1 . I got my first driver’s license(执照)in 1953 by taking driver education in my first year at Central High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. Four years later when it was time to renew(更新)my license I was a married woman. Henry and I were living in Baltimore, Maryland. Two weeks before my 20th birthday, Henry drove me to the motor vehicle office on a hot July afternoon.
When I got to the office and showed to the man behind the counter my North Catrolina driver’s license, ready to renew, the man told me that I was under age by Maryland law since I was not yet 21. “Mr. Henry Smith, your husband, will have to sign for you,” he said. I argued, pointing to a very large belly(肚子)of mine,” I am married. I am having a baby. Why should I have to have someone sign for me to drive?” He answered coldly, “It’s the law, madam?”
Henry encouraged me to calm down, just go ahead and get the license and be done with it “No.” I said. I refused to have him sign for me. So I left without a Maryland license.
I called the North Carolina Motor Vehicle Office and renewed my NC license by mail-using my name Susan Brown. And thus(因此)it was for the next twelve years. Since Henry was in the army I could drive under my home state license.
By the time Henry left the army we were once again living in Maryland, and I had to take the Maryland driver’s exam. Since then I just go in and renew every four years-sign the name Susan Brown, have my new picture taken, and walk out with a license to drive.
1. How old was Susan when she got her first driver’s license?| A．18 years old. | B．17 years old. |
| C．16 years old. | D．15 years old. |
| A．By car. | B．By bike. |
| C．By bus. | D．By walk. |
| A．before she got married to Henry | B．when she was twenty years old |
| C．after she finished high school | D．when she just moved to Maryland |
| A．American males should serve in the army |
| B．different states may have different laws |
| C．people have to renew their licenses in their home states |
| D．women should adopt their husbands ' family names after marriage |
2 . Germany’s top court has ruled that parts of the country’s 2019 climate (气候) action law must be changed because they don’t do a good job of protecting young people. The result is a big victory for the nine young people who started the law suing (诉讼).
The court suing stresses an important part of the climate change: The change will impact greatly on young people far more than the adults. That’s because the effects of earth warming will become more serious over time. As young people become adults, they’ll be left to deal with many problems that today’s adults have ignored. The government’s failure to plan carefully was putting their future lives in danger.
In 2019, Germany passed a new law, promising that the country would be carbon neutral (碳中和) by 2050. The law made a detailed plan of action until 2030. But the law didn’t have any specific rules or plans for climate actions that would be taken between 2031 and 2050.
Last Thursday, the judges of Germany’s highest court agreed with the young people. They said that not taking climate action made the basic rights of young people to a good future in danger.
The young people had challenged the government’s law in four specific areas. The judges didn’t agree with all of the challenges. But having the court support even a part of their case is seen as a big victory. Neubauer is one of the young people who sued. She works with the climate action group Fridays For Future. Ms. Neubauer said, “Climate protection is our basic right. This is a huge win for the climate movement. It changes a lot.”
The court has given the German government until the end of 2022 to fix the law. The climate law will now need to have a much more detailed plan for the actions that will be taken after 2030 to cut Germany’s pollution, allowing it to become carbon neutral by 2050. Germany’s government has said that it will quickly begin working to make the needed changes.
1. Why did the nine young people sue the Germany government?| A．They faced a higher rate of losing jobs. |
| B．The government refused their law suing. |
| C．The local court ruled against the climate law. |
| D．They weren’t satisfied with the climate action law. |
| A．The adults nowadays are put under pressure. |
| B．The climate change will influence the young. |
| C．Earth warming is becoming out of control. |
| D．Humans feel uncertain about the future. |
| A．Improve the present law. |
| B．Win people’s wide support. |
| C．Take strict punishment measures. |
| D．Achieve carbon neutral in advance. |
| A．Business. | B．Health. |
| C．Education. | D．Environment. |
3 . Parents usually teach their children how to cross the street safely by looking both ways for cars. But do they also teach them to put away their cell phones?
Texting while crossing the street will soon be forbidden in the city of Honolulu, Hawaii. Beginning on October 24, you could be fined from $15 to $99 if you step into a Honolulu street while looking at your phone. Honolulu is the first major U.S. city to forbid what is called "distracted (分心的) walking." It recently passed a law in a seven to two vote. The law says: "No pedestrian (行人) shall cross a street or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device (设备)." In other words, do not look at a screen when you cross the street or you could be fined.
The law’s creators hope it will lower the number of people hit and killed by cars in the city. Mayor Kirk Caldwell told Reuters news agency, "We hold the unfortunate distinction (区分) of being a major city with more pedestrians being hit in crosswalks, particularly our seniors (老年人), than almost any other city in the country."
The law includes all electronic devices with screens: cell phones, tablets, gaming devices, digital cameras and laptop computers. The law does permit an exception. Pedestrians may use such devices in the street to call emergency services and rescue workers, such as firefighters and police officers.
Pedestrian deaths have been increasing as the use of cell phones rises. The Governors Highway Safety Association says pedestrian deaths in the United States increased 25 percent between 2010 and 2015. That trend (趋势) continued in 2016 with the number of pedestrian deaths rising to almost 6000, 11% higher than in 2015.
If you still want to text while walking, you could avoid being fined in Honolulu (and be safer, in general) by using a voice-controlled digital assistant such as Siri or Google Assistant. Or you could just wait until you are again, safely, off the street.
1. What is the new law about in Honolulu, Hawaii?| A．Pedestrians must follow traffic rules while on the street. |
| B．Texting is not allowed while crossing the street. |
| C．Cell phones cannot be used for the sake of safety. |
| D．Ways to reduce deaths caused by traffic accidents. |
| A．He will be grounded. | B．His electronic device will be taken away. |
| C．He will receive a fine. | D．His identity will be made public online. |
| A．Only voice-controlled digital assistants can be used while walking. |
| B．Only police officers can use such devices when emergency arises. |
| C．Only one such device can be allowed to use when crossing the street. |
| D．Only in case of emergency can a pedestrian be allowed to use a cell phone . |
| A．To cut down on accidents caused by "distracted walking". |
| B．To make sure electronic devices will be properly used. |
| C．To make the city as safe as the other ones while walking. |
| D．To force parents to teach their children to walk with care . |
Do you know the UK government has
The motivation behind this
A similar law
As of January 2015, 22% of adult men and 17% of adult women smoke in Great Britain. The possibility of smoking in the UK increases with age so that by 15 years of age 8% of school children
Smoking is one of
5 . 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. |
6 . The law says women should have the chance of doing the same jobs as men and earn the same as them. The reality is very different. Women lose because, 25 years after the Equal Pay Act, many of them still get paid less than men. They lose because they do lower-paid jobs which men just won’t consider. And they lose because they are the ones who interrupt a career to have children. All this is reported in an independent study ordered by the Government’s women’s unit. The biggest problem isn’t equal pay in workplaces such as factories. It is the sort of work women do.
Make a list of low-paid-jobs, then consider who does them. Try nurses, secretaries, cleaners, clerks, teachers in primary schools, dinner ladies and child- care helpers. Not a lot of men among that group, are there? Yet some of those jobs are really important. Surely no one would deny that about nurses and teachers, for a start. So why do we reward the people who do them so poorly? There can be only one answer- because they are women. This is not going to be put right overnight. But the government, which employs a lot of them, and other bosses have to make a start.
It is disgraceful that we have gone into the 21st century still treating women like second-class citizens.
1. Women should have the chance of doing the same jobs and getting the same pay as men ________.| A．after 25 years |
| B．according to the law |
| C．as a result of those important jobs |
| D．because women are as strong as men |
| A．that women interrupt a career to have children |
| B．what sort of work women do |
| C．because they are women |
| D．what unfair pay women get in workplaces |
| A．wonderful | B．grateful |
| C．shameful | D．hopeful |
| A．Work to give women a fair pay deal | B．The equal pay act |
| C．The sort of work women do | D．The biggest problem about women |
7 . NOTICE
Lake Castle Administration
State of Georgia
Smoking Ban(禁令) in Public Places
Public Notice Number 328ROD47 Date- -July 20th
All individuals are informed that a legislation (法律) regarding(关于) “Ban of Smoking in Public Places” has been approved. Staring from 25th July the law will come into effect(生效、实施). Any person found including in smoking at any point of time, with any substance will be fined(罚款) a sum of 1,000 dollars.
No “First Warming”will be issued. This notice itself serves that purpose. Notice regarding this ban is being displayed in various TV channels, newspaper and radio stations.
Details of the Ban:
First Offence--$ 1 ,000 Fine
Second Offence-- $ 2 ,000 Fine
Third or more Offence-- $4,000 Fine
Fine is payable at Municipality Collection Centre of the State of Georgia.
H. M. Swinson,
Medical Heath Officer,
Georgia
1. When will the new law go into operation?| A．Three days later. | B．Five days later. |
| C．A week later. | D．A month later. |
| A．special smoking places will be set up |
| B．Smokers breaking the law will be warned firstly |
| C．one will be fined $4.000 at most by law |
| D．more people will give up smoking |
| A．At Lake Castle Administration. | B．At Municipality Collection Centre. |
| C．At H. M. Swinon, Medical Health Officer. | D．At federal Government of Stare. |
8 . France is getting tough with food waste with great determination.A new law has been passed in the country that will ban grocery stores over 4, 305 square feet from throwing away unsold food.If it's still safe to eat, the food must be donated to charity; if not, it goes to farmers for use as animal feed or compost(肥料).
Supermarkets will no longer be allowed to destroy unsold food intentionally in order to prevent people from eating it.There are many people who search for food in the garbage cans behind stores, wanting to take advantage of the perfectly edible(可食用)food that gets thrown away on a daily basis; and yet some stores try to stop this, either by locking the garbage cans or pouring bleach(漂白剂)into them, a practice that Guillaume Garot, the former French food minister who proposed the new bill, describes as“scandalous.”
Food waste is a global problem, with an estimated 24 percent of calories produced for human consumption never getting eaten.Most of this waste happens at the final consumption stage.It is reported that“the average French person throws out 20 to 30 kilograms of food a year—7kg of which is still in its wrapping.”American shoppers throw away about one-fifth of everything they buy at the grocery store, according to a fascinating new documentary called“Just Eat It”.
The supermarkets aren’t happy about the new law because their food waste represents only 5 to 11 percent of the 7.1 million tons of food wasted annually in France.By contrast, restaurants waste 15 percent and consumers 67 percent.“The law is wrong in both target and intention, ”argues Jacques Creyssel, head of the distribution organization for big supermarkets.“Big stores are already important food donors.”
Despite this, France’s new law is a move in the right direction.Wasting food absolutely needs to become a socially immoral thing to do—much like throwing garbage on the ground.If law is what’s needed to get people thinking about conservation and edibility, then it's not a bad thing.
1. How should supermarkets handle unsold food by the new law?| A．They should leave it alone. | B．They should give it away. |
| C．They should sell it at lower prices. | D．They should drop it into garbage cans. |
| A．Inconvenient. | B．Challenging. | C．Impractical. | D．Unacceptable. |
| A．The seriousness of food waste. | B．The reasons for food waste. |
| C．The consequences of food waste. | D．The solution to food waste. |
| A．It is strict. | B．It is ineffective. |
| C．It is unfair. | D．It is well-intentioned. |
9 . The sudden death of the 23-year-old female emplovee of Pinduoduo has sparked a heated debate, with many criticizing the overwork culture. Three experis share their views. Excerpis (节选) follow:
Labor laws compatible (兼容的) with digital era needed
This case should inspire society to reflect on how to better protect employees’ rights in the digital era. The relevant clauses in the Labor Law cannot be specifically applied to charge internet companies suspected of violating laborers' rights and interests.
The blurring (模糊) of the line between social and economic activities in the digital era makes it difficult to define fixed working hours.
Lawmakers should find out the new factors affecting labor relations due to the rapid development of internet and communications technology. This can pave the way for law-making on working hours in the digital era. “996” working schedule is against labor laws.
More than one year ago, it was shocking to hear e-commerce tycoons (巨头) Liu Qiangdong and Jack Ma publicly support the "996" working schedule to push their employees to work harder. A growing number of companies have been using different methods to exercise ever-increasing control over their employees.
To correct the situation, it is vital that the country bring in specific law on internet enterprises, especially in terms of labor contracts and work schedules, and make it clear that the “996” working schedule is illegal.
Death due to overwork needs legally definition
Work pressure and long working hours can seriously affect workers' physical and mental health, making. them more easily hurt by occupational and stress-related diseases.
But it is difficult to prove that a person dies of overwork. Only a person who dies at the workplace or of a sudden illness within 48 hours of getting off work is considered a victim of work.
China should issue guidelines explaining in detail what leads to death due to overwork.
1. What do the three experts agree on?| A．The Labor Law in China is non-effective. |
| B．It is difficult to define fixed working hours. |
| C．Supervision on companies should be tightened. |
| D．Improvement should be made to the current laws. |
| A．To highlight the models of e-commerce. |
| B．To introduce tycoons' attitudes to overwork. |
| C．To confirm their efforts to protect employees. |
| D．To express disagreement on “996” working schedule. |
| A．To make somebody anxious. | B．To do sports or other physical activities. |
| C．To use your power to achieve something. | D．To test or make experimental use of something. |
| A．Someone dies on his way to office. | B．Someone dies of a heart attack in his office. |
| C．Someone dies three days after work. | D．Someone dies after work without symptoms. |
10 . For many kids, the Internet is at their fingertips. From computers to smart phones, a web of information is open to them. According to a new report from the Pew Research Center, about three out of four kids aged 12 to 13 connect the Internet using a mobile device (移动设备) from time to time. Many younger kids are online, too.
Julian Zeitlinger, 9, from New Jersey, uses his computer to watch videos and play games. To keep him safe online, his parents monitor (监视) his web use and discuss Internet safety with him. “I ask my parents if something is wrong,” Julian says.
Mobile devices offer more ways than ever to share personal information. The information can be dangerous in the wrong hands. A study found that 62% of children aged 8 to 17 have had an unpleasant online experience.
Have you ever had to enter a parent’s email address when signing up for a website? That safety net is there because of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The law says sites for kids under 13 cannot collect personal information, such as a phone number or full name, without a parent’s permission (允许).
This July, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will update (更新) COPPA for the first time since the law was created, in 1198—when there were no smart phones. “The nature of the way kids get online has changed,” FTC lawyer Phyllis Marcus said.
When the changes take effect, COPPA will apply to mobile device (移动设备) and newer forms of adverising. “There is a misunderstanding that if a site is following COPPA, it is totally safe,” says privacy expert Shai Samet. He runs kidSAFE, which checks whether a site meets kidSAFE standards and is safe. “It is important that kids know how useful the Internet is but that is also can be dangerous if you are not careful.” he adds.
1. Julian’s parents check his web use to make sure ________.| A．he doesn’t watch too many videos. |
| B．he doesn’t play computer games. |
| C．he stays safe on the Internet. |
| D．he controls his online time. |
| A．By describing his own experiences. |
| B．By presenting scientific research. |
| C．By showing differences. |
| D．By using examples. |
| A．normal websites are always safe. |
| B．the Internet is becoming safer and safer. |
| C．COPPA can ensure their complete safety. |
| D．daily checks prevent future online problems. |
