1 . Pursuing education abroad opens up many opportunities for international students. However, one of the struggles they face when deciding where to study is the affordability of the city and the schools there. Here are five affordable cities to study and live in.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City remains one of the more affordable cities to purchase a house with only 26.49 percent of residents’ income spent on living expenses. Whether you are looking for English language programs or seeking a degree, Oklahoma City has a lot to offer. Check out The Language Company and Oklahoma State University for affordable options to learn English or degree programs.
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the state of Indiana in the Midwest. Residents spend only 25.24 percent of their income on living expenses. University options include the University of Indianapolis, Marian University, and Butler University.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City and surrounding areas remain quite affordable with residents spending 25.78 percent of their income on housing, utilities, and other household utilities. Here are affordable universities such as Utah State University, University of Utah, and Snow College.
Des Moines, Iowa
Residents spend only 23.8 percent of their household income on living expenses. With a booming economy, Des Moines is an ideal city for international students to study and experience American culture. Drake University is an option in Des Moines.
Buffalo, New York
Located in upstate New York, the city of Buffalo provides international students with quality education. Residents spend 25.54 percent of their household income on housing and utilities. International students will not only be able to experience American culture in Buffalo but they're only minutes from Canada.
1. What influences international students’ choice of university according to the passage?| A．The popularity of the university. | B．The distance from their hometown. |
| C．The size and economy of the city. | D．The affordability of the city and university. |
| A．Buffalo, New York. | B．Des Moines, lowa. | C．Salt Lake City, Utah. | D．Indianapolis, Indiana. |
| A．Because it is very beautiful. | B．Because it has top universities. |
| C．Because it is quite close to Canada. | D．Because it has friendly people. |
Roy Austin first experienced an African adventure in 2018. All he wanted to do was get close to some African wildlife. Although Roy did realize this dream, he found something even more meaningful in Africa.
Roy spent time in many countries throughout East Africa. He was most interested in the people of rural (农村的) Kenya, especially people of the Amboseli Primary and Secondary School.
During his stay, Roy became friends with several students and teachers at the school. He was deeply touched by their positive attitude, even thought it was hard for them to get books and other school supplies. Even finding basic stationery (文具) was a challenge, not to mention the lack of school buildings.
In rural Kenya, school buildings are not built by the government. Students, their parents, and teachers find materials and build the schools themselves, or they have to raise money to get builders’ help. Without schools, buildings like libraries and classrooms are just dreams. The students and teachers of the schools very much wanted a library or at least some books to read.
After returning home to South Carolina in the United States, the Kenyan students’ yearning for something as seemingly “basic” as books to read still worried Roy. He decided to do whatever he could to help these children. So he started the organization Libraries for Kids International.
Since it was started, Roy has shipped over 11,000 books to 11 schools in African countries, including Kenya and Tanzania. To keep costs down, he uses the post office to send the books instead of a carrier like FedEx. The organization has helped to supply these schools with much-needed books, which brought Roy much happiness. He plans to continue shipping books to Africa.
1. What was the main purpose of Roy’s 2018 trip to Africa? (no more than 10 words)2. Who built school buildings in rural Kenya? (no more than 15 words)
3. What can the underlined word “yearning” in paragraph 5 be replaced by? (no more than 5 words)
4. What does the text mainly tell us? (no more than 15 words)
5. What do you think of Roy? And please explain. (no more than 25 words)
3 . Here comes 5 most popular clubs in our school! Join us, and we will help you to find your own shining points, lead you to find beauty and to create beauty, and make your campus life as fulfilling and happy as a dream.
Yoga Club
Yoga not only improves balance, flexibility, and joint stability, but also serves as a peaceful escape from the stress of daily life. Our students will have the chance to physically exercise while reducing some stress from their life. The club will be available to 10-16 members from grades 7 to 12, and will meet once weekly(Tuesday).
Basketball Club
Students will be able to develop their basketball skills further and have the opportunity to compete in basketball games with members from other international schools in Beijing. The club will be available to 10-16 members from grades 5 to 8, and will practice twice weekly.
Public Speaking Club
The Public Speaking Club will be centered around the personal development of students along with developing public speaking skills. The club will be interested in focusing on all skills in delivering better speeches and improving communication skills. The club will be available to 10-12 members from grades 7 to 12, and will meet once weekly(Wednesday).
Media Club
The Media Club teaches students the basics of journalism. The club engages in a wide range of activities like interviewing teachers and students, writing about big events on campus, and operating the weekly school radio broadcasts. The club will be available to 8-12 members from grades 6-12 and will meet once weekly (Monday).
Book Club
The Book Club invites students grades 6-12 who enjoy literature and reading. It’s a platform for meaningful discussions, comprehension enhancement, and good reading habits. Open to 8-15 students it gathers every Friday to make reading enjoyable and broaden horizons. It aims to nurture a deep love for literature in a welcoming environment.
1. What is the aim of the clubs?| A．Teach new languages. |
| B．Organize sports events |
| C．Help students find their strong points. |
| D．Focus on farming knowledge. |
| A．Once a month. | B．Twice a month. | C．Once a week. | D．Twice a week. |
| A．Grade 7 to Grade 12. | B．Grade 5 to Grade 8. |
| C．Grade 7 to Grade 12. | D．Grade 6 to Grade 12. |
| A．Book Club. | B．Yoga Club. | C．Public Speaking Club. | D．Media Club. |
| A．To present and invite students to clubs. | B．To encourage sports in school |
| C．To report on students’ academic results. | D．To share school’s weekly schedule. |
4 . Nowadays, it is common to see people wearing Hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, at parks and attractions. More and more people are falling in love with Hanfu culture. The development of Hanfu culture has witnessed (见证) numerous changes in recent years and is taking on various forms.
Zhang Xiaomin has been a fan of Hanfu for five years now. Thanks to the popularity of social media, she can easily learn the latest trends and knowledge about Hanfu online now. “People used to only collect or appreciate Hanfu privately,” Zhang said. “But now it has moved to the mass market.” In the past, many people had the misunderstanding that “Han” refers to the Han Dynasty. Now more people are knowledgeable about Hanfu, and even expert in distinguishing (区分) the differences in Hanfu from different dynasties.
Miss Tang has also noticed a similar change. “Fans have become particular about the design and style of Hanfu,” Miss Tang said. “For advanced hobbyists, those seemingly fairy-like Hanfu dresses are not enough, since this style has been adapted to meet the tastes of the masses. They care more about how original Hanfu style are, like Quju (曲裾) and Mamianqun or ‘horse-face skirts’, which look more serious and complicated.”
The development of Hanfu has also triggered (引发) different events. You Gancheng has been in Hanfu circles for 13 years. “The Hanfu festival that a museum held in April offered many interesting activities like lectures, ceremonies, concerts and fairs,” she said. “Hanfu culture weeks, festivals and academic forums all provide platforms for fans to communicate.”
The rise of Hanfu culture also means the birth of an emerging business. Miss Cang has been running a Hanfu store for four years. The store provides Hanfu rental and photography services. “Many international schools now come to us for Hanfu events on traditional holidays,” Miss Cang said. Her store also actively participates in Hanfu festivals. “We often run a stand in Hanfu fairs, selling and displaying Hanfu we’ve designed. Sometimes we even provide Hanfu as prizes for competitions,” she said.
1. In recent years, the people who are interested in Hanfu ________.| A．are now focusing on the Han Dynasty style |
| B．have gained a deeper understanding of Hanfu |
| C．tend to collect or admire Hanfu privately |
| D．are exploring the regional diversity of Hanfu |
| A．Its fairy-like design. | B．Its historical accuracy. |
| C．Its modern adaptations. | D．Its practicality for everyday wear. |
| A．To give an example of a successful Hanfu store. |
| B．To show the increasing popularity of Hanfu culture. |
| C．To illustrate the impact of Hanfu culture on business. |
| D．To stress the role of Hanfu stores in promoting Hanfu. |
| A．The development of Hanfu culture. |
| B．The significance of Hanfu in Chinese society. |
| C．The growing interest in Hanfu around China. |
| D．The different types of Hanfu events and festivals. |
5 . When I was a young boy, our whole family lived in my grandma’s old house right beside a set of railroad tracks. I can remember the whole house would
Looking back on this time, I now
We all need to keep our eyes forward. We all need to look ahead with love and enjoyment for life. We all need to see with our hearts the life we want to live.
1.| A．shake | B．disappear | C．fall | D．collapse |
| A．trails | B．streets | C．trains | D．tracks |
| A．calm | B．balance | C．support | D．save |
| A．but | B．or | C．as | D．so |
| A．result | B．success | C．energy | D．strength |
| A．holding out | B．finding out | C．passing down | D．braking down |
| A．caused | B．prevented | C．led | D．resulted |
| A．where | B．how | C．which | D．that |
| A．decide | B．recognize | C．realize | D．regret |
| A．convenient | B．wonderful | C．curious | D．normal |
| A．travel | B．mistake | C．lesson | D．choice |
| A．Over | B．For | C．With | D．Down |
| A．calm | B．hidden | C．disabled | D．stuck |
| A．decorated | B．filled | C．comforted | D．compared |
| A．light | B．slight | C．difficult | D．healthy |
6 . According to scientists, some tomatoes grown indoors are now just as flavorful as the ones grown outdoors in perfect summer conditions. There has been a lot of research and investment (投资) in hydroponic (水栽的) greenhouses, which allow farmers to grow tomatoes without soil, in recent years as consumers have needed more and better fresh vegetables year-round. “There’s a lot of techniques you can use to grow tomatoes off-season,” says Neil Mattson, co-director of Cornell University’s Controlled Environment Agriculture program. In the past five years, greenhouse tomato production has doubled.
That doesn’t mean all the tomatoes currently being grown in greenhouses are very flavorful. Flavor sometimes gets sacrificed for high yields (产量), just as it does in the production of commercial field-grown tomatoes. “The greenhouse is such an expensive structure that we’re paying a lot to heat and light,” Mattson says. Therefore, farmers often need to grow a lot of tomatoes to make up for it. “And just like the field-grown varieties, much greenhouse-grown fruit is harvested before its peak (顶峰) and travels long distances before it ends up in a supermarket,” he says.
But that’s all changing with the new hydroponic system. Researchers are now trying their best to save some ripening (成熟的) time by growing produce locally. Gotham Greens, based in New York City, grows hydroponic tomatoes year-round and sells them to local restaurants and supermarkets. And Backyard Farms, based in Maine, supplies its hydroponically grown crop to nearby markets in the Northeast.
“It’s becoming increasingly important now that global warming is making outdoor farming less predictable (可预料的) , but greenhouse growers don’t have to worry about a heavy rain or a cold day destroying their fruit,” says Gene Giacomelli, who directs the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center at the University of Arizona. The advantages of a greenhouse are that growers can control the amount of heat and light their crops get. Many are equipped with man-made lights that growers can turn on when sunlight is not enough. And the hydroponic system allows them to control pretty much everything else.
“That’s not to say we’ll value the summer harvest any less. In the end, I still love growing my own tomatoes in my backyard in the summer,” Mattson says. “It’s psychological (心理的) ,but I think they taste best.”
1. What benefited the doubling of greenhouse tomato production?| A．Improving the taste of tomatoes. |
| B．Developing high-yielding tomatoes. |
| C．Growing tomatoes all year round outdoors now. |
| D．Using technology for tomatoes’ growth off-season. |
| A．Settled for. | B．Turned up. | C．Given up. | D．Looked down. |
| A．farmers’ expectation to ensure tomatoes’ high yield |
| B．researchers’ efforts to make tomatoes more flavorful |
| C．the need for locally grow n high-quality tomatoes |
| D．the important change in produce transportation systems |
| A．By making the soil richer for planting. |
| B．By improving crop’s adaptability to climate change. |
| C．By providing better conditions for crops’ growth. |
| D．By giving much more correct and timely weather predictions. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Negative. | C．Objective. | D．Unconcerned. |
7 . In the first half of 2022, scientists studying animal communication discovered that some dogs connect objects with words at a similar level to babies. Then what about cats, which are commonly believed to be unconcerned about human affairs?
Saho Takagi, a researcher at Azabu University, doubted cats’ seeming unconcern. “Cats don’t appear to listen to people’s conversations, but in fact, they do.” According to a past research, cats understand human communication better than expected. Like dogs, they can use human pointing and stares to find food. They even can tell the difference between human facial expressions and attentional states, according to a 2021 study. However, cats can do more than that.
Another study showed that cats can discriminate their human-given name from the names of their cat friends (those that live in the same house). The researchers believed that cats learned to connect names with other cats by observing communication between their owners and their cat friends.
In a recently published study, Takagi and her colleagues compared two groups of cats: one group was made up of house cats and lived with at least two other cats; the other was made up of cats that lived in “cat cafés”, which had up to 30 cats. They used a simple, two-phase(阶段) test. During the name phase, the study participant(参与者) was softly placed in front of a laptop computer. Then the researcher played a recording of its owner saying the name of its cat companions(同伴).
Immediately after the name phase came the face phase. A cat’s face appeared on the monitor. Sometimes, the cat that appeared on the screen matched the name spoken; other times the name and the picture did not match. If cats knew the names of their cat friends, they would investigate by staring doubtfully at the monitor when the name and the picture did not match. House cats had a significantly longer stare than café cats, indicating that house cats generally expected an exact cat’s face upon hearing the cat’s name.
“This is the first to show that house cats link human words and their social companions through daily experiences,” the researchers wrote, “However, we could not recognize the mechanism(机制) for learning. But with more and more scientists becoming interested in cats who are much smarter than we praise them, this question is sure to be solved.”
1. What’s people’s common understanding of cats?| A．They have their own language. |
| B．They show no interest in human things. |
| C．They can connect objects with words. |
| D．They can use human instructions to find food. |
| A．cats and dogs get along well with humans |
| B．cats’ ability to learn is stronger than dogs’ |
| C．cats’ ability goes beyond body language recognition |
| D．cats and dogs are all clever animals in people’s eyes |
| A．Tell. | B．Protect. | C．Excuse. | D．Learn. |
| A．They are curious about cat names. |
| B．They know the names of their cat friends. |
| C．They are dependent on their owners. |
| D．They like communicating with each other. |
| A．How cats can recognize other cats’ face. |
| B．Whether cats are much smarter than expected. |
| C．Whether cats can understand human communication. |
| D．How cats link human words and their social companions. |
8 . Last year, I raced the Acura Ten Miler in Toronto. With 1-2 miles left, I noticed a female runner ahead of me who was weaving (穿行) in and out of a group of people, looking pale. Realizing something was wrong, I found a police officer and told him about it, and waited until she was close enough that I could point her out. He immediately called for an ambulance. I ran off and wondered how many people passed me, but I knew I did the right thing.
This Saturday, I raced the Canada Day 5K in Burlington. I’ve raced the course many times. My friend Monica and I went together with a goal to run competitively. I wanted to finish faster than I did in June, when my 5K time was 21:57. I felt it realistic to beat that time.
When the starting gun sounded, I went out fast and happened to run shoulder to shoulder with Monica’s daughter, but I soon pulled ahead. Shortly after, though, I heard “Please help me” from behind. Monica’s daughter is athletic, but she’s learning to run faster with her asthma (哮喘). Knowing that she had trouble, I stopped.
We finished the last 2K together. It troubled me when some runners passed me, and I had to stop to walk with her for a bit. But I thought making sure she was okay was more important, so I talked to her through the rest of the race. We finished together and cheered for her mom as she crossed the finishing line.
At last, my time was a bit longer than I wanted, but I was okay with that. If I had based my time on my age group’s winning time, I would have met my goal time. But I thought I made the right decision to help this girl get to the finishing line safely. For me, that was what mattered on Sunday morning. There will always be another race.
1. What did the author do during the Acura Ten Miler race?| A．She made new friends. | B．She helped a woman get rescued. |
| C．She broke her past record. | D．She stopped halfway due to illness. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Nervous. | C．Bored. | D．Confident. |
| A．By keeping her company. | B．By finding her mother. |
| C．By calling her an ambulance. | D．By cheering for her courage. |
| A．Honest and dependable. | B．Amazing and hard-working. |
| C．Helpful and kind. | D．Talkative and cheerful. |
| A．Learn to walk before you run. | B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．All roads lead to Rome. | D．Winning is not everything. |
9 . Youth Speech Competition
UNICEF is working towards a world where every child has what they need to survive and develop. But we can’t do it without big ideas from young people — young people who are brave enough to share their brilliant ideas with the world. UNICEF USA and TED-Ed invite young people to create their own talks on the rights of children and the problems young people face around the world.
One winner will be invited to UNICEF USA’s Annual Student Summit to make his/her speech on stage!
Criteria (标准)Youths aged 10-18 (if you are under 13, you must have a parent or teacher to help you register (报名)).
Must register online.
Your video must be under 2 minutes.
Deadline (截止时间): Your video must be handed in by midnight, January 27, 2023.Topics of Discussion:
●Migration ●Sustainable (可持续的) Development ●Values and Beliefs
Prizes
Winners will be announced on February 4, 2023.
One winner will be invited to make his/her speech on stage on UNICEF USA’s Annual Student Summit in Washington, D. C. on March 16-17, 2023!
UNICEF USA will pay for all travel expenses (flights and hotels). The student will be responsible for personal meals and personal expenses. If you are under the age of 18, you will need to travel with a responsible adult chaperone (监护人). UNICEF USA will pay for the chaperone’s travel expenses as well.
How to RegisterCreate an account (账户) using this link: ed.ted.com/unicefusa.
Once your account has been created, return to the TED-Ed Student Talks page and register!
Once you’ve handed in your registration, allow 2-3 days for processing.
Once you’ve recorded your talk, upload it using the “Upload” tab in your Resource Library on the TED-Ed website.
1. What will UNICEF USA and TED-Ed welcome?| A．Excellent paintings. | B．Brilliant articles. |
| C．Interesting stories. | D．Creative ideas. |
| A．Pay an entry fee. | B．Attend a training class. |
| C．Send a speech video within 2 minutes. | D．Perform on stage in Washington, D. C. |
| A．It has no age limit. | B．It focus on social issues. |
| C．It provides free meals. | D．It is held every two years. |
| A．On January 27, 2023. | B．On February 4, 2023. |
| C．On April 18, 2023. | D．On March 16-17, 2023. |
| A．visit TED-Ed’s website | B．send an e-mail |
| C．sign up in a library | D．call workers from TED |
10 . Steve Sanders is a dad who suffered from a serious kidney (肾) disease. Although he had been living a
One day, Chris, a local shopper,
Chris filled out the paperwork and
Once the hospital showed his kidney was a
| A．busy | B．rich | C．simple | D．healthy |
| A．coming about | B．going down | C．taking off | D．showing up |
| A．fund | B．competition | C．search | D．plan |
| A．doubts | B．responses | C．permissions | D．ranges |
| A．but | B．until | C．so | D．if |
| A．support | B．forgive | C．blame | D．believe |
| A．agree | B．understand | C．fail | D．forget |
| A．recognized | B．discovered | C．cheated | D．contacted |
| A．Similarly | B．Hopelessly | C．Fortunately | D．Strangely |
| A．comfort | B．panic | C．shock | D．mistake |
| A．brave | B．willing | C．proud | D．lucky |
| A．changed | B．heard | C．noticed | D．started |
| A．examine | B．remember | C．repeat | D．practice |
| A．honest | B．positive | C．caring | D．patient |
| A．see | B．show | C．advertise | D．ignore |
| A．character | B．blow | C．pain | D．fit |
| A．secretly | B．regularly | C．immediately | D．generally |
| A．reward | B．generosity | C．creativity | D．carefulness |
| A．owing | B．promising | C．teaching | D．serving |
| A．famous | B．successful | C．adventurous | D．difficult |
