1 . In recent years China has made great efforts to make the best use of local conditions to help rural residents boost their incomes. Let’s have a look at some regional products that have helped to revive (振兴) the rural economy. Maybe here is one project that appeals to you.
Woodblock printing
With a history of more than 1, 000 years, woodblock printing was adopted by ancient Chinese as a way to keep written records. The process is very complicated, including painting, engraving (雕刻) on a woodblock and printing. Sibao town in Fujian province is famous for the preservation of traditional Chinese woodblock printing. The town now has 50 ancient bookshops and many cultural relics. It also invited tourists and students to learn from artisans.
Bark paintings
Bark paintings, a form of intangible cultural heritage of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, is made from bark chippings scaling off white birch trees. The painting has helped many villagers overcome poverty in White Wolf town, as the town is rich in forest resources and making such paintings is environmentally friendly and also beneficial by providing employment for some locals.
Handicraft weaving and tie-dyeing
Experiencing traditional handicraft dyeing and weaving techniques is a special cultural and creative endeavor in Pingtian village of Sidu town in Lishui, East China's Zhejiang province. It is also an effort to protect and carry forward traditional handicraft intangible cultural heritage. All the dyes used are produced from plants and tea leaves in the mountains around the village.
Oilpaper umbrella
Oilpaper umbrella is a kind of traditional Chinese handicraft made of bamboo and paper coated in the oil of the tung nut for waterproofing. It has been around for at least 1, 000 years and was eventually adopted in other parts of the planet. Both ceremonial and practical, the oilpaper umbrella was used on rainy days, as well as during many ceremonies and festivals.
1. What can people do in Sibao town?| A．Visit cultural relics. | B．Engrave old woodblocks. |
| C．Unearth ancient books. | D．Learn traditional painting. |
| A．Changing modern social life. | B．Being in an autonomous region. |
| C．Reviving with high technology. | D．Making use of natural materials. |
| A．Finance. | B．Science. | C．Sports | D．Education. |
2 . As part of Africa’s COVID-19 recovery strategy, it should invest (投资) in its young people and in digital technology resources, which experts’ said would offer a solution for unlocking a new era of intra-African (非洲内部的) trade and growth.
According to the United Nations, Africa has the youngest population in the world, with 70 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa being younger than 30.
The UN recognizes the continent’s young people as critical to the success of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, which took effect at the beginning of last year, and has called for their involvement in policy making and implementation.
The African Export-Import Bank, also known as Afreximbank, likewise called on Tuesday for an increase in intra-African trade and financing, with the continent’s young people and technology resources playing important roles.
Benedict Oramah, president and chairman of Afreximbank, said industrial revolutions seen in other countries were largely owed to a young and capable workforce.
“It is our view that the youth will be the catalytic force of the development of Africa. This asset (资本) in our hands is perhaps the greatest resource, an asset much more valuable than all the oil and mineral resources,” Oramah said in speech at the ongoing 29th Annual Meetings of Afreximbank in Cairo, Egypt.
“The African youth are beginning to make significant contributions to economic transformation across the continent,” he added.
Oramah said Africa should turn to its own resources, driving investment and development by leveraging Africa’s human capital and technological potential, in order to accelerate intra-African trade and commerce.
Young people are ready to make giant progress in a single continental market and could become the drivers of the continent’s integration and intra-African trade, Oramah said.
1. What does the United Nations think of young people in Africa?| A．They need to invest more money in technology. |
| B．They are too young to shoulder the responsilities. |
| C．They should get involved in policy making in Africa. |
| D．Their success should be recognized by the government. |
| A．Oil and mineral resources. | B．Youth and technology resources. |
| C．Investment from other countries | D．Better policies of the UN. |
| A．Last. | B．Traditional. | C．Expensive. | D．Promoting. |
| A．Young People Seen as Key to Africa’s Growth | B．Great Progress Made in African Economy |
| C．UN’s New Policies on Developing Africa | D．Afreximbank’s Contributions to Africa |
3 . On October 24, 1929 — “Black Thursday” — a wave of panic selling of stocks (股票) swept the New York Stock Exchange. The Great Depression began. By 1932, thousands of banks and businesses had failed. Industrial production was cut in half, farm income had fallen by more than half, wages had decreased 60 percent, new investment was down 90 percent and one out of every four workers was unemployed.
The Republican president, Herbert Hoover was unable to take measures to deal with the economic collapse. So in the 1932 election, he was defeated by Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt, who promised “a New Deal for the American people”.
Within the “Hundred Days”, Roosevelt rushed through Congress a number of laws to aid the recovery of the economy. The Civilian Conservation Corps put young men to work in reforestation (重新造林) and flood.
The Federal Emergency Relief Administration aided state and local relief funds. The Agricultural Adjustment Administration paid farmers to reduce production, thus raising crop prices. The Tennessee Valley Authority built a network of dams in the Tennessee River area to generate electricity and control floods. The National Recovery Administration regulated fair competition among businesses and minimum wages for workers.
The Work Progress Administration (WPA) was one of the most effective of the New Deal measures. Financed by taxes collected by the federal government, the WPA created millions of jobs by undertaking the construction of roads, bridges, airports and other public buildings. It kept workers in the job, thus preserving their skills and their self-respect. The New Deal programs did not end the Depression. But the economy improved as a result of this program of government intervention (介入).
1. According to the passage, “Black Thursday” refers to the day when _______.| A．the New York Stock Exchange was shut | B．industrial production decreased |
| C．the New Deal was issued | D．the Great Depression began |
| A．to deal with economic problems |
| B．to help state and local relief funds |
| C．to aid the workers to finish their stock selling |
| D．to make young people plant trees and build dams |
| A．it provided workers jobs of building roads and airports |
| B．it preserved workers’ skill and self-respect |
| C．it provided financial aids to workers |
| D．it ensured workers’ minimum wages |
| A．The Agricultural Adjustment Administration paid farmers to reduce crop prices. |
| B．The Work Progress Administration is the most effective Administration in the US. |
| C．The Depression was not ended just by the New Deal programs. |
| D．President Herbert Hoover failed in carrying out the New Deal for the American people. |
4 . Liao Wentao, a pet undertaker, put the body of 2-year-old Garfield on a small bed surrounded by flowers. Then he let the cat’s owner say a last goodbye before cremation (火化). “We send off 400 to 500 pets each year, and there’s a great demand for pet funerals,” he told China News.
Keeping pets has become a trend for young people in China and people are more than willing to pay for whatever their pets need. From 2019 to 2021, China’s pet market grew by almost 18% and hit 348.8billion yuan in value in 2021, according to a report by Research Consulting Group.
As the pet economy develops, animal lovers’ various needs have boosted the emergence and development of related businesses such as bathing, pet food, pet beauty and healthcare.
In addition to basic services, pet owners are increasingly paying for many new services, such as training, pet funerals, insurance, photography and entertainment. The growing pet market has also given birth to a large number of new pet-related jobs, noted CCTV News.
Liu Wei, 33, is a famous pet detective in Shanghai. He and his team work on finding families’ lost pets. “We have successfully helped find more than 1,000 pets. Besides cats and dogs, there are other pets like birds, lizards and hamsters,” Liu said. “In many big cities, cats and dogs have become an important part of many families and are taken good care of. So what we look for are not just pets, but family members.”
Apart from pet undertakers and detectives, some people work as pet food testers, pet sitters and pet trainers. According to Tu Di, secretary—general of the Hunan Pet Industry Association, the booming pet market shows people’s improved living standards.
However, there are also problems with the industry, for example, the high fees of taking pets to the vet (兽医). Many pet owners have called for stricter pricing regulations for pet medical services, reported Global Times.
1. Why is Liao’s story mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To teach readers a lesson. |
| C．To sum up the main idea. | D．To involve readers in a story. |
| A．By introducing an argument. | B．By telling some true stories. |
| C．By giving numbers and examples. | D．By focusing on basic pet—related services. |
| A．Negative. | B．Positive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．The low quality of services. | B．The rapid growth of the industry. |
| C．The lack of related regulations. | D．The various needs of animal lovers. |
| A．She is not surprised at the news. |
| B．She has no interest in the news. |
| C．She is shocked by the news. |
6 . AI, 5G and other digital technologies are not only changing our lives but shaping the economy as well. China5s six major commercial banks are stepping up digital wallet efforts to provide new trend for the e-CNY (电子人民币)trials in the country. The purpose, China’s bankers said, is not aimed at taking the place of privately-run payment platforms, such as Alipay and WeChat Pay. Instead, this official electronic payment system is being done so that all cash in circulation(流通)can be followed.
Compared with Alipay and WeChat payments, e-CNY features anonymity (匿名)and security. E-commerce platforms that accept payments via e-CNY will not have access to users5 personal information. E-CNY users can open an anonymous digital wallet by registering a mobile phone number, and their information won5t be revealed to any third-party institutions. E-CNY users’ privacy protection is at the highest level among all the existing payment tools.
Similar to Alipay and WeChat payments, using e-CNY requires an account. After getting the other party’s account number, users can enter the amount of digital money to be paid and then enter the password to complete the transaction (交易). However, the processes behind these transactions are different. For the existing electronic payments, the money has to go through a third party, and the receivers will get the money only when they withdraw it from banks. But e-CNY transactions only need a payer and a receiver. Therefore, it guarantees risk-free payments, helps prevent financial crimes and improves the efficiency of transactions.
In simple terms, e-CNY can be considered “money”, while electronic payments are like “wallets”. The successful launch of the e-CNY may change the existing market structure, which is mainly dominated by Alipay and WeChat Pay now. The banks may return to a leading position in the digital currency system. But China's central bank won't get more money into circulation, since every yuan issued digitally will basically cancel one yuan circulating in physical form.
1. Why are commercial banks in China making efforts on e-CNY trials?| A．They aim to cut down the use of bank cards. |
| B．They intend to track the cash in circulation. |
| C．They want to get rid of paper currency. |
| D．They plan to replace privately-run payment platforms. |
| A．People won't worry about their private information exposure. |
| B．People can finish the transaction without any account. |
| C．People can do the transaction at a very low fee. |
| D．People can withdraw money from banks free of charge. |
| A．By listing facts. | B．By making comparison. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By analyzing cause and effect. |
| A．The e-CNY will change the existing market structure. |
| B．The e-CNY will shake the position of real paper money. |
| C．The e-CNY in circulation will disturb the normal economy. |
| D．The e-CNY will not change the total amount of money in circulation. |
2021 was a significant year for China as the Communist Party of China (CPC) celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding. The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee
2021 marked a great year for humanity, as the
2021 also proved extraordinary when
Peace, cooperation, development, and mutual assistance will be China’s key words in the 12
8 . For years, Apple's business has centered around the iPhone, but sales of that once-revolutionary but now commonplace device have slowed. And the entire world of computers has been flipped (翻动) on its head. Apple has been diversifying beyond hardware, selling iCloud storage to its customers, a $10 a month music streaming service and movies and television shows through iTunes.
But Monday's concerned announcement takes that diversification to a whole new level. Apple said it was launching a lot of new services, from news to video games and a credit card. Its biggest project is entertainment streaming service Apple TV+.
Apple is expected to invest many billions a year, according to analysts, on making video content to compete in a crowded market that includes Amazon, Netflix, Hulu and Disney.
The real magic in consumer technology is happening less and less inside the devices people carry around and more and more in server farms scattered around the world, where massive amounts of data get processed and then transmitted to electronics like the Amazon Echo or Google Home.
In fact, the electronics people are excited about buying are becoming vessels for sending and receiving data. And in that area, Apple has fallen behind companies like Google, Amazon and Microsoft, which now pull in significant revenue from selling cloud services, which is a fancy term for data center usage and storage.
The invite Apple sent to invitees said simply, “It's show time.” The question now is whether Apple can break a leg.
1. Where does the magic of consumer technology come from?| A．Streaming service. | B．iCloud storage. | C．Server farms. | D．Video games. |
| A．Income. | B．Advertisements. | C．Equipment. | D．Games. |
| A．The sales of iPhone have been taking the lead in the world. |
| B．Apple expects to develop many new functions in its phone. |
| C．People are crazy about getting some new electronics in life. |
| D．Apple provides a lot of new services for its consumers now. |
| A．Apple's new efforts to compete against competitors. |
| B．Electronics will play important roles in technology. |
| C．Some companies do better than Apple in technology. |
| D．Apple is able to benefit a lot from its diverse service. |
9 . Early in the year, the hope was that the bottlenecks that messed up the global supply chain in 2020 would be mostly cleared by now. They've actually only gotten much worse and evidence is mounting that the holiday season is at risk.
Across Europe, retailers (零售商) can't meet demand because of delivery delays. In the U.S., Nike cut is sales forecast after COVID-19 set off factory closures in Vietnam that wiped out months of production.
Covid outbreaks have affected ports. There still aren't enough containers, causing prices to increase 10 times from a year ago. Labor shortages have delayed trucking and pushed U.S. job openings to all-time highs.
On the supplier side, Jay Foreman's been making toys with manufacturing partners in China for more than three decades, and he's never seen anything like this. His mid-sized toy company, Basic Fun, is on pace for its best year ever. There is no shortage of demand, but a shortage of containers has left thousands of the company's Lite Brites and TinkerToys waiting to be shipped. At just one factory in Shenzhen, there's roughly $8 million worth of finished goods that could fill 140 containers.
The bigger, more systemic risk—one that could hurt every retailer—is that Americans spend less than expected because there isn't enough inventory (库存). The available goods may also not be all that attractive. The sharp increase in shipping prices has forced manufacturers to make hard decisions about what to transport. Hicks, the Academy Sports CEO, predicted that shoppers “will have to settle more because they just won't have as good of a selection.”
Shipping big items and goods with lower value don’t make as much economic sense right now. iPhones are small and pricey, making them an ideal good to ship, but the same case can’t be made for low-end furniture or toys.
“Consumers might see news about port backups (阻塞), but that won’t hit home until they try to buy the toy of the year and can’t get it,” Bartashus, an analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence, said, “That’s when they’ll hit crisis mode.”
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The goods are mounting. | B．Supply chain issues are getting worse. |
| C．The consumers become hopeless. | D．The holiday season hits the bottlenecks. |
| A．Basic Fun lacks orders. |
| B．There exists a shortage of shippers. |
| C．His toy company has its worst year. |
| D．The factory is filled with finished goods. |
| A．Consumers will have limited options. |
| B．Consumers can't afford the attractive goods. |
| C．The shipping company will stop shipping expensive goods. |
| D．The manufactures will have poor selections of shipping companies. |
| A．The port problem will be settled. |
| B．Consumers will prefer to stay at home. |
| C．The government will pass the financial crisis. |
| D．The market will be in various forms of panic. |
10 . 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. |
