A.Based on the research findings, it looks like the mere presence of our phones might be triggering (触发) a system in students’ brain called automatic attention. That’ s a brain system that unconsciously monitors (无意中监测) the environment for signs of vital importance, which makes students focus less on their study. |
B.In 2017, researchers were aware of the effect of cell phone presence on students. To prove this, the students were asked to complete math problems with their cellphones put on their desks, hidden in nearby bags or clothing. |
C.Taken together, there ’s increasing evidence that the presence and usage of the cellphone in the classroom should be monitored, and even not allowed in some cases. |
D.Although the students were required to turn off ring tones, the researchers found that the phone continued to have a great influence, occupying the students’ mental space even though they paid no attention to it. The students performed worse when the phone was nearby on the desk, and it didn’t matter if they turned it facedown. They didn’t do much better when the phone was hidden in a bag or a pocket. Why? |
E.The researchers concluded that intuitive (本能的) fixes like putting the phone facedown or turning it off were useless. Also, they pointed out that the only effective solution was actual physical separation from the phone. That’s important when students are taking tests, of course, but the research says that physical separation is even more important when they’ re trying to learn something. |
2 . Jonathan Tiong came into the world with a rare disease that gradually damages muscles over time. A doctor
Yet, Tiong not only surpassed (超出) the doctor’s
Beginning his
Despite the
His goal is not to lower expectations for individuals with disabilities but to
A.required | B.organized | C.delivered | D.explored |
A.operation | B.prediction | C.dream | D.experience |
A.proudly | B.sadly | C.creatively | D.secretly |
A.joke | B.team | C.idea | D.position |
A.fought against | B.come by | C.shown off | D.figured out |
A.struggling | B.professional | C.unique | D.uncertain |
A.beat | B.meant | C.reduced | D.ended |
A.relief | B.fear | C.wisdom | D.anxiety |
A.responsibility | B.comparison | C.burden | D.difference |
A.loneliness | B.treatment | C.recognition | D.honesty |
A.unexpected | B.inspiring | C.terrible | D.amazing |
A.survive | B.overcome | C.observe | D.discover |
A.quietly | B.obviously | C.originally | D.regularly |
A.challenge | B.spread | C.define | D.confirm |
A.advancing | B.contributing | C.battling | D.succeeding |
3 . One Saturday last November, I stepped into my local library. I was about to read a book when I heard an elderly man speak to a lady. “This library will soon become a cafe. Everyone is reading with electronic devices,” he said. Hearing this, I wanted to shout, “I still read library books!” But my words stuck in my throat and I found teenagers around me were talking to friends or staring at their phones.
Reading online feels robotic to me. It’s like I stare at a screen and click “next” for the following page to appear until the very end of the e-book, and at the end of all of that, I just think, “That’s it?” But when I read a printed book, it’s like I’m holding on to the characters. I can imagine the plot better, as I can picture the scenes of each moment in my head with more accuracy and imagination.
Besides, some online books miss components that are in the printed novels. For instance, the physical copy of a fantasy novel I have read contains a map, but the e-book version does not. That is an injustice to e-book users; after reading and understanding the map, the story made a lot more sense for me, in terms of the setting and plot.
And personally, physically turning to the next page is better than clicking “next”. When reading online, I sometimes worry that I click “next” too quickly. It feels more like a race; I want to finish it because the pages just keep making that “flipping” sound and I wonder how long the book really is.
Some printed books have a special smell that makes the novel feel special to me. It’s hard to describe but I’m sure I’m not the only one that thinks so. I know I cannot convince every teen to switch from the digital book to the printed one, but maybe my writing about the difference will at least get some of them to think about it.
1. Why will the library be replaced by a cafe?A.Few people head for it. | B.It lacks good management. |
C.Few people read its books. | D.It holds little attraction for the youth. |
A.They include additional contents. | B.They provide a strong connection to the characters. |
C.They have a special pleasant smell. | D.They can improve readers’ imagination. |
A.To inspire teenagers’ interest in reading. | B.To show advantages of printed books. |
C.To reduce the impact of electronic devices. | D.To encourage teens to change the reading medium. |
4 . At graduation ceremonies, it’s common to see parents proudly cheering and clapping for their kids. But have you ever seen it
The video shows Shivaee’s dad, Aashish, walking up to the stage to
The dad,
“This ceremony would have been
Shivaee was barely 3 years old when the video was taken in 2022. That makes the
A.show | B.happen | C.change | D.return |
A.secretly | B.patiently | C.shyly | D.loudly |
A.pick up | B.show off | C.apply for | D.hand out |
A.observes | B.decorates | C.occupies | D.approaches |
A.laughter | B.encouragement | C.suspicion | D.opposition |
A.confused | B.embarrassed | C.relieved | D.touched |
A.share | B.imagine | C.choose | D.recollect |
A.news | B.name | C.plan | D.prize |
A.professors | B.audiences | C.graduates | D.kids |
A.heartwarming | B.special | C.incomplete | D.unbearable |
A.words | B.story | C.ideas | D.optimism |
A.Thanks to | B.Regardless of | C.Rather than | D.As for |
A.challenge | B.achievement | C.opportunity | D.contribution |
A.father | B.dream | C.girl | D.scene |
A.popular | B.awake | C.alive | D.hopeful |
5 . We’re often told to follow our dreams, and one person in Canada has done just that after building a wonderland for animals. In his own backyard, the eight water features which Robert Perkins dug into the ground are now a shelter for birds, frogs, beavers (河狸) and other animals in the middle of suburban development. But for Perkins, creating habitat for wildlife is not only about doing his part to help the environment. It’s a labor of love for a woman he met when he was 16 years old.
Perkins met Rhonda in 1974 and the two of them hit it off. They both loved animals, and she always wished to have a place where they could live in harmony with the land. Rhonda, whom Perkins stayed with all his life, passed away in 2006. Perkins resolved to build a wonderland where her spirit could stay in peace.
Ignoring planning departments and neighbors alike, Perkins began digging large holes for water to flow. Over the course of nine years his property went from being a neighborly headache to a perfect home for wildlife.
Perkins says he won’t take all the credit for the wetland he built. When Perkins started creating the wildlife habitat in the early 2000s, a family of beavers got wind of it soon and claimed the land. “When we built our subdivisions, we cleared all the trees, dried the hills, drove all the water down to the lakes... In turn, the beavers helped dam (筑坝) and purify the water.”
Wetland habitats not only attract wildlife, but probably offer the most complete package of ecosystem services, including preventing pollution, enriching the soil, and promoting the well-being of wildlife species.
Perkins says he doesn’t need to wonder what Rhonda might think of the place; he feels her presence whenever he walks alone among the trees, the grass, and the ponds, looking at birds or beavers, and listening to the songbirds and frogs. Perkins hopes his project will one day become an educational place that local people can visit to learn about the importance of wetlands.
1. Why did Perkins build the water features?A.To fulfill his childhood dream. | B.To show his love for his wife. |
C.To preserve endangered wildlife. | D.To adapt to suburban development. |
A.Effortless but creative. | B.Discouraging but efficient. |
C.Painful but influential. | D.Demanding but rewarding. |
A.Perkins had a strategic plan for it. | B.Human’s role in it was overvalued. |
C.Nature itself also played a part in it. | D.Beavers were invited to help with it. |
A.To help spread his story. | B.To be a recreational spot. |
C.To bring economic value. | D.To serve as an inspiration. |
6 . A city can become famous and experience a significant increase in visitors due to the influence of a well-liked film or a TV drama. For audiences, stepping into the scenes and experiencing the daily lives of the characters has become a new travel trend. Over the past year, several films and TV dramas have put their shooting locations into the public spotlight.
Qingdao in Shandong province
The Wandering Earth 2, a sci-fi that explores digital life and space journey, showcases impressive sci-fi scenes.90 percent of the film was shot in different places of Qingdao city, including the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge-the world’s longest cross-sea bridge, and the TAG Art Museum. For sci-fi fans, visiting Qingdao to explore the movie’s filming locations has become a popular trend.
Jiangmen in Guangdong province
The hit show The Knockout made Jiangmen an important tourism destination. As the hometown for many overseas Chinese, the city features historical cultural street scenes and South Asian-style architecture. The city has recorded more than 3.34 million trips in the past two months, which has generated over 3.4 billion yuan of tourism income, reflecting a notable rise of 124.3 percent compared to the same period the previous year.
Ningbo Museum in Zhejiang province
The primary setting for the sci-fi TV drama Three-Body Problem, Ningbo Museum, has caught significant attention. The museum integrates regional cultural features, traditional architectural elements, and modern techniques. Following the TV show’s release, daily visitor numbers rocketed to 5,000, marking a remarkable 220 percent year-on-year increase.
Taiyuan Ancient County in Shanxi province
Full River Red, directed by Zhang Yimou, set the Taiyuan Ancient County on fire with excitement. The movie highlights the county’s complex and narrow streets. The county now draws over 40,000 tourists every day, a significant rise compared to the daily 20,000 previously. Notably, one-third of these tourists were from outside Shanxi province, according to local statistics.
1. Which place best suits visitors who appreciate buildings of foreign style?A.Qingdao city. | B.Jiangmen city. |
C.Ningbo Museum. | D.Taiyuan Ancient County. |
A.Its characteristic streets. | B.Its disastrous fire. |
C.Its increasing population. | D.Its economic growth. |
A.Their income depends heavily on tourism. | B.Their architecture integrates different cultures. |
C.They are famous for their historical landmarks. | D.They become a hit through films or TV dramas. |
7 . There is a man who I’d like to tell you about. His name is Sandy Greenberg. Sandy was a very good student, but he came from a poor family. And so he went to Columbia University, but while there, he became blind.
But something else happened to Sandy that may surprise you. Sandy said that when he lost his sight, his roommate would read his textbooks to him, every night. As a result, Sandy went on to graduate. He got a scholarship, and he went off to study at Oxford.
One day, Sandy got a call at Oxford, and his former roommate said, “Sandy, I’m really unhappy. I really don’t like being in graduate school, and I don’t want to do this.”
So Sandy asked, “Well, what do you want to do?”
And his roommate told him, “Sandy, I really love to sing. I have a high school friend who plays the guitar. And we would really like to try the music business. But we need to make a record, and in order to do that I need $500.”
So Sandy Greenberg told me he took all his life savings and sent it to his roommate. He told me, “You know, what else could I do? He made my life; I needed to help make his life.”
I almost forgot. You probably are wanting to know who Sandy’s roommate was. I think you’ve heard of him. Sandy’s roommate was a fellow by the name of Art Garfunkel, and he teamed up with another musician by the name of Paul Simon. That $500 helped them make a record that eventually became “The Sound of Silence.”
I hope you’ll remember the power of doing well by doing good. Each of you, in your own lives, will be faced with challenges and problems that you didn’t expect. How you are able to deal with adversity will be influenced by how you deal with others along the way. What you get will depend a lot on what you give. And that’s the end of the story of doing well, by doing good.
More importantly, when you get to be my age, you will find yourself beginning to ask, did my life make a difference? I think the only way to face this question is to consider, every day of your life: How can I do something for somebody else? How can I give back to others? It may be teaching, it may be becoming a doctor, you may be successful in business — no matter what your career path, there will always be the opportunity to give back. The chance will present itself to give your time, give your money, but mostly, to give your own heart and soul.
1. When Sandy Greenberg lost his sight, ____________.A.he had thoughts of quitting college | B.he overcame the difficulties on his own |
C.he borrowed a friend’s notes | D.a friend helped him with his study |
A.Sandy had a difficult time at Oxford |
B.Sandy and his roommate both went on studying after their graduation |
C.singing was one of Sandy’s hobbies |
D.Sandy’s roommate was a great success at graduate school |
A.to encourage us to face difficulties bravely |
B.to tell us to change our path in life if we want to |
C.to show that disabled people can succeed with help |
D.to tell us that by helping others, we can also help ourselves |
A.difficulty | B.generosity | C.kindness | D.friendship |
A.helping others to make sure that we are successful |
B.using our life to make a difference to others |
C.being a teacher so that we can give back to others |
D.starting to be generous when we become older |
8 . The clock rules our lives. The more we try to save time, the less time we seem to have. In every area of our lives we are doing things faster. And many of us live in towns and cities which are getting noisier and more stressful as each day passes. But now a worldwide movement, whose aim is to slow life down, has started. Its supporters are people who believe that a happier and healthier way of life is possible.
The Slow Food movement was founded the day that an Italian journalist, Carlo Petrini, saw that McDonald’s had opened a restaurant in a beautiful square in Rome. He thought it was sad that many people today live too quickly to sit down for a proper meal and only eat much fast food. He decided that he had to try to do something about it and so he started the Slow Food movement. Slow Food has become a global organization ever since and now has more than 80,000 members in 100 countries.
Slow Food also encourages people to eat local and regional food, to use local shops and markets, to eat out in small family restaurants, and to cook with traditional recipes.
The idea of Slow Cities was inspired by the Slow Food movement. The aim of Slow Cities is to improve people’s quality of life. Towns which want to become a Slow City have to reduce traffic and noise, increase the number of green areas, plant trees, build pedestrian zones, and promote local businesses and traditions. Now it has spread to other countries all over the world, from the UK to Japan and Australia. There are now 135 Slow Cities in 24 countries across the world that have been named since founding of the organization in 1999. Gao Chun County, in east China’s Jiangsu Province, is expected to be named the first “Slow City” in China next year.
“Slow Cities are about having a community life in the town,” said a local resident. “It is not ‘slow’ as in ‘stupid’. It is ‘slow’ as in the opposite of ‘worried’ and ‘stressful’.”
But not everybody is happy. For teenagers, who have to go 25km to Norwich, the nearest city, to buy CDs, living in a Slow City is not very attractive. “It’s all right here for adults,” says Lewis Cook, 16. “But if you want excitement, you have to go to Norwich. We need more things here for young people.”
1. What’s the aim of the Slow Food movement?A.To call on people to eat out. | B.To make people enjoy cooking. |
C.To drive McDonald’s out of Rome | D.To encourage people to slow down. |
A.reducing traffic and noise | B.increasing the number of green areas |
C.building more department stores | D.promoting local businesses and traditions |
A.Slow Food was founded in 1999 | B.there is no Slow City in China now |
C.Slow Cities are mainly in the UK | D.there are about 24 Slow Cities in the world |
A.Satisfied. | B.Excited. | C.Happy. | D.Dissatisfied. |
A.Slow down and you’ll move fast. | B.Time flies never to be recalled. |
C.Eat slowly and you’ll be healthy. | D.Pay attention to the quality of life. |
9 . Many people who work in London prefer to live outside it, and to go in to their offices and schools every day by train, car or bus, even though this means they have to get up early in the morning and reach home late in the evening.
One advantage of living outside London is that the houses are cheaper. Even a small flat in London without a garden costs quite a lot to rent. With the same money, one can get a little house in the country with a garden of one’s own.
Then, in the country, one can rest from the noise and hurry of the town. Even though one has to get up earlier and spend more time on trains or buses, one can sleep better at night. Besides, during weekends and on summer evenings, one can enjoy the fresh, clean air of the country. If one likes gardens, one can spend one’s free time digging, planting, watering, and doing the hundred and one other jobs which are needed in a garden. Then, when the flowers and vegetables come up, one has the reward of one who has shared the secret of Nature.
Some people, however, take no interest in country things: for them, happiness lies in the town, with its cinemas and theatres, beautiful shops and busy streets, dance-halls and restaurants. Such people would feel that their life was not worth living if they had to live it outside London. An occasional walk in one of the parks and a fortnight’s (two weeks) visit to the sea every summer is all the country they want: the rest they are quite prepared to leave to those who are glad to get away from London every night.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?A.Some people who work in the country prefer to live in the city |
B.Some people who work in the city prefer to live in the country |
C.Those who live in London wake up early and get home late |
D.Those who live in London must travel by train, car or bus every day |
A.a small house with a garden in London |
B.a large house with a garden in the country |
C.a small flat with a garden in the country |
D.a small house with a garden in the country |
A.one can’t sleep so well as in the city | B.one has to spend more time on transport |
C.one has to spend a long time in the garden | D.one is likely to be poorer |
A.spend all of their time in the town | B.feel their life is not worth living |
C.enjoy cinemas, shops and crowds | D.share the secret of Nature |
A.the rest of their time | B.the rest of the people |
C.the rest of the country | D.the rest of the parks and sea |
10 . I was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, and it was a shock to my parents that I arrived without arms or legs. My parents did their very best to keep me in the mainstream school system and give me every opportunity to live to the fullest.
We later moved to Brisbane, Australia. At age eight, I could not see a bright future ahead and I became depressed. When I was ten years old, I decided to end my life by drowning myself in a bathtub. After a couple of attempts, I realized that I did not want to leave my loved ones with the burden and guilt (愧疚) that would result from my suicide. I could not do that to them.
I wasn’t depressed my entire childhood, but I did have ups and downs. At age thirteen I hurt my foot, which I use for many things like typing, writing and swimming. That injury made me realize that I need to be more thankful for my abilities and less focused on my disabilities.
A cleaner at my high school inspired me to start speaking about my faith and overcoming adversity when I was seventeen. Then, I found myself in front of three hundred sophomore (grade 10) students and I was very nervous. My knees were shaking. Within the first three minutes of my talk, half the girls were crying, and most of the boys were struggling to hold their emotions together. One girl in particular was sobbing very hard. We all looked at her and she put her hand up. She said, “I am so sorry to interrupt, but can I come up and hug you?”
She came and hugged me in front of everyone, and whispered in my ear, “Thank you, thank you, thank you. No one has ever told me that they loved me and that I am beautiful the way I am.” Her gratitude inspired me to go across 44 countries and speak 2,000 times. I realized that we all need love and hope.
I spoke on motivational topics after creating the company ‘Attitude is Altitude’ to spread my messages of faith and hope around the world.
Dream big, my friend and never give up. We all make mistakes, but none of us are mistakes. Take one day at a time. Embrace (拥抱) the positive attitudes, perspectives (思考方法), principles (原则) and truths I share, and you too will overcome.
1. Nick first became depressed when ____________.A.he was ten years old | B.he decided to end his life |
C.he thought his future wouldn’t be bright | D.he realized he had no arms and legs |
A.his faith in God | B.an injury to his foot |
C.the advice of his parents | D.a talk with his teacher |
A.his parents | B.a girl | C.a cleaner | D.a boy |
A.she felt sorry about Nick’s disability | B.she realized her mistakes after hearing Nick |
C.she was sad that Nick could never pull through | D.Nick moved her with some encouraging words |
A.With a positive attitude, any dream can be achieved. |
B.Those who are disabled live happier lives than normal people. |
C.By focusing on our disabilities, we can overcome them. |
D.We should focus on what we can do, not what we can’t. |