It might be fun to use your smartphone. But be careful that too much screen time may be harmful to your health.
First, it is bad for your eyes. A researcher called Sarah Hinkley says the problem comes from the blue light that the screen gives out. Looking at a smartphone for a long time can cause eye strain, headaches and dry eyes. So it is a good idea to take a break every 15 minutes when you are working at a computer or using a smartphone.
Second, screen use can do harm to children’s brains. A new study shows that using screens too much can influence how children’s brains grow. If children use screens for more than one hour a day, they might have lower levels of white matter in their brains, which is a key to the development of language and reading skills. So it is wise to cut down the time of children using all kinds of screens.
Third, using screens too much will influence your sleep. According to a study, about 95% of the people between the ages of 13 and 64 use electronics before bed, especially the young people under 20. Doctors say that the light from those electronics at night may make you excited before you go to bed. Then it’s hard for you to get enough sleep. So you’d better turn off smartphones, TVs and all other screens an hour before your bedtime.
To keep healthy, doctors and researchers strongly advise that you shouldn’t use screens for long hours.
1. What can the blue light from your screen cause?2. How often should you take a break when working at a computer or using a smartphone?
3. How can parents prevent levels of white matter getting lower in their children’s brains?
4. Do you think smartphones are important? Why do you think so? Write 30 words or more.
2 . I am sure you know the story of the turtle (乌龟) and the rabbit. It taught people many lessons. One of these lessons is that people who have all the advantages (the fast-jumping rabbit) can be beaten by those who have nothing but inner (内心的) strength (the slow turtle).
It is true that the race of life, just like the one between the rabbit and the turtle, is often unfair. Some kids have all the luck. They were born healthy and their parents are rich. These kids wear nice clothes and always have much money to spend on anything they like. Many other kids, however, have none of these things. Some of them were even born with disabilities. They have to depend on their inner strength alone.
While many people believe the “rabbits” are always successful, this is not true. In fact, the “turtles”—kids from poor families—have some of the most. important things for success. They are humble (谦逊的) and determined (有决心的). They march forward slowly but with great inner strength.
A student from Tsinghua University shared his personal experience online. Instead of having fun with his classmates outside, he chose to get a part-time job and study hard. He knew there would be plenty of time for fun once he had overcome all of the difficulties. His story may have encouraged “turtles”. The race of life is long. Even if you get off to a slow start, you can easily catch up if you make up your mind to do so.
1. What can we learn from the story of the turtle and the rabbit?| A．One who has advantages can succeed. |
| B．One who fears nothing can succeed easily. |
| C．One who has inner strength can get success finally. |
| D．One who works without rest can get success more easily. |
| A．Because everyone wants to win the race. | B．Because people are treated differently in life. |
| C．Because all the people have different dreams. | D．Because not everyone’s starting point is the same. |
| A．To introduce his hard experience to us. |
| B．To encourage us to enter good universities. |
| C．To show us the importance of studying in the university. |
| D．To support the idea that poor students have special things for success. |
| A．To advise us to try new things. | B．To tell us how to succeed quickly. |
| C．To show us the power of inner strength. | D． To encourage us to take races. |
3 . “On a spring night, we offer book lovers a desk and a light. You can stay here as long as you want to.” This is the slogan (宣传语) of Sanlian Taofen Bookstore in Beijing.
Earlier this month, Sanlian Taofen Bookstore became the first 24-hour bookstore in the city. It hopes to encourage more people to read books. Bookstores are the brain of a city. Although many people can now buy books online, many readers still like the feeling in bookstores. They can touch the books and smell the print.
In China, most cities are home to at least one bookstore. Some have special themes (主题). Popular Holdings (大众书局) in Shanghai is a film-themed bookstore. There are film books and posters (海报) inside. Other bookstores have colourful activities. Eslite Bookstore (诚品书店) in Taiwan has activities like talks with famous writers as well as holding gallery shows (画展). People come here not only for reading but also to communicate with others.
1. Which of the following can best describe people’s feeling in bookstores?| A．Becoming the brain of the city. | B．Staying inside as long as possible. |
| C．Buying books online with enjoyment. | D．Touching the books and smelling the print. |
| A．a small gallery | B．a special theme | C．a special slogan | D．colourful activities |
| A．Reading and communicating. | B．Buying film books and posters. |
| C．Encouraging themselves to read. | D．Getting ready to be famous writers. |
| A．Buying books in bookstores | B．Great bookstores online |
| C．A new bookstore in China | D．Warm places for reading |
4 . ChatGPT is back! OpenAI, the company behind the popular chatbot, has now introduced a powerful new language model: GPT-4.
On March 14, GPT-4 showed the world how smarter it is than the GPT-3.5. One of its best new features is that it can understand pictures. For example, if you show a picture of a phone using the wrong charger (充电器), GPT-4 can tell why the picture looks strange.
But GPT-4’s developments don’t stop there. The new language model can code (用代码编写) classic games in a few minutes, and produce the code and layout (布局) for a website based on a hand-made drawing. GPT-4 is much better than the older GPT at passing tests. According to CNN, GPT-4 did really well on a law school test, with a score in the top 10 percent of test takers. ButGPT-3.5 only got a score in the bottom 10 percent.
GPT-4 will also power other apps and services. For example, the language learning app Duolingo plans to use GPT-4 in their coming products. Users can learn languages by talking with AI. Another app, Be My Eyes, will have a digital assistant (数字助手) to help blind people better understand the world around them. The government of Iceland also plans to use GPT-4 to protect the Icelandic language.
There are still problems with the new language model, however. GPT-4 still tries hard to get completely correct answers. And it will sometimes insist that wrong information is true.
1. What does the underlined word “it” refer to?| A．OpenAI. | B．GPT-3.5. | C．GPT-4. | D．A chatbot. |
| A．Because GPT-4 is much new er than GPT-3.5. |
| B．Because GPT-4 can spend less time coding games. |
| C．Because GPT-4 got better scores than GPT-3.5 at tests. |
| D．Because GPT-4 powers other apps and services. |
| A．let users learn language by talking with AI |
| B．help blind people understand the world better |
| C．give support to the Icelandic language |
| D．earn much money by selling services |
(①=Paragraph 1, ②=Paragraph 2, … )
A． | B． | C． | D． |
The Spring Festival always begins on doors and walls. Spring couplets (春联) stand for people’s wishes for a happier life in the coming year.
The couplets are written on red paper. They are the most important symbol of the Spring Festival. Although people are busy with all kinds of things before the Spring Festival, sticking couplets is always in the first place on the to-do list. And my mother would ask me to take some gifts to people who wrote couplets for us. When they were writing, I would watch how they used the brush to create these wonderful works.
Later when I was a little older, my parents encouraged me to learn how to write couplets. I asked some elder people to teach me some skills. When learning from them, I became greatly interested in traditional culture. Every time when our family visited relatives during the Spring Festival, I always collected the poems of the couplets and used them to express my good wishes like “health, wealth and long-life” to my relatives.
Nowadays as the science and technology is developing rapidly, couplets are mainly produced by machines. We can easily buy all kinds of beautiful couplets on the streets. Though forms of making couplets have changed, the best wishes that couplets express remain. The red paper and black words are not only used to write the couplets, but also carry our love for traditional culture. They will never be forgotten.
1. What do spring couplets stand for in the Spring Festival?2. How did the writer express good wishes to his or her relatives?
3. Why can we easily buy all kinds of beautiful couplets on the street?
4. Do you think we should stick couplets or not? Why? (Write 30 words or more)
6 . Electric vehicles (电动汽车) or EVs recently have become more and more popular. Technological improvements, especially batteries, make EVs rather than gas cars become more people’s first choice.
Mueller, an expert in studying cars, explains why they are the future of cars. He writes, “I think EVs are the future. They have better torque (扭转力), acceleration (加速) and better control.”
Best of all, you never have to visit a gas station. Every morning your car is charged (充电) and ready to go. And if you are worried about miles they can cover, that’s not necessary. Almost all trips can be done in an EV with a proper battery. And fast chargers (充电器) along the way make it possible to do longer road trips if necessary.
Besides, it’s clean technology: a traditional gas car causes more than twice as carbon (碳) pollution as an EV. Even in places that get almost all of their electricity from burning coal (煤), an EV still pollutes less than a typical traditional gas car. Supposing a 10-year service life, a traditional car will let out 66,000 pounds more carbon pollution than an electric vehicle.
Human science technology is always moving forward. However, some challenges still remain about EVs. According to the present situation of EVs, scientists and researchers still have a long way to go.
1. EVs have become more popular than gas cars thanks to ________.| A．technological improvements | B．social development |
| C．lower prices | D．beautiful appearance |
| A．better torque | B．acceleration | C．better control | D．fast chargers |
| A．EVs are always cleaner than gas cars. |
| B．Electricity is from burning coal in China. |
| C．A gas car causes less pollution than an EV. |
| D．A traditional car lets out 6,600 pounds of carbon a year. |
| A．The Future of EVs in China | B．EVs and Environmental Protection |
| C．EVs Makes Our Life Better | D．EVs: The Future of Cars |
7 . The Chinese ping feng (folding screen) is an ancient invention and traditional Chinese furniture (家具) . Its earliest common use dates from (追溯) the Han Dynasty. The term ping feng means protection from wind. showing its purpose at the very beginning.
As time passes, it has been made into different sizes with colorful paintings. On screens usually appears a dragon. It’s a symbol of light, growth and life-giving water. It also stands for nobility (尊贵) and power. The peacock, a beautiful bird, can be seen on screens, too. It’s a symbol of everlasting (永恒的) life. Beautiful flowers, which mean wealth and good luck, are also chosen as a popular design of the ping feng. All the designs carry people’s beautiful wishes.
Behind the ping feng lies an interesting story. In the past the unmarried daughter of a rich family was not supposed to see or be seen by men except her father, brothers or very close male cousins. When an admirer (追求者) paid a visit, however, she might take a secret look at him from a screen behind which she would be completely hidden. Her father would discuss poems with the young man and ask him to create one. If the daughter and her father were satisfied with the young man’s poem and his look, she might agree to take him as a husband.
Today the ping feng is back in fashion for its beauty and its practical (实际的) use as furniture. Acting as a moving wall or divider, it can be the perfect match for modern sofas and walls, which adds style to them. The ping feng is more than beautiful furniture.
1. What was the ping feng used for at the very beginning?| A．Protecting people from wind. | B．Dividing a room. | C．Making a room beautiful. | D．Hiding a person. |
| A．The dragon. | B．The peacock. | C．The water. | D．The flowers. |
| A．By telling a story. | B．By giving examples. | C．By comparing differences. | D．By explaining the result. |
| A．The ping feng has been popular all the time. |
| B．The paintings on the screens have the same size. |
| C．An unmarried daughter was too shy to see an admirer. |
| D．You can move the ping feng to match your other furniture. |
8 . Nanako Hama was holding a light envelop. When she tore it open with care, locks of hair emerged. Many strangers send Hama locks of their hair, hoping to recycle it.
People generate a huge amount of hair waste. Nearly all of that waste ends up in landfill, where it can release harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. But hair possesses useful qualities that it’s a shame to simply throw it away. That’s why people all around the world, like Hama, have been collecting hair and finding innovative ways to recycle it, including making mats (垫子) out of it for removing oil leaks in the ocean.
Hama is part of the nonprofit Matter of Trust (MoT) members working at more than 60 centers dotted across 17 countries, using machines to make hair donated from local salons and individuals into square mat, which are then used to clean up the floating oil. “Hair is particularly well-suited for this,”says MoT co-founder Lisa Gautier.“That’s because its rough sort of outer layer lets oil stick to it.” MoT’s mats have been used in major oil leaks, including the 2010 Deepwater Horizon and 2007 Cosco Busan incidents.
In a 2018 study, Murray, an environmental scientist at the University of Technology Sydney, in Australia found that mats made of recycled human hair could absorb 0.84 grams of oil onto its surface for every gram of hair—significantly more than polypropylene (聚丙烯), a type of plastic that’s typically used to clean up floating oil. Besides, hair is also useful as fertilizer (化肥). Hair contains a relatively high nitrogen (氮), a chemical element crucial for plant growth, and each lock of hair is made of roughly 16 percent of this essential nutrient. Last year, more than 560 gallons of liquid fertilizer made from human hair was sold to farmers in northern Tanzania and the feedback from the farmers has been very encouraging.
“It’s just a great way to use hair in a productive way. Hair is an answer literally hanging in front of our eyes—for oil and soil,” Hama says.
1. How does the author introduce the topic?| A．By presenting a scene. |
| B．By detailing the background. |
| C．By describing the usage of hair. |
| D．By praising an environmentalist. |
| A．Improve soil. | B．Prevent oil leaks. |
| C．Take in harmful gas. | D．Clear the sea of oil. |
| A．Its color and strength. | B．Its length and amount. |
| C．Its weight and flexibility. | D．Its structure and component. |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Promising. | C．Doubtful. | D．Worrying. |
9 . During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, there were 10 flower beds (花坛). One of the high-lights (亮点) of these flower beds was to make good use of garden waste.
One of them was in Tian’anmen Square. Its topic was “Wonderful Winter Olympics”. The five Olympic rings and the snowflake shape were at the bottom of the flower bed. To our surprise, all of these were made from garden waste. This could not only save resources but also bring people more beauty. It was generally praised by the public.
Green Olympics is one of the four main ideas of Beijing Winter Olympics. It took more than six years to prepare for the Games. In this process, the designers put the idea of green Olympics into every part. They integrated (融合) green Olympics with the city and its surroundings (环境). Green Olympics can not only make good use of waste and protect the environment, but also be good for the future development of the city. There’s no doubt that the Winter Olympics theme flower beds, which showed the “simple, safe and wonderful” requirements for the competition, added points to the unique charm (独特魅力) of the “City of the Two Olympics”.
As waste is considered as a resource that is put in a wrong place, the designers made the waste in the right place for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. Besides, thrift (节俭) and hard work are the tradition of the Chinese nation. We also should save energy and make good use of waste in our daily life.
1. What is special about the flower beds?| A．The size. | B．The material. | C．The space. | D．The number. |
| A．Bing Dwen Dwen and The snowflake shape |
| B．Bing Dwen Dwen and The Olympic flag |
| C．The Olympic flag and The five Olympic rings |
| D．The snowflake shape and The five Olympic rings |
| A．boring | B．surprising | C．proud | D．serious |
(①=Paragraph 1②=Paragraph 2, …)
A． | B． | C． | D． |
10 . Weeks before Tomb Sweeping Day (清明节) on April 4 this year, hundreds of qingtuan were sold each day. The snack was still a must-have for many people.
In the southern part of China, eating qingtuan at the beginning of spring is a kind of tradition. Chinese people started to eat it more than 2,000 years ago. It is made of sticky rice (糯米) and red bean paste (红豆沙), and is famous for its softness, freshness and sweetness. The secret behind its mouth-watering taste is one of its materials—mugwort leaves (艾蒿叶). The plant is mainly found in the Yangtze River Delta (长江三角洲) where it has perfect conditions to grow.
People in this area usually put qingtuan on the tombs (墓) of their dead family members to cherish the past memory. Making qingtuan is also a chance for family members to get together at home. It really takes time and effort to make the snack.
Now, qingtuan has already spread its special taste to the northern part of China. Li Yuan, a 30-year-old engineer who grew up in Zhejiang Province, brought qingtuan back to Beijing where he works. “It tastes different in and out of my hometown,” he said. “There’s no place like home.”
Qingtuan has many different tastes inside it, such as apples and bean milk, to meet customers’ tastes. The difference of the taste shows that it’s getting more and more popular across the whole country.
Even though there is warm weather and green leaves in spring, the season wouldn’t be complete without a taste of qingtuan.
1. Tomb Sweeping Day is in ________.| A．spring | B．summer | C．autumn | D．winter |
| A．sticky rice | B．green color | C．red bean paste | D．mugwort leaves |
| A．forget | B．miss | C．sweep | D．guess |
| A．Growing up in Beijing | B．Planting Rice in Zhejiang |
| C．Meeting Customers’ Tastes | D．Marking the Start of Spring |
