1 . Dementia (痴呆), a serious mental disorder caused by brain disease or injury, affects the ability to think, remember and behave normally. 160,000 people have some forms of dementia in Sweden, Alzheimer’s disease being the most common. At the same time, many new diagnostic (诊断的) methods and early-intervention treatment have been developed in recent years, which highlights the need to identify more risk factors for the disease.
Previous studies have demonstrated a possible association between depression and dementia. A present study now clearly shows that people who have been diagnosed with depression are more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Unlike the previous ones, the study was conducted using Region Stockholm’s administrative healthcare database, which contains all healthcare contacts recorded by the region. It shows that the risk of Alzheimer’s disease was more than twice as high in patients with stress and in patients with depression as it was in patients without either condition; in patients with both depression it was up to four times as high.
“The reason for it is unknown,” says the study’s last author Axel C. Carlsson. “The finding is important in that it enables us to improve preventative efforts and understand links with the other risk factors for dementia.”
The researchers focused on patients between the ages of 18 and 65 and between 2012 and 2013. They identified 44,447 people with a diagnosis of depression and followed them for eight years to see how many of them were later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. A comparison with all other 1,362,548 individuals in the age group showed that more people with depression had also been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
“It’s very uncommon for people in this age group to develop dementia, so we need to identify all possible risk factors for the disease,” says Dr Carlsson. “We show here that the diagnosis is more common in people who have suffered depression, but more studies will be required if we’re to demonstrate any reason there.”
1. What do the previous studies and the present one differ in?| A．The target. | B．The method. |
| C．The purpose. | D．The theory. |
| A．It clarifies the condition of dementia. |
| B．It makes clear the risks of depression. |
| C．It confirms the previous study finding. |
| D．It helps with the dementia prevention. |
| A．Its process. | B．Its background. |
| C．Its application. | D．Its assessment. |
| A．Why dementia spreads wide in Sweden. |
| B．What links exist among mental diseases. |
| C．How depression connects with dementia. |
| D．What other risk factors lead to dementia. |
2 . Tropical (热带的) forests could become so hot that some kinds of leaves will no longer be able to conduct photosynthesis (光 合 作用), according to a study. The photosynthetic machinery in tropical trees begins to fail at about 46.7℃ on average. The research suggests that forests may be nearing dangerous temperature sooner than expected. Models predict that once we hit a global temperature increase of 3.9℃, these forests might experience mass leaf damage.
Chris Doughty, an associate professor at Northern Arizona University and the lead researcher of the study, said the leaf-warming experiments had revealed a nonlinear rise in temperatures. “We were really surprised that when we warmed leaves by 2, 3 or 4℃, the highest leaf temperatures actually increased by 8℃. This shows a concerning nonlinear feedback that we were not expecting.” said Doughty. “If we adopt a do-nothing response to climate change and tropical forest air temperatures increase by greater than 4℃, there could be massive leaf death.” he added.
Avoiding high emissions (排放) in the first place is key to stabilizing temperatures. “We should do all we can to avoid high-emissions. Under low-emissions, almost all tropical forest tree leaves can avoid death from overheating and the trees will survive,” said Simon Lewis, a professor of global change science at University College London. “Yet what the study doesn’t look at is heatwaves. We still might see tree deaths from overheating for limited periods during heatwaves under lower emissions.”
Researchers suggest that the damage is not yet unchanged. “Vote for people who are serious about addressing climate change and transferring to low-carbon economies, ”Disney, one researcher, advocated. More generally, we can all recognize the importance of supporting those countries and people who live in and rely on tropical forests economically, But the serious changes to tropical forests don’t just affect the local people it’s a global issue.
1. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “nonlinear” in Paragraph 2?| A．Global. | B．Dramatic. | C．Steady. | D．Minor. |
| A．Planting more trees. | B．Exploring heatwaves. |
| C．Conducting researches. | D．Pursuing low emissions. |
| A．Promoting global efforts. |
| B．Seeking economic support. |
| C．Helping tropical countries. |
| D．Boosting low-carbon education. |
| A．Global warming harms trees. |
| B．Tropical forests lose functions. |
| C．Tropical leaves struggle in heat. |
| D．Forests near dangerous temperature. |
3 . A Heroic Driver
Larry works with Transport Drivers. Inc. One morning in 2019, Larry was
The man who had his bright lights on came over and told Larry he had
Once fire and emergency people arrive, Larry and the other man
One thing is
| A．walking | B．touring | C．traveling | D．rushing |
| A．passengers | B．colleagues | C．employers | D．customers |
| A．flame | B．smoke | C．water | D．steam |
| A．used | B．disabled | C．removed | D．abandoned |
| A．got hold of | B．prepared | C．took charge of | D．controlled |
| A．returned | B．received | C．made | D．confirmed |
| A．Starting | B．Parking | C．Passing | D．Approaching |
| A．quiet | B．still | C．away | D．calm |
| A．explode | B．slip away | C．fall apart | D．crash |
| A．as if | B．unless | C．in case | D．after |
| A．stepped forward | B．backed off | C．moved on | D．set out |
| A．woman | B．police | C．man | D．driver |
| A．forbidden | B．ready | C．asked | D．free |
| A．for certain | B．for consideration | C．reported | D．checked |
| A．patience | B．skills | C．efforts | D．promise |
4 . If your boss yells, blames you, and then takes the credit for your work—even it is a rare incident—it can have a bad effect on your well-being and performance at the workplace.
“Thankfully, abusive leadership isn’t too common, but when it happens it leaves employees far less likely to take the initiative and work to improve business practices,” said Howie Xu, an author of a new study carried out by an international group of researchers. “We wanted to understand the cogmitive factors behind that effect—and find out how companies can protect their employees from the negative impact of bad bosses.”
Xu’s team surveyed employees and supervisors from 42 different South Korean companies, along with hundreds of US students, to explore the ways in which abusive supervision impacts“taking charge”behavior by employees. Subjects were then ranked according to whether they actively seek positive opportunities for promotion and advancement or take a more preventative approach that prioritizes safety and job security.
“We theorized that both the drive to obtain rewards (promotion, bonuses) and the drive to avoid punishments (maintain job security) would shape the way employees respond to abusive bosses,” Xu explained. But that’ s not what Xu and his team found. Rather, they found that employees who prioritized career advancement were strongly affected by abusive leadership while employees who prioritized job security remained just as likely to take charge after experiencing abusive leadership.
One possible explanation, Xu said, is that ambitious employees may think an abusive boss has direct control over whether they will receive bonuses or opportunities for promotion. By contrast, bad bosses may be seen as having less direct control over fring decisions, which often require ratification (批准) by HR teams or more senior managers.
That’s an important finding, because it suggests that organizations seeking to lessen the impact of bad leadership should focus on giving power to employees and making them feel valued and appreciated, rather than simply apologizing and making them feel sure that their jobs are safe.
1. What do Howio Xu’s words in paragraph 2 suggest?| A．It’s urgent for companies to replace their bad bosses. |
| B．Companies should perfect their staff evaluation system. |
| C．Becoming a victim of abusive leadership is very normal. |
| D．Abusive leadership lowers employees’ work enthusiasm. |
| A．The finding had a solid theory foundation. |
| B．The finding was beyond the study team’s expectations. |
| C．Employees tend to put potential rewards before everything else. |
| D．Employees generally hold an unfriendly attitude toward abusive bosses. |
| A．Give them suitable recognition. | B．Guarantee them job security. |
| C．Seek help from professionals. | D．Make a sincere apology to them. |
| A．It’s Possible to Keep a Bad Boss at Bay |
| B．It’ s Important to Avoid Becoming a Bad Boss |
| C．Having a Bad Boss May Make You a Worse Employee |
| D．Having Bad HR Teams Keeps You Away from Job Satisfaction |
5 . Most people would be terrified of entering waters with crocodiles (鳄鱼), but not Sao Chan. Like others living in a jungle village, the 73-year-old farmer says the Siamese crocodiles found in the waterways may look ferocious, but they should not be treated with prejudice. “If we come close to them, they just run away,” Chan says.
He’s right. There have been extremely few reported attacks by Siamese crocodiles on humans in the world, and reportedly none anywhere in Cambodia. Instead, it’s the crocodiles that have every reason to fear people. Once common throughout Southeast Asia, the particularly shy Siamese crocodile, which can grow up to 10 feet long, was for decades hunted for its skin and meat to such an extent that, in the early 1990s, the species was thought to be extinct in the wild.
Some of them survived in the Cardamoms, however, where populations of the reptiles, likely numbering fewer than 200 individuals in total, were rediscovered in 2000. Since then, local people have conducted regular patrols (巡逻) to protect them from threats. While the patrols and other conservation efforts have helped prevent the extinction of the Siamese crocodiles, concerns about the species’ long-term survival have remained because population numbers have stayed largely flat since their rediscovery.
In 2022, conservationists have introduced more Siamese crocodiles into the wild than ever before, not just in the Cardamoms but for the first time into a wildlife reserve in the northern part of the country, where the crocodiles historically were found. Advances in genetic testing have identified crocodiles suitable for release, and satellite tracking of reintroduced crocodiles has improved protection efforts.
“We have a long way to go, but the potential comeback of the Siamese crocodile could be Cambodia’s most successful conservation story,” says Pablo Sinovas, who leads a nonprofit reintroducing the animals. “Its survival isn’t just an ecological necessity, but a symbolic matter of urgency if we have any hope of preserving nature on Earth.”
1. What does the underlined word “ferocious” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Violent. | B．Friendly. | C．Ugly. | D．Abnormal. |
| A．Habitat loss. | B．Water pollution. |
| C．Human activities. | D．Poor adaptability. |
| A．They are regularly disturbed by tourists |
| B．Their quantity isn’t increased as expected. |
| C．The locals lack awareness of protecting them |
| D．They fail to adjust to unfamiliar surroundings |
| A．Frequent patrols. | B．Modern technology. |
| C．Economic advances. | D．Genetic transformation. |
6 . Fountains of lava erupted from the Sundhnúkur volcanic system in southwest Iceland on January 14th, 2024. Lava flows welled up from a new gap, attacking the suburbs of Grindavík with at least three houses in their path burnt down. Nearby, construction vehicles that had been working for weeks to build large earthen dams in an attempt to divert(使转向)the lava’s flow had to pull back.
Lava is subject to gravity like other fluids, so it will flow down along a path of steepest descent(斜坡). With the temperature of its molten rock often well above 1,000 degrees Celsius, not much can stand in its way. Humans have tried many ways to stop lava in the past, from attempting to freeze it in place by cooling it with sea water, to using explosive s to cut off its supply. However, no attempt was successful.
Most recent efforts have focused instead on building dams in an attempt to divert the lava’s flow toward a different path of steepest descent, into a different “lavashed,” where lava would naturally flow. Results have been mixed, but diversion can be successful if the lava flow can be clearly diverted into a distinct area where lava would naturally flow — without threatening a different community in the process. Many attempts to divert lava have failed, however. Barriers built in Italy to stop Mt. Etna’s lava flows in 1992 slowed the flow, but the lava eventually over topped each one.
Diverting lava in Grindavík is difficult, in part because the land around Grindavík is relatively flat, making it harder to identify a clear alternative path of steepest descent for redirecting the lava. Icelandic officials reported on January 15th that most of the lava from the main fissure had flowed along the outside the barrier, however a new gap had also opened inside the perimeter(外围), sending lava into a neighborhood. Unfortunately, that implies that Grindavík remains at risk.
1. What do we know about the lava erupting from the Sundhnúkur volcanic system?| A．It severely affected the downtown area of Grindavík. |
| B．It forced the construction of large earthen dams to suspend. |
| C．It was successfully redirected by the earthen barriers. |
| D．It completely buried a residential area. |
| A．Five. | B．Four. | C．Three. | D．Two. |
| A．the lava has destroyed many buildings |
| B．there is no suitable dam to divert the lava |
| C．the land around Grindavík is relatively flat |
| D．the lava has already entered a populated area |
| A．How earthen barrier functions. |
| B．What can be done to prevent lava. |
| C．Why volcanic lava is so hard to stop. |
| D．What lava has brought about in Iceland. |
7 . Lia Thomas, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, is an excellent swimmer. She often beats her rivals by tens of seconds, breaking records. Her success is based on three things. One is natural talent. Another is relentless training. And the third is biology. Although she identifies as a woman, Ms Thomas was born male.
On the eve of her biggest competition, Ms Thomas finds herself at the centre of the bad-tempered debate about whether trans women—males who identify as women—should compete in women’s sports. That, in turn, is part of a broader argument: should biological facts sometimes override people’s deeply held feelings about their identities? This newspaper believes it is almost always unfair to allow transgender women to compete in women’s sports.The advantages bestowed by male puberty (青春期) are so big that no amount of training or talent can enable female athletes to overcome them.
Florence Griffith Joyner’s 100-metres world sprinting record has stood for three decades. A male matching it would not even make it to the Olympics, let alone the final. Much of the male advantage is granted by testosterone (睾酮，睾丸素), a powerful anabolism steroid (合成类胆固醇) whose levels rise sharply in male puberty.For many years many sporting bodies, following the lead of the International Olympic Committee, hoped to cope with the issue by allowing trans-women to compete in women’s events provided they took testosterone- suppressing drugs. But the science suggests this does not level the playing field. Suppressing testosterone in adults, it seems, does little to undo the advantages granted by a male adolescence.
Sports must therefore choose between inclusion and fairness; and they should choose fair play. That does not mean that trans-women would be barred from all sport. One way to make that clear would be to replace the “men’s” and “women’s” categories with “open” and “female” ones. The first would be open to all comers. The second would be restricted on the basis of biology.
Sport is public, and results can be measured objectively. That means the argument that the material facts of biology should sometimes outrank a person’s subjective sense of identity is easier to make. But it applies in other areas, too.
1. What is the text talking about?| A．Men has many advantages over women. |
| B．Fairness should be guaranteed in sport. |
| C．Whether trans women-males should be allowed to compete in women sports. |
| D．How to dismiss the unfairness between trans women-males and women. |
| A．dampen |
| B．balance |
| C．increase |
| D．encourage |
| A．A man who doesn’t make it to the Olympic may set a record in women sport. |
| B．Transgenders should not be allowed in sports. |
| C．Fairness matters more than inclusion in the sport. |
| D．Many advantages of males are due to testosterone. |
| A．How to deal with the unfairness between transgenders and females. |
| B．Other factors that cause trans women-males’ performances to override women’s. |
| C．Other fields that is suitable for the argument that the material facts of biology should sometimes outrank a person’s subjective sense of identity. |
| D．Other authorities’ attitude to the fairness in sport. |
8 . Everything Everywhere All at Once won the best picture Oscar at the Academy Awards ceremony Sunday night in Los Angeles, California. The unusual movie about a Chinese- American immigrant (移民的) family won seven Oscars, including three acting awards for Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis.
The Malaysian-born Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win a best actress Oscar. In the film,she plays the laundromat (自助洗衣店) owner with superpowers in a different universe. “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon (灯塔) of hope and possibilities,” the 60-year-old actress said. “And ladies, don’t let anybody ever tell you you’re past your prime (黄金期),” Yeoh added.
As a boy, Quan starred in the 1984 Indiana Jones movie and The Goodies in 1985. The 51-year-old said he quit acting for many years because he saw too few opportunities for Asian actors.On Sunday night, Quan won the best supporting actor Oscar. In the film, he plays Yeoh’s husband.Quan, who was born in Vietnam, cried as he gave his speech Sunday. He said, “My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. Somehow I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage. They say stories like this only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me. It is like a dream.”
The 64-year-old Curtis won Best Supporting Actress for her role as the tax agent in Everything Everywhere All at Once. In her speech, Curtis looked upward and addressed her parents, Academy Award nominees Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Both of her parents have passed away. “I just won an Oscar,” Curtis told them.
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Schneider together won Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Everything Everywhere All at Once was made with a small $14.3 million budget and has brought in more than $100 million so far.
1. What is implied in what Yeoh said in the second paragraph?| A．Young people should follow her example. |
| B．People should see hope and possibilities in life. |
| C．Women can succeed only at the golden age |
| D．Age doesn’t stop women from achieving success. |
| A．Immigrants succeed very easily. |
| B．Success never falls upon immigrants. |
| C．Immigrants struggle hard to survive |
| D．Movie actors stand out in the US. |
| A．Best supporting actress Oscar. |
| B．Best actress Oscar. |
| C．Best original screenplay. |
| D．Best Director. |
| A．People’s hope about life. |
| B．Superpowers in another universe. |
| C．Stories about an immigrant family. |
| D．Success of women in reality. |
9 . Everyone dreams of having a magical experience at Disney parks.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
This Disney theme park is located at Walt Disney World Attraction in Bay Lake, Florida, USA. They say that Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park is one of the most visited Walt Disney World parks. Animals in the Animal Kingdom will surely give you a great experience!
The price in Animal Kingdom for their 1-day ticket is between $116.09 to $122.48. The 3-day ticket is around $309.92 to $329.09.
Hong Kong Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland will not disappoint you if your family find enjoyment in a theme park. Expect to see all the Disney princesses (公主) and queens, Micky Mouse, and more!
A 1-day ticket for Hong Kong Disneyland park costs around $79 for grown-ups. For a kid, the ticket is about $58, while it costs around $13 each for old men.
Tokyo Disneyland
No matter how many Disney parks around the world you visit, the experience will not be complete without Tokyo Disneyland. This is one of the Disneyland parks which offer rides and attractions that will surely give you an unforgettable experience.
Don’t forget to try Splash Mountain, ride on a log (原木), and end up dropping over a waterfall!
Splash Mountain is a must-try too!
The ticket costs ranging from ¥4,700 — ¥7,800
Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris resort is one of the Disney parks you must not miss. There are two theme parks in Disney-land Paris resort.
You will see the Sleeping Beauty Castle, Tower of Terror, and Indiana Jones there.
1-park tickets cost around E59, while the Disneyland Paris 2-park tickets cost roughly f94.
1. How much will a child and his grandpa pay for their tickets to Hong Kong Disneyland?| A．$26. |
| B．$71 |
| C．$92 |
| D．$137. |
| A．Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| B．Hong Kong Disneyland. |
| C．Tokyo Disneyland |
| D．Disneyland Paris. |
| A．Entertainment. |
| B．Education. |
| C．Science |
| D．Health |
10 . Using fatty foods to comfort eat during times of stress can harm the body’s recovery from the pressure, research suggests.
Although many people turn to unhealthy foods such as chocolate, crisps or pastries when they are feeling the strain, researchers have found this can reduce blood flow to the brain and cause poorer vascular (血管的) function, which in turn can have a negative effect on mental health and increase the risk of heart disease. The researchers suggest people resist the attraction of convenient treats by eating fruits and vegetables instead.
Prof Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten said, “We looked at healthy 18- to 30-year-olds for this study, and to see such a clear difference in how their bodies recover from stress when they eat fatty foods is staggering.” For people who already have an increased risk of cardiovascular (心血管) disease, the impacts could be even more serious. We all deal with stress all the time, but especially for those of us in high-stress jobs and at risk of cardiovascular disease, these findings should be taken seriously. This research can help us make decisions that reduce risks rather than make them worse.
The study involved a group of young healthy adults who were given two butter bread as breakfast. The participants were then asked to do mental maths, increasing in speed for eight minutes, and alerted when they got an answer wrong. They could also see themselves on a screen.
The researchers found that consuming fatty foods when mentally stressed reduced vascular function by 1.74%. Previous studies have shown that a 1% reduction in vascular function leads to a 13% increase in cardiovascular disease risk.
“We also know that the elasticity (弹性) of our blood tubes, which is a measure of vascular function, declines following mental stress,” said the study’s first author, Rosalind Baynham from the University of Birmingham.
1. What’s the finding of the research?| A．Why people like fatty foods. |
| B．How people recover from stress. |
| C．What people should eat to keep fit. |
| D．Eating fatty foods when stressed is bad for health. |
| A．Seeking low-stress jobs. | B．Dining out in clean restaurants. |
| C．Examining your body regularly. | D．Eating more fruits and vegetables. |
| A．Disappointing. | B．Shocking. |
| C．Confusing. | D．Exciting. |
| A．A magazine. | B．A textbook. |
| C．A science fiction. | D．A recipe book. |
