1 . In autumn 2021, as leaders from across the globe gathered on Glasgow to talk about the impact of human-caused climate change, a group of artists, architects and researchers in Australia came a way to document the planet’ send by storing data in a massive metal stone in Tasmania. Known as Earth’s Black Box, the project, equal parts art installation and time capsule, aims to document the physical changes caused by global warming and humanity’s geopolitical response to them.
The installation’s name is a nod to a common aviation practice. The commercial airplane and private aircraft are equipped with a “black box”, a mechanism that automatically logs important flight details like altitude, airspeed and equipment functionality. These boxes, which are usually bright orange rather than black, are designed to withstand extreme temperatures as well as immense amounts of force and pressure. They are sometimes the only objects that survive a plane crash intact, allowing investigators to reconstruct a timeline of what went wrong in the aftermath.
Earth’s Black Box draws inspiration from these mechanisms. The vault (穹顶) will be made from specially designed, 3-inch-thick reinforced steel, chosen for its resistance to fire and water damage as well as its toughness and firmness. Along with the University of Tasmania and a collective of artists, an Australian communications firm plans to build the 33-foot-long vault in a remote part of western Tasmania. They chose the location for its relative geological and geopolitical stability. Unlike ar airplane’s flight recorder, however, Earth’s Black Box is not meant to withstand total planetary destruction. If Earth were to somehow explode, for instance, it probably wouldn’t survive. Instead, the artists and data scientists behind the project think of it as a way to log the progression of Earth’s current ecological collapse, which is already profoundly changing the environment.
“At its core, the box is intended to be a symbol of the disastrous situation we find our-selves in,” says Curtis, an expert on the project. “And more importantly, it’s intended to hold our leaders to account by being an unmissable structure that reminds them that their actions or inaction will be recorded for generations to come. ”
1. What is the purpose of Earth’s Black Box?| A．To keep a record. | B．To perform monitoring. |
| C．To handle downloads. | D．To make predictions. |
| A．Bright and colorful. | B．Inactive and disconnected. |
| C．Complete and undamaged. | D．Important and multifunctional. |
| A．Leaky, tough and firm. | B．Hot, breakable and explosive. |
| C．Damp, physically stable and eco-friendly. | D．Water-resistant, heat-resisting and solid. |
| A．Global Leaders Are Aiming at Global Warming |
| B．Human-caused Climate Change Is Having a Big Impact |
| C．Earth’s Black Box Warns of Its End Due to Climate Change |
| D．Earth’s Black Box Can Save Us from Disastrous Situations |
I opened the package containing individually wrapped Lego sets for my two boys from Lisa, who was a nurse in New Hampshire. We used to be total strangers, but an incident made us less strange.
Last August, we drove from our home in Washington, DC, to New Hampshire. It was just me, my husband, and our two kids out for a nice, safe, socially distanced week away.
We had hiked about half a mile to a popular spot called Diana’s Baths, where the water falls off a series of flat huge rocks like an M. C. Escher drawing. The baths were full of families, so we made our way to one of the upper levels of rock to keep our distance.
Both where we sat and down below, the water fell into small pools, where kids in swimsuits were splashing around. I watched as some younger parents nervously protected their toddlers away from the rocks edges, feeling grateful that I was out of that stage, for our kids, at six and eight, could navigate their physical space with more confidence. Don’t get me wrong: I was still terrified as I saw my two boys jump between the slippery rocks. But soon I relaxed and we were all having fun, splashing in the pools, my kids laughing as my husband swam under the cold running water. Then, seconds later, every fear I’d ever had rose to the surface.
I turned and saw my son Wyatt sitting down between two rocks in a fast-moving stream. I yelled at him to get out and he yelled back something that I couldn’t hear, and then he disappeared over the edge!
All I remember from the moments after is screaming, over and over! “Somebody help my son! ” I didn’t even know what help he needed, because I couldn’t force myself to look.
My husband was already sprinting down the rocks. I continued to scream for help. However, it did not work. Everyone else looked on from a distance, too afraid or unbothered to help.
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。
A brown-haired women with a mask was the only exception.
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The rescue team finally came and took Wyatt out of the park on a stretcher (担架).
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1.写邮件的目的；
2.简要介绍该社团；
3.推荐的理由。
注意：1.写作词数应为80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Steven,
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Yours,
Li Hua
Creative activities like baking contribute to a sense of well-being. When interviewed last week, Boston University professor of psychological and brain sciences Donna Pincus
Baking works wonder in focusing the mind because it often relies
Pincus indicates that the act of sharing your product benefits the body and soul. When the bread or cake
5 . Paul O’Sullivan sat around his Baltimore apartment one evening, feeling bored.
Many of his fellow Paul O’Sullivans ignored him, but a few felt too
Starting a band across different time zones
Life is hard sometimes. When you have an opportunity to generate
| A．Then | B．Still | C．Hardly | D．Even |
| A．tried out | B．switched on | C．took in | D．looked into |
| A．checked | B．sought | C．called | D．shared |
| A．escaping | B．flashing | C．removing | D．filling |
| A．suggestions | B．commands | C．requests | D．demands |
| A．cautious | B．sorry | C．curious | D．smart |
| A．As | B．If | C．Before | D．Until |
| A．founded | B．noticed | C．expected | D．searched |
| A．musicians | B．players | C．professionals | D．employees |
| A．In case | B．As if | C．What if | D．How come |
| A．Conditional | B．Faded | C．Limited | D．Pure |
| A．attempted | B．proved | C．failed | D．decided |
| A．release | B．imagine | C．exhibit | D．tune |
| A．suddenly | B．generally | C．frequently | D．eventually |
| A．luck | B．wealth | C．joy | D．work |
6 . Cyberbullying (网络霸凌) was already a problem before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. After the outbreak of the pandemic, lockdown and work-from-home orders were put into force, meaning people were having to spend even more of their time online.
Previously, more time online had been linked to an increased chance of a person participating in cyberbullying. Studies have shown that stress and anxiety have increased during the pandemic, both of which can lead to increases in the number of interactions that involve cyberbullying. Yet this phenomenon has actually decreased during the pandemic. The reason behind this could tell us how to better deal with this problem once we finally emerge from the pandemic.
One reason for the decline is that in-person interactions can fuel both online and in-person bullying. Bullying tends to start in free time, which doesn’t exist in the same way in online schooling. This suggests that if we focus prevention efforts on free time, it is likely that we will be able to stop both traditional forms of bullying, as well as that of cyberbullying.
Bullying rates aren’t fixed. When children feel nurtured and socially and emotionally safe, they bully less. During the pandemic, young people have been spending more time at home with their parents or carers. For some, this has probably provided feelings of safety — a positive effect well known to occur in times of disaster or crisis.
Positive relationships can also help reduce bullying. While it is undoubtedly true that some families have experienced interpersonal conflicts during the crisis, most households have been reporting positive increases in their feelings of unity and bonding among their family members. Studies have shown that children reported more positive feelings when asked about having to spend more time with their families. Keeping these positive relationships strong may also help prevent bullying in the future.
1. What led to more online time according to the passage?| A．Addiction to the Internet. | B．Development of technology. |
| C．Measures against the pandemic. | D．More participation in cyberbullying. |
| A．A close watch on young people. | B．A sense of safety found in study. |
| C．A good relationship with family. | D．A busy online schooling schedule. |
| A．By analyzing causes. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By making contrast. | D．By describing the process. |
| A．To show cyberbullying is a constant problem. |
| B．To explore possible solutions to cyberbullying. |
| C．To call on people to fight against cyberbullying. |
| D．To compare traditional bullying and cyberbullying. |
7 . Sometimes when we eat, what we’re hungry for isn’t food — it’s the taste of memory. Studies show that foods we think of as comfort foods don’t contain any magical properties. What might be comforting is the feeling of proximity (亲近) to other people associated with the foods.
Thoughts about comfort foods are often linked to calories, warmth or a sense of well-being, but what we don’t think about is that they also provide something social to us. People like comfort foods because of their ability to make them feel that they belong.
When Marcel Proust, author of Remembrance of Things Past, bit into a cake at his aunt’s house, he was overwhelmed by a feeling of nostalgia. Where had this “all-powerful joy ” come from? He sensed that it was connected to the taste of tea and cake, but it “ went far beyond” those flavors, he wrote. In Proust’s case, the taste he experienced took him back to childhood experiences with a beloved aunt, to whom he formed a strong bond.
Comfort foods are often thought of as being rich in calories or full of sugar. Nevertheless, other studies have also shown that the line between comfort and food isn’t as clear as “ junk food = happiness. ” Eating so-called junk food does activate the brain’s reward system, but that high is short-lived. It’s not the deep reward of real comfort. On the other hand, if you feel bad, you might as well have a salad, as long as there is something in the food to bring back pleasant memories and create a sense of belonging. Taste and smell, Proust wrote, “ stay fresh a long time. ”
1. How do comfort foods function?| A．They inspire a sense of belonging. | B．They are linked to all-powerful joy. |
| C．They provide the calories one needs. | D．They set off the brain’s reward system. |
| A．To express love for a special cake. | B．To share a good childhood memory. |
| C．To. show the nature of comfort foods. | D．To prove a popular belief about foods. |
| A．The less clear line between comfort and food. |
| B．The connection between junk food and happiness. |
| C．The difference between comfort foods and junk food. |
| D．The relationship between comfort foods and reward system. |
| A．A science report. | B．An advertisement. |
| C．A cooking guide. | D．A health magazine. |
8 . Crowing up in a village in eastern Nepal’s Bhojpur Mountains, Mira Rai had dreams that went far beyond the traditional expectations for Nepali women. The eldest daughter of five children, she was expected to fetch water, tend crops and livestock, and help out at home. By age 12, she no longer regularly attended school, and instead carried heavy bags of rice up and down steep trails — often barefoot — to trade at the market. It was hard work, but great training for a future trail runner.
“As a girl,” Rai recalls, “I would constantly be told to know my place, lower my voice, and act in a certain manner. For me, breaking free from these traditions itself was a big dream.”
Several years ago, Rai’s dream became reality. She was running outside Kathmandu when two male trail runners invited her to enter her first trail race, the Kathmandu West Valley Rim 50K. She had never run 50 kilometers before, had no special equipment or training for such a distance, and was also the only woman in the competition. But despite all difficulties, she beat everyone — even the men. From there, a community of runners came together to give her a chance to compete in international trail running competitions.
Today, the running world recognizes Rai as a high-altitude trail racing talent. Now she is on a mission to help both women and men of Nepal through sports. Rai believes her work to empower others has just begun. “We have realized that Nepal has tremendous potential to develop competitive athletes,” she says. Rai is blazing a trail, not just in terms of being able to speak nationally on gender equality, but also by getting young people into running.
1. What can we learn about Mira Rai?| A．She won her first victory easily. | B．She gave up chasing her dream. |
| C．She dropped out of school at 12. | D．She benefited from her early life. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. | C．Tolerant. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．She is pioneering in some areas. | B．She is fighting for Nepalese rights. |
| C．She is getting professional training. | D．She is setting new records in running. |
| A．A Defining Moment in Life | B．A Fate-changing Trail Race |
| C．A Fighter for Women’s Rights | D．A Dream-pursuing Sky Runner |
9 . Characterful and Affordable Places to Stay across France
Hotel Sainte Barbe, Le Conquet
Situated on rocks overlooking the beach in the cheerful town of Le Conquet, the Sainte Barbe isn’t your usual seaside hotel. Transformed from an abandoned building in 2006, it is now a bright and modern resort. Every one of its 34 rooms has a sea view. There’s a small indoor pool and spa, a very good restaurant and a huge rooftop bar from which to gaze upon the Iroise Sea.
●Doubles €110, hotelsaintebarbe.com
Les Charmettes, Saint Malo
Sea views don’t get much better than those from Les Charmettes, a friendly hotel set in two 19th-century villas on the Saint Malo seafront overlooking Rochebonne beach. The 16 cosy bedrooms are individually decorated with fashionable wallpaper and have sea view. The hotel makes a great base for exploring the town of Saint Malo.
●Doubles €74, sawdays.co.uk
La Ferme de Marie-Eugénie, Louhans
If the way to your heart is via your stomach, you will love La Ferme de Marie-Eugénie, where the hostess treats guests to delicious dishes made with Louhans’ seasonal produce. In an 18th-century farmhouse, her guesthouse offers four bright, stylish rooms overlooking the garden and cornfields.
●Doubles €135, lafermedemarieeugenie.fr
La Chouette Cabane. Craon
On a huge site dotted with ponds and surrounded by woods and fields of sunflowers, the three tree houses are great for families and couples. Each tree house has its own deck and they are all far enough apart for guests to feel as though they have the site to themselves, with just the birds for company. Kids will love the on-site farm, with goats and donkeys to feed, and guests can also go fishing or hire bicycles to explore the lovely surrounding countryside.
●Treehouses €150, chouettecabane.fr
1. What do Hotel Sainte Barbe and Les Charmettes have in common?| A．They offer the beautiful sea view. | B．They are transformed from villas. |
| C．They are the bases for exploration. | D．They can guarantee guests privacy. |
| A．Hotel Sainte Barbe, Le Conquet. | B．Les Charmettes, Saint Malo. |
| C．La Ferme de Marie-Eugenie, Louhans. | D．La Chouette Cabane, Craon. |
| A．€74. | B．€110. | C．€135. | D．€150. |
When I was 13, I climbed my first mountain — a fairly gentle 3, 900-foot peak near where I live in Surrey, British Columbia. I loved the challenge of conquering something bigger than myself. Soon I’d climbed nearly 100 peaks.
I often go climbing with my friend Mel Olsen. Two years ago, on December 30, when I was 16, she and I drove to Oregon to conquer 11, 240-foot Mount Hood.
It's safer to start winter climbs at night when there's less risk of the sun melting the snowpack. That day, we started at 3 a. m. The temperature was about 14 degrees, and we wore clothes we could easily remove. Along the way, we met two other climbers, and the four of us continued on together.
After about five hours, we reached Devil's Kitchen, a plateau at about 10, 000 feet, just before the final push to the top. By this point, the wind conditions were horrible. My exposed skin felt as though it were burning. The other climbers decided to turn back, but Mel and I went ahead. We had ice axes (斧), helmets, and crampons (钉鞋). We were prepared for the climb.
The trail we followed grew narrower and steeper. At around 9 a. m., we reached a patch of ice called an ice step. It was about three or four feet tall and sloped at a 75-degree angle. I volunteered to go first. I placed my left foot on the ice step.
I gained a sense of the ice when I stuck my ax and crampons into it, and it felt good. Confident that I was safe, I put my full weight on it. Suddenly, I heard a crack, and a whole block of ice broke off the step, right under my foot.
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。
In an instant, I fell backward.
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As Mel made her way down, I yelled for help.
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