1 . Now, Amazon has opened a brick﹣and﹣mortar bookstore in downtown Bethesda, and I am not thrilled. One reason is that there is no cafe area. But the biggest reason I am profoundly disappointed is that the new Amazon store does not accept cash. I refuse to use a credit card to pay for small purchases, such as books. I prefer to use cash.
Much has been written about the "unbanked" people who are too poor to afford a credit card or a debit card（借记卡）and who don't have a smartphone. No﹣cash policies are discriminatory against people of low income. In Massachusetts, it is illegal for retail establishments to discriminate against cash﹣paying customers. Several lawmakers in the district are thinking of adopting similar laws.
I am not a person of low income. I do have a credit card, and I occasionally use it. But it is my choice, for lifestyle and money management reasons, to use my credit card only for large purchases. I have decided not to own or use a smartphone, which means that I cannot use apps to make purchases.
For all their convenience, credit cards do come with problems. There are privacy concerns, because credit card purchases can be tracked. There are risks that those using credit cards may become victims of identity theft. And a cashless economy is dependent on functioning computers and uninterrupted power sources. Computers can be hacked, and power outages occur. In these circumstances, a cashless economy simply won't function.
My decision not to patronize stores that discriminate against cash﹣paying customers means that the only bookstore in downtown Bethesda will not be getting my business. In refusing to patronize such businesses, I am standing up for the "unbanked" who can't afford credit cards or smartphones and also for people like me who simply choose to use cash.
1. Why is the author disappointed at the new bookstore mainly？| A．Because there is no cafe area. |
| B．Because there are only e﹣books. |
| C．Because it rejects cash payment. |
| D．Because it doesn't accept credit cards. |
| A．The drawbacks of no﹣cash policy. |
| B．The credit risks of a cashless economy. |
| C．The convenience of credit card payment. |
| D．The privacy concerns of online shopping. |
| A．Sponsor. | B．Shop in. | C．Purchase. | D．Flee from. |
| A．Angry. | B．Worried. | C．Optimistic. | D．Enthusiastic. |
2 . Smart phones are dramatically changing the way we walk down the street. Office workers and young people are walking like pensioners (领退休金者) as they check emails and messages.
Scientists have found mobile phones make us walk more slowly, with modest steps, to avoid obstacles. The lead author of the study said the walk is similar to that of someone in their eighties. Researchers found people writing a text message walk more than twice as slowly as those without a phone, finding it harder to stay in a straight line and lift their feet 18 per cent higher above a pavement edge. Their steps are more than a third shorter, as they rely on their restricted vision to avoid falling over while distracted by their phone.
The scientists examined 252 separate participants walking while reading a text message, writing one, speaking on their phone or without their phone at all. Writing a text is the most demanding activity, causing people to look down at their phone 46 per cent more, and 45 per cent longer, than when reading a message. This led people to walk 118 per cent more slowly than when they were without their phone. People walked almost a third more slowly while reading a text and 19 per cent while talking on the phone.
Smart phones were found to prevent people from walking in a straight line, putting them at greater risk of colliding (碰撞) with other people, cars or street lamps. This increased the need to slow down and take more careful steps.
John Timmis said, "The idea for this study came from following someone walking down the street in the afternoon, who was walking as if he had had several drinks. I thought it was a bit early for that, then walked up alongside him and saw that he was on his phone. Simply being on the phone changes the way people walk."
1. What does the underlined word "modest" mean in the second paragraph?| A．Young. | B．Straight. | C．Small. | D．Low. |
| A．Those not carrying phones. | B．Those writing a text message. |
| C．Those reading a text message | D．Those speaking on their phones |
| A．The chance of possible accidents. | B．The need to walk straight. |
| C．The traffic jams during rush hours. | D．The desire for using their phones. |
| A．Mobile Phone Causing Danger to People’s Health. |
| B．Mobile Phone Changing the Way People Walk. |
| C．A New Finding about Using Mobile Phones. |
| D．No Checking Emails and Messages While Walking. |
1. Where did the man find the car?
| A．Near the No.8 Bridge. | B．Along the Eaton Road. | C．Far from the London Road. |
| A．He is a policeman. | B．He is an engineer. | C．He is a driver. |
| A．Its color. | B．Its number. | C．Its type. |
1. What happened to the man?
| A．He failed in his own business. |
| B．He was knocked down by a car. |
| C．He suffered from a serious disease. |
| A．For five weeks. | B．For five months. | C．For fifteen days. |
| A．Classmates. | B．Colleagues. | C．Customer and agent. |
1. What problem will the motorway bring to the village?
| A．Fewer villagers will live there. |
| B．The well-known beauty spot will be destroyed. |
| C．Children will find it hard to go to the Streeve Beach. |
| A．A swimming pool. | B．Houses. | C．A steel factory. |
| A．In the north of the village. |
| B．In the west of the village. |
| C．In the south of the village. |
| A．Fully satisfied. | B．Rather worried. | C．Quite unexpected. |
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Pressure is a seriously problem in today’s world. Students in our class are under too many pressure. Some students can’t get well with their classmates, when others may worry about their exams. I’m always under pressure, too. My parents want me to be one of the top student in class, but they send me to all kinds of after-school classes at weekend. Last Monday evening, I have a talk with my mother. I told her I was not lazy. I really felt tiring. I needed time to be relax. My mother agreed with me at last. So I think have a conversation with parents is necessary to solve the problem.
7 . If you think grandparents like recalling the good old days, you’re in for a surprise. According to a recent survey, most think nostalgia just isn’t what it used to be.
Richard Drew, from the estate agent Retirement move—which carried out the survey, said, Grandparents don’t seem to want to turnback time.
The study found nearly eight in ten Grandparents say the Internet has improved life thanks to online shopping, offering new ways of communicating and online banking. It’s not just shopping online that’s had a positive impact—shops are better now too.
Although almost half said life is better now compared to when they were in their twenties, this didn’t stop Grandparents complaining about manners, traffic and driving etiquette.
| A．Opinions on films differed great. |
| B．Many of them are fond of watching film. |
| C．The results suggest there’s never been a greater time to be retire. |
| D．The main reason is that technology makes their life more comfortable. |
| E．Almost six in ten said their quality of life was better than their parents. |
| F．It is mainly because of the advances in technology, healthcare and more. |
| G．When asked to use words to describe today’s life, they chose “stressful” and “selfish”. |
8 . If there is no difference in general intelligence between boys and girls, what can explain girls’ poor performance in science and mathematics?
It seems to be that their treatment at school is a direct cause. Mathematics and science are seen as subjects mainly for boys, and therefore, as girls become teenagers, they are less likely to take them. Interestingly, both boys and girls often regard the subjects for boys as more difficult. Yet it has been suggested that girls do not take mathematics courses, not because they are difficult, but for social reasons. Girls do not want to be in open competition with boys because they are afraid to appear less feminine and attractive.
However, if we examine the performance of boys and girls who have taken mathematics courses, there are still more high-achieving boys than there are girls. This difference appears to be world-wide. Biological explanations have been offered for this, but there are other explanations too.
Perhaps the difference which comes out during the teenage years has its roots in much earlier experiences. From their first days in kindergarten, boys are encouraged to work on their own and to complete tasks. Facts show that outstanding mathematicians and scientists have not had teachers who supplied answers.
Besides, there can be little doubt that teachers of mathematics and science expect their boy students to do better at these subjects than their girl students. They even appear to encourage the difference between boys and girls. They spend more time with the boy students, giving them more time to answer questions and working harder to get correct answers from them. They are more likely to call on boys for answers and to allow them to take the lead in classroom discussion. They also praise boys more frequently. All of this seems to encourage boys to work harder in science and mathematics and to give them confidence that they are able to succeed.
Such a way of teaching is not likely to encourage girls to take many mathematics and science courses, nor is it likely to support girls who do. When it comes to these subjects, it seems certain that school widens the difference between boys and girls.
1. Girls are likely to think that ________.| A．science courses are for both boys and girls |
| B．science courses make them more popular |
| C．science courses make them successful |
| D．science courses are difficult for them |
| A．gentle | B．female | C．hungry | D．charming |
| A．Their teachers did not supply answers to them. |
| B．They started learning mathematics at an earlier age. |
| C．They showed mathematical abilities in their teenage years. |
| D．Their success resulted from their strong interest in mathematics. |
| A．boys and girls learn in the same way |
| B．boys and girls are equal in general intelligence |
| C．girls are more confident in themselves than before |
| D．girls should take fewer science courses than boys |
9 . Like many of us, Brittney Woodrum had a lot of plans for 2020. The University of Denver graduate student was going to travel the world and continue her work for the various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) she'd been working for before graduate school. However, when a serious infectious disease started, Woodrum began to accept that her travel plans would have to be put on hold. But what she couldn't accept was staying at home and “waiting this thing out.”
So, the Kentucky native began to look for an organization she could partner with to get the most out of her newly flexible schedule. She quickly found and committed to Shelterbox — a mostly volunteer-run organization that provides emergency shelter and tools for displaced families around the world — recognized internationally by the green box which physically holds the relief products. She joined as an ambassadress and learned that participating in physically challenging projects with the bluish-green box was central to the organization's mission.
As a hiker and lover of the outdoors, the 27-year-old decided she was going to climb all 58 of Colorado's 14,000 feet mountains with the goal of raising awareness and funding for families around the world who have lost their homes and are now facing the threat of the disease. 78 days and nearly 600 miles of hiking later, Woodrum raised $85,000 from friends, family and strangers around the world.
Woodrum said because the project came together so quickly, she didn't think she would raise more than $ 5,000. Word seemed to spread very quickly and a lot of people were equally moved by Shelterbox's mission and what I was doing," she said. "I have a large amount of gratitude to everyone who came out to support me both virtually and physically.”
The journey was not easy. “There were a lot of variables (可变因素) involved, from the weather to my health and well-being.” She said, “I am so relieved that everything went better than expected.”
1. What can we learn about Shelterbox?| A．Its goal is to rebuild homes for the homeless. |
| B．It is an official disaster relief organization. |
| C．It often sets a tight schedule for its ambassadors. |
| D．Its ambassadors should carry green boxes for tasks. |
| A．Reliable and intelligent. | B．Generous and flexible. |
| C．Adventurous and sympathetic. | D．Creative and determined. |
| A．Confident | B．Unexpected | C．Unsatisfied. | D．Ambitious. |
| A．Hard Journey to Raise Money | B．New Plan of Brittney Woodrum |
| C．Shelterbox Stands by Poor Families | D．Student Climbs Mountains for Charity |
10 . Dan Morrison had been an experienced barber for a shop for years. He
Such a
The "Haircuts for the homeless" thing lad always been on Sean's
"I
Tuesday through ' Sunday, Dan's barbershop would be just a
| A．hesitated | B．resigned | C．graduated | D．failed |
| A．sidewalk | B．market | C．square | D．platform |
| A．setting aside | B．keeping up | C．giving out | D．taking over |
| A．condition | B．report | C．business | D．scene |
| A．argument | B．objection | C．fun | D．exception |
| A．impressed | B．amazed | C．pleased | D．excited |
| A．respect | B．gratitude | C．affection | D．sympathy |
| A．explain | B．compromise | C．decline | D．leave |
| A．attract | B．encourage | C．support | D．comfort |
| A．honor | B．behalf | C．way | D．mind |
| A．running into | B．turning to | C．hearing of | D．looking for |
| A．unnecessary | B．unbelievable | C．uneasy | D．unreasonable |
| A．tasks | B．keys | C．choices | D．tools |
| A．gradually | B．eventually | C．especially | D．directly |
| A．purchased | B．named | C．donated | D．used |
| A．wonderful | B．creative | C．familiar | D．consistent |
| A．alternative | B．attempt | C．experiment | D．opportunity |
| A．politeness | B．kindness | C．invitation | D．advice |
| A．normal | B．unique | C．new | D．modern |
| A．casually | B．randomly | C．strictly | D．occasionally |
