1 . In the not-too-distant future, fully autonomous vehicles will drive our streets. These cars will need to make quick decisions to avoid endangering human lives—both inside and outside of the vehicles.
To determine attitudes toward these decisions, a group of researchers created a variation on the classic philosophical exercise known as “the Trolley problem”. They posed a series of moral dilemmas involving a self-driving car with brakes (刹车) that suddenly give out: Should the car change direction to avoid a group of passers-by, killing the driver? Or should it kill the people on foot, but spare the driver? Does it matter if the passers-by are men or women? Children or older people? Doctors or murderers?
To pose these questions to a large range of people, the researchers built a website called Moral Machine, where anyone could click through the situations and say what the car should do. “Help us learn how to make machines moral,” a video asks on the site.
What the researchers found was a series of near-universal preferences, regardless of where someone was from. People everywhere believed the moral thing for the car to do was to spare the young over the old, spare humans over animals, and spare the lives of many over the few. Their findings were published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
Researchers found that the 130 countries with more than 100 respondents could be grouped into three groups that showed similar moral preferences. And these preferences seemed to correlate with social differences. Respondents from collectivistic cultures, which “emphasize the respect that is due to older members of the community,” showed a weaker preference for sparing younger people.
The researchers emphasized that the study’s results should be used with extreme caution (谨慎), and they shouldn’t be considered the final word on societal preferences—especially since respondents were not a representative sample.
1. What give(s) rise to the questions in paragraph 2?| A．The researchers’ attitudes. | B．The people’s moral dilemmas. |
| C．The self-driving car’s power cut. | D．The autonomous vehicle’s brake failure. |
| A．Their living habits. | B．Their family members. |
| C．Their cultural context. | D．Their educational background. |
| A．The complex procedure. | B．The limited questions. |
| C．The insufficient participants. | D．The careless respondents. |
| A．The New Self-driving Cars | B．The New “Trolley Problem” |
| C．Should Car Drivers Be Moral? | D．Does moral preference matter? |
1. What can be the woman’s life goal?
| A．Making money. |
| B．Seeking a simple career. |
| C．Enjoying a faithful marriage. |
| A．Money is everything. |
| B．Health is above wealth. |
| C．Less wealth, less trouble. |
| A．People with highly-paid jobs. |
| B．People like social workers. |
| C．People owing big houses. |
注意：1.网上购物的好处与坏处至少各举1至2点；
2. 词数100左右；
3．开头已给出，不计入总词数。
参考词汇：淘宝taobao.com，京东jd.com
We have talked about the advantages and disadvantages of Internet shopping these days.
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4 . Online thrift (节俭) store thredUP has released its tenth annual Resale Report. The study, which assesses trends in the secondhand clothing industry, has an obviously positive tone. Resale is booming in the United States, as well as globally, and the secondhand market in the US is expected to more than double by 2026, reaching an impressive valuation of $82 billion.
This is serious growth that indicates a real shift in the way people approach shopping for clothes. For most, it’s a way to save money in an inflationary (通货膨胀) economy. Forty-four percent of shoppers say they’re cutting back on buying clothing-more than any category apart from restaurants. Some say secondhand is enabling them to keep enjoying the brands they love.
When choosing what to buy, people are increasingly careful about what can be resold. More than one-fifth of Gen Z (网络新生代) shoppers said they’ll pay more for an item that they know they can resell, and 36% of Gen Z shoppers stock and clear their closets at the same monthly or weekly rate. More than half resold clothing last year. As resale becomes more accessible thanks to mobile technology and online platforms, increasing numbers of customers are keen to turn over their closets, which fuels the industry and keeps the market full of fresh finds, bringing people back for more.
Secondhand helps to relieve people’s climate-related concerns. Thrifting is far better for the environment than buying new. As thredUP reported in 2021,buying used reduces an item’s carbon footprint by 82%. Choosing used over new displaces 17.4 pounds of CO2 emissions. It requires far less water and energy to produce, and it spares that item from going to landfill, where it will break down and give off methane, a greenhouse gas more powerful than CO2.
It’s great to hear such positive news. Thrifting is a no-brainer, when you stop to think about it-well-made and good-looking fashion that helps the planet while saving us money. The more mainstream it can get, the better off we’ll all be.
1. What does the booming of resale mean to most shoppers according to the text?| A．Reducing expenses. |
| B．Bringing down inflation. |
| C．Focusing less on brands. |
| D．Eating out more in restaurants. |
| A．Scientific development makes resale easier and more convenient. |
| B．Many Gen Z shoppers choose used over new. |
| C．Buying used has become a mainstream. |
| D．Cleaning the closets is more frequent. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Objective. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Favorable. |
| A．Secondhand Clothing Improves Climate |
| B．Secondhand Market Benefits Americans |
| C．ThredUP Released A New Resale Report |
| D．Secondhand Clothing Is A Hot Market |
5 . Towns across Italy have been racing to launch clever plans aimed at attracting new residents to revive (复兴)their fortunes in recent years. From abandoned homes selling for little more than a euro, to ready- to-occupy houses at knockdown prices, there has been a rush of competition.
The picturesque town of Presicce in the sunny region of Puglia is the latest to enter the game with a very tempting offer. Officials say they will pay people up to 30,000 euros to buy an empty house and take up residency. Even better, the houses up fbr sale as part of the deal are priced from around 25,000 euros.
Authorities in Presicce hope the cash motivation will breathe new life into their depopulating town, where newborns are fewer each year.
Presicce dates back to the middle Ages, flourishing during the Renaissance as a prosperous place known for its fine wine, cheeses and cattle trade. It gains a reputation as Puglia’s “town of green gold” for green olive trees and olive oil. Its location is incredible, surrounded by the nature of the Salento area and close to beautiful beaches and clear waters of Santa Maria di Leuca.
“There are many empty homes in the historical center built before 1991 which we would like to see alive again with new residents,” says local councilor Alfredo Palese. It is a pity witnessing how our old districts full of history, wonderful architecture and art are slowly emptying. The details of the deal are currently being finalized, Palese adds, and authorities are ready to launch applications in upcoming weeks when information will be available on the town hall website.
According to Palese, a 2019 merger (合并)with the nearby town Acquarica to create the larger town Presicce-Acquarica has provided them with extra money to ensure the project can continue for years to come. “After the merger, as per Italian law, our wider territory will be blessed with more public funds, roughly 1,000,000 euros per year for several years forward, which we intend to invest to revitalize (振兴) the old district, ” says Palese.
Together, Presicce and Acquarica now have some 9,000 inhabitants, but only half of the population live in the older part of the community.
The town hall has already launched other plans to attract more residents, including tax benefits to set up new business activities and baby bonuses for families with kids.
1. What problem do many Italian towns face according to the text?| A．Population decline. | B．Financial crisis. | C．Falling tourism. | D．High living cost. |
| A．Risky. | B．Informal. | C．Attractive. | D．Conditional. |
| A．To show Presicce’s past glory. |
| B．To recommend a travel destination. |
| C．To point out the economy of Presicce. |
| D．To stress the importance of reviving Presicce. |
| A．An Italian town’s welfare system. |
| B．An Italian town’s recovery strategy. |
| C．An Italian town’s long-term plan. |
| D．An Italian town’s current situation. |
Ever since February, the public concern over the giant panda Ya Ya in the US has grown into a “campaign” among Chinese people all around the world to check how our cute and
Enthusiastic Chinese netizens (网民) around the world
In a video, a panda was showed
Among all the overseas zoos “surprisingly
“They are real kungfu pandas.” Chinese commented
The life of these energetic
7 . Billionaire Sir Christopher Hohn expects the greatest “demand disruption (中断)” for oil since the 1970s shock to cause an increase in renewable energy investment.
He said high oil prices are “a positive thing” for the climate as the energy crisis results in a “dramatic speed-up” in decarbonisation (碳减排). “The whole world should now be focused on seeking alternatives, whether they’re renewables or hydrogen fuels. All of these things are far more economic.”
He pointed to the recent boost of EU (欧盟) for renewable energy funding, as part of a plan to reduce imports of gas. Even as oil and gas companies obtain record profits from the high prices at present, Hohn said climate-focused investors will ultimately benefit from the energy price shock.
“The oil price increase leads to plans for accelerated decarbonisation,” said Hohn. “I personally believe that we’ll have demand disruption as we had in the 70s, and that there will be a dramatic acceleration in decarbonisation. I actually view it as a positive thing.”
Hohn has pressured companies to give shareholders a vote on their climate plans. Spanish airport operator Aena and aircraft manufacturer Airbus improved their emissions (排放) tar-gets as a result. Hohn has also pushed for stricter regulation on corporate climate promises. “Corporate decarbonisation isn’t going to happen through voluntary methods,” Hohn said.
Hohn is also backing a new rating agency that will grade company emissions strategies, through his charity, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. The Climate Action-plan Rating Centre (Climate-Arc) will analyse public company data and publish climate plan ratings.
Investors often struggle to analyse corporate climate plans. “Because though some organizations declare their commitment to environmental protection, they actually do the opposite,” Hohn said, “I expect a large proportion of companies will get graded F if they’re not doing enough. Even companies with net zero emissions targets have failed to set out plans about how to reach those goals. The impact is going to be a bit like, ‘the emperor has no clothes’.”
1. Why are high oil prices a positive thing according to Hohn?| A．They will reduce energy demand. |
| B．They will bring economic benefits. |
| C．There will be a shift to clean energy. |
| D．There will be a reduction in energy imports. |
| A．Climate regulation should be stricter. |
| B．Decarbonisation should be voluntary. |
| C．Emissions targets should be debated. |
| D．Climate plans should be informed to the public. |
| A．The method of avoiding being graded F. |
| B．The suggestion about helping investors. |
| C．The method of reaching zero emissions targets. |
| D．The suggestion about reducing carbon emissions. |
| A．Energy crisis—a hard nut |
| B．Energy crisis—a wake up call |
| C．Energy crisis—a cruel circle |
| D．Energy crisis—a cause of economic depression |
8 . Most young, single Singaporeans live with their parents. But some are moving into their own places as social norms (规范) develop.
When Alan, a civil servant willing to challenge and reform this conventional stereotype (陈规), decided to move out of his family home in Singapore, it still took the 27-year-old a month to talk about the topic with his parents. He feared they wouldn’t understand. After all, Alan’s home was a pleasant place. The family’s three-bedroom condominium (公寓) wasn’t far from the city-state’s central business district. There was homemade dinner on the table each night, and his laundry was always done for him. “There wasn’t a push factor, just pull factors,” he says. “I’d lived with my parents my whole life, so I just wanted to experience what it’s like being by myself, you know?”
In the West, leaving home is just another milestone in adulthood. Yet in most Asian societies, things are different. Culturally, moving out is sometimes considered as showing disrespect to your parents, which makes it even challenging and praiseworthy. In Singapore, living at home until marriage is a common practice; an estimated 97% of unmarried individuals lived with their parents in 2013.
While the trend is in part driven by deep-rooted ideas of filial piety (孝道), it’s also linked to government policies on accommodation for young people. Most Singaporeans live in public housing units, apartments funded by the state that are known as HDBs. About 90% of those who live in HDBs own their home.
Those who can’t buy HDBs can rent via the private property market — but costs are much higher. “These cost restrictions,” says Dr Chua, a professor of sociology, “effectively keep most young, unmarried people living at home with their parents.”
Yet Alan, who now rents a flat in Hougang with two friends from junior college, is among the courageous young pioneers resisting the long-time cultural norm. These commendable young people are deciding that the price of the freedom to organize their own life is worth it and stepping out of their home.
1. What can we know from the second and third paragraphs?| A．The East and the West are very different in most aspects. |
| B．Alan decided to live separately mainly due to some objective reasons. |
| C．The majority of single young people followed social customs in living in 2013. |
| D．In the East, it is culturally acceptable for the young to live separately from the elderly. |
| A．Their parents’ expectations. | B．Their personal wish. |
| C．The home environment. | D．The traditional culture and housing prices. |
| A．Confused. | B．Positive. | C．Indifferent. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Young Singaporeans’ Relationship with Their Parents |
| B．Young Singaporeans Fighting Against Old Social Customs |
| C．Young Singaporeans Striking Out Their Way to Independence |
| D．Young Singaporeans’ New Way to Solve High Housing Prices |
9 . A lot of people are experiencing hunger, so communities and organizations across the U. S. have put up community fridges in their city. The fridges offer free food to the neighborhood. Anyone can take or donate food.
The spread of COVID-19 has brought more attention to America’s hunger problem. It has also made it worse. Food shortage doubled because people lost their jobs, according to a study by Northwestern University. The loss of a job, high costs of living or not living near a store that has healthy, affordable food can all cause food shortage.
Now, there are more than 160 new community fridges in cities across the country. The fridges come with special challenges. They need electricity and looking after. Also, food safety rule should also be considered. Some experts feel the fridges cover up more important questions. Yet the community relationships they create can make a difference.
Mark Bucher, owner of a restaurant in Washington D. C, wanted to help make sure no child went hungry in his community. He created a program called Feed the Fridge. Restaurants make meals which go into 19 fridges around the city. In return, the restaurants get the money that is donated to the program. This is an example of mutual(相互的)aid. Delano Hunter, a partner of Bucher, said “The fridges are a way of providing meals, in a respectful way, to those who need them.”
However, community fridges cannot fix all the problems. Andy Fisher, an expert on food shortage, believes the problem is how the United States thinks about hunger. “People think it can be solved by handing out food,” Fisher said, “this ignores the problems that create hunger.”
Fridges are short-term solutions. I expect one day long-term solutions can be found. For now, the fridges bring life back into communities at least.
1. What advantage do the community fridges bring?| A．They improve the food safety. |
| B．They lower the high cost of living. |
| C．They connect the people in the neighborhood. |
| D．They provide affordable food to the community. |
| A．To attract more people to donate the food. |
| B．To offer food in a respectful way to adults. |
| C．To help the restaurant to make more money. |
| D．To prevent kids in his community from hunger. |
| A．It acts as a short-term solution to hunger. |
| B．It raises the living costs of the needy. |
| C．It removes hunger forever. |
| D．It brings no trouble now. |
| A．Restaurants help American community a lot. |
| B．Various problems are caused by COVID-19. |
| C．Many American people are experiencing hunger. |
| D．Community fridges strengthen ties during COVID-19. |
10 . George Turner, 48, owner of Penuel Bicycles in Inglewood, California, talks with respect about his childhood BMX dirt bike. “I was mad keen on cycling.” he says. “I did whatever it took to get on that bike, as long as I was home before dark.” Home meant housework, homework and annoying brothers. But a bike meant escapes.
In 2010, George transformed his childhood love into a livelihood, and opened his bicycle shop, Penuel Bicycles. The shop fulfilled a lifelong dream. Before that, he had worked for years delivering boxes for FedEx while selling bike accessories online.
“Bicycles kept me out of trouble,” George remembers. “They were part of my life.” He figured that was still true for kids when he opened Penuel Bicycles. George expected parents to crowd inside, eager to buy shiny new bikes for their kids. He looked forward to helping boys and girls discover the joy of riding — and stay out of trouble — just as he had.
None of that happened, however.
George found that kids these days lead a different life. Usually, they don’t want a bike for their birthday. And most of them ever don’t know how to ride a bike. Instead of getting out and riding, they prefer spending their time on their phones indoors. As kids don’t ride, it is impossible that parents crowd in his shop to buy new bikes. Nine years after opening his Penuel Bicycles, George feared that he had to close the shop.
Then in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic swept the nation. Surprisingly, the pandemic saved George’s business. During the pandemic, many American people found that cycling was a good way to exercise and also a safe way to get around. The demand for new bikes kept growing and people in George’s neighborhood pulled out their old bikes and wheeled them to Penuel Bicycles to get repaired. Now he is trying his best to meet his customers’ needs and hopes that his customers can really discover the joy of riding.
1. What did the bike mean to George in his childhood?| A．Taking up sports. | B．Getting away from daily routine. |
| C．A precious birthday gift. | D．A convenient vehicle. |
| A．Making a big fortune. | B．Being a member of FedEx. |
| C．Opening his own bicycle shop. | D．Helping people pursue riding pleasure. |
| A．The lifestyle of kids changed. | B．He wasn’t good at management. |
| C．Bikes were not as charming as before. | D．His business was affected by the pandemic. |
| A．Joy of Wheel | B．Passion for Exercise |
| C．Improvement of Bike Business | D．Increasing Demand for New Bikes |
