2 . Eleven-year-old Australian girl Tilly Williams has broken a world distance running record, beating other girls who were eight years older than her to run 5,000m in just 17 minutes and 22.7 seconds. The primary schoolgirl beat the previous record by 19 seconds, making her the fastest distance runner under the age of 19 across 60 countries.

Tilly started running just two years ago and has already shot straight to the top. When some of her friends told her about the international record, she decided to give it a go. “Some of my running friends told me about it and I said, wow, it would be crazy if I got that and here I am,” Tilly said.

Tilly has always loved keeping active, alongside her twin brother Henry and little sister Rosie. “I am the kind of person who really enjoys the challenge,” Tilly said. “I really love surfing and I love bike riding and hiking — all different kinds of adventures and sports.” She started running in 2021 when she joined her school’s cross-country team. Since then, she has run two to three times a week with her dad, Mark Williams, or at the Adelaide Harriers Athletics Club. “Everyone is really supportive and it really encourages me,” Tilly said.

Tilly said she has been inspired by runners Caitlin Adams, Tara Palm, and her favourite book character, Roald Dahl’s Matilda. “I could really relate to the main character Matilda because she set herself goals and really had to work hard to achieve them,” she said. Tilly has a dream of competing in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. By the way, Tilly doesn’t follow a strict diet, so her favourite food is still on the menu-her dad’s home-cooked pizza.

1. What is the new world record set by Tilly Williams?

A．17 minutes and 22.7 seconds.	B．17 minutes and 41. 7 seconds.
C．17 minutes and 3.7 seconds.	D．18 minutes and 1.7 seconds.

2. How long has Tilly Williams been running?

A．For two years.

B．For five years.

C．For ten years.

D．For one year.

3. Which of the following is RIGHT according to the third paragraph?

A．Tilly’s family is poor.	B．Tilly’s father is generous.
C．Tilly’s brother and sister love running.	D．Tilly started running in her school team.

4. What can we know from the passage?

A．Tilly Williams’s family supports her.	B．Tilly Williams is outgoing.
C．Tilly Williams is going on diet.	D．Tilly Williams loves writing.

3 . There are many places to see lovely giant pandas in China. But where is the best place for you to go for a special panda trip? What is the best time to go? Here are some recommendations.

If you just want to see giant pandas, we recommend you to go to Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Base. It is the most easily accessible panda base. You can see pandas at different ages. This base is huge but usually crowded.

If you are looking for a deeper panda experience, you can join a panda volunteer program. Giant panda volunteer programs are available in three panda bases: Dujiangyan, Wolong, and Bifengxia. They take about 1 to 3 days or longer. Dujiangyan is the best place for a one-day program. If you want a less-crowded environment, consider Wolong and Bifengxia, though they require 2 or more days. Your work would include weighing and cleaning bamboo, making panda cakes, watching pandas being fed, and cleaning pandas’ enclosures (围场). At the end of the program, you will receive a panda keeper certificate.

Giant pandas don’t go into winter sleep. You can visit them in all four seasons. Spring and autumn are the best times to see pandas when they are most active and temperatures are most comfortable. If you visit between August and November, you will probably see lovely panda babies.

Giant pandas spend almost half their time sleeping. Grown-up giant pandas in captivity (圈养) usually eat twice a day: early in the morning and late in the afternoon. They usually sleep around noon, any time from around 10:00 a. m. to around 2:00 p. m. We recommend you to get to a panda base as early as possible, when it is less crowded and the pandas are at their most active.

1. How can you get your best experience for your panda trip?

A．Visiting it during Chinese holidays.	B．Joining a volunteer program.
C．Taking a private tour in the afternoon.	D．Participating in Dujiangyan’s one-day program.

2. What is included in the volunteer programs at Dujiangyan, Wolong, and Bifengxia bases?

A．Preparing bamboo.	B．Feeding pandas.
C．Cleaning pandas.	D．Witnessing new pandas’ birth.

3. According to the information, which of the following is the best time for panda viewing?

A．Winter and spring.	B．Spring and autumn.
C．Summer and autumn.	D．Any season is suitable.

4. Why is arriving early at the panda base recommended?

A．To record pandas’ daily routine.	B．To receive a panda keeper certificate.
C．To avoid crowds and witness active pandas.	D．To observe feeding sessions and bamboo weighing.

4 . New scientific research has found that attending live sporting events improves levels of well-being and reduces feelings of loneliness. The study used data from 7,209 adults, aged 16—85, living in England who joined in the Taking Part Survey, carried out by the British Government.

The study found that attending sporting events results in higher scores of two major aspects of subjective well-being—life satisfaction and a sense of “life being worthwhile” —as well as lower levels of loneliness.

Nowadays many initiatives (倡议) promote the benefits of physical participation in sport, but the researchers believe that watching live sporting events can also offer an accessible and effective public health tool for improving well-being and reducing loneliness.

Lead author Dr. Helen Keyes said, “Previous research has focused on specific sports or small population samples, such as college students in the United States. Ours is the first study to look at the benefits of attending any sporting event across an adult population, and therefore our findings could be useful for shaping future public health strategies, such as offering reduced ticket prices for certain groups.”

“The live events covered by the survey ranged from free amateur events to Premier League football matches. Therefore, further research needs to be done to see whether these benefits are more noticeable for high level sport.”

“However, we do know that watching live sport of all kinds provides many opportunities for social interaction and this helps to establish group identity and belonging, which in turn reduces loneliness and makes a difference to levels of well-being.”

1. The new research focused on whether attending live sporting events ______.

A．benefits people of different ages	B．results in higher scores of study
C．improves levels of happiness	D．reduces the harm of working alone

2. We know that Dr. Helen Keyes and her team are the first to ______.

A．promote the benefits of physical participation in sport

B．believe watching live sporting events helps reduce pressure

C．offer reduced ticket prices for a certain group of people

D．study how attending sporting events benefits adults

3. What does the underlined word “noticeable” mean in Paragraph 5?

A．Easy to see.

B．Hard to change.

C．Possible to lose.

D．True to believe.

4. What does Dr. Helen Keyes think of their findings?

A．Useless.

B．Helpful.

C．Funny.

D．Tiring.

5 . There is a mountain of great ski opportunities not too far from Boston. Road-trip to one of these fantastic ski mountains this winter.

Blue Hills Ski Area

A ski day trip doesn’t get any easier than the Blue Hills Ski Area. It is the only snow sports facility in the metro area. Skiing and snowboarding are spread over its 60 skiable acres, 90% of which are equipped for snowmaking. The vertical drop is 309 feet and there are four lifts serving the 16 trails, most of which are for advanced skiers. There are lessons for kids and adults to help you get there.

Crochet Mountain Resort

It’s famous for signature “Midnight Madness” events and daily night skiing. It has an 875-foot vertical drop and 23 trails across 75 skiable acres. A great mountain for skiers, half its terrain is graded for intermediates with the rest being split between advanced and beginner terrain.

Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort

It’s the only one of ski resorts to be 100% powered by renewable energy sources. Skiers will find a 1,150-foot vertical drop, 45 trails, 3 terrain parks and 9 lifts across 167 skiable acres. The whole family can take lessons, enjoy dining or buy a ticket and go for a ride on the 3,600-foot Mountain Coaster!

Smugglers’ Notch

Smugglers’ Notch has a 2,564-foot vertical drop, 78 trails, 5 terrain parks and 8 lifts spread across 1,000 skiable acres. Known as a full-service family-oriented resort, it offers plenty to do off mountain like ice skating, arts and crafts workshops and an indoor swimming pool!

1. Which ski resort mainly targets advanced skiers?

A．Blue Hills Ski Area.	B．Crochet Mountain Resort.
C．Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort.	D．Smugglers’ Notch.

2. What’s the highlight of Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort?

A．Its trails.	B．Its location.
C．Its vertical drop.	D．Its green concept.

3. What can skiers do in Smugglers’ Notch?

A．Have a swim.	B．Ski with world champions.
C．Enjoy stone sculptures.	D．Ride a roller coaster.

8 . Are you a fan of birds? If so, you may have admired their beautiful colors and sweet songs. But do you know these feathered friends can actually do more than that?

A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports finds that exposure to birds, either in the home or outdoors, can boost people’s moods.

Researchers at King’s College London used a smartphone app built by the school’s Urban Mind project to collect the real-time feelings of study participants upon seeing or hearing a bird. A total of 1,292 people living in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States participated in the study which was conducted between April 2018 and October 2021.

The app asked participants three times a day whether they could see or hear a bird followed by a series of questions on their mental well-being. Participants were also asked questions about whether they could see trees, plants or hear any water to see if people were experiencing better mental well-being due to being in or seeing nature, and not just because of exposure to birds.

According to the study, the mental well-being of study participants with and without depression was significantly improved after seeing a bird or hearing birdsong compared to not seeing or hearing a bird.

There is a growing number of studies that link spending time outdoors (either in green leafy places or next to bodies of water) to improved mental health. But there are few studies that look at how different aspects of nature can play into humans’ mental well-being.

And while the study adds to the small pile of research on birds and mental health, the report marks the first time researchers have studied the responses to birds and mental well-being in real-time, according to Ryan Hammoud, lead author of the study.

“They kind of examine nature as a single object when nature includes many different characteristics and features like trees, plants, water, birds,” said Hammoud, “We choose to focus on bird life to try and understand which specific characteristics of nature benefit mental well-being.”

1. What is the purpose of paragraph 1?

A．To introduce a phenomenon.	B．To bring in the topic.
C．To ask an interesting question.	D．To provide background information.

2. How did the researchers conduct the study?

A．By analyzing previous studies.	B．By observing the behavior of birds.
C．By gathering feelings of participants.	D．By studying people’s effect on birds.

3. What does Hammoud think of the new study?

A．Pioneering.

B．Interesting.

C．Conventional.

D．Practical.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Bird watching has become a popular hobby.

B．Exposure to birds can improve mental well-being.

C．Nature is the best medicine for mental health issues.

D．Spending time outdoors can impact mental health positively.

10 . If you find yourself embracing the thrilling chaos of completing tasks at the last minute, congratulations — You are not alone! According to a survey, 20% of U.S. adults procrastinate (拖延) at home, at work, in relationships, and more. Another survey found that 88% of people procrastinate at least one hour a day.

Sounds alarming? As it turns out, if you’re feeling stressed, you may be more likely to procrastinate. Essentially, our brains are structured to approach tasks we find enjoyable and avoid those we are afraid of. Our limbic brain (边缘大脑), the emotional part of our brain, is screaming, “Let’s do anything but that stressful thing!” while our prefrontal cortex (前额叶皮层) is the CEO of our brain, setting the goals, making a plan, and ensuring we stay on track. CEO vs. Drama Queen Brain — who will win? Actually, there do exist chances when our limbic brain overrides that prefrontal cortex message.

Then there’s the burst of energy we often get when we’re up against a deadline, which leads to a reward pathway within our brains and sets the foundation for procrastination as a habit. When you race to the end and get to the goal finally, your previous stress is gone and you almost get in that pattern of “See, I work better under pressure!”

So, how to beat procrastination? Well, you need to retrain your brain to cope with the stress. One trick is to take periodic breaks (reward) to refocus your attention on the task. Ever heard of the Promodoro Technique? It’s about working for 25 minutes and resting for 5. During those breaks, forget about brain-burning activities — try relaxing techniques such as meditation or yoga instead. Another trick is to “eat the frog” first thing in the morning, or tackle the most difficult and stressful task of the day, as was once said by Mark Twain.

1. Why are the two surveys mentioned in the first paragraph?

A．To warn the readers.	B．To introduce a concept.
C．To present a phenomenon.	D．To make a comparison.

2. Which of the following statements will the author most probably agree with?

A．We are born to prefer what we like and avoid what we fear.

B．The limbic brain is under the control of the prefrontal cortex.

C．We are more likely to burst when getting close to the deadline.

D．Failing to complete a task can lead to habitual procrastination.

3. What does the author suggest readers do to stop procrastination?

A．Force the brain to focus.	B．Take a break regularly.
C．Solve a tricky math problem.	D．Eat something refreshing first.

4. What is the tone of this text?

A．Humorous.

B．Ironic.

C．Serious.

D．Unclear.