually ranking tenth to twentieth. But her scores of all subjects were even.”
1. Which of the following statements is NOT right according to the passage?| A．Dong is the first Chinese scientist who appeared in a NASA news conference. |
| B．Dong devotes herself to analyzing data and comparing the theoretical predictions. |
| C．The findings released are landmarks, which may change what we are learning. |
| D．Dong's outstanding performance does great credit to his mother school. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Military. | C．Politics. | D．Sci-Tech. |
| A．excellent | B．embarrassing | C．balanced | D．unstable |
8 . Every week in China, millions of people will sit in front of their TVs watching teenagers compete for the title Character Hero, which is a Chinese-style spelling bee. In this challenge, young competitors must write Chinese characters by hand. To prepare for the competition, the competitors usually spend months studying dictionaries.
Perhaps the show’s popularity should not be a surprise. Along with gunpowder and paper, many Chinese people consider the creation of Chinese calligraphy(书法) to be one of their primary contributions to civilization. Unfortunately, all over the country, Chinese people are forgetting how to write their own language without computerized help. Software on smart phones and computers allows users to type in the basic sound of the word using the Latin alphabet. The correct character is chosen from a list. The result? It’s possible to recognize characters without remembering how to write them.
But there’s still hope for the paint brush. China’s Education Ministry wants children to spend more time learning how to write.
In one Beijing primary school we visited, students practice calligraphy every day inside a specially decorated classroom with traditional Chinese paintings hanging on the walls. Soft music plays as a group of six-year-olds dip brush pens into black ink. They look up at the blackboard often to study their teacher’s examples before carefully attempting to reproduce those characters on thin rice paper. “If adults can survive without using handwriting, why bother to teach it now?” we ask the calligraphy teacher, Shen Bin. “The ability to write characters is part of Chinese tradition and culture,” she reasons. “Students must learn now so they don’t forget when they grow up.” says the teacher.
1. What can we learn about the Character Hero?| A．It’s open to people of all ages and all walks. |
| B．It’s the most-viewed TV programs in China. |
| C．It aims to spread Chinese culture to the world. |
| D．It draws great public attention across the country. |
| A．Chinese people don’t refer to dictionaries very often. |
| B．Chinese people no longer use brush pens or practice calligraphy. |
| C．Chinese people are using the Latin alphabet instead of the characters. |
| D．Chinese people needn’t write by hand as often with the help of technology. |
| A．necessary for adults to survive in China |
| B．a requirement made by the Education Ministry |
| C．helpful to keep Chinese tradition and culture alive |
| D．an ability to be developed only when you are students |
| A．A news report. | B．A science report. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．Children’s literature. |
9 . The Chinese government has issued (发布) new rules aimed at controlling young people’s addiction to video games. Senior officials believe that this problem is the reason why more and more young people in the whole society are suffering from myopia (近视) and poor learning.
The National Press and Publication Administration announced on Tuesday that the rules don’t allow users under the age of 18 to play between 10 pm and 8 am, no more than 90 minutes on non-holidays, and no more than 3 hours on weekends and other holidays.
These restrictions (限制) are the latest in the government’s attempt to control the Chinese online gaming industry. It is the world’s largest market with annual incomes of more than $33 billion and attracts hundreds of millions of users.
Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, Chinese officials have taken stronger measures to watch over large technology companies and promote them to help spread the cultural values advocated (提倡) by the Communist Party of China.
Video games have become a universal goal. The official media likened some games to “poisons” and banned (禁止) some games on the grounds of their being too violent.
Xi Jinping publicly talked about the problem of poor eyesight in children last year, putting more pressure on officials to take action.
According to the National Press and Publication Administration, minors (未成年人) must use real names and ID numbers when they log into the game. These rules also limit the amount of money that young people can use to buy virtual items such as weapons, clothing, and pets through the app. Depending on the age, users can spend 200 to 400 on them at the most per month.
Chinese officials said that these regulations are aimed at fighting against Internet addiction.
“These issues affect the physical and mental health and normal learning life of minors,” the National Press and Publication Administration said in a statement issued by the official news agency Xinhua.
1. What led to the Chinese Government’s issuing the new rules?| A．Minors addicting to video games. | B．Government’s lack of money. |
| C．Young people dropping out of school. | D．Poor learning situation in China. |
| A．Playing the video games from 7 am to 9 am on Saturday. |
| B．Playing the video games from 7 pm to 9 pm on Tuesday. |
| C．Playing the video games from 3 pm to 4 pm on Sunday. |
| D．Playing the video games at 11 pm during the Spring Festival. |
| A．because of | B．in addition to | C．in need of | D．except for |
| A．A guidebook | B．A newspaper | C．A novel | D．A website |
10 . Trust me, you don’t want to get caught under a tsunami! Tsunamis are one of the world’s most powerful natural forces. They can cause huge amounts of damage.
But do you know exactly what a tsunami is? They are huge, powerful waves in the ocean that grow as they reach the shore. Most tsunamis are actually caused by earthquakes. An earthquake happens when a big piece of the Earth’s crust( 地 壳 ) suddenly moves. When the piece of ocean floor moves, it creates big holes. The water floods in to fill these holes. When the water moves that quickly, it creates a huge wave. This is how tsunamis are born!
Other natural disasters like landslides, volcanic eruptions, and glaciers breaking off can also cause tsunamis. Once the water starts moving because of the force of the disaster, large waves begin to spread. These waves can move very fast. They have been recorded at speeds from 400 up to 500 miles per hour! They can also move across very long distances.
At first, the waves of the tsunami may not seem that tall. That’s because when the waves travel through the deep parts of the ocean, the top of each wave is very short. But as that wave comes near to the coast, it grows in height. Remember, the tsunami travels quickly. If you are sitting on a beach, you may not see the wave coming at first. But when the wave arrives, it will be like a towering wall of water. Some waves are as tall as 100 feet high. The biggest tsunami ever recorded happened in 1958 in Lituya Bay, Alaska. The wave was over 1,720 feet tall, and it wiped out trees, vegetation, and everything else in its way.
As frightening as tsunamis can be, you don’t need to worry too much about them. They don’t happen that often. Only about two tsunamis happen every year. And it is said that serious, really damaging tsunamis only happen about every fifteen years. So don’t worry.
1. Based on the information in the article, which natural disaster is not responsible for causing a tsunami?| A．tornado | B．volcanic eruption | C．earthquake | D．landslides |
| A．2 hours | B．3 hours | C．4 hours | D．5 hours |
| A．The waves of the tsunami always move slowly over a long distance. |
| B．People on a ship in the deep ocean will notice a tsunami at once as soon as it forms. |
| C．When people on the beach first notice a tsunami, the waves are not tall. |
| D．People will not notice a tsunami until it gets close to the coast. |
| A．in a newspaper | B．in a science magazine | C．in a textbook | D．in a story book |
