1 . A farmer had a friend who was famous for growing wonderful apple trees.

One day, the farmer’s friend gave him a young apple tree and told him to take it home and plant it.

The farmer loved the gift. But when he got home, he did not know where to plant it. He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the apples. If he planted the tree in one of his fields, his neighbors would come at night and steal the apples. Finally, he planted the tree in his wood. Nobody could see it, but there was no sunlight in his wood. The tree soon died.

Later, the friend asked the farmer why he planted the tree in such a poor place. “What's the difference?” the farmer said angrily. “If I plant the tree near the road, strangers may steal the apples. If I plant the tree in one of my fields, my neighbors may come at night and steal the apples.”

“Yes,” said the friend, “but at least someone could enjoy the apples. Now no one could eat the apples, and the apple tree died! ”

1. The farmer’s friend was good at growing ________.

A．apple trees	B．orange trees
C．pear trees	D．banana trees

2. The farmer finally planted the tree ________.

A．near the road	B．in the field
C．in the wood	D．in the garden

3. The farmer’s friend ________ what the farmer did with the tree.

A．thought highly of	B．disagreed with
C．worried about	D．was surprised at

2 . Humans’ overconsumption of resources is a leading contributor to global climate change, says University of Arizona researcher Sabrina Helm. Therefore, it’s increasingly important to understand the choices consumers make and how those decisions affect the health of a planet with limited resources. In a new study, published in the journal Young Consumers, Helm and her colleagues explore how materialistic(物质享乐主义的) values influence pro-environmental behaviors in millennials, who are now the nation’s most influential group of consumers.

The researchers focused on two main categories of pro-environmental behaviors: reduced consumption, which includes actions like repairing instead of replacing older items; and “green buying,” or purchasing products designed to limit environmental impacts. The researchers also looked at how engaging in pro-environmental behaviors affects consumer well-being.

More materialistic participants, the researchers found, were unlikely to engage in reduced consumption. However, materialism did not seem to have an effect on their likelihood of practicing “green buying.” That’s probably because “green buying,” unlike reduced consumption, still offers a way for materialists to fulfill their desire to get new items, Helm said.

Study participants who reported having fewer materialistic values were much more likely to engage in reduced consumption. Consuming less was, in turn, linked to higher personal well-being and lower psychological suffering. Green buying—which may have some positive environmental effects, although to a smaller degree than reduced consumption—was not found to improve consumer well- being, Helm said.

The take-home message for consumers: “The key is to reduce consumption and not just buy green stuff. Having less and buying less can actually make us more satisfied and happier,” Helm said. “If you have a lot of stuff, you have a lot on your mind,” she said. “For example, it requires maintenance and there’s a lot of burdens of ownership, and if you relieve yourself of that burden of ownership, most people report feeling a lot better and freer.”

Understanding how materialistic values impact consumer behaviors, and how those behaviors in turn affect personal and environmental well-being, is important, Helm said. However, she acknowledges that for many consumers, shifting behaviors to be more financially proactive and consume less will be challenging.

1. What do we know about pro-environmental behaviors?

A．They are a cause of climate change.

B．They are categorized by purchasing preference.

C．They vary in different age groups.

D．They are affected by materialism.

2. It can be learned from Helm’s study that ________.

A．ownership of green products brings a sense of happiness

B．green buying helps control people’s desire to buy new items

C．materialists prefer practicing green buying to buying less

D．buying less and green buying have similar effects on people

3. According to the study, which of the following can improve one’s well-being?

A．Replacing older items.	B．Developing new resources.
C．Buying greener products.	D．Being careful with expenses.

4. What is Helm probably going to explain in the next paragraph?

A．When people develop proactive financial behaviors.

B．Why it is hard to change people’s financial behaviors.

C．Which financial behaviors lead to mental well-being.

D．How materialistic values influence financial behaviors.

3 . KQED is a Public Broadcasting Service station in California, US. The station is owned by Northern California Public Broadcasting. Some of its radio programs are as follows:

●The Cooler

As one of the most popular programs among young listeners, the Cooler is a podcast (博客) about pop culture stories and music, presented in a smart, fun and personal way. Come and join us on our journey.

Time: MON-THU, 8 pm—9 pm.

● Here & Now

A live production, in cooperation with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young

Time: MON-THU, 11am—1 pm

● Mind Shift

The Mind Shift podcast explores the innovations (创新) in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. They cover topics like how teachers are developing surprising methods to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts is helping kids develop reading skills.

Time: THU-SUN, 7 pm—9 pm

● Living on Earth

Living on Earth is a weekly news and information program about the world's changing environment, ecology, and human health. If there's something new about climate change, environmental politics or environmental quality and human health, you can count on Host Steve Curwood and the LOE public radio news team to keep you up to date.

Time: WED, 9 am—10 am

1. At what time can the audience enjoy pop culture stories?

A．Tuesday, 8 pm—9pm.	B．Wednesday, 9 am—10 am.
C．Friday, 8 pm—9pm.	D．Sunday, 7pm—9pm.

2. From which radio program can listeners pick up news at noon?

A．The Cooler.	B．Here & Now.
C．Mind Shift.	D．Living on Earth.

3. Which of these topics might be covered in Living on Earth?

A．Education policies.	B．Economic problems.
C．Human population.	D．Global warming.

4 . Although onions taste delicious, watering eyes come with the process when you cut them up. Thankfully, Good Housekeeping has suggested some tips to prevent yourself from crying while trying to cut up an onion．

According to the findings from the Institute, putting onions in a fridge 30 minutes before cutting can prevent the annoying hurt, as the cold stops tear-jerking (催泪的) gas from being produced.

Another way to reduce the gas released by the onion is to put it in water for a while. Good Housekeeping recommends:“ Cut the end off the onion and then put it straight into a bowl of water. The water will draw out the acid making you tear up less when you cut it.”

When an onion grows, it mixes with sulfur (硫) in the soil to create a special mineral acid. When the onion is cut into pieces, it reacts and creates a gas. As it reaches your face, this annoying gas causes the eyes to produce tears．

The root is where the gases are most concentrated, so it is recommended that this part of the onion be left on as you cut it to avoid uncomfortable eyes. Do this by cutting the vegetable in half down the middle to create a flat surface. Then, place the onion with its flat surface down and cut it towards the root．

Also, to reduce the gas’s effect on your eyes, cut it next to a window or near a fan so the gas is blown away from your face. And take care to use a sharp knife; this will make it easier to move through the vegetable, causing fewer cells to be broken and less gas to be released as a result．

1. Refrigerating the onion before cutting can      ．

A．change its taste

B．make it easier to cut up

C．avoid the appearing of the gas

D．help the gases mix more quickly

2. From the fourth paragraph, what happens when the onion is cut up？

A．Some acid mineral is lost．

B．The tear mixture is created．

C．The sulfur inside it pours out．

D．A chemical reaction produces a gas．

3. Where is this passage most probably taken from？

A．Health Column．

B．Science Journal.

C．Fashion Magazine．

D．Food Guidebook．

4. The main purpose of the text is to      ．

A．advise and explain

B．examine and analyze(分析)

C．argue and discuss

D．present and compare

5 . Lead has proved to be a useful metal.     1     It goes into car batteries and also helps make bright pigments, used to paint walls, metal work and toys.

    2     In the worst cases it causes comas（昏迷）and death. More often its effects are slow but harmful. Research shows that lead is a threat to little babies, who are most likely to take in dust and paint chips that contain lead. Their brains can be easily harmed.     3    

The dangers of lead have long been known. American banned it from paint 40 years ago, and by the late 1990s leaded petrol had been stopped gradually in almost all rich countries. But the effects continue to exist.     4     The situation is more alarming in the poor world, where the use of lead-based paints is spreading. As people in Asia and Africa become richer, they start to decorate their homes, but the paint they use, even from pots labeled "lead-free" often contains it.

It is neither difficult nor expensive to stop using lead.     5     And industrial use is no exception, because the contamination （污染物）spreads and industrial paint inevitably finds its way into the consumer market. Yet only four sub-Saharan African countries have formally placed bans and local factories are often unaware of the harm that lead causes.

A．Yet lead is also a poison.

B．It turns up everywhere.

C．All countries should ban lead in paint.

D．Half a million American children are diagnosed with lead poisoning.

E．There is no excuse for poor countries to repeat the mistake of rich ones.

F．Taking some simple precautions can help protect you and your family from lead exposure.

G．But only years after exposure are the results apparent in lower IQ and learning disabilities.

6 . Anecdotal evidence has long held that creativity in artists and writers can be associated with living in foreign parts. Rudyard Kipling, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, Paul Gauguin, Samuel Beckett and others spent years living abroad. Now a pair of psychologist has proven that there is indeed a link.

As they report in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, William Maddux of INSEAD, a business school in Fontainebleau, France, and Adam Galinsky, of the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago, presented 155 American business students and 55 foreign ones studying in America with a test used by psychologists as a measure of creativity Given a candle, some matches and a box of drawing pins, the students were asked to attach the candle to a cardboard wall so that no wax would drip on the floor when the candle was lit. (The solution is to use the box as a candleholder and fix it to the wall with the pin.) They found 60% of the students who were either living abroad or had spent some time doing so, solved the problem, whereas only 42% of those who had not lived abroad did so.

A follow-up study with 72 Americans and 36 foreigners explored their creative negotiating skills. Pairs of students were asked to play the role of seller of a petrol station who then needed to get a job and a buyer who would need to hire staff to run the business. The two were likely to reach a deadlock because the buyer had been told he could not afford what the seller was told was his minimum price. Nevertheless, when both negotiators had lived abroad 70 % struck a deal in which the seller was offered a management job at the petrol station in return for a lower asking price. When neither of the negotiators had lived abroad, none was able to reach a deal.

Merely travelling abroad, however, was not enough. You do have to live there. Packing your beach towel and suntan lotion will not, by itself make you Hemingway.

1. What is the purpose of mentioning the famous names in the opening paragraph?

A．To show the relationship between creativity and living abroad.

B．To indicate the link between artistic creation and life experience.

C．To emphasize how great these artists are.

D．To impress the importance of creativity.

2. What can be inferred from the text?

A．William Maddux and Adam Galinsky have carefully designed the test.

B．Negotiators who had lived abroad are more flexible in negotiating.

C．American business students are less creative than those oversea students.

D．One's creativity is associated with the length one has spent abroad.

3. What does the author mean in the last sentence of paragraph 4?

A．There exist sharp differences between travelling and living abroad.

B．You shouldn't lie on the beach when travelling.

C．Only real experience of living abroad can help drive creativity.

D．Living abroad is more meaningful than just travelling abroad.

4. Where is the text most likely from?

A．A diary.	B．A magazine.
C．A novel.	D．A guidebook.