1 . Soap (肥皂) might seem like a reasonable way to avoid mosquito bites (蚊子叮) on the basis that if mosquitoes can’t smell you, they can’t bite you. However, a recent study has found that rather than protecting you, certain soaps might actually make you more attractive to mosquitoes.

In the study, conducted at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, four volunteers were asked to wear a sleeve before and after washing with four different brands of soap. The researchers then watched female mosquitoes as only females feed on blood landing on the fabric sample to show their preference. They found that some people washing with some brands of soap, increased their attractiveness to mosquitoes, while washing with other brands of soap tended to repel (驱除) mosquitoes. The repellent effect of some soap may be due to its coconut scent, as coconut oil is known to act as a natural mosquito repellent. The reason behind this attraction is believed to be related to mosquitoes’ sugar intake. When mosquitoes are not feeding on blood, they add their diet with plant juice or sweet water from flowers, “The fact we are taking those flowery and fruity smells and putting them on our bodies means that now the same object smells like a flower and a person at the same time,” said Clément Vinauger, who led the study. It would be like waking up and smelling the smell of coffee and bread, very attractive.

Interestingly, the effects of the soap varied among people, possibly due to the interaction (相互作用) between the soap and each person’s unique body scent. “It’s remarkable that the same person that is extremely attractive to mosquitoes when he is unwashed, but he becomes even more attractive to mosquitoes with one soap, and then become repellent to mosquitoes with another soap,” said Vinauger. Further research is needed to better understand the interaction between different soap and body scents, as well as to develop more effective mosquito repellents.

1. What has the study found?

A．Soap attracts many mosquitoes.	B．Male mosquitoes feed on blood.
C．Some plants drive away mosquitoes.	D．Not all soap can stop mosquito bites.

2. How did the researchers conduct the study?

A．By observing the mosquitoes’ behaviour.	B．By exploring the history of mosquitoes.
C．By interviewing a lot of volunteers.	D．By examining old studies.

3. Why did Vinauger mention coffee and bread?

A．To stress the importance of breakfast.

B．To discuss their probable health benefits.

C．To compare the difference of objects used in the study.

D．To prove the attractiveness of some soap to mosquitoes.

4. In which section of a newspaper may the text appear?

A．Health.

B．Chemistry.

C．Sports.

D．Tour.

2 . The design theory behind a pair of tiny robots may one day find its way into environmental monitoring, as well as search and-rescue tasks. Modeled after a water strider (水黾), an insect, the two robots each weigh in at 8 and 55 milligrams, and may mark the smallest, lightest, and fastest fully functional micro-robots in the world, according to Washington State University (WSU).

Developed by a team of WSU researchers, the robots’ tininess largely relies on a material known as a shape memory alloy (合金). Although shape memory alloys change form when heated, they can “remember” their original shapes and return to them after cooling. Because of this, the two micro-robots do not require standard motors, and they use light and small ones instead of bulky moving parts.

Both the robots’ motors are each made up of two shape memory alloys, allowing them to move their fins as fast as 40 times a second while also lifting over 150 times their weight. “They’re very technologically sound. The development of the very lightweight robots opens up new possibilities in micro-robotics,” said Conor Trygstad, a material engineering PhD student and study lead author. “Although the robots are impressive when compared to other robots, the pair still fall behind their biological relatives’,” Trygstad said. They can currently move at a speed of about six millimeters a second; a water strider, by comparison, speeds along at about a meter per second. For now, the robots also require wired (连线的) power sources, thus seriously preventing any real-world applications for the moment.

Going forward, however, the team plans to copy other small insect species while also creating a new water strider robot which can move at a higher speed. Depending on using small batteries could also greatly increase the robots’ areas of use, If the breakthrough designs continue improving, similar micro-robots could one day be employed to monitor hard-to-reachor dangerous environments.

1. What is the inspiration for the two robots?

A．A special monitor.	B．The lightest micro robot.
C．An insect species.	D．A search-and rescue task

2. What does the underlined word “bulky” mean in paragraph 2?

A．Cheap.

B．Huge.

C．Cool

D．Fast.

3. What might Conor Trygstad agree with?

A．Both robots can identify sound.	B．Both robots need wireless power sources.
C．Both robots work better than water striders.	D．Both robots have weaknesses besides strengths.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Robots Are Saving Environment	B．Shape Memory Alloys Are The Key
C．Human Beings Learn From Animals	D．Two Micro robots Can Play A Big Part

3 . It was July 2019 and Mum had taken me on a 120-km mother-and-son walking holiday as a treat for my birthday. Although I was still on my first special ________, I’d love to see some ancient civilisation.

“Why don’t we go to Egypt?” I said. “It sounds ________, but I’m not paying for it,” Mum smiled and replied.

“I’ll save up my pocket money, and get a ________,” I said. I started saving my $10-a-week pocket money and washed my parents’ car for ________ cash.

In 2020, we moved to Perth. One day, I ________ a brochure in the letter box which was advertising a job delivering catalogues (目录). I applied for the job, and ________ I got it a week later.

On a Monday, a mountain of catalogues were ________ at our house. It took me nine hours to sort through them, and then I ________ them to 430 houses. At first, I used my bike and ________ the catalogues in my backpack, but this wasn’t very ________ so I bought a trolley (手推车) which improved my speed. As time went by, people started ________ me and saying hello on my rounds.

After three and half years, I’d ________ a massive $6,500, and in January this year I flew to Egypt. I had a good time visiting the powerful pyramids at Giza, ________ local food and sailing down a river. I fully ________ that nothing can stop a person from following his ________.

1.

A．solution

B．topic

C．experiment

D．trip

2.

A．fantastic

B．terrible

C．anxious

D．confusing

3.

A．toy

B．summary

C．poster

D．job

4.

A．important

B．extra

C．unusual

D．formal

5.

A．saw

B．borrowed

C．published

D．exchanged

6.

A．slowly

B．secretly

C．finally

D．curiously

7.

A．cut off

B．given back

C．paid back

D．dropped off

8.

A．threw

B．delivered

C．applied

D．sold

9.

A．designed

B．carried

C．shared

D．trapped

10.

A．free

B．amazing

C．effective

D．common

11.

A．recognising

B．preventing

C．interviewing

D．investigating

12.

A．afforded

B．selected

C．donated

D．saved

13.

A．explaining

B．enjoying

C．testing

D．replacing

14.

A．believe

B．pretend

C．regret

D．worry

15.

A．system

B．supply

C．dream

D．duty

5 . Dallas-based Knit Wits is made up of a group of grandmothers with a strong love for knitting (编织) who tum their love for crafting into a purposeful attempt. Meeting regularly, they pour their collective love into every stitch (针法) they make. The group has been working for over ten years, meeting every Friday, to support organizations that help others, locally and around the world. Over the years, they’ve crafted thousands of items insupport of the important things.

Recently the Knit Wits member Mary Ann Stover was inspired to have the group knit hats for infant (婴儿) patients with heart disease at Children’s Health Hospital. The hats, each a unique work of art, designed with holiday themes, reflect the skill of the Knit Wits. More importantly, the special of Knit Wits is its understanding of the emotional effect these small objects can have on the infants experiencing medical treatments.

Bealle, a certified child life specialist at Children’s Health Hospital, explained how the hats are making a difference to the tiny patients and their families. “Caregivers are able to wear the hats on their body to move their smells before placing the hats back on the infants, encouraging connecting and making the infants less stressful,” he said.

Throughout the infants’ admission, many holidays are celebrated. At times, some infants are seriously ill and unable to dress up for holiday photos the families have planned. Thanks to the donations from Knit Wits, the hospital team is able to prove the family with a suitable themed infant hat the family can use for their photos and holiday celebrations.

1. What do we know about the hats from paragraph 2?

A．They centre on spiritual comfort.

B．They have holiday food subjects.

C．They are knitted by the caregivers

D．They are worn on child parents’ birthdays.

2. Why do the caregivers wear the hats first?

A．To hold an artistic activity.

B．To see off the recovered patients.

C．To relax the infants for treatments

D．To welcome the arrival of various holidays.

3. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．Why some holiday celebrations are held.

B．What the hats can be used as on holidays.

C．Why some special photos are important.

D．What the hats can be matched with.

4. Which of the following can best describe the members of Knit Wits?

A．Unsuccessful

B．Impractical.

C．Warm-hearted

D．Dishonest.

6 . Ms. McIntyre, 38, worked as a publisher. She suffered brain cancer and her health got worse despite some medical treatment. But she realized that in a way, she was luckier than some other people. She had insurance to help pay for her medical care. But Ms. McIntyre and her husband, Mr. Gregory, knew that many people with cancer face tough decisions because of the costs of medical care and wind up owing far more than they can pay.

Though her health was failing, Ms. McIntyre decided to help pay off the medical debts of as many people as she possibly could. The couple began donating money to a group called RIP Medical Debt, which is committed to working to pay off the unpaid medical debts of others. The group can pay off medical bills for about 100 times less money than they cost. In other words, for every 100 donated, the group can pay off 10,000 in unpaid medical bills.

Unfortunately, Ms. McIntyre passed away before long. Mr. Gregory posted a message for Ms. McIntyre on her social media accounts. “If you’re reading this, I have passed away,” the post began. Then the post explained, “To celebrate my life, I’ve arranged to buy up others’ medical debts and then destroy the debts.”

The couple had set up a page on a website to raise money for this purpose. They had hoped to raise about $20,000. Nevertheless, Ms. McIntyre’s last post attracted a lot of attention. The donations on her web page quickly passed the total goal. In less than a week, the site had raised 10 times more than expected and the donations are still coming in. By November 22, 2023, Ms. McIntyre’s web page had raised over $627,000, or enough money to pay off about $60 million in medical debts.

Mr. Gregory planned a special event in December to celebrate Ms. McIntyre’s life and to announce how many millions of dollars of medical debts her efforts had paid for.

1. Why did Ms. McIntyre feel luckier than some other people?

A．The doctors eventually cured her.	B．Her disease didn’t become worse.
C．She had a decent job before being ill.	D．She had security about medical care.

2. How did Ms. McIntyre and her husband help others?

A．By paying for their daily debts.	B．By giving away money to them.
C．By ridding them of debts from treatments.	D．By purchasing medical insurance for them.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The public involvement.	B．The couple’s commitment.
C．The operation of a website.	D．The increase of medical debts.

4. Which of the following words can best describe Ms. McIntyre?

A．Humorous and elegant.	B．Influential and understanding.
C．Cautious and promising.	D．Enthusiastic and adaptable.

7 . 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.

2. Why does the author suggest a reform in the British school curriculum?

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.

3. How does the author illustrate his argument in paragraph 4?

A．By sharing different opinions.

B．By clarifying the definition.

C．By describing personal experiences.

D．By employing the concept.

4. What are parents advised to do?

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.

10 . In Europe, nine out of ten students study a foreign language. In the United States, only one in five does. From 1997 to 2008, the number of American middle schools offering foreign languages dropped from 75percent to 58 percent. From 2009 to 2013, one American college closed its foreign language program; from 2013 to 2017, 651 others did the same.

At first glance, these statistics look like a tragedy (悲剧). But I am starting to accept the strange idea that maybe they are not. What is changing my mind is technology.

I was in Belgium not long ago, and I watched various tourists from different nations use speech translation apps to change their own languages into English and French. The newer ones can even reproduce the tone of the speaker’s voice.

I know a foreign language is a window into a new way of understanding the world. But even beyond the fact that this idea has been rather oversold, can we really say the low level of French or Spanish we and our classmates usually picked up in school really gave us a new look into the world and our lives in it? And if our goals are more limited and practical --- for instance, getting directions to the bus station in Rome-technology now makes that possible at the press of a button. With a smart phone and an app, foreign languages will no longer present most people with the challenge they once did. Learning to speak a new language well will be necessary for those who want to engage with (从事) literature or media in the original language, as well as those of us who find pleasure in it just because they are “there”. Strange as that is, it is in its way a kind of progress.

1. What is the author’s opinion about the drop in foreign language learning in the United States?

A．It is a tragedy that needs to be avoided.

B．It is an unacceptable situation that harms society.

C．It is a challenge that will be overcome in the future.

D．It is a positive development due to advanced technology.

2. What is the author’s attitude towards the idea that learning a foreign language gives us a new look into the world?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Doubtful.

C．Curious.

D．Supportive.

3. How does technology influence language learning for practical purposes?

A．It makes the process easier and within reach.

B．It provides an easy way to understand the world.

C．It removes the need for language learning altogether.

D．It improves the traditional methods of language learning.

4. Which of the following questions can be answered in the text?

A．What challenges do translation apps bring to language learning?

B．Why is it still necessary to learn foreign languages in the digital age?

C．Will translation apps make learning foreign languages old-fashioned?

D．How can technology help us learn foreign languages more efficiently?