4 . Humans aren’t the only animals that move to music. Parrots have been known to do it. And now rats have been observed bopping their heads in time with the tunes of Mozart, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson and others, according to a new study from the University of Tokyo. What’s more, the rats seems to respond to the same beats that get humans’ feet tapping (轻跺).

The researchers played a sonata by Mozart for lab rats at different variations (变更) of the original speed: 75%, 100%, 200% and 400%. Wireless sensors on the rats’ bodies tracked their movements. Meanwhile, 20 human participants were involved and listened to the same music through motion sensor-equipped headphones.

It was observed that the rats’ head movements were the most obvious when the music played at its normal speed, which was around 132 bpm (beats per minute). The same was true for human participants. The researchers then changed to some pop songs such as Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”. As with Mozart’s, rats moved their heads along the rhythm of pop songs, similar to how people do, at about 120 to 140 bpm.

The study showed that both rats and humans moved their heads along to the beat in a similar rhythm. The level of head bopping from both humans and rats decreased as the music sped up. The study suggests that there is something similar about the way human and rat brains respond to rhythm, but rats do not match their motions to the beat like humans do. Humans can predict the timing of a beat and move predictably to it.

Aniruddh Patel, a psychologist who studies brain response to music, says humans and parrots respond to beats with big, voluntary movements such as head shaking, dancing or foot tapping. Patel also stresses that this study does not show that rats have the same emotional associations with music as humans do. Yet he believes it could help reveal how humans and some other animals evolved a sense of rhythm.

1. What does the underlined word “bopping” in the first paragraph mean?

A．Moving.

B．Responding to.

C．Nodding.

D．Reacting.

2. How do rats differ from humans in response to music?

A．They seem more interested in pop music.	B．They make similar movements to different rhythms.
C．They prefer moving their heads with the beat.	D．They are unable to predict the beat of music.

3. What is Patel’s attitude towards the study?

A．Uncaring.

B．Doubtful.

C．Positive.

D．Disapproving.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Music affects rats’ brains.	B．Humans are the only animals that move to music.
C．Music is attractive to rats.	D．Rats may respond to music like human do.

6 . 2023 Hot List: The Best New Restaurants in the World

Place des Fêtes-New York City

This famous wine bar provides a spot with a rare sweet and warm atmosphere. For date night, go to the bar with views of the open kitchen, or fill up the large table in the back with a group and taste the entire 20-item menu. Either way, do not miss the famous mushroom soup.

Le Doyenné-Saint-Vrain, France

Australian chefs James Henry and Shaun Kelly transformed the former stables (马厩) of a 19th-century private estate into a working farm, restaurant, and guesthouse driven by the principles of regenerative agriculture. More than one hundred varieties of fruits, vegetables, and herbs make their way into Henry’s cooking after being carefully nurtured by Kelly.

Mi Compa Chava-Mexico City

Seafood is a hangover cure in Mexico, and almost everyone eating here is devoted to fixing last night’s damage from drunkenness and getting a head start on creating today’s. On the sidewalk, crowds of locals and tourists alike lineup for fisherman Salvador Orozco’s creative takes on Sinaloa and Baja seafood. Anything from the raw half of the menu is a sure bet, though cooked dishes like fish can help fill out a meal.

Vilas-Bangkok

Can a dish inspired by a Spanish recipe using Japanese ingredients still be considered Thai For Chef Prin Polsuk, one of Bangkok’s most famous Thai chefs, it most certainly can. At his latest restaurant, a small dining room at the base of Bangkok’s landmark King Power Mahanakhon Tower, he draws inspiration from King Chulalongkorn’s 1897 journey around Europe and the foreign ingredients and cooking techniques he added to the royal cookbooks.

1. What does the author highly recommend at Place des Fêtes?

A．Red wine.	B．Mushroom soup.
C．Baja seafood.	D．Fried fish.

2. What is the best choice for people who were drunk last night?

A．Mi Compa Chava.	B．Le Doyenné.
C．Place des Fêtes.	D．Vilas.

3. Where is the passage most probably taken from?

A．A science magazine.	B．A life magazine.
C．A travel magazine.	D．A health magazine.

7 . You can study the English language for years and still not understand a native speaker of English when you meet one. Many language leaners know that native speakers say a lot of things that you can’t find in a dictionary. Well, here’s a secret for you: A lot of British people can’t understand each other either!

Across the UK, a number of regions have different dialects—that is, they have their own unique vocabulary and grammatical phrases. There are many different accents in London, because it is not just where a person is born in the UK that decides their accent. Language and accents also vary across social class and level of education. Hence the recent rise of a new accent coined at the end of the 20th century—“Multicultural London English”.

Other factors are also important in the invention of new accents and ways of speaking. These include the influence of people from different ethnic backgrounds and different age groups, too.

“Yoof culture” is an example. The word “yoof” is a slang spelling of “youth”. Young people are creating their own language, concepts and identity. By using words that their parents don’t understand, children can talk about things that their parents might not approve of. For example, instead of saying something like “That’s good!” or “I understand”, yoof will use a single adjective like “Safe!”, or “Sorted!” Besides, Yoof would use “kind-a-thing,” or “sort-a-thing” to replace “if you understand what I’m saying”. In this way, they are starting to find freedom, independence and self-expression.

As learners of English, we may wonder how well we can talk to a native speaker, but perhaps we should worry less about this. Research commissioned by the British Council shows that 94 percent of the English spoken in the world today is spoken among non-native speakers of the language. In fact, when we think about “international English”, there is no such thing as a native or non-native speaker. The UK no longer owns the English language.

1. What’s the function of Paragraph 1?

A．To share a story.	B．To make a comparision.
C．To show the author’s experience.	D．To introduce the topic.

2. Which of the following statements about “Multicultural London English” is TRUE?

A．It’s now spoken by people around the world.

B．It was invented by Londoners in the 1900s.

C．It’s a modern accent that crosses educational divides.

D．It’s a dialect specific to a particular social class.

3. What does “Sorted!” mean in “yoof culture”?

A．Watch out.

B．I see.

C．My pleasure.

D．Hurry up.

4. What does the author want to tell us?

A．Don’t worry if you cannot understand native speakers.

B．Learning English well is very easy.

C．Languages are always changing.

D．It is important to communicate with a native speaker.

9 . Birds rely on their sharp sense of hearing to detect prey (猎物) and identify other birds on the basis of their songs. Birds have better hearing than humans, so they hear with much more detail. So how do birds hear?

Birds and humans both have an inner ear and a middle ear. However, birds differ from humans in that they lack an external ear structure. Where humans have an outer ear organ, birds have a funnel-shaped opening that functions as their outer ear, located on each side of their head. These openings are usually positioned behind and slightly below a bird’s eyes and are protected by soft feathers.

The position of a bird’s head also plays a role in its hearing abilities. Scientists have determined that noises register at different frequencies on each side of the bird’s head. Depending on the angle from which the noise originates, it records with a certain frequency in the left eardrum but with a different frequency in the right eardrum. This allows the bird to locate a sound’s origin.

For example, owls are known for their extremely accurate hearing, which helps them locate prey at night. This hearing ability is due in part to the unbalanced arrangement of the ear openings, with one opening being lower than the other. Sounds register in these openings at slightly different times. Owls can use this time difference, which is only 30 millionths of a second, to determine whether the sounds are coming from their left or their right. Some other birds have flaps (瓣膜) in front of their ears that help them determine whether sounds are coming from above or below. Some owls do appear to have ears on the top of their head, but those are actually feathers controlled by small muscles under the skin that do not affect their hearing at all.

1. What is the difference between birds and humans according to paragraph 2?

A．Ears’ structure.	B．Ears’ function.
C．Ears’ position.	D．Ears’ sensitivity.

2. What does the underlined word “This” in paragraph 3 probably refer to?

A．Judging the angle of noise sources.

B．Having their own unique ear structure.

C．Identifying the sound waves around them.

D．Recording frequencies in eardrums of their head.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Owls determine sound direction based on their feathers.

B．The flaps of birds have little impact on their hearing.

C．Different birds have various abilities to judge the direction of sound.

D．Many birds have unbalanced positions of the ear openings besides owls.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Secret of Owls’ Hearing	B．Remarkable Hearing Abilities of Birds
C．Special Ear Structure of Birds	D．Different Hearing Systems of Birds

10 . Get a taste of Hangzhou

As one of the eight great cuisines of China, Hangzhou dishes gain great popularity. Here are a few must-try meals, each of which has an age-old story.

Dongpo Pork (red-braised pork belly)

Dongpo Pork was named after the Song Dynasty poet and official, Su Dongpo. Su launched a thorough dredging (疏浚) of the West Lake, which had great benefits for the locals. To express their gratitude, they gifted Su a lot of pork. Su transformed the traditional cooking process—adding yellow wine and stewing it on low heat. After that, the dish became widely favored.

West Lake Carp in Vinegar Gravy

Legend has it that two brothers surnamed Song lived in Hangzhou. The elder brother was murdered. In fear for his safety, the younger brother decided to leave. During his farewell dinner, his sister-in-law cooked a dish that was both sweet and sour, implying that he should “not forget the sour amid the sweet”. The younger brother later returned as a high-ranking official, avenged (报仇) his brother’s murder and sought out his sister-in-law. Since then, West Lake Carp in Vinegar Gravy has been handed down.

Sister Song’s Fish Soup

During the Song Dynasty, a woman nicknamed Sister Song made a living by selling fish soup alongside the West Lake. During a trip to the West Lake, Emperor Gaozong tasted her fish soup and spoke very highly of it. The soup’s reputation spread far and wide, and it became a calling card for the city.

Sauteed Shrimps with Longjing Tea

The story of this dish relates to the Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty. On a tour to Hangzhou, one of the emperor’s chefs accidentally dropped Longjing tea leaves into the sauteed shrimps. The fragrance of the tea combined with the texture of the shrimp won the emperor over and a classic Hangzhou dish was born.

1. What can we know about Su Dongpo according to the text?

A．He cared little about the locals.

B．He was a person with creativity.

C．He liked boating on West Lake.

D．He was a great politician and novelist.

2. Which of the following is TRUE about West Lake Carp in Vinegar Gravy?

A．It tastes both sour and hot.

B．There is a romantic story behind it.

C．It was created by a man surnamed Song.

D．It originally served as a reminder.

3. What do the last two dishes have in common?

A．They were invented by accident.

B．They were first cooked by a local cook.

C．They were highly regarded by emperors.

D．They were quite attractive to tea lovers.