2 . Join the Sydney City Library

1. Create a City of Sydney account and join the library

Experience greater security and access to our library and other services by joining with a City of Sydney account. Your City of Sydney account uses your email address and a password as the login (登录). You’ll be able to use the same login to access other City of Sydney services.

① Go to the library online catalogue (目录) and select Join

② Select Create an account and follow the instructions

③ When the account is created, select Join the library

2. Join the library without an email address

If you don’t have an email address you can still join the library.

① Go to the library online catalogue and select Join

② Select Create an account and then the option I don’t have an email

③ Follow the prompts to complete the library membership form

3. Activate (激活) your membership

To ensure your full membership and collect your library card, visit a branch open for browsing and borrowing. You need to show proof of identity and permanent residential address. Official documents such as a driver licence, student card, bank statement or rates are accepted.

Applicants under 18 years old

A parent or guardian is required to approve your application. They need to visit a branch with you to show proof of identity, including their residential address and medicare card listing your name. For online memberships this proof of identity should be emailed to librarymemberships@cityofsydney. nsw. gov. au

1. What’s the benefit of having a City of Sydney account?

A．You can spend less money.	B．You can borrow more books.
C．You can enjoy safer access.	D．You can log in without a password.

2. What do you need to activate your membership?

A．Library card.	B．Email address.
C．Identity documents.	D．Bank password.

3. What is this text?

A．A guide.

B．A poster.

C．A report.

D．A notice.

4 . Ideally located in the heart of New York Times Square, Yotel New York, a five-star hotel, has comfortable accommodation in a modern design.

The hotel has convenient transportation with an 18-minute walk from Fifth Avenue and Grand Central Station. John F Kennedy Airport can be reached directly from Times Square Underground Station.

All rooms include cozy beds, 54-inch HD TVs with free Sports and Movie channels, and free Wi-Fi. Each room also has luggage storage, and hanging space for clothing. Yotel New York also offers wheelchair accessible rooms and free accommodation for kids under 13.

American breakfast is served in Yotel New York every morning, including fresh juice, corn flakes, buttered toast and scrambled eggs. A selection of salads, sandwiches and hot dishes are offered throughout the day.

Yotel New York is our guests’ favorite part of New York, according to independent reviews. This area is also great for shopping, with popular brands nearby: Apple, H&M, Zara, Burberry and Channel.

Yotel New York is rated for the best value in America! Guests are getting more for their money when compared to other hotels in this city. Come and stay with us!

Prices:

Room type	Price	Options
Twin Room — non-smoking	$125	Non-refundable Good breakfast $9
Double room — non-smoking	$165	Non-refundable Good breakfast $9
Queen Room — disability access	$215	Pay at the hotel Good breakfast included

1. What probably makes a tourist choose this hotel?

A．Airport pick-up service.	B．Chinese-style breakfast.
C．Good value for guests’ money.	D．A shop with popular brands in the hotel.

2. If a person in a wheelchair wants to stay in this hotel for two nights, how much should he pay?

A．$ 259.

B．$ 339.

C．$ 421.

D．$ 430.

3. In which section of the newspaper will readers see the above information?

A．Advertisement.

B．Lifestyle.

C．Entertainment.

D．Business.

5 . My earliest reading memory takes me back to being five years old, sitting in my grandfather’s cozy study. He would read to me from his French-translated copy of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. I was so familiar with the stories that I could correct him word-for-word if he tried to change something.

Growing up, my favorite book was Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes. It was a treasure for an imaginative and lonely child like me. The book was filled with magical elements: a magical carousel, monsters, and the charming scent of autumn leaves lying in the sun. The language was as crisp and sweet as an October apple, awakening in me a deep passion for words and the magic they could bring out. I’ve reread it regularly and it never fails to satisfy me.

In my adult years, I revisited Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. When I first read it at 16, I perceived it as a love story. However, rereading it as an adult, I was struck by how different it seemed to me, and how much of the humour I’d missed. Now I love its poetry. And the love story not only exists between the characters but between Brontë and the North York Moors.

James Joyce’s Ulysses was a book I came back to after 40 years. Initially, at 15, I found it ugly, depressing, and dull, and I hated it. It took me four decades to return to it, and this time, I found myself understanding and beginning to appreciate it. I could see the details, the mythic parallels, the references to different writing styles, and the groundbreaking technique.

Though some exceptional books can develop and grow alongside us, others fall by the wayside. I’ve revisited so many childhood favourites only to find the magic gone, but I’m usually happy to leave the book behind. I’ve taken from it what I need.

1. What was the author’s earliest reading memory?

A．Copying the stories of Rudyard Kipling.

B．Reading Something Wicked This Way Comes.

C．Studying Ulysses for writing styles.

D．Listening to The Jungle Book in French.

2. Which part of Wuthering Heights gave the author a different feeling as an adult?

A．The complex plot.	B．The characters.
C．The humour and poetry.	D．The love story.

3. What do the underlined words “fall by the wayside” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Remain unchanged over years.	B．Lose their original attraction.
C．Gain widespread popularity.	D．Are left by the side of the road.

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

A．The Changing Power of Reading

B．The Development of Reading Taste

C．The Lifelong Journey of Rereading Classics

D．The Childhood Memories in Reading Habits

6 . Many footballers struggle when they leave the beautiful game for retirement in their mid-thirties, with stories that are sad or even terrible. However, in his new book Kicking On! Tony Rickson reveals the footballers who have achieved success after retirement, whether it’s by setting up charities, helping others cope, creating multi-million-pound businesses or going into media, politics or back into the football world.

Tony Adams, a former footballer, set up a charitable foundation more than 20 years ago called Sporting Chance and said it’s one of his greatest achievements. He’s wrong. Despite all the cups he won while captaining Arsenal during a highly successful 22-year career at his only club, and all the times he played for England, it is his greatest achievement. Not just one of them.

As Adams admits in his memorable book, Addicted, he suffered from alcoholism and drug abuse while still a professional footballer. Setting up Sporting Chance was his response, and ever since it’s treated and supported sports professionals suffering from drink or drug problems. The charity’s offer is: “We understand that it takes courage to ask for help, either during or following a career in sport, so when you’re ready to reach out, we’re ready for you.”

Since retiring from playing in 2002, Adams, who has a statue in his honor outside the Arsenal ground, has managed and coached in several countries alongside his charity work. He told The Sun: “What happened in my life with alcohol makes me feel so sad but also grateful that I found a way out of it. I’ve had highs and lows, in and out of football, given up playing and gone into coaching and management. I’ve not had a drink through any of it. My self-esteem (自尊) has come back and I am all right.”

The self-assessment as “all right” also applied to his 2022 appearance in TV’s Strictly Come Dancing, when Adams showed an admirable ability to laugh at himself.

1. What is Adams’ greatest achievement according to Rickson?

A．Setting up Sporting Chance.	B．Captaining the team Arsenal.
C．Playing for England all his life.	D．Writing his bestseller Addicted.

2. What problem did Adams have as a professional footballer?

A．Losing his position on the team.	B．Lack of courage to seek advice.
C．Addiction to alcohol and drugs.	D．Tense relations with teammates.

3. What can we infer about Adams from Paragraph 4?

A．Adams worked as a coach immediately he retired.

B．Charity work made Adams recognized in his circle.

C．Adams began his football career at the age of 22.

D．Arsenal thinks highly of Adams’ contribution to it.

4. What is the text?

A．A news report.	B．A biography.
C．An introduction to a book.	D．An entry of a diary.

7 . As a writer, I miss rejection slips. Not that I enjoyed receiving those pre-printed slips of paper, but at least when I got one, I was pretty sure that a flesh-and-blood _______ had put it in the envelope. And there was always the chance I might see a handwritten sentence on the bottom, _______ the piece almost made it. When an editor at McCall’s wrote, “I’m afraid I have to say no on this _______ piece, but try me again on another, would you?” It was almost as _______ to me as if she had said, “We’ll _______ it and here is an advance for you”.

Nowadays, rejection slips seem to have disappeared with the use of online submissions. Most editors don’t feel it a must to _______ they have received, read, or considered your work because they receive so many _______ each day.

For me, there are three _______ of rejection slip pain. The first is _______ brought on by finding a flat “no” on a ________ piece of paper, then followed by anger (how could they ________ a piece that is obviously so much ________ than most of the stuff they print), and, finally, rebirth: I will live to ________ a new piece another day.

Learning to ________ rejection seems like part of growing up as a writer. Despite the many letters of acceptance I have received, my folder of “Noteworthy Rejection Slips” is far ________ than that of “Noteworthy Acceptances”, which indicates to me the fact: I still have some growing up to do.

1.

A．writer

B．reader

C．mailman

D．editor

2.

A．demanding

B．indicating

C．suspecting

D．arguing

3.

A．boring

B．novel

C．lengthy

D．particular

4.

A．thrilling

B．upsetting

C．embarrassing

D．amusing

5.

A．buy

B．reject

C．check

D．substitute

6.

A．prove

B．determine

C．explain

D．acknowledge

7.

A．proposals

B．drafts

C．contributions

D．instructions

8.

A．meanings

B．stages

C．wonders

D．rewards

9.

A．relief

B．frustration

C．anger

D．hesitation

10.

A．valueless

B．expensive

C．characterless

D．shiny

11.

A．make up

B．put away

C．turn down

D．insist on

12.

A．easier

B．better

C．shorter

D．longer

13.

A．print

B．revise

C．download

D．submit

14.

A．accept

B．criticize

C．judge

D．evaluate

15.

A．thinner

B．fatter

C．older

D．newer

9 . As a worrying number of youngsters take up vaping (电子烟), the Government has announced a crackdown on laws to stop kids from becoming addicted to the dangerous habit.

Disposable (一次性的) vapes are now set to be banned in the UK as part of the Prime Minister’s new legislation (立法) to “stop youth vaping in its tracks”. Recent research shows that one in five teens has now tried vaping, despite it being illegal for under-18s, and half of those who vape between 18 and 24 do so despite having no history of smoking.

Last year, figures showed the number of adults using e-cigarettes in the UK had risen to the highest rate on record at roughly 4.3 million Brits. According to the charity Action on Smoking and Health, almost 1,000 serious adverse reactions to vapes were logged, including five deaths linked to e-cigarettes in the last decade.

And it’s not just over-the-count er vapes at the center of the country’s vaping crisis — fake e-cigarettes with deadly chemicals have sparked concerns. An investigation by the Mirror in 2023revealed one man’s fears for his life after he suffered a collapsed lung as a result of a fake, unlicensed pack of vapes purchased from a corner shop in County Durham.

Alex Gittins,31, thought he bagged himself a bargain but ended up in hospital just hours later. He said: “I noticed an awful chemical taste in the back of my throat, then five to 10minutes later I felt what was like a stitch. I’m lying in A&E thinking I was going to die.”

A regular vaper was told he had just a one percent chance of survival after being left in need of a double lung transplant. Jackson Allard, 22, underwent the life-saving operation on January 1, putting an end to a series of serious health issues.

Medical expert Stephanie Hansen has voice d concerns about the unknown long-term effects of e-cigarettes. She said: “Vaping or e-cigarette use is relatively new, so we don’t necessarily know a lot of the long-term effects of vaping and that’s honestly one of the scariest things about it.”

1. What has the recent research found?

A．20 percent of UK teenagers have once vaped.	B．It’s against the law for teens to buy vapes.
C．Vaping is commoner than smoking in the UK.	D．5 people died because of vaping last year.

2. Why are two examples given in Paragraphs 5 and 6?

A．To suggest it’s easy to be addicted to vaping.	B．To state vaping ruins people’s health seriously.
C．To indicate it’s illegal to buy fake e-cigarettes.	D．To show the number of people vaping is on the rise.

3. Which of the following might Stephanie Hansen agree with?

A．It remains to be seen in what way vaping affects people.

B．It will be long before people know the bad effects of vaping.

C．It matters to inform people of the potential danger of vaping.

D．It is difficult to prohibit adults from buying e-cigarettes.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Research into the habits of smokers in Britain.	B．Causes of teens’ addiction to vaping in Britain.
C．British health issues drawing public attention.	D．British government prohibiting disposable vapes.

10 . Will your happiness differ if you are doing a kind action without any expectation of rewards or with an expectation of rewards? A study by University of Sussex, headed by Dr. Daniel Campbell­Meikeljohn, tried to answer that question. He and his partners analyzed over 1, 000 brain scans from other studies related to reactions to making a decision based on kindness. They split the studies based on who was making a decision for altruistic (无私的) reasons and who was making a decision due to the expectation of an obvious reward. The results were interesting.

In both instances, the reward center of the brain lit up on the MRI scans (磁共振成像扫描). Yet, for those who made their decision without any rewards, other areas of the brain lit up as well. Specifically, it lit up the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (前扣带皮层区域), which scientists believe plays a role in emotional regulation. Also, it might aid in maintaining excitement related to an event that creates a positive emotional state.

In one study about the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, it is believed that this brain region could be related to depression if it isn’t developed properly or is dysfunctional. The fact that this part of the brain lights up during acts of generosity and caring without expectation of rewards shows that the altruistic individuals are getting more sustainable pleasure than those motivated by rewards. It also could aid in explaining how it helps depressive individuals feel happier after doing a kind deed.

We live in a society, and no man is a lonely island. We all need each other. For those who genuinely desire to help others regardless of repayment, maintaining a balance of helping others and yourself is very important. It is healthy and necessary to be kind to yourself, as well as to others.

1. Why did the author think the results interesting?

A．There are no differences as to the lit­up area of the brain.

B．The reward center of the brain lit up in one case alone.

C．The subgenual anterior cingulate cortex makes no difference.

D．The reward center of the brain lit up in both cases.

2. What can be learned about the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex?

A．It might help keep calm.	B．It may make a difference to controlling emotion.
C．It can create positive emotion.	D．It has nothing to do with depression.

3. What does the author seem to suggest in the last paragraph?

A．Help others regardless of yourself.	B．Treat others and yourself with kindness.
C．For the sake of yourself, lend a hand.	D．Practise kindness at all costs.