1 . Quite often my mother would _________ me to set the family table with the “good china.” Because this _________ with such frequency, I never _________ these occasions. I assumed it was just my mother’s desire.

One evening as I was setting the table, Marge, a neighbor woman, _________ unexpectedly. She _________ on the door, and mother, busy at the stove, invited her to come in. Marge entered the kitchen and, _________ at the beautifully set table, remarked, “Oh, I see you’re expecting _________. I’ll come back another time.”

“No, it’s all right,” replied my mother. “We’re not expecting company.”

“Well then,” said Marge with a(n) _________ look on her face, “why would you have the good china out?”

“Because,” my mom answered, “I’ve prepared my family’s favorite meal. If you _________ your best table for special guests when you prepare a meal, why not for your own __________?”

“Well yes, but your beautiful china will get chips,” responded Marge.

“Oh well,” said Mom __________, “a few chips in the china is a small __________ to pay for the way we always feel as we gather as a family at the dinner table. Besides, all these chips have a story to tell, now don’t they?”

Mom walked to the cupboard and __________ a plate. Holding it up she said, “See this chip? This plate was broken the day we brought our newborn son home. Trying to be __________, my six-year-old daughter dropped that plate as she carried it to the sink. I’ll never forget that day.”

We all laughed. At that moment, I knew for sure that the china held for mother a number of love __________ about our family.

1.

A．beg

B．request

C．push

D．stop

2.

A．occurred

B．started

C．covered

D．exchanged

3.

A．remembered

B．admitted

C．questioned

D．observed

4.

A．settled down

B．came across

C．dropped by

D．passed on

5.

A．knocked

B．beat

C．lay

D．hit

6.

A．aiming

B．laughing

C．glaring

D．glancing

7.

A．company

B．delivery

C．cooks

D．strangers

8.

A．annoyed

B．puzzled

C．exhausted

D．depressed

9.

A．buy

B．set

C．polish

D．repair

10.

A．guest

B．neighbor

C．family

D．boss

11.

A．coolly

B．calmly

C．cautiously

D．casually

12.

A．mistake

B．trouble

C．debt

D．price

13.

A．turned in

B．tidied up

C．took down

D．threw away

14.

A．helpful

B．harmful

C．grateful

D．graceful

15.

A．accidents

B．stories

C．explanations

D．dishes

2 . NYCRUNS Brooklyn Half Marathon

Join us on Sunday, April 28, 2024, for the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Half Marathon! Starting in North Brooklyn, the route offers stunning waterfront views and passes under the historic Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn Bridges. Experience the vibrant streets of Brooklyn, from Fulton Street & Flatbush Avenue to the grandeur of Grand Army Plaza, and finish in Prospect Park.

Registration:

Fees for NYCRUNS members are $135 if registered by December 13th. Non-members pay $150. Register early to secure your spot in this unforgettable race! NYCRUNS members can enjoy a $10 discount on the registration fee. Additionally, up to 50% of the race fee can be covered using Race Credit.

Amenities:

NYCRUNS is known for putting on running events of the highest quality. After the race, celebrate your achievement with the official race shirt and an incredible medal with pride! When you finish, enjoy fresh Brooklyn bagels, NYS apples and more!

Awards:

Top finishers in various age groups will be recognized. Prize money will only be awarded to athletes who complete the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Half Marathon in a gun time faster than the qualifying time. Athletes may be subject to drug testing to ensure a fair and equal field.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Non-profits interested in group volunteering, please contact us.

Transportation:

Public transportation recommended.

Closest stations: L train to Bedford Avenue, G train to Metropolitan Avenue.

Register today and be a part of this unforgettable Brooklyn experience!

1. What is the starting point of the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Half Marathon?

A．Prospect Park.	B．North Brooklyn.
C．Williamsburg Bridge.	D．Manhattan Bridge.

2. How much is the early bird registration fee for non-members?

A．$75.

B．$135.

C．$150.

D．$200.

3. What can participants expect to receive after completing the race?

A．A shirt and a finisher’s medal.	B．Prize money based on the age.
C．Free transportation services.	D．A gift from NYS Apple Stores.

3 . There are two distinctive types of electric buses making their way along Nanjing Xi Lu, one of Shanghai’s busiest roads. The first is a fleet of blue trolleybuses that serve bus route number 20, a line set up by a British-run transport company in 1928. They use poles to receive electricity from wires overhead and have kept the route running in this way for nearly a century. But while the historic electric buses are a reminder of Europe’s past technological innovation, the new buses traveling alongside them are symbols of China’s contemporary net-zero ambition. These modern electric buses powered by lithium batteries (锂电池) , were introduced in Shanghai in 2014. They offer a smoother ride, especially during starts and stops. Widely used across China, these buses are key to the country’s EV transition and are influencing the global shift towards green transportation.

The most recent data available shows that China in 2018 was still the second largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the global transport sector, responsible for 11%, and behind only the United States, which accounted for 21%. After around two decades of government support, China now boasts the world’s largest market for e-buses, making up more than 95% of global stock. At the end of 2022, China’s Ministry of Transport announced that more than three-quarters (77% or 542, 600) of all urban buses in the country were new energy vehicles. The speed of this transition was remarkable.

So far, however, the Chinese cities with the most successful e-bus introduction — such as Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai — all have moderate weather and are relatively flat. To take its e-bus campaign to the next level, China faces challenges. For one thing, it is difficult to bring fleets to cities such as Hong Kong, which — like London — have double-deckers. These two-storeyed vehicles are “very hard” to electrify, because they are heavier, use more energy, and so need bigger batteries, reducing the number of passengers they can carry. Cold weather is a problem, too, as it can make a battery’s charging time longer and its range shorter. The reason China has not achieved 100% electrification for its buses is its northern regions, which have cold winters, says Xue Lulu, a transportation expert at the World Resources Institute China.

1. How does the author describe the two types of electric buses in the first paragraph?

A．By contrasting their historical significance and technological advancements.

B．By highlighting their roles in protecting the environment and lasting use.

C．By focusing merely on their technical details and performance.

D．By explaining their operational challenges and requirements.

2. What do the numbers in paragraph 2 mainly show?

A．The global impact of carbon dioxide emissions.

B．The progress of China in reducing CO2 emissions.

C．The different emission levels of China and the USA.

D．The need for more government support in e-bus market.

3. What factor contributes to the slow adoption of electric buses in China’s northern regions?

A．Poor winter weather conditions.	B．Lack of transportation experts.
C．Short charging time of the battery.	D．Heavier and bigger bus bodies.

4. Which column is the text most probably taken from?

A．Worklife.

B．Culture.

C．Travel.

D．Earth.

4 . As I write this, a Bob Seger song is stuck in my head. It’s been playing on repeat ever since I heard it in a movie. I hated it a lot when it first came out years ago, and I still really hate it now. Why, oh why, does an earworm happen? This phenomenon, known as an earworm, is both fascinating and annoying. Earworms are a type of auditory imagery, where we perceive a tone without actually hearing it. When a familiar song is heard and suddenly stopped, some areas of the brain become overly activated in expectation of hearing the rest of the song, and then it fills in the missing pieces.

Anyone can experience earworms, but certain personality characteristics, like openness to experience, may increase their frequency. You may have seen a popular TikTok recently of a guy saying earworms aren’t normal but are instead symptoms of ADHD (多动症) or OCD (强迫症). That’s generally not the case. “It is entirely normal to experience earworms: Over 90% of participants in large-scale surveys report having had earworms at least once a week, and they are not a symptom of any other underlying mental condition,” says Jakubowski. Interestingly, earworms aren’t all bad. Research indicates that they can enhance our ability to recall past events, as the repetitive nature of the song strengthens our memory.

There are several strategies to get rid of earworms. Listening to the entire song can help resolve the unfinished loop. Alternatively, distracting yourself with another melody or engaging in activities that require focus can also be effective. Chewing gum or eating something crunchy may interrupt the song playing in your head. Despite these strategies, sometimes the best approach is to simply accept the presence of the earworm and let it fade away naturally. In my case, trying to actively rid myself of the song only made it more persistent. It seems patience is key when dealing with these stubborn musical guests in our minds.

1. What is an earworm?

A．A type of insect that affects hearing.	B．A song that gets stuck in your head.
C．A medical condition related to the ears.	D．An element missing in a song.

2. Which of the following statement is true about earworms?

A．They cannot be controlled or stopped.	B．They indicate underlying illness.
C．They only occur in certain individuals.	D．They are normal phenomena.

3. What benefit can be expected of earworms?

A．To enhance memory recall of earlier incidents.

B．To increase musical creativity and imagination.

C．To expand openness to new experiences.

D．To improve focus and concentration.

4. How does the author feel about earworms?

A．Concerned and worried.	B．Scientific but negative.
C．Annoyed but accepting.	D．Excited and fascinated.

5 . My earliest reading memory takes me back to being five years old, sitting in my grandfather’s cozy study. He would read to me from his French-translated copy of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. I was so familiar with the stories that I could correct him word-for-word if he tried to change something.

Growing up, my favorite book was Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes. It was a treasure for an imaginative and lonely child like me. The book was filled with magical elements: a magical carousel, monsters, and the charming scent of autumn leaves lying in the sun. The language was as crisp and sweet as an October apple, awakening in me a deep passion for words and the magic they could bring out. I’ve reread it regularly and it never fails to satisfy me.

In my adult years, I revisited Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. When I first read it at 16, I perceived it as a love story. However, rereading it as an adult, I was struck by how different it seemed to me, and how much of the humour I’d missed. Now I love its poetry. And the love story not only exists between the characters but between Brontë and the North York Moors.

James Joyce’s Ulysses was a book I came back to after 40 years. Initially, at 15, I found it ugly, depressing, and dull, and I hated it. It took me four decades to return to it, and this time, I found myself understanding and beginning to appreciate it. I could see the details, the mythic parallels, the references to different writing styles, and the groundbreaking technique.

Though some exceptional books can develop and grow alongside us, others fall by the wayside. I’ve revisited so many childhood favourites only to find the magic gone, but I’m usually happy to leave the book behind. I’ve taken from it what I need.

1. What was the author’s earliest reading memory?

A．Copying the stories of Rudyard Kipling.

B．Reading Something Wicked This Way Comes.

C．Studying Ulysses for writing styles.

D．Listening to The Jungle Book in French.

2. Which part of Wuthering Heights gave the author a different feeling as an adult?

A．The complex plot.	B．The characters.
C．The humour and poetry.	D．The love story.

3. What do the underlined words “fall by the wayside” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Remain unchanged over years.	B．Lose their original attraction.
C．Gain widespread popularity.	D．Are left by the side of the road.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．The Changing Power of Reading

B．The Development of Reading Taste

C．The Lifelong Journey of Rereading Classics

D．The Childhood Memories in Reading Habits

6 . Brie Peters had a passion for music. She grew up singing in school choirs, learning piano and ________ people with her musical abilities. It was almost a ________ for her to pursue a degree in music, although she recalls now that she also thought about going into ________ at that time. But many people in her life ________ her to major in vocal performance, so she did. “I always felt like I was told what to do, never having a choice for myself,” she recalls.

Her music career showed instant ________ after she graduated from college. She sang in front of thousand of people worldwide. But soon she began to feel that there was more she could do. “Working with thousands of people in large groups ________ a time wasn’t ________ enough for me,” she says. “I ________ the eye contact and the personal care that truly makes a difference,” She adds. She wasted no time and began ________ her degree in nursing right away.

Peters is now celebrating her ________ into the Master of Nursing program at the University of Minnesota. She’s ________ beginning her nursing journey later.

She admits that nursing is hard work and can be ________, but has ________ doubted that it’s worth it. “People come into a hospital ________ for help. It is such an ________ to be a part of that and spend my life caring for those in need,” she says.

1.

A．stimulating

B．motivating

C．convincing

D．astonishing

2.

A．no-excuse

B．no-brainer

C．no-motivation

D．no-expectation

3.

A．nursing

B．singing

C．dancing

D．performing

4.

A．permitted

B．helped

C．urged

D．allowed

5.

A．effect

B．promise

C．response

D．reaction

6.

A．for

B．in

C．at

D．on

7.

A．interesting

B．curious

C．encouraging

D．personal

8.

A．missed

B．resisted

C．escaped

D．rejected

9.

A．finding

B．investing

C．pursuing

D．applying

10.

A．preference

B．acceptance

C．application

D．preparation

11.

A．looking forward to

B．looking up to

C．looking back on

D．looking down upon

12.

A．exciting

B．embarrassing

C．innovating

D．exhausting

13.

A．ever

B．never

C．forever

D．nevertheless

14.

A．desperate

B．depressed

C．deliberate

D．nervous

15.

A．aim

B．opportunity

C．honor

D．inspiration

7 . If you haven’t taken down your Christmas tree yet, no worries. Here’s an idea: have you ever thought about eating it?

Julia Georgallis has some recipes. Over the last five years, she’s been preparing carefully for Christmas dinners in London with a friend. “How can we make something sustainable around Christmas time? What can we cat? What’s the thing that no one eats and that somehow represents Christmas? And then we just decided on Christmas trees,” Georgallis says.

She turned it into a book, How to Eat Your Christmas Tree. And her idea is that it’s not that odd. Some people enjoy Christmas wine. Some people like to go shopping and most people can get behind saving the planet.

“What I aimed for this book to do, really, was to get people thinking about the odd ways that they can be more sustainable in their daily lives,” Georgallis says.

“Eating Christmas trees isn’t going to save any animals in danger or freeze any ice caps. But if we start to think about everything that we do as a whole, then that builds up, you know, and that helps,” she says.

Most of the recipes in her book use the needles from the tree. “You’d use the needles like a herb,” she says.

“And different Christmas trees kind of have different flavors. They’re quite subtle, but they do have different flavors. So fir (冷杉), which is a really popular choice of Christmas trees, gives people better feeling and atmosphere. And then you have pine, which is a little bit more delicate.”

A warning: some Christmas trees are poisonous if eaten — like cypress and cedars. And be sure your tree wasn’t sprayed with pesticides (杀虫剂) and other chemicals. “So if you have any doubt that your Christmas tree might not have been grown to eat, then maybe don’t eat it,” Georgallis says.

And, of course, don’t even think about eating your artificial tree!

So, with all those instructions and with the appropriate tree, what could we cook? Well, Georgallis’ book has all sorts of recipes for different foods and drinks. Let’s open up the world’s cuisine with simple ingredients!

1. What’s the main purpose of Georgallis’ book?

A．To tell people not to buy real trees.	B．To inspire people to be more eco-friendly.
C．To teach people how to enjoy Christmas wine.	D．To encourage people to throw away odd traditions.

2. Which of the following might Georgallis agree with?

A．Artificial trees can also be cooked.

B．Eating Christmas trees does good to saving animals.

C．Different trees have different features and tastes.

D．All Christmas trees have their own ways to be cooked.

3. What may be talked about following the last paragraph?

A．Tips for choosing Christmas trees.	B．Warnings for cooking Christmas meals.
C．Comparison between real and artificial trees.	D．Recipes for different foods with Christmas trees.

4. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A diary.

B．A novel.

C．A scientific report.

D．A lifestyle magazine.

9 . There is no doubt that when you receive a compliment, you feel good and when you receive a criticism, you feel upset and want to refuse it.

You shouldn’t be surprised by your reaction to the negative comment, as it’s human’s survival mechanism to avoid being criticized. Clearly, we don’t want to be seen as failures, so we’d rather shut our eyes and cover our ears than have to take any criticisms from others.

Imagine you’re learning to play the guitar, and you have just done your first public performance. Your teacher says, “You did well,” which may not be as useful in helping you improve your performance skills as “Your timing needs some work.” So I believe that criticisms are better than compliments.

No one would argue that healthy nutrition is a bad thing. However, too much food or drink — no matter how healthy they may be — can make us ill. Too many compliments take us away from our original enthusiasm of enjoying an activity. We start doing the activity only for the sake of receiving self-satisfying praise. Without the expectation of praise, our enthusiasm to complete things begins to be lost.

Launched in 2010, Microsoft KIN only lasted on the market for 48 days. It was very obvious that most 15 to 30-year-olds preferred Androids, BlackBerrys and iPhones to the Microsoft KIN. If criticism and feedback from the target group had been received while the phone was in development, Microsoft KIN could have avoided the huge embarrassment and its final failure.

Just to be clear, I’m talking about constructive criticism, which I like to think of as “healthy criticism”. The right kind of criticism is honest feedback that will benefit you. Feedback forces you to reconsider your actions and the way you work. If you use constructive criticism wisely, it can guide you away from bad practices, giving you support and courage to move forward to be a better person in the future.

1. What can we learn about compliment and criticism in Paragraph 1?

A．People’s response to them.	B．People’s ways to express them.
C．People’s understanding of them.	D．People’s different opinions on them.

2. How would people be when receiving too many compliments?

A．More annoyed.

B．More satisfied.

C．Less worried.

D．Less interested.

3. How can healthy criticism be helpful according to the last paragraph?

A．To encourage growth.	B．To develop intelligence.
C．To avoid embarrassment.	D．To reduce enthusiasm.

4. What is a suitable title for the passage?

A．Criticisms are better than compliments.

B．Constructive criticism contributes to better future.

C．Honest feedback comes from healthy criticism.

D．Enough enthusiasm is vital for further development.

10 . Researchers in Australia have identified enzymes (酶) in the body of certain beetle larvae (甲虫幼虫) that can degrade or break down plastic. In a study published in Microbial Genomics, they write that these “superworms” could help reduce plastic waste in the future.

“Superworms are like mini recycling plants, cutting up the polysyrene (聚苯乙烯) with their mouths and then feeding it to the bacteria in their stomach,” said Chris Rinke from the University of Queensland in Australia. “The breakdown products from this reaction can then be used by other microbes to create high-value chemicals.”

In the study, scientists divided beetle larvae into three groups, feeding one group wheat bran, one polystyrene and one nothing. Over three weeks, they monitored their growth. “We found that superworms fed a diet of just polystyrene not only survived, but even had marginal weight gains,” said Rinke. “This suggests the worms can get energy from the polystyrene, most likely with the help of their stomach bacteria.”

On the other hand, the plastic-fed worms gained much less weight and were overall much less healthy than the bran-fed ones, though better off than the starvation group. After three weeks, some larvae were also set aside to grow into beetles, according to the study. About 93% of the bran-fed larvae formed adult worms, while about 67% of the plastic-fed larvae and 10% of the starved larvae formed adult worms.

The researchers investigated the superworm’s stomach bacteria to find the specific enzymes linked to plastic degradation, writes Fionna M. D. Samuels for Scientific American. The enzyme that degrades the polystyrene appears to live with the stomach bacteria, not the worm itself.

Polystyrene is one of the most common plastics used today. But it’s not very chemically reactive, and breaking it down with industrial recycling methods takes high heat. So, researchers have been looking for plastic-degrading enzymes and bacteria for years.

Further research will still need to be done to figure out how to employ these worms, bacteria and enzymes in recycling facilities.

1. What does Chris Rinke compare superworms to?

A．Small plants.

B．Beetle larvae.

C．Stomach bacteria.

D．High-value chemicals.

2. What does the underlined word “marginal” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Few.

B．Tiny.

C．Obvious.

D．Normal.

3. What is the sixth paragraph intended to show?

A．The damage of plastic to life.

B．Possible causes of plastic pollution.

C．Researchers’ efforts over the years to recycle plastic.

D．The necessity of finding out a way to degrade plastic.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To report a new way to recycle plastic.	B．To call on people to reduce plastic waste.
C．To explain how larvae can degrade plastic.	D．To introduce the findings of a new research.