1 . French officials are preparing to offer flying taxi services to people attending the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024. If the taxis are actually used in the French capital, it could mark the first major real world show of the flying technology.
Some air taxi developers attended the recent Paris Air Show to show off their products and seek industry support. One of the companies in attendance was Germany’s Volocopter, which plans to offer a flying taxi service during the Olympics.
But so far, no air taxi maker has received government permission to launch service in France. Volocopter hopes to be the first. But the company still needs to run its aircraft through rigorous weather tests and provide thousands of pages of documentation to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
Company chief Dirk Hoke said that in addition to worries about government approvals, air taxi companies have also faced difficulties linked to economic slowdowns affecting the world. Robin Riedel, who co-leads the Center for Future Mobility at the business advisory company McKinsey, said companies formed to support air taxi projects have lost about 30 percent of their value in recent years. In addition, many investors(投资人) have decided to put money into drones(无人机) instead of flying taxis.
Hoke has thought about a person he would like to be the first rider of his flying taxis-French President Emmanuel Macron. “That would be super amazing,”Hoke said, “That would be a strong sign to Europe to see the president flying.”
In the beginning, air taxi trips are likely to be short and costly. This is because current battery technology limits the distance and number of paying passengers the aircraft can carry. The long-term success of air taxis will also be dependent on effective systems to manage all the air traffic using the skies. Experts say such systems will need new technology to provide safety for all flyers. As the industry progresses, the number of air taxis is expected to reach into the millions.
1. What does the underlined word “rigorous” in paragraph 3 mean?A.Strict. | B.Simple. | C.Creative. | D.Similar. |
A.To secure the president’s investment. |
B.To welcome the Paris Summer Olympics. |
C.To increase public trust in air taxis. |
D.To get government approval more quickly. |
A.Crowded roads. | B.Limitations of batteries. |
C.Investors’ requirements. | D.The government’s decisions. |
A.The rapid development of drones. |
B.An industry report to ensure safety. |
C.The strong support from French officials. |
D.A good system for managing all air traffic. |
2 . We are all aware of the damaging pollution that’s created by driving petrol and diesel (柴油) vehicles. Many of the world’s cities are jammed with traffic, creating poisonous gases such as nitrogen oxides. The solution for a cleaner, greener future could be electric vehicles. But how optimistic should we be?
There was much excitement last year when the UK government announced it will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. But is that easier said than done?The road to global traffic being totally electric is still a long way off. Currently, battery life is an issue — a fully charged battery won’t take you as far as a full tank of petrol. Here are also limited numbers of charging points to plug an EV into.
Of course, technology is always improving. Some of the biggest tech companies, like Google and Tesla, are spending huge amounts of money developing electric cars. And most of the big car manufacturers are now making them too. Colin Herron, a consultant on low-carbon vehicle technology, told the BBC: “The big leap forward will come with solid-state batteries, which will appear first in mobile phones and laptops before they progress cars. These will charge more quickly, and give cars a a bigger range.”
Cost is another issue that may deter people switching to electric power. But some countries offer encouraging measures, such as cutting prices by reducing import taxes, and not charging for road tax and parking. Some also provide exclusive lanes for electric cars to be driven on, overtaking traditional cars which might be stuck in jams. These kinds of measures have made Norway the Country with the most electric cars per capita (人均) at more than thirty electric cars per 1,000 inhabitants.
But Colin Herron warns that “electric motoring” doesn’t mean a zero-carbon future.
1. What makes global traffic difficult to be totally electric according to the second paragraph?A.A ban of the UK government. | B.Lack of petrol. |
C.The small number of charging points. | D.A low battery quality. |
A.Solid-state batteries will allow electric cars to travel farther. |
B.Electric cars will indeed make for a zero-carbon future. |
C.Solid-state batteries will be initially employed in electric cars. |
D.Big progress has been made in laptops and mobile phones. |
A.Block. | B.Suggest. | C.Leave. | D.Catch. |
A.The huge potential of electric cars. |
B.The unfavorable future of electric cars. |
C.The eagerness for a zero-carbon future. |
D.The reasons for not achieving a zero-carbon future. |
3 . Before you go on your next two wheeled adventure, make sure you’re familiar with the ins and outs of bicycle safety.
Many of the safety recommendations are the same for both types of bikes. Wear a helmet. Ride with the flow of traffic rather than against it. Make sure you’re visible to motorists (some e-bikes now come with lights).
Check your bike’s condition. That starts with checking that the tires are inflated (充气了的) and the brakes are working properly.
Know the rules of the road. When you’re riding in the street, even in a protected bike lane, read the signals, pay attention to the lane markings, and check the signage to see where e-bikes are allowed.
A.Be aware of your speed |
B.Keep up the high speed of e-bike |
C.Know how to use your arm to signal turns |
D.If the bicycle hasn’t been used for a while |
E.When you finish the work of checking your bike |
F.This holds true whether you’re riding a traditional bike or an e-bike |
G.Signs may specify which types of bikes are allowed on which roads and paths |
4 . Have you ever been on an airplane, minding your own business, and found your eyes filled with tears for no reason? Or perhaps you sat near someone who burst into tears. Is there something happening to your body that triggers (引发) the tears?
There sure is! When you’re inside a flying airplane, you’re miles off the ground. Not exactly a place where humans usually find themselves. The airplane is pressurized (加压) to keep passengers comfortable. But it’s still not the pressure levels that you’ll experience at ground level. It’s a bit like having climbed a pretty high mountain.
The primary tear-trigger is the lower amount of oxygen in your blood. The oxygen levels in the plane are lower than you’ll find on the ground. And it can bring you bad feelings.
Another cause is dehydration (脱水). Because the air in the plane is very dry, we may get dehydrated. And being dehydrated can have all kinds of harmful effects on your 30,000-foot-high body, which is making you have bad feelings like sadness and worry. In fact, there is a spiritual reason, too! Even if you’re not afraid of planes, it’s a high-stress situation. Taking a flight often involves saying goodbye to someone in the place you’re leaving. You can also be worried about plane crash or losing your baggage.
You can drink plenty of water before your flight to fight back your tears. You can also keep your mind busy with a puzzle or brain game. And if you’re going to watch a movie, maybe choose one that’s a bit more relaxing. In short, make flying a more pleasant and less stressful experience.
1. Why did the author raise questions in Paragraph 1?A.To lead to the topic of the text. |
B.To give background information. |
C.To research how many people cry on an airplane. |
D.To ask who knows why people cry on an airplane. |
A.The temperature inside the plane. | B.The altitude you’re at. |
C.The weather. | D.Your health. |
A.One shouldn’t sleep in the plane in case of losing his/her baggage. |
B.One may not feel afraid when the plane flies below 30,000 feet high. |
C.One that often feels sad or worried is not fit to take a plane. |
D.One may lose too much water from his/her body when he/she travels by plane. |
A.Suggestions on how to take a safe flight. |
B.Advice on how to get over fears when flying. |
C.Tips on how to hold back tears while you’re flying. |
D.Ways of making you comfortable while you’re flying. |
5 . Twenty-four trains, nine countries, 13,500 miles. They are the numbers behind the heroic round trip one man took from Southampton in the UK to eastern China.
Roger Tyers, 37, used over $2,500, which was almost twice more than the cost of a return flight, to travel to the Chinese port city Ningbo for academic research in May, 2019. The man spent a month on board 15 trains during the first leg of his round trip. It was the climate crisis, not a love of trains, that drove the sociologist to choose this complicated route over a return flight. He stopped flying when UN climate experts warned that the world had less than 11 years to avoid terrible levels of global warming. Tyers calculated that his train journey to China produced almost 90% less emissions than a return flight.
Tyers is not the only person to avoid air travel in response to climate change. Thousands of people worldwide have publicly promised to stop flying. Activist Maja Rosen launched the “Flight Free” campaign in Sweden with the goal of encouraging 100,000 people not to fly for one year. Although only around 14,000 people signed the online “# flightfree2019” pledge (保证), Rosen, who stopped flying 12 years ago, says that the campaign has made more people worry about the climate crisis and aware of harm of travel by air and motivated them to try new ways of travelling.
According to a survey released in May 2019 by Swedish Railways, 37% of respondents chose to travel by train instead of by plane where possible, compared to 20% at the start of 2018. A spokesperson said: “Rail travel has been boosted due to the worries.” Domestic passenger numbers in July fell by 12% compared to the previous year, according to Swedavia, a company which operates Sweden’s 10 busiest airports.
“The collective pledge helps fight the sense of hopelessness many people feel when it comes to tackling climate change,” Rosen said. “One of the problems is that people feel there’s no point in what you do as an individual. The campaign is about making people aware that if we do this together, we can actually bring changes.”
1. Why did Roger Tyers travel to China by train?A.He was terrified of traveling by plane. | B.He had a preference for railway tours. |
C.He tried to be environmentally friendly. | D.He was advised to protect the environment. |
A.To prove the advantage of rail travel. | B.To show the impact of the campaign. |
C.To introduce new ways of travelling. | D.To state current problems with tourism. |
A.It fueled the development of tourism. |
B.It aimed to warn of the danger of flying. |
C.It achieved great success all over the world. |
D.It inspired people’s confidence to make a difference. |
A.Travel. | B.Environment. | C.Education. | D.Lifestyle. |
6 . The noise produced by busy roads is a growing problem.
Already, researchers in the Netherlands are working to develop techniques for silencing the roads. In the next five years the Dutch government aims to reduce noise levels from the country’s road surfaces by six decibels overall. Dutch mechanical engineer Ard Kuijpers has come up with one of the most promising and novel ideas. He set out to address the three most important factors: surface texture (质地), hardness and the ability to absorb sound.
The rougher the surface, the more likely it is that a tyre will vibrate (颤动) and create noise. Road builders usually get rid of bumps on freshly laid asphalt (柏油) with heavy rollers, but Kuijpers has developed a method of road building that he thinks can create the ultimate quiet road. His secret is a special mould (模具) 3 metres wide and 50 metres long. Hot asphalt, mixed with small stones, is spread into the mould by a rail-mounted machine which flattens the asphalt mix with a roller. When it sets, the 10-millimetre-thick sheet has a surface smoother than anything that can be achieved by conventional methods.
To better the performance of his road surface—to make it hard wearing yet soft enough to remove vibrations—he then adds another layer below the asphalt. This consists of a 30-millimetre-thick layer of rubber, mixed with stones which are larger than those in the layer above. “It’s like a giant mouse mat, making the road softer,” says Kuijpers.
The foundation itself uses an even more sophisticated technique to reduce noise further. It consists of a sound-absorbing concrete base containing flask-shaped slots (瓶型狭槽) up to 10 millimetres wide and 30 millimetres deep that are open at the top and sealed at the lower end. When sound waves of specific frequencies enter the top of a flask, they set up resonances (共鸣) inside and the energy of the sound dissipates (消散) into the concrete as heat.
Kuijpers believes he can cut noise by five decibels compared to the quietest of today’s roads. The success of Kuijpers’ design will depend on how much it eventually costs. But for those affected by traffic noise there is hope of quieter times ahead.
1. Kuijpers’ design is meant to ________.A.reduce air pollution | B.deal with traffic problems |
C.build roads of better quality | D.provide a quieter environment |
A.The road will be smoother. | B.The road will be straighter. |
C.The road will be harder. | D.The road will be wider. |
A.asphalt mixed with small stones→flask-shaped slots→the layer of rubber |
B.flask-shaped slots→the layer of rubber→asphalt mixed with small stones |
C.the layer of rubber→asphalt mixed with small stones→flask-shaped slots |
D.asphalt mixed with small stones→the layer of rubber→flask-shaped slots |
A.it passes the test | B.it costs reasonably |
C.it is easy to operate | D.it meets the deadline |
7 . On a tram smoothly pulling into the heart of Luxembourg City, Marck gives a smile and takes a look at the fabric of the seat next to him. For him, the city’s trams are more than just transport. More even than the focus of his job. They are about transforming his country and, perhaps, changing the world.
Marck is the director general of Luxtram, Luxembourg’s modern trams. It first started running services two years ago. Next year, Luxembourg will become the world’s only country to get rid of fares on all its forms of public transport. Luxembourg’s traffic problems come from its army of workers. The population of the capital city almost doubles during the working day, when more than 110,000 people travel in and out.
After three decades when its roads have become so crowded, Luxembourg is going to do something remarkable. Free fares, and a plan to persuade people to switch from cars to trams or trains. Marck, along with many others, is excited to see what happens next. “The fact that this is free means that everyone can use it — young or old, rich or poor,” he said. “Everyone can say to themselves it’s better to leave the car at home. We must continue to improve and extend the network. It must always be comfortable, well-connected, efficient.”
Lydie Polfer, the city’s mayor, says she hopes to reach the point where more than a third of people come into the city using public transport — at the moment, it’s less than one in five. She said, “It’s not practical to ban cars because some people, like the elderly, need them. But everyone has to be aware that he or she can do something to improve the situation. There is an expression in German — you are not in the traffic jam — you are the traffic jam, and that is true. I think that making it free will be the biggest arguments for people to use public transport. ”
1. Why does Marck think the city’s trams are more than just transport?A.The trams are his goal that he strives for. |
B.There are more means of transportation than trams. |
C.City’s trams bring more changes beyond transport. |
D.The trams are the heart of Luxembourg City transport system. |
A.The cause of the traffic problems. | B.The means of public transport. |
C.The development of running services. | D.The increase of working population. |
A.The convenience. | B.The fare. | C.The comfort. | D.The efficiency. |
A.The elderly needn’t use public transport. |
B.It’s possible to persuade most people to use the trams. |
C.Everyone can do his part to improve transport situation. |
D.Those who don’t take public transport cause traffic jams. |
8 . Fifteen months after operation began, the China-Laos Railway (Laos section) is set to introduce the LCR Ticket App on Wednesday, which allows passengers to make ticket purchases via their mobile phones, bringing Laos into the era of online train ticket sales.
The system, developed by a branch of China State Railway Group, marks a further step in the informatization process of the China-Laos Railway passenger business, according to a press release sent to the Global Times by the China State Railway Group on Tuesday. Since the start of operation on December 3,2021,the China-Laos Railway (Laos section) has seen strong demand, with the daily passenger traffic exceeding 10,000 on most busy days. However, the train tickets are sold manually at windows and sales outlets.
The app, which has the advanced technology of China’s 12306 online ticketing system, is based on the laws and regulations of Laos, its cultural characteristics and user preferences. It also supports Lao, Chinese and English. Due to the size of its population and its advanced and extensive railway system, China is home to the world’s most complex online ticket selling system. During the Spring Festival period this year, the system was able to handle a peak transaction volume of over 1,000 tickets per second. Tickets can be paid for via several methods including VISA, UnionPay, WeChat Payment and Alipay. A manager at Laos-China Railway Company, which operates the Laos section, said that online ticket sales will greatly improve the travel experience on the railway which helps promote tourism. The LCR Ticket App is set to be available for downloading from 6:30 am on Wednesday in Laos. Growing passenger and cargo volume has meant that the China-Laos Railway has become a promising route for international logistics.
Lao Ambassador to China Khamphao Ernthavanh said in a recent interview that the China-Laos Railway is an important project featuring win-win cooperation between the two countries, opening up new prospects for the socio-economic development of Laos and turning the dreams of people along the route into reality. The railway has turned land-locked Laos into a land-linked hub with freight train service bringing goods to countries including Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Singapore.
1. What changes has the LCR Ticket App brought to China-Laos train ticket sales?A.It makes Laos enter the age of online ticketing. |
B.It is opened along with the railway operation. |
C.It leads to the abandonment of manual ticketing. |
D.It is more advanced than the technology in China. |
A.It copies China’s advanced technology totally. |
B.It takes requirements of Laos into consideration. |
C.It is based on the preferences of Chinese passengers. |
D.It is jointly developed by Laos, China and the United Kingdom. |
A.The app download is not user-friendly. |
B.The payment methods are diverse. |
C.The travel experience for tourists will promote tourism. |
D.The online ticket sales reach 1,000 tickets per second every day. |
A.The benefits of the China-Laos railway. |
B.The cooperation between China and Laos. |
C.The goods transported by China-Laos railway. |
D.The realization of the dreams along China-Laos railway. |
1. The picture is most probably about .
A.reading | B.bumping | C.driving |
A.You can only use your right foot to brake. |
B.If you want to keep safe, you should read the rules first. |
C.You should keep your hands on the wheel. |
10 . The Most Bicycle Friendly Countries Around the World
Denmark
Cycling is a hugely popular means of transport and a way to see the country in Denmark. In fact, across the country you’ll find huge networks of cycle paths where no motorized vehicles can go, so you can feel safe while riding your bike. Because of this cycling has become one of the main tourist attractions and activities in Denmark, particularly when it comes to exploring the beautiful capital city of Copenhagen.
Norway
Because of the popularity of cycling here, you’ll find plenty of bicycle parking and public rentals, so you can simply get a bike and go as you explore the country. Much like Denmark, the dedicated bike lanes do not allow for cars or motorized vehicles to enter them.
The Netherlands
In the Netherlands the government prefer bikes to cars and encourage people to travel by bike as much as possible. If you’re a tourist visiting big cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, you can easily hire a bike and explore. There are bike lanes (and bikes) everywhere, they even have their own sets of traffic lights. Much like driving, there are strict rules for cycling in the country and these must obey.
Sweden
While it can get very cold there in the winter, cycling is still enjoyed year-round and the country develops a cycling culture that encourages people to use bikes as their primary means of transport. For this reason, there are supportive measures in place and plenty of places to rent a bike from. Many travel Sweden’s beautiful cities on two wheels, Stockholm, in particular, is a great place to explore on a bike.
What’s more, cycling is so big there that they have pump stations for deflated(泄气的)tires and bicycle-specific parking. The use of electric bikes is also becoming more popular here.
1. What do Denmark and Norway have in common?A.They have set strict rules for cycling. |
B.Their main tourist attraction is cycling. |
C.They allow visitors to rent bikes for free. |
D.They have the dedicated cycle paths or bike lanes. |
A.In the Netherlands. | B.In Denmark. |
C.In Sweden. | D.In Norway. |
A.The use of electric cars. | B.Warm weather in winter. |
C.Pump stations for deflated tires. | D.Free bicycle-specific parking places. |