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.

3 . Yuck! Chicken blood splashes onto the floor and insects fly everywhere in the market. The old Indian woman waves the butcher knife. You’re speechless. Your friend who moved to India a few months before you notices your horror. “It’s just something they do,” he clarifies.

You’ve heard living abroad is good for you. Experiences like this one make you say “Seriously?”

Yes. Seriously.

Researchers William Maddux and Hajo Adam have discovered not only that cultural experiences are good for you, but they’ve also discovered why they’re good for you. Cultural experiences can make you more creative.

Maddux and his team discovered that learning about new cultures you encounter deeply is key to obtaining cognitive rewards. The team did a series of experiments with people who had lived abroad for a long time. They asked the sojourners (旅居者) to recall experiences where they: learned something about the culture they lived in abroad; learned something about their own culture; did something unrelated (like visiting a supermarket). Those who recalled learning something about a new culture did much better on a creative problem-solving task immediately afterward.

Maddux and his team wondered, though. Does learning new cultures always help? Is it enough to just notice that another culture is different? In another experiment they had a group of people recall an experience where they learned something new about a foreign culture but hadn’t been able to learn about the reasons for it.

The people who later were made aware of the hidden reasons for the novel, different, or unexpected behaviors they had come across were much more creative afterward than those who weren’t.

This means that even though discovering cultural differences exist is great, it’s not enough to influence how you think in other situations. You have to learn why a cultural difference exists. That’s what helps you spot new connections later, in other aspects of your life.

1. Why is the scene mentioned in the first paragraph?

A．To show us an appropriate example.

B．To prove the advantages of living abroad.

C．To provide evidence for the writer’s viewpoint.

D．To draw readers’ attention to the following exploration.

2. What did the researchers find by asking the sojourners to recall their experience?

A．What is necessary to be creative.

B．What influence creativity has on people.

C．What benefits cultural experiences bring.

D．What they can learn from their own cultures.

3. From the experiment in Paragraph 6, we can conclude ______.

A．learning new cultures is always of great help

B．it’s not enough just to notice similarities between cultures

C．knowing the reasons for the difference is the key to creativity

D．culture difference has an impact on your way of thinking

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A research report.	B．A geography textbook.
C．A travel brochure.	D．A science magazine.

4 . Standing on a school stage, the master swings his arms and moves his body as he conducts an orchestra. The 70 young musicians keep a sharp focus on the master’s white baton (指挥棒) as it shoots upward, downward, and sideways.

Michael Morgan was six years old when his father moved a neighbor’s unwanted piano into their living room. He started piano lessons, but it was when he saw a conductor leading an orchestra on television that he realized what he really wanted to do. At age eight, he began reading The Joy of Music by conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein and figured out how to direct with a baton. After graduating from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, Michael worked under Bernstein. “Conducting is a thing you learn by apprenticing (当学徒). You do more watching than anything else,” Morgan says. Even after Morgan had graduated from Oberlin, Bernstein’s masterful teaching continued to influence him.

Morgan is committed to offering kids a chance to explore classical music. In his hometown, he started to volunteer in local schools, conducting student orchestras and talking with kids about music. Morgan is also the music director and conductor of the Oakland Symphony. He works with teachers in after-school programs to reach students who can’t afford lessons.

Morgan is focused and works very hard. “He’s mastermind behind all of these programs,” says Elizabeth, Oakland Symphony Education Coordinator. “He is in an amazing harmony with students. He is really serious in getting down to his business.”

Morgan says his work is mostly about providing young people with an entrance into music. “Instruments give kids a way of emotional expression, a source of pride, and an interest they can carry with them through life. Young musicians come from many different cultures and communities. But with instruments in hand, their hearts sing as one,” he says.

1. What inspired Morgan to begin his career as a conductor?

A．A gift from his neighbor.	B．The piano lessons he took.
C．The guidance of his teacher.	D．A TV program in his childhood.

2. Which of the following can best describe Morgan?

A．Passionate and honest.	B．Generous and demanding.
C．Ambitious and humorous.	D．Warmhearted and devoted.

3. Why does the author mention Elizabeth?

A．To show recognition on Morgan.	B．To share her cooperation with Morgan.
C．To encourage kids to learn from Morgan.	D．To express people’s expectations for Morgan.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Playing music is the best way to relieve people’s tension.

B．Morgan opens a door to music teaching for young musicians.

C．Music has the power to bridge cultural gap and unite people.

D．Young musicians tend to play the same song whole-heartedly.

5 . 阅读下面文章，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一个完整短文，续写词数应为150左右。

Seeing the picture of Kelly and I holding teddy bears with great joy, I couldn’t help recalling the sweet memory. A few years ago, before Christmas, my dad placed a large box in his grocery store for people to donate toys for children in need. Kelly, my best friend came over to help with the wrapping. Knowing that our efforts would bring joy to so many children during the holiday season, we thought it was a rewarding experience.

As we worked, we shared moments of laughter and joy. After a short while, we had almost finished wrapping all the toys with just one little teddy bear left. Looking at it, I said, “It is the sweetest! It reminds me of my teddy bear. I sold all my little kid stuff at our garage sale when we moved. But now I’m really missing it!”

Kelly came to see it and shared. “I have a sad teddy bear story too. When my little brother was a baby, I let him play with my Rosy Bear, but he refused to give her back. Ever.” After our chat, we knew both of us had a special story with a teddy bear.

Right then, my dad entered the room and exclaimed. “Wow, great wrapping job! The kids are going to be thrilled when opening these presents.”

“They definitely will. Maybe we both want to be the one who can get the teddy bear. I can just imagine how delighted a kid would be to unwrap this sweet teddy bear.” said Kelly. We laughed, gazing at the perfectly wrapped bears.

My mom, joining in the laughter, suggested, “Why don’t you gather at our house next Saturday for a cookie-decorating party and exchange your Christmas gifts in advance? I’ll prepare the cookies for you.” “Good idea! I will enjoy the great joy of unwrapping the gift.” I said cheerfully. Hearing what we said, Kelly’s eyes lit up, saying, “Count me in!”

“All right, girls,” said my dad. “We need to do the toy-loading work now. We have to drop off all these presents before five o’clock!”

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: The next week, I was trying to figure out a perfect gift for the party.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2: Finally, the day of the party arrived.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Wang De, who is a blacksmith by trade and an inheritor of the 500-year-old art of dashuhua that     1     (literal) means “creating tree flowers”,     2     (live) in Yuxian county of Zhangjiakou.

Wang and his assistants put     3     over a dozen dashuhua performances for villagers and tourists as part of Spring Festival celebrations each year. The folk artist hopes the revival of the tradition can bring more visitors to his hometown of Zhangjiakou.

Dashuhua is a traditional form of fireworks performance that takes place during certain festivals.     4     (create) molten iron fireworks, waste iron is melted to 1,600℃ and thrown against a cold wall. The mix bursts into sparks that look like glittering tree branches.

But the high-risk tradition is still only reserved for     5     brave. Due to the nature of the performance-handling superheated coal and molten iron, it’s easy for performers to suffer injuries. During a performance a few years ago, Wang suffered severe     6     (burn) on his leg and took two months to recover.

There are only four people     7     (leave) in China who have mastered the ancient practice, three of     8     are either middle-aged or elderly. Both Wang’s father and grandfather were blacksmiths. Wang said     9     was his responsibility to pass this craft on to the next generation. Otherwise, it will be lost.

The art of dashuhua requires extraordinary courage, skill and     10     (strong). Now, The molten iron fireworks performance has become a major tourist attraction.

8 . Gutiérrez’s life would never be the same again. He found a (n) _________ book in the trash while driving his garbage truck through wealthier neighborhoods, which stimulated his _________ to rescue books from the trash. Afterwards, he _________ his book collection into a community library for children from _________ families.

Because libraries tend to be distant from poorer communities, the _________ of buying new books is nonexistent for families _________ to make ends meet. However, Gutiérrez’s community library becomes a true representation of how one man’s trash can be another’s treasure.

Today, his community library _________ most of his home. Everything from school textbooks to storybooks can be _________ in a collection of over 20,000 books! The library is open every weekend, when children are allowed to come in to _________ the book collection.

Apart from school-going children __________ the benefits of the library, adults are also welcome to   __________ their horizons to build a better life for themselves. Despite his great contributions to community, Gutiérrez is not yet __________ with this result. He continues to search through __________ for reading material and has even travelled to book fairs in Mexico to share his experiences in building a library from unwanted books.

Gutiérrez’s journey to give back to his local community is an amazing example of how every one of us can __________ improve the lives of those around us by __________ needs, investing time and finding a simple solution.

1.

A．abandoned

B．purchased

C．adopted

D．borrowed

2.

A．curiosity

B．investment

C．desire

D．creativity

3.

A．put

B．turned

C．introduced

D．shaped

4.

A．fine-manner

B．single-parent

C．low-income

D．high-stress

5.

A．duty

B．tradition

C．value

D．option

6.

A．asking

B．struggling

C．managing

D．preparing

7.

A．occupies

B．influences

C．enlarges

D．represents

8.

A．found

B．displayed

C．bought

D．admired

9.

A．pick up

B．sort out

C．search for

D．look through

10.

A．wanting

B．discovering

C．harvesting

D．understanding

11.

A．expect

B．explore

C．expose

D．expand

12.

A．familiar

B．content

C．consistent

D．angry

13.

A．stores

B．garbage

C．families

D．baggage

14.

A．simply

B．frequently

C．effectively

D．rarely

15.

A．identifying

B．satisfying

C．improving

D．supporting

9 . Xiaomi, best known for its popular smartphones and domestic appliances, launched its SU7 model on March 28 in China. The tech company began accepting orders in China via an app. Xiaomi said that it received 50,000 orders for the SU7 in the first 27 minutes after sales opened.

“Entering the car-making business will be the last big start-up project of my life. This is to perform our agreement made three years ago,” Chief Executive Lei Jun wrote. He added that he was confident about entering the EV (electric vehicle) market.

Xiaomi introduced the SU7 at its technology conference in December 2023, saying it was capable of accelerating speeds faster than Tesla cars and Porsche EVs, with one version capable of hitting 100 kilometers per hour in 2.78 seconds. One version has a driving range of up to 800 kilometers, it added.

The SU7’s release comes when EV makers battle for sales in the world’s largest auto market. Xiaomi will enter the competition as leading brands like BYD and Tesla are cutting prices sharply to attract consumers to buy their EVs in an oversupplied market.

Analysts said the SU7’s release will likely cut into Xiaomi’s bottom line as marketing and other expenses rise. Xiaomi posted a net profit of 4.87 billion yuan ($677.9 million) in the third quarter, up 52% from the preceding quarter on the back of improved margins. The key thing to watch for the launch will be the price, specifically if it’s below or above ¥ 200,000, Huatai Securities equity analyst Leping Huang said. The level serves as a classification benchmark for EVs in the same class as the SU7.

Xiaomi may have some advantages over competitors since it is “already a very well-known brand and may be able to take advantage of existing distribution channels,” Morningstar equity analyst Dan Baker said, “but recent profit forecasts could well be negative.”

1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?

A．The SU7 is well received by consumers in China.

B．Lei Jun raised his concern about the future of EV market.

C．Xiaomi regards developing SU7 models as its last project.

D．Orders of the SU7 can be placed in the shops worldwide now.

2. What challenge may the SU7 face at present?

A．Higher costs of production than other EVs.

B．Lack of advantages in acceleration speeds.

C．Fierce competition in oversupplied market.

D．Technical issues with an ideal driving range.

3. What does the underlined word “benchmark” probably mean in Paragraph 5?

A．Symbol.

B．Background.

C．Standard.

D．Management.

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

A．Xiaomi released its first EV	B．Xiaomi hits the big time overnight
C．Xiaomi has changed the EV market	D．Xiaomi will take the lead in the world