1 . Manta rays (魔鬼鱼) are some of the creatures in the ocean who allow divers to swim right up to and interact (与……互动) with them. Unfortunately, these gentle animals are in big trouble. Since 2011, manta rays have been listed as a threatened species worldwide.
Peru, a country in South America, recently took a big step to protect giant manta rays: It banned fishing for them. Although 12 other countries have passed laws to protect rays, Peru’s may be the most important one yet. That’s because there are more manta rays in the Pacific Ocean near Peru than in any other place in the world.
Giant manta rays are unusual-looking creatures. The giant, flat rays are typically about 4. 5 meters wide and can grow up to 8 meters wide! “They’re sort of like giant flying carpets underwater, ” says Joshua Stewart of the Manta Trust, an organization that researches manta rays.
People catch rays for their meat. Overfishing is bad for any sea creature, but it’s even worse for manta rays. Female manta rays usually have only one baby, every two to five years. So every ray that’s caught hurts the population in a big way. People who break Peru’s new law can be fined or have their fishing licenses taken away. Even rays caught accidentally in fishing nets must be set free.
Earlier this year, the Manta Trust attached video cameras, called Crittercams, to manta rays off the west coast of Mexico. The footage (连续镜头) the cameras collect could help researchers predict where rays swim and when. The scientists could use the information to warn fishing boats to avoid these areas, helping reduce the number of accidentally caught rays.
Stewart says it’s important to protect these unique creatures. “There’s really no other animal that compares in size that you can have interactions with in the wild.”
1. What’s a characteristic of manta rays?A.They are very friendly to people. | B.They are usually of small size. |
C.They can fly like a bird. | D.They like swimming up and down. |
A.Their habitats are badly damaged. | B.They only live in the Pacific Ocean. |
C.Fewer and fewer female rays give birth. | D.Their number has dropped greatly. |
A.Look for more rays. | B.Protect them. |
C.Make films about them. | D.Reduce their population. |
A.It makes no sense. | B.It is hard to follow. |
C.It is really essential. | D.It needs improvement. |
2 . Welcome to American United Travel Company. We’ll help you spend a perfect holiday. For over 6 years, we have been organizing value for money summer holidays, whether it’s a late holiday deal or your main summer holiday. Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway, a luxury 5-star holiday, or you just want to relax and soak up the sun, we’ve got access to the very best flight and hotel deals throughout the world. We are proud to offer you various services unlike other tour companies where we offer one-stop shop for complete tourism.
Our Services Include
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Means of Transportation Reservations
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Guidance
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1. What is special about United Travel company?A.It provides one-stop complete tourism. | B.It supplies the best flight and hotels. |
C.It offers transfer service. | D.Its guides speak various languages. |
A.Send it to your destination directly. | B.Carry it by yourself. |
C.Keep it as light as possible. | D.Hand it to Luggage Concierge. |
A.To diversify the economy. | B.To attract tourists. |
C.To conserve the environment. | D.To entertain readers. |
3 . As you read this, pause to reflect on your recent interactions. As a politician, husband, and father, I encounter various spoken language styles: analytical or chatty, formal or informal, pointed or gentle, cooperative or decisive. Talk is the currency of politics. It is our way of negotiating, debating, and persuading. Talk is also the currency of learning-how we develop our ideas, deepen our thinking and share our feelings.
That’s why I want speaking skills, sometimes called “oracy”, to play an important part in Labor’s plans for a reformed school curriculum (课程).
Employers value speaking skills equally with reading and writing. The ability to speak well and express yourself should be something every child should master. But the curriculum doesn’t allow us to provide this. This is short-sighted. An inability to express your thoughts fluently is a key barrier to getting on and doing well in life.
Oracy is in part about good public speaking and debating skills, but in reality, it’s about teaching young people to make strong arguments, choose wise words, understand their audience, form meaningful social connections, and use facial expressions and body language to convey their message. Above all else it’s about finding your voice. To work out who you are and what you believe. If reading opens up a world of imagination and possibility, then speaking and listening opens up a lifetime of empowerment-a chance for those who feel invisible in their own country to be heard. It is about the confidence to speak out, to call out injustice or harm.
And the other side of speaking is listening, which can also be taught. Listening, truly listening, develops tolerance and understanding. And as parents we can play our part. We’ve all been there, at mealtimes, silent as we all stare at our devices. Our job, all of ours, is to get off our screens and give young people, and adults, the gift of listening.
So, oracy―speaking and listening―needs to be placed firmly at the heart of school life.
1. How does talk help a politician?A.It deepens his wishful thinking. |
B.It enhances his analytical skills. |
C.It strengthens persuasive power. |
D.It provides emotional support. |
A.Employers underestimate the value of speaking. |
B.Academic pressure makes students poor-sighted. |
C.Spoken language is regarded as least important. |
D.Oracy should deserve more attention at school. |
A.By sharing different opinions. |
B.By clarifying the definition. |
C.By describing personal experiences. |
D.By employing the concept. |
A.Set a good example for their children. |
B.Balance screen time and mealtime. |
C.Have oral face-to-face communication. |
D.Disconnect from the virtual world. |
4 . Finally came Wednesday! I walked onto campus feeling nervous even though I had walked on these same grounds for two years because my junior high school is next door. Everything looked and felt different now that I was in senior high.
I looked at my schedule. First period-German. Our German teacher was very friendly and I liked her from the beginning. What I didn’t like, though, was that I was surrounded by students from other grades, with only five familiar faces.
Then I had to walk all the way across campus and up three flights of stairs to get to my second period-biology. Our biology teacher is Ms Campeau, and I think that she will teach us a lot this year because she is very to the point. She also has her unique way of saying be quiet; she says“alligator”. She explained that she is the king, or should I say queen, of the class because alligators are the “king of the swamps (沼泽)”.
My third class was English. After surviving two periods without too much of a challenge, I began to feel good. However, the third period changed everything. Mr Valassidis, my English teacher, told us that we would have to write 40 essays (文章) and read AP-level books such as The 0dyssey this year. I love reading and writing, but 40ESSA YS?AP-level books? Now I was scared. He also talked about how important it was to be focused. Last year was not a very “focused” year for me. While doing homework, I was often talking on the phone, or busy with a conversation online. I planned on stepping it up this year because I wanted to stay an honours student.
1. What did the author mainly write about in this passage?A.Her new teachers. |
B.Her plan for the new year. |
C.Her first day of senior high. |
D.Her schedule for Wednesday. |
A.Sit still. | B.Stop talking. |
C.Look at the blackboard. | D.Listen carefully. |
A.Unattractive. | B.Informative. |
C.Very tiring. | D.Pretty easy. |
A.She couldn’t focus on her work. |
B.She found the class demanding. |
C.She didn’t like the teacher. |
D.She did poorly at school. |
5 . Overlooking the Davis—Gant Varsity Soccer Field, a bed of overturned soil waits for further development. In a few years, this area will become a natural habitat and a playground for animals and residents. This peaceful area didn’t appear naturally, but through planning and action taken by Catlin Gabel’s Tiny Forest project launched by teacher Patrick Walsh.
Forests typically take hundreds of years to mature, with four stages of growth. “Tiny forests flatten out time through the planting of all four layers (层),” Walsh explained. The end result is a fast-growing, native forest in about 20 years. Over 600 plants from 43 species will be planted in the tiny forest, the first one in Oregon.
Walsh was inspired to build a tiny forest after hearing about this idea, which emerged in Japan and has taken hold in North America. He shared his vision with seniors in his class. The seniors researched tiny forests and made a proposal resulting in Clean Water Services donating 60 trees and $5,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Armed with these resources, Walsh and the students started working. “Something I didn’t really expect was the outpouring of students’ enthusiasm. Seeing students from all grades volunteered to contribute to the ‘dirty work’ really blew me away,” Walsh said.
Senior Megan Cover has been at the school since the first grade. “I’ll graduate after working on this project, which is surely sad, but it’s really rewarding and great to be a part of this project and to do my bit. We’re creating this educational space for many young kids,” Cover said.
Walsh summed up his goal of the project, which is to build a place where students can enjoy and learn about nature. “The forest will obviously not solve climate change, but it will deserve the efforts if the kids think about climate change and remember the importance of reforestation and trees when they look outside at the forest.”
1. What is special about tiny forests?A.They originated in North America. | B.They are usually planted in schools. |
C.They contain various types of trees. | D.They become mature in a shorter time. |
A.The abundance of native tree species. | B.Public concern about the environment. |
C.The active participation of students. | D.Support from local organizations. |
A.Proud. | B.Regretful. | C.Grateful. | D.Disappointed. |
A.A model. | B.A reminder. | C.A resource. | D.A witness. |
6 . Some of the world’s most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day to raise awareness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying (联合) voice across cultures.
Despite the celebrations, though, in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.
It’s Jason Moran’s job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center’s artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture.
“Jazz seems like it’s not really a part of the American appetite,” Moran tells National Public
Radio’s reporter Neal Conan “What I’m hoping to accomplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and write anymore. It’s actually colorful, and it’s actually digital.”
Moran says one of the problems with jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost. “The music can’t be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same,” says Moran.
Last year, Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Waller’s music for a dance party, “Just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance music as much as it is concert music,” says Moran. “For me, it’s the recontextualization. In music, where does the emotion (情感) lie? Are we, as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our emotions and our thoughts? Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context,” says Moran, “So I want to continue those dialogue. Those are the things I want to foster.”
1. What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 3 refer to?A.Jazz becoming more accessible. |
B.The production of jazz growing faster. |
C.Jazz being less popular with the young. |
D.The jazz audience becoming larger. |
A.It will disappear gradually. |
B.It remains black and white. |
C.It should keep up with the times. |
D.It changes every 50 years. |
A.Exploring the Future of Jazz |
B.The Rise and Fall of Jazz |
C.The Story of a Jazz Musician |
D.Celebrating the Jazz Day |
7 . 2023 Hot List: The Best New Restaurants in the World
Place des Fetes — New York City
This famous wine bar provides a spot with a rare sweet and warm atmosphere. For date night, go to the bar with views of the open kitchen, or fill up the large table in the back with a group and taste the entire item menu. Either way, do not miss the famous mushroom soup.
Le Doyenne — Saint — Vrain, France
Australian chefs James Henry and Shaun Kelly transformed the former stables (马厩) of a 19th-century private estate into a working farm, restaurant, and guesthouse driven by the principles of regenerative agriculture. More than one hundred varieties of fruits, vegetables, and herbs make their way into Henry’s cooking after being carefully nurtured by Kelly.
Mi Compa Chava — Mexico City
Almost everyone eating here is devoted to fixing last night’s damage from drunkenness and getting a head start on creating today’s. On the sidewalk, crowds of locals and tourists alike line up for fisherman Salvador Orozco’s creative takes on Sinaloa and Baja seafood. Anything from the raw half of the menu is a sure bet, though cooked dishes like fish can help fill out a meal.
Vilas — Bangkok
Can a dish inspired by a Spanish recipe using Japanese ingredients (原料) still be considered Thai? For Chef Prin Polsuk, one of Bangkok’s most famous Thai chefs, it most certainly can. At his latest restaurant, a small dining room at the base of Bangkok’s hulalongkorn’s 1897 journey around Europe and the foreign ingredients and landmark King Power Mahanakhon Tower, he draws inspiration from King Chulalongkorn’s 1897 journey around Europe and the foreign ingredients and cooking techniques he added to the royal cookbooks.
1. What can you do in Place des Fetes — New York City ?A.Drink the red wine. | B.Taste the mushroom soup. |
C.Watch the musicals. | D.Enjoy the beautiful views. |
A.Place des Fetes. | B.Le Doyenne. |
C.Mi Compa Chava. | D.Vilas. |
A.To introduce the features of some restaurants. |
B.To compare the origins of some restaurants. |
C.To state the similarities of some restaurants. |
D.To recommend some foods of some restaurants. |
8 . An extreme sport like BMX (Bicycle Motocross) may not be the first thing that comes to mind to help overcome a mental health condition. However, that is
As a child, Ducarroz spent every
The tale began when a BMX video on YouTube inspired her to try the extreme sport. She saved up for a bike. Then she began practicing
“The bike made me get out of the house, go to the skate park, and
The 26-year-old is now one of the world’s best female BMX freestylers. Ducarroz now has her
Though she still suffers occasional
“MindTricks started because of my own
A.precisely | B.automatically | C.roughly | D.temporarily |
A.expectant | B.boring | C.spare | D.urgent |
A.slight | B.mild | C.occasional | D.severe |
A.end | B.fulfill | C.measure | D.resist |
A.put off | B.ate away | C.took over | D.slowed down |
A.concepts | B.tricks | C.facilities | D.models |
A.confidence | B.muscle | C.patience | D.fortune |
A.likely | B.hesitant | C.ready | D.effortless |
A.slowly | B.abruptly | C.swiftly | D.eventually |
A.blocked | B.pushed | C.left | D.hooked |
A.luck | B.sight | C.standard | D.training |
A.panic | B.heart | C.delight | D.annoyance |
A.carefully | B.privately | C.safely | D.humbly |
A.appearance | B.medals | C.posts | D.choices |
A.ashamed | B.reserved | C.collapsed | D.enlightened |
9 . As a physically fit 89-year-old big band singer, Tony Bennett performed timeless ballads (民歌,情歌) perfectly. He was an exception to the belief of aging and decline.
However, the trouble with his
After receiving the diagnosis, Bennett insisted on continuing to perform. “Tony has always had a very
As one of only a few artists to produce chart-topping records every decade since the 1950s —
In February 2021, Bennett
As the disease
A.memory | B.appearance | C.finance | D.origin |
A.charged | B.assigned | C.diagnosed | D.choked |
A.negative | B.positive | C.professional | D.confident |
A.as | B.like | C.except | D.if |
A.adopting | B.discounting | C.packing | D.totaling |
A.beats | B.instances | C.plots | D.hits |
A.Though | B.Unless | C.Despite | D.Unlike |
A.incredible | B.honorable | C.convincing | D.dynamic |
A.publicly | B.secretly | C.instantly | D.critically |
A.response | B.priority | C.influence | D.resolution |
A.how | B.why | C.when | D.what |
A.topic | B.title | C.theme | D.model |
A.spreads | B.exposes | C.progresses | D.explodes |
A.hopeful | B.original | C.faithful | D.merciful |
A.moving the goalposts | B.walking on air | C.taking no notice | D.leading the way |
10 . When you are about to go to a boarding school (寄宿制学校) in England, there are many different questions that may come to mind. But once you look at them with some perspective (视角), you will certainly feel easy. Here is a normal boarding day.
Early Morning:
Usually boarders get up around 7:00 am and have around an hour to take a shower and put on their uniform before breakfast.
Lessons:
Classes start at 9: 00 am and every lesson lusts for 50 minutes. After two lessons, at 10: 40 am, you’ll have a short break. The next period of classics will include two more lessons.
Lunch:
Lunch is usually held around 12:30 pm at the dining hall, where you’ll join your friends to enjoy a hot dish. After an hour of lunch, you’ll have three or four more lessons to attend.
Dinner:
At 5:00 pm you will have finished your school lessons for the day. Most boarding schools in the UK offer their full boarders different kinds of hot meals to choose from.
Activities/ Sports:
All boarding schools in the UK provide many different kinds of activities for their boarders, such as football, swimming, golf or art.
Prep:
An important part of boarding school life is the supervised homework session known as “prop”. Although “prep” might sound stressful, it’s a great way for you to keep up with your studies.
Free time:
Once you have done all your classes and activities, it’s time to relax.
Bedtime:
In most boarding schools, the lights go out around 10:30 pm.
Being nervous just before you go to a boarding school is completely normal and understandable. Hopefully, knowing the usual routine (常规) can help you. Once you are there, you will also see how exciting life in a boarding school in England can be.
1. What can help you keep up with your studies in the boarding school?A.Doing activitıes. | B.Having lessons. |
C.Enjoying free time. | D.Supervised homework sessions. |
A.Classes usually start at 8:30 am. | B.Students can have a short break after four lessons. |
C.They don’t give students any free time. | D.They turn off the lights around 10:30 pm. |
A.To help students know about boarders’ life. | B.To attract more students to boarding schools. |
C.To introduce a new school life. | D.To advertise for boarding schools. |