RED lanterns adorn(点缀) the aisles of a small supermarket. There are stacks of red envelopes on sale, for stuffing cash in and handing out as gifts. A sign offers seasonal discounts. Such festive trappings are quite common in China in the build-up to the lunar New Year, which this year starts on January 28th. But this is Yangon, the capital of Myanmar, where Han Chinese are a mere 2.5% of the country’s population. They are a sign that Chinese New Year is becoming a global holiday.
Several countries in Asia celebrate the lunar New Year in their own way. But dragon and lion dances in Chinatowns the world over have helped to make China’s the most famous. These days growing numbers of people who are not of Chinese descent are joining in. In Tokyo window cleaners dress up as the animals of the Chinese zodiac(十二生肖). Barcelona’s Chinese parade includes dracs (a Catalan species of dragon). America, Canada and New Zealand have issued commemorative stamps for the year of the chicken. Last year New York City made the lunar New Year a school holiday for the first time.
The spread of the spring festival, as China calls it, is partly due to recent emigration from China: 9.5 million Chinese people have moved abroad since 1978, many of them far richer than earlier waves of migrants. It also reflects the wealth and globe-trotting ambitions of China’s new middle class: festivities in other countries are partly aimed at the 6 million Chinese who are expected to spend their weeklong holiday abroad this year. International brands are trying to lure these big spenders with chicken-themed items.
Conscious of China’s growing economic and political clout, foreign leaders have taken to noting the occasion. Britain’s Prime Minister, Theresa May, has given a video address, a tradition started in 2014 by her predecessor, David Cameron. Last year the country’s royal family tweeted a picture of Queen Elizabeth dotting the eye of a Chinese lion-dancer’s costume. Also in 2016, Venezuela’s culture minister admitted that his country was celebrating Chinese new year for the first time—with six weeks of festivities—in a bid to improve economic ties with China. It is rumored that this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos was held a week earlier than usual to avoid clashing with Chinese New Year.
China also sponsors related events, such as a display this year of martial arts in Cyprus and a traditional Chinese temple—fair in Harare, Zimbabwe. It may give Chinese officials satisfaction to see foreigners enjoy such festivities. They lament the growing enthusiasm among Chinese for Western celebrations such as Christmas—in December cities across China are bedecked with Santas and snowflake decorations. Chinese New Year is a welcome chance to reverse the cultural flow.
1.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Many countries in Asia are similar to each other in celebrating the Chinese lunar New Year.
B. This year’s World Economic Forum in Davos was held a week earlier than usual to avoid clashing with Chinese New Year.
C. Venezuela is the first country in South America to celebrate the Chinese spring festival.
D. Partly owing to recent emigration from China, the Chinese spring festival could be spread worldwide.
2.Paragraph 2 is conducted by means of ________.
A. analyzing reasons B. giving examples
C. listing arguments D. comparing facts
3.Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word in Para 3?
A. hook B. attack
C. interfere D. exclude
4.The sentence “China hopes the festival will boost its cultural ‘soft power’ abroad.” should be put at the beginning of Paragraph ________.
A. Two B. Three
C. Four D. Five
5.Why are Chinese officials pleased to see foreigners enjoy Chinese new year festivities?
A. Because these activities are beneficial to improving economic ties with foreign countries.
B. Because these activities can bring about large amounts of money.
C. Because these activities offer a chance to promote Chinese culture.
D. Because these activities would bring forth peace and harmony of the world.
Smog in Europe and North America could be more than 25 times more deadly than the average air pollution found in Chinese cities, a new study suggests. In the largest ever study of its kind in the developing world, researchers tested the effects of air pollution on the health of people in 272 cities in China.
They found average annual exposure to fine particles, known as PM2.5, in those cities was more than five times higher than the level recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to a paper in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
However they also discovered that it was much less likely to increase the death rate than PM2.5 in Europe and North America.
The researchers, led by Dr Maigeng Zhou, of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, suggested this was because China is affected by large amounts of natural dust blown by the wind from arid areas, while most pollution in the West comes from industry.
They found that for every increase of 10 micrograms of air pollution in a cubic meter of air, the mortality rate increased by 0.22 percent, discounting deaths from accidents.
Professor Frank Kelly, an expert in environmental health at King’s College London, who was not involved in the study but has studied air pollution in China, told The Independent: “Those relative risks are considerably less than those seen in Europe and the US. For mortality(死亡率) in Europe we are working on a six percent increase per 10 micrograms.” That suggests air pollution in Europe is about 27 times more toxic than average air pollution in China.
However, Professor Kelly said cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong were likely to suffer from Western-style air pollution. "The natural dust component there is not of the magnitude that it would dwarf the coal, biomass and fossil fuel signals,” he said, “That may be true in certain cities whose pollution is not dominated by local power generation or major traffic congestion.”
Natural dust particles can cause physical damage to the lungs and trigger an asthma attack. Particles of carbon produced when fossil fuels are burned can lead to similar problems but they are also coated with toxic heavy metals, chemicals and volatile organic compounds. These are able to pass from the lungs into the blood stream where it is thought they cause further damage to the body.
Areeba Hamid, an air pollution campaigner with environmental group Greenpeace, said: “Poisonous air causes damage to people’s health wherever in the world they live. We now know fumes from diesel(柴油机) vehicles are a lot more poisonous than car companies claimed and this is a big cause of air pollution in Europe and North America. These companies have a lot to answer for, but so far they’ve managed to avoid any real accountability.”
The study of cities in China found the average annual expose to PM2.5 was 56 micrograms per cubic meter, compared to the WHO guideline limit for safe air quality of 10 micrograms.
People who were older than 75, had less education or who lived in hotter places were more likely to die. It is thought people in warmer cities were more likely to spend time outside or leave their windows open, thereby breathing more polluted air, the researchers said. They also speculated that less well educated people might have poorer access to health care or experience poorer environmental health conditions.
1.Why PM2.5 in China is less deadly than that in Europe and North America?
A. China is free from any pollution about PM2.5.
B. Pollutants affecting China mainly come from arid areas.
C. Fewer people died from PM 2.5 in China than those in Europe and North America.
D. Europe and North America are polluted by natural dust.
2.What does the underlined part in Para 7 refer to?
A. The average mortality rate. B. The higher mortality rate.
C. The lower mortality rate. D. The normal mortality rate.
3.What’s the real cause of air pollution in Europe and North America according to Areeba Hamid?
A. Fumes from diesel vehicles are much more poisonous.
B. The environmental agencies can’t take on responsibilities.
C. The technology doesn’t meet the standards.
D. Car companies can’t evaluate the results.
4.The author’s purpose of writing the passage is to ________.
A. appeal to people to lay an emphasis on environmental protection
B. illustrate smog in Europe and North America is quite serious
C. demonstrate China is safest place in the world to live in
D. provide some good ways to address the smog
Handwriting is quickly becoming a dying art. Few businesses can run nowadays without computers, giving keyboard shortcuts an unprecedented importance. Elementary and high schools across the country now view typing courses as essential to their curricula. But what are we losing as handwriting loses its significance in society?
Brain power, according to science. Researchers from Princeton University and the University of California, Los Angeles conducted a series of studies to demonstrate the differences between students who wrote out their notes and those who typed notes. Participants took notes on a lecture using one of the two methods and were tested on the material 30 minutes after the lecture and again a week later. The results showed that both types of notetakers did well on the first test, though longhand notetakers had a stronger grasp of the overall concept, but students with handwritten notes were able to remember and still understand the concepts of the lecture after a week had passed. These participants were also more open to understanding new ideas.
At the University of Nebraska, educational psychologist Kenneth Kiewra held a similar study, where some students were tested immediately following a PowerPoint lecture and others had a chance to review their notes before being tested. Those who took notes on a laptop had a slight advantage on the test right after the lecture, but students with written notes performed significantly better when given the chance to review. Kiewra told the Wall Street Journal that the reason is likely because written notes are briefer, more organized, and better captured information from graphs and charts than typed notes.
Computers aren’t going away anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean paper notebooks need to become obsolete(过时). In fact, it’s best to start using them at an early age. University of Indiana researchers compared brain scans of five year olds, some of whom practiced printing letters and some who just looked at the letters. Those who wrote out the letters had more enhanced and “adult-like” neural activity.
Take this as a parenting hack for the digital era: Don’t let your kids go completely digital.
1.It can be inferred from the second paragraph that ________.
A. Not both types of notetakers did well on the material test 30 minutes after the lecture.
B. It’s easy for both types of notetakers to welcome new ideas.
C. Students who wrote notes out could only remember the lecture in a week.
D. Students who typed notes could have a better understanding of the material.
2.Why students with written notes performed much better when given the chance to review according to Kiewar?
A. Because the written notes are much more convenient and accessible.
B. Because they have a higher level of intelligence than those with typed notes.
C. Because they are born adapting themselves to new ideas easily.
D. Because the typed notes are always without any references.
3.The passage mainly provides suggestions for ________.
A. students B. parents
C. schools D. enterprises
The Chinese are more likely to shop online than consumers from any other country, according to the latest survey by the International Post Corporation, a Brussels-headquartered association on postal services.
In the second annual study of 24,000 respondents in 26 markets across North America, the Asia-Pacific and Europe, the IPC found that 36 percent of Chinese buy from digital sites at least once a week, a frequency far outstripping peer buyers.
China is also the most popular market for consumers around the world to shop from, accounting for 26 percent of most recent cross-border purchases, followed by the United States with 16 percent, Germany’s 15 percent and the United Kingdom’s 15 percent.
Purchases from China are more popular with younger people and women, while purchases from Germany receive warmer welcome by men and the elderly, the international study found.
Online marketplaces such as Amazon.com Inc, eBay Inc and Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd were the most sought-after avenues for buyers from almost all countries, accounting for around two-thirds of all cross-border purchases, the study said.
The survey also indicated that clear information about delivery charges, free returns and free delivery over a particular value, were the most important drivers for cross-border online shoppers.
It found that consumers were more likely to pay a premium for tracking rather than for speed of delivery. They preferred to pay for delivery of a tracked item that took five to eight days for delivery than an untracked item that took three to four days.
About 70 percent of cross-border online shoppers were offered tracking and 88 percent used it, mostly in the interim stage, to check on delivery progress.
Almost three-quarters of shoppers used the post for their most recent cross-border purchases. Overall, 87 percent were satisfied with their delivery experience. Only 6 percent returned their cross-border purchase, mostly using the post for the return.
The survey also looked at consumer delivery experiences, finding that most cross-border purchases had free shipping.
1.Which of the following statements is Not true according to the survey?
A. Younger people and women from Germany are superior to men and the elderly in purchasing.
B. America is the second most popular market for worldwide consumers.
C. The Chinese consumers like shopping online best in the world.
D. The majority of cross-border purchases can enjoy free shipping.
2.The following items are the most important drivers for cross-border online shopping Except ________.
A. delivery charges B. the speed of delivery
C. free returns D. free delivery over a particular value
3.Which can be the most suitable title for the passage?
A. Global Online Shopping
B. China, the Most Popular Purchasing Market
C. Chinese Top World’s Online Shoppers
D. Cross-border Purchases
It was a day in late June, gray and depressing, with clouds hanging low. My husband and I were driving to Nova Scotia, Canada, for a much-needed vacation. We traveled tiredly, hoping to_______rest and dinner before the rain came. Suddenly, on a lonely stretch of highway, the storm _______. Cascades of water shut us in, making driving impossible. We _______ onto the shoulder of the road and stopped.
Then, as though someone had turned off a celestial tap, it _______. A thin radiance, like a spray of gold, _______from the clouds. Every blade of grass was crystalline as the sun flashed on _______ drops. The very road shone, and a rainbow arched across the sky. It was as though this beam of color had been built for us _______. We could hardly speak for awe and joy.
A friend of mine has described a _______ experience. She had walked out on a lonely beach at twilight. It was a time of grief for her, and _______ was what she wanted. Offshore, across the darkening sea, she made out the ________ of an anchored fishing boat, and in it the figure of a man. My friend told me that after a while, she felt an intense and glowing sense of oneness with that ________ figure. It was as though sea and sky and night and those two solitary human beings were united in a kind of profound identity. “I was ________by joy,” she said.
________almost anything may serve as the motivation of such a feeling—stars shine on new snow; a sudden field of daffodils; a moment in marriage when hand reaches out to hand in the ________ that this other person speaks as you speak, feels as you feel. Joy may wait, too, just ________ danger when you have enough to face a situation and live it out. ________ the source, such experiences provide the most memorable moments of life.
What if these moments of joy are given to us to ________that this is the way we are meant to live? What if the clarity of joy is the way we should be seeing all the time? To many people, it seems almost wicked to feel this radiance in a world________as ours is. But most generations have known uncertainty and ________. The more damaged the world, the more we need to remember the luminous beauty at the center of life. Our moments of joy are ________that at the heart of darkness an unquenchable(不可遏制的) light shines.
Joy is the feeling that we have touched the edge of something far beyond ourselves.
1.A. reach B. purchase C. afford D. offer
2.A. struck B. attacked C. fell D. covered
3.A. pulled up B. pulled through C. pulled off D. pulled down
4.A. started B. ended C. paused D. disturbed
5.A. spread B. unfolded C. broadcast D. reflected
6.A. bright B. shrinking C. trembling D. thick
7.A. alone B. lonely C. only D. together
8.A. contrary B. different C. similar D. strange
9.A. discomfort B. loneliness C. despair D. pain
10.A. sightseeing B. scene C. image D. picture
11.A. silent B. peaceful C. quiet D. calm
12.A. overlooked B. overcome C. overtaken D. overdone
13.A. Apparently B. Purposely C. Accidentally D. Fortunately
14.A. imagination B. reputation C. innovation D. realization
15.A. against B. beyond C. within D. without
16.A. Whichever B. However C. Whatever D. Whenever
17.A. represent B. recall C. resemble D. reveal
18.A. threatened B. destroyed C. cursed D. interfered
19.A. opportunity B. happiness C. challenge D. benefit
20.A. proof B. version C. foundation D. comprehension
It could be ________ for Jackson who seldom puts his hearts into his studies to be admitted into a key university.
A. a good Samaritan B. a Herculean task
C. a dark horse D. a bit of Scrooge
