1 . Go Recycling
No one looking at the state of Earth in 2023 can be in any doubt that we are facing three serious environmental problems: climate problem, loss of biodiversity and pollution of air, soil and water.
To solve the problems, we increase the use of electric cars, encourage greener eating and reduce plastic use.
A shocking figure lies at the heart of our special report on our world—of the more than 100billion tons of things that humans use each year, hardly 10% is recycled.
Solving the three problems calls for a huge transition with joint efforts.
| A．Governments ought to do something responsibly. |
| B．It is humans that caused the serious consequences. |
| C．We should realize that a key theme linking all the three problems is waste. |
| D．However, sometimes these solutions can be opposite to the expected goals. |
| E．It is high time for people from all walks of life to take the issue into consideration. |
| F．That makes it obvious a full-range war on waste should be paid immediate attention. |
| G．That means some solutions aiming at one problem each time are unlikely to be effective. |
1. Who is the speaker talking to?
| A．Students. | B．Volunteers. | C．Teachers. |
| A．Most of them are offered in winter. |
| B．They are beneficial to the volunteers. |
| C．Schools are badly in need of volunteers. |
| A．A job website. | B．A job fair. | C．A job description. |
1. Who will hold a party on Saturday?
| A．Danielle. | B．Dave. | C．The speakers’ parents. |
| A．Do his homework. | B．Pick up his parents. | C．Watch a soccer game. |
| A．About two hours. | B．About four hours. | C．About eight hours. |
| A．Prepare for a party. | B．Come to an agreement. | C．Give their parents a surprise. |
1. How much are the brown cookies per kilogram?
| A．$5. | B．$10. | C．$15. |
| A．To eat healthily. | B．To save money. | C．To protect rainforests. |
| A．Surf the Internet. | B．Make payment. | C．Continue shopping. |
1. What do we know about Michael?
| A．He will leave in six months. |
| B．He always gets to the office early. |
| C．He often helps colleagues with work. |
| A．Giving Michael a call. | B．Going to Michael’s office. | C．Inviting Michael to lunch. |
| A．Give enough sunlight. | B．Water it every two weeks. | C．Keep it away from the window. |
7 . The next generation of scientists and inventors is already finding approaches to address society’s problems. A group of high school students and their instructor report a solution to the problem of lead (铅) pollution in drinking water — an inexpensive faucet (水龙头) attachment that removes this poisonous metal. Unlike conventional filters currently on the market, theirs includes a container made of eco-friendly plastic and indicates when it’s “used up” by turning the tap water yellow.
“A few years ago, I saw a video of a woman in Michigan turn on her tap water, and it came out brown.” says Rebecca Bushway, the project’s principal investigator. “That made me think — because there’s really no safe level of lead in drinking water, wouldn’t it be nice to have a water filter that could tell you your water is polluted, well before it turns brown because of lead?”
Bushway, as a science teacher, wondered aloud to her chemistry class if there was a little filter that they could make from inexpensive components to easily remove lead. The students were excited about the idea, and they started thinking about the project in 2020.
The students discussed designs for an attachment to screw (用螺丝固定) a filter onto a sink’s faucet. Then in the spring semester of 2021, they 3D printed the attachment and a 3-inch-tall filter housing, using eco-friendly plastic. They filled the containers with some chemical powder. Next, the students added a tiny spectrophotometer (分光光度计) with a single-wavelength LED to the bottom of the filter container. They installed an indicator light that turns on as soon as the detector identifies the yellow color of the lead iodide (碘化铅).
The team’s goal is to make and sell their filters for less than $1 each. Because the housings use eco-friendly plastic, the cost could trend a little higher, but the material would help reduce the overall environmental impact of the filter.
The process of developing the filter has been very fulfilling. “Ultimately, this experience has shown students they can make a difference to somebody, and that there are problems they can fix with science,” said Bushway.
1. What shows that the filter is running out according to the text?| A．The change of the water’s color. | B．The change of the filter housing’s color. |
| C．The times of the filter being used. | D．The flash of the indicator light. |
| A．Her personal experience in Michigan. | B．The unsafe water used by a woman. |
| C．A lack of safe drinking water. | D．The experiments carried out in her class. |
| A．Chemical powder reacts with the lead in the water. |
| B．A detector is fixed to identify the lead iodide. |
| C．The students have developed eco-friendly plastic. |
| D．The filter has an advantage over others in price. |
| A．To advertise a product to remove lead to readers. |
| B．To highlight the hardships the inventors encounter. |
| C．To praise the young for shouldering responsibilities. |
| D．To stress the importance of environmental protection. |
8 . Individuals vary in how they react to anxiety. Some bury their heads in the sand and ignore the mounting sense of anxiety that seems to occupy the society. Others are in a watchful state and can’t get enough of the up-to-the-minute news and social media feeds.
Martin Buber once stated that we related to three things around us: nature, our fellow men, and how you view the world. When we are in a burdened (忧虑的) state, we tend to take no notice of any of these. When we become unburdened from our depressed selves, we are able to discover the delights and wonders around and experience a deep sense of gratitude.
At a time when news reports are merely a click away, people’s anxiety becomes even intenser. Because of 24/7 media, the international and the interpersonal have integrated in a way that we have never seen before. It seems that we’ve lost the capacity to maintain our inner peace—and that’s not just a matter of having opposing views about issues. It’s a matter of not having the patience to involve in delightful communication and to hear each other. Transforming the situation can't be achieved overnight. It’s not accidental, which must be approached with strength. It comes from the efforts to attain understanding and calm.
Our age of anxiety presents us with challenges. But out of adversity comes opportunity. Never can we maintain calm and experience gratitude at a time when we are burdened, worried, and anxious. Like anything else, relaxation and calm take a bit of work. Attempt to limit your exposure to updates on the news and take a couple of moments to count your blessings—including the people in your life and the fortune from which you’ve benefited. As you may be aware, it is taking things for granted that robs you of the fruits of your labor. Praying for goodness and planting seeds of gratitude may be our only way out.
1. What might happen to a relaxed person?| A．Spotting the beauty in the surroundings. | B．Paying no attention to the state of mind. |
| C．Getting on well with nature and fellows. | D．Grasping the latest news items with care. |
| A．The lack of peaceful talks. | B．The information overload. |
| C．The widespread false news. | D．The opposing views online. |
| A．Methods to overcome challenges and barriers. |
| B．Steps to robbing people of their fruits of labor. |
| C．Tips on limiting the exposure to news updates. |
| D．Ways to ease anxiety and appreciate blessings. |
| A．Take Nothing Online for Granted |
| B．Watch Out for the Traps of Media |
| C．Be Grateful in an Age of Anxiety |
| D．Count Blessings Instead of Worries |
9 . A biotech company announced that it has reached an important milestone: the creation of a long-sought kind of stem cell(细胞)for the closest living relative of the woolly mammoth(猛象).
"This is probably the most significant step in the early stages of this project, " said George Church, a geneticist at Harvard University. The woolly mammoth was extinct thousands of years ago. Church has been working to bring the mammoth and other extinct species back to life using the latest cloning and genetic(基因的)engineering techniques.
And now the company says scientists have for the first time created stem cells for the mammoth's closest living relative, Asian elephants. The achievement is still far from the ultimate goal of creating herds(牧群)of giant hairy beasts, but Church said, "It's a major step. This is kind of like asking Neil Armstrong if he plans to go to Mars—kind of missing the point he just landed on the moon on Apollo 11."
Scientists can now try to use cloning techniques and gene editing to control the cells in the hope of someday creating elephants with key characters of mammoths, such as heavy coats and the layers of fat that enabled them to survive in cold climates.
Some scientists have different ideas, "What are you going to get out of this?" asked Karl Flessa, a professor of geosciences at the University of Arizona. "If you're going to release a herd into the Arctic tundra, is that herd going to go marching off to its second extinction in the face of global warming?"
But Church and his team members defended the project. Church said the woolly mammoth program could lead to new ways to protect endangered species like Asian elephants by expanding their habitat and helping scientists study the animals. Reintroducing elephants with woolly mammoth characters could also help fight global warming by restoring ecosystems in ways that would help reduce the amount of carbon being released into the atmosphere.
1. Which field does the creation mainly belong to?| A．Research on species. | B．Clone technology. |
| C．Animal protection. | D．Space exploration. |
| A．The advancement of space technology. | B．The challenges met during the project. |
| C．The astronaut's determination. | D．The significance of the achievement. |
| A．Approving. | B．Favorable. | C．Doubtful. | D．Uncaring. |
| A．The benefits of the project. | B．The ways to save endangered species. |
| C．The steps to reduce our carbon footprint. | D．The causes of global warming. |
Word spread that Derek Rodgers, who had Down's Syndrome (唐氏综合征), wanted to attend the Homecoming Dance (返校日舞会).
I, a new journalist for the Campus News, was curious who would be his dance partner and decided to cover his story. When I accompanied him on the way home one day, we were approached by Kelsey Stuart, a popular student.
“Derek, I’d like to ask you to the Dance,” she smile.
Derek was shocked. He couldn’t believe that one of the prettiest girls in school was asking him.
Derek’s face went red. “Why me?” he asked, “And shouldn’t boys be the ones to do the asking?”
“I doubt you would, after all the rough experiences you’ve had. And we actually have more in common than you think. We both really want to go to the Dance. And we are not like those who are only-concerned about personal appearance.”
“But what do you see in me? How can I be the sort of guy you want to go with?”
“I know you are a gentleman and you'll treat me like a lady and I’ll feel safe with you.” She said, leaving with a smile.
The entire school went crazy when they learned that Kelsey was Derek’s dance partner.
At first there were words that were not so nice about them. Their classmate, Billy, made fun of them by giving them stupid names. Betty, Kelsey’s best friend, stopped hanging out with her because she couldn't understand her choice at all.
Despite the words around, every day after school, the two still stayed behind to practice their dance routine. Kelsey patiently taught Derek how to lead the steps, move to the beat of the music and spin (旋转)with elegance. Slowly but surely. they improved their dancing together.
The day of the Dance arrived. Kelsey got into a new dress and Derek put on a well-cut suit.
注意：1. 续写词数应为100左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Finally, the two getting ready, the Dance began.
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