A total of 29 provincial regions have started or made plans to reform the national college entrance exam or gaokao,
Wang Hui, director of the ministry’s Department of College Students Affairs, said 14 provincial regions have already implemented(实施) gaokao reforms. Seven regions will
Before the reforms, high school students
High school and university officials said they think the changes encourage students to learn more about the different subjects and
To ensure fairness in the national college entrance exam, the ministry has cancelled the bonus-point system(加分政策) considerably for students
Athletes, winners of academic Olympiads, including in math, physics, chemistry and biology, winners of science
2 . Nowadays as countries across Europe begin easing their coronavirus (新冠) lockdown, a key question governments face is how to get their populations moving again without chaos on the road and rail.
With reduced public transport services and social distancing rules, preventing traffic jams on the roads will be a priority. So governments across the continent have been coming up with innovative ways to encourage people to cycle or walk instead.
The UK
The government has announced a $2.48 billion package to put cycling and walking “at the heart of” the country’s post COVID-19 transportation plan to relieve the pressure on public transport. $310 million of the package will be used to improve cycling and walking infrastructure, including building wider sidewalks and the introduction of cycle-only streets.
Italy
The Transport Minister Paola de Micheli has announced a package for its citizens to claim a $548 subsidy (补贴) on newly bought bikes.The offer applies to people living in a municipality with more than 50,000 inhabitants and can be claimed when they buy a traditional or electric bike, scooter, hoverboard, Segway, etc.
France
The French government has asked people to use bicycles to commute to work instead of their cars when the full COVID-19 lockdown ends on 11 May. An initiative from the Energy and Transport Ministry includes developing temporary bike lanes and up to $21.94 million worth of subsidies towards the cost of repairs. People will be allowed up to $55 for repairs while employers are supported to cover up to $438 of travel costs of staff who commute by bike. The plan also includes an increase in bicycle parking spaces and training for people who haven’t ridden for a while to get them back in the saddle.
Spain
Spain’s Environment Minister Teresa Ribera has asked mayors to extend bike lane coverage, reduce car speed limits and provide more bike parking in a bid to “overcome resistance generated from habits and conceptions that are well-established”. Cities such as Madrid and Barcelona already have a good bike system in operation, although they are being improved. Old lanes in the cities are being widened so that cyclists can follow the social distancing measures, whilst completely new lanes are also being formed.
1. Who can apply for the subsidy in Italy?| A．One who lives in a small village. |
| B．One who wants to buy a new energy car. |
| C．One who has the intention to go out by bike. |
| D．One who lives in Rome and is buying a new bike. |
| A．Italy. | B．Spain. | C．France. | D．The UK. |
| A．Build wider sidewalks. |
| B．Provide more bike parking. |
| C．Offer citizens a discount if they buy bikes. |
| D．Put cycling and walking at the core of its transportation plan. |
In 2014, 40.8 percent of the people in the village of Bianjiang in Guizhou Province
As poverty alleviation (扶贫) proceeds and the road system in the village improves, industries such as fish, chicken farming and growing mums have been developed. Now, a family of five can earn an average of 10,000 yuan ($1,435) a year through employment and industry bonuses. China
Through the alleviation project, China, home to nearly one
China has designated(指定) a special day for farmers to celebrate the annual harvest. It is the first festival
As we all know, China has
The Chinese government recently finalized a plan to set up a Giant Panda National Park(GPNP).
After a three-year pilot period, the GPNP will be officially set up next year. The GPNP
Giant pandas also serve
6 . What attracts customers?
There are now many products and services on the market which are similar in content though produced by different companies. It is important, therefore, for a company to distinguish itself from its competitors by having a strong company image which is immediately recognizable.
Logos are part of this image.
The logos of large international companies are instantly recognizable throughout the world.
Companies need to have a strong corporate identity. The logo helps to promote this image and to fix it in the minds of the consumers.
| A．There was a time when Coca Cola was struggling a bit with brand recognition. |
| B．One of the most famous logos is that of Coca Cola. |
| C．In different cultures, different colors carry different meanings. |
| D．Logos, therefore, need to be original and to have impact and style. |
| E．Colour isn't a strictly visual element; it's very psychological. |
| F．They are symbols which often include a name or the first letters of it to identify a company. |
| G．Obviously the quality of a product does, but visual images contribute a great deal. |
When scholars of international relations predict that the 21st century will be a “Chinese century”，they are full of reasons.
China’s
8 . Tall, taller, tallest. For much of the 20th century, New York City and Chicago competed to build the world’s tallest skyscrapers. Other cities around the world watched the race between these two cities. From 1913 to 1930 New York’s Woolworth Building was the tallest (241m). From 1931 to 1972, the Empire State Building in New York was the tallest building in the world (381m). Then Chicago built its own Sears Tower, which stood as the tallest building in the world (442m) for 24 years. Until the 1990s, the United States chimed the tallest structures on earth. That is no longer true. Today the tallest buildings are in Asia.
Skyscrapers were originally built by wealthy companies as symbols of their success and power. That is still true today. But skyscrapers are also symbols of local and national pride. Countries compete to build the tallest structure. Since 1998, the race to be the tallest has progressed quickly. Petronas Twin Towers was completed in Kuala, Lumpur in 1997 (452m). Just one year later, Shanghai completed the Jin Mao Tower (421m). On September 14, 2007, the Shanghai World Financial Center was topped out and is 492m, making it the 8th tallest building in the world. And then Dubai in the Middle East has entered the race. Burj Khalifa is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the tallest building in the world, standing at 829. 8m.
1. In 1920, the world’s tallest building was the ?| A．Sears Tower. | B．Woolworth Building. |
| C．Empire State Building. | D．Petronas Twin Towers. |
| A．Because they want to be known by the world. |
| B．Because they’re symbols of their success and power. |
| C．Because they want to make money by building them. |
| D．Because they can represent the spirits of the companies. |
| A．Skyscrapers are a source of pride. |
| B．All cities want to have the tallest buildings. |
| C．Asian cities can afford to build skyscrapers. |
| D．People are eager to have a better living condition. |
| A．Designing skyscrapers. | B．Finding jobs for architects. |
| C．Comparing American and Asian cities. | D．Competing to build the tallest skyscrapers. |
According to statistics from the World Tourism Organization(UNWTO) ,Spain is set to replace the USA
There
The Shard was designed by the famous Italian architect Renzo Piano. When he began designing the Shard for London, Piano wanted a very tall building that looked like a spire (尖顶)• He wanted the glass surfaces to reflect the sky and the city. The sides of the building aren’t regular. So the building has an unusual shape. It looks like a very thin，sharp piece of broken glass. And that is how the building got the name: the Shard. Piano says that the spire shape of the Shard is part of a great London tradition. The shape reminds him of the spires of the churches of London or the tall masts (桅杆）of the ships that were once on the river Thames.
The Shard has 87 floors. At the top, there is an observatory. At the moment the building is empty, but eventually there will be a five-star hotel. There will also be top quality restaurants, apartments and offices.
Before building work began, a lot of people didn’t want the Shard though the plans were approved. Now they are still unhappy about the Shard. Some critics say that such a tall skyscraper might be good in a city like New York, but not in London. They say that the best thing about the Shard is its spire shape. But that is the only thing. There is no decoration, only flat surfaces. The Egyptians did that 4,500 years ago. They also think the Shard is too big for London. It destroys the beauty of the city.
Other critics don’t like what the Shard seems to represent. They say that the Shard shows how London is becoming more unequal. Only very rich people can afford to buy the expensive private apartments and stay in the hotel. But the people who live near the Shard are among the poorest in London. So the Shard seems a symbol of the division in society between the very rich and the poor.
The Shard now dominates the London skyline. It is not certain, however, that ordinary London citizens will ever accept it as a valuable addition to the city.
1. London’s newest skyscraper is called the Shard because of ._____
| A．its cost |
| B．its size |
| C．its shape |
| D．its height |
| A．change London’s skyline |
| B．inherit London’s tradition |
| C．imitate the Egyptian style |
| D．attract potential visitors |
| A．is only preferred by the rich |
| B．is intended for wealthy people |
| C．is far away from the poor area |
| D．is popular only with Londoners |
| A．The Shard: Cheers and Claps |
| B．The Shard: Work of a Great Architect |
| C．The Shard: New Symbol of London? |
| D．The Shard: A Change for the Better? |
