1 . 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。

“A barbecue restaurant owner I know told me to come back on Monday, so as to leave the weekends to out-of-town visitors.” said Huang Yang, a native of Zibo city in Shandong province     1     works outside his hometown. He recently returned home for a visit and wanted to have some barbecue,     2     he failed to find seats in four different restaurants.

Thanks to social media recommendations, Zibo has gone viral on Chinese social media platforms.    3     (video) on sites such as Xiaohongshu show thousands of people traveling to the city to try its local barbecue, which they say     4     (wrap) in a pancake and has a “distinct taste” .

Taking advantage of the barbecue craze, Zibo has gone all out to promote local tourism resources, while     5     (work) to ensure the safety of visitors and the quality of tourism products. To provide visitors     6     a happy experience, market regulators have carried out inspections on barbecue restaurants to ensure food safety. Police have increased     7     number of patrol (巡逻) personnel to ensure visitors’ safety. Railway authorities have even added two additional high-speed trains between the     8     (province) capital Jinan and Zibo on weekends to meet the growing passenger demand. The local government now has released a map of barbecue joints and added 21 new bus routes     9     (facilitate) urban transportation.

According to data from on-demand service platform Meituan, Zibo has seen an 800 percent increase in accommodation bookings for the upcoming holiday     10     (compare) to 2019, ranking first in Shandong province in terms of growth rate.

3 . Yogita Dighe works as a salesperson at an electronics store in Aundh, an upmarket neighbourhood in Pune, India’s ninth-largest city.

Even though she has a comfortable job, Dighe used to be filled with uneasiness at the thought of having to use the store’s toilet. It is a unisex space shared by customers and staff, and is “constantly dirty” owing to overuse, being cleaned only once every day.

A year ago, Dighe discovered a “Ti bus” (“ti” means “her” in Marathi) —a restroom inside a decommissioned bus, parked about five minutes away from her workplace. Since then, she’s used it regularly. Cleaned after every use, the toilets within the bus “feel nice and fresh”.

Currently, 12 decommissioned city buses in Pune have been turned into restrooms by SaraPlast, a private sanitation (卫生设备) company. Each solar-powered bus toilet comes with a full-time female attendant and can be accessed either free of charge or for a fee of 5 rupees, affordable even for low-income women. Showers, breastfeeding and baby-changing stations, and drinking water are all included in the buses to meet the needs of every woman.

A kiosk (小摊棚) selling masks and juices has been set up on one side of the bus, making it a sustainable business. Ads on the bus also bring in profits, which go towards water supply, electricity, repairs and the salary of the attendant who cleans and maintains the restroom from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m.

“Every person, whether rich or poor, should have access to a good, clean toilet,” SaraPlast states, “A public bus goes out of service after 15 years in India. Transforming it into the restroom extends its life by up to two decades, aside from the social service it offers.” This concept was so well received that other cities are following in Pune’s footsteps.

1. Why does Dighe feel uneasy about her store’s toilet?

A．It is far from her present office.	B．It is designed for customers only.
C．It is never fully cleaned by staff.	D．It is continuously in a great mess.

2. What does the underlined word mean in paragraph 3?

A．Advanced.

B．Damaged.

C．Soiled.

D．Retired.

3. What does the “Ti bus” provide?

A．Car repairing service.	B．Dish washing products.
C．Baby caring facilities.	D．Phone charging stations.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．The Restroom on Wheels for Females.	B．The Extra Function of New City Buses.
C．The Project of Defending Human Rights.	D．The Company Offering Cleaning Items.

4 . 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。

Provinces in China are putting efforts into the construction of digital villages. Through e-commerce, the government has taken measures     1     (increase) sales of local agricultural products. The online sales channels have been     2     (effective) expanded through brand recommendations, online and offline agricultural festival     3     (activity). Some farms are equipped with “planting brain”, with the basic conditions of agriculture in the district     4     (display) on the screen. This brings about lower cost and     5     (high) labor efficiency. Xu Yuejin, a 66-year-old grain farmer,     6     (witness) the technological advancement in the past years, and he is now skilled at using not only conventional tools,     7     drones (无人机) and other unmanned machinery to realize automatic farming. Agriculture in the digital village is     8     industry that is more than just     9     (apply) new advanced technology. Villagers’ lives are     10     vital importance as well. Therefore, digital healthcare and digital education have been promoted in villages. Soon digitalization will greatly shape the direction of the rural agriculture and rural modernization.

5 . A bright and impressive bus carrying fresh local produce appeared in a community of North Carolina in June 2022. It was the first pay-what-you-can Mobile Market. As the name implies, shoppers could pay any price out of their own will. Even the suggested price was about 25% less than that offered in grocery stores. This market gave shoppers a dignified way to provide food for their families regardless of their budget.

Seeing the joy in shoppers’ eyes, Will Komegay, the founder of this non-profit program—Mobile Market, felt a sense of accomplishment. He had once witnessed a wasteful and unfortunate reality. At that time, countless pounds of food had to be thrown away by farmers due to the interruption in the supply chain. Meanwhile, millions of people were struggling to afford enough food to feed their families. Kornegay didn’t want to stand by.

With much working experience in food industry and background about how food system was designed, Kornegay decided to use his company’s vast network of farmer and food industry relationships to address the issue. His team used buses to bridge the farmers, the food industries and communities that needed food most. Thousands of pounds of food that was sourced from local partners was placed into homes.

Kornegay still remembered how the first Mobile Market came into being. His team made a detailed plan and chose the colors and images they preferred. Then they purchased a “retired” school bus and renovated it, giving it a new different look and equipping it with refrigerators and freezers. Thus was born the first Mobile Market.

To date, the project has partnered with dozens of local farmers and food producers and has already served an estimated 10,000 families over 150,000 pounds of food. In 2023, the team hope to serve 80 sites across 20 counties in Eastern North Carolina. Their vision is to perfect the project where they live, and scale into every state nationwide.

1. What is the purpose of the Mobile Market?

A．To boost the income of local residents.

B．To promote sales in local grocery stores.

C．To raise money for the family with a tight budget.

D．To enable people to buy food at an affordable price.

2. How did Kornegay make the program work?

A．He ensured the food safety.	B．He improved the supply chain.
C．He increased the food production.	D．He built a network between communities.

3. What does the underlined word “renovated” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Transformed.

B．Replaced.

C．Photographed.

D．Exchanged.

4. What is the prospect of the Mobile Market according to the last paragraph?

A．It will be highly profitable.	B．It is expected to expand in scale.
C．It will become a new economic trend.	D．It is estimated to provide worldwide service.

6 . Getting a driving license was once a universal passage into adulthood. But now a growing minority of young people ignore or actively oppose it, into their 20s and beyond. That starts to create more support for anti-car policies in cities around the world to pass anti-car laws, changing planning rules to favour pedestrians over drivers. After a century in which the car remade the rich world, the tide begins to swing the other way.

By 1997, 43% of America’s 16-year-olds had driving licenses. But the proportion has been falling for every age group under 40. Even those who have them are driving less. A similar trend is seen in Europe. One study of five European capitals found the number of driving trips made by working people was down substantially since a peak in the 1990s.

No one is entirely sure why young adults are proving resistant to owning a car. The growth of the interest is one obvious possibility—the more you can shop online, or stream films at home, the less need there is to drive into town. The rise of taxi apps like Uber has contributed as well. Driving generally is more expensive. Other reasons seem more cultural. One big motivator is worries about climate change.

The falling popularity of cars among the under-40s chimes with the mood among city planners and urbanists. In America, New York has banned cars from Central Park and some streets. In the past few years, dozens of American cities have removed rules that force developers to provide a certain amount of free parking around their buildings.

As the example in Oxfond shows, political opposition could put the brakes on the growth of anti-car policies. But in the parts of Europe where anti-car policies have been in place, they appear to have worked. Giulio notes that almost nowhere in the world that has removed a big road, or pedestrianised a shopping street, has decided to turn back. “Once people see, they generally don’t want to go back.” If that pattern holds, the 21st century might just see the car’s high-water mark.

1. What do a minority of young people ignore?

A．Owing a home as a sign of adulthood.	B．Making it into the world of the rich.
C．Getting a driving license as an adult.	D．Being involved in a kind of campaign.

2. What lead to cars’ becoming less popular?

A．Strict traffic regulations.	B．Environmental concerns.
C．Some social prejudices.	D．The use of self-driving apps.

3. What does the underlined part “chimes with” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Agrees with.

B．Sticks to.

C．Cooperates with.

D．Emerges from.

4. What does the example in Oxford show?

A．People are keen about banning driving.	B．Banning cars benefits city development.
C．It’s hard for young people to be drivers.	D．Anti-car policies are met with opposition.

7 . A lecturer in the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Dr Olabode Badiru, has called on the government to pay more attention to food security in the country to solve the rising cost of foods.

According to Dr Badiru, farmers need fertiliser and other agrochemicals like pesticides. Insecticides and others to solve the problem of pests. All of these will cost much money. Besides that, we have the problem of insecurity that farmers are being chased away from the farm.

Dr Badiru also called on the government to address insecurity, saying farmers are afraid of going to farm. He, who gave the advice while speaking with journalists in Ibadan, urged individuals to embrace backyard farming to reduce the spending on some food items. Most of the farm machines and chemicals used by farmers are all imported, he emphasised that these may have effects on what they will produce.

Reducing the rising cost of food requires some efforts from individuals and the government at all levels, he advised, and at the individual level, backyard farming could help to re-duce the need for purchase of food. He advised Nigerians to grow vegetables and other eatable plants, raise small animals like sheep and goats and raise domestic animals in their houses. Beyond the backyards, he also said youths should be encouraged to go into farming despite the challenges involved.

The government at all levels, especially the states, must provide an enabling environment for willing citizens to engage in agriculture. Security is the key. Basic facilities, such as road and electricity, should be improved. We can start by pushing practical research products to the farms for adoption to strengthen farm productivity through a functional agricultural extension system. “Essentially, we must look for innovative ways of bringing the unit cost of agricultural production down, among other measures,” he said.

1. What causes food prices to rise according to Dr Badiru?

A．High cost and insecurity.	B．Cold and heavy snow.
C．Strong wind and pests.	D．War and flooding.

2. What does the underlined word “embrace” mean in paragraph3?

A．Catch.

B．Emerge.

C．Hold.

D．Accept.

3. What is Dr Badiru’s attitude towards the current agricultural production environment?

A．Dissatisfied .

B．Optimistic.

C．Uninterested.

D．Unclear.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．How to adjust food production	B．Problems caused by rising food prices
C．How to solve rising cost of food items	D．Suggestions on improving food production

8 . Imagine you bought a new shirt and did not intend to buy a new jacket,however,you suppose that the new shirt makes the old jacket look worn. You weaken and buy a new jacket, new trousers,even new shoes.Before you realize it,you have a whole new wardrobe.And maybe an empty bank account.

This is called the Diderot Effect. Denis Diderot,a well-known French philosopher,was the co-founder and writer of Encyclopedia. However，he was too badly off to afford a dowry(嫁妆)for his daughter. His only valuable possessions were books. Hearing of Diderot’s financial troubles,Catherine the Great,the Empress of Russia, offered to buy his library at a high price. Shortly after this lucky sale，Diderot acquired a new dressing gown(长袍)which had a huge effect on his life. As he wrote in the article in 1769, the new dressing gown made his other belongings seem old and unattractive. Thus, he began replacing them.

According to many social scientists,it resulted from a psychological need for our possessions to go together and to reflect our self-image. In 1988, anthropologist Grant McCracken coined the term “the Diderot Effect” to describe this need and its influence on consumerism.

Marketers utilize this need by displaying products in what McCracken calls Diderot Unities. An example is the Swedish furniture company IKEA, whose marketing uses two kinds of Diderot Unities in its shops, website and catalogue. One is dividing items like lamps and rugs into various furniture “families”. The other is displaying items in fully furnished rooms. Shops count on all of these to create the Diderot Effect, making the buyer want the entire package.

We may occasionally give in to the Diderot Effect,but knowing it exists can help us resist it so we don’t regret our purchases. Before buying something, ask yourself, is it necessary? Then, buy items that match what you already have. And remind yourself that a new chair won’t transform your bedroom into a showroom!

1. What can we infer about Denis Diderot from paragraph 2?

A．His belongings were out of style.

B．He showed interest in nothing but books.

C．He kept on buying new items after the lucky sale.

D．His new dressing gown landed him in financial troubles.

2. Why are people always buying things they don’t actually need?

A．To improve their social status.

B．To show off their beauty and elegance.

C．To make their belongings better matched.

D．To cater for the needs of family members.

3. What does the underlined word “utilize” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Get rid of.

B．Ignore.

C．Affect.

D．Take advantage of.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Keep an eye on your bank account

B．Embrace Minimalism: less is more

C．The Diderot Effect: a two-edged sword

D．Have you ever given in to the Diderot Effect?

9 . Winemakers in the Rioja area in northern Spain make some of the best wine in the world. But in recent years, winemakers there have been having difficulty producing good wine. They say when the temperature was cooler, the wine tasted better, but it was 2.2 degrees Celsius higher than average in 2022. Now, a genetic research has shown that grape vines living for more than 35 years are better able to deal with high temperatures brought by climate change.

Researchers like Pablo Carbonell think older grape vines may be able to grow better in higher temperatures. Carbonell looks at rows of gray shapes on his computer screen. Among them was a green rectangle, which represents a kind of grape vine that produces grapes that take longer to ripen, even in warmer conditions.A longer ripeness period is what winemakers want. The current vines produce grapes that are ready to pick too early. Such grapes do not make wine that has the right color and smell and has too much alcohol.

People who work in the vineyards have long crossed old vines with new ones. Now they are working with special laboratories to find a climate-resistant vine. One of them is the Vine and Wine Research Institute,known as the ICVV in Spain. The lab is working to keep the Spanish wine making industry alive as temperatures rise. The scientists there are studying the genomes(基因组)of commonly used grapes in wine and looking for traits，or qualities，that might permit the vines to survive in a warmer climate instead of looking for mutation(变异)that causes diseases.

In addition to the genetic research, scientists are also working on different planting methods. A winery called RODA is planting vines in a curve instead of a straight line. The hope is that plants will soak up more water this way. The new vineyard is made up of vines that were over 100 years old and moved from another place.

Maria Santolaya is an agricultural engineer and part of RODA’s technical team. She said the hot weather was very problematic. But,“our biggest concern,”she added,“is what will happen in 20 or 30 years. We don’t really know how things will come out.”

1. What mainly causes the quality of wine to decline in Spain?

A．Shortage of rainfall.	B．High temperature.
C．Genetic variation.	D．Geographical location.

2. What does the Carbonell’s research find in paragraph 2?

A．Grapes picked too early won’t have the sugar content.

B．Grapes with a longer ripeness period make good wine.

C．Grapes in hot regions won’t lose their original flavor.

D．Grapes from older vines have a rise in production.

3. What is being done to keep the Spanish winemaking industry alive?

A．Make use of older grape vines.

B．Develop disease-resistant grape vines.

C．Replace old grape vines with new ones.

D．Cultivate grape vines with abundant water.

4. What is Maria’s attitude to climate change?

A．Indifferent.

B．Unclear.

C．Worried.

D．Conservative.