2 . Planning a visit to the UK? Here are some useful methods to cut down your budget.

AVOID BIG EVENTS

During big sporting games, concerts and exhibitions, the cost of accommodation is more likely to increase. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy(喜剧)Festival (19th Oct.) cost £169.15 at Booking. com while just a week later, the same room cost £118.15. If you want to know which dates to a void-or you've looking for a big event to pass your time-check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category.

STAYAWAY FROM THE STATION

If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good hotel close to the station, but you are expected to pay more because of convenience at the start of your holiday. Don't put too much attention on the part of town you stay in. Booking two months ahead of schedule, the cheapest single room at Travelodge's Central Euston in London for Saturday 22th September was £95.95. A room just an underground journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was £75.75. While at Farringdon, a double room costs just £62.95.

LOOK AFTER YOURSELF

Really central hotels in cities like London, Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. So it will be a good choice to consider checking into a self-cooking flat with its own kitchen. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city center buildings. An example is the historic O'Neill Flat on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, available for £420 for five days in September, with room for four adults.

TAKE A BIKE

London's "Boris bikes" have aroused the most attention from home and overseas tourists, but other cities also have similar programs that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs. Among the smaller cities with their own programs are Newcastle (approximately £1.50 for two hours) and Cardiff (free for up to 30 minutes).

1. The Brighton Comedy Festival is mentioned mainly to show that big events may________.

A．help the travelers kill the time

B．cause the travelers to spend more on accommodation

C．give the tourists more choices to arrange their schedule

D．attract move tourists to the UK

2. "Farringdon" in Paragraph 3 is probably________.

A．a hotel away from a train station

B．the underground line to Covent Garden

C．one of the most popular tourist destinations

D．the name of a train station

3. The main purpose of this passage is________.

A．to offer readers useful hotel information

B．to tell visitors how to book hotel rooms travelers

C．to provide some money-saving tips for travelers

D．to show tourists the importance and convenience of self-help

5 . Cecilia Chiang, the chef and restaurant owner, was greatly known for introducing regional Chinese dishes to the United States. She helped change the way Americans think about Chinese cooking.

Chiang was born into a wealthy Shanghai family with two full-time chefs—one from the north and one from the south. In 1949 her family settled in Tokyo, opening a restaurant called the Forbidden City. But it was a 1960 trip in San Francisco that set Chiang on her dramatic journey to cooking fame. She was both shocked and amused by the food most Americans considered to be Chinese. “They think chop suey(杂烩) is the only thing we have in China,” she said with a laugh. “ What a shame.”

So Chiang was determined to open a high-end Chinese restaurant that served authentic Chinese food. “Everybody said, ‘You cannot make it. You cannot speak English. You don’t know anything.’” she recalled. In 1961 then, Chiang opened the Mandarin.

The restaurant wasn’t immediately successful. About a year after opening, the Mandarin received a mention from the San Francisco Chronicle (旧金山纪事报). The effect of the powerful writer’s positive comment was immediate. Tourists, dignitaries and celebrities(达官显贵)—from Mae West to John Lennon—flooded into the Mandarin for then -unfamiliar food like tea smoked duck twice cooked pork.

Though the Mandarin was closed years later, Cecilia Chiang’s DNA can be found all over American Chinese food. Her son founded the chain P.F. Chang’s and the son of one of her chefs founded Panda Express.

In early 2017, Chiang shared how she lived to be so old: “I always think about the better side, the good side of everything. I never think about, Oh, I’m going to fail. Oh, I cannot do this. Oh, I feel sorry for myself.” Instead, Chiang wrote books, starred in a PBS documentary series and won the most famous award in American cooking when she was 93 years old.

1. Cecilia Chiang opened the Mandarin in order to ________.

A．remember her 1960 trip in San Francisco

B．Serve real Chinese food to the Americans

C．Show her shock and amusement towards food

D．Continue her family tradition of running restaurants

2. What do we know about the Mandarin?

A．It is in the charge of Chiang’s son now.

B．It wasn’t successful until two years later.

C．It turned out pretty popular among Americans.

D．It changed the way Americans think about China.

3. Which of the following best describes Cecilia Chiang?

A．Talented and active.

B．Ambitious and selfless.

C．Optimistic and creative.

D．Positive and determined.

6 . People think children should play sports. Sports are fun, and children keep healthy while playing with others. However，playing sports can have_________effects on children. It may produce feelings of poor self-respect or aggressive behavior in some children. According to research on kids and sports，40,000,000 kids play sports in the US. Of these,18,000,000 say they have been_________at or called names while playing sports. This leaves many children with a bad_________of sports. They think sports are just too aggressive.

Many researchers believe adults, especially parents and coaches, are the main_________of too much aggression in children’s sports. They believe children_________aggressive adult behavior. This behavior is then further strengthened through both positive and negative feedback (反馈). Parents and coaches are powerful teachers because children usually look up to them. Often these adults behave aggressively themselves, sending children the message that_________is everything. Many parents go to children’s sporting events and shout_________at other players or cheer when their child behaves_________. As well, children are even taught that hurting other players is _________or are pushed to continue playing even when they are injured.____________, the media makes violence seem exciting. Children watch adult sports games and see violent behavior replayed over and over on television.

We really need to____________this problem and do something about it. Parents and coaches____________should act as better examples for children. They also need to teach children better____________. They should not just cheer when children win or act aggressively. They should teach children to____________themselves whether they win or not. Besides, children should not be allowed to continue to play when they are injured. If adults allow children to play when injured, this gives the message that____________is not as important as winning.

1.

A．restrictive(限制的)

B．negative

C．active

D．instructive

2.

A．knocked

B．glanced

C．smiled

D．shouted

3.

A．impression

B．concept

C．taste

D．expectation

4.

A．resource

B．cause

C．course

D．consequence

5.

A．question

B．understand

C．copy

D．neglect

6.

A．winning

B．practising

C．fun

D．sport

7.

A．praises

B．orders

C．remarks (言论、评论)

D．insults(侮辱)

8.

A．proudly

B．ambitiously

C．aggressively

D．bravely

9.

A．acceptable

B．impolite

C．possible

D．accessible

10.

A．By contrast

B．In addition

C．As a result

D．After all

11.

A．look up to

B．face up to

C．make up for

D．come up with

12.

A．in particular

B．in all

C．in return

D．in advance

13.

A．techniques

B．means

C．values

D．directions

14.

A．respect

B．relax

C．forgive

D．enjoy

15.

A．body

B．fame

C．health

D．spirit

7 . Scientists in Norway have more good news for coffee drinkers. Researchers have already found evidence that the drink -- or the beans can help with weight loss, _______ one’s risk of developing some diseases, _______ muscle growth, protect against certain types of cancers and can even reduce ones risk of _______ death. Now comes word that a cup of coffee reduces physical pain.

The surprising finding is based on study _______ 48 volunteers who agreed to spend 90 minutes performing fake computer tasks meant to mimic office work. The tasks were known to _______ pain in the shoulders, neck, forearms and wrists, and the researchers wanted to _______ how people with pain and those who were pain-free tolerated the pain of such tasks. As a matter of convenience, the scientists allowed people to drink coffee before taking the test “to avoid _______effects of caffeine deprivation, e.g. decreased vigor and alertness, sleepiness, and fatigue,” they reported.

But when it came time to analyze the data, the researchers from Norway’s National Institute of Occupational Health and Oslo University Hospital noticed that the 19 people who drank coffee reported a lower _______ of pain than the 29 people who didn’t. In the shoulders and neck, _______, the average pain intensity was rated 41 (on a 100-point scale) among the coffee drinkers and 55 for non-coffee drinkers. Similar gaps were found for all pain sites measured, and coffee’s apparent pain- reduction effect ________.

However, the authors of the study, which was published this week in the journal BMC Research Notes, cautioned that since the study wasn’t designed to test coffee’s influence on pain, the results came with many ________. For starters, the researchers don’t know how much coffee the coffee drinkers consumed before taking the computer tests. ________ they doubt whether the coffee drinkers and non-coffee drinkers were ________ in all respects except for their coffee consumption. Problems like these tend to ________ the importance of the findings. But those doubts are ________ to trouble the coffee drinkers looking for any reason not to cut back on their daily caffeine habit.

1.

A．rise

B．reduce

C．release

D．suffer

2.

A．shape

B．establish

C．boost

D．preserve

3.

A．accidental

B．sudden

C．premature

D．suspicious

4.

A．qualifying

B．exploring

C．interviewing

D．involving

5.

A．cause

B．endure

C．case

D．cure

6.

A．warn

B．compare

C．relieve

D．treat

7.

A．unpleasant

B．modest

C．unfortunate

D．exhausted

8.

A．tendency

B．intention

C．intensity

D．extension

9.

A．on the contrary

B．as a result

C．for instance

D．in one word

10.

A．turned up

B．broke out

C．gave away

D．took up

11.

A．insecurities

B．uncertainties

C．consequences

D．destructions

12.

A．Moreover

B．However

C．Otherwise

D．Nevertheless

13.

A．contemporary

B．similar

C．temporary

D．initial

14.

A．emphasize

B．attach

C．confirm

D．weaken

15.

A．unlikely

B．sensitive

C．accessible

D．definite

8 . Progressives often support diversity missions as a path to equality and a way to level the playing field. But all too often such policies are an insincere form of virtue-signaling that benefits only the most privileged and does little to help average people.

A pair of bills sponsored by Massachusetts state Senator Jason Lewis and House Speaker Pro Tempore Patricia Haddad, to ensure "gender equality" on boards and commissions, provide a case in point.

Haddad and Lewis are concerned that more than half the state-government board are less than 40 percent female. In order to ensure that elite women have more such opportunities, they have proposed imposing government quotas（配额）. If the bills become law, state boards and commissions will be required to set aside 50 percent of board seats for women by 2022.

The bills are similar to a measure recently adopted in California, which last year became the first state to require gender quotas for private companies. In signing the measure, California Governor Jerry Brown admitted that the law, which clearly classifies people on the basis of sex, is probably unconstitutional.

The US Supreme Court frowns on sex-based classifications unless they are designed to address an "important" policy interest. Because the California law applies to all boards, even where there is no history of prior discrimination, courts are likely to rule that the law violates the constitutional guarantee of "equal protection".

But are such government mandates even necessary? Female participation on corporate boards may not currently mirror the percentage of women in the general population, but so what?

The number of women on corporate boards has been steadily increasing without government interference. According to a study by Catalyst, between 2010 and 2015 the share of women on the boards of global corporations increased by 54 percent.

Requiring companies to make gender the primary qualification for board membership will inevitably lead to less experienced private sector boards. That is exactly what happened when Norway adopted a nationwide corporate gender quota.

Writing in The New Republic, Alice Lee notes that increasing the number of opportunities for board membership without increasing the pool of qualified women to serve on such boards has led to a "golden skirt "phenomenon, where the same elite women occupy multiple seats on a variety of boards.

Next time somebody pushes corporate quotas as a way to promote gender equity, remember that such policies are largely self-serving measures that make their sponsors feel good but do little to help average women.

1. The author believes that the bills sponsored by Lewis and Haddad will __________.

A．help little to reduce gender bias.

B．pose a threat to the state government.

C．raise women's position in politics.

D．greatly broaden career options.

2. The author mentions the study by Catalyst to illustrate __________.

A．the harm from absolute board decision.

B．the importance of constitutional guarantees.

C．the pressure on women in global corporations.

D．the needlessness of government interventions.

3. Norway's adoption of a nationwide corporate gender quota has led to __________.

A．the underestimation of elite women's role

B．the objection to female participation on boards.

C．the entry of unqualified candidates into the board.

D．the growing tension between labor and management.

4. Which of the following can be inferred from the text?

A．Women's need in employment should be considered.

B．Feasibility should be a prime concern in policy making.

C．Everyone should try hard to promote social justice.

D．Major social issues should be the focus of the government.

9 . The designer, Charles Frederick Worth (1825-95), was the first to sew labels into the clothes that he created. Because of this and his international fame, Worth is generally considered to be the father of _________ , which started in the late 19th century. Before then, making clothes was mainly done by _________ dressmakers whose clothes were influenced by what people were wearing at the French royal court. Worth, originally from England, moved to France in 1846, where he enjoyed considerable success with the nobility. Since then, there have been even greater successes for other designers, such as Chanel and Armani and those _________ the younger, trendier market, for example, Tommy Hilfiger. Currently the fashion industry relies more on mass-market sales than on _________ designs. Some well-known designers have even teamed up with international high street shops who want to add a luxury product to their range. _________ , the London branch of H&M, a clothing company from Stockholm, has started selling cut-price clothes by high-fashion designers. Recently, hundreds of people _________ outside for up to 12 hours to buy clothes designed by Lanvin! Some camped there overnight, even though at the time England was experiencing an extremely cold winter. Is this _________ to labelled goods really worth all the trouble?

An article in The Economist suggests labelled clothes really do _________ the wearers. It quotes research from Tilburg University, in the Netherland, which explains that such clothes bring status and even job recommendations, but only when the label is _________ ! The university’s first research experiment involved photos of a man wearing a polo shirt. The photos were digitally __________ so that one shirt had no logo, another had a luxury-designer logo and the third had a non-luxury logo. On a five-point scale for status, the luxury designer logo rated 3.5, no logo rated 2.91 and the non-luxury logo came last, rated 2.84. It seems it may be better to have no logo at all than to have the __________ logo! In another experiment, people watched one of two videos of a job interview of the same man. In one, his shirt had a luxury logo on it, in the other it didn’t. The man with the logo was rated more __________ the job and even received a recommendation for a 9% higher salary!

The research concluded that like a peacock’s tail, designer labels are seen as __________ of superior status: ‘the peacock with the best tail gets all the girls’. But while a peacock can’t make his tail look more attractive, it seems humans can __________ their status by using design labels. And by doing so, the way we __________ each other’s status may be seriously wrong!

1.

A．luxury industry

B．modern art

C．fashion design

D．market economy

2.

A．influential

B．famous

C．creative

D．unknown

3.

A．appealing to

B．persisting in

C．complaining of

D．experimenting on

4.

A．exclusive

B．latest

C．complicated

D．delicate

5.

A．In addition

B．For example

C．On the whole

D．After all

6.

A．applied

B．queued

C．looked

D．walked

7.

A．solution

B．opposition

C．devotion

D．restriction

8.

A．benefit

B．impact

C．confuse

D．please

9.

A．understandable

B．fashionable

C．reliable

D．visible

10.

A．stored

B．improved

C．developed

D．altered

11.

A．special

B．luxurious

C．wrong

D．untold

12.

A．suitable for

B．keen on

C．satisfied with

D．independent of

13.

A．classes

B．signs

C．advantages

D．principles

14.

A．change

B．fake

C．regain

D．show

15.

A．elevate

B．neglect

C．assess

D．imitate

10 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word or two words that best fit each blank.

Back in 2013, the legendary Japanese animator and director Hayao Miyazaki formally announced he would retire and make no more feature-length films     1    (follow) the completion of The Wind Rises. Well, it turns out that you can’t keep an Oscar-winning artist away from all     2     he loves. Miyazaki has revealed in a documentary     3     (air) on Japanese TV that he is now coming out of retirement to make a new animated feature.

    4     the documentary, Miyazaki said that he was dissatisfied with the 12-minute CGI-animated film Boro the Caterpillar （《毛毛虫菠萝》）he was currently working on and would like to expand it into a feature-length film instead. The film could take up to four years to make, which means Miyazaki would be around 80 years old by the time it    5    (complete). If he sticks to his ideal timetable, it would be finished before the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Little is known about Boro the Caterpillar, other than     6     Miyazaki describes the film as “a story of a tiny, hairy caterpillar, so tiny that it     7     be easily squished（压坏）between your fingers.” And he has been working on the story for about two decades. The 12-minute Boro the Caterpillar will not be completed for about another year and     8     (screen) exclusively at the Ghibli Museum, a museum showcasing the work of Studio Ghibli co-founded by Miyazaki.

    9    he hasn’t received a green light for the new film, Miyazaki is seen starting work on animation for the project. He plans to create storyboards（剧情梗概系列图）for about 100 cuts of footage. “I think it’s still better     10     (die) when you are doing something than dying when you are doing nothing,” he said. This is Miyazaki—if he wants to make a film, it’s going to get done undoubtedly. There’s no way anyone would turn down another amazing piece of art from the legendary animator.