1 . During the Covid-19 pandemic( 新冠疫情),things like eating in a restaurant or air travel are impossible. What about going to the gym?
When everybody was discussing how to make the best banana bread, during those very early quarantine( 隔离) stages, I worked out and took some online fitness classes at home, including yoga. Honestly, I just wanted to do a cool headstand by the end of quarantine.
In high school,I liked running on the track. In college and beyond, I loved the weight room. When I finally accepted that home workouts would be the best for a while, I prepared some basic gym equipment.
In some ways, I feel it stupid to admit that I missed the gym. I’m fortunate in so many ways since the start of the pandemic, but my living room is just not the same as my gym.
There’s a wider choice of equipment,and I’ve missed my gym friends. After looking into my recently-opened local gym’s safety steps in New York, I finally decided to go back.
With a spare face mask and water bottle, I made my 10-minute journey to the gym at 7 :30 am. I filled out a detailed Covid-19 survey on my gym’s app before stepping foot inside. I always feel like I get a better workout at the gym, and for me, that includes lots of extra sweat.
Please keep your mask covering your nose and your mouth. I only saw two people wrongly wearing their masks, and an employee had to call them out. The best ways to avoid Covid-19 at the gym are to wash your hands, wear your mask, wipe down equipment, and avoid standing on top of other gym-goers. If you’re used to basic, good gym rules, it shouldn’t be too challenging.
1. What was the author doing during the quarantine?| A．Making various fruit bread. |
| B．Searching for ways to beat the coronavirus. |
| C．Going out to the office for his usual work. |
| D．Following online healthcare classes at home. |
| A．A wide choice of equipment. | B．The free food served there. |
| C．Discussion about good diet. | D．No need for any face masks. |
| A．Avoiding standing close to the equipment. |
| B．Keeping a mask over your nose and mouth. |
| C．Taking some online classes about gym safety. |
| D．Choosing equipment that was challenging. |
| A．Difference Between Going to the Gym and Home Exercise |
| B．My Discussion with People About Good Food and Exercise |
| C．My Experience of Going to the Gym Since Quarantine |
| D．My Finding About Things to Do When Working at the Office |
2 . On March 14, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic (新冠疫情) forced 57th Street Books, in Chicago, to close its doors. The store wouldn’t reopen for nearly a year and a half. During that time, director Jeff Deutsch was worried. Customers couldn’t come to the shop. His main advantage over online business had gone overnight.
Deutsch said he and his team were lucky. Customers stepped up. They offered gifts and support. “There was something very beautiful in the way our community came together,” he said. “We really supported one another’s businesses,”
Similar stories played out over the past two years in cities and towns around the country. Though independent bookstores were forced to close during the pandemic, many found ways to connect with and help their community.
Anne Holman is co-owner of the King’s English Bookshop. It’s in Salt Lake City, Utah. She said the store put books outside for reading and started doing a lot of events online. Other stores set up bookselling hotlines, and improved their tools for e-business.
Some bookstores did events that went more than bookselling. They offered COVID testing. They collected food for people in need. “Having an independent bookstore in your community is almost like a town square,” said Samira Ahmed, an author of books for young adults. “It’s an important place to build community.”
11-year-old Adele Sorkin, a fan of 57th Street Books, is on its Young Readers Advisory Board. Members receive early copies of books in exchange for writing reviews. “I think of the bookstore as a cookie jar (罐子),” Adele says. “It’s something special and fun that is always there for you.” Jeff Deutsch sees a bright future. “If we reimagine bookstores and do our best to support them,” he says, “then bookstores can thrive (兴盛).”
1. Why did Jeff Deutsch feel lucky?| A．A smart team had been built. | B．He could shop on the Internet. |
| C．Customers gave him a hand. | D．Online business grew overnight. |
| A．How they sold books to the young. | B．When they built a town square. |
| C．Why they helped people in need. | D．What they did for the community. |
| A．She dreams of running a business. | B．She praises the 57th Street Books. |
| C．She often brings cookies with her. | D．She tries to write a short story. |
| A．They will mostly offer COVID testing. |
| B．Their advantage has turned into nothing. |
| C．They could take the place of e-business. |
| D．Their growth is tied to the community. |
3 . Hundreds of little robots are walking around colleges and cities in the United States, China and elsewhere. The robots, about 50 centimeters tall, are bringing food like pizza to hungry students.
“We saw needs for robot usage just go through the ceiling,” said Alastair Westgarth. He is the head of Starship Technologies, whose robots recently made their 2 millionth delivery(递送). “I think the need is always there, but it was brought forward by the pandemic effect(疫情影响).”
The robots use cameras, sensors and GPS to move around and even cross streets on their own at the speed of 8 kilometers per hour. Operators keep watch on several robots at a time but they say they hardly need to stop or move them around a barrier(障碍). When a robot arrives, people enter a code(密码)from their phones to open the robot and get their food.
There are some disadvantages for now. The robots have to be recharged(再充电)regularly. They are slow and cannot travel far. They will not leave food at the door. And big cities like New York and Beijing are not welcome them.
Ji Hye Kim is chef of Miss Kim Restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She used robot delivery when her dining room was closed last year. Kim prefers robots to delivery companies which charge more and sometimes cancel orders if they do not have enough drivers. Delivery companies also group several orders per trip, she said, so food sometimes arrives cold. Robots take just one order at a time.
Denis Maloney is vice president at Domino’s Pizza. His company is testing robots from Nuro, a California-based company. The robots are about 1.8 meters tall and can travel at a top speed of 40 kilometers on streets, not sidewalks. Maloney said delivery from Nuro costs more than using human drivers for now. But as the technology scales up and gets more refined, the costs will go down.
1. What do we know about robot food delivery?| A．Robots are very popular among university students. |
| B．Only pizza can be brought by robots to hungry students. |
| C．The pandemic has changed the way of fast food delivery. |
| D．The pandemic saw sharp growth of robot food delivery. |
| A．The operators use a code to control the robots. |
| B．The robots run at a high speed on the street. |
| C．They are controlled by a high level of intelligence. |
| D．The robots don’t need to be charged regularly. |
| A．Longer distances to travel. | B．Lower costs than drivers. |
| C．More than one order per trip. | D．High speeds and exact delivery. |
| A．Robot food delivery is increasing greatly. |
| B．The pandemic affected people’s daily life. |
| C．Scientists are making new types of robots. |
| D．Robots has increased business of restaurants. |
4 . Residents at risk of isolation (隔离) during the pandemic are transforming their outdoor space, creating a community garden they can enjoy with families and the wider community.
The group of men and women at Mandale House Care Home on Acklam Road, Thornaby, Stockton, are celebrating after being awarded £5, 000 from the National Lottery and Ikea’s Places Called Home fund today.
With visitation restrictions in place to keep residents and staff safe at the height of the pandemic, the work to transform the garden aims to rebuild and strengthen community relationships, as well as celebrate the links already made.
Sarah Robinson, activities coordinator (统筹者) at the care setting, said: “We reached out beyond the home during the pandemic and have loved doing online art sessions with Equal Arts, an organization aiming at improving older people’s lives with creativity. “They’ve been areal influence to keep residents involved and engaged with the outside world. “Working with artists, residents now want to turn their garden into a colorful and enjoyable place while spending more time together.”
Known as the Mandale Marvels, the group will be joined by Equal Arts’ artists to build a pizza oven, grow various vegetables and develop the outdoor space for events.
Jos Forest Melville, from Equal Arts, said: “Throughout lockdown online creative sessions proved a key and effective way to keep people connected. This garden will help make community connections that will be long-lasting and is something that ties the group and community together with a shared interest regardless of age, where we live or our physical or mental capacity (能力) . I am really looking forward to the outcome of this brilliant plan.”
Over the next few months residents will work with horticulturists, designing and creating a community garden, and visual artists to bring their ideas to life, for all to share.
1. What is the purpose of transforming the garden?| A．To grow more vegetables for food. |
| B．To attract more residents and visitors. |
| C．To celebrate an award of 5, 000 pounds. |
| D．To improve connections within the community. |
| A．Help the old learn painting. | B．Teach children to grow flowers. |
| C．Provide the old with medical care. | D．Accompany children at the weekend. |
| A．People who make pizza ovens. | B．People who are good at gardening. |
| C．People who are fond of communicating. | D．People who have strong mental capacity. |
| A．It makes use of the Internet. | B．It is physically demanding. |
| C．It has been a great success. | D．It is organized by the community. |
In a story that fits a Hollywood script (剧本), two strange neighbors connected through music and formed an unusual bond by playing the piano together through a wall.
Giorgio Lo Porto is an Italian living in London, England. While he’s never met his neighbor, he knows his new neighbor is a pianist.
His curiosity sets off a series of online videos recording their growing friendship.
Lo Porto then says that he’s left a note telling his neighbor that he loved his music and included a request: Could you play “My Heart Will Go On?” As music starts playing in the background, he posts “I guess it’s a yes.”
In the next video, not only does Lo Porto play the piano, he’s also invited his neighbor to a duet (二重奏). Although he hasn’t played for a while, it appears that his relationship with his neighbor lights up his lost passion for the instrument (乐器).
In another video, Lo Porto begins playing “River Flows Through You,” and stops. At the very moment, his neighbor picks up where he left off.
And just like that, the two started a weekly duet “meet up,” as they played back and forth through the wall.
With every note, Lo Porto’s curiosity about his neighbor’s identity (身份) increased, until one day he took the leap to meet him.
With much expectation and thousands of fascinated online users, Lo Porto revealed (透漏) that he finally met his melodic neighbor.
“Well, today I have met my neighbor. It was better than expected. His name is Emil...” Lo Porto posted.
It turns out that Emil is a 87-year-old native of Poland who recently lost his wife to COVID. He was in between homes as he waited for his house to be sold.
As Lo Porto explained, Emil played the piano at 2 PM every weekend “because his wife loved it.” Playing it “keeps him closer to his wife and away from the painful reminder” of her absence. Lo Porto promised Emil that he would continue their duets till he moved out.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
After that, they kept in touch by phone.
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Paragraph 2:
However, bad news came.
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6 . The COVID-19 global health emergency is not yet over, the World Health Organization says, but determining how to measure the end of a pandemic is not a simple equation (方程式, 等式), according to experts.
During a briefing on Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made it clear he believes COVID-19 remains a global health emergency and that fighting it requires ongoing attention and diligence.
“I have said that the pandemic is not over, but the end is in sight. Both are true,” Tedros said. “Being able to see the end does not mean we’re at the end.”
The number of weekly deaths is now just 10 per cent of what it was at the global peak in January 2021 and two-thirds of the world’s population is now vaccinated (接种疫苗) , including three-quarters of health workers and older people, which are all positive signs, Tedros said.
But 10, 000 people are still dying of this disease every week, and that’s 10, 000 too many when these fatalities are preventable, he added. “We are still in the tunnel, and we will only get to the end by focusing on the path ahead and by moving forward with purpose and care.”
Debate over whether the pandemic is still active was sparked late last week when U. S. President Joe Biden declared in a Sunday interview “the pandemic is over.”
Biden’s comments came after WHO said last week the end of the coronavirus pandemic is in sight, pointing to a global decrease in the number of weekly fatalities in recent weeks.
The WHO’s Emergency committee is now in active discussions about what standard should be used to decide when COVID-19 is no longer an emergency, Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead, said.
1. According to paragraphs 2, 3, Tedros’ attitude to the present pandemic situation is __________.| A．worried | B．confident | C．objective | D．doubtful |
| A．the number of vaccinated people. | B．the number of weekly fatalities. |
| C．the global fighting efforts. | D．WHO’s official declaration. |
| A．To prove the end of the pandemic | B．To blame his judgement |
| C．To lead to the correct conclusion | D．To tell us it is a hot debate |
| A．deaths | B．infections | C．diseases | D．serious conditions |
One year, and now another. It’s still not the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. How do you feel when
Many studies
According to Valentine Raiteri, a psychiatrist (精神科医生) working in New York, one of the main
Since going outside becomes
1. 无需紧张；
2. 如何正确防护；
3. 表达希望和祝福。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，使文章连贯。
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9 . As workers return to the office, friends meet up and religious services move from online to in person, people are wondering whether they should shake hands or not.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first began, an event planning business in Kansas City began selling “I Shake Hands” stickers(标签). The words were meant to make social situations easier.
“We didn’t want the sticker to say ‘We Don’t Shake Hands’ because that is kind of off-putting(令人气恼的),” said John DeLeon, vice president of operations. DeLeon added that those who did not want to shake hands with others could simply choose not to wear a sticker.
The handshake has been around for centuries. A widely held belief is that it started as a way to show that a person was offering peace and not holding a hidden weapon. But hands have germs(细菌).
Dr. Anthony Fauci is America’s leading infectious disease expert. Last year, he warned, “I don’t think we should ever shake hands again, to be honest with you.”
Dr. Amesh Adalja, another infectious disease expert, does not agree. He thinks people are overthinking the question of whether to shake hands or not. The answer, he says, is simple.
“If you are worried about COVID-l9, the best way to make handshakes safe is to be fully vaccinated (接种疫苗),” Dr. Adalja said.
Diane Gottsman is a national etiquette expert. Etiquette means the rules that make up the correct way to behave in society. Gottsman does not think the handshake will go away because of the pandemic. But she said people should take things slowly. “Don’t be the first to extend your hand, even if you are comfortable,” Gottsman said.
Business Law Southwest advises businesses in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. At the beginning of the pandemic, it offered to help create new workplace rules—such as a no-handshake policy. But there was not enough interest, said Kristy Donahue, a company spokeswoman. “At the end of the day,” Donahue said, “people long for human interaction and human touch.”
1. What did John DeLeon think of “We Don’t Shake Hands” sticker?| A．It’s funny. | B．It’s important. |
| C．It’s acceptable. | D．It’s unnecessary. |
| A．John DeLeon. | B．Anthony Fauci. |
| C．Amesh Adalja. | D．Diane Gottsman. |
| A．It was widely adopted. | B．It was not well received. |
| C．It was supported by Kristy Donahue. | D．It was put forward by Diane Gottsman. |
| A．Shaking Hands—A Thing of the Past. | B．Shaking Hands—Old Habits Die Hard. |
| C．To Shake Hands or Not to Shake Hands? | D．Why Is It Difficult to Give up Handshaking? |
10 . Getting sick is a common part of people’s lives. But their attitudes toward being sick and hospital visits vary from country to country. This difference hasn’t been more obvious since the start of the novel coronavirus epidemic — when a great number of people are falling ill all at the same time.
The conditions in the US are getting worse quickly, which is largely due to the fact that there’s no universal health-care system. According to the 2019 US Census, 28 million people are not covered or do not have adequate health insurance, meaning that they would probably avoid getting tested for the virus, for fear of the cost of being hospitalized.
‘‘There is a strong financial reason to hide symptoms, to try to keep working and caring for children, and thus, they’re spreading the virus … simply because they have no other choice.” wrote reporter James Hamblin on The Atlantic.
Germany, on the contrary, has one of the world’s best-developed public healthcare systems that covers every citizen. People in Germany — who have ‘‘high levels of job security’’, according to the Los Angeles Times — are also more likely to follow the separation measures and stay at home without having to worry about losing their jobs.
Japan also has universal public health-care, but it brings another kind of problem: People tend to seek more medical care than necessary. According to Yusuke Tsugawa, a physician at Harvard University, Japan has three times more outpatient (门诊) visits than in the US, and patients also stay in hospital for three times longer than in the US. This often wastes medical resources, which are even more critical and precious during a global pandemic.
‘‘It isn’t good to do tests just to ease public anxiety,” Kentaro Iwata, an infectious disease expert at Kobe University, Japan, told Reuters. ‘‘If they test everyone with light symptoms, the medical system will break down.”
Indeed, a country’s healthcare system is the key to keeping its people safe - it’s also the key to whether a country can survive a crisis like the novel coronavirus pandemic.
1. Why are the conditions in the US worsening rapidly?| A．All people there avoid getting tested. |
| B．Most people there don’t have health insurance. |
| C．Most people there can’t afford being hospitalized. |
| D．All people there are not covered by health-care system. |
| A．They choose to do so. | B．They don’t want to work alone. |
| C．They are concerned about money. | D．They want to stay with their children. |
| A．They have too many outpatient visits. |
| B．They waste too much time on unnecessary testing. |
| C．They spend too much money on public health-care. |
| D．They don’t make the best use of medical resources. |
