1 . Like the move from horse-drawn carriages to vehicles powered by internal-combustion engines, the change from cars powered by fossil fuels to electric vehicles (EVs) will have a profound effect on personal transport. The Epidemic worldwide caused a 20% drop in global light vehicle sales in 2020, to about 70m, but they pick up in 2021. And the proportion of vehicles powered by batteries will grow quickly.

The increasing share price of Tesla, provides a big motivation for newcomers to catch up. Tesla may lead in battery technology and software, but to make those advantages stick, it must prove that “production hell” is behind it. Scaling up manufacturing has caused Tesla its biggest headaches.

Big name carmakers face an equally discouraging challenge: Learning how to write software. Electric cars require integrated software, not just to ensure that batteries and motors work together to provide the best performance, but to connect the car to the outside world.

And what of the Tesla followers, from China’s li, Nio and Xpeng to American firms such as Fisker, Lucid and Nikola? Cash from excitable investors has poured in and it is the same with big name carmakers—as are tech giants, keen to get involved as transport goes digital. Can the followers persuade investors that they have patent technology that will give them a long-term advantage?

Eye-catching Advertisements of vehicles are one thing, but as the industry’s trouble shows, working out how to make cars at scale, when softwares are as important as brakes and bodywork, is quite another. The coming year will make clearer which of Tesla’s competitors, new and old, can stay in race.

1. What is the trend of electric cars industry?

A．Uncertain.

B．Challenging.

C．Promising.

D．Disappointing.

2. What is the biggest challenge Tesla faces now?

A．Learning how to write the software.	B．Expanding its production capacity.
C．Connecting the car to the outside world.	D．Competing with many newcomers.

3. Which statement about Tesla’s competitors is TRUE?

A．Their share prices are catching up with those of Tesla.

B．They are mostly established companies.

C．Their biggest problem is technical one like improving brakes and bodywork.

D．They are attracting investment.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．The Battle Within the Electric-Vehicle Industry

B．Expanding Production Capacity—the Headache of Electric Cars Industry

C．New Companies Are Catching up in Electric-Vehicle Industry

D．Electric Cars—Your Future Choice

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Mechanization of Xinjiang's cotton sector approaches 90%

A total of 2 million     1     (hectare) of cotton farmland in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will be harvested by machinery rather than by hand, according to     2     region’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The increase     3     (expect) to raise the mechanization rate of cotton production to 88 percent this year, as the region continues     4     (promote) mechanization in the whole process of agricultural production, the department said recently.

In Shaya county, many tractors can be seen     5     (busy) planting cotton fields, instead of lots of farmers sowing by hand, as spring temperatures rise.

Aksu, a major cotton-growing area in     6     (south) Xinjiang, saw cotton output of more than 1 million metric tons in 2020, making up about one     7     (six) of the country’s total, according to the local government.

“It is encouraging     8     a specialized agricultural machinery cooperative was founded in 2017 in Shaya to provide agricultural machinery and technology     9     cotton farmers,” said Ma Zhan-ming, head of the cooperative. “The cooperative can provide mechanization     10     (serve) during the whole process, from spring sowing to harvest.”

3 . Many workers have had no choice but to adapt to working from home in recent months since offices shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic (新冠疫情). And the noisy situation and endless housework may result in a terrible emotion. A new option is waiting for you. That is WFH: work from a hotel.

Hotel Figuero

A special program titled Work Perks aims to reposition some of 94-year-old Hotel Figuero’s 268 rooms as day-use offices.

According to Managing Director Connie Wang, the set-up launched in June and is a great opportunity to get out of their houses with high-speed Wi-Fi, unlimited printing privileges and free parking. The 350-square-foot rooms sell for $ 129 per day, with an option to extend to an overnight stay for an additional $ 20.

The Wythe

A boutique hotel in Brooklyn. The hotel recently announced a partnership with co-working office space company Industrious through which it is recycling 13 second-story guest rooms to serve as offices for up to four people.

Each of the rooms has a small outdoor platform, and dogs are welcome. Pricing starts at $ 200 and goes up to $ 275, depending on how many people use the space.

The Sawyer

The Sawyer, in Sacramento, California, is offering pool cabanas (更衣室) for use as outdoor offices, complete with fast Wi-Fi, free parking and catered lunch for $ 150 per day.

HotelsByDay

Yannis Moati founded HotelsByDay back in 2015. That company has grown to include more than 1,500 hotels, and has seen a significant increase in the number of inquiries for day-use bookings lately.

Moati said the current situation will force hotels to upgrade themselves to stay alive, and he predicted that offering rooms for day-use only is one of the directions they will go.

1. How much should one pay for a 24-hour stay in Hotel Figuero?

A．$ 129.

B．$ 149.

C．$ 150.

D．$ 200.

2. Which hotel allows pets in?

A．The Wythe.	B．The Sawyer.
C．HotelsByDay.	D．Hotel Figuero.

3. What do we know about Yannis Moati?

A．He started a program titled Work Perks.

B．He has upgraded at least 1,500 rooms.

C．He usually predicts everything correctly.

D．He is optimistic about the WFH trend.