1 . Tree Festivals Around the World
Chinese people celebrate Tree Planting Day on March 12. The date was chosen to memorize a famous Chinese—Mr. Sun Yat-sen. Many other countries also celebrate trees with festivals and holidays. Though not all of them fall in spring, these events bring people closer to each other and to the wonders of nature.
| Peru (秘鲁) Yunza is a celebration of new life. Couples take turns dancing around a tree with gifts. After that, they cut it down. Then everyone rushes to get a present. This shows a new beginning. People then plant a young tree in the place of the old one. |
| Morocco (摩洛哥) Thousands of trees in a town produce many of Morocco’s almonds (杏仁). To celebrate this natural gift, this town holds the Almond Blossom Festival every year. The date depends on when the trees are in bloom (开花). People dance, sing and tell stories until late at night. |
| The United Kingdom Englishmen celebrate National Tree Week at the start of the tree-planting season in November. They also celebrate National Tree Dressing Day on the first weekend in December, aiming to lift people’s relations with nature. |
| The United States In the US, National Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday in April. It is in memory of the great tree planting event in Nebraska. In fact, each state celebrates its own Arbor Day depending on the best time to plant trees. |
1. In _______, the tree festival has something to do with a famous person.
| A．China | B．Morocco | C．the United Kingdom |
| A．dancing | B．telling ancient stories | C．planting a young tree |
| A．spring | B．summer | C．autumn |
| A．there are different Arbor Days |
| B．people celebrate the day for fun |
| C．the date depends on when the trees are in bloom |
| A．to show a new beginning of a year |
| B．to remember the gifts that trees provide for us |
| C．to bring people closer to each other and to nature |
2 . You couldn’t deeply experience Chengdu if you don’t prepare to do nothing. Sit on a bamboo chair, spread your feet out and let the afternoon slow away. Listen to hot water poured into tea cups. Taste melon seeds (瓜子) or boiled peanuts. And tea houses are the right places for you and should always be on your must-go list.
Sichuan is one of China’s major tea-producing regions. Chengdu was famous for its tea houses as early as the Tang dynasty. For centuries, tea houses were places for fun and tea. There, customers can enjoy storytelling, music, and especially Sichuan Opera. That is not a popular art these days, but Yuelai Teahouse beside Jinjiang Theater still arranges operas every Saturday afternoon.
You will find most of Chengdu’s traditional tea houses in parks. Heming Teahouse in Renmin Park attracts lunchtime office workers and afternoon visitors. When noise gets too much because of more visitors, move on to Shaocheng Teahouse in the same park. Visitors are older and quieter. They bring songbirds, hanging their cages in trees and have fun. However, new-style tea houses have been opened to attract the younger generation. They want to have a taste for traditional teas in a more modern style. The most famous one of them is Mi Xun Teahouse in Taikoo Li, which is right in the city’s most fashionable shopping area.
As in all tea houses, the tea comes in separate packets which can be kept warm. Maofeng green tea from Mount Emei, south of Chengdu, is the traditional favorite. Shake the leaves into your cup. Don’t let the water in your cup get too low, since any bad taste from the leaves is on the bottom. You can enjoy your tea all afternoon and order nothing else.
In Chengdu tea houses, people relax themselves by staying away from busy work and life. The capital of Sichuan is developing fast too, but has managed to keep its slower style that has been lost in many other Chinese cities.
1. The first paragraph leads to the topic by ________.| A．telling stories | B．creating a scene |
| C．giving reasons | D．asking questions |
| A．The main types of tea houses. | B．The address of tea houses. |
| C．Different visitors of tea houses. | D．Some activities in tea houses. |
| A．Because it may make the tea too hot. | B．Because it may make the leaves float. |
| C．Because it may make the tea not tasty. | D．Because it may make the tea too bitter. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
3 . What’s the best book to read when you travel? Of course, the books that can bring you closer to the places you visit. By reading the books, those places will become more attractive when they are in front of you! Here are the books you can carry if you want to go to the following places.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette It is a novel written by Maria Semple. It is told in emails and stories. It talks about how Bee Branch tries to find her missing mother, Bernadette. The story happens in Seattle, Washington. Although it has some heart-breaking plots, in general it’s a funny story. This novel can be a good friend when you visit those famous places mentioned in the book. |
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Midnight’s Children Midnight’s Children is a novel of 20th-century’s India. Salman Rushdie’s story begins at midnight, on the night of India’s independence (独立) . The 1, 001 children born at that hour are found to have magical powers. This novel is mixed with imagination and real events. By reading this book, you can also know more about the customs of India. |
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A Wild Child’s Guide to Endangered Animals Here comes this great celebration of the animal kingdom! It is written by Millie Marotta, a New York Times bestselling author. The book takes readers on a trip through freshwater, oceans, forests, mountains, deserts, grasslands and wetlands around the world while learning about rare and well-known animals and their living places. |
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My Name is Red The book is written by the Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Orhan Pamuk. It has been translated into more than 50 languages and published around the world. It tells a story of a young man, who has been away from home for 12 years, coming back to his hometown in Istanbul. The book is full of detailed pictures which show the special tradition of local culture. It also encourages people to have a deeper thinking of life. |
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1. Who might be most interested in reading the passage?
| A．Students interested in world history. |
| B．Authors in need of writing advice. |
| C．Booksellers looking for advertisements. |
| D．Travellers in need of guide. |
| A．Midnight’s Children | B．A Wild Child’s Guide to Endangered Animals |
| C．My Name is Red | D．Where’d You Go, Bernadette |
| A．Bee Branch went on a trip in Seattle with her mother. |
| B．The plots in Salman Rushdie’s story all come from real life. |
| C．Millie Marotta’s book shows beautiful scenes mainly from India. |
| D．My Name is Red is a popular book all over the world |
4 . Comfortable to wear in both hot and cold weather, silk is as popular today as it was first made.
The method to produce silk has changed very little since it first began 5,000 years ago. It starts with small silkworms (蚕) that eat a special kind of leaves. When they are fully grown, the silkworms create a cocoon—a protective coat made of silk. For production, workers first pick these cocoons and divide them according to their quality. They are then gently boiled in hot water in order to be softened and ready for use. At the same time, the worms inside are dead. The silk is later turned into thread (丝线). Silk thread is then coloured and finally made into cloth on the machine.
Although growing and wearing silk is very popular worldwide today, it was only produced in China at first. Actually, it was so valuable that at one time only the Chinese emperor and his family were allowed to wear it. The Chinese kept the method of silk making a secret and made strict laws against taking silkworms out of China. To smuggle them would be put to death. However, a princess in the fifth century and two monks in the sixth century managed to take some silkworm eggs out of China. And this started other countries’ silk making industry.
Before this, Europeans depended on businessmen bringing silk from East Asia. They travelled across Central Asia and the Middle East. In fact, so much silk was brought to Europe on this route that it became famous as the Silk Road. By the time of the Han Dynasty, silk had become popular in Europe.
Today, China produces around 80% of the silk worldwide. Although man-made materials are cheaper and easier to make, the silk is still hard to be replaced, and there is always a large market home and abroad.
1. Which shows the correct steps of silk making according to the passage?
| A．b-e-a-d-c | B．e-b-a-d-c | C．b-e-a-c-d | D．e-b-a-c-d |
| A．Businessmen brought silk through the Silk Road to Europe. |
| B．The emperor traded the skill for valuable objects. |
| C．Some silkworm eggs were taken out of China in secret. |
| D．The law allowed other countries to learn the skill. |
| A．Keep something a secret. | B．Take out of the country secretly. |
| C．Trade one thing for another. | D．Take something by accident |
| A．To show the development of Silk Road. |
| B．To introduce the history of silk. |
| C．To explain how to feed silkworms. |
| D．To show how popular silk is. |
5 . As new technology is introduced, there are many who worry about its influence on our jobs. It is believed that with the rise of robotics and artificial intelligence, many people’s jobs are likely to be lost to automation (自动化).
Automation in the work place is nothing new. Machines have been doing boring and repetitive tasks for us for years. In fact, the International Federation of Robotics says that in manufacturing (制造业) there are now 74 robots per 10,000 employees (员工). That has risen from 66 in 2015.
General Manager of a tech firm Nuance, Bernard Louvat, believes that “AI is a big threat to low-skilled jobs, no question.” He also thinks that AI chatbots will replace (取代) most call centre workers within a few years.
And that’s just one industry. A recent report from the McKinsey Global Institute, says that nearly two thirds of all jobs could have at least 30% of their activities automated by 2030.
However, McKinsey also believes that this new technology will also “create new jobs that do not exist today, much as technologies in the past have done.”
“It’s an evolution (演化) of work,” says Ian Barkin, a robotic process automation expert. As low-skilled jobs are taken on by AI, people will need to learn new skills. “This calls on us to focus on up-skilling. Technology can lead to job reductions but it doesn’t have to,” says Barkin.
Whether or not robotics and AI will leave us all jobless remains to be seen. Views on the subject are mixed. Increased automation could indeed lead to a loss of some jobs, but at the same time is likely to create many more as new skills are required. Will they balance out? I’ll get my AI assistant to get back to you on that one.
1. According to Paragraph.1, what do many people worry about?| A．Rising cost of living. | B．Increase in job satisfaction. |
| C．Reduction in job chances. | D．Improvement in skill requirements. |
| A．Engineers. | B．Drivers. | C．Scientists. | D．Lawyers. |
| A．AI has little influence on low-skilled industries. |
| B．We should pay attention to improving our skills. |
| C．All jobs could have at least 30% of their activities automated by 2030. |
| D．AI presents challenges to low-skilled jobs, but it also creates new jobs. |
| A．Will robots create more jobs? | B．Robots take on our jobs. |
| C．Will robots cost us our jobs? | D．Robots change our jobs. |
6 . Being bored is no fun, especially at work. However, a recent study at the Australian National University suggests that boredom may have unexpected advantages.
In a study, 52 people were given a boring task of sorting (分类) red and green beans for 30 minutes, while another group of 49 people was asked to create art projects with paper, beans, and glue. Then both groups were instructed to spend five minutes on a creative task. Surprisingly, the group that had performed the boring task produced much more creative ideas than the group that had taken part in the art project.
“From the research, we can learn boredom is not necessarily terrible,” says the study’s lead researcher, Guihyun Park. “People want to get out of a boring condition, so they will look for novelty (新颖), which can lead to special thinking and bring out creativity.” Moreover, it’s also worth noting that studies have found that not everyone experiences the same level of creative advantage from boredom. Researchers have discovered in one experiment (实验) that people who are open to new experiences are more likely (可能的) to learn a lot from being bored.
For designers (设计师) and anyone in a creative field, boredom is not something to fear, but to gladly accept. J. K. Rowling, the writer of the Harry Potter series (系列), has shared how she would spend hours sitting on trains, letting her mind wander (漫游) and coming up with new ideas for her stories. This boredom allowed her to bring out her creativity and imagination, leading to one of the most beloved book series ever.
1. What does the recent study find about boredom?| A．It raises people’ patience. |
| B．It leads to terrible feelings. |
| C．It brings unexpected advantages. |
| A．Boredom. | B．Creativity. | C．Special thinking. |
| A．People who are afraid of changes. |
| B．People who want to try new things. |
| C．People who enjoy competing with others. |
| A．To show the advantage of accepting boredom. |
| B．To explain the creation of the Harry Potter series. |
| C．To encourage people to stay bored in their daily life. |
7 . Someday, you may no longer need to brush your teeth by hand. Instead, billions of nanoparticles (纳米颗粒) could do all that work for you. The nanoparticles are very tiny, metalic (金属制的) balls. Magnets make them move. A magnet (磁铁) is a piece of iron (铁), often in a horseshoe shape, which can attract iron naturally.
“If you set up a magnet in just the right way,” says Ed Steager, “you can arrange (安排) them into any shape you want.”
Steager is an engineer at the University of Pennsylvania in the USA. HyunKoo is an inventor and dental (牙齿的) researcher who also works there. Together, they found a way to form the nanoparticles into long, skinny bristles (刷毛), a lot like the ones on a toothbrush. But these bristles can change the shape to fit whatever surface they touch. They can even move between teeth, like floss (牙线).
A new way to clean teeth could help out anyone who finds this chore boring, says Koo. But it would be especially life-changing for people with disabilities or illnesses that make it difficult or impossible to hold and move a toothbrush.
The scientists tested the robotic bristles in the lab. The removed gunk from plastic teeth and from human teeth. The scientists reported their invention on June 28, 2022.
The device (设备) isn’t yet ready for people to use. The magnets and nanoparticles will need to fit comfortably and safely inside a person’s mouth. The researchers are working with a company to make their dream come true. But if these inventors can perfect the device, it will do good to a lot of people.
A dental researcher says of the Pennsylvania robotic brush, “It’s very innovative.”
1-2题完成句子；3-5题简略回答问题。1.
2. The new invention was reported on
3. What does a magnet look like?
4. Who may especially need the new way to clean teeth?
5. Do you like the new invention? Why or why not?
8 .
Schools in Guangping County of Handan, Hebei Province, held interesting celebration to welcome students back to school as the new term began on Tuesday. Kindergarten kids enjoyed themselves most with many activities, such as drawing lots(抽签) printed with good luck for their new school year. They could also choose a present prepared by their teachers. |
Children call for lighter backpacks. Children in Japan have been talking about their hating the weight of their traditional backpacks. In a survey, more than 90% said that their bags gave them sore shoulders and backs. Schoolbags can weigh up to 22 pounds when packed with books and other supplies students need. Some schools allow children to leave textbooks home at night to help lighten their bags. |
The UK’s greenest school is being rebuilt. A school in Derby, the UK, that was harmed by a fire is being rebuilt to be the UK’s greenest school. St Mary’s Catholic Primary School has been redesigned(重新设计) to help students feel more connected with nature. There will be wildflowers and solar panels (太阳能电池板) on the roof, and large windows so students can have views of greenery. |
| A．Happy New Year, Kids | B．Lots with lucky words |
| C．Thanks a lot to teachers | D．Welcoming kids back to school |
| A．Students aren’t happy with some rules at school. |
| B．Students enjoy their school life. |
| C．Students in Japan have much lighter schoolwork. |
| D．Schoolbags in Japan are really heavy themselves. |
| A．Personal. | B．Traditional. | C．International. | D．Environmental. |
| A．celebrations | B．kid’s health | C．schools | D．school buildings |
①Japan’s population is rapidly aging, with 28 percent of its people aged 65 or older. This means there aren’t enough young people doing jobs that need physical strength (力量) like building things and farming.
②To encourage older people to work on, technology companies in Japan have developed special suits called exoskeleton (外骨骼). These suits can make it easier to lift and carry heavy objects.
③“We have no choice, elderly people need to stay in the workplace,” says Daigo Orihara at Innophys. This company has made a suit called the Every Muscle Suit. It’s light, weighing less than 4 kg. It doesn’t need any batteries (电池) or motors (发动机). When users put it on like a backpack, they pump (抽气) air into it 30 times with a hand pump. Then, the suit can help them lift up to 25 kg easily. The suit costs about 1000 pounds and is used by food companies to help worker lift big boxes, by old people’s homes to help workers lift people in and out of bed, as well as by food factories and building companies.
④Another company, Panasonic, is also developing different exoskeleton suits. Its most important one—the Atoun Model Y—costs 4200 pounds. It uses motors instead of air to work and can last for 8 hours. It weighs 4.5 kg and can help users lift up to 10 kg.
⑤Similarly, Japanese company JTEKT, part of the Toyota group, also began selling an exoskeleton. It’s used to help older workers and also runs on a motor.
⑥As Japan is facing the problems of fewer and fewer workers, they may need to raise the age when people stop working. This means there will be even more need for exoskeleton to help older people keep working.
1. Why do Japanese technology companies develop exoskeleton?| A．To take the place of humans with machines. |
| B．To compete with other countries in technology. |
| C．To encourage older people to stay in jobs for longer. |
| D．To help young workers move heavy objects more easily. |
| A．The Every Muscle Suit needs electricity. |
| B．The Every Muscle Suit can help users lift up to 25 kg. |
| C．The Every Muscle Suit is heavier than the Atoun Model Y. |
| D．The Every Muscle Suit is more expensive than the Atoun Model Y. |
(①=Para.1 ②=Para.2 ③=Para.3 ④=Para.4 ⑤=Para.5 ⑥= Para.6)
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．The Every Muscle Suit | B．Japan’s Technology Companies |
| C．Reasons for Japan’s Aging Challenge | D．Exoskeletons: to Solve Japan’s Aging Challenge |
10 . In October 2023, three Mediterranean fruit flies were discovered in Leimert Park, California. This was serious news for farmers in California, a big farming state. The solution to the problem seems a little unusual: freeing millions more of the flies.
The Mediterranean fruit fly, known as the “Medfly”, is one of the most serious dangers to farmers worldwide. Once the flies make their way into an area, it can be very hard for farmers to drive them away.
The flies lay their eggs in over 300 kinds of fruits and vegetables. When the eggs hatch, they turn into worm-like larvae that can destroy these products. However, it can be hard to know that the flies are there until it’s too late.
The fruits and vegetables still look normal even after the eggs are laid inside. So the damaged fruits and vegetables can be sent to other places, allowing the Medflies to spread.
To stop the problem from spreading, the government build a large quarantine area, which means that no farm products can be moved out of that area. Luckily, California has developed a program to control Medflies. The plan includes using planes to drop millions of Medflies over the area. In fact, they only drop male flies, and all of them have been treated so that they can’t help produce new fruit flies. The males are sterile. This means that even though they can mate with female fruit flies, the eggs produced will never grow or hatch.
The plan may sound like a bad idea at first, but it can surely make Medfly numbers fall.
1. What does the underlined word “This” refer to?| A．The farming in California. |
| B．The reason for freeing the flies. |
| C．The solution to the fruit fly problem. |
| D．The discovery of Medflies in California. |
| A．Producing harmful waste. |
| B．Bringing diseases to farmers. |
| C．Damaging farm products badly. |
| D．Attracting more Medflies to the fields. |
| A．How do Medflies lay eggs? | B．Where do Medflies spread? |
| C．When do Medflies lay eggs? | D．Why is it hard to find Medflies? |
| A．By producing new fruit flies. |
| B．By moving out the female Medflies. |
| C．By dropping sterile male Medflies. |
| D．By building an area to keep Medflies |
| A．Finding a Way to Grow Crops |
| B．Fighting Fruit Flies with Fruit Flies |
| C．Stopping a Health Problem from Spreading |
| D．Developing a Program to Produce More Fruits |
