KTS胜之玥英语丨雅思听力开始前不提供样题，美国移民排期公布

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还有雅思托福考试变动

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1. 雅思听力考试正式开始前将不再提供样题

为了进一步统一考试流程和提升考试体验，自2020年1月起，雅思考试及用于英国签证及移民的雅思考试纸笔模式的听力试题册及录音材料将做出如下调整：

1）听力试题仍分为四个部分，命名将由 “Section 1-4” 调整为 “Part 1-4” ;

2）听力考试正式开始前将不再提供样题（Example）， 相应的录音片段也将删除。考生将从试题册第一部分（part1）的第一道题（question1）直接开始考试 ;

3）录音材料中将不再提示当前题目所在的试卷页码。例如，现有为 “look at questions 1-4 on page 3”将简化为 “look at questions 1-4”。

听力考试的考试题型，考试内容和难度将保持不变。

[Photo/官网]

2. 美国2020年1月移民排期公布

美国国务院公布2020年1月移民排期。

亲属移民方面，第二优先的永久居民的配偶和为未成年子女，继续有名额；职业移民方面，中国出生的第三优先推进最快，中国出生的第一、二优先推进七天、九天；中国出生第五优先的非区域中心推进七天，区域中心依旧暂无授权名额(unavailable)。

亲属移民类：

第一优先F1类(公民的成年未婚子女)推进两个月；

第二优先F2A类(永久居民的配偶及未成年子女)无需排期，有名额；

第二优先F2B类(永久居民的成年未婚子女)无变化；

第三优先F3类(公民已婚子女)推进一个星期；

第四优先F4类(成年公民的兄弟姊妹)无变化。

职业移民类：

中国出生第一优先推进一个星期；

中国出生第二优先(具高等学位或特殊能力者)推进九天；

中国出生第三优先(一般类)推进一个月；

中国出生第三优先(非技术劳工)推进一个月，非中国出生的第三优先有名额；

中国出生第五优先EB-5非区域中心推进一个星期，区域中心暂无授权名额。

[Photo/bing.com]

China adjusts import tariffs

我国调整部分商品关税

China will adjust import tariffs for a range of products starting Jan 1, 2020 to promote high-quality development of trade, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said Monday. Temporary tariff rates may apply to more than 850 items of imported goods, which will be lower than the most-favored-nation tax rates, to increase imports and optimize the import structure, the commission said.

国务院关税税则委员会23日表示，为推进贸易高质量发展，我国将自2020年1月1日起，调整部分商品进口关税。为积极扩大进口，优化进口结构，我国将对850余项商品实施低于最惠国税率的进口暂定税率。

For frozen pork, the tariff rate will be temporarily reduced from 12% to 8%, a measure to increase the pork supply and tame pork prices in the domestic market. The rate for some raw materials of medicines for asthma and diabetes will be lowered to zero.

为积极扩大进口，优化进口结构，我国将对850余项商品实施低于最惠国税率的进口暂定税率。冻猪肉的关税暂定税率将从12%降至8%，以增加国内市场上猪肉供应，控制猪肉价格。

The rate for some raw materials of medicines for asthma and diabetes will be lowered to zero. From July 1, 2020, China will cut the most-favored-nation tax rates for 176 items of information technology products, and adjust some products' temporary tariff rates accordingly, it said.

此外，对用于哮喘和糖尿病治疗药品的原料将实施零关税。2020年7月1日起，我国还将对176项信息技术产品的最惠国税率实施降税，同时相应调整其中部分产品的进口暂定税率。

[Photo/Xinhua]

Hukou restrictions relaxed

部分城市取消落户限制

The General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council issued a document on Wednesday that calls for the cancellation of all limits on hukou, household registration status, in all mainland cities with fewer than 3 million permanent residents.

中共中央办公厅、国务院办公厅25日印发文件，明确要求常住人口300万以下的内地城市全面取消落户限制。

Hukou restrictions will be relaxed in cities with 3-5 million permanent residents, according to the document.

常住人口300万至500万的大城市全面放宽落户条件。

Megacities with more than 5 million permanent residents should improve points-based household registration policy and streamline points-collecting categories, ensuring that the social insurance contribution and years of residence be the decisive factors in the points system, according to the document.

常住人口500万以上的超大特大城市完善积分落户政策，精简积分项目，确保社会保险缴纳年限和居住年限分数占主要比例。

[Photo/IC]

22 new 5A tourist sites

圆明园等22家景区升5A

A total of 22 tourist attractions, including Beijing's Old Summer Palace, are expected to be added to the 5A category, the highest level in the rating system, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) on Wednesday.

文化和旅游部25日表示，拟新增北京市圆明园景区等22家旅游景区为国家5A级旅游景区。5A级是我国景区质量等级评定中的最高级别。

The selected tourist attractions were recommended by local tourism administrations and evaluated in accordance with standards and regulations by the MCT.

这22家景区是经有关省区市文化和旅游行政部门推荐，文化和旅游部按程序组织综合评定的。

Apart from the Old Summer Palace, or "Yuanmingyuan" in Chinese, tourist attractions in north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, east China's Jiangsu and Jiangxi provinces were also included in the list. As of 2018, there are 248 tourist attractions listed as 5A.

除了圆明园以外，内蒙古自治区、江苏省以及江西省的一些景点也有望新增为5A级景区。截至2018年，我国共有248个5A级景区。

[Photo/VCG]

First 3D-printed neighborhood

首个3D打印社区将问世

A giant 3D printer built two houses in an impoverished, rural part of Mexico last week, breaking ground on what will be the first 3D-printed neighborhood in the world. The poor families live in a seismic zone that's prone to flooding in the state of Tabasco, Mexico.

上周，一台巨型3D打印机在墨西哥一处贫困的农村地区建造了两栋房屋，接下来世界上第一个3D打印社区将在这里破土动工。一些贫穷的家庭居住在墨西哥塔巴斯科州容易发生洪水的地震带中。

Building something that will withstand an earthquake and keep them dry during heavy rains was a key consideration when it came to the design. A nonprofit called New Story paired up with a construction technology company that developed Vulcan II, the 3D-printing robotics being used on the project.

因此建造既经得起地震，又能在大雨中保持干燥的房屋是设计时关键的考虑因素。非营利组织"新故事"和一家建筑技术公司展开合作，后者开发了用于该项目的名为"Vulcan II"的3D打印机器人。

The 33-foot printer pipes out a concrete mix that hardens when it dries, building the walls one layer at a time. It takes several days to build two houses at the same time. The concrete mix is sturdier than traditional concrete. The foundation is reinforced to withstand seismic activity.

这款3D打印机长33英尺(约合10米)，可以用管道做出混凝土混合物，混合物在干燥后会变硬，每次可建造一层墙壁。该打印机可以在几天内同时建起两栋房屋。这种混凝土混合物要比传统的混凝土更加结实，地基经加固后可以承受住地震活动。

[Photo/Pexels]

Qatar plans desert campsites

卡塔尔将建球迷帐篷村

Qatar's World Cup bosses have asked Glastonbury Festival chiefs to help plan huge desert campsites for thousands of football fans. The tiny Gulf state expects a total of 1.6 million people to visit during the month long 2022 World Cup tournament, with up to 160,000 needing a bed on the busiest days.

卡塔尔世界杯组织方已邀请格拉斯顿伯里音乐节的负责人帮忙打造可供数千名球迷住宿的大型沙漠露营地。为期一个月的2022年世界杯期间，预计总共将有160万人到访这个海湾小国，在客流量高峰阶段，将有多达16万人需要住宿。

But only 70,000 hotel rooms will be available in the capital Doha. Two cruise ships will be docked in the port to provide temporary floating accommodation for around 40,000 during the tournament. And now gigantic tented villages housing thousands more are in the pipeline.

但卡塔尔首都多哈只有7万间酒店客房。世界杯赛事期间，将会有两艘游轮停靠港口，为约4万人提供临时的水上住宿。现在官方还在计划打造为数千人提供住宿的大型帐篷村。

Qatari officials have revealed they have approached Glastonbury, which caters for 135,000 music fans on Worthy Farm in Somerset, for advice. It is hoped the World Cup campsites, on the outskirts of the city, will have licensed bars and restaurants, entertainment and washing facilities. Fans will choose from a range of tents, from the very basic through to luxury "glamping", complete with plumbed-in toilets.

卡塔尔官员透露，他们已联系格拉斯顿伯里音乐节的负责人寻求建议，该音乐节在英国的萨默塞特郡沃西农场为13.5万名音乐迷提供服务。人们希望位于城郊的世界杯帐篷村里有具备经营执照的酒吧和餐厅、娱乐和洗浴设施，还有各种帐篷供球迷选择，有最基本款的，也有配备了抽水马桶的豪华帐篷。

[Photo/VCG]

Boeing CEO steps down

波音CEO辞职新帅上任

Boeing's Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg has resigned from his position and current chairman David Calhoun was named by the board of directors as his successor, the US aircraft manufacturer said on Monday. Boeing said Calhoun would take over as the new chief executive and president as of Jan 13, 2020, and he will remain a member of the board.

美国飞机制造商波音公司23日宣布，其首席执行官丹尼斯·米伦伯格已辞职，董事会已任命现任董事长大卫·卡尔霍恩为首席执行官兼总裁，该任命自2020年1月13日起生效。波音称，卡尔霍恩将继续担任董事会成员。

It also said board member Lawrence Kellner will become non-executive chairman of the board effective immediately. "A change in leadership was necessary to restore confidence in the company moving forward as it works to repair relationships with regulators, customers, and all other stakeholders," the company said. Boeing's commercially best seller 737 MAX has been grounded globally in March 2019 in the wake of the two deadly air crashes.

此外，董事会成员劳伦斯·凯尔纳将立即担任董事会非执行主席。波音表示，公司"正在努力修复与监管机构、客户和所有其他利益相关者之间的关系，必须更换领导层才能恢复公众对公司的信任。" 因为发生两起严重空难，波音公司最畅销的机型737MAX今年3月起全球停飞。

The US Federal Aviation Administration said earlier this month that it would not re-certify the aircraft for resumed service until 2020, which crushed Boeing's hope of getting the plane cleared for flight before the end of this year.

本月早些时候，美国联邦航空管理局宣布，波音737MAX的复飞流程要到2020年才能完成。这意味着，波音737MAX在今年年底前重新投入运营的希望落空。

[Photo/Agencies]

Notre Dame 'still fragile'

巴黎圣母院修复几率50%

The rector of Notre Dame Cathedral says the Paris landmark is still so fragile that there's a "50% chance" the structure might not be saved, because scaffolding installed before the April fire is threatening the vaults of the Gothic monument.

法国巴黎圣母院院长近日表示，圣母院大教堂目前仍然很脆弱，由于今年四月火灾前在建筑内部安装的脚手架可能毁坏这座哥特式历史遗迹的拱顶，其结构有"50%的几率"无法保全。

Monsignor Patrick Chauvet said restoration work isn't likely to begin until 2021. "Today it is not out of danger," he said. "It will be out of danger when we take out the remaining scaffolding."

院长帕特里克·肖维指出，正式的修复工作可能要到2021年才能开始。他表示："(大教堂)目前还很危险，只有完全拆除剩余的脚手架，它才能脱离危险。"

Chauvet estimated it would take another three years after that to make it safe enough for people to re-enter the cathedral, but that the full restoration will take longer. French President Emmanuel Macron has said he wants it rebuilt by 2024, when Paris hosts the Olympics, but experts have questioned whether that time frame is realistic.

肖维预估，需要再花3年的时间才能保证人们再次安全进入教堂，而完全修复则会花费更长时间。法国总统马克龙曾表示他希望教堂能够在2024年完成重建，那时巴黎将主办奥运会，但专家们质疑这一时间安排是否现实。

[Photo/China daily]

Queen describes 2019 as 'bumpy'

英女王:2019年充满'坎坷'

British Queen Elizabeth II, in her traditional Christmas Day message broadcast on Wednesday, described 2019 as "quite bumpy", but stressed small steps can make a world of difference.

25日，英国女王伊丽莎白二世在发表的传统圣诞致辞时形容2019年是"相当坎坷"的一年，不过她强调即使前进一小步，也能带来大大不同。

Royal commentators said her comments were believed to be her first public reference to the turmoil faced by the Royal family this year, as well as the pisions in the country caused by Brexit. The Queen said the challenges of today are different than those faced by previous generations.

王室评论员称，据信女王此番评论是她首次公开提及今年王室出现的混乱及脱欧带来的四分五裂的国内局面。女王表示，今天我们面临的挑战和以前几代人所面临的截然不同。

But she had been struck by the sense of purpose younger generations have shown in tackling issues like climate change and the planet. With the theme of reconciliation continuing through her message, the Queen said the Christmas message of peace and goodwill still has relevance today.

不过她仍被年轻一代人对解决气候变化和地球问题时所表现出的使命感所震撼。和解的主题贯穿了整个致辞，女王称和平和善意的圣诞致辞至今仍具有现实意义。

[Photo/China daily]

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