1 . Every 40 days a language dies. This “catastrophic” loss is being intensified by the climate crisis, according to linguists. If nothing is done, conservative estimates suggest that half of all the 7,000 languages currently spoken will be extinct by the end of the century.
Speakers of minority languages have experienced a long history of persecution (迫害), with the result that by the 1920s half of all indigenous (土著的) languages in Australia, the US, South Africa and Argentina were extinct. The climate crisis is now considered the “final nail in the coffin” for many indigenous languages and the knowledge they represent.
“Languages are already endangered,” says Anastasia Rachel, director of the Strathy language unit at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Huge factors are globalization and migration, as communities move to regions where their language is not spoken or valued, according to Rachel. “It seems particularly cruel,” she says, “that most of the world’s languages are in parts of the world that are growing unpleasant to people.” Vanuatu, a South Pacific island nation measuring 12, 189 km2, has 110 languages, the highest density of languages on the planet. It is also one of the countries most at risk of sea level rise. “Marty small language communities are on islands and coastlines easily subject to hurricanes and sea level rise,” she says. Others live on lands where rising temperature threatens traditional farming and fishing practices, leading to migration.
In response to the crisis, the UN launched the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL) in 2022. Promoting and conserving languages of indigenous communities is “not only important for them, but for all humanity”, said Csaba Korosi, the UN general assembly president, urging countries to allow access to education in indigenous languages.
1. Which statement best describes the facts of languages?| A．Climate change is the only challenge for minority languages. |
| B．Half of all the languages spoken will be extinct in the future. |
| C．Climate crisis is a huge threat to many indigenous languages. |
| D．Poor education is the direct cause of disappearing languages. |
| A．To explain the main reason for language density. |
| B．To show the common features of endangered languages. |
| C．To stress the impact of geographical position on migration. |
| D．To illustrate the situation of minority language communities. |
| A．Support migrants to access local education. |
| B．Discourage people from massive migration. |
| C．Protect the environment to reduce the temperature. |
| D．Preserve the languages of indigenous communities. |
| A．Faced with Disasters: Communities Have to Leave |
| B．Upset at Extinction: UN Urges International Cooperation |
| C．Lost for Words: Climate Crisis Brings Threat of Catastrophe |
| D．Involved in Action: Experts Seek Solutions to Climate Crisis |
2 . “Beauty is only skin deep” it is said. This means that a person’s appearance is not as important as their character. Yet it is strange why people and especially women are willing to spend a fortune on making themselves more attractive physically.
Attractive people are more popular generally. Beauty draws a positive response from the people around. This is obvious with children. For example, based on observation, there is a tendency for adults to treat good-looking children better. This favorable treatment continues into adulthood, as attractive people are more likely to be chosen for leadership positions and given more opportunities.
Another important benefit that good-looking people enjoy is that they find a husband or wife more easily.
On the other hand, beauty has a number of disadvantages as well. Firstly, a good-looking person tends to attract unwanted attention from all kinds of people. The admirer may have bad intentions and cause problems for the target.
While every individual should take care of their outward appearance and look their best, they should not neglect (忽视) their inner beauty or character.
| A．Life is not always easy for beautiful people. |
| B．The skincare industry is a multi-billion dollar business. |
| C．It turns out being conventionally beautiful has its benefits. |
| D．It is a fact that people are first attracted to outward appearance. |
| E．They should not place such importance on beauty that they become proud. |
| F．Being well-treated gives attractive people more confidence and they perform better. |
| G．Another problem faced by good-looking people is that they may not be taken seriously. |
3 . Two-thirds of the world population lives under conditions where the freshwater demand is more than twice the natural water availability for at least one month per year. According to official statistics, one billion of those live in India and 0.9 billion live in China. Other areas facing this problem for longer periods include Bangladesh (130 million people), the western and southern states of the USA (130 million), Pakistan (120 million), Nigeria (110 million), and Mexico (90 million).
Communities use a range of techniques to overcome this issue. In dry summers, those near the coast can desalinate (淡化) seawater, although the process requires a large amount of energy and expenditure. Some remote inland communities have alternative methods that suit their particular conditions. For example, many high-altitude Chilean communities in the Andes use fog collectors, specialized nets that can gather just a few liters a day.
Elsewhere, there’s another option available. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a new device that passively harvests water from the air around the clock. The device is made up of a specially coated glass pane (玻璃板) that reflects solar radiation and also radiates away its own heat. In doing so, it cools down by as much as 15 degrees Celsius below the surrounding temperatures. This difference in temperature between the air and the pane causes water vapor to condense (凝结) on its underside, which can then be easily collected.
Tests so far have been conducted on a university building in Zurich and suggest that the device can produce twice as much water per day as other passive water-collection technologies. Under ideal conditions, researchers harvested 0.53 decilitres of water per square metre of the surface per hour. “That’s close to the theoretical maximum value of 0.6 decilitres per hour, which is physically impossible to exceed,” says Iwan Hachler, a doctoral student who is working on the technology.
The zero-energy input of the set-up could make it suitable for use in developing countries, particularly in remote communities where water shortage is often combined with power shortages. The scientists are hopeful that the device could be used with other water-collection methods, such as desalination, to increase productivity.
1. What does the author want to tell us by mentioning official statistics in Paragraph 1?| A．Fresh water insecurity is a global crisis. |
| B．Water resources are unevenly distributed globally. |
| C．Lack of water seriously restricts many countries’ growth. |
| D．Developed countries are better at handling water shortages. |
| A．By harvesting water from fog. |
| B．By bringing in seawater and purifying it. |
| C．By moving to water-rich areas in summer. |
| D．By cutting down on their water consumption. |
| A．To hold the condensed water. | B．To work as a cooling surface. |
| C．To get rid of harmful solar radiation. | D．To record the changes in temperature. |
| A．It produces satisfying outcomes. | B．It is limited to laboratory environments. |
| C．It has met with theoretical bottlenecks. | D．It needs further confirmation from experts. |
4 . About one-tenth of the world’s population suffers from hunger and nearly one in three people face food insecurity, according to recent estimates. Yet behind those striking figures hides another, closely related threat: water insecurity.
In a new 25-country study, researchers report a strong link between water insecurity, a lack of reliable access to sufficient water, and food insecurity. The researchers analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of over 31, 000 people ages 15 and older in 25 low-and middle-income countries across Africa, Latin America and Asia. Overall, about 18% of participants were classified as water insecurity. This ranged from about 15%in Asia to over 34% in sub-Saharan Africa.
The findings, based on data collected for the first time in 2020 by Northwestern University and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO), suggest that improving access to water could be key to sustainably and effectively addressing food insecurity in many places.
While the study did not assess the causes of food or water insecurity, researchers said several factors could explain the linkage. For those living in poverty, spending money on water can mean less money available for food. For farmers, water insecurity can mean less water available for growing crops and raising livestock. Time is also an issue: Traveling far from home to collect water shifts the time available to generate income or prepare food.
Based on these findings, researchers suggested food insecurity and water insecurity should be measured and addressed at the same time. This would ensure that insufficient water does not pose an additional barrier to food security and in particular to food utilization (使用), for example, by preventing people from using food provided by food assistance programs because there is no water to prepare it. As such, efforts to improve access to water could also bring benefits for food security.
1. What is the purpose of paragraph 1?| A．To list some figures. | B．To make an estimate. |
| C．To introduce the topic. | D．To make a comparison. |
| A．Through experimental test. | B．Through doing surveys. |
| C．Through field research. | D．Through data analysis. |
| A．By bettering water supply. | B．By raising food awareness. |
| C．By exploring water sources. | D．By improving access to food. |
| A．No place to prepare it. | B．Lack of water to cook it. |
| C．No means to transport it. | D．Short of money to buy it. |
5 . The passenger who successfully landed a plane after its pilot fell unconscious told about the experience. Darren Harrison was on his way back from a fishing trip in the Bahamas when the pilot told him and the other passenger, a friend of the pilot’s, that he didn’t feel right.
Harrison quickly asked the pilot what needed to be done by the point when the pilot was already unresponsive. Making his way to the front of the plane, he realized that the aircraft was in a nose dive, moving at a very fast rate over the open ocean. “At that point, I knew if I didn’t react, we would die,” said Harrison.
Harrison reached over the pilot’s body and positioned his arms over him to grab the controls, slowly starting to pull back on the stick and turn. He did all this just out of common sense. Harrison said that the first moments before he made any communication with ground controls stood out to him as the scariest part of the whole story.
Barefoot in the front of the plane, he placed the headset that the pilot had been wearing on his head, only to discover the cord (电线)was worn and unplugged. From there, he asked the other passenger for his headset and was able to connect. with air traffic control, who guided him on how to safely land. Once they reached the ground, Harrison said he slowly feathered the brakes as they made it down the runway.
When the aircraft finally came to a stop, Harrison said he thanked the man on the other side of the headset before throwing it on the dash of the plane. He said his strongest prayer was “for the guy in the back” while he prayed for the safety of everything that happened.
1. What did Harrison do before boarding the aircraft?| A．He went fishing. | B．He swam in the sea. |
| C．He hiked along the seaside. | D．He learned how to fly a plane. |
| A．After hearing the pilot’s words. | B．After realizing what happened. |
| C．During the landing of the plane. | D．Before initially contacting air traffic control. |
| A．Paragraph 1 and paragraph 2. | B．Paragraph 2 and paragraph 3. |
| C．Paragraph 3 and paragraph 4. | D．Paragraph 4 and paragraph 5. |
| A．Rich and successful. | B．Calm and responsive. |
| C．Optimistic and happy. | D．Humorous and helpful. |
6 . Before you throw that old cell phone in the trash, or hide it away in a drawer, think again. There are actually many ways to deal with a mobile phone that you are no longer using.
First, you should be aware that in many places, throwing away cell phones is actually illegal because the batteries, especially in very old phones, can contain poisonous metals.
Many schools and local charities now have recycling programs. And they do make a little bit on each donation.
You might also want to hang onto any accessories(配件)that you have.
| A．You certainly don’t need to pay to recycle an old cell phone |
| B．There are better places to get rid of them than your trash can |
| C．Things like chargers or covers can often be used with your new phone |
| D．Local charities have contributed a lot in repairing unwanted phones |
| E．As people move to bigger and better phones |
| F．The saying that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure certainly applies |
| G．If you can’t find a large cell phone recycling program in your area |
7 . South Korea has the biggest rate of Internet addiction in the world and it is increasingly the country’s children who are spending every waking moment immersing themselves in fantasy role plays or gaming In the remote mountains of South Korea, teenage Internet addicts are turning up for a 12-day boot camp.
Kyle Won’s addiction is out of control. He spends 10 hours a day on the Internet. Now Kyle’s smartphone is taken away. The teachers here do what they can to get them socializing again; for many, the only friends they have had are online. “I have relationships on the Internet and a real distance has gown with my real-life friends and I know it’s not good,” Kyle said. The teachers show them other possibilities and bring back dreams and hopes that have been buried by their addictions. “We teach them methods of managing their desire to use the Internet so that they can continue to use it when they go back home,” Shim Yong-school, a teacher here, said. After just two days Kyle said It was helpful. He’s set a good example to others though he hasn’t reached the goal completely.
Sout Korean psychiatrists (精神病专家) are urging more/action as they are finding evidence that too much screen time is a barrier to the developing minds. Professor Kang Seak Young from Dankook, University said the addiction was damaging critical thinking. “It affects the frontal lobes (额叶) which are important to critical analysis” Professor Kang said. “Reading a book and guessing what happens in the story next show activity in frontal lobes but playing popular computer games for a long time shows no activity.”
South Korea is one of the most wired nations on Earth, but it does have a cost. One in every ten kids is an addict so the country is now learning how to manage its high-tech future to avoid more serious consequences.
1. What do the teachers in the camp teach teenagers to do?| A．Self-manage their smartphones. | B．Attain something beyond the Internet. |
| C．Make online friends more wisely. | D．Keep away from electronic products. |
| A．He faced the most serious addiction. | B．He has succeeded in kicking the addiction. |
| C．He’s the representative of the addicts. | D．He participated in the camp actively. |
| A．The importance of offline reading. | B．The effects of frontal lobes on thinking. |
| C．The popularity of kids’ Internet games. | D．The harm of Internet addiction to brains. |
| A．There are two sides to every coin. | B．No pain, no gain. |
| C．It’s good to learn at another man’s cost. | D．Prevention is better than cure. |
8 . Rubbish of all kinds is piling up in landfill and polluting our rivers and oceans. A more recent addition to the list of things we discard is e-waste — electronic items that are broken and not recycled. A UN report claims the 50 million tonnes of e-waste produced every year will more than double to 110 million tonnes by 2050, making it the fastest growing waste stream in the world. Now ways are being found to give it a new life.
There’s a growing trend for repair events and clubs which could be part of a solution to the growing amount of electrical and electronic garbage. The BBC visited a Restart Project in London, which is one of the many found around the world. One of its volunteers, Francesco Calo said, “This project allows you to reduce waste, lengthen the life of objects, and it helps people who cannot afford to get rid of items that have developed a fault. ”
Electronics consist of materials like plastic, metals, chemicals and glass. As many electrical items contain valuable metals, another idea is e-waste mining. An experiment at the University of New South Wales includes extracting (提取) these materials from electronic items. It’s thought that doing this could be more profitable than traditional mining. With phones typically containing as many as 60 components, this could be part of the solution to our appetite for new technology.
These projects make total sense — collections of e-waste for recycling are not progressing or even decreasing according to Ruediger Kuehr of the United Nations University. And in countries where there are no recycling laws, much of it is got rid of. However, the European Union, for example, is trying to settle the problem by insisting business firms have to make appliances longer-lasting and have to supply spare parts for machines for up to 10 years.
1. What does the underlined word “discard” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．throw away | B．take apart |
| C．make the best of | D．put together |
| A．Collect electronic garbage. | B．Use their electronics longer. |
| C．Buy good-quality electronics. | D．Get jobs in recycling companies. |
| A．Hard plastic. | B．Precious metals. |
| C．Toughened glass. | D．Various chemicals. |
| A．Improving recycling process. | B．Replacing spare parts timely. |
| C．Using electronics permanently. | D．Making e-waste recycling laws. |
9 . With the young unable to afford to leave home and the old at risk of isolation (孤独), more families are choosing to live together.
The doorway to peace and quiet,for Nick Bright at least, leads straight to his mother-in-law, she lives on the ground floor, while he lives upstairs with his wife and their two daughters.
Four years ago they all moved into a three-storey Victorian house in Bristol—one of a growing number of multigenerational families in the UK living together under the same roof. They share a front door and a washing machine, but Rita Whitehead has her own kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room on the ground floor.
“We floated the idea to my mum of sharing at a house,” says Kathryn Whitehead. Rita cuts in: “We spoke more with Nick because I think it’s a big thing for Nick to live with his mother-in-law. ”
And what does Nick think? “From my standpoint,it all seems to work very well. Would I recommend it? Yes, I think I would. ”
It’s hard to tell exactly how many people agree with him, but research indicates that the numbers have been rising for some time. Official reports suggest that the number of households with three generations living together had risen from 325,000 in 2002 to 419,000 in 2013.
Other varieties of multigenerational family are more common. Some people live with their elderly parents; many more adult children are returning to the family home, if they ever left. It is said that about 20% of 25—34-year-olds live with their parents,compared with 16% in 1991. The total number of all multigenerational households in Britain is thought to be about 1.8 million.
Stories like that are more common in parts of the world where multigenerational living is more firmly rooted. In India, particularly outside cities, young women are expected to move in with their husband’s family when they get married.
1. Who mainly uses the ground floor in the Victorian house in Bristol?| A．Nick. | B．Rita. |
| C．Kathryn. | D．The daughters. |
| A．Family traditions. | B．Financial reports. |
| C．Public opinions. | D．Published statistics. |
| A．A rising trend of living in the UK. | B．Conflicts between generations. |
| C．A housing problem in Britain. | D．Lifestyles in different countries. |
1. 简述你校食堂餐桌浪费现象；
2. 提出解决办法；
3. 倡议共同行动。
注意：1. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
2. 词数100左右（开头已经给出，但不计入总词数)。
参考词汇：节约 thrift； 光盘行动 “Clean Your Plate” campaign
Dear fellow students,
I am Li Hua, president of the Student Union.
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The Student Union
