1 . Life can change in the blink of an eye. For Bridgette Ponson, one of those
Soon, Chris Crowder, CEO of the school, became
“It was a split second,” Chris recalls. “I immediately just ran into the classroom building because I knew I had to get a lot of people to lift this car. We have about 220
A whole group of kids could be seen working together to lift the car enough for Mom and her kids to get
A.discoveries | B.observations | C.explorations | D.moments |
A.approached | B.hit | C.delighted | D.confused |
A.searching | B.waiting | C.trapped | D.tied |
A.Thankfully | B.Honestly | C.Absolutely | D.Obviously |
A.witness | B.cause | C.victim | D.damage |
A.learned | B.realized | C.recalled | D.explained |
A.accompany | B.treat | C.save | D.welcome |
A.aware | B.afraid | C.ashamed | D.approving |
A.doubt | B.wonder | C.exception | D.delay |
A.domestic | B.energetic | C.innocent | D.ordinary |
A.made | B.helped | C.watched | D.heard |
A.calling | B.looking | C.running | D.climbing |
A.ahead | B.close | C.free | D.lost |
A.stress | B.injuries | C.hunger | D.diseases |
A.expected | B.determined | C.advised | D.reminded |
2 . Picture this: you’re out to dinner with a friend who you know makes a lot more money than you do. When you open the
That’s the idea behind “loud budgeting”, a trend that could not only relieve you of the
The term was first introduced by TikTok (抖音) comedian Lukas Battle. Battle explained his concept in an interview: simply put, loud budgeting is being
It’s not just a TikTok thing though. Even those in the financial services industry are on board with the
Beyond just saving money, loud budgeting is also bringing people closer. Honest money talks lead to greater respect among friends and family. By
With its focus on being open, spending wisely, and building
A.door | B.menu | C.bill | D.wallet |
A.appeal to | B.lead to | C.stick to | D.object to |
A.Otherwise | B.Meanwhile | C.Therefore | D.However |
A.financial | B.cultural | C.physical | D.economical |
A.refusing | B.pretending | C.agreeing | D.guaranteeing |
A.worried | B.angry | C.honest | D.excited |
A.male | B.female | C.young | D.old |
A.tradition | B.truth | C.treasure | D.trend |
A.below their standards | B.beyond their means | C.towards their goals | D.despite their differences |
A.normalizing | B.criticizing | C.memorizing | D.visualizing |
A.endlessly | B.intelligently | C.openly | D.formally |
A.belonging | B.accountability | C.flexibility | D.rigidity |
A.less motivated | B.less equipped | C.more hesitant | D.more likely |
A.connections | B.business | C.habitats | D.reputation |
A.lose faith in | B.take charge of | C.do away with | D.make up for |
3 . The way of recording things has never ceased to develop. In the 1980s, as sales of video recorders went up, old 8mm home movies were gradually replaced by VHS (video home system)tapes. Later, video tapes of family holidays lost their appeal and the use of DVDs
Digitising historical documents brings huge benefits—files can be
But the news that the Ministry of Justice of the UK is proposing to scan the 110 million people’s wills it holds and then destroy a handful of
Scholars
The government says that it will save the original wills of “famous people for historic record”, such as that of Princess Diana’s. However, assuming that we know who will
The digitisation of old documents is a valuable, even essential measure. But to destroy the originals once they have been scanned, is not a matter of great
A.paused | B.boomed | C.recovered | D.disappeared |
A.getting outdated | B.coming into style | C.being fined | D.making an error |
A.deleted | B.named | C.copied | D.altered |
A.fight or flight | B.life or death | C.wear and tear | D.awe and wonder |
A.unfortunately | B.additionally | C.in summary | D.for example |
A.the originals | B.the essentials | C.the visualised | D.the digitised |
A.preservation | B.classification | C.publication | D.destruction |
A.applaud | B.disagree | C.discriminate | D.withdraw |
A.revising | B.abandoning | C.uncovering | D.enduring |
A.meaningful | B.favourable | C.resistant | D.delicate |
A.inventing | B.adjusting | C.accessing | D.damaging |
A.outcomes | B.safeguards | C.deadlines | D.byproducts |
A.matter | B.respond | C.lose | D.live |
A.spared | B.discussed | C.forgotten | D.protected |
A.sacrifice | B.courage | C.efficiency | D.admiration |
4 . Alipay, the digital payment arm of Chinese financial technology company Ant Group, is allocating more resources to roll out translation services in 16 languages, to ensure foreigners in China can use mobile payments without any hurdles.
Alipay’s move comes amid China’s intensified efforts to further improve foreigners’ payment
Alipay has allowed foreigners in China to link their
Users of 10 overseas e-wallets are also able to use their familiar home e-wallets on their own phones by
According to Alipay, foreigners can use the app to complete payments at restaurants, hotels, scenic spots, convenience stores and supermarkets, as well as for ride-hailing, shared bikes, buses and other public
The mobile payment app has also
The State Council, China’s Cabinet, published a guideline on improving payment services and
Last week, the People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank,
Wang Pengbo, a senior analyst at market consultancy Botong Analysys, said the intensified efforts to provide convenient payment services will not only
Wang said the move demonstrates the country’s resolve to expand high-standard opening-up,
Meanwhile, Chinese banks are taking measures to expand the
Dong said more efforts are needed to expand the scenarios of various types of payment methods at tourist attractions, sporting events, transportation hubs, healthcare and beauty centers and other daily
A.expectations | B.memorizations | C.experiences | D.durations |
A.international | B.domestic | C.interior | D.commercial |
A.copying | B.photographing | C.sharing | D.scanning |
A.transportation | B.security | C.education | D.maintenance |
A.evolved | B.launched | C.specialized | D.simplified |
A.decreased | B.restricted | C.suspended | D.raised |
A.implementing | B.enhancing | C.administrating | D.subscribing |
A.diversified | B.facilitated | C.digitalized | D.conflicted |
A.purchased | B.authorized | C.released | D.commercialized |
A.designs | B.illustrations | C.instructions | D.imagery |
A.significantly | B.artificially | C.individually | D.frequently |
A.gateway | B.industry | C.deadline | D.term |
A.developing | B.monitoring | C.securing | D.adding |
A.recognition | B.acceptance | C.regulation | D.policy |
A.construction | B.application | C.production | D.consumption |
5 . Umar Fox searched his whole life to look for the firefighter who saved him and his sister from a house fire in 1978. The search
Umar was 3 when the
Umar had always hoped to
Umar said that he and his sister “wouldn’t be
As for Joseph, he considered he was
A.finally | B.normally | C.really | D.easily |
A.change | B.action | C.accident | D.adventure |
A.scene | B.floor | C.surface | D.ground |
A.speed | B.power | C.distance | D.safety |
A.injury | B.rescue | C.loss | D.task |
A.interview | B.meet | C.assist | D.join |
A.related to | B.dealt with | C.resulted in | D.applied for |
A.relaxing | B.satisfying | C.similar | D.enough |
A.visited | B.found | C.accompanied | D.urged |
A.attend | B.organize | C.sponsor | D.chair |
A.listened | B.cared | C.joked | D.worried |
A.special | B.retired | C.alive | D.delightful |
A.explain | B.compare | C.believe | D.agree |
A.brave | B.proud | C.suitable | D.willing |
A.roughly | B.curiously | C.hopefully | D.simply |
6 . The very unusual series of events finished as Sondrup was heading home from an extended work shift. She had just completed her fourth continuous night shift, and
While driving home, Sondrup
“It’s
Under what she described as a turn of fate (命运), Sondrup
Sondrup courageously
“I really feel that my guiding
The man Sondrup rescued recently reached out to express his
A.tiredness | B.happiness | C.stress | D.anger |
A.description | B.memory | C.opinion | D.request |
A.believed | B.summarized | C.tracked | D.noticed |
A.preserved | B.introduced | C.trapped | D.exchanged |
A.possible | B.different | C.strange | D.interesting |
A.Obviously | B.Normally | C.Formally | D.Likely |
A.pulled over | B.turned on | C.looked around | D.worked out |
A.progress | B.accident | C.reference | D.survival |
A.watched | B.explored | C.climbed | D.contacted |
A.struggle | B.contribution | C.experiment | D.wisdom |
A.recognized | B.encouraged | C.concentrated | D.promoted |
A.proposal | B.focus | C.goal | D.force |
A.key | B.awkward | C.spare | D.public |
A.demand | B.appreciation | C.desire | D.view |
A.solution | B.title | C.health | D.personality |
7 . A cure for the future in the past?
For over fifty years, the people of Britain have relied on the welfare state to make sure they have adequate health services. But now the National Health Service is sick. Government
For some, however, there are
Consider these case studies:
Maude is 76 years old and has been suffering from arthritis for almost ten years. “The pain in my joints was almost
Ron is 46. His high-powered city job was
So is there still a place in our lives for modern medicine? While it is true that some infections and viruses may be
A.support | B.restrictions | C.cutbacks | D.concern |
A.programs | B.alternatives | C.measures | D.scales |
A.comeback | B.living | C.change | D.mess |
A.unique | B.uncertain | C.universal | D.unbearable |
A.permission | B.surgery | C.supervision | D.strength |
A.condition | B.desperation | C.general | D.particular |
A.protect | B.recover | C.relieve | D.treat |
A.eager | B.grateful | C.famous | D.responsible |
A.treatments | B.sources | C.spirits | D.comments |
A.supervised | B.declared | C.recommended | D.tempted |
A.contributing | B.adapting | C.subjecting | D.objecting |
A.moderate | B.active | C.negative | D.suitable |
A.identifying | B.investigating | C.estimating | D.worsening |
A.prevented | B.empowered | C.indicated | D.restored |
A.undertaking | B.invading | C.investing | D.evolving |
8 . In Favour of Simple Writing
Do you edit text messages carefully before sending them? If so, you may be the kind of person who takes pride in
People are constantly receiving messages, from the mailbox to the inbox to the text-message alert. What to read, what to skim (略读) and what to ignore are decisions that nearly everyone has to make dozens of times a day. A new book titled All Readers are Busy Nowadays makes the argument for being the careful kind of
Take “less is more”. Most books on writing well advocate the advice to
Keeping messages to a
Syntax (句法) and
If everyone is a busy reader, everyone is a busy writer, too. That may make it tempting to sent as many messages as
A.conveying | B.understanding | C.crafting | D.sending |
A.care | B.quantity | C.simplicity | D.technology |
A.reader | B.poster | C.learner | D.writer |
A.structures | B.principles | C.aims | D.alternatives |
A.remove | B.ignore | C.reconsider | D.interpret |
A.conveyed | B.translated | C.tested | D.shaped |
A.lowered | B.affected | C.doubled | D.maintained |
A.basic | B.positive | C.definite | D.single |
A.Recording | B.Reducing | C.Counting | D.Estimating |
A.in comparison | B.after all | C.for instance | D.in particular |
A.word-choice | B.pattern-design | C.target-setting | D.platform-selection |
A.difficult | B.suitable | C.challenging | D.common |
A.carefully | B.often | C.politely | D.quickly |
A.outcomes | B.points | C.figures | D.benefits |
A.received | B.written | C.read | D.answered |
9 . It was January 2016, and Jeremy and his girlfriend, Molei, were leaving Denver for a weekend of fun with friends on the slopes in Colorado.
The snow came earlier than they’d
“Life was really great,” he says. Then, within a blink of an eye, everything
A truck that came out of nowhere hit them. One minute, Jeremy’s Ford SUV was
Statistically, Molei should have died. Inside her neck, the vertebrae (脊椎) had basically been crushed. Her head was attached to her shoulders by
Henry Rodriquez, an officer on holiday, was driving on the same road not far behind the Ford and
For 45 minutes, Rodriquez
A.observed | B.expected | C.enjoyed | D.realised |
A.slope | B.tunnel | C.route | D.town |
A.exactly | B.surprisingly | C.specially | D.correctly |
A.grateful | B.terrible | C.difficult | D.awesome |
A.happened | B.disappeared | C.moved | D.changed |
A.driving | B.rolling | C.jumping | D.running |
A.pinned | B.lay | C.sat | D.placed |
A.terror | B.pain | C.panic | D.frustration |
A.something | B.everything | C.nothing | D.anything |
A.drove away | B.drove on | C.pulled back | D.pulled over |
A.Since | B.After | C.While | D.Although |
A.kept | B.left | C.appealed | D.improved |
A.laid | B.rushed | C.dragged | D.walked |
A.shook | B.touched | C.pounded | D.felt |
A.rescue | B.check | C.response | D.arrival |
10 . In 1970, Alan Ayers was participating in a skydiving team competition in Gainesville, Florida. He would be
Ayers’ teammates skydived first,
“I was completely out of the plane on my back,
Thousands of feet in the air, hanging from the plane, Ayers was out of
“And what happened next was
Ayers dropped away from the plane, opened his parachute, and landed
More than 50 years later, she often came into his
A.falling | B.jumping | C.marching | D.sliding |
A.repaired | B.painted | C.removed | D.broken |
A.leaving | B.recognizing | C.choosing | D.admiring |
A.right | B.luck | C.chance | D.turn |
A.hurt | B.caught | C.spotted | D.covered |
A.hitting back | B.looking down | C.staring up | D.pushing forward |
A.challenging | B.confusing | C.fearful | D.visible |
A.sight | B.trouble | C.options | D.doors |
A.incredible | B.exciting | C.accidental | D.disappointing |
A.straightened | B.pushed | C.dropped | D.freed |
A.dramatically | B.safely | C.unconsciously | D.regretfully |
A.possession | B.mind | C.position | D.focus |
A.young | B.practiced | C.dirty | D.bony |
A.fame | B.victory | C.life | D.health |
A.bravest | B.happiest | C.kindest | D.wisest |