1 . Two men were sitting together in a plane. They were on a long journey. One of the men was a businessman. The other was a farmer. They sat without talking for a while, then the farmer said, “Let’s do something to pass the time.”
“What do you want to do?” the businessman asked. “We can ask each other riddles (谜语).” The farmer said, “You start.” “Let’s make the rules first,” the businessman said. “That’s not fair. You are a businessman with much knowledge. You know more things than I do. I am just a farmer.”
“That’s true.” The businessman said. “What do you want we should do?” “If you don’t know the answer to a riddle, you pay me $100. And if I don’t know the answer, I’ll pay you $50.” The farmer said. The businessman thought about this, then he said, “OK. That’s fair. Who will go first?”
“I will,” The farmer said. “Here is my riddle. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies?” The business man repeated the riddle, “What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies? Mm, that’s a good one. I’m afraid I don’t know the answer.” He gave the farmer $100, then said, “Tell me the answer. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies? “I don’t know.” The farmer said and gave him $50.
1. The story happened ____________.| A．on a farm | B．in a shop |
| C．before a long plane journey | D．between two passengers |
| A．kill time on the long journey | B．make money |
| C．show he was smarter | D．make fun of the businessman |
| A．He made much more money than the farmer. |
| B．He thought he knew more than the farmer. |
| C．He was interested in making riddles. |
| D．He was better at playing riddle games. |
| A．enjoyed himself on his long journey. | B．didn’t want to pay even one dollar |
| C．spent all his money on the plane ticket. | D．won fifty dollars by playing the riddle game |
2 . There is an old saying in China that goes, “The days of the Sanjiu period are the coldest days.” “Sanjiu period”, which is in Minor (较小的) Cold, refers to the third nine-day period (the 19th to the 27th day) after the day of the Winter Solstice (冬至). There are many different customs related to Minor Cold in China.
Eating hotpot
During Minor Cold people should eat some hot food to benefit the body and defend against the cold weather. Winter is the best time to have hotpot and braised mutton with soy sauce. But it is important to notice that too much spicy food may cause health problems.
Eating huangyacai
In Tianjin, there is a custom to have huangyacai, a kind of Chinese cabbage, during Minor Cold. There are large amounts of vitamins A and B in huangyacai. As huangyacai is fresh and tender, it is fit for frying, roasting and braising.
Eating glutinous rice (糯米饭)
According to tradition, the Cantonese eat glutinous rice in the morning during Minor Cold. Cantonese people add some fried preserved (腌制的) pork, sausage and peanuts and mix them into the rice.
Eating vegetable rice
In ancient times, people in Nanjing took Minor Cold quite seriously, but as time went by, the celebration of Minor Cold gradually disappeared. However, the custom of eating vegetable rice is still followed today. The rice is steamed and is unspeakably delicious. Among the ingredients (原料), aijiaohuang (a kind of green vegetable), sausage and salted duck are the specialties in Nanjing.
1. What do we know about Minor Cold?| A．The Sanjiu period is in this period. | B．It refers to the Winter Solstice. |
| C．It lasts twenty-seven days. | D．It marks the first day of winter. |
| A．Eating hotpot. | B．Having vitamin A and B pills. |
| C．Having huangyacai. | D．Buying cabbage. |
| A．travel | B．fashion | C．culture | D．science |
3 . I was riding my special motorbike this past weekend and stopped at a store. As I was getting my wheelchair off the back, a man watched me from his car and I noticed a wheelchair in his back seat. We spoke for a moment and I asked him about the wheelchair. He answered that it was for his daughter. “Well, do you think she would like to go for a ride on my motorbike with me?” I asked. He seemed shocked that a total stranger would ask him this. He thought about it for a second and said, “OK, as long as I can follow you.” He introduced me to Amy and he sat her on my back seat. Her father followed me for a few miles and she talked non-stop about what she wanted for Christmas.
As we came back to the store, she said, “This ride is the best Christmas present I could ever receive. I have been in a wheelchair my whole life and didn’t know I could do this.” Then she turned to him and said, “Oh Daddy, I’m going to be OK. Mr. Bryant does all kinds of things—and I will, too.” Her father hugged me and said, “I was sitting here praying for a gift for Amy that would encourage her. She often felt that her life was dull compared to other children. God answered my prayer (祷告) just now. Now I pray that God will bless you for your gift to Amy today.” Being kind and thoughtful to others, we can be an answer to prayer.
1. What can we know about the author?| A．He was a disabled man. | B．He usually drove too fast. |
| C．He worked in a store. | D．He often helped people in trouble. |
| A．Anxious. | B．Embarrassed. |
| C．Surprised. | D．Moved. |
| A．was not allowed to do some sports |
| B．used to be a completely healthy person |
| C．was unwillingly to communicate with a stranger |
| D．usually felt sad about life because of her disability |
| A．The motorbike. | B．The wheelchair. |
| C．The ride. | D．The prayer. |
4 . Using fatty foods to comfort eat during times of stress can harm the body’s recovery from the pressure, research suggests.
Although many people turn to unhealthy foods such as chocolate, crisps or pastries when they are feeling the strain, researchers have found this can reduce blood flow to the brain and cause poorer vascular (血管的) function, which in turn can have a negative effect on mental health and increase the risk of heart disease. The researchers suggest people resist the attraction of convenient treats by eating fruits and vegetables instead.
Prof Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten said, “We looked at healthy 18- to 30-year-olds for this study, and to see such a clear difference in how their bodies recover from stress when they eat fatty foods is staggering.” For people who already have an increased risk of cardiovascular (心血管) disease, the impacts could be even more serious. We all deal with stress all the time, but especially for those of us in high-stress jobs and at risk of cardiovascular disease, these findings should be taken seriously. This research can help us make decisions that reduce risks rather than make them worse.
The study involved a group of young healthy adults who were given two butter bread as breakfast. The participants were then asked to do mental maths, increasing in speed for eight minutes, and alerted when they got an answer wrong. They could also see themselves on a screen.
The researchers found that consuming fatty foods when mentally stressed reduced vascular function by 1.74%. Previous studies have shown that a 1% reduction in vascular function leads to a 13% increase in cardiovascular disease risk.
“We also know that the elasticity (弹性) of our blood tubes, which is a measure of vascular function, declines following mental stress,” said the study’s first author, Rosalind Baynham from the University of Birmingham.
1. What’s the finding of the research?| A．Why people like fatty foods. |
| B．How people recover from stress. |
| C．What people should eat to keep fit. |
| D．Eating fatty foods when stressed is bad for health. |
| A．Seeking low-stress jobs. | B．Dining out in clean restaurants. |
| C．Examining your body regularly. | D．Eating more fruits and vegetables. |
| A．Disappointing. | B．Shocking. |
| C．Confusing. | D．Exciting. |
| A．A magazine. | B．A textbook. |
| C．A science fiction. | D．A recipe book. |
5 . Four best photobooks in 2023
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
Following 2020’s smash hit Entangled Life, mycologist Merlin Sheldrake return s just in time for Christmas with an amazing illustrated edition. At over 240 pages, Sheldrake’s passion and knowledge leap off every spread. From the microscopic (微观) to the splendid, the colour images create an entertaining experience.
Anna Atkins: Cyanotypes by Peter Walther
Often copied, seldom improved on, the elegant cyanotypes (氰化钾照片) of Ann a Atkins are timeless. First created in the 1840s, cyanotypes use light-sensitive iron salt solution and exposure to sunlight to create beautiful Prussian blue prints. Peter Walther’s book is comprehensive, 660 pages long, and is perfect for Atkins’ fans or anyone keen to learn.
The Earth in Our Hands by Thomas Pesquet
Thomas Pesquet’s breathtaking collection of photographs taken from the International Space Station(ISS)follows in the footsteps of astronaut Don Pettit’s Spaceborne. Pesquet took more than 245,000 images over two missions, with his book including 200 of these. It is the closest most of us will get to being on the ISS — a really immersive read.
Looking at Trees by Sophie Howarth
Sophie Howarth’s absorbing book features 26 of the world’s leading photographers, including Nicholas J. R. White and Anna Beeke. From a framed Hollywood juniper in California to a surreal (超现实的) image of Halfway Gardens in Gauteng, South Africa, Howarth asks us to value trees at a time of environmental challenge. A book you will return to.
1. How many pages are contained in the book Anna Atkins: Cyanotypes?| A．Over 240. | B．660. | C．About 200. | D．Over 26. |
| A．Entangled Life. | B．Anna Atkins: Cyanotypes. |
| C．The Earth in Our Hands. | D．Looking at Trees. |
| A．Value trees. | B．Take pictures. |
| C．Go on a trip. | D．Maintain a good image. |
6 . This wasn’t the way I wanted to see Rome. Sure, it felt
I was supposed to go to Rome with my mom back in 2012. However, life had different
My mom spent the final months of her life
I spent two weeks doing all the things we had wanted to do. Maybe she wasn’t physically there, but I
After my trip to Rome, I
| A．surprising | B．strange | C．embarrassing | D．pleasant |
| A．styles | B．plans | C．solutions | D．excuses |
| A．research | B．training | C．treatment | D．waiting |
| A．picked up | B．held back | C．heard | D．forced |
| A．examining | B．fighting | C．studying | D．controlling |
| A．battle | B．strategy | C．cause | D．contest |
| A．missed | B．arranged | C．sponsored | D．rejected |
| A．strangely | B．fortunately | C．honestly | D．interestingly |
| A．guide | B．budget | C．destination | D．choice |
| A．regretted | B．doubted | C．sensed | D．remembered |
| A．warned | B．promised | C．informed | D．reminded |
| A．memories | B．efforts | C．decisions | D．changes |
| A．interrupt | B．leave | C．understand | D．desert |
| A．positive | B．practical | C．flexible | D．normal |
| A．hardly | B．probably | C．partly | D．eventually |
7 . Writing out the same word again and again may bring back bad memories for some, but handwriting can boost connectivity across brain regions, some of which are involved in learning and memory, a new study shows.
In the study, psychologists Audrey and Ruud, both at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, stuck electrodes (电极) on the participants’ heads. They asked the participants to type out or hand write with a digital pen words that appeared on a computer screen. Sensors in a cap recorded electrical brain activity. Then the psychologists looked for when two brain areas are active with the same frequency of electrical waves at the same time. This result can reveal the connectivity among different regions across the brain.
With handwriting, the researchers saw increased activity, specifically in low frequency bands, not only in the expected motor areas but also in others associated with learning. These low frequency bands have previously been shown to support memory processes. When the team compared the two tasks, they realized that handwriting —but not typing —increased the connectivity across parietal (顶叶) brain regions, which are involved in sensory and motor processing, and central regions, many of which are involved in memory.
“Even when the movements are very similar, the activation seems much, much higher in handwriting,” Audrey says. “It shows that there’s more involvement of these brain regions when you’re handwriting, which might give you some specific advantages.”
These findings suggest that there are distinct processes of brain activation happening while a person types or writes. This boost of stimulation of handwriting facilitates learning because these particular waves between these areas are involved in memory formation and encoding (编码) .
And although handwriting may help with learning processes, typing is often easier, faster and more practical. “Students and teachers alike should therefore consider the task at hand to decide to hand write or type,” Audrey says. Despite the need for more studies to determine the best learning strategy, experts say that handwriting shouldn’t be left behind in the digital age. “Schools need to bring in more writing into curriculum design,” Ruud says.
1. What did Audrey and Ruud mainly do in their research?| A．They tested the function of electrodes. | B．They analyzed the brain structure. |
| C．They monitored the brain activities. | D．They recorded the writing speed. |
| A．It involves more specific brain activation. | B．It promotes better muscle memory. |
| C．It allows for more innovative thinking. | D．It encourages better concentration. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Objective. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Taking Notes by Hand is Becoming Uncommon in Class |
| B．Using Keyboard is Recommended Due to Its Convenience |
| C．Widespread Brain Connectivity is Crucial to Human Learning |
| D．Handwriting Boosts Brain Connections More Than Typing Does |
8 . Concrete has served as the foundation stone of the construction industry for hundreds of years. However, the process of producing concrete is one of the most environmentally unfriendly processes in the world. In the process, not only is carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) released into the air by the energy used to heat the limestone, but the limestone itself also gives out a huge amount of the element.
Luckily, a number of start-ups throughout the world are using creative thinking to make the construction industry a whole lot more friendly for the planet.
A Canadian company called CarbonCure, has found a way to inject (注入) concrete with carbon dioxide itself. Not only does this trap the carbon dioxide into the concrete, keeping it from running away into the atmosphere, but it also creates a super strong material called calcium carbonate, which reduces the total amount of concrete that needs to be used.
California-based Brimstone, is creating carbon-negative concrete by doing away with limestone entirely and instead using silicate rock, a material that does not release carbon dioxide when heated. Instead, the process produces magnesium (镁) , which absorbs carbon dioxide, as the basis for their concrete.
Additionally, researchers at Australia’s RMIT University have recently released a study showing that adding coffee grounds instead of sand to concrete could make it much stronger, reducing both the amount of sand used, as well as the amount of concrete that would need to be used in the final product.
The biggest barrier at this point is convincing members of the industry that the new types of concrete are safe to be used, according to Stacy Smedley, director at a nonprofit focused on decarbonizing construction.
Hopefully these new solutions to the environmental problems of concrete will soon be widely adopted. Given the significant part the construction industry has in releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, great improvements can be made when more environmentally-friendly materials are used.
1. What is the environmental issue associated with traditional concrete production?| A．The high demand for energy. | B．The processing of waste materials. |
| C．The mass release of carbon dioxide. | D．The use of non-renewable resources. |
| A．By using silicate rock as the basis. | B．By putting carbon dioxide into concrete. |
| C．By replacing sand with coffee grounds. | D．By absorbing carbon dioxide with magnesium. |
| A．Difficulty in making profits. | B．Convincing the public of the convenience. |
| C．Lack of funding for research. | D．Removing the industry members’ safety concerns. |
| A．To promote an alternative to concrete. | B．To advocate environmental protection. |
| C．To introduce new ways to produce concrete. | D．To emphasize the significance of creativity. |
9 . We can create learning moments that students remember forever if we open up our classrooms to awe and wonder.
Toward the end of my high school year, our Spanish teacher organized a trip to see an Andean band perform in Philadelphia. My classmates and I egged one another on ironically (讽刺地): Who could enjoy the show? The performers’ clothing seemed odd. The instruments, strange. But then the performers kicked in, dancing to their bombo and wancara drums around the stage and the panpipes and quena announced a kind of sound—new to us.
We had spent too little time discussing the culture of the Inca in social studies but its traditions came alive for us that evening. Once the wonderful performance lit up the stage and the hall filled up with music, my teenage cynicism disappeared. I rose out of my chair to dance with honest joy.
I have spent the last seven years living and working in South America. But my thirst for cultural exploration and a desire to understand the world outside my language and country has been alive longer than that. Sometimes I think that night dancing to those ancient rhythms unlocked this fascination. Why do I remember it so clearly decades later?
In his recent book Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, psychology professor Dacher Keltner explains that “brief moments of awe are as good for your mind and body as anything you might do.” Besides being a memorable emotion, awe boosts curiosity, builds humility, helps with critical thinking, and makes people feel more connected. It even makes us happier. “Twenty years into teaching happiness,” Keltner writes about how to find deep happiness, “I have an answer: FIND AWE.”
Moving forward, let’s do our best to build instances of awe into our curriculum (课程). So when our former students approach us on the subway years later, they will recall the magical moments from their days spent in our classes.
1. How did the students initially react to the Andean band’s performance?| A．They showed respect for it. | B．They approached it with doubt. |
| C．They left in disappointment. | D．They felt joyful to appreciate it. |
| A．A deep understanding of music. | B．A strong enthusiasm for exploration. |
| C．A negative attitude to the world. | D．A sense of connection with society. |
| A．The importance of finding happiness in life. |
| B．The lasting impact of a memorable experience. |
| C．The benefits of understanding different cultures. |
| D．The positive role of awe in improving one’s life. |
| A．Teachers. | B．High school graduates. |
| C．Parents. | D．Psychology researchers. |
10 . There are very few countries in the world that don’t have some sort of legend (传说) or connect ion with dragons. Here are some great destinations to get a fi x on dragon.
France
Calais in France has a dragon standing 33 feet tall, 82 feet long, with a wingspan of more than 55 feet. It walks and moves as you would imagine a dragon does, and you can take it for a ride. The Calais dragon is a mechanical wonder, which is nearly too real to be called a fairground creature.
Wales
In the UK, you will find a proud dragon country, Wales. Here there is the legend of two dragons: one white and one red. Wales’ tale describes the two dragons fighting and the red one winning, so you will find it difficult to hurry about the country without coming across a red dragon. Dragons are sold in souvenir shops, sit by ancient castles, hang around in King Arthur’s Labyrinth, and are featured on the national flag.
Norway
The Vikings knew a thing or two about dragons. In the lovely film How to Train Your Dragon, they even flew them. But seriously, when you dig into Norway’s Viking history and legends, you will find dragons mentioned everywhere, though not as cute as those in the film. From the figurehead in the Viking Ship Museum to jewelry, and decorations on buildings, be on the lookout for them when visiting Norway.
Bhutan
The Druk or Thunder Dragon, is the national symbol and appears everywhere. The country is called Land of the Thunder Dragon, or Kingdom of Druk, and it’s part of the national anthem (国歌) and its flag. Despite its fearful name, it’s actually rather cute. The legend has it that the sound of thunder through the mountain s is actually the dragon roaring.
1. What can we learn about the Calais dragon?| A．It’s a character from a popular film. | B．It’s a creation designed for entertainment. |
| C．It’s a real creature trained for rides. | D．It’s a sculpture displayed in a museum. |
| A．They feature dragons on their flags. | B．They include dragons in their anthems. |
| C．They have a legend of two dragons. | D．They describe dragons as cute images. |
| A．France. | B．Wales. | C．Norway. | D．Bhutan. |
