1 . We all have an idea about the common types of environmental problems. However, light pollution may be a new term to many of us. But, the fact is that it does affect mankind, other living forms and the environment as a whole.
What is light pollution? It presents all forms of misused man-made light. The obvious cause of light pollution is the use of outdoor lighting products improperly. It can be office lighting, car headlights, station lights, streetlights and many more.
Light pollution is harmful to both animals and plants. Upon studies, it is found that obvious effects are observed in the behaviour of animals that are active at night. Needless to mention, bright light at night makes it difficult for these animals to hunt, wander and perform their regular activities. Light pollution is directly or indirectly responsible for causing several diseases. Its effects are related to disturbance in the physical rhythm (节奏). It contributes to risks of developing cancerous cells. So, it’s nothing less than a threat to human health.
You have already seen the negative effects of light pollution on animals and human health. Apart from this, the actual cost of misused light is about millions of dollars every year. It also leads to the release of greenhouse gases and global warming. After all, coal or gas is used for producing electricity.
While outdoor lighting and using man-made lighting products are part of our modern lifestyle, some simple ways will surely help in reducing light pollution. For example, while installing (安装) outdoor lighting, make sure that they are pointed downwards. Also, use only the required lighting equipment for both home and offices. Believe it or not, many people living in the urban areas cannot view clear sky and stars at night. Let’s contribute our part in reducing the pollution.
1. What can we learn about light pollution?| A．It has little effect on plants. |
| B．It contributes to most cancers. |
| C．It is a negative fruit of light technology. |
| D．It affects animals’ behavior during the day. |
| A．It increases the temperature at night. |
| B．It creates clouds in parts of the Earth. |
| C．It stops the release of greenhouse gases. |
| D．It is related to the burning of coal and gas. |
| A．Forbid the use of outdoor lighting. |
| B．Use clean energy to produce electricity. |
| C．Avoid unnecessary lights at home and offices. |
| D．Reduce money spent on light in urban areas. |
| A．Citizens should be banned to install outdoor lighting. |
| B．Only simple ways can help reduce light pollution. |
| C．There is no clear sky or stars over the urban areas. |
| D．Light pollution needs to be dealt with urgently. |
2 . We often find ourselves struggling to control our thoughts, but why is it so hard to stop our minds wandering? Research found our thoughts are less focused and under less control than we realize. In a 1996 study, participants reported more than 4,000 thoughts daily, each lasting no more than five seconds. In a 1987 study, people regarded 22% of their thoughts as strange, unacceptable or wrong. Then, is it possible to avoid unwanted thoughts, whether it’s an upcoming exam or an unpleasant conversation? The answer is: maybe.
In a 2022 study, the researchers showed paid volunteers a series of slides displaying different nouns. Each noun was repeated on five different slides. As they viewed the slides, the participants wrote down a word they associated with each given noun — for example, “road” in response to “car.” Only the experimental group were told they wouldn’t get paid for repeated words. With this method, the researchers sought to create a situation when someone experiences unwanted thoughts.
When the experimental group saw each noun for a second time, they took longer than the control group to come up with a new association, suggesting their first response popped into their mind before they replaced it. However, they got quicker each time they viewed the same slide, indicating that their association between the given word and their first response — the thought they were trying to avoid — was weakening.
“We didn’t find evidence that people can entirely avoid unwanted thoughts,” said research leader Isaac Fradkin. “But the results suggest that practice can help people get better.”
Not everyone agrees that a slideshow of random words can tell how people stop emotional thoughts. Other research suggests that avoiding thoughts can backfire. When we do it, we’re sending our brains a message. This effort labels them as something to be feared, making them more powerful.
In the end, it might make more sense to take a mindful approach. “We can allow these thoughts to just be in our minds, not holding onto them too tightly and not trying to fight them,” said Fradkin.
1. What can we learn about our thoughts from paragraph 1?| A．Most of our thoughts are valueless. |
| B．We tend to focus more on negative thoughts. |
| C．Our thoughts can occur and disappear easily. |
| D．We can’t keep our thoughts for over five seconds. |
| A．To collect more associations. |
| B．To make the task more challenging. |
| C．To create a competitive atmosphere. |
| D．To set up a desired experimental environment. |
| A．Have an opposite effect. | B．Take back the wrong message. |
| C．Reveal hidden problems. | D．Cause a mental breakdown. |
| A．Drive them away. | B．Try to understand them. |
| C．Leave them alone. | D．Learn to control them. |
3 . Dreams of world peace are as old as wars. But as the women of Wales were recovering from World War I, they demanded peace in droves.
Still sorrowing the husbands, sons, and loved ones who fought in the war, in 1923 the Welsh League of Nations United (WLNU) drafted a petition (请愿书) at Aberystwyth University calling for a warless world.
The petition was signed by roughly three quarters of all the women in Wales and was said to be seven miles long. The document was then packed in a large oak chest and sent across the Atlantic.
It was the WLNU’s hope that America would join in their mission for peace, and so they toured with the petition across the country before President Calvin Coolidge gave it to the Smithsonian for preservation.
As the centennial anniversary of World War I approached, a plaque was found in the archives at the Temple of Peace in Cardiff mentioning the petition, but nobody knew what it was, says Mererid Hopwood, chair of the Women’s Peace Petition Partnership.
So in 2017, an email was sent to the Smithsonian inquiring about the status and location of the chest and its petition.
Having arrived at the National Library of Wales on March 29 this year, Hopwood received it along with other members of the Peace Petition Partnership and described opening the chest and finally getting to see its contents (内容) as an emotional moment.
Hopwood is hoping more Welsh citizens will have similar experiences now that the petition has returned to its original home. The petition will be digitized, along with all signatures and addresses, so the public can view it online and see if their grandmothers or previous tenants of their homes signed 100 years ago.
Clearly the world has not yet achieved the petition’s great goals, but Hopwood said the signatures gave her hope.
1. What was the petition meant for?| A．A thirst for peace. | B．An end to WWI. |
| C．A fight for Wales. | D．A call for apology. |
| A．Most Welsh signed on the petition. | B．Welsh asked for Americans’ help. |
| C．Welsh women wished for peace. | D．Welsh women honored the war. |
| A．She could lead the petition. | B．Her hope for peace is on fire. |
| C．Welsh could be free of wars. | D．It would cause a big storm. |
| A．To memorise World War I. | B．To remind to value peace. |
| C．To prove Welsh bravery. | D．To inform reappearance of a petition. |
4 . The student arrived early, sat front and center, and stood out in my classroom in more ways than one. I’d say that he was about 40 years older than his classmates in my undergraduate communications class. He eagerly jumped into class discussions, with his humor and wisdom of experience. And he was always respectful of the other students’ perspectives, as if each of them were a teacher. Jerry Valencia walked in with a smile—and he left with one too.
“These students gave me the confidence that I didn’t need to feel bad about my age,” Valencia says.
One day, I spotted Valencia on campus. He said he would have to stop taking classes that semester and reapply for next year. By then, he hoped to have earned enough money and have his student-loan papers in order. He asked seriously whether he could still sit in on my communications class.
Sure, I said. But he wouldn’t get any credit.
No problem, he said.
Soon there he was again, back at his old desk, jumping into our discussions on how to find and tell stories in Los Angeles—a 63-year-old man with as much energy and curiosity as any of the youngsters in class.
A lot of Valencia’s classmates apparently knew he couldn’t afford that semester’s tuition but was still doing the homework. “Here he is, willingly taking a class for the delight of it and benefit of learning,”says Jessica Espinosa, a 25-year-old junior. Afterward, I overheard Valencia wanted to stay in school until he earned a master’s degree, but it had taken him 12 years to finish community college, so he had a long way to go.
There is something splendidly unreasonable about Valencia’s determination to get a four-year degree and then a master’s. At his current pace, he’ll be 90 when he finally hangs all that paper on the wall. But that doesn’t seem especially relevant. He’s found all the youthful energy and academic opportunity stimulating. Valencia’s grade in my class this semester will not show up on his transcripts(成绩单). But I’m giving him an A—and in the most important ways, it counts.
1. What made Valencia different from his classmates?| A．He was respectful to the teacher. |
| B．He activated the class atmosphere. |
| C．He was eager to learn despite his age. |
| D．He often put forward different opinions. |
| A．He treasured the chance of learning. |
| B．He wished to show his determination. |
| C．He needed the credits to further his study. |
| D．He desired to have an A on his transcripts. |
| A．Modest and independent. | B．Energetic and generous. |
| C．Enthusiastic and motivated. | D．Considerate and intelligent. |
| A．No pains, no gains. | B．It is never too old to learn. |
| C．Strike the iron while it is hot. | D．Where there is life, there is hope. |
5 . Last May, my 15-year-old son, Benjamin, told my wife and me that he would attend a Kendrick Lamar concert. We
Later I received a
To learn about Mr Lamar and his
The truth is the concert was really
It’s so easy to sit in our towers,
| A．convinced | B．informed | C．comforted | D．promised |
| A．refused | B．struggled | C．prepared | D．expected |
| A．notice | B．ticket | C．message | D．gift |
| A．relieved | B．guilty | C．embarrassed | D．confident |
| A．singing | B．sharing | C．planning | D．welcoming |
| A．rule | B．means | C．round | D．point |
| A．fit in | B．benefit from | C．care for | D．complain about |
| A．story | B．music | C．family | D．influence |
| A．creative | B．formal | C．noisy | D．impressive |
| A．appropriate | B．bearable | C．useful | D．convenient |
| A．As long as | B．In case | C．Because | D．While |
| A．compared | B．referred | C．introduced | D．recommended |
| A．divided | B．threatened | C．broken | D．tested |
| A．Eventually | B．Consequently | C．Gradually | D．Fortunately |
| A．hobby | B．sense | C．right | D．freedom |
6 . The two-week Harvard Pre-College Program is an intense and exciting experience of the college life. The admission committee is now looking for mature, academically motivated students who will graduate from high school and enter college in 2022.
The Course Experience
With over 30 courses to choose from, you’re sure to find a topic that interests you. Although courses are non-credit and do not have letter grades, you need to attend the class in its entirety. When class is not in session, you can participate in creative and social activities. At the end of the program, you’ll receive a written evaluation from your instructor, as well as a transcript (成绩单).
Time
•July 24 — August 5
How to Apply
Complete an online application and provide supplemental (补充的) materials, including: •The＄75 non-refundable application fee.
•Transcripts from 9th grade to fall 2021 grades: This can include progress reports, report cards, and educational summaries from your high school.
•If English is not your native language, submit scores from the TOEFL IBT or IELTS language proficiency exam along with your application.
Cost & Aid
The total fee for a Harvard Pre-College Program 2022 session is＄4, 950. The program fee includes tuition, room and board, and activity costs for the full two weeks. There is also a non-refundable ＄75 application fee and ＄100 health insurance.
A limited number of scholarships are available to assist students who demonstrate financial need. Awards vary based on need, and a typical award covers part of the tuition.
How to contact us
Interested in learning more about the program? Complete our request form, and a member of our team will contact you.
Phone: (617) 495-4023
Email: precollege@ summer.harvard.cn
1. Which is a requirement for students attending the course?| A．Completing 30 courses. | B．Getting required credits. |
| C．Having a full attendance. | D．Prioritizing social activities. |
| A．Health certificate. | B．Academic conditions. |
| C．Financial declaration. | D．Personal integrity. |
| A．＄4,775 | B．＄4,875 | C．＄4,950 | D．＄5,125 |
7 . In order to live in the wild, tigers need water to drink, animals to hunt, and plants in which to hide. As the mountains, jungles, forests, and long grasses that have long been home to tigers disappear, so do tigers. Agricultural expansion, new roads, and industrial expansion push tigers into smaller and smaller areas of land. Without wilderness, the wild tiger will not survive.
Asia’s explosive population growth demands that more and more land be changed to agriculture. Indonesia, for example, has the same population as the United States, but only ten per cent of the land area. Almost all of Indonesia’s lowland forest has been cleared for rice planting.
In India, where there are about 60 per cent of the world’s wild tigers, the human population has grown by 50 per cent in the past 20 years. Over the past 40 years, China’s population, the largest in the world, has more than doubled and 99 per cent of China’s original forest habitat has been destroyed.
Tigers compete with humans and industry for land. Local people hunt the same prey (猎物) as tigers do, making tigers to turn to domestic animals and, even humans. Threatened villagers often poison, or shoot the encroaching (侵犯) tigers. In addition to food, local communities also need to use the surrounding areas of forest for livestock grazing (放牧) and wood for fuel.
To protect tigers from hunting and the rapidly increasing loss of land, wildlife conservationists (自然资源保护者) have worked with governments to establish wildlife reserves. Reserves are protected areas ranging in size from China’s Xioaling at 21 km2 to Indonesia’s Kerinci Seblat at 14,846 km2.
1. Why does the author mention Indonesia?| A．To tell us Indonesia has a large population. |
| B．To show its rapid development of agriculture. |
| C．To show Indonesia’s serious forest destruction. |
| D．To tell us its rice planting is of great importance. |
| A．In the USA. | B．In Indonesia. |
| C．In China. | D．In India. |
| A．Finding less to eat. | B．Cutting down wood. |
| C．Industry’s development. | D．Human’s illegal hunting. |
| A．Tiger Habitat Loss | B．Humans and Tigers |
| C．Importance of Reserves | D．Importance of Tiger Protection |
8 . ChatGPT, a new chatbot model developed by US-based AI research laboratory OpenAI, has quickly become a hit globally due to its advanced conversational capabilities,
It can write emails, computer codes, even academic papers and poems, and has passed a number of tests within seconds. Academicians worldwide are discussing whether AI should be used in education. Some universities have banned it. The New York City’s Department of Education, for example, banned the chatbot from its public school devices and networks, with some people warning that it could encourage more students to cheat, especially in exams.
Many more welcome this app, claiming that, like most technological advances and groundbreaking innovations in history, ChatGPT is a powerful tool for the development of higher education.
Embracing AI as early as possible is advisable. Higher education institutions should make preparations for including AI in their syllabus (教学大纲). They can start by offering related courses, because by understanding how it works, they can make better use of it. Besides, students with good knowledge of AI are more competitive when it comes to getting a good job, as an increasing number of jobs are being done by computer programmes-some in cooperation with humans, AI-powered education technologies can be adopted to make the learning experience more suitable for each student based on his or her strengths and weaknesses. As for professors, AI can free them from doing some dull tasks so they can concentrate on teaching and interacting with students.
Since we cannot avoid ChatGPT and other AI-powered applications from entering the field of higher education, we should make collective efforts to ensure they have a positive impact on society and the future of education Despite AI helping make learning much more interesting and enjoyable, humans need to work very hard to win the race with technology.
1. Why do some higher education institutions forbid ChatGPT?| A．ChatGPT can write emails and computer codes quickly. |
| B．Some professors might not perform their duties properly. |
| C．Students would have conversations with each other via it. |
| D．Students might seek help from it in completing the exams. |
| A．Fearful. | B．Disapproving. | C．Supportive. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．It offers students an increasing number of jobs. |
| B．It personalizes students’ learning experience. |
| C．It equips students with competitive skills to cooperate with humans. |
| D．It handles uninteresting tasks so students can better focus on learning. |
| A．We should guard against AI apps. |
| B．AI will be more widely used in education. |
| C．The future of education relies on AI apps. |
| D．Humans will be left behind by technology. |
9 . As a teenager, I was pretty lazy when it came to doing things for my family. I found myself refusing to
Every Wednesday afternoon, for example, my mother
Don’t get me wrong. Back in my room, I felt
I’ll never forget the Wednesday when I made a(n)
Sometimes the little things we put off dong for the longest time
| A．start | B．cry | C．help | D．work |
| A．left | B．guild | C．walked | D．drove |
| A．fruits | B．flowers | C．groceries | D．vegetables |
| A．fought | B．paid | C．prepared | D．waited |
| A．grateful | B．nervous | C．confident | D．unwilling |
| A．excited | B．curious | C．doubtful | D．regretful |
| A．way | B．world | C．career | D．build |
| A．warning | B．encouraging | C．expecting | D．praising |
| A．energetic | B．ambitious | C．outgoing | D．responsible |
| A．excuse | B．decision | C．promise | D．mistake |
| A．shame | B．anger | C．delight | D．pleasure |
| A．called | B．looked | C．headed | D．handed |
| A．smarter | B．better | C．warmer | D．stronger |
| A．live | B．press | C．focus | D．depend |
| A．make | B．turn | C．point | D．bring |
10 . There are some disabled people in the world who fight an unseen battle within themselves every day. They never cry or
About nine years ago, I was in a car accident. The driver slept, and the car fell in the ditch. As a result, I suffered
The days I spent in the hospital were
That’s how this experience helped me in
| A．pray | B．insist | C．forgive | D．complain |
| A．survivors | B．victims | C．fighters | D．painters |
| A．slight | B．personal | C．ordinary | D．multiple |
| A．cut | B．cured | C．broken | D．separated |
| A．gradually | B．completely | C．desperately | D．fortunately |
| A．comfort | B．search | C．control | D．rescue |
| A．in vain | B．in sorrow | C．in trouble | D．in relief |
| A．admitted | B．walked | C．rushed | D．showed |
| A．experiments | B．surgeries | C．examinations | D．cooperations |
| A．joyful | B．dreadful | C．helpful | D．regretful |
| A．fed up | B．filled up | C．kept up | D．caught up |
| A．frustrated | B．scared | C．tense | D．angry |
| A．endless | B．colorless | C．limitless | D．priceless |
| A．time | B．belief | C．decision | D．opportunity |
| A．exploring | B．investing | C．introducing | D．encouraging |
