1 . More than 1 billion children, teenagers and adults live with obesity (肥胖) around the world, making it the most common form of malnutrition in many countries, according to a study published on Thursday in the journal The Lancet.
“Previous estimates by the World Obesity Federation suggested that there would be 1 billion people living with obesity by 2030, but that number was already overtaken in 2022,” Dr. Majid Ezzati, senior author of the study and professor at Imperial College London, said in a news conference on Thursday. “We hadn’t expected that the things happened so fast.”
The new global study, conducted by more than 1,500 researchers from the Non-Communicable Diseases Risk Factor Collaboration and the World Health Organization (WHO), analyzed the height and weight measurements of over 220 million people from more than 190 countries.
The study focused on rates of underweight and obesity, both forms of malnutrition that are harmful to people’s health. Adults were regarded as obese if their body mass index (指数) (BMI) was greater than or equal to 30 and considered as underweight if their BMI was below18.5. Children and teenagers were defined as obese or underweight based on age and sex, according to the study.
“Undernutrition and obesity are two faces of the same problem, which is the lack of access to a healthy diet,” Dr. Francesco Branca, director of the WHO Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, said in the news conference. “Public policy must aim to improve monitoring of food producers and ensure fair access to healthy and nutritious food for everyone. Over 3 billion people in the world still cannot afford a healthy diet.”
France, which saw a steady level in its obesity rates in the study, has carried out a national plan called Programme National Nutrition Santé that sets objectives for nutritional policy at the industry, consumer and research levels. Countries in South America have begun carrying out front-of-package nutritional labelling that includes clear warnings about fat, sugar and salt levels. Mexico has led the way on taxation of sweetened drinks, and in Chile, processed foods cannot be marketed to children.
1. How does Ezzati feel about the number of obese people worldwide in 2022?| A．Disappointed. | B．Astonished. |
| C．Amused. | D．Relieved. |
| A．By asking questions. | B．By analyzing data. |
| C．By making observations. | D．By carrying out experiments. |
| A．33. | B．30. |
| C．20. | D．18. |
| A．The good habits of teenagers in South America. |
| B．The differences in diet among different countries. |
| C．The problems of rising obesity rates faced by France. |
| D．The measures taken by several countries to address obesity. |
2 . As the shift from traditional farming to modern farming is progressing, the use of technology such as drones (无人机), robots and machinery has also begun, producing favorable results and increasing efficiency in the industry. A farmer from the Philippines, Rey Kent Dejesica, wanted to help and contribute to the agriculture industry. Through an advertisement, he saw DIAGRAS drones and was interested in the idea of drones being used for farm applications.
In the Philippines, when people think of farmers or agriculture, they usually picture long hours working in the sun. Farming is an onerous process, especially for young people, who like everything instant. “Rice and bananas are the primary sources of income in my city. I want to contribute to the agriculture industry in a way to reduce growers’ expenses and make the usage of pesticides (农药) more precise and efficient because I’ve seen how innovative individuals are and how they always find ways and methods to make tasks easier,” Rey Kent Dejesica said.
“Using drones as a sprayer (喷雾器) also lessens human labor. Besides that, we can obtain a bird’s-eye view of fields and spay crops precisely and effectively with drones,” Rey Kent Dejesica said. Moreover, farmers stated that the use of drones also minimized the Panama disease. “After we switched to drone technology, our field became more beautiful,” they added.
Agriculture is the main source of income for some Asian regions. Parts of Asia are now going through a rapidly aging farmer population and a fear of food shortage. That is why the youth must be part of the trade to ensure food security in the future. Advancements in agricultural technology such as drones can attract the youth back to the farming scene.
Armed with his knowledge of drone technology and having a positive attitude, Rey Kent sets an example for the next generation of farmers. May this be a stepping stone showing that farming is not something to be embarrassed about, but to be accepted through applying new technology.
1. Why was Rey Kent Dejesica interested in using drones for farming?| A．He was influenced by his parents. |
| B．He was doing experiments with drones. |
| C．He wanted farmers to stop using pesticides. |
| D．He aimed to use them to help the agricultural industry. |
| A．Simple. | B．Creative. | C．Heavy. | D．Dangerous. |
| A．Helpful. | B．Harmful. | C．Useless. | D．Funny. |
| A．The aging farmer population in Asia. | B．The importance of food security in the world. |
| C．The youth’s role in high-tech agriculture. | D．The advancements in agricultural technology. |
To boost the city’s post-pandemic economic recovery, the government of Harbin has made special efforts to take advantage of the winter months to attract visitors from the south of the country. During
As such, thanks to the snowball effect of social media, Harbin appears to have become the
Over the past 20 years, Harbin’s population has contracted by about 2 million. Its withering (凋零的) economy is dominated by State-owned companies,
4 . Not much happens in the sleepy village of Colaton Raleigh, where almost half of the residents are retired, so local walkers were horrified when they discovered 100 ancient beech trees were cut down.
Residents in the east Devon community are saddened by the loss of the beloved trees, which were cut down by a government agency without consulting the community or council. They were located in a special conservation area and site of special scientific interest, and were home to lots of local plants and animals.
An application was made by a local landowner to the Forestry Commission, a branch of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It would not comment on individual cases, but said all decisions were taken in line with its standards. Alan Pearce, a local tree manager, said, “It certainly ought to be a fairly wide consultation because it’s part of our heritage. Once they’re gone you’re talking about 200 years to regrow. The stumps (树桩) look, nearly all of them, perfectly sound and solid. I can’t see they can say they were diseased or dying. We’re meant to be planting trees, not felling (砍) them.”
He said people were “absolutely horrified”, with one walker in tears over the felling, which he suggested may have been taken to improve grassland in the nearby field.
Resident Fiona Carroll said, “Many people walk in this area as it is part of a large expanse of heathland and they are at a loss as to why this has been allowed to happen. These were valuable landscape and wildlife trees situated along an extensive ancient Devon bank. The roots had grown into large supporting structures giving many a distinctive look.”
Ewan Macdonald, a research fellow at the University of Oxford, who studies how people engage with the environment, said he was not surprised the felling had caused such an emotional reaction because of the way people connected with trees. He said, “It highlights how intrinsically (内在地) bound up things like trees, the environment and conservation are with our culture.”
1. What happened in Colaton Raleigh?| A．Half of its residents retired from their jobs. |
| B．A government agency felled 100 ancient beech trees. |
| C．The Forestry Commission made an application to cut down trees. |
| D．The felling of the trees was done to improve their living conditions. |
| A．The trees were cut down because of disease. |
| B．The local council didn’t approve of the application. |
| C．The local residents are eager to protect the environment. |
| D．The trees were cut down without consulting local villagers. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Opposed. | C．Indifferent. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Protecting trees is protecting our culture. |
| B．The felling of trees doesn’t cause emotional reactions. |
| C．The environment, conservation, and trees are closely linked to our culture. |
| D．People’s engagement with the environment has no influence on their emotions. |
5 . More than one-third of the world’s food is wasted or thrown away, most of which ends up in landfills, producing very large amounts of planet-warming greenhouse gases. Now, many studies show that it is becoming harder to grow enough food to feed an increasing population due to climate change and soil degradation.
But one of the most promising and simplest solutions lies in the problem itself: this wasted food — if composted (堆肥) — could slow climate change and improve soil quality. Higher-quality soil also continues to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere, helping to improve plants and contributing further to fighting climate change. Returning one ton of organic matter to each hectare of soil would increase the production of cereal crops each year in Africa, Asia and South America by millions of tons.
While it is true that people can compost in their yards, community gardens, or even on their kitchen counters, larger-scale efforts, including infrastructure (基础设施) and incentives (激励) for consumers, would take it to the next level. Imagine if consumers could just leave unwanted food in a roadside bin for pickup, or drop it off at a local store, earning a few cents a bucket, just like what has been offered for recycling bottles or newspapers.
Moreover, in the case of composting, the payment incentive system would be sustainable because the end-product of compost can be sold to farmers, making it an economically workable model, something that is often lacking in recycling, especially for certain materials, like many types of plastics.
Eventually, more widespread composting of food would pave the way for solutions to additional waste challenges, such as the disposal of packaging and clothing. This will have other positive effects as well; if more consumers compost, companies will be more inspired to make and use compostable packaging, clothing, and other products. While more compostable items are starting to emerge today, additional composting will further drive demand and innovation, and offer a game-changing solution for the planet.
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．The uneven distribution of food around the world. |
| B．The burden of population growth on the planet. |
| C．The urgency of properly dealing with wasted food. |
| D．The great impact of climate change on food. |
| A．A good system is needed to carry out it effectively. |
| B．It would take a long term to have an effect. |
| C．It is only workable on a small scale. |
| D．It may raise people’s awareness of reducing food waste. |
| A．It is highly profitable. |
| B．It is easy to carry out. |
| C．It is a sustainable economic cycle pattern. |
| D．It is more effective than other recycling systems. |
| A．How Wasted Food Could Be Reduced |
| B．How Wasted Food Could Save the Planet |
| C．How Wasted Food Could Impact Humans |
| D．How Wasted Food Could Become a Business |
6 . The rate of childhood obesity in the U. S. has tripled over the past 50 years. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) made waves this year by recommending that doctors put obese kids as young as two years old on intensive, family-oriented lifestyle and behavior plans. It also suggested prescribing weight-loss drugs to children l2 and older and surgery to teens 13 and older. This advice reflects the organization’s adoption of a more active position on childhood obesity.
Yet the lifestyle programs the AAP recommends are expensive, inaccessible to most children and hard to maintain. Few weight-loss drugs have been approved for children. And surgery has potential risks and few long-term safety data. Furthermore, it’s not clear whether interventions in youngsters help to improve health or merely add to the psychological burden overweight kids face from the society.
Rather than paying close attention to numbers on a scale, the U. S. and countries with similar trends should focus on an underlying truth: we need to invest in more and safer places for children to play where they can move and run around, climb and jump, ride and skate.
Why is it so hard to get kids moving? Experts blame the problem on the privatization of sports — as public investment in school-based athletics dwindles, expensive private leagues have grown, leaving many kids out. In addition to fewer opportunities at school, researchers cite increased screen time and a lack of safe places for them to play outside the home. New York City, for example, had 2,067 public playgrounds as of 2019 — a very small amount for its large population. In Los Angeles in 2015, only 33 percent of youths lived within walking distance of a park.
Kids everywhere need more places to play. Public funding to build and keep up these areas is crucial, but other options such as shared-use agreements can make unused spaces available to the public. These opportunities aren’t primarily about changing children’s waistlines — they’re how we keep childhood healthy and fun.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．Childhood obesity is well under control in recent years. |
| B．Weight-loss surgery are recommended to children 12 and older. |
| C．AAP plays a more active role in fighting against childhood obesity. |
| D．Expensive as it is, lifestyle programs are practical for most children. |
| A．decline | B．quit | C．increase | D．develop |
| A．Prepare fitness equipment at home. |
| B．Live within walking distance of a park. |
| C．Promote investment in private athletics. |
| D．Open up playgrounds when school’s out. |
| A．Sports play an important role in children’s growth. |
| B．More safe areas for outdoor fun are in urgent need. |
| C．Family-oriented lifestyles are crucial to children’s health. |
| D．Medical intervention is important to ease psychological burden. |
7 . Olympian weight-lifter Thodoris Iakovidis shocked the public that he cannot continue with the multiple financial difficulties he faces.
“
Iakovidis’ statement shocked ordinary Greeks first of all. They launched a campaign on Twitter and Instagram to increase his followers and also attract sponsors.
Speaking to Open TV on Sunday, Iakovidis said thanking his new supporters: “The problem is not to fix my thing.
Stressing that he will continue if the conditions change, he added, “But I do not think it’s moral to continue with sponsors for another three years. Many others have to go through the same difficulties as now. I want the state mechanism to help all the athletes.”
| A．I’m sorry for my failure. |
| B．Real actions are a necessity. |
| C．There are so many other Thodoris. |
| D．He announced that he would end his career. |
| E．Dozens of companies are sponsoring the event. |
| F．Overnight his followers rose from 3, 000 to 120, 000. |
| G．I’m not crying because I did not have a good performance. |
8 . A community canteen at the Zhanongkou Community in Shangcheng, Hangzhou recently launched “happiness blind boxes”, which cost just 6 yuan per box. Sales start at 7 p. m. each evening.
The dishes are packaged in transparent (透明的) containers, but to maintain an element of surprise, stickers are placed over the lid (盖子) of the “main dish” section of each box. The “blind boxes” have become popular since being introduced, and on some nights they sell out by about 8 p. m.
A meal assistance program introduced in Zhanongkou subdistrict ensures the elderly can access meals within a 10-minute walk of their homes or have them delivered within five minutes. The service has also been welcomed by younger people living and working in the area.
Yan Xuyang, a professor at Beijing Union University’s Tourism College, predicts that by 2035, those born from the 1970s to the 2000s will comprise the main group of customers for such canteens. “This generation has a reasonable level of disposable (可自由支配的) income, and many of its members may also lack the willingness to prepare meals for themselves,” Yan said.
The successful operation of community canteens depends on their ability to integrate into the daily lives and culture of local residents. In addition to serving dishes to suit local tastes and fostering a welcoming environment for diners, it is important to widen the functions of these canteens. They have been used for cultural activities and other events, which helps raise awareness and foster a positive perspective on these canteens among local communities.
In the latter part of last year, the Weikang community canteen in Ziyang subdistrict, Hangzhou, experienced a significant transformation from being a canteen for seniors to catering for the whole community. Its services have been broadened beyond regular operations to include services for hospitals and businesses, complete with home delivery options. Some other community canteens have also made efforts to appeal to more residents.
1. What can we know about the “happiness blind boxes” from the passage?| A．They are sold out every night before 8 p. m. |
| B．They are beautifully decorated with stickers. |
| C．They offer a sense of mystery with the unknown main dishes. |
| D．They are only offered to the residents in the Zhanongkou Community. |
| A．Promising. | B．Cautious. | C．Unclear. | D．Objective. |
| A．Reasonable prices. | B．Fast delivery service. | C．Various functions. | D．Unexpected surprises. |
| A．To highlight the popularity of community canteens. |
| B．To emphasize the importance of community canteens. |
| C．To discuss the wide functions of community canteens. |
| D．To show the innovative reform of community canteens. |
9 . Electric bicycles have come and they’re clearly here to stay. Nearly every single country in the world has begun embracing two-wheeled electric mobility, recognizing the benefits hitting the road on e-bikes has, not just for the economy, but for the population’s general wellbeing, as well.
Germany, in particular, has witnessed are mark able upturn in the e-bike industry, displaying no signs of slowing down despite initial hesitations earlier this year. In May, favorable weather made it more convenient to ride e-bikes, which contributed to the increase of e-bike sales. By the end of May this year, Germany had produced over one million electric bikes, marking a significant five-percent growth compared to the same period last year. This growth is particularly impressive considering the challenging economic climate the country has faced.
Burkhard Stock, the Managing Director of the Zweirad-Industrie-Verband(ZIV), discussed this unbelievable turn of events in a report published by German e-bike publication E-Bike News. He mentioned that they had anticipated a slowdown in the market throughout the first half of the year. However, it turned out that a positive change in the industry was seen in May.
In addition to the market within the country, German-made electric bicycles have gone to other parts of the world. In the first quarter of this year, an astonishing 190,000 electric bikes were sold abroad, meaning a significant 28-percent increase compared to the previous year. A majority of these electric bikes were transported to European Union and European Free Trade Association member countries. Before 2023 draws to a close, it’s expected that the German e-bike market will produce two-million electric bicycles.
Some of the major factors driving sales in the e-bike market are the innovative features of the products, fully integrated batteries and drives, appealing designs, and the use of high-quality materials. The e-bike companies are launching new models with advanced technologies and high-tech features such as long battery ranges, which are attracting customers. Moreover, the preference of consumers for a carbon-free and healthier ride along with fuel saving is contributing to the higher adoption rate of e-bikes.
1. What resulted in a better e-bike market in May?| A．Effective marketing strategies. |
| B．Favorable turn of economic climate. |
| C．Improved environmental awareness. |
| D．Weather conditions suitable for cycling. |
| A．Prevented. | B．Guaranteed. |
| C．Encountered. | D．Expected. |
| A．A great demand for electricity. |
| B．A complete hold of the global market. |
| C．A strong export performance of e-bikes. |
| D．A high political rank in the European Union. |
| A．The introduction of advanced battery packs is boosting the demand for e-bikes. |
| B．Bicycle users are on the rise mainly due to the health benefits and selling prices. |
| C．People in Germany rediscovered e-bikes as a safe, recreational means of transportation. |
| D．Continuous growth in pollution and traffic conditions have increased adoption of the e-bikes. |
10 . “Don’t be a victim.” That’s a phrase you’ll hear a lot if you take a crime-prevention class. Basically, it means that there are steps you can take to reduce the likelihood that you’ll be mugged, assaulted, or otherwise attacked. Don’t wave your cash around like you’re a billionaire. Don’t be distracted on the subway. Walk with a purpose.
That last one is particularly important, because according to a new study from the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, some criminals are very good at sensing weakness based on the way you walk. Actually, serial killer Ted Bundy admitted in a personal interview in 1985 that “he could tell a victim by the way she walked down the street, the tilt of her head, the manner in which she carried herself, etc…” Unfortunately, research demonstrated the reality that criminals do in fact look for, or at least notice certain characters when selecting potential victims. While nothing excuses crime, knowledge is power in the sense that there are things we can do to protect ourselves when we are out alone.
In the report titled “Psychopathy and Victim Selection” the researchers surveyed 47 criminals at a maximum-security prison in Ontario and found that social predators are very good at picking victims based on their posture and gait(步伐). They noted that people might be releasing vulnerability to criminals through their postures, gestures, and exaggerated movements.
The researchers secretly filmed 12 people walking — eight women and four men, some of whom had been attacked before. Then, they showed the video to a group of criminals and asked them whether or not each person would make a good victim. These “victim ratings” were then compared against each person’s actual history of victimization. Sure enough, the people whom the criminals picked as “likely victims” were usually the ones who had been victimized in the past. These people were often said to have “walked like an easy target” — slowly, unfocused, with short steps.
The sample size here is really small. Maybe we shouldn’t give this study’s findings too much weight. Nevertheless, it emphasizes something that seems pretty unconscious. Criminals aren’t looking for a challenge. Rather, they want someone timid and inattentive. So stride down the street like you own it. Your new, aggressive gait may scare off criminals. And even if this study turns out to be total bullshit, you’ll still get where you’re going a lot faster.
1. Why does the author mention the serial killer Ted Bundy?| A．To call on more people to learn psychology. |
| B．To prove that someone can be a natural criminal. |
| C．To demonstrate some skills to distinguish criminals. |
| D．To emphasize the importance of the right walking habit. |
| A．By analyzing crime data in various neighborhoods. |
| B．By filming people walking and getting criminals’ opinions. |
| C．By filming criminals as they selected their potential victims. |
| D．By studying the psychology of crime victims in a maximum-security prison. |
| A．Distracted walking with short steps. |
| B．Purposeful walking with slow steps. |
| C．Walking with a group of people cheerfully. |
| D．Walking with confident and exaggerated movements. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Doubtful. | C．Disapproving. | D．Indifferent. |
