If you’ve recently taken a flight from a major UK airport, then you may have noticed that more people are protesting air travel expansion and encouraging people to fly less. This is part of a larger environmental movement sweeping across Europe. Known as Flygskam or “flight-shaming”, the movement is encouraging people to stop taking flights as a means of transport and use more environmentally friendly transportation where they can.
The aviation (航空) currently accounts for about 2% of global emissions (排放) and is one of the fastest-growing polluters. Even worse, unlike most other sources of pollution, air travel results in pollutants released high up in the atmosphere.
Earlier this year, the UK government promised to reduce the UK’s emissions to “net zero” by 2050. However, according to projections from some researchers, emissions from the aviation could more than double by then even if planes become substantially more fuel-efficient. So, it’s unclear whether flying will be included in the UK’s target.
It’s hard to say exactly how big the movement is becoming, but Flygskam has become popular in social media. The number of Swedes taking the train for domestic journeys has risen by 8% this year as plane journeys inside the country have fallen. Clearly, Flygskam is having a measurable impact on people’s transport choices. Some people, however, have been critical of the movement because they say that it places blame or feelings of embarrassment onto the passengers when it is really the airlines and industries associated with it who should feel guilty for the impact that they are having on the planet.
1. What is Flygskam?2. How does flying influence the environment?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Flygskam has attracted social attention and some people have already participated in this campaign, so it is widely accepted.
4. Besides what is mentioned in the passage, what do you think of the movement of Flygskam? (In about 40 words)
China,
Recently, the “four new great inventions”
It is increasingly clear that China is leading in many new ways. A growing number of foreign
Technology is constantly advancing.
Steam engines were used to pull the carriages and it must have been
Tour Schedule at Red Oak Mountain Ranch (牧场) | ||
Activities | Things to Note | |
Friday | ● A “welcome dinner” at 6:00 p.m. in the Lone Star restaurant. ● | ● Wear ● Feel free to bring a camera during the three days. |
Saturday | ● Horseback riding from ● A country music concert at night. | |
Sunday | An |
6 . Self-driving vehicles will rely on cameras,sensors and artificial intelligence (Al) to recognize and respond to road and traffic conditions.But sensing is the most effective for objects and movement in the neighborhood of the vehicle.Not everything important in a car’s environment will be caught by the vehicle’s camera.Another vehicle approaching at high speed on a collision(碰撞)track might not be visible until it’s too late.This is why vehicle-to-vehicle communication is undergoing rapid development.Our researches show that cars will need to be able to chat and operate on the road,although the technical challenges are considerable.
Applications for vehicle-to-vehicle communication range from vehicles driving together in a row,to safety messages about nearby emergency vehicles.Vehicles could alert each other to avoid collisions or share notices about passers-by and bicycles.
From as far as several hundred meters away.vehicles could exchange messages with one another or receive information from roadside units (RSUs) about nearby incidents or dangerous road conditions through 4 G network.A high level of Al seems required for such vehicles,not only to self-drive from A to B,but also to react intelligently to messages received.Vehicles will need to plan,reason,strategize and adapt in the light of information received in real time and to carry out cooperative behaviors.For example,a group of autonomous vehicles might avoid a route together because of potential risks,or a vehicle could decide to drop someone of earlier due to messages received,a foreseen crowding ahead.
Further applications of vehicle-to-vehicle communication are still being researched,including how to perform cooperative behavior.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?A.The reasons for the accidents by self-driving vehicles. |
B.The research about applications for self-driving vehicles. |
C.The reasons for developing communication between self-driving vehicles. |
D.The importance of artificial intelligence of self-driving vehicles. |
A.Blame. | B.Alarm | C.Ignore. | D.Govern. |
A.They serve as efficient information stations. |
B.They can improve bad road conditions. |
C.They take over the passing vehicles. |
D.They classify the vehicles on the road. |
A.When Do Vehicles Communicate? |
B.The Reasons Why a High Level of Al Is Important. |
C.What Do Applications for Vehicle-to-vehicle Communication Need? |
D.Vehicle-to-vehicle Communication Is Coming. |
7 . The Longji Rice Terraces Day Tour
Overview
Price: U. S. $ 128 Per Person
Time: Every Day at 8:00 am
Duration: 9 hours
Highlights
—Private Guided Tour for photography lovers
—Explore the extremely attractive rice terraces
—Experience the unique customs and lifestyle of local Zhuang village
Description
The Longji Rice Terraces are the most amazing terraces in China. With a history of around 700 years, the Longji Rice Terraces show both the great wisdom and physical efforts of the Zhuang people.
Itinerary
At 8:00 am, your tour guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel in Guilin and transport you to the amazing Longji Terraces. (* Tourists staying outside of the city center need to pay an extra fee.)
After a two-hour drive, you will reach the entrance to the Longji Terraces, where you will take an eco-sightseeing bus to Ping’an Village. Then the tour guide will show you around the village. Lunch is on your own. Your expert guide can give you some advice on the food choices in the village.
After a short lunch break, walk for 20 minutes to No. 2 Viewing Platform, a perfect place for a wonderful view of the terraces beneath. You will have enough time to take pictures and enjoy the fresh air.
Other services
◇ Hotel pick-up and drop-off
◇ Private English-speaking guide
◇ Private driver & air-conditioned vehicle
◇ Entrance fees to tourist sites
1. The tour is suitable for people who like ______.
A.local food | B.studying history |
C.taking photos | D.city adventures |
A.The tour lasts 2 hours. | B.Lunch is included in the price. |
C.Transport to rice terraces is free. | D.No. 2 Viewing Platform is a must-go. |
A.give advice on hiking | B.promote a package tour |
C.introduce a tourist attraction | D.provide geographic information |
cause global warming, pick up, sharing cars, get stuck in a traffic jam, are addicted to, make excuses, protect the environment, do a lot of harm |
Many people often
Too many cars
Is traffic a big problem where you live? Increased cycling may be the answer. Where are the best places to live and cycle? A new report lists the best bike—friendly cities around the world.
Top of the list is Amsterdam, the bike capital of the world. An incredible 40% of all traffic movements are by bicycle. There’s an extensive network of safe, fast and comfortable cycle routes. Copenhagen, the city of bikes, is a city where 32% of workers cycle to work because it’s fast and easy. Berlin is another European city that’s great for cycling. The city has about 80 kilometres of bike lanes, and 50kilometres of pavement paths. Cycling accounts for 12% of total street traffic.
Barcelona has been praised for its cycle service “Bicing”. It’s a bicycle service that allows users to take bicycles from any of the 100 stations spread around the city. Later, they can leave them at any other bike station inside the urban area of the city. The city has created a “green ring” that surrounds the city area with a bike path. There are 3,250 parking spaces for bikes at street level at present. Barcelona City is also building a new underground car park for bicycles.
The UK has its cycle friendly cities too. Bristol is the birthplace of “Sustrans” the cycle-route charity which was formed 30 years ago. One of their projects was turning an old rail line between Bristol and Bath into a bike route. Other bike friendly cities in the UK include Cambridge and York. Cambridge is an old city but has still managed to build good cycle infrastructure (基础设施), and cyclists are considered at every stage of any new developments.
Bicycle is a most popular means of transportation in China. Nowadays, riding a bicycle is also a good way to support low-carbon living. Beijing can be one of the best bike-friendly cities in China. There are many riding routes in Beijing for outdoor-lovers to explore. Cyclists can get close enough to experience the history and culture of Beijing, including the Forbidden City, Drum Tower, the Water Cube etc.
1. What are the bike-friendly cities mentioned in the passage?2. What makes Amsterdam the bike capital of the world?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
·Cyclists can leave their bikes anywhere in Barcelona.
4. As far as you know, what has been done to make Beijing a bike-friendly city?
10 . The Intelligent Transport team at Newcastle University have turned an electric car into a mobile laboratory named “Drive LAB” in order to understand the challenges faced by older drivers and to discover where the key stress points are.
Research shows that giving up driving is one of the key reasons for a fall in health and well-being among older people, leading to them becoming more isolated and inactive.
Led by Professor Phil Blythe, the Newcastle team are developing in-vehicle technologies for older drivers which they hope could help them to continue driving into later life.
These include custom-made navigation (导航) tools, night vision systems and intelligent speed adaptations. Phil Blythe explains: “For many older people, particularly those living alone or in the country driving is important for keeping their independence, giving them the freedom to get out and about without having to rely on others.”
“But we all have to accept that as we get older our reactions slow down and this often results in people avoiding any potentially challenging driving conditions and losing confidence in their driving skills. The result is that people stop driving before they really need to.”
Dr Amy Guo, the leading researcher on the older driver study, explains, “The Drive LAB is helping us to understand what the key stress points and difficulties are for older drivers and how we might use technology to solve these problems.”
“For example, most of us would expect older drivers always go slower than everyone else but surprisingly, we found that in 30mph zones they struggled to keep at a constant speed and so were more likely to break the speed limit and be at risk of getting fined. We’re looking at the benefits of systems which control their speed as a way of preventing that.”
“We hope that our work will help with technological solutions to ensure that older drivers stay safer behind the wheel.”
1. What is the purpose of the Drive LAB?A.To explore new means of transport. | B.To design new types of cars. |
C.To teach people traffic rules. | D.To find out older driver’s problems. |
A.It keeps them independent. | B.It helps them save time. |
C.It builds up their strength. | D.It cures their mental illnesses. |
A.Ensure their safety with the help of technology. |
B.Improve their diving skills. |
C.Provide advice on repairing their cars. |
D.Organize regular physical checkups. |
A.A New Model Electric Car | B.Keeping Older Drivers on the Road |
C.A Solution to Traffic Problems | D.Driving Services for Elders |