2 . On little Connor Crites’s very first day at elementary school, something unbelievable happened. The young boy, who has autism (孤独症), found the ________ school day unbearable. Connor, feeling distressed, curled up (蜷缩) in a ________, shedding tears instead of communicating with others. ________, the day took an unexpectedly heartwarming turn, making Connor ________ the school with confidence, all thanks to a newfound friend.

The friend was Christian Moore, a second-grade student with a ________ heart. Christian noticed Connor’s struggle, so he ________ the teary-eyed youngster and offered him ________. With his compassionate gesture, Christian took Connor’s hand and led the way into the ________. Right there and then, the bond between them formed ________ and turned them into best friends.

Christian’s mom, Courtney, witnessed the ________ scene and was deeply moved by her son’s act of kindness. She captured the heartwarming ________ in a photograph. Touched by the gesture, she shared the picture on the social media with high hopes of ________ others, especially kids.

This heartwarming incident is a perfect ________ that extends beyond Connor and Christian. It ________ a good lesson for everyone. The story of the two young friends is a perfect example of kindness, teaching us that compassion knows no ________.

1.

A．initial

B．special

C．regular

D．national

2.

A．shelter

B．room

C．corner

D．gym

3.

A．Otherwise

B．However

C．Therefore

D．Instead

4.

A．analyse

B．preserve

C．quit

D．enter

5.

A．delicate

B．strong

C．kind

D．normal

6.

A．adopted

B．approached

C．found

D．resisted

7.

A．comfort

B．confidence

C．generosity

D．solution

8.

A．avenue

B．street

C．future

D．school

9.

A．officially

B．frequently

C．instantly

D．creatively

10.

A．satisfying

B．touching

C．annoying

D．thrilling

11.

A．encounter

B．honour

C．effect

D．context

12.

A．striking

B．relating

C．inspiring

D．attracting

13.

A．lesson

B．behavior

C．judgement

D．chance

14.

A．points out

B．accounts for

C．refers to

D．serves as

15.

A．symbols

B．boundaries

C．factors

D．systems

3 . Los Angeles County Museum of Art

What to know?

Next door to the La Brea Tar Pits sits the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the linchpin of the Los Angeles museum district. Since its opening in 1965, LACMA has showcased thousands of pieces, from Islamic artifacts to European impressionist paintings to modern art. With constantly shifting exhibitions and unique architecture, LACMA offers a rewarding experience for both serious art lovers and casual travelers.

More information

LACMA’s collection is housed in multiple buildings. The Ahmanson Building, the Hammer Building, and the Art of the Americas Building are historical structures that have long been part of the museum’s landscape. Currently, the museum is constructing a new building for its permanent collection, called the David Geffen Galleries, which is scheduled to open in 2024. For now, pieces will be on display in the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) and the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion. The Urban Light and Levitated Mass exhibits remain open to visitors. There is a restaurant and grab-and-go eatery on-site. Many visitors appreciated both the indoor and outdoor art exhibits and were impressed with the size of the collection of modern and contemporary art.

When to visit?

Situated on Wilshire Boulevard in west Los Angeles, LACMA is open from 11 am to 6 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays; from 11 am to 8 pm on Fridays and from 10 am to 7 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. It is closed every Wednesday.

Price

As for residents outside the county, general admission tickets cost $25 for adults, $10 for those aged 3 to 17 (children aged 2 and younger get in for free) and parking will set you back $21. Tickets can be purchased online or at the museum’s ticket office.

1. Which building is under construction?

A．The Hammer Building.	B．The Ahmanson Building.
C．The David Geffen Galleries.	D．The Art of the Americas Building.

2. When can the museum be accessible to visitors?

A．At 10 am on Tuesdays.	B．At 3 pm on Fridays.
C．At 8 pm on Saturdays.	D．At 11 am on Wednesdays.

3. To visit the museum, how much will a Canadian couple driving a car pay?

A．$35.

B．$56.

C．$71.

D．$81.

4 . For much of history, biologists and behaviorists assumed that intelligence of species could be neatly organized into a hierarchy. Modern man was placed at the top, followed by other mammals (哺乳动物). Then came the birds, reptiles (爬行动物) and insects.

However, research suggests that intelligence is actually distributed in different ways across the animal kingdom. In the 1960s, a new generation of researchers pushed the rest of the academic community to define animal intelligence in looser terms. They thought the conventional definition of intelligence — something made up of both consciousness and the ability for abstract thought — was too particular to our own species. Because every animal followed a completely different evolutionary journey, intelligence should be measured in relative terms instead of absolute terms.

In the following decades, a variety of technologies that allow us to observe animals for longer periods of time without disturbing their normal routines revealed that animal behaviors are far more complex than many previous thoughts. In Melbourne, some remote controlled machines are helping researchers to better understand the breeding patterns of southern right whales. Meanwhile, they use the computer to learn to understand, track and predict the movements of organisms.

Regardless of our rapidly changing conception of animal intelligence, it is best recognized when the behavior of an animal is similar to our own behavior. For example, elephants, which are said to remember and return to the tomb sites of dead members of their herd. They also exhibit an unusual interest in the dead bodies of other elephants, signaling their attention to death and perhaps even realizing their own death.

As time passes, we are continuously amazed at the level of cognitive (认知的) complexity exhibited by animals. At times, their madness can be difficult to spot. Modern technology finally allows us to look with some precision. Though the search only got underway a few decades ago, we have already discovered more similarities between animals and ourselves than we previously expected.

1. What does the underlined word “hierarchy” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Rank.

B．Trend.

C．Form.

D．Campaign.

2. What did the researchers think of the conventional definition of intelligence?

A．Abstract.

B．Inaccurate.

C．Unnoticed.

D．Complex.

3. Why are elephants mentioned in paragraph 4?

A．To make a prediction.	B．To make an assumption.
C．To prove an exception.	D．To prove a viewpoint.

4. What is the topic of the text?

A．Human cognition.

B．Human intelligence.

C．The distribution of animal intelligence.

D．The species classification in the animal kingdom.

5 . I got a message from my friend, Megan. “This little _________, Winnie, needed a home,” she said, and then _________ some pictures.

I’d started my animal _________ in 2017 after I’d bought a piece of land and used it to give some _________ animals a home. To give them a better life, I _________ the home with the profits I made running four pet supply stores. My first animal was a sheep, Charlotte, who had a bad back leg. _________, the farm had grown to feed 200 animals.

Looking at the _________ Megan sent me of the cute disabled dog on my phone, I decided that I had room for one more. Despite his deformed(畸形的)front legs, his beautiful brown eyes on the pictures made my heart melt(软化). So I took him to a hospital. The doctor got him to _________ with a cool set of wheels.

“_________ doggie,” strangers showed pity sometimes when they saw Winnie. But within minutes, they __________ that Winnie was living his best lives on the farm and they didn’t need to feel __________ for him. I __________ Winnie’s own web page where I would share Winnie’s life. And he earned a lot of followers. “He __________ me when I was feeling sad,” one follower commented recently.

Winnie proves that animals with __________ can lead fulfilling(令人心满意足的)lives. He’s my best friend and I’m __________ of everything that he does.

1.

A．sheep

B．cat

C．deer

D．dog

2.

A．sent over

B．swept away

C．searched for

D．gave up

3.

A．gallery

B．school

C．shelter

D．hospital

4.

A．unemployed

B．unwanted

C．unkind

D．unsuitable

5.

A．limited

B．funded

C．sold

D．rated

6.

A．Particularly

B．Secretly

C．Obviously

D．Gradually

7.

A．presents

B．principles

C．pictures

D．awards

8.

A．cry

B．agree

C．move

D．puzzle

9.

A．Funny

B．Honest

C．Clean

D．Poor

10.

A．realized

B．forgot

C．warned

D．complained

11.

A．sorry

B．calm

C．threatened

D．tired

12.

A．attracted

B．imagined

C．created

D．stopped

13.

A．challenged

B．inspired

C．scared

D．tracked

14.

A．talents

B．disabilities

C．achievements

D．purposes

15.

A．sick

B．afraid

C．distrustful

D．proud

6 . There are a number of animals that give off light in some way-including several kinds of insects and fish. Some kinds of mushrooms give off light, too. But most plants don’t give out light. Now, scientists are working to change that.

When a living thing gives off light, it’s called bioluminescence(生物发光). Fireflies are a well-known example of bioluminescence. Though less well-known, many mushrooms are also bioluminescent. These bioluminescent creatures light up thanks to the chemicals called luciferins(荧光素)inside their bodies. Luciferins cause a chemical reaction that can give off light.

Plants don’t naturally have luciferins, so there are no naturally bioluminescent plants. But that hasn’t stopped scientists from trying to create them. In the past, scientists have created plants that made less bright by adding DNA from shining objects. Scientists have also created plants that can give off light by adding luciferins to plants. But it only works as long as the chemicals last. In 2017, a team was able to cause a plant to give off light for about four hours.

Now, researchers at a Russian company have come up with a new method of creating shining plants. By adding certain parts of the DNA from shining mushrooms to ordinary tobacco plants, the researchers were able to create plants that could make their own luciferins. The scientists reported that the light was about 10 times brighter than in earlier shining plants.

The researchers believe that shining plants could help scientists learn more about the way plants work. For example, the moving patterns or waves of light in the plants may show activities in plants that normally can’t be seen. The shining also helps reveal how plants may be affected by things around them. For example, the plants gave off much more light strongly when a ripe banana skin was nearby. But the researchers don’t think the plants will just be used for science. They think many people may want shining plants for their beauty. So they are working with a company to develop shining plants for sale.

1. What phenomenon does the author describe in paragraph 1?

A．Most animals hate giving off light.

B．Many plants give off light through scientists’ efforts.

C．Animals give off light to protect themselves.

D．It’s hard to find plants that give out light.

2. What happens when a firefly lights up?

A．It gives off lots of heat to warm itself.

B．It has chemical reactions inside its body.

C．It lacks energy due to chemical reactions.

D．It informs other fireflies of the danger.

3. How does the author support his viewpoint in the last paragraph?

A．By showing numbers.	B．By making a comparison.
C．By providing examples.	D．By making a summary.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Human development results in less shining plants

B．Scientists manage to create shining plants

C．People’s lifestyles are reflected in shining plants

D．Geography determines the types of shining plants

7 . Hussam Al-Attar, a 15-year-old boy in Gaza, is able to build a device to provide electricity for the lamps of the tent he is staying in with his family.

Al-Attar got two fans at a resale market and used them to create small wind turbines (涡轮) to produce electricity. His invention led others in the camp where he stayed to start calling him the “Newton of Gaza”. That comparison involves the English scientist, Isaac Newton. Newton is known for his major scientific discoveries in the fields of physics, mathematics and astronomy more than 300 years ago. A famous story about Newton describes how an apple falling on his head led him to discover the nature of gravity.

Al-Attar and his family are staying in a tent that is partly attached to a house. He was able to climb onto the roof to set up two fans, one above the other. The wind could turn the fans, which produced small amounts of electricity. He then connected the fans to wires and built a charging station. Al-Attar also built switches to control a lighting system made out of wood.

Al-Attar’s first two attempts failed, and it took him a lot of time to develop a working system. He started developing it further, bit by bit, until he was able to extend the wires through the room to the tent, so that the tent would have light. He was happy to be able to create something to help ease “the suffering” of his family members. Now, he is just looking forward to the future when conditions can improve in Gaza.

“I am very happy that people in this camp call me the ‘Newton of Gaza’,” Al-Attar said. “Because I hope to achieve my dream of becoming a scientist like Newton and creating an invention that will benefit not only the people of the Gaza Strip, but the whole world.”

1. Why did Al-Attar buy two second-hand fans?

A．To light his tent.	B．To cool his home.
C．To challenge Newton.	D．To learn to repair a device.

2. Which of the following did Al-Attar use to power his invention?

A．Sunlight.

B．Electricity.

C．Burning wood.

D．Flowing air.

3. What can we learn from Al-Attar’s devotion to his invention?

A．Personal ability is boundless.	B．Patience is the key to success.
C．Family support determines success.	D．Failure tends to discourage motivation.

4. What did Al-Attar mainly convey in the last paragraph?

A．His future goal.	B．His great achievements.
C．The benefits of his camp.	D．The hardship of his creation.

8 . A team of three students won $700,000 this week for using artificial intelligence (AI) to read passages from an ancient papyrus scroll (纸草卷轴). The document is one of the more than 800 scrolls known as the Herculaneum papyri that were carbonized by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Researchers discovered the passages in the 18th century, but attempts to read them proved in vain: Unfolding them by hand only caused them to fall apart.

That’s where the Vesuvius Challenge comes in. Brent Seales, a computer scientist, and two businessmen, Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross, launched the Vesuvius Challenge in March 2023, offering more than $1 million in prize money for reaching a series of milestones using “computer vision, machine learning and hard work”. For the biggest prize, the organizers released high-resolution CT scans of the scrolls and explained the contest’s rules: Participants would need to decipher (破译) at least 85 percent of four passages. A series of smaller prizes were also awarded throughout the year.

The winning team consists of Nader (an Egyptian PhD student in Germany), Julian Schilliger (a robotics student in Switzerland) and Luke Farritor (a computer science student in Nebraska). Their submission was “met with widespread amazement” by the review team of papyrologists. Farritor also won the challenge’s $40,000 “First Letters” prize in October, when he deciphered the scroll’s first word “porphyras”, which means “purple” in ancient Greek. Nader and Farritor began working together the following month and were joined by Schilliger shortly before the December 31 deadline.

The team ultimately trained machine-learning algorithms (算法) to decipher more than 2,000 characters—more than what was needed to win the Grand Prize. These passages appear to be a philosophical discussion of life’s pleasures, including music and food, though the papyrology team is still studying the results. “It seems familiar to us, and we can’t escape the feeling that the first text we’ve uncovered is a 2,000-year-old blog post about how to enjoy life,” write the organizers.

1. Which statement fits the papyrus scroll in paragraph 1?

A．Its 800-word texts were well-known.	B．It was successfully unfolded.
C．It was discovered in 79 AD.	D．Its text contents were unavailable.

2. What should participants do to win the biggest prize?

A．Explain language rules.

B．Decipher four passages word by word.

C．Develop a type of CT scanner of the scrolls.

D．Translate most characters of the given passages.

3. What is the author’s main purpose in writing paragraph 3?

A．To introduce some background information.

B．To summarize the above paragraphs.

C．To lead to a philosophical conclusion.

D．To put forward a scientific theory.

4. What do we know about the winning team’s achievement?

A．It is under discussion.	B．It is beyond expectation.
C．It is familiar to philosophers.	D．It is uncovered by the organizers.

9 . Whether you feel like taking a road trip, or you just need some fun, you’ll enjoy this list of popular tourist attractions.

Alabama: Gulf Coast Beaches

If Alabama wasn’t the location for your next summer beach vacation, you may want to reconsider. There are 32 miles of white sands that have washed down from the Appalachian Mountains for thousands of years. That’s probably why over six million people visit Alabama’s Gulf Coast beaches every year. Ten dollars per person.

Alaska: Kenai Fjords Wildlife Cruise

Alaska is the place to go for spotting breathtaking (令人惊叹的) wildlife. In fact, the number of visitors who travel to Alaska to see wildlife has increased 45 percent. The Kenai Fjords Wildlife Cruise will bring you up close to whales, sea lions, and sea birds. A five-hour trip that starts at noon and covers 55 miles of sea will be the best $98 you’ve ever spent.

Arkansas: Hot Springs National Park

Skip the beach and choose a new type of relaxation at Hot Springs National Park. It’s America’s oldest national and the smallest national park. There’s a no-booking policy, perfect for travelers rolling through. Doors open at 8 a.m., so get there early!

Connecticut: Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History is a must stop if you’re traveling nearby Yale University. It attracts plenty of people and has many collections including New England birds, dinosaurs, Greek and Roman antiquities, and even an Egyptian mummy. Adults pay $13 for entry, but if you want to visit for free, go on a Thursday.

Don’t miss the four best tourist attractions.
1. Why do many people go to Alabama’s Gulf Coast beaches?

A．It has a good and convenient location.	B．It has a history of thousands of years.
C．It has tens of miles of white sands.	D．The Appalachian Mountains are beautiful.

2. When should you get to the Kenai Fjords Wildlife Cruise if you want to visit it?

A．Five hours before it opens.	B．Five hours after it opens.
C．Before 8 a.m.	D．Before twelve o’clock at noon.

3. What is special about Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History?

A．Many people go there to see collections.	B．You needn’t pay for it on certain days.
C．It makes you not want to leave.	D．It’s very beautiful and attractive.