1 . The global climate (全球气候) has been changing over thousands of years. The global average temperature (平均气温) today is about 15℃. Scientists find that the planet is warming faster than ever before. The 20 warmest years on record have been in the past 22 years. If this situation continues, temperatures may rise by 3—5℃ by 2100.
Scientists say we should try to stop the situation and not allow the global average temperature to rise more than 1.5℃. Even a 2℃ rise will be bad for us all. Now, 0.5℃ doesn’t sound like much—but it could make a big difference to the planet.
A 2℃ rise means that all the coral reefs (珊瑚礁) will disappear, but a 1.5℃ rise means that there will still be some. Also, 18 percent of the insects (昆虫) on the earth will disappear if the temperature goes up by 2℃. But only 6 percent will disappear at 1.5℃. A 2℃ rise will also mean that 37 percent of people will be influenced by dangerous heatwaves. That’s twice the number compared to at a 1.5℃ rise.
Do you want to know what scientists say? They say that everyone and everything is far better off in a world that limits the rise to 1.5℃.
So, what can we do? Please return to us in our magazine next month, you will read about the advice given by the world’s top scientists, researchers and leading environmental protectors. We’d also like to hear about your ideas and suggestions. Please write to us at 123socialmagazine@yahoo.co.uk. Let’s work together to limit the temperature rise to 1.5℃.
1. According to the first paragraph, we can know that ________.| A．the planet is the warmest this year |
| B．the average temperature today is 15℃ in China |
| C．the planet’s climate has the biggest change this year |
| D．the temperatures may rise to 18—20℃ by 2100 |
| A．What Can We Do |
| B．How Does It Happen |
| C．Why Is 1.5℃ Important |
| D．How Does the Climate Change |
| A．Paragraphs 1 and 5. |
| B．Paragraphs 4 to 5. |
| C．Paragraphs1 to 4. |
| D．Paragraphs 3 and 4. |
2 . What may two dogs making radio programs look like? How about a basketball match with different sea animals as players?
With Sora, you may soon be able to find out. The latest AI model can generate videos up to a minute long from some key words in seconds. It was built by OpenAI, the company behind the popular chatbot ChatGPT.
The public cannot use Sora now. OpenAI is asking experts to test it for possible risks (风险). The model is also open to a small group of artists. The company hopes to make Sora better.
Before Sora, the leading text-to-video AI model was made by Runway. The videos it produced were short and often frightening. So most people were surprised by the high quality of Sora’s videos.
Sora model isn’t perfect now because it may not understand cause and effect. “For example, a person may take a bite out of a cookie, but then the cookie may not have a bite mark,” OpenAI says on its website. What’s more, Sora cannot tell left or right. In a video on the OpenAI website, a man is running on a treadmill (跑步机) in the opposite direction. At the same time, some people have other worries. They are afraid that some people may not use AI-generated content in a correct way. Unreal AI-generated information is the biggest risk the world faces. To solve this problem, OpenAI says that it’s also building tools to help users to find out videos made by Sora.
1. How does the writer introduce the topic?| A．By telling a story. | B．By using a saying. | C．By asking questions. | D．By giving some facts. |
| A．Appear. | B．Produce. | C．Support. | D．Dig. |
| A．Every artist. | B．A chatbot. | C．Some experts. | D．Any student. |
| A．Because Sora’s videos were made from ChatGPT. |
| B．Because Sora’s videos were short and frightening. |
| C．Because Sora’s videos were produced in high quality. |
| D．Because Sora’s videos can tell cause and effect. |
| A．There are some problems of Sora model. |
| B．People are worried about Sora model. |
| C．OpenAI helps solve Sora model’s problem. |
| D．The public are waiting to use Sora model. |
The Secret of happiness
Another secret to leading a happy life is to be active, and have hobbies that can help you forget your problems. Many people experience this by dancing or playing a sport, such as skating or playing.
Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. According to studies, people feel good when they volunteer their time to help others.
| A．The second secret of happiness is to do more exercise. |
| B．If you want to feel happier, do something nice for someone. |
| C．People who have brothers and sisters are happier than others. |
| D．The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. |
| E．Most people want to be happy, but few knows how to find happiness. |
| F．People who have several close friends live happier and healthier lives. |
| G．You can forget about your problems, and only think about the activity. |
4 . Hua Chenyu is popular with young people in China. We can always see him on TV or on the Internet. In 2018, he won many prizes (奖) as one of the most popular Chinese singers.
Hua was often left alone at home when he was a child. He fell in love with music and started to learn to play the flute (长笛) at an early age. Now he can also play many musical instruments, such as the piano, the drums and the guitar. When he was 12 years old, he tried to write songs. After years of hard work, he went to the Wuhan Conservatory of music (音乐学院).
In 2013, he won Hunan TV station’s Super Boy singing competition (竞赛). During the competition, he wrote and sang a song without words. It made everyone surprised and he became famous. Also, in the song Why nobody fights, he just song one sentence “Why nobody fights?” again and again in different ways.
For Hua, music is a way to show his feelings. He works hard as a singer, but he doesn’t think music is his life. “____________ It makes me relaxed. But without it, I can still enjoy life,” he said. He likes trying everything he likes and believes anything is possible.
根据材料内容，选择最佳答案。
1. Hua Chenyu is a famous ____________ from China.
| A．Player | B．actor | C．singer | D．dancer |
| A．At the age of 7. | B．At the age of 8. |
| C．At the age of 10. | D．At the age of 12. |
| A．Hua can’t write songs by himself. |
| B．In 2013, Hua Chenyu became famous. |
| C．Why nobody fights doesn’t have lyrics (歌词) |
| D．Hua Chenyu enjoys life but doesn’t work hard. |
| A．I take music as a hobby. |
| B．I wish to have more fans. |
| C．I must hold more conccrts (音乐会). |
| D．I want to make amazing (令人惊奇的) music. |
| A．make suggestions for Hua Chenyu |
| B．tell stories of Hua Chenyu’s family |
| C．let us know more about Hua Chenyu |
| D．tell us how Hua Chenyu became famous |
5 . Astronauts’ (宇航员) daily life in the space station may be new and interesting for people on Earth. Let’s take a look at the astronauts’ life in space.
The astronauts started work at 8: 00 a. m. Beijing time on Friday. They finished a check of the spaceship and collected trace elements (微量元素) in the air in four hours. Then, they had two hours for lunch and rest.
Afternoon work began at 2 o’clock. On arriving at the center at about 4 p. m. , Nie Haishang and Tang Hongbo replaced the device to clean up CO2. This can give astronauts a better living place and support life in the space station.
Later in the afternoon, astronauts did some exercises. It is one of the most useful ways to keep healthy in space. While Liu Boming exercised on the space bike and Tang was on the treadmill, Nie reported to the crew on the ground about the day’s work and plans for the next day.
After dinner, they started watching “Xinwen Lianbo”, the most-watched daily TV news program in China. The team on the ground send news programs to the astronauts on time every day. It is one of the most important ways to help them know about things happening on the ground. Then, such as watching movies, playing music, talking to their families and so on. They went to sleep at about 10 o’clock.
This is a day in China’s space station Tiangong.
1. In what order did the astronauts do the following things?a. Had lunch and took a rest.
b. Did some exercises.
c. Checked the spaceship.
d. Had fun time watching movies.
e. Replaced the device.
| A．c-a-b-e-d | B．b-c-a-e-d | C．b-e-c-a-d | D．c-a-e-b-d |
| A．friends | B．families | C．workmates | D．relatives |
| A．Reporting plans for the next day. |
| B．Walking around the space station. |
| C．Collecting trace elements. |
| D．Watching daily TV news programs. |
| A．A day in space. | B．The space station Tiangong. |
| C．A trip to space. | D．Astronauts’ work in space. |
6 . In 1621, the Plymouth colonist (殖民者) and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest festival that is known today as one of the first Thanksgiving Celebrations in the colonies (殖民地). For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by colonies and states themselves. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln made it known to the public that a national Thanksgiving Day will be held each November.
In many American families, the Thanksgiving celebration now centers on cooking and sharing a big meal with family and friends. Turkey has become a symbol of the holiday. Today, however, nearly 90 percent Americans eat the bird—whether roasted, baked or deep-fried on Thanksgiving. Other traditional foods include stuffing (火鸡填料), mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Volunteering is a common Thanksgiving Day activity, and communities often hold food drives and host free dinners to the people in need.
Parades have also become an important part of the holiday in cities and towns across the United States. Presented by Macy’s department store since 1924, New York City’s Thanksgiving Day parade is the largest and most famous, attracting some 2 to 3 million people along its 2.5-mile route and drawing a huge number of television audience.
Beginning in the mid-20th century and perhaps even earlier, the president of the United States has “pardoned” (赦免) one or two Thanksgiving turkeys each year, sparing the birds from slaughter (屠杀) and sending them to a farm to live a happy life. A number of U.S. governors also perform the turkey pardoning activity every year.
1. When did Thanksgiving become a national holiday?| A．In 1621. | B．In 1863. | C．In 1924. | D．In 1620. |
| A．To celebrate an autumn harvest. |
| B．To celebrate the new colony. |
| C．To celebrate an Indian traditional festival. |
| D．To celebrate the family reunion. |
| A．Hamburger. | B．French Fries. | C．Pumpkin pie. | D．Cranberry soup. |
| A．The pardon of a turkey by the president of the United States. |
| B．The parade presented by Macy’s in New York City. |
| C．Cooking and sharing a big meal with family and friends. |
| D．Fireworks all around the country. |
7 . During the COVID-19 pandemic (疫情), many people under lockdown (防范禁闭）feel lonely (孤独的) and bored. “There is a loneliness epidemic,” said John Dattilo from Pennsylvania State University, US. So he, together with an international team of researchers, studied how to reduce (减少) loneliness and increase positive feelings during the pandemic.
According to their new study, reduced loneliness has something to do with doing enjoyable activities that require both concentration (注意力) and skill.
“When people lose themselves in what they are doing, they enter a state (状态) called ‘flow’,”
Dattilo explained. “Flow can be achieved by doing activities that we value and that require us to pay full attention to using our skills.”
To achieve a state of flow, there must be a balance between the challenge of the task and your skill level. For example, if you’re trying to create a complex computer program but your skill level is low, then you’re possible to feel stressed out instead of achieving “flow”. On the contrary (相反地), if the task is too easy, then boredom will set in and “flow” will not appear, either.
If you have artistic skills, for example, playing the piano or painting can lead to flow. So can things like skiing, writing and storytelling, depending on who you are.
“When we enter a state of flow, we become focused, and we experience enjoyment,” Dattilo said. “When we leave a state of flow, we are often surprised by how much time has passed.”
However, watching television usually doesn’t help people enter flow, because there aren’t any challenges.
“People tend to thrive (茁壮成长) on healthy activities and challenge,” said Dattilo. “We hope this research will help people live fuller, happier, healthier lives.”
1. The underlined word “complex” in the passage is used to describe something ________.| A．is made of many different things or parts | B．is finished or done |
| C．is very easy to understand | D．exists in many places |
| A．If the task is easy. |
| B．When there is a balance between the challenge of the task and the skill level. |
| C．When you feel stressed out. |
| D．If the task is really hard and your skill level is lower than it requires. |
| A．we become focused |
| B．we experience enjoyment |
| C．we become focused |
| D．we are often surprised by how much time has passed |
| A．An international team of researchers except John Dattilo studied how to reduce loneliness. |
| B．Watching television usually helps people enter flow. |
| C．Storytelling can lead to flow. |
| D．You can’t enter flow when you create computer programs. |
| A．We should accept challenges and live fuller, happier, healthier lives in the pandemic. |
| B．A state called “flow” can reduce loneliness and increase positive feelings. |
| C．Loneliness is serious during pandemic. |
| D．Many people feel lonely under lockdown during the pandemic. |
There are many great schools in Jiangsu. Nanjing University (南京大学) is one of them.
Nanjing University has a one-hundred-year-long history and it is very famous in China. It was called Sanjiang Normal School in 1902. Then it changed its name for many times. Some of the names are Liangjiang Normal School, Nanjing Higher Normal School, National Southeastern University and so on. In 1950, it was finally called Nanjing University.
Now, Nanjing University has three campuses (校区): Xianlin Campus, Gulou Campus and Pukou Campus. There are 31304 full time students and a good number of faculty members who are doing well in their own subjects.
Nanjiang University works closely with the universities from other countries. Every year, more than 1000 faculty members from other countries come and teach in Nanjing University. In 2011, Dr. Aaron Ciechanover, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (诺贝尔化学奖获得者), worked in Nanjing University. In 2013, Prof. Jean-Marie, Gustave LECLEZIO, Nobel Laureate in Literature (诺贝尔文学奖获得者) worked in Nanjing University. Many students attended their courses (课程) and learned a lot from them. Every year, more than 1000 new students from other countries come and study in Nanjing University too. In it, ________.
1. What does Paragraph (段落) 2 tell the reader?| A．The students of Nanjing University. | B．The looks of Nanjing University. |
| C．The campuses of Nanjing University. | D．The history of Nanjing University. |
| A．Teachers. | B．Policemen. | C．Nurses. | D．Drivers. |
| A．there is a good dining hall with delicious food |
| B．there are many nice classroom buildings in different campuses |
| C．students from different countries can know a lot about the history of Nanjing |
| D．students from different countries can have fun with great teachers and courses |
9 . I am still not sure how I made the decision, but last year I agreed to have a New Year’s Eve party. It took me days to prepare (准备). Then there were the lists to be made and shopping to be done in the supermarket. After shopping, I really wanted to have a rest, but I hurried to make food in the kitchen.
The night before the party, my husband helped me set up tables. I felt pleased. On the morning of that day, I woke to the sun shining. Everything was ready.
At 4:00 p. m. , my husband was working in his company (公司) and would be home in an hour. At 5:00 p. m. , I sent a message to him and asked, “Are you on your way? Everyone will be here in an hour.” He said, “I’m really busy now. Sorry.” At 5:45 p. m. , I sent a message to him again. He answered, “Sorry, I’m still tied up.” I was worried if I’d hold the party alone. I kept sending messages to ask him as guests arrived.
I felt worried and unsure of how to hold the party. By 7:30 p. m. , we were hungry, so we all sat for dinner, with one empty chair beside me. My husband promised he would be home before dinner was done.
At 9:30 p. m. , my husband called, “Honey, I never imagined this could have happened. Things are wrong here. Some people made mistakes in the number of our products (产品). Now we have to count them all again.”
I realized (意识到) that the night was hard for my husband. “Will you forgive (原谅) me?” he asked again. “Yes,” I took a breath. “I’m sorry for being impatient (不耐烦的). Take your time. Happy New Year.” My husband said, “Thank you! Happy New Year!”
1. Why did the writer keep sending messages to her husband?| A．Because she hoped he would be back soon. |
| B．Because she knew nothing about the guests. |
| C．Because she met something dangerous at home. |
| D．Because she wanted him to buy something for her. |
| A．He was a little angry with her. | B．He didn’t have enough partners. |
| C．He could never look after his family well. | D．He had a busy and difficult night at work. |
①The New Year’s Eve party started.
②The writer went to the supermarket.
③The writer sent messages to her husband.
④The writer got a call from her husband.
| A．②③①④ | B．②③④① | C．②①③④ | D．②①④③ |
| A．We should improve our social skills. |
| B．We often need to make difficult choices (选择) in life. |
| C．We should learn to put ourselves in others’ shoes. |
| D．We’d better prepare ourselves for some challenges. |
A.  We Need Water by Charles Ghingna Perfect for younger children, this book talks about all the different ways we use water in our everyday life. It’s a simple book with interesting and colourful pictures. Ages 2-4 Pages 24 B.  Water Dance by Thomas Locker Where can we find rain? This book poetically talks about all the places we can find the rain. It lives everywhere and we experience it in many different ways. This book can be enjoyed by children of all ages. Ages 4-7 Pages 32 C.  Water! Water! Water! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace This is a cute story of Walter and his adventure creating a book about water. It includes some simple and fun experiments kids can try themselves. It helps children understand science in an interesting way. Ages 6-8 Pages 40 D.  Why Should I Save Water? by Jen Green This is a great book for young children to learn how to save water through the eyes of a little boy and his neighborhood friend. They talk about why they need to be careful about how much water they use and all the ways kids can save water. Ages 4-7 Pages 32 E.  Ethan The Raindrop by Sean Patrick Guidera Ethan is a little raindrop living in the sky with his family. He becomes nervous when he learns he will be falling to the ground, but he enjoys the excitement of the journey through the water cycle.This is a fun story. Ages 7-9 Pages 26 F.  The Drop in My Drink by Meredith Hooper This book discusses all the ways water is present in our lives and has been a part of the world for millions of years. The book is a bit long so I think it’s best for older preschool children and above. It might be difficult for younger children. Ages 8-12 Pages 36 |
