1 . More than 170,000 people in California are unhoused. Even as the state has poured resources into fighting against the problem, the number of people without homes has ticked upward in recent years. On the surface, the state has one key advantage for people without a reliable roof over their heads: relatively consistent and livable weather. So one of my first thoughts when I heard news of a horricane attacking Los Angeles was just “What will happen to the city’s homeless population?”

City agencies quickly took action. As it became clear that the Los Angeles region could experience an extreme downpour and subsequent flooding, outreach teams fanned out across the river bank and dam areas across the city that have become home to a significant unhoused population, offering support to move them into shelters and motels (汽车旅馆).

Despite that, it’s obvious that the effects of climate change will hit the most vulnerable (脆弱的) hardest. We see this globally as extreme weather events hit countries that have contributed the least to the problem.

The most notable connection between climate change and the US housing crisis is the threat extreme weather poses to unhoused people. More unhoused people are affected as climate change drives increasingly unpredictable weather. People without homes know how to respond to expected seasonal events. But events like a near-hurricane in Los Angeles or a wildfire in ‘Maui can catch populations with limited access to information off guard.

Another link worth considering is the way in which climate change creates more homelessness and further stresses on housing systems. Hurricane Katrina, for example, displaced 800, 000 people. Four years later, 12,000 people remained without shelter.

Housing has been — and will continue to be — a key issue in Maui too as it recovers from the wildfire that killed more than 100 people. Maui has already had a housing crisis, the result of a high cost of living driven in large part by the tourism industry. And, now, many more are left looking for places to stay. Ashley Kelly, the chief operating officer at Hawaii’s Family Life Center, said: “Finding housing for any new clients is just not possible right now.”

1. What contributes to the increase of the unhoused population in California?

A．Its mild weather.

B．Its inclusive local culture.

C．Its limited basic facilities.

D．Its relaxed state policies.

2. What did outreach teams do in response to the hurricane in Los Angeles?

A．They built dams to prevent flooding.

B．They moved homeless people to safe places.

C．They sought low-cost housing from city agencies.

D．They surrounded the river bank to keep people away.

3. Which word can best describe Maui’s housing circumstances now according to Ashley Kelly?

A．Mysterious.

B．Exceptional.

C．Changeable.

D．Difficult.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Ways of Americans relocating disaster-affected populations.

B．The significance of timely weather updates for the homeless.

C．The link between climate change and the housing crisis in the US.

D．Approaches of homeless Americans to dealing with natural disasters.

2 . According to Americans for the Arts, more than two-thirds of U.S. adults say that the arts “lift me up beyond everyday experiences.” Still, only 30 percent attended a concert of any type in 2017; 23 percent visited an art museum; six percent attended a literary event. Fewer than half actively created art of any kind.

What has caused this phenomenon is that we do not have time for art — we are weighed down by our day-to-day responsibilities. Maybe you like to play a little background music while you work but most of us rarely, if ever, went to see a live performance, let alone visited a gallery. And reading poetry? Perhaps not since high school.

Too often, we let the realities of life get in the way of the arts, which can feel insignificant by comparison. But this is a mistake. The arts might be the single most in-depth experience you will ever be given to explore the nature and meaning of life. And if you make time to consume and produce art, you will find your life become fuller and happier.

Some philosophers address the problem of life consumed by work and material pursuits. They argue that art provides relief from this routine, expanding our perspective and bringing us closer to true reality.   

Think of a time when you heard a piece of music and wanted to cry. Or recall your fast heartbeats as you stared at a delicate lifelike sculpture. Chances are that it probably stimulated (刺激) a sudden awakening, much like the shock from a lungful of pure oxygen after breathing in smoggy air.

If you are among those who feel that art is “pure pleasure to experience and participate in,” you might see it the same way you see eating out, or skydiving: as a luxury (奢侈品) item in your limited budgets of time and money. As such, it probably gets the same sort of treatment as any minor hobby. Don’t make this error. Treat art more like exercise or sleep: a necessity for a life full of deep satisfaction.

1. What does paragraph 1 focus on?

A．The opinion of U.S. adults about art.

B．The types of art that U.S. adults engage with.

C．The mismatch between value and behaviour as to art.

D．The connection between everyday experiences and art.

2. What is a mistaken idea in the author’s opinion?

A．Art reveals the nature of life.	B．Art gives way to material pursuits.
C．Life without art is meaningless.	D．Background music is a kind of art.

3. What does the author want to convey in paragraph 5?

A．Art awakes people’s talents.	B．Art improves physical health.
C．Art brings us closer to nature.	D．Art makes life fuller and happier.

4. What might be the best title?

A．Art: A Habit, Not a Luxury	B．Art: A Bridge, Not a Barrier
C．Art: A Decoration, Not a Reality	D．Art: A Pleasure, Not a Burden

3 . As you read this, pause to reflect on your recent interactions. As a politician, husband, and father, I encounter various spoken language styles: analytical or chatty, formal or informal, pointed or gentle, cooperative or decisive. Talk is the currency of politics. It is our way of negotiating, debating, and persuading. Talk is also the currency of learning-how we develop our ideas, deepen our thinking and share our feelings.

That’s why I want speaking skills, sometimes called “oracy”, to play an important part in Labor’s plans for a reformed school curriculum (课程).

Employers value speaking skills equally with reading and writing. The ability to speak well and express yourself should be something every child should master. But the curriculum doesn’t allow us to provide this. This is short-sighted. An inability to express your thoughts fluently is a key barrier to getting on and doing well in life.

Oracy is in part about good public speaking and debating skills, but in reality, it’s about teaching young people to make strong arguments, choose wise words, understand their audience, form meaningful social connections, and use facial expressions and body language to convey their message. Above all else it’s about finding your voice. To work out who you are and what you believe. If reading opens up a world of imagination and possibility, then speaking and listening opens up a lifetime of empowerment-a chance for those who feel invisible in their own country to be heard. It is about the confidence to speak out, to call out injustice or harm.

And the other side of speaking is listening, which can also be taught. Listening, truly listening, develops tolerance and understanding. And as parents we can play our part. We’ve all been there, at mealtimes, silent as we all stare at our devices. Our job, all of ours, is to get off our screens and give young people, and adults, the gift of listening.

So, oracy―speaking and listening―needs to be placed firmly at the heart of school life.

1. How does talk help a politician?

A．It deepens his wishful thinking.

B．It enhances his analytical skills.

C．It strengthens persuasive power.

D．It provides emotional support.

2. Why does the author suggest a reform in the British school curriculum?

A．Employers underestimate the value of speaking.

B．Academic pressure makes students poor-sighted.

C．Spoken language is regarded as least important.

D．Oracy should deserve more attention at school.

3. How does the author illustrate his argument in paragraph 4?

A．By sharing different opinions.

B．By clarifying the definition.

C．By describing personal experiences.

D．By employing the concept.

4. What are parents advised to do?

A．Set a good example for their children.

B．Balance screen time and mealtime.

C．Have oral face-to-face communication.

D．Disconnect from the virtual world.

4 . I don’t usually watch TV at night. Last Thursday night, I finished my homework early and _________to watch TV for half an hour. To my surprise, there was a wonderful _________.

The program was about food waste (食品浪费). It asked cooks (厨师) to make meals from food that people threw away (扔掉). The cooks went to _________to find food. They found lots of bread. The bread was three days old but was _________very good. At some street markets they found bananas and strawberries. The _________was a little brown, but it was OK to eat!

From the program, I learned how much food people throw away every week. It is _________. We waste so much food because we _________so much and we can’t eat it all! The program also showed that some farmers throw away a lot of their vegetables because they aren’t the right _________for the shops!

People don’t want carrots when they are very big or very small, _________ the farmers throw them away or give them to pigs!

The program showed people that food waste is a big problem. We must __________food waste together. From now on, I will eat everything in the fridge (冰箱).

1.

A．waited

B．helped

C．decided

2.

A．activity

B．program

C．competition

3.

A．libraries

B．museums

C．supermarkets

4.

A．still

B．only

C．ever

5.

A．meat

B．fruit

C．cake

6.

A．terrible

B．difficult

C．expensive

7.

A．buy

B．pay

C．use

8.

A．price

B．color

C．size

9.

A．but

B．so

C．if

10.

A．save

B．share

C．fight

5 . Family vlogging — the frequent recording and uploading of personal videos of the family, usually on video sharing website — has become big business nowadays, especially among parents of young children. The more viewers such videos can get, the more money the family can make. At first thought, it does seem like an easy way to make money. However, are we doing right by putting their lives up for public attention?

For one thing, as the children grow up, they increasingly become aware that what they do needs to be admirable enough for the public to enjoy — Being young children, they also would want to do whatever it takes to please others. They then feel the pressure to be perfect, and as that is something not always possible, they become anxious and stressed. Comments from viewers and the expectations of sponsors (赞助者) can also affect the parents’ reactions towards their children.

Another problem is the lack of privacy in the children’s lives. As the children reach adolescence, there is a greaser need for personal space. At 12 or 13, very few children would appreciate being filmed while eating or having a conversation with their friends. Teenhood is a time of significant change in an individual, both physically and emotionally, and is a time when parents need to protect their children and guide them, instead of exposing them to the eyes of the public.

Family vlogging can be irresistible, given how it allows parents to bring greater fun to their family lives. There is also the easy money and the fame to look forward to. Indeed, all would probably go well, but only as long as parents keep in mind that, if not managed well, making their children live their lives in the unforgiving eyes of the public could prove to be a big mistake.

1. How does vlogging about children’s lives influence the family?

A．Children will get used to public attention.

B．Children may suffer from too much pressure.

C．Parents may show no concern for their children.

D．Parents become addicted to exposing their children to the public.

2. How does the writer mainly develop his argument?

A．By providing examples	B．By listing numbers
C．By making comparisons	D．By analyzing causes

3. What’s the writer’s purpose of writing the text?

A．To introduce a new big business

B．To show how vlogging influence people’s lives.

C．To persuade parents to watch out for comments from viewers.

D．To convince parents of the danger of vlogging about children’s lives.

4. What’s the writer’s attitude to vlogging about children’s lives?

A．negative

B．positive

C．neutral

D．uninterested

6 . In most cases, people pick the easy way out: the path of least resistance. Yet it’s the hard choice—the path of most resistance—that is more beneficial and provides most success in the long run.

How do these paths differ? What are the dangers of an easy life? What are the rewards of a hard life? How do you start taking the path of most resistance? Let’s cover all these questions.

Taking the path of least resistance means choosing the easiest available option, with little regard for its long-term consequences. For example, you eat whatever you like, whenever you like, and in whatever amount you like. This is often combined with avoiding physical activity because it’s too exhausting and uncomfortable. It may feel nice at first but all that indulgence has a very high price. In that case, it’s guaranteed being fat. Most people in the modern world follow this path, and this is why so many people struggle with a lack of self-discipline, good habits, etc.

The path of most resistance is about choosing the option that will lead to more personal growth, even if it means suffering in the early stages of the process. For example, it may cost you a lot to quit watching TV for hours on end. But over the long term, you’ll free up a lot of time that will lead to a more satisfying life than that of a couch potato.

At first sight, this approach is unappealing. It requires effort, loss of pleasure, and leads to potential suffering. Yet, on the other side of all that lies a world of more confidence, self-discipline and mental recovery. In the end, they do more than just making up for the fleeting superficial pleasures.

We’re lazy by nature. If we can do something more easily and comfortably, we’ll always choose that path over the one that’s harder. This tendency is an extremely powerful force, even when scientific research makes it clear that it’s bad for us.

1. What is the purpose of the questions in paragraph 2?

A．To introduce the content.

B．To explain a phenomenon.

C．To share the issues related.

D．To comment on the easy-path choice.

2. Which is closest in meaning to the underlined word “indulgence” in paragraph 3?

A．A serious weakness of humans.

B．A decision without full information.

C．A habit of acting to pleasures.

D．A choice made with careful thinking.

3. According to the author, what leads to people’s being fat?

A．Their lack of exercise.

B．Their low level of self-discipline.

C．The consumption of too much fat and sugar.

D．The abnormal development of society.

4. Which of the following represents the path of most resistance?

A．Oversleeping on weekends.

B．Taking your favourite sport regularly.

C．Quitting a well-paid job and taking a low-paid one.

D．Eating something you dislike to balance your diet.

9 . When preparing fruit and vegetables, many people will peel (削皮) them. But often, it’s not necessary.

Fruit and vegetables are rich sources of nutrition like vitamins. Not consuming enough of these nutrient-rich foods is linked to an increased risk of diseases. Eating 400g of fruit and vegetables a day, as the WHO recommends, is difficult to achieve for many people. So could consuming fruit and vegetable peels help with this issue by adding important nutrients to people’s diets?

They can certainly contribute. For example, nutritionally important amounts of vitamins and minerals are found in the peels of seven root vegetables: beetroot, field mustard, wild carrot, sweet potato, radish, ginger and white potato. And the US Department of Agriculture shows that unpeeled apples contain 15% more vitamin C, 267% more vitamin K, 20% more calcium and 85% more fibre than peeled apples.

Another reason is the effect on the environment. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, uneaten food, including peels, generates 8%-10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. New Zealand alone reports an annual wastage of 13,658 tonnes of vegetable peels and 986 tonnes of fruit peels.

Given the nutrient content of peels and its contribution to food waste, why do people peel fruit and vegetables at all? Some must be peeled as the outer parts don’t taste nice, are hard to clean or cause harm. Also, peeling may be a necessary part of the recipe, for example, when making mashed potato. But many peels, such as carrot and kiwifruit, are suitable to be eaten, yet people habitually peel them anyway. Some people peel fruit and veg because they are concerned about pesticides (杀虫剂) on the surface.

If you want to find out more about fruit and vegetable peels and what to do with it, there is lots of advice online including help on how to deal with peels. With a little investigation and creativity, you can help to reduce waste and increase you fruit and vegetables intake.

1. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A cooking guidebook.	B．A life magazine.
C．A poster about environment.	D．An ad about a health website.

2. How can eating fruit and vegetable peels benefit people’s health?

A．Not eating the peels will lead to higher risks of some diseases.

B．Some significant vitamins and minerals are only found in peels.

C．Eating peels can increase people’s intake of important nutrients.

D．Peels have more nutrients than fruit and vegetables’ inner parts.

3. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning New Zealand?

A．To highlight the serious food problem in the country.

B．To draw our attention to greenhouse gas emissions.

C．To call on New Zealanders not to throw away peels.

D．To show peels’ negative impact on the environment.

4. Why do so many people peel carrots?

A．Because some recipes tell them to do so.

B．Because the outer parts are hard to clean.

C．Because there exists too much pesticides.

D．Because they’re used to peeling vegetables.

10 . 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。

Putting down the mobile phone, talking about negative feelings with friends or seeking professional advice are some of the methods to help tackle depression and     1     (anxious) during the COVID-19 outbreak, experts said.

    2     the virus continues to circulate and lockdowns trigger mental stress, experts have also called for greater investment in mental health services nationwide.

The World Health Organization said in March that the prevalence of depression around the world     3     (increase) by 25 percent in the first year of the pandemic.

Lu Lin, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of the Peking University Sixth Hospital, said at     4     conference this month that China is no exception to the     5     (globe) trend.

From March 2020 to March 2021, the prevalence of depression and insomnia(失眠)in China had risen and repeated COVID outbreaks, quarantine requirements and the high risk of exposure     6     the virus could all contribute to     7     (worsen) people’s mental condition, according to data shared by Lu during the event.

In an interview with People’s Daily, Lu said that some misinformation circulated online during the epidemic     8     (magnify) people’s sense of panic.

The public should pay closer attention to information released by authoritative outlets, he suggested. People should also reduce the amount of time     9    they spend in front of screens and instead chat with friends or family, listen to music or exercise to relax     10     (they).