1 . Are you a fan of birds? If so, you may have admired their beautiful colors and sweet songs. But do you know these feathered friends can actually do more than that?

A new study published in the journal Scientific Reports finds that exposure to birds, either in the home or outdoors, can boost people’s moods.

Researchers at King’s College London used a smartphone app built by the school’s Urban Mind project to collect the real-time feelings of study participants upon seeing or hearing a bird. A total of 1,292 people living in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States participated in the study which was conducted between April 2018 and October 2021.

The app asked participants three times a day whether they could see or hear a bird followed by a series of questions on their mental well-being. Participants were also asked questions about whether they could see trees, plants or hear any water to see if people were experiencing better mental well-being due to being in or seeing nature, and not just because of exposure to birds.

According to the study, the mental well-being of study participants with and without depression was significantly improved after seeing a bird or hearing birdsong compared to not seeing or hearing a bird.

There is a growing number of studies that link spending time outdoors (either in green leafy places or next to bodies of water) to improved mental health. But there are few studies that look at how different aspects of nature can play into humans’ mental well-being.

And while the study adds to the small pile of research on birds and mental health, the report marks the first time researchers have studied the responses to birds and mental well-being in real-time, according to Ryan Hammoud, lead author of the study.

“They kind of examine nature as a single object when nature includes many different characteristics and features like trees, plants, water, birds,” said Hammoud, “We choose to focus on bird life to try and understand which specific characteristics of nature benefit mental well-being.”

1. What is the purpose of paragraph 1?

A．To introduce a phenomenon.	B．To bring in the topic.
C．To ask an interesting question.	D．To provide background information.

2. How did the researchers conduct the study?

A．By analyzing previous studies.	B．By observing the behavior of birds.
C．By gathering feelings of participants.	D．By studying people’s effect on birds.

3. What does Hammoud think of the new study?

A．Pioneering.

B．Interesting.

C．Conventional.

D．Practical.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Bird watching has become a popular hobby.

B．Exposure to birds can improve mental well-being.

C．Nature is the best medicine for mental health issues.

D．Spending time outdoors can impact mental health positively.

2 . Winter seems to drag on endlessly this time of year, so it’s only natural to start thinking about getting away, and the sunny south of France is calling your name!

Avignon

If you’re looking for history, then visit the town center of Avignon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you want to learn even more about this attractive town, then take a tour— it is often guided by a local expert. Hear the history first-hand and come away with a greater understanding as to how the town came to be.

Chateau

Nothing says French countryside more than a chateau surrounded by acres of vineyards. There are wines to choose from. You can also explore the surrounding natural beauty on a horse ride, and they even run vineyard tours on horseback for a truly unique experience. Be sure to bring back a bottle or two of the Chateau des Bertrands wine so you can share a glass with friends as you tell them all about your trip.

Magnificent Marseille

The oldest city in France, starting out as an ancient Greek colony (殖民地), with its rich history, can keep every holidaymaker happy. A unique way to see as much as possible of what this great city has to offer is to book onto a segway tour. See the sights of the Museum Marseilles, Cathédrale La Major, and the historic Le Panier, while you walk around the streets.

Cannes

With amazing blue waters, fresh seafood, and mild winters, it’s an attractive destination to visit all year round. If you want a beach day, we’d recommend the Plage du Midi, easily accessible from the center of town. If you want to make the most of the Mediterranean Sea, don’t just look at it — sail on it!

1. What makes Avignon different from the other three places?

A．Its beautiful scene.

B．Its mild weather.

C．Its rich history.

D．Its guided expert.

2. What does the author suggest visitors do when travelling in Chateau?

A．Ride a horse.

B．Take local wines.

C．Buy a gift.

D．Taste some snacks.

3. Who may favor Cannes most?

A．Beach lovers.

B．Museum goers.

C．Enthusiastic hikers.

D．Sports players.

3 . 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 pair of scissors, a piece of paper, and a pair of dexterous (灵巧的) hands. That’s     1     is needed to create delicate works of paper-cuttings.

    2    (originate) in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, this ancient form of art has not only survived through generations but has also become     3     important part of Chinese culture. It is often associated with the     4     (celebrate) of the Spring Festival, where complex patterns of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals     5     (create) to bring good luck and fortune for the new year.

The art of paper-cuttings goes beyond mere craftsmanship. It is a form of expression deeply     6    (root) in Chinese history and tradition. Artists, without the need for any drawn draft, use their imagination to create     7    (variety) patterns and images with scissors and burins. Animals, flowers, mythological and historical figures are meticulously (细致地) cut and carved, each carrying its own symbolism and meanings.

Today, paper-cuttings continue to decorate Chinese homes,     8    (especial) during the Spring Festival. The windows and walls come alive with vibrant patterns and scenes of family reunions and temple fairs. It serves     9     a reminder of the rich cultural heritage that the Chinese people cherish     10     pass down from one generation to another.

4 . It’s time to put your worries aside and pack your bags for some of the top most relaxing places for holidays for 2024.

Kos

Relaxing holidays in Kos are all about blending soft sand beaches, sparkling water, lush green interiors, and history hunting. The coast is perfect for long leisurely walks on the beach, sunbathing in the Greek sunshine, and wallowing in the warm water. History buffs are in for a treat with some of the best historic architecture in Greece. Kos is home to abundant Roman ruins and a 15th-century castle that is ideal for an afternoon of exploring.

Lanzarote

The vast untouched landscape has made Lanzarote one of the most popular holiday destinations because it is truly somewhere you can relax in peace, with nothing but soft sandy beaches and the ideal water for first-time ocean swimmers. Family holidays to Lanzarote are as accommodating as parents could wish for, offering a host of fantastic family-friendly fun for all ages.

Corfu

As the greenest of the Greek islands, you’re in for a treat with over two million olive trees, rolling green hills, and pine forests that blanket the island in emerald beauty. Finding the perfect mix of history hunting, nature exploration, and relaxation is all within reach on a luxury Corfu holiday. The old towns, harbours, and traditional hostels will have you relax and enjoy the best of the Greek islands in no time.

Rovinj

For a cultural holiday filled with exquisite architecture, national parks with untouched natural wonders, and long stretches of coastline, look no further than holidays in Rovinj. Located in the north of Croatia, Rovinj offers some of the best opportunities to explore the unique and moving culture. The town is home to narrow cobbled streets overlooking the ocean, with shops, galleries, and restaurants dotted throughout, bringing you the best of Croatia.

1. What can visitors do at Kos?

A．Visit art galleries.	B．Enjoy family-friendly fun.
C．Walk in national parks.	D．Admire historic architecture.

2. Which of the following is most suitable for parents with children?

A．Kos.	B．Lanzarote.
C．Corfu.	D．Rovinj.

3. What do the four destinations have in common?

A．They all have sea view.

B．They all have old castles.

C．They all belong to the same country.

D．They all have untouched landscape.

5 . A father who wants to help make a city one of the most autism (孤独症) — friendly places in the UK is creating a network of signs to help non-verbal (非言语的) children communicate in public spaces.

Dan Harris, from Peterborough, whose son Joshie is autistic, has gained funding for 100 picture boards in the city. They help people communicate through images. He said, “We no longer want autism to be hidden.” The communication boards include symbols representing common words and phrases that allow non-verbal people to communicate how they are feeling and what they want to do.

The idea for the picture boards came from Mr Harris' son, Joshie, who points to pictures on an electronic tablet (平板电脑) to communicate. Mr Harris said, “He is a very clever little boy, but because he is non-verbal, he has to communicate using different methods. This communication board truly gives him a voice.”

Mr Harris got funding for the first communication board last year. Now government money has been secured through Peterborough City Council to create a network across the city and Mr Harris would like it to go further. “This is a proof of concept. There are about 3,000 autistic people in Peterborough and it's important that the needs of that community are met.” He said he wanted to see the boards introduced across Britain and in other countries. The boards cost £6,000 and are funded through a combination (结合) of charity donations and local government funding.

Mr Harris, who is also the founder of the charity Neurodiversity in Business, which works to raise more awareness, said, “This board is extremely important because it doesn't just help non-verbal people communicate, but it also promotes discussions.” He also said that autism acceptance can only come after autism awareness.

1. Why did Dan Harris create the communication boards in Peterborough?

A．To raise funds for charities.	B．To promote autism awareness.
C．To help non-verbal individuals communicate.	D．To educate the public on special words.

2. How did Dan Harris get the idea for communication boards?

A．His wife first expressed the idea to him.	B．He was greatly inspired by his son.
C．He learned the idea from an electronic tablet.	D．He was affected by other autistic people.

3. From which of the following is the communication boards funded?

A．Donations from local businesses.

B．Government funding and charity contributions.

C．Money collecting events organized by the community.

D．Contributions from-Neurodiversity in Business.

4. Which words best describe Dan Harris?

A．Patient and rich.	B．Humorous and brave.
C．Creative and kind.	D．Honest and determined.

6 . In 2019, a white-haired senior was awarded the Friendship Medal, the highest order of honor of China for foreigners. It was Isabel Crook. In her more than a century of life, she spent more than 90 years in China and cultivated (培养) a large number of foreign language talents for China.

In 1915, Isabel was born in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. After graduating from the University of Toronto in 1938, Isabel couldn’t wait to return to China. With hard work, she and her colleague completed the survey of over 1,500 families in some villages in Bishan County. She recorded the daily life of the villagers in Xinglongchang with detailed field notes, which give the young people today some idea of the state of affairs in villages at that time.             

In 1947, Isabel and her husband David Crook came to China to observe and study the ongoing land reform. A year later, they completed the study and accepted the invitation to stay in China for language teaching.

One could hardly imagine the teaching conditions in the midst of a war. They asked their students to take small stools (凳子) with them so that they could give class everywhere. They tailored (定制) teaching approaches to suit students’ different language proficiency levels. Without handy teaching materials, they collected articles from English newspapers and magazines. In oral English teaching, Isabel asked students to watch their teachers in a given conversation first. Since there were no tape recorders at school, she had to perform the conversation again and again.

Isabel retired in 1981, but she returned to Southwest China many times to set up scholarship for children from poor families. She also went to Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and other places to help with foreign language teaching. Isabel died in 2023 in Beijing.

1. What do we know about Isabel according to the text?

A．She got China’s highest honor for foreigners.

B．She received her college education in China.

C．She returned to China as a teacher at age 23.

D．She helped children in need all over China.

2. When did Isabel start the journey of education in China?

A．In 1915.

B．In 1938.

C．In 1948.

D．In 1981.

3. Which of the following best describes the couple’s teaching?

A．Boring but helpful.	B．Simple and modern.
C．Traditional but attractive.	D．Flexible and personalized.

4. What does the author want to illustrate by mentioning Isabel’s experiences?

A．Her working experiences were rich.

B．Her life in China was quite colorful.

C．She devoted herself to teaching in China.

D．She showed great interest in Chinese history.

7 . As a child, Liu Wenwen disliked the suona, a “loud, high-pitched” traditional Chinese musical instrument, an ancestral heritage of her family that was to become her career.

Her peers at primary school laughed at her, saying her whole family was engaged only in “weddings and funerals.” Indeed, these are the two major occasions where the horn-like wind instrument is played in China’s rural areas. Liu felt ashamed. People admired things that were modern and international. “Suona, in comparison, was considered an art of the hillbilly.” Her father’s family has performed suona for seven generations.

The music is rooted in Liu’s DNA, but it takes time and hard work to become a skilled musician. The instrument was so loud that it annoyed the neighbors when she practiced at home. “So my parents would wake me up at 4 a.m. every day and take me to practice outside in a park.”

While she followed her parents to play the suona as a child, she only fell in love with the instrument at university. She found suona music beautiful for the first time in 2008, when she entered Shanghai Conservatory of Music to learn the instrument more systematically.

On China’s social media platforms, her name is often followed by a video of her live performance at a concert in Sydney, Australia, alongside award-winning composer Tan Dun in 2017. For her debut on the international stage, she was playing Hundreds of Birds Paying Homage to Phoenix, a masterpiece that often represents excellence in suona performance.

Liu promoted the “hillbilly” music to an international audience, thanks to Tan and his team, who recomposed the traditional music and arranged the piece into an orchestra. “It was a smooth dialogue between a Chinese instrument and a Western orchestra, loved by the musicians and audience alike,” she said. “I felt my hard work had paid off. I trained for over 20 years, probably just to win cheers and applause for traditional Chinese music on the international stage.”

1. What can we learn about Liu from the first two paragraphs?

A．She was born into a musical family.

B．She enjoyed playing the suona as a child.

C．She showed a talent for suona when she was young.

D．She felt ashamed of admiring modern and international things.

2. Why did Liu get up early to practice playing the suona?

A．To get more time for her practice.	B．To avoid disturbing the neighbors.
C．To spend more time with her parents.	D．To make practising the suona a habit.

3. What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?

A．Audience like Chinese instruments better than Western orchestra.

B．Liu’s performance at a Sydney concert got her recognized by the public.

C．Liu promoted traditional Chinese music to the whole world with her parents.

D．Social media is a major platform to carry forward traditional Chinese music.

4. In which part of the newspaper can we read the passage?

A．Technology.	B．Education.
C．People.	D．Entertainment.

8 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What will the headmaster do tomorrow morning?

A．Take photos in the lab building.

B．Meet the listeners in the library.

C．Introduce the school to the listeners.

2. Where will the listeners visit on Tuesday morning?

A．The Statue of Liberty.

B．Central Park.

C．Brooklyn Bridge.

3. What will be held on Tuesday night?

A．A talk show.

B．A lecture.

C．A party.

4. When will the listeners go to Washington?

A．On Tuesday afternoon.

B．On Wednesday morning.

C．On Wednesday afternoon.

9 . Indoor Games to Play with Family This Winter

Gather round the table with your favorite warm drinks and try some of the following indoor games with your family and friends.

Escape Rooms

Have you ever been to an escape room? Whether you have or you haven’t，the escape room fun is far from being over, with choices to order your own home escape room tools! You can even find some online free escape room choices to try out for hours of thinking and exploring and lots of fun for everyone who takes part.

Balloon Volleyball

This indoor game is great for keeping active while people are stuck indoors, and it is super fun and doesn’t make a mess. All you need to do is blow up a balloon and throw it at each other, making sure it doesn’t hit the floor，just like volleyball. This is another great game for all ages, even babies.

Pictionary

Have you got any promising artists at home? This game is a classic and fun for kids and adults of almost all ages. All you do is make teams and take some paper and pens to write proper words. You can then either use the real Pictionary cards or go the DIY route, creating your own cards. Write your own song or movie titles for great fun!

Indoor Hopscotch

Hopscotch can be made in so many different ways and doesn’t necessarily have to be played with chalk on the sidewalk. Hopscotch made with popsicle(冰棒) sticks is a great indoor kids’ activity, but it can definitely be enjoyed by the whole family. Make squares creatively from all kinds of materials, maybe even with tape on your footcloth.

1. What is special about Escape Rooms compared with the other games?

A．It takes the most energy to do.	B．It has free choices online.
C．It requires team spirit.	D．It is suitable for all ages.

2. What should you avoid doing while playing Balloon Volleyball?

A．Hitting the balloon too hard.	B．Making the house out of order.
C．Throwing the balloon at each other.	D．Dropping the balloon on the ground.

3. Which game can benefit your language skills?

A．Escape Rooms.	B．Balloon Volleyball.
C．Pictionary.	D．Indoor Hopscotch.

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What does the speaker mainly talk about?

A．The changes of talk shows.

B．The ways of enjoying our lives.

C．The future of entertainment industry.

2. What do most talk shows usually rely on to make their shows lively?

A．Having a live audience.

B．Doing video-chat interviews.

C．Inviting their family members.

3. What does Jimmy Kimmel do in the video?

A．He makes a pizza at home.

B．He chats with a pop star.

C．He plays with his kids.

4. How does the speaker feel about these hosts?

A．Encouraged.

B．Disappointed.

C．Sympathetic.