1 . In 2016, China released guidelines forbidding weird(古怪的) construction, shifting their focus to the “economic, green and beautiful”. Now a new plan certainly fits the bill—Liuzhou Forest City, designed by the Italian firm Stefano Boeri Architetti, will be under construction in southern China.
The 175hectare, selfcontained neighborhood will contain more than 70 buildings—including homes, hospitals, hotels, schools and offices—all of which will be covered with 40, 000 trees and almost a million plants.This is the first experiment of the urban environment that's really trying to find a balance with nature.
The idea behind the project is to combine as many plants with the architecture as possible. The plants are expected to absorb almost 10, 000 tons of carbon dioxide and 57 tons of pollutants per year, and produce 900 tons of oxygen a year, while also decreasing the air temperature and providing a new habitat for displaced wildlife. Solar panels(控制板) on the roofs will collect renewable energy to power the buildings.
The project comes on the heels of Stefano Boeri Architetti's Vertical Forest, two residential towers in Milan covered in the equivalent(等同物) of five acres of forest.
“We started to imagine if it was possible to create an urban environment by planting many trees in the city, ”Boeri said. China, in his eyes, provided the perfect background for such an ambitious project.
But the project's completion is a long way off.Construction is set to begin in 2020.Boeri said there is still a lot of planning and research required before a projected completion date can be set. He remains, however, optimistic about the project, and confident about its aim. “I really think that bringing forests into the city is a way to reduce climate change, ”he said.
1. What can be concluded from the first two paragraphs?| A．A ban will be stopped quickly. |
| B．An Italian company will pay for the new plan. |
| C．A new neighborhood will satisfy the guidelines. |
| D．All strange buildings in China have been torn down. |
| A．Purifying the air around. | B．Controlling the climate of the area. |
| C．Providing habitats for all the wildlife. | D．Supplying solar energy to the world. |
| A．Looks like. | B．Follows. | C．Differs from. | D．Equals. |
| A．A future forest city. | B．Liuzhou's development. |
| C．China's citybuilding policy. | D．How to change a city's climate. |
In the future your automobile will run on water instead of gas! You will be able to buy a supercomputer that fits in your pocket! You might even drive a flying car!
Not all past predictions have been proven wrong. A few of them have been surprisingly accurate. Some great thinkers predicted the arrival of the credit card, the fax machine and even the Internet — years before they happened. But for each prediction that has come true, some others have missed by a mile. Many of these predictions didn't consider how people would want to use the technology or whether people really needed these high-tech things in their lives or not. Let’s look at some predictions from the not-too-distant past.
Robot helpers
Where's the robot in my kitchen? Nowhere, of course. And he's probably not coming anytime soon. Robots do exist today, but mostly in factories and other working environments.
Back in the 1950s, however, people said that by now personal robots would be in most people’s homes.
So why hasn’t it happened? Maybe because robots are still too expensive and clumsy. And probably the idea of robots cooking our dinners and washing our clothes is just too strange. At home we seem to be doing fine without them.
Telephones of tomorrow
In 1964 an American company introduced the video telephone. They said by the year 2000 most people would have a video phone in their homes. But of course the idea hasn’t caught on yet.
Why? The technology worked fine, but it overlooked something obvious: people desire for privacy. Would you want to have a video phone conversation with someone after you just stepped out of the shower? Probably not — it could be uncomfortable! Just because technology doesn’t always mean people will want to use it.
And finally, how about that crazy prediction of the flying car? It’s not so crazy any more! But a flying car remains one of the most wonderful technology ideas to catch our imagination. Keep watching the news or perhaps the sky outside your window to see what the future will bring.
1. Robot helpers haven't been used in most people’s homes because .| A．using this kind of robot at home is simply a waste of time and money |
| B．this kind of robot hasn’t been developed yet |
| C．people find it difficult to control this kind of robot |
| D．this kind of robot won’t bring people practical use |
| A．become popular | B．become enjoyable |
| C．come into sight | D．come to life |
| A．It is too difficult to imagine. |
| B．It is too crazy to realize. |
| C．It is likely to appear in the future. |
| D．It has been the focus of the news. |
| A．predictions that catch our imagination |
| B．predictions that haven’t come true |
| C．new technology that can benefit our life |
| D．new technology that is in wide use |
3 . Millions of people pass through the gates of the Disney parks in California, Florida and Tokyo, Japan each year. What makes these places almost universal attractions? What makes foreign kings and queens and other important people want to visit these Disney parks? Well, one reason is the way Disney serves their “guests”.
All new employees, from vice-presidents to part- time workers, begin their employment by attending Disney University and taking “Traditions”. Here, they learn about the company’s history, how it is managed and why it is successful. They are shown how each department relates to the whole. All employees are shown how their part is important in making the park a success.
After passing “Traditions”, the employees go on to more specialized training for their specific jobs. No detail is missed. A simple job like taking tickets requires eight-hour days of training. When one ticket taker was asked why it took so much training for such a simple, ordinary job, he replied, “What happens if someone wants to know where the restrooms are, when the parade starts or which bus to take back to the campgrounds? We need to know the answers or where to get them quickly. Our constant aim is to help our guests enjoy themselves.”
Even Disney's managers get involved in the daily management of the park. Every year, the managers leave their desks and business suits and put on special service clothes. For a full week, the bosses sell hot dogs or ice cream, take tickets or drive the monorail, and take up any of the 100 jobs that make the park come alive. The managers agree that this week helps them to see the company’s goals more clearly.
All these efforts to serve the public well have made Walt Disney famous. Disney is considered by many as the best mass service provider in America or the world.
1. What do all new employees do on the first day they come to Disney parks?| A．They begin by receiving on-the-job training. | B．They must learn several jobs. |
| C．They begin as ticket takers. | D．They have already attended Disney University. |
| A．To learn all parts of the business. | B．To see that their guests enjoy themselves. |
| C．To be able to answer all kinds of questions. | D．To keep their important guests happy. |
| A．To set a good example to employees. |
| B．To remind themselves of their beginnings at Disney. |
| C．To gain a better view of the company's objectives. |
| D．To replace employees on holiday. |
| A．How Disney employees are trained. |
| B．The history and traditions of the Disney enterprises. |
| C．Why Disney enterprises make a lot of money. |
| D．The importance Disney enterprises place on serving people well. |
4 . Will you buy a car that can release calming smells into the air when you are stuck in heavy traffic? Will you buy a robot that smells like a human being?
Many people have see the 3-D computer-made environments of virtual (虚拟的) reality (VR). Now these virtual worlds will not just look and sound real. Researchers have created VR environments that even smell like the real things. With the new technology environment, like a rainforest. After they enter this virtual world, special equipment releases forest- like smells into the air to make the experience seem more real.
Suzanne Fisher said,“It is a really wonderful experience that you have because you are reexploring this environment and you have smells with it”.
In the United States,Smell-o-vision was designed to provide smells during the showing of a movie. The Smell-o-vision system was once popular in the 1960s. Now, Emanuela Maggioni says it is close to becoming popular again. “People will be impressed by the connection with emotions, memories, and the sense of smell,” Maggioni said “It is unbelievable what we can do with technology.”
The uses for smell technology are not just limited to films and the performing arts. Researchers showed a computer program where users could imagine themselves driving a car. The system included a special smell-spraying machine. Dmitri Murray said “ We want to deliver the smell of lavender(薰衣草) every time the person drives over the speed limit. We choose lavender because it's a very calming smell.”
Scientists are experimenting with smells instead of sounds or image-based warnings on telecommunications equipment. And businesses are already using smell to influence people's behavior .“ Not only… in stores… But on the other side, you can create and stimulate (刺激) immediate buying ,” Maggioni said. “So you're in a library and you smell coffee and actually you are unconsciously having the need to drink a coffee.”
1. Using smell technology, researchers make VR environments .| A．have a smell of a rainforest |
| B．even smell like real ones |
| C．look like a 4-D environment |
| D．impress people with a virtual world |
| A．smell technology has been tried before |
| B．America is the first to use smell technology |
| C．businesses are already using smell technology |
| D．it is out of date to use smell-spraying devices |
| A．To make buyers understand salesmen better. |
| B．To remind people of their unrealistic buying. |
| C．To help customers choose their favorite goods. |
| D．To encourage people to buy something. |
| A．The advanced smell-spraying machines. |
| B．The development of smell technology. |
| C．A major breakthrough of smell technology. |
| D．The sense of smell in human communication. |
5 . The word "barbecue" comes from the Caribbean word "barbacoa", which originally wasn't a way of cooking food, but the name of a wooden structure used by Taino Indians to smoke their food. It was recorded that the first barbecue as a diet consisted of some sort of fish, creatures from the sea obviously being plentiful in the Caribbean. Besides used for cooking, the structure of sticks could also be used as an area for sleeping, storage, and a shelter.
Spanish explorers took the word "barbacoa" back to Spain, where it appeared in print for the first time in 1526.At first,"barbacoa"still referred to the structure in which food was cooked, but later people started using it to refer to the process of cooking food in a barbacoa and the cooked food itself.
It was in A New Voyage Round the World written by William Dampier, published in 1697 that the word firstly appeared in print in English. It referred to the structure as a place for sleeping. By 1733, "barbecue began to mean asocial gathering when meat was grilled. About two decades later, in 1755, the word"barbecue"was entered into Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language.
Today, there are different spellings as well as meanings for "barbecue". Many people use"barbeque,"BBQ", "Bar-B-Que, and other forms. The"official "spelling is generally considered to be "barbecue"with the letter"c, similar to the original. While people may debate over what should be the correct spelling or what exactly constitutes barbecue,there is one thing we all agree on: a barbecue is definitely no longer a shelter or a sleeping structure!
President George Washington himself was a big fan of barbecue. He wrote in his diary about going to a barbecue in 1769("Went in to Alexandria to a Barbecue and stayed all Night ), and hosting one in 1773("a Barbicue of my own giving at Accatinck"). Barbecue competitions have been taking place since at least 1959. The first one seemed to have taken place in Hawaii, just a few months after it became a state, but was only for men. 25 men competed for the grand prize of $10.000.
1. What do we know about the origin of "barbecue"?| A．It was originally a way of cooking. |
| B．The first barbecue consisted of vegetables and fish. |
| C．It originally referred to a wooden structure for storage. |
| D．It originated from the Caribbean area. |
| A．In 1526 | B．in 1697 | C．in 1733 | D．in 1755 |
| A．"Barbecue"is the only correct spelling. |
| B．It means a social gathering when vegetables are cooked. |
| C．All people have reached an agreement on the meaning of the word. |
| D．It no longer refers to a shelter or a sleeping structure. |
| A．The origin of "barbecue". |
| B．The correct spelling of "barbecue". |
| C．The meaning of "barbecue". |
| D．The invention of "barbecue". |
6 . We all know ultra-processed foods are harmful to us, but it seems hard to resist the sweet smell of sweets and cakes. However, recently published research may make you think twice before picking up the colourful sweets next time.
UItra-processed foods range from the sweets that turn your tongue blue to those healthier- sounding canned soups packed with artificial(人工的))flavours. All in all, they are typically much more calorie-,sodium-(钠)and sugar-packed. According to the research, people who eat more ultra-processed foods are more likely to be more obese(病态肥胖的) and overweight, and tend to have a higher risk of having heart problems, diabetes or even cancer, including colorectal cancer(结肠直肠癌), breast cancer,etc.
This new link was observed when researchers analysed 24-hour dietary records of nearly 105,000dults. Participants recorded what they ate from a list of 3, 300 food items. Those items were later divided into different groups based on the degree to which they were processed.
"Ultra-processed fats and sauces, sugary products and drinks were associated with an increased risk of overall cancer, "the study says. Researchers have found that a 10% increase in the share of ultra-processed foods in the diet was related to an even greater increase in risks for overall cancer and breast cancer.
Faced with the surprising results, the researchers did many analysis and adjusted the findings for other factors, according to the study co-author Mathilde Touvier, and still, the results were quite concerning. She and her team suggested that people should try to limit the consumption of ultra-processed foods, making a balanced and diversified diet one of the prime concerns about public health.
1. What is the feature of ultra-processed foods?| A．They are often served in large volumes |
| B．They are more calorie-, sodium-and sugar-packed |
| C．They are cooked for a long time |
| D．They contain no nutrition at all |
| A．faced | B．connected | C．recorded | D．shared |
| A．Ultra-processed sugary product is the reason for an increased risk of colorectal cancer. |
| B．Eating a lot of processed meat like bacon is tied to an increased overall cancer risk |
| C．Ultra-processed products are not responsible for an increased risk of breast cancer. |
| D．People who live on ultra-processed foods are more likely to have heart problems or diabetes |
| A．Cancers are caused by ultra-processed foods. |
| B．Eating less ultra-processed foods benefits people a lot. |
| C．UItra-processed foods are linked to increased cancer risk. |
| D．UItra-processed foods are associated with overweight. |
7 . From the moment you open your eyes in the morning, you can feel sweat (汗水)running down your body, even if you’re barely moving at all. That’s what most people in China felt like this summer. In fact, the entire northern hemisphere(半球 )saw high temperatures in July. The Arctic Circle(北极圈) was no exception(例外). Temperatures in the city of Norilsk, which is in the Arctic Circle, reached a record high of 32 ℃, The Atlantic reported. Temperatures there are usually just 10 ℃ at this time of the year.
The heat wave in the Arctic is mainly a long-term result of global warming, according to the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences. In fact, while the whole world is getting warmer, the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet. This is called the polar amplification effect(极地放大效应).
The most direct impact(影响) of Arctic warming is the melting of Arctic ice. According to NASA, Arctic sea ice is now disappearing at a rate of 13. 2 percent every 10 years. NASA said that if this continues, the Arctic will have no ice by the year 2040. This has put some Arctic animals, like polar bears, in danger. The ice that the bears live on has shrunk(缩小), the Toronto Star reported.
Melting ice can also cause sea levels to rise in the long term. Since 1993, sea levels have risen at a rate of 3. 2 cm every 10 years, the Guardian reported. Some countries, such as Tuvalu(图瓦卢) in the South Pacific Ocean and Maldives(马尔代夫) in the Indian Ocean, are at risk of disappearing into the sea.
1. Which of the following is true?| A．Some countries in the ocean will disappear in 10 years. |
| B．China is the hottest in the northern hemisphere this summer. |
| C．The temperatures in Norilsk used to be lower than this summer. |
| D．The world gets warmer because of the heat wave in the Arctic. |
| A．The heat wave in the Arctic. |
| B．The result of global warming. |
| C．Getting warmer in the world. |
| D．The Arctic getting warm faster. |
| A．The polar will become dangerous. |
| B．Sea levels rise in the long term. |
| C．There will be an end of water shortage. |
| D．There will be no ice in the world by 2040. |
| A．Heat hits Arctic. |
| B．Arctic animals are in danger. |
| C．The world became hotter than before. |
| D．Some countries may disappear into the sea. |
8 . The common cold is the world's most widespread illness, which is plagues (疫病) that flesh receives.
The most widespread mistake of all is that colds are caused by cold. They are not. They are caused by viruses (病毒) passing on from person to person. You catch a cold by coming into contact, directly or indirectly, with someone who already has one. If cold causes colds, it would be reasonable to expect the Eskimos to suffer from them forever. But they do not. And in isolated Arctic regions explorers have reported being free from colds until coming into contact again with infected people from the outside world by way of packages and mail dropped from airplanes.
During the First World War soldiers who spent long periods in the trenches (战壕), cold and wet, showed no increased tendency to catch colds.
In the Second World War prisoners at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp (奥斯维辛集中营), naked and starving, were astonished to find that they seldom had colds.
At the Common Cold Research Unit in England, volunteers took part in Experiments in which they gave themselves to the discomforts of being cold and wet for long stretches of time. After taking hot baths, they put on bathing suits, allowed themselves to be with cold water, and then stood about dripping wet in drafty room. Some wore wet socks all day while others exercised in the rain until close to exhaustion. Not one of the volunteers came down with a cold unless a cold virus was actually dropped in his nose.
If, then, cold and wet have nothing to do with catching colds, why are they more frequent in the winter? Despite the most pains-taking research, no one has yet found the answer. One explanation offered by scientists is that people tend to stay together indoors more in cold weather than at other times, and this makes it easier for cold viruses to be passed on.
No one has yet found a cure for the cold. There are drugs and pain suppressors (止痛片) such as aspirin, but all they do is to relieve the symptoms (症状).
1. The writer offered _______ examples to support his argument.| A．4 | B．5 | C．6 | D．3 |
| A．The Eskimos do not suffer from colds all the time. |
| B．Colds are not caused by cold. |
| C．People suffer from colds just because they like to stay indoors. |
| D．A person may catch a cold by touching someone who already had one. |
| A．they are working in the isolated Arctic regions |
| B．they are writing reports in terribly cold weather |
| C．they are free from work in the isolated Arctic regions |
| D．they are coming into touch again with the outside world |
| A．the experiments on the common cold |
| B．the fallacy about the common cold |
| C．the reason and the way people catch colds |
| D．the continued spread of common colds |
9 . Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, the aged, and children who have lost their parents, but also friends, workmates, relatives and neighbours whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.
Over 60 years ago, when a Cleveland man noticed that some people, such as children who lost their parents and patients who lay in bed, too often felt forgotten and neglected,_he developed in his mind the idea of showing them that they were remembered.He did this by giving them small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbours, he gave those people small gifts on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed, other Clevelanders began to take part in the celebration, which came to be called “Sweetest Day”．Over time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the poor, the sick and children who had lost their parents was broadened to include everyone, and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small gift. Soon the idea spread to other cities all over the USA.
Sweetest Day is not based on any single group's religious beliefs or on a family relationship. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning.Because for many people remembering takes the form of gift giving, Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care, in a positive way.
1. Which of the following has little relationship to Sweetest Day?| A．Visiting sick people of the hospital. |
| B．Visiting children who have lost their parents. |
| C．Giving friends small gifts. |
| D．Giving flowers to sweethearts. |
| A．They give money. | B．They give gifts. |
| C．They send regards. | D．They offer help. |
| A．remembered | B．hated | C．paid little or no attention to | D．disappointed |
| A．To introduce a tradition. |
| B．To encourage people to celebrate a festival. |
| C．To explain the importance of a special day |
| D．To tell the history of a festival. |
10 . One of the most important things in the world is friendship. In order to have friends, you have to be a friend. But how can you be a good friend at school?
Listen - Listen when they are talking. Don’t say anything unless they ask you a question. Sometimes it’s not necessary for you to have anything to say; they just need someone to talk to about their feelings.
Help them - If your friend is ever in need of something, be there to help them. You should try to put them first, but make sure you don’t do everything they want you to do. Try to take an extra (额外的) pencil or pen with you to classes in case (以防) they forget one. Have a little extra money in your pocket in case they forget something they need.
Be there for them - Try to make something for your friend to help make them feel better in hard times. Making cards and encouraging them are among the nicest things you can do for a friend. Marilyn Monroe, a famous U.S. actor, once said, “I often make mistakes. Sometimes I am out of control. But if you can’t stay with me at my worst, you are sure not to deserve (值得) to be with me at my best.” Always remember this! If you don’t want to stay with your friends when they’re in hard times, then you don’t deserve to be with them when they’re having a good time!
______ Try to make plans with your friends. Go shopping, go for ice cream, have a party, go to a movie and so on. Take time to know each other even better by doing something you both enjoy. By planning things together, you both can have a good time. And you’ll remember these things when you’re all old!
1. While your friend is talking to you about his or her feelings, you should _____.| A．give him or her some advice | B．just listen unless asked |
| C．calm him or her down | D．share your feelings as well |
| A．try to do everything for them | B．ignore their faults |
| C．change their bad habits first | D．put them before ourselves |
| A．Life without a friend is death. | B．A friend is easier lost than found. |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. | D．A man is known by his friends. |
| A．Make plans. | B．Enjoy yourself. |
| C．Understand your friends. | D．Play with your friends. |
| A．How to find a good friend. | B．How to help friends in trouble. |
| C．How to be a good friend. | D．How to make more friends. |
