1 . Girls in primary school are just as physically capable as their male classmates, according to our research, taking the unhappiness out of the phrase “you play like a girl.”

When we compared primary schoolchildren’s physical capabilities, differences between girls and boys were not as pronounced as people think. So they should be happily playing with and competing against each other in the backyard, playground and sporting fields.

As part of wider research to assess people’s physical capabilities across their life course, we tested 300 children and teenagers between the ages of 3 and 19. We tested each child for over two hours, taking more than 100 measurements. Across all measures of physical performance, there was one consistent finding. There was no statistical difference in the capabilities of girls and boys until high-school age (commonly age 12).

Let’s use standing long jump as an example. This provides a measure of your legs’ explosive power. We found no difference between boys and girls before they turn 12. Every physical measure followed this pattern. Before the age of 12, boys and girls do just as well as each other in the standing long jump.

There is no consensus (共识) across schools or among different sports about mixed-gender sports for primary school children. For instance, boys and girls compete separately in most local Little Athletics after age five but field hockey (场地曲棍球) can have mixed gender teams until age 17. And in tennis, primary school-aged girls and boys play separately in singles matches but can play against each other in mixed doubles.

Our findings support the push for boys and girls to compete in mixed sporting teams until the end of primary school, after which the hormonal (荷尔蒙的) changes mean boys tend to perform better in sports and tasks requiring strength and speed.

There are also some practical advantages to mixed sports in primary school and in weekend competitions: fewer scheduling conflicts (allowing school and sport administrations to fit games more conveniently into busy sporting places), fewer clubs or organizations to share already stretched government funding.

1. What does the underlined word “pronounced” in paragraph 2mean?

A．Flexible.

B．Horrible

C．Obvious.

D．Incredible.

2. At what age do boys begin to display a competitive edge in strength-based sports?

A．Age 5.

B．Age 12

C．Age 17.

D．Age 19.

3. What is an advantage of mixed-gender sporting teams?

A．Increased competition and motivation.

B．Enhanced social skills and teamwork.

C．Decreased conflicts within schools，

D．Reduced government budget spending.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．When it comes to sports, a boy does play like a girl.

B．What matters most for girls to be as athletic as boys.

C．Standing long jump: A sport more for boys than girls.

D．Battle of sexes: When boys and girls compete in sports.

2 . I was raised in a village where people lived in harmony with the natural environment. Throughout the year we would have numerous ______where all the villagers would ______and celebrate. The entire village was like one big______.

However, within less than a decade my village was no longer the______village that I grew up in. Due to rapid modernization, everything______. The rich cultural traditions that once held the village together were ______. Everyone in the village was______in making money and had no time to participate in traditional celebrations. No one favored such a change, but they somehow______it as they felt that it was unavoidable.

It made me feel______that some ancient traditions had stopped to exist, so I______I had to do something. I ______the Cultural Heritage Studies Program, which enabled me to gain a better understanding of cultural heritage______.

Then I involved myself in protecting cultural heritage sites in my hometown. With the knowledge I______in the Cultural Heritage Studies Program, I was trying my best to help make the process of modernization run more______ for cultural heritage sites with heritage protection as a focus point.

I would say the success of the preservation work is the most______aspect of my job.

1.

A．competitions

B．festivals

C．challenges

D．choices

2.

A．volunteer

B．travel

C．return

D．gather

3.

A．family

B．city

C．museum

D．theater

4.

A．real

B．typical

C．same

D．independent

5.

A．mattered

B．changed

C．improved

D．continued

6.

A．growing

B．spreading

C．disappearing

D．working

7.

A．fortunate

B．successful

C．expert

D．occupied

8.

A．accepted

B．enjoyed

C．believed

D．noticed

9.

A．confident

B．excited

C．guilty

D．bad

10.

A．pretended

B．resolved

C．forgot

D．doubted

11.

A．looked back on

B．got rid of

C．signed up for

D．put up with

12.

A．donation

B．education

C．preservation

D．observation

13.

A．acquired

B．applied

C．offered

D．showed

14.

A．privately

B．smoothly

C．rapidly

D．normally

15.

A．interesting

B．boring

C．demanding

D．rewarding

3 . There’s a huge amount of science about dreaming but we still don’t know much about it. It’s not even clear if everyone does it: it has been proved that everyone experiences rapid eye movement(REM) sleep, but whether those who claim they never dream really don’t, or do dream but simply don’t remember it after waking, isn’t clear. Nor is the way in which dreams are formed in the brain entirely understood, let alone why it happens.

However, many researchers have long believed that bad dreams allow us to safely “act out” potentially dangerous situations before they occur in real life. And a new study seems to add weight to that theory.

The researchers asked 18 volunteers to wear headsets while they slept and then woke them several times during the night to ask them a series of questions about whether they’d been dreaming, and if that dream involved fear. They then compared the volunteers’ answers to their mapped brain activity during sleep.

They discovered that during “scary” dreams, two areas of the subjects’ brains were particularly active: the insula (脑岛) and the cingulate cortex (扣带皮层). During the day, the former is involved in identifying and evaluating emotional responses, while the latter is responsible for preparing the body’s physical reaction to threats.

In the second part of the study, 89 participants kept a dream diary for a week, and were then shown a series of unhappy images. In subjects who reported having a lot of frightening dreams, the images caused less of a response in the two brain regions than those who reported few or none. What’s more, those who’d had more bad dreams showed more activity in a region of the brain that’s known to reduce the fear response.

“Dreams maybe considered as real training for our future reactions and may potentially prepare us to face real-life dangers,” said lead researcher Lampros Perogamvros.

1. Which of the following is scientifically clear according to the text?

A．Whether some people never dream.

B．How the brain works during REM sleep.

C．Whether everyone experiences REM sleep.

D．Why some people forget their dreams after waking.

2. What were the participants in the first part of the study asked to do?

A．Keep a dream diary for a week.

B．Wear headsets all day long.

C．Try to create fear in their dreams.

D．Answer questions about their dreams.

3. Why were the participants in the second part of the study shown unhappy images?

A．To test their reaction to fear.

B．To cause them to dream bad dreams.

C．To weaken their f car response.

D．To find out why they had bad dreams.

4. What did the new study find?

A．Bad dreams can reveal people’s real fears.

B．Bad dreams have a huge effect on people’s lives.

C．Bad dreams are very likely to become real dangers people will face.

D．Bad dreams may prepare people for potentially frightening situations.

4 . My parents and teachers-even some of my friends—think I’m quiet and shy, really smart but not very cool. In fact, that’s who I am when I am with them, but not who I really am. The real me comes out when I’m around guys who are more like me-like Tom Henderson and Graham Barry. I met Tom and Graham at a Young Scientist contest last y car. The three of us were among the five finalists. As soon as we met, we really hit it off.

As we talked about the conference, we discovered that all three of us were interested in space debris mitigation, which is the study of the prevention of space garbage damaging satellites and the new space station. It was great to meet other people my age who actually knew what I was talking about. When I talk about “space garbage,” most of the kids at my school just say, “Oh, you mean like asteroid-type (小行星之类的) things? I played a videogame about that once.”

Luckily, we met each other on the first day of the conference, so we were able to spend a lot of time together for the entire three days. We talked about everything from the best schools to go to, what degrees to get, and even the names of the best people in each field. We want to study with the pioneers. Both Tom and I want to study with Dr. Claude Phipps, the inventor of a project that developed a laser (光) that knocks down space garbage before it does any damage to expensive space vehicles. Graham wants to study under Didier Patrick Queloz, the physics Nobel winner from the University of Cambridge.

Even though the three of us don’t get a chance to see each other very often, we’re still the best of friends. We call each other a couple of times a month. I always feel happy when I talk with Tom and Graham. It’s like the other person in me wakes up. With them, I’m my “real shade.”

1. What does the underlined phrase “hit it off” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Competed seriously.	B．Prepared fully.
C．Got on well.	D．Stood out fast.

2. What might the author feel when he talks about space garbage with his classmates?

A．Concerned.

B．Confused.

C．Disappointed.

D．Surprised.

3. What can be learned about Claude Phipps?

A．He is a Nobel Prizewinner in physics.

B．He finds some asteroid-type things.

C．He reduces the price of space vehicles.

D．He contributes to dealing with space garbage.

4. What message does the author most want to give us?

A．A friend is a second self.

B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

C．A friend to all is a friend to none.

D．A friend is easier lost than found.

5 . Museums in Switzerland

Chaplin’s World

Charlie Chaplin was the greatest artist of the silent movies. His legacy (遗产) lives on through the creation of Chaplin’s World a this former home, the Manoir de Ban, Corsier-sur-Vevey. Beneath shady trees on the shores of Lake Geneva, the residence remains as Chaplin would have known it. Inside the museum, you’ll find yourself in a backstreet of old London, which is part of the latest exhibition “The Kid”.

The Swiss Museum of Games

This museum, located within the double-towered 13th-century castle La Tour-de-Peilz on the eastern shore of Lake Geneva, is Switzerland’s one and only museum focused on games. Its collection of some 10, 000piccesgoes all the way back to the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. It’s interesting to see how everyone has enjoyed playing games over the centuries.

Swiss Open-Air Museum

Not all museums are housed in buildings. The Swiss Open-Air Museum in Ballenberg allows visitors to walkthrough and around over 100 rural houses and farm buildings sourced from all over Switzerland. All the structures in the museum are original, de construe ted from their original sites, and reconstructed in Ballenberg. It’s the closest visitors can get to relive the life of Swiss people in ancient times.

Queen-The Studio Experience

It’s a kind of magic to step into the former Mountain Studios, situated in the Casinos Barriere in Montreux. Not only did the rock Rolling Stones and band Queen record six albums there, but the Rolling Stones and David Bowie also recorded hits in the studios. Since 2013 there has been a permanent exhibition museum honouring Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury. With a background of Queen music and recorded interviews, the rooms are filled with photos, albums and instruments.

1. What do the first two museums have in common?

A．They attract art lovers worldwide.

B．They have Swiss history as the theme.

C．They are castle-turned museums.

D．They are located near Lake Geneva.

2. Where can you go if you are looking for an outdoor museum?

A．Corsier-sur-Vevey.	B．Ballenberg.
C．La Tour-de-Peilz.	D．Montreux.

3. What can you do in Queen-The Studio Experience?

A．Record music.

B．Watch magic shows.

C．Attend a figure-focused exhibition.

D．Enjoy live concerts by the Rolling Stones.

7 . Located in the Ouachita Mountains, Hot Springs National Park covers over 5,500 acres and was the first area of land in North America set aside by the government for amusement. To protect the hot springs and their surrounding environment, it was named as an official protected area in 1832. On March 4,1921, an act of Congress transformed Hot Springs Reservation into Hot Springs National Park, providing key protection to the area and improving its importance.

The main draw to this park is what it is named for, the hot springs. The springs hold an average temperature of 62℃. The most special aspect of the hot springs is that they have long been recognized for their usage in medicine, which can help improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation (炎症), and provide relief for muscle and joint pain. Visitors have the chance to experience the recovery power of these hot waters. Additionally, they can explore the park’s hiking trails, which wind through the scenic parks, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape.

Unlike most national parks that are surrounded by wilderness, Hot Springs National Park is located in the city of Hot Springs, creating a unique mix of natural wonders and city life. Visitors can explore the park’s beautiful scenery, and then experience the charm of the city’s downtown area, with cultural attractions and historic landmarks. The city of Hot Springs offers various resting places, restaurants, shops, and other services that suit the needs of tourists.

Whether you want to experience hot springs, explore the hiking trails, or learn about the park’s fascinating past, it provides a memorable experience for visitors of all ages.

1. What do we know about Hot Springs National Park from paragraph 1?

A．It has been protected for a long time.	B．It is famous for its rich amusement activities.
C．It is the largest national park in North America.	D．It protects a large number of historical buildings.

2. What is the unusual feature of the hot springs in Hot Springs National Park?

A．They have great medical value.	B．They lie in the center of hiking trails.
C．They can keep a comfortable temperature.	D．They are surrounded by mountain landscapes.

3. How does Hot Springs National Park differ from other national parks?

A．It has unique natural wonders.	B．It is located in a wild area.
C．It combines nature with city life.	D．It offers cheaper service to tourists.

4. Where does this text probably come from?

A．A tourist map.	B．A history book.
C．A scientific report.	D．A geographic magazine.