1 . On Christmas Eve, two little ducks were found frozen on a pond in Smithville, Ohio. They flapped their wings, fruitlessly struggling to free themselves on the ice until two locals spotted them and helped set the animals free. The two ducks were later named Olaf and Elsa, characters from Disney’s Frozen, and sent to an animal rescue organization.

“Every year in springtime, particularly at Easter, many people buy ducklings on impulse as gifts, often for their kids. People associate baby animals like ducklings, chicks, and bunnies with springtime,” says John Di Leonardo, an anthrozoologist. “But months later, animal rescuers routinely see a rise in abandoned ducks in local parks and ponds.”

Elsa and Olaf’s tough situation highlights the reason why domestic ducks always show up in local parks and ponds. Assuming they can live, their case is pretty similar to going to Yellowstone National Park and seeing a wolf and such like. “Oh, if this wolf can live well, my dog can do too,” says Adison Smith, president of Wasatch Wanderers Animal Rescue. “Those ducks lack hunting instincts, and many quickly starve to death or fall sick. A majority cannot fly because of small wings. They don’t migrate, so they can’t survive winter. They’re literally sitting ducks for predators (捕食者),” John Di Leonardo adds.

Since the issue is largely due to a lack of awareness, Adison Smith has started a campaign and hung more than 50 signs in a dozen cities to remind parkgoers that getting rid of pet ducks tends to be disastrous to them and can be illegal by the state law, “Our goal is to get the problem at its source,” Adison says. Most people tend to buy ducklings at stores for less than a dollar each, or kids take them home from school hatching projects.

“Though most abandoned ducks live short, miserable lives, Olaf and Elsa are an exception — they’ll spend their remaining days at Lasa Sanctuary in Wooster, Ohio, in a shelter with other ducks, clean hay, and protection against predators,” John Di Leonardo says.

1. Why did Olaf and Elsa appear on a frozen pond on Christmas Eve?

A．They starred in the film Frozen.	B．They practised their hunting skills.
C．They escaped from an animal shelter.	D．They were abandoned by their master.

2. What does John mean by his words in Paragraph 3?

A．Animals share a lot in living habits.	B．Pet ducks are less adaptable in the wild.
C．Yellowstone is a great place for wildlife.	D．Animals can get along well with each other.

3. What is Adison’s campaign aimed at?

A．Increasing the selling prices of ducks.

B．Reminding people to save our resources.

C．Educating people about the animal protection.

D．Appealing for the establishment of new animal laws.

4. What does John Di Leonardo think of the present life of Olaf and Elsa?

A．Dangerous.

B．Easeful.

C．Restricted.

D．Exhausted.

2 . There’s a recent trend of Internet users paying someone to verbally abuse (言语辱骂) someone else. However, the service is not only unacceptable, but also illegal.

This behavior is often conducted on social media where some people sell the service. People who seek this service pay them a certain amount of money to have them insult (侮辱) the target online.     1    

“These insults usually hurt their right to reputation, which can lead to civil liability (民事责任),” Xing Junxia, a lawyer, told the press.     2     For instance, the offender has to formally apologize to the victim. Also, both the attacker and the payer bear civil liability as they plan and carry out the verbal abuse together.

    3     For example, the Internet security department in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang, arrested a man who had been selling this service online. Despite knowing it was illegal, he believed it was an easy way to make money. In the end, he was fined 500 yuan apart from handing over all of his illegal earnings.

In the most serious cases, according to Xing, “the verbal abuse can lead to online violence.     4    ” In this case, the attacker will face criminal liability which can lead to a prison sentence.

“The Civil Code includes the principle of public order and good customs,” Xing added.    5     “If your behavior is against public order and good customs, you should also bear certain civil liability,” Xing explained.

A．These insults are often offensive and harmful.

B．It may result in the victim developing a mental illness or even worse.

C．These actions are not illegal, but they are also not protected by the law.

D．People have been enjoying the benefits of paying someone to do things for them.

E．In more serious situations, the attacker will face administrative penalties (行政处罚).

F．This means that people’s activities should follow social order without hurting other people’s interests.

G．In such cases, the attacker must immediately stop their behavior and erase the negative impact on the victim.

3 . Nearly half of us make New Year’s resolutions, but less than ten percent of us actually keep them. This can be due to lack of motivation or loss of interest, but it’s time for us to figure out ways to finish what we’ve started.     1                 

Lack of honesty

Are you truly devoted to running a marathon, losing weight, or whatever else you are promising to do? Be honest with yourself. We often find ourselves committing to things because we think we should.     2     You will only be disappointed in yourself. Make resolutions you actually want to achieve and are going to put a plan of action towards.

    3                

While you may have the best intentions with your resolution, you could be putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. Rather than associating the New Year with resolutions or changes you need to make, consider it a time for reflection on things you wish to work on throughout the year.     4              

If your goal was to send out ten resumes (简历) for a new job and you only sent out five, don’t beat yourself up for it. Rather, congratulate and reward yourself for making the effort toward your goal. That will give you the energy to continue working towards your initial (最初的) goal.

Giving up too easily

Whether you get discouraged or simply lose interest, giving up too easily is a big resolution breaker. Many people make their resolutions believing they can accomplish them.     5     To avoid this issue, try to set a standard for comparing throughout the year. By doing so, you can keep yourself on track throughout the year.

A．Wrong perspective (视角)

B．Narrow your resolution

C．Don’t waste your time on that.

D．But the excitement wears off and other priorities appear.

E．They thought they could stick to it because it’s what they want.

F．Here are reasons people don’t stick to their New Year’s resolutions.

G．Stop thinking about what you have not accomplished and focus on what you will accomplish instead.

4 . Textile(纺织品)waste is a growing problem for our environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported the US throws away more than 11 million tons of clothing every year. That is why some small businesses spotting the problem are beginning to recycle in ways they haven’t before.

Create Good Company is a clothing company that tries to produce sustainable clothing and repurpose older clothing into updated fashionable items. Maggie Hendricks, the owner of Create Good Company, said, “If you can improve what you find, why wouldn’t you do that instead of buying new things? It’s a big issue not to create new waste. I would say we are 90% recycled materials.”

According to the EPA, the average consumer(消费者)throws away 81.5 pounds of clothes every year. “Anywhere between 10%-17% of the waste that’s going into landfills(废弃物填埋场)is made up of things like textiles and clothing,” said Danny Katz with the CoPIRG Foundation. “A lot of the clothing that we’re producing doesn’t even get worn, so it’s going right to the landfill or even being burned and contributing to pollution that way. It’s really worrying.”

This is why businesses like Create Good Company exist — to use outdated clothing and turn it into dresses or jackets. “There’s just so much waste and so many big companies that might not think about it,” Hendricks said. “Just standing with other like-minded people who are interested in sustainability is important.”

Another important element Hendricks has focused on is creating these items and selling them at an affordable price. “Sustainability sometimes is green washed in companies and they make things more expensive,” Hendricks said. “That’s not how we become a sustainable world. I think making products affordable is important to me. I want to buy things that are better for the environment without throwing my pocketbook in the fire.”

1. What makes Danny Katz worried?

A．The use of old clothing.	B．The cost of textile pollution.
C．The effect of clothing waste.	D．The future of the textile industry.

2. What does Hendricks care more about when it comes to a sustainable product?

A．Its price.	B．Its sales.
C．Its producer.	D．Its quality.

3. What is the best title for the text?

A．The EPA’s measures to reduce textile waste.

B．Consumers being aware of the seriousness of textile waste.

C．Textile businesses’ social responsibility and their waste.

D．Small businesses working to prevent textile waste.

5 . Vellum(羊皮纸) is the material on which history was written and made. Centuries after its peak, it is still in production. Vellum is still a healthy industry, says Paul Wright of William Cowley Parchment Makers in a small workshop. But his company is the last vellum maker left in Britain. The lack of competition is good for Mr. Wright but bad for the craft.

In the past two years Heritage Crafts, an industry body, has produced lists of 130 critically endangered skills. That might not seem alarming. Heritage Crafts shows Britain is a nation of heritage lovers－the National Trust, a heritage charity, proudly notes that it has more members than Costa Rica has people. Britons tend to think of heritage in the country-house-and-gardens sense: history, served with a helping of high tea. Britain does not subscribe to UNESCO’s convention on safeguarding immaterial heritage. But Daniel Carpenter, the head of Heritage Crafts, argues that people as well as fancy houses are an important “part of our culture”.

Words alone cannot keep crafts alive. Greg Rowland is a wheelwright: he makes and repairs wooden wheels for various uses. His family have been wheelwrights, on and off, since 1331. Much of his knowledge cannot be reduced to words. “When you are driving a spoke(辐条) in,” he says, “you know when it’s home because the sound changes slightly.” This can only be learnt by doing. “You can’t learn a sound from a book.”

Even those deaf to the importance of immaterial heritage might be aware of its consequences. For many buildings, particularly churches, shortages are pressing. When the Notre Dame Cathedral Paris burnt down, Paris struggled to find craftspeople to repair it.

If Britain is not to lose other skills, its politicians will have to take action. So far, Mr. Carpenter says, they have had “very little motivation”. But their interest has been piqued recently. The Palace of Westminster is being rebuilt and they have struggled to find skilled workers to restore it. This, says Mr. Carpenter, is drawing their attention to the problem nicely.

1. What do we know about the vellum industry?

A．It is run by Heritage Crafts.

B．It has been in sustainable growth for long.

C．It is in competition with the National Trust.

D．It is still surviving in Britain.

2. What does Rowland think of wheelmaking?

A．It is hands-on work.

B．It has experienced ups and downs.

C．It has been introduced in many books.

D．It should be partly automated.

3. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “piqued” in the last paragraph?

A．Maintained.

B．Inspired.

C．Decreased.

D．Shared.

6 . We all try to spend our days doing engaging things, but the reality is that there’s a lot of boring work which also must be done. Whether it’s washing the dishes, filing papers, entering data, or any of the countless dull yet critical tasks that keep our homes, organizations, and communities running, we all have less-than-exciting tasks we have to do. Of course it’s not always easy to get ourselves to stick to these tasks, even if we know we should. What does it take to persist (坚持) when work is boring?

Researchers have explored this question from many angles and studies have shown that people may persist longer when they monitor their progress, receive rewards, or when a task is made more fun. These findings have direct effects on how we design products and policies. For instance, companies are increasingly offering incentives to encourage employees to get more exercise, and managers are carrying out various game strategies to make employees’ work more fun.

Recent research by Harvard University, however, suggests that for tasks that don’t require a lot of attention, there may be a better approach. Researchers conducted a series of studies with over 2,000 participants and found that in many cases, people stop working on tasks earlier than expected not because they aren’t motivated enough, but because the tasks do not need enough attention.

Often, strategies designed to increase persistence will involve changing something about the work itself — but you can only make washing the dishes so exciting or mentally stimulating (振奋人心的). Rather than endlessly attempting to make boring tasks less boring, it can sometimes be more effective instead to pair these activities with other tasks that require more attention. This concept is called tangential immersion (切入式专注法).

Basically, the mind seeks to be engaged. We experience boredom when doing tasks that require less attention than we have available, and this leads us to quit those tasks too early. But if there is a second activity in which we can involve ourselves at the same time with the low-attention task, it can occupy that extra attention, reducing boredom and thus increasing persistence.

1. In what circumstance may people continue with a boring task?

A．When they feel motivated.	B．When they want to kill time.
C．When they are full of energy.	D．When they lack attention.

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

A．Instructions.

B．Rewards.

C．Programmes.

D．Positions.

3. Why did the participants quit their tasks earlier than expected?

A．The tasks were beyond them.	B．The studies took too much time.
C．The tasks demanded less attention.	D．The participants were not devoted.

4. How can we focus on a boring task according to tangential immersion?

A．By making it more challenging.	B．By checking the progress repeatedly.
C．By refreshing the mind regularly.	D．By pairing it with a demanding one.

7 . Some of Hawaii’s most popular musical artists have appeared before an unlikely audience, who are from a small elementary school on Oahu’s coast.

They all come with a purpose: The headmaster dreamed up the virtual concerts, presenting artists like internationally famous ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro, as a way of bringing together a community struggling with the pandemic. “We have probably the best ukulele player — one of the best ukulele musicians in the entire world — come and play for you guys tonight,” said Headmaster Keoki Fraser as children and parents tuned in from home computers. Fraser is trying to organize concerts every several weeks as his school, like most public schools in Hawaii, continues to educate its students remotely.

Tabitha Persaud, mom of three students, remembers Fraser coming to the parent-teacher association with the idea of approaching big names. “Can we do that?” she wondered. “Will they do that for us?”

“They’re in the same situation as we are. So, I mean, they don’t have to go anywhere or leave their home. We just hit them up,” said Fraser, who graduated from the local high school. “We love to get people that are influential and the kids look up to.”

During a recent Friday concert, Fraser invited former student Dylan Kunz, now a seventh grader, to play ukulele as one of the student performers to open for Shimabukuro. Kunz, who likes Shimabukuro, was excited. “He’s the reason I started playing,” he said. “It keeps me motivated to keep playing.”

The concerts are open to all. For one performance, about 1,200 viewers tuned in. “I think it’s so much fun to see the smiling, happy faces of all the kids,” said Amy Kunz, Dylan’s mom. “I think Headmaster Fraser, in doing this, is really hitting home from social and emotional aspects. Even though we’re not in school, we can still make these connections and have fun.”

1. What’s Headmaster Fraser’s purpose in organizing the concerts?

A．To encourage his students to learn from the musicians.

B．To develop closer ties between educators and kids.

C．To get his community united in the pandemic.

D．To strengthen the parent-teacher relations.

2. What concerned Tabitha Persaud before the concert?

A．Whether her family would be allowed to attend it.

B．Whether players like Shimabukuro would show up.

C．Whether Headmaster Fraser would agree with her idea.

D．Whether the parent-teacher association would break up.

3. What does the underlined part “hit them up” in the paragraph 4 mean?

A．Cheer them up.	B．Ask them for help.
C．Teach them a lesson.	D．Compete with them.

4. How did Amy Kunz respond to Headmaster Fraser’s behavior?

A．Grateful.

B．Curious.

C．Doubtful.

D．Worried

8 . Jane, a 40-year-old mental health professional from Ireland, never worried too much about how she looked. However, when her job went fully virtual, she found herself anxious about Microsoft Teams meetings. Her face looked rounder, her nose looked bigger, and her top lip looked thinner than she had ever noticed it while looking in the mirror.

As the COVID-19 forced a lot of people into video meetings throughout 2020, researchers noticed a phenomenon they called “Zoom dysmorphia”. After months of remote meetings and seeing their own faces on screen, more and more people became focused on their weaknesses on their faces. Shadi Kourosh, a Masachusetts doctor studying skin diseases, coined the name in the summer of 2020, when she noticed more and more people asking about how to improve facial appearance. It is clear that the age of video meetings has opened up a Pandora’s box of physical and mental insecurities (不安全).

Psychological studies have long connected time spent in front of the mirror with one’s increasing feelings of insecurity. However, Kourosh says that looking at yourself on a screen is not like looking into a real mirror. Front-facing cameras, with their close focus, can distort (使…失真/变形) people’s appearance, making eyes look smaller and noses seem bigger.

Doctors are familiar with how the phenomenon of “Zoom dysmorphia” has become increasingly worsened in recent years by beautified photos of film stars or by social media filters (滤镜). Most people are smart enough to know a social media filter is not real life. But as for Zoom dysmorphia, people simply were not aware that video calls could cause distortion. These types of insecurities also affect a much bigger part of society. Almost everybody who worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic used video meeting. The impact can be significant and lasting.

Jane has mixed feelings. Her job will be online for the coming future. Feeling less attractive on screen than in real life, she is considering cosmetic surgery (整容外科) to improve her confidence. “But it feels stupid as a 40-year-old woman to think too much about my appearance like a teenager. There are bigger problems in the world.”

1. The underlined word in the 2^nd paragraph is closest in meaning to “________”.

A．earn

B．change

C．invent

D．discover

2. Which of the following best describes people with “Zoom dysmorphia”?

A．They always think they are not attractive.

B．They are worried because they feel ugly on the screen.

C．They hate attending video meetings frequently.

D．They spend a lot of time in front of the mirror.

3. Why does Jane have mixed feelings when considering cosmetic surgery?

A．She feels ashamed of building her confidence in this way.

B．She feels disappointed at the result of surgery.

C．She is hopeful about her coming future.

D．She feels unsafe about the world.