1 . Rising food prices have taken a big bite out of what Canadians are able to serve up for dinner but food economists say our ability to cope has been deteriorated by our common decline in cooking skills. “We are less able to cook than we were 30 or 40 years ago, and so it’s much more difficult for us to adapt our diet,” said Mike von Massow, an associate professor at the University of Guelph.

A 2010 federal government report called Improving Cooking and Food Preparation Skills, the most recent of its kind, said that all across the population, processed and pre-prepared foods have been permitted. “Related to this permission is the potential lack of transference of basic, traditional cooking and food preparation skills from parents to children and adolescents,” the report reads.

Moreover, the quality of pre-prepared foods in the market remains uneven, with problems related to the lack of detailed labelling on such products, as well as difficulties in logistics and distribution.

Annie Belov, a 21-year-old student, has taught herself a lot about cooking since food prices started shooting up. “When the inflation (通货膨胀) wasn’t as bad, I was constantly eating out,” said Belov. That might mean food on campus or picking up a prepared item at Safeway when the price was still around $5, she said.

Belov now often makes dishes such as Caesar salad, as well as hearty pasta salads that combine carbs with vegetables and a bit of chicken. Belov said she’s a lot more efficient in the kitchen thanks to building her skills through trial and error. “Now, definitely more than before, I can kind of look in the pantry or in the freezer and be like, ‘OK, yeah, I can make a meal quickly and easily.’”

It’s important to note, however, that cooking skills alone cannot solve the affordability problem, said Elaine Power. And in 2023, Food Banks Canada says food insecurity is rising with inflation and the high cost of living. So while cooking skills can better position people to feed themselves and their families as best they can in forced circumstances, “that doesn’t, and can’t, make up for income that is inadequate in the first place.”

1. Which is the closest in meaning to the underlined word in paragraph 1?

A．worsened.

B．interrupted.

C．puzzled.

D．upset.

2. What is a disadvantage of pre-prepared foods?

A．Failing to attract diners.

B．The loss of cooking skills.

C．Difficulties in keeping its flavors.

D．Shortage of fresh ingredients.

3. What can we say about Annie Belov?

A．She suffers a tough financial patch.

B．She ends up showing a love of cooking.

C．She used to dine out at a restaurant.

D．She receives cooking education in schools.

4. What is the key to solve the affordability problem according to Elaine Power?

A．Lower cost of living.	B．More cooking at home.
C．Food security status.	D．Increased income.

2 . Smart phones provide a palm (手掌)-size window to the world, enabling us to do almost anything at the touch of a button. Smart homes look after themselves, and virtual meeting s mean that for many, time spent commuting is a thing of the past.

So we should have more free time. Time which is now spent sleeping, relaxing or simply doing nothing-right? We recently interviewed 300 people across Europe to understand how they used digital devices in day-to-day life. This research showed that people want to avoid empty periods of time in their lives, so they fill those periods performing tasks, some of which wouldn’t be possible without technology.

Whether it was waiting for a bus, waking in the morning, or lying in bed at night, our research reported that time which would previously be “empty” was now filled with brain training apps, creating lists of things they should do or try based on their social media feed, and other life admin.

On the face of it some of these tasks may seem like examples of tech saving us time. In theory, online banking should mean I have more time because I no longer need to go to the bank in my lunch break. However, our research suggests that this is not the case.

If the idea that you have more time than ever before is making you choke on your coffee, you are not alone. There is growing evidence that while digital technology may help us to save some time, we end up using that time to do more and more things. For many people, it is no longer enough to simply eat dinner, watch TV or maybe do an exercise class. Instead, in an attempt to avoid wasting time, these activities are performed while also browsing the web in search of the ingredients for a more perfect life and trying to develop a sense of achievement.

It seems that people still see going for a walk or actually being with friends as more valuable than being online. Maybe if we put down the phone a little more, we would have the time to actually cook those recipes we watch online.

1. What conclusion can be drawn in the first paragraph?

A．Technology makes our lives easier.

B．We can’t live well without modern technology.

C．Virtual meeting is a thing of the past.

D．A smart home offers you luxury and convenience.

2. What does the research find about free time?

A．It is an essential means of relaxation.

B．It does good to perform daily tasks.

C．It is secretly stolen by technology.

D．It forces people to do more work.

3. What does the example of online banking tell us?

A．It’s not too late to get free time back.

B．Lunch break can be saved by online banking.

C．Doing little or nothing is sometimes OK.

D．Technology leads to a denser form of life.

4. Who are the target readers of the text?

A．Students in on-line learning.

B．Employees working in the bank.

C．People relying on digital devices.

D．Researchers in the technological lab.

3 . 本学期一开始，你校就开展了“禁止手机进校园”活动，一些同学表示理解，一些同学表示反对，假设你是李华，就这一情况向你校报社投稿，内容包括：
1. 支持的理由；
2. 反对的原因；
3. 你的观点。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Can students bring cell phones into campus?

With the increasing popularity of smartphones, more and more students bring them to school. However, the debate over whether students should be allowed to bring phones to school continues.

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5 . Being in green spaces and connecting with nature is good for your physical and mental health. In Japanese natural healing, forest bathing has been used to decrease stress, anxiety, and even to treat mild depression. Now, scientists have discovered that blue spaces — natural waterways — are also connected to better mental health. A population-based study found that approach to water increased positive feelings of wellbeing.

Being near water gives people a sense of awe, because it gives people a consciousness of something greater than themselves. The sounds and movement of water gets people to focus their attention — like meditation — and this invites calm, You do not have to go to the coast to experience this well-being. Any waterway will do, including lakes, rivers, canals, or ponds. Even a flowing fountain will work.

The study also found that urban waterways were superior to feelings of well-being than just being near the ocean. Canals and rivers contain not only water but also an abundance of trees and plants, which means their capacity to improvement al well-being is likely to be due to the multiple benefits associated with both green and blue spaces.

Canals and rivers also provide homes to a range of wildlife, and we know that there is a notable association between encountering wildlife and mental well-being. Taken collectively, these findings provide an evidence base for what we thought about water and well-being.

These results are very exciting for urban citizens who have access to rivers and canals. The study also found that there were continuous improvements to mental well-being for up to 24 hours after visiting urban waterways. This is all good news. The availability of spaces to be in nature — both green and blue — will help calm their anxiety, stress, and help boost mental health.

1. Why does the author mention green spaces in paragraph 1?

A．To introduce the topic about blue spaces.

B．To tell the great benefits of forest bathing.

C．To tell us what works best in reducing stress.

D．To explain green spaces are unpopular now.

2. What can we know about feelings of well-being from paragraph 3?

A．Your moods in the woods work quite differently.

B．Being near the ocean has the best function to you.

C．Green spaces have no capacity to improve well-being.

D．Combinations of green and blue spaces are more effective.

3. What does the underlined word “notable” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Slight.

B．Rare.

C．Significant.

D．Indistinct.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the find of blue spaces?

A．Intolerant.

B．Favorable.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unclear.

6 . As firefighters battled a five-alarm fire al a supermarket in the Bronx earlier this month, New York City officials gathered beside what they said was the cause of the fire: the blackened shell of what was once a sit-on electric scooter. The burning joined the more than 200 fires in New York City last year caused by batteries from e-bikes, electric scooters and similar devices. Lithium-ion (锂)battery explosions are now the third leading cause of fires in the city, the fire department says. In short, there are more fires because there are so many more e-bikes and scooters these days.

Lithium-ion batteries power many rechargeable devices that are part of our modern lives: cell phones, laptops, vapes, cordless power tools and electric vehicles of all kinds, from cars to scooters to e-bikes to hoverboards. They’re small, lightweight and powerful but they’re also prone to overheating and catching fire, said Michael Pecht, a professor of engineering at the University of Maryland. “Ever since lithium-ion batteries started to be popular in products, we’ve seen fires, ” he said.

At issue is the high density of the batteries, which is a double-edged sword, said Pecht, who also serves as director of the Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering, a university research center that consults with companies on reliability and safety issues, including batteries.

“They can provide a lot of power to our cell phones and to our computers for a relatively long period of time in a very small volume, ” he said. “But because we have so much energy packed in that small volume, if there is a problem, then they’re very flammable. ” Defects or contamination in the manufacturing process can eventually lead to short circuiting or other failures.

There’s not currently much regulation of e-bikes and scooters. But fire officials add that. you should charge your device away from flammable materials like furniture and pillows, and that you shouldn’t charge or store your device in a location that blocks your access to an exit. If your battery starts to fail, it may be safest to buy a new one. “Don’t repair anything yourself and buy from a company where you know that they’re using brand-name batteries,” Pecht said.

1. What can we learn about fires in paragraph 1?

A．They brought extraordinary damage.

B．They resulted from battery explosions.

C．They frequently broke out in the city.

D．They enveloped the supermarket soon.

2. What does Michael Pecht think about lithium-ion batteries?

A．They are commonly used by factories.

B．They have smaller size and lower cost.

C．They are associated with the rising number of fires.

D．They encounter reliability and safety issues for now.

3. What do you take into consideration while charging your device?

A．Staying away from public area.

B．Keeping a close eye on device.

C．Using water to put out the flames.

D．Replacing an old battery if it starts to fail.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．Reasons of Batteries’ Catching Fire.

B．Tips lo Keep Yourself Safe.

C．Popularity of Rechargeable Devices.

D．More Devices and More Fires.

8 . 随着科技的发展, 几乎每个高中生都有自己的微信号, 交流特别方便。但很多学生花太多的时间用微信和朋友聊天。假设你是学生会主席李华, 请你以学生会的名义给全校学生写一份英文倡议书, 倡议大家减少使用社交媒体的时间。内容包括：
1. 倡议的目的；
2. 过度使用社交媒体的危害；       
3. 发出倡议。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可适当增加细节, 以使行文连贯；
3. 开头和结尾已给出, 不计入总词数；
4. 参考词汇：社交媒体social media.
Dear all,

I'm Li Hua, chairman of the Students' Union,

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Students' Union

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The COVID pandemic will “go on for a year     1    (long) than it needs to” because poorer countries are not getting the vaccines they need, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. Dr Bruce Aylward, senior    2    (lead) at WHO, said it meant the COVID crisis could “easily drag on deep into 2022”. Less than 5% of Africa’s population have been vaccinated,     3    (compare) to 40% on most other continents. Aylward appealed     4    wealthy countries to give up their places in the queue for vaccines so that pharmaceutical    5    (company) can prioritize the lowest-income countries instead. The People’s Vaccine — an alliance(联盟）of charities — has released new figures     6    (suggest) just one     7     seven of the doses promised by pharmaceutical companies and wealthy countries are actually reaching their destinations in poorer countries. The vast    8    (major) of COVID vaccines    9    (give) in high-income or upper middle-income countries. Africa accounts for just 2.6% of doses administered    10     (globe).

10 . What object has the mystical ability to provide you with access to a whole new world, where you can read books, send messages or go online chatting, post pictures on social media platforms or watch TV Dramas anytime? What can entertain you day and night? Yes, you know the answer-your handphone.

Clearly, the handphone satisfies all our wants and needs, leaving us craving more. And over time as our days with this amazing pearl from technology melt into months and years, we become so intimate with our phones that the nature of our relationship morphs from one of functional to that of parasitic. According to a survey report by ConnectedLife, Singaporean youths spend an average of 3.4 hours a day on their phones. This may not seem like a big number to you, but think: what could you do in three hours? Cycling at the park with your family; revising your work; helping a friend with his work. Time wasted is life wasted.

Our phones now take on the antagonist’s role. When we try to engage in other activities, they blink their neon flashing lights non-stop, tempting us to give them one more click. We then watch our grades at school sink, our social skills plummet, our concern for others around us drop, sliced away from the real world, sliding into the digital one. Is the sacrifice worth it? No, phone addiction must come to a full stop today. How?

One way to stop addiction is to install applications to monitor the time you spend on your phone daily. You will find many mobile applications that help track the exact length of time you spend on your phone, notifying you if you exceed your targeted timing. A wake-up call, these alert you to become more self-aware of how long the daily phone usage is, and if you have already exceeded the limit. Each day you can start afresh with a new target, with a new sense of what you need to do (and what you do not).

Another method is to keep your phone switched off and to place it out of sight. Just as the common saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind,” when you do not see that black screen, you will be less inclined to twitch and itch and check what is on the screen. Why shut it down? Well, when your phone is switched off, you would be unable to check it for updates so frequently, and hence less likely to keep pressing the ‘on’ button to read the message your friend just sent you, or the update on who just liked your post on social media. When switched off and kept away, the chances of you succeeding in what you need to focus on are higher. Although there may be a yearning for your phone, keep in mind the many different tasks you need to do instead and work on them. Procrastinate only on using your handphone; when you feel like turning it on and pulling down the notifications bar, smack your hand and tell yourself firmly, “Later!” These seeds of discipline, if grown into habits, will mature into a tree bearing much fruit.

There is one takeaway from the above two methods that effectively cuts the Gordian knot-busy yourself with other activities and push the complaints of the loss of bonding time with Mr. Smartphone out of your mind. After all, these joys are only short-term, and will be your regret in the long run. Now is the time to live your life like a human being. Be alive in this world, full of hopes and dreams, beauty and wonders. Taste the sweetness and bitterness of being human, and watch yourself grow into that tree. Cherish your youth while you can. You do not want to regret.

Oscar Wilde once said, “To live, is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist, that’s all.”

1. What does the word underlined in paragraph 2 mean ?

A．Develop.

B．Transfer.

C．Enlarge.

D．Decrease.

2. According to the writer, what’s our phones to us now ?

A．Helper.

B．Tempter.

C．Guidance.

D．Enemy.

3. Which method isn’t mentioned in the reading passage ?

A．Monitor the time you spend on your phone daily.	B．Turn off your phone and place it out of sight.
C．Install applications.	D．Busy yourself with other activities.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the reading passage?

A．What subject can provide you with access to a whole new world? Your handphone.

B．How to make a full stop to phone addiction.

C．Unlock your life.

D．Live your life like a human being with Mr. Smartphone.