1 . I teach digital technology. Although this class is high-tech; we try to make it high-touch. In other words, we keep screen-time to a
One day, I helped my Grade 8 students build robotic arms. They’re
Educators and parents have done a lot of thinking lately about the future of
A.balance | B.target | C.height | D.minimum |
A.displaying | B.allowing | C.improving | D.inspiring |
A.ordinary | B.urgent | C.significant | D.tough |
A.work out | B.turn around | C.show off | D.catch up |
A.mental | B.legal | C.mechanical | D.financial |
A.disappearing | B.failing | C.freezing | D.boiling |
A.applications | B.opportunities | C.possibilities | D.challenges |
A.suggestions | B.mistakes | C.excuses | D.apologies |
A.bring | B.call | C.lift | D.wake |
A.thinking | B.training | C.learning | D.teasing |
A.Crucially | B.Suddenly | C.Seriously | D.Occasionally |
A.candidates | B.competitors | C.colleagues | D.audience |
A.entertainment | B.education | C.society | D.technology |
A.scene | B.stage | C.ground | D.screen |
A.provide | B.replace | C.combine | D.assist |
2 . Why do we talk the way we do? It might date back to when our ancestors left the jungle for the open plain. Between 5.3 million and 16 million years ago, Africa’s landscapes changed from thick, leafy forests to wide-open grasslands. This environmental change pushed our ancestors out of the trees and onto the ground. Along with all of the physical and behavioral changes this may have caused, researchers also believe it may have changed the way we speak.
“Open landscapes provide us with fewer objects to affect signal communication, meaning our voices can travel further compared with that in thick forests,” Charlotte Gannon, a researcher who studies language development, told Newsweek. “The move to these open spaces may have increased the effectiveness of our communication.”
By comparing the vocal calls of the orangutan (大猩猩) , Gannon and her team were able to establish how different calls could travel across different landscapes. In their study, the team played 487 calls from orangutans and measured their audibility (可听度) at set length over an overall distance of over 1,300 feet in the South African plain.
“Our results were surprising,” Gannon said, “The rule of sound spread suggests that lower-frequency (低频率) sounds (the grumphs) would have traveled further than higher-frequency sounds (the kiss squeaks). Our results actually found the opposite to this.” In these environmental settings, consonant (辅音)-like calls traveled a lot further than vowel (元音) -like calls. Actually, around 80 percent of consonant-based calls were audible at 1,300 feet, compared to only 20 percent of vowel-based calls.
Gannon said these results highlight the importance of studying living orangutan to learn about our species’ history. “We can view them as time machines that allow us to recreate key moments of our history so we can learn more about the development of our language,” Gannon said. “Despite their popularity in modern languages, consonants have often been forgotten when discussing speech development. Our research highlights not only their presence in ancient times but their importance to the development of language.”
1. What led to the speech development?A.Behavioral change. | B.Time development. |
C.Physical development. | D.Environmental change. |
A.Less block. | B.Better tools. | C.Louder voice. | D.Larger vocabulary. |
A.The results of the study. |
B.The process of the research. |
C.The purpose of the program. |
D.The participants of the project. |
A.The living orangutan can recreate our language. |
B.Consonants are significant in language development. |
C.The sound of grumphs travels further than that of kiss squeaks. |
D.Consonant-like calls travel four times further than vowel-like calls. |
3 . As we close out the final days of this year, treat yourself to a deliciously distracting new book —a book that you can dip into and out of throughout the holidays. Read up, rest up, and enjoy yourself.
Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and beyond
A must-have guide for yoga-loving mamas, Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond offers helpful relaxation techniques and breathing exercises that are tailored to each pregnant woman. The book also lays out valuable techniques for labor and staying in touch with your body as it continuously changes.
Mindfulness Activities for Kids
We could all use a little more peace in our lives. Uniquely suited for children and parents to do together, the 40 mindfulness exercises recommended here —from pausing to fully enjoy a tasty sandwich to taking chalk walk together—will not only teach children calm and gratitude, but also bring grown-ups and their littles closer together.
Before She Disappeared
Frankie Elkin is a recovering alcoholic who devotes her time to solving cold cases, especially those involving people of color. A new investigation brings her to Boston, searching for a Haitian teenager who disappeared months ago. But as Frankie starts asking questions, someone else will stop at nothing to keep the answers hidden.
Oak Flat
Lauren Redniss’ Oak Flat tells the story of the land near the San Carlos Apache Reservation through an Apache family fighting to protect the land which the U. S. government and two world-power mining enterprises are attempting to seize and destroy for its copper resources. Visually striking and deeply reported, Oak Flat tells a larger story of endless westward expansion and native resistance.
1. Which book can help to improve family relations?A.Oak Flat. |
B.Before She Disappeared. |
C.Mindfulness Activities for Kids. |
D.Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond. |
A.It’s a brief account of mining enterprises. |
B.It centers on an Apache family’s struggle. |
C.It sings high praise of the US government. |
D.It supports westward expansion and native resistance. |
A.Teenagers. | B.Men. | C.Kids. | D.Grown-ups. |
4 . The Music Educator Award, this year, went to Annie Ray, an orchestra(管弦乐队)director at Annandale High School.She was recognized for her efforts to make music accessible to all students, particularly those with disabilities.Ray got to attend the awards ceremony in Los Angeles and bring home a $10,000 prize.
Ray created the Crescendo Orchestra for students with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as a parent orchestra that teaches nearly 200 caregivers a year to play the same instrument as their child.Ray also works with a local charity to give damaged instruments a second life in her classroom.
The orchestra is about much more than just making music.The most important is to give students a chance to develop their cooperation skills, make mistakes and learn the art of refining something.Ray pushes her students to be brave, go outside their comfort zone and realize they have to learn how to make bad sounds before learning how to make good sounds.And they teach her a lot in return.” They changed my educational philosophy.I understand what it truly means to meet a student where they’re at and apply that elsewhere,” she said.
The warm reception on the ceremony was meaningful.Actually, not many people understand what exactly music educators do or how much their work matters.While her administration is supportive, that lack of understanding is a problem facing the profession in general.Another is resources.She says her school “desperately” needs new instruments.She will use some of her prize money to buy more.
Ray also plans to put some of the money towards an ongoing scholarship for students who want to pursue music when they graduate.She knows of several, those particularly interested in music, and aims to offer financial support needed to realize their musical dreams” It is hard but truly satisfying,” Ray said.“And there’s nothing else like it for them.”
1. What can we learn about Ray from the first two paragraphs?A.She hosted the award ceremony. | B.She brought music to more people. |
C.She gave away instruments to the poor. | D.She founded a local charity for children. |
A.They acquire in-depth musical knowledge. | B.They make friends with the like-minded. |
C.They gain personal growth from playing music. | D.They improve their connections with educators. |
A.The reception on the ceremony. | B.Importance of music education. |
C.Challenges for music educators. | D.Plans to obtain resources. |
A.Winning a scholarship. | B.Developing interest in music. |
C.Making musical achievements. | D.Transforming dreams into reality. |
5 . A year back I received a full scholarship to attend the University of San Francisco. All of my hard work had paid off. My mom had spent a lot in my attending a private high school, so I made sure to push myself: I volunteered, joined different clubs, and graduated with honors.
I was so excited to start a new life. I had totally packed two weeks and wanted to go to college at once before it was time to leave.
Soon enough, the big day came, but it wasn’t like what I had thought. The first two weeks were the most difficult days of my entire life. Every night I would cry myself to sleep.
I was so homesick (想家) and I didn’t know how to deal with my broken heart. To distract myself, I threw myself into my studies and I applied for a lot of jobs. In any remaining free time, I started forcing myself to the gym. I wanted to keep every part of my day busy so I wouldn’t think how lonely I felt.
Soon after, I began to limit food, and then I became worse. Finally, I went to see a doctor. When the doctor weighed me, I was crazy about the number of my weight. So I continued to lower my goal, and convinced that controlling this number was the solution to my homesickness. But when I was told that I had no choice but to spend time on my studies. I quickly started recovery in my mind.
How could I do? I told myself that school was what I was best at. I decided to get rid of my homesickness and took exercise actively. My first term of college had passed by at last and I had gotten straight A’s. That’s why I want to share my story—to help other students feel less lonely.
1. How was the author during the two weeks before she left for the college?A.She was as normal as before. |
B.She couldn’t wait to leave for the college. |
C.She was afraid to leave her home. |
D.She didn’t enjoy her mother’s company. |
A.Her weight. | B.Her diet. |
C.Her homesickness. | D.Her bad study habit. |
A.achieve my dream | B.earn money by myself |
C.improve my studies | D.take my attention away |
A.To look back at her past middle school life. |
B.To help girls to lose weight. |
C.To help lonely college students. |
D.To increase her own confidence. |
6 . Dressed in a kachhad, a traditional Nepalese clothes, Umesh Balal walked into his meetings at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) on climate change in Dubai with a sense of determination.
Balal, who has physical disability, was there to publicly
As a student, Balal was
The more Balal
And it is even harder for people with
In an interview, Balal said, “
A.control | B.achieve | C.measure | D.support |
A.studied | B.ignored | C.respected | D.issued |
A.curious | B.anxious | C.particular | D.worried |
A.sold | B.lent | C.awarded | D.introduced |
A.brought | B.complained | C.knew | D.quarreled |
A.prepared | B.affected | C.organized | D.admitted |
A.limited | B.changed | C.devoted | D.helped |
A.coping with | B.resulting from | C.differing from | D.comparing with |
A.warmer | B.cleaner | C.quieter | D.poorer |
A.confidence | B.crisis | C.calmness | D.honesty |
A.rights | B.degrees | C.advertisements | D.disabilities |
A.access | B.objection | C.attention | D.gratitude |
A.Similarly | B.Secretly | C.Fortunately | D.Naturally |
A.allowed | B.forced | C.warned | D.ordered |
A.occupy | B.blame | C.want | D.cheer |
7 . 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. |
8 . One day, 12-year-old Sean Redden surfed the Internet and went to a popular chat room. Just as he was about to be offline, he saw a name he’d never seen there before, Susan. Her brief message was “Would someone help me?”
Sean typed back, “What’s wrong?” A moment later he received this message, “I can’t breathe. Help me! I can’t get out of my chair.”
Oh, man, Sean thought. Pretending to be paralyzed (瘫痪) was a bad joke. Then he wondered what if she really is sick? “Hey. Mom.” he called. “There’s a kid here who’s sick or something.” Sharon looked at the computer screen. “It’s not just some game, is it?” she asked.
The message was not a joke. Susan was actually a 20-year-old student, working late at night at a college library near Helsinki, Finland - almost 7,000 miles away from Sean’s home in Texas. While searching the Internet, she began to feel terrible pain all through her body. The library was silent and empty. The nearest phone was outside in the hallway. She couldn’t move that far. Any movement caused the pain to get worse. Then she realized she might get help on the Internet.
“I don’t think it’s a joke, Mom, “Sean said. And he typed, “Where are you?” After a long while, the letters appeared, “Finland.” Sean and Sharon couldn’t believe it. Not knowing what else to do, Sharon called the local police.
Sharon explained the situation to the officer Amy Schmidt. Schmidt told Sharon to try to get the sick girl’s phone number. Texas police called the international telephone operator and asked to be connected to the proper agency (机构) in Finland. The call was put through to a nearby rescue station. The Texas police gave Susan’s address to the Finnish operator. When Sean heard that, he typed, “Help is on the way.”
In a few minutes, Susan heard people running down the hallway outside the door. Suddenly, the door opened. Emergency workers and three policemen ran in. Susan turned once more to the computer, “They are here. Thanks. Bye-bye.”
Four days later, the police in Texas received a message from officers in Finland: “Thanks to her Internet friend. Susan has received medical treatment she badly needed. She is doing well.”
1. What happened when Sean was about to get offline?A.His computer broke down. |
B.A piece of online news attracted him. |
C.He came across a friend in the chat room. |
D.He noticed an unfamiliar name. |
A.She fell down on the ground. |
B.She was too sick to move |
C.She lost her phone. |
D.She was locked in the library. |
A.They reported to the Texas police. |
B.They called the rescue station in Finland. |
C.They asked for help online |
D.They sent messages to Susan’s friend. |
A.Making Friends Onlines |
B.Police Officer’s Act of Kindnes |
C.Help on the Way |
D.Help on the Internet |
9 . Recent the news a school in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, serves pre-made meals to its students have sparked heated discussions across the country. People doubt if pre-made meals, despite being convenient, are healthy and nutritious enough for growing teenagers.
Pre-made meals refer to half-finished or finished dishes that are already cooked or prepared, according to the China Cuisine Association. There are several types of pre-made foods, including ready-to-eat food, such as canned food or cooked food in packages, and ready-to-heat or ready-to-cook food, which requires heating or cooking before being served.
Many people tend to think that ready-to-heat and ready-to-cook foods are less nutritious because they usually need to be kept in refrigerators. “Actually freezing does not cause a loss of nutrients,” Liu Junya, a 33-year-old dietitian in Beijing said. “Nutrient loss typically occurs during the heating or frying process.”
Vitamins from the B group and vitamin C found in meat and vegetables are heat-sensitive and can be lost during the process. By being heated or cooked twice or more, “pre-made foods can be less nutritious than freshly prepared and cooked foods,” Liu said.
Meanwhile, “many pre-made food companies prioritize taste over nutrition,” said Liu. This leads to higher levels of salt and sugar in the food, which may lead to health problems, such as high blood pressure in the long term.
Additives (添加剂) are also a major concern related to pre-made food. In China, there are strict standards for food additives. Currently, China’s food industry has well-developed techniques to preserve pre-made food without the excessive use of additives. Some food can be sterilized (消毒) and then sealed (密封) after cooking, followed by low-temperature storage, allowing for a longer shelf life. However, it’s essential that customers buy pre-made meals from qualified food companies or supermarkets.
It is hoped that regulations on pre-made meals can be strengthened to better ensure nutrition and hygiene (卫生). This way, “pre-made meals will be more accepted by the public,” Liu said.
1. What can we learn about pre-made meals from the article?A.They are typically costly and flavorful. | B.They are rich in a large numbe of vitamins. |
C.They taste better than homemade food. | D.They are already partially or fully cooked. |
A.During freezing. | B.During cooking. | C.During packaging. | D.During sales. |
A.Buy from reliable sources. | B.Check the cooking instructions. |
C.Keep pre-made meals frozen. | D.Pay attention to the additives used. |
A.They are a convenient choice for all. | B.They are suitable for daily life. |
C.They can be nutritious if properly regulated. | D.They are best avoided for long-term health. |
10 . For Cruz, who grew up in Peru’s mountainous region of Cuzco, fog represents a massive opportunity. As a boy, he had to hike for more than an hour every day across hills to collect water from the nearest source. But over time, he realized that during the rainy season, droplets of water would gather in the large leaves of banana trees. So one day he and his father tried to build a canal system with the leaves to collect water and it turned out a success. But afterwards, he moved to Lima at the age of 25.
There, shocked by the water shortages and expensive water supply that some of the city’s poorest residents were faced with, Cruz set up El Movimiento Peruanos sin Agua in 2005. The idea was to deploy the method he learned in his hometown on a larger scale, which would provide free, independently sourced and easily accessible water to those who needed it most. He began installing (安装) a traditional fog catcher model developed in the 1980s.
At the highest point of Los Tres Miradores, there is a curious set of large structures that resemble a fleet of ships in the sky. They are so-called “fog catchers”. Netted devices, made of high density Raschel polyethylene and spanning several meters wide, are lined up at the top of a misty mound and linked by a network of tubes that lead to storage containers. The 40 fog catchers there provide enough water for 180 families, whether to bathe, clean, drink or to irrigate crops on small garden patches.
Supporters believe that fog catchers have the potential to improve water supply for communities around the world among the ever-challenging circumstances. German researcher Lummerich says, “They are cheap, easy to construct.” In a world searching for water supply systems, it is one important puzzle piece that can make an essential difference locally.
However, there are some issues. For one, fog catchers require space, which is not always easy to come by in cities, let alone urban slums. At the same time, fog catchers must be properly cleaned and maintained to stay effective. Most crucially, appropriate climate conditions are required. Fog isn’t everywhere.
1. What does the underlined word “deploy” probably mean in paragraph 2?A.Employ. | B.Adjust. | C.Design. | D.Study. |
A.The reason why Cruz installed fog catchers. |
B.The difficulties of constructing a canal system. |
C.The installation and benefits of fog catchers. |
D.The inspiration Cruz gained to build a canal system. |
A.High costs. | B.Public opposition. |
C.Space limitation. | D.Climate conditions. |
A.Urban Areas: A Struggle for Sufficient Water |
B.Innovative Water Collection Techniques in Peru |
C.The Global Water Crisis and Possible Solutions |
D.Fog Catchers: A Local Solution with Global Potential |