1 . 阅读下面短文，根据题目要求用英文回答问题。

THE GROWING PROBLEM OF E-WASTE

The term e-waste is short for “electronic waste”. It refers to electrical or electronic products that are thrown away when they are no longer needed. These include computers, televisions, ovens, and basically anything else that runs on batteries or has an electrical cord.

E-waste has been a problem since the 1970s because of how difficult it is to separate things like metal and plastic from various products. Also, many electronics contain toxic materials that can pollute the environment if left in landfills. Over the past few decades, the problem of e-waste has only increased along with advancements in technology.

E-waste is now the fastest-growing waste stream around the world. The total amount of e-waste created every year is expected to reach 74 million tons by the year 2030. Currently, it’s estimated that only about 17 percent of global e-waste is properly recycled. However, the United Nations hopes to bring that number up to 30 percent by the end of 2023.

With more people using smartphones and computers every year, the problem of e-waste cannot be ignored. To increase the recycling rate of e-waste items, cities should consider adding special collection boxes at grocery stores or government offices. There should also be delivery or pick-up services for e-waste items. That way, these items can be sent directly to people who are able to properly take them apart and recover their useful components.

Despite current difficulties, e-waste has great recycling potential. In addition to the items thrown away, lots of people keep old devices that aren’t used anymore. As a whole, they add up to a lot of metals and minerals that can, and should, be recycled. If these components are recycled to make new products, there would be less of a need to dig for more around the world.

So, if you must replace your phone or computer, try returning the device to the manufacturer or dropping it off at an e-waste processing facility if there is one nearby.

1. What does “electronic waste” refer to?
__________________________________________________________________
2. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?
__________________________________________________________________
3. Decide which part of the following statement is wrong. Underline it and explain why.
▶In order to reduce e-waste, people had better keep old devices that aren’t used anymore or drop them off in special collection boxes.
__________________________________________________________________
4. Apart from the ways mentioned in the passage, please share your way(s) to reduce e-waste. (About 40 words)
__________________________________________________________________

2 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个恰当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Construction of the Tower of Pisa began in 1173     1     Pisa was a center of power and wealth. But work was stopped several times because of wars. The eight-story tower was not completed until the late 1200s. The tower itself is made of marble (大理石) and     2     (weigh) 16,000 tons. However, the leaning of the tower was not for its weights     3     for the soil underneath. The ground is     4     (soft) on one side than on the other. The south side has sunk 6.1 feet below ground level in the past centuries. The north side has sunk 12.3 feet!

3 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个恰当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Dean Schneider leaves his life in Switzerland behind and goes to Africa     1     (pursue) his passion and make the world a better place. He was always fascinated by the animal world since he was a child. That is     2     he decided to form a club to help lions born in captivity (圈养). The name of the club is “Hakuna Mipaka”—a Swahili expression meaning “no limits”. It develops from five core values that Dean tries hard to follow:     3     (free), loyalty, appreciation, brotherhood, and boldness.

4 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

I am a 22-year-old artist. My journey through art led me to being an environmentalist.

    1    we consider waste may be useful when we think about it in a different light. Although largely    2     (ignore), materials thrown away provide plenty of resources for us artists to give them a second life. In my hands, glass bottles, plastic bags, and other waste    3    (item) become a form of sustainable art. I want to motivate the people who buy this type of art to contribute to the planet’s welfare.

5 . With climate change continuing to worsen, our situation is beginning to feel increasingly serious.     1     Is it right? Maybe not.

Techno-optimism is one of the greatest misconceptions when it comes to solutions to ensure our future. It can be defined as a belief that future technologies will solve all of our current problems. This definition reinforces (强化) the idea that there’s no reason to panic or change our current energy-intensive lifestyle. All society needs to do is look to green technology to work its magic.     2    

One of the best examples of this optimistic misconception is the electric car. Despite being highly regarded as an eco-friendly way to get around, electric cars are not the end for the future of transport. Batteries in electric cars use chemical elements which we could be seeing a shortage of by the midcentury.     3     Techno-optimism has led many to believe that if everyone just switched to driving electric vehicles, we would be making incredible steps towards sustainability. However, the reality is that the amount of resources and energy needed to produce enough electric vehicles for everyone is not even remotely sustainable.

    4     Investing in public transportation and moving away from individually owned vehicles. Producing fewer cars. Improving recycling practices of old batteries. The solutions we seek should not be rooted in new technology, but be about changing the way our society functions.

Techno-optimism puts too much emphasis on technology and not enough on what we can do right this minute. Unfortunately, people seem to like the picture that techno-optimism paints.     5     It is important to understand that the problem begins when we see those technologies as a way to make our current lifestyles eco-friendly. Until we are ready to face the need for a less complex life, we cannot make true progress towards sustainability.

A．So where should we look for answers instead?

B．The modern world’s simple solution is technology.

C．Moreover, they are more energy intensive to produce.

D．Is it a trap that many people have fallen into in recent years?

E．Unfortunately, this is an incredibly dangerous opinion to hold.

F．Despite any technology, we as a whole are not living sustainably.

G．Nevertheless, the truth is, we need a widespread change in our lifestyles.

6 . About 6 million to 12 million creatures are dissected (解剖) in U. S. classrooms every year, according to the National Anti-Vivisection Society, an animal rights group. While many students eagerly look forward to the chance to examine real animals up close, others say that there’s no educational value in cutting into animals’ bodies. Should students dissect real animals?

David Evans, the director of the National Science Teachers Association, argues that students should be given the chance to dissect animals in the classroom. Students learn best in a hands-on environment where they can work together to explore and discover. Interacting with organisms (生物) is an effective way to help students develop skills of observation and comparison and learn the unique structures (结构) and processes of organisms. As good as many models or simulations might be, they are very different from real organisms. And he believes they fall short of producing the respect for living things that comes from the actual dissection experience.

Jonathan Balcombe, a biologist and a life-long animal rights supporter, says, “I spent many years as a biology lab teacher. I remember the horrible feeling I had when it came time for my class to dissect animals. The lesson required that students cut open and examine dead frogs, fetal pigs, sparrows, and other creatures. I felt pity for these animals, who probably suffered before being killed. And I knew their pain could have been avoided. If students and teachers saw how these animals typically end up on their desks, I believe that dissections would soon stop.”

He points out there are many effective choices for learning animal dissection and physiology, including 3-D models, videos, and computer software. Hundreds of programs are free through lending services like The Science Bank. The simulated dissections can be repeated, and the programs provide feedback. Several studies have shown that computer models and other choices teach students just as well as or better than traditional animal dissection.

I’m not surprised that no state requires dissection to graduate from high school, and no college or university demands it as part of the admissions process. In fact, laws in 18 U. S. states and Washington, D. C. support a student’s right to use other choices. However, dissection could have a legal place in education if the animals did not suffer and were not intentionally killed. For example, some schools have students dissect animals that “were put to sleep” for medical reasons and whose bodies were donated to science.

1. Which of the following may Evans agree with?

A．Models are as effective as actual dissections.

B．Students are short of chances to dissect animals.

C．Dissecting animals helps people respect creatures.

D．Students benefit much more when learning in groups.

2. What do we know about Balcombe’s view on dissecting animals?

A．It causes pain to animals.

B．It advances medicine research.

C．It should be more educational.

D．It should be put in school programs.

3. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The nature of dissection.

B．The necessity of dissection.

C．The result of dissecting animals.

D．The research on dissected animals.

7 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Hurricane Ian, a powerful storm     1     hit Cuba earlier this week, grew to a strong storm before making landfall on Florida’s west coast. At least 125 people, including 120 in Florida and 5 in North Carolina,     2     (die) since the disaster happened. Last week, Ian swept southwestern Florida, bringing heavy rains and dangerous flooding. Ninety percent of Fort Myers Beach     3     (destroy) by it. Right now rescue workers     4     (work) hard day and night to make sure people are safe.

8 . Hardly a day goes by without a company telling us in its beautifully crafted advertising how much it contributes to the environment on our behalf. Flowers grow out of power-station chimneys; SUVs are presented in natural habitats; oil companies use sunny, friendly logos and promise cleaner technologies- although, in fact, they fail to make enough investment in renewable or alternative energy sources. Statistics are made up, and the tiniest ecological improvements are overstated in multi-million-dollar advertising campaigns, while in the meantime the greedy side of the business continues.

This is known as greenwashing, which means “making things that are not green look green”. The phenomenon has long existed since the first Earth Day in 1970, when companies spent $300 million advertising themselves as green companies—many times more than the money they actually spent on research into pollution reduction itself. And the trend continued over the following decades when some of the planet’s worst polluters tried to pass themselves off as eco-friendly. As the public’s environmental awareness grew, so too did the experience of corporate public relations strategies, and advertisers found ever- more-creative ways to use a green curtain to hide dark motives.

Of course, some businesses are genuinely committed to making the world a better, greener place. But when a company spends more time and money claiming to be “green” than actually adopting business practices that minimize environmental impact, it is clear that, for them, environmentalism is little more than a convenient slogan(口号). Their message is “buy our products and you will end global warming, improve air quality and save the oceans”. At best, such greenwashing pushes the fact to its limits; at worst, it helps conceal deception.

And what about today s consumers? Few of them are truly well-equipped to make informed decisions about what is true. Greenwashing is only possible because consumers often believe what they are being told-why else would companies do it? More information and greater awareness are essential. Analysing the tricks used by advertisers should be part of every school curriculum. Non- governmental organisations can spread the word. Consumer groups can punish the greenwashing companies. But it is not enough. Legally enforceable systems must be put in place.

So what is already being done about planned attempts to pull the wool over consumers’ eyes? In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission is taking action against misleading advertising claims. France has published Green Claims Guidance, stressing that “an advertisement must avoid conveying a message contrary to the accepted principles of sustainable development”. All of these surely are the heart of the matter: the true impact of advertising is the promotion of unsustainable lifestyles. And therein lies the real danger to our planet, a danger which cannot be ignored any longer.

1. What can we learn about greenwashing?

A．It is an ecological concept.

B．It is a marketing technique.

C．It is an awareness campaign.

D．It is an advertising innovation.

2. What does the underlined phrase “conceal deception” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Hide the truth.	B．Raise the risk.
C．Expose the weakness.	D．Break the limit.

3. What can be inferred about most consumers?

A．They are lacking in legal knowledge.

B．They have encouraged greenwashing.

C．They may question consumer groups.

D．They tend to make sensible decisions.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．Actions to fight false advertising.

B．Ways to protect customers’ interest.

C．Attempts to solve environmental problems.

D．Proposals to ensure sustainable development.

9 . Four Ways Your Cat Tries to Communicate with You

Cats are amazing creatures, and while they can’t talk to us, they certainly know how to communicate their needs and feelings. It’s just up to us to learn how to listen to what they are saying.

Meowing

Cats meow at their owners for several reasons, including: to ask for food, to greet people, to ask for attention, to let you know they want to go outside/come inside. In addition, elderly cats suffering from cognitive disfunction, similar to Alzheimer’s Disease (阿尔茨海默症) in humans, may meow due to becoming confused or disoriented, so we encourage you to schedule an appointment with us if your senior cat seems confused or is meowing more than usual.

Purring

While cats do purr as a sign of contentment, they also do it as a self-comforting mechanism when sick, stressed or injured. If your cat is purring but also showing signs that something may be wrong, like hiding more than usual or refusing food/water, they could be sick or in pain.

Tail Posture

If they hold their tail straight up and have relaxed fur, they’re likely to feel happy or curious. But if their fur stands on end while their tail is straight, this indicates fear or anger. Holding the tail low or hidden between the legs indicates insecurity, and a tail that’s rapidly twitching back and forth suggests anxiety.

Rubbing

When your cat rubs against your legs or gives you head butts, they are telling you that they love you. That is not the only thing they are doing, though! Cats rub their bodies and cheeks against people and objects to mark their territory and to claim humans, other cats, and various objects as their own.

1. When cats are sick or in pain, what are they likely to do?

A．Meow at their owners.	B．Rub against your legs.
C．Purr and refuse food.	D．Hold their tail straight up.

2. What may a cat show when it hides its tail between legs?

A．Insecurity.

B．Depression.

C．Curiosity.

D．Happiness.

3. Who provides this text most probably?

A．A cat sitter.	B．A cat owner.
C．An animal shelter.	D．A pet healthcare centre.