1 . Filming in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest
The Kamas Ranger District handles film permits for the Kamas district of the Wasatch- Cache National Forest.
To ensure that permits are issued in time for filming, the Forest Service requests that application form be handed in three to four weeks prior to filming.
The fee structure for filming in the National Forest is as follows:
Filming Special Use Fee1 to 10 people-$150 per day
11 to 30 people-$200 per day
31 to 60 people-$500 per day
Over 61 people-$600 per day
Film Monitoring Fee
1 day filming-FREE
Extra days-$200 per day
Additional FeesAdditional fees will be charged in the following situations:
Large production (greater than 100 people), multiple site filming that may require additional film monitoring to protect natural resources and a performance agreement in the form of a deposited check.
Upon approval, a Special Use Permit will be issued with a bill for collection. Checks should be made payable to “USDA Forest Service, ” and payment must be received before filming.
NoteSome areas of the forest are especially sensitive to impacts from vehicles, domestic animals, and people. These areas include wetlands, streams, lake shorelines, and most meadow areas. Filming requests in these sensitive areas will require special surveys to determine possible environmental impacts. The request may be denied.
How much will a week’s film monitoring be charged?| A．$1200. |
| B．$200. |
| C．$1400. |
| D．$600. |
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. |
| A．Assignment of situations. |
| B．Trust-building exercises. |
| C．News selection strategy. |
| D．Community impact assessment. |
| 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. |
3 . The California sea otter (海獭), once hunted to the edge of extinction, has staged a thrilling comeback in the last century. Now, scientists have discovered that the otters’ success story has led to something just as remarkable: the restoration of their declining coastal marsh (沼泽) habitat.
Elkhorn Slough, a coastal marsh within Monterey Bay, had been experiencing severe damage. The root cause was a growing population of shore crabs, which fed heavily on the marsh plants, weakening the structural integrity of the habitat. Coastal marshes like these are not only natural defenses against storm waves but also serve as important carbon storage areas and water-cleaning systems.
The conservation-driven comeback of the sea otter has been crucial. California’s coastlines were once alive with sea otters. Sadly, they were nearly wiped out at the hands of fur traders. In the 1980s, conservation efforts aided these otters in re-occupying large areas of their former range. Now, Elkhorn Slough has the highest concentration of sea otters in California, with a population of about 100. By naturally feasting on crabs, the otters have helped a significant regrowth of plant life. Brent Hughes, a scientist working alongside Angelini, led a three-year study. Their findings were clear: in areas with sea otters, crab numbers fell markedly. This led to a resurgence in plant growth, which in turn stabilized the soil and lowered the rate of soil washing away.
As the sea otter population continues to restore, their positive impact on coastal ecosystems is likely to increase. It not only showcases the sea otter as a central species—a species that has a significant effect on its natural environment—but also highlights the essential nature of top predators (捕食者) in preserving ecological harmony. “My honest reaction was—this could become a classic in the literature,” says scientist Lekelia Jenkins. She reveals marsh restoration also helps people by reducing flooding. “Suddenly, sea otters go from just cute things we like to something that can protect our livelihoods and our properties.”
What change did the disappearance of sea otters bring about?| A．Fewer predatory crabs. |
| B．More coastal plant life. |
| C．Better water-cleaning effect. |
| D．Worse coastal ecological balance. |
4 . US Army veteran (退伍老兵) Mazyck remembers when doctors told her she would never walk again. She’d been paralyzed from the waist down after a serious accident while parachuting in 2003.The doctors never said anything about floating, though. In 2021,she got to do just that.
Mazyck was one of 12 participants in a Zero G flight, organized by the group AstroAccess. This type of flight recreates the weightlessness that astronauts experience without going all the way to space. Flying over the Pacific Ocean off Southern California, the modified 747 jet airplane made 15 steep dives and climbs, allowing the flyers multiple periods of weightlessness.
The experience left Mazyck feeling joyful. “The flight was something that I would have never in my wildest dreams thought I would’ve experienced,” she says, “especially the floating, the weightlessness.”
Traditionally, strict physical requirements have prevented disabled people from becoming astronauts. AstroAccess is working to make space accessible to all. “Space removes the barriers between people; now is the time to remove the barriers to space itself,” says Mazyck, “It is sending a message to people who have historically been excluded from STEM that not only is there room for you in space, there is a need for you.”
During the flight, she says, the participants did experiments and made observations. They took note of things that people without certain disabilities might not realize are issues. For example, people who couldn’t grip with their legs needed another way to hold themselves still while weightless. The group also experimented with signaling lights for the deaf and with ways of using braille (盲文) for the blind.
These types of issues are easy enough to address. Now is the time to make space accessible — before space tourism or space settlements become commonplace. “I am so proud and elated about what’s happening here,” Mazyck adds. “We are paving the way for the future.”
1. What do we know about AstroAccess?| A．It redesigns jet airplanes. |
| B．It offers weightlessness experience. |
| C．It provides physical treatment. |
| D．It trains the disabled to be astronauts. |
| A．Astronaut experience. |
| B．Steep dives and climbs. |
| C．Weightlessness periods. |
| D．Trials and observations. |
5 . Filming in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest
The Kamas Ranger District handles film permits for the Kamas district of the Wasatch- Cache National Forest.
To ensure that permits are issued in time for filming, the Forest Service requests that application form be handed in three to four weeks prior to filming.
The fee structure for filming in the National Forest is as follows:
Filming Special Use Fee1 to 10 people-$150 per day
11 to 30 people-$200 per day
31 to 60 people-$500 per day
Over 61 people-$600 per day
Film Monitoring Fee
1 day filming-FREE
Extra days-$200 per day
Additional FeesAdditional fees will be charged in the following situations:
Large production (greater than 100 people), multiple site filming that may require additional film monitoring to protect natural resources and a performance agreement in the form of a deposited check.
Upon approval, a Special Use Permit will be issued with a bill for collection. Checks should be made payable to “USDA Forest Service, ” and payment must be received before filming.
NoteSome areas of the forest are especially sensitive to impacts from vehicles, domestic animals, and people. These areas include wetlands, streams, lake shorelines, and most meadow areas. Filming requests in these sensitive areas will require special surveys to determine possible environmental impacts. The request may be denied.
1. What is one expected to do for filming?| A．Issue the permit weeks before filming. |
| B．Submit the application form in advance. |
| C．Give top priority to time arrangement. |
| D．Outline the fee structure in the forest. |
| A．Paying the bill in cash. |
| B．Entry into the sensitive areas. |
| C．Production with over 61 people. |
| D．Filming in different sites. |
6 . Humans have long gained pleasure from the smells of the natural world. For the most part, though, human beings are not their target market. For plants, fragrances are a way to interact with insects and other animals. Their attraction for people happens simply by chance.
In chemical terms, most natural fragrances are made up of volatiles — so called because of their tendency to change states suddenly. Volatiles evaporate easily, drifting into noses. In plants’ reproductive processes, smelly volatiles attract pollinators (授粉昆虫). But their natural applications are much more varied. If an insect chews through the leaves of some Bursera plants, out shoots a sticky, smelly liquid to trap it. Coyote tobacco plants are even more crafty: upon sensing the smell of hungry caterpillars, they produce volatiles that attract predators to kill the pests.
What is truly amazing is just how wily plants can be in using their scents for reproduction. White flowers often emit their scent at night to attract nocturnal pollinators such as moths. They produce a dilute nectar (稀释的花蜜) that encourages moths to keep moving, rather than linger at a single bloom—all the better to increase pollination. Other flowers change their fragrance after being successfully pollinated, as a signal for insects to go elsewhere.
But though “Scent” is a story of plants’ cleverness, it is also a tale of the human kind. People have long used fragrances for their own purposes, particularly for use in religious ceremonies: perfume recipes on the walls of an Egyptian temple in Edfu demonstrate just how long ingredients have been mixed in pursuit of the best blend. So highly prized were some scents that, to scare off competitors, Arab traders spread a legend about giant eagles that guarded cinnamon.
Eventually scientists no longer needed natural sources for fragrances. In 1866 a fragrance molecule was produced for the first time. Sixteen years later, Houbigant Parfum released Fougère Royale, the first “modern fantasy perfume” that creates an imaginary scent rather than copying a natural one. Nowadays fragrance–making is dominated by man–made compounds, which can be reliably and affordably produced in large quantities.
That has led to the mass production of smelly products, from toilet paper to toothpaste. Scent is accordingly big business. It is said that a world–famous fragrance and flavour manufacturer that claims people interact with its products up to 30 times a day, had sales of €3.8bn last year.
What does the underlined word “prized” in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?| A．Developed. |
| B．Rewarded. |
| C．Mixed. |
| D．Valued. |
7 . Humans have long gained pleasure from the smells of the natural world. For the most part, though, human beings are not their target market. For plants, fragrances are a way to interact with insects and other animals. Their attraction for people happens simply by chance.
In chemical terms, most natural fragrances are made up of volatiles—so called because of their tendency to change states suddenly. Volatiles evaporate easily, drifting into noses. In plants’ reproductive processes, smelly volatiles attract pollinators (授粉昆虫). But their natural applications are much more varied. If an insect chews through the leaves of some Bursera plants, out shoots a sticky, smelly liquid to trap it. Coyote tobacco plants are even more crafty: upon sensing the smell of hungry caterpillars, they produce volatiles that attract predators to kill the pests.
What is truly amazing is just how wily plants can be in using their scents for reproduction. White flowers often emit their scent at night to attract nocturnal pollinators such as moths. They produce a dilute nectar (稀释的花蜜) that encourages moths to keep moving, rather than linger at a single bloom—all the better to increase pollination. Other flowers change their fragrance after being successfully pollinated, as a signal for insects to go elsewhere.
But though “Scent” is a story of plants’ cleverness, it is also a tale of the human kind. People have long used fragrances for their own purposes, particularly for use in religious ceremonies: perfume recipes on the walls of an Egyptian temple in Edfu demonstrate just how long ingredients have been mixed in pursuit of the best blend. So highly prized were some scents that, to scare off competitors, Arab traders spread a legend about giant eagles that guarded cinnamon.
Eventually scientists no longer needed natural sources for fragrances. In 1866 a fragrance molecule was produced for the first time. Sixteen years later, Houbigant Parfum released Fougère Royale, the first “modern fantasy perfume” that creates an imaginary scent rather than copying a natural one. Nowadays fragrance–making is dominated by man–made compounds, which can be reliably and affordably produced in large quantities.
That has led to the mass production of smelly products, from toilet paper to toothpaste. Scent is accordingly big business. It is said that a world–famous fragrance and flavour manufacturer that claims people interact with its products up to 30 times a day, had sales of €3.8bn last year.
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?| A．Plants Smell, Insects Prey |
| B．Smartness behind Fragrance |
| C．Fragrance: To Make or Not to Make |
| D．Fragrance Connects Human & Nature |
8 . I was a graduate student in Manhattan having breakfast on my rooftop on Sept. 11, 2001, when I witnessed planes hit the Twin Towers. For months afterwards, I shook with anxiety every morning. Unwilling to medicate, I tried everything else. Mindfulness meditation (冥想) caused panic attacks. Hot yoga built muscle but did nothing for my anxiety. I went to talks by Buddhist monks and meditation teachers hoping to attain inner peace, but in vain. Finally, I attended a SKY Breath Meditation class, which involves a 20-minute breathing regimen (养生之道) in different postures and rhythms. Though I went in skeptical,I came out calm. Two decades later,I never missed a day of my breathing practice, not even when I gave birth.
I’ve also devoted part of my research career to studying the benefits of breathing for mental health and well-being. Seven years after 9/11, I was working with veterans returning from war with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Traditional treatments had failed many of them, so my colleagues and I ran a randomized controlled trial to test the effects of SKY breathing. Compared with the control group, veterans practicing SKY every day for one week saw their anxiety drop to levels typical of the general population.
Even though most did not continue to practice, they maintained the benefits a year later.Emotions influence your breathing patterns, and changing your breathing can change your emotions. For example, anxiety and anger correspond to an irregular, short, fast breath. Adopting the slower and more regular breathing pattern that corresponds to a calm feeling signals relaxation by activating the vagus nerve (交感神经), slowing heart rate, easing blood pressure, and settling you down. A simple exercise you can try is to close your eyes and breathe out for twice as long as you breathe in. Do this for five minutes in the morning, before a stressful meeting or as you transit from work to home.
Which of the following is the best title for the text?| A．PTSD: more awareness needed |
| B．SKY: better well-being attained |
| C．Meditation: an effective treatment |
| D．Breath: detailed ways to conduct |
9 . Limiting kids’ recreational (消遣的) screen time to less than two hours a day, along with enough sleep and physical activity, is associated with improved cognition (认知) , according to a study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.
The study included about 4 ,500 US children aged 8 to11 and measured their habits against the Canadian 24 – Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth. It found that 51% of the children got the recommended (建议的) 9 to 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night; 37% met the recreational screen time limit of two hours or less per day, while 18% met the physical activity recommendation of at least 60 minutes of accumulated physical activity a day. Only 5% of the children in the study met all three recommendations; 30% met none at all.
The researchers found that as each recommendation was met by a participant, there was a positive association with global cognition, which includes memory, attention, processing speed and language. Those who met all three had the most “superior” global cognition, followed by those meeting the sleep and screen time recommendation and finally the screen time recommendation alone, according to the study.
Other organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics – have guidelines in place to help with the management of children’s screen time. The organization suggests putting realistic rules or limits in place for how long your children are on their screens, knowing who they are talking to and what they are doing. The amount recommended screen time depends on the age of the child. Besides, parents should also make sure to encourage physical activity and have bedroom rules such as creating “ tech-free zones”.
What is the main idea of this passage?| A．A study on children's screen time is published. |
| B．US children fail to meet movement guidelines. |
| C．Organizations are concerned about children's cognition |
| D．Limitation on children's screen time is linked to better cognition. |
10 . Limiting kids’ recreational (消遣的) screen time to less than two hours a day, along with enough sleep and physical activity, is associated with improved cognition (认知) , according to a study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.
The study included about 4 ,500 US children aged 8 to11 and measured their habits against the Canadian 24 – Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth. It found that 51% of the children got the recommended (建议的) 9 to 11 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night; 37% met the recreational screen time limit of two hours or less per day, while 18% met the physical activity recommendation of at least 60 minutes of accumulated physical activity a day. Only 5% of the children in the study met all three recommendations; 30% met none at all.
The researchers found that as each recommendation was met by a participant, there was a positive association with global cognition, which includes memory, attention, processing speed and language. Those who met all three had the most “superior” global cognition, followed by those meeting the sleep and screen time recommendation and finally the screen time recommendation alone, according to the study.
Other organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics – have guidelines in place to help with the management of children’s screen time. The organization suggests putting realistic rules or limits in place for how long your children are on their screens, knowing who they are talking to and what they are doing. The amount recommended screen time depends on the age of the child. Besides, parents should also make sure to encourage physical activity and have bedroom rules such as creating “ tech-free zones”.
Who are the target readers of this passage?| A．Researchers. |
| B．Teachers. |
| C．Parents. |
| D．Children. |
