2 . Tourists at the Acropolis this holiday season can walk around the ancient Greek site to see how it looked like 2,500 years ago. They will even see a collection of sculptures that were removed from the site more than 200 years ago and are now on display at the British Museum in London. All they need is a smartphone and an app called Chronos.

They can just point their phones at the Parthenon, and then the sculptures housed in London will app ear back on the temple. Other less widely known features also appear: Many of the sculptures on the Acropolis are painted in striking colors. A statue of Athena in the main hall also stands over a shallow pool of water.

“The only time I’ve seen this kind of technology before was at the dentist,” Shriya Parsotam Chitnavis, a tourist from London, said after checking out the app on a hot afternoon at the hilltop Acropolis. “I’m more of a visual person, so this app has really helped me appreciate it.”

The app employs augmented reality (AR) to place the ancient impression of the site onto the screen, matching the real-world view as you walk around the temple. The app also covers three other monuments at the Acropolis, a neighboring Roman theater and parts of the Acropolis Museum built at the foot of the hill.

Greece’s Culture Ministry is enthusiastic to adopt the AR technology. Another company, Microsoft, partnered with the ministry two years ago to launch a digital tour at ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games in southern Greece.

“The software will offer tourists a more immersive experience, allowing them to share photos and videos from museums and other sources as more content becomes digitized,” said Maria Engberg, co-author of the book Reality Media.

1. How is Shriya Parsotam Chitnavis’s reaction to the software?

A．Positive.

B．Dismissive.

C．Skeptical.

D．Scared.

2. Which attraction is unable to be seen with Chronos?

A．The ancient Roman theater.	B．The birthplace of the Olympic Games.
C．Parts of the Acropolis Museum.	D．Three other monuments at the Acropolis.

3. What does the word “immersive” underlined in the last paragraph mean?

A．Unnatural.

B．Adventurous.

C．Painful.

D．Vivid.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A tourist’s experience at the Acropolis.

B．A new way to restore ancient cultural sites.

C．A very helpful app to be introduced at the Acropolis.

D．The popularity of AR technologies at ancient attractions.

3 . Here are trips near Beijing for every age, taste, and budget.

Badachu

Badachu takes its name from the eight temples that make up the area’s main attraction. Its history as a religious site goes all the way back to the Tang Dynasty（618-907AD).   The first of the eight temples, Chang’an Si, is actually located right outside the park. The second temple, Lingguang Si, is Badachu’s main attraction and the only one that still has monks inside. Take the nearby chairlift（RMB 30）or continue exploring the other temples on foot.

Admission: RMB 10.

Longqing Gorge

Longqing Gorge is known for the Longqing Gorge Ice Sculpture Festival in winter and peaceful mountain views in summer. Often compared to the Yangtze River’s famous Three Gorges, Longqing Gorge also ranks favorably with Guilin’s mountain and water views. Besides sightseeing, tourists can go boating, rock climbing and horseback riding here. Baihua Dong is best avoided, as the only signs of “flowers” are made with plastics.

Admission: RMB 40.

Shang Fang Shan

As a national forest park, Shang Fang Shan is known for its diversity of plants and ancient trees that are over a thousand years old. There are nine caves in the mountain. The best-known one is called Yunshui Cave, meaning “the cave of clouds and water”.

Admission: RMB 40.

Huanghuacheng

If your idea of relaxation is losing yourself in hiking along the wild Great Wall, then Huanghuacheng, which is named after the yellow flowers that blanket the site in summer, is for you. Here you can explore the Great Wall at any time for free. The exploration starts at Jintang Lake and the moon-shaped Huanghuacheng Reservoir, which breaks the Great Wall into three sections. Huanghuacheng is also known as “Water Great Wall” because part of the wall is underwater.

1. How much should you pay if you visit the temples by chairlift in Badachu?

A．RMB 10

B．RMB 20

C．RMB 30

D．RMB 40

2. What are visitors recommended to do in Longqing Gorge?

A．Go for a sculpture festival in summer.	B．Visit a cave with beautiful flowers.
C．Enjoy pretty mountain and water views.	D．See various plants and ancient trees.

3. What is special about Huanghuacheng?

A．It can be visited free of charge.	B．It is best-known for its natural beauty.
C．It is famous for yellow flowers in spring.	D．It offers free access to many religious sites.

4 . Imagine taking a flying taxi to the airport, or hopping over crowded city streets at rush hour, getting where you want to go far faster than you could in a car. Believe it or not, you might be able to do these things in an electric air taxi sooner than you think.

An air taxi is a small aircraft that can carry people from place to place. Air taxis don’t need a long runway like planes do. They can go straight up and down, like a helicopter.

In June, the FAA—the government group in charge of America’s skies—agreed to allow a company called Joby Aviation to start testing their new air taxi.

Joby has been making and testing flying taxis since 2017. But this is the first time that they’re testing a taxi that’s been built in a factory. Before that, all their taxis were made by hand.

By 2025, Joby hopes to start carrying passengers for money. They’ve teamed up with Delta Air Lines to create a program to fly people from their homes to the airport. Joby also expects their air taxis to provide a ride-sharing service in the air. Just like you might use an app to order a car to pick you up, you could use an app to order an air taxi.

Compared with helicopters, Joby claims their taxis are cheaper. The company expects to charge about $3 a mile (1.6 kilometers) at first. But over time, they hope to bring the price down to less than $1 per mile.

Joby isn’t the only company to develop air taxis. Companies around the world are working on similar vehicles. France even plans to use a few air taxis in Paris during next summer’s Olympic Games.

But there’s still a lot to do before air taxis become common. For one thing, governments need to make rules about where, when, and how these taxis can fly.

Still, it seems likely that air taxis will be part of the future of travel. The FAA says, “We could see air taxis in the skies by 2024 or 2025.”

1. What do the underlined words “hopping over” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Moving below.

B．Walking across.

C．Jumping into.

D．Flying over.

2. What can we know about Joby’s air taxis?

A．They are factory-made from the start.

B．They were developed several years ago.

C．They will offer service to passengers through the FAA.

D．They will be used during the next Olympic Games in Paris.

3. What does paragraph 5 mainly talk about?

A．Joby’s plan about air taxis.	B．The history of Joby Aviation.
C．Air taxi team’s service promises.	D．Instructions for using a new app.

4. In what way are air taxis better than helicopters?

A．They are more comfortable.	B．They are more intelligent.
C．They are cheaper.	D．They are faster.

5 . Here are some free apps you’ll want to consider downloading.

Pocket Casts

Pocket Casts is an app worth checking out if you listen to podcasts(播客)and want to discover great podcasts and easily manage your library. Browse(浏览)podcasts by charts, networks, and categories, and then add the ones you like to play episodes on the fly and create your own playback queue.

Duolingo

Duolingo offers a variety of interactive courses in over 30 languages, from Spanish to Chinese. The app personalizes your learning experience, adjusts to your skill level, and provides exercises across speaking, listening, reading, and writing. With Duolingo, you can track your progress, set daily goals, and join a community of learners. It’s ideal for anyone looking to pick up a new language or improve their skills.

Zedge

Zedge is the app you’ll want to use to personalize your device’s ringtones, notifications, and alarm sounds. The app offers thousands of high-quality sounds that are free and easy to download. Browse through the categories or use the search function to look for a specific sound. You can set a custom(定制的)ringtone for each person in your contact list, so you always know who’s calling.

Remindee

Ever find yourself browsing through an app, only to see something you need to remind yourself of later? Remindee is a simple app that lets you create reminders from anywhere within your device, no matter what app you’re currently browsing. Just ta p the share button and then tap the Remind Me option to create a reminder. Set the date and time you want for your reminder, and you’re finished.

1. What can you do with Duolingo?

A．Learn a new language with diverse exercises.

B．Order food from international restaurants.

C．Play video games in multiple languages.

D．Translate documents professionally.

2. Who may be interested in Zedge?

A．Chefs looking for new recipes.

B．People wanting to learn new languages.

C．Users seeking to customize device sounds.

D．Travelers searching for their own reminders.

3. If you want to look back at what you’ve browsed, which app is best for you?

A．Pocket Casts.	B．Duolingo.
C．Zedge.	D．Remindee.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why does the woman talk to the man?

A．To ask for permission.

B．To extend an invitation.

C．To get some information.

2. Where will the woman’s children probably do volunteer work?

A．At a museum.

B．At a food bank.

C．At an animal shelter.

3. How will the woman find volunteer opportunities?

A．By surfing the Internet.

B．By visiting local charities.

C．By calling community organizations.