1 . Nobody likes waiting in long lines at amusement parks, especially when you are with babies. Disneyland or Disney World are known for their splendid rides, attractions and large crowds as well. The familiar result is that many guests have spent a lot of time just waiting in lines while visiting the theme parks, which annoys the majority.
Until recently, both parks made use of the FastPass system to keep guests moving. On certain rides, park-goers could obtain a ticket that allowed them to come back within a specific time window. At that point, they would wait on a special line for seating. As explained in a recent YouTube share, the system worked similarly to a real queue. Instead of waiting in line, guests could continue to explore the park and, most importantly for Disney, spend more money at shops and restaurants.
While the FastPass system became popular, usage ended during the recent pandemic（流行病）. With both the California and Florida theme parks operating at reduced visiting number, the space taken up by FastPass kiosks（售货亭）was instead used for socially distanced lines.
In its place, Disney has developed a new planning tool called Disney Genie. The online app, which became available in Disney World in October, allows guests to create a path for their visit. By using park data that's updated throughout the day, the app will help guests plan out their visit so that they can hit the rides and attractions that they want to in the most convenient way. Guests using the app pay an extra fee and get the option to book the next available time to ride select attractions.
1. What may upset most visitors of Disney?| A．Spending most of the time waiting in lines. | B．Poor equipment in theme parks. |
| C．Fewer attractions. | D．High prices at restaurants. |
| A．Lower ticket fees | B．Less visitors in Disney |
| C．Extra income at shops in Disney | D．Having a comfortable and better seat. |
| A．The Rise of the New APP | B．FastPass System Became Popular |
| C．YouTube Share Makes a Difference | D．How Disney Manages Crowds at its Theme Parke |
| A．Computer programmers. | B．Travelers to Disney World |
| C．Businessmen of supermarkets. | D．Foreign entertainment park builders, |
2 . Which is better for Earth: an electric or gas-powered vehicle? The answer to this question might seem blindingly obvious. Of course electric cars must be better for the environment, because they don’t give off greenhouse gases as people drive. However, electric vehicles (EVs) aren’t perfect, and they come with their own set of polluting problems. Their batteries require a large amount of energy to produce.
Battery production is just one part of an electric car’s life span. A study looked at the entire life cycle of an EV’s emissions(排放)，from mining the metals for the batteries to producing the electricity needed to power them, and then compared this with the average emissions of a gas-powered vehicle. The team found that when EVs are charged with coal-powered electricity, they’re actually worse for the environment than gas-powered cars.
“Only when connected to the clean energy do EVs have an advantage over the gas-powered cars on a greenhouse gas basis,” said Colin Sheppard, an expert in energy and transportation systems. That’s why more and more countries are decreasing the power supply from coal. In China, the national grid is improving with more efforts in renewable energy. For example, it has twice as much wind energy capacity as the U.S. and it builds more solar panels per year than any other countries.
Sheppard has modelled a future in which all cars are electric. “We want to understand what it might be like if all passenger vehicles were electrified.” The model suggests that if all vehicles in the U.S. were electric, greenhouse-gas emissions would be 46% less every year. This reduction could be increased even further if those vehicles were using a technique known as “smart charging” in which cars are recharged at chosen times (often at night) to reduce the cost of electricity.
In short, it’s far easier to argue for buying an EV than a gas-powered vehicle. But what about the cost? Aren’t electric vehicles too expensive for most people?
1. In which case do EVs get more heavy-polluted than gas-powered cars?| A．Being powered only by batteries. |
| B．Using coal-powered electricity. |
| C．Starting to give off greenhouse gases. |
| D．Replacing gas-powered vehicles entirely. |
| A．With a discussion. | B．With an examination. |
| C．With a comparison. | D．With a questionnaire. |
| A．China is making advances in renewable energy. |
| B．Compared with gas-powered cars, EVs are at an advantage. |
| C．There is still room for the development of EVs. |
| D．It’s not a challenge to choose between EVs and gas-powered cars. |
| A．Inventing green gas-powered vehicles. |
| B．Developing environment-friendly grids. |
| C．Getting rid of fossil energy like coal and oil. |
| D．Making electric vehicles more affordable. |
3 . Oxygen. Clean air. Shade. Trees provide people with all sorts of benefits. A major one: removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and storing it. That makes trees an important part of the fight against climate change. But they only hold onto carbon as long as they’re alive. Once they die, trees release that CO2 back into the atmosphere. This movement of carbon between forests and the atmosphere is called a carbon flux, notes Roel Brienen, a forest ecologist at the University of Leeds.
“These fluxes affect the amount of carbon a forest can store,” he explains. It’s like the way a bank account works. Forests store carbon the way a bank account stores money. If you spend more than you make, your bank account will shrink. And it will grow if you put more money into the account than you take out. Which direction a forest’s “carbon account ” goes has a huge influence on climate.
Recent studies have found that trees around the world are growing faster than ever. Rising atmospheric CO2 is probably driving that rapid growth, Brienen says. High levels of this gas are boosting temperatures, which speed tree growth. Brienen also found that fast-growing tree species, in general, live shorter lives. That quickens their release of carbon back into the air which is disappointing news for global warming. Brienen then examined what factors might influence tree growth, including rainfall, soil type and how crowded a forest was. None was linked to early tree death.
Levels of carbon in our forests could return to those from before the increases in growth, Brienen says. That does not mean planting trees won’t help fight climate change, but which trees are used could have a big impact. A forest of mostly fast-growing trees would store less carbon over the long term. It would therefore have less value for carbon storage projects.
“We must understand, however, that the only way to bring down CO2 levels is to stop emitting (排放)it into the atmosphere,” says Brienen.
1. How does the author explain “a carbon flux”?| A．By giving examples. | B．By making a comparison. |
| C．By describing the process. | D．By analyzing cause and effect. |
| A．An increase in CO2 levels. | B．Crowdedness of a forest. |
| C．Rich carbon in the soil. | D．The long rainy season. |
| A．Plant as many trees as possible. |
| B．Remove dead trees from forests. |
| C．Plant trees with a long growth cycle. |
| D．Ban the emission of gases into the atmosphere. |
| A．Fast-growing trees may add to climate crisis |
| B．Climate change is cutting the number of trees |
| C．Is planting trees the answer to climate change? |
| D．What are the best carbon-trapping trees to plant? |
4 . On the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), red tourism has gained popularity among tourists who flood in to visit historic sites with a modern revolutionary heritage.
Jinggangshan
This is one of the most crucial and splendid chapters of history of establishing Red China as well as a unique and wonderful ecosystem, which is covered with rich forest, rugged peaks and several memorials to the Red Army. The best time to visit is between April and October, with the most temperature timing April and May when the large azaleas (杜鹃花) bloom.
Open: 8:00-17:00 (Feb. 16-Nov. 15). 8:00-16:30 (Nov. 16-Feb. 15)
Xibaipo
It is an old revolutionary base where the leadership of the Communist Party of China was stationed, drawing up the blueprint for a new country. A memorial hall was built to honor the memory of this site. The lake and the hill here add brilliance and beauty to each other and form pleasant scenery.
Open: Tuesdays to Sundays 9:30-17:00 (Xibaipo Memorial Hall)
The Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall
A new exhibition is held with updated display approaches, including phantom imaging (全息影像) and oil painting, which are used to improve visitors' experiences. The exhibition shows four stages of the CPC from its establishment to its achievements.
Open: Tuesdays to Sundays 8:30-18:00 (closed on Mondays)
Former Site of the Editorial Department of New Youth
New Youth started the New Culture Movement and spread the influence of the May Fourth Movement. The site was briefly based in Beijing but moved back to Shanghai in 1920 and also served as the office for the Communist Party of China Central Committee in the 1920s.
Open: Thursdays to Tuesdays 9:00 - 11:30, 13:30 - 16:30 (closed on Wednesdays)
1. Where would visitors learn more about the history of the Red Army?| A．Jinggangshan. |
| B．Xibaipo. |
| C．The Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall. |
| D．Former Site of the Editorial Department of New Youth. |
| A．It focuses on Chinese achievements in art. |
| B．It mainly advertises the coming anniversary. |
| C．It applies modernized methods to the exhibition. |
| D．It briefly introduces the rise and fall of Nanhu. |
| A．At 1:00 p.m. on Mondays. | B．At 9:00 a.m. on Wednesdays. |
| C．At 2:00 p.m. on Fridays. | D．At 5:00 p.m on Sundays. |
5 . According to the CDC, insufficient sleep is a public health problem, with over a third of adult sin the U.S. getting less than the recommended seven to eight hours per night.
Your brain doesn’t work as well.
When you don’t get adequate sleep, it takes a toll on your brain to function. “MRI imaging shows lack of sleep reduces blood flow to areas of the brain that control higher level thought processes.“ says Richard Shane, a behavioral sleep specialist. ”It impairs your problem-solving abilities, and decreases constructive thinking skills and logical reasoning.”
You’ve probably noticed that you wake up “on the wrong side of the bed” if you haven't got enough shut-eye.“ Sleep deprivation affects mood,” Breus says. “It makes you see everything in a more negative light because your emotions are more volatile when sleep deprived.”
Your heart could suffer.
Your skin looks haggard.
Turns out, “beauty sleep” is a real thing, studies show.
You gain weight.
Dr. Shah says two specific hormones that regulate eating behavior are affected. Ghrelin, which increases appetite, is high in people with sleep deprivation.
In order to get better sleep, experts recommend going to bed and waking up at the same time every day exercising earlier in the day, getting 15 minutes of sunlight to set your body clock, avoiding screen time before bed, and keeping your bedroom dark.
| A．You become forgetful. |
| B．You feel annoyed or burst into anger easily. |
| C．Your heart may suffer if you often sleep little in the long term. |
| D．The following are the harms of lack of sleep that you should know. |
| E．You may think the only effect of sleep deprivation is that you’re really tired. |
| F．On the other hand, levels of leptin, which lowers appetite, is low in sleep-deprived people. |
| G．Sleep plays an important role in the generation of cells, which is important for healing and in skin problems. |
A MOTHER’S DAY SURPRISE
The twins were filled with excitement as they thought of the surprise they were planning for Mother’s Day. How pleased and proud Mother would be when they brought her breakfast in bed. They planned to make French toast and chicken porridge. They had watched their mother in the kitchen. There was nothing to it. Jenna and Jeff knew exactly what to do.
The big day came at last. The alarm rang at 6 a.m. The pair went down the stairs quietly to the kitchen. They decided to boil the porridge first. They put some rice into a pot of water and left it to boil while they made the French toast. Jeff broke two eggs into a plate and added in some milk. Jenna found the bread and put two slices into the egg mixture. Next, Jeff turned on the second stove burner to heat up the frying pan. Everything was going smoothly until Jeff started frying the bread. The pan was too hot and the bread turned black within seconds. Jenna threw the burnt piece into the sink and put in the other slice of bread. This time, she turned down the fire so it cooked nicely.
Then Jeff noticed steam shooting out of the pot and the lid starting to shake. The next minute, the porridge boiled over and put out the fire. Jenna panicked. Thankfully, Jeff stayed calm and turned off the gas quickly. But the stove was a mess now. Jenna told Jeff to clean it up so they could continue to cook the rest of the porridge. But Jeff’s hand touched the hot burner and he gave a cry of pain. Jenna made him put his hand in cold water. Then she caught the smell of burning. Oh dear! The piece of bread in the pan had turned black as well.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右。2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
As the twins looked around them in disappointment, their father appeared.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The twins carried the breakfast upstairs and woke their mother up.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . The Biggest Stadiums in the World
People have been pouring into stadiums since the days of ancient Greece. In around 80 A.D., the Romans built the Colosseum, which remains the world’s best known stadium and continues to inform contemporary design. Rome’s Colosseum was 157 feet tall and had 80 entrances, seating 50,000 people. However, that was small fry compared with the city’s Circus Maximus, which accommodated around 250,000 people.
These days, safety regulations-not to mention the modern sports fan’s desire for a good view and comfortable seat — tend to keep stadium capacities (容量) slightly lower. Even soccer fans tend to have a seat each; gone are the days of thousands standing to watch the match.
For the biggest stadiums in the world, we have used data supplied by the World Atlas list so far, which ranks them by their stated permanent capacity, as well as updated information from official stadium websites.
All these stadiums are still functional, still open and still hosting the biggest events in world sport.
·Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, Pyongyang D.P.R. Korea. Capacity: 150,000. Opened: May 1,1989.
·Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U. S. Capacity: 107,601. Opened: October 1, 1927.
·Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania, U. S. Capacity: 106,572. Opened: September 17, 1960.
·Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, U. S. Capacity: 104,944. Opened: October 7,1922.
·Kyle Field, College Station, Texas, U. S. Capacity: 102,512. Opened: September 24, 1927.
1. How many people could the Circus Maximus hold?| A．104,944. | B．107,601. | C．About 150,000. | D．About 250,000. |
| A．Michigan Stadium. | B．Beaver Stadium. | C．Ohio Stadium. | D．Kyle Field. |
| A．They host big games. | B．They have become tourist attractions. |
| C．They were built by Americans. | D．They are favored by architects. |
