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 . We’re frequently told that our attention problem-being easily distracted-result from modern technology. If we truly want to focus, according to the popular belief, we need to turn off all our digital devices and quit social media.
Here’s my opinion about that idea. This era(时代)is no different than any other-there has always been a “crisis of attention”. Think about life long ago: people in ancient India or Europe didn’t have smartphones and social media, but they were faced with the same problem.
A crisis of attention can happen anytime you don’t allow yourself a break-when you don’t allow your mind to daydream, which may inspire your creativity. We are always engaged in something. With these digital tools at our fingertips, we have constant access to all these forms of communication, content, and interaction, and we don’t let our thoughts wander(漫游)freely. When was the last time you stood in line at a store and just…looked around? Thought about whatever came to your mind? Or did you pull out your phone, check your texts, read your email during that time?
We all do it. We catch ourselves all the time going from one type of mental engagement to the next. Like surfing online (clicking from link to link), we go from one task to the next and the next. We are “all task and no downtime”. Even something you might think of as relaxing is more engagement. Checking your phone messages may seem “fun”, but it’s just another task for your attention. Your attention is focused on task after task after task, without a moment for the mind to wander freely.
It’s not always realistic to unplug. We can’t just turn off our phones and pause our email. We can’t create a distraction-free world. The problem is not the existence(存在)of modern technology; rather, it’s how we’re using it.
1. Why does the author mention people in ancient India?| A．To argue against the popular belief. |
| B．To discuss the benefits of technology. |
| C．To suggest a solution to the attention problem. |
| D．To show the seriousness of the attention problem. |
| A．Chatting with friends. | B．Reading a newspaper. |
| C．Sitting back doing nothing. | D．Checking phone messages. |
| A．Work long hours. | B．Improve technology. |
| C．Stop using digital devices. | D．Balance work and leisure. |
| A．Culture. | B．Fashion. |
| C．History. | D．Opinion. |
3 . Walking in the city is very different from walking in the park. A small psychology study suggests urban(城市的) environments can slow your step and possibly increase your mental load. A walk through nature, on the other hand, appears to ease your mind and quicken your pace. The findings show that natural settings may potentially reduce cognitive (认知的)tiredness and improve reaction times straight away. The study, which includes two experiments with two different approaches, was conducted among 65 university students in the lab.
The first of the two experiments in the new study focused on people’s way of walking and cognitive load. During this trial, participants were fitted with sensors and a dozen motion control cameras were set up to watch them repeatedly walk down a 15-metre room at their natural speed. The wall opposite them showed an image of either a nature scene or a city scene. After each walk, participants were asked to rate their feelings of discomfort in the visual environment. On the whole, when walking in city settings, people reported more discomfort and they walked at a slower pace, indicating a higher cognitive load.
The second experiment dug into some of the higher-level cognitive processes that might be at play. In the trial, participants were asked to distinguish between basic visual shapes on the computer while also in the presence of a natural or urban image(the same ones from the first experiment). Measuring reaction times in both natural and urban settings, the team found results to support their idea. In urban environments, participants were slower in distinguishing between simple shapes. The authors think this is because urban environments are more distracting(令人分心的) for our brains and take longer to process, but more research is needed to prove that idea.
1. How were the experiments conducted mainly?| A．By comparing. | B．By giving data. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By explaining facts. |
| A．It can make us feel relaxed and react quickly. | B．It can activate our thinking and speed up our step. |
| C．It can make us less tired and improve our memory. | D．It can make us become more focused and creative. |
| A．They had a lower cognitive load. | B．They had to slow down their pace. |
| C．They couldn’t concentrate properly. | D．They felt uncomfortable after walking. |
| A．Urban environment makes us more concentrated. | B．People’s feelings are decided by their pace of walking. |
| C．The result of the experiments is widely appreciated. | D．People tend to get tired more easily walking in the city. |
A 17-year-old Bangladeshi boy has won this year's International Children's Peace Prize for his work to fight cyberbullying in
The prize winner, Sadat Rahman, promised to keep
Rahman developed a mobile phone
The award comes with
5 . Traffic Accidents and Road Safety
The number of road accidents and the deaths arising from those accidents has increased greatly over the past year.
We must all be aware of the causes of traffic accidents and act to prevent them. This is true of everyone as accidents affect driven of vehicles as well as cyclists and pedestrians. We all have a responsibility to prevent accidents. Here are some of the major causes of road accidents.
●Driven not paying attention
This is the most common cause of accidents.
●Drivers being impatient in a traffic jam
Many drivers are aggressive and push into other paths of traffic or overtake other cars. These are both very dangerous because they can easily lead to crashes.
●
Recently the number of people fined for speaking on their mobile phoned while driving has increased by 30 percent. Speaking on the phone requires concentration and takes a driver's attention from the road.
●Drinking and driving
If you drive after you have had alcoholic drinks, you are breaking the law and risking your own life as well as the lives of others
●Drivers speeding
Speed kills This is a fact that is easily overlooked, but driving too fast through city streets is very irresponsible and dangerous. Our city streets are away busy with people, cars and bicycles.
| A．Road safety for pedestrians |
| B．Divers speaking on mobile phones |
| C．Drivers must watch out for people crossing the road |
| D．Unless driver's drinking alcohol is absolutely banned |
| E．When drives do not pay attention to surrounding traffic |
| F．If you are with someone she who has been drinking alcohol |
| G．This notice is aimed at increasing people's awareness of the problem |
6 . “Regardless of social class, race and age, men say they hate to shop,” says Zukin, City University of New York sociology professor. “Yet when you ask them deeper questions, it turns out that they like to shop. Men generally like to shop for books, music and hardware. But if you ask them about the shopping they do for books or music, they'll say, ‘Well, that's not shopping. That's research.’”
In other words, what men and women call “buying things” and how they approach that task are different.
Women will wander through several 1,000squaremetre stores in search of the perfect party dress. Men will wander through 100 Internet sites in search of the perfect digital camcorder. Women see shopping as a social event. Men see it as a special task or a game to be won.
“Men are frequently shopping to win,” says Ann, a marketing professor at Loyola University of Chicago. “They want to get the best deal. They want to get the best and latest one and if they do that, it makes them happy. When women shop, they're doing it in a way that they want everybody to be very happy,” says Ann. “They're kind of shopping for love.”
“Teenage girls learn to shop from their mums and elder sisters, and they also learn to shop by examining articles in magazines like Seventeen,” Zukin says. “And although men's magazines such as GQ and Esquire have long had shopping articles, it's TV that has the eye of young male shoppers,” say Ann and Zukin.
“Television shows are used by young men in the same way Seventeen or Lucky is used by girls,” says Zukin, “to help make clothing and toiletry choices.”
“Of course, there are men who love to shop and are proud of it,” Ann says. And that is important no matter whether you buy a car or a frying pan. All men love to buy but don't want to get cheated. Ann adds, “There actually are men who are interested, for example, in cooking or shopping or chinaware or things around the home-they become kind of girl magnets. Women like it.”
1. From the first paragraph we can find that .| A．men like to shop in fact | B．men are all dishonest |
| C．men hate to shop actually | D．men are all booklovers |
| A．honestly | B．frequently | C．seriously | D．foolishly |
| A．only with their sisters | B．often following magazines |
| C．only with their mums | D．often following TV shows |
| A．vegetables that make women beautiful | B．magazines that attract young women |
| C．persons that have a powerful attraction | D．tools that can help housewives much |
7 . Money with no strings attached. It’s not something you see every day. But at Union Station in Los Angeles last month, a board went up with dollar bills attached to it with pins and a sign that read, “Give What You Can. Take What You Need.”
People quickly caught on. And while many took dollars, many others pinned their own cash to the board. “People of all ages, races, and socio-economic(社会经济的) backgrounds gave and took,” said Tyler Bridges of The Toolbox, which created the project. “We even had a bride in her wedding dress come up to the board and take a few dollars.” Most of the bills on the board were singles, but a few people left fives, tens and even twenties. The video clip(片段) shows one man who had found a $ 20 bill pinning it to the board.
“What I can say for the folks that gave the most, is that they were full of smiles,” Bridges said. “There’s a certain feeling that giving can do for you and that was apparent in those that gave the most.” Most people who took dollars took only a few, but Bridges said a very small number took as much as they could.
While the clip might look like part of a new ad campaign, Bridges said the only goal was to show generosity(慷慨) and sympathy. He added that he hopes people in other cities might try similar projects and post their own videos on the Internet.
“After all, everyone has bad days and good days,” he said. “Some days you need a helping hand and some days you can be the one giving the helping hand.”
1. What does the expression “money with no strings attached” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Money spent without hesitation. | B．Money not legally made. |
| C．Money offered without conditions. | D．Money not tied together. |
| A．Women tended to be more sociable. | B．The activity attracted various people. |
| C．Economic problems were getting worse. | D．Young couples needed financial assistance. |
| A．To do a test on people’s morals. | B．To raise money for his company. |
| C．To earn himself a good reputation. | D．To promote kindness. |
8 . Many people, some even at a very young age, set the goal of graduating from college. One American woman in Texas waited a long time for her chance to reach that goal.
The woman, 85-year-old Janet Fein, received her bachelor’s degree (学士学位) from the University of Texas in December, 2018.
Fein has had a full life. She raised five children and then had a career as a secretary (秘书) until she retired at age 77. But even then, she was not ready to take it easy and rest during a well-earned retirement. She decided to major in sociology (社会学).
Fein grew up in the Bronx area of New York City. In high school, she just wanted to finish and get a job. After graduating early, at the age of 16, she went to work as a secretary.
After getting married, she spent 18 years staying home with her children. She held several jobs throughout her life, including being a secretary at a Dallas hospital. That is the job she retired from in 2011. She received an associate degree (专科学位) in 1995. But she also wanted to earn a bachelor’s degree. Fein took part in a state program that lets people who are 65 and older take free classes at public universities in Texas.
She kept going to class even as her health condition worsened. During her studies, it became necessary for her to use a walker to get around and she needed oxygen (氧气) too. She also developed knee problems. So, Fein took online classes to finish the last part of her degree requirements.
Renee Brown is one of Fein’s care-givers. She says Fein has also inspired her. At 53, she plans to begin nursing school to further her career. Brown says Fein told her, “Renee, you can do it. If I can do it you also can do it, and you will feel so good about it.”
1. When did Janet Fein start to work?| A．In 1933. | B．In 1995. |
| C．In 1949. | D．In 2012. |
| A．Sociology. | B．Secretary. |
| C．History. | D．Health. |
| A．Shocked. | B．Disappointed. | C．Employed. | D．Encouraged. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. |
| B．It is never too late to learn. |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| D．When in Rome, do as the Romans do. |
9 . How many phone numbers can you remember by heart? It’s probably fewer than you would like. Actually, you’re not alone. Out of more than 1,000 Americans who were surveyed, more than half said that they couldn’t recall the phone numbers of their friends and neighbors. And 44% said that they couldn’t remember their relatives’ phone numbers. In their eyes, there is no point in filling their heads with phone numbers if they’re all stored in smart phones that are with them almost all the time.
In fact, most people are suffering from a sort of digital amnesia. More than 90% of those surveyed agreed that they used the Internet as an online extension of their brains. Rote memorization was once an important part of modern education, but we just need a click or slide now. That’s making us worse at remembering things.
Researchers found that when people expected to have access to information online, they were less likely to remember actual facts，but more likely to remember how to find them. As a result, we are already becoming one with our computer tools, growing into interconnected systems that remember less by knowing information than by knowing where the information can be found.
However, some believe it isn’t necessarily a bad thing—maybe it gives them more chances to think through things. We certainly have access to more knowledge now than ever, even if it isn’t all stored in our brains.
Even so, I still believe that there are more risks to this new world of memory beyond losing our ability to recall some information such as who the 15th President was. That kind of information may always be a click away, but the important things are personal ones, like the way your parents smiled at your wedding. It’s harder to recall or find online. If you’re relying on yourself to keep track of those memories, they will be much more meaningful.
1. Paragraph 1 is mainly used to________.| A．serve as the background | B．introduce the topic |
| C．explain new research | D．attract readers’ attention |
| A．Dealing with too many things. | B．Seldom thinking about questions. |
| C．Relying on the Internet too much. | D．The changes of their memories. |
| A．Over 90% people are suffering from digital amnesia. |
| B．Rote memorization no longer exists in modern life. |
| C．People can gain knowledge more easily than before. |
| D．People find it hard to remember how to find information |
| A．Worried. | B．Optimistic. | C．Disappointed. | D．Confident. |
10 . Hansen and his 10-year-old son Chase search the streets of Salt Lake City every weekend for the homeless to take to lunch. They started Project Empathy(共情) four years ago to
“Just start with a smile, a hello. It really just starts with that. If you do it, you can make a connection. A small gesture can have a
Some of these shared meals have turned into stronger
Father and son’s
“My hope for the future is to
| A．buy | B．cook | C．share | D．eat |
| A．often | B．further | C．also | D．even |
| A．dramatic | B．different | C．minimum | D．decisive |
| A．commented | B．praised | C．joked | D．quoted |
| A．desires | B．connections | C．motivations | D．opinions |
| A．provided | B．permitted | C．abandoned | D．housed |
| A．through | B．for | C．despite | D．to |
| A．surprised | B．anxious | C．awesome | D．annoyed |
| A．dreams | B．influences | C．experiences | D．efforts |
| A．assesses | B．compares | C．highlights | D．respects |
| A．importance | B．task | C．chance | D．role |
| A．argument | B．problem | C．debt | D．conflict |
| A．go away | B．catch on | C．work out | D．give off |
| A．spread | B．miss | C．exchange | D．maintain |
| A．before | B．until | C．if | D．so |
