1 . Why do farmers grow crops outside in fields when we can arrange them vertically (垂直地)? The idea of vertical farming was first proposed in 1999. It was seen as a way to save space, reduce air miles and transform old and abandoned buildings, like warehouses. In 2021, Fortune Business Insights valued the global vertical farming market at 3.47 billion dollars. Now, however, this industry is under threat, partly due to rising energy costs.
According to the magazine Science Focus, vertical farming gives ten times the yield (产量) of conventional outdoor farming. However, in order for crops to grow using this method, plants are placed in a controlled environment, grown not under the Sun, but under LED lights and watered with recycled water pumped on a closed-loop system (闭环系统).
Unfortunately, energy prices have risen across the globe. Therefore, this reliance on electricity has meant the last few years have not been easy for the industry. Cindy van Rijswick, from the Dutch research firm RaboResearch, has estimated that operational costs for a vertical farm are around 15% higher now compared to 18 months ago. Infarm, Europe’s largest vertical farming company, made around500 employees redundant (被裁员的) in November 2022 because they needed to downsize. They blamed higher operating costs due to energy increases as one reason for the layoffs.
Another issue related to the cost-of -living crisis and affecting vertical farming is the type of produce grown. This includes herbs such as basil, as well as salad leaves and leafy greens. Compared to traditionally farmed plants, like onions and carrots, these products tend to be more expensive, which could lead to reduced demand as consumers become more cautious about their spending.
So, it seems that a future with food grown under LED lights is looking less and less bright.
1. What is the feature of vertical farming?| A．Saving urban land and achieving zero emissions. |
| B．Demanding highly technical and complex control. |
| C．High energy consumption and low output value. |
| D．Making full use of sunlight and water resources. |
| A．By making assumptions. |
| B．By criticizing a typical behaviour. |
| C．By listing specific data and facts. |
| D．By referring to a social phenomenon. |
| A．Vertical farming avoids climate and disaster impacts. |
| B．Vertical farming costs jumped due to higher energy prices. |
| C．Vertical farming grows high-value, cost-effective produce. |
| D．High yield protects vertical farming from market competition. |
| A．Is This the End of Vertical Farming? | B．Is Vertical Farming Highly Efficient? |
| C．Challenges Industrial Agriculture Faces | D．New Trends in Vertical Agriculture |
2 . Floating Markets in Bangkok, Thailand
One might feel as though they are entering a different world upon visiting a Thai floating market. While some countries in Asia have their own floating markets, none compare to Thailand’s, and the special experience is one you cannot miss while visiting the country.
Long-tail boats, ancient and traditional houses, and shouting vendors (商贩) are the major elements of floating markets in Bangkok. They are excellent options for experiencing the unusual culture and life of Thailand. Here are the top 8 floating markets in Bangkok, where you can experience the chaotic and charming atmosphere.
| Name | Distance from Downtown Bangkok | Open Times | Features |
| Damnoen Saduak | 80 km (50 mi) | Every day from 7 a. m. to 5 p. m | Long-tail boat cruises, remote villages, plantations |
| Amphawa | 90 km (55mi) | 11 a. m. to 9.30 p. m., Friday to Sunday | Thai food, little wooden houses, temples |
| Wat Sai | 23 km (14 mi) | 8 a. m.— 6 p. m., Tuesday— Saturday | A mixture of Chinese culture and Thai culture |
| Taling Chan | 12 km (7 mi) | 8 a. m.— 6 p. m., Saturday— Sunday | Temples, massages (按摩) on boats, foot massages under trees |
| Bangkhla | 100km (60 mi) | 8 a. m.— 6 p. m., Saturday— Sunday | Remote countryside, charm, biking |
| Bang Nam Pheung | 20 km (12 mi) | 8: 30 a. m.— 5 p. m., Saturday— Sunday | Fruit, food, a nature sanctuary (避难所) |
| Bang Phli | 38 km (24 mi) | 11 a. m.— 5:30 p. m., Tuesday— Saturday | Oldest, historical buildings, temples |
| Khlong Lat Mayom | 21 km (13 mi) | 7 a. m.— 5 p. m., Saturday — Sunday | Food, fruit, boat noodles |
1. Which floating market only opens on weekends with the shortest opening hours?
| A．Taling Chan. | B．Bang Phli. |
| C．Bang Nam Pheung. | D．Khlong Lat Mayom. |
| A．Delicious Thai food. | B．Numerous temple buildings. |
| C．Various massage services. | D．The traditional countryside life. |
| A．It is influenced by Chinese cultural elements. |
| B．Its number of open days in a week is the largest. |
| C．It is the centre of cultural exchange around the world. |
| D．It is a must-see tourist destination for Chinese tourists. |
3 . Hawaii lawmakers are considering legislation (立法) that would require visitors to pay for a year-long license or pass to visit state parks. Josh Green is the state’s governor. He said, “We get between 9 and 10 million visitors a year, but we only have 1.4 million people living here.” He added, “Those 10 million travellers should be helping us sustain our environment.” Lawmakers still debating how much they would charge.
The governor campaigned in 2022 on the idea of having all tourists pay a $50 fee to enter the state. Legislators think this would violate US constitutional protections for free travel. They instead think visitors should pay to enter parks and trails. Either policy would be a first of its kind for any US state. Hawaii’s leaders are following the example of other popular tourist areas with similar fees or taxes. They include Venice, Italy, and Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands.
Hawaii State Representative Sean Quinlan is the leader of the House Tourism Committee. He said changes in the activities of travellers are part of Hawaii’s push. He said golf rounds per visitor per day have dropped 30 percent over the past 10 years while hiking has increased50 percent. People are also seeking out isolated places they have seen on social media. The state does not have the money to oversee and protect all these places, he said.
Most state parks and trails are currently free. Some of the most popular ones already charge, like Diamond Head State Monument. That trail leads hikers from the floor of a 300,000-year-old volcano up to the top. It gets 1 million visitors each year and costs $5for each traveller.
A bill currently before the legislature would require visitors over the age of 15to buy a yearly pass to visit forests, parks, trails or “other natural area on state land”. People who live in Hawaii would not need to pay.
1. What does the underlined word “violate” mean in Paragraph 2?| A．Break. | B．Establish. | C．Uphold. | D．Perfect. |
| A．The decreasing number of tourists to Hawaii. |
| B．Advantages of Hawaii’s tourism resources. |
| C．The increasing financial burden of Hawaii. |
| D．One reason for wanting to charge tourists. |
| A．None of the attractions in Hawaii charge fees currently. |
| B．The goal to charge fees is to limit the number of tourists. |
| C．Lawmakers are arguing about whether charging fees is legal. |
| D．Charging fees is beneficial for Hawaii’s natural environment. |
| A．A news report. | B．A travel guide. |
| C．A law textbook. | D．A promotional brochure. |
4 . The protesters who had gathered on a lawn in Rome’s central Piazz a Venezia came from neighborhoods all around the capital, but they had one concern in common: saving the towering umbrella pine trees that for centuries have decorated the city’s skyline but are disappearing in alarming numbers.
Celebrated in music and art, and admired by the ancient Romans, the trees are as much a part of the city’s identity as its human-made landmarks. “They are in the hearts, photographs and memories of everyone,” said Jacopa Stinchelli, who is helping lead the defense of the pines, which in recent years have taken a turn for the worse.
An attack by an invasive pest, which sneaked into Italy about a decade ago, has killed many trees. In the eyes of some Romans, however, it’s not just the bugs that are to blame but also a city government that has struggled to deliver basic services.
Critics say that the pines have been subjected to indiscriminate removal, with trees that could still have been saved. They claim that during the past two years at least 4,000 potentially curable trees have been chopped down. While it’s hard to lay responsibility on Rome’s municipal government for the invasion of pests, critics say the city could be doing more to preserve the pines.
The primary method to counter the pest in urban areas involves injecting a special insecticide into the tree to kill the female population. But the current costly and high-maintenance approach “can’t be a permanent solution,” said Pio Federico Roversi, the director of a national research center for plant protection. “We’d better introduce natural predators—animals that kill and eat the pests, which doesn’t pose a risk for the Italian environment,” Mr. Roversi said.
Sabrina Alfonsi, the member of Rome’s City Council, said in an interview that the city had set aside 100 million euros, or $110 million, to care for the city’s green spaces. All infected pines had been treated, she added, the city has begun monitoring all its 350,000 trees of various species.
No solution is likely to eliminate the pest problem entirely, Mr. Roversi said, but it could become manageable “so that the plants no longer suffer.”
1. What can we learn about the umbrella pines in recent years?| A．The distribution is hugely uneven. |
| B．They have faded out of Roman mind. |
| C．The number has dropped dramatically. |
| D．They are used to celebrate special occasions. |
| A．Remove the bugs as soon as possible. |
| B．Make efforts to defend curable pines. |
| C．Chop down the trees destroyed by pests. |
| D．Take responsibility for the invasion of pests. |
| A．By using natural enemies. |
| B．By spraying chemical pesticides. |
| C．By replanting pines resistant to pests. |
| D．By establishing a nature reserve for pines. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Skeptical. | C．Discontented. | D．Approving. |
5 . Andrew McCarthy-stars roles in era-defining movies such as Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire and Less Than Zero. But he is also an award-winning travel writer whose books include The Longest Way Home (2012) and Walking With Sam (2021). In the new book, he looks back on an epic adventure, where he walked 500 miles across Spain’s Camino de Santiago with his 19-year-old son, Sam.
McCarthy had hoped the trip would be a way to re-examine their evolving relationship, as Sam was just stepping into his own manhood. “I wanted to get to know my son. Not just in the parent-child, dominant-submissive or unruly roles, but as adults, as equals, as peers (同龄人),” he said. “The Camino gave me the greatest luxury you have with adult children—which is time.” For McCarthy it was a chance to spend time with Sam, and perhaps avoid repeating the history he had with his own father. “My relationship with my dad ended pretty much when I left home at 17 years old, and I didn’t want that happen with my kids,” MeCarthy said.
The book’s structure follows the path of the Camino, with a chapter per day over the course.
It creates a pleasant rhythm of the trail. It also establishes a gradual sense of community and friendship among the other walkers they encounter, and paints a clear picture of McCarthy as somebody extremely in touch with his feelings.
Sometimes physical togetherness and shared experiences are the most you can ask for in a relationship, and there are lovely examples of both here. In one scene McCarthy realizes Sam is suffering from a sugar crash, and offers him a protein bar he’s been saving for just such a moment. “I reach out and rub his shoulder,” McCarthy writes.“He nods softly, gratefully. We sit together as thousands upon thousands of dandelion puffs (蒲公英) float in the air like dancing diamonds.” Walking with Sam captures this encouraging and hopeful expedition as the pair walk across the country and towards one another.
1. What do we know about Walking With Sam according to paragraph 1?| A．A fantasy novel. | B．A travel memoir. |
| C．A prize-winning diary entry. | D．An era-defining movie. |
| A．To honor his father. | B．To help his son fly the nest. |
| C．To bond with his son. | D．To seek for writing inspiration. |
| A．Comparison and contrast | B．Cause and effect |
| C．Facts and opinions | D．Sequence of events |
| A．Plain but functional. | B．Inspiring and touching. |
| C．Brief but informative. | D．Humorous and straightforward. |
6 . When does spring begin? For some, it’s the second Sunday in March, when we turn our clocks forward by an hour in the United States. For others, it’s when they first realize they’ve finished dinner and it’s still light out. This year, impatient as ever for winter to end, I decided to skip my usual routine of calendar watching and see if I couldn’t do something to speed up spring’s arrival.
It’s only a three-hour flight from La Guardia (rainy, cold), New York to West Palm Beach (sunny,81 degrees, slight breeze), Florida and from there an hour’s drive to Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, the spring training home of the New York Mets, where the traffic of more than 7,000 fans descended. Here in Port St. Lucie on a Tuesday afternoon, weeks before the season’s official start, cheery fans were dressed in lightweight clothing, drinking Modelo Especial and snacking on peanuts, heckling(起哄)the players. Here, spring was already happening.
Being outdoors in the sunshine and fresh air, things do feel slower and easier. I love that baseball has long been considered America’s national pastime. A pastime is something that makes the passing of time pleasant. Isn’t that what we’re dying for in the winter months? Something that makes time not just tolerable but enjoyable?
By the time I left Florida, it was pouring rain and even a little chilly. How was I supposed to take springtime home with me, I wondered fiercely. It was still raining in New York when I landed. Spring isn’t just weather, of course, and it certainly makes no promises about rain. I'm trying to resist cliché (陈词滥调), to keep from saying something similar to “spring is a state of mind,” even though I wish it were.
I went looking for spring and I found it where spring breakers find it every year, already in full swing in the Sunshine State. My own official removal of woolen coats will occur on Tuesday, when spring finally arrives. But having experienced 24 hours of spring’s full pageant (盛会), my own little preseason, I feel slightly pacified. Perhaps I can be patient as spring establishes itself, and offer the season a little grace as it clicks into place.
1. What is presented in Paragraph 1?| A．Spring falls on a fixed date. |
| B．Spring came late this year. |
| C．The author was longing for spring restlessly. |
| D．The author was celebrating the end of winter. |
| A．A fast-paced world. | B．Full of a joyful atmosphere. |
| C．The birthplace of baseball. | D．Home to delicious food. |
| A．Puzzled. | B．Disappointed. | C．Curious. | D．Calm. |
| A．In Search of Spring | B．In Praise of Spring |
| C．A Trip to Florida | D．A Farewell to New York |
7 . DREAMING OF A NEW OFFICE?
Are you undisturbed by the chill of the Antarctic winds? Can you adapt to near-constant daylight, subzero temperatures and no flushing toilet (抽水马桶) or running water? Ready to take on the challenges of living and working in one of the most remote corners of the Earth? The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust invites passionate individuals to join our team at Base A on Goudier Island, Antarctica.
As a member of our elite team, you’ll manage a museum, post office, and gift shop as well as conducting penguin counts. You will live and work at Base A at Port Lockroy on Goudier Island, which is about the size of a football pitch. Imagine waking to breathtaking landscapes, surrounded by curious penguins and the vast expanse of untouched wilderness. This is not just a job — it’s an expedition, a chance to make history while living among the impressive beauty of Antarctica.
Applicants must possess resilience, physical fitness, and environmental awareness. Training will begin in August, ahead of the working period from late October or November until March, 2025. Interview s and selection events will be conducted to ensure the best fit for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Join us in our mission to preserve Antarctica’s rich heritage and contribute to global conservation efforts. Apply by 25 April at jobs @ ukaht. Org and become part of an adventure that will leave you forever changed.
1. What’s the challenge of the advertised positions?| A．Extreme heat. | B．Total darkness. |
| C．Tough working conditions. | D．Drinking water shortage. |
| A．Counting penguins. | B．Maintaining a football field. |
| C．Opening a gift shop. | D．Appreciating the scenery. |
| A．5 months or so. | B．Less than 3 months. |
| C．About 13 weeks. | D．Around 7 months. |
8 . Fungi (真菌) play an important role in ecosystems, are a source of food, and make key contributions to the world of medicine.
An estimated two million fungal species — more than 90% of all fungi — have yet to be described by science, according to a science reporter.
So, next time you add mushrooms to your dinner, take a painkiller for a headache, or go for a walk through the woods, remember to thank the living things that made it all possible — fungi.
| A．Are mushrooms a type of fungus? |
| B．So, why do we know so little about them? |
| C．Wetlands are important because they provide food and shelter for wildlife. |
| D．The fact that we know so little about fungi leads us to misunderstand them. |
| E．“Fungi are really the behind-the-scenes team doing all the work,” adds Dr Ainsworth. |
| F．But there is a whole host of fungi that we cannot grow in the lab. |
| G．In the UK, there are around 25,000 species of fungi — five or six times more than plants. |
9 . 4 Reasons Why Wild Animals Are So Important
As we know, the earth gives us food, medicines and materials, often through wild animals. These wild animals are important to our existence. Sadly, they are becoming extinct at an alarming rate. We need to change this loss of nature and create a future where wildlife and people thrive (蓬勃发展) again.
Wild animals keep balance in ecosystems.
Diversity (多样性) means healthier ecosystems and healthier wild animals.
When there is a wildlife issue, you’ll often hear the term biodiversity, which refers to the number of species in an ecosystem.
All of the food that we eat comes from an animal or plant. Living without various food sources causes our nutrition (营养) to suffer. Protecting wildlife and its natural habitats strengthens food safety for humans around the world.
Wildlife helps medical research.
Wild animals have helped us find important medicines that help with many diseases.
| A．All living things are interconnected. |
| B．Healthy ecosystems mean a lot of diversity. |
| C．Or we will lose these animals to future generations. |
| D．People worldwide depend on wildlife for their snack. |
| E．Wildlife provides important nutrients for the human race. |
| F．The human race has always turned to nature for medicine. |
| G．We should notice the influence caused by wildlife on culture. |
10 . Researchers have developed a new soft robot design that conducts itself with three behaviours at the same time: rolling (翻滚) forward. turning like a record and following a path that goes around a central point. The equipment, which operates without human or computer control, holds promise for developing soft robots that can be used to AA-head and map unknown environments.
The new soft robots are called twisted ring-bots (扭曲环机器人) . They are made of something like the ribbon (缎带) and then joined together at the end to form a ring.
When the robots are placed on a surface that is at least 55 degrees Celsius, which is hotter than the surrounding air, one part of the ribbon touching the surface becomes smaller, while one part in the air does not. This induces a rolling movement: the warmer the surface, the faster the robot rolls. “The ribbon rolls on its horizontal axis (横轴) , giving the ring forward strength,” says Jie Yin, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.
The twisted ring-bot also turns along its central axis. And as the twisted ring-bot moves forward it travels in a path around a central point, basically moving in a large circle. However, if the twisted ring-bot meets a boundary- like the wall of a box-it will travel along the boundary.
The twisted ring-bots are examples of equipment whose behaviour is governed by physical intelligence, meaning their actions are determined by their structural design and the materials they are made of, rather than being directed by a computer or human.
“Soft robotics is still a relatively new field.” Yin says. “Finding new ways to control the movement of soft robots in a repeatable and engineered way moves the field forward. And advancing our understanding of what is possible is exciting.”
1. What makes the robot roll faster and faster?| A．The ribbon. | B．The central axis. |
| C．The shape and material. | D．The higher surface temperature. |
| A．By explaining the robot’s working ways. | B．By quoting experts’ opinions. |
| C．By making some comparisons. | D．By offering reasons and results. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Favourable. | C．Negative. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．The New Soft Robots | B．Ribbons and Their Rolling |
| C．Three Creative Movements | D．Twisted Rings and the Axis |
