1 . Reducing, reusing and recycling is a way of life in Sweden. Recycling is required by law and garbage is sorted at home before it goes to a recycling center. Recyclables are sorted into seven categories and recycling stations are within just 300 meters of all residential areas. “Recycling almost everything is a must in Sweden now. It actually feels very uncomfortable when you visit another country and can't find easy ways to recycle,” said Owen Gaffney, an expert at Stockholm Resilience Centre and Future Earth.
But not all of its garbage is recycled. Sweden uses alternatives that include burning garbage to make electricity instead of using fossil fuels to heat 1.2 million homes. About half of household garbage is sent to one of the 33 waste-to-heat plants. Sweden is importing garbage from other countries to keep these plants running. Sweden is also a world leader in turning food waste into eco-friendly biogas. It has made food waste collection compulsory beginning in 2021. There is a food waste biogas plant, which allows biogas to be used to run public buses and to heat apartment buildings.
Sweden now wants to deal with those remaining items that cannot be recycled by using a circular(循环论证的)economy approach. It means that products can be reused and only recycled when absolutely necessary. The Swedish government formed an advisory group to find a new way of making this part of its environmental policy.
This will not work effectively unless people are taught to change their behavior. Now the government is reforming its tax code so that people could get cheaper repairs or buy used things. The large Swedish clothing retailer(零售商)H&M operates a recycling program that gives customers discounts when they bring back old clothing.
Sweden is fighting climate change by doing all the right stuff. Waste recycling and the plans to switch to a circular economy will go a long way in reducing its carbon footprint and will help stop global warming.
1. What do we know about Sweden?| A．Sweden imports household garbage for biogas. |
| B．Everything is recycled after being used in Sweden. |
| C．Half of garbage in Sweden is used to produce heat. |
| D．It is convenient to recycle things in Sweden. |
| A．Teach people how to save fossil fuels. | B．Conduct a survey about the local economy. |
| C．Make sure the citizens recycle wisely. | D．Offer advice on environmental policy. |
| A．It provides various recycling programs. | B．It cuts down taxes on new products. |
| C．It offers lower prices for repairs. | D．It gives discounts to regular buyers. |
| A．A book on city environment. | B．A news report on local environment. |
| C．A science report on public health. | D．A travel guide on Sweden. |
2 . Cheap Travel
You can pay a fortune to travel around the world. Or you can pay nothing at all. Here are some places you’ll never regret visiting. They won’t cost you a dime.
The British Museum, London (U.K.)
You need to go here to see. the Egyptian mummies, the ancient Greek marbles and so many other treasures. It’s open every day, and unlike most other attractions in England that cost an arm and a leg, it’s completely free.
National Mall, Washington D.C. (U.S.A.)
You can walk a pathway from the Lincoln Memorial to the severe Vietnam Veterans Memorial and to the Washington Monument with other sights in between. Do you know you can go up in the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument? Tickets are free, but pay a small fee to reserve them in advance to avoid being disappointed.
Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris (France)
This great treasure of the world simply can’t be missed. The great stained-glass rose window alone is worth the visit. The Sunday Mass with the Gregorian chant was like stepping back in time. Admission is free every day, but you are welcome to leave a donation- There are also free tours a few times each week. You’ll be additionally charged for tours of the bell tower or the crypt.
Tips: The Notre-Dame Cathedral was greatly damaged by a massive fire in April 2019. Please visit notredamedepairs. ƒr/en/for more information regarding future visits to the cathedral.
National Museum of Ireland, Dublin and Mayo (Ireland)
Want to see bog bodies, gold ornaments, Viking artifacts and learn about rural Irish life? All four branches of this museum are free to visit, including museums devoted to archaeology, natural history, decorative arts and history and country life. The museum of country life in Turlough Park, Mayo, is devoted to Irish rural traditions, while the natural history museum is especially famous for its collection of insects.
1. Which place do you need to pay for an appointment?| A．Lincoln Memorial. | B．Notre-Cathedral. |
| C．The top of the Washington Monument. | D．Vietnam Veterans Memorials. |
| A．Leave a donation. | B．Pay an extra fee for the tour. |
| C．Set off at a certain time. | D．Make reservations in advance. |
| A．the British Museum, London |
| B．National Mall, Washington D.C. |
| C．Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris |
| D．National Museum of Ireland, Dublin and Mayo |
3 . I was determined to learn swimming at the age of ten. There was a pool, at the K.P.L.B., offering the opportunity. My mother constantly warned against it, and bore fresh in my mind the details of each drowning in the river. But the K.P.L.B. pool was safe.
My fear of water started from childhood. It began when I was four years old and father took me to the beach. There the huge waves knocked me down and swept over me.
The K.P.L.B. pool was quiet. I was afraid of going in all alone, so I sat on the side of the pool to wait for others. Then came a big boy. He yelled, “Hi, Skinny! How’d you like to be ducked?” With that he picked me up and threw me into the deep end. I landed in a sitting position, and swallowed water. But I was not frightened out of my wits—when my feet hit the bottom, I would make a big jump, come out of the surface. It seemed a long way down. I gathered all my strength when I landed and made what I thought was a great spring upwards. Then I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water. I tried to yell but no sound came out. I went down, down, endlessly.
When I came to consciousness, I found myself on the bed in the hospital.
I never went back to the pool. I avoided water whenever I could. This misadventure stayed with me as the years rolled by. It deprived me of the joy of boating and swimming. Finally, I decided to get an instructor. Piece by piece, I practiced hard and finally he built a swimmer. Several months later, the instructor was finished, but I was not. Sometimes the terror would return.
This went on till July. I swam across the Lake Wentworth. Only once did the terror return. When I was in the middle of the lake, I put my face under and saw nothing but bottomless water. I laughed and said, “Well, Mr. Terror, what do you think you can do to me?”
I had conquered my fear of water.
1. The author’s original fear of water was brought about by .| A．an outing to the beach with his father | B．his poor skill in swimming |
| C．his mother’s warning of drowning | D．an unpleasant memory of the pool |
| A．He came up with an idea to go upwards. |
| B．He knew how to swim in the pool. |
| C．He felt that the K. P. L. B. pool was safe. |
| D．He was waiting for others to save him. |
| A．Demanding and courageous. | B．Determined and far-sighted. |
| C．Dependable and adaptable. | D．Diligent and cautious. |
| A．When swimming across the Lake Wentworth, the author’s still awfully scared. |
| B．Recovering from the hospital, the author showed no interest in water activities. |
| C．Under the guidance of the instructor, the author could swim freely and bravely. |
| D．At first the author dare not swim on his own and wanted others’ company. |
4 . People speak English in different parts of the world. The same words can be used in different ways, depending on where you live. People can also have completely different ways of saying the same thing.
The Oxford English Dictionary(OED) is asking the public to help it add new words. Editors want to find the regional differences in English around the world. They want to expand its record of the language.
Last year, the OED, BBC Radio and the Forward Arts Foundation teamed up to find local words in the United Kingdom. It resulted in more than 100 regional words and phrases being added to the dictionary. One was “cuddy winter”, which means a left-handed person.
Now, the OED is widening its search to English speakers around the world. Eleanor Maier, an editor at OED, said the response has been great. Editors are listing a bunch of suggestions to include in the dictionary.
These include Hawaii's “hammajang” which means “in a disorderly state”. Another is the word for a swimming costume, " lookers" or “duckers”. It is used in Scotland.
The OED also might include the word “ frog-drowner” , which Americans might use to describe a downpour of rain. Another possibility is “brick”. It means “very cold” to people in New Jersey and New York City.
The dictionary has already found that, depending on location, a picture hanging off center might be described as “agley”. It might also be called “catawampous” or “ahoo”.
“The OED aims to cover all types of English,” Maier said. That includes scientific words, slang and regional language. Maier also said that it can be difficult for the OED's editors to identify regional words. The terms are more often spoken than written down.
The appeal is called Words Where You Are. It is looking for more suggestions. “We were surprised and pleased by the number of regional words we were able to include,” said Maier.
1. "Cold" is closest in meaning to .| A．hammajang | B．dockers | C．brick | D．ahoo |
| A．agley | B．frog-drowner | C．cuddy winter | D．brick |
| A．It is challenging to create a complete collection of regional words. |
| B．People pay little attention to the appeal for regional words. |
| C．People use regional words only when they are home or with close friends. |
| D．Having an understanding of regional words can be helpful when communicating. |
| A．It's time to trace the source of local words. |
| B．The same English words can be used to say different things. |
| C．Oxford Dictionary aims to enlarge its collection to appeal to locals. |
| D．Oxford Dictionary will include more regional words from around the globe. |
5 . In the near future, IOT （Internet of Things） will drive huge innovation （革新）in the way our food is grown. Plants will have a "voice"， not a human voice, but a voice based on data that can tell people, computers, and machines when, for example, they are thirsty, or need more sun, medicine, etc.
Take vertical （垂直的）farms, for example. Farming is moving indoors where the growth of plants can be monitored and controlled. The facilities are built vertically, so growing areas can be put in piles. This greatly reduces the amount of land needed for farming.
From an IOT point of view, vertical farms are connected in two ways. First, small sensors （传 感器）in the soil or connected to plants tell a control system exactly how much light, water, and nutrients are needed to grow the healthiest crops. Sensors will also tell vertical fanners when crops are nearing their peak for harvesting at just the right time to make sure it's still fresh when it reaches its final destination.
Second , vertical farms will be connected to other networks and information systems, including databases that track local demand. For example local restaurants may input when they need fresh food supplies. And vertical farmers could get that information so they know which crops to grow in what quantities. This type of IOT system would have been unimaginable a generation ago.
Today, vertical farms are being experimented. Yet, the numbers point to a bright future for the industry especially as the world's population continues to grow. For example, Green Sense Farms in Chicago is able to harvest crops 26 times a year using 85 percent less energy, one-tenth the water, and no pesticides. A side benefit of lower energy use is lower C02 output of two tons per month, with the added benefit of creating 46 pounds of oxygen every day.
1. What is the main idea of the text?| A．Voice machines help plants speak up. |
| B．Farmers are all turning to vertical farming. |
| C．IOT has brought great innovation to our future life. |
| D．Vertical farms driven by IOT are a future for agriculture. |
| A．By recording farmers harvesting crops. |
| B．By monitoring farmers working in their fields. |
| C．By analyzing information to preserve crops. |
| D．By passing information on to a control system. |
| A．Expand the output of crops. | B．Match supply with demand. |
| C．Determine the needs of farmers. | D．Move restaurants onto farms. |
| A．Negative. | B．Unconcerned. |
| C．Hopeful. | D．Doubtful. |
6 . Do you love holidays but hate the increase weight that follows? You are not alone. Holidays are happy days with pleasure and delicious foods. Many people, however, are worried about the weight that comes along with these delicious foods.
With proper planning, though, it is possible to control your weight. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. The following suggestions may be of some help to you.
Do not miss meals. Before you leave home for a feast(宴会), have a small, low-fat snack(小吃). This may help to keep you from getting too excited before delicious foods. Begin with clear soup and fruit or vegetables. A large glass of water before you eat may help you feel full. Use a small plate; a large plate will encourage you to have more than enough.
Better not have high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy have much fat in them. Choose lean meat(瘦肉 ). Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables. If you have a sweet tooth, try mints (薄荷) and fruits. They don’t have fat content as cream and chocolate. Don’t let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off excess(过多的) calories.
1. Holidays are happy days with pleasure but they may ______.| A．bring weight problems | B．bring you much trouble in your life |
| C．make you worried about your foods | D．make you hate delicious foods |
| A．drink much water and have vegetables only | B．not eat the food in high fat |
| C．not accept invitations to feasts | D．turn away from delicious foods |
| A．vegetables | B．water | C．calories of energy | D．physical exercise |
| A．can’t control themselves | B．go to too many feasts |
| C．enjoy delicious foods | D．can’t help turning away from the foods |
On my way to work every morning I drive by a farm where I can see some horses off the woods. They are there every morning no matter how cold or rainy or windy it is. There is a shed (牲口棚) on the farm, but it doesn’t seem that the horses are ever taken into the shed. Is this right? I don’t think horses should be treated (对待) like that.
Sam
Dear Sam,
Thanks for taking an interest in those horses. The care of horses is different from that of cats and dogs. Think of wild horses that spend their whole lives outdoors finding food and shelter (遮蔽) on their own. The point is that horses don’t require as much shelter as other farm animals. However, that doesn’t mean that they don’t need shelter.
It is hard to tell from your letter whether the situation for those horses is unacceptable. Do you know the people who own the horses well enough to just talk to them? Maybe they will tell you that the horses do go in the shed at night. If direct contact (联系) is not a choice and you can see that the horses’ situation is poor, then call 911 and report it.
If you just can’t see enough to prove such a report, call the Oswego County Humane Society at 207-1070 for help from the Large Animal Assistance Project (LAAP). A volunteer from the project will help solve the problem.
Speaking of volunteers, since you appear to be a horse lover, why not talk to the LAAP about volunteer opportunities for yourself? The project always needs knowledgeable horse people to help.
Buddy
1. Sam writes to Editor Buddy in order to________.| A．ask how to keep horses outdoors |
| B．discuss if those horses are badly treated |
| C．report several wild horses he has seen |
| D．show his strong interest in keeping horses |
| A．need less shelter than other farm animals |
| B．know the changes in the weather |
| C．like finding food by themselves |
| D．prefer living indoors |
| A．To call 911. |
| B．To turn to the LAAP for help. |
| C．To contact the horses’ owners directly. |
| D．To call the Oswego County Humane Society. |
| A．advises Sam to change his job |
| B．encourages Sam to join the LAAP |
| C．praises Sam for his good behavior |
| D．explains the importance of the LAAP |
8 . Would you like to stay at a beach home in Australia, a home on Egypt’s Red Sea, or a castle in France, all without spending a dollar? People swap (交换) their homes for a few days, a few weeks or longer. You move into someone else’s home, and they move into yours.
Many travelers say it’s a fantastic way to travel. In the movie The Holiday, Kate Winslet is very happy to find a wonderful Southern California home through a home exchange website.
At HomeExchange.com, paying $60 a year allows members to list their homes and swap them with other members for free. The website lists some 15,000 homes around the world and includes pictures and detailed (详细的) descriptions, dates the owners are available (有空的) for an exchange, and the places members would like to travel.
“It’s a great way to travel — basically you stay at my house, I stay at yours, so there are no hotel bills — you save a lot of money on vacation,” said Ed Kushins.
That’s why Susana Parks is a big fan of home exchanges. She and her husband live in a beautiful Rodeo Drive home just a few blocks from Beverly Hills. And the couple is willing to let home exchangers, who they’ve never met, move in and have free use of their kitchen, library, swimming pool, even their new car.
“If we swap our home, we’re in their home too. So there is trust between us that we treat their home like our home and they treat our home like theirs.”
1. What is home exchange?| A．People sell their homes for money or other things. |
| B．People swap their homes that they are not satisfied with. |
| C．People swap their homes when they are on vacation. |
| D．People take care of others’ homes when they are out. |
| A．The names of the owners. | B．The pictures of the homes. |
| C．The places members want to go. | D．The dates the homes are available. |
| A．she can make money from it | B．she believes in other people |
| C．the website makes a promise to her | D．she wants people to know Beverly Hills |
| A．persuade us to trust others | B．introduce a new way to travel |
| C．tell us some tips on traveling | D．advertise for HomeExchange.com |
9 . A 16-year-old student has won a televised Chinese poetry competition, winning fans over with her keen knowledge of the country’s ancient culture and works.
Wu Yishu, a student at the High School Affiliated(隶属的)to Fudan University in Shanghai, beat other competitors in the second season of the Chinese Poetry Conference on China Central Television on Feb 7.
“I get feelings from ancient poetry that modern people cannot give me. I pay little attention to the competition result, but I love poetry, and it is enough as long as I enjoy the happiness brought by the poetry, ”Wu said.
In the final, Wu performed strongly in many sections, such as competitors recalling poems by looking at sand paintings and reciting poems as many as they could think of relating to the Chinese character “Jiu”, meaning liquor.
As early as Feb 1, when Wu recited an ancient Chinese poem about the months of the year, the judges estimated that Wu must have remembered more than 2,000 Chinese ancient works.
Wu’s strong performance in the Chinese ancient rhythm works earned her many fans and inspired others to learn ancient works.
The 1.8-meter tall Wu said that she kept only one ancient poetry book on bookshelves at her dormitory room instead of other books such as math, physics and chemistry books that her classmates have kept on their bookshelves.
She is known among her classmates and teachers as she loves reading poetry and wearing ancient Chinese clothes.
Zhou Hong, a professor from the Department of Chinese language and literature of East China Normal University, said that he had read some of the girl’s poetry in 2015, and had published some on his blog.
1. What does the passage mainly talk about?| A．Wu Yishu, a student of a high school, loves ancient poetry very much. |
| B．A student of a high school attended a poetry competition. |
| C．A 16-year-old student wins Chinese ancient poetry competition. |
| D．Wu Yishu’s performance in the competition earned her many fans. |
| A．The poetry can give her an honour. |
| B．The poetry can bring her happiness. |
| C．The poetry can help her know how to love. |
| D．The poetry can help her to win. |
| A．active | B．inactive | C．praiseful | D．negative |
| A．Wu has remembered more than 2000 Chinese ancient works |
| B．her excellent performance in the poems earned her many fans |
| C．Wu loves reading poetry and wearing ancient Chinese clothes |
| D．many people have begun to become interested in learning ancient works because of Wu. |
10 . My neighbor Mr Brown worked with an environmental group.Part of their duty is to rescue trapped animals.One day,he told me a true story that he and his environmental group experienced.I was deeply touched after hearing the story.Now I'd like to share this story with you.
A 50-foot humpback whale(座头鲸)became trapped in a web of crab traps（蟹笼）.The whale was weighed down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat（漂浮的）.She also had hundreds of yards of line rope around her tail，body and in her mouth.
A fisherman saw her just east of the Farallone Islands and radioed the environmental group that Mr brown is in.Within a few hours,the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off that the only way to save her was to dive in and release her－a very dangerous method.One slap of her tail could kill a rescuer.
They worked for hours with knives and eventually freed her.When she was free,she swam in what seemed like joyful circles.She then came back to each and every diver,one at a time,nudged(轻推)them，and pushed them gently around.She did that to thank them.
Mr brown said it was the most beautiful experience of his life.He said her eyes were following him the whole time when he was cutting the rope.He added he would never be the same.
I would never be the same either after hearing the story.If an animal knows how to show gratitude,how can we not know it?
1. What does Paragraph 2 tell us about the humpback whale?| A．She had lost hope of surviving. |
| B．She had been waiting for rescue patiently. |
| C．She was trapped by a fisherman on purpose. |
| D．It was impossible for her to get away by herself. |
| A．it would take the rescues too much time |
| B．the whale might put the rescuers in danger |
| C．the rescuers might kill the whale by accident |
| D．it was dangerous for the rescuers to dive in the sea |
| A．She immediately swam away. |
| B．She pushed the rescuers away. |
| C．She showed her thanks in her own way. |
| D．She asked for more help from the rescuers. |
| A．Interested and excited. |
| B．Surprised and moved. |
| C．Surprised and worried. |
| D．Disappointed and angry. |
