1 . There were two men who lived next to each other. One of them was a retired teacher and the other was a lawyer. Both of them had planted many different plants in their gardens. The retired teacher hardly watered his plants and didn’t care much for them. But his neighbor was very careful with his plants and watered them often.
The retired teacher’s plants were small, but still looked okay, while the lawyer’s plants were much bigger and greener. One night, there was a heavy rain and strong wind, then came a terrible storm. The next morning, both of the neighbors came out to check on their gardens. The lawyer saw that his plants had been ripped from (拽出) the ground and were totally destroyed (摧毁). But the retired teacher’s plants were not damaged at all but stood firm (坚定的).
The lawyer was surprised. He went to ask the retired teacher.“We both grew the same plants and I cared for my plants better than you did. How could your plants still be okay?” The retired teacher smiled and said, “Because you gave your plants too much care. You made it too easy for them to grow. I gave my plants just a little bit of water, so their roots (根) had to grow deeper to absorb (吸收) more water. That is why my plants survived (幸存).”
1. What is the relationship between the two men?| A．Teacher and student. | B．Doctor and patient. |
| C．Classmates. | D．Neighbors. |
| A．Happy. | B．Surprised. | C．Sad. | D．Excited. |
| A．easily | B．completely | C．hardly | D．comfortably |
| A．smart | B．lazy | C．quick | D．easy |
| A．Growing a garden is not as easy as it looks. | B．A storm can destroy all the plants in your garden. |
| C．Too much care can make us become weak. | D．Plants know how to protect themselves from storms. |
2 . Now more people have to work indoors with computers. This means much sitting and little exercise. We have known that if we don’t move much, we will get fatter, we will have heart problems and maybe we will get diabetes (糖尿病). But new studies have shown that it could hurt our mental (精神的) health, too.
A study of 937 Brazilian adults found that about one-third of them sat for more than 10 hours per day. It reported that people who sat for too long often showed more symptoms (症状) of depression (抑郁).
Another study was centered on children. It found that each extra hour of sitting time at the age of 12, 14 and 16 led to higher depression points at age 18.
But according to Mats Hallgren from Sweden, “Sitting for too long can slow the blood flow (流动) in the body, including the blood flow to the head.” It might be bad for the growth of neurons (神经细胞) in the head. Besides, couch potatoes might do other unhealthy things while sitting, such as eating junk food. All of these may lead to depression.
The good news? It’s easy to control. Aaron Kandola from University College London, said even light exercise might help. “It is great to exercise and play sports.” said Kandola. But anything you can do to avoid sitting for too long will help with moods (心情), stress and thinking clearly. The key is just to move more often.
1. What might happen if we sit for a long time according to the passage?①We may feel more active.
②We may become fatter.
③Our mental health may be hurt.
④Our blood will flow more slowly.
⑤Our neurons in the brain will grow.
| A．①②④ | B．②③④ | C．②③⑤ | D．①②⑤ |
| A．900 | B．200 | C．300 | D．500 |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．People who often eat junk food. | B．People who love to eat potatoes on the couch. |
| C．People whose neurons grow faster than others. | D．People who don’t move very much. |
| A．Staying at home causes depression. | B．Sitting can help people think clearly. |
| C．More exercise can help improve one’s mood. | D．It is easy to control illness caused by sitting. |
3 . Stand-up comedy (脱口秀) is becoming popular with young people in China. One person stands in front of people and tells something funny that happened to them. They will try their best to make people laugh.
A stand-up comedian (脱口秀演员) is different from an actor. An actor usually has a team of other actors to work with. However, a stand-up comedian’s success depends on his or her own. It usually takes days or even weeks of hard work to make people laugh for a few minutes.
Stand-up comedy has many different kinds. It can include a story on funny things. It can be just several jokes. The comedian can start his or her show almost anywhere—clubs, bars or parties. Stand-up comedy has come a long way in the West, but it is new in China. Today the most popular stand-up comedy show in China is Rock & Roast (《脱口秀大会》). All of its four seasons were popular. When the first season came out, it soon became one of the hottest TV shows in China. The show is such a big success that it has opened a new door to stand-up comedians. More and more young people have begun watching stand-up comedy. And some of them even start doing it as a full-time job. They say it’s a great way to relax.
1. What’s the purpose of stand-up comedy?| A．To share ideas. | B．To stand in front of people. |
| C．To introduce a new art. | D．To make people laugh. |
| A．They work with other actors. | B．Their success is much easier. |
| C．Their success depends on their own. | D．They can only start their show in the theatre. |
| A．光滑的 | B．全职的 | C．不适的 | D．惊人的 |
| A．It’s very special. | B．It’s very successful. | C．It’s very important. | D．It’s very educational. |
| A．The history of stand-up comedy. | B．How stand-up comedy changes people’s life. |
| C．Stand-up comedy is getting popular in China. | D．What are needed to be a stand-up comedy performer. |
Paul was a rich young man. When his father died, he left Paul a beautiful forest manor (庄园). Unluckily, before Paul could sell it for lots of money, lightning (闪电) caused a fire and burnt (烧) the manor.
| A．Paul went for a walk. |
| B．Paul felt too worried to eat or drink. |
| C．He has owned the manor for many years. |
| D．Then an idea came to his mind. |
| E．Paul was glad to get the money from the bank. |
| F．As soon as his charcoal went on the market, it sold out quickly. |
| G．Watching the ash (灰烬) overnight, Paul felt his heart was broken. |
5 . One afternoon last year, I walked with my friend along the road in my hometown. He was not a clever student but worked harder than any other student when we studied at school. And now, he is an excellent worker in his company. When we came to a wide bridge, we met a blind man who went to the same direction (方向) as us. He walked very slowly, finding the way with a stick in his hand. I talked with my friend as we were walking. I talked about my five job-hopping (跳槽) experiences within two years and complained (抱怨) the trouble I was still going through. My friend just nodded (点头) and smiled, but he kept silent all along. After a while, I looked forward and found that the blind man walked farther than we did. I couldn’t believe it. I asked, “How did the blind man walk faster than we did?” My friend said. “Because he put his whole heart into walking.” That was for sure. He was just absorbed (专注的) in walking, but I was always talking and complaining while walking. I suddenly learned an important lesson that whatever I want to do well, I must put my whole heart into it.
1. The writer visited his friend because ________.| A．he missed his friend | B．he wanted to ask for help |
| C．he planned to serve his friend a big meal. | D．he invited his friend to his school |
| A．He helped him walk across the bridge. |
| B．He laughed at him for walking so slowly. |
| C．He didn’t pay too much attention (注意) to the blind man. |
| D．He talked to the blind man about his past experiences. |
| A．surprised | B．angry | C．glad | D．upset |
| A．The writer’s friend did well in all subjects at school because he was clever. |
| B．The writer and his friend met the blind man in a park. |
| C．The writer changed his job four times within two years. |
| D．The writer’s friend didn’t complain about anything around him during the talk. |
| A．The longest journey starts with the first step. |
| B．We should take care of the blind. |
| C．If we want to achieve something, we should be absorbed in doing it. |
| D．We should study well to get better jobs. |
6 . At the zoo, you can easily see a panda. Their black-and-white fur stands out against the green bamboo. But wait! What if a tiger can see pandas as easily as we can? Wouldn’t pandas be quickly eaten in the wild?
A new study shows pandas’ black-and-white color helps them hide in the wild.
“If we want to understand animal colors, we need to look at where they live,” Tim Caro from University of Bristol said in a report.
According to Caro, wild pandas live in mountain forests in southwest China. There are shady (成荫的) places, as well as snowy areas. Pandas’ faces and bellies (肚子) are white to help them hide in snowy areas. Their arms and legs are black to help them hide in the shade.
Pandas eat bamboo. They can never store enough fat to go through winter. So they go out to look for food all year long. The combination (结合) of black and white can fit different environments. It also breaks up the panda’s shape. This makes it even harder for other animals to see them.
1. According to Paragragh 1, what does the writer want to know?| A．What pandas’ lives are like at the zoo. | B．Why pandas like to eat green bamboo. |
| C．How tigers catch and eat pandas in the wild. | D．Whether tigers can see pandas easily in the wild. |
| A．Their eating habits. | B．Their living environment. |
| C．The color of their enemies. | D．The cultural meaning of their colors. |
| A．How Cara studied pandas in the wild. |
| B．Why Caro was interested in studying pandas. |
| C．How pandas’ colors help them hide in the wild. |
| D．Why pandas choose to live in mountain forests. |
| A．go out to look for food | B．store enough fat in autumn |
| C．move to a warm place | D．hide away in snowy areas |
| A．Because they don’t know pandas very well. |
| B．Because they don’t go out as often as pandas do. |
| C．Because pandas can change their shapes in the wild. |
| D．Because they usually see just part of a panda’s body. |
How different can cultures be? Very! People from different cultures can eat different foods and live in different kinds of houses. They probably speak different languages and have different beliefs and customs. But guess what?
We sometimes call these means (方式) of communication universal (全世界的) languages.
Music may even be able to bridge the differences not only between people of different cultures but also between people and other creatures (生物). Music has been known to be a good influence on all kinds of animals.
So what other kinds of languages that everyone can understand might there be?
Another universal language that you might not have thought of is math!
| A．There is some scientific support for this idea. |
| B．There is no doubt that art is a universal language too. |
| C．If you think about it now, though, it just makes sense. |
| D．They can also be similar in ways you might not expect. |
| E．Some people believe dance is also a universal language. |
| F．People from different cultures don’t have different opinions on all things. |
| G．Strictly speaking, they’re not languages but ways of sharing thoughts and ideas. |
8 . Scientists from Spain and the Netherlands did a study and discovered that road traffic noise near schools could cause problems for children.
In the study, Maria Foraster and her team from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health worked with 2,680 children aged 7-10 at 38 schools in Barcelona, Spain. They tested the children’s thinking and memory skills by giving them four computer tests over a year. There searchers looked at the noise both inside and outside the schools. They also estimated (估算) the noise levels at the children’s homes. Air pollution, people’s home locations, and other related factors (相关因素) were also considered.
The results showed that children in noisy schools had a hard time remembering and paying attention to things compared to children in quiet schools. When children were inside the classroom, changing traffic noise was an even bigger problem for them than just loud traffic noise. And no connection was found between noise at home and children’s learning abilities.
One limitation (限制) of the study was that the researchers did not study the noise levels from the past, which might have influenced the test scores. However, 98% of the children had been in the same school for at least a year, and the noise levels did not usually change very fast.
This study is important because many children worldwide are exposed to (遭受) traffic noise in schools. The researchers advised that more tests should be done in other places to see if the results are the same for different groups of children. If the answer is yes, this discovery might change the future rules about noise pollution near schools.
1. What do we know about the study from Paragraph 2?①Its results. ②Its researchers. ③How it was made. ④Where it was carried out.
| A．①②③ | B．①②④ | C．②③④ | D．①③④ |
| A．Just loud traffic noise. | B．Changing traffic noise. |
| C．Noise from their neighbors. | D．Noise from their classmates. |
| A．The study is of great importance. | B．The study has considered all factors. |
| C．The study has room for improvement. | D．The study fits most children in the world. |
| A．ask governments to make rules about noise pollution |
| B．argue against the building of schools near busy roads |
| C．tell readers about the influences of traffic noise on adults |
| D．introduce a study on the influences of traffic noise on children |
| A．Introduction→Methods→Findings→Limitation→Meanings. |
| B．Introduction→Limitation→Methods→Findings→Meanings. |
| C．Meanings→Introduction→Findings→Limitation→Methods. |
| D．Meanings→Findings→Limitation→Introduction→Methods. |
9 . Have you ever been to Iceland? How about Norway or Finland? Maybe you’ve traveled to northern Russia or Canada. These are some of the best places to see one of our planet’s most beautiful natural phenomena (现象). What are we talking about? The Northern Lights, of course!
The Northern Lights appear as beautiful colors in the night sky. The most common color of the Northern Lights is green. However, they can also be red, pink, yellow, or purple.
What causes the Northern Lights? Like all the natural light on the earth, they come from the sun. Sometimes, the sun has big storms and gives off electrically charged particles (带电粒子). When the electrically charged particles reach the earth, some of them pass through to the air around our planet. They then collide (碰撞) with the gases (气体) around the earth, which causes beautiful lights with colors.
The colors of the Northern Lights have to do with the height. For example, when electrically charged particles collide with gases less than 150 miles from the earth’s surface, they produce green light. When the collision happens higher than 150 miles, they make red light.
Over time, many people have tried to explain the Northern Lights. Some cultures have ancient stories about them. Today, however, we know the science behind the Northern Lights, and people travel thousands of miles each year hoping to see them. Many say it s a magical experience!
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?| A．Who discovered the Northern Lights. | B．How the Northern Lights are created. |
| C．Why the Northern Lights are colorful. | D．Where the Northern Lights can be seen. |
| A．Paragraph 2 | B．Paragraph 3 | C．Paragraph 4 | D．Paragraph 5 |
| A．the air | B．the time | C．the height | D．the temperature |
| A．Some of the best places to see the Northern Lights. |
| B．Some scientific knowledge about the Northern Lights. |
| C．Some of the possible risks of watching the Northern Lights. |
| D．Some personal experiences of watching the Northern Lights. |
| A．Music fans. | B．TV reporters. | C．News readers. | D．Science lovers. |
10 . Rongjiang is a small county (县) in Guizhou Province. It may be hard to believe, but there are 14 standard football fields (标准足球场) in the county, and they are free and open to the public. In Rongjiang, people’s love for football started in the 1940s. Around that time, Guangxi University moved to Rongjiang and introduced football to the area. The university students played football basketball, and table tennis inside the school walls while the locals watched from outside. One thing led to another, and the love for football spread into the local communities (社区) in the 1990s. Here in Rongjiang, people love to go to the football fields on weekends. The locals have a tradition of playing football games and even have a football night every Saturday. And in the summer of 2023, Cun Chao, or the Village Super League, took China by storm.
The Village Super League attracted (吸引) 20 teams, and the games lasted from June to July. The players came from different ethnic groups (民族), like Miao, Dong, Shui, Han, and Yao. And they were shop owners, policemen drivers, students—people from all walks of life.
Wei Yajun, one of the players, heard about the football event in his hometown while working in Hainan. He loves football, so he took time off work and went home to join in the competition. When Wei stood in the center of the football field, he felt like a famous football star.
On the night of June 3rd, almost 50,000 people came to watch the games and share their love for the sport. Cun Chao was not only a great event for local people in Rongjiang, but also a grand gathering (盛会) for football lovers in China.
1. When did football start to get popular in the local communities of Rongjiang?| A．In the 1940s. | B．In the 1990s. | C．About 2 years ago. | D．About 10 years ago. |
| A．The history of Rongjiang. |
| B．The communities in Rongiiang. |
| C．The development of football in Rongiiang. |
| D．The traditions of the football night in Rongjiang. |
| A．People of different ages. | B．People with different jobs. |
| C．People from different places. | D．People from different ethnic groups. |
| A．He is a famous football star. | B．He is from Hainan Province. |
| C．He used to work in Rongjiang. | D．He was one player in Cun Chao. |
| A．The love for football in China | B．The football fever in Rongjiang |
| C．Cun Chao: a challenge for football fans | D．Rongjiang: a place for summer vacation |
