1 . 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。

Have you ever wondered what life is like now     1     (compare) to, say, the 1980s or the 1990s? I went to ask some people I know who were adults in the ‘80s and 90s’, and the answer I got was that “Overall, life is a lot     2     (good) now!” This didn’t really surprise me. I mean, these days we’ve got mobile phones and the internet and so on — but     3    (actual) those weren’t the things they talked about.

So what did they talk about? For     4     start, we don’t have to work physically hard since now there are a lot of things like dishwashers for housework. Then there’s the matter of how, these days,     5     is possible to work at home — it’s mainly     6    (computer) that have made this possible. Not only that, there’s a lot more     7     (equal) now. It’s easier for all people, whatever their social background, gender (性别), colour and so on, to have equal access     8     a variety of career opportunities.

That said, it’s not all a matter of improvement. Quite a few people told me that they feel more stressed these days because they rely a lot on technology and they are always     9    (anxiety) about security on the internet. Plus, we spend a lot of our time     10     (use) smartphones. One person said, “Wouldn’t it be great to be off the grid (不上网) for a few days?”

2 . In 2050, one in four people will be over 60 in the Asia-Pacific region. Are countries there prepared to fully address the needs of older persons so that they age with dignity?

In the past, senior citizens might have been supported by their families and communities. Yet times are changing.

    1     Meanwhile, more and more governments are wrestling with increasing healthcare costs and a decreasing workforce.

More than ever, there is an urgent need for policy reform in addressing population aging. This must be driven by a shift in mindset to turn the challenges into a demographic opportunity.

    2     More and more people are living longer due to the advancements in health, nutrition, economic and social well-being.     3     This is due to a variety of reasons such as challenges in striking a work-life balance to not being able to afford having more children. However, low fertility and longer life expectancy are not the problem. The real problem is not being ready to face this rapidly changing demographic shift.

It is noteworthy that, in the Asia-Pacific, with more than half of the older population being women, it is crucial to adopt a life-cycle approach to population aging, grounded in gender equality and human rights. Investing in each stage of life determines the path of a woman’s life course. When a girl has access to quality education, it helps her make informed decisions about life-changing matters.     4    

While there is no single comprehensive policy that can address population aging, we need to take action now.     5     In so doing, countries in the Asia-Pacific region can hope for, and achieve, a better future for all, where no one is left behind.

A．Couples are having fewer babies.

B．Pensions are increasing, pressuring governments further.

C．We must rethink population aging, celebrating it as the victory of development.

D．Migration and urbanization have shifted traditional support systems for the elderly.

E．The decisions she makes paves the way towards a healthier and wealthier silver age.

F．We must invest in better policies that focus on the needs of people at every age of their life.

G．Life-long gender discrimination leaves women even more disadvantaged in an aging society.

3 . 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。

Socializing with my friends online is my life. The moment I wake     1     I check through all my social networking     2     (app), reading my emails and posting updates. I have 500 friends online and I live with several roommates, but I feel lonely. It seems that I have an active social life,     3     (attend) parties and playing sports, but I’m absent-minded because I     4     (strong) obsess over my phone.

Social networking     5     (be) the master of my life. Though sometimes I set deadlines    6     (tear) myself away from my phone, I fail again and again. Spending so much time socializing online. I always feel     7     (depress) and alone. As a result, I can’t finish what I should do in my real life.

It is common that at parties or at a family holiday, most members fix their eyes on their phones,     8    they think is normal rather than rude.

What is most worrying is that it is     9     (possible) to drop my phone. I need it for my studies because my teachers and classmates need to contact me. It is     10     problem that we are so close but really so far.

4 . A team of leading environmental experts have warned that the current war on plastic is detracting from the bigger threats to the environment. In an article, they say that while plastic waste is an issue, its prominence in the general public’s concern for the environment is overshadowing greater threats, for example, climate change and biodiversity loss.

The team argue that much of the bad talk about plastic waste is based on data that is not always representative of the environments that have been sampled. The dislike of plastic associated with this could encourage the use of alternative materials with potentially harmful effects.

The authors warn that plastic pollution dominates the public’s concern for the environment and has been exploited politically, after capturing the attention of the world, for example, through the images of wildlife caught in plastic was alarmist headlines. They say small political gestures such as law banning cosmetic microplastics, taxing plastic bags, and financial rewards for using reusable containers, as well as the promotion of products as “green” for containing less plastic than alternatives, make people neglect other environmental problems that are not as noticeable as plastic pollution.

The article also highlights that plastic is not the only type of polluting materials, originating from human activity that pollutes the environment. Other examples include natural textile fibres such as cotton and wool, and brake-wear particles from vehicles — all of which are present in different places. The authors note that these materials are often much more abundant than microplastics and some are associated with “plastic alternatives” that are marketed as solutions to plastic pollution. The impacts of these materials are less well-known than plastic and microplastic pollution, yet they could have huge impacts.

The article states that solutions are likely to come from a greater focus on designing materials and products that can be recycled, that have their end-of-life, and that markets and facilities exist to recycle.

1. What’s the experts’ attitude towards the current war on plastic?

A．Indifferent.

B．Favorable.

C．Critical.

D．Objective.

2. What does the underlined word“this” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The negative view of plastic.

B．The use of alternative materials.

C．The potential harmful effects.

D．The defense for plastic.

3. What does the author intend to do in the last paragraph?

A．Explain a rule.	B．Make a comparison.
C．Clarify a point.	D．Offer a suggestion.

4. What is the text most likely to be?

A．A response to plastic pollution.

B．A schedule to fight against pollution.

C．An argument against climate change.

D．A guide to plastic management.

5 . Saodat Sadikova is an English teacher in Jizzakh, Uzbekistan. As a young girl, she dreamed of becoming a flight attendant (空乘人员) and traveling the world, so she learned at least three languages. Although she was not able to become a flight attendant, Sadikova could speak Uzbek, Russian, English and Turkish. Sadikova has never traveled abroad but reports feeling connected to people around the world.

American Trina Bright worked in education for nearly 25 years and she traveled to many countries, including China and South Africa. Bright used stories from her travels to help her students in the U. S. understand their place in the world and see value in their own cultures. But Bright, unlike Sadikova, does not report feeling connected to people around the world.

Bright is not alone. Pew Research Center recently asked people in 24 countries a series of questions about how connected they feel to the world to see how travel experience relates to feelings of connectedness.

The study found that respondents (调查对象) who had traveled to at least one other country feel more connected to people around the world. 99 percent of respondents in the Netherlands reported having visited at least one other country and 77 percent of respondents from the Netherlands said they feel at least somewhat close to people all over the world. But international travel does not always mean a person feels a closeness to people around the world. 99 percent of Swedish respondents said they had visited at least one other country. Yet a much smaller number of Swedish respondents—47 percent—report feeling close to people all over the world.

Sadikova said she felt connected to the world because of media, which makes it quite easy to get to know events and news.

1. Why did Saodat Sadikova learn several languages?

A．To move abroad.	B．To broaden her view.
C．To connect to the world.	D．To achieve her flying dream.

2. What benefit did Trina Bright get from her travels?

A．She improved her education.	B．She applied them to her teaching.
C．She understood the value of culture.	D．She could speak a foreign language.

3. What did the research focus on?

A．How people get to know the world.	B．How people feel connected to the world.
C．Why people enjoy international travel.	D．Why travel influences the connection of people.

4. What can we learn from paragraph 4?

A．The aim of the research.	B．The process of the research.
C．The result of the research.	D．The method of the research.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does Jim like?

A．Antiques.

B．Chinese culture.

C．Valuable paintings.

2. How did the thieves enter the house?

A．They used Jim’s key.

B．They broke the window.

C．They knocked at the door.

3. What was stolen?

A．Jim’s watch.

B．Jim’s phone.

C．Jim’s iPad.

4. Who slept in the house last night?

A．Jim.

B．David.

C．Jack.

7 . In Sweden, many teachers have been putting emphasis (强调) on printed books, quiet reading time and handwriting practice, and devoting less time to tablets, independent online research and keyboarding skills.

The return to more traditional ways of learning is a response to experts questioning whether Sweden’s comprehensive (全面的) digitalised approach to education had led to a fall in basic skills.

Sweden’s minister for schools, Lotta Edholm, is one of the biggest critics (批评者) of the comprehensive acceptance of technology. “Sweden’s students need more textbooks,” he said, “Physical books are important for student learning.”

Although Sweden’s students score above the European average for reading ability, an international assessment of fourth-grade reading levels, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), showed a drop among Sweden’s children between 2016 and 2021. In 2021, Swedish fourth graders averaged 544 points, a drop from the 555 average in 2016.

This may suggest a growing number of immigrant (移民) students who don’t speak Swedish as their first language, but overuse of screens during school lessons may cause youngsters to fall behind in subjects, education experts say.

The rapid adoption (采用) of digital learning tools also has drawn concern from UNESCO. In a report published in August, UNESCO issued a call for proper use of technology in education. The report calls countries to speed up Internet connections at schools, but at the same time warns that technology in education should be used in a way that never takes the place of in-person, teacher-led instruction.

In the Swedish capital, Stockholm, Liveon Palmer, a third grader at Djurgardsskolan elementary school, agreed with the idea of spending more school hours offline. “I like writing more in school, like on paper, because it just feels better,” he said.

1. According to many teachers in Sweden, how should technology be used?

A．It should be used less in education.

B．Digital devices should be better used.

C．Teaching equipment should be updated or replaced.

D．More importance of it should be attached to education.

2. How is Sweden’s students’ reading level?

A．It’s higher than in the past.

B．It’s above the world average.

C．It tends to fall in recent years.

D．It scores the highest in Europe.

3. What does UNESCO call on people to do?

A．Avoid online safety risks.

B．Improve school networking.

C．Focus on face-to-face communication.

D．Carry on teacher-centered instruction.

4. What’s Sweden’s pupils’ view on online learning?

A．They demand to spend more time offline independently.

B．They would use physical books rather than digital tools.

C．They would like to study offline when they are at home.

D．They prefer to stay offline to maintain healthy relationships.

8 . New research from the University of Portsmouth has shown a marked increase in shipping in the North East Atlantic. Scientists now warn that more monitoring is required to help protect sea life.

Researchers at the University of Ponsmouth have discovered that rates (率) of shipping in the North East Atlantic area rose by 34 per cent in a five-year period. The research is the first detailed survey of shipping activity in the North East Atlantic. Researchers used data from over 530 million vessel (船) positions recorded by Automatic Identification System(AIS). They looked at the change in shipping between 2013 and 2017 across ten different vessel types. In total the study area covered 1.1 million km², including waters off Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany,Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal. Spain, and the UK.

Lead author, James Robbins said: “This change is likely to put more pressure on the marine (海洋的) environment, and may influence the protection of at-risk species. Renewed monitoring effort is needed to make sure that protective measures are enough to save species under threat in a changing environment.”

Some of the greatest shipping increases were found in areas close to the Spanish coast. The Espacio Marino de la Costa da Morte saw a rise of 413 percent in vessel activity. It is an area used to protect seabirds.

Dr. Sarah Marley, Visiting Researcher at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Shipping is the most widespread human activity in our oceans, carrying a set of threats-from unnoticeable effects like underwater noise pollution to serious results when ships hit whales.”

Professor Alex Ford. from the University’s Institute of Marine Sciences, said: “Given the well-documented effects that shipping can have on the marine environment, it is necessary that this situation continues to be monitored-particularly in areas used to protect vulnerable (脆弱的) species which may already be under pressure.”

1. What can we say about the new research?

A．It started in 2013.	B．It is the first of its kind.
C．It was carried out by AIS.	D．It covers the whole Atlantic.

2. What do the underlined words “This change” in paragraph 3 refer to ?

A．Rapid population growth.

B．Rising global temperatures.

C．The huge increase in shipping.

D．The disappearance of marine life.

3. What does Dr. Sarah Marley want to tell us in paragraph 5?

A．Shipping plays an important role in the local economy.

B．Shipping can be a danger to the marine environment.

C．Noise pollution is closely related to human activity.

D．Marine areas should be monitored more carefully.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．New waterways across the Atlantic

B．The shipping industry in the North East Atlantic

C．New research opens windows into life under the water

D．Sea life needs better protection from an increase in shipping

9 . California has been using recycled wastewater for many years. A team has used it to make ice surfaces for the game of hockey(冰球运动). It has been used to make snow for the sport of skiing. And farmers use it to water their crops. But it has not been used directly for drinking water.

Recently, California officials approved new rules to let water agencies recycle wastewater and put it right back into the pipes that carry drinking water to homes, schools, and businesses. It is a big step for California.

California’s new rules would let—but not require—water agencies to take wastewater, treat it, and then put it right back into the drinking water system. That means proving to people that recycled water is not only safe to drink but also not dirty. California would be just the second US state to permit this, following Colorado. It has taken officials more than 10 years to develop these rules, a process that included several studies by independent groups of scientists.

A project in San Diego is aiming to produce nearly half of the city’s water through recycling wastewater by 2035. And the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California aims to produce up to nearly 570 million liters(升)a day for its 19 million people. Adel Hagekhalil is with Metropolitan Water. He said the new rules will permit new projects that have not yet been considered.

California’s new rules require the wastewater be treated for all bacteria and viruses, even if they are not present in the wastewater. In fact, the treatment is so intense that it removes all of the minerals that make fresh drinking water taste good. That means the minerals need to be added back at the end of the process. Polhemus is a director of the drinking water group for the California Water Resources Control Board. “It’s at the same drinking water quality, and probably better in many instances,” he said, adding that it takes time and money to build these treatment centers. So, they will only be available for bigger cities at first.

1. What does paragraph 1 mainly tell us about the recycled wastewater?

A．Its qualities.	B．Its functions.
C．Its target users.	D．Its disadvantages.

2. What do California and Colorado have in common?

A．They made some new rules on pollution.

B．They spent ten years recycling wastewater.

C．They tried to make wastewater safe to drink.

D．They requested water agencies to speed up treating water.

3. What is Polhemus’s attitude to turning recycled wastewater to drinking water?

A．Doubtful.

B．Favorable.

C．Pessimistic.

D．Indifferent.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Process of Recycling Wastewater Is Complicated

B．California Tries to Reduce the Wastewater Generation

C．California Permits Turning Wastewater to Drinking Water

D．New Wastewater Treatment Projects Have Been Approved

10 . Traditionally, the number of meaningful social relationships one can maintain is around 150. This concept finds its roots in the natural development of the human brain. However, in the digital age, where our social connections extend far beyond the geographical boundaries (界限), we easily create more connections with the help of the rising online platforms. Then, a question arises: Does the digital age rewrite the rules of social connection?

A study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking explored the effect of social media usage on the size of social circles and the closeness of relationships. The researchers found that more time spent on social media made for a larger number of online “friends,” but not a larger number of offline friends. Further, the findings were not linked to feelings of closeness towards online or offline friends.

Another study from the European Journal of Information Systems studied the link between social media usage and “social overload” — the feeling that too much of the energy for socializing is being used up by online relationships. The authors found that social media usage directly contributed to the experience of social overload, related to digital tiredness and dissatisfaction with social media.

With social media platforms rising, one’s ability to connect with people challenges the traditional concept. The brain, used to manage a limited number of relationships, now fights against the difficulties of dealing with a large number of digital connections, leading to a less attention and feeling investment (投入) in a relationship. And the online shallow connections can not develop meaningful, lasting relationships that stand the test of digital distance.

Therefore, in the digital age’s social whirlwind, instead of drowning (淹没) in a sea of weak interaction (互动), choose to engage in meaningful conversations and focus on the handful of relationships that truly fit your heart. Hug the beauty of face-to-face connections, allowing the richness of human interaction to flower beyond the digital world. By doing so, we create digital and physical spaces that truly improve our well-being.

1. Why did the author mention the traditional concept in the first paragraph?

A．To tell a story.	B．To develop the topic.
C．To show his sincerity.	D．To give an example.

2. What can we learn from the first study?

A．Online relationships were closer.

B．Spending more time online improved one’s health.

C．Social media usage had no effect on one’s social circles.

D．The large online social circles didn’t mean the large number of offline friends.

3. What was the disadvantage of engaging in too many relationships?

A．It resulted in one’s less attention to a relationship.

B．It caused the brain to break down and damaged the health.

C．It led to expression errors when one socialized with friends.

D．It developed shallow connections that stand the test of distance.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．Offline Relationships: The Source of Well-being.

B．Social Overload: Do You Have Too Many Friends?

C．Social Media: The Bridge of People’s Connections?

D．Online Friends: The Cause of Digital Dissatisfaction.