1 . Shared electric scooter(电动滑板车) programs have appeared in cities across the world, spreading out across sidewalks and allowing users to check them out with their phones and return them wherever they like.

The scooter programs have been controversial. Critics say they are resulting in many injuries and even deaths, and that they are becoming a new form of urban litter as they block sidewalks for pedestrians(行人). Now, a new study is introducing a new criticism targeting one of the program's main selling points ---the idea that scooters are good for the environment.

The study by researchers at North Carolina State University looks at the whole lifecycle of the vehicles---from production to disposal. Most importantly, it looks at the process of having to constantly gather and recharge the scooters. The study found that a one-mile (1.6) kilometres’ trip on an electric scooter generally produces more greenhouse gases than riding a bus.

The researchers said they decided to conduct the study after finding slogan(口号) on scooter from the company Lime saying, “your ride is carbon-free.” But that`s not the case. The scooters tend to have a short life. Some are abandoned after being broken, and there have been reports of them being thrown into rivers or canals. The producing process accounts for about half of the scooter's emissions(排放). The other half is emitted in the gathering and recharging process.

"Roughly two-thirds of the time, scooter rides generate more greenhouse gas emissions than the alternative,"the study's authors said, adding that the emissions produced by shared scooter riders are greater than car riders.

The study recommends that the programs use electric vehicles to collect the scooters--- doing so only when they are used up, reduce the distances between collection and storage points, and use more recycled materials in production in order to reduce their emissions. Requiring users to return the scooters to docks, rather than leaving them anywhere, would also greatly reduce emissions---though it would obviously reduce the scooters' convenience appeal.

1. Which of the following about the scooter programs is doubted?

A．Its low cost.	B．Its high availability.
C．Its great convenience.	D．Its environmental benefits.

2. What aspect did the researchers pay special attention to about scooters?

A．The ways people use them.	B．The effects they have on people.
C．How they're produced and sold.	D．How they're collected and recharged.

3. Why did the researchers conduct the study?

A．To question a slogan.	B．To make a choice.
C．To establish a theory.	D．To support a concept,

4. What's the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To make some comments.	B．To offer some suggestions.
C．To draw some conclusions.	D．To make some predictions.

2 . How the over 50s are changing the face of fashion?

You won’t be surprised to hear that the fashion industry has often been accused of being ageist(歧视老人的).     1    

Skinny models, often barely out of childhood, dominate(支配,控制) the style magazines and sites we read and on the catwalks of fashion shows. As soon as a woman hits a certain age, it seems that brands simply stop thinking about her, as if she loses her appetite for fashion and style.    2     There is now evidence that the fashion industry is finally waking up to the desires and power of the so-called older women and moving away from their focus on youth. Over 50s are now changing the face of fashion.

    3     Not just responding in the way we want to look, but the way we feel about things. We all know how models tended to look in the past—thin, tall, young and in the main, white. But nowadays models of color, and “plus-size” are now far more popular, which contributes to a great change in fashion.    4     That can be seen in magazines and on the runways of fashion shows. Recent Fashion Weeks in New York, Milan and London have seen their catwalks graced by over 50s models such as Patti Hansen, and Tatjana Patitz.

Meanwhile, more and more mature women are taking the bull by the horns and their influence is becoming ever more important. The fashion industry can no longer ignore them, and as a result, trends and styles are becoming suitable for all ages. Being over 50 no longer means they can’t get and wear fashionable clothes from famous brands like Alexander McQueen.    5    

A．However, the times are changing.

B．The old are still a huge market for fashion.

C．Fashion is clearly responding to the times we live in.

D．Certainly it’s clear that historically fashion has targeted youth.

E．And without doubt, older women are part of this great change as well.

F．Unexpectedly, clothes suddenly become more generously cut, looser and less fashionable.

G．Instead, these women have got the attitude, the confidence and the money to buy them and wear them.

3 . Picture this: You' re at a movie theater food stand loading up on snacks. You have a choice of a small, medium or large soda. The small is $3.50 and the large is $5.50. It's a tough decision: the small size may not last you through the whole movie, but $5. 50 for some sugary drink seems ridiculous. But there's a third option, a medium soda for $5.25. Medium may be the perfect amount of soda for you, but the large is only a quarter more. If you're like most people, you end up buying the large（and taking a bathroom break midshow）.

If you're wondering who would buy the medium soda, the answer is almost no one. In fact, there's a good chance the marketing department purposely priced the medium soda as a decoy（诱饵）, making you more likely to buy the large soda rather than the small.

I have written about this peculiarity in human nature before with my friend Dan Ariely, who studied this phenomenon extensively after noticing pricing for subscriptions（订阅）to The Economist. The digital subscription was $59, the print subscription was $125, and the print plus digital subscription was also $125. No one in their right mind would buy the print subscription when you could get digital as well for the same price, so why was it even an option? Ariely ran an experiment and found that when only the two "real" choices were offered, more people chose the less-expensive digital subscription. But the addition of the bad option made people much more likely to choose the more expensive print plus digital option.

Brain scientists call this effect "asymmetric dominance" and it means that people gravitate toward the choice nearest a clearly inferior option. Marketing professors call it the decoy effect, which is certainly easier to remember. Lucky for consumers, almost no one in the business community understands it.

The decoy effect works because of the way our brains assign value when making choices. Value is almost never absolute; rather, we decide an object's value relative to our other choices. If more options are introduced, the value equation changes.

1. Why does the author ask us to imagine buying food in the movie theater?

A．To illustrate people's peculiar shopping behavior	B．To illustrate the increasing variety of snacks there.
C．To show how hard it can be to choose a drink there.	D．To show how popular snacks are among movie fans.

2. Why is the medium soda priced the way it is?

A．To attract more customers to buy it.	B．To show the price matches the amount.
C．To ensure customers drink the right amount of soda.	D．To make customers believe they are getting a bargain.

3. What do we learn from Dan Ariely's experiment?

A．The Economist's print edition turns out to sell the best.	B．More readers choose the digital over the print edition.
C．The Economist's promotional strategy works.	D．Lower-priced goods attract more customers.

4. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Move.

B．Work.

C．Remember.

D．Understand.

5. How do we assess the value of a commodity, according to the passage?

A．By considering its usefulness.	B．By examining its value equation.
C．By comparing it with other choices.	D．By taking its low quality into account.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What kind of book does the man want?

A．A biography．

B．An adventure story．

C．A fantasy book．

2. Why does the woman buy books today?

A．To complete her paper．

B．To prepare a birthday gift．

C．To kill time at the weekend．

3. Which series of books will the woman take?

A．Harry Potter．

B．The Lord of the Rings．

C．The Hunger Games．

6 . Whatever it is that you may stuff your camping bag with, a good knife is an unavoidable tool.     1    Clearing up the campground or skinning the hunt, chopping wood for fire or removing the branches over your tent are just some of them. Although not a multi-tool, a good camping knife often comes with a smooth blade （刀片）that is designed to last and can be used in various situations.    2    

Sharpness comes first.

A sharp blade comes in handy for different campsite activities.     3    A large and sharp blade can also come to use for your survival when attacked by a big wild animal, like a bear.

    4    

When out in the remote wilderness, it's advisable to use a knife that is strong and won't break when cutting or chopping hard materials. A knife made of carbon steel or stainless steel material is the most reliable when it comes to camping knives put to use in different survival situations.

Weight stands out among others.

    5    You should first give a good thought to how you intend to use the knife. If you're planning to use the knife primarily on hard surfaces, like wood or potatoes, then a heavy-weight knife will suit your needs. For other softer materials, a light-weight knife is a better option. It also depends on personal preference to use a heavy knife or a lighter type.

The above mentioned qualities should now help you determine a choice of knife for camping and survival.

A．Strength also counts.

B．The heavier, the better.

C．Be particular about materials.

D．The weight adds stability to your knife.

E．It can be used for cutting ropes and sticks for shelter.

F．Smart campers know the many uses of a camping knife.

G．Read below for some qualities to look for in a camping knife.