1 . The Fire Festival is celebrated in northern Ghana. It’s a holiday we had never heard of before we came to live in a village here as Peace Corps community volunteers. It’s unbelievably great.
On the Fire Festival — Bugim Chug u in the local language — drums beat a quick and regular rhythm that locals dance to in a circle of bodies, men and women, the old and young, holding torches of burning grass above their heads, which stands for the light and getting off negative energies.
At this moment, this festival is being held at the beginning of the lunar year. The locals are all so involved in the celebration that they don’t pay as much attention to us as they normally will. When they find us getting involved as they are, they dance more vigorously and scream with joy.
Danielle, a friend of mine in the Peace Corps, says, “That we join in the celebration is significant because foreigners here are typically seen as the representatives of other organizations, not as people who are willing to join in the Fire Festival rituals (仪式). But in fact, we are dancing and celebrating as one.”
Our two-year Peace Corps service will finish up in mid-November. We can think of no better way to say goodbye than by celebrating the Fire Festival with the villagers we’ve come to know. The festival lets us see a different side of them — and lets them see a different side of us. The neighbors who sell rice are now the women who urge us to run faster and dance harder at the Fire Festival. And rather than view us as low-key (低调的) volunteers, they see us as the ones who have crazy dance steps with wild screams.
1. Why did the author go to northern Ghana?| A．To find a job. | B．To go traveling. |
| C．To study further. | D．To do voluntary work. |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Excited. | C．Confused. | D．Worried. |
| A．The steps to dance well. |
| B．How the locals celebrate the Fire Festival. |
| C．How the author and Danielle help the locals sell rice. |
| D．The reason why the author and Danielle joined in the festival. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．When in Rome, do as the Romans do. |
| D．The grass is always greener on the other side. |
2 . With artificial intelligence (AI) seemingly working its way into every technology out there, one area where it’s considered particularly promising is in helping doctors. And already, AI is entering some doctors’ offices.
Dr. Michael Mansour of Massachusetts General Hospital is an early user who’s helped by a form of AI that could someday change the way doctors get information. When a patient comes in with unknown infection (感染), Mansour turns to a computer program called UpToDate. It’s a common tool, with more than 2 million users at 44,000 health care organizations in over 190 countries. Basically, it’s Google for doctors — searching a huge database (数据库) of articles written by experts in the field, who are all getting information from the latest research.
Wolters Kluwer Health, the company that makes UpToDate, is trying to incorporate (整合) AI so that doctors can have more of a conversation with the database.
Some doctors hope to use AI to comb through a patient’s medical history before an appointment (预约). In some cases, Dr. June-Ho Kim, who directs a program on primary care at Ariadne Labs, says AI technology may also help primary care doctors look after patients without the help of specialists. “It will free up specialists’ time to focus on more difficult cases that they need to really home in on, rather than the ones that could be answered through a few questions,” he says.
Dr. Marc Succi, who was a co-worker of Kim, says, “AI will finally prove to be a trusted medical tool. AI won’t replace doctors, but doctors who use AI will replace doctors who do not. It will become very common just like designing a PPT on a computer. It’s that level of leap.”
1. How does UpToDate help a doctor?| A．It looks after patients. | B．It does a temperature test. |
| C．It offers useful information. | D．It leads patients to doctors. |
| A．Concentrate on. | B．Adapt to. |
| C．Waste time on. | D．Have interest in. |
| A．The difficulty of writing. | B．The user-friendlines s of AI. |
| C．The importance of a doctor. | D．The advantages of office software. |
| A．AI in the Field of Medicine | B．The Challenges of AI |
| C．Changes That AI Has Brought | D．Doctors at Home or in the Office |
3 . Dede Gardner was born in Chicago in 1967 and studied English at Columbia University. Seventeen years after her graduation, she worked as President of Plan B Entertainment, a production company started by Brad Grey.
At Plan B, Dede finds stories to make into films. Jeremy Kleiner, who is now co-president of Plan B, says Dede was his mentor (导师) before he joined her as a producing partner. “I’ve had the honor to work with her for almost 20 years,” he says. “She’s just a one-of-a-kind person in so many ways. She is very brave and views storytelling as the focus of her films.”
This year, Dede is the only woman to have won two Best Picture Oscars, for Moonlight and 12 Years a Slave. Before, together with Kleiner, she won seven films to Best Picture nominations (提名) including Selma in 2015, The Big Short in 2016 and Minari in 2021.
“Basically, whatever Dede does, it turns to gold,” says Jessie Buckley, one of the stars of Women Talking. “Dede has also changed the culture of making movies. She is always there to make the set feel comfortable when we are obviously coming across difficult things. She’s a great example to follow. She’s very careful with protecting the workers’ voice.”
Dede is actually exploring a much healthier and kinder way to make movies. She’s a producer who consciously thinks about creating a set where there is care. That includes making sure there are therapists (治疗专家) on set for all the workers in case there are emergencies happening.
1. Who set up the company Plan B Entertainment?| A．Brad Grey. | B．Dede Gardner. |
| C．Jessie Buckley. | D．Jeremy Kleiner. |
| A．Storytelling. | B．Action. | C．History. | D．Adventure. |
| A．Moonlight. | B．Selma. | C．The Big Short. | D．Minari. |
| A．She is strict with her partners. | B．She always avoids difficulties. |
| C．She is successful and thoughtful. | D．She is a medical expert. |
4 . I attended a college where every student left it as an all-rounded (全面的) person. The teachers in this college were
In the beginning, when I
As I look at the puzzled
So, I may not clean the
| A．excellent | B．clever | C．strong | D．young |
| A．breath | B．stress | C．attention | D．confidence |
| A．lesson | B．suggestion | C．idea | D．way |
| A．flying | B．lying | C．covering | D．hanging |
| A．offer | B．move | C．point | D．show |
| A．left | B．missed | C．trusted | D．watched |
| A．incident | B．lecture | C．picture | D．line |
| A．business | B．rule | C．belief | D．practice |
| A．comments | B．questions | C．faces | D．hands |
| A．think of | B．leave aside | C．bring in | D．call off |
| A．bridge | B．beach | C．road | D．floor |
| A．refusing | B．managing | C．trying | D．learning |
| A．save | B．find | C．accept | D．clean |
| A．benefit | B．choice | C．decision | D．difference |
| A．other | B．whole | C．small | D．old |
5 . Across the world, people and governments are banning pesticides (杀虫剂) and planting more flowers to increase bee populations naturally. Now farmers and beekeepers have a new way to protect bee populations.
The traditional hive most commonly used in the world today was designed by humans about 150 years ago. Most people are so used to them that they mistakenly confuse them with bees’ natural habitat. By completely redesigning the beehive, a company called Beewise was able to address many of the inefficiencies of the box and significantly improve bees’ well- being and lifetime.
Using 24/7 monitoring and smart technology that significantly increases pollination capacity (授粉能力) and honey production, Beewise’s robotic beehive, the Beehome, discovers threats to a honeybee population such as pesticides and the presence of pests and immediately defends against them. Its automatic robotic system responds to threats in real time and requires no human assistance. Beehomes are thermally regulated (热调节的) and can provide protection from fires, flooding, and Asian wasps. The hive even feeds the honeybees when local food supply is not available.
In a statement, the company says, “The Beehome reduces bee deaths by 80%, resulting in increased production of at least 50%, while reducing about 90% of manual labor (体力劳动) when compared to traditional beehives.”
Beewise currently manages more than seven billion bees, which is equal to 25,000 acres of pollinated crops. Through the Beehome device, the Israeli startup says it has saved over 160 million bees over the course of the last 12 months.
Their task of saving bees recently received $80 million funding for their autonomous hive. “We are using precision robotics with the world’s most creative technologies including AI and computer vision in order to save the bees,” stated Saar Safra, CEO of Beewise. He says that with thousands of orders placed in the U.S. in just the last few months, their new funding will allow Beewise to meet the market demand through increased production.
1. What do we know about the traditional hive most commonly used today?| A．It is artificial. | B．It is bees’ natural habitat. |
| C．It can be confusing to bees. | D．It does more harm than good. |
| A．It is similar to natural beehives. | B．It can help bees to settle down. |
| C．It can monitor fires and floods. | D．It keeps bees away from threats. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Objective. | C．Positive. | D．Conservative. |
| A．The benefits of banning pesticides. | B．A new device to save bee populations. |
| C．Potential threats bees are facing today. | D．Ways to increase bees’ pollination ability. |
6 . Craig Clark is retired from his job in computers. He grew bored in his retirement and wanted to take on a challenging hobby. He decided to continue doing what he does best, which is to fix computers. In his spare time, he helps individuals and families improve their lives by giving them access to technology.
Craig places ads for his donations on the neighborhood community website. Once he fixes the old computers, he then offers them to community members for free. He was aware that many individuals struggled financially and often couldn’t afford to buy a computer due to the expense (费用). He wanted to find a way to help solve this problem. So far, he has given away more than 430 computers.
Melissa, one of Craig’s computer receivers, proves his giving nature. Her daughter needed a computer for school. But as a single mother of four children, buying a new expensive computer was not in her budget. One day she received a free computer from Craig. It was a lifesaver for her family.
A computer can influence people in many ways. It helps the elderly easily connect with health professionals from the comfort of their homes. It also saves them time and money by having their medicine and food delivered and monthly bills paid with the help of their online accounts. Computers have also connected many young students with online educational programs. They have also helped families connect with relatives living far away through email, social media, and video meetings.
Craig is excited that his labor of love is beneficial to those in need. He is known in his Florida community as the Tech Fairy. He uses his IT skills as a unique way to help improve the lives of hundreds of his community members. He now wants to inspire other technicians (技术员) to join him on his mission of kindness and become tech fairies in their own communities. Together they can improve the lives of many.
1. What does Craig prefer doing in his spare time?| A．Finding solutions to poverty. | B．Selling computers at a low price. |
| C．Repairing and donating computers. | D．Teaching computer-fixing skills. |
| A．Wise and independent. | B．Clever and energetic. |
| C．Brave and determined. | D．Skilled and generous. |
| A．Community members’ gratitude to Craig. |
| B．Local people’s useful advice on Craig’s business. |
| C．The common types of online educational programs. |
| D．The life-changing benefits brought by Craig’s action. |
| A．A tech fairy connects people with technology |
| B．A man calls on people to recycle used computers |
| C．A fun way to improve community relationships |
| D．A man chooses to be a volunteer in his retirement. |
7 . There is a big difference between offering to help and helping. Almost all of us are guilty (内疚的) about the following
Once I was in the situation where I
After that
| A．rule | B．problem | C．situation | D．excuse |
| A．confusing | B．sincere | C．honest | D．careful |
| A．understood | B．performed | C．missed | D．received |
| A．think | B．learn from | C．complain about | D．suggest |
| A．valuable | B．painful | C．exciting | D．fresh |
| A．Luckily | B．Disappointedly | C．Basically | D．Gradually |
| A．doubts | B．worries | C．anger | D．sadness |
| A．attended | B．earned | C．joined | D．prepared |
| A．after | B．when | C．until | D．once |
| A．experience | B．education | C．experiment | D．adventure |
| A．change | B．appreciate | C．ignore | D．follow |
| A．cheated | B．accepted | C．refused | D．respected |
| A．stop | B．finish | C．keep | D．try |
| A．small | B．specific | C．unusual | D．right |
| A．patience | B．courage | C．confidence | D．kindness |
8 . The southwestern United States has experienced drought for more than 20 years. Arizona has increasingly pumped (抽吸) water from underground, but that meets less than half of what the state needs. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of new residents arrive every year, and more communities are built. One report shows that a large area near Phoenix doesn’t have enough groundwater for all the homes that developers want to build there. That means 800,000 people.
Some experts say the solution is to import water from outside the state. One idea is to build a $5.5 billion desalination (脱盐) plant on Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. The plant would remove salt from the water and pump that water to Arizona through a 200-mile pipeline. Supporters say this could provide a water supply for decades.
Environmentalists see a different future. Some of the salt taken out of the Sea of Cortez might end up back in the ocean, harming wildlife. The pipeline would damage land where people and animals live. And the desalination process uses lots of energy. This would create greenhouse gases, the very gases that are causing the conditions that have led to Arizona’s water problems.
Margaret Wilder is a professor at the University of Arizona, in Tucson. She warns that big projects like this one could be used to show much more unsustainable development in the desert in the future. Moreover, desalinating water would likely be a massive expenditure for Arizonans. Cities pay about $50 to $150 for 326,000 gallons. That’s enough for a family of three in Phoenix for a year. Desalinated water could charge 20 times as much.
Environmentalists say the government should focus on cutting the demand for water rather than increasing the supply. That would mean taking water-saving measures and limiting how many homes are built. Thousands of households in Tucson, Arizona, are collecting rainwater and using it for cooking, drinking, and in their gardens. Government leaders have taken notice. Tucson also helps residents pay for equipment that collects rainwater for home use.
1. What is the problem faced by the southwestern United States?| A．A population increase. | B．A serious heatwave. |
| C．A waste of resources. | D．A water shortage. |
| A．It provides a long-term solution to drought. |
| B．It would harm the planet from various aspects. |
| C．It fails to take people’s basic needs into account. |
| D．It draws people’s attention to environmental destruction. |
| A．Affordable. | B．Costly. | C．Unsafe. | D．Beneficial. |
| A．People are unsatisfied with the government’s water measures. |
| B．Collecting rainwater is the key to meeting water demands. |
| C．People are exploring water resources with official support. |
| D．Public concern about water safety has increased. |
9 . George jumped on an e-scooter (电动摩托车) and went to a supermarket. At the end of the ride, a message appeared on the screen: “Your ride was carbon-free.” These words showed the environment-friendly marketing of e-scooter companies. But George, then a graduate student, and his adviser, Johnson had doubts about them.
E-scooters have appeared in cities over the last two years. Sure, they don’t produce waste gases. “But you have to think about the other things that are required to have the e-scooter charged (充电) and ready for you to use,” Johnson said. So he and his students decided to work out the full environmental influence of e-scooters over their lifetimes.
The researchers bought an e-scooter and separated it into parts. They worked out the greenhouse gas emissions (排放) while people make it. They also looked at the resulting air and water pollution. Those influences were great. They found that materials and production accounted for about half of the e-scooter’s global warming influence.
Those results depend heavily on e-scooters’ long life. Bird’s first e-scooters lasted about 3—4 months, and the newer Bird Zeros are said to make it to about 10 months. However, one study found that e-scooters in Louisville, Kentucky, only survived about 29 days. If such short lifetimes are common, it would worsen the true influence of materials and production mentioned above, Johnson said.
Luckily, there are ways to reduce the environmental influence of e-scooters. They suggest that companies take steps to increase e-scooters’ lifetimes. They also suggest simplifying the collection process. Not every e-scooter needs to be picked up. About one in six e-scooters still had a full charge at the end of the day.
1. Why does the author talk about George’s riding an e-scooter?| A．To introduce the environmental benefits of e-scooters. |
| B．To describe e-scooter companies’ marketing methods. |
| C．To bring in research on e-scooters’ environmental influence. |
| D．To show the popularity of e-scooters among university students. |
| A．Disadvantages of e-scooters. | B．The development of e-scooters. |
| C．Preparations for the use of e-scooters. | D．The reason for their research on e-scooters. |
| A．Their lifetimes are too short. | B．Their charging rates are low. |
| C．They use too much electricity. | D．They need to be charged frequently. |
| A．They need to be managed better. | B．They shouldn’t be collected at night. |
| C．They need more support and attention. | D．They should be banned from production. |
10 . Do you love learning foreign languages? I love it so much that I like to learn a new language every two years, now working on my eighth one. As a successful language learner, people always ask me, “How do you speak so many languages like a polyglot?” They wanted to know why they are spending years trying to learn even one language, never making it.
To be honest, I really don’t know why. I’m curious to know what makes me speak several languages faster than other people. I decided to meet other people like me and find that out. I met Benny from Ireland, who told me that his way is to start speaking from day one. He learns a few phrases from a travel phrasebook and goes to meet native speakers and starts talking with them right away. He doesn’t mind making even 200 mistakes a day, because that’s how he learns, based on the practice.
I met some people who always start by learning sounds of the language, and others who always learn the 500 most used words of the language. And yet others who always start by reading about the grammar. As I was listening to these people telling me about their ways, it suddenly hit me that we simply found ways to enjoy the language learning. All of them use different ways, but they always make sure it is something that they personally enjoy. I realized that this is actually how I learn languages myself.
We are not geniuses (天才) and we have no shortcut to learning languages. It is really important to know how to turn language learning from a boring school subject into a pleasant activity which you don’t mind doing every day. In that way, you will love learning a language like me.
1. Which of the following best explains “polyglot” underlined in paragraph 1?| A．Successful English learners. | B．Experienced and trusted advisers. |
| C．People who can speak several languages. | D．Someone who can master one language quickly. |
| A．He learns languages by communicating in real life. |
| B．He reads words and grammar from a book every day. |
| C．He is afraid of making many mistakes while speaking. |
| D．He always talks with Irish people without mistakes. |
| A．She spent a lot of time on grammar. |
| B．She only learned 500 most used words. |
| C．She talked with native speakers at the beginning. |
| D．She found happiness on the way of learning languages. |
| A．Find shortcuts to learning languages. | B．Share ways of learning several languages. |
| C．When to choose a new language to learn. | D．Never give up when learning a foreign language. |
