【推荐1】Located in the Indian Ocean,the Maldives(马尔代夫) are among the most beautiful islands in the world,with white sandy beaches,clear water,and amazing coral reefs(珊瑚礁).The country depends on tourism,fishing,and shipping.But the rising sea level and the carbon pollution causing warming oceans are threatening(威胁) their existence.

The Maldives have asked for international help.They are a tiny country.The World Bank,the United States,the European Union,and many other groups have offered money to develop safeguards against climate change.

To protect the islands,the Maldives have built sea walls and increased the elevation(海拔) of important buildings and services such as the two international airports,which lie just 165 feet from the coastline.

They’re also building up islands such as the Hulhumale.The new island is surrounded by 9-foot sea walls.More than 40,000 people live there.The plan is to house 240,000,providing new opportunities for jobs.The goal is an excellent planned community with sustainable housing and buildings sensitive to the environment and needs of the people.

The government will move people living on smaller,lower-lying islands to the new built-up islands.The new islands offer free houses,new schools,health hospitals,fresh water,and waste treatment.Depending on tourism,the country hopes to build 50 more tourist islands.

“Climate change is happening,but we are not leaving the Maldives to the sea,” said Environment Minister Thoriq Ibrahim.The Maldives will protect their islands,people and tourism with new islands and ongoing island development against the rising sea level.

1. What do we fail to learn according to the passage?

A．The Maldives are a small country.

B．Many groups have helped the Maldives.

C．240,000 people live on the Hulhumale now.

D．The Hulhumale is surrounded by 9-foot sea walls.

2. Which of the following will Thoriq Ibrahim agree with?

A．The Maldives will be protected.

B．The Maldivians will leave all the islands.

C．The Maldives should give up tourism.

D．The Maldives will sink to the sea.

3. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?

A．The Maldives and Their Tourism

B．The Maldives and Their Rising Sea Level

C．The Maldives and Their Climate Change

D．The Maldives and Their Fight Against the Rising Sea Level

4. What makes it difficult for the Maldives to exist?

A．Their tourism,fishing and shipping.

B．Their rising sea level and carbon pollution.

C．Their sandy white beaches and coral reefs.

D．Their distant islands and warming oceans.

【推荐2】Kevin Randall, a teacher,who teaches biology at Grandville High School,runs the environmental club at the high school,which has around 2,000 students.The club is known as the GHS Green Team,and it aims to raise awareness among students and teachers about sustainability(持续性).It also works on projects to reduce the environmental footprint of the building itself.

One of the club's recent projects focused on reducing waste in the school cafeteria.Randall said their cafeteria supervisor told them that the school went through 54,000 plastic forks every year.The club applied for a financial help,built recycling centers for the cafeteria,and purchased metal silverware.

And now every student uses a durable metal fork or a spoon instead of disposables.(一次性用品),“and that's just one way we're trying to capture the low-hanging fruit,if you will,"Randall said.

The efforts of Randall and his students have earned Grandville High School the Michigan Green School certification from the state.In addition to their work reducing waste in the cafeteria, the GHS Green Team has also built a garden with flowers and vegetables on campus,and leads cleanups on site and out in the community.Over the years,Randall and his students have also been working on raising money to install solar panels(太阳能板) on the roof of the high school.

Randall said he was motivated to take the lead on environmental issues for his school because he wanted his students to have someone to turn to in the building who understands what's at stake(利害攸关）when it comes to climate change.

＂And I also felt like I needed to do more in my life for my own two children at home," Randall added,"They need to know that their dad is working as hard as he can to reduce the effects of climate change,and to spread the word,and to make sure that other students out there are learning about this just the way they are at home."

1. What is the purpose of the GHS Green Team club?

A．To inspire students' love for biology.

B．To finish the projects assigned by school.

C．To prepare students for their future jobs.

D．To promote environmental protection.

2. What's the result of the project on school cafeteria?

A．It has changed the outlook of the cafeteria.

B．Students can have more fruits in the cafeteria.

C．Plastic forks are no longer used in the cafeteria.

D．The school has become famous nationwide.

3. What's the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．The classification of the projects.

B．The characteristics of the club.

C．The activities organized by the club.

D．The future of the club.

4. What was Randall's aim by doing the work on environmental issues?.

A．To educate the young.

B．To get material rewards.

C．To amuse his children.

D．To make himself famous.

【推荐3】When Helly Scholten makes dinner, if she needs a tomato or an onion, she heads upstairs — the top floor of her house, a 440-square-foot indoor vegetable garden. She starts cooking before the sun goes down, while warmth is still flooding through the glass walls of the kitchen downstairs. The entire home is wrapped in a greenhouse.

In Rotterdam, the second-largest city in the Netherlands, such house is part of an experiment called Concept House Village, created to push the limits of sustainable (可持续的) design. It is an attempt to take things in different directions, experimenting with more radical features (特征).

Down the street, in the middle of a mostly empty field, another house tests features of an energy-producing toilet that uses waste. Another house, built from renewable materials, is designed to be constructed in a day.

Inside each of the three houses, volunteer families promised to live there for three years while giving feedback on the designs.

“Of course, it’s a test,” says Scholten. “We knew in advance that everything was not going to be perfect right away.” A rainwater-harvesting system on the roof, which was designed to directly water the vegetables growing in the loft, hasn’t been working correctly, so the family spends at least an hour a day watering the plants by hand. The parts of the house directly under the greenhouse walls can overheat, while the rest of the house can be cold in the winter. The current solar hot waters aren’t enough to keep showers comfortable.

When these new challenges arise, a team of students and professors from the University of Rotterdam — who originally designed and built the home — come over, continually tweaking the design to solve the problems.

Sustainable architecture is not unusual in Rotterdam. Next to the Concept House Village test site, another planned development of 170 homes will be completely energy-neutral — meaning, at the end of each year, the homes will have produced as much power as they used. By 2020, all new houses in the Netherlands will have to be carbon-neutral, by law.

Rotterdam is becoming a sustainable design capital, home to dozens of experimental projects. Next year, the world’s first floating dairy farm will open in a local harbor. The city is testing one-of-a-kind recycled bike paths and climate-proof parks; the port will soon start filtering(过滤) plastic waste from the harbor. Local businessmen are experimenting with mushroom farming, bread recycling, and turning food waste into leather.

1. What do we know about Concept House Village?

A．It is built based on sustainable concepts.

B．It fixes an indoor vegetable garden on each house.

C．It uses renewable materials to build toilets for its villagers.

D．Its buildings are completely different from traditional ones.

2. According to Helly Scholten’s words in Paragraph 5, her attitude towards the greenhouse can be described as _____.

A．cautious	B．reserved
C．uninterested	D．objective

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Volunteer families were required to live in the house for at most three years.

B．The home was not so satisfactory because it was designed and built by some college students.

C．Rotterdam has started filtering plastic waste from the harbor.

D．It is easy for people to find sustainable architecture in Rotterdam.

4. What’s the passage mainly about?

A．Ways to build sustainable buildings.

B．New greenhouses in the Netherlands.

C．An experimental city in the Netherlands.

D．The importance of Concept House Village.

【推荐1】Are men able to dance? Well, if I am an example, then no—I have two left feet and taking to the dance floor just fills me with dread. But of course, we know that most of us have the potential to throw some shapes,     1    

If you’ve ever watched fascinating dance shows on TV, you’ll know that there are men who have great dexterity and fancy footwork on the dance floor. These professional dancers have spent years learning and performing ballroom dances such as the waltz, foxtrot and tango.

    2     According to a survey, over three quarters of British men have never or rarely danced. It found that over a third of men surveyed wouldn’t show off their skills on the dance floor because they were too embarrassed. And ten percent said what put them off was fear of being the center of attention, being made fun of, or being judged.

Women may say we have to relax, get on our feet and just let ourselves go!     3     But what helps is a crowded dance floor where there is safety in numbers. And according to the survey,     4     One man questioned said, “I don’t think I’m very good at it and therefore need some Dutch courage to get me on the floor.”

    5     We need training, we need to practice and we need to lose our inhibitions. Gareth Dew, who took part in the survey, says, “I think to be able to dance you need to be able to let loose, be aware of your body and generally be more comfortable in yourself.” Would you agree?

A．as long as we are smart enough.

B．men always need a great dancing partner.

C．so what is it that’s stopping us?

D．many men need a drink.

E．But for a majority of us men, we are not willing to participate.

F．Easier said than done.

G．So let’s face it, men just need help.

【推荐3】Dr. Thomas Gilovich, psychology professor at Cornell University, has studied the psychology of spending for over 20 years. Lately, Gilovich has been making a stir with his newest area of research, which explores the idea that people derive more satisfaction from experiential purchases than from material ones—and that the anticipation of an experience brings higher levels of pleasure as well.

According to Dr. Gilovich, “We buy things to make us happy, and we succeed, but only for a while. New things are exciting to us at first, but then we adapt to them. ”In other words, once the freshness of our newest purchase wears off, we begin looking for something else to buy to make us happy.

“People often think spending money on an experience is not as wise an investment as spending it on a material possession,” Gilovich says. “They think the experience will come and go in a flash, and they’ll be left with little compared to owning an item. But in reality we remember experiences long afterward, while we soon become used to our possessions. At the same time, we also enjoy the anticipation of having an experience more than the anticipation of owning a possession.”

Dr. Gilovich found that our satisfaction with possessions fades over time. Yet our happiness over things we’ve experienced increases. For that reason, he has concluded that we are spending our money on the wrong things. A study out of San Francisco State University agrees. The research showed that those people who spent money on experiences instead of possessions were happier. They also thought their money was better invested.

To begin with, activities like a trip, adventure, hobby, etc. tend to bring the participants together and unite them over a shared interest. According to Gilovich, “We consume experiences directly with other people. “As a result, these experiences typically create a positive link and good feelings toward the other person or people.

Besides, your experience shows others who you are and what you are. For example, you might be someone who loves taking cooking classes. More than likely, you'll become known by friends and family as a great cook. They won't know you as someone who owns the latest kitchen equipment.

Lastly, planned experiences are frequently something we look forward to. Then when the moment arrives, if we enjoy the time involved in the activity, we’re left with fond memories. These memories will often last a lifetime. Even our worst trips, on many occasions, are later remembered with laughter.

1. Which one of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined phrase in Paragraph TWO?

A．takes off

B．fades away

C．falls apart

D．gives way

2. What may be Dr. Gilovich’s hypothesis (假设) before his team conducted the studies?

A．People are more inclined to invest in material possessions than experiential purchases.

B．People anticipate more happiness from experiences than items to be bought.

C．People are less willing to purchase expensive materials.

D．People generally think that experiences are worth more than material purchases.

3. Which one of the following experiences may bring the greatest happiness according to the passage?

A．Mia has bought the latest model of tablets for a better experience of watching shows.

B．Tom was given a brand-new switch and he played online all night with his friends.

C．Mary and her friends taught children at a primary school in their summer vacation.

D．Jack quit school and began to learn cooking for a prospective job as a chef.

4. Which of the following CANNOT account for the theory that experiences bring more lasting happiness than possession?

A．Experiences tend to be group activities that unite participants together.

B．It’s easier to show off one’s experiences than his possessions.

C．Doing something can better define you than buying something.

D．People are more likely to remember the tender part left from the past experiences.

【推荐1】I’m obsessed with Kate Middleton’s style. And I know it’s not just me. The world has been crazy about the Duchess of Cambridge ever since she joined Britain’s royal family. Her hairstyle has become one of the most asked-for in salons. And when you’re looking for an outfit she just appeared in - sorry, it’s already sold out.

But why are we in love. with Kate’s style? Of course, there’s the “Cinderella syndrome”. For single young women like me, who have been dreaming of a fairytale ending since childhood, a real-life Cinderella story has strong appeal.

Some say that Kate’s style is a bit too safe. She often opts for simple wrap dresses and neutral pumps that fail to show creativity of fashion.

But safe is not really a bad thing. After all, we can’t all be Lady Gaga, who’s hardly human.

Kate’s safe and relatable approach to style is exactly what makes her such a fashion icon of our time. She ignited trends that average women like you and me can all adopt.

She is known for wearing a high street look every now and then. One of her favorite high street fashion brands -also mine-is Zara, according to fashion experts from the British Vogue. And her practice of incorporating high street clothing and designer labels into one look sets the perfect example for those of us who can’t afford top-to- toe designer brands.

Also, the Duchess has been called a “recessionista” for recycling her outfits, which makes her a much better role model than those celebrities who are seldom seen in the same outfit more than once.

With her fashion choices, Kate proves that she is a young woman just like you and me. The main difference is that she married a real prince.

1. According to the passage, the author is keen on Kate’s style, because ________ .

A．Kate is a Cinderella story lover and has realized her childhood dream

B．Kate is only interested in high street fashion brands

C．Kate herself is expert in designing clothes

D．Kate has adopted a approach to style that average women can follow

2. The underlined word “icon” probably means ________ .

A．model

B．follower

C．advisor

D．discoverer

3. Which of the following adjectives can be used to describe Kate according to the passage?

A．Extravagant.

B．Smart.

C．Humorous.

D．Diligent.

【推荐3】Wait for it...that sigh of relief you are hearing is wives, girlfriends and partners across London celebrating the end of Movember.

This year’s annual moustache-growing campaign in London will surpass (超过) 2014 fundraising numbers.

Last year London men grew enough facial hair to raise $ 200, 000. As of Thursday 2015 fundraising sat at $250,000 with additional money still expected to roll in.

“Well I think London is a pretty charitable community” said Lincoln McCardle president of the London chapter. “Whether it is a food drive or Movember we always step up and either meet or surpass the goal.”

As a result of last year’s success London was awarded a wrap-up gala (演出) which took place Thursday night at Jim Bob Ray’s on Richmond Street.

“Up until now the galas have been happening in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary” said McCandle. “We wanted to have a gala. I told the guys in head office in Toronto to pick a number - not to tell me - but if we hit it I want a gala in London. And we did. It is a chance to thank the people who registered, hand out a few awards and have some fun.”

This year 60 percent of the money collected in Canada will still go to cancer research with the remaining 40 percent being directed towards men’s mental health.

For men looking for a professional to take off their month-long growth there are a number of “shave-off” events around the city Friday. One will be at David E. White at the corner of Richmond Street and Queens Avenue. For a $20 donation your prized moustache will be professionally removed. Organizers are hoping to set a Guinness World Record for the most number of shaves given in a day.

Started in Australia in 2003 the craze (热潮) found its way to Canadian men by 2007 and in the last couple of years Canada has collected more setting the pace in terms of fundraising. Money raised has traditionally gone toward prostate-cancer research which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men according to Health Canada.

1. What can we learn about the people in London?

A．They are wealthy.	B．They are creative.
C．They are indifferent.	D．They are warm-hearted.

2. What’s the aim of moustache-growing campaign?

A．To have a wrap-up gala.	B．To raise money for men’s health.
C．To set a Guinness World Record.	D．To remove the moustache professionally.

3. Which Guinness World Record the organizers may set?

A．The length of a moustache a man grows.	B．The amount of money collected in a day.
C．The number of moustaches removed in a day.	D．The number of people participating in the campaign.

4. What does the phrase “setting the pace” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Taking the lead.	B．Achieving the goal.
C．Falling behind.	D．Reaching the speed.

【推荐1】Hardware in general, and smartphones in particular, have become a huge environmental and health problem in the Global South's landfill sites （垃圾填埋场）.

Electronic waste（ e-waste ） currently takes up 5 percent of all global waste, and it is set to increase rapidly as more of us own more than one smartphone, laptop and power bank. They end up in places like Agbogbloshie on the outskirts of Ghana's capital, Accra. It is the biggest e-waste dump in the world, where 10, 000 informal workers walk through tons of abandoned goods as part of an informal recycling process. They risk their health searching for the precious metals that are found in abandoned smartphones.

But Agbogbloshie should not exist. The Basel Convention, a 1989 treaty, aims to prevent developed nations from unauthorized dumping of e-waste in less developed countries. The e-waste industry, however, circumvents the regulations by exporting e-waste labelled as "secondhand goods" to poor countries like Ghana, knowing full well that it is heading for a landfill site.

A recent report found Agbogbloshie contained some of the most dangerous chemicals. This is not surprising: smartphones contain chemicals like mercury （水银），lead and even arsenic（砷）. Reportedly, one egg from a free-range chicken in Agbogbloshie contained a certain chemical which can cause cancer and damage the immune system at a level that's about 220 times greater than a limit set by the European Food Safety Authority（EFSA） . Most worryingly, these poisonous chemicals are free to pollute the broader soil and water system. This should concern us all, since some of Ghana's top exports are cocoa and nuts.

Some governments have started to take responsibility for their consumers' waste. For example, Germany has started a project that includes a sustainable （可持续的）recycling system at Agbogbloshie, along with a health clinic for workers. However, governments cannot solve the problem alone, as there is an almost limitless consumer demand for hardware, especially when governments green policies are focused on issues like climate change.

Only the manufacturers can fix this. A more economically sustainable and politically possible solution is through encouraging hardware manufacturers to make the repair, reuse and recycling of hardware profitable, or at least cost-neutral.

1. What can we infer from Paragraph 2？

A．Electronic products need improving urgently.

B．Electronic waste is too complex to get fully recycled.

C．Electronic waste requires more landfill sites across Ghana.

D．Electronic pollution is a burning question in Agbogbloshie.

2. What does the underlined word "circumvents" in Paragraph 3 mean？

A．Tightens.	B．Abolishes.
C．Gets around.	D．Brings in.

3. What should be the biggest concern according to the text？

A．The violation of EFSA's standards.

B．The lack of diversity in Ghana's exports.

C．The damage to chicken's immune system.

D．The threat of polluted food around the world.

4. What does the author think is the best solution to the e-waste problem？

A．Manufacturers' developing a sustainable hardware economy.

B．Governments' adjusting their green policies about e-waste.

C．Reducing customers 'demands for electronic products.

D．Letting governments take on the main responsibility.

【推荐2】The meaning of silence varies among cultural groups. Silences may be thoughtful, or they may be empty when a person has nothing to say. A silence in a conversation may also show stubbornness, or worry. Silence may be viewed by some cultural groups as extremely uncomfortable; therefore attempts may be made to fill every gap(间隙) with conversation. Persons in other cultural groups value silence and view it as necessary for understanding a person's needs.

Many Native Americans value silence and feel it is a basic part of communicating among people, just as some traditional Chinese and Thai persons do. Therefore, when a person from one of these cultures is speaking and suddenly stops, what maybe implied(暗示) is that the person wants the listener to consider what has been said before continuing. In these cultures, silence is a call for reflection.

Other cultures may use silence in other ways, particularly when dealing with conflicts among people or in relationships of people with different amounts of power. For example, Russian, French, and Spanish persons may use silence to show agreement between parties about the topic under discussion. However, Mexicans may use silence when instructions are given by a person in authority rather than be rude to that person by arguing with him or her. In still another use, persons in Asian cultures may view silence as a sign of respect, particularly to an elder or a person in authority.

Nurses and other care-givers need to be aware of the possible meanings of silence when they come across the personal anxiety their patients may be experiencing. Nurses should recognize their own personal and cultural construction of silence so that a patient’s silence is not interrupted too early or allowed to go on unnecessarily. A nurse who understands the healing(治愈) value of silence can use this understanding to assist in the care of patients from their own and from other cultures.

1. What does the author say about silence in conversations?

A．It implies anger.

B．It promotes friendship.

C．It is culture-specific.

D．It is content-based.

2. Which of the following people might regard silence as a call for careful thought?

A．The Chinese.

B．The French.

C．The Mexicans.

D．The Russians.

3. What does the author advise nurses to do about silence?

A．Let it continue as the patient pleases.

B．Break it while treating patients.

C．Evaluate its harm to patients.

D．Make use of its healing effects.

【推荐3】A Chinese company says it has created a new facial recognition system that can identify people even if they are wearing masks.

Engineers at the Beijing-based Hanwang Technology Ltd. say their system is the first to be created to effectively identify people wearing face masks. A team of 20 people built the system in about a month. The system is based on existing technologies developed over the past 10 years. The process involved adding a collection of about 6 million unmasked faces and a much smaller collection of masked faces.

Hanwang is now selling two main kinds of products that use the new technology. One performs “single channel” recognition, which is designed to be used at the entrances to buildings. The other product is a “multi-channel” recognition system that uses groups of surveillance cameras (监控摄像头).

“When wearing a mask, the recognition rate can reach about 95 percent, which can ensure that most people can be identified,” said Huang Lei, Hanwang’s vice president. He added that the system’s success rate for people not wearing a mask is about 99.5 percent.

Huang said Hanwang’s technology can be used to identify and track people as they move about. He added the system can identify crime suspects, terrorists or make reports or warnings.

However, the new system struggles to identify people wearing both a mask and sunglasses. “In this situation, all of the key facial information is lost. In such cases recognition is tough,” Huang said.

It was not immediately clear how people were reacting to the new technology. While some have expressed opposition to such tools, many others seem to have showed interest in the new system and accepted it as a way to deal with the current health emergency — the spread of the novel coronavirus (新型冠状病毒). Huang says he sees the interest likely expanding if the virus continues to spread and the use of face masks increases.

1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．Where the company is located.	B．How the system is developed.
C．When the research work started.	D．What the collection stands for.

2. What is the limitation of the new facial recognition system?

A．The poor storage of information.

B．The relatively low recognition rate.

C．Identifying people with both a mask and sunglasses.

D．Tracking the movement of crime suspects and terrorists.

3. What attitude does Huang Lei hold towards the new technology?

A．Unclear.

B．Optimistic.

C．Opposed.

D．Worried.

4. Where is the text most likely from?

A．A travel brochure.	B．A health magazine.
C．A medical paper.	D．A science report.