Many Russian visitors went to Heihe in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province to have breakfast after a visa-free policy was launched for cross-border travel between Heihe and Russia’s Blagoveshchensk on September 21. 

As one of China’s pioneering border cities, Heihe city and the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk are separated by the Heilong River, known as the Amur River in Russia. They are a mere few hundred meters apart on foot, with a swift 7-minute boat ride connecting them. Local residents emphasize that the cost of living in Russia is 5 to 6 times higher than in Heihe.

In Northeastern China, the morning markets are famed for their high-quality yet affordable offerings. They have a wide selection of fresh, high-quality produce, including vegetables, meats, eggs, and seafood, as well as reasonably priced footwear, headwear, general goods, and local specialties. Over time, these markets have gone down a storm with tourists looking to experience the local lifestyle.

In late autumn, with golden leaves and the arrival of frost in Northeast China, Heihe witnessed temperatures ranging from -2 °C to 9 °C during the day. People wore thick coats and layered clothing to combat the cold. When it came to breakfast, there was a preference for warm and hearty soups.

With the restart of the China-Russia reciprocal (互惠的) visa-free group tourism, the number of inbound and outbound (出入境的) individuals at the Heihe Port has significantly increased, driving economic growth in the border city.

According to statistics, during the recent Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, Heihe welcomed over 600,000 visitors, which is a remarkable 184.9 percent compared to the numbers in 2019. The number of inbound and outbound tourists reached 14,683, with more than 2,000 arrivals in a single day.

1.Which question can’t the text answer?

A When was the visa-free policy launched?

B What separates Heihe and Blagoveshchensk?

C What is Heihe different from Blagoveshchensk?

D Why was the visa-free policy launched?

解析：选D。D推理判断题。根据第一段最后一句的“a visa-free policy was launched for cross-border travel between Heihe and Russia’s Blagoveshchensk on September 21”可知，2023年9月21日，经中俄双方友好协商，黑龙江省黑河市恢复中俄互免签证团体旅游业务；根据第二段第一句的“Heihe city and the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk are separated by the Heilong River”可知，边境小城黑河位于黑龙江省北部，与俄罗斯阿穆尔州首府布拉戈维申斯克市（简称布市）仅隔一条黑龙江相望；根据第二段最后一句的“Local residents emphasize that the cost of living in Russia is 5 to 6 times higher than in Heihe.”可知，两地物价不一样；但文章并未提到为什么中俄互免签证团体旅游业务开通。故选D。

2.Which phrase can replace the underlined part “gone down a storm”?

A Tried to sell more kinds of Russian food.

B Provided more premium produce.

C Become unknown and poor.

D Become a favored destination.

解析：选D。D词意指代题。根据第三段内容可知，中国东北的早市以物美价廉闻名，新鲜优质的蔬果、肉蛋、鱼鲜，价格实惠的鞋帽、百货、特产等应有尽有，所以很多游客热衷逛早市体验当地的风土人情、人间烟火，因此此地变得很受欢迎。故选D。

3.People in Heihe choose warm and hearty soups to ____________.

A relieve overstuffed feeling

B defense against the cold

C build themselves up

D protect their stomach

解析：选B。B细节理解题。根据第四段最后两句“People wore thick coats and layered clothing to combat the cold. When it came to breakfast, there was a preference for warm and hearty soups.”可知，深秋落叶黄，东北已寒霜，黑河当日气温-2℃至9℃，昼夜温差令早上格外寒冷。人们穿上大棉袄、二棉裤，早饭也偏爱汤汤水水、热热乎乎的食物以抵御寒冷。故选B。

4.What do the statistics in the last paragraph imply?

A The visa-free policy has achieved good results.

B People have different ideas on the visa-free policy.

C More people in Heihe begin to learn Russian.

D The visa-free policy is only temporary.

解析：选A。A推理判断题。随着中俄互免签证团体旅游业务恢复开展，黑河口岸的出入境人员数量显著增长，带动了边境城市的经济发展。据统计，在刚过去不久的中秋国庆假期，黑河市共接待游客60余万人次，恢复至2019年的184.9%。出入境游客14683人次，连续单日超过2000人次。由此可见，该项政策取得了显著成效。故选A。