1 . Over 30 years ago, I stood in the front row of a kindergarten performance, singing to all the parents of the elementary school. At the end of the performance, Mrs. Summers, whom I always tried to impress, made a statement that would impact me for nearly a lifetime. She walked up to my mom and stated, “She certainly was the most excited and eager student I had this year, but she couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.”
From that day on, I was always insecure about my singing. Singing became an embarrassment for me and I didn’t want anyone to hear me. When I was home alone, I would belt out (大声唱) songs as if I was singing on the stage. Though I felt insecure, it made my heart dance and my soul get free.
When I started attending church regularly, a woman came up to me and asked why I didn’t join the choir. She stated that I had a beautiful singing voice and appeared to greatly enjoy singing. I laughed and said she must have been joking. With a look of surprise, she simply suggested that I should think about it because I would be a nice addition to the choir.
Why did I have such a hard time allowing others to hear me sing? It was because I had believed some words that came out of my teacher’s mouth as a child. Mrs. Summers was probably trying to be humorous, but as a child, her comment truly hurt me. So I made a decision to stop believing the words I held on to for so many years. The following week, I joined the choir, and I began to feel better. Now I sing in the streets, and I sing in the gym. It doesn’t matter if I can carry a tune in a basket; I carry it on my heart.
1. How did Mrs. Summers think of the author’s performance in the kindergarten?| A．She had a great talent for singing. | B．She was too nervous to sing well. |
| C．Her singing voice was distinctive. | D．Her singing was rather out of tune. |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Abandoned. | C．Discouraged. | D．Wronged. |
| A．She played a joke on the author. |
| B．She knew the author’s problem. |
| C．She wanted to sing like the author. |
| D．She appreciated the author’s voice. |
| A．Don’t act for others’ judgement. | B．Love whatever you want to do. |
| C．Learn from your past mistakes. | D．Hard work will finally pay off. |
2 . While in middle school, students seem to have one goal: to be popular. Like most thirteen-year-olds, I gave in to this need to
One afternoon, I told my father that I wanted to be popular. He looked at me and asked me why I felt that way. I
My father
As the days passed and I thought about it, I realized there might be some
| A．get away | B．break up | C．set off | D．fit in |
| A．scratched | B．shrugged | C．switched | D．shook |
| A．simply | B．unwillingly | C．consciously | D．pleasantly |
| A．proceeded | B．determined | C．pretended | D．attempted |
| A．fashionable | B．practical | C．unique | D．elegant |
| A．sample | B．souvenir | C．decoration | D．must |
| A．resisting | B．describing | C．sporting | D．designing |
| A．depressed | B．delighted | C．shocked | D．disappointed |
| A．trend | B．revolution | C．campaign | D．reformation |
| A．dignity | B．confidence | C．regret | D．embarrassment |
| A．attention | B．response | C．truth | D．gratitude |
| A．complaining | B．blaming | C．appreciating | D．pleasing |
| A．caring | B．fancying | C．remembering | D．imagining |
| A．satisfaction | B．challenge | C．expectation | D．liberation |
| A．Leaning | B．Voting | C．Swimming | D．Running |
3 . Waking up at the crack of dawn and going for a run might feel intimidating when you start trying to make it a habit. Weaving a significant new activity such as this into your regular routine obviously takes determination and time — but how much time is really needed to make that habit stick?
One popular idea suggests that it takes 21 days to solidify a habit. The “three-week theory” originated from the 1960 self-help book Psycho-Cybernetics, in which plastic surgeon Maxwell Maltz observed that it took his patients about 21 days to get used to their new appearance after surgery. Even without much solid research, the 21-day myth became widely accepted. It likely persisted because it seems like such a reasonable amount of time, Colin Camerer, a behavioral economist at the California Institute of Technology who has conducted research on habit formation, explains.
Almost a half century later, researchers finally gathered strong evidence that countered this idea. A significant 2009 study on habit creation found that habits developed in a range of 18 to 254 days; participants reported taking an average of about 66 days to reliably incorporate one of three new daily activities — eating a piece of fruit with lunch, drinking a bottle of water with lunch or running for 15 minutes before dinner. Consistent daily repetition was the biggest factor influencing whether a behavior would become part of an automatic daily routine, says Lally, who was the first author on the study.
The type of activity is also a factor. Last year a study conducted by Camerer and his colleagues showed that creating a handwashing habit took a few weeks, compared with the half year it took for people to develop an exercise habit. Handwashing, the study noted, is less complex than exercising and offers more opportunities to practice. The researchers also suggested that habit formation depends on the effort that a person puts into practicing an activity and on the presence of environmental cues that would remind them to carry out the behavior.
1. Why is waking up early for a run mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To advocate taking exercise regularly. |
| B．To express the difficulty of an early rise. |
| C．To stress the significance of getting up early. |
| D．To introduce how long it takes to develop a new habit. |
| A．Because the theory persisted for a long time. |
| B．Because a noted surgeon put forward this theory. |
| C．Because 21 days may be seen as realistic and achievable. |
| D．Because the theory was originated from a popular self-help book. |
| A．Repeated practice. | B．Time. | C．Determination. | D．Individualized ways. |
| A．The ways of changing a habit. | B．The time frame of developing a habit. |
| C．The activities to create a habit. | D．The influence of having a habit. |
4 . In the 1970s, a new supermarket selling LPs arrived in my hometown and I began devoting my pocket money to acquiring records. I swiftly developed an affection for Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, harboring dreams of performing that music myself. Despite the absence of a piano at home, there was one at my grandmother’s care home, where I learned to play Beethoven by ear, with pigeons cooing and farmers working in the fields. It was truly magical.
Entering the Royal Academy of Arts at 16 marked the beginning of my artistic journey. In my 30s, I took another significant step in life-marriage. My wife worked at Elephants World, a reserve dedicated to the care of rescued domestic elephants. These elephants have worked for humans all their life and many are blind or disabled from being treated badly, so I wanted to make the effort to carry something heavy myself. For my 50th birthday, my wife successfully persuaded the manager to allow us to bring a piano into the reserve, bringing music to the elephants’ lives.
Initially, when I started playing, it was hard to hear the piano above the sounds of nature and the elephants chewing grass. However, everything changed when a blind elephant ceased eating and tuned into my playing. It struck me that this elephant, trapped in a world of darkness, had a profound love for music. From that moment on, there was no longer any concern about disturbing their peace. We occasionally film these performances, and now, we proudly have nearly 700,000 YouTube subscribers.
I continue to play for these elephants that run freely in the reserve, despite the constant potential danger. Surprisingly, it’s the moody male elephants who show the most fascination with the music. I firmly believe it has a calming effect. These elephants’ breathing actually slows down when I play, which tells me they are relaxed and happy. I’ve even witnessed elephants seemingly dancing to Beethoven’s tunes. With their exceptional hearing and the ability to sense vibrations (震动) through their feet, I am convinced that elephants grasp the language of human expression. This serves as a powerful illustration that music serves as a universal language, connecting us all.
1. What motivated the author’s early affection for music?| A．Exposure to Beethoven’s music. | B．Employment at Elephants World. |
| C．Attendance at the Royal Academy of Arts. | D．Piano teaching at his grandma’s care home. |
| A．Personal achievements in music. | B．A combination of music and care. |
| C．Successful fundraising for the reserve. | D．Recognition for the author’s artistic journey. |
| A．Emotional recovery. | B．Physical exercise. |
| C．Financial support. | D．Artistic expression. |
| A．Save the Mistreated Elephants | B．Connect the Elephants with Music |
| C．Play the Piano for Rescued Elephants | D．Make the Hearing of Elephants Sharp |
5 . Scenes of a comic character swelling up after eating peanuts in Western TV shows have long been puzzling for many Chinese viewers, as few people in China meet those who have a severe peanut allergy (过敏反应).
Their confusion can be explained by Chinese researchers in a new study that Chinese adults and children are more likely to be allergic to seafood, and less likely to be allergic to peanuts compared to people in the United States and Europe. “Animal-derived (动物源的) foods were the primary offending foods, especially shrimp, and skin symptoms were the most commonly reported unpleasant reactions,” said the study. The difference means that cultural, dietary, industrialization and biological factors can play an important role in food allergy patterns, it added.
Chen Hongbing, a professor from the State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology at Nanchang University, who was involved in the study, said, “For instance, in a previous study on self-reported food allergies among children, seafood topped the list, followed by fish, eggs, fruits and milk.” However, some research also puts wheat as one of the most common allergy triggers among the general population, eggs and milk are considered the most common allergens among infants and young babies. Chen said more research is needed to address these discrepancies (差异性) and to determine if various dietary habits across China result in varied food sensitivity.
Luo Xiaoqun, a doctor who was not involved in the studies at Fudan University’s Huashan Hospital, said that the increasing rate of food allergies is a phenomenon observed worldwide, driven by changes in lifestyles, eating habits, as well as growing health awareness and diagnostic ability.
Reading allergen labeling on food packages is an easy way to protect consumers from potential allergy triggers. However, food allergen labeling in China is not obligated currently and labeling largely follows an international food regulations. “China has made improvements in devising food labeling standards in recent years, hopefully our findings can accelerate the process of making such labeling compulsory in the near future,” Chen said.
1. What’s the purpose of writing paragraph 1?| A．To introduce food people are commonly allergic to. |
| B．To make a comparison between different allergies. |
| C．To introduce a study about allergies. |
| D．To describe typical allergy symptoms. |
| A．eating habits. | B．cultural factors |
| C．diagnostic ability | D．biological factors |
| A．results | B．patterns | C．reactions | D．causes |
| A．China has popularized food labeling in recent years. |
| B．The findings have speeded up the process of food labeling. |
| C．Professor Chen expects a promising future of food labeling. |
| D．China makes no progress in making food labeling. |
6 . When my mom passed away only a few years after we’d lost Dad, the wound of my grief was
As I walk along the path through the park, I
| A．raw | B．tough | C．urgent | D．firm |
| A．passion | B．recreation | C．desperation | D．addiction |
| A．aspect | B．step | C．inspection | D．direction |
| A．realize | B．design | C．visualize | D．specialize |
| A．exploration | B．restoration | C．restriction | D．conservation |
| A．absurd | B．temporary | C．innocent | D．delicate |
| A．break off | B．sink into | C．take up | D．engage in |
| A．pace | B．rhythm | C．version | D．strength |
| A．Consequently | B．Subsequently | C．Eventually | D．Absolutely |
| A．rejoin | B．remain | C．recall | D．rebuild |
| A．additional | B．formal | C．typical | D．mental |
| A．challenge | B．assignment | C．dilemma | D．loss |
| A．circumstances | B．attitudes | C．prospects | D．feelings |
| A．Therefore | B．Moreover | C．Otherwise | D．Nevertheless |
| A．conclusion | B．wonder | C．reminder | D．episode |
7 . The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Grain Rain (谷雨), as the last term in spring, starts on April 19 and ends on May 4. Grain Rain originates from the old saying, “Rain brings up the growth of hundreds of grains,” which shows that this period of rainfall is extremely important for the growth of crops. The Grain Rain signals the end of cold weather and a rapid rise in temperature. Here are five things that you may not know about the Grain Rain.
Key time for agricultureGrain Rain brings a marked increase in temperature and rainfall and the grains grow faster and stronger. It’s a key time to protect the crops from insect pests.
Sandstorms occurGrain Rain falls between the end of spring and the beginning of summer, with infrequent cold air moving to the south and lingering cold air in the north. From the end of April to the beginning of May, the temperature rises much higher than it does in March. With dry soil, an unsteady atmosphere and heavy winds, gales (飓风) and sandstorms become more frequent.
Drinking teaThere is an old custom in southern China that people drink tea on the day of Grain Rain. Spring tea during Grain Rain is rich in vitamins and amino acids (氨基酸), which can help to remove heat from the body and is good for the eyes. It is also said that drinking tea on this day would prevent bad luck.
Grain Rain FestivalThe Grain Rain festival is celebrated by fishing villages in the coastal areas of northern China. Grain Rain marks the start of the fishermen’s first voyage of the year. The custom dates back more than 2,000 years ago, when people believed they owed a good harvest to the gods, who protected them from the stormy seas. People would worship the sea and stage sacrifice ceremonies on the Grain Rain festival, praying for an abundant harvest and a safe voyage for their loved ones.
1. According to the passage, which is the benefit of drinking tea on the day of Grain Rain?| A．Refreshing. | B．Nutritious. | C．Memorable. | D．Protective. |
| A．To celebrate the end of winter. | B．To give thanks for the harvest. |
| C．To honor the gods for protection. | D．To welcome the new fishing season. |
| A．A culture column. | B．A science report. |
| C．An agricultural paper. | D．A tourism advertisement. |
8 . Growers are finding new ways to extend the British asparagus (芦笋) season and meet demand for this tasty and healthy crop.
Asparagus is believed to have been enjoyed as long ago as the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman empires. It promotes healthy bacteria in the large intestine (肠) and can help reduce bloating (胀气). A source of vitamins K and C, it also has numerous benefits to the immune system generally.
Fans of asparagus will be delighted to know that nowadays there’s more opportunity than ever to get hold of homegrow n product. One of the country’s leading asparagus growers and pioneers of extending the British season is the Chinn family. The family grows Wye Valley-branded asparagus and sells into supermarkets, local restaurants, wholesale markets and processors.
The company has been growing asparagus since 2004 and has developed a reputation for innovation, using modern production and packing techniques to lock in the freshness immediately after harvesting. The traditional British asparagus season runs from 23 April to 21 June, but Chris Chinn says by using new varieties and polytunnels to protect the crop, his farm has massively extended that from February to late June.
Called “the Usain Bolt of vegetables”, British asparagus can actually grow up to 10cm in a single day. It thrives in free-draining sandy soils, and, as Chris puts it, “does not like wet feet”. That has made the past few months a big challenge for growers with the amount of rain that’s fallen so far this year.
In spite of that, this season, the Chinns pushed the envelope once again, harvesting the first commercial volumes for sale in a local Food store in early February — the earliest it’s ever been available. “This especially early crop is the product of innovative methods, and environmental sustainability is a key concern with us using only the sun’s heat, and on-farm compost,” says Chris. “We are absolutely delighted to be first to market with British asparagus once again.”
Chris says that with all asparagus spears picked and packed by hand, getting enough seasonal labour onto the farm is a constant headache for growers. There is hope, though, that technology will ultimately be able to help.
1. According to the passage, what can we know about the British asparagus?| A．It is a forgiving plant in low-lying areas. |
| B．It grows fast and can’t tolerate light shade. |
| C．It is good for immunity and physical well-being. |
| D．It grows in winter and likes growing in wet fields. |
| A．Boosted the volume. | B．Unfolded the letter. |
| C．Reduced the pollution. | D．Stretched the boundaries. |
| A．How to extend the asparagus season. |
| B．The reason for seasonal labor shortage. |
| C．Some technology to solve the labor shortage. |
| D．The constant headache for asparagus growers. |
| A．New Ways to Harvest the Asparagus |
| B．Asparagus, the Usain Bolt of Vegetables |
| C．Innovations to Extend the Asparagus Season |
| D．The Chinns, the Innovator of Growing Asparagus |
9 . Trained goldfish demonstrated a remarkable ability to accurately estimate the distance. Spatial navigation (空间导航) in mammals, birds, and reptiles is well understood, but it was unknown whether similar structures existed in fish. This knowledge would allow us to better understand how spatial navigation systems evolved.
Researchers from the University of Oxford tested whether goldfish could perform a task central to spatial mapping-distance estimation — to see if they have similar spatial navigation systems to land species. The study, led by Dr. Adelaide Sibeaux, trained nine goldfish to travel 70 cm within a narrow tank covered with a repeating pattern of vertical stripes (竖条纹) every 2 cm. When the fish reached the predetermined distance, they were prompted by an external cue to turn around and swim back to the starting point. The researchers then tested whether the fish would swim the same distance if the external cue was removed and the starting position was changed. They also tested whether goldfish would swim the same distance when the background pattern was changed.
According to the researchers, the results indicate that goldfish estimate distances by visually streaming the apparent motion patterns of objects in the environment (called “optic flow”). Many land species are known to use optic flow to estimate distance, but goldfish appear to process the information differently. Land animals, including humans, ants, wolf-spiders, and honey bees, estimate distances by measuring how the angle between their eye and surrounding objects changes as they travel. Goldfish, on the other hand, appear to use the number of contrast changes experienced on the way.
“We present strong evidence that goldfish can accurately estimate distance and show that they use optic flow to do so,” says lead author Dr. Adelaide Sibeaux. “These findings support the use of goldfish as a model system for studying the evolution of the mechanisms in vertebrates (脊椎动物).”
1. What does the word “prompted” underlined in the second paragraph refer to?| A．Punished. | B．Reminded. | C．Forgotten. | D．Cheated. |
| A．To make it easy for the goldfish to turn around. |
| B．To demonstrate the goldfish’s swimming ability. |
| C．To research into the goldfish’s sense of distance. |
| D．To help the goldfish reach the learned distance. |
| A．copying land animals | B．processing information |
| C．experiencing changes | D．applying optic flow |
| A．Goldfish Have an Excellent Sense of Distance |
| B．The Use of Optic Flow Among Land Animals |
| C．A Study Is Being Carried Out on Trained Goldfish |
| D．The Evolution of Spatial Navigation in Vertebrates |
10 . When Zhou Longshan started filming birds 10 years ago at Baiyangdian Lake, a major wetland in northern China, he just wanted to record his favorite species—egrets. Then, things snowballed. In the following years, the teacher became a bird-watcher, a volunteer ranger at the lake, a photographer documenting over 110 bird species and an educator popularizing bird-related information among students.” Sharing bird-protection knowledge with children can make them feel the beauty of their hometown and the importance of birds, and help them cultivate the habit of protecting birds from an early age,” he says.
Over time, Zhou’s interest in birds continued to grow. In 2021, he was appointed as a bird observer by the natural resources bureau (自然资源局) of Anxin county, responsible for conducting regular patrols (巡逻) and popularizing bird-related knowledge. To monitor birds, Zhou would ride a bike to Baiyangdian almost every day before dawn, whatever the weather. He would record the birds appearing at the lake, along with their locations, where they fed and when they migrated, thus providing reference data for staff members of the natural resources bureau of Anxin county.
Although Zhou takes delight in the role, there are still many challenges. Sometimes, he has to navigate earth embankments on his bike. One summer day in 2021, he fell into a ditch with water more than a meter deep, resulting in water damage to his cellphone.
However, these difficult episodes have not undermined Zhou’s love of birds. Over the years, he has taken more than 100,000 pictures of the birds at Baiyangdian. During his spare time, he reads books on China’s birds, talks with other enthusiasts and university professors, and updates his WeChat official account to introduce Baiyangdian to a wider audience.
These days, Zhou’s schedule is growing busier. In addition to his regular patrols near the lake, he is sometimes invited to local schools to give lectures, keeping students informed about birds and how to protect them. Zhou will retire next month. “I will continue patrolling the lake and photographing the birds to contribute to the protection of birds in my hometown,” he says.
1. Why did Zhou start taking photos of birds at first?| A．To share bird-protection knowledge with children. |
| B．To cultivate the habit of protecting birds. |
| C．To keep track of his favorite species. |
| D．To become a volunteer ranger at the lake. |
| A．He rode a bike to Baiyangdian every day before dawn. |
| B．He went to Baiyangdian in all weathers. |
| C．He recorded all the birds along with their locations. |
| D．He provided reference data for natural resources bureau. |
| A．He didn’t meet any challenges while doing the job. |
| B．He reads books about birds all over the world in his free time. |
| C．He is invited to local schools to give lectures every day. |
| D．He uses social media to introduce Baiyangdian to more people. |
| A．Enthusiastic and controlling. | B．Knowledgeable and persistent. |
| C．Farsighted and reserved. | D．Considerate and stubborn. |
