1 . Food waste across the globe continues to fuel climate change, nature loss and pollution while hurting the global economy according to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024, which says it is important for countries to connect the fight against hunger and the three global crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.

The report, whose findings revealed that the total food loss on the global economy is estimated at roughly $1 trillion, emphasized that reducing food waste is an opportunity to reduce costs and tackle some of the biggest environmental and social issues of our time: climate change and food insecurity.

While making opening remarks at the conference that launched the report, Dechen Tsering, acting director of the climate change division at the UNEP, said government polices, such as tax rebates (退税) and waste collection fees, could be used to stimulate changes in business practices and consumer behavior. In addition, better data on the cost of food waste and the environmental, economic, and social benefits of limiting food waste could help influence investors and consumers.

According to the report, as of 2022, only 21 countries had included food loss and waste reduction in their national climate plans, including China, Namibia, Sierra Leone, etc. Meanwhile, the number of people who are food insecure and in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in the Greater Horn of Africa rose to 74 million at the end of February, according to another report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other agencies.

The international agencies said that the 2023 El Nino rains contributed to the rise in the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in the region. With wetter-than-normal conditions forecast in most parts of African countries during the 2024 March-May rainfall season, the situation may not improve.

1. What does the Report 2024 indicate?

A．Food loss is the biggest problem to tackle.

B．Serious pollution can cause food insecurity.

C．Food waste worsens the environmental situation.

D．Many countries are cooperating to fight against hunger.

2. Which of the following may Dechen agree with?

A．Effective measures should be taken by government.

B．Unnecessary costs in climate lead to development problems.

C．Data make no sense to consumer behavior and investors’ decision.

D．Avoiding waste collection fees is beneficial to limiting food waste.

3. What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?

A．Humanitarian assistance is the only way to help African people.

B．Food insecurity is still a big challenge to many African countries.

C．The situation of food waste in Africa becomes more and more severe.

D．The number of people needing help is increasing mainly due to bad weather.

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To reveal the urgent financial situation in Africa.

B．To stress the necessity of food waste prevention.

C．To call for the joint efforts of governments in climate.

D．To raise the awareness of environmental conservation.

2 . Scientists have designed plenty of devices that can pick up solid objects. Big mechanical claws can lift cars. Small claws can pluck (摘，拉) prizes from a glass box in an arcade game (街机游戏). But these new pluckers can lift something else entirely — a liquid.

Engineers have built the device, which can pick up and move a single drop of liquid. The device is made of two flexible crossed pieces. It is about the size and shape of a finger. Experimental tests showed that the pair can lift up a drop of liquids as small as 2 millimeters (0.08 inch) across.

Such a device might help scientists safely handle biological liquids like blood, says Arun Kota. That task could be particularly useful in laboratories where samples are tested for signs of flu or other infectious diseases. Kota is a mechanical engineer at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He worked on these new devices.

The new device combines tech from two fields of engineering. One is soft robotics. Unlike robots made from hard and heavy materials such as metal, soft robots are made from soft stuff. The other field is materials science. “Many materials are repellent to water, but in alcohol or oil they’re no longer able to do it,” Kota says. Working with Wei Wang, an engineer in his lab, he developed such materials, which will not let any liquid pass through them.

The group completed their design by 2017. Yet cool as it was, it had no obvious use. Xiaoguang Dong, an engineer at Vanderbilt University, doubts whether infectious disease labs are looking for such a device. “To me, this is not really practical,” he says. “The number of droplets that can be lifted is very small. They need independently robotic fingers to lift several droplets. If you want to control hundreds of droplets, how do you do that?”

1. Why are the big mechanical claws and small claws mentioned in paragraph 1?

A．To introduce the function of the new invention.

B．To show the common usage of mechanical tools.

C．To give examples of some recent scientific findings.

D．To reveal the importance of accurately lifting liquids.

2. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us about the new device?

A．Its future.

B．Its feature.

C．Its creator.

D．Its principle.

3. What does the underlined word “repellent” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Exposed.

B．Resistant.

C．Connected.

D．Similar.

4. What improvement should be made to the new device?

A．It should be easier to use.	B．It should be safer in disease labs.
C．It should combine low-cost materials.	D．It should carry many more drops of liquid.

3 . Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner

This is the memoir (回忆录) and first book of Michelle Zauner, lead singer of the band Japanese Breakfast. Zauner writes about growing up as a Korean American and how losing her mother to cancer when she was 25 forced her to reconnect with her identity. It’s a story of Zauner’s grief and an exploration of all the gifts (language, food, history) her mother left behind.

Overwhelmed, by Brigid Schulte

You’ve probably heard by now that you won’t be sleeping much after you welcome your bundle of joy and noise into the world. Parenthood can be challenging and tiring, but you don’t have to feel like you’ve lost yourself while you’re creating a life for someone else. Journalist Brigid Schulte lays out how our always-on culture can get the best of us and what you can do to take back some time for yourself.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong

Ocean Vuong is a Vietnamese-American poet and his first novel is written in the form of a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Exploring race, class, and manhood, the novel handles difficult topics with beauty and the kind of lines that will hang in the air long after you’ve set the book down.

24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week, by Tiffany Shlain

In 24/6, filmmaker and popular speaker Shlain introduces readers to what she calls a “Technology Shabbat” -the one day, every week, where she and her family turn off all electronic devices. Beyond detailing the many ways she and her family have benefited, Shlain gives helpful, reassuring advice for setting your own tech shabbat and controlling device use.

1. Who are the main target readers of Overwhelmed?

A．Children.

B．Parents.

C．Writers.

D．Journalists.

2. Which book may help you have an electronic-free lifestyle?

A．Crying in H Mart.

B．Overwhelmed.

C．On Earth We’re Brie fly Gorgeous.

D．24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week.

3. What do the four books have in common?

A．They are related to family life.

B．They are on the theme of growing up.

C．They are written by mixed-race authors.

D．They are concerned with electronic devices.

4 . If you’ve ever seen a sparrow steal your dog food or a crow open a garbage bag, you get a sense of that some birds have learned to take advantage of new feeding opportunities—a clear sign of their intelligence. Scientists have long wondered why certain species of birds are more innovative than others, and whether these capacities stem from larger brains or from a greater number of neurons (神经元) in specific areas of the brain.

It turns out that it’s a bit of both, according to a recent study by an international team that included members from McGill University published in Nature Ecology and Evolution.

The researchers used a new technique to estimate the number of neurons in a specific part of the brain called the pallium in 111 bird species. The pallium in birds is equal to the human cerebral cortex (大脑皮层), which is involved in memory, learning, reasoning, and problem-solving, among other things. When these estimates about neuron numbers in the pallium were combined with information about over 4,000 feeding innovations, the team found that the species with the higher numbers of neurons in the pallium were also likely to be the most innovative.

“The amount of time chicks spend in the nest as their brains develop might also play a crucial role in the evolution of intelligence,” says McGill University Emeritus Professor Louis Lefebvre who spent more than 20 years gathering examples of feeding innovations. “Larger species of crows and parrots, which are known for their intelligence, spend longer in the nest, which allows more time for the brain to grow and accumulate pallial neurons.”

The results of the study help to deal with previously opposed views of the evolution and significance of brain size and show how a life-history perspective helps to understand the evolution of cognition.

1. What may a sparrow be thought of when it steals dog food?

A．It is lovely.

B．It is immoral.

C．It is heartbroken.

D．It is intelligent.

2. What did researchers do with the 111 bird species?

A．Assessed the neurons in their pallium.

B．Tested a new technology on their brain.

C．Trained them to learn to feed individually.

D．Compared their pallium with the human cerebral cortex.

3. What is behind the intelligence of larger bird species?

A．Their large shape.

B．More time in their nest.

C．Their learning ability.

D．More feeding innovations.

4. In which section may the text appear in a newspaper?

A．Health.

B．Society.

C．Science.

D．Culture.

5 . More than 400 athletes across a variety of sports, ages and levels of experience were questioned for the study by sports psychology experts from Staffordshire University and Manchester Metropolitan University. The findings reveal that athletes’ belief systems — specifically irrational (非理性) beliefs — are related to poorer self-confidence, and in turn, greater competitive anxiety and depressive symptoms.

“Phrases that reflect self-depreciating (贬低) beliefs such as ‘If I lose, I’m a failure’ or ‘If I face setbacks, it shows how stupid I am’ are warning signs,” said the authors. Paul Mansell, Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Staffordshire University, said, “Despite the psychological benefits of physical activity, studies frequently report poor mental health in athletes, which may be exacerbated by adversities, such as injury, de-selection, and performance pressure. We investigated athletes’ beliefs, how they view stress, their levels of self-confidence and put all this data together to work out what might predict psychological well-being. We found irrational beliefs to be a core reason for symptoms of poor mental health in athletes.”

This is the first known study that has examined irrational beliefs, self-confidence, and the psychological well-being of athletes all together. Irrational beliefs are extreme, rigid, and illogical ideas that people hold. For example, a person might believe that they “must” get what they want, or that just because they have failed, they are a “complete failure”.

“We can all work to help athletes develop mindsets that help them deal with the challenges of sport and life. By encouraging rational and logical beliefs about performance, we can help athletes to stay healthy amidst the high demands of competitive sport,” said Paul Mansell.

The author s propose Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) as an effective tool for protecting self-confidence. REBT helps athletes to challenge these self-depreciating beliefs and develop beliefs that are more helpful and healthy. For example, rather than believe “I am a failure if I fail”, this might be countered with “Failing is not ideal, but it does not mean that I am a failure”.

1. What did the study centre on?

A．Physical health of athletes.

B．The competition state of athletes.

C．Psychological health of athletes.

D．Competition habits of athletes.

2. Which can best replace the underlined word “exacerbated” in paragraph 2?

A．Worsened.

B．Examined.

C．Promoted.

D．Recognized.

3. Which of the following is a sign of irrational beliefs?

A．Setbacks won’t stop me.

B．If I fail, I will lose everything.

C．It is a world full of competition.

D．What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Psychological benefits of physical activity

B．Effective tools for protecting self-confidence

C．Rational and logical beliefs about performance

D．Warning signs of poor mental health in athletes

6 . “Red tide” is a natural phenomenon that frequently occurs in many places around the world. The phenomenon is the result of extreme growth of tiny algae (海藻) called K. Brevis, which has a red color, giving the water surface a very noticeable red color. K. Brevis will give off chemicals that can attack the nervous systems of animals, which often leads to deadly results.

Florida citizens are no stranger to “red tide”, which occurs along the state’s Gulf Coast annually. However, the most recent outbreak of red tide has so far lasted much longer and spread across nearly 145 miles of the coastline in southwestern Florida.

The long season has caused the death of tons of fish and other animals which were washed up on the beaches all the way from Tampa to Naples. The smell of the dead animals has kept away thousands of locals and tourists that frequent the area’s long beaches. In view of that, in August, Florida declared a state of emergency for the seven places where K. Brevis has been growing quickly, providing $ 3 million to help with research, cleanup, and wildlife rescue.

Recently, the situation of red tide in Florida may be exacerbated due to an outbreak of algae Trichodesmium in the waters offshore of Manatee County. Trichodesmium floats on the water’s surface sucking nitrogen (氮) from the air while K. Brevis lives below the surface obtaining nitrogen from the water. If these two masses of algae mix, the dying Trichodesmium may end up providing nitrogen for K. Brevis, lengthening its stay in the area.

Researchers recently are exploring the idea of introducing other algal species to Florida. Among the possibilities is the Diatom. It’s a kind of algae that can grow quickly in the water. Its growth will consume a large amount of nitrogen from the water. So it competes with K. Brevis for nitrogen. Another possibility is algae known to give off chemicals that stop the growth of red tide.

The 10-month-long red tide outbreak in Florida may be the result of a combination of heavy rainfall, warmer ocean temperatures, and pollution. Now it’s time for us to do something.

1. What can we learn about K. Brevis?

A．It’s caused by red tide.	B．It can harm ocean life.
C．It’s facing dying out.	D．It exists mainly on land.

2. What’s Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The researchers’ study of algae.	B．The tourism potential in Florida.
C．The possible ways to deal with red tide.	D．The consequences of red tide in Florida.

3. What does the underlined part mean?

A．Worsened.

B．Studied.

C．Handled.

D．Ignored.

4. What’s the possible function of the algae Diatom?

A．To change the color of K. Brevis.

B．To help reduce K. Brevis’ food supply.

C．To damage K. Brevis using some chemicals.

D．To increase fishes’ resistance to K. Brevis’ attack.

7 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Porcelain (瓷器) is a material made from well-chosen porcelain clay through a series of technological     1     (process) like mixing, molding, drying and firing. Although porcelain developed from pottery, it is superior in both practical     2     artistic terms. Perhaps that is     3     it gradually replaced pottery in history.

The     4     (early) porcelain, commonly called “primitive porcelain”, appeared during the Shang Dynasty. But the first porcelain in real sense was not produced until the-Eastern Han Dynasty. Later with the processing techniques     5     (mature) all the way, famous kilns (窑), including what are known as the “Five, Great Kilns”, emerge     6     quantity during the Song Dynasty. In the Yuan Dynasty, Jingdezhen, the Capital of Porcelain, produced blue and white porcelain which later became the     7     (represent) of porcelain. Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty is classical, graceful, delicate and splendid, thus becoming superb goods popular at home and abroad.

Porcelain is the creative fruit of     8     working people of ancient China. Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, porcelain     9     (export) worldwide: It promotes economic and cultural exchange between China and the outside world, and     10     (dramatic) influences the traditional culture and lifestyle of people from other countries.

8 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段， 使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Dad’s Outer-Space Sweater

Grandma knitted Dad a sweater for his birthday. It was PURPLE, the glow-in-the-dark purple! Even crayon purple couldn’t compete. Dad loved it, claiming it was his favorite sweater. But I found it embarrassing as he wore it all the time: walking the dog; shopping for groceries and — worst of all — coming to my school events.

During a visit to our local farm, Dad tore his sleeve on a fence. When I pointed out that it was ripped, he said he would just wear it around the house. The hole got bigger and one night, at dinner, the thread became a table guest. Dad forked it up with spaghetti (通心粉) and lifted it to his mouth.

“Look out, Dad!” I shouted. “You’re about to take a bite of your sweater.”

Dad laughed, put his fork down and sighed, “The sweater might be beyond saving now.”

The next day, Mom and I repurposed the sweater on a Halloween scarecrow and put it in our front yard. When our neighbor dropped by to give us some used tennis balls for our cat, she gave her thumbs-up at our idea. But the sweater got rained on, and leaves stuck to it. Birds pulled the yarn (毛线). Dad finally removed it and was about to throw it away. He stood there long, looking sad. It made me sad too. I thought about the day he got it, the day he tore it, and ail those days he wore it. Then I thought of the day he almost ate it.

注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Paragraph 1: And that gave me an idea for the school year’s art show.   

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2: My Spaghetti and Meatballs, Outer-Space Style stood out in the art show.   

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . 假定你是李华，正在美国交流学习，你上周于3月28号在亚马逊网站上购买了一件夹克衫 (order number: 2403285264)，到货后发现有瑕疵，请你给网站客服人员写一封邮件，申请解决售后问题。
内容包括：
1. 说明问题；
2. 提出解决方案。
注意:
1. 字数为80 字左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节以使行文连贯。
Dear Customer Service,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sincerely Yours,

Li Hua

10 . How to Have a Better Conversation on Social Media

You’re not alone if you find social media to be both a space for staying informed and a space full of hate and disagreement. These days, that is the landscape we log into and struggle in.     1    .

Don’t voice opinions on everything

Too much information is like an “Everything Storm” for us to absorb and respond. Thus, it’s OK — and normal — that there are some topics we know more about and others we know almost nothing about.     2    . By focusing on just one or two topics and leaning on our own personal experience, rather than unclear references online, we can escape the storm or at least. grab an umbrella as it strikes.

Find a place to fully express ourselves

    3    . However, sometimes our thoughts are too messy or complicated to express in a bite-size package. Move to modes of communication that allow us to fully express ourselves without limits. Talking on the phone or in person may not always be possible. Try taking conversations to direct messages.

Stop competing for “likes”

The internet has become an arena (竞技场), where we all compete, for “likes”. We use emojis to cheer and boo (发出嘘声). Often the supposed winner of a debate is who-gets the most “likes.” This can be entertaining, yet it blocks the forming of genuine connections with people.     4    . Find a place far away from the audience, where we are not judged and scored instantly for what we say.

Accept differences

It’s sad but true: many of us act differently online than we would in real life, and often see anyone who disagrees as a “troll” (网络怪物).     5     Remember we’re speaking with someone whose feelings and experiences have shaped their opinions. Approach people online with compassion, and we’re on the way to opening doors to new understandings.

A．Exit the battlefield

B．Remove this word from our vocabulary

C．It is wise to limit our comments to the former

D．Many social platforms enforce strict word limits

E．Luckily, we can still survive with some strategies

F．Briefing your message in a reply will get you more connections

G．Our online feelings can be described as “entertaining” and “connecting”