1 . Not all waste has to go to waste. Most of the world’s 2.22 billion tons of annual trash ends up in landfills or open dumps. Veena Sahajwalla, a materials scientist and engineer at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, has created a solution to our massive trash problem: waste microfactories. These little trash processors— some as small as 500 square feet — house a series of machines that recycle waste and transform it into new materials with thermal technology. The new all-in-one approach could leave our current recycling processes in the dust.
Sahajwalla launched the world’s first waste microfactory targeting electronic waste, or e-waste, in 2018 in Sydney. A second one began recycling plastics in 2019. Now, her lab group is working with university and industry partners to commercialize their patented Microfactory technology. “The small scale of the machines will make it easier for them to one day operate on renewable energy, unlike most large manufacturing plants. The approach will also allow cities to recycle waste into new products on location, avoiding the long, often international, high-emission journeys between recycling processors and manufacturing plants. With a microfactory, gone are the days of needing separate facilities to collect and store materials, extract elements and produce new products,” says Sahajwalla.
Traditionally, recycling plants break down materials for reuse in similar products — like melting down plastic to make more plastic things. Sahajwalla’s invention evolves this idea by taking materials from an old product and creating something different. “The kids don’t look like the parents,” she says. For example, the microfactories can break down old smartphones and computer monitors and extract silica (from the glass) and carbon (from the plastic casing), and then combine them into silicon carbide nanowires. This generates a common ceramic material with many industrial uses. Sahajwalla refers to this process as “the fourth R” adding “re-form” to the common phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle”.
In 2019, just 17.4 percent of e-waste was recycled, so the ability to re-form offers a crucial new development in the challenge of recycling complex electronic devices. “We can do so much more with materials,” says Sahajwalla. “Traditional recycling has not worked for every recycling challenge.” She and her team are already working to install the next waste microfactory in the Australian town of Cootamundra by early 2021, with the goal of expanding around the country over the next few years.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To present the process of recycling waste. |
| B．To introduce a new type of trash processor. |
| C．To prove the seriousness of the trash problem. |
| D．To show the current situation of trash recycling. |
| A．The scale of waste microfactories. | B．The founding of waste microfactories. |
| C．The influences of waste microfactories. | D．The advantages of waste microfactories. |
| A．Extracting materials from the waste. | B．Updating the whole recycling process. |
| C．Generating new materials with waste. | D．Transforming waste into similar products. |
| A．A business report. | B．A science magazine. | C．A chemical textbook. | D．A fiction novel. |
Hawaii is the only state not on the continent of North America. The State of Hawaii consists
3 . With the sea on your doorstep, a large fleet of boats to choose from, and a team of experienced instructors, the outdoor activities centre is there just for you! Courses available:
Dinghy Sailing
Our boats are chosen carefully to provide a wide range of safe and exciting learning opportunities. Instructors will take you through the basics of rigging, launching and sailing.
Catamaran Sailing
For those with little or no experience, this course is a good introduction to this fast and exciting form of sailing. If weather condition is favourable, students should be able to handle a catamaran single-handedly during the course.
Cost for each course (age 16 years and over): £165 non residential, £180 residential
Canoeing or Kayaking
The outdoor activities centre is the ideal venue for kayaking. With the sea close at hand, our one-day course will introduce the skill of kayaking at sea. There will be an opportunity to try a variety of different canoes and kayaks and to take part in a short kayak sea journey.
Cost for one-day course: £35
Windsurfing
Our centre runs a JUNIOR WINDSURFING CLUB on Monday and Wednesday evenings during the summer season and is open to anyone up to 18 years old. Aimed at those who already have some windsurfing experience (level one certificate), this club aims to give young windsurfers the opportunity to progress within a safe and exciting environment.
Cost: £7 per session or £6 per session if four sessions are booked in advance
1. How much would it cost an adult living at the center to take both sailing courses?| A．£165. | B．£180. |
| C．£345. | D．£360. |
| A．A travel journal. | B．A sports advertisement. |
| C．A training report. | D．An exhibition guide. |
4 . The good news is that more people bought electric cars in 2020. The bad news is that SUVs continued to grow in popularity, too. The fall in oil consumption due to the first trend was completely cancelled out by the second, say Laura Cozzi and Apostolos Petropoulos at the International Energy Agency (IEA) in France.
The growing popularity of SUVs is making it even harder to cut carbon dioxide emissions（排放）and meet climate goals. “Policy-makers need to find ways to persuade consumers to choose smaller and more efficient cars,” says Petropoulos.
Oil consumption by conventional cars – not including SUVs – is estimated to have fallen 10 percent in 2020, or by more than 1.8 million barrels（桶）a day, Cozzi and Petropoulos say in a commentary published by the IEA on 15 January. Most of this fall was due to reduced travel and is likely to be temporary.
But a small part of the drop, around 40,000 barrels a day, was as a result of the increased share of electric vehicles (EVs). “We have seen a skyrocketing of global electric car sales in 2020,” says Petropoulos. Unfortunately, the number of SUVs increased as well. While overall car sales fell in 2020, 42 percent of buyers chose SUVs, up around three percentage points from 2019.
Globally, there are now more than 280 million SUVs being driven, up from fewer than 50 million in 2010. On average, SUVs consume 20 percent more energy per kilometre than a medium-sized car.
The increase in SUVs in 2020 led to a rise in oil consumption that cancelled out the effect of electric cars, says Petropoulos. Much the same is true over the past decade. Between 2010 and 2020, global CO2 emissions from conventional cars fell by nearly 350 megatonnes, due to factors such as fuel efficiency improvements as well as the switch to electric cars. Emissions from SUVs rose by more than 500 megatonnes.
“While the growth in EVs is encouraging, the increase in SUVs is heart-breaking,” says Glen Peters at the CICERO climate research centre in Norway.
There are many reasons for the growing popularity of SUVs, says Petropoulos. Rising prosperity（繁荣）in many countries means more people are able to afford them, for instance. Some people see them as a symbol of social position. SUVs are also heavily advertised by car-makers, he says, whose profits are higher on these vehicles.
There are now some electric SUVs available. “Hopefully, in time, you will see electric vehicles entering the SUV market,” says Peters.
Even if it happens, switching to electric SUVs isn’t an ideal solution. Due to their size and bigger batteries, it takes more resources to build electric SUVs, and they consume around 15 percent more electricity. Higher electricity demand makes it harder to green the electricity supply.
1. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?| A．The SUVs driven in 2019 reached up to 280 million. |
| B．Electric cars appeared a sharp decline in sales in 2020. |
| C．Buyers of SUVs in 2020 increased 42 percent than those in 2019. |
| D．Global SUVs being driven now are over five times as many as those in 2010. |
| A．it could have harmful consequences for the air quality |
| B．the oil consumption will increase and the price will fall |
| C．people all over the world are getting wealthier than before |
| D．the car-makers think it’s unnecessary to advertise any more |
| A．The purchases of SUVs should be reduced. |
| B．The SUVs should be discontinued immediately. |
| C．The awareness of using electric cars needs to be improved. |
| D．Increasing electric cars can solve the problem of oil consumption. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Disapproving. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Uncertain. |
5 . He looked in the mirror, feeling sick of the sight of what he saw, a constant reminder of the fire last year. He was badly
He was filled with self-pity,
Then out from a group of children at play, a young girl approached. Her eyes to the ground, she stretched out her arm and said, “Look what I found!” She
The man said in a low angry voice, “Just leave me alone. Get on with your playing.”
But the child was still
The man was annoyed,
The girl had awakened in him a
| A．destroyed | B．damaged | C．burnt | D．ruined |
| A．excitement | B．anger | C．curiosity | D．anxiety |
| A．relief | B．inspiration | C．exercise | D．freedom |
| A．put | B．held | C．moved | D．picked |
| A．cautious | B．upset | C．enthusiastic | D．nervous |
| A．accepting | B．refusing | C．throwing | D．appreciating |
| A．unfortunately | B．lately | C．finally | D．suddenly |
| A．frightened | B．amused | C．depressed | D．astonished |
| A．dream | B．potential | C．desire | D．responsibility |
| A．soul | B．body | C．emotion | D．appearance |
Are you humorous? People who are humorous can recognize what’s funny in others and can amuse others as well. At home, a sense of humor can brighten family life, so amuse
Why do you pull yourself out of bed every morning to go to work or school? What does it take to make you feel like your contribution in those places is truly worthwhile? Knowing what motivates you can help you find meaning in your work and make efforts to reach your goals.
Psychologists have a wide variety of ways of describing and differentiating motivations because people care about so many different things. Psychologist David McClelland identified three main motivations for people: achievement (the feeling of success), affiliation (close relationships) and power (the ability to influence the world). Authors Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton identified 23 motivations, including creativity, challenge and learning.
Some motivations, such as money, social position and praise, are external; these are the tools bosses typically use to encourage their employees to do better. Other motivations, including fun, personal growth and feeling like one’s work is significant, come from within the person doing the action. These ideals, called internal motivations, tend to be more reliable than external ones because they represent things that can never be taken away.
Since a wide variety of motivations exist, it’s important to understand which ones are persuasive to you. Trying to motivate yourself in a way that doesn’t appeal to you will make it difficult to convince yourself to work. When choosing a career, think about what motivates you and make decisions accordingly. If you are motivated by overcoming challenges, look for a career where you can continually try hard to reach a higher level.
People motivated by external rewards sometimes struggle to meet goals they set for themselves that no one else knows about. They can solve this problem by creating external rewards for their personal goals such as finding a friend to hold them accountable.
When you know what motivates you, you will be able to motivate yourself to do the things necessary to succeed. And if you are a leader, knowing what motivates your team will enable you to help them do the same.
1. Why is it important for people to be clear of their motivations?2. How can the motivations be classified according to McClelland?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Since the external motivations involve money, social position and praise, which are often used as tools by bosses, they are more dependable than the internal ones.
4. Please briefly present what motivates you in your life and how it works. (about 40 words)
8 . It is the season for taking the time to reflect on what we’re thankful for in life. Spending that time with friends and family to give thanks is what makes the holidays so special. But why should limit it to just a few weeks in the year? Gratitude（感恩）is a muscle we should strengthen year-round to make us healthier, happier humans and leaders.
Gratitude builds empathy. We often take for granted the simple things in life. Those who recognize the goodness in life, no matter how simple or automatic, are more likely to be sensitive to the needs of others and to help whenever they can. Being empathetic to others’ opinions, experiences and backgrounds will make you a better professional, no matter your career.
Through his research, Emmons, a leading researcher, found that grateful people reported feeling healthier, both mentally and physically. Specifically, those who were grateful were 25 percent happier than those who weren’t. In the workplace, well-being（健康快乐）is a crucial topic when it comes to preventing employee burn-out and promoting engagement. Beyond the research that shows that employees who are shown that they are appreciated are more productive by 50 percent, caring for your employees’ well-being is simply the right thing to do. Offering fitness classes or carrying out flexible work schedules are just a few things that, when paired with gratitude, can lead to more productive, engaged and happier working professionals.
Working in a developing, fast-paced industry, we are often surrounded by ambitious people who are always striving（奋斗）for more and better. Gratitude makes us more self-aware. It challenges us to reflect in the moment instead of always thinking about the future. It starts by paying attention to what’s going on in our life, and that true self-awareness is a key factor to being successful in our career.
Gratitude is a powerful tool for making relationships stronger, both at work and in our personal life. People who express their gratitude tend to be more willing to forgive others and therefore able to create relatively long-lasting connections.
During my month-long vacation, I made it a point to be reflective during the time I had without disturbances or deadlines. Part of that was making a mental list of the people, things and experiences I was grateful for in my life. I decided to reach out to my fifth-grade teacher and thank her for being positive instructor and a strong influence on my life.
The old saying goes “It’s never too late to say you’re sorry,” but the same is true of gratitude. Taking the time to thank people for their work, kindness or empathy-whether it was today, last month or many years ago-makes you happier, healthier and more self-aware. And that’s a gift worth celebrating 365 days a year.
1. What does the underlined word “empathy” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．The feeling of being sorry for others’ problems. |
| B．The desire to help people in difficult situations. |
| C．The ability to understand other people’s feelings. |
| D．The feeling of pleasure or satisfaction towards others. |
| A．People who have self-awareness can succeed without effort. |
| B．Grateful people will live a much longer life than ungrateful people. |
| C．Wise enterprises should raise the employees’ sense of well-being. |
| D．Gratitude can ensure the relationship between people is unbreakable. |
| A．To encourage people to contact with teachers. |
| B．To show it’s never too late to express gratitude. |
| C．To order people to keep long-lasting connection. |
| D．To present that his teacher greatly influenced him. |
| A．Being Grateful Year-Round. |
| B．The Season for Gratitude. |
| C．The Way to Show Thanks. |
| D．The Special Holiday of Gratitude. |
9 . Terry Fox never thought he’d live a remarkable life.
He liked sports, but no one thought he was talented. During his first year in the university, he had a pain in his right knee, which was so bad that he couldn’t stand up. He went to the doctor for tests. They showed that he had cancer. He was going to lose his leg and be given an artificial one. Terry’s family and friends all gave him fantastic support. Terry said that he knew all those people really cared and helped him. He decided to face it with bravery.
One night Terry was looking through an article about Dick Traum, who also had an artificial leg and had run in the New York Marathon. “If he can do it,” thought Terry, “I can, too. In fact, I’ll run across Canada and raise money for cancer research. It will be a Marathon of Hope!”
For the next 16 months, Terry had special treatments for his cancer. And then he also began to run a little every day. Each day he ran a little farther. It is 5,300 miles across Canada. Terry hoped to run thirty to forty miles a day so that it would take him six months. Most of all, he hoped to raise $1 million for cancer research.
Because Terry had an artificial leg, running wasn’t easy or straightforward. He had to move by jumping on one foot twice and then take a long step with his real leg. Although it looked awkward, he still kept on running. His action made people join him as he ran: children, football stars, wheelchair athletes and even his brother, Darrell. As Terry ran, people waved and cheered. So much money was donated that the volunteers used large garbage bags so everyone could give.
Then, outside Thunder Bay, Ontario, Terry felt a sharp pain in his chest. The pain was from cancer; this time in his lungs. He had to abandon the Marathon after 3, 339 miles. He told the people before he left, “I won’t give up. I just hope people will continue to give money.” And they did. Just under $25 million was given.
Terry received numerous awards. At 22, he was the youngest Canadian to ever receive Canada’s highest award, the Companion of the Order of Canada.
1. What made Terry decide to run across Canada?| A．His passion for Marathon. |
| B．An urge to live a normal life. |
| C．The support of his family and friends. |
| D．The inspiring experience of Dick Traum. |
| A．they were moved by the scene of Terry’s running |
| B．they served as volunteers in the marathon |
| C．they considered Terry as a great hero |
| D．they loved running very much |
| A．He collected enough money for the donation. |
| B．His family and friends persuaded him to abandon it. |
| C．He got great pain in his body because of the cancer. |
| D．Running with the artificial leg wasn’t straightforward. |
| A．Generous. | B．Cooperative. |
| C．Determined. | D．Creative. |
I have many goals. The most important one is to travel around the world and I am trying my best to make it come true. The reason is
