Both research and
Thanks to global warming, Arctic ice is melting,
2 . Looking around the streets of London, you’ll definitely see many methods people use to move around.
This traditional children’s vehicle has become more complicated over the years. And now, with the addition of a small electric motor, it’s become a cheap and easy mode of transport. Scooting around town can be fun and doesn’t involve much effort.
Many e•scooter riders in the U.K. broke the law. Some had been seen on pavements, and others on the road jumped red traffic lights, adding to the frustration of motorists stuck in traffic jams. In the U.K., the law states that riding one on the public highway or pavement is forbidden. Despite this, it seems the increasing popularity of e•scooters means they can be seen everywhere.
The U.K. government is looking at how safely they can be used on the road and is “reviewing” the law. But its transport minister, Michael Ellis, has told the BBC that “Micromobility products are appearing in countries across the globe and are an exciting innovation, for which we know there is demand.
| A．The roads are already very crowded. |
| B．What’s the best means of transport? |
| C．People seldom see e•scooter accidents in the U.K. |
| D．However, safety must always be our top priority. |
| E．And now users are asking that regulations be changed. |
| F．There’s no doubt that there are dangers of riding a two•wheeled scooter. |
| G．It’s no wonder that it’s becoming increasingly popular in the world. |
The trade routes are of great importance. In march, the Suez Canal, one of the world's most important sea trade routes,
In early history, The Silk Road was the most important trade route,
Though the Silk Road was mainly a trading route, it was
4 . Kids Flying Alone Guide
Helpful tips for children traveling alone | |||
Airline | Age | Fee per child (each way). | Notes |
Air Tran Airways | 6 to 8 years old — non-stop or direct flights only | $ 48 for a non-stop flight | Unaccompanied children. |
American | 6 to 8 years old — non-stop or direct flights only | $ 110 | Flights for unaccompanied children cannot be booked online. |
British Airways | 7 to 15 years old — can travel alone on connecting flights | $ 60 for flights within UK | Flights for unaccompanied children cannot be booked online. |
Frontier Airlines | 6 to 15 years old — non-stop or direct flights or connecting flights | $ 60 for non-stop or direct flights $120 for connecting flights | Flights for unaccompanied children cannot be booked online. |
Before the flight:
Try to book a morning flight. If it is delayed or canceled, you have the rest of the day to make alternate planes. Make sure your child doesn’t wear any clothing that has his or her name on it, which would make it easier for a stranger to convince a child he can be trusted.
At the airport:
Make sure the flight attendants know that your child is traveling alone. Make sure that he or she will be seated in an area of the aircraft that’s convenient for attendants to keep an eye on — the very front of very back of the aircraft is ideal.
Register your child’s travel plans with the U. S. State Department, which can provide assistance in an emergency. This is a free service.
What to pack:
Cell phone: If your child doesn’t have a cell phone, buy him or her a pay-as-you-go phone at a cell phone retailer (零售店) so he or she has an easy form of communication for emergencies.
Gift cards: Invest in a few pre-paid gift cards worth $ 25 or $ 50, This will reduce the worry of traveling with a large amount of cash.
Family/ friends contact information: Give your child a complete list of names, numbers and addresses of the people who are picking your child up at the airport.
1. How much should you pay if your child aged eleven travels alone on a connecting flight by Frontier Airlines?| A．$ 50. | B．$ 75. |
| C．$ 120. | D．$ 160. |
| A．Juice or water can’t be brought onto the aircraft. |
| B．Unaccompanied children can’t fly on the last flight of the day. |
| C．Pay-as-you-go phones are provided for free at the airport for children without cell phones. |
| D．Parents can register children’s travel plans with the U. S. State Department for free. |
| A．Booking them morning flights. |
| B．Giving them a large amount of cash. |
| C．Making them sit in the middle of the aircraft. |
| D．Dressing them in clothing with their names on it. |
5 . When a driver slams on the brakes to avoid hitting a pedestrian crossing the road illegally, she is making a moral decision that shifts risk from the pedestrian to the people in the car. Self-driving cars might soon have to make such ethical (道德的)judgments on their own — but settling on a universal moral code for the vehicles could be a tough task, suggests a survey.
The largest ever survey of machine ethics, called the Moral Machine, laid out 13 possible situations in which someone’s death was unavoidable. Respondents were asked to choose who to spare in situations that involved a mix of variables: young or old, rich or poor, more people or fewer. Within 18 months, the online quiz had recorded 40 million decisions made by people from 233 countries and territories.
When the researchers analysed these answers, they found that the nations could be divided into three groups. One contains North America and several European nations where Christianity has been the dominant (占支配地位的)religion; another includes countries such as Japan, Indonesia and Pakistan, with strong Confucian or Islamic traditions. A third group consists of countries in Central and South America, such as Colombia and Brazil. The first group showed a stronger preference for sacrificing older lives to save younger ones than did the second group, for example.
The researchers also identified relationships between social and economic factors in a country. They found that people from relatively wealthy countries with strong institutions, such as Finland and Japan, more often chose to hit people who stepped into traffic illegally than did respondents in nations with weaker institutions, such as Nigeria or Pakistan.
People rarely face such moral dilemmas, and some cities question whether the possible situations posed in the online quiz are relevant to the ethical and practical questions surrounding driverless cars. But the researchers argue that the findings reveal cultural differences that governments and makers of self-driving cars must take into account if they want the vehicles to gain public acceptance.
At least Barbara Wege, who heads a group working on autonomous-vehicle ethics at Audi in Ingolstadt, Germany, says such studies are valuable. Wege argues that self-driving cars would cause fewer accidents, proportionally, than human drivers do each year—but that people might focus more on events involving robots.
Surveys such as the Moral Machine can help to begin public discussions about these unavoidable accidents that might develop trust. “We need to come up with a social consensus,” she says, “about which risks we are willing to take.”
1. Why is it difficult to set universal moral rules for programming self-driving cars?| A．Social values always change with the times. |
| B．Moral choices vary between different cultures. |
| C．Drivers have a preference for sacrificing the weak. |
| D．Car makers are faced with decisions of life or death. |
| A．using a massive online quiz worldwide |
| B．comparing different cultures and customs |
| C．dividing the respondents into three groups |
| D．performing a series of controlled experiments |
| A．Nigeria | B．Colombia |
| C．Finland | D．Indonesia |
| A．Self-driving cars will greatly improve the traffic environment |
| B．Accidents caused by self-driving cars might receive more attention |
| C．Problems involving self-driving cars might shake the public trust in society |
| D．Car makers needn’t take the risk of solving self-driving car ethical dilemmas |
6 . China is a land of bicycles. At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled the country. Back then everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle. Millions of them, all black. Cars were rare. Yet since my arrival in Beijing last year, I’ve found the opposite is true. There are millions of cars. However, people still use their bicycles to get around. For many, it’s the easiest and cheapest way to travel today. Bicycles also come in different colors --- silver, green, red, blue, yellow, whatever you want.
It’s fun watching people biking. They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic, and ride even on sidewalks. Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can’t provide.
Eager to be part of this aspect of Chinese culture, I decided to buy a bicycle. Great weather accompanied my great buy. I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home.
My first ride home was orderly (守秩序的). To be safe, I stayed with a “pack” of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times. I didn’t want to get hit. So I took the ride carefully.
Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States. The streets here were wide, so crossing took time, skill and a little bit of luck.
I finally made it home. The feeling on the bicycle was amazing. The air hitting my face and going through my hair was wonderful. I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people. Biking made me feel alive.
1. According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?| A．Because they are traditional and safe. |
| B．Because they are convenient and inexpensive. |
| C．Because they are colorful and available. |
| D．Because they are fast and environment friendly. |
| A．to ride it for fun | B．to use it for transport |
| C．to experience local culture | D．to improve his riding skills |
| A．It was boring. | B．It was difficult. |
| C．It was lively. | D．It was wonderful. |
| A．The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills. |
| B．The author was annoyed by the air while riding. |
| C．The author was praised by the other bikers. |
| D．The author took great pleasure in biking. |
| A．At 2:00 | B．At 2:30 | C．At 4:30 |
1. How long did William stay at Mount Tai?
| A．One day. |
| B．Two days. |
| C．Three days. |
| A．On June 5th. |
| B．On June 6th. |
| C．On June 7th. |
| A．By car. |
| B．By plane. |
| C．By train. |
That Beijing, together with Zhangjiakou,
Word came
10 . Going to bed in one major city and waking up in another, toasting the landscape as a new country slips past; being rocked to sleep as you rattle across a continent. It's no wonder that the night trains of Europe have been a byword for romance.
In fact, over the past decade, much of Europe’s night train network has been cut. For many, it seemed the end of the line was near. But recently there has been a recovery of night trains across Europe. On December 8th 2020, four national rail providers teamed up to announce new routes between 13 European cities.
“You leave work at a usual time, have dinner, make your way to the Nation, get on the train, and wake up in the place you want to be. There’s no turning up at the airport at a very strange hour, as you do for a budget flight.” says Monisha Rajesh, author of “Around the World in 80 Trains.”
In fact, “flight shaming” has been sweeping across Europe in the past few years. In 2018, domestic flights were down 9% in Sweden.
The Covid-19 pandemic has helped, too. Trains are easier to social-distance on, says Rajesh. And night trains—where you can book an entire compartment to yourself—are even better.
Europe's geography also helps the argument for night trains, says Nicolas Forien, a member of Back on Track, who points out that half the flights leaving France are either internal, or going to a neighboring country. “The distance between European capitals is mostly ideal for night trains. The continent could be a night-train paradise.”
1. What does the author say about the night trains of Europe?| A．They run at a high speed. | B．They were popular among Europeans. |
| C．They experienced a down a century ago. | D．They bring passengers a sense of romance. |
| A．long. | B．cheap. | C．short. | D．expensive. |
①flight shaming ②the Covid-19 pandemic ③the maternal budget flight
④Europe’s geography ⑤the tourism boom
| A．①②⑤ | B．②③④ | C．①②④ | D．②④⑤ |
| A．Why Europeans choose to travel by night trains |
| B．How Europe’s night trains come back from the dead |
| C．When Europeans start taking an interest in night trains |
| D．Whether the network of Europe’s night train has been cut |
