1. What did Trevor Baylis invent in 1996?
A.The wind-up TV. | B.The wind-up radio. | C.The telephone-like shoes. |
A.Funny. | B.Creative. | C.Generous. |
A.In a dream. | B.On TV. | C.Over the radio. |
2 . On a chilly autumn morning in the Italian countryside near Larderello, Tuscany, the misty landscape reminded me why the area is nicknamed the Devil’s Valley. The land here is a web of natural cracks in the rock that let a mix of steam and gases reach the surface.
Unlike the rolling hills and cypress-lined roads of other parts of Tuscany, the landscape here is covered with dozens of grey cooling towers puffing white vapors. The deafening roar of a turbine (涡轮机) at the Valle Secolo geothermal (地热的) plant breaks the quietness, but its violent spinning transforms steam rising from underground into energy for 150,000 families in the region. About 30% of Tuscany’s electricity comes from this energy source. After producing electricity, the leftover steam heats water for nearby districts.
This underground energy has recently proved a vital resource. Italy greatly depended on Russian fossil fuels and in 2023 Italians bore the world’s highest household electricity bills. Factories cut down production and households had to turn down their heaters. But residents of the Larderello area spent the winter in warm homes, thanks to the local geothermal plants working 24/7.
Bruno Della Vedova, president of the Italian Geothermal Union, hopes that in the future other Italian regions could benefit from such a resource, which is extremely important when the whole world looks to transition to renewable energy.
While countries like Iceland and Kenya are taking advantage of their geothermal resources, the industry’s growth has made slow progress in Italy. High set-up costs and difficulties in extraction present significant barriers. And new plants often run into opposition from nearby communities over health concerns.
Italy sits on a geothermal sweet spot. Especially below Larderello, as Della Vedova says. A vast reservoir (储备) of steam and water is trapped between Earth’s inner heat and a layer of clay-heavy rocks. High temperatures lead to the formation of steam directly inside the reservoir, providing a significant source of energy.
But while heat from Earth’s core is practically endless, the water it heats within the planet are not. So Della Vedova says restoring underground water supplies and using them sustainably is critical for the future. “We can’t take advantage of a geothermal resource at will,” he says.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?A.The landscape in the countryside. |
B.The introduction to a geothermal plant. |
C.The application of geothermal energy in Tuscany. |
D.The process of turning underground steam into heat. |
A.People near new plants object to it. |
B.Geothermal plants cut down their production. |
C.There is very little underground water and steam. |
D.People use less electricity by turning down heaters. |
A.Unfavorable. | B.Unclear. | C.Optimistic. | D.Cautious. |
A.Where does geothermal energy lead Italy? |
B.Is the heat from Earth’s core really limitless? |
C.Can energy from underground help power Italy? |
D.How can geothermal energy be used scientifically? |
3 . There’s a useful concept from psychology that helps explain why good people do things that harm the environment: the false consensus effect. That’s where we overvalue how acceptable and prevalent (普遍的) our own behavior is in society. Put simply, if you’re doing something (even if you secretly know you probably shouldn’t), you’re more likely to think plenty of other people do it too. What’s more, you likely overestimate how much other people think that behavior is broadly OK.
This bias (偏见) allows people to justify socially unacceptable or illegal behaviors. Researchers have observed the false consensus effect in drug use and illegal hunting. More recently, conservationists are beginning to reveal how this effect contributes to environmental damage.
In Australia, people who admitted to poaching (偷猎) thought it was much more prevalent in society than it really was, and had higher estimates than fishers who obeyed the law. They also believed others viewed poaching as socially acceptable; however, in reality, more than 90% of fishers held the opposite view. The false consensus effect has also shown up in studies examining support for nuclear energy and offshore wind farms.
Just as concepts from psychology can help explain some forms of environmental damage, so too can they help address it. For example, research shows people are more likely to litter in areas where there’s already a-lot of trash scattered around; so making sure the ground around a bin is not covered in rubbish may help.
Factual information on how other people think and behave can be very powerful. Energy companies have substantially reduced energy consumption simply by showing people how their electricity use compares to their neighbors. Encouragingly, stimulating people’s natural desire for status has also been successful in getting people to “go green to be seen”, or to publicly buy eco-friendly products.
As the research evidence shows, social norms can be a powerful force in encouraging and popularizing environmentally friendly behaviors. Perhaps you can do your bit by sharing this article!
1. Which example best illustrates the false consensus effect?A.A student spends long hours surfing the internet. |
B.A blogger assumes many people dislike his posts. |
C.A driver frequently parks illegally in public places. |
D.A smoker believes people generally approve of smoking. |
A.It is unacceptable. | B.It is widespread. |
C.It is controversial. | D.It is complex. |
A.Embrace green habits for better health. |
B.Make green choices that others can perceive. |
C.Join green movements for personal fulfillment. |
D.Choose green items that are easy to spot in stores. |
A.Understate social norms. | B.Highlight personal responsibilities. |
C.Publicize sustainable practices. | D.Encourage technological innovations. |
We’ve all heard the advice to “get out of your comfort zone” by taking on a new challenge. A recent study goes a step further: Make discomfort a direct goal. That’s more likely to motivate you
In the first of five experiments, the researchers assigned several hundred students training at Second City Chicago
Experiments
Reframing anxiety as excitement has been proven a way to improve singing in front of strangers, and thinking of stress as
“When people reinterpret negative experiences as
5 . Late last year, in the days before the Dosakian election, a video featuring a well-known journalist and a key candidate circulated on social networks. However, it was absolutely fake (虚假的). The International Press Institute has called this episode in Dosakia the first time that AI deepfakes — fake images, or videos generated by artificial intelligence — have influenced a national election greatly.
Security experts consider misinformation the biggest global risk recently — more dangerous than war, and extreme weather events. A constant stream of people is wrestling with this issue. Now even economists are joining in.
Economist Iyan Smith, and others conduct a real-world experiment to see whether simple, low-cost nudges, or interventions, can be effective. Instead of focusing on the supply side of misinformation like social media platforms, they pay attention to the demand side: increasing our capacity to identify the fake information.
The economists split participants randomly into four different groups. One group was shown a video demonstrating a convincing journey of two people from two different social groups who, before interacting, express negative stereotypes (刻板印象) about the other’s group, overcoming their differences and ultimately regretting unthinkingly using stereotypes to dehumanize one another. Another group completed a personality test that shows them their cognitive traits (认知特点) causing prejudice, hoping to increase their self-awareness, and decrease their demand for misinformation. A third group did both while a control group did neither.
The economists find the simple intervention of showing the video makes the participants over 30 percent less likely to “consider fake news reliable”. But the personality test has little effect. As for participants doing both, they were about 31 percent less likely to view true headlines as reliable. In other words, they became so skeptical that even the truth became suspect.
Smith and his colleagues are far from the first scholars to fight misinformation by helping people to think more critically. University of Weymouth psychologist Lisa Kindle also advocates similar ways to help reject misinformation in the wild.
1. What does the author intend to do in the first two paragraphs?A.Highlight the risk of AI deepfakes. | B.Discuss the global threat landscape. |
C.Describe Dosakia’s election outcome. | D.Introduce the concept of misinformation. |
A.The cognitive trait. | B.The short video. |
C.The personality test. | D.The negative stereotype. |
A.Videos reduce misinformation. | B.Deepfakes may discredit truth. |
C.Misinformation causes dehumanization. | D.Personality tests sharpen thinking skills. |
A.Battling Fake News | B.Deepfakes in Elections |
C.The Spread of Misinformation | D.Expanding Thinking Capacity |
It had been a challenging but rewarding term, filled with hard work and a thirst for knowledge. As I handed in my final assignment and saw it was graded A, a sense of pride and satisfaction washed over me. Little did I know that my accomplishments had not gone unnoticed by my families, who had been closely observing my progress.
At the first day of summer vacation, my mother told me excitedly that we would pay a visit to Marco the next day to cheer for my progress in academic study. When I got the good news, I felt on top of the world and could not hold back my high spirits. As I lay in bed that night, a mix of anticipation and delight welled up in my heart, and I slid into a dream-filled sleep, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the coming adventure.
After we arrived in Marco, my parents said that we would first visit the Marco tower. Marco Tower, built in the late 19th century, is a historic landmark that showcases the rich architectural heritage of the city. It is also considered one of the top tourist attractions in the region. Upon hearing the inspiring news, I bounced up and down with joy. But then I felt a bit uneasy because of my fear of heights.
Inside the lift, my palms grew sweaty as the anxiety consumed me. I paced back and forth in the tower lift, unsure of whether I would have the courage. After the lift reached the specific floor, I gasped (倒吸一口气) in horror. The floor here was made of glass, so one could appreciate the height of the tower and take a real adventure. Seeing my family both take out their phones to shoot the grand views, I felt under pressure. Then my mother smiled at me and said delightedly, “Just take it easy and you can do it.”
注意:1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I didn’t know whether to stay or not.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I was totally struck by the height of the tower.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________It was an unpleasant, cold Sunday evening. The sun was on its way home and so was Sara. Sara was a health inspector, so she had to check people’s houses to see if they were living a health y life.
Sundays were the only days she got a holiday, so she had been out trying to relax and enjoy the day. She was almost home when a small old house caught her eye. Her curiosity didn’t allow her to pass by without checking it.
Hesitantly, she approached the house and knocked. She did not think anyone would be living in such an old, shabby cabin, but, to her surprise, an old couple answered the door. The house and the couple were quite similar, both old, ragged and very easily broken.
She greeted them and asked if she could come in. Their house was empty, just like their empty stomachs that growled (低吼) aloud. It was a heartbreaking scene to witness the condition they were in.
She gathered her courage and asked the reason behind their condition. The couple were a bit nervous at first, but eventually opened up about their life. The couple, named Razia and Shahid,were going through tough times. Shahid was not educated, so he couldn’t get a decent job and only worked as a laborer, but that also for a short time because he would often fall il l due to old age. Rizia would work as a maid at people’s homes when she was young, but when age caught up with her, she also could not work properly and fell sick.
They had no children, so there was no one to look after them in their old age. Some nights, they slept hungry, while on other nights, they received a meal from some kind people. They explained how hunger was like an unwanted companion, always present, making their stomachs growl.
Sara felt saddened by their tough situation and tried to comfort them. She thought about making some arrangements for their care.
注意:1. 写作词数应为 150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Suddenly her eyes li t up with, an idea.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The couple were delighted, and prayed for Sara’s health and long life.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . Loneliness is a bigger health threat than smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to a new research. Our ancestors likely did not suffer from a lack of companions. Why has loneliness become such a threat? How might it be addressed?
In the distant past, there were few complaints about loneliness. Indeed, every person in a community including children was up to speed on every detail of the lives of everyone else. Instead of suffering from loneliness, our distant ancestors were oppressed (被压迫) by a lack of privacy.
Typically, people move away from family and friends for work opportunities. Yet, cities often function as gatherings of relative strangers rather than functional communities. The many people wandering around in a city are irrelevant if we have no social connection with them. Migrants to cities may establish various meaningful social links.
Virtually, not everyone needs constant companionship. This is not merely a question of how extroverted a person is.
A.Their habits contributed to loneliness. |
B.They require openness, initiative and effort. |
C.Rather, it reflects how someone leads their life. |
D.Outgoing people will live a busy life with social media. |
E.Today, social media bring back the invasions of privacy. |
F.Many turn to social media for companionship with mixed results. |
G.However, associations are often formed through accidental networks. |
1. How long did the hike take?
A.Three days | B.Eight days | C.Fourteen days. |
A.Mountains. | B.Woodlands | C.Desert. |
A.A lion. | B.A wolf. | C.A snake |
“I can’t decide!” Carter told his mom.
“You have to decide.” Mom said. “I think you should go to Tyler’s party. He invited you first and you told him that you were going to come. Besides, it will be at the lake! You love to swim.”
“I know. But, Josh is having a go-kart party (卡丁车派对)! We are all meeting at his house and then going to the go-kart track! That would be amazing!”
“Carter, I told you what I think you should do. But you’re old enough to start making decisions on your own.”
Four days later, Carter was leaving the house for Josh’s party. He never did tell Josh or Tyler that he would not be attending their party. He meant to tell Tyler, but he felt so bad about it. Tyler was his best friend. They met in second grade and have been best friends ever since. But go-karts! How could he possibly turn down the chance to drive go-kart around a racetrack?
As Carter rode his bike toward Josh’s house, he could feel the sun on his back. It was already a warm morning. A perfect day to be at the lake, he thought with a little regret. But there would be other days to swim at the lake. Today was go-kart day! He smiled and pedaled harder. He was a little early, so he expected to see a few parents dropping off their sons. As he rode up Josh’s driveway, he was surprised to see there were no cars parked in the driveway. He laid his bike down in the grass, walked to the door, and rang the doorbell.
The door opened. It was Josh’s teenage sister, Kayla.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“I’m here for the party. Josh’s birthday party.”
“No one’s here. They already left.”
“But it was supposed to start at ten! It’s not ten yet!” Carter said, throwing his hands out, palms up, in confusion.
“Dude! It started at nine. They left like an hour ago.” Kayla said as she swung the door shut.
注意:1. 续写词数应为 150 左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Carter stood at the door, shocked and speechless.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________He finally made it to Tyler’s party with his T-shirt stuck to his back.
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