1 . In our information-driven society, shaping our worldview through the media is similar to forming an opinion about someone solely based on a picture of their foot. While the media might not deliberately deceive us, it often fails to provide a comprehensive view of reality.

Consequently, the question arises: Where, then, shall we get our information from if not from the media? Who can we trust? How about experts- people who devote their working lives to understanding their chosen slice of the world? However, even experts can fall prey to the allure of oversimplification, leading to the “single perspective instinct” that hampers (阻碍) our ability to grasp the intricacies (错综复杂) of the world.

Simple ideas can be appealing because they offer a sense of understanding and certainty. And it is easy to take off down a slippery slope, from one attention-grabbing simple idea to a feeling that this idea beautifully explains, or is the beautiful solution for, lots of other things. The world becomes simple that way.

Yet, when we embrace a singular cause or solution for all problems, we risk oversimplifying complex issues. For instance, championing the concept of equality may lead us to view all problems through the lens of inequality and see resource distribution as the sole panacea. However, such rigidity prevents us from seeing the multidimensional nature of challenges and hinders true comprehension of reality. This “single perspective instinct” ultimately clouds our judgment and restricts our capacity to tackle complex issues effectively. Being always in favor of or always against any particular idea makes you blind to information that doesn’t fit your perspective. This is usually a bad approach if you would like to understand reality.

Instead, constantly test your favorite ideas for weaknesses. Be humble about the extent of your expertise. Be curious about new information that doesn’t fit, and information from other fields. And rather than talking only to people who agree with you, or collecting examples that fit your ideas, consult people who contradict you, disagree with you, and put forward different ideas as a great resource for understanding the world. If this means you don’t have time to form so may opinions, so what?

Wouldn’t you rather have few opinions that are right than many that are wrong?

1. What does the underlined word “allure” in Para.2 probably mean?

A．Temptation.

B．Tradition.

C．Convenience.

D．Consequence.

2. Why are simple ideas appealing according to the passage?

A．They meet people’s demand for high efficiency.

B．They generate a sense of complete understanding.

C．They are raised and supported by multiple experts.

D．They reflect the opinions of like-minded individuals.

3. What will the author probably agree with?

A．Simplifying matters releases energy for human brains.

B．Constant tests on our ideas help make up for our weakness.

C．A well-founded opinion counts more than many shallow ones.

D．People who disagree with us often have comprehensive views.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．Embracing Disagreement: Refusing Overcomplexity

B．Simplifying Information: Enhancing Comprehension

C．Understanding Differences: Establishing Relationships

D．Navigating Complexity: Challenging Oversimplification

2 . Hardware in general, and smartphones in particular, have become a huge environmental and health problem in the Global South’s landfill sites(垃圾填埋场).

Electronic waste (e-waste) currently takes up 5 percent of all global waste, and it is set to increase rapidly as more of us own more than one smartphone, laptop and power bank. They end up in places like Agbogbloshie on the outskirts of Ghana’s capital, Accra. It is the biggest e-waste dump in the world, where 10,000 informal workers walk through tons of abandoned goods as part of an informal recycling process. They risk their health searching for the precious metals that are found in abandoned smartphones.

But Agbogbloshie legally should not exist. The Basel Convention, a 1989 treaty, aims to prevent developed nations from unauthorized dumping of e-waste in less developed countries. The e-waste industry, however, circumvents regulation by exporting e-waste labelled as “secondhand goods” to poor countries like Ghana, knowing full well that it is heading for a landfill site.

A recent report found Agbogbloshie contained some of the most dangerous chemicals. This is not surprising: smart phones contain chemicals like mercury(水银), lead and even arsenic(砷). Reportedly, one egg from a free-range chicken in Agbogbloshie contained a certain chemical which can cause cancer and damage the immune system at a level that’s about 220 times greater than a limit set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Most worryingly, these poisonous chemicals are free to pollute the broader soil and water system. This should concern us all, since some of Ghana’s top exports are cocoa and nuts.

Some governments have started to take responsibility for their consumers’ waste. For example, Germany has started a project that includes a sustainable recycling system at Agbogbloshie, along with a health clinic for workers. However, governments cannot solve the problem alone, as there is an almost limitless consumer demand for hardware, especially when governments’ green policies are focused on issues like climate change.

Only the manufacturers can fix this. A more economically sustainable and politically possible solution is through encouraging hardware manufacturers to make the repair, reuse and recycling of hardware profitable, or at least cost-neutral.

1. What can we infer from Paragraph 2?

A．Electronic waste requires more landfill sites.

B．Electronic waste is too complex to get fully recycled.

C．Electronic products need to be improved immediately.

D．Electronic pollution is a burning question in Agbogbloshie.

2. What does the underlined word “circumvents” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Relaxes.

B．Abolishes.

C．Avoids.

D．Tightens.

3. What should be the biggest concern according to the text?

A．The violation of EFSA’s standards.	B．The threat of polluted food worldwide.
C．The lack of diversity in Ghana’s exports.	D．The damage to chicken’s immune system.

4. What does the author think is the best solution to the e-waste problem?

A．Letting governments take on the main responsibility.

B．Reducing customers’ demands for electronic products.

C．Governments adjusting their green policies about e-waste.

D．Manufacturers’ developing a sustainable hardware economy.