1 . In recent years American society has become increasingly dependent on its universities to find solutions to its major problems. It is the universities that have been to blame for developing the expertise to place men on the moon; for dealing with our urban problems and with our worsening environment; for developing the means to feed the world’s rapidly increasing population. The effort involved in meeting these demands presents its own problems. In addition, however, this concentration on the creation of new knowledge significantly impinges on the universities’ efforts to perform their other principal functions, the transmission and interpretation of knowledge-the imparting of the heritage of the past and the preparing of the next generation to carry it forward.
With regard to this, perhaps their most traditionally acknowledged task, college and universities today find themselves in a serious situation. On one hand, there is the American commitment, especially since World War Ⅱ, to provide higher education for all young people who can profit from it. The result of the commitment has been a dramatic rise in enrollments(登记入学) in our universities, coupled with a striking shift from the private to the public sector of higher education.
On the other hand, there are serious and continuing limitations on the resources available for higher education. While higher education has become a great ”growth industry“, it is also at the same time a tremendous drain(耗竭) on the resources of the nation. With the vast increase in enrollment and the shift in priorities away from education in state and federal(联邦的) budgets, there is in most of our public institutions a significant decrease in expenses for their students. One crucial aspect of this drain on resources lies in the persistent shortage of trained faculty(全体教师), which has led, in turn, to a declining standard of competence in instruction.
Intensifying these difficulties is, as indicated above, the concern with research, with its increasing claims on resources and the attention of the faculty. In addition, there is a strong tendency for the institutions’ organization and functioning to fulfill the demands of research rather than those of teaching.
1. According to Paragraph 1, what should be the most important function of American universities?| A．Sparing no effort to create new knowledge for students. |
| B．Enhancing students’ competence of tackling social problems. |
| C．Making experts on advanced industries out of their students. |
| D．Preparing their students to transmit the knowledge of the past. |
| A．more students and less investment | B．education quality and economic profit |
| C．low enrollment rate and high education demand | D．private ownership and American commitment |
| A．many public institutions have to cut down enrollments of students |
| B．teachers are not competent enough to perform satisfactorily in class |
| C．some institutions are forced to reduce the total expenses on research |
| D．there is keen competition for resources between public and private institutions |
| A．The improper distribution of American universities’ resources. |
| B．The increasing argument over American universities’ primary task. |
| C．The inability of American universities’ organization and fulfillment. |
| D．The growing focus on American universities’ function of research. |
2 . Have you ever wondered what happens to your mobile phones and laptops after you throw them out to make way for a newer model? According to its latest Global E-Waste Monitor, India is the third top producer of e-waste in the world. E-waste in Indian landfill goes on to pollute soil and groundwater, affecting food supply systems and water sources.
Thankfully, the country has a new group of artists who are changing these thrown mechanical items-from mobile phones to old televisions- into large murals (壁画) and artworks to creatively show their concern for the waste problem.
Over the past quarter of a century, Mumbai’s Haribaabu Naatesan has transformed hundreds of tonnes of e-waste into art, integrating elements from nature and industry. “I get my waste material from friends, relatives and neighbours who know my interest in e-art and send me bags of thrown electronic appliances,” says Naatesan. Over his career, he has created huge murals for several companies. He has also showed his work at the India Art Fair, as well as several other national displays.
Another artist Vishwanath Davangere has also long worked with e-waste. He likes to take apart old laptops and reassemble (重新组装) them into birds, animals and plants. After retirement, he started pursuing this hobby more seriously and started selling his creations across the world. His most outstanding works include a robotic Egyptian statue with glowing red eyes and a Milky Way made from keyboard keys. He hopes to enable others to reconsider their own consumption habits and make more environmentally conscious choices.
“By giving e-waste a second chance, I aim to raise awareness about the environmental impact of electronic waste.” says Davangare, who today has a collection of more than 600 eco-art objects.
1. Why do the artists create artworks from E-waste?| A．To promote their artistic career. | B．To update electronic appliances. |
| C．To make profits for several companies. | D．To express their environmental concern. |
| A．His creations are displayed globally. | B．He gains support from people around. |
| C．He has been creating e-art for 10 years. | D．His works integrate technology and history. |
| A．Reliable. | B．Confident. | C．Devoted. | D．Generous. |
| A．E-waste Recycling Sweeping the World | B．Environmental Problems Worrying Indians |
| C．An Art Movement Turning Trash into Cash | D．Indian Creatives Transforming E-waste into Art |
3 . Released on Aug 30, a three-episode web series titled Escape From the British Museum has gone viral online for its touching and innovative narrative (叙事). The series follows the journey home of a Chinese jade teapot that has come to life as a girl. She runs away from the British Museum and comes across a Chinese journalist who helps the artifact return to China. The series, created by two Chinese vloggers, aims to raise broader awareness of Chinese artifacts that were stolen or looted (掠夺) from China and are displayed or stored in the British Museum.
The video series echoes the Chinese people’s call for the British Museum to return these Chinese artifacts. However, some UK media outlets said that the video series promotes nationalism (民族主义). In fact, every country whose artifacts are displayed or stored in the British Museum wants them back. These countries, such as Greece, Nigeria and Sudan, have already issued their demands for the return of artifacts. It’s fair enough to say these demands are shared. They can correct centuries-old wrongs by having the UK return artifacts to their rightful homes.
An opinion in the UK newspaper The Telegraph said that if the British Museum gives back its collection of artifacts, then nationalism will win over humanity’s common heritage. It also said that the artifacts were “lawfully acquired (合法取得)” by the UK. By “lawfully acquired”, does the writer mean the artifacts were acquired with the “help” of machine guns and warships? Or does he mean that the cultural artifacts of African, Asian and American countries should be kept in the hands of looters, rather than in their land of origin?
1. What is the video series Escape from the British Museum mainly about?| A．Cultural artifacts looted by the UK. |
| B．Hidden dangers in the British Museum. |
| C．The arguments about the British museum. |
| D．The journey of a Chinese artifact coming home. |
| A．Protests against UK’s nationalism. |
| B．The beauty of Chinese cultural artifacts. |
| C．The desire of stolen artifacts to be returned. |
| D．Efforts made by Chinese activists to get artifacts back. |
| A．To show the UK did something wrong in the past. |
| B．To stress China’s demands are shared by many countries. |
| C．To emphasize former colonized countries have grown stronger. |
| D．To highlight diverse artifacts are housed in the British Museum. |
| A．It’s totally unacceptable. | B．It’s a little bit reasonable. |
| C．It lacks enough evidence. | D．It shows the writer’s ignorance. |
4 . With such a wide range of platforms and devices available to the everyday reader, the physical book, while not yet extinct, may end up going that way. Why?
With a rapid increase in digital reading platforms, reading is no longer a common problem for bookworms.
Readers can also carry around their favourite books within an e-reader. Common examples include the Amazon Kindle, Onyx Boox, and PocketBook. These hand-held devices offer fantastic portability, readability and variety.
Social media has had a great effect on our reading habits. It governs our daily life. With physical books no longer a key form of entertainment for children, it has been replaced with digital alternatives. Social media and video games have replaced the ways in which we traditionally read and tell stories.
As is known to us all, technology has changed the ways in which we read at home as well as in the classroom.
| A．There are a number of apps out there. |
| B．Books and lessons are delivered online. |
| C．We are still reading but just in a different way. |
| D．Lots of people find it difficult to fit reading into their daily routine. |
| E．Some e-readers also allow users to access the Internet for various purposes. |
| F．There’s nothing worse than realizing you have forgotten your favourite book. |
| G．Here are some ways technology has transformed our reading habits in recent years. |
5 . For even the most city citizens, a quick escape into nature is always a welcome breath of fresh air. Try looking for an urban garden nearby — they often hide themselves just around the corner. Click here to know more of the coolest gardens in cities around the world.
Sky Garden
As London’s highest public garden, this social space offers splendid 360-degree views of the city. With a restaurant, observation decks and beautiful plant life, there is something for everyone in this city-center escape from urban life.
The BeltLine
In a massive, 22-mile loop (环线) around the city, the BeltLine connects many Atlanta neighborhoods with parks, trails, restaurants and art shows. Although it is still under construction, the sections that are open to the public act as alternative space to enjoy the outdoors.
Jardins de Rubió i Lluch
This walled, shady garden is in the courtyard of the historic Hospital de la Santa Creu. Decorated with lilac and mandarin trees — and string lights in the evenings — this small garden square is the perfect place to sip a coffee away from Barcelona’s crowded atmosphere.
Dumbarton Oaks
The garden at this historic estate in Georgetown was listed as one of the 10 best gardens in the world by National Geographic in 2014. It has both a formal, carefully manicured (修剪整齐的) garden as well as a naturalistic garden — allowing visitors the ability to choose what they want to see.
1. Where is the passage taken from?| A．A magazine. | B．A website. | C．A newspaper. | D．A book. |
| A．Sky Garden. | B．The BeltLine. |
| C．Jardins de Rubió i Lluch. | D．Dumbarton Oaks. |
| A．They are all mixtures of entertainment and art. |
| B．They are all mixtures of urban and rural gardens. |
| C．They are all good places for people to get close to nature. |
| D．They are all quiet places for people to enjoy a relaxed dinner. |
6 . I live in Xizhou in Yunnan Province, on the historic Tea Horse Road. I have to admit that when I first heard that Paul Salopek was going to walk the entire globe on his own two feet, I was blown away. I couldn’t imagine that there could be such an unusual person in the world.
Last May, I met Paul. He told me that it was his first time in China. He talked to me with great excitement about the history, migrations, and discoveries in my region of China. He spoke of the Shu-Yandu Dao (the Southern Silk Road), the travels of the 17th-century Chinese explorer Xu Xiake, the Tea Horse Road and the early 20th-century American botanist Joseph Rock. He also talked of Xuanzang. Paul considered many of them heroes and in a sense Chinese pioneers of slow journalism.
I decided to accompany Paul on his walk toward Yunnan. On September 28, 2021, we set out. Our days were simple: walk, eat, sleep, and repeat. We woke up at sunrise, set off in high spirits, and rested at sunset, dragging ourselves into exhausted sleep.
We met many people on the road. Some were curious, surrounding us and watching us; some gave us directions; some invited us into their home to take a rest; some spoke of the charm of their hometown. We met many beautiful souls, simple souls and warm souls. We were walking with our minds.
Together, we were impressed by the biodiversity of the Gaoligong Mountains. As I walked on ancient paths through mountains, I seemed to hear the antique voices of past travelers urging me to be careful on the road.
Looking back on the more than 200 miles I walked with Paul, I came to a realization. Walking for its own sake, while healthy and admirable, is only a small part of the benefit of moving with our feet. A deeper reward is rediscovering the world around us, shortening the distance between each other, and sharing each other’s cultures.
1. How did the writer first respond to Paul’s travel plan?| A．Scared. | B．Puzzled. |
| C．Disappointed. | D．Surprised. |
| A．He was a western journalist. | B．He had a knowledge of China. |
| C．He came to China several times. | D．He was Joseph Rock’s acquaintance. |
| A．They honored the ancestors. | B．They set off in high spirits. |
| C．They satisfied the locals’ curiosity. | D．They built bonds with people. |
| A．To share and reflect on a journey. | B．To suggest a new way of travel. |
| C．To advocate protection of biodiversity. | D．To introduce and promote Chinese culture. |
7 . Directed by the AFM private company, National University of Science and Technology(NUST)MISIS engineers, together with the Karfidov Lab design group, have invented a machine named Salatomat that could serve meals to users in a very short time. The engineers say this machine cooks dishes from vegetables and cereals(谷物)in 30-60 seconds, so it can produce between 150 and 500 meals per day.
The cooking machine contains 16 basic ingredients-vegetables, cereals, potatoes, noodles-and 20 dressings and toppings. With this set, Salatomat can cook up to 1, 000 different dishes, with the user able to make a personal choice of products. These dishes are especially fit for those who live a healthy lifestyle or have some health problems.
“The machine has its own ‘brain’. It can remember users’ choices and medical history. And it knows what is in it and what it can produce with the help of the RFID chip,” said Aleksey Karfidov, head of the department of technological equipment engineering at NUST MISIS.
“The process begins with the preparation of products -putting ingredients into the robot, cutting vegetables, and controlling the temperature (cooling or heating, depending on the dish),” said Aleksey Karfidov. According to the developers, the robot is able to ensure the safety of food and quick preparation of well-balanced meals. The machine will also be completely non-contact-all cooking steps are carried out by itself.
All ingredients inside Salatomat are put into clean containers. Ingredients can be stored in the containers for eight hours at most, and if not used, they must be removed and cleaned.
1. What is Salatomat designed to do?| A．Store different foods. | B．Help prepare meals. |
| C．Wash the dishes. | D．Grow vegetables. |
| A．It’s smart. | B．It’s unworkable. | C．It’s expensive. | D．It’s space-saving. |
| A．The way Salatomat works. | B．The change Salatomat brings. |
| C．The cost of buying ingredients. | D．The importance of food safety. |
| A．Clean it up after each use. |
| B．Mix everything together before it works. |
| C．Keep a close eye on its temperature. |
| D．Take out its ingredients stored over eight hours. |
8 . Two weeks ago, a 5-year-old girl named Sunshine Oelfke emptied out her piggy bank (存钱罐) onto the living room floor and immediately started counting. Her grandmother, Jackie Oelfke, thought she was playing as she carefully lined up the coins, but then she saw the girl put the coins into a plastic bag and place it in her backpack.
“What are you doing with that money?” Jackie asked her granddaughter.
“I’m taking it to school,” Sunshine replied. “I’m going to take it for milk money. My friend Layla doesn’t get milk— her mom doesn’t have milk money and I do.”
Jackie’s heart melted at Sunshine’s words. Choked with strong feelings, Jackie held her sweet granddaughter tightly in her arms.
Last week, Jackie and Sunshine met with her teacher, Rita Hausher, and handed her the $30 the kindergartner had saved. There are 20 kids in Sunshine’s class and about half don’t get milk. It costs $ 0.45 a carton (纸盒). The total adds up to about $180 a month for every child in the class to have milk every day.
After dropping Sunshine off at school, Jackie posted a tearful video on Facebook to explain her granddaughter’s plan. To her surprise, many people offered to donate toward the cause. Within a week, Jackie raised more than $1,000. Now every student in Sunshine’s class can get free milk for the rest of the year.
Jackie said Sunshine doesn’t see her kind act as a big deal. She was just trying to look out for her friends. “She doesn’t understand the effect she’s brought about,” Jackie said. “But now she knows she can do whatever she puts her mind to.”
1. Why did Sunshine empty her piggy bank?| A．She hoped to show off her savings in class. | B．She needed to train her counting skills. |
| C．She wanted to play with the coins. | D．She intended to pay for her friend’s milk. |
| A．Relieved. | B．Touched. | C．Curious. | D．Proud. |
| A．Two heads are better than one. | B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. | D．There’s no such thing as a free lunch. |
| A．Small Coins, Big Changes. | B．Jackie’s Piggy Bank. |
| C．Piggy Bank and Carton Milk. | D．A Moved Grandmother. |
9 . When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.
Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note — “Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery” — and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically (魔术般) appear.
All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn’t freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.
There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk, thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete. Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practical to have a delivery service.
Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories. I took it home and planted it on the back porch (门廊) . Every so often my son’s friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.
1. Mr. Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer to __________.| A．show his magical power | B．pay for the delivery |
| C．satisfy his curiosity | D．please his mother |
| A．He wanted to have tea there. | B．He was a respectable person. |
| C．He was treated as a family member. | D．He was fully trusted by the family. |
| A．Nobody wants to be a milkman now. | B．It has been driven out of the market. |
| C．Its service is getting poor. | D．It is not allowed by law. |
| A．He missed the good old days. | B．He wanted to tell interesting stories. |
| C．He needed it for his milk bottles. | D．He planted flowers in it. |
10 . WHEN KIM JI-UN lived in Seoul, she worried about finding a good job. Now, she is worried that drought may ruin her crop. The 23-year-old started a farm last year. Her first harvest was a success; she was surprised that her black beans did better than her strawberries.
Ms Kim is part of a phenomenon called kwichon, or returning to rural life. Created a millennium ago, kwichon appears during periods of economic hardship. This time, in the wake of the pandemic, many new farmers have never lived in the countryside before. By planting young farmers in rural areas, the government hopes to enjoy big rewards in future.
The plan is working. In 2021 nearly 380, 000 people moved to the countryside. Comfort with digital technology gives young farmers a leg up, says Cho Kyung-ik, the director of the Beginning Farmer’s Centre, an institution educating those who wish to kwichon at its downtown offices. They sell fresh produce on Naver, South Korea’s largest search engine.
The centre teaches techniques like how to use a tractor or select the best crops. It arranges a trial period during which ambitious farmers work under the guidance of an old hand, learning what it means to do back-breaking labour from dawn to dusk.
The most important lesson is how to get on with the locals. The villagers are also offered tips on how to act towards the newcomers. That part is not yet a total success. Ms Kim says her neighbors have a bad temper. “The old people come in here and give me unwanted advice, or say that I will never be able to grow anything,” she says. Her black beans beg to differ. She and the South Korean government will be hoping that her crops put the argument to rest for good.
1. Why does the writer tell Ms Kim’s story?| A．To explain a solution. | B．To introduce a topic. |
| C．To start a discussion. | D．To make a comparison. |
| A．A helping hand. | B．A new identity. |
| C．A big reward. | D．A different idea. |
| A．Farming techniques. | B．Hard work. |
| C．Communicative skills. | D．Unwanted advice. |
| A．Farming makes huge profits. | B．Locals need technical training. |
| C．It helps to bring rural areas back to life. | D．Government should help farmers. |
