1 . Many on the Mountain
We often see people waiting in lines at supermarkets, theatres and amusement parks. Surprisingly, some people even have to wait in line at the summit (顶峰) of Qomolangma in the Himalayas.
The best time to climb the Himalayas is during the months of April and May, as well as some days in September and October. "In these periods of recent years, the path contains rocks and deep crack from melting ice due to the warm weather, which make expeditions up the mountain more dangerous," said Apa, an experienced Nepalese guide. During this year's climbing season, crowds of climbers became stuck in a long line near the summit. The line is above the mountain's highest campsite—about 8,000 meters above sea level.
However, most people can only spend a few minutes at the summit without extra oxygen supplies. Twenty-one mountaineers have died in the Himalayan mountains so far this year, according to Gripped, a magazine dedicated to mountain climbing. Eleven of these climbers died on Qomolangma.
This death count marks a four-year high. Overcrowding, inexperience and poor weather have been the most common causes of death, USA Today reported.
After these tragedies, one question remains: Why do so many people risk their lives to climb the mountain? The answer differs from climber to climber. Studies suggest that people who take risks tend to perceive themselves differently than people who avoid risky activities. But for adventurers who are drawn to the Himalayas, reaching the summit of Qomolangma is a lifelong dream, according to Discovery News.
"Qomolangma is like a light to bugs that attracts people once they hear about it. It represents the ultimate for many people," US mountaineer Alan Arnette said. Technological advances have also encouraged more people to climb the mountain. People can get high-tech safety equipment more easily than before. And with the internet, climbers know better than ever about how to reach the summit safely, Yahoo Travel noted.
1. What do we know from the USA Today report?A.21 climbers have lost their lives on Qomolangma this year. |
B.This year's climber death count is four times more than last year's. |
C.Climbers who have less experience may have a higher risk of death. |
D.Climbers can only spend a few minutes at the summit of Qomolangma. |
A.Think. | B.Promise. | C.Change. | D.Pretend. |
A.The risks on Qomolangma. | B.Mountaineers' lifelong dream. |
C.Causes of mountaineers' deaths. | D.Reasons for climbing Qomolangma. |
1. What are the speakers mainly talking about?
A.The popularity of English. |
B.The study pressure on students. |
C.Attitudes towards learning foreign languages. |
A.About 21%. | B.About 27%. | C.About 35%. |
The growing popularity of precooked food in China — also known as the ready-meals industry — has made
“Pre-prepared dishes meet the
As a new capital darling the pre-cooking industry is attracting cross-sector investment from companies outside the food industry. In mid-July,
However, the quality of pre-made dishes in the market remains
Without advance notice, the use of pre-prepared dishes by restaurants
4 . In the rich countries of the West, the electric vehicle revolution is well underway. Climate-conscious consumers drive Teslas or Polestars for reasons of morality and fashion. Poorer countries are also experiencing a wave of electrified trend. In Bangladesh, electric three-wheeler taxis, known as tuk-tuks, are rapidly replacing gas-powered ones on the streets. Such electric vehicles are climate friendly, cost effective, and help reduce air pollution.
Yet a glance under the hood (引擎盖) of these vehicles reveals a poisonous secret: each tuk-tuk runs on five massive lead-acid batteries, containing almost 300 pounds of lead in total. Every year and a half or so, when those batteries need to be replaced and recycled, about 60 pounds of lead leak into the environment. Battery recycling, often at small-scale unregulated factories, is a highly profitable but deadly business.
Lead is dangerous, and any exposure to it is harmful to human health. Lead that has entered the environment hurts people on an extraordinary scale. The numerous ways lead enters air, water, soil, and homes across the developing world — and the enormous damage it does to human health, wealth, and welfare — causes one of the biggest environmental crises in the world yet receives little attention.
The World Bank estimates that lead kills 5. 5 million people per year, which would make it a bigger global killer than AIDS, malaria, diabetes, and road traffic deaths combined. On top of the shocking deaths, the social burden of lead poisoning is extraordinary, as is its contribution to global inequality — our research on the cognitive effects of lead poisoning suggests that it may explain about one-fifth of the educational achievement gap between rich and poor countries.
But unlike many challenges faced by developing countries, lead poisoning is a problem that is fixable with some attention and a relatively modest financial investment. Better monitoring, research, and rules can help protect children all over the world from the dreadful effects of lead poisoning and reduce the massive global costs it brings.
1. How does the author describe the lead problem in paragraph 2?A.By making a comparison. | B.By analyzing hidden causes. |
C.By listing convincing numbers. | D.By explaining its working principle. |
A.Lead enters rich countries in various ways. |
B.Lead poisoning may make poor societies poorer. |
C.Exposure to lead doesn’t necessarily harm someone. |
D.Lead leaking has caused great panic in both countries. |
A.Fixing these used batteries. | B.Putting certain effort and money. |
C.Prohibiting the illegal use of lead. | D.Reducing the cost of recycling lead. |
A.The Impacts of Lead Poisoning on Human Health |
B.The Outcomes of Using Electric Vehicles |
C.The Ways to Solve Lead Problem |
D.The Global Lead Poisoning Crisis |
5 . The Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration(ETA)supports a wide variety of programs to ensure that all youth have the skills and training they need to successfully make the switch to adulthood and careers. These programs include:
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a combination of on-the-job training and related classroom instruction in which workers learn the practical and theoretical aspects of a highly skilled occupation. Applicants for apprenticeship programs must be at least 16 years old and meet the program sponsor's qualifications.
YouthBuild
YouthBuild programs give at-risk youth ages 16-24 the opportunity to transform their lives by earning their high school certificate of graduation or an equally state-recognized degree, learning to be community leaders, and preparing for college and other post-secondary training opportunities.
Job Corps
Job Corps is the nation's largest and most comprehensive residential, education, and job training program for at-risk youth, ages 16 through 24. Private companies, state agencies, federal agencies, and unions recruit young people to participate in Job Corps, where they can train for and be placed in jobs.
Youth Connections
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act(WIOA)of 2014 is carrying out a comprehensive youth employment program for serving qualified youth, ages 14-24, who face barriers to education, training, and employment.
For more information about youth programs, visit ETA's Division of Youth Services page.
1. What can participants do in the YouthBuild?A.Obtain a graduation certificate. | B.Lead the state communities. |
C.Prepare for secondary training. | D.Study theories of skilled work. |
A.YouthBuild. | B.Youth Connections. |
C.Job Corps. | D.Apprenticeship. |
A.To improve youth training. | B.To advertise for youth services. |
C.To transform youth development. | D.To introduce ETA youth programs. |
6 . 阅读下面短文,在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Deepfakes are videos which have been digitally manipulated (操纵) to show people saying something
These videos are easy to make and dangerous. Cases
Wael Abd-Almageed, who leads
How can you avoid
Wael Abd-Almageed also advises watching a video
7 . 阅读下面材料,在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式.
For thousands of years, Chinese people
It is a time when people think highly of individual freedom
Therefore, there is every reason to believe that this trend of families in reduced size is
The buzzwords (时髦术语) “brittle college students” have gone viral on the Internet recently among mounting concerns over
Such comments have caused heated discussions over the declining physical
“These young people were mainly diagnosed (诊断) with trauma, abdominal pain, chest tightness, hyperventilation, acute alcoholism, and cholecystitis. Most cases were caused by
A report pointed out that unhealthy lifestyle is common
1. Who does the camp especially target at?
A.Children who love art. | B.Children who love tennis. | C.Children who love swimming. |
A.Advantage Day Camp. | B.Advantage Junior Camp. | C.Advantage QuickStart Camp. |
A.Neighbors. | B.Teacher and student. | C.Husband and wife. |
10 . Apartment owners cash in on upcoming holiday trips
The National Day holiday is around the corner, and those making last-minute plans to travel at that time are busy booking
In a bid to cash in on this rush for rooms, social media users are
Unlike hotels, those renting out their homes are not charging anything
Meanwhile, some netizens have expressed
“It is so unsafe. What if the people install a camera in your home or make it a complete mess,” one asked while
Experts said this novel way of sharing one’s home not only means extra earnings for the homeowners, but also improves the
Fu Jian, a lawyer at Henan Zejin Law Firm, said that as there is no written
Moreover, if there is a theft or an accident involving the guests during their stay in the apartment, the owner will more or less be held
He advised owners to be aware of the rules and regulations before renting out their apartments, and added that renters should also choose
A.wide-spread | B.fast-disappearing | C.time-saving | D.newly-developed |
A.separating | B.providing | C.cheering | D.flooding |
A.rent | B.consideration | C.purchase | D.conservation |
A.given | B.exchanged | C.charged | D.encouraged |
A.exceptional | B.free | C.extra | D.rewarded |
A.occupied | B.empty | C.free | D.concrete |
A.entirely | B.heavily | C.fairly | D.necessarily |
A.concern | B.excitement | C.delight | D.disappointment |
A.putting | B.spying | C.commenting | D.working |
A.history | B.reputation | C.scenery | D.range |
A.article | B.agreement | C.news | D.response |
A.operated | B.printed | C.signed | D.registered |
A.respond | B.reveal | C.occur | D.obtain |
A.responsible | B.available | C.profitable | D.stable |
A.hopefully | B.specially | C.carefully | D.warmly |