1 . Flowers have a longstanding tradition as a means of emotional expression. When we wish to convey our affection, joy or condolences (哀悼), and words won’t work, we rely on the beauty of the flowers.
One of the most famous examples of floriography (花艺) is King Charles’ choice of funeral wreath for his mother, the late Queen. He expressed his sense of loss through his choice of blooms: Myrtle (香桃木) for love and prosperity, paired with English oak to represent strength.
How floriography influences our decisions has led florists to make some interesting observations. First, they documented that 29 percent of people chose flowers based on the color of the bouquet, with red being the most popular choice. Red is the color of passion and is widely regarded as an expression of love. However, pink has sumless meanings, depending on where you live: in Thailand, it symbolizes trust, while in Japan, it is considered a sign of good health. However, this only begins to scratch the surface of floriography.
But like all things in the world, there are good and bad, and some flowers are used to represent negative feelings toward the recipient. You might think yellow carnations are pretty, but they’ve been a symbol of defiance (蔑视) throughout history. Another flower best avoided is buttercup, whose yellow petals symbolize childishness.
By welcoming the tradition of floriography back into wider culture, we can explore the depth of our emotions in unique ways. Take a look at our beloved emojis — we can talk without typing a single word. Sending a heart here and a fire icon emojis there speaks through their aesthetics, a secret language all their own. Flowers are no different. They were merely the emojis of the19th Century, still filtering through after all this time.
1. What is the author’s purpose in referring to the example of King Charles?| A．To prove flowers to be expressive. | B．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| C．To arouse the readers’ interest in flowers. | D．To present some knowledge of flowers. |
| A．Sending flowers was historically disapproved of. |
| B．Buttercup was suitable flowers for giving to children. |
| C．Giving flowers often leads to some misunderstandings. |
| D．A second thought should be given to flowers to be sent. |
| A．By listing some representative emojis. | B．By recognizing the popularity of emojis. |
| C．By borrowing the similar features of emojis. | D．By mentioning the similar history of emojis. |
| A．The Traditional Art of Giving Flowers | B．The Emotional Expression in Flowers |
| C．Social Functions of Some Flowers | D．Interesting Observation of Flowers |
2 . Learned helplessness occurs when a person who has experienced repeated challenges comes to believe they have no control over their situation. They then give up trying to make changes and accept their fate.
Everyone can struggle at times, especially when coping with adversity and setbacks. Learned helplessness is characterized by more lasting symptoms such as: avoiding decisions, bad attitude, giving up quickly, inability to tolerate frustration, lack of effort, low motivation, passive behavior, poor self-esteem, refusing to try and so on. Learned helplessness is not a mental health problem, but it can sometimes be a sign of a mental disorder such as depression or anxiety.
The concept of learned helplessness was discovered accidentally by psychologists Martin Seligman and Steven F. Maier. They had initially observed helpless behavior in dogs that were classically conditioned to expect an electrical shock after hearing a tone. Later, the dogs were placed in a shuttle box that contained two chambers (室) separated by a low barrier. The floor was electrified on one side, and not on the other. The dogs previously subjected to the classical conditioning made no attempts to escape, even though avoiding the shock simply involved jumping over a small barrier.
Learned helplessness is frequently the result of experiencing stress or pain. People may feel that they have little to no control over the situation. Because of the lack of control, people may feel helpless and unmotivated to take action. Common causes that can lead to learned helplessness include: abuse, childhood neglect, domestic violence, natural disasters, etc.
Over-parenting can also contribute to the development of learned helplessness in children. When children are not allowed to try things independently, they may develop a poor sense of personal agency. Instead of trying, they believe that they are unable to do things and do not put forth any effort.
So what can people do to overcome learned helplessness? Learned helplessness can often be successfully decreased, particularly if intervention occurs during the early stages. Long-term learned helplessness can also be reduced, although it may require longer-term effort. Strategies that can help include: psychotherapy, self-care strategies, and getting social support.
1. Who is most likely to suffer from learned helplessness?| A．A person willing to accept help. | B．A person lacking discipline and energy. |
| C．A person encountering failures repeatedly. | D．A person desiring to succeed on their own. |
| A．Types. | B．Cures. | C．Causes. | D．Symptoms. |
| A．Receiving. | B．Rejecting. | C．Enjoying. | D．Fearing. |
| A．Predicting the extension of the concept of learned helplessness. |
| B．Explaining the ways of beating learned helplessness separately. |
| C．Describing the discovery of the concept of learned helplessness. |
| D．Summarizing the causes and consequences of learned helplessness. |
3 . Over 30 years ago, I stood in the front row of a kindergarten performance, singing to all the parents of the elementary school. At the end of the performance, Mrs. Summers, whom I always tried to impress, made a statement that would impact me for nearly a lifetime. She walked up to my mom and stated, “She certainly was the most excited and eager student I had this year, but she couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.”
From that day on, I was always insecure about my singing. Singing became an embarrassment for me and I didn’t want anyone to hear me. When I was home alone, I would belt out (大声唱) songs as if I was singing on the stage. Though I felt insecure, it made my heart dance and my soul get free.
When I started attending church regularly, a woman came up to me and asked why I didn’t join the choir. She stated that I had a beautiful singing voice and appeared to greatly enjoy singing. I laughed and said she must have been joking. With a look of surprise, she simply suggested that I should think about it because I would be a nice addition to the choir.
Why did I have such a hard time allowing others to hear me sing? It was because I had believed some words that came out of my teacher’s mouth as a child. Mrs. Summers was probably trying to be humorous, but as a child, her comment truly hurt me. So I made a decision to stop believing the words I held on to for so many years. The following week, I joined the choir, and I began to feel better. Now I sing in the streets, and I sing in the gym. It doesn’t matter if I can carry a tune in a basket; I carry it on my heart.
1. How did Mrs. Summers think of the author’s performance in the kindergarten?| A．She had a great talent for singing. | B．She was too nervous to sing well. |
| C．Her singing voice was distinctive. | D．Her singing was rather out of tune. |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Abandoned. | C．Discouraged. | D．Wronged. |
| A．She played a joke on the author. |
| B．She knew the author’s problem. |
| C．She wanted to sing like the author. |
| D．She appreciated the author’s voice. |
| A．Don’t act for others’ judgement. | B．Love whatever you want to do. |
| C．Learn from your past mistakes. | D．Hard work will finally pay off. |
4 . It’s Community Day again!
The event that Maple Estate residents are eagerly looking forward to is just around the corner! As usual, the Maple Residents’ Committee has planned a programme that is designed to promote community spirit. Maple Estate has been celebrating Community Day every month for more than a year. By now, we hope all our residents understand the importance of forming strong bonds with our neighbors. If you have just moved to our lovely estate and have not had the opportunity to know your neighbors, you can do so by joining at Community Day!
August Highlight: Maple Estate Chefs
Call all residents who are keen to practice your cooking skills and let your neighbors sample your cooking! You will be the stars of the upcoming event! Visit icuew.Maplerc.sg for more information and register for this activity. Kitchen equipment and basic ingredients will be provided. You will receive a $50 shopping voucher that you can use to purchase other ingredients from Maple Mart the day before the event. Remember to register before 21 July, 2024! We are sure everyone will enjoy the delicious dishes!
Time: From10 a. m. to 6 p. m., 6 August,2024
Place: Maple Community Club
Entry: Flash your Maple Resident Card
“My wife and I moved to Maple Estate when we got married. For a few months, we spent all our free time after work doing up our house. Even though we knew that our neighbors were friendly and would sometimes invite us for their gatherings, we were occupied with getting things ready. However, it wasn’t long before we grew curious about the Community Day celebrations. After we started attending them regularly, we met many neighbors. The first time we invited some of them over, we played games that helped us to get to know one another better!”
—Mr. Wang, a Maple Estate resident since 2022
1. What can we learn about the Community Day?| A．It is an event to boost community relationship. |
| B．It is an event launched by the local government. |
| C．It is a community event held every other month. |
| D．It is an event open to the community and beyond. |
| A．To pay a registration fee of $50． | B．To bring some basic ingredients. |
| C．To sign up before 21 July, 2024． | D．To purchase some cooking equipment. |
| A．They spent all their time on their work. | B．They were busy decorating their house. |
| C．They weren’t invited for the gatherings. | D．They lacked knowledge of the community. |
5 . While in middle school, students seem to have one goal: to be popular. Like most thirteen-year-olds, I gave in to this need to
One afternoon, I told my father that I wanted to be popular. He looked at me and asked me why I felt that way. I
My father
As the days passed and I thought about it, I realized there might be some
| A．get away | B．break up | C．set off | D．fit in |
| A．scratched | B．shrugged | C．switched | D．shook |
| A．simply | B．unwillingly | C．consciously | D．pleasantly |
| A．proceeded | B．determined | C．pretended | D．attempted |
| A．fashionable | B．practical | C．unique | D．elegant |
| A．sample | B．souvenir | C．decoration | D．must |
| A．resisting | B．describing | C．sporting | D．designing |
| A．depressed | B．delighted | C．shocked | D．disappointed |
| A．trend | B．revolution | C．campaign | D．reformation |
| A．dignity | B．confidence | C．regret | D．embarrassment |
| A．attention | B．response | C．truth | D．gratitude |
| A．complaining | B．blaming | C．appreciating | D．pleasing |
| A．caring | B．fancying | C．remembering | D．imagining |
| A．satisfaction | B．challenge | C．expectation | D．liberation |
| A．Leaning | B．Voting | C．Swimming | D．Running |
6 . Is forgiveness against our human nature? To answer our question, we need to ask a further question: What is the essence of our humanity? For the sake of simplicity, people consider two distinctly different views of humanity.
The first view involves dominance and power. In an early paper on the psychology of forgiveness, Droll (1984) made the interesting claim that humans’ essential nature is more aggressive than forgiving allows. Those who forgive are against their basic nature, much to their harm. In his opinion, forgivers are compromising their well-being as they offer mercy to others, who might then take advantage of them.
The second view involves the theme of cooperation, mutual respect, and even love as the basis of who we are as humans. Researchers find that to fully grow as human beings, we need both to receive love from and offer love to others. Without love, our connections with a wide range of individuals in our lives can fall apart. Even common sense strongly suggests that the will to power over others does not make for harmonious interactions. For example, how well has slavery worked as a mode of social harmony?
From this second viewpoint of who we are as humans, forgiveness plays a key role in the biological and psychological integrity of both individuals and communities because one of the outcomes of forgiveness, shown through scientific studies, is the decreasing of hate and the restoration of harmony. Forgiveness can break the cycle of anger. At least to the extent the people from whom you are estranged (不和的) accept your love and forgiveness and are prepared to make the required adjustments. Forgiveness can heal relationships and reconnect people.
As an important note, when we take a classical philosophical perspective, we see the distinction between potentiality and actuality. We are not necessarily born with the capacity to forgive, but instead with the potential to learn about it and to grow in our ability to forgive. The actuality of forgiving, in real situations, develops with practice.
1. What is Droll’s idea about forgiveness?| A．People should offer mercy to others. |
| B．Aggressive people should learn to forgive. |
| C．Forgiveness depends on the nature of humanity. |
| D．People who forgive can have their own welfare affected. |
| A．To fight is to grow. | B．To give is to receive. |
| C．To forgive is to abuse. | D．To dominate is to harm. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Reserved. | C．Objective. | D．Skeptical. |
| A．Forgiveness is in our nature. | B．Forgiveness grows with time. |
| C．It takes practice to forgive. | D．Actuality is based on potentiality. |
7 . My wife always wanted a Vizsla, so when we got the house, the garden and everything sorted, we did some research and found a lovely breeder (饲养员) based in Scotland. He was in charge of everything, so a few months go by and the next thing I know, we’ve got a puppy!
I’ve grown up with animals all my life, and I’m so glad I have. I love the fact that I was never afraid of any animals. Although you do obviously have to be careful when introducing children to a dog they don’t know, because you don’t know how it’s going to behave, it always saddens me when I see children scared when they walk past Pedro. I think it’s great for kids to learn how to look after an animal.
And obviously for us, as a family, it’s brilliant because we take Pedro for so many walks. It’s a bit of a family bonding experience getting out in the fresh air; taking Pedro for a walk multiple times a day is just really lovely. Meanwhile, the most rewarding, I think, is just seeing how amazing he is with the kids. He is so calm, so protective, so loving, and we are his world.
I think the most challenging aspects with Pedro were when he was a puppy (小狗). He was pretty hard work. He was never aggressive, but he was quite bitey as puppies are, constantly pulling out your clothes and putting holes in them, which is very annoying. He chewed the furniture-my sofas are barely standing up; their wooden legs are almost in pieces. Obviously, the dog training in the house was quite stressful and his jumping at strangers in the park and running off was always quite scary.
As a new puppy owner, you’re overloaded with advice from social media, magazines, other dog owners and friends, so finding a source of information you trust is so important and can be a real turning point. I know what it’s like to be bombarded with conflicting information, so I would have really welcomed Royal Canin’s “One in a Billion” platform as a new puppy owner. It’s a one-stop shop for new dog owners: a single source of credible information that is so helpful in navigating the early stages of your puppy’s life.
1. What do we know about the author?| A．He is inexperienced in raising pets. |
| B．He is unsupportive of his wife’s desire. |
| C．He feels it a pity that children shy away from pets. |
| D．He thinks one should be cautious about raising pets. |
| A．Dangerous but loyal. | B．Playful and gentle. |
| C．Adorable but troublesome. | D．Annoying and fierce. |
| A．Dogs are man’s best friends. |
| B．It is worthless to have a dog. |
| C．Puppies are unfriendly to humans. |
| D．It is challenging to train a puppy. |
| A．To recommend a reliable platform. |
| B．To share a fun experience. |
| C．To offer evidence for an argument. |
| D．To advertise a practical product. |
8 . If you’ve scrolled through your Facebook feed recently, you may have noticed something surprising: lots and lots of short videos.
What makes this “Reels” feature strange is that it is hugely addictive, which I know quite well from my own personal experience. Last Friday, I took a break and hit on one short clip of someone making dinner and, well, the next time I looked up it was 20 minutes later and the blank document on my computer monitor was confirming to me that my work was still not done.
However, as silly as it seems, Reels-is actually super important, and is at the centre of a major battle between the world’s largest tech firms. The format (格式) was first pioneered by TikTok-the Chinese-owned video app that has taken the world by storm since it launched in 2016. Today, TikTok has around 23 million UK users every month-including basically every person you know under the age of 25. And that fact has made Facebook and its parent company, Meta, very nervous indeed. As TikTok has continued to boom, Facebook has actually fallen in popularity among “Gen Z”. The reason Tik Tok has proven such a powerful challenger to Facebook’s social media dominance is almost entirely down to these sorts of short-form videos.
The format is almost perfectly optimised to be as addictive as possible: Tik Tok’s app shows you a short-form video, and if you don’t like it, you can simply swipe it away and another one will start playing instantly. And because it is portrait, not landscape, videos look “right” when viewed on your phone. What’s also smart is that TikTok’s algorithm (算法) picks videos for you based on what you actually watch, and not what you say you want.
Facebook isn’t the only app trying to do what TikTok does so well. Instagram, which is owned by Facebook’s parent company Meta, has integrated Reels even more aggressively into its app. And even Google is nervous, launching its own TikTok-style video section of YouTube(which it owns)a couple of years ago. As things stand, though TikTok currently maintains a healthy lead in the category, both YouTube and Facebook have deep pockets-so expect to see even more Reels and Shorts popping up in your feed as this intense battle continues to rage. You won’t be able to take your eyes off them.
1. Why did the author mention his own experience in paragraph 2?| A．To illustrate the feature of short videos. |
| B．To stress the importance of short videos. |
| C．To prove his preference to short videos. |
| D．To introduce the functions of short videos. |
| A．It has shown the trend of the fall in popularity among “Gen Z”. |
| B．It is perceived as a potential threat to Facebook’s social media dominance. |
| C．Its number of registered UK users has reached 23 million since it launched in 2016. |
| D．It underestimates the essential role of short videos in competition with large tech firms. |
| A．The beautiful visual effects. |
| B．The high video quality. |
| C．The random recommendation. |
| D．The quick switch between videos. |
| A．The short videos have a profound impact on our daily life. |
| B．TikTok seems to be losing its advantage over short videos in the short run. |
| C．YouTube and Facebook may encounter financial difficulties in developing Shorts. |
| D．A growing number of tech firms have engaged in fierce competition for the short video market. |
9 . That artificial food dyes (染料) are unhealthy is not news. Some are known to cause hyperactivity (多动症) in some children, affecting their ability to learn. But regulatory agencies (监管机构) around the world don’t necessarily agree on which food dyes are a problem, or why. That may soon change. A 2021 peer-reviewed report by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment concluded that artificial food dyes “cause or worsen neurobehavioral (神经行为的) problems in some children” and that the current levels that are regarded safe for consumption by the federal government are too high.
California is now considering requiring warning labels on food products and dietary supplements containing the seven most commonly used artificial dyes. The warning label requirement would put California on par with the European Union, which since 2010 has required food products containing certain artificial food dyes to carry warning labels about their negative effect on activity and attention in children.
Artificial dyes are used in foods for one reason: to make products look prettier. Bright colors make candies appealing, especially to kids. But dyes are also in chocolate cake mixes, salad dressings and other products that don’t seem to cry out for a color boost.
In Europe, it was the 2010 label lawmaking that triggered (引发) companies’ decisions to reformulate. “If you’re a company, you do not want to put a warning label on your product.” says Lefferts, an environmental health consultant. Warning labels are why European Starburst Fruit Chews are now colored with natural products, not the artificial dyes that brighten their North American counterparts (同类商品).
Given that artificial food dyes are used far more than needed, we need to be more cautious. After all, we don’t dye fresh fruits and vegetables, but we do dye candy and sprinkles, points out Joe Schwarcz, a chemistry professor at McGill University in Montreal. “The foods in which you find food dyes are foods that are poor in nutrition,” he says. “If you limit foods that contain food dyes, you automatically make your diet better.”
1. What can we learn about artificial food dyes from paragraph 1?| A．A 2021 report confirmed their negative effects. |
| B．The fact that they are harmful is newly revealed. |
| C．Regulatory agencies consider them a serious problem. |
| D．The Federal government thinks their current standard too high. |
| A．In opposition to. | B．In line with. | C．Ahead of. | D．Behind. |
| A．Food companies will stop coloring their products. |
| B．More fresh fruits and vegetables will appear in the market. |
| C．Food companies may replace artificial dyes with natural products. |
| D．It will be hard to find packaged foods without warning labels of dyes. |
| A．Approving. | B．Neutral. | C．Tolerant. | D．Concerned. |
10 . Summer may well be the favourite season of classical music lovers, with numerous festivals spanning all genres and composers taking place worldwide. And what’s better than enjoying a live performance of your favourite piece? Enjoying it in the great outdoors, of course!
Verbier Festival, Switzerland
Nestled in the breathtaking Swiss Alps at 1500 metres altitude is a picturesque little village called Verbier. Its magical two-week celebration festival has become known for attracting the biggest soloists in the world, and this year, marking its 30th anniversary, is no exception with its all-star cast: Chinese pianist Yuja Wang, the young superstar cellist Sheku-Kanneh Mason and many others.
July 14 — July 30, verbierfestival.com
Granada International Festival, Spain
Since 1952, the International Festival of Music and Dance of Granada has taken up residence in Alhambra Palace and its gardens during the months of June and July, to showcase classical music, opera ballet, Spanish dance and flamenco. The outdoor Generalife Theatre presents the visual spectaculars of the Spanish National Ballet, Hamburg Ballet and Spain’s National Dance Company. Legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan will also draw crowds to the breathtaking Generalife.
June 21 — July 19, grandafestival.org
Edinburgh International Festival, Scotland
With the Edinburgh International Festival around every corner, there’s a wonderful atmosphere on the historic streets of Edinburgh in August. Historic squares become circles as people gather to watch miraculous performers. This year, it welcomes violinist Nicola Benedetti as festival director with a fresh programme that invites international guests including the Alvin Ailey from American Dance Theatre, and South Korea’s KBS Symphony Orchestra in their first ever UK performance.
August 4 — August 27, eif.co.uk
Grand Tet on Music Festival, USA
Located at the base of the Tet on mountain range in Wyoming and within easy reach of Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Teton Music Festival offers unrivalled access to the natural world as well as eight weeks of music. The programme will open with a cycle of Beethoven piano concertos with local pianist Garrick Ohlsson and close with concert performances of Puccini’s La bohème.
July 3 — August 27, gtmf.org
1. Which festival is suitable for ballet enthusiasts?| A．Verbier Festival. | B．Grand Teton Music Festival. |
| C．Granada International Festival. | D．Edinburgh International Festival. |
| A．They are all held in mountains. |
| B．They are all over three weeks long. |
| C．They all offer outdoor venues to enjoy music. |
| D．They all invite famous musicians from home and abroad. |
| A．A music magazine. | B．A travel brochure. |
| C．A commercial advertisement. | D．An art guidebook. |
