【推荐1】In 1971, UN scholar Paolo Lugari started an eco-social experiment in Gaviotas, Colombia. Located in one of the most extreme climates, Gaviotas was described as a sustainable, self-sufficient village in an area that Lugari called 'just a big, wet desert'.

'They always put social experiments in the easiest places,' Lugari said.' We wanted the hardest place. We figured if we could do it here, we could do it anywhere.'

'Lugari just thought that someday the world would become so crowded that humans would have to learn to live in the planet's least desirable areas,' wrote Alan Weisman, author of Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World.

Today, Gaviotas is an eco-village with about 200 people. They farm organically. They use wind and solar power. Since 2004, Gaviotas has been 100% fossil fuel independent. The residents also enjoy free housing, schooling, and community meals. Shockingly, there are no weapons, no police, no jail and no mayor. But though these elements would make any social experiment a success, perhaps the most remarkable accomplishment is the planting of 1.5 million pine trees and palm trees. The various results of this new tree growth have been incredible. The shade of the trees has inspired the return of many rainforest species that were once native to the region. Additionally, the residents of Gaviotas enjoy a sustainable source of income from the resin( 松 香 )   harvested from the trees.

The United Nations named Gaviotas a model of sustainable development. The Colombia novelist and Noble Prize winner Grabriel Marquez called Lugari the 'inventor of the world'.

A new study by a team of researchers has found that 'nature's capacity to store carbon is steadily falling as the world's farmers expand croplands at the cost of the native ecosystem such as forests'.

Considering this disturbing fact—and as the world population increases towards an estimated 9 billion by the year 2050 and global warming continues to increase the planet's surface temperature—Gaviotas stands as one shining example of how things could be different.

1. Before the year 1971 ______.

A．Lugari often visited Gaviotas

B．there was never any rain in Gaviotas

C．scientists did many social experiments in Gaviotas

D．Gaviotas was one of the hardest places to live on the planet

2. Gaviotas has developed into a sustainable, self-sufficient village thanks to ______.

A．people's organic farming

B．Lugari's great contribution

C．the government's great support

D．the United Nations' research

3. The fourth paragraph is intended to tell us ______.

A．the income of people in Gaviotas

B．the public security situation of Gaviotas

C．the rainforest species in Gaviotas

D．the living conditions of people in Gaviotas

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．A person who planted many trees.

B．A village that reinvented the world.

C．The importance of protecting the environment.

D．How a small village turned into a business center.

【推荐3】If some parts of a body are very sick or damaged, then doctors might need to remove them. Another way doctors can help is to grow new tissue to replace what is sick or damaged. This is called regenerative medicine (再生医学).

Regenerative medicine sounds like something from a science fiction movie but it is not a new idea. Inside our bones, we have something called ‘marrow’, which makes our blood and keeps us healthy. Doctors have been giving sick people the bone marrow from other healthy people for the last 30 or 40 years, and this is a kind of regenerative medicine.

Newer developments in regenerative medicine include growing new skin in a laboratory and using it to help people who have been hurt in fires or accidents. Another example of regenerative medicine is a technique developed from studying frogs and mice. When cells are old, like in adults, they can’t change what they do in our bodies. For example, a skin cell can’t change into an eye cell. But when cells are very young, they can become any cell type. These young cells are called stem cells, and doctors can use them to grow any type of tissue, such as skin, heart or eye. John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka won the 2012 Nobel Prize for their studies in this area.

Professor Fiona Watt, from the Centre of Regenerative Medicine at King’s College, London, believes that regenerative medicine is so exciting because many different kinds of experts need to work together. 3D printers may be used to print new bones by experts, who need to work closely with university scientists and the surgeons who do the operations in hospitals.

We can not yet grow new arms or legs for people, but the science fiction dream of regenerative medicine may be closer than we think. Perhaps in the future, doctors will be able to grow whole new bodies for us.

1. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．How to help very sick or damaged people.

B．Regenerative medicine and science fiction.

C．We can grow our new bodies in the future.

D．Regenerative medicine and its development.

2. Which of the following is right according to this passage?

A．Marrow can help grow new bones.

B．Stem cell can be used to grow any type of tissue.

C．Surgeons now use 3D printers to print new bones.

D．Regenerative medicine is a new science in medicine.

3. What’s the writer’s attitude to the development in regenerative medicine?

A．Pessimistic.	B．Optimistic.
C．Doubtful.	D．Indifferent.

【推荐1】International governments’ inaction concerning sustainable development is clearly worrying but the proctive（主动出击的）approaches of some leading-edge companies are encouraging. Toyota, Wal-Mart, DuPont, M&S and General Electric have made tackling environmental wastes a key economic driver.

DuPont committed itself to a 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the 10 years prior to 2010. By 2007, DuPont was saving $2.2 billion a year through energy efficiency, the same as its total declared profits that year. General Electric aims to reduce the energy intensity of its operations by 50% by 2015. They have invested heavily in projects designed to change the way of using and conserving energy.

Companies like Toyota and Wal-Mart are not committing to environmental goals out of the goodness of their hearts. The reason for their actions is a simple yet powerful realization that the environmental and economic footprints fit well together. When M&S launched its “Plan A” sustainability programme in 2007, it was believed that it would cost over £200 million in the first five years. However, the initiative had generated £105 million by 2011/12.

When we prevent physical waste, increase energy efficiency or improve resource productivity, we save money, improve profitability and enhance competitiveness. In fact, there are often huge “quick win” opportunities, thanks to years of neglect.

However, there is a considerable gap between leading-edge companies and the rest of the pack. There are far too many companies still delaying creating a lean and green business system, arguing that it will cost money or require sizable capital investments. They remain stuck in the “environment is cost” mentality. Being environmentally friendly does not have to cost money. In fact, going beyond compliance saves cost at the same time that it generates cash, provided that management adopts the new lean and green model.

Lean means doing more with less. Nonetheless, in most companies, economic and environmental continuous improvement is viewed as being in conflict with each other. This is one of the biggest opportunities missed across most industries. The size of the opportunity is enormous. The 3% Report recently published by World Wildlife Fund and CDP shows that the economic prize for curbing carbon emissions in the US economy is $780 billion between now and 2020. It suggests that one of the biggest levers for delivering this opportunity is “increased efficiency through management and behavioural change”-in other words, lean and green management.

Some 50 studies show that companies that commit to such aspirational goals as zero waste, zero harmful emissions, and zero use of non-renewable resources are financially outperforming their competitors. Conversely, it was found that climate disruption is already costing $1.2 trillion annually, cutting global GDP by 1.6%. Unaddressed, this will double by 2030.

1. What does the author say about some leading-edge companies?

A．They operate in accordance with government policies.

B．They take initiatives in handling environmental wastes.

C．They are key drivers in their nations' economic growth

D．They are major contributors to environmental problems.

2. What motivates Toyota and Wal-Mart to make commitments to environmental protection?

A．The goodness of their hearts.

B．A strong sense of responsibility.

C．The desire to generate profits

D．Pressure from environmentalists.

3. Why are so many companies reluctant to create an environment-friendly business system?

A．They are bent on making quick money

B．They do not have the capital for the investment.

C．They believe building such a system is too costly.

D．They lack the incentive to change business practices.

4. What is said about the lean and green model of business?

A．It helps businesses to save and gain at the same time

B．It is affordable only for a few leading-edge companies.

C．It is likely to start a new round of intense competition

D．It will take a long time for all companies to embrace it.

5. What is the finding of the studies about companies committed to environmental goals?

A．They have greatly enhanced their sense of social responsibility.

B．They do much better than their counterparts in terms of revenues

C．They have abandoned all the outdated equipment and technology.

D．They make greater contributions to human progress than their rivals

【推荐2】All Ric O Barry wanted was to stop the dolphin-killing, so he headed to this seaside Japanese town, Taiji. The American activist, who is the star of a new award-winning documentary that portrays the dolphin-killing here, got an unwelcome reception when he showed up here this week for the start of the annual hunt.

His movie, The Cove (海豚湾), directed by National Geographic photographer Louie Psihoyos, was released in the United States a month ago but has not yet to come out in Japan.

Scenes in the film, some of which were shot secretly, show fishermen banging on metal poles stuck in the water to create a wall of sound that scares the dolphins, which have supersensitive sonar (声呐系统) , and sends them fleeing into a cove.

There, the fishermen sometimes pick a few to be sold for aquarium shows, for as much as $150, 000. They kill the others, spearing the animals repeatedly until the water turns red. The meat from one dolphin is worth about 50, 000 yen, and is sold at supermarkets across Japan.

Greenpeace and other groups have tried to stop the hunt for years. Activists hope The Cove will bring the issue to more people internationally, and eventually in Japan.

Already, the Australian town of Broome dropped its 28-year sister-city relationship with Taiji last month, partly because of the movie.

“Some regions have a tradition of eating dolphin meat,” said fisheries official Toshinori Uoya. “Dolphin-killing may be negative for our international image, but it is not something orders can stop.”

The town government in Taiji, which has made whales and dolphins its trademark, refused to comment about The Cove, or the growing international criticism against dolphin-killing.

Many in Taiji take the dolphin hunt for granted as part of everyday life. They are defensive about The Cove, seeing themselves as powerless victims of overseas pressure to end a simple and honest way of making a living.

1. Viewers can learn from The Cove ________.

A．the beautiful Japanese seaside town Taiji

B．the advanced techniques to catch dolphins

C．the sale of dolphin meat around the world

D．the cruel and bloody dolphin-killing

2. What is the response to The Cove on the Japanese side?

A．Japanese officials decided to ban dolphin-killing.

B．The town government in Taiji kept silent on criticism.

C．Taiji broke up with its western sister-city Broome.

D．Most Japanese people were against eating dolphin meat.

3. What does the underlined word “defensive” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Protecting themselves against criticism.

B．Making the determination to change.

C．Attacking those against dolphin-killing.

D．Feeling guilty for killing dolphins.

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．The Cove has not influenced Japan’s international image.

B．The Cove has brought international attention to dolphin-killing.

C．Taiji’s dolphin-killing industry has been seriously damaged.

D．Many people in Japan have seen The Cove in the cinema.

【推荐3】Buildings can become greener. They can use more recycled steel and can be built in off-site factories，greatly reducing lorry journeys. But no other building material has environmental credentials（认证）as exciting and overlooked as wood.

The energy required to produce a laminated（复合的）wooden beam is one-sixth of that required for a steel one of comparable strength. As trees take carbon out of the atmosphere when growing，wooden buildings contribute to negative emissions by storing the stuff. When a mature tree is cut down，a new one can be planted to replace it，capturing more carbon. After buildings are pulled down，old beams and panels are easy to recycle into new structures. And for improving older buildings to be more energy efficient，wood is a good insulator（绝缘体），A softwood window frame provides nearly 400 times as much insulation as a plain steel one of the same thickness and over a thousand times as much as an aluminium one.

A race is on to build the world's tallest fully wooden skyscraper. But such buildings are still uncommon. Industry disunity，cut-throat competition for contracts and low profit margins（差额）mean that most building firms have little money for greener construction methods beyond what regulation requires

Governments can help urge the industry to use more wood，particularly in the public section. That would help wood-building specialists achieve greater scale and lower costs. Zero-carbon building regulations should be changed to take account of the emissions that exist in materials. This would favour wood as well as novel ways of producing other materials.

Construction codes could be adjusted to make building with wood easier. Here the direction of travel is wrong. Britain，for instance，is banning the use of wood on the outside of tall buildings after 72 people died in a tower fire in London in 2017.That is a nonsense. Grenfell Tower was covered in aluminium and plastic，not wood. Modern cross-laminated wood panels perform better in fire tests than steel ones do.

Carpentry alone will not bring the environmental cost of the world's buildings into line.

1. What's the text mainly about?

A．Wood is the first choice for green buildings.

B．The public section makes good use of wood.

C．Building companies cannot afford greener construction.

D．Steel can reduce the environmental costs of buildings.

2. What does Paragraph 2 focus on?

A．Origins of wood structures.

B．Advantages of wood for building.

C．Reasons for green window frames.

D．Differences between steel and wood

3. Which of the following will discourage greener construction?

A．The races of wooden skyscrapers.	B．Strict regulations on materials.
C．The push of the government.	D．Fierce industry competition.

4. What can be inferred from the text?

A．Wood is to blame for a big building fire.

B．Britain will lift the ban of using wood on the outside wall.

C．Building with wood is facing an unfavorable situation.

D．The environmental costs of buildings rely on carpentry.

【推荐2】Suppose you are about to complete high school and are thinking about attending a college or university. After doing some research, you find a school you would like to attend, but have questions about the application process. So you go to the school’s website in the hope of finding a few answers.

Time goes by and you, a student, still do not have the answers. You almost feel like giving up. But today, as you can see, artificial intelligence is so advanced. You find a message appears on your computer or personal electronic device. It says something like: ''How can I help? '' Writing back to the website, you try to explain your problem. You possibly get a few questions to clarify what your concerns are. Then, almost immediately, the person with whom you are in contact provides the information you are seeking.

In fact, you are not actually communicating with a school official. You are not even dealing with a human being. You are in contact with a computer program, or chatbot. It is using artificial intelligence, AI for short, to understand and communicate with you. This might sound strange. But chances are that this would not be the first time you have communicated with a computer program without knowing it. In recent years, chatbots have become a common tool for banks and large companies around the world.

Having human beings available to answer people’s questions and complaints can be costly, requiring many workers. And in most cases, employees can only work for several hours in a day, increasing customers’ waiting time for a response, but the chatbot can work around the clock. So not only companies, but a growing number of universities have also begun using the chatbot technology.

Australia's University of Adelaide noted a major improvement in its service to student after employing a chathot to deal with application questions in 2018. It said that students received responses 13 times faster, and students’ approval of the quality of service increased by 60 percent. And just the speed of reacting to questions is the chatbot's major strength.

1. How does the author introduce the topic of the text?

A．By assumption.	B．By comparison.
C．By definition.	D．By data.

2. What's the main purpose of paragraph 2?

A．To tell time and tide wait for no man.

B．To advise students should clarify their questions.

C．To present the communication convenience brought by Al.

D．To show the phenomenon that students are addicted to computers.

3. What is the main advantage of the chatbot technology?

A．Its low cost.	B．Its ease of use.
C．Its short working hours.	D．Its quick response.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Artificial intelligence is developing rapidly.

B．Robots are gradually replacing human services.

C．Employees chat with robots without knowing them.

D．More universities use chatbots to communicate online.

【推荐3】First, car makers wanted to take the human out of driving. Now, motorcycle manufacturers (制造商)want to do the same. But just as the driverless car movement has faced skepticism, it's not entirely clear that the world needs autonomous motorcycles.

What would a self-driving motorcycle do? It would be designed to let the rider sit back and relax while the machine drives by itself. Manufacturers have actually been creating and improving prototypes (原型)of self-driving motorcycles for years, and they're only just now beginning to share them with the public. For instance, AB Dynamics and AutoRD released the Autonomous BMW Cl. It comes with autonomous software, GPS, and re-balancing technology.

Yamaha's Motoroid is a model that uses artificial intelligence and self-balancing technology. The Motoroid sounds very futuristic, but it can't drive on its own. It needs a rider to make turns. Another example of an autonomous-light motorcycle is Honda's Riding Assist-e, which can change the center of gravity autonomously. However, like the Motoroid, it's not completely self-riding and isn't ready for a highway on its own.

Safety concerns for autonomous motorcycles are similar to those that trouble self-driving cars Firstly, the autonomous system may make a mistake and endanger the rider. Self-driving cars have an unfortunate record of running red lights and causing accidents. Professor Adam says, "So one can be forgiven for worrying about the safety of a two-wheeled speed machine with no one behind the handlebars. '' Secondly, there's the question of responsibility: Who is at fault if a self-driving bike crashes into another car? More importantly, it's not easy to satisfy the official regulations before autonomous motorcycles ride on the road. And to develop the industry will cost billions of dollars.

But there's the biggest problem with all of these motorcycles. One of the joys of driving motorcycles is the driving. It seems unlikely that a rider, like a high-speed motorcycle collector who loves the thrill of turning around corners, will give up the experience of the ride.

The prototypes for self-riding motorcycles are here, and manufacturers are busy putting them to the test, but it might be a while before we see them on the open road.

1. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?

A．Manufacturers' competition with each other is quite fierce.

B．Manufacturers are quite creative when making driverless cars.

C．Manufacturers are very optimistic about self-driving motorcycles.

D．Manufacturers have made some progress in promoting self-driving motorcycles.

2. The examples of Yamaha's Motoroid and Honda's Riding Assist-e show that        .

A．autonomous motorcycles still have a long way to go

B．Yamaha and Honda compete with each other fiercely

C．autonomous motorcycles have a big improvement in safety

D．Yamaha and Honda have defeated other autonomous motorcycle makers

3. What Professor Adam said in the 4th paragraph probably means _______.

A．autonomous motorcycle should obey traffic regulations

B．it's convenient and safe to ride an autonomous motorcycle

C．mistakes made by autonomous motorcycles can be forgiven

D．it's normal that autonomous motorcycles' safety is doubted

4. What is the biggest challenge of self-driving motorcycles?

A．They are unable to appeal to many riders.

B．They can't guarantee the riders, safety.

C．They can't suit the official regulations.

D．They are too costly to produce.

5. Which of the following statements would the author agree with?

A．Self-riding motorcycles will be very popular one day.

B．Self-riding motorcycles are necessary to social development.

C．Users are likely to lose fun when riding self-riding motorcycles.

D．People will be fond of self-riding motorcycles for its convenience.