1 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. genuinely       B. pocket       C. mass-produced       D. seemingly       E. inspiration F. familiarize       G. group       H. encounter       I. customary       J. symbolic       K. motivation

A Deeper Meaning behind Souvenirs

“Nobody sits us down and tells us to collect objects when we’re young,” writes Rolf Potts, “it’s just something we do, as a way to    1    ourselves with the world, its possibilities, and our place in it.”

Few of us would call ourselves collectors, but most travelers     2    a seashell from a vacation, or bring a keychain. As Mr. Potts notes in a book called “Souvenir,” there is more to this     3    simple practice than meets the eye. For one thing, it can date back to the oldest described journeys, so it’s a    4    practice that goes back thousands of years. And academic researchers have classified souvenirs -- even    5    items like “I Love New York” T-shirts and plastic miniatures of Michelangelo’s David -- into various categories, likely unknown to many travelers.

Which categories do the things we’ve bought or found in our travels fall into? Further, what’s     6    behind our need to bring home souvenirs?

Over time, intellectual curiosity became the driving    7    for personal travel. Yet even as travelers began collecting historical and scientific souvenirs, not just religious items, the things they brought home stood for feelings for holy objects.

Scholars    8    these souvenirs into different buckets, including “markers” (location branded items like T-shirts and teacups), “pictorial images” (postcards and posters), and “    9    landmarks” (for example, Statue of Liberty key chains), with the latter two categories symbolizing, though not exclusive to, mass tourism.

In the end, “Souvenir” suggests that its meaning is not fixed because its importance to the owner can change over time and that its significance is closely related to the traveler’s identity. Mr. Potts himself has had plenty of souvenirs, things that remind him not merely of the places he’s been and the extraordinary     10    between him and local people, but of former life phases. “When we collect souvenirs,” he writes, “we do so not to evaluate the world, but to tell the self.”

2 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. inclusion     B. significant     C. exclude   D. implement   E. saving   F. house G. confirmed   H. interconnected     I. desirability       J. ambitious   K. concentrating

Plans revealed for high-tech “10-minute city” in Seoul

The idea of a “15-minute city”, in which residents can all reach work and leisure facilities within a quarter-hour walk — or cycle — of their homes, has gained     1     attention among urban planners during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now, a group of architects is planning an even more     2     neighborhood in South Korea’s capital, Seoul: a 10-minute city.

Named “Project H1”, the development is set to transform an old industrial site into a(n)     3     “smart” city. Combining eight residential buildings with co-working offices and study spaces, the 125-acre district is also set to     4     entertainment sites, fitness centers, swimming pools and even urban farms.

Designed by Dutch architecture firm UNStudio and backed by a real estate firm, the neighborhood will also be completely car-free. A press release for the project claimed that “all the conveniences of the city” will be within a 10-minute walk of people’s homes.

In a statement, UNStudio co-founder Ben van Berkel said that residents’ “daily life experience” is the project’s “top priority”.

“We do this through the     5     of a rich density of uplifting, on-site experiences that provide an extensive range of options for how they can spend their living, working and leisure time, thereby also     6     them the time needed to travel elsewhere in the city,” he is quoted as saying.

A spokesperson for UNStudio     7     that project has been green-lit but did not reveal when it is likely to break ground.

The architects also said that clean energy will be produced on site, while systems to capture and store rain are being designed to reduce water use.

Critics have suggested that the concept could cause urban renewal by further     8     wealth in the most accessible and convenient districts. The     9     of “15-minute” neighborhoods may, in turn, result in home prices that     10     low-income and marginalized communities. But the Covid-19 pandemic has seen growing interest in the concept.

3 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. displaced                    B. feature                 C. grouped          D. headlines        E. house          F. inevitable G. neutral                       H. projected             I. solution            J. sustainable          K. withstand

Floating Cities: The Wave of the Future?

Rainwater pouring into the New York City subway. Towns and roads in Pennsylvania overtaken by floodwater. These dramatic scenes made     1     in September 2021. As many as 40.5 million people have already been     2     by the effects of the climate crisis. Rising sea levels, along with extreme flooding, are putting more and more coastal residents and others at risk. By 2050, more than 1 billion people will live in countries that lack the basic systems and services to     3     sea-level rise, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace. And all these climate refugees will need to seek out new homes on dry land.

One     4     architects and others have been exploring with more urgency in recent years is to build floating cities. In 2019, the United Nations brought together a group of innovators, scientists, and marine engineers to discuss the future of     5     sea-based communities. "As our climate and water ecosystems are changing, the way our cities retake to water needs to change, too." said U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed. "Floating cities are a means of ensuring climate adaption, as buildings can rise along with the sea."

These cities can be designed as climate     6     . They can take advantage of plentiful wind and water power for electricity, and grow food using hydroponics（水耕法）. "From traditional houseboat communities to high-tech experiments, there are many examples to learn from," she added.

Some of these experimental floating cities are already in development. Another planned community that's attracting a lot of attention is Oceanix City, which is     7     to have one-third of its 118 islands below sea level within 60 years.

Plans for Oceanix City     8     groups of hexagon-shaped（六边形）islands powered by solar and water energy. Tied to the seafloor, each human-made island would     9     around 300 people; the islands would be     10     together in communities of about 10,000 residents. Oceanix citizens would drink processed ocean water and extracted humidity from the air, and dine on a ready supply of seafood.

4 . 请从下表中选择合适的词汇并用其适当的形式完成此文。

Antoine de Saint­Exupéry, who     1     aeroplanes when he was young, was a French writer.    2     by his plane crash, he published The Little Prince, one of the bestselling books. The narrator (叙述人) of the story is a     3     person. He is not used to those adults who are too     4     without imagination to understand his drawings by themselves. The failure of Drawing Number One and Two made him     5     and choose another profession     6     a painter. On his all­alone journey, the little prince meets different kinds of people. From these people he gets a     7     that the grown­ups are very odd (古怪的). Maybe it’s more     8     for us to imagine, and for more to think over.

5 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. grade       B. commercialized       C. demand       D. unproductive       E. sampled F. protected       G. process       H. contributor       I. transport       J. cultivation K. consumption

Eco-friendly, lab-grown coffee is on the way

Heiko Rischer isn’t quite sure how to describe the taste of lab-grown coffee. This summer he     1     one of the first batches (批) in the world produced from cell cultures (细胞培养) rather than coffee beans.

“To describe it is difficult but, for me, it was in between a coffee and a black tea,” said Rischer, head of plant biotechnology at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, which developed the coffee. “It depends really on the roasting     2    , and this was a bit of a lighter roast, so it had a little bit more of a tea-like feeling.”

People have to wait before they can taste the coffee, as this cellular agriculture innovation is not yet approved for public     3    . Rischer predicts that VTT’s lab-grown coffee could get approval from the governments in Europe and the US in about four years’ time, paving the way for a     4     product that could have a much lower climate impact than conventional coffee.

The coffee industry is both a     5     to the climate crisis and very vulnerable (脆弱的) to its effects. Rising     6     for coffee has been linked to deforestation (砍伐森林) in developing nations, damaging biodiversity and releasing carbon emissions. At the same time, coffee producers are struggling with the impacts of more extreme weather, from frosts to droughts. It’s estimated that half of the land used to grow coffee could be     7     by 2050 due to the climate crisis.

In response to the industry’s challenges, companies and scientists are trying to develop and commercialize coffee made without coffee beans.

VTT’s coffee is grown by floating cell cultures in bioreactors (生物反应堆) filled with a nutrient. The     8     requires no pesticides and has a much lower water footprint, said Rischer, and because the coffee can be produced in local markets, it cuts     9     emissions. The company is working on a life cycle analysis of the process. “Once we have those figures, we will be able to show that the environmental impact will be much lower than what we have with traditional     10    ,” Rischer said.

6 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need

A. potentially       B. results       C. rewards       D. sensitive       E. survival        F. transmit       G. distinguish       H. responding       I. developed       J. conscious       K. rapidly

Sense of smell is our most rapid warning system

“The human avoidance response to unpleasant smells associated with danger has long been seen as a    1     perceivable process, but our study shows for the first time that it’s unconscious and extremely rapid,” says the study’s first author Behzad Iravani, researcher at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet.

The organ relating to the sense of smell takes up about five per cent of the human brain and enables us to    2    between many million different smells. A large proportion of these smells are associated with a threat to our health and    3    , such as that of chemicals and rotten food. Smell signals reach the brain within 100 to 150 milliseconds after being breathed in through the nose.

The survival of all living organisms depends on their ability to avoid danger and seek    4    . In humans, the smell sense seems particularly important for detecting and reacting to    5    harmful substance.

It has long been a mystery just which sensory systems are involved in the change of an unpleasant smell into avoidance behavior in humans. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now    6    a method that for the first time has made it possible to measure signals from the human smell organ, which processes smells and in turn can    7    signals to parts of the brain that control movement and avoidance behavior.

Their    8     are based on three experiments in which participants were asked to rate their   experience of six different smells, some positive, some negative, while the electrophysiological activity of the smell organ when    9    to each of the smells was measured.

“It was clear that the organ reacts specifically and    10    to negative smells and sends a direct signal to the outer layer of the organ within about 300 ms,” says the study’s last author Johan Lundström. ” The signal causes the person to unconsciously lean back and away from the source of the smell.”

7 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. abandoned；B. adventure；C. allow；D. appreciate E. curving；F. effortlessly；G. exploring；H. outlines I. relatively；J. territory；K. winds

Marvelous Mallorca

Located off the southern coast of Spain, the island of Mallorca is often praised as one of the jewels of the Mediterranean. As the Spanish royal family’s preferred summer vacation spot, Mallorca     1     charms visitors with its beautiful villages and mountains covered in orange and lemon trees.

Since it is a(n)     2     small island, Mallorca is best seen by bicycle. The Serra de Tramuntana Mountain range runs along the island’s north-western coast and covers nearly 30 percent of the island’s     3    , which makes it a cyclist’s dream.The     4     roads that cross the tall peaks and rocky cliffs provide some of the most challenging cycling on the island.

However, most of the island’s visitors come to see Mallorca’s splendid coast. Though there are several busy beach resorts built specifically for tourists, you’re better off     5     the 260 beaches around the island on your own. Along the south coast, you’ll find white sands and clear blue waters seemingly made just for diving. In the east, keep an eye out for hidden bays that     6     for peaceful swimming even in high season.

Although Mallorca’s beaches have been its main attraction for many years, more recently, visitors have begun to appreciate the island’s cultural attractions too. Many of Mallorea’s grand old houses and     7     farms are being turned into resorts where visitors can enjoy the relaxed lifestyle of the Mallorcan countryside.

Palma, Mallorca’s lively capital, is also home to many museums, historic buildings, and galleries. Here you’ll be able to     8     paintings by great Spanish master such as Picasso, Dali, and Miro, whose former house in the city’s western district is open to visitors.

As the day     9     down, spend an evening enjoying a freshly caught supper in one of Palma’s oceanfront restaurants while taking in a beautiful Mallorcan sunset. What better way to wrap up your Spanish     10    ?

8 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once note that there is one word more than you need.

A. diligently B. allowing C. reservations D. remotely E. launch F accommodate   G. expanded H. categories I. features J. announced K. upgrades

Airbnb updating app to add translations

Airbnb is making it easier for international travelers to book their stays as the United States reopens its borders to foreign travelers.

The short-term rental platform’s engine will automatically translate reviews and list descriptions i more than 60 languages. The feature is set to     1     before the end of the year.

The U.S. travel ban dropped Monday,     2     vaccinated (注射疫苗的) travelers from dozens of nations to enter. Data from Airbnb shows this change is already causing interest in U.S. travel to rush. During the week after Oct. 15, when the United States     3     it would drop its ban, the number of nights booked by foreign guests in the USA jumped 44%.

The translation engine is one of more than 50     4     the short-term rental platform introduced Tuesday. Some of them aim to make finding the perfect vacation spot easier for travelers with disabilities and remote workers.

Accessibility Review

Through Airbnb’s Accessibility Review, employees ensure that hosts follow through on the accessible     5     they promise on their listings.

Hosts submit photos of step-free access or wide doorways that     6     people who use wheelchairs to Airbnb employees for review. Airbnb employees have confirmed 100,000 accessibility features in 25,000 homes, according to the company.

More flexible searches

Airbnb     7     the date range in which guests can search for stays from 6-12 months. Guests have used the “I’m Flexible” feature more than 500 million times, according to Airbnb.

The app will include four new     8     of “unique stays” that guests can search for: off the grid, ski-in/ski-out, luxe and unconventional homes.

Verified Wi-Fi

The pandemic (传染病) has given more workers the ability to do their job from anywhere, which means they rely on Wi-Fi more than ever. In a 7,500-person survey, Airbnb found one-third plan to live somewhere else while working     9     more often than before than pandemic.

Airbnb guests have used the Wi-Fi filter while searching for stays more than 288 million times according to the company. Hosts can have their internet speed tested through the app. You can be confident that you won’t miss a Zoom or a favorite streaming show from your Airbnb,” Airbnb said.

Upgraded trips tab

The “trips tab” on Airbnb will soon include a countdown to arrival, check-in details, current and upcoming     10     and suggestions for personalized experiences.

9 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in each blank with a proper word given in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. awarded       B. contemporary       C. demand       D. emitted       E. explore       F. exposure G. inevitable       H. protective       I. tragic       J. undertake       K. unmatched

Praise for Pioneers in Science

In memory of Marie Curie on her birthday on Saturday, the official website of the Nobel Prize posted a photograph of her notebook saying, “Marie Curie died of aplastic anaemia (再生障碍性贫血) on 4 July 1934, a result of years of     1     to radiation through her work. Even today her laboratory notebook from 1899-1902, is radioactive and will be for 1,500 years.”

The tales of Marie and other scientists of her time are in some sense very     2    .

Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, a professor of physics at the Wuerzburg University in Germany, discovered X-ray in 1895. A year later, Antoine Henri Becquerel found that some natural substances     3     rays, too. Later, Marie and her physicist husband, Pierre Curie, gave it a name, radioactivity.

However, the harmful effects of radioactivity were not discovered until decades later. Marie and her     4     scientists dealt with radioactive substances for decades using little or no protection.

Marie’s death is a reminder about the risks pioneers in science     5    . It was only after people handling radioactive substances began to get similar diseases that medical experts asked people to use protection. Today, medical health workers and patients wear heavy     6     covers during X-rays.

It is almost     7     that those exploring new frontiers (前沿) for science are exposing themselves to unknown dangers. There is a(n)     8     for better protection for the pioneers, but that is not possible until the dangers are fully known.

For example, the space suits astronauts wear protect them against radiation. However, only time will tell if there are some other unknown dangers that they need to protect themselves against.

The contributions and sacrifices by such pioneers to the field of science are     9     and deserving of our respect. Because the pioneers not only     10     new frontiers, but also help us better protect ourselves from unknown environments.

10 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. division B. submits C. range D. Naturally E. suppliers F. unopposed G. commercial H. potential I. dominated J. Therefore   K. head

When Yoshino akira, a Japanese chemist, worked on rechargeable batteries in the 1980s, it was with a view to powering portable devices. His Nobel prize-winning research led to the first     1     lithiumion (Lion) battery. These now power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles (EVS). But the Japanese firms that, building on Mr Yoshino's work,     2     the Lion business early on have lost their edge. CATL, China's battery giant, and the energy arm of LG, a South Korean group, have surpassed Japan's Panasonic as the world's largest     3     of EV batteries. Others are catching up in the production of materials and components.

Japanese battery-makers want to regain their rightful place at the     4     of the pack. To do so they are betting on solid-sate batteries. These still shuttle lithiunions between the anode (阳极) and the cathode (阴极) to charge and discharge, but the electrolyze (电解液) where this shutting happens is solid not liquid. That makes the batteries more stable and potentially more powerful. It also avoids the need for bulky cooling systems, required for fast-charging Lion systems. Cars equipped with solid-state batteries could be lighter, which increases     5    .

Japan     6     more battery-tech patents a year than any other country; second ranked South Korea files half as many. Japanese firms and inventors accounted for more than one in two solid-state-related patents between 2014 and 2018. More are coming. Industrial and chemicals firms, of which Japan has plenty, are preparing for the materials needed to bring the technology to market.

Murata, a big manufacturer which bought Sony's battery     7     in 2017, plans to begin mass-producing smaller solid-state batteries this autumn. Nakajima Norio, Murata's boss, sees "lots of     8     in wearables", since the batteries do not bum or get hot (which is hwy they are already used in things like pacemakers). Honda and Nissan, two other carmakers, are also eyeing the technology.

    9    , if making solid-state batteries were easy, manufacturers would be mass-producing them. It isn't. Water stains the materials, so factories must be kept ultra-day. Mitsui Kinzoku, an engineering firm, has been testing mass production of solid electrolytes and found that it is "indeed a very difficult process", in the words of Takahashi Tsukass, who is involved in the project.

Even if they can get the technology right, Japanese firms are not running     10    , as they had seen in Liion's early days. Most big carmakers, including Ford, Hyundai and Volkswagen, have solid-state cars in the works. They may want to make the batteries themselves. That's some solid competition.