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A

The group behind the Oscars film awards recently invited 928 artists and movie industry workers to join the Academy Awards body.

Of those invited by the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, just over a third are from minorities, and just over a half are women.

The move is part of a plan to double the number of women and minorities in the Academy by 2020.

The recent #OscarsSoWhite and #MeToo movements criticized the body for its mainly white male membership.

Among those invited to join the Academy as part of its push to become more diverse are female filmmakers from Mexico and France.

Other women stars on the list include US actors Jada Pinkett Smith, Amy Schumer, Ann Dowd and Christine Baranski.

Meanwhile, male stars include African-American comedian Dave Chappelle, Oscar-nominated Black Panther actor Daniel Kaluuya, and French-American actor Timothee Chalamet.

If all 928 of the Academy’s invitations are accepted, female membership will rise to 31 percent from 28 percent, while ethnic minority members will increase to 16 percent from 13 percent, according to the academy.

It would also raise the number of voting participants for the Oscars film awards to a new high of about 9,300 people, The New York Times reported.

This move is just one of many that have been made in Hollywood following the #MeToo and #OscarsSoWhite campaigns, which raised awareness of sexual and racial issues in the US movie industry.

In 2016, actors including Marvel star Chadwick Boseman said they were inspired to join the Academy because of the strength of the #OscarsSoWhite diversity campaign, which began with a social media post by film producer Rita Wilson.

“I felt obligated to join,” said Boseman, who plays superhero Black Panther in the Marvel films.

Wilson said at the time that it was right to join because the Academy was now “open to hearing what the issues were”.

1. Females member will probably make up ______ percent of the Academy after its recent move.

A. 31 B. 28 C. 16 D. 13

2. The underlined word “obligated” in the second-to-last paragraph probably means ______.

A. grateful B. responsible C. embarrassed D. regretful

3. What does “the issues” in the last paragraph refer to?

A. Ethical issues. B. Poverty issues.

C. Gender and racial issues. D. Working hour and pay issues.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A. Females are more valued in the film industry.

B. Minority stars join Oscars awards body.

C. Oscars awards gain popularity again.

D. Oscars awards body increases its diversity.

B

Marc Mendoza is one of just two UK teenagers to be invited by the National Basketball Association (NBA) for training. The 14-year-old will spend a week in Florida being trained by professional coaches.

Mendoza said he wants to thank his family, who’ve always supported his dream.

“Everyone is behind me. I want to make their lives better because of what they’ve done for me,” he said.

Mendoza’s ultimate goal is to play the sport professionally.

“That’s the main goal right now, that’s on my bucket list. The best thing that could ever happen to me is getting into the NBA,” Mendoza said.

The teenager’s journey to Orlando, Florida, began several months ago. He was initially selected to represent the UK at a training camp in Slovenia. He competed against people of his age from all over Europe. The camp’s top 10 players were then invited to represent Team Europe in Florida.

“They tested my skills to the max,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza will now face off against the best players in his age group from around the world.

During his trip to Florida, the 14-year-old will receive guidance from qualified NBA coaches. His hope is to make enough of an impact so that potential talent scouts (球探) will keep track of his development.

The NBA hopes to grow the game in Europe and around the world with the aim of attracting new viewers, players and investors.

Neal Meyer, the NBA’s associate vice president of basketball operations, says European countries also stand to profit from the game’s spread.

“Working with our [organization], maybe they get top national team players and we get a future star of the NBA from one of these countries,” he said.

There are just two British players currently plying (从事) their trade in the world’s top basketball league. The head of British basketball recently told Newsbeat that her aim is to have 40 homegrown players playing in the NBA.

Mendoza says he wants to lead the charge for UK players heading to the US.

“The hard work starts now. I’m going to train, train, train - really push myself. This is where the hard work begins,” he said.

5. What will Mendoza do in Florida?

A. Have an interview for a basketball camp.

B. Go sightseeing at the NBA center.

C. Receive professional training from the NBA.

D. Compete for a position in Team Europe.

6. What can we infer about the training camp in Slovenia?

A. It invited NBA coaches.

B. It was very competitive.

C. It is organized once a year.

D. Its players came from all over the world.

7. What does Neal Meyer think of the cooperation between the NBA and Europe?

A. It will benefit the UK most.

B. It will require more effort from the NBA.

C. It will fail to attract many investors.

D. It will be a win-win for both sides.

8. Which of the following best describes Mendoza?

A. Ambitious and hardworking.

B. Kindhearted and skillful.

C. Responsible and organized.

D. Determined and curious.

C

Something was cooking in Toby McCartney’s home in Scotland.

The engineer and his two pals were boiling pot after pot of plastic in the kitchen. Plastic bottles, carrier bags – it was all going into the melting pot.

But McCartney wasn’t going mad, he was trying to create the perfect recipe for plastic roads.

“We went through about 600 different [plastics] that we were mixing in before we found one that actually worked,” he told CNN.

The final recipe was mixed in with ordinary asphalt (沥青) to create a stronger, longer-lasting road, explained McCartney.

“We are wanting to solve two world problems. On one side we call it the waste plastic [problem], and on the other side, the poor quality of roads that we have to drive on today.”

To make plastic roads, plastic waste is turned into tiny pieces and replaces 20 percent of the material that seals traditional roads.

Every ton of plastic road material contains approximately 20,000 single-use plastic bottles or around 70,000 single-use plastic bags.

McCartney claims his plastic roads are 60 percent stronger than traditional roads, and lab tests have shown these roads may last up to three times longer.

To date, McCartney’s company has provided plastic that’s been used in roads in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

McCartney first saw plastic in roads while traveling in India. There, he saw how waste plastics were used to repair holes in roads across many cities.

In fact, India has been using plastic in the construction of roads since the turn of the century.

In November 2015, the Indian government even made it a law to construct roads using waste plastic in most urban areas.

However, a number of states have yet to begin using plastic in road construction, explained Indian environmentalist Almitra Patel.

“Potentially, plastic roads will make it possible for a city or state or the whole country for that matter to create zero waste if one follows the rules, but it’s a long way from happening,” she told CNN.

While plastic waste is a mounting issue, McCartney believes the material’s properties are perfectly suited for the creation and repair of roads.

“At the end of the day, plastic is a great product,” he said. “It lasts for a long time, which is a problem if it’s a waste product, but not a problem if we want it to last.”

9. Why was McCartney cooking plastic in his kitchen?

A. To find a new way to break down plastic.

B. To recycle waste plastic in a creative way.

C. To create longer-lasting plastic bags.

D. To find more types of plastics.

10. What can we learn about plastic roads from the article?

A. They are made mainly from plastic.

B. They contain more plastic bottles than plastic bags.

C. They are believed to last longer than traditional roads.

D. They need to be tested more before being put into use.

11. How does the Indian government promote building plastic roads?

A. By placing advertisements.

B. By making it a law.

C. By inviting experts to explain the process.

D. By introducing the technology from abroad.

12. What does Almitra Patel think of the future of plastic roads?

A. They might create some unexpected problems.

B. They will produce many economic benefits.

C. It’s unrealistic to build them across a whole country.

D. It will take time and effort for them to become common.

D

The killdeer, a small bird known for its high-pitched (声调高的) call, could lead to the cancellation of one of Canada’ biggest music festivals.

The first hint of trouble for Ottawa’s Bluesfest, an outdoor festival that draws around 300,000 people each year, came last week after workers at the site found one of the birds.

It had laid four eggs nearby, effectively claiming the main stage area as its nesting ground.

“This is one of the most challenging problems we’ve been presented with, but we feel we can work through this,” said Mark Monahan, executive director of the festival.

“Anything that changes the schedule has a major effect, so we’re taking it very seriously.”

The discovery meant that government officials rushed to protect the nest and the eggs, hiring a security guard to watch over them 24 hours a day. Environmentalists were also brought in.

“We don’t know when the eggs might hatch,” said Monahan. What is known is that the young killdeer will likely leave the nest soon after they are hatched, leading many to hope that the eggs hatch in the next day or so.

The festival is now seeking permission from Environment Canada to relocate the nest some 50 meters away or take it to a wildlife center.

Moving the nest would also ensure the bird and its young would be protected during the festival’s 11-day run, said Monahan. It’s highly likely that the festival’s thousands of attendees would cause huge problems for the bird and its eggs.

Monahan was confident that the festival would go on as planned, however.

“Most of the people we’re working with … are looking for a positive solution,” Monahan said.

“There is no one saying that the festival can’t go on.”

As news of the dilemma spread, it left residents divided. Some supported the bird, saying that moving the nest might result in the eggs being abandoned.

Others expressed annoyance that protecting the eggs of the small bird, which is widespread across North America, was risking an annual festival that contributes millions of dollars to the local economy.

The killdeer’s tendency to build its nest in open fields or flat areas has caused issues in other areas of the US: earlier this year, construction on a health center in Wisconsin was temporarily stopped after a killdeer and its four eggs were discovered.

13. What can we learn about Bluesfest?

A. It is the first music festival in Canada.

B. It is a music festival held every two years.

C. It is a challenging outdoor activity in Ottawa.

D. It is an important event for music lovers.

14. What was especially challenging for Bluesfest this year?

A. Pressure from the government.

B. Disagreements with the public.

C. The need to protect the bird’s eggs.

D. The lack of experience in hosting the event.

15. How did the festival plan to deal with the problem?

A. Ask government officials for help.

B. Hire security guards to protect the eggs.

C. Seek advice from environmentalists.

D. Move the nest to another place.

16. What was Monahan’s attitude toward hosting the festival?

A. Positive. B. Unsure. C. Negative. D. Indifferent.

17. The underlined word “dilemma” is closest in meaning to ______.

A. an encouraging situation B. a difficult situation

C. an extreme situation D. a dangerous situation

E

The World Health Organization recently said that it planned to add gaming disorder (游戏成瘾) to its new list of disease classifications, angering the gaming industry but pleasing doctors who hope it may make treatment more easily available.

Some US experts said it would make little difference when it comes to helping people with the disorder, although others said it would bring attention to a disorder that people sometimes don’t recognize.

Many of us enjoy video games, but does playing our favorite game for a couple of hours every night mean we’re suffering from gaming disorder? Not according to the WHO.

The symptoms listed by the WHO include a lack of control over gaming, treating gaming more seriously than other life interests and daily activities, and continuing to play games despite the negative consequences that playing them might have.

“The behavior pattern is enough to result in significant [damage to] one’s personal, family, or social life, the WHO said.

Meanwhile, Douglas Gentile of Iowa State University has carried out influential research into the cause of gaming addiction in young people.

“I and many others had assumed that gaming is not really a problem but is a symptom of other problems,” he told NBC News. Many had thought it was simply a failure of self-control.

To see if it was, Gentile’s team studied a group of children who had been gaming for several years.

“We found that when kids became addicted, their anxiety increased … and their grades decreased,” Gentile said.

When kids were able to back off from gaming, their symptoms disappeared, he added.

Gentile thinks medical organizations should pay attention to the WHO’s proposal.

“This isn’t an issue of opinion; it’s an issue of science,” he said.

“This is a major scientific and medical organization. They don’t do things lightly and without reason.”

Dr Petros Levounis, chair of psychiatry at the New Jersey Medical School at Rutgers University, said that he hoped the WHO’s proposal would lead to more research into obsessive (过度的) behavior among all types of people.

“Now, there is renewed interest and excitement,” he said.

18. Which of the following is a sign of gaming disorder according to the WHO?

A. Putting games before everything else.

B. Playing games for several hours every night.

C. Having no hobbies but playing games.

D. Keeping playing until winning the games.

19. Why is Gentile’s research mentioned?

A. To explain the cause of gaming addiction.

B. To show the impact of gaming disorder.

C. To show the reasons behind the WHO’s decision.

D. To introduce the study that influenced the WHO’s proposal.

20. What did Levounis think of the WHO’s decision?

A. It needed further research to make it more convincing.

B. It would do little to help people with gaming addiction.

C. It would encourage new cures for gaming disorder.

D. It would encourage studies about diseases similar to gaming disorder.

21. What’s the article mainly about?

A. The WHO defining gaming disorder.

B. New research findings about gaming disorder.

C. The benefits of defining gaming as a disease.

D. The discussions about defining gaming disorder as a disease.