1 . As I lie here in my hot, uncomfortable hospital bed, all I can think about is how badly I want to leave this place. It has been four days of doctors giving bad news, medicine injections, procedures, MRIs and restless nights. I have been able to eat one meal a day due to the surgeries I was scheduled for later. I ask my mom to bring me my car keys and on my key chain, there is a soft piece of leather made from my first baseball glove. She looks worried and sad, handing the keychain to me. In the fibers of the leather are so many memories that have transformed me as a person.
I grab my keys and touch a smooth piece of leather. It is a nice coffee brown and about 3 inches in length. Every time I touch it, I think of one thing - baseball. The key chain is made from my first baseball glove that I cherished so much It carries great moments like championships as well as moments when I strike out and lose. Each one has transformed me not only as a baseball player, but as a person.
All of a sudden, my nurse walks in and I jump when I hear her voice. She didn't mean to interrupt , but I need more medicine. Once she leaves, I focus back and grasp the cowhide. I rub my fingers up and down just feeling this reminder of the game. It takes me on a wild road trip through my brain and I am stopping at each baseball memory. This time I begin to picture the people that are involved in my baseball life.
I open my eyes, realizing the road trip that I used to be on has gone with the wind. My gaze shifts to the clock on the opposite wall. Almost an hour has passed! Even in tough times the things and people you love can help you escape and you will get over all the difficulties.
1. What makes the author’s mother worried?| A．the author's skill in baseball. |
| B．the author's attitude to his life. |
| C．the author's present situation. |
| D．the poor condition of the hospital. |
| A．It brings back plenty of memories. |
| B．It is soft and comfortable to touch. |
| C．it has witnessed his great moments. |
| D．It is made from one of his baseball gloves. |
| A．Medicine. | B．Baseball. | C．Glove. | D．Leather. |
| A．The author feels depressed. |
| B．The author is confident of his future. |
| C．The author cherishes his past experience. |
| D．The author feels tired of the life in the hospital. |
2 . A report revealed that about 85% of the working mothers surveyed felt that their parenthood had affected their career “in a significant way”. Over 30% of them said that they went through a “long period of mental distress” before announcing their pregnancy at work, and 35% said their bosses immediately started looking for their replacements after learning about their pregnancy.
While Chinese women may no longer sacrifice their careers for their husbands, they are still expected to do so for their children. The study found that nearly half of the mothers left the labor force for at least one year after giving birth, among whom roughly 20% ended up becoming stay-at-home moms. When asked about the impact of motherhood on their identities and life goals, nearly 35% said that the most profound change was how they started to balance between family and work.
The adjustment, however, is not always by choice. Responding to a question about the distribution of child¬care labor in their home, almost 40% of the working mothers said that their husbands basically spent no time on parenting.” Moreover, over half of the husbands didn't use up their paternity leave(陪产假), whereas about 21 percent never took it at all.
Another key finding from the survey was that although it's illegal for Chinese companies to ask a woman about family plans, many employers still do. The unlawful yet prevalent practice has been a main factor influencing women's decisions about timing of motherhood. The survey showed that about 40% of the childless respondents delayed parenthood because of “the time it would take,” which they thought would have a negative impact on their promotion opportunities.
In theory, there has never been a better time than now for working mothers in China to shine. Faced with an aging population and shrinking workforce, Chinese officials encourage Chinese women to have babies while working at the same time.
1. What can be concluded from the first paragraph?| A．Some women choose to hide their pregnancy. |
| B．Pregnant working women will be replaced immediately. |
| C．Half of working mothers go through long-term depression. |
| D．Most working mothers are significantly affected by parenthood. |
| A．To help their husbands' career. |
| B．To become stay-at-home moms. |
| C．To sacrifice their careers for their children. |
| D．To be successful both at home and in company. |
| A．common | B．obvious | C．embarrassing | D．potential |
| A．Women have greater pressure than men. |
| B．Pregnancy and motherhood affect working women. |
| C．Balance between work and family is unavailable. |
| D．Working moms have less promotion opportunities. |
3 . We talk a lot about air pollution. Here in Hong Kong we always complain about light pollution as well. Then, there is noise pollution. It's the same in many cities around the world, and in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, people have been complaining about the noise made by drivers who continually sound their car horns (喇叭). That is until recently, when something was finally done about it.
The Chief District Officer of Kathmandu had received many complaints about horn pollution. He said that everyone felt the use of the car horn in recent years had become excessive. Researchers in Kathmandu found that for about 80 percent of the time, it really was not necessary for drivers to use their car horns. Sounding the horn to make a noise had become more of a habit. It was no longer being used as it was supposed to be used: to warn people of danger.
At the beginning of the Nepali New Year in 2017, the local government passed a law to ban the use of car horns unless used correctly. Within six months, 11,000 fines had been collected by the local traffic police. The fine was about HK $360. A taxi driver in Kathmandu can make about HK $1,000 per day, so he could lose about one-third of his money if he broke the law.
As usual, there were many complaints from drivers. They said that cows and dogs were free to walk on the roads. They always caused danger. Sounding a car horn was the only way to get them to move out of the way. And while there were quite a few traffic lights in the streets of Kathmandu, very few of them worked. This meant there was often a traffic mess.
The ban on using a car horn went ahead, and within a few weeks the streets of Nepal's capital were quieter — even though they were still just as busy. Because of the ban, drivers are a little more careful when they drive. Fewer accidents have been reported. The local government says the horn ban will now be copied in other areas of Nepal.
1. What do Hong Kong and Kathmandu have in common?| A．Both have been troubled by light pollution. |
| B．Both have succeeded in fighting air pollution. |
| C．Both have been faced with the problem of noise pollution. |
| D．Both have received many complaints about horn pollution. |
| A．Too much. | B．Quite simple. | C．Very correct. | D．More dangerous. |
| A．No traffic lights in the streets can work. |
| B．The traffic on the roads is usually very heavy. |
| C．Animals are not allowed to walk on the streets. |
| D．Drivers are required to drive on one-way streets. |
| A．It is unfair. | B．It is worrying. | C．It is interesting. | D．It is successful. |
4 . It's the last dream for many to move to a big city and make a shining new life.
But as we all know, metropolitan living comes at a cost, especially if you pick Hong Kong, Paris or London, which are the world's most expensive cities according to a new research.
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)－which rates 133 global cities, and compares the price of a basket of 138 everyday items in each－has ranked them as joint top of the table.
The European cities have passed Singapore and Osaka, which tied with Hong Kong in the previous Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, carried out in March.
The changes are especially marked this time around, with the report doubling as an assessment of the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic on prices around the world.
Singapore and Osaka are now down to fourth and fifth respective, with Tel Aviv tying with Osaka in fifth place. An exodus of foreign workers during the pandemic is behind Singapore's drop, which saw its population fall for the first time in 17 years, according to the EIU.
The top 10 is completed by Geneva, New York City, Copenhagen and Los Angeles.
The biggest rise is Tehran, which has climbed up the ladder from 106th to 79th, due to US sanctions impacting supplies. Reykjavik, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo show the biggest price drops. The EU owes the Brazilian cities' rankings to “weak currency and rising poverty levels”. Brazil, of course, has suffered hugely during the pandemic.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the US dollar to weaken while western European and north Asian currencies have strengthened against it, which in turn has shifted prices for goods and services " said Upasana Dutt, head of worldwide cost of living at the EIU.
“The pandemic has changed consumer behaviour, as lockdowns such as working from home have increased the prices of consumer electronics and at-home-meals have taken the place of restaurant dining for middle-class families ."
As for the future, things don't look wonderful. The EIU predicts that the trends will continue, with people cautious about spending and sure to struggle to make ends meet during 2021.
1. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?| A．Living in Hong Kong means living a happy life. |
| B．The pandemic forces people to work at the office and eat meals at home. |
| C．People in Brazilian cities enjoy rising living standards because of the biggest price drop. |
| D．Singapore and Osaka used to tie with Hong Kong in the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey. |
| A．dramatic increase | B．sudden arrival |
| C．leave in mass | D．journey out of Egypt. |
| A．Population fall. | B．The weaken US dollar. |
| C．Transformed consumer behavior. | D．Impact of the pandemic. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Pessimistic. | C．Indifferent. | D．Positive. |
5 . Morris, a well-known English violinist, had been exhausted from a day of recording at Abbey Road Studios when he exited the Southeastern Railway from London late last month. He was so tired that he didn’t even realize that he had left his beloved violin on the train until the following morning.
The violin is one of the few surviving instruments made by Roman craftsman David Tecchler in 1709. Not only is the violin worth$320,000,but Morris has also been playing the instrument for 15 years.
Feeling panic, Morris contacted the British Transport Police to see if it had been returned; unfortunately, officers checked the footage(录像) and saw that the violin had been picked up by another train passenger. Morris then created social media accounts to beg for the return of his instrument. The footage was shown in the news, and the person responsible for taking the violin was treated as a suspect.
Several days later, Morris received a phone call from someone who recognized the man on the train. Morris was then put in contact with the man who took the violin—and he had apparently been very eager to return the instrument. After promising the man that he wouldn’t be arrested, Morris met him in a parking lot so he could reunite with his beloved instrument.
The man apologized sincerely, saying he wanted to hand it to Morris in person. Morris found the instrument and the contents of its case were still in consummate condition. To his surprise, it was even still in tune(音调准确). Morris was excited and deeply grateful for its return.
“I’m still getting over the shock of its coming back,” Morris admitted in an interview afterwards. Then he played a breathtaking piece of music Amazing Grace on his 310-year-old violin in front of the reporters.
1. What can we learn about the lost violin?| A．It’s valuable and important. | B．It’s a gift from David Tecchler. |
| C．It’s the only violin Morris owns. | D．It’s the oldest violin in the world. |
| A．He spoke to reporters about it. | B．He turned to the police for help. |
| C．He described his situation online. | D．He returned to the train to look for it. |
| A．He knew the violin was unique. | B．He got in touch with Morris directly. |
| C．He was unwilling to return the violin. | D．He felt afraid to be punished for his act. |
| A．Unusual. | B．Poor. | C．Perfect. | D．General. |
6 . Since apps like Uber and Lyft came on the scene, ridesharing services have dramatically changed the way people get around. A new study out of Columbia University reveals a downside of these services. It turns out that ridesharing trips cause an increase in the number of accidents involving motorists and pedestrians at pick-up and drop-off locations.
Previous studies on the relationship between ridesharing services and vehicle crashes compare cities where ridesharing services are available with cities where they are not, and this makes results somewhat ambiguous. In this study researchers analyze individual trips to make the picture a little clearer.
Researchers analyzed data from 372 million ridesharing trips in New York City between 2017 and 2018. Whenever a crash occurred in the city, they calculated the number of ridesharing trips that began or ended in the area at the time of the accident. They compared this with the number of trips that took place in the same location one week before and one week after the crash. Researchers did the same calculations for regular taxi rides as part of their analyses. Also, separate analyses were performed based on the type of people injured in the crash: pedestrians, motorists or cyclists.
The results of the analyses show that the rise in ridesharing trips is associated with an increase in the number of accidents involving pedestrians and motorists, but not cyclists. Furthermore, they did not find this same association between taxi trips and accidents.
“Ridesharing is changing the way we move around cities.” says first author Christopher Morrison. “It is becoming clear that the technology reduces alcohol-related crashes, but these benefits do not seem to extend to the overall number of crashes. These findings help explain why that might be---- because the reductions in alcohol-related crashes are offset (抵消) by increases in other types of crashes.”
Researchers hope that cities and ridesharing services will use the results of this study to take measures that might reduce the number of crashes. “In crowded areas with large numbers of rideshare pick-ups and drop-offs, cities could consider building taxi-rank style infrastructure (基础设施) to protect pedestrians and prevent crashes, ”concludes Morrison.
1. What do we know about previous studies on ridesharing services?| A．Their analysis is hardly reliable. |
| B．Their findings are rather ridiculous. |
| C．Their research method is out-of-date. |
| D．Their research sample is not wide enough. |
| A．The increase in ridesharing trips can lead to an increase in accidents between cyclists and pedestrians. |
| B．When there is a high number of ridesharing trips, there is usually an increase in the number of accidents. |
| C．Ridesharing is changing the way we move around cities. |
| D．Cyclists are always safe. |
| A．Ridesharing reduces alcohol-related crashes. |
| B．Ridesharing doesn’t increase accidents involving cyclists. |
| C．Various types of crashes increase with ridesharing services. |
| D．Overall crashes don’t decrease along with alcohol-related crashes. |
| A．Improving infrastructure to expand taxi services. |
| B．Banning ridesharing services in crowded places. |
| C．Constructing some stops for ridesharing vehicles. |
| D．Reducing the number of pick-ups and drop-offs. |
7 . McKenzie grew up at a farmhouse. Initially, the fence around the property was old and had several large gaps, so I strengthened the bottom with chicken wire and thought all was well. McKenzie would spend his days frolicking (嬉戏) in the large yard while Connie and I were at work and Sophie was at school.
One day, while on a job in the area, I stopped home to visit. As I pulled up to the driveway, I saw McKenzie outside of the fence playing in the daisies, dancing and nosing at a large butterfly hovering just out of his reach. I watched McKenzie enjoying himself until, suddenly, he realized he wasn’t alone. He took one look at me and fled to a hole under the fence, wriggling (扭动) back into the yard. He ran around to the back of the house, the place where he was usually asleep when we came home. As I stood and watched, McKenzie then proceeded to come around the corner of the house, stretching as if he had just woken up. Then, continuing his act, he looked at me as if he had just noticed I was home and excitedly came up to the fence, where he sat in his “proud boy” stance (姿态), as if he had been good all day and was glad to see me! I laughed as I opened the gate, and then I stood and gave him a frown. With my hands on my hips, I asked the little faker where the hole was. To my surprise, he lowered his ears and dejectedly walked over to the spot in the fence he had earlier wriggled through and sat down, looking at me. I laughed so hard that I cried.
1. Why did McKenzie run back when he saw the author?| A．Because he messed up the house. | B．Because he killed a butterfly. |
| C．Because he was afraid to be scolded. | D．Because he was tired of playing alone. |
| A．Disappointedly. | B．Passionately. | C．Delightedly. | D．Indifferently. |
| A．Critical. | B．Ironic. | C．Lighthearted. | D．Sympathetic. |
| A．An Unforgettable Experience | B．McKenzie, a Fantastic Actor |
| C．A Lesson from a Clever Dog | D．McKenzie, a Loving Family Member |
8 . Slowly but surely, we’re moving closer and closer to 5G world. From smart-home security to self-driving cars, all the internet-connected devices in our life will be able to talk to each other at lightning-fast speeds with reduced delay. Objectively speaking, the fastest 4G download speeds in the US top out at an average of 19.42Mbps. But by comparison 5G promises gigabit (千兆) speeds.
“5G is one of those heralds (使者),along with artificial intelligence, of this coming data age.” said Steve Koenig, senior director of market research for the Consumer Technology Association. The self-driving vehicle is a great emblem of this data age, and that is to say, it is a sign of time, because with one single task, driving, you have massive amounts of data coming from the vehicle itself, and a variety of sensors are collecting a lot of information to model its environment as it moves. It’s pulling in data from other vehicles about road conditions down the lane. It could be weather information, and also connected infrastructure (基础设施) construction. There’s lots of data behind that task, which is why we need the high speed.
And virtual reality glasses and headsets haven’t yet broken the mainstream, but tech companies are joyfully betting that these devices will eventually replace our smartphones. With 5G, that could actually happen. This is notable because companies such as Apple are reportedly developing AR glasses to assist — or even replace — smartphones.
Ericsson stated at February's Mobile World Congress how smart glasses could become faster and lighter with a 5G connection, because instead of being weighed down with components, the glasses could rely on hardware for processing power.
But don’t get too excited. There’s still a lot of work to be done in the meantime, including various trials to make sure the radios play nicely with hardware and infrastructure construction so 5G isn’t concentrated only in big cities.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The security of 5G. | B．The present world of 5G. |
| C．The future of 5G. | D．The super speed of 5G. |
| A．exhibition | B．symbol | C．sponsor | D．explanation |
| A．They will be heavier than present ones. | B．They will process power on their own. |
| C．They will bring a big fortune to tech companies. | D．They will take the place of smartphones. |
| A．How to fully expand 5G coverage. | B．How to effectively reduce 5G trials. |
| C．How to nicely operate 5G hardware. | D．How to widely construct 5G big cities. |
9 . A robot called Bina48 has successfully taken a course in the philosophy of love at Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU), in California.
According to course instructor William Barry associate professor at NDNU, Bina48 is the world's first socially advanced robot to complete a college course, an achievement he described as “remarkable." The robot took part in class discussions, gave a presentation with a student partner and participated in a debate with students from another institution.
Before becoming a student, Bina48 speared as a guest speaks in Barry's classes for several years. One day when addressing Barry's class, Bina48 expressed a desire to go to college, a desire that Barry and his students enthusiastically supported. Rather than enroll Bina48 in his Robot Ethics: Philosophy of Emerging Technologies course^ Barry suggested that Bina48 should take his course Philosophy of Love instead. Love is a concept Bina48 doesn't understand, said Barry Therefore the challenge would be for Barry and his students to teach Bina48 what love is.
"Some interesting things happened in the class," said Barry. He said that his students thought it would be straightforward to teach Bina48 about love, which, after all, is "fairly simple — it's a feeling," said Barry. But the reality was different. Bina48 ended up learning "31 different versions of love," said Barry, highlighting some of the challenges humans may face when working with artificial intelligence in future.
Bina48 participated in class discussions via Skype and also took part in a class debate about love and conflict with, students from West Point. Bina48's contribution to the debate was filmed and posted on YouTube. It was judged that Bma48 and NDNU classmates were the winners of this debate.
In the next decade, Barry hopes Bina48 might become complex enough to teach a class, though he says he foresees robots being used to better the teaching and learning experience, rather than replacing instructors completely。
1. What was Bina48's performance like in class?| A．Unattractive. | B．Impractical. |
| C．Unbelievable. | D．Extraordinary. |
| A．Giving a speech to. | B．Consulting with. |
| C．Dealing with. | D．Sending a letter to. |
| A．It was impossible for Bina48 to learn about love. |
| B．It was quite difficult for Bina48 to learn about love, |
| C．Humans can launch, a challenge to artificial intelligence. |
| D．Artificial intelligence may somehow be superior to man. |
| A．It will surely be able to serve as a teacher. |
| B．It will completely take the place of instructors. |
| C．It will be able to promote learning and teaching. |
| D．It will be smart enough to control human beings. |
10 . What is the first thing you notice when you walk into a shop? The products displayed at the entrance? Or the softbackground music?
But have you ever noticed the smell? Unless it is bad, the answer is likely to be no. But while a shop's scent(香味) may not be outstanding compared with sights and sounds, it is certainly there. And it is proving to be an increasing powerful tool in encouraging people to purchase.
A brand store has become famous for its distinctive (独特的)scent which floats through the fairly dark hall and out to the entrance, by scent machines. A smell may be attractive but it may not just be used for freshening air. One sports goods company once reported that when it first introduced scent into its stores, customers’ intention to purchase increased by 80 percent.
But while e-shops can only use sights and sounds, bricks-and-mortar stores (实体店) can offer a full experience from the minute customers step through the door to the moment they leave. Another brand store seeks to be much more than a shop, but rather a destination. And scent is just one way to achieve this.
Now a famous store uses complex man-made smell to make sure that the soft scent of baby powder floats through the kid department, and coconut（椰子)scent in the swimsuit section. A department store has even opened a new lab, inviting customers on a journey into the store's windows to smell books, pots and drawers, in search of their perfect scent.
1. According to the passage, what is an increasingly powerful tool in the success of some brand stores?| A．Friendly assistants. | B．Unique scents. |
| C．Soft background music | D．Attractive window display. |
| A．show the advantages of bricks-and-mortar stores |
| B．urge shop assistants to change their attitude |
| C．push stores to use sights and sounds |
| D．introduce the rise of e-commerce |
| A．a platform that exhibits goods | B．a spot where travelers like to stay |
| C．a place where customers love to go | D．a target that a store expects to meet |
| A．compare and evaluate | B．examine and assess |
| C．argue and discuss | D．inform and explain |
