1 . Have you ever heard of “children of the stars”? It might sound mysterious, but the expression refers to children with autism (自闭症). World Autism Awareness Day falls on April 2. It was initiated by the United Nations to raise awareness and promote acceptance of people with autism.

According to the US-based Autism Research Institute, autism is a disorder with symptoms (症状) that appear within the first three years of life. The condition is believed to involve deficits (缺陷) in social communication and interaction as well as restricted, repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities.

Meng Lingdi, whose daughter was diagnosed (诊断) with autism at 2 years old, shared that her daughter wouldn’t pay attention to her when Meng asked her to do something. “She made less eye contact with people compared to other kids,” Meng added.

Children with autism also suffer from physical pain. “Many children with autism experience epilepsy (癫痫) due to differences in brain activity,” said Sun Zhongkai at Beijing Stars and Rain Education Institute for Autism. Epilepsy among people with autism becomes even more prevalent (普遍的) starting from adolescence (青春期), he added.

At present, the precise cause of autism remains unknown, but research indicates that it is likely a result of a mix of developmental, genetic (遗传的), and environmental factors.

“According to our statistics, older parents are more likely to have autistic children than younger parents,” said Sun. “If the first child in a family has autism, the chances of subsequent children also having autism are about 10 times higher than in families where the first child is not autistic. The likelihood of identical twins both having autism is also significant.”

Although autism is a lifelong condition, there are various treatments available. According to Liu Wei, a teacher at the institute with 20 years of experience in teaching people with autism, it is crucial not to view people with autism with a sense of strangeness. Affirmations (肯定) from others will make them feel proud, enabling them to interact with others more effectively. For those close to autism sufferers, such as friends or family, it’s useful to establish certain principles for the individual, such as what is permissible and what is not. They should also have a deep understanding of autism and how to deal with it, which, for children with autism, may “benefit them for a lifetime,” said Sun.

1. What is the purpose of the World Autism Awareness Day’s foundation?

A．To make people with autism easier to get various treatments.

B．To arouse people’s attention to autism and make people with autism easier to be accepted.

C．To make people with autism have a deep understanding of autism.

D．To enable people with autism to interact with others more effectively.

2. What is autism primarily characterized by?

A．High anxiety.	B．Sleeping disorders.
C．Communication difficulties.	D．Exceptional athletic skills.

3. What can we know about autistic children with epilepsy?

A．They are more active physically.	B．They exhibit heightened sensitivity.
C．Their condition worsens with age.	D．Their brain functions unusually.

4. According to the text, which factor may be linked to an increased likelihood of having a child with autism?

A．Gender of the child.	B．Age of the parents.
C．Education of the parents.	D．Environmental pollution.

5. How should we approach individuals with autism, according to the text?

A．Offer encouragement and support.	B．Communicate our ideas clearly to them.
C．Be as generous as possible.	D．Allow freedom in their choices.

2 . Imagine two applicants are in a job interview: one expresses a great passion for the work, while the other points to family encouragement to pursue that field. Which applicant has a better chance of succeeding? Conventional wisdom suggests it would be the one who has a strong personal passion.

Passion is not a universally powerful basis of achievement, but the culture a person grew up in matters a lot. That means universities and companies that frequently rely on passion in candidates are pretermitting talented students and employees.

It seems that passion is a much stronger predictor of achievement in certain societies than others. “This leads to a blind spot among interviewers and is unfair to people from diverse backgrounds,” said Xingyu Li, the lead author of a new study. As a person coming from a collectivist (集体主义的) society, he knows exactly how people feel when they are rejected just because they are seemingly not as passionate as others. This research is novel for its using big data to compare a wider range of culturally diverse societies.

The researchers collected the data including scores from 1.2 million high school students across 59 countries. They found those who felt passionate about science, reading, or other subjects were more likely to be given better scores. This is quite true in individualist societies such as the United States and Australia, compared with collectivist countries such as China, Thailand, and Colombia, where the students felt that having family support for their interest was important.

Individualist countries regard the self as the source of motivation. For example, in the United States, doing well because of what others expect might seem to be evidence of a lack of potential. In collectivist societies, the self is inter-dependent, part of a web of relations, roles, and responsibilities. For instance, in the movie The Grandmaster, the legendary martial arts teacher Ip Man never said that he had a personal passion for kung fu. Rather, his drive to attain mastery came from the desire to live up to what his belt symbolized to his teacher and society.

The findings open up the possibility of designing educational interventions that don’t rely only on the western idea of cultivating (培育) passion. That helps better unlock the potential of our students and workforce.

1. Who is more likely to succeed in a job interview according to most employers?

A．Those who have a web of relations.	B．Those who are familiar with the company.
C．Those who gain much family encouragement.	D．Those who have great enthusiasm for the position.

2. What does the underlined word “pretermitting” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Neglecting.

B．Harvesting.

C．Exploring.

D．Defending.

3. What might be Xingyu Li’s team’s purpose of conducting the research?

A．To clarify the link between students’ passion and academic performance.

B．To encourage people to learn the cultures of different countries.

C．To win people from different cultural contexts more chances of admission

D．To show the importance of big data in culture-related studies at particular.

4. Who tends to regard family responsibility as a source of motivation?

A．An American.

B．A Colombian.

C．An Australian.

D．A Canadian.

5. What does the author intend to illustrate in Paragraph 5?

A．The model of motivation varies from culture to culture.

B．The negative effects of societal expectations on individuals.

C．The role of self-realization matters in a person’s success and well-being.

D．The typical personality types in individualist countries and collectivist ones.

3 . At 65 years old, Warburton experienced great changes in her life. She _________ her mobility due to an illness, which made her upset and _________ about what to do in the future. During the boring _________ at home, Warburton came across some real estate listings (房地产宣传单) brought by her daughter one day. Among the listings, an offering of a small barbershop _________ Warburton’s eyes. She admits “the place was awful,” but she loved it _________. She regarded it as an opportunity to do something she’d _________ to do—run a bookshop.

Soon after making her _________, Warburton bought the store with the support of her family, and _________ her new business, The Book Rest.

Warburton has been a (an) _________ book collector since she was a child. She married a man with a similar __________. Therefore, their home was __________ with books. “The books are our __________. It still feels, when a special book goes out, which means a __________ to me—as if some little part of me has been __________,” she said in an interview with The Guardian. “But later the thought that the book may __________ others came to my mind, which gave me much __________. I was happy to __________ knowledge and happiness to them through my books,” she says.

Although Warburton’s business __________ a lot during the pandemic, she has no plan to close it. She sees every day in the bookstore as a chance to help others realize their dreams. “All the dreams are in the books and they are all there waiting to be __________,” she says.

And as a gatekeeper of her own small universe of literary wonders, Warburton says she plans to stay around __________ she can to ensure that they do.

1.

A．increased

B．gained

C．balanced

D．lost

2.

A．strict

B．excited

C．confused

D．considerate

3.

A．recovery

B．study

C．sales

D．regret

4.

A．tested

B．shaded

C．wiped

D．caught

5.

A．temporarily

B．instantly

C．slightly

D．randomly

6.

A．feared

B．desired

C．pretended

D．agreed

7.

A．invitation

B．fortune

C．decision

D．heritage

8.

A．replied

B．saved

C．discussed

D．started

9.

A．enthusiastic

B．famous

C．careful

D．courageous

10.

A．style

B．problem

C．hobby

D．job

11.

A．familiar

B．crowded

C．bored

D．content

12.

A．replacements

B．treasures

C．sources

D．professions

13.

A．depression

B．pleasure

C．trade

D．joke

14.

A．monitored

B．touched

C．woken up

D．taken away

15.

A．correct

B．embarrass

C．benefit

D．disappoint

16.

A．opportunity

B．comfort

C．reference

D．experience

17.

A．pass

B．return

C．acquire

D．explain

18.

A．achieved

B．improved

C．suffered

D．expanded

19.

A．put away

B．set aside

C．thrown away

D．picked up

20.

A．as soon as

B．now that

C．as long as

D．even if

4 . There are a fair few benefits of waking up early. There is increasing evidence (证据) that suggests morning people could be healthier. According to a new study, women in particular who wake up earlier could be less likely to develop depression. Researchers wanted to see if a woman’s chronotype (睡眠类型) — whether they were an “early bird” or “night owl” — had any influence on their risk of depression (抑郁).

They used data from a large study that recorded the health of more than 32.000 female nurses in the US, with an average age of 55 for-nearly thirty years. In 2009, they were asked to tell whether they were a morning or evening person, then they followed up after four years to see how many of them developed depression. During that time there were 2,581 new cases of depression, and those morning types were somewhere between 12 and 27% less likely to develop depression.

The results show that someone’s chronotype could be a reason for developing depression, but the risk is small. The study was based on a special group of people, who are in a highly emotionally and energetically demanding job, and so there is no certainty that the risk of depression is influenced by their sleeping habits. The results are not necessarily suitable for other women of the same age, or men, or children, either.

However, the study does raise some interesting points of discussion. For example, recent research found that disrupting (干扰) our body clock can increase our risk of mood disorders like depression. Nurses work long hours and they often work at night. That may cause psychological problems.

Research has also found that too much sleep and too little sleep are both likely to be bad for your health, and the best way to make sure you’re getting the right amount is to stick to a schedule. That means that even if you have a late night, you should try and get up at the same time every day.

While the answer isn’t as simple as early birds being healthier than night owls, what is clear is that sleep is important to avoiding diseases.

1. Which of the following is TRUE about the research?

A．The subjects of it are all female nurses all over the world.

B．Researchers have followed the subjects for nearly thirty years.

C．Those people who got up early were less likely to have depression.

D．Those people who aged over 55 were more likely to develop depression.

2. What can we infer from the study results?

A．They are one-sided.	B．They are useless.
C．They are correct.	D．They are reasonable.

3. According to the passage, nurses are at risk of psychological problems because ______.

A．they have much work to do	B．their body clock is disordered
C．they always sleep late	D．their sleep time is short

4. What does the fifth paragraph mainly suggest?

A．Working less time.	B．Not working late at night.
C．Sleeping as long as possible.	D．Keeping the body clock.

5. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．The benefits of waking up early.	B．Is sleeping earlier better than late?
C．Nurses are likely to have depression	D．Can keeping early hours prevent depression?

5 . As an insurance(保险)agent, I have to visit clients(客户)at their homes. I had a(n) ______ client named Ms. Gooden. She is a sweet lady and always does her best to keep me at her home as long as she can. One day, she told me that her children lived far away from her and she felt ______. As I was leaving, she ______ the flowers she wished she had in her yard. She said that when she was a child the ______ flowers she could remember seeing were the ones ______ on the large flour sacks (面粉袋). I asked her, “If you had flowers what ______ would you have?” She answered me back that any color would be ______ to her.

One day when I knew she had a(n) ______ with her doctor, I went to a flower shop and bought many colorful flowers. I went to her home and ______ them in an area of the yard ______ when she looked out of the window, she would ______ different kinds of beautiful flowers.

The next time I visited her home, she asked if I knew anything about the ______. I told her no and we both smiled ______ at each other. While I was sitting there she began to tell me about all of the butterflies and bees that came to ______ her garden. She continued to talk about her ______ “friends” in her life.

As I was about to leave I ______ she was watching over her garden and its visitors ______. She didn’t even try to keep me from ______. I realized at that moment that Ms. Gooden had been suffering from what a lot of elderly people suffer from — ______. The few dollars spent on the flowers were well worth the ______ those flowers brought to her face and to my heart.

1.

A．elderly

B．honest

C．embarrassed

D．annoying

2.

A．upset

B．worried

C．helpless

D．lonely

3.

A．forgot

B．mentioned

C．referred

D．watched

4.

A．beautiful

B．expensive

C．only

D．unusual

5.

A．described

B．written

C．stuck

D．pictured

6.

A．price

B．shape

C．size

D．color

7.

A．important

B．favorite

C．suitable

D．special

8.

A．quarrel

B．discussion

C．appointment

D．lesson

9.

A．planted

B．dropped

C．buried

D．hung

10.

A．in fear that

B．so that

C．in case that

D．even though

11.

A．see

B．search

C．touch

D．smell

12.

A．trees

B．lawns

C．gardens

D．flowers

13.

A．mysteriously

B．satisfyingly

C．knowingly

D．unnaturally

14.

A．destroy

B．find

C．visit

D．appreciate

15.

A．new

B．common

C．noisy

D．huge

16.

A．heard

B．noticed

C．told

D．judged

17.

A．carefully

B．quickly

C．unconcernedly

D．peacefully

18.

A．enjoying

B．entering

C．exploring

D．leaving

19.

A．illness

B．loneliness

C．weakness

D．headaches

20.

A．darkness

B．calm

C．joy

D．sadness

6 . McCormick Place in Chicago, the largest convention center (会议中心) in North America, is covered in glass that is enjoyable for humans but deadly for birds. On Oct 5, over 1,000 migrating birds died from colliding with (相撞) its glass walls in a single day.

According to data from Cornell University, the number of birds killed there during that one night is roughly equal to the typical yearly bird collision deaths at the building.

One key reason for the accident is the glass. During the day, birds fly toward glass as it reflects a perfect image of the sky and nearby trees. As night falls, the bright light from glass buildings attracts birds who fly according to the location of the moon and stars. The recent collision happened on the night of Oct 5, when the lights in the building were on for an event.

After colliding with a building, many birds will die on the spot from a broken skull. Others may continue to fly for some distance, but they rarely survive for more than a few hours, as Brendon Samuels, who researches bird window collisions at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, told The Guardian.

Every year, nearly one billion birds collide with glass in the US, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. In China, bird collisions are not uncommon, either. In the autumn of 2022 and spring of 2023, the National Anti-bird Collisions Action Alliance reported a total of 190 cases of bird collisions, which included several types of birds listed as second-class protected wildlife.

These tragedies (悲剧) could have been avoided if appropriate (合适的) measures had been taken. Many places around the world have already put forward bird-related guidelines on building design. These include reducing the use of glass in building walls and applying bird-friendly materials and visual markers (视觉标记) to the buildings’ walls. Turning off lights at night during migration seasons can also significantly help reduce bird collisions.

Alongside guidelines on bird-friendly building design, people can also do their bit to help birds by putting stickers (贴纸) on glass windows in their homes and closing the curtains at night.

1. What do we know about the bird collision event that happened in Chicago on Oct 5?

A．It happened during the day.

B．About 10,000 birds were killed.

C．McCormick Place closed because of it.

D．The building`s glass is a key cause of it.

2. According to the passage, what happens to the birds after they collide with buildings?

A．Many die instantly or within a few hours due to injuries.

B．They fly back to where they came from.

C．They will be rescued and rehabilitated.

D．Most survive but with minor injuries.

3. What are the typical characteristics of bird-building collisions?

A．Common and harmful to birds.

B．Unavoidable and friendly to birds.

C．Rare and damaged to both birds and buildings.

D．Infrequent and preventable to both birds and buildings.

4. What measure is suggested to help prevent bird collisions?

A．Building taller structures.

B．Painting buildings in bright colors.

C．Increasing lighting around buildings at night.

D．Reducing glass and adding bird-safe materials in buildings.

5. What does this passage mainly talk about?

A．The effects of closing curtains at night on bird migration.

B．The National Anti-bird Collisions Action Alliance report.

C．The tragedy of bird collision with building glass.

D．The largest convention center in North America.

7 . If you are looking for a unique gift for a graduate, I recommend these children’s picture books for their wit and wisdom.

I Wish You More

I Wish You More, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld, is a book full of good wishes, expressed in a way that graduates will appreciate. While acknowledging (承认) life isn’t perfect, the wishes are always for the best. Wishes include, “I wish you more give than take” and “I wish you more umbrellas than rain”. The book’s creators effectively combine humor, wisdom and affection in it.

If You Hold a Seed

The author and illustrator Elly MacKay’s illustrations tell this quiet story about a little boy who plants a seed and patiently cultivates and cares for it over the seasons until it reaches maturity. This story also serves as a metaphor (隐喻) for working towards a dream or goal with care and patience and reaching it over time, which makes If You Hold a Seed a good graduation gift.

Only One You

In this picture book written and illustrated by Linda Kranz, a mother and a father decide it is time to share their wisdom with their son, Adri. While Adri’s parents’ words are indeed wise, it is the mixed media artwork illustrating their meanings that makes this book so special. For example, “If something gets in your way, move around it” is illustrated with a line of rock fish that detour around a fishing line with a worm on it.

1. How does the writer introduce I Wish You More?

A．By showing some examples.

B．By telling an interesting story.

C．By making a comparison.

D．By explaining the meanings of the wishes.

2. What would the writer like to tell us by If You Hold a Seed?

A．Plants have something to do with seeds.

B．It is not easy for a plant to reach maturity.

C．The book can be regarded as a good gift for kids.

D．Care and patience are important in realizing a goal.

3. Only One You is illustrated with pictures in order to ______.

A．take it more expensive

B．show the writer’s artistic standard

C．help readers to understand it better

D．encourage readers to overcome difficulties

8 . Which is the right fitness pathway for you?

At our gym, we offer several fitness pathways catering to (满足) different needs and goals. Let’s explore each option in more detail:

Gym Welcome

Price: Free

Session duration: Up to 25 minutes

This pathway is ideal for members who are new to a gym environment. During this session, our aim is to familiarize you with all our facilities and services. You will learn about the key health and safety aspects of the gym and understand how to use the fitness equipment effectively. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to speak with a member of our staff who can provide exercise advice to help you get started on your fitness journey.

Personal Program

Price: Free

Session duration: Up to 55 minutes

The Personal Program pathway is suitable for everyone, especially those who are new to the gym. This program is designed to meet your Individual needs, ensuring a more effective workout. The length of the program can be tailored (专门定制) according to your requirements. Once the program is complete, you can choose to renew it or explore other program options offered by our gym. Please note that personal programs are limited to one program per member every 12 weeks.

Personal Training

Price: £45 per session

Buy five sessions for the price of four at £180.

Session duration: 60 minutes

For individuals who are dedicated to maximizing their training and achieving specific goals, our Personal Training pathway is a perfect fit. Whether you’re an athlete, someone in need of guidance and motivation, or preparing for a particular event such as a sport competition or wedding, our personal trainers will provide tailored guidance and support throughout your fitness journey.

Group Personal Training

Price:

-Two-person personal training session: £60

-Three-person personal training session:£75

-Five four-person personal training sessions: £240

-Five five-person personal training sessions: £330

How to book

If you would like to book or have any questions about the sessions on this page, please speak to a member of staff.This can also be done via email at fitness@sport.cam.ac.uk.

1. Who is the “Gym Welcome” session most suitable for?

A．New gym members.	B．Experienced gym-goers.
C．Athletes and competitors.	D．Students with specific fitness goals.

2. What do we know about the “Personal Program”?

A．It can be renewed at any time.	B．It provides individualized workouts.
C．It will be a one-time free session for anyone.	D．It is designed to meet the needs of the majority.

3. How often can a member have a “Personal Program” session?

A．Once every 6 weeks.	B．Twice every 6 weeks.
C．Once every 12 weeks.	D．Twice every 12 weeks.

4. What is the maximum duration of a“Personal Training”session?

A．25 minutes.

B．55 minutes.

C．75 minutes.

D．60 minutes.

5. If someone wants to engage in“Group Personal Training”with two friends, what would be the total cost for five sessions?

A．£180.

B．£240.

C．£300.

D．£375.

9 . When you are a kid, gaining a best friend forever can happen in a single play date. But when you grow up to be an adult, making and maintaining friendships gets harder. So how much quality time (优质时光) do you need before that stranger becomes your friend? A new study recently found that, on average, it takes about 50 hours with someone before you consider them a casual (感情不深的) friend, about 90 hours before you become real friends, and about 200 hours to become close friends.

The study’s author Jeffrey Hall, a communications professor, invited adults who are eager to make friends to take part in two experiments — people who had just moved to a new city in the past six months and college freshmen. He asked them to rate and track the degree of closeness and time spent together with a new person. “Results suggest that the chance of changing from casual friend to real friend is greater than 50% after around 80-100 hours together,” said Hall.

The study found that the amount of time spent talking together, or the fact that you spent time at school or work with them, was unrelated to friendship closeness. “It is really easy to spend a lot of time with people as they are routinely in the same place at the same time as you,” Hall said. “However, my study shows you can have workmates you spend hundreds and hundreds of hours with and still not develop a friendship.”

You do not need to become best friends with your workmates to develop meaningful relationships with them. But for those of us hoping to change from “girl who I eat lunch at work with” to “friend I can depend on,” Hall suggests that you need to take the relationship out of the workplace for it to become a friendship. The participants who did activities outside of work with someone, such as being invited to have lunch in their home, were more likely to develop deeper relationships with them.

1. What is the new study mainly about?

A．Ways of making friends in a new environment.

B．Why people need to make different friends.

C．Different levels of friendship.

D．How long it takes to develop a friendship.

2. What do we know about the participants in the study?

A．They knew each other before.

B．They had difficulty in making new friends.

C．They were in great need of friends.

D．They started their new life in the same city.

3. What does Hall want to tell us in paragraph 3?

A．It is easy to get along well with classmates.

B．Friendship closeness is related to communication.

C．It is unnecessary to become best friends with workmates.

D．Just spending enough time together doesn’t result in friendship.

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

A．Usually.	B．Impressive.
C．Seldom.	D．Confidently.

5. Which can help people build deeper relationships with workmates according to Hall?

A．Joining the same work team.

B．Having lunch at work with them.

C．Inviting them to your home after work.

D．Sharing work experience with each other.

10 . 阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

Why not take a more measured approach to a happier, healthier you? From your office to your bedroom to your car, these small changes can have a big impact on your life.

Wake up ten minutes earlier. When you start your morning in a hurry, you set a stressful tone for the day. (I’m speaking from experience here.) Even ten extra minutes in the morning can help you feel more calm, collected, and ready to face the day.

Spend five minutes in silence or meditation (冥想). You’ll soon realize, whether it’s in the morning or evening, that five minutes of sitting quietly with your eyes closed feels a lot longer than five minutes. But just this short silence can foster a quietness that carries through the day. When things go off the rails, simply close your eyes and recall that earlier quietness.

Walk. Is there one trip you’d normally make in the car (to work, the gym, the store) that you can make on foot? Walking saves money (good for you) and gas (good for the environment) and burns calories (around 2,000 steps equal one mile), which is good for your health.

Tell someone you love them. Life is never long enough to say this as many times as it should be said. Whether your mother, a friend, a significant other, or your dog, make it a habit to tell someone at least once a day that you love him or her. While it may feel strange at first, you will never regret it.

Stand (or sit) up straight. Good posture prevents back and neck pain and even build confidence. When driving, tilt (倾斜) your rearview mirror (后视镜) up a bit. You’ll have to sit up to see. At your desk, the top of your computer screen should be at eye level. Put a small cushion in the curve of your lower back, and your spine (脊柱) will become straight.

1. What does the text mainly talk about? (No more than 10 words)
___________________________________________________________________
2. Why is getting up ten minutes earlier in the morning suggested? (No more than 18 words)
___________________________________________________________________
3. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “foster” in paragraph 3? (No more than 2 words)
___________________________________________________________________
4. What benefit can you get from good posture? (No more than 15 words)
___________________________________________________________________
5. Do you like going to school on foot? Why or why not? (No more than 25 words)
___________________________________________________________________