1 . In the rich countries of the West, the electric vehicle revolution is well occurring. Climate-conscious consumers drive Teslas or Polestars for reasons of morality (道德) 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 shows a poisonous secret: each tuk-tuk runs on five massive lead-acid batteries (铅酸电池), containing almost 300 pounds of lead (铅) in total. Every year and a half or so, when those batteries need to be replaced and recycled, about 60 pounds of lead leaks into the environment. Battery recycling, often at small-scale unregulated factories, is a highly profitable (高利润的) 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 unexpected 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 cause one of the biggest environmental problems in the world yet receives little attention.
The World Bank estimates that lead kills 5.5 million people per year, making 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 heavy, as is its contribution to global inequality — our research on the cognitive (认知的) 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 can be resolved through financial investment (财政投入). Better monitoring, research, and rules can help protect children all over the world from the unpleasant 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 listing some numbers. | B．By analyzing hidden causes. |
| C．By making an interesting comparison. | D．By explaining its working principle. |
| A．Lead enters poor countries in one way. |
| B．Lead leaking has been avoided in all the countries. |
| C．Lead will definitely not harm anymore. |
| D．Lead poisoning may make poor societies poorer. |
| A．Fixing these used batteries. | B．Reducing the cost of recycling lead. |
| C．Ignoring the illegal use of lead. | D．Putting certain effort and money. |
| A．The Impacts of Lead Poisoning on Man. |
| B．The Global Lead Poisoning Problem. |
| C．The Ways to Solve Lead Problem. |
| D．The Benefits of Using Electric Vehicles. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. |
3 . Well, let’s continue from where we stopped last time. I’m sure you’re well aware of the dangers lurking (潜伏) on the World Wide Web. And whether it’s for schoolwork, entertainment, or just socializing with friends. the Internet will surely be a major part of your child’s life. So, it’s important to secure their online stays.
It’s not an easy task, but maintaining open communication is key. Let them know they can share their online activities with you. Discuss what interests them online and learn about popular websites and apps from them. This will help you understand and identify potential risks.
Next, monitor without spying. Most kids learn to understand boundaries, like respecting others’ personal space, or not opening the cookie jar without asking. Internet use is no different. It’s helpful to set clear rules for them. like which websites they can visit, which apps they can use, and what they can share online. Remind them that if they feel uneasy with anything that occurs online, they need to alert (使警觉) an adult immediately.
How you handle your kids’ internet usage will depend in large part on their age. There are websites and browsing tools designed for younger children, such as YouTube Kids, which aims to provide a safe online experience for children. Older kids may be allowed more freedom since they want to socialize and need to use the internet for information-gathering. But you can set boundaries that feel right for you. Just limit their access appropriately.
Allowing your children to make good decisions online teaches them responsibility, shows that you trust them. and reminds them that rules may be tightened if they disobey them. Stay tuned.
1. What did the author talk about last time?| A．The potential risks of the Internet. | B．The influence of the Internet. |
| C．Information offered by the Internet. | D．The importance of the World Wide Web. |
| A．Communicate with children actively. | B．Spy on their children’s online activities. |
| C．Share online activities with their children. | D．Set strict rules for internet usage without discussion. |
| A．They should be prevented from using the internet. |
| B．They can have more freedom to access the internet. |
| C．They should be monitored more closely than younger kids. |
| D．They should only use the internet for information gathering. |
| A．How to Limit Kids’ Screen Time | B．How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online |
| C．How to Set Online Boundaries for Kids | D．How to Monitor Your Kids’ Online Activities |
4 . Why are younger age group so much more willing to post an offensive message on social media? Why aren’t we changing the
So early this year, using my science and technology skills, I
In the end, I was able to get 1,500
Now, the app Rethink has become widely popular. I also currently hold a patent for this
| A．value | B．attention | C．behavior | D．interest |
| A．complain about | B．think about | C．focus on | D．comment on |
| A．arranged | B．refused | C．managed | D．attempted |
| A．sacrifice | B．motivate | C．hurt | D．confuse |
| A．stubborn | B．willing | C．ashamed | D．warm-hearted |
| A．acquired | B．invested | C．approved | D．created |
| A．intention | B．strength | C．desire | D．courage |
| A．unique | B．academic | C．complicated | D．effective |
| A．ignore | B．send | C．receive | D．post |
| A．lost | B．changed | C．kept | D．set |
| A．challenge | B．adjust | C．betray | D．decrease |
| A．ridiculous | B．shallow | C．fantastic | D．conflicting |
| A．proven | B．guaranteed | C．assumed | D．known |
| A．imagination | B．flash | C．inspiration | D．stimulation |
| A．struggle | B．hesitate | C．pause | D．decline |
1. What might the speaker be?
| A．A resident. | B．A fire fighter. | C．A news reporter. |
| A．From a store. | B．From a park. | C．From an apartment building. |
| A．An hour ago. | B．Late last night. | C．Early last night. |
| A．Frightened. | B．Calm. | C．Surprised. |
6 . The Giving Voice Chorus (合唱团) was created in 2014 by Mary Lenard, a former director of the Alzheimer’s Association of Minnesota-North Dakota. With co-worker Marge Ostroushko, who has taken care of a parent with Alzheimer’s disease(AD), a brain disorder that gets worse over time, Lenard set out to create an environment where people with AD and their caregivers felt supported and comfortable.
“People with AD sometimes withdraw and often are not included in the community,” she says. “Marge and I recognized that music and singing are ways for people with AD to still be included and join in life.”
In the beginning, the chorus was made up of 30 people, including volunteers from the community who helped with small tasks during chorus practice, such as helping singers find the printed music in their binders (活页夹) if they lost their place. Since then, the Giving Voice Chorus has grown to two additional choruses, with more than 180 members overall.
“We don’t do auditions, and we don’t care what AD cases you have or the stage of your disease,” says Lenard. “As long as you enjoy the experience, anyone can be part of the group. It’s a place where everyone belongs.”
Lenard says, “When we first started out, Marge and I didn’t know if people with AD were going to move away from the place where they ought to be or get upset.” But the opposite has happened. “There’s a positive change we see in people when they’re singing songs they love. They’re smiling, and there’s joy and laughter. It’s really special.”
“People with AD might have difficulty learning a new song or coming up with words on their own,” says Dr. Caselli, AD specialist at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. “But if they hear a song they’ve known all their lives, they tend to remember the words and are able to sing along. And because speech and long-term memory aren’t usually affected until late in the disease, members of the Giving Voice Chorus are likely to stay active until the last few months of life.”
1. What’s the purpose of the Giving Voice Chorus?| A．To enrich the young men’s life. | B．To raise money for the poor. |
| C．To ask people to tend to the old. | D．To help people with AD. |
| A．Stop social activities. | B．Be looked down upon. |
| C．Be cheated. | D．Get lost. |
| A．Confident. | B．Worried. | C．Curious. | D．Unwilling. |
| A．They can express themselves freely. |
| B．They can learn a song quickly. |
| C．They fail to sing a familiar song. |
| D．They can be active near the end of life. |
7 . When I set out to drop my dad at the airport, it was dark and dull. It started to rain on the way. When I left the airport, the visibility wasn’t clear because of the drops of rain. It was before 6 am.
Even though the road conditions were poor, I drove at my normal speed. I was angry with the more cautious drivers ahead of me that were delaying my drive. The exit ramp (坡道) to the highway was a tight spiral (急盘旋). It is a dangerous spot in good weather and totally scary when the weather is miserable or it is dark. But I didn’t want to slow down and arrive home any later than necessary. I drove down the ramp too fast. The road was wet and my car slid, landing face down on the ramp.
I didn’t like to drive by myself at the time and had insisted on taking my husband and son with me on the trip. Thankfully, I was alone in the car. My accident was slight. In fact, I was lucky enough not to have a single scratch. I started to shake when thinking the injuries my son would have suffered had he been in the backseat of that car with no seatbelt when it rolled. After the car rolled three times, I found my mobile phone was lost in a pile of small things that were all lying in the bottom of the car. A lady was kind enough to let me borrow her mobile phone, but without the numbers pre-programmed (预编的), who could I call? I was lucky enough to remember my father’s mobile phone number, and fortunate that he hadn’t yet got on his plane.
You never know when an accident will happen. As a driver, I will keep safety in mind by obeying all traffic laws and have safe-driving habits, especially in bad weather. Insist your children always wear their seatbelts. Life is a journey and everyone should value it and enjoy the ride.
1. What happened to the author’s car?| A．It crashed into another one. |
| B．It lay upside down after the slide |
| C．It slid and stopped in the middle or the highway. |
| D．It was out of control and struck a tree by the side of the ramp. |
| A．The author. | B．The author’s son. |
| C．The author’s husband. | D．The author’s father. |
| A．She knew her father hadn’t got on the plane. |
| B．Her husband was too busy to answer her phone. |
| C．Her husband’s mobile phone was out of service at that time. |
| D．She only brought her father’s phone number back to her mind. |
| A．To summarize her bad driving habits. |
| B．To analyze the cause of the accident. |
| C．To put forward some advice for others. |
| D．To make some comments on traffic laws. |
1. How does the woman probably feel?
| A．Happy. | B．Excited. | C．Angry. |
| A．A policewoman. | B．His teacher. | C．His mother. |
| A．Over the phone. | B．In a hospital. | C．On a beach. |
10 . The Internet is a global network, which allows digital information to travel around the world. Let’s view some most popular uses of the Internet.
Information search
We search for information every day.
One of the most significant and popular use of the Internet is email. Email is a common thing that a majority of people check after they have logged (登录) on to the Internet.
Online shopping
Education
The Internet plays an important role in effectively shaping today’s school education process. It has the availability and the quality of learning for many students. They can study what they want and whenever they feel the most productive.
We are witnessing the rise of informal education where college graduates have online access and can sharpen their skills and get faster progress in a specific field.
| A．Communication |
| B．Online bill payments |
| C．Our habits of buying things have changed a lot |
| D．They can also attend classes or take exams online at home |
| E．It is done by typing a question for which we seek specific information |
| F．Many other personal businesses create their online shops every day |
| G．The email has enabled easier and faster communication between people |
