1. What does the speaker mainly talk about?
| A．Advertising benefits. | B．Consumer habits. | C．Unnecessary spend. |
| A．For more purchase. | B．For better service. | C．For higher price. |
| A．Physical cash. | B．Credit card. | C．Digital wallet. |
2 . Here are some of the stereotypes or false impressions about Germany that we’re sick and tired of hearing.
Germans are unfriendly
If you’re living in Germany, don’t expect to make casual chat at the supermarket or bus stop. But it doesn’t mean Germans are unfriendly. The truth is that a lot of Germans are just more particular about when they socialize. If you’re in a space that’s made for socializing-anything from a dinner party to a nightclub-that cold shoulder you get in public will usually disappear.
Germans put efficiency ahead of everything
To some degree, it is true. For example, you might notice that the bus runs usually on time, and that there’s a lot of enthusiasm for recycling and careful uses of resources. On the other side, though, anyone who has lived in Germany might have had painful experiences with its public services. From taxes to gas bill, almost everything happens slowly and on paper.
German food is terrible
Ask foreigners about food in Germany and it’s likely that they will say it is too heavy on tasteless sausage and bread. But those complaints overlook a wealth of fantastic food, both cheap and fancy.
For one thing, Germany has 309 restaurants with Michelin stars, more than any other country except France, Italy and Japan. For those who don’t want to throw down € 100 on a meal, Germany also has a variety of bakeries. The country’s bread-making culture has its own UNESCO listing, and sweet treats from apple or cherry cakes to doughnuts are excellent, too.
1. Where do Germans most likely have small talks?| A．In a gym. | B．In the office. | C．At the supermarket. | D．At a dinner party. |
| A．The public transport isn’t well-managed. | B．Waste is rarely recycled. |
| C．Online services aren’t easily available. | D．A lot of resources are wasted. |
| A．Diverse. | B．Cheap. | C．Boring. | D．Expensive. |
3 . Proper questioning has become a lost art. The curious four-year-old asks a lot of questions-incessant streams of “Why?” and “Why not?“ might sound familiar-but as we grow older, our questioning decreases. In a recent survey of more than 200 of our clients, we found that those with children estimated that 70-80% of their kids’ dialogues with others were comprised of questions. But those same clients said that only 15-25% of their own interactions consisted of questions. Why the drop of?
Think back to your time growing up and in school. Chances are you received the most recognition or reward when you got the correct answers. Later in life, that motivator continues. At work, we often reward those who answer questions, not those who ask them. Questioning conventional wisdom can even lead to being distanced, or considered a threat.
Because expectations for decision-making have gone from ”get it done soon“ to ”get it done now“ to ”it should have been done yesterday, “ we tend to jump to conclusions instead of asking more questions. And the unfortunate side effect of not asking enough questions is poor decision-making. That’s why it’s vital that we slow down and take the time to ask more and better questions. At best, we’ll arrive at better conclusions. At worst we’ll avoid a lot of rework later on.
Aside from not speaking up enough, many professionals don’t think about how different types of questions can lead to different outcomes. We should lead a conversation by asking the right kinds of questions, based on the problem we’re trying to solve. In some cases, we’ll want to expand our view of the problem rather than keeping it narrowly focused. In others, we may want to challenge basic assumptions or confirm our understanding in order to feel more confident in our conclusions. Therefore, asking the right kinds of questions is what counts in achieving a goal.
1. What does the underlined word ”incessant“ in paragraph 1 most probably mean?| A．Constant. | B．Random. | C．Noisy. | D．Innocent. |
| A．One poses a threat to the company if they ask questions. |
| B．Those who ask questions don’t necessarily get positive feedback. |
| C．One doesn’t have as many opportunities as they did in childhood. |
| D．Those who question popular beliefs don’t have interpersonal skills. |
| A．Redoing is unavoidable despite thoughtful questions. |
| B．Better questions can surely result in desirable outcomes. |
| C．Some people think it can’t be too fast to make a decision. |
| D．We’ll make reasonable decisions as long as we ask questions. |
| A．Proper questions that should be raised. |
| B．Important goals that we are to achieve. |
| C．Right kinds of answers to the questions. |
| D．The reasons for the loss of questioning art. |
4 . America’s youth is turning its back on tobacco. According to a study recently published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking among US high school students is at an all-time low. One in 5 US high school students in 2016 reported using a tobacco product within the past 30 days, an improvement from 1 in 4 students just one year before.
“These findings show the importance of continuing to implement the evidence-based strategies that we now work to reduce all forms of tobacco product use, including e-cigarettes, among our nation’s youth,” says Brian King, of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health and senior author of the study.
And it’s not just tobacco: Drug use among US teens is down across the board. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has published annual reports on US teens’ drug use since 1996, and the 2016 survey shows the lowest rates of illegal drug and alcohol use. Marijuana (大麻) use remained “mostly steady”. “It is encouraging to see more young people making healthy choices not to use illegal substances,” says former National Drug Control Policy Director Michael Botticelli.
All individual forms of tobacco such as cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, and smoke-less tobacco saw declines in usage in 2016. Experts are especially encouraged by the decline in cigarettes, the most popular tobacco product among teens. In 2016, 11.3 percent of high school students reported using e-cigarettes, down from 16 percent in 2015.
Dr. King says adaptation is key to the decline of e-cigarettes. “We have over a half-century of science telling students about the harmful effects of tobacco use and what works best to prevent it,” says King. “E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among our nation’s youth, and it’s critical that our proven strategies are modernized to keep pace with the changing tobacco product landscape.”
1. What does the underlined word “implement” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Delay. | B．Perform. | C．Schedule. | D．Control. |
| A．US teens’ drug use has decreased. |
| B．There are many forms of tobacco. |
| C．E-cigarettes are popular among US teens. |
| D．The strategies are put forward by experts. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Suspicious. | C．Favorable. | D．Ambiguous. |
| A．US teen tobacco use declines. | B．High percent of teen tobacco use. |
| C．The harmful effects of tobacco use. | D．The strategies to reduce tabasco use. |
1. How many people are reported to use their phones in public places?
| A．Nearly a half | B．More than half. | C．Almost everyone |
| A．Talking in a cafe |
| B．Walking down the street. |
| C．Spending too much time on phones. |
| A．Listen to music. | B．Check emails. | C．Text. |
6 . Making travel a surprise
Most people plan their vacations well in advance, including where they are going.
Earlier this year, mystery box purchases surged (激增) among young American people. Usually, travelers buy a mystery box at a low price—usually 100 or 200 dollars—and then receive several destination options to choose from.
A citizen named Carrie is eager to go on a mystery box trip, stating that travelling alone usually costs too much and that too many people don’t know where to go. ”However, the mystery box directly offers me a few destinations, which is wonderful and cheap,“ Carrie said.
Gary, 16, has turned his eagerness to go on a mystery box trip into a reality.
| A．It is the state capital of Texas |
| B．Tourism is a major source of income for the area |
| C．After the destination is decided, their trip begins |
| D．But some like the thrill of not knowing where they will end up |
| E．Months ago, he traveled with a group of friends to Austin in Texas |
| F．Travel mystery boxes bring excitement to many less popular destinations |
| G．But even so, a large number of people feel disappointed with travel mystery boxes |
7 . It’s perhaps the world’s most famous underwater attraction that remained in film and in legend: the Titanic. But now experts say the ocean liner, once a wonder of the high seas, is falling to pieces.
Capt. Alfred McLaren, the scientist who in July led the most recent expedition to the ship’s underwater grave, said his team saw clear signs of the accelerating damage of the wreck (残骸). There was damage likely caused by rust and sea life, and the captain’s cabin had collapsed.
“I was absolutely astonished,” McLaren said.
Worse still, the fallen mast (桅杆) that crushed the ship’s deck is believed by many to be the result of an unapproved salvage (打捞) operation. “It was almost depressing to see how quickly she was getting worse,” McLaren says. “I would be really surprised if there’s very much standing up from the bottom, two decades from now.”
Ed Kamuda, who runs the Titanic Historical Society in Springfield, Mass., says adventure tourists — who pay $36,000 each to visit the wreck — are also contributing to the destruction of it.
“This is something I expected. I just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly,” Kamuda said. “People are going down just as an ego trip to say ‘I was there.’ All this takes a fare on the ship.”
The Titanic has sat at the bottom of the Atlantic since it sank after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage on April 14, 1912. More than 1,500 people died that night. The ship came to rest at the bottom of the freezing North Atlantic, more than 2 miles beneath the waves. The wreck was discovered in 1985, and since then it has been repeatedly visited by treasure hunters.
But still some scientists say those divers, and other thrill seekers are not necessarily to blame for the Titanic’s current problems.
Capt. Craig McLean of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration went on an expedition to the Titanic in June as part of a government study that is monitoring the condition of the ship. He says it’s unclear what part of the damage is from Mother Nature and which is from human nature.
“It’s too early and there isn’t enough evidence to put our fingers on anything,” McLean said.
Regardless, most agree there’s little that can be done for this most famous of wrecks. And soon, the mighty Titanic could well be lost again.
1. McLaren expected that in twenty years _______.| A．Only a minor part of the wreck would remain as it is |
| B．The wreck would be getting worse at a faster speed |
| C．Only salvage operation with the purpose of research would be approved |
| D．The wreck would be completely destroyed by unapproved treasure hunters |
| A．To contribute to the breaking down of the Titanic. | B．To help finance the preservation of the Titanic. |
| C．To satisfy their curiosity and adventurousness. | D．To better understand the history of the Titanic. |
| A．Visitors should not be prohibited from the Titanic and other famous wrecks |
| B．The influence of the thrill seekers on the wreck will finally be determined |
| C．The government should contribute more to the monitoring of the Titanic |
| D．The damage of the Titanic is not necessarily attributed to the adventure tourists |
| A．promising | B．discouraging | C．controllable | D．vague |
8 . Students at West Side Elementary School in California, with the help of their art teacher, created a telephone hotline to offer cheerful advice during difficult times. In just days, the hotline began getting thousands of calls an hour. The hotline, available in English and Spanish, offers the happy voices of children of different ages sharing positive messages.
Most people agree that with concerns like Covid-19, extreme weather, and the climate crisis, the last years have been stressful.
“To hear the pure joy from kids is extremely comforting in these difficult times,” art teacher Jessica Martin says.
Ms. Martin called the project “Pep Talk”, which later changed to “PepToc” to draw an ad for the hotline. The project had two parts, one the hotline, and the other creating encouraging posters. Along with artist Asherah, she worked with students from kindergarten to sixth grade. Students working on the hotline thought of what they would like to say. When they were ready, Ms. Martin recorded each one. Later, she sorted out the recordings into the different parts of the telephone hotline. For example, pressing 2 results in words of encouragement and life advice. This includes messages like: “The world is a better place with you in it.” and “You are okay!” Pressing 4, you hear the sounds of children laughing — a sound certain to bring a smile to anyone’s face. Other students took part in making encouraging posters to hang up around the town. Many posters had strips of paper that people passing by could tear off and take with them.
Ms. Martin thought the project would attract interest from people near the school. But word of the hotline spread quickly on social media. The hotline has become popular with stressed adults, patients in hospitals, older people in homes, and others to beat stress by hearing the happy voices of children.
1. What’s the purpose of the telephone hotline?| A．To get people to express themselves. |
| B．To provide a way for people to cheer up. |
| C．To inspire children to face difficulties. |
| D．To have children learn foreign cultures. |
| A．To satisfy the need of an advertisement. |
| B．To make it attractive to people of all ages. |
| C．To add to the humorous effect of the hotline. |
| D．To show the work value of Ms. Martin. |
| A．She sorted out the most cheerful information. |
| B．She advertised them in the local radio station. |
| C．She put them into different parts for the hotline. |
| D．She added children’s laughter as the background. |
| A．It will grow popular all over the city. |
| B．It greatly reduces people’s loneliness. |
| C．It puts ads in media for its existence. |
| D．It can help people deal with stress. |
9 . Schools across the US East Coast canceled outdoor activities, commercial airline traffic was slowed and millions of Americans were urged to stay indoors on Wednesday as smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted south, blanketing cities in thick and yellow smoke.
“It’s critical that Americans experiencing dangerous air pollution, especially those with health conditions, listen to local authorities to protect themselves and their families,” US President Joe Biden said.
New York’s world-famous skyline, usually visible for miles, disappeared because of the smoke, which some residents said made them feel unwell.
“It makes breathing difficult,” Mohammed Abass said as he walked down Broadway in Manhattan. “I’ve been scheduled for a road test for driving, for my driving license today, and it was canceled.”
“It looks like Mars out there,” said Fox Forecast Center meteorologist Brian Mastro just before 2 p.m.
New York Goveror Kathy Hochul called the situation an “emergency crisis,” noting that the air pollution index for parts of her state were eight times above normal.
In Bethesda, Maryland, a high school moved its graduation ceremony indoors, while a Brooklyn, New York, elementary school deferred its “Spring Fling” dance party. A school in Montelair, New Jersey, called off a fifth-grade trip to an amusement park.
The smoke was wafting (飘荡) over the US northern border from Canada, where hundreds of forest fires have burnt 9. 4 million acres and forced 120,000 people from their homes in an unusually early and intense start to Canada’s wildfire season.
Tyrone Sylvester, 66, playing chess outside in Manhattan’s Union Square us he has on most days for 30 years, but wearing a mask, said he had never seen the city’s air quality so bad. “When the sun looks like that,” he said, pointing at the smoky sky, “we know something’s wrong. This is what global warming looks like.”
Poor air quality is likely to continue into the weekend, with a developing storm system expected to shift the smoke westward across the Great Lakes and deeper south through the Ohio Valley and into the mid-Atlantic region, AccuWeather said.
1. What do we know about Mohammed Abass?| A．He took a test for driving. | B．He had no driving license. |
| C．He had some health conditions. | D．He stayed indoors as expected. |
| A．Put off. | B．Took over. | C．Came up with. | D．Did away with. |
| A．Canada’s poor management. | B．The areas affected by wildfires. |
| C．The cause of America’s smoke. | D．The consequences of air pollution. |
| A．New York City smoke situation is not uncomfortable. |
| B．A strong wind will probably relieve the poor air quality. |
| C．Citizens have found new ways to fight climate changes. |
| D．The city’s air pollution doesn’t relate to global warming. |
10 . The Oxford Word of the Year 2022 winner may surprise you. The winning phrase was “goblin mode (哥布林模式)” — a type of behavior often seen as lazy. People who are in goblin mode tend to reject social expectations, such as usual gatherings.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, however. US language expert Ben Zimmer commented that the lifestyle means that “people are looking at social norms in new ways”. Many young people worldwide go “goblin mode” seeking to make peace with their true selves. Without pretty covers like digital editing, we are not always the perfect image that we tend to present to others. Staying true to ourselves, however, doesn’t mean that we must avoid troubles. Bilibili, a leading video platform, announced that elegance was the bullet comment (弹幕) of the year. It refers to the graceful and stylish manners. And traditionally, the word is more often used to describe people of higher social classes. But now, young people in China are using the word to emphasize an ability to control and balance life for ordinary people. From bravely facing troubles in life to sharing delightful moments and spreading joy, elegance is no longer a privilege. Rather, it is our positive attitude to life-that we will stay calm and strong no matter what life brings-that is most important.
Take pandemic as an example, it’s a topic that we cannot ignore. Three years into the pandemic, we are gradually letting go of our fears about it. It will likely not end dramatically, but rather result in coexistence between humans and the virus. Our life may never be the same as before the pandemic, but it doesn’t have to be. Video chats, online meetings and classes. We are closer than ever to connecting digitally with each other on a new level. It’s time to face new opportunities and challenges in the year ahead. And remember: we have made it through the pandemic — is there anything that we cannot overcome?
1. What may people with “goblin mode” do?| A．They may seek a fancy lifestyle. | B．They may present a perfect image. |
| C．They may post edited photographs. | D．They may accept what they are. |
| A．It’s a quality owned by people of higher social status. |
| B．It’s a privilege only shared and valued by rich people. |
| C．It’s a positive attitude towards ups and downs in life. |
| D．It’s an ability to spread graceful and stylish manners. |
| A．to inform us the importance of it. | B．to urge us to face challenges bravely. |
| C．to push us to pursue higher status. | D．to advise us to ignore pandemic. |
| A．Every cloud has a silver lining. | B．He who laughs last laughs best. |
| C．Where there is a will, there is a way. | D．Fear always springs from ignorance. |
