1 . The production of the cement (水泥) used in concrete is a major contributor to worldwide CO2 emissions. Since we use it a lot in building things, this is a serious problem. But there’s good news: Scientists have made a new kind of concrete that can trap CO2 instead of letting it out. It is a greener way to build things.
The concrete is made by D Company, cooperating with other companies, and is named G-concrete. Here’s how it’s made: A special cement mixture is placed in a curing chamber (养护室) and CO2 is then pumped into the chamber to be absorbed. The absorbed CO2 is then stuck inside the concrete, and will not be released. Crucially, it’s also just as strong as regular concrete.
“Generally, concrete hardens through a chemical reaction between cement and water,” the company explains. “But in G-concrete, over half the cement is replaced with a material we call γ-C2S. Instead of reacting with water, γ-C2S reacts with the CO2 in the air to harden. After mixing the materials needed to create G-concrete, the concrete can be placed in a location with high CO2 levels so it can absorb the CO2 and harden, trapping the gas inside. For example, a thermal power plant (发电厂) or other facilities that produce carbon-heavy waste gases can redirect the gases into a special chamber, where concrete products made with G-concrete can be placed to absorb the CO2 in the gases.”
Obviously, greener concrete is a good thing in itself. And under the right conditions, this could be used to create net-zero buildings, but if it’s not affordable and practical to produce, it’s not going to be widely adopted.
On that note, signs are actually quite hopeful. A representative of the company told us that the cost of producing G-concrete is about three times higher than standard concrete currently used. Work is being undertaken on further reducing this cost and the company believes it will become a lot more affordable in the near future.
1. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Cement production. | B．Building construction. | C．CO2 emission. | D．Concrete use. |
| A．It is environmentally friendly. | B．It is produced in thermal power plant. |
| C．It is harder than regular concrete. | D．It is replaced by a cement mixture. |
| A．Practical function. | B．Production cost. | C．Marketing strategy. | D．Gas emission. |
| A．The Chemical Reaction Behind Concrete Hardening |
| B．G-concrete: A New CO2-absorbing Building Material |
| C．The Environmental Impact Of Traditional Cement Production |
| D．The Economic Possibility Of The Building Material — G-concrete |
2 . There are reasonable dependencies that are healthy for an individual’s development. However, other dependencies bring unhappiness.
Depending on other people’s opinions means letting your behavior, likes and desires be determined by the approval of those that surround you.
Few are able to tell apart their own tastes and style from the current fashion trends. Now, we’re not only talking about clothing or accessories here but about general preferences and even philosophies. That desire to hop on a train and be part of the majority sometimes leads to dependency. Some become truly concerned about not being “in style”.
When the individual begins associating their personal value with the amount of money they have, it becomes a problem. Relying on money sometimes means believing that happiness equals consumption.
| A．It is associated with a deep dependency. |
| B．Having money is vital to everyone’s life. |
| C．These don’t contribute to your well-being. |
| D．Therefore, their own sense of identity is lost. |
| E．Some people take this too seriously to the point of addiction. |
| F．Supposing that your value depends on your wealth is the key to unhappiness. |
| G．You don’t really focus on believing yourself but getting acceptance from others. |
3 . Farmers have long relied on things that work without their involvement — bees to pollinate (授粉) flowers, earthworms (蚯蚓) to turn the soil, swallows to eat pests — to make sure that crops grow the right way. Now a team of British researchers is trying to take this hands-off thinking in a high-tech direction. Last October, scientists at Harper Adams University started a farm called the Hands Free Hectare to make the entire process of farming — from sowing and fertilizing to harvest — fully automatic. The project has just succeeded with five tons of robot-grown barley (大麦).
“We believe the best idea is that in the future, farmers will manage groups of smaller, autonomous machines, ” the researchers explained. “They will go out and work in the fields, allowing the farmer to use their time more effectively instead of having to drive up and down the fields.”
At the moment, agricultural machines — very large and heavy — can cover a lot of space quickly. But there are shortcomings. “Fertilizer gets sprayed over entire farms, regardless of the different needs of different crops. They’re also so heavy that they’re damaging farmers’ soils,” researcher Jonathan Gill said.
Gill and his colleagues went smaller: a tractor, a combine and a harvester, which followed a programmed route, using GPS. Altogether, they spent less than ￡200, 000 on equipment, and used open-source technology and a drone (无人机). Eventually the system will be complex enough to treat different parts of a field, or even individual plants, differently.
The team is quick to caution that they don’t want to put farmers out of work. They said, “Instead of being busy in the fields, the farmer will manage the machines and monitor their crops.” The next stop for the barley will be a brewery. That’s not going to be completely automatic. At least not yet.
1. What feature of bees, earthworms and swallows inspired scientists?| A．Their dependence on nature. | B．Their special way of survival. |
| C．Their selfless love for the earth. | D．Their natural involvement in farming. |
| A．Freeing workers totally. | B．Reducing the cost of harvest. |
| C．Improving the accuracy of farming. | D．Increasing the output of different crops. |
| A．Gill’s project is still at the design stage. | B．Unemployment wouldn’t be a concern. |
| C．The brewery will realize automation soon. | D．Complete automatic farming is unrealistic. |
| A．The future of hands-free farming | B．The functions of agricultural machines |
| C．The development of automatic harvest | D．The shortcomings of traditional farming |
4 . Imagine playing a racing game, using only your brain to control the complex series of turns in a lap. This is not a video game fantasy, but a real program, which engineers at the University of Texas at Austin have created as part of research into brain-computer interfaces (接口) to help improve the lives of people with motor disabilities. More importantly, the researchers combined machine learning capabilities with their brain-computer interface, making it a one-size-fits-all solution.
Typically, these devices require much calibration (校准) for each user-every brain is different, both for healthy and disabled users — and that has been a major barrier to widespread adoption. This new solution can quickly understand the needs of an individual subject and self-calibrate through repetition. That means multiple patients could use the device without needing to adjust it to the individual.
“When we think about this in a clinical setting, this technology will make it so we won’t need a specialized team to do this calibration process, which is long and boring,” said Satyam Kumar, a graduate student in the lab of José del R. Millán, a professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Chandra Family Department of Electrical.“It will be much faster to move from patient to patient.”
People in the study wear a special cap with tiny sensors that link up to a computer. These sensors pick up brain waves. The sensors send brain waves to a device, which can decode brain waves and then change them into game actions.
Millán is working on ways for computers to talk to the brain. This helps people’s brains be more adaptable, meaning they can learn new things and heal after injuries. The goal is to help patients with brain problems and make using these brain-computer devices simpler and more helpful.
“The point of this technology is to help people in their everyday lives,” said Millán. “We’ll continue down this path wherever it takes us in the pursuit of helping people.”
1. Who may benefit from the brain-computer interfaces?| A．People fond of video games. |
| B．People working with computers. |
| C．People with poor computer skills. |
| D．People with limited ability to move. |
| A．Their too many functions. |
| B．Complex operation method. |
| C．Calibration for different users. |
| D．The need of an individual subject. |
| A．Occupy. | B．Translate. | C．Interrupt. | D．Distract. |
| A．It costs too much. | B．It is a piece of cake. | C．It takes nowhere. | D．It’s meaningful. |
5 . A boy who has been climbing the equivalent (等量) of Mount Qomolangma in aid of a children’s hospice (救济院) is about to reach his fundraising goal of £29,031. Six-year-old Oscar, from Lancaster, has climbed 10 of the UK’s highest mountains to help Chorley’s Derian House. He said he needed two more to match Mount Qomolangma’s 29,031 feet height.
Oscar started his challenge on October 9, 2022, and Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales was the first mountain to be chosen. He said that the hardest climb so far had been Cairn Gorm in the Scottish Highlands because the snow was so deep.
Oscar took on the challenge in the hope of raising enough money to send 29 children with life-limiting illnesses on holiday. “I wanted to be the youngest person to climb Mount Qomolangma and I have climbed 10 out of 12 mountains. When I get older, I want to climb the real Mount Qomolangma,” Oscar said.
“It was amazing what a child’s dream can achieve. We’re speechless and couldn’t be prouder. We were grateful to everyone that supported us along Oscar’s journey,” Oscar’s father Matt wrote on the social media.
Oscar and his family hoped to make their final climb on Ben Nevis in Scotland on May 29, 2023. The climb would mark not only the completion of Oscar’s challenge, but also the 70th anniversary of the first successful ascent (攀登) of Mount Qomolangma by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
“For every foot he climbed, our children would get a pound to achieve their dreams. The total £29,031 raised by Oscar would help support the work of the hospice, which provides end-of-life care to more than 400 children across the northwest of England,” said Karen Edwards, a senior official of Derian House.
“The six-year-old was an unbelievable little boy who had truly gone to great heights. How many six-year-olds could say that they have climbed the height of Mount Qomolangma?” Karen added.
1. What has happened to Oscar according to the text?| A．He has achieved his aim of fundraising. |
| B．He has climbed 10 mountains in the UK. |
| C．He has climbed every mountain in the UK. |
| D．He has completed the height of Mount Qomolangma. |
| A．Ingleborough. | B．Ben Nevis. | C．Mount Qomolangma. | D．Cairn Gorm. |
| A．He grew up in a low-income family. |
| B．He raised one pound for every foot he climbed. |
| C．He hesitated to climb the real Mount Qomolangma. |
| D．He challenged Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. |
| A．Surprised. | B．Confused. | C．Disappointed. | D．Relieved. |
6 . Resting on a branch in the dark is a Xingu screech owl with piercing eyes. Created by British artist Sarah Ball, the artwork refers to the scientific name of this species only found in the indigenous Xingu region of Brazil. The striking work is unique not just for its subject matter, but for how it was made: It was created with ash (灰烬) left behind after wildfires in the Amazon rainforest.
It’s part of a project called “From the Ashes”, an exhibition that ran in February in London. “Featuring 29 indigenous and non-indigenous artists, all the works were created using ink, colour and pastels produced from ash and charcoal (木炭),” said Migrate Art, the London-based social enterprise (企业) that created the project, whose goal is to help fix damage from the fires by raising money.
In March, the artworks were auctioned (拍卖) in London with estimates for individual pieces ranging from £2,000 to over £50,000, according to Simon Butler, founder of MigrateArt. “We keep 20% of what we make. The rest of it goes to the indigenous Xingu community, primarily for firefighting equipment,” he said.
Butler visited the Amazon rainforest two years ago. Witnessing the areas of the forest that had been burnt down, which he described as a “red desert that looked like the end of the world”, motivated him to create change through art. He collected the burnt remains of the rainforest, and shipped it back to London to be made into art materials. The materials were then sent to artists around the world. British artist Piers Secunda used black ink to create a painting titled Smoke In The Jungle. The collection also includes works made by members of the indigenous community.
“The sale of my work to help the Xingu Reserve buy firefighting equipment to extinguish Amazon fires is the best use of my time and resources that I can imagine,” said Secunda. “These art advocacy actions are grains of sand which build a pile. For now, the pile is small, but it is growing and will become substantial.”
1. What is the author’s purpose of describing the artwork in paragraph 1?| A．To detail the artist’s motivation. | B．To discuss climate change effects. |
| C．To highlight its unique creation method. | D．To provide insights into a new bird. |
| A．They will be stored by Simon Bulter. |
| B．Migrate Art will cooperate with more artists. |
| C．Artists will make more contribution to the poor. |
| D．Indigenous Xingu community will afford firefighting equipment. |
| A．By visiting Amazon rainforest. | B．By watching relevant information. |
| C．By talking with rainforest protectors. | D．By appealing to artists to create related works. |
| A．Promising. | B．Uncaring. | C．Demanding. | D．Controversial. |
7 . A team in Europe are working with wood, but not in the usual ways. They are not carpenters (木匠). Instead, they are scientists exploring how wood can lead to a greener electronic device, a transistor (晶体管) made from balsa wood, whose production releases less climate-warming gas into the air.
Transistors play an important role in computers and other devices. They act like tiny switches to control the flow of electricity. Engineers use them to process and store data. Today’s laptops may host billions of them. So they must be tiny — only a little wider than a strand of DNA.
The new transistor being built by physicist Isak Engquist and his team at Sweden’s Linkoping University isn’t as small as those. Big enough to see and hold, it can stand only an electric pressure that pushes electrons along. And it controls a current using charged particles (粒子) called ions.
This new technology shows a “proof of concept” that the idea can work, even if the new device is not yet ready to put into today’s electronics. “While it seems large by today’s standards, such a transistor still might prove useful for electronics that require low electric pressures,” says Engquist.
“The new transistor suggests that future electronic devices might be made in living plants,” Daniel Simon, a physicist in the team, says. “Imagine peeling away some bark from a living tree,” he says, “and stamping electronic circuits into the living wood.”
In fact, Engquist says, “There are so many ways we can use wood and the components of wood that we would never have thought of.” For instance, he can now imagine a wood-based sensor that could monitor crop health, measure pollution or survey a forest for fire risk.
1. Which can best describe the transistor?| A．Costly. | B．Widely used. |
| C．Time-saving. | D．More environmentally friendly. |
| A．It is much bigger. | B．It can’t stand electric pressure. |
| C．It can’t be seen. | D．It is made from metal. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Doubtful. | C．Positive. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Wood’s surprising roles in modern electronic design |
| B．Wood-made transistors: a step toward greener electronics |
| C．Scientists are researching the history of transistors |
| D．Scientists are working as carpenters to invent transistors |
8 . Young people are spending more time in digital spaces. The Internet allows us to connect with people, share ideas, be creative, have fun and discover new things. Unfortunately, young people also face risks online. Common problems include cyberbullying (网络欺凌), receiving unwanted messages, seeing images and content you don’t want to see, or having your private information or photos shared without your permission.
Safer Internet Day (SID) is organized in the second week of February every year, and over 180 countries take part. The aim is to raise awareness of online issues and make the Internet a safer place. SID invites everyone to be part of a big conversation about online issues. This is particularly important for teenagers because they often experience unpleasant situations online, but they don’t always feel they can talk about them.
Cyberbullying is when someone uses the Internet to embarrass, threaten or hurt another person. If you experience cyberbullying, talk to an adult you trust as soon as possible. Don’t reply to any messages but save the evidence.
Going online often means spending time alone. When you feel down, social media can make you feel lonelier. Using social media might be related to higher levels of depression. So you need healthy social media use.
Whatever app you use, make sure you know who sees your posts and personal information. Limit what people can see, decide who can comment on your content and thwart other users’ comment. It may be illegal to share a photo or video of someone without their permission. The SID’s website has advice about what to do if someone shares pictures of you that you feel embarrassed about.
There is still a lot we don’t know about how time spent online affects people’s well-being. But talking about all the issues helps everyone understand common problems and know how to deal with them.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?| A．The Internet has both good and bad sides. |
| B．The Internet is a safe place to share photos. |
| C．Young people should avoid going online. |
| D．Young people face more risks than adults. |
| A．What we can do on SID. | B．How to take part in SID. |
| C．The time of organizing SID. | D．Some information about SID. |
| A．Use other social media. | B．Turn to adults for help. |
| C．Reply to the messages. | D．Deal with it with classmates. |
| A．Admit. | B．Replace. | C．Prevent. | D．Change. |
9 . Before traveling to Lake Tahoe, make sure your plans are in order. Here are several vacation packages to the area offered online. Easily find the perfect route or simply build your own to experience the wonders of Lake Tahoe.
Get Outdoors in Lake Tahoe PackageGet outdoors and explore! With this fun vacation package, you can stay in the Lake Tahoe area for three nights and have a few adventures along the way. This package also features Lake Tahoe Sport Fishing, allowing guests to get out and fish!
Package includes: 3 nights’ lodging (住宿) in your choice of over 33 hotels.
Lake Tahoe Romantic Getaway PackageLake Tahoe Romantic Getaway Package is perfect for people who want to have a romantic time. It also includes the Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay Sunset Cruise on the Bleu Wave, which allows you the chance to see the beautiful surroundings of Lake Tahoe.
Package includes: 4 nights’ lodging in your choice of over 11 hotels.
Lake Tahoe Family Vacation PackageDue to the amazing sights, there are lots of activities in this package to take part in. If your next trip happens to be in the Lake Tahoe area, then consider booking the Lake Tahoe Family Vacation Package. Everyone is suitable to visit.
Package includes: 3 nights’ lodging in your choice of over 11 hotels.
Lake Tahoe Weekend Getaway PackageLake Tahoe Weekend Getaway Package is great for people of all ages, so this is a great choice for families. It also includes a Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay Cruise, which takes place aboard the Bleu Wave.
Package includes: 2 nights’ lodging in your choice of over 22 hotels.
1. Which package should you choose if you like adventures?| A．Get Outdoors in Lake Tahoe Package. | B．Lake Tahoe Romantic Getaway Package. |
| C．Lake Tahoe Family Vacation Package. | D．Lake Tahoe Weekend Getaway Package. |
| A．Go fishing. | B．Have five full nights at a hotel. |
| C．Go cycling along the Lake Tahoe. | D．Enjoy the sunset. |
| A．The price. | B．The activities. | C．The customers. | D．The accommodation. |
10 . Hit Chinese Variety Shows in 2023
The year 2023 saw a wide variety of TV and Internet shows in China, offering to audience not only amazing entertainment but also new insight.
The Big Band 3Each week, bands competed in different groups, and via votes cast by the audience and six celebrity judges, five bands earned the title of the “Hot 5” by the end of the season.
Become a FarmerThe farming-themed reality show Become a Farmer took Chinese social media by storm in the first half of the year, shining a spotlight on agriculture — a crucial part of Chinese culture. The word “farming”, however, may be unfamiliar to many young urban Chinese citizens. In an effort to connect these individuals with the agricultural industry, the 50-episode variety show tackles the topic by inviting 10 young men from various fields to experience life on the farmland. It offers insights into farming practices and modern agricultural production.
Infinity and Beyond 2023With a shocking viewership, the music cultural program Infinity and Beyond 2023 emerged as a resounding success both on TV and on the Internet in the first half of this year. Featuring a star-studded cast, the show improved cross-strait connection and covered classic and popular songs dating back to the 1970s.
Divas Hit the Road — Silk RoadThis season saw some Chinese actresses and actors embark on a journey to Saudi Arabia, Croatia and Iceland. They explored the beautiful landscapes and diverse cultures of these countries and learned about the collaborative projects related to the Belt and Road Initiative. They have dipped into the local customs and traditions of the places they visited.
1. What is special about Become a Farmer?| A．It has cruel competition rules. | B．It focuses on agricultural industry. |
| C．It invited ordinary people as the judges. | D．It captured widespread attention online. |
| A．The Big Band 3. | B．Become a Farmer. |
| C．Infinity and Beyond 2023. | D．Divas Hit the Road — Silk Road. |
| A．Become a Farmer got the highest mark. |
| B．The Big Band 3 performed pop music mostly. |
| C．Infinity and Beyond 2023 made a contribution to cross-strait connection. |
| D．Divas Hit the Road — Silk Road offered collaborative projects related to WHO. |
