1 . Nanako Hama gets a lot of mail, mostly from strangers who live in her home city of Tokyo. In light envelopes, they send locks of their hair, hoping to recycle it.

People generate a huge amount of hair waste. Nearly all of that waste ends up in landfill, where it can release harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

But hair possesses useful qualities that it’s a shame to simply throw it away. That’s why people all around the world, like Hama, have been collecting hair and finding innovative ways to recycle it, including making mats (垫子)out of it for removing oil leaks.

Hama is part of the nonprofit Matter of Trust (MoT) members working at more than 60 centers dotted across 17 countries, using machines to make hair donated from local salons and individuals into square mats, which are then used to clean up the floating oil.

Hair is particularly well-suited for this, says MoT co-founder Lisa Gautier. “That’s because its rough sort of outer layer lets oil stick to it.” MoT’s mats have been used in major oil leaks. including the 2010 Deepwater Horizon and 2007 Cosco Busan incidents.

In a 2018 study, Murray, an environmental scientist at the University of Technology Sydney, in Australia found that mats made of recycled human hair could absorb 0.84 grams of oil onto its surface for every gram of hair—significantly more than polypropylene (聚丙烯), a type of plastic that’s typically used to clean up floating oil.

Besides, hair is also useful as fertilizer (化肥). Hair contains a relatively high nitrogen (氮), a chemical element crucial for plant growth, and each lock of hair is made of roughly 16 percent of this essential nutrient. Last year, more than 560 gallons of liquid fertilizer made from human hair was sold to farmers in northern Tanzania and the feedback from the farmers has been very encouraging.

“It’s just a great way to use hair in a productive way. Hair is an answer literally hanging in front of our eyes—for oil and soil,” Hama says.

1. How does the author introduce the topic in paragraph 1?

A．By detailing the background.	B．By presenting a scene.
C．By describing the feedback.	D．By supporting evidences.

2. What can the mat made of human hair do?

A．Fertilize the soil.	B．Prevent oil leaks.
C．Clear the sea of oil.	D．Take in harmful gas.

3. Which qualities of hair contribute to its innovative use?

A．Its color and strength.

B．Its length and amount.

C．Its weight and flexibility.

D．Its structure and component.

4. Which best describes the future of hair waster as fertilizer?

A．Debatable.	B．Applicable.
C．Irreplaceable.	D．Uncontrollable.

2 . In today’s digital era, social media users are increasingly coming across fake news online. This leads to the pressing issue: What causes people to fall for misinformation on the Internet?

According to researchers at the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology,   users can easily fall into an echo chamber (回声室)—a sort of virtual space where users consume only one-sided news, eventually distrusting any opposing views. “We all tend to agree with the group opinion. Hence, people naturally get together with others who hold the same opinion,” said Dongwon Lee, one of the researchers. “But if you’re not cautious, there is a high risk of falling into an echo chamber.”

To prevent this phenomenon, the researchers have crafted a novel tool, a game named ChamberBreaker, to help players resist echo chambers and reduce the rate of fake news spread. The fundamental approach employed by ChamberBreaker centers around a decision-making procedure that mirrors the creation of echo chambers. In ChamberBreaker, a player is tasked with trying to have community members fall into an echo chamber. To begin, the player is randomly assigned a situation that focuses on a health, political or environmental issue, and is presented with six pieces of news on that topic. Then, the player selects news that could cause the other members to fall into an echo chamber while at the same time maintaining their trust. If successful, the community members will fall into an echo chamber and the player will witness the resulting negative effects on the community.

After developing ChamberBreaker, researchers tested it with over 800 subjects to see if it raised awareness of echo chambers and changed news consumption behaviors. The researchers found that those who played ChamberBreaker were significantly more likely to state their intention to observe online information from more diverse perspectives and showed an increased awareness of the echo chamber phenomenon.

Ultimately, the researchers hope that their methodology can excite a greater interest in the scientific and scholarly study related to information consumption. The application of tools like ChamberBreaker, which focuses on fostering analytical reasoning, may lead us towards a more informed online community.

1. What can be learned about an online echo chamber?

A．It encourages well-judged views.

B．It gathers like-minded individuals.

C．It functions as a virtual reality platform.

D．It serves as a tool for identifying fake information.

2. What is ChamberBreaker’s core method against echo chambers?

A．Assignment of situations.	B．Trust-building exercises.
C．News selection strategy.	D．Community impact assessment.

3. Which of the following can show ChamberBreaker’s effectiveness?

A．The results of scientific testing.

B．The theoretical framework of the game.

C．The description of the game procedures.

D．The common challenges faced during gameplay.

4. What is the likely long-term effect of playing ChamberBreaker?

A．Reducing news inquiry.	B．Encouraging passive reading.
C．Strengthening prejudiced views.	D．Enhancing critical thinking.

3 . This question has fascinated behavioural scientists for decades: why do we give money to charity?

The explanations for charitable giving fall into three broad categories, from the purely altruisic (利他的)— I donate because I value the social good done by the charity. The “impurely” altruistic— I donate because I extract value from knowing I contribute to the social good for the charity. And the not-at-all altruistic— I donate because I want to show off to potential mates how rich I am.

But are these motives strong enough to enable people to donate as much as they would want to? Most people support charities in one way or another, but often we struggle to make donations as often as we think we should. Although many people would like to leave a gift to charity in their will, they forget about it when the time comes.

Many people are also aware that they should donate to the causes that have the highest impact, but facts and figures are less attractive than narratives. In a series of experiments, it was found that people are much more responsive to charitable pleas that feature a single, identifiable beneficiary(受益者), than they are to statistical information about the scale of the problem being faced. When it comes to charitable giving, we are often ruled by our hearts and not our heads.

The good news is that charitable giving is contagious—seeing others give makes an individual more likely to give and gentle encouragement from an important person in your life can also make a big difference to your donation decisions— more than quadrupling them in our recent study. Habit also plays a part— in three recent experiments those who volunteered before were more likely to do donate their time than those who had not volunteered before.

In summary, behavioural science identifies a range of factors that influence our donations, and can help us to keep giving in the longer term. This is great news not just for charities, but also for donors.

1. What can we learn about people who do charitable giving?

A．Most people support charity as often as they think they should.

B．Some people don’t want to leave a gift to charity until the time comes.

C．Those who donate because they can gain an advantage are purely altruistic.

D．Some people send money to charity simply to tell others they are wealthy.

2. In which way will people donate more willingly?

A．Not revealing the names of the donors.

B．Showing figures about the seriousness of the problem.

C．Telling stories that feature a single, recognizable beneficiary.

D．Reminding people to write down what to donate in the will in advance.

3. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 5 mean?

A．People will learn from others and follow the suit.

B．Many people are familiar with charitable giving.

C．Charitable giving helps the beneficiary in all aspects.

D．Charitable giving can bring a lot of benefits to donors.

4. What is the writing purpose of the passage?

A．To persuade more people to donate.

B．To explain the science behind why people donate.

C．To criticize some false charitable giving behaviours.

D．To explore approaches to making people donate more.

4 . In the late 1930s, people could donate blood, but very few hospitals could store it for later use. Whole blood breaks down quickly, and there were no methods at the time for safely preserving it. As a result, hospitals often did not have the appropriate blood type when patients needed it. Charles Drew, a Black surgeon and researcher, helped solve this monumental problem for medicine, earning him the title “Father of the Blood Bank.”

In 1938, while obtaining his doctorate in medicine, Drew became a fellow at Columbia University’s Presbyterian Hospital in New York. He studied the storage and distribution of blood, including the separation of its components, and applied his findings to an experimental blood bank at the hospital.

As Drew was finishing his degree at Columbia, World War II was erupting in Europe. Great Britain was asking the United States for desperately needed plasma (血浆) to help victims. Given his expertise, Drew was selected to be the medical director for the Blood for Britain campaign. Using Presbyterian Hospital’s blood bank as a model, Drew established uniform procedures and standards for collecting blood and processing blood plasma from nine New York hospitals. The five-month campaign collected donations from 15,000 Americans and was considered a success. His discoveries and his leadership saved countless lives.

With the increasing likelihood that the nation would be drawn into war, the United States wanted to capitalize on what Drew had learned from the campaign. He was appointed as the assistant director of a three-month pilot program to mass-produce dried plasma in New York, which became the model for the first Red Cross blood bank. His innovations for this program included mobile blood donation stations, later called bloodmobiles.

1. What problem did hospitals face in the late 1930s regarding blood donations?

A．The shortage of blood donors.	B．The inability to preserve blood.
C．The challenge of blood infection.	D．The failure to identify blood types.

2. How did Drew contribute to the Blood for Britain campaign?

A．He gathered different standards for the blood collection.

B．He worked on the bloodmobiles for easy access to donors.

C．He helped send life-saving drugs overseas to aid in the war.

D．He organized the collection and processing of blood plasma.

3. Which of the following best describes the three-month pilot program?

A．Groundbreaking.

B．Unpredictable.

C．Economical.

D．Controversial.

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

A．The life of Dr. Charles Drew.	B．The inventor of the Blood Bank.
C．A Savior of Lives during Wartime.	D．A Pioneer in Blood Transportation.

5 . Certain areas near the moon’s poles stay everlastingly in shadow, never receiving direct sunlight. Recent studies suggest these so-called permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) contain rich ice resource that could show details about the early solar system; they could also help future visitors make fuel and other resources. But these areas are hard to photograph from satellites moving around the moon and thus are a challenge to study. The few photos PSRs reflect are often flooded by camera noise and quantum effects (量子效应).

Now researchers have produced a deep-learning algorithm (算法) to cut through the interruption and to see these dark zones. “Our images enable scientists to identify the features of craters and boulders (陨石坑和巨石),” says Valentin Bickel, a planetary scientist at the Max Planck Institute of Solar System Research in Germany and lead author of a Nature Communications study testing the new algorithm.

The researchers used more than 70,000 images of completely dark lunar areas — with no light signal — together with details about the camera’s temperature and position in orbit to train their algorithm to recognize and remove camera noise. Next they dealt with the rest noise through information learned from millions of sunlit lunar photos, together with copied versions of the same images in shadow. Ignacio Lopez-Francos, a study co-author and engineer at the NASA Ames Research Center, says using such man-made shadow was necessary because sunlit PSR images do not exist. A similar technique is also used in low-light digital camera photography.

The researchers used their algorithm to analyze the size and number of craters and boulders in several PSRs that might be explored by NASA’s Artemis moon program. They also found the likely origins of some boulders and established a potential route for an astronaut through a PSR on the moon, avoiding obstacles and slopes steeper than 10 degrees.

“It’s an interesting application of machine-learning technology, and the noise model seems realistic and useful for this real case,” says computer scientist Chongyi Li, who uses similar strategies to enhance underwater images at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University and was not involved in the study.

1. Why is exploring the PSRs a challenge?

A．Because satellites are remote.	B．Because the solar system is complex.
C．Because the photos are often covered.	D．Because the moon has abundant resources.

2. How did the researchers train their algorithm?

A．They trained it through photos and images.

B．They trained it by cutting through the interruption.

C．They trained it through numerous images of sunlit lunar areas.

D．They trained it by using low-light digital camera photography.

3. What is Chongyi Li’s attitude to this algorithm?

A．Doubtful.

B．Objective.

C．Indifferent.

D．Favorable.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing this article?

A．To appeal to us to explore lunar areas.	B．To promote our understanding of moon.
C．To introduce an application of technology.	D．To describe the reasons of lunar shadow lands.

6 . The Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge is a science competition for U. S. middle-school students. It's run by Society for Science, which also publishes Science News Explores. The 30 finalists in this year's competition traveled to Washington, D. C. and also showed off their research projects.

Sharanya Chudgar, 14 years old, is one of the finalists in the competition and built a trash-collecting robot. The wheeled machine of the robot uses sensors to spot litter and a pan to pick it up. The robot's metal-detecting sensor helps it sort garbage from recyclables. And a light sensor can let the robot's solar panel angle itself toward the sun, collecting as much energy as possible.

Sharanya got the idea to build her trash collector by participating in litter cleanups. "When I signed up to volunteer at our local trash cleanup, I saw how much litter poliution there was and I knew that I had to fix this problem," Sharanya says. "People do have very limited time and resources, right? But robots don't. So it was then that my project idea formed in my head."

"Building the robot is my favorite part of this project," Sharanya says. "Ever since first grade, I've loved building Legos and building my robot felt just like building a Lego. But this project was a completely new experience since I hadn't ever had any experience in robotics before. Throughout the project, I had to use tons of power tools and I even had to cut pieces of metal to certain lengths. Whenever I needed to use a power tool, I had to turn to my dad who was always there to help out if necessary."

"It might seem difficult at times, but sticking to this and changing just one variable at a time gets you the best results," Sharanya says. This middle school scientist is solving global problems of litter pollution. For some, a science project might be an assignment or a fun hobby. But for Sharanya, doing research can also be a chance to help others and make the world a better place.

1. What can be known about the trash-collecting robot?

A．It is environment-friendly.	B．Its solar panel can't turn.
C．It has multiple purposes.	D．Its shape is like a human.

2. What inspired Sharanya to develop the robot?

A．The limited natural resources.	B．The encouragement from the locals.
C．Her trash cleanup experiences.	D．Her participation in the competition.

3. Why does Sharanya mention Legos in paragraph 4?

A．To express her thanks to her father.	B．To show her love for the project.
C．To explain the difficulty of the project.	D．To tell her interest in building Legos.

4. What is the author's attitude towards Sharanya's invention?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Negative.

C．Critical.

D．Approving.

7 . While Industry 5.0 is believed to have started in 2020, the rise of AI in recent years has led experts to say it is now coming. Imagine AI-powered robots that see, hear, touch and more, pooling fresh data from across those groups of sensors to create that data with the vast ranges of digital data stored elsewhere online. The age is a major leap from the First Industrial Revolution, when steam engine started to achieve widespread commercial use.

Professor John Nosta says, “The integration of sensory capabilities into AI models is not merely a technological leap. It represents a shift in our philosophical understanding of artificial and human intelligence.”

He has also referred to the new era as “the Cognitive (认知) Age,” which will completely change how humans live, work, and think about themselves. According to Nosta, humans don’t typically think of computers as “experiencing” the world themselves. But that assumption will be challenged as more advanced AI systems are hooked up to ever more and ever greater sensors. The machines won’t just be logic boxes that humans input data and commands for processing. The AI will collect that data more and more on its own, experiencing the world for itself.

“This is not just about understanding words, but also about grasping the tone, pitch (音高), and emphasis, which add layers of meaning often absent in written text. Image recognition adds another layer of complexity,” he added. “For example, it can analyze photographs, identify objects, and even understand the emotional content of facial expressions.”

The Johannesburg-based business school is just one of many college-level programs attempting to investigate and teach its students about the still-emerging IR 5.0. Seton Hall in New Jersey offers a three-credit course on this latest age in human technology and trade; MIT has brought in guest speakers to lecture on the concept, and many other research institutions are following suit.

1. Where does IR 5.0 differ from previous industrial revolution?

A．It processes data and commands.	B．It interacts with humans through texts.
C．It enhances human sensory capabilities.	D．It employs more senses in its application.

2. Why is IR 5. 0 called the Cognitive age?

A．AI collects and interprets data itself.	B．AI turns written texts into voice.
C．AI understands written language well.	D．AI has an ability of expressing emotions

3. How do some colleges address IR 5.0?

A．By offering related courses.	B．By expecting more industrial revolution.
C．By applying AI to the technological trade.	D．By preparing for the rapid economic changes.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Al Is Approaching Us Gradually	B．A New IR Is About Machine Learning
C．AI Has Developed Its Own Senses	D．We Are Entering IR 5.0 Now

8 . Rushing down the path, the traceur (跑酷者) is on the lookout for his next obstacles such as fire escapes, walls, or fences. As soon as he realizes a massive brick wall stands between him and where he wants to be, he unintentionally grabs on the wall with his hands and lifts himself to stand on top of it. His next move is a jump that lands him back on solid ground; however, noticing that he is unstable, he rolls to avoid injury.

Traceurs are athletes who perform remarkable gymnastics actions in urban environments. Serious traceurs are fascinated not just by the physical challenges of Parkour, but by its philosophy. Those who learn to excel at Parkour claim to develop not just physical fitness, but increased self-confidence and critical thinking skills, as they train themselves to find ways around every obstacle in their paths.

Because of these philosophical foundations, Parkour is often described by traceurs as more of a lifestyle or an art form than a sport. Passionate traceurs are determined to keep Parkour from becoming a competitive attempt. Competition, they argue, devalues the philosophical theory behind Parkour. People who practice Parkour should be more concerned with their relationship to the environment than with a ticking clock, a score, or a cheering crowd. Furthermore, traceurs should work with each other to improve confidence, awareness, and unity. Competition, they argue, only brings about feelings of conflict and disharmony.

While Parkour purists suggest that the philosophy behind Parkour helps to limit injuries, they must remember that not everyone who tries to leap over a mailbox is an experienced traceur trying to get in touch with his or her environment. Adolescents attempting to carry out these acrobatic (杂技的) skills could severely injure themselves. So while newcomers to Parkour might be eager to investigate this art of movement, it would be wise for them to remember the physicality behind the philosophy. After all, philosophy is not much good to a broken leg.

1. Why does the author describe a traceur at the beginning?

A．To illustrate what Parkour is like.	B．To teach ways of avoiding injuries.
C．To explain different Parkour moves.	D．To highlight the popularity of sports.

2. How can Parkour enhance a traceur’s self-confidence?

A．By strengthening physical fitness.	B．By winning Parkour competitions.
C．By building faith in conquering barriers.	D．By grasping some philosophical theories.

3. What do we know about serious and pure traceurs?

A．They are aware of how to treat injuries.

B．They suggest individual efforts in the sport.

C．They stress the relationship to the environment.

D．They are more concerned with remarkable actions.

4. What does the author advise newcomers to do?

A．Face physical challenges boldly.	B．Learn from experienced traceurs.
C．Start from leaping over a mailbox.	D．Consider the risk of severe harm.

10 . Not many drinks can offer the health benefits of tea, the strength of coffee, and the joy of chocolate like this super brew, yerba mate. Along with supposed benefits of supporting weight loss, concentration, and better digestion, drinking yerba mate continues to symbolize culture and tradition in South America.

Consumed mostly in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil — as well as in Syria and Lebanon — yerba mate (pronounced MAH-tay)is a hot, bitter, caffeinated tea made by steeping the dried leaves of the yerba mate plant. Containing roughly as much caffeine as coffee, about 80 milligrams per cup, mate has gained global popularity — much so that brands like Perrier, Red Bull, and PepsiCo have launched mate drinks.

But in the last couple of decades, mate started experiencing a boom outside of South America. Karla Johan, a mate sommelier (侍酒师) from Argentina, attributes this partly to football players from Argentina and Uruguay bringing the habit to Europe, where they moved to play for local teams. In fact, one might say that mate is the “beverage of champions”. When Argentina’s national football team travelled to Qatar in December 2022 to play and won the World Cup, they carried 240 kg of yerba mate with them.

Yerba mate, of course, eventually migrated over to the U. S. and in recent years has become a popular ingredient in everything from health elixirs (保健药) to energy drinks. Loose leaves can be purchased at most specialty grocery stores to make the drink at home. And if you want to get the full yerba mate experience, you can even order a cup for drinking mate and bombilla online, gather some friends, and enjoy the beauty of the South American ritual for yourself.

Global messaging platform WhatsApp recently introduced a mate emoji, which points to mate’s growing popularity as people aim for a healthier lifestyle. That’s because mate, said Johan, contains a higher level of antioxidants than green tea or red wine, and a powerful combination of vitamins from the clay soil where it grows. In Argentina, mate is common, a faithful companion for matters great and small. Yet, unlike coffee or tea, it is not consumed in cafes: It’s what you have at home and at work, in the park and on the train, during class or at the gym.

1. Which of the following is not the feature of yerba mate?

A．Its bitter flavor.	B．Its long history.
C．Its ingredient of caffeine.	D．Its function of losing weight.

2. What makes yerba mate globally popular?

A．Its unique coffee taste.

B．Its health benefits.

C．The support of famous football players.

D．The launch of mate drinks by famous brands.

3. Which is the following is NOT true about yerba mate according to paragraph 4?

A．It can be easily accessible.	B．It can cure some diseases.
C．It can be made into energy drinks.	D．It can be purchased online.

4. Why do people show preference for yerba mate according to paragraph 5?

A．Because it is a faithful companion.

B．Because it can be enjoyed everywhere.

C．Because it contains some beneficial elements.

D．Because it is better than green tea and red wine.