1 . Carbon dioxide emissions from transportation are now thought as the top source of green-house gases. One of the most effective ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to reconsider how much, and how often, you travel.
Going car free for a year could save about 2. 6 tons of carbon dioxide, according to a study from the University of British Columbia. How can you stop using a car? Try taking a train, bus or better yet, riding a bike.
But let’s be realistic. You will likely need to use a car this year. So, when you do, here are some tips to make your trip more climate-friendly. Driving efficiently can help to reduce emissions. Go easy on the gas and brakes and drive like you have an egg under your foot. Regularly service your car to keep it more efficient. Keeping your tires pumped correctly can re-duce emissions. Low tire pressure will hurt your fuel economy. Air conditioning and frequent city driving can make emissions go up. So cut down on these as often as possible. Use cruise control (定速巡航) on long drives-in most cases, this can help to save gas. Don’t weigh your car down with extra things that you don’t need on your trip.
Fly often? Taking one fewer long round-trip flight could reduce your personal carbon footprint significantly. If you use public transportation often and fly less, your carbon foot-print might still be relatively sustainable, but if you drive and fly a lot, your emissions will be sigher. If you can’t avoid flying, you can offset them by donating money to sustainable proacts, such as supplying efficient stoves to rural homes, or projects which help farmers deal with crop waste environmentally.
1. What does the author think of going car free?| A．Efficient. | B．Costly. | C．Impractical. | D．Reliable. |
| A．Maintaining your car properly. | B．Using cruise control in the city. |
| C．Stepping hard on the gas and brakes. | D．Geiting rid of all the necessary loads. |
| A．Make up for. | B．Team up with. | C．Set foot in. | D．Put up with. |
| A．How to save fuel when driving cars | B．How to reduce your carbon footprint |
| C．Reduce carbon footprint by all means | D．Lower carbon footprint in transportation |
2 . The Rise of “China-chic”
Over past years, guochao, or “China-chic” has been gaining popularity among Chinese consumers. Guochao conveys the cultural heritage and values of China.
The idea of guochao was first borrowed from some international brands, and began to win over Chinese consumers in 2015.
In its third stage, guochao became more common in everyday life. Over the past decade, guochao has expanded from consumer goods to experiential products. As consumers are showing greater interest in cultural identity and creativity, productions like the TV program National Treasure, and the dance show Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace integrate cultural and historical elements with the latest audio-visual technologies.
Nowadays, guochao is moving to the next stage. No matter how the trend evolves, Chinese people’s positive attitude toward the country’s development and their recognition of and growing confidence in national culture won’t change.
| A．The trend grew in the following years |
| B．They give the viewers a totally new experience |
| C．The next stage saw the rise of China’s native fashion trends |
| D．It also expresses national pride and confidence in a new era |
| E．The second period of guochao mainly features hi-tech sectors |
| F．Its success will rely first and foremost on gaining cultural confidence |
| G．The concept of “Made in China” was recognized as the representation of Chinese culture |
3 . While I was jumping rope, my smartphone took a fall to the floor which created cracks (裂缝) on my screen. However, the music kept playing. 30 minutes later, I could see only one-tenth of my screen while the rest was black. The next morning, I decided not to use it for 24 hours. I felt a sense of calm that day, which led to my not using it for one week. One week ended up becoming 60 days in total without my smartphone.
Here are some advantages I noticed in this challenge.
You’ll become “bored”
Without my phone, I became bored, but my mind went through all kinds of topics, Boredom (无聊) is a perfect way to create new ideas on a business or project. When you are bored, you allow your mind to relax to reach all possibilities.
You’ll be able to reduce your “work” hours
A survey found that adults checked their smartphones 85 times a day, or once every 10 minutes. As I learned in my challenge, by not having my smartphone, I fell into deep work more easily, so I completed my tasks in a shorter time.
You’ll improve your mental health
Without my phone, I avoided reading negative news and comments. While that helped make a big improvement in my mental health, the biggest reason for it was truly communicating with people. It brought me more connections with humans in the real world. I went to more dinners with friends and asked more questions to strangers.
1. Boredom is a good way for the writer ________ .| A．to create new ideas | B．to start a business |
| C．to set up a project | D．to relax the body |
| A．more terribly | B．more quickly |
| C．more carelessly | D．more comfortably |
| A．Chatting on the phone. | B．Reading negative news. |
| C．Communicating in the real world. | D．Avoiding meeting friends and strangers. |
4 . Have you ever had this kind of childhood memory: a family sits together casually, drinking and tasting tea after lunch or dinner?
After being spread to different parts of the world,
Traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China consist of the knowledge, skills and practices concerning the management of tea plantations (茶园) as well as the picking of tea leaves, manual processing, drinking, and sharing of tea, noted UNESCO.
Weilu zhucha is a replacement in the cold seasons for the camping craze. Sitting around a stove, boiling some tea, people chat, admire the scenery and immerse themselves in traditional Chinese culture by boiling tea together in person. “
| A．Take tea making for example. |
| B．This can be fully shown by weilu zhucha. |
| C．tea is common in Chinese people’s daily lives. |
| D．It’s good to feel the warm atmosphere when boiling tea. |
| E．China now has 43 items on the intangible cultural heritage list. |
| F．tea has delighted and fascinated the world for a thousand years. |
| G．This has been a daily activity for Chinese people throughout their history. |
5 . There is a famous story about how Walt Disney was inspired to build Disneyland. The story goes that during an afternoon visit to Griffith Park located near the Burbank Studios, Walt took a seat while his two young daughters rode the merry-go-round. Walt thought there should be a place where both children and their parents could enjoy spending some time together in an environment that would be both entertaining and pleasing to the eye, so with this thought came the idea for Disneyland.
Walt’s original plan was to build an eight-acre park located near the Burbank Studios that would be a place for his employees and their families. Those plans were put on hold because of the start of World War II. By 1952, Walt had created a special department to build the park.
Finally in 1953, the first steps in building the park happened when Walt hired the Stanford Research Institute to make a survey to determine the best possible location for the future park. Considering population growth and the future freeway construction, they finally found a location in Anaheim and 160 acres of land were bought for the site of the new park.
The building of the park was very expensive and to create funding for the project Walt developed the idea of the “Walt Disney’s Disneyland” television show. It turned out to be a marvelous idea — not only gaining the money to build the park but also presenting the park to the American public.
Construction officially began on July 21, 1954, and it was an ambitious (野心勃勃的) building schedule of less than one year to complete the new park for the projected opening day. Walt watched over the park’s construction and progress continued with just a few minor hold-ups. Finally, the park was ready for the Opening Day on July 17, 1955.
1. What inspired Walt Disney to build Disneyland?| A．The special design of Griffith Park. |
| B．A trip to a park with his daughters. |
| C．Requests from his family and employees. |
| D．The idea to build a park for his daughters. |
| A．Walt Disney’s personal preference. |
| B．The natural environment. |
| C．The advice of the public. |
| D．Local traffic. |
| A．Funny. | B．Wild. |
| C．Wonderful. | D．Imaginative. |
| A．It was smooth generally. |
| B．It was affected by World War II. |
| C．It was completed later than expected. |
| D．It was influenced by a shortage of money. |
6 . I had always dreamed of living and working in New York, which promised endless opportunities. But as soon as I arrived, I realized that my journey was going to be filled with countless setbacks and challenges.
My first major failure came when I landed my dream job at a famous company. However, after just a few months, I was let go due to budget cuts. I was shocked and felt like all of my hard work had been for nothing.
Determined to bounce back, I applied for a new job at another company. This time, things seemed to be going better. I was making progress and gaining valuable experience, but then I was suddenly laid off again due to company restructuring.
Feeling defeated and hopeless, I decided to take a break from the job search and focus on self-improvement. I enrolled in courses and attended workshops to learn new skills and expand my knowledge. But even with all of this effort, I still couldn’t find the right job.
One day, while searching online job listings, I found an opportunity that seemed too good to be true. It was a remote position that offered a competitive salary and flexible hours. Without hesitation, I applied and was thrilled when I received an offer letter.
However, as soon as I started working remotely, I realized that it wasn’t the same as being in an office with colleagues (同事) around me. I struggled to communicate effectively and found it difficult to stay motivated without the support of my team.
Despite these challenges, I refused to give up. I reached out to my colleagues and tried to build relationships with them through virtual meetings and social media. With their help and encouragement, I was able to adapt to the new environment and excel in my role. Looking back on my journey, I realized that success is not about avoiding failure, but rather about learning from it and persevering through the tough times. I encouraged others who may be facing similar challenges in their own careers to never give up on their dreams and to keep pushing forward even when things get tough.
1. How did the author feel about his journey when he arrived?| A．Better. |
| B．Promising. |
| C．Tough. |
| D．Well-paid. |
| A．Company restructuring. |
| B．Financial problems. |
| C．Being short of skills. |
| D．Working attitude. |
| A．He wanted them not to give up. |
| B．He wanted to get support from them. |
| C．He wanted to be better than them. |
| D．He wanted to hold a meeting with them. |
| A．Perseverant. |
| B．Modest. |
| C．Imaginative. |
| D．Generous. |
7 . As the lyrics to Taylor Swift’s hit song “Bad Blood” go: “Cause, baby, now we got bad blood. You know it used to be mad love.” It’s a song about falling out of friendship, but to 14-year-old Hallie Barnard, who was born with a rare blood disorder, the song holds a much deeper meaning.
At just 15 months old, Barnard was diagnosed (诊断) with Diamon Blackfin Anemia, or DBA, and she spent most of her life in and out of the hospital. The Swiftie said she relied on the singer to bring her joy.
The only way to survive DBA is with a bone marrow transplant (骨髓移植) and Barnard was desperate for one. But she knew thousands of other patients are, too. So, a few years ago, she decided to do something about it, creating her own foundation: Hallie’s Heroes. “It started selfishly as just trying to save my life, but then we realized there were so many other children out there that needed a bone marrow transplant,” she said. “So, so far we’ve tested 8,000 people and found over 300 matches.”
After a 9-year wait, Barnard got her own match — through her own foundation. But more obstacles stood between her and normal life as a kid. The blood disorder led to a cancer diagnosis: osteosarcoma. She received surgery to cut the cancer out of her leg at MD Anderson in Houston.
The recovery was difficult, but Hallie said she stayed hopeful. “My survival instinct (本能) just kicked in. I was trying to do anything that I could to survive. So, of course, it was scary but in my mind, I was just thinking that I wanted to be at my sister’s future weddings. I wanted to play games and run again,” she said.
Her survival instinct —combined with Taylor Swift―helped her through her operation, where doctors cut her cancer out, and reattached her foot and ankle to her upper leg to work as a knee.
1. Why does the author mention Taylor Swift’s song “Bad Blood”?| A．To stress the power of music. |
| B．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| C．To show Taylor Swift’s popularity. |
| D．To state Taylor Swift’s song is a hit. |
| A．To raise money for her heroes. |
| B．To treat her rare blood disorder. |
| C．To help other children with DBA. |
| D．To have an operation for her cancer. |
| A．Strong-minded and selfish. | B．Hard-working and patient. |
| C．Kind and optimistic. | D．Outgoing and helpful. |
| A．Bad Blood Inspired a Little Girl |
| B．Hallie’s Heroes: a Useful Foundation |
| C．Taylor Swift: a Popular Singer with Teens |
| D．A Cancer Survivor Helped Others Find Matches |
8 . What’s On?
Electric Underground
7.30pm－1.00am Free at the Cyclops Theatre
Do you know who’s playing in your area? We’re bringing you an evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract? If so, come early to the talk at 7.30 pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He’s going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce your music.
Gee Whizz
8.30pm-10.30pm Comedy (喜剧)at Kaleidoscope
Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He’s the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7.00pm for drinks and snacks(快餐).
Simon’s Workshop
5.00pm-7.30pm Wednesdays at Victoria Stage
This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years’ experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny.
Charlotte Stone
8.00pm-11.00pm Pizza World
Fine food with beautiful jazz music; this is a great evening out. Charlotte Stone will perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with James Pickering on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta(面食). Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer, and white wine.
1. Who can help you if you want to have your music produced?| A．Jules Skye. | B．Gee Whizz. | C．Charlotte Stone. | D．James Pickering. |
| A．The Cyclops Theatre | B．Kaleidoscope | C．Victoria Stage | D．Pizza World |
| A．It requires membership card. | B．It lasts three hours each time. |
| C．It is run by a comedy club. | D．It is held every Wednesday. |
| A．5.00pm-7.30pm. | B．7.30pm－1.00am. | C．8.00pm-11.00pm. | D．8.30pm-10.30pm. |
9 . You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams(1860-1935)
Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community (社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson(1907-1964)
If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor(1930-present)
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator(参议员) and, in 1981, the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks(1913-2005)
On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott.It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was,was tired of giving in,”said Parks.
1. What is Jane Addams famous for in history?| A．Her social work. | B．Her teaching skills. |
| C．Her efforts to win a prize. | D．Her community background. |
| A．Her lack of proper training in law. | B．The discrimination against women. |
| C．Her little work experience in court. | D．The poor financial conditions. |
| A．Jane Addams. | B．Rachel Carson. |
| C．Sandra Day O’Connor. | D．Rosa Parks. |
10 . Bike Rental & Guided Tours
Welcome to Amsterdam, welcome to MacBike. You see much more from the seat of a bike! Cycling is the most economical, sustainable and fun way to explore the city, with its beautiful canals, parks, squares and countless lights. You can also bike along lovely landscapes outside of Amsterdam.
Why MacBike
MacBike has been around for almost 30 years and is the biggest bicycle rental company in Amsterdam. With over 2,500 bikes stored in our five rental shops at strategic locations, we make sure there is always a bike available for you. We offer the newest bicycles in a wide variety, including basic bikes with foot brake (刹车), bikes with hand brake and gears (排挡), bikes with child seats, and children’s bikes.
Prices
Hand Brake, Three Gears | Foot Brake, No Gears | |
1 hour | €7.50 | €5.00 |
3 hours | €11.00 | €7.50 |
1 day (24 hours) | €14.75 | €9.75 |
Each additional day | €8.00 | €6.00 |
Guided City Tours
The 2.5-hour tour covers the Gooyer Windmill, the Skinny Bridge, the Rijksmuseum, Heineken Brewery and much more. The tour departs from Dam Square every hour on the hour, starting at 1:00 pm every day. You can buy your ticket in a MacBike shop or book online.
1. What is an advantage of MacBike?| A．It gives children a discount. | B．It offers many types of bikes. |
| C．It organizes free cycle tours. | D．It has over 2,500 rental shops. |
| A．€15.75. | B．€19.50. | C．€22.75. | D．€29.50. |
| A．The Gooyer, Windmill. | B．The Skinny Bridge. |
| C．Heineken Brewery. | D．Dam Square. |
