1 . Here at The Literacy Site, we’re big believers in playtime. So is one school in Texas, following the tradition of many schools in Finland (芬兰). And now research is on board too.

Debbie Rhea, a researcher from Texas Christian University, designed the program now in place at Eagle Mountain Elementary, in which children have four 15-minute recess (课间休息) periods throughout the school day. She heard about the success of the Finnish school system and decided to take a trip there to study it. When she returned, she began working with schools here in the U.S. to do something similar.

At Eagle Mountain Elementary, students now get three times as much recess as they used to have; outdoor time has been swelled from 20 minutes to an hour each day. The program also focuses on helping kids develop character instead of just test-taking skills.

Since carrying out the program, teachers are noticing that their students are more attentive and less restless. They make more eye contact, have better test scores, and seem to be healthier and happier overall. They even need to sharpen their pencils less because they spend less time chewing (不停地啃) on them. Schools in three other states are starting a similar program after seeing this one perform so well.

In other areas of the country, however, schools have been cutting back on playtime to squeeze in (使挤入) longer lecture periods to prepare kids for standardized tests.

Cutting recess is, no doubt, a decision made with good purposes. But is the traditional lecture-and-test method really effective? Does reducing recess time make more learning happen? The results of recent research say no. A 2014 study showed that the benefits of high-quality recess programs include a drop in bullying and conflicts (冲突), and an increase in the amount of safety and happiness students feel. Children have even been shown to learn better immediately following a break like recess, according to research done by Robert Murray, an expert at Ohio State University.

“If you want a child to be attentive and stay on task, and also if you want them to understand the information you’re giving them, you’ve got to give them regular (经常的) breaks, he said.

1. What does the underlined word “swelled” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Stressed.

B．Measured.

C．Increased.

D．Exchanged.

2. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The goals of the program.	B．The benefits of the program.
C．Teachers’ advice on the program.	D．Other schools’ reactions to the program.

3. Why did the author mention the 2014 study in paragraph 6?

A．To explore why some schools like to cut recess.

B．To show how kids make use of their recess time.

C．To explain why cutting recess should be stopped.

D．To describe how hard it is to ensure kids’ recess time

2 . Teachers at an Atlanta elementary school hold a mirror up while students shout positive affirmations (肯定) to themselves. “We live in a tough neighborhood in Atlanta. It’s good to plant those seeds (种子) here,” a teacher said.

In a video that recently went viral (迅速传开), fourth-graders at Gideons Elementary School in Atlanta, Georgia lined up to shout positive affirmations to themselves in a mirror while their teachers cheered them on. “I am smart!” “I am a good person!”

“The idea came from something I practice with my 5-year-old daughter,” said Neffiteria Acker, the teacher seen in the video holding the mirror.“ When we’re on our way to school, I have her repeat affirmations to me, starting with, ‘I am.’ Usually, I just ask her to tell me something good about herself. She’ll say, ‘I’m a fast eater,’ or, ‘I’m a fast runner.’ Then I’ll add to it, ‘You’re also really brave.’”

“It lifts her confidence. So I thought, ‘Why not bring that to the classroom? ’ ” she added.

Cierra Levay Broadway, the teacher who filmed the video, said she was moved while watching the students shout their affirmations. “It was an amazing moment,” she said. “I was really astonished when I saw the kids and heard what they were saying. For a lot of them, it was the first time they’d ever done that.”

The teachers understand the importance of building self-confidence at a young age, especially for students who do not have such an opportunity at home.

“In our neighborhood the kids hear a lot of negative things about themselves. So a seed of self-love is the best seed to plant, and all Broadway and I have to do is water it,” Acker said.

1. Why did the teachers try to help their students?

A．The students dislike studying.

B．The students laugh at the gardeners.

C．The students are affected by their environment.

D．The students have difficulty getting on with each other.

2. What were the students encouraged to do by their teachers?

A．Plan for their futures.	B．Cheer up their schoolmates.
C．Find other students’ strengths.	D．Say positive words about themselves.

3. What inspired Acker to think up the way of helping her students?

A．Her daughter’s suggestions to her.	B．Her conversations with her daughter.
C．A video of a small girl.	D．A mirror in her school.

3 . In April 2003, the war reached Basra, a port city in Iraq. Alia Baker, the librarian of Basra’s Central Library was ________ that the books would be destroyed. When she requested ________ to move the books to a safe place, the governor_________ her request. Concerned, Alia did what she could to save the_________.

Every night Alia ________ took home the library’s books, as many as she could ________ in her car. As the war ________, buildings were damaged and fires started. When other librarians ________ the library, Alia asked help from friends and_________ of the library to save the books.

With the help of Anis who owned the restaurant next to the library, and other friends, thousands of books were carried to the seven-foot wall that separated the library and the restaurant, ________ over the wall and hidden in the restaurant._________, the library was destroyed by fire, 30,000 of the library’s books have been saved by the_________ efforts of Basra and her helpers.

This true story shows the_________ a group of people can have when working together for a common cause. It also calls attention to how_________ libraries and their books can be to individuals and_________.

1.

A．worried

B．surprised

C．annoyed

D．disappointed

2.

A．plan

B．guidance

C．permission

D．access

3.

A．took off

B．took in

C．turned up

D．turned down

4.

A．restaurant

B．city

C．library

D．books

5.

A．helplessly

B．secretly

C．patiently

D．casually

6.

A．match

B．fit

C．made

D．cover

7.

A．progressed

B．ended

C．started

D．approached

8.

A．rebuilt

B．abandoned

C．closed

D．sold

9.

A．visitors

B．workers

C．neighbors

D．directors

10.

A．thrown

B．opened

C．passed

D．borrowed

11.

A．Shortly afterwards

B．Since then

C．Up to now

D．Long before

12.

A．poor

B．joint

C．physical

D．vain

13.

A．pride

B．idea

C．relief

D．impact

14.

A．familiar

B．valuable

C．natural

D．special

15.

A．communities

B．schools

C．families

D．governments

4 . One bird may not make a summer but seeing or hearing birds does improve mental wellbeing, a ground-breaking study in the journal Scientific Reports has found.

Researchers tracked 1, 292 participants’ everyday encounters with birds last year via a smartphone app called Urban Mind. Over the course of two weeks, the participants, from the UK, Europe, the US, China and Australia, were asked every two hours to document how they were feeling, including whether they were happy or stressed.

The researchers found that participants’ average mental wellbeing scores increased when they saw or heard birds, including among those who said they had been diagnosed (诊断) with depression.

Andrea Mechelli, professor of early intervention (干涉) in mental health at King’s College London, said that the positive effect of bird encounters on people with depression was significant because many “interventions that help so-called ‘healthy people’ don’t work for individuals with mental health issues”. Mechelli said, “We know exercise makes everyone feel better. But it’s so challenging to motivate someone with depression to exercise, while contact with bird life is something that, perhaps, is feasible.”

Adrian Thomas, the author of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ Guide to Birdsong, said the report’s findings came as no surprise as most people described their reaction to birdsong as joy. He added, “Birdsong would have once been the natural soundtrack to all human lives, and I do think that it is rooted somewhere deep within us. It is related with spring and good times coming, which is just one of the reasons why we need to appreciate the role of birds in our life and ensure that nature.”

1. What were the participants asked to do?

A．To keep track of birds.	B．To keep record of moods.
C．To report health issues.	D．To analyze feeling changes.

2. What does the underline word “feasible” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Practicable.

B．Inspiring.

C．Measurable.

D．Effective.

3. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．Potential application of the research results.	B．A reasonable doubt to the research question.
C．Detailed descriptions of the research process.	D．A further explanation of the research findings.

4. Which of the following may the research contribute to?

A．Bird watching activity.	B．Stress relief methods.
C．Bird protection campaign.	D．Mental health treatment.

5 . Emotions, thoughts and ideas. We use language to transform abstract ideas into concrete ( 具体的) communication tools. How could we go ahead as a culture unless we shared a common understanding for popular words in the English language, such as book, friend or laugh, or uncommon words like biblioklept or hirquiticke?

But that doesn’t mean words don’t fall out of fashion. In 2021, nine words were decided as “historical” and removed from dictionaries. Aerodrome, for example, was determined to be deleted from the Merriam-Webster dictionary because nowadays we usually call airplane landing fields “airports.”

So who, exactly, makes the decision to remove a word from a dictionary?

The removal of dictionary words is left to lexicographers (词典编撰者), who not only decide which words to remove but also add new words and update changing definitions. Lexicographers also are responsible for adding new words. In 2022, for example, “demisexual” and “vaxxed” were added to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Truth is, it’s actually quite difficult for a word to lose its place in a dictionary. Lexicographers don’t take word-removal lightly. When a word comes into question, dictionary editors will first do series of online surveys among dictionary users. Editors then will examine its meaning, usage and popularity across many large language databases that cover a variety of frequently-used examples. Based on the survey results and collected information, lexicographers will hold rounds of formal discussions and vote for the final decision. Often, words that are removed from printed dictionaries are allowed to remain part of online dictionaries.

Despite the careful word addition and removal process, dictionaries aren’t immune to mistakes. For a time, “redripening” appeared in most dictionaries as one word, when it actually should have been “red-ripening.”

1. Why was “aerodrome” removed from the Merriam-Webster dictionary?

A．Its definition was wrong.	B．It was invented long time ago.
C．It was decided by the editors.	D．It wasn’t applicable to modern life.

2. Which of the following best describes the word-removal process?

A．Strict.

B．Creative.

C．Painful.

D．Natural.

3. Why is “redrippening” mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To introduce a newly-removed word.

B．To stress the huge popularity of this word.

C．To show dictionaries sometimes make mistakes.

D．To reveal the disadvantage of the removal process.

4. What’s the suitable title for the text?

A．Who Are Lexicographers?	B．Why Does a Dictionary Become Outdated?
C．What Caused Words to Change?	D．How Are Words Removed from a Dictionary?

6 . More than one billion pounds of pumpkins are grown in the U.S. every year, and after they’ve been used for Halloween decorations, millions of them—large, mini, orange, white—will end up in a landfill (垃圾填埋场).

“Driving around after Halloween, you see people with pumpkins on top of their garbage bins. All of that will go to a landfill and become methane gas which warms the atmosphere in a shorter amount of time than carbon dioxide,” says Kay McKeen, the director of an environmental education organization based in State of Illinois. “And landfills—where we send as much as 40 percent of the food we produce—contribute to 14 percent of U.S. methane emissions every year.” That’s why, in 2014, McKeen began Pumpkin Smash.

For this collection event, local people can bring their used pumpkins to 69 different locations to send them off to trash bins, and of course smash them to pieces. Though the event is currently limited to several towns, but by their own calculations, the event has saved 538 tons of pumpkins from the landfill. “It puts nutrients (营养物) back in our soil, it saves water, and it doesn’t make methane gas,” says McKeen.

Baking and cooking offers an easier solution. Pureed (糊状的) pumpkin is a common ingredient in baked goods like breads and pies. Actually, pumpkins are full of vitamins and fiber, making it a great source of human nutrition. And according to the American Kennel Club, pumpkin mixed into dog food can even help settle a dog’s upset stomach. “They love it mixed with their dry dog food, and it’s very good for them,” says Anne Meier, president of the club.

1. Out of what did McKeen start Pumpkin Smash?

A．Company profit.	B．Educational purpose.
C．Food saving.	D．Environmental concern.

2. What can we learn about Pumpkin Smash from Paragraph 3?

A．It is widely accepted nationwide.	B．It reduces the use of pumpkins.
C．It needs further improvement.	D．It creates a win-win result.

3. What’s advised in the last paragraph?

A．Place more smashing bins around.	B．Use pureed pumpkins in baking.
C．Treat dog diseases with pumpkins.	D．Expand the source of nutrition.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A local newspaper.	B．A story collection.
C．A biology textbook.	D．An academic article.

7 . Workshops at Confucius Institute

Are you looking to host an amazing China-themed event or celebrate a festival like Chinese New Year?

Our cultural workshops are the perfect way to experience an exciting range of Chinese cultural activities.

Workshop topics

We offer a selection of workshops designed to introduce China. Based on the expectations of your group, we will design package of activities from a broad selection of topics below:

· Chinese Language Corner ·Chinese calligraphy

· Chinese folk dance ·Traditional Chinese stories

· Chinese arts and crafts ·Games on Chinese customs

Workshop requirements

Our sessions that involve teaching with PowerPoint require an audio-visual-equipped teaching room. If you are booking calligraphy sessions, which is considered quite difficult to learn, we ask that one single space is provided for the day, as the setup can take quite a lot of time.

Our dance workshops are best held in a large indoor space with audio equipment available to play the accompanying music or outdoors if the weather permits.

Fees

The length of our workshop sessions ranges from 30 to 50 minutes with one teacher for up to 30 participants. We charge €40 for each individual workshop session. If you’d like to have more than two workshop sessions, we would offer a 30 percent discount.

How to book

Please note that during the Chinese New Year period, workshops must be applied two weeks before the workshop date. During the rest of the year, workshops must be booked four weeks in advance. To contact us, please email or call us using the details below:

Email: confucius@manchester.ac.uk

Phone +44 (0)161 275 8667

1. What does the workshop topics focus on?

A．Chinese cultural elements.	B．Chinese history.
C．Chinese language learning.	D．Chinese traditions.

2. Why should a single place be kept for the day for calligraphy classes?

A．The length of sessions is great.	B．The whole content is challenging.
C．The preparation is time-consuming.	D．The number of participants is full.

3. How much would be charged if you apply for 3 workshop sessions?

A．€40.

B．€84.

C．€90.

D．€120.

8 . The other day, I watched the documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, which followed Nirmal Purja as he climbed all 14 mountains with a height of more than 8,000 meters. Having no _________ of mountaineering apart from occasional recreational hikes, I _________ Purja’s courage and perseverance (毅力).

Not long into the programme, however, such feelings began to _________. On a journey Purja called “the mission possible”, he _________ extreme weather conditions and almost lost his life in a 100-metre fall. Whatever the _________ , he pursued the completion of his task.

The documentary _________ Purja’s perseverance, suggesting you can achieve anything as long as you persevere. _________ , the more dead mountaineers Purja passed on the way, the more I began to _________ this message.

Why did an able mountaineer insist upon exposing himself to a(n) _________ situation? Human culture values the completion of tasks. This phenomenon is called “completion bias (偏见)”. While it can be a __________ for people to overcome difficulties, it is important to be aware of its __________. For example, with people trying hard to get things done, many have a natural __________ for focusing on particular tasks. Ultimately, it may prevent us from __________ bigger tasks that really matter.

Therefore, it is always __________ to remember that giving up a task does not necessarily mean failure. The choice to __________ a mission can be a wiser one than pushing through a misguided quest.

1.

A．influence

B．experience

C．expression

D．intention

2.

A．suspected

B．displayed

C．gathered

D．admired

3.

A．recover

B．emerge

C．fade

D．improve

4.

A．fought

B．recorded

C．described

D．forecast

5.

A．purpose

B．cost

C．reason

D．excuse

6.

A．made up for

B．looked out for

C．spoke highly of

D．took pity on

7.

A．However

B．Thus

C．Moreover

D．Otherwise

8.

A．understand

B．memorize

C．mistake

D．question

9.

A．urgent

B．stable

C．ideal

D．dangerous

10.

A．motivator

B．lesson

C．warning

D．promise

11.

A．basic rules

B．side effects

C．potential rewards

D．various levels

12.

A．preference

B．vision

C．talent

D．occasion

13.

A．abandoning

B．assigning

C．tackling

D．evaluating

14.

A．common

B．worthwhile

C．difficult

D．impossible

15.

A．design

B．accomplish

C．establish

D．discontinue

9 . As Tiger King 2 appeals to viewers, some fans feel sad about having to pay much for another streaming service subscription. And they take pity on the once-hot video technology which is now more likely to be a temporary coaster (杯垫) for your coffee: DVDs were once the future, but now the industry can hardly be turned around.

DVD sales once reached $16.3 billion and were 64% of the U.S. home video market. That was 2005.

However, this year just 300 million DVDs are expected to be sold worldwide, down from an average of 2 billion every year between 2005 and 2009. Instead, a rise in customers buying on-demand and digital copies of films and the launch of streaming services are what have reduced the DVD industry to such a state.

But there are still 300 million of the things, even if your collection is gathering dust on the bookshelf. While pop psychology would suggest that older generations hold on to their love of the physical disc, instead, those aged 25 to 39 are more likely than most to watch DVDs. They’re often collectors.

“DVDs are a sign of our identity and our personality,” says Tony Gunnarsson, an analyst of TV, video, and advertising. That’s why England-based radio producer Tom Green still stores around 300 DVDs, including the whole seasons of The Simpsons. They represent a part of my life, and a part of me,” Green says. Others continue to keep DVDs because of the excellent audio (声音的) quality.

For DVDs, to undergo a renaissance (复兴) similar to that experienced by cassette tapes will require a big shift. “We need to wait for the generation that have a fascination with DVDs to control the mainstream culture, but it seems to be nowhere in sight,” says Tom Green. “And the public see DVDs as nothing but outdated media.” Even so, there is a solid group of DVD consumers. And that’s perhaps why producers keep making DVDs and why committed collectors collect their discs.

1. What does the author intend to stress in Paragraph 1?

A．The fall of DVDs.

B．A possible way of reusing DVDs.

C．A recent trend in the film industry.

D．The big expenses of video streaming services.

2. What happened to the DVD market in 2005?

A．It celebrated a shift in digital copies of films.

B．It suffered from an oversupply of DVDs.

C．It entered 64% of the U. S. households.

D．Its sales reached the peak.

3. What can we say about Tony Gunnarsson and Tom Green?

A．They both appreciate the charm of DVDs.

B．They are both professional DVD advertisers.

C．They are both passionate about collecting things.

D．They both praise the audio quality of streaming services.

4. What can be inferred about DVDs from the last paragraph?

A．They may control the mainstream culture.

B．They can greatly benefit many collectors.

C．They are as important as cassette tapes.

D．They are hard to make a comeback.

10 . The UK Government has announced plans to build eight nuclear power reactors as part of its new energy strategy.

By 2030, the Government wants 95%of the UK’s electricity to come from low-carbon energy sources. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is released from the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). It is a big cause of climate change- long-term shifts in weather patterns, including rising temperatures.

The Government wants to increase renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines and solar panels. The Government hopes that by 2030, 50 gigawatts (亿瓦特) of energy will come from offshore wind farms (ones that stand in the sea). That’s enough to power all the houses in the UK. There are also plans to build eight new nuclear reactors. Nuclear reactors generate (产生) energy through a process called nuclear fission (裂变), when heavy atoms are split into lighter ones. The Government wants to make the UK’s energy cleaner and cheaper, and for the UK to produce its own energy rather than relying on other countries. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has affected the world’s gas and oil supply, making power more expensive.

The UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, says the plans will lead to clean and secure energy made in Britain. Some people have said that these plans don’t go far enough and won’t help people who are struggling with high energy bills at the moment.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has said that the Government should do more to insulate people’s homes. Insulating homes is when material is put inside a house to stop heat from getting out. It means people would need to use less energy to heat their homes.

1. What does the underlined “It” refer to in the second paragraph?

A．Carbon dioxide.	B．A fossil fuel.
C．A renewable energy source.	D．The low-carbon energy source.

2. What can we infer from Paragraph 3?

A．The Government wants to be more independent on energy production.

B．Nuclear reactors produce energy through nuclear fission.

C．The UK is unwilling to produce its own energy.

D．In the process of nuclear fission,lighter atoms are split into heavy ones.

3. What is some people’s attitude towards the energy plan?

A．Supportive.	B．Unconcerned.
C．Unappreciative.	D．Satisfied.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Cheaper Energy in the UK

B．Electricity from Low-carbon Energy Sources

C．The UK Government Builds Eight Nuclear Reactors

D．The UK Government Launches Energy Plan