1 . Twelve years ago, a young traveler named Rhett Butler from San Francisco, California, visited the Sabah rainforest on Malaysian Borneo. In one area of the rainforest, he watched a bird flying through the trees. The beautiful sight left quite an impression on him. But weeks later, back home, Rhett Butler got the news that trees had been cut down for their wood in the area he visited.
That experience led Rhett Butler to begin writing a book about rainforests and threats (威胁) to their existence. But he did not publish the book. Instead, in 1999, he used his research for the book to create a website. The site is Mongabay.com. His purpose was to inform the public about tropical rainforests. But the subject quickly developed. As a former businessman, he became a respected writer of science and environmental stories.
The popularity of Mongabay.com attracted advertisers. Small ads on the site pay for its operations. Mongabay.com has grown and led to other sites. For example, there is a site for children which is called kids mongabay.com. Another one, WildMadagascar.org, is all about the island nation that Rhett Butler calls his favorite place.
To keep his website going, he travels around the world on several major trips each year. His working tools are a laptop computer, cameras and sometimes diving equipment. He often calls on experts for information. For example, he interviewed Alison Jolly, a top expert on lemurs (狐猴). He interviewed Rodney Jackson, a biologist who established the Snow Leopard Conservancy.
Stories like these have made Mongabay.com a favorite place on the Internet for researchers, students and teachers. In April, Time. Com. named it one of the fifteen top climate and environment websites in the world.
1. What’s the main idea of the passage?A.Rhett Butler and His Website |
B.Rainforest on Malaysian Borneo |
C.How Rhett Butler Protected Rare Animals |
D.How Rhett Butler Made His Website Popular |
A.making websites earns more money than writing books |
B.he was not prepared to publish his book |
C.the book was not about rainforest protection |
D.he wanted to use the information to create a website |
A.It was set up in 1999. | B.It attracted many advertisers. |
C.Two related websites grew from it. | D.Rhett Butler made a lot of money from it. |
A.kept visiting the rainforest | B.traveled around and interviewed experts |
C.raised rare snow leopards | D.made a great number of advertisements |
2 . As a child, I was proud of my southern origin. My own voice reflected my family’s past and present-part northern Mississippi, part Tennessee, all southern. There was no sound I loved more than my grandmother’s accent: thick, sweet, warm.
While growing up, I began to realize outside of our region, southerners were often dismissed as uncultured and ignorant. I was ready to leave behind my tiny town in West Tennessee, starting a new life and jumping at big chances in some far-off cities. In that embarrassing space between “teen” and “adult”, my accent was a symbol of everything I thought I hated about my life in the rural South. I feared it would disqualify me from being a noted magazine writer. I would have to talk less “country”. So I killed a piece of myself. I’m ashamed of it, but I’m more ashamed that I tried to kill that part of someone else-change Emily’s accent.
I met Emily in college. She was determined to work for the student newspaper, which was where I spent most of my waking hours, and we became friends. She, unlike me, accepted her roots. Early in our friendship, her mother asked where I was from, assuming it was somewhere up north. Then I felt my efforts paid off and even wanted to ignore the mistake.
Emily is two years younger and she cared about my opinion. I advised her to be more like me and hide her signature Manchester accent. I stressed that throughout our college years, often by making fun of her vowel (元音) sounds. I told myself I was helping her achieve her dream of working as a reporter. Now, I see that it was actually about justifying my hiding part of myself.
Grandma Carolyn used to tell me, “Girl, don’t forget where you come from.” Now I truly understand that. Many things have faded from memory, but this sticks in my mind with uncomfortable clarity. Now that I am grown and have left the South, it’s important to me.
1. What made the author want to leave her hometown?A.Appeal of convenience in cities. |
B.Her dream of becoming a writer. |
C.Outside prejudice against southerners. |
D.Her desire for the northern accent. |
A.Upset. | B.Pleased. | C.Ashamed. | D.Surprised. |
A.To prove herself right. | B.To help Emily be a reporter. |
C.To make herself influential. | D.To protect Emily’s self-dignity. |
A.Stay true to your roots. | B.Never do things by halves. |
C.Hold on to your dreams. | D.Never judge a person by his accent. |
3 . When dogs get lonely, they like keeping themselves busy by making a big mess around the house and that doesn’t really sit well with their owners. That’s why one German radio host, who also happens to be a dog owner came up with the idea for a programme designed to relax dogs and make them feel like they aren’t alone.
When 30-year-old Stephan Stock, a radio host at RadioTon, in Germany’s BadenWürttemberg region, announced the creation of a programme aimed at dogs, everyone thought it was just a clever April Fools trick. However, it wasn’t. For the past three and a half months, Hallo Hasso has been pumping out music for lonely dogs both on the radio and online.
Stock says he was inspired to create the special programme by his pet dog, Layla, who would sometimes get so bored when left alone that she would keep herself busy by making a big mess around the house. He and his colleagues at RadioTon started researching what kind of music usually appeals to dogs, and learnt that it should have as little drum and electric guitar as possible, and should be very slow.
“It’s not about keeping dogs quiet,” Stock said about Hallo Hasso. “It’s more about the dog feeling he’s not alone.” He adds that Layla isn’t as restless since listening to Hallo Hasso, and has become relatively quiet, even letting him take a nap (打盹儿) to the music from the radio.
Hallo Hasso is only available in BadenWürttemberg, via radio, but if you’d like to see if it can calm your fourlegged pet, the programme can also be accessed online here. Just press the “play” arrow at the top of the page and let the music work its magic. If this doesn’t work, there’s always Dog TV.
1. What do lonely dogs usually do?A.Bark fiercely. | B.Lie quietly. |
C.Create surprise. | D.Cause damage. |
A.They thought poorly of it. |
B.They didn’t take it seriously. |
C.They showed great interest in it. |
D.They eagerly expected its broadcast. |
A.It’s accessible only by radio. |
B.It aims at keeping dogs quiet. |
C.It has no specific limit on music types. |
D.It’s a product of Stock’s own life experience. |
A.On a webpage. | B.In a newspaper. |
C.In a pet magazine. | D.In a research report. |
4 . My mother used to take me to my grandparents’ in Belgium during the school holidays. While I would play chess with my grandfather, he would tell me stories about growing up, falling in love, and travelling around the world.
I didn’t realize the importance of preserving memories until my grandfather passed away, which ultimately changed my outlook on remembering our loved ones and the stories we share. I thought about solutions to help other people record the precious memories for those they love—before it’s too late. So I began matching ghostwriters (代笔人) to clients to help them write a book as smoothly and beautifully as possible, and Story Terrace was born.
Since then, we have explored the power of stories and their ability to connect us with our past and make sense of the present. It has been documented that increased family connection is significantly linked to less loneliness. Learning more about one’s family history, however, has been linked to boosting emotional health, increasing compassion and providing a deeper sense of cultures and traditions.
What we have found through our own research is that so many of us have missed out on the opportunity to explore our origins. 56 percent of Brits agreed that much of their family history is lost because they are no longer able to speak with the person who knows the most about it. A further 51 percent expressed regret as they wished they could tell their younger self to document their family’s life story, feeling that most of it had been forgotten. But when it comes to telling these stories, many don’t know where to begin.
We have seen numerous times when people come to us with random journal entries and notes from over the years, and these can be developed into a wonderful work of art that can be passed down for generations to come.
Half of the projects we see at StoryTerrace are heritage stories, with family occupying a dominant theme for most stories. Alongside this, common themes we see are of course love, overcoming challenges, settling in new surroundings and so on. However, family is a thread that always ties these together.
1. What does Story Terrace do?A.It boosts the mood of your family members. |
B.It gives treatment to people with mental illness. |
C.It links people from different cultures together. |
D.It helps turn your beloved one’s stories into a book. |
A.Why StoryTerrace matters. |
B.How StoryTerrace functions. |
C.What StoryTerrace focuses on. |
D.Where StoryTerrace beings your story. |
A.It is part of the national heritage. |
B.Its stories are mostly about family. |
C.It dominates half of the market. |
D.Its stories gain much popularity. |
A.Family Stories Worth Telling |
B.Create Your Own Story Books |
C.Documents of Family History |
D.Preserve Memories with StoryTerrace |
5 . An 82-year-old Chinese female pilot has set a record in the country’s airline industry after flying a small plane for 40 minutes in Beijing. Miao Xiaohong, one of China’s second team of female pilots, controlled the Tecnam P2010 plane to take off, turn, climb, dive and land safety at the Shifosi Airport in Pinggu District of Beijing.
In 1956, Miao Xiaohong, who graduated from a high school in Jinan, won a position in the second team. She graduated from the flight school in 1958. in the following years, she flew many important missions. In 1963, she undertook a mission to airdrop materials for the flood-stricken areas in Hebei Province. Poor visibility prevented her locating the target areas as the clouds were about 100 meters above the ground, but she managed to finish the task.
In 1989, she retired and started her writing career. When she collected material for her books, she found that many aged pilots in other countries still flew, and she had the idea of returning to the sky. To prepare for the flight, she walked 3,000 steps every day and moved her arms to meet the requirements for the high-altitude flight. Different from past flights for missions, this time her goal was to enjoy the flight. She said that it was exciting and fresh. “Seeing the boundless blue sky unfold in front of me, I feel it is very open,” she said.
The trainer said that Miao Xiaohong could finish the 30-hour flight to get a license for commercial flights. She said, “My physical condition is good enough to finish the 30-hour flight but it is not so important for me to get such a license. After achieving my dream of returning to the sky, I hope to encourage young women to join the airline industry. I’m 82 years old and I can fly again. You, the young people, can fly and will fly better than me.
1. What can we learn from the airdrop mission carried out by Miao Xiaohong?A.She was a very beautiful pilot. | B.She had excellent flying skills. |
C.She suffered from poor eyesight. | D.She usually completed hard tasks. |
A.Her deep love for flights. | B.Her wish to set a flying record. |
C.The requirements of her books. | D.The influence of other aged pilots. |
A.Faithful. | B.Energetic. | C.Determined. | D.Enthusiastic. |
A.Returning to the blue sky | B.Coming to join in the flight |
C.Managing to finish difficult tasks | D.Improving yourself to set a record |
6 . Elephant Transit Home
In both Africa and Asia elephants are being threatened by changes in their natural habitats (栖息地). People are moving into the elephants’ habitats and endangering their survival. In the country of Sri Lanka, there is one place where elephants are not only protected but also respected. It is called the Elephant Transit Home (ETH).
Set up in 1995, the ETH aims to protect and nurture baby elephants that are found injured or living without their mothers in the wild. Every year about 30 baby elephants in Sri Lanka need help. As many as possible are brought to the ETH. There they are given food, shelter, and medical care. Most importantly, they are given the chance to be with other elephants and become part of a herd (象群).
A day at the ETH begins early in the morning when the baby elephants are given their first feeding of milk. During the day, each baby will drink an average of 13 gallons of milk. Older elephants are fed mostly coconut leaves and other native plants. Then the elephants are allowed to walk around, eating the grass and forming a herd. The cost of caring for the baby elephants is high. The ETH spends about $125,000 each year on powdered milk for the baby elephants.
At the ETH, workers try to reduce human connection with the elephants. They also try to increase bonds (联系) between the elephants. It usually takes three years for a baby elephant to be set free into its natural habitat. The elephants are sent back to the wild together with other orphans with whom they have bonded. This program helps them return to the wild as members of a herd that will communicate with each other and take care of each other.
The ETH is considered one of the best animal protection sites in the world. Not only are the elephants cared for, they are treated with respect. Most importantly, they go back to live in the wild, where they belong.
1. What does the underlined word “nurture” in Paragraph 2 mean?A.Set free. | B.Relate to. | C.Focus on. | D.Care for. |
A.It changes elephants’ habitats for the better. |
B.It receives about $125,000 each year. |
C.It helps to keep baby elephants safe. |
D.It protects 30 elephants every year. |
A.To study them better in a natural environment. |
B.To help them make it in the wild as a herd. |
C.To provide them with more living space. |
D.To train them to stay away from hunters. |
A.To introduce an animal protection site. |
B.To show the ways of wildlife protection. |
C.To explain the threat baby elephants face. |
D.To persuade the readers to protect elephants. |
7 . Last summer, the missing white-letter hairstreak butterfly was spotted in Scotland for the first time in 133 years. Conservationists wondered if the creature had established a breeding colony in the country. As Russell Jackson reports for the Scotsman, volunteer naturalists recently found a cluster of tiny white-letter hairstreak eggs on an elm tree in Lennel, a small village near the country of Berwick-shire.
Volunteers with the UK’s Butterfly Conservation have been carefully tracking white-letter hair-streak migrations for more than ten years. The butterfly is native to the UK and was once widespread in England and Wales. But white -letter hairstreak numbers have declined drastically in recent decades, largely due to an outbreak of Dutch elm disease, and illness that took hold in the 1960s. The disease has killed millions of British elm trees, which is the food source for white-letter hairstreak caterpillars (蝴蝶或蛾的幼虫).
Recently, there have been signs that the butterfly’s populations are recovering. The Butterfly Conservation team has observed the white-letter hairstreak gradually spreading northwards, possibly due to warming climates. But the white-letter hairstreak is still a very rare sight in Scotland, and the volunteers who found the cluster of eggs — Ken Haydock and Jill Mills — were thrilled by the discovery.
“It was a lovely sunny morning and we were searching the elm trees by the River Tweed at Lennel when Jill called me over,” Haydock says in a Butterfly Conservation statement, “I could see by the look on her face that she had found something. We were both smiling with disbelief and delight when we realized what Jill had found and within seconds I was fumbling in my pack for the camera —my hands were shaking!”
That Haydock and Mills managed to spot the eggs is quite remarkable; according to Vittoria Traverso of Atlas Obscura, white-letter hairstreak eggs are smaller than a grain of salt. The volunteers were also excited to discover an old, hatched eggshell amid the cluster of new eggs. According to the Butterfly Conservation, this suggests that the white-letter hairstreak could have been breeding in the area since at least 2016.
Paul Kirkland, the director of the Butterfly Conservation’ s Scotland chapter, says in the statement that conservationists will “need to have a few more years of confirmed sightings” before they can classify the white-letter hairstreak as a resident species of Scotland. “If this happens, it would take the total number of butterflies found in Scotland to 34,” he says, “which really would be something to celebrate.”
1. What mainly accounted for the sharp decrease of the special butterfly species?A.An outbreak of the butterfly disease. | B.A great loss due to its mass migration. |
C.The mass death of British elm trees. | D.The consequence of global warming. |
A.It has been native to the US and spread to England. |
B.Its population is decreasing due to global warming. |
C.Signs have shown that its number is rising again now. |
D.People can see them every now and then in Scotland. |
A.It was on a rainy day that they made the discovery. |
B.Ken looked puzzled the moment Jill called him over. |
C.Jill made the discovery first and took a photo of it. |
D.They felt it unbelievable to make their discovery. |
A.Volunteers can find more eggs of the special butterfly in the future. |
B.The total number of butterfly species found in the UK adds up to 34. |
C.Conservationists will have more years of confirmed sightings. |
D.The number of butterfly species found in Scotland increases again. |
8 . The idea of low material desire, low consumption and refusing to work, marry and have children, concluded as a “lying down” lifestyle, recently struck a chord with many young Chinese who are eager to take pause to breathe in this fast-paced and highly-competitive society.
Many millennials (千禧一代) and generation Zs complained to the Global Times that burdens, including work stress, family disputes and financial strains, have pushed them “against the wall”. They said they hate the “involution(内卷),” joking that they would rather give up some of what they have than get trapped in an endless competition against peers.
“Instead of always following the ‘virtues’ of struggle, endure and sacrifice to bear the stresses, they prefer a temporary lying down as catharsis (宣泄) and adjustment,” said a scholar. “It is no wonder that some young people, under the growing pressures from child-raising to paying the mortgage (按揭) today, would try to live in a simple way and leave the worries behind.”
Interestingly, the majority of millennials and Gen Zs reached by the Global Times, who claim to be big fans of the lying down philosophy, acknowledged that they only accept a temporary lying down as a short rest. It is true that with the great improvement of living conditions, some Chinese youth have partially lost the spirit of hardship and are not willing to bear too much hard work. But in fact, lying down is not entirely comfortable. Young people who lie down always feel guilty about their constant loss of morale (士气) far beyond their reach.
“Young people on campus have both aspirations and confusion about their future, but most of us have rejected setting ourselves up in chains to waste opportunities and challenges,” a postgraduate student told the Global Times. “It’s no use running away. I have to ‘stand up’ and face the reality sooner or later.”
1. What does the underlined phrase in paragraph 1 mean?A.Warned. | B.Punished. | C.Amused. | D.Touched. |
A.Improvements in living conditions. |
B.Growing pressure from family and social life. |
C.Increasing material possessions from families. |
D.Temporary adjustment to failure in competitions. |
A.Understanding. | B.Intolerant. | C.Supportive. | D.Unclear. |
A.They never really drop their responsibilities. |
B.They really enjoy the “lying down” lifestyle. |
C.They find their dreams far beyond their reach. |
D.They would rather escape than take challenges. |
9 . ChatGPT, a new chatbot model developed by US-based AI research laboratory OpenAI, has quickly become a hit globally due to its advanced conversational capabilities,
It can write emails, computer codes, even academic papers and poems, and has passed a number of tests within seconds. Academicians worldwide are discussing whether AI should be used in education. Some universities have banned it. The New York City’s Department of Education, for example, banned the chatbot from its public school devices and networks, with some people warning that it could encourage more students to cheat, especially in exams.
Many more welcome this app, claiming that, like most technological advances and groundbreaking innovations in history, ChatGPT is a powerful tool for the development of higher education.
Embracing AI as early as possible is advisable. Higher education institutions should make preparations for including AI in their syllabus (教学大纲). They can start by offering related courses, because by understanding how it works, they can make better use of it. Besides, students with good knowledge of AI are more competitive when it comes to getting a good job, as an increasing number of jobs are being done by computer programmes-some in cooperation with humans, AI-powered education technologies can be adopted to make the learning experience more suitable for each student based on his or her strengths and weaknesses. As for professors, AI can free them from doing some dull tasks so they can concentrate on teaching and interacting with students.
Since we cannot avoid ChatGPT and other AI-powered applications from entering the field of higher education, we should make collective efforts to ensure they have a positive impact on society and the future of education Despite AI helping make learning much more interesting and enjoyable, humans need to work very hard to win the race with technology.
1. Why do some higher education institutions forbid ChatGPT?A.ChatGPT can write emails and computer codes quickly. |
B.Some professors might not perform their duties properly. |
C.Students would have conversations with each other via it. |
D.Students might seek help from it in completing the exams. |
A.Fearful. | B.Disapproving. | C.Supportive. | D.Uncertain. |
A.It offers students an increasing number of jobs. |
B.It personalizes students’ learning experience. |
C.It equips students with competitive skills to cooperate with humans. |
D.It handles uninteresting tasks so students can better focus on learning. |
A.We should guard against AI apps. |
B.AI will be more widely used in education. |
C.The future of education relies on AI apps. |
D.Humans will be left behind by technology. |
10 . Strangers Under the Same Roof
Does every dinner with your parents seem to turn into an argument? Have your once warm and open conversations become cold and guarded? Do you feel that you just cannot see eye to eye with them on anything? You are not alone. Heated arguments and cold silences are common between teenagers and their parents.
Teenagers’ physical changes may result in such family tensions. You may feel anxious that you are not developing at the same rate as your friends, shooting up in height or getting left far behind. You might worry about your changing voice, weight problems or spots(粉刺). When the worries get too much, your parents are often the first target of your anger.
It can be a big headache to balance your developing mental needs too. You enter a strange middle ground—no longer a small child but not quite an adult. You have both a new desire for independence and a continued need for your parents’ love and support. You feel ready to be more responsible and make decisions on your own. Unfortunately, your parents do not always agree and that makes you feel unhappy. Sometimes they forget that growing up is a rough ride. It can be difficult when your parents treat you like a child but expect you to act like an adult. All of this can lead to a breakdown in your relationship.
Despite the fact that sometimes it may seem impossible to get along as a family, you can take action to improve the situation. The key to keeping the peace is regular and honest communication. Just remember that it is completely normal to struggle with the stress that parent-child tensions create, and that you and your parents can work together to improve your relationship. The good news is that this stormy period will not last. Everything will turn out all right in the end, and the changes and challenges of your teenage years will prepare you for adulthood.
1. Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraph 1?A.To express his doubts. |
B.To compare different ideas. |
C.To introduce points for discussion. |
D.To draw readers’ attention to the topic. |
A.Between a child and an adult. |
B.A small child. |
C.An adult. |
D.An old man. |
A.Parents should let go of the control over their teenagers. |
B.Teenagers should always follow their parents’ points of view. |
C.Parents and teenagers should always keep open conversations. |
D.Teenagers should not depend on their parents’ love or support. |
A.Indifferent. | B.Critical. |
C.Positive. | D.Negative. |