Environmentalists are getting more
2 . Nearly half of us make New Year’s resolutions, but less than ten percent of us actually keep them. This can be due to lack of motivation or loss of interest, but it’s time for us to figure out ways to finish what we’ve started.
Lack of honesty
Are you truly devoted to running a marathon, losing weight, or whatever else you are promising to do? Be honest with yourself. We often find ourselves committing to things because we think we should.
While you may have the best intentions with your resolution, you could be putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. Rather than associating the New Year with resolutions or changes you need to make, consider it a time for reflection on things you wish to work on throughout the year.
If your goal was to send out ten resumes (简历) for a new job and you only sent out five, don’t beat yourself up for it. Rather, congratulate and reward yourself for making the effort toward your goal. That will give you the energy to continue working towards your initial (最初的) goal.
Giving up too easily
Whether you get discouraged or simply lose interest, giving up too easily is a big resolution breaker. Many people make their resolutions believing they can accomplish them.
| A．Wrong perspective (视角) |
| B．Narrow your resolution |
| C．Don’t waste your time on that. |
| D．But the excitement wears off and other priorities appear. |
| E．They thought they could stick to it because it’s what they want. |
| F．Here are reasons people don’t stick to their New Year’s resolutions. |
| G．Stop thinking about what you have not accomplished and focus on what you will accomplish instead. |
3 . Textile(纺织品)waste is a growing problem for our environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported the US throws away more than 11 million tons of clothing every year. That is why some small businesses spotting the problem are beginning to recycle in ways they haven’t before.
Create Good Company is a clothing company that tries to produce sustainable clothing and repurpose older clothing into updated fashionable items. Maggie Hendricks, the owner of Create Good Company, said, “If you can improve what you find, why wouldn’t you do that instead of buying new things? It’s a big issue not to create new waste. I would say we are 90% recycled materials.”
According to the EPA, the average consumer(消费者)throws away 81.5 pounds of clothes every year. “Anywhere between 10%-17% of the waste that’s going into landfills(废弃物填埋场)is made up of things like textiles and clothing,” said Danny Katz with the CoPIRG Foundation. “A lot of the clothing that we’re producing doesn’t even get worn, so it’s going right to the landfill or even being burned and contributing to pollution that way. It’s really worrying.”
This is why businesses like Create Good Company exist — to use outdated clothing and turn it into dresses or jackets. “There’s just so much waste and so many big companies that might not think about it,” Hendricks said. “Just standing with other like-minded people who are interested in sustainability is important.”
Another important element Hendricks has focused on is creating these items and selling them at an affordable price. “Sustainability sometimes is green washed in companies and they make things more expensive,” Hendricks said. “That’s not how we become a sustainable world. I think making products affordable is important to me. I want to buy things that are better for the environment without throwing my pocketbook in the fire.”
1. What makes Danny Katz worried?| A．The use of old clothing. | B．The cost of textile pollution. |
| C．The effect of clothing waste. | D．The future of the textile industry. |
| A．Its price. | B．Its sales. |
| C．Its producer. | D．Its quality. |
| A．The EPA’s measures to reduce textile waste. |
| B．Consumers being aware of the seriousness of textile waste. |
| C．Textile businesses’ social responsibility and their waste. |
| D．Small businesses working to prevent textile waste. |
4 . A social phobia (恐惧症) in an anxiety disorder with strong fear in social situations.
Learn to relax. People with a social phobia often have anticipatory (预期的) anxiety.
Imagination can play tricks on us in social situations. In most cases you are afraid of things that have not happened or are not happening.
Be yourself. To some degree, social phobia is caused by the belief that we have to be perfect as others expect.
| A．Look for social situations |
| B．Be imaginative in solving social issues |
| C．Perhaps you have a phobia about flying |
| D．We have to learn to accept and trust ourselves |
| E．In other words, they worry about the situation before it happens |
| F．We have to be worried about what we think others may be thinking of us |
| G．People with social phobia feel fear, as well as nervousness, pain or shyness |
5 . People get first impression in seconds, but what exactly are they looking at when they judge you?
A professor Amy Caddy and her group have been studying first impressions for more than 15 years, and have discovered something in common. In her new book Presence, Cuddy says people quickly answer two questions when they first meet you: Can I trust this person? Can I respect this person?
Psychologists translate these questions as warmth and competence (能力), and usually, we want to be seen as having both. Interestingly, Cuddy says that most people, especially in their workplace, believe that competence is the more important one. After all, they want to prove that they are smart and talented enough to do their job well. But in fact, warmth, or trustworthiness, is the most important one in how people judge you. “From an evolutionary (进化的) point of view,” Cuddy says, “it matters more to our survival to know whether a person deserves our trust.”
While competence is highly valued, Cuddy says it is considered only after trust is set up. And focusing too much on showing your strength can backfire. Cuddy says MBA students often care so much about being seen as smart and competent that it can lead them to avoid social events, not to ask for help, and generally to come off as unfriendly. These overachievers (特优者) invite their trouble when they don’t get the job offer because nobody gets to know and trust them as people.
“If someone you’re trying to influence doesn’t trust you, you’re not going to get very far. In fact, you might even be considered not reliable because you come across as bossy (专横的),” Cuddy says. “A warm, trustworthy person who is also strong gets admiration, but only after you’ve established trust does your strength become a gift rather than a threat.”
1. Why does the author ask the question in paragraph 1?| A．To offer a tip. | B．To present a belief. |
| C．To predict the ending. | D．To introduce the topic. |
| A．Warmth. | B．Selflessness. | C．Smartness. | D．Talent. |
| A．Leave a job. | B．Catch a big fire. | C．Cause bad effects. | D．Shoot bullets from a gun. |
| A．Competence first, warmth second | B．The importance of first impression |
| C．Trust deciding first good impressions | D．The secret to success of MBA students |
6 . Schools in US are huge consumers of energy. According to ENERGY STAR, K- 12 schools spend more than $6 billion every year on energy, far more than the amount spent on other resources, and at least 30 percent of this energy is used inefficiently or needlessly.
Realizing that, some schools are seeking measures to save energy in several ways, from low-cost adjustments, such as turning off lights in unused rooms, to large-scale projects, such as turning to green equipment.
As solar energy is becoming a more financial choice for powering buildings, more schools are making the move toward the renewable energy and using solar panels(太阳能电池板)on their rooftops. According to an online solar marketplace EnergySage, schools have their strong points to use solar energy. They often have the kind of enough space, suitable locations that are perfect for setting up solar panels.
In September 2020, a nonprofit Generation180 released its third edition of a study on solar use in US schools. The findings showed that more than 7, 300, or 55 percent, of K- 12 public and private schools used solar energy, the number has increased by 81 percent since 2014.
They also described how solar schools were saving millions in energy bills, and provided several cases to show the increased savings achieved by solar-powered school districts. For ex- ample, an Arkansas school district used its every year's energy savings of nearly $100, 000 to increase its teachers' salaries.
The Interstate Renewable Energy Council, which tracks the number of K- 12 schools with solar equipment and helps schools go solar, says on its website that schools with solar setups have an opportunity to educate students about clean energy, and show them that they are de- voted to do something for students' and the planet's health and future.
Third-party ownership also makes funding for 79 percent of schools to use solar energy possible, meaning a majority of schools don't have to spend large amounts of money but can get the rewards of solar energy.
1. How does the author lead in the topic of the text in the first paragraph?| A．By raising a problem. |
| B．By giving an example. |
| C．By making a comparison. |
| D．By offering an evidence. |
| A．Free access to using solar energy. |
| B．Enough space to fix solar equipment. |
| C．Financial support from solar marketplace. |
| D．Being the largest consumers of the energy. |
| A．Increasing their operating expense |
| B．Threatening their teachers' income. |
| C．Raising the students' environmental awareness. |
| D．Reducing their total amount of energy consuming. |
| A．Achievable | B．Doubtful. | C．Challenging. | D．Worrying. |
1. What did the woman do to what the man said?
| A．She wrote it down. | B．She repeated it. | C．She typed it out |
| A．Riding a bike. | B．Listening to music. | C．Getting on a car. |
| A．At 7:20 a. m. yesterday. |
| B．At 7:20 a. m. today. |
| C．At 7:20 p. m. today. |
| A．Record their conversation |
| B．Copy his ID card. |
| C．Sign his name |
8 . LOS ANGELES—There are 69,144 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles, the most populous(人口稠密的) county(县) in the United States, according to the results of the 2022 Homeless Count released by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) on Thursday.
The number marks a 4.1 percent rise from the last count in 2020, said the authority, adding that a count was not conducted in 2021 in the county, home to around 10 million residents, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The results of the count, conducted over three nights in February, also showed 41,980 people were experiencing homelessness in the City of Los Angeles, up 1.7 percent from 2020. The City of Los Angeles is the part of Los Angeles County and also the biggest city in the county.
LAHSA said in a news release that this year’s homeless count results offer a clear contrast(差距) to the results between 2018 and 2020, when Los Angeles County saw a 25.9 percent increase and the City of Los Angeles experienced a 32 percent increase. The authority noted that “Angelenos(洛杉矶人) need more affordable homes and economic help to prevent future increases in homelessness.”
LAHSA said the agency and its partners have made 84,000 housing placements(安置) over the past five years. Thanks to a 62 percent increase in shelter(居所) beds since 2019, more people are in shelter than ever before, said the agency, adding that “shelter is a necessary and key part of our system because bringing people inside protects them from the destructive effects on their health and safety that comes. from experiencing unsheltered homelessness.”
Los Angeles has one of the highest rates of unemployment and homelessness in the United States, according to usabynumbers.com. The website reported in June that the total number of homeless people in the United States is over 553,000, and that’s 170 out of every 100,000 people experiencing homelessness in the country right now.
1. When is there no figure of homeless people of the county?| A．In 2019. | B．In 2020. | C．In 2021. | D．In 2022. |
| A．The effects of homelessness on people’s health and safety. |
| B．The most practical way to raise money for the homeless. |
| C．The useful measure to deal with the problem of homelessness. |
| D．The reasons why there are so many homeless people in the county. |
| A．Injury. | B．Joblessness. | C．Fighting. | D．Treatment. |
| A．Angelenos need more affordable homes |
| B．Total number of homeless people in US is over 553,000 |
| C．Angelenos need more economic help to prevent future homelessness |
| D．Over 69,000 people experience homelessness in US most populous county |
9 . In recent years, the number of young adults returning to their parents’ homes after leaving has risen. This is the Boomerang Generation, becoming independent only to return to their parents’ homes like boomerangs. A boomerang is a curved(呈弯曲状的) stick that, when thrown in a particular way, comes back to the person who threw it.
One of our family members had a college roommate who dropped out(辍学) and went back to her parents because she was unable to wash her clothes. This is quite a funny example, but stories like these are plentiful. The dropout and many other young adults are often short of basic life skills, so they move out of the family home for a time and then boomerang right back.
We believe having more real-life learning in high school may solve young adults’ inability to become independent. This can be achieved through simply including extra Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills requirements for life skills. The TEKS would include learning about taxes(税), banking, health, voting(选举), job interviews, cooking, and many other important skills.
These areas of study happen to go with required courses. For learning how to do taxes, we would want to include a TEKS in math classes. In an economics class, we would require students to learn about banking and housing. In history class, students would have to learn about the importance of voting. In English class, students could learn about jobs. Cooking would be added to health class.
If in high school we can teach these skills, graduates going to college or trade school won’t need to worry about their living skills and can focus on their education. More students can finish their studies and get degrees. And once out of college or trade school, young people can focus on their jobs and responsibilities as adults. Thus jobs will be done better, people will better understand their role in society and be better rounded as both students and individuals(个人).
1. Which of the following best describes the Boomerang Generation?| A．They depend on their parents. | B．They show great interest in sports. |
| C．They like to take on new challenges. | D．They want to leave their parents’ homes. |
| A．To attract readers with a funny story. |
| B．To offer some advice for college dropouts. |
| C．To explain the cause of boomeranging back. |
| D．To show the Boomerang Generation’s influence. |
| A．It is easy for students to learn the TEKS. |
| B．They can be included in required courses. |
| C．More life skills should be added to the TEKS. |
| D．The TEKS proves to be important to students. |
| A．Teach students life skills. | B．Work together with parents. |
| C．Accept the Boomerang Generation. | D．Offer more support to trade schools. |
10 . The village of Hallstatt in Austria is a collection of old buildings. In summer, the mountains are green and the village is lovely. In winter, it’s like something out of a snow-covered fairy tale. Now it is being overrun with tourists, partly because it looks like the village from the movie Frozen. The town’s mayor is actually hoping that many tourists will stay away.
Hallstatt is small. Fewer than 800 people live there. But the number of visitors who arrive each day is huge — up to 10,000 visitors a day. Hallstatt’s popularity first began when it became a World Heritage Site in 1997. But the number of visitors increased quickly after the release of Disney’s movie Frozen in 2013. Though much of Frozen was based on life in Norway, Hallstatt looks a lot like Arendelle, the main village in the movie. Some people believe that Arendelle was based on Hallstatt.
Much of the tourism is driven by social media. Many of the visitors seem mainly interested in taking photos with the village in the background. Some local people feel stressed about it. With 10,000 visitors a day, that’s over 12 tourists for every person in Hallstatt. One man said his mother had woken up one day to find tourists in her bedroom.
The mayor would prefer to have fewer tourists. He thinks the town would be just fine with about one third fewer visitors each year. Starting from this year, Hallstatt will begin a program to reduce the number of buses bringing visitors to the village.
Before the tourism boomed, local people would leave Hallstatt to find work. Now many people depend upon the tourists for their living. Hotel rooms can cost between $350 and $450. And it costs over one dollar to use the public bathroom in Hallstatt. With 10,000 visitors a day, even toilets can be good business.
1. What do we know about the village of Hallstatt in Austria?| A．It has appeared in many famous movies. |
| B．It is beautiful but crowded with tourists. |
| C．It has a small population for its bad weather. |
| D．It is an old village with poor customer service. |
| A．Visitors were welcome to stay at local homes. |
| B．Local life was badly influenced by visitors. |
| C．Social media brought visitors to his village. |
| D．The locals had a close relationship with visitors. |
| A．Sigh. | B．Drop. | C．Decline. | D．Rocket. |
| A．Hallstatt is having fewer visitors for the high cost. |
| B．Local people are satisfied with their life in Hallstatt. |
| C．Tourism brings both trouble and benefits to local people. |
| D．Local people have difficulty improving the housing service. |
