1 . In November, National Geographic published its “The Cool List for 2024”, a collection of the most exciting destinations worldwide to visit next year.

Europe topped the list, with 13 locations, including traveling the entire continent by train. Six places in North America were named on the list, with three in the United States.

Europe

A standout location in Europe is Tartu, Estonia. According to Nat Geo, Estonians consider the city to be the “country’s cultural and intellectual heart”. Tartu is home to the country’s oldest university, a designated UNESCO City of Literature, and was selected as one of the European Capitals of Culture for 2024.

The Americas

Three places in the U. S. ranked as the most exciting destinations in 2024. Texas stands out among the list because, in 2024, people in central Texas will be able to see the total solar eclipse set for April 8.

Asia

Sikkim, India, is one of the smallest states in the country. The area offers visitors the opportunity to go climbing. Over a quarter of Sikkim, India, is covered by Khangchendzonga National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Africa

According to Nat Geo, Sierra Leone is a country to watch in 2024. The international airport in Freetown got a major renovation in 2023 and many roads are also being upgraded. The report mentions that tourism is blossoming in West Africa. Sierra Leone’s first Hilton is set to open its doors next year.

1. Which continent has the highest number of the listed destinations?

A．Europe.

B．The Americas.

C．Asia.

D．Africa.

2. Where can you visit a World Heritage Site?

A．Tartu.

B．Texas.

C．Sikkim.

D．Sierra Leone.

3. Where is this text most probably taken from?

A．An art magazine.

B．A travel website.

C．A food menu.

D．A book review.

2 . How many advertisements have you seen in your life?     1     Advertisements are a great way to make people aware of products, issues, and more. But has advertising become a problem for society? If let me rate the current online advertising risks, I would probably give 2 points.     2    

Advertising makes us associate happiness with consumerism (消费主义). After they’ve achieved to ruin our self-esteem (自尊), advertisements are trying to fool us into thinking that only products and services can make us feel better.     3     What is it? You guessed right: Shopping. Once they achieve to make you feel ugly, they sell you beauty products so you can improve on your ugliness. Once they manage to make you believe that you are not important, they sell you expensive clothes so you can attract the attention of others. And so on and so forth.

    4     We have an economic system in which people have to make money in order to survive — and this can be clearly seen in the advertising industry. By showing you what the ideal life is supposed to be, and then making you compare your ordinary life to it, they slowly lead you to believe that you’re not beautiful, intelligent, confident, and so on, until they fully convince you that you are basically not good. The reason? To make you feel insecure so that they can then emotionally control you.

In short, advertisements promise you happiness, provided that you spend money in return. The result?     5    

A．Advertising pushes us to make money.

B．Advertising makes us feel that we’re not good enough.

C．So what exactly are the main problems of advertising on society?

D．The average person sees between 280 and 310 advertisements per day.

E．Without shopping, advertisements tell you that you can’t find happiness.

F．In other words, advertisements create a problem and then offer us a solution to it.

G．Consuming stuff you don’t even need and leading to waste that is pollution our planet.

3 . Things to do this weekend in NYC: April 12-14 2024

Here are some noteworthy events to check out this week in New York City

Josh Wolf

Gramercy Theatre — 127 E. 23rd St., New York, N.Y. 10010

Sat. April 13 at 7:00 p.m.

Josh Wolf of “Chelsea Lately” will bring his brand of humor to Gramercy’s historic music venue. Josh Wolf’s comedy material is heavily inspired by his family. Wolf, 54, is also known to incorporate (融合) music into his performance, as he does when hosting his own comedy show “The Fantastical Jamboree” at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club in Las Vegas.

Tickets start at $27.50

“Selena Brunch”

Alamo Drafthouse Staten Island — 2636 Hylan Blvd., Suite 230, Staten Island, N.Y. 10306

Sat. April 13 and Sun. April 14 at 11:30 a.m.

The 1997 Gregory Nava film that made Jennifer Lopez a Hollywood star is getting a nice revisit at Alamo Drafthouse with a “Selena Brunch” this weekend. While enjoying a special menu created for the occasion, see Jenny from the Block in her breakthrough role as the late Tejano star who was tragically murdered at 23. Dishes include a breakfast club sandwich, blueberry donut French toast bake and breakfast tacos, in addition to the regular refreshments on offer.

Though the downtown Brooklyn showings are already sold out, there are still tickets at the Staten Island location.

$12 admission. Prices range from $11.95 to $15.95 for food item

I’m Possible

New Victory Theater — 209 W 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10036

The Brooklyn-based Omnium Circus company, which prides itself in inclusivity and accessibility for both audience and performers, kicks off a two-week run of its latest show this weekend in Times Square.

“I’m Possible” lives up to its goal to make the Big Top experience accessible to audiences of all abilities with a 90-minute show featuring a gymnast who uses a wheelchair, an tennis player born without legs, and a deaf storyteller.

All performances will incorporate audio description, captioning (字幕), sensory-friendly lighting and sound, and a calm environment where movement and vocalization from audience members are welcome.

Tickets start at $28

1. Where does Josh Wolf get his inspiration for his comedy show?

A．From his favourite music.

B．From his own working experience.

C．From Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club.

D．From his experience with family members.

2. How much will you have to pay if you require top service in Alamo Drafthouse?

A．$ 15.95.

B．$ 23.95.

C．$ 27.95.

D．$ 39.9.

3. Which of the following words may be the most suitable to describe the performance in New Victory Theater ?

A．Entertaining.

B．Encouraging.

C．Terrifying.

D．Puzzling.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the woman going to do this Saturday?

A．Go on a business trip.

B．Attend a party.

C．Work overtime

2. Who does the man advise the woman to ask for help?

A．Her neighbors.

B．The kids’ teacher.

C．The kids’ grandparents.

3. What does the man say about nannies (保姆) here?

A．They are common.

B．They have no certificate.

C．They’re more for full-time care.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What was Clara’s worst travel experience?

A．Losing her way in Paris.

B．Losing her passport abroad.

C．Waiting forages in a cafe.

2. How did Clara solve the problem at last?

A．Calling the police.

B．Asking her friends for help.

C．Asking the embassy for help.

7 . In 2009, when Qatar (卡塔尔) bid to host the 2022 Football World Cup, it promised a carbon-neutral (碳中和) event. Even back then, the prospect of neutralizing the carbon-dioxide emissions (排放) generated by hosting hundreds of thousands of fans in newly constructed stadiums, in a desert state, seemed fanciful. So it is proving. In their greenhouse-gas accounting report, published last year, FIFA (国际足联) and the Qatari organizers estimated that the World Cup would generate 3.6 million tons of CO2 emissions. Estimating emissions for big sporting events is a relatively new practice and methods can vary, but that figure is higher than any recent World Cup or Olympics.

It is also likely to be a significant underestimate. A report in May 2022 by Carbon Market Watch (CMW), a climate watchdog (监督者), found that the official forecast failed to account accurately for the emissions generated from stadiums. FIFA, which insists its method is “best in practice”, reckons that the majority of the emissions (52%) will come from fans and players travelling to Qatar, while less than 25% are from stadium construction. That is because organizers expect these stadiums to be used for years after the World Cup, spreading their carbon footprint way into the future.

CMW believes such an excuse is far from reasonable. Before the World Cup, Qataris were able to get by with only one stadium, it points out. Consequently, it estimates that the emissions from stadium construction for the World Cup are undercounted by a factor of eight. It puts the real figure at 5 million tons. Though it amounts to less than 0.02% of the world’s annual emissions, sports teams and organizations should have set a positive example in this.

To remove the doubt from outside, Qatar has established the Global Carbon Council (GCC), a dedicated environmental agency. Beyond adjusting for World Cup emissions, the GCC will promote a path to “a low-carbon future”, a great step for a country with the world’s highest emissions per person. Yet the agency is still at its early stage. Only six projects, saving less than 600,000 tons, have been approved so far.

1. What is the main problem Qatar and FIFA are faced with at present?

A．The 2022 World Cup isn’t as successful as it should be.

B．They may fail to keep the promise to hold a green event.

C．The figure they published is higher than that of other events

D．They are unfamiliar with the new practice of the World Cup.

2. How does Qatar and FIFA cut down the carbon footprint of the World Cup?

A．By insisting on its way of environmental protection.

B．By promising to use the new stadiums for more years.

C．By blaming the greenhouse-gas emissions on travelers.

D．By cooperating with Carbon Market Watch for instructions.

3. Why does the CMW refuse to accept the explanation given by Qatar and FIFA?

A．5 million tons accounts for a little of the annual emissions.

B．The stadium construction for the World Cup sets a bad example.

C．The method they employed in estimating the emissions is unscientific.

D．There will be more stadiums than Qatar actually needs after the World Cup.

4. What can be learned from the last paragraph?

A．The GCC is an agency specially established for the World Cup

B．The Qataris attach great importance to environmental protection.

C．The Qataris need to make more efforts to hold a carbon-neutral event.

D．The GCC has achieved a lot in cutting down greenhouse-gas emissions.

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. When did the woman lose Harley?

A．Two years ago.

B．Three years ago.

C．Four years ago.

2. What played a key role in helping the woman reunite with Harley?

A．Jennifer’s phone number.

B．Harley’s microchip ID.

C．The woman’s old address.

3. How did the woman know it was her dog?

A．She saw its picture.

B．Her daughter confirmed it.

C．A volunteer described its features to her.

4. Which means of transportation did the woman take to Arizona?

A．The plane.

B．The train.

C．The car.