1 . Do you often dial others’ mobile phone number? Do you know China’s mobile phone has 11 digits. Why is this?
The 11 digits can be divided into three parts. Each part has a different meaning. The first three numbers tell you which mobile phone service provider you are using. For example, 135 is for China Mobile Communications Corporation (中国移动) and 188 is for China Unicom (中国联通). The fourth to the seventh digits tell you which area the number is registered (注册) in. And the last four digits are random (随机的).
The main reason for using 11 digits is that we have the largest population in the world. We once had 10 numbers. But as our population grew, there weren’t enough numbers for us to use. So we began to use 11 digits starting from 1999.
Eleven digits can be used to make billions of mobile phone numbers. That’s enough for each person to have seven or eight numbers to use.
What’s more, mobile phone numbers can be recycled. Usually, the service provider will reuse a canceled (取消的) number after three to six months. If you call a number that you haven’t contacted for a long time, you may find that its owner has changed.
Besides China, Britain and Japan also use 11-digit mobile phone numbers. But their numbers always start with 0. So they cannot create as many numbers as we can. Countries like the United States, Australia and India use phone numbers with 10 digits. Canada’s mobile phone numbers are perhaps the world’s shortest; they use seven digits.
1. The underlined word “digit” means “_______” in Chinese.| A．号码 | B．功能 | C．数字 | D．图案 |
| A．They’re randomly chosen. | B．They stand for the owner’s birthday. |
| C．They stand for the service provider. | D．They stand for the registration area. |
| A．Because China never recycles phone numbers. |
| B．Because China has the most phone service providers. |
| C．Because Chinese people like having many phone numbers. |
| D．Because China has the largest population in the world. |
| A．India. | B．Japan. | C．Canada. | D．Australia. |
| A．What China’s phone number digits stand for. |
| B．China’s mobile phone has 11 digits. |
| C．How many digits make up the longest mobile phone numbers. |
| D．The number of digits in mobile phone numbers around the world. |
2 . In the rich countries of the West, the electric vehicle revolution is well occurring. Climate-conscious consumers drive Teslas or Polestars for reasons of morality (道德) and fashion. Poorer countries are also experiencing a wave of electrified trend. In Bangladesh, electric three-wheeler taxis, known as tuk-tuks, are rapidly replacing gas-powered ones on the streets. Such electric vehicles are climate friendly, cost effective, and help reduce air pollution.
Yet a glance under the hood (引擎盖) of these vehicles shows a poisonous secret: each tuk-tuk runs on five massive lead-acid batteries (铅酸电池), containing almost 300 pounds of lead (铅) in total. Every year and a half or so, when those batteries need to be replaced and recycled, about 60 pounds of lead leaks into the environment. Battery recycling, often at small-scale unregulated factories, is a highly profitable (高利润的) but deadly business.
Lead is dangerous, and any exposure to it is harmful to human health. Lead that has entered the environment hurts people on an unexpected scale. The numerous ways lead enters air, water, soil, and homes across the developing world and the enormous damage it does to human health, wealth, and welfare cause one of the biggest environmental problems in the world yet receives little attention.
The World Bank estimates that lead kills 5.5 million people per year, making it a bigger global killer than AIDS, malaria, diabetes, and road traffic deaths combined. On top of the shocking deaths, the social burden of lead poisoning is heavy, as is its contribution to global inequality — our research on the cognitive (认知的) effects of lead poisoning suggests that it may explain about one-fifth of the educational achievement gap between rich and poor countries.
But unlike many challenges faced by developing countries, lead poisoning is a problem that can be resolved through financial investment (财政投入). Better monitoring, research, and rules can help protect children all over the world from the unpleasant effects of lead poisoning and reduce the massive global costs it brings.
1. How does the author describe the lead problem in paragraph 2?| A．By listing some numbers. | B．By analyzing hidden causes. |
| C．By making an interesting comparison. | D．By explaining its working principle. |
| A．Lead enters poor countries in one way. |
| B．Lead leaking has been avoided in all the countries. |
| C．Lead will definitely not harm anymore. |
| D．Lead poisoning may make poor societies poorer. |
| A．Fixing these used batteries. | B．Reducing the cost of recycling lead. |
| C．Ignoring the illegal use of lead. | D．Putting certain effort and money. |
| A．The Impacts of Lead Poisoning on Man. |
| B．The Global Lead Poisoning Problem. |
| C．The Ways to Solve Lead Problem. |
| D．The Benefits of Using Electric Vehicles. |
3 . China is an amazing country, on the Internet, only you can think of, there is nothing you can’t buy.
| Welcome to Made-in-China Website! | |
| Tea pot Color: White Price: ¥120 Delivery（递送）time: 10 work days after received 30% payment. Tea pots with good quality. And the best gift for your friends or your family. |
| Handbag Color: Black and white Price: ¥280（￥520 for two on Women’s Day） Delivery time: 7 days after confirmation（认证）. We have our own designers. Our new styles may give you a new surprise. |
| 2020 Newly Children BicycleColor: Blue Price: ¥240（20% off on Children’s Day） Delivery time: 5 days after confirmation. With a basket for children aged from 3—7. |
| New Design Fashion Button Color: All kinds of colors Price: ¥1.00（¥9 for ten） Delivery time: 3 days after confirmation. New and popular designs, you can dye them into different colors if you like. |
| A．In a shop. | B．In a mall. | C．On the Internet. |
| A．2 | B．5 | C．8 |
| A．some buttons | B．a handbag | C．a tea pot |
| A．Three | B．Five | C．seven |
| A．two handbags |
| B．500 buttons |
| C．a tea pot and a handbag |
4 . It may seem as if Mother’s Day was invented by a company named Hallmark, but people have been giving a shout-out to Mom for a long time. A more recent tradition was Mothering Sunday, which developed in the British Isles during the 16th century. On the fourth Sunday in April, young men and women who were living and working apart from their families were advised to return to their mothers’ houses.
Mother’s Day as it is observed in the United States started in the 1850s with Ann Jarvis, a West Virginia woman who held “Mothers’ Work Days” to promote health and hygiene at home and in the workplace. During the Civil War, Jarvis organized women to improve sanitary conditions for soldiers on both sides, and after the war she became a peacemaker, bringing together mothers of Union and Confederate soldiers and promoting a Mother’s Day holiday.
Jarvis’s work inspired another 19th-century woman, Julia Ward Howe. In 1870, Howe published her “Mother’s Day Proclamation”, which envisioned the day not as appreciation of mothers by their children but as an opportunity for women to exercise their collective power for peace. Howe started holding annual Mother’s Day celebrations in Boston, her hometown, but after about a decade the tradition faded away.
It was Jarvis’s daughter, Anna, who succeeded in getting Mother’s Day recognized as a national holiday. After her mother died in 1905, Anna started holding yearly ceremony on the anniversary. In 1912, West Virginia and a few other states adopted Mother’s Day. Two years later, Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution naming the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day, making it an official US holiday.
It wasn’t long before whatever ideals the day was supposed to celebrate were buried under an amount of greeting cards and candy. By the 1920s, Anna Jarvis was campaigning against the holiday she had created. “I wanted it to be a day of emotionalism, not profit,” she said.
1. Who plays the most important role in creating Mother’s Day?| A．Ann Jarvis. | B．Julia Ward Howe. | C．Woodrow Wilson. | D．Anna Jarvis. |
| A．In 1914. | B．In 1912. | C．In 1905. | D．In 1870. |
| A．Because the festival was not profitable. |
| B．Because the festival made her feel emotional. |
| C．Because the celebrations went against the original spirit. |
| D．Because she had no passion on holding celebration activities. |
| A．The Objection to Mother’s Day |
| B．The Argument on Celebrating Mother’s Day |
| C．The Story Behind the Creation of Mother’s Day |
| D．Different Forms of Celebrations on Mother’s Day |
5 . Here are some wonderful festivals around the world that happen in spring. If you want to know more about them, please click Here or visit http://wws.buddhanet.netlfestival.Htm
SongKran — Thailand
Dates: 13th — 15th, April
In Thailand, people celebrate a festival called Songkran, when people bead out to the streets with water guns to spray (喷洒) everyone who walks past. It’s a very important traditional celebration in the country.
Naghol — Vanuatu
Dates: Every Saturday from April to May
Every year, villagers come together to celebrate the harvest of yams (甘薯), an important part in the people’s diet in Vanuatu. The festival is most famous for its “land diving ceremony”. During the ceremony men and boys dive to the ground from high wooden towers with only two thin vines (藤) tied to their feet.
Cherry Blossom Viewing — Japan
Dates: The cherry blossom season is different from year to year depending on the weather.
The festival is well-known. The Japanese celebrate the days when the flowers finally blossom. Only a few days later, the petals (花瓣) fall to the ground, like pink snowflakes. That means the traditional festival only lasts for several days. In Japan, almost everyone has picnics in the parks to view the flowers.
Sinhalese New Year — Sri Lanka
Dates: 13th or 14th, April
Just like in many other countries in South East Asia, this is the time when people celebrate the traditional New Year, an ancient celebration which marks the end of the harvest season and is one of two times of the year when the sun is straight above Sri Lanka. There are a lot of delicious foods during the celebration.
1. What will most likely happen to a tourist walking in the street during SongKran in Thailand?| A．He will get wet. | B．He will hurt his feet. |
| C．He will be treated to delicious foods. | D．He will see some petals falling. |
| A．Thailand. | B．Vanuatu. | C．Japan. | D．Sri Lanka. |
| A．It is a traditional festival. | B．It is a very famous festival. |
| C．Its date is different every year. | D．It provides visitors with delicious foods. |
| A．On TV. | B．In a report. | C．On the Internet. | D．In the newspaper. |
6 . China has set new rules limiting the amount of time children can play online games. The rules limit children to just three hours of online game playing a week. That is one hour between 8 p. m. and 9 p. m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday most weeks.
Li Zhanguo has two children aged 4 and 8. Even though they do not have smartphones, they enjoy playing online games. Like many other parents. Li is happy with new government rules. But experts say it is unclear if such policies can help prevent addiction to online games. Children might just get addicted to social media instead. In the end, experts say, parents should be the ones to set limits and support good practice.
There has been a growing concern in China about gaming addiction among children. Government reports in 2018 found that about one in ten Chinese children were addicted to the Internet. The new rules are part of an effort to prevent young people from spending too much time on unhealthy entertainment. That includes what officials call the “irrational fan culture”
Under the new rules, the responsibility for making sure children play only three hours a day as largely on Chinese gaming companies like Net Ease and Ten cent. Companies have set up real-name registration systems to prevent young users from going past game time limits. They have used facial recognition technology to check their identities. And they have also set up a program that permits people to report what is against the law. It is unclear what punishments gaming companies may face if they do not carry out the policies. And even if such policies are performed, it is also unclear whether they can prevent online addiction.
A specialist treating Internet addiction expects about 20 percent of children will find ways to break the rules by borrowing accounts of their older relatives and find a way around facial recognition. In his opinion, short-video alps such as Douyin and Kuaishou are also very popular in China. They are not under the same restrictions as games.
1. When can children play games according to the new rules?| A．Between 8 p. m. and 9 p. m. On Friday. | B．Between 8 p. m. and 9 p. m. On Tuesday. |
| C．Between 10 p. m. and 11 p. m. On Saturday. | D．Between 10 p. m. and all p. m. On Thursday. |
| A．the new rules can stop children’s addiction to social media |
| B．companies are more responsible for kids ‘ obeying the rules |
| C．the new rules will help prevent children playing online games |
| D．parents play a greater part in limiting the time of online games |
| A．Design an advanced program. | B．Use facial recognition systems. |
| C．Set up real-name registration systems. | D．Borrow accounts of their older relatives. |
| A．Rules Limiting Short-video alps | B．Rules Limiting Video Game Time |
| C．Rules Banning Irrational Fan Culture | D．Rules Breaking Addition to Social Media |
7 . Born in 1990, a wheelchair has been part of Zhao Hongcheng’s life since she was one year old due to poliomyelitis (小儿麻痹症) . And now, as a video content creator who has over 84, 000 followers on the video-sharing platform Bilibili, Zhao wants to be a bridge between the disabled and the rest of society.
“I made my first video in 2019,” Zhao says. “My original purpose was to find a way to reduce my emotional stress. I always met inconvenience caused by my wheelchair when going out, which made me feel sad. I barely had any disabled friends, so I had no one to talk to. I felt quite lonely,” Zhao explains.
Her first vlog was about a trip to Guangzhou with friends. The video was viewed more than 2, 000 times on the first day. “This made me feel that there were many things worth sharing in my life,” she explains. Since then, that first video has been viewed over 48, 000 times. Her fourth video, displaying how she got to work in a wheelchair, made her even more popular. The video has received more than 300, 000 views on Bilibili.
“One of the great things about being a content creator is that I feel like I have the opportunity of talking about the real difficulties and pains that a disabled person faces,” Zhao says.
1. What’s the purpose of Zhao’s first video?| A．To make a living. | B．To reduce her emotional stress. |
| C．To be popular. | D．To practice film skills. |
| A．The problems the disabled face. | B．The difficulties of making a video. |
| C．The popularity of Zhao’s videos. | D．The four videos Zhao made. |
| A．Receiving more views. | B．Being successful on Bilibili. |
| C．Sharing stories from the disabled. | D．Encouraging the disabled to be content creators. |
| A．A Positive Disabled Influencer | B．A lonely Day of the Disabled |
| C．A Popular Content Creator | D．A Caring Community for the Disabled |
8 . BOOKSHOPS IN ROME:A QUICK GUIDE
Rome has a handful of bookshops with only English language titles. Here is our list of the main bookshops offering books in English, from old to new titles.
Almost Corner Bookshop
The Almost Corner Bookshop in Trastevere has a wide collection of fiction (小说) works and also carries books on Roman history, art, culture, poetry and many other subjects.
Via del Moro 45, tel.065836942.
Anglo American
Centrally located near the Spanish Steps, the Anglo American Bookshop only carries books in English but on request can order books in other languages. The shop has recently moved, just down the street.
Via della Vite 27, tel. 066795222.
Open Door
The Open Door Bookshop is a small shop that specialises in buying and selling quality second-hand and old books in English, Italian, French, German and Spanish, as well as some new books.
Via della Lungaretta 23, tel. 065896478.
The Little Reader
This children’s English bookshop in the Esquilino area of Rome collects books from babies to teens in English and Italian. It also has a local cafe (咖啡馆) and garden and offers a regular (定期的) programme of reading events and activities for children and their parents.
Via Conte Verde 66b, tel. 0687784678.
1. In which bookshop can you learn more about Roman history?| A．Almost Corner Bookshop. | B．Anglo American. |
| C．Open Door. | D．The Little Reader. |
| A．065836942. | B．066795222. | C．065896478. | D．0687784678. |
| A．Eat Spanish food. | B．Read books in French. |
| C．Enjoy reading activities. | D．Take Italian language courses. |
9 . My hometown is in a county (县) called Yongtai which is in Fuzhou of southern China.
Several days before the Chinese New Year, every family starts to prepare for the celebration. First of all, we do the spring-cleaning to welcome a new and clean year.
On the first day of the Chinese New Year, fathers will set off fireworks to “wake up the Chinese New Year”; mothers start to prepare a big breakfast.
On the first day just family members spend time together. From the second day on, every family will start to welcome the visitors and they can enjoy the get-together time, which is really nice.
| A．My favourite dishes are niangao and fish |
| B．Children will stay up late on New Year’s Eve |
| C．A fish dish is a necessity on the table every year |
| D．The next step is to prepare food for the New Year’s Eve dinner |
| E．After the spring-cleaning, every family starts to decorate their house |
| F．When the evening of New Year’s Eve comes, children will be very excited |
| G．Everyone should wake up by themselves and appear at the table in their new clothes |
10 . Of all the Chinese 24 solar terms, Clear and Bright (清明) is the only one whose first day is also a traditional Chinese festival, the Qingming Festival. The words “clear” and “bright” describe the weather during this period. Temperatures begin to rise and rainfall increases, making it an important time for growing crops in the spring. As is known, it is a time to worship ancestors, however, here are several things you may not know about Clear and Bright.
Spring Outings
Not only is it a period to honor the dead, but it is also time for people to go out and enjoy nature. As trees turn green, flowers blossom, and the sun shines brightly, everything returns to life. It is a fine time to appreciate the beauty of nature.
Flying Kites
Flying kites is an activity favored by many Chinese during Tomb-Sweeping Day. Kites are not only flown during the day time but also in the evening. Little lanterns are tied to the kites. And when the kites are flying in the sky, the lanterns look like twinkling stars at night. What makes flying kites during this day special is that people cut the string while the kite is in the sky to let it fly freely. It is said that this brings good luck and that diseases can be chased away by doing this.
Cuju
Cuju is an interesting game played during this period. Ju is a ball made of leather with hairs plugged in it. Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor first invented it for training warriors. Later, Cuju was used by people to build up their bodies when they were unable to eat hot food during the Cold Food Festival.
Feasting on Qingtuan
In the lower parts of the Yangtze River region, qingtuan is very popular on Tomb-Sweeping Day. Qingtuan is a kind of round green cake. In order to make the cakes, people mash (捣碎) barnyard grass (艾草) to squeeze juice from it and mix the flour and juice to a paste. Then they put fillings into the paste and steam them. Pretty and delicate, qingtuan has a special flavor.
1. What is special about flying kites during Clear and Bright?| A．Flying kites with lanterns in the evening. |
| B．Flying kites to bring good luck. |
| C．Cutting the kite string to let it fly freely. |
| D．Flying kites both in the daytime and at night. |
| A．Clear and Bright is an important period for farming. |
| B．Qingtuan is traditionally eaten during the period of Clear and Bright all over China. |
| C．Cuju was invented by the Yellow Emperor to play in the Qingming Festival. |
| D．Clear and Bright is one of the 24 solar terms whose first day is also a traditional Chinese festival. |
| A．How to celebrate the Qingming Festival. |
| B．Flying kites in a special way. |
| C．Ways to have fun during Clear and Bright. |
| D．Some unknown customs about Clear and Bright. |
