1 . Smartwatches and fitness trackers (健身追踪器) have gained popularity recently. These tools can record your daily steps, heart rates, etc.
It’s a struggle to overcome the addiction to fitness trackers.
Of course, failing to meet your daily goal can be discouraging. You might focus on your shortcoming rather than your progress. Another problem is that you might find yourself paying too much attention to the step number rather than how your body feels.
Therefore, if you’re spending too much time looking at your smartwatch, limit your daily step count to a comfortable level.
| A．How can you tell whether you’re addicted to your fitness tracker? |
| B．Actually this addiction to step count can be risky, mentally and physically. |
| C．Don’t overuse your smartwatch. |
| D．However, do you find yourself checking your steps and heart rates too often? |
| E．After all, reaching a daily step count can be so appealing. |
| F．Besides, you can find other things to do that don’t involve checking your fitness tracker. |
| G．It doesn’t covey what you’re really feeling. |
2 . A famous magazine, Amusement Today, does a survey among park lovers every year both in the US and overseas, based on which, “Top 5 List of the Best Amusement Parks in the World” has come out as follows:
Disneyland, California
Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California, the US. More than 515 million guests have traveled to this American landmark from around the world since the park first opened to guests on July 17, 1955. The park consists of many world-famous sections, such as Main Street, Adventure land, New Orleans Square, and so on.
Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Florida
Magic Kingdom is a theme park within the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando opened on October 1, 1971. It is the most famous theme park in Florida. The park’s design and attractions don’t make much difference from Disneyland Park in Anaheim.
EPCOT, Disney World, Florida
EPCOT is the second theme park built at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. The park opened on October 1, 1982, and was named EPCOT Center from 1982 to 1993. It was the largest Disney theme park in the world until 1998, when Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened.
DisneyMGM Studios, Florida
MGM’s streets are the home for some great moviethemed attractions with a history of less than 30 years. With the addition of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Rock and Roller Coaster, the park is now home to Disney World’s most thrilling rides.
Universal Studios, Florida
Go behind the scenes, beyond the screen and jump right into the action of your favorite movies at Universal Studios, the number one movie and TV theme park in the world.
1. Which of the following theme parks have similar attractions?| A．Disneyland & Magic Kingdom. |
| B．Disneyland & Universal Studios. |
| C．EPCOT & DisneyMGM Studios. |
| D．Magic Kingdom & Universal Studios. |
| A．Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Florida. |
| B．DisneyMGM Studios, Florida. |
| C．EPCOT, Disney World, Florida. |
| D．Disneyland, California. |
| A．To attract tourists to these theme parks. |
| B．To increase the sales of Amusement Today. |
| C．To introduce world’s best amusement parks. |
| D．To compare attractions in different theme parks. |
3 . Quietly sitting there reading, I found myself suddenly listening to the train guard’s announcements (通知). Train travelers will surely agree that when the guard (列车长) makes an announcement, whether it’s the recorded message or the guard’s message, few people listen to it, because it’s often quite dull or hard to understand. This one was different. I noticed that other passengers appeared to be listening, too. Not only that, everyone was smiling!
Why was so much attention being paid to this message? As best I can recall the guard said something along these lines, “Good Morning Ladies, Gentlemen and Children, this is the 7: 35 a.m. from Penrith to Central and you’ll be pleased to know that we are right on time. And what a lovely morning it is in Sydney today. The sun is shining, birds are singing, and all’s right with the world. I trust you have a great day wherever you’re going. Thanks for catching my train this morning and I hope to see you again soon.”
Quite a few people (obviously previous strangers) started talking to one another about the guards excellent message and how good it had made everyone feel. I started thinking about this, and then I found the young guard and said “Were you the guard on the 7: 35 a.m. from Penrith?” The guard seemed a bit stunned at first, replying, “Yes, yes.” “Well, I really appreciate your announcement. Thank you for your extremely good message, which gave me and the other passengers such a good start to the day. Please keep doing it.” I said.
There are two messages for me in what happened that day. Firstly, when people are happy in their work, it shows in what they do and say. Secondly, the story attaches much importance to the benefits that accumulate (积累) from thanking people for something they’ve done, particularly when it’s not expected. Can you imagine the conversation that guard would have when he got home?
1. Why do few train travelers listen to the announcements?| A．The messages are unattractive. |
| B．The guard’s voice is not clear. |
| C．They usually feel sleepy. |
| D．They are absorbed in books. |
| A．Patient. | B．Frightened. |
| C．Surprised. | D．Excited. |
| A．The beautiful weather. | B．The recorded message. |
| C．The train from Penrith. | D．The unexpected appreciation. |
| A．An Intelligent Guard. |
| B．A Boring Train Story. |
| C．A Different Train Announcement. |
| D．A Lovely Morning in Sydney. |
4 . It’s 3 o’clock and you’ve been hard at work. As you sit at your desk, a strong desire for chocolate overcomes you. You try to busy yourself to make it go away. But it doesn’t. Here is another situation. Perhaps you are not feeling well. The only thing you want to eat is a big bowl of chicken soup, like your mom used to make when you were sick as a child. Food cravings area strong desire for a specific type of food. And they are normal.
Scientists at the website How Stuff Works compare hunger and cravings this way. Hunger is a fairly simple connection between the stomach and the brain. They even call it simply “stomach hunger.” When our stomachs bur x up all of the food we have eaten, a hormone (荷尔蒙) sends a message to one part of the brain for more food, which regulates our most basic body functions such as thirst, hunger and sleep. The brain then produces a chemical to start the appetite and you eat. Hunger is a function of survival.
A craving is more complex. It activates (使活跃) brain areas related to emotion, memory and reward. These are the same areas of the brain activated during drug-craving studies. So, some scientists call food cravings “mind hunger.” People often crave foods that are high in fat and sugar. Foods that are high in fat or high in sugar produce chemicals in the brain. These chemicals give us feelings of pleasure.
In a 2017 study, researchers at Cambridge University found that “dieting or restricted eating generally increases the possibility of food craving”. So, the more you deny yourself a food that you want, the more you may crave it. However, fasting is a bit different. They found that eating no food at all for a short period of time lessened food cravings.
So, the next time you crave something very specific, know that your brain maybe more to blame than your stomach.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To remind readers of their own special food. |
| B．To deepen the understanding of hunger. |
| C．To report the discovery of craving study. |
| D．To lead to the topic of the whole passage. |
| A．It shows food is linked to feelings. |
| B．It ensures a person survives hunger. |
| C．It means the stomach functions well. |
| D．It proves the brain decides your appetite. |
| A．The decrease of chemicals. | B．The increase of food desire. |
| C．The refusal of fat and sugar. | D．The disappearance of appetite. |
| A．The functions of brain areas. | B．What hunger is all about. |
| C．The findings of food craving. | D．What dieting may bring us. |
For beach vacations that get you out of town and invite you and your family to dive into culture, consider a trip to Panama City. Here, you will enjoy beaches and city exploring. Book your stay at the Westin Playa Bonita, where you can book a room starting at $222 a night. There are various programs, including beach Olympics, star observation and Spanish lessons.
Jupiter, Florida
This place offers you quality time you can spend with your loved ones. Book your stay at Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa, with rates for a family of four starting at $207 a night. Here, you can shoot baskets at the basketball courts, take a dip in the pool or teach your children beach yoga.
San Diego, California
The West Coast is a great spot for cheap beach vacations, so tell your family to pack their bags for a visit to San Diego. A cheap $10 Uber ride from the airport will have you pull up at the Kona Kai Resort & Spa. Here, a family of four can stay in a Deluxe Guest Room starting at $159 per night. Your kids can practice cannonballs at the pool after a visit to the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
Kihei, Hawaii
For west coasters who are growing bored with their background, fly to the islands of Hawaii. Stay at the Aston at the Maui Banyan, with a charge of $179 a night for a family of four. Here, you’ll see some of the best sunsets of your life while your kids play in the Pacific. And if you set about cooking a fancy meal, you’ll enjoy suites that come with a full kitchen.
1. Which of the following charges you least a night?| A．The Westin Playa Bonita. |
| B．The Kona Kai Resort & Spa. |
| C．Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa. |
| D．The Aston at the Maui Banyan. |
| A．Observe fantastic stars. |
| B．Visit a world-famous zoo. |
| C．Admire beautiful sunsets. |
| D．Play some beach sports. |
| A．They are all intended for family trips. |
| B．They all offer rooms with a full kitchen. |
| C．They all pick up visitors from the airport. |
| D．They all provide basketball courts on the beach. |
6 . At Sho Farm in northern Vermont, farmers Melissa Hoffman and Shawn Smith work hand in hand with the land and its inhabitants, and among them are hundreds of ducks. The ducks at Sho Farm are not being raised to be killed for food. Rather, they are naturally involved in farming operations, helping to manage pests and add fertilizer (肥料) to the soil.
In the beginning, Hoffman, who has a background in organic farming and ecology action, worked with ecologists and biologists to survey the plants and wildlife all around the area. This was “to understand who was living here, so that everything we did was in relationship to the life already here,” he says.
So, at Sho Farm, focus is placed on living harmoniously alongside other life and working with traditional ecological knowledge. Food is seen not as a commodity (商品) but as a relationship with land and life.
The methods of food production at Sho Farm, as well as the farmers’ philosophy of working with rather than against nature, are in sharp contrast to most modern agricultural systems. And that’s the point. “We’ve been talking a lot about the broken food system and the consequences of it to the environment, to wildlife, to the animals in animal agriculture and to human health,” says Hoffman, adding that it’s not just the food system that’s broken. “It’s the relationship between humans, non-human animals, land and nature.”
The ducks play a vital, integrated role on the farm, explains Hoffman, by naturally providing pest control, fertilizer and (fuel-free) land maintenance (维护), just as by-products of their existence. “We noticed where we summered groups of ducks and parts of the food system that were not doing very well. The following year, the food system was efficiently improved,” he says.
It’s a symbiotic relationship that works well. “Animals don’t have to be part of a farm in a commodity sense. They can be part of the farm as a partner,” Hoffman says. “They are wonderful partners.”
1. Why did Hoffman do a survey in the beginning?| A．To get familiar with the surroundings. |
| B．To have a good relationship with other people. |
| C．To live in harmony with other life on the farm. |
| D．To have a good understanding of organic farming. |
| A．The causes of the broken food system. |
| B．The reasons for Hoffman’s farming methods. |
| C．The changes in modern agricultural systems. |
| D．The process of food production at Sho Farm. |
| A．Animals are treated well at Sho Farm. |
| B．Animals are not to be sold for money. |
| C．People and animals play the same role in organic farming. |
| D．People and animals work together and benefit each other. |
| A．Efficient. | B．Modern. | C．Natural. | D．Economical. |
7 . Rain beat against the window, matching my mood. I should have known that my new job at the hospital was too good to be true. Throughout the day, rumors (传言) warned that the newest employee from each department would be laid off. I was the newest one in the training department.
My boss appeared. “You probably know we’re cutting back,” he said. “Administration wants us to offer outplacement classes to help those employees find other jobs, showing them how to act in an interview, for example.” “Fine,” I answered unwillingly, not knowing what else to say.
I decided to go home early that day. In the hall, I met the lady who brought us cookies every Friday. She was a little woman with gray hair. Only her head and the top of her green apron (围裙) were visible over the cart (小车) loaded with cleaning supplies. At least she had a job!
At the final meeting, laid-off workers formed a line at the door. A colleague whispered, “I can’t believe our Cookie Lady is being laid off. We’ll miss her as much as we’ll miss her cookies.” When the colleague spoke to her in Spanish, I knew my classes would be useless for her and I realized how much better off I was than this poor woman.
I decided to do something for her. I wrote to a newspaper expressing how I felt about the unselfishness of the Cookie Lady who needed a job. A few days later, my article appeared in the newspaper and the Cookie Lady was allowed to stay in her position. On the same day, I received a letter, which seemed so unlikely that I read it twice. “An editor of a local magazine likes your piece and wants you to call her next time you’re looking for work…”
1. How did the author feel on that rainy day?| A．Nervous. | B．Excited. | C．Embarrassed. | D．Proud. |
| A．Take care of patients. | B．Leave earlier that day. |
| C．Help the laid-off workers. | D．Give up the job in the hospital. |
| A．He offered her a high-paid job. | B．He gave her advice on job hunting. |
| C．He made her story known to others. | D．He taught her how to pass an interview. |
| A．Good deeds have their rewards. |
| B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．Little people can make a big difference. |
| D．Love brings more joy to people than work does. |
8 . “More and more consumers across the country are using cashless payment methods. The rapid development of third⁃party mobile payment tools is helping to encourage cashless payment across the country,” said Dong Ximiao, a researcher at Renmin University of China.
Although there were 3.4 billion third⁃party payment accounts in total in China in 2016, China is not the first country to seek a cashless society. Developed countries like Sweden, Denmark and Singapore are also seeing that increase.
However, the rapid development of the cashless payment does not mean there are no challenges or criticisms. Alibaba’s Hema store has come under the spotlight (成为焦点) recently. The media said that consumers couldn’t buy goods in cash there, which would be considered illegal.
Alipay and WeChat Pay, the nation’s two major third⁃party mobile payment tools, also launched campaigns this month to encourage more people to use cashless payment methods, which caused concern over whether cash will soon disappear.
“Some offline sellers refuse to accept cash, which influences the natural circulation (流通) of cash,” said Dong. He stressed that a cashless society would not mean that cash would completely disappear. “Also it’s important to remember that nearly half of China’s population live in the country, and they are unable to enjoy innovation (革新) brought by the Internet,” said Dong. “And when it comes to China’s senior citizens, most of them prefer to use cash in their daily lives,” he added.
“It’s ridiculous (荒谬的) to question digital payment tools’ contribution to financial development. In the long term, various payment methods will be used by consumers, and merchants should respect consumers’ payment habits,” Dong noted.
1. What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 2 probably refer to?| A．The economic activity. | B．A large amount of payment. |
| C．The development of the economy. | D．The cashless payment. |
| A．It fights against illegal activities. |
| B．Customers are not permitted to use cash there. |
| C．It provides comprehensive services. |
| D．It starts campaigns to encourage mobile payment. |
| A．The cashless payment should be limited in the countryside. |
| B．The innovation from payment is ridiculous in fact. |
| C．Various payment methods should be supported. |
| D．The digital payment should replace cash completely. |
| A．Innovation on the Internet | B．Cash or cashless? |
| C．Payment online should replace cash | D．Is the circulation of cash dying? |
9 . How to make sure you enjoy your trip
A trip is a planned destination where one arranges in advance in which the main purpose is to search for adventure and to create a memorable moment. Here are the steps on how to make sure your trip is enjoyable.
● Plan it well.
Trips are ideally planned for it to go well.
● Pack necessities.
Bring what you need. Trips are short journeys and belong to the sub-level of travelling. Pack only the things you need.
● Be safe.
To be cautious is smart. No matter what you are up to, surfing, cliff diving, snowboarding, scuba diving, etc., it is always recommended to be safe.
●
You may see delays, a different culture, lifestyle, food, and even a shortage of cash. Sometimes, this is all what travel is about—experiencing things with a new perspective(观点，看法). Once you expect to experience new things, you’ll be a happy traveller and free from stress.
● Save the memory.
| A．Travel with an open mind. |
| B．Get prepared for everything new. |
| C．Seize the moment by taking photos. |
| D．This is all we expect from travelling. |
| E．Take some time ahead to make a plan for your trip. |
| F．It is important to wear protective equipment when advisable. |
| G．It is easy to get tired if you have too many things in your package. |
10 . If you think that Internet shopping on a Sunday gets you the best deals, then think again. Tuesday is actually the best day of the week if you want to grab a bargain, according to an exhaustive analysis of online shopping. Thursday is the second best day followed by Friday—but Sunday is when you are least likely to make a saving.
The study also looked at months and found that the preChristmas rush in November is when there are most bargains around on the web—and not the January sales. US retailer (零售商) reporting service Sum All examined 3,000 companies and half a billion transactions (交易) as part of its report. It worked out the average discount (折扣) offered to consumers on each day of the week and over different times of the year.
The best day of the week was Tuesday where savings were 4.81 percent, followed by Thursday on 4.80 percent.In third place was Friday at 4.65 percent, then Wednesday at 4.13 percent and Monday at 4.11 percent. Only the foolish would shop on a Saturday where the discounts were typically 3.84 percent—and Sunday was the worst with 3.37 percent.
The analysis by month is even more surprising as most people think that waiting until the postChristmas sales would yield the biggest discounts.In fact, November is when you will get the largest savings at 5.99 percent on average.January came in second at 4.95 percent, followed by May at 4.50 percent.
The worst month to buy online was March where you could expect to save just 2.76 percent. Consumers and experts have been speculating for years about the best time to shop online.
Booking a flight has almost become a science with some claiming that buying six weeks before you travel guarantees you the best price. However, a recent analysis by the US Airlines Reporting Commission found that was not actually the case.
Not only did the six week window fail to pile up, in some cases the best fares were on sale as long as 24 weeks before departure.The ARC said that booking well in advance is best advised for busy routes or long haul flights (长途航班), as the price only tends to go up.
1. If a buyer wants to buy cheap goods online, he’d better go to the shop on ________．| A．Tuesday | B．Thursday |
| C．Friday | D．Sunday |
| A．after New Year’s Day |
| B．during Valentine’s Day |
| C．on Mother’s Day |
| D．before Christmas |
| A．The best day of the week was Tuesday where savings were 4.8 percent. |
| B．In third place was Thursday where savings were 4.65 percent. |
| C．Sunday where the discounts were 3.37 percent was the worst. |
| D．Customers can get the best savings on Saturday. |
| A．Quarrelling. | B．Objecting. |
| C．Searching. | D．Considering. |
