1 . For people suffering from depression, there’s an all-natural treatment they should use — getting more exercise. It could help fight depression, even if people have a genetic risk, new research shows.

For the study, researchers collected information from nearly 8,000 people and found those with related genes were more likely to have depression over the next two years after examining them. But that was less likely for people who were more active at the study’s start, even if they had a family history of depression. Higher levels of physical activity helped protect even those with the highest genetic risk of depression.

Both high-intensity (高强度) exercise and low-intensity activities were associated with a reduced risk of depression. Adding four hours of exercise a week could lower the risk of a new episode (一段经历) of depression by 17%, according to the study. “Our findings strongly suggest that, when it comes to depression, being physically active has the potential to remove the added risk of future episodes in individuals who are genetically risky,” said lead author Karmel Choi. “On average, about 35 additional minutes of physical activity each day may help people to reduce their risk and protect against future depression episodes.”

Depression is a common mental illness globally, with more than 264 million people affected. “Depression is so ubiquitous, and that underlines the need for effective approaches that can impact as many people as possible,” Choi said. And mental health and primary care providers can use the findings to advise patients that there’s something meaningful they can do to lower their risk of depression.

1. How did the researchers reach their conclusion?

A．By analyzing a mass of data.

B．By conducting genetic research.

C．By comparing various levels of activity.

D．By tracking the subjects for many years.

2. What does the study show about depression?

A．Physical activity betters medical treatment.

B．Exercise is able to decrease and prevent it.

C．Different levels of exercise intensity matter the same.

D．Exercising 35 minutes daily is the most effective treatment.

3. What does the underlined word “ubiquitous” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Harmful.	B．Complex.
C．Unusual.	D．Common.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To discuss a disease.

B．To introduce a method.

C．To analyze a genetic risk.

D．To explain a phenomenon.

2 . China is one of the world’s ancient civilizations and has the earliest outstanding bronze casting technology. Here we’ve created a list of 4 museums where you can gain an in-depth understanding of Chinese bronze.

Sanxingdui Museum

Address: Sanxingdui Ruin Site, 133 Xian Road, Guanghan, Deyang, Sichuan province

Hours: Comprehensive Gallery (the first exhibition hall): 8:30-18:00; Bronze Gallery (the second exhibition hall): 8:30-18:30. Last tickets sold at 17:00. Closed on the morning of Chinese New Year’s Eve

Ticket booking: 0838-5651526

General admission: Gallery ticket 80 yuan

Note: Children shorter than 1.2m (including 1.2m) can visit the gallery free of charge. The ticket must be used on the day it is sold and authorizes one visit to each gallery.

National Museum of China

Address: East side of Tian’anmen Square, Dongcheng district, Beijing

Hours: 8:30-17:00 (no entry after 16:30)

General admission: Free (passport required for entry), Closed Mondays (except for national holidays)

E-mail: webmaster@chnmuseum.cn

Shanghai Museum

Address: 201 Renmin Avenue, Huangpu district, Shanghai

Hours: 9:00-17:00 (no entry after 16:00), Closed Mondays (except for national holidays)

E-mail: webmaster@shanghai-museum.org

General admission: free (a max of 8, 000 admitted daily)

Hunan Museum

Address: 50 Dongfeng Road, Changsha, Hunan province

Hours:   9:00-17:00 (no entry after 16:00), Closed Mondays (except for national holidays) and the eve of Chinese New Year

Tel: (+86-731) 8415833, 84475933

E-mail: web@hnmuseum.com

General admission: Free (passport required for entry)

1. Which museum should you choose for your family to visit next Monday?

A．Sanxingdui Museum	B．Hunan Museum
C．Shanghai Museum	D．National Museum of China

2. What do these museums in this passage have in common?

A．They are all free of charge.	B．They all set a deadline for entry.
C．They all lie in the south of China.	D．They can all be available through E-mail.

3. In which part of a newspaper can you most probably read this passage?

A．Science

B．Today’s News

C．Entertainment

D．History and Culture

6 . In February, the U. S. stated that its Mars explorer, Perseverance, landed successfully on the Red Planet. Perseverance is on a task to collect Martian soil and rocks as part of a search for signs of ancient life.

Perseverance landed in an area of Mars called Jezero Crater. Scientists believe the area has a large ancient lakebed. NASA considers the area a promising place to find possible signs of microbial life.

Perseverance carried to Mars a small experimental helicopter (直升机) named Ingenuity. In April, NASA said Ingenuity had successfully completed a takeoff and landing on the planet. It said the flight was historic; it marked the first time any flying machines had performed a powered, controlled flight on another planet.

In July, British billionaire Richard Branson entered into space on a rocket plane built by Virgin Galactic, the space tourism company he created. Branson joined two pilots and three other task experts on the flight. Virgin Galactic aims to fly private citizens to the edge of space to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and observe Earth.

A little over a week later, American billionaire Jeff Bezos flew to the edge of space on a rocket built by his company, Blue Origin. Three other people took the quick trip with him: Bezo’s brother, a Dutch teenager and an 82-year-old pilot.

The flights by Branson and Bezos officially started a new industry that promises any citizen the chance to visit space. Such trips will be costly, however. Virgin Galactic’s price for a single flight is $250,000. Blue Origin has not publicly announced its price. Both businesses have built operating bases, called “spaceports”, in the countryside areas of the U. S.

And earlier this month, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa arrived for a 12-day stay at the International Space Station (ISS). The businessman arrived along with an assistant aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. The price of that trip has not been made public, but some reports guess it costs up to $50 million.

1. What is Virgin Galactic’s goal?

A．To search for life in far space.	B．To draw people’s attention to space.
C．To develop space tourism for the public.	D．To support space exploration programs.

2. What do Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos have in common?

A．They traveled in space with scientists.

B．They went to the same place in space.

C．They tried to serve tourists in the countryside.

D．They rode a spaceship built by their own company.

3. What is the uncertain information about the Japanese millionaire’s space travel?

A．Its cost.	B．Its destination.
C．Its travel period.	D．Its transportation.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．Expensive Space Tourism in the Future	B．Progress on Mars, Rise in Space Tourists
C．Traveling in Space, Billionaires’ Game	D．Signs of Ancient Life Discovered on Mars

7 . I was 68 when I first stepped on stage as a standup comedian in 2003. I’d never set foot in a comedy club before. I’ve always been a performer-I’ve worked as a singer, actor and musician-but all that came to an end after I found people around didn’t want to go out and entertain themselves.

It was then that I started to think about comedy. I realized people needed to laugh, to enjoy themselves again, and thought that with a little training I could do it. I took a few classes, tried to work out a routine, and finally plucked up the courage to get up on stage. That first time was terrifying. I had no idea what the audience would make of me.

In New York, comedians are typically young men with beards. It’s hard enough to break through, even harder as someone old enough to be their grandmother. As I stepped on stage that first time, people laughed nervously. But by the time I tried my first joke , people were properly laughing. 1 was enchanted (陶醉) by the charm and power of comedy.

Now, 1 might be on stage for 10 minutes in front of a dozen people, or my one-woman show is a full hour in front of a crowd of 100. After a show, people young and old come up to me, saying what an inspiration I am.

They say they want to be as active as me when they reach my age. I’m pleased 1 can show that as an old person you don’t need to take a back seat in life.

Last year, I was recognized as the oldest female standup comedian in the world. My friends think I’m mad. They don’t understand why I wouldn’t choose to take it easy. But I like engaging with the world and you’ve got to be in touch to be funny. I’ve no intention of stopping comedy. I’m trying to stay alive, and I hope to still be performing when I’m 100.My goal is to still be up there making people laugh. It’s hard work, but it stops me being bored.

1. Why did the author want to be a comedian?

A．She was tired of her previous job.

B．She wanted to explore new territory.

C．She was interested in performing training.

D．She wanted to make people laugh.

2. Which of the following can best describe the author?

A．Humorous and humble.	B．Brilliant and confident.
C．Determined and adventurous.	D．Calm and cautious.

3. What can we learn about the author from the last paragraph?

A．Her family doesn’t understand her.

B．She often feels bored in daily life.

C．She likes traveling around the world.

D．She will continue her comedy career.

4. Where can the text be found?

A．In a history book.	B．In a newspaper.
C．In a science magazine.	D．In a biography.

8 . The first time you start to read a poem, you must relax and read through it without concentrating on its meaning. Imagine you are meeting a person for the first time. You will just observe him and listen to his voice, as well as watch his shapes or movements, but you have not yet known what he is all about. Likewise, you may enjoy the sound, rhythms, or wording, and form some first impressions about a poem.

On your second reading, you should concentrate more on the general meaning of the poem. This time, you will want to compare your feelings about the poem by now with how you felt before. Are they the same? What is different and why?

Your third reading will focus more on details: the words, phrases, or images. Looking up any unfamiliar words in a dictionary so that you can gain a more accurate understanding. Using the example given above about meeting someone, his image will change gradually and slightly as you meet and learn more about him. Therefore, in your additional readings, it is a good idea to compare your understanding each time with the understanding before.

A helpful approach to further understanding a poem is to summarize it in your own words. Compare your version of understanding with those of others reading the same poem, and listen to how they form such opinions. Remember, however, that there is no exact or right meaning for a poem, as most poets have admitted they themselves are not exactly sure what they meant when writing certain lines or phrases; they have even been heard to say on occasion that sometimes words just seem to “drop from heaven” and land on the page. That is what awakening the imagination is all about. If you are lucky, and if you practice enough, magical things may happen when you write and you may be able to produce a beautiful poem or other work of art yourself.

1. Why does the author give the example of “meeting a person” ?

A．To arouse readers’ interest	B．To support his argument
C．To offer some advice	D．To interpret his point

2. What will you gain from the third reading of a poem?

A．General meaning.	B．Rhythm beauty.
C．Deeper meaning.	D．Poetic structure.

3. What does the underlined word “ that ” refer to?

A．Poets themselves don’t understand their poems.

B．Beautiful poems drop from heaven occasionally.

C．Poetic meanings are open to different explanations.

D．Writing a summary helps understand a poem.

4. What can we conclude from the last paragraph?

A．Inspiration and hard work help create great poems.

B．Poetry is an expression of one’s will in words.

C．Practice and patience make a man perfect.

D．Luck marches with those who give their very best.

10 . To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, I called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada. “A lot of people think about being bored as being lazy. And it’s absolutely not that,” he says. “Bored people want to be engaged with their world, eager to do something satisfying and exciting. But any attempt to do so is failing.”

That means boredom is usually very upsetting. And it can have physical consequences. In one of his experiments, Danckert made people extremely bored by showing them a video of two people hanging clothes to dry. He found that when people got bored, their hearts beat faster and their levels of a hormone called cortisol (皮质醇) went up, compared to when they watched another video that made them sad. These physical changes were signs that boredom was stressing them out. “It’s not like having a full-on panic attack,”Danckert says. But it’s certainly enough to make boredom unpleasant.

Let’s come back to if boredom can kill you. Back in the 1980s, scientists asked people who worked for the British government a whole bunch of questions, including how bored they felt in their daily lives. The study tracked the participants over time. When any one of them died, the survey recorded the cause of death. In 2010, two researchers matched up these causes of death with the participants’ level of boredom. It turned out that people who said they were more bored were also more likely to have died of heart disease. “We know that prolonged exposure to stress is bad for your health,” Danckert says. A single boring day can’t kill you. But if you’re always bored, the stress could add up into something dangerous.

“Oh no,” you might be thinking. “School is boring, my friends are boring, everything is boring! What’s going to happen to me?” Don’t worry, Danckert says, “As you get older, you get less bored,” mainly because you gain more independence and have to get busy to achieve your long-term goals. And trust me: that’s anything but boring.

1. According to James Danckert, people feel bored because ______.

A．they are too lazy to do anything	B．they can’t fully understand boredom
C．they are too frightened to have a try	D．they can’t gain excitement in life

2. What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A．Doing housework will make people bored.

B．Physical changes can lead to extreme boredom.

C．People’s heart rate increases with boredom.

D．Watching something sad is a boring experience.

3. What does the underlined word “prolonged” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Continued.

B．Short.

C．Sudden.

D．Active.

4. What does Danckert recommend to save people from boredom?

A．Depending on friends.	B．Setting long-term goals.
C．Keeping yourself occupied.	D．Trusting people around you.