Insects are disappearing. The world has 25 per cent fewer terrestrial insects now than in 1990. This includes those we rely on to pollinate our crops and clean our rivers. If we don’t solve this problem very soon, some species will disappear.
There are many causes for the insect decline, but insecticides (杀虫剂) are a major part of the problem. Those used today are longer lasting and up to 10,000 times more toxic than some that were banned in the 1970s. Adding to the problem is that these pesticides are now applied to crops prophylactically (预防地) and used whether pests are present or not.
Overall, the amount of pesticide applied to the land is decreasing, but this is a grossly misleading statistic. A recent paper found that, between 2005 and 2015, there was a 40 per cent reduction in the amount of pesticide applied to crops measured by weight. But because modern insecticides are so much more toxic, the global toxicity of treated land to pollinating insects has more than doubled in the same period.
Governments and regulating agencies are aware of the problem, and some parts of the world have moved to ban the use of certain insecticides outdoors in an attempt to help bees survive. But the pesticides used instead are just as toxic.
One often-touted approach is to use pesticide-free pest control methods. These varied techniques are gathered under the name of integrated pest management (IPM) and have been around for decades. They offer effective crop protection and include methods such as crop rotation and the use of natural predators. But their adoption has been incredibly slow, because spraying pesticides is viewed as an easier option. As a result, IPM methods are unfortunately seldom used today
Neither changing insecticides nor shifting to IPM is a quick fix. We argue instead that we need a subtle shift in focus, away from killing pests and towards protecting crops.
By using the minimal dose we need to protect crops, we could reduce the amount of insecticide to a fraction of what is used today. Farmers would benefit from these changes. They would spend less money on pesticides and improve crop production by keeping health pollinator insects about. Reducing insecticide doses won’t solve the insect decline problem but it is a move that could win us time to make food production more sustainable and reconcile (使和谐) farmlands and the natural ecosystems we crucially depend on. And that will allow insects to recover.
1. According to the passage, which of the statements is NOT true about the insect decline?| A．Currently-used pesticides are much more toxic than before. |
| B．Pesticides have played a key role in reducing the number of insects. |
| C．The amount of pesticides used is much more than before. |
| D．The toxicity in pesticides lasts longer than before. |
| A．Broadly-publicized. | B．Recently-created. |
| C．Frequently-criticized. | D．Generally-proved. |
| A．To protect crops rather than killing out insects. |
| B．To raise large-scale natural predators of insects. |
| C．To search and develop new pesticides. |
| D．To shift to the IPM pesticide-controlling method. |
| A．Insects control — there is still a long way to go |
| B．Insects decline! Take measures right now |
| C．New findings in the field of insects control |
| D．Shift in pesticide use could help insects recover |
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【推荐1】Feeling overwhelmed? Maybe the parent of a preschooler in your family just called to say they need extra help with child care, and a sick neighbor wants to know if you can pick up some groceries for her. Meanwhile, your best friend keeps calling in need of someone to open up to.
In less stressful times, perhaps, you’d have jumped to help out and lend an ear. But after months of social isolation (孤立), coping with work demands, and caring for loved ones, the balance has started to tip. Suddenly your own need for emotional support is outweighing your capacity for kindness.
That’s understandable, and OK. If you’re feeling insensitive or overburdened these days in response to another’s pain or request for help, that doesn’t make you unkind. What you’re feeling could instead be what we mental health professionals call “compassion fatigue (同情疲劳)”. Anxiety, sadness, and low self-worth can also be symptoms of this sort of emotional tiredness, the American Institute of Stress notes. Often we associate this stress condition with health care workers, but the American Psychological Association warns that anyone who continually cares for others or who witnesses others’ sufferings is also at risk.
Research shows compassion fatigue can be successfully treated—with stress-reduction techniques, such as meditation, as well as with specific treatment. The key is learning how to recognize the symptoms so that you can get help.
When the two of us—a psychologist and a social worker—feel like we have “nothing left to give,” supporting our own sad friends or caring for a sick relative can feel like running a marathon with aching muscles. But showing sympathy—and avoiding emotional burnout—doesn’t have to be painful for anyone. As Stanford psychologist Jamil Zaki notes in his book The War for Kindness, “empathy (共情) is a skill we can all strengthen through effort.”
1. Which of the following is “compassion fatigue”?| A．The guilt after refusing to help your neighbors. |
| B．The loneliness without getting emotional support. |
| C．The anxiety from failing to be successfully treated. |
| D．The sadness from seeing people suffering from cancers. |
| A．People are unable to offer help when they’re stressed. |
| B．Showing no sympathy for others’ sufferings is unacceptable. |
| C．Whoever cares for others will suffer from emotional tiredness. |
| D．Those constantly attending to others may experience compassion fatigue. |
| A．Compassion fatigue can be easily treated. |
| B．Avoiding emotions causes pain to everyone. |
| C．The skill of showing sympathy can be built up. |
| D．Experts can do nothing about compassion fatigue. |
| A．Helping Hands Need A Break |
| B．Sympathy Is What We Can Acquire |
| C．Stress Symptoms Need Recognizing |
| D．Psychologists and Social Workers In Danger |
【推荐2】While mangoes are known as the "King of Fruits", grapes are popularly called as the "Queen of Fruits". The small juicy grapes are sorted into three varieties based on colors: green, red, black or blue. So are there any health benefits in grapes?
Grapes can be consumed in many ways. It can be either eaten raw, consumed in a juice form or used to prepare wine. During autumn, you will find different kinds of grapes in the market. As it is the main season of grapes, the amount of consuming this fruit is very high.
Although grapes are tiny in size, it has numerous health benefits. A lot of people are unaware of the health benefits of grapes. For example, drinking grape juice is one of the easiest ways to treat acidity. Moreover, the fruit juice is also a healthy drink for those who are on a diet.
Grape juice is loaded with nutrients, vitamins and mineral which keep us fit. For example, drinking grape juice is one of the traditional ways to cure a painful headache.
It would be interesting to know that grape juice is good for skin as well. Drinking a glass of grape juice every day helps get a clear and perfect skin naturally. It also has anti-ageing benefits on the skin. Green grapes especially speed up metabolism (新陈代谢) and induce perspiration which in turn helps get a youthful skin naturally.
So selection of grapes is very important. You must buy fresh, fine, and colored grapes. This can be easily done by lifting a bunch of grapes and shaking them. If the grapes fall, then they have been stored for long. And if the grapes are attached to the stem, then you can be sure that they are fresh to be consumed.
1. When it comes to grapes, the author thinks ________.| A．they are the best fruit in the world |
| B．they are consumed most in summer |
| C．they can do much good to our health |
| D．they consist of more than three kinds |
| A．Grapes are harvested only when it is cold. |
| B．The benefits of grapes escape many people. |
| C．Grape juice is considered to result in acidity. |
| D．Grape juice can make you have a good appetite. |
| A．It helps people avoid suffering from acidity. |
| B．It is beneficial to those being overweight. |
| C．It can make your skin fine and smooth. |
| D．It can cure all kinds of diseases. |
| A．Green grapes are much better than black ones. |
| B．It is better to prepare fresh grape juice at home. |
| C．The stored grapes juice is thought to be harmful. |
| D．Grape juice does more good to women than to men. |
【推荐3】From boyhood he was interested in Astronomy, and while at Cambridge he would sit up at night to watch the stars. But he was dissatisfied with the telescopes of those days because they didn't show him a clear picture of things. At first he thought there must be something wrong with the lens（镜头）. But no matter how hard he tried to improve the lens, the trouble was still there.
This set Newton thinking. He began to study the nature of light and colours. In the end he found that sunlight, or white light, is actually made up of a row of colours. He counted seven colours in all. This was of course a great discovery. But Newton still wasn't satisfied. His mind was busy with another problem. Before Newton's time, scientists had already discovered that the sun, not the earth, was the centre of the universe, and they knew that the earth and the other planets moved round the sun. But they couldn't explain why this was so until Newton gave the answer.
One autumn evening while Newton was sitting under an apple tree thinking over these problems, he saw the moon rise in the sky. Why, he asked himself, should the moon round the earth, never leaving the same path? At that moment, he heard an apple drop from the tree. Why should the apple drop to the ground? Why didn't it go sideways or fly up? There seemed to be only one reason: The earth was drawing it-that is the force of gravity. If a stone is tied to the end of a string and whirled around, it flies round and round in circles because of the string. In the same way, the force of gravity, thought Newton, must be the force that keeps the moon going round the earth and the planets round the sun.
1. This passage tells us_________.| A．Newton gave the right answer to the making up of the sunlight |
| B．Newton found that the moon goes round the earth |
| C．how Newton made two of his greatest discoveries |
| D．why Newton made two of his great discoveries at home |
a. Newton found that sunlight is made up of a row of colours.
b. Newton wondered why the apple didn't go sideways.
c. Newton decided that the force of gravity keeps the moon going round the earth.
d. Newton tried every means to improve the lens.
e. Newton counted the number of colours.
| A．e,d,c,a,b | B．e,a,c,b,d |
| C．d,a,e,b,c | D．d,e,a,b,c |
| A．But Newton gave the answer because they couldn't explain why. |
| B．But Newton couldn't explain why unless they gave the answer. |
| C．But it was Newton who gave the answer. |
| D．But Newton was the first to give the answer. |
【推荐1】The famous French beauty company L’Oréal has promised that by 2030, 95 percent of its ingredients (原料) will come from renewable plant sources and be respectful of the environment. Asked what is driving the beauty industry to clean and green beauty, Laurent Gilbert, one of L’Oréal’s directors said, “Natural science has made progress in the past years so that we can change to natural ingredients.”
L’Oréal says it will draw on recent developments in Green Sciences to get the best that nature has to offer through technology. Up to now, 80 percent of the Group’s materials have been easily biodegradable ( 生物可降解的), 59 percent have been renewable, and 34 percent have been natural or of natural origin. And 29 percent of the ingredients used in their products were developed following the rules of Green Chemistry.
“We have already used active ingredients which are plant-based. The way we are getting and producing ingredients will change.” Gilbert added.
As part of their sustainability (可持续性) program, the brand had also promised to use less plastic. It said, “By 2030, 100 percent of the plastics used in L’Oréal’s products’ packaging will be from recycled sources. We have a strong policy to help reach that goal. Besides making it recyclable, we are trying to move to a new kind of packaging.”
“All our promises are global. We have two research centers in India, one in Bengaluru and one in Mumbai. Those are really important to those goals. The Bengaluru one is being specialized in natural ingredients. It will give support to this change,” says the research center, which was set up in India in 1994.
To achieve these aims, L’Oréal has brought all of its resources in Green Sciences together, including recent progress in agricultural economics, together with new developments in biotechnology, Green Chemistry and modelling tools. The Group is also building strong relationships with universities, new companies and its own material suppliers.
1. What plays an important role in L’Oréal’s decision to change its ingredients?| A．The support from the local government. |
| B．The development of natural science. |
| C．The call for smart spending habits. |
| D．The research on target markets. |
| A．To bring convenience to customers. |
| B．To avoid damage to its products. |
| C．To cut the cost of packaging. |
| D．To reduce plastic use. |
| A．Develop new resources and join hands with different groups. |
| B．Limit the number of factories in developed countries. |
| C．Grow more plants and invite plenty of professionals. |
| D．Keep the traditional way of producing materials |
| A．L’Oréal’s achievements in business |
| B．L’Oréal’s challenge of increasing sales |
| C．L’Oréal’s plans for green and clean beauty |
| D．L’Oréal’s expectation of creating plant-based food |
【推荐2】When she first started learning about the climate change from one of her elders, Fawn Sharp was invited on a helicopter flight over the Olympic Mountains to survey the Mount Anderson glacier. But the glacier was gone, melted by the warming climate. Sharp had a deep sense of loss when she discovered the glacier wasn’t there anymore.
Loss is a growing issue for people working and living on the front lines of climate change. And that gave Jennifer Wren Atkinson, a full-time lecturer at the University of Washington Bothell, US, an idea for a class.
This term, she taught students on the Bothell campus about the emotional burdens of environmental studies. She used the experiences of Native American tribes (部落), scientists and activists, and asked her 24 students to face the reality that there is no easy fix—that “this is such an intractable problem that they’re going to be dealing with it for the rest of their lives.”
Student Cody Dillon used to be a climate science skeptic (怀疑论者). Then he did his own reading and research, and changed his mind.
Dillon wasn’t going into environmental work—he was a computer-science major. Yet, the potential for a worldwide environmental catastrophe seemed so real to him five years ago that he quit his job and became a full-time volunteer for an environmental group that worked on restoration (恢复) projects.
Six months into the work, he decided that Atkinson’s class was just what he was looking for — a place where he could discuss his concerns about a changing climate.
Atkinson said she hopes the class helped her students prepare themselves for the amount of environmental loss that will happen over their lifetimes.
“We are already changing the planet—so many species are going to be lost, displace or massively impacted,” she said. “The future isn’t going to be what they imagined.”
1. Why did the author mention the case of Fawn Sharp?| A．to lay a basis for Fawn Sharp’s further research. |
| B．to prove Fawn Sharp’s work is similar to Atkinson’s. |
| C．to lead into the issue of loss caused by climate change. |
| D．to show scientists’ concern about the Mount Anderson glacier. |
| A．to explore how different people deal with climate change. |
| B．to get students more concerned about the environmental issue. |
| C．to find solutions to the environmental issue of Olympic Mountains. |
| D．to teach students how to conduct research about environment. |
| A．rewarding. | B．challenging |
| C．demanding | D．interesting |
| A．It made him work as a part-time volunteer for restoration projects. |
| B．It made him realize a planet-wide climate disaster would happen. |
| C．It encouraged him to be more involved in environmental protection. |
| D．It discouraged him to work on restoration projects for the environment. |
【推荐3】Mud. Muck. Dirt. Although we have plenty of words for it, we rarely give soil a second thought. But without soil, we would certainly be dead.
Soil is key to almost every aspect of life on land, from water storage to climate regulation, flood prevention, nutrient cycling and decomposition (分解）. The dirt beneath our feet is also an exceptionally high source of biodiversity: some estimates suggest that at least one quarter of all species live in or on the soil. The UN has named 2015 the Year of soils and 5 December also happens to be World Soil Day.
As plants gradually colonized the land and began to input large quantities of organic matter into the soil, its water storage capacity increased. Water storage and filtration (过滤） is one of the most important roles soil plays, even today: we depend on it for our drinking water and agriculture. The water storage capacity of soil is also important in reducing flood risk, as well as providing an important buffer against drought.
But soil is also facing severe danger these days. In effect, our agriculture is reversing billions of years of soil evolution and making our soils easier to wear away. In fact, half of the world’s topsoil, the most active and important part of the soil, has been lost over the last 150 years.
The problem may only get worse. The increase of agricultural processes is lowering the soils quality in a global scale, and with the population set to reach 9 billion by 2050, the security of our future food supply is hanging in the balance.
The good news is that if we do begin taking better care of the world’s soil we can take advantage of their carbon storing capacity, to help fight against the effects of climate change.
We might not give it much thought, but soil is silently keeping us alive. By acting now to protect soil as a key ecosystem worldwide we can ensure it continues to provide us with clean water, food and a pleasant climate far into the future.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?| A．Soil has been thought highly of by human race. |
| B．Soil has too many names for us to care for it. |
| C．We have never paid enough attention to soil. |
| D．It’s high time for us to take measures to protect soil. |
| A．Definite. |
| B．Guaranteed. |
| C．Ruined. |
| D．Uncertain. |
| A．To share a comment. |
| B．To make an appeal. |
| C．To give an example. |
| D．To introduce a topic. |
【推荐1】Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is a global stage where the world’s next-generation inventions are introduced towards the marketplace, and lots of companies are participating. Here are several of the amazing inventions that were introduced at the show in 2020.
August Wi-Fi Smart Lock
It's an intelligent door lock to protect your home, and it works on Wi-Fi. The lock doesn’t require any additional hardware to attach to it and can be used with the existing door lock. The owner can remotely access the door from anywhere to lock or unlock and can provide guest keys to family or friends. It keeps statistics and records of your door’s “lock”, “unlock”, and who have visited.
Motion Pillow
It’s a pillow developed for anyone who has a snoring (打鼾) problem. The solution box detects, records, and analyses the sleeping person’s snoring patterns. By changing the internal airbag’s pressure, it fixes the position of the sleeping person’s neck and head gently to improve his breathing. Three layers of noise- reducing material minimize the user’s sleeping disturbance.
Ao Air
It’s a high-tech face-covering wearable air purifier with no tight seal on the mouth and nose. The purifier pulls air inside through a filtration (过滤) process and uses fans to create a clean area in front of the device. It’s designed in such a way that it can clean more than 98 % of PM2.5 through filtration.
Transparent Hood
The company Continental showed off this revolutionary invention at CES 2020 that got the Best Vehicle Intelligence and Transportation Award. It’s a technology that gives the driver the ability to see barriers and blind spots from the driving seat. Four cameras take surrounding pictures so that the driver can see the real-time blind spots and prevent even parking damage too.
1. Who is the text mainly intended for?| A．The general public. | B．The science lovers. |
| C．The electronic companies. | D．The college students. |
| A．It’s intended for all those who can’t sleep well. |
| B．It can help sleepers breathe smoothly. |
| C．It can remove the noise around to help people sleep. |
| D．Its pressure is changed by sleepers themselves. |
| A．August Wi-Fi Smart Lock helps improve the safety of homes. |
| B．Ao Air produces fresh air for its users. |
| C．Motion Pillow reduces material to minimize sleeping disturbance. |
| D．Transparent Hood helps make driving safer and easier. |
【推荐2】The English language is changing, and you are responsible! Whether we consider changes in grammar, spelling, pronunciation, or the very vocabulary of the language, you have played your part and continue to do so.
When we first learned basic grammar and spelling, perhaps in elementary school, we might have gotten the impression that these things were sacred. The rules that apply to such things might have been presented as unchanging and unchangeable. While this way might be helpful for teaching children, it is far from accurate.
The English language, like many others, is a living, growing, ever-evolving thing. Like it or not, you are involved in this change. These changes take many forms. Grammar and spelling have changed greatly over the years and centuries, with the spelling differences in different countries today a reflection of this. While the language of a thousand years ago might be called English, most of us would hardly recognize it today as the same language.
The first involves changes in the pronunciation of words. Many are familiar with the differences between the British and American ways of pronouncing certain words. In addition to these differences, the pronunciation of many words has changed over the years because of how you have decided to pronounce them. For example, consider the word "err." The traditional pronunciation of this word rhymes with the word "her." Older dictionaries show this to be the primary or only pronunciation. However, in recent years, more and more people have been pronouncing it so that it sounds like "air." Another change in the language involves the addition and removal of words. The makers of dictionaries decide which words deserve to be officially adopted as part of the English language. Through the centuries, many words have come from other languages. In fact, English has probably done this more than any other language in the world, which is why spelling and pronunciation rules for English have so many exceptions.
Of course, many slang words have been just short-lived fashions that have died out quickly. Others, though, have been adopted by mainstream society and become respectable, as have many technical terms. So then remember, the next time you repeat the newest expression to hit the street, or make up your own words, you may be contributing to the future of the English language.
1. When we begin to learn English, we think _________.| A．it is interesting to pick up a new language |
| B．English rules are wrongly presented in fact |
| C．grammar and spelling rules are unchangeable |
| D．only adults have the ability to affect a language |
| A．We can change the English language. |
| B．Many languages are changing over years. |
| C．English has changed little in the past 1,000 years. |
| D．There were main changes in grammar and pronunciation. |
| A．Foreign words involved in English. | B．The British speaks differently from Americans. |
| C．English language is changing over years. | D．You can change the English language. |
【推荐3】Intuitive(直觉的) eating is often misunderstood as “eat whatever you want, whenever you want”. As a parent, this interpretation of intuitive eating would sound like a terrible idea. Intuitive eating isn’t about eating any food any time. Rather, it’s about allowing our body to be the interpreter of what feels good and trusting our body to manage the imperfections in our eating patterns. Getting off kids’ back about eating what and trusting their body’s experience of food is key to helping them develop a positive relationship with their body and with eating.
To help kids learn about those eating patterns, parents and caregivers can use the phrases “mouth hunger” and “tummy(肚子) hunger” to help kids explore the different ways our bodies experience food without using outside signals and negative messages. Discussing “mouth hunger”, the sensation of desiring something based on taste and sensation alone, and “tummy hunger”, eating something based on a deep sense of feeling satisfied, can help children start to tune in to their internal experience of food.
For instance, asking kids to explore what their mouth is hungry for allows them to recognize that a part of their body is enjoying something about the food. “Mouth hunger” is about the immediately satisfying experience of eating and all the sensations that go along with it: crunchy, chewy, sweet-the mouth likes it all! In fact, it can even help to explain to kids that “mouth hunger” is a little bossy and sometimes it doesn’t listen to “tummy hunger”.
Involving kids in a discussion of which foods satisfy their “tummy hunger” can help empower kids to talk about foods which help build muscles, promote growth, and deeply satisfy them. “Tummy hunger” is recognizing which foods make our body feel uniquely healthy and content. It’s not only powerful to help kids recognize what their “tummy hunger” actually wants and needs, but also a great place to talk about diversity and differences in bodies.
1. What is suggested to help kids bond with their body?| A．Making no judgement on their eating. | B．Letting them consume food any time. |
| C．Allowing them to eat a variety of foods. | D．Arranging what to eat in a careful way |
| A．To rid kids of health problems. | B．To choose eating patterns for kids. |
| C．To help kids form good eating habits. | D．To make kids understand intuitive eating. |
| A．Being a little bossy on eating. | B．Desiring chewy and sweet food. |
| C．Satisfying your empty stomach fast. | D．Having food that is good for health. |
| A．How Can You Raise Intuitive Eaters? |
| B．What Does Intuitive Eating Mean to Kids? |
| C．How Do Eating Patterns Affect Our Health? |
| D．Which Is Better, Mouth Hunger or Tummy Hunger? |
