1 . In a normal year, Dayna Reber, a business analyst for a technology consulting firm in Camp Hill, Penn., would finish reading around three books. Thanks to the way Covid-19 has completely changed her daily routine, however, Ms. Reber, 30—who now works from home and rarely socializes offline—has polished off 46 volumes so far in 2020. And that count doesn’t include the bedtime stories she reads to her 4-year-old.

For Ms. Reber and others, lockdown has brought back a passion for reading, both as beneficial time-filler when stuck at home and as a trusty escape. “When the coronavirus hit, I just felt a need to get away from TV and screens.”

If binge (放纵地) reading hasn’t fully replaced binge-watching Netflix shows quite yet, the trend is certainly making strides. In August 2020, year-over-year sales of print books in the U.S. were up 13%, according to NPD BookScan, which tracks book sales across the U.S. Publishers also report a notable increase in purchases of e-books, as well as all books about politics or related to civil rights, racism and diversity.

Independent booksellers, as well as publishers and authors, deserve considerable credit for fueling the page-turning trend. In March, Octavia Books introduced free shipping or delivery within New Orleans on orders of $25 or more. The bookstore also hosts author events via Zoom. And in Illinois, Page 1 Books established a subscription service, where customers fill out an online profile, noting their literary tastes, and then receive a package each month, a mix of hardcovers and paperbacks.

Jamie Miller, 34, a book blogger and “book-stagrammer” who lives in Harleysville, Penn, has long been a committed reader, but she says the hobby has meant far more importance this year. She now schedules a block of time every morning to read, typically a love or vivid novel. “Everything became so chaotic around me that it was just like what can I control?” said Ms. Miller. “My brain just wants something guaranteed to be a happy ending.”

1. What was a cause of Reber’s achievement in book reading?

A．Work requirement.	B．Pandemic lockdown.
C．Parenting experience.	D．Online recommendation.

2. What does the underlined words “making strides” mean in paragraph 3?

A．On the way.	B．Keeping pace.
C．In great progress.	D．Drawing attention.

3. How did some bookstores react to the trend of offline reading?

A．Opening new branches.	B．Offering sales promotions.
C．Mailing books for free.	D．Providing lending service.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Reasons behind a book reading hit.	B．Influence of lockdown on people.
C．Trend of video watching on Netflix.	D．Secret to offline bookstore success.

2 . 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 apsaras, angel-like beings known as feitian in Chinese, are a symbol of the city of Dunhuang. Here, in     1     historic Silk Road oasis in Gansu province, feitian-themed decorations and designs are common, ranging from towering sculptures of heavenly musicians holding Chinese pipa lutes     2     complex drawings of charming beauties bearing flowers on the cups.

Dunhuang has amazed the world with its nearby Mogao Caves, one of the greatest “storerooms” of ancient Buddhist art.     3     (date) back to the 4th century, these artworks cover the     4     (gold) age of the Tang (618-907) and other influential dynasties,     5     the city played an important role as a centre of exchanges between East and West.

Today, the great impact of the murals, sculptures, scripts     6     other major objects discovered in the early 20th century at the UNESCO World Heritage Site still     7     (continue) to be felt beyond the cultural, historical and religious field.

As a major     8     (represent) of traditional Chinese culture, Dunhuang art also offers an important way     9     (distinguish) traditional Chinese culture and help spread an appreciation of     10     all over the world.

3 . Achenyo soon arrived at the water’s edge with her pot, and she found a huge surprise. The river was _________! In its place was a blanket of dark green leaves and lavender-colored (淡紫色的) flowers.

“Oh no!” Achenyo heard the adults crying, “They’ve _________ again!” It seemed Mama wouldn’t have water to mix the dyes (染料) for her weaving.

Last year, the rainy season had brought a(n) _________ of water hyacinths (水葫芦). The plants had covered the river and left no _________ to dip a pot. Every day, people had to walk into the water and clear enough plants to get water.

What a shame to _________ such pretty flowers, Achenyo thought as she _________ the plants with others and threw them on the riverbank. Then, she had an idea. Carrying the plants under her arm, she got Mama’s water and ran home _________.

“Mama, will you teach me to weave?” asked Achenyo. Mama laughed. It was her wish to pass on the _________ to her daughter. But looking at the thick stalks, she was _________. Achenyo showed her how difficult it was to break and begged __________ Mama said yes. Then they wove together every day after school. It was __________ weaving the stalks into different shapes, but she was __________.

One afternoon, Achenyo held up her finished work to Mama. It was neatly woven and well decorated. “What a nice mat!” They showed it to their neighbours, who were __________ and began to use the stalks to make things. By the end of the rainy season, the __________ no longer thought of the plant as an invader, but a __________.

1.

A．gone

B．shallow

C．ruined

D．dirty

2.

A．risen

B．struck

C．crashed

D．recovered

3.

A．fashion

B．area

C．invasion

D．line

4.

A．chance

B．excuse

C．need

D．room

5.

A．waste

B．forget

C．miss

D．grow

6.

A．looked over

B．stopped by

C．walked through

D．pulled up

7.

A．carefully

B．absent-mindedly

C．eagerly

D．warm-heartedly

8.

A．mats

B．trade

C．tools

D．tradition

9.

A．doubtful

B．hopeless

C．disappointed

D．stressed

10.

A．since

B．if

C．though

D．until

11.

A．useful

B．tricky

C．painful

D．risky

12.

A．exhausted

B．optimistic

C．determined

D．intelligent

13.

A．challenged

B．envious

C．inspired

D．curious

14.

A．weavers

B．community

C．parents

D．school

15.

A．symbol

B．consumer

C．means

D．provider

4 . Spreading kindness not only helps others feel better about themselves but also boosts the giver’s health and happiness, according to a study.     1    .

Giving seems to lower our blood pressure.

    2    . One study asked a group of hypertensive (高血压的) people to spend $40 on themselves, while another group of people with high blood pressure were told to spend the money on others. They found that spending money on others had reduced their blood pressure at the end of the six-week study

    3    .

A recent study found that people who said they would donate money to help orphans were less sensitive to an electric shock than those who declined to give. According to the study, regions of the brain that react to painful stimulation appear to be instantly out of operation by the experience of giving.

Being kind seems to boost happiness.

Another study assigned people to three groups: the first group had to do an act of kindness each day; the second group tried a new activity each day; and the third group did nothing. The first two groups saw a significant boost in happiness.     4    , if you’re creative with your acts of kindness, than those who performed the same activity over and over again.

“When doing an act of kindness, you’re making the world a better place,” said the Random Acts of Kindness foundation, which promotes kindness all year.     5    .

A．It’s a win-win for all

B．Giving seems to lessen our pain

C．You’ll experience even greater joy

D．But consider being kind to yourself

E．Being kind seems to contribute to our sense of community

F．Giving donations to others has been shown to have that effect

G．However, any kindness you give to others is also a gift to yourself

5 . A new study examined scientists’ peer reviews, or researchers’ official statements on others’ work, across multiple AI-related conferences. At one such conference, those peer reviews used the word “meticulous” — a buzzword often associated with generative A.I., like ChatGPT — almost 3,400 percent more than the previous year. Other major conferences showed similar patterns. In other words, many researchers were handing, at least, parts of their peer review over to A.I.

What’s going on in science is a slice of a much bigger problem. Any viral post on social media now almost certainly includes A.I.-generated elements. There are synthetic videos for children on YouTube, like music videos about parrots where the birds have eyes within eyes, singing in an unnatural voice. The narratives make no sense, and characters appear and disappear randomly.

As a neuroscientist, this worries me. Isn’t it possible that human culture contains within it cognitive micronutrients — things like reasonable sentences, narrations and character continuity — that developing brains need? Einstein supposedly said: “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be very intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” But what happens when a child is consuming mostly A.I.-generated waste? We find ourselves in the middle of a vast developmental experiment.

A.I.’s cultural pollution is driven by a desire to fill the Internet’s appetite for content as cheaply as possible, which in turn pollutes our culture. And despite public appeals to act against it, A.I. companies are dragging their feet because it goes against the industry’s bottom line to have detectable products, which they fear might weaken the model’s performance, although there is no current evidence.

To deal with this general refusal to act, we need a Clean Internet Act. Perhaps the simplest solution would be to force built-in watermarking to A.I. generated outputs, like patterns not easily removable. Just as the 20th century required action to protect the shared environment, the 21st century is going to require actions to protect a different but equally critical resource: our shared human culture.

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

A．Children should avoid social media.

B．A.I. writings are unreliable.

C．Synthetic elements make no sense.

D．A.I. pollution is widespread.

2. Why does the author mention Einstein in Paragraph 3?

A．To promote experiments on reading.

B．To connect intelligence and fairy tales.

C．To show concerns over cognitive input quality.

D．To contrast stories with A.I. generated content.

3. Which might be a useful way to stop products polluting our culture?

A． Increasing the expense.

B．Adding permanent labels.

C．Creating various patterns.

D．Building more A.I. models.

4. Which might be the best title for the text?

A．A.I. Garbage Is Polluting our Culture

B．A.I. Companies Change Tech Industry

C．A.I. Performance Continues to Decline

D．A.I. Products Impact Scientific Research

6 . 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 37th International Kite Festival in Berck-sur-Mer opened on April 20 on a beach in France. As the largest and     1     (influence) kite-themed event in France, it attracted global visitors and kites from 25 countries and regions. China made a wonderful     2     (appear) as the first-ever guest country of honor at the event.

Chinese-inflected cultural activities took place at the festival, including flying performance at the opening ceremony, workshops for kite-making     3     (technique) by artisans (工匠) from Weifang, as well as performances and experiential activities from lion dances     4     martial arts and performances of traditional Chinese instruments and tea ceremonies.

Yan Zhenquan, minister counselor of the Chinese Embassy in France, Jacques Billant, governor of Pas-de-Calais,     5     Liu Hongge, director of the China Cultural Center in Paris attended and     6     (deliver) speeches. Liu said, “the kite is a key image representing     7     friendship between China and France.” In 1958, the two countries coproduced a film titled Fengzheng    8    (concern) the adventures and friendship between Chinese and French children     9     (create) by a kite. Liu also noted that as the organizer of guest country activities, the China Cultural Center in Paris would continue to use kites as a medium     10    (tell) stories about kite culture in China and France, foster mutual understanding between peoples, and contribute to the success of the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism.

7 . Sumiel was having a tough Friday. It was October 2020, and the 71-year-old, who was dealing with kidney failure and had been on dialysis(透析) for a few years, _________ himself at a vascular center 30 miles from _________ for the second time in 24 hours.

Sumiel was no _________ to the struggles of kidney disease. He’d been diagnosed with diabetes more than 20 years before, which _________ his kidney problems. He was on the transplant list, but no matches had yet _________.

Timothy Letts, 31, was driving north to visit a friend when his phone _________ with the request for Sumiel’s ride home. The _________ was out of Letts’s way. Still, he took the fare, _________ if the passenger was coming from a medical facility, he likely needed a ride.

As they set out on the 40-minute _________ to Sumiel’s home in Salem, the pair got to chatting. Knowing that he was searching for a kidney donor, Letts joked he’d be a good donor candidate, given that he didn’t drink or _________.

Sumiel was touched by Letts’s offer, though he wondered if it had just been an _________ moment. But Letts was true to his _________. He contacted the kidney transplant program. To their surprise, Letts was an _________ donor, and he and Sumiel were a perfect match.

14 months after they ended up in the same car _________, Sumiel and Letts had their surgeries. It was a success. Later, Letts had moved to Germany to work. But they kept in touch and looked forward to the day they could _________.

1.

A．decided

B．set

C．arranged

D．found

2.

A．facility

B．home

C．program

D．office

3.

A．stranger

B．donor

C．patient

D．doctor

4.

A．added to

B．apply to

C．adapt to

D．led to

5.

A．answered

B．seen

C．appeared

D．sent

6.

A．broke

B．rang

C．called

D．shook

7.

A．request

B．fare

C．trip

D．match

8.

A．taking

B．figuring

C．guessing

D．realizing

9.

A．drive

B．deal

C．contact

D．rest

10.

A．smell

B．hear

C．smoke

D．drive

11.

A．emotional

B．thoughtful

C．essential

D．sensitive

12.

A．dream

B．work

C．goal

D．word

13.

A．ideal

B．original

C．special

D．unique

14.

A．on time

B．by chance

C．in time

D．by means

15.

A．handle

B．pursue

C．reunite

D．arrive

8 . One of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Charles Duhigg published a new book, in which he concluded common characteristics of “supercommunicators”— people who are consistently able to create authentic connections with others just by listening and talking.     1     Here is a set of skills recommended by Duhigg that can help you.

    2     If you are having a practical conversation, be ready to give good advice. If you are engaging in emotional discussions seeking empathy, you may show your support by being a good listener. If you’re in a social dialogue reflecting how we see others and how other people see us, be mindful of the different perspectives each person brings to the table and seek common ground.

Prove we’re listening. There are plenty of ways to appear like you’re listening, like making eye contact or nodding intently. But proving to someone that you’re listening is the quickest road to making someone feel heard.     3     Next, repeat back in your own words what they just told you. Lastly, ask your conversation partner if you got what they said correct.

Ask the right questions. Ask follow-up questions that signal to the other person that you’re interested in the conversation, like “So did you make it on time?” or “What happened next?” Ask questions like people’s values, beliefs or experiences and spark an opportunity for emotional connection.     4     When in doubt, just ask “why.’ People love to talk about how they see the world.

Aim to understand. The goal of a discussion isn’t to impress someone, convince someone or wait for their turn to speak. It’s to genuinely comprehend someone else’s point of view and share your own views accordingly. If people know you want to understand them, they’re going to want to understand you.     5    

A．Realize what are the real questions.

B．Do you want to be a supercommunicator?

C．These deep questions get people to open up.

D．It is not that easy to be a supercommunicators.

E．Know what kind of conversation you’re having.

F．That is actually the most magical thing that can happen.

G．Ask someone a question first and then listen to their response.

9 . Even in the most speculative reaches of science fiction, there is no escaping humanity’s dependence on liquid water. The residents of the desert world Arrakis, accessible to anyone with a copy of Frank Herbert’s novel “Dune”, use windtraps to steal precious liquid from the air.

Collecting water from the air is nothing new. The Inca, who are widely thought to have invented the technique,placed buckets under trees to collect the condensation from heavy fog drifting in off the sea. People dwelling in the arid mountains of Oman have long built cisterns under trees for the same reason.

Instead of using leaves as condensation traps, however, which drip over an impractically large area, modern traps instead consist of sheets of very fine polymer mesh. As fog flows through the sheets, tiny droplets of water stick to the polymer fibres. These droplets grow until gravity pulls them into a compact trough and, thence, a reservoir. While collectors vary in size, a 40-metres-square collector in a reasonably foggy area yields around 200 litres a day, enough to supply 60 people with drinking water.

A team led by Dr Stachewicz found that the sheet could be made even more productive by changing the way in which its polymer threads were manufactured. Dr Stachewicz theorized that careful manufacture via a process known as electrospinning could lend the sheet a slight electrical charge that would prove attractive to water droplets in fog. In experiments conducted in 2021 she and a team of colleagues found that such sheets yielded 50%more water.

This past August, Dr Stachewicz reported further improvements by adding TiO₂ to the mesh. Previous work had shown that TiO₂ could be intensely attractive to water upon exposure to ultraviolet light-a hindrance under extremely foggy conditions, as water would stick to the mesh rather than trickle into the cistern. When fog was light, however, Dr Stachewicz and Mr Parisi found that a TiO₂-enhanced mesh became 30% more effective. Her fog collectors are now being used at sites on three continents.

This technology suggests a brighter future is possible. Areas so dry as to have gone without rainfall since modern records began may one day yield enough water to sustain settlement. And not just on a fictional planet.

1. Why did the writer mention a copy of Frank Herber’s novel?

A．Because the characters also get water from the air.

B．Because people in the novel also live without water.

C．Because it sets an opposite example of getting water.

D．Because the engineers got the inspiration of inventing traps from the novel.

2. Which is the first step that the traps today use to gather water?

A．Water from leaves drips over a large area.

B．Gravity pulls the droplets into a container.

C．Fog streams through sheets of polymer mesh and adhere to it.

D．Fog flows through sheets of polymer mesh and the polymer fibres.

3. What effect does TiO₂ have on the polymer mesh when exposed to ultraviolet light?

A．It purifies water droplets.

B．It appeals to water droplets.

C．It fights against water droplets.

D．It blocks the fog from flowing.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．How to capture water from the air.

B．A solution to relieving water stress.

C．Getting water from the air with different methods.

D．Using windtraps to steal precious liquid from the air.

10 . Sia Godika was 13 when she noticed the barefoot children of construction workers at a building site near her house in the upscale Koramangala district of Bangalore, India.

“Their feet were bare. Cracked. Hard. Dirty. Bleeding,” reflects Sia, now 17. “They were just walking around that construction site like it was an everyday practice for them.” And it was: In that moment, Sia realized the troubling contrast to her own privilege.

“I went back home, looked at my own feet and thought, Wow, I’m 13 years old. My feet are so tender. ” Then she gave her shoes away to the children. Later that year, with the help of her parents and community volunteers, Sia founded Sole Warriors, a charity dedicated to providing footwear to those in need, epitomized by its motto: “Donate a sole, save a soul.”

The idea, which started as a dinner conversation with her parents, quickly grew. After she spread the word with posters and WhatsApp groups, inquiries from people who wanted to help came flooding in. For months, Sia was juggling schoolwork and her new passion project.

Now in its fifth year, the organization runs distribution drives in which Sole Warriors collects used footwear, refurbishes(整修) it and donates the finished products to people in need. Today Sole Warriors gave out 28,000 pairs of shoes. But the organization’s growth wasn’t without its challenges. When it came to looking for collaborators, such as a company that would do the refurbishments free of charge, Sia faced one obstacle after another before finding a partner in India’s Pressto Cobbler.

In recognition of her impact, in 2021 Sia was given the Diana Award, given to people aged nine to 25 in memory of the late Princess of Wales. Awarded by a U.K. based charity of the same name, it’s one of the most prestigious honours a young person can receive for social action or humanitarian work. But her work isn’t done. “Our goal has always been to touch a million feet,” she says.

1. What inspired Sia to set up Sole Warriors?

A．Sia loved collecting shoes.

B．Children didn’t have beautiful shoes.

C．Children at the construction site had no shoes.

D．Children had to walk around the construction site.

2. What’s people’s attitude to the Sole Warriors once it turned out on the Internet?

A．Uncared

B．Strange

C．Concerned

D．Supportive

3. What does Sia plan to do in the future?

A．Make more shoes

B．Donate more shoes

C．Find more co-operation partners

D．Set up branches of the organization

4. Which of the following can best describe Sia?

A．Patient and clever

B．Kind and knowledgeable

C．Determined and warm-hearted

D．Adventurous and hard-working