1 . “Few articles change owners more frequently than clothes. They travel downwards from grade to grade in the social scale with remarkable regularity,” wrote the journalist Adolphe Smith in 1877 as he traced a coat’s journey in the last century: cleaned, repaired and resold repeatedly; cut down into a smaller item; eventually recycled into new fabric. But with the improvement in people’s living standards, that model is mind-boggling in the era of fast fashion. The average British customer buys four items a month. And it is reported that 350,000 tonnes of used but still wearable clothes go to landfills in the UK each year.
Yet the gradual revival of the second-hand trade has gathered pace in the past few years. At fashion website Asos, sales of vintage clothes (古董衫) have risen by 92%. Clothing was once worn out of necessity, and now it is simply a way of life. Busy families sell used items on eBay, teenagers trade on Depop and some fashion people offer designer labels on Vestiaire Collective. Strikingly, it has become big enough business that mainstream retailers (零售商) want a slice of the action.
For some buyers and sellers, the switch to the second-hand is born of financial difficulties. Only a few have become worried about the impact of their shopping habit on the planet. But the shift is only a partial solution. Some people worry that some mainstream brands may “greenwash” — using second-hand goods to improve their image, rather than engaging more seriously with sustainability.
However, the biggest concern may be that people keep buying because they know they can resell goods, still chasing the pleasure of the next purchase but with an eased conscience (愧疚). Boohoo, a powerful fast fashion company, has seen sales and profits rise, despite concerns about environmental problems in its supply chain that led to an investigation last year.
A new Netflix series, Worn Stories, documents the emotional meanings that clothes can have: Each old item is full of memories. Actually, a handbag from a grandmother and a scarf passed on by a father are both valuable for us. A love of style is not a bad or an unimportant thing. But a committed relationship is better than a quick flash. Can we learn to appreciate our own old clothes as well as others’?
1. What does the word “mind-boggling” underlined in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Unbelievable. | B．Popular. | C．Reasonable. | D．Influential. |
| A．old clothes are more popular than new pieces |
| B．the online second-hand markets are booming |
| C．the fashion world begins to favor vintage clothes |
| D．many clothing brands are innovative in their new products |
| A．It makes people feel free to pursue fast fashion. |
| B．It makes people more cautious about their budgets. |
| C．It encourages people to choose eco-friendly clothes. |
| D．It pushes people to be more engaged with sustainability. |
| A．Old items have lost favor with the public. |
| B．Old items are worthy of being long cherished. |
| C．Older generations attach great importance to old items. |
| D．Older generations care about the quality of their clothes. |
2 . Drive through any suburb in the U. S. today, and it’s hard to miss the recycling bins that have become companions to America’s trash cans. Recycling has become common, as people recognize the need to care for the environment. Yet most people’s recycling awareness extends (延伸) only as far as paper, bottle, and cans. People seldom find themselves facing the growing problem of e-waste.
E-waste rapidly increases as the techno-fashionable frequently upgrade to the most advanced devices, and the majority of them end up in landfills (填埋). Some people who track such wastes say that users throw away nearly 2 million tons of TVs, VCRs, computers, cell phones, and other electronics every year. Unless we can find a safe replacement (替代品), this e-waste may get into the ground and poison the water with dangerous toxins (霉素), such as lead, mercury, and arsenic. Burning the waste also dangerously contaminates the air.
However, e-waste often contains reusable silver, gold, and other electrical materials. Recycling these materials reduces environmental problems by reducing both landfill waste and the need to look for such metals, which can destroy ecosystems.
A growing number of states have passed laws to ban (禁止) getting rid of e-waste. Still, less than a quarter of this waste will reach lawful recycling programs. Some companies advertising safe disposal (处理) in fact merely ship the waste to some developing countries, where it still ends up in landfills. These organizations prevent progress by unsafely disposing of waste in an out-of-sight, out-of-mind location.
However, the small but growing number of cities and corporations that do handle e-waste responsibly represents progress toward making the world a cleaner, better place for us all.
1. What can we know from the first paragraph?| A．E-waste cannot be put into trash cans in the U. S. |
| B．Many Americans now have access to recycling bins. |
| C．Most Americans have realized the dangers of e-waste. |
| D．Most of America’s trash cans are made of recycled material. |
| A．Pollutes. | B．Heats. | C．Attacks. | D．Reduces. |
| A．Much e-waste is still not properly handled. |
| B．Some developing countries welcome e-waste. |
| C．Laws have played a major role in getting rid of e-waste. |
| D．The e-waste buried in the landfills won’t destroy ecosystem. |
| A．To tell us how to recycle &waste. |
| B．To talk about the future of e-waste. |
| C．To discuss if it’s necessary to, recycle e-waste. |
| D．To encourage people to deal with e-waste properly. |
3 . The entire country struggled with the unprecedented heat of the July 2022 heatwave, but for the disabled, the heat hit even harder. The climate crisis is a threat to everyone’s health, but according to a report in 2021, people with disabilities are more delicate to the extreme weather events and natural disasters that result from the climate crisis.
Professor Kristie Ebi of the Centre for Health and the Global at the University of Washington, described the topic of heatwaves and disabled people as being an important issue. “Groups at higher risk during periods of high temperature include people with chronic (慢性的) medical conditions, people who take certain medications that can reduce the ability of the body to sweat, and the “disabled”, notes Ebi, going on to describe the different threats that heatwaves pose for different types of disabilities. Ebi notes the difficulty people with mobility issues or blindness may have with accessing services, such as cooling shelters, Ebi also comments on the importance of making messaging on the dangers of high temperatures accessible to those with learning disabilities or to deaf people. “Some studies suggest higher rates of suicide and other mental health issues during heatwaves, requiring targeted help for those with mental disabilities,” she added.
Ailsa Speak, a disability and lifestyle blogger, experiences uncontrollable movements in the heat due to her cerebral palsy (脑瘫). “As you can imagine, when my involuntary movements increase, I get even hotter. It’s just a painful circle really.”
In the absence of a concrete set of plans for people with disabilities during the climate crisis and extreme weather events, people with disabilities continue to be at increased risk of heat-related disease.
To prevent future death and destruction, the Climate Change Committee (CCC), an independent organization tackling climate change, advocates for adaptation planning, as the temperature is set to rise further due to the climate crisis and global warming. The CCC’s 2022 report on the health risks of overheating offers adaptation options to the government to ensure that buildings are fit for future climate change. Nevertheless, the publication does not offer specific advice about people with disabilities and overheating, which thus remains to be discussed promptly and thoroughly.
1. Which of the following would Professor Ebi most probably agree with?| A．Heatwaves make people with chronic diseases suffer most |
| B．The mentally disabled have no access to cooling shelter |
| C．Mobility disability contributes to higher risk of suicide in the heatwaves |
| D．Some disabled people are ill-informed about the risks of heatwaves |
| A．To share a disabled blogger’s painful life |
| B．To show what a terrible disease cerebral palsy is |
| C．To illustrate the trouble the disabled have in the heat |
| D．To prove the never-before-seen highs in temperature |
| A．suggest methods of helping the disabled in heatwaves |
| B．stress the urgent need to care for the disabled in the heat |
| C．tell readers how severe the July 2022 heatwave was |
| D．introduce adaptation alternatives for future buildings |
| A．The newspaper. | B．A fiction novel | C．A biography | D．A chemical paper |
4 . Desk toys are simple toys made for office workers. They make wonderful presents for those who spend lots of time on the job and need a break from a stressful working environment.
One consistently popular office toy is the Zen garden.
Allowing workers to have fun items such as desk toys will make them feel more comfortable, more appreciated, and more at home in their office. In large corporations, it can also show potential customers or clients that the organization is made up of individuals rather than being faceless. However, too many displays can damage a healthy and serious working environment.
Finding desk toys for a hard worker can be fun, and the large selection allows for many tastes. Not all desk toys are childish in nature.
Choose desk toys to match the personality of the owners, but take care to consider their working environments and whether the toys are appropriate.
| A．Those toys are usually inexpensive and popular. |
| B．Anyone who works in an office needs a desk toy. |
| C．Some desk toys are actually children’s toys for adults. |
| D．However, these toys actually prove the complete opposite. |
| E．It usually consists of a shallow wooden box filled with sand. |
| F．So many offices and workplaces disapprove of or forbid the use of them. |
| G．In fact, many can add to the beauty and interesting atmosphere of an office. |
5 . Josie, who is 17 years old, said, “Why do my parents do the same things they tell me not to do? For example, my mum stops me from shouting through the walls and asks me to go and speak to her face-to-face, but she always shouts through the walls to me. What can I do?”
That is a very good point. Parents can be completely inconsistent (不一致), and usually they don’t realize it. You see this a lot in many things like smartphones. Parents always say to their kids, “Oh, you can’t use that. That device (设备) is bad for you, so stop using it at the table. It’s harmful.” But then they are on theirs continually. So what do you expect teenagers to do?
The whole “Do as I say, not as I do” thing is an annoyance, especially for a teenager who is dying for independence and respect but isn’t getting them.
What can teenagers do with it? I would say you should point it out by calmly saying something like “You tell me not to scream through the walls, but you do it to me, so you can understand where I’m coming from. That’s not ideal.” They might object to it, but I think most parents who care about being parents would logically say, “That’s a reasonable point.”
There are a lot of conflicts (矛盾) going on between teenagers and their parents, but a lot of studies show that the conflicts are resolved a lot more when they turn into a dialogue.
If you can talk at a time when you’re both feeling a bit calmer, like just in the kitchen or doing something unimportant, then go in and say, “Can I just mention it? You tell me not to do this, but you do it too.” If you can approach it in a more calm and stress-free manner, most parents will respond positively.
1. How did Josie feel according to her words in paragraph 1?| A．Hopeful. | B．Bored. | C．Proud. | D．Confused. |
| A．The parents’ smartphones. | B．The tables in the house. |
| C．The devices in the house. | D．The teenagers’ points. |
| A．Object to it personally. | B．Complain of it continually. |
| C．Talk with their parents calmly. | D．Do some studies differently. |
| A．To list a fact. | B．To offer a suggestion. |
| C．To show a result. | D．To ask a new question. |
6 . Online learning has become the new normal during the COVID-19 pandemic (流行病), and all students, right from kindergarten to post-graduate level, have to fix their eyes on mobile phones or PADs to attend online classes, which is impacting their physical as well as mental health.
Proper use of breaks: Usually, a 10-minute break is provided.
Define a space as a classroom: There should be a specified space designed as a classroom / online learning place. The online class should not happen on the bed, in a lying position or with a blanket. It only causes sleep and leads to unhealthy learning.
Structured regularity:
Social connectivity: The lack of social connectivity can cause mental stress and depression. Make sure you meet or at least talk to someone every day.
Exercise, exercise, exercise:
Sleep routines: Screen time should be avoided especially during bedtime as it causes sleep disturbances. Lack of good quality sleep causes mental and physical stress.
| A．Exercise is the key to a healthy body and mind. |
| B．This clears mental disturbances and eases anxiety. |
| C．Mental stress builds up when there is a mess all around. |
| D．Students spend most of this time switching to online entertainment. |
| E．Education institutions are using the best of technology to adapt to the situation. |
| F．These breaks should be used for physical activities or talking to family members. |
| G．Therefore, issues of social distancing and lack of physical activities need to be addressed. |
7 . PeerUp is pairing up and helping out students who are looking to improve their mental health. It serves as a space for students to speak anonymously (匿名地) about their mental health journeys with peer (同龄人) supporters. As a bridge between the student body and UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services, PeerUp addresses the barriers many students face in accessing mental health resources, said co-founder and third-year psychology student Carrie Lee.
Peer supporters on the site complete mental health leadership training with the Resilience In Your Student Experience Center to learn how to address emotional issues like interpersonal problems. Lee said in a 20- to 40-minute video or text conversation, a student can talk to a peer who may have experienced similar struggles.
PeerUp offers support in both English and Chinese to serve the campus community of international students. Lee said PeerUp is devoted to ensuring students who speak Chinese can speak anonymously in their native language whenever needed. “Students are much more comfortable reaching out to people they know come from a similar culture,” she said. “I think it is really important to offer services to the different communities we have at UCLA.”
PeerUp co-founder and peer supporter Yutong Feng said the most rewarding part of her work was students’ willingness to talk with PeerUp, including the five students who connected with supporters in the first week.
In terms of future growth and accessibility, Lee said the PeerUp team hopes to expand the number of languages offered, make appointments for students who cannot make it to drop-in hours and use different platforms for voice calls and messaging. She said UCLA, as the first university to do a full test run, is providing a model for other schools to launch their own PeerUp programs and ensure students are taking care of their mental health.
1. Why is PeerUp considered as a bridge?| A．It connects consultants with students. |
| B．It helps students overcome the fear of going to a psychologist. |
| C．It is supported by students who experienced similar struggles. |
| D．It offers students a space to improve their communication skills. |
| A．Asian students ask for that. | B．Some peer supporters are from China. |
| C．It can improve students’ language skills. | D．Students speaking Chinese would feel more relaxed. |
| A．Students placed great trust in PeerUp. |
| B．Students got better after talking with PeerUp. |
| C．Students wanted to be accepted as peer supporters. |
| D．Students rushed to PeerUp for help in the first week. |
| A．Expanding the number of peer supporters. | B．Inviting students for drop-in conversations. |
| C．Introducing more means of communication. | D．Helping more schools launch PeerUp programs. |
8 . A friend sent me an email, asking if I’d consider writing about educational apps for children to watch while on road trips. The email said, “Many are turning to road trips. And often with long car rides comes the use of on-screen entertainment. These educational apps should also develop their art, math and design skills.”
While I realize the intention is well-meaning, and doubtless would lead to a quieter car ride for the parents, the thought of sticking kids in front of screens on a road trip makes me queasy. You see, if they’re glued to a screen for hours on end, they will miss everything that’s going by outside the window. And that means they’ll miss out a major part of the trip and the opportunity to engage in conversation with family members, but to be alone with their own thoughts, or simply to be bored.
There is so much to see on a road trip! Cars, trees, faces, building, markets, airplanes landing — the entire world is out there, and staring at it from the backseat of a car familiarizes a child with what is going on.
I have a theory that paying attention to one’s surroundings while traveling by car helps children develop an internal compass. If they don’t pay attention during all those years when they’re being driven, they’ll struggle to know where to go and how to locate themselves once they’re independent. This doesn’t mean they have to be alert (警惕的) for the entire journey, but not being on a screen naturally allows for a higher level of engagement with one’s surroundings. When you listen to music, you’ll look up occasionally; you’ll pay attention to landmarks.
What can children do on the trip? Actually, there are plenty of off-screen activities.
1. What was the author’s friend’s intention to develop apps?| A．To play games. | B．To make some extra money. |
| C．To entertain and educate children. | D．To improve the relationship in the family. |
| A．uncomfortable. | B．tired. | C．unsafe. | D．lonely. |
| A．It can raise children’s environmental awareness. |
| B．It can help children develop a sense of direction. |
| C．It can give children the courage to learn to drive. |
| D．It can enable children to become more independent. |
| A．Take the Chance of Traveling to Relax Yourself. |
| B．Say Goodbye to Educational Apps on Your Holiday. |
| C．Learn to Look up from Your Screens from Time to Time. |
| D．Leave the Screens Alone on Your Next Family Road Trip. |
9 . In February, news broke that Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff had taken a “digital detox(脱瘾)”: 10 tech-free days at a French Polynesian resort. For a small group of people, taking a step back from devices is an achievable dream, but for most, it’s an impossibility, especially.
A digital detox requires dismissing technology almost entirely: taking a break from screens, social media and video conferences for multiple days. The goals—reducing stress or anxiety, and reconnecting with the physical world—are well-intentioned. However, experts say a digital detox isn’t practical anymore for most people.
“Technology is very much a part of us now. We bank with an app, read restaurant menus on phones and even sweat with exercise instructors through a screen,” says Seattle-based consultant Emily Cherkin, who specialises in screen-time management. “It’s so embedded(嵌入式的) in our lives, we’re setting ourselves up for failure if we’re going to go phone-free for a week.”
As people become increasingly interdependent on technology, doing a digital detox no longer seems like a reasonable goal. But there may be a more realistic solution that will lessen our tech obsession(着迷), without forcing us to totally disconnect.
Rather than cutting out technology altogether, practice digital mindfulness. Make sure the use of technology is purposeful. Instead of a full detox, digital mindfulness may be more practical for some people: less worry about cutting tech out entirely, and more focus on being intentional with its use.
The goal shouldn’t be to cut off technology or to put a full stop. People still need to send an email, but can do so without getting distracted by the various online contents.
This approach is called “grey detoxing”—you’re not totally immersed(沉浸的) or totally cut off from technology. Instead of causing ourselves more anxiety by attempting to live without our phones for a week, we can approach unavoidable screen time in a way that feels right for our individual lives.
1. Why does the author mention Marc Benioff in paragraph 1?| A．To criticize the idea of digital detox. | B．To urge readers to take a digital detox. |
| C．To bring digital detox up for discussion. | D．To recommend a French Polynesian resort. |
| A．They are more stressed and anxious. | B．They are deeply influenced by tech. |
| C．They are unwilling to go phone-free. | D．They tend to be more pessimistic. |
| A．Going on a holiday to Polynesia. | B．Avoiding tech altogether. |
| C．Disconnecting occasionally. | D．Using tech purposefully. |
| A．It is achievable. | B．It is unreasonable. |
| C．It is ridiculous. | D．It is unrealistic. |
10 . Even chess experts perform worse when air quality is lower, suggesting a negative effect on cognition(认知). Here’s something else chess players need to keep in check: air pollution.
That’s the bottom line of a newly published study co-authored by a researcher, showing that chess players perform objectively worse and make more suboptimal(次优的) moves, as measured by a computerized analysis of their games, when there is more fine particulate matter(颗粒物) in the air, notated as PM 2.5.
More specifically, given a modest increase in fine particulate matter, the probability that chess players will make an error increases by 2.1 percentage points, and the spectrum of those errors increases by 10.8 percent. In this setting, at least, cleaner air leads to clearer heads and sharper thinking.
“We find that when individuals are exposed to higher levels of air pollution, they make more mistakes, and they make larger mistakes,” says Juan Palacios, an economist in Sustainable Urbanization Lab.
“It’s pure random exposure to air pollution that is driving these people’s performance,” Palacios says. “Against comparable opponents in the same tournament round, being exposed to different levels of air quality makes a difference for move quality and decision quality.”
The researchers also found that when air pollution was worse, the chess players performed even more poorly when under time limitation. “We find it interesting that those mistakes especially occur in the phase of the game where players are facing time pressure,” Palacios says.
“There are more and more papers showing that there is a cost with air pollution, and there is a cost for more and more people,” Palacios says. “And this is just one example showing that even for these very excellent chess players, who think they can beat everything, it seems that with air pollution, they have an enemy who harms them.”
1. What effect does air pollution have on chess players?| A．They make fewer good choices. | B．They perform subjectively worse. |
| C．They suffer body discomfort. | D．They lose all games with computers. |
| A．Magic. | B．Process. | C．Range. | D．Balance. |
| A．His appeal for attention to chess players. |
| B．His concern about air pollution. |
| C．An example of chess players’ performance. |
| D．Approaches to dealing with air pollution. |
| A．Air pollution is a tough enemy chess players face. |
| B．Chess players make more and more mistakes. |
| C．There is a cost with air pollution for more people. |
| D．Chess players perform poorly under time limitation. |
