1 . Humans have a positive view of nature. But is this due to an approach we have learned while growing up, or is it something we are born with? The answer is “Both”, according to researchers at the University of Gothenburg and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Our love of nature is highly individual and should influence how we plan our cities, say the researchers.
It is well known that nature has a positive effect on people. In cities in particular, studies have shown that trees and other greenery contribute to people’s wellbeing. However, experts do not agree on the reasons behind this phenomenon.
Researchers from the University of Gothenburg and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences have reviewed several studies within this field that examine both innate factors and what individuals experience during their lives, primarily as children.
In a Japanese study, subjects were asked to walk in a forest and in a city while their heartbeat was measured. This showed that positive emotions increased in 65% of people while they are walking in a forest. Thus, far from everyone had a positive view of nature.
Another environmental psychology study found that research subjects are unconsciously (无意识地) drawn to nature instead of cities, and that this attraction was strengthened in those whose childhood was rich in nature.
An additional study on identical and non-identical twins showed that a genetic (遗传的) component influences an individual’s positive or negative relationship with nature. But the study also highlighted the importance of environment in terms of attitudes towards nature.
Moreover, nature can mean completely different things to different people. Some enjoy parks with lawns and planted trees, while others prefer being in the wilderness. The researchers believe that this variation is also determined by both genetics and environment.
“So it’s important that we don’t standardise nature when planning greenery in our towns and cities,” adds Marcus Hedblom, a researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and co-author of the article. “We shouldn’t replace wild greenery with a park and assume that it will be good for everyone.”
1. How did the author introduce the topic?| A．By bringing up an argument. | B．By listing a series of facts. |
| C．By referring to different opinions. | D．By asking and answering questions. |
| A．Social. | B．Inborn. | C．Extra. | D．Unique. |
| A．People had a negative experience in nature. |
| B．People were unconsciously drawn to nature. |
| C．All people didn’t respond to nature positively. |
| D．The feeling toward nature was related to childhood. |
| A．Why Do We Love Nature? | B．How Do People Feel in Nature? |
| C．What Makes Nature So Powerful? | D．Why Is Nature Important to Humans? |
2 . A study led by the University of Eastern Finland suggests that teenagers who engage in active school transport (walking/cycling to or from school at least once per week) and leisure-time physical activity perform better at secondary school than their inactive peers (同龄人). Regular leisure-time physical activity was also associated with lower possibilities of school burnout (倦怠). The findings were published in the European Journal of Public Health.
The relationship of physical activity and academic achievement is complex. However, previous studies have found that especially school-based physical activity, such as physical education, can improve classroom performance — particularly in mathematics. Despite this, few studies have examined the association between active school transport and educational outcomes.
In the recently published study of over 34, 000 teenagers, researchers observed that active school transport was associated with higher chances of high perceived academic performance and self-reported competence in academic skills. Being physically active before school could, for example, enhance concentration in class. The association was even stronger for leisure-time physical activity. Similar to previous studies, the relationship between leisure-time physical activity and mathematical skills stood out.
Leisure-time physical activity was also inversely associated (负相关的) with school burnout. As little as 30 minutes of weekly activity was associated with 24% lower possibilities of school burnout. Teenagers who engaged in leisure-time physical activity for 4 to 6 hours a week had 46% lower possibilities of school burnout compared to their physically inactive peers. Both leisure-time physical activity and active school transport were also positively
associated with school enjoyment.
“To the best of my knowledge, this was the first large-scale study to examine the association between physical activity and school burnout among teenagers. Leisure-time physical activity can be an effective way to disconnect from schoolwork and the potential stress related to it. If schools can increase the amount of leisure-time physical activity among youth, both learning and wellbeing benefits can be significant,” said Juuso Jussila, a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Eastern Finland.
1. Which aspect of the study does paragraph 1 focus on?| A．Its purpose. | B．Its subjects. | C．Its result. | D．Its process. |
| A．complex | B．clear | C．meaningless | D．simple |
| A．Feel tired in class. | B．Pay more attention in class. |
| C．Be afraid of learning mathematics. | D．Be eager to do physical activity. |
| A．Asking students to respect teachers. | B．Teaching students how to be happy. |
| C．Focusing on improving students’ scores. | D．Increasing students’ time for physical activity. |
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 . Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that lets machines do things that require “thinking”. It is a hard term to define (下定义) because AI isn’t actually one thing. Rather, it’s a group of technologies that help machines acquire, understand and use information to perform tasks. The range of technologies is one of the reasons people use so many different terms when mentioning AI.
Recent developments of AI have received a lot of media attention. Although some have welcomed the technology because of things that AI makes possible, the attention has also produced a lot of fear and caution. In particular, many are concerned about the effects AI could have on people’s jobs.
Unfortunately, the media excitement is often a distraction (令人分心的事物) that causes people to miss an important point. Since AI isn’t just one thing, we aren’t waiting for it to be invented. Rather, the technology is experiencing a long development process. AI isn’t coming. It’s already here. We aren’t living in a world controlled by computers-yet. But we are living in a world that relies more and more on AI for better efficiency.
Newspapers, design companies and film studios are all making use of the technology. Often the technology is used to do the heavy lifting of repetitive tasks so that professionals can work more productively. Admittedly, the tasks AI does are often the things done by low or entry-level employees. But that hasn’t necessarily spelled the end for human workers.
In recent years, for example, AI-driven translation has dramatically increased the amount of material a human translator can process each day. But the easy availability of translation has also led to an increased need for translators. As a result, the industry and its human translators often struggle to keep up with demand.
There is no doubt that AI is changing how we live and work in very complex ways. That makes AI an important trend to watch, but not to panic about yet.
1. What can we learn about AI?| A．Various names can be used to refer to it. |
| B．Media are concerned about its efficiency. |
| C．Machines can’t do anything without AI. |
| D．Media mostly hold a negative view on it. |
| A．Approving. | B．Ambiguous. | C．Uncaring | D．Misleading. |
| A．To prove that AI will replace humans in the end. |
| B．To stress that AI is far better than human translation. |
| C．To claim that AI pushes human to be better than before. |
| D．To state that AI has developed dramatically in recent years. |
I＝introduction P＝point Sp＝subpoint C＝conclusion
A． | B． |
C． | D．  |
5 . Ritz has been teaching for nearly 10 years in a high school where the early graduation rate of the students was just 17%. He discovered a way to connect and intrigue these students, especially the ones who seemed the hardest to reach.
Once, he received a package of flower bulbs (球茎) which he mistakenly thought were onions. He was afraid that they might become weapons (武器) in a classroom fight, so he hid them behind a radiator (暖气片) and forgot about them.
Six weeks later, an angry girl ran after a boy who always made troubles. As usual, Ritz rushed towards them to break up what he thought was about to become a disaster. He saw the boy reach towards the radiator and thought he might have hidden a weapon there. To his surprise, the boy suddenly pulled out a bunch of yellow flowers and gave them to the girl as a peace offering. The girl decided to take the flowers home to her mother and peace came back.
The forgotten bulbs were actually daffodils (黄水仙). The steam from the radiator had forced them into flowers. From such an experience, Ritz realized that if there was power in plants to stop a classroom fight, there must be power in plants to change students’ lives. He turned the moment of growing plants into a green course, a movement that would change his life and the lives of his students. He designed vegetable gardens into part of the school ground and on top of a building.
Ritz’s students now have near-perfect attendance and graduation rates. His efforts have led him to be a great teacher who uses the power of a plant to give a voice to children.
1. What does the underlined word “intrigue” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Interest. | B．Protect. | C．Punish. | D．Challenge. |
| A．The radiator. | B．A tasty dish. |
| C．Some yellow flowers. | D．The teacher’s words. |
| A．They have low attendance. | B．They become the hardest to reach. |
| C．They know how to make weapons. | D．They fall in love with learning. |
| A．What a Classroom Needs for a Fight |
| B．Why a Plant Has an Effect on Students |
| C．How a Teacher Changes His Students |
| D．How a Teacher Becomes Popular |
6 . 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. |
7 . I look forward to my half hour train ride to work every morning. I can look out of the window as it twists and turns itself through neighborhoods with the sun casting its strong lighting on the floor of the train car. I sometimes get lost in thought while following the light. But the reason I love this ride is that it’s a reminder of how neighborhoods can change from block to block.
For almost a year now I have been riding this train as I head into the office where I work as a reporter for a local magazine. I am one of 13 journalists who help report community news in areas that are often forgotten. And for me, that means covering areas like the one I grew up in.
Last week, as I was on the way to my office, I started wondering how neighborhoods have changed since the 2008 housing crisis. I searched addresses on the city’s southwest side, a neighborhood that has seen a significant number of residential homes pulled down, I scanned the street views recorded on my phone and saw how the neighborhood looked in 2007. Then I set out to visit the city block, and that’s when I met 3-year-old Harmony.
Harmony loved collecting rocks for me to hold as I walked down the street with her mother, Marquita. I already knew what the neighborhood looked like in the past, but Marquita shared more details of the people who once lived on her block, who were really friendly to each other. However, people today in the neighborhood are busy with life and seldom say hello to each other. Marquita has lived on this block her entire life, and Harmony has for most of her short life as well. But the neighborhood that Marquita grew up in will be one obviously different than the one Harmony will grow to know.
In the end, they smiled at my camera. And then I got back on the train and headed back to the office to tell their stories.
1. What makes the author love his train ride to work?| A．Being lost in thought. | B．Admiring the outside views. |
| C．Enjoying the warm sunshine. | D．Knowing the change of blocks. |
| A．By reading earlier reports. | B．By interviewing local people. |
| C．By watching past street views. | D．By searching his memories. |
| A．Sad. | B．Nervous. | C．Touched. | D．Confused. |
| A．To share a pleasant train ride with us. |
| B．To tell us the work of a news reporter. |
| C．To show us a crowded community. |
| D．To introduce a new neighborhood. |
8 . More people than ever are interested in learning to speak Chinese. The challenge that many face is finding the best resources to learn this new language. Fortunately, there are 4 amazing tools that can make learning Chinese much easier.
HelloTalk
This is an app that connects anyone interested in learning a foreign language to a native speaker who is willing to engage in conversation with learners, and help them practice and master their new language. It includes a voice-to-text feature that is perfect if you cannot understand your conversation partner. The text- to-voice feature that is included helps you to learn the proper pronunciations.
iTalki
No tool is going to take the place of one-on-one interaction(互动) with a real person. This is why iTalki is one of the most popular online language learning systems. If you join the iTalki community, you will be connected with an instructor who is a native speaker. They will work with you one on one to improve your vocabulary and conversational language skills.
FluentU
FluentU has made a wide variety of videos for your viewing pleasure. Each one is in Chinese and is a real-world movie or video. With FluentU, you can interact with the videos, pause and get pronunciation and definition information. In addition to this, there are quizzes(小测验) added to the videos to help you evaluate your own progress.
Pleco
This mobile app was designed specifically to help users learn Chinese. It includes an OCR reader that can be used to scan(扫描) Chinese language characters for translation, the ability to translate Chinese words from other apps and web pages, a document reader and an audio translator. It also comes with several dictionaries and the ability to create flashcards.
1. What’s the advantage of iTalki over other tools?| A．Providing one-on-one instruction. | B．Providing various learning videos. |
| C．Providing the text-to-voice feature. | D．Providing interesting playing games. |
| A．They offer the most famous learning tools. | B．They record your learning process directly. |
| C．They help you improve your pronunciation. | D．They provide you with various funny videos. |
| A．HelloTalk. | B．iTalki. | C．FluentU. | D．Pleco. |
9 . What is standard English? Does it really matter? With the rise of Internet technologies, does anyone actually speak a pure form of their own English anymore? Many English speakers have found Americanisms slowly influencing their language. English may be the international language of communication — but which kind?
As a teacher, a favorite question continually asked by my students is “Which is better, American or British English?” My answer is always the same, “It depends!” These days, we can also add the Australian variety, as learners in Asia where I live are more exposed to Australian English and are more likely to study in Australia than in the United States or the UK, although the difference between Australian and British English is very small and mainly vocabulary-based.
So what can influence whether foreign learners are better off learning a particular standard of English? Put simply, it depends on what is more suitable. Learners need to think over their academic, work or social needs. If someone is working for a US-owned company then the company will probably require American English in its written communication. Similarly if you are studying to be a tour guide in an area that has many British tourists, it makes sense to pay more attention to that standard. If a learner is going to study in Australia then studying Australian English will help him in the long run.
When I have managed language schools, there was often healthy competition between teachers of different nationalities for the importance of their particular standard of English. Language schools abroad may prefer one particular standard of English, and therefore sometimes, understandably, give preference to that particular nationality of teacher.
Personally though, I like to keep an open mind, as there can also be advantages for both students and teachers. Students get to be exposed to more varieties of English, providing them with a more well-rounded education. So teachers should pay attention to the differences in varieties, increasing their own knowledge base.
1. What is the author’s purpose in writing paragraph 1?| A．To introduce some general information on English. |
| B．To bring up the topic of standard English. |
| C．To discuss the importance of English. |
| D．To explain what standard English is. |
| A．It has been influenced by Asian languages. |
| B．It is most popular with international students. |
| C．It is the author’s preferred variety of English. |
| D．It differs from British English mostly in vocabulary. |
| A．His educational level. | B．His personal needs. |
| C．His own interest. | D．His nationality. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Surprised. | D．Uncaring. |
10 . Most people who keep animals choose to have dogs, cats or fish. But Recep Mirzan keeps a
“Since I love
He named the swan Garip. It means “strange” in the Turkish language but is also used to
According to the group Swan Sanctuary, in Britain, swans live in the
| A．lovely | B．different | C．smart | D．normal |
| A．saved | B．bought | C．caught | D．raised |
| A．hit | B．picked | C．touched | D．saw |
| A．beautiful | B．broken | C．strong | D．annoyed |
| A．shouted | B．shot | C．stopped | D．defended |
| A．leave | B．care | C．protect | D．observe |
| A．nature | B．hunting | C．animals | D．recovery |
| A．leaving | B．regarding | C．thinking | D．serving |
| A．describe | B．help | C．introduce | D．comfort |
| A．played | B．performed | C．flew | D．remained |
| A．money | B．house | C．family | D．children |
| A．missing | B．understanding | C．following | D．supporting |
| A．leave | B．get into | C．return to | D．get across |
| A．lake | B．wild | C．history | D．world |
| A．polluted | B．quiet | C．energetic | D．protected |
