1 . 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. |
2 . About 7,000 languages in use today speak to the fact that our species is born to communicate. But while we tend to view language as merely a consequence of our extraordinary cognitive (认知的) powers, Caleb Everett thinks there may be more going on. Everett argues in his book “A Myriad of Tongues: How Languages Reveal Differences in How We Think” that language itself may influence our understanding of the world and our experience of time and space.
Such a challenging idea might have caused arguments a few decades ago, says Everett, because linguists (语言学家) restricted themselves to analyzing languages of industrialized, higher-income countries. These are relatively similar, so they encourage speakers to think along broadly similar lines, he says. But we now know they fall short of representing the variety of languages spoken today — and the more we learn about understudied languages, the more evidence we find for the complicated interaction between language and thinking.
Consider Berinmo, a language spoken in Papua New Guinea. Unlike English speakers, explains Everett, Berinmo speakers struggle to remember whether an object they were shown earlier was blue or green — perhaps because that language doesn’t distinguish between these colors. But it does make a formal distinction between yellowish-greens and other greens, and Berinmo speakers typically find it easy to remember which of these colors an object they saw earlier was, while English speakers struggle to do this.
Everett’s book celebrates two main subjects: understudied languages, with the interesting insights they offer, and the careful work of linguists, cognitive scientists, and other experts to explore the way language influences our thinking.
As Everett stresses, this work is vital as we live through a language extinction event predicted to see the loss of about 30 percent of today’s languages by 2100. His book makes it clear that this is more than just a tragedy for local communities. Given the insights that languages offer into the human mind, their disappearance is detrimental to us all.
1. What does Everett’s book discuss?| A．How many languages are still in use. |
| B．How language may impact our world view. |
| C．How humans gain languages since birth. |
| D．How language promotes mental development. |
| A．By following advice from language experts. |
| B．By interviewing different cognitive scientists. |
| C．By gaining insights from minority languages. |
| D．By contrasting the world’s dominant languages. |
| A．It is accurate in describing objects. | B．It is greatly influenced by English. |
| C．It has a decreasing number of users. | D．It has a unique way of telling colors apart. |
| A．Harmful. | B．Familiar. | C．Essential. | D．Strange. |
3 . If you think about World Heritage Sites, you probably think of places associated with ancient art and culture and historical buildings. And of course, many of these are on the World Heritage List (WHL). These include remains of ancient cultures like Cuzco in Peru or the rock city of Petra in Jordan as well as old city centers such as Rome in Italy. Also common are places of artistic or cultural significance, like the Stonehenge stone circle in England. But the WHL contains a lot of sites that are not so obvious. Let’s look at a few of the more unusual sites on the WHL and why it is important to preserve them.
Citadel of Haiti
These monuments were built at the end of the 19th century when Haiti became independent and the many thousands of black slaves in Haiti were free for the first time. These ex-slaves built the monuments, which the WHL describes as “a universal symbol of liberty”.
Borders of France and Spain
This is an area of great natural beauty and the mountains have many interesting geological formations.
But it is also an area of small farms. The WHL has listed the site because it shows us about past European society through its landscape of villages, farms, fields, up land pastures and mountain roads.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
This railway in India was opened in 1881 and is still operating today. It crosses a difficult area of mountain landscape and it is a great example of railway engineering. The WHL says that it is “the first, and still the most outstanding, example of a hill passenger railway.”
The city of Brasilia
Brasilia is a capital city that was created from nothing in 1956. The WHL calls it “a land mark in the history of town planning”. The different areas of the city and the buildings themselves were all designed at the same time so that they would harmonize with each other.
1. What’s the function of the examples of World Heritage Sites in paragraph 1?| A．To highlight the importance of WHL. |
| B．To exemplify sites of artistic and cultural value. |
| C．To compare the differences between various sites. |
| D．To draw readers’ attention to more unique sites on the WHL. |
| A．Former slaves. | B．Citizens in Haiti. |
| C．Active revolutionaries. | D．Haiti government. |
| A．Citadel of Haiti. | B．Borders of France and Spain. |
| C．The city of Brasilia. | D．The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. |
4 . Many of the top museums and cultural attractions in L.A. are your best choices if you visit Los Angeles. From ancient artifacts to modern art, read on for our guide in Los Angeles.
Museum of Latin American Art: Founded in 1996, it is the only art museum in the United States devoted to modern and contemporary Latin American art. Since its beginning, it has doubled its size, added a 15,000 square foot sculpture garden and expanded its permanent collection, ranging from works by Tamayo and Matta to CruzDiez, Los Carpinteros and Tunga. Free admission every Sunday.
Autry Museum of the American West: Located in Griffith Park, the Autry features worldclass galleries filled with Native American art and artifacts, film memorabilia, historic firearms and more. The Autry’s collection of more than 500,000 pieces of art and artifacts includes the Southwest Museum of the American Indian Collection, one of the largest and most significant collections of Native American materials in the country. Free admission on the second Tuesday of every month.
Descanso Gardens: Located in La Cañada Flintridge, the 160 acre Descanso Gardens was originally developed in 1936 by Elias Manchester Boddy, whose numerous interests included horticulture and politics. Descanso Gardens offers numerous areas for exploring, including a Japanese tea garden, Water-wise garden, Oak Woodland, California Garden, and the world’s largest collection of camellia flowers. Free admission on the third Tuesday of every month.
Kidspace Children’s Museum: Founded in 1979 by members of the Caltech community and Junior League of Pasadena, the museum develops the potential of all kids through kiddriven experiences, inspiring them to become joyful, active learners. Admission to the museum is free on First Fridays.
1. What is special about Museum of Latin American Art?| A．It has a very long history. | B．It has been continuously enlarged. |
| C．It owns Native American artifacts. | D．It offers a wide range of exploration. |
| A．Museum of Latin American Art. | B．Autry Museum of the American West. |
| C．Descanso Gardens. | D．Kidspace Children’s Museum. |
| A．They take up large areas. | B．They have diverse cultures. |
| C．They collect artworks permanently. | D．They offer free admission regularly. |
5 . There are many great independent bookstores in North Carolina. If you’re looking for some good books to read, you can visit the bookstores listed below.
Purple Crow BooksIt’s a literary meeting place right in historic downtown Hillsborough. It was opened in 2009. You can find new books, used ones or the latest works by local authors. Because it specializes in local writers, Purple Crow Books is a favorite tourist destination. It’s a great place to grab a signed copy of a book by your favorite local author.
109 West King Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Quail Ridge BooksThis is an independent bookstore with friendly staff dedicated to (致力于) providing the best customer service. Founded in 1984 by Nancy Olson, the store provides a wide variety of carefully selected books, events, discussion groups and town hall meetings. The owner Lisa Poole bought the store in 2013 and is dedicated to serving the locals.
4209-100 Lassiter Mill Road, Raleigh, NC 27609
Pomegranate BooksThis bookstore is located in the historic Borkenhagen House in the Winter Park neighborhood of Wilmington, North Carolina. It has been finding good homes for great books since 2005. It stocks a carefully selected collection of literary and life-enhancing titles for all ages and also features locally-made cards and gift items.
4418 Park Ave, Wilmington, NC 28403
Scuppernong BooksThis bookstore was opened on December 21, 2013 and has been an important part of the rebirth of downtown Greensboro ever since. It features fiction and poetry along with a remarkable children’s section and a broad range of general interest titles. Within the store is a busy cafe serving coffee, wine, and beer sourced primarily from local small businesses.
304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
1. What is special about Purple Crow Books?| A．It holds various reading activities. | B．It mainly sells books by local writers. |
| C．It focuses on selling second-hand books. | D．It is supported by local small businesses. |
| A．Quail Ridge Books. | B．Purple Crow Books. |
| C．Pomegranate Books. | D．Scuppernong Books. |
| A．People loving non-fiction books. | B．People liking handmade cards and gifts. |
| C．People enjoying a very quiet environment. | D．People fond of buying collections of poetry. |
6 . The train had been long delayed. Running out of
He lay down and fell asleep but was soon woken up by a woman. She handed him his bag and
Andy's thoughts drifted (飘) to when he was
Andy woke up later feeling much better. Then he noticed the woman, who’d
Without thinking twice, Andy wrapped his mother’s scarf around the baby. To his
| A．luck | B．patience | C．time | D．energy |
| A．train | B．truth | C．cause | D．notice |
| A．insisted | B．explained | C．apologized | D．admitted |
| A．surprised | B．ready | C．thankful | D．frightened |
| A．checking | B．leaving | C．planning | D．packing |
| A．hurt | B．annoyed | C．ashamed | D．puzzled |
| A．Lately | B．Finally | C．Suddenly | D．Instantly |
| A．look | B．pill | C．rest | D．sandwich |
| A．for safety | B．on purpose | C．in case | D．by accident |
| A．calmness | B．confidence | C．comfort | D．concern |
| A．warmth | B．memory | C．smell | D．touch |
| A．helped | B．pleased | C．disturbed | D．greeted |
| A．carefully | B．casually | C．gently | D．tightly |
| A．relief | B．amazement | C．mind | D．advantage |
| A．arms | B．scarfs | C．passengers | D．mothers |
7 . Miloszek was born with a heart defect. His condition is too
Just a week after
Days later, a Polish convenience store chain called Zabka
“We were very touched by the extremely
| A．particular | B．optimistic | C．serious | D．common |
| A．Undoubtedly | B．Unfortunately | C．Additionally | D．Absolutely |
| A．expect | B．permit | C．ensure | D．afford |
| A．crowded | B．turned | C．brought | D．stepped |
| A．earning | B．declaring | C．battling | D．defeating |
| A．parcel | B．message | C．card | D．list |
| A．sold | B．returned | C．purchased | D．saved |
| A．expected | B．needed | C．accepted | D．commanded |
| A．health | B．dream | C．heart | D．story |
| A．borrowed | B．provided | C．collected | D．used |
| A．kindness | B．news | C．sympathy | D．gratitude |
| A．secret | B．reputation | C．money | D．medal |
| A．flexible | B．noble | C．gentle | D．awkward |
| A．recovery | B．request | C．fundraiser | D．award |
| A．contribute | B．present | C．fight | D．change |
8 . A tree planting initiative in Kenya has seen over 30,000 trees being planted. The Green Generation Initiative is a Kenyan charity that has been planting trees to counter climate change and the reduction in forest in the East African nation since 2016.
Founded by climate activist Elizabeth Wathuti, the initiative's primary focus is on developing young climate activists through environmental education in schools and addressing food insecurity in the region through planting fruit trees. Since its foundation, over 30,000 trees have been planted in Kenya, while thousands of school children have not just planted trees but adopted them to ensure that young people learn the importance of acting as a guardian of the health of the environment. The trees have recorded a survival rate of over 98 percent, as they continue growing from young trees to maturity.
Speaking to world leaders at the recent UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26)，Elizabeth issued a serious warning about the threat of climate change: “Over two million of Kenyans are facing climaterelated starvation. In 2025, half of the world's population will be facing water shortage. By the time I'm 50, the climate crisis will displace over 80 million people in subSaharan Africa alone.”
Elizabeth said, “I have been doing what I can.Inspired by the great Wangari Maathai, I founded a tree growing initiative that enhances food security for young Kenyans. So far, we have grown 30，000 fruit trees, providing desperately needed nutrition for thousands of children.” “Every day we see that when we look after the trees, they look after us. We are the adults on this Earth right now, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the children have food and water, ”she added.
1. What is the initiative intended for?| A．Making policies. |
| B．Raising money. |
| C．Educating adults. |
| D．Fighting climate change. |
| A．Hunger. | B．Sickness. |
| C．Water shortage. | D．Economic risks. |
| A．Over 3,000 trees have been planted. |
| B．Green awareness has been raised. |
| C．Over 80 million people have been saved. |
| D．School education has been guaranteed. |
| A．Friendly and talented. |
| B．Caring and responsible. |
| C．Honest and determined. |
| D．Ambitious and humorous. |
9 . When temperatures climb, many people reach for ice-cold beverages (饮料) to cool down. But others put the kettle on: Hot tea is a go-to beverage year-round in countries such as Bangladesh, China, Japan and Saudi Arabia. Many people find hot tea refreshing on hot days. Can hot drinks really cool you down on a hot day?
According to Peter McNaughton, a professor at King’s College London who studies thermoregulation (温度调节), hot drinks really can cool you down. “It seems totally counterintuitive (反直觉的，违反直觉的),” McNaughton said. “Drinking a hot drink really does make you drop your temperature if it’s not too humid out.”
“If a drink is warmer than your body at first, obviously, that drink makes you hotter,” McNaughton said. But humans, like all warmblooded animals, are constantly adjusting to maintain a consistent internal temperature. McNaughton found that hot drinks activate a receptor (接受器) in our nerves called TRPV1, which tells the body it needs to cool down. In response, humans sweat.
“Sweat pooling on skin is uncomfortable, but add a breeze or a fan, and the air blowing past helps sweat evaporate (蒸发), taking heat with it,” McNaughton said. “In general, your life depends on sweating. Sweating can help humans survive in some of the highest temperatures documented on Earth, at least in dry heat. Sweat is less effective in high humidity because the air is already full of water vapor and can’t absorb as much from the skin, that’s why in high humidity, the survivable temperature is much lower.”
A 2012 study in the journal Acta Physiologica found that when sweat fully evaporates, hot drinks can help cool people off overall, at least temporarily. That study looked at cyclists biking quickly enough to create their own breeze in a climate with no humidity: ideal conditions for sweat evaporation.
In the reverse effect, cold drinks lower body temperatures and then make the brain reduce sweating in order to bring body temperature back to its baseline. A 2018 paper suggests that with less wind, more humidity, or other barriers to effective sweating—like the heavy clothing worn by firefighters—it may make more sense to cool off by drinking crushed ice.
1. What do we know about people in Bangladesh, China, Japan and Saudi Arabia?| A．They like ice-cold beverages on hot days. |
| B．They favor hot tea over cold drinks year-round. |
| C．They doubt whether hot tea can help cool them down. |
| D．They believe ice-cold beverages are harmful to their health. |
| A．TRPV1 helps adjust blood temperature. | B．Blood helps add heat to the human body. |
| C．Sweating helps increase our body temperature. | D．TRPV1 sends signals related to body temperature. |
| A．To show the danger of high humidity. | B．To reveal why some people sweat more. |
| C．To tell us about the function of sweating. | D．To display how people survive extreme heat. |
| A．Drinking enough water benefits our bodies. |
| B．We should avoid cold water in high humidity. |
| C．Hot water cools us down better than cold water. |
| D．Hot drinks help cool the body under certain conditions. |
10 . I’ve been working as a United Nations (U.N.) Peacekeeper in the Central African Republic for the past two years. Before this, I was a pilot and I
The Central African Republic is a relatively small country. Since it got
We peacekeepers
As a woman, I am particularly
My life is not
| A．hated | B．enjoyed | C．guarded | D．changed |
| A．led up to | B．looked up to | C．kept up with | D．signed up with |
| A．treatment | B．technology | C．independence | D．inspiration |
| A．flee | B．return | C．sweep | D．tend |
| A．In turn | B．In surprise | C．In response | D．In addition |
| A．measure | B．reputation | C．business | D．mission |
| A．follow | B．expand | C．monitor | D．block |
| A．insure | B．prove | C．report | D．predict |
| A．bridge | B．barrier | C．castle | D．shelter |
| A．protected | B．trusted | C．valued | D．doubted |
| A．deserve | B．prefer | C．plan | D．fail |
| A．gently | B．equally | C．seriously | D．honestly |
| A．boring | B．rewarding | C．difficult | D．fancy |
| A．association | B．accommodation | C．administration | D．adaptation |
| A．available | B．ambitious | C．worthwhile | D．educational |
