1 . World No Tobacco Day (世界无烟日) is observed around the world annually on May 31st. It is a global initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness about the health risks associated with tobacco use and to advocate for effective policies to reduce tobacco (烟草) consumption.
Tobacco use is a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide and is responsible for numerous health problems, including various types of cancer, heart disease, respiratory diseases, and other chronic conditions. Currently, more than 8 million deaths are caused annually worldwide, including 1.2 million deaths from second-hand smoke exposure in non-smokers.
The Member States of the WHO created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco and the preventable death and disease it causes. In 1987, the World Health Assembly passed Resolution WHA40.38, calling for 7th April 1988 to be a world no-smoking day. “In 1988, Resolution WHA42.19 was passed, calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on 31st May.
On World No Tobacco Day, numerous activities and initiatives take place globally to promote tobacco control. These can include public awareness campaigns, educational programs in schools and communities, smoking cessation support, advocacy for stronger tobacco control policies, and various events to encourage individuals to quit smoking.
Each year, the WHO chooses a specific theme for World No Tobacco Day to focus on a particular aspect of tobacco control. The theme may address issues such as the impact of tobacco on lung health, ‘the dangers of tobacco industry marketing strategies, or the importance of providing assistance to individuals who want to quit smoking. This theme then becomes the central component of the WHO’s tobacco-related agenda for the following year. The WHO oversees the creation and distribution of publicity materials related to the theme, including brochures, fliers, posters, websites, and press releases.
The ultimate purpose of World No Tobacco Day is to raise awareness, encourage individuals to quit tobacco use, and prevent young people from starting smoking. Since 1988, the WHO has presented one or more awards to organizations or individuals who have made exceptional contributions to reducing tobacco consumption.
1. What’s the main idea of paragraph 2?| A．Worldwide tobacco use. |
| B．Great harm caused by tobacco use. |
| C．Preventable deaths caused by tobacco use. |
| D．Death caused by second-hand smoke exposure. |
| A．World No Tobacco Day was passed on 7th April 1988. |
| B．Celebration date of World No Tobacco Day is not fixed. |
| C．World No Tobacco Day is celebrated with many activities and initiatives. |
| D．Currently, over 8 million deaths are caused by second-hand smoke exposure. |
| A．It is always about the dangers of second-hand smoke. |
| B．It highlights the positive effects of tobacco on health. |
| C．It advocates for effective policies to increase production. |
| D．It changes annually to focus on different aspects of tobacco control. |
| A．To prevent young people from quitting smoking. |
| B．To encourage individuals to give up tobacco use. |
| C．To raise awareness about health risks related to tobacco use. |
| D．To advocate for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. |
2 . Having Spider-Man close gives you the courage to face the coming days. It certainly
Children really need
Farther south, another team of window washers also made their
We can all be somebody’s superhero for a day, an hour or just a moment. Distracting someone from the
| A．extends | B．treasures | C．brightens | D．misses |
| A．ticket | B．visit | C．fine | D．meal |
| A．hung | B．shouted | C．fell | D．escaped |
| A．careful | B．thoughtful | C．frightened | D．excited |
| A．decisive | B．magical | C．awkward | D．difficult |
| A．choices | B．innovation | C．demand | D．emotions |
| A．courage | B．time | C．pressure | D．patience |
| A．teachers | B．heroes | C．families | D．friends |
| A．losing | B．feeling | C．requiring | D．providing |
| A．definitely | B．eventually | C．only | D．rarely |
| A．presentation | B．experience | C．appearance | D．impression |
| A．limited | B．beneficial | C．unnecessary | D．impossible |
| A．respond | B．grow | C．recover | D．learn |
| A．pain | B．kindness | C．relief | D．regret |
| A．fill | B．ruin | C．end | D．make |
3 . When I was a little boy growing up, my Mom, Dad, brothers and I lived in my Nana’s old house. It was surrounded by four huge vegetable gardens. And around the house so many flowers were planted. It was so beautiful there in the spring and summer. That wasn’t all, though. On the back porch Nana had dozens of potted plants hanging on hooks. She watered them, talked to them and nurtured them. And in the winter she would carry them all inside and set them on shelves near the windows of our enclosed front porch. There with a little water and a lot of love she kept them alive, green, and growing even during the coldest, darkest months.
As a boy I was puzzled by all the effort she put into them. I understood the vegetable gardens. They helped to feed the family all winter long. I even understood the flowers around the house. They were pretty and smelled so sweet in the summer months. The reason she put so much effort into caring for those potted plants, however, eluded me. They didn’t give us any food and they rarely had any flowers on them. They remained a mystery to my child’s mind.
Now as I’ve grown older I am beginning to understand why my Nana had those potted plants. It is the same reason I have so many pictures of sunrises and forests hanging in my home. They remind me during the dark, cold, winter months full of bare trees and yellow grass that light, love, and growth still exist. They remind me that Spring will come again. They remind me that God loves us and is still with us even when the earth doesn’t show it.
Today I see Nana’s potted plants in a new light. They are worth every bit of the love and care she put into them. But what tells me most about light and love is Nana herself. She is light to my soul even in my darkest times. And her love lives on in my heart even if she is in Heaven. May we all learn to love as she loved, shine as she shined, and live as she lived.
1. Which of the following is close in meaning to the underlined word “eluded” in paragraph 2?| A．Upset. | B．Misguided. | C．Confused. | D．Distracted. |
| A．They were a sign of hope. | B．They resembled sunrise and forests. |
| C．They constantly kept Nana company. | D．They were portable and easy to nurture. |
| A．To advocate growing potted plants. | B．To sing the praise of Nana’s spirit and love. |
| C．To stress the benefits of a positive lifestyle. | D．To recall beautiful memories spent with Nana. |
| A．A non-fiction. | B．A book review. |
| C．An agricultural leaflet. | D．A celebrity biography. |
4 . Born to an adventure-loving mom and a National Geographic’s photographer dad, Alison Teal was already exploring the world as a baby. The family traveled the globe staying not at five-star hotels but in a six-foot-wide tent. From cold mountaintops to hot jungles, they completely involved themselves in local nature and culture.
Between journeys, they would return home to a quiet and faraway part of the Big Island of Hawaii, where they built a solar-powered oceanfront rest center. The front yard was the ocean, and Alison’s friends were dolphins. She would dive into the water and release seaweed. A dolphin would catch it on its nose or fin and throw it to the next player. Over the years, the dolphins grew to trust Alison. They looked for her and came close to her in the water.
After graduating from university, she continued her world travels. Her adventurous childhood and life skills landed her a spot in the reality show Naked and Afraid, in which she and her partner had to live on an unwelcoming island for 21 days. Alison’s deep knowledge of how to live in a wilderness saved the pair, but what shocked her was the amount of trash washed upon the shore.
“After that, I couldn’t ignore our plastic problem. I shifted my focus and started to protect our greatest resource, the ocean,” says Alison. Swimming in familiar waters back home, she also found her dolphin friends were no longer tossing (抛) seaweed to each other, but plastic. “That was distressing,” she says.
Her book, Alison’s Adventures: Your Passport to the World, is fled with travel tales and environmental lessons. She also offers free adventure films to go along with each chapter on her YouTube and TikTok. Alison believes all of us can make changes to protect the Earth and, in turn, those we love. “Whether you’re a lawyer, a gardener, an artist, a teacher or a surfer, we can all help in our own ways,” she says.
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?| A．Alison Teal had a comfortable life when she was young. |
| B．Alison Teal was fond of photography when she was young. |
| C．Alison Teal’s parents we restrict with her when she was young. |
| D．Alison Teal led a life close to nature when she was young. |
| A．The amount of trash washed upon the shore. |
| B．The unwelcoming island where they had to live. |
| C．The lack of resources in the wilderness. |
| D．The dangerous situations they encountered. |
| A．During a journey with her parents. |
| B．After her participation in a show. |
| C．Before her graduation from university. |
| D．When visiting the Big Island of Hawaii. |
| A．Everyone can contribute in their own ways. |
| B．Only certain professions can make a difference. |
| C．It is impossible to make any significant changes. |
| D．It is the responsibility of governments and organizations. |
5 . Compassion (同情) is a desire within us to help others. With effort, we can translate compassion into
I couldn’t
Just then, another old man, standing behind the first, spoke up: “
What I had been feeling was pity. Pity is soft and safe and easy. Compassion, on the other hand, is caring in action. I thanked the second man but told him that was not
| A．dream | B．action | C．ambition | D．goal |
| A．true | B．contradictory | C．ambiguous | D．ideal |
| A．poor | B．young | C．elderly | D．homeless |
| A．teachers | B．guides | C．assistants | D．customers |
| A．presentation | B．career | C．experience | D．lesson |
| A．trust | B．card | C．competence | D．cheat |
| A．thank | B．repay | C．supply | D．reward |
| A．ban | B．help | C．realize | D．feel |
| A．house | B．health | C．luck | D．place |
| A．happiness | B．shock | C．faith | D．hurt |
| A．unkind | B．generous | C．proud | D．warm-hearted |
| A．promoted | B．disliked | C．valued | D．sustained |
| A．Purchase | B．Pay | C．Show | D．Charge |
| A．allowed | B．forbidden | C．admitted | D．recommended |
| A．persuaded | B．wrote | C．taught | D．convinced |
6 . Playing sports at school makes people “grittier” and harder working, boosts the chances of achieving long-term goals, and having successful careers, say scientists. The Ohio State University team analyzed National Sports and Society Survey data on almost 4, 000 men and women across the US and asked study participants to rate themselves on a scale of 1-5 on eight statements. They included “I am diligent. I never give up.” And “I am a hard worker”. None of the statements was directly related to sports. 34% of those who did sports as a youngster scored high on the grit scale, compared to 23% of peers who gave up. One in four of those who never played sports ranked low, compared to just 17% of those who did. Lead author Dr. Emily Nothnagle said practicing drills on the field can improve pupils’ lives for decades, adding “The grit they develop from playing sports can help them for the rest of their lives”.
The findings, published in the journal Leisure Sciences, were supported by more sophisticated (复杂的) statistical analyses that accounted for respondents’ demographic (人口的) characteristics. But it appears only children who keep at it-and play continually—get the benefit, say the researchers. Some may just be born with the grit to help them succeed at sports as a young person and then continue to benefit from that trait as an adult. “Quitting could reflect a lack of perseverance, which is a crucial component of grit,” said a researcher. “It could also make quitting an activity, and not persevering, easier the next time.”
Adults who played sports as kids generally perceived the experience helped improve their work ethic, and that perception was linked to their grit scores as adults even though the researchers said people can gain or lose grit throughout life.
1. What does the underlined word “grittier” mean in the 1st paragraph?| A．More hopeful. | B．More pessimistic. |
| C．More aggressive. | D．More determined. |
| A．The survey included a total of 15 statements. |
| B．The survey centered on sports and lifestyle. |
| C．People who did sports at a young age tended to score high on the grit scale. |
| D．The survey was conducted and analyzed by Dr. Emily alone. |
| A．By providing experiments. |
| B．By offering some examples. |
| C．By showing differences. |
| D．By analyzing characteristics. |
| A．A biological textbook. | B．A science magazine. |
| C．A travel brochure. | D．An economic paper. |
7 . March 12 was my last typical day in the classroom before COVID-19 changed everything. When my district closed the following day, I assumed, as many did, that this was a temporary move. However, the closure did not end as quickly as we expected. As the closure continued, while I was glad that none of my students was infected with the virus, I began to worry that the growth of reading ability my first-graders and I worked so hard for would gradually disappear.
It is reported that only one-third of students in the US achieved reading proficiency at grade level in 2019. As the years go by, the gaps become larger, and students who are reading below grade level seldom catch up with their peers. These students often encounter significant social and emotional challenges as they become increasingly aware of their differences from their classmates. And school closures caused by COVID-19 have made the situation even worse.
So when my district reopened in the fall, we were faced with difficult decisions about how to best deliver instruction. At our school, all students have to take a series of short screening tests to assess reading ability at the beginning of the school year. Considering that one size cannot fit all, I adjusted my teaching plans in time throughout the year. If a student received a low score in a particular area, I’d conduct a follow-up assessment to learn about the real cause of the difficulty.
I also conducted exercises to help students practice reading skills. Using other online platforms, I created interactive
lessons with other teachers, in which students practiced reading and writing specific words, reading full sentences and answering corresponding comprehension questions. The platforms enabled us to see all students’ screens at once and gauge which students were on target and needed additional support. They also provided information for planning subsequent lessons.
As a teacher, I know I cannot make all children reach proficiency in literacy (读写能力) myself, but I believe what I am doing can really make a difference to their lives, and I will go on with it.
1. What did the author worry about during the closure?| A．The health condition of her students. |
| B．The decline in her enthusiasm for work. |
| C．The uncertainty about the duration of the closure. |
| D．The influence of closure on students’ reading ability. |
| A．She motivated students to analyze their own problems. |
| B．She adapted teaching strategies to suit her students’ needs. |
| C．She used technology to make reading exercises more interesting. |
| D．She instructed students to take screening tests before each class. |
| A．Judge. | B．Explain. | C．Control. | D．Change. |
| A．Strict and wise. | B．Responsible and flexible. |
| C．Sensitive and optimistic. | D．Humorous and considerate. |
8 . The tech industry created many wonders. However, when it comes to how they are used by kids, they usually bring a
My kids
Things were good for a few years
After seeing how my kids got lost in YouTube, I
| A．slight | B．personal | C．negative | D．beneficial |
| A．had control over | B．got exposed to | C．caught sight of | D．got rid of |
| A．treasured | B．repaired | C．researched | D．quitted |
| A．amused | B．frightened | C．disappointed | D．confused |
| A．abnormal | B．private | C．educational | D．expensive |
| A．because | B．if | C．unless | D．until |
| A．shocked | B．curious | C．relaxed | D．proud |
| A．meaningful | B．appealing | C．familiar | D．essential |
| A．hopeful | B．stupid | C．costly | D．powerful |
| A．ignore | B．stop | C．improve | D．monitor |
| A．analyze | B．leave | C．advertise | D．notice |
| A．children | B．neighbors | C．teachers | D．parents |
| A．want | B．forget | C．fail | D．manage |
| A．adopted | B．changed | C．discussed | D．refused |
| A．efficient | B．latest | C．useful | D．addictive |
9 . Palestinian farmer Salman al-Nabahin was working in his garden in Gaza when he noticed that some of the new trees he’d planted on his land did not root properly. Curious about what might be causing the issue, al-Nabahin asked his son to help him start digging.
His son’s ax (斧子) struck something hard. When the two men began to clear away the dirt, they discovered an item they did not recognize. A little Internet searching provided the answer to their mystery: They’d come across a Byzantine-era floor mosaic (拜占庭时期马赛克地画) featuring birds and other animals.
This happened six months ago. Now, archaeologists (考古学家) are hard at work studying the flooring to learn more about its secrets and civilization values.
The mosaic features 17 images of birds and other animals presented in bright colors. Archaeologists believe artists created the flooring sometime between the fifth and seventh centuries, though they don’t know whether the mosaic had religious (宗教的) origins. In total, the land covering the entire mosaic is about 500 square meters, and the mosaic itself measures about 23 square meters. Some parts of the mosaic appear to be damaged, likely from the roots of an old tree.
“These are the most beautiful mosaic floors discovered in Gaza, both in terms of the quality of the vivid representation and the complexity of the pattern,” says René Elter, an archaeologist in Jerusalem. “Never have mosaic floors of this precision in the patterns and richness of the colors been discovered in the Gaza Strip.”
The Gaza Strip, which is located between Israel and Egypt and was a busy trade route throughout history, is home to many ancient civilizations. The farmer and his son discovered the mosaic about a kilometer from the border with Israel. Archaeologists and other experts are concerned about the mosaic’s future because of the ongoing conflict there and a lack of funding for historical protection.
1. What led Salman al-Nabahin to the unexpected discovery?| A．His son’s constant digging work. | B．His decision to remove some new trees. |
| C．The improper growth of some new trees. | D．The appearance of some birds and other animals. |
| A．Its origin has something to do with religion. | B．The time of its creation can be figured out. |
| C．It has been seriously damaged by digging work. | D．It reflects relationships between humans and animals. |
| A．The history of the mosaic floors. | B．The great value of the mosaic floors. |
| C．The secrets hidden in the mosaic floors. | D．The difficulty in creating the mosaic floors. |
| A．It may not be well -protected. | B．It may be too large to carry. |
| C．It may cause regional conflicts. | D．It may lose its historical meaning |
10 . The days of the bedroom fitting room are numbered. Online retail giant (零售巨头) Boohoo has become the latest in a string of retailers to start charging shoppers for returns.
By offering free returns in the first place, companies, such as Boohoo, created entirely new behaviour around shopping. A 2018 study found that 9% of UK consumers buy clothes to post on social media, only to return them straight after. Almost one in five 35-to 44-year-olds admit to doing it, and men, apparently, do it more than women.
However, when clothes are returned, they’re likely to be thrown away rather than resold. This is because processing returns is time-consuming and costly. Buttons need to be rebuttoned, labels need to be reattached, products need refolding and rebagging, and then they must be put back into the system for sale. So it is clearly a cheaper and easier solution for businesses to send the whole lot to landfills (垃圾填埋场). It’s really a great waste of resources, not to mention an insult (冒 犯) to the skilled people who put their time into making each product, but it’s the reality of modern fashion.
When clothes don’t become rubbish, there’s still the impact of the extra shipping to consider, as well as the packaging waste. About 180bn plastic bags are produced every year to store, protect and transport clothes, and less than 15% of them are collected for recycling.
The impact of returns is a fairly well-kept secret, likely to keep people shopping guilt-free (没有负罪感地). But even if it was widely known, it wouldn’t guarantee people would stop treating returns thoughtlessly. After all, other environmental and human impacts of fast fashion are out there for all to see and yet the industry continues to thrive.
Hopefully, charging for returns is expected to change people’s behavior. Without free returns on the table, shoppers may think twice about buying 10 items when they know they’ll only keep five or buying clothes purely for social media content. And with the arrival of return charges, the clothes we already have might also start to look a little more appealing.
1. Why do retailers tend to throw away returned clothes?| A．To keep up with the latest fashion. | B．To avoid a huge waste of resources. |
| C．To let the skilled people feel honored. | D．To save the trouble of processing returns. |
| A．They will feel guilty about shopping. | B．They will continue their shopping behavior. |
| C．They will consider their shopping carefully. | D．They will keep their shopping behavior secret. |
| A．It puts great pressure on customers. | B．It can influence social media content. |
| C．It can do little to help reduce returns. | D．It will turn out to be an effective measure. |
| A．It is necessary to charge shoppers for returns. | B．It is difficult to control the number of returns. |
| C．Many retailers are struggling to process returns. | D．People have different opinions on the end of free returns. |
