【推荐1】In an effort to discourage people from using plastics，scientists have been hard at work inventing alternative packaging products．From water bottles made from seaweed to cutlery(餐具) made from rice and wheat，a number of inventions are set to change the way we eat while we are on the go，or having a relaxing picnic in the park．

The idea of using seaweed to make eco-friendly(环保的) water bottles has been around for a few years．Recently，Ari Jonsson took his invention—a water bottle made from red seaweed—to show off at a festival. The bottles will only hold their shape as long as they are filled．As soon as these bottles are empty they will begin to break down，though they would be perfectly safe to eat．Ari Jonsson’s bottles are a step closer to a widely used alternative to the current plastic ones．

The eatable water container is not the only product to add to our image of the future．Narayana Pessapaty has also created eatable spoons．After the success of his spoons, Mr Pessapaty is ready to expand and introduce forks and chopsticks to his menu．His aim is to largely reduce the amount of plastic waste，which is a huge problem for waste sites all over the world．It is a product that may take up to 500 years to break down，and recycling companies worldwide are struggling to deal with it．

Aside from the obvious benefits to the environment，this new packaging is also cheap to produce and therefore cheap to buy．Even better is the fact that similar eatable cutlery can be made at home，possibly a science project for children or just fun with friends．Why not get experimenting and create your own recipes?

1. Why do scientists invent alternative packaging products?

A．To make people’s life more convenient．

B．To reduce the amount of plastic waste．

C．To charge the way we picnic outside．

D．To show off their inventive talents．

2. What makes Ari Jonsson’s water bottles eco-friendly?

A．They can be made at home．

B．They are cheap to produce and buy．

C．They will hold their shape when they are filled．

D．They will break down themselves when empty．

3. What do Ari and Narayana’s inventions have in common?

A．They are convenient to carry．	B．They are safe to eat．
C．They can be used for a short time．	D．They are heavier than plastics．

4. What can be inferred from this passage?

A．Home-made eatable cutlery is likely to be popular．

B．Eatable cutlery’will completely replace plastics in the near future．

C．No recycling companies can breakdown plastic waste．

D．It’s unsafe for individuals to invent eatable cutlery at home．

【推荐2】Skeptics are a strange lot. Some of them refuse to admit the serious threat of human activities to the environment, and they are tired of people who disagree with them. Those people, say skeptics, spread nothing but bad news about the environment. The “eco-guilt” brought on by the discouraging news about our planet gives rise to the popularity of skeptics as people search for more comforting worldviews.

Perhaps that explains why a new book by Bjorn Lomborg was so popular. That book, The Skeptical Environmentalist, declares that it measures the “real state of the world” as fine. Of course, another explanation is the deep pockets of some big businesses with special interests. Indeed, Mr Lomborg’s views are similar to those of some industry-funded organizations, which start huge activities through the media to confuse the public about issues like global warming.

So it was strange to see Mr. Lomborg’s book go largely unchallenged in the media though his beliefs were contrary to most scientific opinions. One national newspaper in Canada ran a number of articles and reviews full of words of praise, even with the conclusion that “After Lomborg, the environmental movement will begin to die down.”

Such one-sided views should have immediately been challenged. But only a different review appeared in Nature, a respected science magazine with specific readership. The review remarked that Mr. Lomborg’s “preference for unexamined materials is incredible”.

A critical eye is valuable, and the media should present information in such a way that could allow people to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, that is often inaccessible as blocked by the desire to be shocking or to defend some special interests. People might become half-blind before a world partially exhibited by the media. That’s a shame, because matters concerning the health of the planet are far too important to be treated lightly.

1. According to the passage, which of the following may be regarded as “skeptics” ?

A．People who agree on the popularity of “eco-guilt”.

B．People who disbelieve the serious situation of our planet.

C．People who dislike the harmful effect of human activities.

D．People who spread comforting news to protect our environment.

2. Which of the following can be a reason for the popularity of Lomborg’s books?

A．The book challenges views about the fine state of the world.

B．Some big businesses intend to protect their own interests.

C．The author convinces people to seek comforting worldviews.

D．Industry-funded media present confusing information.

3. The author mentioned the review in Nature in order to ________.

A．find fault with Lomborg’s book	B．voice a different opinion
C．challenge the authority of the media	D．point out the value of scientific views

4. What is the author's main purpose in writing the passage?

A．To show the importance of presenting overall information by the media.

B．To warn the public of the danger of half-blindness with reviews.

C．To show special interests of some big business.

D．To encourage the skeptics to have a critical eye.

【推荐3】At 9 pm, Li Zhigang was sitting in front of his fruit shop on a busy street in central Shanghai’s Xujiahui area, removing the thin plastic film from rotten pears and oranges. “This is so much trouble!” he complained while throwing the plastic into one garbage can and the fruit into another. In the past, Li simply threw away what could not be sold with the packaging on, but from July 1, 2019, he could be fined up to 200 yuan for doing so.

Like Li, many of the tens of millions of residents in Shanghai have been complaining recently that the introduction of compulsory household garbage sorting is making life difficult, but at the same time have been having to learn to do it.

Calls for garbage sorting have brought little progress in China in the past decade, but Shanghai is leading a fresh start for the world’s second-largest waste producer. “If we say China is now classifying its waste, then it’s Shanghai that is really doing it,” said Chen Liwen, an environmentalist who has devoted herself to waste classification for the past decade. “It’s starting late, compared with the US or Japan, but if it’s successful in such a big city with such a huge population, it will mean a lot for the world,” she said. While the measures force a change of habits for most people, they bring opportunities for some. Du Huanzheng, director of the Recycling Economy Institute at Tongji University, said waste sorting was important for China’s recycling industry. “Without proper classification, a lot of garbage that can be recycled is burned, and that’s a pity,” he said. “After being classified, things suitable to be stored and transported can now be recycled.” Besides, prices of small sortable garbage cans for home use have increased on e-commerce (电子商务) platforms, while garbage can makers are also developing smart models in response to new needs. What’s more, garbage sorting is also an important part of a country’s soft power. “For China, it is an opportunity to improve its international reputation. However, it is a long process that requires effort from government, enterprises and individuals (个人),” Du said.

1. What do the underlined words “doing so” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Packaging fruit with plastic film.

B．Selling rotten fruit to customers.

C．Throwing rotten fruit into a garbage can.

D．Throwing fruit and its packaging into the same garbage can.

2. What does the author want to show by writing Paragraph 2?

A．The new garbage sorting rules in Shanghai are strict.

B．Garbage sorting puts Shanghai residents into trouble.

C．It is not easy to learn how to sort garbage.

D．It’s necessary to sort garbage in Shanghai.

3. What is Chen Liwen’s attitude towards garbage sorting in China?

A．Hopeful.	B．Doubtful.
C．Uninterested.	D．Worried.

4. Which of the following is mentioned as a benefit of garbage sorting?

A．It helps reduce the burden of individuals.

B．It makes smart garbage cans affordable.

C．It helps improve China’s hard power.

D．It avoids recyclable things being burned.

【推荐1】The school was founded in 1959 by Sisters of the Roman Union of the Order of Saint Ursula (established in 1535), at the invitation of Archbishop Verineux of Hualien diocese(教区)and the local government. At that time, economic conditions in Taiwan were still undeveloped. Hualien, at the ''back of the mountains" suffered from an inconvenient location and lacked resources to develop its local economy. Thus, the Sisters followed the spirit of the Gospel(信条)to make a "preferential option for the poor" and invited the Ursulines worldwide to cooperate. Many Ursuline school children in Europe saved their pocket money just to help establish an Ursuline school in Taiwan, which was very far away from them.

Women's education is part of the mission of the Roman Union of the Order of Saint Ursula. Through its belief that “Life transmits life; love nourishes(滋养)love", the Institute seeks to fully educate young women fitting in well with the society, capable of taking up the responsibility of becoming a stable force in society and promoting family life as the basic strength of that society. The early establishment of Stella Maris Girl's Junior High School was a response to the inadequacy and inequality of women's education. A High School was added to it three years later, and the school was renamed Stella Maris Girl's High School. In 1970, in correspondence with the social and environmental trends and the request of the Archbishop the school started to recruit (招 收)boys, and changed its name to the current one: Stella Maris High School.

With its focus firmly placed on whole person education concepts, respect for Catholic educational goals, and educational concepts of respect, freedom, and love, the school makes every effort to fulfill students' potential and develop their personality. Gradually, with the development of Taiwan's economy, the school adjusted its structures. It established a Kindergarten Teachers5 Department and Dress and Fashion Department in 1976, Arts and Craft Department in 1987, and the Information Systems and Integrated(集成)High School in 1996. The range of Stella Maris High School has gradually grown to completeness.

1. Why was the school founded?

A．To spread Christianity.

B．To help with local economy.

C．To cooperate with local people.

D．To promote the quality of education.

2. The Roman Union of the Order of Saint Ursula believes young women should do the following EXCEPT .

A．adapting themselves to society

B．placing value on family life

C．acting as a stable force in society

D．supporting their husbands' careers

3. Which of the following is most likely to be the feature of the school today?

A．Being single-sex.	B．Being complete.
C．Being traditional.	D．Being modern.

4. What is still NOT known after you read the passage?

A．Where the school is.

B．When the school was founded.

C．What are the majors in the school.

D．How much school fees are needed.

【推荐2】Smart TVs and other Internet-connected household devices will be made to carry labels setting out how secure they are, under proposals being put forward by the government.

Ministers want the labels introduced on a voluntary basis at first, but propose that they are eventually made compulsory. The labels will help consumers identify which products are more and which are less secure. Under the plans, announced by the digital minister Margot James on Wednesday, merchants will only be able to sell products that carry the label, which will indicate to consumers whether the device observes the principal three security standards set out by the government practice in February.

The move is designed to deal with the problems caused by insecure connected household devices, such as TVs, doorbells and locks, which can be hijacked by malicious (恶意的) actors. There have also been warnings that governments could use them to spy on people in their homes. James said, “Many consumer products that are connected to the Internet are often found to be insecure, putting consumers’ privacy and security at risk. Our code of practice was the first step towards making sure that products have safety features built in from the design stage.”

Prof Alan Woodward, a cybersecurity expert at the University of Surrey, said the proposals represented a good start, but added, “The problem is what happens to those who don’t follow the guidelines. Or, more importantly, who is going to check that a device does follow whatever the eventual guidelines are. “

Woodward said the government would need to “put some teeth behind whatever standards they set out”, suggesting a watchdog along the lines of the Information Commissioner’s Office.

The plan will form part of a wider government consultation into improving general cybersecurity in the UK, with three key requirements in a code of practice for device manufacturers. The requirements include ensuring passwords of devices are not resettable to a universal factory setting, and ensuring they provide a public point of contact as part of a policy for disclosing any discovered weaknesses. It also calls for device makers to explicitly state the minimum length of time a device will receive security updates, never making users puzzled.

1. How does the government expect the labels to be introduced at the beginning?

A．On a compulsory basis.	B．On a voluntary principle.
C．By making laws.	D．By educating consumers.

2. What does the author mainly want to tell us in the third paragraph?

A．The potential risks of smart household devices.

B．The responsibilities of the government.

C．The popularity of illegal Internet access.

D．The measures of avoiding being attacked.

3. What can we infer from what Woodward said?

A．Smart devices need strict and clear guidelines.

B．Related departments are necessary to be set.

C．The government should take tough measures.

D．Some people are strongly against the proposal.

4. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “explicitly” in the last paragraph?

A．Happily.	B．Roughly.
C．Confidently.	D．Clearly.

【推荐3】A British hospital director told me he was hunting for staff to replace the foreign doctors and nurses leaving because of Brexit(脱欧). He hadn’t found many qualified Britons queuing to replace them.

In an age when the “war for talent” is a global business trend, the UK is fighting a war against talent. But if I were a Brexiter, I’d say: Brexit Should be the prompt for Britain to finally start training enough of its own talent. If UK wants to avoid economic decline, it will need to train far more of its own nurses, construction workers, architects, etc. For a country whose policy has always been not to educate the working class, that would be a reversal of history.

Before Brexit, high-skilled immigrants staffed world-class British sectors such as the City of London and the creative economy. In healthcare, the UK developed a brilliant way: let a poor country like Romania fund a nurse’s education, then underpay her to look after sick Brits. Low-skilled immigrants eager to work all hours for little money gave the UK cafes and corner shops that seldom closed. Low-skilled Britons could have done these jobs, but mostly didn’t.

The coming wave of British talent is largely immigrant too: the kids who have made London’s state schools the UK’s best, plus the offspring of Russian, Chinese and other foreign elites(精英)who fill private schools. Many of these would love to stay and make the UK richer.

But Brexiters want to cut immigration. The obvious solution: equip working-class Brits to do jobs from nursing to banking. Jonathan Portes, economics professor at King’s College London said: “The problem of UK vocational education has been known for at least a century. We’ve always neglected it.” In fact, in August the UK removed the state bursary(助学金)for people training to be nurses, midwives and speech therapists. Students now have to fund courses themselves, then earn a low salary for a lifetime.

If Britain doesn’t upskill its workers fast, it will lose skilled jobs. It will continue to have the world’s best universities per capita only if it can find enough Britons to replace foreign academics who leave the UK. Much the same applies to finance or design. Meanwhile, low-skilled foreign fruit pickers have already melted away since the pound plunged. With few Britons queuing to replace them, much of this year’s produce rotted in the fields. So the likely post-Brexit outcome is a UK that cannot keep itself in the style to which it has become accustomed. The war against talent will probably leave Britain looking a bit more like today’s English seaside towns, or most of the country in the 1970s: culturally homogeneous(同种类的), relatively poor and under-serviced.

1. The UK is fighting a war against talent because______.

A．skilled immigrants leave the country after Brexit

B．it doesn’t have enough fund to train its own citizens

C．too many qualified Britons are queuing for creative jobs

D．it is trying a different approach to attracting talent

2. Which is FALSE about the situation in the UK before Brexit?

A．Hospitals employed many immigrant nurses.

B．Much attention was paid to the nurse training.

C．Many Brits were unwilling to do low-paid jobs

D．Immigrant elites could find creative and decent jobs

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Most well-educated immigrants had no plan to stay in the UK

B．The government now gives nurses-to-be some financial support

C．A lot of fruits rotted in the fields for the lack of skilled fruit pickers.

D．The outflow of talent only existed in the field of education and healthcare

4. According to the writer, the post-Brexit Britain is likely to______

A．be as rich and powerful as it used to be

B．be as convenient as it was before Brexit

C．be different in style but the same in essence

D．go backward in economy and social service.