1 . In recent years, Ethiopia has become a regional leader in solid waste management. Last year, the country transformed the landfill (垃圾填埋场) in Addis Ababa into a new waste-to-energy plant, the first such project on the continent. The plant incinerates up to 1, 400 tonnes of waste every day, about 80 percent of the city's rubbish, supplying the capital with 25 percent of its household electricity needs.
However, despite these important steps, challenges remain in Ethiopia. Although the country has permitted the Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam conventions, laws and policies for environmentally sound management of hazardous (有害的) wastes are still not effective in pre- venting littering waste illegally.
To help Ethiopia meet these challenges, the Chemicals and Waste Management Program is supporting the country with a three-year project to enhance its capacity for sound management of hazardous wastes.
In the initial stages, a project management unit will be formed, made up of many representatives from government departments and private organizations. This unit will be responsible for reviewing and assessing Ethiopia's current legal system, which, despite numerous advances in recent years, does not specifically target the recycling of hazardous waste. Once legal gaps are identified, the project will seek to update existing policies and strategies.
Many people in Ethiopia are not aware of the possible effect of environmental damage and the need to report such crimes to the police. To resolve this pressing issue, Ethiopia will be conducting a series of capacity-building activities, including creating awareness-raising programs, training trainers and providing equipment.
Ethiopia will also work to establish a national mechanism for chemicals and waste management by engaging government departments and civil society groups. Authorities will also make budgetary provisions (预算拨款) in national, regional and institutional planning to ensure funding for these activities is sustainable even after the project's completion.
1. Which can replace the underlined word “incinerates” in paragraph 1?| A．Produces. | B．Burns. | C．Gathers. | D．Absorbs. |
| A．The relevant laws are not sound. | B．The shortage of workers is severe. |
| C．The pollution level is too high. | D．The funds are not sufficient. |
| A．Restrict their environmental movement. | B．Call on them to start some programs. |
| C．Reward them with budgetary provisions. | D．Raise their environmental awareness. |
| A．Ethiopia is facing serious environmental problems. |
| B．Ethiopia has achieved success in waste management. |
| C．Ethiopia is putting efforts into waste management. |
| D．Ethiopia has reduced environmental pollution levels. |
2 . I stood behind the curtain, my hands shaking. As I listened to the crowd laugh at the host's jokes, I thought about why I believed I could do that. Two months earlier, I had signed up for improv（即兴表演）classes at a local theater, along with four other graduate students.
When I first heard about the improv classes, I was torn. I feared getting on stage and performing in front of strangers. However, I knew I wanted to work as a science communicator after finishing my Ph.D., so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to improve my communication ability and gain confidence thinking on my feet.
During our first class, we learned the key concept of improv: “yes, and”. If someone says that rhinos are librarians, for example, then rhinos are librarians. We don't question the logic; we say “yes” and continue with the scene as if nothing is wrong. To do this effectively, we have to avoid second-guessing ourselves. Sometimes scenes go in unexpected directions. The best improv happens when performers stay open to different possibilities. Over time, I started to enjoy our classes. I also became better at listening and communicating clearly in the moment.
That training came in handy 6 months ago, when I was giving a seminar about my science research. An audience member surprised me with a question that didn't grow out of the information I had presented. Instead of getting perplexed, I used that approach, and it helped me find an appropriate answer.
Last year, I used that approach when dealing with confusing data. Instead of getting discouraged, I kept exploring the data and ended up identifying a new type of cell — one that wasn't behaving as expected. If I hadn't stayed open to the possibility that the results were real, I would have missed out on the most exciting finding of my Ph.D. program so far.
1. The author expected that the improv classes could help him ________.| A．gain better skills in communicating |
| B．rid his fear of appearing on the stage |
| C．recover from a mental illness |
| D．learn how to think independently |
| A．Pretending to be clever. |
| B．Understanding different scenes. |
| C．Accepting unexpected possibilities. |
| D．Asking others some questions. |
| A．Amused. | B．Confused. |
| C．Surprised. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．He failed in exploring the new cell. |
| B．He got stuck after finding unexpected data. |
| C．Science research made him more confident. |
| D．The improve skill helped him a lot in his Ph.D. studies. |
3 . The COVID -19 pandemic has changed life as we knew it just a few weeks ago. Millions of people worldwide are now under required or voluntary lockdowns. All public attractions, including museums and aquariums, are closed, and the usually crowded streets of popular tourist destinations are empty. An unexpected silver lining during these challenging times for humans is that many animals are finally getting a chance to leave their normal habitats and move about freely.
The first animals to take advantage of human absence were Annie and Edward, two penguins who live at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. A video released on March 15, 2020, showed the couple eagerly duckwalking around, exploring the aquarium's various exhibits. The video, which instantly became popular, inspired other institutions to share short videos of their four-legged creatures playing as well.
The Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio joined the fun trend on March 16, 2020，with a “Home Safari” live-stream series-the first staring its adorable baby panda，Fiona. “Let us help make your children's hiatus from school fun and educational,” zoo officials announced. “Join us for a Home Safari Online Live each weekday at 3 pm，where we will highlight one of our amazing animals and include an activity you can do from home.
Meanwhile，the San Diego Safari Park has kept their webcams（网络摄像头）rolling，allowing fans to enjoy lovable animals without leaving home. Animals in the wild are also lively as humans stay indoors. The absence of cruise ships is bringing large numbers of dolphins to a port in Cagliari，while groups of wild turkeys are happily walking on the streets of Oakland.
Though the animals indeed appear to be having a good time，the heartwarming videos and images shared on social media, are also bringing much -needed cheer to millions of humans worldwide. Stay strong and healthy! We are all in this together!
1. What changes has the COVID-19 pandemic caused to the zoo animals?| A．They are now under required or voluntary lockdowns. |
| B．They can enjoy a free life without tourists' disturbance. |
| C．They will be faced with unexpected existing challenges. |
| D．They get a chance to wander about freely in the wild. |
| A．Courses. | B．Sightseeing. | C．Activities. | D．Interruption. |
| A．To enable people to admire animals at home. |
| B．To film the animals wandering about in the zoo. |
| C．To compete for more viewers online. |
| D．To record people's life in the COVID-19 crisis. |
| A．The Pandemic Affects the World |
| B．Lovely Animals Bring fun to People |
| C．Animals Play in the Absence of Humans |
| D．Stay Strong and Healthy in the Pandemic |
4 . If your in-box is currently reporting unread messages in the hundreds or thousands, you might have a hard time believing the news: e-mail is on the decline.
At first thought, that might seem to be the case. The incoming generation, after all, doesn’t do e-mail. Oh, they might have an account. They use it only as we would use a fax machine: as a means to communicate with old-school folks like their parents or to fulfill the sign-up requirements of Web sites. They rarely check it, though.
Today’s instant electronic memos — such as texting and Facebook and Twitter messages — are more direct, more concentrated, more efficient. They go without the salutation (称呼语) and the signoff (签收); we already know the “to” and “from.” Many corporations are moving to messaging networks for exactly that reason: more signal, less noise and less time. This trend is further evidence that store-and-forward systems such as e-mail and voicemail are outdated. Instead of my leaving you a lengthy message that you pick up later, I can now send you an easily-read message that you can read — and respond to — on the go.
The coming of the mobile era is responsible for the decline of e-mail. Instant written messages bring great convince to people. They can deal with them at about any time: before a movie, in a taxi, waiting for lunch. And because these messages are very brief, they’re suitable for smart phone typing.
Does this mean e-mail is on its way to the dustbin of digital history? Not necessarily. E-mail still has certain advantages. On the other hand, tweets and texts feel ephemeral — you read them, then they’re gone, into an endless string, e-mail still feels like something you have and that you can file, search and return to later. It’s easy to imagine that it will continue to feel more appropriate for formal communications: agreements, important news, longer explanations.
So, e-mail won’t go away completely. Remember, we’ve been through a transition (过度) like this not so long ago: when e-mail was on the rise, people said that postal mail was dead. That’s not how it works. Postal mail found its smaller market, and so will e-mail. New technology rarely replaces old one completely; it just adds new alternatives.
1. What would the incoming generation like to do with their e-mail accounts?| A．Check bank accounts. | B．Send long messages. |
| C．Fill in some forms. | D．Communicate with their colleagues. |
| A．The possible reasons behind the decline of e-mail |
| B．The likes and dislikes of the young generation |
| C．The rapid development of e-communication channels |
| D．Evidence about the uncertain future of easily-consumed messages |
| A．Automatically-sending. | B．Randomly-written. |
| C．Hardly- recognized. | D．Shortly-appearing. |
| A．It’s too early to determine the decline of e-mail. |
| B．E-mail has reasons to exist with its own advantages. |
| C．E-mail, just like postal mail has come to its end. |
| D．We should feel sorry for the decline of e-mail. |
5 . Doctors in hospital emergency rooms often see accidental poisonings. A frightened parent arrives with a child who swallowed a cleaning liquid. Or perhaps the harmful substance is a medicine. Or it might be a chemical product meant to kill insects. These are common causes of accidental poisoning.
In cases like this, seek medical help as soon as possible. Save the container of whatever caused the poisoning. And look on the container for information about anything that stops the effects of the poison. Save anything expelled from the mouth of the victim. That way, doctors can examine it.
In the past, some people forced poisoning victims to empty the stomach. They need a liquid syrup of ipecac(催呕剂) to do this. But an organization of children’s doctors no longer advises parents to keep syrup of ipecac. The American Academy of Pediatrics says some poisons can cause additional damage when they come back up the throat.
Millions of people know a way to save a person who is choking on something trapped in the throat. The method is commonly known as the Heimlich Manoeuvre or abdominal thrusts(腹部按压), which you can do by getting directly behind a sitting or standing person. Put your arms around the victim’s waist. Close one hand to form a ball. Place it over the upper part of the stomach below the ribs. Place the other hand on top. Then push forcefully inward and upward. Repeat the abdominal thrusts until the object is expelled from the mouth. For someone who is pregnant or very fat, place your hands a little higher than with normal abdominal thrusts.
Red Cross experts say taking these steps can save many lives. But they also warn that abdominal thrusts are not for people who have almost drowned. They say the use of the method could delay other ways to re-start breathing in the victim. Abdominal thrust should be used only in cases where a near-drowning victim is choking on an object.
To learn more about first aid, ask a hospital or organization like a Red Cross or Red Crescent Society for information. There may be training classes offered in your area. If you know first aid methods, you can be calmer and more helpful in case of emergency.
1. Which of the following is NOT the common cause of accidental poisonings?| A．A harmful medicine. | B．A cleaning liquid. |
| C．Poisonous insects. | D．Dangerous pesticide. |
| A．coming out | B．taking up |
| C．going away | D．getting down |
| A．Abdominal thrusts are very complex to perform. |
| B．The Heimlich Manoeuvre is not suitable for the overweight. |
| C．Syrup of ipecac once had a postive effect on poisoning victims. |
| D．It is more cautious to save a drowning person using abdominal thrusts. |
| A．To warn people to avoid accidental poisonings. |
| B．To provide a short medical guide to first aid. |
| C．To show how to perform abdominal thrusts. |
| D．To help people deal with accidental poisonings. |
6 . The idea of using a public bathroom with see through walls may sound like the stuff of nightmares. But a famous Japanese is hoping to change that view, using new technology to make restrooms in Tokyo parks more inviting.
“There are two things we worry about when entering a public restroom, especially those cated at a park,” according to architect Shigeru Ban’s firm. “The first is cleanliness, and the second is whether anyone is inside.”
The newly-invented transparent walls can turn off both of those worries, Ban says, by showing people what awaits them inside. After users enter the restroom and lock the door, the room’s walls turn a powdery paste) shade and are no longer see-through.
Ban’s are sure to make for great conversation among visitors to the park-and they’ll stand out even more after dark. “At night, the facility lights up the park like a beautiful lantern,” the architect’s website says.
The group is behind the Tokyo Toilet project, world-famous architects to create toilets “like you’ve never seen. The project’s eye catching toilets are part of a plan to put people ar ease when isiting a public bathroom. The project may seem silly, but the 16 architects who are reimagining public toilets are some of the brightest names in Japanese architecture. The list includes four Pritzker Prize winners-Ban, Toyo Ito, Tadao Ando and Fumihiko Maki-along with international stars such as Kengo Kuma and Sou Fujimoto. The fashion designer Nigo is also contributing.
Ban’s colorful public bathrooms opened to the public this month in two parks: Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park and Haru-no-Ogawa Community Park. Other bespoke commodes will be opening in coming months.
1. Why are people often worried before entering a public restroom?| A．Its lock is usually useless. |
| B．It’s usually at a huge distance. |
| C．It’s not always clean. |
| D．It’s always occupied. |
| A．Easy to see through. |
| B．Not easy to see through. |
| C．Full of bright colors. |
| D．Thick and strong. |
| A．It’s and silly. |
| B．It’s rewarding and. |
| C．It has won the Pritzker Prize. |
| D．It’s the fruit of colleqtive wisdom |
| A．Should the public restrooms be upgraded? |
| B．The new high-tech walls of public restrooms are coming. |
| C．How do we live with see-through public facilities? |
| D．Some famous architects designed a silly project. |
7 . Yesterday, a salesman from a telecom company called me to sell his phone plans. I was at work and I usually didn't like to spend time on those conversations. I gave him a pretext, saying I couldn't talk yet and advised him to call me back one hour later, at 6 pm.
Surprisingly, he did. So we talked for 15 minutes. He explained to me his different phone plans, which he said were better than my present one. While listening to him, sometimes I was lost in my thoughts. I gave several "mhmmhm” as a sign of agreement and to tell him that I was still there. Although I felt a bit impatient as he had a bit of difficulty in correctly talking in French, I stayed calm and polite until the end of the conversation.
At the end of the conversation, he said to me, “Thank you Olivier. You are the first person with whom I talked for a long time. Usually, people shout at us, say unkind words or treat us as thieves. Today, I hadn't had a conversation without an offense. I know you had a long day at work and you could have relaxed in front of your TV. Instead, you listened to me. I am touched and I sincerely thank you.”
I thanked him for telling me those words. I realized how much he could have been the subject of verbal violence, all through his working days. I also know that those people getting impatient could have been me. Yet，he was only doing his job. Although he may interrupt our life using the phone，he is still a human like me and is worthy of good treatment. It made me think a lot.
1. What does the underlined word "pretext "in the first paragraph mean?| A．Solution | B．Excuse. | C．Point. | D．Apology |
| A．He gave full attention to what he said |
| B．He talked excitedly with him about phone plans |
| C．He waited politely for him to finish speaking |
| D．He advised the salesman to improve his French |
| A．Salesmen should be treated kindly. |
| B．There's no excuse for rude behavior. |
| C．Verbal violence is common in daily life. |
| D．We should spare more time for salesmen. |
8 . As reported in JAMA Surgery, the researchers discovered that e-scooter (电动摩托车) injury rates had increased dramatically in just four years, rising from 6 per 100,000 in the population to 19 per 100,000. Of the estimated 14,651 e-scooter-related injuries in 2018, 4,658, or 32%, involved the head. “While most people recover from head injuries, there is going to be a subset with long-term disability and life changes,” said Dr. Benjamin Breyer.
Dr. Benjamin Breyer of the University of California, Los Angeles, pointed to a 2019 analysis of the data from two hospitals in Southern California, which found just 4.8% of injured e-scooter riders were wearing helmets.
Dr. Joann Elmore, a professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, believed that most e-scooter users are probably unaware of the risks. To make the point, she described a photo taken by a colleague. “There were two riders on an e-scooter,” she said. “No one had shoes on. There were no helmets. And the woman in front had a baby in a baby carrier.”
The new report highlights the need for more research on new technologies, said Dr. Guohua Li, a professor of epidemiology (流行病学).
“Just as there is a global network of experts working on infectious diseases, there needs to be a similar program devoted to the surveillance (监视) and prevention of injuries caused by merging technologies products and lifestyles, such as e-scooters, e-sports, etc.,” Li said in an email.
“The challenge for researchers and policymakers is to keep up with the ever-changing society and protect the public from unnecessary harm caused by new technologies and products without hindering innovation,” he added.
1. What can we know from the passage?| A．E-scooter injury rates had increased due to speeding. |
| B．32% of injured e-scooter riders weren’t wearing helmets. |
| C．There is a program devoted to the prevention of injuries caused by advanced technologies. |
| D．Both protection and innovation are of great importance. |
| A．Preventing. | B．Limiting. |
| C．Developing. | D．Making progress. |
| A．To arouse people’s awareness of the risks and self-protection. |
| B．To introduce a new way of transport — e-scooters. |
| C．To ask people not to ride e-scooters any more. |
| D．To urge policymakers to make laws as soon as possible. |
9 . Beijing resident Hou Lixin started eating meal replacement products in February when she wanted to lose weight. She bought various meal replacement products online and ate them for more than a month.
“Most of them don’t taste good, but at least they have low calories and are convenient to buy, store and cook,” she said, adding the product she consumed gave a strong sense of fullness.
Hou is by no means alone. Meal replacement products, or substitutes for regular meals that can fill you up with low-calorie intakes, appear as a potential big market in China, driven by Chinese consumer’ demand for products that can help in weight control and offer convenience, experts said.
The most common meal replacement products include powders, liquids, shakes, porridges and energy bars containing fiber, protein, vitamin, minerals and other nutritious content.
The meal replacement market is at the early stage of competition and there is big room for future development, like in the United States and Japan. Euromonitor International, a market research company, said sales revenue of meal replacement products in China hit 57.17 billion yuan in 2017 and is expected to reach 120 billion yuan by 2022. More fast-moving consumer goods giants are partaking in the market action. PepsiCo’s oat brand Quaker released a new shake product in June. A major Chinese snack brand Bestore released 27 meal replacement products in August.
Jia Jianbin, secretary general at Chinese Cereals and Oils Association, told CCTV reporter that despite its possible effectiveness that many people believe, this way of weight loss may bring greater harm as it breaks the balance of nutrition and food. As a result, it can only be a temporary move, not a long-term use.
“Cereal meal replacement powder, for example, is mainly composed of carbohydrates (碳水化合物), which have enough calories，but the vitamins and minerals are not enough. Instead, it is better to soak oatmeal (燕麦片) in milk, which may be more nutritious and more economical,” said Gu Zhongyi, a dietitian of the Beijing Dietetic Association. “Meal replacements can be an alternative for busy workers, but they are no substitute for a balanced diet, and try not to eat more than one meal a day.”
1. The author quotes the example of Hou Lixin to _________.| A．show an efficient way to lose weight |
| B．promote the meal replacement products |
| C．introduce the topic of meal replacement products |
| D．arouse readers’ interest in the meal replacement products |
| A．Because they are highly recommended by health experts. |
| B．Because they are helpful to control weight and bring convenience. |
| C．Because they have a large market share in the food market. |
| D．Because they provide various forms and flavors for the consumers. |
| A．Participating. | B．Advertising. |
| C．Experimenting. | D．Cooperating. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Favorable. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Confused. |
10 . I have always found the Chinese to be a very polite people. In particular, Chinese frequently compliment (称赞) foreign friends on their language skills, knowledge of Chinese culture, professional accomplishments, and personal health. Curiously, however, Chinese are as loath to accept a compliment as they are eager to give one. As many of my Chinese friends have explained, this is a sign of the Chinese virtue of modesty.
I have noticed a difference, though, in the degree to which modesty is emphasized in the United States and China. In the US, we tend to place more emphasis on “seeking the truth from fact”, thus, Americans tend to accept a compliment with gratitude.
Chinese, on the other hand, tend to reject the compliment, even when they know they deserve the credit or recognition which has been awarded them. I can imagine a Chinese basketball fan meeting Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls. He might say, “Mr. Jordan, I am so happy to meet you. I just want to tell you, you are the best basketball player in the world; you’re the greatest!” to which Jordan would probably respond, “Thank you very much. I really appreciate it! I just to try to do my best every time I step on the court.” If an American met Deng Yaping, China’s premier pingpong player, he might say much the same thing: “Ms. Deng, you’re the best!” but as a Chinese, Deng would probably say, “No, I really don’t play all that well. You’re too much kind.”
Plainly, Americans and Chinese have different ways of responding to praise. Ironically, many Americans might consider Ms. Deng’s response the less modest, because it is less truthful—and therefore less sincere. Americans generally place sincerity above manners; genuine gratitude for the praise serves as a substitute for protestations of modesty. After all, in the words of one of my closest Chinese friends, modesty taken to the extreme is pride.
1. What does the underlined word “loath” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Polite. | B．Uncertain. | C．Curious. | D．Unwilling. |
| A．To note they do as much as they can each time they play against others. |
| B．To remind readers they are the best players in basketball and table tennis. |
| C．To explain they deserve the credit or recognition for their great contributions. |
| D．To show they as Chinese and Americans are different in accepting praise. |
| A．They think sincerity matters the most. | B．They think her reply is against the fact. |
| C．They think she is too modest to believe. | D．They think manners is more important. |
| A．Education. | B．Sports. | C．Culture. | D．People. |
