1 . 
After a 10-year project to count tuna and other large fish in the world’s oceans, scientists have made a very surprising discovery: these fish are almost gone. Because of too much fishing, almost 90 percent of the worldwide population of large fish—the ones we usually eat—has disappeared. If we don’t act, these animals will totally disappear. That will influence every animal in the ocean.
The demand for fish is growing. Almost a billion people around the world get their protein (蛋白质) mostly from fish. Doctors praise seafood for being low in fat. But what seems like a healthy choice for humans is causing a disaster to our oceans. “People are consuming (消费) too much.” says Lance Morgan, a scientist at the Marine Conservation Biology Institute.
A dish of tuna in restaurants costs more than just one animal’s life. When fish like tuna disappear from the ecosystem (生态系统), the ocean’s food chain (链) breaks down. Animals such as sharks, which normally eat tuna, may die because they find no food.
The news may be scary, but taking action from now on can prevent harm that hasn’t happened yet. World organizations are ordering countries to stop fishing too much. The Monterey Bay Aquarium gives seafood choices to anyone hoping to keep healthy without destroying the environment.
“If you care about wildlife, first spend time and think about your own values and beliefs.” says Morgan. “Then decide what you’re going to eat.”
1. How does the writer start the text?| A．By giving a fact. | B．By asking a question. |
| C．By telling a story. | D．By using a saying. |
| A．Wish. | B．Support. | C．Need. | D．Price. |
| A．if sharks die out, tuna will die out soon |
| B．tuna will be more popular in restaurants |
| C．tuna plays an important role in the ecosystem |
| D．tuna disappeared because they found no food |
| A．To tell people to stop polluting our oceans. |
| B．To tell people to protect wildlife in oceans. |
| C．To tell people to avoid eating too much seafood. |
| D．To tell people to live a balanced and healthy life. |
2 . 
Spring is here, and it is time to enjoy West Lake Longjing tea. Usually, we think of workers picking tea leaves by hand. But now, some Longjing tea is being picked by metal workers-tea-picking robots!
In a Hangzhou tea garden, a smart tea-picking robot developed by Zhejiang Sci-Tech University started to work for the first time. “We took thousands of pictures of new tea buds (芽) and gave them to the robot to learn. The robot uses an AI model to recognize the buds it needs to pick,” said Professor Chen Jianneng. This lets the robot find the right tea buds about 90 percent of the time.
The robot’s arm pulls and then sucks (吸) up the tea buds. These buds are quickly moved into a special box. After the robot collects all the buds from the area it’s working in, it will move them to a main box.
The robot was made because there are not enough people to pick tea. In Zhejiang, about 400, 000 more pickers are needed now. “Picking is the biggest challenge for the development of the tea industry,” said Professor Wu Chuanyu, who leads the research team.
“Tea-picking robots are a trend (趋势) of the future,” said Wu. About five years from now, the robots will do the job of picking West Lake Longjing tea instead of people, Wu added.
1. Before the smart tea-picking robot worked for the first time, it had learned to_________.| A．move the special boxes into a main box | B．recognize which tea buds it should pick |
| C．use an AI model’s arm to pull tea buds | D．draw thousands of pictures of new tea buds |
| A．Paragraph 1. | B．Paragraph 2. | C．Paragraph 3. | D．Paragraph 4. |
| A．Harmless. | B．Common. | C．Useful. | D．Interesting. |
| A．Joining tea with technology | B．Best time to pick tea |
| C．West Lake Longjing tea | D．The challenge of the tea industry |
3 . Let’s read something about the history of three kinds of traditional Chinese clothes.
The qipao is developed from the long dress worn by Manchu (满族) women during the Qing Dynasty. The Manchu people were also known as Qi people, so the dress was called qipao. Now it has been developed into many styles. There are differences in colors, materials and designs. For example, Beijing’s style is more traditional than Shanghai’s style.
The Tang suit is developed from the clothes worn by Manchu men during the Qing Dynasty. Its name came from the overseas Chinese. As the Tang Dynasty was famous for being powerful in the world, foreigners called the overseas Chinese the “Tang people” and the clothes they wore were called the “Tang suit”. It usually has Chinese characters “福” or “囍” on it to express good luck or best wishes.
The Zhongshan suit is a type of men’s jacket. It was first advocated (倡导) by Sun Zhongshan. The design connects traditional Chinese styles with Western clothing styles. It has a few pockets on the front, two up and two down, which are equally (均等地) put left and right. The colors of Zhongshan suits are different, but usually plain (朴素的), including black, white, blue and grey. They are not bright.
1. People think qipao from Shanghai is ________ than that from Beijing.| A．more modern | B．much longer |
| C．much brighter | D．more traditional |
| A．If a person wears it, he or she must be rich. |
| B．People began to wear it from the Tang Dynasty. |
| C．The name has to do with the strong Tang Dynasty. |
| D．Only old men could wear it in the Qing Dynasty. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four |
| A．Culture. | B．Travel. | C．Science. | D．Sports. |
4 . Shadow puppetry (皮影戏) started during the Western Han Dynasty and it has a long history of more than 2,000 years. It used to be popular in the countryside because it was simple and cheap.
The puppets are usually made from leather (皮革) or paper. It is hard to make them. The puppet-makers have to take 24 steps, which include washing the leather, carving (雕刻) and painting, to make a puppet.
Just like many things that are in danger, traditional arts also face the risk of disappearing. “Many young people still think that shadow puppetry is an old-fashioned folk art.” said Liu Chaokan, the sixth-generation inheritor (继承人) of shadow puppetry in Yunnan province.
Liu understands why old art forms couldn’t interest young people, so he connects new stories with the traditional form of storytelling. In a recent show based on the ancient Chinese novel Journey to the West, Baigujing dances to a Korean pop song. Popular Chinese cartoon characters, together with the modern factors (元素), are Liu’s secret in getting the attention of children. “Since they couldn’t understand those old stories, why don’t we show them the cartoon characters they love in shadow puppetry shows?” said Liu.
To keep the old art forever young, Liu thinks they should respect (尊重) its traditions and protect the basic of the art.
1. What are the puppets made from?2. How do many young people feel about shadow puppetry according to Liu Chaokan?
3. Which ancient Chinese novel is mentioned in the passage?
4. Do you think traditional arts like shadow puppetry will disappear? Why or why not? Write 30 words or more.
What do you think of celebrating Christmas Day in China? Christmas Day is very popular in China, especially for young people. Should Chinese people celebrate Christmas Day? 60% people think that we should not take Christmas so seriously, 10% think everyone should celebrate Christmas.
Some people think celebrating Christmas Day can help them understand western culture better. Some people think it is a great holiday to have a good time with their families and friends. During Christmas Day, they can meet friends, go shopping, watch movies and go to different parties.
But I have different ideas. China has its own holidays, such as the Spring Festival, Double Ninth Festival and Mid-Autumn Day, so we don’t have to celebrate holidays from other countries. Some people spend a lot of money celebrating Christmas Day. People buy lots of gifts for their friends and families, but this is not the best way to show their love.
1. Who likes Christmas Day better in China?2. How many reasons are listed for celebrating Christmas Day?
3. What’s the writer’s opinion about celebrating Christmas Day?
4. Which Chinese festival do you like best? Why? (Write 30 words or more.)
6 . It has been two months since Richard Watson placed 200 special transmitters (信号发射机) for his cows. They are parts of an AI system named Ida. This AI system can send messages to Watson’s phone when his cows are healthy or when they are not feeling well. It can tell how many animals are sick to the dairy farmers (奶农) and also help them pick out the sick animals.
With the AI system, farmers can get the information from their phones instead of going to the farms to check animals every day. So this AI system can help people spend their free time doing other things. Many dairy farmers are interested in Ida. Watson is one of them. On a common morning in March, he took out his phone to check his Ida App. It showed that Cows #97800 and #97782 were eating less. This might mean that there was something wrong with them.
However, some farmers say, “I can find out the sick cow just by looking at her eyes.” Mark Rodgers is a neighbor of Watson’s. He said, “This is what I can do by myself. My experience can help me look after them better. Technology isn’t useful.”
Ida was developed by Yasir Khokhar, the boss of the company. He said he came up with the idea while he was living on a farm in Holland. The system can record cow’s behaviors by studying videos of them. The company is still trying to improve this technology to provide much more convenience for farmers.
1. According to the text, the AI system Ida can help farmers ________.① chat with their animals ② pick out the sick animals ③ record animals’ behaviors ④ change animals’ food
| A．①② | B．②③ | C．③④ | D．②④ |
| A．Farmers have problems feeding cows. |
| B．Farmers are busy doing other things. |
| C．This AI system is used in different ways. |
| D．This AI system is popular with dairy farmers. |
| A．Creative. | B．Brave. | C．Honest. | D．Friendly. |
| A．Yasit Khokhar will stop his company business. |
| B．Richard Watson will keep more cows on his farm. |
| C．Mark Rodgers doesn’t want any help from the system. |
| D．The system can also provide the cows with music lessons. |
Friendship is an important part of life, but not every student is good at making friends. Do you have many friends? Are you good at making friends? Well, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to make friends. Here are some helpful suggestions about how to make friends.
·Improve your conversational (谈话的) skills. You should learn how to have conversations with others. It is an important skill you should learn. To start a conversation, you can use simple questions like “What’s your hobby?” or “Do you have any pets?”. Remember not to ask questions that are too private. For example, never ask a young lady about her age. It’s not polite to do that.
·Try to be an outgoing person. It seems that nobody wants to make friends with shy people. Don’t be shy if you want to make more friends. You should try to be outgoing. If you are outgoing, you might be popular among your classmates.
·Look for more chances to make new friends. Don’t be sad if you don’t have many friends. Maybe that’s because you don’t have enough chances to meet new people. You can try to find more chances to make new friends. You can go to new places or join new activities so that you can meet some new people. There you can find some students who have similar hobbies.
1. What is the text about?2. How many tips are given by the author?
3. How can you meet some new people?
4. Which suggestion above is the most helpful to you and why? Write 30 words or more.
8 . 
Blossom in the Mountains is a new film which came out on June 9, 2023. Based on Shaanxi’s writer Wang Jie’s novel named Flowers Blossom with Sounds, the film tells the story of love and growth between a volunteer teacher and her students in the deep Qinling Mountains. It was directed by Liu Quanwei and produced by Xi’an Jiafang Film and Television Company. The film was mainly acted by Lin Wanying, Wang Gang, and Jiang Haolun.
Liu Xiaohui, a young volunteer music teacher from Nanjing, is sent to teach at a primary school in the Qinling Mountains, where she meets a group of left-behind children. These children bring Liu Xiaohui not only joy but also challenges. The time spending with them slowly heals (治愈) Liu’s heartbreak of losing her mother and makes a difference in her life from before. And her kindness moves the children and makes them behave better and study harder.
Zhang Chengfeng, one of the left-behind children, seldom talks to others after his mother died. He always causes troubles and makes the headmaster Mr. Ma really angry. With Miss Liu’s great care and kind help, the boy starts to communicate with others and falls in love with music. Later, Zhang makes great progress and becomes the lead singer of the school music group.
“Each time you shed tears (挥泪) you will grow up. Without anyone’s appreciating birds still fly high with wings.” As the theme song of the film sings, this is a film with the collaboration (协作) between Jiangsu and Shaanxi as its background and with a focus on children’s spiritual growth as its theme. “Love in the world makes flowers bloom. We should provide more care and inspiration for special children so that they can grow up healthily and happily,” the writer Wang Jie says.
1. What does the underlined word “she” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Jiang Haolun. | B．Liu Xiaohui. | C．Wang Gang. | D．Zhang Chengfeng. |
| A．The story between Zhang Chengfeng and Miss Liu. |
| B．The teaching experience of Liu Xiaohui. |
| C．The difficult life at the mountain village. |
| D．The argument between Mr. Ma and Miss Liu. |
| A．Beautiful and active. | B．Serious but friendly. |
| C．Kind and caring. | D．Lovely but lonely. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
9 . AI (人工智能) can help teenagers and students learn in several ways.
Personalized (个性化的) learning: AI can know better about students, including their advantages, weaknesses, skills, learning favorites and learning needs. Then it can create a proper learning plan for each student. This can help students concentrate on areas that they need to improve at their own speed.
Interactive (交互的) learning: AI has the ability to make learning more interactive and interesting. Things like interactive learning apps and educational games can make subject learning more interesting. What’s more, they can make students interested in a subject at once. This kind of active learning is sure to be more helpful than studying alone.
Automated (自动的) advice and help: AI can provide automated advice and answers to questions. It can examine students’ work and provide personalized help. For example, ChatGPT can answer students’ questions quickly in a private, low-pressure way. This kind of advice and answers can help students better understand knowledge and use their knowledge.
Greater resources (资源): AI can make many of the students’ learning resources richer and wider, like electronic textbooks, online courses, and study apps. For example, a biology textbook with AI technology may provide interactive 3D models of a human body that students can study more carefully. AI can provide interactive examples, introduce important passages, and offer assessments (评价).
In a word, AI has a great ability to improve studying and learning. By using AI, students can study smarter and reach higher levels of learning and success. The future of AI in education is hopeful as technologies continue to develop.
1. What can AI do by knowing better about students?| A．Offer proper personal learning plans. | B．Get more learning experiences. |
| C．Find out students’ learning speed. | D．Know more about learning favorites. |
| A．Knowledgeable. | B．Traditional. | C．Interesting. | D．Difficult. |
| A．To show AI can provide rich resources. | B．To show bi ology is easy to learn. |
| C．To describe something more about 3D. | D．To introduce a way of assessment. |
| A．AI—hopeful or hopeless | B．AI—a smart help for learning |
| C．AI needs new technologies | D．AI is much better than a teacher |
Mars, Robots, Higher Prices and More
What will the world look like in 2045? I recently spoke with four American students, Caden Sorensen, Chandler Stark, Fatima Abdi and Noelani Velasco Polley, to get their thoughts on this question.
In 2045, the kids think, humans will be able to live on Mars. They suggest that everyone should spend a few years on the red planet to give the Earth a “rest”. “And when we come back, we must try not to pollute as much,” says Stark.
But Mars is not yet ready for human habitation (居住). The kids agree that immediate action must be taken to clean up the Earth. “It’s time to fix it now,” says Sorensen. “It’s not going to fix itself.”
The kids do not just care about progress in space exploration. They are also interested in the future jobs.
Stark hopes to compose (创作) music for TV shows one day. Abdi wants to be a business owner. Sorensen dreams about becoming a lawyer. Polley wants to be a scientist.
“I don’ t think there will be a lot of fast-food jobs,” said Abdi. She also thinks that everything is going to get a lot more expensive. “People will have to look for higher-paying jobs.”
Many jobs, the kids predict (预测), will be replaced by robots. “There’ll be no more factory jobs because robots can just do everything,” says Stark. But they believe the power to shape the future is in human hands. The world will be a better place, but of course, “we need to work hard, and we all need to learn to be kind to others.”
1. In the kids’opinion, where will humans be able to live in 2045?2. What is Sorensen’s idea about the Earth?
3. Why does Stark say there will be no more factory jobs?
4. What do you think the world will look like in 2045? Write 30 words or more.
