1 . In an increasingly fast-paced world that rewards immediacy, urgency culture makes it hard to tell what is truly important and what is not. At work, this could involve handling frequent last- minute requests, unrealistic deadlines, and the expectation to be reachable even after hours. In personal life, behaviour patterns of urgency culture include overextending in relationships, frequently checking social media updates out of fear of missing out, and responding immediately to calls and texts, even when it’s inconvenient.

The constant rush to be “always on” professionally and personally can create stress. Being part of the “always on” culture often involves multitasking. However, research shows every time we multitask, it actually slows the brain down and may reduce productivity by up to 40 percent. Meanwhile, constant overstimulation - a significant contributor to urgency culture- will debilitate your dopamine (多巴胺) system. In short, the more overstimulated you are, the less joy you can feel. Over time, urgency culture can also be harmful to physical health. A false sense of urgency tricks the body into reacting as if it’ s in a threatening situation, activating the “fight-or- flight” response. Your breathing becomes faster, your blood pressure and heart rate go up, and you lose the ability to regulate emotions, and an overactive fight-or-fight response contributes to high blood pressure, poor quality of sleep and eating disorders.

To avoid the urgency trap, experts recommend pausing for a few moments before leaping into action every time something comes up. It allows you to step back and assess whether this demand for your attention is in line with your priorities. Setting clear expectations in personal and professional relationships can also help plan, prioritize and problem-solve without causing false urgency. The best thing you can do to deal with urgency culture is to regularly engage in activities that remind you there is no rush.

1. Which of the following can be described as “urgency culture” according to paragraph 1?

A．Focusing on important matters.	B．Finishing work before deadline.
C．Giving everything high priority.	D．Maintaining useful relationships.

2. How does multitasking influence people according to the author?

A．It contributes to their work efficiency.

B．They may feel under constant pressure.

C．It helps to slow down their working pace.

D．Their sense of achievement will decrease.

3. What does the underlined word “debilitate” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Weaken.

B．Balance.

C．Activate.

D．Divide.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the text?

A．The Power of Rush: The Secret to Modern Success

B．Stay Well-connected: The New Path to Personal Productivity

C．No Pressure, No Growth: Boosting Yourself in Urgency Culture

D．More Haste, Less Speed: Breaking Free From the “Always-on” Trap

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Xiangsheng, or crosstalk, is arguably the most popular comic performance in China, appealing to people of all ages.

Xiangsheng first appeared in China during the Ming Dynasty. But it was not until the middle and late Qing Dynasty     1     xiangsheng, established itself as     2     unique and independent art form.

Performed mainly in Beijing or Tianjin dialect, xiangsheng is     3     (essential) known for its humorous and satirical (讽刺的) nature. It could be a comedic monologue, dialogue or multiplayer sketch.

As the     4     (early) form of xiangsheng, dankou, or monologue, is performed by an actor who mainly cracks jokes or simply narrates humorous stories. It’s known as qunkou when it is performed by three or more people.

But most of the time, xiangsheng is performed by two actors,     5     is called duikou. The two actors usually discuss or argue over a subject or a social phenomenon     6     a satirical and humorous manner. The main purpose is     7     (cause) laughter among the audience.

In the early years, xiangsheng performers typically came from a humble background,     8     (start) off as street performers. The most popular     9     (venue) of xiangsheng used to be Beijing Tianqiao, Tianjin Quanyechang and Nanjing Confucius Temple. Later, they began to perform in teahouses and theaters. With the     10     (arrive) of radio and television, xiangsheng began to reach audiences everywhere.

6 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

When I was seventy-one, my granddaughter Crystal’s husband Peter lost his job. Despite his efforts, he struggled to find a new job. He seemed to lose confidence in himself.

When I visited Australia, I aimed to support them through this challenging time, but Crystal wanted me to have some fun. She suggested snorkeling (用通气管潜泳)along the coral reef, convincing me that I would love the experience.

I had swum only in pools where my feet could touch the bottom. Previously in Hawaii, I had tried snorkeling and panicked in the deep water, but this time, I wanted to try again. My dream of exploring the coral reef and the desire to boost Peter’s spirits motivated me.

Crystal patiently taught me snorkeling in a pool. With great efforts, I finally mastered the skills, which excited me and amazed Peter. “We can overcome our challenges,” I smiled. Seeming to know I was encouraging him, Peter smiled back and said, “I guess so, Grandma.”

The big day came when I had to snorkel in the sea. Crystal and Peter both decided to come for security reasons. “You’ll be fine,” Crystal told me. “I’ll stay right by you. Even if you’re in trouble, I can help you out of it.”

On a sunny afternoon, we set off from the shore. When Peter stopped the boat, Crystal and I put on our equipment.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式作答。

My heart raced as I stared at the deep sea water.

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Soon, I noticed the coral reef and many beautiful fish.

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7 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The Sixth Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo     1     (kick) off on September 6, 2023 in China’s Gansu Province. This year’s Expo, the two-day event has attracted over 1,200 guests     2     more than 50 countries, regions and international organizations.

With “Connecting the World: Cultural Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Civilizations” as     3     (it) theme, “Dunhuang Forum” aims to explore the core of Silk Road culture and try to build a model of cultural heritage protection     4     a highland for Dunhuang culture studies. Dunhuang culture is a popular     5     (academy) topic. It has a big fan base in China and abroad,     6     (particular) among young people.

At the Expo, cultural performances “Meet Dunhuang” presented fine Silk Road literature and art together,     7     (tell) wonderful stories about the historic Silk Road, and showing     8     richness, brilliance and inclusiveness of Silk Road culture. The Expo participants agreed that Dunhuang culture’s philosophy, spirit, values should     9     (cherish).

The Belt and Road Initiative was put forward.     10     (inspire) by the ancient Silk Road, the development strategy aims to establish a new platform for international cooperation and to facilitate global development.

8 . “Many rules of bee society—from collective and individual interactions to raising healthy young bees—are adjusted by temperature, so we take advantage of that for this study,” explains Rafael Barmak, first author of a paper published recently.

“Previous studies on the thermal (heat-related) behavior of honeybees in winter have relied on observing the bees or controlling the outside temperature,” adds Martin Stefanec of the University of Graz. Now, scientists have developed a robotic system that can be built into a honeybee hive (蜂箱), which enables scientists to change the temperature from within the colony (蜂群), copy the thermal behavior of bees there, and study how the winter colony actively adjusts its temperature.

It’s challenging to study bees in winter since they are sensitive to cold, and opening their hives risks harming them. But thanks to the robotic system, scientists were able to study three experimental hives located at the Artificial Life Lab in Austria, while controlling them from a public research university in Switzerland. Inside the device, a central processor organized the sensors, which created a quick picture of the bees’ collective behavior, sent commands to the actuators (制动器) and passed on data to the scientists. That demonstrated the system could be used to study bees without entering the hives or without even cameras.

By gathering data on the bees’ position and creating warmer areas in the hive, scientists could encourage bees to move around in ways they would never normally do in nature during winter when bees tend to gather together to conserve energy. For example, scientists could direct bees colony toward a food source or discourage it from dividing into too small groups, which could threaten its survival.

The scientists were able to prolong the existence of a colony following the death of its queen by distributing heat energy via the actuators. Bees are one of the most important pollinators (传粉者), and their survivability has become a growing environmental and food security concern as pollinators’ global populations have declined.

1. What is the underlying logic behind the robotic system?

A．Bees’ sensitive response to heat.

B．Bees’ preference to live in groups.

C．Temperature adjustment of bee society.

D．Different work assignments of the bee colony.

2. Which is an advantage of the robotic system?

A．It can provide inner heating remotely.

B．It can open the hives automatically.

C．It can absorb outside heat constantly.

D．It can send real-time data through its camera.

3. What may the scientists want to do by making use of the robotic system?

A．To design better hives.	B．To increase bee biodiversity.
C．To enhance bee survivability.	D．To learn how to distribute energy.

4. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．A Robotic Group—a Bee Individual Colony

B．A Robotic System—a Hidden Window to Bees

C．The Thermal Sensor—a Barrier to Cold Climate

D．The Bee Society—the World’s Most Important Insects

9 . On Christmas Eve, two little ducks were found frozen on a pond in Smithville, Ohio. They flapped their wings, fruitlessly struggling to free themselves on the ice until two locals spotted them and helped set the animals free. The two ducks were later named Olaf and Elsa, characters from Disney’s Frozen, and sent to an animal rescue organization.

“Every year in springtime, particularly at Easter, many people buy ducklings on impulse as gifts, often for their kids. People associate baby animals like ducklings, chicks, and bunnies with springtime,” says John Di Leonardo, an anthrozoologist. “But months later, animal rescuers routinely see a rise in abandoned ducks in local parks and ponds.”

Elsa and Olaf’s tough situation highlights the reason why domestic ducks always show up in local parks and ponds. Assuming they can live, their case is pretty similar to going to Yellowstone National Park and seeing a wolf and such like. “Oh, if this wolf can live well, my dog can do too,” says Adison Smith, president of Wasatch Wanderers Animal Rescue. “Those ducks lack hunting instincts, and many quickly starve to death or fall sick. A majority cannot fly because of small wings. They don’t migrate, so they can’t survive winter. They’re literally sitting ducks for predators (捕食者),” John Di Leonardo adds.

Since the issue is largely due to a lack of awareness, Adison Smith has started a campaign and hung more than 50 signs in a dozen cities to remind parkgoers that getting rid of pet ducks tends to be disastrous to them and can be illegal by the state law, “Our goal is to get the problem at its source,” Adison says. Most people tend to buy ducklings at stores for less than a dollar each, or kids take them home from school hatching projects.

“Though most abandoned ducks live short, miserable lives, Olaf and Elsa are an exception — they’ll spend their remaining days at Lasa Sanctuary in Wooster, Ohio, in a shelter with other ducks, clean hay, and protection against predators,” John Di Leonardo says.

1. Why did Olaf and Elsa appear on a frozen pond on Christmas Eve?

A．They starred in the film Frozen.	B．They practised their hunting skills.
C．They escaped from an animal shelter.	D．They were abandoned by their master.

2. What does John mean by his words in Paragraph 3?

A．Animals share a lot in living habits.	B．Pet ducks are less adaptable in the wild.
C．Yellowstone is a great place for wildlife.	D．Animals can get along well with each other.

3. What is Adison’s campaign aimed at?

A．Increasing the selling prices of ducks.

B．Reminding people to save our resources.

C．Educating people about the animal protection.

D．Appealing for the establishment of new animal laws.

4. What does John Di Leonardo think of the present life of Olaf and Elsa?

A．Dangerous.

B．Easeful.

C．Restricted.

D．Exhausted.