1 . In Chinese cities, food deliverymen are often seen riding at full speed through busy traffic. They rushed from restaurants to different destinations, even under bad weather conditions.
The article The Food Deliverymen Are Trapped in the App pointed out that on food delivery service platforms, Eleme and Meituan, the time limit and the route for each delivery order is calculated by an algorithm（算法）.But the algorithm doesn't consider real-life situations, such as red lights, speed limits and fully occupied elevators.
The time limit for a delivery order within 2 kilometers is 30 minutes, even shorter in recent years. Delay could mean a fine. So deliverymen rev up, often breaking traffic rules, putting their own lives at risk.
Many people asked the platforms to improve the regulations imposed(强加) on the deliverymen. In response to this demand, Eleme announced it would add a button to the app, which allowed customers to extend the time limits for their orders, and encouraged customers to show more respect for deliverymen. But some people felt that the company was staying away from the problem and changing people’s attention. Some held the view that the company was putting the responsibility on the customers rather than solving the problem itself.
As to delivery delays, solutions are far from enough. As a matter of fact, when a delivery delay happens and the company can’t reach an agreement with the customer on the responsibility, the deliveryman is usually the final one responsible for the delay. The Shanghai Customer Council commented that it was unfair for the deliveryman to be the only side responsible for a delay and problems should be solved between the companies and their employees. Besides, market regulatory departments should stop companies from setting tight schedules for their deliverymen and keep them safe on the roads.
1. What does the underlined expression “rev up” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?| A．Run away. | B．Speed up. |
| C．Wander around. | D．Slow down. |
| A．The Customer Council. | B．The customer. |
| C．The company. | D．The deliveryman. |
| A．Set tight schedules for more orders. |
| B．Solve the problems of delivery delays with the customers. |
| C．Stop companies from setting tight schedules for their employees. |
| D．Employ more deliverymen for the delivery companies. |
| A．The customers’ rights should be protected. |
| B．Food delivery regulations need improvement. |
| C．Food deliverymen take risks on their way. |
| D．Delivery platforms earn more than before. |
2 . Are you the only child in your family? If so, do you enjoy it or do you want more siblings（兄弟姐妹）?
On May 31, a key meeting of the Communist Party of China unveiled a policy that would allow all couples to have up to three children.
The move is expected to maximize the population's role in driving economic and social growth, since this is a critical time for China to transform the world's most populous country into a powerhouse（强国）with a quality workforce, according to the National Health Commission.
The three-child policy is also expected to prevent the decline in the nation's birthrate and address the challenge of a rapidly aging population, China Daily reported.
China's annual number of newborns has fallen for four years in a row. The country's total birthrate—the average number of children born to each woman—stood at 1.3 in 2020. The number is below the rate of 2.1 that would maintain a stable population, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
The declining birthrate has also brought a sharp increase in the proportion of the population aged 60 or above, rising from 10.3 percent to 18.7 percent in the past decade. An increasingly elderly population will increase the cost of labor and the pressure on the social security net. It also means there will be a lack of young labor force. Therefore, it's not good for economic growth, according to Chen Youhua, a professor at Nanjing University.
In fact, the new birth policy is a step to further relax the family planning policy. The one-child policy was introduced in the 1970s and aimed to control the fast-growing population. Then in 2013, China allowed couples to have a second child if either parent was an only child, and in 2016, all couples were allowed to have two children.
However, not all people have shown their support for this latest policy. Many couples complained about the rising costs of raising a child. A netizen named Qinfeng commented, "High cost of education and both the physical and mental exhaustion stopped me from having more than one child." Also, many women are reluctant（不情愿的）to give birth because that could mean sacrificing their career prospects, according to Mu Guangzong, a professor at Peking University.
In that case, Mu noted that it is better to implement supporting measures with the three-child policy, such as more preferential（优惠的）policies for couples that would ease their parental burden.
1. What might NOT be the main cause for the new policy?| A．To increase the population's role. |
| B．To stop the declining birthrate. |
| C．To improve the child- care service system. |
| D．To address the challenge of the aging population. |
| A．China's annual number of newborns has fallen for decades. |
| B．The government will protect the legal rights of women in employment. |
| C．Measures will be taken to improve the high-quality education. |
| D．The new policy allows couples to have up to three children. |
| A．To carry out. | B．To get along with. |
| C．To make use of. | D．To have a command of. |
| A．To show his love of children healthcare. |
| B．To introduce the new family size policy. |
| C．To share his concerns about birthrate. |
| D．To emphasize the physical and mental exhaustion. |
3 . China's ban on the domestic sale and processing of ivory(象牙) and its products took effect on Sunday, at the very beginning of 2018, making good on a commitment Chinese authorities made last year.
The move, which effectively closes one of the world's largest ivory markets, has been supported by conservationists as a crucial step toward combating elephant poaching."This ban alone won't end the poaching of elephants," Ginette Hemley,senior vice-president of the World Wildlife Fund, said in a statement. "It's equally critical that China's neighbors follow suit and shut down ivory markets across Asia. Only then can we ensure the open trade doesn't simply shift to other countries for newly-poached ivory."
China's ban on the domestic ivory trade follows a similar measure adopted in the U.S. in 2016, when the Fish and Wildlife Service set a ban to reduce the movement of ivory within U.S. borders. Both the U.S. and China had been negotiating on their proposed ivory regulations since 2015.
An international ban on the commercial ivory trade was established in 1990 — but that rule hasn't exactly achieved all its aims."Wildlife experts had thought that the international ban on ivory trade would slow or even stop the killing of elephants for their tusks. However, the killing got worse. That's mostly because the ban didn't cover older ivory," Joyce, a journalist, reported, noting that ivory taken from elephants before the ban was still legal to trade. "So people are still killing elephants but passing off their ivory as old."That has had disastrous effects for elephants. Over the span from 2007 to 2014, for instance, there was a decline of roughly 144,000 animals in seven years.
Still, there have been some signs of hope for the campaign against elephant poaching: Prices for the animals' tusks in China had dropped from $2,100 per kilogram in 2014 to just $730 per kilogram in March 2017. And this, at least, is offering conservationists reason for cautious optimism — assuming the China’s ban is enforced effectively.
1. What did Ginette Hemley mean?| A．The poaching of elephants will never be banned. |
| B．China should put a more effective ban on ivory trade. |
| C．Other countries in Asia should ban ivory trade. |
| D．China’s neighbors will threaten China’s ivory market. |
| A．More old elephants were killed. |
| B．More ivory was sold as old ivory. |
| C．The number of elephants increased |
| D．People pulled off old elephants’ ivory. |
| A．The China’s ban will close the world largest ivory markets. |
| B．The measure in the U.S reduced ivory trade in China. |
| C．Prices for ivory have dropped about 65% in the last three years. |
| D．China is offering hope for the future of elephants. |
| A．It’s disappointing. |
| B．It’s promising. |
| C．It’s demanding. |
| D．It’s history-making. |
1、上海率先实施； 2、垃圾须分四类（干、湿、可循环、有害）； 3、社会反响。
参考词汇：垃圾分类 trash sorting
注意：词数 120 左右；可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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5 . Drivers who drive a little too close to cyclists on the road could soon be caught on the spot. A new technology adopted by legal departments in Ottawa could help carry out legal distance between bikers and cars on the road.
The device, which is fixed on a bicycle’s handlebars like a bike bell, uses sonar(声呐) technology to measure the distance between the bike and passing cars. The device will make a loud noise if the car is within one meter of the bike, the legal limit in the city of Ottawa, allowing the police rider to radio ahead to his colleagues so that the driver can be pulled over. “The safety of all road users is extremely vital, including cyclists. These cycling changes are directed at encouraging cycling, promoting road safety, and sharing the road,” said Rob Wilkinson, coordinator of the Safer Roads Ottawa Program.
The authorities started the program last week with a single sonar device. One police officer rode the bike bearing the device around the city on Tuesday to prove the effectiveness(有效性) of the technology. Within a few minutes of riding, the device was beeping, registering that two drivers had violated the one-meter distance requirement. The drivers were pulled over and given brochures informing them that they had broken the safe distance law.
Wilkinson noted that the device is not currently being used to issue fines, which can go up to $110, and that there are no plans to use it for enforcement(执法)in the future. At this point, its main use is to spread awareness about the safe distance law, which was passed last September in an effort to encourage rider safety and reduce deadly crashes.
1. What will happen if the safe distance is beyond the legal limit?| A．The cyclist will soon be caught on the spot. |
| B．The police will make the driver stop by the road. |
| C．The driver will be arrested for driving too fast. |
| D．The device will at once call the police of itself. |
| A．To make the bicycle attractive. | B．To encourage people to walk. |
| C．To guarantee road safety. | D．To warn drivers of danger. |
| A．Making a loud noise. | B．Receiving an urgent message. |
| C．Sending a stop signal. | D．Radioing the police rider. |
| A．It is being developed at present. | B．It still has room for improvement. |
| C．It may be used to fine drivers later. | D．It helps reduce traffic accidents. |
6 . “What kind of rubbish are you?” This question might normally cause anger, but in Shanghai it has brought about complains over the past week. On July 1st, the city introduced strict trash-sorting regulations(垃圾分类制度) that are expected to be used as a model for our country. Residents must divide their waste into four separate categories and throw it into specific public bins at scheduled times.
Violators(违规者) face the possibility of fines and worse. They could be hit with fines of up to 200 yuan($29)。 For repeat violators, the city can add black marks to their credit records, making it harder for them to obtain bank loans or even buy train tickets.
Shanghai authorities are responding to an obvious environmental problem. It generates 9 million tons of garbage a year, more than London's annual output and rising quickly. But like other cities in China, it lacks a recycling system. Instead, it has relied on trash pickers to examine carefully through the waste, plucking out whatever can be reused. This has limits. As people get wealthier, fewer of them want to do such dirty work. The waste, meanwhile, just keeps piling up.
Many residents appear to support the idea of recycling in general but are frustrated by the details Rubbish must be divided according to whether it is food, recyclable, dry or hazardous, which can be confusing, though there are apps to help work it out. Some have complained about the rules surrounding food waste. They must put it straight in the required public bin, forcing them to tear open plastic bags and throw it by hand. Most annoying are the short windows for dumping trash, typically a couple of hours, morning and evening. Along with the monitors(监控) at the bins, this means that people go at around the same time and can keep an eye on what is being thrown out. After all, no one wants to look bad.
1. Why does the author mention the question “What kind of rubbish are you?” in the first paragraph?| A．To blame the new rules. |
| B．To advocate a good rule. |
| C．To lead in the topic of the text. |
| D．To tell us people’s complains in Shanghai. |
| A．The massive traffic. | B．The increasing garbage. |
| C．Lack of a recycling system. | D．Lack of trash pickers |
| A．Short scheduled time for throwing the trash. |
| B．Being fined when blamed due to improper behavior. |
| C．Being observed by monitors when throwing the garbage. |
| D．Complex distinction among the four categories of trash. |
| A．How To Sort Out Trash In Our Life. |
| B．People In Shanghai Meet New Challenge. |
| C．Shanghai Authorities Solved An Environmental Problem. |
| D．Different Attitudes Towards The Trash-sorting Regulations. |
7 . Imagine on your way out of class today you trip (绊倒) on a loose piece of carpet and twist your ankle. As a result of the injury, you lose your place in the local sports team, and have to miss an important job interview. Bad luck? Or an opportunity to get rich quick?
Perhaps it's not surprising that Roslyn Darch of Houston, Texas, USA felt annoyed when she tripped over a toddler (学步的儿童) running around a furniture store, and broke her ankle. But a few months later, she was $780,000 richer after she successfully sued (起诉) the shop. The owners were clearly surprised at the size of Roslyn's payout, particularly since the toddler she tripped over was her own son.
And it's not only claims for physical injuries that are keeping the lawyers busy. A group of overweight New York teenagers sued a giant fast-food company claiming that they had not had enough warning that a diet of burgers, fries and milk shakes would make them fat. The parents of one nineteen-year-old English schoolgirl successfully sued her school for 42,000 compensation when she failed to get a top grade in a university entrance exam. Sandra York received $113,000 from a Washington D.C. restaurant after slipping on a spilt soft drink.
Who knows where it will end? Some say there should be penalties (处罚) for excessive (过度的) claims, or that there should be a limit on payouts. But one thing's for sure—in the end, the only certain winner is the lawyer!
1. Roslyn sued a furniture store because ________| A．she tripped over by furniture in the store. | B．she bought chairs of poor quality. |
| C．she was affected by the compensation culture. | D．she tripped over her son. |
| A．1 | B．2 | C．3 | D．4 |
| A．supportive | B．neutral | C．disapproving | D．unconcerned |
| A．To Sue or Not to Sue? | B．The Best Way to Get Rich. |
| C．The Decline of the Compensation Culture. | D．Who Wins in the Lawsuits(诉讼)? |
A student, Evalthus, heard of this famous teacher and asked him to give him lessons. However, Evalthus didn’t want to pay for his lessons at once, and after some discussion it was finally agreed between them that Evalthus should pay only if he won his first case in the court. For if he won, it would prove that he had been taught well.
The lessons began and Evalthus proved himself to be a good student. But he refused to pay Protagoras anything at the end of his studies.
Protagoras therefore took Evalthus to the court and told the judges that he wanted his money. He explained that he must be paid whether he won or lost the case. “Whatever you decide,” he declared(宣称)to the judges, “ I must be paid. For if you decide in my fovor , then I win the case, and so I must be paid . But If you decide against me, then Evalthus has won his first case in the court; according to our agreement, he must pay his lessons. Therefore I shall get my money whatever happens.”
The Athenian judges found no fault in it, so they asked Evalthus to reply.
“No, it’s quite clear,” said Evalthus, “ that I need not pay. If the judged decide in my favor, then I have won the case, and I need not to pay. But if Protagoras wins, then I have lost my first case. Therefore, according to our agreement, I do not have to pay. So I need not pay in any event.”
As both arguments appeared to be faultless, the judges were unable to come to a decision. They therefore ordered the two men to appear before them again one hundred years later.
1. Evalthus would pay Protagoras _______________.
| A．before he started his lessons |
| B．after he finished his lessons |
| C．after the court decided against him |
| D．after the court proved that he was taught well |
| A．He won the judges’ favor in the end and got his money. |
| B．He was probably the first teacher to accept money for his lessons. |
| C．He didn’t teach Evalthus well because Evalthus didn’t pay. |
| D．He was not confident of his winning the case in the court. |
| A．They couldn’t make a decision. |
| B．They needed to think it over again. |
| C．They wanted to make fun of them. |
| D．They wanted more money from them. |
| A．A Smart Student---- Evalthus |
| B．A Great Teacher---Protagoras |
| C．Come Here One Hundred Years Later |
| D．A Fight Between Teacher and Student |
