1 . Future living: what will the home of tomorrow look like?

What will our homes be like in the future? Growing cities, shrinking living spaces, and climate change are major challenges     1    (face) urban planners and architects. We’re sharing three trends with you     2     will shape the home we live in tomorrow.

Energy efficient and carbon neutral

One of the greatest challenges for homes of the future is our increasing energy consumption, something that cannot be covered by fossil fuels going forward.     3    the impact of climate change becoming notable, it’s perfectly understandable that the buildings of the future could function as environmentally friendly power plants. Solar collectors and heat storage systems allow     4     are known as ‘plus-energy buildings’ to produce 100 percent renewable energy for emission-free operation.

The trend to downsizing

Living more efficiently not only means improving energy use and reducing one’s own carbon footprint, but also building to save space. Rooms     5    (design) to be multifunctional when there’s not a dedicated room available for every potential purpose. Modular and flexible furnishing systems that can be adapted to the individual floor space and room zones will replace     6    (fix) structures, ensuring that there’s room for everything even in a small space.   

Trends for living and working under one roof

Over the last few months, the office     7    (become) a feature in many people’s homes. For a number of years now, the home office has been evolving from a make-do desk into a comfortable long-term solution. This development means we need to ask     8     how we should construct our living spaces to allow us to concentrate and work productively.   

    9     you rent or own your own home in the future, what’s clear is that the home of tomorrow will be smarter, more flexible, and more sustainable. It will offer us space     10    (live), sleep and work both indoors and outdoors.

2 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. replace       B. trustworthy               C. apparently                    D. pick E. owe             AB. expressing        AC. land                    AD. ironically AE. version       BC. position               BD. challenging

What Is 2023’s Word of the Year, According to Dictionaries?

What word defined the past year for you? Find out if your answer matches the actual word of the year from four famous dictionaries.

Cambridge Dictionary’s     1     for 2023 is hallucinate. The common definition of hallucinate is “to see or hear things that are not really there because of illness or drugs.” In 2023, however, to hallucinate can mean something different, thanks to AI. According to Cambridge’s alternate definition of hallucinating, “when an artificial intelligence hallucinates, it produces false information.” Sure, using AI can be fun for creating dog selfies or could even help you     2     a job, but it’s likely to produce misleading or made-up facts — or “hallucinating.”

Those dictionary people are     3     all on the same page. Similar to Cambridge, Collins Dictionary’s word of the year is the broader term AI. ChatGPT was released in late 2022, with companies attempting to use it to cut costs, worrying employees that it would     4     their jobs. AI pioneers and creators began     5     concerns that AI could be “dangerous” and operated by “bad actors.” President Biden even issued an executive order on “safe, secure and     6     artificial intelligence.”

With Merriam-Webster’s word authentic, we have an AI trifecta (三连胜)! While its core meaning is the same — “not false or imitation” — it should     7     its popularity in 2023 to AI, with the rise in deepfake videos and the potential use of AI in entertainment. However, being authentic is also about being “true to one’s own personality, spirit or character.” Are the public figures you look up to being true to themselves? As people search for authenticity, Merriam-Webster notes, “    8    , with ‘authentic content creators’... authenticity has become a performance.”

Oxford slides in at the last minute with a totally different word of the year for 2023: rizz. This noun means “style, charm or attractiveness”. It’s believed to be a shortened     9     of the word charisma, a special magnetic charm or appeal. It also hints at a changing attitude in 2023. “It’s interesting to see a contrasting word like rizz come to the forefront, perhaps showing that this year more of us are opening ourselves after a few     10     years and finding confidence in who we are,” notes Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages.

3 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. ceaselessly     B. consists     C. flavored     D. markets     E. modest       F. perfect G. presence        H. spread       I. registered     J. sights        K. specifically

Opposite a university campus on the outskirts of Jakarta, motorbikes line the front of Ricky Salim’s ice-cream and tea store, one of thousands of Mixue franchise owners across Asia. This Chinese firm, which built its brand selling teas and soft-serve ice-cream in smaller Chinese cities with relatively     1     average incomes, is exporting its model across South-East Asia. Its nearly 22,000 franchised stores worldwide have made it the fifth-largest fast-food chain in the world.

Part of the reason for Mixue’s success     2     in selling Asia’s favourite drink: bubble tea, a milky tea containing chewy tapioca balls. In China, the market for these     3     teas was twice that for coffee in 2021, with a $20bn turnover, according to Momentum Works, a research firm in Singapore.

As growth has slowed in China, bubble-tea brands have set their     4     on South-East Asia, where the market was worth $4bn. Several other large Chinese tea brands, including HeyTea, Nayuki Tea, ChaGee and Happy Lemon, have also moved into the region.

Yet no ready-made bubble-tea chain has     5     faster than Mixue, which opened its first store in Vietnam in 2018. By March it had around 1,500 stores in Indonesia; the firm wants to double its     6     there by the end of this year.

Unlike fancier bubble-tea brands, Mixue     7     itself as cheap and cheerful, rather than trendy. Its viral song has been translated into 20 languages and is often played     8     in its franchises. “What it took our China team ten or 20 years to figure out, we’ve been able to     9     in just one year by learning from their experiences,” says Mr. Hartanto.

Mixue’s biggest ambitions for growth are in countries with emerging economies and many young people. Yet over the past year Mixue stores have also opened in Australia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea, and the firm has     10     its trademark in markets from Europe and America to Uzbekistan. It has announced plans for an initial public offering on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The singing snowman is coming your way.

4 . How to Become a Scientist

Here is some advice for students who think they might like to become scientists.

Become an observer. One of the most important things you can do to become a good scientist is to practice watching everything carefully. Find a comfortable chair and put it in the middle of your garden or a park. Sit in the chair for thirty minutes or an hour. Watch the insects that fly past or land on the plants. Look at the shapes of leaves and branches. Listen to the sounds of insects.     1     Use a microscope to look closely at interesting objects.

Learn everything you can about a topic that interests you. Suppose you’d like to explore flowers by using a microscope. Go to the library and check out some flower books. See what you can find on the Internet. Pick some flowers and carefully take them apart.     2     The more you know about flowers from reading about them and observing them, the more you’ll understand when you look at them with a microscope.

Ask for help from a knowledgeable person. After you’ve learned everything you can on your own, ask someone else to help with questions you still have. Maybe there’s someone at a nearby school or museum who knows about insects, spiders, or something else you’d like to learn about.     3    

Find a scientist to talk to or find a place where scientific research is being done. If you still want to learn more, you can find a scientist to talk to at a nearby university, or research station.     4     Explain what you’re interested in. Ask if you can schedule a time to visit. Most scientists are happy to talk to students who share their passion for science.

A．You may go to seek answers from him.

B．Write a letter or an e-mail message to the scientist.

C．Research your questions using the Internet or library.

D．See if you can find a sight or sound that surprises you.

E．Use a microscope to see how everything fits together.

F．Being a scientist is time-consuming and mentally demanding.

5 . Today’s youth will drive tomorrow’s growth. Young people have always confused their elders. Today’s youngsters are no different. They have thin wallets but ________ tastes. They long for authenticity while being constantly immersed in an artificial digital world. They ________ convenience and abundance. As they start spending in earnest, brands are trying to understand what these walking paradoxes (悖论) ________ and how they shop. The answers will define the next era of consumerism.

A good place to start analyzing the psyche of young consumer is to consider the ________ that has shaped them. At one end of the scale, today’s 30-somethings came of age in the midst of the global financial crisis of 2007-2009. Their younger peers were slightly ________, beginning their careers in years when tightening labour markets had pushed up wages until the covid-19 pandemic turned many of their lives upside down.

These two big ________ have contributed to pessimism among the young people who experienced them. A study found a widespread ________ among Gen Zs that they would be able to afford to retire. Less than half believed they would ever own a home.

In many ways youngsters’ shopping habits, like their lives, are defined by the “________ economy”. The popularity of social media means there are many new ways of attracting consumers’ eyeballs. Most young shoppers never knew a world without smartphones. More than two-thirds of 18- to 34-year-old Americans spend four hours or more on their devices each day.

These “always-on purchasers” often avoid a weekly shop so that they can have quicker ________ of everything from fashion to furniture. They like subscriptions, often favoring shared access to products over outright ownership, which has ________ online-rental sites and streaming services.

The internet has also changed how the young discover brands. Print, billboard or TV advertising has ________ social media. Instagram and TikTok are where the young look for inspiration, particularly for goods where ________ matter, such as beauty, fashion, and sportswear. ________ physical shops are not entirely out of favor. They can be successful as long as the experience feels personal and, ideally, integrates virtual and physical worlds.

How the young shop is clearly shifting. What they buy, too, is changing. What older generations consider optional, such as wellness and luxury, has become ________ for the young.

More broadly, young consumers claim to be more ________ than previous generations. Some of these values are centered around identity (race, gender and so on). Others stem from things the young care about, such as climate change.

1.

A．pleasant

B．expensive

C．mild

D．refreshing

2.

A．prize

B．boast

C．mix

D．challenge

3.

A．recycle

B．desire

C．deliver

D．package

4.

A．education

B．institution

C．family

D．economy

5.

A．busier

B．luckier

C．stronger

D．calmer

6.

A．reforms

B．ends

C．trends

D．shocks

7.

A．doubt

B．opposition

C．criticism

D．ignorance

8.

A．bubble

B．attention

C．knowledge

D．green

9.

A．refunds

B．possessions

C．fixes

D．trials

10.

A．approved

B．facilitated

C．reversed

D．updated

11.

A．made peace with

B．made up for

C．run parallel to

D．given way to

12.

A．looks

B．scents

C．textures

D．atmospheres

13.

A．However

B．Hence

C．Apparently

D．Otherwise

14.

A．souvenirs

B．essentials

C．memories

D．treasures

15.

A．dream-connected

B．hobbies-motivated

C．values-driven

D．money-focused

6 . While more and more scientists are working on nonfiction science books for the general reader, I think we also need a change.

The typical expert-voiced monologues (独白) that scientists write are a wonderful component of the engagement effort, but the form is limited. Such books are largely ready people already willing to pick up a science book, or who are open to the authoritative academic’s voice telling them how to think. There are plenty of people who can engage with science but who find those kinds of books a sometimes unwelcome reminder of the classroom.

Following from my belief that science is for everyone, I suggest that publishers need to work with scientists to expand the kinds of books on offer, assured that there is an audience for them. Progress is possible. Many years ago, I realized it is hard to find books on the nonfiction science shelf that let readers see themselves as part of the conversation about science. So I thought about an entire book of conversations about science taking place between ordinary people. While “overhearing” those conversations, readers learn some science ideas. It’s a resurrection of the dialogue form, known to the ancient Greeks, and to Galileo, as a device for exchanging ideas, but with contemporary settings: cafes, restaurants, trains and so on.

I decided it would be engaging for the reader to actually see who’s having those conversations, and where, instead of describing them in words. This led me to realize that I was thinking about a powerful form of visual storytelling: Graphic novels for adults have matured and exploded in popularity in recent years. Spiegelman’s “Maus: A Survivor’s Tale” and Bechdel’s “Fun Home” are just two well-known examples.

But the storytelling tools of the graphic book have been little used to convey nonfiction science ideas to a general adult audience. The vast majority of contemporary graphic books with a science focus are presented instead as “explainer/adventure comics” for younger audiences. This is an important genre, but graphic books about science should not be limited to that.

And while there are several excellent graphic books for adults that include science, they typically focus instead on the lives of famous scientists, with discussion of the science itself as a secondary goal. Some excellent recent examples that balance the two aspects well include Ottaviani arid Myrick’s “Feyrunan” and Doxiadis and Papadimitriou’s “Logicomix”. The scarcity of science-focused non-biographical (非自传体的) graphic books for adults is especially true in my field of physics. So I decided that here was an opportunity to broaden the kinds of nonfiction science book available to engage the public.

1. It can be inferred from Para.2 that the expert-voiced monologues don’t appeal to _________.

A．those who are interested in scientific ideas

B．those who have no talents for scientific research

C．those who would like to know how scientists think

D．those who think science classes in school are uninteresting

2. The word “resurrection” (in paragraph 3) most probably means _________.

A．announcement

B．comeback

C．explanation

D．representation

3. According to the writer, which might be the best form of nonfiction science books for general readers?

A．A collection of scientists’ life stories.	B．A book written by a Nobel Prize winner.
C．An adventure novel focusing on science.	D．A comic book conveying scientific ideas.

4. What is passage mainly about?

A．A well-known writer who writes to promote science among the public.

B．A possible way to get nonfiction science books to appeal to the public.

C．A new approach to have the public get interested in new scientific ideas.

D．An easy access for the public to have a general idea of what science is.

7 .

Supersized activities for your little ones at Sentosa During the June Holidays
Storytelling Comes Alive! Date: Every Wed-Sun at 11:30 am. 3:30 pm & 5:30 pm Venue: Images of Singapore Forecourt Admission: Free Enjoy SUPERSIZED activities for the entire family this June at our international award winning interactive event, Story Telling Comes Alive! This is where the story teller uses a giant storybook, puppetry and characters coming alive to bring the exciting and fun stories to life.	Boogie with Captain Palawan Date: Every Tuesdays to Fridays Time: 2:25 pm &4:15 pm Admission: Free Join in the boogie fun with Captain Palawan on the Beach! Bop to the rhythm and you may dance your way to some prizes!
Art Excursion at Sentosa Date: 8 & 15 June 2015 (Children) 22 June 2015 (Family) Time: 9 am - 5 pm Admission: $120 per child (SentosaPlayPass: $90 per child) $360 per family (SentosaPlayPass: $270 per family) Unleash your child’s creativity with the Art Excursion conducted by My Art Studio. Participants will have the opportunity to exchange creative ideas inspired by what they experience as they move through various stations in Sentosa.	Storytelling at Underwater World Singapore Date: 1-24 June 2015, every Sat& Sun Time: 11:45 am &3:15 pm Venue: Underwater World Singapore Admission: $20 per adult $10 per child (No admission charge for anyone with a SentosaPlayPass) Come and listen to storyteller, Denise Tan, as she shares stories about marine animals and marine conservation in the Living Fossils Hall filled with displays of ancient marine animals.

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1. John, who is a SentosaPlayPass holder, needn’t pay for the activities EXCEPT ______.

A．Storytelling Comes Alive	B．Art Excursion at Sentosa
C．Boogie with Captain Palawan	D．Storytelling at Underwater World Singapore

2. Which of the following statements is true?

A．Boogie with Captain Palawan is an activity that happens daily.

B．Denise Tan will share her stories at Images of Singapore Forecourt.

C．Storytelling Comes Alive is recognized globally for its engaging content.

D．You will win prizes if you spend at least $40 in a single receipt at Sentosa.

3. On a Saturday at 2pm, Mr Smith and his family want to buy the SentosaPlayPass. He should go to ______.

A．Bugis station	B．Somerset station
C．any TransitLink ticket office	D．any Sentosa ticketing office

8 . Directions: Your school is going to host a summer camp for junior middle school students. You are supposed to make a speech to recruit volunteers for this activity. Your speech should include the basic qualifications for applicants and other information which you think is relevant to the task. Write a composition of about 150 words.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

More Americans are opting to work well     1     retirement, a growing trend     2     threatens to upend the old workforce model.

One in three Americans who are at least 40 have or plan to have a job in retirement to prepare for a longer life, according to a survey     3     (conduct) by Harris Poll for TD Ameritrade. Even more surprising is that more than half of “unretirees” — those who plan to work in retirement or went back to work after retiring — said they     4     (employ) in their later years even if they had enough money to settle down, the survey showed.

Financial needs aren’t the only culprit for “the unretirement” trend.     5    , according to the study, include personal fulfillment such as staying mentally fit, preventing boredom or avoiding depression. About 72% of “unretire” respondents said that they would return to work     6     retired to keep mentally fit while 59% said it would be tied to making ends meet.

“The concept of retirement is evolving,” said Christine Russel, senior manager of retirement at TD Ameritrade. “It’s not just about finances. The value of work is also driving folks     7     (continue) working past retirement.”

One reason for the change in retirement patterns: Americans are living longer. The share of the population 65 and older was 16% in 2018, up 3.2% from the prior year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s also up 30.2% since 2010. Older Americans are also the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. workforce, and boomers are expected to live longer than previous generations. The percentage of retirement-age people in the labour force has doubled over the past three decades. About 20% of people 65 and older were in the workforce in February, up from an all-time low of 10% in January in 1985, according to money manager United Income.

Unfortunately, many people who     8     (choose) to work in retirement are preparing to do so because they are worried about making ends meet in their later years, said Brent Weiss, a co-founder at Baltimore-based financial-planning firm Facet Wealth. He suggested that preretirees     9     speak with a financial adviser to set long-term financial goals.

“    10     (challenging) moments in life are getting married, starting a family and ultimately retiring,” Weiss said. “It’s not just a financial decision, but an emotional one. Many people believe they can’t retire.”

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。1.

A．To provide financial aid for students.

B．To fill out application forms for students.

C．To help students make the college application.

D．To create a top website on Google’s search engine.

2.

A．Those who do not appear for the first day of class.

B．Those who fail to be admitted to a college.

C．Those who do not pay the required deposit.

D．Those who fail to get help from college officials.

3.

A．By looking up former students for help.

B．By turning to the website for information.

C．By holding a virtual college fair by themselves.

D．By discussing good or bad experiences with each other.