A Beijing “silent” coffee shop is a big hit lighting up the life of hearing impaired (障碍的) youth. The café
Customers
Citywalk is a new travel trend for youngsters to explore different cultural spots. Gather together a couple of good friends and take a walk through the streets — this is
In China, the Citywalk trend is spreading from the first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai
3 . If a scientist’s first language is not English, would it be truly difficult to publish an article in an international journal? Recent study looked at tons of scientific journals in the field of biology and found that they don’t do much to help scientists who are not native English speakers. The study found most of these journals judge articles based on how well they are written in English. This can be a problem for scientists who are not fluent in English because they have to work harder to make sure their papers can be published in international journals.
“The role of journals is huge because they can be a source of language barriers (障碍), but they also have the ability to solve many of the barriers,” says Tatsuya Amano, a biodiversity researcher. He added that though some journals have started to offer tools to help scientists whose first language is not English, such examples are still rare.”
Another study by Amano found that non-native English speakers are more likely to have their papers rejected because of writing issues compared to native English speakers. This shows that the language unfairness in journals can have serious consequences for scientists who are not native English speakers.
So apart from waiting for the journals, what can non-native scientists do? One solution is to work with other scientists from English-speaking countries. They can help to check the writing skillfully to double the possibility of being published by the international journal.
1. What do most international journals judge articles based on?| A．The nationality of the author. | B．The influence of the scientists. |
| C．The fluency of English writing. | D．The quality of the research result. |
| A．Published. | B．Praised. | C．Refused. | D．Recognized. |
| A．Work with native English scientists. | B．Ask publishers for help to check errors. |
| C．Improve English before writing a paper. | D．Practice reading and writing in daily life. |
| A．A Success in the Field of Biology Study |
| B．Scientists Unfairly Treated by Language Issues |
| C．The Advantages of Publishing Papers in English |
| D．Scientists’ Growing Interest in Learning a Language |
4 . There’s a recent trend of Internet users paying someone to verbally abuse (言语辱骂) someone else. However, the service is not only unacceptable, but also illegal.
This behavior is often conducted on social media where some people sell the service. People who seek this service pay them a certain amount of money to have them insult (侮辱) the target online.
“These insults usually hurt their right to reputation, which can lead to civil liability (民事责任),” Xing Junxia, a lawyer, told the press.
In the most serious cases, according to Xing, “the verbal abuse can lead to online violence.
“The Civil Code includes the principle of public order and good customs,” Xing added.
| A．These insults are often offensive and harmful. |
| B．It may result in the victim developing a mental illness or even worse. |
| C．These actions are not illegal, but they are also not protected by the law. |
| D．People have been enjoying the benefits of paying someone to do things for them. |
| E．In more serious situations, the attacker will face administrative penalties (行政处罚). |
| F．This means that people’s activities should follow social order without hurting other people’s interests. |
| G．In such cases, the attacker must immediately stop their behavior and erase the negative impact on the victim. |
5 . Nearly half of us make New Year’s resolutions, but less than ten percent of us actually keep them. This can be due to lack of motivation or loss of interest, but it’s time for us to figure out ways to finish what we’ve started.
Lack of honesty
Are you truly devoted to running a marathon, losing weight, or whatever else you are promising to do? Be honest with yourself. We often find ourselves committing to things because we think we should.
While you may have the best intentions with your resolution, you could be putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. Rather than associating the New Year with resolutions or changes you need to make, consider it a time for reflection on things you wish to work on throughout the year.
If your goal was to send out ten resumes (简历) for a new job and you only sent out five, don’t beat yourself up for it. Rather, congratulate and reward yourself for making the effort toward your goal. That will give you the energy to continue working towards your initial (最初的) goal.
Giving up too easily
Whether you get discouraged or simply lose interest, giving up too easily is a big resolution breaker. Many people make their resolutions believing they can accomplish them.
| A．Wrong perspective (视角) |
| B．Narrow your resolution |
| C．Don’t waste your time on that. |
| D．But the excitement wears off and other priorities appear. |
| E．They thought they could stick to it because it’s what they want. |
| F．Here are reasons people don’t stick to their New Year’s resolutions. |
| G．Stop thinking about what you have not accomplished and focus on what you will accomplish instead. |
6 . Textile(纺织品)waste is a growing problem for our environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported the US throws away more than 11 million tons of clothing every year. That is why some small businesses spotting the problem are beginning to recycle in ways they haven’t before.
Create Good Company is a clothing company that tries to produce sustainable clothing and repurpose older clothing into updated fashionable items. Maggie Hendricks, the owner of Create Good Company, said, “If you can improve what you find, why wouldn’t you do that instead of buying new things? It’s a big issue not to create new waste. I would say we are 90% recycled materials.”
According to the EPA, the average consumer(消费者)throws away 81.5 pounds of clothes every year. “Anywhere between 10%-17% of the waste that’s going into landfills(废弃物填埋场)is made up of things like textiles and clothing,” said Danny Katz with the CoPIRG Foundation. “A lot of the clothing that we’re producing doesn’t even get worn, so it’s going right to the landfill or even being burned and contributing to pollution that way. It’s really worrying.”
This is why businesses like Create Good Company exist — to use outdated clothing and turn it into dresses or jackets. “There’s just so much waste and so many big companies that might not think about it,” Hendricks said. “Just standing with other like-minded people who are interested in sustainability is important.”
Another important element Hendricks has focused on is creating these items and selling them at an affordable price. “Sustainability sometimes is green washed in companies and they make things more expensive,” Hendricks said. “That’s not how we become a sustainable world. I think making products affordable is important to me. I want to buy things that are better for the environment without throwing my pocketbook in the fire.”
1. What makes Danny Katz worried?| A．The use of old clothing. | B．The cost of textile pollution. |
| C．The effect of clothing waste. | D．The future of the textile industry. |
| A．Its price. | B．Its sales. |
| C．Its producer. | D．Its quality. |
| A．The EPA’s measures to reduce textile waste. |
| B．Consumers being aware of the seriousness of textile waste. |
| C．Textile businesses’ social responsibility and their waste. |
| D．Small businesses working to prevent textile waste. |
7 . One third of adults over 65 in America have never used the Internet, and half don’t even have Internet access at home. In San Francisco, “the center of technology”, 40% of older adults do not have basic digital literacy skills.
This situation is becoming appalling as over 10,000 Americans turn 65 every single day. By 2050, 22% of Americans will be 65 or older. Meanwhile, technology is developing very fast. This means that a large number of people will be unable to proficiently use emergent technology.
Many people believe that seniors aren’t required to participate in our technological future because they’ll be retired and relaxed soon. But this is the farthest thing from the truth. Baby boomers are currently experiencing a different boom: With more people getting older than ever before, their life expectancies (寿命) are also increasing dramatically. With medical advancements, the number of American people projected to live into their 90’s has doubled since 1965.
However, they don’t have strong financial or educational support. It is not a problem, it’s a crisis. More than half of employees over 50 have been laid off in what’s being called “forced retirement”. And few organizations are actively helping older employees make the transition from full-time jobs to part-time ones. For those fortunate enough to be employed, 3 out of 5 older workers experience prejudice.
The easiest solution is to teach digital literacy. If they want to survive the forthcoming retirement crisis, they should get enough digital knowledge and skills to operate today’s tools and tomorrow’s platforms. With every crisis comes an opportunity. Tutoring, customer service, editing, research, book-keeping, and other virtual assistance-based work open the doors. But again, digital knowledge is first required to live in our high-tech society and growing economy. So try to get more online and navigate the growing number of sites and apps.
1. What does the underlined word “appalling” probably mean in paragraph 2?| A．Confusing. | B．Terrible. | C．Controllable. | D．Inspiring. |
| A．A possible crisis after they retire. | B．A possible decline in aging. |
| C．Failing to receive good healthcare. | D．Tending to double their life span. |
| A．The features of high-tech jobs. | B．The way out for baby boomers. |
| C．Potential industries in the future. | D．The importance of developing technology. |
| A．Have a good sense of crisis. | B．Avoid retiring at an early age. |
| C．Look for many part-time jobs. | D．Improve digital literacy actively. |
Provinces in China are putting efforts into the construction of digital villages. Through e-commerce, the government has taken measures
9 . A bright and impressive bus carrying fresh local produce appeared in a community of North Carolina in June 2022. It was the first pay-what-you-can Mobile Market. As the name implies, shoppers could pay any price out of their own will. Even the suggested price was about 25% less than that offered in grocery stores. This market gave shoppers a dignified way to provide food for their families regardless of their budget.
Seeing the joy in shoppers’ eyes, Will Komegay, the founder of this non-profit program—Mobile Market, felt a sense of accomplishment. He had once witnessed a wasteful and unfortunate reality. At that time, countless pounds of food had to be thrown away by farmers due to the interruption in the supply chain. Meanwhile, millions of people were struggling to afford enough food to feed their families. Kornegay didn’t want to stand by.
With much working experience in food industry and background about how food system was designed, Kornegay decided to use his company’s vast network of farmer and food industry relationships to address the issue. His team used buses to bridge the farmers, the food industries and communities that needed food most. Thousands of pounds of food that was sourced from local partners was placed into homes.
Kornegay still remembered how the first Mobile Market came into being. His team made a detailed plan and chose the colors and images they preferred. Then they purchased a “retired” school bus and renovated it, giving it a new different look and equipping it with refrigerators and freezers. Thus was born the first Mobile Market.
To date, the project has partnered with dozens of local farmers and food producers and has already served an estimated 10,000 families over 150,000 pounds of food. In 2023, the team hope to serve 80 sites across 20 counties in Eastern North Carolina. Their vision is to perfect the project where they live, and scale into every state nationwide.
1. What is the purpose of the Mobile Market?| A．To boost the income of local residents. |
| B．To promote sales in local grocery stores. |
| C．To raise money for the family with a tight budget. |
| D．To enable people to buy food at an affordable price. |
| A．He ensured the food safety. | B．He improved the supply chain. |
| C．He increased the food production. | D．He built a network between communities. |
| A．Transformed. | B．Replaced. | C．Photographed. | D．Exchanged. |
| A．It will be highly profitable. | B．It is expected to expand in scale. |
| C．It will become a new economic trend. | D．It is estimated to provide worldwide service. |
10 . Vellum(羊皮纸) is the material on which history was written and made. Centuries after its peak, it is still in production. Vellum is still a healthy industry, says Paul Wright of William Cowley Parchment Makers in a small workshop. But his company is the last vellum maker left in Britain. The lack of competition is good for Mr. Wright but bad for the craft.
In the past two years Heritage Crafts, an industry body, has produced lists of 130 critically endangered skills. That might not seem alarming. Heritage Crafts shows Britain is a nation of heritage lovers－the National Trust, a heritage charity, proudly notes that it has more members than Costa Rica has people. Britons tend to think of heritage in the country-house-and-gardens sense: history, served with a helping of high tea. Britain does not subscribe to UNESCO’s convention on safeguarding immaterial heritage. But Daniel Carpenter, the head of Heritage Crafts, argues that people as well as fancy houses are an important “part of our culture”.
Words alone cannot keep crafts alive. Greg Rowland is a wheelwright: he makes and repairs wooden wheels for various uses. His family have been wheelwrights, on and off, since 1331. Much of his knowledge cannot be reduced to words. “When you are driving a spoke(辐条) in,” he says, “you know when it’s home because the sound changes slightly.” This can only be learnt by doing. “You can’t learn a sound from a book.”
Even those deaf to the importance of immaterial heritage might be aware of its consequences. For many buildings, particularly churches, shortages are pressing. When the Notre Dame Cathedral Paris burnt down, Paris struggled to find craftspeople to repair it.
If Britain is not to lose other skills, its politicians will have to take action. So far, Mr. Carpenter says, they have had “very little motivation”. But their interest has been piqued recently. The Palace of Westminster is being rebuilt and they have struggled to find skilled workers to restore it. This, says Mr. Carpenter, is drawing their attention to the problem nicely.
1. What do we know about the vellum industry?| A．It is run by Heritage Crafts. |
| B．It has been in sustainable growth for long. |
| C．It is in competition with the National Trust. |
| D．It is still surviving in Britain. |
| A．It is hands-on work. |
| B．It has experienced ups and downs. |
| C．It has been introduced in many books. |
| D．It should be partly automated. |
| A．Maintained. | B．Inspired. | C．Decreased. | D．Shared. |
