| A．A park. | B．A hotel. | C．A bank. |
| A．By bike. | B．By car. | C．By bus. |
3 . A small but shining silver lining: The corona-virus has quickened the shift to pedal power in Europe. The German Cycling Association (ADFC) reports that Germans across the country are spending twice as much time biking as they were before the COVID-19. There is growing demand for bikes and shared-bike subscriptions, and now even shortages throughout bicycle supply chain. For bike shops it's an unexpected boom. So much so that it requires cities to improve their biking facilities.
In unimagined numbers, bikes are starting to take the place of cars in our cities. It has increased 930 miles of new bike lanes (车道) in Europe, “muscling aside cars on Europe’s city streets,” according to European Cyclists Federation. Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands are pioneering fast lanes for riders. “Pop-up lanes” are being used for bikes in Berlin and Paris; Rome has painted new bike lanes, in each case taking away lanes from cars.
Women riders are reportedly another big factor in the biking transformation. E-bikes are, too. E-bikes use an onboard battery to boost power when the rider is going up a hill, or just needs a rest. E-bikes have removed “the sweat factor”. Who wants to show up to work or a party sweaty?
The European Cyclists’ Federation states that bikes are also strongly supported by European governments to cut carbon and increase the quality of their cities. European countries provide direct financial stimulation for cyclists.
At the end of April, France announced a 20 million Euro plan to promote cycling after the end of the lockdown. The plan includes 50 Euro vouchers (代金券) for the repair of a bike. Italy worked on a regulation for Covid recovery, by means of which 120 million Euro was set aside to cover 70% and up to 500 Euro of the price of conventional, muscle-powered and electric bikes.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．The impact of the pandemic on people's life. |
| B．The bicycle industry booms in Europe. |
| C．The preference for bicycles globally. |
| D．The shift in choice on public transportation. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．Measures have been taken to encourage Europeans to use bikes. |
| B．E-bikes become popular with Europeans because they are lazy. |
| C．More women in Europe choose to go to work by bike than men. |
| D．Financial support is the main reason why Europeans choose bikes. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A business plan. |
| C．A science report. | D．A newspaper. |
People need transportation to move from one place to another. As time went by, transportation methods improved. Especially after the invention of airplanes, they made travel more convenient and
The airplane
Today, airplanes have many different
Many things
5 . Self-driving cars are just around the corner. Such vehicles will make getting from one place to another safer and less stressful. They also could cut down on traffic, reduce pollution and limit accidents. But how should driverless cars handle emergencies (突发情况)? People disagree on the answer. And that might put the brakes on this technology, a new study concludes.
To understand the challenge, imagine a car that suddenly meets some pedestrians in the road. Even with braking, it’s too late to avoid a crash. So the car’s artificial intelligence must decide whether to swerve (急转弯). To save the pedestrians, should the car swerve off the road or swerve into oncoming traffic? What if such options would likely kill the car’s passengers?
Researchers used online surveys to study people’s attitudes about such situations with driverless cars. Survey participants mostly agreed that driverless cars should be designed to protect the most people. That included swerving into walls (or otherwise sacrificing their passengers) to save a larger number of pedestrians. But there is a hitch (困境). Those same surveyed people want to ride in cars that protect passengers at all costs — even if the pedestrians would now end up dying. Jean Bonnefon is a psychologist at the Toulouse School of Economics in France. He and his colleagues reported their findings in Science.
“Autonomous cars can completely change transportation”, says study coauthor Iyad Rahwan. But, he adds, this new technology creates a moral dilemma (道德两难) that could slow its acceptance.
Makers of driverless cars are in a tough spot, Bonnefon’s group warns. Most buyers would want their car to be programmed to protect them in preference to other people. However, regulations might one day instruct that cars must act for the greater good. That would mean saving the most people. But the scientists think rules like this could drive away buyers. If so, all the potential benefits of driverless cars would be lost.
Compromises might be possible, Kurt Gray says. He is a psychologist at the University of North Carolina. He thinks that even if all driverless cars are programmed to protect their passengers in emergencies, traffic accidents will decrease. Those vehicles might be dangerous to pedestrians on rare occasions. But they “won’t speed, won’t drive drunk and won’t text while driving, which would be a win for society.”
1. The underlined word “challenge” in paragraph 2 refers to ________.| A．people’s negative attitudes towards self-driving cars |
| B．how self-driving cars reduce traffic accidents |
| C．the technical problems that self-driving cars have |
| D．how self-driving cars handle emergencies |
| A．self-driving cars’ artificial intelligence needs improvement |
| B．the busy traffic may be a problem for self-driving cars |
| C．people are in a moral dilemma about driverless cars |
| D．self-driving cars should be designed to protect drivers |
| A．Regulations are in favour of drivers. |
| B．Most people dislike self-driving cars now. |
| C．Self-driving car makers are in a difficult situation. |
| D．The potential benefits of driverless cars are ignored. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Critical. | D．Disapproving. |
China’s Grand Canal(大运河)
For centuries, the power of Chinese emperors rose and fell with
The original canal system began around the year 605,
Today, boats still carry tons of coal, food, and other goods to points between Hangzhou and Jining. In 2014, the historic Grand Canal was made a UNESCO World Heritage site.It
7 . Sitting back in my seat, I can’t quite believe that I’m about to travel along the railway that many foreign experts
I was one of the people who came from all parts of China to work on this railway.Taking years to complete, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is a record of all of our efforts to overcome the most difficult engineering challenges. How to protect the
The first landmark to catch my eye is the splendid Qingshuihe Bridge, the world’s longest bridge built over permafrost(永冻土层). Look! A group of Tibetan antelopes is moving under the bridge, with some stopping to eat grass
The journey has been flying by, and
As we pass Cuona Lake, I feel a sense of
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been attracting people’s
| A．advertised | B．claimed | C．informed | D．concluded |
| A．wandering | B．winding | C．wondering | D．whispering |
| A．splendid | B．vivid | C．delicate | D．distinguished |
| A．remarks | B．comments | C．blessings | D．concerns |
| A．on | B．at | C．of | D．for |
| A．haunt | B．distance | C．trend | D．habitat |
| A．conscious | B．delighted | C．sensitive | D．unaware |
| A．driving | B．hovering | C．speeding | D．cycling |
| A．permanent | B．temporary | C．mighty | D．distinct |
| A．before | B．after | C．since | D．as |
| A．Declined | B．Generated | C．Concluded | D．Located |
| A．sculpted | B．suspected | C．constructed | D．detected |
| A．preference | B．philosophy | C．pride | D．proud |
| A．qualification | B．admiration | C．association | D．innovation |
| A．regardless of | B．as for | C．thanks to | D．in addition to |
8 . A University College London study looked at car use to conclude that cities have to become car-free to survive. Simply put, if we don't reduce the number of cars in our cities then they will just completely clog up and stop moving.
The study notes the number of cars is actually increasing faster than that of people. In 2019, 80 million cars were built while the population increased by 78 million. And the mass production of those cars was responsible for 4% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (排放) ,which is bigger than aviation (航空) and that's before you even fuel them up.
The study authors construct a mathematical model, and residents choose driving their car or taking public transport on the basis of the time it takes to do the trip. “All individuals decide their commuting (通勤) mode trying to reduce their costs, but the result is the overall worst-case situation, where the average commuting time is longer and all people decide to use their car.” write the authors of the study.
Besides, policymakers tend to construct even more car infrastructure (基础设施) and invest even more in private cars, which then encourages more private vehicle use and results in even more traffic jams.
Possible solutions have to be actively encouraged, with more travel options, plus local shops and services.
Also, increasing the costs could be achieved by reducing the space devoted to cars, with more public transport lanes, wider sidewalks, and pedestrian roads, for example.
Dr. Humberto, one author of the study said: “If our goal is to have more liveable and developed cities then we must take part of this land and give it to other modes of transportation: walking, cycling and public transport.
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined words “clog up”?| A．Turn down. | B．Break down. |
| C．Make troubles. | D．Get stuck. |
| A．The number of cars is larger than population. |
| B．Car production creates more CO2 than aviation. |
| C．CO2 emission is largely affected by car production. |
| D．Global CO2 emission is more serious than expected. |
| A．It is hard for people to keep a balance. |
| B．It takes more time to drive cars to work. |
| C．More cars can be used to save time. |
| D．Driving cars can keep the cost down. |
| A．Building parking lots. | B．Saving land for cars. |
| C．Producing less cars. | D．Riding a bus to work. |
| A．He has lost his way. |
| B．He doesn’t want to help her. |
| C．He is not familiar with the area. |
As the countdown (倒计时) to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics continues, the new high-speed railway line
So what makes them “smart”? Well, the train cars
Today, China is home to the world’s
