4 . Enjoying a swim at their local beach was once a daily pleasure for Melati and her sister, Isabel. But in 2013 when Melati was 12 and Isabel just ten, the sisters started to lose ________ for swimming in the waters near their home on the island of Bali. More often than not, plastic bags would circle around them as they ________. Then as they walked back to shore, red and white plastic shopping bags would ________ their legs and body.

Melati didn’t think much about it until later in 2013 when her teacher gave a lesson on world ________ like South Africa’s Nelson Mandela and England’s Princess Diana, whose efforts had inspired movements of ________ change. That day Melati walked home in ________, thinking something needed to be done to preserve the beautiful island from becoming ________ by waste.

Melati and Isabel started by sharing the idea with others. Soon they’d ________ a team of 15, made up of schoolfriends. They ________ their group ByeBye Plastic Bags(BBPB). Its mission was ________ stop people in Bali using plastic bags.

The following year the BBPB team spent their lunchtimes ________ meetings and organizing an online petition (请愿) to collect signatures to ban plastic bags. Within 24 hours of ________ more than 6000 people both local Balinese and people from around the world had ________. “This was the first moment when we knew, we were onto something,”Melati says.

Years later, the girls’ enthusiasm has resulted in big changes. In 2017, they organized Bali’s first beach clean up. Around 12,000 people collected 36 tonnes of rubbish. In 2018 BBPB ________ the government to ban single-use plastic bags and straws. The ban took effect in July 2019.

Today BBPB is a global youth movement and has over 50 teams in 29 countries. “We didn’t start with any clear ________,”Melati admits. “We didn’t know how we were going to complete a seemingly easy task but we knew that we wanted to and had the desire to figure it out.”

1.

A．talent

B．passion

C．hope

D．balance

2.

A．swam

B．trained

C．observed

D．wandered

3.

A．relate to

B．lead to

C．add to

D．stick to

4.

A．performers

B．heroes

C．composers

D．champions

5.

A．awful

B．commercial

C．positive

D．slight

6.

A．silence

B．fear

C．safety

D．despair

7.

A．lengthened

B．narrowed

C．recovered

D．jammed

8.

A．controlled

B．assisted

C．gathered

D．supported

9.

A．sent

B．showed

C．named

D．lent

10.

A．simple

B．abstract

C．novel

D．common

11.

A．avoiding

B．chairing

C．discussing

D．analyzing

12.

A．valuating

B．debating

C．removing

D．launching

13.

A．held up

B．finished up

C．picked up

D．signed up

14.

A．encouraged

B．threatened

C．convinced

D．expected

15.

A．aim

B．plan

C．benefit

D．profit

5 . Country music has been long led by an age of “bro-country” — country music made by straight white men, best characterized by songs about drinking, trucks and blue jeans. Yet, at its core, country music is a type that is truly all about subversion. Country, essentially, takes the legend of the cowboy and turns it into an act, one that breaks away from tradition. In this new “bro-country” movement, subversion is completely lost, which is why someone like Orville Peck, with the first two chapters of his latest album “Bronco”,is so important for this age of country music.

The Toronto-based singer-songwriter Orville Peck announced “Bronco” on Feb. 7. In the trailer (预告片), the album was revealed to be released in three separate chapters weeks apart from each other.

The two chapters that have been released stay true to the musical stylings of country but often draw subtle influences from the closely related types of folk and rock, which may not be surprising given Peck’s time as a drummer in a punk band. As to the content, the first chapter of “Bronco” presents a more upbeat, somewhat positive feeling with its selection of songs like “C’mon Baby Cry”, “Outta Time”,“Dayton Sand”, and “Any Turn”, which in particular truly feels like the perfect jig (吉格舞曲) to square dance to. The second chapter of “Bronco”, with a focus on the fragile emotions that often lies at the core of the country type, explores darker topics, being largely made up of emotional songs that dive into topics like abusive relationships, loneliness, deep longing, and depression. While sharply different from one another, the two chapters fit amazingly well together. The songs draw on multiple contemporary inspirations, and in doing so stand out against what has become expected of country.

With the third and final chapter of “Bronco” coming on the road, we have reasons to believe that Peck will manage to meet and exceed public expectations and successfully made an album that may shake any who feel no appetite for the type of country music.

1. What do you learn about “bro-country”?

A．It is original country music.	B．It has gained lasting popularity.
C．It supports cowboy’s untraditional act.	D．It is well presented in the album ”Bronco“.

2. What does the underlined word “subversion” mean in paragraph 1?

A．Legend.

B．Movement.

C．Tradition.

D．Opposition.

3. Which statement can best describe the released chapters of “Bronco”?

A．The two chapters contrast strikingly but mix well.

B．The style of the songs is restricted to country music.

C．The second chapter mainly concerns positive emotions.

D．The first chapter is a mixture of folk, rock, punk and jig.

4. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．“Bro-country”meets great challenge.	B．Orville Peck is to release a new album.
C．Traditional country music finds its way back.	D．“Bronco”returns to the core of country music.

6 . Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. One night I took a fare at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, standing on the sideway was a small woman in her 80’s with a big nylon suitcase.

After I helped her into the cab, she gave me an address, and asked, “Could you drive through downtown?” “It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly. “I don’t mind,” she said “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice(临终安养院).” I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were wet. I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. “What route would you like me to take?” I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a shabby house where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular building and sat staring into the darkness, saying nothing. At last, she said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”

We drove in silence to the destination. It was a grev low building.

“How much do I owe you?” she asked, reaching into her purse. “Nothing,” I said. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly, and whispered a “Thank you”. I squeezed her hand and walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift but drove aimlessly lost in thought. What if that woman had gotten a driver impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to drive through downtown? Great moments often catch us unaware, beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

1. What caused the author to turn off the meter?

A．His uncertainty of the route.	B．His sympathy to the woman.
C．The malfunction of the meter.	D．The cold weather at the mid-night.

2. What’s the intention of the woman’s ride through downtown?

A．To find a place to settle down.	B．To revisit where her memories lay.
C．To kill time before the hospice opened.	D．To see the city aimlessly for the last time.

3. What struck the author in the end?

A．The struggles in the woman’s life.	B．The courage the woman displayed.
C．The significance of some small moments.	D．The hopelessness of the woman with disease.

4. What is the best title of this story?

A．A Cab Ride I’ll Never Forget	B．My Strange Driving Experience
C．The Ending of an Old Woman’s Life	D．An Old Woman Passenger and Her Life

9 . In February 2021, the government of Vietnam released a draft of the country’s latest national power development plan (PDP 8) for 2021 to 2030. The draft PDP 8 expands wind and solar capacity and improves grid (输电网) infrastructure to ensure that the stable operation with a higher share of renewable energy.

Vietnam increasingly relies on coal imports because coal-fired power plants have been used to meet the rapidly increasing electricity demand. More than half of Vietnam’s electricity generation came from coal in 2020. The country also relies heavily on hydroeletric generation (水利发电) and is home to a number of large rivers. However, hydro’s reliability is affected by droughts and water shortages. Non-hydro renewable sources, such as wind and solar, made up 5% of Vietnam’s electricity generation in 2020.

Expanding non-hydro renewable capacity will likely help Vietnam rely less on coal,reduce carbon emissions (排放), and increases electricity generating capacity. With its strong emphasis on renewables, the draft PDP 8 is quite different from previous plans, which rely heavily on coal,hydropower and natural gas sources.

However, Vietnam’s underdeveloped grid hampers (阻碍) these capacity additions. Some of the country’s transmission lines are operating at a full load or are overloaded, especially in the region where solar capacity in concentrated. Electricity producers have reduced generation from renewables because of grid limitations. The country needs new transmission and distribution infrastructure to accommodate capacity additions and transmit electricity to where it is needed.

One major grid development underway is a 461-mile transmission line extension with three 500-kilovolt transmission lines. These transmission lines will connect nine cities and provinces across central and southern Vietnam.

1. Which did Vietnam rely on most for power generation in 2020?

A．Wind.

B．Water.

C．Coal.

D．Sunlight.

2. What’s special about the draft PDP 8 compared to previous plans?

A．It is more environmentally friendly.

B．It depends more on hydroelectric power.

C．It is less expensive and far more efficient.

D．It meets the country’s growing electricity needs.

3. How will Vietnam keep pace with its capacity growth?

A．By reducing solar capacity.	B．By repairing transmission lines.
C．By rewarding electricity producers.	D．By strengthening power infrastructure.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Vietnam’s energy structure in the future.

B．Vietnam’s latest power plan to expand renewables.

C．Difficulties in expanding clean energy in Vietnam.

D．Measures to develop renewable energy in Vietnam.

10 . With millions of people visiting China’s mountains every year, keeping them trash-free is quite difficult. That’s where Spiderman cleaners come in.

Spiderman cleaners get their name from the dangerous nature of their job. They dangle (悬荡) thousands of feet above the ground on the side of steep mountain cliffs (悬崖), supported only by ropes, as they try to collect hard-to-reach trash. To show the danger of their work and make tourists think twice before littering, some of them actually exchanged their regular uniforms for Spiderman costumes. This has made them a hit with visitors, who often stop to watch these real-life versions of their favourite superhero, rewarding them with applause and cheers when they complete their task.

Spiderman cleaners really risk their life every time they go after a piece of trash left in popular scenic spots by tourists who never stop to think about the impact their deed may have on nature or the people tasked with cleaning up after them. To them, injuries are frequent and the stress is so great that they sometimes faint (晕倒) on the job. Because of the dangerous nature of the job, few people have the courage to work as Spiderman cleaners and those who do are rewarded generously. For example, the Guimeng Scenic Spot put up an ad for a Spiderman cleaner, offering 10,000 yuan a day, but also mentioned that the work was to be performed “at your own risk”.

Spiderman cleaners all around China pick up tons of litter from the scenic mountains every year. Some of them have been doing it for over a decade and they don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Luckily, after the job has been reported by the national media during the past few years, more people have begun to think twice before littering. Less and less trash has been found in recent years, which means Spiderman cleaners don't have to risk their life as often as they used to.

So the next time you feel like throwing a piece of trash in a scenic spot, spare a thought for these unsung heroes and how they risk their life to keep the world clean for everybody.

1. What is Spiderman cleaners’ job according to the passage？

A．Collecting plastic bottles and bags for visitors.

B．Cleaning rubbish in some steep mountains.

C．Amusing visitors in Spiderman costumes.

D．Preventing visitors from throwing rubbish anywhere.

2. From the passage we know that Spiderman cleaners_________.

A．take a great risk at work

B．take up the occupation out of interest

C．are usually looked down upon by tourists

D．are ordered to dress like a real Spiderman

3. After Spiderman cleaners’ work was reported, _________.

A．more people fall in love with the job

B．people know where to throw rubbish

C．the scenic mountains are becoming safer

D．the number of uncivilized tourists has decreased

4. What is the purpose of the last paragraph？

A．To cause a discussion among readers.

B．To set a daily rule for rude people.

C．To advise people not to litter.

D．To call on people to visit a scenic spot