1 . Millions of highly polluting used cars from rich countries are being" dumped" on developing nations, according to a UN report. Between 2015 and 2018, some 14 million older, poor quality vehicles were exported(出口) from Europe, Japan and the US. Four out of five were sold to poorer countries, with more than half going to Africa.
Experts say that up to 80% failed to meet-minimum safety and environmental standards in exporting countries. As well as causing accidents, these cars make air pollution worse and contribute heavily to climate change. Many of the vehicles have also been tampered with(篡改) to remove valuable parts.
The report, published by the UN Environment Programme (Unep), says that both exporters and importers need to put tougher regulations (rules) in place to stem the flow of these cars. Car ownership is booming(繁荣) all over the world with an estimated 1.4 billion vehicles on the roads, a number that's expected to reach around two billion by 2040. Much of that growth is happening in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
A second study on the issue, by the Netherlands Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate, shows that many cars and vans shipped from Dutch ports to Africa are outdated and contribute to worsening air quality on the continent. According to the authors, these cars are both “dangerous and dirty.” They believe these imports are responsible for increased levels of road accidents in many poorer African and Asian countries.
The growing realization of the dangers posed by these cars has seen several importing countries strengthen their regulations. Morocco only permits cars less than five years old to be imported. Kenya also has an age limit of eight years for imported cars. On a regional level, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), representing15 countries, has set cleaner fuel and vehicle standards from January 2021.
But to really deal with the issue will require action at both ends of the supply chain. "On one hand，I think it's unethical(不道德的) that these developed countries export vehicles that are not roadworthy on their own roads," said Rob de Jong, one author." On the other hand, why have the importing countries been waiting so long to put in place some minimum standards? So I think the responsibility is not only on the exporting country, it's really a joint responsibility."
1. What problems do the "dumped" cars cause to developing countries?| A．Car ownership is booming in these countries. |
| B．These countries are becoming poorer and poorer. |
| C．They worsen the air quality and lead to road accidents. |
| D．These countries have to make rules to handle climate change. |
| A．stop | B．increase | C．lead | D．distract |
| A．importing countries strengthen their regulations |
| B．exporting countries get punished for their behavior |
| C．both exporting and importing countries take action |
| D．limit be set on the age of the imported cars |
| A．Many used cars are exported to poor countries, which calls for action. |
| B．Developing countries are very weak in dealing with the import of used cars. |
| C．It's selfish for developed countries to export vehicles that are not roadworthy on their own roads. |
| D．Used cars contribute heavily to air pollution and climate change in poor countries. |
2 . You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (1860-1935)Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community (社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907-1964)If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness(意识) of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator (参议员) and in 1981, the first woman to join the U. S. Supreme Court (最高法院). O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks(1913-2005)On December 1,1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rasa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott (抵制). It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.
1. What is Jane Addams famous for in history?| A．Her social work. | B．Her teaching skills. |
| C．Her efforts to win a prize. | D．Her community background. |
| A．Not having training in law. | B．Her little work experience in court. |
| C．Her identity as a woman. | D．Her poor financial conditions. |
| A．Jane Addams. | B．Rachel Carson. |
| C．Sandra Day O’Connor. | D．Rosa Parks. |
| A．They are highly educated. | B．They are truly creative. |
| C．They are pioneers. | D．They are peace-lovers. |
3 . Empathy (同理心) is one of those strange qualities — something almost everyone wants, but few know how to truly give or receive it. In a world where self-satisfaction is emphasized, it is in short supply but high demand. This is all the more reason to teach the next generation what it means to have empathy for those around them.
What Is Empathy? — Many people confuse sympathy and empathy, but they are two distinct values. Empathy is not just the ability to understand someone's feelings; criminals often take advantage of people by appearing to understand their feelings and subsequently gaining their trust. Empathy is more than that. Not only is it the ability to recognize how someone feels, but it also values and respects the feelings of another person. It means treating others with kindness, dignity, and understanding.
Kids Need To See Adults Show Empathy — While some children are gifted with naturally kind hearts, in most cases kids need to see empathy modeled by the adults around them. It begins with the way parents relate to their children. Parents who show an interest in the things that matter to their kids and respond to emotions in a positive and caring way are teaching the skill of empathy.
Meet Emotional Needs — When children have their emotional needs met, two things happen. They learn how to meet the emotional needs of others and they are anchored in what they are receiving, meaning that they are secure enough to give to others when the need arises but first they need to receive. An empty jug cannot fill a cup.
It's a good idea to talk to kids about emotions and how other people experience them. Give their emotions names (for example, jealousy, anger, and love) and teach them that these are normal. Talk to them about how to handle emotions in a positive way and point out situations where other people are experiencing emotions. Teach them about respecting the emotions of others and show them how to act in a situation where a response is required.
1. Why is it that the next generation are taught to have empathy?| A．Because people tend to center themselves. | B．Because everyone lacks empathy. |
| C．Because empathy is a strange quality. | D．Because it's better to give than to receive. |
| A．When a mathematician is calculating the area of a farmland. |
| B．When a teacher is comforting a student about his failure in exams. |
| C．When a criminal is cheating a victim. |
| D．When a dancer is dancing to music. |
| A．An empty jug is too small to hold a cup. |
| B．It's a must to talk to kids about emotions. |
| C．Adults should set an example to kids. |
| D．Kids give empathy with their emotional needs met first. |
| A．How to train kids to have empathy. |
| B．How to distinguish sympathy and empathy. |
| C．How to help kids finish empathy-related tasks. |
| D．Whether kids can be trained to be more empathetic. |
4 . Whether you prefer history, art, special programming or something altogether different, the Museums in Atlanta will impress and delight you.
High Museum of Art
As one of the top art museums in the Southeast, High Museum of Art has an extensive collection of 19th and 20th-century American art and a significant amount of European artwork. There is a growing collection of African American art as well as modern and contemporary art. It is distinguished as the only major museum in North America to have a department specifically devoted to folk and self-taught art.
Delta Flight Museum
The Delta Flight Museum is an aviation and corporate museum located near the airline’s main hub. It is a nonprofit organization relying on volunteers, donations, special event rentals and Museum Store sales. It is considered an ongoing project and it collects various items year round.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Located along Ponce, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History is an interactive museum that will appeal to people of all ages. Permanent exhibits include dinosaur fossils and massive skeletons. Regularly scheduled educational and social events add to the appeal. The museum is also home to a five-story IMAX theater airing acclaimed nature films.
Children’s Museum of Atlanta
Founded in 1988 as a “Museum Without Walls,” the 16,316-square-foot museum includes exhibits designed for children under the age of nine and hosts field trips from schools and learning centers. The Imaginators invent fun hands-on activities for children, and create terrific programming, including original and lively 20-minute mini-musicals.
1. What’s the most distinct feature of High Museum of Art?| A．It has an extensive collection. |
| B．It has a folk and self-taught art section. |
| C．It’s the top art museum in the Southeast. |
| D．It has collections of modern and contemporary art. |
| A．High Museum of Art. | B．Delta Flight Museum. |
| C．Fernbank Museum of Natural History. | D．Children’s Museum of Atlanta. |
| A．Educational and social events. |
| B．Field trips and hands-on activities. |
| C．Original and lively 20-minute mini-movies. |
| D．Exhibits about dinosaur fossils and massive skeletons. |
5 . After her own experience using a service dog, Tabitha Bell understands how helpful a service dog is. Having learnt from her doctor that many people were unable to afford a service dog, Tabitha decided to start the organization Pawsitive Pawsibilities (Paws), which raises money to help people buy service dogs.
Amazing Kids (AK)：What has been the most difficult part of managing Paws?
Tabitha Bell(TB) ：It is always a struggle ( 难事) to come up with new and creative ways to raise money.
AK：What are the different ways that Paws raises money?
TB ：We have done dress competitions in my middle school and then my high school. I have done a benefit concert( 慈善音乐会) in my high school which I hope to continue in college. I put on my first
Super Paws 5k run in Utah and we are organizing our second for October in California. So we would love to have as much participation (参与) as we can get!
AK：How do you choose a puppyowner match?
TB：After we have a meeting with the person who needs a dog, we send them to a dog trainer and let the trainer make the final decision. The person will discuss with the trainer what jobs the dog has to do and then the trainer will find a dog that he thinks will suit the owner.
AK：What are your plans for the future?
TB：This fall I'm going to be attending the University of California, Berkeley. I am hoping to use my skills I get to encourage others and lead Paws to reach hopefully the whole nation.
1. What can we learn about Tabitha Bell?| A．She is good at training dogs. |
| B．She depends on a service dog to live. |
| C．She was studying at university when starting Paws. |
| D．She started Paws because of her doctor's suggestion. |
| A．Matching a dog with an owner. | B．Finding experienced dog trainers. | C．Reaching out for more people in need. | D．Working out good ways to collect money. |
| A．The person's doctor. | B．The dog trainer. | C．The dog owner. | D．The manager of Paws. |
6 . As the novel coronavirus epidemic continues, one school after another has organized online classes. The most common form is live streaming, in which all participants, teacher and students alike, sit in front of a computer camera and see each other via the platform.
Many teachers and students simply wear casual clothing for the class, and jokes emerge about each other’s appearance. After all, most of the time it is the teacher appearing on screen, and the students, even if called on by the teacher, will only show their faces.
Yet Shijiazhuang No.1 Middle School in Hebei province recently triggered heated discussion by requiring teachers to wear formal suits and students to wear uniforms while attending online classes.
By Saturday morning, the related topic has become one of the hottest topics on Sina Weibo, with 180 million views.
“The practice can improve students’ sense of formality in the online classes and make them more attentive, said Yao Haibo,” a head teacher of the school in a video clip. “It can also grant students a sense of honor and make them remember their identities as students.”
However, in the comment sections, some micro bloggers claiming to be students disagreed.
“Not useful. Whether one works hard or not is not decided by a uniform,” was the most highly voted comment, with 31,000 “likes”.
“Maybe a good move, but unnecessary,” was another highly voted comment.
Whatever the argument is, the problem might be solved in the not — so — distant future. According to official data, the number of newly confirmed diagnosed cases was 397 on Saturday.
The students and teachers might, hopefully, see each other in classrooms soon.
1. We can infer from the passage that ________.| A．online classes are popular in schools |
| B．teachers have classes online as the novel coronavirus epidemic continues |
| C．teachers and students can see each other via the platform |
| D．teachers mostly appear on screen while students not |
| A．jokes emerge about teachers and students’ appearance |
| B．it can improve students’ sense of formality |
| C．it can protect students from the novel coronaviruses |
| D．it can make students remember their identities as students |
| A．continue | B．stop | C．disappear | D．be forbidden |
| A．Negative. | B．Optimistic. | C．Supportive. | D．Objective. |
7 . Most of London's national museums are completely free of charge. So without cost to worry about, these are the must-see museums for art lovers on their first trip to London.
National Portrait Gallery
PHONE +44 20 7306 0055
Where else but the National Portrait Gallery can you find oil paintings of the Bronte sisters and William Shakespeare alongside black and white photographs of the Spice Girls and a mixed media portrait of J.K. Rowling? Featuring a collection of famous British people from the Tudor period to the present day, the National Portrait Gallery is a must for those who like British culture.
Science Museum
PHONE +44 33 3241 4000
Ideal for left-brainers, London's Science Museum celebrates scientific, technological, and mathematical achievements — but that makes it sound so serious. With interactive exhibits, flight simulators, an IMAX theater, and even a milkshake bar, a trip to the Science Museum is far from the boring science lessons from back in the day.
Churchill War Rooms
PHONE +44 20 7416 5000
The Imperial War Museum is a collection of five museums and sites. One of the collection' s most fascination inclusions is the Churchill War Rooms. Walking through the underground labyrinth （迷宫）of war rooms is literally walking in the footsteps of Sir Winston Churchill and his war cabinet during WWII
Natural History Museum
PHONE +44 20 7942 5000
Once the home to African elephant specimens and surprising casts of a Triceratops and Diplodocus, the museum' s main hall now floats the real skeleton of a blue whale high above visitors’ heads. Though no longer in the entry hall, you can still find dinosaurs here, such as the first fossil ever found from a T. rex.
1. Which is the best choice for J.K. Rowling’s fans?| A．National Portrait Gallery. | B．Science Museum. |
| C．Churchill War Rooms. | D．Natural History Museum. |
| A．View the arts of the Tudor period. | B．Enjoy a film in an IMAX theater. |
| C．Learn about the war history of Britain. | D．Watch the skeleton of a blue whale. |
| A．44 20 7306 0055. | B．44 33 3241 4000. |
| C．44 20 7416 5000. | D．44 20 7942 5000. |
8 . In recent years,stressed-out people living in cities have been seeking protection in green spaces for the proven positive impacts on physical and mental health,but the benefits of"blue space"-the sea and coastline,but also rivers,lakes,canals,waterfalls,even fountains-are less well advertised, yet the science has been consistent for at least a decade:being by water is good for body and mind.
＂Many of the processes are exactly the same as with green space-with some added benefits," says Dr Mathew White,a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter.
White says there are three established pathways by which the presence of water is positively related to health and happiness.First,there are the beneficial environmental factors,such as less polluted air and more sunlight.Second,people who live by water tend to be more physically active. Third-and this is where blue space seems to have an advantage over other natural environments-water has a psychological recovery effect.When you are sailing,surfing or swimming,says White,＂you're really in step with natural forces there."
Catherine Kelly is a wellness practitioner who teaches classes in"mindfulness by the sea”.She says the sea has a quality that can make people thoughtful.
＂To go to the sea means letting go,"says Kelly."It could be lying on a beach or somebody handing you a cocktail.For somebody else,it could be a wild,empty coast.But there is this really human sense of:'Oh, look,there's the sea-and the shoulders drop."
1. Why are blue spaces less popular than green spaces?| A．Because green spaces are good to people's health. |
| B．Because little research has been done on blue spaces. |
| C．Because green spaces have more benefits than blue spaces. |
| D．Because the benefits of green spaces are better advertised. |
| A．Where there's water,there's fresh air. |
| B．People living near water are healthier. |
| C．Water can help people restore mental health. |
| D．The sea can make people lost in deep thought. |
| A．The sea will bring you loneliness. |
| B．The sea will hurt your shoulder. |
| C．The sea will put you at ease. |
| D．The sea will make you feel down. |
| A．People in cities prefer green spaces. |
| B．Blue spaces help both physically and mentally. |
| C．Green spaces have been out of date. |
| D．Ways to keep us healthy. |
9 . There’s no doubt that one of the greatest human achievements is the exploration of the space. Ever since astronaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to be sent into the orbit around the moon in 1961, scientists have been pushing the boundaries further and further. But until now the exploration into the unknown has been dominated (主导) by men.
Of course, in the past, women were also included in the space projects and played an active role on the ground and behind the scenes. For example, they worked as seamstresses (女裁缝师), sewing vital spaceflight components. In fact, many of NASA’s key works would never have been possible without them. Recently Hollywood produced a movie called Hidden Figures to focus on a group of American female mathematicians, especially the black women, who helped NASA send the first American into space. But this was not women’s only contribution. Back in 1963, Soviet astronaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to be sent into space. However, after that, space flight programs were slow to employ women. In the USA. NASA didn’t accept applications from women to become astronauts until 1978.
But attitudes have changed and leading officials at NASA say that the first person to set foot on Mars should be a woman. The space agency aims to have a sex-balanced workforce but can only achieve that if equal numbers of men and women are trained for science and technology jobs. As Allison McIntryre told the BBC, “My director is a woman. We have female astronauts. We haven’t put a woman on the moon yet. And I think that perhaps the first person to step on Mars should be a woman.”
1. What did Yuri Gagarin do in 1961?| A．He landed on the moon in success. |
| B．He discovered many new boundaries. |
| C．He led scientists to explore the moon. |
| D．He made the first journey into the space. |
| A．To show women are the true heroes of NASA’s first launch. |
| B．To stress that black people have won equal rights in NASA. |
| C．To prove women can do as well as men in NASA’ projects. |
| D．To present women’s contributions to NASA’s space programs. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Disapproving. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．Will the First Person to Step on Mars Be a Woman? |
| B．Great Achievements Have Been Made in Space Exploration? |
| C．Why Men Played an Important Role in Exploring the Unknown? |
| D．Men and Women Have Made Equal Contributions to NASA’s Projects? |
10 . It’s time to reconsider food. Around the globe, food problems threaten wildlife, wild places and the planet itself. Today, 7.3 billion people consume 1.6 times
So how do we produce more food for more people without
In the near-term, food production is enough to provide for all, but it doesn’t reach everyone who needs it. About 1.3 billion tons of food
By improving efficiency and productivity while reducing waste and shifting consumption
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