1 . Even though they may appear to be completely unrelated, black holes and Las Vegas have one thing in common: Whatever happens there stays there, much to the displeasure of astrophysicists who are trying to understand how black holes grow.

The event horizon can be conceptualized as an outer ring that surrounds black holes and is the boundary beyond which nothing, including matter, light, or information, may pass. It takes in every bit of evidence about the black hole’s past and has the appearance of being “stuck” to the eyes of an observer.

“Because of these physical facts, it had been thought impossible to measure how black holes formed,” said Peter Behroozi, an associate professor at the University of Arizona Steward Observatory.

Behroozi co-led an international team to rebuild the growth histories of black holes using machine learning and supercomputers, successfully avoiding the event horizon information barrier for individual black holes to show what is beyond. Millions of artificial universes were simulated (模拟), and the results showed that supermassive black holes grew at the same pace as their host galaxies (星系). Scientists had a theory about this for 20 years, but had not been able to confirm this relationship until now. The team’s research was reported in a publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

“As the galaxy grows from small to large, its black hole, too, is growing from small to large, in exactly the same way as we see in galaxies today all across the universe,” Behroozi said.

Trinity is a platform developed by the researchers that uses a novel type of machine learning to generate millions of different universes on a supercomputer. The goal of Trinity is to find answers. The project’s three main research areas are galaxies, their supermassive black holes, and their dark matter halo (晕). The same Trinity is in inference to these three areas. Millions of galaxies and their dark matter halo were simulated using the researchers’ older University Machine in past investigations.

The researchers found that galaxies expanding in their dark matter halo have a very particular relationship between the galaxy’s mass and that of the halo.

1. Which of the following is one of the physical facts according to Behroozi?

A．The event horizon can allow matter and light to pass.

B．Black holes and Las Vegas are completely different.

C．The event horizon absorbs the black hole’s past.

D．Observers can see the event horizon clearly.

2. What have the researchers prove about black holes?

A．Their exact locations in the universe.

B．Their influence on artificial universe.

C．Their links with their dark matter halo.

D．Their relationship with their host galaxies.

3. What can be learned about Trinity?

A．It refers to the University Machine.

B．It creates millions of artificial universes.

C．It shows how galaxies form in the real universe.

D．It is a platform to study the development of machine learning.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．Trinity Finds Answers to Machine Learning

B．Machine Learning Could Reveal How Black Holes Grow

C．Supermassive Black Holes Are Beneficial to Their Host Galaxies

D．Astrophysicists Have Confirmed the Significance of the Event Horizon

2 . When a marketing genius walks into your store, it might benefit you to pay attention, even if that genius is only a small child. When a store owner saw a young girl playing an imaginary hopscotch(跳房子) game using his wood flooring, it sparked (引发) a brilliant idea.

The store owner marked out a hopscotch board in multi-colored tape leading to the sales window. When the girl returned, she immediately began using the new store hopscotch board.

Once the board was in place, the store owner noticed an amazing thing happening in the store. It started with a grown man looking a little nervous and glancing (瞥) around the store. The owner thought he might be checking for cameras to steal something. But what he did next shocked the owner. The man started jumping along the hopscotch board!

With total ignoring “how it looked,” the grown man hopped along the hopscotch board like a seasoned professional! And he smiled! But that was just the beginning of the surprise for the store owner. As more people entered the store, more and more of the adult customers took the opportunity to hop to the cash register.

The simple addition of a hopscotch board brought smiles, laughter, and true joy into the tiny convenience store. People were smiling and feeling happier. The in-store cameras record the hoppers merrily jumping along.

Big, small, men, women, old, and young: everyone seems to enjoy the opportunity to be a kid again. The feeling may only last for a few seconds, but if it brings joy to your life, do it!

Some customers carefully walk around the board. However, many enjoy those few seconds of being a kid again. The response delighted the store owner. If you’re the type of person who would hop along the board, share the hopscotch game with your fellow hoppers!

1. What did the girl inspire the store owner to do?

A．He invited the girl to return to the store.	B．He also jumped along the hopscotch board.
C．He prevented a man from stealing something.	D．He created a hopscotch board in the store.

2. What did the grown man do in the store?

A．He tried to steal things from the store.	B．He encouraged others to join the game.
C．He laughed at the girl playing the game.	D．He played the game after some hesitation.

3. Why do customers seem to be enjoying hopscotch?

A．Because they all cared for the girl.	B．Because they could get joy from it.
C．Because the game was fit for them.	D．Because the game was easy to learn.

4. Which words can best describe the store owner?

A．Considerate and creative.	B．Knowledgeable and honest.
C．Humorous and outgoing.	D．Modest and ambitious.

3 . In the United States alone, 119 billion pounds of food is wasted each year according to the nonprofit organization Feeding America. Yet, over 44 million Americans go hungry every day. If this seems like a huge gap, this is due both to the process of distributing the food and to the food waste that affects the world’s ability to sufficiently raise its entire population. However, several New York City(NYC) communities have found an effective way to reduce food waste—community fridges.

These fridges represent a grassroots way to increase access to food and fight against food waste. The community fridges offer a way for people to give fresh food that they will not eat to others who need it. They first surfaced in New York City in 2020. These community fridges offer a ray of hope to people who were struggling to afford or find food during supply chain issues and rising food prices.

Community fridges offer a way for food that would otherwise be wasted to be redistributed. However, another wonderful effect of reducing food waste is the ability to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change. As food gets bad in landfills, it gives off methane, which is the second most common greenhouse gas. This means that food waste is responsible for up to ten percent of global emissions—which is a pretty large number! Placing food that would otherwise go uneaten in a community fridge can help to reduce these emissions.

Although there are some negative side effects of community fridges, their benefits usually outweigh their negatives. Volunteers clean and maintain the fridges. Some community fridge nonprofits even use renewable energy to power the refrigerators. Although the community fridge may be misused by some, these instances are sparse. Now, the idea of the community fridge has spread. These fridges, also known as “friendly fridges”, will be found in cities throughout the United States.

1. Why is “a huge gap” mentioned in paragraph 1?

A．To seek for ways to feed the hungry.	B．To lead in the problem of food waste.
C．To point out the population crisis in the US.	D．To show the effect of reducing food waste.

2. What is a benefit of the community fridge program according to the text?

A．It helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

B．It motivates companies to make energy-saving fridges.

C．It is the best solution to global climate change.

D．It brings down food prices by offering more supplies.

3. What does the underlined word “sparse” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Ordinary.

B．Serious.

C．Reasonable.

D．Rare.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards community fridges?

A．Unclear.

B．Doubtful.

C．Hopeful.

D．Indifferent.

4 . In the rich countries of the West, the electric vehicle revolution is well underway. Climate-conscious consumers drive Teslas or Polestars for reasons of morality and fashion. Poorer countries are also experiencing a wave of electrified trend. In Bangladesh, electric three-wheeler taxis, known as tuk-tuks, are rapidly replacing gas-powered ones on the streets. Such electric vehicles are climate friendly, cost effective, and help reduce air pollution.

Yet a glance under the hood (引擎盖) of these vehicles reveals a poisonous secret: each tuk-tuk runs on five massive lead-acid batteries, containing almost 300 pounds of lead in total. Every year and a half or so, when those batteries need to be replaced and recycled, about 60 pounds of lead leak into the environment. Battery recycling, often at small-scale unregulated factories, is a highly profitable but deadly business.

Lead is dangerous, and any exposure to it is harmful to human health. Lead that has entered the environment hurts people on an extraordinary scale. The numerous ways lead enters air, water, soil, and homes across the developing world — and the enormous damage it does to human health, wealth, and welfare — causes one of the biggest environmental crises in the world yet receives little attention.

The World Bank estimates that lead kills 5. 5 million people per year, which would make it a bigger global killer than AIDS, malaria, diabetes, and road traffic deaths combined. On top of the shocking deaths, the social burden of lead poisoning is extraordinary, as is its contribution to global inequality — our research on the cognitive effects of lead poisoning suggests that it may explain about one-fifth of the educational achievement gap between rich and poor countries.

But unlike many challenges faced by developing countries, lead poisoning is a problem that is fixable with some attention and a relatively modest financial investment. Better monitoring, research, and rules can help protect children all over the world from the dreadful effects of lead poisoning and reduce the massive global costs it brings.

1. How does the author describe the lead problem in paragraph 2?

A．By making a comparison.	B．By analyzing hidden causes.
C．By listing convincing numbers.	D．By explaining its working principle.

2. What can we learn from the text?

A．Lead enters rich countries in various ways.

B．Lead poisoning may make poor societies poorer.

C．Exposure to lead doesn’t necessarily harm someone.

D．Lead leaking has caused great panic in both countries.

3. What can be done to solve lead poisoning in developing countries?

A．Fixing these used batteries.	B．Putting certain effort and money.
C．Prohibiting the illegal use of lead.	D．Reducing the cost of recycling lead.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．The Impacts of Lead Poisoning on Human Health

B．The Outcomes of Using Electric Vehicles

C．The Ways to Solve Lead Problem

D．The Global Lead Poisoning Crisis

6 . Schools in England will be offering British Sign Language (BSL) as a general certificate of secondary education(GCSE) subject as a way of boosting life skills and social inclusion (包容). This is something that comes after a decade of efforts that were backed by celebrities including Rose Ayling-Ellis, the stage and TV actor and model Tasha Ghouri, who has a hearing disability.

Ghouri has been encouraging people to learn sign language and told The Guardian that people often feel uncomfortable trying to speak to others who are deaf or hearing impaired (受损的). That’s because, she said, “they don’t know how to communicate”.

One in five people in the UK are deaf or hearing impaired according to the RNID organization. This includes at least 50,000 deaf children. It is estimated that 25,000 people use BSL as their main language.

Daniel Jillings started an activity when he was 12 to allow British Sign Language to be a core subject in school. Earlier in 2023, Daniel spoke to the government about the importance of deaf awareness in schools. Teaching BSL in the schools will allow hearing students to learn and that will lead to more social inclusion. “This is a significant moment in the history of the British deaf community, as it is a powerful step to equality,” he said.

While it is too late for Daniel, who was born without a cochlea (耳蜗), so he cannot use hearing aids and cannot speak, it is a welcome change for other students. The first GCSE courses are set to begin in 2025.

There are concrete benefits for students. Education secretary Gillian Keegan said, “Studying British Sign Language can open so many doors for young people, giving pupils an understanding of how thousands of people communicate and ultimately even expanding job prospects.”

1. Why does Ghouri encourage people to learn BSL?

A．To make people learn more basic life skills.	B．To meet the demands of some celebrities.
C．To make deaf people feel more comfortable.	D．To boost better communication with the deaf.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The situation of deaf people in the UK.	B．The number of deaf children in the school.
C．The worldwide influence of sign language.	D．The survey process of the RNID organization.

3. What do we know about Daniel Jilling?

A．He is a celebrity with hearing disability.	B．He is an advocate for BSL teaching.
C．He revealed the cause of social inequality.	D．He has benefited a lot from modern medicine.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．Deaf People Start A 10-year Project

B．Schools Need To Teach Students More Life Skills

C．Sign Language Is To Be Offered in English Schools

D．The Deaf Community Will Be Left Behind In Britain

8 . I was first going into this final day, the Junior Sled Dog Championship. We’d trained two years and wanted to beat Blake. I knelt down to pat Kenai and my hands ______ from nerves and excitement. Kenai tipped up his face to lick my chin. “You are ______, aren’t you?”

Just before the count down started, Blake shot me a _____ grin, hands trembling too. Then I heard, “Go!”______ I could yell   “Hike!”, Kenai leaped forward. The rest of the dogs _____ after. We started last. We flew down the long hill. Then we ______ a corner. I leaned to keep the sled steady. Kenai saw Blake’s team before I did. His tail flew up, and he ______ . Seeing his tongue still flopping forward, I let him go all out. We closed the ______. A bridge later, we inched closer. On the next hill, Kenai drew even with Blake’s sled and then we passed it.

____ our sled hit a branch. The runners caught. I lost my ______ and fell off the sled. Witnessing the sled come to a stop, I struggled through the deep snow to Kenai. I ____. His shoulder was bleeding.

“Kenai! No!” My voice came out a howl. Kenai ______ to stand. He looked at me, his blue eyes______ to keep on. He would do it, too. For one frozen moment I saw myself on the winner’s stand with the trophy (奖杯). But no. I bent and gently ______ Kenai in a blanket.

The race vet examining Kenai, I watched Blake accept the trophy. Kenai squirming in my lap, I leaned over upon him. Just at that moment, I felt a warm tongue on my wet cheek. I smiled and realized that I had the ____ that really counted.

1.

A．softened

B．shook

C．withdrew

D．extended

2.

A．clever

B．thirsty

C．helpful

D．ready

3.

A．broad

B．satisfied

C．tight

D．slight

4.

A．As

B．Beyond

C．Before

D．After

5.

A．pulled

B．charged

C．jumped

D．barked

6.

A．cut

B．missed

C．kept

D．rounded

7.

A．took off

B．flew away

C．turned around

D．bent forward

8.

A．race

B．difference

C．gap

D．goal

9.

A．Suddenly

B．Finally

C．Gradually

D．Occasionally

10.

A．way

B．hold

C．temper

D．sight

11.

A．quitted

B．insisted

C．sighed

D．froze

12.

A．struggled

B．decided

C．refused

D．pretended

13.

A．forcing

B．begging

C．ordering

D．persuading

14.

A．took up

B．put up

C．brought up

D．wrapped up

15.

A．achievement

B．companion

C．prize

D．friendship

9 . Twenty-two years ago, I won a Nobel Prize, together with Tim and Leland Hartwell, for our work on how cells control their division.

The prize changed our lives. Suddenly you become a public figure being asked to do all sorts of things: to give lectures, quite often on topics you know little about; to sit on committees and reviews you are not always well qualified to be on; to visit countries you have barely heard of. It is like having a whole new extra job, with upwards of 500 requests a year.

A recent study suggests that in general the extra commitments that Nobel winners take on result in fewer papers after their awards. There may be some truth to this given the extra demands on one’s time, but of course prestigious awards also allow new projects and research to be undertaken.

What effects did the Nobel Prize have on my subsequent career and work? It has certainly helped me to get scientific leadership positions. Within a year of getting the prize I was offered and accepted the presidency of Rockefeller University in New York. Having the prize also helps to get things done. For example, I have been involved in the merging of two separate cancer research charities to form Cancer Research UK. And it has helped me support causes I care deeply about. I became an ambassador for Ukraine education and science to help raise money for schools in that shattered country. Moreover, having a Nobel does help attract high-quality research colleagues. I have just started three excellent new PhD   students. It is a privilege for me to be able to pursue curiosity-driven research at this late stage of my career.

However, one thing I am glad to say that the Nobel Prize did not influence was peer review from my fellow scientists, assessing the suitability of my own research for publication, and my grant applications for funding. My rejection rates have remained essentially the same before and after the prize. And that, of course, is exactly how it should be.

1. What is the author’s purpose in writing paragraph 2?

A．To share his pride in winning a Nobel.

B．To express his regret at the changing of life.

C．To show his self confidence in handling the extra jobs.

D．To display his overburdened tasks after winning a Nobel.

2. What does the underlined word “merging”   in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Competition.

B．Comparison.

C．Combination.

D．Construction.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The special privileges the Nobel winner has.

B．The positive impacts the Nobel Prize generates.

C．The great contributions the Nobel winner makes.

D．The scientific leadership the Nobel Prize provides.

4. What message does the author mainly want to convey in the last paragraph?

A．The spirit of science lies in seeking facts and truth.

B．Winning a Nobel Prize has an impact on peer review.

C．Extra commitments make Nobel winners less productive.

D．The approval a Nobel winner receives is equal to rejection.

10 . Discover Our Winter Camps This Season

Spaces Edu
Ages 13-17 Years

Are you looking for an exciting and creative way to develop computer skills? Spaces Edu is the perfect course for students who want to bring their imaginations to life by coding(编码) their own VR projects. In this course, students will learn how to create 3D objects and will also learn how to collect information quickly, as well as how to share their creations online and experience them with VR headsets. This is an advanced course so some coding experience is necessary.

Necessary Life Skills
Ages 12-13 Years

This course will offer important real-life skills for students which will prepare them for their university. Students will learn how to create their own detailed resumes(简历) as well as how to prepare for interviews so they are prepared and filled with confidence as they take the next steps in life.

French through Art & Culture
Ages 8-11 Years

Join us this spring as we travel in time through the richness of French music, people and colors. Each day, students will build their understanding of the language through a different way. As students become interested in French art and culture they will develop their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.

First Steps
Ages 7-12 Years

In this introductory course for beginners, students will learn the basics of computer in Python. The course will focus on learning Python programming and then using the knowledge and skills to create computer programs. Using an online learning platform(平台), students will be guided through their learning of Python basics. Students should bring their own computers.

1. Which camp is suitable for students who prepare for college life?

A．French through Art & Culture.	B．Necessary Life Skills.
C．Spaces Edu.	D．First Steps.

2. What can students do in French through Art & Culture?

A．Improve their French.	B．Travel in France.
C．Organize an art show.	D．Create a 3D painting.

3. What do Spaces Edu and First Steps have in common?

A．They are perfect for beginners.	B．They are open to students aged 7.
C．They offer courses in computer science.	D．They provide free computers for students.