1 . It’s a known fact that emissions (排放物) from gas-powered vehicles are harming the atmosphere. In response to this, Porsche, the German sports car company, began producing e-fuels at a pilot plant in Chile last year. Currently, the fuel will be used only in sports cars at Porsche’s performance and experience centers.
E-fuels are made by passing electricity through water. The electricity separates the hydrogen and oxygen from water. The hydrogen is then mixed with CO₂ to produce a liquid e-fuel, which can be produced using many renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. E-fuels follow the chemical structure of gasoline, making it possible for gas-powered cars to run on e-fuels almost without any change.
E-fuels can help ease the transform away from gas-powered cars, for those who may not be able to afford electric vehicles (EV). It will also help to reduce waste by keeping gas-powered cars in service, instead of throwing them away prematurely. Additionally, the use of e-fuels will not require new facility to be built unlike EVs. Existing gas stations and cars will be able to stay in use, which is already a big saving.
Despite the many benefits, opinions differ on whether e-fuels are truly eco-friendly. E-fuels are widely said to be nearly carbon neutral (碳中和), although an independent study indicates that e-fuels release the same amount of CO₂ as gasoline. Since e-fuels are still being developed and tested, their true impacts are still unknown. Meanwhile, e-fuels are very expensive to produce, partly due to energy loss during production. Unfortunately, only about half of the energy used in producing e-fuels is actually transformed into fuel. Additionally, only about 16% of the energy used in e-fuel production is actually used to power the car. Whereas, about 70% of energy is preserved when powering an EV. Even though the use of e-fuels will preserve existing facility, it will still take time and money to integrate it into everyday life. Currently, the price of e-fuels is nearly double the cost of regular fuel.
E-fuels are still a work in progress. Though opinions are divided on e-fuels, with more testing and development, they have been considered another way to help fight against the climate crisis. “There are currently more than 1.3 billion vehicles with combustion (内燃) engines worldwide. Many of these will be on the roads for decades to come, and e-fuels offer the owners of existing cars a nearly carbon-neutral alternative. With the e-fuels pilot plant, Porsche is playing a leading role in this development,” said Michael Steiner, member of the Executive Board for Development and Research at Porsche AG.
1. What can we learn from this passage?| A．E-fuels release no CO₂. |
| B．E-fuels were tested in Germany at first. |
| C．E-fuels are applicable to gas-powered cars. |
| D．E-fuels need to be mixed with CO₂ in actual use. |
| A．draw a conclusion. | B．present an opinion |
| C．further a discussion | D．provide a solution |
| A．Positive. | B．Dismissive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Objective. |
1.表示祝贺；
2.回顾他的困难；
3.赞扬他的努力。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
3 . About 40% adults and 19% children in the US are obese (肥胖的). Obese people are at increased risk of many serious diseases, including high blood pressure and heart disease.
Dietary “self-monitoring” is a common strategy. It involves recording what they consume, and how much. The theory is that when thinking of what you put in your body, you’ll make healthier decisions.
A good principle to follow may be “write when you bite”. Dietary self-monitoring can be performed in different ways — using an online program, using a pencil or using smart-phone applications.
| A．Can it really be that easy? |
| B．It is important to find what works for you. |
| C．Thus, long-term weight loss takes time and effort. |
| D．The risk factors that determine obesity can be complex. |
| E．In comparison, those who recorded less daily lost less weight. |
| F．Obesity is also associated with a lower life quality and poor mental health. |
| G．Study shows the more often you log your eating, the more weight you might lose. |
4 . Eleven o’clock at night saw a large woman with a large purse walking alone, when a boy ran up behind and tried to snatch (抢夺) her purse. But the boy lost his balance and fell on his back. The woman picked him up firmly by his shirt front.
“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?” shouted the woman. Two or three people passed, stopped, and stood watching.
“I’m very sorry, lady. I’m sorry,” whispered the skinny little boy, in broken tennis shoes.
“Um-hum! And your face is dirty,” said the large woman dragging the frightened boy. “Since you put yourself in contact with me, you are going to remember Mrs. Luella Jones.”
He began to struggle, but Mrs. Jones continued to drag him up the street. When she got to her door, she dragged the boy inside. “What’s your name?” the woman asked.
“Roger,” answered the boy in a low voice. “Then, Roger, you go to that sink and wash your face,” ordered the woman and finally let go of him.
“You gonna take me to jail (监狱)?” asked Roger, bending over the sink.
“Not with that face,” said Mrs. Jones. “I believe you were hungry to snatch my purse.”
“I wanted a pair of blue shoes,” replied the boy.
There was a long pause. After he had dried his face, the boy turned around. The door was open. He could run!
After a while the woman said, “I was young once and I wanted things I could not get. I have done things too, which I would not tell anybody else, son.” There was another long pause. The boy’s mouth opened.
Then Mrs. Jones went to do the cooking. She did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run, nor did she watch her purse left behind her. She did not ask him anything about where he lived, or his folks. Instead, as they ate, she told him a lot about her job in a hotel shop and how all kinds of people came in and out. She cut him another piece of her cake.
When they finished eating, she got up and said, “Now, here, take this ten dollars and buy yourself some blue shoes. Do not make the mistake, because shoes come by devilish ways like that will burn your feet.”
She led him to the front door. “Good night! Behave yourself, son!” she said, looking out into the street.
1. How did Roger feel when Mrs. Jones mentioned her past?| A．Frightened. | B．Surprised. | C．Settled. | D．Ashamed. |
| A．She intended to go easy on him. |
| B．He reminded her of her own son. |
| C．He put himself to be in contact with her. |
| D．She lacked an excuse to teach him a lesson. |
| A．Kind and generous. | B．Able and ambitious. |
| C．Frank and cooperative. | D．Calm and courageous. |
| A．Home is where the heart is. |
| B．Life is full of ups and downs. |
| C．A best parent is to lead by example. |
| D．A good deed shines the light into the dark. |
5 . My parents ran a small eatery, and my first real job was shining diners’ shoes. My
Working in the restaurant was a source of great pride because I was
Except for the shoeshine job, I was never
After being away in the army for about two years, I came back home. I had just been promoted to captain and was full of
“I can’t believe this!” I thought. “I’m an officer in the army!” But it didn’t matter. As far as Dad was concerned, I was just another member of the
| A．duties | B．scores | C．wages | D．ideas |
| A．waiter | B．cook | C．cleaner | D．manager |
| A．attending | B．applying | C．reacting | D．contributing |
| A．standards | B．challengers | C．achievements | D．customers |
| A．insistent | B．confident | C．courageous | D．responsible |
| A．arranged | B．praised | C．paid | D．suspected |
| A．succeed | B．negotiate | C．operate | D．promise |
| A．dignity | B．respect | C．curiosity | D．gratitude |
| A．frequently | B．later | C．instead | D．immediately |
| A．army | B．class | C．team | D．party |
6 . My House
My mother moved a lot when she was growing up on account of Grandpa being in the army. She hated having to adjust to new schools and make new friends. That’s why I thought she was joking when she put forward the idea of moving. But she was completely serious. “For just the two of us,” my mother said, “an apartment in the city will suit our needs much better.” Personally, I think she’s lost her mind. I guess I can understand why she would want to move, but what about me and what this house means to me?
I suppose if you looked at my house, you might think it was just another country house. But to me it is anything but standard. I moved into this house with my parents ten years ago. I can still remember that first day like it was yesterday. The first thing I noticed was the big front yard. To me it seemed like an ocean of grass — I couldn’t wait to dive in. The backyard was full of gnarled (扭曲的，粗糙的) and scary trees that talk on windy nights. But I grew to like them and the shadows they cast in my room. My father and I even built a small treehouse, where I often go to remember all the wonderful times we had before my father’s death.
This house is special — maybe only to me — but special nevertheless. It’s the little seemingly insignificant things that make this house so special to me: the ice-cold tile floors that make me tremble on midnight; the smell of my father’s pipe that still exists: the towering bookcases of my mother; the view outside my bedroom window.
This house holds too many memories, memories which would be lost if we gave it up.
1. Why did the author’s mother decide to move?| A．Because she hated the countryside. |
| B．Because Grandpa was on constant move. |
| C．Because Dad’s death made her lose her mind. |
| D．Because she thought a city flat more fit for them. |
| A．The treehouse. | B．The green grass. | C．The big trees. | D．The cold floors. |
| A．By arguing whether the house was standard. |
| B．By explaining why the house suited their needs. |
| C．By describing the small things related to her house. |
| D．By comparing the differences between country and city life. |
7 . A relationship between the amount of adult speech children are exposed to and the concentration of myelin, a substance in the brain, has been found, researchers say. “I think the take-home message is, absolutely talking to your kids. It’s literally shaping the structure of the brain,” says the lead author, Prof John P. Spencer of the University of East Anglia.
The team find, for the 30-month-olds, larger amounts of adult speech are associated with higher quantities of myelin in language-related pathways in the brain; however, for the 6-month-olds, it goes the opposite way.
While the latter is unexpected, Spencer points out one possible factor: the brain’s stage of development.
“When babies are six months old, they experience massive growth of new nerve cells,” he says. “So the input comes in and may help extend the period of brain growth.” “While at 30 months, the brain starts to cutback some of the cell growth, and form specific connections. That’s where myelin comes in. So now the input starts to help structure the myelin,” he adds.
The researchers conclude adult speech is significant for both age groups and that the more adult speech children go through, the more sensitive they will be to language. The next step for them is to figure out whether the 6-month-old babies showing that negative connection will surely turn into 30-month-old kids who show positive relationship.
Dr. Saloni Krishnan, Reader in cognitive neuroscience (认知神经科学) at Royal Holloway, University of London, who is not involved in the work, however, notes individual differences in language ability are linked to genetics. “Children who are exposed to more language at home and have higher myelination will also have inherited genes(经遗传获得的基因) from parents who are more excellent in languages,” she said. “No final conclusion could be made before this potential genetic effect are tested. And yet there being currently no standard around the amount of input children should receive, caregivers should not necessarily feel pressure to talk more to their children.”
1. What surprises the team?| A．The finding for the 6-month-olds. |
| B．The finding for the 30-month-olds. |
| C．How the input help nerve cells grow. |
| D．How the input help structure the myelin. |
| A．It is positively related to myelin. |
| B．It cuts back some of the cell growth. |
| C．Its effect varies with the size of brains. |
| D．It is helpful for both groups’ language ability |
| A．The team should do more research. |
| B．Parents must talk more to their kids. |
| C．Inherited genes decide language ability. |
| D．The concentration of myelin makes no sense. |
8 . There exist cruel wars, fighting and sadness in the world today, so it’s not only necessary, but also essential to have a good sense of humor just to help us tide through difficult times in our lives. Putting a smile on someone’s face when you know they are feeling depressed, as the saying goes, makes me feel good and warms my heart.
How would you feel if you could not joke around with your wife, husband, child, co-worker, neighbor, close friend, or even just someone that you are standing in line with at your corner store? I am always saying things that make others smile or laugh, even if I don’t know the person I’m joking around with. My Grandma always found humor in everything she did, even if it was the hardest job anyone could imagine. This not only relieves stress in any situation, but also is common courtesy (礼貌) to speak to others that are around you.
I know of a few people that don’t have a funny bone in their bodies, as they say. Everyone around them could be rolling on the floor after hearing a great joke and they would sit there without the slightest smile on their face. They don’t get the joke that makes others laugh. I am busting a gut while they just sit there, looking at me as if I were from outer space. How can people not get a really funny joke?
Laughing is essential to keeping your stress levels under control. Without humor we would find ourselves with a lot of psychological problems, or on a lot of medications to keep us from going crazy. There is too much sadness in this present world. It drives people crazy. We all need to find a way to bypass the sadness and bring a little light into our lives. So, I believe our best medicine is to get together and tell some jokes and have some fun laughing together.
1. What is the author’s attitude towards the present world?| A．Positive. | B．Satisfied. | C．Critical. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．evidence and argument | B．opinions and persuasion |
| C．examples and conclusion | D．descriptions and analysis |
| A．speaking loudly | B．laughing hard |
| C．acting strangely | D．explaining carefully |
| A．talk about his own understanding of humor |
| B．introduce a practical way to get through daily life |
| C．encourage people to make jokes about serious matters |
| D．convince people of the power of being optimistic about life |
9 . Research has shown that people tend to get more happiness from spending their money on experiences, such as travel and entertainment, than on things, such as clothes and electronic goods. But are people happier during the purchased experience itself? Or does the happiness come more from expecting or remembering the experience?
A new study, published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, offers an answer. Our experiential purchases bring us greater pleasure in terms of expectation and remembrance than do our material purchases, but they also bring us greater in-the-moment enjoyment, the study found.
For the study, the researchers found 2,635 adults who agreed to receive texts at any time during the day. The texts began with a happiness question, which asked the participants to rate how they felt “right now” on a scale from very bad to very good. Half of them were then asked if they had made a material purchase within the past hour, such as clothing or electronic goods. The others were asked if they had made an experiential purchase within the past hour, such as eating in a restaurant or attending a concert.
The researchers found that the purchasers of the experiences express higher levels of happiness than the purchasers of the material goods, no matter how much the purchases cost.
To address possible differences in types of purchasers, the researchers made a second study in which they researched more than 5,000 adults. “We still observed the same result,” said Steve Lacy, the study’s lead author.
The researchers said a possible explanation is the endurance (持久) of experiences in people’s memories, while the observed value of material goods weakens over time.
“If you want to be happier, it might be wise to move some of your spending away from material goods and a bit more toward experiences,” Lacy said. “That would likely lead to greater happiness.”
1. The author put forward two questions in Paragraph 1 to _______.| A．make a fact clear | B．introduce a new research |
| C．list possible problems | D．doubt the opinion presented |
| A．To ask them about their spending plans. |
| B．To understand their needs and spending habits. |
| C．To track their purchasing activities and feelings. |
| D．To find out the change in their purchasing choices. |
| A．One picks up a few good bargains. |
| B．One pays for an amusement park trip. |
| C．One buys electronic goods in an online shop. |
| D．One spends a great deal on high-end products. |
When I was in my second year in senior high school, I found a 16-dollar-an-hour part-time job at Lakewood Pizza. Like many teens, I longed to earn income as well as add experience for the time to enter the workforce. Just one week after I worked there, David Ross, the manager called me into his office. As the saying goes, “life isn’t always a bed of roses”. My first job ended in failure. His reason was that I showed up late twice and took more breaks than others.
“Oh, I’m a loser.” I thought to myself. I believed that thought was shared by my brothers, neither of whom had ever been fired, and my mother, though she would never express it in those terms.
“I am too sad to do anything.” I complained to my father.
After listening to my words, he laughed. “It’s not funny; I’m a loser.” I said. “No, you’re not. This is a part of growing up. You will be all right, my son,” he said, patting my shoulder. “Trust me. You are good enough.” I looked into my father’s eyes and I could see he really trusted me. And I believed him.
Since then, “Trust me. You are good enough.” are the only words I have repeated to myself. I have worked hard to be a better person and cherished (珍惜) every moment I have got. Finally, I succeeded in entering a good university. After graduation I found my dream job.
1. How much did the author earn at his part-time job?2. Why did the author lose his first job?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
After knowing the author’s failure, his father complained and laughed at him.
4. What can you learn from the author’s story? (In about 40 words)
