1 . Goran Kropp was a Swedish adventurer and mountaineer. In 1972, at the age of six, with his father’s help, he
Kropp
It took Kropp
| A．heard of | B．dreamed of | C．saw | D．climbed |
| A．top | B．country | C．area | D．valley |
| A．Unless | B．Once | C．While | D．Because |
| A．design | B．vehicle | C．theory | D．material |
| A．boring | B．easy | C．tiring | D．busy |
| A．lock | B．ride | C．repair | D．find |
| A．chose | B．refused | C．agreed | D．hated |
| A．presence | B．approval | C．assistance | D．knowledge |
| A．observers | B．travelers | C．mountaineers | D．hikers |
| A．gather | B．order | C．share | D．bring |
| A．breathe | B．walk | C．live | D．stay |
| A．medicines | B．food | C．clothes | D．equipment |
| A．two | B．three | C．many | D．several |
| A．go on | B．get up | C．set out | D．turn back |
| A．thoughtful | B．successful | C．doubtful | D．meaningful |
2 . 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. |
| 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. |
| A．Harmful. | B．Complex. |
| C．Unusual. | D．Common. |
| A．To discuss a disease. |
| B．To introduce a method. |
| C．To analyze a genetic risk. |
| D．To explain a phenomenon. |
3 . Microsoft has announced the general availability of its Azure AI Content Safety, a new service that helps users detect and filter harmful AI — and user-generated content across applications and services.
The service, designed to reduce negative information in community environments, includes text and image detection and identifies content that Microsoft terms “offensive, risky, or undesirable,” including hate, bias, adult content, violence and self-harm.
“By focusing on content safety, we can create a safer digital environment that promotes responsible use of AI and safeguards the well-being of individuals and society as a whole,” wrote Louise Han, product manager for Azure Anomaly Detector, in a blog post announcing the launch.
Azure AI Content Safety has the ability to handle various content categories, languages, and threats to moderate both text and visual content. It also offers image features that use AI algorithms to scan, analyze, and moderate visual content, ensuring what Microsoft terms 360-degree comprehensive safety measures. The service is also equipped to moderate content across multiple languages and it can rate the severity of specific content on a scale ranging from 0 to 7. Then it instructs human detectors to take action.
“When it comes to online safety, it is crucial to consider more than just human-generated content, especially as AI-generated content becomes prevalent,” Han wrote. “To make sure that AI-generated outputs are accurate, reliable, or appropriate materials is essential. Content safety not only protects users from misinformation and potential harm but also upholds moral standards and builds trust in AI technologies.”
Azure AI Content Safety has a better understanding of textual content and cultural context and are more precise in processing data and content than other products in their category.
Azure AI Content Safety is mainly priced on a pay-as-you-go basis. Interested users can checkout pricing options on the Azure AI Content Safety pricing page.
1. What’s the main idea of the passage?| A．Microsoft makes AI technologies popular. |
| B．Microsoft guarantees trust in AI technologies. |
| C．Microsoft launches AI Content Safety service. |
| D．Microsoft puts forward a term about AI Content Safety. |
| A．Hatred speeches. | B．Nursery rhymes. | C．Peaceful protests. | D．Defensive postures. |
| A．It deals only with visual information to guarantee a secure digital world. |
| B．It is the best product created to prevent misleading information in history. |
| C．It assesses the seriousness of specific information by using different languages. |
| D．It’s committed to accuracy, reliability and appropriateness of AI-generated contents. |
| A．the application of Azure AI Content Safety to users’ language learning. |
| B．the details of price choices when purchasing Azure AI Content Safety. |
| C．the comparison of Azure AI Content Safety and other similar products. |
| D．the examples of Azure AI Content Safety to solve technical problems. |
4 . Several months ago, a powerful tornado hit our city without any signs before. We hadn’t
Never did I imagine that we would put our regular
I couldn’t
Because of the tornado, I
| A．paid | B．searched | C．applied | D．prepared |
| A．pretended | B．requested | C．happened | D．managed |
| A．suddenly | B．early | C．secretly | D．immediately |
| A．lessons | B．training | C．meetings | D．savings |
| A．mixed up | B．turned up | C．lined up | D．given up |
| A．fear | B．shock | C．shame | D．confusion |
| A．problem | B．result | C．excuse | D．reason |
| A．hate | B．expect | C．see | D．survive |
| A．curious | B．unique | C．dangerous | D．strange |
| A．follow | B．receive | C．repeat | D．give |
| A．fortunate | B．honest | C．confident | D．brave |
| A．trust | B．pride | C．interest | D．curiosity |
| A．decided | B．realized | C．stressed | D．hoped |
| A．reward | B．power | C．wisdom | D．goal |
| A．chances | B．challenges | C．adventures | D．discussions |
5 . I first realized that plastic was a serious matter for our planet during my travel in Western Australia. One day about 12 years ago, I stopped at a supermarket along the Coral Bay coast ta buy some groceries. But the lady at the counter told me that the supermarket didn’t sell any shopping bags to prevent plastic in the ocean and help preserve the endangered turtles(海龟) living in that area. After a first reaction of surprise, I gathered all purchases in my arms and left, reflecting on what I had been told.
The experience in that trip made me more conscious about my impact and pushed me to adopt various habits to travel and live more sustainably. For example, I always carried a cotton bag when I went shopping.
My travel to Indonesia was another life-changing experience that strengthened my determination to turn to a zero-waste lifestyle. In Indonesia, finding safe drinkable water was always a challenge, so I traveled with my water bottle, managing to avoid almost entirely the use of plastic during my trip.
However, I was seriously struck by my stay on the Libaran Island, where a sustainable and turtle conservation project was launched 10 years ago. Despite the big efforts by the project staff and the community in cleaning up the beaches and creatively reusing plastic, the shore was washed daily with tons of plastic coming from the tides. Walking on a carpet of plastic that almost prevented me from seeing the beach underneath was quite shocking.
Facing this global issue in person, I felt a sense of sadness and anger that soon turned into determination: to do as much as possible to reduce plastic in my life. Sometimes we might feel helpless in front of big problems, but we should be aware that small changes could actually make a difference step by step!
1. How does the author lead in the topic of the text?| A．By reflecting on the present life. |
| B．By looking into the future environment. |
| C．By introducing the previous achievements. |
| D．By recalling the past shopping experience. |
| A．Cut back on travel. | B．Shop less frequently. |
| C．Lead a green life. | D．Rurify drinking water |
| A．It had no clear goal. | B．It didn’t work out very well. |
| C．It met the islanders’ needs. | D．It was aimed to prevent turtle attacks. |
| A．It is demanding | B．It is manageable. |
| C．It is easy to solve. | D．It’s lacking in attention. |
6 . In 1867, Caroline Shawk Brooks and her husband, Samuel, had a farm in Arkansas. Life on the farm was not easy. From sunrise to sunset, Caroline and Samuel milked cows, gardened, and picked cotton. This left Caroline no time for her dream of becoming an artist.
Time was not the only problem. Money was a worry too. The cotton crops were failing. What could Caroline and Samuel do?
Caroline decided to make butter (黄油) from their cows’milk and sell it at market. But other farms also made and sold butter. How would Caroline set her butter apart from the rest? This is where Caroline’s artistic talent came in. To draw attention to her butter, she began making small butter sculptures (雕塑). She used many different tools, such as butter paddles (搅拌器的浆叶), broom straws, and tree sticks. She also put the butter in a shallow tin pan, which sat in a larger tin pan filled with ice to stop the butter sculpture from melting.
Caroline’s butter sculptures were a hit. Before long, she was displaying them at fairs and exhibitions. One of her largest butter sculptures was a life-size statue called A Study in Butter. It was transported all the way to Paris for the 1878 world’s fair.
Caroline also made sculptures using marble (大理石). She eventually opened a studio in New York City where she created many marble sculptures, some of which were shown at the 1893 world’s fair in Chicago.
But Caroline never stopped making butter art. She considered butter a superior material to work with. At the 1893 fair, she also displayed her butter techniques with a sculpture of Christopher Columbus.
Caroline Shawk Brooks died in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1913. She is remembered as the first known American butter sculptor.
1. Why did Caroline make butter sculptures?| A．To realize her dream. | B．To make her butter stand out. |
| C．To make her farm famous. | D．To display her sculptures at the fair. |
| A．Caroline made her art works all by machine. |
| B．The sculptures were all made from cow's milk. |
| C．Ice was used to keep the butter sculptures in shape. |
| D．Caroline stopped making sculptures after being world-famous. |
| A．Talented and successful. | B．Confident and caring. |
| C．Creative and rich. | D．Brave and famous. |
| A．A Farming Pioneer. | B．A Great Sculptor. |
| C．The Butter Sculptures. | D．The Butter Artist. |
7 . It’s 1: 45 a.m, and 21-year-old Thomas Murphy is studying for an important exam. To stay awake, he’s had two cups of coffee in the last three hours and is now downing a popular energy drink which also has caffeine.
Caffeine is present in many of the foods and drinks we consume (消耗), but is it good for us? Charles Czeisler, a scientist and sleep expert at Harvard Medical School, believes that caffeine causes us to lose sleep. “Without enough sleep — the typical eight hours -the human body will not work at its best, physically, mentally, or emotionally.” Too often, Czeisler says, we consume caffeine to stay awake, which later makes it impossible for us to get the rest we need.
A number of scientists believe that regular caffeine use causes physical dependence. Heavy caffeine users show similar behaviors. For example, they get mild to severe headaches, or they feel tired or sad when they can’t have a caffeinated drink. To reduce or stop these feelings, users must consume caffeine, which is characteristic of drug addiction.
Despite these concerns, the general opinion in the scientific field is that caffeine is not dangerous when one or two small cups of coffee per day are consumed. Furthermore, a lot of current research goes against long-held negative beliefs about caffeine, and suggests that it may, in fact, have health benefits. For example, studies have shown that caffeine can help ease pain and help improve one’s mood. Research has also shown that some caffeinated drinks can help the body fight a number of illnesses, including certain types of cancer.
Caffeine’s behavioral effects are real, but most often mild. Getting that burst of energy, of course, is why many of the world’s most popular drinks contain caffeine. Whether it’s a student drinking coffee before class or a businessperson enjoying tea with lunch, humankind’s favorite stimulant (兴奋剂) is at work every day, all over the world.
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “downing” in paragraph 1?| A．Holding. | B．Decreasing. | C．Drinking. | D．Waking. |
| A．The type of caffeine will affect people’s sleep. |
| B．Heavy caffeine consumption will cause drug addiction. |
| C．It’s a good idea to consume caffeine if people want to stay energetic. |
| D．Regular caffeine use will make it difficult for people to get enough sleep. |
| A．The risks of caffeine intake. | B．The effects of consuming caffeine. |
| C．Healthy and unhealthy caffeine products. | D．Recent changes in caffeine consumption. |
| A．Worried. | B．Doubtful. | C．Objective. | D．Unconcerned. |
8 . Various sports attract fans for different reasons: Spectator sports draw even more fans who just love to watch. Here are some of the most beloved sports worldwide.
Hockey-2 billion fans
Hockey, both on ice and on a field, wins a following of two billion enthusiastic fans worldwide. Field hockey is mainly played in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, while ice hockey is particularly popular in Canada and the US, where kids grow up playing pond hockey. Unlike ice hockey, field hockey usually does not involve body contact in the form of checking and hitting.
Football-4 billion fans
Football, better known as soccer in the US, is by far the most popular sport in the world. Experts estimate that the origin (起源) of football may go as far back as two thousand years, beginning in ancient China during the Han Dynasty. One major reason for football’s global popularity is that unlike other sports that require expensive equipment, all you need to play football is a ball and your feet.
Volleyball-900 million fans
Volleyball pits two teams across a high net, each attempting to smash the ball onto the opponent’s floor. A popular variant, beach volleyball, is competed on sand by pairs rather than the regular six players per team. The crowd appeal of beach volleyball has grown greatly in recent years.
Tennis-1 billion fans
An estimated one billion people worldwide follow professional tennis tournaments and matches. In tennis, players on both sides of a net try to hit a ball with a racket so that it either goes past their opponent (对手) or bounces twice on their opponent’s side of the court to score points. Tennis superstars like Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams are now household names around the world, with huge international fan bases.
1. Which sport attracts the most fans according to the text?| A．Volleyball. | B．Hockey. | C．Football. | D．Tennis. |
| A．Its long history. | B．Its great convenience. |
| C．Its unique origin. | D．Its huge fan bases. |
| A．Playing ice hockey involves body contact. |
| B．Soccer is American people's favorite sport. |
| C．Beach volleyball has attracted the most sports fans recently. |
| D．A tennis player loses one point if his ball goes past his opponent. |
9 . It's strange, but I don't really remember the hurricane (飓风）itself. It all happened so
Although it was only a few days before we were
| A．frequently | B．recently | C．quickly | D．regularly |
| A．flew off | B．went off | C．calmed down | D．turned up |
| A．frightened | B．pleased | C．curious | D．impressive |
| A．confusing | B．hard | C．unique | D．encouraging |
| A．sweet | B．wet | C．powerful | D．bad |
| A．fresh | B．dirty | C．cold | D．open |
| A．watching | B．improving | C．reminding | D．ignoring |
| A．better | B．worse | C．hotter | D．harder |
| A．bed | B．sky | C．atmosphere | D．site |
| A．money | B．hope | C．time | D．safety |
| A．rescued | B．requested | C．recommended | D．remembered |
| A．taken | B．come | C．approached | D．passed |
| A．organize | B．decorate | C．rebuild | D．arrange |
| A．buildings | B．roofs | C．houses | D．stars |
| A．comfort | B．confidence | C．challenge | D．direction |
10 . It was a cold May morning when I received an interesting email from an old high school friend inviting me to join a 10-day all-girls surf trip. I knew I had to say
The trip seemed simple enough. Ten
I have always loved traveling, so I was
While surfing might not be my calling, trying it out
| A．yes | B．no | C．so | D．never |
| A．girls | B．adults | C．seniors | D．women |
| A．swimming | B．surfing | C．boating | D．diving |
| A．worried | B．anxious | C．confused | D．honored |
| A．in | B．out | C．off | D．away |
| A．eager | B．new | C．familiar | D．specific |
| A．personalities | B．goals | C．desires | D．interests |
| A．enjoy | B．help | C．challenge | D．defeat |
| A．Guided | B．Divided | C．Designed | D．Named |
| A．fell | B．froze | C．reached | D．crashed |
| A．fear | B．pride | C．encouragement | D．wonder |
| A．badly | B．perfectly | C．carefully | D．bravely |
| A．try | B．succeed | C．finish | D．manage |
| A．suggests | B．stops | C．prevents | D．inspires |
| A．leave behind | B．step out of | C．reach into | D．get through |
