2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What does the speaker mainly talk about?

A．Advertising benefits.

B．Consumer habits.

C．Unnecessary spend.

2. Why are related items recommended?

A．For more purchase.

B．For better service.

C．For higher price.

3. What can help monitor spending habits?

A．Physical cash.

B．Credit card.

C．Digital wallet.

3 . 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.

2. What can we learn about the public services in Germany?

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.

3. Which of the following best describes German food according to the author?

A．Diverse.

B．Cheap.

C．Boring.

D．Expensive.

4 . 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.

2. What accounts for the decline of questioning in adulthood?

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.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 3?

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.

4. What might the author continue talking about?

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.

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How many people are reported to use their phones in public places?

A．Nearly a half

B．More than half.

C．Almost everyone

2. What leads people to talk less “in real life”?

A．Talking in a cafe

B．Walking down the street.

C．Spending too much time on phones.

3. What will people probably do with phones on the underground?

A．Listen to music.

B．Check emails.

C．Text.

7 . Making travel a surprise

Most people plan their vacations well in advance, including where they are going.     1    .

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.     2    .

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.     3    . With its reputation of super Internet-famous places, Gary had a change of his opinion after seeing Austin himself. “My biggest discovery is that Austin is a city full of contrasts,” Gary said. “You can see skyscrapers and old houses in old alleys (巷子) in the same view.”

    4    . For example, Eureka, despite its scenic views, previously received few visitors due to a lack of promotion. But after it was included as a mystery box travel destination, Eureka has since got lots of attention.

    5     because they can meet with many problems after purchasing one, such as poor travel times and sudden flight cancellations (取消). Robert from Department of Tourism Management of University of Washington suggested that visitors should choose reliable platforms and sign contracts to guarantee their trip rights.

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

9 . 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

2. What is the tourist’s purpose of visiting the wreck, according to Kamuda?

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.

3. Craig McLean is one of the scientists who believe _______.

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

4. The author is most likely to agree that the future of the Titanic is _______.

A．promising

B．discouraging

C．controllable

D．vague