1 . Life can change in the blink of an eye. For Bridgette Ponson, one of those _________ took place in the parking lot of her workplace, Layton Christian Academy. While she was in the parking lot with her 2-year-old boy and 3-year-old girl, a car _________ them. This left the mother and her kids _________ beneath the car.

_________, the driver wasn’t going very fast when she hit them. At that moment, she was blinded by the sun — this is the suspected _________ of the accident. However, as soon as she _________ what had happened, she jumped out of the car to help. Plus, she wasn’t the only one who came to _________ Bridgette and her kids.

Soon, Chris Crowder, CEO of the school, became _________ of the accident. Without _________, he rallied (召集) together a group of students to help.

“It was a split second,” Chris recalls. “I immediately just ran into the classroom building because I knew I had to get a lot of people to lift this car. We have about 220 __________ kids and over 300 international kids at the school. They just __________ me shout. All these kids from different countries just came __________ out and lifted it up.”

A whole group of kids could be seen working together to lift the car enough for Mom and her kids to get __________. The 2-year-old was flown to Primary Children’s Hospital while the 3-year-old and Mom were taken by ambulance to the hospital. Although Bridgette and her kids suffered from __________, all three of them are __________ to make complete recoveries.

1.

A．discoveries

B．observations

C．explorations

D．moments

2.

A．approached

B．hit

C．delighted

D．confused

3.

A．searching

B．waiting

C．trapped

D．tied

4.

A．Thankfully

B．Honestly

C．Absolutely

D．Obviously

5.

A．witness

B．cause

C．victim

D．damage

6.

A．learned

B．realized

C．recalled

D．explained

7.

A．accompany

B．treat

C．save

D．welcome

8.

A．aware

B．afraid

C．ashamed

D．approving

9.

A．doubt

B．wonder

C．exception

D．delay

10.

A．domestic

B．energetic

C．innocent

D．ordinary

11.

A．made

B．helped

C．watched

D．heard

12.

A．calling

B．looking

C．running

D．climbing

13.

A．ahead

B．close

C．free

D．lost

14.

A．stress

B．injuries

C．hunger

D．diseases

15.

A．expected

B．determined

C．advised

D．reminded

2 . Animals have developed a circadian clock—an internal body clock that runs in 24-hour cycles. It is regulated by cues (提示) from their environment. But they may suffer from a “jet lag （时差反应）” when the cues animals are exposed to do not match the ones of their natural environment.

Kristine Gandia, a PhD student at the University of Stirling in Scotland, and a team of observers set out to understand how the “jet lag” of living in latitudes (纬度) that animals were not used to can affect them. Giant pandas were chosen as the focus for the study partly because they live highly seasonal lives.”

“Giant pandas are very good animals to focus on,” Gandia said. “They are very popular in zoos and there are a lot that have cameras so we can see how their behavior changes across different latitudes. These cameras enabled us to monitor the giant pandas’ behavior across a 24-hour period.”

Gandia explained that the latitudinal range for giant pandas is between 26 and 42 degrees north. Matching latitudes could also be considered between 26 and 42 degrees south, as these mirror the temperature and lighting conditions.

The team monitored 11 giant pandas in six different zoos. Some zoos were within the animals’ natural latitudes but in other countries and the others were outside that range.

Gandia explained, “We recorded giant panda behavior, trying to account for behaviors that are positive, neutral (中性的) and negative indicators for welfare. So, this would include behaviors like play and grooming as positive behaviors, drinking and defecating as neutral maintenance behaviors, and several abnormal behaviors as negative behaviors, with pacing being the most common.”

Those living in zoos outside of their home latitude were found to be less active and display more negative behaviors.

“Giant pandas living in zoos could be suffering from a ‘jet lag’ if their body clocks don’t match their environments,” Gandia said.

1. What does Gandia and her team’s study focus on?

A．Animal behavior.

B．Animal body clock.

C．Animal popularity.

D．Animal distribution.

2. What is a reason why pandas were chosen for the study?

A．Wide latitude of their natural habitat.	B．Their strong adaptability.
C．The existing findings about them.	D．The convenience of observation.

3. How was the study carried out?

A．By analyzing reasons.	B．By comparing recordings.
C．By conducting interviews.	D．By listing examples.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Will “Jet Lag” Be Able to Be Avoided?

B．Could Animals Suffer from a “Jet Lag”?

C．Is Panda a Proper Subject to Study “Jet Lag”?

D．Does Season Have Anything to Do with “Jet Lag”?

3 . The Voynich manuscript (手稿) is a 234-page book filled with writing in a strange language now called Voynichese. It also features many strange drawings of unknown plants, people and charts. Based on the images alone, it seems to have something to do with medicine.

The language in the manuscript appears nowhere else and has become one of the greatest linguistic riddles of our day, Since its discovery, it has attracted researchers, been called a hoax (骗局), and been the subject of a huge number of articles.

By carbon dating the manuscript, researchers are pretty confident that it was constructed in the early 1400s. And through the magic of linguistic analysis, most people agree that the manuscript is not a hoax. Or, if it is, it’s a very, very complex hoax.

A paper published in 2016 by computer scientist Greg Kondrak and his student Bradley Hauer gained a lot of attention. Their theory was based on the idea that Voynichese was made with a substitution cipher (替代密码). That means it was written in a real language, and then each of the letters in that language was replaced by a specific Voynichese letter.

This is where the computing power comes in. By having a computer compare the text of the Voynich manuscript to 380 languages, Kondrak and Hauer ran the substitution cipher through as many languages as possible and determined if the text would make sense. In the end, they figured out that the original language was Hebrew, and they even translated some of the text. There are a few problems with their results, though: they compared the manuscript to modern Hebrew, not 15th-century Hebrew; they had to make “spelling corrections” for it to make sense; and, possibly most egregious (过分的) of all, they got their results using a translating app.

Despite all the innovations in code-breaking over the last century, the Voynich manuscript still rejects our advances. If Voynichese is indeed ever solved, artificial intelligence could very likely play a role.

1. What can be an agreed point about the Voynich manuscript?

A．It’s a medical book.	B．It has magic power.
C．It was made in the 1400s.	D．It tells the story of a complex hoax.

2. What does Kondrak believe?

A．Voynichese was an endangered language.	B．Voynichese will be replaced soon.
C．Voynichese was made by somebody.	D．Voynichese will attract more attention.

3. What can be inferred about Kondrak’s research?

A．Its samples were insufficient.	B．It failed to get the text to make sense.
C．It didn’t determine the original language.	D．Its conclusion was not convincing enough.

4. What does the author express in the last paragraph?

A．Doubt.

B．Expectation.

C．Determination.

D．Concern.

4 . It was an innocent little detail, backed by centuries of science, in a chemistry book about tea, something American author Michelle Francl never anticipated would cause a stir among the British.

In her new book, Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea, Francl analyzed caffeine levels and studied the molecules that give tea its good smell. She uncovered the little-known presence in tea of other chemicals, including fluoride and aluminum. And she also mentioned a careful study of an 8th-century Chinese article that called for salt to be added to the boiling water.

“The sodium ions （钠离子） in the salt block our sense of bitterness,” says Francl, a chemistry professor at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. “So if you put a tiny bit of salt in—not enough to taste—you make the cup of tea or coffee smoother and less bitter.”

The recipe for a perfect cup of tea, she wrote in her book, includes a little salt. And for tea with milk, Francl recommends warming the milk first, so that it doesn’t curdle （凝结） when it hits the hot water.

Sounds harmless, right? But anyone with British friends and loved ones—or who’s spent more than five minutes in the United Kingdom—will know that recipe amounts to blasphemy. Within hours of the publication of Francl’s book, face palm emojis （捂脸表情） were appearing across the British Isles.

“Hot milk and salt!? Who is this person?” radio host Toni McDonald shouted on his program.

“This scientist supposes that the only way to have a decent cup of tea is with a little salt? That’s foolish!” another radio host, Vic Minett, said.

To respond to these complaints, the U.S. Embassy’s public affairs officer, Rodney Ford told the press, “We want to say to the good people of the U.K. that the unthinkable idea of adding salt to Britain’s national drink is not official United States policy—and never will be.”

1. Why is the Chinese article mentioned in paragraph 2?

A．To tell us where Francl got her idea.

B．To prove tea making enjoys a time-honored history.

C．To introduce the social background of Francl’s book.

D．To explain how tea-making was brought to Britain from China.

2. What can reduce the bitter taste in the tea according to the text?

A．Salt.

B．Boiling water.

C．Curdled milk.

D．An unknown chemical.

3. What does the underlined word “blasphemy” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Embarrassment.

B．Unbalance.

C．Disrespect.

D．Desperation.

4. What did Francl’s book cause in Britain?

A．Tea craze.

B．Heated discussion.

C．Policy change.

D．Public anger.

5 . Ready to make a good choice for vacation days? Enter Tripadvisor Plus, a membership that the travel company launched. For $99 a year, this subscription service promises discounts and special services for you.

When you book travel through Tripadvisor Plus, members will see a full menu of savings and perks (额外待遇), with eligible properties marked by a Plus logo. Tripadvisor Plus members will save an average of $350 per stay. You’ll also receive a 10% discount on select experiences booked directly through its website. As for the perks, we’re not just talking about a few chocolates. Perks could mean spa services, or even a few meals on the house.

As you’re planning your trip, you can message with travel experts on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. They’ll respond, typically within one business day, with advice on hotels, top restaurants, and can’t-miss experiences.

The first year of your subscription also includes Hertz Five Star elite status, which offers benefits such as car rental upgrades and priority services while you’re hitting the road.

Right now, the members-only perks apply to 100,000 hotels and 400,000 experiences worldwide and these locations are based on where Americans travel most. While we plan to add properties in the future, if you’re dreaming of more off-the-beaten-path destinations, you might not get the most out of your membership.

You’ll receive a full refund of your $99-a-year fee if you cancel your subscription within the first 90 days. However, you can get that refund only if you haven’t already booked a hotel or experience through your membership. Also, keep in mind that your subscription will be automatically renewed each year.

1. What advantage can a Tripadvisor Plus member probably take?

A．Discount on select experiences.	B．Free meals for the whole trip.
C．Priority in five-star hotels.	D．Expert advice on off-the-beaten-path destinations.

2. Who are the intended readers of the text?

A．Travelers to America.	B．Americans planning for a trip.
C．Property runners seeking to attract guests.	D．American travel agencies promoting routes.

3. What does the last paragraph remind readers about the Tripadvisor Plus subscription?

A．It is free of charge for the first year.	B．It can be cancelled unconditionally.
C．It will be automatically renewed annually.	D．It should be confirmed within 90 days.

6 . People will do all sorts of crazy things for their loved ones, and 72-year-old Raynor is a case in point. The American elder has been devoting a lot of his time to his _________ job, a beauty blogger, for which he _________ all sorts of beauty products, from creams to lipsticks for fans all over the country. It’s not exactly typical _________ for a man of his age, but his is not a _________ story.

Six years ago, Raynor’s grandson Jason was diagnosed (诊断)with a rare and cruel disease – spinal muscular atrophy (脊髓性肌萎缩). The boy was only five at the time, and doctors _________ that he only had about 18 months to live. But far beyond their _________, he has been battling his condition ever since. But it hasn’t been a (n) _________ battle. The only drug used to treat Jason’s condition could only be _________ from the UK and cost around $100,000.

Strong _________ to save his life drove his family to sell their house and borrow as much money as they could, but it still wasn’t enough. So Raynor started looking for alternative ways to earn some money and __________ live-streaming. __________, he knew nothing about beauty products, but he wasn’t afraid or __________ to learn. He went to cosmetics (化妆品) shops and kindly asked the staff to teach him about the products and how to use them. Soon Raynor’s online __________ started growing, and the financial burden on the family has eased considerably. __________ some negative comments online, the 72-year-old pensioner continues to work as a beauty blogger, testing products on himself and __________ them to his followers.

1.

A．unusual

B．normal

C．important

D．routine

2.

A．produces

B．orders

C．applies

D．designs

3.

A．quality

B．solution

C．behavior

D．belief

4.

A．touching

B．typical

C．special

D．similar

5.

A．doubted

B．approved

C．promised

D．predicted

6.

A．expectations

B．explanations

C．imagination

D．inspiration

7.

A．hard

B．easy

C．successful

D．beneficial

8.

A．examined

B．transported

C．imported

D．exported

9.

A．decision

B．chance

C．trust

D．desire

10.

A．took off

B．took up

C．took in

D．took away

11.

A．Suddenly

B．Obviously

C．Gradually

D．Usually

12.

A．delighted

B．surprised

C．embarrassed

D．anxious

13.

A．popularity

B．knowledge

C．understanding

D．curiosity

14.

A．Despite

B．Because of

C．Without

D．Instead of

15.

A．sending

B．providing

C．donating

D．promoting

7 . Short bursts of exercise can make you fit in the long term. To prove this, Gillen’s team randomly assigned participants to three _________. One rode an exercise bike at a moderate (中等的) level of _________ for 45 minutes, three times per week. A second group did three times _________ the 10-minute high-intensity workouts. A third group _________ a control and did nothing.

After 12 weeks, both exercise groups had _________ their insulin (胰岛素) resistance and also increased their _________ (as measured by their capacity to use oxygen during exercise) by about 19 percent. The gains were _________ between the groups, even though the group doing _________ workouts with high intensity intervals had spent only about 22 percent as much _________ as the group doing traditional longer workouts. But people in the second group do find these __________ interval exercise programs enjoyable enough to __________.

Turning to shorter workouts is not just a way to __________ time. It can also help you continue to make fitness __________ even when life gets in the __________.

“Let’s say you have exams coming up or your job is __________ and you only have a couple of hours perweek to exercise,” Androulakis-Korakakis says, “__________ feeling like your strength and muscle will __________, turning to a minimum-amount __________ can still help you continue __________ your body.”

“It’s hard to __________ that you don’t have 10 or 15 minutes that you can find. That’s just not checking your email one more time or getting off social media,” de Lannoy says.

1.

A．classes

B．areas

C．groups

D．steps

2.

A．achievement

B．ability

C．speed

D．strength

3.

A．weekly

B．monthly

C．daily

D．yearly

4.

A．related to

B．served as

C．applied for

D．dealt with

5.

A．prevented

B．declined

C．improved

D．contained

6.

A．judgment

B．curiosity

C．pleasure

D．fitness

7.

A．various

B．similar

C．contrary

D．delicate

8.

A．short

B．familiar

C．extreme

D．gentle

9.

A．camping

B．counting

C．calculating

D．exercising

10.

A．hard

B．special

C．fair

D．free

11.

A．advocate

B．compare

C．spread

D．continue

12.

A．exchange

B．kill

C．save

D．steal

13.

A．discoveries

B．requirements

C．choices

D．gains

14.

A．direction

B．way

C．sense

D．distance

15.

A．demanding

B．rewarding

C．comforting

D．striking

16.

A．Due to

B．Instead of

C．Apart from

D．As for

17.

A．disappear

B．survive

C．suffer

D．form

18.

A．response

B．approach

C．limitation

D．grade

19.

A．building

B．checking

C．recovering

D．observing

20.

A．predict

B．inform

C．confirm

D．argue

8 . During space missions, astronauts can experience a loss of some of the inner structural support in their bones. For trips in space lasting at least six months, that loss is equal to about 20 years of aging. Luckily, a new study finds a year back on Earth rebuilds half of the strength lost in the affected bone.

Exercise scientist Leigh Gabel was part of a team that tracked 17 astronauts, each of whom had spent four to seven months in space. The team measured the 3-D structure of bone. They focused on the structure of the tibia (胫骨) and the lower-arm bone. The researchers took images of the bones 3 times—before spaceflight and again six months and one year later when the astronaut s returned home from space. From these pictures, Gabel’s team calculated an astronaut’s bone strength and density (密度) at each of those times.

What did they find through comparison of the pictures? Astronauts in space for less than six months regained their preflight bone strength after a year back on Earth. But those who stayed in space longer suffered permanent hone loss in their tibias. That loss was equal to a decade of aging. The lower-arm bones showed almost no loss. That was likely because these aren’t weight-bearing hones on Earth, Gabel explains. In fact, those arms can get a bigger workout in space than on Earth as astronauts use them to move around their craft by pushing off handles and doors.

“Inereasing weight-lifting exercises in space could help alleviate (缓解) bone loss in the legs,” says Steven Boyd, also in exercise scientist.

“With longer spaceflight, we can expect bigger bone loss—and probably a bigger problem with recovery,” says physiologist Laurence Vico. “Space agencies should also consider other bone health measures, such as nutrition, to reduce bone loss and increase bone formation.”

1. Why did Gabel’s team take pictures at different times?

A．To offer evidence for their predictions.

B．To show their respect for the astronauts.

C．To compare the changes in the astronauts’ bones.

D．To find out the proper length of staying in space for astronauts.

2. Which of the following may Gabel agree with?

A．A spaceflight in less than half a year does no harm to astronauts.

B．Astronauts coming back from a spaceflight look much older.

C．Astronauts can avoid bone loss through doing enough exercise.

D．There is almost no difference in the astronauts’ lower-arm bones.

3. What can we conclude from this text?

A．People on Earth never suffer bone loss.

B．The finding of the new study is good news for astronauts.

C．The 17 astronauts knew the bone loss before their spaceflights.

D．Astronauts can regain their bone strength as soon as they return to Earth.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．How to prevent bone loss in space.

B．Problems faced by astronauts in space.

C．Astronauts’ suffering from bone loss in space.

D．Astronauts’ contributions to the development of science.

9 . For centuries, the people of Guoliang, a small Chinese village on top of a cliff (悬崖) in the Taihang Mountains, were virtually cut off from the outside world. The only way in and out of the village was the Sky Ladder, 720 steps carved into the mountain s during the Song Dynasty. This made it too hard to get things in and out of the village.

“It was a tough life. Products from the outside world could not reach the village. And our fresh farm products could not be taken out to other places,” 72-year-old village r Song Baoqun told Xinhua. “We had to limit the weight of pigs to 50 or 60 kg. Otherwise it would be difficult to carry them down the mountain.” Guoliang struggled economically because of its isolation (隔离), but the toughest challenge was getting a sick person to the hospital in time. If someone fell ill, eight people had to carry a stretcher down the mountain using the Sky Ladder, and then undertake a four-hour journey to the nearest hospital.

However, everything changed in 1972, when the village council decided to carve a tunnel(隧道)through the mountains. Despite having no experience or engineering knowledge, 13 of the strongest villagers in Guoliang volunteered to start work on the mountain tunnel. They lowered themselves on the sides of the Taihang Mountains with ropes and carved into the rock inch by inch with tools like chisels and hammers. As the tunnel started to take shape, more villagers joined. And within five years, the 1,250-meter-long Guoliang Tunnel was completed. For the first time ever, the secluded village of Guoliang could be reached by car, and that changed everything.

Soon after the impressive tunnel was completed, Guoliang went from a small village which almost no one even knew to a popular tourist destination. Located at 1,700 meters above sea level, it offers fantastic scenery. However, it’s the tunnel that attracts most visitors.

1. What caused Guoliang to be separated from the outside world?

A．There was no access to the village at all.

B．The Sky Ladder was extremely difficult to use.

C．They were prohibited from staying in touch with the outside.

D．The villagers didn’t want to communicate with other people.

2. Why did the villagers control the weight of pigs?

A．To keep them healthy.	B．To sell them as quickly as possible.
C．To make them more delicious.	D．To make it easier to get them out of the village.

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

A．Ancient.

B．Disconnected.

C．Deserted.

D．Peaceful.

4. What’s the best title for this text?

A．Guoliang’s Journey to Success	B．Want to Bo Rich? Build Roads First!
C．Guoling—an Impressive Tourism Attraction	D．Hand-Carved T’tunnel—a Way to the Outside World

10 . Hody Childress , a farmer from Geraldine, Alabama, lived the last 10 years of his life with a little secret.

In the small town where he lived his entire life, Childress wanted to help his community. He knew there were families in his hometown that were struggling financially. So one day he pulled his local pharmacist (药剂师), Brooke Walker, to the side and asked, “Do you ever meet anybody who can’t pay for their medicine? ” “Well, yeah, unfortunately , that happens a good bit,” Walker said. So Childress donated $100 to the local pharmacy for anyone who couldn’t afford to pay for medicine and said to Walker, “Next time that happens, you can use this. Don’t tell them where it came from, and don’t tell me who needed it.”

This act of generosity continued for nearly 10 years, up until his death in January 2023. And his story only came to light at his funeral, when his daughter, Tania Nix, wanted to show what kind of man her father was.

In fact, the 80-year-old only revealed his generosity to his daughter when he was unable to get to the pharmacy himself. He asked his daughter to take a $100 bill to the drugstore on the first day of the month. Nix continued to drop off the money to the pharmacy and didn’t tell anybody about what her dad was doing.

With her brother Doug, Nix shared, “It’s really hard for us to decide whether to allow this story out to the public, but I feel like a small deed (行为) can turn into a big deed—or it can turn into something that gives people hope. If it can encourage anyone to be a better person and want to help others, it’s worth it.”

According to the BBC, since the story was first published by the Washington Post, the pharmacy has received donations from all over the country.

1. What can be inferred from Walker’s words?

A．Childress often fell ill and needed to take medicine.

B．Childress donated money to the local drugstore.

C．All people in Geraldine lived a good life.

D．Many people couldn’t pay for their medicine.

2. Which of the following can best describe Childress?

A．Honest and brave.	B．Generous and noble.
C．Humorous and open-minded.	D．Independent and easy-going.

3. What can we know about Nix from the text?

A．She wanted to make his father famous.

B．She held a different opinion about her father’s donation.

C．She followed her father’s example and also donated money.

D．She hesitated about the decision to spread her father’s secret.

4. What lesson can we conclude from the last two paragraphs?

A．Actions speak louder than words.	B．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.
C．What goes around comes around.	D．One good deed may lead to another.