1 . It is well established that eating vegetables is good for us. Why, then, do some people like them but others don’t? A new study has found that other people’s likes and dislikes could play a part. According to the research, people who eat vegetables and show an obvious distaste for them can influence others.
A team of scientists in the UK set out to investigate how the facial expressions people make as they eat affect a person watching them. They asked more than 200 young women to watch videos of other adults eating raw broccoli. The people in the videos had different expressions while eating. They would smile, seem neutral (neither happy nor sad), or look disgusted by what they were tasting.
The study found that participants who watched someone else react with disgust while eating broccoli began to like broccoli less. The opposite was not true, however. When someone had a positive facial expression while eating broccoli, people watching them did not end up liking broccoli more.
Humans learn which behaviors, including eating, will benefit them by watching the reactions of others. Known as social modeling, this tendency can have a strong influence on people’s eating habits. Scientists believe that people might avoid food that appears disgusting because it could help protect them from eating something that tastes bad or could even be dangerous.
Although the research focused only on adults, experts think the results could also apply to children. This means that if children see their parents or siblings not enjoying certain foods, including vegetables, they might not want to eat them either. A previous study found that children between the ages of 4 and 6 were more likely to eat broccoli if they had seen video clips of adults enjoying it.
The team said further research is needed to understand more about how the behavior of adults influences children’s enjoyment of food. This could help experts find ways to encourage young people to eat more of the foods that are healthy for them.
1. What was the purpose of the UK scientists’ study?| A．Assess young women’s eating habits. |
| B．Examine the effect of raw broccoli on people. |
| C．Investigate facial expressions during eating. |
| D．Study the impact of diners’ expressions on viewers. |
| A．Correcting others’ behaviors. |
| B．Socializing one’s behaviors by learning from others. |
| C．Developing others’ eating habits. |
| D．Learning beneficial behaviors from observing others. |
| A．Impact of friends. | B．Influence of family members. |
| C．Personal taste preferences. | D．Unpleasant taste of vegetables. |
| A．Developing Good Habits: The Importance of Modeling. |
| B．Impacting Food Preferences: The Power of Eating Habits. |
| C．Influencing Food Choices: The Power of Facial Reactions. |
| D．Encouraging Vegetable Consumption: The Importance of Healthy Eating. |
2 . The Arab Republic of Egypt covers a land area of approximately 1 million km2, with an estimated 106 million people, Egypt accounts for one-fourth of the Arab world’s population. Egypt has long been considered the cradle of civilization and may be the oldest tourist destination on earth.
CairoA typical visit to Egypt includes arrival in the capital city of Cairo, one of the largest cities in Africa and the Middle East, with a population of approximately 22 million. Cairo today is a modern, international mix of Arab, African, and European influences. Travelers generally spend at least a few days in Cairo seeing the Egyptian Antiquities Museum, National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and Pyramids at Giza.
Upper Nile RiverMost travelers include an Upper Nile River cruise as part of their schedule. Egypt is a beach destination, with thousands of miles of Mediterranean and Red Sea coastlines. Alexandria, Egypt’s second largest city is located on the Mediterranean Sea and has a string of beaches and seafood restaurants. For a truly relaxing beach vacation, travelers can visit one of the many resorts along the North Coast referred to as “Sahel”.
Red Sea coastEgypt’s Red Sea coast has reefs offshore, with diving and snorkeling traditionally centered in Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh. Visits to Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine’s Monastery in the mountainous interior are popular destinations, especially with religious pilgrims. Adventure travelers favor desert jeep safaris and camel treks to remote oases and spectacular wadis.
1. What do we know about Egypt?| A．Egypt makes up 25% of the world’s population. |
| B．Cairo today is a mix of modern and traditional elements. |
| C．Visitors can enjoy their beach vacations in Cairo. |
| D．Egypt has been considered as the oldest tourist destination. |
| A．Mediterranean. | B．Alexandria. |
| C．Sharm El Sheikh. | D．Saint Catherine’s Monastery. |
| A．A travel guide. | B．A geography book. |
| C．An Egyptian newspaper. | D．A historical magazine. |
3 . Diana was out shopping in a busy department store after work one evening. Just five minutes before closing time, she heard a staff member saying, “someone is having a seizure (癫痫)”: Walking quickly towards the staff member, Diana saw a fellow shopper on the ground. She had fallen and was lying on the floor, jerking uncontrollably. A small group of people had gathered to help the woman and a staff member called an ambulance. Dian a knew that she could use what she had learned on her first aid course to help as well.
Knowing it was important to keep the woman safe, one of the employees brought over a staff jacket and they put it under the woman’s head so she wouldn’t injure herself. “The seizure probably lasted only a few minutes, but it seemed much longer while it was going on,” Diana said. “When the jerking stopped, a man helped turn the woman on to her side. I then tilted her head back to help her keep breathing. After the seizure, the woman seemed not to be able to understand what we were saying and couldn’t speak. Luckily, I had learned that this can happen after a seizure and it may take some time for people to get back to normal.”
“It was such a comfort when she very tentatively answered that she was OK. By this time, the ambulance was on its way, the store had closed for the night and the other shoppers who had helped at first had left.” “We all a-greed that the woman was in safe hands with the first aider and a nurse who had also stopped to help, so I started to make my way out of the store.”
“As I was leaving, one of the store’s employees said, ‘thank you for your kindness’”. “I was very touched by her words, and I told her that I’d learned first aid in case something like this ever happened, and now it had. Even though the incident left me feeling very shaken, I was glad I knew what to do to help.”
1. What did Diana do to help the woman suffering from a seizure?| A．She called an ambulance for her. | B．She helped turn the woman to one side. |
| C．She brought over a staff jacket to keep her warm. | D．She made sure the woman could breathe easily. |
| A．Grateful. | B．Relieved. | C．Anxious. | D．Regretful. |
| A．Diana stayed to help when the ambulance arrived. |
| B．The woman could not answer their questions because of pain. |
| C．It was essential to learn some knowledge of first aid. |
| D．The employee was too frightened to offer a helping hand. |
| A．Actions speak louder than words. | B．Constant dropping water wears the stone. |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. | D．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
4 . Almost all humans acquire at least one language before the age of five. How do young children understand and produce complex sentences with complicated meanings? Do adults learn language differently from children? Most linguistic (语言学的) researchers agree that both nature and nurture (后天) are involved in language acquisition. They disagree, however, about how much linguistic knowledge children have from birth — and thus whether genetics or experience is more important in language acquisition.
For many linguists, biological factors are the most important in language learning. Some argue that some linguistic knowledge must exist in our brains from birth because children cannot possibly experience every feature of their language before the age of five. These linguists point out that nearly all children can produce the same kinds of complex sentence structures by the age of five, even without having heard them before.
Many researchers have theorized what this innate (先天的) linguistic knowledge must look like. One popular theory (理论) is universal grammar. This theory believes that all languages have the same basic structural foundation. That foundation is the innate knowledge universal to all humans. While children are not genetically tending to speak a particular language, a universal grammar gives them certain linguistic information as a starting point, which allows them to readily acquire the rules and patterns of whichever language they are exposed to.
Not all linguists, however, believe that an inborn ability for language is the most important factor in language acquisition. These researchers place greater emphasis on the influence of usage and experience. They argue that children are exposed to a wealth of linguistic structures over the course of five years. They gather data and determine language patterns and structures from what they have observed.
Linguists on both sides of the debate are still working to explain the different language learning abilities of adults and children. Early childhood seems to be an important period for mastering certain aspects of language. Children also tend to have a heightened ability to learn second languages. While adults may have some advantages when studying in a formal classroom， they usually do not learn second languages. While adults may have some advantages when studying in a formal classroom, they usually do not learn as quickly and easily as children. Are these different abilities a result of differences in how adults and children are exposed to a new language? Are they the result of biological changes, or do both biology and experience come into play?
While our understanding of language acquisition is incomplete, this pursuit is well worth the effort. “We still don’t understand how a child learns its first language, why some children have language disorders, or how children and adults learn a second language,” explains Professor Joan Ma ling.
Explaining the process of language acquisition promises not only to help scientists answer these questions, but also to explain fundamental features of learning and the human brain.
1. What does the passage mainly talk about?| A．The control of nurture over nature in language acquisition. |
| B．The influence of universal grammar in language acquisition. |
| C．The best methods for children and adults to acquire language. |
| D．The role of biological and environmental factors in language acquisition. |
| A．Studying language acquisition will help understand language and the brain better. |
| B．Some experts believe innate factors explain children’s language development. |
| C．Some experts focus on the role of environmental factors in language acquisition. |
| D．Acquiring a language is complicated, and it involves both nature and nurture. |
| A．Present a general argument and then explain a specific theory. |
| B．Present a specific theory and then propose a new study to prove it. |
| C．Present a general argument and then disprove an opposite argument. |
| D．Present a scientific debate and then discuss what all linguists agree on. |
| A．To raise open questions that all linguists have. |
| B．To present two different viewpoints on language learning. |
| C．To stress the importance of experience in language learning. |
| D．To introduce adult language acquisition and show why it’s unpopular. |
5 . Whales are celebrated for being the largest and most intelligent creatures in the ocean. Now, biologists have discovered that they also capture (捕获) tons of carbon from the atmosphere, a service with an economic value of US $1 trillion for all the great whales, according to a new study published by the International Monetary Fund. The study points out that protecting whales, normally viewed as a human good, also has a monetary motivation.
“The carbon capture potential of whales is truly incredible,” said the report. “Our conservative estimates put the value of the average great whale at more than US $2 million, and easily over US $1 trillion for the current stock of great whales.” Whales absorb carbon in their bodies during their long lives, some of which stretch to 200 years. When they die, they sink to the bottom of the ocean, taking the carbon with them. According to the study, each great whale traps around 33 tons of carbon dioxide on average. A tree during the same period only contributes to 3 percent of the carbon absorption of the whale.
Whale populations are today a smidgen of what they once were. It is estimated that there are slightly more than 1.3 million whales in the ocean, a quarter of their pre-whaling number of 4 to 5 million. Some species in particular, like the blue whale, are only 3 percent of what they used to be. “We can create financial methods to promote the restoration of the world’s whale populations,” said the report’s authors. “Rewards could help those who pay significant costs as a result of whale protection.”
With the Paris Agreement coming into force next year and the effects of climate change ever more widespread, we must prevent the harm to whales. Researchers analyzed that unless new methods are put forward, it would take over 30 years to double the number of current whales, and several generations to return them to their pre-whaling numbers. “Society and our own survival can’t afford to wait this long,” they said.
1. What does the new study reveal about whales?| A．They are money-makers for good. | B．Their intelligence is unquestionable. |
| C．They are a natural climate solution. | D．Their survival is threatened by carbon. |
| A．To indicate all matter regarding green efforts. | B．To illustrate whales are friendly to the oceans. |
| C．To highlight whales’ carbon capture potential. | D．To emphasize the importance of tree planting. |
| A．Climate change intensifies. | B．Whale populations stay low. |
| C．Our survival is endangered. | D．Whale protection is a priority. |
| A．Protect whales to protect the planet | B．How to restore whale populations |
| C．Live in harmony with ocean giants | D．Whales can guarantee our survival |
6 . A diet high in protein is often promoted as part of a healthy lifestyle, and many diets encourage consumers to reduce fats in favor of protein to lose weight and gain lean muscle.
For the study in Nature Metabolism, Bettina Mittendorfer and colleagues found that while increasing the proportion of protein in daily calorie intake is beneficial, consuming protein too much not only doesn’t add to the development of lean muscle but can cause unintended negative health effects.
“Consumers are being led to believe that they can never get too much protein in their diet,” says Mittendorfer. “However, our research shows that specific amino acids (氨基酸), which are the building blocks of protein, can trigger heart disease through a signaling mechanism at the cellular level in the blood.”
An amino acid found in animal-protein foods, such as beef, eggs, and milk, was found to be responsible for signaling activity in cells that typically clear away rubbish in blood vessels. As consumption of dietary protein increases, so does the consumption of leucine (亮氨酸), the specific amino acid responsible for triggering this cellular activity in the blood.
When functioning normally, these cells work to keep blood vessels free from plaque (血小板) buildup. When their production becomes overactive, the resulting accumulation of spent cells in the vascular system can cause the plaque buildup and blockages they are supposed to prevent. The resulting hardening of the arteries (动脉) is a leading risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
“Our hope is to eventually find the Goldilocks approach for maximizing the health benefits of dietary protein, such as building lean muscle, while avoiding the health drawbacks from overconsumption.” says Mittendorfer.
The researchers found that consuming more than 22% of daily calories from protein carries more downside risk than dietary benefit. For a normal adult, 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal, or 60 to 90 grams of protein per day is adequate to support health.
The study combined human trials with experiments in mice and cells.
1. Which of the following is the finding of the research?| A．It is beneficial to take in protein in daily diets. |
| B．A diet high in protein is always considered as a healthy lifestyle. |
| C．Many consumers are in favor of protein to lose weight and gain muscle. |
| D．Consuming protein too much doesn’t do good to the lean muscle development. |
| A．The plaque buildup. | B．Animal-protein foods. |
| C．The hardening of the arteries. | D．Overactive cellular activity in the blood. |
| A．To take in proper amount of protein per meal. |
| B．To exercise everyday in order to build lean muscle. |
| C．To consume more than 22% of daily calories from protein. |
| D．To do more experiments in mice and cells to provide evidence. |
| A．It is conducted in a relatively scientific way. |
| B．It finally finds a proper approach to keep fit. |
| C．It is totally against what people have believed. |
| D．It offers a diet standard for people of all ages all over the world. |
7 . “Please would you tell me,” asks the heroine of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, “why your cat grins like that?” Alice is surprised when told that all Cheshire cats can grin and that “most of ‘em do”.
We can only wonder, then, what she would make of a new study that claims that our pet cats actually have nearly 300 facial expressions — far larger than many experts had expected and which may have evolved as a result of them living alongside humans.
The study involved dozens of cats being filmed at the CatCafe Lounge in Los Angeles, where homeless cats live together while up for adoption. More specifically, they logged each occurrence of 26 facial muscle movements, including blinks and half blinks, nose licks, and various ear positions. They identified 276 combinations of those movements, each of which represents a cat facial expression.
That was not far away from the 357 expressions a similar study had previously seen in chimpanzees, and it easily beat the 80 from gibbons (长臂猿). Dogs are said to be capable of 27 facial movements.
According to the researchers, the number of cat facial expressions was a surprise and indicates a hidden depth to how cats express themselves. “Thanks to the development of Facial Action Coding Systems, we are now able to uncover communicative complexity among mammals that may have been previously overlooked.” they said.
The studies showed that about 45 per cent of them were clearly friendly: These tended to involve eyes being closed and ears and whiskers (胡须) being tilted forwards, towards another cat, during a friendly encounter. Another 37 per cent were obviously aggressive or defensive.
The researchers suggest that pet cats have a greater range of facial expressions in part because being close to people often also means living in close places with other cats — and being able to communicate can avoid conflict. And they believe it should be possible to read more subtle messages. “We plan to study how cats produce facial signals during specific interactions, such as play, fighting, and so on.”
1. What do paragraph 1 and 2 mainly tell us?| A．Alice actually made a study on cats’ grins. |
| B．Cats are often heroes in famous fairy tales. |
| C．Alice has a cat in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. |
| D．People do not know much about cats facial expressions. |
| A．To show that these animals are all mammals. |
| B．To show that cats can express themselves in special ways. |
| C．To show that cats are cleverer than chimpanzees and dogs. |
| D．To show that cats have unbelievable quantities of facial expressions. |
| A．Eyes being closed to another cat is defensive. |
| B．Almost all the cat facial expressions are friendly. |
| C．Living with humans influences cats’ facial expression. |
| D．Cats’ facial expressions can be regarded as just simple. |
| A．Cats Pull 276 Different Faces. | B．Most of the Cats Can Grin. |
| C．The Ways Cats Produce Facial Signals. | D．Cats’ Facial Muscle Movement. |
8 . The sun near the equator is never-ceasing, bearing down as I lead Elaine, a dark brown horse, through thick bushes. It’s been a long day on horseback. My legs ache and our camp signals across a ridge of ancient folding hills in the Lolldaiga Range of northern Kenya, a mosaic (马赛克) of twisted landscapes and communities.
Suddenly Elaine’s ears flick into alert, and the muscles of her body tense beneath me. Our guide Nicholus stretches out a lean arm toward a bush just meters away. My eyes focus, trying my best to see what the others already have: two amber balls glowing from a shadowed form. It’s a young lion, quick and strong, in the middle of the high grass.
A wild silence hangs between us.
Without the defensive hunting vehicle, I feel completely exposed. Peering into the bush, I’m suspended between wonder and terror, the distance between myself and the Savannah’s most notorious hunter unbelievably small. Usually, I’m the one tracking the lion, camera in hand. Now, the lion shifts in my consciousness from object to subject. I shift, too, strongly aware of the soft flesh of my own body.
Nicholus nods his head in the other direction, a safer distance away. He points to shallow holes in the dust. “Look, this is a big lion, and these are young ones, some cubs,” he says. “Probably a mother.” Pawprints marked the earth, each telling the story of more lions, moving in different directions.
It was time to go.
Horseback safaris are still the most immersive way to view wildlife in Kenya. To journey on horseback is to break down the walls — meant to protect, but also to separate us from the natural world. And as we’re absorbed in the thrill of the experience, we’re vividly reminded of the importance of protecting these wild spaces.
Out here your horse is your translator, responding to the low hiss of a leopard, the soft scent of an elephant herd, the cool morning breeze descending from Mount Kenya’s glacial peaks. Your job is to learn how to listen.
1. Which words can NOT describe my horseback journey?| A．Thrilling. | B．Tiring. | C．Breathtaking. | D．Boring. |
| A．I regretted not having driven a vehicle. |
| B．I felt extremely tense in case of lions’ attack. |
| C．There will be a big battle between lions and us. |
| D．It was out of my expectation to break into a lion’s world. |
| A．Horses are much cheaper than vehicles. |
| B．Visitors will experience the wildlife anytime. |
| C．It is a safe and exciting way to enjoy the wildlife. |
| D．It offers a chance to reconsider the connection between humans and wildlife. |
| A．Find more animals to feed. | B．Ask your horse for translation. |
| C．Feel nature with your heart. | D．Listen to the sound of every animal. |
9 . Costa Rica is home to everything from steamy rainforests and misty cloud forests. And there’s enough action to satisfy the most demanding thrill-seeker. Below, we look at the places you won’t want to miss.
La Fortuna
You can get up close to its lava-covered lower slopes by taking the Las Coladas trail, one of several unforgettable hikes around Volcán Arenal National Park, about 7km west of La Fortuna.
Around 7km east of La Fortuna, there’s horseback riding, mountain biking, along with kayaking on Lake Arenal. The region’s natural hot springs make the perfect place to ease weary muscles.
Monteverde
Monteverde’s mist-wreathed cloud forest reserves sit high on the country’s mountainous spine. It’s one of the world’s biodiversity hot spots, with a shocking diversity of plants and animals.
For a bird’s eye view of the forest, take a thrilling ride on a zipline(滑索), skimming the canopy at high speed—Sky Trek Monteverde has an automatic braking system, useful for kids and anxious adults.
The Nicoya Peninsula
Famed for its postcard-perfect beaches and sweet Pacific swells, Nicoya has something for wave riders of all levels. There’s wildlife too: Grande Beach is a nesting site for leatherback turtles from October to March.
Further south, the remote, jungle-backed town of Santa Teresa is now a hip hangout with cool cafes, sushi restaurants and designer boutiques.
1. Who are the targeted readers?| A．Scientists. | B．Travelers. | C．Researchers. | D．Guides. |
| A．Outdoor activities. | B．Local snacks. | C．Wildlife watching. | D．Volcano views. |
| A．La Fortuna and Monteverde. | B．La Fortuna and The Nicoya Peninsula. |
| C．The Nicoya Peninsula and Monteverde. | D．Santa Teresa and Volcán Arenal National Park. |
10 . Google recently announced that it has begun using carbon-free electricity from a geothermal (地热能) project to power data centers in the state of Nevada.
Tim Latimer is chief and co-founder of Fervo Energy based in Houston, Texas. His company is working with Google on its geothermal project. Latimer said that getting electricity on the grid from geothermal resources is an event many new energy companies never reach. He added that he believes geothermal energy will become more well-known than in the past.
The International Energy Agency(IEA) has long suggested geothermal could be an answer to climate change. The IEA said in a 2011 document that geothermal could reach 3.5 percent of global electricity production each year by 2050. The Paris-based international group says geothermal energy could prevent almost 800 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
Fervo Energy is using this first test to launch other projects that will provide more electricity to the grid. The company is currently completing some work in southwest Utah for a 400-megawatt project. Google and Fervo Energy started working together in 2021 to develop geothermal power. The plant near Winnemucca, Nevada, is now operating and is sending about 3.5 megawatts to the grid.
Google announced in 2020 that it would use what it calls “carbon-free” energy every hour of every day, wherever it operates, by 2030. Many energy experts believe huge companies like Google can play a part in increasing the use of clean energy.
Terrell noted the company was also an early supporter of wind and solar projects, helping those markets grow to where they are today. “It’s a very similar situation. Now that we’ve set a goal to be 24/7 carbon-free energy, we have found it will take more than just wind, solar and storage,” Terrell said.
The United States leads the world in using heat from the Earth for electricity production. U. S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said earlier this year that advances in new geothermal systems will help introduce this form of energy to areas where it has been thought to be impossible. This makes it possible to find energy in more places.
1. What is Tim Latimer’s attitude to working with Google?| A．Supportive. | B．Disapproving. | C．Concerned. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Fervo Energy has launched many geothermal projects before. |
| B．Geothermal energy will take the place of solar energy. |
| C．Getting electricity from geothermal resources has been widely used. |
| D．Geothermal energy has the potential to tackle environmental problems. |
| A．CO2 emission is to blame for climate change. |
| B．Carbon-free electricity only exists in our dream. |
| C．Google is setting a good example in environmental protection. |
| D．Wind and solar projects are more important than geothermal project. |
| A．Geothermal: an answer to climate change |
| B．Google: a company launching a new project |
| C．IEA: an organization contributing to global warming |
| D．CO2: the leading factor to global warming |
