1 . Adding salt to already prepared meals is linked to dying prematurely, according to a new study. Researchers found always adding salt to food knocks 2.3 years off life expectancy for men and 1.5years for women.

The study did not rule out other factors, but researchers said the evidence was compelling enough that people should consider avoiding seasoning their meals. The findings were based on research involving over 500,000 participants, who were followed for an average of 9 years. Compared with those who never added salt, those who always seasoned their food had a 28% increased risk of dying earlier. “To my knowledge, our study is the first to assess the relation between adding salt to foods and earlier death,” said Prof Lu Qi, who led the work. “Even a modest reduction in sodium (钠) intake can result in remarkable health benefits.”

Salt intake is difficult to accurately track because many processed foods contain high levels of salt. Roughly 70% of sodium intake in western populations comes from processed foods, with 8-20% from salt added at the table. However, adding salt is a very good indicator of a person’s preference for salty tasting foods, so the team focused their analysis on this measurement.

Prof Annika Rosengren, a researcher who was not involved with the research, said that there is an ideal level for salt to different people. It’s hard to figure out the best level in terms of health for any given individual. “So far, what the evidence seems to indicate is that healthy people consuming normal levels of salt need not worry too much about their salt intake,” she said. However, those at high risk of heart disease should probably cut down. “Not adding extra salt to already prepared foods is one way of achieving this.”

1. What does the underlined word “compelling” probably mean?

A．Interesting.

B．Convincing.

C．Fascinating.

D．Stimulating.

2. What does paragraph 3 imply?

A．Adding salt can suggest a person’s favor.

B．Western populations prefer salty foods relatively.

C．The study centered on tracking salt intake accurately.

D．More than 70% of sodium intake comes from processed foods.

3. What does Prof Rosengren probably agree with?

A．There is an ideal level for salt to all people.

B．It’s appropriate to add more salt while cooking.

C．Occasional addition of salt has no effect on health.

D．Patients with heart disease should control their salt intake.

4. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A biology textbook.

B．An official report.

C．A health magazine.

D．A science fiction.

2 . Beneath the blue waters of Trinidad and Tobago, plastic pollution is causing serious damage to marine ecosystems. Every year, over 88,600 tonnes of plastic waste is deposited(沉积)into the ocean around the Caribbean nation, harming marine life and impacting human health.

A new app is aiming to help young people in Trinidad and Tobago, along with other small island developing states, battle against the damage done by plastic pollution. Called Tide Turners, the app was developed by the United Nations Environment Programme with the help of young people. It challenges users to record their plastics consumption and develop an action plan to reduce their use of plastics. It also encourages young people to switch to reusable products and go plastic-free where possible: lifestyle changes that experts say can help stop the flow of plastic into the world’s oceans.

Reducing plastic pollution will take a joint effort from governments, businesses and, especially, youth. Children account for around 30 percent of the population in small island developing states in the Caribbean.

To tackle the plastic pollution challenge, the new app builds on UNEP’s Tide Turners Plastic Challenge Badge, which has so far engaged more than 500,000 young people in youth groups. Along with calling on youth to use less plastic, it encourages them to start campaigns and raise awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution.

In Trinidad and Tobago, Sarah Sobrian, who tested an early version of the app and advised on its development, is keen to get started. “The Tide Turners app is an incredible tool that educates and empowers us to change the situation we face,” she says. “I am incredibly eager to be a part of this and share this experience with those in my life. With this app, we can and will work together to create the impact that we have long wanted to see.”

1. What is the purpose of the Tide Turners app?

A．To help youths to fight against plastic pollution.

B．To track marine life populations in the Caribbean.

C．To help the young to develop the small island states.

D．To encourage businesses to switch to plastic-free packaging.

2. Why is the participation of young people particularly important?

A．They have more free time than adults.

B．They have access to funding the new app.

C．They are the main contributors to plastic waste.

D．They make up about one-third of the population.

3. What is Sarah Sobrian’s attitude towards the app?

A．Suspicious.

B．Favorable.

C．Indifferent.

D．Objective.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．A new app can turn the situation around.

B．Plastic pollution is a serious threat to marine ecosystems.

C．Governments make great efforts to reduce plastic pollution.

D．Trinidad and Tobago are suffering from serious plastic pollution.

3 . Chinese athlete Zhang Weili gave the world something to remember at Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 292 in Boston. She kept her strawweight (草量级) champion title with an outstanding performance over Brazil’s Amanda Lemos, setting many striking records in the process.

Zhang, the women’s pound-for-pound number one fighter in the world, arrived on the east coast of America as the favorite against the dangerous Brazilian striker, Lemos.

The superior advantage for Zhang began in the opening round. She landed an early strong low kick to put Lemos down. But just as Lemos appeared close to being stopped, she surprised Zhang with a D’Arce choke (达斯绞). When everyone thought it could be the end for Zhang, the champion’s strength carried her through, taking her out of the choke and into position to deliver a quick beating on the ground.

At the end of the battle, Lemos even got a second chance in the fourth round. But in the end, it was business as usual for Zhang, who nearly ended the fight with a knockdown in the final round, finishing as the winner with a scorecard of 50-43, 50-44, and 49-45.

During the exciting match, Zhang set many new records in women’s Mixed Martial Arts(MMA). She finished with 296 strikes, breaking the previous record of 249 held by Valentina Shevchenko. And with Lemos only connecting 29 times, Zhang also set the record for the largest striking differential in women’s MMA by 267 strikes.

In a post-fight interview, Zhang spoke through a translator to thank the Boston crowd for their energy. “My name is ZhangWeili,” then she said in English, cupping her hand to her ear to raise cheers from the crowd. “I’m from China. Do you remember me?”

1. What made Zhang Weili spotlighted by the world?

A．She donated all she had to UFC292.

B．She won world champion titles in a row.

C．She set many extraordinary records in UFC292.

D．She represented China to participate in the game.

2. How did Zhang Weili manage to escape Lemos’s D’Arce choke (达斯绞)?

A．She called for a time out.	B．The referee stopped Lemos.
C．She used a special technique.	D．She used her strength to get out.

3. How did the author illustrate Zhang’s exciting game in paragraph 5?

A．By listing statistics.	B．By explaining reasons.
C．By giving examples.	D．By making comparisons.

4. Which of the following can best describe Zhang Weili?

A．Easy-going.

B．Strong-willed.

C．Hard-working.

D．Warm-hearted.

4 . The year 2023 saw a wide variety of TV and internet variety shows in China, offering amazing entertainment to audiences. Here are some popular variety shows of the year.

Infinity and Beyond 2023

Broadcast on Hunan Television and streamed on Mango TV, the music cultural program Infinity and Beyond 2023 achieved tremendous success in the first half of this year, generating massive online attention with 8.6 billion views on the popular social platform Sina Weibo.

Become a Farmer

The farming-themed reality show took Chinese social media by storm in the first half of the year, shining a spotlight on agriculture-a crucial part of Chinese culture. The show invited 10 young men from various fields to experience farmland life. It offers insights into farming practices and modern agricultural production.

Divas Hit The Road-Silk Road

The fifth season of the reality show, Divas Hit the Road—Silk Road, featuring popular celebrities traveling to various destinations, has been airing on Hunan Satellite TV and the online video-sharing platform Mango TV since October 2023. This season saw Chinese actresses take a journey to Saudi Arabia, Croatia and Iceland. They explored the beautiful landscapes and diverse cultures of these countries.

The Big Band 3

Produced and broadcast by iQIYI, The Big Band 3 showcased various musical types, bringing together 27 bands from across China. Each week, bands competed in different groups, and via votes cast by the audience and six celebrity judges, five earned the title of the “Hot 5” by the end of the season.

1. Which show can help people know some agricultural knowledge?

A．Infinity and Beyond 2023.	B．The Big Band 3.
C．Divas Hit The Road—Silk Road.	D．Become a Farmer.

2. What do we know about Divas Hit The Road—Silk Road?

A．It introduces people to foreign cultures.

B．It can be seen on the online platform iQIYI.

C．It has already been released five seasons before it.

D．Its main participants are only some famous male actors.

3. What do Infinity and Beyond 2023 and The Big Band 3 have in common?

A．They are both in the first half of 2023.

B．They are both popular musical programs.

C．They are broadcast on the same platform.

D．The participants in both programs are bands.

5 . Coastal Clean-ups Program

General Introduction

Our program aims to develop appreciation for our environment in our participants by including fun into environmental education. Our program places great emphasis on experiential learning, which offers our participants the opportunity to get close to nature, enjoy and value it while learning issue of litter pollution, and the importance of individual ownership in ensuring environmental sustainability. Our program is well-suited in supporting the objectives of Values-in-Action ( VIA) programs for schools. Ever wondered how our beaches look without the care of the cleaners? So please explore yourself through the Coastal Clean-ups Program and join us in taking care of our beaches. Gain insightful discovery on the consequences of ocean pollution, and its implications on our marine environment, wildlife, and even us, humans.

Details
Location:

This program is subjected to weather and tidal （潮汐的） conditions. Please email us for the available dates and more information on the location.

Duration: 2 hours

Group Size: Maximum—60 participants
Equipment/Items needed:
·All materials needed for the program will be provided by our program.
·Participants should bring their own personal water bottles and writing materials.
·Participants should wear comfortable outdoor clothes with covered shoes.
Price: $10/per person. For more information, please consult via the official website of our program.
Important Note:
●Available dates for this program are subjected to tidal conditions.
·The program cannot be conducted in the event of bad weather.
·There is no wet-weather program. Please email us for further enquiries.
1. What do we know about Coastal Clean-ups Program?

A．It is specially designed for scholars.

B．It is interesting as well as instructive.

C．It is part of schools’ VIA programs.

D．It contributes to participants’ independence.

2. What can cause the cancellation of the program?

A．Terrible weather.	B．Shortage of cleaning tools.
C．No comfortable outdoor shoes.	D．Limited number of participants.

3. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．An advertisement.	B．A natural science magazine.
C．A research report.	D．A school-tour website.

6 . Mattel has announced the latest release in its “Inspiring Women” series, releasing a doll on Tuesday dedicated to conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall. Goodall, 88, began her ground-breaking research on chimpanzees in East Africa more than 60 years ago.

“My entire career, I’ve wanted to help inspire kids to be curious and explore the world around them,” Goodall said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to partner with Barbie and encourage young children to learn from their environment and feel a sense that they can make a difference.”

The new doll’s launch coincides with the 62nd anniversary of Goodall’s first visit to Tanzania’s Gombe National Park, where she conducted ground-breaking research on wild chimpanzees. It also comes just ahead of World Chimpanzee Day on July 14.

Her figurine (小雕像) wears a khaki shirt and shorts, a pair of binoculars and holds a notebook. It also comes with a miniature replica of David Greybeard, the first ma le chimp Dr. Goodall named and discovered making tools out of sticks. Goodall’s doll is made from ocean-bound plastic and is part of Mattel’s Inspiring Women Series, which pays tribute (致敬) to courageous and risk-taking women. Prior dolls in the collection include Ida B. Wells, Dr. Maya Angelou and Eleanor Roosevelt.

“Kids need more role models like Dr. Jane Goodall, because imagining they can be anything is just the beginning — seeing it makes all the difference,” Lisa McKnight, executive vice president and global head of Barbie and Mattel dolls, said in a statement. Barbie has also teamed up with the Jane Goodall Institute to launch its 2022 Barbie Career of the Year Eco-Leadership Team, a line of dolls with “green careers” such as a Chief Sustainability Officer and Renewable Energy Engineer. The company hopes the collection can inspire kids to learn more about green careers.

1. When did Goodall begin research on chimpanzees?

A．In her twenties.

B．In her forties.

C．In her sixties.

D．In her eighties.

2. Why did Mattel release its Inspiring Women series?

A．To increase its sale of Barbie.

B．To collect money for national parks.

C．To give young people role models.

D．To raise people’s awareness of wild life protection.

3. Which of the following can best describe Dr. Jane Goodall?

A．Kind and creative.	B．Brave and strong-willed.
C．Friendly and kind.	D．Generous and hard-working.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．Jane Goodall Was Highly Respected

B．Jane Goodall Is an Influential Researcher

C．Kids Need Great People to Inspire Them

D．Mattel Released a Barbie Toll of Jane Goodall

7 . Once known as “the sea of death”, the Taklimakan Desert has become a driving force for green development in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In recent years, photovoltaic (光电池的) stations have been constructed and large gardens of vegetation such as roses have appeared on the outskirts of this vast desert. This transformation has positioned (使处于) the desert as a flourishing center of sustainable development.

Under the sun’s rays, rows of PV panels (面板) that generate electricity look like a blue ocean. Tian Juxiong, head of a power station in Lop County, regularly inspects these power generation systems and monitors their daily operations on the control center’s screen. This station produces 360 million kWh of electricity annually and can meet the residential electricity needs of the 25.9 million residents of Xinjiang for around 10 days. Every year, it saves approximately 110,000 tonnes of standard coal and reduces 330,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The project is also equipped with an energy storage system with a capacity of 80,000 kWh. In rainy conditions when the station cannot generate electricity, the storage facility acts as a power bank, providing energy for about two hours. Most PV and wind power stations in southern Xinjiang are equipped with storage systems to ensure a stable supply of renewable energy.

“By May, the total installed capacity for renewable energy in Xinjiang had passed 8,400megawatts (兆瓦) and an additional 8,259 megawatts of new energy facilities are currently under construction,” according to Ding Biwei, who is responsible for grid connect ion of new energy at State Grid’s Xinjiang branch.

1. What does the underlined word “generate” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Produce.

B．Waste.

C．Use.

D．Store.

2. Where do people get energy in rainy conditions?

A．From wind.	B．From other places.
C．From a bank.	D．From storage facility.

3. What can we learn from Ding Biwei’s words?

A．Xinjiang is rich in natural resources.

B．Xinjiang has lots of renewable energy.

C．Xinjiang will be built more beautiful.

D．Xinjiang lacks new energy facilities.

4. Where is the text most likely from?

A．A travel guide.	B．A science fiction.
C．A newspaper.	D．A textbook.

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。

Kyrgyzstan hosts Chinese culture exhibition

An exhibition of Chinese culture “Walking the Silk Road, Allowing Cultures to Integrate,” devoted to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was recently held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

On Tuesday, Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Edil Baisalov, Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan Li Baojie, representatives of educational institutions of Kyrgyzstan and China and business representatives     1     (attend) the event.

Baisalov said the BRI has changed the entire region, including Kyrgyzstan. It     2     (actual) had a huge impact on the political and economic situation around the world. Li said that over the past ten years, the BRI     3     (develop) from concept to action and has become     4     important platform for international cooperation. He said that Kyrgyzstan and China have been cooperating within the framework of the BRI for more than ten years and have achieved fruitful results.

Li noted that     5     (culture) interaction and exchange are an important part of the initiative. The representative of the Chinese embassy said it is very important     6     (hold) cultural exchange exhibitions,     7     will help the Kyrgyz people to better understand Chinese traditional culture and folk customs, and also help strengthen mutual (相互的)     8     (understand) between the two peoples.

The exhibition featured stone carving with a Spring and Autumn period theme, wood carving with the theme “New Year’s Pictures,” as well     9     paper-cutting. The exhibition was organized by the Kaifeng Management Committee of the Pilot Free Trade Zone of China (Henan), the Kyrgyzstan-China Friendship Association and other     10     (organization).

9 . Each year, our education team works to create a brand-new STEM curriculum. In our 2023 program—Wonder, campers build confidence and work together to take on four exciting challenges, exploring innovation, creative problem solving and design thinking, all while developing persistence and having fun!

Catching Air

In a high-energy adventure combining physics and creativity, kids design and build a mini skate park! They will have to pick out their own mini skateboard. Then, they’ll practice persistence by constructing an awesome skate park complete with ramps, rails, ledges and other features that will put their wheels to the test.

Invention Celebration

In this festive experience, kids take on the role of event planners as they learn about the importance of celebrating. They’ll investigate the science of sights, sounds and circuitry (线路) as they plan their party with light-up party hats, colorful bubbles, art banners and musical instruments. They will also learn about the efficiency of machines.

MimicBot (模拟机器人)

Exploring nature, genetics and adaptive innovation, kids will turn a MimicBot into an animatronic (电子动物) stuffie. After receiving their bot, they take it apart to investigate its inner mechanics and what makes it move. Once they put it back together, they will personalize their stuffies and use problem-solving skills and intellectual property to protect it from the idea-stealing Copy Cat!

Pop-Up Venture

The sky is the limit as kids discover what it takes to develop and run a business of their dreams! In this creative challenge, they’ll build their own pop-up shop, making decisions and using original strategies to attract customers. Children will communicate through marketing and advertising, learning how to launch and operate their own venture.

1. What can kids learn at Catching Air?

A．Plan a celebration.	B．Design and build a skate park.
C．Set up and run a business.	D．Look into the inner side of machines.

2. What do the four activities all have in common?

A．They are only designed to amuse kids.

B．They need adults to provide guidance.

C．They call for the same ability to finish.

D．They teach kids something while having fun.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To educate.

B．To advise.

C．To introduce.

D．To advertise.

10 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的词（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

The guqin is the most classical of Chinese instruments with over 3,000 years of history. There is a lot of literature around the guqin, and information about the guqin is     1     (plenty).

To learn to play the guqin used to     2     (regard) as a very important element of education for     3     purpose of enriching the heart and elevating the human spirit or spiritual communication. In the past, scholars and ladies of the elite society     4     (suppose) to master the four traditional arts, namely, qin, qi, shu and hua.

Being at the top of the four traditional arts, the guqin has historically been regarded as one of the most important     5     (symbol) of Chinese high culture.     6     (Fortunate), a lot of ancient masters or the written scores were burned or destroyed in wars.     7     November 2003, the guqin has been registered as one of the masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

In the classical repertoire (曲目), there is a famous piece called “High Mountain and Flowing Water” — derived from the ancient story of how the guqin master Bo Ya met his good friend Zi Qi     8     was a woodcutter. Even today, when musicians meet     9     the first time, they often play this tune to show their     10     (respectable) and appreciation to each other.