1 . Why do farmers grow crops outside in fields when we can arrange them vertically (垂直地)? The idea of vertical farming was first proposed in 1999. It was seen as a way to save space, reduce air miles and transform old and abandoned buildings, like warehouses. In 2021, Fortune Business Insights valued the global vertical farming market at 3.47 billion dollars. Now, however, this industry is under threat, partly due to rising energy costs.
According to the magazine Science Focus, vertical farming gives ten times the yield (产量) of conventional outdoor farming. However, in order for crops to grow using this method, plants are placed in a controlled environment, grown not under the Sun, but under LED lights and watered with recycled water pumped on a closed-loop system (闭环系统).
Unfortunately, energy prices have risen across the globe. Therefore, this reliance on electricity has meant the last few years have not been easy for the industry. Cindy van Rijswick, from the Dutch research firm RaboResearch, has estimated that operational costs for a vertical farm are around 15% higher now compared to 18 months ago. Infarm, Europe’s largest vertical farming company, made around500 employees redundant (被裁员的) in November 2022 because they needed to downsize. They blamed higher operating costs due to energy increases as one reason for the layoffs.
Another issue related to the cost-of -living crisis and affecting vertical farming is the type of produce grown. This includes herbs such as basil, as well as salad leaves and leafy greens. Compared to traditionally farmed plants, like onions and carrots, these products tend to be more expensive, which could lead to reduced demand as consumers become more cautious about their spending.
So, it seems that a future with food grown under LED lights is looking less and less bright.
1. What is the feature of vertical farming?| A．Saving urban land and achieving zero emissions. |
| B．Demanding highly technical and complex control. |
| C．High energy consumption and low output value. |
| D．Making full use of sunlight and water resources. |
| A．By making assumptions. |
| B．By criticizing a typical behaviour. |
| C．By listing specific data and facts. |
| D．By referring to a social phenomenon. |
| A．Vertical farming avoids climate and disaster impacts. |
| B．Vertical farming costs jumped due to higher energy prices. |
| C．Vertical farming grows high-value, cost-effective produce. |
| D．High yield protects vertical farming from market competition. |
| A．Is This the End of Vertical Farming? | B．Is Vertical Farming Highly Efficient? |
| C．Challenges Industrial Agriculture Faces | D．New Trends in Vertical Agriculture |
2 . Hawaii lawmakers are considering legislation (立法) that would require visitors to pay for a year-long license or pass to visit state parks. Josh Green is the state’s governor. He said, “We get between 9 and 10 million visitors a year, but we only have 1.4 million people living here.” He added, “Those 10 million travellers should be helping us sustain our environment.” Lawmakers still debating how much they would charge.
The governor campaigned in 2022 on the idea of having all tourists pay a $50 fee to enter the state. Legislators think this would violate US constitutional protections for free travel. They instead think visitors should pay to enter parks and trails. Either policy would be a first of its kind for any US state. Hawaii’s leaders are following the example of other popular tourist areas with similar fees or taxes. They include Venice, Italy, and Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands.
Hawaii State Representative Sean Quinlan is the leader of the House Tourism Committee. He said changes in the activities of travellers are part of Hawaii’s push. He said golf rounds per visitor per day have dropped 30 percent over the past 10 years while hiking has increased50 percent. People are also seeking out isolated places they have seen on social media. The state does not have the money to oversee and protect all these places, he said.
Most state parks and trails are currently free. Some of the most popular ones already charge, like Diamond Head State Monument. That trail leads hikers from the floor of a 300,000-year-old volcano up to the top. It gets 1 million visitors each year and costs $5for each traveller.
A bill currently before the legislature would require visitors over the age of 15to buy a yearly pass to visit forests, parks, trails or “other natural area on state land”. People who live in Hawaii would not need to pay.
1. What does the underlined word “violate” mean in Paragraph 2?| A．Break. | B．Establish. | C．Uphold. | D．Perfect. |
| A．The decreasing number of tourists to Hawaii. |
| B．Advantages of Hawaii’s tourism resources. |
| C．The increasing financial burden of Hawaii. |
| D．One reason for wanting to charge tourists. |
| A．None of the attractions in Hawaii charge fees currently. |
| B．The goal to charge fees is to limit the number of tourists. |
| C．Lawmakers are arguing about whether charging fees is legal. |
| D．Charging fees is beneficial for Hawaii’s natural environment. |
| A．A news report. | B．A travel guide. |
| C．A law textbook. | D．A promotional brochure. |
3 . 17-year-old Addison Bethea had her world turned upside down in late June when she was bitten by a shark while playing near Keaton Beach, Florida.
Addison is a cheerleader and a tennis player. And she is also quite young to experience such a serious
As a native of Florida, Addison knew that if
Addison’s elder brother, Rhett Willingham, was swimming nearby when he heard his sister
About her brother, Addison said, “He’s always been kind of
The injuries in Addison’s right leg were extremely serious.
| A．competition | B．accident | C．journey | D．quarrel |
| A．positive | B．bad | C．polite | D．rude |
| A．missed | B．touched | C．attacked | D．seen |
| A．another | B．herself | C．them | D．it |
| A．escape | B．sink | C．dive | D．swim |
| A．arguing | B．joking | C．screaming | D．singing |
| A．taxi | B．bus | C．train | D．boat |
| A．invitation | B．apology | C．care | D．rule |
| A．with | B．like | C．for | D．over |
| A．trouble | B．debt | C．wonder | D．charge |
| A．fight | B．relationship | C．system | D．tradition |
| A．Typically | B．Immediately | C．Cautiously | D．Fortunately |
| A．study | B．task | C．recovery | D．training |
| A．relied on | B．took on | C．put on | D．turned on |
| A．play | B．jump | C．run | D．survive |
4 . In an increasingly fast-paced world that rewards immediacy, urgency culture makes it hard to tell what is truly important and what is not. At work, this could involve handling frequent last- minute requests, unrealistic deadlines, and the expectation to be reachable even after hours. In personal life, behaviour patterns of urgency culture include overextending in relationships, frequently checking social media updates out of fear of missing out, and responding immediately to calls and texts, even when it’s inconvenient.
The constant rush to be “always on” professionally and personally can create stress. Being part of the “always on” culture often involves multitasking. However, research shows every time we multitask, it actually slows the brain down and may reduce productivity by up to 40 percent. Meanwhile, constant overstimulation - a significant contributor to urgency culture- will debilitate your dopamine (多巴胺) system. In short, the more overstimulated you are, the less joy you can feel. Over time, urgency culture can also be harmful to physical health. A false sense of urgency tricks the body into reacting as if it’ s in a threatening situation, activating the “fight-or- flight” response. Your breathing becomes faster, your blood pressure and heart rate go up, and you lose the ability to regulate emotions, and an overactive fight-or-fight response contributes to high blood pressure, poor quality of sleep and eating disorders.
To avoid the urgency trap, experts recommend pausing for a few moments before leaping into action every time something comes up. It allows you to step back and assess whether this demand for your attention is in line with your priorities. Setting clear expectations in personal and professional relationships can also help plan, prioritize and problem-solve without causing false urgency. The best thing you can do to deal with urgency culture is to regularly engage in activities that remind you there is no rush.
1. Which of the following can be described as “urgency culture” according to paragraph 1?| A．Focusing on important matters. | B．Finishing work before deadline. |
| C．Giving everything high priority. | D．Maintaining useful relationships. |
| A．It contributes to their work efficiency. |
| B．They may feel under constant pressure. |
| C．It helps to slow down their working pace. |
| D．Their sense of achievement will decrease. |
| A．Weaken. | B．Balance. | C．Activate. | D．Divide. |
| A．The Power of Rush: The Secret to Modern Success |
| B．Stay Well-connected: The New Path to Personal Productivity |
| C．No Pressure, No Growth: Boosting Yourself in Urgency Culture |
| D．More Haste, Less Speed: Breaking Free From the “Always-on” Trap |
5 . On Christmas Eve, two little ducks were found frozen on a pond in Smithville, Ohio. They flapped their wings, fruitlessly struggling to free themselves on the ice until two locals spotted them and helped set the animals free. The two ducks were later named Olaf and Elsa, characters from Disney’s Frozen, and sent to an animal rescue organization.
“Every year in springtime, particularly at Easter, many people buy ducklings on impulse as gifts, often for their kids. People associate baby animals like ducklings, chicks, and bunnies with springtime,” says John Di Leonardo, an anthrozoologist. “But months later, animal rescuers routinely see a rise in abandoned ducks in local parks and ponds.”
Elsa and Olaf’s tough situation highlights the reason why domestic ducks always show up in local parks and ponds. Assuming they can live, their case is pretty similar to going to Yellowstone National Park and seeing a wolf and such like. “Oh, if this wolf can live well, my dog can do too,” says Adison Smith, president of Wasatch Wanderers Animal Rescue. “Those ducks lack hunting instincts, and many quickly starve to death or fall sick. A majority cannot fly because of small wings. They don’t migrate, so they can’t survive winter. They’re literally sitting ducks for predators (捕食者),” John Di Leonardo adds.
Since the issue is largely due to a lack of awareness, Adison Smith has started a campaign and hung more than 50 signs in a dozen cities to remind parkgoers that getting rid of pet ducks tends to be disastrous to them and can be illegal by the state law, “Our goal is to get the problem at its source,” Adison says. Most people tend to buy ducklings at stores for less than a dollar each, or kids take them home from school hatching projects.
“Though most abandoned ducks live short, miserable lives, Olaf and Elsa are an exception — they’ll spend their remaining days at Lasa Sanctuary in Wooster, Ohio, in a shelter with other ducks, clean hay, and protection against predators,” John Di Leonardo says.
1. Why did Olaf and Elsa appear on a frozen pond on Christmas Eve?| A．They starred in the film Frozen. | B．They practised their hunting skills. |
| C．They escaped from an animal shelter. | D．They were abandoned by their master. |
| A．Animals share a lot in living habits. | B．Pet ducks are less adaptable in the wild. |
| C．Yellowstone is a great place for wildlife. | D．Animals can get along well with each other. |
| A．Increasing the selling prices of ducks. |
| B．Reminding people to save our resources. |
| C．Educating people about the animal protection. |
| D．Appealing for the establishment of new animal laws. |
| A．Dangerous. | B．Easeful. | C．Restricted. | D．Exhausted. |
1. What does John Smith do?
| A．A student. | B．A professor. | C．A doctor. |
| A．She didn’t go to school. | B．She came across John Smith. | C．She had a car accident. |
| A．She won’t go to school for one week. |
| B．She will have a rest at home next week. |
| C．She wants to have her car repaired. |
7 . Pullman is a superb writer and Seagull is a brilliant communicator. They had a debate after Seagull posted a question on his social media platform: “When you were trying to create an environment for learning, what were your best pieces of classical music to listen to?” He received hundreds of suggestions — and one negative reply, from Pullman: “That’s not what classical music is for. Treat it with respect.”
That did it! Everyone — professional musicians, students, teachers — weighed into the argument, and the majority supported Seagull and were criticizing Pullman.
It’s easy to see why people are annoyed. We all want classical music to be as accessible as possible, especially to the young. If some of them are using Bach or Schubert as a tool to help them study, what’s the problem? They may also develop an attachment to classical music.
So is Pullman ridiculous and supercilious by objecting to classical music being used as background music? At first sight, his idea seems stuffy and extreme. By suggesting that classical music should be “treated with respect” and not used as background music, Pullman seems to be closing classical music of to millions of people.
It’s worth pointing out, however, that he isn’t the first to express concerns about classical music being devalued by becoming too commonplace in today’s technologically shaped world. In Benjamin Britten’s 1964 speech, the composer expressed exactly the same worries as Pullman. Britten suggested, “The true musical experience demands some preparation, some effort, a journey to a special place, saving up for a ticket, some homework perhaps”. In short, it demands as much effort from listeners as from composers and performers.
I don’t agree with such an extreme viewpoint, but I do think it touches on a reality. You will never fully grasp the beauty of classical music if you half-hear it only in the background. That doesn’t necessarily matter. Music can be enjoyed on many levels. What Pullman and Britten are really saying is that, in a drive for “accessibility”, we shouldn’t deny the emotional and intellectual complexity underpinning (构成) much classical music.
1. What did Seagull’s posting result in?| A．Great admiration for Seagull. |
| B．Public criticism of classical music. |
| C．A discussion about learning environments. |
| D．An argument over the role of classical music. |
| A．Self-important. | B．Open-minded. | C．Impatient. | D．Considerate. |
| A．To show his affection for classical music. |
| B．To introduce young people to classical music. |
| C．To demonstrate classical music is demanding. |
| D．To support Pullman’s idea over classical music. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Doubtful. | C．Objective. | D．Uninterested. |
8 . We are familiar with an old saying that “Clothes make the man”, which means good-looking outfits may possibly make a person better respected and look more like a true gentleman.
In summary,
| A．clothes do help in making an initial image, but do not make the man |
| B．As a result, all the people spare no money to buy expensive fine clothes |
| C．Clothes just make a man look better but will in no sense make a better person |
| D．But I have a different view on this issue |
| E．Thus, a man should be always dressed like a gentleman |
| F．for many people judge others only by the way they dress |
| G．If a man is well dressed, he will probably gain more confidence and dignity |
9 . Millions of shipping containers are sitting empty at ports all over the world. And they’ve been a treasure for architects Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Lignano.
The two were in San Francisco recently for the opening of an exhibition at Hosfelt Gallery focused on their use of shipping containers as building materials.
The Italian “starchitects” got into the shipping container building game in the 1990s and people like shipping container buildings not only because they look interesting but also because they seem to solve a problem — finding a use for the millions of used steel shipping containers across the planet. They’re used in projects like Photoville in New York City, which transforms the containers into mini art galleries, and Monarch Village, a development for formerly unhoused people in Lawrence, Kansas. “Shipping containers are great for building with because they are modular (模块化的), movable and durable,” said California architect Douglas Burnham.
But there also exist many challenges, a significant one of which is temperature control. Those steel boxes get very cold inside in winter — and very, very hot in summer.
Joe Carroll lived in an eye-catching shipping container home designed by LOT-EK for five years. Carroll said that he appreciated many things about LOT-EK’s approach. “It’s about designing structures that are unique looking, not just a row of cubes (立方体),” said Carroll. But Carroll also said his energy bills were sky high. “There was no heat or solar energy,” he said. “We didn’t have any of that in the home.” All that heating and cooling takes not only money but environmental resources.
So what should we do with them? Critics say the most environmentally friendly use of all these unused steel shipping containers is to recycle them. “The highlight of these containers is, ‘Well, we’re saving them.’ But it doesn’t make any sense,” said San Francisco-based architect Mark Hogan of Open Scope Studio, who has publicly shared his concerns about shipping container housing. “You’d be much better off recycling the container into steel and then build out of steel studs — like the normal way you’d build a building.”
1. What was the focus of the exhibition at Hosfelt Gallery?| A．Traditional building materials. |
| B．Artistic paintings and sculptures. |
| C．Architecture photography collection. |
| D．Shipping containers in building projects. |
| A．Advantages of shipping container buildings. |
| B．Representative projects of LOT-EK architects. |
| C．Ideal locations for shipping container complexes. |
| D．Procedures of building shipping container projects. |
| A．To show the cost-effectiveness of the home. |
| B．To emphasize the high energy consumption. |
| C．To illustrate the unique design of the structure. |
| D．To prove the convenience of heat and solar resources. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Unconcerned. |
| C．Curious. | D．Critical. |
内容包括：
1.简单介绍微信能给你带来什么；
2.微信朋友圈浏览爱好比例分析；
3.简单给与评论；
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2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
A survey on WeChat Moments
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