1 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Who lost the book?

A．John.

B．Mike.

C．Lisa.

2. What does the man plan to do?

A．Buy a new book.

B．Give the money to Tom.

C．Borrow a book from the library.

3. How will John go to the newly-opened bookstore?

A．By bike.

B．By bus.

C．On foot.

4. How much does the woman’s book cost?

A．10 yuan.

B．20 yuan.

C．50 yuan.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Dominic Richard loves cycling. In 2023, he ordered a new bike from a factory in Shanghai and flew there     1     (pick) it up in person. However,     2     followed was jaw-dropping. Instead of flying back, he determined to ride back alone to the UK.

Richard cycled through cities and countries, taking in the sights along the way. He started in Shanghai, where after successfully picking up his new bike he began the journey. Considering all the possible challenges, he travelled light. The bike     3     (equip) with a carbon frame and tubeless tires, meaning no worry about a flat tire on route. He had a sleeping mat that kept him     4     (comfort) at night and bags to pack his clothing and equipment in. Battling a burning heat wave, he cycled across the vast expanse of China, often resting by the side of the road. People were curious     5     his journey along the way. Now and then Richard got     6     (invite) to many natives’ houses for free lunch and supplies, with truck drivers and cyclists     7     (stop) him along the road to chat.

Fortunately, after the     8     (impress) long ride, Richard made     9     to his home in the UK. “Thanks to this experience, I got     10     better understanding of amazing China and found a better self.”

3 . Waymo vehicles are testing so frequently in our neighborhood that we usually see four of them on our 15-minute dog walk. My daughter Carson likes Waymo because they look distinct. The fact that a robot is driving, however, fails to impress her. This is just the reality she has been born into.

Already Waymo vehicles are in motion for San Francisco to be the first major city with a driverless ride-hailing (打车服务) service.

Yet I remain doubtful, It’s not so much the technology. When I arranged for Waymo to pick up my family for a 20-minute test ride, the robot made no obvious mistakes. And in the “truly driverless” ride-hailing service Waymo has been operating for more than two years in Phoenix, it has yet to be involved in any major incidents. No, the reason these services aren’t widely available is mostly to do with the absence of a clear business model.

Back in 2014, Travis Kalanick, then-CEO of Uber, said the prospect of driverless cars posed an existential challenge to Uber. Human drivers account for two-thirds of the cost of an Uber journey, he reasoned, so “when there is no other human in the car, the cost of taking an Uber anywhere is cheaper”.

Since then, it’s become clear that the economics are more complex. What made Uber so disruptive is the gig (零工) economy. The app serves nearly 100 million people each month in more than 10,000 cities, without Uber owning a single car. Its drivers are contractors, so it only pays them when they are carrying passengers. If the driver is waiting around at the airport, say, it’s not Uber’s problem. It has sophisticated software to match riders with drivers, and to do it quickly.

The driverless industry throws away these advantages. Instead of hiring drivers on the cheap, Waymo needs to build or purchase vehicles costing some $200, 000 apiece. Owning too many cars and they are wasting capital. Too few and they’ll be frustrating passengers with lengthy wait times. A driver also plays the role of conductor, ensuring the car is fueled and avoiding illegal activity. Driverless cars will have to be serviced and monitored to do the same thing. “Driverless does not mean humanless,” says Ashley Nunes, a researcher at MIT. His work on the subject has concluded that robotaxis can’t compete with the gig economy on price. “Robotaxis replace one set of human costs, the human driver, with another, inefficiency,” he adds.

When robotaxis finally open to the public in San Francisco, they risk becoming a gimmick (噱头). Fun to try, sure, but they’ll cost the same as an Uber, arrive no faster and decline to speed up when you’re in a rush.

1. What does the writer think of the technology of Waymo vehicles?

A．Reliable.

B．Imperfect.

C．Expensive.

D．Mysterious.

2. According to Travis Kalanick, driverless cars _______.

A．would be more and more complex

B．would lack a clear business model

C．would gain market share at the expense of Uber

D．would fail to win over Uber in ride-hailing services

3. Which of the following is one of “these advantages” (paragraph 6)?

A．Uber serves nearly 100 million people each month.

B．Uber allows its drivers to wait around at the airport.

C．Uber has a sophisticated software to manage its drivers.

D．Uber pays drivers only when they are carrying passengers.

4. Which of the following statements is the writer most likely to agree with?

A．The public in San Francisco don’t want to try robotaxis.

B．It is the gig economy that makes robotaxis lose their appeal.

C．Robotaxis don’t have the advantages they are thought to have.

D．Driverless vehicles can avoid illegal activity if programmed properly.

4 . People have mainly used cars or taxis to travel from one place to another. These forms of land transportation have their constraints. Time has been wasted simply because of the traffic on the road. Well, this issue may be solved soon because a company has made a taxi that can actually fly and avoid the crowded streets.

XPeng, a Chinese carmaker, has created this wonderful innovation and conducted the first global public flight of its electric flying car, the XPeng X2, in Dubai. XPeng Motors’ X2 is a two-seater vehicle featuring a teardrop-shaped design with a complete carbon fiber structure to reduce weight. It can travel as high as 1,000 meters and at a speed of 81 miles per hour. At this point, the built-in battery can store electricity for a 35 -minute flight.

The XPeng X2 used during the demo flight (试飞) is a fifth-generation model, but the company is currently working on the sixth generation that will bring significant upgrades.The future model will be equipped with both manned and unmanned flight driving modes, and will be able to drive in the air and on roads — the fifth-generation vehicle is only capable of flying, not driving.

This first ever public flight came with full support of Dubai’s government. They have been deeply involved in the process. An official called Hashemi said, “The first global public flight of the X2 flying car will change the game of future mobility. The flying car is the combination of ambition, innovation and future-oriented vision that has always inspired Dubai and its leadership. Today, we witnessed a historic moment that will define the next 50 years.”

1. What does the underlined word “constraints” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Risks.

B．Rules.

C．Duties.

D．Shortcomings.

2. What can we learn about the “XPeng X2”?

A．It can generate electricity.	B．It can travel 81 miles at a time.
C．It will come onto the market soon.	D．It will provide different driving modes.

3. How did Hashemi feel after watching the demo-light?

A．Thrilled.

B．Shocked.

C．Relaxed.

D．Disappointed.

4. What is the main idea of this text?

A．A new vehicle has won Dubai’s support.

B．A Chinese carmaker is devoted to innovation.

C．A new way to solve traffic problems is found.

D．A flying vehicle has made its first demo flight.

5 . Which house is the woman looking for?

A．The one with a garage.

B．The one next to a bookstore.

C．The one with a pool in the garden.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why does the woman recommend Egypt?

A．It is an amazing place.

B．It is easy to get air tickets.

C．It is a short journey to go there.

2. What does the man think about traveling to Egypt by ship?

A．It takes time.

B．It costs much.

C．It is worthwhile.

3. What do the man’s family do about their travel plan?

A．Tour the countryside.

B．Go to the beach.

C．Stay at home.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What can the woman see?

A．A drink shop.

B．The traffic lights.

C．An advertisement.

2. Where is the man?

A．At the bottom of North Street.

B．At the front door of a clothes store.

C．At the front door of a department store.

3. What will the man do next?

A．Call the police.

B．Have a drink in a cafe.

C．Go to meet the woman.

4. What problem do the speakers have?

A．They arrive at different places.

B．They can’t agree on a place for shopping.

C．They don’t know where a department store is.

8 . Tracks Through Time: Four Stunning UK Train Journeys

The United Kingdom is rightly celebrated as the birthplace of the railway. And there’s no better way to see it than sitting by the window in a train.

Glasgow to Mallaig

Considered by some to be the most scenic railway line in the world, this line takes passengers from the bustling city of Glasgow through Scotland’s wild western highlands to the remote port of Mallaig. Immerse yourself in unforgettable scenery on this journey, and don’t forget to look out for Ben Nevis!

The Caledonian Sleeper

Passengers can enjoy falling asleep to the rhythm of the train on leaving London, then waking up to the serene beauty of the Highlands at dawn right outside your window. Take a trip back in time with all the modern amenities you could want with this iconic train journey!

The Cambrian Line

Wales, with its dramatic landscapes, historic sites and inspiring vistas, offers some magical train journeys to be found in the UK. And perhaps the jewel in the Welsh crown is the Cambrian Line, which weaves its way through Mid Wales to the coast. The route begins in Shrewsbury in England and is famed for its scenery.

The Settle-Carlisle Line

No article on iconic United Kingdom train journeys would be complete without this incredible train line. Opened in 1876, the 73-mile long route takes the traveller from Settle Junction in North Yorkshire to Carlisle in Cumbria. Threatened with closure in the 1980s, the line was saved thanks to the efforts of rail lovers, and passenger numbers have gone from strength to strength.

1. Which place should you go to if you want to visit a harbor?

A．Glasgow.	B．Mallaig.
C．Western highlands.	D．Ben Nevis.

2. What can you do by taking the Cambrian Line?

A．Pick up some precious jewels.

B．Weave magic to enjoy the route.

C．Have a sound and comfortable sleep.

D．Appreciate fantastic views in Wales.

3. Which line was once in danger of being shut?

A．Glasgow to Mallaig.	B．The Caledonian Sleeper.
C．The Cambrian Line.	D．The Settle Carlisle Line.

9 . On average, cars sit, doing nothing, 96 percent of the time. That makes them ideal candidates for the sharing economy. The potential to reduce traffic jams is enormous. A handful of car-sharing systems are already having a major impact on the total number of vehicles in our cities. Scholars have estimated that every shared vehicle removes nine to 13 privately owned cars from the streets.

The benefits will grow greatly as autonomous vehicles, that is, self-driving cars, currently available in experimental forms, gain a notable portion of the market. “Your” car could give you a lift to work in the morning and then, rather than sitting in a parking lot, give a lift to someone else in your family—or to anyone else in your neighborhood or social media community.

As a result, a single vehicle could go from one to 24 hours of use a day. A recent paper by our colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology report s that, under such conditions, the mobility demand of a city like Singapore could be met with only 30 percent of its existing vehicles. In addition to vehicle sharing, autonomy could open up a new wave of ride sharing. Already applications such as Via, uberPOOL and Lyft Line allow different people to share the same ride, cutting operating costs and individual fares. Autonomy could boost ride sharing even more because all trips could be managed online. In cities, the potential for ride sharing is significant, based on analyses by our Sense able City Lab at M. IT.

New York City, for example, is obviously shareable. Our lab’s HubCab project gathered data from 170 million taxi trips involving 13,500 taxis in the city—specifically, the GPS coordinates (协调) for all pickup and drop-off points and corresponding times between the two. We then developed a mathematical model to determine the potential effect of ride sharing applied to those journeys. The project introduced the concept quantitative results revealed how taxi sharing could reduce the number of cars by 40 percent with only rainimal delays for passengers.

Combine car sharing and ride sharing, and a city might get by with just 20 percent the number of cars now in use, with its residents traveling on-demand. Of course, such reductions are theoretical. In real life, they would depend on how willing people are to share rides and adopt self-driving technology. But any drop in the number of vehicles could lower the costs and energy associated with building and maintaining our mobility infrastructure (基础建设). Fewer cars might also mean shorter travel times, fewer traffic jams and a smaller environmental impact.

1. What does the author imply in the first paragraph?

A．Car-sharing is still in its infancy.

B．Cars aren’t made full use of at present.

C．Privately-owned cars have decreased by 13%.

D．There have been fewer traffic jams in big cities.

2. According to the passage, which of the following is a benefit brought by autonomous vehicles?

A．They can reduce the mobility demand of big cities.

B．They will account for a large portion of the market.

C．They can make it convenient for people to share the same ride.

D．They will raise people’s awareness of environmental protection.

3. New York City is an example to illustrate _.

A．how trip-sharing has helped the city

B．how ride-sharing can be put into practice

C．why people are worried about taxi sharing

D．why mathematical models matter in making a city shareable

4. Which conclusion is the author most likely to agree with?

A．We should share not only cars but also rides.

B．People have no confidence in self-driving technology.

C．The estimated reductions of cars on streets are theoretically groundless.

D．Our mobility infrastructure cannot support the development of autonomy.

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How long will it take the man to get a visa by mail?

A．About three days.

B．About two weeks.

C．About three weeks.

2. Where is the man going for his trip?

A．To Chiang Mai.

B．To Bangkok.

C．To Chicago.

3. What can be known from the conversation?

A．The man is planning a two-week trip.

B．It’s not necessary to book a hotel in advance.

C．The woman is a secretary.