1 . California will be the first state to ban the sale and manufacture of new fur products.
California’s fur law was one of several bills designed to prevent cruelty to animals. “California is a leader when it comes to animal protection and today that leadership includes banning the sale of fur, ” said Governor Newsom in a news report. “
Many retailers are also ending fur sales. In mid-October, Macy’s (American’s department store) announced it will stop fur from all its stores by the end of 2020. The stores will also close all fur vaults and salons. Other fashion brands such as Prada, Gucci, Michael Kors and Burberry have taken similar steps in recent years.
| A．But we are doing more than that. |
| B．California is taking the lead in protecting animals. |
| C．Similar laws have been carried out globally already. |
| D．And that in turn will leave many people unemployed. |
| E．Two other California cities had already banned fur sales. |
| F．Not surprisingly, the ban is welcomed by animal rights activists. |
| G．The ban applies to clothing, shoes, handbags and other things that contain fur. |
Rules help us live together in a community. At my local park, there is a sign that reads, “Keep off the grass.” Because our community has a need for a nice green space
3 . Bringing goods into the UK
You are allowed to bring some goods for personal use without paying tax or duty.
Arrivals from EU countries
You can bring goods from EU countries without being charged tax or duty if they are:
● transported by yourself; ● a gift or for personal use; ● bought with tax and duty included.
You can bring alcohol and tobacco from EU countries without restriction but an inquiry(调查) might be required depending on the amount of your goods.
Arrivals from outside the EU
You will be free of duty or tax on certain amounts of goods brought from outside the EU, as long as they are for your own use. Any goods that are beyond your allowance should be declared.
Alcohol & tobacco allowance:
| Type of goods | Cigarettes | Cigars | Tobacco | Beer | Wine(not sparkling wine) | Spirits | Alcoholic drinks |
| Amount | 200 | 50 | 250 grams | 16 litres | 4 litres | 1 litre | 2 litres |
Allowance for other goods:
The maximum value of other goods you can bring is £390. Any single item that is worth more than the allowance will be charged duty or tax on its full value.
The rate of duty or tax on items above the allowance is:
● 2.5% for goods worth up to £630;
● decided by the type of goods worth above £630 — check by calling the VAT, Customs.
Banned and restricted goods
Goods banned include:
● illegal drugs; ● offensive weapons; ● endangered animal and plant species;
● meat and dairy(乳制的) products from most non-EU countries.
Food and plant products restricted include:
● products containing pests and diseases; ● products grown outside the EU;
● products not for your own use.
1. Which of the following products from outside the EU has the largest duty-free allowance?| A．Beer. |
| B．Wine (not sparkling wine). |
| C．Spirits. |
| D．Alcoholic drinks. |
| A．£ 2.75 | B．£ 12.5 | C．£ 110 | D．£ 130 |
| A．A set of Russian dolls. |
| B．A bottle of French wine. |
| C．A brick of Japanese cheese. |
| D．A package of Spanish cigarettes. |
4 . Almost every community has some form of rules and some way of enforcing them. So why do we have rules, and what makes people follow them?
Studies have suggested that the reason we don’t like rule-breaking is because fairness is programmed into our brains. Scientists have found that the brain reacts in a particular way when we feel we are being treated unfairly. A fair situation makes us feel comfortable and even happy, but unfairness causes our brains to respond with negative feelings. The study found that this so happened when subjects saw others being treated unfairly. They concluded that fairness is one of basic human needs.
Arriving at a feeling of fairness means considering different, often conflicting, points of view. Regardless of the disagreement, people almost always need to compromise. But it can be difficult to arrive at a compromise when there are conflicting interests. This is why communities have rules that everyone must follow.
Social controls are an important factor in setting and following rules. They influence the way we behave, and can be internal (内在的) or external. Internal controls come from within and are based on our values and fears. Most of us don’t steal, for example, because we believe that theft is unfair and wrong. We don’t want to disappoint our family and friends, either. In other words, our internal controls keep us from behaving in ways that cause conflict.
External controls include rewards and punishments. Rewards, such as job promotions and praise, are designed to encourage people to behave and act in the interest of the whole community.
Punishments, such as public embarrassment, fines, and even imprisonment can prevent people from acting against the community’s best interests.
People need their communities to function smoothly. If there were no rules, most people would probably still behave positively. However, there would always be a minority who would not. This is why a society without rules is unlikely to exist.
1. What does the underlined word ‘‘this’’ in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．A program in human brains. | B．A comfortable situation. |
| C．The response with bad feelings. | D．The requirement off fairness. |
| A．To punish illegal activities. | B．To prevent disagreement. |
| C．To promote fairness. | D．To meet various demands. |
| A．Take exams honestly because cheating is shameful |
| B．Park in the right place so as not to get a parking ticket. |
| C．Pay the electricity bill on time in order not to get a late fee. |
| D．Cooperate with your classmates to win a prize for your class. |
| A．Living by the rules | B．Following rules with punishments |
| C．Reaching a compromise | D．Calling for fairness |
5 . Moving to Orange County
If you're thinking of moving to Orange County, with its wealth of sandy beaches, wineries and tourist attractions then there’re several things that you’ll need to know.
Visas for the US
The US has a number of options, and if you are relocating due to work commitments or family ties, you’ll be alongside the majority of applicants.
A green card holder, for instance, can apply for an immigration visa for a spouse（配偶）or (unmarried) child. A US employer can apply on behalf of a non-national person, and there are five preference categories for companies sponsoring immigration visas, the majority of which require exceptional skills, master’s training or experience of a particular profession. If you are being sponsored by an employer, your spouse and any child under the age of 21 can apply for immigration visas alongside you.
Temporary worker visas, on the other hand, are typically easier, but still not necessarily easy, to obtain and allow for limited stays.
Finding accommodation
The three largest cities in the county are Anaheim, an industrial center, Santa Ana,10 miles from the coast with a perfect safety record, and Irvine, an wealthy planned city with a number of highly regarded schools. If you’re looking for a metropolitan lifestyle, expect to pay an average of 1,600 USD in rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center, rising to 2,900 USD a month for a family-size, three-bedroom apartment; an approximate 600 USD premium（溢价）on similar apartments outside of the city center.
If you would like to settle outside of a city, there are a number of suburbs in Orange County with plenty to offer young professionals and families. Perhaps one of the most renowned is Newport Beach, noted as one of the cleanest beaches in the county and famous for its many restaurants and fantastic schools. If you’re looking for an inland town, Aliso Viejo is an excellent option. This compact（紧凑的）town is easy to navigate and is ideal for young families.
1. If you want to get a US immigration visa, you must meet one of the requirements that ________.| A．you should have an unmarried child |
| B．your employer should be a non-national person |
| C．your spouse should be a lawful permanent resident |
| D．you should be qualified for five immigrant visa preference categories |
| A．a settler’s sponsor | B．a settler’s professional level |
| C．a settler’s company location | D．a settler’s needs and the type of lifestyle |
6 . Smoking in your own home in Thailand may now be considered a crime , if the smoke is considered harmful to other people in the house.
The new law , Family Protection and Development Promotion Act , was initiated(启动) by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and was announced in the Royal Gazette on May 22 ,2019.
The law aims at curbing smoking at home which might be hazardous for others' health residing under the same roof. In that case, it will be considered as “domestic violence". The new law came into force on August 20.
According to the center for research and knowledge management for tobacco control , at the Faculty of Medical Science of Mahidol University , there are about 4.9 million households where one or more family members smoke.
An average of 10. 3 million people have unwittingly (不知不觉地) become passive smokers because they've been breathing in smoke at home. Scientific studies show that passive smokers are al greater risk of being affected by cancer.
Of 75 child patients from houses where smoking is practiced ,76% of them were found to have nicotine traces in their urine , with 43% of them having nicotine content exceeding permissible levels.
Smoking at home also “may lead to physical or emotional violence” because of aggressiveness when there is a . lack of smoking, and might as well ruin relationships between smokers and non-smoker family members.
According to the new law , anyone who thinks they are affected by domestic smoking can report to officials concerned so that inspectors will be sent to investigate and take legal action against the smokers.
Once convicted , the court may order a person to receive treatment to quit smoking in an attempt to protect the person's family.
In February in 2019 ,Thailand had banned smoking at six of its airports along with a ban in public places.
1. What is the fact about the new law in Thailand?| A．It makes it clear that smoking at home is a crime. |
| B．I’s a law on protecting the health of non-smokers. |
| C．It was drafted and adopted by the royal family. |
| D．It classifies smoking as a form of domestic violence. |
| A．Treating. | B．Changing. |
| C．Improving. | D．Controlling. |
| A．It may increase the risk of cancer in passive smokers. |
| B．It will probably cause physical or emotional violence. |
| C．It will make the smokers become more aggressive. |
| D．It may lead 10 disharmony in family relations. |
| A．Smoking is illegal anywhere in Thailand. |
| B．Smokers are less likely 10 develop cancer than non-smokers. |
| C．People who smoke at home in Thailand will be sent to prison. |
| D．Thailand is committed to creating a smoke-free environment. |
7 . He has been called France’s youngest leader since Napoleon Bonaparte. Emmanuel Macron, age 39, swept to victory in France’s second-round of presidential election which was held on May 7, 2017. He defeated Marine Le Pen by a large margin of 62% of votes. He was inaugurated (就职) as President.
Both of Macron’s parents were doctors, and he attended one of the most prestigious (有声望的) schools in France, Lycee Henri Ⅳ. From there, he became an investment banker and economy minister. Unlike the other presidential candidates, he has always worked outside of the government.
In April 2016, he created his own political movement, called En Marche! (On the Move!), recruiting (招募) more than 20,000 members. His party’s ideals were neither right-or left-winged, but more independent. As his party became more and more successful, Macron began to think about presidency, something he’d always been interested in. In November 2016, he announced his decision to run in the 2017 election.
Macron’s campaign relied on his political movement. He struggled to win votes from both parties in France, as well as from the working class. In addition, he was the only candidate that was pro-EU, or supportive of European Union.
While in office, Macron’s biggest focus will be on improving the economy. A total of €50 billion will be dedicated to job training and creating green and sustainable energy. Macron also plans to cut down on corporate taxes, improve the public education system, and lower the unemployment rate by 2.7%.
Following the election is the selection of the president’s cabinet (内阁). The Prime Minister position was given to Edouard Philippe, mayor of Northern Le Havre. However, Macrons cabinet is surprising—one France has never seen before: a gender-balanced cabinet. Out of the 22 seats available, 11 will be taken by women and 11 will be filled by men. This percentage is much higher than other European countries.
With each change of leadership come new ideals and changes to the country. Macron needs a parliament (议会) that will support his hopes and dreams for the future of France.
1. What did Macron work as before the election?| A．A manager. | B．A teacher. |
| C．A doctor. | D．A banker. |
| A．founded his party for presidency | B．had no interest in politics before election |
| C．was on behalf of the working class | D．was a supporter of EU |
| A．Economy. | B．Politics. |
| C．The private education system. | D．The gender discrimination. |
| A．Its members are all from his party. |
| B．It has more women members than other European countries. |
| C．Most of its members are men. |
| D．It has chosen a woman as the prime minister. |
8 . Owls(猫头鹰)can be found in many parts of the world. And today, one kind of owl, the barred owl, is causing a problem in forests of the northwestern United States. Barred owls are a large species native to eastern North America, but they began moving west at the start of the 20th century. In parts of the Pacific Northwest, barred owls are now causing a drop in the population of a kind of smaller and less aggressive(侵略性的) bird: the northern spotted owls. The U.S. Geological Survey is doing something unusual to protect spotted owls: killing barred owls. As a member of the department, David Wiens has mixed feelings about the program. “It’s a little unpleasant, I think, to go out killing owls,” he says. “But we knew that barred owls were really stronger than spotted owls and their numbers were growing too fast, so it makes sense to do that.”
It is a controversial( 有争议的) program. “A decision not to kill the barred owl is a decision to make the spotted owl disappear,” says Bob Sallinger, a director at the nonprofit Audubon Society in Portland, Oregon. However, Marc Bekoff, a professor of ecology(生态学 ) and biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, strongly disagrees with the experiment and says humans should find another way to help spotted owls.
If reducing the barred owl population improves the number of spotted owls, the U.S. Geological Survey may consider killing more barred owls as part of a longer-term effort. Enough success has been noted for the experiment to be extended to August of 2021.
1. Why are barred owls being killed ?| A．They are breaking the laws of nature. |
| B．They are killing each other to survive. |
| C．They are destroying large areas of forests. |
| D．They are putting the spotted owls in danger. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Uncaring. | C．Supportive. | D．Negative. |
| A．New Ways to Help Forests |
| B．How to Keep Ecological Balance |
| C．Killing One Species to Save Another |
| D．Time to Protect Animals |
9 . NEW YORK—President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend immigration to the Unit States for 60 days to stop those applying for permanent residency from taking American job has drawn criticism from immigration supporters who brand it a “distraction” amid the coronavirus pandemic(流行病).
“In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!” the president tweeted Monday night. Trump said he signed the executive order Wednesday. “This would ensure that unemployed Americans of all backgrounds will be first in line for jobs as our economy opens,” Trump said at Wednesday night’s coronavirus news briefing.
The president had initially wanted to suspend all immigration to the US to stop the spread of OVID-19 and “protect American jobs”, as 22 million have filed(申请) for unemployment. But on Tuesday he said his executive order would affect only some family members of US citizens seeking green cards (permanent residency IDs) and foreign workers who want to move to America.” It would be wrong and unjust for Americans laid off by the virus to be replaced with new immigrant labor flow in from abroad.” Trump said at the briefing.
The executive order won’t bar(禁止) immigrants already living in America seeking green cards, or the 85,000 workers a year given H-1B visas nor seasonal farm workers. It also will not stop people using temporary visas for work or travel.
“The Trump administration is again seeking to distract Americans from their own failures to secure testing, provide basic protections for all workers, and create a healthcare system that works for us all,” Bitta Mostofi, commissioner of the New York Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, told China Daily. He also said, “Among the l million essential workers in New York City working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic—delivery worker, EMS staff, drivers, healthcare personnel, and more—half are immigrant.”
Former US secretary of state John Kerry told CNN that the immigration order was “a sideshow, an effort to divert people’s attention”.
At least 6 million US healthcare workers were born abroad, including 29 percent of all doctors, 38 percent of home health aides(助力) and 23 percent of retail store pharmacists(药剂师), according to the Migration Policy Institute.
1. Why did Trump sign the executive order according to Para. 2?| A．To improve the welfare of American people. |
| B．To reduce employment pressure in America. |
| C．To promote America’s economic development. |
| D．To avoid American population rising so quickly. |
| A．Immigration to America should be limited to give local Americans more job chances. |
| B．The Trump administration is trying its best to secure testing to deal with the virus. |
| C．Immigrants play an important role in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| D．The Trump administration has created an effective healthcare system. |
| A．Ignore people’s attention |
| B．Control people’s attention |
| C．Focus on people’s attention |
| D．Take people’s attention away. |
| A．US immigration suspension draws criticism. |
| B．US stops those applying for permanent residency. |
| C．US takes measures to stop spread of COVID-19. |
| D．US healthcare workers who were born abroad. |
10 . In Canada, rights come with responsibilities. ' These include:
Obeying the law—one of Canada’s founding principles is the rule of law. Individuals and governments are regulated by laws and not by arbitrary actions. No person or group is above the law.
Taking responsibility for oneself and one's family—getting a job, taking care of one's family and working hard in keeping with one's abilities are important Canadian values. Work contributes to personal dignity and self -respect, and to Canada's prosperity.
Serving on a jury—when called to do so. you are legally required to serve. Serving on a jury is a privilege that makes the justice system work as it depends on impartial juries made up of citizens.
Voting in elections—the right to vote comes with a responsibility to vote in federal provincial or territorial and local elections.
Helping others in the community—millions of volunteers freely donate their time to help others
without pay -helping people in need assisting at your child’s school volunteering at a food bank or other charity, or encouraging newcomers to integrate. Volunteering is an excellent way to gain useful skills and develop friends and contacts.
Protecting and enjoying our heritage and environment—every citizen has u role to play in avoiding waste and pollution while protecting Canada’s natural, cultural and architectural heritage for future generations.
1. Which of the following may be the best title of the passage?| A．Rights of Citizenship in Canada |
| B．Responsibilities of Citizenship in Canada |
| C．Different laws and regulations in Canada |
| D．Rights coming with responsibilities in Canada |
| A．Work can help one to win respect. |
| B．Canadian law requires its citizens to serve on a jury. |
| C．Volunteering is a better way to develop friends. |
| D．All citizens have the responsibility to protect Canada’s architectural heritage. |
