2 . Longing for the most amazing places on the planet? You can do no wrong with these lakes across the globe.

Five Flower Lake

Set in the striking karst landscape of the Jiuzhaigou Valley in Sichuan province, China, Five Flower Lake is extraordinarily clear, with visibility to a depth of 40 metres. Five Flower is one of a series of blue-, green-and sky-colored lakes blocked by rock falls, but it differs from the others as its waters change color, looking sometimes yellow, sometimes green, but usually diamond blue. In winter, Five Flower never freezes; in summer, it never dries up. Local wildlife living in the surrounding mountain forests include the rare giant panda and the golden snub-nose monkey.

Crater Lake

The deep-blue waters of Crater Lake in Oregon, US, fill the outlet of an ancient volcano that collapsed 7,700 years ago. Its strangest occupant is the “Old Man of the Lake”, a nine-metre-tall tree stump(树桩), which has stood upright in the water for more than a century. No rivers or streams enter the lake. Water loss in summer is compensated by winter snow and rain, the entire body of water being replaced every 250 years.

Lake Ohrid

Ancient Lake Ohrid has been around for about five million years and crosses the mountainous border between Macedonia and Albania. It has unique plants and wildlife, including the Ohrid “plashica”, a fish native to the lake, whose scales(鳞片) are used to make Ohrid pearls.

Lake Maggiore

Surrounded on three sides by the Lipontine Alps and touching the plain of Lombardy to the south, Lake Maggiore is Italy’s longest lake. Considered part of the country’s lake district, it is shared with Switzerland. Characterized by a Mediterranean-style climate, temperatures here are mild all year. This has given rise to some of northern Italy’s most wonderful gardens, which appear to float like flower-decked boats on the water.

1. What makes Five Flower Lake different from other lakes?

A．Its agreeable climate.	B．The rare local wildlife.
C．Its color-changing waters.	D．The visibility of waters.

2. How does Crater Lake mainly get water supply?

A．By artificial rain.	B．By snow and rain.
C．From nearby streams.	D．From an ancient tree.

3. Which lake has a typical warm climate?

A．Five Flower Lake.	B．Crater Lake.
C．Lake Ohrid.	D．Lake Maggiore.

3 . Cartoonist Charles Schulz, the man who brought us Charlie Brown, Snoopy (史努比) and the whole Peanuts gang (花生漫画) and happiness, would be turning 100 on Nov, 26, 2022.

But the_________he created and developed over the course of five decades still exist in the form of reruns (重播),_________ TV specials, a movie and a museum dedicated to Schulz’s work. So does the_________they provide.

Schulz’s widow, Jeannie Schulz and the director of the Charles M. Schulz Museum, Gina Huntsinger, spoke to Morning Edition about Schulz’s life and_________, which Huntsinger calls “pervasive” (无处不在). Huntsinger says Schulz has had a(n)_________influence, from_________the term “security blanket” to inspiring Peanuts fans from around the world to visit the _________. The most common_________she gets from its website is that people feel comforted by revisiting something nostalgic (怀旧的) that still makes them_________.

Jeannie Schulz offers another__________for the comic’s lasting and widespread__________. “He wrote about __________ emotions that kids are feeling, and it’s always__________with a little bit of humor,” she says. “Anybody can read that comic strip in four seconds and get comfort from it, because it talks about humanity.”

Aesthetically (美学上地), Schulz’s lines were simple, using only what was necessary to tell the story. And __________, Huntsinger says, he was a__________.

1.

A．characters

B．hobbies

C．technologies

D．programs

2.

A．confirmed

B．original

C．beloved

D．bearable

3.

A．trust

B．interest

C．duty

D．comfort

4.

A．education

B．legacy

C．courage

D．family

5.

A．indirect

B．slight

C．global

D．competitive

6.

A．popularizing

B．replacing

C．inviting

D．accepting

7.

A．movie

B．city

C．man

D．museum

8.

A．issue

B．comment

C．courage

D．faith

9.

A．confident

B．weep

C．laugh

D．awkward

10.

A．vehicle

B．explanation

C．means

D．direction

11.

A．guide

B．appeal

C．help

D．service

12.

A．real

B．shallow

C．silent

D．terrible

13.

A．registered

B．sold

C．moved

D．delivered

14.

A．occasionally

B．consciously

C．creatively

D．negatively

15.

A．genius

B．cartoonist

C．reporter

D．businessman

4 . I’m losing my hair. Don’t feel sorry. It will not be an explanation on how depressing it is that my body is submitting to the damages of time. It’s just a fact, and, honestly, I’m fine with it. Don’t get me wrong: had this happened when I was 25, I would have rushed to an Istanbul clinic with credit cards faster than you could say “Elton”. I would have had a baseball cap glued to my scalp (头皮). But I’m 40 now.

Hairdressers used to praise me on my “thick hair”, however, they’d make no obvious difference to my lion-like hairs. Therefore, this raises a question: why am I still spending £50 getting my hair cut? The answer to this is, I suppose, “habit”. But if the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that even our fundamental behaviors can be transformed when necessary. For decades, I’ve frequented salons (美发厅). I enjoyed the air conditioning and the coffee. But really, all I require these days is a short back and sides. So, for the first time, I’ve started going to my local barbershop. And… it’s great! For one thing, you don’t need to book an appointment.

The two guys are friendly, yet also business-like. Best of all, the cut costs £15, and my hair looks exactly the same as when it was done in the salon. The first time my barber placed a wet towel over my nose and mouth, I’ve come to appreciate the feeling of a freshly-shaved jaw. So yes, my hair is thinning: I am older. But also, I believe, wiser.

1. What do we know about the author from paragraph1?

A．He has a lot of credit cards.

B．He is fine with his thinner hair now.

C．He feels upset about losing his hair.

D．He likes gluing a baseball cap to his scalp.

2. Why does the author reject the salons he’s frequented?

A．Because the salons charge too much.

B．Because he wants to change his hairstyle.

C．Because the hairdressers make his hair lion-like.

D．Because he has no habit of making appointments.

3. What does the author think of the local barbershop?

A．Inspiring.	B．Challenging.
C．Satisfying.	D．Disappointing.

4. What message does the author try to get through to us?

A．It’s wise to accept changes owing to aging.

B．The old are more likely to have thinner hair.

C．Crucial behaviors can be changed if necessary.

D．Salons and barbershops make no big difference.

5 . Creating Young V&A

When the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green was founded in 1872, it was East   London’s first public museum. Today, we are transforming this beloved building into a new national museum of design and creativity dedicated entirely to children.

Relaunching later this year as Young V&A, the museum will be a place to imagine, play, create, debate and design. Young V&A will help children to develop abilities such as creative thinking, problem-solving and collaboration through imaginative, hands-on gallery displays and creative programming for schools, families and community groups.

How you can help

In a climate of growing inequality and reduced funding for the arts, it is vital that we young people’s creative development. We rely on your generous donations and are thankful for   your support. Whether you can give E 25 or f 25,000, all donations will help to complete this project.

25 could buy books for the new Reading Room.

75 could buy sensory materials to help bring the collection to life for young visitors

150 could conserve and display an international object in the permanent galleries

5000 could help furnish the new creative studios in the Learning Centre.

Ways to give

*To pay by debit, credit card, use the QR code, visit www.vam.ac.uk appeal or call 020 7942 2905 to speak to a member of the Development team.

*Return a completed donation form or post a cheque directly to the museum or hand it in all the V&A Membership Desk or the Members’ Room.

*To find out about donating by bank transfer, making a regular monthly donation, or to make a larger gift, please email the Development team at appeals@vam.ac.uk.

1. Who are the target visitors of Young V&A?

A．The general public.

B．Seniors.

C．Art lovers.

D．Children.

2. What can a donation of 75 do for the project?

A．Repaint the Reading Room.	B．Help bring the collection to life.
C．Conserve an inspirational object.	D．Furnish the new creative studios.

3. How can people donate by cheque?

A．Scan a QR code.	B．Send a cheque to the museum.
C．Call 020 7942 2905.	D．Email the Development team.

6 . Children are more creative when they learn in natural surroundings, according to new research from Curtin University. Primary school students in Australia and England were put to the test to see whether writing poetry in a natural outdoor setting produced more creative outcomes than writing in a classroom, and the answer was yes.

Dr Paul Gardner and Sonja Kuzich from Curtin’s School of Education ran comparative trials with 10-year-old students in both countries and the results, recently published in the Cambridge Journal of Education, gave a big thumbs-up to the positive influence of natural settings. “We found that students who had direct contact with nature by immersing (沉浸) themselves in a bush or forest setting were much more descriptive and vivid in the language they used than the classroom-based writers who ‘imagined’ being in nature through photos,” Dr Gardner said.

In total, 97 students took part in the study, split across four classrooms, including two based at an English primary school and two from a primary school in Western Australia. In each country one class visited a natural bush or forest before writing a poem based on what they saw, smelt and felt. The other class viewed a pile of images of the same bush or forest setting.

Ms Kuzich said the difference in creative language used between the classes was obvious with twice as many UK forest students using figurative (比喻的) language compared with their class-based counterparts. In Australia that figure rose to more than four times when comparing the poetry of the bush-based students with those who remained at school.

The researchers say further studies of larger groups are now recommended to gain greater understanding of the influence of natural spaces and “green learning” in schools. Future research may also be needed to examine if the green learning can be translated into other learning themes or context to see if there is a flow on effect in different environments.

1. Why were the students placed outdoors in nature?

A．To get more outdoor exercise.	B．To experience nature in depth.
C．To understand poems about nature better.	D．To prove nature’s effect on creativity.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．The specific steps of the experiment.	B．New findings about students’ writing.
C．The steps of training the children.	D．The purpose of performing the test.

3. What can we infer about the result of the study?

A．Students indoors are not good at poetry.

B．Students in Australia prefer to study poetry.

C．Students are more creative in a natural environment.

D．Students in the UK and Australia have different writing skill preferences.

4. What does the last paragraph imply?

A．Green learning is becoming a trend.	B．Further studies are to be carried out.
C．Green learning has been applied in school.	D．Future research is of little significance.

7 . My son Darcy, 10, begged “No more needles”, tears rolling down his cheeks. Seeing him so _______ broke my heart. Darcy had a surgery and the needle would provide a blood transfusion (输血). It looked like the _______ was successful, but Darcy only got sicker.

Darcy often asked, “Mom, when can I see my _______?” “Soon, sweetie,” I’d reply. But with a weak immune (免疫的) system, it was _______ for him to return to school. At first, my words seemed _______ but as the months passed, I watched as Darcy became _______. While he was in hospital, his friends were enjoying their lives without him. I could _______ he was giving up.

I consulted the school about _______ Darcy’s education in the hope of creating more _______ for him and I got the reply “If he’s well enough”. At that point, I wondered if this had happened to thousands of kids around the country. __________, a year later, Darcy got better enough to go back to school!

One day, I talked with some friends, who had __________ kids too. We all agreed that there should be a way to keep them in the classroom __________ with their mates, even if they can’t __________ be there. Later, we got to know some sort of robot, which could just __________ the need. I then became a fundraiser and finally launched a national pilot program. A mother’s pure love now __________ to all children.

1.

A．embarrassed

B．upset

C．rigid

D．confused

2.

A．procedure

B．project

C．medicine

D．experiment

3.

A．doctors

B．cousins

C．classmates

D．pets

4.

A．natural

B．necessary

C．practical

D．risky

5.

A．supportive

B．misleading

C．awkward

D．familiar

6.

A．convinced

B．withdrawn

C．determined

D．mean

7.

A．sense

B．promise

C．argue

D．question

8.

A．reforming

B．promoting

C．assessing

D．continuing

9.

A．excuses

B．connections

C．images

D．rights

10.

A．Admittedly

B．Similarly

C．Thankfully

D．Generally

11.

A．spoiled

B．adopted

C．sick

D．difficult

12.

A．socializing

B．competing

C．struggling

D．quarreling

13.

A．willingly

B．secretly

C．physically

D．casually

14.

A．stand up for

B．break away from

C．come up with

D．fit in with

15.

A．occurs

B．extends

C．appeals

D．belongs

8 . Researchers set up an experiment in which 5-year-olds were tested with their fellows under different circumstances of transparency (透明) and different audiences. They set up a sticker machine that in some settings was transparent, and other settings in which only the giver of stickers knew how many stickers he could give. They had children give out stickers in both settings. The results were striking: children were consistently generous only when the receiver and audience of the stickers were fully aware of the donation options. Children were notably ungenerous when the receiver of stickers couldn’t see the options.

The researchers said, “Children only showed consistently pro-social behavior in our study in the condition when they could see the receiver and their allocations (分配物) were fully visible; in all other conditions, children were statistically ungenerous, giving the receiver the smaller amount of stickers.”

They made the conclusions that at a very early age, children are learning how to position themselves socially. Well before they apprehend the sociology of their networks and what social reputation really means, they think strategically about giving as a function of how they can gain a reputation with a peer as a generous citizen or pro-social agent when the receiver observes them.

Children change their behavior in response to having an audience. Help children give to others in full view, delivering meals to families, and in private, dropping off treats or surprises for those who need support without signing their names. Also, children should be reminded that thank-you notes are lovely but unnecessary to receive. When we give gifts or lend help to others, try to help children remember why—to provide something for another. It really doesn’t have to be recognized. When a thank-you card doesn’t come, it doesn’t make a gift any less valuable or meaningful for those who were lucky enough to receive.

1. What did the researchers discover?

A．The givers’ behavior greatly inspired the receivers to help in return.

B．The children gave out an equal number of stickers in both settings.

C．The presence of an audience affected children’s decisions to give.

D．Donating helped children to become more generous in the future.

2. Which is pro-social behavior according to the researchers?

A．Observing the givers.	B．Donating more stickers.
C．Gaining a reputation.	D．Receiving more allocations.

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

A．Share.

B．Predict.

C．Confirm.

D．Understand.

4. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To suggest recognizing others’ kindness.	B．To acknowledge the giver’s contribution.
C．To confirm the benefits of being grateful.	D．To advise inspiring generosity in children.

9 . I am thinking today about my new favorite thing. It’s an app that my husband told me a few years ago that helps me bypass all the obstacles (障碍) in my way: potholes, heavy traffic, and even speed cameras.

To be honest, when my husband first told me about it, I didn’t pay much attention. I was only going to places I already knew how to get to. Plus, I learned to drive from my father—who never turned to a map. I think I mistakenly absorbed the message that real drivers didn’t need a map; you somehow just magically knew where to go. It was only later that I realized that just getting a driver’s license didn’t mean you knew how to get to places—that was lesson one. Lesson two came when my kids started playing on two different travel teams. The drivers in our household suddenly had the need to head in different directions on the same day.

Suddenly my app became very meaningful to me. How did I ever manage to get to strange playing fields hidden somewhere without it? But the crazy thing I have also noticed is how often I just don’t listen to it. Why might that be? Do I just prefer the old routes, even if they are actually worse? I see an analogy (类比) to the present moment. There is evidence that some old ideas and some long familiar ideas will send us into a boring unchanging lifestyle. But for some reason we like them better than an unfamiliar new route that might take us into areas we’ve never heard of, let alone visited.

It can be hard to admit we don’t know everything. As a person who still drives an 8-year-old stick shift and who has never stood in line for anything new, I certainly understand that. But I also try to remember the times I let go of my ego (自负), or my fear, and learned that life could be better. Not perfect—but better. I am glad I finally listened to my husband about that app. He was right.

1. What did the author think of the app at the very beginning?

A．It was magical.	B．It was practically valueless.
C．It was powerful.	D．It was not as good as a map.

2. What would probably make the author ignore the app’s instructions?

A．Her desire to explore alone.	B．Her doubt about the new device.
C．Her preference for the new routes.	D．Her refusal to experience changes.

3. What can be inferred about the author from the last paragraph?

A．She is willing to challenge herself.	B．She cares little about others’ comments.
C．She recognizes her problems easily.	D．She is too inflexible to make any change.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Real Drivers Know Their Way	B．It Pays to Take a New Route
C．New Apps Make Life Perfect	D．It Matters to Listen to Inner Voice

10 . We’ve all been in a position where life gets busy, schedules are difficult to coordinate and connecting with friends feels harder than ever. With some friendships, we may lose touch and want to reconnect. However，the more time that passes, the more uncertain it can feel if they want to hear from us.

A recent study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology says it’s time to reach out. Researchers found numerous benefits when reaching out to friends and old acquaintances. Especially if you’re unsure of how well they’ll receive hearing from you. The study, led by Dr Peggy Liu, is called The Surprise of Reaching Out: Appreciated More Than We Think. In the study, researchers posed the question: Do people accurately understand how much other people value being reached out to by someone in their social circle? To answer this question, researchers carried out 13 experiments with more than 5,900 participants. In the experiments, researchers measured how much people estimated their friends or acquaintances would appreciate them reaching out versus how much those on the receiving end did appreciate it. They also examined different forms of communication-phone calls, texts, emails, notes or even small gifts—and their impact.

Over the series of experiments, experts discovered a similar trend: those reaching out significantly underestimated how much their friends would appreciate hearing from them. Plus, the more unexpected the communication was, the more the friend on the receiving end appreciated it. “People are fundamentally social beings and enjoy connecting with others,” the researchers wrote.

In fact, what made these moments of reaching out so impactful was the effort they showed—no matter the form of communication. Dr Amie Gordon, a social psychologist at the University of Michigan, emphasises the importance of small moments and making efforts in relationships in a Psychology Today article. “In a busy life, these little moments might feel just like that—little moments that don’t really matter ... But each moment we ignore is a missed opportunity to connect and build up an emotional bank of positive moments.”

The science is clear—people appreciate the effort we put into our friendships. And we greatly underestimate it. One phenomenon that may explain why those who reached out underestimated their positive impact is because of “the liking gap”. Psychologist Terri Apter writes in Psychology Today that the liking gap is a tendency to “how we often underestimate other’s responses to us”, and the reality that other people like us more than we may think.

1. In writing Paragraph 1, the author aims to ______.

A．state some disturbing problems

B．present the background of the following topic

C．introduce the theme of his argument

D．make comparisons between different opinions

2. What could be inferred from the experiments according to the text?

A．The way of communication matters in reconnecting with friends.

B．An unexpected calling to an acquaintance will not be highly valued.

C．People tend to appreciate hearing from friends more than reaching out to them.

D．We are more well-liked and well-received than we expect in our friendships.

3. Why does the author mention Dr. Amie Gordon in paragraph 4?

A．To present the discovery of the study.

B．To support the findings theoretically.

C．To explain the causes of losing friendships.

D．To make suggestions about the topic.

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

A．Estimate Friendships in a Scientific Way

B．Appreciate Being Reached Out to by friends

C．Remove the Misunderstanding between Friends

D．Don’t Hesitate to Reconnect with Your Old Friends