1 . Coming upon a clear - cut in an old forest is a shocking experience. Tees large and small are collapsed one above the other in pile, and the ground is covered with the tracks of heavy machinery. Such was the scene when forest activist Zack Porter and I hiked a newly built logging (伐木) road in Green Mountain National Forest.
Clear - cutting in the American forests has long been widespread. But now, the Forest Habitat Creation Project represents new reasoning which is hotly debated - that clear - cutting benefits native creatures. The thinking is that clear - cutting done wisely can mimic natural disturbances, for example, from insect invasions or from storms overturning older trees that produce what ecologists call Early Successional Habitats - places where young trees and bushes get the upper hand and animals that depend on such habitat thrive.
The project also states that forests “can only be saved by being destroyed” - by keeping them young. Timber (木材) interests are enthusiastic about the approach because it lets them profit from cutting trees while claiming the significance of conservation. Hunting groups favor it because a younger, less thick forest makes it easier to find the game and birds they're tracking.
Nevertheless, Porter says, “Allowing some of the oldest standing trees in New England to be removed is equal to dereliction of duty on the part of the government, who sees the forests as commodities (商品).” “Forests can produce clean water, clean air, carbon storage, and biodiversity that we need,” he continues as we walk among lovely mixed hardwoods and evergreens that are cut down for logging. “We shouldn't be removing them for short - term gain.”
In this sense, Zack Porter's description of logging for wildlife for short - term gain - the short - term gain of favoring habitat for species people today want to see and hunt - is reasonable.
1. How does the author start the text?| A．By presenting some ideas. | B．By listing some evidence. |
| C．By comparing different views. | D．By stating his own experience. |
| A．Profits can be made from logging. |
| B．Clear - cutting is beneficial to the wildlife. |
| C．The conservation of forest is of significance. |
| D．Clear - cutting can cause natural disturbances. |
| A．Fulfillment. | B．Promise. | C．Misconduct. | D．Exposure. |
| A．A New Approach to Forest Protection |
| B．A Hiking Experience in the Logging Road |
| C．How to Build Early Successional Habitats? |
| D．Is Clear - cutting Forests Good for Wildlife? |
2 . According to a new US study, couples who expect their children to look after them in old age should hope they have daughters because daughters are twice as loving as sons generally.
The research by Angelina Grigoryeva, from Princeton University, found that, while women provide as much care for their elderly parents as they can manage, men do as little as they can get away with and often leave it to female family members.
Her analysis of the family networks of 26, 000 old Americans concluded that gender （性别）is one of the most important things that decide whether or not people will actively care for their elderly parents.
In a paper presented at the annual conference of the American Sociological Association in San Francisco, she concludes that simply having a sister makes men likely provide less care. Using data from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, a study which has been recording those people over 50s for the last decade, she analyzed that women provide an average of 12. 3 hours a month of care for elderly parents while men offer only 5. 6 hours.
“Sons reduce their relative caregiving efforts when they have a sister, while daughters increase theirs when they have a brother.”
“This suggests that sons pass on parent caregiving responsibilities to their sisters.”
In the UK, the 2011 Census showed that there are now around 6.5 million people with caring responsibilities, a figure which has risen by a tenth in a decade.
But many are doing so at the risk of their health. The census showed that those who provide 50 hours or more of care a week while trying to hold down a fulltime job are three times more likely to be struggling with ill health than their working counterparts who are not carers.
1. According to the passage, what’s the key factor to decide if people will actively care for the old?| A．Education. | B．Gender. | C．Career. | D．Income. |
| A．having a sister makes men less likely to look after their parents |
| B．sons are twice as likely as daughters to care for parents in old age |
| C．sons are unwilling to leave caregiving responsibilities to their sisters |
| D．sons and daughters seem to give equal care to their parents |
| A．People should give up their jobs to care for the elderly. |
| B．Many care providers work longer hours than others. |
| C．Many care providers have potential health problems. |
| D．People shouldn’t pass on caring responsibilities to others. |
| A．explaining social networks of careers |
| B．describing people’s experiences |
| C．analyzing various researches and data |
| D．comparing different gender |
3 . With holiday greenery, colorful lights, and outdoor fun like ice skating, winter can be a magical season. Whether looking forward to skiing or snowboarding or hoping to escape to warmer climates, you can have a good choice among the top East Coast winter destinations we recommend here.
Stowe, Vermont
Head to the town, known as the Ski Capital of the East, for skiing and other winter activities. You can also choose a car ride to the peak before dining on typical American foods. Take a break and enjoy sweet treats or beer produced here. Need a souvenir? Stop into Stowe Maple Products for it.
Kennebunkport, Maine
It is perfect for a romantic or adventure-packed weekend trip. In December, the town hosts an 11-day Christmas Pre-celebration, complete with a fantastic holiday tree. You can visit the Portland Museum of Art.
Miami, Florida
Looking for an urban beach trip? Head to Miami, where the weather is warm and the city offers everything from sandy beaches, eye-popping architecture to the national park. You can hike or walk through mangroves (红树林) to spot local wildlife like seals and dolphins.
Lake Placid, NY
Host of the 1931 and 1980 Winter Olympics, this classical village is still a center for winter sports. There are photographs and medals from the city’s games. Enjoy dinner with a view of the lake at the Top of the Park, which serves small plates as well as main dishes.
After making your choice, please click here to fill in the form and we’ll offer you the best plan for your dreamy holiday.
1. Which destination shows a festival atmosphere in December?| A．Stowe, Vermont. | B．Kennebunkport, Maine. |
| C．Miami, Florida. | D．Lake Placid, NY. |
| A．Nature lovers. | B．Driving enthusiasts, |
| C．Skiers. | D．Athletes. |
| A．Its classical village. | B．Its dinners with various dishes. |
| C．Its good view of the lake. | D．Its fame for hosting world games. |
4 . In the UK, there is a popular route for cyclists: the road from Land’s End in England to John O’Groats in Scotland, about 874 miles long. It covers almost the full length of Great Britain. The 12-year-old boy named Laurence Chandler became the youngest cyclist to finish the route.
Chandler took 20 days to finish the challenge. Each day, he cycled between 40 to 60 miles. He spent six hours on his mountain bike daily. Chandler had to push through rainy and windy days. Cycling uphill was also hard. “It was much harder than I thought. I wasn’t expecting so many hills and how busy the roads were,” Chandler said. “But if you put your mind to anything, then no matter how big, you can do it.”
Chandler first thought of trying the route when he read an article about it two years ago. Later, as his father’s 50th birthday came around, he decided to go for it. He was already used to cycling around his village and to school before starting his journey.
During his ride, Chandler raised 600 pounds for Smile Train, a children’s organization that pays for treatment for children in developing countries who have deft lips (兔唇).
1. What do we know about Laurence Chandler?| A．He is a cycling lover. | B．He is fond of reading. |
| C．He cycled through England. | D．He is a green hand in cycling. |
| A．Chandler was challenged by the trip. |
| B．Few people chose to cycle the route. |
| C．The journey was really disappointing. |
| D．Chandler rode the same distance every day. |
| A．A related article. | B．The voluntary work. |
| C．His father’s birthday. | D．The disabled children. |
| A．A teenager finishing a great trip |
| B．A popular cycling route in the UK |
| C．A road leading England to Scotland |
| D．A children’s organization for cyclists |
5 . Josh Morrison, 17, dreamed of raising $100,000 to build a home for a low-income family. After years of hard work, his dream has come true. The house is now in the early stages of building.
Six years ago, Josh and his dad went into the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a home improvement store and donation center run by the nonprofit organization. They were there to buy a sink. Josh, then 11, also noticed a collection of pennies. “I instantly felt the urge to help with that,” he said. Josh set a fund-raising deadline of four years. Many people doubted whether he could reach his goal of $100,000, but it didn’t shake his faith. He devoted his time to raising money at his school and other nearby schools. He collected money from neighbours, got publicity from local newspapers, and placed cans in stores so that people could donate extra change.
Josh’s fund-raising efforts began to produce results. Still, there were challenges. Four months before his deadline, he was $ 30,000 short. He decided to hold a Family Fun Fair and Spaghetti Dinner event in Uxbridge, which is in the province of Ontario. The event raised $19,000.
“I didn’t care how long it took me,” said Josh. “I would raise $100,000.” With three weeks left, a company called Josh’s house and offered to donate $18,000. Eventually, Josh reached a total of $134, 000 before the deadline. “The momentum just kept going, and we decided to do more,” he said. “Josh’s Penny House” is being built by Habitat for Humanity in the city of Oshawa, along with 24 new town houses. Josh has helped with some construction, as have other volunteers. He will choose the family that moves into the unit.
Next year, the 17-year-old kid will head to college in British Columbia, Canada’s westernmost province. As an11-year-old kid when starting fund-raising, Josh was able to send a powerful message across the world. No matter how old you are, if you have a dream and are willing to do anything to achieve it, it can come true.
1. Which word can best describe Josh Morrison in Paragraph 2?| A．Cautious | B．Straightforward | C．Open-minded | D．Determined |
| A．To attain his goal. | B．To call for more attention. |
| C．To win approval from the locals. | D．To find sponsors for a family. |
| A．He received continuous donations. | B．His project became more popular. |
| C．He got more support from his family. | D．The result was beyond expectations. |
| A．Kindness from a Company | B．The Penny House Dream |
| C．A Fund-raising Campaign | D．A Boy with a Warm Heart |
6 . Joe Clark was a non-traditional high school principal, whose unusual way of carrying out rules became the subject of a 1989 Hollywood movie. He gained national attention for his leadership at Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey.
“You are not inferior.” is what Clark would often tell his students, many of whom were African American or Latino. They grew up in a difficult environment and faced violence, drugs and troubled family life which could prevent them from succeeding in school and in life.
Before becoming an educator, Clark served in the U.S. Amy Reserve. His experience might have influenced how he ran his school. He was known to walk around with a bull horn and a baseball bat. In Clark's first days of working, he expelled 300 students for breaking school rules. The students who remained at school believed that higher expectations were being placed on them. They felt more pressure to perform better.
Some praised his efforts at discipline while others criticized his methods. President Ronald Reagan offered Clark a White House policy adviser position after his success at the high school. In 1988, one teacher, said his methods were more like being in a labor camp than a public high school. In 1989, actor Morgan Freeman played Clark in the movie “Lean on Me.” That movie was based on Clark's experiences at Eastside. “Joe was a father figure to school kid,” Freeman said. “He was the best of the best in terms of education.” Recently, one of Joe Clark's former students, Thomas McEntyre said, “I never really got a chance to... thank him. We are your product. You did not fail us. No matter whether you kicked me out, you did not fail me. You bettered me."
After he retired from Eastside in 1989, Clark wrote a book called “Laying Down the Law: Joe Clark's Strategy for Saving Our Schools.” He described how he managed to turn Eastside High from a failing school into a success.
1. By saying “You are not inferior” to his students, Joe Clark meant to_________.| A．make the students face the reality | B．lead the students to accept themselves |
| C．press the students not to make mistakes | D．encourage the students to better themselves |
| A．Drew out. | B．Kicked out. | C．Brought out. | D．Smoothed out. |
| A．The president | B．One teacher. | C．Morgan Freeman. | D．Thomas McEntyre. |
| A．Tough and unique. | B．Demanding and humorous. |
| C．Kind and considerate. | D．Well-meaning and professional. |
7 . At the foot of the Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang, a homestay (民宿) is attracting travelers from far and wide, which has won architectural medal at the 2021 German iF Design Awards.
The owners of the homestay are a couple in their late 30s who decided to return to their hometown three years ago. Li Xiumei used to be in charge of a division at a company in Hangzhou, and her husband was a sales director. It was an ordinary situation where Li’s husband was on business trips a lot and Li still worked on weekends. City life sometimes is not easy.
In 2018, they quit jobs and went back to Dongtianmu village, which lies in a forest of bamboo. The first time they drove into the village was one late afternoon. The cooking smoke was rising from the foot of the mountain, which gave them a very different feeling from the city.
The homestay was built beside her husband’s old countryside house. The old house is preserved (保留), while a brand-new building was built on its side and the whole site is made up of four courtyards. It has been updated to have a hall, a tea room, a kitchen, a dining room. Japanese cherry trees are planted in the east courtyard. A swimming pool is placed in the west courtyard, with a bar located on one side.
Li and her husband love gardening and music, and their new home gives them enough space to continue their interests and relax in the heart of nature. Li wants to share the quiet country life, so she makes her new home a homestay. In 2019, the homestay became an online hit after guests shared their experiences on social media. “The longer I stay here, the more I feel it was the right choice to come back, and this is more meaningful than making money,” Li says.
1. How did Li feel about city life?| A．Satisfied. | B．Noisy. | C．Attractive. | D．Tired |
| A．The forest of bamboo. | B．The smoke of cooking. |
| C．The fresh air in the village. | D．The feeling of loneliness. |
| A．It is ancient and broken. | B．It can hold many guests. |
| C．It must have been carefully designed. | D．It has been rebuilt by the couple. |
| A．Continuing their music dream. | B．Living in the countryside. |
| C．Staying at the old house. | D．Developing a city. |
8 . Are you a book lover? Here are some of the hottest books of the season.
The One Thing You’d Save
The One Thing You’d Save is about a homework assignment. Ms. Chang has students choose what they’d save if their home was on fire. Some choose baseball cards or animal toys. One picks a sweater that was passed down for generations. Another chooses a box of memories about a sister who died. This book helps readers learn to figure out what matters most in life.
War and Millie McGonigle
It’s 1941. Millie McGonigle, a 12-year-old girl, was supposed to be living a carefree life. However, she lives in the shadow of World War Ⅱ. War and Millie McGonigle is an inspiring story that tackles the topic of life and death. The story line is driven by vivid characters and their relationships. The interaction between Millie and her little sister, Lily, mirrors the real-life sibling (兄妹) relationships in many families.
Simon B. Rhymin’
Simon is starting fifth grade and hopes to become a famous singer. But he’s shy about using his voice to express his ideas and thoughts. When a teacher asks the class to give an oral presentation, Simon must find the strength to change and overcome his fears. Simon B. Rhymin’ is a book that gives confidence to readers who are going through similar struggles.
Rez Dogs
Rez Dog is a book about an eighth grader named Malian. She’s visiting her grandparents on a Wabanaki reservation when COVID-19 hits. To stay safe, Malian has to stay away from school” and her friends. Many kids will understand this tough situation. During the lockdown, Malian learns to think about what other people have gone through and how they are feeling during the pandemic (疫情).
1. How can The One Thing You’d Save influence us?| A．It gets us to preserve sweet family memories. |
| B．We may find it essential to ensure home safety. |
| C．We will try our best to improve our academic performance. |
| D．It reminds us to discover what we should treasure most in life. |
| A．They are both inspirational stories. |
| B．They are both set in cruel war times. |
| C．They both reflect character weaknesses. |
| D．They both involve principles of survival. |
| A．The One Thing You’d Save. | B．War and Millie McGonigle. |
| C．Simon B. Rhymin’. | D．Rez Dogs. |
9 . Almost all of us are guilty of spending too much time on our devices so we don't have enough time to enjoy the world around us. We know that little bit of truth might be hard to take in and you might be thinking of shutting off your device now out of guilt.
●Set time out to physically lock your phone. One of the keys to cutting down your screen time is to be disciplined. Picking out a period of time each day to step away from your device is a great way to limit screen time.
●Monitor screen time reports on apple devices. On iPhones and other Apple devices, you may have noticed that a Weekly Screen Time Report is provided, which gives you the average hours you spend per day on your screen. It even shows you which apps you are using and how frequently you use them. Monitoring this will help you be aware of the amount of time you spend on your device.
●
| A．But wait and don't turn off your device yet! |
| B．Start managing your screen time more efficiently. |
| C．Discipline is a better key for you to lock your phone. |
| D．Most devices today have a “Do Not Disturb” setting. |
| E．Set a time limit for browsing through social media apps. |
| F．Reducing screen time will help you stay in a good mood. |
| G．It will help you better plan for spending less time on it as well. |
10 . Palawan is a must for the global traveller, with its charming scenery, untouched rainforests and world-class resorts(度假胜地). Palawan’s beaches simply have no equal, and there are scores of islands for the travelers to explore.
Diving
Divers troop to Palawan, which lies at the very heart of the Coral Triangle biodiversity corridor(走廊). The highlight is Tubbataha Reefs National Park, which is accessible only by live-aboard boat from late March to mid-June.
Island hopping
Top of most visitors’ lists is boarding a trusty speed boat and setting off to explore Palawan’s 1780 islands. Why not take a multiday journey, camping on remote islands under the stars, far removed from other tourists?
Beaches
The best part about Palawan’s glorious beaches? Only a few are known to the masses. The rest are yours for the taking. EI Nido has a seemingly endless supply of sandy sights. North of EI Nido, a rough road leads to Nacpan Beach. Way up north, the Calamian Islands are often ringed 360-degrees by blindingly white sand.
Jungle adventures
Close to 50% of Palawan’s old-growth forest cover remains untouched, by far the most among Philippine provinces. Naturalists can explore the rainforests in search of animals and birdwatchers migrate from around the globe to spot unusual bird species. Additionally, determined hikers can scale numerous peaks.
Palawan has always had a responsible attitude towards its environment. Against the destruction of coastal ecosystems and illegal logging and fishing, several award-wining resorts are leading the way toward a more sustainable future, mixing native design and low-carbon elements to create living spaces that will last. Ecotourism will play a role in determining the future of the islands.
1. What can a tourist enjoy in Palawan?| A．Watching the migration of birds in the rainforests. |
| B．Visiting Tubbataha Reefs National Park in July. |
| C．Getting exposed to all the beaches. |
| D．Exploring the faraway islands. |
| A．Climbers. | B．Skiers. |
| C．Biologists. | D．Divers. |
| A．Forbid fishing. | B．Protect ecosystems. |
| C．Log illegally. | D．Ignore the concept of low-carbon life. |
