1 . Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the leaders of the nation’s 16 states decided on a tough new migration (移民) policy during long talks that ended on Tuesday. The agreement came against the situation of a sharp rise in the popularity of far-right anti-immigration political parties in Germany that have got power and energy from people’s frustration with the large number of migrants entering the country in recent years to seek asylum (庇护). Both Scholz and the 16 state governors have seen their share of the vote fall as the far-right parties have grown.

Tuesday’s deal included Scholz agreeing on new funding for the 16 states after they complained of lack of money because of their need to house irregular migrants. The funding will include a payment of 1.75 billion euros($1.87 billion) that will arrive in a few months, and subsequent annual funding of 7,500 euros per migrant.

Scholz, who described the agreement as a “historic moment”, said, “Our shared goal is to push back irregular migration.” He said the agreement offered the nation a “transition to a breathing system” and explained that the new funding means “with rising numbers there is more money, with falling numbers there is less”.

The funding agreement followed Scholz’s government introducing a series of proposed new measures in recent weeks to discourage irregular migration that the 16 state governors signed off on. The measures include steps to make it easier to deport migrants who are not granted asylum, and changes that mean migrants must wait longer before they can receive full government handouts (救济品). Additionally, migrants will be allowed to work and support themselves while waiting for a decision on whether they will be granted asylum. There will also be longer sentences for the people-traffickers who bring migrants into the country illegally. During the first nine months of 2023, 230,000 people arrived and claimed asylum in the nation of 84 million people. Additionally, around 1 million refugees from Ukraine have settled in Germany during the past two years.

The BBC said some state governors want Germany’s federal government to introduce a system in which asylum applicants can be processed in a third country, in a move that would have been similar to the United Kingdom’s proposed system to process some asylum applicants in Rwanda. However, the federal government said during the meeting with the state governors that the idea will not be introduced immediately and will instead be examined at a later date. Boris Rhein, governor of the central state of Hesse, said the new measures will take things in the right direction. “It is also clear that a path consists of many steps and that further steps must, of course, follow,” the Associated Press quoted him as saying.

1. Why do the 16 states need the funding?

A．To upgrade public facilities.

B．To provide assistance for the poor.

C．To offer shelter to irregular migrants.

D．To create more employment opportunities.

2. What is the possible meaning of the underlined word “deport” in Paragraph 4?

A．Care about.

B．Drive out.

C．Send for.

D．Connect with.

3. How did Boris Rhein react to the new measure according to the last paragraph?

A．He was opposed to it.	B．He was doubtful about it.
C．He was objective about it.	D．He was in favor of it.

4. What can serve as the best title for the news report?

A．Germany taking steps to discourage migrants

B．People’s frustration with migrants entering Germany

C．Large numbers of migrants entering Germany to seek asylum

D．Sharp rise in popularity of far-right anti-immigration political parties in Germany

2 . Halloween candy could be in for a California big change. State lawmakers last month passed the California Food Safety Act, which bans four materials found in popular snacks and packaged foods - including candy corm and other Halloween treats. Set to take effect in 2027, the ban will lead candy and food producers to change their formulas for products sold both in California and elsewhere around the country.

The law bans the production and sale of some materials, which are used in processed foods including kinds of instant potatoes and sodas, as well as candies. The additives (添加剂) have been linked to increased risks of cancer and nervous system problems, according to the Environmental Working Group, which started the act, and are already banned in many other countries.

Food producers and their lobbyists (说客) opposed the law, arguing the conclusion that the four additives are unhealthy should be made by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They thought that evaluating the safety of food materials and additives should rely on the scientific accuracy of the FDA. But food safety advocates say the FDA has moved far too slowly in regulating food chemicals. It’s unacceptable that the U.S. is so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to food safety.

California’s act made headlines this year as a “Skittles (彩虹糖) ban” that would wipe popular candies off California shelves. But supporters of the act said the intention is simply to require changes in the materials, as has already happened in Europe. Perhaps the most standing-out material on California’s banned list is red dye No. 3. It is allowed only in candied and cocktail cherries in the European Union but more than 3,000 products contain the chemical in the U. S. The list includes items like frosted pretzels and scores of brand-name candies such as Peeps and Pez. It also includes items like fruit cocktail cups, protein drinks, and yogurts.

1. How will Halloween candy in California change?

A．It will change its recipes.	B．It will transform its shapes.
C．It will move out of California.	D．It will disappear completely.

2. What idea do food producers have against the act?

A．FDA’s conclusion on the materials is wrong.

B．Four materials are allowed all over the world.

C．The materials’ safety needs to be reassessed.

D．FDA moves too fast in regulating food chemicals.

3. What can we infer about the act supporters’ request about Skittles?

A．They demand a complete ban on Skittles.

B．They wish the “Skittles ban” to be headlines.

C．They want to apply European policies to Skittles.

D．They hope more red dye No. 3 is used in Skittles.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．California candy ban.	B．Food safety in California.
C．The responsibility of FDA.	D．Change of Halloween Candy.

3 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What was residents’ attitude towards waste sorting at first?

A．Objective.

B．Disapproving.

C．Understanding.

2. What did the woman do for waste sorting?

A．She gave out brochures.

B．She turned waste into wealth.

C．She taught residents how to do it.

3. What is the woman going to do next?

A．Write an essay.

B．Go to class.

C．Apply to be a volunteer.

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

Adisorn Sangkrajang     1    (arrive) early at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on Thursday evening for his flight bound for Shanghai. He has been long looking forward to his first trip to China, and when the plane touched down early Friday morning, he became one of the first     2    (benefit) from the “visa-free era” between Thailand and China that takes effect on March 1.

“I’m thrilled about my first trip to China, and the visa exemption (豁免) is     3     (incredible) convenient,” said the 42-year-old company employee    4    (travel) with 11 other    5    (colleague). “We had planned to visit China and the visa exemption made the decision easy.”

“China is a country with a rich culture,    6    I’ve always longed to experience. This is my first visit,    7    I might return for a second or third time,” he told Xinhua .

In late January, China and Thailand signed     8    agreement on mutual visa exemption and to be effective on March1. Since then, the booking of tours to China    9    (increase) significantly，said Thai tour operator Kavisara Charoenporn, who organized a chartered flight that departed Friday to Zhangjiajie, a picturesque tourist spot in Central China. The chartered flights     10    Bangkok to Zhangjiajie have increased from two to three times a week beginning in March, said Kavisara.

5 . BRICS (金砖国家) grouping major emerging (新兴的) economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa is to more than double its members with the admission of six more countries This historic expansion, which was announce data press conference during the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, involves Argentina, Egyptl, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and their membership will take effect from Jan 1.2024.

Observers said that the expansion bears witness to BRICS’ charm and vitality, helps improve the voices of the Global South, and mirrors the resolve of the group and the wider developing world to safeguard global equity (公平) and justice and promote peace and development.

Seventeen years since its establishment, BRICS has witnessed fruitful cooperation results in economic, political and cultural areas, and continues to prosper in a spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation. The BRICS countries have written a wonderful story of the joint development of countries with different systems, cultures and regions, which has become a flagship of South-South cooperation.

Experts believe the expansion will represent a historic and new starting point for BRICS cooperation.

Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian president’s deputy chief of staff for political affairs, posted his celebrations to Iran’s accession to BRICS, calling it a “historic move”.

BRICS’ expansion in a well-studied manner “would increase its strength and effectiveness and improve its regional and international role, in a way that contributes.to achieving greater and faster development rates,” said Abdel-Sattar Eshrah, secretary-general of the Cairo-based Egyptian-Chinese Business Council. “It would create many opportunities for joint cooperation among BRICS members in various fields,” the Egyptian business leader said, adding that BRICS’ expansion is to increase the abilities of its members to address economic, financial and political crises and challenges.

Filipe Porto, a researcher at the Federal University of ABC and a member of the Brazilian Foreign Policy Observatory, said although the five founding member states have very different national conditions, the spirit of win-win cooperation has kept the BRICS mechanism (机制) dynamic and drawn interest from more countries.

The rise of emerging economies, represented by BRICS nations, is fundamentally changing the global landscape. With the historic expansion, the BRICS inechanism will have a greater voice in driving global governance reforms toward a more just an id equitable direction, filling the world with greater certainty and stability, said experts.

1. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “resolve” in paragraph 2?

A．Limitation.

B．Freedom.

C．Determination.

D．Appointment.

2. What does the third paragraph chiefly tell us?

A．The benefits BRICKS has brought.

B．The management of BRICKS.

C．The regulations of BRICKS.

D．The founding of BRICKS.

3. What makes the BRICS mechanism dynamic and appeal to more countries?

A．Exhibiting strong leadership skills,

B．Creating win-win opportunities,

C．Driving global governance reforms.

D．Making the world have greater stability.

4. Which can serve as the best title for the news report?

A．Why BRICS is recovering

B．History of BRICKS’ development

C．BRICS grouping major emerging economies

D．BRICS shines brighter after historic expansion

6 . IOC president Thomas Bach was urged by several members Sunday to change Olympic rules on term limits and seek four more years as president through 2029.

Bach’s presidency is due to end in 2025—a 12-year maximum agreed in anti-corruption (反腐) reforms passed after the Salt Lake City scandal (丑闻) broke in the 1990s. However, citing the recent years of global crises, several of the 99 International Olympic Committee members opened their annual meeting Sunday suggesting they needed more of Bach’s leadership. The Olympic movement needed “to go through this period of hardship with a president who has proved his courage,” said the Algerian leader of African Olympic bodies, Mustapha Berraf.

Though Bach has never publicly sought a term limit-lasting third time, the option has been spoken of in international sports circles since he was re-elected in 2021 at a meeting. The IOC gives its president a first term of eight years.   Bach neither encouraged nor dismissed the proposal though he noted the presidential term limit is included in the IOC’s book of rules and principles. “I’m very loyal to the Olympic Charter,” the German lawyer said.

Extending Bach’s term would need a proposal submitted ahead of an annual meeting, known as the Session. The next is scheduled in July in Paris on the eve of the 2024-Summer Games.

A diplomatically expressed counter to extending Bach’s presidential term was suggested by gymnastics federation president Morinari Watanabe, who has been considered as a possible IOC leadership candidate. “Sports organizations must follow rules and have high integrity under good governance,” Watanabe suggested. “Sports demonstrate discipline and the spirit of fairness to society.”

Consideration on other candidates to succeed Bach has also included two of the IOC’s four vice presidents, Nicole Hoevertsz of Aruba and Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. of Spain, plus Zimbabwe sports minister Kirsty Coventry, who is widely seen as a favored successor of Bach.

1. From the first three paragraphs we know ________.

A．A 12-year maximum IOC presidency was made due to a scandal.

B．Most of the members are in favor of changing Olympic rules on term limit.

C．Supporters want Bach to continue his presidency for the present hardship.

D．Bach is contacting the African Olympic bodies for his third-round presidency.

2. Who is widely predicted as next president of IOC?

A．Watanabe.

B．Hoevertsz.

C．Samaranch Jr.

D．Coventry.

3. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 5 possibly mean?

A．Confession.

B．Confusion.

C．Opposition.

D．Recognition.

4. What is mainly talked about in the passage?

A．Bach is seeking for his third time presidency.

B．Several members urged the continuation of Bach’s presidency.

C．Different attitudes to Bach’s presidency for a third round are considered.

D．Several successors of Bach will be discussed in the coming Session in July, 2024.

8 . The social purpose of the copyright system is to encourage creativity and the advancement of knowledge by giving those who make intellectual (智力的) contributions a “unique right to their writings and discoveries” for limited times. Protection is provided for a much longer time for copyrights than for patents. The U.S. Copyright Law of 1976 provides a term or the lifetime of the author plus 50 years. It recognizes that the value of written works often extends over a longer time than that of technological advances in the public area.

It is essential to register for formal copyright protection in order to have some degree of protection against the copyright of one’s works by others. The procedure for obtaining a copyright registration is quite simple—an application is submitted with a small fee and two copies of the work. No examination is made, and the copyright is immediately in force.

The Copyright Office will provide on request a variety of leaflets (小册子) describing the procedure and giving information about the classes of subject matter that can be registered.

Those are subject to protection:

(1) Books and newspapers                           (2) Lectures (3) Dramatic compositions                           (4) Films (5) Maps                                                      (6) Works of ant (7) Sound recordings                                   (8) Photographs (9) Prints and labels                                  (10) Musical compositions

Those are not subject to protection:

(1) Ideas                                                      (2) Systems, methods and plans (3) Government publications                           (4) Laws and opinions of courts

You can contact the Copyright Office (wwcoprightfice.org) for more information.

1. In which aspect do copyrights differ from patents?

A．The application fee.	B．The duration of protection.
C．The intellectual value.	D．The contribution to society.

2. Which of the following should you provide for copyright registration?

A．Copies of your work.	B．Photos of yourself.
C．Introductory leaflets.	D．Examination certificates.

3. According to the text, the Copyright Office may reject ______.

A．a movie about a new method of time travel

B．an original musical composition for children

C．a book about one’s opinions on American laws

D．an official document issued by the local county

9 . 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。

China has launched six improvement plans to boost a flagship high-quality grain project. The plans,     1     involve green storage, brand promotion, quality tracking, mechanization, emergency supply and food loss     2    (reduce), are expected to ensure sustainable national food security.

The green storage plan     3    (propose) building new high-standard granaries (谷仓) and improving warehouses. A system to measure and control grain conditions should     4    (establish), while the ability to clean grain is expected     5    (improve).

The quality and brand improvement plan said that     6     2025, the supply of high quality food will be more abundant, and the amount of high quality grain will see     7     annual increase of 10 percent. The country will cultivate more grain and oil brands with increasing market competitiveness.

The online and offline grain markets, which include emergency supply     8    (center) and staple kitchens, should be improved to progress from “eating enough” to “eating     9    (health) diet”.

The plan aims to improve quality and safety inspection and monitoring by using big data, the internet of things and other information technologies, further     10    (ensure) authenticity and accuracy.

10 . Directions: After reading the passages below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word. For the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

In the 1920s, the American economy was very strong, and life was good. World War I     1     (end). So people were interested in peace, not war. They had jobs and were making a lot of money. There were new technologies     2     (create) and people could afford to buy them. They began moving to the suburbs and living in houses. People had leisure time, so they could go out and enjoy     3    .

Then, on october 24, 1929, the stock market crashed. Suddenly, life changed for millions of people. Instantly, people lost billions of dollars in stock. Companies went bankrupt.     4    they went out of business, millions of people lost their jobs. The unemployment rate climbed. The president at the time, Herbert Hoover, was blamed    5    the economic problems. Only by resigning     6     he relieve people’s anger.

In 1932, Franklin Roosevelt was elected the new president of the United States. Roosevelt had a plan to end the Great Depression. His plan was called the New Deal. He increased the influence of the government on the economy. He tried to have the government     7     (give) people jobs. During the 1930s, life in the U.S. Was very difficult. It was only in 1941    8     the Great Depression ended. Then the U.S. Economy began to recover.