1 . There are three kinds of people in this world. Those who love Butter Chicken, those who think Butter Chicken is overrated and those who have never tasted Butter Chicken. Of all of these, I feel deep sorrow for the third kind. It is a loss of gigantic proportions, in my opinion.

Delhi, arguably the culinary (烹饪的) capital of India, owes a large part of its flavour heritage to the Mughals (印度贵族). Butter Chicken, however, has far more humble origins, and was born far closer to home. It only dates back a couple of decades to pre-partition India, and its story takes us to a sweet-shop, owned by an elderly gentleman called Mokha. It was here that young Gujral worked, where he helped invent the Tandoori Chicken that we all love today. Yes, you heard that right, this story also includes the invention of the famous Tandoori Chicken.

There came a time when Mokha’s health dropped and he eventually sold the shop to Gujral who renamed it as Moti Mahal. As a sharp businessman, Gujral realized that the Tandoori Chicken hanging above the tandoor (印度烤炉) all day would tend to dry out if unsold. He then came up with the genius idea of creating a basic sauces with tomatoes, butter, cream and some spices to immerse the Tandoori Chicken pieces in, helping them regain moisture and become tasty again. And thus, was born the Butter chicken.

When India was partitioned, Gujral moved to Delhi and so did Moti Mahal, with Butter Chicken and Tandoori Chicken in tow. The small outlet grew fast and now, almost 70 years later, it has a successful chain of restaurants with outlets far and wide, managed by his grandson, Monish. A few years back, when I was reviewing Masala Library in Mumbai, I was surprised to find Butter Chicken on the tasting menu. What started then, is now a full-fledged movement to take the humble dish and reinvent or present it in innovation. Today, you will find Butter Chicken tacos, pizzas, rolls, burgers, biryani and just about everything you can think of. I bet when Gujral invented Butter Chicken, little did he know that he was creating history, in a way.

1. What does the underlined word in paragraph 1 mean?

A．subtle

B．economic

C．dietary

D．enormous

2. What do we know about Gujral according to the text?

A．He invented the Tandoori Chicken as well as Butter Chicken single-handedly.

B．His grandson, Monish, managed to move Moti Mahal and Butter Chicken to Delhi.

C．His inspiration of Butter chicken came from the unsold Tandoori Chicken.

D．He took over the shop from Mokha when India was partitioned.

3. The author’s experience in the Masala Library is mentioned to ________.

A．explain his passion for Butter Chicken

B．show the popularity of Butter Chicken

C．indicate his satisfaction with the library

D．recommend a place to eat Butter chicken

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．The history of an Indian loved cuisine — Butter Chicken

B．The legend of a history-made hero — Gujral

C．The innovation of a humble Indian dish — Butter Chicken

D．The visit to the culinary capital — Delhi

2 . Food waste across the globe continues to fuel climate change, nature loss and pollution while hurting the global economy according to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024, which says it is important for countries to connect the fight against hunger and the three global crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.

The report, whose findings revealed that the total food loss on the global economy is estimated at roughly $1 trillion, emphasized that reducing food waste is an opportunity to reduce costs and tackle some of the biggest environmental and social issues of our time: climate change and food insecurity.

While making opening remarks at the conference that launched the report, Dechen Tsering, acting director of the climate change division at the UNEP, said government polices, such as tax rebates (退税) and waste collection fees, could be used to stimulate changes in business practices and consumer behavior. In addition, better data on the cost of food waste and the environmental, economic, and social benefits of limiting food waste could help influence investors and consumers.

According to the report, as of 2022, only 21 countries had included food loss and waste reduction in their national climate plans, including China, Namibia, Sierra Leone, etc. Meanwhile, the number of people who are food insecure and in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in the Greater Horn of Africa rose to 74 million at the end of February, according to another report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other agencies.

The international agencies said that the 2023 El Nino rains contributed to the rise in the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in the region. With wetter-than-normal conditions forecast in most parts of African countries during the 2024 March-May rainfall season, the situation may not improve.

1. What does the Report 2024 indicate?

A．Food loss is the biggest problem to tackle.

B．Serious pollution can cause food insecurity.

C．Food waste worsens the environmental situation.

D．Many countries are cooperating to fight against hunger.

2. Which of the following may Dechen agree with?

A．Effective measures should be taken by government.

B．Unnecessary costs in climate lead to development problems.

C．Data make no sense to consumer behavior and investors’ decision.

D．Avoiding waste collection fees is beneficial to limiting food waste.

3. What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?

A．Humanitarian assistance is the only way to help African people.

B．Food insecurity is still a big challenge to many African countries.

C．The situation of food waste in Africa becomes more and more severe.

D．The number of people needing help is increasing mainly due to bad weather.

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To reveal the urgent financial situation in Africa.

B．To stress the necessity of food waste prevention.

C．To call for the joint efforts of governments in climate.

D．To raise the awareness of environmental conservation.

3 . World’s Best Spicy Foods

When it comes to the world’s best spicy dishes, we have some of the world’s hottest peppers to thank. The following spicy dishes from around the world bring the heat in the most delicious way.

Piri piri chicken, Mozambique

The Portuguese introduced this spicy dish into Mozambique as far back as the 15th century, when they mixed African peppers with European ingredients. And it’s the red pepper that brings the spiciness to this complex, layered and delicious dish. The dish is also popular in Namibia and South Africa.

Sichuan hot pot, China

The joy of this dish is not only the delightful warming ingredients of the Sichuan peppercorns, but the fact that you can cook exactly what you like in the spicy soup. Duck, seafood, chicken, pork, lamb and seasonal vegetables are all fair game for throwing into the pot to boil in a soup made with Sichuan peppercorns and dried Sichuan peppers.

Som tam, Thailand

From northeastern Thailand, this fresh and spicy salad is a main dish at Thai restaurants around the world. Som tam turns to green papaya(木瓜) for its main ingredient. The papaya is then put with long beans or green beans and a mix of flavorful Asian essentials that include dried shrimp(虾) and fish sauce among other ingredients. Thai peppers give the salad its necessary kick.

Aguachile, Mexico

This raw marinated(腌制) shrimp dish from the western Mexico tastes as good as it looks. Tiny but powerful peppers, grown throughout Mexico, make the spicy magic happen in the aguachile, which means “pepper water” . Marinate the raw shrimp with ingredients including lime(酸橙) juice, red onion and cucumber and enjoy with fried corn pancakes.

1. How does piri piri chicken differ from the other three foods?

A．It goes with vegetables.	B．It uses a variety of ingredients.
C．It is flavored with red peppers.	D．It originated in another country.

2. Which dish gives you the freedom to choose the main ingredients?

A．Piri piri chicken, Mozambique.	B．Sichuan hot pot, China.
C．Som tam, Thailand.	D．Aguachile, Mexico.

3. What do som tam and aguachile have in common?

A．They are raw foods.	B．They have a long history.
C．They are served with pancakes.	D．Shrimp is their main ingredient.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where did the tomato sauce come from?

A．A local farm.

B．The man’s own tomatoes.

C．A store only five miles away.

2. What does the woman think of cooking?

A．She enjoys it.

B．It makes her feel creative.

C．She doesn’t have the patience for it.

6 . The world's first restaurant operated by robots has attracted plenty of diners after it officially started service in Zhujiang New Town in this Guangdong provincial capital on Monday. The restaurant, which only serves Guangdong Shunde cuisine, allows robots to cook, deliver food, place orders for diners and handle most of the work in the restaurant.

“The robot chefs can actually compete with famous chefs from Shunde, which is known for its delicious dishes at home and abroad,” said a diner surnamed Chen. Chen and his friends praised the delicious food cooked by the robots after they tasted fried vegetables, steamed fish and braised pigeon in the restaurant on Monday. A local Shunde cuisine chef surnamed Ma Huiliang said he gave the fried vegetables cooked by the robot 90 out of 100 points. But Ma said he never worries that robots would replace chefs in the future. “On the contrary, it is a liberating opportunity for chefs when robots can cook,” he said. “Chefs can focus their work on innovation and research for new food to better inherit and develop Chinese cuisine when robots can cook.” Ma added.

Qiu Mi, assistant president of Country Garden Group, which runs the restaurant, said the restaurant now has 46 different kinds of robots that can do almost all the work of the restaurant, including welcoming clients, frying dishes, mixing wines, making dessert, cooking rice, operating a cloud rail system and delivering food.

And all the diners can see how their food is being cooked by robots in the kitchen, which is separated by transparent glass walls from the dining hall, Qiu said. The restaurant combines new and high technology with traditional Chinese cuisine, Qiu added.

1. What's the main idea of Paragraph 2?

A．Robots probably take chefs’ place in the future.

B．Dishes cooked by robots and chefs are equally tasty

C．The high efficiency and quality of the dishes by robots.

D．People's various views about robots’ influence on chefs.

2. What's Ma Huiliang's attitude towards robot chefs?

A．Disapproving.

B．Doubtful.

C．Supportive.

D．Worried.

3. Diners can enjoy the following services at the restaurant EXCEPT       .

A．Mixed wines made by robots.

B．Cuisines from different regions.

C．Appreciating the cooking process.

D．Robots’ food delivery and welcome.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Robots are on the way to take the place of chefs.

B．Chinese diners have a close encouter with robots.

C．A newly-combined cusine draws diners’ attention.

D．World's first robot-operated resturant opens in China.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What’s the man’s favorite fruit?

A．Apples.

B．Peaches.

C．Bananas.

2. When were peach trees first planted in China according to the report?

A．About 750 years ago.

B．About 5,000 years ago.

C．About 7,000 years ago.