1 . The Most Beautiful Train Stations in the World
Tokyo Station Marunouchi Building
The wide-open entrance square on the Marunouchi side of Tokyo’s main train station would look more at home in Amsterdam or Paris. Kingo Tatsuno’s classical European design took over six years to complete, finally opening in 1914. The statin has received several facelifts since the Second World War, most recently in 2012. It’s one of the biggest and busiest train stations in the world.
Beijing West Railway Station
The idea of building this station in the capital of China was put forward as early as 1959 but didn’t come to reality until 1996. It was the largest station in Asia at the time, although Shanghai’s Hongqiao Station has since surpassed it. The station itself has a unique architectural (建筑的) style, with the main body of the building having quite a functional Russian look, but the rooftop is decorated with three amazing Chinese pagodas.
Duoliang Station, Taiwan
This is the smallest station on this lit by a distance. In fact we’re not really choosing Duoliang for architectural reasons. This station is all about location, location, location. Surrounded by hi top greenery on one side and amazing Pacific Ocean scenery on the other, it’s one of the most scenic spots in all of Taiwan. This isn’t even a working station anymore, but the platforms have been adapted into viewing spots, extremely popular with local train spotters.
Stazione Milano Centrale in Milan
Milan’s central train station looks pretty much exactly as you’d imagine it. There are a mix of styles at play here, from Art Nouveau to Art Deco, but the entire building is filled with a classic sense of Roman monumentality. The outer look is guarded by two statues, while its insides are equally impressive, as grand stonewalls curve (弯曲) into the station’s glass ceilings.
1. What do Tokyo Station and Beijing West Railway Station have in common?| A．Both have European features. |
| B．Both were built in the early 1990s. |
| C．Both have been rebuilt several times. |
| D．Both are the largest domestic stations. |
| A．Its distance. | B．Its small size. |
| C．Its surrounding scenery. | D．Its architectural style. |
| A．Roman buildings | B．Its various styles. |
| C．Statues on the walls | D．The curving ceilings. |
2 . The last attempt of Ken Campbell to run could date back to high school. When his wife, Susan, injured her foot, she needed support to rejoin her running group, so Campbell went along to keep her company in the recovery.” We were just walking at the beginning,” he says, “I was heavy, and weighed over 90kg.” But as the weeks and months passed, the weight fell away, Susan recovered and Campbell’s abilities grew. At the age of 63, he ran 50km, and at 70, he completed a 100km ultramarathon.
So how does someone with no experience of running become an ultradistance runner in his 60s and 70s? Susan had run marathons before her injury, but for Campbell, the turning point came when Susan’s Fleet Feet running group started training near their home.
Campbell went out to visit Susan’s group, and “the paths were a terrible mess. It had been raining, and I was slipping, sliding and falling. But I thought, well, I like this a lot.” What he liked above all was the feeling of “being wrapped by the path, being hugged by the closeness of the plants and the nearness of the river”.
Running the 100km ultramarathon took Campbell 16 hours. When Campbell crossed the finish line, Susan handed hima100km sticker to display on the back of his truck. “It is a public statement that you are part of this community,” he says. “Wherever we park, I see a line of vehicles with their various stickers and I feel that we area community.”
Campbell suffered from arthritis before he started running, and was “waiting for knee replacement”, but for now, he no longer needs an operation. It can put an end to the running—but the “sense of wellbeing and achievement will carry me on forever”, he says, “If I can’t run, I will walk.”
1. What is Paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．What led to Campbell’s weight loss. |
| B．What made Campbell start running. |
| C．Why Campbell attempted to run marathon. |
| D．What Campbell did for Susan’s recovery. |
| A．Susan’s starting training. | B．Falling down when training. |
| C．Feeling free in nature. | D．His visit to Susan’s group. |
| A．A sense of belonging. | B．Encouragement from his wife. |
| C．A sense of achievement. | D．Display of his happiness. |
| A．Well begun is half done. | B．It is never too late to begin. |
| C．Failure is the mother of success. | D．Actions speak louder than words. |
3 . Chinese Teapot Escaping from British Museum Goes Viral
Chinese state media has praised a viral video series telling the story of a jade teapot coming to life and fleeing the British Museum to make its way back home.
The set of three short videos, entitled Escape from the British Museum, shows the teapot turning into a young woman in a green dress, who then engages a London-based Chinese journalist to help her reunite with her family. It appears to have struck a chord (弦) in China after first being released by independent vloggers on Douyin. By Monday evening, it had reportedly received more than 310 million views. The plot line taps into growing Chinese criticism of the British Museum after reports last month that more than 1,500 priceless objects, including gold jewelry, semi-precious stones and glass, were missing, stolen or damaged.
In August the state media Global Times called for the return of Chinese artifacts from the museum “free of charge” in the wake of the controversy. “The huge holes in the management and security of cultural objects in the British Museum exposed by this scandal (丑闻) have led to the collapse of a long-standing and widely circulated claim that ‘foreign cultural objects are better protected in the British Museum’,” it said. It strongly supported the video series for touching on a “powerful message” about the importance of cultural heritage and reflecting “Chinese people’s desiring for the repatriation of the Chinese cultural relics.”
State broadcaster CCTV also gave the short films a glowing review saying: “We are very pleased to see Chinese young people are passionate about history and tradition... We are also looking forward to the early return of Chinese artifacts that have been displayed overseas.”
The museum scandal made headlines around the world and reawakened earlier demands by the Chinese media to restore the country’s relics. The new three-part show has triggered a wave of nationalism among viewers, with many praising the creative plot that reduced them to tears by showing how the teapot experienced the happiness of returning to China to see pandas and watch a flag-raising ceremony on Tiananmen Square.
1. What excuse does Britain give for keeping other nations’ cultural objects in its museum?| A．It has taken possession of these objects by all lawful means. |
| B．These objects are safer and taken better care of in its museum. |
| C．It is requested by other nations to protect their cultural objects. |
| D．These objects may come to life, flee their countries and go viral. |
| A．Repair. | B．Reflection. | C．Reserve. | D．Return. |
| A．China had already demanded the restoration of its cultural relics before the scandal. |
| B．The museum’s awful management and security systems are involved in the scandal. |
| C．The Britain Museum is under pressure to return the cultural relics to China sooner or later. |
| D．A London-based Chinese journalist has contributed a lot to the viral three-part video series. |
| A．To appeal to Britain to return China’s cultural objects. |
| B．To introduce a viral video series about a fleeing jade teapot. |
| C．To arouse readers’ concern about Chinese cultural objects abroad. |
| D．To praise Chinese young people’s passion for history and tradition. |
4 . For people suffering from depression, there’s an all-natural treatment they should use — getting more exercise. It could help fight depression, even if people have a genetic risk, new research shows.
For the study, researchers collected information from nearly 8,000 people and found those with related genes were more likely to have depression over the next two years after examining them. But that was less likely for people who were more active at the study’s start, even if they had a family history of depression. Higher levels of physical activity helped protect even those with the highest genetic risk of depression.
Both high-intensity (高强度) exercise and low-intensity activities were associated with a reduced risk of depression. Adding four hours of exercise a week could lower the risk of a new episode (一段经历) of depression by 17%, according to the study. “Our findings strongly suggest that, when it comes to depression, being physically active has the potential to remove the added risk of future episodes in individuals who are genetically risky,” said lead author Karmel Choi. “On average, about 35 additional minutes of physical activity each day may help people to reduce their risk and protect against future depression episodes.”
Depression is a common mental illness globally, with more than 264 million people affected. “Depression is so ubiquitous, and that underlines the need for effective approaches that can impact as many people as possible,” Choi said. And mental health and primary care providers can use the findings to advise patients that there’s something meaningful they can do to lower their risk of depression.
1. How did the researchers reach their conclusion?| A．By analyzing a mass of data. |
| B．By conducting genetic research. |
| C．By comparing various levels of activity. |
| D．By tracking the subjects for many years. |
| A．Physical activity betters medical treatment. |
| B．Exercise is able to decrease and prevent it. |
| C．Different levels of exercise intensity matter the same. |
| D．Exercising 35 minutes daily is the most effective treatment. |
| A．Harmful. | B．Complex. |
| C．Unusual. | D．Common. |
| A．To discuss a disease. |
| B．To introduce a method. |
| C．To analyze a genetic risk. |
| D．To explain a phenomenon. |
5 . BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China will launch the Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Initiative, which presents a constructive approach to addressing universal concerns over AI development and governance and drew up blueprints for relevant international discussions and rule-making, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Xi made the announcement in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) in Beijing on Wednesday.
“It is part of China’s active effort to advance the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative,” the spokesperson said.
AI is a new frontier of human development, and it comes with major opportunities and hard-to-predict risks and challenges that require global response, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the Initiative systematically outlines China’s proposals on AI governance from three aspects, namely, the development, security and governance of AI. The core components of the Initiative are: We should uphold a people-centered approach in developing AI and adhere to the principle of developing AI for the good of humanity, so that AI is developed in a way that is beneficial to human progress; We should uphold the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit in AI development, and oppose drawing ideological lines or forming exclusive groups to obstruct other countries from developing AI; We should promote the establishment of a testing and assessment system based on AI risk levels, so as to make AI technologies more secure, reliable, controllable and equitable; We support efforts to develop AI governance frameworks, norms and standards based on broad consensus and with full respect for policies and practices among countries, and support discussions within the United Nations framework to establish an international institution to govern AI; Efforts should be made to conduct international cooperation with and provide assistance to developing countries, to bridge the gap in AI and its governance capacity.
“China stands ready to have exchanges and practical cooperation with all sides on global AI governance and deliver benefit for all human beings through AI technology,” the spokesperson added.
1. What announcement was made according to Paragraph 1?| A．Rules about AI control in China. |
| B．A initiative about governing AI globally. |
| C．Universal concerns about AI development. |
| D．Domestic plans for AI rule-making. |
| A．AI development needs global concerns |
| B．China has made every effort to develop AI |
| C．The initiative was launched related to four aspects |
| D．AI should advance based on the needs of robots |
| A．Supportive if it’s for human-kind. |
| B．Indifferent if it’s for some people’s benefit. |
| C．Disapproved if it is not for education. |
| D．Neutral whatever it is. |
6 . Vehicles on our roads are now mostly petrol and diesel (柴油) cars, but their days cannot continue for much longer. A recent university study found that current electric cars could be used for 87 percent of daily car journeys in the US. That figure could rise to 98 percent by 2020.
One hurdle to the widespread adoption of electric cars has been “range anxiety” — drivers concerns about running out of electricity on a journey. While petrol stations are conveniently located across national road systems, the necessary network of electric charging stations is still being developed. That said, charging points are becoming increasingly common throughout the USA.
Attitudes towards electric vehicles have changed greatly over the last few years. Not that long ago, electric cars were met with distrust, and their high prices drove customers away. Thanks to improvements in battery capacity, recharging times, performance and price, the current generation of electric cars are starting to persuade picky consumers. Plug-in cars will soon give internal combustion engine (内燃机) models a run for their money.
As well as development on the road, electric vehicles are taking to the seas and skies. Electric boats are among the oldest methods of electric travel, having enjoyed several decades of popularity from the late 19th to the early 20th century before petrol-powered outboard motors took over. Now, the global drive for renewable energy sources is bringing electric boats back. Steps towards electric air travel are also being made, with Airbus and NASA among the organizations developing and testing battery-powered planes. The experiments could soon make commercial electric flight a reality.
Electric vehicles do not produce any emissions (排放). If the US could replace 87 percent of its cars with electric vehicles, it would reduce the national demand for petrol by 61 percent. However, because of the production processes and the generation of electricity required to charge these vehicles, they cannot claim (声称) to be completely emission-free. That said, as many countries continue to increase their use of renewable energy sources, electric vehicles will become even cleaner.
1. The underlined word “hurdle” in Paragraph 2 probably means________.| A．aim | B．difficulty | C．result | D．step |
| A．They were very poorly made. | B．They were not widely promoted. |
| C．They were expensive. | D．They couldn’t travel at a high speed. |
| A．To introduce the history of electric travel. |
| B．To explain why the world needs more electric cars. |
| C．To show why more people have interest in electric cars. |
| D．To describe different ways electric vehicles can be used. |
| A．Driving into a Cleaner Future | B．History of Electric Cars |
| C．Problems with Petrol and Diesel Cars | D．Best Means of Transportation |
7 . A national park is an area set aside by a government for the preservation of the natural environment. The national parks in the United States and Canada center on the protection of both land and wildlife.
It is widely thought that the idea of a park or nature reserve under state ownership started in the United States in 1870.
Partly following the American example, movements supporting national parks sprang up in many other countries.
But interest in parks came later in Asia and Latin America than it did in the Anglo-American countries and Europe.
| A．These movements began in Canada. |
| B．George Catlin offered the idea during the 1830s. |
| C．Visitors are allowed to enter for different purposes. |
| D．Those in the United Kingdom center mainly on the land. |
| E．Japan and Mexico established their first national parks in the 1930s. |
| F．By the early 21st century the NPS managed more than 400 separate areas. |
| G．It is also thought that the world’s first such park was Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. |
8 . In contrast to the often-heard views that robots will replace human workers, researchers from Gartner predicts that artificial intelligence(AI)may actually create, more jobs than it’s expected to take away. By 2020, artificial intelligence has created 2. 3 million jobs, going beyond the 1. 8 million that it has replaced, the company said in a recent report. In the following five years to 2025, net (净得的)new jobs created in relation to AL will reach 2 million, according to the report.
The number of jobs affected will be different from industry to industry. The public sector(公共部门), health care and education are expected to get the most jobs, while manufacturing(制造业)and transportation may be hit the hardest, said Gartner’s research director, Manjunath Bhat.
“Robots are not here to take away our jobs, they’re here to give us a promotion”. “I think that’s the way we should start looking at AI” Bhat told reporters on Tuesday.
Gartner’s positive predictions contrast with the warnings on the dangers of AI sounded by top technology industry voices such as Kai-Fu Lee, the founder of venture capital firm Sinovation Ventures. He said robots are likely to replace 50 percent of all jobs in the next decade.
Gartner acknowledged in its report that AI would cut millions of middle-and low-level positions. But it stressed that more new jobs would be created, including highly-skilled jobs, management positions and even low-skilled jobs.
“IT leaders should not only focus on the projected increase of jobs,” the report said. “For the greatest value, focus on improving people with AI. Enrich people’s jobs, reimagine old tasks and create new industries. Change your culture to make it rapidly adaptable to AI-related opportunities or threats.”
1. What does research firm Gartner think of artificial intelligence?| A．Human workers will be out of work. | B．AI will create more jobs than it cuts. |
| C．AI will run out of human control. | D．New industries will replace old ones. |
| A．Teachers. | B．Dentists. |
| C．Bus drivers. | D．Social workers. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Hopeful. |
| C．Worried. | D．Confused. |
| A．Take advantage of new industry opportunities. |
| B．Provide people with training programmes. |
| C．Stop the old business and turn to new business. |
| D．Welcome AI and adapt to changes brought by it. |
9 . Booksellers have run their trade along the banks of the River Seine for about 450 years, their time-beaten green boxes a Paris tradition as treasured as freshly baked baguettes (法棍面包).
But this piece of French history is now at the center of a storm after the city’s police ordered that the booksellers and their stalls (排位) be relocated for “safety reasons” to make way for the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in 2024.
One plan was for booksellers’ boxes to remain in place but they must be examined by the police first and sealed off (封锁) during the Olympic event, which would attract millions of visitors to the city—including many who would potentially visit their stalls. Another plan, considered even worse by booksellers, was to move the boxes elsewhere. As booksellers pit on, many bores have been is place for 30 or 40 years. Most are mused and all their parts are not strong enough.
Although the city’s government has offered to relocate the bookstalls and cover the cost of the move as well as repairing damaged stalls, booksellers say the lack of consultation over a decision affecting a Paris landmark has left them fearful about the future.
Plus, there’s concern about what will happen when the Olympics are over. “Are they even going to offer us the same spots again after the games?” asked a bookseller. “I’m afraid that we get our boxes back either in a year, or maybe never, or with someone else’s things in them,” he said.
Booksellers worried that not only would moving the boxes be much more expensive for the capital, but a relocated book market wouldn’t work. “The stalls only make sense when they are on the banks of the Seine,” they said. The attraction and culture of the boxes is their age-worn character, their poetic shades of green.
1. What trouble are Paris booksellers facing now?| A．Their stalls are considered as a risk for Paris. |
| B．They have to join in the Olympic opening ceremony. |
| C．Their stalls must be sealed off for the city’s development. |
| D．They may have to move their bookstalls for some reason. |
| A．Covering the cost of repairing old bookstalls. |
| B．Building a new landmark for the bookstalls. |
| C．Replacing old bookstalls with new ones for free. |
| D．Attracting more customers for the bookstalls. |
| A．They are much too expensive. | B．They must lie along the Seine. |
| C．They must be painted green. | D．They are not a Paris landmark. |
| A．Paris Bookstalls Being Moved for Safety Reasons |
| B．Paris Bookstalls Make the Banks of Seine Attractive |
| C．Arguments over the Location of Paris Bookstalls |
| D．Paris’s Preparation for Olympic Games 2024 |
10 . Entertaining Fall Festivals, Events and Activities
Duluth Fall Festival in Duluth, Georgia: Sept. 30—Oct. 2
The 40th yearly end-of-summer celebration takes place in downtown Duluth on the last weekend in September. This free event is run by a team of 300-plus volunteers. Attendees can wander around more than 180 vendors (摊贩) selling arts and crafts or catch a show at either of the two stages with 20-plus scheduled performances throughout the weekend. Kids can experience rides and games just for them, and anyone can enjoy the on-site carnival (嘉年华).
Fall for Greenville in Greenville, South Carolina: Oct. 12—15
Dozens of food and drink vendors set up for this yearly fall festival. Entry and entertainment are free, but attendees can buy Taste Tickets to try dishes prepared by local restaurants and exchange them for drinks, carnival rides and slides in the Kids’ Area. Dozens of free performances are given by local and national acts on stages throughout the weekend.
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico: Oct. 7—15
Well-known as the largest hot air balloon festival in the world, this annual autumn attraction has been around for more than half a century. Attendees can enjoy activities for which they will have to pay a fee. A full schedule of events keep attendees busy throughout each day with a series of themed balloon competitions. Additional activities include free live music performances, firework shows, and shopping and dining at vendors.
West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta in Tualatin, Oregon: Oct. 21—22
Tualatin draws people each October for a free festival with unique fall-themed activities. This year the event kicks off on Saturday with a competition of a giant vegetable weigh-off. The next day starts with a 5K run to raise money for scholarships for local students. Attendees then gather on the banks of Lake Tualatin to watch the festival’s main performance: the Giant Pumpkin Competition.
1. What is specially designed for children at Duluth Fall Festival?| A．Live music. | B．Some rides. | C．The carnival. | D．Firework shows. |
| A．Attending different festivals. | B．Enjoying drinks. |
| C．Shopping for clothes. | D．Appreciating local performances. |
| A．Fall for Greenville. |
| B．Duluth Fall Festival. |
| C．West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta. |
| D．Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. |
