1 . Gather together a couple of good friends and take a leisurely stroll through the streets—this is what many youngsters in China enjoy doing when they visit a new city.
To them, Citywalk means “roaming around the city” on foot. Participants can follow a distinctive urban route, soaking up the atmosphere, exploring old buildings, browsing boutique shops, sipping a cup of coffee, or indulging in authentic (正宗的) local snacks.
In China, the Citywalk trend is spreading from first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai to second and third-tier cities, encouraging more participants and event organizers to get involved. Some organizers invite folk culture researchers and enthusiasts (爱好者) to act as tour guides. A young entrepreneur (主办者) based in Changsha exploring new possibilities in the tourism sector launched six Citywalk routes in different cities on her social media account recently, with the aim of providing experiences for visitors to “walk in open-air museums”.
Some regions, such as Beijing and Shandong, have included Citywalk in their plans to promote cultural tourism and leisure tours. Shanghai has established Citywalk routes using public bus routes to help day-trippers reach more far-flung districts by public transport and continue on foot.
Even though Citywalk is a relatively niche and new phenomenon, industry insiders say that its potential is huge. Zhang Zhi, a tour guide from Beijing said tourists nowadays are paying more attention to personalized travel services. Many tour guides also try to expand their influence online, sharing their experiences in a bid to attract potential customers.
Citywalk is offering a positive change to urban travelers as they can better choose the experiences that align with their interests and needs. At the same time, Citywalk represents an opportunity for tour guides and travel service providers to offer a more tailored, professional service to meet with ever-changing market demands. (CGTN)
1. What is the main concept of Citywalk as described in the text?| A．Exploring cities through virtual reality. | B．Guided tours centred on history. |
| C．Leisurely urban strolls with diverse exploration. | D．A competitive challenge to visit landmarks. |
| A．To free outdoor museums for visitors. | B．To engage more enthusiastic tour guides. |
| C．To promote urban folk culture research. | D．To offer distinctive city exploration experiences. |
| A．Specialized. | B．Pricey. | C．Adventurous. | D．Demanding. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Indifferent. | C．Neutral. | D．Optimistic. |
2 . I didn’t quite know what I was looking for when I flew to Mongolia for a term abroad. I just needed something different, far from the late-night libraries of my college town. Most different, I hoped, would be my rural homestay: two weeks in central Mongolia with a family of nomadic(游牧的) herders.
I was studying Mongolian at the time, but still, there was so much I couldn’t say or understand. As we walked in the snow behind the goats, my host mom would ask me if I was cold, then giggle (咯咯地笑) and copy a big shiver to make sure I understood. In the evenings, she showed me how to make dumplings with her fingers. My host siblings would talk with me, speaking too fast for me to understand, as we explored the rocks around our tent; I’d listen and nod.
This verbal(言语的) barrier was strangely freeing. In the crowded dining hall at home, meeting new people made me anxious. I’d stay quiet, measuring out my words, struggling for something to say that wouldn’t expose me as unfunny or boring. In Mongolia, I couldn’t perfect my words. I could only smile, and try out one of the phrases I’d mastered: “May I help?” “Where is the dog?” “Are you tired?” My host family laughed at my pronunciation, at the way I threw up my hands and eyebrows in a frequent gesture of confusion. But in their laughter, I felt safe, unembarrassed.
With my Mongolian family on the grassland, I found a feeling of ease I’d never felt before. We were so different, they and I, and not just in language. Their skin was hardened and darkened by sun; I’d been hidden under hats and sunscreen since birth. My host siblings(兄弟姐妹) grew up drawing water from frozen streams and jogging behind herds of sheep; I spent summers at tennis camp.
For me, these gaps made all the difference. Without shared social measures, I wasted no time wondering how I was measuring up. Only real things—kindness, helpfulness—mattered.
1. Why did the author go to Mongolia for a term abroad?| A．She dreamed of living a nomadic life. | B．She was tired of studying late at night. |
| C．She had to study Mongolians’ normal life. | D．She was collecting information for libraries. |
| A．Hug. | B．Smile. | C．Attack. | D．Shake. |
| A．She felt at ease in the crowd. | B．She usually weighed her words. |
| C．She asked a lot of funny questions. | D．She often made others laugh with jokes. |
| A．You are judged wherever you go. | B．Nature makes humans feel insignificant. |
| C．Appearance reflects one’s standard of life. | D．Being kind is the common social standard. |
3 . It is difficult to name a female architect more iconic than Zaha Hadid, whose name can be translated from Arabic as glorious. She passed away five years ago at the age of 65, but the impact she has left on the world of architecture is profound.
Hadid was born into an upper-class Iraqi family in 1950. At the very beginning, she wanted to become a mathematician and studied science at the American University of Beirut, But at some point she realized that she preferred shapes to numbers. And she turned her concentration to architecture and went to London where she met the famous Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas.
“There are 360 degrees, so why stick to one?” Hadid once said. Despite her abundance of amazing ideas, before the beginning of the 90s, not a single building based on her blueprints had been built. Her highly expressive style, while initially criticized and believed to be crazy, is now regarded as pioneering work. Her striking contemporary architecture, inspired by natural landforms, has graced the skylines of major metropolitan cities.
“Women are always being told, ‘you’re not going to make it; It’s too difficult. You can’t do that Don’t enter this competition; You’ll never win it’,” Hadid said. “They need confidence in themselves and people around them for support.”
Never one to be boxed in by conventions, Hadid proved society wrong. She received her first prize, the “Gold Medal Architectural Design” for her British Architecture in 1982. From then on, the awards kept rolling in. But the true triumph for Hadid came in 2004. Her project for the London Olympics Aquatic Center won her the Pritzker Architecture Prize. She became the first woman and first Muslim to earn the award, making a name for herself and paving the way for female architects.
Hadid’s genius lives on in the array of many other spectacular buildings she has left behind in the world. Among them are the Guangzhou Opera House, the Beijing Daxing International Airport, as well as the Al Wakrah Stadium in Qatar where the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held.
Hadid may be gone, but her global influence on a new generation of female architects is here to stay.
1. What made Hadid quit science to learn architecture?| A．Her talent in architecture. |
| B．Her interest in architecture. |
| C．Her difficulty in learning science. |
| D．Her encounter with Rem Koolhaas. |
| A．Her architecture was inspired by mathematics |
| B．Her British Architecture won her the Pritzker Architecture Prize. |
| C．Her architecture style was too bold to be accepted at the very beginning. |
| D．Her works can only be found in European countries and the Middle East. |
| A．The talk between Hadid and her colleague. |
| B．The reason why women fail to be architects. |
| C．The prejudice from society against women. |
| D．The difficulty Hadid faced being an architect. |
| A．She formed a unique style. |
| B．She broke away from the convention. |
| C．She received various architecture awards |
| D．She encouraged other women architects. |
4 . The tea that has delighted and fascinated the world for thousands of years has finally received top-level global recognition as a shared cultural treasure of mankind. China’s traditional tea-making was added on Tuesday to the intangible cultural heritage list of UNESCO.
The traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China consist of knowledge, skills and practices concerning the management of tea plantations, picking of tea leaves, manual(手工的)processing, drinking and sharing of tea. Since ancient times, Chinese people have been planting, picking, making and drinking tea. Tea producers have developed six categories of tea: green, yellow, dark, white, oolong and black teas. Together with reprocessed teas, such as flower-scented teas, there are over 2, 000 tea products in China.
Tea-related customs are not only found across the country, but also influence the rest of the world through the ancient Silk Road and trade routes. Tea is ubiquitous in Chinese people’s daily life, as steeped(浸泡)or boiled tea is served in families, workplaces, tea houses, restaurants and temples, etc. It is also an important part of socialization and ceremonies such as weddings and sacrifices. The practice of greeting guests and building relationships within families and among neighbors through tea- related activities is common to multiple ethnic groups, providing a sense of shared identity and continuity for the communities.
In China, 44 registered national-level intangible cultural heritage entries are related to tea. There are over 40 vocational colleges and 80 universities that have set up majors in tea science or tea culture, resulting in over 3,000 graduates specializing in tea production and art every year, according to the ministry.
China now has 43 items on the intangible cultural heritage list, continuing to be the most enlisted country in the world.
1. What can be learnt from the passage?| A．Chinese producers developed 44 categories of tea. |
| B．Tea is quite popular with people all over the country. |
| C．More than 2,000 tea products could be found in China. |
| D．There’ re about 300 graduates specializing in tea production every year. |
| A．rare | B．common | C．temporary | D．available |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By making definitions. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．A textbook. | B．A travel journal. |
| C．A story book. | D．A cultural magazine. |
5 . If you want to fill your shelves with the best books of all time, you’re in the right place.
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein (1974)
The imagination of Shel Silverstein is on full display in this classic collection of short stories and poems. The book is truly one of the best poetry books of all time because of its staying power for children. The stories of this American poet, author, singer and folk artist have something for everyone.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1878)
Most critics regard it as one of the most typical literary love stories. The author’s Russian tale of unfortunate lovers is filled with fascinating quotes like, “He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.” This one belongs on any book collector’s shelf.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1943)
It is a timeless tale of a prince’s journey in search of adventure. What he finds, however, are interactions with adults who leave him so upset. It’s one of the most appealing short books we’ve ever read and also one of the most widely read children’s classics all over the world.
The Shining by Stephen King (1977)
The master of mystery must be included in any list of books you should read in a lifetime. That’s why you will find it here. Horror fans take note: This is one of the scariest and best Stephen King books of all time.
1. In which book can we read about unfortunate lovers?| A．Anna Karenina. | B．The Shining. |
| C．The Little Prince. | D．Where the Sidewalk Ends. |
| A．Shel Silverstein. | B．Stephen King. |
| C．Antoine de Saint-Exupery. | D．Leo Tolstoy. |
| A．They are both novels. |
| B．They are both for children. |
| C．They are both about adults. |
| D．They were both written in the 1970s. |
6 . You know the feeling — your ears start to warm up, your tongue goes numb (麻木的), and you start sweating and taking deep breaths. You’ve just eaten something spicy, knowing it would be painful, but you chose to do it anyway. Are humans just masochistic (自讨苦吃的), or is there something else going on?
Spicy isn’t actually a taste like salty, sweet, sour and bitten — it’s a sensation.
This is what is happening chemically, but there is also a conscious side to choosing spicy food. Dr Tamara Rosenbaum, a Cognitive Neuroscientist, explains in an interview with the BBC that this is
Humans, one of the few mammals on Earth that developed a taste for capsaicin, started cultivating chilli peppers about six thousand years ago. Human intervention changed the chilli pepper to suit human tastes and needs — including the pepper’s colour, size and capsaicin content-helping to explain the many different types of chilli peppers now available.
| A．It lies in both science and history |
| B．where we get pleasure from a seemingly negative sensation |
| C．This is caused by a chemical compound called ‘capsaicin’ |
| D．It has something to do with human nature and body composition |
| E．why Steamed Fish Head with Chillies enjoys great popularity among Hunanese |
| F．Fast-forward to today, and our love affair with the chilli pepper is going strong |
| G．because we know that the burning sensation of chilli does not physically harm us |
7 . The World Health Organization (WHO) recently addressed loneliness as a pressing health threat and called for countries and organizations to make social connections a priority.
Loneliness is a state of mind marked by feelings of isolation despite wanting social connections. So, people who are lonely usually experience the emotional pain of not being connected with others. Isolation, on the other hand, is voluntary. People who enjoy spending time by themselves continue to maintain positive social relationships that they can return to when they want connection.
Social isolation impacts the health and well-being of all age groups across the world. According to the WHO, one in four old people experience social isolation. Among adolescents, between 5 and 15 percent experience loneliness, but the numbers are likely to be underestimations, said the organization.
In terms of teenagers, social disconnection can lead to poorer education outcomes since young people who have experienced loneliness in high school are more likely to drop out of university.
Lack of social connection carries a risk of early death equivalent (与……相等的) to other better-known risk factors such as smoking, obesity and air pollution, or potentially even greater. Loneliness has a far-reaching impact comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, according to a 2017 study.
Previous studies have shown that loneliness has been linked to anxiety and depression and can increase the risk of heart disease by 30 percent. A 2015 study looked at the immune systems of its participants who were identified as lonely. It showed that they tend to have more inflammation (炎症) and less immunity, which can be a result of feeling stressed due to loneliness.
To tackle this crisis, the WHO launched the Commission on Social Connection, which held its first leadership meeting from Dec.6 to 8 to outline solutions to build social connections at scale.
1. What do we know about people experiencing loneliness from the passage?| A．They prefer isolation over social interaction. |
| B．They feel lacking in social connection. |
| C．They feel other people isolate them on purpose. |
| D．They struggle to maintain social relationships. |
| A．It is harder for older people to get rid of it. |
| B．Teenagers are most influenced by it. |
| C．The effects of it on adults are often underestimated. |
| D．People can suffer from it regardless of their age. |
| A．By quoting lonely people. |
| B．By asking the readers some questions. |
| C．By citing previous studies. |
| D．By comparing it with other diseases. |
| A．To raise awareness about loneliness. |
| B．To give advice on how to prevent social isolation. |
| C．To stress the need for mental health evaluations. |
| D．To warn people of diseases related to loneliness. |
8 . Award-winning Chinese shoe designer, Huang Qinqin, shares her transformative journey, combining cultural heritage and international design to shape the art of practical wear.
Believing that the value of her products doesn’t lie in business operation, Huang always focuses on how to convey the stories behind her shoes to customers instead.“It is like storytelling, a natural ability I possess,” she said with a smile.
However, Huang’s journey into design was unforeseen and it took her several years to discover her true passion. Huang switched her major from physics to international communications studies at university.While she found great enjoyment in these courses, she still didn’t know what she could do in the future.
“One day, I grabbed a sheet of paper and began drawing some shoe designs I saw online.It was at that moment that the light suddenly dawned.” recalled Huang.
To her astonishment, Huang discovered while international luxury shoe brands like Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin are household names, Chinese brands are rarely seen.This finding fueled Huang’s determination to pursue her career as a shoe designer, hoping to fill the blank in the international market.
After returning to China from the UK, Huang established her own shoe brand.“I think Chinese students studying abroad today all share a strong sense of mission—to showcase what China truly has to offer to the world,” Huang said.
Looking back, Huang said that she took a long time to finally find her lifelong passion.“There is a saying that one must achieve fame at a young age, but I believe it is never too late to unlock one’s potential, since everyone operates on their unique ‘time zone’,” she said.
Before her current career path, Huang never stopped trying new things, including garden design and dance.These diverse experiences have all become precious treasures in her life, nurturing her self-directed learning abilities, which have turned out to be essential skills for her startup business today.
1. What does Huang value most about her products?| A．Design concept. | B．Market share. |
| C．Quality standard. | D．Business operation. |
| A．Passion for fashion and design. |
| B．Lack of Chinese brands in the field. |
| C．Desire to challenge conventional norms. |
| D．Love for international luxury shoe brands. |
| A．Creative and flexible. |
| B．Ambitious and easy-going. |
| C．Talented and accessible. |
| D．Responsible and humorous. |
| A．Well begun is half done. |
| B．Think twice before you leap. |
| C．Every step counts in your life. |
| D．It matters much when you succeed. |
9 . Elizabeth Blackwell is a British-born woman physician. She was born in 1821 in England. Her father decided to move the family to the United States in 1812 after his factory was destroyed by fire. It is said that she turned to studying medicine after a close friend who was dying said she wouldn’t have suffered so much if her physician had been a woman. Elizabeth knew that no woman had ever been permitted to study in a medical school. But she began to think about the idea seriously after the friend who had suggested it died.
Elizabeth discussed it with her family. Her family supported her. However, all the medical colleges refused her except Geneva Medical College in New. York. When she graduated from Geneva Medical College in 1839, she became the first woman in America to earn the M. D. degree. She was not offered many opportunities as a young female physician, she opened her own office 2 years later. Her younger sister Dr. Emily Blackwell, joined her in 1856. Together with Dr. Marie Zakrzewska, they opened the New York Infirmary (医院) for Women and Children in 1857. After establishing the infirmary. Elizabeth Blackwell went on a year-long lecture tour of Great. Britain. Her lectures and personal example inspired more women to take up medicine as a profession.
When the American Civil War broke out, the Blackwell sisters aided in nursing efforts. After the end of the war, Elizabeth Blackwell carried out a plan that she had developed together, with her friend Florence Nightingale while in England. She opened the Women’s Medical College with, her sister. This. college was operated under her sister’s management. She moved to England the next year. There, she helped to organize the National Health Society and she founded the London School of Medicine for Women.
As her health declined, Blackwell gave up the practice of medicine in the late 1870s, though she still campaigned for reform (改革). May 1910, she died at home in England.
1. What probably made Elizabeth determine to learn medicine?| A．Her family’s expectation. | B．Her interest in medicine. |
| C．Her friend’s suggestion. | D．Her friend’s medical talent. |
| A．8. | B．10. | C．36. | D．37. |
| A．Marie Zakrzewska. | B．Emily Blackwell. |
| C．Elizabeth Blackwell. | D．Florence Nightingale. |
10 . During my career in the past years, I’ve been fired a few times. The last time was about five years ago.
At the time, I co-owned a literary agency. I agreed to take on a giant project for a major client. I worked my tail off about a year, focusing just on this one client. Meanwhile my partner and associates took care of everyone else. We all thought it was a good bet. But in the end, the client fired me and cooperated with an agency who promised to get him a major book deal with a New York publishing house and an appearance on Oprah. I was left high and dry with nothing to show for my year-long investment.
The worst part was that I did not see it coming. I thought I had done a great job, and we had enjoyed a long-term personal relationship. But my client had his eye on bigger things and decided I couldn’t take him there, so he abandoned me without discussion.
The thing I finally learned from this experience was that clients and customers can be changeable. So never put all your eggs in one basket.
This wasn’t the only mistake I’d made in my career. Some of the mistakes I had made got me fired. That got my attention and furthered my education in the school of hard knocks.
Chances are that you are going to be fired at some point in your career. Last May, 1.7 million workers in America were laid off or fired. And according to the Labor Department, that was during month of generally good economic news. The trick — after being fired — is to try to push bitterness aside and learn from it. Failure can be a great teacher, but we have to listen.
1. Why did the author only focus on one project?| A．His client required him to do so. |
| B．He considered it would be a safe bet. |
| C．It can give him an appearance on Oprah. |
| D．There were no other projects in his agency. |
| A．He caused some trouble for his client. |
| B．His client wanted to teach him a lesson. |
| C．He couldn’t satisfy his client’s demands. |
| D．His client was afraid of destroying their friendship. |
| A．He should have spread his risk. |
| B．He should have tried his best to do better. |
| C．He shouldn’t have worked on giant projects. |
| D．He shouldn’t have made friends with his clients. |
| A．To show the importance of failure |
| B．To tell us how to face getting fired. |
| C．To share a most horrible experience. |
| D．To explain why people easily get fired. |
