1 . In the office of remote sensing scientist Liu Shaochuang, there is a huge photograph of a camel he snapped a decade ago in Xinjiang. He crouched for hours by a pool of water in the Gobi Desert to capture the image.
Since 2012, he has led a team in tracking and studying wild camels using satellite remote sensing technology.
Unlike zoologists who focus on species, Liu has studied the interrelationship between endangered animals and their environment, which he believes will help develop better protection strategies in the face of climate change.
His interest in wild camels began when his team tested a prototype(雏形)design of the lunar rover Yutu in the desert. Living in the harsh deserts in northwestern China and southwestern Mongolia, camels are listed as critically endangered animals. Experts estimate that the population of this species is currently less than 1, 000, of which around 650 are in China.
“Ten years ago, the research relied solely on human observation, which was very primitive, ”Liu says. Because camels are fully migratory and can travel over long distances, scientists used to learn their habits by studying hoof prints and droppings. It was hard to find one camel in the desert, let alone track it. But Liu thought his expertise in satellite navigation(导航)and remote sensing might come in useful in the study of wild camels.
It was not easy at first. Liu learned zoology from scratch. His team had to spend several weeks each year braving dust and sandstorms in the vastness of the Gobi Desert seeking out camels. A scar on his right eyebrow is the result of a rollover accident on a rugged mountain road in Xinjiang.
“The most exciting moment was attaching a satellite positioning collar to a wild camel. ”The tracking collar, equipped with special receivers, weighs only a few hundred grams. It can detach automatically and will not have a negative impact on the daily lives of the animals. The locations of the tracked animals are transmitted via satellite every day. Based on the data, scientists can get to know their migratory paths, living environments and possible threats they may meet with.
For Liu, it is worth the significant sci-tech effort to study such a rare species. He adds wildlife protection and research will become more precise and efficient with the help of technology.
1. What was it that made tracking wild camels difficult?| A．The number of camels experienced a sharp decline. |
| B．Massive migration made camels cover huge distances. |
| C．Primitive tools were used in human observation. |
| D．Hoof prints and droppings were never to be seen. |
| A．His carelessness in carrying out his research. |
| B．His inexperience at the very beginning of his work. |
| C．The rough conditions under which he worked. |
| D．The stress he met with in his work. |
| A．The formation of the tracking collar. |
| B．The definition of the tracking collar. |
| C．The importance of the tracking collar. |
| D．The function of the tracking collar. |
| A．Generous and ambitious. | B．Confident and grateful. |
| C．Creative and determined. | D．Optimistic and modest. |
2 . The hustle and bustle(喧嚣)of life, walking back and forth from the ideal to reality, and the inner confusion hidden behind a social mask-these daily experiences are recorded by Chinese youths in lines of poetry online. Recently, 124 Bilibili internet users shared their works in a poem collection.
One blogger on Xiaohongshu who goes by the nickname Gehuaren is one such poetry lover. The twenty-something girl not only writes poems as a form of entertainment in her spare time, but also improvises(即兴创作)poems for others at night markets in Yunnan. As a street-stall poet, Gehuaren often writes pieces of poetry quickly based on themes from customers. Once the poem has been completed, she refuses to change her work because she feels her poems reflect her first reaction. For her, everything in the world, no matter trivial or significant, can serve as her poetic inspiration. “A glass, a tree in the dawn or a person who once talked with me…these all could become themes for my poems,” said Gehuaren.
With free writing with a regular rhythm and broad themes, her poems strike a chord with many young people online, helping her gain over 190, 000 followers. Many have made comments “I feel healed by your poems because I can find beauty from unnoticeable things and in turn, slow down to reflect on my life.”
Apart from poetry, various means such as vlogging and photosharing can be used to record moments of daily life. But young people consider poetry to be the best way to express them. “Taking photos or vlogging can just show the object or emotions in real life. Yet poetry, which can be used to excite the imagination, shows the beauty of daily life, ”an 18-year-old said. So when he is inspired by the beauty of daily life, the boy writes it down into lines of poetry and then shares them with his friends on his WeChat Moments.
No matter why young people write their unique brand of poems, they are attempting to take every moment in lives seriously, face their lives bravely and actively express themselves.
1. How does Gehuaren find inspiration for her poems?| A．By referring to traditional Chinese poems. |
| B．By attending various online poetry lectures. |
| C．By exploring great moments in life. |
| D．By observing everyday life. |
| A．They are original and full of imagination. |
| B．They have a strong sense of rhythm. |
| C．They record the beauty of small and ordinary things. |
| D．They reflect the differences between the ideal and reality. |
| A．Positive. | B．Neutral. | C．Cautious. | D．Objective. |
| A．They hope to avoid challenges. |
| B．They intend to impress their peers. |
| C．They try to escape from the busy life. |
| D．They make their thoughts known bravely. |
3 . Weifang, Shandong province, will exempt(免除)senior middle school tuition fees for the third child in every family born after May 31, 2021, local officials announced on Tuesday at a news conference on optimizing policies encouraging families to have more children.
The tuition fee exemption is one of a series of measures released by the city to encourage the birthrate. Others include subsidies(补贴)for universal childcare services, house purchases and medical expenses for childbirth. The government is also optimizing pregnancy leave and encouraging employers to explore flexible working schedules for female workers.
The newly released measures have received a mixed response from the public with some welcoming the policy, while others say the tuition benefit is too little and too far off to make an impact. “Is the child able to study in a senior middle school if he or she didn’t pass the examination?” said one user mockingly on the Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo.
Cities in the province have been ramping up subsidies, and education and nursery care services to encourage families to have more children.
Shandong province, with a population of over 100 million people, in 2022 recorded its lowest birthrate since 1983. “To encourage the birthrate, the government need to pay attention to the needs of families with only one child instead of only providing subsidies for couples with two or three children. Whether young couples have a high willingness to have one more child depends mostly on their experience of raising the first child,” said Gao Ming, 35, a resident of Qingdao. She added that she didn’t want to have a second children, even if Qingdao took similar measures.
1. What benefits can a woman with a third child enjoy in Weifang?| A．The whole pregnancy leave and one-year maternal leave. |
| B．The promise of her third child’s admission to senior middle school. |
| C．Free tuition fees of her third child for senior middle school. |
| D．The house purchases with expenses fully covered by the government. |
| A．jokingly | B．alarmingly | C．lovingly | D．willingly |
| A．To present a fact. | B．To illustrate a viewpoint. |
| C．To solve a problem. | D．To make a comparison. |
| A．Shandong witnessed its lowest birthrate in 2022. |
| B．More measures are introduced to boost childbirth. |
| C．Newly released measures caused different public responses. |
| D．Is it a blessing or a curse to have more children? |
4 . The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) is dedicated to the enjoyment and appreciation of Jane Austen and her writing. JASNA is a nonprofit organization, staffed by volunteers, whose mission is to foster among the widest number of readers the study, appreciation, and understanding of Jane Austen’s works, her life, and her genius. We have over 5,000 members of all ages and from diverse walks of life. Although most live in the United States or Canada, we also have members in more than a dozen other countries.
JASNA conducts an annual student Essay Contest to promote the study and appreciation of Jane Austen’s writing in new generations of readers. Students worldwide are invited to compete for scholarship awards.
2023 Contest Topic: Marriages and Proposals(求婚)
The 2023 Essay Contest topic is inspired by the theme of our upcoming Annual General Meeting: Pride and Prejudice.
Submissions
The deadline for submissions is Thursday, June 1, 2023. We will begin accepting submissions in February 2023.
Essay Contest Awards
First Place: $1, 000 scholarship, plus free registration and two nights’ lodging (住宿) for JASNA’s 2023 Annual General Meeting in Denver.
Second Place: $500 scholarship.
Third Place: $250 scholarship.
Winners will also receive one year of membership in JASNA, publication of their essays on this website, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.
Essay Format
Entries that do not follow the following requirements or arrive after the deadline will be disqualified.
·The essay must be written in English.
·The title of the essay should appear at the top of page one; further pages should be numbered on the top right; the student’s name must not appear on the essay.
·The essay must be 6-8 pages in length.
1. Which of the following is NOT correct about JASNA?| A．It is intended to encourage readers’ appreciation and understanding of Jane Austen’s works. |
| B．Its members of staff work on a voluntary basis with a shared mission. |
| C．It appeals to readers of different ages and from all walks of life. |
| D．Readers with JASNA membership all hold American or Canadian nationality. |
| A．$500 scholarship plus free meals. |
| B．A set of Jane Austen’s novels. |
| C．Free accommodation for two nights in Denver. |
| D．Opportunities to take part in a meeting. |
| A．Essays without the student’s name. |
| B．Essays written in two languages. |
| C．Essays submitted on May 31st, 2023. |
| D．Essays covering 7 pages. |
5 . One year, a college in the United States announced that it would offer a lot of money for the pure white marigold (金盏花). The high reward attracted so many people, but in nature, besides golden, the marigold is brown, and it is not easy to get the white one. So after they were excited for a time, many people had forgotten the announcement.
One normal day after 20 years, the college received a letter and 100 seeds of pure white marigold. It was an old woman of over 70 years old. Some experts in the college doubted it, but in order not to let her down, those seeds finally took root (根) in the earth. The miracle appeared after one year; the field was covered by pure white marigold.
Therefore, the old woman who was always unknown to the public became a new focus.
The old woman was a flower-lover. When she read the announcement 20 years ago, she got very excited like others. But her eight children were totally against her decision. After all, a woman who never knew the seed genetics (遗传学) couldn’t complete what the experts could never do, so her thought was only a day dream.
Still, the old woman didn’t change her mind and went on working. She planted some of the most common seeds and took good care of them. A year later, when the marigold came out, she chose one faintest (最暗淡的) from those golden and brown flowers and got the best seed. The next year, she again grew them and chose...Day after day, year after year, through many seasons, the old woman’s husband died, her children flew far, a lot of things happened in her life, but only the wish to grow the pure white marigold took root in her heart.
Finally, after 20 years on the day we all know, in the garden she saw a marigold, which was nearly white, but as white as silver or snow.
A problem even experts couldn’t deal with was solved by an old woman who didn’t understand genetics. Was it a miracle (奇迹)?
To take root in the heart, even the most common seed can grow into a miracle!
1. According to the passage,________ marigold is unusual.| A．white | B．purple |
| C．brown | D．golden |
| A．the children didn’t agree on their mother’s decision |
| B．the woman needed the great reward for her big family |
| C．the experts also succeeded in growing the white marigold |
| D．the woman took good care of the flowers instead of her family |
| A．was luckier than experts |
| B．put her heart into flowers |
| C．got support from her family |
| D．studied the seed genetics well |
| A．the difficulties of getting the white marigold |
| B．the possibility of going beyond experts |
| C．the unforgettable development of marigolds |
| D．the importance of holding on to dreams |
6 . Stores play music to change the way customers feel. Clothing stores for teenagers play popular music. It is exciting and makes the customers feel happy, but music does more than that. It can change the way a person shops.
According to studies, the volume (音量) of music changes how people shop. Customers shop quickly when store music is very loud. They hurry through the store, but they buy just as much. When music is quiet, customers shop slowly. Customers take time to look at the products and talk with the salespeople. Quiet music is good for products that take time and information to buy.
Slow music makes people slow down. In restaurants with slow music, customers spend more time eating. Slow music also slows down customers in supermarkets. Customers notice more products as they walk through the store. With slow music in supermarkets, sales go up by 38 percent.
Familiar music gives shoppers a good idea of time. People know the beginning, middle, and end of a familiar song. When customers hear music that is not familiar, they don’t notice the time. When they don’t notice the time, they spend more time shopping and buy more. People remember past experiences and feelings when they hear familiar music. Many stores play old, happy music so customers feel good. When customers hear new music, they forget about the world outside of the store. Some stores use new music so their customers relax while they shop.
Stores choose music that fits their products. A bookstore plays classical music and jazz. It gives the store a serious and intelligent feeling.
1. What’s the best title for the passage?| A．Customers’ Music |
| B．Store Music |
| C．Customers and Music Owners |
| D．Music and Shopping |
| A．Quiet music is good for products. |
| B．People shop slowly when they hear quiet music. |
| C．People shop quickly when they hear loud music. |
| D．The degrees of loudness of music influence the way of shopping. |
| A．It changes the way people shop. |
| B．It changes the way people feel. |
| C．It changes the way people use the products. |
| D．It changes the way people think about the products. |
| A．Classical music. | B．Rock music. | C．Country music. | D．Jazz music. |
7 . Earlier this month, TikTok announced that it will be introducing screen time limits for the accounts of users aged under 18. Children under 13 will require a parent or guardian to type in a password to continue scrolling (滚屏) through their feed, and those aged 13-17 will be asked to set their own passwords when the viewing time goes beyond the limit.
Studies suggest that 30 minutes may be the sweet spot for social media use, where users are able to stay connected with friends and family and view entertainment. However, many other studies show that overly-heavy social media use can lead to a lot of problems, such as physical issues and depression.
By suggesting 100 minutes as a hard line where a password is required to be created by the user, TikTok is gradually making the standards clear as to what may be regarded as problematic social media habit in young people. Although these passwords for older teenagers can obviously be bypassed, they are a step in the right direction in encouraging children to use social media responsibly.
Also, parents who own their own TikTok accounts will be able to link with their children’s accounts, gaining additional, such as muting notifications (消息免打扰) and customizing time limits for different days in the week.
Algorithms (算法) that could tell parents if the child has been viewing dangerous material could soon be put into use. However, the difficulty in this is the amount of content available on the internet.
Ultimately, apps such as TikTok and Instagram will need to continue introducing more measures to improve online safety for children.
Lawmakers around the world are paying close attention to the effect social media has on the young, meaning that the development of new tools to improve its use will no doubt take place soon if big tech wishes to avoid additional legal issues.
1. Why did TikTok introduce screen time limits for teenagers?| A．To protect their privacy. |
| B．To develop their self-control. |
| C．To improve family relationship. |
| D．To prevent overuse of social media. |
| A．Favourable. | B．Objective. | C．Concerned. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．Type in a password to stop the use. |
| B．Send a link to the children’s account. |
| C．Set time limits through their own account. |
| D．Use algorithms to remove dangerous content. |
| A．Its effects on the young. | B．Legal pressure on its improvement. |
| C．Its application to lawmaking. | D．Solutions to its technological issues. |
8 . When you think about people who have made the world a better place, you probably think of famous scientists or great leaders. That is not all the truth.
●Give away your money.
●Help a stranger. Your small actions can brighten the day of others. Hold the door for someone whose hands are full. Help the blind cross the street.
●Care about those you know. Show the people close to you how much you care about them. Tell them they mean a lot to you. Make a beautiful gift for a friend. Take your husband to his favourite fun place if he has had a hard week.
●Be grateful to others. Have you had good service in a restaurant? Thank the waiter. Do you have a very good neighbour who is always there when you need her? Tell her how much you appreciate her being in your life.
●
| A．Keep walking forward. |
| B．Share your knowledge. |
| C．Small steps, not big ones. |
| D．Give your seat on the bus to an old man. |
| E．Tell your children how much they mean to you. |
| F．Ordinary people like you and me can also help a lot. |
| G．Choose a charity (慈善机构) that has meaning for you. |
9 . Air Travel Guidelines for Children
We’re here to help you prepare to fly with your children. Here’s how it works.
Booking a child’s ticket
You’ll need to buy a separate ticket if:
· You book an international flight.
· Your child is 2 years old or older at takeoff.
· Your child is a baby sitting in his or her own seat.
In some cases, children can fly for free. If everything below is true, you won’t need to buy your child a separate ticket:
· You book a domestic(国内) flight.
· Your child is a baby(less than 2 years old), at takeoff.
· Your baby sits on the legs of a traveler over the age of 12.
· No more than 1 baby is seated on the legs of a traveler.
Now for the rules, each traveler over the age of 12 may accompany(陪伴) up to 2 babies, each seated in their own seat.
Documents a child will need
The airlines determine what documents you’ll need to travel. In short, if you’re flying domestically, each child might need a photo ID. If you’re flying intemationally, each child will need a passport. Additionally, children under 18 traveling to Mexico need to provide proved documentation and letters of permission. For more information, please visit the US Embassy(大使馆) website.
Unaccompanied children on flights
· Some airlines may charge a fee for unaccompanied child service.
· Children under 5 and over 17 might be unfit for unaccompanied child service.
· Both the adult dropping the child off at the airport and the adult picking the child up are required to show identification.
Contact your airline to ask about more information.
1. Under which condition do you have to buy a ticket for your baby girl?| A．She sits on your legs. | B．She needs a domestic flight. |
| C．She requires a separate seat. | D．She is under the age of 2 at takeoff. |
| A．A photo ID. | B．A passport. |
| C．Proved documentation. | D．A letter of permission. |
| A．A 4-year-old boy. | B．A 10-year-old boy. |
| C．An 18-year-old boy. | D．A 19-year-old boy. |
10 . Music is not just a set of sounds and rhythms. Its influence on brain is much deeper than any other human experience. Keep on reading to know all these amazing power of music.
A recent study suggests that preterm (早产的) babies appear to experience less pain and feed more when listening to music. Experts led by Dr. Manoj Kumar of the University of Alberta,Canada,found that music had a beneficial effect on reducing pain for preterm babies experiencing painful medical tests. It also appeared to benefit full-term babies during operations.
Many people experiencing brain damage have speech and movement-related problems. Music can help recover from brain injuries. As a different and effective treatment, doctors often advise such patients to listen to good music to improve the parts of the brain responsible for these two functions. When people with neurological (神经的) disorders hear a musical beat, it helps them to regain a balanced walk.
Though music cannot make deafness disappear, it really can stave off the loss of hearing. There was an experiment involving 163 people where 74 were musicians. Participants were asked to pass some listening tests. Musicians heard the sounds better than non-musicians, and this difference gets clearer with age. This means that a 70-year-old musician hears better than a 50-year-old non-musician, even in a noisy environment.
Besides, music mends a broken heart. It is not about a thrown-away love, but about a heart attack. The matter is that music can help people recover from a heart attack or heart operation by reducing blood pressure, slowing down the heartbeat rate, and reducing anxiety. Listening to the quality music produces positive emotions, improves the movement of blood, and expands blood vessels, thus, promoting quick recovery of the whole cardiovascular (心血管的) system.
1. How does music affect preterm babies?| A．It helps develop their potential in music. |
| B．It helps reduce their pain. |
| C．It helps improve their hearing systems. |
| D．It helps repair their neurological systems. |
| A．Cause. | B．Increase. |
| C．Prevent. | D．Expand. |
| A．It has a positive effect on human body systems’ work. |
| B．It can encourage people to do sports. |
| C．It helps make a person outgoing. |
| D．It helps patients recover more quickly than medicine does. |
| A．People Who Can Benefit From music. |
| B．The Best Time to Listen to Music. |
| C．The Way to choose Quality Music. |
| D．How Music Affects Our Mind and Body. |
