1 . New Jersey Middle School Makes
Students Go PhoneFree
A middle school in Union County, New Jersey, is forcing its students to stay disconnected in class, by prohibiting cellphones. Maxson Middle School Principal Kevin Stansbury put forward the phone ban last week after he noticed some major issues in the school. “Our test scores were down, and discipline was up,” he says. According to him, students were too focused on their phones to pay attention to their lessons. So, he purchased Yondr pouches for the school.
When students come into class each morning, they place their phones in the pouch, which is then locked tightly. So they have no access to phones at all. It can only be opened using a special device at the end of the day. The ban on mobile devices applies not just during class time but during breaks, with the only exceptions being in times of emergency or in cases of students who need such devices to help with disabilities.
Eighth graders who spoke with News 12 NewJersey say that they noticed a change in a matter of hours. “It’s just better for everyone because you’ll understand how it feels to get more work done instead of distracting attention because of the phone,” says student Charlene V. “I was usually listening to music, but today I got to communicate with all my friends,” says student Desiree Duncan.
The program was originally met with resistance from students and parents, so the process was not that smooth. But teachers and administrators say that the program will have a major impact. “Students were talking and laughing and there were no cellphones other than being carried in the pouches,” Stansbury says.
Teacher Nia Cummings says she even noticed students bouncing ideas off each other in class. She says students used to throw in the towel quickly and just rely on their phones to look for answers. She says they now try to figure the answers out themselves. “Everyone is socializing and eating lunch together. That’s what I wasn’t seeing when phone usage was at its worst,” she adds.
Maxson Middle School is currently the only one in the district to use these pouches. Kevin Stansbury also called on all the schools in the community that it’s worth paying close attention to cellphone issues at secondary schools and taking action when necessary.
1. Maxson Middle School put forward the phone ban because students ________.| A．weren’t focused on school work |
| B．were always listening to music |
| C．used phones to cheat on exams |
| D．stopped talking with others |
| A．Opposition from students. |
| B．Teamwork with friends. |
| C．The daily routine at school. |
| D．Effect of the program. |
| A．Students discuss more in class. |
| B．Students finish their work on time. |
| C．Students guess the answers themselves. |
| D．Students check messages during the break. |
2 . Will your happiness differ if you are doing a kind action without any expectation of rewards or with an expectation of rewards? A study by University of Sussex, headed by Dr. Daniel CampbellMeikeljohn, tried to answer that question. He and his partners analyzed over 1, 000 brain scans from other studies related to reactions to making a decision based on kindness. They split the studies based on who was making a decision for altruistic (无私的) reasons and who was making a decision due to the expectation of an obvious reward. The results were interesting.
In both instances, the reward center of the brain lit up on the MRI scans (磁共振成像扫描). Yet, for those who made their decision without any rewards, other areas of the brain lit up as well. Specifically, it lit up the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (前扣带皮层区域), which scientists believe plays a role in emotional regulation. Also, it might aid in maintaining excitement related to an event that creates a positive emotional state.
In one study about the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, it is believed that this brain region could be related to depression if it isn’t developed properly or is dysfunctional. The fact that this part of the brain lights up during acts of generosity and caring without expectation of rewards shows that the altruistic individuals are getting more sustainable pleasure than those motivated by rewards. It also could aid in explaining how it helps depressive individuals feel happier after doing a kind deed.
We live in a society, and no man is a lonely island. We all need each other. For those who genuinely desire to help others regardless of repayment, maintaining a balance of helping others and yourself is very important. It is healthy and necessary to be kind to yourself, as well as to others.
1. Why did the author think the results interesting?| A．There are no differences as to the litup area of the brain. |
| B．The reward center of the brain lit up in one case alone. |
| C．The subgenual anterior cingulate cortex makes no difference. |
| D．The reward center of the brain lit up in both cases. |
| A．It might help keep calm. | B．It may make a difference to controlling emotion. |
| C．It can create positive emotion. | D．It has nothing to do with depression. |
| A．Help others regardless of yourself. | B．Treat others and yourself with kindness. |
| C．For the sake of yourself, lend a hand. | D．Practise kindness at all costs. |
3 . 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. |
4 . 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 |
5 . 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 |
6 . 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. |
7 . 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 |
8 . Psychological science is full of interesting topics, many of which tell a coherent picture of human nature, but some of which create seemingly contradictory stories. A case in point is the misunderstood overlap(交叠) between strengthbased science and the research on narcissism (自恋).
There is now convincing evidence to show that narcissism is on the rise, especially in our youth. Some researchers say that about 25% of young people showing symptoms of narcissism.
We are correct to be concerned about this phenomenon, but our fear that all kids are potential narcissists has caused an unhelpful reaction against approaches that seek to make our children and teens feel good about themselves.
In my own research on strengthbased parenting, it is common for people to wrongly think this approach to be the cause of narcissism. Their argument seems to be that a child who knows their strengths will automatically view themselves as better than everyone else. It is argued that the selfassurance that comes with identifying and using their positive qualities will make a child selfish and uncaring.
Why does this occur? It’s partly because more is known about narcissism than strengths. While strengths psychology has largely stayed within the limit of academic journals, research on narcissism has made its way into the mass media and our daily life.The New York Times noted that narcissism is a favored topic and that people everywhere are diagnosing others with it.
The fear that a strengthbased approach will cause narcissism also occurs because of our binary (非此即彼的) thinking. We mistakenly believe that one cannot be both confident and humble. Without confidence in their strengths, Gandhi and Mother Teresa couldn’t have achieved so much, and yet modesty and selflessness are their qualities.
When we assume that strengthfocus is the same as selffocus, we fail to make the idea clear that people who know their strengths are, actually, more likely to be prosocial and ready to help others.
It’s easy to conclude that every young person is at risk of becoming a narcissist but I’d like to stand up for the thousands of young kids I have worked with who are caring, thoughtful and humble—even when they use their strengths.
1. Which of the following opinions may the writer agree with?| A．To state all kids are potential narcissists is overstating the case. |
| B．Strengthbased parenting results in narcissism. |
| C．It’s unhelpful for us to make our children feel good about themselves. |
| D．Children knowing their strengths tend to be more selfish and uncaring. |
| A．Many people are diagnosed with narcissism by doctors. |
| B．There is a shortage of narcissism in our common sense. |
| C．Academic journals report more on narcissism. |
| D．The general public has fewer approaches to strengths psychology. |
| A．Tolerant. | B．Neutral. | C．Supportive. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Teens’ Narcissism Diagnosis | B．Teens’ Misunderstood Confidence |
| C．Teens’ StrengthBased Approach | D．Teens’ Psychology Research |
9 . Some penguins(企鹅)adapt their calls to become more similar to their partners over time，an ability that was previously known in only a few species, including humans.
Luigi Baciadonna at the University of Turin, Italy, and his coworkers recorded African penguins from three different colonies(群体)over three years, and also observed the behavioral patterns of one of the colonies to see which penguins were partners or friendly.
They then analyzed specific vocal(嗓音的)calls, which the penguins made when they were alone or trying to keep track of their friends.They compared four distinct vocal signatures such as the frequency of the calls. The signatures became more similar over time for penguins that were partners or in the same colony, and for penguins that heard more of each other’s calls.
This adaptation could make it easier for penguins to find their partners and friends in a colony. “Imagine that you are in a pub, you are with your friends and your environment is quite noisy,” says Baciadonna. “What you do is try to talk in a certain way so that your communication is more effective.”
The ability to adapt calls in response to the environment, known as vocal accommodation, is a key part of vocal learning, a more complex set of skills such as producing new sounds through learning. Identifying which species display vocal accommodation could provide clues to how vocal learning developed. Baciadonna and his team also propose that this accommodation could help with group harmony and social bonds between individual penguins.
The distance of penguins from humans on the evolutionary tree suggests that vocal accommodation could be common to many species, but a lot more data needs gathering first. “There could be a huge variety of different species that are able to adapt their calls slightly, but we don’t know that yet,” says Sara Torres Ortiz at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology.
1. What does the underlined word “signatures” mean in paragraph 3?| A．Effects. | B．Characteristics. |
| C．Sources. | D．Adjustments. |
| A．To explain the reason why penguins adapt their calls. |
| B．To highlight the role communication plays in social life. |
| C．To prove humans’ ability to recognize each other's voices. |
| D．To stress the difference between human and animal sounds. |
| A．Whether penguins can promote group harmony. |
| B．Whether all species can adapt to the environment. |
| C．Whether more species display vocal accommodation. |
| D．Whether penguins and humans are similar in vocal learning. |
| A．Vocal learning involves a complex set of skills. |
| B．Vocal accommodation helps build up social bonds. |
| C．Penguins produce similar sounds even in different colonies. |
| D．Penguins adapt their accents to sound more like their partners. |
10 . The idea of climbing Mt.Qomolangma disgusted me. The mountain came to represent the opposite of everything that I loved and respected about climbing. What had once been the final mountain climbing goal became the focus of a commercial guiding industry. Over the years, the crowds at Base Camp grew, leaving behind tons of trash. Whenever I was asked whether I’d climb Mt.Qomolangma, my answer was always the same: not interested.
That was probably where my personal Mt. Qomolangma story would have ended, were it not for an old friend and his obsession (迷恋) with one of the greatest mysteries. In 1999, Thom Pollard began to explore and found the remains of George Mallory, the celebrated British climber who disappeared while he was attempting to be the first to climb Mt. Qomolangma. But Mallory’s partner, Sandy Irvine, and the camera he had likely carried, were not found. The mountain climbing world has been wondering whether they might have reached the top in 1924.
Pollard’s story moved me. I began to pack for the climb and expected that our advanced equipment would make it manageable, perhaps easy. I was wrong. On the highest point on the planet, I was more tired than I’d ever been in any climbing. Along the way, I continuously tipped_my_hat, not just to Mallory and Irvine but to anyone who has the drive to push himself or herself up this route. My search was in vain, but I began to reconsider Mt. Qomolangma.
I witnessed many climbers, who were much more than just selfcentered tourists. We shared route information, weather forecasts, and family photos—all united around a common goal.
I went to Mt. Qomolangma to seek Irvine. But in the end, I found something more difficult to get: the spirit that Irvine and Mallory shared. It was hiding in plain sight, right where it has always been: inside the brave souls who risk so much to follow in storied adventurers’ footsteps up Mt. Qomolangma.
1. What is the main reason why the author hated climbing Mt. Qomolangma?| A．He changed his climbing goal. |
| B．Mt. Qomolangma was seriously polluted by trash. |
| C．Mt. Qomolangma became an industry to make money. |
| D．The mountain was too crowded with climbers. |
| A．Because he desired to challenge himself. |
| B．Because he got motivated by Thom Pollard. |
| C．Because his old friend persuaded him to climb again. |
| D．Because he wanted to follow the footsteps of Mallory and Irvine. |
| A．Expressed my gratitude. |
| B．Proved my determination. |
| C．Relieved the tiredness. |
| D．Showed my respect. |
| A．Admiration for the climbers. |
| B．Concern about the risk. |
| C．Confidence in the journey. |
| D．Hope for Mt. Qomolangma’s future. |
