1 . The University of Exeter is launching a new program in September 2024 called the Master of Arts (MA) in Magic and Occult Science. This program is all about exploring ideas in a different way, according to its leader, Professor Emily Selove.

Selove explained on BBC Radio 4’s Today program that this degree in magic takes a fresh approach to studying history, science, philosophy, religion, and literature. It looks at these subjects from a unique viewpoint that hasn’t received much attention from scholars before.

The university mentioned that this course will give students a chance to dig into the history and effects of witchcraft (巫术) and magic worldwide, including their influence on society and science. Expert s in various fields will teach the course and help students understand how magic has played a role in both Western and Eastern cultures.

The University of Exeter already received more than a hundred inquiries for MA degree. The “innovative” MA has been created following a “recent surge in interest in magic”, the course leader said. The interest in studying magic is on the rise, both within and outside of academic circles. This is because people are searching for fresh viewpoints on how we connect with other human cultures and the natural world, Selove explained.

Selove said that our ancestors had some interesting ideas that we may have ignored. These ideas have the potential to be valuable philosophical thoughts and could provide us with a new way of understanding society. “The MA in Magic and Occult Science would challenge the belief that the Western world is only characterized by rationalism (理性主义) and science while the rest of the world is associated with magic and superstition (迷信),” she added.

Furthermore, the university mentioned that this course can prepare students for various career paths, including teaching, consulting and tourism as well as work in heritage settings and museums, art organizations, and the publishing industry among other options.

1. What do we know about the MA in Magic and Occult Science?

A．It provides a new way to study science and physics.

B．It gives students the opportunity to be exposed to witchcraft.

C．Its course focuses on the magic al world of Eastern culture.

D．Its course allows students to do some magic experiments.

2. What does the underlined word “surge” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Increase.

B．Drop.

C．Success.

D．Balance.

3. What dose the MA in Magic and Occult Science challenge according to Selove?

A．Not many students are interested in the degree.

B．Some ideas about philosophy from our ancestors are ignored.

C．There are no supernatural phenomena in the rest of the world.

D．The Western world is regarded as a rational and scientific world.

4. What does the university think of the job prospects for the graduates of MA?

A．Challenging.

B．Uncertain.

C．Brilliant.

D．Worrying.

2 . Since the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed in 1973, it has helped hundreds of species avoid extinction in the United States. The strong conservation policy has been used as a model in other countries. But it’s not as successful as it could be, a new study finds.

Researchers have discovered most species are not being protected until their numbers have become so low that their chance of recovery is slim.

“The ESA is an incredibly powerful, ambitious law for protecting our endangered wildlife. Yet, for decades, the agency primarily responsible for operating the ESA — the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) — has been starved of resources,” lead author Erich Eberhard says.

“As a result, we are very slow to give species the protection that they deserve. We typically wait until species are extremely rare and thus at extreme risk of extinction, and then, when a species is finally listed, the USFWS is straining its resources to try to recover it.”

In 1993, a study found that few species received protection under the ESA until their populations became very small. For the new study, researchers repeated the methods used in the earlier research to see whether protections have become better since the problem was first noted. They also looked at trends in “wait times” — the amount of time between when a species is identified as potentially needing protection and when it actually receives protection under the ESA.

“Our analysis suggests that, in the nearly 30 years since attention was first brought to this problem, we have not become more active in protecting endangered species,” says Eberhard.

The researchers found that the population sizes of species when they first became protected under the ESA are not statistically different from those in the 1993 study. They also discovered that there are long wait times between when a species is identified as likely needing protection and when they actually receive them.

“I can say that our study paints the current state of the ESA as a bit of cautionary (告诫的) tale for the strong conservation policy,” says Eberhard.

1. What problem does the USFWS have protecting endangered species?

A．It takes ineffective measures.	B．It is lacking in resources.
C．It can’t get timely information.	D．It is an irresponsible organization.

2. What is the purpose of the new study?

A．To try out new ways to protect endangered species.

B．To find out the exact number of endangered species.

C．To check the time needed to save endangered species.

D．To see if endangered species have been better protected.

3. How can the study help with animal conservation?

A．It found out many more endangered species.

B．It pointed out the direction for the USFWS to act on.

C．It proved the role of the public in conservation.

D．It showed some effective ways to protect animals.

4. Which of the following could be the best title for the text?

A．The USFWS Needs Stronger Laws

B．The ESA Has Achieved Great Success

C．New Conversation Laws Are on the Way

D．Endangered Species Act Isn’t Working Well

3 . In China, tea has become an important part of everyday life for thousands of years. As the tea-processing methods and tea culture have evolved over the years, tea sets have also changed to meet the practical and cultural needs.

During the Tang Dynasty(618~907AD), tea leaves were traded across the country and Asia. For the convenience of transportation and storage, tea leaves were pressed into bricks. To prepare tea, drinkers had to cut them into small pieces and boil them in heat-resistant teapots.

By the Song Dynasty(960-1279), drinkers started to turn the hard bricks into powders (粉末) that could be whipped (搅打) in a cup with boiled water. This whipped tea is most commonly associated with Japanese tea ceremonies today.

By the 1500s, tea bricks gave way to the form of rolled leaves. This innovation led to the invention and use of teapots as we know them today. These teapots originally came from the Yi Xing region of China and were soon copied throughout the world. Then Japanese teapot-makers moved the handle from the side to the top of the teapots.

Tea finally reached Europe in the 1600s, along with the necessary tea sets made in Japan and China. As English teapot-makers began to adapt the tea sets to their country men’s tastes, they eventually added a handle to the tea bowl because of the English habit of drinking hot black tea, which was consumed at higher temperatures. The size of teacups also grew to accommodate milk and sugar in their tea.

By the early 1900s, innovations in tea drinking became an American affair. The most revolutionary one was the tea bag, which was accidentally commercialized by Thomas Sullivan. He had been sending customers tea wrapped in silk bags. Rather than take the leaves out of the bags, as Sullivan intended, the customers put the bags into their teapots instead. Not only did the tea bags push the teapot back to the sidelines of tea service, they were also too large for teacups and led to the modern practice of drinking tea from mugs.

1. Which was used to make the whipped tea in Japan?

A．Rolled tea leaves.	B．Freshly picked tea leaves.
C．Powdered tea leaves.	D．Loosely pressed tea leaves.

2. Which innovation was first introduced by the British?

A．Tea bags and mugs.	B．Tea bowls with handles.
C．Heat-resistant teapots.	D．Teapots with top handles.

3. What can we learn from Thomas Sullivan’s story?

A．Customers are very creative.	B．Innovations are relatively easy.
C．Marketing strategy is critical.	D．Good ideas can be born by accident.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Development of Tea Sets	B．Varieties of Tea Leaves
C．Various Tea-making Methods	D．The Spread of Tea Trades

4 . With more and more people swimming at beaches every year, the problem of sharks takes on new importance. There are people who still insist that sharks never attack human beings unless they are bleeding or wounded, but this thought has not been clearly proved. In the past few years, on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, there have been cases of shark attacks which resulted in death. And just how many of the swimmers who have disappeared were victims of shark attacks will never be known. Clearly, these violent fish can be dangerous. Several species are known to attack human beings, and it is believed by some experts that certain sharks, once having tasted human blood, develop a taste for it.

The chances that one will come across a shark are small, but certain measures should be taken by everyone. Putting hands or legs over the side of a boat in warm water is to be avoided. Swimming far out from beaches is inviting trouble. No swimmer should go great distances from shore alone, or go into the water when nobody else is about. Skin divers, particularly those who go deep down in the water or among rocks and ledges(暗礁) that serve as hiding places for sharks, are taking unnecessary risks.

If one is in a boat that is rubbed against by a shark, he should remember the creature is not trying to upset his boat; it is probably trying to rub off sea lice (海虱). A beat, especially on the nose, will scare it away. If a swimmer comes across a shark, he should swim away as quietly as possible, trying to avoid making it angry. He should also head for shore (岸) as quickly as possible.

1. What should be done if a shark rubs against your boat?

A．Stir up the water.	B．Shout and scream.
C．Kick the shark.	D．Hit it on the nose.

2. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Certain sharks will become interested in human blood when they have tasted it.

B．Certain sharks will hate human blood again after they have tasted it.

C．Certain sharks will taste human blood every day after they have tasted it.

D．Certain sharks will lose sense of taste when they have tasted human blood.

3. Where do sharks sometimes hide themselves?

A．Places with sea lice in water.	B．Somewhere near the beaches.
C．Among the rocks and ledges.	D．It isn’t mentioned in the passage.

4. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Some people don’t think sharks will attack human .

B．It’s impossible for swimmers to run into sharks.

C．Swimmers should be very careful about sharks.

D．It’s safe to swim alone far away from the bench.

5 . Where does food waste go? In most countries around the world, it goes into landfills (垃圾填埋场). But not in South Korea. The country banned food waste in landfills nearly 20 years ago and today, it is turned into animal feed, fertilizers and fuel.

Around the globe, 1.4 billion tons of food is thrown away every year. The waste goes into landfills where it can pollute the land and water as well as releasing methane — a greenhouse gas — into the air. In fact, food waste is the third-largest source of methane in the US.

The system that is in place in South Korea keeps almost 100 percent of unused food out of landfills. While other cities and local governments have put similar plans in place, it is not done anywhere else on a country-wide basis.

There are two reasons why South Korea passed laws to carry out mandatory (强制性的) recycling of food waste. First, the country’s cooking tradition of numerous small dishes resulted in large amounts of uneaten food. This food waste went into landfills. But the country’s mountainous geography didn’t allow for enough landfills to be built. That’s why the government forced recycling of paper and plastic in 1995 but food waste continued to be buried in landfills. But it was the neighbors of these landfills that demanded that another solution be found due to the very unpleasant smell from rotting food. The government banned organic waste from landfills in 2005. Another law that was passed in 2013 banned dumping liquid food waste in the ocean.

The system is not free but most of the cost is absorbed by the country. People can buy yellow recycling bags that are picked up on the roadside and some local governments have placed autonomous food waste collectors that require residents to pay a weight-based fee by using cards.

The food waste is collected from the bins every day except Sunday. Some of it is used to make animal feed or fertilizers and some is used to make fuel.

1. What phenomenon does the author describe in paragraph 2?

A．The US is worried about landfills.	B．Landfills are the most common.
C．Greenhouse gas is hard to avoid.	D．Food waste can cause much harm.

2. What does the author want to say in paragraph 3?

A．Other governments don’t plan to recycle food waste.

B．100 percent of food waste goes into landfills worldwide.

C．South Korea is successful in dealing with the unused food.

D．South Korea should follow others’ way of building the system.

3. What probably led to the ban in 2005?

A．Some people’s appeal.	B．Insufficient landfill sites.
C．Unhealthy traditional diets.	D．Large amounts of food waste.

4. How can people respond to the ban on waste from landfills?

A．By avoiding using cards.	B．By purchasing recycling bags.
C．By paying the cost of collectors.	D．By picking up waste on the roadside.

6 . How to Read a Poem

You’ve selected the poem you want to read — congratulations! Now it’s time for the business of reading it.

Examine the title and the shape

    1     — how does it make you feel? How does the title fit the shape of the poem? If the title is sad, let the shape of the poem inform the small difference of the emotion — if it’s short and sparse (稀疏的), maybe it’s coming from a place of desolation or desperation.     2    .

Read the poem as you normally read anything

Reading poetry doesn’t require a clever approach; you can read as you’d read anything else. On the first pass through, absorb whatever it is that arises upon first impression.     3    , maybe your stomach churns (恶心) at a particular phrase, or you hold your breath at a certain line. Explore the feelings that come up as you read.

    4    

Next, try reading the poem out loud or search for readings of the poem online. This is where the music of a poem emerges, and you can feel the shape of each word and line as you move through it.

Add context to paint a full picture

Finally, return to the poem context.     5    ; look at the publication date and consider the world around the poem when it was first released. Consider where the poem lives: Was it released as part of the author’s poetry book, or was it published in a literary magazine? From these details and materials you will get a deeper understanding of the poem.

A．Re-read for sound

B．Re-read for meaning

C．Dig into the author’s history

D．Notice where in the poem you react

E．Look for where the poem offers a moment of surprise

F．Before you start a poem, you should first read the title

G．Long messy forms might mean it’s coming from a place of confusion or anger

7 . Wildfire season has begun in many places around the world. The dangerous smoke wildfires produce can spread far and wide. It blocks sunlight, poisons the air and damages the health of people and other living things.

Some of those living things could be the plants in gardens, says gardening expert Jessica Damiano, who writes gardening stories for the Associated Press. Damiano lives in New York City and recently experienced several days of very smoky air. Wildfires in eastern Canada were the source.

Damiano, like other people, limited the time she spent outdoors when the air quality was poor. She also wore a face covering when she had to go outside.

But the plants in her garden had no such escape. They had to breathe the poisoned air through the extremely small holes in their leaves.

Pollutants in smoke landing on plants can block sunlight, which is essential for photosynthesis (光合作用). Reduced photosynthesis results in reduced energy. That means slower growth. Additionally, smoke can also affect a plant’s ability to take in nutrients(营养物质).

Brooke Edmunds, a plant scientist and community horticulturalist with Oregon State University Extension, said plants that are affected by smoke for a short amount of time will usually recover quickly. “It depends on how close they are,” she said. “There could also be a localized effect, where one garden is covered in ash(灰烬), and a half-mile away, there’s nothing because that’s the way the wind was moving things around.”

The best thing home gardeners can do is keep an eye on plants. Edmunds suggests giving plants some extra love and care. “Wash the plants gently to remove pollutants left by smoke. Then give them a long, slow drink of water. Most will pull through,” Edmunds said. However, people should not use leaf blower machines to remove ashes from plants because they will risk breathing in what is blowing around.

1. What happened to Jessica Damiano?

A．She had her house burned in a fire.

B．She couldn’t afford face coverings.

C．She suffered from health problems.

D．She had to deal with poor air quality.

2. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．The bad effects of smoke on plants.

B．The benefits of growing plants.

C．The role of plants in the environment.

D．The importance of water to plants.

3. What can we learn from Brooke Edmunds’s words?

A．Wind has little effect on plants.

B．Plants can sometimes make a quick recovery.

C．Ashes can spread more than half a mile.

D．Plants close to smoke usually grow well.

4. How should people protect plants affected by smoke?

A．By pulling them out of the ground.

B．By using leaf blower machines.

C．By washing them with great care.

D．By giving them a fast drink of water.

8 . According to the Solar Energy Industry Association, the number of solar panels installed(安装)has grown rapidly in the past decade, and it has to grow even faster to meet climate goals. But all of that growth will take up a lot of space, and though more and more people accept the concept of solar energy, few like large solar panels to be installed near them.

Solar developers want to put up panels as quickly and cheaply as possible, so they haven’t given much thought to what they put under them. Often, they’ll end up filling the area with small stones and using chemicals to control weeds. The result is that many communities, especially in farming regions, see solar farms as destroyers of the soil.

“Solar projects need to be good neighbors,” says Jordan Macknick, the head of the Innovative Site Preparation and Impact Reductions on the Environment(InSPIRE)project. “They need to be protectors of the land and contribute to the agricultural economy.” InSPIRE is investigating practical approaches to “low-impact” solar development, which focuses on establishing and operating solar farms in a way that is kinder to the land. One of the easiest low-impact solar strategies is providing habitat for pollinators(传粉昆虫).

Habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change have caused dramatic declines in pollinator populations over the past couple of decades, which has damaged the U.S. agricultural economy. Over 28 states have passed laws related to pollinator habitat protection and pesticide use. Conservation organizations put out pollinator-friendliness guidelines for home gardens, businesses, schools, cities—and now there are guidelines for solar farms.

Over the past few years, many solar farm developers have transformed the space under their solar panels into a shelter for various kinds of pollinators, resulting in soil improvement and carbon reduction. “These pollinator-friendly solar farms can have a valuable impact on everything that’s going on in the landscape,” says Macknick.

1. What do solar developers often ignore?

A．The decline in the demand for solar energy.

B．The negative impact of installing solar panels.

C．The rising labor cost of building solar farms.

D．The most recent advances in solar technology.

2. What does InSPIRE aim to do?

A．Improve the productivity of local farms.

B．Invent new methods for controlling weeds.

C．Make solar projects environmentally friendly.

D．Promote the use of solar energy in rural areas.

3. What is the purpose of the laws mentioned in paragraph 4?

A．To conserve pollinators.	B．To restrict solar development.
C．To diversify the economy.	D．To ensure the supply of energy.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Pollinators: To Leave or to Stay	B．Solar Energy: Hope for the Future
C．InSPIRE: A Leader in Agriculture	D．Solar Farms: A New Development

9 . On a sunny day in May at the Saline Royale in Arc-et-Senans, France, a group of about 20 primary schoolchildren, armed with a notebook about plants, flowers and nature, are getting practical experiences with the world of gardening and learning about the natural environment.

The children then explore the gardens of the Saline Royale, where each class is led by a professional gardener. Students are able to dig, plant, use tools and develop skills while learning about the flowers and plants around them.

It’s all part of the Manuterra program, a project for schools, started by the Foundation Enterprise Hermes. The program began in September 2021, and invites students aged 6 to 18 from Arc-et-Senans to design, make and tend a garden. Combining educational and environmental issues, the themes for each class will also be adapted to the children’s ages and abilities.

The program is designed to offer the participants a brief introduction of many environmental issues such as the life of the soil, biodiversity, the making and use of organic fertilizers and the influence of climate change. The program also encourages young children to work together and maintain the precious ecological (生态的) balance as well as become familiar with their everyday natural surroundings.

The program hopes that as the students learn from the gardens of the Saline Royale, they will be able to take away knowledge to cultivate their own space where they can grow various plants and flowers and preserve biodiversity for future generations.

“There is a drive to pass on knowledge to preserve the planet,” said Laurent Pejoux, director of this program. “Climate change makes us take responsibility, and Manuterra is a response to this in order for the younger generations to protect the environment.”

1. What are these children doing at the Saline Royale?

A．Performing some physical activities.	B．Getting some knowledge on agriculture.
C．Protecting the natural environment.	D．Getting hands-on experiences in a project.

2. What is the purpose of the Manuterra program?

A．To strengthen the children's sense of teamwork.

B．To introduce the children to environmental issues.

C．To help the children know the value of hard work.

D．To offer the children a chance to survive the wild.

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

A．Develop.

B．Support.

C．Imagine.

D．Record.

4. What is implied in Laurent Pejoux’s words in the last paragraph?

A．Everyone should adapt to climate changes.

B．It's beneficial for us to protect the environment.

C．The program makes a difference to the children.

D．The children need a drive to protect the environment.

10 . 语法填空。

Humour has been an essential part of human behaviour and can not only entertain but     1     throw new light on sensitive or emotive issues. Mark Twain is remembered for his ability     2     (combine) humour with more serious messages. Twain’s particular style of writing is     3     (fun) and often mischievous. For example, in his classic novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, he famously says, “Writing is easy. All you have to do is     4     (cross) out the wrong words.”

Lin,     5     became famous for his unique brand of humour, brought the concept of humour to modern Chinese literature. In 1924, he     6     (creative) borrowed “youmo” from Ancient Chinese as the translation for the English word “humour”. “Youmo”     7     (use) still in this way today.

Humour isn’t just about laughter,     8     is a way of life and a tool that can be used to illuminate the world. Lin even created an equation     9     (explain) this concept: Reality + Dreams + Humour = Wisdom. Living and working with others can sometimes be complicated, and humour makes this easier.     10     (share) jokes and laughing together can bring individuals and even communities together. Mark Twain says, “Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing”.