1 . More than one-third of the world’s food is wasted or thrown away, most of which ends up in landfills, producing very large amounts of planet-warming greenhouse gases. Now, many studies show that it is becoming harder to grow enough food to feed an increasing population due to climate change and soil degradation.
But one of the most promising and simplest solutions lies in the problem itself: this wasted food — if composted (堆肥) — could slow climate change and improve soil quality. Higher-quality soil also continues to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere, helping to improve plants and contributing further to fighting climate change. Returning one ton of organic matter to each hectare of soil would increase the production of cereal crops each year in Africa, Asia and South America by millions of tons.
While it is true that people can compost in their yards, community gardens, or even on their kitchen counters, larger-scale efforts, including infrastructure (基础设施) and incentives (激励) for consumers, would take it to the next level. Imagine if consumers could just leave unwanted food in a roadside bin for pickup, or drop it off at a local store, earning a few cents a bucket, just like what has been offered for recycling bottles or newspapers.
Moreover, in the case of composting, the payment incentive system would be sustainable because the end-product of compost can be sold to farmers, making it an economically workable model, something that is often lacking in recycling, especially for certain materials, like many types of plastics.
Eventually, more widespread composting of food would pave the way for solutions to additional waste challenges, such as the disposal of packaging and clothing. This will have other positive effects as well; if more consumers compost, companies will be more inspired to make and use compostable packaging, clothing, and other products. While more compostable items are starting to emerge today, additional composting will further drive demand and innovation, and offer a game-changing solution for the planet.
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．The uneven distribution of food around the world. |
| B．The burden of population growth on the planet. |
| C．The urgency of properly dealing with wasted food. |
| D．The great impact of climate change on food. |
| A．A good system is needed to carry out it effectively. |
| B．It would take a long term to have an effect. |
| C．It is only workable on a small scale. |
| D．It may raise people’s awareness of reducing food waste. |
| A．It is highly profitable. |
| B．It is easy to carry out. |
| C．It is a sustainable economic cycle pattern. |
| D．It is more effective than other recycling systems. |
| A．How Wasted Food Could Be Reduced |
| B．How Wasted Food Could Save the Planet |
| C．How Wasted Food Could Impact Humans |
| D．How Wasted Food Could Become a Business |
2 . Kruger National Park is, in a word, life-changing. One of the top attractions in South Africa, and one of the largest national parks in the world, Kruger National Park is a must for any wildlife lover.
Kruger National Park Animals
Nothing will prepare you for the huge volume of wildlife that you’ll be able to see in Kruger National Park. The park is home to 114 different species of reptiles; more than 500 species of birds; and 147 mammals. Not only will you have the opportunity to see the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhino), but you’ll see tons of other mammals like zebras, giraffes, hyenas, hippos, impalas, and many more.
When is the Best Time to Visit Kruger National Park?
The driest months being June, July, and August are the best time of year to visit the park, when the days are sunny and warm and the nights are cooler. Many trees and shrubs have lost their leaves, and water sources dry up, making it easier to spot game around the remaining waterholes.
Driving in Kruger National Park
What makes Kruger National Park unique from other parks is that it is accessible via self-drive. Many people who come to the park come with their own vehicle because it’s considerably more affordable than taking a guided tour. Doing a self-drive safari (游猎) also gives you more flexibility with your timing.
1. How does the writer show the diversity of animals in Kruger National Park?| A．By making comparisons. | B．By listing figures. |
| C．By using illustrations. | D．By classifying facts. |
| A．Spring. | B．Summer. | C．Autumn. | D．Winter. |
| A．It has unique animals. | B．It offers a flexible time. |
| C．It allows self-drive. | D．It charges fairly low. |
In Rome there was once a poor slave whose name was Androclus. His master was a cruel man, and so unkind to him that Androclus ran away. He hid himself in a wild wood for many days; but there was no food to be found, and he grew so weak and sick that he thought he would die. So one day he climbed into a cave and lay down to wait for death, and soon he was fast asleep.
After a while, a great noise woke him up. A lion had come into the cave, and was roaring loudly. Androclus was very afraid, for he felt sure that the beast would kill him. Soon, however, he saw the lion was not angry, but that his foot were hurt.
Then Androclus grew so courageous that he started to examine the lion’s paw to see what was the matter. The lion stood quite still, and rubbed his head against the man’s shoulder. He seemed to say, “I know that you will help me.”
Androclus lifted the paw from the ground, and saw that it was a long, sharp thorn that hurt the lion so much. He took the end of the thorn between his fingers; then he gave a strong, quick pull, and out it came. The lion was full of joy. He jumped about like a dog, and licked the hands and feet of his new friend.
The two became such good friends that Androclus found his new life a very happy one. One day some soldiers found Androclus in the cave and took him back to Rome. It was the law at that time that every slave who ran away from his master should fight a hungry lion. For each of these occasions, a fierce lion was locked up for a while without food, and a time was set for the fight.
Paragraph 1When the day came, thousands of people crowded in to see the fight.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2
The people, who had expected to see the man killed by the lion, were filled with wonder.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . The Internet’s carbon footprint is as bad as air travel. While it is difficult to measure precisely, estimates place it at over two percent of global greenhouse gas emissions(排放)—the same as the air travel.
Information may appear to spread around the world unseen to our eyes, but it actually passes through enormous data centers placed strategically about the globe, which store, organize and deliver everyone’s data. These centers are extremely energy intensive. In the EU, they consume close to three percent of its total energy usage and also require lots of water to prevent their computers from overheating. In the US, about a fifth of data centers draw water from already stressed water sources.
A typical spam email(垃圾邮件)emits around 0.03g of CO2 emissions, though longer messages read on a laptop can go all the way up to 26g. Now multiply that by 333 billion(roughly the number of emails that get sent every day in 2022). That puts all those work emails into perspective. One study found if every British adult sent one less “thank you” email a day, it would save 16, 433 tons of carbon a year. It even predicted that the ICT industry could account for up to a fifth of the world’s energy consumption by 2025.
However, there are measures that we can take to reduce our digital carbon footprint. For instance, you can unsubscribe from marketing and other spam emails and only subscribe to newsletters that you still regularly read. Have regular data checks where you delete old contact lists and other documents that no longer have any use. Keep a clean inbox and delete emails you no longer need.
1. Why does the author make a comparison in the beginning?| A．To present the digital carbon footprint. |
| B．To emphasize the importance of air travel. |
| C．To advise people not to travel by airplane. |
| D．To inform the disadvantages of the Internet. |
| A．It enjoys a wide popularity. |
| B．It has various kinds of functions. |
| C．It causes large energy consumption. |
| D．It has quite a complex mode of operation. |
| A．To draw the readers’ attention. |
| B．To illustrate a certain information. |
| C．To highlight the change of CO2 emission. |
| D．To stress the importance of reducing CO2 emission. |
| A．Neutral. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Unfavorable. | D．Concerned. |
5 . No matter how many times Sandy has rescued an animal, she never gets over the casual cruelty some people display toward unwanted pets. When she lost her own “angel” dog, she started Logan’s Legacy to help other pets in need.
Sandy recently received a phone call about a small dog, possibly a puppy, that had been abandoned on a street. Since she was too far to help on, she called a friend who lives nearby to get there as soon as possible. When her friend Tom arrived, he found a tiny dog curled(蜷缩)in a tight ball with the chain firmly tied to a tree. Someone had left food and water for her, but the puppy was too frightened to eat or drink. Once gathered up in a blanket and placed into the back seat of the car, she began to get weak quickly from dehydration(脱水)and exhaustion.
The moment she got some water and food, the puppy made a rapid recovery, and her lovely and sweet personality could finally shine! “We have named her CiCi,” Sandy added, “She is feeling so much better. She has been observed at my place and she is doing great. This sweet baby girl will never feel fearful again, and won’t ever be abandoned again.” After winning hearts at Sandy’s office, CiCi has been approved for adopting and will soon leave for her new life. Sandy and her fellow rescuers are trying their best to find her the perfect family to love her and treat her with the respect all living creatures deserve!
1. What did Sandy feel it hard to overcome?| A．The casual humanity. | B．The cruelty of humanity. |
| C．The kind human nature. | D．The weakness of kindness. |
| A．She suffered a serious illness. |
| B．She had nothing to eat or drink. |
| C．She got lost far away from home. |
| D．She was scared and in poor health. |
| A．She will stop taking medicine. |
| B．She will continue further treatment. |
| C．She will have a perfect match for home. |
| D．She will get on well with Sandy forever. |
| A．A Warm Home for CiCi |
| B．Dog Saved Heart Fulfilled |
| C．A Terrible Experience of CiCi |
| D．Saving Dogs Saving Themselves |
1. By 2020, where should trash sorting happen?
| A．In all major cities of China. |
| B．Only in Zhejiang province. |
| C．In Ms. Chu’s neighborhood. |
| A．Trash collector. | B．Reporter. | C．Politician. |
| A．Door-to-door training. | B．Free trash cans. | C．Plastic trash bags. |
| A．He will call a volunteer. |
| B．He will see a name on the bag. |
| C．He will scan the bag with a phone. |
My parents were always against me owning my own pet, afraid of the mess it would make or that I would quickly lose interest in taking care of it, but we made a compromise: I could volunteer at a local pet shelter on the weekends to test my sense of responsibility and dedication. That was how I first came to volunteer at the Avondale pet shelter and—more importantly—where I met my future best friend, Chocolate.
One hot August afternoon, my boss Charlie told me that they were bringing in a young black Labrador Retriever and that I’d be its primary caretaker. An hour after our conversation and in came Chocolate—a beautiful dog with shining brown fur and amazing blue eyes. At about 3 months old, I expected him to be a lot more energetic and playful, but he immediately backed and lay down at the back of his pen (围栏).
I asked Charlie what was the matter with him. He replied that Chocolate had a genetic problem which caused him to be born with a short tail, leading potential owners to think there was something wrong with him; so the breeder felt that they had no choice but to give up the puppy to the shelter.
He was overlooked and underappreciated. I felt very angry at the thought that an otherwise healthy dog could be thrown away so easily. At the same time, I felt a deep sympathy for this dog who had been cheated out of the love and attention he deserved. It was at this moment that I resolved to give Chocolate as much love and attention as I could while working as a volunteer.
Although Chocolate was reluctant and shy at first. eventually through enough treats and play he slowly came around and warmed up to me. Soon enough, whenever I came around his pen to let him out for his turn of walks and play, Chocolate was always excited and jumping with joy.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
As time passed by, the connection between Chocolate and I grew stronger and stronger.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
One day, Charlie said Chocolate must find a home soon or he would be removed.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Josie and I wanted a dog more than anything else. Whenever we had time, we’d sit together and talk about dogs. “You’re so silly, Jake,” Josie would say. “Bulldogs (斗牛犬) are scary.” “Hah. Golden retrievers (金毛猎犬) are scary,” I’d say. We had this ongoing argument about what our ideal dog would be. But it made no difference—any dog would do, as long as it had a tail to wag and a friendly face.
One summer night, as we sat together beside the window, Josie saw something. “What’s that?” she said, pointing to a dark shadow on our driveway. The moon was up and everything looked either black or milky. At first all I saw was darkness. Then the shadow moved and I heard the sound of metal. Then the shadow flowed out onto the silvery driveway. With a little fright, we found ourselves stepping down to the front door. There in our yard stood a dog—a big, black dog with long, shaggy (蓬松的) hair.
Josie made a little kissing noise and held out her hand. “Here, boy!” I said. And the dog came to us slowly, taking a few steps forward, and then a step back, not sure whether to trust us. When close enough, it had a doggy smell that always made me think of dirt and grass and piles of leaves. “Don’t say ‘Here, boy’,” said Josie. “She’s a female.” Pulling back and looking, I said, “I wonder what her name is.” I felt for her collar while she sat patiently. I found no tags, but just a chain with a small old bell on it.
“I bet she’s hungry,” said Josie. “I can feel her ribs.” I ran my hand through her fur. The dog was so skinny that you could feel every bone, and her coat was twisted and full of dirt. If she belonged to someone, they weren’t taking good care of her.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
“What can we give her?” Josie asked me.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The dog did something completely unexpected.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . In 1999, Giuliana Furci, founder and founding director of the Fungi (真菌) Foundation, developed a deep interest in fungi. They were everywhere, and the 20-year-old took particular joy in the variety of mushrooms: small and button-shaped; tall and umbrella-like; round with red caps topped with white flakes. Some were commonly found in people’s diets, for they were rich in nutrients such as vitamin, fiber, minerals and protein.
But Furci also quickly realized that these fungi went largely ignored in Chile, where there were few guidebooks and an almost total lack of policies and resources to protect them from over-harvesting and other human activities. Determined to correct this, Furci wrote a field guide and set up the Fungi Foundation—a nonprofit dedicated to fungi conservation. In her guide, special attention went to the role of fungi in the ecosystem.
“Life on the planet wouldn’t exist without fungi,” said Greg Mueller, a mushroom conservation expert. “Because of their relationship with forests and trees, we can’t survive without fungi. In terms of the health of the planet, they’re incredibly important to humans and the overall ecosystem.” Fungi can break down plants and animals, thus cycling nutrients and increasing their availability in the soil. They are also important contributors to the soil carbon stock through the same process. What’s more, fungi have been found to help degrade (降解) various pollutants, such as plastic. And mycelium (菌丝体), which is the root structure of mushrooms, is now being used to replace unsustainable materials, such as plastic and animal-based products.
Because of these, exploration of fungi was expanded at a faster pace. However, some were already listed as critically endangered. In 2010, Furci took an even bigger step—with other environmental nonprofits, she put forward a proposal for the government to systematically assess how large new developments such as housing, dams, and highways affect fungi. In 2012, a law was passed and Chile became the first country in the world to protect fungi by law.
1. What can we learn about Furci from the first two paragraphs?| A．She enjoyed collecting mushrooms. |
| B．She was fond of cooking mushrooms. |
| C．She worried about the situation of fungi. |
| D．She had a habit of writing field guidebooks. |
| A．The life on earth without fungi. |
| B．The importance of fungi on earth. |
| C．The relations between trees and fungi. |
| D．The practical uses of fungi in the future. |
| A．By writing free instructions on plants. |
| B．By starting a non-profit ecotourism company. |
| C．By raising awareness of the importance of fungi. |
| D．By passing laws to ban over-harvesting mushrooms. |
| A．Ground-breaking. | B．Debatable. |
| C．Romantic. | D．Unmatched. |
1. What is the speaker concerned about?
| A．Traveling cost. | B．Killing off animals. | C．Travelers’ bad behavior and habit. |
| A．Better. | B．Worse. | C．Unchanged. |
| A．A student. | B．A teacher. | C．A doctor. |
| A．Encourage people to travel. |
| B．Expect people to protect the environment. |
| C．Help people realize the importance of tourism. |
