1 . Welcome to American United Travel Company. We’ll help you spend a perfect holiday. For over 6 years, we have been organizing value for money summer holidays, whether it’s a late holiday deal or your main summer holiday. Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway, a luxury 5-star holiday, or you just want to relax and soak up the sun, we’ve got access to the very best flight and hotel deals throughout the world. We are proud to offer you various services unlike other tour companies where we offer one-stop shop for complete tourism.
Our Services Include
Tours. Meet & Assist Services. Airport Transfer. MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conferences, Exhibitions) private Jets. Ground handling (24 hours) VIP services on arrival & departure. Adventure Tour.
Means of Transportation Reservations
We operate for all means of transportation available in the country, starting with buses for groups to car rental to individuals.
Guidance
We have the most qualified guides who speak French, English, German, Italian, and Spanish. We bank on their communication skills as well as their knowledge in various fields.
Fancy Dinners
We prepare outdoor dinners in particular places such as castles, beaches, old and traditional houses, etc. Usually, these dinners are arranged according to the clients’ choices.
Luggage Concierge
Don’t worry about luggage size and weight when travelling. Give your bags to Luggage Concierge in advance and they will be waiting for you at your destination when you arrive.
Call one of our experienced travel consultants on 18884700610 to secure one of these fantastic deals.
1. What is special about United Travel company?| A．It provides one-stop complete tourism. | B．It supplies the best flight and hotels. |
| C．It offers transfer service. | D．Its guides speak various languages. |
| A．Send it to your destination directly. | B．Carry it by yourself. |
| C．Keep it as light as possible. | D．Hand it to Luggage Concierge. |
| A．To diversify the economy. | B．To attract tourists. |
| C．To conserve the environment. | D．To entertain readers. |
2 . Shortly before he turned 60, Mark Fuhrmann realized what he wanted. He, now, at 65, has just returned from a second voyage. His 6,835 mile-round trip from Nova Scotia took in the great lakes of the US, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic.
Fuhrmann started these journeys “to kickstart retirement” from the maritime PR business he ran in Oslo for the past 30 years. Before he set off, in June last year, he swapped (交换) his house for a flat, and greatly reduced his possessions. “It was good to get rid of all of those things and say: ‘This isn’t a phase; this is a new season,’” he says.
Amazingly, he didn’t plan his trip, beyond committing to fundraise for Medecins Sans Frontières. “I thought: ‘I’ll try to do 40km each day.’ But I never knew where I was going to lay down my head.”
The challenges were psychological, physical, and sometimes life-threatening. In Florida, he was chased by an alligator (短吻鳄), but narrowly escaped from it. In the Boston area, he saw “a black fin moving towards me like a snake”. He lay his oar (划桨) across his lap and waited. “If a great white shark can swim leisurely, that’s exactly what it did. It just passed me,” he says. Ten minutes later, Fuhrmann pulled his kayak (小艇) into a cove, where he ran into a man who invited him into his home for coffee and apple pie. His whole trip was filled with these switchbacks and moments of connection with strangers, which Fuhrmann experienced as “a call to authenticity”.
What does he mean? “Nature is born within us. If you avoid that, you avoid experiencing something that is vital to who you are as a person. I want real things — life isn’t about having more. I think we need to accept where we are at this stage of life, at 60 or 65.”
“I look at retirement as a season,” he says. He started his latest voyage because “I wanted to have a better understanding of who I was. I wanted to have time for my thoughts to wander, to restart, to discover the value and power within myself.”
1. Why did Fuhrmann get rid of most of his possessions?| A．To make donations to charity. | B．To start a new life in retirement. |
| C．To make up for his business loss. | D．To collect money for the journey. |
| A．Blessings. | B．Ambitions. | C．Defeats. | D．Challenges. |
| A．The meaning of life is achieving more. |
| B．Old people should take things as they are. |
| C．It is good to have nature-based experience. |
| D．It is advisable for aging people to play safe. |
| A．To reflect on his past. | B．To discover his true self. |
| C．To relax his mind and body. | D．To be free from the noisy world. |
3 . The boulders (巨石) look generally unremarkable, besides the fact that they stretch up and down the ridge in a curved line. Most people who don’t know their story would probably choose to look at the sweeping view of San Jose below them instead.
The timeworn line of boulder, is part of a system of stone walls, the remains of which stretch along the East Bay Hills all the way from Grimly Peak in Berkeley to where I watched a man tie his shoes at the Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve above East San Jose.
They exist only in sections, and some are better preserved than others — where I found the man, the walls are short and thick and half-sunk into the earth, hut further north at Ed R. Levin County Park in Milpitas, they remain almost perfectly assembled and stand several feet tall.
The first recorded mention of the walls is from an article in the San Francisco Chronicle from 1896. “Half a mile east of Grizzly Peak stand the remains of stone walls which have long baffled the researchers. By whom they were built, when and why is an unsolved mystery,” the article stated. The unnamed author went on to write a generally-accepted theory of the walls that they were constructed by “some long-forgotten race, possibly Aztec”.
Of course, the people who originally inhabited the hills and the land surrounding them are far from forgotten. The Ohlone people thrived in the area for thousands of years until they were largely displaced by European settlers — however, there’re no records of them constructing stone walls.
“Some of my colleagues have heard the rocks were placed there by Spanish settlers clearing their fields, and there have been speculations that it could have been part of Indigenous practice,” said Charlotte Graham, a spokesperson for the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. “We’ve also heard it could be a natural occurrence.”
However, there isn’t enough evidence on the walls to be entirely certain. A study dated lichen (地衣) on the walls in Berkeley as being from 1851 to 1880, though other sections of the walls haven’t been tested, and there’re few historical accounts on their presence.
1. How may most people never hearing about the boulders react when seeing them?| A．Ignore them. | B．Collect them. |
| C．Post the photos of them online. | D．Report them to the government. |
| A．The one along the East Bay Hills. |
| B．The one near Grizzly Peak in Berkeley. |
| C．The one at Ed R. Levin County Park in Milpitas. |
| D．The one at the Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve. |
| A．Prevented. | B．Confused. | C．Annoyed. | D．Inspired. |
| A．Functions of stone walls | B．Newly-found boulders |
| C．The history of boulders | D．Stories behind mystery walls |
The vast majority of areas and activities in the Kaibab National Forest are free to enjoy by the public. However, there are some fees for recreational (娱乐的) sites and activities such as campgrounds, cabin rentals and recreational vehicle facilities.
Annual Pass
It covers the pass owner and three accompanying adults at sites where per person entrance fees are charged. Good for one year from the month of purchase. $80 for one year.
Senior Pass
You must be 62 years of age or older to purchase. Passes are $20 for one year or $80 for a lifetime. An Interagency (跨部门的) Annual Pass can be used on many different federal lands across the nation.
Volunteer Pass
It is awarded to those individuals who volunteer 250 hours at one or more recreational sites managed by 5 federal agencies as a way to say “thank you”! The Volunteer Pass is valid (有效的) for 12 months from the month of issuance.
4th Graders
This free pass is available to 4th Graders, 4th Grade Teachers, home school and free-choice learners 10 years of age. Good from Sept. to Aug. of your 4th Grade school year.
Access Pass
People who are living with disabilities can request this $10 lifetime pass. It can be used at many different federal lands across the nation.
For detailed information on fees associated with any Kaibab National Forest recreational site or activity, please visit its website and locate the specific site or activity of interest.
1. How many people does an Annual Pass admit into Kaibab National Forest at most?| A．1. | B．2. | C．3. | D．4. |
| A．It’s free for old people. | B．It shows respect for labor. |
| C．It can be used for a lifetime. | D．It’s given as a reward to 4th Graders. |
| A．Annual Pass. | B．Senior Pass. | C．Access Pass. | D．4th Graders. |
5 . TOEFL and IELTS have been the main choices for English ability testing in higher education admissions (录取) for international students until now. In recent years, several companies have developed new English language tests that are low-cost and easy to use.
Duolingo set up its own test of English language ability. Jennifer Dewar works as an official (行政人员) at Washington University, which is one of the hundreds of universities in and outside the U.S. that now take the test results for international admissions. Duolingo created the test to make higher education available to more people worldwide.
The TOEFL and the IELTS cost between about $180 and $240. They are only given in several centers around the world. Some test-takers have to travel to take the tests, adding to the costs. However, Duolingo offers its test entirely over the Internet for $49. All test-takers need is a computer with a microphone, listening device and self-facing camera.
David Payne is a president for Educational Testing Service, which runs the TOEFL test. He agrees that improving availability of higher education is important. But he says general English knowledge isn’t the only thing universities require. Universities need to know how successful a student will be in using the level of academic (学术的) English that their teachers will expect of them. But Duolingo may fail to show that. Payne said, “The tests for the academic market should provide the value that’s necessary for making an important decision. And saving money doesn’t seem worth it.”
In a word, universities have to do their research to decide if any new tests work as well as traditional ones in their cases. It really comes down to a question for the universities about what’s available, what the products show, and if they’re satisfied with their choices. In general, having choices is important.
1. What do we know about the Duolingo test?| A．It could be taken anytime. | B．It requires little of test takers. |
| C．It makes English learning much easier. | D．It is accepted by many U.S. universities. |
| A．To show Duolingo is popular. | B．To show Duolingo’s advantages. |
| C．To show us how to take a Duolingo test. | D．To show TOEFL and the IELTS are difficult. |
| A．Students’ ability to use academic English. | B．Students’ grades of different tests. |
| C．The general English knowledge. | D．The ability to make a decision. |
| A．Consider new tests first. | B．Create more test choices. |
| C．Choose tests after careful research. | D．Use both TOEFL and Duolingo tests. |
6 . Like any other child growing up, Nicole LaMont was an outgoing, adventurous and free-spirited child with the dream of becoming a scientist. “My childhood was filled with imagination of adventure and curiosity, ”Nicole said. She experienced a normal childhood, but when she was 12 years old, a terrible illness led her to lose her hearing in both ears.
“My world was turned upside down,” said Nicole. “I went from being a talkative, joyous child to being quiet and depressed. ”However, she came to realize she had to fight when it was determined that her hearing would not return. With her family’s help, Nicole began to learn American Sign Language(ASL).
A year later, she received an operation where she was implanted (植入) a hearing device, which brought back some light to her life and she also learned how to adapt to the new life. It wasn’t until she attended Gallaudet, a school for the deaf, that she fully devoted herself to ASL and the deaf community. “Becoming fluent in ASL and having total communication allowed me to feel a sense of acceptance again,” said Nicole. “I found my confidence and ‘visual (视觉的) voice’ in the performing arts.”
It was then that she made her first request, demanding subtitles (字幕) for movie theatres in Alabama. After much struggle, Nicole’s efforts proved successful, and today nearly all movie theatres in Montgomery and Birmingham offer subtitles for the deaf. After graduating from Gallaudet University, Nicole continued to use her new found “visual voice” through taking part in several activities, becoming Miss Black Deaf D.C. “By doing this, I want to show that deaf people can achieve much. It’s very important to educate and support hearing families that struggle with making the best decisions for their deaf children’s education.” said Nicole.
1. Which of the following best describes Nicole’s childhood?| A．Fruitful. | B．Colorful | C．Lonely | D．Poor. |
| A．A sense of belonging. | B．A hearing device. |
| C．A chance of going to college. | D．A totally new treatment. |
| A．Nicole called on all US cinemas to offer subtitles. |
| B．Nicole was going to donate her invention-visual voice. |
| C．Nicole was determined to train more deaf kids to go to school. |
| D．Nicole hoped to promote deaf education in hearing families. |
| A．More Self-Control, More Success |
| B．Keep Going, and You Can Make It |
| C．Illness Makes One More Confident |
| D．He Who Laughs Last Laughs Longest |
7 . When you think of insects (昆虫), the first word that comes to mind probably won’t be “edible (可食用的)”. Surprisingly, what you may consider an insect may sound like a great meal to another. In Africa and the Middle East, insects such as grasshoppers and mealworms are a common dish. Many Asians also like eating insect dishes.
The idea of replacing (代替) pork, chicken, or beef with insects might sound unpleasant, but eating these small insects can be beneficial to both yourself and the environment.
There are over 2,100 types of edible insects in the world. Many of the insects that are eaten by humans are quite nutritious (有营养的). And they can be eaten in different ways: roasted over an open fire, freeze-dried, or cooked. In fact, insects can be added to various foods, and we likely won’t even notice the difference.
The biggest advantage is that the cost of raising insects is very small. Compared to cows, insects produce eight times fewer carbon emissions (碳排放物) and need six times less water to keep.
To add to that, insects can be fed with waste products. Insect waste can also be repurposed into soil fertilizer (土肥). And unlike traditional farms which take up about 80% of all farming land, insect farms are relatively small and can save space for other uses.
All this makes insect farms more profitable, with little wastage of money and resources.
As our world’s population increases towards 9 billion by 2050, traditional farming will not be enough to meet its growing food needs.
Some companies have already begun experimenting with insects in their food products. Mealworm burger patties, protein powder, and gummy sweets are just a few of the new food creations. And a few months ago, the European Union (EU) said yes to insects for human consumption (食用)!
1. What can we learn about insect eating?| A．It’s popular in Africa. | B．It’s liked by the author. |
| C．It’s unpleasant for Asians. | D．It’s accepted by few people. |
| A．It is simpler. | B．It costs less. |
| C．It requires no skills. | D．It needs no manpower. |
| A．Insects will replace beef in hamburgers by 2050. |
| B．Insects will be humans’ major food choices by 2050. |
| C．Insects will help meet the growing food needs of humans. |
| D．Insects will become more nutritious with modern farming. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Thankful. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Doubtful. |
8 . It’s often said that we human beings can dream in a foreign language. Could dreaming in a foreign language improve our memory? Does dreaming in a foreign language mean we are making progress in learning that language?
Before we look at multilingual (多语言) dreams, first we need to look at sleep. The connection between sleep and language can be applied to how we learn any language, including our native language. Even adults still learn about one new word every two days in their first language. But, if we are going to remember that new word better, what matters is that we need to connect it with what we have learned. And in order to do that, we “need to have some sleep”, says Gareth Gaskell, a professor at the University of York.
It’s during sleep that the integration (整合) of old and new knowledge happens. At might, one part of our brain — the hippocampus — takes whatever new information it receives during the day and passes it on to other parts of the brain to be stored. The role that dreams play in this night-time learning process is still being studied, but “it’s entirely possible that during multilingual dreams, the brain is trying to connect the two languages”, says Marc, a researcher at a university in Bern, Switzerland.
So having multilingual dreams could mean that our brain is trying to remember a new word or phrase. However, it could also have an emotional (情感) significance. Danuta, a professor of psycholinguistics at the University of Silesia in Poland, suggests that multilingual dreams can express “fears or wishes” around learning a foreign language, including the wish to be a local speaker or to be accepted within a certain community.
We clearly still have a lot to learn about multilingual dreams, but one thing seems certain: if you’re trying to learn a new language, you can sleep on it.
1. Why does the author mention questions in paragraph 1?| A．To compare different ideas. | B．To introduce the main topic. |
| C．To present different types of dreams. | D．To discuss the human language ability. |
| A．The other new words. | B．The native language. |
| C．The gained knowledge. | D．The speaking practice. |
| A．They may influence people’s sleep quality. | B．They can reflect language-learning feelings. |
| C．They are the best option to learn a language. | D．They help to clear up the useless information. |
| A．A novel. | B．A diary. | C．A guidebook. | D．A magazine. |
9 . Stomach flu (肠胃炎) is one of the most unpleasant of the common diseases.
You can prevent stomach flu by washing your hands often. Use hot water and soap, and spend time scrubbing (擦洗). Using hand sanitizer (消毒杀菌剂) is better than nothing, but it doesn’t work well against stomach flu.
The virus (病毒) that causes stomach flu is hard to kill. Normal cleaners won’t always get rid of it. But cleaning your house can stop you from catching it. So mix bleach (漂白剂) with water, and use that to clean surfaces.
Once you’re feeling better, don’t return to work or school right away.
| A．Hot water is helpful in killing viruses. |
| B．You probably won’t want to eat much. |
| C．It spreads easily, which can make it hard to avoid. |
| D．By following these tips, you can help stop it from spreading. |
| E．That’s because hand sanitizer mostly kills bacteria, not viruses. |
| F．You can still spread the disease for a few days after you feel better. |
| G．If someone in your family is sick, clean things that person has touched. |
10 . “Do you have Wi-Fi?” It’s my most-asked question when visiting new cities. Nowadays, having access to Wi-Fi is essential if you plan on making the most of any trip abroad. But far too often I spend $ 5 for a tiny cup of coffee just to use a café’s Wi-Fi and charging port. Replacing this costly exchange with their interpretation of a city center, the designer of Kuube, a Hungarian startup, has created a smart bench equipped with all the necessities that a modern-day traveler might need to comfortably move through any city.
Kuube’s smart bench comes in three sizes. All come with USB ports, wireless chargers, and a Wi-Fi hotspot function-free for everyone. All three smart benches charge up thanks to solar panels, which makes them easily movable.
First comes KuubeECO, the smallest of the three smart benches. It’s a three-seater that comes equipped with two USB ports and one wireless charger. It has unlimited Internet access thanks to its Wi-Fi hotspot. The bench with one display screen continuously monitors its environment, such as changes in UV levels or air pressure — displaying them on its monitor for those interested. Then comes KuubeNANO, the middle child that can seat up to four people and comes with all the same offerings as KuubeECO. And finally comes the largest option, KuubePLUS. This smart bench offers more of a group, or family seating style and can accommodate up to eight people. It offers four charging options and two display screens.
The three smart benches all have an aluminum chassis (铝制底座) that’s recyclable and are made from natural ash wood for the seating sections. Kuube is clearly a sustainability-focused startup that’s combining design and technology to make cities and parks friendlier to everyone.
1. What does the author think of buying coffee to access Wi-Fi?| A．Expensive. | B．Enjoyable. |
| C．Time-consuming. | D．Out of date. |
| A．They are designed specifically for travelers. | B．They offer limited Internet access for now. |
| C．They charge little for charging phones. | D．They are eco-friendly and mobile. |
| A．Two USB ports. | B．Two display screens. |
| C．Seats for eight people. | D．Four wireless chargers. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A magazine. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．A novel. |
