1 . “Welcome to the U.S.A.! Major Credit cards accepted!”
By the millions they are coming no longer the tired, the poor, the wretched mass longing for a better living. These are the wealthy. “We don’t have a budget,” says a biologist from Brazil, as she walks with two companions through New York City’s South Street. “We just use our credit cards.”
The U.S. has long been one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, but this year has been exceptional. First there was the World Cup, which drew thousands from every corner of the globe; then came the weakening of the U.S. dollar against major currencies. Now the U.S. still the world’s superpower, can also claim to be the world’s bargain electronics to fashion clothes to tennis rackets. Nobody undersells America. Bottom retail prices - anywhere from 30% to 70% lower than those in Europe and Asia - have attracted some 47 million visitors, who are expected to leave behind $79 billion in 1994.
That’s up from $74 billion the year before.
True, not everyone comes just for bargains. There remains an undeniable fascination in the rest of the world with all things American, nourished by Hollywood films and U.S. television series. But shopping in the U.S.A. is proving irresistible. Every week thousands arrive with empty suitcases ready to be filled; some even rent an additional hotel room to hold their purchases. The buying binge has become as important as watching Old Faithful Fountains erupt in Yellow Stone Park or sunbathing on a beach in Florida.
The U.S. has come at last to appreciate what other countries learned long ago: the pouring in of foreign tourists may not always be convenient, but it does put money in the bank. And with a trade deficit at about $130 billion and growing for the past 12 months, the U.S. needs all the deposits it can get. Compared with American tourists abroad, visitors to the U.S. stay longer and spend more money at each stop; an average of 12.2 nights and $1624 a traveler versus the Americans’ four nights and $298.
1. From what the Brazilian biologist says, we know that tourists like her ________.| A．are not good at planning their expenditure |
| B．simply don’t care how much they spend |
| C．are reluctant to carry cash with them |
| D．often spend more money than they can afford |
| A．it witnessed a drop in the number of tourists to the U.S. |
| B．it saw an unusually large number of tourists to the U.S. |
| C．tourism was hardly affected by the weakening of the U.S. dollar that year |
| D．tourists came to the U.S. for sightseeing rather than for bargains that year |
| A．no other country underestimates the competitiveness of American products |
| B．nobody restrains the selling of American goods |
| C．nobody expects the Americans to cut the prices of their commodities |
| D．no other country sells at a lower price than America |
| A．the weakening if the U.S. dollar can result in trade deficits |
| B．tourism can make great contributions to its economy |
| C．the lower the retail prices, the greater the profits |
| D．visitors to the U.S. are wealthier than U.S. tourists abroad |
2 . Over the years, a lot of people have talked about New York City, including some famous people in all walks of life. Here are some of their ideas about the Big Apple.
Andrew WK, musician: I just want to be around people who are completely strange to me. Every person who walks by is, like, the most intense person you’ve ever seen! And you wonder: why did they have to come here and make it here?
Patricia Field, designer: We live in a cultural Garden of Eden. You walk down the street and in one block you hear five languages, you have visuals and sounds of all these cultures. It’s educational and inspiring to live in and experience NYC--that’s what keeps me here.
Norman Reedus, actor: There’s a kind of openness in New York and New Yorkers in general that I’m really fond of. It’s one of those places where you’re out and about amongst people all day. I’m not complaining about Los Angeles or anything—I do not hate LA; but you know, you’re in a car so much in LA. Here everyone is saying hi to you.
Raul, soccer player: You have the best shows in the world here, no? And they love it. The last one I saw with my wife and kids was Matilda. It was very nice for the kids. And we saw Mamma Mia! This is a classic. You know, with five kids, you don’t have a lot of time. But we have to see more shows. We are crazy fans.
1. Who prefers New York City to Los Angeles?| A．The soccer player. | B．The actor. |
| C．The musician. | D．The designer. |
| A．To meet the people who are completely strange to her. |
| B．Because there is a kind of openness in New York and New Yorkers. |
| C．In order to look for some famous people. |
| D．For the inspiring and educational experience. |
| A．The crazy fans. | B．The cultural Garden of Eden. |
| C．The shows. | D．The friendly atmosphere. |
| A．They are well-educated. | B．They are creative. |
| C．They like NYC. | D．They will leave NYC soon. |
3 . Research has previously shown that years living alone can have harmful effects on a person’s health, and a new study published Monday shows that at least one of those impacts may be particularly bad for men.
The study looked at blood samples of 4, 835 participants from the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank to examine levels of inflammation (炎症). “We have found a significant association between partnership breakups or years living alone and inflammation for men only, after adjustment for selected confounders (干扰因素).” said Dr. Karolina Davidsen, research associate in the Department of Public Health at University of Copenhagen and publishing author of the study. “In women, we find no such effect.” The study, published in the journal BMJ, looked at both years living alone and numbers of breakups because the end of significant relationships are often followed by years living alone, the researchers wrote.
“This study strengthens the link experts have seen between the nervous system and inflammation, which is a significant contributor to heart disease”, said Dr. Peter Libby, a cardiovascular (心血管的) medicine specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who was not involved in the study, “There is increasing understanding of fundamental links between psychological stress and physical health related to inflammation, Libby said.
Dr. Davidsen said that while women didn’t report this finding, one reason for this could be the fact that there were fewer women in the study than men.
The levels of inflammation in the participants might also have looked different if they were measured at more advanced ages, Davidsen added. The average age of those studied was 54. 5years old, and it is possible that the impacts of the breakups and years living alone would have continued as the participants aged, she said.
1. What element is looked at in the study?| A．Blood types. | B．Social status. |
| C．Cultural background. | D．Periods of living alone. |
| A．Women handle loneliness better. |
| B．Fewer women are surveyed. |
| C．Women differ from men physically. |
| D．Women care more about themselves. |
| A．The researchers involved are male. |
| B．The result has caused lots of arguments. |
| C．The impacts will continue as people age. |
| D．The impacts decline when people grow old. |
| A．Living alone: a cause of inflammation |
| B．Living alone: a great threat to men’s health |
| C．Inflammation: a contributor to heart disease |
| D．Inflammation: a factor in health improvement |
4 . Jimmy Choi is a cyclist, and a world record holder for push-ups (俯卧撑). He also happens to be living with Parkinson's disease. He was diagnosed with the brain disorder in 2003, suffering from involuntary shaking and problems with walking and balancing. There is currently no cure. Jimmy has to quit the sports. Soon he commits himself to being a motivational speaker and advocating for people with the disease.
Jimmy often shares his struggles on social media, and in a recent video, he expressed his annoyance at the packaging of the pills he needs to take. It showed his shaking hand trying to get a tiny pill from the bottle. Jimmy wasn't the only one facing such a problem. Brian Alldridge, a videographer (电视录像制作人), saw his video and immediately decided to do something to help him and everyone else dealing with this problem. He sat down at his computer and taught himself 3D modeling software. Within two days, Brian designed a new medicine bottle that separates a single pill in a container.
Brian made his own video and offered his design free of charge to anyone with a 3D printer who would be willing to create a physical prototype (原型). “I expected maybe one or two people to message me when I couldn't guarantee that the device would actually work. Instead, thousands of people offered to print the thing the next day,” Brian said, feeling so surprised. “Even more told me that someone they knew could benefit from it.”
The online community took it from there, printing out many versions of Brian's design until they had a prototype to send to Jimmy. Jimmy was just surprised by their support, and he eagerly tested every version of it. The creators of the pill bottle now feel like there's nothing they can't do! “If you think of a way to improve the lives of others, there's most likely a way to make it happen.” Brian said.
1. What did Jimmy show in the recent video?| A．Poor packaging of his pills. | B．Bothering with reaching pills. |
| C．Design of a new medicine bottle. | D．Requirements for people with Parkinson. |
| A．He feels upset about leaving sports. | B．He makes great efforts to recover. |
| C．He becomes devoted to a new career. | D．He lives in great pain from the disease. |
| A．So many people responded to him. | B．The bottle worked better than expected. |
| C．His design benefited many patients. | D．Jimmy tried all versions of the bottle. |
| A．There is nothing they can't accept. |
| B．There is nothing they can't imagine. |
| C．There is nothing they can't control. |
| D．There is nothing they can't achieve. |
5 . Ice Ages
Have you ever heard the phrase “ice age”? It refers to a long period of time when glaciers and ice sheets cover large parts of the Earth. We are actually living in an ice age right now! This ice age began about 2.5 million years ago. Today, large areas of ice cover regions of Antarctica, the Arctic, and Greenland.
The climate changes multiple times during an ice age. It switches between glacial periods and interglacial periods. During glacial periods of an ice age, temperatures are much colder than they are today. Ice sheets and glaciers expand, covering more of the planet. These periods can last tens of thousands of years. The last glacial period started about 120,000 years ago and ended about 11,500 years ago. During interglacial periods of an ice age, the average global temperature increases. Ice sheets and glaciers get smaller. The climate is warmer and wetter than it is during glacial periods. We are currently living in an interglacial period. It started about 11,500 years age—when the last glacial period ended.
Scientists don’t completely understand what causes ice ages. But they do believe that one important factor is the amount of light Earth receives from the sun. When the northern part of the world receives less sunlight, temperatures drop—it gets colder, and more water freezes into ice. This can lead to the start of an ice age. When the northern part of the world receives more sunlight, temperatures rise—it gets warmer and ice sheets melt. Consequently, an ice age ends. However, there are other factors, too, including changes in the water flow of our oceans. Scientists are working to learn more about how different factors may cause an ice age to begin and end.
The current ice age we’re in is not the first the Earth has experienced. At least five major ice ages have occurred throughout Earth’s history.
1. What is the main purpose of the passage?| A．To announce a recent scientific discovery. |
| B．To describe how ice ages come about. |
| C．To explain why the Earth’s climate is changing. |
| D．To encourage people to concern about the environment. |
| A．The north part of the earth receives less sunlight during glacial periods. |
| B．It is warmer during an interglacial period than a glacial one. |
| C．Interglacial periods normally last longer than glacial periods. |
| D．More of the Earth is covered by ice during an interglacial period than a glacial one. |
| A．That the temperature falls. | B．That glaciers get smaller. |
| C．Global climate. | D．Northern part of the world. |
| A．The changes of the ocean water in glacial periods and interglacial periods. |
| B．Scientists’ new researches on factors making an ice age begin and end. |
| C．Something about the major ice ages occurred throughout Earth’s history. |
| D．The effects on human life caused by glacial periods and interglacial periods. |
Two new entries, Tai Chi and the Wangchuan ceremony, were listed as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage(非物质文化遗产) on Thursday.
Tai Chi is a traditional physical practice that is known
The Wangchuan ceremony,
On December 28th 2021, a winter fishing -themed tourist festival opened at Chagan Lake ---- one of China's
Yet mere decades ago, Chagan Lake was a very different place. By the end of the 1970s, the lake
The charm of ice fishing at Chagan Lake lies in keeping the fishing culture of our ancestors alive and
8 . Besides individual models who choose to live a simple and sustainable life, a growing number of eco-minded business are going all out to lead a green living culture in communities.
In 2018 when Dora Lam co-founder of slowood, gave birth to her daughter. she and her husband wondered where they could find organic and sustainable products for the baby.
According to Dora Lam, there are some misunderstandings over the price of “zero waste” products. Some people have the stereotype that these products are expensive or even unaffordable. Referring to the spices and food sold at Slowood she said they are more economical than those sold at supermarkets. For example, a bottle of basil that is on sale at Slowood for less than HK$10 goes for about HKS35 at supermarkets.
Dora Lam hopes the concept of zero waste could be more widely accepted in the future. “Everyone can help by forming easy eco-habits, such as using reusable bottles, ordering takeaway food as les s as possible, or using less tissues.” she said.
| A．This is how Slowood came into being. |
| B．Saving energy is for the Earth and the future of human beings |
| C．The extra cost comes mainly from the bottle itself and delivery expenses. |
| D．Disappointedly they found that the products were sold in deferent stores. |
| E．Unlike other shops, Slowood does not provide single use plastic bottles or bags. |
| F．When invited to speak in public, she advocates stainable and low-carbon lifestyles. |
| G．Slowood, a Hong Kong based chain, opened is fourth store at Central Market in August. |
9 . The term “Metaverse” is the latest buzzword (流行语) to capture the tech industry’s imagination — so much so that one of the best-known internet platforms is rebranding to signal is embrace of the futuristic idea.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that he’s changing his company’s name to Meta Platforms Inc. might be the biggest thing to happen to the metaverse since science fiction writer Neal Stephenson coined the term for his 1992 novel “Snow Crash”. But Zuckerberg and his team are hardly the only tech visionaries with ideas on how the metaverse, which will employ a mix of virtual reality and other technologies, should take shape.
What is the metaverse? Zuckerberg has described it as a “virtual environment” you can go inside of — instead of just looking at on a screen. Essentially, it’s a world of endless, interconnected virtual communities where people can meet, work and play, using virtual reality headsets and glasses, smartphone or other devices. The metaverse also could be a game -changer for the work-from-home shift amid the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of seeing co-workers on a video call, employees could join them in a virtual office.
Zuckerberg’s embrace of the metaverse in some ways contradicts a central tenet (信条) of its biggest enthusiasts. They envision the metaverse as online culture’s liberation from tech platforms like Facebook that assumed ownership of people’s accounts, photos, posts and traded off what they collected from that data. “We want to be able to move around the internet with ease, but we also want to be able to move around the/Internet in a way we’re not tracked and monitored," said Steve Jang, who focuses on cryptocurrency (数字货币) technology. There is a growing concern about Facebook trying to lead the way into a virtual world that could require even more personal data and offer greater potential for abuse and misinformation when it hasn’t fixed those problems in its current platforms.
1. Why is Zuckerberg changing the name of his company?| A．Because he plans to quit his present business. | B．Because he has founded the metaverse. |
| C．Because he will engage in the metaverse. | D．Because he wants to draw public attention. |
| A．Users should be responsible for their personal data. | B．Cryptocurrency technology should be monitored. |
| C．Tech platforms should possess users’ data. | D．The Metaverse should be tracked. |
| A．Do everything in the real world. | B．Have meetings in the virtual office. |
| C．Defeat the pandemic. | D．See co-workers on a video-call. |
| A．Facebook will gain people’s trust. | B．Facebook will make the internet a better world. |
| C．Facebook may not abuse information. | D．Facebook may not play a good leading role. |
10 . As I look up at the hundreds of fireworks in the sky, I hear the bells ringing in a small temple signifying the coming of the Chinese New Year. Though I may not believe in or understand many of the New Year traditions here, the similarities between the coming of this New Year and the beginning of my new life in China are not lost on me.
My first few days in China were a culture shock to say the least. Having arrived late in the semester, I immediately had to begin my beginners’ Chinese classes, along with the newest class of overseas students. Being surrounded by a language that is not your own is unbelievably frustrating and isolating. Due to the picture-based fashion of Chinese writing, it’s not like you can have a guess, or work it out through whatever little knowledge you have other Latin-originated languages. If you don’t know what it says, then that’s it. However, with time passing, I have found myself progressing, though painfully slowly. The first time I direct a taxi by myself, the driver actually understands where I want to go, which is hugely rewarding. Still, it is never long until my sheer lack of language skill is exposed and I come crashing back to earth, usually immediately upon leaving the taxi.
Gaining a language is a huge valuable skill. However, it is not the only thing I will gain in China. After this year of learning Chinese, I aim to gain my Master’s degree here at UJN. Opportunities do just pop up rather occasionally: from being offered jobs teaching English, to being asked to appear on game-shows for Shandong TV. So, for now, I am just looking forward to expanding my cultural horizons and enjoying my time here. Everything takes some time getting used to, but that’s part of the adventure and, most of all, employment. So, much like the Chinses New Year that I was lucky enough to be part of, I am just looking forward to a fresh start and a new journey in China.
1. Why couldn’t the author guess the meaning of the Chinese language?| A．Because of his late arrival. | B．Because of his experience of culture shock. |
| C．Because of the unique why of Chinese writing. | D．Because of his knowing lite of the Latin language. |
| A．He is pleased to have made progress in Chinese. | B．He is good A chatting with the taxi driver. |
| C．He finds it easy to order a taxi in China. | D．He is poor at using public transport. |
| A．To be a teaching assistant. | B．To settle down in China. |
| C．To be involved in more cultural activities. | D．To become a host on TV. |
| A．Studying in China: overwhelming but rewarding. | B．Coming to China: more opportunities awaiting. |
| C．Acquiring Chinese: valuable skills guaranteed. | D．Learning Chinese: adventurous but enjoyable. |
