1 . In the rich countries of the West, the electric vehicle revolution is well occurring. Climate-conscious consumers drive Teslas or Polestars for reasons of morality (道德) and fashion. Poorer countries are also experiencing a wave of electrified trend. In Bangladesh, electric three-wheeler taxis, known as tuk-tuks, are rapidly replacing gas-powered ones on the streets. Such electric vehicles are climate friendly, cost effective, and help reduce air pollution.
Yet a glance under the hood (引擎盖) of these vehicles shows a poisonous secret: each tuk-tuk runs on five massive lead-acid batteries (铅酸电池), containing almost 300 pounds of lead (铅) in total. Every year and a half or so, when those batteries need to be replaced and recycled, about 60 pounds of lead leaks into the environment. Battery recycling, often at small-scale unregulated factories, is a highly profitable (高利润的) but deadly business.
Lead is dangerous, and any exposure to it is harmful to human health. Lead that has entered the environment hurts people on an unexpected scale. The numerous ways lead enters air, water, soil, and homes across the developing world and the enormous damage it does to human health, wealth, and welfare cause one of the biggest environmental problems in the world yet receives little attention.
The World Bank estimates that lead kills 5.5 million people per year, making it a bigger global killer than AIDS, malaria, diabetes, and road traffic deaths combined. On top of the shocking deaths, the social burden of lead poisoning is heavy, as is its contribution to global inequality — our research on the cognitive (认知的) effects of lead poisoning suggests that it may explain about one-fifth of the educational achievement gap between rich and poor countries.
But unlike many challenges faced by developing countries, lead poisoning is a problem that can be resolved through financial investment (财政投入). Better monitoring, research, and rules can help protect children all over the world from the unpleasant effects of lead poisoning and reduce the massive global costs it brings.
1. How does the author describe the lead problem in paragraph 2?| A．By listing some numbers. | B．By analyzing hidden causes. |
| C．By making an interesting comparison. | D．By explaining its working principle. |
| A．Lead enters poor countries in one way. |
| B．Lead leaking has been avoided in all the countries. |
| C．Lead will definitely not harm anymore. |
| D．Lead poisoning may make poor societies poorer. |
| A．Fixing these used batteries. | B．Reducing the cost of recycling lead. |
| C．Ignoring the illegal use of lead. | D．Putting certain effort and money. |
| A．The Impacts of Lead Poisoning on Man. |
| B．The Global Lead Poisoning Problem. |
| C．The Ways to Solve Lead Problem. |
| D．The Benefits of Using Electric Vehicles. |
2 . In order to reduce the risk of suffering from COVID-19, people are supposed to say no to a handshake, give up high fives, refuse kisses on the cheek and absolutely avoid hugging. So people all over the world are changing their daily habits at work and at home to prevent it from spreading.
In France, handshaking is regarded as daily greeting habits. And kissing on the cheek is often seen even between people who have only just met. Philippe Lichtfus, a lifestyle expert notices that handshaking is a relatively recent development in human history that began in the Middle Ages. Now, he says simply looking into a person’s eyes can serve as a greeting.
The Brazilian health ministry has suggested that citizens should not share the metal straws traditionally used to drink the caffeine-rich drink chimarrão. And a kiss — even if it is not on the mouth — is totally advised against.
One of Spain’s most treasured traditions is also affected by the outbreak — the kissing of sculptures (雕塑) of Virgin Mary in the week leading up to Easter. During the holy week, the faithful believers queue up to kiss the hands or feet of sculptures of Mary and the saints, seeking their protection.
Germany’s interior minister (内政部长) Horst Seehofer rebuffed Chancellor (总理) Angela Merkel’s try to shake hands with him, smiling and keeping both his hands to himself. They both laughed and Merkel threw her hand up in the air before taking a seat.
In Iran, a video has gone viral (走红) showing three friends meeting, hands in their pockets, two of whom are wearing masks, tapping their feet against each other as a greeting. A similar video in Lebanon shows singer Ragheb Alama and comedian Michel Abou Sleiman tapping their feet against each other while making kissing noises with their mouths.
The UAE (阿拉伯联合酋长国) is advising citizens to stop the traditional “nose to nose” greeting. The UAE also said that people shouldn’t shake hands anymore or kiss. Greet each other “by waving only”.
1. What can we learn from Philippe Lichtfus?| A．Handshaking has a long history. |
| B．It is suggested that people look into other’s eyes as a greeting. |
| C．People can continue to kiss on the cheek. |
| D．It is unusual for two people who have just met to kiss on the cheeks. |
| A．Appreciated. | B．Welcomed. | C．Accepted. | D．Refused. |
| A．People who believe in Virgin Mary must be disappointed to cancel (取消) the ceremony. |
| B．Several traditional greeting habits are advised against in the UAE. |
| C．Brazilians are crazy about drinking the caffeine-rich drink chimarrão. |
| D．Tapping feet against each other has already become a daily greeting in Iran. |
| A．People change their greeting styles to protect themselves. |
| B．Some new greeting styles become popular. |
| C．Different countries have different greeting styles. |
| D．Some old greeting styles are out of date. |
3 . After bikes and umbrellas are made sharable across China, some companies started eyeing the fitness market, so shared gym rooms have hit the streets in Beijing.
Unlike common gyms that provide large, open spaces for many members to share at the same time, the newly built shared gym rooms are small, stand-alone rooms for a person to use, often set up near living communities.
Every four-square-meter room is equipped with a treadmill (跑步机), an air cleaner, a mirror, a television and an air conditioner, and users can let down the curtains for privacy. When exercising, users can listen to music, watch movies and check emails by connecting to the Internet by the screen fixed on the treadmill. There’s no shower or washbasin.
Similar to using a shared bike, users can locate a shared gym room by smartphone application, book a room in advance and then need to scan a QR code for use. A refundable deposit (保证金) of 99 yuan is required, and users are charged 1 yuan every 5 minutes.
The shared gym rooms are created by Misspao, a Beijing-based technology company founded in July. Within several months since it was founded, the company has already raised over 100 million yuan, Yicai Global reports. The idea of the shared fitness experience is not entirely nascent. Last December, the Shanghai-based technology company VRUN set up shared treadmills in office and apartment buildings.
The sharing economy is still becoming popular in China. According to Yicai Global, confident investors are pouring millions into sharing start-ups. In March, the State Information Center published a report which predicts that the total value of China’s sharing economy will see a yearly growth of 40% in the coming years, and it is expected to make a great contribution to the country’s GDP.
1. What makes the shared gym room different from the common one?| A．Holding one person at a time. | B．Standing in the living zone. |
| C．Offering open spaces. | D．Having some advanced equipment. |
| A．Let down curtains for privacy. | B．Pay 100 yuan first. |
| C．Use a smartphone. | D．Have a shower before exercise. |
| A．Simple. | B．Popular. | C．Satisfying. | D．New. |
| A．To advertise a technology company. | B．To introduce shared gym rooms. |
| C．To support the shared gym rooms. | D．To predict the future of shared gym rooms. |
4 . Many people travel to enrich and enjoy themselves. However, their travel methods may be different each year.
Lonely Planet and Forbes concluded some top trends (趋势) in 2022. Here are three of them for you to take a look.
Solo (独自) travel
Traditionally, travel seems to be a group activity to have fun together and avoid loneliness. But solo travel became popular, especially among young people in 2022.
Traveling on your own means that you are the boss of everything, choosing wherever you want to go, whatever you eat and whenever you go out. For some people, it also makes them a more confident person that is ready to deal with anything. Traveling in a totally foreign land on your own can be challenging. “It opens up your mind to new things, and pushes you out of your comfort zone,” Kristina Wegscheider, a traveler from the US, told Travel Pulse.
Augmented attractions (增强型景点)
World travel can be expensive. But virtual reality (虚拟现实) and augmented reality, or VR and AR, are giving more possibilities to travel for little cost. With ever-improving headsets, smartphones and Wi-Fi connections, people can have a 360-degree experience of museums, theme parks and historical sites.
With these technologies, visitors can experience the surface of Mars with just a headset, or view a sea cow’s growing flesh before their eyes in a museum.
Getting off the touristy path
There are always some “must-see” spots anywhere you travel. But traveling in such places always brings problems like overcrowding and noise.
In order to have a better travel experience, many tried to visit less famous places in 2022. With less transportation and fewer things to do, visiting a little town lets people slow down and notice the little things. Take a walk, ride a bike, sip coffee a little slower, take a deep breath and explore the natural scenery.
1. Who are most likely to choose solo travel?| A．An old man. | B．A young man. |
| C．A little child. | D．A middle aged woman. |
| A．They allow us to visit places at a low cost. |
| B．They make museums the hottest destinations. |
| C．They challenge us to walk out of our comfort zones. |
| D．They make space travel a reality for ordinary people. |
| A．Health. | B．Travel. | C．Science. | D．Environment. |
5 . You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (1860-1935)Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community (社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907-1964)If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness(意识) of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator (参议员) and in 1981, the first woman to join the U. S. Supreme Court (最高法院). O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks(1913-2005)On December 1,1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rasa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott (抵制). It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.
1. What is Jane Addams famous for in history?| A．Her social work. | B．Her teaching skills. |
| C．Her efforts to win a prize. | D．Her community background. |
| A．Not having training in law. | B．Her little work experience in court. |
| C．Her identity as a woman. | D．Her poor financial conditions. |
| A．Jane Addams. | B．Rachel Carson. |
| C．Sandra Day O’Connor. | D．Rosa Parks. |
| A．They are highly educated. | B．They are truly creative. |
| C．They are pioneers. | D．They are peace-lovers. |
6 . New research says 35 percent of the deaths of children worldwide are caused by hunger. The research is from poor to middle-income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Robert Black from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland was the leading writer of the research. He says more than 3.5 million mothers and children under five die in poor countries each year because of hunger.
He says more than two million children die from underdevelopment, either before or after birth. Millions of others who survive face a lifetime of disabilities or early death. And the effects are not just physical. Poor brain development can limit economic success as children become adults. Then the cycle of poverty and hunger often repeats for their children.
Doctor Black says hungry children are also more likely to have conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease as adults. He says the studies show that food programs need to place the greatest importance on the first two years of life. Hungry children can suffer the whole life damage from age two.
So it is high time to improve their diets. Diets should include foods rich in vitamin A and other useful things. The researchers say early help like these could reduce child deaths by 25%.
The research has faced some criticism（批评）. A medical aid group says the researchers underestimate（低估）the number of child deaths from hunger. The researchers say there are findings that support this treatment but more studies are needed to compare it to hospital care.
1. What is the main idea of the third paragraph?| A．Poverty and hunger have influenced all children's lives in the world. |
| B．Hunger has some bad effects on children's physical and mental development. |
| C．Ever year over two million children die of hunger after birth. |
| D．Poverty and hunger can limit people's success. |
| A．If a child is hungry at childhood, he will be disabled in the future. |
| B．Criticism is the best medicine for hunger. |
| C．The results from the research is not satisfactory. |
| D．Generally speaking, hungry children have less chance of catching heart disease when they grow up. |
| A．Before birth. | B．Between birth and the age of two. |
| C．From age two to five. | D．Under the age of five. |
| A．Hunger—children's biggest enemy. | B．How to prevent hunger. |
| C．A latest survey about hunger all over the world. | D．Time to improve our living conditions. |
7 . The Worlds' Best Bookshops
There's nothing like being surrounded by books， wherever you are． Here are the finest oases of literature that travellers can bring you．
Daikanyama T﹣site | Tokyo
It is well worth visiting even if just to admire the building's beautiful， crisscrossed architecture． Once you've had your fill of roaming three floors' worth of bookshelves， there's the bar， the coffee shop， or even the video rental space to give you more reason to stay just that little bit longer． Grab a book， order a beer and dive into its pages． I could have stayed hours here．
City Lights | San Francisco
The three﹣storey establishment publishes and sells titles in poetry， fiction， translation， politics， history and the arts． It hosts events and readings， and runs a non﹣profit of the same name that aims to promote diversity of voices and ideas in literature． It's opposite Vesuvio， a bar frequented by Kerouac and other Beat﹣generation writers and artists．
Shakespeare and Company | Paris
I made a special trip to the Left Bank for this one when I was in Paris． It has two floors packed with English﹣language texts， and I was particularly struck by any spare wall space devoted to notes from visitors ﹣ heartfelt messages to a loved one， dedications to the shop itself， or a quote from a favourite author or philosopher．
Hutatma Chowk | Mumbai
A few years ago I visited India， investigating Rudyard Kipling's connections with the country． I spotted a cheap copy of The Jungle Book on one of the tarp﹣covered book stalls at Hutatma Chowk （Martyrs' Square）． The booksellers here are like amateur librarians， able to lay their hands on almost any title you ask for． To me， those well﹣thumbed （翻旧了的） books spoke volumes about the changes of Mumbai's readers in the 150 years since the city gave us Kipling．
1. In which bookshop can you buy a drink while visiting？| A．Daikanyama T﹣site. |
| B．City Lights. |
| C．Shakespeare and Company. |
| D．Hutatma Chowk. |
| A．People can meet Rudyard Kipling there． |
| B．They sell the cheapest books in the world． |
| C．The book owners are amateur librarians． |
| D．The sellers are familiar with the books． |
| A．They are beautifully designed． |
| B．They are three﹣storey buildings． |
| C．They offer book lovers good experience． |
| D．They are frequently visited by great writers． |
8 . Shyness is the cause of much unhappiness for a great many people. Shy people are anxious and self-conscious; that is, they are excessively concerned with their own appearance and actions.
Worrisome thoughts are constantly occurring in their minds: what kind of impression am I making? Do they like me? Do I sound stupid? Am I wearing unattractive clothes? It is obvious that such uncomfortable feelings must negatively affect people. A person’s conception of himself or herself is reflected in the way he or she behaves, and the way a person behaves affects other people’s reactions. In general, the way people think about themselves has a profound effect on all areas of their lives.
Shy people, having low self-esteem, are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others. They need reassurance that they are doing “the right thing.” Shy people are very sensitive to criticism; they feel it confirms their feelings of inferiority. They also find it difficult to be pleased by compliment with a statement like this one, “You’re just saying that to make me feel good. I know it’s not true.” It is clear that while self-awareness is a healthy quality, overdoing it is harmful.
Can shyness be completely eliminated, or at least reduced? Fortunately, people can overcome shyness with determined and patient efforts in building self-confidence. Since shyness goes hand in hand with a lack of self-esteem, it is important for people to accept their weaknesses as well as their strengths. Each one of us is a unique, worthwhile individual, interested in our own personal ways. The better we understand ourselves, the easier it becomes to live up to our full potential. Let’s not allow shyness to block our chances for a rich and fulfilling life.
1. The first paragraph is mainly about _______.| A．the cause of shyness | B．the feeling of shy people |
| C．the effect of shyness on people | D．the question in the minds of shy people |
| A．armful to people | B．a healthy quality |
| C．the cause of unhappiness | D．a weak point of shy people |
| A．They are pleased by it. | B．They feel they are worthy of it. |
| C．They are very sensitive to it. | D．They feel it is not true. |
| A．be overcome with determination |
| B．help us to live up to our full development |
| C．enable us to understand ourselves better |
| D．have nothing to do with lack of self- respect |
Susanna Rohm said she had experienced a parent’s worst nightmare (噩梦) — her 2-month-old son, Isiah, was not breathing. “I noticed he looked pale. I looked at his arms and his legs and they were limp (无力的),” Rohm told a local newspaper. “Then I noticed that he looked like he wasn’t alive.” In dismay, she dropped and broke her cellphone. Rohm had to run into the street, screaming for help.
“I had him in my arms and screamed over and over. Then I ran outside. I saw two boys playing across the street, and I yelled, ‘Go and ask your parents to call 911,’” Rohm said. But the two boys were able to do more than that. Nine-year-old Ethan Wilson took action, showing Rohm how to perform CPR on little Isiah while ten-year-old Rocky Hurt helped as well.
Rocky said he had learned the CPR technique from a poster in a health class at their school, Sedalia Park Elementary. “I was thinking we’d better give her a helping hand instead of getting scared,” Ethan said. “I told her to push on the baby’s chest five to ten times a minute with only two fingers, tilt back the baby’s head, plug the baby’s nose and breathe into the baby’s mouth,” Ethan said in an interview.
At last, Isiah began crying and was breathing again. He spent two nights in a local hospital. “If the little boy hadn’t shown me what to do right there, my baby would probably not be alive right now,” Rohm said.
1. We can learn from Paragraph 1 that in the US, .
| A．CPR is considered important by most people |
| B．most children are taught how to perform CPR |
| C．many parents don’t know how to perform CPR |
| D．kids must learn how to perform CPR on babies |
| A．Panic. | B．Anger. |
| C．Excitement. | D．Joy. |
| A．She asked them to call 911 as soon as possible. |
| B．She asked them to teach her how to perform CPR. |
| C．She asked them to ask their parents for help. |
| D．She asked them to help her perform CPR on her baby. |
| A．grateful | B．regretful |
| C．surprised | D．ashamed |
