1 . It can be really awkward (尴尬的) if someone sees you talking to yourself. But don’t feel bad about it! Talking to yourself actually has a lot of benefits.
You probably know that thinking is good for the brain. It helps us do things like making plans and managing our feelings. Speaking out loud is like showing this quiet inner (内在的) speech. It can help us do better in different areas like school, sports and work.
When encouragement comes from oneself, it adds to self-confidence. A 2023 study invited 72 tennis players to take part in some matches. Researchers put the players into two groups: one group that said nothing while playing, and the other that talked to themselves while playing. They found that the self-talkers showed more confidence and played better than those in the silent group.
Talking to yourself, especially in the third person, can also help us manage bad feelings. “Referring to (指代) yourself in the third person leads people to think about themselves more similar to how they think about others,” said Jason Moser, a professor from Michigan State University, U. S. This can help us see things from a different point of view, especially when we’re feeling sad or angry.
Self-talk also helps improve memory. Researchers tested four different ways to memorize things: reading silently, reading aloud, listening to someone else reading and listening to a recording of oneself reading. Those who read out loud recalled the information the best, researchers said in their study published (发布) in the journal Memory. It’s because the information is likely to become a long-term memory if said out loud.
What can you say to yourself?
·What’s my plan for today?
·This task is so hard!
·I’ve got to stay focused and get this done!
·Wow, the sunset is so beautiful!
1. Which word is close to the underlined word “benefits”?| A．Activities. | B．Advantages. | C．Disadvantages. | D．Challenges. |
| A．Because it helps us make plans. | B．Because it helps us join in matches. |
| C．Because it makes our life happy. | D．Because it makes us more confident. |
| A．We’d better think about others. |
| B．Jason is a famous professor. |
| C．We should see things from different points of view. |
| D．Talking to yourself helps manage bad feelings. |
| A．Reading silently. | B．Reading aloud. |
| C．Listening to someone else reading. | D．Listening to a recording of oneself reading. |
| A．Speaking Aloud is a Quiet Inner Speech | B．Encouraging Yourself Adds to Self-confidence |
| C．Speaking to Yourself Helps a Lot | D．Reading Silently Helps Improve Memory |
2 . A special popular dance has attracted attention widely. There are two stories about the origin (起源) of “Subject Three”. One story connects the dance to a wedding in Wuzhou, where guests danced as part of the celebrations. The other story suggests Guangxi local people go through three tests in their life: singing folk songs (“Subject One”), slurping rice noodles (“Subject Two”), and dancing (“Subject Three”).
Why has “Subject Three” dance become so popular around the world? Some experts think the key to the success of “Subject Three” lies in its simplicity, which allows people to copy and take part. Its lasting joy is the secret to its popularity, satisfying people’s needs. While some others think openness leads to its popularity.
What’s more, “Subject Three” has gone beyond cultural differences and language barriers (障碍) to become an unusual form of expression in the digital age. From Psy’s “Gangnam Style” (South Korea) in 2013 to “Subject Three” in 2023, over the past ten years, some dance styles, songs and other performances have broken boundaries (边界) between different cultures.
“Subject Three” does not only belong to Guangxi alone, but it belongs to the world as well. China’s stories can be spread to the world even through simple, short videos of a dance. “Subject Three” provides the living conditions of the Chinese people for the international community. The works that are loved by the common Chinese are always attractive to the people around the world.
We often pay more attention to the word “good” to show high-brow (高雅的) Chinese culture to the world when it comes to telling China’s stories. But in 2023, the breakout success of “Subject Three” became a classic example of how to tell a good Chinese story. Hopefully, in the future, more stories like “Subject Three” will be heard by the world.
1. What are the two stories mentioned about the origin of “Subject Three”?| A．A party and a test. | B．A wedding and a tradition. |
| C．A concert and a custom. | D．A festival and a game. |
| A．Its special style. | B．Its difficulty. | C．Its lasting joy. | D．Its humorous. |
| A．It is only popular in China. | B．It has broken cultural boundaries. |
| C．It is not an expression of Chinese culture. | D．It is only suitable for young people. |
3 . 
Growing up, we’ve heard a lot of views of how sex (性别) influences interests and jobs. For example, boys do math better than girls, while girls are better at learning languages. We usually think this is because of differences in how boys’ and girls’ brains work. But is it true?
According to past studies, some parts of our brains can be different in size. Scientists used to think these differences might affect how well men and women think and do things. They found this by scanning people’s brains. However, in most of the studies, researchers only scanned less than 100 people. As said in a 2022 study, for such research to be believable, you would need to scan the brains of thousands of people at least.
In 2023, the UK Biobank, a big database (数据库) used for research, scanned the brains of 40,000 people in the UK, providing new finding. It showed differences between men and women in the size of certain brain parts. About one-third of these parts were found to be larger in men, while another third were larger in women.
Also, our brains might change in structure (结构) and size according to our life experiences. For example, a man’s brain area use for math might be larger than a woman’s, simply because he works in a job requiring math skills. So, any brain differences between men and women could be a result, not a cause, of different roles in life and society, noted New Scientist.
1. In Paragraph 1, the writer explains views of how sex influences interests and jobs by ________.| A．telling a story | B．making a survey | C．giving an example | D．asking a question |
| A．the researchers scanned the people in an improper way |
| B．all the people researchers scanned are not from the UK |
| C．the researchers used wrong information to draw a conclusion |
| D．the number of the people researchers scanned was too small |
| A．a boy is born better at math than a girl |
| B．life experience can influence a person’s brain |
| C．the sex of a person leads to differences in the brain |
| D．there are no differences in the brain between sexes |
However, these differences were tiny, often just a size difference in percentage. They are not big enough to draw a conclusion from them, Camille Williams from the University of Texas at Austin, US, told New Scientist.
| A．Paragraph 1 | B．Paragraph 2 | C．Paragraph 3 | D．Paragraph 4 |
| A．Science | B．Fashion | C．Education | D．Technology |
4 .
| Eggshells (蛋壳) are very thin and are easy to break, but their shape enables them to support a surprising amount of weight. | |
| Want to have a try? Follow the steps in the experiment (实验) and see what will happen. | |
| 1 Lightly hit one end of an egg and pour out the content.
| 2 Draw a line at the widest point around the egg.
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| 3 Cut around the line with scissors. Prepare another three eggs in this way.
| 4 Put your eggs in a square. Carefully lay a brick or more on top of the shells.
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| __________ An arch is strong because its shape evenly (均匀地) spreads the weight that it supports. A dome is like a series of many arches arranged (排列) in a circle. Your halved eggshell s are mini domes. |
|
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
| A．How does this work? | B．Why are eggs put in a square? |
| C．How much weight can eggshells support? | D．Which shape is stronger, an arch or a dome? |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
5 . What do you think is an important social skill? I think it’s being polite. It can help you make friends, show respect and achieve success. Here are some tips to help you be polite.
Greet people politely. You can be polite by offering a proper greeting. When first meeting or greeting someone, give him a warm smile. It shows that you are in good spirits and are happy to see him. Also, shake hands to show respect.
Make small talks. Instead of jumping right into business. You can make small talks first. Talk about their lunch or their day. Listen carefully and pay attention to what they are saying to you. Show them you’re interested by asking questions.
Congratulate other people on their success. When others do well, offer them your praise. If you meet a friend who has recently graduated, won a match, or got a new job, congratulate him.
Avoid uncomfortable topics. Some topics can make people uncomfortable. You might hurt other people’s feelings if you talk about them. Try to keep your conversation in the pleasant areas.
Make eye contact (接触). When in conversation with someone, look them in the eye when you’re speaking. Keeping eye contact shows that you are paying attention. However, don’t stare at people all the time.
1. How does the writer begin the text?| A．By giving examples. | B．By telling a piece of news |
| C．By asking a question. | D．By showing a saying. |
| A．Smile. | B．Ask questions. | C．Offer praise. | D．Shake hands. |
| A．Congratulating others is helpful. | B．Finding comfortable topics can be pleasant. |
| C．Keeping eye contact is necessary. | D．Staring at people all the time can show respect. |
| A．Introduce some tips to be polite. | B．Explain the ways of greeting others. |
| C．Teach us how to give small talks. | D．Discuss some hot topics. |
6 . My dear boys and girls, good morning. Today I’m going to talk to you about my suggestions about how to become stronger.
As the high school entrance examination is coming soon, you might feel a bit worried or nervous. These feelings may make you stressed out and fail to focus on your studies. But think about it. Would your favorite superhero have these same feelings?
Scientists have been studying what they call the “Spider-Man Effect” (蜘蛛侠效应) in children. They’ve found that if kids imagine themselves as a powerful person—such as a super hero like Spider-Man, they won’t feel so nervous and will be able to focus on their work.
For example, if you feel nervous during an exam, try to imagine that you are a Spider-Man. You may find that you can “remove” the stress from this situation and feel more confident. This can help keep you fight off bad feelings and focus on your task, just like a superhero would. Pretending to be a superhero makes us feel powerful and that will have an influence on how we act in real life.
But you don’t have to always choose a superhero like Spider-man. Anyone you admire can encourage you to get through hard times, or remind you of how you should act in certain situations. Favorite stars, famous painters, even our own parents—anyone can be our “Spider-Man”. For example, when it comes to how I communicate with others, I like to look toward my mom for inspiration. She is a middle school teacher who is always kind, thoughtful and brave. I try to act the same way like her.
Thanks for your listening. I hope you can find your own strength to deal with the difficulties in your life.
1. What’s the text probably be?| A．A story. | B．A speech. | C．A letter. | D．A diary. |
| A．It will help you keep calm and focus on your exam. |
| B．You will get superpower and get good results. |
| C．It will make yourself stronger and cleverer. |
| D．You will make fewer mistakes in exams. |
| A．Feeling. | B．Becoming. | C．Imagining. | D．Encouraging. |
| A．By telling a story. | B．By listing numbers. |
| C．By showing an example. | D．By giving some information. |
| A．Find Your “Spider-Man” | B．How to Be a Better Person |
| C．Achieve Your Goal | D．Overcome Difficulties |
7 . Today, AI robots play an important role in people’s daily lives. These robots work in many areas to help people.
I’m a teaching robot. My job is to spend time with children and teach them. I look like a human being because I want to get close to children. I can sing and dance. I can also know the needs of children by hearing their words and teach them knowledge on different subjects. |
I’m a medical robot. People often use me in the operating room (手术室). I can move to some hard-to-get-to places in the human body. I can help doctors work better during operations. |
I’m a security (安全) robot. I can recognize strangers and then call the police when strangers break into a house. I always keep my eyes on smoke in the house and can let people know if there is a fire. If the house catches fire, I can also help people put it out. |
1. Where is a teaching robot probably used?
| A．In a supermarket. | B．In a store. |
| C．In a school or home. | D．In a hospital. |
| A．It can sing and dance. | B．It can call the police. |
| C．It can help doctors do operations. | D．It can teach knowledge. |
| A．By fighting against strangers. | B．By catching a fire. |
| C．By welcoming guests. | D．By helping put out the fire. |
8 . Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? It probably depends on what you’re doing for the rest of it. Before the industrial revolution, most people had leftovers or nothing for breakfast. Edward Bernays created a marketing project in the 1920s that made eggs and bacon a common breakfast choice. But in today’s world, fewer people work physically challenging jobs, so is it still necessary to begin the day with a protein-rich meal or a bowl of porridge? Does it matter if you don’t—and might there actually be health benefits to breaking your fast later in the day?
First, let’s hear from the breakfast supporters. Some studies suggest that breakfast-skippers have a risk of heart disease and high blood sugar, across a range of populations around the world. At the same time, other studies show breakfast-skippers are more likely to choose poorer foods throughout the day—which makes sense, as skipping breakfast seems to keep levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin (饥饿激素) high, while the satiety hormone leptin (饱腹感激素瘦素) stays suppressed.
Breakfast eaters often have healthier habits, but not always. What if some people really care about their health but choose to skip breakfast? Well, actually...
“Skipping breakfast can be described as a kind of time-restricted feeding’ (限时进食), as you reduce the ‘window’ when you can eat,” says the nutritionist (营养学家) Drew Price. “If I was working with someone who wanted a breakfast-skipping-type plan, then I would be paying more attention than ever to what they are eating to make sure they get enough protein, healthy fats and other beneficial nutrients. However, skipping breakfast isn’t suitable for everyone, especially those people with disordered eating, certain health conditions, and those who are young or elderly, for whom balanced energy intake is important.”
What should you do then? Just eat in the way that lets you make the healthiest choices, most long-lastingly. If that means a couple of fried eggs and some vegetables at 7 a.m., great, but if all you need to make it to 11 a.m. is a strong cup of coffee, don’t worry about it too much. Oh, and if a bowl of porridge can help guide you away from your basic needs, then go for it—we can all use a bit of help in the morning, after all.
1. According to the passage, which health risk is connected with skipping breakfast?| A．Heart disease. | B．Stomachache. | C．Cancer. | D．Cold. |
| A．balanced | B．organized | C．controlled | D．recorded |
| A．disordered eating is a good idea for children |
| B．the best breakfast habit depends on yourself |
| C．balanced energy intake is the key to a healthy life |
| D．skipping breakfast brings people more food choices |
| A．To introduce the history and development of breakfast. |
| B．To provide breakfast meal suggestions for improving health. |
| C．To highlight how the marketing influences breakfast choices. |
| D．To discuss whether you need to worry about breakfast skipping or not. |
9 . There are always many people who say “Lucky me.”, while others always complain (抱怨) “What bad luck!” What makes this difference? In fact, these lucky people are no more truly lucky or special than you and me. They simply have a few good habits and behaviors.
Lucky people always use their time wisely and make the most of every day because time is flying. One day, you are 16 years old and have your whole life in front of you. Then suddenly you wake up in 40 years old. Yes, this is how quickly time flies. So don’t waste it on meaningless things.
Besides, lucky people believe that they are lucky, so they face life hopefully. They are always in a good position and see only challenges, not problems in front of them. The ability to be active without turning a blind eye to problems is of great value.
Lucky people are not ruled by stress and try to keep calm in all conditions. This help them apply their emotional (情感的) strength properly and remain calm no matter what happened. Luckily, the ways for dealing with feelings and stressful situations are available for everyone, and with some practice, you can have them.
As you can see, luck is more about a person’s attitude (态度). Lucky people are believed to be more active and stronger, and you can learn from their habits and behaviors. Next time when you want to complain your bad luck, please change your attitude. Maybe that is a good thing.
1. Which question could best help us find out the writer’s purpose?| A．Did the writer introduce some lucky people? |
| B．Did the writer share a story about good luck? |
| C．Did the writer study the true meaning of luck? |
| D．Did the writer describe what good luck a man may have? |
| A．They grow old more easily. | B．They want to become wise. |
| C．Time goes very quickly. | D．They have to do many things. |
| A．Use. | B．Lose. | C．Avoid. | D．Hide. |
| A．How to Become a Lucky Person | B．How Lucky People Use Their Time |
| C．How to Change Your Attitude Towards Life | D．How to Be a Happy Person |
| A．A tour map. | B．A school notice. | C．A sports report. | D．A magazine. |
10 . Four New Books of 2023
River’s New Friend by Michael Roth When River first meets Willow, she thinks Willow is a perfect friend. But River quickly finds herself wrong. Willow often eats River’s food, plays with River’s toys, and takes away River’s time with Mom and Dad! What will River do? |
Children Who Dance in the Rain by Susan Justice Sophie is a young girl. She spends much time on her iPad. This changes when she takes a trip to India. There, she meets some children. They’re poor but still live a happy life. She learns a lot from them. |
Sally And Philbert’s—The Great Oak Adventure by Oliver Messner The book follows Sally and her teddy bear Philbert on a trip to find a big oak tree (橡树). Along the way they meet some of their forest friends who join them on their trip. |
School Trip by Jerry Craft Jordan, Drew, Liam and Maury plan to go on a school trip to Paris. But after their guide gets ill before the trip, the four children have to travel by themselves. Can they find their way in the end? |
1. Why does River think Willow isn’t a perfect friend?
①Because Willow makes her home dirty. ②Because Willow often eats River’s food.
③Because Willow often plays with River’s toys. ④ Because Willow spends time with River’s parents.
| A．①②③ | B．①②④ | C．②③④ | D．①③④ |
| A．She often travels to India. | B．She comes from a poor family. |
| C．She often does her homework on iPad. | D．She learns a lot from poor children in India. |
| A．People who enjoy traveling | B．Scientists who study animals |
| C．Players who are good at running | D．Children who love reading books |
