1 . Cordero is the farm manager at Ollin Farms, not far from Boulder, Colorado. The locally grown vegetables on the farm aren’t just pretty. “We play an important role in public health nutrition programs,” says Cordero’s dad, Mark Guttridge, who started this farm with his wife, Kena, 17 years ago.
At a meeting with about a dozen local farmers, two state representatives, and the Colorado officials of agriculture, Guttridge explains how Boulder county has made creative investments in his farm that could be spread to the state or even national level. Before the meeting, Guttridge shows them one of those investments.
A dozen sheep, which Guttridge raises for wool, feed on root vegetables like radishes that have been leftover for them. “So these guys are out fertilizing the vegetable field,” Guttridge laughs. “They’ll be out here a couple more weeks, and then we’ll get our next summer vegetables planted right there.” Around the field is a special moveable type of fencing that Ollin Farms bought using financial aid from the Boulder County Sustainability Office. It allows them to move the sheep from one field to another, fertilizing as they go. The goal of these investments is “really building up our soil health,” he explains. “That relates directly to the nutrient quality of the food-healthy soil grows healthy food.”
The county also makes an effort to get that healthy food out to different communities to boost public health. That’s where the Boulder County Public Health department comes in. It created a coupon program to give discounts to people buying fruits and vegetables from Ollin Farms. Nutrition incentive programs, like those public health fruit and vegetable coupons, are spreading all over the country, and most are funded through the federal farm bill. Amy Yaroch, executive director at the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, says “It’s a trip le win. It’s basically good for the consumers who live in that particular community because they’re getting the healthy food, it’s good for the farmer, and then it’s good for the economy.”
1. What does Ollin Farms do?| A．It makes public nutrition health plans. |
| B．It offers financial aid to other farms. |
| C．It provides cheap food to the local community. |
| D．It grows fruits and vegetables rich in nutrition. |
| A．By raising sheep on radishes. | B．By buying fences for farmhouses. |
| C．By funding the farm’s soil health. | D．By giving advice about fertilizing fields. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Dismissive. | C．Unclear. | D．Approving. |
| A．Couponing for Health: Stimulating Nutrition Choices |
| B．Growing Health: Innovations in Farm and Public Health Initiatives |
| C．Fertile Fields and Furry Friends: A Farming Fairy Tale |
| D．Local Produce, Global Impact: The Nutrition Choices of Ollin Farms |
Bonnie raised her granddaughter alone after the girl’s parents died. She hated her granddaughter’s art and wanted her to stop drawing. But everything changed when Mr. Henderson, a famous cartoonist, appeared at her doorstep.
One day, Bonnie called out to Amy as she took the chicken out. “Dinner is ready, honey! Come soon!” But Amy didn’t answer.
Bonnie finished setting the table and served them dinner, but she still didn’t hear a response from Amy. “Amy? Honey, your dinner is getting cold! Are you coming?” she asked her 10-year-old granddaughter again.
When Amy didn’t respond, Bonnie climbed the stairs to the girl’s room and pushed the door open. Amy sat at her desk, with her headphones on. At first, Bonnie thought Amy was studying, but then she noticed the drawing sheet on the table in front of Amy. Bonnie frowned (皱眉) in anger.
“Amy!” Bonnie screamed, and the girl turned around and removed her headphones.
“Granny? I… I was just…” Amy said.
Bonnie stormed up to Amy’s desk, and the little girl tried to cover the drawing, but it was too late.
“Did you finish your math homework, little girl? Mrs. Warren called me today. And she told me you’ve been ignoring her assignments!” Bonnie said angrily.
“I’ll finish the homework,” Amy said. “I was planning on doing it once I finished the sketch (素描) I was working on, Granny.”
“I’m tired of that hobby of yours, Amy! You’re no longer doing those drawings!” Bonnie went on. “Those things you draw are not going to help you in the future! You finish your dinner, and then you’ll be doing your homework. You’re not leaving the house to play with your friends until you finish your homework. Am I clear?” Bonnie said and stormed out of Amy’s room.
Minutes later, Amy walked into the kitchen and quietly sat at the table. They began eating dinner in silence. Bonnie was already in a terrible mood, so she didn’t ask about Amy’s day like she usually did. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Amy answered the door and was surprised to see Mr. Henderson.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Bonnie hesitated for a long time and decided to ask Mrs. Warren for advice.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A total of 99 traditional culture enthusiasts, mostly in their 20s and 30s,
Initiated by Shandong Radio and Television Station in
The show invited four famous
Meng Man, a professor at the Minzu University of China, quoted some of
4 . Conventional chemical fertilizers (化肥) aren’t among the most eco-friendly substances in the world. Not only do they pollute the environment if they get into waterways, but they also reduce nutrients in the soil over time. What’s more, they’re relatively expensive.
Seeking a greener and more sustainable alternative, some farmers have started applying nitrogen-fixing bacteria (固氮细菌) to their crops. These bacteria absorb nitrogen gas from the atmosphere and turn it into ammonia in the soil. That ammonia provides the plants with nutrients, restores poor soil, and boosts the plants’ natural defenses against pest insects.
One problem with the bacteria, however, is the fact that they are very sensitive to heat and humidity (湿度). This means they don’t stand up well to being shipped out to farms from a central source.
With these drawbacks in mind, Asst. Prof. Ariel Furst and her colleagues at MIT have created a method of coating the bacteria in tiny “metal-phenol network” (MPN) shells (外壳). The shells contained organic compounds called phenols, which are generally regarded as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.
This new coating technology could make such bacteria more widely available than ever before. On one hand, these coatings don’t block the bacteria’s growth or functions. On the other hand, they do provide protection from heat and humidity. The coated bacteria can even be freeze-dried, then shipped and applied to crops.
Furst’s team created 12 different MPNs which comprised metals such as iron, manganese, aluminum and zinc, all of which are considered safe for use as food additives. When these MPNs were used on nitrogen-fixing bacteria, all of them were found to protect the bacteria from temperatures of up to 50℃ and from relative humidity of up to 48%.
Furst is now commercializing the technology through a company she founded, called Seia Bio. “When we think about developing technology, we need to intentionally design it to be inexpensive and accessible, and that’s what this technology is.” she said.
1. Why are conventional chemical fertilizers mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To lead in the topic. | B．To show their advantages. |
| C．To provide an example. | D．To explain how to use them. |
| A．They prefer high temperatures. | B．They are insensitive to humidity. |
| C．They reduce nutrients in the soil. | D．They are environmentally friendly. |
| A．MPN shells. | B．The plants. |
| C．Chemical fertilizers. | D．The coated bacteria. |
| A．It may help farmers to ship crops. |
| B．It can be widely applied. |
| C．It might be accessible to more companies. |
| D．It will limit the growth of bacteria. |
5 . Earlier this week, a mother called Meems posted a video online asking users to help her with a task.
This was the first time that her daughter had
Last week, Dr Hanson, a conductor and assistant professor of music at Seattle Pacific University, invited Meems and her daughter to attend the National Association for Music Education’s Northwest Division Conference where he
Feeling
| A．Laughing at | B．Throwing away | C．Adapting to | D．Pointing to |
| A．wrote | B．heard | C．spread | D．found |
| A．recognize | B．teach | C．play | D．change |
| A．allowed | B．tried | C．suggested | D．imagined |
| A．curious | B．humble | C．honest | D．conservative |
| A．letter | B．report | C．video | D．advertisement |
| A．showed | B．received | C．recorded | D．estimated |
| A．highlight | B．noise | C．news | D．decision |
| A．behavior | B．homework | C．plan | D．composition |
| A．conducted | B．criticized | C．praised | D．interrupted |
| A．frightened | B．surprised | C．stressed | D．disappointed |
| A．forgot | B．thanked | C．refused | D．cheated |
| A．light | B．mind | C．life | D．market |
| A．accident | B．business | C．view | D．response |
| A．friendship | B．hope | C．music | D．knowledge |
6 . The National Heritage Responders is a volunteer network of around 100 experts in cultural heritage conservation from around Puerto Rico. They assist individuals and institutions in figuring out how to save important objects and buildings after disasters. Their crisis hotline has been busier than ever in recent years because of more frequent and severe weather brought on by climate change. In 2023, there have been around 70 calls so far, up from fewer than 10 in 2008, when the hotline first appeared.
Ann Frellsen, the Atlanta-based book and paper conservator, is a longtime heritage responder volunteer with more than three decades of experience in helping out cultural institutions after disasters. She was among those sent to Puerto Rico over several visits starting a couple of months after two hurricanes hit it in 2017.
After providing initial support via the phone, Frellsen and her team came in to help La Casa del Libro and other local institutions in crisis with equipment, supplies and advice. In fact, much of the advice the hotline provides is via phone or video-chat; volunteers are sent out into the field in certain cases, on an as-needed basis.
“There were no stoplights and signs on the highways because they’d all been blown away,” Frellsen said. She added that figuring out how to reach the more than 20 institutions that needed assistance in Puerto Rico was challenging—not to mention the on-the-job hazards.
When Frellsen isn’t heading into disaster zones to help save artifacts (文物) from fires, hurricanes and floods, she trains others in the heritage conservation field to do the same. Some of the participants may eventually take the test to become National Heritage Responders. But at this moment, they are deep in a hands-on training exercise, based on an imaginary situation cooked up by Frellsen and her co-trainers.
1. What can we say about Puerto Rico?| A．It calls on people to keep in contact. | B．Natural disasters are increasing there. |
| C．It works hard to build highways. | D．The weather is really nice there. |
| A．It teaches individuals how to protect themselves. |
| B．New volunteers can join it with no tests required. |
| C．Victims all over the world can contact it by hotline. |
| D．It sends experts to the disaster areas when necessary. |
| A．Dangers. | B．Skills. | C．Trainings. | D．Rights. |
| A．Taking various tests. | B．Entering a new disaster area. |
| C．Conducting a practical exercise. | D．Restoring priceless artifacts. |
7 . Some buildings can leave you wondering how on earth they were built. Jaw-dropping architecture is not new. We’re still amazed that the Great Pyramid in Egypt was built 4,500 years ago! Read on for more recent examples of innovative 4 buildings constructed using technology developed in the last century.
Krzywy Domek (Crooked House) Sopot, Poland
COMPLETED: 2004
SIZE: About three-fourths the size of a football field
With its warped 13 walls, curved stained glass, and roof that looks like green dragon scales, Crooked House is popular with photographers. Staring at it for too long might make you dizzy! Inside though is a typical mall and office building. People can shop in the stores, eat in the restaurants and get their haircut in a salon. A favorite feature is the Wall of Fame with signatures from Polish celebrities. It’s modeled after the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Cube Houses Rotterdam, Netherlands
COMPLETED: 1984
SIZE: About one-fourth the size of a basketball court
The 38 Cube Houses are a popular attraction, but they are also real houses that people live in! The cubes have concrete foundations and floors with a wood-frame living space on top. Cement panels and zinc panels add visual appeal. The furniture is tailor-made to fit the odd angles where the walls meet.
Bubble Palace Cannes, France
COMPLETED: 1989
SIZE: Almost three times the size of a basketball court
This house may look like a space colony but it’s really a 10-bedroom palace. Made of cave-like bubbles forming a labyrinth (迷宫), it also has ponds, waterfalls, swimming pools, an outdoor theater that seats 500 people, and views of the Mediterranean Sea.
Wonderworks Pigeon Forge, Tenessee
COMPLETED: 2006 (Other locations followed)
SIZE: About nine-tenths the size of a football field
Looking at the cracks in this building, you might think, is it about to crumble? And how do they get palm trees and grass to grow upside down? But it’s all an illusion. This indoor amusement park is actually pretty normal. The upside-down features are just for show. Inside are more than 100 hands-on science exhibits and activities, including a laser-tag zone, a hurricane-force wind tunnel, a zero-gravity astronaut-training ride, and a three-story ropes course.
1. Which building has the smallest size?| A．Wonderworks. | B．Cube Houses. |
| C．Bubble Palace. | D．Krzywy Domek. |
| A．The Wall of Fame with signatures from Polish celebrities. |
| B．The tailor-made furniture to fit the strange angles. |
| C．An illusion of palm trees and grass growing upside down. |
| D．A labyrinth formed by cave-like bubbles. |
| A．A textbook. | B．A tour brochure. | C．A magazine. | D．A report. |
1. What does the speaker mainly talk about at first?
| A．The type of rock climbing. |
| B．The requirements for rock climbing. |
| C．The popularity of rock climbing. |
| A．Its safety factor is higher than people think. |
| B．It’s the most popular outdoor sport in the world. |
| C．It has very high requirements for participants. |
| A．Free Soloing. |
| B．Traditional climbing. |
| C．Sports climbing. |
| A．The equipment it needs is environmentally friendly. |
| B．It will not do harm to the natural rock wall. |
| C．The climbers don’t use any equipment at all. |
Everything went according to plan, until it didn’t. The night before my first marathon, I ate the classic runner’ s dinner. That morning, I woke up before my alarm, tiptoed downstairs to toast three waffles and slathered them in peanut butter. I had slept eight hours, my unreliable left knee wasn’t bothering me, my stomach was full. I was ready.
Then my girlfriend, Louisa, knocked on the door asking: “Have you checked your email?” The Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis and St. Paul had been canceled. Race officials sent an email at 5: 16 a. m. announcing the race had been called off due to “black flag conditions”-- record-breaking heat.
While I understood why the race organizers didn’t want to put runners at risk, I also knew that I had trained in the baking and humid Washington, D. C. all summer. If I started early and finished around noon, I’d miss the worst heat of the day. Louisa offered to bike alongside me, with water, snacks and salt pills in tow.
I quickly called my friends to figure out what to do. About 40minutes later, we were heading for starting line in downtown Minneapolis, drinking a gallon of water, ready to run our own marathon. There is a psychological difference between running 42. 2 kilometers and running an organized marathon. The distance becomes a shared challenge when you’re running with thousands of others. That gives a runner confidence they can finish the race as well.
“When you’re in that marathon setting, having people on the sidelines, having people running alongside you, maybe running in a new location, there are so many other external things to help keep you focused, “my friend Samson said. The sights and sounds “give you a little of a break from the internal reflection that can happen when you start to struggle.” Indeed, it is a mental race.
注意：（1）续写词数应为150个左右；
（2）请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
On our way to the starting line, we were wondering if anybody else would show up despite the cancellation.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The last 8 kilometers of the Twin Cities Marathon route are largely uphill.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Spring cleaning is a tradition ingrained in societies worldwide, with roots
Before the Lunar New Year, it’s common to clean the home of bad luck and misfortune in China. Known as “sweeping the dust,” cleaning makes way
In Thailand, it’s customary to deep clean homes, schools, and public spaces to
As spring comes, it is sensible to open the windows
