【推荐1】If you wear glasses, chances are you are smarter. Research published in the famous British journal Nature Communications has found that people who displayed higher levels of intelligence were almost 30 percent more likely to wear glasses.

The scientists studied the genes of thousands of people between the ages of 16 and 102.The study showed intelligence can be connected to physical characteristics. One characteristic       was eyesight.In out of 10 people who were more intelligent, there was a higher chance they needed glasses. Scientists also said being smarter has better benefits. It is connected to better health.

It is important to remember these are connections which are not proven causes. Scientists call this correlation. Just because something is connected to something else does not mean one of those things caused the other. And it's worth noting that what constitutes intelligence is subjective and can be difficult, if not impossible, to measure.

Forget genes though. Plenty of proof shows wearing glasses makes people think you are more intelligent, even if you do not need glasses. A number of studies have found people who wear glasses are seen as smarter, hard working and honest. Many lawyers use this idea to help win their cases. Lawyer Harvey Slovis explained this. Glasses soften their appearance, he said. Sometimes there has been a huge amount of proof showing that people he was defending broke the law. He had them wear glasses and they weren't found guilty.

Glasses are also used to show someone is intelligent in movies and on TV. Ideas about people who wear glasses have begun to shift. People who do not need glasses sometimes wear them for fashion only. They want to look worldly or cool. But not everyone is impressed by this idea, though. GQ magazine said people who wear glasses for fashion are trying too hard to look smart and hip（时髦的）. However， that hasn’t stopped many celebrities from happily wearing glasses even if they do not need them. Justin Bieber is just one high-profile fan of fashion glasses.

1. What does the new study show?

A．People wearing glasses are smarter.

B．People wearing glasses are healthier.

C．Wearing glasses can make people cleverer.

D．Wearing glasses is associated with higher IQ.

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

A．Shift	B．Link
C．Proof	D．Consequence

3. Why do some lawyers ask Their clients to wear glasses in court?

A．Because it can create a moral image.

B．Because it can mislead the witnesses.

C．Because it can highlight clients’ qualities.

D．Because it can prove the clients' innocence.

【推荐2】Earthquake rescue robots experienced their final tests in Beijing. Their designers said with these robots, rescuers would be able to buy more time to save lives during an earthquake.

This kind of robot looking like a helicopter is a flying robot. It’s about 3 meters long, and it took about 4 years to develop the model. Its main functions (功能) are to collect information from the air, and send goods of up to 30 kilos to people trapped by an earthquake. It has a high-definition 360-degree panoramic (全景的) camera. It can work day and night and is also able to send the latest pictures from the quake area.

Dr Qi Juntong, a researcher at Chinese Academy of Sciences, said, “The most important feature of this flying robot is that it doesn’t need a distant control. We just set the destination information on it, and then it takes off, and lands by itself. It flies as high as 3, 000 meters, and as fast as 100 kilometers per hour.

This robot has a different function—it can change as the environment changes. Its main job is to search for any signs of life in places where human rescuers are unable to go. As well as a detector (探测器) that finds victims and detects poisonous gases, a camera is placed in the 3-metre-long robot, which can work in the dark. Another use for the rescuers is the supply bot. With its 10-metre-long pipe, people who are trapped in the ruins will be able to get supplies including oxygen and liquids.

Experts have said that the robots would enter production and serve as part of the national earthquake rescue team as soon as possible.

1. What does Dr Qi Juntong think makes this robot mainly different from the others?

A．It has more functions.	B．It has a unique shape.
C．It has more advanced cameras.	D．It can work by itself once given the information.

2. What does the underlined word “which “ in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．A camera.

B．A detector.

C．A rescuer.

D．A supply.

3. What can we learn about this robot from the text?

A．It is carried by the helicopter.	B．It weighs about 30 kilos.
C．It is a machine with a length of 10 meters.	D．It hasn’t been put into production so far.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．What the robot looks like.	B．An introduction to a robot.
C．How the robot is made.	D．Information about earthquakes.

【推荐3】Aging happens to all of us, and is widely thought of as a natural part of life. It would seem silly to call such a thing a “disease.”

On the other hand, scientists are increasingly learning that aging and biological age are two different things, and that the former is a key risk factor for conditions such as heart disease, cancer and many more. In that light, aging itself might be seen as something treatable, the way you would treat high blood pressure or a vitamin deficiency(不足).

Biophysicist Alex Zhavoronkov believes that aging should be considered a disease. He said that describing aging as a disease creates incentives(动机) to develop treatments.

“It unties the hands of the pharmaceutical (制药的) industry so that they can begin treating the disease and not just the side effects,” he said.

“Right now, people think of aging as natural and something you can’t control,” he said. “In academic circles, people take aging research as just an interest area where they can try to develop interventions（介入，参与）. The medical community also takes aging for granted, and can do nothing about it except keep people within a certain health range.”

But if aging were recognized as a disease, he said, “It would attract funding and change the way we do health care. What matters is understand that aging is curable.”

“It was always known that the body accumulates damage,” he added. “The only way to cure aging is to find ways to repair that damage. I think of it as preventive medicine for age-related conditions.”

Leonard Hayflick, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, said the idea that aging can be cured implies the human lifespan can be increased, which some researchers suggest is possible. Hayflick is not among them.

“There’re many people who recover from cancer, stroke, or heart disease. But they continue to age, because aging is separate from their disease,” Hayflick said. “Even if those causes of death were removed, life expectancy would still not go much beyond 92 years.”

1. What do people generally believe about aging?

A．It should cause no alarm whatsoever.

B．They just cannot do anything about it.

C．It should be regarded as a kind of disease.

D．They can delay it with advances in science.

2. What does Alex Zhavoronkov think of “describing aging as a disease”?

A．It will urge people to take aging more seriously.

B．It will greatly help reduce the side effects of aging.

C．It will free pharmacists from the conventional beliefs about aging.

D．It will motivate doctors and pharmacists to find ways to treat aging.

3. What do we learn about the medical community?

A．They now have a strong interest in research on aging.

B．They differ from the academic circles in their view on aging.

C．They can contribute to people’s health only to a limited extent.

D．They have ways to intervene in people’s aging process.

4. What does Professor Leonard Hayflick believe?

A．The human lifespan cannot be lengthened.

B．Aging is hardly separable from disease.

C．Few people can live up to the age of 92.

D．Heart disease is the major cause of aging.

【推荐1】Norwegian playwright and author Jon Fosse has just been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature for his “innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable”.

The Swedish Academy credits Fosse as “one of the most widely performed playwrights in the world”, although the 64-year-old originally made his name as a novelist, beginning with Red, Black in 1983. He has since written many works of prose and poetry. “His literary works, spanning a variety of genres(体裁), comprises about 40 plays and a wealth of novels, poetry collections, essays, children’s books and translations,” said Anders Olsson, chairman of the Nobel Committee for Literature.

Jon Fosse draws inspiration from his rural living environment and personal struggles, which have deeply influenced his distinctive writing style. Growing up in a small coastal village, Fosse was immersed in the beauty of nature and the vastness of the sea, which filled him with a sense of solitude and introspection(内省) that is reflected in his works. Fosse’s writing discussed themes of desolateness(孤独，苍凉), longing, and the search for meaning in life. Additionally, his battles with depression have enabled him to explore the depths of human emotions and existential des-pair.

“He touches you so deeply when you read his works,” said Anders Olsson. “What is special about him is the closeness in his writing. It touches your deepest feelings-anxieties, insecurities, questions of life and death-which are things that every human being actually faces from the very beginning. In that sense I think he reaches very far and there is a sort of a universal impact of every-thing that he writes-it has appeal to this basic humanity.”

Fosse is the first-ever laureate writing in Nynorsk, one of the two official languages of Norwegian, but only used by just 10% of the population. As The Guardian writes, “Many Nynorsk speakers see Fosse ‘as a kind of national hero’ for his championing of the language.” Fosse’s recognition on a global stage promotes the visibility and importance of Nynorsk as a written standard. It will attract more attention to Nynorsk literature, inspire and encourage Nynorsk speakers to continue preserving and promoting their linguistic(语言的) heritage.

1. What do we know about Jon Fosse from paragraph 2?

A．His most popular work is the play Red, Black.

B．He accomplished various genres of literature works.

C．Many famous plays are the inspiration for his writing.

D．His language skills earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．Jon Fosse’s tough experiences.

B．Jon Fosse’s motivation for writing.

C．The major themes of Jon Fosse’s works.

D．The effect of Jon Fosse’s life on his writing style.

3. What is special about Jon Fosse’s works according to Anders Olsson?

A．They explore the meaning of life.

B．They touch human’s deepest emotions.

C．They show the bond between humans and nature.

D．They appeal to readers to focus on personal feelings.

4. What contribution of Jon Fosse is mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．He explains the importance of linguistic diversity.

B．He has improved the international status of Norway.

C．He promotes the development and preservation of Nynorsk.

D．He shapes the basic writing standard of Norwegian literature.

【推荐2】Bai Ye, director of the China Contemporary Literature Study Association, had a dialogue with a famous Canadian critic at an event in Beijing on cultural translation and studies. As they discussed Canadian literature, Bai gave examples of several authors that he liked. The Canadian critic, on the other hand, could not think of any Chinese writer whose works she had read.

“She told me to wait and she would think of one that she really loved. She didn’t think of the name until we dined together later. It was Li Bai,” he says. That almost hit Bai like a blow, because the poet Li lived in the Tang Dynasty（618-907）. “I study only Chinese literature, but I read a lot of foreign literary works. Obviously, foreign readers know nothing about Chinese literature. And I think it’s time for us to change that situation,” Bai says.

The major purpose of the event hosted at Beijing Language and Culture University was to discuss how to translate and introduce excellent contemporary Chinese literary works to overseas readers.

In China, more than 7,000 writers have registered（登记）with the China Writers Association, creating more than 3,000 novels each year. But only some200-plus Chinese writers have been introduced overseas.

Mai Jia, author of “Decoded” and “In the Dark”, is the only contemporary Chinese writer whose works have been translated into 27 languages, says Xu Baofeng, another participant at the event. Xu says there should have been more Chinese writers read by overseas readers, since they create really great works.

Bai says foreign readers now tend to read stories about modern urban life in China rather than tales set in rural areas in old times, such as Mo Yan’s “Red Sorghum”. “We promote overseas what we think are excellent works, but many foreign readers want to read the historical progress in the last 40 years since the reform and opening-up started... However, we don’t have such novels. So I think we should first create some excellent works on such topics as migrant workers.”

Lu Min, 45, vice-chairman of the writers association in Jiangsu province, dismisses such writings. “Can literature be custom-made（定制的）like other products?” she asked. “Foreign readers want to learn about Chinese society through literature, which should be the function of the media,” she says.

1. What does the underlined sentence mean?

A．That made Bai feel unable to help.

B．That made Bai feel shocked.

C．That made Bai feel much admiration.

D．That made Bai feel annoyed.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Xu Baofeng translated “Decoded” to overseas readers.

B．Mo Yan’s “Red Sorghum” has a lot to do with modern life.

C．Contemporary works on migrant workers may arouse the interest of overseas readers.

D．Most contemporary Chinese writers’ works have enjoyed great popularity among overseas readers.

3. Which could be Lu Min’s opinion on literature?

A．It is the media’s duty to spread it.

B．It tells more about a society than the media.

C．It needs to include such topics as migrant workers.

D．It shouldn’t be created based on foreign readers’ favor.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．What topics are popular among foreign readers.

B．Foreign readers’ impression of Chinese literature.

C．Promoting contemporary literature study in China.

D．Introducing excellent contemporary Chinese literature overseas.

【推荐1】Even successful poets may be frightened the first time they sit down to write a poem. This is hardly unusual. But the good news is that once ideas begin to flow, the craft of poetry is remarkably satisfying.     1    

Don’t be absorbed in your first line. If you don’t feel you have exactly the right words to open your poem, don’t give up there.     2     The opening line is just one component of an overall piece of art. Don’t give it more outsized importance than it needs.

Accept tools. If a rhyming dictionary will help you complete a poem, you should definitely use it.     3     Just be sure you understand the true meaning of the words you put into your poem. Some synonyms (同义词) listed in a dictionary will be different from the meaning you wish to convey.

Enhance the poetic form with literary devices.     4     Develop your poetry writing skills by using metaphor, imagery, and other literary devices into your poems. This can be relatively easy in an unrhymed form like free verse, and more challenging in poetic forms that have strict rules about rhyme.

    5     Writing poetry is so much more fruitful when you’re involved in the work of others. Make the language of poetry second nature by reading other poets — both the classics and living, working artists.

A．Start small.

B．Read poetry whenever possible.

C．Here are tips to help you start writing.

D．Form choice is the most essential component of a good poem.

E．Keep writing and come back to the first line when you’re ready.

F．Like any form of writing, poetry is enhanced by literary devices.

G．You’d be surprised how many professional writers also make use of these tools.

【推荐2】Answer the following questions briefly according to the poem.根据诗歌内容,简要回答下列问题。

The Flight of Youth

By Richard Henry Stoddard

There are gains for all our losses,

There are balms ( 止痛膏) for all our pains,

But when youth, the dream, departs

It takes something from our hearts,

And it never comes again.

We are stronger, and are better,

Under, manhood's sterner (严峻的) reign (驱使).

Till we feel that something sweet

Followed youth, with flying feet,

And will never come again.

Something beautiful is vanished (使消逝),

And we sigh (叹息) for it in vain;

We behold (看到) it everywhere,

On the earth, and in the air,

But it never comes again!

1. Is this poem written using personification (拟人法)?
2. When does youth take something from our hearts?
3. Which word does the poet use to describe manhood's reign?
4. Where does the poet think we can find youth?
5. What does this poem want to tell us?

【推荐3】“When day comes we ask ourselves, where can we find light in this never-ending shade?”

On Wednesday, poet Amanda Gorman read her poem, “The Hill We Climb”, at the inauguration (宣誓就职) ceremony of President Joe Biden.

By Thursday, the 22-year-old was a superstar.

Gorman is the youngest poet in U.S. history to mark the change of presidential power. Past inaugural poets include famous writers like Robert Frost and Maya Angelou.

Gorman is a native of Los Angeles, California, and in 2017 was named the country’s first Youth Poet Laureate (桂冠). She recently completed her studies at Harvard University.

On Wednesday, Gorman offered a hopeful future for a deeply divided country.

“We will not march back to what was, but move to what shall be.

A country that is bruised (瘀紫的) but whole, benevolent but bold, fierce and free.”

Her reading and the ceremony as a whole — took place exactly two weeks after a violent mob of supporters of then — President Donald Trump attacked and occupied the U.S. Capito Building.

Gorman says she had completed a little more than half of “The Hill He Climb” before the January 6 attack at the Capitol.

“That day gave me a second wave of energy to finish the poem,” said Gorman. She chose not to make direct note of the attack, but her references to the event were clear: “We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it.

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy (民主).

And this effort very nearly succeeded.

But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated.”

Hours after the inauguration, her two books — which are to be released later this year — became number 1 and 2 on Amazon. com’s sales list. Gorman’s poetry collection “The Hill We Climb” and her children’s book “Change Sings” are set to be published in September.

1. What message does Amanda Gorman intend to convey in her poem “The Hill We Climb”?

A．National unity.	B．Race equality.
C．True freedom.	D．Free speech.

2. What does the underlined word “shatter” mean?

A．Bear...in mind.	B．Set...on fire.
C．Put...into practice.	D．Break...into pieces.

3. What happened to Amanda Gorman after the inauguration ceremony?

A．She became a best-selling author.

B．She turned superstar in pop music.

C．She was attacked by a violent mob.

D．She published her book “Change Sings”.