1 . Enjoy Fresh Air
Namba Parks, Osaka, Japan
Architects creating Namba Parks shopping mall in Osaka showed that you needn’t sacrifice (牺牲) green spaces for commercial (商业的) development.
The shopping center, built in 2003, provides eight floors of commercial space for cinemas, stores, events and restaurants.
The garden at its top begins at street level. Visitors are treated to green spaces and there is no money necessary to enjoy the simple pleasures.
Promenade Plantee, Paris, France
The space was developed on a disused railway line and runs from the Opera Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes in the city.
Around 1.5 km of the park is higher than the street, with other parts at street level, even passing through disused railway tunnels (隧道).
The project began in 1988 and finished in 1994 and the space is now home to many trees and plants, including bamboo and cherry trees.
Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore, Singapore
Jurong Lake Gardens is a 90-hectare green space in the heart of Singapore. Although some areas are still under development, the first part opened in 2019.
The gardens were developed with nature and community in mind — with a large 2.3-hectare play area for children. The park has also developed a learning program to help educate students about biodiversity (生物多样性).
The High Line, New York, USA
You’ve probably heard of Central Park in New York. But did you know this is only the fifth largest park in New York, a city that has 180 state parks in total?
Wanting to increase its biodiversity further, city planners also created a city park known as the High Line between 2009 and 2019. This 2-kilometer public park was built on a disused railway line and is now home to over 150,000 plants and trees.
1. Why is Namba Parks special?| A．It serves as a shopping center. | B．It is still under development. |
| C．It is the fifth largest park in Japan. | D．It includes different parks in Osaka. |
| A．They were created by architects from Singapore. |
| B．They are famous for learning programs. |
| C．They were private gardens at first. |
| D．They are ‘on old railway lines. |
| A．Namba Parks. | B．Promenade Plantee. |
| C．Jurong Lake Gardens | D．The High Line. |
2 . Today, people use the Internet to shop, play games, make friends and read the news. Many young people can’t imagine life without it.
In 1957, the United States was in the middle of the Cold War. The Soviet Union (苏联) had sent up the first satellite (卫星), named Sputnik, into space. This meant the Soviets were ahead of the U. S. in technology. Americans were afraid.
The biggest change in the way that people use the Internet came in 1992. For the first time, the Internet was opened to the general public, creating what is now known as the World Wide Web.
| A．The network took more than ten years to develop. |
| B．Soon, people began finding all kinds of different things they could do on the Internet. |
| C．Most older people, on the other hand, think the Internet is only 10 or 15 years old. |
| D．People began to be fond of the Internet. |
| E．They didn’t know what to do. |
| F．The Internet then became available to colleges all over the United States and to scientists across Europe. |
| G．Scientists in the army of America started developing ideas for protecting the country. |
3 . The AI program ChatGPT might one day be able to help doctors detect (发现) Alzheimer’s disease (a serious illness that especially influences older people) in its early stages, according to new research from Drexel University.
While there is still no effective treatment for the disease, detecting it early can give patients more choices for medical treatment and support. “We know from ongoing research that the harmful results of Alzheimer’s disease can show themselves in language production,” said Hualou Liang, a professor at Drexel University and a co-author of the research. “The most commonly used tests for early detection of Alzheimer’s look at acoustic features (声学特征). We believe the improvement of AI programs provides another way to support early detection. of Alzheimer’s.”
GPT-3 uses a deep learning system (系统) which allows it to produce a human-like answer to any questions that include language. It is extremely good at “zero-data learning” — meaning it can answer questions that would require extra knowledge that has not been-provided. “GPT-3’s systemic method of language learning and production makes it a promising tool for finding certain speech features that may detect the disease,” said Liang.
The researchers carried out a series of experiments to test their ideas. “As we had expected, our test results showed that GPT-3 program can find clues (线索) from its conversations with patients that are 80% accurate (精确的) in the detection. GPT-3 can be a dependable tool,” they wrote.
To build on the promising result, the researchers are planning to develop an APP that could be used at home or in a doctor’s office as a pre-screening tool.
“This could be a simple and accurate tool for community-based testing.” said Felix Agbavor, a doctoral researcher at the University. “It is the latest in a series of efforts to show the effectiveness of AI programs for early detection of Alzheimer’s. It could be very useful for early screening and risk management.”
1. What did the Drexel study look at?| A．Different causes of Alzheimer’s disease. |
| B．Effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. |
| C．Detecting the use of AI programs in language learning. |
| D．Finding early signs of Alzheimer’s disease through ChatGPT. |
| A．Its low cost. | B．Its promising future. |
| C．Its wide popularity. | D．Its working system. |
| A．It achieved the expected results. |
| B．It was questioned by community doctors. |
| C．It has driven the development of AI technology. |
| D．It has changed public opinion on Alzheimer’s disease. |
| A．Dissatisfied. | B．Uncaring. | C．Supportive. | D．Curious. |
4 . I was at a new school in a new state and needed something solid to stand on: a place to feel grounded. I also needed to do laundry, so I walked to a nearby self-service laundry and stuffed a machine with my clothes. As I struggled to close the washer door, the woman working behind the counter told me to give it a good hit with my hand. The washer did its job, yet even after an hour, the dryer seemed to have barely warmed my clothes. I left, having decided to air-dry them on my car in the August heat.
A month later, I learned her name was Sandy, which she told me after I’d helped her stop a washing machine from moving across the floor. I was grading poems at a table when one of the washers broke loose and skipped an inch into the air. I jumped to the machine and held on while she unplugged it. The next week, Sandy told me dryer No. 8 was the fastest.
It went on like this. I’d do laundry once a week, usually Thursday or Friday. Sandy worked Tuesday through Saturday and we’d talk small while I folded clothes. She told me about her son and his grades, as well as the new dog they’d just adopted. She was fascinated that I was studying poetry. She teased (开玩笑) that it was harder making a living as a poet than as a laundry attendant. Even then I knew she was probably right.
I began to recognize others there: workers taking breaks by the door, a mother and her baby, and even some delivery drivers. But Sandy was the center of my community. For nearly three years and almost every week, I’d do laundry and talk with her. We checked on each other, expecting the other to be there. We asked where the other had gone when we missed a week. There was a note of concern for the other’s absence, a note of joy at their return.
I’d found a place to stand on solid ground.
1. Why did the author leave with his wet clothes?| A．He liked the August heat better. | B．He had to go back to the meeting. |
| C．He wanted to show off his new car. | D．He didn’t think the dryer worked well. |
| A．She was warm-hearted. | B．She needed a volunteer. |
| C．She wanted to thank him. | D．She was sorry for the mess. |
| A．It was harder to fulfill. | B．It was really fascinating. |
| C．It was badly-paid work. | D．It needed a lot of effort. |
| A．He formed a close friendship with Sandy. |
| B．He made a lot of friends in college. |
| C．He expected Sandy to do laundry for him. |
| D．He often wrote to Sandy after graduation. |
5 . The Price of a Dream
I grew up poor. We had little money, but plenty of love and attention. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, they could still afford a dream. My dream was athletics.
By the time I was sixteen, I was good at baseball and football. My high school coach was Ollie Jarvis. He not only believed in me, but taught me the difference between having a dream and showing conviction (信念).
One summer a friend recommended me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket — cash for dates with girls, certainly, money for a new bike and new clothes, and the start of savings for a house for my mother.
Then I realized I would have to give up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing. I was afraid of this, but my mother said, “If you make your bed, you have to lie in it.”
When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as mad as I expected him to be. “Your playing days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them,” he said.
I stood before him with my head hanging, trying to think of the words that would explain to him why I dream of buying my mom a house.
“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he demanded.
“Three point twenty-five an hour,” I replied.
“Well,” he asked, “is $3. 25 an hour the price of a dream?”
That question exposed the difference between wanting something right now and having a goal. I devoted myself to sports that summer, and within the year I was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play rookie-league ball, and offered a $20, 000 contract. I signed with the Denver Broncos in 1984 for $1.7 million, and bought my mother my dream house.
1. Why was the writer grateful to Coach Jarvis?| A．Because Coach Jarvis made him set a goal. |
| B．Because Coach Jarvis supplied him with new clothes. |
| C．Because Coach Jarvis gave him financial support. |
| D．Because Coach Jarvis helped him show conviction. |
| A．Balance summer baseball and the work schedule. |
| B．Refuse the job offer for summer baseball. |
| C．Give up summer baseball for the job. |
| D．Ask his coach Jarvis for advice. |
| A．You must eat the bitter fruit of your own making. |
| B．Believe in yourself, but above all be patient. |
| C．You must rely on yourself first, then others. |
| D．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
| A．He failed to buy his mother a house. |
| B．He succeeded as a sportsman. |
| C．He became a successful businessman. |
| D．He made some money in the summer job. |
6 . I live in Xizhou in Yunnan Province, on the historic Tea Horse Road. I have to admit that when I first heard that Paul Salopek was going to walk the entire globe on his own two feet, I was blown away. I couldn’t imagine that there could be such an unusual person in the world.
Last May, I met Paul. He told me that it was his first time in China. He talked to me with great excitement about the history, migrations, and discoveries in my region of China. He spoke of the Shu-Yandu Dao (the Southern Silk Road), the travels of the 17th-century Chinese explorer Xu Xiake, the Tea Horse Road and the early 20th-century American botanist Joseph Rock. He also talked of Xuanzang. Paul considered many of them heroes and in a sense Chinese pioneers of slow journalism.
I decided to accompany Paul on his walk toward Yunnan. On September 28, 2021, we set out. Our days were simple: walk, eat, sleep, and repeat. We woke up at sunrise, set off in high spirits, and rested at sunset, dragging ourselves into exhausted sleep.
We met many people on the road. Some were curious, surrounding us and watching us; some gave us directions; some invited us into their home to take a rest; some spoke of the charm of their hometown. We met many beautiful souls, simple souls and warm souls. We were walking with our minds.
Together, we were impressed by the biodiversity of the Gaoligong Mountains. As I walked on ancient paths through mountains, I seemed to hear the antique voices of past travelers urging me to be careful on the road.
Looking back on the more than 200 miles I walked with Paul, I came to a realization. Walking for its own sake, while healthy and admirable, is only a small part of the benefit of moving with our feet. A deeper reward is rediscovering the world around us, shortening the distance between each other, and sharing each other’s cultures.
1. How did the writer first respond to Paul’s travel plan?| A．Scared. | B．Puzzled. |
| C．Disappointed. | D．Surprised. |
| A．He was a western journalist. | B．He had a knowledge of China. |
| C．He came to China several times. | D．He was Joseph Rock’s acquaintance. |
| A．They honored the ancestors. | B．They set off in high spirits. |
| C．They satisfied the locals’ curiosity. | D．They built bonds with people. |
| A．To share and reflect on a journey. | B．To suggest a new way of travel. |
| C．To advocate protection of biodiversity. | D．To introduce and promote Chinese culture. |
7 . Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist Frank Wilczek has been honored with this year’s Templeton Prize. The award recognizes individuals whose life’s work brings together science and spirituality.
Wilczek is known for his research into the laws of nature. In a statement, the John Templeton Foundation said his work changes “our understanding of the forces that govern our universe.” It said he used physics to address “the great questions of meaning and purpose pondered by generations of religious thinkers.”
John Templeton created the prize in 1972. It is one of the most highly valued prizes at more than $1.3 million. Past winners include Jane Goodall, Mother Teresa and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Wilczek told The Associated Press, “It’s a company I’m very glad to join in.” He added, “It’s encouragement in a direction that I’ve really only taken up in a big way quite recently… which is thinking about not just what the world is and how it came to be this way but what we should do about it.”
Over a long career, Wilczek had many successes. He won the 2004 Nobel Prize along with David J. Gross, and H. David Politzer for their 1973 research explaining the unusual properties of the strong force. Wilczek is currently a physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Arizona State University and Stockholm University. He is also the founding director of Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s T. D. Lee Institute. He has also written several books that are informed by science but look into spiritual and philosophical questions.
Heather Dill is the Templeton Foundation president. In a statement, she said, “Like Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, he is a natural philosopher who unites a curiosity about the behavior of nature with a playful and profound philosophical mind.”
1. What is Frank Wilczek famous for?| A．His long-time efforts in philosophy. | B．His study in natural science. |
| C．His gains in the chemical awards. | D．His contribution in the field of art. |
| A．Governed strictly. | B．Designed seriously. |
| C．Considered carefully. | D．Abandoned completely. |
| A．His hobbies. | B．His advantages. |
| C．His expectations. | D．His achievements. |
| A．To advertise a book. |
| B．To introduce a great scientist. |
| C．To explain the difference of two prizes. |
| D．To stress the importance of science and philosophy. |
8 . Explore your world—Mirthy
Online events to help you discover, learn and connect
Who is Mirthy?
Mirthy is one of the most popular websites for online events and already loved and trusted by more than 45,000 people. It was designed to create an inclusive community where people can learn, share, and connect with others through a variety of events that are active, sociable, and uplifting. It’s all about fulfilment and wellbeing.
There are some online events each month to try, from craft workshops (手工工坊) to fitness sessions. For example, according to our event calendar, this week you can attend gardening classes and singing lessons. So whether you have a desire to get fitter or to pick up a new skill—signing up for classes and events with Mirthy could be just what you have been looking for.
How does it work?
Sign up via the online registration form at Mirthy.com. Then you can take a look through the calendar of upcoming events and see what takes your fancy.
Once you register for an event, you will then receive a link on email ready for you to join the live event. If your plans change and you can’t make it, you will receive a link for a 7-day replay that you can watch at a time that is convenient for you!
Best of all, it’s completely FREE to join!
Join Mirthy for free today, and you can enjoy any 4 events every month, for free! If you’re up for more, then you can either select and book additional events on a pay-as-you-go basis, normally for £2.99 each, or you can upgrade to the Premium membership giving you full free access to all events for only £4.99 per month.
If you choose to go for the Premium membership, there’s no contract. You simply upgrade your membership and you can cancel anytime.
1. Mirthy is intended to_________.| A．improve people’s fitness | B．organize sociable events |
| C．provide craft workshops | D．create an online community |
| A．Make art crafts. | B．Talk about fitness experience. |
| C．Learn songs. | D．Study wild plants and animals. |
| A．People can sign up for the events online. |
| B．The events can be watched again at any time. |
| C．People can upgrade their membership for free. |
| D．No more than 4 events are offered each month. |
| A．To share a lifestyle. |
| B．To recommend a website. |
| C．To introduce online events. |
| D．To explain a registration process. |
9 . Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers tried to conquer (征服) Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two “Irelands”. Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.
In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes, was affected by disease and about 750,000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage (短缺) of work, forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.
For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people still work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.
The Irish are famous for being warm－hearted and friendly. Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were “the greatest talkers since the Greeks”. Since independence, Ireland has revived (复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish songs which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, etc.
1. What does the author tell us in Paragraph 1?| A．How the Irish fought against the English. |
| B．How Ireland gained independence. |
| C．How English rulers tried to conquer Ireland. |
| D．How two “Irelands” came into being. |
| A．food shortages and a lack of work in the 1840s led to a decline in population |
| B．people are moving to the cities for lack of work in the countryside |
| C．it is harder to make a living as a farmer than as a factory worker |
| D．different kinds of old Irish songs are all sung with instruments |
| A．the Irish character | B．the Irish culture |
| C．Irish musical instruments | D．a famous Irish writer |
| A．Life in Ireland | B．A Very Difficult History |
| C．Ireland, Past and Present | D．The Independence of Ireland |
10 . For some people, nothing beats a long walk on a sandy beach. But there’s no denying that it’s not as easy or as fast to get around on the beach as it is on a road or a sidewalk. But why is it so hard to walk on sand?
The problem with sand is that it’s soft; you “sink in” at each step. This forces you to use 2.1 to 2. 7 times more energy with every step you take. Another idea is that people walk more difficultly on soft than they do on hard surfaces, a study found. The researchers compared how people walked on foam (沫) and hard surfaces by analyzing the forces under their feet and how much oxygen each person consumed. They found that walking on soft surfaces, such as sand, mud and snow, caused people to take longer steps — actions that use more energy than walking on a hard surface.
But as experienced beach walkers know, there’s a way to make it easier to walk on sand: Just add water, When sand is wet, it becomes more compact (紧密), and walking on it is more similar to walking on hard surface. In other words, it’s much easier to cross a beach by walking along the shoreline, where the waves roll in and out. This is a balance though; too much water could make the sand soft once again. If water isn’t an option, there is another way to make walking on sand easier — increasing your surface area. This could be accomplished by wearing shoes.
Although it’s more difficult, there are some good reasons to exercise on sand. The impact forces are lower on sand than on hard surface. Research suggests that walking across sand is much easier on your joints (关节) and muscles, especially compared with an unforgiving surface such as concrete (混凝土). This means sand is a better surface for helping athletes recover more quickly from workouts.
1. Why is the question raised in the first paragraph?| A．To show problems. | B．To call up readers’ memories. |
| C．To invite readers to answer it. | D．To draw readers’ attention to the topic. |
| A．By putting on shoes. | B．By taking longer steps. |
| C．By walking in the water. | D．By using special breath methods. |
| A．Sand. | B．Concrete. |
| C．Foam. | D．Snow. |
| A．Tips for Beach Vacation | B．All Kinds of Sports on the Sand |
| C．Why Is It So Hard to Walk on Sand? | D．Where Are We With the Sand Research? |
