1 . As to psychological well-being, the comfort zone is frequently perceived as a haven, a familiar location where individuals feel calm and peaceful. Pushing beyond this psychological state might have benefits.
The comfort zone can be understood as a behavioral metaphor. Within a comfort zone, an individual takes on a state of minimal anxiety without a perception of risk, responding predictably to deliver a consistent level of performance. These include behaviors that people do commonly, find relaxing, or that take them away from high-stress situations. Engaging in the same manner over time leads to a predictable and familiar zone of comfort. As creatures of habit, we become dependent on these routines that we know we can complete well to feel secure. However, by stepping outside of our comfort zone, we learn about our ability to handle new situations and control risks, leading to greater self-confidence, and lower levels of anxiety.
One study found that individuals who are more secure in stepping out of their comfort zone are more likely to be excited by and look forward to new experiences, feeling greater confidence in their ability to take them on.
One behavior that demonstrates the benefits of stepping out of a comfort zone is learning to play a musical instrument. When we consider actions outside of our comfort zone, we must assess our desire to engage in that activity. By weighing the pros and cons, we evaluate how uncomfortable a situation may seem, and whether the danger of entering such an unknown situation will be worth the risk.
Music offers a safe way to step out of your initial comfort zone because you can begin by practicing in an isolated setting, which offers a casual, safe way to build a new skill set. By picking up and practicing a new instrument, you have proven to yourself that you are capable of meeting an unfamiliar objective, thus decreasing anxiety.
1. What does the underlined word “haven” in Paragraph 1 most probably mean?| A．Habitat. | B．Shelter. | C．Community. | D．Destination. |
| A．We recall the old experience. |
| B．We think whether it is worth the risk. |
| C．We evaluate our thirsty for the activity. |
| D．We weigh the strengths and weaknesses. |
| A．The definition of the comfort zone. |
| B．The importance of psychological well-being. |
| C．The process of learning a new musical instrument. |
| D．The benefits of stepping out of one’s comfort zone. |
| A．How to Identify Comfort Zone |
| B．Staying Inside Comfort Zone is Important |
| C．Stepping Outside Comfort Zone Promotes Learning |
| D．How to Take Yourself Away from High-stress Situations |
2 . Last week, I sent the same request to ChatGPT, the latest artificial-intelligence chatbot from OpenAI. “Upon the Firth of Forth, a bridge doth stand,” it began. In less than a minute, the program had created in full a rhyming Shakespearean sonnet (莎士比亚十四行诗). Tools like ChatGPT seem poised to change the world of poetry — and so much else — but poets also have a lot to teach us about artificial intelligence. If algorithms (算法) are getting good at writing poetry, it’s partially because poetry was always an algorithmic business.
Even the most rebellious (叛逆的) poets follow more rules than they might like to admit. When schoolchildren are taught to imitate the structure of sonnet, they are effectively learning to follow algorithmic constraints. Should it surprise us that computers can do so, too?
But considering how ChatGPT works, its ability to follow the rules for sonnets seems a little more impressive. No one taught it these rules. It is based on a newer kind of AI known as a large language model (LLM). To put it simply, LLMs analyze large amounts of human writing and learn to predict what the next word in a string of text should be, based on context. One frequent criticism of LLMs is that they do not understand what they write; they just do a great job of guessing the next word.
When a private verse by Dickinson makes us feel like the poet speaks directly to us, we are experiencing the effects of a technology called language. Poems are made of paper and ink — or, these days, electricity and light. There is no one “inside” a Dickinson poem any more than one by ChatGPT. Of course, every Dickinson poem reflects her intention to create meaning. When ChatGPT puts words together, it does not intend anything. Some argue that writings by LLMs therefore have no meaning, only the appearance of it. If I see a cloud in the sky that looks like a giraffe, I recognize it as an accidental similarity. In the same way, this argument goes, we should regard the writings of ChatGPT as merely imitating real language, meaningless and random as cloud shapes.
When I showed my friends the sonnet by ChatGPT, they called it “soulless and barren.” Despite following all the rules for sonnets, the poem is predictable. But is the average sonnet by a human any better? If we now expect computers to write not just poems but good poems, then we have set a much higher bar.
1. What is the main idea of paragraph 1 and paragraph 2?| A．ChatGPT will make a difference to poetry based on algorithms. |
| B．There is no doubt that AI can copy the grammatical rules of poetry. |
| C．Poetry guidelines provide a possibility for AI’s poetry writing. |
| D．There is a similarity between algorithms and poetry. |
| A．ChatGPT is trained to follow the rules by LLMs. |
| B．ChatGPT can analyze and predict human languages. |
| C．ChatGPT is technologically supported by LLMs. |
| D．ChatGPT itself learn to follow the rules. |
| A．He talks about cloud to describe the meaninglessness of AI’s poetry. |
| B．He tells of Dickinson to describe the meaninglessness AI’s poetry. |
| C．He mentions cloud to suggest its close relationship with AI’s poetry. |
| D．He refers to Dickinson to suggest her close relationship with AI’s poetry. |
| A．Acceptable and favorable | B．Amazed and admiring |
| C．Indifferent and uncaring | D．Doubtful and uneasy |
3 . Communication is a problem for parents and children of all ages. If it’s hard for you to communicate with your parents, don’t worry about it. Here is some advice for you.
Don’t argue with your parents. Don’t try to talk about something with your parents when you are angry. Your parents probably won’t listen to you if you are shouting at them. Go somewhere else to cool off. Then think about what you want to say to your parents. If you think you can’t speak to them at the moment, try writing a letter to them.
Try to understand your parents. Your parents may think differently from you. Tell your parents what you think, what you care about and why. Perhaps you and your parents disagree on something. Put yourself in their shoes and you may find a better way out.
Michael’s mother didn’t agree with him about buying a motorcycle. They argued over it. But they finally came to an agreement. Michael bought the motorcycle, but only drove it on certain days.
It is also important to show your love to your parents. Try to do some small things at home, like making them a cup of tea, helping do some chores, and so on. It helps to keep your relationship closer. A good relationship with your parents can make you a better and happier person. It is worth having a try.
1. The passage mainly talks about the communication problem between ________.| A．parents and school teachers |
| B．school kids and their parents |
| C．teachers and their students |
| D．parents and children of all ages |
| A．show your love to them | B．often stay with them |
| C．speak to them politely | D．do chores for them |
| A．understand each other |
| B．stay away from your parents |
| C．argue with each other |
| D．disagree with your parents |
| A．you are happy | B．you love them | C．you like chores | D．you are relaxed |
| A．It’s certainly necessary to show your love to your parents. |
| B．It’s hard for all the teenagers to communicate with their parents. |
| C．Think it over before you want to talk to your parents about something. |
| D．Put yourself in your parents’ shoes and you may find some good ways to communicate with your parents. |
4 . The Grey’s Anatomy doctors are navigating the patients that have kept them on our screens for some 400 episodes of the show. But in this episode, for the first time, the
But can seeing the realities of climate change affecting characters on the screen help us relate
Non-profit storytelling consultancy Good Energy believes it can. It is among a small but growing number of organizations
The Good Energy Playbook’s suggestions are appropriately wide-ranging: characters with climate anxiety and those fighting against injustice; utopian (乌托邦的) narratives that explore climate solutions; storylines that quietly
The playbook was created by Good Energy founder Anna Jane Joyner, “It started as a personal
Many research studies looked at the impact introducing climate stories had on viewers, and found it prompted greater concern about climate change. It also
Climate stories, then, seem like a pretty good idea. But these sorts of narratives have been few and far between. Julie Doyle, professor of media at the University of Brighton in the UK, says climate change has
It’s time to break the climate silence, says Doyle. “Mainstream media has tended to follow rather than lead, and it would be great if mainstream media could lead this.” Day-to-day mentions of climate change in media are especially important because, while blockbuster climate films can have a positive impact on awareness and action, the effect is sadly
| A．resistance | B．background | C．response | D．application |
| A．fictional | B．scientific | C．educational | D．theoretical |
| A．logical | B．moral | C．occasional | D．spiritual |
| A．differently | B．effortlessly | C．reluctantly | D．systematically |
| A．depending on | B．referring to | C．identifying with | D．calling for |
| A．restore | B．feature | C．demonstrate | D．sponsor |
| A．reflect | B．maintain | C．eliminate | D．strengthen |
| A．integrate | B．reverse | C．initiate | D．publish |
| A．transition | B．campaign | C．achievement | D．association |
| A．transferred | B．promoted | C．shifted | D．underestimated |
| A．For example | B．As a result | C．On the contrary | D．In addition |
| A．narrative | B．character | C．plot | D．memory |
| A．explored | B．competed | C．struggled | D．appealed |
| A．narrow-minded | B．ever-changing | C．short-lived | D．far-sighted |
| A．resumes | B．fades | C．deepens | D．increases |
5 . The Oxford dictionary defines the word “success” as “an accomplishment of an aim” and “attaining fame, social status (地位) or wealth”. Is this how we measure success in life? If you are rich, you’ll have people say “you have everything” or “you’re already successful in life” or a similar statement that means you have money and are well settled. There are many people who feel this way, while there are many who feel that success is not just having a lot of money.
The thing is, your concept of success is connected to your beliefs and values, and if your values tell you that success in life means money, then there is nothing that will change your mind. On the other hand, if your value system says that having money, stability, peace, happiness and contentment in your life are equally important, then you have an entirely different idea of success in life. There are a lot of people in this world that are wealthy. However, they are unhappy. There are a lot of people who do not make a lot of money, but are happy with what they have.
There are different kinds of people in the world, and each one has a different view on what being successful really is about. Here are a few common opinions about success.
●Success in life means having money.
●Success in life means winning games or competitions.
●Success in life means achieving your goal.
●Success in life means getting the job you wanted.
●Success in life means owning a nice house, a good car and having all the costly comforts life has to offer.
●Success in life means being famous.
●Success in life means having influence, power and control.
●Success in life means being free from insecurities, fears and wants.
The one thing that is common to the statements above is that they include accomplishment, attainment and fulfillment (履行). Another thing is that it’s something you yearn for or that gives you an unspoken advantage over others.
1. Why is the definition of success in the Oxford dictionary mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To make practical suggestions. |
| B．To lead in the topic for discussion. |
| C．To clarify the exact meaning of success. |
| D．To compare different ideas about success. |
| A．One’s value system matters a lot. |
| B．One should be grateful for what he has. |
| C．Success determines one’s beliefs and values. |
| D．Happy people are more likely to obtain success. |
| A．Choose. | B．Lack. | C．Desire. | D．Achieve. |
| A．What is the concept of success? |
| B．How can success be achieved in life? |
| C．Can success really bring money in life? |
| D．Does success in life mean having money? |
6 . Science is a process that builds upon existing theories and knowledge by continuously revising them. Every aspect of scientific knowledge can be questioned, including the general rules of thinking that appear to be most certain. So why is science trustworthy if it is always changing? If tomorrow we will no longer see the world as Newton or Einstein found it to be, why should we take seriously today’s scientific description of the world?
The answer is simple: Because at any given moment of our history, this description of the world is the best we have. The fact that it can be made better can’t diminish (降低) the fact that it is a useful instrument for understanding the world.
Consider a folk healer’s herbal medicine. Can we say this treatment is “scientific”? Yes, if it is proven to be effective, even if we have no idea why it works. In fact, quite a few common medications used today have their origin in folk treatments, and we are still not sure how they work. This does not imply that folk treatments are generally effective. To the contrary, many of them are not. What distinguishes scientific medicine is the readiness to seriously test a treatment and to be ready to change our minds if something is shown not to work. A research doctor in a modern hospital must be ready to change his theory if a more effective way of understanding illness, or treating it, becomes available.
What makes modern science uniquely powerful is its refusal to believe that it already possesses ultimate truth. The reliability of science is based not on certainty but on a complete absence of certainty. As John Stuart Mill wrote in “On Liberty” in 1859, “The beliefs which we have most warrant (依据) for, have no safeguard to rest on, but a standing invitation to the whole world to prove them unfounded.”
1. Why does the author raise the two questions in paragraph 1?| A．To add some fun. | B．To express doubts. |
| C．To introduce the topic. | D．To provide background. |
| A．It can be timeless. | B．It can be improved. |
| C．It is of little value. | D．It is the best at any moment. |
| A．Dismissive. | B．Objective. | C．Pessimistic. | D．Sympathetic. |
| A．It is unwise to believe in science. |
| B．Too much uncertainty lies in science. |
| C．The foundation of science is unfounded. |
| D．The lack of certainty makes science credible. |
7 . I asked friends on Facebook if they eat the same thing every day for at least one of their meals. I wanted to understand their reasons for doing so. As a result, I found three main reasons.
Ease (容易) of decision-making was the number one reason people gave me for eating the same breakfast or lunch every day. Choosing to drink a bottle of milk every morning takes some of the decision-making stress out of the start of the day. A bowl of cereal (麦片粥) was also among the quick, easy breakfasts people mentioned. In fact, experts say that it’s not a problem to eat the same thing every day, as long as that meal offers rich nutrition (营养). Mornings are busy for most people, so having a quick, easy breakfast makes a lot of sense.
Ease of preparation can go hand in hand with ease of decision-making, but it doesn’t have to. I sometimes prepare something that requires time or skills for my kids’ lunches if they have eaten the same thing every day.
The third reason people gave for eating the same thing every day was that an unchanged meal fits into their diet or nutrition plan. Some people who work regularly have found the right breakfast food to make them energetic, so they stick with it. Others who go on a diet prefer to eat the same thing rather than risk eating something they shouldn’t. It is easy for them to control their weight by sticking to the same breakfast daily.
The one response I didn’t receive from anyone was that they ate the same thing every day because they truly liked the food. I’ll admit: although I like eating hamburgers, I only eat them several times a week — but not every single day.
1. What does the underlined sentence in the second paragraph mean?| A．Eating breakfast can help relieve stress. |
| B．Someone has difficulty making decisions. |
| C．Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. |
| D．It’s easy to decide on drinking milk for breakfast. |
| A．She tries to enrich her kids’ lunches. |
| B．She is quick in preparing for lunches. |
| C．She has different lunch from her kids’. |
| D．She wants to improve her cooking skills. |
| A．Someone who often eats outside. |
| B．Someone who loves special food. |
| C．Someone who wants to lose weight. |
| D．Someone who doesn’t eat breakfast. |
| A．Not everyone responded to her survey. |
| B．She wants to eat hamburgers every day. |
| C．Hamburgers are many people’s favourite. |
| D．People won’t eat what they love every day. |
8 . Way back in Victorian times, around 1872,Christina Rossetti wrote a collection of nursery rhymes entitled Sing-Song: A Nursery Rhyme Book, and in it she composed (创作) all sorts of neat little poems that were favorably received. British author Lewis Carroll, a friend of the Rossetti family, lauded the poems, and the public was particularly pleased by the illustrations.
Some of the poems improve children’s mind and character;some are memory aids for learning about numbers, time and colors; others deal with nature, including wind, rain, growth, and death. Rossetti’s delightful poems have a kind of simplicity and effortlessness that audiences today still appreciate. They refresh our memories of being a kid.
Why is the sky blue? Will my head explode if I think too much? You used to ask such fun questions when you were a little one, right? Hey, we all did. And that’s kind of what makes being a kid so cool. In fact, kids often try their hardest to come up with the silliest questions that will inspire a little laughter from others. It’s kind of their duty as kids.
“Who has seen the wind?” It is a silly question, isn’t it? But Rossetti can break nature down for us in a way that not only makes sense but sounds nice, too. The poem reopens our days of innocent imagination.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you.
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I.
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.
The poem opens with the title that asks, “Who has seen the wind?” The speaker informs us that neither she nor anyone else has ever seen it. But we do see the leaves “trembling,” which informs us that the wind is passing through. The speaker then repeats the same question. The answer remains the same, but when the trees “bow down their heads,” we again realize that the wind is passing by.
1. What does the underlined word “lauded” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Discovered. | B．Praised. |
| C．Wrote. | D．Hid. |
| A．In Paragraph 1. | B．In Paragraph 2. |
| C．In Paragraph 3. | D．In Paragraph 4. |
| A．It is natural for kids to ask them. |
| B．There is no need to answer them. |
| C．They are harmful to kids’ growth. |
| D．They often annoy others. |
| A．By learning from adults. |
| B．By feeling the moving air. |
| C．By watching the movements of trees. |
| D．By listening to the sounds of the wind. |
9 . Over the last two decades, humankind has created a vast mobile network enabling people to share information at unprecedented(前所未有的)rates, discovered water on Mars, engineered cars that run on hydrogen(氢), etc. So many achievements have there been, in fact, that most go unnoticed by the general population. It is only when a family member needs a heart transplant that you come to learn about the possibility of someone building a heart for them.
In September, British mathematician Sir Michael Atiyah claimed to have solved the Riemann Hypothesis, a complex mathematical equation(数学方程式)that has puzzled some of the world’s brightest minds for 160 years. ”What is the Riemann Hypothesis and why should I care?“ you ask. Frankly speaking, I don’t understand it, and I don’t think I ever will. But I am sure that its applications for advancement in science and technology will be significant. The fact of the matter is that individuals or teams can spend years or even decades working on maths problems that they may never solve. They do so not only because of the rewards that might be available, but also because it is a worthy goal. Most of the world will not understand what these individuals do, but our lives would be very different if nobody ever sought to challenge themselves and take on crazy projects.
I admire a man named Jiro Ono, owner and chef of arguably the most famous sushi restaurant in Japan. Jiro became a qualified sushi chef in 1951, nearly 70 years ago. Today, at the age of 92, he is still looking for ways to improve upon his craft. Many would think that after doing something for that long, they have nothing else to learn, but Jiro puts that notion to shame. Every day, he stands behind the counter and experiments with food in his pursuit of perfection.
In life, just about every corner you turn, you can find areas to improve upon. Medical researchers look for ways to cure cancer; basketball players practice hard to become the next Michael Jordan; scientists experiment with alternative fuels to help the environment. Most of us have not been tasked with progressing in a certain way yet, but what all of us should be doing is seeking to improve ourselves for the good of ourselves or for the good of others.
1. Why did the author mention Sir Michael Atiyah in Paragraph 2?| A．To emphasize that his contribution is unprecedented. |
| B．To argue that proving maths problem is profitable. |
| C．To identify the essential ingredients that lead to his success. |
| D．To prove that we need pioneers like him in today’s world. |
| A．An artificial heart isn’t available for one with heart disease. |
| B．Jiro Ono considers seeking improvement as a shame. |
| C．Everyone should try to impose themselves merely for his own sake. |
| D．Michael Atiyah is similar to Jiro Ono in terms of their pursuit. |
| A．Proving Riemann Hypothesis | B．The Never-ending Journey |
| C．Challenging Ourselves | D．Achieving Success |
10 . I have spent my entire life either at the schoolhouse, on the way to the schoolhouse, or talking about what happens in the schoolhouse. Both my parents and my grandparents were educators. For the past 40 years I’ve done the same thing. Needless to say, over those years I’ve had a chance to look at education reform from a lot of aspects. And we know why kids drop out. We know why kids don’t learn. It’s either poverty, low attendance or negative peer influences. But one of the things that we never discuss or we barely discuss is the value—the importance of human connection and relationships.
James Comer says that no significant learning can occur without a significant relationship and all learning is understanding relationships. Everyone has been affected by a teacher or an adult. I have looked at the best and I’ve looked at some of the worst.
A colleague said to me once, “My duty isn’t to like the kids, but to teach a lesson. The kids should learn it. I should teach it. This is the case.” Well, I said to her, “You know, kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.”
I have had classes that were so low that I cried. I wondered, how was I going to take this group in nine months from where they were to where they needed to be? And it was awfully hard. How did I raise the self-confidence of a child and his academic achievement at the same time?
One year I came up with a bright idea. I told all my students, “You were chosen to be in my class because I am the best teacher and you are the best students. They put us all together so we could show everybody else how to do it.” And I gave them a saying: “I am somebody. I was somebody when I came. I’ll be a better somebody when I leave. I am powerful , and I am strong. I deserve the education that I get here.”
Teaching and learning should bring joy. How powerful would our world be if we had kids who were not afraid to take risks, who were not afraid to think, and who had a champion! Every child deserves a champion. An adult who will never give up on them, and who understands the power of connection, insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.
1. Why do kids drop out of school?| A．They have a bad association with teachers. |
| B．They may come from low-income families. |
| C．They aren’t enthusiastic about school subjects. |
| D．They are influenced in an optimistic way by peers. |
| A．Teachers should lay stress on the personal traits. |
| B．Students might learn a lot from teachers’ varied advice. |
| C．Understanding relationships leads to successful learning. |
| D．Education plays an important role in the kids’ childhood. |
| A．He motivated them to build self-confidence. |
| B．He trained them to be committed and focused. |
| C．He awarded them many prizes during his class. |
| D．He was devoted to improving their self-discipline. |
| A．Every Kid Needs a Champion |
| B．True Love for My Own Career |
| C．How to Deal With Bad Students |
| D．My Joy of Being a Teacher |
