1 . Young babies make many short and word-like sounds such as “ba” or “aga”. Those early sounds are later replaced with words and, eventually, sentences. While some of them are born to be more talkative than others, a new study confirms that male babies make more sounds than female babies in the first year.
While the research confirms earlier findings from a much smaller study by the same team, they still come as a surprise. That’s because there’s a common and long-held belief that females have an advantage over males in language.
In the study, Dr Kim and his team included more than 450,000 hours of all-day recordings of 5,899 babies, using a device about the size of an iPod. Those recordings were processed to count the number of words spoken by babies and adults across the first two years of life.
Generally, the data showed that male babies made 10% more sounds in the first year compared to females. In the second year, the difference turned directions, with female babies making about 7% more sounds than males. Those differences were observed even though the number of words spoken by adults caring for those babies was higher for female babies in both years compared to males.
Why, then, would male babies be more talkative than females in the first year and not later? “We think it may be because boys are more likely to die in the first year than girls. Given that so many male deaths happen in the first year, boys may have been under especially high selection pressure to produce fitness signals to express their wellness and improve their chances of surviving,” says Kim. By the second year of life, as death rates drop sharply across the board, he added, “the pressure on special fitness signaling is lower for both boys and girls.”
1. Why are the findings of the new study surprising?| A．They are similar to earlier ones. |
| B．They show males are more talkative. |
| C．They go against people’s common belief. |
| D．They show babies learn language differently |
| A．They received more language input. |
| B．They showed better language abilities. |
| C．They communicated more with adults. |
| D．They made less sounds than female babies. |
| A．Improved language skills. | B．Change in living environment. |
| C．Less need for fitness signaling. | D．Increase in social communication. |
2 . One day, a woman bought a parrot (鹦鹉) from a pet store. However, the woman decided to send the parrot back to the store the next day. “This bird doesn’t talk,” she told the pet store owner. “Does he have a mirror?” the owner asked. “Parrots enjoy watching themselves in it.” So the woman bought one and left.
The next day, she came back, saying that the bird still didn’t say anything. “How about a ladder (梯子)? Parrots love ladders,” the owner said. The woman bought a ladder and left.
But the next day, she went back a third time. “Does your parrot have a swing (秋千)? No? Well, once he starts swinging, he’ll talk a lot happily,” the owner said. The woman then bought a swing and left.
When she walked into the store the next day, she began to cry and said sadly, “The parrot died.” The pet store owner was surprised at what she said. “What? I’m sorry. Tell me, did he say anything?” he asked. “Yes, right before he died,” the woman answered in a low voice, “he asked me weakly, ‘Don’t they sell any food at that pet store?’”
Sometimes we forget what’s really necessary in life. We sometimes have lots of things to do at once, but we forget to do with the most important things first. We have to remember to “feed the parrots” in our lives.
1. The woman bought ______ for the parrot from the pet shop owner.①a cage ②a mirror ③a ladder ④a swing ⑤some food
| A．①②⑤ | B．②③④ | C．①②③ | D．②③ |
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
| A．the woman gave him nothing to eat | B．he couldn’t enjoy himself in the mirror |
| C．he couldn’t fly in the sky like others | D．the woman was angry and killed him |
| A．喂养鹦鹉 | B．放飞鹦鹉 | C．做最重要的事情 | D．让鹦鹉唱歌 |
3 . Have you ever heard of the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”? Well, in Chinese, we have an expression called “yi mao qu ren”.
Imagine you meet someone new at school. They might look different from you in hair, clothes, or looks. It’s important not to make any judgments about them just because of how they look.
Sometimes, people make a mistake by judging others by their looks. They might think someone is mean or unfriendly just because they have a serious face or wear unusual clothes. But what meets the eye isn’t always the truth!
In fact, people are like books with many, many pages. We need to read more and more pages to understand them. That means getting to know them, talking to them, and learning about their interests and personalities.
Think about your best friends. When you met them at early time, you might not have known they would become your best friends. But as you spent time together and got to know each other, you realized how amazing they are.
By not judging people by their looks, we open our hearts to new people in our lives. We start to understand and treasure the distinctions between us, like different cultures, backgrounds, and ways of thinking.
So, let’s keep an open mind and be nice to everyone we meet. Let’s treat others with kindness and fairness, no matter how they look. When we do that, we make a world where everyone feels important and accepted for who they are. After all, the most amazing things are hidden—within every one of us!
1. How does the writer begin the text?| A．By listing numbers. | B．By showing a saying. |
| C．By giving an example. | D．By making an expectation. |
| A．Cultures. | B．Differences. | C．Successes. | D．Advantages. |
| A．With a happy mind. | B．With a serious face. |
| C．With kindness and fairness. | D．With some doubts. |
| A．Try to Read More Books | B．Try to Understand Others Better |
| C．Don’t Be Unfriendly to Others | D．Don’t Judge People by Their Looks |
4 . Top Family Vacation Destinations Everyone Will Love
Think of taking a vacation and need some inspiration for where to travel? We have you covered. Here are some of our top picks for kid-friendly destinations.
Anaheim, California
California is a great family vacation destination that you will remember forever. Additionally, there are many other places to visit around the Anaheim area besides Disneyland Park. Other attractions like Knott’s Berry Farm, a water park and museums are close by as well, so you are sure to have lots of family adventures.
Panama City, Florida
If you’re looking for some family beach fun, why not try Panama City in Florida? You’ll find white sand and a beautiful tropical climate. It is the perfect place to relax and enjoy yourself.
Salzburg, Austrian Alps, Austria
One of our top family vacation destinations outside of the United States is Salzburg. You can visit Mozart’s home and catch a concert show. Or, if you’re looking for a snowy outdoor adventure, then Austria is also a great place to go during the right time of year. Austria has some great family hotels. Some even offer baby monitors and child care available.
Dublin, Ireland
If you’re looking for peace and quiet, and beautiful surroundings, why not go to Dublin? It’s a place where your kids can run around wild and free and it also has a romantic feel. There are attractions to visit as well, such as Clara Lara Amusement Park, located in the Wicklow mountains and many other outdoor activities kids can take part in.1. Which of the following destinations is suitable for kids fond of coastal life?
| A．Anaheim, California. | B．Panama City, Florida. |
| C．Salzburg, Austrian Alps, Austria. | D．Dublin, Ireland. |
| A．White sand. | B．Wildlife. | C．Music. | D．Water. |
| A．They both feature theme parks. |
| B．They both offer child care service. |
| C．They are both perfect places for museum lovers. |
| D．They both provide visitors with a romantic feeling. |
1. Where will Maria go the day after tomorrow?
| A．The London Zoo. |
| B．The British Museum. |
| C．The Tower of London. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. |
| A．To do a study. | B．To meet a friend. | C．To see her sister. |
6 . What makes a good reader? You can find the answer in Readers Club. Today, we have some books for you. Come and join the fun!
The Old Man and the Sea won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1953. A year later, Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for Literature. The Old Man and the Sea is generally considered by many to be his greatest achievement. The leading character in this book is a person who can face difficulties and never give up.Hardback ￥21.70 Paperback ￥16.00
Heart, written by Edmondo De Amicis from Italy, is a diary of an Italian boy Eric. In his diary, he writes about the greatest love in the world: love for the nation, for the society, and also teachers’ love, classmates’ love, parents’ love, children’s love.
Hardback ￥27.20 Paperback ￥16.40
Peter Pan, created by Scottish novelist and playwright J.M. Barrie. Peter Pan is a young boy who can fly and never grows up. He spends his never-ending childhood having adventures (冒险) on the mythical island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys, playing happily with children both inside and outside Neverland.
Hardback ￥22.70 Paperback ￥14.60
Club members will get a discount (折扣) of 10% for hardback books and 20% for paperback books.
If you buy any of the two hardback books, e-books will be free for you.
1. Who won the Nobel Prize for literature?| A．Hemingway. | B．Leo Tolstoy. | C．Edmondo De Amicis. | D．Eric |
| A．Love. | B．Success. | C．Adventure. | D．loss. |
| A．A boy who likes keeping diaries. |
| B．A boy who always misses his family. |
| C．A boy who enjoys his never-ending childhood. |
| D．A boy who loves his teachers and classmates. |
7 . 包粽子是中国端午节的一个传统习俗。假定你是李华，你班级准备在端午节当天开展包粽子体验活动，请你写一封电子邮件，邀请你校外教Bob参加，要点包括:
活动地点 | in our school dining room |
活动时间 | from 9:00 a.m. to 1l:30 a.m. on 22nd June |
参与人员 | all the students and teachers in our class |
活动内容 | 1. wrap(包)rice ... with bamboo leaves to make zongzi 2. cook zongzi by ourselves 3. taste zongzi together |
活动意义 | experience and learn more about Chinese traditional culture |
注意:
1. 词数 80 左右;
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯:3.开头与结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Bob,
I’m writing to invite you to take part in an activity on the Dragon Boat Festival.
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Looking forward to your reply.
Yours,
Li Hua
If you enjoy walking for exercise, there’s a simple way to meet your demand—change your walk into a ruck, and it’s an increasingly popular form of exercise.
Rucking is walking with weight on your back. The term “rucking” comes from ruck marching, a core skill used by the military around the world. One of the tests the army normally gives to soldiers is a 12-mile ruck, which they must complete within three hours while carrying a weight of at least 35 pounds.
The reason why rucking is growing in popularity is that it’s an easy and all-body exercise. One study in 2019 showed that 10 weeks of weighted walking improved physical performance. Since rucking is usually performed outdoors, there is no doubt that it’s also good for your mental health. Lots of studies suggest that the mental health benefits of being in a natural environment are huge.
There are several tips for your rucking when you get started. First, don’t be too eager. As with any new exercise, you’ll need to begin slowly. Start with an empty backpack (背包) and walk a distance you’ve already done. When you start adding weight to your pack, try something low, like 10% of your body weight. Adding weight is going to put more stress on your ankles, knees, hips and back, so do it gradually. Another option is to start with a weighted vest (背心) instead of a backpack. This spreads the weight between your front and back. And of course, don’t forget your feet. Select a comfortable pair of shoes to prevent getting hurt.
1. What is rucking?(不多于六个单词)2. Why is rucking popular?(不多于六个单词)
3. Where is rucking usually performed?(不多于一个单词)
4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?(不多于三个单词)
9 . Most Popular Activities Are on the Way
Northern Lights Chase
The Northern Lights are famously difficult to find, so ensure you maximize your chances of seeing them with this guided tour. Your guide will take you to the best destination for viewing the light on the evening of your tour and help you figure out your camera settings so that you can take great images of them.
$108. 07 per adult
Duration: 6—7 hours
Snowmobile and Ice Fishing Experience
Get a glance at the lifestyle of the Lappish people with this adventure and food experience from Rovaniemi. With a local guide, you’ll speed to a frozen lake in the forest by snowmobile, then try your hand at Arctic fishing. Finish up by huddling around a bonfire in the snow to prepare and eat a traditional barbecue with Lappish bread, salmon, pork sausage, marshmallows and hot blueberry juice.
$169. 95 per adult
Duration: 4h 30m
Lapland Husky Sled Safari from Tromso
Go dog-sledding (雪橇) through Norway’s great winter landscape on a half-day husky safari (观兽旅行) from Tromso. Ride in a great dogsled across Breivikeidet, and learn about dog mushing from your guide. A thermal suit is provided to keep you warm. After your ride, have time to pet the dogs at the farm, and enjoy a hot drink and snacks.
$230. 21 per adult
Duration: 7h
Cliffs of Moher Tour
The Cliffs of Moher are located in Burren on the Wild Atlantic Way, a winding coastal road notoriously difficult to navigate (导航). Spend less time reading maps and more time enjoying the scenery on a stress-free tour from Dublin. An experienced driver navigates the roads safely and a guide transports you to the best viewing spots you may have missed if exploring independently.
$87. 33 per adult
Duration: 13h
1. Which tour should visitors choose to know about the life of the Lappish people?| A．Cliffs of Moher Tour. | B．Northern Lights Chase. |
| C．Snowmobile and Ice Fishing Experience. | D．Lapland Husky Sled Safari from Tromso. |
| A．$216. 14. | B．$339. 9. | C．$174. 66. | D．$230. 21. |
| A．They are outdoor activities. | B．They are more or less dangerous. |
| C．They are friendly to families with kids. | D．They are activities special to snowy weather. |
| Due to an accident | born in 1992, became deaf when she was about half a year old, unable to communicate with others |
| With her parents’ help | learned to “listen” and “speak” through lip-reading |
| Through her great efforts | became the only student in her hometown admitted to Tsinghua University to study for a PhD, honored as an inspirational role in annual Touching China awards |
| In the future | hope to continue scientific research, play a role in solving problems of life and health |
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Jiang Mengnan—an Inspirational Role
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