1 . We humans are comparison creatures.     1     This quality may have evolved as a means of helping us fit into the social hierarchy (等级) of the cultures we inhabited. Regardless of the reasons, social comparison plays a significant role in how we view and evaluate ourselves, and how we interact with our world.

It used to be that our primary reference of comparison was our local communities, primarily neighbors and co-workers. Because we tend to gather around those similar to ourselves in terms of educational level, work income, and shared interests, the range of differences when we compared ourselves to others was fairly small. Unfortunately, with the emergence of the Internet, we can now compare ourselves to literally anyone in the world.     2     What had in previous generations been a small gap in our comparisons has now become so large and unattainable.

    3     When so many people that are easily discoverable on the Internet seem to be so successful. famous, influential and beautiful, given our preference to compare, it is difficult not to have it influence how we view ourselves. Sadly, these comparisons usually result in our feeling inadequate and “less than”.

These harmful comparisons also damage our emotional lives. When we feel lacking, we experience a variety of unpleasant and unhealthy emotions. We feel jealousy and envy for what others have and what we lack.     4    

It’s one thing to realize that you compare yourself to others. It’s another thing to recognize that social comparison is often corrosive (逐步侵蚀的) to you in so many ways psychologically and emotionally. It’s an entirely other thing to stop yourself from comparing yourself to others.     5    

A．We are constantly measuring ourselves against other people.

B．Yet it is possible, and it is worth the effort for your mental health.

C．Thus, we are now exposed to groups that are quite different from us.

D．We believe that there is something wrong with us compared to others.

E．We can even feel bitterness and anger at others for the unfairness of it all.

F．Comparing ourselves to others has the potential to increase our life experience.

G．This new level of comparison has huge implications for our psychological lives.

2 . Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2024

The Novel Fair is an annual competition initiated by the Irish Writers Centre (IWC). Described by The Irish Times as “A Dragons’ Cave for writers”, each year the Fair aims to introduce up-and-coming writers to top publishers and literary agents.

The Prize

The twelve winners will have the opportunity to present the summary of their novel directly to industry professionals. Leading publishers and agents will be invited by the IWC to meet these writers in person or through a series of online meetings. To get fully prepared for the meeting with publishers and agents, the winners will receive a place in a workshop on “How to Promote Your Novel”, two weeks in advance. Also, applicants who are longlisted (初选) but do not make it to the shortlist of twelve will have their works evaluated and criticized by the judging panel.

How to Enter

Entry fee for application is £55 (Members of IWC can enter for a discounted fee of £45). This competition only accepts manuscripts (原稿) for novels. Applicants are required to send a summary within 300 words and up to five chapters of their novel, which should be 10,000 words (+/-10％). Manuscripts should be submitted online. There is a limit of one entry per applicant.

Entries are welcome from anywhere in the world. Before entering the competition, please ensure that you have read the Novel Fair Terms & Conditions 2024 very carefully as the Fair is open to only novelists who have never published work previously. If you have any questions about the application process, please email novelfair@irishwriterscentre.ie.

1. What’s the purpose of the Fair?

A．To advertise local stories.

B．To encourage literary reading.

C．To serve as a platform for writers.

D．To arouse enthusiasm for writing.

2. What can the workshop help the winners do?

A．Deal with the judging panel.

B．Improve their writing skills.

C．Learn about publishing process.

D．Present their novels attractively.

3. Which of the following meets the requirement of the Fair?

A．A summary of 200 words.

B．A novel published in 2023.

C．A paper manuscript by post.

D．A submission of seven chapters.

3 . A China plane struck a bird after taking off in Chengdu, Sichuan, and had to immediately return to the airport last October, and it wasn’t the first accident between an aircraft and a bird last year.

In fact, more than 20,000 wildlife strikes with aircraft were reported worldwide in 2023 — the vast majority of those animals being birds. The strikes can also include run-ins with bats or creatures on the ground, such as deer or turtles. Expanding wildlife populations, increases in number of aircraft movements, and a trend toward faster and quieter aircraft all have contributed to the increase in wildlife strikes.

Bird strikes are a hazard not just to commercial airplanes, but to all sorts of aircraft. However, historical data shows that damage is reported in a small percentage of incidents. Last year, 95% of the global strikes involved some kind of damage — and only 5% of those caused “substantial” damage.

Some of the most disturbing types of strikes can happen when one or more birds go into a plane’s engine, which might cause a lot of damage to the aircraft. The pilot would need to return to the airport or find a safe place to land.

In last October’s China plane incident, the Beijing-bound flight was able to land normally in Chengdu after taking into account what the airline described as security concerns. Senior captain Chen Jianguo said pilots are trained on how to respond if they have a bird strike in flight. The pilot in this case did exactly what he was trained to do.

“There are lots of things that are being used by airports to try to manage the habitat and birds around the airport,” said Chen Jianguo. Airports need to manage bird habitats to reduce or get rid of trees and plants that shelter birds, or address wetlands that can attract birds. Collecting data on what kinds of birds are involved in strikes is equally important so the risks can better be managed. Many airports also use audible signals to scare birds away, such as the sounds of fireworks.

1. What is a cause of the increase in wildlife strikes?

A．The poorly designed aircraft.

B．The growing number of birds.

C．The destruction of wildlife habitats.

D．The absence of environmental awareness.

2. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Danger.

B．Delay.

C．Accident.

D．Reminder.

3. What does the historical data tell us about bird strikes?

A．They are a rare occurrence.

B．They usually damage engines.

C．Most of them cause slight damage.

D．Most of them involve one single bird.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Ways to study bird behavior.

B．Measures to drive birds away.

C．Efforts to restore bird habitat.

D．Attempts to take care of birds.

4 . Suppose you come across two doctors. One is handsome while the other looks plain. Who would you trust with your surgery? Most people would probably want to get treated by the handsome one. And most people are likely to be wrong about that.

When you look at the sun, you sometimes see it clearly. But sometimes you’ll see it shining way bigger than its actual shape. That circle of light called a halo makes it look bigger. This effect, known as the halo effect, also happens when a person, product, or company shines like the sun. Then we don’t see them clearly and associate all sorts of unrelated qualities to them.

The halo effect was once studied by the psychologist Edward Thorndike, who asked flight commanders to evaluate their pilots in various distinct aspects such as physical appearance, intelligence, and leadership. He found that the pilots who got high scores for their physical appearance, also got rated high on intelligence and leadership skills — a link that seemed wrong. It appears that the commanders were unable to evaluate specific qualities independently of others. They thought of their pilots in broad terms, either “good” or “bad”, and allowed this general feeling to influence the specific qualities they credited to their pilots. Some pilots profited from their halo.

The halo effect also explains why some teachers give better-looking students higher grades. One study looked at the grades of 4,500 pupils, who were sorted by volunteers into three groups: below-average, average, and above-average looking. The researchers then compared students’ grades between classes taken in conventional classrooms with those taken online where there was no face-to-face interaction. The researchers found that students who were rated as good-looking earned significantly lower grades in online courses compared to conventional classrooms.

Since the physical appearance of good-looking people seems to naturally make them also appear intelligent, strong, and trustworthy, here is one good rule. If you meet with an accident and have to choose between two equally qualified doctors, ignore their halo and choose the less handsome one. He might have worked twice as hard to gain the same reputation and is likely better at his job.

1. What is the purpose of the second paragraph?

A．To explore a natural wonder.

B．To spread scientific knowledge.

C．To explain a psychological tendency.

D．To interpret social rules at the workplace.

2. How did the commanders tend to evaluate their pilots in Thorndike’s study?

A．In a general way.	B．With common sense.
C．From a specific aspect.	D．By an objective criterion.

3. What does the 4,500-pupil study find about better-looking students?

A．They were fairly treated by their teachers.

B．They were less attentive in online courses.

C．They probably had natural learning abilities.

D．They were overvalued in conventional classes.

4. What can be learned about the halo effect?

A．It relieves appearance anxiety.

B．It leads to inaccurate judgments.

C．It causes trust crisis among people.

D．It intensifies workplace competition.

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。

A rural basketball league in China attracted well close to 100 million live views across the country in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

The Village Basketball Association,     1     (base) in Guizhou Province, is better known as “CunBA”, Cun being the word for “village” in Chinese. The grassroots league was established in 2016 but has recently attracted     2     whole new generation of basketball fans nationwide. Amateur basketball players representing their villages compete not     3     cash prizes; instead, the winning team take home live ducks, rice and     4     (tradition) Miao-style silver headdresses.

The CunBA drums up a special kind of emotion and     5     (excite) among spectators (观众). However, none of the 20,000 spectators     6     made their way to the year’s final game had to pay for their tickets, and they were welcome     7     (enjoy) the game in creative ways.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the sport has a long history in the region     8     (date) back to 1930s. Annual games     9     (hold) during the region’s Miao ethnic harvest festival in the sixth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The CunBA, during the 2022/2023 season,     10     (have) a total of 176 participating teams from the various farming villages in the region, hosting nearly 5,000 grassroots games.

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。

As the afternoon sun bathed the local beach with its warm, golden rays, four-year-old William sat on the beach with a mix of expectation and confusion. His dad, Steven, sat by his side. They were waiting for William’s friends to arrive and celebrate his long-awaited birthday party. William’s wide eyes, filled with hope and happiness, stared at the shoreline, looking for familiar faces.

He kept asking his dad where everyone was, and Steven just told him “they’re coming soon, ”trying to ease his son’s growing impatience. But the longer they waited, the more hopeless William became. He was extremely disappointed when the two invited families called and said they couldn’t make it to the celebration because of unexpected situations.

Steven watched his son, who had been eagerly expecting his special day for what seemed like ages. This year, William had been more aware than ever of his upcoming birthday, asking throughout the month when his birthday was, eagerly expecting a good time.

Feeling a sense of guilt for his son’s disappointment, Steven decided to turn to social media for help. He posted a lovely picture of him and William on the beach. Their faces were filled with a mix of hope and disappointment. The sincere words with the picture read, “William would love some friends to play with on the beach. To celebrate his fourth birthday, he has Hot Wheels, sand toys, dinosaurs, and we have some snacks and drinks. Any and all welcome. ”

William’s wish for companionship produced a strong response from the local people. They flooded the post with messages of support, birthday wishes, and offers to join the celebration. They were determined to make William’s day special.

“Going there. See you soon, ”one warm-hearted local commented on the post, promising to bring her family along. The message aroused the same feeling from many others, who were quick to follow suit.

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

Soon, the beach was filled with scenes of joy.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After hours of laughter and games, the sun began to set.

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7 . 75-year-old hip-hop (街舞) grandma Stephanie Walsh has gained worldwide attention with her intense dance moves and incredible energy. Better known as “Ms. Stephanie” online, Walsh has been featured on social media accounts with some videos drawing more than 11 million people to watch.

Walsh believes the videos gained popularity because she is 75. “It’s because I’m a senior,” said Walsh. “You don’t usually see someone my age doing hip-hop and moving like that. ”But actually, it’s more than that. Just as her profile claims, Walsh’s videos are “inspiring the world to dance like no one is watching. ”

“Dance isn’t just your body, it’s what you’re feeling inside about the dance and it’s what comes out here in your face,” Walsh said. “What I want to put through my movement is how much fun it is and how much joy it gives you.”

From a young age, Walsh loved to dance but her family didn’t have the money for classes. When she was nearly 30, she got her daughter ballet lessons, which her daughter hated. So, she took her daughter out and started classes herself right away.

Walsh believes her lifelong passion for dance is what motivates her today. “Everybody has to have a passion in their life,” she said. “It’s like that saying, ‘A life without passion is a life half lived.’ I believe that.”

Walsh dances for fun and fitness, but also for therapy (心理治疗). She struggled through countless hardships, and she has more than enough reasons to keep her down. But they don’t. She turns to her faith, her friends and of course, dance, to shine as an inspiration to those around her.

Gilbert, one of Walsh’s followers, says she inspires him every day. “She’s a beautiful soul who teaches me that it doesn’t matter about your age or your size. As long as you feel good, that’s all that matters,” says Gilbert. “I am truly thankful that Walsh is teaching me at the age of 32 to live my life full and stop being so scared.”

1. What motivates Walsh to do hip-hop?

A．Its great social benefit.	B．Its growing popularity.
C．Her enthusiasm for dance.	D．Her hunger for reputation.

2. What contributes to her videos’ popularity according to Walsh?

A．Her advanced age.	B．Her smooth moves.
C．Her endless energy.	D．Her confident claim.

3. What will Walsh’s story probably inspire Gilbert to do?

A．Be active in social media.

B．Set a good example to others.

C．Take full advantage of his talent.

D．Adopt a positive approach to life.

4. Which is a suitable title for the text?

A．Optimistic About Life: The Way to Survive

B．Forever Young in Dance: An Inspiring Figure

C．Embracing Social Media: The Key to Success

D．Dancing with the Young: An Amazing Journey

8 . 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 Yellow River No.1 Tourist Highway,built in 2018 in Shanxi province,was designed     1     (string) together scenic spots along the river. Visitors can both enjoy overnight accommodations in unique cave dwellings (窑洞), with a special chance to sleep on a“Kang”—a comfortable clay-and-brick bed heated from within     2     taste delicious farm-to-table cuisine while experiencing the beauty of the Yellow River.

Thanks to this initiative, Laoniuwan village,an intersection     3     the Great Wall meets the Yellow River, has been transformed into a popular tourist destination.The villager Guo Jianhua’s hostel has witnessed a booming business, with over 100 tourists staying and dining at his establishment,     4     (generate) a daily income of approximately 3,000 yuan.

“Previously, I     5     (register)by the local authority as financially disadvantaged. However, I was able to establish this hostel with the     6     (assist) of poverty alleviation loans. In just a few years, I have not only overcome poverty but also got my quality of life significantly     7     (improve),”Guo said.

Meanwhile, new businesses are also emerging. Since its opening in September last year, the Zhangjiawan recreational vehicle camp located along the highway     8     (welcome) more than 10,000 vehicles, with nearly 10 percent of them being RVs. “Even the local products are selling     9     (well),”Guo said, owing this success     10     the increasing number of tourists and the improved transportation facilitated by the tourist expressway.

9 . 将下列几个部分(A、B、C、D和E)按题号排序，构成一个符合逻辑的完整语篇。
A. People have always been interested in how things will change in the future. But we should remember that people have often got things wrong.
B. Undoubtedly, these predictions weren’t right. But we can be sure that developments in IT today will become the changes in our lifestyles tomorrow. It’s possible that by 2025, anything small enough to contain a microchip (微型芯片) will have one.
C. So, for example, household technology might be very different. We could have fridges which can read the use-by date on your milk. Or our washing machines could be so smart that when something goes wrong, they send a message to a service engineer about the problem.
D. In 1943, Thomas Watson, the founder of IBM, was asked what he thought about the future of technology. And he predicted that one day there might be a worldwide market “for maybe five computers”. And H. G. Wells, the writer, said that one day public transport would be moving walkways, and you’d just step on and off to go anywhere you wanted.
E. And even the things you wear could be connected to this technology. For example, a device could change your mobile to various settings, depending on whether you’re in your work or casual clothes. But if you don’t like the sound of all this, don’t worry. Even H. G. Wells got the future wrong!
_________→_________→_________→_________→_________

10 . Looking for Emily

By Fiona Longmuir

When Lily moves to a sleepy town by the sea she thinks nothing exciting will happen to her again. Then she discovers a secret museum: the Museum of Emily, filled with the belongings of a girl who disappeared many years ago. Will Lily find out what happened to Emily?

Spellstoppers

By Cat Gray

In the seaside village of Yowling, Max learns that he is a “spellstopper” — someone with the ability to control magic. When Max’s granddad is kidnapped (绑架), Max is thrown into an adventure (冒险). Will Max save the day?

Gracie Fairshaw and the Trouble at the Tower

By Susan Brownrigg

Set in the seaside holiday center of Blackpool, England, in the 1930s, this is young detective (侦探) Gracie Fairshaw’s second adventure. She’s excited to see a preview of the Children’s Ballet’s latest performance (演出), but it all goes very wrong and it looks like someone is trying to make the show look bad. It’s up to Gracie and her friends to stop them.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks

By Emily Kenny

Alice Tonks joins a new boarding school by the sea but on her first day an encounter (相遇) with a seabird shows she has the ability to talk to animals — and that they need her help. Alice is used to being on her own but soon she’s teaming up with lots of new friends to work out this problem.

1. Which of the following books mentions a secret museum?

A．Spellstoppers.

B．Looking for Emily.

C．The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks.

D．Gracie Fairshaw and the Trouble at the Tower.

2. What do we know about Gracie Fairshaw?

A．She is good at controlling magic.

B．She gets bored at ballet shows.

C．She lives in modern times.

D．She is a new detective.

3. What do the four books have in common?

A．They are all set at the seaside.

B．They all focus on friendship.

C．They all describe strange things in school.

D．They are all based on the authors’ personal experiences.