1 . This year saw the publication, in stages, of the sixth report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)—a report which was depressing reading for many climate scientists, and in some ways offered a ray of hope.
Why depressing? Because the report confirmed what scientists have been saying for years: that human activity, particularly in the form of emissions (排放) of greenhouse gases, is responsible for the warming in the past few centuries, and that unless such emissions are greatly reduced, we will soon bring about our entire ecosystem’s destruction.
The report concluded that 1.5°C of global warming over the next couple of hundred years is already “baked in”. This makes the goals outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement—that nations agreed to keep warming below 2°C, and hopefully below 1.5°C-much harder to meet. Worse still, the IPCC report was followed later in the year by the COP27 summit (峰会), described by Prof Dann Mitchell, as “a complete failure, other than some commitment to loss and damage.”
And the ray of hope? The IPCC’s sixth report was broader in approach than previous studies—looking in-depth for the first time at the role played in warming by short-term greenhouse gases such as methane(甲烷), for instance.
“Reducing carbon emissions is always the best approach: stop the problem at its source,” said Mitchell. “But we also need other approaches to help with this. Methane is important, but it’s so short-lived-that’s why we haven’t been so bothered when compared with CO,.”
The IPCC working groups showed potential adaptation paths, and they are the other things we can do in terms of fighting climate change and relieving its worst effects, rather than simply reducing carbon emissions. This would include taking measures such as switching to a more plant-based diet (to reduce methane emissions), controlling population growth, reducing financial inequality and developing means by which we might remove CO, that’s already in our atmosphere, rather than simply preventing it being released.
1. Which of the following can best describe the sixth report by IPCC?| A．Seemingly contradictory. | B．Wholly promising. |
| C．Particularly hopeless. | D．Exceptionally new. |
| A．out of date. | B．to the full. |
| C．under discussion. | D．in progress |
| A．It has been long regarded as a major source of global warming. |
| B．Its role in global warming had been overlooked before the report. |
| C．Its boost to global warming is as much as other greenhouse gases. |
| D．It is considered as a new approach to reducing global warming. |
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
2 . After Impressionism: Inventing Modern Art
25 March-13 August 2023
Rooms 1 to 8
Explore a period of great change when artists broke with established tradition and laid the foundations for the art of the 20th and the 21st centuries.
The decades between 1880 and the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 were a complex, energetic period of artistic questioning, searching, risk-taking and innovation.
The exhibition celebrates the achievements of three giants of the period: Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin and follows the influences they had on younger generations of French artists and on wider circles of artists across Europe.
With over a hundred works by artists ranging from Picasso to Mondrian and a selection of sculptures by artists including Rodin and Camille Claudel, the exhibition follows the creation of a new, modern art, free of convention, taking in Expressionism and Abstraction. ‘The exhibition includes some of the most famous works of art created during these decades. Important loans come to the exhibition from institutions and private collections worldwide.
Ticket prices
Free for Members
Priority booking open for Members.
Join today to get early access to tickets, plus enjoy the exhibition in advance on 24 March.
Standard admission
On sale from 15 February
From £ 24 Monday-Friday
From £ 26 Saturday and Sunday
A maximum of six tickets can be booked in the same deal. For larger group bookings please email.
We recommend allowing 50-60 minutes for your visit to the exhibition.
1. What is the probable theme of the exhibition?| A．Convention. | B．Modern Art. |
| C．Western Art. | D．Impressionism. |
| A．£ 24. | B．£ 48. | C．£ 52. | D．£ 26. |
| A．A textbook. | B．A guidebook. |
| C．A travel journal. | D．A research report. |
3 . One aspect of the clean-energy change will happen inside buildings. Many homes and businesses burn natural gas for heating and cooking. Natural gas gives out greenhouse gases as well as other pollutants that can harm health. Gas appliances (家用电器) can be replaced by electric versions and tap into clean electricity.
Panama Bartholomy is the director of the Building Decarbonization Coalition. His group, based in Petaluma, Calif., focuses on limiting gas emissions indoors. “We assume the electric grid (输电网) is getting cleaner over time, which it is. So, we want more and more of our heating to come from electricity.”
It’s much easier to make these types of transitions when governments recommend them, says Beth Miller. She is an ecologist and consultant with Good Company. Based in Eugene, Ore., it helps companies and communities reduce their carbon footprint. Some states are already taking steps to make these changes. On September 22, for instance, California decided it would ban the sale of gas-fired space heaters and water heaters by 2030.
After homes and businesses make the switch to electric alternatives, they will be more comfortable, says Bartholomy. They will be safer and cleaner, too, he adds. Instead of a gas furnace(燃气炉), an electric heat pump could both heat and cool a home. Gas heaters and stoves won’t be pumping pollution into a home’s air. And cooks will have even more control on a modern electric cooker than on a gas stove says Bartholomy.
Getting natural gas out of your home is probably the largest positive impact you can have for the planet, Bartholomy says. “We all need to fight for a livable climate. There is no way to meet our climate goals while still burning gas in buildings. For a livable future, we must take measures to stop burning natural gas, though we know we have a long way to go.” And the bonus: It now looks like doing that should also save people a lot of money.
1. What is the clean energy change?| A．Using natural gas for heating. | B．Using natural gas to boil water. |
| C．Using electric cookers at home. | D．Using electric lights inside buildings. |
| A．Promises. | B．Plans. | C．Changes. | D．Decisions. |
| A．Homes will be safer. | B．Gas stoves will be replaced soon. |
| C．Homes’ air will have more pollutants. | D．Cooks prefer to use traditional cookers. |
| A．Clean-energy Change | B．Electricity Use |
| C．Make Use of Natural Gas | D．Save Your Money at Home |
4 . Spending time outdoors has long been linked (联系) to better health. Gardening goes beyond just beautifying outdoor spaces—it can have a deep effect on our physical and mental (身心上的) health.
Gardening involves physical activity that works all the main muscle (肌肉) groups, which is helpful for overall health. “Activities such as digging, planting, weeding and harvesting require movement and can help to improve strength,” said Clayton, CEO of an online lawn care company. “Performing these activities regularly can help burn calories, and keep a healthy weight.”
Beyond burning calories and building muscle, lots of studies have shown that gardening can improve the immune system (免疫系统). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people get at least 150 minutes of exercise each week, and gardening is listed as a suitable activity. Doing garden work for that time each week can reduce the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease. Additionally, spending time outdoors makes us get close to natural sunlight, which is important for vitamin D synth.
Gardening provides a chance for social connection, too. It can be a shared activity among family members, friends or neighbors, building relationships and a sense of belonging.
Gardening also offers cognitive (认知的) benefits. It excites the senses, improves focus and encourages problem-solving and creativity. It provides a chance to learn about plants, ecosystems and the environment, developing a deeper understanding and appreciation for nature.
1. What is Clayton’s attitude towards gardening?| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unclear | D．Uncaring. |
| A．It improves focus. | B．It is a waste of time. |
| C．It can keep a body in shape. | D．It helps to reduce the risk of diseases. |
| A．It contributes to creativity. | B．It encourages problem-solving. |
| C．It builds relationships between people. | D．It improves people’s awareness of safety. |
| A．How to Start a Garden | B．Choose a Garden or Not |
| C．What Plants Grow Best in a Garden | D．Start Gardening and Get the Health Benefits |
5 . Fruit farmers in Okayama, Japan, have managed to make peeling (剥皮) a banana optional by developing a special variety with eatable skin. The peel of their ‘‘Mongee bananas” isn’t tastier, but it’s much thinner and far less bitter than that of regular bananas, making it 100% eatable.
Scientists at D&T Farm in the country’s Okayama Prefecture released the social media-ready news following months of experimenting with a freezing-and-thawing (解冻) method, which keeps the banana tree at extremely cold temperatures followed by a dramatic heat increase. The result is soft and thin skin that hasn’t fully developed. They froze young banana trees to -60 degrees Celsius, planting them again as they began to thaw. This apparently activated an ancient part of their DNA, which not only allows the plant to grow in Japan’s cool climate, but also accelerates its development. While tropical varieties of bananas require two years to grow large enough for consumption, the Mongee banana needs just four months.
The first batch (一批) of Mongee bananas hit department store shelves in November of last year, but getting your hand on one of these incredible fruits remains a huge challenge. D&T Farm only produces 10 bananas per week, and they only deliver them to the Fruit Corner of Tenmanya Okayama, a local department store. But even if you happen to find one available, you’d probably be a bit put off by the price–648 yen ($5.70) per fruit.
Banana peel is an excellent ingredient that can contain vitamin B6 and magnesium related to the production of serotonin (血清素). At the same time, it’s rich in substances called “tryptophan” (色氨酸), a raw material of serotonin which stabilizes the mind and has a positive effect on sleep. Research results that ripe fruit peels have a good effect on treating certain discases have also been published.
John Guterman, a botanist, says, “And what about shipping? For most of the fruit’s history, the peel has provided protection, allowing it to travel long distances. A softer, more bruise-prone (容易擦伤的) banana would be a step back from hardy banana varieties that travel thousands of miles.” In this sense, the day we all stop peeling bananas and instead bite straight through their skin may still be a long way away.
1. Compared with regular bananas, Mongee bananas ________.| A．are far easier to peel |
| B．have much sweeter flesh |
| C．are much more thin-skinned |
| D．have a longer growth period |
| A．It isn’t affordable at all. |
| B．It isn’t in mass production. |
| C．It is made for certain people. |
| D．It hasn’t come into the market. |
| A．The varied flavors of banana peel. |
| B．How to make banana peel eatable. |
| C．How to make banana peel sweeter. |
| D．The medical value of banana peel. |
| A．It won’t be widely spread soon for some reasons. |
| B．It should not be widely grown because of climate. |
| C．It has advantage over regular bananas on transportation. |
| D．It proves fruits with skin will be produced on large scales. |
I must admit, I haven’t always liked animals. In fact, I distrusted them greatly while growing up, and I still fear the ones I don’t know personally. What set my beliefs in stone was being attacked—not once but many times, including the summer after second grade when I was bitten by a rabbit. Then, when I was nine and riding my dirt bike down the road, a large dog charged me and tried to bite my ankle. After all those negative experiences, there was one thing I knew for sure: All creatures, great and small, were no friends of mine.
After college in California, I returned to live the single life in Las Vega. Then I met Lisa. In no time at all, we fell in love, married and moved into a new house. Despite my avoidance of animals, Lisa had a dog called Bailey. Bailey didn’t like me, but he tolerated my existence once he realized I wasn’t going anywhere.
Things changed as spring came. We welcomed a new member of our family: our son Evan. One evening Evan grabbed hold of the dog’s tail. The irritated dog paused and turned to look at his stuck tail but waited patiently until being released. Still the stories I’d heard of animals attacking babies worries me.
Then my worst fear occurred. I sat on the couch (沙发) reading after a long day while my wife worked at the dining-room table paying the bills. I saw Evan crawl across the family-room carpet as he made his way behind the couch. One minute, all was quiet and then Bailey entered the room and headed to where Evan had crawled. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the dog start a fearful barking behind me.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Throwing the book away, I rushed around the couch with great fear.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Having witnessed our dog killing a scorpion (蝎子) and saving my son, I was speechless.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . I first met Paul Newman in 1968, when George Roy Hill, the director of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, introduced us in New York City. When the studio didn’t want me for the film - it wanted somebody as well known as Paul — he stood up for me. I don’t know how many people would have done that; they would have listened to their agents or the studio powers.
The friendship that grew out of the experience of making that film and The Sting four years later had its root in the fact that although there was an age difference, we both came from a tradition of theater and live TV. We were respectful of craft(技艺) and focused on digging into the characters we were going to play. Both of us had the qualities and virtues that are typical of American actors: humorous, aggressive, and making fun of each other — but always with an underlying affection. Those were also at the core(核心) of our relationship off the screen.
We shared the belief that if you’re fortunate enough to have success, you should put something back — he with his Newman’s Own food and his Hole in the Wall camps for kids who are seriously ill, and me with Sundance and the institute and the festival. Paul and I didn’t see each other all that regularly, but sharing that brought us together. We supported each other financially and by showing up at events.
I last saw him a few months ago. He’d been in and out of the hospital. He and I both knew what the deal was, and we didn’t talk about it. Ours was a relationship that didn’t need a lot of words.
1. Why was the studio unwilling to give the role to author at first?| A．Paul Newman wanted it. |
| B．The studio powers didn’t like his agent. |
| C．He wasn’t famous enough. |
| D．The director recommended someone else. |
| A．They were of the same age. |
| B．They worked in the same theater. |
| C．They were both good actors. |
| D．They han similar charactertics. |
| A．Their belief. |
| B．Their care for children. |
| C．Their success. |
| D．Their support for each other. |
| A．To show his love of films. |
| B．To remember a friend. |
| C．To introduce a new movie. |
| D．To share his acting experience. |
8 . The first traffic lights in the United States were installed because of an increase in traveller on the road in the 1920s. Worried about accidents, towns and cities installed traffic towers to help the flow of cars. Officers manned the towers, using whistles and red, green and yellow lights to indicate to drivers when they should stop and go.
Due to the absence of effective traffic signal systems on some streets, it caused risks at intersections. Then, William Potts created the first tricolour, four-directional traffic signal. The very first four-directional traffic light was installed at Woodward Avenue and Fort. But throughout the country, there were still a lot of systems for traffic lights and patterns in place. Since this could end up causing more problems for drivers, the Federal Highway Administration set uniform standards in 1935for all road signs, pavement markings and traffic signals, requiring them to all use red, yellow and green light indicators.
Red is the colour with the longest wavelength; that means that as it travels through air molecules, it gets diffused(扩散)less than other colour, so it can be seen from a greater distance. Yellow has a shorter wavelength than red but a longer wavelength than green. This means that red is visible the furthest away, yellow in the middle and green the least distance away—a helpful advanced warning for needing to slow or stop. But this could be a coincidence. Red meaning stop originated with train warning lights, and it’s not clear whether that was chosen based on wavelength, contrast against green nature or natural association of red with things like blood. It could be a combination of all three!
Back in the 1900s, some stop signs were yellow because it was too hard to see a red sign in a poorly lit area. Eventually, highly reflective materials were developed, and red stop signs were born. Since yellow can be seen well at all times of the day, school zones, some traffic signs and school buses continue to be painted the colour.
1. What’s the purpose of installing traffic lights in the 1920s?| A．To increase the speed of cars. |
| B．To improve road safety and efficiency. |
| C．To reduce traffic jams in towns and cities. |
| D．To obey the standards of the government. |
| A．The first tricolour,four-directional traffic signal. |
| B．The installation of the first traffic signal. |
| C．The existence of different traffic lights and patterns. |
| D．The absence of traffic signal systems. |
| A．The differences among the three colour. |
| B．The wavelength of the three colour. |
| C．The reasons for choosing red as the stop signal. |
| D．The relationship between red colour and its wavelength. |
| A．It can’t be seen in the distance. |
| B．It is a kind of highly reflective colour. |
| C．It is not suitable to be used in school zones. |
| D．It can not be clearly seen in certain surroundings. |
9 . When his daughter Morgan was growing up, Gordon Hartman was heartbroken after watching her on the playground. Other children refused to play with her, mostly because her disabilities meant she couldn’t access the places where they were playing. The family tried other places but were never satisfied.
“What we found was there was no place that was an easily-accessible, fully inclusive park,” Gordon said. So he went home and sold his construction business, bought a large piece of land, and went to work building an entire amusement park for disabled children.
All kids need playtime, and Morgan was no different. The park—named Morgan’s Wonderland—finally offered Morgan that opportunity. What the Hartmans discovered is that kids without disabilities enjoy the park just as much, and they interact a lot more with everyone when all are included. In fact, three quarters of the park’s visitors are not disabled. And that makes it all the more fun.
Watching the kids play together without barriers makes you realize that we are all the same, and having fun is for everybody. But it doesn’t end there. One-third of the staff also has special needs. Seeing the way they interact also puts a smile on your face. They take their jobs seriously, and they make sure everybody is having fun.
“It feels fantastic because we get to see people who are not given the opportunity to experience the types of rides we have, get on a carousel, get on a train easily, and go fishing,” says Gordon. The park has been visited by people with special needs from over 67 countries. “When we opened this, we didn’t know if it was going to work,” says Gordon. “All we wanted to do was bring people together and play.”
Just look at the smiles at Morgan’s Wonderland, and you’ll see how much good it does.
1. Why was Gordon extremely sad?| A．His daughter was disabled. | B．He had to sell his business. |
| C．His daughter was never satisfied. | D．No playground was accessible to Morgan. |
| A．Every child comes to play with Morgan. | B．It hires the disabled to attract tourists. |
| C．It allows every child to have fun here. | D．3/4 of its area is for normal children. |
| A．Confident. | B．Uncertain. | C．Ashamed. | D．Optimistic. |
| A．Every Kid Deserves to Have Fun | B．We Should Respect Each Other |
| C．A Playground Is Enough for All | D．A Father Has Saved His Daughter |
10 . What a day! I started at my new school this morning and had the best time. I made lots of new friends and really liked my teachers. I was nervous (紧张的) the night before, but I had no reason to be. Everyone was so friendly and polite. They made me feel at ease. It was like I’d been at the school for a hundred years!
The day started very early at 7:00 a.m. I had my breakfast downstairs with my mom. She could tell that I was very nervous. Mom kept asking me what was wrong. She told me I had nothing to worry about and that everyone was going to love me. If they didn’t love me, mom said to send them her way for a good talking to. I couldn’t stop laughing.
My mom dropped me off at the school gate about five minutes before the bell. A little blonde (金黄色的) girl got dropped off at the same time and started waving (招手) at me. She ran over and told me her name was Abigail. She was very nice and we became close straight away. We spent all morning together and began to talk to another girl called Stacey. The three of us sat together in class all day and we even made our way home together! It went so quickly. Our teacher told us that tomorrow we would really start learning and developing new skills.
I cannot wait until tomorrow and feel as though I am really going to enjoy my time at my new school. I only hope that my mew friends feel the same way too.
1. How did the author feel the night before her new school?| A．Tired. | B．Excited. | C．Worried. | D．Relaxed. |
| A．She met many nice people. | B．She had a hurried breakfast. |
| C．She learned some new skills | D．She arrived at school very early. |
| A．On foot. | B．By bus. |
| C．In her mother’s car. | D．By train. |
| A．She disliked Stacey. | B．She was shy and quiet. |
| C．She got on well with the author. | D．She was an old friend of the author. |
