1 . In my everyday life, I am on an ongoing journey to figure out different ways to reduce my carbon footprint on the planet. A carbon footprint is the measure of influence our activities have on the environment, in particular climate change. It is calculated by the amount of greenhouse gas we produce in our daily lives. Fortunately, nowadays it is much easier to make eco-friendly lifestyle choices than, let's say, 20 years ago. But one question has been on my mind a lot lately: is it better to buy new eco-friendly products or used traditionally produced goods?
After doing some research, I have decided that some things are better new and others are better used. Let me try to explain.
A carbon footprint is made up of two parts, the primary footprint and the secondary footprint. The primary footprint is a measure of our direct emissions(排放)of carbon dioxide(CO2)from the burning of fuels, including household energy consumption and transportation. The secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products we use-those related to their production and breakdown.
Based on this understanding, we have a good deal of control and responsibility over our carbon footprint. Things like dishes, clothes and furniture fall into the “secondary footprint” group, so less is more and we can focus on finding used goods to avoid the added production. However, for the car and the other appliances(设备)that we need we can go with new, energy-saving models. I heard somewhere that electronics and appliances give off 90% of their carbon footprint after they leave the factory. So it seems most reasonable to go for the energy-saving models. The main concern here is the amount of energy that goes into the making of new products and whether or not that extra carbon is worth the footprint the product will make once it gets to you.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．What appliances to buy to save energy. |
| B．What a carbon footprint means in our life. |
| C．How to identify different carbon footprints. |
| D．How to make eco-friendly lifestyle choices. |
| A．It is related to our consumption of fuels. |
| B．It is made when we are buying the products. |
| C．It is less harmful than the primary carbon footprint. |
| D．It is counted as ours though not directly made by us. |
| A．Using second-hand textbooks. | B．Using old and expensive cars. |
| C．Buying new but cheap clothes. | D．Buying new wooden furniture. |
| A．using the product | B．recycling the product |
| C．making the product | D．transporting the product |
2 . Most of us don’t reach for that gnarled (多节的) carrots when selecting our produce at the local supermarket. That’s exactly why Americans waste up to 40% of eatable food every year. This unbelievable number has caused the “ugly food” movement, and inspired many companies to sell misshapen fruit and vegetables to consumers, rather than throw them in the trash.
One San Francisco organization is taking a unique approach to this idea. The Salvage Supperclub hosts fancy dinners inside dumper truck (自卸车) where they serve dishes entirely prepared with food that would have otherwise gone to waste.
Josh Treuhaft, founder of these ugly food dinners, originally came up with the idea to make people realize America’s food waste problem. “There is undeveloped possibility that their food is going to waste for some reason, not to their own fault,” he told Seeker’s Laura Ling.
Treuhaft isn’t alone in his effort to reduce America’s food waste. A Change.org last year called for Whole Foods to become part of the ugly food movement. They sold misshapen fruit and vegetables in Northern California stores.
Selling imperfect produce is still relatively rare right now, which can be partially due to a supply issue rather than a lack of willing participants. Raley’s, a Sacramento-based grocery chain, started an ugly food pilot program called “Real Good”, but discontinued it after 90 days saying they had “some challenges getting the product”. A grower might have large amounts of ugly produce one year due to terrible weather, but much less the next year if the weather has been more ideal. Harvests constantly vary and retailers are more likely to buy ugly produce in large number rather than just a few pounds at a time.
This is why organizations like Imperfect Produce and Salvage Supperclub are playing an important role in the prevention of food waste. Salvage Supperclub takes it a step further by not only buying the ugly produce, but turning it into a good dining experience as well.
1. What can we infer from Paragraph 1?| A．People usually prefer good-looking produce. |
| B．Gnarled carrots mostly appear in the supermarket. |
| C．Many companies find new business opportunities. |
| D．Americans eat less fruit and vegetables than expected. |
| A．To prove his fancy idea. | B．To advise people to dine in dumper truck. |
| C．To show waste can be eaten. | D．To remind people not to waste. |
| A．People should reduce the ugly food. |
| B．People should make full use of ugly food. |
| C．People should be more aware of food shortage. |
| D．People should develop their potential in producing food. |
| A．Retailers’ pursuing larger profit. | B．Lack of enough steady amounts of produce. |
| C．Bad harvests due to bad weather. | D．People’s unwillingness to buy imperfect produce. |
3 . Like a tired marriage, the relationship between libraries and publishers has long been dull. E-books, however, are causing heartache. Libraries know they need digital wares, but many publishers are too cautious about piracy（盗版） and lost sales to co-operate. Among the big six, only Random House and Harper Collins license e-books with most libraries.
Publishers are wise to be nervous. Owners of e-readers（电子阅读器） are exactly the customers they need: book-lovers with money. If these people switch to borrowing e-books instead of buying them, what then? Electronic borrowing is awfully convenient. Unlike printed books, which must be checked out and returned to a physical library miles from where you live, book files can be downloaded at home. The files disappear from the device when they are due.
E-lending is not simple, however. There are lots of different and often incompatible（不兼容的）e-book formats devices and licenses. Most libraries use a company called OverDrive, which secures rights from publishers and provides e-books and audio files in every format. Yet publishers and libraries are worried by OverDrive’s global market dominance the company can control fees and conditions. Publishers were annoyed when OverDrive cooperated with Amazon, the world’s biggest online bookseller, last year. Owners of Amazon’s Kindle e-reader who want to borrow e-books from libraries are now redirected to Amazon’s website, where they must use their Amazon account to secure a loan.
According to Pew, an opinion researcher library users are a perfect for market for Amazon. Late last year Amazon introduced its Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, which lets its best customers borrow free one of thousands of popular books each month.
Library supporters argue that book borrowers are also book buyers and that libraries are vital spaces for readers to discover new work. Many were cheered by a recent Pew survey, which found that more than half of Americans with library cards say they prefer to buy their e-books.
So publishers keep adjusting their lending arrangements in search of the right balance.
Random House raised its licensing prices earlier this year, and Harper Collins limits libraries to lending its titles 26 times.
1. It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that __________.| A．libraries and publishers face the same problem of e-books’ piracy |
| B．libraries are eager to keep strong relationship with publishers |
| C．most publishers are hesitant to cooperate with libraries |
| D．several big publishers have sold e-books to libraries |
| A．Book sales may drop sharply because of convenient electronic borrowing. |
| B．There are lots of different and incompatible e-book formats available |
| C．There is no time limit for the book files downloaded on the device. |
| D．E-books must be checked out and returned to libraries regularly. |
| A．e-books can be lent at libraries as many times as you like |
| B．OverDrive distributes e-books and audio files to publishers |
| C．over half of Americans are borrowing e-books from libraries |
| D．Amazon is adopting measures to win more customers |
| A．The Hopeful Future of Publishing Business |
| B．The Uncertain Economics of Lending E-books |
| C．The Dull Relationship between Libraries and Publishers |
| D．The Close Cooperation between Over and Amazon |
4 . What makes one a great person? The legendary volleyball coach Lang Ping gave the answer in the recent documentary The Iron Hammer, titled after her nickname for her powerful strikes.
The documentary features Lang' s inspiring journey from her gold medal victory as a volleyball player in the 1984 Olympics to her unparalleled(无可比拟的）career as a successful coach for both Team USA from 2005 to 2008 and China since 2013.She led the US to a silver medal finish and China to a gold medal triumph in the 2008 and 2016 Olympic Games, making her the first person to win Olympic volleyball gold as a player and coach.
Lang Ping revealed the secret to such remarkable achievements in the documentary. “I believe volleyball was my destiny," she said.
But glory and challenges go hand in hand. Troubled by severe injuries to her cervical vertebra(颈椎），back, waist and knees, caused by intense exercise and hard work, the 60-year-old has undergone more than 10 surgeries. “No parts of my body function well," she joked.
But illness is certainly not the only difficulty Lang has faced throughout her career. In 2005, she struggled with balancing raising her daughter Lydia Bai Lang, who lived in the US, and her coaching career, according to China Sports Daily. She eventually decided to work for USA Volleyball that year and this decision aroused a lot of negative comments back in China.
“I'm proud of being Chinese.” Lang responded in an interview.Later,she returned to head the Chinese women 's volleyball team in 2013, leading the team successfully defending its World Cup crown with a perfect record of 11 straight wins last year.
There is no doubt that Lang is one of the greatest players and coaches in history. As an athlete commented in the documentary, “Lang Ping is like Michael Jordan in our minds.”
1. What does this passage mainly talk about?| A．Ways to become a great person. |
| B．Reasons for Lang Ping's success. |
| C．Lang Ping and her successful career. |
| D．Great athletes and their achievements. |
| A．To make a big fortune. |
| B．To take care of her family. |
| C．To avoid negative comments. |
| D．To establish her reputation abroad. |
| A．Success comes at a price. |
| B．Challenges are as important as glory. |
| C．Athletes are likely to get their hands injured. |
| D．Lang Ping has trouble in achieving her goals. |
| A．To honor the legendary pop star. |
| B．To draw the attention of readers to another field. |
| C．To illustrate there are lots of great people in the world. |
| D．To acknowledge Lang Ping's status and achievements. |
5 . A nerve-zapping（电击神经）headset caused people to get rid of fat in a small preliminary study. Six people who had received the stimulation（刺激）lost on average about 8 percent of the fat on their trunks in four months, scientists reported at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience,
The headset stimulated the vestibular nerve（前庭神经）, which runs just behind the ears. That nerve sends signals to the hypothalamus, a brain structure thought to control the body’s fat storage. By stimulating the nerve with an electrical current, the technique shifts the body away from storing fat toward burning it.
Six overweight and obese people received the treatment, consisting of up to four one-hour-long sessions of stimulation a week. Because it activated the vestibular system, the stimulation created the sensation of gently rocking on a boat or floating in a pool, said the study’s co-author Jason McKeown of the University of California, San Diego.
After four months, body scans measured the trunk fat for the six people receiving the treatment and three people who received unreal stimulation. All six in the treatment group lost some trunk fat, despite not having changed their activity or diet. In contrast, those in the unreal group gained some fat. Researchers suspect that changes in the set of life-sustaining chemical transformations within human cells are behind the difference. “The results were a lot better than we thought they’d be,” McKeown said.
Earlier studies found that vestibular nerve stimulation causes mice to drop fat and pack on muscle, resulting in what McKeown called Schwarzenegger mice. Though small, the current study suggests that the approach has promise in people. McKeown and his colleagues have started a company based on the technology and plan to test it further.
1. What is an electrical current used for?| A．Causing the body to bum its fat. |
| B．Controlling the body’s storage of fat. |
| C．Seeing if the headset will be affected. |
| D．Speeding the process of one’s digesting. |
| A．The length of stimulation they received. |
| B．The type of stimulation they received. |
| C．The difference in their vestibular system. |
| D．The way chemicals process in their body. |
| A．They have a kind of practical value. |
| B．They go against those of earlier tests on mice. |
| C．They were widely recognized at the meeting. |
| D．They have been tested by MeKeown’s company. |
| A．The science of zapping fat |
| B．A new trial of weight loss |
| C．Zapping certain nerves leads to fat loss |
| D．Exercise for weight loss and get fit |
6 . The Best Places To Watch Fireworks This Fourth Of July
CALIFORNIA: LIGHTS ON THE LAKE (LAKE TAHOE)
Launched from boats on the shore of Lake Tahoe, this show is considered one of the biggest such displays in the West, which means the fireworks are visible all over town. If you’re worried about getting a seat, park your picnic at the El Dorado Beaches before 9:45 p.m. Or you can take the road less traveled and hike to the top of Mount Tallac for an unforgettable and best view of the display. Just remember you’ll have to hike down, so bring a headlight.
DELAWARE: REHOBOTH BEACH
Launched from the beach south of Rehoboth Avenue, these fireworks are visible up and down the boardwalk and beach. So jump on the Jolly Trolley(观光车) early and spend your whole day at the beach. There’s even live music after the fireworks. Note: This year’s fireworks display is scheduled for July 1, 2018.
FLORIDA: SERTOMA’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS (PENSACOLA BAY)
The Gulf Coast knows how to celebrate the Fourth of July. With vendors, arts and crafts, kid-friendly activities and live entertainment, this fun-filled day in Old Seville culminates(达到高潮) with the largest fireworks display in the area. Unfortunately the pony rides and face painting are only for the kids, though.
GEORGIA: DAHLONEGA’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION
Pack up your lawn chairs, blankets and coolers and head about an hour outside of Atlanta to the University of North Georgia. It’s even pet friendly — just make sure your dog can take the noise. And if you get to town early enough (11 a.m.), there’s a Fourth of July parade that aims to put all other Fourth of July parades to shame.
1. Where is the best spot to watch the fireworks in Lake Tahoe?| A．At the El Dorado Beaches. | B．On the top of Mount Tallac. |
| C．Anywhere all over the town. | D．On the shore of Lake Tahoe. |
| A．REHOBOTH BEACH. |
| B．LIGHTS ON THE LAKE. |
| C．SERTOMA’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS. |
| D．DAHLONEGA’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION. |
| A．The best. | B．Just so so. |
| C．Not so bad. | D．Very terrible. |
7 . Many of us mistakenly believe that it's wrong to think we have any good qualities. We may spend a lot of time blaming ourselves for our negative qualities, thinking that self criticism is the key to improving our performance. However, a constant focus on our supposed shortcomings can stop our efforts to make friends with other people. How can we believe that others could like us if we believe our inner being is flawed (有缺陷)?
If someone seems to dislike you, the reason for that dislike might have little or nothing to do with you. The person who doesn't like you might be fearful, or shallow, or busy or shy. Perhaps you and that person are simply a mismatch for each other at this particular time.
Don't take yourself out of the game by deciding that your flaws are bigger than your good qualities. In fact, some of the very qualities you consider to be flaws may be irresistible to someone else. For all the factors that might cause one person to reject you, there are at least as many factors that will work in your favor with someone else.
You might be thirty pounds over your ideal weight, but you may have a wonderful laugh and a real enthusiasm for life. There are many people who don't mind your extra pounds. You may drive a shabby car, but you might be a great dancer and a loyal friend. There are people out there looking for loyalty, or fun, or sweetness, or wisdom, and the package it comes in is not important. If you are worried that you are not beautiful enough to attract friends, keep in mind that not everyone is looking for physical beauty in their friends. You can decide to feel inferior (自卑) because you don't have much money and you don't drive a nice car. You can believe that this is the reason that you don't have many friends in your life. On the other hand, if you are very wealthy you may be suspicious that everyone is after your money and that nobody really likes you as a person.
The point is that you can focus on just about anything and believe it's the reason you do not have friends and cannot make any.
1. According to the author plays an important role in making friends.| A．admitting your shortcomings | B．self criticism |
| C．modesty | D．confidence |
| A．you should find the reason in yourself |
| B．you'd better talk with the person face to face |
| C．you may not be the one to be blamed |
| D．you and that person misunderstand each other |
| A．your good qualities may turn out to be your flaws |
| B．your weakness may also be your strengths in some way |
| C．your negative qualities cause a person to reject you |
| D．you’ll have few friends if your flaws are bigger than your good qualities |
| A．It is important to lose weight. |
| B．It is easier for a wealthy person to make friends. |
| C．Inner qualities are more important than physical appearance. |
| D．If you are not beautiful enough, try to improve your physical beauty. |
8 . A new railway design is allowing the latest high-speed rail line to pass through national natural reserves while causing only minor effect to local wildlife.
The Xi’an-Chengdu high-speed rail is the first bullet train to cut through the Qinling Mountains, in Shaanxi province, which are home to many rare wild animals including the giant panda, golden monkey, crested ibis and golden takin.
It is one of three major habitats for the wild giant panda, with about 345 of China’s 1,864 wild giant pandas living there, according to the fourth National Survey on Giant Pandas released in 2015. The railway will also pass through a major Tianhuashan Mountain reserve, a giant panda habitat.
＂When researching the railway route, we avoided laying tracks more than 1,500 meters above sea level, where the majority of wildlife gathers,＂ said Lai Wenhong, an engineer from the China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group, who is in charge of the railway’s environmental design.
More than 90 percent of the railway through the Qinling Mountains is tunnels and bridges, said Liu Shuangjin, general chief designer of the line’s Shaanxi section from the China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group.
＂The advantage of tunnels is to reduce vibration(震动) when a train passes by,＂ Lai said.
The average depth of the tunnels is 400 meters, and the deepest is 1,000 meters. Bridges are constructed to link tunnels. Protective things have been placed at the mouths of tunnels in the Qinling Mountains to keep wild animals from falling. During operation, trains are forbidden from using horns in wildlife habitats.
The line also passes through the Yangxian county reserve, home to crested ibis, a rare bird. The 4-meter-high mesh(网状物) on the sides of bridges higher than 10 meters will prevent the birds from flying into the path of trains, which is safer for the birds and the trains.
1. The Xi’an-Chengdu high-speed rail passes through the following reserves except __________.| A．the Qinling Mountain reserve | B．the Yangxian county reserve |
| C．the Taihang Mountain reserve | D．the Tianhuashan Mountain reserve |
| A．The golden monkey. | B．The giant panda. |
| C．The crested ibis. | D．The elephant. |
| A．To protect endangered wildlife. | B．To lower the cost of construction. |
| C．To reduce the distance of the line. | D．To connect different bridges. |
| A．Rail design keeps wildlife safe |
| B．More national reserves are set up |
| C．The railway’s environmental design is important |
| D．The Xi’an-Chengdu rail is under construction |
9 . Will you buy a car that can release calming smells into the air when you are stuck in heavy traffic? Will you buy a robot that smells like a human being?
Many people have see the 3-D computer-made environments of virtual (虚拟的) reality (VR). Now these virtual worlds will not just look and sound real. Researchers have created VR environments that even smell like the real things. With the new technology environment, like a rainforest. After they enter this virtual world, special equipment releases forest- like smells into the air to make the experience seem more real.
Suzanne Fisher said,“It is a really wonderful experience that you have because you are reexploring this environment and you have smells with it”.
In the United States,Smell-o-vision was designed to provide smells during the showing of a movie. The Smell-o-vision system was once popular in the 1960s. Now, Emanuela Maggioni says it is close to becoming popular again. “People will be impressed by the connection with emotions, memories, and the sense of smell,” Maggioni said “It is unbelievable what we can do with technology.”
The uses for smell technology are not just limited to films and the performing arts. Researchers showed a computer program where users could imagine themselves driving a car. The system included a special smell-spraying machine. Dmitri Murray said “ We want to deliver the smell of lavender(薰衣草) every time the person drives over the speed limit. We choose lavender because it's a very calming smell.”
Scientists are experimenting with smells instead of sounds or image-based warnings on telecommunications equipment. And businesses are already using smell to influence people's behavior .“ Not only… in stores… But on the other side, you can create and stimulate (刺激) immediate buying ,” Maggioni said. “So you're in a library and you smell coffee and actually you are unconsciously having the need to drink a coffee.”
1. Using smell technology, researchers make VR environments .| A．have a smell of a rainforest |
| B．even smell like real ones |
| C．look like a 4-D environment |
| D．impress people with a virtual world |
| A．smell technology has been tried before |
| B．America is the first to use smell technology |
| C．businesses are already using smell technology |
| D．it is out of date to use smell-spraying devices |
| A．To make buyers understand salesmen better. |
| B．To remind people of their unrealistic buying. |
| C．To help customers choose their favorite goods. |
| D．To encourage people to buy something. |
| A．The advanced smell-spraying machines. |
| B．The development of smell technology. |
| C．A major breakthrough of smell technology. |
| D．The sense of smell in human communication. |
10 . I have a special place in my heart for libraries. I have for as long as I can remember. I was always an enthusiastic reader, sometimes reading up to three books a day as a child. Stories were like air to me and while other kids played ball or went to parties, I lived out adventures through the books I checked out from the library.
My first job was working at the Ukiah Library when I was 16 years old .It was a dream job and I did everything from shelving books to reading to the children for story time.
As I grew older and became a mother, the library took on a new place and an added meaning in my life. I had several children and books were our main source(来源) of entertainment. It was a big deal for us to load up and go to the local library, where my kids could pick out books to read or books they wanted me to read to them.
I always read ,using different voices ,as though I were acting out the stories with my voice and they loved it !It was a special time to bond with my children and it filled them with the wonderment of books .
Now, I see my children taking their children to the library and I love that the excitement of going to the library lives on form generation to generation.
As a novelist, I’ve found a new relationship with libraries. I encourage readers to go to their local library when they can’t afford to purchase a book. I see libraries as a safe haven(避风港) for readers and writers, a bridge that helps put together a reader with a book. Libraries, in their own way, help fight book piracy(盗版行为) and 1 think all writers should support libraries in a significant way when they can. Encourage readers to use the library. Share library announcements on your social media. Frequent them and talk about them when you can.
1. Which word best describes the author’s relationship with books as a child?| A．Cooperative. | B．Uneasy. | C．Inseparable. | D．Casual. |
| A．Pleasure from working in the library. |
| B．Joy of reading passed on in the family. |
| C．Wonderment from acting out the stories. |
| D．A closer bond developed with the readers. |
| A．Sponsor book fairs. | B．Write for social media. |
| C．Support libraries. | D．Purchase her novels. |
| A．Reading: A Source of Knowledge |
| B．My Idea about writing |
| C．Library: A Haven for the Young |
| D．My Love of the Library |
