【推荐2】It should be one of the main goals in today's society to reduce plastic consumption. Though many believe recycling will solve the problem, and continue using plastic, it's actually the opposite. In 2013, 254 million tonnes of trash was produced in the U.S. alone, and only around 30% was recycled. This means the rest ended up in a landfill and will stay there for up to 1000 years.

Now Asian countries, including Vietnam and Thailand, are looking for new ideas to avoid plastic. One of those ideas was a new, eco-friendly way to pack their goods by avoiding plastic packaging. One of Perfect Homes Chiangmai's team members noticed a creative way to reduce plastic that a supermarket called Rimping Supermarket was using. Little did he know that people all around the world would absolutely love this idea. “I just popped in to get a few items while we were waiting to sign some contracts with our lawyer, who was delayed. When I noticed the vegetables wrapped in banana leaves and simply liked the idea. So I took a few pictures and posted them online, he said.

With more than 3.5 million views and over 17 thousand shares, the idea became something people can encourage more supermarkets to implement (实施).

Some have noticed that not everything on the shelves is completely plastic-free to which the supermarket responded that they are taking one step at a time, but it's not that easy. Many products come to the supermarkets pre-packaged and many companies are interested in wrapping their produce in plastic since it is the cheapest and the easiest option.

It's now up to the shoppers to show the supermarket which they prefer. If everyone opts for the banana leaf packaging, they will probably stop stocking the items in plastic.

1. What can we infer about recycling from Para. 1?

A．The author thinks highly of recycling.

B．The US did a great job in recycling in 2013.

C．Recycling has failed to solve the plastic problem.

D．Recycling helps a lot in reducing plastic consumption.

2. Why did the man go to Rimping Supermarket?

A．To purchase some items.

B．To look for new ideas there.

C．To take photos of their shelves.

D．To sign a contract with a lawyer.

3. Which might be one of the influential factors in encouraging leaf packaging?

A．The Internet.	B．The companies’ interest.
C．The contract.	D．The plastic-free shelves.

4. According to the passage, we can learn that ________.

A．people tend to prefer farm produce wrapped in plastic

B．promoting leaf packaging requires people’s joint effort

C．China used to export part of its waste to other Countries

D．it's easy for supermarkets to change the way of packaging

【推荐3】Many people would like to change various things in their life in order to be more eco-friendly.     1     They range from changing their jobs to their vehicles and even their homes. In what follows, I am going to talk about the most energy-efficient（节能的）small green homes. Keep on reading, as this article is very useful if you would like to change your home into a more eco-friendly one.

    2     This happens because a green home will contain green devices（设备）which need alternative sources of energy such as solar power and wind power. They do not pollute the atmosphere as much as the regular sources of energy.     3     The process of installing them is kind of expensive but in the long term, it will save you a lot of money.

    4     It will be made out of recyclable and renewable materials. For example, the furniture will be made out of bamboo instead of materials which take years to grow. This means that there is not a risk of them to be used up as in the case of certain types of wood or other materials.

A green house will be decorated by using non-toxic（无毒的）materials.     5     They contain harmful chemicals which can be dangerous, but the most energy-efficient small green homes do not have this problem.

A．Do you know what a green house is?

B．Besides, they are not as expensive in general.

C．The changes which they can make are various.

D．A green house costs a lot, and many people can’t afford it.

E．A green house will cause far less pollution than a regular home.

F．In most of the cases the furniture used inside the green homes will be green as well.

G．Things used in ordinary houses such as cleaning products are very harmful even if you might not know this.

【推荐1】On January 22, 2022, the British-Belgian 19-year-old, Zara Rutherford, successfully landed her two-seat microlight aircraft back at the Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport, from where she had departed 155 days ago, fulfilling her dream to be the youngest woman to fly around the world solo.

“I feel excited not only to break the Guinness World Record, but also to diminish the gender gap by 11 years between the current youngest male record holder Travis Ludlow 18 at the time of his record, and the previous female record holder Shaesta Waez, who was 30 when she completed her ‘Dreams Soar’ around-the-world flight.” Rutherford wrote on her blog.

Rutherford’s journey crossing five continents and 52 countries began on August 18, 2021. She encountered numerous unexpected delays along the way. They included an unscheduled stop in Redding, California, due to wildfires and a month-long stop in Nome, Alaska, to renew her Russian visa. She also faced several challenges in the air. When flying from Iceland to Greenland, Rutherford lost radio contact with her ground team for much of the 3-hour flight. The incidents also resulted in her having to cross over Russia in sub-zero temperatures. The hardest part was flying over Siberia — it was extremely cold and if the engine broke down, she’d be hours away from rescue. Despite the severe difficulties, the determined young pilot never gave up on her dream.

Rutherford grew up around airplanes. Her British father flies commercially, while her Belgian mother is a recreational pilot. The young girl began learning how to fly at age 14 and obtained her aviators license in 2020. With her goal of flying around the world accomplished, Rutherford now has her sights set even higher. She wants to become an astronaut and explore space.

She hopes that her journey will encourage more young women to pursue careers in aviation. Currently the number of female pilots is just 5 percent. Rutherford says, “It’s an easy thing to say, but just go for it. If you don’t try and see how high you can fly, then you’ll never know.”

1. What does the underlined word “diminish” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Cause.

B．Divide.

C．Narrow.

D．Expand.

2. Why did Rutherford have to stop in Nome?

A．The wildfires were too fierce.	B．Her Russian visa was due.
C．The weather was too severe.	D．Her engine broke down.

3. What’s the purpose of Paragraph 4?

A．To switch to a new topic.	B．To summarize her achievements.
C．To illustrate her admirable talents.	D．To add some background information.

4. What does the passage try to convey?

A．Life is not all roses.	B．Dream big, aim high.
C．Not to advance is to go back.	D．The greatest talkers, the least doers.

【推荐2】My 88-year-old grandfather and I are both starting 2022 as new college graduates. He was unable to continue school because he got married and started a family in the 1950s. Over the next few decades, he managed to balance his roles as a husband, a father of five, working at a local bank and taking a college class here and there.

Our higher education journey together at Palo Alto College began in 2016. I had just graduated from high school then and my grandfather, 82, was determined to take classes to make his lifelong dream of earning his bachelor’s degree become a reality. In 2017, we were both admitted into the University of Texas at San Antonio. I majored in engineering while my grandfather majored in literature. We would have lunch together and work silently side-by-side in the library. There were also many times when I drove him to school in my car. That was really special because I could always show off him and shout out my grandpa was here.

When COVID-19 broke out suddenly, my grandfather asked for leave from school. I often assisted him with his schoolwork online. Over the past year, his health has continued to decline and he now has difficulty speaking. As graduation day approached in December, my family and I persuaded university officials to approve of my grandfather having a degree of recognition. We had the expectation that he could have that memory before his death.

My grandfather was worried he would steal the show from my graduation moment when I told him we were graduating together. I told him this is our moment and that I want to share it with him. I’m so grateful and proud that I was able to have this moment with him. Applause run through the hall when my grandfather was awarded to his bachelor’s degree at the commencement (毕业典礼).

I appreciate my grandfather’s lifelong passion of learning and his strong wills.

1. What can we know about the author’s grandfather?

A．He was unable to continue his study because of his family.

B．In 2016, he was admitted into the University of Texas.

C．He was asked to leave from school because of COVID-19.

D．He was unwilling to present himself for the graduation day.

2. In paragraph 2, why did the author shout out his grandpa was there?

A．Because they shared the same major.

B．Because he felt proud of his grandfather.

C．Because the teacher was looking for his grandfather.

D．Because he learnt to drive his grandfather to school.

3. What can be inferred about the author’s grandfather according to the underlined sentence?

A．He cared about his family very much.

B．He didn’t attend the graduation ceremony.

C．He was afraid of attending the commencement.

D．He would steal something from the graduation moment.

4. What can we learn from the grandfather’s story?

A．Hard work pays off.	B．Time is money.
C．It’s never too late to learn.	D．Education is the key to success.

【推荐3】My 12-year-old son Jack hit a milestone last summer. “Mom, I’m quitting the piano,” he said firmly.

Immediately, I said, “You can’t.” “Why?” he asked. “Because I said so.” And the battle followed. Many of you know the battle I am talking about. It’s the one where all of a sudden instrument that once filled the home with wonderful music are abandoned in favor of sports, games and all cool things. When Jack started piano lessons in the second grade, he took to music eagerly, displaying interest and talent. Over the next few years, he willingly entered competitions recommended by his teacher.

Much to our son’s sadness, my husband and I decided to stand firm. While parents allowed their children to win battles now and then, this was one that my husband and I were not willing to concede. We decided, however, to give him a choice of taking up another instrument. We suggested the guitar.

He was open to meeting a couple of instructors. “My hands are too small,” he complained. But the student who came after us was a 5-year-old girl.

I suggested changing teachers. He said he wanted a teacher who was “nice”. I understood that meant “no stress”. Finally, we found a male teacher with a gentle voice and a great sense of humor. He said that competitions were not his thing; playing music was.

After my son’s first lesson with his new teacher, I took a deep breath and braced myself for the usual negative complaints. “Mom, he makes me like the piano again,” my son announced as we headed to the car.

And then, cheerful piano music filled the house during the long winter evenings. The playing wasn’t as long as I would have liked or as frequent as it used to be. But it’s sweet, still the same.

1. What made Jack want to give up the piano?

A．Having no talent in music.

B．Having other cool things to do.

C．Failing in music competitions.

D．Being very busy with his lessons.

2. Why did Jack complain about his small hands?

A．To remind his mom of his weakness.

B．To show his embarrassment in learning.

C．To find an excuse to quit learning the guitar.

D．To prove the difficulty of playing the guitar.

3. What did Jack like his music teacher to do?

A．Play the guitar very well.

B．Not push him too much.

C．Help him win a competition.

D．Not report him to his parents.