1 . Before the year has even come to a close, climate experts are certain that 2023 will be the hottest year in recorded history.

On Dec. 6, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) — part of the European Union’s space program — revealed that this year’s average global temperatures have been 2.6 F (1.46 C) higher than temperatures in preindustrial times and 0.2 F (0.13 C) higher than January to November in 2016. These “extraordinary” temperatures mean that 2023 will be “the warmest year in recorded history,” C3S deputy director Samantha Burgess said in a statement.

The researchers note that this year’s record heat was partly caused by the latest El Nino event—a phenomenon where warmer water near the equator triggers warmer global air temperatures—that began in June. Some other experts have suggested that the January 2022 eruption of Tonga’s underwater volcano, which pumped record levels of water vapor into the atmosphere, may also be partly responsible.

Despite these factors, the major cause of climbing temperatures is global warming caused by runaway greenhouse gas emissions, which, noted in a C3S statement, have trapped more than 25 billion atomic bombs’ worth of energy in our atmosphere over the last 50 years. And still worse, the global carbon emissions have reached a new high this year, according to scientists at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) On Dec 4.

The effects of global warming are becoming more obvious. In 2023, research revealed that climate change is causing major US cities to sink and more than half of the world’s largest lakes and reservoirs to shrink. Studies also predicted that the Gulf Stream, which plays a vital role in ocean circulation, could collapse by as early as 2025, and that rising sea levels could swamp the US coastline by 2050.

However, scientists say that we still have time to prevent further disaster. Leading climate change expert Michael Mann, from the University of Pennsylvania, recently wrote that “we can still stop the worst effects of climate change” if we stop emitting greenhouse gases as soon as possible.

1. Which is the main factor in causing the warmest weather in 2023?

A．Eruption of an underwater volcano.	B．Greenhouse gas emissions.
C．Collapse of the Gulf Stream.	D．The latest El Nino event.

2. What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．Scientists’ predictions of the technology.	B．The threat of rising sea levels to the U.S.
C．The effects of climate change.	D．Different opinions on global warming.

3. How does Michael Mann feel about the present situation?

A．Confused.

B．Worried.

C．Pessimistic.

D．Hopeful.

4. What does the underlined word “emitting” mean in the last paragraph?

A．Release.

B．Prevent.

C．Reduce.

D．Seek.

2 . Choosing a major is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make while you’re in college. It’s important that you make your choice confidently and after some consideration.

There’s Nothing Wrong With Being “Undecided”.

Between 20% and 50% of college freshmen enter school without a declared major. Keep in mind that there’s nothing wrong with remaining “undecided” or “undeclared” for the first few years of your college career. You can use this time to decide what you’re interested in. Also, keep in mind that even if you do declare a major your freshman year, you can always change your mind. About one-third of first-time college students change their major within three years. Even more, over 60% of college graduates say they would go back and change their major if they could, primarily to pursue their passion areas and expand their job opportunities.

Explore Your Passions and Abilities.

Set aside some time to really explore your passions and take stock of your unique abilities. With an undeclared major to start, you can take time to really develop into what interests you. Join clubs around campus to connect with fellow students who share your interests. Take electives in areas that you might not otherwise have an opportunity to experience. For example, when else might you be able to take a poetry course or an art history seminar? College is the perfect time to step out of your box and expand your horizons. As a student with an undeclared major, you’re uniquely positioned to do just that.

Consider Employment Opportunities.

While it’s important to choose a major that interests you, it’s also critical to choose a college major that will provide you with future employment opportunities. Statistically, the college majors that tend to have the most earning power are in STEM. These majors might include health sciences or computer engineering. Business majors can also expect a higher than average earning potential. That being said, employers frequently recognize that graduates who majored in the liberal arts have valuable soft skills, too, including strong communication, written and verbal skills, and leadership abilities. The key is to pick a major that will be marketable for the career you’re interested in pursuing.

Talk to an Academic Advisor.

If you need a little guidance, set up an appointment with an academic advisor or career counselors. Career development counselors and academic advisors can help you narrow down your options. If you have an idea of, what classes you’ve most enjoyed and what career paths are most appealing to you, working with one of these professionals might be the final push you need to pick a major.

Still have some doubts now? You can submit your questions Here.

1. What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A．Most graduates went back to college and changed their majors for a brighter future.

B．Most students frequently change their majors throughout their college years.

C．It is all right to remain undecided on majors for only the freshman year.

D．You don’t necessarily need to declare your majors upon entering college.

2. You are advised to take electives as described in the third paragraph because _______.

A．the courses and seminars are popular with college students

B．it helps you fully explore where your interest lies

C．you can share your common interest with your fellow students

D．your major lies in the areas, you can’t miss them

3. An example of having good soft skills is that _______.

A．you express yourself well in a controversial business discussion

B．you fix the technical problems of computers in your office easily

C．you quickly figure out why the communication equipment doesn’t work

D．you never delegate but shoulder more of the workload at work

3 . Styrofoam, or polystyrene, is a light-weight material, about 95 percent air, with very good insulation (隔热) properties, according to Earthsource. org. It is used in products from cups that keep your drinks hot or cold to packaging material that protects items during shipping. With the above good features, Styrofoam still enjoys a bad reputation. It cannot be recycled without releasing dangerous pollution into the air. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency says it is the fifth-largest creator of harmful waste.

But now the common worms which are usually disgusting can come to the rescue, specifically, meal-worms. Scientists from the U. S. and China have discovered that meal-worms can digest plastic. One meal-worm can digest a pill-sized amount of plastic a day. Study co-author Wei-Min Wu says that in 24 hours, the plastic is turned into carbon dioxide.

Since Styrofoam has no nutrition at all, are the worms hurt by eating plastic? Much to the scientists’ surprise, the study found that worms eating Styrofoam were as healthy as worms eating bran (谷糠) . The researchers will study the worm’s eating habits and digesting system, looking to copy the plastic breakdown but on a larger scale. Once the way can be put into practice, it will make a revolutionary difference to the disposal of plastic.

“Solving the issue of plastic pollution is important”, says Wu, a Stanford University environmental engineering instructor. After all, our earth is small and landfill space-is becoming limited with too much garbage waiting to be dealt with, he says.

About 33-million tons of plastic are thrown away in the United States every year. Plastic plates, cups and containers take up 25 percent to 30 percent of space in America’s landfills. One Styrofoam cup takes more than 1 million years to recycle in a landfill, according to Cleveland State University.

1. What do we know about Styrofoam?

A．It can be used to cool drinks.	B．It is a weightless material.
C．It is harmful when recycled.	D．It is usually used on ships.

2. What can we infer from the second paragraph?

A．Meal-worms have amazing digesting power.	B．Meal-worms are not bad in their nature.
C．Meal-worms can rescue people’s lives.	D．People misunderstood meal-worms in the past.

3. In the future, plastic may be recycled _______.

A．by raising amounts of meal-worms	B．by environmental engineering instructors
C．using a method inspired by eating meal-worms	D．without sending out dangerous pollution

4. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Styrofoam is widely used in daily life.	B．Meal-worms are genius at eating plastic
C．Plastic recycling may be no more a problem.	D．Plastic can be turned into carbon dioxide

4 . As my kids and I walked around a community garden the other week, I asked them what veggies they could identify. We were in Alberta, where many plants were still in their early stages of growth—I wasn’t optimistic about what the kids would be able to name by leaves alone. However, they called out, “Tomatoes! Potatoes! Carrots!” Their answers made me even proud. All the time we’ve spent in our home garden is actually sinking in.

Although I’ve been gardening for years, this year feels different. Spending time in the garden has helped me with my own well-being at a trying time, and it has given me a new way to connect with my kids.

My garden is wild, full of life, and a bit messy. Honestly, the same goes for my kids— and I don’t expect perfection from them either. Unless you’re relying on your yield for money or food, it’s a good idea to have your expectations for gardening as low as possible. My kids say they “love the garden” but “don’t like gardening” —I think they mean they don’t like the chores. If I have some weeding or potting to do, I’ll also have some entertainment for them, which can be as simple as “find these 10 rocks” or “wet this plot with your water gun”.

Involving the kids in every stage of the process can be powerful and fun, even if what you have are just a few containers on a balcony. “Gardening allows us to spend free, unscheduled outdoor time with our kids,” writes journalist and author Shannon Brescher Shea. “Let your kids lead the way. Invite them to participate in every step, from planting to harvesting, but don’t force it.”

One of the best things about gardens is the food, but frankly, my kids are not going to be pushing greens into their mouths any time soon. Finding uses for garden goods that go beyond food production can spark interest and supply you with some unexpectedly good results.

1. What can the author infer from her kids’ answers?

A．It’s great to witness her kids’ academic progress.

B．It’s necessary for kids to know about nature.

C．It’s difficult for kids to learn plants in early stages.

D．It’s worthwhile to spend time in her garden.

2. Which of the following is right about the author’s garden?

A．It goes as nature takes its course.	B．It is in a complete mess.
C．It has a rise in output.	D．It has been abandoned for long.

3. How does the author attract the kids’ interest in gardening?

A．By giving rewards afterwards.	B．By adding recreational activities.
C．By giving more encouragement.	D．By asking them to have short breaks.

4. What is Shannon’s suggestion on parents’ involving kids in gardening?

A．Only teaching kids the power and fun of harvesting.

B．Making kids observe every step carefully.

C．Encouraging kids’ active participation.

D．Setting an example for kids in doing gardening.

5 . 假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（^），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

We were consider making an incredible English magazine, but with hands-on experience we didn’t know how to start it. To get professional instructions, we left for Beijing visit a chief editor of Beijing Review, a famous English journal. Although he was busier, he showed us around, explaining to us the amazed history of the journal and its producing process. Besides, he offered us lots of practical and useful informations. What makes us especially happy was that why he promised to give us continuous guidance. Filling with confidence, we are now beginning to handle my magazine.

6 . 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。

The silk industry in Sichuan is one of the original points of Chinese silk culture. Sichuan brocade (蜀锦) originated from the Spring and Autumn period, and     1    (develop) in the Han and Tang dynasties. It     2    (have) a history of more than 2,000 years and has a far-reaching influence     3     traditional Chinese silk production. Sichuan brocade features light shades integrated in an elegant and care free style,     4     shows Han Chinese characteristics and local traditions.

Sichuan brocade is one of China’s four most famous branches of brocade, the others being Yun brocade in Nanjing, Song brocade in Suzhou and Zhuang brocade in Guangxi. With     5     (it) attractive designs and bright, clear colors that follow the style of Chinese-ink paintings, Sichuan brocade     6     (put) on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.

Silk has been produced in Sichuan Province since ancient times and Chengdu was the starting point of the southern Silk Road. Sichuan brocade is made with local silk and colored silk threads, which are the raw     7     (material). Special embroidery (刺绣) skills are used     8     (turn) brocade into quilt covers, pillowcases, clothes and shoes.

    9     subjects of the Sichuan brocade are rich and varied. Some come from legends, myths, historical stories, and others come from landscape, figures, flowers, birds and animals,     10     (especial) the beasts that symbolize fortune and long life.

7 . From its origins in the California hills in the US to its acceptance on urban streets worldwide, the history of skateboarding spans (跨越) seven decades over which it has developed from an unwelcome sport to an Olympic event in 2020. Now, a London exhibition is to show the path from those humble homemade boards of the 1950s to today’s hi-tech professional models.

The exhibition will feature about 90 rare and unique boards along with more than 100 other related objects, including safety equipment and magazines. Half of the skateboards will be on loan from the Skateboarding Hall of Fame Museum in California. A highlight will be a 1967 Bilbo board produced by European Surfing Company, which was set up at Newquay in Cornwall in southwestern England in 1965 and marketed the first skateboards in the UK.

Also on display will be the famous skateboarder Tony Hawk’s first professional model, from 1982, with its adaptations for the vert style of skateboarding which uses vertical ramps (垂直坡面) rather than level ground; early homemade boards from 1950s California modeled on the design of roller-skates and surfboards; and the first two models to feature a kicktail —the raised tail enabling skaters to turn or balance the board on the back wheels.

It will also feature Laura Thornhill’s Logan Earth Ski from the 1970s, the first women’s professional model. Sky Brown, who at 13 won bronze for Team Great Britain at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is represented through her first professional model, the Sky Brown & Skateistan Almost model.

“Skateboards, often misunderstood as being just toys, are now hi-tech products responding to constantly changing urban environments,” said Jonathan Olivares, the show’s director. “This exhibition is centred around a single question: how did the skateboard get to positioning the skateboard as a truly unique object.”

1. When were skateboard s invented?

A．In the 1950s.

B．In the 1960s.

C．In the 1970s.

D．In the 1980s.

2. What can we know about Tony Hawk’s skateboard on the display?

A．It is a homemade board with a kicktail.

B．It is probably suitable for vertical camps.

C．It is designed to skate on the level ground.

D．It is modeled on the design of roller-skates.

3. Which is the first women’s professional model?

A．Bilbo.

B．Newquay.

C．Sky.

D．Logan Earth Ski.

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．Skateboards are still low-tech products.

B．Skateboarding won its acceptance immediately.

C．Skateboarding will be very popular around the world.

D．Skateboarders were always admired by the public.

8 . Connected to each other like never before, young people today are becoming agents of change, increasingly contributing to innovative solutions that improve people’s lives and the planet’s health. The United Nations Institute for Training and Research is therefore delighted to launch the Young Leaders Online Training Programme, a four-week e-Learning course, to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to fully unfold their potential as global leaders.

◆CONTENT

◇Online Learning Modules

Module 1: The United Nations (3—9 June 2024)

Module 2: Conference Diplomacy (外交) (10—16 June 2024)

Module 3: Sustainable Development Goals (17—23 June 2024)

Module 4: International Communication (24—30 June 2024)

Each module will comprise about 30 pages of literature, external links, videos, and other relevant material, corresponding to a total workload of 40—45 hours during the four weeks.

◇Live Components

Each e-Learning module will go with a series of live meetings with UN experts. These will have varying lengths and formats, including e-workshops, mock (模拟的) interviews, etc.

◆COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS

Participants are qualified for a course certificate upon successful completion of the components below:

◇Reading the four modules’ content. You may wish to study the material through the interactive programme Articulate Storyline or simply download the PDF version of the content. They are identical in content and are meant to give participants flexibility in the way to study.

◇Participation in the discussion board forums (论坛). You are supposed to answer questions on every module in short texts. Your posts will be evaluated according to both quantity and quality.

◇Passing the multiple-choice assessments. Each module features an assessment quiz at its end. It contains 10 questions, and passing the module requires at least 8 out of 10 questions correctly answered.

1. What is the main aim of the course?

A．To build up the youth’s global leadership ability.

B．To improve the lives of young people.

C．To connect the youth around the world.

D．To collect innovative ideas from young people.

2. What will participants do in each module?

A．Appreciate great works of art.	B．Spend 40--45 hours on learning.
C．Have online meetings with UN experts.	D．Make videos for the United Nations.

3. To get a course certificate, a participant needs to ______.

A．post questions on each module	B．take part in the discussions
C．copy the PDF version of the content	D．answer all the test questions correctly

9 . Losing an eye might be an unthinkable thing, especially for a young woman, but not for Xintong. She chose to become an ocularist (义眼师) who makes artificial eyes for herself and people in the same ________ to help them get back their ________. Xintong is the name that she gave to herself — which she ________ people to call her instead of her real name — because “xintong” in Chinese sounds like “new pupils”.

Nearly 10 years after ________ her right eye in a car accident , 28-year-old Xintong from Beijing transformed the empty of her eye socket (眼眶) into a fashion statement. She ________ a short video online in which she wears a charming artificial eye. As she ________ her hand, the artificial eye begins to ________ with red light. With another wave, the light ________ to green and then purple and white. The video soon became ________ on social media, with many ________ praising her. But that wasn’t the case 10 years ago. “The artificial eye I ________ at that time was suffering,” Xintong said. “It ________ and gave me a red eye socket. I was young and I wanted to look ________.”

She started ________ artificial eyes. Beginning in 2019, she dedicated about two years to mastering the production techniques and skills under the ________ of an ocularist. This journey ________ her own artificial eye studio, providing personalized services for those ________ them.

Now when Xintong hears her ________ say words such as “Finally, I can ________ myself” or “Now I feel free to take photos”, she feels deeply ________.

1.

A．silence

B．statistic

C．achievement

D．situation

2.

A．theme

B．misunderstanding

C．humor

D．confidence

3.

A．swings

B．prefers

C．hates

D．prevents

4.

A．selling

B．ignoring

C．losing

D．repairing

5.

A．shared

B．downloaded

C．deleted

D．watched

6.

A．waved

B．washed

C．transported

D．invented

7.

A．shine

B．alarm

C．break

D．test

8.

A．points

B．controls

C．devotes

D．changes

9.

A．ridiculous

B．ancient

C．unfair

D．popular

10.

A．lessons

B．lectures

C．comments

D．dramas

11.

A．subscribed

B．wore

C．decorated

D．predicted

12.

A．hurt

B．improved

C．cheated

D．left

13.

A．generous

B．attractive

C．strict

D．old

14.

A．researching

B．refusing

C．harvesting

D．spying

15.

A．system

B．guidance

C．measure

D．permission

16.

A．stared at

B．cut down

C．led to

D．adjusted to

17.

A．scaring

B．requiring

C．adapting

D．creating

18.

A．agents

B．relatives

C．students

D．customers

19.

A．accept

B．hear

C．dress

D．understand

20.

A．dizzy

B．bored

C．moved

D．nervous

10 . Music can relax the mind, energize the body, and even help people better manage pain.     1    . Music therapy (疗法) is an intervention sometimes used to promote emotional health. help patients cope with stress, and boost psychological well-being.

Music can improve mental performance.

Research suggests that background music improves mental performance. Playing more positive music leads to improvements in processing speed.     2    , turn on a little music in the background for a boost in your mental performance.

Music can help you eat less.

    3    . To lose weight, listen to soft music and dim the lights. According to one study, people eating at low-lit restaurants where soft music was played consumed less food. Music and lighting help create a more relaxing setting where participants may consume their food more slowly and feel full sooner.

    4    .

Sleeplessness is a problem that affects people of different age groups. While there are many approaches to treating this problem, research has demonstrated that listening to relaxing classical music can be a safe, effective, and affordable therapy.

Music can help you manage pain

Research has shown that music can be very helpful in the management of pain. One study of fibromyalgia (纤维性肌痛) patients found that those who listened to music for one hour a day experienced a significant reduction in pain.     5    .

A．Music can reduce stress

B．The psychological effects of music can be powerful

C．So next time you are working on a task

D．Music can help you sleep better

E．The result of the study suggests music therapy can help treat some diseases

F．Some people enjoy listening to music before they go to sleep

G．Music can be a helpful weight-loss tool