1 . A recent study by UK researchers has shed light on a phenomenon termed “plant blindness,” which contributes to the widespread but mistaken belief that plants are perceived as less vibrant or alive compared to animals.
It was not established that plant blindness is an innate trait; instead, the root cause appears to be the significantly diminished interaction with the natural world in societies that have become highly urbanized. The research indicates that a decrease in prior exposure to plants leads to a cycle of inattention.
Urban cultures exhibit a well-documented incidence of plant blindness. Children are often observed to regard plants as less significant than animals, especially during their early years, and they have difficulty recognizing a diverse range of plant species. Both educators and students have reported varying levels of knowledge about plants, with primary school teachers lacking a background in science being particularly affected. In contrast, older individuals tend to possess greater plant knowledge, likely due to their increased participation in outdoor activities.
Thirty-five studies have concluded that the process of urbanization or modernization has had a detrimental impact on people’s understanding of plants. The value of plant gathering has diminished due to an increased reliance on urban services and a cash-based economy. Additionally, the time available for outdoor activities has been curtailed by work and school commitments. These factors have also reduced family time, which in turn has adversely affected the oral transmission of plant knowledge to younger and older family members.
Stagg has suggested that rather than a cognitive impediment to the visual recognition of plants, individuals residing in highly industrialized nations suffer from a lack of attention to plants due to a reduction in relevant exposure.
To disrupt the cycle of plant inattention, Stagg emphasizes the importance of exposing people to diverse ecosystems and demonstrating the direct benefits of plants to humans, as opposed to the indirect benefits derived from their industrial use or advantages to distant, traditional communities. Engaging with edible and practical plants in local settings can be instrumental in this regard. The level of botanical knowledge among younger generations is directly linked to their perception of the usefulness of such knowledge in their lives.
1. What causes “plant blindness”?| A．The plants have little attraction. | B．People lack contact with plants. |
| C．The plants have inactive characters. | D．People live an unhealthy lifestyle. |
| A．Teenagers interested in animals. | B．Experts devoted to agriculture. |
| C．Students majoring in biology. | D．Farmers working in the field. |
| A．Encouraging. | B．Harmful. | C．Joyful. | D．Temporary. |
| A．“Plant blindness” can be treated or reduced. |
| B．“Plant blindness” is bad for social development. |
| C．“Plant blindness” is something people are born with. |
| D．“Plant blindness” happens most in less developed countries. |
2 . Upon the release of the publication “The Mountain People” by the American ethnologist Colin Turnbull in the year 1972, he characterized the subjects of his study — a Ugandan tribe known as the Ik — as “a populace devoid of affection.” Turnbull, after a period of two years spent in observation, concluded that the Ik exemplified the primal tendencies of mankind: deceit, larceny, and a callous indifference to the suffering of others. However, when Athena Aktipis and her associates from the Human Generosity Project delved more profoundly into the matter, they discovered a society that engaged in the communal sharing of all resources. “Turnbull’s observations coincided with a calamitous famine in Uganda. What he witnessed was merely a reflection of the dire circumstances that arise when individuals are gripped by hunger,” Aktipis remarks. Yet, her research team uncovered that, despite the oppressive conditions they faced, the Ik held in high esteem the act of mutual assistance whenever it was within their means to do so.
Aktipis posits that the phenomenon of selflessness is more pervasive and advantageous than the field of evolutionary social science has historically acknowledged. “The prevailing assumption was that individuals are inherently inclined to act solely in their own interests or those of their kin,” she states. By examining the distinctive and unselfish behaviors that have enabled nine communities across the globe to persist, the scholars from the Project aim to demonstrate that humanity is indeed capable of extensive collaboration.
The Maasai populace in Kenya offers a principal illustration of the Project’s findings. They depend on reciprocal friendships to secure necessities such as sustenance or hydration during times of scarcity, with no expectation of reciprocation. Similarly, in the distant locale of New Mexico, while individuals frequently render aid in the transportation of livestock and receive support in kind, they will also provide assistance gratuitously in instances of adversity, such as personal injury or the bereavement of a cherished one.
Aktipis is convinced that the theoretical models she has refined through the study of these communities can be broadly applied to any interdependent systems. Her overarching ambition is to devise social-welfare frameworks that offer sustenance to all members of society. Take, for instance, the market-driven insurance models prevalent in the United States: They are priced according to individual risk factors, including health profiles and geographic location, which results in millions of Americans being priced out of coverage. In contrast, a system founded on the principles of communal support and pooled financial resources would distribute the burden equitably during collective trials, such as natural catastrophes and pandemics.
1. What did Turnbull think of the Ik people?| A．Heartless. | B．Helpful. | C．Restless. | D．Generous. |
| A．Trying to be strong and tough to survive. |
| B．Making full use of the surrounding resources. |
| C．Being devoted to themselves or their relatives. |
| D．Caring about the needs and happiness of others. |
| A．Friendships guarantee a well-being life. |
| B．Folks assist each other to get support. |
| C．Cooperation is a good and natural instinct. |
| D．People tend to provide resources for free. |
| A．By designing a policy for public health. |
| B．By monitoring individual health histories. |
| C．By creating a system against collective hardship. |
| D．By lowering insurance prices for individual victims. |
3 . Between 1910 and 1970 the Australian government took 100,000 Aboriginal (原住民的) children away from their homes. These children, known as the Stolen Generation,were often under five years of age. They were taken away from their families because the government did not believe in the future of the Aborigines. It was assumed that the Aboriginal way of life would die out in a matter of years and that it would be better to bring the children to white families.
Many methods were used to separate Aboriginal babies and children from their families. Children were simply taken away by government officials and later told that they were orphans. Mothers often were given documents to sign. They could not read or write and they were told it was some kind of vaccination (疫苗接种) programme. Others were taken to hospitals and never seen by their families again. In most cases rich white families were given money to bring them up. Some went to orphanages or church missions.
In 1995, an investigation was started to bring more truth to the topic. The government, however, did not apologise to the victims. The Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was the first Australian politician to make a formal apology to the Aborigines in 2008. However, he also said that the government would not give any money to the victims. He claimed that it was in the interests of government to raise the children in the best way.
Up to now only one member of Australia’s Stolen Generation has received money from the government. Bruce Trevorrow was taken to hospital on Christmas Day in 1957. His father never saw him again and the government sent him to a white family. He came back to his mother when he was ten years old. In his further life he suffered from depression and turned to alcohol. In 1998, he went to court and succeeded in getting about 500,000 dollars from the Australian government as a form of compensation (赔偿).
There are many others in Australia who have suffered the same fate. Organisations are being set up to work for the rights of the Aborigines and to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.
1. Why were aboriginal children taken away from their homes?| A．They were orphans. |
| B．Their family were too poor to support them. |
| C．The government thought the Aboriginal way of life would die out. |
| D．Many white families wanted to give these children better education. |
| A．The government cheated the Aboriginal mothers of their children. |
| B．The Aboriginal mothers were willing to let their children go. |
| C．The Aboriginal mothers were also worried about their children’s future. |
| D．All the Aboriginal children were sent to the white families. |
| A．He ordered to carry out an investigation into the topic. |
| B．He was the first to give money to the aboriginal victims. |
| C．He didn’t apologise to the Aboriginal victims. |
| D．He tried to defend the decisions of the government. |
| A．He didn’t want to return to his own family. |
| B．He escaped from the white family at the age of ten. |
| C．He has received the government’s compensation. |
| D．He was taken good care of in the white family. |
4 . In the 1950s, British historian Northeaster Parkinson came up with a concept which was later known as Parkinson’s Law of Triviality. It says that the amount of time spent discussing an issue in an organization is oppositely connected with its actual importance.
Parkinson’s Law of Triviality is also known as “bike-shedding (车棚)”, after the story Parkinson uses to illustrate it. He asks readers to imagine a financial committee meeting to discuss a three-point agenda. The points are as follows: A proposal for a £10 million nuclear power plant; A proposal for a £350 bike shed; A proposal for a £21 annual coffee budget.
What happens? The committee ends up running through the nuclear power plant proposal in little time. It’s too advanced for anyone to really dig into the details. The discussion soon moves to the bike shed. Here, everyone’s an expert. In the end, the committee runs out of time and decides to meet again to complete their analysis.
Bike-shedding happens because the smaller a matter is, the more people will have an opinion on it, even when there is no genuine value to add. When something is outside of our circle of capability, like a nuclear power plant, we don’t even try to express an opinion. But when something is understandable, everyone wants to show that they know about the topic at hand.
How can we avoid bike-shedding? The main thing you can do is to have a clear purpose. Priya Parker, the author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, says that any successful gathering needs to have a focused purpose. “Specificity,” she says, “is a key element.”
When it comes to choosing your list of invitees, Parker writes, “if the purpose of your meeting is to make a decision, you may want to consider having fewer cooks in the kitchen.” Getting the result you want — a thoughtful, educated discussion about that power plant — depends on having the right people in the room.
1. Which one actually takes up the most time in Parkinson’s imaginary financial meeting?| A．The story used to illustrate the solution. |
| B．The nuclear power plant proposal. |
| C．The bike shed proposal. |
| D．The coffee budget proposal. |
| A．What requires more effort may get less attention. |
| B．The more you know, the less you speak. |
| C．What is simple for you may be tough for others. |
| D．The more you put in, the better your result will be. |
| A．Taking different opinions into account. |
| B．Setting a specific time limit before the meeting. |
| C．Spending less time in discussing the minor issues. |
| D．Avoiding inviting people with little relevant knowledge. |
| A．An important element in decision-making. |
| B．A nuclear power plant dilemma. |
| C．Why we call for an effective meeting. |
| D．Why we tend to focus on small matters. |
5 . Mukbang (吃播) is about the eating shows in front of the screen. In the shows, mukbangers eat food and sometimes talk to their fans.
Mukbang started in South Korea in around 2010 and is becoming more and more popular in the world. Why did mukbang first appear in this country? The reason is that eating alone (独自) is quite common in South Korea. Watching mukbang can be a way to have someone to eat with, even though they are at home alone.
This is one of the reasons why many people around the world like watching mukbang. However, the way mukbangers eat food in some shows isn’t healthy. This can make people have bad habits and bring serious health problems. To have more fans and make more money, some mukbangers prepare a lot of food in front. But they throw away much food secretly during the show or throw up food after the show to make viewers believe they have eaten up everything. In fact, it is not because they feel sick (恶心). These mukbangers waste a lot of food.
We all know that food waste is a serious problem around the world, and stopping food waste has special meaning for our country. So, our country is doing a lot of things to solve the problem. What do you think our country can do for mukbang?
1. What is mukbang? ______| A．A talk show. | B．An eating show. |
| C．A cooking program. | D．A game show. |
| A．They want to show their delicious food. | B．They want to have someone to eat with. |
| C．They want to teach people how to cook. | D．They want to sell food to their viewers. |
| A．All the mukbangers eat healthily. | B．Mukbangers usually feel sick. |
| C．Mukbangers don’t waste food. | D．Mukbang is not always good. |
| A．Make strict rules. | B．Stop such shows. |
| C．Give mukbangers prize. | D．Choose healthy food. |
6 . The Earth Hour is celebrated on the last Saturday of March every year. It is observed from 20:30 to 21:30 hour local time of each place. The day is observed in order to conserve energy and draw the world’s attention to the cause of environmental degradation(退化).
It all started in 2007, with the first ever Earth Hour organized by the World Wide Fund(WWF) for Nature in Sydney. The hour saw as many as 2. 2 million residents of Sydney switch off the lights of their homes and offices in order to pledge their support to saving the environment. The trend soon caught on and several other countries participated across the globe in this initiative, which is organized by WWF each year. At present, there are about 152 countries which actively observe the hour each year.
WWF, the organizer of the event annually, came up with the idea in order to have people actively participate in working for the environment. The larger cause behind the concept is to adopt healthier and more sustainable ways of living.
The event has been largely followed across the globe by people of different nationalities. However, there are some attackers of the event as well. According to some people, the event actually contributed to global warming. Their argument is that when people switch off their lights, they inevitably use candles instead. Since the event happens globally, there is far more energy consumed than it is saved, which actually contributes to global warming. Despite the attackers, the event has actually been successful in raising awareness among people of the environmental problems.
1. What is the purpose of the Earth Hour?| A．To attract people’s attention to the lights. |
| B．To make people become much healthier. |
| C．To unite people of different nationalities. |
| D．To save energy and protect the environment. |
| A．Attract. | B．Promise. | C．Consider. | D．Persuade. |
| A．All the people actively participate in the event. |
| B．The event should be banned. |
| C．Some people disagree with the event. |
| D．The event will solve the environmental problems. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Supportive. | C．Critical. | D．Doubtful. |
7 . About three decades ago, China was known as the “Bicycle Kingdom”. But later on, bikes were replaced by their fuel-powered competitors.
But recent months have seen a recovery of the bike across China, with an increasing number of people choosing cycling instead of driving to schools, or workplaces or to do sightseeing. The introduction of bike-sharing schemes (计划), pioneered by start-ups like Ofo and Mobike, has brought the trend to a new level.
People can unlock the shared bikes by simply using their smartphones. The bikes are equipped with GPS and can be left anywhere in public places for the next user. They’re popular among many Chinese people as they provide an effective solution to the “last mile” problem, which refers to the final leg of a person’s journey.
“In places where the subway doesn’t extend, and where it’s difficult to change from one kind of transport to another, it’s so easy to get where you want to go with Mobike,” Hu Hong, 29, told AFP. She rides to her Shanghai real-estate job.
However, the schemes have also led to problems such as illegal parking, vandalism and theft. Last month, two nurses in Beijing were placed under administrative punishment for five days for putting locks on two shared bikes. And in December, a man who stole a shared bike was sentenced to a 3-month detention (拘留), and fined 1, 000 yuan by the Shanghai Minhang People’s Court.
“Bike sharing is a greener method of transportation and provides a user-friendly experience,” said Liu Xiaoming, vice minister of transport. “But it’s a combination of online and offline business. Operators are usually strong in online services, but lack offline business experience, which causes problems.”
Now, Chinese service operators are trying to solve the problems. For example, Mobike sets a 100-point credit score for each user, with points taken in the case of bad behaviour. Once a score drops below 80, bike rental is increased to 100 yuan per 30 minutes, up from 0. 5—1 yuan.
1. Who pioneered the bike-sharing schemes in China?| A．Some bicycle plants. | B．Start-ups like Ofo and Mobike. |
| C．The government agencies. | D．Some Universities. |
| A．The lack of parking spaces. | B．The final leg of a person’s journey. |
| C．The first leg of a person’s journey. | D．The change from one kind of transport to another. |
| A．The act of selling something. | B．The act of damaging something. |
| C．The act of repairing something. | D．The act of sharing something. |
| A．Stopping running the bike sharing system for some time. |
| B．Increasing police patrols in urban areas. |
| C．Setting a credit score system for users. |
| D．Providing free bike repair services. |
8 . Power often boosts an employee’s creativity because being powerful liberates the individual from restrictions. However, new research shows that employees who are not in positions of power can become more creative when given time to “warm up” to a task by engaging in the creative task more than once.
“This is important because when people with more power are able to express their creative ideas more than those with less power, which leads to a rich-get-richer dynamic that strengthens these power imbalances.” said Brian Lucas, assistant professor in the Cornell University. “Understanding ways to boost the creativity of lower power workers can help them find the right way to deal with this low-power disadvantage,” Lucas said.
Lucas and his colleagues conducted three studies to reach their conclusion. In the first study, they divided the creative idea generation session into two rounds consisting of a one-minute “warm up” followed by a second round in which the participants could take as long as they wanted. Participants’ sense of power was manipulated (操纵) through role assignments, where they were either given a leadership role with control over resources or an employee role without control over resources. The study found that high-power individuals were more creative than low-power individuals in the warm-up round. There was no difference, though, in creativity in the second round.
In the second study, the researchers gave them a different creative task and increased the number of rounds from two sessions to five, taking as long as they like to complete the task. Consistent with the first study, the study found that high-power individuals were more creative than low-power individuals in the first round. But the creativity of low-power individuals caught up to the creativity of the high-power individuals after the first round. Results of the third study demonstrated that a different creativity task can also warm-up low-power people for an unrelated creativity task.
“Given the high value of creative ideas for organizations, it is important to develop approaches that empower all employees to tap their creative potential,” Lucas said. “The low power warm-up effect suggests a simple intervention that does just this and overcomes power imbalance in the workplace: when pursuing creative work, let employees warm up first.”
1. Why is it important to boost lower-power workers’ creativity according to Lucas?| A．To enhance competition. | B．To encourage cooperation. |
| C．To navigate power imbalance. | D．To build a rich-get-richer dynamic |
| A．By competing with leaders. | B．Through a random role selection. |
| C．By working in different conditions. | D．Through confusing role assignments. |
| A．It’s fixed. | B．It’s dynamic. | C．It’s unpredictable. | D．It’s casual. |
| A．Encouraging. | B．Negative. | C．Critical. | D．Indifferent. |
9 . News companies are increasingly using video and images from social media to report on the ongoing conflict(冲突) between Israel and Hamas. This has led some media organizations to increase their efforts to identify false or misleading information.
Reporters covering the war are limited by the government on how they can document the conflict. But they can use a flood of video and pictures published online. Therefore, reports of the war have included many images and video that appeared on social media. News content has also been recorded by satellite equipment and cameras placed around Israel and Gaza.
Using this kind of content in news shows has become very common for major media companies. Wendy McMahon, president of CBS News and Stations, told The Associated Press that many people watching news reports today expect to be part of “a shared viewing experience.” This way, they can feel like they are learning what is going on right along with the reporters, McMahon said.
In order to create this kind of experience, news reporters have to search through a huge online supply of images and video, which comes from services like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
Checking this material, however, can be difficult. With so much material, it is easy for people or organizations to create false images and video using artificial intelligence (AI). Reuters news agency uncovered several images published online that turned out to be false.
McMahon, from CBS, said the Israel-Hamas war has in many ways confirmed a big fear among news reporters: “News companies would see a flood of misinformation to an extent that was never seen before.”
1. What can we learn about the reports on the war between Israel and Hamas?| A．They are free from government limits. | B．They take advantage of online content. |
| C．They document all the conflicts in detail. | D．They are mainly recorded by satellite equipment. |
| A．Editing news materials. | B．Removing fear of misinformation. |
| C．Identifying false content. | D．Creating images and video with AI. |
| A．They are easily accessible to people. | B．They offer a better viewing experience. |
| C．They record what is going on faithfully. | D．They are in good supply on social media. |
| A．How to Publish Online News | B．How to Identify False Information |
| C．How Social Media Affects News Reports | D．How Social Media Helps to Cover the Conflict |
10 . Denmark has one of the lowest rates of bullying(欺凌)in schools. But this is something that didn’t happen overnight. Anti-bullying programs were introduced in Danish schools over 15 years ago, according to Euronews, but it’s something that has to be constantly updated to meet the changing times.
Programs begin in primary grades where children are taught empathy(共情)and how to avoid bullying. At the Sluseholmen Skole school in Copenhagen, meditation and hugs are part of the morning routine. According to Maja Hindsgaul, a teacher at the school, this is the key to well-being.
“I’m the one they can talk to if something is difficult. And I’m actually talking a lot about who I am and what I like and it’s OK if they like to hug. I like that, too,” she told Euronews. “Of course, they have to learn to read and write and things like that, but they can do that if they feel safe. It’s my task to make them feel safe so that they can develop social skills at school.”
Learning how to live with one another is a large part of the anti-bullying programs and this appears to be working well in the younger grades. “We’re always, trying to get the kids to work together in different types of groups, across genders and not always with their best friends,” said teacher Louise Ibsen. “They’re also practicing social skills for how to communicate.”
A new program was rolled out in the 2021/22 school year according to a Mary Foundation news release. Our School Strength is a joint effort from the Mary Foundation, Borns Vilkar, a Danish child organization, and Save the Children Denmark. The program is the result of four years of research and cooperation by the nonprofit groups. It’s designed to deal with bullying up to grade 10 and focuses on students’ well-being and to help the youth feel that they are accepted and play an active role in the community. Anti-bullying programs that teach children empathy for others at a young age can make a big difference when these students become teenagers.
1. Which word can best describe the anti-bullying programs?| A．Unsuccessful. | B．Progressive. | C．Disappointing. | D．Effective. |
| A．By teaching them reading skills. | B．By offering support. |
| C．By showing sorrow for them. | D．By practicing meditation. |
| A．Developing students’ social skills. | B．Keeping students working out. |
| C．Providing a different atmosphere. | D．Improving students’ learning state. |
| A．It was launched in the 2020 by Euronews. | B．It aims to help students do better in studies. |
| C．It was conducted by some nonprofit groups. | D．It is intended for teenagers over grade 10. |
