There are so many websites to help you plan trips and book trips and save money.

1. Dishtip.com

If I had to pick just one site to help with restaurant recommendations around the US, it would be Dishtip.com. Dishtip organizes the information of eating out in the United States in a whole new way: In other words, the site sorts through reviews across the web, such as the best dishes in Denver or the pizzas in Portland or the fried food in Phoenix.

2. Skypicker.com

Skypicker.com basically helps you figure out where you can fly within your budget. It’s sort of like the “explore” page of Kayak.com, but focuses mainly on Europe, and on very, very cheap flights.

3. Stay.com

I usually doubt the sites that claim (声称) they can plan your trip for you. But for a quick agenda with a few useful extras, Stay.com is not bad at all. Here’s what you do: Choose one of more than 100 destinations, from Provence to Marrakesh to Lake Tahoe. Then go through their listings of top attractions, museums, shopping, restaurants and something else, clicking on whatever appeals to you. Those choices magically turn into a personalized plan that you can either turn into a pdf file and print or send to your smart-phone, where with the Stay. com app you can use it, and the city map that comes with it, even when you’re offline.

4. Staydu.com

A neat site that matches hosts from around the world with travelers looking for unique local experiences. That can mean volunteering to teach English or doing farm work in exchange for staying and meals, or simply paying a small fee to move in with a local family.

1.Which website can help you find the best restaurant in America?

A.Stay.com. B.Staydu.com.

C.Dishtip.com. D.Skypicker.com.

2.How does the author tell readers Stay.com is a good web site?

A.Tell a story.

B.Give an example.

C.Give some figures.

D.Compare it with Kayak.com.

3.What is the special part of Staydu.com?

A.It can help you save money.

B.It can help travelers experience local life.

C.It can send a personal trip plan to your smart-phone.

D.It can help you figure out where you can fly within your budget.

假定你是李华，你所在的学校要征集一封英文感谢信，以致敬奋战在抗击新型冠状病毒肺炎第一线的医护人员，请你根据下列要点写封信用于投稿。

1.表达谢意；2.个人感受；3.表达信心。

注意：1.词数100左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

参考词汇: 流行病 epidemic  疫情 epidemic situation  新型冠状病毒 novel corona virus

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（^），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Plogging is a new fitness trend what combines jogging with picking up litter. Since it was creating in Sweden, it has swept across the world. Plogging have many advantages. To begin with, with some bending and arm strength requiring to hold all the garbage while plogging, you will work out very efficiently than just jogging. Secondly, plogging is suitable for all ages. You just need to carry the garbage bag as well as a pair of gloves. Furthermore, there is no doubt that plogging will lead to a cleaner environment and a better world to live. In short, plogging is of benefit to our health or it will bring about great changes to your environment.

Let’s take actions from now on and do our bits.

语法填空

From smooth conference calls in a 1.(crowd) train station to live broadcasts of town hall meetings and lightning-quick downloads of high-resolution(高清晰的) movies, Shanghai’s superfast 5G network is turning technological dreams into reality.

In the latest 2.(develop), the city’s Hongqiao Railway Station, one of Asia’s 3.(big) traffic centers, has launched a 5G network. It will allow passengers 4.(experience) data speeds up to 100 times faster than 5. is available now. The railway station’s 5G network, the result of teaming up with telecommunication equipment maker Huawei Technologies,6.(see) as a milestone in Shanghai’s commercial 5G arrangement to become a dual-gigaband city, with gigabit(千兆位)network speeds on mobile as well as fixed networks.

As the 5G era 7.(approach), one of the key concerns for telecom operators will be how they can use 5G networks to meet the needs of high-density areas with thousands of people simultaneously(同时)8.(use) the network to make phone calls, access the Internet and make mobile payments.

China Mobile’s Shanghai branch tapped Huawei’s 5G Digital Indoor System, which is currently 9.industry’s only commercially available system for 5G indoor coverage. The product, developed in Shanghai, is now ready 10.mass delivery.

    There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one most widely accepted today is based on the ____ that drama evolved from ritual( 宗教仪式). The argument for this view goes as follows. In the beginning, human beings ____ the natural forces of the world -even the seasonal changes-as unpredictable, and they sought through various means to ____ these unknown and feared powers. Those measures which appeared to ____ the desired results were then kept and repeated until they changed into ____ rituals. ____ stories arose which explained or masked the mysteries of the rituals. As times passed, some rituals were ____, but the stories, later called myths, continued to exist and provided material for art and drama.

Those who believed that drama evolved out of ritual also argue that those rituals contained the ____ of theatre because music, dance, masks, and ____ were almost always used. ____, a suitable site had to be provided for performances and _____the entire community did not participate, a(n) ____ division was usually made between the “area of acting” and the “area in which an audience sits”. Besides, there were performers, and, since considerable importance was ____ to avoiding mistakes in the practice of rituals, religious leaders usually ____ that task. Wearing masks and costumes, they often imitated (模仿) other people, animals, or supernatural beings, and mimed (用哑剧表演出) the ____ effect―success in hunt or battle, the coming rain, the revival of the Sun- ____ an actor might. Eventually such dramatic representatives were separated from ____ activities.

Another theory traces the theater’s origin from the human interest in ____. According to this view, tales about the hunt, war or other things are told and gradually spread. ____ through the use of action and dialogue by a narrator and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person. A closely related theory traces theater to those dances that are primarily gymnastic or that are ____ of animal movements and sounds.

1.A.background B.assumption C.evidence D.theory

2.A.viewed B.employed C.clarified D.dismissed

3.A.take B.possess C.guarantee D.control

4.A.start B.show C.bring D.continue

5.A.usual B.direct C.convincing D.fixed

6.A.Apparently B.Actually C.Eventually D.Naturally

7.A.spread B.abandoned C.followed D.celebrated

8.A.seed B.content C.myth D.history

9.A.costumes B.routines C.instructions D.performances

10.A.As a result B.In fact C.On the contrary D.In addition

11.A.when B.how C.unless D.while

12.A.deep B.equal C.clear D.extra

13.A.attached B.related C.committed D.tied

14.A.put up B.took up C.took on D.put on

15.A.unexpected B.unpredicted C.prepared D.desired

16.A.whenever B.as C.whatever D.so

17.A.social B.political C.economic D.religious

18.A.accounts B.story-telling C.descriptions D.drama-writing

19.A.at that time B.at a time C.at first D.at once

20.A.imitations B.creatures C.presentations D.exhibitions

    Nowadays people tend to digitalise everything from watches to fridges. It seems you can choose any item labeled as “smart”. 1.. However, there are plenty that can be used to reduce emissions and save money.

If you’re a part of the digitalisation movement，you might be interested in the concept of smart homes. It means that every element of your house can be controlled from a panel on the wall or your phone.2.. Use your mobile to power them on or off，and you may feel truly modern or truly lazy. Aside from the benefits of living a more comfortable life, this presents an opportunity to cut down on your electrical bills.

Electricity generation today represents 31% of total global fossil fuel use and around 40% of all energy-related CO2 emissions.3. It is considered as the first step to prevent global climate change. Connect a smart thermometer to the heating and cooling system and set a specific temperature at which the heating begins to work. Doing so, the room will be at a desired temperature when necessary and switches on a power-saving mode when not occupied. Similarly, by installing a CO2 sensor, you can have an automated ventilation (通风) system.4..

In a 150,000m2 office complex near Munich， called Campeon, energy costs of up to 117,067 Euro were saved after the use of environmental control devices this year. In this way, they are contributing to a large decrease in CO2 emissions. Clearly, smart homes are about much more than just living a comfortable life.5..

A.It is actually about living a green life

B.Smart devices have been installed worldwide nowadays

C.It starts working only when CO2 concentrations reach a certain limit

D.There seem to be an ocean of such so-called “smart” inventions

E.Bearing this in mind, measures should be taken to make buildings more energy-efficient

F.Alternative energy must be discovered before the fossil fuel runs out in the future

G.This includes basics such as heating and lighting and many other appliances

    An epidemic is the occurrence of a disease which affects a very large number of people living in an area and which spreads quickly to other people. Like infectious diseases, ideas in the academic world are spreadable. But why some travel far and wide while equally good ones remain in relative insignificance has been a mystery. Now a team of computer scientists has used an epidemiological model to imitate how ideas move from one academic institution to another. The model showed that ideas originating at famous institutions caused bigger “epidemics” than equally good ideas from less well-known places, explains Allison Morgan, a computer scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder and lead author of the new study. “This implies that where an idea is born shapes how far it spreads, holding the quality of the idea constant.” says senior author Aaron Clauset, also at Boulder.

Not only is this unfair --- “it reveals a big weakness in how we’re doing science,” says Simon DeDeo, a professor of social and decision sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, who was not involved in the study. There are many highly trained people with good ideas who do not end up at top institutions. “They are producing good ideas, and we know those ideas are getting lost,” DeDeo says. “Our science, our scholarship, is not as good because of this.”

The Colorado researchers analyzed an existing data set of computer science department hires in North America, as well as a database of publications by these hires. First they looked at how five big ideas in computer science spread to new institutions. They found that hiring a new member accounted for a little more than a third of the time --- and in 81 percent of those cases, transfers took place from higher- to lower-status universities. Then the team imitated the broadcasting of ideas using an infectious disease model and found that the size of an idea “epidemic” (as measured by the number of institutions that published studies on an idea after it originated) depended on the status of the originating institution. The findings were published online last October in EPJ Data Science.

The researchers’ model suggests that there “may be a number of quite good ideas that originate in the middle of the pack, in terms of universities,” Clauset says. DeDeo agrees. There is a lot of good work coming out of less famous places, he says: “You can learn a huge amount from it, and you can learn things that other people don’t know because they’re not even paying attention.”

1.The underlined word “this” in paragraph 2 refers to the fact that _________.

A.good ideas from less important institutions lack influence.

B.the quality of the original ideas tends to be not easy to maintain.

C.scholars in insignificant institutions consider their ideas valueless.

D.the time when good ideas were born decides how far they may spread.

2.The case of some hires in paragraph 3 is used to indicate _________.

A.why the originating institutions transfer their new findings.

B.the way the movements of some new ideas happen and their effects.

C.how they carry the ideas from lower - to higher - status institutions.

D.the statistics the epidemological model provides for the researchers.

3.Researchers such as Clauset are very much concerned about _________.

A.losing quite a number of great and creative thoughts.

B.missing the opportunities of getting more well-known.

C.misusing the epidemiological model in scientific research areas.

D.having difficulty in finding more proper science department hires.

4.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A.Infectious Diseases. B.Original Ideas.

C.Epidemiological Model. D.Idea Epidemic.

    The Notre Dame fire has been put out, but its spire and a large portion of its wooden roof have been damaged. The terrible destruction causes a sudden sharp pain to people around the world. On Chinese social media network Wechat a common comment on the disaster is: “What a pity that we cannot see the damaged parts of the wonder anymore.”

But the good news is that there is at least one way of seeing them, namely via a video game called Assassin’s Creed: Unity. In this game, the player can travel to one city after another and enter the buildings exactly like what they are in reality, and see Notre Dame as it was before the fire. Further, with virtual reality technology, which is already quite mature, one can even look around the undamaged Notre Dame as if it is still there. Maybe digital technology could help to better protect architectural cultural heritage.

The idea of digitizing ancient buildings, making digital models of them so their data can be saved, dates back to the 1990s and the necessary technology has continued to advance since then. By scanning the ancient buildings with lasers, building 3D models with multiple images, as well as measuring everything precisely, engineers can make a copy as accurate as the real one.

As computers and smartphones are hugely popular, the digital replica has great use value. First, it allows tourists to feel the cultural relics without touching them, which helps protect them. The virtual tour of Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu Province is a good example of this as tourists can view the paintings without standing near them. Furthermore, it can make the digitized cultural relics more famous by spreading awareness about them via the Internet. In 2000, a virtual tour of the Great Wall became very popular at the Hannover World Expo, which increased the number of foreign tourists visiting the site in the following years. Above all, it preserves all the information of the cultural relics. Even if the original ones are damaged one day, people can still know what they were like and can build a replica if desired.

Of course, however precise a model is, it is not the original. Time is the biggest threat to a country’s architectural heritage, which will always become ruins with the passing of time. Maybe we will have better technologies in the future, but the digital technology offers a practical way to preserve architectural cultural heritage at the moment.

1.What will engineers do to create a digital replica of the ancient buildings?

A.Improve the technology needed. B.Scan the photos of the buildings.

C.Build 3D models of full size. D.Measure all the parts exactly.

2.What value does a digital replica have?

A.It keeps the relics safe. B.It helps to guard the relics.

C.It gathers data of the relics. D.It advertises the history of the relics.

3.How does the author prove the digital copy has vital practical importance?

A.By comparison. B.By giving examples.

C.By classification. D.By listing data.

4.What is the author’s attitude towards the application of digital technology?

A.Doubtful. B.Ambiguous.

C.Supportive. D.Conservative.

    A Wisconsin mom makes mini-me toys as unique as the children who embrace them.

As a social worker using play therapy in the 1990s to help children through their cancer treatment, Amy Jandrisevits wished she could comfort her patients with dolls that bore their all-too-familiar hair loss and surgery scars. “I would clear up Goodwill for bald Cabbage Patch Kids because that was the closest thing I could find. ”she says. “I thought these kids need something that looks like they do. ”The idea stuck with Jandrisevits after she left social work in 2001 to start a family. Then in 2015, a mom whose daughter lost a leg to amputation(截肢) asked Jandrisevits, handy with a sewing machine, if she could craft a mini-me doll for the girl.

After Jandrisevits posted a photo of the legless doll on Facebook, orders poured in for likeness with everything from albinism(白化病) to birthmarks. “Differences make kids feel isolated and judged, ”she says, “with a doll, a child sees I am not the only one who looks this way. . . and beautiful enough to be a doll.” Jandrisevits, 46, has since crafted nearly 400 custom dolls with her New Berlin, Wis, dining room table, with donors often covering the $ 100 cost through Jandrisevits’s nonprofit A Doll Like Me. The mom of three insisted on making each doll herself with help from her mother and a friend.

For Keagan Cameron, 2, whose rare skin condition has him covered in birthmarks, Jandrisevits matched the doll’s spot exactly. “That was the most amazing thing,” says Keagan’s mom, Joy.

Brian Grassi of Coventry, R. I. , says she wept like a baby when a doll came in the mail for his daughter Emma, born three months later in October without her lower left arm. “Seeing my daughter with her doll, it makes me think about her future, not her limitations.”

1.What inspired Jandrisevits to make Mini-me toys?

A.Her own family condition. B.Her hair loss and surgery scars.

C.Her daughter's losing a leg to amputation. D.Her working experience as a social worker.

2.According to the passage, we can infer that     .

A.making Mini-me toys cost a lot.

B.mini-me toys have won great popularity.

C.Jandrisevits made the Mini-me toys all by herself.

D.A Doll Like Me is an organization to raise fund for children in need.

3.What is the passage mainly about?

A.Mini-me toys comfort kids. B.Dolls make kids happy.

C.Children enjoy dolls’ company. D.A mom likes making mini-me toys.

4. How would you describe Jandrisevits?

A.Helpful and cautious. B.Responsible and grateful.

C.Warmhearted and determined. D.Ambitious and tough.

    Some best music and opera holidays for 2019.

Tangle wood Festival

The villages of Lenox and Stockbridge in western Massachusetts have been the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra for more than 80 years, and its annual Tanglewood festival is East Coast America’s most distinguished music event. Andris Nelsons, BSO music director, conducts 14 of the concerts and star performers include Emanuel Ax, Paul Lewis and Anne-Sophie Mutter. Tickets on sale Feb 10.

June 15—Aug 25 (tanglewood.org)

Aspen Festival

This year is the 70th anniversary of the Aspen Music Festival, one of the longest-running and most prestigious festivals in the United States. The 2019 program has yet to be announced, but a typical eight- week summer season includes more than 400 classical music events—including concerts by five orchestras, solo (独奏) and classical music performances, fully staged opera productions, music lessons, lectures, and children’s programming. Tickets and details available in February.

June 27—Aug 18 (aspenmusicfestival. com)

Grand Teton Music Festival

Aspen’s great classical music competitor in the Rocky Mountains is the Grand Teton, which has been held in Jackson Hole since 1962 and at its heart is a timber concert hall, the Walk Festival Hall, famous for its friendly atmosphere and excellent natural sound. Despite its relatively modest size, the hall attracts the greats—current music director is the Scottish conductor Donald Runnicles. The program for 2019 is yet to be announced but subscriptions are on sale from Feb 1, single tickets from March 1.

July 2—Aug 17 ( gtmf. org)

Salzburg Festival

The excitement is building in Salzburg both for this summer and for its 100th anniversary year in 2020. Bar the Proms, it is the world’s oldest music festival and this year it will pack in an unbelievable 199 performances in 43 days at 16 venues. This year’s theme is ‘Myths’ and includes first public performances of Mozart’s Idomeneo and George Enescu’s opera dipe.

July 20—Aug 31 (salzburgfestival. at)

1.Which of the festivals has the shortest history?

A.Tangle wood Festival. B.Aspen Festival.

C.Salzburg Festival. D.Grand Teton Music Festival.

2.What can we learn about Tanglewood Festival?

A.It is held from June 27 to Aug. 18.

B.Its tickets can be available from March 1.

C.It is best known in the east coast of America.

D.Its more information can be got from gtmf. org.

3.What is the similarity of Aspen Festival and Salzburg Festival?

A.Their tickets can be got in February.

B.They will be held in the same months.

C.They both have music and opera performances.

D.Their audience can be both adults and children.

假定你是李华，你班的英国交换生Jenkins已经回国，请你用英文给他写一封电子邮件， 感谢他在中国做交换生期间对你英语学习的帮助。

内容包括：

1. 表达谢意；

2. 接受帮助的过程；

3. 帮助后的情况。

注意：1.词数100左右； 2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。

Dear Jenkins,

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

单句语法填空

1.He lives in a house, in front of _____stands a tall tree.

2.It is no longer the place ______it used to be.

3.There is no simple answer, _____is often the case in science.

4.Here is such a heavy stone _____I can’t move it.

5.It was five o’clock ______my father got home.

6.__________struck me most in the movie was the father’s deep love for his son.

7.__________ difficult the problem may be, we will try our best to fight back.

8.He arrived earlier than ________ (expect).

9.With her energy ____________ (fix) on the research on AIDS, Mrs. Mason can not spare much time with her family.

10.She walked along the path, her daughter __________(follow) close behind.

11.My father was a lawyer, and he discouraged me _________ entering the field of scientific exploration.

12.The newly-elected president promises that he will spare no effort _________(promote) public welfare.

13.Leave him _________－ he obviously doesn’t want to be disturbed.

14.Once dressed in the fashion of our shop, you will stand __________ among the crowd.

15.You may depend on _________that they will look after your daughter when you are away for the meeting.

16.Having received the goods, the customer decided to make a __________(compain).

17.____________(defeat) is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.

18.Accustomed to ___________(rise) at six in the morning, I can take an hour to read English every day.

19.I failed to hold __________ my tears when I heard the sad news.

20.He sat there, his arms __________(cross) in front of his chest.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In May 2018 my friend and I visited Brazil and decided to enrich our travel experience by volunteering. We were coming from Bolivia and had1.long ride towards the beach with not many interesting tourist spots in between. Therefore, we chose one of the biggest agriculture regions2.(be) the first destination of our volunteer experience. I found several3.(choose) on the Work- Away website and finally decided for4.was presented as a small farm run by a guy called Pedro.

We agreed on staying for one week. Eventually, we stayed a few days longer, becoming good friends5.him. Life on the farm was much6.(nice) than we originally thought, and we liked to put our hands in the soil of his little garden. It7.(turn) out that Pedro’s small farm was part of a bigger farm with 600 cows and loads of fields of corn and soya (大豆). We8.(introduce) to the products of the bigger farm as well and we were free to eat anything from the farm. The volunteering was9.(honest) the best experience from our time10.(spend) in Brazil.

    I was somewhere in Utah, trying to take a ride. It was getting dark and beginning to_________. I didn't have many clothes to protect me from the snowstorm. I'd_________in Vietnam and come home to see my dad in Minnesota. Vietnam had left me bad_________. I was in an artillery unit (炮兵部队）. Once, we accidentally hit a South Vietnamese militiaman. He died alongside his pregnant wife. I tried to_________the horrible memories with alcohol.

I'd been walking all day without_________anything. It was getting colder and I was starving to death. _______, a truck stopped before me and a voice said, "Hi! Where're you heading?” The driver was rough-looking. _______, his voice put me right at ease.

“Minnesota,” I said.

“No_________. I can take you 50 miles and then I have to turn south," he said.

After I got on the truck, he said, "I used to be in your_________. I once served in South Korea. One day I was driving drunk and__________someone. The guy lived, but he was disabled. That horrible__________made me take a long, hard look at myself." His story__________me. It seemed as if he had lived my life and was telling me I could__________. 

The driver's__________was in a small town. He__________me to take some money for a bus ticket to Minnesota. I got off and watched the truck run away until it__________into the snowy darkness.

That__________was the turning point for me. I ________drinking, went to college, found work and got married. Through the years, anytime I've felt__________, I think of that trucker. His words__________me and made me believe that great things can happen if we have a try.

1.A.snow B.rain C.shine D.thunder

2.A.emigrated B.studied C.served D.settled

3.A.situations B.imaginations C.impressions D.memories

4.A.form B.record C.cover D.distinguish

5.A.eating B.wearing C.gaining D.noticing

6.A.Finally B.Suddenly C.Completely D.Simply

7.A.Meanwhile B.Besides C.Instead D.However

8.A.way B.luck C.problem D.need

9.A.favour B.shoes C.hands D.honor

10.A.hit B.greeted C.discovered D.affected

11.A.expression B.conflict C.accident D.coincidence

12.A.shocked B.struck C.attracted D.comforted

13.A.appreciate B.understand C.leave D.change

14.A.turnoff B.direction C.home D.destination

15.A.invited B.persuaded C.encouraged D.commanded

16.A.slid B.dived C.disappeared D.crashed

17.A.journey B.ride C.truck D.meeting

18.A.practised B.enjoyed C.limited D.stopped

19.A.exhausted B.excited C.depressed D.inspired

20.A.saved B.hurt C.embarrassed D.reminded

    A green gym is a health club that focuses on running an environmentally conscious business in order to be more eco-friendly. 1.So a big part of being greener is having eco-friendly cleansers (清洁剂). Not only do they have a non-chemical smell but they also aren't made up of the harsh (刺激性强的) chemicals like many other cleansers. The gym may also use recycled paper items, such as recycled toilet paper, paper towels and tissues.

Considering the amount of electricity a gym uses, a green gym may have solar panels (太阳能电池板) to help use the sun's energy as well as reduce the electricity bill. 2. When they use certain machines, such as the bikes, the energy generated goes back into the gym’s network of electricity.

3.One option is to use an energy-efficient washer and dryer for any cleaning. Another option is to use low-flow shower heads in the showers to reduce the amount of water used. Energy-efficient toilets in the bathroom are also a choice for reducing water use.

Part of becoming a green gym is using recycled exercise equipment.4.It may also have the exercise floor made from recycled materials.

Before long, more gyms may find themselves shifting toward eco-friendly practices, even if it involves small changes. Some people may prefer going to a gym that has eco-friendly practices. A green gym will be great for the environment and for saving money. 5.

A.A green gym does a lot of cleaning for health purposes.

B.A green gym focuses on using as little water as possible.

C.People have many different reasons for joining a local green gym.

D.You must be willing to learn the business side of running a green gym.

E.Another way is for gym goers to supply energy that goes back to the gym.

F.For example, it may purchase exercise equipment made from recycled metal.

G.Meanwhile, it helps bring in new clients who find that type of business appealing.

    Amazon sells 1,161 kinds of toilet brushes. I know this because I recently spent an evening trying to choose one of them for the bathroom in my new apartment. Nearly an hour later, after having read countless contradictory (矛盾的) reviews and considering far too many choices, I felt tired and simply gave up. The next day, I happily bought the only toilet brush the local dollar store offered.

Too many choices exhaust us, make us unhappy and lead us to sometimes flee from making a decision altogether. Researcher Barry Schwartz calls this “choice overload”. And it’s not just insignificant details like which brush to wipe the inside of the toilet with — having too many choices in our creative and professional lives can lead us to avoid making important decisions.

Understanding how and why we make decisions can perhaps help us make better choices down the line. We make poorer decisions when we are tired. It’s caused by decision fatigue (疲劳). The mind can only sort through so many choices and make so many choices before it starts to run out of steam. That’s why impulse buys like candy bars and magazines at the checkout aisle in the grocery store can be hard to resist. We’ve exhausted all our good decision-making skills.

The same goes for our workday. Making lots of decisions not only exhausts us; it can put us in a bad mood. That’s why it’s necessary to make your most important decisions in the morning rather than at the end of an exhausting day when your energy has been used up. The idiom “sleep on it” is indeed effective when it comes to making big decisions.

When we’re tired, we tend to conserve our energy by making choices based on a single factor like price, rather than considering all the other determinants that go into making the best decision. When you’re doing this, you are acting as what researchers call a cognitive miser (小气鬼).

To conclude, letting yourself have fewer choices to choose from can help you arrive at a more creative answer.

1.Why did the author go to the local dollar store in the end?

A.She saw no good toilet brushes in Amazon. B.She had got tired of the choices.

C.She read good reviews about brushes there. D.She wanted to save some money.

2.What can we learn about“choice overload”?

A.It can benefit our creative thinking.

B.It means learning too much at a time.

C.It was first discovered by Barry Schwartz.

D.It can stop us from making good decisions at work.

3.What does the underlined idiom “sleep on it” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A.To make a big decision regardless of sleepiness.

B.To make decisions at the end of the day.

C.To think carelessly about making a big decision.

D.To put off making big decisions until the next day when you are not tired.

4.What is the text mainly about?

A.Having fewer choices may benefit us more.

B.Reading reviews before shopping online is important.

C.Getting enough sleep every day is helpful.

D.Considering many factors to make a choice is unnecessary.

    According to the WHO, 90 percent of the world’s population lives in a place where they are exposed to unsafe levels of airborne pollutants, contributing to up to seven million deaths each year. If you live in a city, chances are that you’re part of that 90 percent, even if your city is relatively clean. That’s why cities worldwide have started embracing Internet of Things (IoT)solutions.

One of the best ways to fight pollution is to figure out where it’s worst and where it’s coming from. If you’ve ever made a habit of checking air quality around you, you may notice that there aren’t actually that many monitoring stations, and your closest one may not be that close. For pollution data to really be accurate and helpful, we need a lot more of it.

Luckily, IoT sensors and low-power wide-area networks are making it a lot easier to get and spread ultra-local data. Lampposts are one popular place to put them. For example, the Republic of Korea and Barcelona have already built out a network of pollution sensors in their streetlights. On the other hand, outfitting (配备) cars, bikes, and even people with pollution sensors provides valuable data on a smaller, more mobile scale.

Since pollutant levels can change dramatically even from one city block to another, having smaller-scale data is important for making a lot of decisions that, over time, might have a major influence on our health and behavior. It can influence where we decide to live, when we exercise, whether we bike to work, and, perhaps most importantly, what we can do about pollution in our area.

What all the Internet of Things can help us do on a personal level is use less energy. The data it provides, though, can be used to make big and small changes to the way we behave and build, and that is eventually where we’ll see benefits.

1.What’s the problem mentioned in Paragraph 1?

A.The death rate is high every year. B.There are too many people in the world.

C.There is little space for people to live in. D.Air pollution is more serious than expected.

2.How does the author mainly develop Paragraph 3?

A.By analyzing main causes. B.By citing research findings.

C.By giving specific examples. D.By making close comparisons.

3.Why is it necessary to collect data on a smaller scale?

A.It directly decreases pollutant levels. B.It uses less energy to clean the air.

C.It covers more areas of air pollution. D.It betters decisions on our lifestyle.

4.What’s the author’s attitude towards using IoT to solve air pollution?

A.Disapproving. B.Doubtful.

C.Positive. D.Uncaring.

    Ali Coletta always wanted someone to share her adventures. Then she met her husband Nick, and things seemed perfect — for a while. But she knew there was still something, or someone, missing.

“I knew we needed an addition to our family to share our passion for adventure together,”Ali said.“I even created a PowerPoint slideshow on why we needed a sweet golden retriever (金毛猎犬) in our lives.”

In 2016, Stella joined the family and the Colettas finally found the perfect pet to make them feel complete.“Stella’s personality is lovely and contradictory. One minute she’s sitting at the kitchen table as if it’s no big deal, and the next minute she’s bossing us around,”Ali said.“She loves swimming, hiking and recently snowboarding.”

The fearless pup loves following Nick around wherever he goes and is always up for an adventure. This was never more apparent than when the family went on a recent ski trip. Their vacation was cut short due to COVID-19, but on their last day, the family hiked up a mountain park. Of course, they brought Stella along for the journey so she, too, could enjoy the snow. Then something unexpected happened — as Nick began snowboarding downhill, the faithful Stella refused to be left behind. She bounded happily through the snow, following Nick’s every move. “We knew she would love the hike in the snow,” Ali said.“But we honestly had no idea she would love running down just as much.”

Stella has always loved the cold, and now it’s clear that she’s finally found her calling.

Regardless of what Stella does, the Colettas couldn’t be happier to have such a special pup in their lives. “She truly completes our family and is the best companion one could ask for,” Ali said.

1.What do the first two paragraphs imply?

A.Things have been perfect before Ali’s marriage.

B.Ali and Nick met in a mountain adventure in 2017.

C.Ali and her husband are both crazy about adventures.

D.The dog is always necessary for guarding adventurers.

2.What can we know about Stella?

A.She is gentle and obedient. B.She has a changeable character.

C.She loves following Ali around. D.She has joined the family for a year.

3.What does the underlined part in the last but one paragraph mean?

A.Found something really desirable for her. B.Figured out her permanent home.

C.Realized the cold of the snow. D.Learned a new skill.

4.What is this text mainly about?

A.Stella’s love for snowboarding.

B.Advice on finding a perfect pet.

C.Ali and her husband’s hiking adventures.

D.The story of the Colettas and their golden retriever.

    Are you looking to load up your e-reader with some new books to promote your career? Well,look no further. Here are four best sellers for you!

The Boss of You by Lauren Bacon & Emira Mears

This book is a goldmine for women looking to start their own business. As a freelance writer (自由撰稿人), I read it several times when I decided to begin a career. I've folded so many pages in this book, and found some sections especially helpful, like the ones on figuring out start-up costs, drawing up a budget, and the ways to market yourself.

Suggested by Steph Auteri

The Path from Motherhood to Career by Diane Lang

I have used this book professionally myself after having my first child. Ms. Lang gives several choices that have worked for the women. At 62 pages long, every word counts. For moms that are still weighing choices, this book will help them decide if indeed it is time to go back to work.

Suggested by Anne Newton

Minding Her Own Business by Jan Zobel

Taxes are the same for women as are for men. Yet many women seem to have number anxiety that makes them feel they can’t deal well with their money. As a tax expert, I've seen this among my clients (客户) over the years. This book is designed for one-person businesses. Read it, and you’ll know what taxes to pay and what you needn’t.

Suggested by Jan Zobel

The Relationship Edge in Business by Jerry Acuff

For most women, the biggest challenges in our lives are the relationships we build and develop with our family and friends. Jerry explains how we can use those same relationship-building skills to build good relationships with our customers and co-workers that will help our business to grow soundly.

Suggested by Cyndy Kryder

1.What do we know about Steph Auteri from her recommending words?

A.She was out of employment. B.She was the author of the book.

C.She's read the book carefully. D.She's made a fortune by writing.

2.What is Minding Her Own Business intended to do?

A.To help readers manage taxes. B.To tell readers how to start business.

C.To advise readers to get on with colleagues. D.To assist readers with re-employment.

3.What do the four books have in common?

A.They are written by the same author. B.They are recommended by experts.

C.They are intended for women. D.They are free to download.

My parents will not ______ my birthday party if I don’t do well in my next test.

A.agree to B.allow for C.approve of D.object to

Since these goods don’t ________ our order, we won’t ________ them.

A.correspond with; accept B.correspond with; receive

C.correspond; accept D.correspond; receive

Tom was caught ________ yesterday and he ________ not to drive that fast again.

A.speeding; was cautioned B.to speed; was cautioned

C.speeding; warned D.to speed; warned

Accustomed to __________ the steep mountains, he had no difficulty reaching the top.

A.climbing B.climb C.having climbed D.have climbed

My calculation were based on the __________ that house prices would remain steady.

A.appreciation B.arrangement C.assumption D.ambition

__________, he is famous for writing blogs.

A.As he is a teacher B.A teacher as he is

C.Teacher although he is D.Teacher as he is

The final examination is coming up soon. It's time for us to ____our studies.

A.get down to B.get out C.get back for D.get over

It’s the protection for the trees __________ really matters, ___________ how many trees are planted each year.

A.what; other than B.which; or rather

C.that; rather than D.as; more than

________ that the govemment can lead them out of the financial crisis, people are optimistic about the future of the country.

A.Convincing B.Convinced

C.To convince D.Having convinced

Mr Slanter, my literature teacher, to whom I_________a lot of thanks for my achievement in the art careers will be retired next month.

A.own B.owe C.offer D.award

He was deeply struck by the natural beauty of the West Lake___________he went to Hangzhou.

A.at the first time B.the first time C.for the first time D.at the first time when