1 . In parts of Tanzania, soils are disappearing. A combination of climate change and socioeconomic stresses has led to soil ending into nearby rivers and lakes.

Recognizing the threat, the local community set up an environmental committee to allow strategic decision- making for soil restoration. They worked with researchers led by Will Blake at the University of Plymouth, who are experimenting with a gamma ray (伽马射线) sensor that can be easy to carry. It can make a judgement about the health of the soil in several minutes, while the traditional approach is done by taking a small number of samples for lab analysis and takes more time. The community identified areas where the soil was severely reduced, and so excluded their cattle. With the pressure removed, the land re-greened quickly and the soil began to recover.

Blake emphasizes that the technology is only half the story. Scientists helicoptering in and offering solutions doesn’t work, partly because it ignores the autonomy of the farmers themselves and their extensive local environmental knowledge. Instead, Blake recommends“ mutual learning”, in which different groups learn from each other and talk openly.

With the advancement of this cooperative approach, some farmers made dramatic changes.“ During past seasons, I used to get 4 — 5 bags of com per acre using improved varieties of seeds and intensive use of chemical fertilizers (肥料),” one reported. After scanning his soils, he switched to natural ones and intercropping between corn and beans, in an attempt to increase the soil quality and agriculture productivity.“ Now I am getting 7 — 9 bags of com in the same piece of land”.

While this pilot work has focused on the southern part of the earth, there’s a lot other areas can learn from these experiences. Many countries are moving towards regenerative agriculture, which aims to restore soils and ecosystems to make farms more sustainable. “We’ve realized that developing the evidence base together with the communities affected is the most effective way,” Blake says.

1. What can we learn about the new sensor?

A．it is invented by a local community.	B．It can quickly assess soil condition.
C．It is difficult to apply in distant areas.	D．It helps collect a number of soil samples.

2. Why does Blake recommend “mutual learning”?

A．To share data in the new research.	B．To develop a sustainable solution.
C．To remove the farmers’ burden.	D．To popularize sensor technology.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．Examples of intercropping.	B．Changes in farmers’ awareness.
C．Effects of the new approach.	D．Attempts to increase productivity.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．What farming brings to the soil health?

B．Lost Wisdom: Traditions in Agriculture

C．Sensor Technology: The Future of Farming

D．How soil health cooperation is changing agriculture?

2 . Digital devices have reduced our attention spans to the point that they’re shorter than that of a goldfish. The blue light they send out disturbs our sleep. Most worryingly of all, smartphones are damaging the mental health of the young. All things considered, in today’s world, digital technologies are a blight. Right?

Not so fast, says psychologist Etchells, a professor of psychology and science communication in the U. K., in his new book, Unlocked. Contrary to the numerous research studies on the seemingly undeniable harm of screen time on human health, Etchells argues that the evidence is weak.

Take the literature on screen time and mental health for example. Most of the previous studies, Etchells points out, take data from large surveys and find that people who spend more time on screen-based activities are more likely to report poor mental health. However, observational studies like these fall victim to the classic experimental issue — correlation does not imply causation. Instead of time spent on a smartphone causing mental health issues, it could be that mental health issues cause people to spend more time on their phones, or both phone usage and poor mental health could be caused by a third factor, such as loneliness.

In Unlocked, Etchells’ historical moral panic comparison of choice is the cancellation of the paper tax in the U. K. in 1861, after which some worried that women, children and working classes “needed to be ‘protected’ from a flood of trash literature.” But there have been many others throughout history: from people in Ancient Greece wondering what damage writing might do, to fears over “radio addiction,” to concerns that TV might promote violent behavior. This can be cause for doubts but not for dismissal, says Etchells.

With lawmakers around the world starting to propose laws that would significantly impact the way people use their digital devices, Etchells stresses that any baseless action could fail or even backfire and that overstated public discourse can actually let the technology industry off the hook.

1. The underlined words “a blight” in the first paragraph refer to something _______.

A．less studied	B．poorly valued
C．misleading the public	D．causing bad effects

2. What does Etchells think of the findings of previous studies?

A．Oversimplified.

B．Pioneering.

C．Systematic.

D．Contradictory.

3. Why is the cancellation of the paper tax mentioned?

A．To stress reducing taxes brings social changes.

B．To show common people have access to literature.

C．To illustrate techno- panics are common in history.

D．To prove governments’ policies are important.

4. What should lawmakers do according to Etchells?

A．Engage in free dialogues.	B．Make evidence-based decisions.
C．Increase investment in research.	D．Support the use of digital devices.

3 . Bier was the kid with snakes in his pockets. He once hid six snakes in a soda can under his mother’s car seat while returning from a family vacation, which made his mother ban the wild reptiles (爬行动物). But under the guidance of Frey, a teacher who developed a school environmental education program in the state, his outdoor adventures continued.

Bier knows what lives in the woods — things most people don’t see or consider. Things like fungi (真菌). They’re not animals or plants, but Bier notes that they are doing a lot of the decomposition (分解) work on the earth. He also casts his eyes on plant diversity, which the general public take little notice of. “When you drive down the highway, if you’re not a naturalist, it’s just green stuff going by the window,” Bier said.

Bier served as director of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, which conducts fieldwork on some endangered species and their conservation. He surveyed every county in Western Pennsylvania and documented the rarest creatures and plants. His fieldwork and recommendations led to the conservancy preserving more than 153.000 acres of species-rich land in Western Pennsylvania during his almost 43-year in office, according to Carrow, the conservancy’s vice president. “It’s not often that somebody can say one’s work will be appreciated in the future for all people, for all time. His work is quite remarkable,” she said.

Bier has recently retired. He lives in a primitive cabin at Todd Nature Reserve. He catches crayfish in the river, and heads to the forest and fields, where wildlife awaits. He grows most of his food, raises sheep, a cow for milking and chickens, and still cuts firewood to heat his home. “People can be in better touch with nature. It’s like the moment when you look at the stars and realize there’s something bigger than you and Netflix,” Bier said.

1. What can we learn about Bier from the first paragraph?

A．He ran into danger on a vacation.	B．He had interest in nature.
C．He got support from his mother.	D．He started a school program.

2. What is the public’s reaction to the plant diversity according to Bier?

A．They are used to it.	B．They are blind to it.
C．They are afraid of losing it.	D．They are amazed at its value.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 3?

A．Everyone can be a naturalist.	B．Preserving the natural world is urgent.
C．Bier’s passion for nature has paid off.	D．Some species could drive the ecosystem.

4. What is Bier’s life like after retirement?

A．Close to nature.	B．Full of risks.
C．Tough but satisfying.	D．Busy and unpredictable.

4 . 听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。
1. Where does the conversation probably take place?

A．At a school.

B．At a cinema.

C．At Lily’s house.

2. What movie award show does the woman invite the man to watch?

A．The Hundred Flowers Awards.

B．The Cannes Film Festival.

C．The Golden Rooster Awards.

3. What does the woman like about movie award shows?

A．The actors.

B．The dresses.

C．The stage.

5 . When I was asked to take part in a forest bathing, I packed a swimsuit, assuming it must involve a refreshing swim in the water.     1    

I met Forest Therapy (治疗) guide Melanic Choukas- Bradley and several other women who’d come along for the adventure at an urban forest. Here, I began to get it. Forest bathing isn’t a bath. We sat on the banks of the river, but we did not get in the water.     2     We did walk the forest tracks, but we wandered with no destination in mind.

The aim of forest bathing, Choukas-Bradley explained, is to slow down and become fully bathed in the natural environment. She helped us tune in to the forest’s smells, tastes and sights.     3     As we passed through the trees, we touched their trunks, feeling the roughness beneath our fingers. We smelled the flowers, each breath being a celebration of nature’s beauty.

There’s a growing body of evidence that shows forest bathing can help boost mood and reduce stress.     4     A 2011 study comparing city walks to forest walks found the forest environment led to greater reductions in blood pressure, despite both activities requiring equal physical effort.

    5     Most of human history was spent in environments that lack buildings and walls, and our bodies have adapted to living in the natural world. But today most of us spend much of our life indoors. Perhaps the new forest bathing trend is a recognition that many of us need a little nudge to get back out there.

A．It’s not a hike, either.

B．It turns out that my interpretation was literal.

C．The benefits of nature can be accessed simply.

D．Forest bathing frees us from worldly engagements.

E．The idea that spending time in nature is good is not new.

F．Indeed, medical researchers have demonstrated its benefits.

G．We took in the peaceful surroundings by using all our senses.

6 . As a shy teenager in New Orleans, I was encouraged by my parents to join a youth group at St. Mark’s Community Center. To me, _______ with boys and girls outside of school seemed an adventure, but it brought me a powerful lesson.

During the first meeting, we were _______ with a scavenger hunt (寻物游戏). Feeling like a(n) ________, I followed at a distance as my group collected items from our list. As the deadline _______, we were left with one final item: a political button (竞选徽章). With no _______ in the neighborhood, I gathered the courage to suggest the local television studio, WWL-TV, as a _______ source.

My _______ was met with approval, and I found myself in the studio's hall, nervously explaining our _______ to a receptionist. He searched but had no such _______ . Just as I was about to leave, he _______ to check with others. Moments later, out walked Hap Glaudi, a local sportscaster and my role model.

I _______ made my request, worried about the disturbance. Mr. Glaudi, however, _______ with a button from a past election and said:“ Polite requests open doors for others to be _______. There’s no need to feel shy about asking.” With the button in hand, we won the hunt.

His advice, given years ago, still _______ me. It gives me the courage to pursue interviews, ask for donations, and seize opportunities that a polite request could _______.

1.

A．competing

B．socializing

C．performing

D．studying

2.

A．tasked

B．armed

C．filed

D．awarded

3.

A．organizer

B．loser

C．hunter

D．outsider

4.

A．approached

B．set

C．passed

D．appeared

5.

A．choice

B．sign

C．luck

D．help

6.

A．major

B．potential

C．reliable

D．unique

7.

A．application

B．design

C．proposal

D．comment

8.

A．rule

B．problem

C．research

D．finding

9.

A．program

B．name

C．business

D．button

10.

A．forgot

B．ordered

C．offered

D．expected

11.

A．hesitantly

B．firmly

C．calmly

D．formally

12.

A．put up

B．showed off

C．reached out

D．got along

13.

A．ambitious

B．kind

C．brave

D．gentle

14.

A．hits

B．controls

C．surprises

D．fuels

15.

A．unlock

B．determine

C．guard

D．limit

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the main topic of the talk?

A．The ways to fight coronavirus (新冠).

B．The knowledge of coronavirus vaccination (接种).

C．A personal experience of catching coronavirus.

2. What did the doctor advise the speaker to do?

A．Stay at home.

B．Visit another doctor.

C．Order medicine online.

3. Why did the speaker feel thankful?

A．She had good friends to help her.

B．She had had vaccination before.

C．She could be treated in hospital.

8 . 听下面一段对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does Martha think of the beach?

A．It is boring.

B．It is exciting.

C．It is dangerous.

2. Which place does the man suggest for the trip?

A．A museum.

B．A lake.

C．A gallery.

3. Why does the woman want to go to the mountain?

A．It is nearby.

B．She has never been there.

C．Children could get enough exercise.