1 . Recent research confirms what our farming ancestors have known for centuries about hedges (树篱). They conserve precious soil by acting as windbreaks and absorbing rainwater that would otherwise wash it from the fields. And hedges store carbon, putting them in the front line of our bi d to tackle the climate crisis.
However, hedges have had a tough time in the poor countryside, with farmers encouraged to tear them down in pursuit of maximum production and larger field s to accommodate ever-larger machinery. What’s more, some hedges have been ignored. If left to their own devices, they’ll eventually become a line of trees. Some hedges each year lose their structures and fail to fulfil the primary duty as a barrier. Around a half of the nation’s hedges have disappeared in the past century.
There are signs that “the tide is turning”. The search for net zero has aroused many organizations’ interest in the humble hedge’s role as a carbon sink. The Climate Change Committee is recommending a 40 percent increase in hedges: an additional 200,000 km. Such recommendations are starting to drive policy. Cash-pressed farmers will be encouraged to create new hedges and improve their management of existing ones under the new Environmental Land Management Schemes, which will replace many of the existing agricultural support payments in coming years. Meanwhile, initiatives such as Close the Gap, led by the Tree Council, is providing funding and support to plug the gaps in existing hedges with new planting. There’s even an app to help time-pressed farmers do a quick survey to spot where their hedges need some help.
This is a good time for hedges. Take some of the most pressing challenges facing the countryside, and indeed, the world as a whole — the climate crisis, soil erosion (侵蚀), insect attack and wider biodiversity loss — and hedges are part of the solution.
1. What does recent research show about hedges?| A．They are unique landscapes in the rain. |
| B．They act as dividing lines between fields. |
| C．They have long been helpful to agriculture. |
| D．They are frequently washed away from the fields. |
| A．Their suffering. | B．Their production. |
| C．Their duties. | D．Their structures. |
| A．Puzzled. | B．Concerned. | C．Humble. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Hedges: Ancient Resources |
| B．Hedges: Official Recommendations |
| C．Restoring Hedges: Bringing Benefits to the Environment |
| D．Researching Hedges: Originating from Farmers’ Request |
2 . In the digital age, we rely on technology such as social media in trying to build interesting and varied lives. Social networking sites like Facebook are designed and promoted to make us believe enthusiastically that they are able to open up new experiences for us. There are constant notifications (通知) and updates, urging us to check-in to find out what is new.
But if we do not use the technology wisely, we can end up becoming overly attached and trapped in a cycle of social media FOMO, a sign of deeper unhappiness. FOMO, or fear of missing out, is a fear that exciting or interesting events are happening somewhere else and that we are not able to join.
People who experience high levels of FOMO have been found to be more likely to give in to urges to write and check text messages while driving, as well as to use Facebook more often directly after waking, while going to sleep and during meals.
When it comes to lasting happiness, it is best not to give in to FOMO, but rather to deal with the cycle of desires that fuel it. Hard as it is, we are better off working toward facing the fearful reality that we cannot experience everything we might like than to get caught in a cycle of checking behaviors that only cause anxiety.
If we have become used to using social media as part of our attempts at living interesting lives, we must admit that it is not easy to change our approach. But change is almost always worthwhile in the long run.
The fact that FOMO is so common in our digital age is a sign that there is something wrong with the way we are pursuing happiness and that we are not as happy as we might think we are. It should warn us that, in our eagerness to use digital technology to try to make ourselves happier, we may unintentionally (无意之中) be bringing on exactly the opposite result.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The digital age has arrived. |
| B．Sites give netizens useful experiences. |
| C．People have fallen into modern technology. |
| D．Social media are designed to attract public attention. |
| A．Failing to use Facebook. | B．Answering a call during shopping, |
| C．Reading text messages on reaching offices. | D．Checking Facebook while driving. |
| A．To gain long-time happiness. | B．To speed the cycle of desires. |
| C．To work much better. | D．To reduce fearful reality. |
| A．Everybody has experienced FOMO. |
| B．Digital technology may make us unhappier. |
| C．Pursuing happiness is a sign of the digital age. |
| D．People may unintentionally get lost in technology. |
3 . Kids and science seem to be made for each other!
The basic science is a combination of thought and experiment called the scientific method. It’s where you start with an idea, create a way to prove or disprove your idea, and show what you learned based on facts. Learning to follow this process helps you think logically and carefully. These important thinking skills can be used in many areas of study. To give a child practice with these thinking skills is like giving vitamins to a developing mind.
One of the greatest things we can teach our children is to love learning. Learning science is a great way to do so. Children are easy to be interested in science. Because much of science is hands-on, it attracts most children. Nothing makes a child sit up and take notice like the “WOW!” of a great science showing.
Science opens doors to many subjects at school. Building love for science can be helpful in other areas of study. For example, one cannot love science for very long without becoming good at its language-math! So science encourages children to study math. An interest in science is an interest in how things were once understood compared to how they are understood now. Thus studying science lends itself easily to studying history. And after you do an experiment, you need to write a lab report. Therefore, writing becomes an important part of science.
Science is the basic thing for much of our life. The science of farming shows how our food is produced; biomedical science keeps us healthy; even our beds these days are designed according to scientific facts. We almost eat, sleep and breathe with the help of science! When we prepare the next generation of voters, creators and policy makers, it is important to make sure they are not only comfortable but also good at science.
1. According to Paragraph 2, what does learning the scientific method mean to kids?| A．Learning to do experiments. | B．Learning many areas of study. |
| C．Helping them develop thinking skills. | D．Refusing any ideas that are not logical. |
| A．Science is too difficult for children. | B．Children usually consider science boring. |
| C．Science can arouse children's interest in learning. | D．Children who are careless shouldn't learn science. |
| A．He usually has no time for other subjects. | B．He usually loses interest in other activities. |
| C．He is usually bad at such subjects like history. | D．He is likely to learn many other subjects well. |
| A．Why Kids Should Learn Science | B．Why Science Is Important |
| C．How Kids Can Make Use of Science | D．What Kids Should Learn at School |
4 . Many cities in the United States could grow their own food locally, raising enough crops and cattle to meet the needs of all residents. This is the finding of an interesting new modeling study from Tufts University, which analyzed the potential for local food production in 378 areas across the US and expected food production.
The researchers found that cities in the Northwest in the United States had the greatest potential to raise their own food. Cities along the Eastern seaside and in the Southwest had the least potential and would not be able to meet all their own needs of diet, even if every acre of agricultural land was used for food production. This makes sense, as many of the cities are coastal and lack room for agricultural spreading.
The study revealed that the United States have a surplus (多余的) of agricultural land for feeding the domestic (国内的) population. Currently, some land is used to raise export crops, but a focus on local food production would start a conversation about how that land gets used. In the words of Peters, lead author and associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts, “It would be important to make sure policies for supporting local or regional food production benefit conservation and create opportunities for farmers to adopt more sustainable (可持续的) practices. Policies should also recognize the ability of the natural resources in a given local or region and consider the supply chain, including ability for food processing and storage.”
Although it’s a far cry from the current reality, it is a nice thought to imagine cities surrounded by food production operations that transport freshly harvested food to nearby homes, and then make use of the leftover food to fertilize fields and generate heat for greenhouses.
1. The cities along the Eastern seaside fail to provide enough food because ________.| A．citizens are unwilling to grow crops | B．the methods of food production are wrong |
| C．they don’t have enough land to grow crops | D．their climate limits the agricultural production |
| A．More job opportunities for citizens. | B．More specific policies about using land. |
| C．Conversations with the local government. | D．A discussion on how to make use of land. |
| A．Agriculture. | B．Entertainment. | C．Lifestyle. | D．Sport. |
| A．The US Government Stops Wasting Food |
| B．Many Cities in the US Can Grow Their Own Food |
| C．Cities Learn to Grow Food From the Villages |
| D．Farmers Have More Chances to Be Employed |
5 . I have been a teacher for some years. In my opinion, I don’t believe Artificial Intelligence (AI) could replace my teaching career. I have always been interested in human connection, and the way in which I can use these commotions to inspire change and make a difference.
My teaching experiences over the past several years have been creative and inspiring- 1 believe that the job of educators extends beyond simply teaching students a set curriculum.
| A．Since students will always need a human teacher |
| B．I think AI is a powerful assistant to my future classroom |
| C．The benefit AI brings is far beyond my own classroom. |
| D．Although human connection may never be able to be fully replaced by AI |
| E．As students need to learn how to use AI to better their academic performance |
| F．They must observe and get to know their students in order to individualize educational plan |
| G．This could be an opportunity for students everywhere to receive equal education |
6 . Fu Cong, a Chinese-born pianist, died on Monday at a hospital in London, where he had lived for many years.
A lover of classical music from a young age, Mr. Fu began taking piano lessons when he was 7. He made his first stage appearance in 1952. The concert caught the attention of officials in Beijing, who selected him to compete and tour in Eastern Europe. Mr. Fu soon moved to Poland, where he studied at the Warsaw Conservatory (音乐学校) on a scholarship. To prepare for the fifth Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1955, he practiced so hard that he hurt his fingers and was nearly cut from the first round of the competition.
Mr. Fu was one of the first Chinese pianists to achieve global fame when he took third place in the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1955. He also won a special prize for his performance of Chopin's mazurkas. Almost overnight, he became a national hero. To China, Mr. Fu's recognition in a well-known international competition was evidence that the country could stand on its own artistically in the West. Chinese reporters came to interview Mr. Fu, while many others went to his father, Fu Lei, for advice on child-raising.
In 1981, a volume of letters written by his father, was published in China. Full of advice, encouragement, life teachings and strict paternal love, the book Fu Lei's Family Letters became a best-seller in China. Besides influencing a generation of Chinese, Mr. Fu's words resonated (引起共鸣) long after his death with the person for whom they were intended.
“My father had a saying that 'First you must be a person, then an artist, and then a musician, and only then can you be a pianist,'" Mr. Fu Cong once recalled in an interview. "Even now, I believe in this order-that it should be this way and that I am this way.”
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．Fu Cong's achievements in music. | B．Fu Cong's stage performances. |
| C．Fu Cong's experiences of learning music. | D．Fu Cong’s efforts for competitions. |
| A．It earns Chinese arts a place in the West. |
| B．It promotes the spread of Chinese culture. |
| C．It proves Chinese people's love for music. |
| D．It enables Chinese art education to be recognized. |
| A．Fu Lei's Family Letters. | B．Young people of China. |
| C．Fu Cong and his family. | D．Readers of Fu Lei's Family Letters. |
| A．It's easy to be an artist. |
| B．It requires various qualities to be a pianist. |
| C．Everyone should develop an interest in art. |
| D．Talent is of greatest importance for a pianist. |
7 . Happiness is not a warm phone, according to a new study exploring the link between young life satisfaction and screen time. The study was led by professor of psychology Jean M. Twenge at San Diego State University (SDSU).
To research this link, Twenge, along with colleagues Gabrielle Martin at SDSU and W. Keith Campbell at the University of Georgia, dealt with data from the Monitoring the Future (MtF) study, a nationally representative survey of more than a million U. S. 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders. The survey asked students questions about how often they spent time on their Phones, tablets and computers, as well as questions about their face-to-face social interactions and their overall happiness.
On average found that teens who spent more time in front of screen devices — playing computer games, using social media, texting and video chatting — were less happy than those who invested more time in non-screen activities like sports, reading newspapers and magazines, and face-to-face social interactions.
"The key to digital media use and happiness is limited use," Twenge said. "Aim to spend no more than two hours a day on digital media, and try to increase the amount of time you spend seeing friends face-to-face and exercising — two activities reliably linked to greater happiness."
Looking at historical trends from the same age groups since the 1990s, it's easy to find that the increase of screen devices over time happened at the same time as a general drop-off in reported happiness in U. S. teens. Specifically, young peopled life satisfaction and happiness declined sharply after 2012. That's the year when the percentage of Americans who owned a smartphone rose above 50 percent. By far the largest change in teens' lives between 2012 and 2016 was the increase in the amount of time they spent on digital media, and the following decline in in-person social activities and sleep.
1. Which method did Twenge's team use for the study?| A．Calculating students' happiness. |
| B．Asking students certain questions. |
| C．Analyzing data from a survey. |
| D．Doing experiments on screen time. |
| A．By making a comparison. |
| B．By giving an example. |
| C．By making an argument. |
| D．By introducing a concept. |
| A．To draw a conclusion from the study. |
| B．To offer some advice to the readers. |
| C．To prove social activities' importance. |
| D．To support the researchers' finding. |
| A．Quitting Phones Equals Happiness |
| B．Screen Time Should Be Banned |
| C．Teens' Lives Have Changed Sharply |
| D．Screen-addicted Teens Are Unhappier |
8 . We all know employees talk, and things can never remain totally secret. But a direct discussion about salary details probably isn’t the best idea.
There are organizations that openly share salary information around the office. However, unless all similar jobs pay the same rate, people advise that open salary concepts do not work well.
When companies have different employees on the same job and one of them is paid differently, many unfairness issues surface. It can happen in any company that differentiates (区分) pay for any reason like seniority and performance. You should run the risk of causing a distance between you and your colleagues if they learn you earn more for what they think to be the same job.
The secret nature of your salary, in fact, can be a greater benefit to you. It creates an opportunity for a manager to have a personal discussion with employees as to why they are being paid what they are and how they can then move forward with confidence that they have developed a “special” relationship with their supervisor (主管) on their individual issues, good and bad, without involving others in the process.
If you learn that someone who holds a similar position earns a bigger paycheck, don’t panic. First, do some due diligence to determine if you are being underpaid in general. Use the Internet salary calculator, and also reach out to your out-of-office network to find out how people at other companies are being compensated. Next, you’d better go to your boss and ask the reasons. Open a rational dialog to understand what skills or experience you’ll need to improve your performance and earn more recognition and financial rewards.
1. What could happen if your colleagues learned that you are paid more?| A．They might become less friendly to you. | B．Your salary might be reduced soon. |
| C．They might badly perform in their work. | D．You might be given extra jobs. |
| A．It inspires you to make greater progress in your work. |
| B．It warns you to work harder to make more money. |
| C．It gives the manager a chance to communicate with you. |
| D．It proves the manager treats all his employees equally. |
| A．To tell about how to get along with the boss. | B．To show how to keep silent about the problem. |
| C．To urge employees to argue with the boss. | D．To suggest ways to deal with the problem. |
| A．Personal relationship. | B．Salary secret. |
| C．Colleague pressure. | D．Salary difference. |
9 . The final bell rings at a high school in downtown Los Angeles. Nearly every student walking out of the school gate studies a screen, with their head bowed down. Over the past decade, such scenes have become quite common — at least in the United Sates. Research indicates that American millennials look at their phones 150 times a day on average.
In the meantime, the number of American teenagers reporting feelings of depression has grown significantly. Some people blame the increase on the Great Recession following 2008 and other social changes. However, a big new study suggests a different explanation —the rise of social media. Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, led the study.
With data collected from more than 50,000 American teenagers, she found that those who spent lots of time on social media were more likely to agree with remarks such as “The future often seems hopeless.” Those who used screens less, spending time playing sports or socializing with friends in person, were less likely to report feelings of depression.
This, in fact, is not the first time that scientists have found that social media can rob people of their happiness. One study published in 2016 asked a randomly selected group of adults to quit Facebook for a week. It turned out that they reported feeling less depressed at the end of the week than those who continued using it.
Some research, however, suggests that social-networking sites can promote happiness if used to engage directly with other users, rather than just to feel jealous of happy moments someone shares online. This provides a reminder that it is users’ attitudes that shape their experiences on social media.“I often remind myself that it's all filtered," reflects Sarah, a junior at the high school in Los Angeles. “People only post what they want you to see, so it can seem that their life is superior to yours.” But when asked if she has ever considered deleting her social media accounts, Sarah looks confused.“No. I would feel lost.”
1. What is the topic of the passage?| A．Feelings of depression. | B．The rise of social media. |
| C．Addiction to recreation. | D．The use of smart phones. |
| A．Sports and socialization are supposed to be encouraged. |
| B．Most American teenagers have sunk into hopelessness. |
| C．Social media have negative effects on people's feelings. |
| D．People are not in a position to live without social media. |
| A．Jealous. | B．Critical. | C．Concerned. | D．Tolerant. |
10 . Taking IT and AI to the people
Putting aside employment prospects (就业前景)and the expectations of my parents, the major I’d most like to study is computer science.
If I do study computer science and internet technology as my major, after college I want to develop artificial intelligence products. They would add convenience to life.
If I could, I’d even like to develop my own games.
However, it’s not easy to qualify for the world of IT.
| A．There are a lot of reasons. |
| B．The internet has its disadvantages. |
| C．I would want to improve the various social platforms. |
| D．What’s more, nowadays the internet enters every aspect of life. |
| E．This is why some people around me think that my dream is unrealistic. |
| F．That’s something that would make me really proud and would add real value to my life. |
| G．With the internet, every student is provided with access to the same educational materials. |
