1 . Slow Food is a global food network, founded in 1989 in Italy by food activist Carlo Petrini, which has grown to over 100,000 members across 153 countries, including 31 local branches within Australia. Slow food is good, clean and fair food. People who eat slow food believe that the food they eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment or our health; and that food producers should receive fair reward for their work.
Slow food movement has happened to fight against fast food and fast life, by encouraging us to revalue the time we spend in preparing, sharing, and consuming food. It aims to enhance the personal connection between food producers and consumers, and reduce our reliance on mass-produced foods purchased from supermarkets.
It also advocates for environmental agricultural techniques and encourages the reduction of food additives. Perhaps most importantly, it attempts to show how we can revalue the time we spend on food so as to spend quality food time for our personal (mental and physical) and collective (social, cultural, and environmental) benefits.
Slow Food guides us to take the time to enjoy one of life’s daily pleasures. There’s no doubt that cooking and eating in general is a lot more enjoyable for life when we’re not slaves of time. “Time” serves as a key factor for people’s interest in Slow Food as a form of reasonable consumption, but also a key challenge in terms of adopting a Slow Food lifestyle. And that’s why everybody is always in a hurry, because they don’t actually value that that’s an important thing to stop. Slowing down requires one to spend more time in educating oneself about food and then obtaining ethically produced food (放心食物).
1. What can we learn from the passage?| A．Slow Food leads us to spend time enjoying both cooking and eating. |
| B．Slow Food was started to fight against fast food and fast life. |
| C．Slow Food has improved the quality of food and agriculture. |
| D．Slow Food is a global network founded in Australia. |
| A．a lack of healthy life style | B．a preference for fast food |
| C．a lack of free time | D．a lack of cooking experience |
| A．negative | B．supportive | C．critical | D．enthusiastic |
2 . Some people say they “never forget a face.” But what does that saying mean? Is there really no limit to the number of faces a person can remember? A new study from a group of researchers at the University of York in England has found that, on average, people can remember as many as 5,000 faces. They published their findings on facial recognition this month in the Proceedings of The Royal Society B, Biological Sciences.
Rob Jenkins works in the psychology department at the University of York. He said the researchers’ study centered on “the number of faces people actually know”. The study suggests our facial recognition abilities help us to deal with the many different faces we see on the screens, as well as those we know, like family and friends.
For the human study, people spent one hour writing down as many faces from their personal lives as possible. Some examples may include people they went to school with, people they work with and family members. Then, they wrote down famous faces they know, such as actors, politicians and other public people.
The results showed that the participants(参与者) knew between 1,000 and 10,000 faces. Jenkins said one explanation may be that some people have a natural ability for remembering faces. “There are differences in how much attention people pay to faces and how well they process the information,” he said. Jenkins also said it could be because of different social environments. Some people may have grown up in more populated places. So, they may have had more social contact throughout their lives.
The people in the study included 25 men and women students from two universities. They were between 18 and 61 years old. Researchers think age may be an interesting area for further research. Jenkins said it is possible that we gather more faces throughout our lifetime. But, he added, there also may be an age at which we start to find it harder to remember all of those faces.
1. What was the new study mainly about?| A．How long people can remember faces. | B．When people will forget faces. |
| C．Why people can deal with different faces. | D．How many faces people can know. |
| A．They are good at recognizing faces. |
| B．They remember more famous people. |
| C．They have different social backgrounds. |
| D．They try their best to avoid social contact. |
| A．We are sure to gather more faces as we age. |
| B．The future research may focus more on age. |
| C．The participants in the study are in their youth. |
| D．It may be harder to remember faces of different ages. |
| A．An interview. | B．A research report. |
| C．A character story. | D．A scientific novel. |
3 . Practice doesn’t always make perfect when it comes to becoming the next Mozart, a new study suggests. Researchers compared pairs of identical twins, and found that no matter how hard one twin had practised, the other twin who had practiced much less still had an equal level of ability in certain musical skills. This may be because some aspects of musical talent are built into the genes (基因), the researchers said.
Miriam Mosey, a scientist at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and her team looked at the DNA of 1, 211 pairs of adult identical twins, who share almost 100 percent of their genes. Identical twins are born from the same single egg and often look very similar in appearance. They also examined the DNA of 1,358 pairs of fraternal twins (异卵双胞胎), who share an average of 50 percent of their genes. Those who played a musical instrument or sang reported how many years they practiced, and for how many hours a week.
Mosey then tested their musical abilities to see if practice had an effect on ability. She looked at how well people could tell differences in pitch (音调).
Like most people, Mosey used to think that those who put in more practice time would earn higher scores on their ability than those who practiced less. But when she compared lifetime practice scores with musical abilities between identical twins, Mosey found no relationship between the amount of practice time and her level of musical ability. Two twins could have an equal level of musical ability, no matter how much more one twin practiced compared with the other.
The researchers concluded that genetics play a larger role than practice in certain aspects of musical talent.
Mosey and her colleagues made another interesting finding: Genes may determine a person’s motivation (动机) to practice. The majority of participants who reported practicing a lot also shared a high percentage of the same genes.
1. What do you know about identical twins?| A．They often look different. | B．They are usually very alike. |
| C．They share same interests. | D．They share 100 percent of their genes. |
| A．Those who practice more will have higher musical ability. |
| B．Fraternal twins have more musical talent than identical twins. |
| C．Those who practice more are likely to have similar genes. |
| D．Twins may obtain similar musical ability if they practice enough. |
| A．education magazine | B．scientific magazine | C．social report | D．medical report |
4 . We're willing to bet you know at least one kid who loves Peppa Pig. The British TV show has been attracting youthful audiences around the world for almost two decades and has even created a generation of American kids with fake British accents. Well, all those millions of young Peppa fans will soon have their own theme park in the United States that they can visit with their parents. Moving over Disney World, Peppa Pig is headed to Florida.
The new theme park is slated to open in Orlando, Florida in 2022 and will feature rides, attractions, a water play area and live shows all popular with preschool-age children and their families. Kids will have the opportunity to meet Peppa, George, Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig and the rest of the animal group as they explore the adorable world that looks like it's been dropped right out of TV and into central Florida.
Peppa fans will love rides such as Grandad Dog's Pirate Boat Ride, where the little piggies can hop aboard and set sail for Pirate Island, and Peppa Pig's Balloon Ride, where they get to fly high above the park in one of Miss Rabbit's hot air balloons. Other rides feature characters like Grampy Rabbit and Mr. Bull.
The park will also feature two play zones: A splash pad where kids can mimic (模仿) jumping in muddy puddles filled with fountains, slides and interactive water features perfect for hot Florida summers and Pirate Island where everyone in the family can look for buried treasure or build sand castles with Danny Dog. Are you looking for something adults will love too? Check out the classic boardwalk with free arcade games. When it's time for a break, head to the cinema, where kids can watch their favorite episodes of Peppa Pig in a cool dark theatre.
Yearly passes are already available for the new park for $75. The opening day is still to be announced, but we're guessing there are enough Peppa Pig episodes to keep you and the kids occupied until next year.
1. What can we learn about Peppa Pig from paragraph 1?| A．It has a negative effect on kids. | B．It enjoys great popularity. |
| C．It deserves to be adored by kids. | D．It appeals to no Americans. |
| A．Prohibited. | B．Pressed. | C．Planned. | D．Permitted. |
| A．To introduce us to the vivid characters involved in Peppa Pig. |
| B．To evaluate whether such a theme park will possibly be a hit. |
| C．To convince us of the endless entertainment the park can offer. |
| D．To inform us of a Peppa Pig theme park to be opened in Florida. |
5 . The future of energy production is here and some of the materials used to supply the energy may surprise you! Companies have developed a way to turn plant wastes and other garbage into fuel. It has been called one of the most promising technologies in alternative energy. And the process is expected to become more common this year.
The American-based company, Fiberight, is taking the lead in this new form of energy production. A great deal of garbage is sent to Fiberight’s test plant in Southern Virginia. Old vegetables, cardboard boxes and other wastes become something much more valuable through the work done at the factory. The garbage is loaded into a huge pressure cooker. The material that comes out of the cooker is mostly cellulose (纤维素)，a substance that can be made into sugar. The sugar can then be turned into ethanol (乙醇).
This year, several other fuel production plants are expected to start making ethanol from the cellulose in plant materials. Madhu Khanna is an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois. She said, “Making cellulosic ethanol turned out to be harder than expected. We know how to do that in a lab. The main problem is doing that continuously and massively.”
Ethanol production from cellulose has yet to meet expectations. However, this year could be the turning point. But Madhu Khanna explained, “Our cars may limit how much the industry can grow. Only a few models of automobiles can operate on high-ethanol fuel. Without more of them, there is only so much gas made from garbage that will sell.”
1. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about?| A．The benefit of making fuel from garbage. |
| B．The great importance of alternative energy. |
| C．Fiberight’s way to turn wastes into ethanol. |
| D．Fiberight’s influence on the American energy market. |
| A．The high cost. |
| B．The low productivity. |
| C．The high pollution risk. |
| D．The long-term mass production. |
| A．It is cheap for most people. |
| B．It is only suitable for cars. |
| C．It is hard to be used widely at present. |
| D．It is more environmentally friendly. |
6 . A couple of weeks ago, my husband got a text asking him to help cut down a tree. “This is not the time of year to cut down trees,” I said to my husband, “They are full of birds’ nests. Wait until fall, until the baby birds have flown away.”
The tree didn’t seem like an urgent issue to me or my husband, but it was worrying our neighbor and she wanted it gone. So, with some unwillingness and a chainsaw (链锯), my husband and our sons headed to our neighbor’s house early Saturday morning. About an hour later, I got a phone call from my 14-year-old son. He spoke in a trembling voice, which made me worried. I grabbed my keys, expecting to be told to meet my husband and sons at the emergency room. But no, everyone was safe. My son said that birds’ nests had fallen out of the tree and some baby birds had been hurt. So, I grabbed an old towel and a laundry basket.
I put the birds in the basket and headed for the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. The people there are not astounded to see worried people with laundry baskets containing injured animals. They sighed at my story — they had heard many stories like this. They knew exactly how to help these birds. I was relieved that the birds would be fine, but I was still upset they had been needlessly traumatized (使受精神创伤).
A lesson from this experience is that we need to look at the whole picture. We must behave in ways that help meet needs without causing harm to others, Our efforts to move through our lives with more gentleness and care may make a big difference for someone, whether it’s a baby bird or a person.
1. Why did the author disagree with cutting down the tree at first?| A．The tree was growing well. |
| B．The tree caused her no trouble. |
| C．The tree was home to some baby birds. |
| D．The tree played a part in the ecosystem. |
| A．some little lives were hurt |
| B．he worried about his father’s safety |
| C．someone was sent to the hospital |
| D．he was unwilling to cut down the tree |
| A．Frightened. | B．Shocked. | C．Prepared. | D．Relaxed. |
| A．Treat Each Life Equally |
| B．Live in Harmony with Nature |
| C．Give Our Neighbors a Hand in Time |
| D．Help Others without Hurting Anyone |
7 . The Irish have celebrated St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 every year for over 1,000 years. On this day, Irish families would attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon.
Patrick, born in Roman Britain, was brought to Ireland at the age of 16. He was thought to bring Christianity to its people. During the centuries after Patrick’s death that is believed to be on March 17,461, the story of his life became popular in the Irish culture.
However, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade (游行) took place not in Ireland but in America. Records show that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17,1601 in Florida. More than a century later, homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English army marched in New York City on March 17, 1772 to honor the Irish saint (圣人). Interest in the St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York City, Boston and other early American cities grew from there. In 1848, several New York Irish societies decided to unite their parades to form one official New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Today, the parade is the world’s oldest parade and the largest in the United States. Each year, nearly 3 million people watch the parade, which takes more than five hours. In 2020, the New York City parade was one of the first major city events that were canceled as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic (流行病) and people are still not allowed to attend it this year.
Although North America is home to the largest one, St. Patrick’s Day is also celebrated around the world, including Japan, Singapore and Russia. In 1995, the Irish government began to use interest in St. Patrick’s Day to drive tourism and show Ireland and Irish culture to the rest of the world.
1. What nationality was St. Patrick?| A．Roman. | B．Irish. | C．English. | D．American. |
| A．The meaning of St. Patrick’s Day. |
| B．The result of the COVID 19 pandemic. |
| C．The life of St. Patrick. |
| D．The history of St. Partick’s Day parade in the USA. |
| A．Applied for. | B．Left alone. | C．Stopped. | D．Expected. |
| A．To show the Irish culture. |
| B．To remember a famous person. |
| C．To tell a story. |
| D．To introduce a festival. |
8 . In recent years, with a rising awareness of sports and health, travelers are beginning to upgrade their expectations. Here are several selected places around China that have a perfect mixture of recreation and sports.
Wanlong Ski Resort, Hebei Province
Wanlong Ski Resort in Shijiazhuang City is nicknamed “heaven for ski lovers”. The 2022 Winter Olympics will be held here, which will boost ski development and tourism activities in Hebei Province. If you happen to be a skiing fan, try the professional trails here!
Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center, Shandong Province
The Olympic sailing center has become a new landmark in Qingdao, a coastal city in East China’s Shandong Province. It was a host venue of the sailing games for the 29th Olympics in 2008 and the 13th Paralymic Games. You could visit the match venue and enjoy a cruise around Qingdao.
Shapotou Scenic Zone, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Shapotou Scenic Zone in Northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is a transition zone between grassland and deserts. Apart from its unique natural landscape, Shapotou offers sports programs like sand skiing and rafting across the Yellow River.
Wulong Karst Region, Chongqing
Wulong is about 130 kilometers from downtown Chongqing. The 2,900-square-kilometer district is full of karsts, caves, forests, springs and primitive wilderness. UNESCO named Wulong’s karsts as a World Natural Heritage in 2007. Sports options here include mountain climbing and hiking.
1. What’s the unique feature of Wanlong Ski Resort?| A．It is a good place to go sand skiing. |
| B．It is between grassland and deserts. |
| C．People can enjoy sailing games there. |
| D．It is famous as “heaven for ski lovers”. |
| A．Shapotou Scenic Zone. |
| B．Wanlong Ski Resort. |
| C．Wulong Karst Region. |
| D．Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center. |
| A．To introduce some places to visit. |
| B．To explain the importance of sports. |
| C．To compare the tourism of these places. |
| D．To prove the perfect scenery in China. |
9 . A family visited the public elementary school where I taught students with a listening defect(缺点，缺陷). They said they would
After a few weeks with Katherine, I found her a very
One day Katherine got off the bus and stood in front of the school
That day Katherine discovered the
| A．look into | B．refer to | C．move to | D．travel around |
| A．thankful | B．upset | C．afraid | D．pleased |
| A．opinions | B．values | C．worries | D．hopes |
| A．sound | B．wish | C．face | D．speech |
| A．dull | B．naughty | C．rude | D．bright |
| A．success | B．struggle | C．hobby | D．reason |
| A．introduce | B．command | C．interest | D．amaze |
| A．sweets | B．towels | C．pencils | D．toys |
| A．refuse | B．expect | C．manage | D．decide |
| A．hearing | B．waiting | C．reading | D．crying |
| A．common sense | B．sign language | C．oral English | D．science knowledge |
| A．street | B．bus | C．office | D．house |
| A．read | B．wrote | C．shouted | D．learned |
| A．Strangely | B．Unexpectedly | C．Immediately | D．Unluckily |
| A．power | B．future | C．nature | D．style |
10 . Children as young as 5 years old are less likely to help a person in need when other children are present, according to a new study. “Children at this age take responsibility into consideration when deciding whether to help,” explains psychological scientist and lead researcher Maria Plötner.
Previous research has shown that children are generally very helpful, but few studies specifically looked at whether the presence（在场）of others affects this helping behavior.
To find out, Plötner and colleagues invited 60 5-year-olds to participate（参加）in the study. The children were told that they would be choosing a picture and coloring it in. Some children colored with only the researcher present in the room, while others colored at the same time with two other children. The participants didn’t know that the other two children were actually part of the experiment and they behaved according to a script（剧本）.
Before the coloring started, the researcher noticed a water puddle and she cleaned it with paper towels. She left the remaining paper towels on the floor, just “in case（以防）something needs to be cleaned later.” After about half a minute of coloring time, the researcher “accidentally” knocked over her cup of colored water. She tried to hold the water back with her arms. After about 15 seconds, she looked at the water, and said “Oops” to call the children’s attention.
Of all the children who did get paper towels for the researcher, those who were alone with the researcher in the room were faster to help than those who were in the room with the other two children who offered help according to the script. The study result shows that the bystander effect — a social phenomenon shown in adults — is evident in children as young as 5 years old.
1. What will the children at this age consider when deciding whether to help according to the study?| A．The age. | B．The responsibility. | C．The script. | D．The picture. |
| A．Whether children are helpful. |
| B．Whether children are responsible. |
| C．Whether the 5-year- olds will help other children. |
| D．Whether the presence of others affects children’s helping behavior. |
| A．All the participants should be in the same room. |
| B．All the participants behaved according to a script. |
| C．The researcher left the remaining paper towel on the floor on purpose. |
| D．The researcher knocked over her cup of colored water because she didn’t notice the cup. |
| A．In a science magazine. | B．In a history book. |
| C．In a travel brochure. | D．In an art magazine. |
