1 . Mangabe forest in Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot (生物多样性热点地区). Trees are circled by leafy plants filled with insects. As we follow our guides along the road to Mangabe village, a nearby tree shakes. It is a golden mantella — an endangered animal that — like so many species (物种) here — lives only in Madagascar.
We're going there to meet a group of Malagasy teenagers — young farmers who are changing how people farm in order to save their forest.
In Mangabe, communities make their livelihoods entirely through farming. The old method is often called “slash and burn” — cutting down a piece of forest and setting fire to it. When the nutrients in the ash ( 灰里的养分) are used up, that cycle starts again. “It causes serious deforestation,” says our guide Voahirana Randriamamonjy from the Malagasy conservation organization Madagasikara Voakajy.
Voahirana and her team are here to train the teenage members as part of their “Youth for Lemurs” project. This community-based project sets out to provide the new generation of farmers with the skills, knowledge and tools needed to grow their food without harming the forest.
The modern farming methods may not appear revolutionary ( 革命性的), but they provide life-changing profit. They enable the same land to be farmed each season, avoiding the need to clear more forest. And they produce higher yields (产量).
“I feel very happy,” 15-year-old Nantenaina says. “By planting just a small piece of land, I can produce a high yield. And if we can do this it means people will not cut and clear the forest. That's why I took part in this project.”
Nantenaina says that, since the project started three years ago, older villagers have started coming to the young pioneers for advice about their methods — wanting to understand how they achieve their higher yields.
“The future of the forest,” says Voahirana, “depends on these young people. They have these new skills, which they can teach to their kids. So the next generation will be able to farm environmentally.”
1. Why did the author mention the golden mantella in paragraph 1?| A．To show that animals live happily in Mangabe village. |
| B．To explain why Mangabe forest is popular among tourists. |
| C．To state that many animals in Mangabe forest are endangered. |
| D．To prove that Mangabe forest is home to many special species. |
| A．To help bring back endangered animals. |
| B．To teach young farmers modern farming skills. |
| C．To call on the local people to plant new forest. |
| D．To offer poor kids opportunities to receive education. |
| A．Method. | B．Experience. | C．Benefit. | D．Expectation. |
| A．To get great job opportunities. |
| B．To protect the forest in her hometown. |
| C．To learn some skills and help her parents. |
| D．To be as skillful as older farmers in her village. |
2 . Whether at school, college or work, most of us take some sort of lunch break. It’s a good time to have a rest, catch up with friends and eat some food — but here lies the dilemma — what to eat? There are a feast of options but because of limited time or money, many of us stick to what we know — usually the humble (没有特别之处的) sandwich.
Some of us make our own sandwiches in the morning before heading out, while those in a rush tend to grab something at a snack bar or a cafe or buy a meal deal at a supermarket. A packet of chips may be an additional part to our lunch. What we eat is usually the same every day. Sheila Dilon from the BBC Food Programme says more than a third of office workers have eaten the same midday meal for the last nine months.
In the UK, bread has become the mainstay of our lunchtime snack, sometimes eaten at your desk--a style known as “al desko”. Bread is cheap and fills you up, with average lunch hours now reduced to 25 minutes and 24 seconds. It’s quick and convenient to eat. But it’s also boring! Some people have broken the mould (模式) by bringing in leftovers from their previous night’s dinner, which they then heat up in a microwave but even that isn’t very exciting.
We are humans of habit, but philosopher Julian Baggini says, “We’re never going to break out of our midday malaise unless we think outside the box.” There are choices that will fill you up. With just a microwave and a kettle, there’re a number of hot satisfying meals that can be made such as soups and jacket potatoes served with a dollop of baked beans or cheese. And then there are the ubiquitous (随处可见的) instant noodles in a pot-although you may question how nutritious they are.
If you’ve got time for more exotic (异国风味的) snacks, then look out for trendy “Ottolenghi” style food such as fava bean salad wrap. There is also the healthy Japanese style “bento box” or lunchbox that normally contains a mix of carbohydrate, protein and vegetables. And of course another healthy Japanese treat is sushi.
But if I’ve got time for a proper lunch, I head to my local greasy spoon (低档小饭馆) and tuck into a firy-up. Not very healthy but delicious, it sets me up for an afternoon of hard work. Then it’s time for the next dilemma what to have for dinner?
1. What does the underlined word “dilemma” in paragraph i mean?| A．A situation that is difficult to deal with. |
| B．A situation that causes trouble for others. |
| C．A situation where something makes you anxious. |
| D．A situation in which you have to make a very difficult choice. |
| A．The humble sandwich. | B．The same midday meal. |
| C．The “Ottolenghi” style food. | D．The instant noodles. |
| A．It’s delicious and healthy. | B．It costs less and saves time. |
| C．It’s exciting and convenient to eat. | D．It’s cheap and can be heated up in a microwave |
| A．Sandwich is a common choice for lunch because of limited time or money. |
| B．You can use a kettle to make instant noodles. |
| C．Sushi is a delicious but harmful treat you can have for lunch. |
| D．The author enjoys less healthy but delicious food. |
3 . Bill Gates’ body might live in the present, but his brain lives in the future. He has made a career out of predicting what will happen in matters of computing, public health and the environment. He correctly predicted the rise of smartphones and social media, and his latest predictions could come true, too. Here’s what Gates predicts for the future of our world.
In his Annual Letter 2015, Gates made the prediction that Africa’s agriculture industry would increase productivity by 50% by 2030. Now the continent buys about $50 billion worth of food from other countries each year, although 70% of people in Africa are farmers. “In the next 15 years, however, creations in farming will solve the food problem in Africa,” Gates wrote. “The world has already developed crops that are more productive; with all the technologies, African farmers could possibly double their harvests. ”
By 2035, there could be almost no poor countries. In his Annual Letter 2014, Gates bravely predicted that continued levels of foreign help could mean there would be almost no more poor countries by 2035. “Almost all countries will be what we now call lower-middle income or richer,” Gates explained. “Countries will learn from their most productive neighbors and benefit from things like better seeds and the digital revolution. ”
By 2030, the world will discover a clean energy breakthrough to power our world. One of Gates’ more hopeful predictions which came in 2016 said that wind, solar, or some other renewable resources would power most of the world within 15 years. “The difficulty we face is big, perhaps bigger than many people imagine,” he wrote in his letter. “But so is the chance to make things better.” Many of the poor countries he visited had no running water or electricity. At night this meant they couldn’t light or power their homes, and keep businesses open. “If the world can find a type of cheap, clean energy, it will do more than prevent climate change,” he wrote. “It will change the lives of millions of the poorest families.”
1. What does the author think of Gates’ predictions?| A．They sound quite unreal. | B．They are mainly about computers. |
| C．They will probably come true. | D．They haven't produced any end result. |
| A．It is losing its workforce. | B．It is in need of productivity. |
| C．It can satisfy the local needs. | D．It is as backward as Africa's industry. |
| A．Use expensive seeds. | B．Expect less foreign help. |
| C．Rely on the digital revolution. | D．Turn to other countries for good practices. |
| A．It has a long way to go. | B．It can keep up with the times. |
| C．It can control climate change. | D．It won't surely benefit poor families. |
4 . “Walt Disney World is banning selfie-sticks from its theme parks because selfie-sticks have become a growing safety concern for both our guests and cast,” Disney World spokeswoman Kim Prunty said.
Under a new policy, which takes effect Tuesday, the poles won’t make it past the bag check at any Disney World theme park. The sticks also won’t be allowed in Disney World water parks or Disney Quest, a gaming attraction at Downtown Disney. Selfie-sticks will also become forbidden at Disneyland Resort in California on June 30. The prohibition begins at Disney’s parks in Paris and Hong Kong on July 1st.
Guests will be checked for the equipment during the routine bag check that happens near the parks’ entrances. They will have an option of turning in their selfie-sticks for pick-up later or to go back to their cars or hotel rooms to keep them. Visitors will be told of the policy in locations such as the parking lots and at the resort’s hotels. The prohibition will be added to the park rules post on Disney World’s website.
The issue has been building at Disney. Previously, the sticks were prohibited from its rides, and “no selfie-sticks” signs were at select rides, such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom. Cast members have given oral warnings to rule breakers.
Selfie-stick users put smartphones and cameras on the ends of poles to extend their reach, frequently capturing theme-park moments through self-portraits. The tools have been banned in public places-including some museums and stadiums — worldwide for obstructing views or causing safety issues.
Disney World already prohibits items such as skateboards, inline skates, wagon, folding chairs and glass containers, according to its official website, which also lists “other items that we determine may be harmful”.
Universal Orlando has banned selfie-sticks and other loose items from certain thrill rides at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks, but it has not set parkwide bans.
1. Which of the following objects has already been banned in Disney World before the new policy takes effect?| A．Smartphones. | B．Folding chairs. | C．Cameras. | D．Containers. |
| A．abandon them at the bag check | B．get fined and pick them up later |
| C．turn them in to the police | D．put them in the trunk of their cars |
| A．changing | B．broadening | C．blocking | D．narrowing |
5 . The Ministry of Education has asked the publisher of math textbooks for primary schools to redo the illustrations (插图) after the public expressed their dissatisfaction at their being too ugly and inappropriate.
The ministry has asked the People’s Education Press to take proper measures and make sure new math textbooks are available for students before the start of the autumn semester in September.
The evaluation aims to make sure they stick to the right political direction and values, promote traditional Chinese culture and fit public aesthetic (美学的) taste.
The illustrations of math textbooks have been a hot topic on different social media platforms since Thursday.
The People’s Education Press has expressed deep apologies and regret for the illustrations.
It will select new design teams to redo the illustrations on math textbooks used by primary school students and take up suggestions from the public, especially teachers, students and parents.
| A．The People’s Education Press was founded in 1950 |
| B．The ministry says any problem found will be addressed immediately |
| C．The publisher says it has set up a work group to redo the illustrations |
| D．The ministry will carry out a comprehensive evaluation of all textbooks |
| E．Many netizens found them ugly and offensive and lacking childish innocence |
| F．It focuses on producing and publishing primary and secondary textbooks |
| G．It will make an evaluation of other published textbooks and make corrections |
6 . In 1995, UNESCO recognized five clusters of rice terraces in Ifugao as World Heritage Sites, describing them as a living cultural landscape of unmatched beauty. This recognition placed Ifugao, a province in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) of the Philippines, on the global tourist map.
From 2017 to 2019, a yearly average of 71, 400 tourists, nearly half of them foreigners, stayed in country houses in the province, according to the Department of Tourism of the Cordillera Administrative Region. In 2019, tourists in Ifugao spent nearly $18 million, according to the tourism department.
But Ifugao is more than just a beautiful landscape for tourists to admire. On these terraces, local people grow tinawon rice, a native variety (品种) that is grown only once a year.
But the tinawon and the terraces it is grown on are today endangered. As a crop grown only once a year, tinawon harvests (收成) are only enough for basic needs, forcing families to look for other forms of livelihood. Many young people are choosing to abandon ( 遗弃) rice terraces and work in cities. Rice terraces that aren't abandoned are often turned into vegetable farms. This form of farming can yield two to three times as much sellable produce per unit of land as rice farming, with three to four harvests per year.
Vegetable farming may bring money for farmers. But the chemicals (化学制品) used in vegetable farming slowly harm soil health, making it unworkable. This can push farmers to clear out forested areas in search of new land. The chemicals can also pollute water sources. Besides, such practices could end the Ifugao culture that centers on rice.
There is still some hope in the Ifugao landscape. In the village of Mompolia, farmers still grow tinawon in rice fields. There are still young people here eager to learn the knowledge of growing tinawon, like 28-year-old Geomar Pugong, an engineer. He works in the provincial capital, Lagawe, but goes back home frequently to tend his family‘s rice fields.
“Eating a cup of tinawon is like eating two cups of commercial ( 商业化的) rice. It may take time to harvest, but it is more advantageous in a sense,” Pugong says.
1. What do the numbers in paragraph 2 show?| A．The number of tourists in Ifugao has fallen. |
| B．Tourism has become a major industry in Ifugao. |
| C．The Ifugao government will encourage tourism. |
| D．Tourism in Ifugao has influenced the environment. |
| A．Why Ifugao’s rice terraces are dying. |
| B．Why Ifugao’s rice terraces are valuable. |
| C．How Ifugao’s rice terraces are growing in popularity. |
| D．How Ifugao’s rice terraces are different from those in other areas. |
| A．It harms the environment. |
| B．It needs high-quality water. |
| C．It will bring long-term gains. |
| D．It somewhat benefits rice farming. |
| A．It should receive support from villagers. |
| B．It is worth the time and hard work. |
| C．It is unattractive to young people. |
| D．It can bring in a lot of money. |
7 . Over the last few months, I’ve gotten so many emails from parents of teens. I can hear the fear in each one as they describe a child who seems to be slowly breaking down. So this is a letter for all of you:
You’re not alone. You’re not the only one feeling lost. Late at night, I’ve found myself thinking about how I’d said exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time to a kid I wanted to connect with. Somehow I’d closed a door I'd hoped to open. Other times I’ve seen sadness for a moment in the eyes of my child that made my heart beat quickly.
There’s no guide to parenting teenagers in the middle of a once-in-100-years pandemic (流行病). And so we continue to try to focus on the usual things like college applications or screen time.
From increased stress to rising loneliness, Gen Z teens and young grown-ups have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the American Psychological Association's latest survey, Stress in America 2020. It is a very weak stage of life anyway, and this is a generation that has grown up with changing society and built-in angst (焦虑) about the long-term influences of climate change. So it isn’t surprising that too many are now falling into serious depression (沮丧).
Still, there are things you can do: Forgive (宽恕) yourself, first of all. This is hard, but you get to start fresh every day. And it’s good to remember that for many teens, having a grown-up who’s not you to talk to, someone they trust (and will text), can make a huge difference. And there’s one small ritual (习惯) that might help keep the lines of communications open in your house. You could ask everyone in the family to say two good things about their day, and maybe one bad thing. It’s like a gratitude (感激) exercise, but also an opening for a conversation.
1. What might the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．The author found parenting a child easy. |
| B．The author deeply connected with her child. |
| C．The author missed the chance to talk with her child. |
| D．The author handed out some punishment to her child. |
| A．They have a good attitude to life. |
| B．They are facing huge challenges. |
| C．They are active in social activities. |
| D．They dislike talking with their parents. |
| A．Forgive their kids. |
| B．Place their trust in their kids. |
| C．Turn to professionals for help. |
| D．Encourage family communication. |
| A．To comfort lost parents. |
| B．To teach teens to deal with stress. |
| C．To call on parents to care for their kids. |
| D．To advise teens to understand their parents. |
8 . Seven out of 10 families don’t sit down together for dinner every night, with many unwilling to put down their phones and turn off the TV to eat, a survey shows.
Almost half of Australian families try hard to find enough to talk about over dinner, and may end up arguing instead of conversing, the survey of 1,000 grown-ups shows. The research shows 80 per cent of families sometimes sit in silence, and 92 per cent say their digital devices stop them talking to each other.
The study suggests work is impacting on family togetherness, with fewer than a quarter of parents who work full-time eating most nights with their children.
Overall, four in 10 Australian parents say their families find it hard to connect and share conversations at dinnertime, with television, mobile phones and computers, and tiredness most often getting in the way of this.
However, the research, which was officially asked for by food company Old El Paso, shows many parents want to do things differently, with 95 per cent agreeing that conversation improves a meal. Scientist Jocelyn Brewer said the findings show the way Australian life is getting busier and more stressful for families.
“It’s not surprising to hear that 97 per cent of parents like meals better where their family can laugh, connect, tell stories and share food,” she said.
The survey has also shown the most common dinnertime topic is what’s going on at school or work (74 per cent), followed by weekend plans (59 per cent). Only one in 10 parents like politics to be discussed.
All parents surveyed said they would like tools such as conversation cards to help improve their mealtimes.
1. What does the underlined part “impacting on” in Paragraph 3 mean?| A．Affecting. | B．Encouraging. |
| C．Suffering. | D．Improving. |
| A．About half of them say they eat dinner silently. |
| B．Nearly all of them suggest not using phones over dinner. |
| C．Nearly half of them find it hard to make conversations over dinner. |
| D．A quarter of them hopes to have pleasant conversations over dinner. |
| A．Eating habits. | B．School life. |
| C．What to do at weekends. | D．What has happened in society. |
| A．Family dinners and stressful life |
| B．The importance of family dinners |
| C．Digital devices take up family dinnertime |
| D．Family dinner talks at risk of dying out |
9 . Ever since Donald Trump was elected president of the US, the entire Trump family has been put under the microscope. In China, the spotlight (聚光灯) has been mainly focused on Trump and his daughter Ivanka. She is described on WeChat as an extremely influential role model with stunning beauty, a successful career, and a happy family. She leads a dream life that a million girls would kill for. Yes, she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But she gets where she is by herself.
There are always articles that say people born into wealthy families are better⁃looking and have a better family background than you, but these people do work harder than you. Are you a loser if you are raised in an ordinary family? Should you feel guilty at sleeping for eight hours a day because Ivanka sleeps for five hours?
If you just want to keep a stable nine⁃to⁃five job, does it mean you are not ambitious? What if you don’t work out or eat healthily? Does that mean you will not find your Mr or Miss Right? There is a tendency in the media nowadays to encourage elitism (精英主义). They are trying to brainwash young people into thinking that they should put a huge amount of time and money in bodybuilding and appearance enhancement (提升) so as to improve the quality of their life and join the elite. But what’s the disadvantage of being of average quality? Do you really need to go to the gym five days a week unless you are a gym maniac (狂人)? Do you really need to break your neck to earn your first pot of gold only to worry constantly about how to be accepted into high society later?
Don’t let the idea of elitism get to you. Everybody has a right to live the life they want. Human beings should not be judged a success or failure on whether they are a part of the elite or not. As long as you lead a happy and comfortable life, why bother to chase after other people’s shadows? Choose your own life path and go for it.
1. What does Paragraph 1 serve as?| A．A lead⁃in. | B．A background. |
| C．An argument. | D．A summary. |
| A．Feel dissatisfied with. |
| B．Show a strong dislike for. |
| C．Have a burning desire for. |
| D．Attempt to escape from. |
| A．Negative. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Supportive. |
| A．Follow your own path and let people talk. |
| B．Every man is the architect of his own fortune. |
| C．Laziness in youth spells regret in old age. |
| D．He who does not advance loses his advantage. |
10 . As computers become more and more popular in China, Chinese people are increasingly depending on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes (笔画) of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as in primary school. And computer dependence is more widespread among university students. Almost all their homework and writings are typed on a computer.
All the students interviewed say they usually use a computer.
It’s faster and easier to correct if using a computer. And that’s why computers are being used more and more often to modern education. But when people are taking stock of computers increasingly, problems appear.
“When I’m writing with a pen, I find I often can’t remember how to write a character, though I feel I’m familiar with it.”
“I’m not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper.”
Many students don’t feel this is something to worry about. Now that it’s more convenient and efficient to write on a computer, why bother to handwrite?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei, the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said, “Chinese characters enjoy both practical value and artistic beauty. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only maintain their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. And handwriting contains the writer’s emotion. Through one’s handwriting, people can get to know one’s thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression of them.”
To encourage students to hand-write more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory (必修的) and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand.
1. Why do the students prefer to write with a computer mainly?| A．Computers have become a trend and fashion in China. |
| B．They find it not easy to remember how to write a character. |
| C．They are usually asked to email their homework and writings. |
| D．They can correct the mistakes they make quickly and conveniently. |
| A．Getting bored with. | B．Thinking carefully about. |
| C．Getting curious about. | D．Becoming crazy about. |
| A．More and more students will pay attention to handwriting. |
| B．More and more students will give up writing on a computer. |
| C．The typing article better expresses one’s emotion and quality. |
| D．Writing by hand will give way to typing by computer one day. |
| A．To Type or to Hand-write. |
| B．How to Improve Handwriting. |
| C．Practical Value and Artistic Beauty of Chinese Characters. |
| D．Writing by Computer Will Replace Writing by Hand. |
