1 . It takes Sanduk Ruit about five minutes to change someone’s life. The Nepalese doctor can make a small incision (切口) in his patient’s eye, remove the cataract (白内障) damaging the patient’s vision and replace it with an inexpensive artificial lens. He said, “Some of our younger doctors even do it faster than that.”
In the past decades, Ruit has personally restored the sight of more than 100,000 people across Asia and Africa, and taught his rapid-fire technique to countless other eye doctors in parts of the world. His patients suffer from eye conditions that are mostly preventable. But because of poverty and limited access to public health services, they have been unable to seek treatment. Their stories are all too common in the developing world.
Driven by a belief that the world’s poorest people deserve safe, affordable and high-quality eye care just as much as anyone else, Ruit has made it his mission to root out avoidable blindness.
In 1994,he joined the late Australian eye doctor Fred Hollows, who was his mentor and close friend, in establishing Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology-an eye hospital in Kathmandu devoted to providing world-class eyecare for the people of Nepal. The hospital makes the state-of-the-art lens that is commonly used in treating cataracts or myopia, and exports it to more than 30 countries worldwide.
For the patients who cannot reach urban areas, Ruit and his team conduct mobile eye camps in remote parts of Nepal and neighboring countries. They often trek for days to those areas and clean out structures like tents, classrooms or even stables for use as temporary operating rooms. When the eyepatches (眼罩) come off the day after an operation, it’s an extremely moving moment for all relevant persons. Ruit said that he was so grateful that he could make a difference in so many people’s lives.
1. What do we know about Ruit?| A．He refused to do operations for the rich. |
| B．He wasn’t mean with his excellent technique. |
| C．He joined Fred Hollows in the nineteenth century. |
| D．He restored more than a million people’s sight in person. |
| A．Making a lot of money. |
| B．Obtaining relevant data to write scientific papers. |
| C．The desire to make his technique well-known. |
| D．The idea that all sick people should get proper treatment. |
| A．Kind-hearted and responsible. |
| B．Friendly and energetic. |
| C．Open-minded and outgoing. |
| D．Clever and brave. |
| A．Science. | B．Sports. | C．Education. | D．Figures. |
2 . According to a study published this week, habitual napping (打盹) appears to be associated with a large brain volume in adults although experts stressed that further research was needed. It reduces the cost caused from the lost time and the fatigue-related errors. The work followed previous studies that suggested a brief doze could improve people’s ability to learn.
Arianna Huffington, a co-founder of Huff Post and the founder and chief executive of Thrive Global, said, “Given the latest science on the effectiveness of napping and the clear link between employees feeling well rested and their productivity, it’s long past time that businesses embrace short naps at work.”
Some businesses, including Thrive Global, have already introduced facilities for employees to take naps. Google introduced sleep pods as far back as 2014 and companies like Nike and Ben & Jerry’s introduced nap rooms. The practice has even been adopted by the NHS, with a growing number of hospitals introducing sleep pods for staff in an effort to help them get more rest. Employees, it seems, are enthusiastic. Sean Greenwood, of Ben & Jerry’s, said, “If a quick nap gets employees more involved and creative, we’re happy to provide that for our team members.”
Unfortunately, the practice of napping still suffers from our collective concept that sleep equals weakness and laziness. However, the performance-enhancing benefits of naps have been no secret to many leaders throughout history. It also gives the higher-ups the chance to acknowledge the 24/7 culture and come up with top-down solutions that encourage workers to take care of themselves in and out of work.
While sleep experts stressed that a daytime doze could be beneficial, they said it was crucial to get enough shut-eye at the end of a day. It is the late stage of sleep, sometimes missed by early risers, that strengthens the nerve circuits that make for learning and memory, allowing the brain to make and consolidate new neutral connections. Additionally, prioritizing sufficient sleep during the regular nightly sleep period is essential for overall well-being.
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?| A．Work stress. | B．Learning abilities. |
| C．A research finding. | D．The brain volume. |
| A．Dismissive. | B．Approving. |
| C．Unclear. | D．Critical. |
| A．To advocate enough rest. | B．To praise creative employees. |
| C．To compare the differences. | D．To present the current situation. |
| A．The approaches to shut-eye. | B．The importance of napping. |
| C．The secrets to well-being. | D．The benefits of memory. |
3 . Marine life (海洋生物) in Florida Keys is negatively influenced by two forces: human activity and climate change. The former involves fishing, tourism and diving while the latter causes a large increase in intense hurricanes. Fortunately, when the researchers of Florida Museum of Natural History started looking for sea urchins (海胆) on the ocean floor off the coast of Florida Keys in the summer of 2020, they uncovered their population had relatively been stable since the 1960s.
The researchers visited 27 sites along a 20-mile stretch of coast near Florida Keys looking for tracks that reflected the presence of burrowing echinoids (穴居海胆类动物). “The findings that burrowing echinoids have been highly resilient (有适应力的) against climate change and environmental pollution over the last 60 years was a huge discovery for us.” said study co-author Tobias Grun.
Grun said, “However, we know little about their current distribution, population size, and health. The reason is not the lack of interest by the scientific community but lies in that fieldwork is very expensive.”
As the climate crisis progresses, it’s important to understand why some marine creatures are more resilient in bearing the impacts of a worsening environment than others. Grun said, “Evolution may be at play. Some marine animals are very opportunistic. They can tolerate a wide range of abiotic factors like pH, temperature, and salinity, to name a few.”
Grun added, “At this point, our data show that burrowing echinoids are more resilient than many other marine species and are doing comparatively well. That does not mean that we can push our luck and keep going the way we are right now. Our study provides some hope that these creatures are resilient, but much more work is needed to translate our findings into a larger scale. The reasons for their resilience are also widely unknown.”
1. Which has an effect on the marine life in Florida Keys?| A．Wildfire. | B．Pollution. | C．Fishing. | D．Flood. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Important. | C．Subjective. | D．Outdated |
| A．The goal. | B．The staff | C．The cost | D．The usage |
| A．It’s necessary to do further research. |
| B．It’s right to keep going the present way. |
| C．The reasons for sea urchins’ resilience are well known. |
| D．Fish are more resilient than other marine species. |
4 . Trainers and parents saw children play sports at a young age and then saw them become professional. Many correlated the training to success. Competitive sports are good for young children because they teach children life skills, provide health benefits, and offer special opportunities.
To begin with, sports teach children life skills. A formal athlete stated, “I played soccer in high school and college and found team sports weren’t just about winning, but also about developing a solid ethic(行为准则), and learning why that’s important.” In short, playing highly competitive sports teaches kids many life skills like teamwork. People will have to use teamwork for the rest of their life, and sports can help them improve that skill. Taking part in sports can help develop a positive attitude towards life, which will help in the long run.
Sports are also good for kids because they provide health benefits. It is healthier for a kid to play a sport competitively than to waste time playing video games all day. Furthermore, a research group of University of California said, “96 percent of the participants(参与者) said they enjoy their sports. They’re all loving life.” That is to say, kids playing highly competitive sports tend to enjoy life instead of doing something else like watching TV.
On the other hand, some people might argue that competitive sports are bad for young children because they are so time-consuming. However, the time spent is not “robbing” kids of their childhood, but offers unique opportunities. Athletes can get success to live their dream life by playing sports. Even though sports are time-consuming, they offer distinctive opportunities.
In conclusion, competitive sports are good for children because they can provide wholesome benefits, create new experiences, and build skills that will last a lifetime.
1. Why is the formal athlete mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To show a reason | B．To give an example. |
| C．To list a background. | D．To draw out a new point. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Uncertain. | C．Uncaring. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Common | B．Unreasonable | C．Unique. | D．Frequent. |
| A．The ways to play sports. |
| B．The reasons for playing sports. |
| C．The problems of kids’ playing sports. |
| D．The benefits of kids’ playing sports. |
5 . Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her senior high school life was unhappy and that she was tired of struggling with homework all the time.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, h placed potatoes, eggs and coffee beans in them. After 20 minutes, he took them out, putting the potatoes and eggs in a bowl and the coffee in a cup.
Turning to his daughter, he said, “Look closer, and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After puling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. Its good smell brought a smile to her face.
“Father, what does this mean?” she asked. He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and the coffee beans were in the same adversity (逆境)—the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently.
The strong and hard potato became soft and weak in boiling water. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new. “Which one do you want to be like,” he asked. “When adversity knocks on your door, how will you respond?”
In life, challenges happen to us all, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.
1. Why did the girl complain to her father?| A．Because of her tiring job. | B．Because of her hard school life. |
| C．Because of her father’ s busy work. | D．Because of the food her father cooked. |
| A．The girl liked the coffee best. |
| B．The father was good at cooking. |
| C．Different people have different reactions to adversity. |
| D．The girl didn’t like the potatoes and eggs. |
| A．thick | B．hard | C．strong | D．easily-broken |
| A．Challenges and responses. | B．Adversities and a chef. |
| C．A chef and coffee beans. | D．Father and daughter. |
6 . Featured August Programs in the National Portrait Gallery
Kinship: An Artist Talk with Sedrick Huckaby
Join us for an artist talk with Sedrick Huckaby, whose life-size paintings and sculptures refer to universal human connections and honor figures central to his life — his family members and those close to him. The artist will discuss the importance of community and kin (亲属) to his practice. This event will take place in Sedrick Huckaby’s Kinship gallery space from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 5.
Weekend Workshop: Mindfulness in the Museum
Join Art Educator Sean Murphy for an interactive workshop in mindfulness and art. Inspired by the exhibition, Kinship, participants will be guided through breathing exercises, and a mindfulness activity before visiting the galleries and creating their own mindfulness books. This workshop will take place in G Street Lobby from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 12.
Expressive Arts Workshop: Family Memory Box
Family memories can connect us to those important in our lives. Join us in this interactive art making workshop to create “family memory boxes” to hold special photos, items, and memories of loved ones. No previous art making experience is required. This workshop will take place in G Street Lobby from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Aug. 19.
Virtual Portrait Signs: A Tour in ASL
Join us for a virtual tour of 1898: Imperial Vision and Revisions, which is the first major Smithsonian museum exhibition to examine the War of 1898 and the legacy of this controversial chapter in history. This deaf-led presentation will include voice interpretation. This exhibition will take place from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 19. The Zoom link will be emailed on the morning of the program. Questions? Please email Jonesve@si.edu.
1. Which programs share the same theme?| A．Family Memory Box and A Tour in ASL. |
| B．Mindfulness in the Museum and Family Memory Box. |
| C．An Artist Talk with Sedrick Huckaby and Family Memory Box. |
| D．An Artist Talk with Sedrick Huckaby and Mindfulness in the Museum. |
| A．It is the first major Smithsonian museum exhibition. |
| B．Its presentation will be emailed to visitors. |
| C．It is an in-gallery tour led by the deaf. |
| D．It is friendly to hearing challenged people. |
| A．To provide people with some places to visit. |
| B．To involve more people in the programs. |
| C．To train more people to become artists. |
| D．To introduce the gallery to visitors. |
7 . Like most people, I was not sure about using virtual reality (VR) (虚拟现实) for travel. However, driven by the chance to experience places and things I could never visit without time, money, and travel, I visited the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) to check out their spacewalk VR Transporter. The visit turned out to be the most unforgettable experience that I’d ever had. After an hour or so, I took off the VR headset (眼罩), feeling as if I had actually been staying in space for months.
As we move through the post-COVID era (后疫情时代), international travel and large events have both been slow to return, so Ceek, an APP for virtual events and experiences, has been developed to allow users to travel through time and space with great joy. Mary Spio, Ceek CEO, explains that the combination of sights and sounds is important. “So our users can listen and see everything at the same time.”
The promise of VR is that it helps us rethink what travel even means. “Traveling can be crossing cultures, crossing memories, and can be done in your mind,” says David Askaryan, CEO of the Museum of Future Experiences. He says MOFE’s VR technology create “an experience where the world around you just completely changes for 70 minutes.”
In the post-COVID era, with our vacation days or travel money running short, virtual reality may be the next best way to visit the destinations that have been lighting up our social timeline, or are on our list. As for me, I’m already planning my next VR trip: an underwater VR experience.
1. Why did the writer visit MSI?| A．To study space science. | B．To buy VR headsets. |
| C．To try VR travel. | D．To learn spacewalk skills. |
| A．Travel through space and time with great joy in reality. |
| B．Listen and see everything in the world. |
| C．Experience a wonderful virtual trip. |
| D．Discover the sights and sounds during the post-COVID era. |
| A．It focuses on one culture. | B．It provides a new experience. |
| C．It helps build up memories. | D．It changes the world around us. |
| A．It will become popular. | B．It will happen underwater. |
| C．It will be more expensive. | D．It will take days to finish. |
8 . With the approaching of New Year, more and more visitors will come to China. Don’t know where you should go? Here are some places recommended for you.
Shanghai Expo Culture Park
The Shanghai Expo Culture Park will soon open its northern section to the public, in which the major attractions include a traditional garden that is similar in design to Shanghai’s famous Yuyuan Garden and a 400-meter avenue exhibiting the history of the area, while in the southern section lies a grand theater.
Macao Tower AJ Hackett Bungee Jump
The Macao Tower, 338 meters tall, is the world’s 10th highest tower, with a variety of activities, such as eating and entertainment. One of the activities which enjoy good fame is the bungee jump. The AJ Hackett Macao Tower Bungee Jump is 233 meters high, making it a Guinness World Record as the highest commercial (商业的) bungee jump in the world. Raise your arms and off you go!
Harbin’s Frozen World
For those who have never been to Harbin, there is an almost endless list of things to do. At Harbin Ice—Snow World, you can not only see the world—famous ice architecture, but also have great fun! You can have hotpot at the restaurants which are made of ice, enjoying the product of both ice and fire, go down the world’s longest ice slide (滑梯) and join in the popular Ice and Snow Electronic Music Festival to welcome 2024.
The winter is cold and the night is long, so why not go to the theatre? Harbin was listed by the United Nations as a “music city” in 2010. Harbin Grand Theater is where artistic souls defrost (化霜) a little to share their love of art.
1. Where should visitors go if they want to do extreme sports?| A．Shanghai Expo Culture Park. | B．The Macao Tower. |
| C．Shangha’s Yuyuan Garden. | D．Harbin Ice—Snow World. |
| A．Attend a famous music festival. | B．Play with both ice and fire. |
| C．Turn water into instant ice. | D．Learn to make ice architecture. |
| A．They have a high tower. | B．They have a long ice slide. |
| C．They have a grand theater. | D．They have traditional architecture. |
9 . Do you like Chinese traditional painting and dance? They are two important parts of the traditional Chinese art. But what about when they meet each other?
This year, a dance drama titled Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting (《只此青绿》) was staged on CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala and became popular.
According to CCTV, this poetic dance program was inspired by the 900-year-old Chinese painting A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains (《千里江山图》), created by Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng at about 18. The painting is amazing in its sweeping size, rich coloration and the expressive details, reported by CCTV. It shows a Chinese blue-green landscape: mountains and groupings of infinite (无限的) rise and fall between cloudless sky and rippling (涟漪的) water.
When the dancers moved elegantly, audiences seemed to be looking at the moving mountains and rivers. “It brings me a pure experience of beauty. It is not only a drama but also an exhibition. Vast mountains and rivers are coming to life!” Internet user Mo Weisha wrote in a review. “More than a thousand years later, green mountains and rivers still impress people as they did long ago.” Some people even decided to watch the dance again when it was staged in the theaters later. In fact, in recent years, more and more modern shows have featured Chinese traditional culture and received warm welcome. As for the reason, it is due to people’s great love for traditional culture.
“The younger generations have grown up with a more open mind. They accept Chinese culture and are proud of it,” Yao Wei, director of Henan TV Station’s Innovation Center, told China Daily.
1. What’s the writing purpose of paragraph 1?| A．To raise a question. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To describe the art world. | D．To show a doubtful thought. |
| A．CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. | B．A Chinese blue-green landscape. |
| C．Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng. | D．An old Chinese traditional painting. |
| A．Traditional culture is accepted and loved by people. |
| B．Green mountains and rivers greatly impress people. |
| C．The poetic dance can be staged in the theaters later. |
| D．Increasing modern shows feature Chinese traditional culture. |
| A．It explains why Chinese art enjoys popularity. |
| B．It shows us art can come to life through dance. |
| C．It highlights the beauty of Chinese traditional art. |
| D．It tells us the love for Chinese traditional painting. |
10 . “Farm to table” is the name of a movement that encourages people to eat locally grown food. The farmtotable idea has become more popular in recent years. But there is also a movement that brings “table to farm”. Its purpose is to connect people to the land and to honor local farmers by creating a sort of restaurant without walls.
Its founder, Jim Denevan, got the idea for this kind of “culinary adventure (美食探险)”, as he called it, ten years ago. He recently prepared tables for more than a hundred people at Briars Farm in Virginia. He and his eightmember team arrived the night before. Chefs (厨师) from a local restaurant prepared the dinner.
Jim Denevan’s brother is a farmer and he himself is a chef. He thought that the idea of a meal served right on the farm made sense, though not everyone agreed.
“But I wanted to make the idea work, so I decided to cross the country,” said Denevan. “I went all the way across the United States and set the table on farms, ranches (大牧场) and beaches, and all the places where food came from.”
“This kind of event connects us with a lot of enthusiastic people, people that we can form relationships with,” said Matt Szechenyi, who operates Briars Farm.
The tour of the farm ends at the dinner table. The meats in the meal come from Matt Szechenyi’s farm. The vegetables come from nearby farms. Guests and local farmers sit together.
Annoica Ingram came with a friend. “The food is wonderful. I appreciate their hard work. I see everything they have to do to take care of the animals and make sure they are wellcaredfor. Without them, I think, we’ll have big problems,” she said.
1. What is the main purpose of the movement “table to farm”？| A．To provide people with healthy food. |
| B．To help farmers earn more money. |
| C．To honor farmers for their hard work. |
| D．To encourage people to work less and practice more. |
| A．make new friends | B．walk around the farms |
| C．communicate with farmers | D．build restaurants for farmers |
| A．worried | B．grateful | C．doubtful | D．supportive |
| A．A travel guide. | B．A news report. | C．A diary. | D．Popular science. |
