Section Ⅰ Use of English Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. The livestock's outsize impacts have become more prominent in environmental 1 lately and for good reason. Beef and dairy are 2 for more greenhouse gas emissions than any other food source by a long shot, largely 3 methane from cattle's digestion, emissions from manure, and the 4 of carbon-rich forest to pasture and cropland for animal feed. While the development of meat and dairy 5 , such as plant-based meat, is helping shift diets in rich countries, the world is still 6 more beef and milk every year. As emerging economies grow, we can expect their beef consumption to follow in 7 . While this increase signals that more people are able to afford richer, more varied diets, it 8 grim prospects for the climate. But there's a 9 story as well—one that is underappreciated and provides hope that livestock's impact can be reduced: the story of peak pasture. In the past 20 years, something 10 has occurred, something few predicted: after several centuries of expansion, global pasture area has begun to 11 . According to the United Nations' most recent data, there are a 12 140 million fewer hectares of pasture than there were in 2000, an area roughly the size of Peru. Because pasture is one of the largest 13 of deforestation in many regions—and of the habitat loss and carbon 14 that follow—this is good news for the environment. This positive trend has a strikingly simple explanation: rising 15 of pasture land and live-stock. Thanks to modern breeding efforts and more resource-efficient 16 , the world is producing a greater 17 of meat and milk than ever before, even as pasture area has shrunk. Average global beef production per cow, for instance, has grown about 30 percent since 1961, and land managers across continents have begun growing specific grasses for cattle to eat that can 18 production severalfold. Analogous to the green revolution of the 20th century that brought unprecedented levels of crop productivity, it's fair to say that the world has undergone a "livestock revolution"—not the whole world, however. Most notably, productivity remains low in sub-Saharan Africa, where widespread overgrazing 19 the quality of grazing land. Rapid population and economic growth in the region, 20 persistently low productivity, could augur a major re-expansion of global pasture.
[考点] 语义关系题。 [解析] 本句中Rapid population and economic growth in the region和persistently low productivity是并列关系,都作主语,因此应该使用C. in combination with“再加上”这个有连接作用的词组来连接这两个名词词组。其他三个选项A. in accordance with“依照、与…… 一致”,B. in line with“符合、与……一致”,D. in contact with“接触、与……联系”均不符合句意。
Section Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
Part A Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
Text 1 Every 38 seconds, someone in the U.S. dies from cardiovascular disease. Even more worrisome: deaths from cardiovascular disease have been rising dramatically since 2011 following years of decline. Strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular events cause great suffering and are an enormous health care burden. These statistics are particularly troubling because each month, approximately 19 million people in the U.S. take fish oil supplements, many in the hopes of preventing heart disease—despite the absence of reliable evidence that such supplements (also called omega-3 fatty acid supplements) prevent cardiovascular disease and its serious consequences. To the contrary, all studies of fish oil supplements conducted to date have failed to show any significant clinical benefits beyond those of standard-of-care therapy. Consumers have been told so many times that dietary fish oil supplements promote heart health that it seems to be accepted as factual. But this conventional thinking is not supported by the science. After decades of promises that fish oil "may work," the lack of demonstrated benefit leads me to conclude that consumers are wasting their money on supplements in an effort to reduce cardiovascular risk. A summary of all the evidence was recently published in the prestigious medical publication Annals of Internal Medicine. This review, published July 9, 2019, examined the effectiveness of 24 supplements and diets in preventing cardiovascular disease. The authors evaluated nine systematic reviews and four randomized controlled trials, which encompassed 277 trials and 992,129 participants. Findings indicated that few nutritional supplements or dietary interventions offered any protection against cardiovascular disease or death and that some may actually cause harm. Omega-3 products, in particular, yielded "low-certainty" evidence that they were associated with reduced risk for heart disease. Because the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classification for dietary supplements such as fish oil is different from that of prescription drugs, these supplements are not manufactured or reviewed by the FDA in as stringent a manner. Most found on the market—unlike prescription medications and certain over-the-counter (OTC) drugs—have not demonstrated effectiveness and safety in clinical trials. This can be confusing: fish oil supplements, for example, are readily available to patients and often have labels that imply a benefit to cardiovascular health, yet they are not intended to treat any medical condition. This study is just the latest in a growing body of evidence demonstrating the absence of benefit of fish oil supplements for heart health. Other studies looking into what common fish oil supplements actually contain have found that they have lower amounts of omega-3 than specified on the label, variable content and unregulated purity, and potentially significant levels of saturated fat and rancid oils. It's not just patients who are confused about the tested efficacy and safety of fish oil supplements. A survey conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University found that among those physicians and pharmacists who had recommended a nonprescription omega-3 product to patients, more than four in five (85 percent) believed incorrectly that they had recommended an FDA-approved OTC product. This is an example of the adage that if something is said often enough, people will believe it to be true.
1. The number of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases are especially worrisome because ______
A.fish oil supplements can not extend the longevity of people
B.fish oil supplements cause enormous health care burden
C.fish oil supplements yield prominent clinical benefits for patients
D.fish oil supplements are hardly effective to prevent cardiovascular disease
3. What did the review published by Annals of Internal Medicine show? ______
A.Some nutritional supplements are overpriced on market.
B.Omega-3 products offer significant protection against digestive ills.
C.The number of participants who die of heart disease falls significantly.
D.Fish oil products can not lower the risk of heart disease.
A B C D
D
[解析] 归纳题。根据题干关键词Annals of Internal Medicine定位到第四段。第四段中对研究和综述的总结是“很少有营养补充剂或饮食干预措施能预防心血管疾病或死亡,相反,有些甚至可能造成危害”,因此答案选D。其他选项A“有些营养补充剂在市场上定价过高”和B“Omega-3产品对消化系统疾病有显著的防护作用”属于无中生有,C“死于心脏病的人数显著下降”表述不符合文意。
4. Fish oil supplements are not submitted to strict FDA regulation because ______.
A.the FDA does not deem dietary supplements as prescription drugs
B.the FDA sets high standards for clinical trials
C.the FDA is responsible for protecting the public health
D.the FDA increases the availability of fish oil supplements
Text 2 The United States has a strategic plan to retain the top spot in artificial intelligence(AI), and, by some measures, already leads in influential papers, hardware and AI talent. Other wealthy nations are also jockeying for a place in the world AI league. A kind of AI arms race is under way, and governments and corporations are pouring eye-watering sums into research and development. The prize, and it's a big one, is that AI is forecast to add around US $15 trillion to the world economy by 2030—more than four times the 2017 gross domestic product of Germany. That's $15 trillion in new companies, jobs, products, ways of working and forms of leisure, and it explains why countries are competing so vigorously for a slice of the pie. For all the upsides, AI carries risks, from how facial-recognition technologies track and identify individuals, to the manipulation of elections. Yet despite vigorous academic and public discussion, governments have been slow to prioritize the ethics of AI. The United States is too preoccupied with the top prize, and shows little appetite to work with other countries and develop codes of practice. This leadership vacuum, however, has created opportunities for others. The national research agencies of France and Canada have teamed up on a call for research proposals on AI that incorporates an ethical dimension. Officials from Canada and France, meanwhile, have been working to establish an International Panel on Artificial Intelligence (IPAI), to be launched at the G7 summit of world leaders in Biarritz, France, from 24 to 26 August. The panel's broad ambition is to create an expert network that will advise governments on AI ethical issues such as data privacy, public trust and human rights. Its members will include the research community, governments, industry and civil-society organizations. This is a welcome step, but the panel's architecture would benefit from more discussion. The IPAI's inspiration seems to be the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But there are important differences. First, the United Nations is not involved—hence 'international' in the title, and not 'intergovernmental'. This could be a concession to those, including the US administration, that are sceptical of multilateralism. Second, industry representatives will be more prominent. This is important, because companies have access to vast amounts of data, and are the ones driving the development of AI technologies. However, for the panel to be credible—especially when it comes to public trust in AI—its secretariat and sponsoring governments will need to ensure that it follows the evidence, and that its advice is free from interference. To achieve this, panel members will need to be protected from direct or indirect lobbying by companies, pressure groups and governments—especially by those who regard ethics as a brake on innovation. That also means that panel members will need to be chosen for their expertise, not for which organization they represent. The first statement on AI from the leaders of the 20 biggest economies came in June—the G20 AI Principles—and the United States was among those to sign it. This is remarkable but, at the same time, the joint statement is little more than a token gesture committing nations to a "human-centered" approach to AI.
1. Governments and corporations invest huge amount of money into AI research and development because ______.
A.AI is able to improve and transform modern international trade
B.AI is an important factor in helping people to communicate
C.AI is extremely lucrative and profitable
D.AI creates strong and open collaboration among companies of all sizes
Text 3 The Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, has challenged the dollar's position as the world's reserve currency, arguing that it could be replaced by a global digital alternative to end a savings glut that resulted in 10 years of low inflation and ultra-low interest rates. Likening the move to the end of sterling's command of international money markets 100 years ago, Carney said the dollar had reached a level of dominance that meant it was a barrier to a sustainable recovery. He said a new digital currency backed by a large group of nations would unlock dollar funds that governments currently hoard as an insurance policy in uncertain times. Governments stockpile dollars to insure against swings in the US economy, which in recent times have intensified, leading to a significant rise in the cost of borrowing. A digital currency "could dampen the domineering influence of the US dollar on global trade", Carney said in a speech at the gathering of central bankers from around the world in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. "If the share of trade invoiced in a digital currency were to rise, shocks in the US would have less potent spillovers through exchange rates, and trade would become less synchronised across countries." "The dollar's influence on global financial conditions could similarly decline if a financial architecture developed around the new digital currency and it displaced the dollar's dominance in credit markets. By reducing the influence of the US on the global financial cycle, this would help reduce the volatility of capital flows to emerging market economies." The Chinese currency, the renminbi, has been cited as an alternative to the dollar along with proposed digital currencies such as Facebook's Libra. Carney said neither was in a position to take over from the dollar, but new technologies could allow for a global digital currency to challenge the US currency. Digital currencies have attracted the attention of British central banks in the past year as the prospect of mobile business and consumer transactions has become more popular. Earlier this year the Bank of England welcomed Facebook's Libra initiative. Bank officials said the initiative, which was backed by several banks, could be a useful addition to trading goods and services. In what appeared to be a warmer response to Libra, Carney said: "Retail transactions are taking place increasingly online rather than on the high street, and through electronic payments over cash. A succession of central banks have criticised Libra, however, saying it lacks the rules and regulations to be a reliable currency. The European commission opened an anti-trust investigation into Libra earlier this week, saying it feared the private digital currency could could unfairly disadvantage rivals and be open to abuse. There are a host of fundamental problems that Libra must address, ranging from privacy to operational resilience. In addition, depending on its design, it could have substantial implications for both monetary and financial stability.
1. What is the problem of the US dollar being the world's reserve currency according to Mark Carney? ______
Text 4 With all my kids officially back in school, a time-honored family tradition is also well underway—the evening bedtime battle. We don't play when it comes to sleep in our house. During the school year, my 3 kids under 10 have a strict 7:30 bedtime. My 10- and 13-year-olds get exactly one extra hour, and during the summer those bedtimes roll back by one hour only. I'll be honest—most of my mom friends think I'm crazy. When they hear that my kids go to bed at 7:30 they usually give a stunned laugh and say, "But why? And how?!" The why is easy. Kids need more sleep than adults in order to keep up with the demands of their rapidly growing bodies and brains—a lot more sleep, in fact. 3- to 5-year-olds need 11 to 13 hours of sleep, 5- to 10-year-olds need 10 or 11 hours of sleep, and 10- to 17-year-olds need 8.5 to 11 hours of sleep each night. Lack of sleep increases activity in the amygdala, the emotional rapid-response center of the brain. Kids who don't sleep enough feel more negative emotions and have a diminished ability to control their responses to those emotions. An overactive amygdala inhibits kids' ability to feel positive emotions, which is why overly tired kids will cry or protest when presented with an activity they normally enjoy. Even more concerning, kids who don't sleep enough are at a much higher risk for depression, anxiety, and other emotional disorders later in life. The highest amounts of human growth hormone are released to the body when kids are sleeping. If your child goes to bed late one night, it's not going to stunt their growth—but if your child chronically gets even an hour or two less than the amount of sleep he or she needs, physical development is likely to be affected. They'll also age faster on a cellular level. Plus, they'll be sick all the time, since sleep is when their bodies make and release cytokines, a protein that targets infection. Sounds pretty terrible, huh? Lack of sleep literally makes learning impossible, according to researchers at University Children's Hospital Zurich: During the day, our synapses get excited as a response to the stimuli that surround us. During sleep, however, these synapses restore themselves and their activity "normalizes". Without this restorative period, the synapses stay maximally excited for too long. Such a state inhibits neuro plasticity, which means that learning new things is no longer possible. Since kids' brains are by far more neuroplastic than adults, this means that lack of sleep has an greater effect on their synapses, depriving them of the rapid ability to learn that characterizes childhood. Apart from those, I didn't even go into the way sleep regulates metabolism, cortisol, or motor function—it's safe to say that without adequate sleep, literally every single system in our children's bodies is severely compromised.
1. The author uses her own example to show ______.
A.kids who seldom use devices later in the evening get enough sleep
B.sleep deprivation creates something of a vicious cycle
C.kids of 10- to 17-year-old tend to sleep less than smaller kids
D.adequate sleep is crucial to the development of kids
Part B Directions: Read the following text and answer the questions by finding information from the right column that corresponds to each of the marked details given in the left column. There are two extra choices in the right column. Mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET. It's familiar enough to be a cliché: the loyal worker who finally retires and then is flummoxed by the prospect of filling unoccupied days. For people whose sense of purpose is wrapped up in their professional identities, life without work is only a pale version of life. Andrew Yang, currently a US Democratic presidential candidate and also the founder of job-creation nonprofit "Venture for America", expresses some of the common fears about worklessness when he says: "It's clear from the data, and common sense, and human experience, that many, many people struggle without work. We're idle men; we volunteer less, even though we have more time. And over time, we tend to play a lot of video games, and drink more. Society generally fares very poorly without work." Yet it isn't universally accepted that paid employment is key to an active life. The Japanese concept of ikigai (the reason for being alive) expresses happiness in life. Among Japanese women and men surveyed in 2010, fewer than one-third equated work with their ikigai. Hobbies, relationships and unpaid work—all of these can add up to a richly meaningful life, one where "retirement" might be a foreign concept. On the other hand, for many people in precarious employment, on low wages or with limited retirement savings, worrying about purpose outside work may be an unaffordable luxury. Many people simply can't afford to retire early or shorten their work weeks. For those who are forced to work less without corresponding public assistance, "leisure time" is likely to be an illusion as they frantically search for ways to supplement their main income. But the automation of work, awareness of the environmental impact of work and the growing movement for shorter work weeks mean that many of us are likely to be working less in the future. It may be that with less work to go around, boredom will increase, at least initially. But this will have its upsides. More recreational time baked into a week might keep us from feeling like we need to frantically fill every moment. At the moment women, especially, tend to be chronically overworked, but much of that "work" isn't valued the way paid employment is. Looking after the kids, tending to ageing parents, and handling domestic, social and community responsibilities all take up many hours. Reducing the burden of work might free up time or energy for the unpaid care. Challenging as it can be, allowing women to be relaxed has benefits for their creativity and wellbeing. The shorter-week trials that have been conducted suggest that workers with longer weekends used their extra time for a mix of activities. For a New Zealand financial services firm that last year gave employees the option of a four-day working week, this included more employee time spent golfing, watching Netflix, studying and spending time with family. For a UK PR firm that also instituted a four-day week, one young employee started spending her extra time volunteering with elderly people.
A.they are more likely to have more inventive and innovative ideas
1 . For people who find great satisfaction and purpose in work, they think that ______.
B. there are more significant things to do apart from Work
2 . Andrew Yang express his fears about work-lessness and states that ______.
C. life filled with work is desirable
3 . The majority of Japanese people feel that ______.
D. workers with longer weekends use their extra time for a variety of activities
4 . People who are struggling to make their ends meet may feel that ______.
E. spending less time on work can do harm to social prosperity
5 . If women take less family and social burdens, ______.
F. they need to find new ways to make more money
G. many people are likely to be working less in the future
1.
C
[解析] 题目对应信息在第一段最后一句话:For people whose sense of purpose is wrapped up in their professional identities, life without work is only a pale version of life,意思是,“对于那些以职业身份为目的的人来说,没有工作的生活只是苍白版本的生活”,由此可见,对于那些以工作为乐、把工作视为人生目的的人来说,有工作的生活才是精彩的。 [参考译文] 这已经是老生常谈了:忠心耿耿的员工终于退休了,但却为如何填补空闲时间感到困惑。对于那些以职业身份为目的的人来说,没有工作的生活只是苍白版本的生活。 安德鲁·杨是现任美国民主党总统候选人,同时也是为美国创造就业机会的非营利机构Venture for America的创始人。他表达了人们对失业的一些共同担忧:“数据、常识和人类经验告诉我们,很多人没有工作时会很挣扎。尽管我们有更多的时间,但我们却无所事事,也很少去做志愿者。随着时间的推移,我们往往会玩很多电子游戏,以及喝更多的酒。没有工作,社会的运行状况通常很差。” 然而,并不是所有人都认为有偿工作是积极生活的关键。日本有一个词叫ikigai(活着的理由),表达了生活中的快乐。在2010年接受调查的日本男性和女性中,只有不到三分之一的人将工作等同于ikigai。爱好、人际关系和志愿活动——所有这些加在一起就能构成一种有意义且丰富的生活。而在这种生活中,“退休”可能是一个外来概念。 另一方面,对于许多工作不稳定、工资低或退休储蓄有限的人来说,工作之外的其他追求可能是一种负担不起的奢侈。许多人根本无法提前退休或缩短工作时间。对于被迫减少工作又没有相应的社会保障的人来说,“休闲时间”很可能是一种幻觉,因为他们疯狂地寻找补充主要收入的方法。 但工作的自动化、对于工作对环境影响的意识以及越来越多的人要求缩短工作时间的运动意味着,我们当中的许多人未来可能会减少工作时间。然而其结果是,因为工作越少,无聊感可能会增加,至少一开始是这样。但这也有它的好处。一周中有更多的娱乐时间可能会让我们觉得自己不需要疯狂地填满每一刻。 目前,女性尤其容易长期超负荷工作,但女性做的大部分“工作”并不像有偿就业那样受到重视。照顾孩子和年迈的父母以及处理家庭、社会和社区责任都要花费很多时间。减少工作的负担可能会使女性从无偿的服务中腾出时间或精力。尽管这很有挑战性,但它让女性感到很放松, 并有助于提升她们的创造力和幸福感。 已经进行的一个短期试验表明,周末较长的员工会把额外的时间用于多种活动。去年,新西兰一家金融服务公司给员工提供了每周工作四天的选择,这样员工花更多时间打高尔夫球、看Netflix的剧、学习和与家人共度时光。英国一家公关公司也实行了四天工作制,一名年轻员工开始把她的额外时间花在为老年人提供志愿服务上。
[解析] 题目对应信息在第三段:Among Japanese women and men surveyed in 2010, fewer than one-third equated work with their ikigai. Hobbies, relationships and unpaid work—all of these can add up to a richly meaningful life,意思是“在2010年接受调查的日本男性和女性中,只有不到三分之一的人将工作等同于ikigai。爱好、人际关系和志愿活动——所有这些加在一起就能 构成一种有意义且丰富的生活”,说明大部分日本人认为工作之外的爱好、人际关系和志愿活动才是快乐生活的基石。
[解析] 题目对应信息在第六段最后一句:Challenging as it can be, allowing women to be relaxed has benefits for their creativity and wellbeing.意思是“尽管这很有挑战性,但它让女性感到很放松,并有助于提升她们的创造力和幸福感”,女性的家庭和社会责任都很重,女性如果能够享受属于自己的空闲时间,会更加有创造力。
Section Ⅲ Translation Directions: Translate the following text into Chinese. Your translation should be written on the ANSWER SHEET.
1. Millennials are exceptional in many ways. They are better educated than their predecessors, more culturally diverse, and more economically active. Yet they face greater difficulties including economic uncertainty and lack of financial planning. Young millennials lack the education in managing finances which is imperative when applying for credit, staying out of debt, long-term wealth creation as well as saving for life's uncertainties. Even if the amount is small, start saving. Prioritising savings will make you financially disciplined which will in turn instil strong financial habits that can last a lifetime. Here a key tip would be—Don't save what is left after spending; spend what is left after saving.
1. Directions: Suppose you are an employee working at the customer services department of a travel agency. You have received a complaint concerning the services from Mrs. Smith. Please write an email back to 1) apologize for the possible inconvenience, 2) ensure that the complaint will be investigated, and 3) express goodwill. You should write about 100 words neatly on the ANSWER SHEET. Do not sign your own name. Use "Li Ming" instead. Do not write the address.
[范文] Dear Mrs. Smith, I would like to apologize for the disappointment caused to you on behalf of the company. I am deeply sorry that your journey to Japan was scattered with some regrets. I assure you that your complaint has been forwarded to the concerned department and strict action is being taken to rectify the situation. Your satisfaction with our services and your feedback as a client are of the utmost importance to us. I would be happy to answer any further queries while we look into this matter. Thank you for your patience.
Best regards, Li Ming
Part B
1. Directions: Study the following chart carefully and write an essay to 1) describe the chart, 2) state you attitude toward the event, and 3) suggest counter-measures. You should write about 150 words neatly on the ANSWER SHEET.
[范文] As is displayed in the graph, the amount of garbage produced in China has skyrocketed from 0.395 billion tons in 2013 to 0.469 billion tons in 2018, with the large-and medium-sized cities contributing to a staggering number. The production of garbage and waste is a huge problem not only in China but also throughout the planet. The overflow of trash creates many problems. The creation of waste depletes critical natural resources and its disposal usually creates additional harmful pollution. Also, the disposal of waste is often an environmental justice problem as landfills, incinerators and transfer stations are often situated in low-income communities. More worryingly, trash can travel throughout the world's rivers and oceans, accumulating on beaches and deep in oceans. There are things we can do as individuals to tackle this problem. The best way to deal with garbage is to avoid creating it in the first place. For example, we can look for ways to buy food with minimal packaging, especially plastic packaging. Besides, garbage classification can make a real difference. For example, Shanghai has already taken actions, requiring people to sort trash into four categories and individuals who fail to do so may be fined.