1 . BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI, a Six-Year Wait Over Now

HONG KONG film director Wong Karwai’s first television series, Blossoms Shanghai, began its broadcast at the end of December. The drama with 30 ______ is adapted from a 2012 novel of the same name, winner of the 9th Mao Dun Literature Prize in 2015. It aims to ______ stereotypes (刻板老套的印象) about Shanghai and help readers understand its culture.

The TV drama, set in 1990s Shanghai, centers around a young man called A Bao (played by Hu Ge, now a cultural ______ in TV field) who rises from ______ beginnings to become a successful businessman in ten years. Along the way, he receives help from supporters and faces off against rivals to expand his business empire.

The TV adaptation comes out in two ______ one in Shanghainese, the other dubbed (配音) in Putonghua. The former is an effort in particular to stay true to the novel’s ______ flavor, with the major roles taken on by actors born and raised in Shanghai and a large amount of the dialogue had in Shanghainese. Even director Wong himself spoke ______ Shanghainese while working on set.

The success of the TV series can ______ the effort invested in recreating the look and atmosphere of the time. In August 2020, the crew posted a newspaper notice to seek everyday household objects from the period between 1976 and 1995. The appeal received a nation-wide response. Various items from old newspapers to cigarette lighters to ______ , and even a car, were sent to them. Some of these items had interesting stories behind them, which bring strong ______ from the Shanghai citizens for the past days.

In addition, the main setting of the story, “Huanghe Road”, was rebuilt at a 1:1 ______ at Shanghai Film Park in Songjiang.

In typical Wong Kar-wai style, the production took six years to complete. The director has a reputation for being very ______ each and every shot, often requiring actors to perform a scene upwards of ten times. At a promotional event when the cast was asked to provide a reason for people to watch the series, actress Ma Yili said, “I hope you can see our growth and change of the city in this drama and remove the old fixed general image.” Three trailers (预告片) had previously been released. Each trailer also focused on a different part of the series: the first on A Bao’s life before his success, and the story brings us to the old days when almost all the Shanghai citizens invested their savings in stock due to ______ in marketing; the second on him as an influential businessman; and the final one on the era of the drama, which is essential to A Bao's personal struggle.

The TV series has received mixed reviews. On Douban, quite a number of viewers are not happy with its plot which they think is transitioning too rapidly and thus a bit challenging to follow, thus it ______ the viewing. But nearly 80 percent of the viewers have given it a ______ rating. ‘This is not a TV series! This is art!’ said one post on the platform.

1.

A．pages

B．series

C．episodes

D．abbreviations

2.

A．huddle

B．blur

C．illustrate

D．eliminate

3.

A．phenomenon

B．identity

C．essence

D．heritage

4.

A．marital

B．humble

C．prolific

D．overall

5.

A．versions

B．depictions

C．interpretations

D．illustrations

6.

A．flexible

B．artistic

C．local

D．authoritative

7.

A．formal

B．poetic

C．professional

D．authentic

8.

A．be attributed to

B．be intended to

C．be devoted to

D．be accustomed to

9.

A．baggage carts

B．motor sledges

C．sewing machines

D．live-streaming platforms

10.

A．demand

B．significance

C．nostalgia

D．evidence

11.

A．potential

B．scale

C．boom

D．revival

12.

A．particular about

B．irrelevant to

C．upset about

D．rooted in

13.

A．herd behavior

B．vicious circle

C．temporary escape

D．noticeable decline

14.

A．tempts

B．roams

C．disrupts

D．declines

15.

A．cautious

B．standard

C．accurate

D．positive

2 .

Take Off with Historic Hiring Growth

A message from Kate Gebo

Welcome aboard!

We are so happy to have you fly with us. I’m sure you’ve thought about United as a way to travel, and with over 95,000 employees and growing, our company is also the center for rewarding careers.

I could not be prouder to lead Human Resources at United during this exciting time for our company, while we’re building the biggest and best airline in the history of aviation. Earlier this year, we announced that we are on track to hire at least 15,000 new employees by the end of this year.

When people think of career opportunities at United, they often think of being a pilot or flight attendant. In reality, our organization has a wide variety of roles in addition to our fantastic pilots and flight attendants, with jobs and functions to keep our airports running and our planes flying.   

Whether it’s for operational roles, such as ramp service employees, customer service representatives, and aircraft technicians, or for corporate roles in human resources, digital technology, and social media, we’re hiring across every function of the airline, seeking strong talent that will take us to new heights.

A role at United is not just a job; it’s a career. Many of our employees have taken on new roles in different departments throughout their tenure (聘用期), which we support to develop and invest in our workforce. In the past seven years, more than 1,500 frontline employees were promoted to management roles, and 78 % of our senior leaders were promoted internally.

Beyond the traditional career paths, we’re proud to create new paths to help our talent pipelines fulfill some of the industry’s most critical job functions. Aviate, our pilot career development program, offers aspiring and established pilots a path to the United flight deck. Calibrate is our full-time, paid apprenticeship program for those wanting to go into aircraft maintenance and other technical operational roles. Our newly launched Innovate program helps provide the skills and experiences needed to succeed in a technology career at United.

We’re hiring from coast to coast, at our seven major hubs and across a broad range of positions. If you’re ready to join me and 95,000 of the industry’s best and brightest at United, I encourage you to visit careers.united.com today to see what opportunities await you. Your career is cleared for takeoff.

United with you,

Kate Gebo

Executive Vice President,

Human Resources and Labor Relations

1. What is the main purpose of this passage?

A．Guarantee to provide first-class customer service.

B．Promote frontline employees to management roles.

C．Introduce jobs available in some departments of United.

D．Advertise for United to enroll pilots and flight attendants.

2. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Visit careers.united.com, and you can see positions available.

B．Employees at United can change their jobs with interest.

C．Employees have to keep their positions throughout their tenure.

D．The United is making efforts to be the biggest and best airline.

3. Which is most suitable for those wanting to be technicians?

A．The full-time, paid apprenticeship program.	B．The traditional United career path.
C．The newly launched Innovate program.	D．The new paths for talent pipelines.

3 . It’s easy to blame an achy neck and stiff shoulder on bad posture. But on many desks, experts agree, the quiet culprit is your mouse.

“There are a lot of delicate body parts involved in mousing,” explains Cameron Stiehl, a San Francisco-based ergonomic assessment specialist. “When you’re at the computer for hours at a time, having a mouse that doesn’t fit properly or is positioned incorrectly can cause soft-tissue injuries in the fingers, wrists, hands, elbows and even in the shoulder.” Countless ergonomic mouse models promise improvement. If you’re ready for a level up, here are four mice that will give you a hand.

1 | Semi-vertical mice like the Logitech MX Master 3S have a 30 to 45-degree slant, which can help reduce stress on the forearm muscles. It can help relieve discomfort from epicondylitis (or ‘tennis elbow’) or help a sore wrist. At 141 grams, the MX Master 3S is a bit heavy but is designed to be especially responsive so that you needn’t move it too much. You can also custom-program the functions of the mouse’s seven buttons and two scroll wheels, letting you avoid certain repetitive motions that can cause injuries. $100, Logitech. com

2 | Look past their uncanny resemblance to Kubrick’s HAL 9000. Trackball mice can be particularly helpful for treating shoulder discomfort by limiting most of your mousing movement to the fingers and wrist. For the most natural motion, Stiehl suggests the Kensington Orbit Trackball. It has both the namespace feature for moving your cursor with little effort and a ring-style scroll wheel encircling it. Unlike traditional scrollers, you use it like a dial. This, Stiehl says, makes the mouse “especially good for people who have issues like trigger finger” (when bending your digits causes them to painfully click and pop). The Orbit also takes the ergonomics a step further, with an included, detachable wrist rest. $50, Kensington. com

3 | A vertical mouse lets you position your hand not flat but tilted sideways as if you’re shaking hands with the device. This position, reduces wrist and forearm movement and can be soothing. The Logitech Lift version’s small footprint and light weight (125 grams) make it a good fit for small hands. “It’s not a long vertical, so I think it can be very comfortable if it fits the hand,” said Stiehl. Six buttons allow for control customization, and it comes in three colors (including a very cute rose), and is made of mostly recycled material. $70, Logitech. com

4 | Working away from your desk doesn’t mean you can’t cast an eye toward ergonomics. The Lenovo Go Wireless Vertical Mouse is a compact vertical mouse, powered by a single replaceable AA battery, which the manufacture r promises will last a year. It also features a handsome cork thumb divot. But the selling point is its smaller footprint, which makes it easy to pack with your laptop. $50, Lenovo. com

1. According to the description, which product chart is Logitech Lift?

A．

B．

C．

D．3

2. Sam is an office lady with loads of paperwork to complete, which results in severe neck-shoulder problems. Which of the following mice is highly recommended?

A．Logitech MX Master 3S.	B．Kensington Orbit Trackball.
C．Logitech Lift.	D．Lenovo Go Wireless Vertical Mouse.

3. Which of the following slogans is the most suitable for Lenovo Go Wireless Vertical Mouse?

A．Suited for smaller hands.	B．A universal upgrade.
C．Trigger finger treater.	D．Ergonomics can go everywhere.

5 . As a reliable travel agency, we really do try to describe our centers and accommodation ad realistically as possible. All our Super Centers and Main Centers have been extensively investigated during the winter season 1975-1976. As a result we have first-hand information on the way in which hotels, life networks and ski schools, etc. operate during the season. We have not been able to investigate, at first hand, all our Independent Centers during the last season but all have been visited during the past three seasons. Should you need any more information about these centers we will try to get it for you. Our American centers have been investigated on our behalf by United Airlines Tours Department and by the U. S. tour operators who are assisting United and ourselves to offer you this novel program to the United States.

Where possible we have eliminated the use of superlatives from the text (possibly making our brochure (小册子) less attractive to read than it might be) and have concentrated on as accurate a description as possible. Nevertheless you should bear in mind that your opinion and the opinion of our investigator might differ and there may be changes between the time of a visit by our investigator and the visit of one of our customers.

We trust that it is evident to you that we have done all in our power to eliminate misdescription and that there really is no question of misrepresentation on our part—either careless or otherwise. We welcome your constructive criticism—it is the best way we know of improving our brochures and our service. Although complaints are very expensive to handle, your complaint or criticism will be thoroughly investigated and a refund (退赔) made if it is justified—none will be made if it isn’t.

1. The “Independent Centers” were personally inspected_______.

A．the year before last

B．three years ago

C．between 1975 and 1976

D．within the last three seasons

2. The program of tours to the United States appears to be_______.

A．a new collaboration with U. S. travel firms

B．newly taken over by U. S. tour operations

C．a new independent venture

D．organized by United Airlines

3. Their brochure would be more attractive to read, they say, if_______.

A．it eliminated description

B．it used fewer superlatives

C．it were less truthful

D．it were more encouraged

4. The firm’s claim is that their program is improved by_______.

A．helpful fault-finding by customers

B．attractive description of the centers in every brochure

C．a standard policy of prompt repayment

D．careful control of the hotels

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。1.

A．At home.

B．In a studio.

C．In office.

D．At school.

2.

A．An English programme.	B．Something annoying.
C．An expression.	D．A goat, called Fred.

3.

A．Neil’s goat is really a mad goat, a trouble maker.

B．Neil really makes Feifei mad.

C．Neil’s goat was really annoying to everyone.

D．Neil’s goat annoys Feifei due to its smell.

4.

A．Your best friend told you that he’s past the driving test.

B．Some cars are blowing their horns when you are doing a test inside.

C．You are riding a bicycle with your classmates in the street.

D．Your neighbour brings you a cake because it is her daughter’s birthday.

7 .
1. According to the poster above, which groups of items will be the best for the Pearson family (father with chronic disease, mother, a 10-month-old infant, and a pet dog) to pack into their limited-size emergency supplies kit besides necessities such as food, water and clothes?

A．passport, paper cups, whistle, rain gear, flashlights

B．formula, blanket, medication, diapers, pet food

C．pet food, cottont-shirt, plastic sheeting, books

D．medication, bank account records, diaper, can opener, formula

2. According to the poster, why is it advisable for children to have a personal pack?

A．To provide more appropriate protection.

B．To create a sense of security and familiarity.

C．To make them feel more physically comfortable.

D．To simulate a seemingly school-like environment.

3. Which is TRUE about suggestions given in the poster?

A．Families should adjust the contents of the emergency supplies kit every other year based on needs.

B．There are no specific items in the poster that address the needs in different natural disasters.

C．All of the supplies in the emergency kit should not be stored in waterproof and portable containers.

D．Children should not be allowed to include their favorites books and stuffed animals in the kit.

8 . If you live in Tokyo or Toronto, you need a warm coat in winter. But you want one that is short, or black, or has a designer brand. The aim of advertising to change our ideas about things we want and we need.

Some ads for designer products use people’s vanity to sell a product. The ads try to create a personality for each brand. For example, one brand of watches is for people who like adventure, with ads featuring an auto racer or a pilot wearing them. Another brand of watches is for elegant and fashionable people, and the ads show wealthy travelers on a cruise ship. The watches look almost the same- only their image as different. When you buy that brand of watch, you are buying the image.     1    

Many ads use people’s emotions to persuade us that we need the product. Think of a TV commercial that shows a woman out driving in a car on a rainy day, with her two small children. Suddenly, another car turns in front of her. The children are still smiling and laughing. The message is: This car will keep you safe.     2     Other examples are slogans that tell you to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, ‘or’ buy insurance- protect your family.

Commercials for soft drinks often show people having a party, playing sports, or enjoying a day at the beach: Everyone in the ad is having a good time. The message is : If you buy this drink, you will have a good time too. Many ads like this are based on people’s desire for fun and enjoyment.

    3     Psychologists have found that people have positive feelings about things they see more often, so the same ad is used for a long time before it is replaced with a new ad. Other studies found that people react better to an ad when it is fresh in their memory, so TV ads are repeated very often.

Knowing about psychology in advertising lets us make better decisions about the things we buy.     4    

A．Advertisements like this one use fear to sell products

B．You have to be careful not to be fooled by the ads on the Internet.

C．But the children may not realize that what they are viewing is unreal.

D．This is the reason that people spend much more money for a product.

E．After an ad is prepared, advertisers use psychology to make it more effective.

F．It helps us know the difference between what we want and what we really need.

10 .

Travel Back in Time
TOMORROW THEY WON’T DARE TO MURDER US By Joseph Andras In 1956, National Liberation Front Member Fernand Iveton planted a bomb near Algiers. The hoped-for explosion was intended only to be a piece of symbolism, so he put it in an unused shed. He was arrested before it could go off and then mercilessly tortured and hanged. Andras’s fictionalized retelling of Iveton’s story was published in French in2016 to immediate acclaim, winning the prestigious Prix Goncourt. It’s now been translated into English. The book is just 137 pages long, but every one of them is tense, a nightmare of noble intentions gone horribly wrong.	INSIDE MONEY By Zarchary Karabell Given complete access to the 200-year accomplishment of the U.S.’s oldest private bank, Karabell weaves a fascinating tale of the East Coast WASP establishment includes characters such as Alan Greenspan and Averell Harriman, one-time governor of New York. The firm has remained privately held, so its inner workings have been a mystery until now.
Or See the Future
THE FLIP SIDE OF FREE By Michael Kende It’s not a new insight that we pay for “free” apps and sites with our personal data, but Kende has a more detailed take than most. The digital development specialist at the World Bank Group looks at how the web came to be free via unified standards and the coming social considerations that will need to be faced once the public understands how much “free” actually costs.	THE CODE BREAKER By Walter Isaacson Isaacson’s previous biographies have focused on such men as Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci. Here he tells the story of Jennifer Doudna, a biochemist who won a Noble Prize for the gene-editing technology known as Crispr. The book is an excellent reader on the complex subject, its benefits (fighting disease) and its ethical hurdles (designer babies).
Anything Other Than Covid
LETTERS TO CAMONDO By Edmund de Waal There are very few ceramic artists working today and even fewer ceramic artists with a part time as an author. Best known for his exquisitely crafted porcelain and his bestseller The Hare with Amber Eyes, de Waal’s latest piece of fiction combines the two sides of his professional life. This book consists of imaginary letters to the real-life Moise de Camondo, a rich Jewish banker who ran one of the most successful institutions in the Ottoman Empire and was also an art sponsor.	ANTIQUITIES By Cynthia Ozick Most people experienced some form of Covid isolation. Ozick, 92, who’s been shortlisted for the Pulitzer and Man Booker International prizes, has created a character who's similarly tortured, though it’s old age, rather than a pandemic, that finds him holed up indoors. As he recalls his life, he is drawn to memories of his cousin, a famous archaeologist and to a mysterious schoolmate.
Or More About Plagues
LET THE RECORD SHOW: A POLITICAL HISTORY OF ACT UP NEW YORK, 1987-1993 By Sarah Schulman Michael Lewis is something of a master at the onset of the AIDS crisis that no one, other than the tortured, seemed to care. ACT UP, a political and activist effort, was born from that apathy. Schulman's comprehensive, timely Book records the group’s hundreds of demonstrations, and almost as many political groups.	THE PREMONITION: A PANDEMIC STORY By Michael Lewis Thirty years ago, fear and death played out at capturing complex events in the very recent past. Here he turns the pandemic into a tale of good and evil: Evil, in this case, is the administration; good is a crew of scientists, doctors and public health experts. The narrative follows three central characters-a biochemist, a public health worker, and a U.S. federal employee.

1. In the section “Travel Back in Time”, both of the two books            .

A．drew inspiration from something real.

B．reveal something ugly about their society

C．are works written against a background of war.

D．provide thrilling plots even though they are short in length.

2. Which of the following themes are covered by “The Flip Side of Free” and “The Code Breaker” respectively?
①cybersecurity
②artificial robot
③disease-curing
④economic development

A．①②

B．①③

C．②③

D．③④

3. In what aspects do “Letters to Camondo” and “Antiquities” have in common?

A．Both are fictionalized works.

B．Both are about artistic creations

C．Both deal with the theme of isolation

D．Both are written against the background of Covid-19.

4. In describing plagues, what’s the main difference between the two books in the section “Or More About Plagues”?
①One is a true story and the other is fictional.
②One is about history and the other focuses on the present.
③One is about the causes of the plague and the other focuses on the results.

A．①②

B．①③

C．②③

D．①②③