1 . Earth is far more alive than we previously thought, according to “deep life” studies that reveal a rich underground ecosystem beneath our feet that is almost twice the size of all the world’s oceans. Despite extreme heat, no light and intense pressure, scientists estimate it has between 15 billion and 23 billion tonnes of microorganisms. “It’s like finding a whole new reservoir (储藏) of life on Earth,” said Karen Lloyd an associate professor at the University of Tennessee.

Results suggest 70 percent of Earth’s bacteria and archaea exist in the subsurface. One organism found 2.5 kilometers below the surface has been buried for millions of years and may not rely at all on energy from the sun. Also, the methanogen (产甲烷菌) has found a way to create methane in this environment, which the methanogen may not use to reproduce or divide, but use to replace or repair broken parts. Lengths of their lives were completely different. Some microorganisms have been alive for thousands of years, barely moving except with shifts in earthquakes or eruptions. They’re just active inside, with less energy than people thought possible to support life.

The team consists of 1,200 scientists from 52 countries in disciplines ranging from geology and microbiology to chemistry and physics. A year before the conclusion of their study, they will present the findings before the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting opens this week, which they say are made possible by technical advances on drills and microscopes.

The scientists have been wondering about the point beyond which life cannot exist, but the deeper they dig, the more life they find. There is a temperature maximum—currently 122℃—but they believe this record will be broken if they keep exploring and developing more advanced instruments.

Questions remain, including how the microbes interact with chemical processes, and what this might reveal about how life and Earth coevolved.

1. What do the scientists find about the underground organisms?

A．They can’t reproduce and divide.	B．They’re the oldest living things.
C．Some of them consume no energy.	D．Some of them almost always keep still.

2. What can we learn about the research from paragraph 3?

A．It last for around one year.	B．It involves efforts from many fields.
C．It promotes technical development.	D．It is conducted in 52 countries.

3. Why does the scientists dig deep?

A．To break their previous record.

B．To find the depth limit of life.

C．To discover more ancient microorganisms.

D．To measure the highest subsurface temperature.

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

A．Earth Depths Are Full of Life.

B．Organisms Live Better Underground.

C．Earth Is Fat Beyond Human Exploration.

D．Subsurface Life Differs from That on Land.

2 . When I tried out for the football team during the summer before 9th grade, I never imagined how important this sport would become in my life. Football is a _____ sport, at times almost painful, and practices really _____ a team’s physical and mental limits. Without trust in my own ability and a strong sense of commitment, I would never have managed to continue after years of hard work as a player, and with countless _____.

In the first year, I played on the defensive line. This was an amazing _____ that gave me a great sense of achievement. But in the last game of the season, I was seriously injured. I was prohibited from any physical activities for six months. After going _____ a series of physical treatments, I returned to the field as a team captain. I practiced harder than ever to make up for my _____ time.

In September, during my junior year, my name was mentioned in the local newspaper as the key defensive lineman on the team. After playing a fantastic season, I was given the _____ of the Most Valuable Player.

_____, my skills in football do not magically extend to other sports. During the winter break, I went on a snowboarding trip and seriously injured my right shoulder. I had to have four _____. Since I could not use my right arm for two months, I had to learn how to write and eat using my left hand.

______ life must go on. I knew that my own present efforts would decide my future, so I ______ the strict training program to build up strength and improve flexibility in my ______. After an eight-month recovery, I was back to the field playing football, the sport I ______.

In this sense, the world of football has taught me an important life lesson: ______ and commitment make what seems impossible ______. This lesson from football is the one that can be applied to every part of life.

1.

A．tough

B．popular

C．typical

D．dynamic

2.

A．set

B．control

C．test

D．require

3.

A．mistakes

B．adventures

C．accidents

D．injuries

4.

A．performance

B．position

C．moment

D．advantage

5.

A．with

B．over

C．through

D．into

6.

A．valuable

B．lost

C．extra

D．regular

7.

A．pride

B．choice

C．name

D．honor

8.

A．Unfortunately

B．Similarly

C．Happily

D．Gradually

9.

A．practices

B．tryouts

C．seasons

D．operations

10.

A．But

B．Or

C．So

D．And

11.

A．examined

B．changed

C．provided

D．completed

12.

A．shoulder

B．hand

C．leg

D．foot

13.

A．explore

B．avoid

C．love

D．support

14.

A．Knowledge

B．Belief

C．Experience

D．Opinion

15.

A．enjoyable

B．possible

C．sensible

D．responsible

3 . Since 2001, robotic tools have revolutionized the practice of surgery. They have greatly reduced the stress and physical demands normally placed on surgeons and have made certain procedures possible.

One example is “keyhole surgery”, or minimally invasive (微创) surgery, which normally requires surgeons to stand at awkward angles and make difficult movements with their hands to make a cut inside the patient. But in June 2022, surgeon James Ansell used 3D glasses and two sticks to control four robotic arms to perform a procedure to remove a cancerous tumor. “My colleague said... that this feels like cheating,” Ansell said to The Guardian.

Another area of surgery that has had major technological breakthroughs in recent years is telesurgery. Normally, telesurgery relies on a wired connection due to concerns of harming the patient should a wireless connection drop during surgery, but China made several advancements in wireless telesurgery based on 5G technology.

China achieved the first 5G-based remote operation in March 2019 involving a brain surgery procedure between a surgeon in Sanya and a patient in Beijing, a distance totaling nearly 3,000 kilometers. More recently, a team of surgeons successfully completed remote micron-level eye surgery on rabbits located in a different city. The rabbits were at the Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhbù, Guangdon g province, whereas the surgical team who operated on them via a 5G robot were at the Hainan Eye Hospital in Haikou, Hainan province.

Looking to the future, people hope that remote surgery could become commonplace to help heal injured soldiers on the battlefield while keeping surgeons at a safe distance. Some even believe that robotic systems, combined with AI, could one day exceed human surgeons.

But, given current technological limitations and the high costs of these robots which can cost millions of dollars, the complete robot takeover of surgery may still be a while off.

1. What does the “keyhole surgery” example intend to show?

A．Great complexity of robotic surgery.

B．Physical challenges surgeons face.

C．Surgical progress enabled by robotic tools.

D．Urgent need for advanced 3D technology.

2. What significant achievement did China make in the field of telesurgery?

A．Achieving remote surgery using a wired connection.

B．Completing successfully remote eye surgery on humans.

C．Conducting a 5G-based remote operation on rabbits overseas.

D．Performing the first wireless brain surgery with 5G technology.

3. What can be inferred from the text about robots in the medical field?

A．They are quite affordable.

B．They are currently in high demand.

C．They have not been widely used.

D．They have gone beyond human capabilities.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．Robotic Surgery Uses 5G Technology

B．Keyhole Surgery Benefits Human Beings

C．Autonomous Robot Achieves Great Progress

D．Medical Robotics Revolutionizes Surgery Method

4 . One-to-one English tutoring personalised to you

English Score Tutors is the British Council's one-to-one tutoring platform for 13-to 17-year-olds.

●Build your confidence with fun sessions where you can learn at your own pace.

●Find the perfect . tutor for you ——choose from our list of qualified tutors.

●Study when you want, with sessions available 24/7.

●Improve with personalised sessions designed around you and your goals.

Learn at your own pace

We. understand everyone has their own ways of learning. Sessions on English Score Tutors are personalised to your level, needs and goals. Together with your chosen tutor, you will create a learning plan that focuses on the areas important to you.

Our tutors will get the best from you because each session is tailored to you as an individual. Your sessions will be enjoyable and give you plenty of time to practise speaking.

Flexible learning

Choose sessions at times that suit you. Fit them in around school, weekend activities and holidays, so that you can learn when you want to. You will get access to a personalised dashboard to keep track of your progress any time.

$1 introduction session

We offer a 30-minute introduction session where you can choose a tutor and get a feel for how sessions will work. After this introductory session, you can decide if you would like to purchase a pack of lessons to continue learning. Try your first session for just $1.

●Choose a tutor that you would like to study with.

●Understand your current language level and areas where you can improve.

●Get a personalised learning plan.

1. Who might attend English Score Tutors classes?

A．A preschool child.	B．A university student.
C．A middle-school student.	D．A working woman.

2. What can you do to understand how the sessions work?

A．Call the information centre.

B．Write a letter of inquiry.

C．Send an email to ask.

D．Buy an introduction session.

3. Which column of a website is this text probably taken from?

A．Take an Exam.	B．UK-China Youth Exchange Program.
C．Learn English Online.	D．Our Work in Arts.

5 . Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) recently announced that they have figured out how to engineer a biofilm (生物膜) that harvests the energy in evaporation (蒸发) and changes it to electricity. This biofilm, which was announced in Nature Communications, has the potential to revolutionize the world of wearable electronics, powering everything from personal medical sensors to personal electronics.

“This is a very exciting technology, says Liu Xiaomeng, a graduate student in electrical and computer engineering in UMass Amherst’s College of Engineering and the paper’s lead author. “It generates real green energy, and unlike other so-called ‘green-energy’ sources, its production is totally green.”

That is because this biofilm — which is a sheet of bacterial cells and as thin as a sheet of paper — is produced naturally by an engineered version of the bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens. G sulfurreducens is known to produce electricity and has been used previously in “microbial batteries” to power electrical equipment. But such batteries require that G sulfurreducens be properly cared for and fed a constant diet. By contrast, this new biofilm, which can supply as much energy as a comparably sized battery, works continuously, because it is dead. And because it is dead, it doesn’t need to be fed.

The secret behind this new biofilm is that it makes energy from the moisture (水分) on your skin. While we daily read stories about solar power, at least 50% of the solar energy reaching the earth goes toward evaporating water. “This is a huge, undiscovered source of energy,” says Yao Jun, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UMass Amherst, and the paper’s one senior author. Since the surface of our skin is constantly moist with sweat, the biofilm can “plug into” it and change the energy locked in evaporation into sufficient energy to power small equipment. “Our next step is to increase the size of our film to power more intelligent wearable electronics,” says Yao, and Liu points out that one of the goals is to power entire electronic systems, rather than single equipment.

1. Which of the following can biofilm do according to the first paragraph?

A．Update wearable electronics.

B．Get power from evaporation.

C．Supply energy to microbial batteries.

D．Transform the way of generating electricity.

2. What is the advantage of the biofilm compared with “microbial batteries”?

A．It is comparatively thinner.

B．It is environmentally friendly.

C．It adopts a rare energy source.

D．It decreases the cost in usage.

3. How does the biofilm power small devices?

A．By interacting with solar power.

B．By making electricity out of sweat.

C．By gaining energy from electronic system.

D．By employing water to generate electricity.

4. Which of the following best describes the biofilm?

A．Intelligent.

B．Flexible.

C．Impractical.

D．Promising.

6 . The first time you start to read a poem, you must relax and read through it without concentrating on its meaning. Imagine you are meeting a person for the first time. You will just observe him and listen to his voice, as well as watch his shapes or movements, but you have not yet known what he is all about. Likewise, you may enjoy the sound, rhythms, or wording, and form some first impressions about a poem.

On your second reading, you should concentrate more on the general meaning of the poem. This time, you will want to compare your feelings about the poem by now with how you felt before. Are they the same? What is different and why?

Your third reading will focus more on details: the words, phrases, or images. Looking up any unfamiliar words in a dictionary so that you can gain a more accurate understanding. Using the example given above about meeting someone, his image will change gradually and slightly as you meet and learn more about him. Therefore, in your additional readings, it is a good idea to compare your understanding each time with the understanding before.

A helpful approach to further understanding a poem is to summarize it in your own words. Compare your version of understanding with those of others reading the same poem, and listen to how they form such opinions. Remember, however, that there is no exact or right meaning for a poem, as most poets have admitted they themselves are not exactly sure what they meant when writing certain lines or phrases; they have even been heard to say on occasion that sometimes words just seem to “drop from heaven” and land on the page. That is what awakening the imagination is all about. If you are lucky, and if you practice enough, magical things may happen when you write and you may be able to produce a beautiful poem or other work of art yourself.

1. Why does the author give the example of “meeting a person” ?

A．To arouse readers’ interest	B．To support his argument
C．To offer some advice	D．To interpret his point

2. What will you gain from the third reading of a poem?

A．General meaning.	B．Rhythm beauty.
C．Deeper meaning.	D．Poetic structure.

3. What does the underlined word “ that ” refer to?

A．Poets themselves don’t understand their poems.

B．Beautiful poems drop from heaven occasionally.

C．Poetic meanings are open to different explanations.

D．Writing a summary helps understand a poem.

4. What can we conclude from the last paragraph?

A．Inspiration and hard work help create great poems.

B．Poetry is an expression of one’s will in words.

C．Practice and patience make a man perfect.

D．Luck marches with those who give their very best.

7 . I was 6 years old when my father told me we were leaving the Big Apple Circus (马戏团). Until that point, I had spent most of my life on the circus lot, playing with the other circus kids. The circus, by its nature, is one that has a loose structure. So the early years after my leaving the circus to sit in a classroom all day felt more like a prison.

But years later, I found areas that interested me. I took the skills I had learned from being onstage and applied them to broadcasting. And so when Boston’s news station WBUR offered me a job out of college, I jumped at the chance. Along the way, I found I really enjoyed the work. I became WBUR’s news reporter. The flexibility and adaptability I’d learned in the circus as a child helped me do my job naturally and easily in a stressful situation — whether it was a destructive tornado outside Boston, or the Boston Marathon bombings of 2013.

But then a serious infectious disease appeared. Suddenly, for the first time in my adult life, I went for a year without doing any shows. But it became clear to me that performing was what I truly wanted. For me, the circus symbolizes who I am. And stages have always been where I’ve felt the most free. Some people get nervous before they go onstage, but by assuming (扮演) the character of Jacques ze Whipper and drawing a stupid moustache on my face, all my social anxiety disappears.

Circus performances go beyond age, socioeconomic status (地位), and even language. It’s the type of performance where you can go anywhere in the world to entertain anyone — help anyone forget their troubles for 5, 10, and even 30 minutes. And most importantly, for me, it means coming home.

1. How did the author feel in the early years of school?

A．Curious.

B．Unfree.

C．Loose.

D．Impatient.

2. What do we know about the author’s job at WBUR?

A．He did it for his father.	B．He did it against his will.
C．He risked his neck doing it.	D．He took to it like a duck to water.

3. What does the circus probably mean to the author?

A．A means of living.	B．A chance to go anywhere.
C．A part of his identity.	D．A way to forget his troubles.

4. Why does the author write the text?

A．To express his love for circus performances.

B．To stress the value of performing.

C．To share his personal experiences in a circus.

D．To discuss the problem of choosing a job.

8 . At a family picnic for employees of the company where my father worked, they held a contest for children. I was 13, full of enthusiasm, so I _______ myself into it.

The host gave each child a cloth handkerchief and told us the winner would be the one who cast it the _______. The first throwers took mighty wind-ups, but when the cloth left their hands, it _______ and landed on the ground a few inches in front of them. The crowd roared with _______. Not until then did I realize it was not meant to _______ any real skill, but simply for laughs. However, it stimulated (激发) my _______ for thinking outside the box.

It _______ me to see the kids throwing harder when the handkerchief always caught the air and died. It was obvious that using the same _______ would not work. Suppose I tied a(an) _______ inside the handkerchief? When they inspected it, I’d be ________. So I began tying the handkerchief around itself to make it small and ________ packed together to keep it from unfolding. When I approached the line, people were already laughing, ________ a big strong-looking boy like me casting it just a few inches.

I took a long wind-up, and the balled handkerchief ________ off maybe 60 feet away. The laughing ________ in collective shock. I had not broken the rules. What I learned from this contest was that, in order to live creatively, you have to ________   the less-used parts of your brain, and not accept stereotypes (刻板印象), slogans and unquestioned ideas.

1.

A．admitted

B．threw

C．trapped

D．talked

2.

A．farthest

B．strongest

C．highest

D．biggest

3.

A．escaped

B．wrinkled

C．opened

D．appeared

4.

A．pain

B．applause

C．laughter

D．anger

5.

A．demonstrate

B．engage

C．improve

D．involve

6.

A．responsibility

B．imagination

C．demand

D．passion

7.

A．delighted

B．frightened

C．amused

D．annoyed

8.

A．cloth

B．technique

C．rule

D．line

9.

A．ant

B．rock

C．leaf

D．shoe

10.

A．fined

B．disqualified

C．distracted

D．banned

11.

A．loosely

B．randomly

C．firmly

D．vividly

12.

A．anticipating

B．enjoying

C．stopping

D．confirming

13.

A．dashed

B．jumped

C．threw

D．rocketed

14.

A．died

B．roared

C．continued

D．weakened

15.

A．run into

B．tap into

C．break into

D．dive into

9 . Shawn Cheshire rode across the country on her bicycle, depending on Jesse Crandall, a chemistry professor, to guide her every step of the way. Cheshire lost her ______ after an accident nine years ago and turned to ______ because she believed sports and physical challenges gave her “another opportunity at ______”. Through a friendship with Crandall, she has _______ bicycling to her activities, traveling across the country, meeting and inspiring people all along the way.

To Crandall, teaching and guiding are about helping others through ______. “For many students, chemistry is something they have no experience with,” Crandall said. “So, when I’m teaching, it helps to think about my experiences ______ my blind friend Cheshire. Then I try talking about the lesson in a language that, ______, everybody can understand.”

Crandall and Cheshire have been skiing, climbing and bicycling together for the past decade. In 2018, the ______ faced the steep terrain(地形)of the Grand Canyon, completing a ______ hiking in just over twenty-four hours. As they walked forty-two miles through the night, Cheshire ______ warnings of dangers from Crandall, as well as the noise of the bell he wore, which ______as they advanced. In 2021, Cheshire ______ another world record by being the first disabled to ride her own bicycle from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean.

While their next adventure remains uncertain, Crandall knows that there are no ______ with Cheshire. They have discussed skiing across Antarctica as a potential future endeavor. Their ______ and shared determination will continue to motivate others to overcome setbacks and ______ boundaries.

1.

A．hearing

B．sight

C．balance

D．mind

2.

A．religion

B．nature

C．athletics

D．art

3.

A．living

B．struggling

C．learning

D．testing

4.

A．introduced

B．adapted

C．added

D．applied

5.

A．disasters

B．difficulties

C．accidents

D．injuries

6.

A．interviewing

B．evaluating

C．following

D．coaching

7.

A．theoretically

B．unexpectedly

C．occasionally

D．hopefully

8.

A．pair

B．family

C．community

D．army

9.

A．refreshing

B．relaxing

C．challenging

D．frustrating

10.

A．cared about

B．listened for

C．picked up

D．replied to

11.

A．broke

B．fell

C．shone

D．sounded

12.

A．set

B．monitored

C．kept

D．issued

13.

A．secrets

B．promises

C．limits

D．choices

14.

A．bond

B．encouragement

C．techniques

D．preferences

15.

A．establish

B．push

C．respect

D．maintain

10 . Enjoy the Beauty of Yunnan

Spring: March to May

Yunnan’s spring is warm with few rains, and the temperature changes quickly.

Average temperature: 6-20℃ (43-68℉)

Clothes: jackets, hoodies (连帽衫), long sleeves, jeans

Recommended tour destinations: The spring in Yunnan is the best time to visit blooming flowers and newly sprouted (发芽的) plants. Luoping, Dali and Lijiang are the most beautiful places in Yunnan during this time. You may go to Luoping for the seas of yellow rape flowers, and enjoy the cherry blossoms around Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake in Dali.

Summer: June to August

It’s not as hot as other places in China, and it’s often rainy. You may take an umbrella and raincoat with you.

Average temperature: 15-26℃ (59-79℉)

Clothes: T-shirts, short sleeves, thin pants...

Recommended tour destinations: In summer, you may appreciate lotus flowers in Puzhehei Scenic Area, stroll around Lijiang Ancient Town, visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Shuhe Ancient Town and Lugu Lake in Lijiang.

Autumn: September to November-BEST Months to Visit Yunnan

Both the temperature and the rainfall decrease in autumn. It’s cool and clear to go for pleasant trips.

Average temperature: 17-25℃ (63-77℉)

Clothes: T-shirts, jeans, basketball coat...

Recommended tour destinations: To see the most beautiful autumn leaves and flowers in Yunnan, you can go to Gudong Gingko Village in Tengchong, Stone Forest in Kunming and Potatso National Park in Shangri-La.

Winter: December to February

It’s sunny and dry usually with a lower temperature, even so it’s still warmer than the northern China. Lots of visitors go there to escape from bitter cold and consider it the best time to visit Yunnan China.

Average temperature: 8-19℃ (46-66℉)

Clothes: sweaters, overcoats, jackets, thick pants...

Recommended tour destinations: There are varied scenic spots and activities to do in winter. The world heritage Yuanyang Rice Terraces is fantastic with the glittering watering fields all over the mountains. Xishuangbanna houses the only tropical rainforest in China, which is also a popular winter destination.

1. What can we learn about Yunnan’s spring?

A．You may appreciate blooming flowers and newly sprouted plants at this time.

B．It rains quite a lot with changeable weather.

C．It enjoys a significantly high temperature.

D．You may pack jackets, short sleeves and thin pants in your luggage then.

2. Which one may the author agree with?

A．It is still hot and rains a lot in Autumn in Yunnan.

B．Summer in Lijiang is much the same as other places.

C．Stone Forest features beautiful autumn leaves and flowers.

D．You may appreciate lotus flowers in Lijiang Ancient Town.

3. Where is the only tropical rainforest of China?

A．Luoping

B．Xishuangbanna

C．Lijiang

D．Kunming