【推荐1】Marina Herrera is struggling to pack more food into her already overflowing shopping bags.

In the morning shopping rush at Tesco, Marina looks like any other shopper, stocking up for the week ahead. But she is getting all this fresh produce for free, which will be given out when she gets home. If she doesn’t, it will end up as part of the food waste mountain. “All this would be regarded as rubbish and going straight in the dustbin. It is perfect food; I hate to see any of it wasted,” she says.

Marina’s efforts have earned her the title of “hero” in the food waste war. Sadly, nearly a half of all food grown in the world is thrown out, contributing four times more carbon emissions (排放) each year than the aviation industry. Cutting that has been described as the most effective action people can take to handle climate change.

“I wouldn’t call myself a hero,” Marina laughs. “I’m just trying to attract more people to it, getting more people on board.” That’s why she was one of the first volunteers in the “Food Waste Heroes” programme launched by supermarket chain Tesco and food sharing app OLIO.

OLIO founder Tessa Clarke views the volunteers as heroes in the fight for the planet, who have signed on to prevent eatable food being thrown away by supermarkets and redistribute it for free in their communities instead. “It was billions of small actions that got us into the climate crisis, so surely billions of small actions can help us get out of it. The food waste heroes are particularly powerful because they are pioneering and inspiring so many other people,” Tessa Clarke says.

OLIO also encourages its users to post their unwanted food for redistribution. Globally its users have shared 35 million portions (份) of food, which equals saving 101 million car miles and 5.1 billion litres of water.

1. Why is Marina Herrera special as a shopper?

A．She helps prevent food being wasted.

B．She purchases more food than needed.

C．She gets the fresh produce at a discount.

D．She appeals to the shopping mall to save food.

2. What does the underlined word “that” refer to?

A．The climate change.	B．The food waste war.
C．The carbon emission.	D．The aviation industry.

3. What do we learn about OLIO?

A．It is a non-profit project.

B．It contributes to solving the climate crisis.

C．It redistributes eatable food among communities.

D．Its users have saved 5.1 billion litres of water globally.

4. What can be concluded from the text?

A．Marina will get more support from Tesco.

B．Climate crisis is the leading threat to humans.

C．New technology should be applied to food industry.

D．The “Food Waste Heroes” programme proves a success.

【推荐2】A new app promises to help Barcelona residents find the shadiest route between two places to avoid extreme heat. Cool Walks, a routing tool for people first developed at a data visualization contest, aims to show users a variety of walking routs to take for their intended destinations.

Users can choose the most direct route, a shady route that may take a little longer, or they can set the app to a special mode, which avoids direct sunlight at all costs. Users can also use the app to find drinking fountains, or places to shelter from the sun.

The app uses a tool called Lidar to create high-resolution models of ground, accurate to within 10 cm. This information is combined with data on the sun’s path to work out where is in shade at any given time of day.

Barcelona is looking to use green spaces and trees as part of its efforts to mitigate the effects of global heating. The city’s 20-year tree master plan aims to increase the proportion (比例) of land covered by trees from 25%to 30%. Although the tool only maps one neighborhood of Barcelona, it is hoped the research will provide information on how the city can adapt to extreme heat to protect its citizens and economy.

Heatwaves kill more people than any other climate risk. According to C40, a climate leadership group made up of 97 cities around the world, extreme heat events in cities can cause death increase of up to 14%, as well as lower workforce productivity and damage infrastructure (基础设施) such as roads and rail lines.

Jon Burke, a former consultant for Hackney in London, who was responsible for a massive expansion of tree planting in the district, said: “I think we should view this particular kind of app as a temporary measure to reduce the impacts of extreme heat… while cities rapidly invest in urban canopy (树冠层) cover and broader green infrastructure.”

1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A．The designer of the app.	B．The function of the app.
C．The potential users of the app.	D．The working principle of the app.

2. What does the underlined word “mitigate” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．relieve

B．feel

C．consider

D．predict

3. What is the purpose of Paragraph 5?

A．To stress the importance of road construction.

B．To raise awareness of protecting the environment.

C．To indicate the background for designing the app.

D．To give warnings of more upcoming disasters.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Jon Burke has a great sense of duty.

B．The district needs to be expanded.

C．Investment in tree planting is a wise choice.

D．The app is powerful enough to cope with heatwaves.

【推荐3】To be clear, plastic bags are rightly thought of as a threat that's harmful to human health. According to the National Resources Defense Council, over a decade ago, the average American family took home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year, filling our cabinets, kitchen drawers, and landfills (垃圾填埋场). Today the numbers are slightly better: According to National Geographic, as of 2018, shoppers in the United States use almost one plastic bag per resident per day.

This is not a story on the evil of plastics, but on whether the reusable bag can justify its existence. Although more environmentally friendly than traditional single-use plastic bags, reusable bags, depending on what they are made of, are more energy-intensive (耗能) to recycle.

According to a report by the United Nations Environment Program, “depending on what they are made of, reusable bags might have to be deconstructed in a costly recycling process to separate the different materials. As a result, in many cases, reusable bags are not recycled." That means despite the best intentions, millions of reusable bags designed to replace the need for traditional plastic shopping bags, will also end up in landfills.

Another point to consider, not all reusable bags are equal in terms of their recyclability. There are a wide range of reusable bag options on the market, and reusable bags tend to be made of more than one material to give the bag added reinforcement (耐用) and added street fashion. On a life cycle basis, stronger, heavier bags-no matter what material they are made of-will have a more severe environmental effect. That's because heavier bags use more resources to produce as well as distribute.

Just like plastic bags did, reusable bags multiply rapidly. Used for promotional (促销的)purposes and marketing of all kinds, reusable bags' growing popularity means bags that have been used very little (or not at all) can be found piled in streets, in garbage cans in city parks, and basically everywhere. Therefore, consumers have come to see them as disposable, defeating their very purpose.

In the end, the best practice for reusable bags is to have no half measures: Either use them all the time or don't use them at all. Using a reusable bag once or twice, and then throwing it away, doesn't do the environment any favors.

1. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Plastic bags are refused by environmentalists.

B．Shops in America have limited the use of plastic bags.

C．The need of strong and fashionable reusable bags is more than the supply.

D．Reusable bags demand more resources to produce and recycle than expected.

2. The words “very purpose" in Paragraph 6 refer to the intention of __________.

A．being left in landfills

B．being used as much as possible

C．replacing plastic bags

D．promoting goods on the market

3. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．How to Recycle Reusable Bags

B．Disadvantages of Plastic Bags

C．Reusable Bags? Think Twice!

D．Plastic Bags, Less Popular?

4. Which of the following shows the development of ideas in the passage?
I: Introduction     CP: Central Point     P: Point     Sp: Sub-point (次要点)     C: Conclusion

A．	B．
C．	D．

【推荐1】If you say, “The cat’s out of the bag” instead of “The secret is given away,” you’re using an idiom. The meaning of an idiom is different from the actual meaning of the words used. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a proverb. Proverbs are old but familiar sayings that usually give advice. Both idioms and proverbs are part of our daily expressions. Many are very old and have interesting histories. See how many of these expressions you know.

“Bury the hatchet.”

Native Americans used to bury weapons to show that fighting had ended and enemies were now at peace. Today, the idiom means to make up with a friend after an argument of fight.

“A close shave.”

In the past, student barbers learned to shave on customers. If they shaved too close, their customers might be cut or even hardly escape serious injury. Today, we use the idiom if a person narrowly escapes disaster.

“Raining cats and dogs.”

In Norse mythology the dog is associated with wind and the cat with storms. This expression means it’s raining very heavily.

To “shed crocodile tears.”

Crocodiles have a reflex that causes their eyes to tear when they open their mouths. That makes it look as though they are crying while swallowing their food. In fact, neither crocodiles nor people who shed “crocodile” tears feel sorry for their actions.

“Saved by the bell.”

In 17th-century England, a guard at Windsor Castle was accused of falling asleep at his post. He claimed he was wrongly accused and could prove it; he had heard the church bell chime (鸣响) thirteen times at midnight. Townspeople supported his claim and he was saved. Today we think of the bell that ends a round in boxing, often saving the boxer from injury, or the bell at the end of a class period, saving you from more work. Now this idiom means rescue from a situation at the last possible moment.

1. The best title of this passage will probably be ___________.

A．Everyday Expressions	B．Not Idioms But Proverbs
C．Idioms and proverbs are old	D．Idioms or proverbs

2. The purpose of this article is to ________.

A．compare some useful and interesting idioms and proverbs

B．tell us some idioms and proverbs which can be used today

C．explain the meaning of some interesting everyday expressions

D．show the importance of using proverbs and idioms in your writing

3. It can be inferred from the article that _________.

A．idioms and proverbs are a must in our life

B．proverbs are more common than idioms

C．idioms are more interesting than proverbs

D．it is difficult to guess the meaning of idioms

4. Which of these statements is an example of “a close shave”?

A．My brother bought a new computer yesterday.

B．My friend will come to my city to see me.

C．A car nearly hit me on my way to school.

D．No one in my school has ever been to Canada.

【推荐2】Allan Pease has been known internationally as “Mr. Body Language” since his book on the subject became a multi-million best-seller all over the world.

Allan started his sales career at age10 selling rubber sponges(橡胶海绵) door to door after school to earn pocket money. He began writing and developing his own techniques of selling at age 18. By 21, he was the youngest person ever to sell over $1,000,000 of life insurance(保险) in his first sales year and at 24 achieved membership in “International Top 20” for multi-million dollar sales- the youngest ever to do it. At 29 he was a manager and partner in Australia’s largest Life Insurance Brokerage and was responsible for $103,000,000 of   insurance sales in one year before becoming a full-time speaker.

For over 30 years Allan has taught others how to succeed. He teaches skills and techniques in a humorous way that people never forget. His addresses, books and videos are sought by business managers, Prime Ministers, TN presenters and stars. He has written six best-selling books and has appeared on TV and radio throughout the world including a TV and video series on body language which has been seen by over 100 million people.

In his classes, he teaches others to read between the lines of what others say and develop an understanding through “Body Language” signals. Dr. Blair Stone, from Macquarie University, said “Allan Pease is hilarious. He makes his class very humorous. Plus I never realized that I can laugh so much while learning so much, and his address was consistent (符合的) with the high standards as a university expects.”

1. According to the passage, Allan      .

A．was an early success	B．became famous late in life
C．earned his living at the age of ten	D．had a sudden rise in his sales career

2. Paragraph 3 is mainly about Allan’s      .

A．influence on famous people	B．great achievements
C．best-selling books	D．teaching methods

3. The underlined word “hilarious” in the passage probably means “     ”

A．brave	B．strange
C．noisy	D．funny

【推荐3】Culture can affect not just language and customs, but also how people experience the world on surprisingly basic levels.

Researchers, with the help of brain scans, have uncovered shocking differences in perception (感知) between Westerners and Asians, what they see when they look at a city street, for example, or even how they perceive a simple line in a square, according to findings published in a leading science journal.

In western countries, culture makes people think of themselves as highly independent individuals. When looking at scenes, Westerners tend to focus more on central objects than on their surroundings. East Asian cultures, however, emphasize inter-dependence. When Easterners look at a scene, they tend to focus on surroundings as well as the object.

Using an experiment involving two tasks, Dr Hedden asked subjects to look at a line simply to estimate its length, a task that is played to American strengths. In another, they estimated the line’s length relative to the size of a square, an easier task for the Asians. The level of brain activity, by tracking blood flow, was then measured by Brain Scanners. The experiment found that although there was no difference in performance, and the tasks were very easy, the levels of activity in the subjects’ brains were different. For the Americans, areas linked to attention lit up more, when they worked on the task they tended to find more difficult — estimating the line’s length relative to the square. For the Asians, the attention areas lit up more during the harder task also — estimating the line’s length without comparing it to the square. The findings are a reflection of more than ten years of previous experimental research into east-west differences.

In one study, for instance, researchers offered people a choice among five pens; four red and one green. Easterners were more likely to choose a red pen while Westerners were more likely’ to choose the green one.

Culture is not affecting how you see the world, but how you choose to understand and internalize it. But such habits can be changed. Some psychological studies suggest that when an Easterner goes to the West or vice versa, habits of thought and perception also begin to change. Such research gives us clues on how our brain works and is hopeful for us to develop programs to improve our memory, memory techniques and enhance and accelerate our learning skills.

1. According to the passage, Chinese people are most likely to ___.

A．more emphasize independent thinking

B．always focus more on their surroundings

C．think of Westerners as highly independent individuals

D．focus more on the context as well as the object

2. We know from the passage that people’s brains will be more active when ___.

A．the task is much easier	B．the blood flow is tracked
C．the task is more difficult	D．people begin to choose colors

3. What do the findings of the experiment mentioned in the 4th paragraph indicate?

A．They indicate that culture has a great impact on the way people talk and behave.

B．They show that Easterners and Westerners have great differences in perceiving the world.

C．They suggest that people’s habits of thought and-perception can be changed in different cultures.

D．They make it clear that Easterners and Westerners lay emphasis on different things.

4. It can be inferred from the passage that ____.

A．Easterners prefer collectivism to individualism

B．East Asian cultures lay more emphasis on independence

C．It took over ten years to find out how to improve our brainpower

D．Americans will change their habits of perception when they’re in Britain

5. Which of the following will be the best title of the passage?

A．Chinese culture: why it has an advantage over Western culture?

B．Western culture and Chinese culture: which will be more suitable for us?

C．Western culture and Chinese culture: why we should learn from both?

D．Western culture vs. Chinese culture

【推荐2】In 1901, H. G. Wells, an English writer, wrote a book describing a trip to the moon. When the explorers landed on the moon, they discovered that the moon was full of underground cities. They expressed their surprise to the “moon people” they met. In turn, the “moon people” expressed their surprise “Why?” they asked, “are you traveling to outer space when you don’t even use your inner space?”

H. G. Wells could only imagine travel to the moon. In 1969, human beings really did land on the moon. People today know that there are no underground cities on the moon. However, the question that the “moon people” asked is still an interesting one. A growing number of scientists are seriously thinking about it.

Underground systems are already in place. Many cities have underground car parks. In some cities such as Tokyo, Seoul and Montreal, there are large underground shopping areas. The “Chunnel”, a tunnel (隧道) connecting England and France, is now complete.

But what about underground cities? Japan’s Taisei Corporation is designing a network of underground systems, called “Alice Cities”. The designers imagine using surface space for public parks and using underground space for flats, offices, shopping, and so on. A solar dome (太阳能穹顶) would cover the whole city.

Supporters of underground development say that building down rather than building up is a good way to use the earth’s space. The surface, they say, can be used for farms, parks, gardens and wilderness, H. G. Wells’ “moon people” would agree. Would you?

1. What surprised the explorers in H. G. Wells’ story?

A．The moon people’s unique language.	B．The moon people’s friendliness.
C．The moon people’s underground cities.	D．The moon people’s space technology.

2. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Traveling to outer space.	B．Using the earth’s inner space.
C．Meeting the “moon people” again.	D．Discovering the moon’s inner space.

3. What underground systems are already here with us based on the passage?

A．Tunnels, car parks, shopping areas.	B．Gardens, car parks, power stations.
C．Tunnels, gardens, offices.	D．Offices, shopping areas, power stations.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Enjoy living underground	B．Alice Cities — cities of the future
C．Building down, not up	D．Space travel with H. G. Wells