1 . Benefits Of Cold Weather

There’s no doubt about it—cold weather can be pretty unpleasant.     1     So if you’re feeling down about the cold temperatures outside, read on for a few reasons to be happy about them!

It boosts your brain. Cold temperatures can excite your brain, allowing improved focus and greater clarity of thought. The cold climate increases oxygen flow to the brain.     2    

It increases brown fat content. Cold weather has the unique ability to increase the number of brown fat cells.     3     . Not only do they help us stay comfortably warm in cold temperatures, but they may also even promote weight loss over time.

    4     In cold weather, an even body temperature can be beneficial for a good night’s rest. As our bodies try to keep warm when it’s cold out, blood vessels get narrower and help control your sleep temperature for a more relaxed and restful sleep. People sleeping in colder environments generally wake up feeling more refreshed than those sleeping in warmer temperatures.

It improves skin health.     5     Low temperatures force us to dress warmly against the cold, leading to protection against environmental aspects that would otherwise remove water from our skin.

All in all, there are many benefits to spending time outside in cold weather! Next time you want to stay inside and avoid the cold, keep these benefits in mind and consider getting outside for a few minutes!

A．It helps you sleep.

B．It raises health awareness.

C．Thus, the central nervous system can perform at increased levels.

D．Cold weather exposure is a helpful contribution to our well-being.

E．They are important for controlling body temperature by producing heat.

F．Cold weather can be good for keeping our skin looking and feeling healthy.

G．While it makes us want to stay indoors, cold weather has some major benefits.

2 . Students at a university in Anhui Province will probably not receive their diplomas (毕业文凭) if they fail a fitness test.     1     This rule has caused hot discussion. According to the plan, the new rule will come into force soon. And if students fail to pass the fitness tests, they won’t get their diplomas.

However, it is not a one-time test like gaokao. Students who fail the tests of graduation will be given another chance. He can take the test for a second time.     2    

Do you think it is the only university doing so? No! If students want to enter Tsinghua University, they also have to be able to swim.     3     And they must pass a swimming test after school begins.

Tsinghua University will ask the students to learn swimming and will organize a swimming test for all new students in September. If students fail to swim as long as at least 50 metres, they will have to take the swimming course throughout their studies. And of course, students are also reminded to learn and practise swimming safely. They will be able to swim by the time they graduate, or the university won’t give them diplomas.

    4     But some just stay in the classroom all day long. Few students take exercise even if they are free. They need to do some exercise to keep themselves healthy. Swimming is also a survival skill.     5     Any student who wants to enter Tsinghua University, remember, swimming is your necessary skill.

A．Or they will prepare to learn swimming.

B．But they must do a warm-up before the test.

C．University students are encouraged to do more exercise after class.

D．It does no harm to people at all and is the correct sport for students.

E．And if they fail again, they will have to take the test even after graduation.

F．Although swimming is an overall activity, it may cause some problems.

G．The test has running, standing long jump and some other sports activities.

5 . The World Health Organisation has produced a report predicting that 9.8 billion of us will be living on this planet by 2050. Of that number,72 percent will be living in urban areas. Presented with this information, governments have a duty to consider how best to meet the needs of city residents.

Take New York City, a place where I frequently meet up with other researchers in my field. Luckily for me, I do not need to navigate the crowded streets. Admittedly my experience of the urban lifestyle here is limited to the hotels I stay in, and the blocks within a three-kilometre walk. But whenever I leave my room in search of a store providing fruit or anything with nutritional value, none can be found. New York has made great advances in redeveloping its museums and arts centres, but authorities must recognise that people’s basic needs must be met first.

Sometimes these basic needs are misunderstood. In some urban areas, new residential developments are provided with security features such as massive metal fences in the belief that these will make residents safer. There is little evidence that such steps make a difference, but we do know they make residents feel unwilling to go outside and walk around their neighbourhood. This adds up to a feeling of being cut off from others.

So where are planners and developers going wrong? Inviting a group of locals to attend a consultation event is the conventional method for discovering what a community might want. The issue here is that it often attracts the same few voices with the same few wishes. Successful development is taking place in many urban areas around the world. There is no better way for city planners to do this than to visit these places in person.

1. What are governments expected to do in the near future?

A．Plan cities well to benefit their citizens.

B．Lower the population in urban areas.

C．Provide their citizens with more information.

D．Predict the population on earth.

2. What does the writer complain about New York?

A．Certain venues cannot be reached on foot.

B．Museums and arts centres are pretty old.

C．There are a limited number of hotels.

D．Healthy food is not easy to obtain.

3. What is the writer’s attitude towards the use of security features?

A．Doubtful.

B．Tolerant.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Appreciative.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Process of Urbanization	B．The Increasing Population on Earth
C．The Management of Cities	D．The Work of Developers

6 . Anew study reports that a mosquito’s sense of smell is more complicated than we once thought. And it may explain why this annoying insect is so good at seeking you out at a barbecue or in your bedroom and biting you—as well as lead to new strategies to prevent the potentially deadly diseases transmitted by its bite.

Meg Younger, a neuroscientist at Boston University, is co-author of the study. She exhales(呼气)gently into one of the mosquito-filled cages. A waft of carbon dioxide blows across the insects, and they go wild. “And now, they’re looking fora target like the complex mixture of human body smell—a smell that’s attractive to the mosquitoes,” Younger explains.

In many parts of the world, this attraction isn’t merely an annoyance for humans. It’s a major health problem. Mosquitoes transmit diseases to humans. These diseases include dengue, Zika, chikungunya fever and malaria. The last disease alone causes over half a million deaths each year.

So scientists have attempted to break this attraction. But try as they might, the little mosquito has resisted. “They’re really good at what they do,” Younger says. Most of what we know about the neuroscience of smell comes from mice and fruit flies, where the wiring is fairly simple. Each neuron(神经元) in the nose has one kind of receptor(感受器) that detects a single kind of smell—say, a banana. And all the neurons with receptors for the banana smell connect to the same part of the brain. Younger and the others studied mosquito brains, where she found that each neuron has multiple receptors that can detect multiple smells.

This work could give researchers additional ways to battle the insects like developing traps that contain new smell mixtures that are more appealing than people.

“It’s an enormous study,” says Josefina del Marmol, a neurobiologist at the Harvard Medical School. She says there’s more work to be done to check. neuron by neuron, that each one actually responds to all the smells it has receptors for. But regarding the central finding, she says, “It really does change a lot about what we know of how insects perceive the world.”

1. Why does Younger exhale into a mosquito-filled cage?

A．To keep targeted mosquitoes alive.	B．To confuse the experimented mosquitoes.
C．To experiment on mosquitoes’ sense of smell.	D．To see if breath contributes to disease transmission.

2. How do mosquitoes differ from fruit flies?

A．They have a clearer smell mechanism.	B．They have more neurons to detect smells.
C．They have bigger brain parts focusing on smell.	D．They have more smell receptors in each neuron.

3. What is the significance of the study?

A．It may have found an ideal way to study insects.

B．It inspires new methods to prevent mosquito bites.

C．It proves the previous assumption about mosquitoes.

D．It sheds light on how mosquitoes transmit diseases.

4. What does Josefina del Marmol think of the research finding?

A．It is a big step forward.	B．It has many weaknesses.
C．It is far from impressive.	D．It has a worldwide influence.

7 . “Few articles change owners more frequently than clothes. They travel downwards from grade to grade in the social scale with remarkable regularity,” wrote the journalist Adolphe Smith in 1877 as he traced a coat’s journey in the last century: cleaned, repaired and resold repeatedly; cut down into a smaller item; eventually recycled into new fabric. But with the improvement in people’s living standards, that model is mind-boggling in the era of fast fashion. The average British customer buys four items a month. And it is reported that 350,000 tonnes of used but still wearable clothes go to landfills in the UK each year.

Yet the gradual revival of the second-hand trade has gathered pace in the past few years. At fashion website Asos, sales of vintage clothes (古董衫) have risen by 92%. Clothing was once worn out of necessity, and now it is simply a way of life. Busy families sell used items on eBay, teenagers trade on Depop and some fashion people offer designer labels on Vestiaire Collective. Strikingly, it has become big enough business that mainstream retailers (零售商) want a slice of the action.

For some buyers and sellers, the switch to the second-hand is born of financial difficulties. Only a few have become worried about the impact of their shopping habit on the planet. But the shift is only a partial solution. Some people worry that some mainstream brands may “greenwash” — using second-hand goods to improve their image, rather than engaging more seriously with sustainability.

However, the biggest concern may be that people keep buying because they know they can resell goods, still chasing the pleasure of the next purchase but with an eased conscience (愧疚). Boohoo, a powerful fast fashion company, has seen sales and profits rise, despite concerns about environmental problems in its supply chain that led to an investigation last year.

A new Netflix series, Worn Stories, documents the emotional meanings that clothes can have: Each old item is full of memories. Actually, a handbag from a grandmother and a scarf passed on by a father are both valuable for us. A love of style is not a bad or an unimportant thing. But a committed relationship is better than a quick flash. Can we learn to appreciate our own old clothes as well as others’?

1. What does the word “mind-boggling” underlined in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Unbelievable.

B．Popular.

C．Reasonable.

D．Influential.

2. With the business mentioned in paragraph 2, the author wants to show _______.

A．old clothes are more popular than new pieces

B．the online second-hand markets are booming

C．the fashion world begins to favor vintage clothes

D．many clothing brands are innovative in their new products

3. How does the second-hand trade impact people according to paragraph 4?

A．It makes people feel free to pursue fast fashion.

B．It makes people more cautious about their budgets.

C．It encourages people to choose eco-friendly clothes.

D．It pushes people to be more engaged with sustainability.

4. Which of the following views does Worn Stories advocate?

A．Old items have lost favor with the public.

B．Old items are worthy of being long cherished.

C．Older generations attach great importance to old items.

D．Older generations care about the quality of their clothes.

8 . There’s a part of your brain that processes faces. It’s located, according to scientist Nancy Austen, in the area “just behind and underneath, and a bit from your right ear.” It’s called the fusiform gyrus (梭状回).     1    . You’ll tell yourself, “That’s Bob.” It also sends out messages to other parts of the body that add emotions to the information, such as “I like him. He’s my friend.”     2     when an accident, illness, or hereditary gene (遗传基因) breaks the connections between the fusiform gyrus and other parts of the brain?

There are people who may see a particular person’s face every day of their lives and still not recognize it. They see a nose, teeth, and cheeks, but when these are put together, they cannot keep a memory of it.     3    . Researchers say that as many as 1 in 50 people suffer from some form of the condition.

    4    . Another best known sufferer of prosopagnosia is the neurologist and psychiatrist Dr Sacks, a famous author of the best-selling books, one of which was made into an Oscar-nominated film. As a lifelong sufferer of extreme face blindness, Sacks has said that his condition is so severe that he often doesn’t recognize his own face.

Sufferers of face blindness must develop other ways of recognizing coworkers, friends, and family.     5    . Jane Goodall says, “I usually make up for it by pretending to recognize everybody. And then, if they say, ‘But we haven’t met before,’ I say, ‘Well, you look just like somebody I know.’ ”

A．But what happens

B．So what can people do

C．Whenever you see someone you know, it tells you who he is

D．Jane Goodall has spent all her time in studying chimps in the wild

E．Jane Goodall, the world’s leading expert on chimps (黑猩猩), has it

F．The medical term for this condition is prosopagnosia, more commonly called face blindness

G．They remember single feature s instead, such as a specific style of clothing, or an extra toothy smile

9 . Guangzhou has long been famous for various kinds of flowers and local people have developed their enthusiasm for flowers since the time of Nanyue King in the Western Han Dynasty, which was founded over 2,000 years ago.

According to historical records, in the Western Han Dynasty, blooming flowers were seen everywhere in ancient Guangzhou, also known as Canton. Many people, whether men or women, wore flowers as decorations (装饰). There were even more varieties of flowers and plants grow n in the royal garden owned by Zhao Tuo, the founder of Nanyue Kingdom.

During the Tang and Song dynasties, Huadi, the land of flowers in Chinese, located in present-day Fangcun area of Guangzhou, was where Datong Port (港口), a major harbor for foreign trade, lay. Many businessmen from different places brought various flower seeds to the port by sea, turning a large wetland into flower fields. Besides, Cantonese farmers also grew flowers on the farmlands of thirty-three villages located south of the Pearl River.

The flower trade also contributed to the boom (繁荣) of Canton, which was the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road (海上丝绸之路). As early as the Western Han Dynasty, people of Lingnan region had sailed to Sri Lanka. In the Tang and Song dynasties, a shipping route of over 14,000 kilometers was established, allowing people to travel to as far as the Persian Gulf. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, several ocean-crossing routes had connected Canton with many other parts of the world. In the period of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, Canton was served as the only port open for foreign trade.

Starting off from the Lingnan region, all kinds of flowers found their way to the West, including camellia and Chinese rose, which were developed into more varieties in only 300 years.

The ancient Maritime Silk Road played a key role in supporting the selling of locally-grown flowers of the Lingnan region to other countries. It also brought special foreign flowers from countries and regions along the route to Canton, which promoted the city’s fame for giving people excellent views of blossoms of flowers in all seasons.

1. What’s the function of paragraph 2?

A．To introduce the topic.	B．To make a comparison.
C．To raise readers’ interest.	D．To support the content above.

2. What was Huadi known for during the Tang and Song dynasties?

A．Being a major harbor for foreign trade within China.

B．Developing new varieties of flowers in only 300 years.

C．Growing various flower seeds brought by businessmen.

D．Serving as the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road.

3. What can be inferred from paragraph 4 ?

A．The ancient Maritime Silk Road led to the flower trade in Canton.

B．Emperor Qianlong paid special attention to Canton’s development.

C．Canton developed into the starting point of the long world trade route.

D．Trade with foreigners decreased to a large degree in the Qing Dynasty.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Huadi had an important effect on the development of Canton.

B．Canton’s economic success roots back to the Western Han Dynasty.

C．The long-standing tradition of flower contributed to Canton’s history.

D．The Maritime Silk Road was formed due to the flower trade in Canton.

10 . Do you like museums? Have you been to the Louvre in Paris, the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City or any of those other “must see” museums? Well, now it’s time to go off the beaten path. There are some museums that try to be a little different.

The Kimchi Museum, Seoul, South Korea

If you don’t know about kimchi, a trip to the Kimchi Museum is an eye-opening experience. The museum was founded in 1986 to highlight South Korea’s rich kimchi culture. The show includes displays of cooking utensils and materials related to making, storing, and eating the famous pickled vegetables. The museum also provides details about the history and nutritional (有营养的) benefits of South Korea’s most beloved side dish. Finally, stop by the souvenir (纪念品) shop to try various types of kimchi. Don’t forget to buy your favourite kind to bring home for dinner!

The Museum of Gold, Bogota, Colombia

If you want to see beautiful objects, the Museum of Gold is the place. It holds one of South America’s most amazing collections. Because the exhibits (展品) shine so brightly, you can take photographs without using a flash on your camera! Not everything is made of gold, though. Among the exhibits are ancient pre-Columbian items. Many of them are made from a mixture of gold and copper, known as tumbaga. The museum also features coins, jewelry, and pieces of rare art.

The Chocolate Museum, Cologne, Germany

The Chocolate Museum will teach you everything about chocolate-from cocoa bean to candy bars. You’ll learn about chocolate’s 3,000-year history and discover how it was once used as money in South America. Did you know that it wasn’t popular in Europe until the nineteenth century? A real chocolate factory shows you how chocolate is made. After you’ve finished the tour, you can have a free drink of rich, sticky pure chocolate-perfect for those with a sweet tooth.

1. What is the main characteristic of the exhibits in the Museum of Gold?

A．They are made entirely of pure gold.

B．They are ancient pre-Columbian items.

C．They shine brightly, allowing flash-free photography.

D．They are made of tumbaga, a mixture of gold and copper.

2. What do the museums in Seoul and Cologne in the passage have in common?

A．They display amazing collections of the food.

B．They offer visitors a chance to taste the food.

C．They sell varieties of souvenirs about the food.

D．They tell visitors the nutritional benefits of the food.

3. Where can you find this passage?

A．In a textbook.

B．In an advertisement.

C．In a brochure.

D．In an encyclopedia.