1 . 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.

2 . Arguably, the biggest science development of the year to date has been the images of the very depths of the universe taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Those images beg a comparison between the external and internal universes that science is bent on observing and understanding.

Decades ago, astrophysicist Carl Sagan famously said, “The universe is also within is. We’re made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself. ” He was commenting then on the reality that our internal universe was as complex and as fantastic as the outer space.

There are many similarities between the progress we’ve made in understanding the universe and in piecing together life’s inner workings. Like the technological developments that took us from Galileo’s telescope to the Hubble to the JWST, life science tools have also improved rapidly. From early light microscopes to modern super-resolution ones, these developments have afforded researchers a deep look into biology’s infinitesimal (无限小的) landscape. Learning that living things were composed of cells was, not a terribly long time ago, a revolutionary observation. Since then, scientists have been able to dive ever deeper into the components of life.

Going beyond merely observing the complicated makeup of organisms, life scientists can now discover the workings of molecules (分子). And that is where scanning the universe differs from peering into biology. Understanding the universe, especially from a functional standpoint, is not necessarily an immediate urgency. Understanding biology on that level is. Simply observing the amazing internal structure of cells is not enough. Biologists must also characterize how all those parts interact and change in different environments and when faced with various challenges. Being able to image a virus or bacterium is nice at the level of basic science. But knowing how viruses gain entry into cells and spread, infect, and disable can literally save lives. Through time, biology has risen to this mechanistic challenge. Not only can life science tools produce images of cell components, even more importantly, they can help predict the effects of drugs on receptors, of immune cells on foreign invaders (入侵者), and of genetic perturbations (基因干扰) on development and aging.

This is not to belittle the work of scientists researching into universe. They should rightly be praised for delivering views of impossibly distant, impossibly massive phenomena. My aim is to celebrate these accomplishments while at the same time recognizing that science’s inward search for detail and insight is equally impressive and, in my view, more urgent. The output of both the outward and inward explorations should stimulate wonder in everyone. After all, it’s all star-stuff.

1. Why does the author quote Carl Sagan’s comment in Paragraph 2?

A．To introduce the background.	B．To prove an assumption.
C．To make a comparison.	D．To present an idea.

2. Like the study of the universe, life science has been advancing in ________.

A．study approaches	B．system management
C．research facilities	D．technology integration

3. We can infer from Paragraph 4 that biologists’ work is ________.

A．practical

B．risky

C．flexible

D．popular

4. As for life science, which would the author agree with?

A．It has received universal recognition.	B．It should enjoy priority in development.
C．It can be applied in the majority of areas.	D．It is more complicated than space science.

3 . When you’re behind the wheel, distractions (分心) cost lives. Nevertheless, drivers take selfies, and respond to text messages.     1    

Smartphones are often at the root of these tragedies. As Big Tech sets its sights on modern vehicles, it’s appropriate to ask if it’s time to limit attention-stealing technology that distracts the driver.

Big Tech wants to take on the automotive industry. And it is good at grabbing both attention and information from users. At first, the goal of these technology companies was to give away services at no cost, simply to attract a customer base.     2     Their increasing thirst for valuable user information has led them to the automotive industry, where a whole new world of data awaits. Location data, frequent destinations, passenger preferences — such data is found in family cars.     3    

Mobile tech is walled off from vehicle operating systems by software that keeps infotainment (information and entertainment) features away from the mission-critical driving electronics. If auto makers give up their core operating system to tech powerhouses, they will essentially become hardware suppliers to Silicon Valley.

    4     Their responsibility is to keep attention on the road, providing vehicle information and a small amount of entertainment options while getting passengers from place to place as safely as possible. Smartphone makers and digital-media providers don’t have this priority. They want eyes on their products, not on the road.

With electric vehicles transforming the auto industry, and artificial intelligence more common than ever, we’re at a dangerous moment.     5     Because their hardware is wrapped around families, they have a duty to keep them safe. The only way they can do that is to maintain control of the driver’s seat.

The quality, safety and security will make or break trust in auto makers. Without it, cars will be simply one more intrusive and risky mobile device.

A．Car companies have priorities opposed to those of Big Tech.

B．Now they exist to sell information about their users to advertisers.

C．They enjoy the convenience and fun brought by modern technology.

D．Car makers are, and should be, the most trusted technology companies in the world.

E．Currently video-streaming services are starting to be built into car operating systems.

F．And operating systems and autonomous-driving software are all gateways for this information.

G．Statistics show that an average of eight people a day die in accidents caused by distracted driving.

4 . Is fashion important to you?    1    From those who wear trendy ripped jeans and loose-fitting T-shirts to those who wear smart tailored suits and expensive designer outfits, each individual can have their own style.

    2    And what impact can this have on their self-expression?

Arguably, one factor that influences what people wear is the need to impress others. People who dress well and keep up with the latest styles seem to be more noticed than those who are not concerned about their appearance.     3    In this way they assume an identity which makes them feel they impress. Yet, by copying general looks, people actually can’t show their individuality.

At the same time, fashion is perceived by some as a tool for success and one that represents wealth or respectable social position. For instance, people intentionally try to raise their status by wearing famous brands or expensive clothes which are admired by others.    4    They are just the means to promote a specific image of power and control. In this case, fashion does not express personal individuality but could perhaps be said to give a false impression of appearance for a specific purpose.

That being said, following fashion may not have anything to do with copying current trends but with using them as an inspiration to create outfits expressing individuality.    5    Adding glam here and there, rolling up a pair of trousers or even wearing two different shoes can be considered a form of self-expression demonstrating originality.

Having considered all this, to my way of thinking, fashion can be used as a means of communication and a way to communicate your self-image to people around you. As a famous designer once said, “Fashion is instant language.”

A．Is it a trend we must follow?

B．But why are people following fashion?

C．For most people it is, at least to some extent.

D．For this reason, people wear fashionable clothing.

E．These clothes are not actually giving a personal statement of the wearer.

F．There are always fashion followers, even though fashion is constantly changing.

G．An example of this is reforming fashionable pieces and making small personalized changes.

5 . Some people prefer to have a bite to eat before hitting the gym, known as a fed workout. Others would like to wait until after exercising to refuel their bodies, called a fasted workout.    1     Many experts say there’s no easy answer because it depends on the person.

If you want energy and strength for an ideal workout, you need fuel. A fed workout will provide your body with power. Eating before exercise may help you sustain longer sessions and lift heavier weights.     2     Muscle preservation is also an essential component of strengthening your body. Nitrogen (氮) is critical for processing protein that builds healthy muscles. People tend to lose less nitrogen during a fed workout than a fasted one.

Many fitness enthusiasts are not on board with this idea. They report feeling sick and inactive while trying to exercise after eating. With a fasted workout, you may not get the usual indigestion. Experts for fasted workouts further claim that eating afterwards makes your body use its fat reserves for energy, meaning you will burn more fat.     3     It can cause a sudden drop in your blood glucose (葡萄糖) levels, and you may feel dizzy. You may even be more likely to overeat.

    4     Not all foods are created equal. For example, if you choose a fed workout, you’ll probably lose a lot of water during an intense training, so you should consider drinking some beforehand. With a fasted workout, it would help if you had some nutrition right after your session is complete. Drink some water. Then, have a light meal or nutritional snack.

Deciding when to eat for an ideal workout is a personal choice. Both fasted workouts and fed activities have their benefits and shortcomings.     5    

A．However, a fasted workout might not work for you.

B．How your body will respond is based on your workout intensity.

C．These benefits can result in burning more fat and shaping a slimmer body.

D．To eat or not to eat, that is the question on many fitness enthusiasts’ minds.

E．Think thoroughly and discuss with your fitness instructor before taking a choice.

F．Knowing what to eat for an ideal workout is just as important as knowing when to eat.

G．A person doing a 30-minute session a day may not have a problem with fasted workouts.

6 . Every year, young, talented, and ambitious nature conservationists from all over the world shoot their shot for the Future For Nature (FFN) Award, an honorable international award.

The Future For Nature aims to:

·Reward and fund individuals for their outstanding efforts in the protection of species of wild animals and plants.

·Stimulate award winners to sustain their dedicated work.

·Help winners to raise their profile, extend their professional network and strengthen their funding basis.

Benefits

·The winners each receive 50,000 euros and may make their own decision to spend the money in the service of nature conservation.

·FFN offers the winners a platform and brings their stories to the attention of conservationists, financiers and a wide audience, allowing them to increase their impact and gain more access to funds.

·FFN is building a growing family of winners, dedicated people who form a community of people with the same interest. FFN offers them the opportunity to meet each other and continue to learn with each other in order to continue their fight for nature as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Qualifications

The candidate：

·Must be born on or after the 31st May 1988 and before the 31st May 2005.

·Is able to explain his/her conservation work in fluent English (written and spoken).

·Has achieved substantial and long-term benefits to the conservation status of one or more animal or plant species.

·Must be determined to continue his/her conservation work, as the award aims to stimulate the winner’s future work. It is not an “end of career” prize.

Additional Remarks

For the 2023 Future For Nature Award, we are again searching for natural leaders, who have proven that they can make a difference in species’ survival.

From all applications, 6 to 10 nominees (被提名者) will be selected. These applicants will be asked to provide additional information, which will be used to select the final awardees. Ultimately, three inspiring wildlife heroes are selected as the winners.

Application Process: Apply online through the Apply Now link.

Application Deadline: May 1st, 2023.

1. Which is one of the aims of the Future For Nature?

A．To aid more green groups.	B．To fund academic education.
C．To inspire conservation efforts.	D．To raise environmental awareness.

2. The winners will get the chance to ________.

A．consult top specialists	B．meet like-minded people
C．benefit the local community	D．promote self-created platforms

3. To apply for the 2023 Future For Nature Award, candidates must ________.

A．meet the age requirement	B．apply via mail by the deadline
C．turn in the application in English	D．provide additional personal information

7 . Many people have participated into lots of virtual meetings these years. Some research shows this adjustment might not impact workplace productivity to any great degree. A new study, though, suggests otherwise.

In the study, 602 participants were randomly paired and asked to come up with creative uses for a product. They were also randomly selected to work together either in person or virtually. The pairs were then ranked by assessing their total number of ideas, as well as those concepts’ degree of novelty, and asked to submit their best idea. Among the groups, virtual pairs came up with significantly fewer ideas, suggesting that something about face-to-face interaction generates more creative ideas. The findings could stiffen employers’ resolve to urge or require their employees to come back to the office.

“We ran this experiment based on feedback from companies that it was harder to innovate with remote workers,” said lead researcher Melanie Brucks. “Unlike other forms of virtual communication, like phone calls or e-mail, videoconferencing copies the in-person experience quite well, so I was surprised when we found meaningful differences between in-person and video interaction for idea generation. ”

When random objects were placed in both the virtual and physical rooms, the virtual pairs of participants spent more time looking directly at each other rather than letting their look wander about the room and taking in the entire scene. Eyeing one’s whole environment and noticing the random objects were associated with increased idea generation. On platforms, the screen occupies our interactions. Our look wavers less. “Looking away might come across as rude, ” said Brucks,“so we have to look at the screen because that is the defined context of the interaction, the same way we wouldn’t walk to another room while talking to someone in person. ”

Like most educators, Brucks has primarily taught virtually in the past three years, and she did notice some benefits of the approach as well. Her students were more likely to take turns speaking and her shyer students spoke up more often, rid of the anxiety that comes from addressing a large classroom. Brucks found that one solution to improving virtual idea generation might be to simply turn off the camera, for her students felt “freer” and more creative when asked to do so. And this may be sound advice for the workplace.

Virtual teamwork can’t replace face-to-face teamwork. Idea selection proficiency (能力) is only valuable if you have strong options to select from, and face-to-face teams are the best means to generate winning options. Perhaps the workplace will find a compromise—a sweet spot in the middle that balances working from both home and office.

1. What does the underlined word “stiffen” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?

A．Shake.

B．Revise.

C．Challenge.

D．Strengthen.

2. At first, lead researcher Melanie Brucks might think that ________.

A．videoconferencing can’t compare with in-person communication

B．participants should make eye contact in an online meeting

C．the feedback from companies seems questionable

D．creative ideas may emerge from casual thoughts

3. What can we learn about Brucks’ class?

A．Her students relieved anxiety by speaking up.	B．Her students progressed in focusing attention.
C．Her students took advantage of virtual learning.	D．Her students displayed talent for public speaking.

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Interacting Virtually Impacts Working Participation	B．Maintaining Teamwork Improves Idea Generation
C．Grouping Randomly Increases Productivity	D．Brainstorming Online Limits Creativity

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 . Do you feel like you can remember things better when you actively engage with the information and create your own version of it?     1     This phenomenon has important implications when it comes to understanding how people learn.

Tests on the generation effect show that when users encounter a list of words presented in the form of fragments (片段), they will engage several areas of the brain to create words to fill in the blanks.     2     Researchers believe this is because of the deeper level of cognitive (认知的) engagement involved in the process of creating new words.

Teachers and instructors need to be aware of the role the generation effect can play in the classroom. Students who just receive written material they can read may not understand it as fully as students who engage with it by taking notes, completing writing exercises, and so forth.     3     Rather than giving students a list of correctly spelled words and asking them to memorize it, the teacher can ask students to complete worksheets where they must fill in blanks to spell the words.

    4     If a student simply reads a textbook, he/she will not absorb the information as well as when he/she takes notes and recreates charts and other materials presented in the book. Students preparing for an examination may find it helpful to write out material from the text, rephrasing in their own words as appropriate to make sure they fully understand the material.     5    

In a word, it all boils down to active learning versus passive learning. Spending a few minutes actively producing content may just be the thing you were missing in your learning routine.

A．That’s called the Generation Effect.

B．For students, the generation effect can also be important.

C．When they are asked to repeat the list later, their recall will be better.

D．A common example of the generation effect can be seen in spelling lessons for young students.

E．The simple act of writing can trigger(激发) the generation effect and help the students perform better on examinations.

F．They will find that actively using new information may create relationships between tasks in examinations.

G．The process of generating content may initiate some particular encoding (编码) processes that do not happen when simply reading.

10 . Should schools report a student’s health to parents?

As if grades weren’t enough to worry about, some students now have weight on their minds too. The number of overweight children in the United States has more than doubled in the past 20 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.     1    

As a result, schools in several states, from California to Pennsylvania, have started sending home "BMI report cards". Those schools send home a report of a student’s body mass index (BMI). BMI is a calculation of weight and height that tells whether a person is overweight for his or her age.

    2     People on both sides of the debate are weighing in.

Some lawmakers say BMI reports warn parents of their children s health problem help fight against obesity. In 2003, former Arkansas Governor. Mike Huckabee helped launch the first program to report students’ BMI.       3     Pechatrician Joe Thompson helped plan the BMI program for Arkansas schools. He explains that the reports in Arkansas are sent home separately from report cards. “The misconception is that students are being graded on their weight,” he told WR News, “Just like a school screen for vision or hearing, this is a health approach to raise awareness about a risk.”

    4     Parents have complained that the reports damage their children’s self-respect. Some parents say kids also worry that they are being “graded” on their weight.       5     They point out that many school cafeterias serve tasty foods. Parent Brett Levy from Chicago, Illinois, believes that schools should teach kids to lead healthy lifestyles instead of reporting their BMIS. “Telling a boy or girl a BMI is not education,” he told WR News. “It’s a fear strategy.”

A．Should schools send home BMI reports?

B．Obesity rates in that state have since stopped increasing.

C．Since then children with heart disease have received the reports.

D．Not everyone thinks that reporting students’ BMI is a good idea.

E．Schools agree that more activities are required for students to control weight.

F．Being obese, or severely overweight, can lead to health problems later in life.

G．Some people argue that schools that label students overweight are acting unfairly.