1 . Germany’s top court (法院) has ruled that parts of the country’s 2019 climate action law must be changed because they don’t do a good job of protecting young people. Nine young people aged 15 to 24 took the government to court over the law. They said that the government’s failure to plan carefully was putting their future lives in danger.
The judges (法官) of Germany’s highest court said climate change will influence young people far more than adults. That’s because climate change will become more serious over time. As young people become adults, they’ll be left to deal with any problems that today’s adults don’t deal with.
In 2019, Germany passed a new law, promising that the country would be producing no more CO2 than the forest can take in by 2050. The law made a plan of action until 2030. But the law didn’t have any plans for climate actions that would be taken between 2031 and 2050.
The court has asked the German government to fix the law by the end of 2022. The climate law will now need to have a plan for the actions that will be taken after 2030.
The German government has said that it will quickly begin working to make the needed changes. One important part of high court decisions like this is that they act as guides or examples for future decisions. This means that in the future, Germany’s lawmakers will be more likely to think about the climate future of young people as they create their laws.
1. Why did the judges make such a decision?| A．They decided the new law made no sense. |
| B．They wanted to give the young more rights. |
| C．They focused more on the future of the young. |
| D．They thought it’s hard to solve climate change. |
| A．It failed to take action before 2030. |
| B．It was producing more and more CO2. |
| C．It refused to consider the young’s rights. |
| D．It didn’t plan the climate actions after 2030. |
| A．It will make more decisions on climate change. |
| B．It will ask the young to help make climate laws. |
| C．It will consider the young when making climate laws. |
| D．It will encourage the young to protect the environment. |
| A．They were brave and forward-looking enough. |
| B．They couldn’t bear the present climate change. |
| C．They wanted to take part in law-making. |
| D．They planned to work in the government. |
2 . Are you happy with your appearance?
“Almost all the girls with single-fold eyelids (单眼皮) in our class have had double eyelid operations,” Zeng, a Senior 2 student from Chengdu, told Xinhua. Zeng had the same surgery done this summer.
From popular photo-editing apps to plastic surgery (整形手术), it seems that large eyes, pale skin and a skinny body are the only standard for beauty these days. But can following this standard really make us feel good about ourselves?
“Many teenagers are upset about their appearance because they believe in unrealistic standards of beauty,” experts say.
However, trying to live up to strict standards can make us feel anxious. What troubles us is not just our “imperfect” looks, but the fact that we criticize ourselves too much.
| A．Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. |
| B．Body image anxiety is common among teenagers. |
| C．Guys care just as much as girls do about their body image. |
| D．Some teenagers might feel negative about their appearance. |
| E．It’s common for teenagers to feel confident about their appearance. |
| F．She and many of her classmates believe bigger eyes look more beautiful. |
| G．Perfect faces and bodies are everywhere in advertising, TV shows and social media. |
3 . The green revolution in the 1960s was one of the greatest achievements in human history. By promoting more productive varieties of wheat and, especially, rice, scientists in India, Mexico, China and the Philippines doubled Asia’s rice yields from 1965 to 1995.
But the world has reached a crossroad again. By one estimate, the world will need to produce almost a third more rice by 2050. Yet rice production has increased by less than 1% a year over the past decade.
This has many explanations. Urbanization and industrialization have made labour and farmland scarcer (稀缺的). Overuse of chemicals and irrigation have poisoned soils and dried up groundwater. But the biggest reason may be global warming that often leads to extreme conditions. Heavy rains and droughts last year in India, the world’s biggest rice exporter, led to a reduced harvest and an export ban. Floods in Pakistan, the fourth-biggest exporter, wiped out 15% of its rice harvest. Rising sea-levels are causing salt to enter the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s “rice bowl”.
It is getting worse. Rice is not just a victim of climate change, but also a contributor to it. It is a bigger source of greenhouse gas than any foodstuff except beef. If you count the destruction of forestland for rice fields, that footprint is even bigger.
Therefore, governments need to attract producers and consumers away from rice. India and Indonesia are promoting millet, which is more nutritious and uses much less water. Canceling subsidies (补贴) that favour rice over other crops would make such efforts more effective. India, for example, purchases rice from farmers, often at above-market rates, then distributes it as food aid to the poor. It should make its interventions more rice-unfriendly, by replacing subsidies and free rice with income support for farmers and the poor. That would encourage farmers to choose the best crop for their local conditions — much of India’s agricultural north-west would switch from rice to wheat overnight. Poor Indians would be free to choose a more balanced diet. As a result, it would correct a market unfavorable to environment and health.
1. What can we know about the green revolution in Asia?| A．It has remarkably reduced the use of water and chemicals. |
| B．It once increased rice production by more than 3% a year. |
| C．It has popularized more productive crops, especially wheat. |
| D．It has been mainly led by scientists from America and Europe. |
| A．Worsening global warming. | B．Unnecessary bans on rice export. |
| C．Lowering prices for the crop. | D．Urbanization and industrialization. |
| A．Expand the planting of rice. | B．Give rice farmers more subsidies. |
| C．Replace rice with better local crops. | D．Distribute rice as food aid to the poor. |
| A．Achievements of the Green Revolution | B．Efforts to Promote More Suitable Crops |
| C．Consequences of the Green Revolution | D．Ideas to Fix the Current Global Rice Crisis |
4 . Running out of money
In spite of the second biggest city in the UK, Birmingham announces it has been bankrupt (破产的)on November 5th. Birmingham City Council (市政委员会), which looks after services in the city, says that it can no longer pay for its planned costs. These costs add up to around 3. 2 billion pounds per year.
Local people’s lives are now under pressure. As of November 4th, local workers have stopped collecting garbage because the council couldn’t pay for the garbage trucks’ fuel.
Birmingham is the seventh council to have gone bankrupt in the UK. In the coming months, around 1 in 10 local governments in the UK may do the same, said SIGOMA, a group of 47 councils in England.
Birmingham is an example of the very bad performance of the UK economy, said John Ross, a UK expert who works at London University.
| A．But it’s not the only reason |
| B．These include education and childcare |
| C．Families have to put their waste in their gardens |
| D．If a firm cannot sell its products, it will go bankrupt |
| E．The government officials can’t get their salary on time |
| F．The UK government has stepped in to provide support |
| G．The council has been facing problems with money for more than 10 years |
5 . Greece has criticized the United Kingdom for canceling (取消) a planned meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, apparently so that Sunak could avoid talking about ancient artefacts (历史文物) that Greece says were taken illegally. Mitsotakis and Sunak were set to meet on Tuesday, but Sunak canceled it on Monday, reportedly after learning that Mitsotakis planned to talk about the Parthenon sculptures.
The UK government initially believed Mitsotakis would not talk about the sculptures, which are now in the British Museum. The sculptures were once part of the Parthenon in the Greek capital Athens. The row (纠纷) became more serious after Mitsotakis told the BBC on Sunday the UK’s offer to store some of the sculptures in London and some in Athens was akin to cutting the Mona Lisa in two. He also said the sculptures had been essentially stolen.
Mitsotakis said he was deeply disappointed by the abrupt cancellation of the meeting. “Those who firmly believe in the correctness and justice of their positions are never hesitant to engage in constructive argument and debate,” he was quoted by The Associated Press as saying. The BBC reported that sources in the Greek government were puzzled and annoyed by the meeting cancellation.
Greece has long criticized the way in which the Parthenon sculptures ended up in London, after they were bought by British diplomat Lord Elgin and shipped to the UK between 1801 and 1804. Because the two nations disagree on the legality of the deal and have firm positions, they have tended to avoid talking about the issue during high-level diplomatic meetings.
The UK’s Transport Secretary Mark Harper said on the BBC’s Breakfast program on Tuesday that it was regretful that the prime ministers would not meet during Mitsotakis’UK visit. He said Mitsotakis had been offered the chance to meet instead the UK’s deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, but he had refused the meeting. “The views of Greece on the Parthenon sculptures are well known,” Mitsotakis was quoted by The Guardian as saying. “I had hoped to have the opportunity to discuss them with UK Prime Minister along with other international challenges. ” The UK’s opposition Labour Party criticized Sunak for canceling the meeting and said his behavior appeared disrespectful.
1. Which can replace the underlined phrase “akin to” in paragraph 2?| A．Contrary to. | B．Similar to. | C．Relevant to. | D．Adapted to |
| A．An Englishman purchased them and sent them there. |
| B．Some stole them and sold them to a British diplomat. |
| C．The then Greek government presented them to the UK as a gift. |
| D．The then British army took them by force and transported them there. |
| A．He was too occupied with other affairs. |
| B．He was supposed to meet UK Prime Minister. |
| C．He didn’t approve of his words and behaviors. |
| D．He had arranged for another official to meet him. |
| A．Sunak and Mitsotakis set to meet on Tuesday |
| B．Mitsotakis thinks highly of Greece artefacts stored in UK |
| C．Mitsotakis plans to take back Parthenon sculptures from UK |
| D．Greece’s arguing with UK about artefacts sparks diplomatic row |
6 . Clockmaking is a traditional technology which involves the building and repair of clocks. But it is now on the red list drawn up by the Heritage Crafts Association (HCA), which has warned more specialists are retiring than entering the profession.
David Poole, a former master of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, said, “Although there used to be clockmakers on the street, a clock repair shop is a rare sight today.” Waiting lists will just grow, and people will find it extremely difficult to identify anyone to repair their clocks. There are only about 250 makers and repairers left across Britain, according to HCA’s research.
When specialists are approaching retirement, they often cannot afford to take on apprentices (学徒) as happened in the past. Besides, it is feared that the few training courses that have survived will not fill the gap.
Howard Walwyn, a leading dealer in Kensington, warned that, if expertise in repairing is lost, clocks will become lifeless objects rather than living things, adding, “Most clockmakers have fiddled with clocks as kids, taking them apart, and trying to get them to work. The problem is that young kids now are spending all their time in front of screens. I’ve got some younger clockmakers, but they’re few and far between.”
“There are also concerns that too many clockmakers are prepared to use modern mechanical solutions to make a clock work, even if those solutions are aesthetically (审美地) wrong,” said Jonathan Betts, an adviser to the National Trust. He added, “Museum collections and more sensitive private collectors would much rather not have a clock cleaned so it looks brand new, but an awful lot of restorers reject that. “Mr Poole, who became a clockmaker in the 1990s, said, “There are few people coming into the business. Most people who are in it are edging towards retirement, so am I. If people aren’t skilled, all those lovely things won’t be looked after properly.”
1. What phenomenon does the author describe in paragraph 2?| A．Clockmakers are in great need. |
| B．The clockmaking industry is declining. |
| C．Clock repair shops are common. |
| D．It is rare for people to repair their clocks. |
| A．They compared with apprentices. | B．They took the training course. |
| C．They collected some clocks. | D．They employed apprentices. |
| A．Begun. | B．Argued. | C．Played. | D．Broken. |
| A．Many repairers adopt modern methods in clockmaking. |
| B．Many restorers are incapable of fixing mechanical clocks. |
| C．Private collectors show no interest in traditional techniques. |
| D．Museums refuse to include cleaned clocks in their collections. |
7 . More than half of Americans have felt the influence of extreme heat on health, according to a survey. That percentage is even higher in California, where heat is the top problem, reported by 71% of those surveyed. “California does have low levels of air conditioning in homes, maybe because it has cool wind in many parts, but when an extreme heat event comes and there’s no cool air available, you are in trouble,” said David Eisenman, a health researcher. “So you are seeing this higher number.”
Luz Rivas from Los Angeles grew up in a home without air conditioning. “Families like mine have suffered from heat for years,” said Rivas. On hot days, her mother used to take her to the mall to cool down. “Now that these heat waves are getting longer, methods used in the past aren’t going to work as well,” Rivas added.
The California Environment Protection Agency will create a heat wave ranking system to give public warnings. It’s supposed to help the public, especially those outdoor workers, know the seriousness of the heat wave and then learn what they should do. The idea is backed up widely. Many health researchers point out the health risks of heat are worse for outdoor workers, saying that in summer, there’s an 8% increase in deaths on the hottest days.
Lawmakers of California are also considering making indoor cooling a housing right. It can especially help renters like Minerva Contreras, a mother of two living near Bakersfield. Her neighbourhood has seen many days with temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. “It’s very difficult because it’s like not being able to breathe,” said Contreras. Indoor cooling standards are valued by renters but may face a serious fight, and many house owners think the standards fail to consider the variety of climates in the state. For now, the cost of keeping cool for renters mostly falls on them. Contreras doesn’t hold much hope that California will pass cooling standards, saying, “But I would like it very much.”
1. What can we learn about Californians?| A．They are more affected by hot weather. |
| B．They can be more adapted to hot weather. |
| C．They are more concerned about their health. |
| D．They always have a bigger demand for air conditioning. |
| A．It is a marketing strategy. | B．It is worthy of a try. |
| C．It has gained popularity. | D．It is not as useful as before. |
| A．To have pity on outdoor workers. |
| B．To prove the necessity of the system. |
| C．To tell outdoor workers to work harder. |
| D．To warn people to fight against the heat outside. |
| A．Amusing. | B．Challenging. | C．Shocking. | D．Puzzling. |
8 . One overlooked benefit of lab-grown food is that it may help the UK deal with the crisis in housing affordability. As farming is replaced by precision fermentation (发酵) , the significant amount of land currently used for livestock farming(including parts of the green belt) will be freed up for development in places that people actually want to live.
However, we’d take a different lesson from the promise of lab-grown meat. Free-market environmentalism and harnessing the power of innovative technologies — supported by market-based measures like a border-adjusted carbon tax — can successfully tackle the problem of man-made climate change without fundamentally uprooting the way we run society. Saving the planet doesn’t have to cost us the earth.
It is important to acknowledge that certain types of livestock farming may have issues with sustainability and climate change. But it is not true of all farming systems; and the issues that do exist are being dealt with using the latest research into genetics and biotechnology-for example, recent research has shown that certain types of seaweed can reduce methane emissions from cattle to close to zero.
Farmer data also shows that increased sales of milks have not seen a corresponding reduction in dairy sales.
The global food system, consumer choices and climate change are incredibly complex issues, and anyone who proposes simple solutions is almost certainly not in possession of all the relevant facts and data. Livestock are an important part of humanity’s future food needs.
1. Why does lab-grown food help Britain to solve the housing affordability crisis?| A．As farming is replaced by precision fermentation, the level of agricultural development is improved. |
| B．The significant amount of green belts are used for development in places that people actually want to live. |
| C．Lab-grown food is more environmentally friendly and beneficial to human health. |
| D．A large amount of land used for livestock farming will be freed up for residence. |
| A．Free-market environmentalism can change the way society operates. |
| B．Adjusting carbon tax can successfully solve the problem of climate change. |
| C．Adopting the power of innovative technologies is useful for saving the earth. |
| D．Saving the earth requires changing the way society operates. |
| A．obtain | B．exploit | C．inherit | D．develop |
| A．global food issue is so complex that there are no complete research data. |
| B．sustainability and climate change are common problems in agricultural systems. |
| C．some kinds of seaweed can make the amount of methane emitted by cattle ineffective. |
| D．the sales of substitute dairy products increased, and the sales of dairy products decreased accordingly. |
9 . ChatGPT, launched in November, 2022, has attracted over 100 million monthly users in just two months, which is considered the fastest-growing consumer app.
ChatGPT can write emails, computer code, even academic papers and poems.
So is ChatGPT a benefit or a trouble?
According to a survey covering more than 100 educators and over 1,000 students, one-third of the educators said they believe ChatGPT should be banned in schools and universities, while the rest supported students having access to it. The attitude of most students sees a distinct difference.
As a result, the observed value and usefulness of ChatGPT seem to outweigh the risks. What we should focus on has shifted to better deal with the chatbot and its development.
| A．The answers varies greatly across the world. |
| B．It is undoubtedly a shocking achievement. |
| C．Also, it has succeeded in passing different kinds of exams. |
| D．By comparison, others regard it as a blessing rather than a curse. |
| E．They admitted having sought help from ChatGPT to complete their homework. |
| F．The worry is that ChatGPT could change the basic training structure of higher education. |
| G．It is widely discussed whether and to what extent AI should be involved in a scientific article. |
10 . If you want to disturb the car industry, you’d better have a few billion dollars: Mom-and-pop carmakers are unlikely to beat the biggest car companies. But in agriculture, small farmers can get the best of the major players. By connecting directly with customers, and by responding quickly to changes in the markets as well as in the ecosystems, small farmers can keep one step ahead of the big guys. As the co-founder of the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC, 美国青年农会) and a family farmer myself, I have a front-row seat to the innovations among small farmers that are transforming the industry.
For example, the Quick Cut Greens Harvester is a tool developed just a couple of years ago by a young farmer, Jonathan Dysinger, in Tennessee, with a small loan from a local Slow Money group. It enables small-scale farmers to harvest 175 pounds of green vegetables per hour — a huge improvement over harvesting just a few dozen pounds by hand — suddenly making it possible for the little guys to compete with large farms of California. Before the tool came out, small farmers couldn’t touch the price per pound offered by California farms. But now, with the combination of a better price and a generally fresher product, they can stay in business.
The sustainable success of small farmers, though, won’t happen without fundamental changes to the industry. One crucial factor is secure access to land. Competition from investors, developers, and established large farmers makes owning one’s own land unattainable for many new farmers. From 2004 to 2013, agricultural land values doubled, and they continue to rise in many regions. Another challenge for more than a million of the most qualified farm workers and managers is a non-existent path to citizenship — the great barrier to building a farm of their own.
There are solutions that could light a path toward a more sustainable and fair farm economy, but farmers can’t awkwardly put them together before us. We at the NYFC need broad support as we urge Congress to increase farmland conservation, as we push for immigration reform, and as we seek policies that will ensure the success of a diverse and ambitious next generation of farmer from all backgrounds. With a new farm bill to be debated in Congress, consumers must take a stand with young farmers.
1. Why does the author mention car industry at the beginning of the passage?| A．To introduce the progress made in car industry. |
| B．To introduce a special feature of agriculture. |
| C．To introduce a trend of development in agriculture. |
| D．To introduce the importance of investing in car industry. |
| A．Loans to small local farmers are necessary. |
| B．Technology is vital for agricultural development. |
| C．Competition between small and big farm is fierce. |
| D．Small farmers may gain some advantages over big ones. |
| A．To gain more financial aid. | B．To hire good farm managers. |
| C．To have farms of their own. | D．To win old farmers’ support. |
| A．Seek support beyond NYFC. | B．Expand farmland conservation. |
| C．Become members of NYFC. | D．Invest more to improve technology. |
