1 . New Zealand plans to put a price on sheep and cow burps (打嗝) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (排放). If the plan is passed, New Zealand will become the first country to tax (征税) farmers on each burp of their cattle, since the burps give out methane (甲烷) into the atmosphere.
“There is no question that we need to cut the amount of methane we are putting into the atmosphere, and an effective emissions pricing system for agriculture will play a key part in how we achieve that,” Climate Change Minister James Shaw said.
Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of global warming. It is reportedly responsible for at least 14.5% of the world’s emissions. Moreover, cows are by far the biggest contributors. This is so because they produce 40% of global methane when they burp, fart (放屁) and produce waste. Also, methane is 80 times more warming than CO2 although it’s shorter-lived in the atmosphere.
New Zealand, which has a population of five million people, has around 10 million cattle and 26 million sheep. “Almost half the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, mainly methane,” the draft plan explained.
The “burp tax” is expected to take effect in 2025. Mr. Shaw wants farming to be more environmentally friendly. He also wants farmers to change the way they farm. He wants them to feed their animals on seaweed instead of grass. This will produce fewer emissions. Mr. Shaw also said farmers can reduce the tax they pay by planting more trees. Another suggestion is for cows to wear special masks.
New Zealand’s farmers support the government. They want to do their bit to help the environment.
1. Why will cattle’s burps be taxed?| A．To raise more money. | B．To feed more cattle. |
| C．To limit cattle’s price. | D．To better the environment. |
| A．Its cows produce 40% of global methane. |
| B．Its agriculture affects greenhouse gas emissions. |
| C．It is responsible for at least 14.5% of the world’s emissions. |
| D．There is 80 times more methane than CO2. |
| A．Plant more trees. | B．Correct their way to farm. |
| C．Feed their animals on grass. | D．Wear special masks when farming. |
| A．New Zealand reducing greenhouse gas emissions |
| B．New Zealand’s greenhouse emissions and animal farming |
| C．New Zealand introducing a new tax to help the environment |
| D．New Zealand’s farmers joining in the fight against climate change |
2 . One Monday afternoon in April, 45-year-old Rene Compean set out for a hike in Angeles National Forest in Southern California.
Rene parked his car near the Buckhorn Campground and headed up a trail in the Mt. Waterman area. Later, he texted a picture of setting foot on a rock to a friend, and the unclear image ended up saving his life!
A few hours into the hike, Rene took a wrong turn because a path marker was missing due to recent forest fires. He realized he was lost and texted his friend for help, explaining that he had no idea where he was and his phone was about to die. Unfortunately, he didn’t have location services on his mobile phone, so search and rescue teams couldn’t find him using GPS.
Rene was reported missing around 6 p.m. Temperatures dropped rapidly in the mountains, and rescuers searched through the night with no success.
When they set out in search of Rene the next morning, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office posted Rene’s picture to their social media pages, asking the public to help them identify the area.
Thankfully, the photo made its way to satellite mapping enthusiast Benjamin Kuo. As luck would have it, Ben has “a very strange hobby” that came into use in this situation. “I love taking a look at photos and figuring out where they’re taken,” Ben explained.
He studied the area below Rene’s legs for clues and came up with coordinates (坐标) for where he thought the hiker was. He then provided the details to the Sheriff’s Office. Thankfully, Ben’s coordinates had exactly pointed out his location! Believe it or not, officials found the hiker within three-quarters of a mile of the GPS coordinates Ben sent them. A helicopter was sent to the site, and there was Rene, tired out and cold from his night outside but otherwise unharmed.
1. What made it difficult for search and rescue teams to find Rene?| A．Fires broke out in the forest. | B．The path marker was not correct. |
| C．Rene couldn’t be located by GPS. | D．Rene’s picture was not clear enough. |
| A．To help locate Rene’s position. | B．To attract the attention of the readers. |
| C．To seek satellite mapping enthusiasts. | D．To inform people of Rene’s getting lost. |
| A．Because he loved hiking and taking photos. |
| B．Because he was quite familiar with the area. |
| C．Because he was sent to the site by a helicopter. |
| D．Because he was good at finding clues from photos. |
| A．The bravery and calmness of Rene. | B．The extraordinary talent of Benjamin. |
| C．The excellent photography skill of Rene. | D．The search and rescue teams’ rich experience. |
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文流畅；
3. 开头已写好，不计入总词数。
Music is playing an important part in our study and daily life.
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In a word, music should make life better and help people become happier.
4 . Try to picture the world before refrigerators. That may be difficult!
One advanced method of food storage arose in Persia around 400 BC. People there stored food in structures called Yakhchal, which were buildings made from mud brick to keep ice frozen during even the warmest summer months. During the Middle Ages, people stored meat by salting or smoking it.
Later, buildings called ice houses or ice pits were built upon the idea of the Yakhchal. Such ice houses were very common by the 1800s. At the end of the 19th century, many people kept their food fresh in iceboxes made of wood.
By the 1930s, many people were using electric refrigerators to keep food fresh.
| A．They would also dry many foods, including grains. |
| B．These containers held large blocks of ice to keep food cool. |
| C．No one knows for sure how people first learned to store food. |
| D．After all, kids today are used to grabbing a snack from the fridge after school. |
| E．Since then, growth in technology has led these machines to become more advanced. |
| F．With no means to store food, ancient people often went hungry or even died. |
| G．Actually, people found different ways to keep their food fresh thousands of years ago. |
Archaeologists in China have recently found the world’s oldest known coin manufacturing(制造)site. The site
Using radiocarbon(放射性碳)dating, the researchers came to the
The coins
The new study adds fuel
6 . Volunteering is a great benefit to the community. Many nonprofit organizations couldn’t survive without volunteers. However, you may not realize how much it also benefits your career.
●Volunteer in different areas.
You may be likely to just volunteer at one place, and that can be fine.
●Use it to build skills.
Volunteering is the perfect opportunity to build your own skill set.
●Network while you volunteer.
Another way to help work on your career is to use volunteering to help network. Really, you don’t have to go out of your way to network.
●
Studies have shown that people who volunteer are more likely to be hired than people who don’t volunteer. In fact, you have about a 25 percent higher chance of being hired if you volunteer than if you don’t. If you don’t have a high school diploma (毕业文凭), that number increases to a 50 percent higher chance.
●Put your volunteer experience on your college application.
If you’re still in high school, volunteering looks great on a college application. It shows leadership, initiative (主动性), and commitment, all things colleges love.
| A．Help you find a good job. |
| B．Increase your chances of being hired. |
| C．Stop waiting to volunteer until you have more time. |
| D．Just be sure to include it on your application when you apply. |
| E．While you are giving your time, you’re also learning new things. |
| F．Just talk to people while you’re volunteering and get to know them. |
| G．However, volunteering at different places will expose you to different fields. |
1. 理解室友；
2. 学会交流；
3. 其它方法。
注意：
1. 词数80左右（标题和首句已给出，但不计入总词数）；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：permission允许；possession物品
How to get along with your roommates
As high school students, some of you can’t avoid sharing personal space with roommates.
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Huangshan, which lies in Anhui province, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is one of the top scenic
Huangshan has 36 separate peaks, all
The main thing to do in Huangshan is walk pround and take photographs of the scenery, which is spectacular (壮观的),
When there is good weather and clear skies, watching the stars at night is
9 . 5 of the Most Interesting Customs in the World
Switzerland—Honesty shopping
There are little shops in the middle of the Swiss Alps that allow you to buy your fresh cheese, milk, bread, honey, and butter without anyone to watch you. In fact, no one watches these shops because they are owned by farmers who are out taking care of the animals.
South Korea—NOT tipping
Tipping is in the blood for someone who is raised in the United States along with many other European countries. But in South Korea, employees in the food service industry are given fair wages and take pride in their work, and it is insulting to attempt to tip them.
Iceland—Christmas Eve books giving
People puzzle over the eternal question of Christmas gifts. Iceland has solved this problem with the Christmas Eve tradition of giving a book. After everyone unwraps the books, they spend the evening reading together.
Japan—Pushers on the subway
Japan's subway is crowded during rush hours. But instead of settling for the inefficiency that personal space demands, Japan has "pushers". They are exactly what they sound like-employees whose only job during rush hour is to push more people onto the train.
Russia—Offering vodka
It is the custom to welcome new friends with shots of vodka. What better way to break the ice than with some stomach- warming shots of this Russian tradition? That's something we can all toast to, or, as they say in Russia, "Na zdorovye!".
1. In which of countries is it a tradition to give books as a Christmas gift?| A．Japan. | B．South Korea. | C．Russia. | D．Iceland. |
| A．It is a tradition for Swiss to welcome guests with vodka. |
| B．No one watches you shop in Switzerland because people are busy. |
| C．"Pushers" in Japan help you get off the train faster. |
| D．Tipping is in the blood for people in South Korea. |
| A．Those who intend to travel in their home country. |
| B．Those who want to study abroad. |
| C．Those who are interested in diverse customs around the globe. |
| D．Those who are fond of natural sceneries. |
10 . British sculptor Jason Taylor has made it his mission to use his talent to conserve our ecosystems by creating underwater museums. Over the years, the environmentalist has put over 850 massive artworks underwater worldwide. On February 1, 2021, Taylor launched his latest work---The Underwater Museum of Cannes.
“The main goal was to bring attention to the fact that our oceans need our help,” Taylor told Dezeen. “Ocean ecologies have been destroyed by human activity in the Mediterranean over the past few decades, and it is not obvious what is taking place when observing the sea from afar.”
The Underwater Museum of Cannes contains 6 sculptures featuring local residents of various ages. They range from Maurice, an 80-year-old fisherman, to Anouk, a 9-year-old student. Towering over 6-feet-tall and weighing 10 tons, the faces are sectioned into two parts, with the outer part like a mask. The mask indicates that the world’s oceans appear powerful and unbeatable from the surface but house an ecosystem that is extremely fragile to careless human activities.
Though the waters surrounding the sculptures now appear a pristine blue, the seabed was filled with old boat engines, pipes, and other human-made trash when the project began about four years ago. Besides removing the trash, Taylor also restored the area’s seagrass. Just one square meter of the seagrass can generate up to 10 liters of oxygen daily. The seagrass also helps prevent coastal erosion and provides habitats for many ocean creatures.
“The idea of creating an underwater museum was to draw more people underwater and develop a sense of care and protection,” Taylor told Dezeen. “If we threw unwanted waste near a forest, there would be a public outcry. But this is happening every day in our surrounding waters and it largely goes unnoticed.”
1. What are the underwater museums intended to do?| A．To make huge profits. | B．To raise awareness of protecting the ocean. |
| C．To show Jason Taylor’s talent. | D．To draw attention to endangered sea animals. |
| A．To popularize the features of the locals. |
| B．To remind people to protect themselves. |
| C．To reflect people’s protection of the ocean. |
| D．To stress the sensitiveness of the ecosystem. |
| A．How the project was started. | B．How the seagrass was restored. |
| C．What recovery effort the project made. | D．Why the surroundings were improved. |
| A．The situation of the ocean is easily ignored. |
| B．The destruction caused to the ocean is noticeable. |
| C．Forests play a more important role in ecosystems. |
| D．People have zero tolerance to damage done to nature. |
