1 . In a world that often feels fast-paced and restrained to routines, the desire for van (房车) life and mobile living has captured the hearts of many seeking an alternative lifestyle.     1     From the freedom to explore new horizons to fostering a minimalist mindset, here are some captivating advantages of embracing van life.

Liberation from Materialism

The confined space of a van encourages a minimalist lifestyle, where experiences are valued over possessions.     2     With minimal monthly expenses, such as parking fees and fuel costs, van dwellers can allocate resources to experiences rather than high rent or house payments. This mobile living is supported by the degrowth movement, which believes that economies should focus on securing the minimal basic needs instead of consumption and consumerism.

Exploration and Flexibility

The ability to follow adventure wherever it takes you is one of the most amazing aspects of living in a van. You can choose to wake up at dawn over the ocean one day and find yourself in a forested mountainside the next. Living in a van frequently involves being close to the outdoors surrounded by the beauty of nature.     3    

Minimal Ecological Footprint

    4     They adopt solar panels and efficient water systems , further minimizing their impact on the environment. People who choose to live in mobile homes believe that eventually, global warming and extreme weather might bring an end to sedentary (定居的) living patterns.

Through the open road, the beauty of nature, and the friendship of fellow adventurers, van life presents a unique avenue for enriching the human experience.     5    

A．It’s thrilling to travel the world.

B．Many van lifers tend to go green.

C．Living in a van can often be more cost-effective.

D．They’ll find a sense of freedom of constant exploration.

E．The natural world becomes an essential part of your daily life

F．Better yet, it offers a way to reconnect with the essence of living.

G．The concept of van life offers benefits beyond just a change of scenery.

3 . The “reading wars,” one of the most confusing and disabling conflicts in the history of education, went on heatedly in the 1980s and then peace came. Advocates of phonics (learning by being taught the sound of each letter group) seemed to defeat advocates of whole language (learning by using cues like context and being exposed to much good literature).

Recent events suggest the conflict of complicated concepts is far from over. Teachers, parents and experts appear to agree that phonics is crucial, but what is going on in classrooms is not in agreement with what research studies say is required, which has aroused a national debate over the meaning of the word “phonics.”

Lucy M. Calkins, a professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College and a much-respected expert on how to teach reading, has drawn attention with an eight-page essay. Here is part of her argument: “The important thing is to teach kids that they needn’t freeze when they come to a hard word, nor skip past it. The important thing is to teach them that they have resources to draw upon, and to use those resources to develop endurance.”

To Calkins’s critics, it is cruel and wasteful to encourage 6-year-olds to look for clues if they don’t immediately know the correct sounds. They should work on decoding — knowing the pronunciation of every letter group — until they master it, say the critics, backed by much research.

Calkins’s approach “is a slow, unreliable way to read words and an inefficient way to develop word recognition skill,” Mark S. Seidenberg, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin, said in a blog post. “Dr. Calkins treats word recognition as a reasoning problem — like solving a puzzle. She is committed to the educational principle that children learn best by discovering how systems work rather than being told.”

Many others share his view. “Children should learn to decode — i.e., go from print on the page to words in the mind — not by clever guesswork and inference, but by learning to decode,” Daniel Willingham, a psychologist at the University of Virginia, told me. He said the inferences Calkins applauds are “cognitively (认知地) demanding, and readers don’t have much endurance for it. … It disturbs the flow of what you’re reading, and doing a lot of it gets frustrating.”

Yet a recent survey found that only 22 percent of 670 early-reading teachers are using the approach of phonics and what they mean by phonics is often no more than marking up a worksheet.

Both sides agree that children need to acquire the vocabulary and background information that gives meaning to words. But first, they have to pronounce them correctly to connect the words they have learned to speak.

Calkins said in her essay: “Much of what the phonics people are saying is praiseworthy,” but it would be a mistake to teach phonics “at the expense of reading and writing.”

The two sides appear to agree with her on that.

1. Critics of phonics hold the opinion that ________.

A．children should be taught to use context

B．teaching phonics is both boring and useless

C．kids acquire vocabulary in hearing letter groups

D．pronunciation has nothing to do with meaning of words

2. Which of the following statements is Mark S. Seidenberg most likely to agree with?

A．Tell me and I will forget; show me and I will remember.

B．Skilled reading is fast and automatic but not deliberative.

C．Word recognition skill should be developed in problem reasoning.

D．Learning to make reasonable inferences is also a way of decoding.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．phonics approach has been proved to be successful

B．children don’t shy away from difficulties in reading

C．the two reading approaches might integrate with each other

D．reading and writing are much more important than phonics

4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．An everlasting reading war among critics

B．From print on the page to words in the mind

C．A battle restarts between phonics, whole language

D．Decoding and inferring confuse early-reading teachers

4 . Photo Retouching Services

Fixthephoto offers online photo retouching (修图) services. Today we provide professional online retouching services of the highest level. Our retouchers make any kind of Photoshop work. Simply upload photos, write your requirements, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Photo Editing (编辑) Services We Provide:

Figure

Only $6 per photo. We will make portrait (肖像) photos look good and professionally edited. Our retouchers will improve body shapes and remove all unwanted imperfections.

Services included: color adjustment, skin smoothing, spots removal, and make-up correction.

Wedding

Only $0.25 per photo. Give a romantic feel to your photos. Our team will add highlights, adjust colors and improve the background fast.

Services included: color correction, smoothing out wrinkles on the skin and clothes and fixing lighting issues.

Product

Only $2.50 per photo. We will help you appeal to more customers. Our experts will skillfully edit your product photos and make them attractive.

Services included: background replacement, color correction, editing out shadows and noise reduction.

Jewellery

Only $5 per photo. Make your jewellery photos shine and look perfect. We will enhance jewels, replace background, make color correction and remove any unwanted objects.

Services included: background replacement, making the jewels look shiny, color enhancement, reflection removal and making metal surfaces smoother.

Use our online photo editing service, following just 4 simple steps:

1. Create an account and upload your photos.

2. Write detailed instructions and attach sample photos.

3. Get your edited photos back.

4. Accept the work or request changes.

Our photography retouchers will meet all your needs. You take photos, we edit.

1. How much will you spend if your portrait photo needs make-up correction?

A．$0.25.

B．$5.

C．$2.50.

D．$6.

2. Which two services provide background replacement?

A．Figure and Wedding.	B．Figure and Product.
C．Product and Jewellery.	D．Wedding and Jewellery.

3. What is the first thing you must do if you want to edit your photos?

A．Open an account on this website.	B．Upload your photos to retouchers.
C．Give a detailed self-introduction.	D．Take down your own requirements.

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。

The total floor area of Chain’s green buildings has been over 6. 6 billion square meters with the country’s efforts to promote high-quality development in urban and rural areas.

    1     (note)China’s achievements of green development in urban and rural areas, Zhang Xiaohong, vice minister of housing and urban-rural development,     2     (stress)the difficult task of saving energy and reducing carbon emissions in urban and rural construction at a press conference on Monday.

The ministry will make continuous efforts     3     (increase)the proportion of green buildings, raise building energy efficiency standards and popularize buildings with extra-low energy     4     (consume)in regions with suitable climate conditions. It will also promote green renovation of existing buildings to improve energy efficiency and make     5     (low)carbon emissions.

China issued a guideline     6     supports green development in urban and rural areas recently. Institutional mechanisms and policy systems for green development in urban and rural areas will be     7     (basic)established by 2025, while green development will cover urban and rural areas     8     a comprehensive way by 2035, with     9     increased cut in carbon emissions, said the guideline.

The ministry will state a 14th five-year plan on urban and rural living environment planning and take     10     (measure)to bring eco-environment, construction and social and cultural environment into line while promoting green development of regions and cities.

6 . Louis Pasteur once said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” That’s the truth behind the following inventions — the scientists were prepared and were able to see the magic in a mistake.

Mauve

In 1856, William Perkin was trying to come up with an artificial medicine, but his experiments produced a thick mess. But the more Perkin looked at it, the more he saw a beautiful color in his mess. Turns out he had made mauve, the first-ever synthetic dye (合成染料), which was far better than any natural dyes: the color was brighter, clearer, and didn’t fade or wash out.

Superglue

This super-sticky substance was discovered by accident — twice! Chemist Harry Coover had been attempting to make clear plastic gun sights, and in 1942 one method he tested produced an extremely quick bonding adhesive (黏合剂). It was useless for his gun sights, though, and he forgot about it until almost ten years later, when he came across it again while developing heat-resistant parts for airplanes. This time he realised its potential, and the product was put on the market.

Plastic

In 1907, shellac (虫胶) was used in electronics. It was costly, so American chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland tried to produce an alternative. Instead, his experiments produced a material that could take high temperatures. He later developed it into plastic, and it was soon used in the production of almost everything.

Teflon

Back in the 1930s, Young DuPont chemist Roy Plunkett was working to make a new kind of CFC for refrigeration. After storing the gas in certain containers, he opened one to discover that it had changed into a white powder that was extremely sticky and had a very high melting point. Three years later, the substance, which was named Teflon, was patented.

1. Which invention came out earliest?

A．Mauve.

B．Superglue.

C．Plastic.

D．Teflon.

2. Who recognized the value of his original invention when developing airplane parts?

A．William Perkin.

B．Harry Coover.

C．Leo Hendrik.

D．Roy Plunkett.

3. What do the inventions have in common?

A．They were made by accident.	B．They could take high temperatures.
C．They received no recognition at first.	D．They could be used in medical fields.

7 . Favourable Christmas Stays in London

In recent years, the UK has formed an increasingly strong Christmas market scene. Below we have highlighted one of the biggest Christmas markets, Wowcher.

Pricing

Wowcher is giving a £99 overnight London hotel stay for Christmas for two people at the four-star Crown Hotel near Notting Hill. Visitors can also upgrade their stay: a two-night break for two with breakfast starts from £205, and a three-night stay for two with a two-course dinner starts from £295. Every extra bed costs 20% of the total.

Available activities

Visitors can obtain a fantastic trip in the dynamic West End and feel the festive atmosphere in world-famous shopping destinations such as Oxford Street. While London is famous for upscale department stores like Harrods and Selfridges, during the festive season, seasonal stands arise at prosperous Christmas markets selling local conventional goods for truly unique Christmas gifts. You can also catch the Christmas lights show in Regent Street or listen to the carol (圣诞颂歌) singers at St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Booking

Choose your dates and fill in your private information, like driving licences, passports and so forth for your later hotel registration.

One £99 voucher (优惠券) is valid for only two people. Purchase your voucher and complete the deal.

Wait to reccive a code to your email account which you need to input online later to confirm your booking.

This incredible deal can be used on selected dates between December 24 and 30, 2023, although it only is available to purchase on the Wowcher website until December 15. Besides, the dinner option is available on the first night only.

1. How much should a couple pay for a 3-night stay with their 7-year-old son?

A．£354.

B．£304.

C．£295.

D．£236.

2. Which activity can visitors enjoy in Regent Street?

A．Learning seasoning skills.	B．Admiring charming lights.
C．Appreciating Christmas carols.	D．Purchasing local traditional goods.

3. Which of the following is TRUE about booking a stay?

A．If your deal involves a dinner, it is only available on Christmas.

B．Adding basic personal information is an essential for later check-in.

C．Receiving a code to your email account means the success of the booking.

D．You can purchase the voucher on the Wowcher website on Christmas eve.

8 . Activities such as art classes could be recommended as an alternative to medication for patients in England as part of a major initiative to reduce the number of people becoming dependent on prescription drugs.

The Times newspaper quotes figures showing that in the past 12 months,8.4 million adults in England were taking antidepressants(抗抑郁药)，which is 8 percent higher than 2019,which has resulted in the new advice.Around 23 percent of women are on antidepressants, and 12 percent of men.

“Medicines offer a fantastic range of tools for NHS staff to provide care that can be positively life-changing,” said Tony Avery, the national clinical director for prescribing at NHS England. “However, we need to be alert to the risks of some medicines, and the framework we are publishing today empowers local services to work with people to ensure they are being effectively supported when a medicine is no longer providing overall benefit.”

The NHS report drew particular attention to projects carried out in the county of Glouc-ester shire. One service, called Art on Prescription, was described as “a form of social prescription and is a non-clinical intervention delivered by art practitioners for therapeutic benefit”. Another, a course called Artlift, begins with “a personalized ‘What Matters To You’ conversation prior to the start of the program and (we) agree a personalized support plan and goals with each participant”. They all reported improvement in participants’ mental well-being.

Actually, as long ago as September 2018, then health secretary Matt Hancock said, “The evidence increasingly shows that activities like social clubs, art, ballroom dancing, and gardening can be more effective than medicines for some people and I want to see an increase in that sort of social prescribing.”

1. Why does activities such as art classes are recommended for patients in England?

A．Because they are more effective than medicines.

B．Because people in England prefer to attend art classes.

C．Because they can replace medication for patients in England.

D．Because they may help reduce the people’s dependence on certain drugs.

2. What can we learn from Tony Avery’s words?

A．Medicines can provide life-changing effects all the time.

B．We need to be cautious about the dangers of some medicines.

C．The framework published is greatly supported by the local people.

D．Local services can work with patients to provide them with overall benefit.

3. What do you know about the projects carried out in the county of Gloucester-shire?

A．The two projects were carried out in the rural areas of Gloucester-shire.

B．Art on Prescription was a clinical intervention delivered by art practitioners.

C．The patients’ mental health in the two projects were both reported to be improved.

D．A personalized “What Matters To You” conversation started after the start of the program Artlift.

4. What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To persuade people to stop taking medicine.

B．To introduce a new kind of life-changing medicine.

C．To appeal to the government to organize more social activities.

D．To recommend a way to reduce patients’ dependence on prescribed drugs.

10 . 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 13th United Nations Chinese Language Day under the theme of “Chinese Language: Together for a Bright Future” has taken place,    1    includes a series of events in celebration of the third International Chinese Language Day. Beijing Dance Academy     2    (launch) an online event to mark the day on April 20, featuring six original dance works of different    3    (style), such as ballet, contemporary dance and classic Chinese dance.

Six art schools from five countries joined in the online event with dance works     4     (specific) created for the special occasion. One of the highlights is     5    new dance piece, titled Tong, or Together, which was created and performed by Beijing Dance Academy and dancers from Brazil, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Poland. It was inspired by the classic Confucius philosophy of datong,     6     (refer) to great unity and grand harmony.

Language Days at the United Nations seek    7     (promote) equal use of all six official languages throughout the organization as well as to celebrate multilingualism and cultural     8    (diverse). Under the initiative, UN duty stations around the world celebrate six separate days, each devoted     9       one of the organizations’ six official languages. The date for the Chinese day     10     (select) from Grain Rain, which is the sixth of 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese calendars.