1 . We all know the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. This is an old proverb we learn from an early age.
Have you ever noticed that when you do something nice for someone else, it makes you feel better too? This isn’t just something that happens randomly (随机地).
Making others feel good can “warm” your heart, sure — but being nice to others can also affect the actual chemical balance of your heart. Kindness releases the hormone oxytocin which reduces blood pressure and therefore protects the heart.
Kindness can help you live longer. You may be shaking your head at this one, but there’s science to back it up. According to Health.com, you’re at a greater risk of heart disease if you don’t have a strong network of family and friends. When you’re kind to others, you develop strong, meaningful relationships and friendships.
| A．Anxiety is an extremely common human experience. |
| B．This behavior can help you handle stressful situations. |
| C．Kindness strengthens your heart physically and emotionally. |
| D．It has something to do with the pleasure centers in your brain. |
| E．Besides improving personal relationships, kindness can make you healthier. |
| F．So, make some new friends, or expand your kindness to the ones you already have. |
| G．However, there are a number of real-life benefits connected with the way we treat others. |
2 . In 1998, professional musician Spielberg was pregnant (怀孕的) with twin girls when she suffered complications. An emergency cesarean (创腹产手术) was performed during the 22nd week of pregnancy. Sadly, one of the twins passed away, but Valerie survived.
Valerie was born weighing only 12 ounces and was the size of a can of soda. She was so small that she didn’t meet the hospital’s premature baby weight limit necessary to receive life-saving treatment. A kind nurse put a finger on the scale and recorded her weight at 17 ounces, just enough to make her receive medical support.
It was touch-and-go. To make matters worse, the hospital was very loud and busy. Spielberg thought it felt more like an emergency room than a healing environment. She wanted to drown out (盖过) the noises of the hospital.
She couldn’t bring her piano, so she played CDs for her daughter. Amazingly, Valerie improved. Her oxygen saturation levels increased, her blood pressure stabilized, and her heart’s rhythm became more steady. This wasn’t a fluke — it happened again and again for four months.
And it affected all of the other babies in the room as well. Valerie’s health continued to improve after months of music and medical attention.
Having seen the amazing impact music had on her baby, Spielberg began working with music therapists. She also volunteered in nursing homes where she once inspired a silent man to speak with music. The elderly man’s wife had passed away and the pain seemed too much for him to handle. He had cut himself off from the world and hadn’t spoken in 6 months. When Spielberg unknowingly played his wedding song, the man broke out of his shell. He began singing and then asked to speak with his family.
Spielberg is still a professional musician. And these days she also teaches and speaks to audiences about the magic of music. Her daughter Valerie, now a healthy and happy young woman, has become a musician herself, playing both the piano and percussion.
1. What do we know about Valerie from paragraph 2?| A．She was in great danger. | B．She was adopted by a nurse. |
| C．She was too small to be weighed. | D．She was given up by the hospital. |
| A．suddenly | B．quickly | C．accidentally | D．regularly |
| A．An illness. | B．An injury. | C．Having no friends. | D．Losing his wife. |
| A．The power of music. | B．The value of music. |
| C．Her musical life. | D．Her musical talent. |
3 . There are many reasons for visiting Rwanda. From breathtaking scenery to various cultures, it is full of hope and wonder. Here are some must-enjoy experiences for travelers.
Made-to-Order Fashion: Bighly colored cloth is shown at many stal (货摊) in the Kimironko Market in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Choose one piece that speaks to you and a talented tailor (裁缝) can make you the clothes of your choosing in about an hour. You will find hills, bats, bird wings and rivers popular on the cloth- they are a celebration of the county’s natural landscape and wildlife.
Incredible Wildlife Encounters: From mountain gorillas in the north to chimpanzees in the south, Rwanda is home to some of Africa’s most fascinating animals. Local guides help travelers explore rainforests and mountain areas. The first purpose-built gorilla research and education center was completed here in 2021.
Meet the Artists: Beautiful murals (壁画) appear from the sides of buildings as travelers make their way through the towns of Rwanda, leaving little doubt that gifted artists call the country home. Local pottery, sculptures and paintings are only the beginning of the choices art lovers will be excited about. Don’t miss the local people who perform at community gatherings and professional dancers and musicians who tell the history of the country to travelers through dance and music.
Create Your Own Adventure: Even the most experienced adventure traveler will find challenges in the hills here. Horseback riding at Fazenda Sengha high above Kigali? Sure. A walk along a 70-metre high, 160-metre long Canopy Walkway in the wind above a natural rainforest? Just say when. Rwanda seems built for adventure and guests who bring their curiosity won’t leave disappointed.
1. What do we know about the cloth in the Kimironko Market?| A．Its colour is dull. | B．Its sellers are usually gifted tailors. |
| C．It has various patterns on it. | D．It can be made into clothes in minutes. |
| A．Made-to-Order Fashion. | B．Incredible Wildlife Encounters. |
| C．Meet the Artists. | D．Create Your Own Adventure. |
| A．Draw murals on buildings. | B．Tell the stories of the country. |
| C．Design sculptures and potteries. | D．Appreciate local people’s performances. |
The strong presence of Chinese internet and technology companies as sponsors of the 19th Asian Games
The 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, had a record-breaking 176 sponsors,
Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing unit of Alibaba Group, plays a vital role by providing essential technological support for event management, results distribution, and live cloud broadcasting.
Chinese tech companies’ strong presence not only boosts brand awareness globally
5 . In a village in Malawi, Africa, people faced constant drought and poverty. A young boy named William Kamkwamba had a dream of bringing
When famine (饥荒) came, William had to
After many difficult conversations, his father finally chose to
After countless
| A．wind | B．water | C．fortune | D．chance |
| A．quit | B．ignore | C．attend | D．enjoy |
| A．art | B．history | C．magic | D．science |
| A．Amused | B．Confused | C．Inspired | D．Annoyed |
| A．enhance | B．charge | C．preserve | D．repair |
| A．barely | B．hardly | C．frequently | D．completely |
| A．abandon | B．support | C．forgive | D．distrust |
| A．bicycle | B．radio | C．car | D．flashlight |
| A．bought | B．exchanged | C．searched | D．skipped |
| A．old | B．different | C．unique | D．spare |
| A．acquired | B．limited | C．adequate | D．potential |
| A．complex | B．simple | C．financial | D．tough |
| A．attempts | B．successes | C．discoveries | D．achievements |
| A．floating | B．sailing | C．turning | D．spreading |
| A．awareness | B．fantasy | C．harmony | D．knowledge |
6 . Research into whether the human voice helps plants isn’t conclusive. Even so, there are convincing reasons that chatting with your houseplants is good for them—and you.
In a 2022 survey by trees.com, 50 percent of the 1250 respondents reported talking to their plants. When asked why, 65 percent said they believe it helps them grow. The research, however, isn’t definitive about this point. While studies have found that vibrations (震动) caused by sound do affect plants, the jury is still out on whether the human voice offers any specific benefit.
For many plant owners, though, the science is beside the point. Marquis Matson, co-founder of the blog the Indoor Nursery, says she talks to her plants every day because “it feels nice and I think plants get a sense of community from my talking to them and that keeps them going”. On the plant side, a study in a 2003 issue of the journal Ultrasonics investigated the effects of the classical music and the sounds of birds, insects and water on the growth of Chinese cabbage and cucumber. Both forms of sound exposure increased the vegetables’ growth. In a 2015 study, researchers exposed marigold (金盏花) and chickpea (鹰嘴豆) plants to light Indian music as well as to traffic noise. They found that both types of plants grew and developed better after being exposed to the music for four hours per day, but not to the traffic sounds. “Plants definitely respond to vibrations in their environment—which can cause plants to grow differently and become more resistant to falling over,” says Heidi Appel, leader of the study. She points out, “While sound absolutely matters to plants, we don’t know if talking to them makes them grow differently.”
Despite the lack of studies and evidence about the benefits of talking to your plants, there is at least one theoretical bonus, “If we identify with a living organism that we’re taking care of, we’re going to take better care of it and help them thrive,” Appel says.
1. What do the underlined words “the jury is still out” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．There is uncertainty. | B．The jury has decided. |
| C．The jury is playing outside. | D．People have different ideas. |
| A．Vibrations caused by sound affect plants. | B．Chatting with the plants benefits both sides. |
| C．Scientific research in this area makes no sense. | D．A sense of community is a must for plants’ growth. |
| A．Traffic sounds probably have a negative influence on plant growth. |
| B．Talking to plants can make them more sensitive to the environment. |
| C．Plants do not fall over because of the vibrations in their environment. |
| D．Classical music is beneficial to plant growth as sounds of nature do. |
| A．Approving. | B．Neutral. | C．Unfavorable. | D．Unclear. |
7 . Which brand of chocolate chip makes the best tasting cookies? Is the tree outside your window causing your runny nose? If you want to answer questions like these, you’ll probably need to do some testing.
Comparing outcomes. To be confident in test results, it’s generally important to have something to compare them to. So, for example, in your cookie test, you’d want to actually compare batches(批次)of cookies made with different brands of chocolate chips.
Controlling variables.
Avoiding bias. No matter how hard we humans try to be objective, bias can sneak into our observations and judgments. For example, your cookie tasters might be hungry and so the first cookie they eat could seem tastier to them than the rest. To avoid such potential sources of bias, you’d want to set up the test so that different testers taste the cookies in different orders.
Distinguishing chance from real differences. All sorts of subtle things that you either don’t or cannot control can affect the outcome of a test. Some cookies in a batch might have wound up with a few less chocolate chips than others. The oven might have heated unevenly and burnt a few cookies.
| A．But all tests are not created equal |
| B．Components of the testing should be adjusted |
| C．All of these random factors will affect the outcome of the test |
| D．You might also want to make a batch without any chocolate chips at all |
| E．You could also label your cookie batches with letters instead of brand names |
| F．Such factors should also be considered when data collected are being analyzed |
| G．In most tests, we want to be confident in the relationship between cause and effect |
8 . Using dozens of cameras set up throughout Sweden’s big forests, weeks-long live broadcasts (电视节目) of deer and other wild animals have caught Swedish audiences’ hearts. As three deer nervously come to a lake on screen, comments on the live TV program flood in. “Go on!”; “Jump in!”; “They’re beautiful!” The program Den stora älgvandringen has attracted a large community that watches and comments on the animals’ every move.
Den stora älgvandringen is another example of the so-called “slow TV”, where things are just left to happen at their own pace (节奏). Broadcast for a few weeks each spring on TV and online, the video is recorded in real time from a control room lined with screens. Teams work day and night to offer different viewpoints from 30 cameras, some of which can be controlled from a distance. “We can’t decide what happens. We don’t want everything to be perfect. I mean that this is nature and anything can happen. And we really want to show what it is like,” producer Johan Erhag said. “On all the social media, most things are very stressful. There’s a lot of music in programs. There’s a lot of speaking. But this program is the totally opposite way.”
A hunter in his spare time, Persson said he enjoys the slow and natural pace of the show. “It’s kind of calming and also interesting. It’s basically wind blowing and you are waiting for something hopefully to show up. You might think that a day spent waiting would be a day lost but it’s not. Instead, it could be an activity that is quite healthy for more people,” Persson said.
“After watching the program, I find there are many things to look at and feel about nature,” Anders Lindberg, a columnist said. “The whole idea of sitting and watching nothing happening for hours in nature is wonderful. We can practice meditation (冥想), which ] think for many people is something they lack in big cities. Nature could be a powerful tool used to bridge the gap between the mind and the body, making us feel close to the world around us.”
1. What is special about Den stora älgvandringen?| A．It features animals’ fun activities. |
| B．It follows wild animals’ life in a natural way. |
| C．It records animal experiments in natural settings. |
| D．It uses digital sound effects to impress the viewers. |
| A．It teaches him to protect animals. |
| B．It gives him a sense of achievement. |
| C．It brings him pleasure and relaxation. |
| D．It causes him to pay attention to health. |
| A．By showing humans’ role in wildlife care. |
| B．By raising their interest in outdoor activities. |
| C．By speeding up local tourism development. |
| D．By encouraging a deeper connection with nature. |
| A．Sweden calls for wildlife protection. |
| B．A realistic nature TV show attracts attention. |
| C．The beauty of Swedish forests comes into sight. |
| D．Directors show their creativity in a slow TV program. |
9 . You’ve heard the phrase “home for the holidays”, but I would like to introduce a new phrase: hygge for the holidays. A hygge holiday is all about peaceful, quiet and cozy(温暖舒适的) surroundings. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Holiday hygge is easy and comforting. Most people are already doing at least some of these simple hygge holidays without even knowing it.
Hygge is a Danish word originally coming from an old Norwegian word meaning well-being and protection from the outside harm. It’s known that winters in Denmark are severe and last long. The concept of hygge has been used by Danish people to keep themselves mentally positive in the dark winter season and fill their homes with comfort and love.
Hygge is a very important word to Danish people, often used to describe what their culture is all about and it is not necessarily a thing, something you can buy, but rather more of something you feel. Hygge really is a reflection of one aspect of Danish living, and, happily, in the last five years the concept of hygge has made its way to the US and many other countries. I mean what’s not to like about nurturing(培育)peace and quiet and coziness?
Here are some more descriptive words for hygge: comfort, familiarity, friendship, laughter, and even seasonal homemade food and drinks. While it is possible to achieve hygge any time of the year with hygge activities-an outdoor BBQ with friends and a movie under the stars with family are good examples of summertime hygge, it is most commonly associated with the colder months because of its ability to lift one’s spirits during dark winter months.
Hygge is the most suitable for the November and December holiday season because it’s all about peaceful and cozy surroundings that fill you with contentment. There is indeed something you can do to bring holiday hygge into your home this season.
1. Why do Danish people choose a hygge holiday?| A．To deal with cold and long winters. | B．To follow the latest holiday trend. |
| C．To fight against nature physically. | D．To spend more time with their family. |
| A．It reflects Danish living totally. | B．It is mainly about some feeling. |
| C．It is limited to Denmark and the US. | D．It represents ancient Danish culture |
| A．People do hygge in more ways. | B．Hygge is preferred in summertime. |
| C．Hygge is still perfect for winter. | D．People access hygge in certain time. |
| A．Ways of hygge celebrations. | B．Tips on achieving hygge. |
| C．Different opinions about hygge | D．Benefits of bringing hygge into home. |
10 . I’m a grandma in my 60s. In the spring of 2020, like the rest of the world, I spent a lot of time staring at a screen and that was when I first got into the YouTube world. I discovered that onscreen offerings were truly endless. From one YouTuber I learned how to plant my own vegetable garden. Someone else shared poetry from Robert Frost, wise sayings from Confucius, and a smattering (一知半解) of other philosophical viewpoints, all of which helped me through some dark days. Down the rabbit hole I went, scrolling for hours and hours, watching other people living their lives and giving me advice on how to live mine.
As the months rolled by, YouTube turned my attention away from the hard reality of what was going on in the world. I subscribed to several channels and waited anxiously for new weekly offerings. I watched people reading poetry or painting by streams or looking out windows into snowy landscapes. I found all this calming. Such lovely scenery, such beautiful background music, such pretty clothes they were wearing!
At some point though, I got upset by these artistic and seemingly perfect lives. Who is filming them? I wondered. Do they rehearse or just act on the spot? Isn’t it cold, stepping through snowbanks in dresses? The questions kept bothering me while forcing comparisons to my own somewhat more ordinary existence. I wanted to walk in a flowing dress through hilly green field filled with wildflowers! Instead, I was marching through my neighborhood’s city streets in mom jeans.
In a moment of insight, I realized that I had a full and happy life, which although it wouldn’t win awards for perfection onscreen, suited me perfectly. I put my phone away and started paying attention to my own life instead of watching other people live theirs. I still like checking in once in a while. YouTube can be a rich source of entertainment and inspiration, but I’ve limited my exposure. I am content with the knowledge that my addiction to life onscreen has been replaced by life itself.
1. What can be learned about the author in the spring of 2020?| A．She experienced some hard times. |
| B．She taught others about gardening. |
| C．She developed an interest in poetry. |
| D．She shared her philosophical views online. |
| A．It made her more anxious. |
| B．It improved her taste in art. |
| C．It taught her to accept reality. |
| D．It brought some comfort to her. |
| A．Desperate. | B．Connected. | C．Envious. | D．Proud. |
| A．Seek inspiration from YouTube. |
| B．Stop using her phone in daily life. |
| C．Focus on her own life instead of others’. |
| D．Continue watching other people’s lives. |
