1 . Joint Statement from the IOC and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee
The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Abe Shinzo, held a conference call this morning to discuss the constantly changing environment with regard to COVID-19 and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
President Bach and Prime Minister Abe expressed their shared concern about the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and what it is doing to people’s lives and the significant effect it is having on global athletes’ preparations for the Games.
In a very friendly and constructive meeting, the two leaders praised the work of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee and noted the great progress being made in Japan to fight against COVID-19.
The unprecedented and unpredictable spread of the outbreak has seen the situation in the rest of the world worsening. Yesterday, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating. There are more than 375,000 cases now recorded worldwide and in nearly every country, and their number is growing by the hour.
In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.
The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon (灯塔) of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present. Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
1. What is the purpose of the conference call between the President of IOC and the Prime Minister of Japan?| A．To talk about the ways of dealing with the spread of COVID-19. |
| B．To talk about the effect of COVID-19 on people’s lives around the world. |
| C．To praise Japan for the great progress they made to fight against COVID-19. |
| D．To talk about the situation of COVID-19 and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. |
| A．Slowing down. | B．Developing fast. |
| C．Spreading gradually. | D．Causing concern. |
| A．COVID-19 has a great effect on the athletes’ preparations for the Games. |
| B．The situation caused by COVID-19 is worsening in many countries around the world. |
| C．The Tokyo Olympic Games will be rescheduled to a date not later than summer 2021. |
| D．The Games to be held in Tokyo will be named the Olympic Tokyo 2021. |
| A．The Tokyo Olympic Games is put off only to protect the health of the athletes. |
| B．The world will see hope of pulling through brought by the Tokyo Olympic Games. |
| C．The Olympic flame will be used as a light at the end of a tunnel of Tokyo. |
| D．Both the Olympic Games Tokyo and Paralympic Games Tokyo will not be held in 2020. |
2 . Round and Round They Go
Space is becoming more crowded. On December 3, a Falcon 9 rocket made by Space X thundered into the sky. On board were 64 small satellites, more than any American company had launched before in one go. They have a variety of uses, from space-based- radar to the monitoring of radio-frequency- emissions.
These objects are part of the latest breed of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. This launch is just taste of what is planned. Space X and One Web, a communications firm, plan to launch satellites in their thousands, not hundreds. The pair are set to double the total number of satellites in orbit by 2027.
That promises to change things dramatically on Earth. LEO satellites can bring internet connectivity to places where it is still unavailable or unaffordable. This will also be a lasting source of new demand for the space economy. Morgan Stanley, a bank, projects that the space industry will grow from $350 billion in 2016 to more than $1. I trillion by 2040. New internet satellites will account for a half this increase.
For that to happen, however, three worries must be overcome. Debris(碎片)is the most familiar concern. As long ago as 1978, Donald Kessler, a scientist at NASA, proposed situation in which, when enough satellites were packed into low-Earth orbits, any collision could cause a chain reaction which would eventually destroy all space craft in its orbital plane(平面). The syndrome which bears Mr. Kessler's name weighs heavily on the minds of executives at the new satellite firms. Debris could cause entire tracts(广阔的一片) of space to be unusable for decades.
Solutions exist. One is to grab malfunction satellites and pull them down into Earth's atmosphere. Another is to monitor space more intensively for debris; a US Air Force program me called Space Fence is due to start in 2019. But technology is only part of the answer. Rules are needed to govern the safe disposal(清除) of old satellites from low-Earth orbit. The United States' Federal Communications Commission is revising its regulations with this in mind. Other countries should follow suit.
Cyber-security is a second, long-standing worry. Hackers could take control of a satellite and seal intellectual property, redirect data flows or cause a collision. The satellite industry has been slow to respond to such concerns. But as more of the world's population comes to rely on the infrastructure of space for access to the internet, the need for action intensifies.
The third issue follows from the first two. If a simple mistake or a cyber-attack can cause a chain reaction which wipes out hundreds of billions of dollars of investment, who is liable? Underwriters(保险商) are studying the plans of firms that wish to operate large numbers of satellites. But there is a long way to go before the risks are well understood, let alone priced.
As space becomes more commercialized mind-bending prospects open up: packages moved across the planet in minutes by rocket rather than by plane, equipment sent to other small planets, passengers launched into orbit and beyond. All that and more may come, one day. But such activities would raise the same questions as LEO satellites do. They must be answered before the space economy can truly develop.
1. What can we learn about LEO satellites from the passage?| A．They are supposed to limit the space economy. |
| B．They are expected to increase in large numbers. |
| C．They are designed to move beyond the Earth as far as possible. |
| D．They are mainly intended to bring internet connectivity to remote areas. |
| A．depending entirely on the modern technology |
| B．monitoring the movement of spaceships carefully |
| C．strengthening rules to remove old satellites safely |
| D．destroying all the satellites with problems instantly |
| A．Measure. | B．Increase. | C．Spread. | D．Repeat. |
| A．Lack of satellite regulations. |
| B．Loss of intellectual property. |
| C．Crisis of confidence in the field. |
| D．Slow response of satellite industry. |
| A．It should be further confirmed for its ownership. |
| B．It should be continued because of its advantages. |
| C．It should be done carefully to avoid potential risks. |
| D．It should be stopped in face of the space economy. |
3 . The idea of using a public bathroom with see through walls may sound like the stuff of nightmares. But a famous Japanese is hoping to change that view, using new technology to make restrooms in Tokyo parks more inviting.
“There are two things we worry about when entering a public restroom, especially those cated at a park,” according to architect Shigeru Ban’s firm. “The first is cleanliness, and the second is whether anyone is inside.”
The newly-invented transparent walls can turn off both of those worries, Ban says, by showing people what awaits them inside. After users enter the restroom and lock the door, the room’s walls turn a powdery paste) shade and are no longer see-through.
Ban’s are sure to make for great conversation among visitors to the park-and they’ll stand out even more after dark. “At night, the facility lights up the park like a beautiful lantern,” the architect’s website says.
The group is behind the Tokyo Toilet project, world-famous architects to create toilets “like you’ve never seen. The project’s eye catching toilets are part of a plan to put people ar ease when isiting a public bathroom. The project may seem silly, but the 16 architects who are reimagining public toilets are some of the brightest names in Japanese architecture. The list includes four Pritzker Prize winners-Ban, Toyo Ito, Tadao Ando and Fumihiko Maki-along with international stars such as Kengo Kuma and Sou Fujimoto. The fashion designer Nigo is also contributing.
Ban’s colorful public bathrooms opened to the public this month in two parks: Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park and Haru-no-Ogawa Community Park. Other bespoke commodes will be opening in coming months.
1. Why are people often worried before entering a public restroom?| A．Its lock is usually useless. |
| B．It’s usually at a huge distance. |
| C．It’s not always clean. |
| D．It’s always occupied. |
| A．Easy to see through. |
| B．Not easy to see through. |
| C．Full of bright colors. |
| D．Thick and strong. |
| A．It’s and silly. |
| B．It’s rewarding and. |
| C．It has won the Pritzker Prize. |
| D．It’s the fruit of colleqtive wisdom |
| A．Should the public restrooms be upgraded? |
| B．The new high-tech walls of public restrooms are coming. |
| C．How do we live with see-through public facilities? |
| D．Some famous architects designed a silly project. |
4 . In New York City, eating on the subway is controversial. No law bans the practice, but a Democratic state senator introduced one last week. The proposed law would ban eating on the subway system and fine first time violators $250, according to the New York Times. Supporters of the bill argue that eating on the subway attracts rates. Other say the broader target should be those who carelessly drop litter in public places, rather than those who carefully sip their coffee and eat their bread on the way to work. They also argue that “street food” is an important part of New York’s culture and history. Banning its consumption in public areas such as the subway would have negative effects.
Street food and eating in public places is along-established cultural practice in cities like New York, Beijing and Paris. But commonly, it has been traditionally thought of as what the lower classes would do. Eating in public was (and in some places, still is) associated with uncivilized, poorer people. In the 19th century, eating in public was seen as a threat to morality and public health. Putnam’s (a popular magazine at the time) stated, “Eating in public may lead to a certain freedom of manner in little ladies and gentlemen. It was something people in the Victorian era did not want to encourage. A recent New York Times article drew a link between this moral panic about street food and concern over the growing populations of Irish German, Italian and Jewish immigrants who ran food carts in the 1800s. “To Victorian society, immigrant street peddlers were called ‘hucksters’, a name that still has a bit of moral judgment to this day.”
In Australia, street food is not something you see every day. Carts selling tasty snacks only come out for festivals or market days. However, eating in public places such as parks is encouraged. Outdoor barbeques at the beach or picnics in the countryside are common. While eating on public transport is discourages, it would unlikely lead to any sort of conflict in Australia. From an Australian perspective, street food is an exciting and tasty new dining opportunity, and not one I would associate with being uncivilized.
China’s street food scene is similar to that of New York City’s: It is a culturally entrenched practice and one that adds a lot of color and flavor to the scene of streets. But whether you love eating street food, or have to eat your breakfast on the run, it’s best to be considerate when enjoying a bite in public.
1. Supporters of “street food” are against the bill, because ________.| A．eating on the subway may attract undesirable pests like mice |
| B．consuming food on the way to work proves their carefulness |
| C．banning litter-dropping is more important for the environment |
| D．enjoying a bite in public areas is a part of the city’s culture |
| A．Only the uncivilized, poorer people were allowed to eat in public places. |
| B．Street food was seen as a threat in the 19th century because they were not heathy. |
| C．Eating in public was considered impolite for children in the Victorian era. |
| D．Immigrant street peddlers were encouraged and thus welcomed in the 1800s. |
| A．Eating in public like parks may be seen as ill-mannered. |
| B．Having food on the subway system may cause serious conflicts. |
| C．People may feel excited about being allowed to eat in public. |
| D．Tasting street food may bring much enjoyment whenever possible. |
| A．deep-rooted | B．eye-catching | C．well-known | D．far-reaching |
5 . A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished, gently shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, saying, “You don’t say! ” “You don’t say! ” I was puzzled. I thought, “Perhaps this is not an appropriate topic. Well, I’d better change the topic. ” So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there? ”“Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It is magnificent. ” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide, “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it. ” Soon I was interrupted again by his order, “You don’t say! ” I couldn’t help asking. I said, “Didn’t you say you don’t say? ” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed. He explained, “ ‘You don’t say’ actually means ‘Really? ’. It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you haven’t learned that English idiom. ” Only then did I realize I had made a fool of myself. Since then, I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions.
1. A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because ______.| A．English idioms were too difficult to master |
| B．I had no interest in English learning |
| C．my teacher didn’t emphasize the importance |
| D．I cared little about the teacher’s instruction |
| A．the Englishman was only interested in the Great Wall |
| B．the Englishman was not interested in my English studies |
| C．I had talked too much |
| D．I had to stop talking at once |
| A．terrible | B．important |
| C．interesting | D．lucky |
| A．The Englishman was leaving China without seeing the Great Wall. |
| B．The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it. |
| C．The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide. |
| D．The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting. |
6 . Stories are a powerful way to communicate. We all learn through stories. I’ve raised a three-step formula anyone can use to create powerful stories that will help you make your point. First, identify your truth. Second, think of the decisive experiences that have led you to this "truth". Third, shape those experiences into a story that you can tell at the drop of a hat. Here’s an example of how I have used this formula.
Years ago, I had an assignment to conduct a team-building session. The client was my friend. I arrived at his office 5: 00 p. m. the day before our session. He asked me if I had an agenda for tomorrow’s meeting. I told him that, first we'll do A, then B, followed by C. We’ll finish up with D. Still he asked if I had an agenda.
At first, I thought he hadn’t been listening to what I just said, so I repeated myself, "First we'll do A, then B, followed by C. We’ll finish up with D. "He said," Yes, I know. That's what you just said. Do you have an agenda?
At that point, it dawned on me that he was looking for a printed agenda. I said, "No, but we really don't need one. I’ve done many meetings like this. It will go fine.” He said, “I’m not comfortable winging it.” So we created an agenda using Powerpoint. The next day, the meeting went off smoothly. We followed the agenda I had in my head and he had on the PowerPoint slide. Everyone agreed it was one of the best meetings of this type they had ever attended.
It became clear to me that if I want to influence not just this client, but anyone, I need to adapt my communication style to theirs. From that day on, I modify my communication style to meet the needs of the other person.
1. What does Paragraph 1 mainly talk about?| A．How to form powerful stories | B．Stories come from experiences. |
| C．How to communicate with powerful stories. | D．Stories play an important part in communication. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By making remarks. | D．By presenting research findings. |
| A．The author winged it. |
| B．The author's friend used Powerpoint. |
| C．The author and his friend created an agenda separately. |
| D．The author and his friend made an agenda using Powerpoint. |
| A．Adopt | B．Follow | C．Change | D．Create |
7 . That morning, I dropped our eldest at kindergarten and returned home to let our two younger children play while I worked on my medical report. It was a wonderful chance to work from home, but it hit me that my career in hospital wasn't making a difference in anyone's life. I needed something that would stretch my limits and push me to grow. My career enabled me to work from home. I could work from home, and become a foster mother, providing safety for a child who needed it desperately.
On Monday morning. I picked up the phone and dialed the number I had Googled for the nearest Department of Children's Services. The man on the other end was receptive to my questions and explained the next step of training, involving eight weeks of classes designed to prepare and educate foster parents. We continued through all the classes, the home visits, background checks, and seemingly endless steps.
Five long months after we were approved, the phone rang. In the middle of the night, I woke my husband and rushed to East Tennessee Children's Hospital. Our placement was waiting for us in the emergency room, sick and lack of nutrition. It didn't take long for us to realize the full depth of her suffering. Six months later, her half-brother came to us by our request. We now had five children under our care.
On August 12, 2016, our family of seven walked into a small courtroom. The children's lawyer and social worker were there. With just a few words, our adoption was finalized. These two amazing children weren't going home, because they were already home. We are their forever family, and they are our forever children. We may not be able to change the entire world, but we have changed the world entirely for our new children.
1. How did the author feel about her hospital work?| A．Lacking of motivation. | B．Filled with challenge. |
| C．Highly motivating. | D．Unusually Demanding. |
| A．She felt sympathetic for abused children she knew. |
| B．She wanted to make a difference in other people. |
| C．She felt confident about her ability to raise children. |
| D．She experienced training to raise children properly. |
| A．The child to be adopted. | B．The need to get trained. |
| C．The approval of adoption. | D．The official at the hospital. |
| A．To put the adopted kids elsewhere. | B．To receive another adopted child. |
| C．To make the adoption officially legal. | D．To begin the kids' adoption in her home. |
8 . The weather is getting hotter. You are thirsty playing basketball or riding home from school. A cold drink may be just the thing. But be careful what you are drinking. Something that looks cool may not be good for your health. There are plenty of “energy drinks” on the market. Most of them have beautiful colors and cool names. The lists on them tell you they are helpful to your health. Sounds great!
But after a careful check you may find that most energy drinks have lots of caffeine(咖啡因) in them. These drinks are especially aimed at young people, students, busy people and sports players. Makers sometimes say their drinks make you better at sports and can keep you awake.But be careful not to drink too much. Caffeine makes your heart beat fast. Because of this, the International Olympic Committee(OC) has limited(限制) its use. Caffeine in most energy drinks is at least as strong as that in a cup of coffee or tea. Possible health dangers have something to do with energy drinks. Just one box of energy drink can make you nervous, have difficulty sleeping and can even cause heart problems.Scientists say that teenagers should be discouraged from taking drinks with a lot of caffeine in them.
1. Many people like drinking energy drinks because of the following EXCEPT that______.| A．they have beautiful colors and cool names |
| B．they have lots of caffeine |
| C．they can keep them awake and better at sports |
| D．they are said to be helpful to health |
| A．Encouraged. |
| B．Stopped. |
| C．Helped. |
| D．Disliked. |
| A．Advertisements are important in getting people to buy energy drinks. |
| B．Energy drinks are helpful to teenagers' study. |
| C．Sports players need to drink a lot of energy drinks. |
| D．Energy drinks are especially aimed at teenagers. |
| A．What's the Use of Energy Drinks? |
| B．Who Can Drink Energy Drinks? |
| C．What's That in Energy Drinks? |
| D．Why Can't We Buy Energy Drinks? |
9 . La Belle Personne is boring, but I love it. The 2008 French film features extremely softened and washed-out colors, a relatively uneventful plotline, and lifeless performances from the main characters, all of which give the film its unique charm.
The plain beauty of La Belle Personne comes not from its extremely unique plot, but rather its literary elements. Of course, the film is visually pretty lacking in liveliness. An editor must have purposely and smartly dealt with every single shot. The dominating colors in each of these shots are a vivid black, grey and white, making for a melancholic(忧郁的）atmosphere. While one could easily view this lack of vividness as exhausting,I would argue that it makes for a beautifully unconventional cinematic experience.
There are no artificial mental spark stimulated by the visuals, and the viewers must therefore sit with themselves for an hour and a half, reflecting on what the piece personally means to them and how it genuinely makes them feel. Aside from a few major plot points, nothing terribly remarkable happens in La Belle Personne. It's more like a lazy river under grey skies where the water is slightly too cold. But if you relax, your body temperature adjusts and you can sit back and just enjoy the ride.
Although our current world may be both literally and symbolically on fire, it's no secret that campus life in and of itself is considerably more boring than usual. With no parties to attend, most classes online, and the majority of clubs limited to Zoom Meetings, waking up every day might feel a bit more tedious. However, just like La Belle Personne has shown us, it's important to appreciate your environment for what it is. In terms of campus life, sometimes it's not so horrible for things to be slow-paced, as it allows space for reflection and being present.
1. What do we know about La Belle Personne from the first paragraph?| A．It enjoys high popularity. |
| B．It owns special artistic charm. |
| C．It applies modern techniques. |
| D．It features lively performances. |
| A．All its viewers feel positive on it. |
| B．It gives viewers a sense of ridiculousness. |
| C．It suits those preferring sensory stimulation. |
| D．It is worth tasting slowly and heart-wholly. |
| A．Boring. | B．Painstaking. | C．Impractical. | D．Unnecessary. |
| A．To show the importance of going to the movies. |
| B．To recommend people to enjoy an unique movie. |
| C．To introduce a way to appreciate a certain movie. |
| D．To call for a slow-paced and positive school life. |
10 . A pair of hi-tech, smart glasses has been designed to scan crowds of people and find missing children“within seconds". Jerry Farsoun has promised that the "world-first" glasses, would not record video or collect private data. One pair of glasses sells for $2,200 until February and then the price will be $3,000.
Mr Farsoun, from Greensborough, said a feeling of helplessness he experienced after his two-year-old son disappeared among crowds at Federation Square in Melbourne two years ago sparked the idea, which has been developed by a company founded by him called Leelou.
"Instead of the whole process where someone describes the missing person s features and what they're wearing, all of that--this technology already has the person's profile in its system and cuts straight to looking for the person," Mr Farsoun said. A person's profile is created through the free app, Leelou, and at the press of an SOS button, audio and GPS coordinates (坐标) are instantly sent to a user's nominated guardians (指定监护人) and displayed on a dashboard. Guardians wearing the glasses can then scan the crowd until the technology matches the missing profile to the correct person. Whoever finds the missing person is then rewarded between 70 to 80 per cent of the $165 fee to create the profile on Leelou. “The glasses act like a human eye--they scan crowds, screening for the missing person and providing personal safety during big, public gatherings," Mr Farsoun said.“We then reward users to help locate missing children."
The glasses could also act like a phone, so that wearers could watch Netflix, access Alexa and social media sites--and more than 150 other apps. He said the invention could help people feel more positive about the usefulness of technology, rather than focus on negatives, such as the potential for invasion of privacy. Leelou is available on Apple and Google app stores, while glasses can be pre-ordered from Leelou’s website. Mr Farsoun said his team was ready to start delivering the glasses to customers. "This has the potential to cut the number of children reported missing each year in Australia."
1. What led Mr Farsoun to getting involved in this invention?| A．The despair after his son’s missing. |
| B．Many reports on missing children. |
| C．His own experience of getting lost. |
| D．Smart devices that can scan crowds. |
| A．The audio and GPS of a person. |
| B．A detailed description of a person. |
| C．Contact information of a person. |
| D．Privacy and secrets of a person. |
| A．The high price. |
| B．Limited functions. |
| C．Invasion of privacy |
| D．Harmful scanning rays. |
| A．Hi-tech Glasses Act as Your Safety Guard |
| B．Glasses Have Cut the Number of Lost Kids |
| C．Smart Glass Help to Spot Missing Kids |
| D．Locating Missing Kids Can Be Rewarded |
