1 . In an increasingly globalized business world, companies demand Human Resources (HR) leaders who can overcome cultural barriers to achieve key goals. This year, students in the Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations (MHRIR) Program will get hands-on experience leading multicultural teams as they work together with peers (同辈) from all corners of the globe.

“Our students get firsthand experience on global teams, which helps them understand the challenges and the opportunities they will face in the business world,” said MHRIR Program Director Stacy Hove.

Elishka Correa joined the program to explore how HR leaders can help businesses grow quickly in the global marketplace. “Companies appreciate diversity — not only in terms of products and markets, but the people they hire — so that they can expand their business and reach customers in different parts of the world,” she said. “When I go into an organization, I’m not only going to work with Indians or Americans, it’s going to be a mix of people. That trend is beginning to grow, so I think it’s very important to appreciate people from different backgrounds.”

As they progress through the program, the students are discovering unexpected challenges as they work on projects in diverse teams. Each contributor brings a different approach to solving problems, communicating, and challenging one another’s opinions.

Devin Roll, a student from North Dakota, appreciating the unique views his classmates share, said, “The benefits of having cross-cultural experiences go far beyond the classroom. Diverse teams and companies outperform their competitors, and HR leaders act as a vital partner in acquiring and maintaining diversity in the workforce.”

Many of the international students in the program said they would return to their home countries after graduation and bring along connections to their classmates, who would build careers (职业) in countries around the world. They hope to stay in touch, and share their expert knowledge.

1. What is the aim of the program?

A．To help students to set clear goals.

B．To provide jobs for foreign students.

C．To teach students to run their own business.

D．To train students to build multicultural teams.

2. Which statement about cultural diversity does Elishka Correa probably agree with?

A．It prevents social advance.	B．It makes it easy to hire people.
C．It can help business growth.	D．It can put an end to the conflict.

3. What does Devin Roll think of the effect of the program?

A．It is predictable.

B．It is short-lived.

C．It is unidentifiable.

D．It is far-reaching.

4. What do many students expect to do after graduation according to the text?

A．Work for the university.	B．Keep closely connected.
C．Stay in their home countries.	D．Reform teaching methods.

2 . It’s not great when a person breathes in all the oxygen out of a room. When a battery does it to a tumor (肿瘤), though, it could be a good thing.

Scientists have developed a new type of battery that can be implanted (植入) directly into tumors to deliver a steady stream of electricity. The battery is made from salt water and can be recharged by the body’s own heat. It works by splitting (使分离) salt water into hydrogen and oxygen gas. The hydrogen gas is then used to generate electricity, which can be used to kill cancer cells. The oxygen gas is released harmlessly into the body.

The new battery has several advantages over traditional cancer treatment. First, it is more targeted, meaning that it can deliver the electricity directly to the tumor cells, while sparing healthy cells. This can reduce the side effects of treatment. Second, the battery is self-charging, which means that it does not require surgery to remove or replace. This can make treatment more convenient and less expensive for patients. Third, the battery is small and lightweight, and it can be implanted directly into tumors. This means that patients will not have to need surgery to remove the battery, which can reduce the risk of complications.

The battery has been tested in animal studies, and it has been shown to be effective in killing cancer cells. The scientists who developed the battery are now planning to begin clinical trials in humans. They are thinking about how the battery might have to be made more flexible and more powerful to work on human-sized tumors. If the trials are successful, the battery could become a new standard of cancer treatment. It is a more targeted, convenient, and affordable way to deliver electricity to tumors. This could lead to more effective ways to treat cancer in humans.

1. What does paragraph 3 mainly tell us about the new battery?

A．Its benefits.

B．Its side effects.

C．Its weight.

D．Its working process.

2. What will the scientists do in the following study?

A．Test the treatment in humans.	B．Reduce the cost of surgery.
C．Implant the battery into animals.	D．Make the battery affordable.

3. What is the author’s attitude toward the new treatment?

A．Negative.

B．Uncaring.

C．Optimistic.

D．Unclear.

4. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Business.

B．Science.

C．Education.

D．Sports.

3 . Lena Mars and her parents had taken a trip to Costa Rica. While enjoying one of the country’s many beautiful beaches, the girl’s parents gave her a snack. But it turned out that she wasn’t the only one who was hungry: A wild iguana (鬣蜥) appeared unexpectedly as the girl at e her cake by the water. The iguana ran up to the girl and bit her on the back of her left middle finger, causing her to drop the cake. The animal then ran off with the snack, but it did leave something else behind.

The Mars immediately took the girl to a local clinic, where a doctor disinfected the wound with alcohol and gave her some antibiotics (抗生素). The wound appeared to have cleared up in about two weeks. It was five months later, when Lena’s parents noticed a coin-sized bump (肿块) on her hand in the same spot causing mild pain, that they thought they should take her to another doctor.

The doctor removed the 2-centimeter mass and took a closer look at the growth in the lab and discovered that the child had a rare infection that more commonly causes a tuberculosis-like illness in fish. It’s ubiquitous in fresh and salt water but rarely infects humans. Typically, when humans are infected, it’s after a wound has been exposed to the bacteria in water.

Most antibiotics alone don’t work on these kinds of infections, so the doctor gave the girl a different medical treatment often used for skin infections. She responded well to the treatment.

“Generally, iguanas will go about their day. But like any wildlife, if they start associating people with food, they’re going to risk coming closer.” said Anna Meyer, operations manager at a zoo in Florida. “The lesson here is that no one should feed wildlife, because they will most likely give you a bite.”

1. What can we learn about Lena Mars?

A．She tried to feed an animal.	B．She was bitten by an iguana.
C．She left the cake on the beach.	D．She found a rare wild animal.

2. Why did Lena’s parents take her to another doctor?

A．The antibiotics were harmful.	B．They distrusted the first doctor.
C．Her wound became infected.	D．She took the medicine wrongly.

3. What does the underlined word “ubiquitous” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Common.

B．Dangerous.

C．Lively.

D．Useful.

4. What did Anna Meyer want to say about feeding wildlife?

A．It is good for wildlife.	B．It puts animals in danger.
C．It is a risky behavior.	D．It gets us close to nature.

4 . In an awe-inspiring incident, a young killer whale recently demonstrated remarkable intelligence by seeking assistance from a group of humans to save its trapped mother, which challenged our conventional understanding of wild predators (食肉动物).

The online viral video, shared by Alvin Foo, began with a young killer whale emitting distressing cries towards a group of people on a boat. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the concerned individuals promptly responded by contacting a rescue team. The young whale’s desperate request for help touched more people’s hearts and set a truly extraordinary chain of events in motion.

As the rescue team arrived, they were amazed to witness the young killer whale’s playful interaction with the humans. The whale appeared elated, seemingly understanding that assistance had finally arrived. This interaction between the mother killer whale and rescuers underlined the potential for mutual understanding beyond the boundary of traditional predator-prey relationships.

The young whale took on the role of a guide, leading the rescue team to its mother trapped in a fishing net. It navigated the water with purpose, as if fully aware that the humans possessed the means to save its mother. This display of intelligence left the rescuers in awe, highlighting the complex cognitive abilities of these magnificent marine creatures. With its guidance, the rescue team swiftly initiated the liberation process, carefully cutting the net to free the trapped whale. Astonishingly, they seemed to understand that the humans were there to help and did as asked.

The instant the mother whale was finally freed, an eruption of joyous cries filled the air. The emotional outpouring conveyed the immense gratitude of both the mother whale and the young whale to the humans who had intervened. As the rescue team made their way back to shore, the two whales swam alongside them. This heart-warming sight emphasized the lasting impact of the rescue. The bond formed through this extraordinary rescue operation was well obvious, proving that the profound connections can be established between various species. The journey back to safety symbolized the victory of compassion over adversity.

1. What can we learn about the video from paragraph 2?

A．It spread widely.

B．It went unnoticed.

C．It documented humans’ requesting help.

D．It recorded passive response to the rescue.

2. What does the underlined word “elated” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Tired.

B．Excited.

C．Frightened.

D．Confused.

3. What is the young whale like?

A．Wise and cooperative.	B．Complex and mysterious.
C．Curious and careful.	D．Wild and rude.

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

A．Adversity is a good discipline.

B．It is urgent to protect wildlife.

C．Different species can coexist in harmony.

D．Human intervention poses a threat to whales.

5 . Meteorites (陨石) can offer clues about what the early solar system was like. But finding them is far from difficult. Now, some scientists are turning to drones (无人机) and machine learning to help spot freshly fallen meteorites much more efficiently. “A team of six people on a meteorite-hunting expedition can search about 200,000 square meters per day,” says Seamus Anderson, a planetary scientist in Australia.

Around 2016, Anderson began toying with the concept of using drones to take pictures of the g round to look for meteorites. That idea blossomed into a Ph.D. project. In 2022, he and his colleagues reported their first successful recovery of a meteorite spotted with a drone. They’ve since found four more meteorites at a different site. Drone-based searches are much faster than the standard search way. “You’re going from about 300 days of human effort down to about a dozen or so,” he says.

Anderson and his workmates have used drones to search for meteorites in remote parts of Western Australia and South Australia. The team is tipped off about a fall site by networks of ground-based cameras that track meteoroids flashing through the Earth’s atmosphere. The researchers have to do a series of fun but difficult work before the hunt. They pack a four-wheel drive vehicle with drone and computer equipment, battery charging stations, generators, fuel, food, camping equipment, tables, chairs and much more. The drive to the fall site can take more than a day, often on rough or nonexistent roads. Anderson says, “You hope you don’t pop a tire.”

After arriving, the team flies its primary drone at an altitude of about 20 meters. Its camera takes an image of the ground once every second, and the scientists download the data every 40 minutes or so when the drone lands to receive fresh batteries. A typical day of flying can net over 10,000 images, which are then divided digitally into 100 million or so smaller sections. Those “tiles”, each 2 meters on a side, are fed into a machine learning algorithm (算法) that has been trained to recognize meteorites based on images of real land rocks which are spray-painted black.

1. Why do the scientists study meteorites?

A．To spot the planetary course.	B．To promote machine learning.
C．To test the functions of drones.	D．To explore the past of solar system.

2. What does Anderson say about drone-based searches in paragraph 2?

A．Their barriers.	B．Their causes.
C．Their efficiency.	D．Their concept.

3. Which words can best describe the preparations of the drone search for meteorites?

A．Fun and light.	B．Smooth and flexible.
C．Difficult and unpleasant.	D．Complicated and tough.

4. How does the drone process images?

A．By dividing them in half.	B．By storing them for analysis.
C．By combining them into a picture.	D．By linking them with a digital printer.

6 . Recent research confirms what our farming ancestors have known for centuries about hedges (树篱). They conserve precious soil by acting as windbreaks and absorbing rainwater that would otherwise wash it from the fields. And hedges store carbon, putting them in the front line of our bi d to tackle the climate crisis.

However, hedges have had a tough time in the poor countryside, with farmers encouraged to tear them down in pursuit of maximum production and larger field s to accommodate ever-larger machinery. What’s more, some hedges have been ignored. If left to their own devices, they’ll eventually become a line of trees. Some hedges each year lose their structures and fail to fulfil the primary duty as a barrier. Around a half of the nation’s hedges have disappeared in the past century.

There are signs that “the tide is turning”. The search for net zero has aroused many organizations’ interest in the humble hedge’s role as a carbon sink. The Climate Change Committee is recommending a 40 percent increase in hedges: an additional 200,000 km. Such recommendations are starting to drive policy. Cash-pressed farmers will be encouraged to create new hedges and improve their management of existing ones under the new Environmental Land Management Schemes, which will replace many of the existing agricultural support payments in coming years. Meanwhile, initiatives such as Close the Gap, led by the Tree Council, is providing funding and support to plug the gaps in existing hedges with new planting. There’s even an app to help time-pressed farmers do a quick survey to spot where their hedges need some help.

This is a good time for hedges. Take some of the most pressing challenges facing the countryside, and indeed, the world as a whole — the climate crisis, soil erosion (侵蚀), insect attack and wider biodiversity loss — and hedges are part of the solution.

1. What does recent research show about hedges?

A．They are unique landscapes in the rain.

B．They act as dividing lines between fields.

C．They have long been helpful to agriculture.

D．They are frequently washed away from the fields.

2. What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us about hedges?

A．Their suffering.	B．Their production.
C．Their duties.	D．Their structures.

3. What is many organizations’ attitude towards saving hedges?

A．Puzzled.

B．Concerned.

C．Humble.

D．Indifferent.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Hedges: Ancient Resources

B．Hedges: Official Recommendations

C．Restoring Hedges: Bringing Benefits to the Environment

D．Researching Hedges: Originating from Farmers’ Request

7 . Let’s get to some famous attractions in London!

Chinatown

At the beginning of the 20th century, many Chinese immigrants gathered together in the East End of London and set about creating businesses to provide services for Chinese people who frequented the area. In the 1930s and 1940s, with a large inflow of immigrants from Hong Kong and a growth in popularity of Chinese cooking style, many Chinese restaurants opened elsewhere.

Natural History Museum

It was ever known as part of the British Museum which was established in 1753. The museum exhibits a large number of cultural relics. It holds collections coming from every continent around the globe. It exhibits millions of life and earth samples, and visitors can witness collections having great scientific value like samples that were collected by Charles Darwin.

Madame Tussauds London

The museum is created by the w ax sculptress, Marie Tussaud. Located on Marylebone Road, it is the first Madame Tussaud’s museum, which opened about 200 years ago, though there are now a variety of other branches within different cities around the globe. The museum hosts lifelike figures, including royal people, film stars, sports stars and models.

Royal Observatory, Greenwich

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich in London, has played a global role in the history of astronomy and navigation. It was established in 1675 with the key function being to set right the places of the fixed stars and find the desired navigational places. With its position overlooking the River Thames in central London, it makes for an excellent tourist attraction on a year-round basis.

1. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A course plan.	B．A tourism journal.
C．A science magazine.	D．A history textbook.

2. What makes Natural History Museum different from the other three places?

A．Its scientific samples.	B．Its birth city.
C．Its Chinese architectural style.	D．Its lifelike figures.

3. Which attraction has the longest history?

A．Chinatown.	B．Natural History Museum.
C．Madame Tussauds London.	D．Royal Observatory, Greenwich.

8 . I am 49 now. Reader’s Digest has been a(n) _______ part of my family since even before I was born. My father, a planter who _______ a tea estate in Sri Lanka, has _______ Reader’s Digest since the late 1950s. And then he naturally changed from a tea merchant to a writer for it.

In an era with no television or the Internet, the evenings were spent _______ the magazine. By the time I became literate, there was a cupboard full of Reader’s Digest _______ by me, which my father bought for me. With its _______, my knowledge was gathered too. At first, it was the real stories that were most _______ for me, where I learned some life lessons.

I read through them all over my school holidays. One thing I learned from Reader’s Digest is how to reverse (倒车) a car, which still benefits me today. I _______ reading a small piece of news about the tips on _______ a car up to a space in a short time, and to date, I can make it with the ________ effort and the most relaxed mind than most people.

I’ve ________ had to spend much time getting trained how to reverse a car fast. Every time I need to do it in one ________ step, I thought of the textual ________ and the vivid diagram from the Reader’s Digest. Who would have thought Reader’s Digest could be a “________”? I hope that the next generations will continue to enjoy reading and gain something ________   like me.

1.

A．essential

B．awkward

C．challenging

D．legal

2.

A．left

B．ran

C．spotted

D．visited

3.

A．given away

B．set aside

C．subscribed to

D．stored up

4.

A．copying

B．booking

C．reading

D．printing

5.

A．collected

B．designed

C．assessed

D．purchased

6.

A．publication

B．transformation

C．increase

D．display

7.

A．difficult

B．instructive

C．tiresome

D．traditional

8.

A．admit

B．postpone

C．propose

D．remember

9.

A．backing

B．picking

C．giving

D．counting

10.

A．latest

B．slightest

C．biggest

D．craziest

11.

A．never

B．indeed

C．occasionally

D．usually

12.

A．close

B．false

C．frequent

D．quick

13.

A．errors

B．requirements

C．limitation

D．explanation

14.

A．merchant

B．loss

C．coach

D．barrier

15.

A．fashionable

B．practical

C．previous

D．financial

9 . For a few moments, the tourists thought they were about to witness something terrible. _________, they had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch a whale baby emerge into the world.

_________ into the blue waters just off the coast of Dana Point, California, people on a small boat spotted an adult whale swimming around. Then a pool of something _________ appeared to spread.

“Many of us thought it may be a shark attack. But it was not. Instead of the _________ of life, it was the beginning of a new one!” one of them wrote online. “This is a _________ for all of us. We’ve never seen it happen before.”

“The fact that you can see the blood means the _________ must have just come out. It isn’t something that is seen or _________ very often. In fact, I don’t know if there’re any other videos like that. They are extraordinarily _________,” said Schulman-Janiger, a biologist. “I _________ that I were there.”

Schulman-Janiger admitted she’d never __________ an actual birth. About nine years ago, she was just __________ enough to spot a newborn whale less than an hour old.

“Whales are born with soft fins (鳍) that take about 24 hours to become __________. Until then, they can’t really swim and the mothers have to __________ their babies so they can rest and breathe,” she continued. “Animals on land smell each other. But animals in __________ can’t smell. So their skin is very sensitive. That’s why we can see the baby whale and its mother touch their faces __________ in the posted videos.”

1.

A．Instead

B．Therefore

C．Unfortunately

D．Eventually

2.

A．Diving

B．Looking

C．Turning

D．Backing

3.

A．blue

B．green

C．red

D．black

4.

A．chance

B．cost

C．protection

D．end

5.

A．loss

B．first

C．mistake

D．punishment

6.

A．baby

B．family

C．shark

D．swimmer

7.

A．ignored

B．appreciated

C．documented

D．accepted

8.

A．rare

B．expensive

C．dark

D．terrible

9.

A．regret

B．forget

C．remember

D．wish

10.

A．wanted

B．witnessed

C．investigated

D．given

11.

A．late

B．brave

C．lucky

D．weak

12.

A．delicious

B．warm

C．strong

D．long

13.

A．search for

B．hold up

C．follow up

D．put down

14.

A．water

B．soil

C．forest

D．air

15.

A．carelessly

B．unfriendly

C．secretly

D．frequently

10 . Here are the best hotels in Auckland. from sear-view nightclubs to urban art escapes.

SO Auckland

The hotel, which feels part-exhibition, part-nightclub, sets itself apart from other chains in downtown Auckland. Running paths are laid out on the in-room screens to help you see the best of Auckland. It is especially impressive to take in views of the high-rises along the Waitemata Seaport from the 16th-floor cocktail bar at the hotel.

Rooms: From NZ$ 398, room only.

Parohe Island Retreat

Thickly forested Kawau Island lies just beyond the urban orbit. At the remotest end of the seaport around which the island wraps itself, Parohe provides yoga platforms and outdoor baths for guests to relax. It also has a schedule of activities encouraging guests to connect with land and sea, including volleyball and fishing.

Rooms: From NZ$ 650. room only.

Emerald Inn

Across the harbour from downtown Auckland, this hotel is ideal for multi-generational trips. There are enough local activities for families to spend a week here, from the Sunday beachside market to Lake Pupuke, a freshwater-filled volcanic crater (坑) where you can try boating or windsurfing.

Rooms: From NZ$ 235, room only.

Hotel Britomart

The newest arrival on this list is Hotel Britomart, an understated hotel among the high-rises. It is the only hotel on this list to gain a 5 Green Star award for sustainability. The location makes it popular among both holidaymakers and locals, who happily fill the tables of its superb fish restaurant, Kingi. Local food is so championed that the menu names those responsible for each catch.

Rooms: From NZ$ 377, room only.

1. Which is the most expensive hotel?

A．Emerald Inn.

B．Hotel Britomart.

C．SO Auckland.

D．Parohe Island Retreat.

2. What can visitors do around Emerald Inn?

A．Pay a visit to its exhibitions.	B．Windsurf in its volcanic crater.
C．Do yoga and have outdoor baths.	D．Try fish bought from identified fishers.

3. What sets Hotel Britomart apart from the others?

A．The sweeping city views.	B．The family fun.
C．Its environmental friendliness.	D．Its artistic atmosphere.