1 . Have you ever wondered what happens to your mobile phones and laptops after you throw them out to make way for a newer model? According to its latest Global E-Waste Monitor, India is the third top producer of e-waste in the world. E-waste in Indian landfill goes on to pollute soil and groundwater, affecting food supply systems and water sources.
Thankfully, the country has a new group of artists who are changing these thrown mechanical items-from mobile phones to old televisions- into large murals (壁画) and artworks to creatively show their concern for the waste problem.
Over the past quarter of a century, Mumbai’s Haribaabu Naatesan has transformed hundreds of tonnes of e-waste into art, integrating elements from nature and industry. “I get my waste material from friends, relatives and neighbours who know my interest in e-art and send me bags of thrown electronic appliances,” says Naatesan. Over his career, he has created huge murals for several companies. He has also showed his work at the India Art Fair, as well as several other national displays.
Another artist Vishwanath Davangere has also long worked with e-waste. He likes to take apart old laptops and reassemble (重新组装) them into birds, animals and plants. After retirement, he started pursuing this hobby more seriously and started selling his creations across the world. His most outstanding works include a robotic Egyptian statue with glowing red eyes and a Milky Way made from keyboard keys. He hopes to enable others to reconsider their own consumption habits and make more environmentally conscious choices.
“By giving e-waste a second chance, I aim to raise awareness about the environmental impact of electronic waste.” says Davangare, who today has a collection of more than 600 eco-art objects.
1. Why do the artists create artworks from E-waste?| A．To promote their artistic career. | B．To update electronic appliances. |
| C．To make profits for several companies. | D．To express their environmental concern. |
| A．His creations are displayed globally. | B．He gains support from people around. |
| C．He has been creating e-art for 10 years. | D．His works integrate technology and history. |
| A．Reliable. | B．Confident. | C．Devoted. | D．Generous. |
| A．E-waste Recycling Sweeping the World | B．Environmental Problems Worrying Indians |
| C．An Art Movement Turning Trash into Cash | D．Indian Creatives Transforming E-waste into Art |
2 . Overlooking the Davis—Gant Varsity Soccer Field, a bed of overturned soil waits for further development. In a few years, this area will become a natural habitat and a playground for animals and residents. This peaceful area didn’t appear naturally, but through planning and action taken by Catlin Gabel’s Tiny Forest project launched by teacher Patrick Walsh.
Forests typically take hundreds of years to mature, with four stages of growth. “Tiny forests flatten out time through the planting of all four layers (层),” Walsh explained. The end result is a fast-growing, native forest in about 20 years. Over 600 plants from 43 species will be planted in the tiny forest, the first one in Oregon.
Walsh was inspired to build a tiny forest after hearing about this idea, which emerged in Japan and has taken hold in North America. He shared his vision with seniors in his class. The seniors researched tiny forests and made a proposal resulting in Clean Water Services donating 60 trees and $5,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Armed with these resources, Walsh and the students started working. “Something I didn’t really expect was the outpouring of students’ enthusiasm. Seeing students from all grades volunteered to contribute to the ‘dirty work’ really blew me away,” Walsh said.
Senior Megan Cover has been at the school since the first grade. “I’ll graduate after working on this project, which is surely sad, but it’s really rewarding and great to be a part of this project and to do my bit. We’re creating this educational space for many young kids,” Cover said.
Walsh summed up his goal of the project, which is to build a place where students can enjoy and learn about nature. “The forest will obviously not solve climate change, but it will deserve the efforts if the kids think about climate change and remember the importance of reforestation and trees when they look outside at the forest.”
1. What is special about tiny forests?| A．They originated in North America. | B．They are usually planted in schools. |
| C．They contain various types of trees. | D．They become mature in a shorter time. |
| A．The abundance of native tree species. | B．Public concern about the environment. |
| C．The active participation of students. | D．Support from local organizations. |
| A．Proud. | B．Regretful. | C．Grateful. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．A model. | B．A reminder. | C．A resource. | D．A witness. |
3 . Some of the world’s most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day to raise awareness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying (联合) voice across cultures.
Despite the celebrations, though, in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.
It’s Jason Moran’s job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center’s artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture.
“Jazz seems like it’s not really a part of the American appetite,” Moran tells National Public
Radio’s reporter Neal Conan “What I’m hoping to accomplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and write anymore. It’s actually colorful, and it’s actually digital.”
Moran says one of the problems with jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost. “The music can’t be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same,” says Moran.
Last year, Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Waller’s music for a dance party, “Just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance music as much as it is concert music,” says Moran. “For me, it’s the recontextualization. In music, where does the emotion (情感) lie? Are we, as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our emotions and our thoughts? Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context,” says Moran, “So I want to continue those dialogue. Those are the things I want to foster.”
1. What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 3 refer to?| A．Jazz becoming more accessible. |
| B．The production of jazz growing faster. |
| C．Jazz being less popular with the young. |
| D．The jazz audience becoming larger. |
| A．It will disappear gradually. |
| B．It remains black and white. |
| C．It should keep up with the times. |
| D．It changes every 50 years. |
| A．Exploring the Future of Jazz |
| B．The Rise and Fall of Jazz |
| C．The Story of a Jazz Musician |
| D．Celebrating the Jazz Day |
4 . The world has changed greatly since Herman Fisher met Irving Price and Helen Schelle in 1930. The trio (三人组) founded Fisher-Price, maker of popular toy series such as Thomas & Friends, Power Wheels, and Little People. Companies like Fisher-Price are exploring how the world of toys and parenting will change with the development of technology. Fisher-Price recently cooperated with Continuum, a global innovation designer. Together, they created a short video called The Future of Parenting, along with a short essay explaining the thoughts behind the video.
One thought of the video explores how parenting will change when the teens of today raised with data-providing devices such as Fitbit and iPad begin raising kids of their own. Is this a generation that will desire data in all of their kids’ toys? The answer may be “yes” and perhaps the product appearing in the video will appeal to them.
If you interpret the video as a clear vision of the future of parenting, you won’t be blamed for fearing holograms (全息图) will take over your house as a mom or dad. The benefit of holograms in the video is their potential for giving traditional toys the ability to personalize responses, depending on the age and development of the child playing with the traditional toy.
Of course, you might ask yourself, “Do data-providing toys have an advantage over traditional toys in terms of their effects?” The answer may be negative. Lego, a traditional brick toy-maker, on all counts remains a successful company. And studies point out its toys’ benefits to children’s creativity. In addition, recent research demonstrates that toys containing data can potentially prevent language development, compared with traditional puzzles and bricks.
On the one hand, parents know that they should limit their kids’ screen time to keep them healthy, and the American Academy of Pediatrics offers guidance on daily screen time. On the other hand, technology can be wonderfully engaging and can provide excellent educational opportunities for children. Nothing is perfect and we should embrace every aspect of a new thing.
1. What are companies like Fisher-Price currently exploring?| A．The impact of technological advances on toys and parenting. |
| B．The way to be an outstanding global innovation designer. |
| C．New ideas of making short videos of creative toys. |
| D．Techniques used to produce popular toy series. |
| A．be fond of devoting themselves to improving technology |
| B．be afraid of the negative impact of electronic toys |
| C．pass their preference for such toys on to their kids |
| D．show great creativity and imagination |
| A．Advantages and disadvantages of modern technology. |
| B．Comparisons of the effects of two kinds of toys. |
| C．Suggestions on how to choose suitable toys. |
| D．Advances in technology used to make toys. |
| A．Love me, love my dog. |
| B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．Everything is a two-edged sword. |
| D．Hope for the best; prepare for the worst. |
5 . A punctual (准时的) person is in the habit of doing a thing at the proper time and is never late in keeping an appointment.
Failure to be punctual in keeping one’s appointments is a sign of disrespect towards others. If a person is invited to dinner and arrives later than the appointed time, he keeps all the other guests waiting for him.
Unpunctuality, moreover, is very harmful when it comes to doing one’s duty, whether public or private. Imagine how it would be if those who are put in charge of important tasks failed to be at their proper place at the appointed time.
| A．However, the man who really has a great deal to do is very careful with his time and seldom complains because he lacks it. |
| B．The unpunctual man, on the other hand, never does what he should do ahead of time. |
| C．The unpunctual man, on the other hand, never does what he has to do at the proper time. |
| D．A man who is known to be habitually unpunctual is never trusted by his friends or fellow men. |
| E．In fact, time is life itself. |
| F．All guests present ought to be respected by the host. |
| G．Usually this will be regarded as a great disrespect to the host and all other guests present. |
6 . Cultural heritage is an essential part of our identity, history and traditions. It includes buildings, monuments, artworks, books, music and other artefacts.
So, what can we do to protect our cultural heritage? The first step is to raise awareness about its importance. People need to understand that cultural heritage is not just a collection of old things.
Another way to protect cultural heritage is through legislation.
Education plays a crucial role in preserving cultural heritage. Schools and universities can teach students about the value of cultural heritage and how to care for it
Technology can be a useful tool in protecting cultural heritage. Digitization allows us to preserve and share cultural artefacts with a wider audience, while also reducing the risk of damage or loss. Virtual reality can also be used to recreate historical sites and buildings, allowing people to experience them in a new and immersive way.
| A．Historic buildings are climate friendly. |
| B．It is also a symbol of our cultural diversity and creativity. |
| C．Protecting cultural heritage requires a collective effort. |
| D．To be kept alive, cultural heritage must be related to its community. |
| E．This non-renewable treasure should be passed down from one generation to another. |
| F．Governments can establish laws and regulations to protect historic sites, buildings and artifacts. |
| G．Museums and other cultural institutions can offer exhibitions and events that show the importance of cultural heritage. |
7 . Stores play music to change the way customers feel. Clothing stores for teenagers play popular music. It is exciting and makes the customers feel happy, but music does more than that. It can change the way a person shops.
According to studies, the volume (音量) of music changes how people shop. Customers shop quickly when store music is very loud. They hurry through the store, but they buy just as much. When music is quiet, customers shop slowly. Customers take time to look at the products and talk with the salespeople. Quiet music is good for products that take time and information to buy.
Slow music makes people slow down. In restaurants with slow music, customers spend more time eating. Slow music also slows down customers in supermarkets. Customers notice more products as they walk through the store. With slow music in supermarkets, sales go up by 38 percent.
Familiar music gives shoppers a good idea of time. People know the beginning, middle, and end of a familiar song. When customers hear music that is not familiar, they don’t notice the time. When they don’t notice the time, they spend more time shopping and buy more. People remember past experiences and feelings when they hear familiar music. Many stores play old, happy music so customers feel good. When customers hear new music, they forget about the world outside of the store. Some stores use new music so their customers relax while they shop.
Stores choose music that fits their products. A bookstore plays classical music and jazz. It gives the store a serious and intelligent feeling.
1. What’s the best title for the passage?| A．Customers’ Music |
| B．Store Music |
| C．Customers and Music Owners |
| D．Music and Shopping |
| A．Quiet music is good for products. |
| B．People shop slowly when they hear quiet music. |
| C．People shop quickly when they hear loud music. |
| D．The degrees of loudness of music influence the way of shopping. |
| A．It changes the way people shop. |
| B．It changes the way people feel. |
| C．It changes the way people use the products. |
| D．It changes the way people think about the products. |
| A．Classical music. | B．Rock music. | C．Country music. | D．Jazz music. |
8 . Earlier this month, TikTok announced that it will be introducing screen time limits for the accounts of users aged under 18. Children under 13 will require a parent or guardian to type in a password to continue scrolling (滚屏) through their feed, and those aged 13-17 will be asked to set their own passwords when the viewing time goes beyond the limit.
Studies suggest that 30 minutes may be the sweet spot for social media use, where users are able to stay connected with friends and family and view entertainment. However, many other studies show that overly-heavy social media use can lead to a lot of problems, such as physical issues and depression.
By suggesting 100 minutes as a hard line where a password is required to be created by the user, TikTok is gradually making the standards clear as to what may be regarded as problematic social media habit in young people. Although these passwords for older teenagers can obviously be bypassed, they are a step in the right direction in encouraging children to use social media responsibly.
Also, parents who own their own TikTok accounts will be able to link with their children’s accounts, gaining additional, such as muting notifications (消息免打扰) and customizing time limits for different days in the week.
Algorithms (算法) that could tell parents if the child has been viewing dangerous material could soon be put into use. However, the difficulty in this is the amount of content available on the internet.
Ultimately, apps such as TikTok and Instagram will need to continue introducing more measures to improve online safety for children.
Lawmakers around the world are paying close attention to the effect social media has on the young, meaning that the development of new tools to improve its use will no doubt take place soon if big tech wishes to avoid additional legal issues.
1. Why did TikTok introduce screen time limits for teenagers?| A．To protect their privacy. |
| B．To develop their self-control. |
| C．To improve family relationship. |
| D．To prevent overuse of social media. |
| A．Favourable. | B．Objective. | C．Concerned. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．Type in a password to stop the use. |
| B．Send a link to the children’s account. |
| C．Set time limits through their own account. |
| D．Use algorithms to remove dangerous content. |
| A．Its effects on the young. | B．Legal pressure on its improvement. |
| C．Its application to lawmaking. | D．Solutions to its technological issues. |
9 . To nap or not to nap? Whether napping will work for you depends on a range of factors, such as lifestyle, sleep cycle length, culture, and, most importantly, the length of your snooze. If you like to nap, you are not alone. Napping is part of the culture in many countries: around 51 percent of people worldwide habitually enjoy 40 winks in the daytime.
When it comes to napping. one size definitely doesn’t fit all. If you are sleep deprived, a nap can be helpful or even essential for making it through the day. However, for those with other sleep issues, a nap may make it harder to fall asleep at night. For most of us, the timing and length of our nap will largely determine how beneficial it is to our sleep routine.
Between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., most people experience an increase in sleepiness, triggered by a slight drop in core body temperature. A nap of 30 minutes or less around this time allows you to benefit from a burst of Stage I and 2 sleep, which is good for mental and physical alertness.
Napping for 30 minutes or less can reduce stress and lower the risk of cardiovascular problems like heart attacks and strokes. One study showed that napping three times a week for 30 minutes led to a 37 percent decreased risk of dying from heart disease.
A brief nap can be beneficial for those with excessive daytime sleepiness, including people suffering from sleep apnea(呼吸暂停) or narcolepsy, shift workers, and people with jet lag. Studies show that short naps can help improve or reset a disrupted circadian rhythm (昼夜节律).
Naps can interfere with insomnia(失眠) treatment, which involves restricting daytime sleep to increase the likelihood of sleeping solidly at night.
Be cautious about naps of more than 30 minutes. Waking from the deep-sleep stages results in sleep inertia, a super-dizzy state where brainwaves are slow and it takes longer to adjust to the awake state.
A recent study has found that napping for more than 60 minutes a day increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 50 percent.
1. Whether a nap is needed is determined mainly by .| A．your living habit | B．your sleep-wake circle |
| C．the society you’re in | D．period of time in sleeping |
| A．A nap benefits all the people. |
| B．Not all the people fit napping. |
| C．A nap works on one with sleep problems. |
| D．A nap works for you if you’re lacking sleep. |
| A．Improper length of napping leads to sleep disorder. |
| B．A 30-minute napping results in longer time to keep awake. |
| C．Napping 60 minutes a day tends to trigger certain disease. |
| D．Napping less than 30 minutes ensures you refreshed after wake. |
| A．Napping: Harmful or Helpful? | B．A Boost for Sleeping |
| C．The Timing of a Nap | D．A New Trend of Napping |
10 . Music is not just a set of sounds and rhythms. Its influence on brain is much deeper than any other human experience. Keep on reading to know all these amazing power of music.
A recent study suggests that preterm (早产的) babies appear to experience less pain and feed more when listening to music. Experts led by Dr. Manoj Kumar of the University of Alberta,Canada,found that music had a beneficial effect on reducing pain for preterm babies experiencing painful medical tests. It also appeared to benefit full-term babies during operations.
Many people experiencing brain damage have speech and movement-related problems. Music can help recover from brain injuries. As a different and effective treatment, doctors often advise such patients to listen to good music to improve the parts of the brain responsible for these two functions. When people with neurological (神经的) disorders hear a musical beat, it helps them to regain a balanced walk.
Though music cannot make deafness disappear, it really can stave off the loss of hearing. There was an experiment involving 163 people where 74 were musicians. Participants were asked to pass some listening tests. Musicians heard the sounds better than non-musicians, and this difference gets clearer with age. This means that a 70-year-old musician hears better than a 50-year-old non-musician, even in a noisy environment.
Besides, music mends a broken heart. It is not about a thrown-away love, but about a heart attack. The matter is that music can help people recover from a heart attack or heart operation by reducing blood pressure, slowing down the heartbeat rate, and reducing anxiety. Listening to the quality music produces positive emotions, improves the movement of blood, and expands blood vessels, thus, promoting quick recovery of the whole cardiovascular (心血管的) system.
1. How does music affect preterm babies?| A．It helps develop their potential in music. |
| B．It helps reduce their pain. |
| C．It helps improve their hearing systems. |
| D．It helps repair their neurological systems. |
| A．Cause. | B．Increase. |
| C．Prevent. | D．Expand. |
| A．It has a positive effect on human body systems’ work. |
| B．It can encourage people to do sports. |
| C．It helps make a person outgoing. |
| D．It helps patients recover more quickly than medicine does. |
| A．People Who Can Benefit From music. |
| B．The Best Time to Listen to Music. |
| C．The Way to choose Quality Music. |
| D．How Music Affects Our Mind and Body. |
