2 . It’s a known fact that emissions (排放物) from gas-powered vehicles are harming the atmosphere. In response to this, Porsche, the German sports car company, began producing e-fuels at a pilot plant in Chile last year. Currently, the fuel will be used only in sports cars at Porsche’s performance and experience centers.

E-fuels are made by passing electricity through water. The electricity separates the hydrogen and oxygen from water. The hydrogen is then mixed with CO₂ to produce a liquid e-fuel, which can be produced using many renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. E-fuels follow the chemical structure of gasoline, making it possible for gas-powered cars to run on e-fuels almost without any change.

E-fuels can help ease the transform away from gas-powered cars, for those who may not be able to afford electric vehicles (EV). It will also help to reduce waste by keeping gas-powered cars in service, instead of throwing them away prematurely. Additionally, the use of e-fuels will not require new facility to be built unlike EVs. Existing gas stations and cars will be able to stay in use, which is already a big saving.

Despite the many benefits, opinions differ on whether e-fuels are truly eco-friendly. E-fuels are widely said to be nearly carbon neutral (碳中和), although an independent study indicates that e-fuels release the same amount of CO₂ as gasoline. Since e-fuels are still being developed and tested, their true impacts are still unknown. Meanwhile, e-fuels are very expensive to produce, partly due to energy loss during production. Unfortunately, only about half of the energy used in producing e-fuels is actually transformed into fuel. Additionally, only about 16% of the energy used in e-fuel production is actually used to power the car. Whereas, about 70% of energy is preserved when powering an EV. Even though the use of e-fuels will preserve existing facility, it will still take time and money to integrate it into everyday life. Currently, the price of e-fuels is nearly double the cost of regular fuel.

E-fuels are still a work in progress. Though opinions are divided on e-fuels, with more testing and development, they have been considered another way to help fight against the climate crisis. “There are currently more than 1.3 billion vehicles with combustion (内燃) engines worldwide. Many of these will be on the roads for decades to come, and e-fuels offer the owners of existing cars a nearly carbon-neutral alternative. With the e-fuels pilot plant, Porsche is playing a leading role in this development,” said Michael Steiner, member of the Executive Board for Development and Research at Porsche AG.

1. What can we learn from this passage?

A．E-fuels release no CO₂.

B．E-fuels were tested in Germany at first.

C．E-fuels are applicable to gas-powered cars.

D．E-fuels need to be mixed with CO₂ in actual use.

2. The author quotes Michael Steiner mainly to ______.

A．draw a conclusion.	B．present an opinion
C．further a discussion	D．provide a solution

3. What is the author’s attitude towards e-fuels?

A．Positive.

B．Dismissive.

C．Doubtful.

D．Objective.

3 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1. What seems to be the woman’s problem?

A．She didn’t feel well.

B．She lost her wallet.

C．Her car broke down.

2. Where is the woman going now?

A．To the hospital.

B．To her home.

C．To a taxi company.

4 . 阅读下面短文，根据题目要求回答问题。

Electric scooter safety

If you look around the streets of London, you’ll see the many methods people use to move around. Whether it’s on a commute to work, a trip to the shops, or a sightseeing excursion, there are people on buses, the Tube, cars, motorbikes, bicycles and even roller skates. The roads are already congested (jammed); and now there’s a new addition: electric, or “e-scooters”.

This traditional children’s vehicle has become more sophisticated over the years. And now, with the addition of a small electric motor, it’s become a cheap and easy mode of transport. Scooting around town can be fun and doesn’t involve much effort, so it’s no wonder they’re becoming increasingly popular in cities around the world. But following what’s believed to be the first fatal accident involving an electric scooter in the UK, questions are being asked about their safety and whether traffic laws should be changed.

Some scooter riders have been seen on pavements; others on the road jumping red traffic lights, adding to the frustration of motorists stuck in jams. In the UK, the law states that riding one on the public highway or pavement is forbidden. Riders currently face a £300 fixed-penalty notice and six points on their driving licence for doing so. But, despite this, it seems the increasing popularity of e-scooters means they can be seen everywhere. And now users are calling on regulations to be changed.

The UK government is looking at how safely they can be used on the road and is ‘reviewing’ the law. But its transport minister, Michael Ellis, has told the BBC that: “Micromobility products are appearing in countries across the globe and are an exciting innovation for which we know there is demand. However, safety must always be our top priority when considering their use on public highways in this country.”

There’s no doubt there are dangers in riding a two-wheeled scooter. Despite the fact that some of them can exceed 30mph, they sometimes only have one brake and no lights. They also become unstable if the rider hits a pothole, and however confident the rider may be, larger vehicles on the road make them vulnerable (easy to be hurt). So it seems more work needs to be done to give e-scooters a safe and legal space to travel in.

1. What is it that makes an e-scooter easy to ride?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Why are motorists annoyed by those e-scooter riders?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement. Then underline it and explain why.
To answer the call of e-scooter users, the UK government is preparing to change the law about where e-scooters can be used.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Do you think e-scooters should be allowed on public roads? Why? (In about 40 words)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

If you park your car in the wrong place, a traffic policeman will soon find     1     you do. You will be very lucky if he lets you go without a ticket. However, this does not always happen. Traffic police are sometimes very polite. During a holiday in Sweden, I found this note on my car     2     read: “Sir, we welcome you to our city. This is a No Parking area. You will enjoy your stay here if you pay attention to our street signs. This note is only a reminder.”     3    (give) a request like this, you cannot fail to obey it!

6 . What is the woman probably doing?

A．Waiting for the traffic lights.

B．Doing morning exercise.

C．Asking for directions.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How did the woman get there？

A．By car.

B．By taxi.

C．By bike.

2. What's the weather like at this moment？

A．Rainy.

B．Sunny.

C．Cloudy.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What’s the probable relationship between the speakers?

A．Husband and wife.

B．Classmates.

C．Interviewer and interviewee.

2. What does the woman complain about?

A．The company.

B．The traffic.

C．The train.

10 . One day, when I was going to check in at an airport, I noticed there was a big problem. The counter person was telling everyone that all the planes were having problems and they would not be able to fly! And it was suggested that a bus would be provided to take us to Seattle. Everyone was worried, as we only had an hour and a half to make the connecting flight, and the bus was not even at the airport yet.

Finally, the bus pulled up, and the driver said, “They just pulled me out of bed after an all-night shift, and they expect me to get you to Seattle in time to catch your fight. Good luck!”

Needless to say, everyone was in a really bad mood. I was loading my baggage into the bus and had hung my banjo (班卓琴) over my back when the bus driver said, “What? Are you going to play that on my bus?” “Well, I really did not plan on it,” I replied.“I was only kidding,”said the driver. But I started thinking about it, and I pulled out the banjo. A worried, angry woman said, “Well, what if I don’t like it?” “Then tell me and I’ll stop,” I replied.

We drove off, and the tension made the atmosphere inside the bus horrendous! Then I started performing the old standard Blue Skies. In a few minutes, I noticed everyone was singing along. I started to sing, too, and before long, the whole bus burst into song.

One song led to another. Everyone laughed and sang, with food passed around the bus, and before long, the airport was in sight.

The bus driver called, “We made it! We never would have done it without the help of our banjo player.” Shouts of approval rang through the bus. People exchanged addresses and invitations to visit, and a few even exchanged hugs.

A few weeks later, my mailbox was filled with letters from my new friends. Their letters reminded me of how, by reaching out with just a song or a bit of friendship, you can turn a very tense situation into a peaceful experience.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A．The driver was glad to take them to Seattle.

B．The driver was too tired to send them to Seattle.

C．The driver was late because he just came off the night shift.

D．The driver thought they would have difficulty making it to Seattle.

2. What does the underlined word “horrendous” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Boring.

B．Strange.

C．Terrible.

D．Cheerful.

3. What is the text mainly about?

A．A great banjo play.

B．A wonderful musical bus ride.

C．The amazing friendship on a bus.

D．An unforgettable experience at the airport.