1 . Hua Sheng and Lu Sheng, a retired Tibetan couple, have become trailblazers (开拓者) of grape growing and winemaking in their old ages.
Lu Sheng learned grape planting and winemaking from her grandmother’s sister. Since they retired, the couple have moved to Lhasa from the village of Yakhadi. Though the fact that the region’s capital, which is 3,600 meters above sea level, is considered unfit for growing grapes, Lu Sheng and Hua Sheng began an ambitious project in 2015, planting grapes in Tsalna, a town in the suburb of Lhasa.
They received support from the local government, which is committed to developing business and the economy. The couple’s project provides jobs for rural residents, and, as a result, the government has considered the project part of its poverty relief program.
“Lhasa is an ideal place for planting French grape varieties that are resistant to cold, drought and disease, and adaptable to high-altitude and open-air planting,” Lu Sheng said.
“Thanks to the plateau’s sunshine and organic planting, our grapes grow very well here in Lhasa. The grapes are a bit sour and sweet, and they have a high anthocyanin (花青素) content,” she said. Anthocyanins, which accumulate (积累) in grape cells and contribute rich color to wine, are water-soluble(水溶性的).
In 2018, Hua Sheng and Lu Sheng expanded their project, planting on nearly 6.67 hectares. In order to familiarize Tibetan farmers with grape planting and winemaking, they taught the skills to local villagers.
“We have successfully taught the local farmers how to grow grapes and make wine over the three years. They now have a new source of income besides traditional farming and herding,” Hua Sheng said.
Yudron, a resident of Nam, said she was grateful to the grape planting project in her village, which has contributed to her income and quality of life. “After working in the vine-yards for years, now we know how to make wine. We drink both barley and grape wine now. We love grape wine more, though, as it is healthier.”
1. What did the couple do after their retirement?| A．They grew grapes and made wine in Lhasa. |
| B．They made friends with a French expert. |
| C．They moved to another city from Lhasa. |
| D．They learned grape planting from Hua Sheng’s grandmother. |
| A．They donated grapes to local schools. |
| B．They employed local residents as workers. |
| C．They provided free wine for villagers. |
| D．They expanded the project with the local government. |
| A．They make grapes more delicious. |
| B．They provide adequate colors for wine. |
| C．They make grapes a bit sour and sweet. |
| D．They can accelerate the growth of grapes. |
| A．indifferent | B．cautious |
| C．appreciative | D．concerned |
2 . My younger brother has a strange relationship with birthdays. One year, he sent me an unexpected birthday card, which turned out to be a double
“You should just
“So basically, that means it doesn’t
“You’ve always been a little over the top about
“Fine. But I always remember yours,” I said. I would
The first year my daughter was away at college, he missed her birthday. By then, we both knew her
Her birthday is in September. In January of the following year, she
She later told me the special gift from her uncle
And it continued. Once he
So this year I was a bit
“I’m
“You’re
| A．standard | B．success | C．service | D．surprise |
| A．celebrate | B．study | C．leave | D．accept |
| A．care | B．catch | C．matter | D．stop |
| A．saved | B．born | C．hurt | D．praised |
| A．refuse | B．like | C．forget | D．happen |
| A．work | B．relationships | C．family | D．dates |
| A．already | B．always | C．never | D．also |
| A．uncle | B．friend | C．brother | D．classmate |
| A．made up | B．wrote | C．replied to | D．received |
| A．keys | B．money | C．pictures | D．text |
| A．barely | B．smoothly | C．really | D．mildly |
| A．expecting | B．understanding | C．enjoying | D．wanting |
| A．helped | B．visited | C．joined | D．asked |
| A．experiences | B．plans | C．findings | D．personalities |
| A．wondered | B．picked | C．remembered | D．explained |
| A．confused | B．worried | C．angry | D．bored |
| A．wrong | B．changing | C．unusual | D．serious |
| A．greatly | B．professionally | C．calmly | D．properly |
| A．frightened | B．lucky | C．sorry | D．satisfied |
| A．allowed | B．taught | C．advised | D．forced |
3 . Scientists say they’ve witnessed a never-before-seen type of reproduction in organic robots created in the lab using frog cells.
The discovery involves a xenobot—a simple, “programmable” organism that is created by bringing stem cells together in a lab. “You can think about this like using the different cells as building blocks like you would build with LEGO,” Douglas Blackiston, a co-author of the study says. The xenobots are made of cells taken from an African frog. The cells aren’t genetically changed at all, but simply combined in different arrangements to produce the xenobots, says Blackiston. What the xenobots did—self-replication—is new in living organisms, says Michael Levin, a professor of biology at Tufts. It does happen at the molecular (分子的) level, but “we are not aware of any organism that reproduces in this way,” he says.
Xenobots are collections of living cells and have no brain or digestive system. But in a real sense they can be programmed—to corral other cells, as in this study, or eventually to do other things. That’s why the researchers think of them as tiny organic robots. “The distinction between a robot and an organism is not nearly as sharp as... we used to think it was,” Levin says. “These creatures, they have properties of both.”
The xenobots fuel themselves by using tiny hair-like structures. They have a tendency to spin, which “turns out to be pretty good for collecting piles of things,” such as other cells, Blackiston says. So the team used an artificial intelligence-driven computer simulation (模拟图像) to see how they might control the xenobots into shapes that would be even better at piling things up. The researchers hope that one day these xenobots could be programmed to perform useful functions such as finding cancer cells in the human body or trapping harmful microplastics in the ocean.
But that concerns some scientists. Nita Farahany is a professor who studies the ethics involved in new technologies and was not part of the xenobot research. “Any time we try to improve life by means of tech... we should recognize its potential to go really poor,” she said.
1. What do we know about the study according to the first two paragraphs?| A．The research methods involve LEGO building. |
| B．The cells are genetically changed in the study. |
| C．The self-reproduction takes place in organic robots. |
| D．The xenobots are made of cells taken from plants. |
| A．Killing cancer cells in the human body. |
| B．Gathering harmful microplastics in the sea. |
| C．Purifying sea water to expand water resources. |
| D．Replicating damaged organ to avoid transplanting organs. |
| A．Worried. | B．Ambiguous. |
| C．Favorable. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．A book review. | B．A guidebook. |
| C．A science fiction. | D．A scientific journal. |
4 . Gaelic had been the major culture in Scotland. But many forces tried to weaken its power. The final straw came in 1609, when some laws required Highland Scottish leaders to send their children to English-speaking schools. Naturally, the culture continued to weaken through the 20th century. Though Gaelic still existed in some rural areas, a lack of jobs meant young people in Gaelic areas were leaving for English-speaking cities.
Iain Noble was a wealthy businessman from Germany. He quickly fell in love with Gaelic culture when he moved to Scotland. So he set up the college of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in 1973 on the Isle of Skye. Today, it has more than 1,000 students and is officially the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture. It is where the revival of Scotland’s Gaelic culture started.
Of course, the college teaches the language and culture. But the secret to making such impressive cultural achievements is giving language learners skills in industries like media and business. The skills allow students to create local jobs and help make the area known to tourists.
Noble’s wife Lady Lucilla said his eagerness to revive the culture was clear. After spending much money setting up the college, Noble had to go to great lengths to find worthwhile teachers. Sometimes he tried hard to find people who had left Skye, “Iain would invite those whose families were from Skye but who were working in Aberdeen, in London and further afield,” said Lucilla.
“Now I’ve seen some cool youngsters who are very proud of their Gaelic, and they are fascinated by the culture,” she said.
One such youngster is 15-year-old Emily Macdonald. She not only speaks Gaelic fluently with her friends, but is excited to do so.
“I feel like we’re even more wanting to speak Gaelic, just to keep it alive, because it is really important to our nation,” she said. “And to have this special language that we can speak to each other in is quite special.”
1. What does the first paragraph mainly talk about?| A．The fall of Gaelic. | B．The future of Gaelic. |
| C．The influence of Gaelic. | D．The advantages of Gaelic. |
| A．Having the best Gaelic teachers. | B．Teaching students professional skills. |
| C．Receiving much government support. | D．Being open to both natives and foreigners. |
| A．He made much money from the college. |
| B．He traveled a lot to spread Gaelic culture. |
| C．He spared no effort to do his cultural work. |
| D．He became world-famous because of his college. |
| A．It is the pride of their nation. | B．It is hard to learn for youngsters. |
| C．It has changed a lot over the years. | D．It attracts fewer local young people. |
5 . To the untrained eye, a pingpong ball is just a pingpong ball. To a Beverly Cleary fan, it’s two motorcycle helmets for mice.
Ever since I read Cleary’s series about Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, I’ve never looked at a pingpong ball—or the world—the same way. It’s amazing to think that it’s been more than forty years since I checked out The Mouse and the Motorcycle from my school library in Northport, and yet that one particular image is as clear to me as ever.
And why shouldn’t it be? It’s perfect.
How I wanted a mouse of my own to ride a toy motorcycle around my house! Thanks to Cleary’s genius, a talking mouse friend seemed indeed possible.
While much of children’s literature tried to explain the world from the point of view of a wise and gentle adult, Cleary created characters who saw the world as only children can. With great interest, I read every book that bore Beverly Cleary’s name. She seemed like a friend who understood me in ways I didn’t yet understand myself.
I’ve written eight children’s books and have always kept Beverly’s sense of wonder in mind. I don’t remember at exactly what age I decided I wanted to write books, but I know that by second or third grade, my teacher arranged a writing project that allowed us to focus on whatever we wanted. My best friend picked dolphins; I chose children’s authors, with a large amount of my project being about who else? Beverly Cleary!
I told that story recently to a school group. One of the students said, “That’s fantastic! You did your project on children’s authors and then you became one!”
“Yes,” I said. “And my best friend who did her project on dolphins—became a dolphin!”
“Really?” the students said together in astonishment.
And that perfectly sums up why I love writing for children: the belief that fantastic, magical things can happen. Best friends can become dolphins; mice can ride toy motorcycles and become our friends.
That’s what Beverly Cleary taught me. In the hands of a gifted storyteller, anything is possible... and so funny.
1. The Mouse and the Motorcycle impressed the author mainly because ______.| A．it recorded animals’ life | B．it uncovered the wisdom of life |
| C．it encouraged children to raise pets | D．it told about the world from children’s eyes |
| A．To teach the children to write. |
| B．To make the children concentrated on class. |
| C．To encourage the children to observe animals. |
| D．To show he children the importance of imagination. |
| A．Scared. | B．Surprised. | C．Doubtful. | D．Confused. |
| A．What the author created to attract children. |
| B．What the author did to turn impossible into possible. |
| C．How Beverly Cleary caused children’s interest in reading. |
| D．How he author was inspired to be a writer by Beverly Cleary. |
6 . The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10028
211-535-7710 www.metmuseu.org
Entrances
Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street
Hours
Open 7 days a week
Sunday-Thursday 10:00-17:30
Friday and Saturday 10:00-21:00
Closed Thanksgiving Day, December 25, January 1, and the first Monday in May.
Admission
$25.00 for adults, a discount of 30% for students above 12, includes the Main Building and the Cloisters (回廊) on the same day; free for children under 12.
Free with Admission
All special exhibitions, as well as films, lectures, guided tours, concerts, gallery talks, and family/ children’s programs are free with admission. Ask about today’s activities at the Great Hall Information Desk.
The Cloisters Museum and Gardens
The Cloisters Museum and Gardens is a branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art and architecture of Europe in the Middle Ages. The extensive collection consists of masterworks in sculpture, colored glass, and precious objects from Europe dating from about the 9th to the 15th century.
Hours: Open 7 days a week.
March-October 10:00-17:15
November-February 10:00-16:45
Closed Thanksgiving Day, December 25, and January 1.
1. How much may they pay if a 13-year-old girl and her parents visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art?| A．$32.5. | B．$50. | C．$57.5. | D．$67.5. |
| A．it opens all the year round |
| B．it has a modern European-style garden |
| C．its collections date from the Middle Ages |
| D．it sells excellent European glass collections |
| A．On Sundays. | B．On May Day. |
| C．On January 1. | D．From Thanksgiving Day to Christmas. |
7 . Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players.”
When the dog made his
As Uzunsoy lay on the ground feigning (假装) a
While the audience and cast members were obviously amused by the dog and didn’t mind the
Dog-loving Uzunsoy is determined to
| A．Besides | B．However | C．Therefore | D．Otherwise |
| A．case | B．habit | C．dream | D．purpose |
| A．deal | B．promise | C．entrance | D．wish |
| A．cutting down | B．taking on | C．mixing up | D．looking for |
| A．realistic | B．amusing | C．clumsy | D．strange |
| A．guidance | B．applause | C．comfort | D．medicine |
| A．skill | B．fall | C．turn | D．jump |
| A．unwillingly | B．violently | C．casually | D．gently |
| A．explain | B．admit | C．predict | D．realize |
| A．freezing | B．bothering | C．approaching | D．beating |
| A．annoyed | B．touched | C．embarrassed | D．ashamed |
| A．help | B．punish | C．bite | D．join |
| A．appreciating | B．expecting | C．clarifying | D．accepting |
| A．praise | B．attention | C．rest | D．interruption |
| A．show | B．joke | C．rescue | D．visit |
| A．eat | B．wait | C．sleep | D．perform |
| A．astonished | B．afraid | C．sure | D．worried |
| A．find | B．pay | C．award | D．follow |
| A．delay | B．avoid | C．keep | D．imagine |
| A．gift | B．accident | C．excuse | D．role |
8 . Nicolas Maire is the model of a professional French chef with years of experience. To help perfect the flavors of the innovative foods. Mr. Maire has a new assistant chef in the form of Sum, an artificial intelligence robot.
Along with a team of flavorists, Sam helps blend a huge group of flavors for clients. In humans the sense of taste stems from multiple receptors (感受器) that are ready to make our brains aware of the nature of any possible food we encounter. Sam lacks this sense of taste, but it has been trained on a databose of ingredients gathered over 60 years at the company of Firmenich, a business with a perfume industry origin stretching back to 1895. Using a technique called machine learning, it has raced through examples of flavor combinations and has learnt its own definitions, maturing over 18 months into today’s AI robot.
Eric Saracchi runs the digital side of Firmenich. “Flavors are more complex than perfumes,” he says, “and Sam had to understand what a strawberry is or how roasted beef hits the tongue, before finding matches between tastes and foodstuffs.”
One big advantage of an AI robot is that it has no cognitive bias (认知偏见). This lack of human prejudices helps Firmenich to get past any unconscious leaning of the flavorists. The objectivity of Sam, lacking influences that can affect even the most professional of flavorists, allows it to work at speed. “It adds value by combining the knowledge of all the other flavorists here,” says Saracchi.
The machine rapidly gives an indication of how a flavor can be created and how much of an ingredient should be included. And Sam can hold the line between Saracchi’s team of flavorists and public tastes, refereeing decisions when the flavorists’ view differs from that of a consumer group.
1. What does Sam do together with many flavorists?| A．It helps activate humans’ tastes. | B．It creates a database of ingredients. |
| C．It mixes a series of flavors for guests. | D．It makes all kinds of foods very creative. |
| A．Negative. | B．Positive. | C．Unknown. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．In Paragraph 1. | B．In Paragraph 2. | C．In Paragraph 3. | D．In Paragraph 4. |
| A．Why Chefs Are Turning to AI | B．Sam, the First AI Chef in the World |
| C．How Do French Chefs Choose AI Assistants | D．Nicolas Maire Owns Some AI Assistant Chefs |
9 . A former businessman, Dong Changkai, has driven across the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region again and again. Last month, Dong
Dong’s eagerness to start outdoor
In 2012 he planned to
Dong
| A．broke up | B．put up | C．teamed up | D．caught up |
| A．trainers | B．drivers | C．repairers | D．advertisers |
| A．obtaining | B．developing | C．concluding | D．expressing |
| A．impressive | B．cultural | C．urban | D．rural |
| A．competitions | B．adventures | C．sports | D．celebrations |
| A．followed | B．told | C．assisted | D．reminded |
| A．rivers | B．villages | C．scenery | D．architecture |
| A．beat | B．fired | C．affected | D．proved |
| A．practice | B．enjoy | C．risk | D．stop |
| A．course | B．trade | C．journey | D．trial |
| A．admire | B．improve | C．change | D．protect |
| A．enjoyment | B．confidence | C．enthusiasm | D．safety |
| A．challenging | B．appealing | C．proper | D．good |
| A．washing | B．parking | C．guidance | D．breakdown |
| A．Actually | B．Probably | C．Gradually | D．Simply |
| A．loyal | B．serious | C．optimistic | D．experienced |
| A．insisted | B．imagined | C．opposed | D．regretted |
| A．record | B．service | C．performance | D．result |
| A．allows | B．encourages | C．warns | D．commands |
| A．share | B．fix | C．renew | D．analyze |
10 . Millennials (千禧一代) may have been the first generation to come of age online, but their Gen Z successors (接替者) have truly grown up with it — and hardly ever log off.
A 2018 Pew Research Center survey found that 95 percent of teenagers have access to a smart phone; 45 percent say they use the Internet almost constantly. For many of them, social media has been a space for self-expression, entertainment and connection.
But as social media use has risen among teenagers, so have rates of depression, and anxiety. Though it is not a direct relationship, there is evidence that some platforms have worsened young people’s meatal health issues; for instance, research documents from social media showed that Instagram worsened body-image issues for one in three teenage girls.
A March 2022 study published in the scientific journal Nature found that the relationship between social media use and mental health varied by age, but that there were two windows where social media use was more likely to have a negative effect on the well-being of adolescents: at the start of puberty (青春期) and again around age 19.
Emma Lembke, a 19-year-old student at Washington University in St. Louis, experienced those negative efts firsthand. That’s why she started the Log Off Movement in June 2020. The project aims to encourage dialogue among young people who are feeling the negative effects of social media and want to adjust their relationship to it. In a phone interview, Ms. Lembke spoke about the movement she started, the upsides and downsides of social media, and how she has worked to loosen its hold on her well-being.
1. What can be inferred about the survey?| A．Social media lessen body-image anxiety. |
| B．Social media have become a trend to teenagers. |
| C．95 percent of adults have their own smart phones. |
| D．One third of teenagers use the Internet frequently. |
| A．A 5-year-old child. | B．A 13-year-old student. |
| C．A 26-year-old journalist. | D．A 40-year-old manager. |
| A．To draw attention of the public. | B．To share her sorrowful experience. |
| C．To inspire interactions among the youth. | D．To recall the ups and downs of social media. |
| A．Millennials Are in Need of Further Concern. |
| B．Young People Benefit from Modern Science. |
| C．Social Media Look like a Double-edged Sword. |
| D．A New Student Movement Wants You to Log Off. |
