to an extent;hang on;take cover;pass (oneself/something) off as take over;resort to;a handful of;be tempted to |
2. Internationalization of production has been developed
3. The drink was packaged in champagne bottles and
4. Every 10 years or so, it seems
5. Despite
A. celebrated B. ideals C. currently D. enlarged E. formerly F. incomparable G. laid H. referred I. restored J. scale K. seat |
If you only had an afternoon to experience London on a grand
A royal palace was said to have existed at the site under the Danish king of England Canute. The building, however, spoken of by William Fitzstephen as a(n) “
Sir Charles Barry, assisted by A.W.N. Pugin, designed the present buildings in the Gothic Revival style. Construction was begun in 1837, the cornerstone was
The Palace is one of the centers of political life in the United Kingdom; “Westminster” has become a metaphor for the UK Parliament and the British Government. The Elizabeth Tower, in particular, often
A.as | B.that | C.which | D.who |
A.is risked; which | B.will risk; which | C.risks; where | D.risked; where |
A.would test | B.were tested | C.tested | D.had been tested |
8 . How can the train operators possibly justify yet another increase to rail passenger fares? It has become a grimly reliable annual ritual: every January the cost of travelling by train rises, imposing a significant extra burden on those who have no option but to use the rail network to get to work or otherwise. This year’s rise, an average of 2.7 percent, may be a little bit lower than last year’s, but it is still well above the official Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure of inflation(通货膨胀).
Successive governments have permitted such increases on the grounds that the cost of investing in and running the rail network should be borne by those who use it, rather than the general taxpayer. Why, the argument goes, should a car-driving pensioner from Lincolnshire have to subsidise(补贴)the daily commute(通勤)of a rail traveller from Surrey? Equally, there is a sense that the sufferings of commuters in the South East, have received too much attention compared to those who must endure the relatively poor infrastructure of the Midlands and the North.
However, over the past 12 months, those commuters have also experienced some of the worst rail strikes in years. It is all very well train operators boasting about the improvements they are making to the network, but passengers should be able to expect a basic level of service for the substantial sums they are now paying to travel. The responsibility for the latest wave of strikes rests on the unions. However, there is a strong case that those who have been worst affected by industrial action should receive compensation for the disruption they have suffered.
The Government has promised to change the law to introduce a minimum service requirement so that, even when strikes occur, services can continue to operate. This should form part of a wider package of measures to address the long-running problems on Britain’s railways. Yes, more investment is needed, but passengers will not be willing to pay more indefinitely if they must also endure cramped, unreliable services, along with regular chaos when timetables are changed, or planned maintenance is managed incompetently. The threat of nationalisation may have been seen off for now, but it will return with a revenge if the justified anger of passengers is not addressed in short order.
1. The author holds that this year’s increase in rail passengers fares ________.A.creates extra burden on taxpayers. |
B.has kept pace with inflation. |
C.is beyond the expectation of commuters |
D.remains an unreasonable practice. |
A.Compensations are to be given to the commuters affected by the strikes. |
B.A minimum service requirement will be likely to settle the railway problems. |
C.In terms of service, there is a conflict between train operator’s claim and the reality. |
D.Train operators have suffered huge losses owing to the strikes. |
A.the loss of investment. | B.the collapse of operations. |
C.a reduction of revenue(收入) | D.a change of ownership. |
A.Who Are to Blame for the Ever-rising Fares? |
B.Rail Strikes Need to Be Stopped |
C.Enhance Railway Service, Ease Passenger Anger |
D.Ever-rising Fares Are Unreasonable |
A. politely B. deserving C. strengthened D. hospitalization E. cases F. under-resourced G. unsurprising H. possibly I. reaching J. readopted K. unsustainable |
Too many people believe that the pandemic is over, England’s deputy chief medical officer, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, warned this week: far from it. Europe is at its centre again, WHO has said, urging governments to continue with public health measures. But though Sajid Javid, England’s health secretary, predicted last month that
The indifference of Mr Javid and his boss, Boris Johnson, is
While vaccines (疫苗) (and now treatments) are decreasing
The government is counting on boosters (疫苗加强剂), though it says its “plan B” — forced masking, vaccine passports and encouragement to work from home — will be introduced if the pressure on the National Health Service (NHS) is
Why take that risk? Forced masking on public transport and in places such as supermarkets must be
10 . The Delight of Bird-watching
It is springtime, and the city feels especially glorious. If we were to reflect on what has brought us joy during this challenging time, birds would probably be enjoying a top
Three species in particular
I have been studying starlings in New York City since 2016. I do so formally in museums and labs, but in between my research I watch them
The sounds they make are so
Sometimes, I wish that I did not know about what else they do across the country, and could just enjoy watching them in a quiet
At times this winter, nothing in the built environment even came close to
A.peak | B.priority | C.spot | D.stage |
A.dominate | B.destroy | C.endanger | D.drift |
A.adaptive | B.alternative | C.invasive | D.creative |
A.dramatically | B.ironically | C.specifically | D.virtually |
A.informally | B.occasionally | C.partly | D.obviously |
A.continent | B.district | C.suburban | D.urban |
A.behavior | B.dietary | C.scenery | D.voluntary |
A.laziness | B.quickness | C.toughness | D.trick |
A.similar | B.unforgettable | C.unique | D.varied |
A.alive | B.beautiful | C.sacred | D.delicate |
A.in a way | B.in a flash | C.in particular | D.in all |
A.community | B.ignorance | C.neighborhood | D.sidewalk |
A.destruction | B.transition | C.instruction | D.resolution |
A.freeing | B.informing | C.reminding | D.suspecting |
A.out of mind | B.out of place | C.out of reach | D.out of sight |