1 . The organic foods have gained a lot of popularity as they are being considered as healthier and tastier. A fair number of people advocate a large-scale shift to organic farming from conventional agriculture. But this might not seem well-founded.
Since the mid-19th century, conventional industrial agriculture has become incredibly efficient on a simple land to food basis. Conventional farming gets more and more crop per square foot of land, which can mean less wilderness needs to be transformed to farmland.
To make farming more efficient, conventional agriculture uses a significant amount of synthetic fertilizer each year, and all that nitrogen (氮) enables much faster plant growth. However, the cost is paid in vast polluted dead zones at the mouths of many of the world’s rivers, because much of the nitrogen ends up running off the soil and into the oceans. This also makes conventional farming one of the major threats to the environment.
To weaken the environmental impact of agriculture, improve soil quality as well as produce healthier foods, some farmers have turned to organic farming. Environmentalists have also welcomed organic food as better for the planet than the food produced by agricultural corporations. Organic practices — refusing artificial fertilizers and chemical pesticides—are considered far more sustainable. Sales of organic food rose 7.7% in 2010, up to $26.7 billion — and people are making those purchases for their moral senses as much as their tongues.
Yet a new meta-analysis in Nature does the math and comes to a hard conclusion: organic farming produces 25% fewer crops on average than conventional agriculture. This is definitely a downside of organic farming, especially when global population is still growing rapidly.
In the Nature analysis, scientists performed an analysis of 66 studies comparing conventional and organic methods across 34 different crop species, from fruits to grains. They found that organic farming delivered a lower output for every crop type, though the difference varied widely. For crops like fruit trees, organic trailed (落后于) conventional agriculture by just 5%. Yet for major grain crops and vegetables — all of which provide the world’s main calories-conventional agriculture outperformed organics by more than 25%.
What that means is that while organic farming may be more sustainable than conventional agriculture, there are trade-offs (此消彼长) with each. So an ideal global agriculture system may borrow the best from both systems rather than upholding merely organic or conventional practices.
1. What do we know about conventional farming?| A．It produces more crops with fewer fertilizers. |
| B．It achieves efficiency at a huge cost to the environment. |
| C．If offers a long-term solution to global demand for food. |
| D．It performs far better for each crop type than organic farming. |
| A．Employing organic farming to plant rice. | B．Adopting organic practices to grow potato. |
| C．Using conventional methods to plant cabbage. | D．Applying conventional farming to grow apple. |
| A．To compare two types of farming. | B．To criticize conventional agriculture. |
| C．To discuss the development of farming. | D．To argue for a realistic agriculture system. |
| A. article B. serve C. result D. define E. specific F. seems G. switching H. respectively I. behave J. social K. pose |
Are you an "I person" or an "E person"?
These two personality labels in particular are widely discussed online. They are parts of a popular personality test called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI. All of the results have four letters, and there are 16 results in total. "I" and "E" refer to "introverted" and "extroverted"
Even if someone is typically quiet, many online discussions suggest that an "I" person can still
According to psychologists, this idea of temporarily
Using the MBTI to identify and describe someone's personality
The MBTI personality test may show something you don't know about yourself and can even
3 . In the age of the selfie, taking photos of yourself has become a daily activity. Half of all teenagers regularly post selfies. But what happens when the desire for the best selfie starts damaging nature—or even ourselves?
Social media tourism is dramatically changing who visits natural places like Figure Eight Pools in Sydney’s Royal National Park. Many people are now drawn to these places for the best selfie background. These new tourists, motivated to seek out photos and selfies, sometimes ignore warning signs or bans on drones (无人机). Thus, many people have been severely injured or killed by taking risky selfies and photos in dangerous locations. Additionally, drone use can cause environmental harm if drones catch fire or batteries leak.
The search for the perfect selfie can also harm animals, protected plants and even First Nations rock art. In some cases, selfies have become a long-term threat to ecosystems.
But for land managers, perhaps the biggest challenge is satisfying increased interest while keeping people safe. They are working to assist this new demand by reshaping nature to make better scenery—and keep visitors safer. At Moran Falls in Queensland’s Lamington National Park, a famous view had been blocked by plants, driving some visitors to jump the fence at the viewing platform and stand directly on top of a very tall cliff (悬崖). As a solution, land managers have the trees trimmed (修剪) and then use the fallen branches to hide the track made by selfie-seekers.
These land managers are wondering why traditional measures like signs and warnings often prove ineffective? The answer may lie in social recognition For many, the risk seems worth the reward if it means gaining admiration on social media. Nature-based content on popular social media platforms like TikTok often performs very well, giving other would-be influencers the motive to seek out new locations. This problem has been created by the combination of social media and human psychology. To solve it, we might look at how these two factors interact. Responsible selfie and tourism campaigns on popular social media platforms could be a start.
1. Why are many people attracted to visit places like Figure Eight Pools?| A．To appreciate the natural beauty. | B．To seek adventure and excitement. |
| C．To search for the ideal selfie setting. | D．To test the use of drones for photography. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By analyzing causes. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Risks are often ignored by people | B．Rules are rarely followed by people. |
| C．Exploring new attractions is preferred. | D．Social media attention is valued more. |
| A．Launching tourism campaigns | B．Promoting proper behaviors online |
| C．Banning selfies in natural landscape. | D．Restricting access to social media platforms. |
4 . A new trend has popped up in China with many young people abandoning brand (品牌) names to create makeshift handbags out of things like reusable grocery bags and other materials. One example is the Shenzhen bag, which includes canvas (帆布) bags, paper bags, milk tea packages that people carry around in Guangdong Province.
Makeshift handbags like the “Shenzhen bag” are also common among young people in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou. People find the bags practical, wearable and fashionable, and they can be carried on the shoulder or the back. This emerging trend reveals a new attitude to consumption as young people in China begin to pursue a simple and shared life, with consumers no longer blindly pursuing brand names as a status (身份) symbol, but advocating a simple and low-carbon lifestyle. In addition to the handbags, and regardless of their monthly incomes, many young people are living more casually, in line with a “good enough mentality”. Loose T-shirts, Crocs, and canvas bags are basically standard mode.
“Consumers today are becoming more mature and rational. They are pursuing smarter consumption through careful consideration and calculation to find the cheapest; most practical, cost-effective way of shopping,” says. Wang Ning, a sociology professor at Nanjing’s Southeast University.
Economists believe that China’s Generation Z no longer blindly pursues brands and luxury goods or buys things for brand name and status. Instead, they pay more attention to their actual needs, quality, and experience of buying, and prefer sharing and secondhand purchases. They also advocate environmental protection and sustainable consumption.
Price-aware Chinese consumers have also begun to place a greater emphasis on their inner selves. Driven by rational consumption, many young people no longer save to buy a brand-name bag, but for self-improvement.
The new handbag trend has also created business opportunities. Reusing packaging used for food brands as handbags results in mobile advertising for the associated brands, and the phenomenon of the “Shenzhen Bag” has also benefited paper bag companies.
1. What is the feature of “Shenzhen bag”?| A．A popular luxury brand of handbag. |
| B．A makeshift handbag symbolizing status. |
| C．A traditional handbag designed for specific people. |
| D．A temporary handbag that was once for another use. |
| A．Conservative. | B．Reliable. |
| C．Sensible. | D．Considerate. |
| A．A belief for a plain and green lifestyle. |
| B．A neglect of environmental protection. |
| C．Blind pursuit of brand names and luxury goods. |
| D．Focus on outer appearance rather than inner selves. |
| A．A book review. | B．A news report. |
| C．A business plan. | D．A research article. |
5 . The most obvious dog fetish (迷恋) today is the longing for cuteness. Almost every day you can see adorable pictures of dogs and other animals that will make you smile and say, "How cute!"
It is a cultural phenomenon that the media scholar James Meese calls the "cute economy" which exists primarily on social media, is user-generated, and is heavily dominated by pictures of animals, especially pets. The goal is to generate a positive response, probably followed by a tap on the screen to "like" and "share". We can click through image after image of cute animals doing cute things, feeling a little boost of good cheer.
The marketing researchers have identified some of the most common categories of cuteness in online pet content: animals doing silly things; animals of extreme size; animals with unusual looks; and animals behaving in ways that seem human-like. Dogs and other animals in the "cute economy" are often further humanized by being dressed in clothing and accessorized (装饰) with hats, jewellery, nail polish and fur dyed a rainbow of colors. Users who post successfully and with some strategies can make money by doing so. Thus, certain dogs have become cuteness celebrities, with millions of devoted followers and paid content from advertisers.
Unfortunately, the price of the "cute economy" comes at a serious cost. The cutest and most popular breeds tend to be those with the most significant risk of health and behavioral problems. Cuteness is often coupled with their discomfort. People are drawn to the cuteness of dogs with extremely foreshortened skulls and extremely short legs and awkwardly long bodies, such as the French bulldog and the corgi
Actually, there are well-established health issues. We should treat the "cute economy" with caution, like resisting the commodification (商品化) of appearance by opting out of social media channels promoting the "cute economy". We can also choose not to "like" or "share" images of dogs whose cuteness is linked with discomfort. Although we are biologically attracted to dogs that are super cute, we should be mindful in our "impulses".
1. What is the key to the "cute economy" according to the text?| A．Taking photos of different animals. |
| B．Cute animals' attractive appearance. |
| C．Pets' owners' liking adorable pictures. |
| D．Posting cute animals' pictures on social media. |
| A．A normal-sized dog is eating bones. |
| B．A white cat is quietly lying next to its owner. |
| C．A parrot dressed in a suit is singing and dancing. |
| D．A monkey is attentively taking care of its baby. |
| A．It will change the animals' nature. |
| B．It may make the animals not so cute. |
| C．It will result in a decline in animal population. |
| D．It may cause health problems to the animals. |
| A．Attractive Pictures of Animals | B．Happiness From Pets |
| C．The "Cute Economy" and Its Price | D．Marketing Strategy — Cuteness |
6 . Do you have a suit or dress in the closet that you haven’t worn for years but are reluctant to get rid of? Maybe you say, “I can’t throw that away because I paid good money for it”. If you recognize this in yourself, then you are suffering from commitment to the sunk cost fallacy (谬论). It occurs when we feel that we have invested too much to quit. This psychological trap causes us to stick with a plan even if it no longer serves us and the costs clearly outweigh the benefits.
Arkes and Blumer conducted a survey showing that people are influenced by sunk cost fallacy in their decisions. Participants imagined spending $100 on a ski trip to Michigan and $50 on Wisconsin, realizing later they were for the same weekend. They were told Wisconsin would be more enjoyable. When asked which trip to take, 54% chose Michigan despite the reasonable choice being Wisconsin, because they had made a greater initial investment.
Sunk cost fallacy takes place when we let emotions cloud our decisions. Once we’ve invested in a choice, we feel guilt or regret if we don’t follow through. We fail to realize that past costs won’t be recovered. Instead, we base decisions on past costs, ignoring present and future costs and benefits. It might be because the pain of losing outweighs the joy of winning for us. We avoid losses, making choices based on avoiding the “loss” of our past investment instead of considering the benefits gained if we don’t continue our commitment.
No one can deny the fact that we benefit a lot from perseverance. So our society loves to emphasize perseverance. Never give up! Don’t waste. But only you know the right path for you. Sometimes walking away is the hardest choice of all. You might realize a path you’re on is no longer the right one or never was. That’s a painful realization.
1. What phenomenon does the author describe in the first paragraph?| A．People benefit from sticking with a plan. |
| B．People’s consumption view has changed. |
| C．People refuse to give up the past commitment. |
| D．People’s clothes are becoming more expensive. |
| A．To save more of the loss. | B．To appear more reasonable. |
| C．To make a greater investment. | D．To enjoy more of themselves. |
| A．When we don’t continue our commitment. |
| B．When we stop feeling guilty and regretful. |
| C．When we don’t follow through our choices. |
| D．When we make decisions based on past costs. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Rational. | C．Dismissive. | D．Unclear. |
7 . While teenagers who are at risk of depression with risky behaviors — drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and cutting classes often alert parents and teachers that serious problems are brewing, a new study finds that there’s another group of adolescents who are in nearly as much danger of experiencing the same mental symptoms.
These teens use tons of media, get insufficient sleep and have a sedentary (不爱活动的) lifestyle. Of course, that may sound like a description of every teenager on the planet. But the study warns that it is teenagers who engage in all three of these practices in the extreme that are truly in a dangerous position. Because their behaviors are not usually seen as a red flag, these young people have been called the “invisible risk” group by the study’s authors.
The study’s authors surveyed 15,395 students and analyzed nine risk behaviors, including excessive alcohol use, illegal drug use, heavy smoking and high media use. Their aim was to determine the relationship between these risk behaviors and mental health issues in teenagers. The group that scored high on all nine of the risk behaviors was most likely to show symptoms of depression; in all, nearly 15% of this group reported being depressed, compared with just 4% of the low-risk group. But the invisible group wasn’t far behind the high-risk set, with more than 13% of them exhibiting depression.
The findings caught Carli off guard. “We didn’t expect that,” he says. “The high-risk group and low-risk group are obvious, but this third group was not only unexpected. It was so distinct and so large—nearly one third of our sample—that it became a key finding of the study.”
Carli says that one of the most significant things about his study is that it provides new early warning signs for parents, teachers and mental health-care providers. And early identification, support and treatment for mental health issues, he says, are the best ways to keep them from turning into full-blown disorders.
1. What does the underlined word “adolescents” mean in Paragraph 1?| A．Authors. | B．Scientists. | C．Teenagers. | D．Babies. |
| A．A teenager who suffers from lack of sleep. | B．A teenager who skips school. |
| C．A teenager who drinks frequently. | D．A teenager who exercises regularly. |
| A．It was intended to dig into the reasons for depression. |
| B．Its findings were under expectation of the research team. |
| C．It revealed an alarming rate of the invisible group suffering depression. |
| D．It was conducted by analyzing and comparing the previous data. |
| A．Literature. | B．Culture. | C．Geography. | D．Health. |
8 . “I can’t live without my mobile phone!” is what I often hear people say as they talk about how mobiles have become an essential part of their lives.
The all so common sight of heads bent, eyes staring at mobile screens and fingers busy tapping away repeats itself across major cities around the world. Whenever there is a moment to spare while on the train, taxi or waiting in a queue, people busy themselves with their mobile phones.
Some people believe our unhealthy obsession with mobile phones is destroying how we appreciate the little things in life or miss the moments that matter. The truth is that technology overall should be seen as a tool to improve our lives.
Mobile phones have certainly had a great influence on our lives, but I truly believe it’s for the better.
It’s changed the way we communicate, whether for work or play. We are now less constrained (限制) by time and geographical location. With my mobile phone, I can dial into conference calls while stuck in a traffic jam, or reply to urgent e-mails while on the go. I can send a text message or share photos and videos with friends who aren’t living in the same country. My phone calendar keeps my life organized, and even Facebook. Twitter, and instant messaging are now accessible from mobile phones!
The mobile revolution isn’t just changing the lives of urbanite like myself. I know of a young Bangladeshi woman named Shompa Akhter who is crazy about fashion and design. She dreamt about starting her own business and she did just that, opening a shop in Kushtia featuring her own creations. Dealing with suppliers in different towns was a problem for Shompa-purchase orders had to either be hand delivered or mailed out to suppliers. Shompa also found it tough publicizing (宣传) her business to potential customers outside her town. But once she learnt to operate the mobile phone, she was addicted. The 25-year-old businesswoman now stays in touch easily with her suppliers. Mobile e-mail is a blessing in her life. Who would have thought that mobility could bring about such enormous change? It shouldn’t really be a surprise though.
1. In the first two paragraphs, the author wants to show ________.| A．mobile phones make people communicate less |
| B．mobile phones make people’s life more enjoyable |
| C．people become addicted to mobile phones in daily life |
| D．people’s health is greatly affected by mobile phones |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Critical. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．new functions of mobile phones | B．new changes in Information Age |
| C．the author’s personal experiences | D．the advantages of mobile phones |
| A．She operates a food store. | B．She is addicted to Internet surfing. |
| C．Her mobile phone helped her business a lot. | D．Mobile e-mail is still unavailable to her. |
| welfare disturb resolve minor annual sustain victim delete release abuse restrict specialist |
Online, where posts can spread rapidly and everything leaves a trail, words can also be harsh. Often the only defence people have is
Facebook and Instagram use artificial intelligence to spot verbal
More school-aged children have reported being cyberbullied than before the pandemic, according to the report
Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, a WHO
More young people are trying their hand at farming the soil. Guo Lan, 29, works in a vegetable greenhouse on his organic farm
“Growing tasty and healthy food
