1 . Buying furniture is easier than ever. You can even order a new table and chairs online without ever leaving home. But did you ever think about how furniture is made? The process begins with trees but now researchers have found a better way: growing it in a lab instead of a forest. Instead of cutting down trees and adding to deforestation, Velasquez-Garcia said, “If you want a table, then you should just grow a table.”

The research group found a way to actually grow plant tissue (组织) — wood and fiber — in a lab that is similar to the way cultured meat is grown. While there is still a long way to go to actually grow a table, the team was able to grow structures from cells from zinnia leaves.

Making furniture and other items from biomaterials could eliminate cutting down trees in forests. “The way we get these materials hasn’t changed in centuries and is very inefficient,” said Velasquez-Garcia. “This is a real chance to avoid all that inefficiency.”

There are other benefits to using lab wood too. Lab grown wood can be handled to take on any shape — like 3 D printing — so it may be possible to build a table without glue or screwing parts together.

Beckwith, a mechanical engineering PhD student, was inspired by a visit to a farm to try to make land-use more efficient and environmentally sound. “That got me thinking: Can we be more strategic (战略上的) about what we’re getting out of our process? Can we get more yield for our inputs?” she told MIT News. “I wanted to find a more efficient way to use land and resources so that we could let more farmlands remain wild, or to remain lower production but allow for greater biodiversity.”

Today, the two largest uses of trees are to make wood products and paper. When new biomaterials become readily available, forests will lose their economic value and will be preserved for their environmental, health, and recreational value. These researchers, like Velasquez-Garcia, are speaking for the trees.

1. What does the author think of growing furniture according to Paragraph 1?

A．It turns out to be convenient.

B．It’ll cut down daily expense.

C．It might have a bright future.

D．It’s as important as making furniture.

2. What does the underlined word “eliminate” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Risk.

B．Fancy.

C．Remove.

D．Delay.

3. What is the purpose of Beckwith’s growing furniture?

A．To make large profits.

B．To keep biodiversity.

C．To increase production.

D．To use wild resources.

4. What’s the key to protecting forests?

A．Wide use of new biomaterials.

B．Less use of wood products and paper.

C．Making effective forest laws.

D．Caring more for the environment.

3 . I’m a second-year student of Coventry University. For more than a year, I have been volunteering for SHOUT, a text-based _______ health support service.

This time last year, we all watched the COVID-19 unfold across the country. I had planned to work in the summer vacation, but this became _______ when the first lockdown began. My days became a(n) _______ of watching the news and wishing I could do something. Fortunately, I learned about SHOUT in an email from my university’s volunteering team _______ the charity needed more volunteers, due to the increase in _______ they were receiving since the pandemic (流行病) began. I applied instantly.

SHOUT volunteers _______ as a listening ear to anyone who needs support, at any time, with their mental health. The service supports them and encourages self-care techniques to keep people _______ during the pandemic. This service was especially important during lockdown, when clinical services were often _______. As volunteers, we never give advice; often our texters just need someone to _______.

My volunteering ________ have had a huge positive impact on my mental health. I have been able to gain new   ________ from gardening to instructing. In a voluntary capacity, the pressure is off. If I’m struggling, my teammates will always encourage me to rest and   ________ for a while. And when I’m feeling strong, I can get involved again and ________ other people in their time of need.

The skills I’ve gained by volunteering have given me the ________ to successfully apply for an internship (实习生) with Coventry University. I strongly believe volunteering has changed my life, and I encourage everyone to ________ opportunities to change theirs too.

1.

A．physical

B．mental

C．good

D．public

2.

A．important

B．meaningful

C．urgent

D．impossible

3.

A．repetition

B．task

C．example

D．expectation

4.

A．asking

B．considering

C．explaining

D．warning

5.

A．messages

B．invitations

C．suggestions

D．comments

6.

A．train

B．act

C．play

D．study

7.

A．separate

B．optimistic

C．nervous

D．safe

8.

A．inaccessible

B．influential

C．inexpensive

D．informal

9.

A．talk

B．guide

C．listen

D．plan

10.

A．impressions

B．experiences

C．interests

D．encouragements

11.

A．chances

B．jobs

C．incomes

D．skills

12.

A．sleep

B．calm

C．relax

D．travel

13.

A．record

B．support

C．instruct

D．accompany

14.

A．opportunity

B．expense

C．confidence

D．knowledge

15.

A．look for

B．deal with

C．take up

D．think over

4 . Amy was a 3rd-grade student. Ever since she started school, someone teased (讥笑) her about her speech or her limping (跛行) every single day. Amy was _______ it and the teasing made her feel all alone.

One morning _______ she rounded the corner across the hall, she knocked into a 5th-grade tall boy.“_______ it, fool!” The boy shouted, and _______ the way Amy limped.

Back home at the dinner table that evening, Amy was _______. Her mom knew that things were not going well at _______. That’s why she was eager to have some exciting news to _______ with her daughter.

“There’s a _______ competition run by a local newspaper,” Amy’s mom announced. “Write a letter to the editor, my dear; you might win a prize.”

Amy smiled and started _______ about what she wanted most by now. An idea came to her. Out came pencil and paper, and Amy went to ________ her letter.

Dear Editor,

My name is Amy. I am nine years old. I have a ________ at school. Can you help me? Kids laugh at me ________ the way I walk and run and talk. I have cerebral palsy (脑瘫). I just want one ________ that no one laughs at me or makes fun of me.

Love, Amy

A week later, a picture of Amy and her ________ made the front page of the local newspaper. The story spread quickly. Amy ________ did get her wish of a day without teasing at her school.

Amy was not teased any longer.

1.

A．tired of

B．satisfied with

C．surprised at

2.

A．if

B．when

C．until

3.

A．Forget

B．Repeat

C．Watch

4.

A．felt

B．walked

C．lost

5.

A．clever

B．curious

C．quiet

6.

A．home

B．school

C．work

7.

A．make

B．learn

C．share

8.

A．wish

B．speech

C．dance

9.

A．thinking

B．talking

C．worrying

10.

A．look for

B．take out

C．work on

11.

A．class

B．competition

C．problem

12.

A．because of

B．except for

C．far from

13.

A．week

B．day

C．hour

14.

A．advice

B．gift

C．letter

15.

A．finally

B．hardly

C．usually

5 . Lifestyle Changes to Make You Healthier and Happier

All people want to stay healthy and happy, but most of our focus is on sick-care, not healthcare.    1    

Food for health

Everyone knows we should eat certain amount of fruit and vegetables a day,     2     Make the effort to eat just a little more a day and go for different colors to ensure a variety of nutrients (养分).

Do exercise

    3     Another study finds walking an hour or more a day will add 1.4 years for men and 1.2 for women. If you can’t afford so much time, just remember: Anything is better than nothing.

    4    

Getting less than five hours’ sleep a night doubles the risk of death from heart disease, according to a study, and other studies have shown that it speeds up ageing. And it plays a big part in our mental health, too.

Friends for life

    5     Besides, they reduce blood pressure and other health risks. So pick up the telephone or chat online to see if there is a game you can share with a friend or family member.

A．Research shows 15 minutes’ exercise a day could add 3 years to your life.

B．Here’s how you can start to improve your health and happiness.

C．Friendships actually change our body chemistry.

D．yet only 28% of adults are hitting this target.

E．Sleep well

6 . We were on our way! In Wyoming we would have a new home. It was 1980 and my husband Gary and I were driving to Wyoming with our kids. After driving all day, we were hungry. So we stopped at a restaurant to have dinner.

After the dinner, we were on our way again. Suddenly our vehicle hit ice on a bridge. As soon as the car started to slide, Gary touched the brakes (刹车) but failed to control the car. We were thrown from side to side against the guardrails (护栏).It took some time before we slid to a stop, but unfortunately our car was totally destroyed.

Only minutes later, a car stopped by and the driver asked how he might help. With his help, my husband was able to have our car taken to Rapid City. Then he drove us to a hotel in the city. He made sure we were safe before he said goodnight and left. The next morning, the driver returned and drove us to find our car so that we could take back our valuables. He lost at least half a day of work, all for a family he had never met and would never see again.

With no car, our family finally arrived in Gillette, where we had no friends. Though we were a little lonely, we all felt lucky and thankful to the amazing stranger whose service made such a difference to our family.

1. Why did the family go to Wyoming?

A．They liked to go traveling.

B．They had a restaurant to run there.

C．They would have a new home there.

2. What happened to the author’s car?

A．It hit ice on a bridge.

B．It was touched by a car.

C．It slid into the river.

3. Why did the driver come back the next morning?

A．To repair the family’s car.

B．To say goodbye to the family.

C．To help the family get their valuables.

4. What kind of person was the driver?

A．Helpful.

B．Honest.

C．Humorous.

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。

Egyptian radiologist Ahmed Hassan liked the design and architecture of China’s     1     (remark)Temple of Heaven so much that he decided to build a replica (复制品) of Beijing’s historic monument with matchsticks.

In his free time, while exercising his hobby of building models of landmarks with matchsticks, Hassan spent more than two months     2     (work) on the Temple of Heaven. He finished the whole replica of it using about 22,000 matchsticks which he thought is one of the key landmarks and tourist     3     (attract) of Beijing, the capital of China.

The over 600-year-old monument covers     4     area of 270 hectares and     5     (consider) one of the largest existing architectural complexes in the world. Just as the original circular building is     6     (complete) wooden with no nails, the Egyptian radiologist used only matchsticks, white glue and a cutter blade to build the replica of the temple.

Hassan,     7     returned to his old hobby in 2013,     8     (produce) more than 20 replicas of monuments from Egypt, Britain, France, Denmark and Russia over the past few years. He said that building a matchstick model of the Temple of Heaven wasn’t an easy job, for it was his first time     9     (carry) out a replica of a landmark from Asia in general and China     10     particular.

9 . Can you imagine that there are a huge number of tiny waste pieces in the Arctic (北冰洋的) sea ice? Because of the waste pieces,30,000 kinds of animals are in danger. It’s true that one person’s acts alone can’t help the planet. But each one of us can find ways to make our contributions.

In the home, we could try not to waste foods. Use a digital meal planner to get a right amount of food so that everything we buy and cook gets eaten. Learn how to store foods to keep them fresh longer. Be sure to use proper ways to keep our home warm. For example, we can replace old windows with energy-saving ones.

At the store, we could green our habits. Buy reusable plates, but not single-use ones. Buy home tissue (纸巾) not made of materials which may lead to destruction (破坏) of forests. Buy glass cups instead of paper ones.

In the community, we could help keep its plants healthy. Take part in tree-planting projects or grass-cutting activities to help plants grow well.

Our actions alone can’t save the planet, but the above ways and habits can help.

1. What puts so many animals in danger?

A．Cold ice.

B．Waste pieces.

C．Bad weather.

2. Why should we use a digital meal planner?

A．To avoid wasting foods.

B．To cook delicious foods.

C．To keep foods fresh.

3. What does the word “reusable” in the passage mean?

A．That can be kept long.

B．That can be used again.

C．That can be thrown away.

4. Why does the author write this passage?

A．To describe the future of the planet.

B．To encourage an environment friendly life.

C．To introduce shopping places for green products.

10 . We use our middle names when filling out official papers, and when we write our initials (姓名的首字母) on something. But except that, we don’t use them every day. So why do we even have middle names in the first place?

Some people might answer, “It’s so my mom has three names to shout at me, so I know I’m in trouble.”

But there is history behind it, and it dates back to ancient Rome. At that time, people had three names, a personal name, a family name, and another name which showed what branch of family you were from. The more names you had, the more respected you were by others.

This tradition of names spread over to Western cultures in the 1700s.Aristocrats (贵族) would give their children long names to show their high place in society. Spanish and some other cultures would give their children names from their parents’ previous generations to be able to keep track of the child’s family tree.

But the way we use middle names today started in the Middle Ages when Europeans named their children with the given name first, baptismal (洗礼的) name second, and family name third. The tradition was spread to America as people started to go overseas.

Today, some people don’t even have middle names, some prefer to be called by their middle name, and some never even use theirs. But, just feel lucky that we don’t need to keep track of our family tree like some aristocrats used to and end up with 38 names.

1. When would we use middle names?

A．When calling our friends.

B．When writing to our parents.

C．When filling out official papers.

2. How might a mother feel when she shouts out her child’s three names.

A．Proud.

B．Angry.

C．Happy.

3. Why would aristocrats give their children long names?

A．To show their high place in society.

B．To show their respect for others.

C．To show their good memory.

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．It’s Cool to Have 38 Names

B．We Don’t Need Family Names

C．Why Do We Have Middle Names?