1. When did the earthquake happen?
| A．On Wednesday night. | B．On Thursday morning. | C．On Thursday afternoon. |
| A．Forty people lost their lives. |
| B．At least 110 people were injured. |
| C．A railway was nearly destroyed. |
| A．Help the victims. | B．Tell some survival skills. | C．Check the highways. |
2 . Work starts early on White Gate Farm in East Lyme, Connecticut. By 7 a. m., farm manager Dan Wood was at the East Lyme Post Office dropping off a box of fresh produce that later in the day would be delivered by mail to Chelsea Gubbins, who lives across town.
White Gate Farm is a member of Farmers Post, a pilot programme that enables smallholder farms across eastern Connecticut to ship fresh produce and other farm products to local households through the United States Postal Service (USPS). Farmers Post takes advantage of a USPS programme called Connect Local that allows small businesses to offer same-day and next-day delivery at a fixed low cost.
Food remains in the fields because either market prices are too low or the cost of the workforce is too high, or because the size and shape of the produce make it unattractive to stores. Each year, around 10 million tons of crops never get harvested, causing about 16% of total US food loss and waste.
“Food that is wasted has a much larger influence than just the loss of the food itself,” says Julia Kurnik, senior director of Innovation Start-ups at WWF. “Everything that went into growing it goes out the window as well—the water, the land, and the energy. And as the food breaks down, it produces greenhouse gases. The bad effects amplify greatly.”
Besides reducing food waste, selling farm products directly to local customers cuts down on the cross-country shipping of food grown in California or elsewhere. This reduces the so-called food miles that researchers believe cause about 6% of the world’s greenhouse gases. Fruits and vegetables, which are often transported out of season and require refrigeration, produce lots of greenhouse gases between farms and people’s plates.
Wood understands that Farmers Post can help to end that waste. “Farming is kind of like cooking for a big group.” he says. “This is helping us get right on the money, using almost 100% of what we grow and harvest.”
1. Why was Farmers Post started?| A．To provide professional modern farming methods. |
| B．To create more delivery jobs for local people |
| C．To pick up and carry customers to different farms. |
| D．To make the delivery of produce easier and cheaper. |
| A．The limited need for farm products. | B．The shortage of workers and harvesting tool. |
| C．Their low value and poor quality. | D．Bad weather and road conditions. |
| A．Increase. | B．Slow. | C．Switch. | D．Weaken. |
| A．The Food Safety Movement Has Met Some Challenges |
| B．A Farm-to-Table Programme Helps Reduce Food Waste |
| C．Farmers Post Explores Ways to Make High-Quality Products |
| D．Small Farms Play a Leading Role in Serving Communities |
3 . My kitchen may be the best kitchen on the planet. That is because when I look out of its window can see the west side of Grandeur Peak. Grandeur Peak is one of the most attractive mountains in central Wasatch, with its animals, trees, morning clouds, evening sunset, and the mountain’s paragliders (滑翔伞运动员).
The number of paragliders flying above Grandeur Peak has grown over the past 15 years, so much so that they have become part of the mountain. But during the past year they have largely disappeared. Some paragliders told me that the wind became too strong to fly in. The wind is too strong! Is this another character of our changing climate (气候)? Will paragliding be a sport affected by a warming planet? Utah has been much windier in the past few years. For me, a scientist who studies living things, it is easy to believe that our future will be windier. This year it’s getting super-hot, and the planet is warming faster than scientists expected. I can’t help but worry that the future of paragliding in Utah is not bright.
I’m writing to the brave people who fly from Grandeur Peak with beautiful wings. I want you to join Clean The Dam Air, a group that’ s working hard to fight climate change and air pollution — I’m part of it too. We are introducing a measure, which aims to remove the state sales tax (税) on grocery store food and put a carbon tax on fossil fuels (化石燃料) in its place: gas, electricity produced from fossil fuels, and natural gas. The goal isn’t to make taxes higher. The idea is to encourage everyone to reduce their use of fossil fuels. So, paragliders, join us. Now is the time to take care of our planet. If we succeed, then Utah can be an example to others in fighting climate change.
1. Why does the author mention his kitchen?| A．To share his love of cooking dishes. |
| B．To bring back his memories of paragliding. |
| C．To introduce Grandeur Peak’s paragliding. |
| D．To describe his adventures around Grandeur Peak. |
| A．The author saw less paragliding. | B．Few people visited Grandeur Peak. |
| C．Air pollution became serious in Utah. | D．Strong winds stopped people going outside. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Supportive. | C．Positive. | D．Worried. |
| A．Buy those foods that are taxed less. |
| B．Reduce flying with wings in Grandeur Peak. |
| C．Join him to support a program about taxing. |
| D．Join a group to improve their paragliding skills. |
4 . Yang He, a 64-year-old man from Yichang, Hubei, has observed the changes in finless porpoises (江豚) population with his camera for six years. As a(n)
Every day, Yang wakes up early and drives to the
The Yangtze finless porpoise is so
However, the situation has changed as
Thanks to his camera, he once discovered and
| A．leader | B．admirer | C．hunter | D．advisor |
| A．banks | B．waves | C．beaches | D．sights |
| A．suddenly | B．patiently | C．formally | D．strangely |
| A．imagination | B．anxiety | C．strength | D．beauty |
| A．follows | B．listens | C．knows | D．exchanges |
| A．belongs to | B．focuses on | C．applies for | D．adapts to |
| A．addicted | B．connected | C．convenient | D．important |
| A．threaten | B．balance | C．conduct | D．promote |
| A．crashing | B．trapping | C．tracking | D．preventing |
| A．in addition to | B．due to | C．in spite of | D．apart from |
| A．global | B．possible | C．effective | D．historic |
| A．creative | B．lucky | C．magic | D．valuable |
| A．catching | B．striking | C．kicking | D．drawing |
| A．inspired | B．approached | C．reserved | D．rescued |
| A．confirm | B．remind | C．document | D．identify |
5 . On November 8th, a tornado, the most powerful in the past 70 years, hit Jersey, causing great damages to the area and leaving the residents in great panic.
“Suddenly, the windows of the waiting room exploded in and dragged everything inside. My cars have been completely destroyed by branches and fences, and my garden is completely gone. There’s no furniture, no fence; everything has been thrown everywhere. At first there was lightning but then a strange noise and strange darkness came over the whole house. It was like being in a scary scene in the movie The Wizard of Oz,” Ashleigh Quail-Charleston, a Jersey resident, told the Bailiwick Express after the tornado that struck overnight on November 1—2 during Storm Ciaran.
The consequence looked like a bomb had gone off: cars hit, roofs with holes, windows broken. “A huge tree leans drunkenly against a block of flats. Piles of branches are piled optionally and pavements are covered with pieces,” said Chris Stone at BBC Radio Jersey. The tornado was powerful and exceptionally rare, caused by a severe thunderstorm that had sent out intense lightning and huge hailstones described as “ice bombs”. The Tornado and Storm Research Organization (Torro) and Jersey Met Office revealed the tornado left a trail of damages 8 km long across the island, and rated its intensity as T6 on an international scale of tornado power.
According to Torro records, this was the most powerful tornado to strike anywhere in the British Isles or Channel Islands since December 7th, 1954 when a tornado struck west London, leaving tremendous devastation, with Gunnersbury railway station torn apart, roofs torn off houses and one car even thrown through the air.
Tornados during Storm Ciaran also hit Sompting in West Sussex and Loders in Dorset. One resident in Loders, Sophie van Hensbergen, described the moment, saying, “The tornado struck with a very, very powerful whistling sound and the windows looked as though we were in a car wash.”
1. Why is The Wizard of Oz mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To summarize the consequence. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To enrich the readers’ knowledge. | D．To help describe the tornado. |
| A．How tornado was rated. |
| B．What caused the tornado. |
| C．How severe the tornado was. |
| D．What should be done to prevent the tornado. |
| A．Marks. | B．Damages. | C．Memory. | D．Impression. |
| A．A news item. | B．A science report. |
| C．A movie reviewer. | D．A weather forcast. |
Brian sat on his front doorstep. He really wanted a new bike. Joe had just gotten one for his birthday, and Tyler’s was only about a year old. Brian had had his for five years. The seat was up as high as it could go, and his legs were still too long for his bike. Brian wanted a bike just like Joe’s and Tyler’s. Their bikes were perfect for popping wheels and cruising over bumps. If only he had 110 dollars. All he could come up with was 33.67 dollars. Where could he get the rest of the money he needed?
Brian thought and thought. His birthday was still five months away, and he was too young to mow lawns. What could he do to get the money? Maybe his dad would advance his allowance for the next few months. He got three dollars every Friday if he did all of his chores. His dad had agreed to do this once before, when Brian needed an extra six dollars. Maybe his sister would loan him the money. She had a lot of money saved up from baby-sitting. Baby-sitting! That was it! Brian could baby-sit. Oops! Wait a minute. No one would hi re Brian to baby-sit. He still was not allowed to stay home by himself yet. What could he do to get the money? Brian sat and thought.
注意：1.续写词数应为150 词左右；
2.请按如下格式答题。
Paragraph 1:
Just then, the phone rang.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
After chasing Fifi through three different yards, Brian finally got Mrs. Timmons’ dog.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7 . Coming into the town of Santa Catarina Palopó, in the highlands of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, the first thing you notice is the bright colors. Most of the buildings along the main street are eye-catching, deep blues and greens, dotted with red and yellow to form diverse patterns and designs.
Santa Catarina Palopó was once a sleepy town of 5, 000 people, most of them dependent on agricultural work. But as agriculture began to dry up here, poverty came. To deal with poverty and promote econ on growth through tourism, a small but creative group of laborers, artisans, domestic workers and stay-at-home moms created the Pintando Santa Catarina Palopó project.
The project aimed to paint all 850 homes and buildings in bright colors to change the hillside town into a work of art. “We wanted to paint the houses with colors and figures that represent the community” says the project’s executive director Stephany Blanco. “Families can choose designs for their house that are representative of the family.”
One of the most representative characteristics of the region is the blue huipil, a traditional blouse which has been worn commonly by local women since the 16th century. That deep sky blue was chosen the primary color-for the Pintando project, with secondary colors found in the sunsets and the nearby lake to make the design more attractive. Inspiration was also found in local culture, symbols such as volcanoes, flowers, and the national bird of Guatemala.
Each week, local artists, community members and tourists pick up paintbrushes to make buildings colorful. “At first, the idea of the project was uncertain, but now you can see a considerable difference in the town,” Melissa Whitbeck said. “The color of the buildings is believed to improve the quality-of life of the people. It uplifts the people’s mood and encourages them to be proud of their hometown.”
1. Why was the Pintando Santa Catarina project started?| A．Because of a workforce shortage. | B．Due to the poor economic conditions. |
| C．Thanks to the increase in population. | D．For the old-fashioned farming ways. |
| A．Building family art galleries in Guatemala. | B．Creating job opportunities for local artists. |
| C．Developing local tourism by selling artworks. | D．Changing the town into a cultural destination. |
| A．The surrounding volcanoes. | B．Mayan-styled butterflies. |
| C．A type of traditional clothing. | D．The national bird of Guatemala. |
| A．Positive. | B．Reserved. | C．Concerned. | D．Negative. |
8 . Should we hide in the “Triangle (三角) of Life” when the earthquake comes?
At 1:39 on June 15, a magnitude (里氏) 3.1 earthquake occurred in Qingpu District, Shanghai, with a focal depth of 8 kilometers. Earthquakes are one of the major natural disasters, so how to avoid danger and self rescue during earthquakes has become a topic of great concern.
There has always been a saying on the Internet that when an earthquake comes, collapsed objects and solid large objects will form a triangular space around them(the “Triangle of Life area”), and hiding in this area will have a greater probability of survival, which many people believe deeply.
In this regard, the China Earthquake Administration said that although observing the ruins after the earthquake, we can find that there are similar triangular spaces in some places.
However, when an earthquake occurs, people cannot know in advance the way of the earthquake, the direction of the collapse of buildings or objects, and it is difficult to know where there will be the so-called “Triangle of Life”.
The “Triangle of Life area” was proposed by an American disaster relief worker named Kupp, who believed that traditional self-help methods such as drilling tables were no longer suitable for people living in modern buildings. The collapsed floor structure would crush the tables or beds for refuge, and only hiding in the triangle area could survive.
Although the “Triangle of Life area” self-help method has been popular for more than ten years. However, the American Red Cross, the California State Emergency Service Office and earthquake experts have all pointed out the irrationality of the “Triangle of Life”. The Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management has also provided a refutation explanation.
In fact, after an earthquake, the internationally recognized most reliable method of self rescue is ‘lying on the ground, blocking, and holding onto your hands’. You should lie down, squat down, or sit down, try to lower the center of gravity of the body, and protect important parts such as the head, neck, eyes, and mouth and nose.
1. What information can we learn about the “Triangle of Life” in the first three paragraphs?| A．The Triangle of Life area is an official definition. |
| B．Many people believe in the “Triangle of Life”. |
| C．The earthquake in Shanghai has caused panic among the masses. |
| D．When an earthquake strikes, one should hide in the triangle area. |
| A．To protect himself | B．To overthrow the government |
| C．To avoid earthquakes | D．To attract attention |
| A．Its unpredictability | B．Its out-of-date construction |
| C．Its instability | D．Its illegality |
| A．Newspaper | B．Horror Book | C．History Book | D．Science Magazine |
9 . Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has long worked to make her city less dependent on cars. She wanted to see more people using bicycles to get around. Over a number of years, the city government set limits on cars and increased the amount of bike paths from 200 kilometers to over 1,000 kilometers.
This year, Parisians are not complaining about too much automobile traffic. Instead, they say there are too many bikes. “Now, it’s really like a bike traffic jam(阻塞),” Thibault Quere, a spokesperson for France’s Federation of Bicycle Users, said. ”It’s kind of a good difficulty to have, especially when we think about what Paris used to be.”
Some famous roads along the River Seine are completely closed to cars. Now you see people riding bikes, running and walking with their families along the river. In another part of Paris, a bike path on Sebastopol Boulevard is one of the busiest in Europe, after opening in 2019. In one week in early September, it reached a record high of 124,000 riders.
The city will host the Summer Olympics in 2024 and plans to add more bike paths by then. Paris wants to reduce its pollution by half during the games, even as visitors from around the world will be in the city for the event. Organizers say all of the competition sites will be reachable by bike through a 60-kilometer network of bike paths.
The change to Paris, however, has not been easy. With more people using bikes, more people are making mistakes. Some of them are new to cycling and disobey traffic rules. But the environment may be improving. Cycling is good exercise and helps reduce pollution, which is still a problem for the large city. The French government blames atmospheric pollution for 48,000 early deaths in the country each year.
Hidalgo was re-elected in 2020 and plans to keep making what she calls a “Paris that breathes”. Her newest five-year bike plan includes over $250 million for more bike paths and bike parking. The new budget is an increase of over $100 million from her first five-year plan.
1. What can be learned from the second paragraph?| A．Hidalgo’s effort has paid off. | B．Parisians prefer to travel by car. |
| C．Parisians find it difficult to ride bikes. | D．Quere disagrees with Hidalgo. |
| A．To compare the famous roads in France. |
| B．To praise people enjoying riding bicycles. |
| C．To stress the importance of France in Europe. |
| D．To show how busy a cycle path is in Paris. |
| A．Tour local bike shops. | B．Ride to competition sites. |
| C．Promote the sights in France. | D．Support the athletes around the world. |
| A．Friendly. | B．Helpful. | C．Determined. | D．Honest. |
10 . Slobodchikoff, a biologist who has spent years working to better understand the calls of dogs, used that knowledge to help people who were having trouble with their pets.
A man reported his dog wanted to bite him. So Slobodchikoff went to the man’s house. He watched as the owner walked over to the dog, towered over the pet and then said, “Good dog!” in a low-pitched(音高) voice. “The dog ran into a corner,” Slobodchikoff recalled. The owner had scared the dog. Slobodchikoff recommended that the man should do the opposite. The owner took that advice—and ended up developing a great relationship with his pet.
Not everyone has the time to study dog communications or the money to bring in an expert. Slobodchikoff thinks tech could help. He thinks a cell phone app or device that you could point at a dog. This would record video and audio(音频) of a dog’s behavior and then upload it.An artificial intelligence(AI)system would later analyze it.
The AI “ would translate this for you into English or any other language,” says Slobodchikoff. The result, he explains, may be something like “‘I’m hungry’ or ‘I need to go outside to pee’ or ‘I want to go for a walk.’”
To train the AI system, Slobodchikoff planned to get data directly from pet dogs, but for some reason, he hasn’t yet restarted the project to date, but hopes to soon.
Search an app store for a pet translator and you’ll find plenty. Some are completely unscientific and silly. MeowTalk, however, is a cat-translation app based on an AI model. In 2021, its creators reported that the AI model achieved 90 percent accuracy at identifying nine different emotional states in meows. These included angry, happy, hunting, pain and rest. The app picks conversational phrases based on these emotions, like “nice to see you,” or “let me rest.”
People who have tried the app say it doesn’t always work well. But better translations of barks and meows may be just around the corner.
1. What might the man do to calm the dog?| A．Tower over the pet dog. | B．Follow the dog to the corner. |
| C．Give the dog delicious food. | D．Speak in a high-pitched voice. |
| A．To analyze data. | B．To train a dog. |
| C．To record a dog’s behavior. | D．To collect data from a dog. |
| A．It can communicate with cats. | B．It can judge cats’ state of mood. |
| C．It can store 90 conversational phrases. | D．It can be used to track pet cats. |
| A．A biologist’s puzzle. | B．Slobodchikoff’s achievements. |
| C．Trials of animal translator technology. | D．The invention of Slobodchikoff. |
