1 . In 2006, Calvin Lowe’s four-year-old son Tyler needed to have a serious surgery. On the day of the
As they waited
But then the doctor did something
After the surgery was over, the doctor came back to
All these years after his son’s surgery, Lowe says he is still
| A．diagnosis | B．vacation | C．appointment | D．narration |
| A．impatiently | B．desperately | C．happily | D．unwillingly |
| A．action | B．surgery | C．presentation | D．advice |
| A．made | B．pursued | C．offered | D．conducted |
| A．excited | B．relieved | C．depressed | D．regretted |
| A．unexpected | B．essential | C．splendid | D．abnormal |
| A．face | B．eye | C．mind | D．distance |
| A．encouraged | B．praised | C．claimed | D．comforted |
| A．forget | B．believe | C．doubt | D．realize |
| A．cheer on | B．make sense | C．calm down | D．speak up |
| A．greet | B．accompany | C．contact | D．meet |
| A．smile | B．surprise | C．shock | D．shame |
| A．replied | B．recalled | C．declared | D．agreed |
| A．eager | B．sorry | C．grateful | D．nervous |
| A．skill | B．disappointment | C．amazement | D．kindness |
2 . We all love butterflies. Their beautiful wings attract us, and their presence lights up our garden. Well, that’s our view of butterflies, but have you ever wondered what plants think of them?
The butterflies’ eggs lie on the underside of the leaves. The eggs themselves don’t damage plants. However, upon coming into contact with the eggs, the plants become oversensitive. It means that once a plant recognizes a pest, it will cause death in the contacted plant part. When these dead leaves or partial leaf parts break away from the plant, the eggs on them fall off. Along with the hypersensitivity response, plants also produce something special, which can attract animals to cat the eggs, thus preventing damage in the future.
After the baby butterflies come out of their eggs, the caterpillar (毛虫) stage begins. Most caterpillars feed on the leaves of the plants, damaging some of the plants in your own garden. Incredibly, they are major plant pests that bring about major losses to farmers. The next stage is pupa (蛹). The caterpillars begin their change into an adult. They don’t depend on the energy that the leaves provide. Finally, they become adult butterflies that have wings and move from one plant to the other. They feed on the sweet liquid produced by flowers.
While on their search for food, the butterflies carry pollen (花粉) on their body. They are key pollinators that place pollen from one flower to another in ecosystem. Plants that have flowers will create some special features to draw these pollinators’ attention. Certain plants have flowers giving off smells that can charm butterflies when they are looking for a mate. Some plants even have flat flowers to assist butterflies when landing.
Butterflies aid in pollination during their final adult stage. Thus, they change into beneficial insects to plants. This change makes butterflies an important friend of plants, despite being a hated enemy in previous life cycle stages!
1. How does a plant respond to butterflies’ eggs?| A．It tries to get rid of them. | B．It tries to appeal to them. |
| C．It grows a little better with them. | D．It protects them from being eaten. |
| A．In the period of egg-laying. | B．In the period of pupa. |
| C．In the period of caterpillar. | D．In the period of adult. |
| A．Describe the process of pollination. |
| B．Show how flowers attract butterflies. |
| C．Stress the importance of pollination. |
| D．Explore how adult butterflies develop. |
| A．Why do flowers need butterflies’ pollination? |
| B．How do plants defend themselves from pests? |
| C．Are butterflies’ life cycles similar to the plants’? |
| D．Are butterflies beneficial or harmful to plants? |
3 . Most of us look forward to the weekend as a time to relax, connect with friends and family, and handle items from a to-do list that gets unnoticed during the work week. But as the weekday does come to an end, many of us are missing out on enjoying the weekend and instead experiencing a sense of anxiety and even fear for the upcoming week. Experts call this phenomenon Sunday scaries.
Sunday scaries, also known as the Sunday blues, arise when individuals expect the upcoming work week with a combination of various factors such as work-related concerns, unfinished tasks, the end of weekend relaxation, and the pressure to start the new week. As a result, individuals may find it challenging to unwind and relax before the new week begins.
A clinical psychologist, Renée Goff, said, “Sunday scaries are more than a physical heaviness for them, but they could even jump out of their skins due to the upcoming week. The negative emotions associated with Sunday scaries can have a significant impact on one’s mental well-being and overall productivity.”
“As a matter of fact, such anticipatory anxiety is a natural response that happens in preparation for anything that can cause pain or discomfort,” explains psychotherapist Angela Ficken. “Sunday scaries might even start bubbling up as early as Saturday, but tend to become less intense by the time Monday morning rolls around when you start your work week. This doesn’t mean we leave them unchecked.”
To battle anticipatory anxiety for the upcoming week, individuals can adopt self-care practices that promote relaxation and stress reduction. This may include engaging in hobbies, spending time in nature, exercising, practicing mindfulness or simply dedicating time to disconnect from work-related thoughts. Additionally, we can organize tasks for the upcoming week in advance to create a sense of control, reduce the Sunday scaries and promote a healthier work-life balance.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To lead in the topic of the text. | B．To tell background for the text. |
| C．To offer suggestions to readers. | D．To stimulate readers to imagine. |
| A．Avoidable. | B．Imaginary. | C．Normal. | D．Harmful. |
| A．They strengthen on Monday morning. |
| B．They tend to die down before Saturday. |
| C．They should be brought to our attention. |
| D．They will in no case disappear naturally. |
| A．Theoretical basis for Sunday scaries. |
| B．Approaches to fighting Sunday scaries. |
| C．Positive aspects of anticipatory anxiety. |
| D．Extreme suffering from Sunday scaries. |
4 . Orla Walsh was not exactly an example of good health. Back in 2014, the 25-year-old then was fully occupied with her work and graduate study in Dublin, mostly eating on the go. “I was feeding on quick, easy food like sandwiches,” she said. “I stayed up a lot and the gym was a foreign concept for me for I did not work out at all.”
That changed the following year when Walsh needed a convenient, reliable and budget-friendly way to get to and from class. “Driving was expensive, and public transportation in the Irish capital left much to be desired,” she said. She turned instead to cycling.
At first, Walsh was doubtful. “I didn’t want to wear the same suits like other riders because it looked strange for me,” she joked. But as soon as she gave it a go, she was spellbound. The six miles she had to cover on her commute (上下班往返) each way didn’t seem like so much. “I can’t believe how quick and easy that was,” Walsh said. “The more I cycled, the easier it got, and I started getting faster. I think what I enjoyed the most was the freedom the bike gave me.”
In early 2016, she took the next step and joined a local cycling club, where she took part in long group rides. But something incredible was happening at the same time. As her weekly mileage (里程数) increased, her unhealthy habits fell by the wayside. She cleaned up her diet and cut back on burning the midnight oil. “I gradually got rid of that bad habit after joining in training,” she said.
Then, thanks to the encouragement of other club members, she tried open road racing. At first, she was overwhelmed by the competition, getting dropped by other members on every climb. Yet she kept pushing and viewing the failures as learning experience. “I was enjoying the challenges and was more confident,” she said.
1. Which of the following can best describe Walsh’s lifestyle in 2014?| A．Simple. | B．Decent. | C．Fashionable. | D．Unhealthy. |
| A．Poor means of transportation. | B．Her wish to break bad habits. |
| C．Her curiosity about cycling. | D．Club members’ encouragement. |
| A．Threatened. | B．Bored. | C．Fascinated. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．By inspiring her to realize her dream. |
| B．By teaching her to brave challenges. |
| C．By encouraging her to be competitive. |
| D．By pushing her to connect with others. |
5 . Alvin, 66, was deep in the woods in Grand Cane last December when something like litter on the ground caught his eye. It was a broken
“Dear Santa,” the note
Alvin’s heart hammered in his chest. It reminded him of his childhood wish. He smiled and set out to
Meanwhile, Gonzalez, the mother of four-year old Luna, had no idea that such a(n)
One day, Gonzalez received a call saying that someone had found Luna’s balloon. Her jaw
“Santa left out your balloon
Now, having received so much
| A．photo | B．balloon | C．box | D．letter |
| A．printed | B．wrote | C．typed | D．read |
| A．nice | B．shy | C．smart | D．calm |
| A．fulfill | B．spread | C．make | D．express |
| A．entertain | B．anticipate | C．report | D．locate |
| A．preparation | B．effort | C．research | D．game |
| A．initially | B．nearly | C．particularly | D．barely |
| A．came up with | B．put up with | C．sided with | D．proceeded with |
| A．satisfying | B．elegant | C．modest | D．grand |
| A．burst | B．cracked | C．sprained | D．dropped |
| A．post | B．email | C．name | D．video |
| A．in time | B．at ease | C．by accident | D．on purpose |
| A．balls | B．gifts | C．toys | D．candies |
| A．cooperation | B．admiration | C．popularity | D．generosity |
| A．transformed | B．stored | C．thrown | D．dragged |
6 . Many scholars agree that a meaningful existence comes down to three factors: the coherence of one’s life, the possession of clear long-term goals and the belief that one’s life matters. But we believe there is another element to consider.
Imagine the first butterfly you stop to admire after a long winter or the scenery atop a hill after a fresh hike. Sometimes existence delivers us small moments of beauty. When people are open to appreciating such experiences, these moments may further improve how they view their life. We call this element experiential appreciation, an ability to detect and admire life’s inner beauty as events happen.
To better understand this appreciation, we conducted a series of studies involving over 3,000 participants. Initially, we had participants rate their coping strategies to ease their stress. Those managing stress by focusing on their appreciation for life’s beauty reported experiencing life as highly meaningful. In the follow-ups, we asked them to rate the degree to which they agreed with various statements, such as “I have a great appreciation for the beauty of life” and other statements related to coherence, purpose, existential mattering. Our results showed that the more people indicated that they were “appreciating life”, the more they felt their existence valuable. In the experiment that followed, we further explored the phenomenon by asking participants to watch an awe-inspiring video. They also reported having a greater sense of experiential appreciation and meaning in life in these moments, compared with those watching more neutral videos.
The final results confirmed our original theory: appreciating small things can make life feel more meaningful. But applying that insight can be difficult. Our modern, fast-paced, project-oriented (任务驱动的) lifestyles fill the day with targets. We are on the go, attempting to make the most of our output. This makes it easy to miss what is happening right now. Yet life happens in the present moment. We should slow down, let life surprise us and embrace the significance in the everyday. After all, we live in a wonderful world. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.
1. Why does the author mention the admiration of a butterfly?| A．To raise a question. | B．To describe a picture. |
| C．To draw a conclusion. | D．To introduce a concept. |
| A．The life of the participants involved in the study. |
| B．The contribution of a long-term goal in life. |
| C．The theory of experiential appreciation. |
| D．The analysis of the belief that matters most. |
| A．Our modern fast-paced lifestyle. | B．The lack of opportunities. |
| C．Our focus on individual feelings. | D．The ignorance of future outcomes. |
| A．Fill every day with a great many targets. |
| B．Find the inner beauty of ourselves. |
| C．Appreciate little wonders of everyday life. |
| D．Explore the end of a significant life. |
7 . Lonely Planet’s Middle East is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Wander at the mighty Pyramids of Giza, the last surviving ancient wonder; watch the sun set over the magic of Petra; and explore tree-lined avenues in Esfahan, Iran. All with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Middle East and begin your journey now!
Inside Lonely Planet’s Middle East:
● Colour maps and images throughout
● Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots
● Essential info at your fingertips — hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit (换乘) tips, prices
● Honest reviews for all budgets — eating, sleeping, sightseeing, shopping, hidden highlights that most guidebooks miss
● Cultural insights provide a richer, more rewarding travel experience — covering history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics
Coverage Includes: Egypt, Iran, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
Book Details
ISBN: 9781786570710
Writers: Anthony Ham, Paul Clammer, Orlando Crowcroft, Mark Elliott, Anita Isalska, Jessica Lee, Virginia Maxwell, Simon Richmond, Daniel Robinson, Anthony Sattin, Dan Savery Raz, Andy Symington, Jenny Walker, Steve Waters
608 pages, 256 pages color, 90 maps | Dimensions: 128mm×197mm
Next edition due: Dec 2024
1. What information can readers get from Lonely Planet’s Middle East?| A．Black-and-white maps and images. | B．Tips from popular guidebooks. |
| C．Famous writers’ personal information. | D．Reviews for all budgets. |
| A．food | B．religion | C．art | D．history |
| A．To appeal to us to travel to Middle East. |
| B．To introduce some famous attractions in Middle East. |
| C．To recommend a book named Middle East. |
| D．To teach how to discover treasures in Middle East. |
8 . The English language borrows many words from other languages. You may come across some. Here we will take a look at some of the most common English words found in other languages.
Faux Pas
Faux pas is a French phrase, translated as “false step”. When speaking, you can say “A certain celebrity made a faux pas by wearing black to a floral (花的)-themed event” or “I made a faux pas by ordering pineapple on my pizza in Italy”. It is something that usually means an incorrect judgment is made in a social situation determined by social customs or traditions.
Rendezvous
Also from French, rendezvous means “meeting” or “date”. Interestingly, in the 1590s, military used “rendezvous” as an expression of “a place for assembling troops”. Even today military tacticians (有策略的人) may use the term “rendezvous point”, as you may have heard in some war films. Next time you can ask your English friends. “What time shall we rendezvous?” It is seen as a cute and charming expression.
Caveat
Caveat is a word taken directly from Latin and means a limitation and a warning in an agreement. It is a written term initially applied in the legal field. However, it has been brought into spoken language as well now. For example, you can say, “The owner of our beach house gave an important caveat that we should keep the doors locked at all times” or “The offer is fantastic except for one caveat: having to work on weekends”.
Ergo
Ergo comes directly from Latin, meaning consequently and accordingly. It is used to introduce the logical result of something that has just been mentioned. An example of its use can be “You saw the robbery, ergo, you will be called as a witness” or “The summer is coming and many people are going on holiday, ergo, the city will be empty”.
1. How will you feel if you make a social faux pas in a ceremony?| A．Curious. | B．Overjoyed. | C．Embarrassed. | D．Respected. |
| A．They are used in a wider range now. |
| B．They are limited to formal writings. |
| C．They are of the same long history. |
| D．They are from the same language. |
| A．A condition. | B．A conclusion. | C．An assumption. | D．An addition. |
9 . Culture shock is a broad term for a series of personal difficulties that people go through in new places ant is usually most extreme for those who can not speak the language of the place they have moved to or for those who aren’t familiar with the social rules. Both of these things applied to me in China when I moved there in 2011. So, naturally I went through the full well-known stages of culture shock: the honeymoon, frustration, adjustment and acceptance.
When I arrived I was excited and optimistic but I quickly became annoyed by cultural differences, missing how things worked back home.
By the end of my first year I had totally lost my self confidence and I became a bit clumsy and sensitive person and I thought it was China that made me that way.
Then in my second year I started to pick up some language skills and I found fun activities to do in my spare time. I made great foreign and Chinese friends and later I developed an interest in Chinese history and culture. Based on the above I learned to consider myself a confident and happy foreigner.
Today I’m back in the US where I’m pursuing a PhD at university in my hometown. It’s been a little tough to readjust to the life in my home country. I suffered at first from reverse culture shock, experiencing the four stages in the opposite order.
I’d complain loudly about the little things like I could no longer shout “ fu wu yuan” to get a waiter’s attention in a restaurant. But eventually I came to realize that my home had become an entirely new place when I was away. That, by itself , was exciting.
1. Which stage of culture shock does paragraph 3 mainly describe?| A．The honeymoon. | B．Frustration . |
| C．Adjustment. | D．Acceptance. |
| A．Making local friends. |
| B．Joining in fun activities. |
| C．Attending history courses. |
| D．Learning the Chinese language. |
| A．exchanging the position completely. |
| B．changing the previous decision. |
| C．stopping having a particular position. |
| D．changing the order of something around. |
| A．He began to feel that life in the US was boring. |
| B．He wished to call “fu wu yuan” in a restaurant. |
| C．He was unable to accept American life. |
| D．He needed to adjust himself to his native life. |
10 . We all know that water is tasteless. But it happens from time to time: you pick up the bottle of water you didn’t finish yesterday, and it tastes strange. Most often, you tend to drop the bottle in the trash bin, believing that the water has gone bad. But is it true?
According to Time, of course not, taste has little to do with quality of water.
As is mentioned in Time, when water is exposed to the air for 12 hours, carbon dioxide interacts with the H2O in the water, and the pH value lowers slightly. As a result, the water has a different taste.
“But it’s most likely safe to drink,” Norwegian expert Truls Krogh told Science Nordic. “If the water is covered and of good quality to start with, in principle it can last a thousand years. That’s because when water is fresh, it contains little organic matter. As long as water is held in clean glasses or bottles, no pollutants will enter it to harm our health.”
People in countries like the US, the UK and Australia usually drink tap water. According to Time, if tap water is drunk within six months, the chlorine (氯气) in the water will be enough to kill any bacteria and keep it safe to drink.
However, there are also some exceptions. If you accidentally put your fingers into water or store water in unclean containers day after day, microorganism (微生物) will enter the water.
With the help of surrounding temperature, and sunlight streaming through windows, these microorganisms multiply quickly. Sooner or later, the water will be full of the unfriendly bacteria. And if you drink the water too often, then you’re more likely to be ill.
And what about water in plastic bottles? Heat and plastic are a bad combination, US researcher Kellogg Schwab stresses. When plastic bottles are used at high temperatures, they produce a chemical called BPA. BPA is something that affects hormones (荷尔蒙) and research has tentatively linked it to “several health damage, including heart disease and cancer”, Time reported.
Schwab suggests replacing disposable (一次性的) plastic bottles with the refillable containers made of metal or glass to deal with BPA.
1. The purpose of the first paragraph is to ________.| A．show an example | B．draw a conclusion |
| C．introduce a topic | D．analyze a phenomenon |
| A．Covered water can last for a thousand years. |
| B．If the water tastes different, we shouldn’t drink it. |
| C．Although kept fresh, water may still have much organic matter. |
| D．The water held in a clean container is likely safe to drink. |
| A．Increase. | B．Reduce. | C．Die. | D．Adapt. |
| A．Why Water Is Tasteless | B．How to Get Clean Water |
| C．Does Water Really Go Bad? | D．Learn to Protect Water |
