1 . In a country known for high-tech ambitions and giant state-owned firms, the suffering of street hawkers (小贩) may seem insignificant. But in China these days, people like Shui Jin, an old lady riding a wooden cart filled with fruit, are in the spotlight.
Faced with rising unemployment, officials have concluded that pavement stands (货摊) can help solve the economy’s problems. Shui Jin, who used to face the danger of heavy fines, may sell her fruit with more confidence as she slowly makes her way through the narrow lanes of Suzhou. Her family needs the money. Both her daughters-in-law recently lost their jobs, among the tens of millions of people in China hurt by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The government’s support for street hawkers is something of an about-turn. For years the authorities pushed out hawkers, trying to tidy up the chaos that once characterized China’s cities. In the name of “civilizing” urban life, they wanted to see dumplings, plastic toys and T-shirts sold inside shopping malls, not from the back of carts. But on June 1st Premier Li Keqiang signalled a change. Stopping by a snack stand in the city of Yantai, he declared that street hawkers and small shops were vital to the economy. “Only when the people are in good shape can the nation be in good shape,” he said.
Mr. Li’s statement has produced a feeling of excitement about the revival (复苏) of China’s “street-stand economy”. At least 27 provinces and cities have announced that they will create markets for hawkers or, in some cases, let them move their things being sold onto the pavement in front of their shops. The shining example is Chengdu, where street stands were banned in the past but now hawkers have set up a number of stands since March. More than 100,000 jobs have been created in the process.
1. According to the passage, what used to happen to street hawkers in China?| A．Cleaning the street. | B．Running a shop. |
| C．Being given heavy fines. | D．Being in the spotlight. |
| A．an incident. | B．a comfort. |
| C．an inspiration. | D．a complete change. |
| A．China’s street-stand economy has a long history. |
| B．China turns to once-banned hawkers to revive its economy. |
| C．China has high-tech ambitions and giant state-owned firms. |
| D．China is now faced with rising unemployment. |
| A．Quoting the saying. | B．Giving examples. |
| C．Making a comparison. | D．Listing statistics. |
2 . China's livestreaming e-commerce industry has witnessed explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, thus creating new growth opportunities for a wide range of businesses.
Cao lei, director of the E-Commerce Research Center at the Internet Economy Institute, said that while most e-commerce platforms have now hit bottlenecks in finding new customers, livestreaming provides an important channel for them to tap into customers living in fourth and fifth-tier cities as well as rural areas.“What's more, livestreaming allows hosts to answer call-in questions from digital audiences in real time, which will enhance shopping experiences and attract more netizens to shop online," Cao added.
The number of people likely to watch livestreaming e-commerce events is 388 million in 2020. The typical livestreaming e-commerce session involves celebrities promoting and selling goods while answering questions from an online audience， with everything taking place in real time via devices such as smartphones.
Livestreaming is increasingly gaining popularity as a new online shopping platform among Chinese netizens, creating a huge market worth more than 970 bilion yuan ( $ 149.9 bilion) in 2020. E-commerce giant Alibaba's Taobao Live has taken the lion's share of livestreaming, as 68.5 percent of consumers use the service, according to a survey conducted by the China Consumers Association. Douyin and Kuaishou have taken second and third spots, respectively. Other large Chinese Internet and e-commerce players like JD. com have also thrown their hats into the ring.
Livestreaming has become a key means for brands to gain awareness and boost sales, and for smaller operators such as farmers to have better access to consumers, especially during the pandemic period.
1. What contributes to better shopping experiences in livestreaming?| A．Discount price of products. |
| B．Participation of some popular guests. |
| C．Convenience to buy goods at any place. |
| D．Interaction between hosts and customers. |
| A．The e-commerce giants in livestreaming. |
| B．The present situation and ways of livestreaming. |
| C．The influence and effect of livestreaming. |
| D．The reasons why livestreaming is so popular. |
| A．Throw away their hats. | B．Participate in the game. |
| C．Exchange hats for a ring. | D．Ring other e-commerce players. |
| A．Douyin. . | B．Taobao Live. |
| C．Kuaishou. | D．JD. com. |
