3 . It is often said that laughter is the best medicine. But some researchers at the University of Oxford think the ability to belly laughs (捧腹大笑) was unique to early humans. This, they believe, made our ancestors able to form much larger groups.

The researchers first tested the pain thresholds (临界值) of some volunteers. They divided them into two groups. One group was shown 15 minutes of comedy videos, while the other was shown boring programs.

Through this experiment, the researchers found that those who had recently experienced belly laughs were able to withstand (忍受) up to 10% more pain than they had done before watching the videos. To their surprise, the scientists also found that the other group was less able to withstand pain after watching 15 minutes of the “boring” programs.

Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University, who led the research, believed that belly laughs release chemicals called endorphins (内啡肽) into the body which make us feel less painful.

However, not all comedy programs had such effects, according to Prof Dunbar. For example, though clever stand-up comedy was found to be enjoyable, it had no effect on raising pain thresholds. “Things that worked very well were interesting comedies such as Mr. Bean. Situation comedies such as Friends also seemed to be particularly successful,” he added.

In order to measure endorphin levels, the researchers put a bag of ice on the volunteers’ arms to see how long they could withstand it. They found that the greater the increase in pain thresholds, the greater the amount of endorphins produced.

The purpose of Prof Dunbar’s study was not to develop a new treatment. Instead, it was to study the role of laughter in the forming of human societies two million years ago.

“The next stage will be to see whether laughing really allows people to keep together and work as a group better and be friendlier towards each other. If that is the case, then it may explain why two million years ago, the first humans were able to form large communities of up to 100,” Dunbar added.

1. Prof Dunbar’s study was to ________.

A．test the pain thresholds of humans

B．measure the endorphin levels while laughing

C．develop a new kind of medicine that reduces pain

D．explore the influence of laughter on forming human societies

2. The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 6 refers to “________”.

A．the researcher

B．endorphin level

C．the ice

D．belly laugh

3. What can we know from the last paragraph?

A．More experiments about laughter will be carried out.

B．People who laugh a lot are friendlier towards each other.

C．Laughter makes people keep together and work as a group.

D．The first humans could only form small communities smaller than 100.

4. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Endorphins can make us feel less painful.

B．All comedy programs can help us reduce pain.

C．Mr. Bean and Friends are both very successful to raise pain thresholds.

D．The researchers divided the volunteers into two groups.

4 . The 2023 China-Germany Automobile Conference was held in Jilin, Henan and Zhejiang recently. At the conference, people discussed plans for new energy vehicles (NEVs) and collaboration between Germany and China.

China has established a competitive edge in NEVs. In 2022, China’s market share of NEVs accounted for more than 65 percent of the global total, maintaining its position as the world’s leading NEV market for eight years, China Daily reported.

Reflecting on the journey of leading Chinese electric car manufacturer (制造商) BYD, Chairman Wang Chuanfu recalled about 2003 when BYD entered into the NEV industry amid doubts and mockery, as few people back then believed in the future of NEVs. Surprisingly, within a few years, China’s NEV exports increased greatly. In 2022, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reported an impressive total export volume of 679,000 NEVs.

In the European market, Chinese brands, such as BYD and Hongqi, have entered the top 50 best-selling motor companies across Europe, The Times reported. Shu Youxing, general manager of BYD International Cooperation Division and the European Automobile Sales Division, said that the company’s pure electric buses have now hit the roads of more than 100 major European cities such as Amsterdam, London and Copenhagen, helping Europeans cut carbon emissions by over 200,000 tons.

NEVs made in China are also popular in Mexico. One local, Israel Aguilar, is deeply impressed. After nearly a year of trying out a Chinese NEV, Aguilar said he may never go back to driving his traditional petrol car, stating that the NEV offers better comfort.

“Technology is truly very important in these times, especially for a vehicle. And it has been truly extraordinary for me to handle these technologies that come from China,” Aguilar told Xinhua.

The thriving global expansion of Chinese NEVs is primarily thanks to the efforts of companies to improve their capability for innovation. One major example of this is China’s drive to become the global leader in making EV batteries, fueled by an advantage in the supply chain and raw materials such as lithium (锂) and cobalt (钴).

1. What can we learn about BYD?

A．BYD exports 679, 000 NEVs each year.

B．BYD suffered hardship in its development.

C．BYD lost hope due to doubts and mockeries.

D．BYD always maintains the world’s leading position.

2. What can we infer from Paragraph 4?

A．Chinese NEVs can help protect the environment.

B．Pure electric buses have caused many road accidents.

C．Importing Chinese NEVs is a main task for The Times.

D．Only BYD and Hongqi have entered the European market.

3. What is Aguilar’s attitude to the technology from China?

A．Satisfied.

B．Opposed.

C．Unclear.

D．Doubtful.

4. What is the key factor for the global expansion of Chinese NEVs?

A．Cooperation with partners.	B．The big overseas markets.
C．The ability of creation.	D．Great leaders of the companies.

5 . John Nelson, 92, grew up in Michigan and volunteered for the army in 1945. The 18-year-old managed to get accepted, despite being colourblind. He landed on the island of Iwo Jima in the first days of the American attack to take the island from the Japanese. Nelson fought day and night for 10 days before receiving a serious wound to his right arm. The other seven men in his squadron (中队) all died. American losses included 5,900 dead and 17,400 wounded.

Nelson saw the American flag being raised on Mount Suribachi after the island was taken by the American forces. The arm would continue to trouble him the rest of his life. Suffering from anxiety and flashbacks, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (创伤后应激障碍).

Al Elders was a Grandville farm boy. He joined the Navy and was stationed on Guam when the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Aug. 6 and 9,1945, basically ended the war with Japan.

War often develops lasting friendships. But for the two World War II veterans (老兵) living at Sunset Manor in Jenison, their friendship didn’t begin until about a year and a half ago. One day, Elders noticed a man sitting at a cafeteria in the Sunset Village, and that was Nelson. Seeing his Marine cap, Elders thought they would have something to talk about. And they did. The war in the Pacific is a common bond.

The two men later worked together to serve other residents at Sunset Manor. John began detailing cars during good weather and cleaning walkers in winter. Elders became his advertising manager. They donated most of their income to the Wounded Warrior project. John is less mobile now and is in care at Sunset. Elders continues to visit and to encourage his friend. A friend of Elders’ who traveled to Iwo Jima brought back a jar filled with sand from the rock y island. Elders sent the gift, along with his own wartime collections, to the Seabee Museum and Memorial Park.

1. What do we know about John Nelson?

A．His hometown was ruined by the war.

B．He joined the army through strict tests.

C．He joined the army with his good friend.

D．He was physically and mentally injured in the war.

2. Why did Nelson and Elders develop a friendship?

A．They had the same interest.	B．They both felt sad and lonely.
C．They studied in the same school.	D．They shared a common war experience.

3. We can learn that the two friends ________ from Paragraph 5.

A．were devoted to contributing to the society

B．started a successful business

C．visited Iwo Jima together after the war

D．supported young people to join the army

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．How people tried to survive the war.

B．The meaning of peace for ordinary people.

C．Two old soldiers’ life experiences and friendship.

D．Two old soldiers’ touching friendship during wartime.

6 . The word paradigm comes from the Greek. It was originally a scientific term, and is more commonly used today to mean a model or theory. In the more general sense, it’s the way we “see” the world —not in terms of our visual sense of sight, but in terms of perceiving (感知), understanding, and interpreting.

A simple way to understand paradigms is to see them as maps. We all know that “the map is not the territory.” A map is simply an explanation of certain aspects of the territory. That’s exactly what a paradigm is. It is a theory, an explanation, or model of something else. You can never arrive at a specific location in a new city with a wrong map.

Each of us has many maps in our head, which can be divided into two main categories: maps of the way things are, or realities, and maps of the way things should be, or values. We interpret everything we experience through these mental maps. We seldom question their accuracy; we’re usually even unaware that we have them. We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be. And our attitudes and behaviors grow out of those assumptions. The way we see things is the source of the way we think and the way we act.

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are or, as we are shaped to see it. Clearheaded people see things differently, each looking from the unique angles of experience. But this does not mean that there are no facts. Instead, each person’s interpretation of these facts represents prior experiences.

The more aware we are of our basic paradigms, maps, or assumptions, and the extent to which we have been influenced by our experience, the more we can take responsibility for those paradigms, examine them, test them against reality, listen to others and be open to their perceptions (观点), thereby getting a larger picture and a far more objective view.

1. How does the author illustrate the concept of “paradigm”?

A．By presenting personal examples.	B．By sorting it into different categories.
C．By comparing it to an everyday object.	D．By highlighting a sharp contrast.

2. What can be concluded about the mental maps mentioned in Paragraph 3?

A．They fail to escape our attention.	B．They prove wrong and unreliable.
C．They may be lacking in accuracy.	D．They have little influence on behavior.

3. Which of the following concludes the main idea of Paragraph 4?

A．Where we stand depends on where we sit.	B．All men have opinions, but few think.
C．Great minds think alike.	D．The fewer the facts, the stronger the opinions.

4. What does the author advocate in the last paragraph?

A．A more positive attitude toward life experience.	B．A stronger sense of responsibility for others.
C．A more objective view of others’ perceptions.	D．A better understanding of our paradigms.

7 . The San Diego County Water Authority has an unusual plan to use the city’s scenic San Vicente Reservoir (水库) to store solar power so it’s available after sunset. The project could help unlock America’s clean energy future.

Perhaps ten years from now, if all goes smoothly, large underground pipes will connect this lake to a new reservoir, a much smaller one, built in a nearby valley about 1100 feet higher. When the sun is high in the sky, California’s abundant solar power will pump water into that upper reservoir. It’s a way to store the electricity. When the sun goes down and solar power disappears, operators would open a valve (阀门) and the force of 8 million tons of water, falling back downhill through those same pipes, would drive machines capable of producing 500 megawatt s of electricity for up to eight hours. That’s enough to power 130, 000 typical homes.

“It’s a water battery!” says Neena Kuzmich, Deputy Director of Engineering for the water authority. She says energy storage facilities like these will be increasingly critical as California starts to rely more on energy from wind and solar, which produce electricity on their own schedules, without considering the demands of consumers. Californians learned this during a heat wave this past summer. “Everybody in the state of California got a text message at 5:30 in the evening to turn off their appliances,” Kuzmich says. The sun was going down, solar generation was disappearing, and the remaining power plants, many of them burning gas, couldn't keep up with demand. The reminder worked: people stopped using so much power, and the grid (电网) survived.

Yet earlier on that same day, there was so much solar power available that the grid couldn’t take it all. Grid operators turned away more than 2000 megawatt hours of electricity that solar generators could have delivered, enough to power a small city. That electricity was wasted. There was no way to store it for later, when operators desperately needed it.

1. What is the function of Paragraph 2?

A．To present the importance of a reservoir.	B．To introduce the usage of solar energy.
C．To recall a situation in recent ten years.	D．To explain a way to store electricity.

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

A．Negative.

B．Affordable.

C．Flexible.

D．Significant.

3. Why was a text message sent to everyone in California?

A．To remind people of lack of energy.	B．To warn people of danger.
C．To tell people the sunset time.	D．To persuade people into burning gas.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Scenic San Vicente Reservoir	B．Water Batteries to Store Solar Power
C．San Diego County Energy Crisis	D．Machines to Store Water in California

8 . A few years ago, my husband Charlie and I had marriage problems. Growing family responsibilities and financial worries took a toll on us and we began arguing frequently, often late into the night.

However, neither of us could take the step that would end our eleven-year marriage and bring heartbreak to our three young children. Deep down we knew we still loved each other, so we determined to work it out. Through countless discussions, we began to close the gulf. The more honest we were, the closer we became. When I felt we were reaching solid ground, I asked my husband to give me an “eternity (永恒) ring”. It was not so much the ring I wanted; it was the reassurance I thought it would bring.

We went shopping on a beautiful summer day. We walked hand in hand along a row of jeweler’s shops. Finally I found a ring I liked. While waiting for it to be adjusted, the jeweler took my left hand and glanced at my engagement ring. “May I clean it for you?” he asked. “It really doesn’t sparkle like it used to.” Charlie said as I slipped the ring off my finger. A few minutes later the jeweler was back. The ring shone like new!

On the drive home, I didn’t take my eyes off it. I forgot all about the eternity ring. I just couldn’t believe how this old ring suddenly sparkled the way it had the day Charlie gave it to me. I had taken it for granted these past years, but with a little polish it could still make my heart beat fast.

And that’s the way it is with a marriage. You have to work at keeping it polished and new, or else the grime (污垢) of the passing years will hide the joy. I put my hand on the seat between us and spread my fingers. Charlie covered my hand with his. I felt I was lucky to be able to see the sparkle in something old when I thought I needed something new.

1. The author and her husband had marriage problems partly because __________.

A．they frequently argued late into the night	B．they were lack of money
C．they had countless discussions	D．the author wanted to have an eternity ring

2. What does the underlined part in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Free of trouble.	B．Arriving at a square.
C．Wealthy and generous.	D．In good relationship.

3. Why did the author forget all about the eternity ring on their way back home?

A．The old ring’s light attracted her attention.

B．She was not satisfied with the eternity ring.

C．Her husband kept it for her.

D．The couple were talking all the way merrily.

4. What does the author mainly want to express in the last paragraph?

A．We tend to prefer new objects to old ones.

B．One should remain thankful for what he has got.

C．Marriage should be constantly polished.

D．We should try to rediscover the use of old objects.

10 . German physicist Albert Einstein is one of the most famous scientists of all time, the personification of genius and the subject of a whole industry of scholarship. In The Einsteinian Revolution, two experts on Einstein’s life and his theory of relativity— Israeli physicist Hanoch Gutfreund and German historian of science Jürgen Renn— offer an original and penetrating (犀利的) analysis of Einstein’s revolutionary contributions to physics and our view of the physical world.

For the first time ever, by setting Einstein’s work in the long course of the evolution of scientific knowledge, Gutfr eund and Renn discover the popular misconception of Einstein as an unconventional scientific genius who single-handedly created modern physics—and by pure thought alone.

As a large part of the book explains, Einstein typically argued that science progresses through steady evolution, not through revolutionary breaks with the past. He saw his theory of relativity not as something from scratch, but a natural extension of the classical physics developed by pioneers such as Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei and English physicist Isaac Newton in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, as well as nineteenth-century physicists.

The authors highlight how classical physics cannot be separated cleanly from modern Einsteinian physics. The book also includes substantial sections on Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo whose methods inspired Einstein. When Einstein considered himself as standing on their shoulders, he meant that, without their contributions, he would not have formulated (阐述) the theory of relativity.

The Einsteinian Revolution is an important and thought-provoking contribution to the scholarly literature on Einstein and his surprising scientific creativity between 1905 and 1925. Gutfreund and Renn might not have given the final answer as to why Einstein, of all people, revolutionized physics in the way that he did. But they argue in fascinating detail that, to understand his genius, one must take into account not just the earlier history of physics but also the history of knowledge more broadly. Although not always an easy read, the book will interest physicists and historians alike.

1. What’s the attitude of Gutfreund and Renn to the popular viewpoint on Einstein?

A．Opposing.

B．Favorable.

C．Ambiguous.

D．Indifferent.

2. What does the underlined phrase “from scratch” probably mean?

A．From nothing.	B．Up to a certain standard.
C．By learning from others.	D．With previous knowledge.

3. What does the author mean to say by mentioning the famous physicists?

A．Their ideas were rejected by Einstein.

B．Their devotion to physics impressed Einstein.

C．Their research contributed to Einstein’s success.

D．Their hard work deserved the worldwide respect.

4. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A guidebook to a course.	B．An introduction to a book.
C．An essay on Albert Einstein.	D．A review of physics development.