1 . Design Hive is a paid, youth-led initiative at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. High school juniors and seniors dive deep into design objects and processes to develop their own group projects. Along the way, they will learn how designers move from an initial idea to final design! 

In Design Hive, knowledge is co-created. Students share their skills, receive guidance from working designers, and are offered access to the museum’s exhibitions, objects, and people. The group works together to design a world that is more responsible, equitable, and cooperative.  

Design Hive takes place on Tuesdays from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Students must be based in the NYC area to apply. Participants must attend weekly program dates and be available to meet virtually or at Cooper Hewitt (2 E 91st St, New York, NY 10128).  

The program begins on Tuesday, November 14 and ends on Tuesday, May 21. Students will receive an allowance of $2,000 for their participation, paid in two $1,000 payments during the program. 

Design Hive is made possible with major support from Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, The Richard and Jean Coyne Family Foundation, eBay Inc., The Pinkerton Foundation, and PwC Charitable Foundation. Generous support is also provided by Adobe, The Hirsch Family Foundation, and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. 

Applications for 2023 — 2024 have closed. Please stay tuned for announcements about next year’s program.

1. What do we know about Design Hive?

A．It focuses on students’ individual works.

B．It is a non-profit and teens-led initiative.

C．It enables students to experience the design process.

D．It is intended for university juniors and seniors.

2. What is required for participants?

A．They must be born in New York City.

B．They must be present at Cooper Hewitt.

C．They must meet on Tuesday mornings.

D．They must join in program activities every week.

3. How does Design Hive get financial support?

A．Through various channels.	B．Through personal contributions.
C．Through charity donations.	D．Through participants’ allowance.

2 . While most coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi connections to get more customers, Offline Club, a pop-up cafe in Amsterdam, offers a different connection where a Wi-Fi signal is unnecessary. Upon entering, its members leave their devices behind, grab a coffee, and enjoy a 90s’ atmosphere.

Ilya Kneppelhout, who started the Offline Club, said that the club is for people overwhelmed by their busy lives and constant notifications, according to Inside Edition. He added that their members want to cut down on their social media and screen time and focus on in-person connections — a simple idea, but participants enjoy it.

One of their members said, “being with the club makes you feel present in a way you didn’t expect”. “It felt a bit like travelling in time and made me feel nostalgic (怀旧) about the way bars and cafes used to be because nowadays, those are places we’re only going to with friends and people we already know and spend time doing digital things like work,” another member added.

The founders believe this concept could work in other cities, too. Kneppelhout stated that they want to spread the idea worldwide. “Right now, we’re getting together with a franchising concept, and we hope to have offline detox events in the entire world for people to reconnect,” he said.

Meanwhile, the internet and computers are deeply integrated into our lives. Being addicted to the internet can hurt you in different ways, both in body and emotions. Given this, the digital detox provided by the Offline Club could be helpful for individuals who feel they spend too much time online. It’s a chance to reduce stress and focus more on talking to people. It also helps stop us from becoming too reliant on technology. Ultimately, a digital detox is about stepping back to connect with what really matters.

1. Why did Ilya Kneppelhout start the Offline Club?

A．To ease life pressure.	B．To refuse social media.
C．To attract more customers.	D．To encourage real interaction.

2. How did the members feel about the club?

A．Content with the club.	B．Enthusiastic about the club.
C．Tired of the visit to the club.	D．Scared of the club’s atmosphere.

3. What can we draw from Ilya Kneppelhout’s words?

A．People in the club deny real bonds.	B．He expects the world can reconnect.
C．People have been disturbed by the club.	D．The club has been a hit in other cities.

4. What do the underlined words “the digital detox” mean in the last paragraph?

A．Avoiding online communication.	B．Resisting the use of digital device.
C．Taking a break from the Internet.	D．Surfing the Internet for information.

3 . Have you ever wondered why thinking too much makes you tired?     1     Researchers from the Paris Brain Institute looked at why mental effort makes us tired. The research team looked at the behavior of 40 participants in their research. Twenty-four of these performed challenging tasks, which included looking at a computer screen and matching different letters that appeared. The other 16 participants did a similar, but easier task. Both teams worked for six hours, and had two ten-minute breaks.     2     And they found that the group who had the more difficult task had higher levels of glutamate (谷氨酸) in their brains. Glutamate is a chemical the brain releases.

    3     It affects people’s sleep, mood and brain activities. Meanwhile, it means the brain tells the body it is tired and that it must rest. And, given a choice between an immediate cash reward and a larger reward that would come months later, people were more likely to choose the smaller, short-term reward than they were at the start of the day.

Study author Antonius Wiehler now hopes to use this system to learn more about how to recover from mental exhaustion.     4     Studies of cognitive fatigue (认知疲倦) could also be key to understanding how workers react to and recover from high-risk mental work such as air-traffic control, in which even a brief loss of focus can cost lives.

The challenging part of this research is that glutamate levels can be experimentally changed.     5     By doing so, it causes the molecule to accumulate during difficult mental work.

A．Too much glutamate upsets the brain’s functions.

B．The researchers scanned the brains of the participants.

C．A new study has found out some answers to this question.

D．That is to say, we could break down the molecular mechanisms (分子机制).

E．Glutamate is a chemical messenger in the brain that plays a role in learning.

F．Healthy levels of glutamate provide energy for brain cells and promote a sleep health.

G．He thinks it would be great to find out more about how glutamate levels are restored.

4 . 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。

Guizhou Province is a land of mountains, rivers and canyons. In order to pass through this spectacular but rugged landscape, the Chinese have built a number of     1     (bridge).

In fact, three of the world’s five highest bridges     2     (find) in Guizhou, where they carry roads across plummeting valleys. And since December 29, 2016,     3     king of these bridges has been the Duge Beipanjiang, which holds the records     4     the highest bridge in the world.

The Duge Bridge is a concrete cable-stayed bridge that     5     (carry) four lanes across the Beipan River.     6     (connect) Xuanwei in Yunnan Province and Liupanshui in Guizhou, the bridge reduces travel times between the two cities from four hours to just over an hour.

It was a massive construction project. The designers kept having to move the final     7     (locate) of the bridge higher and higher     8     (avoid) caves and cracking in the karst mountains at either side of the valley. The eastern tower of the bridge is 883 feet tall,     9     is up there among the tallest bridges in the world. Even more     10     (impress), however, is the huge expanse between the road deck (层面) and the river below. The deck is 1,854 feet above the average water level of the river.

5 . My journey into the world of rock climbing began through an online connection with Octavia via LinkedIn. I’ve been curious about climbing for a long time, wondering how such a dangerous sport can be practiced so extensively by people of all ages.

Octavia got into climbing as a teenager and hasn’t stopped since. Now she and her husband Dani live a life organized around a shared passion and their days are spent in nature, surrounded by good friends and incredible views. During the video chat, Octavia extended an invitation for me to come and climb near Braşov.

We met in Zărneşti and headed to Prăpăstiile Zărneştilor, an amazing spot for climbers seeking the thrill of vertical challenges. Arriving at the rock face, I found some climbers were there already. Some of them were acquaintances, others not, but they treated each other as long-time friends.

The couple walked me through the basics of the climb, ensuring I was comfortable and equipped with the necessary climbing gear. They had prepared a beginner-friendly climbing route, thoughtfully designed to provide both challenges and victories. After they explained the safety features of the whole climbing setup, I embarked on my first climbing.

After my initial climb, exhaustion surged through my body, but their unwavering encouragement kept me coming back for more. It was an extra fun challenge when people from down below shouted clues up to me, which helped me find ways to put my hands and find a foothold so that I could get over particularly tricky parts of the line.

As I left the crag (峭壁) that day, I was part of something bigger than myself. I now look forward to future climbs. Not just for the thrill of ascending heights, but to once again bask in the warmth of the encouragement of my newfound friends. With their guidance, every climb will become evidence to the heights we can reach, both on and off the rock face.

1. What made the writer try rock climbing?

A．An invitation from LinkedIn.	B．Her desire to practice climbing skills.
C．Her curiosity in a friend’s life.	D．An online chat with a newfound friend.

2. What does the underlined words “embarked on” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Appreciated.

B．Evaluated.

C．Began.

D．Improved.

3. Which of the following best describes the rock climbers in the text?

A．Genuine and thoughtful.	B．Enthusiastic and wise.
C．United and hardworking.	D．Passionate and humorous.

4. What can we know about the author’s climbing experience?

A．She expected little for future climbs.

B．She got great support and gained a lot.

C．She was left out by the experienced climbers.

D．She mastered the skills and made it to the top easily.

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。

The Champion of No Score

Maggie hated Tuesdays—Tuesdays meant gym class, gym class meant picking teams and picking teams meant Maggie would be picked last.

As a newcomer, she’d come up with a special title for each classmate to remember the other kids. There was Kevin, Champion of the Clean Desk. Lynnie, Champion of Knowing the Answer First… Thinking hard, she finally decided her own title: Champion of Quiet.

Maggie felt blue as Tuesday fell again. Mr. Murphy, the gym teacher, asked for volunteer captains to pick their own basketball teams. The usual hands shot into the air. Maggie sighed and glanced to her right. She caught the eye of Jasmine. Champion of Awkward, a girl who was sometimes picked last, too. Then Maggie had an idea. So when Mr. Murphy asked if anyone else wanted to volunteer, Maggie felt her hand slowly rise. Looking again at Jasmine, she took a big breath. Maybe it was time for her to use her voice.

“Maggie?” Mr. Murphy smiled. “You want a turn?”

“Yes,” she said.

The class whispered. Maggie leading a team?

“Yes,” she answered again, louder this time.

Mr. Murphy waved Maggie to the front, where the other three captains—Champion of Jumping Rope, Champion of Never Misses a Shot, and Champion of Doesn’t Know How to Lose—stood, ready to choose their teams.

“Maggie, you get first pick,” said Mr. Murphy. “Jasmine,” announced Maggie. The class snickered. A joke? More than once, Jasmine had tried to score on the wrong basket. Eyes wide, Jasmine took her place beside Maggie. The other three captains called out familiar names—the best players on the basketball court. It was Maggie’s turn again. “I choose Frank.” Frank (Champion of the Untied Shoelace) could not throw, or catch. He knew what it felt like to be the last pick. But not today.

Three very talented teams took shape. And then there was Maggie’s team. Maggie looked at her teammates. There stood Jasmine and Frank, plus Gillian (Champion of Chatter) and George (Champion of Sleepy). “I have chosen the worst team in the history of the world,” Maggie thought to herself.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Hand in hand, the Maggie team walked onto the court.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

They did lose big, but something positive began to unfold in them.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . In 2022, the Nature Conservancy launched two 5-year pilot projects at working ranches (牧场) in Kansas and New Mexico to determine if virtual fences enable land managers to better perform regenerative management practices and to assess potential benefits for biodiversity and for ranchers’ bottom lines, as well as impacts on soil carbon storage.

Applauded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a climate adaption strategy, virtual fencing is an innovative technology that enables ranchers to use a smartphone or web app to remotely monitor and control where and when cattle graze (吃草). Virtual fences can reduce the need for physical fences, which require significant time, expense and labor to maintain. Physical fences also limit land managers in their ability to change grazing boundaries to adapt to seasonal changes in vegetation or to exclude cattle from ecologically sensitive areas.

The cows are outfitted with battery-operated, GPS-enabled collars that send out a radio frequency to communicate with reception towers, creating virtual grazing boundaries set by a rancher. When a cow approaches the edge of the virtual boundary, the collar produces a sound signaling it to turn around. If the cow proceeds to cross the boundary, it receives a momentary mild shock, signaling that it’s gone too far and should rejoin its group.

Grasslands are the least protected habitat on earth and one of the most effective carbon sinks, storing up to 20% of the world’s soil organic carbon. Unfortunately, grasslands are continuing to rapidly disappear for several reasons. For ecological health, most grassland ecosystems need periods of disturbance to aerate (使透气) the soil, stimulate plant growth and recycle nutrients into the soil. Ranchers complete this disturbance-rest cycle by managing the timing, location, herd size and intensity of grazing activities, all of which can be time-consuming and painstaking.

“Currently, the costs of virtual fencing are still high, but in the long run it can help land managers better carry out management practices that regenerate land health, help address climate change and biodiversity loss,” said William Burnidge, director of the Nature Conservancy.

1. What’s stressed concerning virtual fencing in paragraph 2?

A．Its smart design.	B．Its major advantages.
C．Its wide application.	D．Its working principles.

2. What does the mild shock indicate to the cow?

A．It’s time to return.	B．It’s time to graze.
C．It’s in danger.	D．It’s in a wrong direction.

3. What’s unavoidable for ranchers to complete the disturbance-rest cycle?

A．Intense efforts.

B．Polluted soil.

C．Financial failure.

D．Ecological imbalance.

4. What’s Mr. Burnidge’s attitude to virtual fencing?

A．Intolerant.

B．Objective.

C．Doubtful.

D．Conservative.

8 . Travelling seemed like falsehood to me. I grew tired of backpackers expressing too much praise about how petting a baby elephant in Thailand “transformed” them. Globe-traveling to me held no more promise than finding a few bills in the pocket of an old coat. I needed something deeper than an Eat, Play, Love moment.

One day, Vasilis, my Greek best friend, reminded me of our decade-old promise: after our final exams, I would visit his hometown in Athens. Maybe, it was time to make good on that promise.

I finally boarded the plane. Vasilis picked me up at the airport. I smiled, thinking how improbable this moment seemed all those years ago.

The decade-long wait proved to be well worth it. Every step through the ancient streets revealed new wonders. However, none of them truly mattered. What would forever alter my perception of travel was a chance encounter with a local.

Vasilis and I were wandering Athens when a special sound caught our attention — a rhythmic clinking disturbing the quietness of the residential street. Curiously, we followed the sound to a humble workshop. Inside, a welder (焊工) gave no mind to our presence behind him. He wore no flashy protective suit — this was just another day for him, another dance with fire and metal that had become second nature. Under the sunshade, his orange cat rested in the comforting warmth...

As the man continued welding, I felt a bit of envy. I envied his peace and contentment. I admired the simplicity he embodied. I imagined the welder happy, finding fulfillment in his craft (手艺) and returning to his loving family...The moment moved me to tears. Leaving the workshop, rain blending with tears, I realized how easily life’s poetry could pass unnoticed.

Home again in Montreal, I stop simply pursuing better things, better experiences and better people that are never grasped. I realize the real journey is inward — to appreciate life’s ordinary magic. That sure beats petting any baby elephant. I may not have returned home “transformed,” but I’ll always think of the welder and his cat.

1. Which aspect of travelling makes the author feel uneasy?

A．Shortage of adequate funds.	B．Discomfort in dietary habits.
C．Overstatement of travel’s effects.	D．Danger of petting baby animals.

2. What drove the author to go to Athens?

A．Meeting a commitment.	B．Exploring a unique landscape.
C．Receiving further education.	D．Escaping from the current life.

3. What does the underlined word “poetry” in paragraph 6 probably refer to?

A．Poems written by masters.	B．Peace and simplicity.
C．Spirit of craftsmanship.	D．Special sound in the street.

4. Which of the following can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Friendship Lasts Forever	B．Travelling Shapes a Better Self
C．Pursuit of Happiness Never Stops	D．The Ordinary Makes Extraordinary

9 . Over the past few months, I’ve been invited to speak with well-known writers, musicians and film producers regarding my recent book, Extraterrestrial. Prior to these conversations, I was on the receiving (and admiring) end of their artistic work, but now they were curious about my own research as a scientist. The reverse led me to recognize the similarities between innovation in the arts and the sciences.

In sciences and arts alike, creativity appears magically as an unpredictable fountain of inspiration from the subconscious (潜意识). Its unexpected content breaks routines within traditional thinking. It delivers something new that is distinct from common practices, often taking people out of their comfort zone because it is ahead of its time. As a result, many innovators are laughed at and denied the recognition they deserve when they need it the most.

There are many examples of such circumstances. In 1933 Fritz Zwicky inferred the existence of “dark matter”, but it took four decades for this concept to gain recognition within the astronomy community. Vincent van Gogh was considered a madman and a failure throughout his life. Today, his paintings are among the most expensive ever sold, though.

Typically, life offers two ways of acquiring objects. One is by collecting available items, and the other is by creating things that never existed before. Whereas most items on the shelves of supermarkets are mass-produced, products that are newly created by artists or scientists are originally unique. Just like aging wine, a product of creative work acquires quality over time. It is colored by the response of the audience as well as by imitations. The initial circumstances are a reminder of an admirable baby. It is fascinating for a scientist or an artist to watch the interaction of their creation with the world, just as it is for parents to watch their children.

Creativity in arts and sciences establishes a backdrop for human existence, as the content it invents gives pleasure and meaning to our lives. The human act of creation is an infinite-sum game, from which all of us benefit. And we can all participate in the creative process.

1. Which can best replace the underlined word “reverse” in paragraph 1?

A．Priority.

B．Assumption.

C．Shift.

D．Preference.

2. What can best describe creativity in sciences and arts?

A．It tends to be forecastable.	B．It mirrors common beliefs.
C．It usually leads the times.	D．It enjoys instant acceptance.

3. What can be inferred from paragraph 4?

A．Creative works withstand the test of time.

B．Mass-produced items are preferable.

C．Old wine can’t be put into new bottles.

D．Inventiveness starts from childhood.

4. What’s the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To clarify a concept.	B．To launch an appeal.
C．To offer an entertainment.	D．To advocate a lifestyle.

10 . Once a week, Percy Buttons heads off to work, clocking in for a shift at a job one could say she was born to do. Percy, 18 months, is a baby “worker” at a nursing home, “hired” to brighten the days of residents whose own grandchildren may rarely visit. “It energizes me to see her, so this really helps me,” said Charles Alison, 93, one of about 100 residents at the nursing home in the city of Oklahoma.

The patter (啪嗒声) of little feet around wheelchairs and walkers here is meant to alleviate the isolation that can come with growing older, especially in a shrinking and rapidly aging nation. The nursing home’s director, Jasper White, came up with the idea of baby workers three years ago when her own newborn granddaughter was visiting and she saw how happy it made the residents. “When I saw the elderly people smile, I realized the power possessed by infants,” she said.

The nursing home now has about 70 babies, who can inspire even the toughest residents. They work flexible hours, strolling around the nursing home with their parents, mostly mothers. “It’s funny that I’m not working but Percy has a job,” said her mother, Gloria Gleam.

Percy and her colleagues are paid in diapers (纸尿裤) and milk powder. But those are not the only rewards, said Gloria, who started bringing Percy to the nursing home when she was 5 months old as a way to meet new people after the family moved to Oklahoma.

The requirements for Jasper’s recruits are simple: They should be under 3 years old, and the less they speak, the better. That’s because older people can struggle to speak and communicate, Jasper said, especially if they have cognitive impairment (障碍).

For nursing home residents, Jasper said, the visits from toddlers arouse the common experience of family members from multiple generations living under the same roof.

1. Why are baby workers needed in the nursing home?

A．To help ease the director’s burdens.

B．To offer physical care to the elderly.

C．To provide education for the nursing workers.

D．To bring joy and relieve the loneliness of the elderly.

2. What inspired Jasper to have the idea of baby workers?

A．The badly need for more workers.

B．The great power possessed by babies.

C．Her granddaughter’s visit to the nursing home.

D．The strong desires of the elderly residents.

3. Which baby might be qualified for the job?

A．A baby who is 3 minus and less talkative.

B．A baby who is 3 minus and very outgoing.

C．A baby who is 3 plus and communicates fluently.

D．A baby who is 3 plus and has cognitive impairment.

4. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To recommend a career.	B．To popularize a practice.
C．To advocate a living style.	D．To introduce a phenomenon.