1 . Must-See Destinations in 2024

Are you ready to explore the world in 2024? Whether you dream of sailing down famous European rivers or exploring unique places, our list of must-see destinations is here to inspire your travels.

Spain

Throw yourself into the rich culture and history of Spain. From the sunny beaches of Tenerife to the Moorish architecture (建筑物) of Andalucía, there’s so much to explore in this lively country. Discover the UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) city of La Laguna and become amazed at the beauty of Cordoba, Seville, and La Alhambra, or relax on a beach holiday to Majorca or Tenerife.

Montenegro

Despite its size, Montenegro has beautiful beaches, rich history, and a breathtaking channel. Experience the beauty of the Montenegrin coast — Dalmatia’s jewel (宝石) is the UNESCO World Heritage listed oasis of Dubrovnik, famously praised by Lord Bryon as The Pearl of the Adriatic.

Croatia

Discover the beauty that is Dubrovnik. Explore the 16th-century city’s defensive walls and red-roofed buildings. Sail along Croatia’s Adriatic Coast, where attractive villages and beautiful towns like Pula, Rovinj, and Poreč are just waiting to be explored...

South Africa

Explore the wonders of South Africa, from the Garden Route’s nature reserves to the thrill of a Safari drive in the Kariega Game Reserve. Discover the different plants and animals while searching for the “Big Five” on an unforgettable South Africa holiday.

With over 25 years of experience creating holidays for the curious, Travel Department ensures that your journey is in good hands. Plus as a trusted Reader’s Digest Travel partner, you can get special deals when you travel with them across lots of different 2024 holidays. If you want to know more information, please click here.

1. What do Spain and Montenegro have in common?

A．They are both praised by tourists.

B．They both have world heritage cities.

C．They are known for their architectures.

D．They both own beaches and rich history.

2. Which destination will attract people who are interested in creatures?

A．Spain.	B．South Africa.
C．Montenegro.	D．Croatia.

3. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A website.	B．A guidebook.
C．A novel.	D．A magazine.

2 . Ms. McIntyre, 38, worked as a publisher. She suffered brain cancer and her health got worse despite some medical treatment. But she realized that in a way, she was luckier than some other people. She had insurance to help pay for her medical care. But Ms. McIntyre and her husband, Mr. Gregory, knew that many people with cancer face tough decisions because of the costs of medical care and wind up owing far more than they can pay.

Though her health was failing, Ms. McIntyre decided to help pay off the medical debts of as many people as she possibly could. The couple began donating money to a group called RIP Medical Debt, which is committed to working to pay off the unpaid medical debts of others. The group can pay off medical bills for about 100 times less money than they cost. In other words, for every 100 donated, the group can pay off 10,000 in unpaid medical bills.

Unfortunately, Ms. McIntyre passed away before long. Mr. Gregory posted a message for Ms. McIntyre on her social media accounts. “If you’re reading this, I have passed away,” the post began. Then the post explained, “To celebrate my life, I’ve arranged to buy up others’ medical debts and then destroy the debts.”

The couple had set up a page on a website to raise money for this purpose. They had hoped to raise about $20,000. Nevertheless, Ms. McIntyre’s last post attracted a lot of attention. The donations on her web page quickly passed the total goal. In less than a week, the site had raised 10 times more than expected and the donations are still coming in. By November 22, 2023, Ms. McIntyre’s web page had raised over $627,000, or enough money to pay off about $60 million in medical debts.

Mr. Gregory planned a special event in December to celebrate Ms. McIntyre’s life and to announce how many millions of dollars of medical debts her efforts had paid for.

1. Why did Ms. McIntyre feel luckier than some other people?

A．The doctors eventually cured her.	B．Her disease didn’t become worse.
C．She had a decent job before being ill.	D．She had security about medical care.

2. How did Ms. McIntyre and her husband help others?

A．By paying for their daily debts.	B．By giving away money to them.
C．By ridding them of debts from treatments.	D．By purchasing medical insurance for them.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The public involvement.	B．The couple’s commitment.
C．The operation of a website.	D．The increase of medical debts.

4. Which of the following words can best describe Ms. McIntyre?

A．Humorous and elegant.	B．Influential and understanding.
C．Cautious and promising.	D．Enthusiastic and adaptable.

3 . Thousands of books are published daily, and book advertisements play a crucial role in increasing awareness about those books. But it’s too easy to be tricked into bad “advertising opportunities” and make the wrong decisions. Here are several forms of digital advertising proven to work well.

Facebook advertising: Facebook provides the perfect advertising platform for authors because it allows targeting very specific categories of people. The other advantage is that it’s easy to test. You can start with a budget as low as $5 and gradually increase your monetary (货币的) commitment if your return on investment is positive.

Amazon advertising: Amazon allows you to show ads about your book directly on other book pages and search result pages. Since their main US rollout in 2017, they’ve become the most effective advertising place for authors.

Bookbub advertising: Bookbub rolled out a self-serve ad platform in 2016, which they’ve greatly improved since. It’s a less competitive playing field than Facebook or Amazon, but it does have its features.

Discount/promotion advertising: If you’re running a discount or free promotion on one of your books, you can apply to have it advertised in the newsletters of platforms such as Freebooksy, Bargainbooksy, etc.

Other types of advertising include search advertising, Goodreads advertising, banner ads on websites, etc. These haven’t produced the same effective results for most authors yet, but they could be just as effective (or more) if you write in a certain field.

1. What is special about the Facebook advertising?

A．It is easy for authors to access.

B．It aims at saving money for readers.

C．It allows adjusting investment by profit.

D．It includes different categories of information.

2. Which is suitable to promote your book with a discount?

A．Facebook.

B．Amazon.

C．Bookbub.

D．Freebooksy.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To get readers to buy more books.

B．To raise people’s reading awareness.

C．To offer authors advertising platforms.

D．To help publishers communicate with readers.

4 . Active listening is a communication skill that involves going beyond simply hearing the words that another person speaks but also seeking to understand the meaning and intention behind them. The word “active” implies that you are taking some type of action when listening to others.

    1    

Be fully present

Active listening requires being fully present in the conversation. It enables you to concentrate on what is being said. Being present involves listening with all your senses and giving your full attention to the speaker. To use this active listening technique effectively, put away your cell phone, ignore distractions, and shut down your internal dialogue.     2     And let everything else slip away.

Pay attention to non-verbal cues (非言语暗示)

As much as 65% of a person’s communication is unspoken,     3    . This involves not folding your arms, smiling while listening, leaning in, and nodding at key points. It can also be helpful to pay attention to your facial expressions when active listening so that you don’t convey any type of negative response.

Keep good eye contact

When engaged in active listening, making eye contact is especially important. This tells the other person that you are present and listening to what he or she says.     4     At the same time, you don’t want to use so much eye contact that the conversation feels strange. To keep this from happening, follow the 50/70 rule. This involves maintaining eye contact for 50% to 70% of the time spent listening, holding the contact for four to five seconds before briefly looking away.

Be patient

Patience is an important active listening technique because it allows the other person to speak without interruption. Being patient involves not trying to fill periods of silence with your own thoughts or stories. This also requires listening to understand, not to respond.     5     Also, don’t change the subject too abruptly as this conveys boredom and impatience.

A．Don’t prepare a reply while listening.

B．It also shows that you aren’t distracted.

C．This isn’t helpful during active listening.

D．So use open, non-threatening body language.

E．Don’t focus too much on insignificant details.

F．Place your focus on your conversation partner.

G．This involves using certain strategies or techniques.

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the man’s problem?

A．He forgot his password.

B．He can’t use the system.

C．He can’t find his computer.

2. Where is the computer services office?

A．Beside the stairs.

B．At the back of the lift.

C．Next to the reception desk.

6 . Even when you have confidence in yourself, your goals will sometimes seem out of reach. When that happens, get hold of the people who _________ you and your goals and don’t let go!

When I was younger, I _________ because life felt so hard. I had _________to become a teacher or a business administrator. I knew I needed a college degree, but I had _________ believing in myself. Then a teacher in my high school _________ me. He told me three things: First, if you don’t believe in yourself, it will be _________ to get anyone else to believe in you. Second, never let other people’s _________ to see your brilliance prevent you from being brilliant. And third, despite life’s _________, stick to creating the future you want.

Early in my _________, I was teaching a workshop when a person in the audience yelled out to me. He told me I had __________ made a job choice and had a bright future. This __________ feedback (反馈)came at just the right time, because while the audience didn’t know it, I was __________ self-doubt.

Even now, I __________ myself that I have a bright future. That’s what I tell myself when I __________ success and failure. You have a bright future ahead. Think about this every single day. Remember your talents, skills, and interests. Explore the jobs that interest you, and have courage—and most __________, believe in yourself.

1.

A．refer to

B．depend on

C．learn from

D．believe in

2.

A．quit

B．struggled

C．regretted

D．argued

3.

A．responsibilities

B．dreams

C．opportunities

D．doubts

4.

A．stopped

B．admitted

C．allowed

D．considered

5.

A．tracked

B．recommended

C．accompanied

D．encouraged

6.

A．serious

B．possible

C．hard

D．necessary

7.

A．request

B．unwillingness

C．inability

D．attempt

8.

A．difficulties

B．options

C．aims

D．standards

9.

A．career

B．experiment

C．business

D．recovery

10.

A．foolishly

B．simply

C．wisely

D．bravely

11.

A．original

B．familiar

C．typical

D．positive

12.

A．looking into

B．taking down

C．dealing with

D．pointing out

13.

A．introduce

B．remind

C．guarantee

D．warn

14.

A．experience

B．describe

C．compare

D．limit

15.

A．probably

B．fortunately

C．obviously

D．importantly

7 . Rejection doesn’t always hurt. Sometimes rejection may _________ a more certain path to our final goals.

This year football fans have been watching to see how Joe would _________ in the playoffs(季后赛) this season. Joe dreamed to play in the National Football League (NFL), but his journey wasn’t a(n) _________ one. He applied to several colleges, but none _________ him. Later, he got into Ohio State, but he sat on the _________ for three years. Ohio State had a great football program and coaches, who didn’t think Joe had _________. But Joe thought differently. He _________ Nebraska and got rejected once again, but he didn’t quit. Then he applied to Louisiana State University, which accepted him. The rest is history.

Joe became the Heisman Trophy _________ during his senior year, then he was admitted to the NFL, and later, his team participated in the World Championship.

Joe’s story reminds us that there are _________ paths to our final goals and that it __________ strong endurance and determination to reach them. No single __________ is going to prevent you from __________ your long-term goals. Be sure to__________ the pain that comes from disappointment and face it bravely. Try to focus on goals rather than the __________ outcome of being rejected and remember that the hurt of rejection comes from how we __________ it.

1.

A．follow

B．lead

C．create

D．clear

2.

A．study

B．perform

C．train

D．join

3.

A．tough

B．fun

C．attractive

D．easy

4.

A．accepted

B．remembered

C．rejected

D．ignored

5.

A．bench

B．stand

C．team

D．stage

6.

A．chance

B．resource

C．potential

D．enthusiasm

7.

A．signed up for

B．applied to

C．attended to

D．searched for

8.

A．fan

B．adviser

C．learner

D．winner

9.

A．similar

B．smooth

C．multiple

D．flat

10.

A．costs

B．takes

C．makes

D．offers

11.

A．theory

B．training

C．rejection

D．excuse

12.

A．achieving

B．planning

C．announcing

D．explaining

13.

A．affect

B．emphasize

C．estimate

D．acknowledge

14.

A．active

B．negative

C．possible

D．predictable

15.

A．interpret

B．imagine

C．explore

D．escape

8 . In the annals of human history, few subjects have generated as much excitement, debate, and guess as artificial intelligence (AI). This revolutionary technology, which enables machines to perform tasks that once required human intelligence, has the potential to transform every part of our society, from healthcare and finance to transportation and entertainment.

At its heart, AI is all about data. Massive amounts of data are fed into algorithms that learn from this data, allowing them to make predictions, recognize patterns, and even make decisions. This “machine learning” is the driving force behind many of the AI applications we see today, from virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa to more advanced systems like IBM’s Watson, which can analyze vast amounts of information to assist doctors in diagnosing diseases.

The transformative potential of AI is undeniable. In the medical field, for instance, AI can assist in early detection of diseases, predict patient outcomes, and even suggest treatment options. In finance, algorithms can predict stock market trends, and provide personalized financial advice. In transportation, self-driving cars equipped with AI systems promise to reduce accidents, ease traffic jams, and transform urban landscapes.

However, with great potential comes great responsibility. The rise of AI has caused debates about is ethical implications (道德含义). The machines are only as good as the data they are fed, and there’s a growing concern about biases (偏见) being built into AI systems. For instance, facial recognition technologies, used in everything from unlocking phones to police monitoring cameras, have come under check for misidentifying individuals based on race or gender.

Moreover, the widespread adoption of AI could lead to significant job displacement. While new roles and industries might emerge as a result of AI, it is not sure that these will pay off the jobs lost. This could increase income inequalities and causes difficulties to social systems.

Another major concern is the “black box” nature of AI. Many AI systems operate in ways that even their creators don’t fully understand. This can be problematic, especially in critical applications like healthcare or criminal justice where understanding the logic behind a decision is important.

Then there’s the potential for AI to be weaponized. In the hands of evil actors, AI could be used to spread misinformation, control public opinion, or even engage in internet warfare. The global community must come together to set standards and regulations to prevent such misuse.

On the brighter side, many experts believe that by setting the right frameworks and investing in education and retraining, we can use the power of AI for the greater good. By fostering (促进) a culture of continuous learning and staying abreast (并排的，并肩的) of technological advancements, society can benefit from the promise of AI while avoiding its potential dangers.

In conclusion, artificial intelligence stands as one of the most profound inventions of our time. While it offers vast opportunities, it also poses significant challenges that we, as a society, must welcome. As we stand at this technological crossroads, our choices will determine whether AI serves as a benefit or a harm for humanity.

1. Which of the following best describes the method by which machines acquire the capability to perform tasks that traditionally required human intelligence?

A．By programming predefined rules.

B．Through user interactions every day.

C．By ingesting and processing vast amounts of data.

D．Via regular software updates from developers.

2. In the context of the article, how does the author primarily demonstrate the effect of artificial intelligence?

A．By citing numerous statistical data.

B．By presenting both the positive potential and the challenges of AI.

C．Through personal experiences.

D．By focusing on the negative effects of AI.

3. Which of the following is the best title?

A．The Rise of Virtual Assistants: Siri and Alexa

B．Understanding the Mechanisms Behind AI Algorithms

C．Artificial Intelligence: Charting the Course for Tomorrow’s Tech

D．Balancing the Potential and challenges of AI in Modern Society

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．AI has already replaced most human jobs and is the leading cause of unemployment.

B．The global community has taken measures to prevent AI misuse.

C．The operation of many AI systems is easily understood by their creators.

D．The solving to the dilemma brought by AI needs collective efforts of our society.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where does Mark usually read news now?

A．In a newspaper.

B．In a magazine.

C．On the Internet.

2. What makes the woman surprised about the machine?

A．It has a small glass window.

B．It can make a pizza in a short time.

C．It offers four types of pizzas at a time.

3. What does the woman think of the machine?

A．It is quite necessary.

B．It might not be popular.

C．It will certainly succeed.

4. What is an advantage of the machine?

A．The 24-hour service.

B．Tasty pizza made by it.

C．The low production cost.

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. When will the man go to the restaurant?

A．On Tuesday.

B．On Wednesday.

C．On Thursday.

2. Who will have dinner with the man?

A．A couple.

B．Some friends.

C．His family.

3. What will the man do next?

A．Provide personal information.

B．Tell the waitress his arriving time.

C．Ask for a table at the non-smoking area.