1 . Recycling is a great way of doing your bit for the environment and helping to protect the earth’s precious resources. However, a new study has revealed that our desire to be sustainable maybe doing more harm than good. According to waste company Biffa, this is because of “wish-cycling” — assuming that items such as disposable coffee cup sand pizza boxes will be recycled if put in the recycling bin. In fact, pollution from those items or other non-recyclables can result in recyclable items that have been put in the correct bin going to landfill. David Heaton, a business director at Biffa, said: “Pollution happens when items are disposed of in the wrong bins or haven’t been cleaned before being recycled.”
Experts at Biffa analyzed the amounts of non-target and non-recyclable materials that entered UK material recycling facilities between 2016 and 2020. It was found that, in 2016, the average pollution rate of recycling waste was 13.4 percent, rising over four years to 17 percent by the end of 2020. This shows that, even as people are becoming more eco-conscious, wish-cycling is increasing both in households and businesses.
The Biffa experts say that one of the best ways to prevent pollution of recycling is to clean recyclable waste before putting it in the bin. They suggest cutting off the top of old pizza boxes and only recycling that part to avoid pollution from the grease (油脂). Check the on-packaging recycling label to check it can actually be recycled When it comes to plastics, Biffa recommends checking the resin code, the number in the plastic triangle, to know whether it should go in the recycling bin. In general, resin codes 1, 2, 4 and 5 are recyclable, while 3, 6 and 7 are not. Larger items, like electronics, furniture and batteries, can also be recycled but often can not go in household recycling bins as they need specialist separating. These will need to be taken to recycling centers or sustainable waste management companies.
“It’s vital as a nation that we get better at effective ‘pre-cycling’— sorting waste correctly before collection to reduce pollution rates,” added Mr. Heaton.
1. What’s the truth of “wish-cycling” according to the first paragraph?| A．The desire to lead a sustainable life. |
| B．The good intention to help recycling. |
| C．The habit of throwing items that end up in landfills. |
| D．The practice of recycling items that can not be recycled. |
| A．People are becoming more eco-conscious. |
| B．Wish-cycling is on the rise in recent years. |
| C．Pollution happens less frequently in recycling facilities. |
| D．People are used to cleaning recyclable waste before putting it in the bin. |
| A．Dispose of electronics together with household waste. |
| B．Skip the step of checking the on-packaging recycling label. |
| C．Check the resin code of plastics to see whether it is recyclable or not. |
| D．Cutoff the top of old pizza box and throw the rest to the recycling bin. |
| A．Recycling: a Big Project | B．Wish-cycling: a New Trend |
| C．Wish-cycling: a Growing Concern | D．Pre-cycling: an Effective Method |
2 . California has been using recycled wastewater for many years. A team has used it to make ice surfaces for the game of hockey(冰球运动). It has been used to make snow for the sport of skiing. And farmers use it to water their crops. But it has not been used directly for drinking water.
Recently, California officials approved new rules to let water agencies recycle wastewater and put it right back into the pipes that carry drinking water to homes, schools, and businesses. It is a big step for California.
California’s new rules would let—but not require—water agencies to take wastewater, treat it, and then put it right back into the drinking water system. That means proving to people that recycled water is not only safe to drink but also not dirty. California would be just the second US state to permit this, following Colorado. It has taken officials more than 10 years to develop these rules, a process that included several studies by independent groups of scientists.
A project in San Diego is aiming to produce nearly half of the city’s water through recycling wastewater by 2035. And the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California aims to produce up to nearly 570 million liters(升)a day for its 19 million people. Adel Hagekhalil is with Metropolitan Water. He said the new rules will permit new projects that have not yet been considered.
California’s new rules require the wastewater be treated for all bacteria and viruses, even if they are not present in the wastewater. In fact, the treatment is so intense that it removes all of the minerals that make fresh drinking water taste good. That means the minerals need to be added back at the end of the process. Polhemus is a director of the drinking water group for the California Water Resources Control Board. “It’s at the same drinking water quality, and probably better in many instances,” he said, adding that it takes time and money to build these treatment centers. So, they will only be available for bigger cities at first.
1. What does paragraph 1 mainly tell us about the recycled wastewater?| A．Its qualities. | B．Its functions. |
| C．Its target users. | D．Its disadvantages. |
| A．They made some new rules on pollution. |
| B．They spent ten years recycling wastewater. |
| C．They tried to make wastewater safe to drink. |
| D．They requested water agencies to speed up treating water. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Favorable. | C．Pessimistic. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．The Process of Recycling Wastewater Is Complicated |
| B．California Tries to Reduce the Wastewater Generation |
| C．California Permits Turning Wastewater to Drinking Water |
| D．New Wastewater Treatment Projects Have Been Approved |
3 . Who cares if people think wrongly that the Internet has had more important influences than the washing machine? Why does it matter that people are more impressed by the most recent changes?
It would not matter if these misjudgments were just a matter of people’s opinions. However, they have real impacts, as they result in misguided use of scarce resources.
The fascination with the ICT(Information and Communication Technology) revolution, represented by the Internet, has made some rich countries wrongly conclude that making things is so “yesterday” that they should try to live on ideas. This belief in “post-industrial society” has led those countries to neglect their manufacturing sector (制造业) with negative consequences for their economies.
Even more worryingly, the fascination with the Internet by people in rich countries has moved the international community to worry about the “digital divide” between the rich countries and the poor countries. This has led companies and individuals to donate money to developing countries to buy computer equipment and Internet facilities. The question, however, is whether this is what the developing countries need the most. Perhaps giving money for those less fashionable things such as digging wells, extending electricity networks and making more affordable washing machines would have improved people’s lives more than giving every child a laptop computer or setting up Internet centres in rural villages, I am not saying that those things are necessarily more important, but many donators have rushed into fancy programmes without carefully assessing the relative long-term costs and benefits of alternative uses of their money.
In yet another example, a fascination with the new has led people to believe that the recent changes in the technologies of communications and transportation are so revolutionary that now we live in a “borderless world”. As a result, in the last twenty years or so, many people have come to believe that whatever change is happening today is the result of great technological progress, going against which will be like trying to turn the clock back. Believing in such a world, many governments have put an end to some of the very necessary regulations on cross-border flows of capital, labour and goods, with poor results.
Understanding technological trends is very important for correctly designing economic policies, both at the national and the international levels, and for making the right career choices at the individual level. However, our fascination with the latest, and our under valuation of what has already become common, can, and has, led us in all sorts of wrong directions.
1. What are the effects of people’ misjudgments on the influences of new technology?| A．It stimulates innovation. | B．It affects their personal opinions. |
| C．It influences their use of resources. | D．It leads to improved technology. |
| A．It leads to competition between rich and poor countries. |
| B．It results in a lack of access to technology in developing countries. |
| C．It increases the cost of computer equipment in rich countries. |
| D．It promotes global digital cooperation. |
| A．donating for technology is always the better option |
| B．the author does not provide opinions on this matter |
| C．donating for technology and basic needs should be balanced |
| D．donating for basic needs should be prioritized over technology |
| A．Significance of information and communication technology. |
| B．Serious consequences of over-emphasizing high technology. |
| C．Technological trends guiding economic policy making. |
| D．How to use donation money in the new age. |
Electronic devices can seem like a “third party” in some relationships because some partners spend much more time on them
When Amanda Gao,
“It seemed that his phone was making its way
Lin Yuan, a relationship consultant in Beijing said she knew of some people who suggest that electronics
5 . Going against the tide of flocking(蜂拥) to well-known yet generally jam-packed tourist destinations on vacation, a growing number of holiday makers in China tend to spend their leisure time at lesser known resorts to seek unique, relaxed holiday experiences. Reverse Tourism has emerged as a new trend among young holidaymakers in China.
Besides crowds, some vacationers chose less-traveled places to save on the cost of trips to popular destinations, which often require pricey tickets, meals and hotel stays. “Tourism used to be about sightseeing. Now it is about experiences,” said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy. He said popular tourist spots are always packed and often raise their prices during holidays. As people become more mature travelers, they are increasingly unwilling to follow the herd. Some of them are simply looking to take a rest somewhere quiet for a couple of days, which is a good way to vacation.
In addition, lesser-known attractions are not as “commercial” and “standardized” as developed ones and are able to offer more genuine experiences and natural encounters, according to social media posts. And unlike popular destinations, some under-explored places with little online exposure can offer more surprises. COVID- 19 is another key factor fueling Reverse Tourism. As precautionary measures continue, traveling has an unpredictable quality. A traveler has no way of knowing what lies ahead before departure, be it a perfect holiday or one interrupted by a sudden outbreak.
“The rise of Reverse Tourism is not a bad thing,” said an opinion piece in Zhengzhou Daily. It means that vacationers now have more options, which brings more possibilities to the tourism market, the article explains. More importantly, the trend is set to force popular destinations to improve themselves instead of resting on their achievements, it noted.
1. What is the feature of Reverse Tourism according to the passage?| A．Popular destinations often raise their prices during holidays. |
| B．Less-traveled places offer relaxed holiday experiences. |
| C．Popular destinations are not welcomed by people nowadays. |
| D．Less-traveled places are increasingly valued among young people. |
| A．Do just what most people do. | B．Be particular about vacations. |
| C．Behave like the best visitors. | D．Seek unique travel experience. |
| A．To create surprises on their own. | B．To explore the original beauty. |
| C．To promote the local tourism. | D．To escape the uncertainty in life. |
| A．The promising future of Chinese tourism. |
| B．The challenges popular tourist spots are facing. |
| C．The way to explore the lesser-known attractions. |
| D．The reason why people prefer Reverse Tourism. |
6 . James Rilling of Emory University in Atlanta published the study in The Royal Society in November,2021. His team surveyed 50 grandmothers each with one biological grandchild be-tween 3 and 12 years old and one of their own child. They also measured the brain function as the participants viewed pictures of their grandchild and the same-sex parent of the grandchild. Researchers found that grandmothers viewing their grandchild’s pictures activated parts of the brain that involved emotional empathy(共鸣)and movement.
In contrast, the study also found that when grandmothers viewed images of their adult child, they showed stronger activation in an area of the brain associated with cognitive(认知的)empathy. That indicates they may be trying to cognitively understand what their adult child is thinking or feeling and why, but not as much from the emotional side. Compared with results from an earlier study by the Rilling lab of fathers viewing photos of their children, results showed that grandmothers activated more parts of the brain that involved emotional empathy and motivation.
“That suggests that grandmothers tend to feel what their grandchildren are feeling when they interact with them,” Rilling said. “If their grandchild is smiling, they’re feeling the child’s joy. And if their grandchild is crying, they’re feeling the child’s pain and sorrow.” In many societies, grandmothers are important caregivers, and their investment is often associated with improving their grandchildren’s well-being.
It’s part of the reason why the US celebrates Grandparents’ Day each year on the first Sunday after Labor Day in September. The announcement was signed in 1978. “Because grandparents are usually free to love, guide and befriend the young without having to take the daily responsibility for them. They can reach out past pride and fear of failure and close the space between generations,” the announcement read.
1. How many generations were there at least in the participants’ families?| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
| A．Their cognitive abilities. | B．Their emotional interaction. |
| C．Their respective preferences. | D．Their important characteristics. |
| A．The fear of grandparents. | B．Grandparents’ Day activities. |
| C．Grandparents’ responsibilities. | D．The origin of Grandparents’ Day. |
| A．Grandmothers Are More Likely to Be Emotional |
| B．Grandmothers Empathize with Their Own Children |
| C．Grandmothers Hold Deep Bond with Grandchildren |
| D．Grandmothers Have Generation Gaps with Grandchildren |
7 . Have you ever felt like nobody was there? Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere? Have you ever felt like you could disappear? Like you could fall, and no one would hear? Well, you’re not alone.
In a time when it seems like everyone is consumed by social media, the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen really hits home on what it’s like to be a millennial or any person struggling to find their way. With its moving story, catchy songs, and talented cast, the musical is sure to earn not only your praise, but steal your heart in the process.
Coping with severe anxiety, the title character finds it extremely difficult to fit in. His single mother is always working, his only acquaintance at school is a family friend, and the girl he likes doesn’t even know he exists. Every day is a constant struggle, until the unexpected death of a classmate gives him a voice he never knew he had, even if it is all based on a lie.
On top of the moving story, the music is infectious. When the single “Waving Through a Window” was first released, I played the track for five days straight. Even after seeing the show, I still have the urge to bust out the lyrics to “Words Fail” during my morning commute on the subway. You think I’m exaggerating, but just wait until you hear the soundtrack for the first time. You won’t just tap your foot to one of the melodies during the show; you’ll come out humming three more of them when you leave, guaranteed.
With so many different themes like depression, anxiety, and loneliness throughout, we can all see a bit of ourselves in one of these characters: the socially awkward teen, the daughter whose parents won’t stop fighting, or the classmate who feels like there’s no other way than just giving up. In between numbers, I could audibly hear the audience choking back sobs. My mom and I bonded with a young man sitting next to us during the intermission as we talked about how we related to Evan, his mother, his classmates, and all that in between. At the heart of it all, this isn’t just a show. It’s a story that needs to be told, because no one deserves to be forgotten. No one deserves to feel like they could disappear. Even when you’re broken on the ground, you will be found.
1. The questions in the first paragraph are mentioned _________.| A．to inform us of some common social phenomena. |
| B．to tell us that many people feel lonely in life. |
| C．to introduce the theme of Dear Evan Hansen. |
| D．to illustrate that severe anxiety exists. |
| A．To be widely reported. |
| B．To return to the original place. |
| C．To make people realize something is true. |
| D．To suddenly become very successful. |
| A．Brilliant cast. | B．Infectious songs. |
| C．The complex story. | D．The way it relate to every individual. |
| A．Dear Evan Hansen-you are not alone | B．Dear Evan Hansen-a big hit |
| C．Broadway musical strikes a chord with me | D．Broadway musical is still catchy |
8 . Generation Z athletes have emerged in 2021 as global well-being leaders and advocates, challenging outdated ideas about what it takes to be an athlete. Many of these young sportspeople have gone beyond their sport. Through social media, they have opened up conversations about performance, mental health and the impact of the media.
Performing at the highest level can put huge amounts of pressure on young athletes. Simone Biles decided to put her mental health first at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics when she withdrew from an event.
The emergence of the athlete’s authentic voice during their career is new and growing. Social media has expanded and accelerated a properly authentic voice that is also more personal and openly political. These generation Z players, born into or at the top of the social media boom, can connect directly with their millions of followers on social media to share personal insights.
It is unusual for active athletes to be so transparent about their health — particularly, their mental health. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Biles made a rare exception. She used social media to explain an attack of the “twisties” and the impact on her performance and mental health. This disrupted the narrative of victory at all costs.
By taking control of their own stories, these athletes have broken the idea that top sports stars — with their extreme athleticism, dedication and seeming invincibility — are somehow superhuman. Elite athletes carry enormous burdens of responsibility and winning doesn’t come before everything else. As Simone Biles made clear: “We are not just entertainment. We are human.”
1. What can we know from Paragraph 1?| A．Generation Z athletes have become global leaders. |
| B．Some athletes don’t know what it takes to be an athlete. |
| C．Plenty of young athletes have lost their interest in sports. |
| D．Many young athletes air their views via social media. |
| A．Mental stress. | B．Poor performance. | C．Mental disease. | D．Young athletes. |
| A．Neutral. | B．Favorable. | C．Critical. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．All that glitters is gold. | B．Athletes should be supermen. |
| C．Victory isn’t everything for an athlete. | D．Sports should be viewed as entertainment. |
9 . Binge-watching (刷剧) is when a person watches more than one episode of a show in a row. With developments in the speed and connectivity of the Internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now have their favorite shows stream (流播) directly to their television at their convenience.
This behavior is nothing new. In fact, binge-watching has been officially listed in dictionaries since 2015. The entertainment companies recognize this behavior and many take steps to encourage it. Often, instead of releasing each episode on a week-by-week basis, an entire series will become available concurrently. Once the episode finishes, many platforms will display pop-ups with “you might like” suggestions, or will automatically play the next episode.
However, recent research suggests that out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show back-to-back (一集接一集地), almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and 25% have neglected their household chores (家务活). Next we’ll be missing work!
Bingeing has other connections — binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking. All of them are often associated with a lack of control and a possible route to addiction. Lindsey Fussell, consumer group director, said, “The days of waiting a week for the next episode are largely gone, with people finding it hard to resist (抗拒) watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move.” If people find binge-watching hard to resist, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction?
The countless number of information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. However, when the activity begins to bleed into other areas, causing us to stop functioning, then it becomes a problem. So, what’s the answer? Moderation! Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, “A little of what you fancy does you good.”
1. How did the writer develop the first paragraph?| A．By giving a definition. | B．By telling a story. |
| C．By listing some examples. | D．By analyzing the cause and effect. |
| A．For convenience. | B．At the same time. |
| C．In detail. | D．Free of charge. |
| A．people can’t control their feelings | B．people can’t resist the temptation of Bingeing |
| C．people have no patience to do work | D．people are addicted to waiting for a new episode |
| A．To keep online media from stopping functioning. |
| B．To enjoy entertainment as much as possible. |
| C．To learn life lessons from the episodes. |
| D．To watch episodes in a moderate way. |
10 . Many employees must be tempted to inquire on a daily basis when they see their bosses headed down the wrong track. But caution, for fear of appearing insubordinate or foolish and thus possibly at risk of losing their jobs, often leads workers to keep silent.
A culture of silence can be dangerous, argues a new book, “The Fearless Organization”, by Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School. Some of her examples are from the airline industry. One was its deadliest accident: a crash between Boeing 747s in the Canary Islands in 1977 when a co-pilot felt unable to doubt his captain’s decision to take off based on a misunderstanding of instructions from air-traffic control.
The risks may be lower than life or death in most organizations, but companies also suffer when people keep silent, Ms Edmondson believes. Volkswagen was caught up in a scandal over diesel(柴油) emissions from 2015. The engines of its diesel models did not meet American emissions standards and engineers devised a system to fool the regulators. Ms Edmondson says the company’s culture had been one based on threat and fear; Ferdinand Piëch, its longtime boss, boasted of telling engineers they had six weeks to improve the bodywork(车身) fitting on pain of dismissal. In the circumstances, engineers were understandably unwilling to mention the bad news on emissions standards and instead, worked around the problem. In a corporate culture based on fear and intimidation, it may appear that targets are being achieved in the short term. But in the long run, the effect is likely to be counterproductive. Studies show that fear stops learning. And when confronted with a problem, scared workers find ways of covering it up or getting around it with inefficient practices.
The answer is to create an atmosphere of “psychological safety” whereby workers can speak their minds. In a way, this is the equivalent of Toyota’s “lean manufacturing” process, which allows any worker who spots a problem to stop the production line. This does not mean that workers, or their ideas, are immune from criticism, or that they should complain continuously. The book describes, Pixar created what it called a “Braintrust” to give feedback to film directors. The rules were that feedback should be constructive and about the idea, not the person.
As ordinary tasks are automated, and workers rely on computers for data analysis, the added value of humans will stem from their creativity. But as Ms Edmondson’s book demonstrates, it is hard to be either constructive or creative if you are not confident about speaking out.
1. The underlined word “insubordinate”(para 1) means ________.| A．being inferior | B．disobeying a superior |
| C．getting aggressive | D．being arrogant |
| A．Volkswagen’s engineers designed a system to meet American emissions standards |
| B．when facing problems, scared workers resolve them directly |
| C．Volkswagen’s engineers were at risk of losing jobs |
| D．the culture of fear and intimidation must be counterproductive in the long term. |
| A．A culture of being silent is life-threatening. |
| B．Volkswagen’s culture is on the basis of fear. |
| C．Workers can escape being blamed in the culture of psychological safety. |
| D．The value of humans lies in originality in today’s highly-automated world. |
| A．An introduction to Amy Edmondson’s new book. |
| B．The disadvantages of fear and intimidation culture. |
| C．People need to be confident when they are speaking out. |
| D．Companies will perform better if employees are not threatened into silence. |
