1 . Recently, economist Francisca Antman makes a convincing case that the explosion of tea as an everyman’s drink in late 1700s England saved many lives. This would not have been because of any beneficial substances of the leaf. Instead, the simple practice of boiling water for tea, in an era before people understood that illness could be caused by water-borne pathogens (病原体), may have been enough to keep many from an early grave.

Between 1761 and 1834, the annual death rate decreased considerably, but wages didn’t seem to have risen much and standards of living arguably didn’t increase. Actually, with the rise of the industrial revolution, many people crowded into towns whose sanitation (卫生条件) left much to be desired. Some historians suggested that boiling water for tea might have played a role in this decrease.

“With people coming into cities to work, given the level of sanitation they have, the big killer is water.” says Antman. Using data from over 400 English districts, relating water sources and quality with death rates, she found the key date is 1785 when tea suddenly became affordable for the majority of Britons. There were many things to recommend tea as a drink of the common people: you could make a satisfying drink with just a few leaves, which could be reused for multiple pots, and tea was potentially cheaper than beer, which became expensive both by the complex making process and by a tax on malt (麦芽). She found that deaths dropped in all districts, but those with bad water saw death rates drop 18% more than those with good water.

Interestingly,while there wasn’t a noticeable decrease in deaths among children aged two to five — who typically didn’t consume much tea — there was a slight fall in infant deaths, perhaps reflecting the fact that if tea-drinking parents had less diarrheal (腹泻) disease, their very young children might have been protected a bit as well.

1. What might contribute to decreased death rates according to some historians?

A．Desirable sanitation.	B．Less water-related disease.
C．Industrial revolution.	D．Beneficial substances in tea.

2. Why did the majority of Britons in 1785 turn to tea?

A．Because it tasted better than beer.	B．Because it was less costly and reusable.
C．Because people needn’t pay any tax on it.	D．Because people enjoyed its making process.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Drinking tea has tittle influence on young children.

B．Children can also drink tea to protect themselves from diarrheal disease.

C．Parents’ tea-drinking habits may have a positive effect on their children.

D．Death rates of children didn’t drop due to their lack of tea-drinking habits.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Why people need to boil water to make tea.

B．Why British develop a love for drinking tea.

C．How tea gains increasing popularity in Britain.

D．How Britain’s taste for tea may have saved lives.

2 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入 1个恰当的单词或者括号内单词的正确形式。

Lantern festivals add magic to     1     (celebrate) and their designs are deeply inspired by traditional culture. Shortly after organizing the lantern carnival in Hong Kong on Sept 24, Wan Songtao and his team hurried back to their hometown of Zigong in Sichuan province, where another grand lantern show was on the cards.

“The older I grow, the more     2     (attach) I become to lantern making” the 54 year old craftsman tells China Daily Early in     3     morning, Wan went to inspect work at Chinese Lantern World,     4     on Sept 27 was transformed into an ocean of light and color by massive lanterns in the shape of humans, flowers, animals and buildings, made to celebrate both the Mid Autumn Festival     5     the National Day.

“For this lantern fair, we derived inspiration from ancient Chinese poems,” Wan says, adding that Tianshang Gongque (the moon palace), a centerpiece as well as one of 21 core lantern installations ( 装 置) at the fair,     6     (inspire) by Su   Dongpo’s The Mid-Autumn Festival. The installation, which was composed of 19 palace style     7     (structure), stretched 270 meters and     8     (rise) high into the sky, drawing visitors’ eyes up to a “full moon”, a round LED screen showing Chang’e, goddess of the moon, flying toward her palace.

The eight-day holiday attracted over 210,000 visitors from around China to Zigong, a city which is     9     (remote) situated in the southwest of China but is home     10     one of the world’s best lantern shows.

3 . Some ants have figured out how to avoid getting lost: build taller anthills, according to a recent study.

Desert ants living in the hot, flat salt pans of Tunisia spend their days looking for food and reach as far as 1.1 kilometers from their nests. To find their way home, desert ants use a navigation system, relying on the sun’s position and counting their steps to track their location relative to their nest.

But this system becomes increasingly unreliable as the distance from the nest increases. “We realized that, whenever the ants in salt pans came closer to their nest, they suddenly pinpointed the nest hill from several meters distance,” says Markus Knaden, a researcher at Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology. “This made us think that the hill serves as a nest-defining landmark.”

So Knaden and colleagues captured ants from nests in the middle of salt pans and from along their shorelines. Only salt-pan nests had distinct hills, up to 40 centimeters tall, whereas the hills on shoreline nests were lower or barely noticeable. Next, the team removed any hills and placed the captured insects some distance away from their nests. Salt-pan ants struggled more than shore ants to find homes. Shore ants relied on the shoreline for guidance and weren’t affected by the hill removal, the researchers concluded.

The team further conducted another study to see if desert ants were deliberately building a taller hill when their surroundings lacked any visible landmarks. So, the researchers removed the hills of 16 salt-pan nests and installed (安装) two 50-centimeter-tall blocks near eight of them. The other eight nests were left without any artificial visual aid. After three days, the researchers found that seven ants from the unaided nests had rebuilt their hills. But only two ants from the nests with man-made blocks nearby had bothered to rebuild.

“It implies that ants regularly assess the complexity of their environment and change their decisions based on their conclusion,” says ecologist Judith Bronstein of the University of Arizona.

1. What aspect of ants is the recent study mainly about?

A．Challenges of survival.	B．Landmarks of habitats.
C．Intelligence of navigation.	D．Comparison of varieties.

2. What does the underlined word “pinpointed” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Explored.

B．Recognized.

C．Climbed.

D．Crossed.

3. Why did researchers set shoreline ants in the experiment?

A．To observe different ants’ reactions.	B．To prove impacts of various habitats.
C．To disturb desert ants’ navigation system.	D．To test anthills’ functions and significance.

4. What conclusion about desert ants can be drawn from the follow-up study?

A．Evaluate and make changes.	B．Visual aid is a must.
C．Cooperation brings victory.	D．No man-made blocks are used.

4 . It’s been 50 years since the beginning of bar codes. Scanning an item at checkout is something we take for granted in this age of convenience.     1    

On March 31, 1971, a historic meeting took place in New York City. The meeting agreed to create a system to uniquely identify every single product, calling it the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) the core of bar codes, according to El Mudo, a Spanish newspaper.     2     Today, bar codes are scanned over 6 billion times every day, used by 2 million companies worldwide and remain one of the most trusted symbols in the world, PR Newswire, a US news agency, reported.

    3     Where the product comes from? where it has been? its price expiration (过期时间)… you name it. Bar codes don’t only identify the category of goods but also manage the number of goods. For example, if there are 10 cartons of milk and a consumer takes one, it will be registered when it is scanned at the cash counter, so the store owner knows there are nine left.     4     The unique identification of products at a global level was the key that opened the door to retail (零售) as we know it today.

In the past five decades, bar codes have provided many conveniences for commerce. “The next generation of bar codes, such as QR codes can hold vastly more information. Their use, for example, can tell consumers if a product contains allergens (过敏原) or if it is organic.     5    ” according to GS1, the organization that develops and maintains the global bar codes standard.

A．Time has proved it a great decision.

B．It gives consumers a greater level of trust.

C．What information does a bar code contain?

D．When do we scan a bar code on the product?

E．We can thank the game-changing technology for that.

F．The numbers can indicate where that product is identified,

G．It allows the first digitization in the control of the goods for sale.

6 . Addiction and recovery are the two sides of the same coin. In many cases, addiction starts off at a relatively low level — misuse.     1     From this, a stage of addiction known as dependency may come about. However, addiction and recovery go together at each of these stages. In other words, it is never too late on the road down an addictive route to seek help.     2     Addicted people can be anything from a substance (物质) user to someone who has become fully dependent on an activity to be able to function normally. Consequently, addiction and recovery programmes tend to be tailored to individual needs and circumstances, often based on theoretical models of behaviour. Some addicted people find that a recovery programme they have tried is not for them. This does not mean they cannot recover, however.     3    

One of the most dramatic recovery pathways available to substance users is called “cold turkey” (突然戒毒方法).     4     Although this sometimes works for smokers and alcoholics, it is not suited to everyone. It is worth remembering that recovery pathways are not just for people who have become addicted to substances like drugs and alcohol. Other common behavioural problems can also cause great disruption (扰乱).

Nearly all forms of addiction have a negative impact on the loved ones of addicted people.     5     It is particularly hard on families when only very slow progress is made.

A．Addiction is not a single state of being.

B．If left unchecked, it may then progress to abuse.

C．What recovery pathways are there for behavioural issues?

D．There are many others they might try if they do not succeed the first time.

E．This will take a lifelong commitment, but the results often speak for themselves.

F．This means that they completely stop their usage and avoid such behaviour in the future.

G．Supporting someone who is overcoming an addiction often requires a long-term commitment.

7 . The needs of plus size consumers have long been the elephant in the room of the fashion industry until body positivity and fat acceptance movements promoted the slogan (口号) that large-bodied people are not those who are left behind. This size-inclusive (尺码包容) trend has become so popular that it is influencing mainstream culture. As a result, fashion brands have finally decided to extend their size ranges. In 2022, the plus-size market grew twice as fast as the standard size market in both North America and the UK.

Yet, many consumers say fashion brands broadening their ranges are not truly inclusive. “Inclusive sizing means that all bodies are included in fashion, not just the ones who fit in standard sizes,” says Marie Southard Ospina, a UK-based journalist who covers body-image issues. “However, what many designers do right now is pick a number that they think is big enough to include plus sizes and stop. This is even more disrespectful.”

Researchers also criticize that some brands are just taking advantage of the trend. “Brands that used to promote so-called perfect bodies in their advertisements are now trying to get in on the trend by adding a few sizes. It doesn’t feel like they really care about plus-size people,” says Tom Burgess, analyst in fashion industry. “If brands cared about large-bodied consumers, then it wouldn’t have taken until now to acknowledge that they exist,” he says. “It gives the impression that companies are just trying to gain a share of the market without a real commitment to the community.”

The fashion industry must go beyond merely producing clothing in a range of sizes if they hope to succeed with a body -diverse world. The whole industry has to connect on a personal level with consumers. That involves showing shoppers that they are seen, understood and important to brands. “Consumers care about values, and so they want to buy from brands that reflect the values they believe in. Everyone should enjoy the same range of fashion options,” says Ludovica Cesareo, professor of marketing at the College of Business in the US.

1. What do the underlined words “the elephant in the room” mean in the first paragraph?

A．The hot issue that is valued.

B．The obvious truth that is ignored.

C．The important principle that is recognized.

D．The common phenomenon that is criticized.

2. Why do consumers say fashion brands are not truly inclusive?

A．They pick sizes randomly.	B．They offer limited plus sizes.
C．They treat designers disrespectfully.	D．They haven’t broadened standard sizes.

3. For what do researchers mainly criticize some brands?

A．Their designs.	B．Their quality.
C．Their motivations.	D．Their advertisements.

4. What does the last paragraph imply?

A．Buyers may deserve fashion that fits their figure.

B．Consumers prefer brands with personalized values.

C．Brands should catch up with the size-inclusive trend.

D．A good brand image is critical in the fashion industry.

8 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Nuts was quite an adventurous and smart squirrel kitten. One day, without the notice of his parents, he slipped out of home and set off to Mr. Elk’s Candy Company to buy toffees. On the way, he met Robert the little deer, his best friend. He said, “Hello, Robert. Would you like to come with me to Mr. Elk’s Candy Company?”

Robert replied, “Sure. But it’s a long way from here. We may come across some fierce beasts (野兽) along the way and get ourselves in danger. I’ve got to ask my mother.”

To which Nuts replied, “Oh, don’t be such a coward (胆小鬼)! You’ll be back home in no time at all. I have been to the Candy Company alone several times and I have never met any beast at all.”

“Okay,” Robert replied nervously.

Soon they were both marching joyfully through the forest, although Robert did feel a bit uncertain about the idea. After half an hour, they stopped by at Mr. Cooper’s house. Mr. Cooper was the wise squirrel fond of inventing various mousetraps or fox traps to defeat predatory(捕食性的) opponents. Nuts and Robert had a brief chat with Mr. Cooper before they continued their journey to the Mr. Elk’s Candy Company.、

Several minutes later, as they were travelling on, a frightening beast appeared from behind the bushes. It was Mr. Gordon, the bad fox!

They both screamed at the very sight. Robert rushed away in panic but then he realised that he had left Nuts behind. When he went back, he found that Nuts was frozen still in front of the fox (a common squirrel instinct).

Mr. Gordon licked his lips and said, “I haven’t had squirrel for dinner for a long time.” He was about to grab Nuts when Robert screamed from behind the bushes. “Well, well. What do we have here, a live and healthy little deer. He would make an even better dinner,” said Gordon. He forgot all about Nuts and began chasing Robert.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Nuts was alarmed by the scream and rushed to get help for Robert.

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Both the two headed home and told their parents the risky adventure.

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10 . If you’ve ever been in a cheerful mood, then met up with a bad-tempered friend, you’ll know how infectious emotions can be. Before you know it, you realize that you’re feeling down too.    1    . When you’ve been sad, perhaps your friend’s liveliness has helped to lighten your mood.

You might wonder who wins out—if you’re feeling happy and your friend is feeling sad, do you yield to their sadness or do they catch your happiness? Part of the answer is likely depending on their and your levels of expressiveness and receptiveness.     2    . If you smile a lot when you’re happy, you’re more likely to infect your friend. Likewise, if your friend is impressionable and more prone (有做...倾向的) to copying facial expressions, then they’ll be more likely to catch your smiles and start feeling happier.

    3    . For instance, there’s evidence that fear has a smell, and that smelling the sweat of an anxious person can initiate activity in parts of the brain involved in empathy (共情) and processing emotions. In fact, there doesn’t need to be any physical contact at all. Researchers have shown that emotions can spread through social media.     4    .

If and when you encounter an opposite emotion to your own, the experience will likely vary depending on how invested you are in that other person or people.     5    . And if you’re feeling sad and a bunch of strangers surrounding you were laughing their heads off, you’re likely to find it really annoying.

A．Happily, it can work the other way around too.

B．This is especially true when we’re interacting with someone we care about.

C．Everyone varies in how emotionally expressive and impressionable they are.

D．That isn’t to say that facial expressions are the only way for emotions to spread.

E．These processes have to do with effective communication and mutual understanding.

F．If you care about them, you’ll be more motivated to shift emotionally to match their state.

G．People exposed to more negative posts are more likely to post something negative themselves.