1 . Riding the bus to school could be keeping some kids out of class. Most school buses run on fuel. Those buses send out pollution, including tiny particles and gases. Bus riders get exposed to high levels of this pollution. When breathed in, it can lead to breathing problems, such as asthma (哮喘), which may keep kids home from school. But replacing the worst-polluting buses should cut down on student absences, a new study shows.

The study focused on schools that were asked to take part in a U. S. government program. The program offered schools cash back for money spent on cleaner school buses. The 2, 816 school districts in the new study all asked for the money. But not all got it. Only 383 were picked to receive funding. Winning districts could buy new buses and desert old ones.

The program started in 2012. From 2012 to 2017, the winning districts very likely had less bus pollution. And a year after getting new buses, student attendance had improved in those districts. For an average district of 10, 000 students, about six more students attended school each day in the winning districts. Districts that replaced the oldest buses had an average of 45 more students in school each day.

Those numbers may sound small, but they can add up, says Meredith Pedde, an environmental epidemiologist (流行病学家). Almost 3 million U. S. kids ride school buses more than 20 years old, her team figures. Replacing all of those old buses could mean 1.3 million fewer student absences each year, the data suggest. And school attendance matters for student achievement.

Now the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a new program for school buses.   It’s offering $5 billion through 2026 to replace old fuel buses with cleaner ones. Almost all U. S. school districts can apply for the new rebates. But schools in low-income areas and in rural areas will get priority. Kids in these areas tend to face the most health risks from old buses, EPA notes. And anything that cuts air pollution, Pedde says, should improve student health.

1. What is the primary reason why riding the bus to school might lead to student absences?

A．Serious fuel shortage for school buses.

B．Lack of available seats on school buses.

C．High risk of disease spreading in a bus.

D．High levels of pollution from school buses.

2. What does Meredith Pedde suggest about the impact of replacing old buses?

A．It increases health risks for students.

B．It is a costly and ineffective measure.

C．It helps to improve student attendances.

D．It has no significant effect on absences.

3. What does the underline word “rebates” in Paragraph 5 probably refer to?

A．Financial aids.

B．School posts.

C．Health benefits.

D．Public resources.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To describe the potential risk of school buses.

B．To talk about the use of cleaner school buses.

C．To discuss the importance of decreasing absence.

D．To call on the government to improve school buses.

2 . Last year, Liu Xiang, who lives alone in Shanghai, wrote an analysis of nearly 3,000 words on small home appliances that make living alone all the more pleasurable. Her take on these items, ranging from desk lamps and hair dryers to cooking machines, drew more than 100 replies, unusual for that specific section of the discussion group where 50 replies would normally put the topic in the hot category.

However, the interest shown to what to some may seem like a trifling matter should not really be that surprising given that in China 77 million people live alone. These solo dwellers, aged 20 to 39, are mostly engaged in high-paying jobs in fields like finance, so as a group they have tremendous spending power.

Home appliance makers and sellers are one of the main beneficiaries of the solo economy. Take Little Bears Electric Appliances. It has been expanding and updating its product line to target at the solo market, and half its 40 product categories are now singles-friendly.

A New York University sociology professor, Eric Klinenberg, said in his book Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone that the single society is becoming hugely powerful and an indicator of social change.

In 2018 and 2019 the Japanese video game Travel Frog became a hit in China. Actually, Travel Frog was a game that seemed to speak directly to those who keep the solo economy ticking. In it, a wayward (任性的) frog has become a baby people are keen on looking after. The frog never interacts with the player, eats alone, reads and does craft work at home and often sets out on journeys, sending postcards to the player letting him or her know its new location. The Travel Frog phenomenon was just one more sign of the increasing importance of the solo economy, with more and more people actively or passively accepting and enjoying their solitude.

Travelling alone is becoming a strong market opportunity. 75% of Ctrip’s self-operated tour groups have opened options for one-person travel, and it plans to develop more innovative products and services tailored to solo travelers.

In entertainment and recreation, too, the solo economy is changing how things work. Minikaraoke booths, self-service photo studios and self-service gyms have popped up on many comers in many cities.

1. Liu Xiang’s article about small home appliances is well-received by _____.

A．those living all by themselves	B．a specific discussion group
C．home appliance producers	D．people with high-paying jobs

2. By “singles-friendly” (in paragraph 3), the author most probably means that Little Bears’ products _____.

A．are innovative in design	B．are easy to use to any individual
C．address the needs of the individual	D．are environmentally conscious

3. What do the travel frog and its player have in common?

A．They both seem to enjoy living alone.	B．They are both keen on travelling.
C．They both stimulate the solo economy.	D．They both interact with others reluctantly.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The popularity of solo dwelling.	B．The prospect of the solo market.
C．The influence of living alone.	D．The rise of the solo economy.