Anna Jones is a journalist,
The turtle dove is the UK’s fastest-declining bird species, according to a recent study. The data,
3 . All the feels
You can make your picture book memorable by concentrating on emotional connection. This works across every principle of writing, regardless of age range or genre (文体), because it is universally recognized.
The reason why emotional connection works is that emotion is a fundamental human experience.
For example, if it’s a funny picture book, your reader is clearly expecting to laugh. Make sure they laugh. If it’s an adventure story, your reader will be expecting to feel excitement, anticipation and probably a little mild fear. If it’s a heartwarming story, your reader expects to feel warm, comforted and overflowing with love.
Another reason for including emotion in your picture book is to really get your reader inside your character’s head. Firstly, it helps build on the young reader’s emotional development and understanding of self and others.
If you want your story to stand out amongst other stories, give your reader something to remember — a strong emotional connection.
| A．Secondly, it creates interest in the character. |
| B．It helps us make sense of the world around us. |
| C．An emotional ending in a picture book works well. |
| D．When we feel something, we will have sharp minds. |
| E．This is obviously not a complete list, but it is a starting point. |
| F．Here is why it works and how you can use it in your picture book writing. |
| G．Picture books have many different genres and your job is to know which genre your story sits in. |
4 . In the story A Christmas Carol, the wealthy miser (吝啬鬼) Ebenezer Scrooge has a magical, life-changing epiphany (顿悟). Scrooge’s eyes are opened as to how his behavior affects other people — and he goes from a selfish grump to a generous benefactor overnight, thanks to visits from ghosts.
Scrooge’s transformation comes down to knowledge. But do people really want to know how their actions affect others? As behavioral scientists, we wanted to understand just how common willful ignorance is — as well as why people engage in it.
Experiments were carried out to find answers. Researchers asked one member of each pair to choose between two options (选择) in one of two settings, determining the earnings for themselves and their partner.
In the transparent setting, if they chose $5 for themselves, they knew their partner would also receive $5. If, however, they chose $6 for themselves, they knew their partner would receive only $1 in return.
In the ambiguous setting, there were two possible situations. In one, if the decision-maker selected $6 for themselves, their partner would receive $1, and if the decision-maker chose $5, their partner would receive $5. But in the other situation, the decision-maker could pick $6 and their partner would receive $5, or the decision-maker could select $5 and their partner would receive $1. The decision-maker knew these two systems — but they were not initially aware of which situation they were in. Interestingly, the decision-maker had the opportunity to resolve that ambiguity by clicking a button.
Across all studies, we found in the transparent setting 55% chose the altruistic option. In the ambiguous setting, however, 40% of participants chose to remain ignorant. 60% of people in the ignorant group chose a higher personal payout in situations where this choice came at the expense of their partner. Among those who requested more information, 36% knowingly kept a higher payout at a cost to their partner. Only 39% of people in the ambiguous setting made the choice that ultimately benefited their partner — a significant drop from 55% in the transparent condition.
But how do we know if ignorance in the ambiguous setting was willful? We conducted a second analysis focused on what motivates people to seek information.
In this analysis we looked at how people who obtained additional information behaved in comparison with those who were given information. We found that people who chose to receive information in the ambiguous setting were seven percentage points more likely to make the altruistic choice than people in the transparent setting. By the same token, the finding also suggests ignorance prevents people from knowing how their actions harm others.
If we can avoid putting a strong moral emphasis on decisions, it may make people feel less threatened and, as a result, less willfully ignorant. We may not have Dickensian ghosts to guide us — but there are still steps we can take.
1. The author mentions Scrooge’s change mainly to ______.| A．draw a comparison | B．introduce a topic |
| C．evaluate a character | D．give an example |
| A．drop out of the experiment | B．know the situation they are in |
| C．receive the additional earnings | D．switch to the other situation they prefer |
| A．Inadvisable. | B．Selfless. | C．Fair-minded. | D．Unrealistic. |
| A．The ignorant group tend to sacrifice their own interest. |
| B．Moral evaluation might lead to more intentional ignorance. |
| C．There is no common payout system shared by both settings. |
| D．Avoiding information might make people feel like bad persons. |
5 . The scientists behind a new database of more than 400 extreme weather attribution (归因) studies have performed an essential service. This piece of work, drawing together every study of this type, ought to create a greater sense of urgency around policymaking and campaigning. It shows that intense heatwaves, hurricanes, and floods have all been made far more likely by greenhouse gas emissions. And it spells out the alarming unpredictability as well as the extent of global heating’s consequences.
Until the early 2000s, when the first attribution studies were published, it was harder to link CO2 in the atmosphere with global heating’s sensible effects. Thanks to a growing body of research, now we know. The last summer’s record-breaking “heat dome”(热穹顶) across the globe would have been almost impossible without human-caused climate change.
“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” wrote the poet John Keats just over 200 years ago. When it comes to climate, truth can feel closer to terror these days. But scientists are right to insist that the reality must be faced. Indeed, this is the only way to avoid the most disastrous outcomes. In a new book, Hothouse Earth, Prof Bill McGuire argues that we have reached a stage when minimising dangers should be regarded as “climate appeasement”.
Like the historical responsibility for carbon emissions, attitudes and experiences in the present crisis are unevenly and unjustly shared out. Billions of people around the world, and above all in the global south, are caught up day-to-day in a struggle for survival. This doesn’t mean they don’t recognise global heating; subsistence (勉强维持生活) farmers and fishers are more directly exposed to environmental damage than anyone else. But western governments, businesses and people who are relatively sheltered from global heating’s worst effects should recognise this as the privilege that it is. With this year’s Climate Change Conference fast approaching, western governments must follow through on their promises of climate finance to enable a green transition in the developing world.
The purpose of attribution science is not simply to warn the world about what is happening, but to aid preparations for what has not happened yet. The most alarming global trend, apart from still-rising emissions that mean we are on course for 2. 5°C of heating, is the unexpected speed with which it is already causing chaos. Given what we now know about the impact of 1°C of warming, it is no exaggeration to say that this trend is disastrous.
But alternatives exist, and insisting on this point has never been more important. The alarming findings of attribution scientists can give rise to desperation-but must not be allowed to end determination and hope.
1. The attribution studies imply that ____.| A．policies addressing climate issues are ineffective |
| B．it is hard to link CO2 with the effects of global heating |
| C．the extent of global heating’s consequences is unpredictable |
| D．humans are to blame for the increased occurrence of disasters |
| A．Worried. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Puzzled. |
| A．The global south is in urgent need of financial support. |
| B．The speeding up of global warming has spelled trouble. |
| C．Global heating affects western countries to a larger extent. |
| D．The effort to reduce greenhouse gas emission has worked. |
| A．To urge the public to follow the science. |
| B．To persuade the scientists to further their study. |
| C．To assess the current policy on the climate crisis. |
| D．To confirm the public’s concern for global heating. |
6 . At the end of the day, most of us find ourselves on the couch, eyes glued to the television or to our smartphones, doing everything we can to conserve energy.
According to Michael Inzlicht, a social psychologist at the University of Toronto, we’re lazy and also, we’re not.
All humans, given equal options, will take the easy way out. Does it mean we’re lazy? Maybe.
But there are the times when humans are the opposite of lazy and do very difficult things for no apparent reason. Some rewards only come from extensive effort.
So, in that sense, effort is worth the effort. While humans are economically aware of effort most of the time, “in some cases, the effort itself is rewarding,” says Inzlicht.
| A．Think about things like running a marathon. |
| B．It’s not completely clear why humans behave this way. |
| C．It seems that we humans are gifted in the way of laziness. |
| D．We similarly love to space out, our brain tired of focusing. |
| E．But it certainly means that we’re economic with our effort. |
| F．Some people who appear to be lazy are suffering from much more serious problems. |
| G．Likewise, we might get a sense of pleasure or mastery from doing a crossword puzzle. |
7 . My university has now topped the U.S. News & World Report rankings for 11 years running. Given Princeton’s success, you might think I would be a fan of the list. Not so. Don’t get me wrong. I am proud of Princeton’s teaching, research and commitment to service. I like seeing our quality recognized. Rankings, however, are a misleading way to assess universities. Different schools have distinct strengths, structures and missions. The idea of picking one as “best”, as though educational programs competed like athletic teams, is strange.
However, the U.S. News rankings attract great attention and a huge customer base. Applicants and their families rely on the rankings and feel pressure to get into highly regarded institutions. As a result, many schools make intense efforts to move up in the rankings. This competition produces damaging consequences. For example, some universities avoid doing difficult but valuable things—such as admitting talented lower-income students who can succeed at university if given appropriate support.
Still, students and families need comparative information to choose universities. If rankings mislead, what is the alternative? For generations, buyers have turned to Consumer Reports for advice about almost everything except university education. When Consumer Reports evaluates a product, it assesses multiple factors so that potential buyers can make their own choice wisely. Similarly, university applicants need information about some basic variables. Graduation rates are crucial. A university that does not graduate its students is like a car with a bad maintenance (维修) record. It costs money without getting you anywhere. What applicants need is not the average graduation rate, but the rate for students with backgrounds like their own. For example, some places successfully graduate their wealthy students but do less well for lower-income students. Applicants should also see some measure of post-graduation outcomes.
Here is a partial list of other factors that matter: cost of tuition (学费) and fees; high-quality teachers actively engaged in undergraduate instruction; and a learning culture composed of diverse students who study hard and educate one another. Judged by these criteria, many schools could be “Consumer Reports Best Buys”. Applicants should be excited to get into any of them; they should pick the one they find most appealing; and they should not waste time worrying about which is “the best”.
It would be great to have a Consumer Reports for universities. I hope that some national publication will have the courage to produce an annual, user-friendly Consumer Reports-style analysis of higher education institutions, even if it is not as attractive as a football-style set of rankings. In the meantime, those of us who understand the imperfection in the rankings must call them out—even when, indeed especially when, we finish at the top.
1. What is the author’s attitude towards university rankings?| A．Supportive. | B．Indifferent. | C．Disapproving. | D．Neutral. |
| A．To reveal the multiplicity of consumers. |
| B．To present the information of potential buyers. |
| C．To highlight the difficulty of choosing universities. |
| D．To emphasize the need of overall evaluation of universities. |
| A．It is not likely to have a Consumer Reports for universities. |
| B．The most suitable university for applicants may not rank the top. |
| C．The average graduation rate is crucial to lower-income applicants. |
| D．The top universities can see the imperfection in the rankings better. |
| A．There is no such thing as a good or bad student. |
| B．Education equality is an ideal hard to be realized. |
| C．An alternative approach is needed to assess universities. |
| D．Discrimination against poor students brings loss of talents. |
Saving nature is at the very heart of what we do as WWF. We protect wildlife
9 . It was summer 2019 in Aurora, Colorado, when CBS News first met Finn Lanning, a math teacher, and Damien, his student who always stood out.
Lanning was astonished when Damien told him he was not coming back to
But the real
“It
They got along smoothly, although Damien refused to get too excited. “I’m afraid the bubbles will burst one day. It’s kind of bad thinking about that, but some people actually do that. Like, they’ll be happy with you one day and then just kick you out the next,” Damien said. Lanning told him he’s not going anywhere,
In the nearly two years since CBS News shared their story, Damien was able to get a transplant and he’s a much
It’s proof that sometimes
| A．school | B．hospital | C．community | D．family |
| A．failure | B．risk | C．disease | D．change |
| A．informed | B．forced | C．invited | D．followed |
| A．trouble | B．danger | C．threat | D．fight |
| A．hopeful | B．unsuitable | C．important | D．hard |
| A．hurt | B．hit | C．touched | D．affected |
| A．called in | B．believed in | C．gave in | D．took in |
| A．whether | B．whatever | C．wherever | D．whenever |
| A．politer | B．braver | C．healthier | D．warmer |
| A．miracles | B．accidents | C．fairytales | D．surprises |
Before ending upon a supermarket shelf, an avocado(牛油果) has produced 1.3 kilograms of carbon into the atmosphere. Its production alone consumes 60 gallons of water. Despite this, the fruit will often be thrown away as household waste.
Household food waste is the result of mismanagement. Much of the waste is avoidable and the food may have been eaten had it been better managed. To reduce household food waste, a growing number of food retailers decide to remove date labelling(标签), such as the “use-by” or “best-before” date, from some fresh food items.
Past studies have confirmed the importance of date labelling. Almost 60% of western European consumers surveyed said they “always” check date labels while purchasing. But date labelling has long come under criticism because failure to truly understand date labelling often leads to unreasonable decision making. Indeed, consumers commonly don’t accept edible(可食用的), but date-expired(过期的) food.
The removal of date labelling is therefore a promising start. Without date labels, information that may affect consumers’ understanding of what is edible, is removed. Instead, consumers are encouraged to sense-check fresh food items.
In the case of an avocado, the advice given to consumers is that when ripe, it should have a “pleasant and slightly sweet aroma(气味)”, while the skin should be “dark green or brown”. Information is also provided on how an avocado should look, taste, and feel when “overripe”. It is hoped that a better informed consumer will be less likely to blindly throw away food due to an expiration date.
1. What do food retailers decide to do to reduce household food waste?2. Why has date labelling long been criticized?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
If consumers can be better informed, they will not accept edible, but date-expired food.
4. Once date labels are removed from some fresh food items, what problem(s) might be caused? (In about 40 words)
