2 . Happiness is not a warm phone, according to a new study exploring the link between young life satisfaction and screen time. The study was led by professor of psychology Jean M. Twenge at San Diego State University (SDSU).

To research this link, Twenge, along with colleagues Gabrielle Martin at SDSU and W. Keith Campbell at the University of Georgia, dealt with data from the Monitoring the Future (MtF) study, a nationally representative survey of more than a million U. S. 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders. The survey asked students questions about how often they spent time on their Phones, tablets and computers, as well as questions about their face-to-face social interactions and their overall happiness.

On average found that teens who spent more time in front of screen devices — playing computer games, using social media, texting and video chatting — were less happy than those who invested more time in non-screen activities like sports, reading newspapers and magazines, and face-to-face social interactions.

"The key to digital media use and happiness is limited use," Twenge said. "Aim to spend no more than two hours a day on digital media, and try to increase the amount of time you spend seeing friends face-to-face and exercising — two activities reliably linked to greater happiness."

Looking at historical trends from the same age groups since the 1990s, it's easy to find that the increase of screen devices over time happened at the same time as a general drop-off in reported happiness in U. S. teens. Specifically, young peopled life satisfaction and happiness declined sharply after 2012. That's the year when the percentage of Americans who owned a smartphone rose above 50 percent. By far the largest change in teens' lives between 2012 and 2016 was the increase in the amount of time they spent on digital media, and the following decline in in-person social activities and sleep.

1. Which method did Twenge's team use for the study?

A．Calculating students' happiness.

B．Asking students certain questions.

C．Analyzing data from a survey.

D．Doing experiments on screen time.

2. How does the author develop the finding of the study in paragraph 3?

A．By making a comparison.

B．By giving an example.

C．By making an argument.

D．By introducing a concept.

3. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To draw a conclusion from the study.

B．To offer some advice to the readers.

C．To prove social activities' importance.

D．To support the researchers' finding.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Quitting Phones Equals Happiness

B．Screen Time Should Be Banned

C．Teens' Lives Have Changed Sharply

D．Screen-addicted Teens Are Unhappier

3 . Since the rise in car ownership in the 1950s, the US has started building roads in cities and across the country to provide enough room for automobiles. Houston, like many cities, is turning back the clock to make room for passers-by, cyclists and parks.

Memorial Park in Houston, Texas was halved by the Memorial Drive Highway in the1950s. It has now been reunited. The highway is still there, but the road goes underneath the 1,500-acre park.

The restoration (修复) of Memorial Park is part of a larger plan that was made after the city suffered from a serious drought. It was thought that 80 percent of the forested canopy (树冠) was dead. One of the ways to fight that was to reintroduce native plants and animals.

The city hired the landscape architectural company, Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, to work with the Houston parks and the Memorial Parks Conservancy. The architects, led by Woltz, were inspired by wildlife crossings in the Northwest US and explored the possibility of using this idea in Memorial Park. Over the years, the park was cut into 20 pieces that were divided by highways, roads and parking lots. The only crossing was a 12-foot bridge.

After 10 years of planning and constructing, the Kinder Land Bridge officially opened in early February, 2023. The bridge consists of 100 acres of greenery, and while designed for people, has reconnected wildlife corridors (廊道). The reconstruction added 45 acres of native Gulf Coast prairie (草原) that’ll increase biodiversity in the park. “This project is not just about creating a passage or a bridge. This project is about ecology, it’s about biodiversity and water management. This project is a bridge into Houston’s future.” said Shellye Arnold, president of the Memorial Park Conservancy.

1. What led to the restoration of the Memorial Park?

A．A company’s suggestion.	B．A terrible natural disaster.
C．The demand from the public.	D．The recovery of native plants.

2. How did wildlife crossings in the Northwest US affect the architects?

A．They knew how to restore the Memorial Park.

B．They got the inspiration for rescuing animals.

C．They gained a sense of achievement for working.

D．They developed a new way to protect the landscape.

3. What do we know about the Kinder Land Bridge from the text?

A．It is about 12 feet in length.	B．Its aim is to save water.
C．It benefits the wild animals.	D．Its birth is a short process.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．A Highway Connects a Park in Houston

B．The Importance of Building Land Bridges

C．Efforts to Restore Parks in American Cities

D．Houston Creates a Creative Way to Restore Nature

4 . Top Four Festivals in the World

Saint Patrick’s Day, Ireland

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated anywhere in the world where there are the Irish. If you’re going to get involved, there’s no better place than Dublin. This festival runs for five days and five nights in March along with performing arts, literature, tours and food events.

Holi Festival, India

It’s also called the “festival of love” as on the full-moon day in March people get together, forgetting all types of bad feeling towards each other. You’ll mostly see Holi Festival across India and Nepal, but also in other areas with large Hindu populations. It starts by lighting a night-time bonfire (篝火)where people sing and dance. People throw coloured water and powder (粉末) to their friends and families to show love and respect.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scotland

One of the greatest celebrations of arts and culture in the world, the festival runs for three weeks every August throughout the Scottish capital. Artists and performers take to hundreds of stages all over the city to present shows for every taste. The Fringe is run by the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Society to support and encourage the Scottish arts.

Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland

There are plenty of music festivals in Europe, but Montreux Jazz Festival held in October near the Lake Geneva is truly one of a kind and is the second-largest jazz festival in the world. It’s not just jazz, though. You’ll find broad-ranging concerts from pop to rock and blues, and best of all, most of the performances are free.

1. When does Saint Patrick’s Day take place?

A．In March.

B．In April.

C．In August.

D．In October.

2. What can you do at Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

A．Throw coloured water.	B．Taste Irish food.
C．Dance near a bonfire.	D．Watch art shows.

3. Which event will you go to if you just want to attend concerts?

A．Holi Festival.	B．Montrcux Jazz Festival.
C．Saint Patrick’s Day.	D．Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

5 . On the football field, it doesn’t always matter what team you’re on. When a fellow player is in need, everyone answers the call.

A Pennsylvania high school football team, parents, teachers and staff showed a great act of kindness for a member of the host team after a recent game. The game was really a fight to the finish, but these people came together to provide encouragement for a greater fight ahead.

The two teams are Avon Grove High School and Coatesville High School. During a Friday night game, both teams came together at midfield to give Gavin Picard balloons and a gift. Gavin. who plays for Avon Grove. was recently diagnosed(诊断)with lymphoma(淋巴瘤):

Moved by the kindness of both teams and the community, Rachel Wilson, Gavin’s teammate, shared her thoughts about the support for Gavin online. “Coatesville players and caches came up to our team after the game to show their support. There were not very many dry eyes in the stadium.“

Rachel added that in sports it’s about so much more than the game. This act of kindness proved that. She said the Coatesville team had experienced quite a struggling week, so they understood how things could affect players on and off the field. “Class act all the way. Football is more than wins and losses, ” she said. “It’s a brotherhood, a strong connection like no other. ”

Community support for Gavin continues as a family friend set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for his treatment. There is a sea of love and support for the star football player in the comments. A latest message was shared online that Gavin completed his first round of treatment.

1. What does the underlined word “fight” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．A struggle against illness.	B．A hot competition.
C．A high hope for success.	D．A narrow victory.

2. Why did the two teams come together at midfield?

A．To attract their fans’ attention.	B．To welcome their new teammate.
C．To give Gavin Picard their support.	D．To celebrate the end of their game.

3. What does Rachel Wilson mean?

A．Players should honour one another.	B．Teenagers must develop a good habit.
C．Competition is a must for a match.	D．Football brings people together,

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

A．A Shared Future	B．An Act of Kindness
C．A Rising Star	D．An Unknown Hero

7 . In 2002, Huang Hui, a researcher of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, went diving near Xisha. In addition to getting an irremovable suntan (晒黑), she was left with memories of a beautiful experience with clear water and abundant colorful corals (珊瑚). However, much of the breathtaking scenery of this reef has disappeared due to climate change and human activities. All of these factors led to the decline of the coral reef in the near shore waters. “We started to cultivate corals near the Xisha Islands in 2010, and restored more than 200,000 square meters of coral reefs,” Huang said.

In 2004, when Huang was attending the 10th International Coral Reef Symposium, she found herself the only representative from the Chinese mainland. She said she felt sad but she made up her mind to strengthen communication with other countries to improve China’s level and status in coral research. She visited top coral research institutes in the US and Australia, establishing long-term cooperation with some of the world’s top coral researchers. By far, Huang has worked on coral research and protection for 22 years. Now, China is in a leading position in terms of technology and coral planting scale.

Huang believes that people’s consciousness of coral protection matters most to the sustainable development of the coral reefs. “I want to call on more people to love nature and look at the ocean in awe,” Huang said.

Partly due to her efforts, Hainan Province released a law in 2017 banning reef exploitation (开发), trading and damaging.

Huang works as a consultant for customs and frontier police on coral protection and promotes coral protection in her local schools. Huang also provides online free training for divers to teach them proper behavior in the sea to protect coral reefs.

“A group of ‘folk scientists’ have also been trained with the hope that more people can gain awareness of the significance of coral reef protection and know how to protect them,” said Huang.

“I am 50, and when I become 60, I hope that not only a coral island will be built but a sustainable development pattern will also be created,” said Huang. “The ideal state is that the coral island should be able to support fishermen and preserve the ecosystem,” she added.

1. What impressed Huang most when going diving near Xisha in 2002?

A．A permanent sunburn on her skin.

B．A large quantity of colorful corals.

C．A sweet memory of her childhood.

D．The sudden disappearance of corals.

2. What does Paragraph 2 mainly focus on?

A．China’s advances in coral protection.	B．Huang’s devotion to coral protection.
C．Huang’s concern over coral protection.	D．People’s ignorance of coral protection.

3. What is the key to protecting corals according to Huang Hui?

A．Introduction of advanced technology.

B．Tough laws banning reef exploitation.

C．Public awareness of coral protection.

D．Communication with foreign countries.

4. What is the best title for this passage?

A．Corals in South China Sea are in danger.

B．Scientist plants corals to save ecosystem.

C．China is taking the lead in planting corals.

D．Measures are to be taken to protect corals.