1 . Smartphones allow us to do some great things.     1     The apps allow us to do even more with our phones. One app that encourages creativity among its users is TikTok, also known as Douyin.

TikTok is an app used for making music videos that can be shared with others. It provides some parts of popular songs. People can use the   songs as background music in their videos.     2     People record themselves doing dance moves, lip-syncing (对口型) with the music and just having fun. Some users like to make videos when they travel.     3     And of course, videos of cute animals moving in time with the music are always popular. Users can edit (编辑) their videos with different tools. The end results can be quite impressive (令人赞叹的).

Users can communicate with each other by leaving comments (评论) or giving “likes” on a video.     4     They are like stars with other users waiting for their next video to come out.

The app doesn’t just help make its users more popular.     5     One example is singer Christine Welch, who wrote A Million Possibilities. This song was very popular among Chinese users of the app. Because of that, Christine was invited to sing at a 2019 New Year’s concert in Beijing!

TikTok is a form of social media (媒体). It is fun for anyone who likes to be creative or enjoys the creativity of others.

A．Its users are certainly creative.

B．We can hardly live without technology.

C．Users with popular videos can become famous within the app.

D．It presents the world’s knowledge that matters in everyday life.

E．Others record themselves playing games or doing something very exciting.

F．Some musicians’ songs used in the app have also enjoyed great popularity.

G．We can play games, search for information online, take photos and watch videos.

2 . In the eyes of many environmentalists, the world appears to be getting worse. They believe, the natural resources are running out and the air and water are becoming ever more polluted. But if we check the facts, things look different. Energy has become more abundant, not less so. Fewer people are starving. What seems to cause this gap between perception and reality?

One factor is the prejudice in scientific research. Scientific funding goes mainly to areas with many problems. That may be wise policy, but it will also create an impression that there are more potential problems than actually exist.

Secondly, environmental groups seek attention from the mass media. They also need to get continuous financial support. Understandably, perhaps, they sometimes exaggerate (夸大) their arguments. In 1997, for example, the World Wide Fund for Nature issued a statement titled: “Two thirds of the world’s forests lost forever”. The truth turns out to be near 20%.

The media can add to confusion too. People tend to be more curious about bad news than good. Newspapers and broadcasters are there to provide what the public wants. That, however, can lead to significant misinterpretations. For example, when a natural disaster happens, the media usually highlights the negative parts, giving more attention to the disaster’s details and what happens afterward. This flood of bad news can make people think that such events are more frequent or serious than they actually are. Consequently, people may develop a sense of insecurity, despite statistically low probabilities of similar events happening to them.

Another factor is people’s poor perception. People worry that vaccines can cause severe side effects or long-term health problems. Despite extensive scientific evidence demonstrating their safety and effectiveness, some individuals remain hesitant due to unfounded fears.

It is crucial that we look at the facts if we want to make the best possible decisions for the future. It may be costly to be overly optimistic – but more costly still to be too pessimistic.

1. What aspect of scientific research does the writer worry about in paragraph 2?

A．The need to produce results.	B．The selection of research areas.
C．The lack of financial support.	D．The desire to solve research problem.

2. Why does the writer quote the example from the World Wide Fund for Nature?

A．To show how influential the mass media can be.

B．To show how effective environmental groups can be.

C．To show how the mass media can help groups raise funds.

D．To show how environmental groups overstate their claims.

3. The writer suggests that newspapers publish articles that are intended to ________.

A．educate readers	B．mislead readers
C．meet readers’ expectations	D．encourage readers’ feedback

4. What does the author try to convey in the last paragraph?

A．Making decisions based on reality.	B．Balancing optimism and pessimism.
C．Being optimistic to avoid costly mistakes.	D．Addressing the environmental crisis gradually.

3 . Clair Hughes first began to research money-saving ideas to get out of her £3,500 student overdraft (透支额). The shopper started surfing the Internet for discount coupons (优惠券) and cut price offers. Revealing how she seldom pays full price for an item, Ms Hughes says, “Discounts are always there; it’s just a matter of being organized. Before starting this, I thought it’d be much work, but now I’m so used to this lifestyle that it’s automatic to me. I must have easily saved over £15,000.”

Ms Hughes first focused on saving money back in 2010, when she moved in with her partner, Shane Byrne, a phone company trainer. After turning to the web for advice, she tried out a few clever money-saving tricks like switching her overdraft to a zero-interest account. Then, several years later, she came across an online community for “couponers” and decided to give it a go.

She started spending hours surfing the web for coupons, printing them all out to take with her whenever she went shopping. Over the years, she has managed to get some impressive catches. Once, two lamps worth £140 cost her just £35.

Two years ago, Ms Hughes also began using cashback apps where you are given money back on items ranging from beers to toiletries. After each shop, she uploads pictures of her receipts, which are then scanned, and money is given back on certain items.

Among her other top money-saving tips, Ms Hughes recommends taking part in paid online surveys, which have earned her hundreds in discount coupons. She says, “I’ve heard a lot about collecting other people’s abandoned receipts from shopping trolleys to check for missed discounts. I can’t believe how much coupons and cashback apps have helped me. The community does benefit me a lot. There will always be someone on hand to explain how it works.”

1. What does saving money mean to Clair Hughes?

A．It’s part of her daily life.	B．It makes her shop less.
C．It’s a way to leave school.	D．It keeps her work organized.

2. What can we know about Clair Hughes?

A．She always asks Shane for suggestions.

B．She likes going shopping with her friends.

C．She has bought some goods in low prices.

D．She is good at discussing prices with others.

3. What does the last paragraph mainly show?

A．Hughes’ feelings of her life.	B．Hughes’ ways to get coupons.
C．Hughes’ appreciation for society.	D．Hughes’ difficulty in saving money.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．A Graduate Enjoys Shopping	B．A Community Collects Coupons
C．A Woman Focuses on Saving Money	D．A Shopper Is Famous for Saving Money

4 . The reopening of an Asian American-owned bookstore in Manhattan's Chinatown following a January fire has received a warm welcome back from its supporters.

Yu &. Me Books, which is regarded as the first female-owned Asian American bookshop in New York City, has raised more than $369,000 for repairs since a tragic fire on January 4. It reopened on Wednesday. "We are so excited to welcome you all back to our Yu &. Me Books home," the store announced on Instagram. "We can't wait to shed tears, laugh loudly and open our hearts with all of you who have made us feel at home."

The fire in an apartment above the bookstore on Mulberry Street killed one of the building's residents. Smoke and water damage also devastated Yu & Me Books, destroying almost all its inventory and equipment, according to a GoFundMe campaign that store owner Lucy Yu set up to make up for the costs.

During the restoration and renovation (翻新) of the original bookstore, the business operated from a location within The Market Line, an underground marketplace on the Lower East Side, and several pop-up shops (临时店铺) in the city.

"It was a bookstore I always wanted to visit, and I'm so happy that they were able to reopen," Charlotte Leinbach, a teacher for New York City's Education Department said. Leinbach hadn't been to the bookstore before the fire, but she had heard quite a bit about its fate. She bought two books, the second and third in the series Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

"It's hard to find a lot of books written in Japanese, and then translated into English," she said. "The design of the bookstore is really nice, and the layout is great. I am glad that they also sell used books. I love buying new books because it's fresh and it's nice, but it's always nice to see people in the community giving their books back and reselling and just passing them on." She said she will continue to support the women-run small businesses that focus on people and authors of color.

"I actually came on the day of the opening, but there were too many people, and it was too crowded, so I just haven't had a chance to look at it," Liam Li, another Asian American, said. "This place is unique. It's in Chinatown. As Asians live in New York City, I feel this offers the most space for the community. I understand like a minority in this society, it is not easy to have a store like this," she added.

1. Which word can replace the underlined one "inventory" in Paragraph 2？

A．Curtains.

B．Switches.

C．Goods.

D．Chairs.

2. How did Lucy Yu get the money to make up for the losses?

A．By applying to the government for money.

B．By getting money from an insurance company.

C．By raising money from her friends and relatives.

D．By collecting money from a fund on the Internet.

3. What can we infer about Charlotte Leinbach from the text?

A．She often gave a hand to the store owner before the fire.

B．She sang high praise for the arrangement of the store.

C．She prefers to buy used books rather than new ones.

D．She translates books as her part-time job.

4. Which can serve as the best title for the news report?

A．Chinatown bookstore's reopening welcomed

B．Smoke and water damage destroy Chinatown bookstore

C．Yu &. Me Books-first female-owned Asian American bookshop in NYC

D．Chinatown bookstore in New York City means a lot to Asian Americans

5 . Over the past year, several films and TV dramas have put their shooting locations into the public spotlight.

Dali in Yunnan Province

With the TV drama Meet Yourself earlier last year, Dali in Yunnan Province emerged as a highly sought-after tourism destination.

During the Spring Festival holiday, Yunnan Province received the second most tourists in the nation with a tourism profit of 38.4 billion yuan, ranking top. Among this, Dali received 4.24 million tourists, marking a remarkable 219 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Jiangmen in Guangdong Province

Thanks to the success of the hit show The Knockout, Jiangmen in Guangdong Province became an outstanding tourism destination last year.

Data reveals a remarkable 217 percent month-on-month increase in searches related to tourism in the city in February. Currently, travel bookings witness a substantial 144 percent month-on-month rise.

Taiyuan Ancient County in Shanxi Province

Full River Red has set Taiyuan Ancient County in Shanxi on fire with excitement.

From Jan. 21 to 31, the county witnessed over 400,000 tourists, a significant rise compared to the about 180,000 visitors during the previous Spring Festival holiday. Notably, one-third of these tourists were from outside Shanxi Province.

Ningbo Museum in Zhejiang Province

With the broadcast of the TV drama Three-Body Problem, Ningbo Museum has gained significant attention.

Visitor numbers rose to 50,000 during the Spring Festival, marking a remarkable 220 percent year-on-year increase. Even after the festival, there were 2,000 to 3,000 visitors daily consistently.

1. What was the impact of Meet Yourself?

A．It contributed to the tourism profits.	B．It helped Dali earn 38.4 billion yuan.
C．It made Yunnan a tourism destination.	D．It ranked Dali a top tourism destination.

2. Which place has a promising reservation at present?

A．Dali.	B．Jiangmen.
C．Taiyuan Ancient County.	D．Ningbo Museum.

3. How many people visited Ningbo Museum during the last Spring Festival?

A．About 23,000.

B．Over 400,000.

C．Nearly 50,000.

D．2,000 to 3,000.

6 . I vividly remember the day when my husband and I set off on a new journey to Tanzania. He had been ______ a position there as a Civil Engineer. Accompanying him, my aim was to find a job shortly after. As you can imagine, I was very excited, even rather ______, as I’d never been abroad before. So, my first ______ was to get settled in this small town called Dodoma in the middle of Tanzania.

As we got off the train, however, at six in the morning, a lady came rushing along the ______ towards us. Completely out of breath, she said, “We’ve heard you’re from England and our school ______ needs an English teacher — please say you’ll help us.” I felt tired and ______ a shower after the journey. Though shocked by her ______, for some reason or other, I agreed to ______ it!

I washed, changed, had a quick bite to eat and was ______ to the two local teachers and my ______ at 8 o’clock. It felt like being thrown into the deep end, as my teaching timetable began ______ at 8:30! Although I’d hardly had time to get my breath, I never ______ my sudden decision.

Though my entry into this ______ was unexpected, I found joy in teaching those youngsters and gradually became part of the local community in the following years. I’ve been fortunate to ______ lifelong friendships, which has left a lasting ______ on both my students and myself.

1.

A．awarded

B．offered

C．allowed

D．presented

2.

A．disappointed

B．dissatisfied

C．unconcerned

D．uneasy

3.

A．priority

B．worry

C．action

D．response

4.

A．river

B．platform

C．sidewalk

D．channel

5.

A．probably

B．suddenly

C．desperately

D．occasionally

6.

A．longed for

B．waited for

C．heard about

D．worried about

7.

A．remark

B．interruption

C．suggestion

D．request

8.

A．keep

B．take

C．forget

D．quit

9.

A．introduced

B．recommended

C．assigned

D．compared

10.

A．colleagues

B．assistants

C．students

D．interviewers

11.

A．exactly

B．finally

C．immediately

D．smoothly

12.

A．expected

B．regretted

C．delayed

D．dropped

13.

A．career

B．country

C．agreement

D．relationship

14.

A．value

B．strengthen

C．renew

D．harvest

15.

A．comment

B．record

C．impact

D．impression

7 . Human history is full of horse stories like guiding cowboys home on foggy nights and taking wounded soldiers through battle zones. Such sensible and highly trained horses made Elina Jatel, a computer scientist and roboticist, think of robots. “A horse that can take a rider home on its own would be the highest level of autonomy,” Jatel says. “You trust them with your life.” She was drawn to learning how such relationships form and if it could help improve human-robot interactions.

For a year, Jatel engaged herself in the horse world. She watched classes in horse training, and she also talked with students, instructors, trainers and horse owners. Along the way, Jatel even learned to ride.

Horses learn signals from their trainers on how to comfortably interact with people. People, too, must learn their part. Riders must learn what a horse wants or feels based on its behavior, and what signals to use to direct horses to perform in desired ways. Jatel found some similarities, here, to working with robots. People must learn how to direct robots to do specific tasks. They also must learn what to do when robots don’t perform as planned. The goal is to program robots that will respond predictably to inputs from people. But like horses, autonomous robots also should be able to respond on their own as conditions change. For example, a self-driving car must stop to avoid hitting something, even if some human mistakenly tells it to keep going.

Trainers and riders work with horses to build respect. Horses show that respect by matching their pace to a human or giving someone who is leading them a safe degree of personal space. Trainers begin their work with a horse by getting them to show signs of respect in basic interactions, Jatel says. Later, trainers will develop more complex interactions. Gradually, a horse’s respect can grow into trust.

But that trust is not given. And there may be a similar limitation with robots. What would it mean for robots and people to respect and trust each other? For now, she adds, this is largely uncharted territory. But she’s looking to build a path.

1. What drew Elina Jatel’s attention to horses?

A．Horses’ amazing performance.	B．Long history of horse training.
C．Horse-human interdependence.	D．Her horse-riding experience.

2. What are the robots of the highest autonomy designed to do?

A．To act like real horses.	B．To show respect to humans.
C．To follow instructions from humans.	D．To make independent and sensible decisions.

3. What will Jatel’s future research most probably focus on?

A．The limitations of robots.	B．Trust between robots and humans.
C．Path toward higher robot efficiency.	D．Similarities between horses and robots.

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

A．History of Human-Horse Relationship	B．Secrets of Human-Animal Interactions
C．The Role of Trust in Human-Robot Partnerships	D．Horses as the Inspiration for Autonomous Robots

8 . Grand Canyon River Hike

July 28-30

The coolest thing to do in Summer! A river hike is a combination of normal hiking and hiking along the course of rivers. It often involves walking in the water and on rocks, low-level rock climbing, crossing rivers, and swimming.

River hikes are fun but require average to high fitness level, good balance and swimming skills. Climbing skills are not necessary. This activity is not recommended for those afraid of heights or water, nor for children under the age of 15.

TRIP SCHEDULE

Day I Friday

18:45 We’re going to get out of Los Angeles. I’m waiting for you at Griffith Park!

19:00 Everyone’s here, time to go!

23:30 Arrive at the Guesthouse. Let’s quickly get the room and go for some quality sleep to recharge for the hike tomorrow.

Day 2 Saturday

07:00 Get up and have breakfast.

07:30 Pack all your belongings; we’ll be on the bus for about 2 hours before reaching our drop-off point.

09:30 We will walk on the road for about 30 mins to reach the starting point. Then we have 15 mins to put our swimming suits on and wear some sun creams before getting ready for the hiking!

For the rest of the day, we will mainly be hiking on the rocks, stopping on the way for your bag lunch when you want.

16:30 Finish the hike and get on the bus waiting for us. We’re going to spend the night in the Guesthouse village.

18:30 Let’s have dinner and enjoy the night!

Day 3 Sunday

9:00 Get up and have breakfast. After yesterday’s exciting hike, today is mainly relaxing!

10:00 We reach a nice river spot for swimming and jump from rocks before going back to the village where we will have lunch. Or you can just stay in the village, walk around and relax.

13:00 After group lunch we will take our private bus and head back to Los Angeles.

19:30/20:00 Estimated arrival time in Los Angeles.

Note: For details on costs and safety measures, please refer to the next page on our website.

1. Who is most suited for the activity?

A．A 14-year-old climbing talent.	B．A lifeguard fond of extreme sports.
C．A gym goer with balance disorder.	D．An outdoor type afraid of thrill rides.

2. At about what time does the river hiking start?

A．7:30.

B．9:30.

C．9:45.

D．10:15.

3. What can we learn about the river hiking?

A．It’s a weekend getaway.	B．Two lunches are provided.
C．It takes place in Los Angeles.	D．Hiking the whole trip is required.

9 . For most of history, people lived in small groups of up to 150 people. Then villages and small towns developed, offering safety and support through the sharing of resources. As time passed, urban living brought additional advantages such as better jobs, schools and healthcare. Larger towns also gave people more chances to meet and interact. This is important.     1    

Today, over half of the world’s population currently lives in towns and cities. But this has resulted in a strange paradox (悖论). Although social opportunities are one reason people choose to live in large cities, research suggests that city life can be lonely.     2     People from all over the world can join online communities and make virtual friends without leaving their home.

The development of virtual communities can be traced back to the 1860s. Back then, telegraph operators exchanged messages and gradually formed friendships over long distances.     3    

Later, in the 1960s, radios started to provide a means of short-distance communication and developed communities with their own unique language and usernames.

    4     Computers were not very powerful yet, so people could post messages and share news and stories but not music or photos. Still, people loved being able to make friends online and then hang out with them. As technology became more powerful, online communities for fun, education and business emerged, where people could explore a virtual 3D world, have online lessons, and even buy things with virtual money.

These days, there are thousands of virtual communities and that number keeps growing. Many people believe they will become more important.     5     Particularly, they’re concerned that posting personal information online might lead to a loss of privacy. So perhaps the future will be more like the past. People will spend most of their time in real communities.

A．This trend, however, is not likely to continue.

B．As Aristotle said, the nature of humans is to be social.

C．That may explain why virtual communities are so popular.

D．The first popular online communities developed in the 1980s.

E．Before cell phones existed, radio was an easy way to communicate.

F．Nevertheless, others worry about problems with these communities.

G．This is among the earliest examples of virtual community interactions.

10 . “Sating from now on, to be healthy, I will NOT eat any snacks besides granola bars (燕麦棒),” is what I told myself yesterday, and yet here I am today chewing a Chocopie. I’m aware that I’m breaking my own promise to myself. Instead of eating this, I should be working out or something. But the thing is, chocolate is too good at this moment for me to refuse it!

As I type this, I’m experiencing what’s called instant gratification — the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delaying it for a future benefit. Essentially, when you want it, you get it.

Instant gratification is also the exact opposite of what we’re taught to do-delayed gratification: deciding to put off satisfying our current want to gain something better in the future. We’ve all encountered instant gratification before. Should I sleep in or wake up early to work out? When I get home, should I rest and watch TV first or get started on my homework?

All humans have the tendency to seek pleasure and avoid pain, which is a basic but fundamental concept known as the pleasure principle. Originally coined by Sigmund Freud, it clearly states that all humans are driven, to some extent, by pleasure.

Constantly seeking quick pleasure may bring subsequent troubles. However pleasant not doing your homework may seem pleasant right now, it only results in pleasure plagued by guilt and last-minute panicking late at night. An inability to resist instant gratification may result in underachieving in the long term and failure to meet certain goals.

Instant gratification, however, is not necessarily a bad thing. You don’t always have to say no to things you want at that moment, and it’s good to treat yourself when you need it. In other words, times where you “treat yourself” are only valuable in combination with delayed gratification. While my Chocopie may taste good now, it’ll taste even better if I only eat it after I’ve worked out or done something healthy.

1. How does the author introduce the topic?

A．By making a contrast.	B．By giving a definition.
C．By citing a personal case.	D．By listing detailed problems.

2. Which of the following is an example of instant gratification?

A．Purchasing items regardless of budgets.	B．Exercising regularly for long-term health.
C．Limiting time on social media platforms.	D．Finishing homework before watching TV.

3. What does the underlined word “plagued” in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Reminded.

B．Highlighted.

C．Introduced.

D．Bothered.

4. What may the author agree with?

A．Delayed gratification is pointless.

B．Instant gratification should be prioritized.

C．Enjoying the moment brings in endless pleasure.

D．Instant treats paired with delayed gratification are sweeter.