5 . As to psychological well-being, the comfort zone is frequently perceived as a haven, a familiar location where individuals feel calm and peaceful. Pushing beyond this psychological state might have benefits.

The comfort zone can be understood as a behavioral metaphor. Within a comfort zone, an individual takes on a state of minimal anxiety without a perception of risk, responding predictably to deliver a consistent level of performance. These include behaviors that people do commonly, find relaxing, or that take them away from high-stress situations. Engaging in the same manner over time leads to a predictable and familiar zone of comfort. As creatures of habit, we become dependent on these routines that we know we can complete well to feel secure. However, by stepping outside of our comfort zone, we learn about our ability to handle new situations and control risks, leading to greater self-confidence, and lower levels of anxiety.

One study found that individuals who are more secure in stepping out of their comfort zone are more likely to be excited by and look forward to new experiences, feeling greater confidence in their ability to take them on.

One behavior that demonstrates the benefits of stepping out of a comfort zone is learning to play a musical instrument. When we consider actions outside of our comfort zone, we must assess our desire to engage in that activity. By weighing the pros and cons, we evaluate how uncomfortable a situation may seem, and whether the danger of entering such an unknown situation will be worth the risk.

Music offers a safe way to step out of your initial comfort zone because you can begin by practicing in an isolated setting, which offers a casual, safe way to build a new skill set. By picking up and practicing a new instrument, you have proven to yourself that you are capable of meeting an unfamiliar objective, thus decreasing anxiety.

1. What does the underlined word “haven” in Paragraph 1 most probably mean?

A．Habitat.

B．Shelter.

C．Community.

D．Destination.

2. Which will not be considered when we step out of our comfort zone?

A．We recall the old experience.

B．We think whether it is worth the risk.

C．We evaluate our thirsty for the activity.

D．We weigh the strengths and weaknesses.

3. What will be probably discussed in the following paragraph?

A．The definition of the comfort zone.

B．The importance of psychological well-being.

C．The process of learning a new musical instrument.

D．The benefits of stepping out of one’s comfort zone.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．How to Identify Comfort Zone

B．Staying Inside Comfort Zone is Important

C．Stepping Outside Comfort Zone Promotes Learning

D．How to Take Yourself Away from High-stress Situations

6 . Lake Titicaca is a freshwater lake in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia. It’s the largest lake in South America. Dotted along the lake’s western corner, you can find dozens of artificial islands. Several thatched (茅草的) houses and structures sit on each island, some of which are only 30 meters or so wide, although larger ones exist.

The floating platforms are built by piling layers upon layers of mixed totora roots and reeds (芦苇). The totora plant is necessary to life on the lake. Its strong root fibers are used to make houses, boats, roofs, mattresses, and more, as well as used to make tea, traditional medicine, and tasty dishes known as “lake banana”.

So the story goes, this unusual living arrangement came out in the pre-Columbian era when the ambitious Inc a Empire began invading (入侵) into the mainland villages of Uros. The Uros villages moved to Lake Titicaca where they built these floating platforms. If invading Inca came their way, the Uros could push these artificial islands out to the middle of the lake and flee their attack.

The threat of the Inca Empire has long passed, but the tradition remains strong. Even today, it’s estimated that around 1,300 Uros live on some 100 constructed islands on Lake Titicaca. Maintaining the lifestyle isn’t easy. While totora is a tough material, the thatched organic material degrades due to the forces of nature over time, meaning the islands and homes are in a constant state of repair.

However, the traditional way of life isn’t without its modern benefits. Many of the islands have solar panels that power lights, radios, and television satellites. The lake’s artificial islands have also become a must-see spectacle for tourists, with some locals even renting out their totora-thatched homes to travelers on online rental website Airbnb.

1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．The value of the totora plant.	B．The process to build the islands.
C．The islands made of water plants.	D．The tradition and history of the Uros.

2. Why did the ancient Uros build artificial islands on the lake?

A．To live a nature-friendly life.	B．To preserve their old lifestyle.
C．To build thatched houses on them.	D．To protect themselves against enemies.

3. What do we know about the current life of the Uros?

A．They have lost their native language.

B．Modern devices have come into their life.

C．Tourism is their major source of income.

D．They’re tired of repairing the totora-thatched houses.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To persuade.

B．To educate.

C．To advertise.

D．To introduce.

8 . Growing up on a mountain farm in Tyrol, Fritz enjoyed watching how cows and horses interacted with each other more freely, once they’d been led out of the barn and into pasture. It was what he observed in his boyhood that took root in his pursuit of becoming a biologist. After he finished his study at university. Fritz landed work at Austria’s Konrad Lorenz Research Center, raising raven chicks by hand and teaching graylag geese how to open boxes as he pursued his PhD. Working this closely with free-living animals was exactly what he’d dreamed of as a boy.

In 1997, a zoo gave the research center its first northern bald ibis chicks (隐鹮) Nowhere near as teachable as geese—and not even close to super intelligent ravens—the ibises frustrated most of the scientists. But Fritz was fascinated. He devoted himself to taking care of them. After the ibises were first released back into the wild more than 20 years ago, Fritz learned that spending generations in zoo hadn’t reduced their drive to migrate (迁徙), though it did leave them geographically uninformed. In their search for “south”, some ended up in Russia. What the ibises needed, Fritz thought, was a guide.

Fritz decided he would teach the birds a new, safer migration route by guiding them himself in a tiny aircraft. And he was confident he could succeed in this daring, unconventional plan—because he had done it before. “Around that time, the movie ‘Fly Away Home’ was a huge hit with us biologists,” Fritz says. When he announced that he’d do the same with the ibises, he was initially laughed at. But Fritz didn’t give up. He modified an ultralight aircraft so it would travel at speeds slow enough for his winged students to keep up. He had been his young pupils’ only provider of food, love and hugs since they were just a few days old, and the ibises eagerly followed their teacher, who just happened to pilot a fairly noisy machine.

In 2004, three years after some initially bumpy (颠簸的) experiments, Fritz led the first batch of birds from Austria to Italy, and has since led 15 such migrations. Over that time, he has rewilded 277 young ibises, many of which then started to pass the route on to their own young.

1. What determined Fritz’s career choice?

A．Fritz’s childhood observation.	B．Fritz’s passion for biology.
C．Fritz’s growth environment.	D．Fritz’s interaction with animals.

2. What disappointed the scientists about ibis chicks?

A．They are easy to get lost in the migration.

B．They are lacking in the desire to migrate.

C．They are accustomed to the life in the zoo.

D．They are strikingly far from easy to teach.

3. Why did Fritz decide to teach the ibises a new migration route?

A．The ibises were too awkward to find a new migration route.

B．The ibises needed a guide for lack of geographical knowledge.

C．Fritz wanted to prove that he could succeed in a daring plan.

D．Fritz wanted to recreate a touching scene of a popular movie.

4. What is Fritz like according to the passage?

A．sensitive but courageous.	B．innovative but demanding.
C．persistent and insightful.	D．enthusiastic and cooperative.

9 . China is to hire five young volunteers and send them to Laos at the end of April to provide six months’ voluntary service, symbolizing the start of China’s voluntary service overseas programme.

The organizers, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and the China Young Volunteer Association, are now recruiting five healthy Chinese citizens between the age of 20 and 40 from the community who can communicate in English, with college education and working and voluntary experience.

“It is the first step for Chinese volunteers before they can provide service abroad and marks a significant move in the development of a volunteer sector in China,” said committee official Hou Baosen.

The committee plans to continue the programme by sending volunteers to neighbouring countries in the future, aiming to boost the development of regional economies in targeted countries and strengthen communication between volunteers of the two countries.

According to an agreement made on March 17 between China’s Young Volunteers Action Guiding Centre under the committee and a teenager development centre in Laos, the five volunteers will work respectively as Chinese and English teachers, computer and network trainers and medical experts.

Financially backed by a domestic company, the volunteers will enjoy a monthly subsidy of 800 yuan (US$ 96), and have their air tickets, medical treatment costs and insurance covered.

Inquiries can be made by telephone on 010-85212239 and applications must be submitted before April 10.

1. What is the function of the first paragraph?

A．Stating the main idea of the text.

B．Announcing a decision of an organization.

C．Drawing readers’ attention to the news.

D．Sharing good news with readers.

2. Which of the following is not a requirement for overseas volunteers’ recruitment?

A．High English level.	B．Good health.
C．College education.	D．Computer skills.

3. What can be achieved through the voluntary service overseas program?

A．The development of national economy.

B．Chinese better understanding of overseas cultures.

C．More interactions between volunteers of the two countries.

D．A boom in trade between China and Laos.

4. What is the writing type of the text?

A．A research report.	B．An recruiting ad.
C．An invitation.	D．A notice.

10 . After his final exam on Jan 11, Wang Yatao immediately moved into the Xiyangfu Nursing Home in Jilin city, Jilin province, becoming a special lodger among the group of seniors.

The 22-year-old sophomore at the Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology University decided to spend two weeks at the nursing home before returning to his hometown in Yingtan city, Jiangxi province.

“I was attracted by a short video posted on (video-sharing platform) Douyin in early January,” he says. “In the video, the owner of the nursing home was recruiting young people as lodgers.”

People who are younger than 35 and have a college education can get a single room, three meals a day and a monthly stipend of 300 yuan ($42) with a requirement to do 20 hours of volunteer service during that period.

Applicants should have a fixed job or study in college, and should not drink or smoke.

“In fact, what attracted me was not the small stipend but rather, the volunteer service,” says Wang. “I thought it would be a good opportunity to have a different kind of volunteer experience.”

Wang has participated in the volunteer team since he enrolled in the university.

“We initiated various volunteer activities across the city, such as visiting nursing homes, tutoring impoverished and ‘left-behind’ children of migrant workers, and teaching the public about environmental protection,” he says. “But I have never lived with so many seniors and delved so deeply into their lives.”

Wang says he and the other volunteers have spent the last few days presenting performances, painting pictures and exercising with the seniors.

“It gives me a warm feeling. They treat us like their grandchildren, and share their fruit and snacks with us. I’ll continue to visit after I return to my university in the spring semester. And I’ll spread the word about this among our volunteer team.”

1. What do we know about Wang Yatao?

A．He chose to stay with the elderly instead of his family in his vacation.

B．He kept seniors company by living among them in the nursing home.

C．He wanted to earn some money by being a special lodger.

D．He was recruited as a special lodger because he was a college student.

2. What is special about being a special lodger according to Wang?

A．Earning a small stipend.

B．Experiencing being old.

C．Getting closest to seniors’ lives.

D．Learning to take care of the old.

3. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that _______.

A．Wang will bring more young people to the nursing home

B．Wang had a good time living with the elderly

C．Wang promised to the old that he would visit next time

D．Wang will spread the spirit of respecting the old in his college

4. 假设你是Wang Yatao，你说“I’ll spread the word about this among our volunteer team”，请你就此写一篇演讲稿，鼓励更多的人加入“陪老”志愿者的队伍中。
注意：词数在80左右。
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