1 . Joshua trees — some of the most unusual and famous plants of the American Southwest — have survived as a species for some 2.5 million years in the Mojave Desert. Now, they may face extinction due to climate change.

In a new study published in the journal Ecosphere, researchers and volunteer scientists surveyed nearly 4,000 trees in southern California’s Joshua Tree National Park to figure out where the oldest trees grew the best during historic periods of extreme heat and drought. Then, the researchers estimated (估算) how many of these Joshua safe areas would survive to the end of the century based on a range of climate change predictions.

The study authors found that if greenhouse gas emissions (排放物) are seriously limited and summer temperatures are limited to an increase of 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit, about 19% of the park’s Joshua tree habitat (栖息地) would survive after the year 2070. If no action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and summer temperatures rise by 9 degrees Fahrenheit or more, however, only 0.02% of the tree’s habitat would survive to the end of the century, leaving the tree close to extinction.

One way to save the Joshua trees from extinction is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, even if the habitats survive, these trees will still be in danger because of wildfires, which have also been happening more often as the climate warms. According to the researchers, fewer than 10% of Joshua trees survive when wildfires rush through their habitats.

“Removing grass is a way park rangers (护林员) are helping to protect the area from fire today,” Sweet, a plant ecologist at the University of California, said. “By protecting the trees, they’re protecting a host of other native insects and animals that depend on them as well.”

1. Why did the researchers survey some Joshua trees?

A．To predict the number of Joshua trees.

B．To know their past and predict their future.

C．To make sure they will be safe from disasters.

D．To set up more nature reserves for Joshua trees.

2. What would the researchers agree with as for Joshua Tree National Park’s Joshua trees?

A．Their future is in humans’ hand.

B．Their numbers are dropping greatly.

C．They may adapt to rising temperatures.

D．They are suffering most from climate change.

3. What does the last but one paragraph focus on?

A．Another way to save Joshua trees.

B．Another threat Joshua trees may face.

C．The importance of Joshua trees’ habitats.

D．The chance of fire happening to Joshua trees.

4. Which best describes the park rangers’ work of removing grass?

A．Skilled.	B．Challenging.
C．Creative.	D．Worthwhile.

2 . For the past 10 years I have been cycling on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Every summer vacation, I spend a month biking across the plateau.

In 2014, I set out on a cycle route with five other people in the far west of the Tibet autonomous region. Our 2,000-kilometer route started in Lhasa in the east, passed through the northern part of the prefecture (辖区) and ended in the west.

Titled the “top of the Roof of the World”, the plateau, which has a small population, has incredible scenery. Travelers can see the snowy mountains, clean blue lakes, lots of animals during the day, and clear, starry skies at night.

The route consists of dirt, even broken stones and paths, which have been formed over time by passing vehicles. Animal attacks are a potential risk in the wild. One night, we had to camp near a forest where there were potential animal attacks, especially from wolves. We found a house in a locked yard, but no one answered our calls from the gate. It was the time of the seasonal migration, so maybe the people had moved to another place for better water and grass. Then we had to camp outside. One of us was very experienced and careful. He placed some hay bales (干草捆) alongside the wall and said that if something dangerous happened, we could use them to jump into the yard and shelter (躲避) in the house.

Luckily, we didn’t meet any wolves or other animals, though we could hear them calling. Animal attacks remain a major cause of injuries on that route. Before the trip, we read online that a traveler had been bitten by wolves. The temporary “step” our companion built made us feel safer.

1. Which one is true according to the first two paragraphs?

A．The author often take part in recycling race.

B．Whenever the spring comes, the author will recycle to Tibit.

C．In 2014’s cycling route, the author set out from Lhasa.

D．In 2014’s cycling route, the author rode eastern form west.

2. What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．Why the plateau is called the “top of the Roof of the World”.

B．Why it’s hard to travel around the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

C．The small population of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

D．The beauty of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

3. What does the underlined word “potential” mean in Paragraph 4?

A．Slight.

B．Terrible.

C．Possible.

D．Additional.

4. Why did one of them put hay bales beside the wall?

A．To make them feel safer.

B．To keep themselves warm.

C．To feed cows for the villagers.

D．To help the villagers make a fire.

3 . Gossip is the sharing of personal information about someone else who is not present. All of us have probably caught ourselves, from time to time, allowing ourselves to enjoy the pleasure of gossiping more than we would like to admit. Someone says the words, “Don’t tell this to anyone.”     1     We all know that we shouldn’t talk behind someone’s back, but gossip is so common.

Gossip has some characteristics (特点). First, gossip is an activity that is done with other people.     2     Second, the information shared is always about someone who is not present in the conversation, or about someone whom we believe to be absent. Third, when we gossip, we not only share facts, but also make some judgments about the person.

Researchers studied volunteers, including women and men, to find out some facts about gossip. They found that most gossip was neutral (不偏袒的).     3     Most of this gossip was about people they knew of. Negative gossip was twice as common as positive gossip. Over three-fourths of the gossip was simply discussing someone else.

    4     Outgoing people gossip more than quiet people. People who are wealthier and well-educated gossip more than people who have less money and education.     5     On average, people spent about 52 minutes a day gossiping. The study showed that gossip is everywhere.

A．We can’t do it alone or only in our head.

B．Women gossip more than men, but only neutrally.

C．So people express their angry feelings by gossiping.

D．What’s more interesting is who gossips and how much.

E．And the information was interesting for the present people.

F．But moments later, we may tell it to someone else with the exact same warning.

G．It means people were simply sharing information about a person who wasn’t present.

4 . Things to do in London this weekend

Sheep & Wool Fayre, Sunday 11 am

Sheep & Wool Fayre is one of Spitalfield’s City Farm’s biggest community events and this year it’s still going ahead virtually (虚拟地) celebrating all woolly things with all its usual shows and competitions.

Order take-away pints（一品脱的啤酒）

Buy a pint and head for some of that daily exercise — or a rest — in the park. Just remember: parks in the capital are still largely closed right now, so check their opening hours ahead of time. And many parks close at 5 pm or 7 pm each evening.

Royal Botanic Gardens, all weekend

The world-famous Royal Botanic Gardens has been allowed by the government to welcome visitors. Of course, it will be going under strict social distancing rules and all visitors, including members, will have to book tickets online ahead of time.

Camden Market, Saturday 10 am

Camden Market — along with the rest of London — has been closed because of COVID-19 for the last two months, but it is opening its stores again. Head along to pick up some top-quality things — only fresh produce will be sold at this time. When you visit, there will be strict social distance rules.

Maltby Street Market, all weekend

Outdoor markets have been officially allowed to be re-opened to the public — but with strict social distance rules in place. Maltby Street Market is making a comeback today. For now, it’ll be returning as the “Maltby St. Produce Market”, having “a small number of carefully selected fresh produce traders”.

1. Which can only be enjoyed online right now?

A．Sheep & Wool Fayre.	B．Royal Botanic Gardens.
C．Camden Market.	D．Maltby Street Market.

2. What makes Royal Botanic Gardens different from the others?

A．It’s open to all visitors.

B．Local government runs it.

C．It is very well-known in the world.

D．Tickets must be booked beforehand.

3. What can people probably buy at the re-opened markets according to the text?

A．Top-quality clothes.	B．Wool products.
C．Fresh produce.	D．Pints.

5 . A couple, Jake Williams and Charlotte Sinclair, were absolutely done with the long isolation (隔离), following a few years of COVID-19, and then they decided to launch (发起) a community plan. They started Talk the Walk and managed to make people get together, explore London on foot, and get to know each other.

The number one mission was to have fun — even if only a few people showed up for the free events. That’s what they expected when they started on Meetup.com. Suddenly they were getting hundreds of people responding with excitement.

200-300 people of various ages now regularly attend each event, which opens with the playing of icebreaker games. The couple designed the games to be easy for shy people, too, with “fun questions” breaking the nervousness. They picked interesting places to visit. Attendees were even surprised with an offer of chocolate.

“I’ve done some crazy things in my time working from home to stop loneliness, like dog sitting for people and joining gyms just so I can have more conversations with people,” Jake said.

“I think that it’s hugely impactful for people who have been affected by COVID-19, by being forced to work from home and having that isolation,” he continued.

They’ve seen older people talking with younger people, and people becoming friends — so much so that the strangers are now meeting on their own after becoming familiar.

Talk the Walk organised their last event last year, but said they’ll be back once it starts to warm up again.

Nearly 2,000 members in their Meetup community and followers on their Facebook Page are waiting for that day, but at the same time, this young couple might serve as your very own inspiration to connect people in your own communities.

1. What is the couple’s purpose in starting Talk the Walk?

A．To reduce the effect brought by COVID-19.

B．To encourage people to do physical exercise.

C．To find interesting activities in and around London.

D．To end loneliness and bring communities back together.

2. How did Talk the Walk manage to attract more people?

A．By giving attendees amazing presents.

B．By arranging easy games and activities.

C．By making the organised events enjoyable.

D．By choosing famous destinations to explore.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Talk the Walk is really needed.

B．New events will take place in no time.

C．Talk the Walk is popular with young people.

D．The couple moved people in the community.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Be active to get in touch with people

B．Take part in events after the long isolation

C．Couple answers loneliness with organised walks

D．Thousands of people show up for interesting events

6 . If you mention “voice technology”, most people think of Siri, Alexa or Cortana. While personal artificial intelligence (AI) assistants are becoming increasingly popular in our everyday lives, they are just one use of voice tech, and are primarily designed for adults.

Irish tech company SoapBox Labs wants that to change. The company has developed speech recognition technology designed specifically for children, and it’s already in use across a range of applications, from toys to education apps.

Children’s voices differ from that of adults. “Typically, they have a higher pitch (音高), and may use different language or speech patterns, which regular voice technology cannot always pick up on.” explains Patricia Scanlon, the founder of SoapBox. “It’s understandable that an industry that has spent decades working on technology and only focusing on adults runs into a fairly significant problem when they try to apply it to children.”

Rather than making slight changes to the available voice technology already on the market, SoapBox builds its voice engine from scratch-focusing on children aged 2 to 12. The company says it created a data set to train its AI system, made up of thousands of hours of children’s speech collected in real-world noisy environments-kitchens, classrooms and cars-from kids of all ages, accents and dialects (方言)，from a total of 192 countries.

This opens up a whole new market, for which there’s growing demand. More than 8 billion digital voice assistants are expected to be in use, and there is an increased focus on adapting the tech for children.

SoapBox, which is selling a technology rather than a product, has attracted more than 50 clients from around the world. The technology can help a child learn to read or learn a language. It acts as a helpful adult, reacting immediately to the child and giving them one-on-one time, and it can also help to record a child’s progress and provide recommendations to a teacher or parent.

1. What makes SoapBox different from Siri?

A．Its use of voice tech.

B．Its creative use of AI.

C．It is designed for children.

D．It is used on many applications.

2. What can we infer according to Scanlon in paragraph 3?

A．A lot of effort has gone into developing SoapBox.

B．Voice technology has much room for development.

C．There has been great demand for a system like SoapBox.

D．SoapBox understands adults’ voice better than that of children.

3. What did SoapBox use to build its voice engine?

A．Recordings of 192 dialects.

B．Data from a previous system.

C．Speech from people of all ages.

D．Newly-collected speech of children.

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

A．Markets.

B．Suggestions.

C．Experiments.

D．Problems.

7 . Have you ever heard people say that laziness is the mother of poverty? Laziness is a sin (罪), everyone knows that. We have probably all had lectures pointing out that laziness is immoral, that it is wasteful, and that lazy people will never amount to anything in life. But is it often the case?

In fact, laziness is often caused by more complex reasons than simple wish to avoid work. Some people who appear to be lazy are suffering from much more serious problems. They may be so distrustful of their fellow workers that they are unable to join in any group task for fear of ridicule (嘲笑) or having their idea stolen. These people who seem lazy may be paralyzed by a fear of failure that prevents fruitful work. Or other sorts of fantasies may prevent work; some people are so busy planning, sometimes planning great deals or fantastic achievements that they are unable to deal with whatever “lesser” work is on hand. Still other people are not avoiding work; strictly speaking, they are merely procrastinating — rescheduling their day.

Laziness can actually be helpful. Like procrastinators (拖延者), some people may look lazy when they are really thinking, planning, contemplating (沉思), researching. We should all remember that great scientific discoveries occurred by chance. Sitting “lazily” under the tree, Newton wasn’t working in the orchard (果园) when the apple hit him and he devised the theory of gravity. All of us would like to have someone “lazy” build the car, particularly if that “laziness” was caused by the worker’s taking time to check each step of his work and to do his job right. And sometimes, being “lazy” — that is, taking time off for a rest — is good for the overworked students or executives. Taking a rest can be particularly helpful to the “lazy” athlete who is trying too hard or the “lazy” doctor who’s simply working himself overtime too many evenings at the clinic. So be careful when you’re tempted to call someone lazy. That person may be thinking, resting, or planning his or her next work. See for yourself!

1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．The impacts of being lazy on work.

B．The reasons for some people being lazy.

C．The work model of lazy people.

D．The approaches to avoiding laziness.

2. What does the author probably agree with?

A．Laziness is a serious physical disease.

B．Laziness is more beneficial than harmful.

C．Some people appear lazy because they feel insecure.

D．Some people avoid serious work for lack of patience.

3. What is the author’s tone of writing the last paragraph?

A．Humorous.

B．Pessimistic.

C．Doubtful.

D．Indifferent.

4. What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A．To introduce how to avoid being lazy.

B．To compare different attitudes to lazy people.

C．To remind the reader laziness is not always what it appears to be.

D．To encourage the reader to become independent individuals.

8 . Jennifer and James Crumbley were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter (过失杀人罪) due to their failure to prevent their son Ethan from carrying out a deadly school shooting in Michigan, US. They were sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison on April 9, reported The New York Times. The sentence for them marks the first instance in the US where parents have been held legally accountable for their child’s involvement in a mass shooting.

Prosecutors (检察官) argued that the couple ignored clear signs of their son’s mental health issues and emphasized that they purchased the gun he used in the 2021 attack. Ethan, who was only 15 when he killed four students in the shooting, was sentenced to life. “Opportunity knocked over and over again, louder and louder, and it was ignored,” Judge Cheryl Matthews told the court.

Instances of extreme and violent crimes committed by minors consistently stir shock and controversy globally. Such issues urge widespread societal reflection, leading nations to consider revising laws to lower the age of criminal responsibility. While most countries and regions have maintained a standard minimum age of criminal responsibility at 12 or 14 years for an extended period, there are exceptions. For example, Japan lowered the age from 16 to 14 in 2000, according to Xinhua.

In 2010, Denmark lowered its minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 14 years old. However, researchers found that this change did not reduce crime rates among 14-year-olds. Instead, the punitive measures (惩罚措施) had negative effects. These young individuals often fell behind their peers academically, especially on high school graduation exams, and the rate of reoffenders increased. Consequently, Denmark reversed this policy two years later, restoring the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 15 years old, The Paper reported.

Denmark’s experience showed that the law doesn’t always stop people from committing crimes again. Furthermore, preventing young people from committing crimes poses a complex challenge.

In Germany, imprisonment is considered a last resort, with a focus on educational, rehabilitative (善后的) and disciplinary measures, as noted in a 2018 paper published in the Justice Evaluation Journal. According to the paper, youth imprisonment is applied in only 2 percent of all cases. Additionally, some prisons offer vocational programs for young inmates, including woodworking, metalworking, and farming. Meanwhile, most of these teenage offenders are placed in community programs where social workers help educate and guide them toward a normal life.

1. Why were Jennifer and James sentenced ?

A．They were the murders of involuntary manslaughter.

B．They offered a gun to Ethan who carried out a school shooting.

C．They didn’t take the parenting responsibility for their son’s problems in growth.

D．They ignored their son’s mental health problems.

2. Which of the following statements does the author possibly agree to?

A．Parents should be the key power to stop young people from committing crime.

B．Solving the problems of minor’s crime needs joint efforts and diverse measures.

C．Lowering the age of criminal responsibility can effectively prevent minors from crime.

D．Increasing the rate of youth imprisonment can effectively prevent minors from crime.

3. What does the underlined word “resort” in the paragraph mean?

A．action to take	B．a place to visit
C．an end to happen	D．a chance to take

4. What’s the purpose of the author to write the article?

A．to show the severity of youth crime

B．to show the efforts countries have made to stop youth crime

C．to show the measures countries have made to stop youth crime

D．to raise parents’ awareness of regulating and educating responsibility

9 . I moved from America to Italy 14 years ago and I have learned a lot along the way. Here are several money-saving tricks I have picked up from living in Italy — most of which can apply to wherever you live too!

Buy fewer groceries at a time.

Italians tend to buy more fresh food — and buy it in smaller quantities. We have just what we know we’ll consume in a few days, before anything has a chance to spoil and go to waste.     1    .

Eat seasonally.

I love strawberries, cantaloupe and watermelon, but in Italy, I can only get them in the summer, when they’re ripe. Out of season, these fruits would have to be imported.     2     Instead, enjoying them seasonally helps me appreciate them more.

    3     Neither my husband nor I have developed any gardening skills just yet, but fortunately, his mother, uncles and cousins have, and they frequently leave bags of just-picked produce on our doorstep.

Cook more meals at home.

I live in a small town where we have no fast-food restaurants other than a pizzaria that does carry-out. OK! Not only do we save money on expensive restaurant meals, but we get more quality family time by cooking, eating and cleaning up together.     4    

Yes, bigger cities have more options for fast food, delivery and carryout.     5     I’ve also found that Italians are more conscious of what’s in their food, so they tend to be less willing to make fast food more than an occasional meal.

A．Of course, it takes a little more meal planning.

B．We also end up having healthier meals.

C．Another way Italians save is by growing their own produce.

D．It takes a long time to transport goods from foreign countries.

E．McDonald’s plans to open 200 new restaurants and hire 12000 staff in Italy by 2025.

F．They’d be a lot more expensive, of lesser quality and quite possibly grow n in an industrial greenhouse.

G．But even where the community is less closely connected, cooking and sharing meals with family and friends is still a big part of the social structure in Italy.

10 . 41-year-old Tracey Matayian is one of those Maasai women who fought hard to become the first-ever Maasai female referee. In an interview, Matayian said during her formative years, she couldn’t hide her passion for football and would join local boys every time she saw them play, which resulted in her being called names by other girls and occasionally getting scolded by her parents for keeping too much male company.

Matayian later joined a teachers’ training college. After graduating from college, she worked with Compassion International and would often encourage children of both genders to play football.

“It was then that I got an opportunity to referee a game between Rongai Football Club and Compassion International. There was no other referee at the time and since I was readily available, I went ahead to referee the match,” she recalled. Matayian added that after the game, she was eager to do more than just play and train the young children as she was also cultivating a lively interest in refereeing.

She would later help form football teams for both boys and girls from the local clubs. “The game occupies them as they get to spend time in the field, especially during the period they were home due to COVID-19. Football is a game of rules, and thus it ends up drilling discipline and character into young boys and girls,” said Matayian. She added that many of the youths were previously living an aimless life on account of laziness, but through football she has managed to occupy them.

Nevertheless, her efforts to follow her passion have not gone without challenges. Her dress code was criticized all the time. “This became a big issue for some people. They always complained that I was not respecting our culture by wearing shorts. But I have no option, since that’s the official dress code for the game. I often explained this to my beloved people, but it took a long time for it to be accepted by my community,” notes Matayian.

1. How did things go when Matayian first played football?

A．She was popular with local boys.	B．She was abused by other girls.
C．She was turned down by the referee.	D．She was driven out of her college.

2. How did Matayian feel after refereeing her first game?

A．Motivated.

B．Tense.

C．Exhausted.

D．Relieved.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．How football is transforming the local children.

B．How COVID-19 is impacting the community.

C．How children overcome their laziness naturally.

D．How crucial discipline and character are.

4. What situation might Matayian have been in?

A．She was trying to change some football rules.	B．She was getting soft with local people.
C．She was working hard to gain acceptance.	D．She was promoting local culture.