1 . When this year’s all-woman team arrived on Antarctica’s Goudier Island to run the world’s most remote post office, it was shovels they needed rather than stamps.
They’d traveled some 8,000 miles from the UK, by plane and boat, and Britain’s Royal Navy had helped them dig out their new home at the Port Lockroy scientific base, which was buried up to four meters deep under several tonnes of December snow.
It wasn’t just the frozen wastes that first struck postmaster Clare Ballantyne, who at 23 years old was the baby of the four-woman group. It was that “there’s penguins everywhere.”
More than a thousand Gentoo penguins live on this tiny island on the western side of the Antarctic peninsula (半岛), around the size of a soccer field. Since 1944, when the UK’s first permanent Antarctic base was established here, it’s also become a shelter for explorers, scientists and — in recent years — tourists.
Each year, a team is selected to run and maintain the site from November to March, or summertime in the southern hemisphere. Around 4,000 people applied for this job, but just four made the cut: Ballantyne, base leader Lucy Bruzzone, wildlife monitor Mairi Hilton and shop manager Natalie Corbett.
The job also involves counting penguins: The scientific data they gather on the Gentoos’ breeding patterns is part of a decades-long study of the colony.
When it comes to choosing candidates, “there is no recipe we can follow,” says Ballantyne. “It’s about your ability to work together as a team. Cheeriness goes a long way, being able to see the light in life and resolve problems quickly.”
Ballantyne notes that there has been “a bit of a decline in recent years in the breeding success” of the Gentoo penguins, but says “the causal connect ion is the tricky bit.” While climate change is probably “the biggest driver,” they also need to carefully examine if there’s a “human element” as well. In her opinion, Antarctica tourism has boomed significantly in the past couple of decades, but there aren’t legally enforced limits on tourism, which hopes to be a regulated industry.
1. What is the task of the all-woman team?| A．Making out all the living habits of penguins. | B．Serving as postmasters and environmentalists. |
| C．Designing stamps linked to the Antarctic peninsula. | D．Managing a post office including counting penguins. |
| A．It’s situated on the eastern side of the Antarctic peninsula. |
| B．Some scientists use it as a soccer field in their spare time. |
| C．It’s fit for man to study the Antarctic and live temporarily. |
| D．The number of the penguins on it has risen sharply. |
| A．Being optimistic, competent and cooperative. | B．Being sensitive, courageous and determined. |
| C．Being hardworking, modest and empathetic. | D．Being independent, elegant and generous. |
| A．Climate change leads to the decline of penguins. | B．Polar tourism desires for improved management. |
| C．Humans and penguins live in peace in the Antarctic. | D．Antarctica tourism has influenced climate change. |
2 . ▶Western Sydney University
The university undertakes ranges of sustainability-related research, including sustainable agriculture, soil biology and food security. It has a range of living labs on its campus to aid with teaching and research in areas such as renewable energy, water recycling and natural and cultural heritages.
▶University of Reading
The university offers a range of modules on environmental and social issues to all undergraduate students, regardless of which faculty they are studying in. There is also a free online two-week course where you can investigate the impact of climate change and the research being done into it. The university has a range of sustainability projects, including the Research Woodland and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme.
▶University of Manchester
The university has a range of sustainability measures on campus to reduce waste. The Want Not, Waste Not shop on campus sells a selection of zero-waste products including spices, pulses, cleaning products and beauty products. The university is also working to reduce plastic at all its events, by replacing balloons with paper bunting, using potato-based tokens instead of plastic ones and eliminating plastic water bottles and printed flyers.
▶Manchester Metropolitan University
In April 2021, the university launched the Give It, Don’t Bin It” campaign, which encourages students to donate unwanted items and leftover food to charity partners, including the British Heart Foundation and Manchester Central Food Bank. Donation banks and boxes are situated all over campus. Students wishing to get involved in sustainability can choose from a range of initiatives across campus, including the Sustainability Ambassador scheme and Climate and Social Action Week. Students also run a clothing swap shop and MetMUnch, a student network that focuses on training and pop-ups all around food, nutrition and sustainability.
1. Which university focuses on global climate?| A．University of Reading. | B．University of Manchester. |
| C．Western Sydney University. | D．Manchester Metropolitan University. |
| A．It aims to find more renewable energy. |
| B．MetMUnch focuses on air improvement. |
| C．It has earned a reputation in controlling poverty. |
| D．Its “Give It, Don’t Bin It” helps those in need. |
| A．Development and improvement. | B．Recycling and sustainability. |
| C．Kindness and generosity. | D．Science and technology. |
3 . Coming into the town of Santa Catarina Palopó, in the highlands of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, the first thing you notice is the bright colors. Most of the buildings along the main street are eye-catching, deep blues and greens, dotted with red and yellow to form diverse patterns and designs.
Santa Catarina Palopó was once a sleepy town of 5, 000 people, most of them dependent on agricultural work. But as agriculture began to dry up here, poverty came. To deal with poverty and promote econ on growth through tourism, a small but creative group of laborers, artisans, domestic workers and stay-at-home moms created the Pintando Santa Catarina Palopó project.
The project aimed to paint all 850 homes and buildings in bright colors to change the hillside town into a work of art. “We wanted to paint the houses with colors and figures that represent the community” says the project’s executive director Stephany Blanco. “Families can choose designs for their house that are representative of the family.”
One of the most representative characteristics of the region is the blue huipil, a traditional blouse which has been worn commonly by local women since the 16th century. That deep sky blue was chosen the primary color-for the Pintando project, with secondary colors found in the sunsets and the nearby lake to make the design more attractive. Inspiration was also found in local culture, symbols such as volcanoes, flowers, and the national bird of Guatemala.
Each week, local artists, community members and tourists pick up paintbrushes to make buildings colorful. “At first, the idea of the project was uncertain, but now you can see a considerable difference in the town,” Melissa Whitbeck said. “The color of the buildings is believed to improve the quality-of life of the people. It uplifts the people’s mood and encourages them to be proud of their hometown.”
1. Why was the Pintando Santa Catarina project started?| A．Because of a workforce shortage. | B．Due to the poor economic conditions. |
| C．Thanks to the increase in population. | D．For the old-fashioned farming ways. |
| A．Building family art galleries in Guatemala. | B．Creating job opportunities for local artists. |
| C．Developing local tourism by selling artworks. | D．Changing the town into a cultural destination. |
| A．The surrounding volcanoes. | B．Mayan-styled butterflies. |
| C．A type of traditional clothing. | D．The national bird of Guatemala. |
| A．Positive. | B．Reserved. | C．Concerned. | D．Negative. |
4 . Exploring the peaks of the world’s highest mountains has become almost second nature for Poorna Malavath and Kavya Manyapu. It has taken Manyapu to NASA where her research has included designing
Now, these two women have channeled their
Never climbed before, the mountain
Rainy weather conditions that turned to snow at high
And for a relatively
“When we were in the
| A．sports | B．space | C．women | D．climber |
| A．reach | B．draw | C．cut | D．hold |
| A．leading | B．writing | C．exploring | D．mapping |
| A．changes | B．raises | C．designs | D．lends |
| A．deserted | B．forgotten | C．questioned | D．untouched |
| A．presented | B．predicted | C．explained | D．discovered |
| A．money | B．advice | C．luggage | D．assistance |
| A．temporarily | B．steadily | C．mentally | D．physically |
| A．train | B．order | C．guide | D．persuade |
| A．altitude | B．midnight | C．expense | D．speed |
| A．ended | B．began | C．rained | D．snowed |
| A．slowly | B．rapidly | C．happily | D．shyly |
| A．skillful | B．learned | C．strange | D．green |
| A．tent | B．school | C．hole | D．lab |
| A．inform | B．tease | C．motivate | D．praise |
5 . Robots have learned to drive on Mars, carry out brain surgery and defeat grandmaster chess players. But when it comes to baking, making tasty desserts is far from a piece of cake. But after multiple failed attempts, US researchers have successfully 3D printed a cherry cheesecake.
The sorry-looking flan resembles a slice of cottage pie, topped with blancmange. Nevertheless, scientists are hopeful that once mastered, 3D printing could replace conventional cooking, allowing food to be tailored to nutritional needs of children, athletes or those on dietary restrictions.
“We have an enormous problem with the low-nutrient value of processed foods,” said Professor Christen Cooper of Pace University Nutrition and Dietetics. “3D food printing will still turn out processed foods, but perhaps the silver lining will be, for some people, better control and tailoring of personalised nutrition. It may also be useful in making food more appealing to those with swallowing disorders by mimicking the shapes of real foods with the mashed texture foods that these patients require.”
In the latest experiment, researchers tried various cheesecake designs, consisting of seven key ingredients: a biscuit base, peanut butter, Nutella, banana puree, strawberry jam, cherry drizzle, and frosting. In early attempts, which involved simply layering up the ingredients, the team found that the cake quickly disintegrated, with jam and peanut butter leaking out onto the work bench.
They discovered through trial and error that a more architectural solution was needed. Walls of biscuit base were required throughout the cake to hold the softer ingredients inside, while internal triangular biscuit supports were necessary to keep the cake upright.
“The study highlights that printed food dishes will likely require novel ingredient compositions and structures, due to the different way by which the food is assembled,” said Cooper. “Much work is still needed to collect data, model, and optimize these processes.”
But the team said that laser cooking and 3D printing could allow chefs to create entirely new food experiences, with flavors and textures placed with millimetre precision. And, because the system uses targeted light for very localized cooking, it could save energy unlike ovens or hobs which heat a large area.
1. Why are robots mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To compare to find the advantages of robots. | B．To show how to use robots to make cakes. |
| C．To introduce the topic of 3D printed food. | D．To prove 3D printers are better than robots. |
| A．It is designed to replace all processed foods. | B．It may help some people with special needs. |
| C．It looks more attractive than ordinary ones. | D．It is appealing to children having sweet teeth. |
| A．Present 3D printed food are not perfect now. | B．3D printing technology needs improving. |
| C．Printed food dishes will be forbidden. | D．Swallowing disorders will disappear. |
| A．It’s time to save energy using 3D printers. |
| B．Without 3D printer the world would be less colorful. |
| C．3D printed food will make chefs out of work in future. |
| D．3D-printed cheesecakes predict ‘personalized nutrition’. |
6 . Guy Noble, one of Australia’s most famous conductors, who conducted the touring concert “East Meets West”, said he’d like to learn more about Chinese music. “I’m impressed by the history and the beauty Chinese music has,” he’s said in an interview recently.
“East Meets West” concert tour in Australia was resumed this year after being postponed twice due to the pandemic. It was hosted in Canberra last Saturday, bringing audiences some well-known Chinese and Western pieces such as Jasmine Flower, Carmen, Romeo and Juliet, and The Yellow River.
While it was called “East Meets West”, music from China and the West with the same themes was brought together. Chinese singer Ya Fen and Australian singer Victoria Lambourn performed a duet (二重唱) Hope Betrayed, which was inspired by the Chinese classic novel A Dream of Red Mansions. Noble said he loved the duet as it showed completely different singing styles: traditional Chinese opera style and Western opera style. “They’re not exactly the same, but they came together,” he said.
Having been a professional conductor for more than 20 years, Noble called music an international language. He noted that most music at the concert was about love, which was also an international language. He also spoke highly of some Chinese musicians, such as pianist Lang Lang who he thought has inspired many kids in China to learn music.
Noble admitted his knowledge of Chinese culture was limited. He said that conducting the Canberra concert was “an experience that I’ve enjoyed”, which made him more interested in discovering the background and history of the music, as well as the stories behind it. Noble is ready to create more things that can involve dance or calligraphy or some of the other aspects of Chinese culture, and put them together with music.
1. What does the underlined word “resumed” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Restarted. | B．Expanded. |
| C．Paused. | D．Concluded. |
| A．Because it impressed him with its history. |
| B．Because it was inspired by a classic novel. |
| C．Because it showed two performing styles. |
| D．Because it was performed by an Australian. |
| A．He is an amateur conductor. |
| B．He speaks highly of all Chinese musicians. |
| C．He has a wide knowledge of Chinese culture. |
| D．He intends to integrate more Chinese elements into music. |
| A．Guy Noble: A Famous Australian Conductor |
| B．An Australian’s Passion for Chinese Culture |
| C．Music: A Bridge to Understanding Each Other |
| D．The Cooperation Between Foreign Musicians |
7 . Loss of slow-wave sleep as you age may increase your risk of developing dementia (痴呆), according to a new study.
“We found that aging was associated with a decline in the amount of the deepest stages of sleep, known as slow-wave sleep. We then found that people with greater declines in slow-wave sleep over time had a higher risk of getting dementia over the next 17 years of follow-up,” said Matthew Pase, senior author of the study.
Slow-wave sleep is the third and fourth stages of sleep, which is important for brain health. During this stage, the body removes unwanted or harmful materials from the brain. “For the brain, this deep sleep is thought to be the most restorative,” said Dr Richard Isaacson, who wasn’t involved in the study.
The researchers wanted to know whether chronic (慢性的) reductions in slow-wave sleep over time are linked to dementia risk in humans and whether dementia-related processes in the brain may contribute to getting less of this type of sleep. They studied 346 people with an average age of 69 and completed two overnight sleep studies—one between 1995 and 1998 and the second between 1998 and 2001—during which their sleep was monitored. The researchers also investigated whether any change in the amount of slow-wave sleep that participants got was associated with developing dementia up to 17 years after they completed the sleep studies. By that time, 52 participants had been diagnosed with dementia. Each percentage decrease in slow-wave sleep per year was linked to a 27 percent increased risk of developing dementia. The rate of slow-wave sleep loss accelerated (加速) from age 60, peaked from ages 75 to 80and slowed afterwards.
“This is an important study yet again showing the impact of quality of sleep on a person’s risk of cognitive decline and dementia,” Isaacson said. “It’s important to not only pay attention to the total amount of sleep a person gets each night, but also monitor sleep quality as best as possible.”
1. What can we learn from the new study?| A．The older you are, the less sleep you will have. |
| B．Slow-wave sleep has been linked to the risk of dementia. |
| C．The rate of slow-wave sleep loss keeps going up with age. |
| D．The amount of sleep has an impact on the risk of dementia. |
| A．By making a comparison. | B．By introducing a concept. |
| C．By referring to another study. | D．By making a survey. |
| A．Sleep quality needs more attention. |
| B．We should have enough sleep. |
| C．The elderly should sleep more than the young. |
| D．The amount of sleep is more important than sleep quality. |
| A．Sports. | B．Health. | C．Education. | D．Environment. |
8 . Ms. McIntyre, 38, worked as a publisher. She suffered brain cancer and her health got worse despite some medical treatment. But she realized that in a way, she was luckier than some other people. She had insurance to help pay for her medical care. But Ms. McIntyre and her husband, Mr. Gregory, knew that many people with cancer face tough decisions because of the costs of medical care and wind up owing far more than they can pay.
Though her health was failing, Ms. McIntyre decided to help pay off the medical debts of as many people as she possibly could. The couple began donating money to a group called RIP Medical Debt, which is committed to working to pay off the unpaid medical debts of others. The group can pay off medical bills for about 100 times less money than they cost. In other words, for every 100 donated, the group can pay off 10,000 in unpaid medical bills.
Unfortunately, Ms. McIntyre passed away before long. Mr. Gregory posted a message for Ms. McIntyre on her social media accounts. “If you’re reading this, I have passed away,” the post began. Then the post explained, “To celebrate my life, I’ve arranged to buy up others’ medical debts and then destroy the debts.”
The couple had set up a page on a website to raise money for this purpose. They had hoped to raise about $20,000. Nevertheless, Ms. McIntyre’s last post attracted a lot of attention. The donations on her web page quickly passed the total goal. In less than a week, the site had raised 10 times more than expected and the donations are still coming in. By November 22, 2023, Ms. McIntyre’s web page had raised over $627,000, or enough money to pay off about $60 million in medical debts.
Mr. Gregory planned a special event in December to celebrate Ms. McIntyre’s life and to announce how many millions of dollars of medical debts her efforts had paid for.
1. Why did Ms. McIntyre feel luckier than some other people?| A．The doctors eventually cured her. | B．Her disease didn’t become worse. |
| C．She had a decent job before being ill. | D．She had security about medical care. |
| A．By paying for their daily debts. | B．By giving away money to them. |
| C．By ridding them of debts from treatments. | D．By purchasing medical insurance for them. |
| A．The public involvement. | B．The couple’s commitment. |
| C．The operation of a website. | D．The increase of medical debts. |
| A．Humorous and elegant. | B．Influential and understanding. |
| C．Cautious and promising. | D．Enthusiastic and adaptable. |
9 . The University of Sydney researchers aim to help clear up conflicting dietary advice around egg consumption, as a new study finds eating up to 12 eggs per week for a year did not increase cardiovascular (心血管) risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes (糖尿病).
In the initial trial, participants aimed to maintain their weight while taking on a high-egg (12 eggs per week) or low-egg (less than two eggs per week) diet, with no difference in cardiovascular risk markers identified at the end of three months.
The same participants then took on a weight loss diet for an additional three months, while continuing their high or low egg consumption. For a further six months — up to 12 months in total — participants were followed up by researchers and continued their high or low egg intake.
At all stages, both groups showed no harmful changes in cardiovascular risk markers and achieved equal weight loss — regardless of their level of egg consumption, Dr Fuller, leader researcher of the study, explained.
“Despite differing advice around safe levels of egg consumption for people with type 2 diabetes, our research indicates people do not need to hold back from eating eggs if this is part of a healthy diet,” Dr Fuller said.
Dr Fuller said the findings of the study were important due to the potential health benefits of eggs for people with type 2 diabetes, as well as the general population. “Eggs are a source of protein and micronutrients that could support a range of health and dietary factors including helping to regulate the intake of fat and carbohydrate (碳水化合物), eye and heart health, healthy blood vessels and healthy pregnancies.”
“The different egg diets also appeared to have no impact on weight,” Dr Fuller added.
1. What may previous advice say about eating 12 eggs a week?| A．It is an important part of a weight loss diet. |
| B．It helps to regulate the intake of fat and carbohydrate. |
| C．It increases type 2 diabetes risk in people with cardiovascular disease. |
| D．It increases cardiovascular risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes. |
| A．Being in shape. | B．Adapting to high egg diet. |
| C．Controlling diseases. | D．Increasing nutrition. |
| A．Objective. | B．Supportive. | C．Skeptical. | D．Opposed. |
| A．Eggs contribute to a range of health and dietary factors |
| B．The safe levels of egg consumption for people with type 2 diabetes |
| C．Eggs are not linked to cardiovascular risk, despite conflicting advice |
| D．The impact eggs have on weight for people with cardiovascular disease |
10 . When parrots are kept as single pets, they tend to feel lonely just like humans. This is why researchers looked for a way to connect single pet birds by teaching them how to video call each other.
This experiment is not incredible since parrots are known to be very smart and easy to train. If they can be trained to talk, teaching them how to make a video call would be a piece of cake. However, what the researchers wanted to know through this study was whether birds would call each other when given a choice. The answer to this was a clear “yes”. Researchers from Northeastern University, the University of Glasgow, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that virtual interactions could help with the behavior of a parrot and improve their communication skills.
In the first two weeks of the study, the birds learned how to make a video call by ringing a bell and touching an image of another parrot on the screen. The caretakers carefully monitored the birds’ behavior during this stage and ended the call as soon as the birds stopped paying attention or started to show signs of fear or aggression (攻击性).
The next phase, which they call the “open call period”, allowed the birds to make calls freely and pick the bird they wanted to call. The remaining 15 participants made 147 video calls over the period of three months, which was equal to over 1,000 hours of video footage.
The study had a few significant findings. First, the birds engaged in most calls and formed strong preferences. It also showed that the birds who initiated the most were the ones who got the most call requests from other birds, which is similar to human socialization. The birds also developed attachments with their virtual friends’ human caretakers.
The researchers warned owners not to do the same experiment on their own as it should only be done by trained caretakers. It may cause parrots to become aggressive, scared, or uncomfortable.
1. What is the purpose of the experiment?| A．To test parrots’ intelligence. | B．To improve parrots’ mental health. |
| C．To help parrots to develop more skills. | D．To find a suitable way to raise parrots. |
| A．Parrots’ needs. | B．Parrots’ preferences. | C．An experienced team. | D．Parrots’ nature. |
| A．When the parrots were tired. | B．When the parrots were busy calling. |
| C．When the parrots showed discomfort. | D．When researchers got their desired results. |
| A．To avoid causing harm to the parrots. | B．To protect the owners from being hurt. |
| C．To prevent their research being copied. | D．To get more trained caretakers involved. |
