1 . Dog ownership may be associated with longer life, especially for heart attack and stroke (中风) suvivors who live alone, according to a new study.
Previous studies have shown that dog ownership alleviates social isolation (隔绝), improve physical activity and social bonds, even lowers blood pressure, leading researchers to believe dog owners could potentially have better health outcomes compared to non-owners. They sought to determine how dog ownership affected health outcomes.
Researchers compared the health outcomes of dog owners and non-owners after a heart attack or stroke using health data provided by the Swedish National Patient Register. Patients in the study were Swedish residents aged 40 to 85 who experienced a heart attack or stroke. Compared to people who did not own a dog, researchers found that for dog owners, the risk of death for heart attack patients living alone after hospitalization (住院) was 33% lower and 15% lower for those living with a partner or child. The risk of death for stroke patients living alone after hospitalization was 27% lower and 12% lower for those living with a partner or child.
The lower risk of death associated with dog ownership could be explained by an increase in physical activity and decreased depression and loneliness, both of which have been connected to dog ownership in previous studies.
While this study drew the conclusion from a large sample (样本), potential misclassifications (错误分类) of dog ownershipin couples living together, death of a dog and change of ownership could have affected the outcomes of the study.
The results of this study suggest positive effects of dog ownership for patients who have experienced a heart attack or stroke. However, more research is needed to confirm a cause-effect relationship. Moreover, from an animal welfare perspective (角度), dogs should only be owned by people who feel they have the ability and knowledge to give the pet a good life.
1. What does the underlined word “alleviates” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．reduces | B．increases | C．causes | D．shows |
| A．Healthy dog owners and those with illnesses. | B．Dog owners and non-owners in hospitalization. |
| C．40- to 85-year-old dog owners around the world. | D．Middle-aged and old heart attack or stroke survivors. |
| A．Dogs make people physically and mentally active. | B．Dogs give warning of heart attacks or strokes |
| C．Dogs encourage social participation. | D．Dogs save lives in emergencies. |
| A．Approving | B．Uncertain | C．Objective | D．Critical |
2 . Best Online Exercise Classes
Online exercise classes are changing the way we think about fitness, and here are some of the best apps for online exercise classes for you to select.
Daily Burn
Daily Burn offers a 30-day free trial, so you can get a feel for the classes and instructors before you make the decision. It provides over 1,000 classes ranging from choices for beginners to advanced athletes, all taught by expert trainers. There are classes that are 10 minutes and ones that are an hour, so you can do a workout that’s perfect for your schedule.
Alo Moves
Through this app, you’re given the chance to connect with encouraging coaches and other hard-working members, and take more than 2,500 different yoga classes of all styles and all difficulties. You can even take classes or practice yoga with any of your friends online. At a price point of $20 per month, it’s surely one of the reasonable at-home choices.
Booya Fitness
Classes offered include cardio (有氧运动) kickboxing, sports conditioning, dancing, and even more. Even if that sounds like you’ll need much expensive equipment, Booya Fitness promises that 75% of their workouts can be completed with just an exercise mat (垫子). Booya Fitness is also very selective (严格挑选的) in the music they play because they know a good song can make your cardio workout motivating. It’s a best choice for the middle and upper class.
Peloton
Peloton’s service is based on live classes intended for anyone who has a bike, and they require the Peloton branded equipment to join in. There are new classes every day, and thousands of classes to choose from. What’s more, there is also a treadmill users can purchase for running- and walking-based classes, and a TV app for strength classes. However, it will charge you more for the convenient service.
1. What can we know about Daily Burn?| A．It offers 30-day free trial classes freely. | B．It’s only suitable for advanced athletes. |
| C．Most classes are taught by experienced trainers. | D．It’s intended for anyone who has a bike. |
| A．Prices. | B．Sports facilities | C．Trainers | D．Music |
| A．Daily Burn. | B．Alo Moves. | C．Booya Fitness. | D．Peloton. |
3 . Tax Refund for Visitors to Canada
There is refund (偿还) of the tax money (GST) paid on such items as: clothes; electronic products; cosmetics and short-term accommodation (住宿).
Any goods about food; tobacco products; alcohol; entertainment and goods that you consume in Canada do not qualify for refund.
You can claim a refund of the tax money if you meet the following conditions:
◆You are not a citizen of Canada at the time you apply for a refund.
◆The goods you purchase are for personal use.
◆You have paid GST on these purchases.
◆Only original receipts (收据) of the goods you purchase are available. No photocopies are accepted.
◆Each receipt indicates a minimum purchase amount of Canadian dollars $50, not including GST.
◆The total amount of your purchases should reach Canadian dollars $200, not including GST.
◆The receipts should be stamped by the customs officers in the customs offices in one of the Canadian international airports.
You can mail us your receipts of purchases within one year with your original plane boarding pass back home and your home address. We will mail back your tax money in cash within six weeks after we get your receipts. Any false claim will cause a serious offence.
Please fill up the tax refund application form if you fully understand the information with your signature. Mail the form to:
Canada Customs and Revenue Agency Suite 104, 275 Pope Road Canada.
For more information: Call Canadian customs service at 1-800-461-9999
1. All the tax money spent on the following goods or items can be refunded except on _______.| A．cameras and CD players | B．hotel living expenses |
| C．pants and jackets | D．movies and concerts |
| A．pay for their purchases in cash |
| B．buy goods and use them outside Canada |
| C．travel or work in Canada as foreigners |
| D．are interested in making shopping trips abroad |
| A．before the buyer leaves Canada |
| B．after the buyer leaves Canada |
| C．when the buyer is in the Canadian International Airport |
| D．after the buyer has the receipts stamped at the airport |
4 . I have a strong faith that the pain is almost gone but the feeling of success will stay forever. I was among the 38,000 runners who participated in the marathon (马拉松赛跑), the largest event of its kind in Asia.
My decision to participate in the marathon was because of the insistence of my wife, who had run the half-marathon previously. This year, she wanted me to participate along with her. Unexpectedly, her application got rejected while mine got accepted.
Though I had been into fitness training before, it seemed to be a daunting task to run 21 km. I started training about 10 weeks before the day. I had made up my mind to finish the run. So I tried my best to accommodate training into my busy schedule whenever I could.
What’s more, I remembered that four weeks into my training, my shoes were worn. I searched and hunted and literally spent a fortune on a new pair of shoes. However, right on the first day of running with them, I felt that they were not for me. I preserved, thinking that my discomfort was because the shoes were new. Eventually, I gave up on them. I even tried looking for another new pair of shoes, but couldn’t find that were as comfortable as my old ones.
Finally, on 16th January 2011, I ran and completed the half-marathon. And I did it in my old shoes.
Now, when I think about it, it all seems so easy. All I had to do was to picture completing the run in good time in my mind.
What I have learned from the experience is that completing a marathon is like any other goal in life — largely a mind-over-matter phenomenon. In other words, unless you believe you can reach your goal, you’ve lost even before you begin. No doubt, factors such as hard work, experience and talent help to a greater or lesser degree. But without your belief that you will get there, every goal remains difficult to achieve.
1. Why did the writer participate in the marathon at first?| A．It was the largest event of its kind. |
| B．He had run the half-marathon previously. |
| C．His wife insisted on him participating. |
| D．He had been training for a long time. |
| A．The writer was the best among all the runners. |
| B．The writer tried his best to do some marathon training. |
| C．The writer’s fitness training before was only a little help to him in the run. |
| D．The writer’s old shoes were very expensive. |
| A．self-confidence is the primary factor in a marathon. |
| B．to win a marathon depends on your mind, not on your shoes |
| C．it would be easy if you made up your mind to begin it |
| D．belief can bring you success in a marathon |
| A．Practice Makes Perfect. | B．Insist on Your Decision |
| C．The Pain before Success | D．A Running Lesson |
5 . There is a man who I’d like to tell you about. His name is Sandy Greenberg. Sandy was a very good student, but he came from a poor family. And so he went to Columbia University, but while there, he became blind.
But something else happened to Sandy that may surprise you. Sandy said that when he lost his sight, his roommate would read his textbooks to him, every night. As a result, Sandy went on to graduate. He got a scholarship, and he went off to study at Oxford.
One day, Sandy got a call at Oxford, and his former roommate said, “Sandy, I’m really unhappy. I really don’t like being in graduate school, and I don’t want to do this.”
So Sandy asked, “Well, what do you want to do?”
And his roommate told him, “Sandy, I really love to sing. I have a high school friend who plays the guitar. And we would really like to try the music business. But we need to make a record, and in order to do that I need $500.”
So Sandy Greenberg told me he took all his life savings and sent it to his roommate. He told me, “You know, what else could I do? He made my life; I needed to help make his life.”
I almost forgot. You probably are wanting to know who Sandy’s roommate was. I think you’ve heard of him. Sandy’s roommate was a fellow by the name of Art Garfunkel, and he teamed up with another musician by the name of Paul Simon. That $500 helped them make a record that eventually became “The Sound of Silence.”
I hope you’ll remember the power of doing well by doing good. Each of you, in your own lives, will be faced with challenges and problems that you didn’t expect. How you are able to deal with adversity will be influenced by how you deal with others along the way. What you get will depend a lot on what you give. And that’s the end of the story of doing well, by doing good.
More importantly, when you get to be my age, you will find yourself beginning to ask, did my life make a difference? I think the only way to face this question is to consider, every day of your life: How can I do something for somebody else? How can I give back to others? It may be teaching, it may be becoming a doctor, you may be successful in business — no matter what your career path, there will always be the opportunity to give back. The chance will present itself to give your time, give your money, but mostly, to give your own heart and soul.
1. When Sandy Greenberg lost his sight, ____________.| A．he had thoughts of quitting college | B．he overcame the difficulties on his own |
| C．he borrowed a friend’s notes | D．a friend helped him with his study |
| A．Sandy had a difficult time at Oxford |
| B．Sandy and his roommate both went on studying after their graduation |
| C．singing was one of Sandy’s hobbies |
| D．Sandy’s roommate was a great success at graduate school |
| A．to encourage us to face difficulties bravely |
| B．to tell us to change our path in life if we want to |
| C．to show that disabled people can succeed with help |
| D．to tell us that by helping others, we can also help ourselves |
| A．difficulty | B．generosity | C．kindness | D．friendship |
| A．helping others to make sure that we are successful |
| B．using our life to make a difference to others |
| C．being a teacher so that we can give back to others |
| D．starting to be generous when we become older |
6 . The clock rules our lives. The more we try to save time, the less time we seem to have. In every area of our lives we are doing things faster. And many of us live in towns and cities which are getting noisier and more stressful as each day passes. But now a worldwide movement, whose aim is to slow life down, has started. Its supporters are people who believe that a happier and healthier way of life is possible.
The Slow Food movement was founded the day that an Italian journalist, Carlo Petrini, saw that McDonald’s had opened a restaurant in a beautiful square in Rome. He thought it was sad that many people today live too quickly to sit down for a proper meal and only eat much fast food. He decided that he had to try to do something about it and so he started the Slow Food movement. Slow Food has become a global organization ever since and now has more than 80,000 members in 100 countries.
Slow Food also encourages people to eat local and regional food, to use local shops and markets, to eat out in small family restaurants, and to cook with traditional recipes.
The idea of Slow Cities was inspired by the Slow Food movement. The aim of Slow Cities is to improve people’s quality of life. Towns which want to become a Slow City have to reduce traffic and noise, increase the number of green areas, plant trees, build pedestrian zones, and promote local businesses and traditions. Now it has spread to other countries all over the world, from the UK to Japan and Australia. There are now 135 Slow Cities in 24 countries across the world that have been named since founding of the organization in 1999. Gao Chun County, in east China’s Jiangsu Province, is expected to be named the first “Slow City” in China next year.
“Slow Cities are about having a community life in the town,” said a local resident. “It is not ‘slow’ as in ‘stupid’. It is ‘slow’ as in the opposite of ‘worried’ and ‘stressful’.”
But not everybody is happy. For teenagers, who have to go 25km to Norwich, the nearest city, to buy CDs, living in a Slow City is not very attractive. “It’s all right here for adults,” says Lewis Cook, 16. “But if you want excitement, you have to go to Norwich. We need more things here for young people.”
1. What’s the aim of the Slow Food movement?| A．To call on people to eat out. | B．To make people enjoy cooking. |
| C．To drive McDonald’s out of Rome | D．To encourage people to slow down. |
| A．reducing traffic and noise | B．increasing the number of green areas |
| C．building more department stores | D．promoting local businesses and traditions |
| A．Slow Food was founded in 1999 | B．there is no Slow City in China now |
| C．Slow Cities are mainly in the UK | D．there are about 24 Slow Cities in the world |
| A．Satisfied. | B．Excited. | C．Happy. | D．Dissatisfied. |
| A．Slow down and you’ll move fast. | B．Time flies never to be recalled. |
| C．Eat slowly and you’ll be healthy. | D．Pay attention to the quality of life. |
7 . I was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, and it was a shock to my parents that I arrived without arms or legs. My parents did their very best to keep me in the mainstream school system and give me every opportunity to live to the fullest.
We later moved to Brisbane, Australia. At age eight, I could not see a bright future ahead and I became depressed. When I was ten years old, I decided to end my life by drowning myself in a bathtub. After a couple of attempts, I realized that I did not want to leave my loved ones with the burden and guilt (愧疚) that would result from my suicide. I could not do that to them.
I wasn’t depressed my entire childhood, but I did have ups and downs. At age thirteen I hurt my foot, which I use for many things like typing, writing and swimming. That injury made me realize that I need to be more thankful for my abilities and less focused on my disabilities.
A cleaner at my high school inspired me to start speaking about my faith and overcoming adversity when I was seventeen. Then, I found myself in front of three hundred sophomore (grade 10) students and I was very nervous. My knees were shaking. Within the first three minutes of my talk, half the girls were crying, and most of the boys were struggling to hold their emotions together. One girl in particular was sobbing very hard. We all looked at her and she put her hand up. She said, “I am so sorry to interrupt, but can I come up and hug you?”
She came and hugged me in front of everyone, and whispered in my ear, “Thank you, thank you, thank you. No one has ever told me that they loved me and that I am beautiful the way I am.” Her gratitude inspired me to go across 44 countries and speak 2,000 times. I realized that we all need love and hope.
I spoke on motivational topics after creating the company ‘Attitude is Altitude’ to spread my messages of faith and hope around the world.
Dream big, my friend and never give up. We all make mistakes, but none of us are mistakes. Take one day at a time. Embrace (拥抱) the positive attitudes, perspectives (思考方法), principles (原则) and truths I share, and you too will overcome.
1. Nick first became depressed when ____________.| A．he was ten years old | B．he decided to end his life |
| C．he thought his future wouldn’t be bright | D．he realized he had no arms and legs |
| A．his faith in God | B．an injury to his foot |
| C．the advice of his parents | D．a talk with his teacher |
| A．his parents | B．a girl | C．a cleaner | D．a boy |
| A．she felt sorry about Nick’s disability | B．she realized her mistakes after hearing Nick |
| C．she was sad that Nick could never pull through | D．Nick moved her with some encouraging words |
| A．With a positive attitude, any dream can be achieved. |
| B．Those who are disabled live happier lives than normal people. |
| C．By focusing on our disabilities, we can overcome them. |
| D．We should focus on what we can do, not what we can’t. |
8 . Time magazine named its choice of the 100 “Most Influential (有影响力的) People in the World” on Wednesday. On the
Jeremy Lin, New York Knicks starting point guard, is a person that many
“Jeremy Lin’s story is a great lesson for kids everywhere. In life, there are many prejudices (偏见) that
“It’s great to see good values and the right attitude
We spoke to Lin’s
| A．road | B．way | C．world | D．list |
| A．children | B．stars | C．athletes | D．players |
| A．criticised | B．praised | C．attacked | D．disliked |
| A．influential | B．skilful | C．talented | D．selfless |
| A．lesson | B．skill | C．move | D．knowledge |
| A．graduate | B．professor | C．student | D．coach |
| A．fortunately | B．surprisingly | C．amazingly | D．unfairly |
| A．common | B．untrue | C．necessary | D．useful |
| A．coach | B．work | C．succeed | D．fail |
| A．useful | B．possible | C．easy | D．difficult |
| A．poor | B．lazy | C．excellent | D．normal |
| A．rewarded | B．forgotten | C．replaced | D．covered |
| A．country | B．fame | C．money | D．team |
| A．family | B．teammates | C．friends | D．parents |
| A．modest | B．optimistic | C．excited | D．happy |
9 . In the past, you may have had to carry a phrasebook with you when traveling to other countries. Nowadays, more and more people are using simple, free tools, not only to decode (译解 ) text but also to speak. Google Translate may be the best-known name in machine translation, but it often makes a blunder. However, DeepL Translate does better, offering various options, most of them along the correct lines.
Travel has long been a motivator for study-unless people start to feel AI tools offer a good-enough service. As AI translation becomes an even more popular labor-saving tool, people can be divided into two groups.There will be those who want to stretch their minds and immerse (使沉浸于) themselves in other cultures. This lot will still take on language study,often aided by technology. Others will look at learning a new language with a mix of admiration and puzzlement, and eventually give up trying to learn it.
As for the use of AI tools, some are concerned that apps are turning language learning into a downward trend. Douglas Hofstadter, a writer, has argued that something profound will disappear when people talk through machines. He describes giving a difficult speech in Mandarin, which requires a lot of work but offers a sense of accomplishment in the end. Who will take pride in taking a helicopter to the top of Mount Everest?
Others are less worried. Most people do not move abroad or have to be exposed to a foreign culture that requires them to put in the work to become fluent. Nor do most people learn languages for the purpose of humanising themselves or training their brains.
But a focus on the learner alone misses the basic social nature of language. When you try to ask directions in broken German, you are making direct contact with someone. When you speak a language well enough to tell a story with perfect timing, that connection is more profound.The best relationships do not require an intermediary (中间人).
1. What does the underlined word "blunder" in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Mistake. | B．Choice. | C．Adjustment. | D．Decision. |
| A．They may not offer accurate translations. |
| B．They may make language learning less popular. |
| C．They may weaken people's interest in other cultures. |
| D．They may provide a limited service for language learning. |
| A．It provides people with new experience. |
| B．It can replace traditional language study methods. |
| C．It represents a new tendency to language learning. |
| D．It lessens the sense of achievement in language study. |
| A．It enables cultural exchanges. | B．It improves communication skills. |
| C．It strengthens connections with others. | D．It adds fun to the storytelling experience. |
10 . Four best thrift (节俭) stores in New York
Housing Works
•Address: NYC Multiple Locations
•Opening Hours: 11 am-7 pm Monday-Saturday; 12 pm-5 pm Sunday
Housing Works has locations offering many second-hand treasures all throughout the city, including the Upper East Side. It’s a great place for thrifters living in the area or visiting the neighborhood. Whether you’re looking for clothing, shoes, or even furniture, Housing Works is always worth the stop. The stores also support the unhoused and those living with HIV/AIDS, so you know you’re helping out a great cause by shopping there.
Chelsea Flea
•Address: 729 West 25th St, btw 6 Ave + B’ way•Opening Hours: 8 am-4 pm Saturday-Sunday
Open year round on Saturdays and Sundays, the Chelsea Flea market is truly a full weekend adventure! There are thrift shops selling everything from antiques to jewelry (珠宝), and even great food options. And of course, you’ll find many sellers offering some of the coolest and most unique vintage (老式的) clothing in all of NYC!
AuH20
•Address: 84 E 7th St, NY, NY 10003•Opening Hours: 12 pm-7 pm Tuesday-Sunday
This is definitely one of the best places to find a bargain on clothes. You can find tons of items priced between $5-$40, so you won’t blow your budget even if you pick out a few new pieces. This neighborhood store is a highlight of the East Village shopping scene, and should be on everyone’s list of the best thrift stores in NYC.
Celene’s Thrift Shop
•Address: 568 Grandview Ave, Queens, NY, 11385•Opening Hours: 9 am--7 pm Monday-Saturday; Closed Sunday
Definitely one of the friendliest thrift stores in New York, this is a small but crowded space that offers tons of cool and unique vintage clothes and items. It’s such a great environment to shop, and you can always find what you’re looking for or something you didn’t even know you needed!
1. What is special about Housing Works?| A．It is closed on holidays. | B．It supports charitable causes. |
| C．It is famous for its vintage treasures. | D．It is limited to a few specific places. |
| A．AuH20. | B．Chelsea Flea. | C．Housing Works. | D．Celene’s Thrift Shop. |
| A．They offer a friendly dining experience. | B．They are open every day all year round. |
| C．They have the same opening hours. | D．They sell special vintage clothing. |
