1 . Called ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), the idea is to use surface water warmed by the sun to heat a fluid such as ammonia or water, which then runs a heat engine to produce energy, just like a power plant driven by steam. Cold water from deeper layers of the ocean would then be piped up to cool the fluid and repeat the cycle. Theoretically, oceans could provide vast amounts of electricity like this. Researchers have estimated that there is enough ocean heat to supply 7,000 gigawatt s a year without affecting ocean circulation, enough to supply the world’s electricity demand— if we can access it.
The idea was first put forward in 1881, but went largely unexplored until the 1970s oil. crisis drove a search for new sources of energy. In the years since, demonstration projects have been built, but progress has been “disappointing”, says AI Binger at SIDS DOCK, an organisation that promotes clean energy development in small island countries. In recent years, a fresh urgency to transition away from fossil fuels has brought a suggestion of an OTEC return. “It’s the most promising it’s been in many decades,” says Andrea Copping at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington state.
Tropical (热带的) islands are good candidates for OTEC because of their high energy costs— diesel (柴油) generators are common there—and the presence of deep cold water not far from shore, says James Van Zwieten at Florida Atlantic University. Islands also have less space for other types of renewables. A barrier for past projects was the cost of fixing kilometres of large pipes to reach deep water. Global OTEC aims to avoid that by extending a shorter pipe from a platform floating in deep water 10 kilometres offshore, then transmitting electricity back via a cable (电缆), and making use of advances made in offshore wind technology.
“OTEC will be part of providing a reasonable energy transition so these places aren’t depending on diesel imports from the richest petrol states in the world,” says Dan Grech, Global OTEC’s CEO.
1. What can we learn about OTEC technology from paragraph 1?| A．It mainly uses offshore wind to generate electricity. |
| B．It has been widely applied to the oceans all over the world. |
| C．It can clean the water in the deeper layers of the ocean. |
| D．It depends strongly on the temperature difference in the ocean. |
| A．The advantages of OTEC. | B．The development of OTEC. |
| C．Successful projects of OTEC. | D．Different opinions on OTEC. |
| A．Lacking technology for generating electricity. |
| B．Being far away from the shore. |
| C．Enormous investment in the pipe equipment. |
| D．Great demand for the space. |
| A．Opposed. | B．Supportive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Uncaring. |
2 . Four Useful Ways to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
•Don’t compare your life to everyone else’s highlight reel (高光时刻). Are you ready for my most shocking observation yet?
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•Have boundaries around how much time you spend on social media. Don’t follow any accounts that tend to make you feel bad about yourself. Set a timer and allow yourself to scroll (滚屏) for 30 minutes.
•Learn to compete with yourself instead of others. Instead of focusing on where you are compared to others, focus on your own goals. Where are you compared to where you were at this time last year? In the past year, you’ve learned, stretched, improved, accomplished and created.
| A．Make them personal |
| B．Focus on your strengths |
| C．Love your imperfections |
| D．Social media doesn’t always reflect reality |
| E．When time is up, step away from social media |
| F．It has been suggested to restrict it to only one hour a day |
| G．Think about how much of that you’ve done in your lifetime |
3 . Vishwanath Mallabadi Davangere has a unique talent for turning abandoned items into amazing works of art. From metal and plastic to old devices and circuit boards, Vishwanath selects only the finest “good stuff” with potential for transformation.
Vishwanath’s father was a well-known sculptor and painter, but he had hopes of his son becoming a doctor. But Vishwanath had other ideas. He was fascinated with upcycling second-hand objects from a young age, and decided to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Applied Art. Even as a high-level administrator at Wipro, working in Talent Transformation, Vishwanath wouldn’t shake his passion for eco-art. In his free time and on the weekends, he devoted himself to experimenting with e-waste and creating one-of-a-kind masterpieces before retiring two years ago.
With India facing a growing e-waste crisis, producing 10.1 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 with only 22.7% recycled, Vishwanath’s passion for recycling is more important than ever. As he learned more about the harm e-waste was causing to the environment, he took his art to the next level creating paintings and sculptures that spread awareness about this urgent issue.
From computer keyboard keys to data cards and even wristwatch parts, Vishwanath has transformed over 500 pieces of e-waste into amazing pieces of art! He has created a six-foot-tall sculpture, eco-jewellery and even wearable art for a fashion show. One of his masterpieces—an awesome landscape—was inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night.
In just a few short minutes, he can turn pieces of e-waste into great pieces of jewellery. When it comes to sculptures, the process might take weeks or even months. But it’s all worth it because sustainable initiatives and upcycled art are fashionable these days. Companies everywhere are looking to adopt a more sustainable culture, and Vishwanath’s art is the perfect addition to any eco-friendly office or home.
1. What was Vishwanath’s occupation before retirement?| A．A doctor. | B．A famous sculptor. |
| C．A conservation scientist. | D．A senior manager of a firm. |
| A．The features of Vishwanath’s works. | B．The seriousness of e-waste in India. |
| C．The motivation for Vishwanath’s creations. | D．The achievements of Vishwanath. |
| A．The Starry Night. | B．The eco-jewellery. |
| C．An impressive landscape. | D．A six-foot-tall sculpture. |
| A．It’s promising. | B．It’s unpredictable. |
| C．It will lose its appeal. | D．It won’t be accepted by companies. |
4 . Australia Post is celebrating the 10th anniversary of BirdLife Australia’s Aussie Bird Count with three of our most commonly seen birds set to be flying across the globe on a commemorative stamp issue launch today.
Rainbow Lorikeet: Known for its kaleidoscopic colors, the Rainbow Lorikeet has been the number one most seen bird every year of the Aussi e Bird Count. These social and energetic birds are often spotted in urban areas, parks, and gardens, feeding on flowering native plants and spreading joy with their playful calls, though in cities to which they have been introduced such as Perth and Hobart their presence is not so welcome as they out-compete local parrot species.
Noisy Miner: As the name suggests, the Noisy Miners are highly vocal birds with a complex range of calls. They are skilled communicators, using a variety of sounds to defend their home and communicate with their group. These fascinating honeyeaters are essential pollinators, but the number of these bold birds has increased so much that they have started to drive away many of our smaller bush birds.
Australian Magpie: The iconic Australian Magpie, with its distinctive black and white feathers, holds a special place in the hearts of many Australians. Known for their beautiful, melodious song, magpies are highly intelligent and form strong social bonds. They are also famous for their swooping (俯冲) behaviour during the nesting season, as their protective instincts kick in to safeguard their weak chicks in the nest.
The stamp issue includes various products, such as the Aussie Bird Count First Day Cover (Gummed Stamps), the Aussi e Bird Count First Day Cover (Minisheet), and a set of three Maxicards, which can be used as postcards and posted worldwide. Starting today, the stamps are available for purchase through Australia Post’s official website: https://auspost.com.au//stamps.
1. What can we learn about the Aussie Bird Count?| A．It takes charge of BirdLife Australia. | B．It has existed for about ten years. |
| C．It has branches across the world. | D．It mainly focuses on three species. |
| A．Rainbow Lorikeet. | B．Noisy Miner. |
| C．Bush Magpie. | D．Australian Magpie. |
| A．To call on people to protect local birds. |
| B．To persuade people to count the number of local birds. |
| C．To encourage people to buy stamps about local birds. |
| D．To inform people of the situation of the endangered birds. |
5 . UK safety advisers have dismissed concerns that highly processed food, also known as ultra-processed food (UPF), is automatically unhealthy because of the way it is made or its artificial ingredients. The current way that the UK and most other countries assess the nutrition al value of foods—which is generally by how much fat, salt, sugar and calories they contain—remains the best approach to achieving a health y diet, said a team of scientists. They also warned that people who cut out all ultra-processed foods could make their diets more unhealthy, for instance, if they avoid foods such as yogurts, low-fat spreads, wholemeal bread and food made of grains.
Concerns about processed foods have been growing, but it is unclear if there is something uniquely bad about them or if they just tend to be higher in things like fat and sugar. The issue has come into focus this year since Chris van Tulleken, a doctor and TV presenter, published a book called Ultra-Processed People: Why do we all eat stuff that isn’ t food... and why can’t we stop? Chris van Tulleken has called for more countries to adopt dietary guidelines pioneered in Brazil, where people are advised to prioritise eating whole foods and homemade meals, and avoid eating factory-made foods.
On 27 September, researchers from nutrition organisations rejected the proposed system. “We absolutely need foods to be processed so that we can feed the world,” said May at the University of Leeds, UK, who is a member of the British Nutrition Foundation. May also said UPF includes products that are both healthy and unhealthy. “It’s important we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water here. There are many components that have a very important role to play in nutrition and in safety,” he said.
Benefits of food processing include the use of preservatives that make food last longest and artificial sweeteners that help people reduce their sugar intake, said May. Other examples of processed foods that can be beneficial include baby food, infant formula milk and breads with added vitamins and minerals, said the panel.
1. What can be known from paragraph 1?| A．Low-fat spreads are ultra-processed food. |
| B．Wholemeal bread is unhealthy to us. |
| C．Ultra-processed food doesn’t contain sugar. |
| D．The nutritional value of food needs to be precisely recorded. |
| A．They should avoid ultra-processed food. | B．They should not have homemade food. |
| C．They should consume more Brazilian food. | D．They should read more books on healthy food. |
| A．Kids should raise their awareness of food safety. |
| B．Children are the biggest victims of ultra-processed food. |
| C．Ultra-processed food does cause more damage to children. |
| D．Ultra-processed food has both advantages and disadvantages. |
| A．How Ultra-processed Food Benefits People |
| B．Ultra-processed Food Isn’t Always Unhealthy |
| C．A Popular Book Brings Focus on Ultra-processed Food |
| D．What Health Risks Ultra-processed Food Brings to People |
6 . Growing up in England with a British father and a Chinese mother, I’ve enjoyed food from both countries ever since I was able to hold a knife and fork and chopsticks!
Mum has sweet memories of the food from her home town in Sichuan, and often cooks spicy dishes. Thanks to this, Dad has come to love hot pot! But there are still some dishes that Dad dare not try even after many years of marriage to my mother. Even today he still does not take to eating things like chicken feet. But I enjoy that sort of food myself.
Last week, I went to the butcher’s and asked, “Do you have pigs’ ears?” “No,” the butcher said, pulling at his own ears, “just these ordinary ones.” He must have thought I was joking. Dad can cook a super “full English breakfast” of bacon, eggs, beans, sausages and toast with butter. Mum and I just have to find a way to get him into the kitchen! He also does a typical Sunday roast. We all love roast beef and vegetables.
I’ll never forget my first visit to China. Mum encouraged me to try different kinds of food. But just when I thought I could deal with all Chinese food, I came across stinky tofu, a horrible grey thing that looked and smelt like a burnt sports shoe. I gathered all my courage to take a bite and was amazed to find it wasn’t so bad. It reminded me of blue cheese, a similarly strong smelling type of food you either love or hate. Maybe I’ll fall in love with stinky tofu, someday.
People say that one man’s meat is another man’s poison, but I feel at home with food from both my cultures.
1. What can we learn from this passage?| A．I have enjoyed the food from two cultures since a little child. |
| B．Because of my Mum, Dad loves all kinds of Chinese food. |
| C．We all like roast beef and vegetables except Mum. |
| D．I have fallen in love the stinky tofu now. |
| A．Generous. | B．Mean. | C．Humorous. | D．Serious. |
| A．It means what one person likes may not be liked by someone else. |
| B．It means that one person likes it very much. |
| C．It means that one person cannot get satisfaction from it. |
| D．It means that one person’s food causes another man’s death. |
| A．To introduce two different cultures. |
| B．To advise the readers to try some different food. |
| C．To show the different eating habits between China and Britain. |
| D．To tell a story about a child of his eating experience. |
7 . On the evening of June 22, a Kunqu Opera performance titled The Peony Pavilion took to the stage of Beijing’s Northern Kunqu Opera Theater, starring Wei Chunrong in the role of the female protagonist (主角), Du Liniang. Despite having performed the part on stage over 300 times, Wei still arrived at the theater four hours early, being the first actress backstage to get her makeup done and check the equipment. This is a habit she’s maintained ever since first entering the world of Kunqu in 1982.
Kunqu Opera originated in Jiangsu Province some 600 years ago. As one of the oldest traditional Chinese operas, Kunqu is regarded as the “ancestor of Chinese dramas” and the “mother of Chinese operas”.
Kunqu Opera prospered (兴盛) during the Ming Dynasty, but suddenly experienced a downturn in the mid-Qing Dynasty. Its lyrics (歌词), originally flowery, eventually became non-understandable, while its melodies slowed down to what some people called a “funereal level”. Kunqu therefore became unacceptable to all but a small number of fans.
But when UNESCO officially listed Kunqu Opera as intangible cultural heritage in 2001, it returned to the spotlight.
“When our application proved successful, we were all so happy and proud. However, I suddenly realized that it actually meant its decline (衰退) and that it required protection.” Since then, Wei has devoted herself to preserving and passing on her beloved art of Kunqu Opera.
To address the lack of young talent in Kunqu Opera, Wei herself today also teaches younger actors, doing for them what her teachers did for her. Offstage, Wei is their friend; onstage, she aims to bring out the best in them as performers of the art through her masterly knowhow and strict demands.
1. Which of the following can best describe Wei according to paragraph 1?| A．Devoted. | B．Creative. | C．Promising. | D．Curious. |
| A．It is the oldest opera. | B．It is especially popular with the young. |
| C．It once lost its appeal. | D．Its lyrics are long and difficult. |
| A．Promoting herself as a master. |
| B．Passing it down to a younger generation. |
| C．Getting people to learn more about its history. |
| D．Giving as many performances as possible globally. |
| A．Kunqu Opera—Intangible Cultural Heritage |
| B．Kunqu Opera—from Prosperity to Decline |
| C．The Origin and History of the Kunqu Opera |
| D．One Master’s Commitment to the Kunqu Opera |
8 . Nearly 13,000 cultural relics have been unearthed from six pits (坑) of the Sanxingdui Ruins site, including many objects and statues never seen before, and they help present a more complete view of the culture of the ancient Shu Kingdom.
The digging work mainly aimed at the sacrificial (献祭的) area of the ruins and six newly discovered pits. From 2020 to 2022, a total area of 1,834 square meters was explored in the sacrificial area, which covered a total area of nearly 13,000 square meters.
The significant discoveries include thousands of cultural relics made of different materials such as bronze, gold and jade and unearthed in six new pits, ruins of architecture, time of building the pits and the proof of exchanges between the ancient Shu Kingdom and the Central Plains in the Shang dynasty. Among the cultural relics newly unearthed, archaeologists found 3,155 comparatively complete relics.
“All cultural relics have significant meanings for archaeological research. If I have to choose one, I want to select the crowned bronze statue with a snake’s body,” said Ran Honglin, director of the Sanxingdui Cultural Relics and Archeology Research Institute. He noted that the relics prove the diversity of Chinese culture and offer another powerful example of Chinese civilization’s unity in diversity, because the bronze statue’s shape melted cultural factors of different areas in China during ancient times.
Researchers used Carbon-14 dating to confirm that nearly 200 samples unearthed in different pits were made from 1131 BC to 1012 BC, so they concluded that in addition to the fifth and sixth pits appearing later, the rest of the pits should have been built in the late Shang dynasty, dating from 3,000 to 3,200 years ago. The discovery has solved an argument over the age of sacrificial pits found in the past three decades.
“The digging and research work is continuing. There will be more discoveries with further work.” Ran said.
1. What is the significance of the newly unearthed relics?| A．They are the first complete relics to be unearthed. |
| B．They are helpful in protecting the Sanxingdui Ruins site. |
| C．They prove statues appeared first in the ancient Shu Kingdom. |
| D．They help better understand the culture of the ancient Shu Kingdom. |
| A．Its origin. | B．Its form. | C．Its material. | D．Its meaning. |
| A．The time of building them. |
| B．The time of finding them. |
| C．The way of studying them. |
| D．The order of numbering them. |
| A．To explain the meaning of cultural relics. |
| B．To remember an archeologist in Sanxingdui. |
| C．To introduce the new discoveries in Sanxingdui. |
| D．To recommend Sanxingdui as a tourist destination. |
9 . With its wonderful attractions, Harbin, the beautiful ice city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, has become a social media sensation (轰动).
Among these beautiful sights is a group of 11 lovely children from Nanning, Guangxi in South China, who embarked on an educational trip to Harbin, immediately winning the hearts of online communities.
Dressed in bright orange outfits (服装), they are lovingly called “little tangerines”, with the oldest just six and a half years old and the youngest only three years and five months old.
The nickname symbolizes both their cute orange outfits and Guangxi’s well-known fruits — tangerines. Each day, their presence is appearing on various social media platforms.
Wherever they went, they are warmly received by the locals. In Harbin, they tasted the local food and watched a fireworks display.
The lead teacher of their tour confirmed their arrival in Mohe. Upon their arrival, a local travel agency warmly welcomed the tour group together with the city’s tourism bureau.
At the northernmost police outpost of China, they sang the national anthem (国歌) and saluted the border guards, marking an important part of their educational trip. Moreover, the police officers at the station prepared snow sculptures and snowmen for the “little tangerines”.
To express gratitude for the hospitality (好客) received in Heilongjiang, a free batch of tangerines from Guangxi was sent to the province.
Data show that Harbin welcomed more than 3 million visitors, bringing in 5.9 billion yuan during the three-day New Year holiday, which ended on January 1st.
1. The underlined phrase “embarked on ” means______.| A．acted on | B．went on | C．worked on | D．held on |
| A．They are a group of primary school students. |
| B．They got the nickname because of their outfits. |
| C．They were warmly welcomed by people from China. |
| D．They took part in various activities in Heilongjiang. |
| A．They sent another group of free “little tangerines” to the province. |
| B．They transported a large number of tangerines to the province. |
| C．They invited Heilongjiang people to taste tangerines for free. |
| D．They planted a free batch of tangerines trees in Heilongjiang. |
| A．A Warm Welcome to “Little Tangerines” from Guangxi. |
| B．Guangxi “Little Tangerines” on an Educational Trip to Harbin |
| C．A Group of Children from Guangxi Received Education in Harbin |
| D．A Group of Guangxi Children Sent to Harbin for Free |
10 . It sounds like a math problem. How do you make one of the world’s most famous ancient sites bigger? You can’t build more of it.
So with ever more tourists pouring into the site, the team behind the Archaeological（考古的）Park of Pompeii have found a plan B—dividing visitors around ancient sites that are farther, with all-in-one tickets and buses laid on between the sites.
The ancient city of Pompeii will be a scattered archaeological park, including the archaeological areas of Pompeii itself, as well as famous old houses in nearby villages or towns. The sites have already become part of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, but until now, they have been selling their own tickets. They are also far away from each other—the park’s sites cross around 8 miles—with little public transport to some of them.
The inaccessibility（难达到）to the old houses means that visitor numbers are low. While nearly four million people visited Pompeii itself in 2019, only 55,000 made it to see House A, which is thought to have been owned by the emperor Nero and his second wife. Only 52,000 went as far as the two houses at Stabiae, House Arianna and House San Marco. But visitor numbers to Pompeii rose from under 2.7 million in 2014 to over 3.9 million by 2019. In July 2023, a record 21, 141 people visited the park in a single day.
A bus service around the sites—the Pompeii Artebus—was started in 2021. Tickets for the connected sites will be acceptable for three days, with free buses connecting all the sites.
1. How is the Archaeological Park of Pompeii made bigger?| A．By building more of it. | B．By improving the service. |
| C．By connecting nearby sites. | D．By attracting more tourists. |
| A．Narrow. | B．Private. | C．Impressive. | D．Spread-out. |
| A．It has lost its attraction. | B．It was rebuilt in 2019. |
| C．It is free for visitors all the time. | D．It is overcrowded with visitors. |
| A．The Archaeological Park of Pompeii getting bigger. |
| B．The ancient Pompeii bringing in modern transport. |
| C．The Archaeological Park of Pompeii getting more popular. |
| D．The ancient houses in Pompeii changing their tickets. |
