1 . Art and science may seem like opposite things. One means the creative flow of ideas, and the other means cold, hard data-some people believe. In fact, the two have much in common. Now, a study finds art can help students remember better what they have learned in the science class.
Mariale Hardiman, an education specialist at Johns Hopkins University, noticed that students who used art in the classroom listened more carefully. They might ask more questions. They might volunteer more ideas. What’s more, students seemed to remember more of what they had been taught when their science lessons had involved(涉及) art. To prove that, Hardiman teamed up with some researchers and six local schools.
In the experiment, the researchers worked with teachers in 16 fifth-grade classrooms. They provided traditional science lessons and art-focused ones. In a traditional science class, for example, students might read aloud from a book. In the art-focused one, they might sing the information instead.
The team randomly assigned(随机分配) each of the 350 students to either a traditional science classroom or an art-focused one. Students then learned science using that way for the whole unit-about three weeks. When they changed to a new topic, they also changed to the other type of class. This way, each student had both an art-focused class and a traditional one. Every unit was taught in both ways, to different groups of students. This enabled the researchers to see how students did in both types of classes.
The team found that students who started off in a traditional class performed better after they moved into an art-focused class. But those who started off in an art-focused class did well even when they went back to a traditional science class. These students appeared to use some of the art techniques(技巧) after going back to a traditional class. Classroom teachers reported that many students continued to sing the songs that they learned after finishing the unit. “The more we hear something, the more we retain it,” Hardiman says. “It suggests that the arts may help students apply creative ways of learning on their own.”
1. Why did Mariale Hardiman do the study?A.To prove the importance of art at school. |
B.To see if art might improve science learning |
C.To find a way to help her students learn better. |
D.To know how to encourage students to ask questions. |
A.Take two types of classes. | B.Learn three units in total. |
C.Learn two topics for three weeks. | D.Choose what they’d like to learn. |
A.Finish. | B.Express. | C.Improve. | D.Memorize. |
A.Art helps students develop creativity. |
B.Art-focused classes interest students a lot. |
C.Art can make science easier to remember. |
D.Art has something in common with science. |
2 . The sky began to show red in the early morning as we drove across the Minnesota state line to New York for my new PhD program. The move was good for me professionally, but I worried about my husband and daughters. I also feared that I wouldn’t be able to give my kids the childhood they deserved.
Anne, our first daughter, came into the world when I was a junior majoring in biology in college. It was challenging to balance classes, work schedules, and being a mom. But I got through it, finding moments of joy along the way. On the nights when I was home, I’d read my class notes out loud with my daughter. She’d respond by asking questions, such as “Mom, what are bacteria (细菌)?” It helped us both learn.
After I graduated, I knew that I would need a PhD to land the kind of job I wanted. I arrived in New York feeling more than the usual new-graduate-student anxiety. I also suffered from a more personal fear that I was being selfish—that my decision to invigorate my career was going to have long- term bad impacts on my kids. So, I made a rule to never be visibly upset about my work in front of my children.
Over the past year, though, I’ve started to let go of some of this worry. I’ve realized that we have not only adapted to our new situation, but things are getting better. My husband landed a job that he is happy with. Anne dreams of becoming a biologist. Recently, while driving past the cancer institute I work at, Anne said, “Thinking about people having cancer is so sad, but I feel better knowing that you are researching it to help.”
Pursuing academic career as a young mother is hard, but it’s also rewarding. My kids are learning to look at the world through science, and watching their mom succeed inspires them. I look forward to seeing them follow my footsteps, whatever path they choose.
1. How did the author feel about the move for her PhD program at first?A.It was fruitful but boring. | B.It was hopeful but challenging. |
C.It was the last thing she would do. | D.It was promising for the whole family. |
A.Advocate. | B.Escape. | C.Evaluate. | D.Prioritize. |
A.She is proud of her mother. | B.She is interested in biology. |
C.Her mother takes her job seriously. | D.She is ready to help patients with cancer. |
A.Ups and Downs in Life | B.Like Mother Like Daughter |
C.Double Gains of Mom’s Pursuit | D.Generation Gap Narrowed by Love |
3 . I have grown up in a football-loving family. My dad played until injury
I remember the exact moment when I told my dad I was
He
At school, there was an unwritten
Today, the England Lionesses (母狮队) will
Maybe, the truth is: Investment is needed for female football to become more visible and become a(n)
A.allowed | B.admitted | C.followed | D.forced |
A.talked | B.trained | C.lived | D.stood |
A.tough | B.rich | C.interested | D.concerned |
A.sad | B.surprised | C.scared | D.satisfied |
A.apparently | B.completely | C.immediately | D.temporarily |
A.plays | B.knows | C.likes | D.watches |
A.plot | B.word | C.tale | D.rule |
A.foreign | B.female | C.young | D.top |
A.take on | B.turn on | C.pick up | D.hold up |
A.As | B.Although | C.Once | D.Until |
A.deal | B.charge | C.share | D.income |
A.comparison | B.line | C.cooperation | D.competition |
A.difficulty | B.difference | C.variety | D.category |
A.equally | B.merely | C.potentially | D.financially |
A.explored | B.transported | C.recognized | D.permitted |
4 . From July 19 to 24, I travelled to the Shiyanghe Basin in Wuwei, located in the heart of a desert in Northwest China’s Gansu province. Looking down from the plane on the way to the destination, all I saw was endless ranges of desert mountains and sands, which made it a breathtaking transformation when I saw green gardens and fruit farms upon arrival.
A local farmer in this landscape shared his success story of enlarging his farm through greenhouse crop production with me. Thanks to the greenhouse technology, his farm has grown from 10 workers, to around 100 within 10 years. The key role of women in agriculture is also praised, as their contributions increase the energy of the landscape.
We also visited a greenhouse with vertical (垂直的) watermelon farming. It was a well-aired, strategically positioned structure with shade cloth, vertical supports, drip irrigation (滴灌), good lighting, and insect management. It was amazing how technology can transform limited space into a great agricultural powerhouse, which not only increases outputs but also reduces environmental impact. What’s even more impressive is that it’s a great approach: It doesn’t stop at farming but can be used in food processing industries. This ensures that the journey from seed to consumers is seamless (无缝的), maintaining product quality and reducing waste.
I learned that Wuwei, although located in a region famous for its dryness, has attempted to become a major supplier of fruits and vegetables, competing with other regions in southern China which have sufficient water resources and good weather conditions. Through advanced irrigation techniques like drip systems, controlled environments, and effective resource management, they show the power of sustainable agriculture and the untiring spirit of those who transform deserts into fruitful landscapes.
1. What can we learn about the local farmer from paragraph 2?A.He has more than 100 workers on his farm. |
B.He is a new-type farmer who likes to share stories. |
C.He is successful in adopting greenhouse technology. |
D.He doesn’t admit women’s contribution to agriculture. |
A.A pleasant visiting experience. | B.Benefits of watermelon farming. |
C.Traditional agricultural approaches. | D.A greenhouse with advanced techniques. |
A.It has enough water resources. | B.It experiences drought most often. |
C.It has the same conditions with southern regions. | D.It establishes fruitful landscapes in the desert area. |
A.A newspaper. | B.A guidebook. | C.A research paper. | D.A book review. |
5 . In an inspiring series of events over six years, a remarkable woman has turned up as the guardian angel for one family. She
Six years ago, Kristi Hadfield was a nurse who saved John Cunningham’s life when he was
Hadfield stayed in
“And when I posted it, I got a(n)
A.knew | B.caught | C.rescued | D.employed |
A.having | B.avoiding | C.escaping | D.curing |
A.enjoy | B.remember | C.regret | D.imagine |
A.came across | B.worked on | C.turned to | D.got to |
A.Fortunately | B.Gradually | C.Disappointedly | D.Basically |
A.agreement | B.touch | C.comparison | D.competition |
A.female | B.strange | C.serious | D.former |
A.order | B.gift | C.request | D.suggestion |
A.identified | B.recommended | C.shared | D.heard |
A.quit | B.appreciate | C.allow | D.consider |
A.invitation | B.message | C.argument | D.description |
A.provider | B.waiter | C.user | D.protector |
A.set out | B.took place | C.shut up | D.came back |
A.remarkable | B.unique | C.successful | D.significant |
A.life | B.luck | C.money | D.thanks |
6 . Simone Biles is a remarkable athlete, having won 7 Olympic medals across two Olympic Games. However, in 2020, she shocked the world when she quitted from the Tokyo Games due to some mental problems. Many praised it as a brave decision, as mental health is just as important as physical health. The athlete said she often suddenly lost the sense of direction during the Games, which meant she could no longer sense her body move in the air. It is dangerous for any athlete.
Since then, Biles has focused on her personal life, marrying the love of her life in the process. Recently, USA Gymnastics announced that Biles is ready to return to gymnastics. She is scheduled to compete at the coming US Classic in August, and fans are waiting eagerly to see her in action. Joining Biles in the upcoming competition are 12 Olympic and 16 World Championships roster members. Some notable names include Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee and 2020 Olympic floor champion Jade Carey, among others.
Before Simone Biles became a successful athlete, she and her siblings experienced a “hungry” childhood. Biles’ love for gymnastics began on a field trip. They visited a local gymnasium, where she was given a flyer (传单) to join the program. Biles was a natural, but she didn’t see her potential right away. Little did she know, but everybody else around her did. Her difficult beginnings set the stage for Biles to become one of the most successful sportswomen. Her parents gave their 100% support for her to grow up in the environment she was great at.
Biles has everything she could need to live a golden life— a supportive family, a loving boyfriend and a passion, which also happens to be her career. At 26 years old, she has her whole life ahead of her and is expected to continue dominating (统治) the gymnastics world in the coming years.
1. What did Simone Biles do during the 2020 Olympic Games?A.She dropped out unexpectedly. |
B.She won her seventh Olympic medal. |
C.She hurt others due to dangerous moves. |
D.She shocked the world with her great performance. |
A.Worried. | B.Disappointed. |
C.Excited. | D.Shocked. |
A.One’s birth decides his or her future. |
B.Quitting doesn’t necessarily mean giving up. |
C.One should never give up his or her own job. |
D.A person’s success requires all kinds of preparations. |
A.A guidebook. | B.A fashion magazine. |
C.A book review. | D.A news report. |
7 . Best Parks to See Wildlife
A recent report from a vacation site listed the total number of species and sizes of several well-known national parks. Here are some of them to see the widest variety of animals.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
Number of species per square meter: 317
Located 20 miles southwest of Cleveland, Ohio, Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a mixed ecosystem of forest and wetlands sheltering a variety of animals. From the boardwalk at Beaver Marsh, watch for water-loving mammals or snapping turtles (鳄龟) that can weigh as much as 55 pounds each. More than 200 bird species live in the park.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
Number of species per square meter: 286
The representative for Carlsbad Caverns is the Brazilian free-tailed bat. Every summer, hundreds of thousands of the furry, big-eared creatures live in these caves in southeastern New Mexico, attracting crowds at sunset with their spectacular out flight. The Brazilians are one of the 17 bat species that nest at Carlsbad. You might also encounter wild pigs and cave swallows.
Acadia National Park, Maine
Number of species per square meter: 242
The Atlantic Ocean meets the Maine coast at this popular park on Mount Desert Island, providing habitat for wildlife with feet and flippers (鳍状肢). From the shore, scan the water for the heads of harbor porpoises (鼠海豚) and gray seals.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
Number of species per square meter: 219
In western Colorado, the 2, 722 feet between this park s canyon edge and the Gunnison River below support numerous wildlife habitats. Experienced climbers and hikers who adventure into the inner canyon find collared lizards and mule deer.
1. Which park has the largest number of species per square meter?A.Acadia National Park. | B.Carlsbad Caverns National Park. |
C.Cuyahoga Valley National Park. | D.Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park |
A.Watch crowds of flying bats at sunset. |
B.Observe 17 swallow species nesting in the city. |
C.Play with turtles weighing over 55 pounds. |
D.Meet wild pigs in forests and wetlands. |
A.Cave swallows. | B.Gray seals. | C.Mule deer. | D.Free-tailed bats. |
8 . In our information-driven society, shaping our worldview through the media is similar to forming an opinion about someone solely based on a picture of their foot. While the media might not deliberately deceive us, it often fails to provide a comprehensive view of reality.
Consequently, the question arises: Where, then, shall we get our information from if not from the media? Who can we trust? How about experts—people who devote their working lives to understanding their chosen slice of the world? However, even experts can fall prey to the allure of oversimplification, leading to the “single perspective instinct” that hampers(阻碍)our ability to grasp the intricacies of the world.
Simple ideas can be appealing because they offer a sense of understanding and certainty. And it is easy to take off down a slippery slope, from one attention-grabbing simple idea to a feeling that this idea beautifully explains, or is the beautiful solution for, lots of other things. The world becomes simple that way.
Yet, when we embrace a singular cause or solution for all problems, we risk oversimplifying complex issues. For instance, championing the concept of equality may lead us to view all problems through the lens of inequality and see resource distribution as the sole panacea. However, such rigidity prevents us from seeing the multidimensional nature of challenges and hinders true comprehension of reality. This “single perspective instinct” ultimately clouds our judgment and restricts our capacity to tackle complex issues effectively.
It saves a lot of time to think like this. You can have opinions and answers without having to learn about a problem from scratch and you can get on with using your brain for other tasks. But it’s not so useful if you like to understand the world. Being always in favor of or always against any particular idea makes you blind to information that doesn’t fit your perspective. This is usually a bad approach if you would like to understand reality.
Instead, constantly test your favorite ideas for weaknesses. Be humble about the extent of your expertise. Be curious about new information that doesn’t fit, and information from other fields. And rather than talking only to people who agree with you, or collecting examples that fit your ideas, consult people who contradict you, disagree with you, and put forward different ideas as a great resource for understanding the world. I have been wrong about the world so many times. Sometimes, coming up against reality is what helps me see my mistakes, but often it is talking to, and trying to understand, someone with different ideas.
If this means you don’t have time to form so many opinions, so what? Wouldn’t you rather have few opinions that are right than many that are wrong?
1. What does the underlined word “allure” in Para.2 probably mean?A.Temptation. | B.Tradition. | C.Convenience. | D.Consequence. |
A.They meet people’s demand for high efficiency. |
B.They generate a sense of complete understanding. |
C.They are raised and supported by multiple experts. |
D.They reflect the opinions of like-minded individuals. |
A.Simplifying matters releases energy for human brains. |
B.Constant tests on our ideas help make up for our weakness. |
C.A well-founded opinion counts more than many shallow ones. |
D.People who disagree with us often have comprehensive views. |
A.Embracing Disagreement: Refusing Overcomplexity |
B.Simplifying Information: Enhancing Comprehension |
C.Understanding Differences: Establishing Relationships |
D.Navigating Complexity: Challenging Oversimplification |
9 . Gardeners who use pesticides are contributing to the decline of British songbirds, a study suggests. Scientists have urged people to stop “spraying their gardens with poisons” in order to halt bird decline and adopt instead wildlife-friendly practices. The results of the University of Sussex study, which researchers call the first of its kind, were published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
The experiment, which surveyed 615 gardens in Britain, found 25% fewer house sparrows when glyphosate (草甘膦) was used regularly. This is an ingredient found in commonly used herbicide (除草剂) brands such as Roundup or Gallup. Slug pellets (鼻涕虫杀虫剂) also seemed to have an impact on bird sightings; in gardens where Slug pellets were used, house sparrow numbers were down by almost 40%.
Prof. Dave Goulson, of the school of life sciences at the University of Sussex, said, “The UK has 22 million gardens, which collectively could be a fantastic refuge for wildlife, but not if they are overly tidy and sprayed with poisons. We just don’t need pesticides in our gardens. Many towns around the world are now pesticide free. We should simply ban the use of these poisons in urban areas, following the example of France.” The Royal Horticultural Society, the UK’s leading gardening charity, said the use of pesticides and herbicides should be avoided if possible and they should only be used, if ever, in small and targeted applications.
The research also found that those who adopted wildlife-friendly practices such as planting native shrubs and flowers, or digging a wildlife pond, saw more birds than those who did not. Cannelle Tassin de Montaigu, a PhD researcher within the school of life sciences and an author of the study, said, “It’s encouraging to find that simple measures, such as planting native shrubs and trees and creating a pond, together with avoiding the use of pesticides, really make a measurable difference to the number of birds you will see in your garden.”
1. What does the underlined word “halt” in paragraph 1 most probably mean?A.Stop. | B.Attract. | C.Note. | D.Witness. |
A.To reveal the severe influence of pesticides on birds. |
B.To compare the effects of two kinds of pesticides. |
C.To convince readers of the importance of house sparrows. |
D.To help gardeners choose the proper pesticides. |
A.The ideal places for wildlife in the UK are extremely tidy gardens. |
B.The gardens in the UK are so tidy that pesticides are not needed. |
C.Pesticides should be prohibited from use throughout the UK. |
D.Some countries like France have made urban areas pesticide free. |
A.Alternative methods to keep gardens tidy. |
B.Assistant ways to increase the number of birds. |
C.Gardeners’ attitudes towards the experiment. |
D.Other researchers’ interest in the experiment. |
10 . It’s school time again! You’re probably feeling excited and maybe a little sad that summer is over. Some kids feel nervous or a little scared on the first day of school because of all the new things: new teachers, new friends, and even a new school. Luckily, these “new” worries only stick around for a little while. Let’s find out more about going to a new school.
Most teachers kick off the new school year by introducing themselves and talking about all the stuff you’ll be doing that year. Some teachers give students a chance to tell something about themselves to the rest of the class, too. When teachers do the talking on the first day, they often go over classroom rules and school rules so you’ll know what’s allowed and what’s not. Please pay close attention.
You might already know a lot of people in your classes on the first day, but it’s a great day to make a new friend, so try to say hello to kids you know and new ones that you don’t. Make the first move and you’ll be glad you did, and so will your new friend!
Seeing friends you haven’t seen for some time can make the first day a good one. You can make the day feel special by wearing clothes that you really like. Maybe you got a great T-shirt on one of your vacations, or a pair of sneakers (运动鞋). It also can make you feel good to be prepared and have all the things you need, such as pencils, folders, and whatever else you’ll be needing. But make sure that you pack them the night before in case you don’t have time in the morning.
1. The underlined phrase “kick off” in the second paragraph probably means “________”.A.start | B.study | C.find | D.learn |
A.what to know about a new school | B.how to prepare for a new school |
C.what to do on your first day of school | D.how to spend your first day of school |
A.introduce yourself | B.learn about the school rules |
C.make new friends | D.go over your lessons |
A.nervous | B.mad | C.happy | D.upset |