1 . A community canteen at the Zhanongkou Community in Shangcheng, Hangzhou recently launched “happiness blind boxes”, which cost just 6 yuan per box. Sales start at 7 p. m. each evening.

The dishes are packaged in transparent (透明的) containers, but to maintain an element of surprise, stickers are placed over the lid (盖子) of the “main dish” section of each box. The “blind boxes” have become popular since being introduced, and on some nights they sell out by about 8 p. m.

A meal assistance program introduced in Zhanongkou subdistrict ensures the elderly can access meals within a 10-minute walk of their homes or have them delivered within five minutes. The service has also been welcomed by younger people living and working in the area.

Yan Xuyang, a professor at Beijing Union University’s Tourism College, predicts that by 2035, those born from the 1970s to the 2000s will comprise the main group of customers for such canteens. “This generation has a reasonable level of disposable (可自由支配的) income, and many of its members may also lack the willingness to prepare meals for themselves,” Yan said.

The successful operation of community canteens depends on their ability to integrate into the daily lives and culture of local residents. In addition to serving dishes to suit local tastes and fostering a welcoming environment for diners, it is important to widen the functions of these canteens. They have been used for cultural activities and other events, which helps raise awareness and foster a positive perspective on these canteens among local communities.

In the latter part of last year, the Weikang community canteen in Ziyang subdistrict, Hangzhou, experienced a significant transformation from being a canteen for seniors to catering for the whole community. Its services have been broadened beyond regular operations to include services for hospitals and businesses, complete with home delivery options. Some other community canteens have also made efforts to appeal to more residents.

1. What can we know about the “happiness blind boxes” from the passage?

A．They are sold out every night before 8 p. m.

B．They are beautifully decorated with stickers.

C．They offer a sense of mystery with the unknown main dishes.

D．They are only offered to the residents in the Zhanongkou Community.

2. What’s Yan Xuyang’s attitude towards the future of the community canteen?

A．Promising.

B．Cautious.

C．Unclear.

D．Objective.

3. What might contribute most to the success of community canteens?

A．Reasonable prices.

B．Fast delivery service.

C．Various functions.

D．Unexpected surprises.

4. Why is the Weikang community canteen mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To highlight the popularity of community canteens.

B．To emphasize the importance of community canteens.

C．To discuss the wide functions of community canteens.

D．To show the innovative reform of community canteens.

2 . The behavior of beavers and other animals has often inspired expressions in English. If someone is very industrious or hard-working in tackling many things at once, we can say the person is “as busy as a beaver.” This phrase hints at one of the characteristics of these wild animals—they are indeed active creatures.

With their large teeth, which are orange due to iron in the tooth enamel (牙齿的珐琅质), beavers can cut down trees and change their environments like no other animals except humans. They use these fallen trees to build dams, creating safe, watery environments. The busy beavers build homes — called lodges — in the ponds created by the dams. The only way to get in and out of lodges is by entering an underwater opening of the structures. This offers beavers protection from predators such as bears, wolves, or coyotes.

It’s also interesting to note that beavers have another reason for cutting down trees aside from building dams. Beavers can digest cellulose, so wood is a significant food source for them, with their diet 15 also consisting of leaves and aquatic plants. Chewing on trees also helps beavers keep their teeth sharp, making it easier for them to keep chopping down trees.

Of course, no discussion about beavers would be complete without mentioning their most noticeable feature their large, flat tails, which have different uses. One is that they act as a rudder, helping them steer in the water. Another is that the animals pound their tails on the water to warn other beavers of danger. Since beavers work so hard building their homes and warning others of potential harm, it’s no surprise that busy as a beaver is a common phrase.

1. Which of the following usages of “as busy as a beaver” correct?

A．My cat is as busy as a beaver since it always lies on the sofa.

B．This kind of tree is as busy as a beaver because it takes hundreds of years for it to be used as timber.

C．Hanna is having a cup of coffee and listening to music in the living room. She is truly as busy as a beaver.

D．Oliver is responsible for two projects and has to train the three new employees, so he has been as busy as a beaver recently.

2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．What countries beavers are found in.	B．How beavers keep themselves safe.
C．The animals that threaten beavers.	D．The food that beavers eat.

3. How does building dams protect beavers?

A．The wood is very strong.

B．The water from dams helps beavers digest wood.

C．Dams make it harder for other animals to catch.

D．Dams provide beavers with lots of water to drink.

4. If a beaver sees a pack of wolves approaching, which body part will it use to alert others?

A．Tail

B．Teeth

C．Paw

D．Head

3 . Over 7,000 species around the world are considered endangered. That number doesn’t even include the plants, animals, and other lifeforms that are listed by some scientists as vulnerable, critically endangered, or extinct in the wild.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains the most-comprehensive list of endangered species around the world. The Red List of Threatened Species, as it’s called, judges each species on five different standards for an in-depth scientific approach. According to the IUCN, an endangered species is one that meets any one of the following criteria (标准): a 50%-70% population decrease over 10 years, a total geographic area less than 5,000 square kilometers, a population size less than 2,500 adults, a restricted population of 250 adults, or a statistical prediction that it will go extinct within the next 20 years.

Though the IUCN’s Red List covers a wide range of what qualifies as an endangered species, it doesn’t quite say how a species reaches those low points. Prepare to feel guilty: the most common factor when it comes to species decline is human intervention. Loss of habitat, the introduction of a foreign species into the environment, hunting, pollution, disease, and loss of genetic variation (基因变异) are all causes of species decline and most often are a result of human activities. Take the bald eagle for example: the rise in human population and urban development of North America limited the animal’s habitat; an increase in hunting the eagles for sport lowered their population size; and the use of the pesticide DDT on farms harmed the animal’s reproductive capabilities.

But even though humans are the number one cause of species decline, classifying species as endangered encourages action to reverse the effects of human intervention. Conservation efforts by the US Fish and Wildlife Service criminalized (使非法) the hunting of bald eagles and the use of the pesticide DDT in the mid- to late 20th century. The effect was positive, as bald eagles have been on the rise and were taken off the endangered species list in 1995.

1. Which of the following species can be considered endangered?

A．One that will go extinct within the next 50 years.

B．One whose population size is less than 5,000 adults.

C．One whose habitat is less than 2,500 square kilometers.

D．One whose population decreases 20% over twenty years.

2. What does paragraph 3 focus on?

A．The causes of species decline.

B．The disadvantages of the pesticide.

C．A list of worldwide endangered species.

D．Common features of endangered species.

3. Why is the bald eagle mentioned as an example in the last paragraph?

A．To show its rareness.

B．To blame humans for its decline.

C．To stress its importance in nature.

D．To show the meaning of ranking it endangered.

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

A．Entertainment.

B．Health.

C．Science.

D．Education.

4 . Rising water temperatures and the increasing levels of carbon dioxide in our oceans are killing our beautiful coral reefs at a surprising speed. Add the current extreme weather pattern, and things look even worse.

So what makes coral so sensitive? Although it may be hard to believe, corals are not plants, but animals. The colorful reefs we admire so much happen to be skeletons(骨骼) given up by hundreds of thousands of polyps(珊瑚虫). To survive, these animals live with an algae(海藻). The coral polyps give the algae a home and then the algae provide the polyps with their bright color and food.

But the rising water temperatures are causing the coral polyps to lose their algae friends. As a result, the corals are not only losing their food source but also their beautiful colors.

The disappearance of the coral not only makes humans lose the chance to admire the beautiful coral reefs. It also removes a natural barrier which protects shorelines from storms and also fewer living places for fish and other sea animals.

To prevent these important animals from disappearing, a team of researchers are attempting to raise ‘super’ corals.

They began by selecting certain coral species that seems to have got used to the changing ocean conditions. Then they made them even more adaptable to warmer water. Once ready, the researchers plan to transplant the coral into Hawaii’s Kaneohe Bay.

This sounds simple, but they are not sure that it will work because coral is sensitive to touch and also develops very slowly and infrequently. Also, past attempts to remove coral have failed because they were either eaten by fish or died of disease.

Though there exist these dangers, researchers believe there’s no other choice to prevent the reefs from disappearing. Tom Oliver, a scientist says, “The question is not ‘can they do it?’, but ‘can they do it fast enough?’”

1. Which fact might surprise people according to the text?

A．Corals come in different colors.

B．Corals are not plants but animals.

C．Corals are sensitive to water temperatures.

D．Coral reefs can protect the coast from storms.

2. What make coral lose its color?

A．The failure to raise them.

B．Too much sunshine.

C．The polluted sea water.

D．The loss of algae friends.

3. What does the underlined word “transplant” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?

A．Remove.	B．Admire.
C．Export.	D．Exchange.

4. What is mainly talked about in the text?

A．Corals are of great use to people.

B．People are trying to prevent corals disappearing.

C．Human activities are affecting the growth of corals.

D．Coral polyps depend on an algae for color and food.

5 . Exploring unmapped territory on the moon could soon be as easy as slipping on a backpack. NASA researchers designed a new high-tech pack for navigating(给引航)unknown territories in outer space.

The backpack uses a remote-sensing mapping system to create high-resolution(高分辨)3-D maps that astronauts could use to explore the southernmost point on the moon according to a statement. NASA’s dynamic technology is like the technology used by smart cars to alert their drivers of potential collisions(碰撞).

“Basically, the sensor is a surveying tool for both navigation and science mapping, able to create ultra-high-resolution 3-D maps at centimeter-level precision and give them a rich scientific context,”tells Michael Zanetti, a scientist. “It will also help ensure the safety of astronauts and rover vehicles in a GPS-denied environment such as the Moon by identifying actual distances to far-off landmarks and showing explorers in real time how far they’ve come and how far is left.”

NASA plans to have astronauts return to the moon by 2025. The team is set to land near the lunar south pole because previous evidence suggests that the area may contain subsurface water ice. Part of the reason astronauts would need a GPS tracking backpack is because the area on the moon’s south pole is shrouded by shadows, making it difficult for space explorers to estimate distances on the moon.

Next, NASA is working on bringing the backpack’s weight and size down. Currently. It weighs 40 pounds, but the team hopes that the tech could be small enough to fit on an astronaut’s helmet.

1. What are Michael Zanetti’s words mainly about?

A．The working principle of the backpack.	B．The challenges of the backpack.
C．The shortcomings of the backpack.	D．The development of the backpack.

2. What does the underlined word “shrouded”in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Mixed.

B．Reduced.

C．Covered.

D．Separated.

3. What is NASA planning to do?

A．Make the backpack cheaper.	B．Make the backpack more accurate.
C．Make the backpack more fashionable.	D．Make the backpack lighter and smaller.

4. Where is the text most likely from?

A．A travel journal.	B．A science magazine.
C．An impressive novel.	D．A personal notebook.

7 . As cities balloon with growth, access to nature for people living in urban areas is becoming harder to find. If you’re lucky, there might be a pocket park near where you live, but it’s unusual to find places in a city that are relatively wild.

Past research has found health and wellness benefits of nature for humans, but a new study shows that wildness in urban areas is extremely important for human well-being.

The research team focused on a large urban park. They surveyed several hundred park-goers, asking them to submit a written summary online of a meaningful interaction they had with nature in the park. The researchers then examined these submissions, coding (编码) experiences into different categories. For example, one participant’s experience of “We sat and listened to the waves at the beach for a while” was assigned the categories “sitting at beach” and “listening to waves.”

Across the 320 submissions, a pattern of categories the researchers call a “nature language” began to emerge. After the coding of all submissions, half a dozen categories were noted most often as important to visitors. These include encountering wildlife, walking along the edge of water, and following an established trail.

Naming each nature experience creates a usable language, which helps people recognize and take part in the activities that are most satisfying and meaningful to them. For example, the experience of walking along the edge of water might be satisfying for a young professional on a weekend hike in the park. Back downtown during a workday, they can enjoy a more domestic form of this interaction by walking along a fountain on their lunch break.

“We’re trying to generate a language that helps bring the human-nature interactions back into our daily lives. And for that to happen, we also need to protect nature so that we can interact with it,” said Peter Kahn, a senior author of the study.

1. What phenomenon does the author describe at the beginning of the text?

A．Pocket parks are now popular.	B．Wild nature is hard to find in cities.
C．Many cities are overpopulated.	D．People enjoy living close to nature.

2. Why did the researchers code participant submissions into categories?

A．To compare different types of park-goers.	B．To explain why the park attracts tourists.
C．To analyze the main features of the park.	D．To find patterns in the visitors’ summaries.

3. What can we learn from the example given in paragraph 5?

A．Walking is the best way to gain access to nature.

B．Young people are too busy to interact with nature.

C．The same nature experience takes different forms.

D．The nature language enhances work performance.

4. What should be done before we can interact with nature according to Kahn?

A．Language study.	B．Environmental conservation.
C．Public education.	D．Intercultural communication.

8 . ChatGPT became the hottest issue due to its ability to produce human-sounding essays, poetry, and screenplays on virtually any subject in seconds. Soon after ChatGPT was released, the potential for it to be misused to do things such as spread misinformation and write junk mails became apparent. Schools and educators also have warned of the potential for students to use it to write essays or other work they have been assigned. Last December, the software passed all three parts of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination as part of a research experiment.

So the startup, OpenAI behind the viral chatbot, revealed a tool for detecting text generated by artificial intelligence amid growing concerns the technology will be abused by cheaters, junk mail senders and others. OpenAI said that its so-called AI classifier was designed to help people distinguish between text written by a human versus a range of artificial intelligence programs—not just ChatGPT.

OpenAI said it had schools in mind when developing its latest classifier tool. “We recognize that identifying AI-written text has been an important point of discussion among educators, and equally important is recognizing the limits and impacts of AI-generated text classifiers in the classroom,” it said.

The classifier isn’t good enough on its own, though it can be used to go with methods that educators, employers and others rely on to determine the source of a piece of text. In evaluations, the new tool correctly identified 26% of AI-written text as “likely AI-written”, while it also had false positives 9% of the time in which it incorrectly labeled human-written text as AI-written. Another problem is that the tool can’t easily tell if a list of facts—U.S. state capitals for example—was written by a person or AI, because the correct answer would be the same. AI-written text can also be edited to escape the classifier.

“While it is impossible to reliably detect all AI-written text, classifiers like ours can be updated and re-trained based on successful attacks,” OpenAI said. “But it is unclear whether detection has an advantage in the long-term.”

1. ChatGPT’s passing the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam is mentioned to __________.

A．account for its operating principles

B．illustrate its complex structure

C．emphasize its growing popularity

D．warn against its potential danger

2. What’s the function of AI classifier?

A．Deepening the impact of AI writers.

B．Identifying the texts generated by AI.

C．Promoting the use of AI in classroom discussion.

D．Arousing educators’ awareness of AI-related technology.

3. What can be concluded from the evaluation of AI classifier?

A．It is a work-in-progress.

B．It is good at storing factual information.

C．It can help a journalist to edit a text.

D．It is a reliable educational tool.

4. What does OpenAI think of AI classifier?

A．It will be reliable after continuous self-update and retraining.

B．Whether it can help educators in the long-term is out of question.

C．Whether it can solve the problems as intended remains a question.

D．It will succeed in detecting all human-written texts in the near future.

9 . Gina Ginsberg was born to a wealthy family that lost its fortune. For years, Gina’s life was ________. Eventually she managed to ________ in the U.S where she became a practicing physician and co- founder of a free health clinic. She was accomplished and ________.

But she ________ constantly that the family would fall into ________. She would tell her three children, “We ________ have one dollar for food today. It has to ________ all of us.”

Gina retired in 2020 and ________ her retirement funds. She still thought money played an important part in her life. But her attitude towards spending money was much more light-hearted.

“I once gave a guy a $20 ________ for pumping my gas,” she said. “He was like, ‘Wow, how ________!’ What if I could do that over and over?” So she ________ to give away $100 a day for a month to those in need of help. She would write ________ to share her activities with others on her website. She set some rules for herself. She had to meet each person as part of her normal routines.

That ________ was marked by many similar meetings. The process of ________ made her feel good. When the month was over, Dr. Ginsberg ________ it hadn’t been enough. She felt grateful she could afford it. Small actions can make a big difference.

1.

A．secure

B．simple

C．hard

D．smooth

2.

A．slim down

B．settle down

C．make out

D．pass out

3.

A．ignored

B．respected

C．concerned

D．stressed

4.

A．proved

B．hoped

C．denied

D．worried

5.

A．success

B．illness

C．fortune

D．poverty

6.

A．hardly

B．originally

C．only

D．almost

7.

A．remind

B．feed

C．cost

D．help

8.

A．raised

B．donated

C．received

D．lent

9.

A．tip

B．product

C．bill

D．service

10.

A．amazing

B．awkward

C．strange

D．clever

11.

A．stopped

B．agreed

C．decided

D．had

12.

A．blogs

B．information

C．proposals

D．goals

13.

A．day

B．week

C．year

D．month

14.

A．writing

B．giving

C．working

D．teaching

15.

A．recognized

B．expected

C．recommended

D．attached

10 . In a tiny section of a park in New York City where tall buildings can make one feel closed in, a community comes together at The Tables. Free outdoor Ping-pong tables donated by a company _________ people from across the city and around the world. This unique _________ in the heart of Manhattan brings together individuals with vastly different _________—a homeless person, a soldier, a business person and a student—who share a love of Ping-pong. They were _________ first, and then they became friends or family.

The tables are _________ to the public beginning at 11 am with paddles and balls provided by the park. _________ start to gather in around 4 pm with their own paddles in hand. Deeper than the healthy _________ and love of the sport is a sense of _________ and inter-generational friendship among the regular players. They come to have fun, _________ and “feel alive”.

Krishan Kumar, 64, a lawyer originally from India, visits the park nearly every day. “I believe that by playing Ping-pong you can be young and it is __________ to know each other here.”

“I’ve been playing Ping-pong here for 7 or 8 years. I __________ here year after year.” Trevon Jeffrey, a young Guyaness man who lives in Brooklyn, New York says.

What __________ as a marketing tool for a local Ping-pong center __________grew into the community it is today. Jon Bunning, the filmmaker who created the documentary The Tables, was inspired by the __________ of players and the community they developed, he wanted to __________ their story.

1.

A．suit

B．attract

C．welcome

D．generate

2.

A．design

B．pattern

C．color

D．setting

3.

A．countries

B．nations

C．backgrounds

D．races

4.

A．strangers

B．friends

C．acquaintance

D．competitors

5.

A．similar

B．available

C．beneficial

D．unique

6.

A．Regulars

B．Journalists

C．Professionals

D．Experts

7.

A．nutrition

B．competition

C．fights

D．interview

8.

A．belonging

B．pride

C．prejudice

D．achievement

9.

A．beat

B．defeat

C．battle

D．connect

10.

A．impossible

B．awkward

C．fascinating

D．absurd

11.

A．decorate

B．coach

C．miss

D．return

12.

A．began

B．happened

C．mattered

D．predicted

13.

A．naturally

B．generally

C．unexpectedly

D．precisely

14.

A．devotion

B．similarity

C．insight

D．diversity

15.

A．write

B．share

C．make up

D．subscribe to