Going green seems to be fad(时尚)for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we can’t really say, but for the two of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.
On April 22, 2011, we decided to go green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different green things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 different green things to do and this was no easy task.
With the idea of going green every single day for a year, Our Green Year started. My life and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.
Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyle. We now shop at organic stores. We consume less meat, choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don’t need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.
Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet.
1. It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because_________.| A．they were expected to follow the green fad | B．they didn’t know how to educate other people |
| C．they were unwilling to reduce their energy | D．they needed to perform unusual green tasks |
| A．They tried to get out of their ungreen habits. | B．They ignored others’ ungreen behavior. |
| C．They chose better chemical cleaners. | D．They sold their home-made food. |
| A．The government will give support to the green people. |
| B．The couple may continue their project in the future. |
| C．Some people disagree with the couple’s green ideas. |
| D．Our Green Year is becoming a national campaign. |
| A．They never bought meat. |
| B．They cleaned their home by using chemical cleaners. |
| C．They tried to make some food for themselves. |
| D．They sold the things they don’t need on the Internet. |
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【推荐1】I made a promise to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts.
The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting a Biblical passage about husbands and their wives. Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love.” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change.
And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you.” “Oh, Tom, you noticed”, she said, surprised and pleased. Maybe a little puzzled. After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn’s been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me.” We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites.
So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that’s how the whole vacation passed. I made a new promise to keep on remembering to choose love.
There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression.
“What’s the matter?” I asked her.
“Tom,” she said in a voice filled with sadness, “ I don’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…that checkup I had several weeks ago…our doctor…did he tell you something about me? Tom, you’ve been so good to me…am I dying?”
It took a moment for it all to be understood. Then I burst out laughing.
“No, honey,” I said, wrapping her in my arms. “You’re not dying; I’m just starting to live.”
1. From the story we may infer that Tom drove to the beach cottage______.| A．with his family | B．with Evelyn | C．alone | D．with his children |
| A．the doctor said his wife was seriously ill |
| B．he had made a lot of money in his Wall Street firm |
| C．she looked lovely in her new clothes |
| D．he was determined to be a good husband |
| A．He praised her sweater, which puzzled her. |
| B．He was so good to her that she thought she must be dying. |
| C．He knew something about her illness but didn’t tell her. |
| D．She insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated. |
| A．he is just beginning to enjoy life as a loving husband |
| B．he is just beginning to understand the real meaning of life |
| C．he lived an unhappy life before and is now starting to change |
| D．he is beginning to feel regret for what he did to his wife before |
【推荐2】If you are home-alone, or live alone, and somebody comes to the door, shout out “I got it” so that it seems like someone else is there with you and you are not alone. But actually before that, there are lots of preventive(预防的) actions to take.
Give your apartment a safety check
It’s a good idea to give your apartment a once-over for safety concerns—ideally before you even move in. Complete this safety checklist.
Can any of your valuables be seen from the street?
Can you see who’s at the door without opening it?
Do you have all your mail held at the post office when you travel?
Have all the locks of your doors been changed since you moved in?
Become friends with your neighbors
If you’re shy, then you’d probably prefer anything else to chatting with neighbors. But make an effort to be friendly. In one way or another, your neighbors will be more willing to lend a hand to a friend than they are to help out a stranger in times of trouble.
Be smart about spare keys
Thieves and other illegal types know exactly where to check for spare keys.
So don’t think you’re being clever by hiding them in the mailbox, or underneath a carpet. Instead, you had better leave them to a friend or trusted neighbor.
Always lock the door
Lock your doors, every single time. Even if you’re just going to the garbage dumpster(垃圾大铁桶) quickly, or only stepping inside to catch something you forgot.
It may seem like overkill — especially if you live in a relatively safe district. But it only takes that one moment for someone to steal in.
1. Why does the author advise you to shout “I got it” in Paragraph 1?| A．To protect yourself. | B．To answer the door. |
| C．To call out loudly. | D．To welcome the guests. |
| A．Hide spare keys in the mailbox. |
| B．Take all the keys with you if possible. |
| C．Leave the keys to someone you trusted. |
| D．Have your keys ready as you leave. |
① Never change the locks.
② Close the door in time.
③ Make friends with neighbors.
④ Put spare keys under the carpet.
⑤ Keep valuables seen from the street.
⑥ Have a safety check about the apartment.
| A．①②④ | B．②③⑤ |
| C．③④⑥ | D．②③⑥ |
Ever since school ended, I haven' t had anything I' ve needed to do or anywhere I' ve needed to be. As long as the air-conditioning(空调) was working and the TV remote had batteries in it, I was ready for a relaxing summer holiday.
But then, out of the blue, this happened - " Pack your bags. We' re going on a road trip ! " Mom said excitedly.
This isn't the first time Mom has sprung a trip on us without any warming. Last year on the first day of summer, she said we were going to visit Aunt Loretta at the nursing home.
It wasn't exactly my idea of a fun way to kick off the summer. One time when we visited Aunt Loretta, her roommate grasped me and wouldn't let me go until someone gave her a chocolate cookie !
Mom kept talking about going to the nursing home for a whole day, which made me worry a lot. But at breakfast the next morning, she told us where we were really going - Disney World.
I was very happy, because I was really worried about spending the whole week at the nursing home. So was Dad.
But when my little brother, Danny, heard about the change he became very angry. Mom had talked up the Aunt Loretta trip so much that Danny was actually excited about going there.
We ended up putting off our trip to Disney so we could visit Aunt Loretta.
I tried to talk Mom into letting us do something normal, like going to a water park for the day, but she didn't want to hear it. She said that spending a lot of time together in the car would be a " bonding" experience for the whole family.
1. What did the author prefer to do during his summer holidays?
| A．Visit Aunt Loretta. |
| B．Travel with his family. |
| C．Look after his little brother. |
| D．Watch TV comfortably at home. |
| A．loved his aunt very much |
| B．got pretty excited about the road trip |
| C．felt helpless with his mother's surprise trips |
| D．blamed Danny for not going to Disney World |
| A．The author. | B．Mom. |
| C．Dad. | D．Aunt Loretta |
| A．remember his mother |
| B．tell the story of his aunt |
| C．express his love for his brother |
| D．share with readers his childhood experiences |
【推荐1】A car needs gas to run as your body needs food to work for you. Eating the right kinds of food is very important. A good eating habit can help your body grow strong if you take care of what you eat.
There are four main food groups altogether. The dairy group has food like milk, cheese and sour milk. The other three groups are the meat and fish group, the fruit and vegetable group, and the bread and rice group. Each meal should have at least one food from all four main groups. With all of these foods together, you will be given enough energy during the day.
It is easy to get into bad eating habits. You may eat your breakfast in a hurry to get to school on time or you may not have time for a good lunch. It may be easier to eat fish and chips for your supper all the time. But you will find yourself tired and you will not be able to think quickly.
Watching what you eat will help keep your body healthy and strong. It is also good to take some exercise. It will help you eat more if you take a walk or play games in the open air. Having good eating habits with some exercise is the key to your health.
1. According to the passage, which of the following diets do you think is the best one?| A．Eggs, tomatoes and chicken. | B．Milk, bread, cabbages and beef. |
| C．Corn, fish, ice cream and pork. | D．Rice, beancurd, fish and chicken. |
| A．every person needs food to grow well |
| B．taking exercise can keep your body strong |
| C．the right kind of food with exercise will keep you healthy |
| D．enough energy helps people think more quickly |
【推荐2】With mouth-watering thoughts of a tasty sandwich on your brain, you unwrap a loaf of bread and see a patch of green mold (绿霉).
Maybe you hear the voice of your mom or dad in your head, “Don’t be childish! Just eat around it!”“ Or you feel the guilt of food waste. By some estimates, about one-third of all the bread made in the U.S is never eaten.
Mold is a type of fungi, and comes from the same family as mushrooms. In fact, if you look at mold under a microscope, you will find that it looks like very skinny mushrooms, according to the USDA. It has a stalk with spores on top which form the blue-green moldy part that you see on food.
| A．Yes, you’d better throw that loaf away. |
| B．When throwing away moldy food, put it in a small paper bag or wrap it in plastic. |
| C．Do you cut off the disgusting part or throw away the entire loaf? |
| D．What you don’t see are root threads underneath that damage the foods they live on. |
| E．But science seems to overrule the guilt and parental pressure, at least in this case. |
| F．In some cases, a few molds produce poisons that make people and animals sick. |
| G．Besides, moldy food may also have invisible bacteria growing along with the mold, says the USDA. |
【推荐3】How does gratitude lead to better eating behaviors?
At the beginning of every new year, many of us will work on the annual tradition of making New Year’s resolutions. And one of the most popular resolutions is to eat healthily.
Why did this happen?
So, is gratitude a miracle drug? Not quite, but much research is done on its benefits.
| A．This was true for all the gratitude groups. |
| B．This benefits your health for decades to come. |
| C．In the study, researchers split up 1,017 students into four groups. |
| D．The conclusion is that gratitude is good for our minds and our bodies. |
| E．They indicated how much fruit, vegetables, fast food and desserts they ate. |
| F．The study further found practicing gratitude led to decreased negative emotions. |
| G．If this is your goal, new research has discovered a resource that could help you achieve it. |
【推荐1】If you’re a fan of fast fashion, your choices may be narrowing in the near future.
At the end of 2020, fast-fashion giant H&M said it would close 350 stores worldwide. Recently, Spanish fashion giant Inditex announced that it would close all its Bershka, Pull & Bear and Stradivarius stores in China. It all indicates that fast fashion is slowing down, noted the website Fast Company.
A major reason is the shift in the mindset (心态) of consumers. Millennials, those who were born in the 1980s or 1990s, are now the largest consumer group. Unlike their predecessors (前人), millennials are more financially stable,and thus low-priced fast fashion is not their priority. According to The South China Morning Post, more people are starting to care about quality and the stories behind a product.
Another factor is the growing concern over the fashion industry’s effect on the environment. As The New York Times noted, the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters of clean water and three-fifths of clothes produced in a year end up in landfill (垃圾场). As there is more awareness of the climate crisis, younger people are pursuing more eco-friendly choices.
Molly, 22, is one of them. Before she went to college, she used to frequent fast-fashion shops like Forever 21 and H&M. But after taking a class that focused Fast fashion slows down on the environmental impact of clothing production, her preference changed. Now, she tries to shop in a way that is both sustainable (可持续的) and affordable: She shops second-hand. “My friend showed me how easy it was to be thrifty (节约的) and I developed a new personal style that focused less on trends but on basics that don’t go out of style.” she told MTV News.
In order to survive in the competitive market, many fast-fashion brands are making changes as well. For example, Inditex said that the company plans for all of its clothes to be sustainable by 2025.
“Sustainability is a never-ending task in which everyone here is involved.” said Pablo Isla, CEO of Inditex.
1. Why is fast fashion unpopular among millennials?| A．Millennials follow former generations’ style. |
| B．Millennials prefer cheaper clothes. |
| C．Millennials attach more importance to quality. |
| D．Millennials like brands with a long history. |
| A．Unsold clothes are a threat to the environment. |
| B．Low-quality fashion products don’t last long. |
| C．Climate change should be blamed on the fashion industry. |
| D．More people prefer eco-friendly fashion products. |
| A．She likes thrifty brands. |
| B．She buys used clothes. |
| C．She prefers trendy clothes. |
| D．She buys only necessary clothes. |
| A．how competition is becoming more fierce in the fashion industry |
| B．how sustainability has become the top priority for most fashion brands |
| C．how the fast-fashion industry is suffering a big loss |
| D．how a major company can change their products to fit the market |
| A．Promising. | B．Hopeless. | C．Unclear. | D．Unpredictable. |
【推荐2】The earthworm is widely distributed, with 4000 species in the world and more than 300 species in China, where they are in demand as fishing bait, livestock feed, and components of traditional medicine. Known as “ecosystem engineers,” earthworms also play a vital role in the biogeochemical cycle. They can affect the biological, chemical, and physical processes of the ecosystem. In recent years, poachers in China have started using soil electrocution to capture earthworms, putting earthworm populations and ecosystems at risk. In February, China banned the practice.
In the past, earthworms in China were captured manually, which limited the number that could be caught in a short amount of time and did not threaten the earthworm population or the soil ecosystem. In contrast, applying electric current to the soil can catch about 150 kg of earthworms in a day. Removing earthworms at this scale threatens the species with local extinction and robs the targeted ecosystem of the benefits they provide.
This capture method threatens other species as well. The electric current may kill or harm soil organisms beyond earthworms. The changes could disrupt the food cycle or birds, arthropods, and mammals that depend on earthworms as a food source. The sharp decrease of earthworms in the soil may also affect soil fertility and productivity, reducing crop yields.
Electric earthworm capture has quickly become widespread, because earthworms are not included on the list of protected wild animals in China. There have been few legal punishments for using the approach, despite the damage it causes. In February, the Chinese government took a step to ban electric capture of earthworms and other activities that damage the soil ecosystem. However, the financial benefits of large-scale earthworm poaching may provide poachers with an motivation to continue using electric capture despite the ban. To carry out the ban effectively, China should pass laws that specify how poachers will be punished if they continue to use soil electrocution.
1. What does the author want to convey in the first paragraph?| A．The earthworm is found everywhere. | B．The earthworm is used as fishing bait. |
| C．The earthworm is captured. | D．The earthworm is endangered. |
| A．To give an example | B．To explain a capture method |
| C．To clarify a concept | D．To make a comparison |
| A．Because they want to get a lot of money. | B．Because they like electric capture. |
| C．Because they ignore the ban. | D．Because they hate earthworms. |
| A．China Bans Electric Capture of Earthworms |
| B．Electric Earthworm Capture Became Widespread |
| C．Earthworms Play a Vital Role in the Ecosystem |
| D．Earthworms Are Captured by Soil Electrocution |
【推荐3】In the northernmost edge of Colombia sits the coastal town of Acandí. Access to the town is only by water or air; there is no road that leads there. The residents there are faced with the struggles of balancing livelihoods while protecting biodiversity.
In the past, traditional community fishing methods, passed down by the elders, focused on the reasonable fishing and management of resources. However, the introduction of large-scale trawling vessels(拖网渔船) decades ago gradually depleted the area’s fishing resources, leading to damage to marine(海洋的) life seriously.
Jesús Antonio Julio Cuestas, who serves in the region’s conservation and management of marine resources, stresses the bad impact of these developments and calls for new fishing techniques. “Fishing and conservation co-exist as long as we have good management practices and reasonable use of our fishing resources,” says Cuestas. He and other officials actively monitor fishing activities in Acandí. Each morning, they visit the fish markets to gather data on fishery resources—including prices and sizes—to monitor the state of the local fishing industry.
Along with Cuestas, the fishers work to reduce their impact on the marine ecosystem. By changing fishing methods and adopting new practices, they aim for a more balanced approach to fishing. “This year the local fishermen have not used the trawl net s that were causing the death of the leatherback sea turtles,” explains Cuestas proudly. Changes include the efforts of boats to protect the seagrass that serves as feeding grounds for marine life and an end to fishers throwing net s where turtles lay their eggs.
This marine reserve in Acandí, Cuestas believes, is their greatest treasure. He attaches great importance to working together with local residents to improve the quality of life while preserving the marine ecosystem. By doing so, he imagines a picture where individuals from the fishing community can pursue various careers, such as engineers or lawyers, proudly stating that they are the products of the fishing tradition in Acandí.
1. What does the underlined word “depleted” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Reused. | B．Restored. |
| C．Explored. | D．Reduced. |
| A．To cut down on the costs of fishing. |
| B．To improve the income of local residents. |
| C．To promote the well-being of marine wildlife. |
| D．To spread traditional community fishing methods. |
| A．The aim of the changes to fishing methods. |
| B．The efforts to preserve marine ecosystem. |
| C．The results the trawl net s have brought about. |
| D．The impact of fishers on the local environment. |
| A．Confident. | B．Uncaring. |
| C．Concerned. | D．Doubtful. |
【推荐1】Flying High
Barrington Irving made his historic flight and founded an educational non-profit-making organization. The secret, he believes, is having a dream in the first place, and that starts with learning experiences that inspire kids to build careers.
The moment of inspiration for Irving came in his parents’ bookstore. One customer, a professional pilot, asked Irving if he’d thought about becoming a pilot. “I told him I wasn’t smart enough; but the next day he took me to the cockpit (驾驶舱) of the commercial airplane he flew, and just like that I was hooked.”
To follow his dream, Irving turned down a football scholarship to the University of Florida. He washed airplanes to earn money and increased his flying skills by practising at home on a $40 flight simulator (模拟) video game. Then another dream took hold: flying alone around the world. He faced more than 50 rejections for sponsorship before convincing some companies to donate aircraft components. He took off with no weather radar, no de-icing system, and just $30 in his pocket.
After 97 days, 26 stops and dozens of thunderstorms, he touched down to a cheering crowd in Miami. “It was seeing so many young people watching and listening that pushed me into giving back with my knowledge and experience.” Irving has been doing it ever since. He set up his non-profit-making organization, Experience Aviation (航空), aiming to increase the numbers of youth in aviation and science-related careers. “We want to create chances for students to accomplish something amazing,” he notes. The most powerful educational tool is the example his own life provides.
1. According to Irving, what is the most important in achieving success?| A．Meeting people who provide unexpected help. |
| B．Getting a chance to study technical knowledge. |
| C．Having something specific that you want to accomplish. |
| D．Developing communication with different organizations. |
| A．he felt embarrassed to refuse the offer | B．he was doubtful about his own abilities |
| C．he knew his efforts would be rewarded | D．he realized immediately how lucky he was |
| A．He chose to reduce his budget as low as possible. |
| B．He was finally given enough money to keep going. |
| C．He got the most useful flying tips from his video game. |
| D．He took on a further challenge after he knew how to fly. |
| A．Because he hoped to become a public figure. |
| B．Because he expected to start a business in other fields. |
| C．Because he saw there was great interest in what he was doing. |
| D．Because he thought he could teach more than flight schools could. |
【推荐2】During the 1930s, the Great War broke out. A 25-year-old American soldier, probably never thought that his life would change forever when he volunteered to go to France.
One night while the American unit was returning to the base after a bloody fight, Suleyman stumbled into the ground and noticed a bit of movement from the bush. Being stuck between two choices either its enemy or an animal, Suleyman found a five-year-old girl from the bushes shivering with cold and utmost fear. Due to the atrocity of the war, the girl was abandoned by her family and the whole village was killed.
During the war, it was impossible to find the child’s family so Suleyman took this little French girl under his wings and gave her an American name Flora which means like the flower. Soon, Flora became the apple of the eye of everyone living in the army camp.
For one and a half years, Flora and Suleyman became inseparable; however, every fairy tale comes to an end. When the war ended, Suleyman was sent back to USA, while Flora was put in an orphanage, the Normandy School, which was founded by the American government for orphaned French children to have an education.
For years, Suleyman always thought about Flora. When the French National Olympic Team was playing in the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984, Suleyman gazed through the audience on TV, hoping to catch a glimpse of Flora, but he never could.
At the age of 85, Suleyman attended the 60th anniversary reception of the Great War where Suleyman shared his story with American and French officials. After hearing his story, a French journalist started to investigate the story, and all government files were read in detail. The moment the journalist helped dial the number, in tears, Flora said Suleyman was her hero, and everything came flooding back to her.
1. What does the underlined word “atrocity” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Challenge. | B．Cruelty. | C．Range. | D．Stress. |
| A．Because Flora might be in the French team. |
| B．Because Flora might be watching the event. |
| C．Because Suleyman was greatly interested in sports. |
| D．Because Suleyman wanted to travel to Los Angeles. |
| A．Suleyman found some animals in the bush. |
| B．Suleyman would never see Flora again. |
| C．Flora and Suleyman became attached to each other. |
| D．Flora was sent to an orphanage when she was found. |
| A．The Lost and Found Love | B．The Influence of the War |
| C．A Tough Flower in the War | D．The Apple of the Father’s Eye |
【推荐3】In March 2019, when Sara Cook first got a letter telling her that someone had paid off a part of her medical debt, she thought it was fake. “It seems like one of those e-mails you get saying you have a long-lost uncle and you’ve just inherited two million dollars.” Cook says. Cook called the number listed on the letter and what she learned was that this was not a scam.
A remarkable nonprofit organization called RIP Medical Debt had paid $ 5,000 towards her bills. RIP buys medical debts directly from hospitals at a steep discount, usually paying only a few pennies to retire each dollar of debt. Since 2014, it is estimated that they’ve spent only about $20 million to pay off nearly $1 billion in personal debts. Antic and Ashton, the founders, get their money from individuals and charities that support RIP’s mission. The $5,000 to pay off Cook’s bill was donated by a church in Michigan, which in 2019 raised $53,000, paying off $5 million in debt owed by thousands of people.
Don't bother contacting RIP for help, however. Now, RIP researches potential recipients (接受者) based on three criteria. First, they look for people who make no more than 2.5 times the amount established as the federal poverty level. Then they seek for those whose debt is equal to 5 percent or more of their total income. Third, they look to see whether a person is bankrupt.
For those who do qualify, RIP’s help is life-altering. “After their letter, I realized that my life really wasn’t that awful,” says Cook, who shares her story with anyone who has the willingness to listen. “I may be deprived of the chance to work as a nurse again, but I can sit at the school library and help kid read or serve up food in the soup kitchen. When people do something out of the kindness of their hearts, sometimes they may wonder whether it really makes a difference. I want people to know that this indeed has a positive impact.”
1. What does the underlined word “scam” probably mean?| A．Payment. | B．Cheat. |
| C．Reward. | D．Letter. |
| A．Why RIP performs the act of paying off medical debt. |
| B．Where RIP gets the money for the kindness. |
| C．How much RIP has paid for people’s medical debt. |
| D．How RIP carries out the act of paying off people’s debt. |
| A．Those who support RIP’s mission. | B．Those who struggle financially. |
| C．Those who contact RIP actively. | D．Those who get deadly diseases. |
| A．Goodbye, My Medical Debt | B．A Remarkable Organization |
| C．Cook, a Nurse of Misfortune | D．Antic and Ashton’s Kindness |
