1 . There is no age limit to work or do something you love. 102-year-old Jean Bailey, a resident of Elk Ridge Village Senior Living in Omaha, is constantly
Bailey mentioned that some of her
In 2020, 99-year-old Bailey started
Bailey
One of these women is Phyllis Black, 87, who lives down the hall from Bailey. Black was
| A．promoting | B．identifying | C．proving | D．qualifying |
| A．wise | B．regular | C．warm-hearted | D．skillful |
| A．vividly | B．stably | C．awfully | D．easily |
| A．walker | B．caretaker | C．tool | D．chair |
| A．kept pace with | B．taken care of | C．made fun of | D．looked up to |
| A．assume | B．realize | C．expect | D．confirm |
| A．language | B．driving | C．exercise | D．cooking |
| A．appreciated | B．inspired | C．teased | D．frightened |
| A．simple | B．fierce | C．typical | D．elegant |
| A．attends | B．conducts | C．quits | D．improves |
| A．brave | B．smart | C．busy | D．fit |
| A．bonds | B．shapes | C．figures | D．images |
| A．rewarded | B．supported | C．welcomed | D．impressed |
| A．neighbors | B．participants | C．bosses | D．couples |
| A．fair | B．ridiculous | C．honest | D．nice |
2 . The book An Immense World, by science journalist Ed Yong, looks into the remarkable sensory capacities of non-human animals. Other popular works—from naturalist Carl Safina’s Beyond Words to biologist Jonathan Balcombe’s What a Fish Knozws—argue that many animals are individuals with lives that matter to them. These observations are significant, because the degree of care we give to animals seems to rely on how we picture their inner lives.
We humans tend to judge and give consideration to other animals based on their smartness. Instead, I want to suggest that emotion, displayed by animals around us, may even provide our fellow creatures with what we could term a “spiritual” life.
One well-documented case is of a mother elephant named Eleanor. Weakened by age, Eleanor kept collapsing, and a fellow elephant, Grace, kept trying to lift her onto her feet. There’re even examples of elephants becoming depressed when they encounter the body of another species. In one instance, a young, orphaned elephant moaned(呻吟) when it discovered the remains of its rhinoceros companion, killed by hunters.
It’s suggested that non-human animals may be more aware of feelings than we are. I call this “living closer to the bone”. Other creatures might well have stronger, more immediate feelings because, unlike us, they don’t appear to analyze. Even if they can’t tell us what they’re experiencing, we’d be foolish to rule this out.
A story appeared on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle. A female humpback whale became stuck in a pile of crab traps. The whale was badly cut. A rescue team dove underneath her, spending hours helping it. Once the huge animal realized she was free, she swam in a large circle, touching each diver in turn. One of the divers said, “It felt to me like it was thanking us, knowing it was free and that we’d helped it.”
To me, this is an instance of animals’ spirituality on display. I suspect that, the more we learn about fish, birds, and even insects, we’ll recognize further elemental similarities of feeling.
1. Why are the three books mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．They offer us observations on ourselves. |
| B．They remind us to care for animals’ emotions. |
| C．They praise us about non-human animals. |
| D．They show human dependence on animals. |
| A．From their feelings. |
| B．On the basis of their awareness. |
| C．By their appearances. |
| D．According to their intelligence. |
| A．Sympathetic. | B．Indifferent. |
| C．Unconcerned. | D．Cooperative. |
| A．Analyzing animals’ cleverness. |
| B．Offering animals more freedom. |
| C．Giving more understanding of animals. |
| D．Avoiding killing non-human animals. |
3 . Do our musical preferences say something about our personality or how we view relationships? According to a new research, they just may.
In the study, 469 participants listed 7~15 of their favorite songs about something related to relationships. Then, they filled out questionnaires that measured their attachment style in relationships. People with an anxious attachment style fear being abandoned while people with an avoidant attachment style dislike connecting with others. Those with a secure attachment style see themselves as worthy of love and enjoy being close to others.
Research assistants read the lyrics(歌词) of the songs people chose and rated how much those lyrics reflected different attachment styles. According to the analysis, those who were more avoidant preferred songs with avoidant themes, while people who scored high in neuroticism(神经质) preferred songs expressing more anxious themes.
According to the lead author, Ravin Alaei of the University of Toronto, this is the first study that examines how song lyrics play a role in music preferences. “One reason people turn to music is that it can validate what they think, feel, and do in relationships and lyrics matter for that,” he says. “People enjoy having their feelings and thoughts spoken back to them.”
Next, the researchers pulled together 823 popular songs. After rating how much these songs’ lyrics reflected different attachment themes, they compared songs from 1946~1965 to those from 1990~2015. They found more recent popular songs were likelier to have avoidant attachment themes and less secure lyrics than older popular songs.
Alaei believes this could be because people are less connected than they used to be. “We’ve become more individualistic, and we feel lonelier these days than people used to several decades ago. Social media may, ironically, make people feel less connected,” he says.
1. What do those with avoidant attachment style tend to do?| A．Keep close to their friends. | B．Enjoy songs full of anxiety. |
| C．Stay away from the outside. | D．Worry about their future. |
| A．Imagine. | B．Improve. | C．Steal. | D．Prove. |
| A．Older popular songs had more secure lyrics. |
| B．Lyrics hardly affected participants’ attachment. |
| C．Songs with more anxious themes were more popular. |
| D．People fond of recent popular songs got angry easily. |
| A．They contradict with personalities. |
| B．They may reflect our personal lives. |
| C．They can impact life satisfaction. |
| D．They are reliant on social media. |
4 . San Francisco Park ranger Amanda Barrows, who registered in City College of San Francisco (CCSF)’s Poetry for the People class, began to place a nightstand (床头柜) in Golden Gate Park with a note “take a poem, leave a poem” in December 2022. Since then, over 100 handwritten poems have been placed in the nightstand. “It’s completely unexpected,” said Barrows. “I’m really taken aback by the outpouring of support.”
Park ranger by day and poet by night, Barrows said she began writing and attending poetry workshops in 2020. The poetry course she attended was founded by Leslie Simon in 1975. The class advocates for a focus on the neighborhood, and the cultivation (培养) and public presentation of new poems. For Barrows, the idea that she could combine her job and her hobby by bringing poetry into parks was an inspiration. Barrows asked her friends to contribute their favorite poems to the nightstand as poems that could be taken.
Armed with an old nightstand, Barrows filled the stand with pens and paper. An added drawer at the bottom holds the poems that people “donate”. The concept reminded her of Little Free Libraries, which are fixtures across the city. “I was having anxiety. I had no idea what I was going to do; then it sort of just came to me,” said Barrows. “I was inspired by the little free libraries you see in SF, where you ‘take a book, leave a book’, and thought, ‘Maybe I could do this with poetry.’”
One of the teachers at the CCSF poetry course, Lauren Muller, told The Washington Post that “people need poetry now”, which she suggested as the reason for the success of Barrows’s project.
Past student projects included writing poetry on sidewalks in chalk and placing poems on the windshields (挡风玻璃) of cars. “It’s exciting to see the work that students are doing,” Muller continued. “My hope is that this will happen across city parks… elsewhere.”
1. What did Amanda Barrows do for her project?| A．She invited her friends to donate poems. |
| B．She gave a special poetry course by herself. |
| C．She read a lot of poems for people. |
| D．She equipped parks with many nightstands. |
| A．They made her interested in poetry. |
| B．They let her quit her job for her interest. |
| C．They gave her inspiration for her project. |
| D．They encouraged her to write more poems. |
| A．The benefits of writing poetry. |
| B．The public demand for poetry. |
| C．The help from her neighbors. |
| D．The large number of parks in SF. |
| A．The Impacts of a Park Ranger’s Poem-writing |
| B．San Francisco’s Unique Poems on a Nightstand |
| C．The Spread of Poetry Throughout the Libraries |
| D．A Park Ranger’s Powerful Poetry Project |
5 . Best Volunteer Opportunities Abroad for 2023 & 2024
As more people choose to travel more sustainably, International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ)’s volunteer abroad programs are booking up quickly for 2023 and 2024. You won’t want to miss out on these volunteer opportunities!
Zambia Program For those who want to explore the incredible area of Victoria Falls, but want to volunteer to help local people in the community, check out this program. Volunteer opportunities in Zambia include Construction & Renovation, Elderly Care, Kindergarten, Medical and Rural Teaching. Moreover, you can enjoy many thrilling activities like swimming on the ledge of a powerful waterfall and taking a walking safari (游猎). |  |
South Africa Program Set in Cape Town, this program is incredibly popular for those looking for a meaningful and social travel experience with easy access to surfing, hiking and even weekend safari tours. With volunteer projects like Surf Outreach, Teaching English and Sports Development, there’s a significant focus on youth development and increasing access to education in Cape Town. |  |
Costa Rica Program Known for its relaxing culture and beautiful beaches, rainforests and volcanoes, Costa Rica is one of the best places to volunteer abroad. In Costa Rica, IVHQ has 12 diverse and responsible projects that include Turtle Conservation, Eco-Agriculture Conservation, Childcare, Teaching English, Healthcare and more, and these programs are located in a range of volunteer locations. |  |
Guatemala Program Guatemala’s incredible volcanoes, green rainforest, beautiful lakes and attractive cultural cities make this country a hit with nature and city lovers alike. IVHQ’s volunteer opportunities in Guatemala range from unique programs such as Mayan Cultural Immersion in the Highlands, Eco-Agriculture on a local coffee farm to Medical, Childcare and Teaching projects in Antigua. |  |
| A．Costa Rica Program. | B．South Africa Program. |
| C．Zambia Program. | D．Guatemala Program. |
| A．Take a weekend safari. | B．Train the ocean turtles. |
| C．Make the delicious coffee. | D．Swim near Victoria Falls. |
| A．Its various wildlife. |
| B．Its natural beauty and cultural cities. |
| C．Its friendly local people. |
| D．Its delicious food and good education. |
6 . Barditch High School decided to hold an All-School Reunion. Over 450 people came to the event. There were tours of the old school building and a picnic at Confederate Park. Several former teachers were on hands to tell stories about the old days. Ms. Mabel Yates, the English teacher for fifty years, was wheeled to the Park.
Some eyes rolled and there were few low groans (嘟囔声) when Ms. Yates was about to speak. Many started looking at their watches and coming up with excuses to be anywhere instead of preparing to listen to a lecture from an old woman who had few kind words for her students and made them work harder than all the other teachers combined.
Then Ms. Yates started to speak:
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be here. I haven’t seen many of you since your graduation, but I have followed your careers and enjoyed your victories as well as crying for your tragedies. I have a large collection of newspaper photographs of my students. Although I haven’t appeared in person, I have attended your college graduations, weddings and even the birth of your children, in my imagination.”
Ms. Yates paused and started crying a bit. Then she continued:
“It was my belief that if I pushed you as hard as I could, some of you would succeed to please me and others would succeed to annoy me. Regardless of our motives, I can see that you have all been successful in your chosen path.“
“There is no greater comfort for an educator than to see the end result of his or her years of work. You have all been a great source of pleasure and pride for me and I want you to know I love you all from the bottom of my heart.”
There was a silence over the crowd for a few seconds and then someone started clapping. The clapping turned into cheering, then into a deafening roar(呼喊). Lawyers, truck drivers, bankers and models were rubbing their eyes or crying openly with no shame all because of the words from a long forgotten English teacher from their hometown.
1. What activity was organized for the school reunion?| A．Sightseeing in the park. | B．Telling stories about past events. |
| C．Graduates’ reports in the old building. | D．A picnic on the school playground. |
| A．Most people had little interest in the reunion. |
| B．Some people got tired from the reunion activities. |
| C．Many graduates disliked Ms. Yates’ ways of teaching. |
| D．Some graduates were too busy to listen to Ms. Yates’ speech. |
| A．She kept track of her students’ progress. |
| B．She gave her students advice on their careers. |
| C．She attended her students’ college graduations. |
| D．She went to her students’ wedding ceremonies. |
| A．Hard-pushed students are more likely to succeed. |
| B．Students’ respect is the best reward for teachers. |
| C．Pressure on students from teachers should be reduced. |
| D．Teachers’ knowledge is the key to students’ achievements. |
7 . A team of researchers from several institutions in the UK and one in Estonia has created a type of buoy(浮标)that has proven to be effective at frightening seabirds, thus preventing them from getting caught in gillnets - a type of vertical fishing net that is made of a material that makes it nearly invisible underwater.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of seabirds die when they get caught in gillnets. Some estimates suggest that up to a half-million birds are caught in them each year. Over the years, researchers have created devices to prevent the birds from trying to catch fish near or in gillnets, but those didn’t work well.
To find a way that would work for all seabirds, the researchers first studied seabirds in a general sense, looking to find things that they would avoid. They noted that seabirds avoided eye contact with other creatures. Then the researchers came up with a simple idea - they put a small pole to a regular buoy and then attached a pair of googly eyes(金鱼眼) to the top of it. They made the eyes big enough so that even birds with poor eyesight, such as geese, would see them. Adding to the effectiveness of the device, waves made the eyes move back and forth. And the wind made the buoy spin very slowly, making sure that birds from every direction would get a good look at the eyes.
To test their idea, the researchers selected several sites near gillnets and counted how many birds approached and how many attempted to catch fish near the nets. They then set up their googly-eyed buoys and once again counted birds. Over the course of 62 days, they found the number of birds that tried to catch fish near the gillnets dropped by approximately 25% for a distance of up to 50 meters. They also found that the birds were less likely to fish near where the buoys had been for up to three weeks after they had been removed.
1. What is the function of Paragraph 2?| A．Introducing a new topic to discuss. |
| B．Providing background information. |
| C．Summarizing the previous paragraph. |
| D．Pointing out the main idea of the text. |
| A．To clearly observe seabirds’ eye contact. |
| B．To ensure all the seabirds can see them. |
| C．To effectively identify the right direction. |
| D．To allow them to survive the strong wind. |
| A．The new device still needs improving. |
| B．Gillnets are a death valley for seabirds. |
| C．The googly-eyed buoy proves effective. |
| D．Seabirds hardly catch fish near the nets. |
| A．A device keeping seabirds safe from gillnets. |
| B．A way to help seabirds catch fish effectively. |
| C．A googly-eyed buoy guiding seabirds to hunt. |
| D．A group of researchers interested in seabirds. |
8 . A man was driving home when he saw a car stuck on the side of the road. So, he
All the problem she had was a
He waited until she
Halfway the lady stopped to grab a bite to
That night when the waitress got home, she shared the story with her husband and whispered, “With the
| A．took over | B．pulled up | C．turned around | D．broke down |
| A．worried | B．embarrassed | C．disappointed | D．annoyed |
| A．round | B．extra | C．flat | D．thick |
| A．engine | B．tire | C．car | D．route |
| A．link | B．chat | C．event | D．aid |
| A．money | B．idea | C．problem | D．fact |
| A．disaster | B．panic | C．need | D．danger |
| A．processed | B．arranged | C．struck | D．started |
| A．nervous | B．good | C．touched | D．puzzled |
| A．eat | B．work | C．sing | D．appoint |
| A．wished | B．admitted | C．introduced | D．noticed |
| A．product | B．tax | C．change | D．income |
| A．quietly | B．patiently | C．sincerely | D．excitedly |
| A．target | B．chain | C．wisdom | D．reward |
| A．holiday | B．plan | C．success | D．baby |
9 . London Transport Museum
Explore how London’s growth, culture and society I have ben intertwined (交织) wit it transport system, from 1800 to today.
What is there to see at the museum?
Follow the development of the red London bus, se the world’s first Underground steam train and examine a train carriage dating back to the 1890s.
Design lovers can be very surprised at the Design for Travel gallery (展览馆), including pioneering advertising posters, artworks and Harry Beck’s first design for his ground-breaking London Underground map.
Get hands-on at interactive galleries, where you can step aboard real buses and trains and have a go on a driving simulator (模拟器).
How can I book tickets to the museum?
Tickets must be booked in advance — book London Transport Museum tickets now.
How long does it take to walk around the museum?
With so many interesting collections to see, you can easily spend at least two hours walking around the museum.
Where is the museum?
It is in Covent Garden Piazza, directly opposite the main Covent Garden Market building.
How to get to the museum
The nearest underground station to the museum is Covent Garden two minutes away. Leicester Square, Holborn, Charing Cross and Embankment are all within 10 minutes’ walk. Charing Cross Railway Station is the closest railway station, which is nine minutes away.
Bus stops on the Strand and Aldwych are a three-minute walk away from the museum.
There are Santander Cycles docking points (自行车停靠点) at Southampton Street and Bow Street, both a three-minute walk from the museum.
Prices
Child (0-17): FREE
Adult: £18.50
Senior (60+): £17.00
1. What do we know about the museum?
| A．It requires advance booking. | B．It was designed by Harry Beck. |
| C．It provides a train design experience. | D．It is in the Covent Garden Market building. |
| A．The bus stop on the Strand. |
| B．Covent Garden Underground Station. |
| C．Charing Cross Railway Station. |
| D．The Santander Cycles docking point at Bow Street. |
| A．£34.00. | B．£35.50. | C．£54.00. | D．£52.50. |
10 . “Snowplow (扫雪机) parenting” is the newest parenting style that can include parents booking their adult children haircuts, calling their college kids to wake them up so that they don’t sleep through a test, and even calling their kids’ employers.
“‘Helicopter (直升机) parenting’ means monitoring their kids’ every activity, which is out of date.” Claire Cain Miller and Jonah Engel Bromwich wrote in The New York Times. “Some rich mothers and fathers now are more like snowplows: clearing any problems in their children’s path to success so that they don’t have to meet failure or lose opportunities.”
There is a mother who started a charity in her son’s name to try to raise his chances of being accepted to the college. Another couple of parents spent years helping their daughter avoid foods with sauce, which she didn’t like. Once she got to college, she had problems with the food in her school because it was all covered in sauce.
A survey says that three-quarters of parents of children between the ages of 18 and 28 ask for doctor visits or haircuts for their children, and 11% say they would call their kids’ bosses whether their children are having an issue at work.
As reported, wealthy parents try to get their children into top colleges by giving a large amount of money to a school, such as paying for a building. This parenting has become the most popular way to raise children, whatever the income, education, or race is.
Julie, a teacher at Stanford, told the Times that “snowplow parenting” is not a reasonable approach. “The parents should prepare the kid for the road, instead of preparing the road for the kid,” she said.
1. According to paragraph 2, “helicopter parenting”________.| A．was once a popular parenting style | B．clears problems for kids |
| C．encourages kids to care for themselves | D．is preferred by more parents |
| A．argue for the “snowplow parenting” style |
| B．give examples of “snowplow parenting” |
| C．explain the idea of “snowplow parenting” |
| D．offer some advice on “snowplow parenting” |
| A．Parents should be prepared to deal with the problems their kids meet. |
| B．Parents should never do anything for their kids until problems turn up. |
| C．Kids should develop the ability to face challenges with the help of parents. |
| D．Kids should always be independent of their parents no matter what happens. |
| A．Clear the Way for Your Kids |
| B．Have Your Eye on Your Kids |
| C．“Helicopter Parenting”—The Same Old Story |
| D．“Snowplow Parenting”—The More Help, The Better? |
