1 . Just as British people are always proud to say that they have “green fingers”, people in the US use about 34 billion liters of water on their gardens almost each day. At the same time, however, much of this country is experiencing a ten years’ drought (干旱). People in Florida, California and much of the western United States can’t water their lawns — or can’t water them as often as they’re used to. These lawns may not die, but neither will they look as green as grass lands in other places.

Both homeowners and researchers have been looking for solutions. Brooke Moffis, a graduate student at the University of Florida, works with Basil Iannone in the school’s lab on the ecology of living area, aiming to save water. Iannone says one way to do that is to fill a lawn with a variety of native plants. He recommends focusing on ones that can adapt to dry conditions, rather than keeping those thirsty English grasses.

People often regard lawns as grass and nothing else. When a lawn is planted with just one kind, it’s called a monoculture (单一栽培). “But we don’t need it to be a monoculture to serve the function of a lawn,” Iannone says. Adding native plants, including those that are considered as weeds, can make for a healthier outdoor space, Iannone added.

Imagine you’re a hungry insect. If you eat nectar (花蜜) — as many bees, butterflies, beetles, moths, ants and other insects do—a grassy lawn isn’t going to feed you. It would be like going to the grocery store and finding only one kind of food for a long time. But it’s a food you either can’t eat or don’t like.

A garden growing a variety of flowering plants would instead seem like a welcome buffet with a variety of food. The different nectar in these many flowers would make sure you and other nearby insects had plenty to choose and eat. That’s the idea behind adding flowering plants to existing lawns, such as clover, purslane or pennywort.

1. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．Lawns in western California die easily.	B．Americans take good care of their lawns.
C．Some areas in the US lack water for lawns.	D．The British suffer from natural disasters.

2. Why does Iannone disagree on growing English grasses?

A．They can’t make lawns green.	B．They aren’t suitable for research.
C．They can’t survive in the United States.	D．They can’t grow well without enough water.

3. What do people usually think of lawns?

A．Lawns are just made of grass.	B．Lawns show American garden culture.
C．Lawns should include functional plants.	D．Lawns with weeds make healthier space.

4. Why does the author mention buffet in the last paragraph?

A．To indicate nectar is good for insects.

B．To introduce different ways to feed insects.

C．To show the benefits of growing various plants.

D．To suggest bringing nearby insects into the lawns.

2 . There’s a part of your brain that processes faces. It’s located, according to scientist Nancy Austen, in the area “just behind and underneath, and a bit from your right ear.” It’s called the fusiform gyrus (梭状回).     1    . You’ll tell yourself, “That’s Bob.” It also sends out messages to other parts of the body that add emotions to the information, such as “I like him. He’s my friend.”     2     when an accident, illness, or hereditary gene (遗传基因) breaks the connections between the fusiform gyrus and other parts of the brain?

There are people who may see a particular person’s face every day of their lives and still not recognize it. They see a nose, teeth, and cheeks, but when these are put together, they cannot keep a memory of it.     3    . Researchers say that as many as 1 in 50 people suffer from some form of the condition.

    4    . Another best known sufferer of prosopagnosia is the neurologist and psychiatrist Dr Sacks, a famous author of the best-selling books, one of which was made into an Oscar-nominated film. As a lifelong sufferer of extreme face blindness, Sacks has said that his condition is so severe that he often doesn’t recognize his own face.

Sufferers of face blindness must develop other ways of recognizing coworkers, friends, and family.     5    . Jane Goodall says, “I usually make up for it by pretending to recognize everybody. And then, if they say, ‘But we haven’t met before,’ I say, ‘Well, you look just like somebody I know.’ ”

A．But what happens

B．So what can people do

C．Whenever you see someone you know, it tells you who he is

D．Jane Goodall has spent all her time in studying chimps in the wild

E．Jane Goodall, the world’s leading expert on chimps (黑猩猩), has it

F．The medical term for this condition is prosopagnosia, more commonly called face blindness

G．They remember single feature s instead, such as a specific style of clothing, or an extra toothy smile

4 . Editor’s note: An increasing number of Chinese people, especially the young, are more willing to celebrate Western festivals. Should we celebrate foreign festivals? Forum (论坛) readers share their opinions. You’re welcome to add yours.

Dinah (China)

I enjoy the happy atmosphere of both Chinese and Western festivals. As long as it is meaningful for me, I will celebrate it with my boyfriend, and my parents! I like Western festivals and often celebrate them without even knowing the origins of them. Why? Because what I really appreciate is just the happy atmosphere.

SharkMinnow (Canada)

Western Festivals are more like parties or games for some Chinese. Also, spending money = good for economy. Most Chinese don’t take Western festivals as seriously as their own. It’s like a game or party in my eyes. A way to blow off steam and have fun (and spend money).

Travis (UK)

As an Englishman teaching here in China for two years, my friends have got used to, and enjoy when I celebrate my festivals. My school also likes it as well, although this year they asked me not to scare the teachers so much on Halloween. My Chinese friends enjoy taking part in my festivals, as they also learn more about my culture, and the history that goes with it…

Leesinchina (US)

Cherish your own festivals. It would be a pity if the Chinese accepted these Western days — first, because they have absolutely nothing to do with traditional Chinese culture. Second, they are a big trick by the big stores to get more money out of you. Stick to your own festivals — they actually mean something to you — rather than following western customs for no good reason.

1. What matters most according to Dinah?

A．The atmosphere when celebrating festivals.

B．The people with whom to celebrate festivals.

C．Celebrating Chinese festivals with her family.

D．Celebrating Western festivals in a good atmosphere.

2. What’s the attitude of readers 2 and 4 towards celebrating Western festivals?

A．Optimistic.

B．Indifferent.

C．Neutral.

D．Negative.

3. Which can be the best topic for this text?

A．How should we celebrate festivals?

B．Should we celebrate foreign festivals?

C．Why are more young people celebrating foreign festivals?

D．Are more Chinese people willing to celebrate foreign festivals?

4. In which of the following can this text be originally found?

A．A newspaper.

B．A debate.

C．A website.

D．A text book.

6 . The issue of how to feed a growing population is a crucial issue for the 21st century. The issue was high on the agenda (当务之急) at the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt. According to the UN, by 2050, we will need to produce 60% more food to feed a world population of 9.3 billion.

Cambridge Judge Business School supports a number of businesses which aim to promote sustainable agriculture practices. One of the most important fields is precision (精准) agriculture, the science of improving crop yields and assisting management decisions using the latest technology. Outfield Technologies is targeted at high value fruit farming. Farmers buy their own drones (无人机), and then the Outfield software creates flight plans over the farm and processes the images taken by the drones.

By counting the fruit on branches and measuring trees, farmers can see where to apply fertiliser with greater precision, reducing usage and improving soil sustainability. Outfield’s software can also recommend where to start harvesting to reduce waste and labour costs. The rising cost of labour globally has become a huge issue within the agricultural industry, for reasons including the shortage of backpackers (some of whom become seasonal workers) in New Zealand, and the rise of minimum pay in South Africa.

The data gathered by drones can also predict yields. “Priming” the supply chain ensures a smoother journey from the farm to fruit bowl in your home. When an apple is picked, it is stored in a refrigerated environment for up to six months before being transported to a pack house to be washed, sorted, packaged, before being moved to a delivery centre and finally appearing on supermarket shelves. The chain depends heavily on transportation, but by predicting yields, Outfield aims to reduce waste as traders can predict fruit levels and reduce greenhouse gases caused by refrigerated storage.

Outfield co-founder Oil Hilbourne said, “The agricultural industry needs more investment to change. More money for 5G, education and investment in start-ups.”

1. What does Outfield Technologies do for farmers?

A．It offers them free flights.

B．It oversees farms for them.

C．It teaches them about high value fruits.

D．It uses drone-taken images to advertise farms.

2. What labour problems are different countries facing?

A．Pay in South Africa is very low.

B．South Africa can’t agree on minimum pay.

C．Backpackers in New Zealand fail to get paid fairly.

D．New Zealand isn’t drawing enough seasonal workers.

3. By gathering data by drone, the Outfield tries to_________.

A．boost the yield of fruit	B．make sure the fruit can keep fresh
C．ensure the fruits are transported timely	D．provide more convenient services to customers

4. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．The future of farming	B．The trend of fruit picking
C．The promising market of high value fruits	D．The positive effects of farming on environment

9 . In an air-conditioned office, you may see men sporting shorts while their female co-workers wear jackets to keep warm. Why do women feel cold more easily than men?

The accepted answer is that men and women feel temperature differently. Our bodies produce heat through metabolism (新陈代谢). One of the key factors of the metabolic rate is our muscles. Generally speaking, men have more muscles than women, leading to a higher metabolic rate. It means that more heat is created. As a result, men, on average, do not feel cold as easily as women. Yes, women and men have physical differences. But why is it women, in most cases, who feel more uncomfortable in a room set to a “comfortable” temperature? The answer lies in the data bias (数据偏见) behind the model of temperature setting in buildings.

In a 2020 article in the journal Nature, Boris Kingma, a human thermal (热量的) performance researcher in the Netherlands, pointed out that most office buildings set the temperature in light of a model based on men’s metabolic rate. Female data were not considered when setting the model. In other words, temperatures for comfort in office buildings are mainly comfortable for men, not women. In his article, Kingma called for the end of this so-called “bias in thermal comfort”.

This is just one example of data bias. In her book, Caroline Perez gave more examples in which women were ignored in data collecting for scientific and technological research and design. Women are more likely to die from a serious car accident because a car’s safety equipment is designed for the typical body of a man. The medicine aspirin (阿司匹林) shows better performance in men since it was developed on data collected mostly from males. Women, who form half of the world’s population, seem to be ignored in these cases.

1. Why don’t men feel cold as easily as women, according to the text?

A．Men have more fat to defeat cold.	B．Men exercise more to produce heat.
C．Men have a higher metabolic rate.	D．Men burn off less energy when moving.

2. What is the main cause of women feeling uncomfortable in office buildings’ temperature settings?

A．Physical differences between men and women.

B．The data bias in thermal comfort models.

C．Variations in clothing choices.

D．Differences in heat tolerance.

3. What does Kingma think of the data bias behind the model of temperature setting?

A．Unfair.

B．Worrying.

C．Acceptable.

D．Reasonable.

4. Which is NOT an example of women being ignored for scientific and technological research and design?

A．Safety equipment in cars.	B．Temperature model setting.
C．Differences in clothing choices.	D．Performance of medicine aspirin.

5. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．Arguments about data bias.	B．More examples of data bias.
C．Commentary on data bias.	D．Reasons for human’s data bias.

10 . Culdesac, which describes itself as “the first car-free neighborhood in the Us”, admitted its first 36 residents in Tempe, Arizona, US, earlier this year. The $170 million neighborhood, with its white buildings and narrow walkways, is expected to hold around 1, 000 people when the full 760 units are completed by 2025. Similar projects in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Houston, Texas, are also underway.

In a country as car-dependent as the US, Culdesac is no lack of foresight (远见). Although some densely populated (人口密集的) coastal Us cities like Boston and New York City are walkable and have ample public transportation options like taxis, buses and light rails, the majority of Americans are entirely dependent on cars to get around.

This dependence on cars doesn’t come cheap, unfortunately. In a 2023 study, the American Automobile Association said that it costs an average of about 89,000 yuan per year to own and maintain a car in the US.

So, what is stopping Americans from abandoning cars and accepting relatively cheaper choices like e-bikes? In a word, unsafe roads that prioritize cars over people. According to a 2018 report by WHO, the US traffic accident death rate is about 50 percent more than similar nations in Western Europe. At the same time, walkers and cyclists in the US are often blamed for being hit by drivers rather than the other way around.

Still, there’s hope. By choosing a new car-free way of living, US projects like Culdesac can provide another way of living that’s both healthier and more affordable and, in turn, influence others to live a better way as well. As Vanessa, a resident of Culdesac, said, “For some, cars equal freedom, but for me, it’s limitation, Freedom is being able to just simply walk out and access places. “

1. What can we learn about Culdesac from the text?

A．It is expected to hold only 1, 000 people,	B．It is the world’s largest car-free neighborhood,
C．It will be finished by the end of this year.	D．It is thought to be forward-thinking.

2. What does the underlined word ”ample“ in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Enough.

B．Possible.

C．Similar.

D．Special.

3. Why are Americans unwilling to give up cars, according to the text?

A．Maintaining a car is cheap.	B．E-bikes are not widely available.
C．Road conditions are unsafe.	D．Drivers are respected by others.

4. What influence can car-free projects like Culdesac have on American society?

A．Limiting freedom of movement.	B．Making local residents feel safer.
C．Encouraging people to explore their communities.	D．Promoting a cheaper and healthier way of living.