1 . With the development of computers, increasing students type with a greater-than-ever reliance on them to take notes and write papers.
A line of research shows the benefits of an “innovation” that predates computers: handwriting.
One of the best-demonstrated advantages of handwriting seems to be in superior note- taking. In a study from 2014 by Pam Mueller and. Danny Oppenheimer, students typing wrote down almost twice as many words and more passages word for word from lectures.
Many studies have confirmed handwriting’s benefits, and policymakers have taken note.
Although nearly all will eventually need typing skills, in an age of typing, handwriting still matters.
| A．Studies have found that handwriting can improve everything. |
| B．This aids conceptual understanding at the moment of writing. |
| C．But today a different debate is raging about the dangers of typing. |
| D．It suggested they didn’t understand the material so much as parrot (鹦鹉学舌) it. |
| E．However, several schools in America have gone so far to ban most laptops. |
| F．Especially. studies have found that writing on paper can better students’ performance. |
| G．For instance, about half the states in America have commanded more teaching of handwriting instruction. |
2 . The world’s largest ape Gigantopithecus blacki (G. blacki) vanished from Earth between 295, 000 and 215, 000 years ago, more than 100, 000 years earlier than once thought, pushed to extinction as the environment around it shifted, researchers reported recently in Nature.
The fate of G. blacki, twice the size of the largest modern apes and resembling a super-sized version of its close cousin, the orangutan, has long been a mystery. For about 2 million years, G. blacki inhabited a landscape of forests and grasses in what’s now southern China. It left behind only scattered remnants: thousands of teeth and four jawbones, unearthed in cave sediments in the region.
To establish a chronology for the ape’s extinction, paleoanthropologist Yingqi Zhang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and his colleagues used different dating techniques to determine the ape’s habits, diet and environment. In the teeth, they looked for data on the ape’s diet, measuring isotopes (同位素) of carbon and oxygen as well as examining the teeth for tiny evidence of wear and tear — which can reveal not only diet, but also give hints of repeated behaviors and stress. The team also analyzed the cave sediments bearing the fossils, hunting for fossil pollen and conducting luminescence dating (光释光测年) on radioactive elements within the sediments.
The team’s reconstruction revealed that — around 700, 000 to 600, 000 years ago, southern China shifted from its forested landscape to a more seasonally-driven environment. Some apes, including the orangutans, were able to adapt to these changes. But G. blacki was unable to change rapidly enough, and its numbers slowly dwindled before going extinct, the team suggested.
The assembled evidence told a convincing story that “the extinction of G. blacki coincided in southern China with a decrease of forest cover and expansion of savanna-like environments,” said Hervé Bocherens, a biogeologist at the University of Tuebingen in Germany. Still, he said, documenting the extinction of this species from the fossil record is tricky — and it’s impossible to rule out the possibility that pockets of G. blacki may have lingered in still-undiscovered caves for longer.
1. What can be known about G. blacki according to paragraph 2?| A． G. blacki shared certain similarities with the orangutan. |
| B． G. blacki was twice larger than the largest modern apes. |
| C． G. blacki lived in places full of basins and deserts. |
| D． G. blacki might have thousands of teeth. |
| A．They checked the situation of G. blacki. |
| B．They repeated the behaviors done by G. blacki. |
| C．They applied radioactive elements to the analysis of the cave sediments. |
| D．They measured isotopes of carbon and hydrogen in G. blacki diet. |
| A．Increased. | B．Reduced. | C．Unchanged. | D．Multiplied. |
| A．Many hands make light work. |
| B．One good turn deserves another. |
| C．Knowledge advances by steps and not by leaps. |
| D．Experience must be bought. |
3 . Formula One Lenovo Chinese Grand Prix 2024
From April 19 to 21, the much-anticipated 2024 Formula One Lenovo Chinese Grand Prix will come alive with the roar of engines at the Shanghai International Circuit. Details about tickets for the event are as follows.
Ticket Price:
[Grandstand] [Session] [Price (RMB)]
A Platinum 3 Day Ticket 3880
• A High 3 Day/Fri./Sat./Sun. Ticket 2880/490/890/2490
• A Low 3 Day/Fri./Sat./Sun. Ticket 2280/390/690/1990
• H/K 3 Day/Fri./Sat./Sun. Ticket 1480/290/590/1290
• C/F/J/L 3 Day Ticket 480
Ticketing Instructions:
• This event adopts electronic tickets with one ticket per person. Children require a full-priced ticket, and children under the age of three are not allowed entry.
• For each session of this event, a maximum of 4 tickets per mobile phone number and 1 ticket per ID card number can be purchased. When purchasing tickets, buyers must provide the audience’s real name, a valid personal ID, and a valid mobile phone number. After a successful purchase, ticket purchasers should retain e-ticket seat information appropriately.
• Ticket refunds can be requested without fees from the date of purchase until 24: 00 on February 29, 2024. From 00:00 on March 1, 2024, to 24: 00 on April 15, 2024, refunds will invite a 10% handling fee. No refunds will be accepted from 00: 00 on April 16, 2024. Returned within 7 working days.
• This event implements real-name verification with ID card and facial recognition for entry.
• The schedule and arrangement of the competition may be subject to changes, and please stay tuned to Formula One Lenovo Chinese Grand Prix official WeChat and Weibo for the latest information.
1. What should be offered to buy a ticket?| A．The audience’s nickname. | B．The audience’s e-ticket seat information. |
| C．The audience’s WeChat number. | D．The audience’s available phone number. |
| A．59 yuan. | B．531 yuan. | C．1, 062 yuan. | D．1, 180 yuan. |
| A．It will last 7 days. | B．It will be exciting and noisy. |
| C．It doesn’t limit the audience’s age. | D．It will never be postponed or cancelled. |
4 . Due to the fact that the average life expectancy in Ghana is 64 years old, and the most common causes of death are largely treatable conditions, such as malaria, stroke, and respiratory infections. Boateng, growing up in a small village in southern Ghana/struggling to access basic health care, felt an urgent call to help and decided he would make it his life’s mission to bring health care to remote communities in Ghana.
Boateng worked hard in school, getting a scholarship to study biology at Cornell University in the US, and ultimately earned his master’s in Healthcare Administration. Later he started his nonprofit, OKB Hope Foundation, and converted a van into a mobile doctor’s office called the Hope Health Van to bring health care directly to those in need in 2021.
A few times a week, the mobile clinic and medical team travel long distances to remote communities in Ghana and provide free routine medical care. On each trip, Boateng’s team consists of a nurse, a physician’s assistant, a doctor, and an operation assistant. In the van, they can run basic labs like bloodwork and urinalysis as well as prescribe and provide medications. “It’s like a one-stop shop for people,” said Boateng, adding that most of the people they see have one health issue or another.
Since its launch, Boateng says the Hope Health Van has served more than 4, 000 Ghanaians across more than 45 rural communities who otherwise don’t have easily accessible medical care. To supplement the mobile clinic, Boateng’s organization has also trained 20 volunteers to serve as local health advocates. They check people’s vitals and provide the medical team with timely data for assessing how to move forward with care and treatment, especially for those whose health is at risk.
In the future, Boateng hopes to expand to provide more consistent and high-quality medical care not only to those living in remote areas of Ghana but in other countries as well. “I believe that our model can be replicated in sub-Saharan Africa,” he said.
1. What inspired Boateng to set his life goal?| A．He wanted to get a scholarship. |
| B．Many locals died of deadly diseases. |
| C．The birthplace of him was small and poor. |
| D．Basic health care was inaccessible for locals. |
| A．How Boateng’s team functions. | B．Why Boateng’s team was founded. |
| C．What Boateng’s team has achieved. | D．Where Boateng’s team has travelled. |
| A．Ambiguous. | B．Ambitious. | C．Indifferent. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．A van bringing medical care to thousands |
| B．A country lacking basic health care |
| C．Efforts to provide people with medications |
| D．Mobile vans travelling through Ghana |
5 . Minor Cold is the 23rd solar term of the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms. For most areas of China, it marks the start of the coldest days of the year. Still, bitter cold can’t prevent people from enjoying their lives.
Enjoy Mutton hot pot and baked sweet potato.
Mutton hot pot, and baked sweet potato are two recommended foods for Minor Cold.
Eat Laba porridge.
Another important traditional food for Minor Cold is Laba porridge.
People in Nanjing used to take Minor Cold quite seriously, and they still keep a custom of eating vegetable rice to celebrate this solar term. The rice is steamed with aijiaohuang, sausage and salted duck that are all the specialties in Nanjing.
Make Chinese traditional herbal medicine.
| A．Stock up for New Year. |
| B．Taste Nanjing vegetable rice. |
| C．It is made from over 20 kinds of nuts, cereals and dried fruits. |
| D．Minor Cold is also the busiest time for doctors and pharmacies, |
| E．Here are some things that help us stay warm during Minor Cold. |
| F．Beef, sesame and walnuts are also good choices for Minor Cold. |
| G．According to Chinese tradition, people eat food containing more yang energy. |
6 . Although I love watching Olympic diving, I’ve never understood why athletes hurry off to the showers and then proceed to relax in a hot tub (热水浴池) after each dive. They’re already wet. They’re only in the pool for a handful of seconds, so it’s not like they need to get cleaned up. And doesn’t taking a shower serve the same purpose as sitting in a hot tub?
Actually, that’s what Olympic divers usually do between dives as they know very well about the importance of warm-ups and cool-downs. So, what’s the actual reason?
As it turns out, showers and hot tubs are used pretty interchangeably by the swimming pool. However, there is a need for both. First, let’s start with why divers need to take a shower between dives. It has to do with body temperature and keeping their muscles relaxed. As you can imagine, practicing dives in the pool, then having to keep your body warm in a shower, and then jumping off a 10-meter platform and into cold water couldn’t be comfortable for anyone. Going back and forth between these warm and cool temperatures can cause a diver’s muscles to tense or cramp up (痉挛), which can lead to injuries to the muscles. Showers allow an Olympic diver to recover and prevent that.
In that way, showers and hot tubs serve the same purpose. A hot tub is generally used if you have a bit more time between dives and have already stretched. The shower walls on the pool deck can typically provide enough space for more divers at the same time, and they’re especially helpful for athletes who need to stretch or who only have a few minutes between dives. Just like Olympic swimmers depend on thick clothes to keep their muscles warm, Olympic divers rely on these methods to stay loose. If you ask me, it’s not a bad way to pass the time!
1. What does the underlined word “proceed” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Prefer. | B．Continue. | C．Tend. | D．Stop. |
| A．To fully clean their body. | B．To rest and wait for the results. |
| C．To avoid possible muscle injuries. | D．To stop themselves from catching a cold. |
| A．Hot tubs are as important as showers for divers. |
| B．Olympic swimmers need to stay warm using hot tubs. |
| C．Hot tubs are often used by divers having little time between divers. |
| D．The shower walls are designed for divers who have already stretched. |
| A．To provide some diving advice for us. |
| B．To compare cold showers with the hot bath. |
| C．To explain the difference between warm-ups and cool-downs. |
| D．To tell us why divers take a shower and sit in a hot tub after diving. |
7 . Researchers from ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich, and the University Hospital Zurich have made a significant breakthrough in the field of precision medicine. They have developed a machine learning approach known as CellOT that can predict how individual cells react to specific treatments. This development promises more accurate diagnoses and therapeutics, particularly in the fight against cancer.
Precision medicine, which aims to find the most effective drug combination and dosage (剂量) based on individual patient characteristics, has been a critical goal in the battle against cancer. Central to this is understanding how individual cells respond to treatment, a challenge that the research team from Zurich has tackled head-on with their innovative method.
CellOT is a groundbreaking approach that identifies the distinct reactions individual cells within a larger population can have to a drug. The average response of a cell population often does not capture the full complexity of how certain tumor cells survive or develop resistance to drugs. CellOT addresses this by predicting the effects of perturbations (扰动) on cells, paving the way for more effective and personalized cancer treatments.
Perturbations are changes caused by chemical, physical, or genetic influences, such as the effects of drugs on cancer cells. By understanding which cells respond to a drug and identifying the traits of resistant cells, researchers can develop new treatment strategies that prevent cell growth or cause pathogenic (致病的) cells to die.
For CellOT, the researchers use novel machine learning algorithms and train these with both data from unperturbed cells and data from cells that changed after a perturbation response. In the process, the algorithm learns how cellular perturbation reactions arise, how they progress, and the likely phenotypes (显性类型) of altered cell states.
The study, published in Nature Methods, shows that CellOT is not just effective for cancer cells. It can also be used on other pathogenic cells involved in autoimmune diseases like lupus erythematosus (红斑狼疮), indicating its potential in advancing treatments for various diseases.
A key innovation of CellOT is its predictive ability. By evaluating existing cell measurement data, and thus expanding the knowledge of cellular perturbation reactions, CellOT can predict how individual cells will respond to perturbations that have not been measured in the laboratory. This capability opens up new avenues for targeted and personalized treatments.
While CellOT holds immense promise, comprehensive clinical trials are still required before the approach can be used in a hospital setting. Nevertheless, the development of this method marks a significant step towards a more nuanced (细腻的) understanding of individual cell responses to drugs. It fuels the hope for more effective cancer treatments and advances in precision medicine.
1. The underlined word “this” in Paragraph 3 refers to _______.| A．various responses of a cell population to drugs |
| B．the average reaction of a cell population to drugs |
| C．the resistance from a group of cancer cells to drugs |
| D．the survival of a population of cancer cells to drugs |
| A．has proved efficient in some Zurich hospitals |
| B．can cause perturbations inside a human body |
| C．may bring about better treatments for various diseases |
| D．focuses on monitoring the development of cancer cells |
| A．The limitations of CellOT. |
| B．Suggestions for CellOT improvement. |
| C．An explanation of further research. |
| D．Future implications of CellOT. |
| A．A Groundbreaking Medicine for Cancer |
| B．Precision Medicine is Around the Corner |
| C．How Machine Learning Helps Zurich Doctors |
| D．CellOT: Advancing Precision Cancer Treatment |
8 . Regularly practicing facial “yoga”, or exercises for your facial muscles, may actually make you look younger, early research suggests，
In a small, new study, researchers taught 27 middle-age women (ages 40 to 65) how to perform 32 facial exercises, which included simple actions such as smiling in the cheeks. After this training, the participants performed these exercises at home for 30 minutes a day, every day for eight weeks. On the ninth week of the study, the participants reduced the frequency of their 30-minute exercise routine to every other day (three to four days a week), and continued the exercise for 20 weeks.
The participants also had their photos taken at the beginning and end of the study, and several doctors rated these photos using a standard method for assessing the appearance of aging in the face and neck. The raters, who didn’t know which photos were taken before and which photos were taken after the exercises, also estimated the age of the person in the photo.
After 20 weeks, the participants had better ratings for the fullness of their cheeks, on average, compared with their ratings at the start of the study. In other words, their cheeks looked fuller after their 20-week facial exercise. This change in cheek fullness also made the participants look younger: Raters estimated that the participants looked nearly three years younger after the exercises, compared with before.
However, the findings are preliminary and should be confirmed with a larger study, the researchers said. And many questions remain about exactly which exercises are beneficial and who might benefit from them. “The study involved middle-age, mainly white women, who stayed in the study for 20 weeks, so it’s not known whether the effects seen in the study would apply to men, or to people of other ages or races. It’s also not clear how long people need to perform the exercises in order to see benefits,” lead study author Dr. Murad Alam said.
1. What did the researchers first do in the study?| A．They trained the participants. |
| B．They divided the participants into groups. |
| C．They took photos of the participants. |
| D．They checked the faces of the participants. |
| A．They looked healthier. | B．They got fuller facial outline. |
| C．They became interested in Yoga. | D．They got to smile more frequently. |
| A．proved | B．questioned | C．challenged | D．affected |
| A．More facial exercises will be performed. |
| B．Middle-aged women will not be included. |
| C．Men participants will appear in later studies. |
| D．20 weeks is enough to test if an exercise works. |
9 . High-resolution (高分辨率) satellite imagery has been used to map every single tree in Africa, showing a technique that could help improve the monitoring of deforestation (森林砍伐) across the world. Florian Reiner at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and his colleagues used images from sate lies to map canopy (树冠) across the entire African continent.
Modern sate lies usually catch tree canopies at a resolution of 30 meters — fine for measuring the size of forests, but less good at mapping individual trees. The satellite data Reiner and his colleagues used had a resolution of 3 meters, enabling the study to map all trees, including those not part of a forest.
The results suggest that 30 percent of all trees in Africa aren’t in a forest and instead are across farmland, savannah and urban areas. “Many countries in Africa lack thick forests, but have a lot of trees.” says Reiner. “These trees are extremely important to the local ecosystems, the people and the economy. By tracking every single tree, researchers can start to monitor how these trees are coping with climate change or whether they are sensitive to deforestation.” It could also improve the monitoring of reforestation efforts, which are growing in popularity as a way of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
“At a local level, being able to consistently monitor when and where trees are disappearing or reappearing can lead to more actionable insights,” says John Francis at the Alan Turing Institute in London.
“The study is a proof of concept rather than a map ready for immediate commercial use,” says Reiner. “It’s research work. It’s showing what could be done,” he says. But he is already working with colleagues to scale up the tracking approach to cover the entire global canopy: “We’re hoping that this will be seen as a way forward in monitoring tree resources.”
1. Why is high-resolution satellite imagery used to map every single tree?| A．To know the exact height of the tree. |
| B．To have a clear picture of the canopy. |
| C．To help monitor the deforestation. |
| D．To improve the satellite technology. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Disapproving. | C．Indifferent. | D．Favorable. |
| A．Protect the trees only in Africa. |
| B．Put the map into commercial use. |
| C．Track the entire global canopy. |
| D．Improve the imagery technology. |
| A．Ways to Measure the Size of Forests in Africa |
| B．Coping with Climate Change by Tracking Every Single Tree |
| C．A Map from the Satellite Ready for Immediate Commercial Use |
| D．High-resolution Satellite Imagery Used in Monitoring Deforestation |
10 . Before coming to China, the Great Wall held a mysterious and poetic quality for me. I had seen it in photos, in films and read about it in books, but my first experience of the wall gave me a very different impression. In 2014, I visited the Badaling section, certainly an attractive place with some incredible views, but perhaps due to the large number of tourists, the massive restorations and tourist facilities, it felt far different from the impression I had built up in my mind.
I have been to many different sections of the wall since then, but none have matched my high expectations until the recent National Day holiday. I decided to hike along the Jiankou section of the wall which rises more than 1,000 meters above sea level, and camp overnight to be able to take in both the sunset and sunrise.
Arriving at the top of the path, the only access point to get on to the wall itself was a ladder made of tree branches tied together with string. I climbed to one of the highest points on the wall in order to catch the sunset. Being completely alone on this unique and dangerous section of the wall, witnessing the sunset behind the mountains, was a truly unique experience.
I woke up expecting to be able to catch the sunrise, however, my weather app failed me. Getting out of the tent, I could hardly see my hand in front of my face as the whole area was covered in a thick fog. I made the decision to climb back to the top of the wall. The vast mountains with the wall cutting a path along them became visible for a few brief moments as the gusts of wind parted the clouds. In that moment, the image of the wall I had built up in my mind was finally realized. The combination of raw nature, geography and architecture are all in balance with one another. Undoubtedly, I will return to the wall and seek out new paths, but this experience will be matchless.
1. Why was the author disappointed with his first visit to the Great Wall?| A．There were not splendid views. |
| B．It was not a fascinating tourist destination. |
| C．The photos he saw before were unreal. |
| D．There were too many restorations and tourist facilities. |
| A．He managed to witness the great sunrise. |
| B．He enjoyed the unique sunset on his own. |
| C．He climbed to the highest point of the Great Wall. |
| D．He got on to the wall through a ladder made of string. |
| A．Disappointing. | B．Terrible. | C．Ordinary. | D．Amazing. |
| A．Nature reveals its true beauty of the Great Wall. |
| B．Foreign visitors should have a trip to the Great Wall |
| C．More attention should be paid to the protection of Heritage sites. |
| D．Parts of the Great wall have suffered from tourism in recent years. |
